Mentor’s Comments-
- Discuss the issue of rapid urbanisation and urban sprawl in India.
- Discuss the associated problems of urban sprawl.
- Suggest measures to manage urban growth and sprawls in the future.
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Q.1 A dispersed pattern of urbanisation leads to sprawl with associated problems. In this context, discuss how India should manage the inevitable process of urban growth going into the future. (10 Marks)
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How to write the Perfect Essay for Mains? || Register for Free Webinar by Arpit Sir || Limited slots available
The Essay Paper in Mains makes or breaks your dream of becoming an IAS officer. Do you know a well-structured essay uplifts your rank by more than a 100 notches?
While the performance of students is more or less the same in GS papers (especially 1,2,3), but in the case of essay the variation of marks is rather huge (in 60s to 160). Yes, a single Essay paper can create a gulf of 100 marks.
If you have not yet started writing essays or if you’re confused on how to write quality answers within a short duration, then this webinar is for you!
Open to All, Attend the Webinar Essay FLT.
The orientation session is about learning the basics of essay writing. We welcome all the sincere and serious aspirants who understand the value of scoring 120+ in the essay paper. This is the only paper where mere management of time and thoughts will fetch you marks more than any other paper.
Who must join the webinar?
- One who is attempting Mains in 2021.
- One who is going to attempt Prelims 2022.
- Anyone who has a basic understanding of the UPSC syllabus.
What can you learn from this webinar?
1. Right sources to prepare Essay Paper for Mains. Is just reading GS Subjects and Current Affairs enough for Essay Paper?
2. Understanding the type of questions asked. What are the 8 broad themes of essay?
3. Brainstorming the topic before writing. What are the 10 parameters by which your essay will be evaluated?
4. Organising your thoughts into paragraphs. How to divide the 1200 word essay into well-structured paragraphs?
5. Framing the correct thesis statement. How to sound persuasive yet logical?
6. Different types of introduction you can write for your essay. What kind of anecdotes work?
7. Developing balanced main body arguments. How to be less biased with an interdisciplinary approach?
8. Concluding the essay perfectly. How can you score additional marks over here?
Arpit Sir will also hold a Q&A Session where beginners and veterans can clarify their doubts.
So attend this webinar and start the very first step of essay writing in the right direction!
Webinar Details
Date – 22nd October 2021(Friday)
Time – 4:00PM-5:00PM
About Arpit Sir
Arpit Sir has the experience of attending all the stages of UPSC CSE – prelims, mains and interview. He has been mentoring aspirants for the last 8 years. According to him, enjoying the process of preparation will prevent the fear of the end result.
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20th October 2021 | Prelims Daily with Previous Year Questions
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[Sansad TV] Plastic Waste Management
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- Recently a report on Plastic Waste Management was released by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
- Also the Environment Ministry has issued draft rules on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) that mandate producers of plastic packaging material to collect all of their produce by 2024.
Introduction
Plastic is ubiquitous, it’s visibly the backbone of globalisation. Plastic, without doubt, is the miracle commodity that has uses ranging from increasing shelf lives of eatables to medical equipment and automotive.
- Plastic products have become an integral part of our daily life as a result of which the polymer is produced at a massive scale worldwide.
- Its broad range of application is in packaging films, wrapping materials, shopping and garbage bags, fluid containers, clothing, toys, household and industrial products, and building materials.
Why is Plastic so popular?
- Durability and low maintenance
- Low material replacement
- Low weight
- Cheaper availability
Plastic Consumption in India
- The CPCB Report of 2019-20 states that 3.4 million metric tonnes of plastic waste is generated in India annually.
- The global average of plastic per capita consumption is 28 kg and India has a per capita plastic consumption of 11 kg.
- India recycles over 60 per cent of its plastic (a/c to MoHUA), which was way higher than the recycling capacity of any developed country.
- Only nine per cent of the plastic waste produced between 1950 and 2015 was recycled globally, according to a study by researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and others.
Hazards of Plastic
[A] Solid Waste generation
- The disposal of plastics is one of the least recognized and most highly problematic areas of plastic’s ecological impact.
- Ironically, one of plastic’s most desirable traits: its durability and resistance to decomposition, is also the source of one of its greatest liabilities when it comes to the disposal of plastics.
- A very small amount of total plastic production (less than 10%) is effectively recycled; the remaining plastic is sent to landfills.
- It is destined to remain entombed.
[B] Ecological Impact
(i) Groundwater and soil pollution
- Plastic is a material made to last forever, and due to the same chemical composition, plastic cannot biodegrade; it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces.
- When buried in a landfill, plastic lies untreated for years.
- In the process, toxic chemicals from plastics drain out and seep into groundwater, flowing downstream into lakes and rivers.
