Author: Explains

GS PAPER 3: INDIAN ECONOMY

Q.3) As a think tank of the Union government, NITI Aayog is best positioned to do energy planning in terms of its mandate and coordinating role. The recent draft NEP is a further step in this direction. But is it an actionable policy? Critically Comment.

Source:

http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/5h2buHAGm6ZrVEEAg6CBCM/Is-the-draft-national-energy-policy-actionable.html

GS PAPER 2: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Q.2) Discuss the areas of contention between India and Nepal? How can they be resolved?

Source:

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/rebooting-india-nepal-ties/article19535631.ece

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/columns/g-parthasarathy/india-nepal-relations-need-change/article9357736.ece

GS PAPER 1: SOCIOLOGY

Q.1) While Regionalism is a major problem in Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and almost all of India’s neighbours, India has been able to maintain relative peace regarding regional violence, except Kashmir. Discuss why?

GS Paper 1 

Q.1) Evaluate the role played by Dr. Rajendra Prasad in India’s freedom struggle and in laying the foundation of a modern India.

Role Played in Freedom Struggle

• Rajendra Prasad was man of courage, dedication, conviction and utmost sincerity. His name symbolised honesty and modesty. He was an active participant in crucial freedom movements like Non Cooperation Movement, Salt Satyagraha and Champaran Agrarian Agitation.
• Rajendra Prasad came under the spell of Mahatma Gandhi in 1917 when the latter organized the Champaran Satyagraha to liberate the peasants from exploitation by the British Indigo planters. Under the active guidance of Mahatma Gandhi, he gave a new lead to the various movements in Bihar, with a view to taking the country nearer to the goal of freedom and economic regeneration Inspired by Gandhian ideology.
• He concurred with Gandhiji that the only effective weapon to deal with the British Government’s inhuman actions and repressive laws was, ‘non-cooperation’. He was the first leader from Bihar to sign and undertake a pledge requiring every Satyagrahi to remain non-violent during the protest against the Rowlatt Act which came to be dubbed as the ‘Black Act.
•  ln 1923, Rajendra Prasad actively participated in the Flag Satyagraha at Nagpur. The British Government arrested him for taking part in the 1930 Satyagraha. The second long spell of imprisonment that Rajendra Prasad suffered was immediately after the passing of the Quit India Resolution in 1942 and he remained in jail for nearly three years till 1945.

Role played in making of the Constitution

• When the Constituent Assembly was formed in 1946 to frame a Constitution for free lndia, Dr.RajendraPrasad, who had been elected as a member of the Assembly from the Bihar Province, was given the onerous responsibility of being its President. As President of the Constituent Assembly, he guided and regulated its proceedings with utmost firmness, infinite patience, incisive intellect and abundant grace. He always permitted members to have a free, frank and full discussion on issues before them and won the appreciation of every section of the House for his qualities, objectivity and impartiality.

Role played by Him in Post Independent India.

• Dr. Rajendra Prasad was unanimously elected as the provisional President of India on 24 January 1950.He served as the President of India for three terms the only person to do that.
• As President Rajendra Prasad, along with India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, was able to establish many precedents and conventions culminating in a healthy political relationship between the Head of State and the Head of Government. With the passage of time, these precedents have become the cornerstone of our vibrant parliamentary democracy and have helped it in striking firm roots.
• Even though Rajendra Prasad occupied the highest office in India, he led a very simple life. His integrity, purity of character, humility and devotion, love of humanity and depth of vision marked him out as a towering personality in our national firmament Rajendra Prasad not only gave the most precious years of his life to the freedom struggle but also worked for the betterment of the under-privileged throughout his life. He was a great humanist whose heart always went to the poor and the distressed.

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GS Paper 2

Q.2) Given the fact there is increasing discrepancy between the seats won and votes received, should First past the post system be replaced by Proportional representation system? Discuss.

