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  • Virtual human’ NEON

    NEONs are being called the world’s first artificial humans. They look and behave like real humans, and could develop memories and emotions — though from behind a 4K display.

    NEON

    • Star Labs is headed by India-born scientist Pranav Mistry who underlines that what was showcased at CES was the product of just four months’ work.
    • The company says NEONs are computationally created virtual humans — the word derives from NEO (new) + humaN.
    • For now, the virtual humans can show emotions when manually controlled by their creators.
    • But the idea is for NEONs to become intelligent enough to be fully autonomous, showing emotions, learning skills, creating memories, and being intelligent on their own.
    • Star Labs thinks they can be “friends, collaborators, and companions”, but all that is a few years away.

    How does it work?

    There are two core technologies behind his virtual humans.

    • First, there is the proprietary CORE R3 technology that drives the “reality, real time and responsiveness” behind NEONs.
    • It is the front-end reality engine that is able to give you that real expression.
    • The company claims CORE R3 “leapfrogs in the domains of Behavioral Neural Networks, Evolutionary Generative Intelligence and Computational Reality”, and is “extensively trained” on how humans look, behave and interact.
    • But in the end, it is like a rendition engine, converting the mathematical models to look like actual humans.
    • The next stage will be SPECTRA, which will complement CORE R3 with the “spectrum of intelligence, learning, emotions and memory”.
    • But SPECTRA is still in development, and is not expected before NEONWORLD 2020 later this year.

    How could NEONs be used?

    • NEONs are the interface for technologies and services.
    • They could answer queries at a bank, welcome you at a restaurant, or read out the breaking news on television at an unearthly hour.
    • This form of virtual assistance would be more effective, for example, while teaching languages, as NEONs will be capable of understanding and sympathizing.

    How are they different from Virtual Assistants?

    • Virtual Assistants now learn from all the data they are plugged into. NEONs will be limited to what they know and learn.
    • Their leaning could potentially be limited to the person they are catering to, and maybe her friends — but not the entire Internet.
    • They will not be an interface for you to request a song, rather they will be a friend to speak to and share experiences with.
    • Currently, its developer doesn’t want NEONs to have collective memory, or to share data among themselves.

  • How IAS Aspirants Can Ensure Perfect Memory Part- 2

     

    A good memory is a prerequisite for performing well in not just CSE, but also in almost every other part of life. This video discusses how IAS aspirants can make their memory stronger and sharper.

    NOTE: Want to speak to a mentor at Civilsdaily for your IAS Prep queries? Please fill out this form, we will call you back [Click2Fill]

  • 14th January 2020| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement

    The topics covered in the upcoming AWE on 15th January are:

    Q.1) Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone, etc.

    Q.4) Concept of public service; Philosophical basis of governance and probity.

     

    Question 1)

    Cotton textile industry in India is highly decentralized. Analyze the factors for this decentralization? (15 Marks)

    Question 2)

    Whether the ‘anti-exclusion principle’ expounded in the Sabarimala verdict can be a better alternative to the ‘essential practice’ doctrine in balancing the religious freedom with the individual’s rights. Examine. (15 Marks)

    Question 3)

    ‘While seemingly underdogs in the Indian financial markets, NBFCs punched above their weight in destabilising the Indian economy’. In light of the above statement examine the role of NBFCs in the Indian economy. Also, explain the reasons for the recent crisis they are facing and the role of Credit Rating Agencies in the crisis. (15 Marks)

    Question 4)

    Critically examine the importance of ethics in international relations and elucidate with suitable illustrations. (15 Marks)

    Reviews will be provided in a week. (In the order of submission- First come first serve basis). In case the answer is submitted late the review period may get extended to two weeks.

    *In case your answer is not reviewed in a week, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. If Parth Sir’s tag is available then tag him.

    For the philosophy of AWE and payment, check  here: Click2Join

  • [op-ed of the day] Revisiting the NBFC Crisis

    Context

    While India was trying to deal with the problems arising out of the large NPA accumulated by the commercial banks, the Indian financial sector was dealt with another blow in the form of the NBFC crisis.

