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  • SAMANVAYA: Students Preparing for UPSC 2020 > 5 months to go – get fired up

    SAMANVAYA: Students Preparing for UPSC 2020 > 5 months to go – get fired up

    We have launched the Decimate Prelims Program. We are putting in our best effort to help all our students get a competitive edge.

    Click here to fill the form, tell us about your preparation and we will email you a revision plan specifically designed for you.

    Dear Students, 

    Our lectures on paper discussions and posts on solutions and sample structures have received over 20,000 hits collectively.  

    It is time to get serious with your preparation and we have got your back.

    After numerous conversations with so many aspirants, we have started understanding your problems better and standardizing solutions for the same.

    These are being incorporated into our Samanvaya program. It is these practices that will make the program more effective.

    At the core of Samanvaya lies the fact that each one of you will have a unique journey while preparing for the exam. Some will get through on the first attempt without much effort while others will take both more time and more effort. We want to understand you better to help you optimize your journey so you can focus on the right things and not waste time on the wrong ones. We are asking you to tap into the valuable experiences of mentors who underwent the same grind and realize the pitfalls and understand the shortcuts to make it.

    Samanvaya program involves the following –

    1. Identifying your weaknesses

    Over 80% of students who claimed to have revised NCERTs were unable to answer basic questions. Many were not comfortable with at least 1 GS subject and Optional. Many struggled with ‘What went wrong’ after 2-3 years of hard work.

    Our mentors will help you assess your preparedness and suggest accurate strategies.

    2. Strategy and study plan discussions

    Over 90% of students couldn’t stick to a plan. Study plans and strategies are iterative in nature and we want to help you with that. Many are unable to perform in tests despite preparing hard. This could be due to a variety of factors – lack of adequate prep, jitters in the exam hall, inadequate revision, lack of practice of test series or just a bad day at work. Tell us what you think went wrong and we’ll figure out a way to get you over the line next time.

    3. Helping you understand the exam better

    Which books to read, different approaches, etc. Over 60% of students we talked to did not find NCERTs relevant and saw no point in being thorough with them.

    4. Lack of motivation

    We have all had those days when it’s been hard to motivate ourselves to hit the books and just study. It happens to the best of us sometimes and for some of us, it happens more frequently. And it is understandable, Civil Service preparation is a long and often lonely process. Every aspirant, from toppers to those who have quit have been overwhelmed by this process at some point.

    Samanvaya Code of Conduct

    • Be honest with your mentors about your preparation levels and stage.
    • Follow their advice and participate in tests and assignments that they set for you
    • Stay active in the telegram groups, ask doubts, don’t hold yourself back.
    • Don’t expect spoonfeeding. You have to drive the initiative.

    Click here to fill the form, tell us about your preparation and we will email you a revision plan specifically designed for you.

    Here’s the feedback that we got from some of our students:

    Click here to fill the form, tell us about your preparation and we will email you a revision plan specifically designed for you.

  • [Burning Issue] Farmers’ suicide in India

     

    Context

    • The national catastrophe of farmers committing suicide since the 1990s, often by drinking pesticides is attributed to their inability to repay loans mostly taken from landlords and banks.
    • The recent data released by NCRB show a very marginal decline in the suicide rate compared to last year signifying the sorry state of Indian agriculture.

    Farmers distress: Not a decadal phenomenon

    • Historical records relating to frustration, revolts and high mortality rates among farmers in India, particularly cash crop farmers, date back to the 19th century. However, suicides due to the same were rare.
    • The high land taxes of the 1870s, payable in cash regardless of the effects of frequent famines on farm output or productivity, combined with colonial protection of money lenders and landowner rights, contributed to widespread frustration among cotton and other farmers.
    • However, in those days, starvation related deaths far exceeded those by suicide, the latter being officially classified under “injuries”.

    NCRB Stats on Farmers Suicide

    • In 2017, 10,655 people involved in agriculture committed suicide in India, according to data released January 2, 2020, by the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB).
    • NCRB had released the 2017 crime data last October 2019 but held back information on suicides.

