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  • 17th November 2021| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1     Role of Women and Women’s Organization

    GS-2    Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

    GS-3    Science and Technology- Developments and their Applications and Effects in Everyday Life.

    GS-4    Public/Civil Service Values and Ethics in Public Administration: Status and Problems; Ethical Concerns and Dilemmas in Government and Private Institutions

    Questions:

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 Discuss the various economic and socio-cultural forces that are driving increasing feminization of agriculture in India. (10 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 The rise of pan-Turkism is bound to have important consequences for Afghanistan, the Caucasus, Central Asia and, more broadly, India’s Eurasian neighbourhood. That is a good reason for India to explore a more purposeful engagement with Turkey. Comment. (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 Several central banks have been toying with the idea of central bank digital currency (CBDC) while some have already introduced it. What are the key area of priorities which will be benefited by CBDC? What are the challenges CBDC faces in addressing the issues? (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 What is red-tapism? Why is it considered a hurdle in the process of transitioning towards citizen centric governance? (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.

    2. A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.

    3. You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.

    4.  Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.

    5. Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.

    6. If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 11th  October is uploaded on 11th October then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis

    7. If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th October is uploaded on 13th October, then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.

    8. We encourage you to write answers on the same day. However, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor like @Staff so that the mentor is notified about your answer.

    *In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. 

    For the philosophy of AWE and payment: 

    CLICK HERE To join Daily AWE

  • Back in news: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

    The Centre has told the Supreme Court that the CBI was an “autonomous body” and it had no “control” over the investigative agency.

    Background

    • The submission in the top court comes two days after the promulgation of an ordinance extending the tenures of the CBI Director and the Enforcement Directorate chief.
    • Attorney-General K was objecting to a suit filed by the West Bengal Government over the use of CBI.

    West Bengal vs. CBI

    • West Bengal has challenged the CBI’s jurisdiction to register FIRs and conduct investigations in the State in some cases.
    • The State had withdrawn its “general consent” to the CBI way back in 2018.

    About CBI

    • The Bureau of Investigation traces its origins to the Delhi Special Police Establishment, a Central Government Police force, which was set up in 1941 by the Government of India.
    • It then aimed to investigate bribery and corruption in transactions with the War and Supply Department of India.
    • It then had its headquarters in Lahore.
    • After the end of the war, there was a continued need for a central governmental agency to investigate bribery and corruption by central-government employees.
    • The DSPE acquired its popular current name, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), through a Home Ministry resolution dated in 1963.

    Mandate of the CBI

    • The CBI is the main investigating agency of the GoI.
    • It is not a statutory body; it derives its powers from the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946.
    • Its important role is to prevent corruption and maintain integrity in administration.
    • It works under the supervision of the CVC (Central Vigilance Commission) in matters pertaining to the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
    • The CBI is also India’s official representative with the INTERPOL.

    Cases to investigate

    • Cases connected to infringement of economic and fiscal laws
    • Crimes of a serious nature that have national and international ramifications
    • Coordination with the activities of the various state police forces and anti-corruption agencies.
    • It can also take up any case of public importance and investigate it
    • Maintaining crime statistics and disseminating criminal information.

    Issues with CBI

    • Caged parrot: The Supreme Court has criticised the CBI by calling it a “caged parrot speaking in its master’s voice”.
    • Political interference: It has often been used by the government of the day to cover up wrongdoing, keep coalition allies in line and political opponents at bay.
    • Investigation delay: It has been accused of enormous delays in concluding investigations due to political inertia.
    • Loss of Credibility: CBI has been criticised for its mismanagement of several cases involving prominent politicians and mishandling of several sensitive cases like Bofors scandal, Bhopal gas tragedy.
    • Lack of Accountability: CBI is exempted from the provisions of the Right to Information Act, thus, lacking public accountability.
    • Acute shortage of personnel: A major cause of the shortfall is the government’s sheer mismanagement of CBI’s workforce.
    • Limited Powers: The powers and jurisdiction of members of the CBI for investigation are subject to the consent of the State Govt., thus limiting the extent of investigation by CBI.
    • Restricted Access: Prior approval of Central Government to conduct inquiry or investigation on the employees of the Central Government is a big obstacle in combating corruption at higher levels of bureaucracy.

