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  • What is National Population Register?

    The latest form of the National Population Register (NPR) appears to have retained contentious questions such as “mother tongue, place of birth of father and mother and last place of residence”.

    National Population Register

    • The NPR is a Register of usual residents of the country.
    • It is being prepared at the local (Village/sub-Town), sub-District, District, State and National level.
    • This is carried under provisions of the Citizenship Act 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.
    • It is mandatory for every usual resident of India to register in the NPR.
    • A usual resident is defined for the purposes of NPR as a person who has resided in a local area for the past 6 months or more or a person who intends to reside in that area for the next 6 months or more.

    Why NPR is under fire?

    • Though NPR was first compiled in 2010 and updated in 2015, the new questions were part of a trial exercise involving 30 lakh respondents in September 2019.
    • The exercise has perceived the first step toward the compilation of the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRC) according to Citizenship Rules, 2003.

    Questions in NPR

    • In 2020 NPR, the respondent will have to specify the “name of State and district” if the place of birth of father and mother is in India and mention the country’s name if not born here.
    • The form will collect details on 14 parameters of all family members.
    • The sub-heads include passport number, relationship to head of the family, whether divorced/widowed or separated, mother tongue, if non-worker, cultivator, labourer, government employee, daily wage earner among others.
    • The form also has a column on Aadhar, mobile phone, Voter ID and driving license number, which are to be provided if available with the respondent.

    How are NRIC and NPR related?

    • Out of the NPR, a set of all usual residents of India, the government proposes to create a database of “citizens of India”.
    • Thus, the “National Register of Indian Citizens” (NRIC) is a sub-set of the NPR.
    • The NRIC will be prepared at the local, sub-district, district and State levels after verifying the citizenship status of the residents.
    • The rules say the particulars of every family and individual found in the Population Register shall be verified and scrutinized by the Local Registrar.

    How NPR is different from Census?

    • The census involves a detailed questionnaire — there were 29 items to be filled up in the 2011 census.
    • They are aimed at eliciting the particulars of every person, including age, sex, marital status, children, occupation, birthplace, mother tongue, religion, disability and whether they belonged to any SC or ST.
    • On the other hand, the NPR collects basic demographic data and biometric particulars.
    • While the census is legally backed by the Census Act, 1948, the NPR is a mechanism outlined in a set of rules framed under the Citizenship Act, 1955.

     

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  • Meghalaya to give land rights to men

    Matrilineal Meghalaya is set to break the tradition of share of parental property to the khatduh, which means the youngest daughter in the Khasi language.

    Matrilineal Society of Meghalaya

    • The matrilineal tradition which the Khasi and other subgroups practice in Meghalaya is unique within India.
    • Khasi are an ancient tribe said to be the largest surviving matrilineal culture in the world.
    • Matrilineal principles among the Khasi are emphasised in myths, legends, and origin narratives.

    Their evolution

    • Khasi kings embarking on wars left the responsibility of running the family to women and thus their role in society became very deep rooted and respected.
    • Reference to Nari Rajya (female kingdom; or land of matriarchy) in the epic Mahabharata likely correlates with the Khasi and Jaintia Hills and Meghalaya’s present-day matrilineal culture.

    Property rights

    • The youngest daughter of the family, the Ka Khadduh, inherits all ancestral property.
    • After marriage, husbands live in the mother-in-law’s home.
    • The mother’s surname is taken by children.
    • When no daughters are born to a couple, they adopt a daughter and pass their rights to property to her.
    • The birth of a girl is celebrated while the birth of a son is simply accepted.
    • There is no social stigma attributed to a woman remarrying or giving birth out of wedlock as the “Khasi Social Custom Lineage Act” gives security to them.
    • Care of children is the responsibility of mothers or mothers-in-law.

    Matrilineal, not matriarchal

    • While society is matrilineal, it is not matriarchal. In past monarchies of the state, the son of the youngest sister of the king inherited the throne.
    • Even now in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly or village councils or panchayats the representation of women in politics is minimal.

    Issues with the system

    • Some Khasi men perceive themselves to be accorded a secondary status.
    • They have established societies to protect equal rights for men.
    • They express that Khasi men don’t have any security, they don’t own land, they don’t run the family business and, at the same time, they are almost good for nothing.

     

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  • 27th October 2021| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1    Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian subcontinent)

    GS-2   Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

    GS-3   Effects of Liberalization on the Economy, Changes in Industrial Policy and their Effects on Industrial Growth.

