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  • NCERT Books for UPSC

    ‘If You Love UPSC, Love NCERTS’- Civilsdaily.

    click: fill the registration form (free) and a senior ias mentor will guide you to study selectively

    Table of Content:

    Hello Students,

    Are you preparing for UPSC Civil Service Exam? Then you must start your preparation as soon as possible because only a graduate degree is enough to become an IAS officer. Let’s explore why NCERTs are the part and parcel of the UPSC journey!

    UPSC-CSE exam is fair and just for all the aspirants of the country. So, the Commission follows the Universal and best sources which are easily accessible to every single student. And that’s why NCERTs books are highly recommendable to start with before Advanced Books. But, at the same time, we shouldn’t cover all the NCERT books from cover to cover. Very selective studies are needful. 

    click: fill the samanvay form (free) and a senior ias mentor will guide you to study selectively

    NCERTs Books for Prelims & Mains:

    History: 

    For a basic preparation for the prelims and mains, students can start with the NCERT history book to begin their history preparation. These books have proven to be extremely useful for students coming from business or science backgrounds.

    For History, you have to follow old NCERTs

    • Ancient India (Class XII) by RS Sharma: This covers the ancient Indian history syllabus completely.
    • Medieval India (Class XI) by Satish Chandra
    • Modern India (Class XII) by Bipin Chandra: Best book for UPSC Medieval History.

    And the questions from Art & Culture are asked from ancient and medieval history so, you have to read overlapping with History

    Art & Culture Books: 

    • Class-11: an introduction to Indian Art.
    • Class-11: living Craft Traditions of India  (Chapters 9 and 10)
    • Class-12: Crafts Traditions of India

    Geography:

    Knowing Indian and world geography is very important. The maps and information provided about the different climatic zones in the NCERT Geography book help to give many answers about geography.

    If you’re a science background student, you should start from very basic.

    • Class 6: The Earth: Our Habitat
    • Class 7: Our Environment
    • Class 8: Resources and Development
    • Class 9: Contemporary India-I
    • Class 10: Contemporary India-II

    If you’re an arts background student, just read the above NCERTs 1 or 2 times.

    The Geography NCERTs all of you read, revise and take notes:

    • Class 11: Fundamentals of Physical Geography
    • Class 11: India- Physical Environment
    • Class 12: Fundamentals of Human Geography
    • Class 12: People and Economy

    Polity: 

    Political science covers the legal and fundamental aspects of the country, which makes it a very important subject. 

    • Class 9: Demographic Politics I
    • Class 10: Demographic politics II
    • Class 11: Indian Constitution at work
    • Class 11: Political Theories
    • Class 12: Contemporary World Politics
    • Class 12: Politics in India since Independence

    Economics: 

    The subject of the Indian economy covers the present and past economic aspects of India, which makes it an important subject. It is very important to know the basics of the UPSC exam. 

    • Class 9: Economics
    • Class 10: Understanding Economic Development
    • Class 11: Indian Economic Development
    • Class 12: Introductory Microeconomics
    • Class 12: Introductory macroeconomics

    Indian Society: 

    Understanding the science behind the activities of society is very important especially when you are aspiring to be a government employee. Download the NCERT Sociology book from here.

    • Indian Society: NCERT Class VI- Social Science; Social & Political Life I
    • Indian Society: NCERT Class VII- Social Science; Social & Political Life II
    • Indian Society: NCERT Class VIII- Social Science; Social & Political Life III
    • Indian Society: NCERT Class XI- Sociology: Understanding Society
    • Indian Society: NCERT Class XII- Indian Society
    • Indian Society: NCERT Class XII- Social Changes and Development in India

    Science and Technology:

    It is important to have adequate knowledge of general science in UPSC. To be able to answer science and technology-related questions you must look at NCERT science books because they cover a lot of information.

    If you’re a non-science background student, start from Class VI NCERTs.

    Final Lines: There is no doubt that NCERT books are a bundle of information, although created for school students, they also cover relevant topics that are a vital part of the UPSC curriculum. Helps UPSC candidates to learn significant subjects, they are among the most renowned books that must be read for UPSC preparation. From biodiversity to geography and thousands of years of history to current politics, NCERT authors have compiled everything important in their books.

    But, whenever selective studies are concerned, you will need a hand-holding support of a personalized mentor.

    click: fill the samanvay form (free) and your personalized mentor will guide you

  • Reasons for splits and switches in political parties

    Context

    In Maharashtra, recently, and in Madhya Pradesh, a while ago, splits in the ruling party and a subsequent realignment of legislators inaugurated new governments.