    Effects of IL&FS and DHFL collapse:

    • Balance sheets affected: The collapse of these two big entities affected the balance sheets of banks and mutual fund companies.
    • Credit crunch: It also resulted in a credit crunch that dampened demand and pushed a slowing economy towards recession.
    • Tarnished image of NBFCs: Being leaders in the industry, their failure has tarnished the image of the NBFC sector as a whole.

    Types of NBFCs and their numbers

    • Total number: As of September 2019 there were a total 9,642 NBFCs in India.
    • Deposit-taking NBFC (NBFCs-D): Only 82 of India’s NBFCs were deposit-taking institutions (NBFCs-D) permitted to mobilise and hold deposits.
    • Non-deposit taking NBFCs (NBFCs-ND): The rest of the NBFCs which are not deposit-taking, are categorised as non-deposit taking NBFCs.
      • They did not have access to the savings of ordinary households.
      • For this reason, the majority of these institutions were not considered to be entities that needed strict regulation
    • Systematically important (NBFCs-ND-SI): Of a large number of non-deposit taking NBFCs (NBFCs-ND), only 274 were identified as being systematically important (NBFCs-ND-SI), by virtue of having an asset size of ₹500 crores or more.

    Significance of NBFCs as expressed by assets holdings

    • A significant player in the financial markets: As at the end of March 2019, these two sets-NBFCs-D and NBFC-ND-SI- held assets that amounted to almost a fifth of that held by the scheduled commercial banks.
      • This made them significant players in the web of credit, as well as large enough as a group to affect the health of the financial sector.
    • Non-deposit taking NBFCs must rely on resources garnered from the “market,” including the banking system, besides the market for bonds, debentures, and short-term paper.
    • Extension of financial entities: Individual investors would only be marginally involved in direct investment in these instruments.
      • So, the NBFCs are essentially extensions of the activity of other financial entities such as banks, insurance companies, and mutual funds.

    Concentrated lending by NBFCs

    • Industry getting lion’s share: Industry accounted for the biggest chunk of lending, amounting to 57% of gross advances in September 2019.
      • Much of this lending to industry went to the infrastructural sector.
    • At second place-retail sector: A second major target for lending by the NBFCs was the retail sector, with retail loans accounting for 20% of gross advances.
      • Within the retail sector, vehicle/auto loans accounted for as much as 44% of loans.

    What went wrong?

    • Diversification by commercial banks: Following a surge in capital flows into India which began in 2004, banks were flush with liquidity.
      • Under pressure to lend and invest to cover the costs of capital and intermediation and earn a profit, banks were looking for new areas into which they could move
      • Increase in retail lending by banks: The pressure resulted in a significant increase in retail lending, with lending for housing, automobiles and consumer durables.
      • There was also a substantial increase in lending to the infrastructural sector and commercial real estate.
    • Why NBFCs flourished even in the face of competition by banks? What the growth of the NBFCs indicates is that banks were unable to exhaust the liquidity at their disposal.
      • Banks were also unable to satisfy the potential for lending to these sectors, providing a space for NBFCs to flourish.
    • The willingness of NBFCs suited the banks: The willingness of the NBFCs to enter these areas suited the banks in two ways.
      • First, it permitted the banks to use their liquidity even when they themselves were stretched and could not discover, scrutinise and monitor new borrowers.
      • Banks could lend to the NBFCs, which could then take on the tasks associated with expanding the universe of borrowers to match the increased access to liquid funds.
      • The second was that it helped the banks to move risks out of their own books.
    • Short term lending to NBFCs, and long-term lending by NBFCs: Banks accepts short term deposits, so there is limit in their ability to lend that short term deposits as a long term debt.
      • On the other hand, these were the sectors to which additional credit could be easily pushed.
      • Lending to NBFCs that in turn lent to these sectors, appeared to be a solution to the problem.
      • Bank lending to the NBFCs was short term, and the latter used these short-term funds to provide long-maturity loans
      • NBFCs expected that they would be able to roll over much of these loans so that they were not capital short.
      • Role of rating agencies: What they needed for the purpose were ratings that ranked their instruments as safe.
      • The ratings companies were more than willing to provide such ranks.
    • The two risks involved in this model: The NBFC-credit build-up was an edifice that was burdened with two kinds of risks.
      • First risk: A possible default on the part of borrowers.
      • The probability of which only increases as the universe of borrowers is expanded rapidly to exhaust the liquidity at hand.
      • The second risk: The second was the possibility that developments in the banking sector and other segments of the financial sector would reduce the appetite of these investors for the debentures, bonds and commercial paper issued by the NBFCs
      • Since the NBFCs banked on being able to roll-over short-term debt to sustain long-term lending.
      • A slowdown in or halt to the flow of funds would lead to a liquidity crunch that can damage the balance sheet of these institutions.
    • Which of the two risks is involved in the present crisis? The crisis that affected the NBFCs was a result of both kinds of setbacks.
      • First setback: Loans to areas like infrastructure, commercial real estate and housing went bad.
      • Second setback: With the non-performing assets problem in the commercial banking sector curtailing their access to bank lending.
    • Why the problem turned systemic? Given the importance of ratings and “image” in ensuring access to capital, some firms with the requisite image were able to mobilise large sums of capital and expand their business.
      • When entities like that go bust, the response of lenders and investors to the event tends to be drastic, with systemic effects on the sector as a whole.

