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  • 160+ In Essay Was Never This Easy | Boost Your Score Through Dedicated Mentorship | Essay FLTs 2020 (video link inside)

    Enroll here for Essay FLTs 2020

    How to write an essay that will fetch you 160+ marks in IAS mains exam? What are the components of a great essay? How to write philosophical essays? Like these, you might’ve got a lot of questions.

    Zeeshan sir will be live today at 7 pm to unlock the mystery around IAS mains Essay paper and answer all of your questions. Click on the video below to set reminder.

    https://youtu.be/9XWs7Ahtv98

    Enroll here for Essay FLTs 2020

    Zeeshan sir himself will be mentoring and streamlining your essay preparation in Essay FLTs 2020 program.

    How to write UPSC IAS essays?

    What is Essay FLTs 2020?

    It is a mentor-driven Essay test series for UPSC 2020 Mains exam. Our focus is on personalized attention in evaluation, execution, and course correction. Our innovative methodology in topic selection, reviews, and evaluation on one hand and mentorship and collaborative approach on the other will build your capacity to write Essays that will fetch 160+ marks.

    What are we offering and how is it unique?

    We’ve innovated at every step of the process.

    Highly relevant, precise and thoughtful topic selection 

    Our research tells us there are 8 broad themes of essays being asked since 2010 – Economy, Polity, Women Issues, Education, Science & Tech, Philosophy, IR, Miscellaneous.

    But there is some rationality to the way UPSC selects essay topics. Those themes are highly relevant to the current times and one can find a strong correlation with current affairs of the past year(s).

    We plan to develop your competencies so that you can be better prepared for the actual exam.

    Enroll here for Essay FLTs 2020

    An innovative methodology for reviews  

    Our biggest innovation lies in our review methodology. Specific portions of your essay will be highlighted with symbols to indicate issues in essay writing

    1. (X) Cross  – FUNDAMENTAL FLAWS like judgments/strong postures which need to be avoided at all costs.
    2. (*)Star -APPRECIATION for uniqueness.
    3. STRUCTURE is not maintained. Issues with Language and expression.
    4. GENERAL SUGGESTIONS for candidates.

    Along with this, Zeeshan sir will also leave specific reviews on strengths and weaknesses.

    We don’t want to merely suggest additional points that can be googled by the student themselves or point out superficial flaws like not ‘sticking to the topic’. They don’t necessarily highlight the shortcomings in the essay. This adds very little value to students. We go much beyond that and help students fix major flaws in their essays.

    10 parameters on which your essays are going to get evaluated

    1. Comprehension of the topic
    2. Language and Expression
    3. Structure and Organisation of thought.
    4. Objectivity and Biases. Balance of perception
    5. Attitude whether a learner or judgmental
    6. Focus and attention
    7. Content and Source matter, Knowledge and information processing capability
    8. Ability to forge links in an interdisciplinary manner
    9. The simplicity of disposition
    10. Observational Skills

    Enroll here for Essay FLTs 2020

    Model essays with indicative structure and good essay copies

    You will be provided with good essay copies to serve as sample answers. This is a better alternative than sample answers which are hastily written and at times not updated with the latest figures.

    Students have an incorrect impression that going through a sample essay will somehow help them write better essays. This is absolutely incorrect.

    To develop your competency in tackling different topics, you have to be able to come up with appropriate structures. This aspect of the program addresses this issue.

    The expectation from you would be that you study the solutions in detail and try to address the shortcomings in your essays. Should doubts still persist, we’re here to help.

    One-to-one Mentorship and Civilsdaily’s handholding

    This component of the program is the most important. Post-evaluation of your essay test you will get on a one-to-one discussion with Zeeshan sir. He will discuss the topic in considerable depth, appropriate structure, pitfalls to avoid, etc.

    Along with that, sir will also discuss copies presenting different styles in which the essays could be attempted.

    Membership to exclusive group on Habitat

    Habitat is our learning platform, here you’ll be given membership to an exclusive Essay group. This group will be administered by Zeeshan sir, Sajal sir, in-service officers, rankers, and other mentors.

