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  • Crafting a unique partnership with Africa

    This op-ed analyses the future of India-Africa cooperation in agriculture amid the looming Chinese involvement in African countries.

    Agricultural significance of Africa

    • With 65% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, employing over 60% of the workforce, and accounting for almost 20% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP, agriculture is critical to Africa’s economy.

    China factor behind

    • As this relationship enters the post-pandemic world, it is vital to prioritize and channel resources into augmenting partnerships in agriculture.
    • This is crucial given its unexplored potential, centrality to global food security, business prospects and to provide credible alternatives to the increasing involvement of Chinese stakeholders in the sector.

    Analyzing Chinese engagement

    Chinese corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurs adopt has provided a layered perspective of the sociopolitical, economic and environmental impact of Chinese engagement.

    • Trade: China is among Africa’s largest trading partners.
    • Credit facility: It is also Africa’s single biggest creditor.
    • Infrastructure: Its corporations dominate the region’s infrastructure market and are now entering the agri-infra sector.
    • Strategic support: While access to Africa’s natural resources, its untapped markets and support for ‘One China Policy’ are primary drivers of Chinese engagement with the region, there are other factors at play.

    China is going strategic in the guise of agriculture

    • Increasingly critical to China’s global aspirations, its engagement in African agriculture is taking on a strategic quality.
    • Chinese-built industrial parks and economic zones in Africa are attracting low-cost, labour-intensive manufacturing units that are relocating from China.
    • Chinese engineers interviewed spoke of how their operations in Africa are important to accumulate global experience in management, risk and capital investments.
    • Not only are they willing to overlook short-term profits in order to build a ‘brand China’, but they want to dominate the market in the long term, which includes pushing Chinese standards in host countries.
    • Chinese tech companies are laying critical telecommunications infrastructure, venture capital funds are investing in African fintech firms, while other smaller enterprises are expanding across the region.

    Agricultural landscape

    • While many Chinese entities have been active in Africa’s agriculture for decades now, the nature, form and actors involved have undergone substantial change.
    • In Zambia, Chinese firms are introducing agri-tech to combat traditional challenges, such as using drone technology to control the fall armyworm infestation.
    • They have set up over Agricultural Technology Demonstration Centers (ATDCS) in the continent where Chinese agronomists work on developing new crop varieties and increasing crop yields.
    • This ATDCs partner with local universities, conduct workshops and classes for officials and provide training and lease equipment to small holder farmers.
    • Chinese companies with no prior experience in agriculture are setting out to build futuristic ecological parks while others are purchasing large-scale commercial farms.

    Inducing their soft power

    • The exponential growth in the China-Africa economic ties and the emergence of Beijing as an alternative to traditional western powers have motivated change in perceptions across groups.
    • Governments and heads of state are recalibrating approaches, media houses are investing more resources for on-the-ground reporting.

    Dark Side of the Sino-Africa ties

    • Simultaneously, Africa-China relations are becoming complex with a growing, insular diaspora, lopsided trade, looming debt, competition with local businesses and a negative perception accompanied by greater political and socioeconomic interlinkages.
    • On occasion, there seems to be a gap between skills transferred in China and the ground realities in Africa.
    • In some cases, the technology taught in China is not available locally and in others, there is inability to implement lessons learnt due to the absence of supporting resources.
    • Larger commercial farms run by Mandarin-speaking managers and the presence of small-scale Chinese farmers in local markets aggravates socio-cultural stresses.

    India’s agricultural engagement

    • Diverse portfolios: India-Africa agricultural cooperation currently includes institutional and individual capacity-building initiatives, an extension of soft loans, supply of machinery, acquisition of farmlands and the presence of Indian entrepreneurs in the African agricultural ecosystem.
    • Land acquisition: Indian farmers have purchased over 6,00,000 hectares of land for commercial farming in Africa.
    • States cooperation: Sub-national actors are providing another model of cooperation in agriculture. Consider the case of the Kerala government trying to meet its requirement for cashew nuts with imports from countries in Africa.
    • Civil society: Similar ideas could encourage State governments and civil society organizations to identify opportunities and invest directly.
    • Agri-business: There is also promise in incentivizing Indian industries to tap into African agri-business value chains and connecting Indian technology firms and startups with partners in Africa.
    • Investment: In the past year, despite the pandemic, the sector witnessed a record increase in investments.

    Way forward

    • A thorough impact assessment needs to be conducted of the existing capacity-building initiatives in agriculture for India to stand in good stead.
    • This could include detailed surveys of participants who have returned to their home countries.
    • Country-specific and localized curriculum can be drawn up, making skill development demand-led.
    • In all senses, India has consistently chosen well to underline the development partnership to be in line with African priorities.
    • It is pertinent, therefore, that we collectively craft a unique modern partnership with Africa.

