The US Navy Friday carried out a ‘full ship shock trial’ on its newest and most advanced nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to ensure its hardness was capable of withstanding battle conditions.
What is a Full Ship Shock Trial (FSST)?
During World War II, American warships suffered severe damage from enemy mines and torpedoes that had actually missed their target, but exploded underwater in close proximity.
The US Navy has since worked to improve the shockproofing of their ship systems to minimize damage from such “near miss” explosions.
In FSSTs, an underwater explosive charge is set off near an operational ship, and system and component failures are documented.
The FSST probes whether the components survive shock in their environment on the ship; it probes the possibilities of system failures, and large components that could not be otherwise tested.
Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) programme has been recently launched.
TIWB Program
TIWB is a joint initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
India was chosen as the Partner Jurisdiction and has provided the Tax Expert for this programme.
It aims to aid Bhutan in strengthening its tax administration by transferring technical know-how and skills to its tax auditors, and through sharing of best audit practices.
The focus of the programme will be in the area of International Taxation and Transfer Pricing.
This programme is another milestone in the continued cooperation between India and Bhutan and India’s continued and active support for South-South cooperation.
The Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology has further liberalized the guidelines for Other Service Providers (OSPs).
Do you remember quaternary and quinary sectors of Economy from NCERTs?
What are OSPs?
These entities are business process outsourcing (BPO) organizations giving Voice based services, in India and abroad.
The term Business Process Outsourcing or BPO as it is popularly known, refers to outsourcing in all fields.
A BPO service provider usually administers and manages a particular business process for another company.
BPOs either use new technology or apply an existing technology in a new way to improve a particular business process.
India is currently the number one destination for business process outsourcing, as most companies in the US and UK outsource IT-related business processes to Indian service providers.
Main features of the liberalized guidelines
Distinction between Domestic and International OSPs has been removed. A BPO centre with common Telecom resources will now be able to serve customers located worldwide including in India.
EPABX (Electronic Private Automatic Branch Exchange) of the OSP can be located anywhere in the world. OSPs apart from utilising EPABX services of the Telecom Service Providers can also locate their EPABX at third Party Data Centres in India.
With the removal of the distinction between Domestic and International OSP centres, the interconnectivity between all types of OSP centres is now permitted.
Remote Agents of OSP can now connect directly with the Centralised EPABX/ EPABX of the OSP/ EPABX of the customer using any technology including Broadband over wireline/ wireless.
No restriction for data interconnectivity between any OSP centres of same company or group company or any unrelated company.
Deflation. A recent (2014) study found substantial deflationary pressures from Japan’s ageing populationThe article argues that a decline in population is not always as worrisome as it is made to be.
Declining fertility rate
China’s fertility rate of 1.3 children per woman in 2020 is well below replacement level, but so, too, are fertility rates in every rich country.
In all developed economies, fertility rates fell below replacement in the 1970s or 1980s and have stayed there.
In India, more prosperous states have fertility rates below replacement level, with only the poorer states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh still well above.
And while the national rate in 2018 was still 2.2, the Indian National Family Health Survey finds that Indian women would like to have, on average, 1.8 children.
In all prosperous countries where women are well educated and free to choose whether and when to have children, fertility rates fall significantly below replacement levels.
If those conditions spread across the world, the global population will eventually decline.
Is the declining population good or bad for the economy
A pervasive conventional bias assumes that population decline must be a bad thing.
But while absolute economic growth is bound to fall as populations stabilise and then decline, it is the income per capita that matters for prosperity and economic opportunity.
It is true that when populations no longer grow, there are fewer workers per retiree, and healthcare costs rise as a percent of GDP.
But that is offset by the reduced need for infrastructure and housing investment to support a growing population.
A stable and eventually falling global population would make it easier to cut greenhouse-gas emissions to avoid climate change, and alleviate the pressure that growing populations inevitably place on biodiversity and fragile ecosystems.
