“When I decided to prepare for UPSC-CSE, I knew I was not in a position to quit my private job. The work load was high at my present company, I was left with doubt if I could clear UPSC-CSE or not. That’s when I decided I needed a highly experienced personal mentor who will not only provide me study materials or evaluate test-series and mock interviews, but also won’t hesitate to motivate me whenever I felt uneasy or anxious. I found that in Civilsdaily mentor, Pravin sir. He was my go to mentor for Mains and Interview. I always made it a point to visit him weekly once and vent my feelings to him. After speaking to him, the clouds of negativity drifted away. I became confident to complete my studies for the day. It took me 3 attempts to fulfill not only my dream but my family’s dream.”
Harvinder Singh’s life was filled with many hardships. Not because of UPSC-CSE preparation, but due to the unpredictable turn of events. When he was a three year old kid, his hand accidently fell into a pan of boiling hot oil in the kitchen. Due to this, three of his fingers have been severely impaired. As a 12th standard student, Harvinder studiously prepared for both AIEEE and NDA exams. Though he successfully, cleared the former exam, he failed the medical round of NDA (due to his fingers). Dejected that he missed an opportunity to serve the nation, Harvinder thought he cannot overlook supporting his family. His dad worked both as a farmer and truck driver to make ends meet. However, as a graduate in J&K, he found it extremely difficult to find a job.
In 2013, he started his work as an engineer for a private company in Allahabad. Well settled, Harvinder thought of fulfilling his dream of serving the nation. If he couldn’t do it through Army, he could through civil services. After failing the prelims in first attempt, mains in second attempt, he finally cleared the exams in his third attempt to be an IAS officer. “I feared that in my third attempt, I will fail the personality round”, Harvinder jokes. Despite back to back failures, Harvinder always looked forward to his next attempt like it was his final attempt.
Free to Attend (with mandatory registration) Ask me Anything Session with Harvinder Singh IAS
As a result of which, the same lad who once suffered unemployment and other issues in J&K, is working to bring changes to J&K for the poor, needy, vulnerable and youth.
This Thursday, Harvinder IAS is going to take some time off his busy schedule to address Civilsdaily aspirants. He will not only be talking about the specifics of UPSC-CSE journey, but also answering all your questions. If you are getting stuck due to any comprehension or consistency issue, it’s time to take Harvinder IAS sir’s help to solve them. And the good news is webinar is absolutely free for all to attend!
Key Takeways of Ask me Anything Session with Harvinder Singh IAS
1. Complete study booklist of Harvinder Singh IAS. For Prelims & Mains. Do you want to check if the current booklist you have are the right sources to prepare for UPSC-CSE?
2. Complete timeline of UPSC-CSE Preparation as a working professional. When did Harvinder IAS prepare for Prelims, Mains and Interview?
3. The art of making notes. What topics require notes and what topics don’t.
4. Harvinder Singh IAS during Mains examination. What kind of questions came and how did he answer it?
5. Hardwork in right direction vs Hardwork in wrong direction. Can only studying hard make you successful?
6. Normal, standard and frequent revision techniques. What are they?
If you are studying hard but are unsure that you are studying right, then its time to get some assurance from the topper himself! Register for thisfree webinar by IAS officer Harvinder Singh.
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has recently appointed a three-member committee to revisit the criteria for 10% reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) in educational institutions and government jobs.
This came after Supreme Court’s observations while hearing petitions challenging the government notice issued in July which provides for 10% EWS quota in NEET admissions.
Not pronouncing any judgment means that EWS reservation will be put on hold as far as medical admissions are concerned.
EWS Quota: A backgrounder
The 10% reservation was introduced through the 103rd Constitution Amendment and enforced in January 2019.
It added Clause (6) to Article 15 to empower the Government to introduce special provisions for the EWS among citizens except those in the classes that already enjoy reservation.
It allows reservation in educational institutions, both public and private, whether aided or unaided, excluding those run by minority institutions, up to a maximum of 10%.
It also added Clause (6) to Article 16 to facilitate reservation in employment.
The new clauses make it clear that the EWS reservation will be in addition to the existing reservation.
Significance of the quota
The Constitution initially allowed special provisions only for the socially and educationally backward classes.
The Government introduced the concept of EWS for a new class of affirmative action program for those not covered by or eligible for the community-based quotas.
What are the criteria to identify the section?
The main criterion is that those above an annual income limit of ₹8 lakh are excluded.
It accounts income from all sources such as salary, business, agriculture and profession for the financial year prior to the application of the family, applicants, their parents, siblings and minor children.
Possession of any of these assets, too, can take a person outside the EWS pool:
Five or more acres of agricultural land
A residential flat of 1,000 sq.ft. and above
A residential plot of 100 square yards and above in notified municipalities, and
A residential plot of 200 square yards and above in other areas
What are the court’s questions about the criteria?
Reduction within general category: The EWS quota remains a controversy as its critics say it reduces the size of the open category, besides breaching the 50% limit on the total reservation.
Arbitrariness over income limit: The court has been intrigued by the income limit being fixed at ₹8 lakh per year. It is the same figure for excluding the ‘creamy layer’ from OBC reservation benefits.
Socio-economic backwardness: A crucial difference is that those in the general category, to whom the EWS quota is applicable, do not suffer from social or educational backwardness, unlike those classified as the OBC.
Metropolitan criteria: There are other questions as to whether any exercise was undertaken to derive the exceptions such as why the flat criterion does not differentiate between metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas.
OBC like criteria: The question the court has raised is that when the OBC category is socially and educationally backward and, therefore, has additional impediments to overcome.
Not based on relevant data: In line with the Supreme Court’s known position that any reservation or norms for exclusion should be based on relevant data.
Breaches reservation cap: There is a cap of 50% on reservation as ruled in the Indira Sawhney Case. The principle of balancing equality ordains reservation.
What is the current status of the EWS quota?
The reservation for the EWS is being implemented by the Union Government for the second year now.
Recruitment test results show that the category has a lower cut-off mark than the OBC, a point that has upset the traditional beneficiaries of reservation based on caste.
The explanation is that only a small number of people are currently applying under the EWS category — one has to get an income certificate from the revenue authorities — and therefore the cut-off is low.
However, when the number picks up over time, the cut-off marks are expected to rise.
Practical issues with EWS Quota
The EWS quota will come in for judicial scrutiny soon. But it’s not only a matter for the judiciary, India’s Parliament should revisit the law too.
Hasty legislation: This law was passed in haste. It was passed in both the houses within 48 hours, and got presidential approval the next day.
Minority appeasement: It is widely argued that the law was passed to appease a certain section of upper-caste society and to suppress the demands for minority reservations.
Morality put to question: Imagine! A constitutional amendment has been made with few hours of deliberation and without consultation of the targeted group. This is certainly against constitutional morality and propriety.
Substantial backing is missing: This amendment is based on a wrong or unverified premise. This is at best a wild guess or a supposition because the government has not produced any data to back this point.
