The Biden administration has announced a new trilateral security partnership for the Indo-Pacific, between Australia, the U.K., and the U.S. (AUKUS).
What is AUKUS?
AUKUS, as the partnership is being called, will strive over the next 18 months to equip Australia with nuclear propulsion technology.
As part of this, Australia will acquire nuclear-powered submarines with help from the UK and the US.
It will also involve a new architecture of meetings and engagements between the three countries, as well as cooperation across emerging technologies (applied AI, quantum technologies and undersea capabilities).
Australia’s nuclear-powered submarines, when they deploy, will be armed with conventional weapons only and not nuclear weapons.
Why such an alliance?
Tensions have been high between Australia and an increasingly assertive China, its largest trade partner.
Australia banned Chinese telecom giant Huawei in 2108 and its PM called for an investigation into the origins of COVID-19 last year.
China retaliated by imposing tariffs on or capping Australian exports.
Not to substitute Quad or others
This alliance does not and will not supersede or outrank existing arrangements in the Indo-Pacific region such as the Quad, which the US and Australia form with India and Japan, and ASEAN.
AUKUS will complement these groups and others.
Significance
There has been only one other time that the US has shared as “extremely sensitive” submarine propulsion technology — more than 60 years ago, back in 1958, with Great Britain.
The US is working to move past the 20-year war in Afghanistan and the chaotic U.S. exit from Kabul.
The Biden Administration has put countering China at the center of his economic and national security efforts, describing it as the biggest challenge of this era.
In big bang reforms, the Union Cabinet approved a relief package for the telecom sector that includes a four-year moratorium on payment of statutory dues by telecom companies as well as allowing 100% foreign investment through the automatic route.
What is AGR?
Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) is the usage and licensing fee that telecom operators are charged by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
It is divided into spectrum usage charges and licensing fees, pegged between 3-5 per cent and 8 per cent respectively.
Why is AGR important?
The definition of AGR has been under litigation for 14 years.
While telecom companies argued that it should comprise revenue from telecom services, the DoT’s stand was that the AGR should include all revenue earned by an operator, including that from non-core telecom operations.
The AGR directly impacts the outgo from the pockets of telcos to the DoT as it is used to calculate the levies payable by operators.
Currently, telecom operators pay 8% of the AGR as licence fee, while spectrum usage charges (SUC) vary between 3-5% of AGR.
Why do telcos need to pay out large amounts?
Telecom companies now owe the government not just the shortfall in AGR for the past 14 years but also an interest on that amount along with penalty and interest on the penalty.
While the exact amount telcos will need to shell out is not clear, as in a government affidavit filed in the top court, the DoT had calculated the outstanding licence fee to be over ₹92,000 crore.
However, the actual payout can go up to ₹1.4 lakh crore as the government is likely to also raise a demand for shortfall in SUC along with interest and penalty.
Of the total amount, it is estimated that the actual dues is about 25%, while the remaining amount is interest and penalties.
Is there stress in the sector?
The telecom industry is reeling under a debt of over ₹4 lakh crore and has been seeking a relief package from the government.
Even the government has on various occasions admitted that the sector is indeed undergoing stress and needs support.
Giving a ray of hope to the telecom companies, the government recently announced setting up of a Committee of Secretaries to examine the financial stress in the sector, and recommend measures to mitigate it.
Issue of lower tariff
Currently, telecom tariffs are among the lowest globally, driven down due to intense competition following the entry of Reliance in the sector.
The TRAI examines the merits of a “minimum charge” that operators may charge for voice and data services.
A beach in South Mumbai, saw black oil-emanating balls lying on the shore.
What are Tarballs?
Tarballs are dark-coloured, sticky balls of oil that form when crude oil floats on the ocean surface.
Tarballs are formed by weathering of crude oil in marine environments.
They are transported from the open sea to the shores by sea currents and waves.
Tarballs are usually coin-sized and are found strewn on the beaches. Some of the balls are as big as a basketball while others are smaller globules.
However, over the years, they have become as big as basketballs and can weigh as much as 6-7 kgs.
How are tarballs formed?
Wind and waves tear the oil slick into smaller patches that are scattered over a much wider area.
Various physical, chemical and biological processes (weathering) change the appearance of the oil.
Why are tarballs found on the beaches during the monsoon?
