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For those who cleared Prelims 2020 and for those who did not | Fill Samanvaya form to discuss with us
Last night UPSC released ‘the PDF’, the result of CSE prelims 2020. Irrespective of who you are, you need a plan for your next move (Mains in Jan 2021 or Pre in June 2021). We’ve released Samanvaya form. Fill it and our senior mentors will call you within 24 hours. Let us discuss.

UPSC prelims result announcement was as unexpected as the questions in the paper itself were. Some of you cleared and some couldn’t.

Irrespective of the result last night you need to reorient your strategy towards your next target. If Pre 2020 indicated anything it was the intent of the UPSC to break the pattern.

Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.
Stands true for the next UPSC CSE (mains 2020/Pre 2021) as well.

UPSC mains 2020 is just 75 days away, while 2021 Prelims is about 7 months away. There is no time to either grieve or feel relaxed. Time is of utmost importance. What, why and how you decide and choose your next step will decide your next result.

If you are going to attempt Prelims 2021 jump over to next paragraph or click here (Samanvaya for IAS 2021).

For those who cleared Prelims 2020 and are writing mains in Jan 2021:

At this point in time you need to start giving tests (both GS mains and Essays). Your focus should be more on consolidation of information and on learning how to utilize it, rather than learning new things.

Do you have a repository of the issues faced by Govt of India, society, polity, administration and economy in the the last couple of years? Do you have them in a form where you can simply write answers from your notes?

If not, we need to talk and discuss. Fill the Samanvaya form to discuss about Quality Improvement Program for Mains 2020 as well.
- Details here: Mains FLTs 2020 – 12 Full Length GS mains Tests
- Deails here: Essay FLTs 2020
For those who couldn’t clear Pre 2020 and would be taking it in 2021

You need a massive overhaul. We need to talk.

Let’s talk. Fill this Samanvaya form (click here)

The 4th Oct 2020 in many ways was a watershed moment for IAS aspirants. Prelims 2020 has shocked veterans and baffled the first-timers. If anything this paper has taught is that you need to adapt to the expectations of UPSC and adopt a new approach.

UPSC is changing. No more is it about isolating yourself and just doing current affairs, static, attending random classes, or reading a plethora of books. It’s time to bury the old ways for IAS preparation, for good.

Enrollment for November batches of IAS Foundation 2021 and Ultimate Assessment Programs 2021 is open now.

Who are you?
1. Working Junta? If you are preparing for IAS 2021 and working simultaneously, we can help you strategize and decipher the IAS exam and design a timetable that fits right in your hectic schedule.
2. First-time prep? If you are in the last year of college or thinking of dropping a year and preparing for IAS 2021 full time, we can help you pick the right books and craft a practical & personal strategy.
You just have to take 5 minutes out and fill this form: Samanvaya For IAS 2021

Once done, we will call you within 24 hours or so.

A perfect exam cracking pattern

Broadly, six factors determine your success in cracking this prestigious IAS exam and the most important being understanding the expectations of UPSC and according to that planning and strategizing; other being Learning – Knowledge and information; Analyzing – making linkages, connections, etc.; Executing and utilizing information; and Constant course correction – because mistakes are inevitable, need to rectify them asap.

But how to do that?

Talk to senior mentors from Civilsdaily: Click here and fill Samanvaya form for IAS 2021

Talk to senior mentors from Civilsdaily: Click here and fill Samanvaya form for IAS 2021

Failing to tackle any one of them, feeds into a vicious cycle. Without guidance or mentoring, understanding where the problem lies in and how to rectify it becomes problematic.

This is where our 3 tier mentoring comes in:

1. First step starts with this Samanvaya call: Once you fill in the form, our senior mentors get on a 30-40 minute call with you to understand your prep level, working/ study constraints, current strategies, and create a step by step plan for next week, next month and so on.

2. You are given access to our invite-only chat platform, Habitat where you can ask your daily doubts, discuss your test-prep questions and have real-time, live sessions on news and op-eds, and find your optional groups.

Daily target monitoring.

3. The third and the most personalized tier is the 1 on 1 mentor allotment who stays with you through the course of your UPSC preparation – always-on chat and on scheduled calls to help you assess, evaluate, and chart the next milestone of your IAS 2021 journey.

Here are some testimonials of our students about Samanvaya and our propriety chat interventions:

Our rankers in 2019

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October 24, 2020
Importance of maritime domain for India and role of Quad in it
While highlighting the importance of navy for India, the article examines the need to define the role and relation between the Quad and Malabar.