Under-reservation of Backward Classes: The assertion is based on the fact that we have different data to prove the under-representation of SC, ST, OBCs. That implies that ‘upper’ castes are over-represented (with 100 minus reservation).
Rationale of 10%: There is one more problem in this regard. The SC and ST quota is based on their total population. But the rationale for the 10 per cent quota was never discussed.
Principle of Equality: Economic backwardness is quite a fluid identity. It has nothing to do with historic wrongdoings and liabilities caused to the Backward Classes.
Way forward
Preserving the merit: We cannot rule out the sorry state of economic backwardness hampering merit in our country .
Rational critera: There has to be collective wisdom to define and measure the economic weakness of certain sections of the society in order to shape the concept of economic justice.
Judicial guidance: Judicial interpretation will pave the wave forward for deciding the criterion for EWS Quota.
Targetted beneficiaries. The centre needs to resort to more rational criteria for deciding the targeted beneficiary of this reservation system. Caste Census data can be useful in this regard.
Income study: The per capita income or GDP or the difference in purchasing power in the rural and urban areas, should be taken into account while a single income limit was formulated for the whole country.
Conclusion
Reservation is a constitutional scheme to ensure the participation of backward classes shoulder to shoulder with all citizens in the nation-building process.
The EWS quota with above discussed ambiguities is the subversion of the constitutional scheme for reservation.
As the government seeks to monetise core assets through National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), it needs to investigate the key reasons and processes which led to once profit-making public sector assets becoming inefficient and sick businesses.
Background of the MNP
The National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) envisages an aggregate monetisation potential of ₹6-lakh crore through the leasing of core assets of the Central government.
These assets are in sectors such as roads, railways, power, oil and gas pipelines, telecom, civil aviation, shipping ports and waterways, mining, food and public distribution, coal, housing and urban affairs etc. over a four-year period (FY2022 to FY2025).
Strategic objective of NMP: According to NITI Aayog, the strategic objective of the asset monetisation programme is to unlock the value of investments in public sector assets by tapping private sector capital and efficiencies.
Unlocking idle capital: The NMP policy advocates unlocking idle capital from non-strategic/underperforming government owned assets
Contribution of core sectors: Eight core industrial sectors that support infrastructures such as coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel, cement, and electricity have a total weight of nearly 40% in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
Reasons for the decline of PSU and why the government should introspect the decline
Cost overruns, inter alia, is one of the major reasons.
Exceeding project completion time: In some cases, project completion time is exceeded, leading to elevated project cost so much so that either the project itself becomes unviable at the time of its launching or delays its break even point.
Lack of optimum input-output ratio: Optimum input-output ratio is seldom observed in a majority of government infrastructural projects leading to their overcapitalisation.
A reluctance to implement labour reforms, a lack of inter-ministerial/departmental coordination, poor decision-making, ineffective governance and excessive government control are other reasons for the failure of public infrastructural assets.
Need for introspection: It is quite likely that the nation may find itself in a vicious cycle of creating new assets and then monetising the same when they become liabilities for the Government at a later stage.
Importance of public sector enterprises
Going by the annual report (2020-2021) of the Department of Public Enterprises there are 256 operationally-run central public sector undertakings (CPSUs), employing about one million people.
They posted a net profit of ₹93,294 crore (FY 2019-20).
Ratna Status: Out of these, 96 have been conferred the Ratna status (72, 14, and 10 are Miniratnas, Navaratnas, and Maharatna companies, respectively).
As India needs to invest about $1.5 trillion on infrastructure development in order to aspire to become $5 trillion economy by the year 2024-25, according to the Economic Survey 2019-20, public enterprises should be in focus.
Steps to strengthen public sector businesses
Gati Shakti National Master Plan: Recently, the “Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti National Master Plan” for multi-modal connectivity was launched.
It is essentially a digital platform for information sharing among different Ministries and departments at the Union and State levels.
Seamless planning and coordinated execution: The plan aims ‘to synchronise the operations of different departments of 16 Ministries including railways and roadways.
Revamping corporate governance structure of PSUs: As enunciated in the Economic Survey 2020-21, an important step for the Government to take to strengthen public sector businesses would be to completely revamp their corporate governance structure in order to enhance operational autonomy augmented with strong governance practices including listing on stock exchange for greater transparency and accountability.
Initiative to boost domestic production of steel: The Economic Survey also highlights the Government’s initiatives as part of the Atmanirbhar Abhiyaan in order to boost domestic production in the steel sector.
Under it, four different types of steel are included for incentives under the production linked incentive (PLI) scheme; selling steel to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), affiliated to Engineering Export Promotion Council of India at export parity price under the duty drawback scheme of the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT);
It also include measures to provide preference to domestically produced iron and steel in government procurement, where aggregate estimate of iron and steel products exceeds ₹25 crore;
Protection of domestic industry from unfair trade practices: Protecting industry from unfair trade through appropriate remedial measures including imposition of anti-dumping duty and countervailing duty on the products on which unfair trade practices were adopted by the other countries.
Conclusion
More such out-of-the-box policy initiatives are needed to rule out public asset monetisation schemes such as the NMP in future.
“When I decided to prepare for UPSC-CSE, I knew I was not in a position to quit my private job. The work load was high at my present company, I was left with doubt if I could clear UPSC-CSE or not. That’s when I decided I needed a highly experienced personal mentor who will not only provide me study materials or evaluate test-series and mock interviews, but also won’t hesitate to motivate me whenever I felt uneasy or anxious. I found that in Civilsdaily mentor, Pravin sir. He was my go to mentor for Mains and Interview. I always made it a point to visit him weekly once and vent my feelings to him. After speaking to him, the clouds of negativity drifted away. I became confident to complete my studies for the day. It took me 3 attempts to fulfill not only my dream but my family’s dream.”
Harvinder Singh’s life was filled with many hardships. Not because of UPSC-CSE preparation, but due to the unpredictable turn of events. When he was a three year old kid, his hand accidently fell into a pan of boiling hot oil in the kitchen. Due to this, three of his fingers have been severely impaired. As a 12th standard student, Harvinder studiously prepared for both AIEEE and NDA exams. Though he successfully, cleared the former exam, he failed the medical round of NDA (due to his fingers). Dejected that he missed an opportunity to serve the nation, Harvinder thought he cannot overlook supporting his family. His dad worked both as a farmer and truck driver to make ends meet. However, as a graduate in J&K, he found it extremely difficult to find a job.
In 2013, he started his work as an engineer for a private company in Allahabad. Well settled, Harvinder thought of fulfilling his dream of serving the nation. If he couldn’t do it through Army, he could through civil services. After failing the prelims in first attempt, mains in second attempt, he finally cleared the exams in his third attempt to be an IAS officer. “I feared that in my third attempt, I will fail the personality round”, Harvinder jokes. Despite back to back failures, Harvinder always looked forward to his next attempt like it was his final attempt.