It is suspected that the oil comes from the large cargo ships in the deep sea and gets pushed to the shore as tarballs during monsoon due to wind speed and direction.
All the oil spilt in the Arabian sea eventually gets deposited on the western coast in the form of tarballs in the monsoon season when wind speed and circulation pattern favour transportation of these tarballs.
In a rare discovery, teeth of new species of Hybodont shark of Jurassic age have been reported for the first time from Jaisalmer by a team of officers from the Geological Survey of India (GSI).
Hybodont Shark
Hybodonts, an extinct group of sharks, was a dominant group of fishes in both marine and fluvial environments during the Triassic and early Jurassic time.
However, hybodont sharks started to decline in marine environments from the Middle Jurassic onwards until they formed a relatively minor component of open-marine shark assemblages.
They finally became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous time 65 million years ago.
Significance of the fossil
The newly discovered crushing teeth from Jaisalmer represents a new species named by the research team as Strophodusjaisalmerensis.
These sharks have been reported for the first time from the Jurassic rocks (approximately, between 160 and 168 million years old) of the Jaisalmer region of Rajasthan.
The genus Strophodus has been identified for the first time from the Indian subcontinent and is only the third such record from Asia, the other two being from Japan and Thailand.
It opens a new window for further research in the domain of vertebrate fossils.
Preparing for the UPSC exam can be a tough race against time. And if you are a working professional who is managing your job along with the preparation, coping with the syllabus can be extremely difficult.
Your day starts with the pressure of your work. You may have to manage project deadlines, you have to attend office meetings, you may have to deal with clients at work, and spend a lot of time at your workplace. In fact, by the time you reach home from work, you already feel exhausted and have no energy to study anymore.
But does that mean you give up on your dreams?
NO!
We will discuss the important ways in which you can crack this exam through the following methods:
Personalized timetable
Personalized study plan
Tracking your progress
Investing in topics with good ROI
Focusing on smart study
We spoke with over 3,000+ working professionals who are also preparing for the IAS exam and the most difficult obstacle faced by almost every aspirant was – Managing the time for preparation.
Personalized timetable – Each aspirant has a different schedule. Some of you study before starting the day’s work, some of you return home after work and then study. The important thing to realize is that there is NO Perfect strategy. You need a plan that suits YOUR needs!
Use this decison matrix to make correct choices
You can start by dividing your day into different time slots and start by prioritising what you are weak at. You can shut the social media without completely shutting your social life. Figure out the best timetable that gives you the maximum free time to study and stick to it.
Personalised study plan – Each aspirant learns at a different pace. Not only your timetable, but it is also important to organise your syllabus in order to cope with it. You can break the syllabus into smaller chunks, you can study concise material, and even find smart ways to save time.
For example, if you do not find enough time to make notes from the newspaper, you can always study from compiled newspaper notes. You can save time by focusing on reading coaching notes, studying concise current affairs, etc. Plan your syllabus to deal with the most important static topics and current affairs first, then move to other study materials.
Tracking your progress – Cracking UPSC is not about perfection, it is about consistently progressing. And TRACKING your progress. Since you are pressed for time, it is extremely important that you monitor your progress closely.
For example, when you give a mock test track the questions you got wrong, identify why you got those wrong, also look at the other options given in the question which you answered correctly. As you study, keep monitoring your progress. That’s the only way to make the best out of your limited time.
Make every moment count – You know that you are facing a time crunch which means that you have to work hard for only that amount of time. So, give your everything. Use every micro opportunity to study. Read Current Affairs snippets, practice quick online quizzes, etc. to make sure not a single moment is wasted. And even if the progress is slow, do not worry, keep progressing!
Utilize the Travelling time: Always carry some study material which can be handy i.e. Newspapers or a small notebook and use it in the interim period of travel whenever possible
Invest in only good Return on Investment (ROI) topics: If an aspirant has less time to prepare and revise, it is important to analyze the ROI that each topic under the syllabus will give you. Studying the syllabus is as important as preparing for the examination itself. Aspirants must have a clear understanding of the topics and the weightage that each portion is given. To do this, aspirants could compare the syllabus with the previous year’s question papers.
Focus on smart work: Aspirants, especially those who are preparing along with handling a full-time job, must be smart when it comes to preparing. “Do not fall into the trap of reading everything under the sun. You do not have the luxury of time, so be smart in choosing what you study. Focus on limited content from limited resources. Use the time you have to revise ‘n’ number of times, rather than picking up newer material.
