Author: Explains

GS3 (Internal Security)

How does illegal trans-border migration pose a threat to India’s security? Discuss the strategies to curb this, bringing out the factors which give impetus to such migration.

Previous Year 2014 Mains Question

GS2 (Polity and Governance)

Land acquisition is a controversial subject in India. Discuss why the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 which came into force on January 1, 2014, is considered to have halted land acquisition. How is the Central govt dealing with this issue?

GS1 (Geography)

What are the issues concerning Air Quality Standards? And why are Indian Air Quality standards not considered safe?

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For a discussion of this questions, see this blog by K Siddhartha.

Similar Previous Year Question – Enumerate the National Water Policy of India. Taking river Ganges as an example discuss the strategies which may be adopted for river water pollution control and management. What are the legal provisions of management and handling of hazardous wastes in India? [2013]

GS4 (Ethics in Public Administration)

What are the 3 most important values for a civil servant? Discuss with examples.

Similar Previous Question – What does ethics seek to promote in human life? Why is this all the more important in public administration? [2014]

GS3 (Internal Security)

J&K has seen long-drawn out protests this year. Life is only beginning to return to normality. However, the same factors as before are still there, waiting for a trigger to come to the surface. In this regard what are some of the steps the govt. has taken over the years to improve the situation in J&K?

GS2 (Polity and Governance)

The Prime Minister’s plan for 100 smart cities could be derailed by its proposed funding formula. Can cash-strapped states and municipal bodies raise the desired amount of the project cost what the Union government wants them to?

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For a discussion of this questions, see this blog by K Siddhartha.

GS1 (Modern India)

Many Governor-Generals and Viceroys left a big impact on India through the policies they pursued. Some helped bring about social reforms, and some increased divisions in society. Examine the good and bad impacts of such men using examples.

Similar Previous Year Question – In many ways, Lord Dalhousie was the founder of modern India. Elaborate. [2013]

GS4 (Ethics)

Whistleblowers are often ostracised and harassed. What are the reasons for such hostile treatment? What steps would you take to make your dept less hostile towards whistleblowers?

GS3 (Disaster Management)

Recently a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck New Zealand, however there were only reports of 2 casualties. What are the reasons for such low casualties in developed countries compared to developing countries like India? How can we improve the situation?

GS2 (International Relations)

India’s choice should be more on becoming a soft power rather than a hard power. Analyse this statement in the light of relative advantages India enjoys in cultural, spiritual and knowledge spheres and suggest ways of leveraging that advantage.

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For a discussion of the main points, see this blog by K Siddhartha.

Here is a video discussing the issue.

GS1 (Geography)

Recently the World Meteorological Organisation warned that the world is likely to cross 1.2° C of global warming above pre-industrial levels in 2016. Reaching 2 degrees of warming or higher could result in devastating weather events. What are the ways in which global warming is affecting the world today? What are its likely impacts in the future?

This is one of the most practical post of this series. The core focus of this write up is to make sure you are ready for any awkward IAS Prelims question that may come your way in 2017 (& beyond).

The mandate of International Cooperation Division is to foster mutually beneficial partnerships with other countries of the world in a multilateral as well as bilateral format.

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#1. FAO & India

India has been availing assistance from the FAO from time to time in the form of training, consultancy services, equipments and material in the field of agriculture and allied sectors under its technical cooperation programme(TCP).

Some of the major programs currently being implemented by FAO in India:

A. India’s contribution to the Bay of Bengal Large Marine Ecosystem (BOBLME)/ Fishery Survey of India. India is a signatory to the umbrella BOBLME Project. India has shown its commitment to the BOBLME Project by providing its annual cash contribution.

B. Strengthening Agriculture Market Information System (AMIS) globally using innovative methods and digital technology. The project is running in India, Bangladesh and Nigeria with financial assistance from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and technical assistance of FAO.

