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  • [pib] Year of Awareness on Science & Health (YASH) Program

    National Council for Science & Technology Communication (NCSTC) has launched a programme on health and risk communication ‘Year of Awareness on Science & Health (YASH)’ with focus on COVID-19.

    There are various initiatives named with Hindi acronyms. YASH is newer among them. It is very unlikely to frame a prelim question on it. Still, we should know it for the sake of general awareness.

    YASH Program

    • YASH is a comprehensive and effective science and health communication effort for promoting grass-root level appreciation and response to health.
    • The current pandemic scenario has posed concerns and challenges all around, where scientific awareness and health preparedness play a significant role to help combat the situation.
    • This requires translation and usage of authentic scientific information to convey the risks involved and facilitates communities to overcome the situation.
    • The programme will encompass the development of science, health, and risk communication software, publications, audio-visual, digital platforms, folk performances, trained communicators, especially in regional languages to cater to various cross-sections of the society in the country.
    • It would help to save and shaping the lives of people at large, as well as build confidence, inculcate a scientific temper and promote health consciousness among them.

    Activities under YASH

    • The programme is aimed at minimizing risks at all levels with the help of public communication and outreach activities.
    • It would promote public understanding of common minimum science for community care and health safety measures like personal sanitation and hygiene, physical distancing, maintaining desired collective behaviour and so on.
    • It also includes information dissemination mechanisms to reduce the fear of risks and build confidence with necessary understanding for adopting sustainable healthy lifestyles and nurturing scientific culture among masses and societies.

  • [pib] Kisan Sabha App to Connect Farmers to Supply Chain and Freight Transportation

    Kisan Sabha App developed by CSIR to connect farmers to supply chain and freight transportation management system was recently launched.

    Initiatives as such are less likely to be asked in the prelims as the name and purpose create no different analogy. But for the sake of information and mains perspective, it is vital to remember such technology interventions while emphasizing on Agricultural marketing reforms.

    Kisan Sabha App

    • Kisan Sabha aims to provide the most economical and timely logistics support to the farmers and increase their profit margins by minimizing the interference of middlemen and directly connecting with the institutional buyers.
    • It will also help in providing the best market rates of crops by comparing nearest mandis, booking of freight vehicle at the cheapest cost thereby giving maximum benefit to the farmers.
    • The portal connects the farmers, transporters, Service providers (like pesticides/ fertilizer/ dealers, cold store and warehouse owner), mandi dealers, customers and other related entities for a timely and effective solution.
    • The app has 6 major modules taking care of Farmers/Mandi Dealers/Transporters/Mandi Board Members/ Service Providers/Consumers.

    Facilities provided by the app

    • The portal acts as a single stop for every entity related to agriculture, be they a farmer who needs better price for the crops or mandi dealer who wants to connect to more farmers or truckers who invariably go empty from the mandis.
    • It provides a platform for people who want to buy directly from the farmers.
    • It would also prove to be useful for those associated with cold store(s) or godown(s).

  • [Burning Issue] 100% Reservation and Associated Issues

    Background

    • Reservation in India is a system of affirmative action by the State that provides representation for historically and currently disadvantaged groups in Indian society in education, employment and politics.
    • It was envisaged to help address social disparities and economic backwardness of certain sections of the population within a few decades.
    • But gradually, amendments have been made, and there is no review of the list nor has reservation come to an end. Instead, there is a demand to increase them.
    • Now it is very tough for any elected government to have the political will to meet the challenges that arise from the reservation.

    Reservation being an all-time contested issue is a less inevitable topic for mains. However, we can expect some of the thought triggering questions such as – “Reservation is hardly capable of striking a balance between social inclusion and merit. Critically comment. (250 W)”

    OR

    Essay topic like- “Meritocracy is unrealized without an egalitarian society” are ready to raid your mind.

    Present context

    • Recently, the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has held it unconstitutional to provide 100% reservation for tribal teachers in schools located in Scheduled Areas across the country.
    • The Bench was answering a reference made to it in 2016 on whether 100% reservation is permissible under the Constitution.
    • The principal grounds cited are mainly found in a 1992 judgment of a nine-judge Bench in Indra Sawhney vs Union of India.

    Yet again in the news

    • Since 1992, governments—both the Centre and the states—have been liberal in their interpretation of “extraordinary situation”, and have used various legal provisions to protect policies that breached the 50% cap.
    • For instance, some states have used the Schedule IX shield to protect state laws that expanded reservation beyond 50%. (A Tamil Nadu law that provides 69 per cent reservation in the state is part of the Schedule.)
    • Maharashtra recently enacted legislation to give reservation benefits to Marathas.
    • On the other hand, the Centre created a 10% quota for people from economically “weaker” sections (defying the sole criteria of socio-economic backwardness).

    What is the present case?

    • The Supreme Court has overruled the Andhra Pradesh government’s decision in 1988 to provide a 100% reservation to Scheduled Tribes for teacher posts in Scheduled Areas.
    • The notification to provide a 100% reservation to Scheduled Tribes (STs) for teacher posts in Scheduled Areas was issued by then governor of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh.
    • The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution dealing with the administration of Scheduled Areas vests the Governor with legislative and administrative powers.

    Note: We shall not indulge in dicussing the pros and cons of reservations. Numerous politicians and forged bhakts are there to brainstorm them.

    Why did AP bring such a provision?

    • The scheduled areas are treated differently from the other areas in the country because they are inhabited by ‘aboriginals’ who are socially and economically rather backwards and special efforts need to be made to improve their condition.
    • Therefore, the whole of the normal administrative machinery operating in a state is not extended to the scheduled areas.
    • Then AP govt. observed that there was chronic absenteeism among teachers who did not belong to those remote areas where the schools were located.

    No 100% quota permissible

    • The apex court held that it is an obnoxious idea that tribals only should teach the tribals.
    • Merit cannot be denied in toto by providing reservation observed the judgement.
    • Citizens have equal rights, and the total exclusion of others by creating an opportunity for one class is not contemplated by the founding fathers of the Constitution of India.

