💥Join UPSC 2027,2028 Mentorship (July Batch) + XFactor Notes & Microthemes PDF
Talk to Mentor

Civilsdaily

Login

Search results for: “”

  • 7th July 2022| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1       Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

    GS-2         Health and Education

    GS-3        Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.

    GS-4        Probity in Governance:  Information sharing and transparency in government, Right to Information, Codes of Ethics, Codes of Conduct, Citizen’s Charters, Work culture, Quality of service delivery, Utilization of public funds, challenges of corruption.

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 With examples of contribution of various rulers, discuss the evolution of Mughal architecture in India. (10 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 The NFHS-5 data points to the need for direct nutrition intervention. In context of this, examine the role National Nutrition Mission can play in this regard and suggest the way forward. (15 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 What are the factors affecting the growth of aviation sector in India? Suggest the way forward. (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 Although bribery is illegal and counterproductive, public officials still demand bribes, and executives in the private sector remain tempted to pay up. In this context, discuss ways in which corporations can build a framework to eliminate the practice of offering kickbacks. (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

  • Draft Development of Enterprise and Service Hubs (DESH) Bill

    The Centre plans to table the Development of Enterprise and Service Hubs (DESH) Bill in the monsoon session of the Parliament, which will overhaul the special economic zones (SEZ) legislation.

    What are SEZs?

    • A Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is an area in which the business and trade laws are different from the rest of the country.
    • SEZs are located within a country’s national borders, and their aims include increasing trade balance, employment, increased investment, job creation, and effective administration.
    • Additionally, companies may be offered tax holidays, where upon establishing themselves in a zone, they are granted a period of lower taxation.

    SEZs in India

    • The SEZ policy in India first came into inception on April 1, 2000.
    • The prime objective was to enhance foreign investment and provide an internationally competitive and hassle-free environment for exports.
    • The idea was to promote exports from the country and realize the need for a level playing field must be made available to the domestic enterprises and manufacturers to be competitive globally.
    • Subsequently, the SEZ Act 2005, was enacted to provide the umbrella legal framework, covering all important legal and regulatory aspects of SEZ development as well as for units operating in SEZs.
    • SEZ units used to enjoy 100% income tax exemption on export income for the first five years, 50% for the next five years, and 50% of the ploughed back export profit for another five years

    Why replace the existing SEZ Act?

    • The World Trade Organization’s dispute settlement panel has ruled that India’s export-related schemes, including the SEZ Scheme, were inconsistent with WTO rules.
    • India has been accused of giving tax benefits to exports through SEZs.
    • Countries aren’t allowed to directly subsidize exports as it can distort market prices.
    • SEZs also started losing their allure after the introduction of minimum alternate tax and a sunset clause to remove tax sops.

    How is the DESH legislation different?

    • The DESH legislation goes beyond promoting exports.
    • It has a much wider objective of boosting domestic manufacturing and job creation through ‘development hubs’.
    • These hubs will no longer be required to be net foreign exchange positive cumulatively in five years (i.e, export more than they import) as mandated in the SEZ regime.
    • They will be allowed to sell in the domestic area more easily. The hubs will, therefore, be WTO-compliant.
    • DESH legislation also provides for an online single-window portal for the grant of time-bound approvals for establishing and operating the hubs.

    Will there be any tax benefits at these hubs?

    • It’s not clear yet.
    • However, the draft Bill does state that states and the Centre will be allowed to give further incentives in the form of tax rebates, incentives, exemptions, and duty drawbacks.
    • Subsidy schemes may be offered for goods and services at these hubs.
    • States and the Centre may take fresh measures to speed up clearances and simplify compliance.

    Will it be easier to sell in the domestic market?

    • Companies can sell in the domestic market with duties only to be paid on the imported inputs and raw materials instead of the final product.
    • In the current SEZ regime, duty is paid on the final product when a product is sold in the domestic market.
    • Besides, there is no mandatory payment requirement in forex, unlike in the case of SEZs.
    • However, the government may impose an equalization levy on goods or services supplied to the domestic market to bring taxes at par with those provided by units outside

    What role will states play in DESH?

