[WpProQuiz 516]
[WpProQuiz_toplist 515]
[WpProQuiz 516]
[WpProQuiz_toplist 515]
The Mission Karmayogi seeks to overhaul the bureaucracy in the country. The article discusses its aims and the challenges it could face.
Gentralized supervision of such large numbers does not promise to be easy. Globally, centralization has been observed to militate against diversity of thought. And that’s vital to the governance of a country like India.
The article analyses the impact of pandemic on the functioning legislatures and issues its implications.
Consider the question “Anlyse the impact of pandemic on the key organs of the democracy.”
Parliamentarians have a duty towards Indian citizens to fulfil their role in scrutinising the work of the government and guiding policy. Despite the curtailed session and the constraints due to the coronavirus, they should make the best of the limited time to do so. They need to wrest back their rightful role in our democracy.
The RBI has released a revised priority sector lending guidelines to augment funding to segments including start-ups and agriculture.
Amid disruptions caused by Covid-19, the Finance Minister has referred to an Act of God while businesses are looking at a legal provision, force majeure, to cut losses.
Note the key differences between the Act of God and Force Majeure.

In his Independence Day Speech this year, PM has announced the government’s plan to launch a Project Dolphin. The proposed project is aimed at saving both river and marine dolphins.
The pandemic-induced lockdown has confined people to their houses for five months now. The resultant lack of sunlight, followed by rains, has brought down the vitamin D levels to the lowest.
Try this PYQ from CSP 2014:
Q.Consider the following pairs:
Vitamin Deficiency:: Disease
- Vitamin C::Scurvy
- Vitamin D:: Rickets
- Vitamin E:: Night blindness
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) None
There are two main forms of vitamin D in the diet:
– Vitamin D2 (Ergocalciferol) — found in plant foods like mushrooms.
– Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol) — found in animal foods like salmon, cod and egg yolks.
Vitamin D deficiency is incredibly common and most people are unaware of it, as the symptoms are subtle and nonspecific.
– Getting sick or infected often with common cold and flu, because of a weak immune system.
– Fatigue and tiredness
– Bone and muscle pains
– Depression
– Impaired wound healing
– Bone loss and osteoporosis

The National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) announced by the PM on the 74th Independence Day has the potential to transform the healthcare sector, making it more technologically advanced, inclusive and delivery-driven.

The suite of digital systems consists of Health ID, DigiDoctor, Health Facility Registry (HFR), Personal Health Records, e-Pharmacy, and Telemedicine.

The mission envisages the creation of these core digital systems which are built to support timely access to safe, affordable healthcare for all citizens and will accelerate the country’s progress towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
The mission has unique features which make it very attractive for all the stakeholders to be part of the system, some of which are as follows:

(1) Prioritizing patients
(2) Portability of health records
(3) Easy facilitation
(4) Technology impetus in policymaking
The imminent adoption of NDHM in the absence of a data protection law has led for the policymakers to plan for two policies — security of health systems, and privacy of personal health records.
With the unavailability of information security laws related to healthcare in India, the following could be the repercussions or could lead to violation of the mandatory requirements:
(1) High Probability of Data Breach:
The data breach occurs when any person or corporate generates, collects, stores, transmits or discloses digital health information in contravention to the provisions or standards laid down.
(2) Data Ownership and Standardization Issues:
An owner shall have the right to give/refuse or withdraw consent for the storage and transmission of digital health data. In terms of standardization, it is very important to transform the data before loading it to the target system.
(3) Data Normalization Issues:
Data Normalization is done to reduce data redundancy and improve data integrity. In view of the unavailability of such laws, it could bring redundancy as data could exist in multiple forms.
(4) Data Collection, Storage and Transmission Challenges:
The purpose of data generation, collection, storage and transmission is to facilitate health and clinical research and health care quality. But the unavailability of data protection and information security laws (for maintaining CIA- confidentiality, Integrity and Availability) could lead to the collection of data without informing the owner, lack of privacy controls while storing in the cloud and transmitting the data without the consent of the owner.
(5) Illegal data selling and theft: Unavailability of appropriate laws could lead to incidents where digital health data is acquired or accessed without proper authorization. For example, monetizing the patient data for the purpose of research and innovation may also be misused by its illegal selling without the knowledge of the patient, thereby, leaking his sensitive data amounting to the violation of data privacy.
(6) Data Quality Issues- There could be the following data quality issues that can be encountered without the proper laws in place:
India has not yet enacted specific and full-fledged legislation on data protection. Of course, the Parliament of India had amended the Information Technology Act (2000) (“IT Act”) to include specific section 43A, but it only includes corporates and not individuals regarding compensation for failure to protect data.
Many countries are lightyears ahead of India in their use of digital health records, but none has anchored its vision as robustly around the public health records, as has the current iteration of the NDHM.
Making it a success will have to fill the voids discuss above.
To enable seamless data exchange, all users must be incentivized or mandated to adopt a standard language of communication. The spiraling burden for documentation had led to absurd situations. It is imperative that India, while embracing global standards, seriously rethinks what to document, when, why, and most importantly, by whom.
There is no doubt that NDHM launched will significantly improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of health services delivery including building a paperless system and will facilitate online consultation with the doctors. But data protection and privacy are the keys to the success of this mission.
The usual conclusion rests with a generic statement-
“These tectonic shifts won’t all happen all of sudden. Or within the cyclical tenure of bureaucrats or politicians. And they won’t occur in the absence of the long-overdue overhaul of healthcare delivery in India. But when they do, they will advance medicine and health for all.”
[WpProQuiz 515]
[WpProQuiz_toplist 514]
Click here to enrol for the Prime Prelims TS 2021
What was it that initially made Great Britain bleed but subsequently helped it to secure a smashing victory in the second world war? Enigma it was. Alan Turing built the “Turing Machine” that helped decrypt the seemingly unbreakable German Code. Then something very astonishing followed. Great Britain exploited the loopholes of the Enigma itself and the Germans lost without having the slightest hint of Enigma being compromised.
For a UPSC Aspirant, isn’t the “unpredictable” paper setting pattern of UPSC a modern-day Enigma? But what if there was a “Turing Machine” that could break into this “Unbreakable” code of UPSC? For your amusement, there is one.
Talking about UPSC Civil Services Prelims, mock test series has become a Categorical Imperative. But which one truly breaks the “UPSC Enigma”? How about one made by Frontline Warriors themselves (Veteran Aspirants) who have successfully cleared prelims five or six times consecutively? Isn’t the collective wisdom of these “Alan Turings” the closest version of a “UPSC Turing Machine”?
Now, let us speak about the test in question. It’s the eighth test of the newly launched Prelims Test Series for 2021 by CivilsDaily. It’s a Basic Economics Test covering dynamic topics like Agriculture, Industries, Infrastructure, International Trade and related International Bodies.. Let’s see how it is the first step towards breaking the “UPSC Enigma”:
These questions are special due to their;
Have a look –
Q. Consider the following regarding Logistic Performance Index (LPI):
1. It is released by Word bank bi-annually.
2. LPI ranking of India has increased over the last few years.
3. The logistic sector has been given infrastructure status.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a. 1 and 2 only
b. 1 and 3 only
c. 2 and 3 only
d. All of them
Try guessing the right answer to this seemingly simple yet tricky question.
These are Logical Solving Techniques that help you attempt questions despite having little or no idea about the question. It’s almost like getting a master key to the prelims paper. Have a look –
Q. With reference to the Zero based budgeting, consider the following statements:
1. It is a method of budgeting in which all expenses must be justified for each new period.
2. It is a faster process than traditional cost-based budgeting.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Noth of them
d. Neither of them
The test explains this basic question by using a Technique we call “Extreme Exaggeration” (assuming you don’t know the correct answer).
To keep close to the real demand of the exam. Have a look –
Q. With reference to the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), consider the following statements:
1. It is aimed at generating self-employment opportunities in the farm sector.
2. Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is the nodal agency at the national level.
3. It is being implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
a. 1 and 2 only
b. 2 only
c. 1 and 3 only
d. All of them
Now, UPSC has asked multiple questions on the basic economic functioning and schemes of the economy. You can’t afford to err on a probable question that may be asked on similar lines.
Framing random questions irrespective of the difficulty level of the tests is like serving the same wine in different bottles. Have a look –
Q. Which of the following are included under Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs)
1. Hedge Fund
2. Angel Fund
3. Debt Fund
4. Mutual Fund
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a. 1, 2 and 3 only
b. 2, 3 and 4 only
c. 1, 3 and 4 only
d. 1, 2 and 4 only
The motive to incorporate such questions in the basic test is to garner a general idea of the topics before you as an aspirant are mentally ready to face the advanced tests.
It lets you realise your comparative strength in different types of questions. Have a look –
Q. “Partial Credit Enhancement”, sometimes mentioned in the news, refers to:
a. Increasing the Credit uptake from Banks for Infrastructure companies.
b. Enhancing the credit rating of the bonds and enabling the issuer to access funds on better terms.
c. Restructuring the non-performing assets accounts to make them financially viable.
d. None of the above
This is a basic Conceptual question. If you get this wrong, you need to rework the concepts of Monetary Dynamics and Bond Market which are an important aspects of Economy Syllabus.
So come be a part of our “UPSC Enigma” Breaking Endeavour. Like Great Britain, we shall emerge VICTORIOUS.