Free to Attend (with mandatory registration) Ask me Anything Session with Harvinder Singh IAS
As a result of which, the same lad who once suffered unemployment and other issues in J&K, is working to bring changes to J&K for the poor, needy, vulnerable and youth.
This Thursday, Harvinder IAS is going to take some time off his busy schedule to address Civilsdaily aspirants. He will not only be talking about the specifics of UPSC-CSE journey, but also answering all your questions. If you are getting stuck due to any comprehension or consistency issue, it’s time to take Harvinder IAS sir’s help to solve them. And the good news is webinar is absolutely free for all to attend!
Key Takeways of Ask me Anything Session with Harvinder Singh IAS
1. Complete study booklist of Harvinder Singh IAS. For Prelims & Mains. Do you want to check if the current booklist you have are the right sources to prepare for UPSC-CSE?
2. Complete timeline of UPSC-CSE Preparation as a working professional. When did Harvinder IAS prepare for Prelims, Mains and Interview?
3. The art of making notes. What topics require notes and what topics don’t.
4. Harvinder Singh IAS during Mains examination. What kind of questions came and how did he answer it?
5. Hardwork in right direction vs Hardwork in wrong direction. Can only studying hard make you successful?
6. Normal, standard and frequent revision techniques. What are they?
If you are studying hard but are unsure that you are studying right, then its time to get some assurance from the topper himself! Register for thisfree webinar by IAS officer Harvinder Singh.
It may be too early to say how the American withdrawal from Afghanistan would shape regional geopolitics in Asia and the great power contest between the United States and its competitors. But it is certainly one of those developments that will have a far-reaching impact on global politics.
Two narratives about the US withdrawal from Afghanistan
There are two dominant narratives about the American withdrawal.
Realignment in foreign policy: The first narrative is that the U.S. exited the country on its own will as it is undertaking a larger realignment in its foreign policy.
Failure to win the war: The other one is that the U.S. failed to win the war in Afghanistan and, like in the case of Vietnam, was forced to withdraw from the country.
Focus on China: The reorientation that is under way in American foreign policy, focused on China, certainly played a role in the Afghan withdrawal.
But that does not obscure the fact that the world’s most powerful military and economic power failed to win the war in Afghanistan against the Taliban even after fighting them for 20 years.
Erosion of the US’s ability in shaping geopolitical outcomes
The gradual erosion of the U.S.’s ability in shaping geopolitical outcomes in faraway regions has already shaken up the structures of American unipolarity.
Withdrawal from Afghanistan is not an isolated incident: The Afghan withdrawal was not an isolated incident.
In Iraq and Libya, it failed to establish political stability and order after invasions.
It could not stop Russia taking Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. In Syria, it was outmanoeuvred by Vladimir Putin.
Finally, the way American troops were withdrawn from Afghanistan and the return of the Taliban to power strengthened this perception of great power fatigue and emboldened America’s rivals to openly challenge the U.S.-centric “rules-based order.”
Three geopolitical challenges facing the US
[1]Aggressive Russia: Russia has amassed about 175,000 troops on its border with Ukraine.
Western intelligence agencies claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin could order an invasion of Ukraine.
Russian sphere of influence: From the migrant crisis in Belarus to the troop mobilisation in Ukraine, Russia is unmistakably sending a message to the West that the region stretching from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, the eastern flank of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a Russian sphere of influence.
[2] Iran issue: Iran, which has stepped up its nuclear programme after the Trump administration unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear deal, has refused to hold direct talks with the U.S.
Iran insists that the U.S. should first remove the sanctions and give assurance that a future President would not violate the terms of the agreement.
[3] Assertive China: China is sending dozens of fighter jets into the so-called Taiwan Air Defence Identification Zone almost on a weekly basis, triggering speculation on whether Beijing was considering taking the self-ruled island by force.
As the U.S. is trying to shift its focus to the Indo-Pacific region to tackle China’s rise, China is becoming more and more assertive in its periphery, seeking strategic depth.
Implications
Limited choice: The pivot to Asia has limited America’s options elsewhere. For example, what could the U.S. do to deter Mr. Putin from making the next military move in Europe.
With regard to Iran, if the U.S. blinks first and lifts the sanctions, it could be read as another sign of weakness.
If it does not and if the Vienna talks collapse, Iran could continue to enrich uranium to a higher purity, attaining a de facto nuclear power status without a bomb (like Japan), which would be against America’s declared goals in West Asia.
The Afghan withdrawal and the downsizing in West Asia suggest that America’s strategic focus has shifted towards China.
Conclusion
This transition, from American unipolarity into something that is still unknown, has put America in a strategic dilemma: Should it stay focused on China, preparing itself for the next bipolar contest; or continue to act as a global policeman of the liberal order that is under attack from multiple fronts?
They say, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. For UPSC aspirants, there is a small tweak. When your preparation gets tough we’ll be there for you.
How Successful has Civilsdaily been in Mentoring Aspirants?
In UPSC 2020, Civilsdaily helped 80+ students secure ranks in their exams. In the top 100, every 3rd ranker was a Civilsdaily student. To know how all of them cleared the exam with our mentorship, visit the UnherdPodcast.
Now that results are announced for UPSC 2021 Prelims, out of 15 out of 25 students of Santhosh Gupta sir have been recommended to Mains. One such student, Rahul expresses his gratitude and extends his appreciation —
Most of our Mentors like Sudhanshu sir, Sajal sir, Santhosh sir, Pravin sir, Parth Verma sir and Sukanya Ma’am were UPSC aspirants themselves and have attended UPSC Mains more than five times and UPSC Interview more than twice. Hence their mentorship is always a blend of the best test series, comprehensive notes and current affairs knowledge.
All of them dedicate their time weekly to give 1-on-1 mentorship to every student where they discuss last week’s performance and next week’s approach.
Remember there is always light at the end of the tunnel and if you want to get out of the tunnel you have to follow the direction of the light! Our mentors’ give you direction which is divided into daily modules. All you have to do is study and complete them on time.
As every year passes by, we don’t get confident by the previous years’ performance and become laidback. Instead, we become more hungry to convert all our students into toppers.
How are Current Civilsdaily Students Gearing up for UPSC-CSE 2022?
Initially, our Civilsdaily student Smriti wasn’t confident about Prelims when she began her preparation. Though she had joined Civilsdaily in 2020, she started studying for UPSC-CSE back in 2019. At that time, Smriti had enrolled in multiple institutes. Though, most of these institutes had promised a personal mentor, she was unable to get in touch with them on a daily basis. Also those mentors never scheduled test-series on a weekly basis. Hence, despite preparing for a year, Smriti had scored only 35 marks out of 200 in her first test series by Civilsdaily.
She then started writing 20-25 test series over the course of UAP 2021 and in her last test, her scores have drastically improved. She now scores in the range of 130-135 marks in prelims’ and 110+ in mains’ papers.