    Way Forward

    • Need for autonomy:   As long as the government of the day has the power to transfer and post officials of its choice in the CBI, the investigating agency will not enjoy autonomy and will be unable to investigate cases freely.
    • A new CBI Act should be promulgated that ensures the autonomy of CBI while at the same time improving the quality of supervision.
    • Selection of director/ Officers: To ensure that the CBI is a robust, independent and credible investigation agency, there is an urgent need to work out a much more transparent mechanism for selection and induction of officers on deputation.
    • Lokpal scrutiny: The Lokpal Act already calls for a three-member committee made up of the PM, the leader of the opposition and the CJI to select the director.
    • Bifurcation of Cadre: CBI should be bifurcated into an Anti-Corruption Body and a National Crime Bureau.
    • Develop own cadre: One of the demands that have been before Supreme Court, and in line with international best practices, is for the CBI to develop its own dedicated cadre of officers.
    • Annual social audit should be carried out by ten reputed, knowledgeable persons with background of law, justice, public affairs and administration and the audit report should be placed before the parliament.

     

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  • Duare Ration Scheme in West Bengal

    West Bengal CM has launched an ambitious “Duare Ration” Scheme.

    Duare Ration Scheme

    • The Scheme aims for providing food grains under the public distribution system (PDS) at the doorstep for the entire population of the State.
    • It aims to unload the person carrying huge chunk of food grains manually.
    • Vehicles will carry ration in a particular street or lane and employees of ration dealers will make the food grains available to the people near their residence.

    Key arrangements

    • The state govt would provide around 21,000 ration dealers with the financial assistance of ₹1 lakh each to purchase vehicles for delivering ration to people in this manner.
    • It also announced financial assistance to ration dealers to hire additional staff to make the scheme a success.

    Back2Basics: Public Distribution System

    • The PDS is an Indian food Security System established under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution.
    • PDS evolved as a system of management of scarcity through the distribution of food grains at affordable prices.
    • PDS is operated under the joint responsibility of the Central and State Governments.
    • The Central Government, through the Food Corporation of India (FCI), has assumed the responsibility for procurement, storage, transportation, and bulk allocation of food grains to the State Governments.
    • The operational responsibilities including allocation within the State, identification of eligible families, issue of Ration Cards and supervision of the functioning of Fair Price Shops (FPSs) etc., rest with the State Governments.
    • Under the PDS, presently the commodities namely wheat, rice, sugar and kerosene are being allocated to the States/UTs for distribution. Some States/UTs also distribute additional items of mass consumption through the PDS outlets such as pulses, edible oils, iodized salt, spices, etc.

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  • Taproot upgrade in Bitcoins

    Bitcoin went through a major upgrade that enables its blockchain to execute more complex transactions, potentially widening the virtual currency’s use cases and making it a little more competitive with Ethereum for processing smart contracts.

    What is the new upgrade?

    • The enhancement, called Taproot, is the most significant change to the bitcoin protocol since the SegWit (Segregated Witness) block capacity change in 2017.
    • SegWit effectively increased the number of transactions that could fit into a block by pulling data on signatures from bitcoin transactions.
    • Smart contracts are self-executing transactions whose results depend on pre-programmed inputs.

    What is Taproot?

    • The Taproot upgrade consists of three separate upgrade proposals.
    • However, at its core, the upgrade introduces a new digital signature scheme called “Schnorr” that will help bitcoin transactions become more efficient and more private.
    • Schnorr can also be leveraged to let bitcoin users execute more complex smart contracts.

    When was Taproot officially activated?

    • Taproot was officially activated on block 709,632.
    • Blockchains settle transactions in batches or blocks.
    • Each block can contain only a certain number of transactions.

    What is its impact on Bitcoin?

    • The biggest impact would be the bitcoin network’s ability to process more smart contracts, similar to what Ethereum does.
    • Bitcoin has historically been much more limited in processing smart contracts compared with Ethereum.
    • Taproot increases privacy by obscuring what type of transaction is being executed.

    What are the other enhancements?

    • The Schnorr signatures can make more complex transactions on the bitcoin protocol, such as those from wallets that require multiple signatures, look like just any other transaction.
    • This makes transactions more private and more secure.
    • Bitcoin transactions will also become more data-efficient, optimizing block capacity and leading to lower transaction fees.