The salience of navy for India
- It took confrontation in the Himalayas to bring focus on India’s maritime domain clearly indicates that the salience of maritime power is not yet understood in India.
- On its northern and western fronts, India faces a formidable challenge and can at best hope for stalemate due to two factors :
- 1) Economic, military and technological asymmetry between China and India.
- 2) Active China-Pakistan nexus.
- Attention has, therefore, been focused on the maritime domain, where it is believed that India may have some cards to play.
- While preparing to fight its own battles with determination, it is time for India to seek external balancing (read Quad) — best done via the maritime domain.
Evolution of Malabar Exercise
- Above is the backdrop against which one must see the progressive evolution of Exercise “Malabar”,
- At beginning, it was a bilateral event involving just the Indian and US navies.
- It became tri-lateral with the inclusion of Japan in 2015.
- And now it has transformed into a four-cornered naval drill that will also include Australia.
- Apart from its geo-political significance for the Indo-Pacific, this development poses two conundrums.
- Firstly, given the same composition, what is the distinction, now, between “Malabar” and the “Quad”?
- Secondly, does Malabar 2020 mark the release of Australia from China’s thralldom?
Defining the roles and relation betwee Malabar and Quad
- The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad has its roots in the Core Group of four senior diplomats representing the US, India, Japan and Australia.
- The group was formed to coordinate relief efforts after the Great Asian Tsunami of December 26, 2004.
- The present Quad has obviously retained this tradition and its members have neither created a charter nor invested it with any substance.
- The Quad is 16 years old now, and Malabar 28.
- Both have served a useful purpose, and a reappraisal of the roles and relationship of the Quad-Malabar concepts is, therefore, overdue.
- Since it is India which faces a “clear and present danger”, it should boldly take the initiative to do so.
Need for the Indo-Pacific Concord
- In order to rein in China’s hegemonic urges, there is need for affected nations to come together to show their solidarity and determination in a common cause.
- In this context, there is need to create a broad-based “Indo-Pacific Concord”, of like-minded regional democracies.
- This should be an organisation with a maritime security charter, which has no offensive or provocative connotations.
- Using the Quad and Malabar templates, a shore-based secretariat can be established in a central location like Port Blair, in the Andaman Islands, which would schedule and conduct periodic multinational naval exercises.
- The exercises could be structured to hone the skills of participating navies in specialisations like humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, countering non-traditional threats, undertaking search-and-rescue operations and establishing networked maritime domain awareness.
- The Concord could also designate forces to uphold maritime security or “good order at sea”.
What Australia joining Quad means
- The prospect of Australia belatedly joining the Quad is expected to reinforce the Quad and enhance its credibility.
- But there are reasons for India to be circumspect it.
- Memories are still alive of its past political ambivalence towards India, its criticism of our naval expansion and its vociferous condemnation of the 1998 nuclear tests.
- Nor should one overlook Beijing’s recent influence on Australia’s foreign policy.
- This influence on Australia’s foreing policy caused it to flip-flop over the sale of uranium to India as well as its peremptory withdrawal from the Quad in 2008.
Implications of singing of BECA with the U.S.
- India signing the BECA (Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement) with the US last of the four “foundational agreements” would enhance interoperability between the respective militaries.
- However, there is need to pay heed to two valid concerns:
- 1) Regarding the possible compromise of information impinging on India’s security.
- 2) Whether these agreements will barter away the last vestiges of India’s strategic autonomy.
Consider the question “The changing geopolitical equations has necessitated the formation of Indo-Pacific Concord by the democracies of the region.” In light of this, elaborate on India’s role in Quad and its implications for the region”

Conclusion

Indians, given our history, should never lose sight of the truism in international relations, that it is the unerring pursuit of national interests that guides the actions and policies of every nation.
October 24, 2020
Looking back at India’s journey at the UN
The article examines India’s journey at the UN as it enters it 75year. It also analyses the challenges India faced at the UN and tracks India’s transformation from being an outlier to the high table.