And contracting workforces create stronger incentives for businesses to automate while driving up real wages, which, unlike absolute economic growth, are what really matter to ordinary citizen.
In a world where technology enables us to automate ever more jobs, the far bigger problem is too many potential workers, not too few.
Even when the Indian economy grows rapidly, its highly productive “organised sector” of about 80 million workers, fails to create additional jobs.
Growth in the potential workforce simply swells the huge “informal sector” army of unemployed and underemployed people.
So, when declining populations turns to be a problem?
Fertility rates far below replacement level create significant challenges, and China may well be heading in that direction.
At those rates, population decline will be precipitate rather than gradual.
If Korea’s (fertility rate 1.09) birth rate does not rise, its population could fall from 51 million today to 27 million by 2100, and the ratio of retirees to workers will reach levels that no amount of automation can offset.
Conclusion
The average fertility rates well below replacement level in all developed countries, and, over time, gradually falling populations. The sooner that is true worldwide, the better for everyone.
Suppose you started reading Laxmikant to prepare for questions on Indian Constitution.
What do you do? You read through it, answer the questions in the book, and gradually complete the syllabus.
What do you do next? You pick up mock questions and try solving them.
While solving the question paper, you realise that you have missed some points. What do you do then? You go back to Laxmikant and read that chapter again.
Now, this is not a one time thing. Every time you discover that you have missed a concept or cannot solve a particular question, you go back to the book and read it again. Basically, you spend a lot of time reading the same material over and over again without feeling confident that you will definitely solve the questions. Is this the smart way of preparing for your exams or could there be a better way?
And you are not alone. Most of the students do the same thing and waste a lot of time and effort in reading the same things without feeling completely confident about it. Would it not be better if you could spend this time on reading some other material or preparing for your optional subject? Wouldn’t it be better if you read the syllabus once or maybe twice and felt confident about it?
What if we tell you that you can gain absolute mastery over the subject, not only constitution but all of them, without going through the same material multiple times? What if we tell you that there is a better way, a smarter way?
So, what is the smarter way?
We spoke with hundreds of aspirants who have cracked the exam and they revealed the secret that helped them succeed. The secret was ‘discussion.’
In fact, every aspirant who has succeeded will tell you that they engaged with their peers and mentors in numerous discussions to understand the topics comprehensively. Successful aspirants will tell you that they got a comprehensive understanding of the topics by participating in thorough discussions with other aspirants.
Why do they do this?
Engaging in discussions helped these successful candidates in clearing their doubts. It helped them get a broader perspective on the subject and it helped them find new ways of answering questions without having to read the same material over and over again.
They learned through conversations!
How can you do the same?
Well, at Habitat, we have highly focused aspirants engaging in thorough discussions on the most relevant topics, everyday. They are guided by experienced mentors who engage in the conversation and keep it concentrated on the topic. We make sure that every aspirant on Habitat learns at their own pace but in an efficient manner.
The aspirants in our clubs get the following benefits:
Completion of the syllabus? No problem
Intense revision? Done
Detailed discussion? Of course
Answer writing practice? Yes
A focused approach to studies? Indeed
Doubt clearing? Obviously
We make sure that you have everything that you need to succeed!
All you need to do is give it a shot! So, go ahead and try out one of our clubs. Or just speak with us for free!
We promise that you will find learning much easier and feel more confident going for your exam.
Click on the link provided to experience our Mentorship through a free mentorship call and as added bonus you can also get FREE ‘Art of Tikdam’ Handbook by Dr Vipin Garg (UPSC Rank 20) on your registered email.
The preliminary Stage is the first step to your LBSNAA dream. More than 5 lakh candidates appear for prelims every year. But only 10,000 to 13,000 students make it for Mains. This stage is known for its BRUTAL ELIMINATION.
Many toppers have struggled with prelims !! Even the level of questions in prelims have been raised by UPSC – It is becoming more tricky, less factual, and more conceptual.
