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  • [Sansad TV Archives] Petroleum Products – Need for Price Cut

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

    The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has recently decided to keep petroleum products out of the GST regimes.

    As the retail prices of petroleum products are soaring, demand for price reduction has gained momentum.

    Fuel prices in India

    • India meets its domestic oil demand mainly through imports.
    • While international crude prices have risen sharply in the last six months, a major reason for the high selling price of petrol is the high levy of local taxes.

    Factors affecting fuel prices?

    1. Crude oil production and pricing
    2. Rupee vs. Dollar Rates
    3. Demand-Supply scenario
    4. Internal transportation
    5. Pricing mechanism

    Present taxation of Fuels

    • Currently, taxes on petroleum products are levied by both the Centre and the states.
    • While the Centre levies excise duty, states levy value added tax (VAT).
    • For instance, VAT on petroleum products is as high as 40% in Maharashtra, contributing over ₹25,000 crore annually.
    • By being able to levy VAT on these products, the state governments have control over their revenues.
    • When a national GST subsumed central taxes such as excise duty and state levies like VAT on July 1, 2017, five petroleum goods – petrol, diesel, ATF, natural gas and crude oil – were kept out of its purview.

    Why bring Petro/Diesel under GST?

    • GST is being thought to be a solution for the problem of near-record high petrol and diesel rates in the country, as it would end the cascading effect of tax on tax.
    • The state VAT is being levied not just on the cost of production but also on the excise duty charged by the Centre on such output.

    Why were they left out of GST?

    • This is because both central and state government finances relied heavily on taxes on these products.
    • Since GST is a consumption-based tax, bringing petroleum under the regime would have mean states where these products are sold get the revenue and not the producer ones.
    • Simply put, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar with their huge population and a resultant high consumption would get more revenues at the cost of states like Gujarat.
    • Under the present Covid situation, bringing petroleum products under GST will be a very tough call for both the Centre and states “as both will stand to lose”.

    Typically, for every Re 1 of excise hike on petrol and diesel, the gain to the exchequer is around Rs 13,000-14,000 crore. However, with the Covid-related consumption slump, the gains may be a bit lower than this.

    How does this impact consumers?

    High oil prices add to inflationary pressures. Inflation poses a challenge to growth.

    • Record high prices for diesel means that the cost of transporting goods goes up across the country which in turn could result in increasing the prices of essential commodities like fruit and vegetables as well.
    • Household incomes see a perceptible drop and gradually even the demand for discretionary goods starts declining.
    • Petrol and diesel have a combined weight of 4.69% in the wholesale price index and 2.34% in the retail price index.
    • Any increase in the prices of the transport fuels affect the WPI more than the CPI but what is more worrisome is the pass-through effect the increase in fuel prices can cause.

    Impact of inclusion of fuel under GST

    • If petroleum products are included under the GST, there will be a uniform price of fuel across the country.
    • However, petroleum products coming under GST not necessarily means that taxes or prices will come down.
    • If the GST council decides to opt for a lower slab, taxes may come down.
    • At present, India has four primary GST rates – 5 percent, 12 percent, 18 percent and 28 percent.
    • Levying a standard rate of GST on petrol would mean that the prices increase dramatically in Andaman and Nicobar, but on the flip side, they would fall in Maharashtra if the cumulative rate is lower than the current rate.

    Way forward

    • The government can offset the prices by lowering excise duty slightly, which saw an exorbitant hike during March last year.
    • This window, the experts say, is available to the government only this year.
    • Next year, when the demand for transport fuels comes back to pre-pandemic levels and there is sharper upward revision, the risk to inflation will be much higher and may leave no ammunition with the government.
  • Increase your chances of cracking UPSC by 50% by picking the right study material

    Increase your chances of cracking UPSC by 50% by picking the right study material

    Do you know the one area where UPSC aspirants lose a lot of time and waste a lot of their efforts? It’s finding the right study material to begin their preparation. There are literally thousands of books available in the market and most students end up buying a lot of books without realizing that most of them are not useful.

    In fact, an analysis of the last ten years’ papers has revealed that around 50% of the effort in cracking the exam lies in the strategy. And if you know how to pick the right study material from the start, your chances of cracking the exam increases by 50%.

    The biggest problem new aspirants face is deciding what to study and what not to study. This wastes their time, and the syllabus starts piling up. So, what can you do to identify the right material as you start your preparation? We have spoken with over 400 rankers from the last 2 years to create the most effective and suitable study material.