    Habitat discussions

    Enroll here for Essay FLTs 2020

    For essays, you need multiple perspectives to understand a topic or an issue in its entirety. You need discussions; arguments; confluence, confrontation, and integration of ideas. Here, discussions will be facilitated by mentors and enriched by different viewpoints by peers. Moreover, you can ask and discuss any of your doubts with peers and Zeeshan sir.

    Besides these, you will be given the following 

    • Any additional material that we release for essays.
    • Notes and reference material including good articles, essays, etc. on Habitat group.

    Program inclusion

    1. 5 FLTs
    2. Model essays
    3. One-to-one mentorship
    4. Membership to exclusive Essay group on Habitat
    5. Notes and references on Habitat

    Price of the program

    • Rs. 4000 + taxes for Smash Mains 2020 enrolled students
    • Rs. 5000 + taxes for other students

    Note: Smash Mains 2020 students can ask for a payment link from our team/ping us on WhatsApp +91 8929987787

    Click here to enroll in Essay FLTs 2020

    Should you have any queries or doubts reach out to us at hello@civilsdaily.com or ping us on WhatsApp +91 8929987787.

  • Mains FLTs 2020 – First test is Live | Attempt the paper now | Timetable inside

    Have you started the mains answer writing practice yet? The first test of Mains FLTs 2020 is live now. Instruction on where to find and attempt the test below.

    Click here to enroll in Mains FLTs 2020

    mains answer writing best mains test series

    Download PDF for better visibility – Mains FLTs 2020 Timetable

    Where to find and attempt the test?

    1. After you have enrolled for the test, login to https://www.civilsdaily.com/
    2. Go to ‘My courses’. Find Mains FLTs 2020.
    3. Go to curriculum. Attempt the test.

    Mains is the most important stage of the UPSC exam. It’s also becoming more and more unpredictable, analytical and dynamic than ever before.

    https://youtu.be/5ay4rql_m18
    Watch Sajal sir live today.

    What is Mains FLTs 2020?

    Mains FLTs 2020 is a personalised and Mentor guided comprehensive and intensive program for GS Mains papers. The focus is on making students understand the requirement of Mains Question, its elements, using information, and imparting answer writing skills for that.

    Our previous year Mains tests have had an exceptional hit ratio in 2019 and 2018 UPSC Mains.

    Click here to enroll in Mains FLTs 2020

    Why Mains FLTs 2020? (Our Philosophy)

    1. Question Formulation

    It happens under a team of experienced Civilsdaily’s faculty. Questions framed are from the most important UPSC relevant themes and papers are based on the latest pattern of UPSC.

    Our questions specifically state:

    • Whether they are straightforward or thought-provoking/analytical.
    • Whether they have subparts.
    • Why this question – similar previous year questions, the importance of the theme, etc.

    CD Innovation – Star marked questions We go the extra mile and craft unique, intellectually-stimulating questions. Marked with a star, these questions reward analytical ability and critical thinking.

    2. One-to-One Discussion on every checked copy

    We believe in personalised individual attention. This is the biggest reason why you should join our TS. Students can schedule a call within 2 days of receiving their checked copies.

    A one-to-one discussion with Mentor will not only highlight your weaknesses but will also help in tracking your improvements over the subsequent tests.

    Click here to enroll in Mains FLTs 2020

    3. Answer Checking

    Our evaluation focusses on multiple dimensions and parameters like structure, flow, presentation, contextuality, relevance to question, analytical excellence and cross-domain inter-linkages than simply on superficial, memory-based lapses.

    UPSC IAS Mains test series 2020 2021

    Evaluated answer copy – 1 (Click to download)

    Evaluated answer copy – 2 (Click to download)

    Parameters we use to evaluate your answers

    Read more about our methodology here.

