Author: Explains

I was quite happy to know that India regained its No. 1 spot in the Test Ranking after beating New Zealand by 178 runs in the second Test at Eden Gardens when I heard this news – BCCI is so frust with the Justice Lodha committee’s decisions that it might just cancel the ongoing series against New Zealand. 

The risk of losing out on a good old test cricket spectacle was unbearable and so I decided to dig out this Lodha vs BCCI topic for you guys!

source

NOTE: CD has done an amazing job on writing a backgrounder to the Lodha Committee, so much so that when I typed “What is Lodha Committee” in google – the civilsdaily link was bang on the first search (Try Karo!)

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Confusion Level 1: If I remember correctly, Lodha Committee was set up by the SC because they wanted to look into the Indian Premier League spot-fixing and betting scandal of 2013 + Some governance related issues. How severe were Lodha committee recommendations?

[Jan 2015] SC basically had issue with the way BCCI was structured and governed. They possibly realised that the root cause of all evil (betting and fixing etc) lies in well.. the root = governance structure. Hence, after punishing the spot fixers, do this –

– Propose changes to the current structure with a view on preventing sporting frauds, conflict of interests, streamlining the working

– Make it more responsive to the expectations of the public at large

[Jan 2016] Lodha Sir comes back with big bang reforms. Massive shakeups recommended. Massive overhauling recommended. Obviously BCCI (a private body) went nuts reading it.

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Confusion Level 2: BCCI is a private body? The body which selects the Indian Cricket team is a private body!!! What sorcery is this?

Yes 🙂

The BCCI is an autonomous body registered under the Societies Registration Act. Recognition has not been granted by the government. However, given that the ICC recognises the BCCI as the apex national federation responsible for promotion of cricket in India, a team selected by BCCI is considered as the Indian team. The ministry only grants the BCCI permission to participate in international events and for holding international matches in India at no cost to the government. This is subject to clearances from the ministry of external affairs from a political angle and the ministry of home affairs from the security one.

Many of us didn’t know this for sure! Apne ko kya hai – cricket khelna hai bass. 

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Confusion Level 3: Okay, so what were the badass reforms suggested by the Lodha Committee?

I will give the laundry list of accepted reforms (by SC) at the bottom of the post but just to give you the idea of how ruthless Sir Lodha was on BCCI, here are the 3 suggested reforms which even SC rejected- 

– Bringing the BCCI under the RTI Act

– Imposing restrictions on television advertisements during the broadcast of matches

– Legalising betting in India

Ah, okay – so were BCCI folks pleased then? Naah. Far from it!

They went to another former Supreme Court judge, Justice Markandey Katju to advice them on how to respond to the SC verdict on Lodha Committee.

Katju recommended that BCCI should file a review petition before a larger bench of the Supreme Court and ensure that Lodha panel be pronounced “null and void”.

source

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Confusion Level 4: Woaah! That’s a fight in making right? What happened next?

BCCI files a review petition – Lodha panel got fumed and asked SC to just go ahead and sack the BCCI’s top functionaries. And this is where SC steps in “like a boss” and asks BCCI to fall in line.

Justice Thakur said, “BCCI thinks it is law unto itself. We know how to get our orders implemented. BCCI thinks it is the lord. You better fall in line or we will make you fall in line.”

[September 30, 2016] BCCI eventually relented and accepted most of the recommendations except the major recommendations like one-state-one-vote policy, the 70-year age cap and the maximum tenure of nine years with cooling-off periods in between.

Confusion Level 5: Ah! So here we are. Here’s where Lodha panel allegedly asked the banks to freeze BCCI’s accounts and the whole issue on calling off the ongoing India-NZ series

Hope you get the drift of the whole case. There might be still a lot of updates on this issue and CD’s Newscards will keep you updated on the same and I would love to hear your opinions on the ongoing debate – 5 Oct 2016 | DEBATE: Lodha Committee freezes BCCI accounts 

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Confusion Level 6: What were the recommendations by Lodha Panel? 

source

Do away with the rotational system of appointing the BCCI president, by which every zone (north, east, south, west and central) gets its turn to nominate its candidate.

One-state-one-vote: This will affect some states that have multiple associations, such as Maharashtra, which has three – Mumbai, Maharashtra and Vidarbha. Associations without any territorial definitions, such as Railways and Services, will not get a vote.

There should be only five elected office-bearers: president, secretary, vice-president, treasurer and joint secretary, as against the earlier system where there were as many as five vice-presidents itself. 

These five elected members will serve a maximum of three terms of a total of nine years across positions. They will not be allowed to serve two consecutive terms. Each term should be separated by a “cooling-off” period. 