    • DESH is expected to play a larger role, definitely.
    • In the SEZ regime, most decisions were made by the commerce department at the Centre.
    • Now, states will be able to participate and even directly send recommendations for development hubs to a central board for approval.
    • Besides, state boards would be set up to oversee the functioning of the hubs.
    • They would have the powers to approve imports or procurement of goods, and monitor the utilization of goods or services, warehousing, and trading in the development hub.

    Way forward

    • If indeed India needs the special hubs, the govt must address the critical gaps in existing SEZ law through the DESH bill and it must be thought through before bringing it to the Parliament.
    • Effective implementation of the law could act as a lever to India’s growth.

     

    UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • 8th July 2022 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    8th July 2022 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    [WpProQuiz 1055]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 1055]

    UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • 7th July 2022 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    7th July 2022 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    [WpProQuiz 1054]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 1054]

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

  • Nominated Members in Rajya Sabha

    Olympic sprinter PT Usha and music composer Ilaiyaraaja among others have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha in the category of eminent persons nominated by the President.

    Nominated Members in RS

    • Twelve members are nominated to the RS by the President of India for six-year term.
    • This is for their contributions towards arts, literature, sciences, and social services.
    • This right has been bestowed upon the President according to the Fourth Schedule under Articles 4(1) and 80(2) of the Constitution of India.

    Normal composition

    • The present strength is 245 members of whom 233 are representatives of the states and UTs and 12 are nominated by the President.
    • The Rajya Sabha is not subject to dissolution; one-third of its members retire every second year.

    Constitutional provisions for nominated members

    • 80(1)(a) of Constitution of India makes provision for the nomination of 12 members to the Rajya Sabha by the President of India in accordance with provisions of Arts.80(3).
    • 80(3) says that the persons to be nominated as members must be possessing special knowledge or practical experience in respect of such matters as the following namely: Literature, science, art and social service.

    Powers and privileges of such members

    • A nominated member enjoys all the powers and privileges and immunities available to an elected Member of Parliament.
    • They take part in the proceedings of the House as any other member.
    • Nominated members are however not entitled to vote in an election of the President of India.
    • They however have rights to vote in the vice presidential election.
    • As per Article 99 of the Constitution, a nominated member is allowed six months’ time should he join a political party.

    Try this PYQ:

    Consider the following statements:

    1. The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha are not the members of that House.
    2. While the nominated members of the two Houses of the Parliament have no voting right in the presidential election, they have the right to vote in the election of the Vice President.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    (a) 1 only

    (b) 2 only

    (c) Both 1 and 2

    (d) Neither 1 nor 2

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”9wzxa97091″ question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

    Also read:

    [Sansad TV] Perspective – Rajya Sabha: The Upper House

     

    UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • What is the EU’s Sustainable Finance Taxonomy?

    Activists have been widely criticizing the EU’s sustainable finance taxonomy as a “greenwashing” exercise that puts the European Union’s climate change targets at risk.

    What is the EU Taxonomy?

    • The EU taxonomy is a complex system to classify which parts of the economy may be marketed as sustainable investments.
    • It includes economic activities, as well as detailed environmental criteria that each economic activity must meet to earn a green label.

    Why in news now?

    • Rules for most sectors came into effect this year, covering investments including steel plants, electric cars and building renovations.
    • The rules for gas and nuclear energy, however, have been long delayed amid intense lobbying from governments who disagree on whether the fuels help fight climate change.

    What does it say about gas and nuclear energy?

    • The European Parliament supported that proposal in a vote paving the way for it to become law and apply from 2023.
    • Under the proposal, for a gas-fuelled power plant to be deemed green, it must emit no more than 270 grams of CO2 equivalent per kilowatt hour, or have average emissions of 550g CO2e/kW over 20 years.
    • It must also commit to switch to low-carbon gases by 2035.
    • Gas and nuclear power plants are classed as transitional activities.

    What’s the taxonomy for?