    Challenges to the effectiveness of anti-defection law

    • Splits and switches are commonplace in legislatures across the globe, and India has witnessed at least three distinct waves.
    • The first wave occurred towards the latter half of the 1960s when challengers to the Congress attempted to displace it in the States.
    • An attempt to end defections: The next phase was inaugurated with an attempt to end the free movement and regulate the behaviour of legislators through the anti-defection law.
    • Law incentivise collective defection: While the law discouraged individual movement, it incentivised a collective movement of legislators since it laid down specific numbers to legitimise and validate party switches.
    • Defeating the purpose: When legislators switch in groups, the costs are shared, and the move also appears less opportunistic, which in many ways defeats the purpose of the legislation.
    • The third phase was inaugurated in 2014 when already-dominant parties began to use splits and switches to weaken and destroy their competitors.
    • Therefore, the current phase is bizarre when compared to the past because dominant parties appear to be actively cheering splits and shifts and having no respect for the basic rules of the game.
    • The anti-defection law and control of institutions are now weaponised by dominant parties to intervene in the internal working of Opposition parties, and sometimes make and break them.
    • Furthermore, legislators are switching support even if it does not count to the making or maintenance of governments.

    Argument against the split

    • Violation of trust: Switchers violate the trust relationship with their constituents as voters get something other than what they bargained for.
    • Difficulty in ensuring accountability: Assuming voters vote for parties and not candidates, the argument is that uncohesive parties make it difficult for voters to draw definitive lines of responsibility.
    • Consequently, it is difficult for voters to hold party governments accountable for their actions during elections.

    Why do legislators split and switch parties?

    • Changes and transformation in parties: While we keep track of party system change, we ignore the point that the component parts, parties which make up the system, too change and transform.
    • Parties constantly adapt new modes to sustain and find success for themselves.
    • Our popular image of a party is that of the classical mass party, which rises from societal movements and is essentially internally democratic.
    • This is what even the Election Commission of India imagines a party should be since many of its guidelines lay stress on the ‘democratic spirit’ and the need for transparency and participation in internal decision-making.
    • Centralised structure: Today’s parties are centralised vote-getting machines which primarily work to ensure the return of political leaders to office.
    • Focus on getting votes: Mass inputs and ideas do not matter, and it is the central leadership that counts. All party activities begin and end with elections.
    • Since parties are mainly concerned with electoral success, anyone who enjoys the confidence of the top leadership and can help increase the seat share is likely to get a ticket.
    • Dominance of financial power: Moreover, we now know that parties prefer candidates who bring in their own money, fund other candidates and raise resources for the party. All this puts the party on the ground in the shade.
    • Closeness of parties to state: the most significant change is that parties are more closely aligned with the state rather than civil society.
    • Parties as a source of services: Parties exchange material and psychological rewards, and goods and services the state provides for electoral advantage.
    • Voters also see parties as a supplier of services.
    • This connection pushes legislators and parties to be in government or at least close to the government.
    • On the supply side, the party on the ground no longer calls the shots; parties are election vehicles and a supplier of services. The party bond exists only as long as it ensures success for the legislator
    •  On the demand side, the voter does not appear to have any problem, as long as “services” are available.

    Conclusion

    Splits and switches are not seen as objectionable by legislators and are not punished by voters as well. Legislators will, therefore, be willing to do anything if the benefits exceed the costs.

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  • Get access: PDF and Video Recording | Grand Webinar #UPSCskill: Writing awesome introductions and conclusions to UPSC Mains answers by Sumit sir, senior IAS mentor | Register for Telegram group link, FREE Prelims package, and mentorship call

    Get access: PDF and Video Recording | Grand Webinar #UPSCskill: Writing awesome introductions and conclusions to UPSC Mains answers by Sumit sir, senior IAS mentor | Register for Telegram group link, FREE Prelims package, and mentorship call

    14th July, 7 pm | Learn and master the skill of writing UPSC intros and conclusions. Submit your query, and get Telegram group + access to FREE resources.

    click and register for the Live session | get telegram link + Prelims package + Mentorship session | with sumit sir, Senior IAS Mentor

    Aspirants, we have started the #UPSCskill series for webinars by UPSC toppers and senior IAS mentors from CivilsDaily. As a part of this initiative, we will be taking up another super important skill that an aspirant must master.

