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  • Mega Seminar: 50 most important themes for UPSC PRELIMS 2023 on the basis of 6 yrs trend analysis | Strategy for a sure shot 115+ in IAS 2023 Prelims by Santosh, Prelims guru (Get recorded session and PDF)

    Mega Seminar: 50 most important themes for UPSC PRELIMS 2023 on the basis of 6 yrs trend analysis | Strategy for a sure shot 115+ in IAS 2023 Prelims by Santosh, Prelims guru (Get recorded session and PDF)

    Register for the recorded session and PDF of 50 themes for IAS Prelims 2023

    CLICK AND REGISTER For Mega seminar by Santosh sir and UPSC Rankers | 50 MOST IMPORTANT THEMES TO SCORE 115+ IN UPSC PRELIMS 2023

    The UPSC 2023 bell rang as soon as the UPSC mains 2022 exam ended. UPSC 2023 exam date is already out and Prelims are scheduled for May 28th, 2023. That’s just 8 months away. Acknowledging the high unpredictability, an infallible strategy, and previous years’- based trend analysis is of utmost importance. If you want to crack UPSC with a rank in 2023, no random study, nor every chapter from every subject is required. 

    Reading and trying to memorize everything under the sun is a wrong and wasteful strategy. 

    UPSC is often called an UnPredictable service commission. To a certain extent, this might be actually true as UPSC is evolving year by year, making changes to both its pattern and the way it asks questions, leaving aspirants in the hall flummoxed.

    Unquestionably this highlights the need to adapt to the demands and expectations of UPSC. However, a thorough trend analysis reveals that there are certain topics or themes that are more important than others.

    Since UPSC has no defined solution, reading and trying to memorize everything under the sun is a wrong and wasteful strategy. We need to go extremely selective and smart, rather than following an ‘eat it all’ strategy when it comes to preparing for Prelims.

    Santosh sir, Assistant Commissioner, GST and guiding light for Smash Prelims Program (success rate of more than 80%) will be in CivilsDaily’s Delhi center. He will give the 50 most important themes for UPSC prelims 2023.

    CLICK AND REGISTER For Mega seminar by Santosh sir and UPSC Rankers | 50 MOST IMPORTANT THEMES TO SCORE 115+ IN UPSC PRELIMS 2023

    CivilsDaily IAS is conducting a Seminar for UPSC Exam 2023 with Santosh sir and UPSC Rankers including IPS, Amol sir

    The topic for the Seminar:

    50 Most Important themes for UPSC 2023 Prelims for a sure shot 115+ marks? Insights and strategy by Santosh sir, IPS Amol sir and other rankers in the Seminar

    (Detailed points and agenda below)

    Date and Time: Concluded successfully

    Masterclass on 6th Octoberber 2022 (Thursday) at 1 pm

    Venue:

    • Offline – CivilsDaily IAS, Delhi center
      • (Address: 1 LGF, Apsara Arcade, Karol Bagh, near Metro station gate number 7, Delhi)
    • Online- Zoom link will be emailed to you.

    (10% scholarship (FEE waiver) across all courses of CivilsDaily to Seminar attendees)

    Post-seminar CivilsDaily will share a special Preparatory Package both for Offline and Online attendees.

    You are also entitled to a personalized intensive mentorship session by a senior IAS mentor wherein you can avail a personalized study plan, schedule, and doubt resolution session.

    CLICK AND REGISTER For Mega seminar by Santosh sir and UPSC Rankers | 50 MOST IMPORTANT THEMES TO SCORE 115+ IN UPSC PRELIMS 2023
    Tavishi failed thrice in the Prelims before but after joining Santosh sir’s mentorship cleared Prelim 2022 in her 4th attempt.

    This is for you if you are:

    1. A UPSC beginner – confused about the syllabus, prioritizing subjects, making timetables & targets, or just getting started.
    2. A working professional or college student who will be attempting UPSC 2023 with a job. Facing a serious time crunch and mismanagement in UPSC preparation.
    3. A veteran or aspirant trying to improve your rank in UPSC 2023 attempt.

    Strategic planning will help you fully uncover your options, set priorities for them, and define the methods to achieve them.