    What to read and what not to read? Speak with our mentors for A clear study plan (CLICK HERE)
    • History – Students often buy and read multiple books like Bipin Chandra, Grover, Sumit Sarkar, Chattopadhyay, etc. But if History is not your optional subject, you really do not need to read each of these books. You need to be highly selective and use the most important source that can help you get marks in the exam. A quick review of the previous year’s question papers would give you an idea about the kinds of question that come from History. Eliminate the idea of reading everything, read only the books that matter.
    • Geography – While NCERTs are a must read for any UPSC aspirant, there are specific books like G.C. Leong, Savindra Singh, Majid Hussain, etc. For example, there are many technical chapters in Savindra Singh like isostasy, drainage patterns, etc. Are they important? No! Should you spend time on them? No. Limit your study material but read the selected ones in detail. Instead, you can simply speak to our mentors and reduce your reading material to only the most important chapters.
    • Art and culture – UPSC asks a lot of questions from Art and Culture but there is no one book that is completely helpful. Often, UPSC asks some questions that you may not find in most of the popular books. For example, if you are reading Nitin Singhania, you do not have to read the chapters on Cinema and Circus. You do not have to read every chapter in every book!
    • Current affairs – Yes, it is important to read the newspaper but how do you identify what to read in a newspaper? Is everything important? No! Should you make a note of everything that comes in the newspaper? No! Try to identify only those topics that will fetch you marks, everything else will waste your time.
    • Environment – Most students read Shankar IAS for environment. But the questions from environment often have Current Affairs element in them. So, while you should read the basic concepts from this book, you will have to tie it with Current Affairs to score.
    speak with our mentors to know what to read and what to avoid in every subject (click here)
    • .Science and Tech – Science and tech has a huge syllabus. It contains everything from Biology to Sattelites. But can you read and remember everything? Is it important to know the names of all the human bones? No! It may be important to know India’s space program but do you need to know every sattelite’s details? No! You have to learn to differentiate what is important and what isn’t.
    • Economics – 15 questions were asked from Economics in Prelims 2020. But Economics cannot be completed by reading one book. These questions can only be solved by reading the basic concepts and tying them with current affairs. There is no book that does this perfectly. What will you do? It is best to speak with mentors who know which areas to focus on to get maximum marks. They can help reduce your workload to very specific reading points.
    • Government schemes and plans – You have less than a year to prepare for the exam, can you afford to read all the Yojana, Kurukshetra, etc. before the exam? Should you spend so much time reading topics that may or may not come in the exam? No! Only focused study fetches you marks.

    This is an exam of elimination. You can only succeed when you know which study material to eliminate and which to pick. Otherwise, you will have a library of books that are completely useless for your preparation. All your time, money, and efforts will be wasted and you will start feeling overwhelmed by the syllabus.

    SPEAK WITH OUR MENTORS TO KNOW WHAT TO READ AND WHAT TO AVOID IN EVERY SUBJECT (CLICK HERE)

    Remember: Smart work is needed to clear the exam. It’s better to read a particular book many times rather than reading multiple books without revision.

    After speaking with over 400 rankers from the last 2 years, our mentors have created the most suitable study material that is selective and highly effective. Speak with our mentors. They will tell you exactly which books and which chapters to read. Don’t waste time, read only the focused material.

    Before you start preparing SPEAK WITH OUR MENTORS TO KNOW WHAT TO READ AND WHAT TO AVOID IN EVERY SUBJECT (CLICK HERE)

  • Streak Daily Compilation of Questions & Videos – Sep 21, 2021

    Maintaining consistency is one of the biggest issues faced by IAS Aspirants. Streak’s initiative is to help Aspirants in their day-to-day preparation. You can follow the monthly, weekly, and daily timetables and continue this streak until you find yourself on the final list.

    Please register for Streak Initiative (free) through this link:- https://www.civilsdaily.com/course/streak-daily-initiative/

    You will get following study material:-

    1. Questions (PDF).
    2. RSTV/Yojana monthly notes (PDF).
    3. Burning issue (PDF).
    4. Subject specific (PDF).
    5. Mentor’s phone call for support & encouragement.

    _____________________________________________

    Daily Study Plan with Answer Writing Challenge || STREAK FREE INITIATIVE FOR UPSC IAS – by Ravi Ranjan

    UPSC PRELIMS-2021 || Current Affairs Based Most Probable Questions on Geography – by Sukanya Rana

    Q1) With respect to Javadhu Hills, consider the following statements: 

    1. It is an extension of the Eastern Ghats spread across parts of the state of Tamil Nadu in southeastern India. 
    2. Malayali tribal people constitutes the majority of the inhabitants of the Javadhu hills. 
    3. Vainu Bappu Observatory, India‟s astronomical observatory owned and operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, is located in the Javadhu Hills. 

    Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 

    a. 1 only 

    b. 1 and 3 only 

    c. 2 and 3 only 

    d. 1, 2 and 3

    Q2) Which of the following is/are the effects of temperature inversion?

    1. Visibility may be greatly reduced below the inversion.

    2. It results in less rainfall.

    3. Diurnal variations tend to be very large due to inversions.

    Select the correct option:

    a. 1 and 2 only

    b. 2 and 3 only

    c. 1 and 3 only

    d. All the above

    Q3) Consider the following statements with respect to Red Rice 

    1. The red rice, locally known as Baodhaan, is rich in Iron content. 

    2. It is grown in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam, without the use of any chemical fertilizer. 

    Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct? 

    a. 1 only 

    b. 2 only 

    c. Both 1 and 2 

    d. Neither 1 nor 2

    Q4) Consider the following statements with respect to Simlipal Biosphere Reserve 

    1. Simlipal, which derive its name from „Simul‟ (silk cotton) tree, is a national park and a tiger reserve situated in Odisha. 
    2. Sal is a dominant tree species in the reserve. 
    3. The reserve that lies in the eastern end of the eastern ghat was declared a biosphere reserve in 1994. 