    Conclusion

    The episode was a shadow banking crisis that has had far-reaching consequences for the economy as a whole. Therefore, its high time that measures are taken to avoid the occurrence of such a crisis in the future.

  • [CD Exclusive] SWOT Analysis Questions for 3 Types of IAS Mains Qualified Aspirants

    [CD Exclusive] SWOT Analysis Questions for 3 Types of IAS Mains Qualified Aspirants

    Let’s face the facts. Very few of us can face an IAS interview with gusto.

    The remaining lion’s share of aspirants wails from self-doubt, no matter how much data and mocks we claim to have attempted and cramped.

    Remember, we have a few hours within which we have to impress the panel. You may be an engineer of the first water, an aspirant with dogged determination and a story to reckon with, but it is what transpires during those few hours is what matters.

    You need the best to come out of you, period.

    Back in 2017, Civilsdaily was one of the few institutions which brought about a change in the way an aspirant approaches the IAS exam. We have been very meticulous with our Samanvaya Calls (Mentoring interventions on phone) and invited aspirants (our students or not) to come and fill the form and share their preparation related issues.

    TRANSCEND (Interview Guidance by CD) module vs. other mock interview programs

    SWOT Analysis

    The interview preparation in our Transcend module is now enhanced with questions that are expected from you given your life-stage during this preparation journey. Much more beyond your hobbies and childhood dreams.

    We have profiled you in 3 broad buckets in our announcement post for Transcend 2019-20.

    Once you fill-up the form and submit your DAF, we have requested you to send us a selfie video with candid answers to 6 standard questions.

    Post that, we will analyze and build personalized interventions depending upon UPSC readiness bucket.

    Here’s a preview of what those questions are going to be and their importance.

    Profile 1: UPSC Senior

    Q1. You have failed in your previous attempt/s, why do you think we should consider your candidature seriously this time?

    This question tests the psychology of the candidate. The language has been deliberately made harsh to push the candidate on the back foot. The candidate is expected to remain optimistic and calm despite the provocative language and give logical points about why she is amongst the best choices for civil services.

    Q2. What do you think about the Citizenship Amendment Bill?

    This seemingly simple question has been asked to test the neutrality, articulation, logical exposition and critical thinking skills of the candidate. The issue of CAB is extremely complex with strong opinions aired by all sides. The candidate is expected to be aware of all the viewpoints and also have her own opinion on the issue. Normally, senior aspirants tend to avoid sharing their personal opinions on complicated and controversial national issues, but a candidate who has reached interview stage multiple times is expected to have the maturity to deal with such issues. In order to further test the candidate’s balance of judgement and ability to handle pressure, the interview board might counter the candidate’s arguments with strong (and even extreme) counter-arguments.

