GS Paper 1: Geography
Q.1) What do you understand by the phenomenon of temperature inversion in meteorology? How does it affect the weather and the habitants of the place?
Temperature inversion, is a reversal of the normal behavior of temperature in the troposphere, in which a layer of cool air at the surface is overlain by a layer of warmer air. (Under normal conditions, temperature usually decreases with height).
Ideal Conditions For Temperature Inversion:
- Long nights, so that the outgoing radiation is greater than the incoming radiation.
- Clear skies, which allow unobstructed escape of radiation.
- Calm and stable air, so that there is no vertical mixing at lower levels.
Effects:
- Inversions play an important role in determining cloud forms, precipitation, and visibility.
- An inversion acts as a cap on the upward movement of air from the layers below. As a result, convection produced by the heating of air from below is limited to levels below the inversion. Diffusion of dust, smoke, and other air pollutants is likewise limited.
- In regions where a pronounced low-level inversion is present, convective clouds cannot grow high enough to produce showers.
- Visibility may be greatly reduced below the inversion due to the accumulation of dust and smoke particles. Because air near the base of an inversion tends to be cool, fog is frequently present there.
- Inversions also affect diurnal variations in temperature. Diurnal variations tend to be very small.
GS paper 2: Polity & Governance
Q.2) In the light of recent Gorakhpur tragedy, Discuss the Key problems faced by the rural health sector in India. Also suggest measures for improvement.
Source: https://www.civilsdaily.com/op-ed-snap-on-rural-indias-health-systems-the-health-checklist/
Introduction:
- Health is of utmost importance for individual growth, community growth which contributes ultimately to the growth of the nation. Since Independence, India has achieved several milestones in health sector. However, rapidly increasing population and event of new diseases being discovered is shattering our health care sector. The most vulnerabilities are being faced in Rural areas where the facilities are less or not at all available.
Below discussed are some problems which our health sector is facing (Mostly Rural):
- The rural healthcare infrastructure is three-tiered and includes a sub-center, primary health centre (PHC) and CHC. PHCs are short of more than 3,000 doctors, with the shortage up by 200 per cent over the last 10 years to 27,421.
- While the private sector dominates healthcare delivery across the country, a majority of the population living below the poverty line (BPL) — the ability to spend Rs 47 per day in urban areas, Rs 32 per day in rural areas — continues to rely on the under-financed and short-staffed public sector for its healthcare needs, as a result of which these remain unmet.
- India’s existing infrastructure is just not enough to cater to the growing demand. Only 31.5% of hospitals and 16% of hospital beds are situated in rural areas where 75% of total population resides.
- Moreover, the majority of healthcare professionals happen to be concentrated in urban areas where consumers have higher paying power, leaving rural areas underserved.
- The tribal community is fighting hard against the health problems. The Under-5 mortality among the tribals is more than any other community in India.
- The health system of India depends almost on imported western models. It has no roots in the culture and tradition of the people. It is mostly service based on urban hospitals. This has been at the cost of providing comprehensive primary health care to all. Otherwise speaking, it has completely neglected preventive, pro-motive, rehabilitative and public health measures.
- In India shortage of medical personnel like doctors, a nurse etc. is a basic problem in the health sector. In 1999-2000, while there were only 5.5 doctors per 10,000 population in India, the same is 25 in the USA and 20 in China. Similarly the number of hospitals and dispensaries is insufficient in comparison to our vast population.
- The lowest budgetary allocations as a proportion of Gross Domestic Product (1.6%) are a serious concern on the part of the government.
There are, however, potential catalysts to improve the quality of healthcare in India which are as follows:
- Budgetary allocation should be increased with effective implementation of programs and policies and special focus should be given to rural areas for improving healthcare infrastructure.
- Watchdog machinery should be strengthened to have a strict vigilance on the implementation of programmes and policies and also to make health workers responsible and accountable to the people.
- Better infrastructure, modern equipments and facilities should be made available at rural hospitals. Doctors and Medical Personals should be given incentives for working in rural areas. At least two or three years timing should be made mandatory for Doctors to serve in rural areas.
- Medical research in the country needs to be focused on drugs and vaccines for tropical diseases which are normally neglected by international pharmaceutical companies on account of their limited profitability potential.
- Integrated approach with the help of AYUSH health outlets should be established at each hospital to tackle the diseases.
- Periodic study of epidemics and high level of facilities should be brought specially in rural areas to deal with the repeated illness and new invented diseases.
Conclusion:
- Use of Information Technologies can be promoted with effective communication with the rural areas.
- Recently launched ICT initiatives are good on this ground such as computer and mobile-phone based e-health and m-health initiatives: Swastha Bharat mobile application for information on diseases, symptoms, treatment, health alerts and tips; ANMOL-ANM online tablet application for health workers, e-RaktKosh (a blood-bank management information system) and India Fights Dengue.
