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  • sri

    please provide news in TELUGU if possible along with hindi.

  • हिंदी संपादकीय और विचार: 15 अप्रैल

    आज के लिंक-

    1. ‘सागरमाला’ राष्‍ट्रीय परिप्रेक्ष्‍य योजना प्रस्‍तुत की गई

    लिंक- http://pib.nic.in/newsite/hindirelease.aspx?relid=47245

    (सागरमाला सरकार का एक प्रमुख कार्यक्रम है जिसका उद्देश्‍य देश में बंदरगाहों की अगुवाई में विकास की गति तेज करना है. यह योजना चार रणनीतिक पहलुओं पर आधारित है, वे रणनीतियाँ कौन कौन सी हैं, इसके बारे में आप उपरोक्त लिंक पर क्लिक कर जान सकते हैं.)

    2. ई-मंडी की पगडंडी

    लिंक- http://hindi.business-standard.com/storypage.php?autono=117711

    (सरकार द्वारा ई-मंडी की शुरुआत की गई है. नया एकीकृत इलेक्ट्रॉनिक मंच सीमित तरीके से शुरू हुआ है लेकिन फिर भी यह किसानों की तमाम समस्याओं को हल करेगा. देश के सभी 585 प्रमुख बाजारों को मार्च 2018 तक ई-प्लेटफार्म से जोडऩे की योजना है. उपरोक्त लिंक से इस बारे में और जानिये)

    3. क्यों कोलार खदान के फिर खुलने से देश की जेब पर पड़ रहा बोझ कुछ कम हो सकता है

    लिंक- http://satyagrah.scroll.in/article/100421/opening-of-kolar-mines-can-reduce-indias-import-bill

    (सिंधु घाटी सभ्यता से लेकर ब्रिटिश हुकूमत और फिर आजाद भारत तक भरपूर सोना देती रही कोलार खदान को सरकार फिर शुरू करने वाली है. उपरोक्त लिंक द्वारा आप कोलार के बारे में कई महत्वपूर्ण तथ्य और जानकारी हासिल कर सकते हैं.)

  • श्रमेव जयते, वित्तीय समावेशन और अंत्योदय: विस्तृत आलेख श्रृंखला(भाग-3)

    मित्रों,
    विस्तृत आलेख श्रृंखला के इस भाग में आज आप सरकार की तीन योजनाओं के बारे में जानेंगे- श्रमेव जयते कार्यक्रम, जन धन से जन सुरक्षा और अंत्योदय योजना. उम्मीद है इस श्रृंखला के पिछले दो भाग आपने ज़रूर पढ़े होंगे. आज के अनुवाद पढ़ने के लिए आपको पिछली बार की तरह ही नीचे दिए गए लिंक पर जाना है और सीडी एक्सप्लेन(CD Explain) पर क्लिक करना है.

    1. पंडित दीनदयाल उपाध्याय श्रमेव जयते कार्यक्रम

    लिंक- https://www.civilsdaily.com/pandit-deendayal-upadhyay-shramev-jayate-karyakram/

    2. जन धन से जन सुरक्षा तक- वित्तीय समावेशन और सुरक्षा की ओर

    लिंक- https://www.civilsdaily.com/story/financial-inclusion-in-india-and-its-challenges/

    3. दीनदयाल उपाध्याय अंत्योदय योजना

    लिंक- https://www.civilsdaily.com/deen-dayal-upadhyaya-antyodaya-yojana/

    इस श्रृंखला का पिछले भाग जिसमें हमने हेल्प, नीरांचल और नई पूंजीगत वस्तु नीति के बारे में बताया था, उन्हें पढ़ने के लिए नीचे दिए लिंक पर क्लिक कीजिये. हमारी कोशिश रहेगी कि प्रत्येक तीन दिनों के अंतराल पर इस श्रृंखला को आगे बढ़ाते रहें.

    भाग- 2 https://www.civilsdaily.com/%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AA-%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%B2-%E0%A4%94%E0%A4%B0-%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%A4/

  • Maritime India Summit 2016: Key Takeaways

    Maritime India Summit 2016 (MIS 2016) is a maiden flagship initiative of the Ministry of Shipping.

    Maiden = First time ever. First time ever translates to a higher probability of it finding its way in the IAS Prelims this year.