- The seeping of plastic also causes soil pollution and have now started resulting in presence of micro plastics in soil.
(ii) Water Pollution
- The increased presence of plastic on the ocean surface has resulted in more serious problems.
- Since most of the plastic debris that reaches the ocean remains floating for years as it does not decompose quickly, it leads to the dropping of oxygen level in the water.
- It has severely affected the survival of marine species.
- When oceanic creatures and even birds consume plastic inadvertently, they choke on it which causes a steady decline in their population.
- In addition to suffocation, ingestion, and other macro-particulate causes of death in larger birds, fish, and mammals.
[C] Health Hazards
- Burning of plastic results into formation of a class of flame retardants called as Halogens.
- Collectively, these harmful chemicals are known to cause the following severe health problems: cancer, neurological damage, endocrine disruption, birth defects and child developmental disorders etc.
Plastic Waste Management (PWM Rules) in India
These rules first rolled out in 2016 were amended and named as ‘Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2018. Its salient features include:
Applied to: These rules shall apply to every Waste Generator, Local Body, Gram Panchayat, Manufacturer, Importer, Producer and Brand Owner.
Thickness of virgin plastic: Carry bags made of virgin or recycled plastic, shall not be less than 50 ( now 120 after Amendment in 2021) microns in thickness.
Waste Generators including institutional generators, event organizers shall not litter the plastic waste, shall segregate waste and handover to authorized agency and shall pay user fee.
Local Bodies shall be responsible for development and setting up of infrastructure for segregation, collection, storage, transportation, processing and disposal.
State Pollution Control Board (SPCB)/ Pollution Control Committee (PCC) shall be the authority for enforcement of the provisions of PWM Rules, 2018, relating to registration, manufacture of plastic etc.
The draft Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2021 has necessitated a few changes in the country’s handling of its plastic waste.
Expanded applicability: One, the amendment has extended the applicability of the rules to brand-owner, plastic waste processor, including the recycler, co-processor, etc.
New definitions: It will also include new definitions of:
- Non-woven plastic bag
- Plastic waste processing
- Single-use plastic (SUP) item
- Thermoset plastic
- Thermoplastic
Increased thickness: The ministry has proposed increasing the thickness of carry bags made of virgin plastic to 120 microns from 50 microns.
Ban on certain items: The draft also proposes a ban on the manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of specific single-use plastic from January 1, 2022. These include plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, and thermocol (extended polystyrene) for decoration.
Strategy for PWM
Issues in Plastic Management
Recycling here means ‘Down-cycling’
- Most plastics that we claim can be recycled in India are rather down-cycled to some other material.
- They are recyclable but recycled products are more harmful to the environment as this contains additives and colors.
- The recycling of a virgin plastic material can be done 2-3 times only, because after every recycling, the plastic material deteriorates due to thermal pressure and its life span is reduced.
- Hence recycling is not a safe and permanent solution for plastic waste disposal.
- A classic example is that of PET bottles being recycled to t-shirts.
Way Forward
Given the broad range of possible actions to curb single-use plastics and their mixed impact, UN Environment has drawn up a 10-step roadmap for governments:
- Target the most problematic single-use plastics: by conducting a baseline assessment to identify the most problematic single-use plastic.
- Consider the best actions to tackle the problem: (e.g. regulatory, economic, awareness, voluntary actions), given the country’s socio-economic standing.
- Assess the potential social, economic and environmental impacts (positive and negative) of the preferred short-listed instruments/actions, by considering how will the poor be affected.
- Identify and engage key stakeholder groups – retailers, consumers, industry representatives, local government, manufacturers, civil society, environmental groups etc.
- Raise public awareness about the harm caused, by clearly explaining the decision and any punitive measures that will follow.
- Promote alternatives: Before the ban or levy comes into force, the availability of alternatives need to be assessed.
- Provide incentives to industry by introducing tax rebates or other conditions to support its transition.
- Use revenues collected from taxes or levies on single-use plastics to maximize the public good, thereby supporting environmental projects or boosting local recycling.
- Enforce the measure chosen effectively, by making sure that there is clear allocation of roles and responsibilities.
- Monitor and adjust the chosen measure if necessary and update the public on progress.
Best strategies:
Adoption of ‘Circular Economy’
- A circular economy aims to eliminate waste, not just from recycling processes, but throughout the lifecycles of products and packaging.
- A circular economy aims to maximize value and eliminate waste by improving the design of materials, products and business models.
Extended Producer’s Responsibilities (EPR)
- State/ ULB to introduce ‘Buy back Depository Mechanism’ with a predefined buy back price printed on plastic products.
- A national Framework on EPR is proposed where the producers/importers/brand owner is required to contribute to the EPR corpus fund at the central level.