    CLICK AND REGISTER For Mega seminar by Santosh sir and UPSC Rankers | 50 MOST IMPORTANT THEMES TO SCORE 115+ IN UPSC PRELIMS 2023

    Details of the Seminar topics

    This is going to be an interactive 1-1 session with Senior mentors and UPSC Rankers. You will get ample time and opportunity to discuss with Santosh sir and Rankers. These points will be discussed.

    • Trend analysis of past 6 years papers of UPSC Prelims by Santosh sir. Lessons to be learnt. ‘Pattern Analysis. UPSC is the most dynamic in nature. So, the most important step is to analyze the pattern of the exam. Find ‘Do’s & ‘Don’ts’. Here, also a mentor, only a mentor can show you the right direction.
    • Selective and smart study through UPSC trend validated topics and themes: 50 Most Important themes for UPSC Prelims 2023 that will guarantee your 115+
    • Strategy for UPSC Prelims 2023 for the next 8 months.
    • How do UPSC rankers pick specific and certain topics which are more important than the others? How to build a topper’s like thinking and how to cover the UPSC syllabus? The syllabus, and not the books, must be completed.
    • How to attempt Mock Tests! How to read & revise PYQs. ‘What to read & what not to read?
    • How to Understand the expectations of UPSC, and devise an evolving adaptive strategy for UPSC 2023 Prelims and Mains. If your strategy didn’t work, how to restrategize will also be elaborated. What should be your approach for the next 8 months even if you have just started the preparation? Strategy for next 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, and like that, will be shared with you.
    • Last but not the least, apart from all the above discussion everyone joining the session can ask their doubts, fear, queries, Etc. 
    CLICK AND REGISTER For Mega seminar by Santosh sir and UPSC Rankers | 50 MOST IMPORTANT THEMES TO SCORE 115+ IN UPSC PRELIMS 2023

    upsc 2023 exam dateCivilsDaily’s mentorship: Acknowledged by The Hindu

    Santosh Gupta sir heads this program

    About Santosh Sir

    Santosh sir has guided around 200+ rankers in UPSC 2021 exam and 600+ overall rankers have been mentored by him. Santosh Gupta heads the Smash Prelims program for CivilsDaily. He himself cleared UPSC Prelim 6 times with 120+ marks in every attempt.

    CLICK AND REGISTER For Mega seminar by Santosh sir and UPSC Rankers | 50 MOST IMPORTANT THEMES TO SCORE 115+ IN UPSC PRELIMS 2023

    IPS Amol sir will also be there in the session with you all.

    What you’ll get as a part of the Special Preparatory Package?

    As a part of this:

    1. FREE Mentorship session with Senior IAS Mentor on strategy and approach for UPSC 2023. (You can schedule by clicking here as well)
    2. Samachar Manthan’s current week’s module and Mains Questions
    3. Prelims Weekly MCQ PDF
    4. Mains 250+ Value notes
    5. Current month’s Monthly Magazine

    CLICK AND REGISTER For Mega seminar by Santosh sir and UPSC Rankers | 50 MOST IMPORTANT THEMES TO SCORE 115+ IN UPSC PRELIMS 2023

    Karishma Nair, AIR 14 was also CivilsDaily’s mentorship studentAIR 65, Pranav was mentorship student for UPSC 2020best coaching for upsc in delhi

    CLICK AND REGISTER For Mega seminar by Santosh sir and UPSC Rankers | 50 MOST IMPORTANT THEMES TO SCORE 115+ IN UPSC PRELIMS 2023

  • [Yojana Archive] Counter-Terrorism Scenario in J&K

    yojana

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    Context

    Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) region has been afflicted by the problem of cross-border terrorism, separatist violence and armed militancy for more than 30 years.

    Militancy in J&K: A Backgrounder

    • Since the early 1990s, this militancy has transformed radically as various internal and external dynamics have impacted it, such as the driving role of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), evolution of Kashmir’s separatist politics, influence of terrorist groups and the emergence of social media.
    • This makes the militancy in J&K today a qualitatively different challenge to the security establishment than it was in 1989 when scores of Kashmiri youths crossed the Line of Control (LoC) to train in Pakistan-occupied J&K (PoK) and joined the ranks of terrorist outfits.