WHAT IS THE BEST STRATEGY FOR PRELIMS?
Never forget your basics.
Revision: Your static syllabus should be revised at least 2-3 times before you sit for your prelims paper. Make no mistake of thinking that only current affairs can help you sail through the examination. The static portion has its own importance, don’t ignore it.
Attempt UPSC previous year paper: It is a crime if you go for prelims paper without attempting the last 10 years UPSC prelims papers, Period
Attempt Mock Tests: More mocks means more practice, more revisions, and fewer mistakes on the D – Day.
If you are secure with these basic steps then what’s next?
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO TO SECURE PRELIMS?
Mentorship: Mentorship can help you prepare more efficiently for prelims. Both 2021 and 2022 students can benefit from Mentorship.
For 2021students, the prelims is within 3.5 months. You still have 1 month, where you can plan and strategize for prelims. Our mentors can gauge your level of preparation, help you with your doubts and suggest the last-minute MUST preparatory tools for prelims.
For 2022 students, it is important that you start on the right path. Get in contact with our mentorship program to take benefits of customized schedule, on-call doubt resolutions, and weekly calls for performance evaluation.
Click on the link provided to experience our Mentorship through a free mentorship call and as added bonus you can also get FREE ‘Art of Tikdam’ Handbook on your registered email.
Tikdam: UPSC is an intelligent test taker. It not only wants to test your comprehension (of syllabus) but also your ability to perform under pressure (& lack of information). How would you solve a “factual” question which gives an illusion of the necessity of “rote-learning”? By ensuring that your core fundamentals are strong and then using the Art of Tikdams to go for the best approximation among the answer choices!
We have been hammering on the importance of logical thinking and the art of Tikdam along with sound preparation as essential ingredients to clear prelims examination for quite some time now.
Make no mistake, this is a GOLDMINE of practical wisdom.
Click on the link provided to experience our Mentorship through a free mentorship call and as added bonus you can also get FREE ‘Art of Tikdam’ Handbook on your registered email.
This is an advanced level compilation on choicest IAS Prelims questions, penned down by Vipin Garg, AIR 20 (CSE 2015).
These 20 pages contain elaborate expositions on the application of what we at Civilsdaily refer to as TIKDAMS.
With 19 questions & unique explanations using the 3 types of Tikdam approaches, we present to you this unprecedented piece of literature in the history of IAS Prelims Approach Methodology.
Mock Interviews at Civilsdaily form a crucial part of UPSC interview preparation. The quality and diversity of the panel help prepare an aspirant for the actual interview at UPSC.
Aspirants have benefited greatly from the mock interview and the feedback they get from the panel members after their mock interview. At the same time, we work with the aspirants to improve upon the areas highlighted by the panel.
Upcoming Mock interview and session
This week’s mock interview dates have been fixed.
Mock interview this week- 27th June onwards(Book your slot)
Aspirants will also get a personalized DAF-based questionnaire based on extensive research and linkages with the issues of national and international importance.
DAF questionnaire
Detailed Application Form (DAF) is one of the most important documents that you might have filled for UPSC interviews. A major part of the interview will revolve around the information and details provided in the DAF. It is more than your CV.
Your ability to defend your DAF before the panel is going to decide your success. Anticipating and preparing for the questions based on your DAF is an essential part of the interview preparation.
If the state of the Indian economy is to be repaired, we need to meticulously count the number of the poor and to prioritise them.
The World Bank $2-a-day poverty line might be inadequate but it would be a start and higher than the last line proposed by the C. Rangarajan committee.
A survey in 2013 had said India stood at 99 among 131 countries, and with a median income of $616 per annum, it was the lowest among BRICS and fell in the lower-middle-income country bracket.
Since 2013 three important data points have made it clear that the state of India’s poor needs to be acknowledged if India is to be lifted.