    Conclusion

    • While India’s Africa strategy exists independently, it is important to be cognizant of China’s increasing footprint in the region.
    • Beijing’s model, if successful here, could be heralded as a replica for the larger global south.
    • It is important to note, however, that prominent African voices have emphasized that their own agency is often overlooked in the global discourse on the subject.

  • India-Turkey relations

    As a new round of geopolitical jousting begins on India’s north-western frontiers, Delhi must deal with a number of new actors that have carved out a role for themselves in the region.

    Overambitious Turkey

    • Our focus today is on Turkey’s regional ambitions (particularly in Afghanistan) and their implications for India.
    • Ankara is in negotiations with the US on taking charge of the Kabul airport which is critical for an international presence in Afghanistan that is coming under the Taliban’s control.
    • Turkey has been running Kabul airport security for a while, but doing so after the US pullout will be quite demanding.
    • Taking a longer view, though, Turkey is not a new regional actor in India’s northwest.

    Turkey and Afghanistan

    • Ankara and Kabul have recently celebrated the centennial of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
    • Through this century, Turkey has engaged purposefully with Afghanistan over a wide domain.
    • While it joined the NATO military mission in Afghanistan after the ouster of the Taliban at the end of 2001, Turkey avoided any combat role and differentiated itself from the Western powers.
    • Ankara has contributed to the training of the Afghan military and police forces.
    • It has also undertaken much independent humanitarian and developmental work.

    Affinity with Pakistan

    • Turkey’s good relations with both Afghanistan and Pakistan have also given space for Ankara to present itself as a mediator between the warring South Asian neighbours.
    • Turkey’s “Heart of Asia” conference or the Istanbul Process has been a major diplomatic vehicle for attempted Afghan reconciliation in the last few years.
    • Widespread goodwill for Turkey in Afghanistan has now come in handy for the US in managing some elements of the post-withdrawal phase.
    • In Pakistan, PM Imran Khan has rallied behind Erdogan’s ambition to seize the leadership of the Islamic world from Saudi Arabia.
    • Pakistan’s Army Chief had to step in to limit the damage with Saudi Arabia, which has long been Pakistan’s major economic benefactor.

    Challenges for India

    • Turkey’s growing role in Afghanistan opens a more difficult phase in relations between Delhi and Ankara.
    • India’s opposition to alliances and Turkey’s alignments reflected divergent international orientations of Delhi and Ankara after the Second World War.
    • And Turkey’s deepening bilateral military-security cooperation with Pakistan made it even harder for Delhi to take a positive view of Ankara.
    • Turkey and Pakistan were part of the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO) that was set up in 1955 by the British.
    • Although CENTO eventually wound up in 1979, Turkey and Pakistan remained close partners in a number of regional organizations and international forums like the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

    Pre-Erdogan era Turkey

    • The shared secular values between Delhi and Ankara in the pre-Erdogan era were not enough to overcome the strategic differences between the two in the Cold War.
    • To make matters more complicated, the positive legacy of the Subcontinent’s solidarity with the Ottoman Empire and the Turkish Republic, emerged out of its ruins in the early 20th century, accrued mostly to Pakistan.
    • There were moments — during the tenures of PM Rajiv Gandhi and Mr Vajpayee, when India and Turkey seemed poised for a more productive relationship.
    • But those have been rather few and far between.

    Turkey’s departure from Secularism

    • Meanwhile, Turkey’s Islamist internationalism under Recep Tayyip Erdogan has inevitably led to its deeper alliance with Pakistan, greater meddling in South Asia, and a sharper contraction with India.
    • The Pakistani prism through which Delhi has long seen Ankara, however, has prevented it from fully appreciating the growing strategic salience of Turkey.
    • Erdogan’s active claim for leadership of the Islamic world has seen a more intensive Turkish political, religious, and cultural outreach to the Subcontinent’s 600 million Muslims.

    Self-goals on Kashmir

    • Turkey has become the most active international supporter of Pakistan on the Kashmir question.
    • Delhi is aware of Erdogan’s hypocrisy on minority rights.
    • While pitching for self-determination in Kashmir, Erdogan actively tramples on the rights of its Kurdish minority at home and confronts them across Turkey’s border in Syria and Iraq.

    Other ambitions in Asia

    • Erdogan was quick to condemn the Bangladesh government’s hanging of a senior extremist leader in 2016.
    • But in a reflection of his strategic suppleness, Erdogan also offered strong political support for Dhaka on the Rohingya refugee crisis.
    • As Bangladesh emerges as an attractive economy, Ankara is now stepping up its commercial cooperation with Dhaka.
    • Turkey, which hosted the Caliphate in the Ottoman era, had natural spiritual resonance among the South Asian Muslims.