    Constitutionality check: ‘Failed’

    • The Supreme Court concluded that reservation in the case violated Articles 14 (equality before law), 15(1) (discrimination against citizens) and 16 (equal opportunity) of the Constitution.
    • The Court ruled that the Governor’s powers under para 5 of Schedule V are subject to the fundamental rights guaranteed under Part III of the Constitution.
    • It observed that in this case, “there were no such extraordinary circumstances to provide a 100 per cent reservation in Scheduled Areas”.
    • The court also took note of a Presidential Order issued in 1975 under Article 371-D (Special provisions for Andhra Pradesh) of the Constitution, which said employment to people in the state were limited to only their districts.

    Other legal loopholes

    • Paragraph 5(1) of Schedule V empowers the Governor to issue a notification directing that any central or state law may not apply to a scheduled area or shall apply to the area with modifications and exemptions.
    • The then Andhra Pradesh Governor had cited this provision.
    • The government order had also cited Andhra Pradesh State and Subordinate Service Rules 1996, which provides for 6 per cent reservation for Scheduled Tribes in the State.
    • But the bench ruled that Para 5(1) of Schedule V does not allow modification of Rules.

    Invoking Indra Sawhney judgment: The 50% Cap

    • The court referred to the famous Indra Sawhney judgment (Mandal case- Indra Sawhney v. Union of India 1992), which caps reservation at 50%.
    • The court held that a 100% reservation is discriminatory and impermissible.
    • Among others, it recognized socially and economically backward classes as a category and recognized the validity of the 27 per cent reservation.
    • The concept of ‘creamy layer’ gained currency through this judgment. Those among the OBCs who had transcended their social backwardness were to be excluded from the reservation.

    Significance of the present judgement

    • The verdict quashing the 100% quota is not against affirmative programmes as such, but caution against implementing them in a manner detrimental to the rest of society.
    • However, the solution for drafting only members of the local tribes was not a viable solution.
    • As the Bench noted, it could have come up with other incentives to ensure the attendance of teachers.
    • Another aspect that the court took into account was that Andhra Pradesh has a local area system of recruitment to public services.
    • Thus, the 100% quota deprived residents of the Scheduled Areas of any opportunity to apply for teaching posts.

    Why so much confusion persists over ‘reservation’ after several Judgements?

    • There are many other reservation-related judgements where the SC has either read down its earlier judgments or has completely side-stepped these.
    • A fair share of the blame, however, must rest with the SC itself in 1994, in Ajay Kumar Singh SC ruled on reservations at the highest levels of education, which Indra Sawhney proscribes.
    • For instance, SC in 2018 upheld one part of the Nagaraj judgment saying that reservations can’t be allowed to affect efficiency negatively while in another judgment.
    • It is necessary to liberate the concept of efficiency from a one-sided approach which ignores the need for and the positive effects of the inclusion of diverse segments of society on the efficiency of administration.
    • Unless the apex court lays down its opinion with some degree of certitude, the reservation will likely continue in perpetuity.

    What is the remedy for such a situation?

    • B.R. Ambedkar observed during the debate in the Constituent Assembly on the equality clause, that any reservation normally ought to be for a “minority of seats”.
    • This is one of the points often urged in favour of the 50% cap imposed by the Court on the total reservation, albeit with some allowance for relaxation in special circumstances.
    • It is still a matter of debate whether the ceiling has innate sanctity, but it is clear that wherever it is imperative that the cap be breached; a special case must be made for it (as TN and MH did).
    • Such a debate should not divert attention from the fact that there is a continuing need for a significant quota for STs, especially those living in areas under the Fifth Schedule special dispensation.

    Way Forward

    • The reservation policy was introduced only for a temporary timeframe until equality reigns amongst all bases of discrimination.
    • However, the policy of reservation has been continuing for over six decades now and continues to expand. Since, Reservation is necessary to provide equality, equity, and diversity in society.
    • The Indra Sawhney judgement started a new era of reservation in India. But actual work of social upliftment is still incomplete.
    • The present system seeks to elevate a section or decelerates another regardless of merit to bring them all on the same level.
    • Still, it is the only prerogative for social upliftment of marginalized sections.
    • There is a need for rationalizing the policy so that a balance can be established between social mobility and merit.

     

     

    Back2Basics: What are Fifth Schedule Areas?

    • The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution deals with the administration and control of scheduled areas and scheduled tribes in any state except the four states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram (ATM2).

    Who can declare an area to be Scheduled Area?

    • The President is empowered to declare an area to be a scheduled area.
    • He can also increase or decrease its area, alter its boundary lines, rescind such designation or make fresh orders for such re-designation on an area in consultation with the governor of the state concerned.

    Administration of Scheduled Areas

    • The executive power of a state extends to the scheduled areas therein. But the governor has a special responsibility regarding such areas.
    • The executive power of the Centre extends to giving directions to the states regarding the administration of such areas.

    Role of Governor

    • He has to submit a report to the President regarding the administration of such areas, annually or whenever so required by the President.
    • The Governor is empowered to direct that any particular act of Parliament or the state legislature does not apply to a scheduled area or apply with specified modifications and exceptions.
    • He can also make regulations for the peace and good government of a scheduled area after consulting the tribes advisory council.

    The Tribes Advisory Council

    • Each state having scheduled areas has to establish a tribes’ advisory council to advice on welfare and advancement of the scheduled tribes.

    States having Scheduled Areas

    • At present, 10 States namely Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana have Fifth Schedule Areas.
    • Tribal habitations in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir have not been brought under the Fifth or Sixth Schedule.

