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  • Target UPSC CSE 2023 – How to Get the Basics Right & Start the Preparation like a Topper? || Free Live Webinar By UPSC 2017 GS Mains Topper and Civilsdaily Academic Head Sajal Sir|| Limited Slots Available, Register Now

    Target UPSC CSE 2023 – How to Get the Basics Right & Start the Preparation like a Topper? || Free Live Webinar By UPSC 2017 GS Mains Topper and Civilsdaily Academic Head Sajal Sir|| Limited Slots Available, Register Now

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR

    UPSC-CSE 2021 results have shaken the long held belief that the examination can only be cleared after multiple attempts. Most of the UPSC-CSE toppers like Satyam Gandhi (AIR 10), Ria Dabi (AIR 15), Yash Jaluka (AIR 4), Mamta Yadav (AIR 5) and Shashwat Tripurari (AIR 19) cleared the exam as fresh graduates in their very first attempt. How were they able to do it?

    If you watch their strategy videos, you can find a common pattern — they started 12-24 months in advance before the exam.

    UPSC Toppers who Have Benefited From Sajal Sir’s Guidance

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR
    AIR 14, UPSC 2020 Karishma Nair
    AIR 25, UPSC 2020 Vaibhav Rawat
    AIR 65, 2020 Pranay Vijayvergiya
    Rajiv Kumar IPS
    Kunal Aggarwal IRS

    Open to All Webinar by Civilsdaily Mentor Sajal Sir

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR

    One of the benefits of starting your preparation early is the time you would get to revise and practice test series upon completing the syllabus. Also, you would get ample time to pay attention to every subject. There are totally 9 papers in UPSC-CSE Mains and 2 papers in Prelims exams. Not to forget, the daily current affairs. Many aspirants need time to figure out how they can prepare in an understandable manner. That’s why starting your preparation eight months before the exam is not advisable.

    However, what’s the best way to prepare, if you aren’t a fan of making mistakes and figuring it out along the way? We understand how annoying it might be for you if you were to study in a certain way for months together and then realize that it doesn’t align with the UPSC-CSE way of doing things.

    Do you know an ideal preparation would be divided into five phases and spread across 18 months? This means each phase will be about three to four months long.

    This is what Civilsdaily mentor and UPSC 2017 GS Mains Topper Sajal sir would be discussing in the upcoming webinar. Backed by years of experience and ongoing research & analysis of the civil services exam, Sajal sir has developed a refined strategy which will he will be sharing to all the newcomers.

    Key-Takeaways of the Free Q&A Webinar with Sajal Sir

    1. The first phase – Studying the Core Subjects. How to read every topic in the syllabus from 2-3 sources in the first reading and prepare a 1-2 page notes? And in your second reading, stick to only one source while using your notes as reference.

    2. The second phase – Studying Mains Specific Subjects & Optional. How to follow the ritual of reading, writing summaries and answering topic-wise previous year questions?

    3. Discussing 2-3 Revision Strategies which you can follow. Why should you not go more than 20 days without revision?

    4. Live demonstration of making the perfect notes. How to not copy line-by-line of everything you read & only note down the 5 dimensions of a topic?

    5. Why is the third phase of preparation the shortest of all? What should you ideally do after completing the Prelims and Mains subjects?

    6. About the fourth phase. How to improve your accuracy 3 months before the Prelims exams?

    5. The last phase. What must be done 3 months before the Mains exams?

    6. Including statistics and relevant data. What are the subject-wise important committee reports you should read?

    7. Three readings per subject. How do you study during each revision phase?

    Sajal Sir will also hold a Q&A Session where beginners and veterans can clarify their doubts.

    Webinar Details

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR

    If you want to get the nuances of UPSC-CSE preparation right in the first go, then this free webinar is for you! Just fill the form and let us know the question you want to ask Sajal sir in the one hour long session on Sunday.

    Date: 20 February 2022

    Time: 7 PM

  • UGC’s ‘Academic Bank of Credits’ scheme

    Context

    The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has recommended a revamp of the higher education scene in India. A new initiative stemming from this desire is an ‘Academic Bank of Credits’ (ABC) in higher education idea, which was notified recently by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

    About the Academic Bank of Credits’ (ABC)

    • Any undergraduate or postgraduate student can create an account in the ABC portal and store information of his/her completed courses (i.e., subjects/papers in old terminology) and grades obtained.
    • These grades are stored for a period of five years. 
    • As multiple institutes are connected to the ABC portal, one can be formally enrolled in university ‘A’ but can choose to do some courses from university ‘B’, some more from university ‘C’ and so on and all of these would count towards the student’s degree.
    • Flexible and multidisciplinary: One can enrol in an equivalent course from another college in the same city or join online courses offered by other universities; or can enrol in SWAYAM (a programme initiated by the  Government of India) or the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) and add these credits.
    • Thus, education will truly become flexible and interdisciplinary, without forcing any single institute to float an unmanageable number of courses.
    • This flexibility will offer students a chance to enrol in a course and learn from teachers from some of the best institutes such as the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) or the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research.

    Issues with ABC

    • Limited seats: ABC regulations say that the institute should allow up to 20% supernumerary seats for students enrolling through the ABC scheme.
    • There is no clarity on how the selection of students would be made if there are more than 20% seats.
    • Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) platforms such as SWAYAM and NPTEL are ‘supposedly designed’ for large enrolments.
    • So far we have not found any evidence in the public domain that these MOOC platforms can provide a reliable assessment of learning achievement if there is massive enrolment for a course.
    • Filtering criterion: The ABC portal will accept courses from a large inumber of higher education institutes.
    • The filtering criterion in the original regulation was that higher education institutes should have obtained an ‘A’ grade or higher in the latest round of National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) accreditation.
    • This filtering criterion is not satisfactory.
    • Impact on small colleges: The ABC scheme specifies that students can avail up to 70% of courses from other institutes while being enrolled in a particular college.
    • If students avail these credits outside the parent college, they need not enrol for the corresponding in-house courses.
    • As the number of teaching posts in any higher education institute are calculated on the basis of student enrolment numbers, what happens when a large fraction of students do not enrol for the courses offered by you? 

    Conclusion

    In India, where the quality of education varies drastically from one institute to the next, this can lead to unmanageable academic and administrative issues in higher education institutes with brand names, and lead to a contraction in the number of teaching posts in smaller higher education institutes.