Three phases of India’s presence at the UN
- Seven and a half decades of India at the UN may be viewed with reference to roughly three distinct phases.
First phase: From independence to 1989
- The first phase lasted until the end of Cold War in 1989.
- During this phase, India had learnt to explore and enhance its diplomatic influence in easing armed conflicts in Asia and Africa by disentangling them from the superpower rivalry.
- India also leaned that the UN could not be relied upon to impartially resolve vital security disputes such as Jammu and Kashmir.
- India strove to utilise the UN only to focus on common causes such as anti-colonialism, anti-racism, nuclear disarmament, environment conservation and equitable economic development.
- India seemed to claim the moral high ground by proposing, in 1988 three-phase plan to eliminate nuclear weapons from the surface of earth.
- But it resisted attempts by neighbouring countries to raise bilateral problems.
- Defeat in 1962 war against China meant a definitive redesign of the country’s diplomatic style to privilege bilateral contacts over the third party role by the UN.
Second phase: 1990s
- The 1990s were the most difficult decade for India in the UN.
- The 1990s were marked by the sudden end of the Cold War, the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the emergence of the United States as the unrivalled power.
- Besides, the uncertain political climate along with the balance of payments crisis constrained the country’s capability to be active in various bodies, especially in the Security Council (UNSC) and the General Assembly.
- There was a change in India’s foreign policy: At the UN as India showed pragmatism in enabling the toughest terms on Iraq even after Gulf War or in reversing position on Zionism as racism.
- At the same time, growing militancy in Kashmir in the early 1990s helped Pakistan to internationalise the dispute with accusations about gross human rights violations by India.
- India to seek favours from Iran and China in the Human Rights Commission to checkmate Pakistan.
- The violation of the sovereignty principle by NATO intervention against Yugoslavia in 1999 without the authorisation of the UNSC deeply disturbed India.
- At the same time call for an end to aerial attacks on Yugoslavia did not garner much support in the UNSC.
- India’s diplomatic difficulties was exposed when it suffered a defeat in the hands of Japan in the 1996 contest for a non-permanent seat in the UNSC.
- India resolutely stood against indefinite extension of the Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1995.
- India strongly rejected the backdoor introduction for adoption of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1996.
- It is against this background that India surprised the world in 1998 with its Pokhran nuclear weapon tests, ignoring the likely adverse reaction from the nuclear club.
Third phase: Rise in influence in 21st century
- The impressive economic performance in the first decade of the 21st century due to economic liberalisation and globalisation policies, helped a great deal in strengthening profile.
- This is only aided by its reliable and substantial troop contributions to several peacekeeping operations in African conflict theatres.
- India has emerged as a responsible stakeholder in non-traditional security issue areas such as the spread of small and light weapons, the threat of non-state actors acquiring weapons of mass destruction, and the impact of climate change.
- India has scaled up its contributions to development and humanitarian agencies, while India’s share to the UN assessed budget has registered a hike from 0.34% to 0.83%.
- India’s successful electoral contests for various prestigious slots in the UNSC, the Human Rights Council, the World Court, and functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council indicates its growing popularity
Major unsuccessful initiatives by India
- Two major initiatives India has heavily invested in are stuck:
- 1) The draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism it drafted and revised with the hope of helping consensus.
- It encountered reservations on provisions regarding definition of terrorist and the convention’s application to state armed forces.
- 2) Second is the question of equitable expansion of the UNSC to enable India to attain permanent membership along with other claimants from Asia, Africa and Latin America.
- The move has been stuck for more than 25 years because of a lack of unity among the regional formations.
- It also includes opposition from some 30 middle powers such as Italy and Pakistan which fear losing out to regional rivals in the event of an addition of permanent seats.
- The only realistic possibility seems to settle for a compromise, i.e. a new category of members elected for a longer duration than the present non-permanent members without veto power.
Priorities at the UNSC as a non-permanent member
- India’s future role will depend on its ability to deal economic slowdown and a troubled relationship with China.
- This is pertinent as India will soon begin its two-year term as a non-permanent UNSC member (January 1, 2021).
- Its areas of priority will continue to be the upholding of Charter principles, act against those who support, finance and sponsor terrorists, besides striving for securing due say to the troop contributing countries in the management of peace operations.
- It is reasonable to assume (based on earlier patterns) that India will work for and join in consensus on key questions wherever possible.
- But it may opt to abstain along with other members including one or two permanent members.
Consider the question “Elaborate on the transformation in India’s role at UN. What are the challenges India may face as a non-permanent member of the UNSC”

Conclusion

As a non-permanent UNSC member now, India needs to uphold the Charter principles in the backdrop of a turbulent world.
October 24, 2020
Base Year of CPI- Industrial Workers revised to 2016
The Labour and Employment Ministry has revised the base year of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) from 2001 to 2016.