Plastic Credit Mechanism
- A producer is not required to recycle their own packaging, but to ensure that an equivalent amount of packaging waste has been recovered and recycled to meet their obligation.
- Producers are mandated to acquire evidence of recycling or recovery called the Plastic Credit from properly accredited processors.
Conclusion
Managing plastic waste requires effective knowledge, not only among those who produce the plastic, but also among those who handle it.
Brand owners, consumers, recyclers and regulatory authorities need to take long strides in ensuring that we first inventorize the total amount of plastic waste that we generate by means of proper calculations.
Best step would be to identify the avenues where the use of plastic can be minimised. The brand owner and manufacturer should try and understand the fates a plastic packaging material would meet after its purpose of packaging has been served.
Last, as consumers, we should ensure that all plastic waste leaving our homes is segregated and is not contaminated with food waste.
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Lessons from the coal shortage
Context
Normally, the power-generating companies maintain around 30 days of inventory of coal, but, currently, this has come down to three days.
Factors responsible for the crisis
- Supply side issue: On the supply side, because of low investment, coal cannot be mined more than the capacity which exists today. Hence, the increase in supplies will be gradual.
- High global prices: The global coal crisis has led to higher prices.
- Here, too, a sudden resurgence in demand after the pandemic has exposed the supply limitations.
- The international price has gone up by almost 40 per cent in the last month.
- China factor: China – a major producer and consumer – has also faced this problem as it has tried to save coal for the future and imposed restrictions on mining to go green.
- Emphasis on lowering the dependence on import: In India, coal imports have been traditionally high.
- Under its atmanirbharta drive, the government has voiced concerns on this issue and asked generators to be more self-reliant.
- Coal dependency came down over time, which also coincided with a lower phase of economic growth.
- The same has happened in China where the government has taken the greening concept seriously and asked coal producers to control production and power generators and move over to other greener fuels.
- This has made coal producers less willing to increase investment.
Why power companies are reluctant to import coal?
- Ideally, power companies should import coal.
- But that increases the cost of power production and power tariffs cannot be revised easily, like in the case of crops.
- The power sector, however, already has its woes.
- Distribution companies have been running losses due to their inability to cut down on transmission losses or increase tariffs.
- As their losses mount, the amount overdue to the generators increases.
- Therefore, the producers are not willing to increase their costs.
How it would impact the economy?
- The economy has been showing signs of recovering and the October-December period is crucial because there are expectations of pent-up demand helping to accelerate growth.
- Any disruption in the power supply can push back this process.
- The challenge is that today all the three sectors, agriculture, industry and households, are equally important.
- A lot of business is being conducted from home after the pandemic, and power disruptions will come in the way of work.
- If power companies start revising their tariffs, inflation will shoot up.
Conclusion
The coal shortage problem is very serious as it affects power supply, which is the backbone of all economic activity. All stakeholders – the Centre, states, miners and power generators – must work together and plan the strategy going ahead.
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Suggestions on alternative foreign policy
Context
A document has emerged from the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) in the nature of an alternative to the present foreign and defence policies named ‘India’s Path to Power: Strategy in a world adrift’. It is authored by eight well-known strategists and thinkers.
Background of the document
- In 2012, many of the same authors had produced another document, ‘Non-alignment 2.0’, in the light of the global changes at that time, as a contribution to policymaking, without criticising the policies of the government.
- The present document, however, is in the nature of an alternative to the foreign and defence policies of the government, as some of its tenets are not considered conducive to finding a path to power for India in the post-pandemic world.
Change in foreign policy
- The first term of the Modi government was remarkable for its innovative, bold and assertive foreign policy, which received general approbation.
- After his unconventional peace initiatives with Pakistan failed, he took a firm stand and gained popularity at home.
- His wish to have close relations with the other neighbours did not materialise, but his helpful attitude to them even in difficult situations averted any crisis.
- He brought a new symphony into India-U.S. relations and engaged China continuously to find a new equation with it. India’s relations with Israel and the Arab countries became productive.
- In its second term, the government dealt with some of the sensitive matters, which were essentially of a domestic nature such as Article 370, citizenship issues and farming regulation.
- The external dimensions of these matters led to a challenge to the government’s foreign policy.
Suggestions in the Centre for Policy Research report
- Impact of domestic issues on foreign policy: The finding of the report is that domestic issues have impacted foreign policy and, therefore, India should set its house in order to stem the tide of international reaction.
- This assertion at the beginning of the report is the heart of the report and it is repeated in different forms.
- Importance of globalisation: The report rightly points out that “it would be incorrect and counterproductive for India to turn its back on globalisation…”
- Revival of SAARC: The report also suggests that SAARC should be revived and that India should rejoin the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and continue its long-standing quest for membership in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation.