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • Target UPSC CSE 2023 – How to Get the Basics Right & Start the Preparation like a Topper? || Free Live Webinar By UPSC 2017 GS Mains Topper and Civilsdaily Academic Head Sajal Sir|| Limited Slots Available, Register Now

    Target UPSC CSE 2023 – How to Get the Basics Right & Start the Preparation like a Topper? || Free Live Webinar By UPSC 2017 GS Mains Topper and Civilsdaily Academic Head Sajal Sir|| Limited Slots Available, Register Now

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR

    UPSC-CSE 2021 results have shaken the long held belief that the examination can only be cleared after multiple attempts. Most of the UPSC-CSE toppers like Satyam Gandhi (AIR 10), Ria Dabi (AIR 15), Yash Jaluka (AIR 4), Mamta Yadav (AIR 5) and Shashwat Tripurari (AIR 19) cleared the exam as fresh graduates in their very first attempt. How were they able to do it?

    If you watch their strategy videos, you can find a common pattern — they started 12-24 months in advance before the exam.

    UPSC Toppers who Have Benefited From Sajal Sir’s Guidance

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR
    AIR 14, UPSC 2020 Karishma Nair
    AIR 25, UPSC 2020 Vaibhav Rawat
    AIR 65, 2020 Pranay Vijayvergiya
    Rajiv Kumar IPS
    Kunal Aggarwal IRS

    Open to All Webinar by Civilsdaily Mentor Sajal Sir

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR

    One of the benefits of starting your preparation early is the time you would get to revise and practice test series upon completing the syllabus. Also, you would get ample time to pay attention to every subject. There are totally 9 papers in UPSC-CSE Mains and 2 papers in Prelims exams. Not to forget, the daily current affairs. Many aspirants need time to figure out how they can prepare in an understandable manner. That’s why starting your preparation eight months before the exam is not advisable.

    However, what’s the best way to prepare, if you aren’t a fan of making mistakes and figuring it out along the way? We understand how annoying it might be for you if you were to study in a certain way for months together and then realize that it doesn’t align with the UPSC-CSE way of doing things.

    Do you know an ideal preparation would be divided into five phases and spread across 18 months? This means each phase will be about three to four months long.

    This is what Civilsdaily mentor and UPSC 2017 GS Mains Topper Sajal sir would be discussing in the upcoming webinar. Backed by years of experience and ongoing research & analysis of the civil services exam, Sajal sir has developed a refined strategy which will he will be sharing to all the newcomers.

    Key-Takeaways of the Free Q&A Webinar with Sajal Sir

    1. The first phase – Studying the Core Subjects. How to read every topic in the syllabus from 2-3 sources in the first reading and prepare a 1-2 page notes? And in your second reading, stick to only one source while using your notes as reference.

    2. The second phase – Studying Mains Specific Subjects & Optional. How to follow the ritual of reading, writing summaries and answering topic-wise previous year questions?

    3. Discussing 2-3 Revision Strategies which you can follow. Why should you not go more than 20 days without revision?

    4. Live demonstration of making the perfect notes. How to not copy line-by-line of everything you read & only note down the 5 dimensions of a topic?

    5. Why is the third phase of preparation the shortest of all? What should you ideally do after completing the Prelims and Mains subjects?

    6. About the fourth phase. How to improve your accuracy 3 months before the Prelims exams?

    5. The last phase. What must be done 3 months before the Mains exams?

    6. Including statistics and relevant data. What are the subject-wise important committee reports you should read?

    7. Three readings per subject. How do you study during each revision phase?

    Sajal Sir will also hold a Q&A Session where beginners and veterans can clarify their doubts.

    Webinar Details

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR

    If you want to get the nuances of UPSC-CSE preparation right in the first go, then this free webinar is for you! Just fill the form and let us know the question you want to ask Sajal sir in the one hour long session on Sunday.

    Date: 20 February 2022

    Time: 7 PM

  • Why do we need a refugee and asylum law

    Context

    A Private Member’s Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha proposing the enactment of a Refugee and Asylum law.

    Why does India need a Refugee and Asylum law?

    •  The principle of non-refoulement: The international legal principle of non-refoulement — the cornerstone of refugee law, which states that no country should send a person to a place where he or she may face persecution.
    •  The principle of non-refoulement is clearly affirmed, with no exceptions, though reasons have been specified for exclusion, expulsion, and revocation of refugee status, to respect the Government’s sovereign authority but limit its discretion.
    • India is not signatory to Refugee Convention: India has been, and continues to be, a generous host to several persecuted communities, doing more than many countries, but is neither a signatory to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention, nor does it have a domestic asylum framework.
    • The tradition of asylum: It will be in line with India’s millennial traditions of asylum and hospitality to strangers.
    • Because India has neither subscribed to international conventions on the topic nor set up a domestic legislative framework to deal with refugees, their problems are dealt with in an ad hoc manner, and like other foreigners they always face the possibility of being deported.
    •  It will finally recognise India’s long-standing and continuing commitment to humanitarian and democratic values while dealing with refugees.

    Multiple laws

    • In the absence of a uniform and comprehensive law to deal with asylum seekers, we lack a clear vision or policy on refugee management.
    • We have a cocktail of laws such as:
    • the Foreigners Act, 1946,
    • the Registration of Foreigners Act, 1939,
    • the Passports Act (1967),
    • the Extradition Act, 1962,
    • the Citizenship Act, 1955 and
    • the Foreigners Order, 1948 — all of which club all foreign individuals together as “aliens”.

    Defining refugee

    • Well-founded fear of persecution: The internationally-accepted definition of the term, includes people who have fled their home countries and crossed an international border because of a well-founded fear of persecution in their home countries, on grounds of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.
    • Who does not qualify as a refugee? This means that people who cross borders in quest of economic betterment, or because they are fleeing poverty, anarchy or environmental disaster, do not qualify as refugees.
    • Nor do those who flee from one part of their home country to another because of war, conflict or fear of persecution.

    Way forward

    • India must enact a National Asylum Law.
    • We need a proper framework to make sure that refugees can access basic public services, be able to legally seek jobs and livelihood opportunities for some source of income.
    • The absence of such a framework will make the refugees vulnerable to exploitation, especially human trafficking.
    • Our judiciary has already shown the way forward on this: in 1996, the Supreme Court of India ruled that the state has to protect all human beings living in India, irrespective of nationality, since they enjoy the rights guaranteed by Articles 14, 20 and 21 of the Constitution to all, not just Indian citizens.
    • The enactment and enumeration of refugee rights will reduce our dependence on judge-centric approaches — or even worse, the whims of Home Ministry bureaucrats, police officers and politicians.

    Consider the question “In the absence of a uniform and comprehensive law to deal with asylum seekers, we lack a clear vision or policy on refugee management. In the context of this, examine the need for law to deal with asylum seeker and suggest the various aspects the law should cover.” 

    Conclusion

    The problems of refugees worldwide are problems that demand global solidarity and international cooperation. India, as a pillar of the world community, as a significant pole in the emerging multipolar world, must play its own part, on its own soil as well as on the global stage, in this noble task.