    4. Model Answers

    More than just simply providing information, our model answers cover all the aspects of a question and provide enriching points to the student. They also include:

    • For ‘thought-provoking/analytical‘ type of questions, we’ll provide the best way to approach them.
    • Alternate introductions
    • Sub-headings and categorization to enhance readability and answer structure.
    • Colour coding for main arguments, reports, data, scholars, etc.
    • OTB – Out of the box points for additional marks

    5. Video Discussion

    Every test is discussed thoroughly in the video lecture. An in-depth explanation of every question, demand from it and the ways in which it could have been answered are discussed. Mentors will also be sharing answer writing strategy with students so that they can gain extra marks in Mains.

    Click here to enroll in Mains FLTs 2020

    6. Civilsdaily’s Handholding 

    You’ll be assigned to a special group on Civilsdaily’s Habitat, it’s headed by Sajal Sir, Atul Sir, Ravi Sir and rankers like Dr Vipin Garg (AIR 20), Swapnil Pawar (AIR 525) and others.

    Habitat is where everything comes together learning, doubt clearing, notes, references, mentor’s support, and a focussed community. You’re going to learn and discuss like never before.

    How will your queries be resolved?

    • The moment you have a query, you post it in the group. At 11 PM, 3 AM, doesn’t matter. No need to schedule a call, or drop an email. Just drop a chat. Once our team is up, it will be resolved.
    • More often than not, your peers will take part in your doubt discussions adding a lot of value.

    Besides doubts, what else is there on Habitat?

    • #DDS sessions – We have dedicated sessions every day to resolve doubts in real-time. Never keep a doubt to yourself.
    • An ecosystem for co-learning and active learning.
    • A highly motivated community to bring flexibility and consistency to your preparation.

    That’s not all, we’ve Daily news analysis and Op-ed discussion sessions on Habitat.  Other activities like revisions, quizzes, test discussion, CSAT, etc. are also planned.

    UPSC IAS Mains test series 2020 2021
    Civilsdaily’s Habitat – Desktop and Mobile view

    Click here to enroll in Mains FLTs 2020

    7. Value-added material

    Current affairs magazines – Civilsdaily’s Magazines are the best in terms of comprehensive coverage, superb design, and high readability. Get them here.

    Listicles and other relevant study material – Supplementary content provided will be helpful in covering multiple related questions.

    Program inclusion:

    1. Tests (12 Full Syllabus) and Model Answers
    2. Video Discussion
    3. On phone One-to-One discussion of checked copy
    4. Civilsdaily’s Handholding and connect with Mentor on Habitat
    5. Civilsdaily’s Habitat special group
    6. Civilsdaily’s Magazines, Listicles, and other relevant study material

    Click here to enroll in Mains FLTs 2020

    This is what our students have to say..

    Kunal Aggarwal Civilsdaily IAS UPSC Mains
    IAS Mains 2020 2021 UPSC Civilsdaily Mains Test series
    From Quora answer. (Read the full answer here)

    Mains Test Series Community: Testimonials

    Click here to enroll in Mains FLTs 2020

    For any query reply below or write to hello@civilsdaily.com.

  • Farm Bills latest step in sequential freeing up of farm sector

    The recently passed agri bills seek to expand the choices and opportunities available with the farmers and will help in increasing their income.

    Diversified product segment

    • The Minimum Support Price (MSP) evolved as a mechanism to guard farmers against supply and demand shocks in the cereals segment. 
    •  Now, however, farmers and agricultural producers have diversified their product segments, cereals no longer dominate production.
    • In the last decade itself, India has witnessed tremendous change in the GVA composition of the agri-sector.
    • The share of crops has decreased from 65.4% in 2011-12 to 55.3% in 2018-19, projected to further fall to 45.6% in 2024-25.
    •  In the same period, value add of livestock and fishing & aquaculture is steadily increasing, as are the total value outputs of sub-segments like horticulture, milk and meat.
    • With differentiated production strategies that are less reliant on cereals and more on other segments, farmers are accruing better incomes.
    • By diversifying their produce, they are moving away from one-crop risks.