    J&K since the revocation of Art. 370

    • The 5th of August 2022, marked three years since the Union Government revoked the special status of J&K and created two new Union Territories (UTs) of J&K and Ladakh.
    • This change is said to be a landmark moment for the region, marking a break from the past to herald a new administrative and security approach to this strategically-important region.
    • Several initiatives implemented by the J&K UT administration and security establishment since then demonstrate that there is hope for a better future.
    • At present, the Indian security establishments extend their firm control of the situation in J&K. Security agencies have kept up the pressure on militants through dynamic operations and have cut off the support from terror ecosystems.
    • Despite there being some evolving and emerging challenges from the Counter-Terrorism (CT) perspective, security forces are confident of tackling them effectively.

    Success of counter-terrorism operations

    Ans. Decline in militancy

    • The current residual strength of the terrorists operating in the region is a key indicator of the improved security situation in the region.
    • The numbers during the early 1990s were in the thousands. However, the situation has changed significantly. Current terrorist strength in Kashmir stands at about 163.
    • It is also seen that the role of Pakistani terrorists has now been reduced to guiding and motivating the local terrorists.
    • South Kashmir remains the main hub of militancy while North Kashmir has been a key entry point for Pakistani Militants through the LoC.

    Major challenges

    (1) Tackling cross-border infiltration

    • Pakistan-based terrorist organizations have used the mountainous terrain in north Kashmir to sneak into the Kashmir Valley.
    • Militants enter through the south of Pir Panjal range, Jammu-Samba-Kathua plains and the hilly Rajouri-Poonch areas.
    • To counter this infiltration, security forces have set up a highly-effective three-tiered counter-infiltration grid.
    • Further, the forces have deployed Anti Infiltration Obstacle System (AIOS) fencing and have enhanced surveillance through the use of drones, night-vision equipment, and hand-held thermal imaging devices.
    • The security agencies have increased the pressure on the terrorist groups in the region through several Counter-Insurgency (CI) operations.
    • The elimination of the top militant leadership and disruption of their subversive plan has yielded great results.

    (2) Leftover terrorist groups

    • A crucial part of the security crackdown is the punitive action against the subversive elements of the ecosystem that support the terrorists that include the network of Over Ground Workers (OGWs) and terrorist sympathisers.
    • Security agencies have targeted the OGWs who help the militants by providing multiple services such as recharging mobile phones, providing shelter and informing the terrorists about the security forces movements.
    • Since 2019, J&K Police have arrested more than 900 OGWs under the Public Safety Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
    • Countering terrorist finances has been another key area of focus. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched several investigations into the cases of terrorist financing.
    • The MHA has set up a Terror Monitoring Group, comprising representatives of security agencies like NIA, Central Bureau of Investigation, Intelligence Bureau and JKP and financial agencies like Central Board of Direct Taxes, and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs to closely monitor terrorist financing cases.
    • Several soft measures such as exercising maximum restraint, avoiding pellet guns and minimizing collateral damage during the CI operations and protest demonstrations have also helped the cause by gaining the trust and respect of the civilians in the region.

    Emerging challenges

    • Radicalization and Terrorist Recruitment: Increase in the local terrorist recruitment in areas such as Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Awantipora have been a key cause of concern.
    • Hybrid terrorists and virtual terrorist outfits: With increased Counter-Insurgency ops and neutralization of many active militants, terrorist masterminds have changed their strategies.
    • Technological advances: With the advent of modern technologies in cyberspace such as the dark web, the militants are using technological advancements to achieve their agenda.
    • Pakistan’s information warfare:  The ISI is working hard to spread disinformation on social media platforms as Pakistan’s material and financial support to terrorist groups such as LeT and JeM have attracted global scanners.

    Way forward

    • Comprehensive national efforts: Countering terrorism will require a comprehensive national effort anchored in India’s democratic credentials.
    • Sahi Raasta Initiative: by Indian Army aims to tackle the issue of radicalization by bringing the youth on the right track through national integration tours, sports training programs and festivals, and skill development workshops.

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  • Home Ministry designates 10 individuals as Terrorists

    A total of 10 members of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and other proscribed outfits have been designated as terrorists by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

    What is Unlawful (Activities) Prevention Act (UAPA)?