In Smriti’s own words she describes her Samanvaya Mentorship Experience to be —
“Our parents provide us financial and emotional support, friends provide us moral support and the right mentor gives you logistic and logical support for UPSC. There are days when I felt I won’t be able to compete against lakhs of aspirants. That’s when my mentor, Ravi sir reminded me of my improvement and encouraged me that I can crack it with the same consistency. We need someone, who tells us we are performing well especially when we cannot see that ourselves. The mentorship at Civilsdaily helped me become mentally stronger as a person. In other institutes, mentors are allotted only for doubt resolution. But at Civilsdaily, I am getting end-to-end support, be it value added notes, classes, test series and detailed evaluation.“
Why Do You Require Mentorship?
Preparing for the UPSC exam is a race against time. You have to complete an answer within 8 minutes, complete Prelims mock test within 2 hours and most importantly complete the syllabus in a span of 8 months. The syllabus is so vast that most students feel overwhelmed within just a few weeks of starting their preparation.
We confirmed this last month, in our Samanvaya Mentorship program by counselling over 3500 students. The 2 biggest problems students said they face while preparing for this exam are:
Syllabus Management
Time Management
As an aspirant, you can either spend a lot of time and effort trying to figure out how to cope with your syllabus and manage time or you can simply speak with our mentors and get the right study plan and timetable custom-made for you!
Every aspirant needs a different strategy than the other. One might be struggling in prelims, other in mains. One might find history a piece of cake and geography a tough nut to crack and for the other it will be vice-versa. For an aspirant preparing full-time, they might get demotivated on a regular basis as they have no Plan B to fall back on. A working professional might be too exhausted to study by the end of the day. There is no one-size fits all solution.
That’s why you need to register for Samanvaya free 1-on-1 counselling session to understand what study plan and study materials work best for you! Samanvaya 1-on-1 Free mentorship will help you stick to one approach of studying rather than switching plans through trial and error.
Still you want a general idea how to manage time and your syllabus? Here’s what you can do!
Syllabus Management—
Go through the entire syllabus thoroughly.
Mark the topics you feel comfortable with and those you aren’t familiar with.
Break down the syllabus into small parts and prioritize them in order.
Gather the relevant study material for the syllabus and start studying them in order.
Figure out where you need guidance – Is it with the subject matter? Do you need help with organizing your syllabus? Or you just aren’t sure how to begin?
. Time Management—
Prioritize your study material
Complete the easier topics first.
Allocate at least one hour to answer-writing
Allocate at least one hour to MCQ practice
Make notes on Current Affairs while reading the newspaper
Allocate at least 2 hours for your optional.
A Popular Time Management Technique—
The Pomodoro Technique is followed by toppers like Srusti Jayant Deshmukh (UPSC 2019 AIR 5), Manoj Madhav S (UPSC 2019 AIR 105) and Namita Sharma (UPSC 2018, AIR 108)
Developed by consultant Francesco Cirillo, the Pomodoro Technique is a time management tool that breaks work into 25-minute sessions to help you stay focused and get more done.
Step 1
Choose a task
Step 2
Set a timer for 25 minutes
Step 3
Work on the task until the timer goes off
Step 4
Once the timer goes off. Check off the item on a piece of paper
Step 5
Take a short break
Step 6
Every four Pomodoros, take a longer break
How is Samanvaya 1-on-1 Guidance Program Structured?
Our guidance program is designed as solutions to your challenges. We speak with students personally and understand their concerns on a one-on-one basis. Our mentors spend time understanding the individual requirements of our students and teach students how to break down the syllabus and create a plan they can stick to. Our mentors don’t advise you with run of the mill stories, they help in scripting your story!
We will discuss the important ways in which you can crack this exam through the following methods:
Personalized study plan – Make a list of the tasks that you need to accomplish that day, and note in upcoming meetings or deadlines as you become aware of them. As you complete your list, make sure to tick off the tasks you have completed.
3. Tracking your progress – The key to time management success is to know your deadlines and set reminders. We suggest setting a reminder 15 minutes before a meeting or event so you can prepare and gather your things.
4. Investing in topics with good ROI – First and foremost, turn off your email notification. Set 30-minute blocks to check your email every couple hours instead of checking it every 15 minutes. Make sure you minimize non-work distractions such as your cell phone, social media, or your favorite online store.
5. Focusing on smart study – On your daily list of things to do, pen in how much time you think each task will take you. If you don’t finish, stop when the time you allotted ends, and come back to it later. Sometimes moving on to different responsibilities and then coming back gives your mind a fresh start and a new perspective.
So, get all your UPSC demands addressed by a seasoned mentor, get one point source study materials, have regular engagement via calls and WhatsApp, adapt to course-correction strategies and follow a syllabus completion-cum-revision plan every month.
India has voted against a draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) linking climate to security.
About United Nations Security Council
The UNSC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security.
Its powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of international sanctions, and the authorization of military action through Security Council resolutions.
It is the only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.
Its members
The Security Council consists of fifteen members. Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, and the United States—serve as the body’s five permanent members (P5).
These permanent members can veto any substantive Security Council resolution, including those on the admission of new member states or candidates for Secretary-General.
The Council also has 10 non-permanent members, elected on a regional basis to serve two-year terms.
The body’s presidency rotates monthly among its members.
What was the recent draft about?
The objective of the draft was to examine how terrorism and security risks could be linked to climate change.
Reasons cited by India
Deviation from UNFCCC: The draft was an attempt to shift climate talks from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to the Security Council and a “step backward” for collective action on the issue.
Evasion of responsibility: The attempt to discuss climate action and climate justice issues at the UNSC was “motivated by a desire to evade responsibility in the appropriate forum.”
Veto hegemony over Climate Action: Countries are attempting to bring climate talks to the UNSC so that decisions could be taken without consensus or the involvement of most developing countries.
Historic pollutants: Many of the UNSC members were the primary contributors to climate change due to historical emissions.
Overtly ambitious targets: Indian officials had said at the conclusion of COP26 that India alone would need a trillion dollars by 2030 to achieve its climate ambitions.
Significance of UNFCC
The UN already has a specialized agency, the UNFCCC, for discussing all matters related to climate change.
The parties to the UNFCCC — over 190 countries — meet several times every year, including at a two-week year-ending conference like the one at Glasgow, to work on a global approach to combat climate change.
It is this process that has given rise to the Paris Agreement, and its predecessor the Kyoto Protocol, the international instrument that is designed to respond to the climate change crisis.
Arguments in favor of UNSC in climate talks
Preventing conflicts: The UNSC exists primarily to prevent conflicts and maintain global peace.
International security: A few EU countries, led by Germany, have been pushing for a role for UNSC in climate change discussions citing international security dimensions.
Climate-led conflicts: Climate change-induced food or water shortage, loss of habitat or livelihood, or migration can exacerbate existing conflicts or even create new ones.
UN Peacekeeping: This can have implications for the UN field missions that are deployed across the world in peacekeeping efforts.
Issues with UNSC
Veto by Russia and China: These two permanent members have always been opposed to the move to bring climate change on the Security Council agenda.
Lack of expertise: The opposing countries claim that the UNSC does not have the expertise as compared to UNFCCC.