    Which of the statements given above are correct? 

    a. 1 and 2 only 

    b. 1 and 3 only 

    c. 2 and 3 only 

    d. 1, 2 and 3

  • Is there a role for India in divided AUKUS?

    Context

    France recalled its ambassadors to the US and Australia in a diplomatic slap intended to convey its anger over a deal forged in secrecy that saw Paris lose a multi billion dollar submarine contract.

    Depth and diversity of India’s relations

    • That Delhi today is a part of a difficult conversation between the US, UK, France, Europe, and Australia points to the growing depth and diversity of India’s relations with different parts of the West.
    • Popular and academic discourse on India’s foreign policy has been obsessed with the concept of “non-alignment” —was about keeping distance from the West as a whole.
    • India’s contemporary diplomacy, in contrast, takes a nuanced view of internal dynamics in the West, and recognises the political agency of individual states, and develops wide-ranging relationships with the Western nations.

    Relations with France

    • Paris has always taken an independent view of the world, while remaining within the broad framework of the American alliance.
    •  In the 1990s, Paris championed the construction of a multipolar world to constrain American “hyperpower” but India did not join it.
    • The last few years, however, have seen an intensification of India’s strategic engagement with France.
    • For example, India has overcome the earlier reluctance to work with France on Indian Ocean security.

    Engagement as collective and sub-region

    • The government has also stepped up on the political engagement with Europe as a collective as well as its sub-regions — from Baltics to the Balkans and from Iberia to Mitteleuropa.
    •  As India discovers that every European nation, from tiny Luxembourg to a rising Poland, has something to offer, Europe has become a thriving hub of India’s international relations.

    Relations with the UK

    • Due to the bitter colonial legacy, relations between India and UK have always been underdeveloped.
    • In the last couple of years, India has made a determined effort to build a new partnership with Britain, which is the fifth-largest economy in the world, a leading financial hub, a technological powerhouse, and punches well above its weight in global affairs.

    Relations with “Anglosphere”

    • India’s neglect of London also meant Delhi had no time for the “Anglosphere” that binds the UK to Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
    • Many had presumed that the Anglosphere was irrelevant — AUKUS, however, is a reminder that Anglo-Saxon political bonds endure.
    • Instead of treating the Anglosphere with scepticism, India has begun to vigorously engage with the “settler colonies” that have so much to offer India — from natural resources to higher education and critical technologies.
    • The UK and its settler colonies have long been the preferred destination for the Indian diaspora (besides the US).
    • Leveraging diaspora politics: While the diaspora tends to connect the domestic politics of the Anglosphere with that of India, Delhi is figuring out that the diaspora politics can be played both ways.

    Relations with Japan and Australia

    • The transformation of India’s relations with Australia has occurred despite entrenched scepticism in the foreign policy bureaucracy.
    • Finally, Japan has been a part of the West in the post-War era and Delhi’s relations with Tokyo have never been as rounded as they are today. They are also fellow members of the Quad.

    Way forward for India

    • This wide-ranging engagement with the West should help Delhi convey two important messages to its partners this week.
    • Not undermining the larger goal: India needs to remind France, Australia, the UK and US of the shared interests in securing the Indo-Pacific and the dangers of letting the current quarrel undermine that larger goal.
    • Effective deterrence in Indo-Pacific: The other is to highlight the region’s vast requirements for effective deterrence in the Indo-Pacific;
    • And that there is enough room for the US, UK, France, and Europe to collaborate with Indo-Pacific partners in overlapping coalitions to develop high technology and defence-industrial cooperation in all the areas highlighted by AUKUS — effective underwater capabilities to AI, quantum computing and cyber warfare.
    • Deeper cooperation: India’s interests lie in deeper strategic cooperation with France and Europe as well as the Quad and the Anglosphere.

    Conclusion

    India’s diverse relationships in the West must be deployed in full measure to prevent a split in the Indo-Pacific coalition.

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

  • How to identify the right study material for UPSC 2022 beginners?

    How to identify the right study material for UPSC 2022 beginners?

    Do you know the one area where UPSC aspirants lose a lot of time and waste a lot of their efforts? It’s finding the right study material to begin their preparation. There are literally thousands of books available in the market and most students end up buying a lot of books without realizing that most of them are not useful.

    The biggest problem new aspirants face is deciding what to study and what not to study. This wastes their time, and the syllabus starts piling up. So, what can you do to identify the right material as you start your preparation? We have spoken with over 400 rankers from the last 2 years to create the most effective and suitable study material.