    Feedback for the last #UPSCskill Webinar

    Webinar: Master Introductions and Conclusions for UPSC Mains Answers

    Webinar on 14th July, 7 pm – Thursday

    Sumit sir will be taking a LIVE webinar on coming Thursday. Through a LIVE answer writing session, he will be teaching and helping you master the skills required to formulate amazing introductions and conclusions.

    Register for the webinar. Submit your query and get Telegram group + access to FREE resources. Sumit sir will also share a special PDF with you post-webinar.

    CLICK AND REGISTER FOR THE LIVE SESSION | GET TELEGRAM LINK + PRELIMS PACKAGE + MENTORSHIP SESSION | WITH SUMIT SIR, SENIOR IAS MENTOR

    About Sumit Haritwal sir

    Sumit sir is a senior IAS mentor at CivilsDaily and he has been mentoring UPSC aspirants and now rankers for more than 4 years now. A public policy and international affairs enthusiast Sumit sir has an experience of 3 UPSC interviews and has cleared the PSC and CAPF exam earlier. He will be taking up your questions in the webinar and would also be connecting with you in the Telegram group.

    What The Hindu mentioned about Civilsdaily Mentorship

    The Hindu has acknowledged the success rate of CD’s Smash mains Mentorship

    Quora Digests:

    Register for the webinar. Submit your query and get Telegram group + access to FREE resources. Sumit sir will also share a special PDF with you post-webinar.

    CLICK AND REGISTER FOR THE LIVE SESSION | GET TELEGRAM LINK + PRELIMS PACKAGE + MENTORSHIP SESSION | WITH SUMIT SIR, SENIOR IAS MENTOR

  • Bank frauds

    Context

    The biggest banking scam in India has come to the forefront; in this case, DHFL has hoodwinked a consortium of banks driven by the Union Bank of India to the tune of ₹35,000 crore through financial misrepresentation.

    How scams affect economy

    • The banking system of any country is the backbone of its economy.
    • Excessive losses to banks affect every person in the country because the amounts deposited in banks belong to the citizens of the country.
    • The NPAs that banks incur are mainly due to bad loans and scams.
    • The data by the RBI also show that one of the fundamental problems in the way of the development of banking in India is on account of rising bank scams and the costs consequently forced on the framework.
    • Strangely, as in a Global Banking Fraud survey (KPMG), the issue is not just for India alone; it is a worldwide issue.

    Reasons for scams

    •  Frauds in the banking industry can be grouped under four classifications: ‘Management’, ‘Outsider’, ‘Insider’ and ‘Insider and Outsider’ (jointly).
    • Operational failures: All scams, whether interior or outside, are results of operational failures.
    • Limited asset monitoring: Research by Deloitte has shown that limited asset monitoring after disbursement (38%) was the foremost reason behind stressed assets and insufficient due diligence before disbursement (21%) was among the major factors for these NPAs.
    • Poor bank corporate governance: A study by the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore has shown that poor bank corporate governance is the cause behind rising bank scams and NPAs.

    The problems of high NPA

    • In a Financial Stability Report released by the RBI in December 2021, there is a projection of the gross NPAs of banks rising from 6.9% in September 2021 to 8.1% of total assets by September 2022 (under a baseline scenario) and to 9.5% under a severe stress scenario.
    • A high NPA also reduces the net interest margin of banks besides increasing their operating cost; these banks meet this cost by increasing the convenience fee from their small customers on a day-to-day basis.

    Suggestions

    • Banks have to exercise due diligence and caution while offering funds.
    • Regulation and control of CAs: The regulation and the control of chartered accountants is a very important step to reduce non-performing assets of banks.
    • Banks should be cautious while lending to Indian companies that have taken huge loans abroad.
    • Tightening audit system: There is also an urgent need to tighten the internal and external audit systems of banks.
    • Fast rotation of employees: The fast rotation of employees of a bank’s loan department is very important.
    • Public sector banks should set up an internal rating agency for rigorous evaluation of large projects before sanctioning loans.
    • Effective MIS: Further, there is a need to implement an effective Management Information System (MIS) to monitor early warning signals about business projects.
    • CIBIL score of the borrower: The CIBIL score of the borrower (formerly the Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited) should be evaluated by the bank concerned and RBI officials.
    • Use of AI: Financial fraud can be reduced to a great extent by the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor financial transactions.
    • Improve loan recovery process: Rather than having to continuously write off the bad loans of large corporates, India has to improve its loan recovery processes and establish an early warning system in the post-disbursement phase.
    • Risk assessment: Banks need to carry out fraud risk assessments every quarter.
    • Only establishment of National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd. (NARCL) or the ‘bad bank’ is not a real solution.
    • These measures can help only after a loan is bad but not the process of a loan going bad.