    • The taxonomy does not ban investments in activities not labelled “green”, but it limits which ones companies and investors can claim are climate-friendly.
    • The EU’s goal to eliminate its net emissions by 2050 will require huge investments, much of it private funding.
    • The rules also aim to stamp out green-washing, where organisations exaggerate their environmental credentials, among so-called eco-friendly investment products.

    Who does it apply to?

    • Providers of financial products – including pension providers – in the EU must disclose which investments comply with the taxonomy’s climate criteria.
    • For each investment, fund or portfolio, they must disclose what share of underlying investments comply with the rules.
    • Large companies and listed firms must also disclose what share of their turnover and capital expenditure complies.
    • That means polluting companies can get recognition for making green investments.
    • For example, if an oil company invested in a wind farm, it could label that expenditure as green.

    What makes a “green” investment?

    The rules classify three types of green investments.

    • First, those that substantially contribute to green goals, for example, wind power farms.
    • Second, those that enable other green activities, for example, facilities that can store renewable electricity or hydrogen.
    • Third, transitional activities that cannot be made fully sustainable, but which have emissions below industry average and do not lock in polluting assets or crowd out greener alternatives.

     

    UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • New Rules to keep Advertisements in Check

    The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) recently issued guidelines to prevent false or misleading advertisements.

    Guidelines on Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022: Key takeaways

    (1) Conditions for non-misleading and valid advertisement

    An advertisement shall be considered to be valid and not misleading:

    • If it contains truthful and honest representation;
    • Does not mislead consumers by exaggerating the accuracy,
    • Scientific validity or practical usefulness or capability or performance or service of the goods or product;
    • Does not present rights conferred on consumers by any law as a distinctive feature of advertiser’s offer.

     (2) Bait Advertisement

    • A bait advertisement shall not seek to entice consumers to purchase goods, products or services without a reasonable prospect of selling such advertised goods, products or services at the price offered.
    • The advertiser shall ensure that there is an adequate supply of goods, products or services to meet foreseeable demand generated by such advertisement.

    (3) Prohibition of surrogate advertising

    • No surrogate advertisement or indirect advertisement shall be made for goods or services whose advertising is otherwise prohibited or restricted by law.
    • No circumventing of such prohibition or restriction and portraying it to be an advertisement for other goods or services shall be allowed.

    (4) Free claims advertisements

    • A free claims advertisement shall not describe any goods, product or service to be ‘free’, ‘without charge’ or use such other terms if the consumer has to pay anything other than the unavoidable costs.
    • Seller must make clear the extent of commitment that a consumer shall make to take advantage of a free offer.

    (5) Children targeted advertisements

    • An advertisement that addresses or targets or uses children shall not condone, encourage, inspire or unreasonably emulate behaviour that could be dangerous for children or take advantage of children’s inexperience, credulity or sense of loyalty.

    (6) Limitations on Celebrity Endorsers

    • The government has tightened norms for endorsers, including celebrities and sportspersons.
    • They are now required to make material connection disclosures and undertake due diligence while doing advertisements.
    • Endorsements must reflect the honest opinions, belief or experience of the endorsers.
    • The endorsers have to make material connection disclosures and failing to do so will attract penalty under the Consumer Protection Act (CPA).
    • Material disclosures mean any relationship that materially affects the weight or credibility of any endorsement which a reasonable consumer would not expect.
    • Violation of these guidelines will attract a penalty of ₹10 lakh for the first offence and ₹50 lakh for the subsequent offence, under the CPA.

    (7) ASCI rules

    • The latest guidelines will also apply to government advertisements.
    • Moreover, the advertising guidelines for self-regulation issued by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) will also be in place in a parallel manner.

    Back2Basics:

    Explained: Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)

     

    UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • Odisha tops first-ever NFSA State Ranking Index

    Odisha has topped the list of 34 states and Union territories (UTs) in the first-ever NFSA State Ranking Index. Ladakh was ranked last on the index.

    NFSA State Ranking Index

    • The GoI has come up with a first-ever state ranking index to capture the implementation of the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
    • The states and UTs were ranked for 2022 on the basis of three parameters:
    1. NFSA coverage, rightful targeting and implementation of all provisions under the Act
    2. The delivery platform while considering the allocation of food grains, their movement and last-mile delivery to fair price shops
    3. Nutrition initiatives of the department

    Why need such index?