    Government schemes and policies

    • Keeping farmers dependent on subsidies and restricted by APMCs, and acts like the Essential Commodities Act wasn’t in the nation’s long-term interests.
    • Recognising this, the government has been making sequential changes in the system.
    • It started with the introduction of the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) to facilitate online trading of agri-produce.
    • Then PM-KISAN was introduced to provide minimum income support to nine crore marginal farmers, at Rs 6,000 annually.
    • The KISAN credit card with an allotment of a total of Rs 2 lakh crore credit to maintain larger workforces and implements during harvest season is helping farmers plan and organise their harvests better.
    • The Rs 1 lakh crore Agri Infrastructure Fund as part of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan will help by the creation of agri-infrastructure.

    Need for structural changes

    • The government recently passed three agri-bills, these are:-
    • 1) The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce Bill.
    • 2) Farmers Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill.
    • 3) Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill.
    • They enable farmers the freedom to diversify their crops and produce, which reduces mono-crop dependence and increases income avenues.
    • They can also now sell their produce anywhere, to the highest bidder across the country.
    • The farmers are no longer are they required to go to the mandis where they are subject to middlemen and layers of bureaucracy.
    • Contract farming enable farmers them to boost the value-add of their products via contracts and assured procurement by the food processing industries.
    • Retaining the MSP system means the government is underwriting the whole network for certain crops to ensure farmers receive assured income for those crops.

    Focusing on the export market

    • The passage of agri bills gives India the long-awaited opportunity to orient its agriculture sector towards export markets.
    • By catering to just the Indian economy, the exposure is hardly $3 trillion ; instead, export-orientation caters to an $82 trillion global economy —a 27x expansion.
    • India’s agri exports in 2018 were at $38.5 billion.
    • India can comfortably triple this by providing infrastructure for grading, sorting, and supply chain distribution.

    Conclusion

    The farm Bills are liberating farmers at a pivotal juncture, the nation and farmers have a generational opportunity here to break out of a 70-year sectoral stagnation and aim bigger.

    Source:-

    https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/agri-reforms-farm-bills-latest-step-in-sequential-freeing-up-of-farm-sector/2107611/

  • All India Open Mains Test 2020 | GS paper 1 – Full-Length test – 18th Oct | Registration link inside | Open for all

    All India Open Mains Test 2020 | GS paper 1 – Full-Length test – 18th Oct | Registration link inside | Open for all

    Instructions and link to register for the Open test below. Test will be made live at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Click here for the Open test. Instructions below.

    Dear students,

    We have launched Mains 2020 Full-Length Test series, and are providing the first test of the series as open to all.

    Details of the test

    Subject: GS mains paper 1

    Syllabus: Indian Heritage and Culture, History and Geography of the world, Society and Current Events

    Time: 10 a.m.

    How to attempt the test?

    1. Login using your google id to – https://www.civilsdaily.com/
    2. Click here for the link to the open test.
    3. Scroll to the bottom. Click on Enroll.
    4. Find your test in the Curriculum tab. (10 a.m. tomorrow)
    5. Write well and join Habitat for the discussions.

    About Mains FLTs 2020

    https://youtu.be/5ay4rql_m18

    Mains FLTs 2020 is a personalised and Mentor guided comprehensive and intensive program for GS Mains papers.

    There are 12 full length FLTs.

    The focus is on making students understand the requirement of Mains Question, its elements, using information, and imparting answer writing skills for that.

    Click here for more details on Mains FLTs 2020

    For any query or doubt please reach out to us at Habitat or hello@civilsdaily.com. You can also WhatsApp us at +91 8929987787.

  • Analysing the trends in India’s population growth

    The article analyses some trends in India’s population growth as found in the Sample Registration System Statistical Report (2018).

    Context

    • There have been some encouraging trends in India’s population in the Sample Registration System (SRS) Statistical Report (2018) and global population projections made by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), US.

