💥Join UPSC 2027,2028 Mentorship (July Batch) + XFactor Notes & Microthemes PDF
Talk to Mentor

Civilsdaily

Login

Archives: News

  • Parliament – Sessions, Procedures, Motions, Committees etc

    When does Speaker suspend MPs from Lok Sabha?

    6 March 2020 | | Polity
    Mains Paper 2: Parliament & State Legislatures

    Seven MPs of a political party were suspended for unruly behaviour in the Lok Sabha. The motion was passed by a voice vote.

    What is the reason for suspending an MP?

    • The general principle is that it is the role and duty of the Speaker of Lok Sabha to maintain order so that the House can function smoothly.
    • This is a daunting task even at the best of times.
    • In order to ensure that proceedings are conducted in the proper manner, the Speaker is empowered to force a Member to withdraw from the House (for the remaining part of the day), or to place him/her under suspension.

    What are the rules under which the Speaker acts?

    Rule Number 373 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business says:

    • The Speaker, if is of the opinion that the conduct of any Member is grossly disorderly, may direct such Member to withdraw immediately from the House, and any Member so ordered to withdraw shall do so forthwith and shall remain absent during the remainder of the day’s sitting.

    To deal with more recalcitrant Members, the Speaker may take recourse to Rules 374 and 374A. Rule 374 says:

    1. The Speaker may, it deems it necessary, name a Member who disregards the authority of the Chair or abuses the rules of the House by persistently and wilfully obstructing the business thereof.
    2. If a Member is so named by the Speaker, the Speaker shall, on a motion being made forthwith put the question that the Member (naming such Member) be suspended from the service of the House for a period not exceeding the remainder of the session: Provided that the House may, at any time, on a motion being made, resolve that such suspension be terminated.
    3. A member suspended under this rule shall forthwith withdraw from the precincts of the House.

    What is the procedure for revocation of a Member’s suspension?

    • While the Speaker is empowered to place a Member under suspension, the authority for revocation of this order is not vested in her.
    • It is for the House, if it so desires, to resolve on a motion to revoke the suspension.

    What happens in Rajya Sabha?

    • Like the Speaker in Lok Sabha, the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is empowered under Rule Number 255 of its Rule Book to “direct any Member whose conduct is in his opinion grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately” from the House.
    • Any Member so ordered to withdraw shall do so forthwith and shall absent himself during the remainder of the day’s meeting.
    • The Chairman may name a Member who disregards the authority of the Chair or abuses the rules of the Council by persistently and wilfully obstructing business.
    • In such a situation, the House may adopt a motion suspending the Member from the service of the House for a period not exceeding the remainder of the session.
    • The House may, however, by another motion, terminate the suspension.
    • Unlike the Speaker, however, the Rajya Sabha Chairman does not have the power to suspend a Member.

    Way Forward: Striking a balance

    • There can be no question that the enforcement of the supreme authority of the Speaker is essential for smooth conduct of proceedings. A balance has to be struck.
    • However, it must be remembered that her job is to run the House, not to lord over it.
    • The solution to unruly behaviour has to be long-term and consistent with democratic values.
    • A step in that same direction could be to discontinue the practice of herding people out of the visitors’ gallery when the House witnesses chaos.
    • So, the ruling party of the day invariably insists on the maintenance of discipline, just as the Opposition insists on its right to protest. And their positions change when their roles flip.

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor

  • Freedom of Speech – Defamation, Sedition, etc.

    Freedom in the World 2020

    6 March 2020 | IOCR | International Relations
    Mains Paper 2: GS2-01. Indian Constitution-Historical underpinnings & evolution; Features, amendments, significant provisions, basic structure of Constitution

     

    India has become one of the world’s least free democracies, according to a global survey.

    Freedom in the World Report

    • It is a yearly survey and report by the U.S. based non-governmental organization Freedom House.
    • It measures the degree of civil liberties and political rights in every nation and significant related and disputed territories around the world.
    • The report derives its methodology from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948.
    • It covers 195 countries, awarding scores based on political rights indicators such as the electoral process, political pluralism and participation and government functioning, as well as civil liberties indicators related to freedom of expression and belief associational and organisational rights, the rule of law and personal autonomy and individual rights.