    What to read and what not to read? Speak with our mentors for A clear study plan (CLICK HERE)
    • History – Students often buy and read multiple books like Bipin Chandra, Grover, Sumit Sarkar, Chattopadhyay, etc. But if History is not your optional subject, you really do not need to read each of these books. You need to be highly selective and use the most important source that can help you get marks in the exam. A quick review of the previous year’s question papers would give you an idea about the kinds of question that come from History. Eliminate the idea of reading everything, read only the books that matter.
    • Geography – While NCERTs are a must read for any UPSC aspirant, there are specific books like G.C. Leong, Savindra Singh, Majid Hussain, etc. For example, there are many technical chapters in Savindra Singh like isostasy, drainage patterns, etc. Are they important? No! Should you spend time on them? No. Limit your study material but read the selected ones in detail. Instead, you can simply speak to our mentors and reduce your reading material to only the most important chapters.
    • Art and culture – UPSC asks a lot of questions from Art and Culture but there is no one book that is completely helpful. Often, UPSC asks some questions that you may not find in most of the popular books. For example, if you are reading Nitin Singhania, you do not have to read the chapters on Cinema and Circus. You do not have to read every chapter in every book!
    • Current affairs – Yes, it is important to read the newspaper but how do you identify what to read in a newspaper? Is everything important? No! Should you make a note of everything that comes in the newspaper? No! Try to identify only those topics that will fetch you marks, everything else will waste your time.
    • Environment – Most students read Shankar IAS for environment. But the questions from environment often have Current Affairs element in them. So, while you should read the basic concepts from this book, you will have to tie it with Current Affairs to score.
    speak with our mentors to know what to read and what to avoid in every subject (click here)
    • .Science and Tech – Science and tech has a huge syllabus. It contains everything from Biology to Sattelites. But can you read and remember everything? Is it important to know the names of all the human bones? No! It may be important to know India’s space program but do you need to know every sattelite’s details? No! You have to learn to differentiate what is important and what isn’t.
    • Economics – 15 questions were asked from Economics in Prelims 2020. But Economics cannot be completed by reading one book. These questions can only be solved by reading the basic concepts and tying them with current affairs. There is no book that does this perfectly. What will you do? It is best to speak with mentors who know which areas to focus on to get maximum marks. They can help reduce your workload to very specific reading points.
    • Government schemes and plans – You have less than a year to prepare for the exam, can you afford to read all the Yojana, Kurukshetra, etc. before the exam? Should you spend so much time reading topics that may or may not come in the exam? No! Only focused study fetches you marks.

    This is an exam of elimination. You can only succeed when you know which study material to eliminate and which to pick. Otherwise, you will have a library of books that are completely useless for your preparation. All your time, money, and efforts will be wasted and you will start feeling overwhelmed by the syllabus.

    SPEAK WITH OUR MENTORS TO KNOW WHAT TO READ AND WHAT TO AVOID IN EVERY SUBJECT (CLICK HERE)

    Remember: Smart work is needed to clear the exam. It’s better to read a particular book many times rather than reading multiple books without revision.

    After speaking with over 400 rankers from the last 2 years, our mentors have created the most suitable study material that is selective and highly effective. Speak with our mentors. They will tell you exactly which books and which chapters to read. Don’t waste time, read only the focused material.

    Before you start preparing SPEAK WITH OUR MENTORS TO KNOW WHAT TO READ AND WHAT TO AVOID IN EVERY SUBJECT (CLICK HERE)

  • 21st Sept 2021 | History Test 3

    [WpProQuiz 787]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 784]

  • International Organizations Regarding Environment and Conservation

    21st Sept 2021

     

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

     

    Earth System Governance Project (ESGP)

    Established When and by Whom:  Developed under the auspices of the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change. It started in January 2009.

    Headquarter: The Earth System Governance Project Office is hosted at Lund University, Sweden.

    Key Functions:

    The Earth System Governance Project aims to contribute to science on the large, complex challenges of governance in an era of rapid and large-scale environmental change.

    The project seeks to create a better understanding of the role of institutions, organizations and governance mechanisms by which humans regulate their relationship with the natural environment

    The Earth System Governance Project aims to integrate governance research at all levels. The project aims to examine problems of the ‘global commons’, but also local problems from air pollution to the preservation of waters, waste treatment or desertification and soil degradation

    However, due to natural interdependencies local environmental pollution can be transformed into changes of the global system that affect other localities. Therefore, the Earth System Governance Project looks at institutions and governance processes both local and globally

    The Earth System Governance Project is a scientific effort, but also aims to assist policy responses to the pressing problems of earth system transformation

    Global Environment Facility (GEF)

    Established When and by Whom: The Global Environment Facility was established in October 1991 as a $1 billion pilot program in the World Bank to assist in the protection of the global environment and to promote environmental sustainable development.

    Headquarter: Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America

    Key Functions:

    The Global Environment Facility (GEF) unites 183 countries in partnership with international institutions, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector to address global environmental issues while supporting national sustainable development initiatives.

    Today the GEF is the largest public funder of projects to improve the global environment.

    An independently operating financial organization, the GEF provides grants for projects related to biodiversity, climate change, international waters, land degradation, the ozone layer, and persistent organic pollutants.

    Funding: The GEF also serves as the financial mechanism for the following conventions:

    • Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
    • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
    • UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
    • Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)
    • Minamata Convention on Mercury

    India specific trivia:

    *India has formed a permanent Constituency in the Executive Council of the GEF together with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal and Maldives.