    Also read:

    Ninth Schedule of the Indian Constitution

    References

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/no-100-quota-for-scheduled-areas/

    https://theprint.in/judiciary/no-rhyme-or-reason-for-100-reservation-why-sc-quashed-2000-andhra-order-for-st-teachers/407217/

    https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/no-100-quota-the-hindu-editorial-on-overzealous-reservation/article31427747.ece

     

  • [Prelims Spotlight] Important UN Organizations in News

    Prelims Spotlight is a part of “Nikaalo Prelims 2020” module. This open crash course for Prelims 2020 has a private telegram group where PDFs and DDS (Daily Doubt Sessions) are being held. Please click here to register.

    Important UN Organizations in News

    02 May 2020

    United Nation Overview:

    • The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945.  It is currently made up of 193 Member States.  The mission and work of the United Nations are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter.
    • Due to the powers vested in its Charter and its unique international character, the United Nations can take action on the issues confronting humanity in the 21st century, such as peace and security, climate change, sustainable development, human rights, disarmament, terrorism, humanitarian and health emergencies, gender equality, governance, food production, and more.
    • The UN also provides a forum for its members to express their views in the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, and other bodies and committees. By enabling dialogue between its members, and by hosting negotiations, the Organization has become a mechanism for governments to find areas of agreement and solve problems together.
    • The main organs of the UN are the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the UN Secretariat.  All were established in 1945 when the UN was founded.

    General Assembly

    • The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the UN. All 193 Member States of the UN are represented in the General Assembly, making it the only UN body with universal representation.
    • Each year, in September, the full UN membership meets in the General Assembly Hall in New York for the annual General Assembly session, and general debate, which many heads of state attend and address. Decisions on important questions, such as those on peace and security, admission of new members and budgetary matters, require a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly.
    • Decisions on other questions are by a simple majority.  The General Assembly, each year, elects a GA President to serve a one-year term of office.

    Security Council

    The Security Council has primary responsibility, under the UN Charter, for the maintenance of international peace and security.  It has 15 Members (5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members). Each Member has one vote. Under the Charter, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions. The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of the settlement. In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.  The Security Council has a Presidency, which rotates, and changes, every month.

    Economic and Social Council

    The Economic and Social Council is the principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as the implementation of internationally agreed development goals. It serves as the central mechanism for activities of the UN system and its specialized agencies in the economic, social and environmental fields, supervising subsidiary and expert bodies.  It has 54 Members, elected by the General Assembly for overlapping three-year terms. It is the United Nations’ central platform for reflection, debate, and innovative thinking on sustainable development.

    Trusteeship Council

    The Trusteeship Council was established in 1945 by the UN Charter, under Chapter XIII, to provide international supervision for 11 Trust Territories that had been placed under the administration of seven Member States, and ensure that adequate steps were taken to prepare the Territories for self-government and independence. By 1994, all Trust Territories had attained self-government or independence.  The Trusteeship Council suspended operation on 1 November 1994. By a resolution adopted on 25 May 1994, the Council amended its rules of procedure to drop the obligation to meet annually and agreed to meet as occasion required — by its decision or the decision of its President, or at the request of a majority of its members or the General Assembly or the Security Council.

    International Court of Justice

    The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Its seat is at the Peace Palace in the Hague (Netherlands). It is the only one of the six principal organs of the United Nations not located in New York (United States of America). The Court’s role is to settle, in accordance with international law, legal disputes submitted to it by States and to give advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies.

    Secretariat

    The Secretariat comprises the Secretary-General and tens of thousands of international UN staff members who carry out the day-to-day work of the UN as mandated by the General Assembly and the Organization’s other principal organs.  The Secretary-General is the chief administrative officer of the Organization, appointed by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council for a five-year, renewable term. UN staff members are recruited internationally and locally, and work in duty stations and on peacekeeping missions all around the world.  But serving the cause of peace in a violent world is a dangerous occupation. Since the founding of the United Nations, hundreds of brave men and women have given their lives in its service.

    UN Specialized Agencies

    The UN specialized agencies are autonomous organizations working with the United Nations. All were brought into relationship with the UN through negotiated agreements. Some existed before the First World War. Some were associated with the League of Nations. Others were created almost simultaneously with the UN. Others were created by the UN to meet emerging needs.

    FAO

    Headquarters: Rome, Italy

    The Food and Agriculture Organization leads to international efforts to fight hunger. It is both a forum for negotiating agreements between developing and developed countries and a source of technical knowledge and information to aid development.

    ICAO

    Headquarters: Montreal, Canada

    The International Civil Aviation Organization develops standards for global air transport and assists its 192 Member States in sharing the world’s skies to their socio-economic benefit.

    IFAD

    Headquarters: Rome, Italy

    The International Fund for Agricultural Development, since it was created in 1977, has focused exclusively on rural poverty reduction, working with poor rural populations in developing countries to eliminate poverty, hunger and malnutrition; raise their productivity and incomes; and improve the quality of their lives.

    ILO

    Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

    The International Labor Organization promotes international labor rights by formulating international standards on the freedom to associate, collective bargaining, the abolition of forced labor, and equality of opportunity and treatment.

    IMF

    Headquarters: Washington, DC, USA

    The International Monetary Fund fosters economic growth and employment by providing temporary financial assistance to countries to help ease balance of payments adjustment and technical assistance. The IMF currently has $28 billion in outstanding loans to 74 nations.

    IMO

    Headquarters: London, United Kingdom

    The International Maritime Organization has created a comprehensive shipping regulatory framework, addressing safety and environmental concerns, legal matters, technical cooperation, security, and efficiency.

    ITU

    Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

    The International Telecommunication Union is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies. It is committed to connecting all the world’s people – wherever they live and whatever their means. Through our work, we protect and support everyone’s fundamental right to communicate

    UNESCO

    Headquarters: Paris, France

    The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization focuses on everything from teacher training to helping improve education worldwide to protecting important historical and cultural sites around the world. UNESCO added 28 new World Heritage Sites this year to the list of irreplaceable treasures that will be protected for today’s travelers and future generations.