And remember, When preparation gets tough, we’ll be there for you!
Do not get overwhelmed by the time crunch, do not feel scared. There is a way to manage time and we can help you achieve your dreams.
So far, more than 10,000 working professionals have benefited from the free 1-1 mentorship program of Civilsdaily. Please fill this registration form and our experienced Mentor will reach out to you and make a perfect personalized preparation schedule plan for you keeping in mind your serious time crunch.
E-Governance became an inevitable evolution in successful governance in the modem era.
As a coordinator and service provider, the Governments are required to embrace Information and Communication Technology to meet the demands of their citizens.
‘Simple, Moral, Accountable, Responsive and transparent’ (SMART) Governance became the order of the day to build effective and efficient governance.
India being the largest democracy in the world, started adopting e-governance in the 1970s and adopted the change quickly, and progressed towards good governance policy at a rapid speed.
E-Governance
The e-Governance aims to make the interaction between government and citizens (G2C), government and business enterprises (G2B), and inter-agency relationships (G2G) convenient, transparent, friendly, effective, and cost-effective.
Four phases of e-governance
A/c to Gartner E-Governance Maturity Model, there are four phases:
Phase I- Information
Phase II- Interaction
Phase III-Transaction
Phase IV-Transformation
To overcome the challenges such as inter-operability, infrastructural challenges, digital divide and Covid-19 pandemic, etc., India is taking new initiatives to develop the overall effectiveness of service delivery mechanism from a citizen’s perspective and trying to bridge the gap between urban and rural e-governance structures.
The Government of India introduced the National e-Governance Services Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) framework in August 2019 to assess the effectiveness of the e-Governance initiatives of the different government departments from the central to the local level.
The Online Service Index (OSI) of NeSDA is based on the UNDESA e-Governance survey to develop the e-Governance structure of India at an international standard.
National e-Governance Plan (NeGP)
VISION: “Make all Government services accessible to the common man in his locality, through common service delivery outlets and ensure efficiency, transparency& reliability of such services at affordable costs to realize the basic needs of the common man “.
The following strategy, approach& methodology is adopted for successful implementation of the NeGP:
Common Support Infrastructures such as SWANs, SDCs, CSCs and Electronic Service Delivery Gateways.
Suitable governance systems development to monitor and coordinate the implementation of NeGP
Programme approach at the National and State levels
Facilitator role of’ DIT III implementation of NeGP by various Ministries and State Governments by providing technical assistance
Ownership of Ministries over Mission Mode Projects (MMPs)
Various initiatives
Digital India Initiative
The Digital India Initiative was launched in the year 2015 to bridge the gap between urban and rural areas by promoting investment in digital infrastructure, fostering digital literacy, and expanding online services provision.
The vision of the Digital India programme is to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy by focusing on the following key vision areas:
Digital infrastructure as a core utility to every citizen.
Governance & Services On demand
Digital empowerment of citizens
National e-Governance Services Delivery Assessment (NeSDA)
NeSDA was launched to promote the participation of various departments and ministries at State and Central level to adopt the e-Government framework in day-to-day functioning.
To encourage e-participation of citizens and businesses in policymaking and to help India in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
To provide efficient public service delivery to all levels of population in the country by reducing the digital divide.
To develop innovative and improved public service delivery by developing ICT infrastructure capacity building and to develop a simple single-entry point for all e-services at every level of governance i.e., from central to local self-governance.
The parameters of assessing under NeSDA are accessibility, ease of use, ‘end service delivery, integrated service delivery, content availability, information security & privacy, and status and request tracking.
E-Governance & Covid-19 Pandemic
During the current pandemic, e-governance stepped into the central role as a necessary element of communication, leadership, and coordination between policymakers, administration, and society.
Digital technologies established through e-governance initiatives became an important source for sharing knowledge, encouraging collaborative research, and providing transparent guidance to the citizens.
E-governance became an important ICT tool for disseminating Covid-19 related data in a more transparent, safe, interoperable, and secure manner.
The online database of Covid-19 cases, lockdown guidelines, travel restrictions, locating the vacant beds in the hospitals, oxygen cylinders, financial assistance and relief distribution, etc., were carried out only through e-governance infrastructure.