    Conclusion

    While the Government of India and the RBI have taken several measures to try and resolve the issue of scams in the banking industry, the fact is that there is still a long way to go.

    UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • India must prepare for 5G technology

    Context

    5G technology is going to make inroads into the country very soon.

    Making Digital India project successful

    • With over 117 crore telecom users and more than 82 crore internet subscribers, India is one of the fastest-growing markets for digital consumers.
    • A 2019 Mckinsey study rated India as the second-fastest digitising economy. 
    • Internet connectivity is critical for making the Digital India project inclusive, and widespread use of optical fibre in the remotest corners of the country is vital to ensure that no one is left behind in this endeavour.

    Digital infrastructure for 5G

    • Digital infrastructure, which seamlessly integrates with physical and traditional infrastructure, is critical to India’s growth story and the country’s thrust towards self-reliance.
    • Networking equipment that relies on optical fibre and other semiconductor-based device ecosystems are at the heart of building the infrastructure that will be needed when the country takes the next step in its digital journey.
    • The government has taken several measures to build the next generation of digital infrastructure.
    • A basic requirement of 5G will be data transmission networks.
    • Optical fibre is the backbone of the digital infrastructure required for this purpose — the data is transmitted by light pulses travelling through long strands of thin fibre.

    Optical fibre industry in India

    • In the last 10 years, domestic manufacturers invested more than Rs 5,000 crore in optical fibre industry, which has generated direct and indirect employment for around 4 lakh individuals.
    • Exports from India: India exported optical fibre worth $138 million to over 132 countries between April 2020 and November 2021.
    • India’s annual optic fibre manufacturing capacity is around 100 million fibre km (fkm) and the domestic consumption is around 46 million fkm. Indian optical fibre cable consumption is predicted to increase to 33 million fkm by 2026 from 17 million fkm in 2021.
    • A little more than 30 per cent of mobile towers have fibre connectivity; this needs to be scaled up to at least 80 per cent.

    Unfair competition from cheap imports

    • India’s optical fibre industry has also seen unfair competition from cheap imports from China, Indonesia and South Korea.
    • These countries have been dumping their products in India at rates lower than the market price.
    • What is dumping? The World Trade Organisation defines dumping as “an international price discrimination situation in which the price of a product offered in the importing country is less than the price of that product in the exporting country’s market”.
    • Way ahead: Imposing anti-dumping duties is one way of protecting the domestic industry.
    • The Directorate General of Trade Remedies has recently begun investigations against optical fibre imports.

    Suggestions

    • India needs to invest in R&D, offer production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes to support indigenous high-tech manufacturing and develop intellectual property in critical aspects of digital connectivity.

    Conclusion

    The need of the hour is to unlock the full potential of India’s optical fibre industry and enable India to emerge as a major manufacturing and technology hub while achieving atmanirbharta in its 5G journey.

    UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

    Back2Basics: About optical fibre

    • Fiber optics, also spelled fibre optics, the science of transmitting data, voice, and images by the passage of light through thin, transparent fibers.
    • In telecommunications, fiber optic technology has virtually replaced copper wire in long-distance telephone lines, and it is used to link computers within local area networks.
    • Fibre optics is also the basis of the fiberscopes used in examining internal parts of the body (endoscopy) or inspecting the interiors of manufactured structural products.
    •  Through a process known as total internal reflection, light rays beamed into the fibre can propagate within the core for great distances with remarkably little attenuation or reduction in intensity.

  • States, freebies and the costs of fiscal profligacy

    Context

    Many states are pursuing the freebie culture, which raises several questions.

    About freebies

    • Why do governments give freebies? The obvious motivation for States in expanding freebies is to use the exchequer to build vote banks.
    • Electoral calculations tempt them to place short-term gains ahead of long-term sustainability.
    • Case in which it is necessary? A certain amount of spending on transfer payments to provide safety nets to the most vulnerable segments of the population is not only desirable but even necessary.
    • What is the problem? The problem arises when such transfer payments become the main plank of discretionary expenditure, the spending is financed by debt, and the debt is concealed to circumvent the FRBM targets.
    • Opportunity cost: The more States spend on transfer payments, the less they have for spending on physical infrastructure such as, for example, power and roads, and on social infrastructure such as education and health, which can potentially improve growth and generate jobs.