    Profile 2: The Working Professional (let’s say from steel & iron sector)

    Q1. How is India faring in the Iron and steel sector, both globally and domestically? What will be the impact of the National Steel Policy, 2017 on the sector? What are the latest technologies in steel manufacturing? Etc

    These kinds of Qs are asked to gauge how well the candidate understands the sector she works in. The candidate is expected to know the factual details with examples. Not answering such questions will go well with the board.

    Q2. Some Qs around your hobbies might be asked.

    The purpose of such Qs is to judge the significance you accord to ‘quality of life’. Your answer must reflect that despite the busy schedule, you do find some time to relax and recuperate from the stress of modern life.

    Profile 3: The Fresher

    Q1. Ideally, UPSC preparation should be managed alongside one’s studies and does not demand dedicated and exclusive preparation. Why did you need to invest a year specifically for it?

    Normally, aspirants think that many years of dedicated hard work is needed to crack the UPSC. This Q is intended to ‘stun’ the candidate by stressing on a point contrary to her belief. The purpose is to test the self-confidence and mental strength of the candidate. If the interviewee has a weak mind, she might blank out in this situation, and might not be able to answer properly anything that follows.

    Q2. What is your opinion about the encounter of the rape accused by Hyderabad police?

    Young people are often swayed by their emotions, and therefore, these kinds of questions are asked. They are intended to test qualities like maturity, the balance of judgment, critical power of assimilation, emotional intelligence of the candidate, faith in constitutional values, etc. Such questions can arouse very strong and knee-jerk reactions which can cost you the interview. These have to be avoided at all costs.

    We hope you have been watching our “How’s the josh videos” on the Civilsdaily Youtube channel. Rakesh Sir will be actively looking into your DAFs and reviewing your videos to ensure that every hour gets counted.

  • 13th January 2020 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    [WpProQuiz 336]

  • [op-ed snap] Naga peace plan lost in haze of optics, obstinacy

    Context

    The government-imposed deadline of October 31 for concluding talks with Naga groups has passed. And nothing concrete has come out of the Framework Agreement signed in 2015.

    Events so far

    • Framework Agreement with Naga rebel leader Thuingaleng Muivah was signed in 2015.
      • The agreement expresses an intent to work towards the final agreement.
      • The progress on the said agreement has stalled since then.
    • Problem with the Framework Agreement: It was signed only with Muivah’s leading faction, National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah), or NSCN (I-M).
      • Exclusion of major players: The agreement excluded half a dozen more groups, besides Naga citizenry in Nagaland and contiguous Naga homelands in the neighbouring states of Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Assam.
      • This weakened the process.

    Efforts made by the government

    • Appointment of an interlocutor: The government-appointed R.N. Ravi as the government’s interlocutor. That move signalled the seriousness from the government’s side.
    • Reach out toward the other players: The government reached out to Nagas across the board.
    • The government reached out to other rebel factions, much to the irritation of NSCN (I-M), and began peace talks with them in end-2017.
    • A breakaway faction of I-M’s arch enemies, NSCN’s Khaplang, joined the process in 2019.
    • Government-led outreach attempted to bring on board non-Naga people in Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, and Assam.

    What is offered in the process and related issues

    • Disarmament, rehabilitation, and assimilation: A talks with I-M spelt out disarmament, rehabilitation, and assimilation of cadres and leaders through induction in paramilitary forces and political structures
    • Expanded legislature: An expanded legislature in Nagaland, for inducting the rebels and more legislative representation and relative autonomy in Naga homelands outside Nagaland.
    • Disagreement over flang and the separate state-constitution: Other Naga rebel groups agreed to what was offered by the government.
    • I-M remained intransigent over the dual use of a Naga flag alongside the Indian flag, and its constitution—
    • This I-M-scripted constitution is regressive, offers far less than what Nagas enjoy under Indian constitutional provisions, and effectively proposes Muivah as the overarching figure of Naga politics, development and destiny.
    • Unacceptance by the other groups: This is evidently unacceptable to numerous Nagas—let alone non-Nagas—for whom Muivah, a Tangkhul Naga from Manipur’s Ukhrul region, remains a divisive figure.