    • The UAPA is aimed at effective prevention of unlawful activities associations in India.
    • Its main objective was to make powers available for dealing with activities directed against the integrity and sovereignty of India
    • It is an upgrade on the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act TADA, which was allowed to lapse in 1995 and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) was repealed in 2004.
    • It was originally passed in 1967 under the then Congress government led by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
    • Till 2004, “unlawful” activities referred to actions related to secession and cession of territory. Following the 2004 amendment, “terrorist act” was added to the list of offences.

    Designation of Terrorists

    • The Centre had amended UAPA, 1967, in August 2019 to include the provision of designating an individual as a terrorist.
    • Before this amendment, only organisations could be designated as terrorist outfits.
    • Section 15 of the UAPA defines a “terrorist act” as any act committed with intent to threaten or likely to threaten the unity, integrity, security, economic security, or sovereignty of India or with intent to strike terror or likely to strike terror in the people or any section of the people in India or in any foreign country.
    • The original Act dealt with “unlawful” acts related to secession; anti-terror provisions were introduced in 2004.

    Who makes such designation?

    • The UAPA (after 2019 amendment)seeks to empower the central government to designate an individual a “terrorist” if they are found committing, preparing for, promoting, or involved in an act of terror.
    • A similar provision already exists in Part 4 and 6 of the legislation for organizations that can be designated as a “terrorist organisations”.

    How individuals are declared terrorists?

    • The central government may designate an individual as a terrorist through a notification in the official gazette, and add his name to the schedule supplemented to the UAPA Bill.
    • The government is not required to give an individual an opportunity to be heard before such a designation.
    • At present, in line with the legal presumption of an individual being innocent until proven guilty, an individual who is convicted in a terror case is legally referred to as a terrorist.
    • While those suspected of being involved in terrorist activities are referred to as terror accused.

    What happens when an individual is declared a terrorist?

    • The designation of an individual as a global terrorist by the United Nations is associated with sanctions including travel bans, freezing of assets and an embargo against procuring arms.
    • The UAPA, however, does not provide any such detail.
    • It also does not require the filing of cases or arresting individuals while designating them as terrorists.

    Removing the terrorist tag

    • The UAPA gives the central government the power to remove a name from the schedule when an individual makes an application.
    • The procedure for such an application and the process of decision-making will is decided by the central government.
    • If an application filed by an individual declared a terrorist is rejected by the government, the UAPA gives him the right to seek a review within one month after the application is rejected.
    • The central government will set up the review committee consisting of a chairperson (a retired or sitting judge of a High Court) and three other members.
    • The review committee is empowered to order the government to delete the name of the individual from the schedule that lists “terrorists”, if it considers the order to be flawed.
    • Apart from these two avenues, the individual can also move the courts to challenge the government’s order.

     

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  • District formation in India

    This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in the DownToEarth.

    What are Districts?

    • India’s districts are local administrative units inherited from the British Raj.
    • They generally form the tier of local government immediately below that of India’s subnational states and territories.
    • A district is headed by a Deputy Commissioner/ Collector, who is responsible for the overall administration and the maintenance of law and order.
    • The district collector may belong to IAS (Indian Administrative Service).
    • Districts are most frequently further sub-divided into smaller administrative units, called either tehsils or talukas or mandals, depending on the region.

    How are new districts carved?

    • The power to create new districts or alter or abolish existing districts rests with the State governments.
    • This can either be done through an executive order or by passing a law in the State Assembly.
    • Many States prefer the executive route by simply issuing a notification in the official gazette.

    Does the Central government have a role to play here?

    • The Centre has no role to play in the alteration of districts or creation of new ones. States are free to decide.
    • The Home Ministry comes into the picture when a State wants to change the name of a district or a railway station.
    • The State government’s request is sent to other departments and agencies such as the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Intelligence Bureau, Department of Posts, Geographical Survey of India Sciences and the Railway Ministry seeking clearance.
    • A no-objection certificate may be issued after examining their replies.

    Why create districts?