Lack of consensus: Unlike UNFCCC, where decisions are taken by consensus of all the 190-plus countries, the UNSC would enable climate change decision-making by a handful of developed countries.
India is in highlight again
This was the second time that India went against the tide to block a climate change-related proposal that it did not agree with.
At the Glasgow COP, India had forced a last-minute amendment in the final draft agreement to ensure that a provision calling for “phase-out” of coal was changed to “phase-down”.
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, commonly referred to as the NDPS Act was promulgated in 1985.
It prohibits a person from the production/manufacturing/cultivation, possession, sale, purchasing, transport, storage, and/or consumption of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance
What is the 2021 amendment?
The 2021 Bill amends the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and seeks to rectify a drafting “anomaly” created by a 2014 amendment to the parent legislation.
It contains a legislative declaration about what one section refers to.
It says Section 2 clause viii(a) corresponds to clause viii(b) in Section 27, since 2014 when the provision was first brought in.
Section 27A of the NDPS Act, 1985, prescribes the punishment for financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders.
Earlier amendment in 2014
In 2014, a substantial amendment was made to the NDPS Act to allow for better medical access to narcotic drugs.
It defined “essential drugs”; under Section 9 and allowed the manufacture, possession, transport, import inter-State, export inter-State, sale, purchase, consumption and use of essential narcotic drugs.
But before the 2014 amendment, a Section 2(viii)a already existed and contained a catalogue of offences for which the punishment is prescribed in Section 27A.
What is Section 21A?
Section 27A reads: Whoever indulges in financing, directly or indirectly or harbours any person engaged in any of the aforementioned activities, shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment.
The term shall not be less than ten years and may extend to twenty years.
The accused shall also be liable to fine which shall not be less than one lakh rupees but which may extend to two lakh rupees.
What was the drafting “anomaly”?
While defining “essential drugs” in 2014, the legislation re-numbered Section 2.
The catalogue of offences, originally listed under Section 2(viii)a, was now under Section 2(viii)b.
In the amendment, Section 2(viii)a defined essential narcotic drugs.
However, the drafters missed amending the enabling provision in Section 27A to change Section 2(viii)a to Section 2(viii)b.
What was the result of the drafting error?
Section 27A punished offences mentioned under Section 2(viiia) sub-clauses i-v.
However, Section 2 (viiia) sub-clauses i-v, which were supposed to be the catalogue of offences, does not exist after the 2014 amendment. It is now Section 2(viiib).
This error in the text meant since 2014, Section 27A was inoperable.
When was the error noticed?
In June this year, the Tripura High Court, while hearing a reference made by the district court, flagged the drafting error, urging the Centre to bring in an amendment and rectify it.
In 2016, an accused had sought bail before a special judge in West Tripura in Agartala, citing this omission in drafting.
Why can’t it be applied retrospectively?
Article 20(1) of the Constitution says that no person shall be convicted of any offence except for violation of the law in force at the time of the commission.
The person shall not be subjected to a penalty greater than that which might have been inflicted under the law in force at the time of the commission of the offence.
This protection means that a person cannot be prosecuted for an offence that was not a “crime” under the law when it was committed.
Does the latest amendment make it retrospective?
In September, the government brought in an ordinance to rectify the drafting error, which Lok Sabha. “It shall be deemed to have come into force on the 1st day of May 2014,” the Bill reads.
Retrospective application is permitted in clarificatory amendments.
This 2021 amendment is not a substantive one, that is why the retrospective is allowed.
The Belgaum district is arguably part of one of the biggest inter-state border disputes in India.
The district has a large Marathi and Kannada-speaking populations and has been at the centre of a dispute for a long time.
The area came under Karnataka in 1956 when states were reorganized and till then it was under the Bombay presidency.
[2] Assam-Mizoram
The border dispute between Assam and Mizoram is a legacy of two British-era notifications of 1875 and 1933, when Mizoram was called Lushai Hills, a district in Assam.
The 1875 notification differentiated Lushai Hills from the plains of Cachar and the other demarcated boundary between Lushai Hills and Manipur.
While Mizoram became a state only in 1987 following years of insurgency, it still insists on the boundary decided in 1875.
Assam, on the other hand, wants the boundary demarcated in 1986 (based on the 1933 notification).
In that case, entire Mizoram was part of Assam before the Independence,” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on July 27.
Mizoram says the 1986 agreement is not acceptable as the Mizo civil society was not consulted at that time.
[3] Haryana-Himachal Pradesh
The Parwanoo region has had the spotlight over the border dispute between the two states.
It is next to the Panchkula district of Haryana and the state has claimed parts of the land in Himachal Pradesh as its own.
[4] Himachal Pradesh-Ladakh
Himachal and Ladakh lay claim to Sarchu, an area on the route between Leh and Manali.
It is considered a major point where travellers stop when travelling between the two cities.
Sarchu is in between Himachal’s Lahul and Spiti district and Leh district in Ladakh.
[5] Arunachal Pradesh-Assam
Arunachal’s grievance is that the re-organisation of North Eastern states unilaterally transferred several forested tracts in the plains that had traditionally belonged to hill tribal chiefs and communities to Assam.
After Arunachal Pradesh achieved statehood in 1987, a tripartite committee was appointed which recommended that certain territories be transferred from Assam to Arunachal.
Assam contested this and the matter is before the Supreme Court.
[6] Meghalaya-Assam
The problem between Assam and Meghalaya started when the latter challenged the Assam Reorganisation Act of 1971, which gave Blocks I and II of the Mikir Hills or present-day Karbi Anglong district to Assam.
Meghalaya contends that both these blocks formed part of the erstwhile United Khasi and Jaintia Hills district when it was notified in 1835.
Meghalaya bases its case on survey maps of 1872 and 1929 and certain notifications of 1878 and 1951, while Assam wants to go by the rejected recommendations of the Churachand Committee.
[7] Assam-Nagaland
The longest-running border dispute in the North East is between Assam and Nagaland, which began soon after Nagaland became a state in 1963.
The Nagaland State Act of 1962 had defined the state’s borders according to a 1925 notification when Naga Hills and Tuensang Area (NHTA) were integrated into a new administrative unit.
Nagaland, however, does not accept the boundary delineation and has demanded that the new state should also have all Naga-dominated areas in North Cachar and Nagaon districts.
Since Nagaland did not accept its notified borders, tensions between Assam and Nagaland flared up soon after the latter was formed, resulting in the first border clashes in 1965.
This was followed by major clashes between the two states along the border in 1968, 1979, 1985, 2007, 2014 and 2021.
GS-1 The Freedom Struggle – its various stages and important contributors/contributions from different parts of the country
GS-2 Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
GS-3 Indian Economy
GS-4 Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and non-partisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker sections
HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?
Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.
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.
You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.
Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.
Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.
If you upload the answer on the same day like the answer of 11th October is uploaded on 11th October then your answer will be checked within 72 hours. Also, reviews will be in the order of submission- First come first serve basis
If you are writing answers late, for example, 11th October is uploaded on 13th October, then these answers will be evaluated as per the mentor’s schedule.