    Highlights of the report

     

     

    Deteriorating freedom in India

    • The report ranks India at the 83rd position, along with Timor-Leste and Senegal.
    • This is near the bottom of the pile among the countries categorised as “Free”.
    • India’s score fell by four points to 71, the worst decline among the world’s 25 largest democracies this year.
    • India scored 34 out of 40 points in the political rights category, but only 37 out of 60 in the civil liberties category, for a total score of 71, a drop from last year’s score of 75.
    • The report treats “Indian Kashmir” as a separate territory, which saw its total score drop precipitously from 49 to 28 this year, moving it from a status of “Partly Free” to “Not Free”.

    Reason for the downfall

    • The annulment of autonomy and the subsequent shutdown of Kashmir, the NRC and the CAA, as well as the crackdown on mass protests, have been listed as the main signs of declining freedom in the report.
    • These three actions have shaken the rule of law in India and threatened the secular and inclusive nature of its political system said the report.
    • The report slammed the internet blackout in Kashmir terming it the longest shutdown ever imposed by democracy.
    • It said freedom of expression was under threat in India, with journalists, academics and others facing harassment and intimidation when addressing politically sensitive topics.
    • It warned that the Indian government’s alarming departures from democratic norms under present govt. could blur the values-based distinction between Beijing and New Delhi.

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor

  • Gairsain as new summer capital of Uttarakhand

    6 March 2020 | Prelims OnlyStates | Polity
    Mains Paper 2: Federalism

     

     

    Uttarakhand govt names Gairsain as the new summer capital of the state.

    Gairsain

    • Gairsain is situated at the eastern edge of the vast Dudhatoli mountain range, located almost at the centre of the state, at a distance of approximately 250 kilometres from Dehradun.
    • It is easily accessible from both the Garhwal and the Kumaon divisions, and in a way, acts as the bridge between the two regions.
    • Uttarakhand was carved out as a separate state from Uttar Pradesh in 1998.
    • Gairsain was best suited to be the capital of the mountainous state as it was a hilly region falling on the border of Kumaon and Garhwal regions.
    • But it was Dehradun, located in the plains that served as the temporary capital.
    • With the fresh announcement, there is no clarity on either the city’s current status or a new winter capital.
    • The state Assembly is located in Dehradun, but sessions are held in Gairsain as well.

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor

  • Higher Education – RUSA, NIRF, HEFA, etc.

    World University Rankings by Subject 2020

    6 March 2020 | IOCR | Governance
    Mains Paper 2: GS2-13.Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

     

     

    Indian higher-education institutes have improved their performance on the global stage, with a greater number getting ranked in the top-100 programs, according to the latest edition of the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject 2020.

    Major findings of the report

    • IIT Bombay (44), IIT Delhi (47), IIT Kharagpur (86), IIT Madras (88) and IIT Kanpur (96) found place in top 100 of this category.
    • In the Natural Sciences category, three Indian institutions made it to the top 200: IIT-Bombay at 108th rank closely followed by the IISc, Bangalore at the 111th position, while IIT-Madras scraped in at the 195th rank.
    • Jawaharlal Nehru University remained the country’s top institution in the Arts and Humanities category, with a global ranking of 162, followed at a distance by Delhi University at 231.
    • Delhi University topped the Social Sciences and Management category, with a global ranking of 160, followed by IIT-Delhi at 183.
    • There are no Indian institutions in the world’s top 200 when it comes to Life Sciences and Medicine.
    • The top institution in the country is the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, which had a global ranking of 231.
    • Other top subjects included physics & astronomy with 18 Indian institutes, biological sciences (16), electrical engineering (15), chemical engineering (14) and mechanical engineering (14).
    • MIT, Stanford University and the University of Cambridge has secured top three positions in the Engineering and Technology category.

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor

  • Innovations in Sciences, IT, Computers, Robotics and Nanotechnology

    [pib] Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC)

    6 March 2020 | PIB | Science and Technology
    Mains Paper 3: GS3-17.Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nano-technology, Bio-technology and issues relating to Intellectual Property Rights.

    Scientists at International Advanced Research for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad have developed Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cells (PEMFC).

    Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

    • Proton-exchange membrane fuel cells, also known as polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells (PEMFC) are a type of fuel cell being developed mainly for transport applications, as well as for stationary fuel-cell applications and portable fuel-cell applications.
    • Their distinguishing features include lower temperature/pressure ranges (50 to 100 °C) and a special proton-conducting polymer electrolyte membrane.
    • PEMFCs generate electricity and operate on the opposite principle to PEM electrolysis, which consumes electricity.
    • They are a leading candidate to replace the aging alkaline fuel-cell technology, which was used in the Space Shuttle.

    Working

     

    • The PEMFC uses a water-based, acidic polymer membrane as its electrolyte, with platinum-based electrodes.
    • The protons pass through the membrane to the cathode side of the cell while the electrons travel in an external circuit, generating the electrical output of the cell.

    Applications in disaster management

    • Emergency Operation Centres (EOC) backed with 10 kW systems is being planned as a natural disaster management measure.
    • Tamil Nadu is generally affected by five to six cyclones every year, of which two to three are severe and is followed by frequent power cuts.
    • ARCI is now planning to set up a PEMFC system for Tamil Nadu to operate the systems like early warning systems, VHF set, IP phone, BSNL Ethernet and office equipment like scanner, computers, printers, phone, FAX and normal requirements like lighting and fan.

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor

  • Water Management – Institutional Reforms, Conservation Efforts, etc.

    [pib] Law for Rain Water Harvesting

    6 March 2020 | PIB | Environment
    Mains Paper 3: GS3-18.Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.

     

     

    The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has issued the Model Building Bye Laws, 2016 for guidance of the States/UTs and has a chapter on ‘Rainwater Harvesting’.

    Why such move?

    • These laws aim to regulate the over-exploitation and consequent depletion of ground water.
    • It would enable States/UTs to enact suitable ground water legislation for regulation of its development, which includes provision of rain water harvesting.

    About the Bye Laws

    • 33 States/UTs have adopted the rainwater harvesting provisions.
    • The provisions of this chapter are applicable to all the buildings.

    Various provisions

    • As per Model Building Bye Laws- 2016, provision of rainwater harvesting is applicable to all residential plots above 100 sq.m.
    • Water being a State subject, initiatives on water management including conservation and water harvesting in the Country is primarily States’ responsibility.
    • So the implementation of the rainwater harvesting policy comes within the purview of the State Government/Urban Local Body / Urban Development Authority.

    Back2Basics

    Groundwater governance in India

    • Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has been constituted under Section 3(3) of the ‘Environment (Protection) Act, 1986’ for the purpose of regulation and control of groundwater development and management in the Country.
    • CGWA is regulating ground water withdrawal by industries/infrastructure/ mining projects in the country for which guidelines/ criteria have been framed which includes rainwater harvesting as one of the provisions while issuing No Objection Certificate.

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor

  • International Space Agencies – Missions and Discoveries

    NASA’s new Mars rover: Perseverance

    6 March 2020 | Prelims Only | Science and Technology
    Mains Paper 3: GS3-17.Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nano-technology, Bio-technology and issues relating to Intellectual Property Rights.

    NASA has named its next Mars rover ‘Perseverence’.

    About Perseverance

    • The Perseverance rover weighs less than 2,300 pounds and is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab.
    • The rover’s mission will be to search for signs of past microbial life. It will also collect samples of Martian rocks and dust, according to the release.
    • The rover will also be tasked with studying the red planet’s geology and climate.
    • All of NASA’s previous Mars rovers — including the Sojourner (1997), Spirit and Opportunity (2004) and Curiosity (exploring Mars since 2012) — were named in this way.

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor

  • Banking Sector Reforms

    [pib] Mega Consolidation in Public Sector Banks 

    6 March 2020 | PIB | Economics
    Mains Paper 3: Indian Economy

    The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister has approved the mega consolidation of ten PSBs into four which include the –

    • Amalgamation of Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India into Punjab National Bank
    • Amalgamation of Syndicate Bank into Canara Bank
    • Amalgamation of Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank into Union Bank of India
    • Amalgamation of Allahabad Bank into Indian Bank

    About the merger

    • The amalgamation would be effective from 1.4.2020 and would result in creation of seven large PSBs with scale and national reach with each amalgamated entity having a business of over Rupees Eight lakh crore.
    • The Mega consolidation would help create banks with scale comparable to global banks and capable of competing effectively in India and globally.
    • Greater scale and synergy through consolidation would lead to cost benefits which should enable the PSBs enhance their competitiveness and positively impact the Indian banking system.

