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I am looking forward to appear for UPSC exams in 2018. Please can anyone give me a detailed plan on how should I plan my studies to cover the entire portion. Please help. Have started with ncert books. Please try to reply soon.

GS I (Globalisation) (Hattrick)

From a global perspective, globalization’s most important impacts are often highly localized. Discuss. Also explain globalization with respect to its impact on Indian Culture.

Best answer

Vidyarthi Mishra wrote the best answer for this question and got a score of 4.5/10. The answer is being reproduced below for everyone’s convenience. Of course these answers can always be improved. (Best answer  of Day 34 only involves those given on Day 34, later answers may not have been checked)

Globalization has come to the fore in the past two-three decades with the advancement of connected trade and commerce. While Globalization signifies inter-connection and inter-dependence on national levels, its effects have indeed been localized to micro levels.

Localized impact of globalization – Economic and social
1. Thanks to globalization, the world has become a connected commercial sphere. A rise of demand of handicrafts in USA can be exploited by the village craftsmen in Jammu and Kashmir.
2. With the set up of a global market, local hubs have emerged. E.g. India is the largest exporter of IT services in the world.
3. A global market also means certain areas have emerged as the prime suppliers of goods. E.g. demand of Indian cotton for world’s best apparel brands
4. Flexibility of movement of people from one part to another has led to specialization. E.g. movement of people from southern states to Middle-East in mid-level positions and Indian doctors to developed nations.
5. People who benefitted most from globalization were those who came together to utilize the opportunities. E.g. Gujarati traders helped set up the gems and jewellery export business and dominate it.

Impact on Indian culture
1. Has helped Indians learn from people of various cultures and respect differences
2. Enrichment of Indian culture by Indian diaspora who settled abroad and still maintain values and traditions.
3. Conversely, there has also been erosion of Indian culture since people took to new societies and gave up their old practices
4. With access to global media and film industry, there has been a seeping-in of blind adoption of western styles and ideology.
5. The younger generation seems particularly vulnerable to the dangers of foreign culture.

Thus, we see that globalization affects everyone and at all levels and has its own share of positives, however, there’s a stark need to ensure it doesn’t erode the cultural beliefs of people.

GS II (Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests)

Nepal’s signing of transit and other agreements with China has been regarded by some in India as a significant loss of India’s influence in Nepal. Discuss why India’s relationship with Nepal is important.  What are the challenges in recent times & solutions to its relationships?

Best answer

Badal Yadav wrote the best answer for this question and got a score of 5/10. The answer is being reproduced below for everyone’s convenience. Of course these answers can always be improved. (Best answer  of Day 34 only involves those given on Day 34, later answers may not have been checked)

India and Nepal shared a good relationship since both the countries signed a treaty of PEACE AND FRIENDSHIP and treaty of TRADE and COMMERCE in 1950.
Indian policy towards Nepal is determined by the following considerations: (i) the geopolitics of Nepal makes it a landlocked country sandwiched between India and China. Access to Nepal is easier from the Indian side; (ii) historically, both countries have shared a common security perception; (iii) there exists a great deal of cultural affinity between the two countries; Nepal is not only the birth place of Gautam Buddha but is also the only Hindu kingdom in the world.
with the recent incidents of Madeshi protest against Nepal’s new constitution and india also showing its concerns about it, india is lossing its position in NEPAL.
the main concerns associated with these starangles in relations are :-
1) India is losing trust among Nepalese public. The Maoists in Nepal are using this as an opportunity to carry out anti-India propaganda.
2) In absence of Indian exports from India especially in the fuel and oil, Nepal is threatening to look forward to many other options like resorting to Road trade with China, This may ultimately hit long term India- Nepal trade.
3) The India- Nepal tension may accelerate into deadlock in SAARC, and may disrupt the fulfillment of trade, political interests and regional integration.
4) The political vacuum provided by India in Nepal may ultimately be filled by China, and this may further strengthen the resolve of the Maoist party and the other upper caste parties of Nepal, which are supported by China.
5) Also Nepal’s constitution has got a tacit consent of certain countries which find its standards acceptable. If India resorts to tough measures it may end up inviting international criticism.
Thus India should try to follow its principle of non-interference in the internal matters of a country and try to resolve the disputes amicable. India is known as a soft power and should retain its reputation. It should not lose trust among the public and international media due to its “Big Brother diplomacy”. Rather it should put its point forward with reasons, keeping International opinion in its favor and use its soft power and track II diplomacy to reach a solution.

GS III ( Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment) (Hattrcik)

India has convinced a lot of people and the world is making big bets on its stature as a manufacturing and economic powerhouse. However, there are many challenges that lie ahead. Critically comment. Do you think that China is feeling pressure from Indian manufacturing sector?