Source: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/first-past-post-house-panel-asks-parties-if-poll-system-should-change-4806011/

http://www.news18.com/news/politics/a-case-for-proportional-representation-system-in-india-646251.html

http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/bhubaneswar/high-time-india-adopted-proportionate-electoral-system.html

• There has been debate since last general election about the system of election our country is having i.e. First Past the Post System. Apprehensions are now being raised that in recent years the FPTP system is not the best suited for India.
• The reason behind this is that, the party getting maximum number of votes is declared elected (won) with majority irrespective of the votes polled even as low as 27% and the number of votes other parties get.
• As evident from the recent UP election where results have indicated that a party getting 39 percent vote share won 312 seats and parties getting 22 percent and 21 percent got only 47 and 19 seats respectively.
• This initiated our parliamentary panel to explore for different system of elections, other than the first past the post system.

Our Constitutional framers favoured First Past the Post System because:

• FTPT is simple to use and easy to understand. It provides clear-cut choice for voters between two main parties. It allows voters to choose between people rather than just between parties. Thus, voters can assess the performance of individual candidates rather than just having to accept a list of candidates presented by a party. It gives a chance for popular independent candidates to be elected.
• However, the issue is that the victorious party has most often not secured the majority of votes. It is possible for a party to win majority of the seats with just 20-26% of vote share; by the same token, a party may not get a simple majority even with 74% of vote share. There is, hence, a mismatch between the number of seats won and the percentage of vote secured by the party.

Further criticisms of FPTP are as follows:

• Distortion of electoral process
• Excludes smaller parties from fair representation
• Encourages caste, religion, Ethnicity and regional politics.
• Exaggerates the phenomenon of ‘regional fiefdoms’
• We note here that during the drafting of the Constitution, various systems of proportional representation were considered, but the FPTP system was eventually adopted to avoid fragmented legislatures and to facilitate the formation of stable governments.

Proportional Representation:

• Concerning the above facts there has been debates and discussions regarding doing away with FPTP system and adopting the Proportional Representation system in India. Proportional representation (PR) is a concept in which the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received.
• Proportional representation undoubtedly falls second in competition with the FPTP system in terms of simplicity in voting, but it scores higher in terms of convenience during campaign. Candidates can simply focus pointed attention on defined groups to appeal to, and consequently, the problems of campaign financing do not feature as prominently in the process.
• Because parties are granted seats in accordance with their vote share, numerous parties get seats in the legislature in the proportional representation system, without any party gaining a majority. This detracts from the stability of the system.
• Coalition government becomes inevitable, with challenges to such governments also becoming frequent. This is also why the Constituent Assembly decided that proportional representation would not be suited to the Parliamentary form of government that our Constitution lays down.
• One potential drawback of this system is that the relationship between a voter and the candidate may dilute, for the candidate may now be seen as representing the party and not the constituency. The other way of looking at this is that a constituent could approach any representative of their choice in case of a grievance, which plays out as an advantage of this system.

Conclusion:

• As the discussion above has demonstrated, both electoral systems come with their own merits and demerits – proportional representation theoretically being more representative, while the FPTP system being more stable.
• It can be suggested from the experience of other countries to follow a hybrid pattern combining elements of both direct and indirect elections. This, in turn will necessitate an increase in the number of seats in the Lok Sabha, which raises concerns regarding its effective functioning.

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GS Paper 3

Q.3) The Government has recently announced that only electric vehicles (EVs) will be sold in India from 2030.Discuss what challenges India will face in achieving this target and also steps required to achieve this target.

Source: https://www.civilsdaily.com/op-ed-snap-getting-charged-up/

https://www.civilsdaily.com/op-ed-snap-the-hybrid-route/ 

Electric vehicles are the future of India’s transportation system and could save billions of dollars in fuel cost while also reducing pollution, a report released by NITI Aayog. In light of this, the Government’s announcement that only EVs will be sold in India from 2030s makes great prominence. It is also believed that this would also save around one giga tonne of carbon emissions between 2017 and 2030. However, there are some major challenges in achieving this target. These are as follows:

• Increased dependence: India will have to depend on countries like China for raw materials like Lithium required for EV Batteries due to its local unavailability
• Huge Investment Requirement: Due to ever growing population of India, huge investment through private participation and local manufacturing units is required to cater their needs
• Large Infrastructure Requirement: Electric Vehicles require large scale presence of Charging Infrastructure to be successful
• Affordability issues: The demand for Electric Vehicles depends on its affordability, which is not so at present E.g. GST regime’s favor for fossil fuel run vehicles and increasing lithium prices increase cost of EVs and reduce demand.
• Procurement of critical minerals: According to a study on India’s critical non-fuel minerals by the CEEW, manufacturing lithium-ion batteries would require critical minerals