    The Council Meetings are held semi-annually or as frequently necessary. At each meeting, the Council elects a Chairperson from among its members for the duration of that meeting. India’s Executive Director in the World Bank represents the GEF Council from our Constituency.

    India is both a donor and a recipient of GEF. It has been a leading developing country participant in the GEF since its inception in 1991 and has played a major role in shaping the restructuring of the GEF. It had contributed US $ 6.0 million to the core fund in the GEF Pilot Phase.

    India has pledged an amount of US $ 9.0 million towards the resources of each of the Five GEF replenishments. The total funds pledged so far amounts to US$ 51 million and an amount of US$ 48.75 million has been paid by December 2012 towards GEF replenishments.

    Ministry of Finance is the political focal point while Ministry of Environment & Forests is the Operational Focal Point for the GEF Projects.

    Global Green Growth Institute

    Established When and by Whom: GGGI was first launched as a think tank in 2010 by Korean President Lee Myung-bak, and was later converted into an international treaty-based organization in 2012 at the Rio+20 Summit in Brazil.

    Headquarter: It is headquartered in Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Key Functions: GGGI works to produce three major outcomes: adoption and implementation of green growth plans; provision of research for policymakers; and private sector engagement in the implementation of the national green growth plans. The organization uses three approaches to achieve these outcomes: Green Growth Planning & Implementation (GGP&I), Knowledge Development & Management (KDM), and Public-Private Cooperation (PPC).

    Funding: Funds are given by Contributing members. Contributing members are defined as Member countries that make a multi-year financial contribution of core funding of no less than USD 15 million over three years. Participating members are defined as Member countries that are not contributing members.

    India specific trivia:

    GGGI has been working in India to promote green growth and sustainable development since 2013.

    GGGI has worked at national, state, and city levels to develop and implement green growth strategies that reconcile short-term priorities with long-term vision of higher economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion

    At the state level, GGGI worked closely with the governments of Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh (HP), and Punjab to develop comprehensive green growth strategies together with each.

    GGGI also supported each of the three state governments in adopting integrated analytical approaches to assess green growth challenges and prioritize opportunities across key sectors, including energy, water, agriculture, and forestry

    Building on these strategies, in 2015, GGGI supported the state governments in implementing specific green growth opportunities by formulating detailed project proposals, policy implementation roadmaps, and capacity building initiatives.

    KIMO (Local Authorities International Environmental Organisation)

    Established When and by Whom: KIMO was founded in August 1990 by four municipalities and from this modest start has grown in size to represent over 70 members in Belgium, Denmark, The Faroe Islands, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

    Headquarter: Esbjerg, Denmark

    Key Functions:

    • KIMO is committed to the development of sustainable coastal communities by:
    • Preventing pollution of the seas and coastal waters of North-Western Europe and preserving, improving and enhancing them for future generations
    • Protecting coastal communities from the impacts of marine pollution and climate change.
    • Representing its member local authorities and associated members at an international and national level.

    Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

    Established When and by Whom:   It was first established in 1988 by two United Nations organizations, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and later endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly.

    Headquarter: Geneva, Switzerland

    Key Functions:

    • The IPCC produces reports that support the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
    • IPCC reports cover all relevant information to understand the risk of human-induced climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation.
    • The IPCC does not carry out its own original research.
    • Thousands of scientists and other experts contribute on a voluntary basis.
    • The 2007 Nobel Peace Prize was shared, in two equal parts, between the IPCC and an American Environmentalist.

    The aims of the IPCC are to assess scientific information relevant to:

    1. Human-induced climate change,
    2. The impacts of human-induced climate change,
    3. Options for adaptation and mitigation.

    Funding: The IPCC receives funding through the IPCC Trust Fund, established in 1989 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

    India specific trivia: India will have its own climate change models to project the impact of global warming over the decades and these will form part of the forthcoming Sixth Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Reports that is expected to be available in 2020.

    International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

    Established When and by Whom: The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organisation.

    Founded in 1948, today IUCN the largest professional global conservation network. IUCN has more than 1,200 member organizations including 200+ government and 900+ non-government organizations.

    Headquarter: The Union’s headquarters are located in Gland, near Geneva, in Switzerland.

    Key Functions: Conserving biodiversity is central to the mission of IUCN. The main areas of function are:

    1. Science  – the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™.
    2. Action – hundreds of conservation projects all over the world.
    3. Influence – through the collective strength of more than 1,200 government and non-governmental Member organizations.

    Funding:  Funded by governments, bilateral and multilateral agencies, foundations, member organisations and corporations.

    More about the IUCN

    Governance by a Council elected by member organizations every four years at the IUCN World Conservation Congress.

    Observer Status at the United Nations General Assembly.

    India specific trivia:

    • India became a State Member of IUCN in 1969, through the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
    • The IUCN India Country Office was established in 2007 in New Delhi.
    • IUCN India works with Members and Commissions to reduce ecosystem and species loss by providing the necessary tools and knowledge to value, conserve and use biodiversity sustainability; enhance governance and policy for better management of ecosystems and habitats, including protected areas; and address challenges related to poverty alleviation, food security and climate change.