- Strategic autonomy: The report also stresses the importance of strategic autonomy in today’s world where change is the only certainty.
- Relations with the US and China: As for the India-U.S.- China triangle, the report makes the unusual suggestion that India should have better relations individually with both the U.S. and China than they have with each other.
- The report concludes that since China will influence India’s external environment politically, economically and infrastructurally, there is no feasible alternative to a combination of engagement and competition with China.
- Pakistan policy: The report asserts, “as long as our objectives of policy towards Pakistan are modest, resumption of dialogue and a gradual revival of trade, transport and other links are worth pursuing.”
Conclusion
The significance of the report is that it reveals the end of the era of consensus foreign policy and presents a shadow foreign policy for the first time in India. It remains to be seen whether any of the opposition parties will adopt it and fight the next election on the platform provided by the report.
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Not clearing prelims is tough BUT don’t let that stop you from chasing your dream
Prelims is the most brutal stage of the UPSC Examination. Lakhs of students out of the race in one go. Lakhs of dreams shattered in one go!!
Not clearing prelims can be tough. A whole one year of preparation suddenly seems like a waste. The worst is when you start questioning your own capability – What good I am when I could not clear even the first stage of the UPSC exam? Should I start considering option B? What am I doing wrong?……
STOP Get out of this Loop FAST
Questioning your abilities is never the solution to any problem, let alone not clearing prelims. Even ranker holders like Swati Sharma AIR 17(2019) consider Prelims to be scary because let’s face it – it is a dicey game.
So, don’t get into this philosophical loop like what will I do with my life now that I have failed prelims. “Just buckle up, and deal with it. Prepare harder and prepare better”. Seems like tough love advice but we are here to help you out.Pranav Vijay AIR 65(2020) didn’t get disheartened after not clearing prelims 2 times in a row. He identified his issues, prepared smarter, and excelled with flying colors.
CHECK YOUR ISSUES:
Revise the paper: Go through the prelims 2021 paper again, you can’t chart out your future strategy without knowing where you messed up in the first place. While you do this, gather data on how many were careless mistakes, random guesses, or wrong because you did not properly revise.
Identify your weakness/strengths: Mark the subjects where you feel you don’t have a proper holdover. Weakness can be even in strategy, time management, or lack of revisions. In order to improve knowing your weakness is important. Strength can be a subject or the art of intelligent guessing in prelims, you have to make sure you retain that for the next prelims.
Start preparing comprehensively: The ultimate aim is not just clearing prelims but getting your name in that final pdf. In order to achieve that you have to make sure that you start both your prelims and mains preparation together.WHAT CAN CIVILSDAILY DO FOR YOU?
Make your preparation more structured and rational: Clearing prelims and mains are completely different skills. Toppers like Tina Dabi were great at the mains stage but barely passed the prelims examination. This is where your mentor comes into play who can ensure your preparation is a balanced approach to fulfill the requirements of both examinations.
Retrospect on your previous preparation to prepare the future plan: If you are a beginner then your strategy would be different from a person who has written mains 2 times. Personalize attention is necessary to cater to the demands of each and every student. Our mentors are up for any challenge that students face in their preparation journey.
Mentor at every step: At Civilsdaily, we believe that one bad result is not the real judge of your abilities. The very first thing that our mentors do is building up your confidence and your faith in yourself. Mentors here will be your friend, philosopher, and guide in the real sense.
Prelims is over but this does not have to be the end to your dream. Connect with us and let us help you out in planning a better and efficient strategy for the future.
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How Civilsdaily Mentorship helped UPSC 2020 AIR 237 Dilpreet Singh || Unherd Shorts || Civilsdaily Mentorship Program: Toppers Testimonials (Link Inside)
Talk to Dilpreet’s UPSC Mentors:- https://forms.gle/5ApBTRHTFNJ5UDED6
Enroll into our new Samachar Manthan Program with this link:- https://www.civilsdaily.com/course/samachar-manthan-yearly-2022-batch-2/
Check out Dilpreet’s excerpt on how he cleared UPSC 2020:-
During his second year of college, Dilpreet started to spare time for civil services. He followed the current affairs from CivilsDaily website and prepared his own small notes. It was only his dedication that made him to also seek institutional guidance from CivilsDaily.
He opted for Prelims test series and Samachar Manthan for detailed current affairs guidance cum strategy. What he specifically admires about the program was the personal guidance he received from Sajal sir, who himself was the topper in GS 2017 papers.
In addition to his moments of success, Dilpreet also attempts to address some of the most common and sought after questions by many aspirants. Lets hear him out in our “Unheard” Toppers Talk series for UPSC 2020.