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • Beyond the hype of blockchain, a look at its reality

    Context

    Blockchain is a fascinating data structure that generates great curiosity. However, there is a lot of hype around the concept and its adoption in diverse fields seems to be faith-based, driven by unsubstantiated vendor and consultant claims.

    Two main functional properties of blockchain

    • A blockchain is a sequential append-only public bulletin board of transaction records with two main functional properties. 
    • 1] Verification by peers: What can get added is reconciled by multiple participating  peers following a pre-decided consensus protocol.
    • This process cannot be gamed under the assumption that a majority of the unrestricted number of peers are honest.
    • 2] Immutable record: recryptographically ensured that it  cannot be altered.
    • Each participating peer normally has their own copy of the entire bulletin board, with identical content, and they can read and further copy at will.

    Applications and their limits

    • Private blockchain: A “permissioned” or private blockchain has only pre-identified participating peers.
    • Hence, collusion is possible and integrity can only be ensured through regulations.
    • Without political decentralisation, consensus does not imply safety, and this is no different from centralisation in its threat model.
    • Privacy concern is not addressed: Despite many claims to the contrary, the blockchain structure has nothing to do with the highly-nuanced notion of privacy, or even the limited secrecy aspect of it.
    • To ensure secrecy of the bulletin board records, one has to fall back on traditional and well-established notions from cryptography — like encryption, key management and zero-knowledge proofs.
    • “Consensus” is inapplicable when there is only one authority responsible for the integrity of the transactions, for example, the Election Commission of India when a vote is cast in the privacy of a polling booth or a person is added or removed from a voters’ list.
    • Issues with use for voting purpose: Also, voting is not the only example of the inadequate analysis of the applicability of blockchain, and there are proposals for using them for land records, asset registers, etc.
    • Most such proposals do not pass muster for reasons similar to voting.
    • The role of blockchain in RBI’s digital currency proposal is similarly doubtful, and convincing methods independent of “consensus” need to be developed to ensure the correctness and verifiability of transactions while protecting user privacy.

    Issues with application for cyrptocurrencies

    • Macroeconomic implications not clear: Currency properties and monetary policies have evolved over thousands of years of bartering, and it is not clear that cryptocurrencies are consistent with them or that the larger macroeconomic implications of cryptocurrencies are well understood.
    • Crypto assets derive their values from their potential to be exchanged for other currencies.
    • Uncertain price determination: Since only a limited set of commodities are traded with crypto assets,  their price determinations with respect to sovereign fiat currencies are uncertain.
    • Potential to increase inequality: Apart from the crucial price stabilisation issues, their potential to further inequality is also considerable.
    • Environmental impact: The total carbon footprint of cryptocurrencies is equivalent to that of a few megacities, and it does seem ungainly, energy-inefficient and unsustainable to mine assets this way.

    Way forward

    • What may help in many of these applications is just the immutable public bulletin board part of a blockchain, with or without encryption and zero-knowledge proofs.
    • This may be simply achieved by the concerned authority periodically publishing the bulletin board in a publicly downloadable forum, and using hash chains verifiable by all to make alterations impossible.
    • Given the carbon footprint associated with cryptocurrencies, it requires regulation and taxation, especially for the potential environmental impacts and because only a few participate.

    Consider the question “What is blockchain technology? What are its potential applications and concerns with these applications?” 

    Conclusion

    Blockchain is certainly an elegant concept whose properties and potential require careful research. The hype of treating them as solutions for everything with not-so-thoughtful use cases is perhaps techno-determinism at its worst.

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • 19th February 2022 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions

    [WpProQuiz 906]

    [WpProQuiz_toplist 906]

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • Target UPSC CSE 2023 – How to Get the Basics Right & Start the Preparation like a Topper? || Free Live Webinar By UPSC 2017 GS Mains Topper and Civilsdaily Academic Head Sajal Sir|| Limited Slots Available, Register Now

    Target UPSC CSE 2023 – How to Get the Basics Right & Start the Preparation like a Topper? || Free Live Webinar By UPSC 2017 GS Mains Topper and Civilsdaily Academic Head Sajal Sir|| Limited Slots Available, Register Now

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR

    UPSC-CSE 2021 results have shaken the long held belief that the examination can only be cleared after multiple attempts. Most of the UPSC-CSE toppers like Satyam Gandhi (AIR 10), Ria Dabi (AIR 15), Yash Jaluka (AIR 4), Mamta Yadav (AIR 5) and Shashwat Tripurari (AIR 19) cleared the exam as fresh graduates in their very first attempt. How were they able to do it?

    If you watch their strategy videos, you can find a common pattern — they started 12-24 months in advance before the exam.

    UPSC Toppers who Have Benefited From Sajal Sir’s Guidance

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR
    AIR 14, UPSC 2020 Karishma Nair
    AIR 25, UPSC 2020 Vaibhav Rawat
    AIR 65, 2020 Pranay Vijayvergiya
    Rajiv Kumar IPS
    Kunal Aggarwal IRS

    Open to All Webinar by Civilsdaily Mentor Sajal Sir

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR

    One of the benefits of starting your preparation early is the time you would get to revise and practice test series upon completing the syllabus. Also, you would get ample time to pay attention to every subject. There are totally 9 papers in UPSC-CSE Mains and 2 papers in Prelims exams. Not to forget, the daily current affairs. Many aspirants need time to figure out how they can prepare in an understandable manner. That’s why starting your preparation eight months before the exam is not advisable.

    However, what’s the best way to prepare, if you aren’t a fan of making mistakes and figuring it out along the way? We understand how annoying it might be for you if you were to study in a certain way for months together and then realize that it doesn’t align with the UPSC-CSE way of doing things.

    Do you know an ideal preparation would be divided into five phases and spread across 18 months? This means each phase will be about three to four months long.

    This is what Civilsdaily mentor and UPSC 2017 GS Mains Topper Sajal sir would be discussing in the upcoming webinar. Backed by years of experience and ongoing research & analysis of the civil services exam, Sajal sir has developed a refined strategy which will he will be sharing to all the newcomers.

    Key-Takeaways of the Free Q&A Webinar with Sajal Sir

    1. The first phase – Studying the Core Subjects. How to read every topic in the syllabus from 2-3 sources in the first reading and prepare a 1-2 page notes? And in your second reading, stick to only one source while using your notes as reference.

    2. The second phase – Studying Mains Specific Subjects & Optional. How to follow the ritual of reading, writing summaries and answering topic-wise previous year questions?

    3. Discussing 2-3 Revision Strategies which you can follow. Why should you not go more than 20 days without revision?

    4. Live demonstration of making the perfect notes. How to not copy line-by-line of everything you read & only note down the 5 dimensions of a topic?