    Riving the Caliphate

    • With the abolition of the Caliphate in 1924, Turkey’s Westernization under Ataturk reduced its religious significance.
    • Erdogan’s Islamist politics are about regaining that salience.
    • Erdogan’s strategy marks the declining relevance of the old antinomies — between alliances and autonomy, East and West, North and South, Islam and the West, Arabs and the Jews — that so resonate with the traditional Indian foreign policy discourse.

    Stance on Israel

    • Turkey was the first Muslim-majority nation that established full diplomatic relations with Israel.
    • Erdogan now actively mobilizes the Arab and Islamic world against Israel without breaking relations with Tel Aviv.
    • Erdogan’s outrage on Israel is about presenting himself as a better champion of Palestine than his Arab rivals.

    India’s option against Turkey

    • India, which has been at the receiving end of Erdogan’s internationalism, has multiple options in pushing back.
    • The recent naval exercise between India and Greece in the Mediterranean offers a small hint of India’s possibilities in Turkey’s neighbourhood.
    • Many Arab leaders reject Erdogan’s policies that remind them of Ottoman imperialism.
    • They resent Erdogan’s support of groups like the Muslim Brotherhood that seek to overthrow moderate governments in the Middle East.
    • There is much that India can do to up its game in the Arab world.

    Lessons for India

    • The new fluidity in geopolitics in India’s extended neighbourhood to the west.
    • Agency for regional powers is growing as the influence of great power weakens.
    • Religious ideology, like the more secular ones, is a cover for the pursuit of power.
    • Finally, Erdogan has carefully modulated his confrontation with major powers by avoiding a breakdown in relations.

    Conclusion

    • For Erdogan, the choices are not between black and white. That should be a good guide for India’s own relations with Turkey.
    • Delhi needs to vigorously challenge Turkey’s positions where it must, seize the opportunities opened by regional resentments against Erdogan’s adventurism, and at the same time prepare for a more intensive bilateral engagement with Ankara.

  • Draft Anti-trafficking Bill 2021

    The Ministry of Women and Child Welfare has invited suggestions and comments for its Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2021 which it has released.

    A re-attempted legislation

    • A previous draft had been introduced in 2018 and had been passed by Lok Sabha despite stiff opposition from both parliamentarians as well as experts.
    • It was later never introduced in Rajya Sabha.
    • Experts say that nearly all the concerns raised in 2018 have been addressed in this new draft Bill.

    Draft Anti-trafficking Bill 2021

    The Bill has increased the scope of the nature of offences of trafficking as well as the kind of victims of these offences, with stringent penalties including life imprisonment, and even the death penalty in cases of an extreme nature.

    Types of offenders

    • The scope of the Bill vis offenders will also include defence personnel and government servants, doctors and paramedical staff or anyone in a position of authority.

    Penalty

    • In most cases of child trafficking, especially in the case of the trafficking of more than one child, the penalty is now life imprisonment.
    • While the penalty will hold a minimum of seven years which can go up to an imprisonment of 10 years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh.
    • In certain cases, even the death penalty can be sought.

    Definition of exploitation

    • Exploitation has been defined to include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation including pornography.
    • It also includes any act of physical exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or forced removal of organs, illegal clinical drug trials or illegal bio-medical research.

    Victims covered

    • The Bill also extends beyond the protection of women and children as victims to now include transgenders as well as any person who may be a victim of trafficking.
    • It also does away with the provision that a victim necessarily needs to be transported from one place to another to be defined as a victim.

    Investigation Agency

    • The National Investigation Agency (NIA) shall act as the national investigating and coordinating agency responsible for the prevention and combating of trafficking in persons.

  • Person in news: Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair

    A noted filmmaker has recently announced his decision to produce the biopic of Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair, an acclaimed lawyer and judge in the Madras High Court and one of the early builders of the Indian National Congress.

    Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair

    • Nair was born in the year 1857 in Mankara village of Malabar’s Palakkad district.
    • He belonged to an aristocratic family and his great grandfather was employed by the East India Company to enforce peace in the Malabar region.
    • His grandfather was employed as the chief officer under the Civilian Divisional Officer.

    His legal career

    • Nair was drawn towards Law while he was completing his graduation from Presidency College in Madras.
    • After completing his degree in Law, he was hired by Sir Horatio Shepherd who later became the Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.
    • Since his early days as a lawyer, Nair was known for his defiant attitude.
    • He went against a resolution passed by Indian vakils (advocates) of Madras stating that no Indian vakil would work as a junior to an English barrister.
    • His stance on the issue made him so unpopular that he was boycotted by the other vakils, but he refused to let that bother him.