Why such a move?
- This revision reflects the changing consumption pattern, giving more weightage to spending on health, education, recreation and other miscellaneous expenses while reducing the weight of food and beverages.
What is the Consumer Price Index (CPI)?
- The CPI is a measure that examines the weighted average of prices of a basket of consumer goods and services, such as transportation, food, and medical care.
- It is calculated by taking price changes for each item in the predetermined basket of goods and averaging them. Changes in the CPI are used to assess price changes associated with the cost of living.
- The CPI is one of the most frequently used statistics for identifying periods of inflation or deflation.
- Essentially it attempts to quantify the aggregate price level in an economy and thus measure the purchasing power of a country’s unit of currency.
Types of CPI in India
- CPI in India comprises multiple series classified based on different economic groups.
- There are four series, viz the CPI UNME (Urban Non-Manual Employee), CPI AL (Agricultural Labourer), CPI RL (Rural Labourer) and CPI IW (Industrial Worker).
- While the CPI UNME series is published by the Central Statistical Organisation, the others are published by the Department of Labour.
- From February 2011 the CPI (UNME) released by CSO is replaced as CPI (urban), CPI (rural) and CPI (combined).
How it is different from WPI?
- CPI is different from WPI, or Wholesale Price Index, which measures inflation at the wholesale level.
- While WPI keeps track of the wholesale price of goods, the CPI measures the average price that households pay for a basket of different goods and services.
- WPI measures and tracks the changes in the price of goods before they reach consumers; goods that are sold in bulk and traded between entities or businesses (rather than consumers).
- Even as the WPI is used as a key measure of inflation in some economies, the RBI no longer uses it for policy purposes, including setting repo rates.
- The central bank currently uses CPI or retail inflation as a key measure of inflation to set the monetary and credit policy.
Major components of WPI
- Primary articles are a major component of WPI, further subdivided into Food Articles and Non-Food Articles.
- Food Articles include items such as Cereals, Paddy, Wheat, Pulses, Vegetables, Fruits, Milk, Eggs, Meat & Fish, etc.
- Non-Food Articles include Oil Seeds, Minerals and Crude Petroleum
- The next major basket in WPI is Fuel & Power, which tracks price movements in Petrol, Diesel and LPG
- The biggest basket is Manufactured Goods. It spans across a variety of manufactured products such as Textiles, Apparels, Paper, Chemicals, Plastic, Cement, Metals, and more.
- Manufactured Goods basket also includes manufactured food products such as Sugar, Tobacco Products, Vegetable and Animal Oils, and Fats.
Note: WPI has a sub-index called WPI Food Index, which is a combination of the Food Articles from the Primary Articles basket, and the food products from the Manufactured Products basket.

Now try this PYQ from 2014 CSP:

Q.With reference to India, consider the following statements:
1. The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) in India is available on a monthly basis only
2. As compared to the Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI (IW)), the WPI gives less weight to food articles.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Back2Basics: Base Year
- A base year is the first of a series of years in an economic or financial index. It is typically set to an arbitrary level of 100.
- Any year can serve as a base year, but analysts typically choose recent years. They are periodically revised to keep data current in a particular index.
- A base year is used for comparison in the measure of business activity or economic index.
- For example, to find the rate of inflation between 2013 and 2018, 2013 is the base year or the first year in the time set.
October 24, 2020
Forex Reserves hit a record high
India’s foreign exchange reserves touched a lifetime high of $555.12 billion, according to RBI data.
Aspirants must make a note here:
1. Authority managing FOREX in India
2. Components of FOREX
3. IMF’s SDRs
4. Emergency use of FOREX
What are Forex Reserves?
- Reserve Bank of India Act and the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 set the legal provisions for governing the foreign exchange reserves.
- RBI accumulates foreign currency reserves by purchasing from authorized dealers in open market operations.
- The Forex reserves of India consist of below four categories:
1. Foreign Currency Assets
2. Gold
3. Special Drawing Rights (SDRs)
4. Reserve Tranche Position
- The IMF says official Forex reserves are held in support of a range of objectives like supporting and maintaining confidence in the policies for monetary and exchange rate management including the capacity to intervene in support of the national or union currency.
- It will also limit external vulnerability by maintaining foreign currency liquidity to absorb shocks during times of crisis or when access to borrowing is curtailed.
Where are India’s forex reserves kept?
- The RBI Act, 1934 provides the overarching legal framework for the deployment of reserves in different foreign currency assets and gold within the broad parameters of currencies, instruments, issuers and counterparties.
- As much as 64 per cent of the foreign currency reserves is held in the securities like Treasury bills of foreign countries, mainly the US.
- 28 per cent is deposited in foreign central banks and 7.4 per cent is also deposited in commercial banks abroad.
- In value terms, the share of gold in the total foreign exchange reserves increased from about 6.14 per cent as at end-September 2019 to about 6.40 per cent as at end-March 2020.
Try this PYQ:

Q. Gold tranche(Reserve tranche) refers to (CSP 2020)-

(a) A loan system of World bank

(b) One of the operations of a central bank

(c) A credit system of WTO granted to its members

(d) A credit system granted by IMF to its members

Rising above the 1991 crisis
- Unlike in 1991, when India had to pledge its gold reserves to stave off a major financial crisis, the country can now depend on its soaring Forex reserves to tackle any crisis on the economic front.
- The level of Forex reserves has steadily increased by 8,400 per cent from $5.8 billion as of March 1991 to the current level.
October 24, 2020
Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025
Uttar Pradesh, Tripura, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu will get a vulture conservation and breeding centre each, according to the Action Plan for Vulture Conservation 2020-2025.