    Conclusion

    There is a need to reconcile the difference between the different groups and reach a proposed agreement as soon as possible for the welfare of the communities and the region as a whole.

  • [op-ed snap] The warp and weft of religious liberty

    Context

    While extending the scope and extent of the freedom of religion, the SC would face the difficult question of balancing it with the other provisions and rights enshrined in the Constitution.

    What the 9-Judge bench will deliberate on?

    • The establishment of the Bench emanated out of an order of reference made on review petitions filed against the Sabarimala judgment.
    • The scope and extent of religious liberty: It will answer a series of wide-ranging questions and expound the scope and extent of the Constitution’s religious liberty clauses.
    • It will also deliberate on cases including the practice of female genital mutilation and the rights of Parsi women to enter fire temples.

    The question of balance

    • Within the Constitution of India, there are two impulses that may, at times, come into conflict with one another.
    • First impulse-Religious freedom: India is a pluralist and diverse nation, where groups and communities — whether religious or cultural — have always played an important role in society.
      • Religious freedom: Following up on this impulse, the Constitution recognises both the freedom of religion as an individual right (Article 25), as well as the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs in matters of religion (Article 26).
    • The second impulse-Protection of an individual: The second impulse, recognises that while the community can be a source of solidarity at the best of times, it can also be a terrain of oppression and exclusion.
      • So, both Articles 25 and 26 are subject to public order, morality, and health.
      • Article 25 is also subject to other fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution, and to the state’s power to bring in social reform laws.

    Finding the middle ground

    • The middle ground involves respecting and balancing the following-
      • The autonomy of communities: It involves respecting the autonomy of cultural and religious communities.
      • Individual rights: It involves ensuring that individual rights are not entirely sacrificed at the altar of the community.
    • Essential practice doctrine: Over the years, the Supreme Court has found the middle ground by carving out a jurisprudence that virtually allows it to sit in theological judgments.
      • What is constitutionally protected? It recognising that it is only those practices that are “essential” to religion that enjoys constitutional protection.
      • Any other ritual is seen as secular and amenable to the state’s interference.
      • This doctrine was used to rule, in 2004, that the performance of the Tandava dance was not an essential tenet of the religious faith of the Ananda Margis.
      • The SC said that the “essential religious practices” test is indeed the only way it can reconcile the two impulses.

    Anti-exclusion principle

    • What are the options with the SC?
      • Continue with the “essential practice” doctrine: One option before the nine-judge Bench would simply be to affirm existing jurisprudence, as it stands.
      • Anti-exclusion principle: The second option would be to ask whether the effect of the disputed religious practice is to cause harm to individual rights.
      • The enquiry, thus, is not whether the practice is truly religious, but whether its effect is to subordinate, exclude, or otherwise send a signal that one set of members is entitled to lesser respect and concern than others.
      • In Sabrimala case — both the concurring opinion of Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and the dissenting opinion of Justice Indu Malhotra agreed that this ought to be the test.
    • Protection of dissenters
      • Top-down nature: Many religious communities, norms, and practices are shaped and imposed from above, by community leaders, and then enforced with the force of social sanction.
      • Dissenters are then faced with an impossible choice: Either comply with discriminatory practices or make a painful exit from the community.
      • Judicial intervention: It is here that the Constitution can help by ensuring that the oppressed and excluded among communities can call upon the Court for aid.

    Conclusion

    • The nine-judge Bench will face a difficult and delicate task of constitutional interpretation. Much will ride upon its decision: the rights of women in particular and of many other vulnerable groups in general.
    • Also will depend on its decision the constitutional vision of ensuring a life of dignity and equality to all, both in the public sphere and in the sphere of community.