    Legacy

    • Nair was known for being a passionate advocate for social reforms and a firm believer in the self-determination of India.
    • But what really stood out in his long glorious career is a courtroom battle he fought against the Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab, Michael O’Dwyer.
    • Nair had accused O’Dwyer in his book, ‘Gandhi and anarchy’ for being responsible for the atrocities at the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
    • Consequently, he was fighting against an Englishman, in an English court that was presided over by an English jury.
    • In all senses, the case was bound to make history.
    • When the 1908 Montague-Chelmsford reforms were being discussed, he wrote an article in the Contemporary Review criticizing the English jury for being partial towards Englishmen.
    • This infuriated the Anglo-Indian community who petitioned the Viceroy and the Secretary of State for India objecting to his appointment as high court judge the first time.
    • He was once described by Edwin Montague, the secretary of state for India as an ‘impossible person’.

    Key positions held

    • In 1897 he became the youngest president of the INC in the history of the party till then, and the only Malayali to hold the post ever.
    • By 1908 he was appointed as a permanent judge in the Madras High Court. In 1902 Lord Curzon appointed him a member of the Raleigh University Commission.
    • In 1904 he was appointed as Companion of the Indian Empire by the King-Emperor and in 1912 he was knighted.
    • In 1915 he became part of the Viceroy’s Council, put in charge of the education portfolio.

    Career as judge

    • As a Madras High Court judge, his best-known judgments clearly indicate his commitment to social reforms.
    • In Budasna v Fatima (1914), he passed a radical judgement when he ruled that those who converted to Hinduism cannot be treated as outcasts.
    • In a few other cases, he upheld inter-caste and inter-religious marriages.

  • Arctic’s ‘Last Ice Area’

    A part of the Arctic’s ice called the “Last Ice Area”, located north of Greenland, has melted before expected. Scientists had believed this area was strong enough to withstand global warming.

    What is the Last Ice Area?

    • In an article published in 2015, National Geographic noted that climate projections forecast the total disappearance of summer ice in the Arctic by the year 2040.
    • However, the only place that would be able to withstand a warming climate would be this area of ice called the “Last Ice Area”.
    • But while this piece of ice above northern Canada and Greenland was expected to last the longest time, it is now showing signs of melting.
    • WWF claims that WWF-Canada was the first to call this area the‘ Last Ice Area’.

    Why is the area important?

    • The area is important because it was thought to be able to help ice-dependent species as ice in the surrounding areas melted away.
    • The area is used by polar bears to hunt for seals who use ice to build dens for their offspring.
    • Walruses too, use the surface of the ice for food search.

    When did the area start changing?

    • The first sign of change in LIA was observed in 2018.
    • Further, in August last year, sea ice showed its “vulnerability” to the long-term effects of climate change.
    • The ice in LIA has been thinning gradually over the years much like other parts of the Arctic Ocean.

    What are the reasons that explain the change?

    • About 80 per cent of thinning can be attributed to weather-related factors such as winds that break up and move the ice around.
    • The remaining 20 per cent can be attributed to the longer-term thinning of the ice due to global warming.

  • Indian Army Memorial in Italy

    During his four-day visit to the UK and Italy, the Indian Army Chief will inaugurate the Indian Army Memorial at Cassino in Italy, about 140 km away from Rome.

    What is the memorial about?

    • The memorial commemorates over 3,100 Commonwealth servicemen who took part in the effort to liberate Italy in World War II.
    • Apart from this, 900 Indian soldiers were also commemorated on this memorial.

    What was happening in Italy in WWII?

    • Under Benito Mussolini, Italy had joined Nazi Germany in 1936 and in 1940 it entered WWII (1939-1945) against the Allies.
    • But in 1943, Mussolini was overthrown and instead, Italy declared war on Germany.
    • The invasion of Italy by the Allies coincided with an armistice that was made with the Italians.
    • Even so, the UK’s National Army Museum notes that for two years during WWII, Italy became one of the war’s most “exhausting campaigns” because they were facing a skilled and resolute enemy.

    What was India’s involvement in World War II?

    • In the first half of the 1940s, India was still under British rule and the Indian Army fought in both the world wars.
    • It comprised both Indian and European soldiers.
    • Apart from this, there was the East India Company Army that also recruited both Indian and European soldiers and the British Army, which was also present in India.