Action Plan for Vulture Conservation
- The action plan was approved by the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) October 5, 2020. An earlier one was formulated in 2006 for three years.
- The new plan has laid out strategies and actions to stem the decline in vulture population, especially of the three Gyps species:
1. Oriental white-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
2. Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)
3. Long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus)
Note: These three vulture species were listed by IUCN, in 2000 as ‘Critically Endangered’, which is the highest category of endangerment.
- This would be done through both ex-situ and in-situ conservation.
- The plan has also suggested that new veterinary non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) be tested on vultures before their commercial release. NSAIDS often poisons cattle whose carcasses the birds pray on.
Highlights of the new plan
- A system to automatically remove a drug from veterinary use if it is found to be toxic to vultures, with the help of the Drugs Controller General of India.
- Conservation breeding of red-Headed vultures and Egyptian vultures and the establishment at least one vulture-safe zone in each state for the conservation of the remnant populations in that state.
- Coordinated nation-wide vulture counting, involving forest departments, the Bombay Natural History Society, research institutes, non-profits and members of the public.
- A database on emerging threats to vulture conservation, including collision and electrocution, unintentional poisoning, etc.
Why protect vultures?
- Vultures are often overlooked and perceived as lowly scavengers, but they play a crucial role in the environments in which they live.
- The scavenging lifestyle that gives them a bad reputation is, in fact, that makes them so important for the environment, nature and society.
- Vultures, also known as nature’s cleanup crew, do the dirty work of cleaning up after death, helping to keep ecosystems healthy as they act as natural carcass recyclers.
October 24, 2020
In news: International Labour Organization
After 35 years, India has assumed the Chairmanship of the Governing Body of International Labour Organization (ILO).

Try this PYQ:

Q.The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE), a UN mechanism to assist countries transition towards a greener and more inclusive economies, emerged at:

(a) The Earth Summit on Sustainable Development 2002, Johannesburg

(b) The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development 2012, Rio de Janeiro

(c) The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 2015, Paris

(d) The World Sustainable Development Summit 2016, New Delhi

About the International Labour Organization
- The ILO is a UN agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice through setting international labour standards.
- Founded in 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and oldest specialised agency of the UN.
- The ILO has 187 member states: 186 out of 193 UN member states plus the Cook Islands.
- The ILO’s international labour standards are broadly aimed at ensuring accessible, productive, and sustainable work worldwide in conditions of freedom, equity, security and dignity.
About its Governing Body
- The Governing body is the apex executive body of the ILO which decides policies, programmes, agenda, budget and elects the Director-General.
- It meets three times a year, in March, June and November.
Significance for India
- India will be presiding over the upcoming meeting of the Governing Body to be held in November 2020.
- India would have the opportunity to interact with the senior officials and social partners of the member states.
- It will also provide a platform to apprise participants of the transformational initiatives taken by the Government in removing the rigidities of the labour market.
October 24, 2020
[Burning Issue] Uproar over AP CM’s letter to CJI
The judiciary is weakened by the very act of publication when legal remedies are not accessed. When that happens, ‘We the People’ are the losers.

Andhra Pradesh CM has stirred a hornet’s nest by writing to the Chief Justice of India complaining about a Supreme Court judge for allegedly influencing posting of cases in the State High Court. The alleged Judge is slated to be the next Chief Justice of India, and some judges of the AP High Court has opened the proverbial can of worms. This has led to a tricky situation.

Confronting the judiciary: With alleged Misconduct
- He alleged that some High Court judges are hostile to his government and are deliberately striking down his regime’s decisions and orders.
- In effect, he has accused many judges of misconduct, corruption and political bias.
- Such an open conflict between the judiciary and a Chief Minister is without precedent.
- In view of the above, the CM urged the CJI to consider initiating steps to ensure that the State’s judicial neutrality was maintained.
How are allegations of misconduct against judges dealt with?
- The Constitution protects the independence of judges of the High Courts and the Supreme Court by making them removable only through a long process of impeachment.
- However, not all forms of misconduct will warrant impeachment. There could be other kinds of impropriety too.
- There are times when serious complaints of this sort are received, and the Chief Justice of India (CJI) is called upon to examine them.
- Since 1997, judges have adopted an ‘in-house procedure’ for inquiring into such charges.
Handling the complaint
- The complaint by the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister will have to be examined by the CJI from the perspective of whether it can be rejected as baseless, or it requires a deeper investigation.
- In details annexed to his letter, the CM has cited several writ petitions in which adverse orders were passed against his regime.
- Therefore, a key question would be: do the charges pertain merely to the merits of judicial orders, or are they serious enough to warrant a probe?
Consequences of this Letter

(1) Impacts on Democratic Functioning

The confrontation and mistrust between two the organs of the state are not conducive for the smooth working of democracy.