    Why do we say so? If you wrote the IAS prelims in 2014, you would remember the National Biodiversity Express initiative launched by GoI that year and how a few questions from E&B found their source in the released pamphlet. So, no harm in giving this a look, right?

    Focus Area for intervention which are important for your review:

    • Port Modernization
    • New Port Development
    • Inland Waterways
    • Green Initiatives in Ports

    Maritime Potential of Indian States

    If you are loath to read through the commentary, make sure you go through this infographic (in desktop mode – click on the pic to enlarge) & make quick notes.

     

    #1. Port Modernization

    India has 12 Major Ports, administered by the Central Government, and around 200 notified Non-Major Ports, administered by the State Governments. In 2014-15, out of the 200 Non-Major Ports, 69 ports were reported to have handled cargo traffic.

    • Kandla was the last major port built by India – 1950
    • India plans to add 8 major ports to this list of 12. Source: ET

    Fodder points – 

    1. The infrastructure sector, particularly the Maritime Sector, is expected to grow significantly with the increase in international and domestic trade volumes
    2. Since about 95% of India’s trade by volume is via the maritime route (Source : NTDPC), there is a continuous need to develop India’s ports and trade related infrastructure to accelerate growth in the manufacturing industry and to aid the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

    #2. New Port Development

    Why is there a need you may ask?

    1. Capacity Saturation – Ports such as JNPT, Paradip have limited capacity to expand and are saturated with traffic
    2. Non-availability of Ports – There are few specific stretches along the coastline which do not have an operational port. In absence of the port at such locations, the cargo is forced to travel longer distances to use alternate ports
    3. Strategic Locations – The southern tip of India is optimally located as it falls under the East-West trade route. However most of transshipment cargo from India is dependent on ports of Colombo and Singapore. Hence, we need to fulfill this need

    Potential Projects? Greenfield major ports to be developed at

    • Vadhavan (Maharashtra) – MOU was signed by JNPT. Read here.
    • Sagar Island (West Bengal) – This island, also known as Gangasagar or Sagardwip, is a place of Hindu pilgrimage
    • Paradip Satellite Port (Odhisha) – What is a satellite port?
    • Cuddalore/Sirkazhi (Tamil Nadu)
    • Machilipatnam/Vodarevu

    Question: Find out the difference between Greenfield and Brownfield projects. A term often used in PPP parlance. 

    #3. Inland Waterways

    India has an extensive network of inland waterways in the form of rivers, canals, backwaters and creeks. Of the total navigable length of 14,500 km, 5200 km of the river and 4000 km of canals can be used by mechanized crafts.

    India has recognized 106 waterways of which 6 are declared as national waterways – 

    #4. Green Initiatives in Ports

    • Solar and wind based power systems at all the Major Ports across the country
    • What’s the plan? Solar energy capacity at 8 major ports + Wind energy capacity at 3 major ports

    Key initiatives (Fodder points):

    • The Ministry of Shipping has recently introduced an incentive scheme under which the Ministry will share up to 50% of the total project cost that promote the use of green energy
    • Anti-fouling System Convention of International Maritime Organization has been incorporated in the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958
    • Use of bio-diesel at Haldia Dock Complex

     

    Sources: http://www.maritimeinvest.in 

    If you have time and you want to venture out and see the other heads of developments, do go and visit the website, especially carved out for this summit. 

  • National Agricultural Market: How is this a necessity for India?

    Scope of discussion

    • State of Indian Agriculture & renewed focus on increasing a farmer’s income – Facts
    • What was wrong with APMCs? Mains
    • Quick facts on NAM – Prelims

    State of Indian Agriculture & renewed focus on increasing a farmer’s income

    If we go back in time (aug 2015) and read this PIB release – National Agricultural Market – A Harbinger of Change, we would realise that government realised (yet again) the importance of agriculture in Indian economy.

    While the Government has rolled out large number of programmes to improve yield levels on a sustainable basis, it recognises the need for creating a competitive market structure in the country that will generate marketing efficiency.

    Question: Good time to go back in time and revise the programs launched to improve yield levels. Would you like to write them out for us in the comments?

    The net result out of this concern this –

    The Department of Agriculture & Cooperation formulated a Central Sector scheme for Promotion of National Agriculture Market through Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund (ATIF) through provision of the common e-platform.