The steps that should be taken to promote and spur electric vehicles are:

•  Land Acquisition should be easier for faster deployment of dedicated charging spots, charging infrastructure and setting up of Local EV Manufacturing Units.
• Acquisition of overseas natural mineral reserves. These minerals include cobalt, graphite, lithium and phosphate.
• There is a need to formulate policies which can encourage domestic public and private mining companies to invest in overseas lithium mining assets.
• India must focus on creating a vibrant battery research and development ecosystem domestically.
• Recycling lithium batteries will significantly reduce the burden in procuring fresh resources
• Expansion of National Electric Mobility Mission and indigenous manufacturing under FAME scheme should be undertaken on a war footing.

While India is facing rapid urbanization over the next three-to-four years, it must not follow the American model of urbanization which was essentially based on availability of cheap land, water and oil. Electric vehicles are the future of transportation and India needs to embrace them. Like it or not, electric vehicles will happen in India. The challenge is how to do it rapidly and how to do in scale and size. That should be the imperative.

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GS Paper 4

Q.4) A young social activist has become very popular within a short period of 5 years because of his honesty, integrity, and human values. He finds rampant corruption in government offices and mismanagement is rural development schemes, which affects the poor and marginalized section of the society. He notices that it is a nexus of bureaucracy, elected representatives and contractors for this sorry state of affairs. It is unfortunate that a section of media has been managed by the nexus. The social activist, having deeply influenced by Gandhian principle wants to correct the things. What steps and action he will take to:

(a) Unite the poor and marginalized so that they could raise their voice effectively.

(b) Moblise the public opinion against the managed media.

(c) Compel the state government to take remedial measures in order to set things right.

(a) It is very important for the poor and marginalized to raise their voice to break the nexus of bureaucracy, elected representatives and contractors. The social activist can unite the people on common issues and on problems which people suffer at ground level. This will help to make sure people’s participation. Same was done by Gandhi in movements like civil disobedience when people realised that they are being heard. It will help to make sure they are united to fight for the cause they are suffering.

(b) To mobilize the public opinion against the managed media, it is necessary people influence the media and put the pressure on it. It is seen that the actions are moved by the people’s opinion, civil society organizations etc. When the people are united, the media will have no option rather than to emerge out of the nexus which governs it. For it, it is very important to make the people stand united and stand together.

(c) The state government is too mismanaged and driven by corrupt officials. They can be approached to tell how the things are going wrong and how are the poor and marginalized sections are suffering because of it. This can be done through NGOs or other civil society organizations. If they do not pay attention to it, a group of people can form a united organization and take steps to change the way things have been going wrong. It is worth learning from life of Gandhi that public opinion has the strength to change government functioning if they wish for it. The same can be replicated in this case also.

GS Paper 4

Q.4) A young social activist has become very popular within a short period of 5 years because of his honesty, integrity, and human values. He finds rampant corruption in government offices and mismanagement is rural development schemes, which affects the poor and marginalized section of the society. He notices that it is a nexus of bureaucracy, elected representatives and contractors for this sorry state of affairs. It is unfortunate that a section of media has been managed by the nexus. The social activist, having deeply influenced by Gandhian principle wants to correct the things. What steps and action he will take to:

(a) Unite the poor and marginalized so that they could raise their voice effectively.

(b) Moblise the public opinion against the managed media.

(c) Compel the state government to take remedial measures in order to set things right.

GS Paper 3

Q.3) The Government has recently announced that only electric vehicles (EVs) will be sold in India from 2030.Discuss what challenges India will face in achieving this target and also steps required to achieve this target.

Source: https://www.civilsdaily.com/op-ed-snap-getting-charged-up/

https://www.civilsdaily.com/op-ed-snap-the-hybrid-route/ 

GS Paper 2

Q.2) Given the fact there is increasing discrepancy between the seats won and votes received, should First past the post system be replaced by Proportional representation system? Discuss.