(2) Politicization of Judiciary

The serious accusation by a sitting CM brings out to the foreground the weakness of Judiciary. Similar kind of charges might be levelled by opposition parties when it comes to power. All this leads to the undue politicization of the sacrosanct Judiciary.

(3) Scandalization of the Courts

Every judgement delivered the judges involved in this controversy will be questioned which is not good even from Institutional perspective. Such type of allegations and counter allegation will create doubts in minds of Public about the ability to get justice from formal system.

(4) Surpassing the limited propriety

The limits of propriety are being stretched, as the allegations have taken distinctly political overtones. It is disturbing enough that some judicial orders are seen in a political light, or lend themselves to such an interpretation. It becomes quite ominous if these charges give rise to open threats and abuse.

(5) Unclear charges

The problem is that allegations of possible judicial bias, which are difficult to establish, are combined with those of misconduct, a serious charge. Regardless of what happens, it may end the recriminations. India can ill-afford a public perception that judges have strong political loyalties.

(6) Public disclosure has led to media trials

The letter and its public disclosure have somehow compromised the dignity and independence of the apex court. This has also interfered with administration of justice and scandalized the court in the eyes of the people by sensationalizing the issue.

(7) A case for constitutional impropriety

Article 121 and Article 211 of the Constitution expressly bar the Parliament and State Legislatures to discuss the conduct of any Judge. The Constitution confers such immunity having regard to the onerous responsibility of judges in discharging constitutional functions. However, it is subject to a decision by the CJI on the touchstone of the applicable contempt laws in the country.

(8) A bigger dilemma

This case is not just about accused judge or the charges levelled against him and his judgements. It is equally about the duty and responsibility of CJI to stand like a shield not only to safeguard the honour and reputation of a brother judge but also to protect the institutional integrity of the highest forum of justice in the land.

A trial of the Judiciary itself
- The Supreme Court has not been immune to serious blows and allegations from within and without. The institution has been more fragile ever since the press conference addressed by four former judges.
- There is a rise in personal attacks through the captive or the social media which can be a devastating weapon of disinformation against a judge who cannot mount a counterattack on the same platform.
- Their aim, more often than not, is not to point out flawed judgments or administrative failures, but rather to weaken the judiciary and bend it to their own narrow interests.
- The attacks have snowballed during the last six years. The courts, strong and invincible as they may look from the outside, have preferred caution rather than aggressive responses.
Why Judiciary must probe the case?

Whether the writing to CJI is in itself wrongdoing or is making it public an act of contempt of the court — may differ. But, the more important question is whether the CJI should examine the matter or just dump it. Here are the five reasons for the CJI to take a serious look into the matter.

(1) Credibility of the Institution

The credibility of the institution of judiciary is of paramount importance. Involved persons are mortals and temporary. But, the institutions are permanent.

(2) Maintaining the Public faith

An open hearing is the character of the adjudication process. Whether the CM’s decision to make his letter to the CJI public is acceptable or not is a different debate altogether. That doesn’t mean his complaint loses its relevance and the obligation of the Supreme Court to inquire into it is annulled.

(3) Every case isn’t an attack on Judiciary

The complaint should not be treated as an attack on the judiciary, as he categorically named the judges in his letter to the CJI. The Constitution of India has envisaged action against judges for judicial ‘misconduct’, according to Article 124(4).

(4) There exists an established mechanism

The Supreme Court announced a mechanism in 2015 for receiving and considering complaints against judges. Any person can complain against the judges. A three-member committee must be constituted. This committee can either reject the complaint; or may recommend to the Parliament to initiate proceedings of impeachment if the contents of the complaint are of very serious nature.

(5) Upholding the Constitution

The judiciary draws its powers from the Constitution and magnificence from the unflinching faith of the people. The CM is a Constitutional Head vested with specific powers and responsibilities. He holds an important constitutional position and that in itself is the basis of the complaint. The CJI should give importance to what was said in the complaint rather than who lodged it.

(6)Test of the grievance redressal mechanism

How the CJI & SC is going to handle this case will set a precedent to deal with the misconduct of Judges in future. If the process is not robust, fair & transparent then the calls for greater executive control on Judiciary will increase to the scale of the pre-NJAC verdict.