- The government’s National Innovation Council, which is mandated to provide a platform for collaboration amongst healthcare domain experts, stakeholders and key participants, should encourage a culture of innovation in India and help develop policy on innovations that will focus on an Indian model for inclusive growth.
GS Paper 3: Indian Economy
Q.3) Critically examine the key features of the recently released New metro policy?
Source:
http://indianexpress.com/article/what-is/what-is-the-new-metro-policy-4801052/
http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/editorials/going-off-track-ppp-delhi-metro-rail-projects-4801809/
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/nowhere-in-the-world-has-ppp-in-metro-rail-fully-succeeded-says-e-sreedharan-4799989/
A good, reliable transportation system is a must to make a city livable and for its economic growth. Metro rail is one of the most reliable urban transport systems today. China is galloping way ahead at 300 km of metro rail every year. But in India, all 12 such projects put together, only 20-25 km of new Metro rail is opened every year. In the backdrop of the above, the new Metro Rail Policy focuses on giving clarity on development of projects, collaborations, participation, standardizing norms, financing and creating a procurement mechanism so that the projects can be implemented effectively.
The important features of the new Metro Policy are:
- Metro rail projects will be approved and aided by the Central government only if there is private participation and the projects ensures last-mile connectivity for commuters.
- The policy allows respective states to formulate rules and regulations and it empowers them to establish permanent fare fixation authorities.
- The projects will now be cleared on the basis of best practice of economic internal rate of return of 14%, as contrary to current financial internal rate of return of 8%.
- The three models outlined in the policy are PPP with Central assistance, grant by Centre (whereby 10% of metro project cost by the Central government) and 50-50% equity sharing model taken between the Centre and state.
Apprehensions about the new Metro policy:
- The PPP model for metro rail: The construct and maintain PPP model with mandatory private investment for metro rail has been a failure across the globe as remarked by E Sreedharan.
- The capital-intensive nature of such projects does not allow private players to get a return on their investments unless they hike their fares steeply. PPP in India was tried out in Mumbai, Hyderabad, and the Airport line of Delhi. All three are a failure.
- The Centre is trying to reduce its role in financing and put the entire burden on the state governments through the new policy.
- This entails that the states will now have to come up with innovative ways to raise funds through means like value capture finance tools.
- They will also have to issue corporate bonds for metro projects for enabling low-cost debt capital.
- One of the key aspects of the policy is the last mile connectivity which requires the government to provide feeder services like feeders, walkways, pathways and para- transport means.
As Indian cities expand, the metro will be an important constituent of the transport mix. The government will do well to learn from past successes and failures in planning for this mode of transport. The JV model, with funding from the Centre and states, has worked very well so far. Metro is way more capital-intensive as it requires everything from land acquisition to civil works, signaling, and rolling stock. The government has to ensure affordable public transport and hence it must invest in it.
GS Paper 4: Ethics & integrity
Q.4) India is a country of traditions and festivals having their roots in religion. The District Magistrate along with the Superintendent of Police of the district is supposed to take care of law and order, safety and security of large number of people assembling at such occasions to celebrate. In such a gathering people throng on the river banks for holy bath, competitive burning of the crackers and approaching the deities in a temple from close proximity which often leads to confusion and chaos and sometimes big accidents.
A festival is being organized on a large scale in a big temple in your area. After hearing cases of stampede at religious places and the increasing number of casualities in such cases you are worried about the situation. So you decide to make a prehanded preparedness in order to come out of the situation.
Present a brief map of action and programmes which must be put in place before the day of celebration so that celebration is managed without any obstruction and untoward event.
Answer Structure:
Today, the religious places have been important areas which witness a large crowd on various occasions. So maintaining law and order and ensuring safety and security of people is important. The organisers of such events should be more responsible and accountable. Tradition or not, they must be made to follow the rules and make fool-proof arrangement for every festive gathering which draws huge crowds. Preparation cannot simply be perfunctory; it involves human lives. The devotees and visitors should also be made aware of basic precautions.
Those involved in administration must also ensure that pre-hand preparedness is carried out. There must be proper planning to ensure the safety of people. The preparations which must be put into place to manage the celebration without any untoward happening can be discussed as:
- Every civil servant in bigger responsibility must learn fast about the demography, culture and tradition of the particular region where s/he is posted.
- S/he should keep a ready reference to calendar of events that may be happening according to according to the culture and tradition of the area.
iii. Before any event takes place with high mass turn out, the civil servant should prepare a plan for (a) law and order (b) transport and communication (c ) shelter and stay (d) safety and security (e) preparedness for accident, disaster or any other untoward event.
- Coordination between different government departments that may be involved for smooth celebration of cultural or traditional event.
- To understand the events or celebration being organized and make preparations better for them the civil servant in charge should involve the stake holders in advance and develop a system where the government agencies and civil society work in tandem for success of the events.
- Last but not the least; nothing should be permitted in the name of culture and tradition which causes a big threat to life and property of the people.
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