    UNIDO

    Headquarters: Vienna, Austria

    The United Nations Industrial Development Organization is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability.

    UNWTO

    Headquarters: Madrid, Spain

    The World Tourism Organization is the United Nations agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.

    UPU

    Headquarters: Bern, Switzerland

    The Universal Postal Union is the primary forum for cooperation between postal sector players. It helps to ensure a truly universal network of up-to-date products and services.

    WHO

    Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

    The World Health Organization is the directing and coordinating authority on international health within the United Nations system. The objective of WHO is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health. Health, as defined in the WHO Constitution, is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

    WIPO

    Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

    The World Intellectual Property Organization protects intellectual property throughout the world through 23 international treaties.

    WMO

    Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

    The World Meteorological Organization facilitates the free international exchange of meteorological data and information and the furtherance of its use in aviation, shipping, security, and agriculture, among other things.

    World Bank

    Headquarters: Washington, DC, USA

    The World Bank focuses on poverty reduction and the improvement of living standards worldwide by providing low-interest loans, interest-free credit, and grants to developing countries for education, health, infrastructure, and communications, among other things. The World Bank works in over 100 countries.

    • International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
    • International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)*
    • International Development Association (IDA)
    • International Finance Corporation (IFC)
    • Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)*

    * International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) are not specialized agencies in accordance with Articles 57 and 63 of the Charter but are part of the World Bank Group.

    Other Entities and Bodies

    UNAIDS

    Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

    The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) leads and inspires the world to achieve its shared vision of zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. UNAIDS unites the efforts of 11 UN organizations—UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, UN Women, ILO, UNESCO, WHO and the World Bank—and works closely with global and national partners towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.

    UNHCR

    Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

    The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees – UNHCR protects refugees worldwide and facilitates their return home or resettlement.

    UNIDIR

    Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

    The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research is a voluntarily funded autonomous institute within the United Nations. An impartial actor, the Institute generates ideas and promotes action on disarmament and security. UNIDIR brings together states, international organizations, civil society, the private sector and academia to work together—internationally, regionally and locally—to build and implement creative solutions that will benefit all states and peoples.

    UNITAR

    Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

    An autonomous UN body established in 1963, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research is a training arm of the United Nations System and has the mandate to enhance the effectiveness of the UN through diplomatic training, and to increase the impact of national actions through public awareness-raising, education and training of public policy officials.

    UNOPS

    Headquarters: Copenhagen, Denmark

    The mission of the United Nations Office for Project Services is to help people build better lives and help countries achieve peace and sustainable development. UNOPS helps the UN, governments and other partners to manage projects, and deliver sustainable infrastructure and procurement in an efficient way.

    UNRWA

    Headquarters: Amman, Jordan

    The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees has contributed to the welfare and human development of four generations of Palestine refugees. It’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance, including in times of armed conflict.  It reports only to the UN General Assembly.

    UNSSC

    Headquarters: Turin, Italy

    The United Nations System Staff College is the learning organization of the United Nations system. It designs and delivers learning programmes for staff of the UN system and its partners. It helps the United Nations become more effective by fostering a common leadership and management culture across the system.

    UN Women

    Headquarters: New York City, USA

    UN Women merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system, which focus exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

    Related Organizations

    CTBTO

    Headquarters: Vienna, Austria

    The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization promotes the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (which is not yet in force) and the build-up of the verification regime so that it is operational when the Treaty enters into force.

    IAEA

    Headquarters: Vienna, Austria

    The International Atomic Energy Agency, is the world’s centre for cooperation in the nuclear field. The Agency works with its Member States and multiple partners worldwide to promote the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies.

    IOM

    Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

    The International Organization for Migration works to help ensure the orderly and humane management of migration, to promote international cooperation on migration issues, to assist in the search for practical solutions to migration problems and to provide humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, including refugees and internally displaced people.

    OPCW

    Headquarters: The Hague, Netherlands

    The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is the implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force in 1997. The OPCW Member States work together to achieve a world free of chemical weapons.

    UNFCCC

    Headquarters: Bonn, Germany

    The UNFCCC Secretariat (UN Climate Change) was established in 1992 when countries adopted the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). With the subsequent adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and the Paris Agreement in 2015, Parties to these three agreements have progressively reaffirmed the Secretariat’s role as the United Nations entity tasked with supporting the global response to the threat of climate change.

    WTO

    Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland

    The World Trade Organization is a forum for governments to negotiate trade agreements and a place where member governments try to sort out the trade problems they face with each other.

     

  • Pandemic calls for deep-set forces and scientific concepts of development for building a modern economy

    The article discusses the recovery strategies for India. There are three examples from the past from which we can draw the lessons. 1) Recovery of the US and Europe after the World Wars 2) Recovery of Japan after World War 3) China’s stimulus package after the 2008 financial crisis. In the case of the first two, climate change was not the factor. But in case of the 2008 financial package, China emphasised green technologies and was benefited from it. Drawing on China’s example, the article suggests three pronged strategy for India’s recovery taking into account the climate change factor.

    Decisions on recovery and lessons from the past recovery frameworks

    • The decisions and directions taken by states from hereon will be judged ruthlessly by historical lenses.
    • Though India has managed the pandemic with relative precision, we cannot deny an impending emergence of a new socio-economic order, where the recovery is going to be hard-earned.
    • This is not the first time the world has faced an economic crisis and won’t be the last.
    • Can a country like India, which might be one of the few countries to come out of the crisis without a recession, take lessons from past recovery frameworks?
    • Recovery frameworks: Even though the very nature of the current health crisis is much different from the past crises like World Wars and their repercussions in Europe, the US and Japan.
    • But the evidence shows that ambitious recovery plans made these nation-states more prosperous than the pre-crisis period.