    Questioning the logic of freebie culture

    • Sustainability: Is borrowing and spending on freebies sustainable?
    • Best use: Is this the best possible use of public money?
    • Opportunity cost: What is their opportunity cost — what is it that the public are collectively giving up so that the government can fund these payments?
    • Checks and balances: Should not there be some checks on how much can be spent on them?

    Where should government spend the borrowed money?

    • Ideally, governments should use borrowed money to invest in physical and social infrastructure that will generate higher growth, and thereby higher revenues in the future so that the debt pays for itself.
    • On the other hand, if governments spend the loan money on populist giveaways that generate no additional revenue, the growing debt burden will eventually implode.

    But what is the problem with freebies if states are confirming to the FRBM targets?

    • Any analysis of State Budgets by the Reserve Bank of India shows that State finances are in good health and that all of them are conforming to the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) targets.
    • This is a misleading picture.
    • Off budget borrowing: Much of the borrowing that funds these freebies happens off budget, beyond the pale of FRBM tracking.
    • The typical modus operandi for States has been to borrow on the books of their public enterprises, in some cases by pledging future revenues of the State as guarantee.
    • Effectively, the burden of debt is on the State exchequer, albeit well concealed.
    • The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) had in fact pointed out that in respect of some States.
    • Huget cost: The costs of fiscal profligacy at the State level can be huge.
    • The amount States borrow collectively every year is comparable in size to the Centre’s borrowing which implies that their fiscal stance has as much impact on our macroeconomic stability as does that of the Centre.
    • The need, therefore, for instituting more effective checks that can make wayward States fall in line is compelling.

    What are the institutional checks and balances? What are the reasons of their failure?

    • 1] Legislature and opposition: In theory, the first line of defence has to be the legislature, in particular the Opposition, whose responsibility it is to keep the Government in line.
    • But the Opposition does not dare speak up for fear of forfeiting vote banks that are at the end of these freebies.
    • 2] Lag in CAG reports: Another constitutional check is the CAG audit which should enforce transparency and accountability.
    • In practice, it has lost its teeth since audit reports necessarily come with a lag, by when political interest has typically shifted to other hot button issues.
    • 3] The market: The market is another potential check.
    • It can signal the health or otherwise of State finances by pricing the loans floated by different State governments differently, reflecting their debt sustainability.
    • But in practice this too fails since the market perceives all State borrowing as implicitly guaranteed by the Centre, never mind that there is no such guarantee in reality.

    Suggestions

    • 1] Amend FRBM Act for complete disclosure: First, the FRBM Acts of the Centre as well as States need to be amended to enforce a more complete disclosure of the liabilities on their exchequers.
    • Even under the current FRBM provisions, governments are mandated to disclose their contingent liabilities, but that disclosure is restricted to liabilities for which they have extended an explicit guarantee.
    • The provision should be expanded to cover all liabilities whose servicing obligation falls on the Budget, or could potentially fall on the Budget, regardless of any guarantee.
    • 2] Centre should impose conditionalities: Under the Constitution, States are required to take the Centre’s permission when they borrow.
    • The Centre should not hesitate to impose conditionalities on wayward States when it accords such permission.
    • 3] Use of financial emergency provision: There is a provision in the Constitution of India which allows the President to declare a financial emergency in any State if s/he is satisfied that financial stability is threatened.
    • This provision has never been invoked so far for fear that this will turn into a political weapon.
    • But the provision is there in the Constitution for a reason.
    • After all, the root cause of fiscal irresponsibility is the lure of electoral nirvana. It will stop only if the political leadership fears punishment.
    • 4] Course correction by the Centre: The Centre itself has not been a beacon of virtue when it comes to fiscal responsibility and transparency.
    • To its credit, it has embarked on course correction over the last few years.
    • It should complete that task in order to command the moral authority to enforce good fiscal behaviour on the part of States.

    Conclusion

    The state governments, as well as the Central government, need to avoid the freebies that harm financial health and cause long-term harm. For that, there is a need to implement the suggestions mentioned above.