    Highlights by NCRB

    • A total of 10,349 farmers and agricultural labourers committed suicide in 2018, a marginal dip from the 10,655 cases in the year before.
    • Out of 5,763 farmer/cultivator suicides, a total of 5,457 were male and 306 were female during 2018.
    • Among those who took their lives, 5,955 were farmers/cultivators and 4,700 agricultural labourers — both lower than in 2016.
    • The number of women farmers committing suicide, however, jumped to 480 in 2017 from 275 in ’16.
    • In 2016, 6270 farmers killed themselves, down from 8,007 in 2015, while 5,109 farmhands committed suicide, up from 4,595.

    Statewise data

    • In 2018, Maharashtra accounted for the highest share in farm-related suicides at 34.7%, followed by Karnataka at 23.2%, Telangana 8.8%, Andhra Pradesh 6.4% and Madhya Pradesh at 6.3%.
    • In 2017, the most number of farm suicides were reportedly in Maharashtra (34.7 per cent), followed by Karnataka (20.3 per cent), Madhya Pradesh (9 per cent), Telangana (8 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (7.7 per cent).
    • The trend is quite similar to that of 2016.
    • In 2015 too Maharashtra tops in farmers suicides followed by Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh in 2016.
    • West Bengal, Odisha, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Delhi, Lakshadweep and Puducherry reported zero suicides.

     Causes of Farmers Suicide

    • There is no consensus on what the main causes might be but studies show suicide victims are motivated by more than one cause however the primer reasons being the inability to repay loans.
    • Major causes reportedly are bankruptcy/indebtedness, problems in the families, crop failure, illness and alcohol/substance abuse.
    • Most of the suicides have occurred in areas of cash crops like cotton and sugarcane, which is high input, high output gambling, not based on the principle of sustained and resilient high yield.

    Case of Maharashtra

    • A 2012 study in rural Vidarbha (Maharashtra) was held to qualitatively rank the expressed causes among farming families who had lost someone to suicide.
    • The expressed reasons in order of importance behind farmer suicides were – debt, alcohol addiction, environment, low produce prices, stress and family responsibilities, apathy, poor irrigation, increased cost of cultivation, private money lenders, use of chemical fertilizers and crop failure.
    • In other words, debt to stress and family responsibilities as reasons were significantly higher than fertilizers and crop failure.
    • Other causes attributed are insufficient or risky credit systems, the difficulty of farming semi-arid regions, poor agricultural income, absence of alternative income opportunities, a downturn in the urban economy which forced non-farmers into farming, and the absence of suitable counselling services.

    Other causes

    • Disguised unemployment on farms remains high. Fragmentation of land holdings has left far too many farmers with farms that are too small to be remunerative.
    • Low access to credit, irrigation and technology worsens their ability to make a comfortable living. A tenth of our farmers are landless.
    • They use rented land, but the inadequacies of land-leasing mechanisms make it difficult for them to raise production.

    Latent causes of suicide

    • Since most discussions and parleys on suicides are overtaken by issues of crop failures, rising debts, new farming techniques, the psychological aspect is largely ignored.
    • One of the major causes behind suicidal intent is depression, found the researchers.
    • It needs to be understood that at times a farmer under a debt of Rs 2 lakh shows a tendency to end his life, while another under a debt of Rs 10 lakh does not.

    Flawed preventive measures

    • Irrigation reaches less than half of India’s overall farmland, a picture that has not changed much over the past decade, and more than 60% of our farmers are susceptible to rainfall anomalies.
    • Rain-fed farming yields are typically less than half those of irrigated farmland.
    • Though India has caught up with global levels of fertilizer use, this is neither efficient nor environmentally sustainable. Both add to the cost of cultivation.
    • Research on high-yielding crops has plateaued after an initial burst during the Green Revolution and farmers have to resort to patented seeds to draw more out of their scanty acres.
    • Initiatives like the eNAM are helping integrate the farmers’ produce directly with the market, however, cutting the role of intermediaries is still lagging behind.

    Enough with appeasement

    • Loan waivers instead of restructuring, re-investment measures are disguised pullbacks on govt. initiative to double farmer’s income by 2020.
    • The subsequent governments have focused only on credit and loan facilitation rather than income, productivity and farmers prosperity.
    • Our approach of handling farmer indebtedness and farmer suicides has been appeasement politics like the recent move by the Maharashtra, Punjab and UP government to waive off thousands of crore worth of loans.
    • Surprisingly this comes at a time when agricultural yield is expected to be better in the wake of a good monsoon.