    Recovery lessons form the western world after the World Wars

    • Hurt by the two World Wars and a Great Depression in between, the western world demonstrated unprecedented recovery to attain post-war full employment and stabilized income levels.
    • Almost thirty years between World War II and 1973 recession (“Glorious Thirties“), the countries like the US, Canada, Germany, and France experienced a golden period of growth.
    • In the US, the labour productivity grew at 2.82% per year which meant that productivity doubled every 25 years thanks to better machines driven by electricity and internal combustion engines, better education and massive capital investment.
    • The world wars accelerated technological innovations in energy, manufacturing and vastly improved the labour pool.

    Recovery of Japan after World War

    • Severely hit by the war, Japan’s miraculous growth from 1950 to 1990 is another example of a state using great adversity to propel itself towards prosperity.
    • Post-war liberalization was augmented by multilateral trade agreements and export promotion schemes.
    • That propelled the Japanese economy to dizzying heights making it the second-largest economy at the time.
    • Apart from fiscal stimuli, immense efforts went into strengthening human capital by promoting R&D and skilling activities.
    • Suddenly, Japan becomes one of the most ingenious economies churning out one innovative product after another in fields like electronics.
    • In addition, pioneering quality systems made Japan the first Asian economy to become a developed state.

    Recoveries based on values and technological innovations

    • All the above recoveries are rooted in modern values like create, explore and meet challenges.
    • While large investments garner a lot of attention, role played by massive skilling and resultant technological innovation should not be forgotten.
    • Skilling and innovation enabled creating goods and services of the future.

    Climate change and recovery

    • These successful recovery plans did not have the responsibility to plan for an impending climate change hanging over our head by a thread.
    • The times were different; the needs were different: more importantly, the evidences were not as irrefutable as now.
    • A 2018 study titled ‘Earth’s future’, estimated that India will lose 10% of its GDP annually in a 3°C scenario and lose 14% of its GDP annually in a 4°C scenario in the long term.
    • And the time to act is ‘now’, as consequences of inaction are existential.

    China’s stimulus after the 2008 crisis with a focus on green technologies

    • Fast-forwarding to the 21st century, the 2008–09 Chinese economic stimulus plan pumped in $586 billion to manage the crisis.
    • With serious money of $586 billion going into upgrading selected industrial sectors to firm up its presence in the global value chains (GVC).
    • Interestingly, a sizeable portion went into green technologies.
    • China understood that if the world is provided with affordable green technologies at scale, the states will incentivize the increasingly eco-aware consumers to buy these products.
    • Catalyzed by plans like “Ten Cities, Thousand Vehicles and “Thousand Talents Program (TTP)” and generous state incentives, China became a global leader in e-vehicles.
    • Chinese-made buses started roaming famous cities across the world, the roads traditionally dominated by European makers.
    • Powered by generous capital infusion, China also attained leadership in solar panels, batteries and associated supply chains in a short period setting up a sustainable growth module.
    • A lesson in fiscal prudence: The 2008–09 Chinese economic stimulus plan is also criticized for raising the Chinese debt levels, hence giving us lessons in fiscal prudence.

    Should India opt for a green recovery module?

    • Can a developing India afford to allocate a significant portion of its precious resources towards a green recovery module?
    • Unbridled economic growth and sustainable development are not mutually exclusive.
    • In fact, we might not have a choice, given the movement of global supply chain towards green technologies and tightening screws around strict sustainability standards.
    • European Commission, for instance, has announced that every euro into the recovery plan will be linked to green recovery.

    A three-pronged approach is suggested for recovery

    1. Investment and incentives for green economic activities in the selected sectors

    • First, ambitious investment and incentives in catalyzing futuristic green economic activities in selected sectors.
    • Developing, manufacturing and deploying low carbon products could help India create more jobs: the kind of jobs that will survive into the future.
    • With Giga scale battery and solar manufacturing plans already underway, there is a huge demand globally for sustainable supply chain of even traditional sectors such as textiles.
    • India could choose 5 sectors where it can fill the sustainability vacuum helping the sub-continent emerge as a new global leader in those sectors.
    • India has the potential to scale-up currently ready technologies like e-VTOLs (intra-city electric aerial mobility), which will upend the global mobility modules, increasing the profitability of growing Indian e-mobility supply chain.
    • Companies like Hyundai who have already announced manufacturing of e-VTOLs should be attracted to India.
    • Crisis situations often provide policy windows, where all the stakeholders are empowered, and historically time-consuming decisions are fast-forwarded.
    • If India manages to efficiently remove regulatory bottlenecks and creates standards for e-VTOLs before anyone else, it will take a huge chunk of the global future mobility pie.
    • Similar initiatives for other strategic sectors could be carried out.

    2. Resolve regulatory and on-ground legacy issues

    • Aggressively resolving on-ground legacy issues and challenges.
    • Shackles around entrepreneurship from labour laws to clearances regimes should be broken one by one.
    • It could be done by leveraging the cooperative and competitive federalism evidenced through the crisis under the able leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister.
    • And the current policy window might be an ideal opportunity for Indian democracy to deliver.

    3. Focus on skilling people

    • Third, a big-ticket omni-channel skilling architecture should be instituted.
    • Universities should be empowered and enabled to come up with new-age educational programmes to serve futuristic industries.
    • A special focus should be given to develop enough trainers to train the millions of Indian youth getting ready for the labour market every year, in new-age skills.
    • Adequate online-offline training courses must be designed in a way that it does not affect daily wages drastically.
    • The big-ticket vocational programmes, specially directed at the informal sector which constitute more than 90% of the total workforce, has the potential to employ displaced and poor labourers.
    • A strategic skill committee may be empowered to dynamically identify key skills and tweak the training modules.
    • This can be integrated with the Ministry of Environment’s Green Skill Development Program to train 10 million youth by 2030.

    The issues discussed here are important for achieving sustainable and inclusive growth. A question based on this theme was asked by UPSC in 2019.

    Consider the question “It is argued that the strategy of inclusive growth is intended to meet the objectives of inclusiveness and sustainability together. Comment on this statement.”