    • A district enjoys multiple benefits in terms of endowments from the government for local administration and development.
    • The formation of districts leads to the development of infrastructure, including transportation, telecommunication, water, sanitation, health, education and power facilities.
    • A good infrastructure attracts potential investors and investments.
    • New businesses and industries emerge and existing ones expand.
    • This generates employment opportunities for the citizens in and around the district.

    Challenges

    • The question that arises is what limits a state to declare each place a district.
    • The answer lies in the cost associated with the formation of a district.
    • A district requires installing administrative offices and deploying officers and public servants.
    • This adds to the burden on the government exchequer.

    Way forward

    • It is also essential to consult the local people who are the end beneficiaries of the decision to understand their aspirations and win their confidence.
    • This will potentially mitigate the issues and conflicts between people and government and thereby satisfy the people’s needs at large, which is essential for inclusive growth of state and nation.

    Conclusion

    • In sum, any political change regarding the formation of a district in a state comes with its own advantages and challenges.
    • Thus, the government and policymakers must mull over the decision and perform a cost-benefit analysis before district formation.

     

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  • Abortion Right extends to the Cisgenders: SC

    In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court said it was unconstitutional to distinguish between married and unmarried women while allowing abortion when the foetus is between 20-24 weeks.

    What is the news?

    • Going a step further, the court said the term ‘woman’ in the judgment included persons other than cisgender women.

    What is cisgender?

    • The term cisgender is used to define people whose gender identity and expression match the identity assigned to them at birth.
    • When a child is born, it is assigned a gender identity based on its physical characteristics.
    • Many believe that gender is a social construct, and growing up, the child may or may not confirm to the birth identity.
    • For transgender people, their sense of gender identity does not match the one assigned to them at birth.
    • Thus, a cisgender woman is a person who was assigned female at birth and continues to identify as a woman.
    • On the other hand, a child assigned female at birth can feel it identifies more authentically as a man as it grows up.

    Use of gender-inclusive vocabularies in official documents

    • Before India’s Supreme Court used ‘cisgender’ in the context of reproductive rights, last year in June, the US government had replaced the word ‘mothers’ with ‘birthing people’.
    • Those who advocate the use of ‘birthing people’ say it is not just women who give birth.
    • Transmen — a person assigned the female gender at birth but who identifies as a man – and genderqueer people – who identify as neither man nor woman – also give birth.

    Why the word cisgender is important?

    • If there are ‘transgender’ people, there should be a word for those who are not.
    • Giving a label to only one section of the population, especially when that is in the minority, implies that the others are default, ‘normal’, and only that section needs to be labelled.
    • Having distinct words for transgender and cisgender people denotes that both are equally valid, neutral experiences, with neither being an aberration.
    • Also, cis and trans are not the only gender identifiers in use.
    • There are many other terms, such as gender-queer, gender fluid and gender variant.
    • Some also choose not to use the traditionally gender-tied pronouns of he/she/her/his, and go for they/them.

    Criticism of the term

    • Some people, including those working on trans rights, feel terms like ‘cisgender’ belong in the realm of gender theory alone.
    • They feel that their usage can be counterproductive – people are less likely to grasp a message if they have to look up the individual words that make up the message.
    • Others feel that ‘cisgender’ as a counter to ‘transgender’ is restrictive – reinforcing a binary of genders that many choose to reject.

     

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  • Ponniyin Selvan and the Cholas

    In all the buzz around the Tamil film Ponniyin Selvan: 1 or PS1, a fictional period drama, a point of focus has been the Chola dynasty that the film is based on.

    Why in news?

    • A notable actor has spoke about the progressiveness of the Chola era.
    • He mentioned the architectural marvels and temples, the social setup of the time, and how cities were named after women.

    Behind the name- PS1

    • The fictional account of the Chola kingdom appeared in a weekly journal in the early 1950s and garnered popularity.
    • These were later compiled into a novel called ‘Ponniyin Selvan’, which became the inspiration for the movie, whose second part is due for release in 2023.

    Who were the Cholas?

    • The Chola kingdom stretched across present-day Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka around 9th to 12th century AD.
    • The dynasty was founded by the king Vijaylaya, described as a “feudatory” of the Pallavas.
    • Despite being a relatively minor player in the region among giants, Vijaylaya laid the foundation for a dynasty that would rule a major part of southern India.