     Declining TFR

    • SRS report estimated the Total Fertility Rate (TFR), the number of children a mother would have at the current pattern of fertility during her lifetime, as 2.2 in the year 2018.
    •  It is estimated that replacement TFR of 2.1 would soon be, if not already, reached for India as a whole.
    • As fertility declines, so does the population growth rate.
    • This report estimated the natural annual population growth rate to be 1.38 per cent in 2018.
    • A comparison of 2011 and 2018 SRS statistical reports shows that TFR declined from 2.4 to 2.2 during this period.
    • Fertility declined in all major states.
    • In 2011, 10 states had a fertility rate below the replacement rate. This increased to 14 states.
    • The annual natural population growth rate also declined from 1.47 to 1.38 per cent during this period.

    So, when will India’s population stabilise

    • Duet to population momentum effect, a result of more people entering the reproductive age group of 15-49 years due to the past high-level of fertility, population stabilisation will take some time.
    • The UN Population Division has estimated that India’s population would possibly peak at 161 crore around 2061.
    •  Recently, IHME estimated that it will peak at 160 crore in 2048.
    • Some of this momentum effect can be mitigated if young people delay childbearing and space their children.

    Factors affecting fertility rates

    • Fertility largely depends upon social setting and programme strength.
    • Programme strength is indicated by the unmet need for contraception, which has several components.
    •  The National Family Health Survey (2015-16) provides us estimates for the unmet need at 12.9 per cent and contraceptive prevalence of 53.5 per cent for India.
    • Female education is a key indicator for social setting, higher the female education level, lower the fertility.
    • As the literacy of women in the reproductive age group is improving rapidly, we can be sanguine about continued fertility reduction.

    Declining sex ratio at birth: Cause for concerrn

    •  The SRS reports show that sex ratio at birth in India, measured as the number of females per 1,000 males, declined marginally from 906 in 2011 to 899 in 2018.
    • Biologically normal sex ratio at birth is 950 females to 1,000 males. 
    • The UNFPA State of World Population 2020 estimated the sex ratio at birth in India as 910, lower than all the countries in the world except China.
    • This is a cause for concern for following 2 reasons:
    • 1) This adverse ratio results in a gross imbalance in the number of men and women.
    • 2) Impact on marriage systems as well as other harms to women.
    • Increasing female education and economic prosperity help to improve the ratio.
    • It is hoped that a balanced sex ratio at birth could be realised over time, although this does not seem to be happening during the period 2011-18. 

    Conclusion

    In conclusion, there is an urgent need to reach young people both for reproductive health education and services as well as to cultivate gender equity norms. This could reduce the effect of population momentum and accelerate progress towards reaching a more normal sex-ratio at birth. India’s population future depends on it.

    Back2Basics: Total Fertility Rate and Replacement rate

    • Total fertility rate (TFR) in simple terms refers to total number of children born or likely to be born to a woman in her life time if she were subject to the prevailing rate of age-specific fertility in the population.
    • TFR of about 2.1 children per woman is called Replacement-level fertility (UN, Population Division).
    • This value represents the average number of children a woman would need to have to reproduce herself by bearing a daughter who survives to childbearing age.
    • If replacement level fertility is sustained over a sufficiently long period, each generation will exactly replace itself without any need for the country to balance the population by international migration.

  • Opportunity for India to push for reforms at the UN

    The article analyses the changing geopolitical context against the background of the pandemic. China has been facing some challenges at the UN of late. Multilateralism faces an unprecedented crisis. This context provides an opportunity for India to push for reforms in international institutions. 

    China facing difficulty in elections to UN bodies

    • Recently, India besting China in the elections for a seat on the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).
    • Soon after the CSW vote, it lost another election, this time to tiny Samoa for a seat on the UN Statistical Commission.
    • And a couple of days ago, it just about managed to get elected to the UN High Rights Council, coming fourth out of five contestants for four vacancies.
    • Earlier, China’s candidate had lost to a Singaporean in the race for DG World Intellectual Property Organization.