The first being, the fall in the monthly per capita consumption expenditure of 2017-18 for the first time since 1972-73.
Second is the fall of India in the Global Hunger Index to ‘serious hunger’ category.
Third, health census data or the recently concluded National Family Health Survey or NFHS-5, which had worrying markers of increased malnutrition, infant mortality and maternal health.
A fourth statistic, Bangladesh bettering India’s average income statistics, must also be a reason for Indians to introspect.
Increase in number of poor in India
In 2019, the global Multidimensional Poverty Index reported that India lifted 271 million citizens out of poverty between 2006 and 2016.
Since then, the International Monetary Fund, Hunger Watch, SWAN and several other surveys show a decided slide.
In March, the Pew Research Center with the World Bank data estimated that ‘the number of poor in India, on the basis of an income of $2 per day or less in purchasing power parity, has more than doubled to 134 million from 60 million in just a year due to the pandemic-induced recession’.
In 2020, India contributed 57.3% of the growth of the global poor.
This has thrown a spanner in the so far uninterrupted battle against poverty since the 1970s.
Urgent solutions are needed within, and the starting point of that would be only when we know how many are poor.
Debate on the poverty line
In 2011, the Suresh Tendulkar Committee report at a ‘line’ of ₹816 per capita per month for rural India and ₹1,000 per capita per month for urban India, calculated the poor at 25.7% of the population.
The anger over the 2011 conclusions, led to the setting up of the C. Rangarajan Committee.
In 2014, C. Rangarajan Committee estimated that the number of poor were 29.6%, based on persons spending below ₹47 a day in cities and ₹32 in villages.
The National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector in 2004, had concluded that 836 million Indians still remained marginalised.
The Commission’s conclusion was ignored — that 77% of India was marginalised — emphasising that it was a problem of a much bigger magnitude, than the figure of 25.7% conveyed.
Why counting the poor matters?
1) Helps in forming public opinion
Knowing the numbers and making them public makes it possible to get public opinion to support massive and urgent cash transfers.
The world outside India has moved onto propose high fiscal support, as economic rationale and not charity.
In India too, a dramatic reorientation would get support only once numbers are honestly laid out.
2) It helps in evaluating success of policies
Recording the data helps to evaluate all policies on the basis of whether they meet the needs of the majority.
Is a policy such as bank write-offs of loans amounting to ₹1.53-lakh crore last year, which helped corporates overwhelmingly, beneficial to the vast majority?
This would be possible to transparently evaluate only when the numbers of the poor are known and established.
3) Helps in addressing the concerns of real majority
If government data were to honestly account for the exact numbers of the poor, it may be more realistic to expect the public debate to be conducted on the concerns of the real majority.
Such data would also help in creating a climate that demands accountability from public representatives.
4) To gauge the rising inequality
India has clocked a massive rise in the market capitalisation and the fortunes of the richest Indian corporates, even as millions of Indians have experienced a massive tumble into poverty.
To say that the stock market and the Indian economy are ‘not related’ is ingenuous.
Indians must have the right to question whether there is a connection and if the massive rise in riches is not coincidental, but at the back of the misery of millions of the poor.
If billionaire lists are evaluated in detail and reported upon, the country cannot shy away from counting its poor.
Conclusion
The massive slide into poverty in India that is clear in domestic and international surveys and anecdotal evidence must meet with an institutional response.
Any serious UPSC aspirant will tell you that this is one of the most difficult exams in the world. The syllabus is vast, the questions are unpredictable, and the pressure is difficult to bear. Studying for this exam can become overwhelming. And due to the extreme stress of succeeding in this exam, aspirants end up making mistakes that are easily avoidable.
We know that it is only human to make mistakes but as a UPSC aspirant, can you really afford to?