Heartiest congratulations to Dilpreet Singh
AIR 237
UPSC Civil Services 2020 -
How Civilsdaily Mentorship helped AIR 84 Ravi Kumar || Unherd Shorts || Civilsdaily Mentorship Program: Toppers Testimonials (Link Inside)
Talk to Ravi’s UPSC Mentors:- https://bit.ly/Free_One_to_One_Mentorship
Check out Ravi’s excerpt on how he cleared UPSC 2020:-
Ravi Kumar is from a small place in Alwar, Rajasthan. He is young and dynamic. Fresh out of IIT Roorkee, he successively cleared two UPSC Civil Services Exams. On the first attempt he managed to obtain AIR 770 and in the second one he finally got himself the coveted job of an IAS officer (AIR 84 ).
He was inspired to become a civil servant right from his college days and started investing a significant amount of time towards preparation, ignoring what many of his classmates were doing at that time.
During this interaction, Ravi speaks about his inspiration, hard work, distractions, managing stress and his evolution over the last couple of years.
His optional is Geography, we will also try to explore the areas many aspirants find it difficult to get over. Whereas he leverages all his previous knowledge and skill to get more marks.
Let’s see some of the key points of this interaction and how Civilsdaily helped Ravi in his journey.
Heartiest congratulations to Ravi Kumar
AIR 84
UPSC Civil Services 2020 -
Improving livestock breeding
Context
The revised version of the Rashtriya Gokul Mission and National Livestock Mission (NLM) proposes to bring focus on entrepreneurship development and breed improvement in cattle, buffalo, poultry, sheep, goat, and piggery.
Livestock breeding and challenges
- Unorganised in nature: Livestock breeding in India has been largely unorganised.
- Lack of linkages: Because of this unorganised nature there have been gaps in forward and backward integration across the value chain.
- Impact on quality: The above scenario impacts the quality of livestock that is produced and in turn negatively impacts the return on investment for livestock farmers.
- Roughly 80% bovines in the country are low on productivity and are reared by small and marginal farmers.
Entrepreneurship development through NLM and Rashtriya Gokul Mission
- The revised version of the Rashtriya Gokul Mission and National Livestock Mission (NLM) proposes to bring focus on entrepreneurship development.
- Breed improvement infrastructure: It seeks to provide incentives to individual entrepreneurs, farmer producer organisations, farmer cooperatives, joint liability groups, self-help groups, Section 8 companies for entrepreneurship development and State governments for breed improvement infrastructure.
- The breed multiplication farm component of the Rashtriya Gokul Mission is going to provide for capital subsidy up to ₹200 lakh for setting up breeding farm with at least 200 milch cows/ buffalo using latest breeding technology.
- Moreover, the strategy of incentivising breed multiplication farm will result in the employment of 1 lakh farmers.
- The grassroots initiatives in this sphere will be further amplified by web applications like e-Gopala that provide real-time information to livestock farmers.
- Poultry: The poultry entrepreneurship programme of the NLM will provide for capital subsidy up to ₹25 lakh for the setting up of a parent farm with a capacity to rear 1,000 chicks.
- Under this model, the rural entrepreneur running the hatchery will be supplying chicks to the farmers.
- This is expected to provide employment to at least 14 lakh people.
- Sheep and goat entrepreneurship: In the context of sheep and goat entrepreneurship, there is a provision of capital subsidy of 50% up to 50 lakh.
- An entrepreneur under this model shall set up a breeder farm, develop the whole chain will eventually sell the animals to the farmers or in the open market.
- This model is projected to generate a net profit of more than ₹33 lakh for the entrepreneur per year.
- Piggery: For piggery, the NLM will provide 50% capital subsidy of up to ₹30 lakh.
- Each entrepreneur will be aided with establishment of breeder farms with 100 sows and 10 boars, expected to produce 2,400 piglets in a year.
- This model is expected to generate a profit of ₹1.37 crore after 16 months and 1.5 lakh jobs.
Conclusion
The revised scheme of NLM coupled with the Rashtriya Gokul Mission and the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund has the potential to dramatically enhance the productivity and traceability standards of our livestock.
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19th October 2021| Daily Answer Writing Enhancement(AWE)
Topics for Today’s questions:
GS-1 Population and associated issues, poverty, and developmental issues
GS-2 Issues relating to Poverty and Hunger.