    India the largest volunteer

    • Indian Army was the largest volunteer force during WWII, with over 2.5 million (more than 20 lakh) Indians participating.
    • These troops fought the Axis powers (Germany, Italy and Japan) as part of the Allies.
    • By 1945, the Allies had won, Italy had been liberated, Adolf Hitler was dead and India was barely a couple of years short of independence.
    • However, while millions of Indians participated, their efforts are not always recognized.

  • [pib] NIPUN Bharat Programme

    Union Minister for Education has launched a National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN Bharat).

    NIPUN Bharat

    • This scheme aims for ensuring that every child in the country necessarily attains foundational literacy.
    • It has been launched under the aegis of the centrally sponsored scheme of Samagra Shiksha.
    • It would cover the learning needs of children in the age group of 3 to 9 years.
    • The unique feature is that the goals of the Mission are set in the form of Lakshya Soochi or Targets for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.
    • The Lakshyas are based on the learning outcomes developed by the NCERT and international research and ORF studies.

    Envisaged outcomes

    • Foundational skills enable to keep children in class thereby reducing the dropouts and improve transition rate from primary to upper primary and secondary stages.
    • Activity-based learning and a conducive learning environment will improve the quality of education.
    • Innovative pedagogies such as toy-based and experiential learning will be used in classroom transactions thereby making learning a joyful and engaging activity.
    • Intensive capacity building of teachers
    • Since almost every child attends early grades, therefore, focus at that stage will also benefit the socio-economic disadvantageous group thus ensuring access to equitable and inclusive quality education.
  • BLOG BY DEBRAJ DAS(IPS-2018) || How to Say Things Better

    BLOG BY DEBRAJ DAS(IPS-2018) || How to Say Things Better

    Cracking an interview is an art and one has to master it through practice. Personality Test is not about knowledge only. It is an art to present ideas in a non-confrontational amicable manner. Hence any element of self doubt, propensity to argue to prove a point or taking extreme views/ opinion can turn out to be detrimental for your success.
    Here I have tried to put forward some tested strategies and analysis which are cardinal for cracking any interview with confidence. Some of the ideas may appear counter-intuitive or different from what has been advised during mock tests. The materials provided here are based on my personal experiences in facing the Board and culmination of years of Corporate experience in the areas of recruitment and negotiations.

    In order to prepare for UPSC personality test or as such any interview, it is important to understand the demand of the services and the qualities an interviewer seeks within the candidate.
    The services of IAS, IPS and Central Civil Services are meant to provide efficient leadership to the entire bureaucratic apparatus. They do not require domain experts, or they could have recruited PhD students. They require people with normal intelligence, having good amount of common sense, excellent communication skills and those who can appreciate the changes /impacts brought about in the society by events occurring around us.
    What you say and what you communicate are two different things. Through your answers, at a subtle level you are opening up your mind and thought process. This opens up a window for the interviewer to peep inside your value system. You must ensure that these values are in sync with constitutional and liberal democratic values.
    The qualities the interviewer looks for in the candidate are-

    • Leadership qualities: Leadership is a cluster concept which is a culmination of several qualities like integrity, honesty, compassion etc. But what is one of the most important aspects is clarity of thoughts. Do you hold a clear opinion about an issue / incident/ development going on around you? Only when you are clear within yourself, you can provide an unambiguous direction to others
    • Whether you can understand the consequences of an action/ policy across various sections of the society and economy
    • Whether you criticize everything or hold a balanced / positive view. Every action has a positive and negative aspect. There is very few win-win decisions made in today’s world. It is important that you know both sides of the coin. But if a policy is not yielding its desired results, it does not mean that the idea should be rejected, it only means that the policy suffers implementation failures. Hence the lapses must be plugged using say technology/ governance/ innovative monitoring / social engineering etc.
    • Whether you are dogmatic or flexible/ tolerant in accepting new views- It is natural as human beings to hold perception biases towards different aspects of society eg. Gender Chauvinism, Cultural superiority etc. These are ingrained in us during our formative years. However holding such biases as a public servant is not desirable. You need to be tolerant and receptive of new ideas/ norms which are progressive in nature in line with liberal values.
    • Whether you are firm in your decisions or shift to impress others- If you hold an idea/ opinion which you think is right and the interviewer expresses a contrary view point, accept it and enrich your answer but don’t totally shift from your opinion. Truth is multifaceted and sometimes contrary opinions form the part of same truth. It does not mean that you are wrong. So stay firm but not dogmatic.