  • Explained: Doctrine of ‘Presumption of Constitutionality’

    Recently the Supreme Court declined urgent hearing on a plea seeking to declare the CAA as constitutional and said that there was already a “presumption of constitutionality” to a law passed by Parliament.  CJI has said that the court’s role was to examine the validity, and not declare a law constitutional.

    Doctrine of Presumption of Constitutionality

    • The term ‘presumption of constitutionality’ is a legal principle that is used by courts during statutory interpretation — the process by which courts interpret and apply a law passed by the legislature, such as Parliament.
    • In the 1992 Supreme Court case ‘ML Kamra v New India Assurance’, Justice K Ramaswamy said: “The court ought not to interpret the statutory provisions, unless compelled by their language, in such a manner as would involve its unconstitutionality.
    • The legislature of the rule making authority is presumed to enact a law which does not contravene or violate the constitutional provisions.
    • Therefore, there is a presumption in favour of constitutionality of a legislation or statutory rule unless ex facie it violates the fundamental rights guaranteed under Part III of the Constitution.
    • If the provisions of a law or the rule is construed in such a way as would make it consistent with the Constitution and another interpretation would render the provision or the rule unconstitutional, the Court would lean in favour of the former construction. ” (“ex facie” meaning ‘on the face’)

    When does this apply?

    • It is a cardinal principle of construction that the Statute and the Rule or the Regulation must be held to be constitutionally valid unless and until it is established they violate any specific provision of the Constitution.
    • Further it is the duty of the Court to harmoniously construe different provisions of any Act or Rule or Regulation, if possible, and to sustain the same rather than striking down the provisions out right.
    • The presumption is not absolute, however, and does not stand when there is a gross violation of the Constitution.

    Limitations to the doctrine

    • A three-judge Bench in ‘NDMC v State of Punjab’ (1996) spoke of the limitations to the doctrine.
    • The Bench observed that the Doctrine is not one of infinite application; it has recognised limitations.
    • The Court has consistently followed a policy of not putting an unnatural and forced meaning on the words that have been used by the legislature in the search for an interpretation which would save the statutory provisions.

  • Private Property is a Human Right: Supreme Court

    The right to property is a human right, the Supreme Court has recently ruled.

    What did the court say?

    • A citizen’s right to own private property is a human right. The state cannot take possession of it without following due procedure and authority of law, the Supreme Court has held in a recent judgment.
    • The state cannot trespass into the private property of a citizen and then claim ownership of the land in the name of ‘adverse possession’.
    • Grabbing private land and then claiming it as its own makes the state an encroacher.
    • Article 300A required the state to follow due procedure and authority of law to deprive a person of his or her private property, the Supreme Court reminded the government.

    Adverse possession

    • A welfare state cannot be permitted to take the plea of adverse possession, which allows a trespasser i.e. a person guilty of a tort, or even a crime, to gain legal title over such property for over 12 years.
    • The State cannot be permitted to perfect its title over the land by invoking the doctrine of adverse possession to grab the property of its own citizens.

    Back2Basics

    Right to Property

    • The Constitution of India originally provided for the right to property under Articles 19 and 31.
    • Article 19 guaranteed to all citizens the right to acquire, hold and dispose of property.
    • Article 31 provided that “no person shall be deprived of his property save by authority of law.” It also provided that compensation would be paid to a person whose property has been taken for public purposes.
    • The 44th Amendment of 1978 removed the right to property from the list of fundamental rights.
    • A new provision, Article 300-A, was added to the constitution, which provided that “no person shall be deprived of his property save by authority of law”.

    What if one is deprived of his/her properties?

    • Thus, if a legislator makes a law depriving a person of his property, there would be no obligation on the part of the state to pay anything as compensation.
    • The aggrieved person shall have no right to move the court under Article 32.
    • Thus, the right to property is no longer a fundamental right, though it is still a constitutional right. If the government appears to have acted unfairly, the action can be challenged in a court of law by aggrieved citizens.

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