    5. Why is the third phase of preparation the shortest of all? What should you ideally do after completing the Prelims and Mains subjects?

    6. About the fourth phase. How to improve your accuracy 3 months before the Prelims exams?

    5. The last phase. What must be done 3 months before the Mains exams?

    6. Including statistics and relevant data. What are the subject-wise important committee reports you should read?

    7. Three readings per subject. How do you study during each revision phase?

    Sajal Sir will also hold a Q&A Session where beginners and veterans can clarify their doubts.

    Webinar Details

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR

    If you want to get the nuances of UPSC-CSE preparation right in the first go, then this free webinar is for you! Just fill the form and let us know the question you want to ask Sajal sir in the one hour long session on Sunday.

    Date: 20 February 2022

    Time: 7 PM

  • Green Hydrogen Policy

     

    The Ministry of Power has notified the first part of the National Hydrogen Mission policy on green hydrogen and green ammonia, aimed to boost production of hydrogen and ammonia using renewable energy.

    What is green hydrogen?

    • Green hydrogen is hydrogen gas produced through electrolysis of water.
    • It is an energy intensive process for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen— using renewable power to achieve this.

    Key takeaways of the Green Hydrogen Policy

    • The new policy offers 25 years of free power transmission for any new renewable energy plants set up to supply power for green hydrogen production before July 2025.
    • This means that a green hydrogen producer will be able to set up a solar power plant in Rajasthan to supply renewable energy to a green hydrogen plant in Assam.
    • It would not be required to pay any inter-state transmission charges.

    What are the incentives?

    • The government is set to provide a single portal for all clearances required for setting up green hydrogen production.
    • It will facilitate producers to transfer any surplus renewable energy generated with discoms for upto 30 days and use it as required.
    • The requirement of time bound clearances for these projects would spur investment while grid connectivity on priority will ease operational processes.
    • The energy plants set up to produce green hydrogen/ammonia would be given connectivity to the grid on a priority basis.
    • State DISCOMS may also procure renewable energy to supply green hydrogen producers but will be required to do so at a concessional rate.
    • Such procurement would also count towards a state’s Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) under which it is required to procure a certain proportion of its requirements from renewable energy sources.

    Facilities to boost export

    • Under the policy port authorities will also provide land at applicable charges to green hydrogen and green ammonia producers to set up bunkers near ports for storage prior to export.
    • Germany and Japan could be key markets for green hydrogen produced in India.

    Why such move?

    • The move is likely going to make it more economical for key users of hydrogen and ammonia such as the oil refining, fertiliser and steel sectors to produce green hydrogen for their own use.
    • These sectors currently use grey hydrogen or grey ammonia produced using natural gas or naphtha.

     

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • Krishna Water Allocation Dispute

    The Supreme Court has asked if the States of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka could amicably settle their quarrel over the allocation of the Krishna river water.

    Krishna River Dispute

    • The Krishna is an east-flowing river that originates at Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra and merges with the Bay of Bengal, flowing through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and AP.
    • Together with its tributaries, it forms a vast basin that covers 33% of the total area of the four states.
    • A dispute over the sharing of Krishna waters has been ongoing for many decades, beginning with the erstwhile Hyderabad and Mysore states, and later continuing between successors.

    Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal

    • In 1969, the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT) was set up under the Inter-State River Water Dispute Act, 1956, and presented its report in 1973.
    • The report, which was published in 1976, divided the 2060 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of Krishna water at 75 percent dependability into three parts.
    • It was 560 TMC for Maharashtra, 700 TMC for Karnataka, and 800 TMC for Andhra Pradesh.
    • At the same time, it was stipulated that the KWDT order may be reviewed or revised by a competent authority or tribunal any time after May 31, 2000.
    • Afterward, as new grievances arose between the states, the second KWDT was instituted in 2004.
    • It delivered its report in 2010, which made allocations of the Krishna water at 65 percent dependability and for surplus flows as follows: 81 TMC for Maharashtra, 177 TMC for Karnataka, and 190 TMC for Andhra Pradesh.

    Row over the share

    • Andhra Pradesh has since asked that Telangana be included as a separate party at the KWDT and that the allocation of Krishna waters be reworked among four states, instead of three.
    • Maharashtra and Karnataka are now resisting this move since Telangana was created following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.
    • Therefore, the allocation of water should be from Andhra Pradesh’s share which was approved by the tribunal.

    Duo’s stance

    • It is relying on Section 89 of The Andhra Pradesh State Reorganization Act, 2014, which reads:
    • The term of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal shall be extended with the following terms of reference, namely:
    1. shall make a project-wise specific allocation, if such allocation has not been made by a Tribunal constituted under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956;
    2. shall determine an operational protocol for project-wise release of water in the event of deficit flows.
    • For the purposes of this section, it is clarified that the project-specific awards already made by the Tribunal on or before the appointed day shall be binding on the successor States.

     

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

  • Target UPSC CSE 2023 – How to Get the Basics Right & Start the Preparation like a Topper? || Free Live Webinar By UPSC 2017 GS Mains Topper and Civilsdaily Academic Head Sajal Sir|| Limited Slots Available, Register Now

    Target UPSC CSE 2023 – How to Get the Basics Right & Start the Preparation like a Topper? || Free Live Webinar By UPSC 2017 GS Mains Topper and Civilsdaily Academic Head Sajal Sir|| Limited Slots Available, Register Now

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR

    UPSC-CSE 2021 results have shaken the long held belief that the examination can only be cleared after multiple attempts. Most of the UPSC-CSE toppers like Satyam Gandhi (AIR 10), Ria Dabi (AIR 15), Yash Jaluka (AIR 4), Mamta Yadav (AIR 5) and Shashwat Tripurari (AIR 19) cleared the exam as fresh graduates in their very first attempt. How were they able to do it?

    If you watch their strategy videos, you can find a common pattern — they started 12-24 months in advance before the exam.

    UPSC Toppers who Have Benefited From Sajal Sir’s Guidance

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR
    AIR 14, UPSC 2020 Karishma Nair
    AIR 25, UPSC 2020 Vaibhav Rawat
    AIR 65, 2020 Pranay Vijayvergiya
    Rajiv Kumar IPS
    Kunal Aggarwal IRS

    Open to All Webinar by Civilsdaily Mentor Sajal Sir

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR

    One of the benefits of starting your preparation early is the time you would get to revise and practice test series upon completing the syllabus. Also, you would get ample time to pay attention to every subject. There are totally 9 papers in UPSC-CSE Mains and 2 papers in Prelims exams. Not to forget, the daily current affairs. Many aspirants need time to figure out how they can prepare in an understandable manner. That’s why starting your preparation eight months before the exam is not advisable.