    IMPORTANCE OF DAF

    DAF is the most important piece of document from where the interviewer gets acquainted about you, your hobbies and area of interest and other aspects. They more often than not start their questions from the DAF only. So make sure you read and re-read your DAF, find out of there is any word/ event/ sentence/ achievement written which can attract a person’s attention and prepare about that topic well.
    If you have written generic things like reading books or listening music which are open ended and interviewers’ delight to open his salvo, I would request to select a genre and read / prepare at least from the book summaries given on the internet on that topic.
    I had written a specific word (“experience in arbitration”) in my experience column in which I had limited knowledge and I was apprehensive that the interviewer will ask on that point. They did. As soon as one of the panelists asked, I clarified that “I would like to elaborate on this point a bit that the subject is of vast domain and my knowledge is limited to a specific aspect of it. I was part of the steering group in my company which handled the arbitration process under AMRCD (Administrative Mechanism for Resolution of CPSE Disputes) with another PSU. As such I got considerable exposure on the art of drafting our case and the technical points which are legally critical to the matter. I also learned the cardinal concepts like ‘principle of natural justice’, ‘right to be heard’, ‘jointly and severally responsible’ etc. ”

    The merits of the answer-
    Defined the boundaries of knowledge- showed honesty
    Explained the case in lucid manner- refrained from exaggerating personal achievement
    The last few words were deliberately planted to guide the interviewer take up one of them and ask a question on them, as I was confident with them.

    Connecting the dots- Finding correlation among seemingly discreet events

    This is the most important quality being sought in a public servant. In today’s complex world, every sphere of life is being connected with every other. There is always a spillover of the consequences of a social/ environmental / political event into the economic sphere and the other way round. Moreover a seemingly isolated event has repercussions at regional, national and global level. As a public servant, one must be able to appreciate the consequences of a policy decision being made and how it will affect the different sections of the society. It has to be decided whether the policy will stand the test of cost benefit analysis in the long run.

    Eg. The Covid crisis and Non Performing Assets. These are two distinct events, one a public health crisis and other a financial crisis. How can you relate the two phenomena?

    • Covid crisis has led to several responses like nationwide lockdown, social distancing etc in order to ‘flatten out the curve’
    • The industry output has plummeted both due to demand shock and production shock
    • As the top-line sales collapsed, the corporate witnessed financial crunch to service their debts. (Any project is financed with an optimal blend of equity and debt, the debt being serviced with the project earning only). Some production houses and SSIs which run on wafer thin margins and low levels of operating capital have become bankrupt and shut their operations.
    • RBI guidelines regarding moratorium on debt servicing coupled with a halt in Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code functioning through an ordinance has resulted in subdued recovery of loans and building up of NPAs

    Develop impeccable arguments

    Is NAM relevant?
    An organization is only relevant as long as it serves the purpose of present times
    NAM was formed at a time when the structure of the international system was fundamentally different from what it is today
    Though there is a rising trend towards bipolar structure around the Sino-US poles, relationships among and between nations have become more multilayered and categorizing a nation as friend or enemy state is no longer a plausibility.
    However for economic and national security concerns, it has become an imperative now to leverage on the decoupling trend between the two economic heavyweights (China and US) and pursue strategic alignment with the west.

    Are we losing our friends in the neighborhood?
    The current flaring up of Sino-Indian border issues and tensions over territorial claims with Nepal along with the animosity with Pakistan may be seemingly perceived that we are ceding our ground to China in the neighborhood.
    However this is not an enduring phenomenon and may be seen through the prism of bandwagon phenomenon. As contrast to South China Sea maritime territorial claim of China which hardly witnessed overt protest from nation states, India has stood firm against any kind of cartographic assertion of China. The developments along the international border are being closely observed by the world including our neighbors.

    The neo-colonial tendencies of China are obvious after the crisis at Hambantota port of Srilanka or the high handedness showed in Pakistan regarding CPEC.
    Rather proximity of nation states with China has opened up new opportunities for India too, as along with China, they need more of India to act as a counterbalancing power.

    Saying “NO”

    It is ok not to know the answer to all the questions being asked in the interview. The mock tests and coaching experts always insists on saying “I don’t know Sir” as a prompt reply in case candidate does not know the answer.
    Reason- It demonstrates the qualities like ‘honesty’ and ‘humility’
    During my interview, I was asked a question on current affairs (specific question) to which I only had a superficial knowledge. So after a one liner answer, another question was asked relating to my opinion on that matter to which I had no clue.
    So I replied- “Sir I need to delve deeper into the issues and facts of the case in order to form an opinion about it.”
    The attributes of this answer are-
    You said “I don’t know” but without actually saying it.
    You portrayed the qualities of honesty and humility
    What is most important- It demonstrates that you don’t form an opinion on half knowledge.
    Notes- This services needed some innate skills and crafts where in you cannot say “no”/ “don’t know”/ “Cannot do” all the time. The art of saying “no” is a skill to be learnt. You may substitute by saying “I will revert back”/ “I will go through the case and get back to you” in order to buy some time in actual services.
    Many people opine that the candidate should be straight forward and candid during interview. But “Situational Realism” is more important than being simply “Straight forward”. You need to analyze the context and situation in which the question is being asked and reply accordingly. Its like playing cricket; you need to play each ball accordingly as it comes, you cannot pre determine a shot before being bowled.