C. Preparations for the Development of Farmer Field and Water Schools Programmes under the World Bank Assisted U ar Pradesh Water Sector Restructuring Project

D. Enhancing Understanding and Implementation of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in Asia: The project with a total budget of US$ 435,000 aims to support 15 Asian countries including India. The project started in July, 2012 for three years duration.

#2. World Food Programme (W F P )

The World Food Programme (WFP) was set up in 1963 jointly by the United Nations and Food & Agriculture Organization (UN/ FAO).

• India is the member of WFP since its inception.
• It seeks to provide emergency feeding in places facing acute food insecurity due to natural calamities and man-made causes.

#3. Indo-US Cooperation

National Institute of Plant Health Management (NIPHM), Hyderabad has been collaborating with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for training purposes and capacity building programmes.

#4. World Bank Assisted Projects

There are twelve World Bank assisted Projects which are being implemented through this Department. These projects are as under (they are all state specific):

GS4 (Ethics)

Is ethical conduct in personal life necessary for an honest public servant? Or are the two unrelated? Discuss with the help of examples.

Similar previous year question – Differentiate between personal and professional ethics. [CSM 2015]

GS3 (Science and Technology)

A huge role was played by Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the recent U.S. presidential elections by analysing large amounts of information about voters and predicting political preferences. What are some of the ways in which AI is affecting the world? Do we need regulation to control the technology?

GS2 (Polity and Governance)

Recently a private member’s Bill was introduced which sought to give more powers for mayors. It also tried to introduce provisions for direct election of mayors. Why are these provisions important for providing better urban governance in India? What are some of the problems related with urban local bodies?

GS1 (Indian Heritage and Culture)

Heritage erosion has been seen as the greatest problem that undermines the socio-environmental stability and sustainability of India. To what extent it is serious and what suggestions can be made for its management.

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For understanding how to answer this questions, see these pointers by K Siddhartha.

Here is a video discussing the question.

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This is part of the government’s move to remove outdated laws which don’t serve any definitive purpose. It’s basically to make the legal system more contemporary.

The Law Commission panel had recommended repealing 252 laws over four reports submitted from September to November 2014. The two-member committee created by the PMO identified 1,741 central laws for repeal, out of a total 2,781 Acts

What are these 3 laws?

1) The Pharmacy (Amendment) Act, 1959 (24 of 1959),

2) The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Educational and Research (Amendment) Act, 2002 (28 of 2002), and

3) The National Institute of Pharmaceutical Educational and Research (Amendment) Act, 2007 (19 of 2007)

The area of concern around these old laws

1) There is an overlapping of laws enacted during the British Rule with new laws that have been enacted subsequently

2) Though such laws may not have been used for a long time, as the Law Commission found in many such cases, the possibility of these being misused is always there

Examples of some of the old laws in the book which make little sense

The Treasure Troves Act, 1878 that made it mandatory for any one finding anything worth Rs 10 “hidden below the soil” to hand it over to the government failing which “share of such treasure … shall vest in Her Majesty.”

The Sarais Act, 1867: Under this Act, a sarai has to offer passers-by free drinks of water. This law has been misused to harass hotel owners and in one instance, a Delhi five-star hotel was harassed under the clause, though not prosecuted, for not doing so.

It is important to note that we have a Companies Act that makes CSR compliance mandatory. These activities can be obligated under CSR activities.

The Indian Post Office Act, 1898 is another one in this category that provides that only the federal government has the “exclusive privilege of conveying by post, from one place to another” most letters. The law says only the government is responsible for sending ‘most letters’. In order to circumvent this law, the courier companies operating in India do not send ‘letters’ but ‘documents’. This Act is out of tune with the modern time when courier services have become the preferred mode of sending documents etc.

Indian Law Reporter Acts, 1875 which provides that in the courts of law, only citations published in the Indian Law Reporter series can be used and considered valid. However, in today’s time, there are various private publications which are relied by the courts including the Supreme Court and readily available.