Source: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/first-past-post-house-panel-asks-parties-if-poll-system-should-change-4806011/

http://www.news18.com/news/politics/a-case-for-proportional-representation-system-in-india-646251.html

http://www.dailypioneer.com/state-editions/bhubaneswar/high-time-india-adopted-proportionate-electoral-system.html

GS Paper 1 

Q.1) Evaluate the role played by Dr. Rajendra Prasad in India’s freedom struggle and in laying the foundation of a modern India.

GS Paper 1- Indian society

Q.1) While Globalization has destroyed many traditional practices and Industries in India it has also given new lease of life to some of them who were on the ventilator. Examine.

• Globalization (or globalisation) is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas and mutual sharing, and other aspects of culture
• Though Large-scale globalization began in the 19th century however globalization in modern sense entered India after 1991 reforms.
• Globalization in India has destroyed many Traditional Practices and Industries,for example under the influence of globalization joint family system is breaking down as concept of indivisualism is becoming popularized due to greater access to western culture and norms as promoted by globalization.Similarly Pre marital sex and live in were taboo in India but they have been becoming more prevalent as a result of globalization

Similarly some traditional handloom industries were wiped out due to globalization as they could not face the international competition unleashed by the forces of globalization.Industries like jute suffered badly due to competetion from Bangladesh and South east asian countries.

However though Globalization has badly effected many traditional practices and industries,it has also given a lease of life to many on ventilator,Yoga is the biggest example of this because Almost all of India had forgetten this Ancient Indian Practice,however due to globalization ,it become popular in the west ,which attracted attention of Indians themselves towards this almost extinct meditional practice and today Yoga as again regained it’s lost glory..

Similarly we have almost forgotten wearing of Sherwani and Lehenga chunari our ancient and medievel traditional dresses but due to globalization it become popular in the west which reignited our attention to these wardrobes and currently they are again wore by Indians in marriages and functions.

Even Indian classical music which had almost lost it’s audience in India was given relife because of globalization.Since due to globalization it spread much quickly into the west and Sitar and sarod had currently become very popular instrument in the west .Due to this new generastion of musician are emerging in these classcial instruments.

Outsourcing Industry was given a new lease due to globalization and currently 3 million people are employed in IT sector.

 

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GS paper 2-Polity & Governance

Q.2) Critics argue that private hospitals focussed on profits will do no good to the poor who can’t pay for their services, so the government must step in to provide free health care. In the light of above statement critically examine the NITI Aayog’s recent proposal for the partial privatisation of district-level government hospitals.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/the-private-route/article19505840.ece

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/a-healthy-partnership-strengthening-of-public-health-services-must-go-along-with-leveraging-of-private-sector-resources-4803143/

• India since independence has involved various initiatives to improve the health systems among Indians by incorporating many programs and policies. Various Five Year Plans have incorporated some or other good initiatives to impart healthcare facilities to masses.
• However, still the treatment is not adequate and the government hospitals at district and sub-divisional (lower) level lack various facilities to treat the citizens. Concerning this the NITI Aayog has proposed to bring the government hospitals partially under private hands to serve the purpose better.

However, this initiative of privatization is being criticized by many on various grounds:

• The policy document has come under sharp criticism for the Ministry’s failure to consult with key stakeholders from civil society and academia.
• Private treatment involves huge cost which is unaffordable to the poor as private players are for profit making. Affordability is indeed the major issue preventing poor Indians from getting proper health care.
• A major concern about the policy is that under ‘principles’ of the financial structure, the document states that “there will be no reserved beds or no quota (sic) of beds for free services” in these facilities. This will bring competitive trade for availing beds and will lead to corruption.
• What is particularly disturbing is the suggestion that only Below Poverty Line (BPL) patients and those in insurance schemes will be able to access free care. This would effectively exclude hundreds of millions of the Indian population from vital hospital services.
• If implemented, these proposals could threaten to take India away from Universal Health Coverage (UHC), a key sustainable development goal.
• If the government has to give seed money, share blood banks and other infrastructure, and still not be able to reserve beds for poor patients, it seems like we are not getting much in return.
• NITI Aayog has no locus standi to make health policy, which is a state subject in India. The logic behind shutting down the Planning Commission was to ensure that policies are not centralised. NITI Aayog was to be an advisory body but here they are rushing through a policy that will essentially hand over public assets to the private sector, leading to a further dismantling of the public services available for free.
• While it is clear that insured patients will receive free care, it is not at all clear what will happen to the vast majority of the population.
• In particular, how will these referral arrangements work? Whereas it says that states can, if they wish, refer 100% of patients for cashless care, it is a matter of concern that it also proposes that States can set a cap on this entitlement. How would this work? What happens when the cap is reached? Would people only be able to access services for half the year, or less? These are the probable question which arises with the proposal of NITI Aayog which is not at all clear.