    United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)

    Established When and by Whom: It was founded as a result of the UN Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm Conference) in 1972

    Headquarter: Nairobi, Kenya

    Key Functions:

    • It coordinates UN’s environmental activities, assisting developing countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices.
    • Its activities cover a wide range of issues regarding the atmosphere, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, environmental governance and green economy.
    • UNEP has also been active in funding and implementing environment related development projects
    • UNEP has aided in the formulation of guidelines and treaties on issues such as the international trade in potentially harmful chemicals, transboundary air pollution, and contamination of international waterways
    • UNEP is also one of several Implementing Agencies for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol
    • The International Cyanide Management Code, a program of best practice for the chemical’s use at gold mining operations, was developed under UNEP’s aegis.

    Funding:  The three main sources of funding of UN Environment are the UN Regular Budget, the Environment Fund, the core funding that enables UN Environment to implement its global and regional work, and Earmarked Contributions.

    India specific trivia: UN Environment has sponsored the development of solar loan programs, with attractive return rates, to buffer the initial deployment costs and entice consumers to consider and purchase solar PV systems.

    The most famous example is the solar loan program sponsored by UN Environment helped 100,000 people finance solar power systems in India.

    Success in India’s solar program has led to similar projects in other parts of the developing world like Tunisia, Morocco, Indonesia and Mexico.

    World Nature Organization (WNO)

    Established When and by Whom:  WNO initiative was born in 2010 by states which are threatened by rising sea levels. The WNO Treaty officially entered into force on 1st May 2014.

    Location : Geneva

    Key Functions:

    • It is an intergovernmental organisation which promotes global environmental protection.
    • WNO acts as a centre of competence for environmental protection, green technologies and sustainability, and as a mediator and initiator, making available experience of practical applications and strategies, offering support on all issues related to responsible conduct as regards the natural environment and its resources and assisting States to benefit from efficient development and from scientific and technology transfer.
    • The World Nature Organization  promotes sustainable conduct as regards the natural environment, together with new, environments-friendly technologies, green economies and renewable energies.

    India specific trivia: India is not a member

    World Food Programme

    Established When and by Whom:  The WFP was formally established in 1963 by the FAO and the United Nations General Assembly.

    Headquarter: Rome

    Key Functions:

    • The WFP strives to eradicate hunger and malnutrition, with the ultimate goal in mind of eliminating the need for food aid itself.
    • WFP’s efforts focus on emergency assistance, relief and rehabilitation, development aid and special operations.
    • WFP food aid is also directed to fight micronutrient deficiencies, reduce child mortality, improve maternal health, and combat disease, including HIV and AIDS.
    • WFP has coordinated the five-year Purchase for Progress (P4P) pilot project which assists smallholder farmers by offering them opportunities to access agricultural markets and to become competitive players in the marketplace.

    Funding:  The WFP operations are funded by voluntary donations from world governments, corporations and private donors

    India specific trivia: The World Food Programme has been working in India for over 50 years. In line with the developments in India, WFP has realigned its focus from a food aid provider to a catalytic partner to the Government of India, strengthening food-based social safety nets.

    International Whaling Organization

    Established When and by Whom:  The IWC was set up under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling which was signed in Washington DC on 2nd December 1946.

    Headquarter:

    Key Functions:

    • The preamble to the Convention states that its purpose is to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry.
    • An integral part of the Convention is its legally binding ‘Schedule.’  The Schedule sets out specific measures that the IWC has collectively decided are necessary in order to regulate whaling and conserve whale stocks.
    • These measures include catch limits (which may be zero as it the case for commercial whaling) by species and area, designating specified areas as whale sanctuaries, protection of calves and females accompanied by calves, and restrictions on hunting methods. Unlike the Convention, the Schedule can be amended and updated when the Commission meets (a change requires at least three quarters majority agreement).
    • There are a number of reasons why changes to the Schedule may be necessary.  These include new information from the Scientific Committee, and variations in the requirements of aboriginal subsistence whalers.
    • The Commission also co-ordinates and, in several cases, funds conservation work on many species of cetacean. In addition to research, this includes building an international entanglement response capacity, working to prevent ship strikes, and establishment of Conservation Management Plans for key species and populations.
    • The Commission has also adopted a Strategic Plan for Whalewatching to facilitate the further development of this activity in a way which is responsible and consistent with international best practice.

    Funding:  Financial contributions from member governments form the IWC’s core income, but additional voluntary donations to support particular work programmes are generously made by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), industry bodies, and also by member governments.

    India specific trivia: India is a Member

    Bio-carbon Fund initiative

    Established When and by Whom:  The BioCarbon Fund Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes (ISFL) is a multilateral fund, supported by donor governments and managed by the World Bank. It is has been operational from 2013.