    Need of the hour: Psychological assistance

    • The study suggested roping in psychologists and counsellors on various issues.
    • They included battling depressive ruminations, suicidal ideations, negative cognitions, hopelessness, helplessness.
    • It aimed at recognising and managing stressors like financial distress, relationship problems, and enhancing psychological resources through emotional well being, and mindfulness.

    Model of 7’s

    • The researchers developed a ‘7D’ model of triggering and confounding factors and a ‘7R’ model of preventive and protecting factors to deal with the problem of farmer suicides.

    ‘7D’ model

    It encapsulates:

    1. Drugs,
    2. Debt,
    3. Disease,
    4. Disputes,
    5. Depression,
    6. Disrepute and
    7. Death

     ‘7R’ model

    It looks at the prevention of suicides. It consists:

    1. Remunerative agriculture,
    2. Resilience building,
    3. Rational expenditure,
    4. Reassurance through connectivity,
    5. Righteous conduct,
    6. Religious support and
    7. Responsible reporting

    Way Forward

    • With years of policy failures, it can be concluded that there is no single sure-shot method to reduce the burden on our farmers.
    • Information technology promises to improve weather forecasting, crop identification as well as damage control, soil health monitoring, and mapping of available water resources.
    • Improvements in marketing and logistics can significantly raise the share that cultivators get of the money people pay for their food.
    • The govt. is using technology to connect farmers to a nationwide e-market, but the states need to amend their antiquated farm produce marketing laws that have squeezed farmers’ earnings.
    • An old problem of price signals failing to adjust demand and supply may also need fixing.
    • For agricultural incomes to rise, reforms, rather than cash transfers, loan waivers and the like, are the way ahead.

    Conclusion

    • The government, in consultation with various stakeholders, should come up with effective and long-term measures to reduce farmer indebtedness, improve crop yield, manage water resources efficiently and make alternate income sources to farmers.
    • Along with subsidies, increased farm profits, the focus should also be on resilience building and problem-solving skills of farming families.
    • In suicide-prone states, agricultural institutes and scientists should start distributing seeds of resilience, tolerance and contentment among farmers, suggested researchers.

     

    References

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/ncrb-report-on-farmers-suicide/

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/behavioural-aspect-of-farmer-suicides/

  • 11th January 2020 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    [WpProQuiz 335]

  • [op-ed snap] Taking a holistic approach to dengue

    Context

    The advent of a new tetravalent vaccine against the dengue virus has thrown new light into the evidence-based management of dengue.

    Why the holistic approach is needed

    • Apart from promoting the use of the vaccine, gaining control over dengue will also require a holistic approach that has to include within its ambit vector control and proper case management.
    • Tetravalent vaccine: The vaccine is tetravalent i.e. it provides protection against all the four types of dengue viruses.
      • The vaccine confers about 80% protection to children vaccinated between 4 and 16 years of age without any major side effects.
    • Climatic factors: It is essentially a tropical disease that occurs in the countries around the Equator; hot weather and intermittent rainfall favour the sustenance of Aedes aegypti.
      • Aedes eggs can remain dormant for more than a year and will hatch once they come in contact with water.
    • Risk factors: Urbanisation, poor town planning, and improper sanitation are the major risk factors for the multiplication of such mosquitoes.
      • Aedes eggs can remain dormant for more than a year and will hatch once they come in contact with water.
      • Aedes mosquitoes cannot fly beyond a hundred meters. Hence, keeping the ambiance clean can help prevent their breeding.
      • Further, these mosquitoes bite during the daytime, so keeping the windows shut in the day hours is also useful.

    What needs to be done?