Conclusion:

• The need of the hour is to sanction adequate fund through budgetary expenditure and hire expert doctors and health workers to serve the purpose in government hospitals. The salaries, remuneration for the health personnels should be increased to make them attractive towards govt. hospitals and also to serve in rural areas.
• If privatized, the subsidies should be given to hospitals for serving the poor free. Medical Insurance cover should be made universalized and other such facilities especially related to the poor should be brought in order to better serve the masses without any discrimination.

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GS paper 3- Indian Economy

Q.3) Discuss the impact of change in repo rate on common man? why it is said that RBI should be more aggressive in cutting the repo rate?

 

The repo rate is the interest rate at which banks can borrow money from RBI for short durations. It stands to reason that, if this is lowered, banks can lend to their borrowers at lower rates. This is the reason why changing this rate usually influences interest rates across the economy and in the same direction.

How it affects the common man?

Borrowing cost increases: If RBI hikes its repo rate, it becomes costly for banks to borrow money from RBI so they in turn hike the rates at which customers borrow money from them to compensate for the hike in repo rate.

Increasing cost of servicing loans: Interest rate for common man will be repo rate plus the rate of interest on which he took the loan from the bank. So, if repo rate increases the interest rate of the loan will also increase, thus increasing the EMI.

Inflation related: It is also standard wisdom that raising the repo rate lowers inflation but also restrains growth, while lowering it pushes up the growth rate but fuels inflation.

Consumer behavior:  Lowering interest rates is to increase demand and once demand starts people will be eager to invest. Little more demand, will prompt people to invest more. Once they are eager to invest they create a demand of its own. This indirectly affects household decisions about expenditure thus fluctuating consumer behavior.

There are several reasons why it is believed that the RBI should be more aggressive in cutting the repo rate and guiding the direction it will pursue in the future:

• First is the fact that there is no indication of rapid, generalized inflation in India. There may be single-item price spikes, but these are caused by structural factors and bottlenecks, not overall liquidity in the economy.
• Second, India’s growth needs a shot in the arm. As a result of the liquidity crunch associated with last November’s demonetization, overall GDP growth in India is now down to 6.1 per cent per annum. Some additional liquidity could partially offset this.
• Third, the long-run slowdown in the amount of investment taking place in the country is a concern. India’s investment-to-GDP ratio at above 35 per cent was a major factor fuelling the country’s high growth since 2003. But this has now dropped to approximately 28 per cent.
• Fourth, to get back to high investment, banks in India have to be given leeway to lend more. One instrument for this is a lower repo and reverse repo rate, which would allow banks to lower their interest rates and that, would encourage entrepreneurs to borrow more and invest in long-run projects.
• Further, the world is today caught in a low-interest rate regime. It is evident that this is not good because such extreme low rates are, far from boosting consumption; make people to save more since they are worried about not having enough money at the time of their retirement. This has created a classic ‘trap’.
• By holding on to high interest rates, India is attracting capital flows into the country, as evidenced by the large foreign exchange reserves. However, this is causing the rupee to be stronger than it should be and this is, in turn, stunting exports, and also growth.

An economy is a complex machine and its well-being depends on a fine balance of policies that have to be crafted by the best professionals. The RBI’s policy action is just one instrument and its significance can’t be understated. At this juncture, it could have played a major role in steadying the Indian ship and even speeding it up a little.

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GS paper 4- Ethics & integrity

Q.4) Election Commission has announced general election and model Code of Conduct has come into force. You are sub divisional magistrate and returning officer of an assembly constituency. A candidate belonging to a political party has been permitted by you to hold a  meeting at 12 P.M. to a public place. Suddenly you get a request from a ruling party candidate that chief minister has made a programme of holding election meeting on the same venue and on the same date at 2 P.M. There is no alternative place where ruling party could hold its election meeting. There is every likelihood of clashes between supporters of both candidates.    (20 marks 250 words)

 

(a) What are the options available to you?