    What does Taproot mean for investors?

    • Large-scale upgrades have paved the way for the next phase of innovation in the bitcoin network.
    • The last major upgrade in 2017 helped launch the Lightning Network, which facilitated much faster and cheaper bitcoin payments than before.
    • Taproot to lead to a similar wave of innovation in bitcoin centered around smart contracts.

    Also read:

    Cryptocurrency

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  • Pochampally makes it to list of best tourism villages in the world

    Pochampally village in Telangana is set to be named as one of the best Tourism Villages by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation.

    Best Tourism Villages Initiative

    • The Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO Pilot initiative aims to award those villages which are outstanding examples of rural destinations and showcase good practices in line with its specified nine evaluation areas.
    • It also aims to support villages to enhance their rural tourism potential through training and access to opportunities for improvement.

    Key objectives

    • Reduce regional inequalities in income and development
    • Fight rural depopulation
    • Progress gender equality and women’s and youth empowerment
    • Enhance education and skills development

    About Pochampally

    • Pochampally, 50 Kms from Hyderabad, is a town in Nalgonda district of Telangana.
    • It is often referred to as the Silk City of India for the exquisite sarees that are woven through a unique style called Ikat.
    • It is also known as Bhoodan Pochampally to commemorate the Bhoodan Movement that was launched by Acharya Vinobha Bhave from this village on April 18th, 1951.
    • Currently, a two-room Vinobha Bhave Mandir exists within the village which was earlier the place where Vinobha Bhave resided during his visit to the village.

    What is Pochampally Ikat?

    • Ikat is a Malaysian, Indonesian word that means “Tie and Dye”.
    • For this style, Pochampally Ikat, received a Geographical Indicator (GI Status) in 2004.
    • Ikat involves the process of wrapping (or tying) and dyeing sections of bundled yarn to a predetermined colour pattern before they are woven.
    • The dye penetrates into exposed sections while the wrapped section remains undyed.
    • This pattern formed by the yarn in this process is woven into fabric.

    Back2Basics: Bhoodan Movement

    • The Bhoodan movement (Land Gift movement), also known as the Bloodless Revolution, was a voluntary land reform movement.
    • It was initiated by Vinoba Bhave, a staunch Gandhian in 1951 at Pochampally village, which is now in Telangana, and known as Bhoodan Pochampally.
    • The movement attempted to persuade wealthy landowners to voluntarily give a percentage of their land to landless people.
    • Philosophically, Bhave was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi’s Sarvodaya movement and Gram Swarajya.
    • Landless laborers were given small plots that they could settle and grow their crops on.
    • Bhoodan Acts were passed that stated that the beneficiary had no right to sell the land or use it for non-agricultural purposes or for forestry.

     

    Try this PYQ:

    Q. With reference to land reforms in independent India, which one of the following statements is correct?

    (a) The ceiling laws were aimed at family holdings and not individual holdings

    (b) The major aim of land reforms was providing agricultural land to all the landless

    (c) It resulted in cultivation of cash crops as a predominant form of cultivation

    (d) Land reforms permitted no exemptions to the ceiling limits

     

    Post your answers here.

     

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  • [pib] Digital India Land Record Modernization Program

    Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj has recently held a workshop on Digital India Land Record Modernization Programme (DILRMP).

    About DILRMP

    • The DILRMP was previously known as the National Land Record Modernization Programme (NLRMP).
    • It was launched in 2008 with the purpose to digitize and modernizing land records and developing a centralized land record management system.
    • The DILRMP is the amalgamation of two projects:
    1. Computerization of Land Records (CLR)
    2. Strengthening of Revenue Administration and Updating of Land Records (SRA & ULR)
    • The district will be taken as the unit of implementation, where all activities under the programme will converge.

    Components of DILRMP

    The DILRMP has 3 major components

    1. Computerization of land record
    2. Survey/re-survey
    3. Computerization of Registration

    Key features: Unique Land Parcel Identification Numbers

    • It is just like the Aadhar Number of land parcels.
    • A unique ID based on Geo-coordinates of the parcels is generated and assigned to the plots.
    • This has been introduced to share the computerized digital land record data among different States/Sectors and a uniform system of assigning a unique ID to the land parcel across the country.