    • Source reduction activities: Activities like preventing water stagnation and using chemical larvicides and adulticides.
      • These chemicals need to be applied in periodic cycles to kill the larvae that remain even after the first spray.
    • Dealing with the manpower shortage: The number of skilled workers available for such measures is low; many posts in government departments remain vacant despite there being a dire public health need.
      • Due to this deficiency of manpower, active surveillance is not being done in India, says the National Vector Borne Disease Control Program.
    • Ending the Under-reporting: Dengue cases are often under-reported due to political reasons and also to avoid spreading panic among the common people. Under-reporting needs to be dealt with.
    • Increasing coordination: There is a lack of coordination between the local bodies and health departments in the delivery of public health measures.
      • A comprehensive mechanism is required to address these issues.
    • Need for epidemiological measures: Any communicable disease needs the epidemiological approach. Singapore uses one successful model of mapping and analysing data on dengue, using Geographical Information System (GIS).
      • The use of GIS involves mapping the streets with dengue cases for vector densities.
    • Emphasis on the WHO guidelines: Fluid management in the body is the cornerstone in the management of severe diseases like dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome.
      • According to the guidelines, coagulation abnormalities are not due to a reduction in the number of platelets alone.
      • This is why the WHO recommends fresh whole blood or packed cell transfusion in the event of bleeding.
    • Caution in using alternative medicine drugs: Modern medicine is not against any complementary medicine; when such a medicine is approved after rigorous testing.
      • However, in the absence of evidence, the efficacy of such medicines remains in the realm of belief instead of science.
      • So, medicines like Nilavembu kudineer and papaya leaf extract are only belief based.

    Conclusion

    The communicable nature of Dengue and its asymptomatic nature requires the holistic approach to successfully tackle the disease.

     

  • [op-ed snap] Eloquently reticent: On validity of J&K curbs

    Context

    The SC verdict on the restrictions has some important takeaways.

    What the SC verdict means

    • Infinite ban on internet impermissible:  It states categorically that an indefinite ban on the internet is impermissible, but fails to direct the restoration of services. 
    • Section 144 and legitimate expression of opinion: The SC said that Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure “cannot be used as a tool to prevent the legitimate expression of opinion or grievance or exercise of any democratic rights”.
    • No ruling on the Govt. actions: The disappointing aspect of the verdict is the court’s failure to give a ruling on the validity of the government’s actions.
      • The ruling fails to hold the government to account for the manner in which it exercised its powers.
      • It states categorically that an indefinite ban on the internet is impermissible, but fails to direct the restoration of services.
      • The SC does not go beyond directing the authorities to review all their orders and restrictions forthwith.

    The key takeaways from the verdict

    • Internet use constitutionally protected: The use of the Internet as a medium for free speech as well as for trade and commerce is constitutionally protected.
    • Test of proportionality: It also lays down that any reasonable restriction on fundamental rights, be it an Internet ban or a Section 144 order, will have to survive the test of proportionality.
      • The proportionality test means that is, the restriction should be proportionate to the necessity for such a measure.
      • At the same time, it cautions against the “excessive utility” of the proportionality doctrine in matters of national security.
    • No secret orders: The government is bound to publish all orders it passes regarding such restrictions so that they can be challenged in a court of law.
      • While the government’s stand that it could not produce all the orders on the restrictions imposed the SC did not strike them down on that ground.

    Conclusion

    The SC judgment, while laying down some important principles in a fundamental rights case, appears to have the character of an advisory opinion.

     

     

  • Explained: The fundamentals of the Indian Economy

    PM Modi highlighted the strong absorbent capacity of the Indian economy while referring to certain fundamentals. He emphasized the strength of these basic fundamentals in absorbing the shocks of ongoing economic slowdown.

    What are the ‘fundamentals of an economy’?

    • The PM has reiterated a phrase of reassurance — underscoring the strong fundamentals of the Indian economy — that has been often used by policymakers in the past when the economy is seen to be faltering.
    • When one talks about the fundamentals of an economy, one wants to look at economy-wide variables such as the overall GDP growth, the overall unemployment rate, the level of fiscal deficit, the valuation of a country’s currency against the US dollar, the savings and investment rates in an economy, the rate of inflation, the current account balance, the trade balance etc.
    • There is intuitive wisdom in looking at these “fundamentals” of an economy when it goes through a tough phase.
    • Such an analysis, when done honestly, can give a sense of how deep the strain in an economy run.
    • It can answer the question whether the current crisis just an exaggerated response to a sectoral problem or is there something more “fundamentally” wrong with the economy that needs urgent attention and “structural” reform.
    • To be sure about the broader health of the economy, one looks at the broader variables. That way, one reduces the chances of getting the diagnosis wrong.