GS-3 Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
GS-4 Public/Civil service values and Ethics in Public administration: Status and problems; ethical concerns and dilemmas in government and private institutions
Questions:
Question 1)
Q.1 ‘A young and vibrant India today will be an aged India tomorrow.’ What will be the challenges facing an ageing population in the future? How far do you think India today is ready for this India of tomorrow? (10 Marks)
Question 2)
Q.2 Explain the methodology used for the Global Hunger Index and the issues with it. In this context, suggest the way forward for tackling the issue of wasting and stunting in children. (10 Marks)
Question 3)
Q.3 Examine the factors responsible for the coal shortage leading to the crisis in the power sector. Also examine the role of Coal India Ltd. (CIL) in mitigating the crisis. (10 Marks)
Question 4)
Q.4 “While corruption is never good, not all forms of corruption are equally bad for the economy, nor do they cause the same kind of harm.” Critically analyse the statement in the context of India. (10 Marks)
HOW TO ATTEMPT ANSWERS IN DAILY ANSWER WRITING ENHANCEMENT(AWE)?
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Daily 4 questions from General studies 1, 2, 3, and 4 will be provided to you.
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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.
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You can write your answer on an A4 sheet and scan/click pictures of the same.
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Upload the scanned answer in the comment section of the same question.
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Along with the scanned answer, please share your Razor payment ID, so that paid members are given priority.
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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
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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.
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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*.
For the philosophy of AWE and payment:
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Q.4 “While corruption is never good, not all forms of corruption are equally bad for the economy, nor do they cause the same kind of harm.” Critically analyse the statement in the context of India. (10 Marks)
Mentor’s Comments-
- Briefly explain the meaning of corruption.
- Discuss how not all corruptions are equally damaging to the economy.
- Present counter arguments by highlighting the ill-effects of corruption.
- Conclude accordingly.
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Q.3 Examine the factors responsible for the coal shortage leading to the crisis in the power sector. Also examine the role of Coal India Ltd. (CIL) in mitigating the crisis. (10 Marks)
Mentor’s comment-- https://indianexpress.com/
article/opinion/columns/coal- india-the-fall-guy-for-power- crisis-7576985/ - In the intro, mention the recent coal crisis in which many thermal power plants were left with the stock of just 2 or 3 days against the mandated 15-30 days.
- In the body, mention the structural and operational factors that led to the crisis such as increased demand from China increasing the cost of imported coal, increased power demand, the impact of the pandemic on coal mining etc. In the next part, mention the role played by CIL in ramping up the production.
- Conclude by mentioning the need to learn the lessons from crisis to avoid such incidents in the future.
- https://indianexpress.com/
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Q.2 Explain the methodology used for the Global Hunger Index and the issues with it. In this context, suggest the way forward for tackling the issue of wasting and stunting in children. (10 Marks)
Mentor’s comment-- https://www.thehindu.com/
opinion/op-ed/alarming-hunger- or-statistical-artefact/ article37045072.ece - In the intro, mention the decline in India ranking in the GHI to 101 place for this year.
- In the methodology used for the index mention its four components and the data source used for it. In the issues mention its focus on calory intake and its children oriented nature. In the issue of wasting and stunting explain the connection between the two and how tackling wasting could help deal with stunting.
- Conclude by mentioning India’s relative success in reducing child mortality due to the health facilities it provided.
- https://www.thehindu.com/
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Q.1 ‘A young and vibrant India today will be an aged India tomorrow.’ What will be the challenges facing an ageing population in the future? How far do you think India today is ready for this India of tomorrow? (10 Marks)
Mentor’s Comments-
- In the introduction give some data about the composition of population in India.
- In the body, first list down some challenges faced by the ageing population.
- Mention some schemes of the government for ageing population
- Write a way forward.
- Conclude accordingly.
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Indo-Abrahamic Accord: A new QUAD
The first-ever meeting between the foreign ministers of India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States is being widely perceived as a new QUAD group.
What is Abraham Accord?
- The Israel–UAE normalization agreement is officially called the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement.
- It was initially agreed to in a joint statement by the United States, Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on August 13, 2020.
- The UAE thus became the third Arab country, after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994, to agree to formally normalize its relationship with Israel as well as the first Persian Gulf country to do so.
- Concurrently, Israel agreed to suspend plans for annexing parts of the West Bank.
- The agreement normalized what had long been informal but robust foreign relations between the two countries.
The idea of the Indo-Abrahamic Accord
- The idea of an accord between India, the UAE and Israel was first suggested by Mohammed Soliman, an Egyptian scholar based in Washington.
- The focus, then, was on India taking full advantage of the normalisation of relations between Israel and the Arabs.
Prospects of India joining the accord
- Adding “Indo” to the Abrahamic Accords — from think tank level to the policy domain underlines the extraordinary churn in the geopolitics of the Middle East.
- It also points to new openings for India in the region and ever-widening possibilities for Delhi’s strategic cooperation with Washington.
Significance for India
The new minilateral consultation with the US, Israel and the UAE should started breaking that political taboo by:
(1) Creating a minilateral in the Middle-East:
- Such events mark an important turning point in Delhi’s engagement with the Middle East.