    Use phrases/ quotations and examples of eminent personalities

    The candidate may liberally use generic phrases which can be used in any circumstances to ornate their answer. My personal favorites are-
    “It is important to do what is strategically right than what is immediately profitable”

    This can be used in order to describe leadership qualities, or to justify any hard decisions taken by the Government (like lockdown).
    You may also say that “A distinction may be made here about what is an expense and what is an investment”
    Another appealing liner is “We do not grow as individuals, we grow as a community and it is our socio-moral duty to give back to the community whatever we can so that the community can grow as a whole.” This portrays that you appreciate that how individual is connected to / embedded to the community and why paying taxes or providing altruistic works/ charity is imperative in tough times (viz during lockdown individuals and corporate came forward to alleviate the plight of marginalized)
    Candidates need to create their own ‘power pact one liners’ and use them as per situation.

    Start with generic answer for specific issue based questions

    Candidates are often asked specific questions on a particular issue and are told to express their opinion. The propensity is to start straight away with the opinion. What the interviewer is more interested in is not only your opinion but the material basis/ considerations based on which you took your decisions. This will give an idea to how your thought process works. The opinion in itself is of secondary importance.
    A question was asked on what opinion the candidate holds regarding PM –KISAN scheme. Along with that the interviewer gave his own negative opinion that it was not sustainable.
    The answer started with the basics of “work and wages”. The conventional discourse was to work and provide labor and get paid for that labor. This was the basics behind schemes like MGNREGA. A person gets enrolled, demands job, gives labor and gets paid for the same. However with automation and increasing machine hours replacing man-hours, returns to labor has disproportionately reduced. Hence is disposable household income and Consumption Demand in the economy. Hence discourses like Universal Basic Income has cropped in which is based on the premise of delinking work with income, ie you get an income even of you do not work. This is imperative for the survival of the capitalist system itself, else if people do not have money then who will buy all the commodities being produced..!! PM-KISAN is a scaled down and targeted version of UBI concept only.

    What this answer communicated are-
    Your conceptual clarity behind the implementation of this scheme You appreciate the progressive development of ideas with time
    You have nullified the negative connotation given by the interviewer by telling that this idea is a natural development of techno-economic progress.

    Give unconventional perspectives

    Give the interviewer some fodder for thought.
    Eg.1 On Technology, you may say ‘technology has the potential to concentrate power and wealth. Those who are in a position to leverage it can climb up the socio-economic ladder in contrast to those who cannot, thus escalating the inequality in the society. Hence this demands positive social intervention by the Government to bring down the gap. The Digital India program was initiated to bridge the Digital divide. The impending 5G revolution must be carefully rolled out so that it is accessible to all sections of the society, else the inequality may further accentuate.

    Balance and Optimism- no extreme- guiding principles Constitution/ liberal values/ democratic decision making

    Balanced answer is one where you take a middle path instead of taking stances like ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Taking a stance may be detrimental as it pushes the candidate to a point of no return and the interviewer can easily corner him.
    Eg. The Police response to Covid crisis has been very harsh and unbecoming-(it already gives a negative connotation which is a trap. Don’t reiterate like “yes they have been harsh/ insensible etc because there has been instances of frequent use of force and excesses”)

    • The police action as portrayed in the media is perceived to be harsh. However the pace and scale of the Covid crisis is unprecedented. Most countries had no clue on how to deal with it
    • The policy response time of lockdown has been so quick that there was hardly any time to sensitize the Police or equip them with a standard procedure.
    • The public in general have also initially failed to appreciate the reasons of lockdown.
    • This has led to frequent confrontations which are natural in the beginning of onslaught of a new normal.

    As told earlier, as public servants your only guiding factors for professional ethics are constitutional and liberal values irrespective if what your values are in your private sphere.
    On questions of reservations and its efficacy (specific or generic)- as told earlier, start with generic answer of principles of affirmative action and social justice. The desirability of meritocracy is to be balanced with the demand of equitable distribution of benefits and burdens. The Indian society is unique in its stratifications and hence borrowed models of individualism from the west may not hold the answer to social problems in the country. However what is not desirable is the politicization of this issue as it only accentuates the fault lines and defeats the very purpose of affirmative action. However there has been a discourse from various quarters regarding implementing the creamy layer concept among SC/STs as well because caste and class no longer map over one another.
    The answer communicates that you understand the basics behind constitutional values and hold the idea of tolerance.