    • NFSA is a crucial policy instrument to ensure food security. It covers nearly 800 million people.
    • However, NFSA’s implementation through TPDS has not been uniform in the country.
    • While some states and Union territories lead, others are yet to pick up in terms of coverage, beneficiary satisfaction, digitisation and overall system efficiency.
    • The index has been developed to create an environment of competition, cooperation and learning among states while addressing matters of food security and hunger.

    Back2Basics: National Food Security (NFS) Act

    • The NFS Act, 2013 aims to provide subsidized food grains to approximately two-thirds of India’s 1.2 billion people.
    • It converts into legal entitlements for existing food security programs of the GoI.
    • It includes the Midday Meal Scheme, Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme and the Public Distribution System (PDS).
    • Further, the NFSA 2013 recognizes maternity entitlements.
    • The Midday Meal Scheme and the ICDS are universal in nature whereas the PDS will reach about two-thirds of the population (75% in rural areas and 50% in urban areas).
    • Pregnant women, lactating mothers, and certain categories of children are eligible for daily free cereals.

    Key provisions of NFSA

    • The NFSA provides a legal right to persons belonging to “eligible households” to receive foodgrains at a subsidised price.
    • It includes rice at Rs 3/kg, wheat at Rs 2/kg and coarse grain at Rs 1/kg — under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS). These are called central issue prices (CIPs).

     

     

    UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

    https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/governance/odisha-tops-first-ever-nfsa-state-ranking-index-83549

     

  • Making sense of Assam floods

    Context

    This year’s floods in Assam have been merciless. In many parts of the state, both rural and urban, shoals of water drove people from their homes and forced many of them to seek shelter for their livestock.

    Understanding the reasons for massive flood in Assam this year

    • The Bay has a major influence on the monsoon in Northeast India.
    • Two coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomena, one from the distant Pacific, La Niña and another in the tropical Indian Ocean, a negative dipole condition, combined to create high rainfall in the Bay of Bengal.
    • To add to that, a warmer atmosphere because of climate change can hold more moisture leading to intense bouts of rain.
    • Apart from embankment failures, a number of unofficial and media reports suggest that the devastation in the floodplains is also a consequence of the way the dams and reservoirs are operated.
    • This indicates that environmental factors unique to each locality are responsible for the floods.
    • The flooding pattern is usually repeated year-to-year. However, at times, this pattern is disturbed — this year for example.
    • The incidence of such megafloods depends on several variables like unusually high rainfall and the failure of critical embankments.

    Role of floods in the making of the floodplain environment and ecology

    • Rejuvenation of ecosystem: Floods cause disruption and damage but they also generate a bounty of fish and rejuvenate flood-plain ecosystems all along the Brahmaputra, including in the Kaziranga.
    • Landscape: This landscape has been shaped over millions of years with the help of an active monsoonal environment and mighty rivers that carry sediments weathered from the still-rising Himalaya.
    • Every year, the Brahmaputra and its tributaries — which are at the centre of Assam’s environment — transport billions of tonnes of sediment, mainly from the Eastern Himalaya, making the landscape volatile.
    • Flooding helps release waters to surrounding land and distribute sediments and nutrients across the floodplains and wetlands.

    How human presence has influenced floodplains

    • As the human footprint intensified on the floodplains, the landscape was increasingly “developed and engineered”.
    • The engineered and planned landscape has affected the floodplains in two ways: It has undermined their ability to store and absorb water and reduced their capacity to transport sediment.
    • Urban floods: This year’s floods took an especially worrying proportion in several urban areas.
    • Guwahati has historically been a lowland and the city has been uniquely shaped by three hills that accumulate water during the monsoon.
    • Its northern side faces one of the most turbulent rivers in the world.
    • However, extensive swamps, channels and their tributaries worked in tandem to make the place habitable.
    • A transformation, however, took place in the 20th century, especially in the later decades, when these natural features were forced to disappear.
    • From an estimated 11,000 people in 1901, the city now is home to close to 1.1 million people.
    • Such a population increase is bound to have several footfalls and not all of them could have been prevented.
    • What has hit the city hardest is the disappearance of some of its critical environmental features.