    What was wrong with APMCs?

    Here’s a crisp answer from Quora,

    The APMC (Agricultural Produce Market Committees) is a relic of the past that forces the farmers to sell their produce only to middlemen approved by the government in authorized Mandis (markets). Thus, if you are a vegetable producer and I’m a supermarket, I cannot directly buy from you. Both of us need to go through a broker. This increases prices for the end buyer and unnecessarily adds redtape.

    • An Agricultural Produce Market Committee is a marketing board established by state governments of India
    • One main function of which is basically to provide a platform for farmers to sell their produce

    The challenges posed by present day APMCs – 

    1. Fragmentation of State into multiple market areas, each administered by separate APMC
    2. Separate licences for each mandi are required for trading in different market areas within a state. This means that we have limited the first point of sale for the farmer. He has to come to the local mandi – which could be both good and bad depending upon how it is governed
    3. Licensing barriers leading to conditions of monopoly
    4. Opaque process for price discovery

    The need to unify the markets both at State and National level was therefore, clearly the requirement of time. Think of it as an e-commerce platform with a marketplace model and not an inventory one. Every farmer has his own webpage (or something to the tune of that).

    Quick facts on NAM

    National Agriculture Market is going to implemented by the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation through Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC).

    NAM is not replacing the mandis. NAM is an online platform with a physical market or mandi at the backend enabling buyers situated even outside the state to participate in trading at the local level.

    It seeks to leverage the physical infrastructure of mandis through an online trading portal, enabling buyers situated even outside the state to participate in trading at the local level.

    source: Financialexpress.com

    NAM is currently being launched in 21 mandis and it will offer trade in –

    • chana,
    • castor seed,
    • paddy,
    • wheat,
    • maize,
    • onion,
    • mustard and tamarind

    Cons:

    1. Fruits and vegetables, where there often are prices fluctuations, are yet to be included in the NAM platform
    2. Country’s two biggest mandis—Azadpur (Delhi) and Vashi (Mumbai)—have not yet agreed to come on board
    3. What about interstate taxes and levies? NAM does not say anything on that!

    Questions:

    1. How will NAM function and what are the benefits that it would bring?
    2. What needs to be done on ground to make sure that NAM is successful?

     

    Source: Ref1 | Ref2 | Ref3

  • संपादकीय और विचार: 14 अप्रैल

    आज के लिंक अन्तर्राष्ट्रीय संबंध और पर्यावरण के लिहाज़ से महत्वपूर्ण है-

    1. भारत-अमरीका देंगे एक-दूसरे को फ़ौजी सुविधाएं

    लिंक- http://www.bbc.com/hindi/india/2016/04/160413_america_india_military_agreement_tk

    (प्रस्तावित समझौते के तहत भारत के जहाज को अगर तेल लेना है या फर्निशिंग करानी है तो वो अमरीका में करवा सकता है और अमरीका भी भारत में यह कर सकता है. अमरीका के साथ यह सहमति कितनी अहम है और इसके फ़ायदों के साथ ही इससे क्या मुश्किलें हो सकती हैं, इस बारे में आप उपरोक्त लिंक पर पढ़ हैं)

    2. दक्षिण एशिया वन जीवन प्रवर्तन नेटवर्क

    लिंक- http://pib.nic.in/newsite/hindirelease.aspx?relid=47213

    (दक्षिण एशिया वन जीवन प्रवर्तन नेटवर्क आठ देशों: अफगानिस्तान, बांग्लादेश, भूटान, भारत, मालदीव, नेपाल, पाकिस्तान एवं श्रीलंका से निर्मित एक क्षेत्रीय नेटवर्क है. क्या हैं इसके उद्देश्य और यह काम करेगा इसे आप उपरोक्त लिंक पर पढ़ सकते हैं)

    3. मिस्र करेगा दो द्वीपों को सऊदी अरब के हवाले

    लिंक- http://www.dw.com/hi/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0-%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%BE-%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8B-%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%82-%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8B-%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%8A%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%80-%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%AC-%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%87-%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%87/a-19181673

    (मिस्र की सरकार सऊदी अरब के साथ मैरीटाइम डिमार्केशन एकॉर्ड पर हस्ताक्षर किए, जिसके तहत मिस्र के दो द्वीप तिरान और सनाफिर सऊदी अरब की जलसीमा में पड़ते हैं. भौगोलिक दृष्टिकोण से और आईआर के लिहाज़ से इस आलेख को देखा जाना चाहिए.)