    Must read

    Bank Mergers

    [Burning Issue] Merger of Public Sector Bank

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor

  • Women empowerment issues – Jobs,Reservation and education

    Skill her, skill India

    5 March 2020 | | Governance
    Mains Paper 2: Laws, Institutions & Bodies Constituted For The Vulnerable Sections

    Context

    On March 8, we honour and celebrate women on the occasion of the International Women’s Day. Women in our country are making strides in social, financial and political fields.

    Women breaking the barriers

    • Women working for the development of the country: Be it the 1857 mutiny for India’s freedom or the struggle for Independence, our women have always made India proud.
      • Even today, women are performing their duties with full devotion for the development of the country and upliftment of society.
      • They are working efficiently in various fields, such as academics, literature, music and dance, sports, media, business, information technology, science and technology, politics and social development.
    • Breaking barriers in various fields: Indian women from metropolitan cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai are breaking barriers in fields ranging from politics to the corporate sector.
    • Giving society a new direction: Women are giving society a new direction through their leadership and critical participation in panchayat elections.
      • Increasing awareness and clear intentions are the reason behind women strengthening economic, social and cultural establishments.
      • This is very important for a democratic system.

    Female participation in the corporate sector

    • IT sector participation: There is a constant evolution of female participation in the corporate sector. Female participation is constantly increasing in the Information Technology sector.
    • Presence in other areas: Along with the IT sector, the presence of women is also increasing in the banking and finance sector.
      • Last year, the Indian Space Research Organisation decided to hand over the command of Chandrayaan-2 to two women, and these women also played a key role in the mission.

    Government schemes for women empowerment

    • Our government is running many schemes for women’s empowerment such as the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Mahila E-haat Scheme, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, Sakhi Yojana, Ladli Yojana, Digital Laado and the Swachh Bharat Mission.
    • Government is also working extensively on women’s nutrition.
    • Multiple ministries working on the same: The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Women and Child Empowerment, and Human Resource Development are working closely in this regard.
    • Identification of skill set: We know that every person has a unique skill-set. What is needed is a mechanism to ensure that that skill-set is identified and honed in the best possible way.
      • The government need to ensure that all women in our country from different occupations are trained in their respective skill-sets and are employable.
    • Government need to put to best use their skill-set to become self-employed entrepreneurs and progress.
    • Around 68.12 lakh women in India have been trained under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikaas Yojana 2.0.
    • Under the Jan Shikshan Sansthan Scheme, around 08 lakh women have been trained in the 2018-2020 period, while 38.72 lakh women have been trained in Industrial Training Institutes (ITI).
      • At present, there are 18 National Skill Training Institutes across the country to train women. Special batches are being conducted to provide basic, theoretical and advanced training to women.
    • Making progress in non-traditional skills: It is a matter of joy and pride that while women in India are studying electronics, fashion design, technology and business management, there are also those who hone their new-age skills in artificial intelligence, data analytics, 3D printing, etc.
      • Along with traditional skills like beauty, wellness and healthcare, women are also progressing quickly in non-traditional skills such as electronics and hardware.

    The role of various missions in strengthening women’s skill

    • The National Rural Livelihood Mission has strengthened women’s skills and prepared them for employment.
    • Training for self-employed tailors, beauty therapists, customer care executives, hairstylists, yoga trainers, etc. are being carried out in the Prime Minister Skill Centres.
    • Women playing a significant role in various missions: Very soon, one will get to see women playing significant roles in central government schemes such as the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, Swachh Bharat Mission and Smart City Mission.
      • By joining these missions, women will make a huge contribution in giving a new shape to society.
      • In fact, in the creation of a New India, women’s education and skill development are going to be critical.
    • In the last few years, the central government has rolled out various schemes that have emboldened the women of our country and taken them on the path of self-reliance and security.