- It suggests India is now ready to move from bilateral relations conducted in separate silos towards an integrated regional policy.
- As in the Indo-Pacific, so in the Middle East, regional coalitions are bound to widen Delhi’s reach and deepen its impact.
(2) India bridging the Arab-Israeli rift:
- Often the Arab nations and Israel are divided over Palestine.
- The simultaneous expansion of Delhi’s cooperation with Israel and the Arab world was considered impossible.
- However, India’s new foreign policy broke from that assessment and demonstrated the feasibility of a non-ideological engagement with the Middle East.
- This diplomatic pragmatism allows Delhi to reimagine its policies towards the Middle East.
(3) Extension of cooperation with the US:
- Thinking of the US as a partner in the Middle East is part of the reimagination.
- For long, India defined the US, and more broadly the West, as part of the problem in the Middle East.
- As a result, Delhi kept a reasonable political distance from the US in the region.
(4) Miscellaneous:
- India’s scale with Israeli innovation and Emirati capital could produce immense benefits to all three countries.
- Add American strategic support and you would see a powerful dynamic unfolding in the region.
Is it a new Quad in making?
- It is perhaps too early to call the new minilateral with the US, UAE and Israel the “new Quad” for the Middle East.
- It will be a while before this grouping will find its feet and evolve.
- After all, it took quite some effort to build the Quad in the east with Australia, India, Japan and the United States.
What is the kind of agenda that this group can develop?
Economic Cooperation: Like the eastern Quad, it would make sense for the new Middle Eastern minilateral to focus on non-military issues like trade, energy, and environment and focus on promoting public goods.
Technology cooperation: Beyond trade, there is potential for India, UAE and Israel to collaborate on many areas — from semiconductor design and fabrication to space technology.
A new geopolitical entity: The new “Quad” in the Middle East is likely to be India’s only new coalition in the region. It provides a thrust to new regionalism to the west involving India.
‘Extended’ neighborhood: This engagement will open the door for extending the collaboration with other common regional partners like Egypt (better call it Suez Canal), who will lend great strategic depth to the Indo-Abrahamic accords.
Conclusion
- This engagement has thus opened up a new opportunity for India to go for deeper engagement with Israel without risking its relations with the other Arab states of the Persian Gulf.
- In the evolving scenario, there seems much scope for a profitable trilateral synergy, but India cannot take its preponderance as a given.
- There is much to be done in realizing the full potential of the “Indo-Abrahamic Accords”.
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What is International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL)?
The Tamil Nadu police have issued an alert on the possibility of an attack on fishermen crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) for fishing in Sri Lankan waters.
About International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL)
- A maritime boundary is a conceptual division of the Earth’s water surface areas using physiographic or geopolitical criteria.
- As such, it usually bounds areas of exclusive national rights over mineral and biological resources, encompassing maritime features, limits and zones.
- Generally, a maritime boundary is delineated at a particular distance from a jurisdiction’s coastline.
- Although in some countries the term maritime boundary represents borders of a maritime nation that are recognized by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
- The terminology does not encompass lake or river boundaries, which are considered within the context of land boundaries.
The delineation of maritime boundaries has strategic, economic, and environmental implications.
Classification
Maritime spaces can be divided into the following groups based on their legal status:
- Under the sovereignty and authority (exercising power) of a coastal State: internal waters, territorial sea, and archipelagic waters,
- With mixed legal regime, which fall under both the jurisdiction of the coastal State and under the international law: contiguous zone, the continental shelf and the exclusive economic zone, and
- That can be used by all States (including land-locked ones) on an equal basis: high seas.
Note: While many maritime spaces can be classified as belonging to the same group, this does not imply that they all have the same legal regime. International straits and canals have their own legal status as well.
Zones
The zones of maritime boundaries are expressed in concentric limits surrounding coastal and feature baselines.
- Inland waters—the zone inside the baseline.
- Territorial sea—the zone extending 12 nm. from the baseline
- Contiguous zone—the area extending 24 nm. from the baseline
- Exclusive Economic Zone—the area extending 200 nm from the baseline except when the space between two countries is less than 400 nm
Back2Basics: India-Sri Lanka Fisherman Issue
- There have been several alleged incidents of Sri Lankan Navy personnel firing on Indian fishermen fishing in the Palk Strait, where India and Sri Lanka are only separated by 12 nautical miles.
- The issue started because of Indian fishermen having used mechanized trawlers, which deprived the Sri Lankan fishermen (including Tamils) of their catch and damaged their fishing boats.
- The Sri Lankan government wants India to ban use of mechanized trawlers in the Palk Strait region, and negotiations on this subject are undergoing.
- So far, no concrete agreement has been reached since India favours regulating these trawlers instead of banning them altogether.