    China’s strengths

    • Taking advantage of its position as a member of the P-5 and as a huge aid giver, China made itself invincible in UN elections.
    • It won among others, the top positions at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

    Historical background on China’s rise at the UN

    • World War II saw strong U.S.-China collaboration against the Japanese, including U.S. operations conducted from India.
    • Their bilateral ties saw the U.S. include the Chinese in a group of the most important countries for ensuring world peace post- World War II, along with the U.S., the USSR and the U.K.
    • This enlarged into the P-5, with France being added by the UK at the San Francisco conference held in 1945 where the UN charter was finalised.
    • The pure multilateralism of the League of Nations was thus infused with a multipolarity, with the U.S. as the sheet anchor.

    Challenges to multilateralism and the need for reform in the international institutions

    • Multilateralism is under stress due to COVID-19 pandemic and a certain disenchantment with globalisation.
    • At the root is the rise of China and its challenge to U.S. global hegemony.
    • But in the current scenario multilateralism backed by strong multipolarity in the need of the hour.
    • This demands institutional reform in the UN Security Council (UNSC) and at the Bretton Woods Institutions.
    • In this context, it is good that recently India, Germany, Japan and Brazil (G-4) have sought to refocus the UN on UNSC reform.
    • As proponents of reform, they must remain focused and determined even if these changes do not happen easily or come soon.
    • This is also the way forward for India which is not yet in the front row.

    Way forward

    • Earlier in the year, India was elected as a non-permanent member of the UNSC for a two-year term.
    • India will also host the BRICS Summit next year and G-20 Summit in 2022.
    • These are openings for India in collaborating the world in critical areas that require global cooperation especially climate change, pandemics and counter-terrorism.
    • India also needs to invest in the UN with increased financial contributions in line with its share of the world economy and by placing its people in key multilateral positions.

    Consider the question “The UN, which came into existence in different time fails to take into account the realities of the changing world. In light of this, examine the basis of India’s claim to a permanent seat at the UN. What are the challenges to India’s claim.”

    Conclusion

    Against the backdrop of pandemic and subsequent pushback against China at the UN, it is also an opportune moment for India and a Reformed Multilateralism.

  • Highlights of the Global Hunger Report, 2020

    India has the highest prevalence of wasted children under five years in the world, which reflects acute undernutrition, according to the Global Hunger Index 2020.

    Note the parameters over which the GHI is based and their weightage composition.

    Global Hunger Index (GHI)

    • The GHI has been brought out almost every year by Welthungerhilfe lately in partnerships with Concern Worldwide since 2000; this year’s report is the 14th one.
    • The reason for mapping hunger is to ensure that the world achieves “Zero Hunger by 2030” — one of the SDGs laid out by the UN.
    • A low score gets a country a higher ranking and implies better performance.
    • It is for this reason that GHI scores are not calculated for certain high-income countries.
    • Each country’s data are standardised on a 100-point scale and a final score is calculated after giving 33.33% weight each to components 1 and 4, and giving 16.66% weight each to components 2 and 3.

    For each country in the list, the GHI looks at four indicators:

    1. Undernourishment (which reflects inadequate food availability): calculated by the share of the population that is undernourished (that is, whose caloric intake is insufficient)
    2. Child Wasting (which reflects acute undernutrition): calculated by the share of children under the age of five who are wasted (that is, those who have low weight for their height)
    3. Child Stunting (which reflects chronic undernutrition): calculated by the share of children under the age of five who are stunted (that is, those who have low height for their age)
    4. Child Mortality (which reflects both inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environment): calculated by the mortality rate of children under the age of five.

    India’s performance this year

    • In the 2020 Global Hunger Index, India ranks 94th out of the 107 countries with sufficient data to calculate 2020 GHI scores.
    • With a score of 27.2, India has a level of hunger that is serious.
    • The situation has worsened in the 2015-19 period, when the prevalence of child wasting was 17.3%, in comparison to 2010-14, when it was 15.1%.
    • India fares worst in child wasting (low weight for height, reflecting acute undernutrition) and child stunting (low height for age, reflecting chronic undernutrition), which together make up a third of the total score.