Jan Dhan Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) delivery system became the main vehicle for the distribution of the cash payments, rations of food supplies through the public distribution system, the distribution of the reliefpackage under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan (PMGK) scheme supported thepeople in the pandemic.
AarogyaSetu App and Co-WIN App are the main e-governancetools that supported the citizens andgovernment to trace the Covid patientsand manage the vaccination.
E-Doctor tele-video consultation facilities have been launched as an alternativeto reduce hospital visits.
Challenges and Way Forward
The scope of the e-governance projects expanded at an unexpected speed during Covid-19, by adding many new features and innovativee-infrastructure.
The population of India now connected with e-governance can be considered as one of the largestdatabases in the world having personal information of people.
The important challenge ahead of the sudden surgeof the ambit of e-governance in the post-Covid scenario is assuring a secure, effective, reliable, transparent system that is reconciled with the basic rights and values guaranteed in the Constitution of India.
Another challenge in e-germane is to adopt new methods to decrease the digital divide and to promote inclusive e-governance for achieving the promise, ‘to leave nobody behind’.
In the post-Covid scenario, the government is required to develop effective e-governance through:
Interoperability of e-governance
Infrastructure between intergovernmental departments and agencies
Developing inclusive e-governance structure to make sure that there is no one is left out
Legislating effective data protection
Law and administrative regulations
Enhancing data security levels to avoid data leakage, misuse, etc.
Reducing digital divide by creating an inclusive digital ecosystem, e-literacy for inclusiveness, improving accessibility for higher uptake
Mandatory sector-specific service focus to attain SDO goals
Embracing New Age Technologies (NAT) for improved service delivery and focusing on integrated service delivery
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.
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 International Relations – by Sukanya Rana
Q1) Consider the following statements:
1. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a multilateral treaty that bans all nuclear tests, for both civilian and military purposes, in all environments.
2. India has signed but not ratified the treaty.
Select correct option:
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) 1 and 2
d) None
Q2) Consider the following statements:
1. Fatf maintains a list of countries which are low tax jurisdictions or tax shelters.
2. Membership to Fatf and oecd are almost similar.
Select incorrect option:
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) 1 and 2
d) None
Q3) Consider the following statements:
1. ICJ is the only international court that adjudicates general disputes between countries, with its rulings and opinions serving as primary sources of international law.
2. ICC is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.
Select incorrect option:
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) 1 and 2
d) None
Q4) Which of the following is not correctly matched?
a) Strait of Hormuz: Oman and Iran
b) Bab – el-Mandeb: Arabian sea and red sea
c) Strait of Magellan : Pacific and atlantic ocean
d) Dardanelles Strait connecting the Black sea and Aegean Sea
Q5) Consider the following statements on Mekong ganga cooperation:
1. The Mekong river runs through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
2. Mekong ganga cooperation was formed in 2010.
3. Members include India, China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
A few days ago, India’s Defence Minister and External Affairs Minister held the inaugural ‘2+2’ talks with their Australian counterparts.
Transforming relations between India-Australia
Both are vibrant democracies which have respect for international laws and a belief in the equality of all nations irrespective of their size and strength.
Both draw their congruence from a rule-based international order, believe in inclusive economic integration in the Indo-Pacific region, and face challenges from a belligerent China.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison elevated their bilateral strategic partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in June 2020.
Growing convergence on issues: There is a growing convergence of views on geo-strategic and geo-economic issues.
The convergence is backed by a robust people-to-people connection.
Both countries have stepped up collaborations through institutions and organisations on many issues in bilateral, trilateral, plurilateral and multilateral formats.
Bilateral security cooperation: Given their common security challenges and in order to enhance regional security architecture, both countries have intensified bilateral security cooperation.
Further, elevation of their ‘2+2’ Foreign and Defence Secretaries’ Dialogue to the ministerial level emphasises the positive trajectory of their transforming relations.
They have also stepped up security dialogue with key partner-countries to deepen coordination in areas where security interests are mutual.
The Malabar naval exercise by the Quad (Australia, India, Japan, the U.S.) is a step in this direction.
Partnership with like-minded countries: Beyond bilateralism, both countries are also entering into partnerships with like-minded countries, including Indonesia, Japan and France, in a trilateral framework.
Trade ties: Trading between India and Australia has seen remarkable growth in recent years.
Two-way trade between them was valued at $24.4 billion in 2020.