    Might of the Cholas

    (1) Defense

    • One of the biggest achievements of the Chola dynasty was its naval power, allowing them to go as far as Malaysia and the Sumatra islands of Indonesia in their conquests.
    • The domination was such that the Bay of Bengal was converted into a “Chola lake” for some time.

    (2) Economy

    • While the extent of this domination is disputed, the Cholas had strong ties with merchant groups and this allowed them to undertake impressive naval expeditions.
    • In general, even merchant guilds, which had close ties to the court, had to hire their own guards because roads could be dangerous.

    (3) Culture

    • Another feature is how the practice of building grand temples, common to the dynasties of the region around this time, was ramped up in an unprecedented way by the Cholas, according to Kanisetti.
    • The grand Brihadeeswara temple of Thanjavur, built by the Cholas, was the largest building in India in that period.
    • Additionally, artworks and sculptures were commissioned by Chola kings and queens, including the famous bronze Nataraja idols.

    Women under the Cholas

    • The role of women in the royal family is being brought to focus given their impact on public life.
    • But that is not to suggest that ordinary women wielded equal power as men.
    • The royal women’s proximity to male power was valued, rather than women in general.

    Local annexations

    • When the Chola King Rajadhiraja came to power in 1044, he was able to “subdue” Pandyan and Kerala kings, and presumably to celebrate these victories performed the Ashvamedha sacrifice.
    • The Chola rulers sacked and plundered Chalukyan cities including Kalyani and massacred the people, including Brahmans and children.
    • They destroyed Anuradhapura, the ancient capital of the rulers of Sri Lanka.

     

     

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  • International Day of Non-Violence event at UN

    International

    The International Day of Non-Violence event, held at the UN headquarters in New York, saw a life-size hologram of Gandhi displayed.

    International Day of Non-Violence

    • Every year, since 2007, the day is observed on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
    • Iranian Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi, in January 2004, first proposed the idea of dedicating a day to non-violence, around the world.
    • In 2007, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution to commemorate October 2 as the International Day of Non-Violence, with the core objective to “disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness.”

    What does the term “non-violence” stand for?

    • The UN defines the term as a rejection of the use of physical violence in order to achieve social or political change.
    • The UNGA resolution reaffirms the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence and establishes a desire to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence.
    • The theory emphasises that the power of rulers depends on the consent of the populations, and non-violence therefore seeks to undermine such power through withdrawal of the consent and cooperation of the populace.

     

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  • 4th October 2022| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1          Factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India).

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

    GS-3          Indian Economy

    GS-4           Ethical issues in international relations and funding; corporate governance.

    Question 1)

    Q.1 What are the important features of footloose industries? What are the factors that influence the location of these industries? (10 Marks)

    Question 2)

    Q.2 In Washington’s first major security assistance to Islamabad in four years, it has approved a military sustenance package for the country’s aging F-16 fleet. What are India’s concerns with the deal? Do you think such a decision from US is justified in the backdrop of strong relations with India? (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 What is windfall tax and why is it needed? Highlight the challenges involved in imposing such a tax? (15 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 Do you agree that foreign aid is a form of neo-colonialism? (10 Marks)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    1. For the philosophy of AWE and payment: 
    CLICK HERE To join Daily AWE

  • Free Breakfast Scheme,Healthy Children: Healthy Nation

    Free breakfast schemeContext

    • Under the free breakfast scheme of Tamil Nadu Government, children in government schools from Class I to Class V will get nutritious breakfast provided in their schools every morning. The scheme is aimed at encouraging more children to continue to come to school and help prevent dropouts in primary level.

    CM’s Breakfast Scheme

    • The scheme covers around 1.14 lakh students in 1,545 schools which include 417 municipal corporation schools, 163 municipality schools and 728 taluk and village panchayat-level schools.
    • The inauguration of the scheme marks an important milestone in the State’s history of providing free meals to school students.

    What is the approach for breakfast scheme?