    Their relevance

    • The first advance estimates of national income for the current financial year, released earlier in the week, found that nominal GDP was expected to grow at just 7.5% in 2019-20.
    • This is the lowest since 1978. Real GDP is calculated after deducting the rate of inflation from the nominal GDP growth rate.
    • So, if for argument sake, the inflation for this financial year is 4%, then the real GDP growth would be just 3.5%.
    • Just for perspective, the Union Budget presented in July 2019 expected a real GDP growth of 8% to 8.5% and a nominal GDP growth of 12% to 12.5%, with a 4% inflation level.

    So, what is the current state of the fundamentals?

    The data on most variables that one may call as fundamentals of the Indian economy are struggling.

    • Growth rate — both nominal and real — has decelerated sharply; now trending at multi-decade lows. Gross Value Added, which maps economic growth by looking at the incomes-generated is even lower; and its weakness in across most of the sectors that traditionally generated high levels of employment.
    • Inflation is up but the consolation is that the spike is largely due to transient factors.
    • However, a US-Iran type of conflagration could result is a sharp hike in oil prices and, as such, domestic inflation may rise in the medium term.
    • Unemployment is also at the highest in several decades.According to some calculations, between 2012 and 2018, India witnessed a decline in the absolute number of employed people — the first instance in India’s history.
    • Fiscal deficit, which is proxy for the health of government finances, is on paper within reasonable bounds but over the years, the credibility of this number has come into question. Many, including the CAG, has opined that the actual fiscal deficit is much higher than what is officially accepted.
    • Bucking the trend, the current account deficit, is in a much better state but trade weakness continues as do the weakness of the rupee against the dollar; although on the rupee-dollar issue, a case can be made that the rupee is still overvalued and thus hurting India’s exports.
    • Similarly, while the benchmark stock indices have run up, and grabbed all attention, the broader stock indices like the BSE500 have struggled.

  • SC underlines restrictions on use of Sec 144

    In its order on Jammu and Kashmir the Supreme Court made the following points with regard to the use of Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973.

    Key takeaways of the order

    • Sec 144 cannot be used to suppress the legitimate expression of opinion or grievance, or the exercise of democratic rights
    • When Sec 144 is imposed for reasons of apprehended danger, that danger must be an “emergency”.
    • The imposition of Sec 144 must strike a balance between the rights of the individual and the concerns of the state.
    • Powers under Sec 144 should be exercised in a reasonable and bona fide manner, and the order must state material facts in order to enable judicial review.

    What is Section 144?

    • Section 144 CrPC, a law retained from the colonial era, empowers a district magistrate, a sub-divisional magistrate or any other executive magistrate specially empowered by the state government in this behalf to issue orders to prevent and address urgent cases of apprehended danger or nuisance.
    • The magistrate has to pass a written order which may be directed against a particular individual, or to persons residing in a particular place or area, or to the public generally when frequenting or visiting a particular place or area.
    • In emergency cases, the magistrate can pass these orders without prior notice to the individual against whom the order is directed.

    What powers does the administration have under the provision?

    • The magistrate can direct any person to abstain from a certain act or to take a certain order with respect to certain property in his possession or under his management.
    • This usually includes restrictions on movement, carrying arms and from assembling unlawfully. It is generally believed that assembly of three or more people is prohibited under Section 144.
    • However, it can be used to restrict even a single individual. Such an order is passed when the magistrate considers that it is likely to prevent, or tends to prevent, obstruction, annoyance or injury to any person lawfully employed, or danger to human life, health or safety, or a disturbance of the public tranquility, or a riot, of an affray.
    • However, no order passed under Section 144 can remain in force for more than two months from the date of the order, unless the state government considers it necessary.
    • Even then, the total period cannot extend to more than six months.

    Why is it criticised so often?

    • The criticism is that it is too broad and the words of the section are wide enough to give absolute power to a magistrate that may be exercised unjustifiably.
    • The immediate remedy against such an order is a revision application to the magistrate himself.
    • An aggrieved individual can approach the High Court by filing a writ petition if his fundamental rights are at stake.
    • However, fears exist that before the High Court intervenes, the rights could already have been infringed.

    Also read: 

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/explained-how-section-144-crpc-works/

  • SC order on Internet Shutdowns

    Directing the government to mandatorily publish all orders permitting Internet shutdowns, the Supreme Court has for the first time set the stage for challenging suspension orders before courts.