    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

    Questions:

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 Enumerate the factors which are responsible for the location of the cement industry in India. Also, explain why the cement industry is mainly concentrated along the Vindhyas range. (10 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 The evolving situation has thrown up renewed challenges for India’s regional and bilateral ties with Central Asia and the Caucasus, prompting India to recalibrate its rules of engagement with the region. In this context, elaborate on India’s regional engagements. (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 How asymmetric globalisation favoured China? What are its implications for globalisation? Suggest the way forward. (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

    Q.4 ‘The Citizens’ Charter sees public services through the eyes of those who use them.’ Discuss how emergence of citizens’ charters have altered the concept of accountability and improved the delivery of public services. (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  October is uploaded on 11th October 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 October is uploaded on 13th October, 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*. 

    For the philosophy of AWE and payment: 

  • Podu Land issue in Telangana

    The Telangana government has decided to move landless, non-tribal farmers engaged in Podu shifting cultivation inside forests to peripheral areas as it looks to combat deforestation.

    What is Shifting Cultivation?

    • Shifting cultivation is a form of agriculture or a cultivation system, in which, at any particular point in time, a minority of ‘fields’ are in cultivation and a majority are in various stages of natural re-growth.
    • Over time, fields are cultivated for a relatively short time, and allowed to recover, or are fallowed, for a relatively long time.
    • Eventually, a previously cultivated field will be cleared of the natural vegetation and planted in crops again.
    • Fields in established and stable shifting cultivation systems are cultivated and fallowed cyclically.
    • This type of farming is also called jhumming in India.

    What is Podu?

    • Podu is a traditional system of cultivation used by tribes in India, whereby different areas of jungle forest are cleared by burning each year to provide land for crops.
    • The word comes from the Telugu language.
    • Podu is a form of shifting agriculture using slash-and-burn methods.

    Issue in Telangana

    • Shifting cultivation continues to be a predominant agricultural practice in many parts of India, despite state discouragement and multipronged efforts.
    • Telangana government has red-flagged encroachment of forests by non-tribals, who are indulging in the practice of shifting agriculture (podu).
    • Several political leaders have raised the issues of shifting agriculture and deforestation wherein encroachers clear a portion of land.
    • The government now wants to shift out all farmers from the forests to the periphery by allotting lands to them for cultivation.

    Impact of the move

    • Tribal farmers who have been traditionally cultivating for decades will not be affected by this drive against illegal encroachers.
    • The government has, in fact, given land ownership titles to tribals.
    • Other encroaching farmers will be shifted out.

    Back2Basics: Various shifting cultivation in India

    Type Place of practice
    Jhum North-eastern India
    Vevar and Dahiyaar Bundelkhand Region (Madhya Pradesh)
    Deepa Bastar District (Madhya Pradesh)
    Zara and Erka Southern States
    Batra South-eastern Rajasthan
    Podu Andhra Pradesh
    Kumari Hilly Region of the Western Ghats of Kerala
    Kaman, Vinga and Dhavi Odisha

     

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  • National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCSC)

    There are cybersecurity organisations in the country but no central body responsible for safety in the online space said the National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC).

    National Cyber Coordination Centre

    Headed by National Cyber Security Coordinator:  Lt. Gen. Rajesh Pant (Retd.)

    Objective: To help the country deal with malicious cyber-activities by acting as an Internet traffic monitoring entity that can fend off domestic or international attacks

    • The National Cyber Coordination Centre (NCCC) is an operational cybersecurity and e-surveillance agency in India.
    • It is jurisdictionally under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
    • It coordinates with multiple security and surveillance agencies as well as with CERT-In of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
    • Components of the NCCC include a cybercrime prevention strategy, cybercrime investigation training and review of outdated laws.

    Functions

    • It will be India’s first layer for cyber threat monitoring and all communication with government and private service providers would be through this body only.
    • The NCCC will be in virtual contact with the control room of all ISPs to scan traffic within the country, flowing at the point of entry and exit, including the international gateway.

    Cyber-security bottlenecks in India

    • India has no dedicated Cyber-security regulation and is also not well prepared to deal with cyberwarfare.
    • India has formulated the National Cyber Security Policy 2013 which is not yet implemented.
    • NCCC has been classified to be a project of the Indian government without a legal framework, which may be counterproductive as it may violate civil liberties and human rights.
    • Some have expressed concern that the NCCC could encroach on Indian citizens’ privacy and civil liberties, given the lack of explicit privacy laws in the country.