The solutions do not lie in token one-rupee fines but in balanced and calibrated action.

Way forward

Since we all have a vested interest in an independent and impartial judiciary, for that effective remedies for judicial misbehaviour must be found.
- It is nobody’s case that the judiciary is immune from the investigation into misbehaviour and misconduct, the question is who has the power and the authority to investigate serious misconduct by a sitting judge.
- Misbehaviour by judges is too serious an issue to experiment with. It needs clear mechanisms of accountability to the general public.
- The right thing would probably be for the honourable CJI to order an inquiry into the letter in accordance with the apex court’s internal procedure.
- Opportunistic attacks on the judiciary must be discouraged. On the other hand, effective remedies for judicial misbehaviour must be found, for which the impeachment is one of the option to consider.
- In a longer run, the judiciary, civil society and the political class must come together on a common platform to devise a systematic approach in which adhocism; favouritism and impunity are kept at an arm’s length.
- There is a need for lawful creation of an arrangement and structure which are fair, impartial, just, constitutional, and safeguard the separation of powers.
Conclusion
- Aspersions and allegations against them ought not to be made lightly for sensationalism without substantive and positive evidence. Nothing short of the faith of the people in the judiciary and the rule of law is at stake.
- A fair, independent judiciary whose integrity is unimpeachable is the bedrock of the Indian democracy, and the CJI must save it by taking up this issue. With the spirit of everyone is equal before the law.
- The Judiciary owes it to its own institutional history to keep its unblemished character supreme and its dignity sacrosanct, as it is an exemplar of democratic values.
References

https://thewire.in/law/andhra-cm-jagan-declares-war-on-justice-ramana-next-in-line-to-be-chief-justice-of-india

https://www.dailyo.in/politics/chief-justice-of-india-andhra-pradesh-high-court-jaganmohan-reddy-justice-nv-ramana/story/1/33759.html

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/after-jagan-letter-to-cji-need-free-judiciary-it-is-for-a-judge-to-withstand-pressure-says-justice-ramana-6762198/

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/unpleasant-spectacle-the-hindu-editorial-on-jagan-mohan-reddys-complaint-against-supreme-court-judge/article32856516.ece

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/the-hindu-explains-what-can-cji-bobde-do-about-charges-levelled-against-judges-by-the-andhra-pradesh-chief-minister/article32883894.ece

https://www.indialegallive.com/column-news/bobdes-burden/
October 24, 2020
Didn’t clear UPSC prelims 2020? This is for you.

The result is out and it has not turned out to be a favorable one! Is this the end? What should be your next move? Just wait, take a pause. We’ve something to talk. Please read below and then we’ll talk.

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.

The quote above is apt for who couldn’t clear the UPSC Prelims 2020 exam. A failing result is devastating. No one expects to fail anything they attempt. Especially after you go in with supreme confidence having studied for months and yet fail somehow in the Prelims. What you do next tells more about yourself than flying through the exam and passing with ease.

But you do not have to worry. Failure is natural; especially in the journey for UPSC success stories. So what do you need to do to cope to bounce back in just 9 months (remember, next Prelims is in 9 months)?

Keys to Getting Back on the Horse:

#1. Failure is feedback. This approach is an agile lifestyle principle. Apply it to your exam results as you do for anything else in your life. Now you know what you need to improve upon. Moderate proficiency requires more mock questions and some further reading. Below proficiency requires a second look as to how you are studying the materials and reviewing your notes. You need to change and find what works for you.

#2. Review Prelims Questions. You must go back and review the answers, especially those you answered incorrectly. Civilsdaily Detailed Answer Key explains as to why the answer is correct or incorrect. Use that explanation to apply to your review. They should give you a result as to which domains you remain strong in and which need improvement.

#3. Don’t Panic! Panicking isn’t going to take you anywhere. Accept that failing an exam is something perfectly normal to happen during your academic life. There are two things you need to know: you’re not alone and you can get a better result. This is just one more obstacle to overcome, one more story to tell, and an experience that will help you do better on the next exam.

#4. Take the time to grieve. First official right of one who has failed UPSC CSE Prelims: the right to grieve! You have a great excuse to take a break and do something like a marathon of your favourite TV series, going out with your friends, drinking a wee bit more than usual, or forgetting about your diet and eating all the chocolate you deserve. But don’t overdo it! One shall not grieve more than 24 hours: life goes on and you have to get back on the bandwagon.

#5. Get things in perspective. After the grief period is over, it’s a good time to get everything in perspective. Just stop for a moment and reflect on what went wrong. Think about what you did and didn’t do during your study period, and ask yourself: “what could I have done differently?” Maybe you should try out different ways to approach your study sessions so that they become more enjoyable and less heavy and boring.