    Headquarter: USA

    Key Functions:

    • It seeks to promote reduced greenhouse gas emissions from the land sector, from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD+), and from sustainable agriculture, as well as smarter land-use planning, policies and practices.
    • The initiative will be managed by the BioCarbon Fund, a public-private program housed within the World Bank that mobilizes finance for activities that sequester or conserve carbon emissions in forest and agricultural systems.
    • The new Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes seeks to scale up land-management practices across large landscapes, including improved livestock management, climate-smart agriculture, and sustainable forest management, with a focus on protecting forests and greening and securing supply chains.
    • It will engage a broader range of actors, including the private sector, initially through a portfolio of four to six programs in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

    Funding: Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States together committed $280 million – up to $135 million from Norway, $120 million from the U.K, and $25 million from the U.S. – as part of their efforts to slow climate change.

    Arctic Council

    Established When and by Whom: The Arctic Council was founded on the initiative of the Government of Finland in September 1989 where officials from the 8 Arctic Countries met in Rovaniemi, Finland, to discuss cooperative measures to protect the Arctic environment.

    Headquarter: The location of the Secretariat was rotated biennially with the Chairmanship of the Arctic Council.

    Key Functions:

    The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination, and interaction among the Arctic States, Arctic indigenous communities and other Arctic inhabitants on common Arctic issues, in particular on issues of sustainable development and environmental protection in the Arctic.

    The main focus areas of the Arctic Council are:

    1. The Environment and climate change
    2. Bio-diversity
    3. Oceans
    4. The indigenous Arctic peoples

    Funding: By member states

    India specific trivia: India is an Observer State

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  • Last Minute Revision for UPSC 2021 Prelims through audio by Pranav Sir | Over 300 minutes of focused revision material | Listen anytime and revise

    Last Minute Revision for UPSC 2021 Prelims through audio by Pranav Sir | Over 300 minutes of focused revision material | Listen anytime and revise

    Dear aspirants,

    We have launched an audio course for your last-minute revision before the exam. The audio course contains over 300 minutes of the most important topics from which the questions are expected in this year’s exam. The course is designed to help you revise the most important topics quickly and score more in the exam. It contains all the factual information and topics that may be asked in the exam.

    You can listen to the important topics anytime and anywhere and keep learning every minute. Listening to the audio course will also help you remember the topics in detail and improve your retention during the exam.

    The course contains:

    Indian History

    1. Civil-Peasant uprisings
    2. Governor-General of India (1773-1857)
    3. Viceroys of India (1857-1947)
    4. Important historical terms
    5. Important texts in Indian history
    6. Tribal rebellion
    7. Tribes of India

    Art and culture

    1. Important historical sculptures

    Geography

    1. Important straits
    2. National highways
    3. National waterways
    4. Ocean currents
    5. Peninsular rivers
    6. River Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra

    Space Tech

    ISRO missions and satellites

    Polity

    1. 2 Sets of recent Acts and Bills
    2. 2 Most important Government report and indices

    International Affairs

    6 Most important International Conventions

    Government Schemes and programs

    4 Most Important Government schemes

    Make the most of every minute you have available before the exam and listen to these topics on audio for comprehensive revision.

    Get your last minute revision audio course now (click here)

    About the mentor:

    Pranav sir is an NIT Durgapur alumnus. He has firsthand experience of appearing in UPSC mains twice. He has a good command of General studies papers and a keen interest in politics and international relations. He has previously worked as a manager in a corporate firm.

  • SEBI introduces T+1 Settlement System

    The Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has introduced T+1 settlement cycle for completion of share transactions on optional basis in a move to enhance market liquidity.

    What is T+1 Settlement System?

    • T+1 means that settlements will have to be cleared within one day of the actual transactions taking place.
    • Currently, trades on the Indian stock exchanges are settled in two working days after the transaction is done (T+2).
    • In April 2002, stock exchanges had introduced a T+3 rolling settlement cycle. This was shortened to T+2 from April 1, 2003.

    What has Sebi allowed?

    • SEBI has allowed stock exchanges to start the T+1 system as an option in place of T+2.
    • If it opts for the T+1 settlement cycle for a scrip, the stock exchange will have to mandatorily continue with it for a minimum 6 months.
    • Thereafter, if it intends to switch back to T+2, it will do so by giving one month’s advance notice to the market.
    • Any subsequent switch (from T+1 to T+2 or vice versa) will be subject to a minimum period.
    • A stock exchange may choose to offer the T+1 settlement cycle on any of the scrips, after giving at least one month’s advance notice to all stakeholders, including the public at large.

    Why T+1 settlement?

    • Reduced settlement time: A shortened cycle not only reduces settlement time but also reduces and frees up the capital required to collateralize that risk.
    • Quick settlement: T+1 also reduces the number of outstanding unsettled trades at any instant, and thus decreases the unsettled exposure to Clearing Corporation by 50%.
    • Speedy recovery of assets: The narrower the settlement cycle, the narrower the time window for a counterparty insolvency/bankruptcy to impact the settlement of a trade.
    • Risk reduction: Systemic risk depends on the number of outstanding trades and concentration of risk at critical institutions such as clearing corporations, and becomes critical when the magnitude of outstanding transactions increases.

    How does T+2 work?