Foreign Recruiting Act, Act 4 of 1874: This law gave the government the power to issue orders to prevent recruitment of Indians by a foreign state. However, the Law Commission in its 43rd report already said that such a power if wielded could violate the constitutional guarantee for freedom of occupation under Article 19. 

Examples of overlapping laws

1) The Elephant Preservation Act of 1879 that makes it an offence to kill elephants is subsumed by the Wildlife Act, 1972 and provides for stringent measure for such killings, has lost its relevance but is yet to be repealed.

2) The Shore Nuisances (Bombay and Kolaba) Act, 1853 is one of the earliest laws relating to water pollution and was meant to regulate dumping of industrial waste into the sea empowering the Collector to take steps to remove such debris etc. to give unhindered passage to ships. This law has lost its relevance in view of the various rules framed under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and has not been used for a long time.

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The furore around repealing of Section 124A of IPC

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There is a growing demand for the repeal of Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code. Do you support this demand?

The controversy at JNU and invoking of Sedition charges against JNU Student’s Union President brought back the debate between Sedition and Dissent.

Interestingly, the sedition law was not part of the original IPC. It was dropped by Britishers while enacting the Act, but then they realised its importance in censuring dissenting voices from Indian media, intellectuals, and freedom fighters. It was later introduced by the British in 1870, 10 years after the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was introduced.

One of the prominent convictions include freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who was convicted and sent to prison in Mandalay, Burma in 1908. <Recall the consequences of Surat Split and passivity in the Indian freedom struggle for a long period> Interestingly, the country which gave India its sedition law, the United Kingdom, repealed the act in 2009.

To know more about this law and debate + to answer the question put above with meaningful points, read this backgrounder (click here)

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Other issues with the IPC and call for modernisation

Sedition law, inserted in 1898: It is legitimate to ask whether we need a law on sedition that we ourselves condemned during the Raj. Learn more about sedition law here

Section 295A, The offence of blasphemy: It should have no place in a liberal democracy <act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence for God or religious things>

Criminal conspiracy: It can be invoked merely when two people agree to commit an offence without any overt act following the agreement. It was added in 1913 by the colonial masters to deal with political conspiracies. Kehar Singh etc were convicted and sentenced to death under the offence of conspiracy ,<assassination of Indira Gandhi>, though none of them participated in the actual crime or were present at the scene of the crime.

Section 149, Unlawful assembly: The principle of constructive liability under this law is pushed to unduly harsh lengths. Mere membership of the assembly without any participation in the actual crime is sufficient for punishment. Several persons have been sentenced to death and hanged though they were not even present near the scene of the actual crime.

The distinction between “culpable homicide” and “murder” is criticised as the “weakest part of the code”, as the definitions are obscure

Sexual offences under the code reveal patriarchal values and Victorian morality.

Section 377:  Unnatural sexual offences (LGBT right). Want to know about argument of Delhi high court in decriminalizing homosexuality, click here to read about Naz Foundation case

 

GS4 (Ethics)

Unfurling the tri-colour at the Andhra University grounds, Vishakhapatnam on the occasion of the 70th Independence Day, Vice-Chancellor, Mr. G. Nageswara Rao said youth should take up the ideas of Make in India and Start-ups. He said young minds should not only gain knowledge as the world is moving towards a knowledge society, but also give importance to human values.

In the same way, the new HRD minister Prakash Javadekar in a talk said that, “Truth, non-violence, ‘bhaichara’, empathy towards others or those with different abilities are human values. These are universal values. Our aim is to make students good human beings and good citizens”.

What do you understand by human values? Indicate three human values which you consider universal in nature and highlight their importance in Civil Services.

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GS3 (Indian Economy)

This year India improved its rank in the WB Ease of Doing Business survey only marginally. The survey is said to have many shortcomings in terms of the parameters it uses to determine the rankings. Discuss these shortcomings and whether the rankings accurately reflect India’s attempts at reform.