  • Dil dhoondata hai fir wohi frusat ke din!

    Guys and gals,

    Kya kar rahe ho bhailogo…. Yahan to Indian Polity ke articles hi bhool gaya main waapis revision karne baitha to…

    Filhaal koi soothing songs recommend kar do dosto… This is my first thread in BAKAR CD.

  • Coaching Institutes

    You guys were just awesome in posting contents. Do you guys are running any coaching institutes in chennai. if so please let me i would be glad to join it.

    Thank you

  • India, US defence ties – What are LSA, CISMOA and BECA agreements?

    Scope of discussion

    • What do we mean by LSA, CISMOA & BECA – Back2basics terms
    • Why the US wants India to sign them? Mains & Interview
    • Why was India averse to signing these pacts? Mains
    • What is Defense Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI)? Prelims & Mains

     

    What are LSA, CISMOA and BECA agreements?

    Welcome to the world of 3 foundational agreements that the US has been insisting on India to sign to further enhance the bilateral defence and strategic relationship.

    #1. The Logistics Support Agreement (LSA)

    • LSA would set a framework for the two countries to share military logistics
    • To assist each other’s armed forces with simple military logistics. For the U.S. Navy, for example, logistics support from India would be a valuable asset, helping it better project power in the Indian Ocean.
    • If you have been a regular with newspapers or CD’s daily news, you would realise that we gave an in-principle nod to LSA. Read the daily updates here.

    LSA would allow each other to access their military bases without any conflict for e.g in 1991 Gulf war India denied the US from refueling its aircraft from Indian territory.

    #2. The Communication and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (CISMOA)

    • CISMOA would allow the United States to supply India with its propriety encrypted communications equipment and systems
    • Thus allowing secure peacetime and wartime communication between high-level military leaders on both sides
    • CISMOA would extend this capability to Indian and U.S. military assets, including aircraft and ships

    #3. The Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA)

    • BECA would set a framework through which the United States could share sensitive data to aid targeting and navigation with India

     

    Why the US wants India to sign them?

    • The agreements clearly puts emphasis on building interoperability and capacity of the emerging partners through joint military exercises, training, and defence equipment sales
    • US increasingly expects India to play the larger role of a “net security provider”
    • It believes that these foundational agreements will facilitate a strong defence and strategic partnership between the two countries

    During the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government, India was less inclined towards signing these agreements BUT the India-US defence and strategic relationship has dramatically improved since the Narendra Modi Government came to power in May 2014.

    Really? How so?

    1. India & USA agreed to transform from mere buyer-seller defence relationship to joint research, co-development and production of high end defence equipments
    2. Signed a “Joint Strategic Vision for the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region”. Again, this would be a good time to revisit our updated maritime strategy where we increased our ambit of surveillance because we want to be a“net security provider” in Indo-pacific. Click to read here.

     

    If that is the case, why was India averse to signing these agreements before?

    1. India was concerned that it might erode its military independence
    2. Botch up its historically close security relationship with Russia, jeopardizing ongoing projects
    3. May antagonize China, leaving India in a disadvantageous position vis-a-vis its border disputes with Beijing. China’s visualization of US activity with any South Asian nation as its ‘Asia Pivot’ Strategy!
    4. In the case of CISMOA, it might allow the United States undue insight into Indian operational practices

    Question

    1. These look like valid reasons for not signing the agreements. And anyway, we were going on with our weapons procurement business with US with/ without these. What changed then? Why has India given an in-principle nod to signing the LSA?

    Hint:

    The India-US statement came on a day when China expressed anger at the Group of Seven (G7) advanced economies opposing “any intimidating coercive or provocative unilateral actions that could alter the status quo and increase tensions” in the East and South China Seas.

     

    Know more about Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI)

    1. Indo-Us defence pact, unveiled in 2012 – 4 major area of focus – Cooperation in (research, co-production , S&T and Military sales).
    2. It is mere framework not a treaty or law & disagreements have led to no progress since 2012!
    3. US prioritization of trade issues & India’s focus on technology transfers = Deadlock!
    4. Challenges and concerns = Terrorism from AF-PAK region, China’s assertiveness over South China sea.