    Back2Basics: Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN)

    • CERT-IN is an office within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
    • It is the nodal agency to deal with cyber security threats like hacking and phishing. It strengthens the security-related defence of the Indian Internet domain.
    • It was formed in 2004 by the Government of India under the Information Technology Act, 2000 Section (70B) under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

     

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  • Free Webinar on Time-Management Techniques for Working Junta|| How to crack UPSC without leaving your fulltime job?|| In 2 Days, Register Now

    Free Webinar on Time-Management Techniques for Working Junta|| How to crack UPSC without leaving your fulltime job?|| In 2 Days, Register Now

    Our Hall of Fame boasts of nearly 150 aspirants who have cleared the exam as working professionals. This year, our Civilsdaily students — Vaibhav Rawat (AIR 25) and Ravi Kumar (AIR 84) worked really hard in their respective jobs and studies before they tasted success. This busts the myth that only full-time aspirants can clear the exam.

    Lack of Time or Lack of Time-Management?

    UPSC-CSE is not only one of the toughest exams of the world, but one of the longest as well. An exam that is a year long, needs a preparation of 2 years to clear it.

    Some of us have family responsibilities that cannot and should not be neglected. Maybe you are the only earning member of your family. But, is it impossible to juggle UPSC CSE and work? Not at all. It might be challenging, but it’s an achievable ambition. One needs the discipline to study everyday, whether they had a good or a bad day at work.

    All aspirants get only 24 hours in a day, how they spend every hour determines their final result.

    Does this mean there will be no scope for rest as a Working Junta? Don’t be surprised if we tell you toppers like Srishti Jayant Deshmukh (AIR 5, 2018) and Roman Saini (AIR 18, 2013) found time to take breaks in between their college studies (engineering and medical respectively) and UPSC preparation! While Srishti took a 5 minute break after every 30 minutes, Roman took a 10 minute break after every 1 hour.

    Why should you attend this webinar?

    When we asked Vaibhav Rawat and Ravi Kumar their secret of topping the exam despite working 8-9 hours everyday, their answer was time management and syllabus completion.

    Instead of complaining about the limited time they had, they completed modules assigned by us within that time. Sometimes, they got 6 hours in a day and sometimes 5 hours. But after office, they never let the stress of work distract them. Nor did they compare their preparation to other full-time aspirants and get demotivated.

    Every topper has their own time-management technique. As a working junta, its about time you learnt them. This is what Sudhanshu Sir will address in this upcoming webinar. You will not only get to know how to balance work and study in a day, but also when to take breaks in between the two!

    What will you learn in this Webinar?

    1. The 4 different phases of UPSC preparation. What to study in each phase?

    2. Our 5-hour Step-by-Step learning plan. Also time-management techniques of other toppers.

    3. Avoiding mistakes that cost you an attempt. How to kickstart your preparation in the right direction?

    4. Advantages of being a UPSC aspirant as a working professional. What do you have that others don’t?

    5. Studying smartly. How can you use the Civilsdaily App to get consolidated material that can save your time?

    See the source image

    At the end of the session, Sudhanshu sir will hold an interactive Q&A session where all beginners and veterans are welcome to get solutions for their issues.

    Webinar Details

    Everyone is welcome to attend our free webinar for working professionals by Sudhanshu Sir. All you have to do is register your details.

    Date: 28 October, 2021

    Time: 6 PM

    About Sudhanshu Sir

    Sudhanshu Sir has served in the Defense Ministry for 10 years. He has a keen interest in regional and global geopolitics and has ample experience of various other competitive exams as well. Experienced with UPSC CS and Several State PSCs.

  • [Sansad TV] Enhancing Cooperation in West Asia

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    India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States began a new quadrilateral economic forum this week focused on trade, climate change, energy, and maritime security.

    In September last year Israel, UAE and Bahrain had signed Abraham Accords brokered by the US which has subsequently led to normalising of relations between Israel and a number of Arab Gulf countries.

    Abraham Accord: A backgrounder

    • The Israel–UAE normalization agreement is officially called the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement.
    • It was initially agreed to in a joint statement by the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on August 13, 2020.
    • The UAE thus became the third Arab country, after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994, to agree to formally normalize its relationship with Israel as well as the first Persian Gulf country to do so.
    • Concurrently, Israel agreed to suspend plans for annexing parts of the West Bank.
    • The agreement normalized what had long been informal but robust foreign relations between the two countries.