(b) Evaluate each of these options and choose the option which you would adopt giving reasons.

The model code of conduct implemented by election commission gives a set of guidelines to be followed by various parties during campaigning and elections. It produces a moral force on the parties to abide by prescribed guidelines.

The various options before the SDM as returning officer are as-

1. Ask the other party or the ruling party can to postpone his meeting. This will avoid any clashes between the supporters. But the CM may have some pressing engagements and he may think that you did not consider his points of views properly.
2. He may suggest procuring for private land for meeting. This is a good option but it should be considered only after a written consent, from the concerned party. Necessary initiative has also to be taken by ruling party members.

If the above options donot resolve the issue, the ground can be divided into two parts. The 1st party can be asked to finish its meeting by 1.45 pm, by the time other party can be given permission to enter from back side of ground. Police can be posted in between the two sides to avoid any clash.

The main aim of the officer in the case should be to take into consideration the interest of both the parties. He can take the help of civil or police authorities to avoid any conflicting situation at the site of meeting.

In the end, a meeting of all political parties should be convened to ask them to take permission for such meetings week in advance so that any possibility of such a situation does not happen again.

GS paper 4- Ethics & integrity

Q.4) Election Commission has announced general election and model Code of Conduct has come into force. You are sub divisional magistrate and returning officer of an assembly constituency. A candidate belonging to a political party has been permitted by you to hold a  meeting at 12 P.M. to a public place. Suddenly you get a request from a ruling party candidate that chief minister has made a programme of holding election meeting on the same venue and on the same date at 2 P.M. There is no alternative place where ruling party could hold its election meeting. There is every likelihood of clashes between supporters of both candidates.    (20 marks 250 words)

 

(a) What are the options available to you?

(b) Evaluate each of these options and choose the option which you would adopt giving reasons.

GS paper 3- Indian Economy

Q.3) Discuss the impact of change in repo rate on common man? why it is said that RBI should be more aggressive in cutting the repo rate?

source: https://www.civilsdaily.com/op-ed-snap-economic-graffiti-dont-be-cautious-rbi/

 

 

GS paper 2-Polity & Governance

Q.2) Critics argue that private hospitals focussed on profits will do no good to the poor who can’t pay for their services, so the government must step in to provide free health care. In the light of above statement critically examine the NITI Aayog’s recent proposal for the partial privatisation of district-level government hospitals.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/the-private-route/article19505840.ece

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/a-healthy-partnership-strengthening-of-public-health-services-must-go-along-with-leveraging-of-private-sector-resources-4803143/

GS Paper 1- Indian society

Q.1) While Globalization has destroyed many traditional practices and Industries in India it has also given new lease of life to some of them who were on the ventilator. Examine.

GS Paper 4: Ethics & integrity

Q.4) India is a country of traditions and festivals having their roots in religion. The District Magistrate along with the Superintendent of Police of the district is supposed to take care of law and order, safety and security of large number of people assembling at such occasions to celebrate. In such a gathering people throng on the river banks for holy bath, competitive burning of the crackers and approaching the deities in a temple from close proximity which often leads to confusion and chaos and sometimes big accidents.

A festival is being organized on a large scale in a big temple in your area. After hearing cases of stampede at religious places and the increasing number of casualities in such cases you are worried about the situation. So you decide to make a prehanded preparedness in order to come out of the situation.

Present a brief map of action and programmes which must be put in place before the day of celebration so that celebration is managed without any obstruction and untoward event.

GS paper 2: Polity & Governance

Q.2) In the light of recent Gorakhpur tragedy, Discuss the key problems faced by the rural health sector in India. Also suggest measures for improvement.

Source: https://www.civilsdaily.com/op-ed-snap-on-rural-indias-health-systems-the-health-checklist/

GS Paper 1

Q.1)  Along with economic factor it was the misrule and inefficiency of CZAR Nicholas II which sowed the seeds of Russian Revolution. Comment.