    However, what’s the best way to prepare, if you aren’t a fan of making mistakes and figuring it out along the way? We understand how annoying it might be for you if you were to study in a certain way for months together and then realize that it doesn’t align with the UPSC-CSE way of doing things.

    Do you know an ideal preparation would be divided into five phases and spread across 18 months? This means each phase will be about three to four months long.

    This is what Civilsdaily mentor and UPSC 2017 GS Mains Topper Sajal sir would be discussing in the upcoming webinar. Backed by years of experience and ongoing research & analysis of the civil services exam, Sajal sir has developed a refined strategy which will he will be sharing to all the newcomers.

    Key-Takeaways of the Free Q&A Webinar with Sajal Sir

    1. The first phase – Studying the Core Subjects. How to read every topic in the syllabus from 2-3 sources in the first reading and prepare a 1-2 page notes? And in your second reading, stick to only one source while using your notes as reference.

    2. The second phase – Studying Mains Specific Subjects & Optional. How to follow the ritual of reading, writing summaries and answering topic-wise previous year questions?

    3. Discussing 2-3 Revision Strategies which you can follow. Why should you not go more than 20 days without revision?

    4. Live demonstration of making the perfect notes. How to not copy line-by-line of everything you read & only note down the 5 dimensions of a topic?

    5. Why is the third phase of preparation the shortest of all? What should you ideally do after completing the Prelims and Mains subjects?

    6. About the fourth phase. How to improve your accuracy 3 months before the Prelims exams?

    5. The last phase. What must be done 3 months before the Mains exams?

    6. Including statistics and relevant data. What are the subject-wise important committee reports you should read?

    7. Three readings per subject. How do you study during each revision phase?

    Sajal Sir will also hold a Q&A Session where beginners and veterans can clarify their doubts.

    Webinar Details

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR

    If you want to get the nuances of UPSC-CSE preparation right in the first go, then this free webinar is for you! Just fill the form and let us know the question you want to ask Sajal sir in the one hour long session on Sunday.

    Date: 20 February 2022

    Time: 7 PM

  • Kerala plans to replace Mullaperiyar Dam

    Kerala plans to build a new dam to replace the 126-year-old Mullaperiyar dam in the Idukki district.

    Mullaperiyar Dam

    • It is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar River in Kerala.
    • It is located on the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats in Thekkady, Idukki District.
    • It was constructed between 1887 and 1895 by John Pennycuick and also reached in an agreement to divert water eastwards to the Madras Presidency area.
    • It has a height of 53.6 m (176 ft) from the foundation, and a length of 365.7 m (1,200 ft).

    Operational issue

    • The dam is located in Kerala but is operated and maintained by Tamil Nadu.
    • The catchment area of the Mullaperiyar Dam itself lies entirely in Kerala and thus not an inter-State river.
    • In November 2014, the water level hit 142 feet for first time in 35 years.
    • The reservoir again hit the maximum limit of 142 feet in August 2018, following incessant rains in the state of Kerala.
    • Indeed, the tendency to store water to almost the full level of reservoirs is becoming a norm among water managers across States.

    The dispute: Control and safety of the dam

    • Supreme court judgment came in February 2006, has allowed Tamil Nadu to raise the level of the dam to 152 ft (46 m) after strengthening it.
    • Responding to it, the Mullaperiyar dam was declared an ‘endangered’ scheduled dam by the Kerala Government under the disputed Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2006.
    • For Tamil Nadu, the Mullaperiyar dam and the diverted Periyar waters act as a lifeline for Theni, Madurai, Sivaganga, Dindigul and Ramnad districts.
    • Tamil Nadu has insisted on exercising the unfettered colonial rights to control the dam and its waters, based on the 1886 lease agreement.

    Rule of Curve issue

    • A rule curve or rule level specifies the storage or empty space to be maintained in a reservoir during different times of the year.
    • It decides the fluctuating storage levels in a reservoir.
    • The gate opening schedule of a dam is based on the rule curve. It is part of the “core safety” mechanism in a dam.
    • The TN government often blames Kerala for delaying the finalization of the rule curve.

     

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  • What are Participatory and Non-Participatory Funds?

    The amendment to Section 24 of the LIC Act, brought prior to commencing the IPO, segregated the previously single ‘Life Fund’ into the participatory and non-participatory fund.

    What are Participatory and Non-Participatory Funds?

    • Under a participatory policy, a policyholder can get a share of the profits of the company.
    • This is received as a bonus. Examples of such products offered by LIC include  Jeevan Labh and  Bachat Plus.
    • No such sharing of profits happens under non-participatory products, which under the LIC fold includes policies such as  Saral Pensionand  Nivesh Plus.
    • As all insurance companies do, LIC also reinvests premium monies that policyholders pay.
    • The profits or surplus that comes about, as a result, was till September last year held in one single fund. This was the Life Fund.
    • The surplus was divided in the 95:5 ratio between policyholders (in the form of bonuses) and shareholders (in the form of dividends).

    What has the Amendment changed?

    • But the amendment to Section 24 of the LIC Act has necessitated the segregation of the Life Fund into participatory and non-participatory funds, depending on the nature of the policies they support.
    • The amendment stipulates terms on how surplus is to be shared with respect to participatory and non-participatory funds.
    • As for non-participating funds, surplus from the non-participating business would be transferred to shareholders.
    • Surplus from participatory business, however, would be shared between policyholders and shareholders.

    How does this change impact the shareholder?

    • The change, especially the one that has enabled 100% of the surplus in non-participatory funds to flow to the shareholder, has led to a massive jump in the Indian Embedded Value, or IEV.
    • IEV is a measure of future cash flows in life insurance companies and the key financial gauge for insurers.
    • The embedded value will help establish the market valuation of LIC and determine how much money the government raises in the flotation.
    • That will be crucial for the government to help meet its divestment targets and keep its fiscal deficit in check.

    Why is it a risk, then?

    • LIC has stated in the document that a significant portion of its business premiums come from participating and single premium products.
    • It added, should the participating products generate lower than expected returns for policyholders, it could lead to increased surrenders.
    • This could also potentially bother their financial condition, operations, and cash flows.

     

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  • What is the REWARD Project?

    The GoI, the State Governments of Karnataka and Odisha, and the World Bank have signed a $115 million for the REWARD Project.

    What is REWARD Program?

    • REWARD stands for Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative Development.
    • The project aims to help national and state institutions adopt improved watershed management practices to help increase farmers’ resilience to climate change, promote higher productivity and better incomes.
    • REWARD is being implemented in three to four Indian States.
    • It is proposed as a 6 years Project.

    Objectives of the project

    • The outcomes are prevention of soil run-off, regeneration of natural vegetation, rainwater harvesting, and recharging of the groundwater table.
    • This enables multi-cropping and the introduction of diverse agro-based activities, which help to provide sustainable livelihoods to the people residing in the watershed area.