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*.
In the intro, briefly mention the various effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In the body, mention areas such as sustainability of growth process, ensuring the robustness of the global supply chains, increasing the competitiveness, adapting to the digital economy and dealing with the challenges of climate change etc.
In opportunities for India mention India’s role as a trusted partner and suggest improving the investment climate and targeting its export capabilities.
Conclude by focusing on these areas to make the global economy resilient in the post-Pandemic world.
In the intro, mention the time tested relations between the two countries with shared past.
In the body mention the salience of the United Kingdom in geopolitics, trade and economics, technology, security domain and how India can gain in various areas. In the next part, highlight the possibilities in the domain of technology.
Conclude by mentioning the need for Delhi to recognise the enormous strategic possibilities with Britain and invest political capital to build on those synergies.
“When I decided to prepare for UPSC-CSE, I knew I was not in a position to quit my private job. The work load was high at my present company, I was left with doubt if I could clear UPSC-CSE or not. That’s when I decided I needed a highly experienced personal mentor who will not only provide me study materials or evaluate test-series and mock interviews, but also won’t hesitate to motivate me whenever I felt uneasy or anxious. I found that in Civilsdaily mentor, Pravin sir. He was my go to mentor for Mains and Interview. I always made it a point to visit him weekly once and vent my feelings to him. After speaking to him, the clouds of negativity drifted away. I became confident to complete my studies for the day. It took me 3 attempts to fulfill not only my dream but my family’s dream.”
Harvinder Singh’s life was filled with many hardships. Not because of UPSC-CSE preparation, but due to the unpredictable turn of events. When he was a three year old kid, his hand accidently fell into a pan of boiling hot oil in the kitchen. Due to this, three of his fingers have been severely impaired. As a 12th standard student, Harvinder studiously prepared for both AIEEE and NDA exams. Though he successfully, cleared the former exam, he failed the medical round of NDA (due to his fingers). Dejected that he missed an opportunity to serve the nation, Harvinder thought he cannot overlook supporting his family. His dad worked both as a farmer and truck driver to make ends meet. However, as a graduate in J&K, he found it extremely difficult to find a job.
In 2013, he started his work as an engineer for a private company in Allahabad. Well settled, Harvinder thought of fulfilling his dream of serving the nation. If he couldn’t do it through Army, he could through civil services. After failing the prelims in first attempt, mains in second attempt, he finally cleared the exams in his third attempt to be an IAS officer. “I feared that in my third attempt, I will fail the personality round”, Harvinder jokes. Despite back to back failures, Harvinder always looked forward to his next attempt like it was his final attempt.
Free to Attend (with mandatory registration) Ask me Anything Session with Harvinder Singh IAS
As a result of which, the same lad who once suffered unemployment and other issues in J&K, is working to bring changes to J&K for the poor, needy, vulnerable and youth.
This Thursday, Harvinder IAS is going to take some time off his busy schedule to address Civilsdaily aspirants. He will not only be talking about the specifics of UPSC-CSE journey, but also answering all your questions. If you are getting stuck due to any comprehension or consistency issue, it’s time to take Harvinder IAS sir’s help to solve them. And the good news is webinar is absolutely free for all to attend!
Key Takeways of Ask me Anything Session with Harvinder Singh IAS
1. Complete study booklist of Harvinder Singh IAS. For Prelims & Mains. Do you want to check if the current booklist you have are the right sources to prepare for UPSC-CSE?
2. Complete timeline of UPSC-CSE Preparation as a working professional. When did Harvinder IAS prepare for Prelims, Mains and Interview?
3. The art of making notes. What topics require notes and what topics don’t.
4. Harvinder Singh IAS during Mains examination. What kind of questions came and how did he answer it?
5. Hardwork in right direction vs Hardwork in wrong direction. Can only studying hard make you successful?
6. Normal, standard and frequent revision techniques. What are they?
If you are studying hard but are unsure that you are studying right, then its time to get some assurance from the topper himself! Register for thisfree webinar by IAS officer Harvinder Singh.
They say, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. For UPSC aspirants, there is a small tweak. When your preparation gets tough we’ll be there for you.
How Successful has Civilsdaily been in Mentoring Aspirants?
In UPSC 2020, Civilsdaily helped 80+ students secure ranks in their exams. In the top 100, every 3rd ranker was a Civilsdaily student. To know how all of them cleared the exam with our mentorship, visit the UnherdPodcast.
Now that results are announced for UPSC 2021 Prelims, out of 15 out of 25 students of Santhosh Gupta sir have been recommended to Mains. One such student, Rahul expresses his gratitude and extends his appreciation —
Most of our Mentors like Sudhanshu sir, Sajal sir, Santhosh sir, Pravin sir, Parth Verma sir and Sukanya Ma’am were UPSC aspirants themselves and have attended UPSC Mains more than five times and UPSC Interview more than twice. Hence their mentorship is always a blend of the best test series, comprehensive notes and current affairs knowledge.
All of them dedicate their time weekly to give 1-on-1 mentorship to every student where they discuss last week’s performance and next week’s approach.
Remember there is always light at the end of the tunnel and if you want to get out of the tunnel you have to follow the direction of the light! Our mentors’ give you direction which is divided into daily modules. All you have to do is study and complete them on time.
As every year passes by, we don’t get confident by the previous years’ performance and become laidback. Instead, we become more hungry to convert all our students into toppers.
How are Current Civilsdaily Students Gearing up for UPSC-CSE 2022?
Initially, our Civilsdaily student Smriti wasn’t confident about Prelims when she began her preparation. Though she had joined Civilsdaily in 2020, she started studying for UPSC-CSE back in 2019. At that time, Smriti had enrolled in multiple institutes. Though, most of these institutes had promised a personal mentor, she was unable to get in touch with them on a daily basis. Also those mentors never scheduled test-series on a weekly basis. Hence, despite preparing for a year, Smriti had scored only 35 marks out of 200 in her first test series by Civilsdaily.
She then started writing 20-25 test series over the course of UAP 2021 and in her last test, her scores have drastically improved. She now scores in the range of 130-135 marks in prelims’ and 110+ in mains’ papers.
In Smriti’s own words she describes her Samanvaya Mentorship Experience to be —
“Our parents provide us financial and emotional support, friends provide us moral support and the right mentor gives you logistic and logical support for UPSC. There are days when I felt I won’t be able to compete against lakhs of aspirants. That’s when my mentor, Ravi sir reminded me of my improvement and encouraged me that I can crack it with the same consistency. We need someone, who tells us we are performing well especially when we cannot see that ourselves. The mentorship at Civilsdaily helped me become mentally stronger as a person. In other institutes, mentors are allotted only for doubt resolution. But at Civilsdaily, I am getting end-to-end support, be it value added notes, classes, test series and detailed evaluation.“
Why Do You Require Mentorship?