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    Back2Basics: FRBM Act

    • The FRBM is an act of the parliament that set targets for the Government of India to establish financial discipline, improve the management of public funds, strengthen fiscal prudence and reduce its fiscal deficits.
    • It was first introduced in the parliament of India in the year 2000 by Vajpayee Government for providing legal backing to the fiscal discipline to be institutionalized in the country.
    • Subsequently, the FRBM Act was passed in the year 2003.

  • AIR-1, Suggested the Best Books for UPSC Preparation from Zero Level

    IAS preparation does never require reading a book page-to-page. Rather, selective study works far better. ‘Experience is the best source’- So, selection of the best books for UPSC preparation should be done after a talk with senior IAS Mentor.

    Table of Content

    To become an IAS officer, you must sit for Civil Service Exam, conducted by Union Public Service Commission every year. The exam consists of 2 successive stages; Prelims and Mains (written & interview). 

    UPSC-CSE exam is considered the toughest and the most unpredictable exam in the country. To clear it successfully, an aspirant will require two most essential things throughout his journey: 1) Proper Materials and 2) Guidance of Mentors. Before proceeding, it’s better to know that the wrong selection of Materials may cost you your dream of IAS.

    Toppers and teachers mention NCERTs are the foundation of UPSC.

    We aren’t to be book collectors. Because so many different books mean so little time. The number of books should be less so that revision and results are excellent. 

    The Complete Advanced Booklist for UPSC Preparation

    Polity:

    1. Indian Polity For Civil Services Examination. Authored by M Laxmikant.

    Economy:

    1. Indian Economy for Civil Services. Authored by Nitin Singhania

    Ancient & Medieval History:

    1. Ancient and Medieval India. Authored by Poonam Dalal Dahiya.

    Modern Indian History:

    1. A Brief History of Modern India. Spectrum Publication
    2. Indian Struggles for Independence. Authored by Bipin Chandra

    Indian Art and Culture:

    1. Indian Art and Culture. Authored by Nitin Singhania

    Environment and Biodiversity: 

    1. Shankar IAS Book

    Geography: 

    1. Indian Geography. Authored by Majid Hussain or Indian Geography authored by D. R Khullar (Read as per your choice)
    2. Certificate Physical and Human Geography:- GC Leong

    General Science:

    1. General Science Books of class-9 and 10 standard

    Current Affairs:

    1. Read a good newspaper. (The Hindu or Indian Express)
    2. Govt. Schemes- CIVILSDAILY Website
    3. Daily Current Affairs- CIVILSDAILY Website
    4. Civilsdaily YouTube Channel

    The Complete Basic Booklist for UPSC Preparation

    Apart from the advanced books, a candidate ought to cover some basic academic books. Because UPSC sometimes asks direct questions from them.

    For Economy: (New Version)

    1. Macroeconomics NCERT, Class-12th standard
    2. Indian Economic Development, Class-11th standard

    For Ancient History: 

    1. Old NCERT by Satish Chandra (Selective Reading)

    Medieval History: 

    1. Old NCERT by Satish Chandra (Selective Reading) 

    Modern Indian History:

    1. Old NCERT by Bipin Chandra (Selective Reading) 

    Art & Culture: 

    1. An Introduction to Indian Art- Class XI NCERT
    2. Heritage Crafts: Living Crafts Tradition of India- NCERT.

    Geography: (New Version)

    1. Fundamental of Physical Geography- XI NCERT
    2. India: Physical Environment-XI NCERT
    3. Fundamentals of  Human Geography- XII  NCERT
    4. India: People and Economy- XII NCERT 

    Now, the question arises, as many new aspirants do: if such well-known sources are widely available, what will successful candidates do in addition to benefiting from their competitors? What additional resources should be used to overcome the large influx of aspirants? Is there hidden or confidential content that only a few people have access to? Such resources, to be honest, do not exist. 

    Remember: despite having all the books, toppers could not be toppers without the guidance of mentors. Their smart preparation, persistence in their studies, self-confidence, thirst for success, initiative to achieve goals, and patience set them apart.

  • India’s new West Asia approach is a welcome break with past diffidence

    Context

    The first summit this week of I2U2, which brings together India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the United States – is exploratory in nature.

    I2U2 forum

    • Following the Abraham Accords between Israel and the UAE, I2U2 was founded in October 2021 to address marine security, infrastructure, and transportation challenges in the region.
    • It was known as the ‘International Forum for Economic Cooperation’at the time. At that time, UAE had referred to the new grouping as the ‘West Asian Quad’.
    • I2U2 seeks to empower the partners and encourages them to collaborate more closely, resulting in a more stable region.
    • India is seen as a large consumer market as well as a large producer of high-tech and highly sought-after items in the United States.
    • This has led India to enhance its relationship with Israel without jeopardising its ties with the UAE and other Arab states.