     

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  • [Burning Issue] Status of Women in Sex Work

    UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)

    Context

    A recently launched Bollywood film is facing legal trouble after individuals claiming to be family members of the main protagonist, Gangubai Kathiawadi, have objected to her portrayal in the film.

    This issue has brought a long slated debate of legalizing sex work in India. In this context let us know about various dimensions of the issue.

    Who are sex workers?

    • Sex worker means a female, male or a transgender over the age of eighteen years who receives money or goods in exchange for sexual services, either regularly or occasionally.

    What is the status of sex workers in India?

    • Three million women are engaged in commercial sex activity (CSA) in India, a 50% rise from 1997.
    • Over 60% of those trafficked into sex work are adolescent girls in the age group of 12-16 years. More than 35% girls in India enter CSA before 18 years of age.
    • India has three lakh brothels in 1,100 identified red-light areas, housing nearly five million children in addition to commercial sex workers.
    • More than 25 percent women in commercial sex activity in India are in Maharashtra (14.20 percent) and West Bengal (13 percent).
    • Despite increasing public outcry about violence against women in India, systematic large scale abuse in the name of commercial sex work remains socially acceptable.
    • The report aims to draw attention to the growing victimization of women, highlights high impact non-profits working on the issue and the outlines the role of philanthropy in scaling their efforts.

    Forms of violence faced by sex workers

    (1) Physical violence

    • Being subjected to physical force which can potentially cause death, injury or harm.
    • It includes, but is not limited to: being slapped, pushed, shoved, hit with the fist or with something else that could hurt, being kicked, dragged, beaten up, choked, deliberately burnt, etc.
    • These acts are operationally defined and validated in WHO survey methods on violence against women.

    (2) Sexual violence

    • Rape, gang rape, sexual harassment, being physically forced or psychologically intimidated to engage in sex or subjected to sex acts against one’s will or that one finds degrading or humiliating.

    (3) Emotional or psychological violence

    • Being insulted or made to feel bad about oneself; being humiliated or belittled in front of other people; being threatened with loss of custody of one’s children; being confined or isolated from family or friends; being threatened with harm to oneself or someone one cares about, etc.

    (4) Human-rights violations that should be considered in conjunction with violence against sex workers are:

    • having money extorted
    • being denied or refused food or other basic necessities
    • being refused or cheated of salary, payment or money that is due to the person
    • being forced to consume drugs or alcohol
    • being arbitrarily stopped, subjected to invasive body searches or detained by police
    • being arbitrarily detained or incarcerated in police stations, detention centers and rehabilitation centers without due process
    • being arrested or threatened with arrest for carrying condoms
    • being refused or denied health-care services
    • being subjected to coercive health procedures such as forced STI and HIV testing, sterilization, abortions
    • being publicly shamed or degraded (e.g. stripped, chained, spat upon, put behind bars)
    • being deprived of sleep by force

    Covid-19 pandemic and sex workers

    • The pandemic has hit millions of people and caused a great deal of suffering across communities. But there is one community that is especially hard hit and that is sex workers.
    • Owing to the non-recognition of sex work as “legitimate work”, sex workers have mostly been kept at arm’s length from the government’s relief programmes.
    • COVID-19 has thus provided more reason to consider a long-pending demand of sex workers in India — decriminalisation of sex work and a guaranteed set of labour rights.

    What are the current legal protections?

    • The legislation governing sex work in India is the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.
    • The Suppression of Immoral Traffic in Women and Children Act was enacted in 1956.
    • Subsequent amendments were made to the law and the name of the Act was changed to Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.
    • The legislation penalises acts such as:
      1. keeping a brothel,
      2. soliciting in a public place,
      3. living off the earnings of sex work and
      4. living with or habitually being in the company of a sex worker.
    • Article 23(1) of the Constitution prohibits traffic in human beings and beggars and other similar forms of forced labor. 
    • Article 23(2) declares that any contravention of this provision shall be an offense punishable in accordance with the law.

    What are the issues with the Immoral Traffic Act?

    • This act represents the archaic and regressive view that sex work is morally wrong and that the people involved in it, especially women, never consent to it voluntarily.
    • After all, in popular depiction, entry into sex work is involuntary, forced, and through deception.
    • As a consequence, it is believed that these women need to be “rescued” and “rehabilitated”, sometimes even without their consent.
    • While this is a valid argument for minor girls, for many consenting adult sex workers, it has been a problem.

    What are the consequences of the ‘archaic belief system’ on sex workers?

    • This is what has led to the classification of ‘‘respectable women” and “non-respectable women”.
    • This view is based on the belief that sex work is “easy” work and no one will or should choose to practise it. It thus perpetuates the prejudice that women who do practise sex work are morally devious.
    • The Act has not only criminalised sex work but also further stigmatised and pushed it underground thus leaving sex workers more prone to violence, discrimination and harassment.
    • The Act denies an individual their right over their bodies. Moreover, it imposes the will of the state over adults articulating their life choices.
    • It gives no agency to the sex workers to fight against the traffickers and in fact, has made them more susceptible to be harassed by the state officials.
    • The Act fails to recognise that many women willingly enter into agreements with traffickers, sometimes just to seek a better life as chosen by them.
    • Evidence shows that many women choose to remain in sex work despite opportunities to leave after ‘rehabilitation’ by the government or non-governmental organisations.

    Major judicial observations

    (1) Justice Verma Commission

    • Itacknowledged that there is a distinction between women who are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation and adult, consenting women who are in sex work of their own volition.

    (2) Budhadev Karmaskar v. State of West Bengal (2011)

    • The judiciary is moving in the direction of recognising sex workers’ right to livelihood.
    • The Supreme Court opined that sex workers have a right to dignity.

    Intended benefit sought from legalization

    • If prostitution is legalized, the State will acquire responsibility to manage brothels and it can fulfil this obligation by issuing a license to authorized persons.
    • It shall also formulate guidelines regarding the age of prostitutes, database on clientele, adequate remuneration and medical facilities to the prostitutes.
    • By this method, the prostitutes can acquire some rights such as the right to medical care, the right to education of their children, right against exploitation and rape, etc.
    • This method can facilitate the eradication of sex racquet operations, hidden and street prostitution, abuse of prostitute, etc.
    • There shall be protection houses established for those prostitutes who have lost their livelihood, or those who were forced into prostitution but do not want that lifestyle anymore.
    • Also, the government can impart training and basic education to these prostitutes so that they find other means to earn money and sustain their livelihood.