Preparing for the UPSC exam is a race against time. You have to complete an answer within 8 minutes, complete Prelims mock test within 2 hours and most importantly complete the syllabus in a span of 8 months. The syllabus is so vast that most students feel overwhelmed within just a few weeks of starting their preparation.
We confirmed this last month, in our Samanvaya Mentorship program by counselling over 3500 students. The 2 biggest problems students said they face while preparing for this exam are:
Syllabus Management
Time Management
As an aspirant, you can either spend a lot of time and effort trying to figure out how to cope with your syllabus and manage time or you can simply speak with our mentors and get the right study plan and timetable custom-made for you!
Every aspirant needs a different strategy than the other. One might be struggling in prelims, other in mains. One might find history a piece of cake and geography a tough nut to crack and for the other it will be vice-versa. For an aspirant preparing full-time, they might get demotivated on a regular basis as they have no Plan B to fall back on. A working professional might be too exhausted to study by the end of the day. There is no one-size fits all solution.
That’s why you need to register for Samanvaya free 1-on-1 counselling session to understand what study plan and study materials work best for you! Samanvaya 1-on-1 Free mentorship will help you stick to one approach of studying rather than switching plans through trial and error.
Still you want a general idea how to manage time and your syllabus? Here’s what you can do!
Syllabus Management—
Go through the entire syllabus thoroughly.
Mark the topics you feel comfortable with and those you aren’t familiar with.
Break down the syllabus into small parts and prioritize them in order.
Gather the relevant study material for the syllabus and start studying them in order.
Figure out where you need guidance – Is it with the subject matter? Do you need help with organizing your syllabus? Or you just aren’t sure how to begin?
. Time Management—
Prioritize your study material
Complete the easier topics first.
Allocate at least one hour to answer-writing
Allocate at least one hour to MCQ practice
Make notes on Current Affairs while reading the newspaper
Allocate at least 2 hours for your optional.
A Popular Time Management Technique—
The Pomodoro Technique is followed by toppers like Srusti Jayant Deshmukh (UPSC 2019 AIR 5), Manoj Madhav S (UPSC 2019 AIR 105) and Namita Sharma (UPSC 2018, AIR 108)
Developed by consultant Francesco Cirillo, the Pomodoro Technique is a time management tool that breaks work into 25-minute sessions to help you stay focused and get more done.
Step 1
Choose a task
Step 2
Set a timer for 25 minutes
Step 3
Work on the task until the timer goes off
Step 4
Once the timer goes off. Check off the item on a piece of paper
Step 5
Take a short break
Step 6
Every four Pomodoros, take a longer break
How is Samanvaya 1-on-1 Guidance Program Structured?
Our guidance program is designed as solutions to your challenges. We speak with students personally and understand their concerns on a one-on-one basis. Our mentors spend time understanding the individual requirements of our students and teach students how to break down the syllabus and create a plan they can stick to. Our mentors don’t advise you with run of the mill stories, they help in scripting your story!
We will discuss the important ways in which you can crack this exam through the following methods:
Personalized study plan – Make a list of the tasks that you need to accomplish that day, and note in upcoming meetings or deadlines as you become aware of them. As you complete your list, make sure to tick off the tasks you have completed.
3. Tracking your progress – The key to time management success is to know your deadlines and set reminders. We suggest setting a reminder 15 minutes before a meeting or event so you can prepare and gather your things.
4. Investing in topics with good ROI – First and foremost, turn off your email notification. Set 30-minute blocks to check your email every couple hours instead of checking it every 15 minutes. Make sure you minimize non-work distractions such as your cell phone, social media, or your favorite online store.
5. Focusing on smart study – On your daily list of things to do, pen in how much time you think each task will take you. If you don’t finish, stop when the time you allotted ends, and come back to it later. Sometimes moving on to different responsibilities and then coming back gives your mind a fresh start and a new perspective.
So, get all your UPSC demands addressed by a seasoned mentor, get one point source study materials, have regular engagement via calls and WhatsApp, adapt to course-correction strategies and follow a syllabus completion-cum-revision plan every month.
When Delhi thinks of technological cooperation with major powers, the US, Europe and Japan come to mind. The missing link in India’s technological mind space, however, is the United Kingdom.
How India can benefit from technology partnership with Britain
Britain was the first nation to industrialise and has a long tradition of scientific research and technological development.
With top-ranking universities and the golden triangle of science and innovation — London, Oxford and Cambridge — Britain is one of the world’s top technology powers.
WIPO ranking: This year, the World Intellectual Property Organisation ranked Britain fourth in the global innovation index.
India is far behind at the 46th position.
India, then, could gain in a technology partnership with Britain.
Overview of the India-UK bilateral ties
Pakistan angle: India’s foreign policy community can’t shake off the Pakistan prism in viewing London.
To be sure, London’s advocacy of Pakistan has always irritated Delhi.
Instead of complaining about London’s South Asian policy, Delhi now simply ignores London’s claims for a special role in India’s political disputes with Pakistan.
By focusing on the positive, Delhi is betting it can reduce the traditional negative elements in the engagement with the UK.
At the same time, Delhi recognises the enormous strategic possibilities with Britain and is willing to invest political capital to build on those synergies.
Meanwhile, the steady relative decline of Pakistan — its economy is now about a tenth of India’s — and Delhi’s deepening strategic partnership with Washington are also encouraging London to rethink its past approach to the Subcontinent.
India is fully conscious of UK’s enduring global salience.
External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has often highlighted Britain’s continuing weight in the world as the fifth-largest economy, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a major financial centre, and a leading hub of higher education and technology.
Britain also enjoys a global maritime reach and a measure of political influence across the world.
Possibilities for partnership in the technological domain
While a trade agreement between Delhi and London is said to be imminent, it is in the technological domain that the prospects are immense but under-explored.
There is insufficient awareness in India’s strategic community of the British moves to put science and technology at the very heart of its political, economic, security and foreign policies.
London announced a raft of measures this year starting with a major report on “Global Britain in a Competitive Age: An Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development, and Foreign Policy”.
One of the broad themes stand out from these initiatives, which is forming a coalition of like-minded countries.
London wants to build a coalition of like-minded countries to reshape the global governance of technology.
This includes strengthening technological ties with the traditionally close partners in the Anglosphere — US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand — as well as other partners like Japan and India.
All these elements of British policy mesh with India’s own economic, political, and security interests.
The British technology initiatives are also aligned with the technological agenda of the Quad — or the Quadrilateral forum that brings together Australia, India, Japan, and the US.
Consider the question “In India’s partnership with the UK, it is the technological domain where prospects are immense but underexplored. Comment.”
Conclusion
For Delhi, the essence of the new alliance with Britain is fourfold — generate domestic prosperity, enhance national security, climb up the global technology hierarchy, and contribute to the construction of a free, open, and democratic global technological order.
Back2Basics: Major themes of the policy report on “Global Britain in a Competitive Age”
[1]Leverage technology to “level up” the regional and social inequalities in Britain.
[2] Ensure Britain’s privileged position as a leading science power.