    • Morning Breakfast: Under the morning breakfast scheme, every student is to be provided a cooked meal of 150-500 grams breakfast with sambar with vegetables. With a budget outlay of Rs33.5 crore in the initial phase, the new scheme caters to 1,14,095 primary school students from1,545 government schools.
    • Micronutrients deficiency: School administration will serve hot breakfasts to schoolchildren by 8:30 am before their classes begin. Students will be served upma, kichadi or Pongal from Monday to Friday, while rava kesari or semiya kesari will be added to the menu on Fridays.The local millets available in the area will also be part of the menu for at least two days a week.
    • Aim of the scheme: The scheme mainly aims to help students attend school hunger free and improve their nutritional status.

    Free breakfast schemeWhat do the Critics of the scheme argue?

    • Freebies: The scheme stands at the confluence of three socio-political developments: a fierce but murky political debate on freebies.
    • Mid-day meal scheme: There was no need to supplement the existing mid-day meal scheme. But going by the content of the scheme, it seems unlikely that it will bring any substantial or sustained improvements in the above mentioned aspects of nutrition, especially since T.N. is already doing well in this regard.
    • Populism: This is just a populist scheme by state government for vote bank politics.
    • Questionable outcomes: Though the scheme has the potential to ensure that children attend classes hunger free, reliable and representative data on what proportion of them attend school without having breakfast regularly is scarce. Though the State acknowledges that students tend to skip breakfast because of the school timing and their financial situation, it is important to identify which among these is the significant contributor. The present approach does not distinguish between the two.

    What the Defenders of the scheme argue?

    • Positive outcomes: Studies from other countries suggest that free breakfast schemes might help increase educational outcomes through a likely increase in school attendance and improved concentration on studies.
    • On freebies: The freebie debate strategically deploys fiscal burden as a potent tool to possibly constrain States from discharging this responsibility.

    Free breakfast schemeWhy feeding children in school is important?

    • Welfare state: The States have a responsibility to promote welfare and minimise inequalities in income as well as in facilities and opportunities among individuals and groups (Article38).
    • Global Food Security Index: The welfare responsibility of the States remains undiminished, especially since India is ranked 71out of 113 countries on the Global Food Security Index.
    • Global Hunger Index: India ranked 101 out of 116countries on the Global Hunger Index.
    • Human development index: 132 out of 191 countries on the Human Development Index. India’s mean years of schooling stood at just 6.7 years in 2020-21.
    • Inequality: Additionally, India has among the highest levels of inequality in education. This responds closely with the rising wealth inequality, as brought out by the recent Credit Suisse report.
    • Stunting and wasting: Malnourishment in children (stunting, wasting and underweight) under 5 years has reduced as per National family health survey-5 (2019-21) from 38.4% to 35.5%, 21.0% to 19.3% and 35.8% to 32.1% respectively as compared to NHFS-4 (2015-16). However present scenario is not good as compare to other developing nations in south Asia.

    Free breakfast schemeWhat are the different Existing Scheme?

    • The Midday Meal Scheme: The Midday meal is a school meal programme in India designed to better the nutritional standing of school-age children nationwide.
    • The programme supplies free lunches on working days for children in primary and upper primary classes in government, government aided, local body, Education Guarantee Scheme, and alternate innovative education centres, Madrasa supported under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, and National Child Labour Project schools run by the ministry of labour.
    • Serving 120 million children in over 1.27 million schools and Education Guarantee Scheme centres, the Midday Meal Scheme is the largest of its kind in the world.
    • PM-POSHAN: The name of the scheme has been changed to PM-POSHAN (Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman) Scheme, in September 2021, by MoE (Ministry of Education), which is nodal ministry for the scheme.
    • The Central Government also announced that an additional 24 lakh students receiving pre-primary education at government & government-aided schools would also be included under the scheme by 2022.

    Conclusion

    • India’s spending in human development enhancing welfare schemes has been very dismal. There is an urgent need for implementing innovative and effective welfare schemes to address the disruptions caused by the pandemic in the education and nutrition sectors and strengthen these sectors.

    Mains Question

    Q.Malnutrition, under-nutrition and micro-nutrition requires a different approach. Distinguish and suggest the existing policy gaps to address them.