    Threats posed by legalization

    • On the flipside, legalization of prostitution could be misinterpreted as the promulgation of prostitution.
    • This could pave the way for easy money for prostitutes and could encourage more women to practice prostitution.
    • There is a great possibility that this could be a revenue-generating industry for the Government.

    National scheme for rehabilitation of sex workers

    • A panel constituted by the Supreme Court of India to look into the rehabilitation of sex workers has submitted a rehabilitation scheme to the Supreme Court.
    • The scheme is first of its kind and provides rehabilitation to sex workers as well as victims of commercial sexual exploitation.
    • Some of the important high lights of the scheme are –
      • Provision for shelter – institutional & non institutional.
      • Scheme provides various kinds of options – education, vocational training, job, economic enterprise, etc.
      • Support for education of children of sex workers
      • Victim can be referred for the scheme by any one –social work organization, department of women & child development, self-group, police, sex work collective, etc.
      • Victims can themselves make an application for the scheme
      • Introducing, the concept of “Mentor”, a person to assist the victim in her rehabilitation and he will be paid for providing services
      • A monitoring team consisting of victims, district collector, social workers, and representatives from department of women and child development, police, district chambers of commerce and industries
      • Provision of assisting the sex worker to get voting card, ration card, Aadhar card, etc. to get benefits from government schemes

    Values and principles for addressing violence against sex workers

    • Promote the full protection of sex workers’ human rights: This includes the rights to: nondiscrimination; security of person and privacy; recognition and equality before the law; due process of law and the highest attainable standard of health; employment, and just and favorable conditions of employment; etc.
    • Rescue and Rehabilitation: Reject interventions based on the notion of rescue and rehabilitation. Even when supposedly focused on minors, such raids deprive sex workers of their choice, control and power to act for themselves and increase the likelihood that they will experience violence.
    • Promote gender equality: Intervention strategies should aim for more equitable power relationships between sex workers and others in the wider community.
    • Respect the right of sex workers to make informed choices about their lives, which may involve not reporting or seeking redress for violence, not seeking violence-related services, or continuing in an abusive relationship.
    • Use participatory methods: Sex workers should be in decision-making positions where they can engage in processes to identify their problems and priorities, analyses causes and develop solutions.
    • Use an integrated approach in designing interventions: Holistic programmes that include provision of health services, work with the legal and justice sectors and are community-based so that it can have a greater impact on violence against sex workers and the risk of HIV.
    • Evaluate programmes to identify strategies that reduce risk factors and levels of violence faced by sex workers, in order to build the evidence base and ensure that resources are directed to the most beneficial strategies.
    • Provide necessary infrastructure: This may include local mobile phone numbers and/or hotlines staffed by trained community members. The availability of support services may need to be advertised through word of mouth, fliers and other communication channels.
    • Providing health services to sex workers who experience violence

    Way Forward

    • The Supreme Court, in Budhadev Karmaskar v. State of West Bengal (2011), opined that sex workers have a right to dignity.
    • Parliament must also take a re-look at the existing legislation and do away with the ‘victim-rescue-rehabilitation’ narrative.
    • The country must thus rethink sex work from a labour perspective and guarantee basic labour rights to sex workers.

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  • Target UPSC CSE 2023 – How to Get the Basics Right & Start the Preparation like a Topper? || Free Live Webinar By UPSC 2017 GS Mains Topper and Civilsdaily Academic Head Sajal Sir|| Limited Slots Available, Register Now

    Target UPSC CSE 2023 – How to Get the Basics Right & Start the Preparation like a Topper? || Free Live Webinar By UPSC 2017 GS Mains Topper and Civilsdaily Academic Head Sajal Sir|| Limited Slots Available, Register Now

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR

    UPSC-CSE 2021 results have shaken the long held belief that the examination can only be cleared after multiple attempts. Most of the UPSC-CSE toppers like Satyam Gandhi (AIR 10), Ria Dabi (AIR 15), Yash Jaluka (AIR 4), Mamta Yadav (AIR 5) and Shashwat Tripurari (AIR 19) cleared the exam as fresh graduates in their very first attempt. How were they able to do it?

    If you watch their strategy videos, you can find a common pattern — they started 12-24 months in advance before the exam.

    UPSC Toppers who Have Benefited From Sajal Sir’s Guidance

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR
    AIR 14, UPSC 2020 Karishma Nair
    AIR 65, 2020 Pranay Vijayvergiya
    Kunal Aggarwal IRS

    Open to All Webinar by Civilsdaily Mentor Sajal Sir

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR

    One of the benefits of starting your preparation early is the time you would get to revise and practice test series upon completing the syllabus. Also, you would get ample time to pay attention to every subject. There are totally 9 papers in UPSC-CSE Mains and 2 papers in Prelims exams. Not to forget, the daily current affairs. Many aspirants need time to figure out how they can prepare in an understandable manner. That’s why starting your preparation eight months before the exam is not advisable.

    However, what’s the best way to prepare, if you aren’t a fan of making mistakes and figuring it out along the way? We understand how annoying it might be for you if you were to study in a certain way for months together and then realize that it doesn’t align with the UPSC-CSE way of doing things.

    Do you know an ideal preparation would be divided into five phases and spread across 18 months? This means each phase will be about three to four months long.

    This is what Civilsdaily mentor and UPSC 2017 GS Mains Topper Sajal sir would be discussing in the upcoming webinar. Backed by years of experience and ongoing research & analysis of the civil services exam, Sajal sir has developed a refined strategy which will he will be sharing to all the newcomers.

    Key-Takeaways of the Free Q&A Webinar with Sajal Sir

    1. The first phase – Studying the Core Subjects. How to read every topic in the syllabus from 2-3 sources in the first reading and prepare a 1-2 page notes? And in your second reading, stick to only one source while using your notes as reference.

    2. The second phase – Studying Mains Specific Subjects & Optional. How to follow the ritual of reading, writing summaries and answering topic-wise previous year questions?

    3. Discussing 2-3 Revision Strategies which you can follow. Why should you not go more than 20 days without revision?

    4. Live demonstration of making the perfect notes. How to not copy line-by-line of everything you read & only note down the 5 dimensions of a topic?

    5. Why is the third phase of preparation the shortest of all? What should you ideally do after completing the Prelims and Mains subjects?

    6. About the fourth phase. How to improve your accuracy 3 months before the Prelims exams?

    5. The last phase. What must be done 3 months before the Mains exams?

    6. Including statistics and relevant data. What are the subject-wise important committee reports you should read?

    7. Three readings per subject. How do you study during each revision phase?

    Sajal Sir will also hold a Q&A Session where beginners and veterans can clarify their doubts.

    Webinar Details

    REGISTER HERE FOR FREE LIVE WEBINAR BY SAJAL SIR

    If you want to get the nuances of UPSC-CSE preparation right in the first go, then this free webinar is for you! Just fill the form and let us know the question you want to ask Sajal sir in the one hour long session on Sunday.