    How I2U2 matters to India

    • India can contribute to peace and prosperity in the region: The initiative signifies the US bet that India can contribute significantly to peace and prosperity in the region.
    • West Asian engagement: It also underlines a new political will in Delhi to break the old taboos on India’s West Asian engagement.
    • Consolidation of  India’s Middle East Policy: The I2U2 marks the consolidation of a number of new trends in India’s Middle East policy that acquired greater momentum in the past few years.
    • What stands out sharply in India’s new thinking in the Middle East is that the summit involves three countries that Delhi had traditionally kept a safe political distance from.

    India-Israel relations

    • Although India was one of the first countries to extend recognition to Israel in 1950, Jawaharlal Nehru held back from establishing full diplomatic relations with the Jewish state.
    •  PV Narasimha Rao reversed that policy in 1992 but he did not travel to Israel nor did he receive an Israeli prime minister.
    • Atal Bihari Vajpayee of the BJP, which had a more empathetic view of Israel, hosted Israeli PM Ariel Sharon in 2003.
    • While the relationship steadily expanded, there was ideological reluctance in Delhi to give the partnership a political profile.
    • In the past few years India imparted a political character to the Israel ties.
    • No backlash from the Arab countries: There was little negative reaction to the more open pursuit of India’s ties with Israel.
    • The problem was never with the Middle East but Delhi’s ideological preconceptions that distorted India’s view of the region.
    • Turkey, now a champion of political Islam, had diplomatic ties with Israel since 1949.
    • Egypt normalised ties in 1980.
    • Under the Abrahamic accords promoted by the Trump Administration, the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco set up formal ties with Israel in 2020.

    India’s relations with the Arab countries

    • India’s engagement with Israel was matched by effort to deepen India’s ties with the Arab world.
    •  During his first visit to Israel in 2018, Prime Minister Mode also became the first Indian PM to visit Palestine.
    • Even more important has been the transformation of India’s relations with the Gulf Kingdoms, especially the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
    • India’s traditional preference in the Arab world was for engaging the republics.
    • Engagement with monarchies: Delhi remained wary of engagement with the monarchies, telling itself that they were pro-Pakistan.
    •  No Indian PM visited Saudi Arabia between 1982 and 2010 and UAE between 1981 and 2015.
    • After 2015 India developed strong ties with these governments without a reference to Pakistan.
    • Despite Delhi’s ideological posturing, the Middle East had long ceased to be a political priority for India.
    • In contrast with the past, recently the prime minister has travelled four times to the UAE alone, negotiated a free trade agreement with it, and has ambitious plans for the transformation of bilateral relations.
    • The UAE has also backed India’s 2019 constitutional changes in Kashmir and is ready to invest in the union territory.

    Change in India’s approach to the region

    • India-US ties: For political Delhi, the US and Western policies in the region were a main part of the problem.
    • The immediate focus of Nehru’s policy after independence was to actively oppose US moves in the region in the name of promoting an “area of peace”.
    • That policy had no lasting impact as many regional countries sought active economic, political, and security cooperation with the US and the West.
    • The I2U2 then marks a big break from the anti-Western tradition in India’s approach to the region.
    • Negotiating the terms of joint engagement: In the past, standing up to the West in the Middle East was part of India’s approach, India now is prepared to confidently negotiate the terms of a joint engagement.

    Conclusion

    India’s participation in the West Asian Quad brings Delhi in line with other major powers– including Europe, China, and Russia – to try and engage all parties in the region. The I2U2 sets the stage for a new and dynamic phase in India’s relations with the Middle East.

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    Back2Basics: Abraham Accords

    • The Israel–UAE normalization agreement is officially called the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement.
    • It was initially agreed to in a joint statement by the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on August 13, 2020.
    • The UAE thus became the third Arab country, after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994, to agree to formally normalize its relationship with Israel as well as the first Persian Gulf country to do so.
    • Concurrently, Israel agreed to suspend plans for annexing parts of the West Bank.
    • The agreement normalized what had long been informal but robust foreign relations between the two countries.

  • 12th July 2022| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1         Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present – significant events, personalities, issues.

    GS-2       Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.