    What triggered the SC?

    • India tops the list of Internet shutdowns globally. According to Software Freedom Law Center’s tracker, there have been 381 shutdowns since 2012, 106 of which were in 2019.
    • The ongoing shutdown in Kashmir is the longest ever in any democratic country.

    The prime mover for Supreme Court

    • The Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Service) Rules, 2017 issued under the Telegraph Act deals with restricting Internet access.
    • It does not provide for publication or notification of the order suspending Internet, the apex court mandated that such orders must be made available to the public.
    • The court declared that it is a “settled principle of law, and of natural justice” that requires publication of such orders, “particularly one that affects lives, liberty and property of people”.
    • This allows individuals to now challenge the orders before courts in J&K and rest of India.

    Internet suspension orders are subjected to Judicial Review

    • In the wake of protests against the new citizenship law, Internet services were suspended temporarily in parts of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Karnataka.
    • There should not be excessive burden on free speech even if complete prohibition is imposed, and the government has to justify imposition of such prohibition and explain why lesser alternatives were inadequate, the bench stated.
    • It ruled that Restrictions are to be imposed in an emergency. Hence they must be proportionate to the concern. Their objective must be legitimate rather than cavalier.
    • Authorities must necessarily consider an alternative and least restrictive mechanism before opting to restrict rights. Every decision to impose restriction should be backed by sufficient material and amenable to judicial review.

    Pacing up with technology

    • The bench also noted that the law needs to keep pace with technological development:
    • We need to note that the law should imbibe the technological development and accordingly mould its rules so as to cater to the needs of society.
    • Non-recognition of technology within the sphere of law is only a disservice to the inevitable.

    Justifying the Kashmir shutdown

    • Lastly, the court mandated that all orders regarding the Kashmir case be made public, and to provide essential services such as e-banking and hospitals immediately.
    • What the centre was arguing in this case was that this is a matter of national security given that it pertains to Kashmir with a history of militancy.

  • National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI)

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has chalked out an ambitious strategy for financial inclusion of all till 2024.

    National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI)

    • Financial inclusion is increasingly being recognised as a key driver of economic growth and poverty alleviation the world over.
    • The strategy aims to strengthen the ecosystem for various modes of digital financial services in all Tier-II to Tier VI centres to create the necessary infrastructure to move towards a less-cash society by March 2022.
    • One of the objectives of the strategy includes increasing outreach of banking outlets of to provide banking access to every village within a 5-km radius or a hamlet of 500 households in hilly areas by March 2020.
    • RBI said that the aim was also to see that every adult had access to a financial service provider through a mobile device by March 2024.
    • With the aim of providing basic of financial services, a target has been set that every willing and eligible adult, who has been enrolled under the PM Jan Dhan Yojana, be enrolled under an insurance scheme and a pension scheme by March 2020.
    • The plan is also to make the Public Credit Registry (PCR) fully operational by March 2022 so that authorised financial entities could leverage the same for assessing credit proposals from all citizens.

  • In news: Dept. of Military Affairs’

    The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has approved the Rules of Business for the newly created Department of Military Affairs (DMA) headed by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).

    Department of Military Affairs (DMA)

    • The DMA headed by Gen Bipin Rawat will have two Joint Secretaries, 13 Deputy Secretaries, 25 Under Secretaries and 22 Section officers.
    • The training policy, most of the training establishments and cadre management of the Services will be under the purview of the DMA.
    • Defence diplomacy of the neighbourhood countries would also be under the CDS.
    • Similarly, deputations to the training establishments such as the National Defence Academy (NDA), the Indian Military Academy (IMA), the Officers Training Academy (OTA) and the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) would also be under the CDS.
    • Cadre review of Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) and Other Ranks (OR) will be looked after by the CDS.

    Other facts

    • On December 30, the government notified the DMA creation, with the CDS also as a Secretary in the MoD.
    • The DMA is the fifth department in the MoD, the others being the Department of Defence, the Department of Defence Production, the Department of Defence Research and Development and the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare.
    • The Services have been brought under the ambit of the DMA in addition to the Territorial Army and works relating to the three Services and procurement exclusive to the Services except capital acquisitions.
    • Defence imports and procurements would be under the the Department of Defence headed by the Defence Secretary.

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