Maybe you did not give enough prelims mock tests. Maybe you’ve procrastinated so much that you didn’t cover every topic you should have; maybe you were afraid of asking for help to understand a particularly difficult issue. What’s important here is to get to the core of the problem and figure out what you’re going to do differently when you retake the exam.

#6. Get help if you need it. Don’t feel embarrassed about asking for help. It’s a way of showing you want to understand something and don’t take pride in staying ignorant.

Talk to your guru, ask your friends to organise a study group, or simply fill our Samanvaya form and we will talk with you. We all need help sometimes!

#7. Plan for success. If you are going for it again and doing resits and retaking classes, then identify your weak spots and have a plan in place to focus on upping your game. Identify the mistakes you made in the last attempt. It can be because you did not do enough revisions; it might be because you did not attempt enough prelims mock tests; it might be because you gave a certain subject less priority; it may be because of the pandemic effects; it might be plain simple luck of 1-2 marks in the end. But whatever it is, you have to make sure that you do not commit them again and face UPSC Prelims 2021 with better planning and approach.

#8. Do it for yourself and not for other people. Given that UPSC Prelims can be such a public thing I often have to remind my mentees that they should first and foremost take the exams and tests for themselves. Too much worrying about what other people might think or say, or trying to do it to prove your worth is a highway to massive amounts of unnecessary and unhelpful stress. If you thrive under such pressure, great, keep doing it, but if you are someone that crumbles under the weight of such responsibility, a shift in mindset and focus might be required.

#9. It can be fun once you get into the flow of it. I have a senior who took my various doubts sessions. When asked how he likes to relax his reply was that was epic: “No matter how good things are in other parts of your life such as family, social life, and relationships, UPSC CSE Preparation is a major part of your life, and not to be neglected. Since for now, you have chosen to be in the preparation that you are in, it is up to you for the time being to make the most of what you do. Of course in the long term, you can either change your plan and embark on a new career. But for now, you can get to love more of what you do right now.” So do not let the failure of last Sunday affect your overall outlook towards UPSC preparation.

#10. (For So-Called Veterans) Do not postpone your preparation as you do not have 12 months. And this is the most important message for people who have faced failures in prelims multiple times. Next Prelims is in 9 months. You do not have your traditional 364 days wait for the next prelims. Therefore it does not makes sense to wait for WINTERS TO COME (like Whitewalkers) to think about strategy every month!!! I have seen people postponing their preparation each month and eventually it is after Diwali festivities when they get back on the table!!! Or they keep changing resources, timetable etc. By then your half a year is already gone and you are in the same mode as that of last year: “Should I focus on Prelims (as it has been your sore point) or should I go for Mains cum Prelims approach”.

They are neither here nor there and committing the same mistakes every year. Just never postpone your preparations. Keep it simple.

Here’s the sad truth. A lot of people sort of let UPSC Preparation “happen” to them. They let their past failures and wrong decisions dictate the course of their futures. Don’t be one of those people. There are very few failures that can completely prevent you from adapting and retrying. As long as you don’t give up, the vast majority of failures will simply make you smarter and more resilient in the future.

“The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive.”
J.K. Rowling on Failure, during a speech at Harvard University in 2008

Prelims failure is not the end. Rather, it’s a source of insight. If you don’t like where your failures have gotten you, then learn from them and retry smartly. If UPSC Prelims 2020 was Apollo Creed then you have to become Rocky Balboa in 2021!

Fill Samanvaya form and let us discuss what your next course of action should be:

Talk to senior mentors from Civilsdaily : Click here and fill Samanvaya form for IAS 2021

We will call you within 24 hours. We are in it together now.

October 23, 2020
UPSC 2020 Prelims Result released | Link inside

Dear students,

UPSC has released the result for Prelims CSE 2020 exam. Congratulations to those who have their names in the pdf, Let us gear up for mains. For those who could not make the cut, don’t get disheartened, fill the Samanvaya form (Link below) for guidance on what should be your next strategy.

The link for results are given below:

CIVIL SERVICES (PRELIMINARY) EXAMINATION, 2020

https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/WR-CSP-20-231020-Engl-F.pdf

CSP-2020 Download

INDIAN FOREST SERVICE (MAIN) EXAMINATION, 2020

https://www.upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/WR-IFSP-20-231020-Engl-F.pdf

IFSP-2020 Download

Fill Samanvaya form and let us discuss what your next course of action should be:

Talk to senior mentors from Civilsdaily : Click here and fill Samanvaya form for IAS 2021

We will call you within 24 hours.

October 23, 2020

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