    Useful comparative data

    • Overall, India ranks 94 out of 107 countries in the Index, lower than neighbours such as Bangladesh (75) and Pakistan (88).
    • In the region of the south, east and south-eastern Asia, the only countries which fare worse than India are Timor-Leste, Afghanistan and North Korea.

  • What is New START Treaty?

    Russian President Mr Putin has proposed a one-year extension without conditions of the last major nuclear arms reduction accord, the New START Treaty between Russia and the U.S.

    The New START, INF and the Open Skies …. Be clear about the differences of these treaties. For example- to check if their inception was during cold war era etc.

    New START Treaty

    • The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) pact limits the number of deployed nuclear warheads, missiles and bombers and is due to expire in 2021 unless renewed.
    • The treaty limits the US and Russia to a maximum of 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers, well below Cold War caps.
    • It was signed in 2010 by former US President Barack Obama and then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
    • It is one of the key controls on superpower deployment of nuclear weapons.
    • If it falls, it will be the second nuclear weapons treaty to collapse under the leadership of US President Donald Trump.
    • In February, US withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), accusing Moscow of violating the agreement.

    Also read:

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/us-confirms-pull-out-from-inf-treaty/

  • Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO)

    Russian Navy along with CSTO members has begun military exercises in the central waters of the Caspian Sea north of the Azerbaijani capital Baku.

    Try this MCQ:

    Q.The Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) sometimes seen in news is an alliance led by:

     

    (a) Russia (b) USA (c) India (d) European Union

    Collective Security Treaty Organization

    • CSTO is an intergovernmental military alliance that was signed on 15 May 1992.
    • In 1992, six post-Soviet states belonging to the Commonwealth of Independent States—Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan—signed the Collective Security Treaty
    • This is also referred to as the “Tashkent Pact” or “Tashkent Treaty”.
    • Three other post-Soviet states—Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Georgia—signed the next year and the treaty took effect in 1994.
    • Five years later, six of the nine—all but Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Uzbekistan—agreed to renew the treaty for five more years, and in 2002 those six agreed to create the CSTO as a military alliance.

  • Five Eyes (FVEY) group of nations

    India joins the UK in drive known as ‘Five Eyes’ group of nations, as a seventh member against encrypted social media messages.

    Map the countries in ‘Five Eyes’ group of nations.

    ‘Five Eyes’ group of nations

    • The Five Eyes (FVEY) is an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
    • The origins of the Five Eyes alliance can be traced back to the Atlantic Charter, which was issued in August 1941 to lay out the Allied goals for the post-war world.
    • These countries are parties to the multilateral UK-USA Agreement, a treaty for joint cooperation in signals intelligence.
    • India is among seven countries to back a UK-led campaign against end-to-end encryption of messages by social media giants such as Facebook, which they say hinder law enforcement by blocking all access to them.

    A formal expansion

    • The UK and India joined this group to ensure they do not blind themselves to illegal activity on their platforms, including child abuse images.
    • This marks an expansion of the so-called “Five Eyes” group of nations, a global alliance on intelligence issues, to include India and Japan.

    For a common cause

    • All members claim that end-to-end encryption policies such as those employed by the social media giant erode the public’s safety online.
    • They have made it clear that when end-to-end encryption is applied with no access to content, it severely undermines the ability of companies to take action against illegal activity on their own platforms.
    • It also prevents law enforcement investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes being committed on these services such as online child sexual abuse, grooming and terrorist content.

    Back2Basics: End-to-end encryption

    • End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a system of communication where only communicating users can read the messages.
    • It is regarded as the most secure way to communicate privately and securely online.
    • By encrypting messages at both ends of a conversation, end-to-end encryption prevents anyone in the middle from reading private communications.
    • In principle, it prevents potential eavesdroppers – including telecom providers, Internet providers, and even the provider of the communication service – from being able to access the cryptographic keys needed to decrypt the conversation.

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