    Want to read more?

    The debate on the value of these agreements for India is worth a read. Pratap Bhanu Mehta and Bharat Karnad lean against these agreements; Dhruva Jaishankar offers a case in favor.

     

    Source: Ref1 | Ref2 | Ref3

  • Indian Missile Systems and other developments in 2015-16

    The aim of this compilation is to help you serve as a last minute revision tool for the upcoming IAS Prelims 2016. UPSC is known to pitch in with factual questions in the Prelims Exam. A sincere student ends up missing out on them as a part of his/ her daily studies and here’s where such compilations come to rescue!

    #1. Defence Capability Enhancements 

    India’s biggest ship, aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya, finally arrives

    source: NDTV.com

    INS Vikramaditya is a Kiev class aircraft carrier which was commissioned by Russian Navy in 1987 under the name Baku. It was later renamed as Admiral Gorshkov and last sailed in 1995 in Russia, before being offered to India. India agreed to buy it in 2004 for $974 million. The cost kept shooting up as Russia delayed the delivery by over five years.

    INS Kolkata – Biggest warship ever to be built in India till date

    source: NDTV.com

    INS Kolkata is the lead ship of the Kolkata-class stealth guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy. She was constructed at Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL), and was handed over to the navy on 10 July 2014. A bit of an old news but mightier still!

    • INS Kolkata, under the Project 15 Alpha, belongs to the destroyer class and is the first of three ships currently under construction
    • Being wholly constructed in the country, the ship provides credence to India’s defense capabilities in an geo-politically unstable world.

    #2. Technological Advancements

    Agni 5, India’s Longest Range Ballistic Missile (2015)

    • Agni-V is a solid fueled intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)
    • Range – 5,000 km
    • Nuclear capable – YES
    • Three Stage Missile – Solid Fuel
    • Strategic Missile – YES

    What’s the difference between a strategic and a tactical missile system?

    Strategic weapons are used for strategic purposes – threatening an opponent’s industrial infrastructure, targeting their command structure, and are generally designed to hit targets which disrupt the enemy’s ability to conduct warfare at a high level.

    Tactical weapons are for local battlefield use, and are designed to be deployed against targets strictly of immediate military value.

    NOTE: India has started the production of AGNI 6.

    Surface-to-air missile ‘Akash’ inducted in IAF (2015)

    source: Indianexpress.com
    • ‘Akash’ has been developed by DRDO as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development
    • The missile can track a target 100 km away and hit the enemy’s helicopter, plane or drone from a 25-km distance

    Astra missile proves anti-jamming capability (2015)

    source: The Hindu
    • Astra is an active radar homing beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) developed by the DRDO
    • The missile is technologically more sophisticated than the nuclear capable Agni missile series of strategic ballistic missiles
    • The maximum range of Astra is 110 km in head-on chase and 20 km in tail chase
    • The Mark 2 version of Astra will have a maximum range of 150 km and tail chase range of up to 35 km

    The secretive submarine-launched K-4 – nuclear missile (2016)

    • A long range submarine-launched ballistic missile, codenamed K-4, capable of can strike targets upto 3,500 kilometres away
    • The K-4, a derivative of the more well known Agni ballistic nuclear missiles already in service, will be the most potent part of India’s nuclear deterrent
    • Incidentally, K-4 is named after APJ Abdul Kalam

    Indian Navy successfully test fires Barak-8

    • The firing was undertaken on the Western Seaboard by INS Kolkata, wherein the missile successfully intercepted an aerial target at extended ranges
    • Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LR SAM) – a significant milestone in enhancing its anti-air warfare capability
    • Developed jointly by India and Israel

    Anti-tank HeliNa missile hits targets in crucial test (2015)

    source: Linkedin.com
    • HeliNa is a helicopter-launched version of Nag and has been developed by the DRDO under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP)
    • HeliNa missile will be integrated with the weaponised version of the Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv, the light combat helicopter produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

    #3. Bonus for our readers

    Most of the time you are likely to be flummoxed by questions on tactical/ strategic – surface to surface missiles. Let’s list down all of them in order for you to remember and revise!

    Did we miss out on anything? Add to the growing list for prelims worthy questions.

     

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