    Conclusion

    The current pandemic calls for deep-set forces and scientific concepts of development for building a dynamic and modern economy. Green growth is one such concept that will add a new dimension to the economic dynamism of the sub-continent helping it serve the aspirations of its citizens.

  • Rethinking the role of Intellectual Property in Corona crisis

    The article discusses the idea of creating a patent pool of the patents dealing with Covid-19. Such a patent pool will be effective in avoiding the possibility of the hostile response of societies towards patent rights. And also avoid the conflict between nations. corporations and international organisations.

    Purpose of patent rights

    • The purpose of creating and recognising patent rights is for the common public good, i.e., innovation should be made public in exchange for a limited monopoly.
    • Thus, patents need to be disclosed to the public in order to enable further research.
    • Should pandemics such as COVID-19be an exception to this?
    • With the outbreak of COVID-19, there are several innovations.
    • All these innovations may be the subject matter of patent applications around the world.
    • It will be a few years before patents are even granted.
    • However, friction already exists among various stakeholders.
    • For instance, one country made attempts to obtain exclusive rights to a vaccine being developed.
    • On the other hand, there are also collaborations taking place.
    • However, the spirit of collaborative solutions is only on the anvil.
    • The question that arises is whether the exclusivity that is recognised by patent rights will be detrimental to society.
    • Will patents create roadblocks or is there a solution?

    Possibility of conflicts over patent rights

    • Governments and international organisations need to arrive at a consensus in advance to ensure that the system is ready.
    • Procrastination would be disastrous.
    • Creating hindrances through exclusivity claims, in the wake of a pandemic, will result in dividing countries, corporations and international organisations.
    • This will not benefit patients and the world as a whole.
    • If patent owners create impediments on the strength of patent rights, the world will start despising patents and that is not a situation IP owners ought to be in.
    • Under the TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) regime, there are several tools such as compulsory licensing that are available to ensure access to medicines.
    • However, beyond the laws, society needs to respect innovation.
    • To protect the sanctity and integrity of patent systems, and in order to ensure that an anti-IP sentiment is not generated globally, answers need to be found within the existing regime.
    • In exceptional circumstances such as these, there is a likelihood that societies may resort to extreme steps to protect themselves.
    • Before such ideas are floated, solutions should be created.

    The idea of creating a patent pool

    • One method by which aggregation and dissemination of innovative products can be ensured is by creating a patent pool.
    • Patent pools are usually effective in aggregating, administering and licensing patents related to specific areas of technology.
    • Such pools are usually managed by a central agency and the patents which become part of the pool are readily made available for licensing.
    • Some pools even publish the royalty rates payable for such licences.
    • Anyone who wishes to obtain a licence will be able to approach the pool, agree to the terms, and begin to manufacture and sell the products.
    • Such pools are prevalent in, for instance, standard essential patents related to telecom and digital innovations.
    • At the moment, individual efforts are being made by research organisations to create their own pools.
    • A more fruitful endeavour would be to create a global pool of COVID-19-related innovations, or innovations related to rare pandemics, in respect of vaccines and medicines.
    • This could be managed by a trustworthy international organisation.
    • All countries ought to have the right to implement these innovations without further permission from the patent-holders.
    • This would not require countries resorting to provisions such as compulsory licensing, state acquisition, etc.
    • Even if royalties are at a minimal level, the revenues would still be in billions of dollars owing to the large swathes of the population affected by the pandemic, who will need to be administered these products.

    Way forward

    • Creation of a pool and immediate licensing will ensure that there are hundreds of manufacturers across the world.
    • As a result, vaccines and medicines will be quickly available.
    • Such a pool needs the cooperation of not just countries and international organisations but also the hundreds of researchers, innovators, companies and universities involved.
    • Doha Declaration: Pooling of patent resources is also in line with the Doha Declaration on Public Health which is a part of the TRIPS agreement.
    • This declaration recognises the need for taking measures to ‘protect public health’ and ‘promote access to medicines’.

    A direct question on the issue can be asked by the UPSC, for ex-“Though IPRs have been provided to respect and protect the innovations and ideas, but in the wake of corona crisis, some strict provisions need to be changed. In light of the above statement, discuss the limitations of the exclusivity clause under the patents rights. And how can it be overcome in emergency situations?”

    Conclusion

    Public-private partnerships (PPP) need to be scaled up. Creation of the ‘PPP-pandemic patent pool’ at a global level, to pool all innovations, is the way forward. Let us not wait any longer.

  • “I was casual about my preparation but still, I cleared the exam…twice”

    “I was casual about my preparation but still, I cleared the exam…twice”

    Click here to fill the Samanvaya form for IAS 2020-21, tell us about your preparation. 

    UPSC

    “I was never serious but I cleared the exam”.

    “Truth be told, I didn’t study Laxmikant and still got through”.

    “UPSC is just like university exams. All the hype is unnecessary”.

    Every once in a while, we have been forwarded topper talks where casual claims like the above are made. Though unintentional, they end up harming the aspirants preparing for the exam right now.

    Year Number of candidates who applied Number of candidates who took prelims Number of candidates who qualified for mains Number of candidates who took mains exam Number of candidates who appeared for interview Final number of candidates who got selected for posts
    2018 10,65,552 4,93,972 10,468 1994 759
    2017 9,57,590 4,56,625 13,366 2568 990
    2016 11,35,943 4,59,659 15445 2961 1,099
    2015 9,45,908 4,65,882 15008 15,008 2797 1078
    2014 9,47,428 4,46,623 16706 16286 3308 1236
    2013 7,76,604 3,24,279 14800 14178 3001 1122
    2012 5,50,080 2,71,442 12795 12190 2674 998
    2011 4,99,120 2,43,236 11837 11237 2415 999
    2010 5,47,698 2,69,036 12271 11865 2589 965
    2009 4,09,110 1,93,091 11894 11516 2431 989
    2008 3,25,433 1,67,035 11669 11330 2136 881
    2007 3,33,680 1,61,469 9158 8886 1883 734

    Click here to fill the Samanvaya form for IAS 2020-21, tell us about your preparation. 