- It has been often a sensitive political issue in Tamil Nadu in the past decade.
About Katchatheevu Island
- Katchatheevu, an uninhibited off-shore island in the Palk Strait, is administered by Sri Lanka.
- Though the island was jointly managed by India and Sri Lanka allowing the fishermen of both countries to dry their nets there, it was ceded to Sri Lanka in 1974.
- Since then, Katchatheevu has remained an issue with some political parties in Tamil Nadu demanding that the island be returned to benefit the fishermen of India.
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Russia breaks diplomatic ties with NATO
Russia has decided that it would halt the activities of its diplomatic mission to NATO after it expelled eight Russian diplomats in a row over spying.
Why such move?
- NATO had set up a prohibitive regime for Russian diplomats in Brussels by banning them from its headquarters building.
- Relations between Moscow and the West have been strained for years, but the immediate impetus for the Russian move was a spy scandal.
- Military tensions have also escalated in recent years, including last spring when Russian troops massed along Ukraine’s border (probably for invasion).
Significance of the move
- The decision will end a post-Cold War experiment, never very successful, in building trust between Russia and the Western alliance.
- It was established decades ago to contain the Soviet Union, which officials in Moscow accused of later encroaching on former Soviet territory.
About North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
- NATO is a military alliance established by the North Atlantic Treaty (also called the Washington Treaty) of April 4, 1949.
- It sought to create a counterweight to Soviet armies stationed in Central and Eastern Europe after World War II.
- Its original members were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
- NATO has spread a web of partners, namely Egypt, Israel, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland and Finland.
Why was it founded?
Ans. Communist sweep in Europe post-WWII and rise of Soviet dominance
- After World War II in 1945, Western Europe was economically exhausted and militarily weak, and newly powerful communist parties had arisen in France and Italy.
- By contrast, the Soviet Union had emerged from the war with its armies dominating all the states of central and Eastern Europe.
- By 1948 communists under Moscow’s sponsorship had consolidated their control of the governments of those countries and suppressed all non-communist political activity.
- What became known as the Iron Curtain, a term popularized by Winston Churchill, had descended over central and Eastern Europe.
Ideology of NATO
- NATO ensures that the security of its European member countries is inseparably linked to that of its North American member countries.
- It commits the Allies to democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law, as well as to the peaceful resolution of disputes.
- It also provides a unique forum for dialogue and cooperation across the Atlantic.
The Article 5
- The heart of NATO is expressed in Article 5, in which the signatory members agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all.
Why in news now?
- The relationship between NATO and Russia is at its lowest point since the end of the Cold War.
- The NATO (rather US) sees their aggressive actions, not least against Ukraine, but also the significant military buildup and violations of important arms control agreements.
- NATO suspended practical cooperation with Russia in 2014 after it annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.
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Species in news: Bengal Florican
Environmentalists have recently written to the Assam government on the urgent need to prevent land-use changes at Kokilabari Seed Farm in the state to protect Bengal floricans and other species.
Bengal Florican
- The Bengal florican also called Bengal bustard, is a bustard species native to the Indian subcontinent, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
- Fewer than 1,000 individuals were estimated to be alive as of 2017.
- It has two disjunct populations, one in the Indian subcontinent, another in Southeast Asia.
- The former occurs from Uttar Pradesh (India) through the Terai of Nepal to Assam (where it is called ulu mora) and Arunachal Pradesh in India, and historically to Bangladesh.
- It has a very small, rapidly declining population largely as a result of the widespread loss of its grassland habitat.
Conservation status
- IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wildlife Protection Act of India, 1972: Schedule I
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[pib] Geospatial Energy Map of India
The NITI Aayog has launched the Geospatial Energy Map of India.
What is the GIS Energy Map?
- NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed a comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS) Energy Map of India.
- The GIS map provides a holistic picture of all energy resources of the country.
- It enables visualization of energy installations such as conventional power plants, oil and gas wells, petroleum refineries, coal fields and coal blocks.
- It also provides district-wise data on renewable energy power plants and renewable energy resource potential, etc through 27 thematic layers.
Significance of the map
- The map attempts to identify and locate all primary and secondary sources of energy and their transportation/transmission networks.
- It is a unique effort aimed at integrating energy data scattered across multiple organizations and presenting it in a consolidated, visually appealing graphical manner.
- It leverages the latest advancements in web-GIS technology and open-source software to make it interactive and user-friendly.
Benefits offered
- The map would provide a comprehensive view of energy production and distribution in a country.
- It will be useful in planning and making investment decisions.
- It will also aid in disaster management using available energy assets.
- This may also help in resource and environmental conservation measures, inter-state coordination on infrastructure planning including different corridors of energy and road transport highways.
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