    Conclusion

    The efforts of our government have created a milieu of trust in the women of our country. They are confident that the country’s government machinery is standing by them by creating an atmosphere of respect and development for women. In the past few years, our government has made massive advancements in providing education and honing skill-sets. We pledge to make sure that these efforts reach each and every Indian woman.

     

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor

  • Higher Education – RUSA, NIRF, HEFA, etc.

    A disconnected pedagogy

    5 March 2020 | op-ed snap | Governance
    Mains Paper 2: GS2-13.Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

    Context

    The gap between jobs, needs and knowledge, and the absence of role models, could be turning India’s demographic dividend into a nightmare.

    National curriculum and problems with it

    • What is in our national curriculum? It is a fixed set of topics prescribed in all subjects — from physics to geography, and engineering to planning.
      • And it is taught in English at our elite MHRD institutions.
    • Designed by professionals: It has not been designed by politicians but by our elite professors and bureaucrats: It is what they believe the nation really needs to know.
    • Issue of imposition: It is imposed on ordinary students and parents through competitive exams and on colleges and universities through various central regulatory agencies, most egregiously, through the UGC-NET, an objective-type multiple-choice (!) exam that decides who is fit to be a college teacher.

    Issues with the engineering curriculum

    • Doesn’t address the regional needs: We already know that the national engineering curriculum fails miserably in meeting regional needs.
      • No regional variation accounted for: Engineering for Himachal Pradesh needs to be different from that in Maharashtra or Kerala.
    • Not in sync with the demands of the industry: It must address the needs of core industries, local enterprises, the provisioning of basic amenities such as water and energy.
      • None of this is in our national curricula or practised at the IITs.
      • Moreover, there is no mechanism for engineering colleges to work with their communities.

    Issue with the social science curriculum

    • No interdisciplinary courses: Let us look at the UGC-NET curricula, which is largely what is taught in our elite institutions.
      • At the BA level, it is divided into several disciplines — for instance, political science, sociology and economics.
      • This is unfortunate since much of life in India is interdisciplinary.
      • As a result, many activities such as preparing the balance sheet for a farmer, or analysing public transport needs, and development concerns such as drinking water or even city governance, are given a miss.
    • Example of economics curriculum: The UGC-NET curricula in economics has 10 units, the very last unit is Indian Economics. Unit 8 is on Growth and Development Economics, where the student must know Keynes, Marx, Kaldor, and others.
      • There are various mathematical models, for example, the IS-LM macroeconomic model, whose validity in the Indian scenario is questionable.
      • Absence of important sectors: The study of sectors such as small enterprises or basic economic services such as transportation is absent. The District Economic Survey, an important document prepared regularly by every state for each district, is not even mentioned.

    Sociology curriculum and issues involved

    • Absence of certain important items: There is no preamble nor a list of textbooks or case studies.
      • Under “Social Institutions”, we have a list of timeless words such as culture, marriage, family and kinship.
      • Peasant occurs two times, but there is no farmer. Here is a sample question: “Who uses the phrase ‘fetishism of commodities’ while analysing social conditions?” followed by four names.
    • No mention of important data: There is also no mention of important data sets such as the census or developmental programmes including MGNREGA in either curriculum.

    Conclusion

    • National curricula divorced from the community: The training at our elite institutions, and consequently, in the national curricula, is not to empower ordinary students to probe their lived reality. Or to contribute professionally and constructively to the development problems around us. Rather, it is to perpetuate a peculiar intellectualism which is divorced from the community in which these institutions are embedded.
    • Need to rethink the one-nation-one curriculum: One-nation-one-curriculum certainly has some advantages in enabling mobility of some jobs, especially in the national bureaucracy and a multinational economy.
      • Cost to the developmental needs: But one-nation-one-curriculum comes at the cost of the developmental needs of the states and the emergence of good jobs there.
    • Turning demographic dividend into a nightmare: The above-stated asymmetry is behind the aspirational dysfunction in higher education. It is this disconnect between jobs, needs and knowledge and the absence of role models, which is slowly turning our demographic dividend into a nightmare on the streets.

     

     

     

    Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor

Join the Community

Join us across Social Media platforms.