    The idea of the Indo-Abrahamic Accord

    • The idea of an accord between India, the UAE and Israel was first suggested by Mohammed Soliman, an Egyptian scholar based in Washington.
    • The focus, then, was on India taking full advantage of the normalisation of relations between Israel and the Arabs.

    Prospects of India joining the accord

    • Adding “Indo” to the Abrahamic Accords — from think tank level to the policy domain underlines the extraordinary churn in the geopolitics of the Middle East.
    • It also points to new openings for India in the region and ever-widening possibilities for Delhi’s strategic cooperation with Washington.

    Significance for India

    The new minilateral consultation with the US, Israel and the UAE have started breaking that political taboo by:

    (1) Creating a minilateral in the Middle-East:

    • Such events mark an important turning point in Delhi’s engagement with the Middle East.
    • It suggests India is now ready to move from bilateral relations conducted in separate silos towards an integrated regional policy.
    • As in the Indo-Pacific, so in the Middle East, regional coalitions are bound to widen Delhi’s reach and deepen its impact.

    (2) India bridging the Arab-Israeli rift:

    • Often the Arab nations and Israel are divided over Palestine.
    • The simultaneous expansion of Delhi’s cooperation with Israel and the Arab world was considered impossible.
    • However, India’s new foreign policy broke from that assessment and demonstrated the feasibility of a non-ideological engagement with the Middle East.
    • This diplomatic pragmatism allows Delhi to reimagine its policies towards the Middle East.

    (3) Extension of cooperation with the US:

    • Thinking of the US as a partner in the Middle East is part of the reimagination.
    • For long, India defined the US, and more broadly the West, as part of the problem in the Middle East.
    • With this QUAD, U.S.-India relations have continued to deepen.

    (4) Miscellaneous:

    • India’s scale with Israeli innovation and Emirati capital could produce immense benefits to all three countries.
    • Add American strategic support and you would see a powerful dynamic unfolding in the region.

    India’s interest in the new QUAD

    New Delhi sees the Middle East as strategically significant.  India has ramped up diplomacy with many regional players, including Saudi Arabia, but Israel and the UAE have long been key targets.

    • Energy basket: It depends heavily on its energy imports, and nearly 9 million Indian workers live in the Persian Gulf.
    • Armoury for India: Israel is a major arms supplier to India.
    • Agri-tech: Israel also has cutting-edge agricultural technologies that could help enhance water management.
    • Infrastructure financing: The UAE can provide India with much-needed infrastructure financing. This has very much implicated in the recent proposal by Dubai to invest in Jammu and Kashmir.

    What is the kind of agenda that this group can develop?

    Economic Cooperation: Like the eastern Quad, it would make sense for the new Middle Eastern minilateral to focus on non-military issues like trade, energy, and environment and focus on promoting public goods.

    Technology cooperation: Beyond trade, there is potential for India, UAE and Israel to collaborate on many areas — from semiconductor design and fabrication to space technology.

    A new geopolitical entity: The new “Quad” in the Middle East is likely to be India’s only new coalition in the region. It provides a thrust to new regionalism to the west involving India.

    ‘Extended’ neighbourhood: This engagement will open the door for extending the collaboration with other common regional partners like Egypt (better call it Suez Canal), who will lend great strategic depth to the Indo-Abrahamic accords.

    How are the two QUADs different?

    The two groups are distinct entities with different geographical remits, although their areas of cooperation may overlap. The two Quads are quite different in other ways.

    • No China factor: The so-called new Quad is not as focused on countering China’s rise as the original one.
    • Formal consensus in lacking: It lacks a strong, shared purpose, its future trajectory is more uncertain.
    • Not an Alliance: As with the other Quad, this arrangement is a loose grouping, not an alliance. It is framed as an economic forum and not as an strategic alliance.
    • Iran at the focus: The new quad does not appear to be aimed at any particular country, ideology or group. There is no one to gang up against, but Iran.

    Way forward

    • This Quad will push India to transform itself.
    • While the US might be more lenient towards Indian stretchable time, Israel and the UAE are impatient countries.
    • This engagement has thus opened up a new opportunity for India to go for deeper engagement with Israel without risking its relations with the other Arab states of the Persian Gulf.

    Caution for India

    • India must not get drawn into the region’s conflicts.
    • Importantly, India must ensure that the new Quad’s decisions do not adversely impact its relationship with Iran.  It should not restrict India’s outreach to Iran
    • India should help the new Quad build bridges with Iran, just as Israel should use its good offices with Beijing to rein in China.
    • India is increasingly shedding its inhibitions over joining groupings and this is good, so long as it is not bound into exclusive relationships.
    • China manages strong parallel ties with both Iran and Israel. India should be able to do so, too.