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  • The Mediation Bill,2021: Needs And Concerns

    MediationContext

    • The Mediation Bill, 2021 was introduced in the Rajya Sabha on December20, 2021,with the Parliamentary Standing Committee being tasked with a review of the Bill. The committee’s report to the Rajya Sabha was submitted on July 13, 2022. In its report, the Committee recommends substantial changes to the Mediation Bill, aimed at institutionalising mediation and establishing the Mediation Council of India.

    What is mean by mediation?

    • Mediation: Mediation is a process wherein the parties meet with a mutually selected impartial and neutral person who assists them in the negotiation of their differences.
    • Brings Parties Together: Parties can save and sometimes rebuild their relationship like during a family dispute or commercial dispute.
    • Very Convenient: The parties can control the time, location, and duration of the proceedings to large extent. Scheduling isn’t subject to the convenience of courts

    MediationWhy does India need mediation?

    • No separate law: While there is no standalone legislation for mediation in India, there are several statutes containing mediation provisions,such as the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908,the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996,the Companies Act, 2013, the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
    • Supreme Court mandate: The Mediation and Conciliation Project Committee of the Supreme Court of India describes mediation as a tried and tested alternative for conflict resolution.
    • Being an international signatory: As India is a signatory to the Singapore Convention on Mediation (formally the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation), it is appropriate to enact a law governing domestic and international mediation.

    What are the Key features of the Mediation bill?

    • Promote mediation: The Bill aims to promote, encourage, and facilitate mediation, especially institutional mediation, to resolve disputes, commercial and otherwise.
    • Mandatory Mediation: The Bill further proposes mandatory mediation before litigation. At the same time, it safeguards the rights of litigants to approach competent adjudicatory forums/courts for urgent relief.
    • Confidentiality: The mediation process will be confidential and immunity is provided against its disclosure in certain cases.
    • Legally binding: The outcome of the mediation process in the form of a Mediation Settlement Agreement (MSA) will be legally enforceable and can be registered with the State district or taluk legal authorities within 90days to ensure authenticated records of the settlement.
    • Mediation Council of India: The Bill establishes the Mediation Council of India and also provides for community mediation.
    • Services of Mediator: If the parties agree, they may appoint any person as a mediator. If not, they may apply to a mediation service provider to appoint a person from its panel of mediators.
    • Disputes where no mediation required: The Bill lists disputes that are not fit for mediation (such as those involving criminal prosecution, or affecting the rights of third parties). The central government may amend this list.
    • Time bound process: The mediation process must be completed within 180 days, which may be extended by another 180 days by the parties.

    MediationWhat are the Concerns over the bill?

    • Mandatory provision: According to the Bill, pre-litigation mediation is mandatory for both parties before filing any suit or proceeding in a court,whether or not there is a mediation agreement between them.
    • Monetary punishment: Parties who fail to attend pre-litigation mediation without a reasonable reason may incur a cost. However,as per Article 21 of the Constitution,access to justice is constitutional right which cannot be fettered or restricted. Mediation should just be voluntary and making it otherwise would amount to denial of justice.
    • Clause 26: According to Clause26 of the Bill, court annexed mediation, including pre-litigation mediation, will be conducted in accordance with the directions or rules framed by the Supreme Court or High Courts. However, the Committee objected to this. It stated that Clause26 went against the spirit of the Constitution.In countries that follow the Common Law system, it is a healthy tradition that inthe absence of statutes, apex court judgments and decisions carry the same weight. The moment a law is passed however, it becomes the guiding force rather than the instructions or judgments given by the courts. Therefore, Clause 26 is unconstitutional.
    • Lack of international enforceability: Bill considers international mediation to be domestic when it is conducted in India with the settlement being recognised as a judgment or decree ofa court. The Singapore Convention does not apply to settlements that already have the status of judgments or decrees. As a result, conducting cross border mediation in India will exclude the tremendous benefits of worldwide enforceability.

    MediationConclusion

    • In order to enable a faster resolution of disputes,the Bill should be implemented after discussion with stakeholders and resolve the issues in an amicable manner. It’s a good opportunity for India to become an international mediation hub for easy business transactions.

    Mains Question

    Q.Address the key concerns in the mediation bill 2021 and how India can become the centre of international dispute resolutions.Discuss.

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