    GS-3        Indian Economy

    GS-4        Ethics & Human Interface

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 What were the prominent causes behind the recurring tribal movements in the 19th century? Also, discuss the limitations of these movements. (10 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 How does lack of self-reliance in defense technology and manufacturing influence India’s foreign policy options? Suggest the way forward. (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 What are the reasons for the high prevalence of scams in the banking industry in India? What are the implications of such scams for the economy? Suggest the way forward. (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 While it may seem restrictive, anonymity is one of the greatest strengths of the civil services. Comment in the context of growth of social media in recent times. (10 Marks)

     

    HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?

    1. Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.

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  • RBI sets up system to settle International Trade in Rupees

    RBI has decided to put in place an additional arrangement of international trade for invoicing, payment, and settlement of exports / imports in INR.

    • Banks acting as authorised dealers for such transactions would have to take prior approval from the regulator to facilitate this.
    • All exports and imports under the invoicing arrangement may be denominated and invoiced in Rupee.
    • Exchange rate between the currencies of the two trading partner countries may be market determined.
    • Exporters and importers can now use a Special Vostro Account linked to the correspondent bank of the partner country for receipts and payments denominated in rupees.
    • These accounts can be used for payments for projects and investments, import or export advance flow management, and investment in Treasury Bills subject to Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA).
    • Also, the bank guarantee, setting-off export receivables, advance against exports, use of surplus balance, approval process, documentation, etc., related aspects would be covered under FEMA rules.

    Nostro and Vostro Accounts

    • Nostro and vostro are terms used to describe the same bank account; the terms are used when one bank has another bank’s money on deposit.
    • They are used to differentiate between the two sets of accounting records kept by each bank.
    • Nostro comes from the Latin word for “ours,” as in “our money that is on deposit at your bank.”
    • Vostro means “yours,” as in “your money that is on deposit at our bank.”

    Why such move?

    • The rupee is at a historic low against the dollar.
    • The mechanism is meant to facilitate trade with countries under sanction.
    • Payments had become a pain point for exporters immediately after the Russia-Ukraine war broke out, especially after Russia was cut off from the SWIFT payment gateway.
    • As a result of the trade facilitation mechanism, we see easing of payment issues with Russia.
    • The move would also reduce the risk of forex fluctuation specially looking at the Euro-rupee parity.
    • We see this as a first step towards 100% convertibility of rupee.
    • It will also help stabilize rupee.

    What does the change mean for exports?

    • Several countries including Sri Lanka and some in Africa and Latin America are facing forex shortage.
    • As such, the new mechanism will help India promote its exports.
    • It will also help buy discounted crude oil from Russia, which now accounts for 10% of all imported crude.

    Will the move help narrow trade deficit?

    • The gap between India’s exports and imports widened to record highs.
    • This puts pressure on the current account deficit, which some economists estimate would nearly double to more than 3% of GDP in FY23.
    • RBI’s decision may not benefit the external account immediately, but over the medium term, demand for dollars may come down.
    • This is partly because opening of new vostro accounts between banks may take some time.

    Back2Basics: Currency Convertibility

    • Convertibility is the ease with which a country’s currency can be converted into gold or another currency through global exchanges.
    • It indicates the extent to which the regulations allow inflow and outflow of capital to and from the country.
    • Currencies that aren’t fully convertible, on the other hand, are generally difficult to convert into other currencies.
    • Having a convertible currency allows a government to pay for goods and services in a currency that may not be the buyer’s own.

    Convertibility of Rupee

    • In order to face the serious current account deficit in the balance of payments, the Government of India introduced the partial convertibility of rupee from March 1, 1992.
    • This was an inevitable move for the expeditious integration of Indian economy with that of the world.
    • Under this system, 60 per cent of the exchange earnings were convertible in rupees at market-determined exchange rate and the remaining 40 per cent were at the officially determined exchange rate.
    • Current account convertibility relates to the removal of restrictions on payments relating to the international exchange of goals, services and factor incomes.
    • Capital account convertibility refers to a similar liberalization of a country’s capital transactions such as loans and investment, both short term and long term.

     

    A bit difficult, but pls take an effort to try this PYQ from CSP 2020:

    If another global financial crisis happens in the near future, which of the following actions/policies are most likely to give some immunity to India?

    1. Not depending on short-term foreign borrowings
    2. Opening up to more foreign banks
    3. Maintaining full capital account convertibility

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 1 and 2 only

    (c) 2 only

    (d) 1, 2 and 3

     

    Post your answers here. Detailed explanation will be provided.

     

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