    Way forward

    • Human interventions such as dams to “tame” rivers and “stabilise” hydrologically dynamic landscapes and riverscapes should be based on guidelines that account for the environmental conditions in Northeast India, especially the fragile geology, changing rainfall patterns, high seismicity and the risk of landslides.
    • Resilience of people: The rapid transformation in rainfall characteristics and flooding patterns demand building people’s resilience.
    • Reconsider projects: Construction projects that impede the movement of water and sediment across the floodplain must be reconsidered.
    • Use of technology: At the same time, climate-imposed exigencies demand new paradigms of early-warning and response systems and securing livelihoods and economies.

    Conclusion

    Floods have played a key role in Assam’s ecology. But increasing human footprint has affected the ability of flood plains to absorb water and transport sediment.

    UPSC 2023 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • Aviation sector in India: Issue and Challenges

    What is the issue?

    Policymakers ought to recognise the country’s untapped potential and work towards dismantling the many hurdles.

    What is the significance of aviation sector?

    India is the world’s third-largest market in aviation sector.

    • Aviation is integral to equitable economic growth, for a country to be globally competitive and to change the situation of poverty and unemployment.
    • Passenger airlines and air cargo overcome geography and connect remote areas that are alienated from the mainstream.
    • They can drive investment deep into the country, giving people access to markets.
    • They also boost tourism, which is the largest employment generator in the unorganised sector.

    What is the status of aviation sector in India?

    • Pre-economic reform period– India had only two airlines – Air India and Indian Airlines.
    • Post 1991 reforms– The reforms that opened up the aviation sector in 1991 and ended the licence raj and the monopoly of Indian Airlines and Air India changed the sector.
    • Numerous private sector airlines were given the licence to fly, but Jet Airways and Sahara, survived, resulting in cartelisation.
    • The concept of low cost airlines in India took shape in 2003 which overcame the cost barrier.
    • Sadly, Indian aviation has become ‘the sick man of India’.

    What are the barriers in Indian aviation sector?

    • Per capita consumption of air tickets – The number of Indians who buy air tickets in 2019 is 140 million of which 35 million to 40 million frequent flyers form the bulk of ticket buyers.
    • It translates to less than 4% of the population who can afford air travel, placing India just alongside some poorer African countries, in terms of the per capita consumption of air tickets.
    • Factors affecting the growth of aviation sector– The growth of aviation has been affected by
      • Choking regulations
      • Tough entry barriers for new entrants
      • High fuel prices on account of sky high taxes
      • Inefficient public sector airports that pave the way for monopoly airports
    • Frequent and knee-jerk changes point to the absence of a long-term visionary strategic policy for the entire gamut of sectors in aviation.

    How efficient are government schemes in the development of the airline sector?

    • Boosting entrepreneurship- Start-up India initiative was started with the objective of supporting entrepreneurs, building a robust startup ecosystem and transforming India into a country of job creators.
    • Regional connectivity– Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) scheme aims to connect small and medium cities with big cities through air service.
    • Low cost airlines– UDAN plans to connect the underserved airports to key airports through flights that will cost Rs 2,500 for per hour flight.
    • Comprehensive development– The National Civil Aviation Policy 2016 aims to take flying to the masses and covers 22 areas of the Civil Aviation sector.

    What reforms are needed?

    • Reforms in all sectors– It is critical to understand that for passenger airlines to grow, there have to be reforms in all areas of aviation – air cargo, airports, aviation fuel taxes and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO).
    • Updated laws– India’s Aircraft Act, 1934 and Aircraft Rules, 1937 need to be updated to keep pace with modern technology in aerospace, increasing costs to the industry and ultimately affecting passenger growth.
    • Overhaul DGCA – India’s statutory regulatory authority, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), needs to be modernised, well-staffed, motivated and incentivized.
    • Need for aviation professionals– There need to be aviation professionals in charge rather than the ubiquitous bureaucrat from the Indian Administrative Service.

More posts