NCERT

Answer Structure:

• The Russian Revolution was 1 of the most significant event in Modern World History.The Russian revolution not only transformed Russia but its effect was felt far and wide.
• The Weaknesses of Russian economy and the economic difficulties faced by the masses  played most important role in igniting the revolution of 1917.
• Even during the opening decade of 20^th century there was no trace of industrial revolution in Russia and the industries were in backward conditions. The production remained very low and because of this Russia was facing immense difficulties.
• The Russian agriculture was also in backward condition. Most of the land was controlled by feudal lords and there was no trace of Agriculture revolution as well. The agriculture technology was still medieval in outlook and Czarist regime of Russia made no effort to reform the agriculture.The peasants were exploited by land-lords.
• The problem of hunger and poverty remained in Russia.
• However the misrule of CZAR II  has aggravated these problems further. The CZARIST Regime was weak , inefficient and corrupt. It was also characterized by the presence of feudal elements and class privileges.
• The aristocracy dominated the administration and misused the state authority for their own benefits.
• This corrupt and inefficient regime was resulting in the exploitation and harassment  of masses because of this the common masses were facing immense difficulties in Russia during the opening decade of 20^th century.
• Russian involvement in the number of wars & battles had exposed the inherent weaknesses of czarist regime and this popular dissatisfaction was also responsible for the revolution.

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• GS Paper 2

Q.2) The proposed wage code Bill, which incorporates a universal minimum wage, will lead to higher unemployment and informalization of the economy. In the light of the above statement critically Discuss the key features of proposed wage code bill?

Source: http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/WgZM9HZxouo9qiByArRETP/Having-a-minimum-wage-law-is-a-mistake.html

Introduction:

• The proposed wage code bill recognizes a statutory right of monthly minimum wage for all citizens to be set across India, which will be binding on all the states to follow and set wages higher than the proposed.
• The Bill is aimed at reducing disparity in minimum wages across geographical regions and sectors by subsuming four extant Acts: the minimum Wages Act of 1948, the Payment of Wages Act of 1936, the Payment of Bonus Act of 1965 and the Equal Remuneration Act of 1976.

Criticism:

• Though, the Bill signals a formal start of the process of consolidating 44 labour laws into four codes, which is welcomed by some and also seen by some as a redline for its diminishing effects on economy.
• The new wage rate certainly will be higher than the current wage rate however, the actual minimum wage is yet to be set by the Central government. This increase in the cost for employer will invariably result in either retrenchment of employees or a significant slowdown in new hiring or both.
• It will also result in decreasing number of hours of work in order to compensate the increased price. A minimum wage does not satisfy its original intentions i.e. elimination of poverty and will tend to increase unemployment and reduce family income.
• There is a possibility that the Act (when passed and implemented) will contain migration but loss of job and reduced income will further add on the migration and vulnerability to adopt informal jobs as hiring will be less or totally stopped.
• There is also the possibility that when implemented it will increase the use of automated machines in jobs as machines are one time investment, more efficient and good for long term in cost savings.
• The Bill seeks to assume a single national floor for wages for entire country as diverse as India, with so many variations to costs of living. This will increase in disparity of facilities as the cost of living differs across various states.
• The Bill increases the government interventions in non-formal jobs as it seeks to expand the reach of minimum wage regulation to non-formal organisations also.
• At a time when India is facing only job losses and the rate of creation of new jobs is a serious concern, a higher minimum wage will only worsen the situation.
• The applicability of current Act is restricted to scheduled establishments due to which a sizeable number of workers are left out. If Parliament approves the code, the minimum wage will be applicable to all classes of workers. This will certainly make it more difficult for smaller companies to function efficiently.
• The unorganized sector will eventually find ways around to bypass the law if economics tells them that they can’t afford it.

Conclusion:

• The good news is that the Indian Government is in full swing to bring in reforms with the aim of creating a more effective, rationalized, transparent and user-friendly Labour law system in the country. But the need of the hour demands government’s sole focus on easing labour laws, facilitating formalization of the economy by providing more job security and focus on reducing regulatory hurdles for businesses.
• Hence, the Government should bring a balanced approach concerning the highest number of working population to sort out the current demand of the country and a step ahead towards ease of doing business.