    There are 2 factors at play – the level of competition and the format of the exam.

    1. As you can see from 2012 to 2014, approx 4L new aspirants ( close to 80%) were added. This increased the competition substantially.

    2. 2015 saw changes in the exam format. CSAT became a qualifying paper. Meaning its marks were no longer added to the final prelims score. CSAT paper certainly gave an edge to engineering, MBA students who were used to solving such questions with more accuracy and speed.

    But with this paper gone, students from all backgrounds stood at an equal footing. No one having an inherent advantage over the other. The GS focused prelims paper made the mains competition very intense.  

    3. 2017 saw fundamental changes in the way the questions for the prelims paper were designed.

    • The number of direct, straightforward questions came down. These questions used to be directly lifted from the base books.
    • Many questions were unpredictable and not for conventional materials that you would read.

    As a result, a lot of students who were reaching the interview stage started struggling with prelims.

    And this format has been continuing till now – 2018, 2019, and will most certainly continue in 2020.

    More often than not, our students suggest strategies that they’ve discussed with a distant friend or cousin who cleared the exam before 2015 (at times their uncles who cleared the exam in the 90s).

    Very simply put, the competition is intense leaving lesser scope for errors. 

    From the above analysis, it is clear that aspirants from a different era had altogether different concerns and challenges.

    Someone who prepared/cleared the exam before 2015 might not appreciate how difficult and tricky prelims have become. Students who didnt focus their prelims attempt

    And they might not have a nuanced understanding of what the exam requires today, the importance of making notes, etc.

    We always recommend students to consult people who have appeared for the recent 2-3 prelims. Because they are well aware of the most recent trends.

    Our team has the largest repository of best practices and knowledge that has been accumulated over the years. Our programs provide the best support that will give you a fighting chance to clear the exams.

    Click here to fill the Samanvaya form for IAS 2020-21, tell us about your preparation. 

  • Plasma therapy is no silver bullet

    The article discusses the issues with convalescent plasma therapy. The therapy has been in the news as a cure to Covid-19. The lack of conclusive evidence is a major issue. There are certain risks involved in large scale adoption. All such issues are dealt with in detail here.

    Importance of scientific research in dealing with Covid-19

    • The COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to governments, health professionals and the general public at large, around the world.
    • Every response, administrative, social, economic or medical is being subjected to intense public scrutiny, as it rightly should be in the spirit of mature democracy.
    • Scientific research in medicine is the only means to overcome novel and complex diseases such as COVID-19 and that too thrives on the same spirit of debate and criticism.
    • Difficulty in establishing protocols: The difference is that the standards of evidence required, to generate consensus and arrive at the most optimal protocols, are far more rigorous and time-taking than in most other walks of life.

    Issues with plasma therapy

    • The convalescent plasma therapy, that is being currently studied by the Indian Council of Medical Research, through open-label, randomised controlled trial to evaluate it for both safety and efficacy.
    • The problem with the therapy is of the lack of established protocols.
    • What is involved in therapy? The therapy involves infusing patients suffering from COVID-19 with plasma from recovered patients.
    • In theory, the antibodies of the recovered person may help that patient’s immune system fight the virus.
    • While showing great promise, it is a line of treatment that is yet to be validated for efficacy and safety and cannot be deployed widely without caution.
    • The current evidence to conclude anything about the true benefits of this therapy is very thin.
    • Till date, there have been only three published case series for convalescent plasma in COVID-19 with a cumulative of 19 patients.
    • Given the very small number of patients involved in these studies and a publication bias in medicine, we cannot conclude the therapy will work on all patients all the time or even believe that the convalescent plasma was the only reason for their improvement.
    • The most important principle in medical ethics is “do no harm”.
    • The transfusion of convalescent plasma is also not without risks, which range from mild reactions like fever, itching, to life-threatening allergic reactions and lung injury.
    • To recommend a therapy without studying it thoroughly with robust scientific methods may cause more harm than good.
    • Further, convalescent plasma therapy requires intensive resources, healthy COVID-19 survivors to donate, a blood bank with proper machinery and trained personnel to remove plasma, equipment to store it and testing facilities to make sure it has an adequate amount of antibodies.

    Need for the Randomised Controlled Trials (RCT)

    • To say with certainty whether a drug is truly effective or not, the gold standard in medicine is to conduct a randomised controlled trial.
    • In RCT half the patients get the experimental drug and the other half do not.
    • Only if patients in the first half show substantial improvement over those in the second half, it indicates the drug is beneficial.

    Exploring other options and focusing on health infrastructure

    • Too much focus on one approach can take away the focus from other important therapeutic modalities like the use of oxygen therapy, antivirals, and antibiotics for complicated hospital courses.
    • To overcome the pandemic comprehensively, we should focus on strengthening health systems at all levels, including referral systems, supply chain, logistics and inventory management.
    • We need to work on protecting our healthcare workers, improving prevention methods, promoting cough etiquettes, effective quarantining and accurate testing.

    A direct question based on the therapy like- “What is convalescent plasma therapy and what are the issues involved in its adoption?” can be asked by the UPSC.

    Conclusion

    Even these times of collective uncertainty are no reason to lower scientific temper. Science should be driven by reason and evidence with hope as a catalyst but not by either fear or populism. Pushing one or the other therapy without evidence or caution can only set back our larger fight against COVID-19.

  • Get ready for upcoming 5th Full Length Prelims Test (Full Syllabus) on 2nd May – sample questions highlighting our methodology

    Click here to enrol for the Prime Prelims TS

    Dear students,

    31st May 2020 is the D-day for all civil service aspirants.