    Guiding the interview

    This is a bit difficult thing to do in an interview. But the candidate holds the key to guide the interview instead of being simply answering the questions thrown at him. This is done by leaving some ‘key words’ or ‘word bites’ in the sentence deliberately which always appeals to the interviewer is receptive and which is taken up by them to salvo their next question. The interviewers are usually receptive to words like “technology and innovation”, “strategy”, “disruption” “inclusive solution”, “servant leadership”, “financial architecture”, “AI, data science”, “social crisis”, “global governance”, “economic response” etc. the common thing in these words are that they are a bit sophisticated and high sounding, not used in common parlance.

    Being Original

    Saying or holding ideas which are original to you establishes your identity different from other candidates. The interviewers become weary of hearing the same old hackneyed answers. You need to rephrase the same or be original with your answers in order to stand out and be noticed.
    Eg. One of the most favorite and banal question being asked is- Why do you want to join this service. They will also add discouraging things like low salary, less scope of innovation, better private sector jobs etc. These are traps and do not fall into it by saying things like “job security, social status and power”. These are individual gains and perks you get when you enter the services. You don’t get into the services to avail the perks, these are hygiene factors. You want to get into the services to serve some noble purpose and your answer must reflect that.
    The answer given by author was- These services are fundamentally different from other services in the sense that this is not about pursuit of profit, it is about selflessly serving the Nation and its people. But what personally appealed to me is that these services are so demanding that it brings out the best stored in a person. So if someone likes international relations, it gives you a first hand opportunity to handle the foreign policy of the country. If one has leadership quality, this service gives an opportunity to become a leader in his domain.

    Take away from this answer-
    You demonstrated that you are original and not a product of rote learning You articulated your reasons of joining in simple words.

    Your thought process is mature.
    You deliberately left a “sound bite” ie “Leader” which may guide your next question (which actually happened in this case).

    Body language- eye contact/ sitting posture/ hand gesture
    This is one of the most important and yet overlooked aspect in an interview. You communicate your confidence and positive attitude through your body language. So be natural in your swings of body. Keep your body posture straight or slightly leaning forward, opening up your chest and refrain from leaning back or closing your frontal part.
    Regarding hand movement, maintain your natural gestures of hand. Though some suggests not moving your hand as this looks indecent, the contrary is true. Natural hand movements demonstrate that you are confident. Keep your palm open as it shows you have nothing to hide.
    Keep your eye contact maintained with the Chairman when she is asking you questions. While answering other panel members, maintain eye contact with her as well as the Chairman. Again keep your eyeball movement natural and avoid looking up the ceiling or the floor or the curtain.
    We will recommend watching YouTube videos of speeches of Sundar Pichai, Barack Obama, Elon Mask, Jack Maa and others to emulate how they give pauses between sentences, their gestures, smiles, eye/ hand movement etc. Watch them over and over again.

    How to practice- before mirror/ friends relatives
    As told earlier, as you watch the videos, you also need to stand before a mirror and practice saying sentences and short paragraphs. Start speaking before your friends and parents and tell them to evaluate you. Give mock interviews and go through your videos 2/3 times to see where you need to improve. During interview practice, feedback mechanism is the strongest tool for self correction.
    Futuristic
    Your answer must give a hint of futuristic solution wherever possible. Eg. In case of border management

  • 6th July 2021 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    [WpProQuiz 695]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 695]

  • 6th July 2021| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1   Geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features (including water-bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

    GS-2  Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

    GS-3  Transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers

    GS-4  Ethics and Human Interface: Essence, determinants and consequences of Ethics in-human actions; dimensions of ethics; ethics – in private and public relationships.


     

    Questions:

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1) Wetlands are indispensable for the countless benefits or “ecosystem services” that they provide however they are extremely stressed. In the light of above statement Highlight the significance of wetland ecosystems, particularly in the urban areas. Also mention the steps that are being taken by the government for integrated management of wetland ecosystems. (15 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2) India must deal with a number of new actors that have carved out a role for themselves in its north-western frontier. One of such actors is Turkey. What should be India’s policy in dealing with Turkey as it seeks to expand its influence in the region? (10 marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3) How dairy sector plays a significant role in India’s agriculture sector? How private players can help the sector grow more? (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4) Being ethical means not only having high standards, but acting according to them and issuing sanctions against their violation. Illustrate. (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 1st June is uploaded on 1st June 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, 1st June is uploaded on 3rd June, 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 @Swatantra so that the mentor is notified about your answer.

    *In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. Swatantra Sir’s tag is available, tag him.

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