[3] Focus on technological innovation to drive Britain’s future economic growth.
[4] Build internal security resilience against new technological threats.
[5]Modernise the intelligence apparatus with the help of new technologies.
[6] Integrate technology into the national defence strategy as new capabilities like AI become as consequential as battle-tanks, ships and fighter jets.
[7] Project technological power to counter malevolent actors in the international system.
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted lives and livelihoods across the world. Governments, global institutions, industry, academia and non-profit organisations around the world have joined hands to tackle the global challenge and help countries rebuild their economies.
Criticality of international cooperation and role for India
The novel coronavirus pandemic has once again highlighted the criticality of international cooperation in combating current and future challenges.
Areas of cooperation: Key among these include economic growth, building competitiveness of the investment climate, ensuring sustainable development paths and adapting to technology acceleration.
Strengthening global partnership: Building resilience to cope with the threats posed by pandemics and other man-made and natural disasters has necessitated strengthening global partnerships now more than ever.
Global partnerships help in building mutual trust and understanding by agreeing upon common rules and standards and sharing of best practices.
Areas to focus on
[1] Challenge of long term sustainability of growth process
While the world economy is rebounding strongly, the long-term sustainability of the growth process needs to be strengthened.
Exit from the massive stimulus packages itself may pose risks of economic and financial instability.
[2] Challenges of supply chain management:
The pandemic severely disrupted global supply chains and set the global trade trajectory on a downward path.
Even as the world emerges from the pandemic, facilitating medical supplies and essentials will continue to remain a top priority and for this, supply chains will need to be kept flowing.
For this year, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) indicates an increase of 22.4% in the value of global merchandise trade compared with 2020.
World trade is expected to stand about 15% higher than before the COVID-19.
FDI flows in developing economies also increased significantly, totalling $427 billion in the first half of 2021.
Cooperation on trade facilitation for enhancing open and transparent markets, technical assistance and reduction of complex process and arrangements must be promoted.
[3] Increasing competitiveness
Competitiveness will be key in facilitating growth and inclusive development.
New opportunities and avenues across potential high growth sectors such as manufacturing and start-ups must be leveraged.
An ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation with targeted policies and interventions will contribute to enhancing productivity and generating employment.
[4] Structural changes with the emergence of digital economy
Certain structural changes are likely to become permanent in the future and this is especially true of the digital economy
Equitable adaptation: The rise of telemedicine, remote work and e-learning, delivery services, etc. necessitates equitable adaptation to advanced technologies and tools, building robust infrastructure, and occupational transitions.
Skill development and worker training, investments in education and vocational training, and capacity building would be some key areas of focus for filling technology gaps and nurturing new and existing talent.
Investment in innovation: At the same time, investments in innovation will be crucial, especially during a crisis.
[5] Climate change
Matter of urgency: Climate change has now acquired urgency from policymakers around the world, as seen in the recent COP26 at Glasgow.
International alliances and cooperation on building sustainable solutions, green technology, resource efficiency, sustainable finance, etc., must be promoted to fast-track meeting the sustainable development goals and for ensuring all-round development.
Opportunities for India
Attaining faster growth path: India’s recent reforms, role in combating the pandemic, and startup vibrancy, among other factors, have attracted global attention and can help it attain a faster growth path, provided its integration with the world economy and trade gains strategic intensity.
Reliable and trusted player: With multiple strategic shifts, India’s role as a reliable and trusted player in the comity of nations stands enhanced.
Way forward
In the post-pandemic world, it will be critical for India to improve on its investment climate and systematically target its export capabilities across sectors and regions.
Ease of doing business and new free trade agreement with major markets will help it integrate closely with the world through trade and investment partnerships.
Conclusion
The time for India is here and it must leverage international partnerships for ensuring a robust and sustained economic growth path.
“When I decided to prepare for UPSC-CSE, I knew I was not in a position to quit my private job. The work load was high at my present company, I was left with doubt if I could clear UPSC-CSE or not. That’s when I decided I needed a highly experienced personal mentor who will not only provide me study materials or evaluate test-series and mock interviews, but also won’t hesitate to motivate me whenever I felt uneasy or anxious. I found that in Civilsdaily mentor, Pravin sir. He was my go to mentor for Mains and Interview. I always made it a point to visit him weekly once and vent my feelings to him. After speaking to him, the clouds of negativity drifted away. I became confident to complete my studies for the day. It took me 3 attempts to fulfill not only my dream but my family’s dream.”
Harvinder Singh’s life was filled with many hardships. Not because of UPSC-CSE preparation, but due to the unpredictable turn of events. When he was a three year old kid, his hand accidently fell into a pan of boiling hot oil in the kitchen. Due to this, three of his fingers have been severely impaired. As a 12th standard student, Harvinder studiously prepared for both AIEEE and NDA exams. Though he successfully, cleared the former exam, he failed the medical round of NDA (due to his fingers). Dejected that he missed an opportunity to serve the nation, Harvinder thought he cannot overlook supporting his family. His dad worked both as a farmer and truck driver to make ends meet. However, as a graduate in J&K, he found it extremely difficult to find a job.
In 2013, he started his work as an engineer for a private company in Allahabad. Well settled, Harvinder thought of fulfilling his dream of serving the nation. If he couldn’t do it through Army, he could through civil services. After failing the prelims in first attempt, mains in second attempt, he finally cleared the exams in his third attempt to be an IAS officer. “I feared that in my third attempt, I will fail the personality round”, Harvinder jokes. Despite back to back failures, Harvinder always looked forward to his next attempt like it was his final attempt.
Free to Attend (with mandatory registration) Ask me Anything Session with Harvinder Singh IAS
As a result of which, the same lad who once suffered unemployment and other issues in J&K, is working to bring changes to J&K for the poor, needy, vulnerable and youth.
This Thursday, Harvinder IAS is going to take some time off his busy schedule to address Civilsdaily aspirants. He will not only be talking about the specifics of UPSC-CSE journey, but also answering all your questions. If you are getting stuck due to any comprehension or consistency issue, it’s time to take Harvinder IAS sir’s help to solve them. And the good news is webinar is absolutely free for all to attend!
Key Takeways of Ask me Anything Session with Harvinder Singh IAS
1. Complete study booklist of Harvinder Singh IAS. For Prelims & Mains. Do you want to check if the current booklist you have are the right sources to prepare for UPSC-CSE?
2. Complete timeline of UPSC-CSE Preparation as a working professional. When did Harvinder IAS prepare for Prelims, Mains and Interview?
3. The art of making notes. What topics require notes and what topics don’t.
4. Harvinder Singh IAS during Mains examination. What kind of questions came and how did he answer it?
5. Hardwork in right direction vs Hardwork in wrong direction. Can only studying hard make you successful?
6. Normal, standard and frequent revision techniques. What are they?
If you are studying hard but are unsure that you are studying right, then its time to get some assurance from the topper himself! Register for thisfree webinar by IAS officer Harvinder Singh.