    “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

    This quote by Abraham Lincoln sums up how one should prepare for that day. So before entering the battlefield alone should have enough practice. Our Prime Prelims Test series which shall enrich you to acquaint yourself with the pattern of CSE-2020, assess your abilities, rectify your mistakes and make you confident to appear on the examination day.

    Our Prime Prelims Test Series follows the same approach as that adopted by UPSC. Our team of experts is quite enriched with the UPSC pattern and focal point of the questions and hence creates more chances for the aspirants to crack civil service examination by appearing our Test Series.

    This is the time where you must have done most of your revision and are ready to face the UPSC CSP with all the josh. Thus, what better exercise would you need than the full syllabus Mock Test. This is the 1st among the four Full-Length Tests covering the whole syllabus and we have curated it as per the trend of previous 5 years of UPSC CSP.  You see, since 2015, this has been the general weightage of various subjects in UPSC CSP:

     

    Subjects Question Distribution in the year 2019 Question Distribution in the year 2018 Question Distribution in the year 2017 Question Distribution in the year 2016 Question Distribution in the year 2015
    Economy 14 16 8   8 13
    Current Affair

    (including IR)

    		 22 28 34   27 29
    History, Modern India, Indian National Movements, Art and Culture 17 15 14   15 14
    Geography 14 8 7   7 14
    Polity 15 13 22   7 13
    Science & Technology 7 7   4   8 7
    Environment 11 13   11   18 10

    This is reflected in our mock test as well. (Current affairs has been amalgamated in the various subject list)

    History, Art & Culture: 20

    Polity and Governance: 19

    Economics: 16

    Geography: 18

    Environment: 17

    Science and Tech: 10

    The key philosophy of our prelims TS is Evidence-based question making: The 3600 questions you face in our mocks have their relevance established in UPSC’s trend analysis. We focus on themes that are important as per UPSC so that we maximize your chances of questions overlap with the actual UPSC Prelims.

    Nothing speaks more than the facts itself rather than a mere jargon. Here is a list of 5 sample questions from the upcoming test which will help you in identifying the standards and approach we follow. (you can skip this if you want to attempt these directly in the test). 

    Noone but only you can assess how it will help you in being the top percentile of aspirants. You have to practice ruthlessly and civils Daily provides you with a platform to hone your skills.

    Q1. In India, which of the following review the independent regulators in sectors like telecommunications, insurance, electricity, etc.?

    1. Ad Hoc Committees set up by the Parliament

    2. Parliamentary Department Related Standing Committees

    3. Finance Commission

    4. Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission

    5. NITI Aayog

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    a. 1 and 2 only

    b. 1,3 and 5 only

    c. 2, 4 and 5 only

    d. 3, 4 and 5 only

     

    Q2. Consider the following factors:

    1. Differences in Density

    2. The Earth’s Rotation

    3. The Planetary Winds

    The origin and the nature of ocean currents depend on which of the above?

    a. 1 and 2 only

    b. 2 and 3 only

    c. 1 and 3 only

    d. All of them

     

    Q3. Which of the following statements are correct regarding the Phylum Porifera?

    1. Members of this phylum are commonly known as sponges.

    2. They are generally marine and symmetrical in nature.

    Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

    a. 1 only

    b. 2 only

    c. Both of them

    d. Neither of them

     

    Q4. Consider the following statements regarding the Minars built during medieval India:

    1. The primary use of Minars was for Azaan, but its great height symbolised the might and power of the ruler.

    2. The Chand Minar was built at Delhi and is one of the most striking Minars of the medieval times.

    Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?

    a. 1 only

    b. 2 only

    c. Both of them

    d. Neither of them

     

    Q5. Consider the following statements:

    1. W.C. Bonnerjea was the first Indian to become a member of the British Parliament.

    2. Satyendra Prasad Sinha was the first Indian to become a member of Viceroy’s Council.

    3. G.V. Mavalankar was the first Speaker of the Central Legislative Assembly.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    a. 1 and 2 only

    b. 2 and 3 only

    c. 1 and 3 only

    d. All of them

  • Study on China dams brings the Brahmaputra into focus

    A new study highlighting the impact of China’s dams on the Mekong River has raised fresh questions on whether dams being built on other rivers that originate in China, such as the Brahmaputra, may similarly impact countries downstream.

    Make a note of:

    1) Tributaries of R. Brahmaputra

    2) Countries swept by R. Mekong

    3) Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (reminds us seeing R. Mekong)

    China’s dams on the Mekong River

    • The Mekong flows from China to Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.
    • The Mekong River Commission, which comprises Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, has said more scientific evidence was needed to establish whether dams caused a 2019 drought.
    • While China’s southwestern Yunnan province which usually has above-average rainfall, there was “severe lack of water in the lower Mekong.

    Mekong dams raise some questions

    • The Mekong study was not conclusive on the question of how China’s dams had affected the quantity of flows.
    • To state that the basin had less water because of activities in China alone is misleading, mainly because that only considers the water flowing into the lower basin at one station in Thailand.
    • The study did not consider other dams and water-use along the course of the river.
    • The lower basin isn’t entirely dependent on flows from China but also receives water from tributaries in all four countries, which the study did not account for.

    Concerns for India

    • India does not have a water-sharing agreement with China, but both sides share hydrological data.
    • India has long expressed concerns over dam-building on the Brahmaptura.
    • In 2015, China operationalised its first hydropower project at Zangmu, while three other dams at Dagu, Jiexu and Jiacha are being developed.
    • India need to raise the issue of river waters in the Brahmaputra with China, as that appears to be the only methodology to ensure what happened on Mekong does not happen on Brahmaputra.

    A management problem

    • The dams are not likely to impact the quantity of the Brahmaputra’s flows because they are only storing water for power generation.
    • Moreover, the Brahmaputra is not entirely dependent on upstream flows and an estimated 35% of its basin is in India.
    • However, India concerns more about activity in China affecting quality, ecological balance, and flood management.

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