We spoke to hundreds of candidates who have cracked this exam and are successful civil servants now, and they all revealed that the key to their success was avoiding these 3 extremely common mistakes:
Trying To Study Everything – This is a mistake most aspirants make. They try to study everything possible and end up feeling overwhelmed, tired, and confused. Smart aspirants learn from experienced mentors and their peers about what to study and what to avoid.
Remember: You do not need to study everything!
Studying Alone – When you study alone, you develop only one perspective on any topic. When you speak with your peers, discuss topics with other aspirants, and debate relevant topics, you develop a comprehensive understanding of the subject. This improves your retention abilities and your answers become rich with facts.
Remember: Learn from your peers, it improves your command on the subject.
Being Inconsistent – Most candidates study intensely for a month and then start slacking. They get tired, confused, overwhelmed, and even bored sometimes. And once they start slacking, it becomes very difficult to concentrate again. Successful candidates, however, become a part of groups or clubs that keeps them focused. They don’t study in isolation but join a group that supports them intellectually and motivates them. That’s how they succeed!
Remember: Become a part of a club that supports you, motivates you, and keeps you focused.
These 3 mistakes are easily avoidable and as a serious candidate, you should be focused on finding mentors who can guide you well, finding groups with other serious candidates, and joining clubs that will help you stay on track.
It’s easy to find all of these on Habitat, and once you find them, your preparation will transform overnight! We promise!
The article compares India with China in terms of soft-power both countries exert based on the measures produced by Lowy Institute in Australia.
What is soft power?
Joseph Nye, who gave us the notion of soft power, suggests that it consists of foreign policy, cultural and political influence.
Foreign policy influence comes from the legitimacy and morality of one’s dealings with other countries.
Cultural influence is based on others’ respect for one’s culture.
Political influence is how much others are inspired by one’s political values.
Soft power is difficult to measure.
The Lowy Institute in Australia has produced various measures which correspond roughly to foreign policy influence, cultural influence and political influence.
1) India’s foreign policy influence
In diplomatic influence, overall, India ranks sixth and China ranks first among 25 Asian powers.
On networks, India nearly matches China in the number of regional embassies it has but is considerably behind in the number of embassies worldwide (176 to 126).
Multilaterally, India matches China in terms of regional memberships, but, crucially, its contributions to the UN capital budget are completely dwarfed by Chinese contributions (11.7 per cent to 0.8 per cent of the total).
In surveys of foreign policy leadership, ambition, and effectiveness, China ranks first or fourth on four measures while India ranks between fourth and sixth in Asia.
2) Cultural influence
Lowy’s overall measure of cultural influence ranks India in fourth place and China in second place in Asia.
Cultural influence is then divided into three elements, of which “cultural projection” and “information flows” are the most important.
In cultural projection, India scores better on Google searches abroad of its newspapers and its television/radio broadcasts.
India also exports more of its “cultural services” defined as “services aimed at satisfying cultural interests or needs”.
China does better on several other indicators.
For instance, India has only nine brands in the list of the top 500 global brands whereas China lists 73.
On the number of UNESCO World Heritage sites, India has 37 while China has 53.
Respect for the Indian passport also lags.
Chinese citizens can travel visa-free to 74 countries while Indians can only do so to 60.
In terms of information flows, in 2016–17, India hosted a mere 24,000 Asian students in tertiary education institutions whereas China hosted 2,25,000.
On total tourist arrivals from all over the world, India received 17 million, while China received 63 million.
3) Political influence
In 2017 the two were not ranked that far apart in political influence.
The governance effectiveness index shows India scoring in the top 43 per cent countries worldwide and ranked 12th and China scoring in the top 32 per cent and ranked 10th.
On “political stability and absence of violence/terrorism”, India ranked 21st, and China ranked 15th.
Consider the question “What do you understand by the term soft-power? How would you assess India’s soft-power potential in terms of various parameters?”
Conclusion
Soft-power theorists suggest that the ability to persuade rests on the power of attraction. We in India may think we are more attractive than China. The numbers show otherwise.