Trade is rapidly growing and encompasses agribusiness, infrastructure, healthcare, energy and mining, education, artificial intelligence, big data and fintech.
An early harvest agreement by December will pave the way for an early conclusion of a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement between both countries.
Issues in deeper economic integration
High tariff on agri products in India: India has a high tariff for agriculture and dairy products which makes it difficult for Australian exporters to export these items to India.
Non-tariff barrier in Australia: At the same time, India faces non-tariff barriers and its skilled professionals in the Australian labour market face discrimination.
Consider the question “A growing convergence of views on geo-strategic and geo-economic issues between Indian and Australia makes it imperative to forge a partnership guided by principles with a humane approach. Comment.”
Conclusion
The Quad has gained momentum in recent months. The time is ripe for these countries to deliberate on a ‘Quad+’ framework. The geo-political and geo-economic churning in international affairs makes it imperative for India and Australia to forge a partnership guided by principles with a humane approach.
We talked to 8000+ aspirants in the last one year and their answers will surprise you.
Inconsistency in UPSC preparation is like getting up at 5 am. A night before you set up your alarm. The motivation to get up is high at this point. But in the morning, when the alarm rings, we swipe it to the right with a thought “IN 5 MINUTES…FOR SURE!!”. This snooze cycle usually continues for some time till we realize it is 8 am. Already a bad start to the day! To add to it, you will spend the whole day repenting upon not being able to get up early, instead of focusing upon the time we have. The same goes for UPSC preparation. You set your targets but one slight glitch and your whole preparation go off track. Till the time you yourself realize this mismanagement, it is a bit too late. Anxiety builds up, performance levels fall. You are not able to achieve even 10% OF YOUR TRUE POTENTIAL on the D-day.
WE ASKED 8000+ STUDENTS ONE SIMPLE QUESTION –
“WHAT IS THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE THAT YOU ARE FACING IN YOUR UPSC PREPARATION?”
YOU WILL BE ASTOUNDED THAT ONE ANSWER WAS COMMON IN REPLIES – INCONSISTENCY.
They are Consistently Inconsistent. Meaning, they go through these highs and lows in their preparation. They are able to study for days, week but they hit a sudden gap in preparation. Then, they find it very hard to come back. The good news is that we have the solution.
Our philosophy behind MENTORSHIP is to get you out of this Snooze cycle. This ensures that you are the BEST VERSION of yourself in this journey. If you are under the impression that mentorship is weekly calls you attend, then you are mistaken, my friend. Trust us, your mentor will be your ‘FRIEND, PHILOSOPHER AND GUIDE’.
How Mentorship can fight inconsistency in preparation?
TO EACH THEIR OWN – Every aspirant is different. Their strengths and weaknesses are different. Their time availability is also different. Identifying this is important so you don’t end up making unrealistic targets and lose momentum. Your mentor will make sure you start slow but remain consistent to build your confidence. Making your schedule structured based on our experience of working with 2500+ students is our first priority.
TRACK YOUR PROGRESS – When you see yourself grow, it becomes easier to motivate yourself to push boundaries. Tracking your progress can happen in many ways like mentorship calls or chat sessions or by regular tests. The idea is to ensure that you don’t go off track in your preparation, and even if you do, we have your back.
EVOLUTION – A constant guidance is important to bring consistency to your UPSC preparation. Guidance is not about clearing your doubts or asking you to study when you don’t. It is also about the evolution of your preparation. This is where you and your mentor work as a team. A constant effort to PLAN AND BUILD UP YOUR ABILITY to learn in a faster and more efficient way.
TALK IT OUT – The biggest hurdle in achieving your highest level of consistency is the emotional part. Every now and then, you. surround yourself with negative thoughts, you feel scared and depressed. Instead of resolving these emotional issues, you avoid them as it seems like a waste of your precious time. You have to understand that ignoring emotional troubles does not solve them. What your doing is building an emotional time bomb that may burst a week before your mains or prelims! This is where your MENTOR AS A FRIEND comes in. All our mentors have been through this journey. We understand your fears and anxieties. So, TALK IT OUT.
Don’t let inconsistency keep you away from your dreams.
Fill up the SAMANVAYA form given below. Let us know your problems and we will find a solution to it, just like our students say ” TOGETHER WE CAN AND WE WILL”.
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