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 GS Paper 3

 Q.3) What do you understand by sex semen technology. Discuss the usefulness of sex semen technology for our dairy sector?

Source: https://www.civilsdaily.com/op-ed-snap-how-technology-can-deliver-freedom-from-male-calf/

 

Though India is the largest producer and consumer of milk, dairy industry needs new technologies that ensure high milk producing cattle. As a step in that direction, the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) has launched a project called semen sex technology.

Sex semen technology is a pre-selection breeding technology that can be used to produce a calf of a desired sex. This technology is about pre-selecting the sex of offspring by sorting or separating the X-sperms from Y-sperms. The aim is to deliver freedom from male calves, by ensuring that cows are inseminated by semen containing only X-chromosome-bearing sperms. Sperm are sorted by identifying differences between the X- and Y- bearing sperm.

Advantages of Sexed Semen technology:

• Producing only female calves helps the farmers to save resources that would have been shared with unwanted males.
• An economic way to increase herd strength with no risk of introducing diseases by purchasing heifers from outside (improves bio-security)
• By increasing efficiency of embryo transfer and IVF program.
• Indian farmers will not have to import sexed semen of Sahiwal, Gir, Red Sindhi bulls and Murrah buffaloes and now produce it indigenously processed domestically at half the cost.
• Sexed semen’s usefulness is obvious, particularly in a country where even male calves cannot be sent freely to the slaughterhouse.
• Sperm-sorting technology has an accuracy of 93% i.e. if used will ensure that the calf produced will be female. With ordinary semen used in artificial insemination (AI), that probability is just 50%.

Challenges/ Issues associated with SST:

• Artificial Insemination using conventional semen is just over Rs 50 per insemination dose whereas comparable cost of sexed semen will be anywhere between Rs 1,200 and Rs 2,600 per straw.
• Require highly skilled person to operate sex sorting machines
• High cost of the product which include the cost of the intellectual property right.
• The lower sperm count (machine sorting speeds and efficiency aren’t high enough) and possibility of damage to the cells during the sorting process is another concern. So, managing lower sperm concentration will be a challenge in the field under Indian condition.
• There is no standard operating procedure to perform insemination with sexed semen cumbersome.
• The conception rate i.e. is the chance of the animal getting pregnant from sexed semen is 10-20% lower compared to conventional semen.

But for all its drawbacks, this is a technology still evolving and destined for improvement. The new product is gentler on the sperm cells, with lower processing pressures. The technique also helps in preventing cross breeding and promoting pure breeds. At a time when we are striving for doubling farmer’s income, the sexed semen technology will immensely help and accentuate the Indian dairy farmer undoubtedly.

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GS Paper 4 

Q.4) What in meant by ‘environmental ethics? Why is it important to study? Discuss any one environmental issue from the viewpoint of environmental ethics.

Environmental ethics is a branch of ethics that studies the relation of human beings and the environment and how ethics play a role in this. Environmental ethics believe that humans are a part of society as well as other living creatures, which includes plants and animals. These items are a very important part of the world and are considered to be a functional part of human life. Thus, it is essential that every human being respect and honor this and use morals and ethics when dealing with these creatures.

Why is it Imp.

1.To understand the essential features of moral or ethical thinking;

2.To learn about the important and distinguishing characteristics in environmental ethics;

3.To develop the skills to recognize and deploy moral discourse for leadership in environmental fields etc.

In the most general sense, environmental ethics invites us to consider three key propositions:

1.The Earth and its creatures have moral status, in other words, are worthy of our ethical concern;

2.The Earth and its creatures have intrinsic value, meaning that they have moral value merely because they exist, not only because they meet human needs;

3.Drawing from the idea of an ecosystem, human beings should consider “wholes” that include other forms of life and the environment.

The relationship between environmental ethics and the environmental sciences, however, is a complex and often contested one. For example, debates over whether ecologists and conservation biologists should also be advocates for environmental protection — a role that goes beyond the traditional profile of the “objective” scientist — have received much attention in these fields. Likewise, we will see that issues such as the place of animal welfare concerns in wildlife management, the valuation and control of non-native species, and the adoption of a more interventionist approach to conservation and ecological protection frequently divide environmental scientists and conservationists.