    Conclusion

    • The new and mini-Quad is innovative, non-confrontationist and hence will be enduring.
    • In the evolving scenario, there seems much scope for a profitable trilateral synergy.
    • Though its trajectory is uncertain, it has considerable potential because of the warm relations among the parties.
  • We don’t advertise vacancies. But when we do, we are looking for the crème de la crème. Work with us!

    We don’t advertise vacancies. But when we do, we are looking for the crème de la crème. Work with us!

    Civilsdaily is looking to hire across multiple roles.

    Dear All,

    Civilsdaily has become a force to reckon with. With our bold initiatives and maturing innovations, we are pushing the boundaries even further constantly thinking about bettering the learning outcomes for so many students.

    Inviting applications for open positions is a rare event for us. We don’t remember the last time we did something like this. This means it is an extremely rare opportunity for you.

    A career in education with Civilsdaily empowers you to help students, to be respected by them and by others, and to experience job satisfaction in a way that is impossible in many other careers.

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  • Only a Few Seats Left || Free Webinar on Time-Management Techniques for Working Junta|| How to crack UPSC without leaving your fulltime job?|| In 2 Days, Register Now

    Only a Few Seats Left || Free Webinar on Time-Management Techniques for Working Junta|| How to crack UPSC without leaving your fulltime job?|| In 2 Days, Register Now

    Our Hall of Fame boasts of nearly 150 aspirants who have cleared the exam as working professionals. This year, our Civilsdaily students — Vaibhav Rawat (AIR 25) and Ravi Kumar (AIR 84) worked really hard in their respective jobs and studies before they tasted success. This busts the myth that only full-time aspirants can clear the exam.

    Lack of Time or Lack of Time-Management?

    UPSC-CSE is not only one of the toughest exams of the world, but one of the longest as well. An exam that is a year long, needs a preparation of 2 years to clear it.

    Some of us have family responsibilities that cannot and should not be neglected. Maybe you are the only earning member of your family. But, is it impossible to juggle UPSC CSE and work? Not at all. It might be challenging, but it’s an achievable ambition. One needs the discipline to study everyday, whether they had a good or a bad day at work.

    All aspirants get only 24 hours in a day, how they spend every hour determines their final result.

    Does this mean there will be no scope for rest as a Working Junta? Don’t be surprised if we tell you toppers like Srishti Jayant Deshmukh (AIR 5, 2018) and Roman Saini (AIR 18, 2013) found time to take breaks in between their college studies (engineering and medical respectively) and UPSC preparation! While Srishti took a 5 minute break after every 30 minutes, Roman took a 10 minute break after every 1 hour.

    Why should you attend this webinar?

    When we asked Vaibhav Rawat and Ravi Kumar their secret of topping the exam despite working 8-9 hours every day, their answer was time management and syllabus completion.

    Instead of complaining about the limited time they had, they completed modules assigned by us within that time. Sometimes, they got 6 hours in a day and sometimes 5 hours. But after office, they never let the stress of work distract them. Nor did they compare their preparation to other full-time aspirants and get demotivated.

    Every topper has their own time-management technique. As a working junta, its about time you learnt them. This is what Sudhanshu Sir will address in this upcoming webinar. You will not only get to know how to balance work and study in a day, but also when to take breaks in between the two!

    What will you learn in this Webinar?

    1. The 4 different phases of UPSC preparation. What to study in each phase?

    2. Our 5-hour Step-by-Step learning plan. Also time-management techniques of other toppers.

    3. Avoiding mistakes that cost you an attempt. How to kickstart your preparation in the right direction?

    4. Advantages of being a UPSC aspirant as a working professional. What do you have that others don’t?

    5. Studying smartly. How can you use the Civilsdaily App to get consolidated material that can save your time?

    See the source image

    At the end of the session, Sudhanshu sir will hold an interactive Q&A session where all beginners and veterans are welcome to get solutions for their issues.

    Webinar Details

    Everyone is welcome to attend our free webinar for working professionals by Sudhanshu Sir. All you have to do is register your details.

    Date: 28 October, 2021

    Time: 6 PM

    About Sudhanshu Sir

    Sudhanshu Sir has served in the Defense Ministry for 10 years. He has a keen interest in regional and global geopolitics and has ample experience of various other competitive exams as well. Experienced with UPSC CS and Several State PSCs.