    Benefits offered

    The citizen is expected to benefit from DILRMP in one or more of the following ways;

    • Real-time land ownership records will be available to the citizen
    • Property owners will have free access to their records without any compromise in regard to the confidentiality of the information
    • Abolition of stamp papers and payment of stamp duty and registration fees through banks, etc. will also reduce interface with the Registration machinery
    • These records will be tamper-proof
    • This method will permit e-linkages to credit facilities

     

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  • 17th November 2021 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

    [WpProQuiz 836]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 836]

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    REGISTER FOR FREE PRELIMS ORIENTATION WEBINAR BY SANTosH GUPTA SIR

    Let’s admit this — As much as we have heard our seniors, mentors and toppers advise us to answer fewer questions in Prelims exams due to negative marking, do we want to follow it? All of us wish to answer as many questions as possible correctly. However, post 2014 questions have started getting tougher so much that now –

    “Prelims is no longer about selecting the right option. It’s searching for the correct option by eliminating the incorrect ones.”

    Let’s take a sample question from Prelims 2021 Paper —

    Constitutional government means

    1. a representative government of a nation with federal structure
    2. a government whose Head enjoys nominal powers
    3. a government whose Head enjoys real powers
    4. a government limited by the terms of the Constitution

    An average aspirant gets confused between 2-3 options. Option a), b) and d) look equally correct but you have to select only one. The right answer is option d). How can you find out what was the missing criteria in option a) and b) which option d) fulfilled to emerge as the right answer?

    Attend the free webinar by Santhosh sir to get the answer.

    REGISTER FOR FREE PRELIMS ORIENTATION WEBINAR BY SANTHOSH GUPTA SIR

    Key Takeaways of Santosh Gupta Sir’s Free Prelims Orientation Webinar

    1. Complete Analysis of the 2021 Prelims Paper. How to change your preparation methods right now?

    2. The 7 Steps of Tackling Prelims 2022. How to maximize revision and minimize study materials?

    3. Significance of Current Affairs. Is it really declining in Prelims?

    4. Important Topics to Cover for Prelims 2022 for every subject. What are the correct study materials for these topics?

    5. Time-Tested Elimination Techniques. How to use these techniques in sample questions?

    Webinar Details

    Prelims question papers have become more or less like a game of Sudoko. Except, in Sudoko you can solve the puzzle at your leisure and over here you are limited by 2 hours. We hope this webinar will help all 2022 aspirants implement the suggestions of Santosh Gupta Sir.

    Date: 18 November 2021 (Thursday)

    Time: 7 P.M

    REGISTER FOR FREE PRELIMS ORIENTATION WEBINAR BY SANTosH GUPTA SIR

    About Santosh Gupta Sir

    Santosh sir has scored above 140 twice in UPSC prelims and 120 plus in all 6 attempts. He has written all 6 mains and has appeared for Interviews 3 times. He has qualified UPSC EPFO and BPSC 56-59th also. As the Prelims coordinator at Civilsdaily, he has helped 15 out of 25 students clear the prelims examination this year.

  • The EU’s role in the Indo-Pacific

    Context

    Speedy development of the Quad comprising Australia, Japan, India and the U.S.; the emergence of AUKUS comprising Australia, the U.K. and the U.S.; and other alignments raise the question: where does Europe stand in relation to this churning?

    Significance of EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy

    • Europe’s Asia connect is old, strong and multi-layered.
    • Since 2018, countries such as France, the Netherlands, Germany and the U.K. announced their specific policies towards the Indo-Pacific.
    • The announcement by the Council of the European Union of its initial policy conclusions in April, followed by the unveiling of the EU strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific on September 16, are notable.
    • Focus on security and development: The policy document also says cooperation will be strengthened in sustainable and inclusive prosperity, green transition, ocean governance, digital governance and partnerships, connectivity, security and defence, and human security.