    Date: 20 February 2022

    Time: 7 PM

  • After 3 Attempts, Why did Rishab IPS Opt for UPSC Mentorship From Civilsdaily & How Did Sajal Sir Help him Crack the Exam in One Shot? || Fill Samanvaya Free 1-on-1 Mentorship Form, Call-back in 24 Hrs

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    Rishab Sharma started his preparation in 2016 and cracked UPSC in 2020 to become a serving IPS Officer. One of his weakness was current affairs preparation from The Hindu newspaper. He believes, Civilsdaily current affairs compilation and Sajal sir‘s mentorship helped him clear the examination after many exhausting attempts.

    In this video, Rishab IPS mentions how Sajal sir’s Smash Mains Mentorship guidance in his third attempt and the inputs receieved from the mock interview which ultimately helped him secure a place in the final list.

    According to him, Sajal sir spent 1.5 hours after every Mains mock test to discuss how he could improve the presentation of his answers and also suggested sources to refer to get those extra 2-3 marks.

    If you want to experience the same mentorship as Rishab Sharma, then here’s the good news – your first mentorship is on us and is absolutely free! All you have to do is confirm your slot by registering below

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  • India-UAE free trade agreement

    Context

    India has embarked on a new journey — a new free trade agreement (FTA) journey to be precise — with renewed zeal and vigor.

    India’s revamped FTA strategy

    • Gaining meaningful market access: India’s approach towards FTAs is now focusing more on gaining meaningful market access and facilitating the Indian industry’s integration into global value chains.
    • Under the revamped FTA strategy, the Government of India has prioritized at least six countries or regions to deal with, in which the United Arab Emirates (UAE) figures at the top of the list for an early harvest deal.
    • The others are the United Kingdom, the European Union, Australia, Canada, Israel, and a group of countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
    • The early harvest deal is to be enlarged into a comprehensive FTA in due course of time.

    Why does the FTA with UAE matter?

    • Important economic hub: The UAE has emerged as an important economic hub not just within the context of the Middle East/West Asia, but also globally.
    • Strategic location: The UAE, due to its strategic location, has emerged as an important economic centre in the world.
    • Although the UAE has diversified its economy, ‘the hydrocarbon sector remains very important followed by services and manufacturing.
    • Within services, financial services, wholesale and retail trade, and real estate and business services are the main contributors.
    • As part of the GCC, the UAE has strong economic ties with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman, meaning the UAE shares a common market and a customs union with these nations.
    • Under the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) Agreement, the UAE has free trade access to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Palestine, Syria, Libya, and Yemen.

    India-UAE trade and investment ties

    • India and the UAE established diplomatic relations in 1972.
    • The India-UAE total trade merchandise has been valued at U.S.$52.76 billion for the first nine months of the fiscal year 2021-22, making the UAE India’s third-largest trading partner.
    • As India and the UAE strive to further deepen trade and investment ties, the soon-to-be-announced early harvest agreement comes at the most opportune time.
    • The aim is to boost bilateral merchandise trade to above U.S.$100 billion and services trade to U.S.$15 billion in five years.
    • Attractive export market: As we are witnessing a big turnaround in manufacturing, the UAE would be an attractive export market for Indian electronics, automobiles, and other engineering products.
    • Ninth biggest investor: The UAE’s investment in India is estimated to be around U.S.$11.67 billion, which makes it the ninth biggest investor in India.
    • On the other hand, many Indian companies have set up manufacturing units either as joint ventures or in Special Economic Zones for cement, building materials, textiles, engineering products, consumer electronics, etc.

    Challenges

    • The UAE tariff structure is bound with the GCC, and the applied average tariff rate is 5%. Therefore, the scope of addressing Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) becomes very important.
    • The reflection of NTBs can be seen through Non-Tariff Measures (NTMs) which have mostly been covered by Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT). The UAE has 451 SPS notifications.
    • Most of the notifications are related to consumer information, labelling, licensing or permit requirements and import monitoring and surveillance requirements.
    • These compliances pose a challenge for Indian exporters.

    Conclusion

    This FTA with the UAE will pave the way for India to enter the UAE’s strategic location, and have relatively easy access to the Africa market and its various trade partners which can help India to become a part of that supply chain, especially in handlooms, handicrafts, textiles and pharma.

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  • 18th February 2022| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)

    Topics for Today’s questions:

    GS-1    Factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries in various parts of the world (including India).

    GS-2     Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting  India’s interests.

    GS-3   Investment Models; Indian Economy

    GS-4    Case Studies

    Question 1)

     

    Q.1 Discuss the problems and prospects of the cotton textile industry in India. (15 Marks)

     

    Question 2)

    Q.2 India and United Arab Emirates (UAE) enjoy strong bonds of friendship which are founded on millennia-old cultural, religious and economic intercourse between the two regions. In the context of this, elaborate on the significance of the relationship for India. (10 Marks)

    Question 3)

    Q.3 What are the reasons for India terminating bilateral investment treaties? Suggest the way forward. (10 Marks)

    Question 4)  

     

    HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?

    1. Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.

    2. A Mentor’s Comment will be available for all answers. This can be used as a guidance tool but we encourage you to write original answers.

    3. You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.

    4.  Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.

    5. Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.

    6. If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 11th  February is uploaded on 11th February then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis

    7. If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th February is uploaded on 13th February , then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.

    8. We encourage you to write answers on the same day. However, if you are uploading an answer late then tag the mentor like @Staff so that the mentor is notified about your answer.

    *In case your answer is not reviewed, reply to your answer saying *NOT CHECKED*. 

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  • Q.4 In India, there exists a huge gap between demand for organ transplants and available donors, both living and cadaver. Besides a lack of awareness on organ donation, the rise of non- communicable and lifestyle diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes have led to increased instances of organ failure, in turn putting even more pressure on the demand for vital organs. According to reports, an estimated four lakh people die in India every year waiting for an organ transplant. Other than the legal and administrative issues, there are various ethical issues related to organ donation and transplantation in India. Provide an account of these ethical issues in detail. Also, discuss how the gap between demand and supply of organs in India can be closed. (20 Marks)

    Mentor’s Comments-

    • Give a brief overview of organ donation and transplantation in India.
    • Discuss the various ethical issues and concerns related to organ donation in India.
    • Mention the measures that can be taken to address the gap between demand and supply of organs in India.
    • Conclude on the basis of the above points.

  • Q.3 What are the reasons for India terminating bilateral investment treaties? Suggest the way forward. (10 Marks)

    Mentor’s comment-

    Conclude by mentioning the need to proceed with the treaties as India lacks the membership of trade blocks.

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