    • If an investor sells shares, settlement of the trade takes place in two working days (T+2).
    • The broker who handles the trade will get the money, but will credit the amount in the investor’s account only.
    • In effect, the investor will get the money only after three days.
    • In T+1, settlement of the trade takes place in one working day and the investor will get the money on the following day.
    • The move to T+1 will not require large operational or technical changes by market participants, nor will it cause fragmentation and risk to the core clearance and settlement ecosystem.

    Why are foreign investors opposing it?

    • Foreign investors operating from different geographies would face time zones, information flow process, and foreign exchange problems.
    • Foreign investors will also find it difficult to hedge their net India exposure in dollar terms at the end of the day under the T+1 system.
    • In 2020, SEBI had deferred the plan to halve the trade settlement cycle to one day (T+1) following opposition from foreign investors.

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    Back2Basics: SEBI

    • The SEBI is the regulatory body for securities and commodity market in India under the jurisdiction of Ministry of Finance Government of India.
    • It was established on 12 April 1988 and given Statutory Powers on 30 January 1992 through the SEBI Act, 1992.

    Jurisdiction of SEBI

    • SEBI has to be responsive to the needs of three groups, which constitute the market:
    1. Issuers of securities
    2. Investors
    3. Market intermediaries

    SEBI has three powers rolled into one body: quasi-legislative, quasi-judicial and quasi-executive.

    • It drafts regulations in its legislative capacity, it conducts investigation and enforcement action in its executive function and it passes rulings and orders in its judicial capacity.
    • Though this makes it very powerful, there is an appeal process to create accountability.
    • There is a Securities Appellate Tribunal which is a three-member tribunal and is currently headed by Justice Tarun Agarwala, former Chief Justice of the Meghalaya High Court.
    • A second appeal lies directly to the Supreme Court.

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  • The end of the doing business rankings

    The World Bank Group has scrapped its flagship publication, the ‘Doing Business’ report.

    Doing Business Report

    • This report publishes the influential annual ranking of countries on the Ease of Doing Business (EDB) index.
    • It ranks countries by the simplicity of rules framed for setting up and conducting businesses.

    Utility of the index

    The World Bank’s decision has wide ramifications, as the index serves varied purposes.

    • Many countries showcase improved ranking to signal market-friendly policies to attract foreign investments. National leaders often set EDB rank targets.
    • This helps them measure domestic policies against global “best practices” and browbeat domestic critics.
    • India, for instance, wanted its administration to ensure that India breaks into the top 50 ranks of the EDB index.
    • Some countries seem to use their political heft to improve their rank, polish their international image and sway public opinion (as appears to be China’s case).

    Issues with the credibility of the report

    • The Group acted on its commissioned study to examine the ethical issues flagged in preparing the 2018 and 2020 editions of the EDB index.
    • It is accused of having exerted pressure on the internal team working on the Doing Business report to falsely boost China’s rank by doctoring the underlying data.
    • Similarly, tensions were also reportedly brought to bear in the case of Saudi Arabia’s rank, among others.

    EDB index rank vs economic outcomes

    • There is a disconnect between the stellar rise in EDB index rank and economic outcomes.
    • The theory underlying the EDB index could be suspect, the measurement and data could be faulty, or both.
    • For example, China’s phenomenal economic success, especially its agricultural performance (after the reforms in 1978), is perhaps the most unmistakable evidence demonstrating that lack of clarity of property rights may not be the binding constraint in a market economy.
    • What matters is economic incentives.
    • Measuring regulatory functions underlying the index could be tricky and subjective and possibly politically motivated as well, as the controversies surrounding the index seem to suggest.

    EODB in India: At what cost

    Ans. Weakening labour regulations

    • Closer home, India has weaponised the mandate to improve the rank in the EDB index to whittle down labour laws and their enforcement and bring them close to the free-market ideal of ‘hire and fire’.
    • Most States have emulated Maharashtra’s lead of administrative fiat, which renders labour laws toothless by dismantling official labour inspection systems and allowing employers to file self-regulation reports.
    • The government has farmed out critical safety regulations such as annual inspection and certification of industrial boilers to ‘third party’ private agencies.
    • The Labour Department’s inspection is now not mandated; it is optional only by prior intimation to employers.

    Implications of such moves

    • Such abdication of the government’s responsibility towards workers has reportedly affected industrial relations.
    • The workers’ strike at Wistron’s iPhone assembly factory in Karnataka last year is an example.
    • Further, severe industrial accidents are rising, damaging life and productive industrial assets.

    Why did World Bank scrap the index?

    • Investigations into “data irregularities” in preparing the EDB index, as brought out by the independent agency, seems to confirm many shortcomings repeatedly brought to light for years now.
    • The index appears motivated to support the free-market ideal.
    • It is dressed up under scientific garb and is underpinned by seemingly objective methods and data collection.
    • Strong leaders (and motivated officials) seem to have used their position to manipulate the index to suit their political and ideological ends.

    Conclusion

    • India claimed the success of its Make in India initiative by relying on its ranking on the EDB index without tangible evidence.
    • Handing over law enforcement to employers by self-reporting compliance seems to have increased industrial unrest and accidents.
    • It perhaps calls for honest soul-searching as to what havoc a questionable benchmark can wreak.

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