    Way forward for EU

    • Support France: The EU’s security and defence capabilities are quite limited, as compared to the U.S. and China.
    • To obviate an imbalance in favour of economic links, EU will need to give adequate space and support to France which has sizeable assets and linkages with the Indo-Pacific.
    • Coordination with UK: EU also must forge strategic coordination with the U.K. as the latter prepares to expand its role in Asia as part of its ‘Global Britain’ strategy.
    • Leverage economic power: As a major economic power, the EU has an excellent chance of success in its trade negotiations with Australia, Indonesia and New Zealand; economic partnership agreement with the East African Community; and in forging fisheries agreements and green alliances.
    • To achieve all this and more, EU must increase its readiness to share its financial resources and new technologies with partners.
    • Internally coordinated approach:Many states view China as a great economic opportunity, but others are acutely conscious of the full contours of the China challenge.
    • Russia next door is the more traditional threat. It is increasingly on China’s side.
    • Hence, the EU should find it easy to cooperate with the Quad.
    • AUKUS, endeavours by a part of the western alliance to bolster naval and technological facilities to deal with China should be welcome.

    Way forward for India

    • India’s pivotal position in the region necessitates a closer India-EU partnership.
    • Early conclusion of an ambitious and comprehensive trade agreement and a standalone investment protection agreement will be major steps.
    • Cooperation in Industry 4.0 technologies is desirable.
    • Consolidating and upgrading defence ties with France, Germany and the U.K. should also remain a significant priority.

    Conclusion

    The EU can create a vantage position for itself in the Indo-Pacific by being more candid with itself, more assertive with China, and more cooperative with India.

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • Don’t miss out these 7 steps if you want to Score Extra Marks in Prelims 2022|| Free Webinar by Santosh Gupta Sir who Cleared Prelims 6/6 Times|| Answer More Questions With Less Negative Marking|| Limited Slots Open, Register Now

    Don’t miss out these 7 steps if you want to Score Extra Marks in Prelims 2022|| Free Webinar by Santosh Gupta Sir who Cleared Prelims 6/6 Times|| Answer More Questions With Less Negative Marking|| Limited Slots Open, Register Now

    REGISTER FOR FREE PRELIMS ORIENTATION WEBINAR BY SANTosH GUPTA SIR

    Let’s admit this — As much as we have heard our seniors, mentors and toppers advise us to answer fewer questions in Prelims exams due to negative marking, do we want to follow it? All of us wish to answer as many questions as possible correctly. However, post 2014 questions have started getting tougher so much that now –

    “Prelims is no longer about selecting the right option. It’s searching for the correct option by eliminating the incorrect ones.”

    Let’s take a sample question from Prelims 2021 Paper —

    Constitutional government means

    1. a representative government of a nation with federal structure
    2. a government whose Head enjoys nominal powers
    3. a government whose Head enjoys real powers
    4. a government limited by the terms of the Constitution

    An average aspirant gets confused between 2-3 options. Option a), b) and d) look equally correct but you have to select only one. The right answer is option d). How can you find out what was the missing criteria in option a) and b) which option d) fulfilled to emerge as the right answer?

    Attend the free webinar by Santhosh sir to get the answer.

    REGISTER FOR FREE PRELIMS ORIENTATION WEBINAR BY SANTHOSH GUPTA SIR

    Key Takeaways of Santosh Gupta Sir’s Free Prelims Orientation Webinar

    1. Complete Analysis of the 2021 Prelims Paper. How to change your preparation methods right now?

    2. The 7 Steps of Tackling Prelims 2022. How to maximize revision and minimize study materials?

    3. Significance of Current Affairs. Is it really declining in Prelims?

    4. Important Topics to Cover for Prelims 2022 for every subject. What are the correct study materials for these topics?

    5. Time-Tested Elimination Techniques. How to use these techniques in sample questions?

    Webinar Details

    Prelims question papers have become more or less like a game of Sudoko. Except, in Sudoko you can solve the puzzle at your leisure and over here you are limited by 2 hours. We hope this webinar will help all 2022 aspirants implement the suggestions of Santosh Gupta Sir.

    Date: 18 November 2021 (Thursday)

    Time: 7 P.M

    REGISTER FOR FREE PRELIMS ORIENTATION WEBINAR BY SANTosH GUPTA SIR

    About Santosh Gupta Sir

    Santosh sir has scored above 140 twice in UPSC prelims and 120 plus in all 6 attempts. He has written all 6 mains and has appeared for Interviews 3 times. He has qualified UPSC EPFO and BPSC 56-59th also. As the Prelims coordinator at Civilsdaily, he has helped 15 out of 25 students clear the prelims examination this year.

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