Best answer

Narayana Sarma wrote the best answer for this question and got a score of 5/10. The answer is being reproduced below for everyone’s convenience. Of course these answers can always be improved. (Best answer  of Day 34 only involves those given on Day 34, later answers may not have been checked)

India’s rank in ease of doing business index jumped four places to 130. Also, it is expected that India would be at 5th position in Global Manufacturing Competitiveness Index by 2020, thanks to the efforts taken by government of India. However, the Indian manufacturing sector accounts only for 17% of GDP compared to that of 33% in China. Some of the challenges faced by foreign investors in manufacturing sector are:
-Shortfall in resources and inrastructure
-Lack of skilled labour to absorb transferred technology & low spending (R&D) in creating new technologies
-Problems of land acquisition and difficult environmental clearances
-Outdated labour regulations which mandate minimum work benefits and conditions
-Highly complex tarriff structure
-Enforcement of legislations like Industrial Disputes Act and Trade Unions Act which allow employees to strike legally and have multiple unions within an organization
-Little focus on industrial/vocational education which is responsible for unskilled populace
-Frequent usage of protectionist measures such as Anti-Dumping Duty under Special Safeguard Mechanism of WTO, which limits import of raw materials of investors’ choice
In order to make India a sweet spot for foreign investors and make India a manufacturing and economic powerhouse, the Government has taken follwing steps:
-Skill Development Programme, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, Apprentice Protsahan Yojana which hone the skill of unemployed populace
-Liberalization and opening up of India’s economy by allowing FDI even to the extent of 100% under automatic route through Make in India initiative
-Proposed implementation of GST would reduce the complex structure of taxation
-Proposed bill of bankruptcy, which would allow easy exit of ventures/start-ups
-Frequent bilateral/multilateral talks with other nations, especially SAARC and BRICS in attracting investors

While these pro-manufacturing reforms have diverted foreign investors from China to our country, it has done little to boost the domestic manufacturing sector. In my opinion, though this level of liberalization is necessary in creation of jobs, growth and development, the domestic sector is not yet ready to digest the competition offered by their foreign counterparts.

An overlapping roadmap

SDG (sustainable development goals) are adopted by the UNGA (UN General Assembly) to transform the world by 2030. It has in total 17 goals and 169 targets. This major criticism of these sustainable development goals are

1. they are too vague and general. Many overlapping a exist between the goals and targets.
2. Funds are not delineated for the purpose of the achievement of these goals.
3. Lack of data and scientific evidence is a major hurdle in building the climate change resilience.

Coherence in Neighbourhood

India has hosted recently the visits of Prime Minister of Nepal Pushpa Kumar canal also known as Prachanda. India showed the maturity of interaction with Prime minister Prachanda  and understood his sensitivities. So, amendment of the constitution of Nepal is not mentioned in the joint statement. The focus is on reconstruction and infrastructure development.

President AshrafGhani of Afghanistan also has visited India and there is a clear shift in his attitude in dealing with India. After the failure of Murree talks, Afghanistan moved close to India and India also supplied lethal helicopters. Here the major shift is in the stand of the USA which welcomed the India’s military support to Afghanistan and recommended to improve the same. India is also providing an alternative access to Afghanistan through Iran’s chabahar port. The joint statement also spoke about the resolve to counter terrorism and strengthen security and Defence cooperation as envisaged in the India – Afghanistan strategic partnership.

India’s above gestures are in line with its Neighbourhood first policy.

Pieces of untruth truce.

In UP, feud Akilesh Yadav and his uncle, father represent a generation gap and a resistance to the change. If issues are carefully observed the following conclusions can be drawn.

1. Political affairs of a party become the family affair. It shows the centralization and lack of internal democracy in the political party.
2. Though India is going through demographic transition, politics in India are dominated by the veterans and aged. If panchayats are excluded, India has the highest average age in politics.
3. Populistic socialism is still the vote garnering mantra for the political parties.

Political malady and legal malady

Context – Anti defection law and Arunachal crisis.

Anti defection law came with an objective to control the defections and horse trading in Indian politics. Later 91^st amendment act has introduced the merger of 2/3^rd members of a political party as an exception to the disqualification under anti defection law.

In Arunachal Pradesh congress MLAs used  this very route is used to join the people’s party of Arunachal.

Conclusions – defections engineered through these unscrupulous means will undermine democratic institutions and confidence of the people on these institutions. So. Ideally the matters related to defection shall be left to the hands of the voters. Legal  remedies  to  what  is  essentially  a  political  issue  will have difficulties in their implementation.

A blow for the right to knowledge

Copyrights in India are governed by the copyright act. The section 52(1)(i) allows for the  reproduction  of  any  work  i)  by  a  teacher  or  a  pupil in  the  course  of  instruction;  or  ii)  as  part  of the  questions  to  be  answered  in  an  examination;  or  iii)  in  answers  to  such  questions.

Copyrights and Patents can be seen as a limitation on access to Knowledge. In this context, in the recent judgement by the Delhi high court in The  Chancellor Masters  and  Scholars  of  the  University  of  Oxford  v.  Rameshwari  Photocopy Services), held that word “in the course of” Under 52(1)(I) involves pedagogy to entire instruction outside and inside the classroom.

With inputs from CivilsPrep

GS I (changes in critical geographical features (including waterbodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.)

Indiscriminate extraction of sand from floodplains or river banks destroys the flora and fauna and decreases fertility of the land. How can we restrict the illegal mining ? What are the impacts of over mining?

GS II (India and its neighbourhood- relations) (Hattrick)

India and Bangladesh share proximity of culture, history, language and geography. Among the many challenges facing the relationship, problem of rampant cattle smuggling which has made the Indo-Bangladesh border a dangerous place for ordinary people. Discuss.

GS III (Agricultural produce and issues) (Duplex)

Do you think that Subramanian panel’s recommendations on MSP procurement operations are well worth of implementing? Discuss.