The BCCI president cannot have an additional vote in meetings, and will not be involved in team selection. The tenure of the president cannot be longer than three years.

Ministers and bureaucrats will not be allowed to hold positions in the BCCI or the state cricket associations. Office bearers also cannot be above 70 years of age. 

All of the BCCI’s selection committees (senior, junior and women) should have only three members, as against the current five. The senior selection committee should only have former Test players, with the most capped one being the chairman.

State cricket associations should also have only former players, and the board should implement a proper stadium rotation policy so that all venues get to host matches.

The BCCI’s highest decision-making body, the Working Committee, should be replaced with a nine-member Apex Council. This council will include representatives from the players’ community, including a woman, and a nominee of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

An independent auditor should verify how the full member state associations have used the grants given to them by the BCCI.

The BCCI has to share details of its balance sheet, expenditures, meetings, reports, rules and regulations, and orders of authorities on its website.

The legislature should consider bringing the BCCI under the Right to Information Act.

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Questions from Target Mains

#1. Do you think it is prudent on part of the Supreme Court to intervene and direct bodies such as BCCI to accept certain committee’s recommendations to change their way of functioning? Substantiate.

#2. Do you think the Lodha Committee’s report on the administration of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is an intrusion into affairs of otherwise well governed sport in India? Critically examine.

#3. Discuss the recommendations of the Lodha committee on cricket administration in India. Do you think corruption will decline if these recommendations are implemented fully? Critically analyse.

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I hoped you liked reading this and it helped you get a grip at the narrative of the whole issue. Comment and let me know of missing angles and larger ethical, political/ governance related debates this may give rise to.

Also, thank you for showing your love on the Agricultural Economics For IAS Mains series that I started over here – I will keep updating the lectures in due time and keep things interesting for you 🙂

The 2016 BRICS summit will be the eighth annual BRICS summit, an international relations conference attended by the heads of state or heads of government of the five member states Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The summit will be held in Panaji, Goa in India, from 15th to 16th October 2016. India will hold the chair of the BRICS from February 2016 to December 2016.

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Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) are leading emerging economies and political powers at the regional and international level.

When? 2008. They had their first official meeting in 2009

Origin:

The acronym, BRIC, was coined by Jim O’Neill of Goldman Sachs way back in 2001

He predicted that by year 2050, Brazil, Russia, India and China would become bigger than the 6 most industrialized nations in dollar terms and would completely change the power dynamics of the last 300 years

It was pointed out that high growth rates, economic potential and demographic development were going to put BRICS further in a lead position

Why is BRICS suddenly so important?

The idea of development bank (NDB) and Contingency Reserve Arrangement (CRA) has strengthen BRICS as a grouping

Both of these concepts were formalised over in 2015 (@BRICS summit at Fortaleza and Brasilia) and this was seen as a strong signal to the challenge of western dominated discourses in some forums (IMF, WB)

We will get to these details in a short while but since these developments happened in 2015, the IAS aspirants from 2016 onwards are required to sweat blood in order to be on top of this theme (kidding!)

What prompted the need for emergence of BRICS? 

Most multilateral institutions were designed in the era when the West dominated the world. The US and Europe are over-represented in the IMF and the World Bank. Together with Japan, they control most regional development banks as well! That’s a big bad bully in making, right?

The main reason for co-operation to start among the BRICs nation was the financial crises of 2008

The crises raised scepticism on the dollar dominated monetary system and the need for participation by non-G7 countries became evident. If you don’t know about G7, click this wiki page to know the countries involved

What reform did BRICS want out of the multilateral institutions?

Since their inception in 1944, the Bretton Woods institutions (IMF and World Bank) had not reformed their governance structure, to give more voting and voice to emerging economies. Both dominated by USA and developed countries. Both were out of sync with the new dynamics of world economy

The BRICs called for the “the reform of multilateral institutions in order that they reflect the structural changes in the world economy and the increasingly central role that emerging markets now play

BRICS managed to push for institutional reform which led to International Monetary Fund (IMF) quota reform in 2010 (although, it met with limited success as United States Congress did not ratify)!

Three new terms? Bretton Woods, Quota reforms, 2008 financial crisis. We will get to them later.

So, essentially, BRICS opened up a possibility for countries of the global South to challenge the global North. When the quota reforms were quashed in 2010, BRICS moved towards enlarging their spheres of cooperation. We will talk about the BRICS bank at a later stage.

Advantage India?

Now that NAM (Non-alignment) is almost defunct and very little wealth is left in the Commonwealth, BRICS provide a great alternate for India to build its global profile.

But don’t we have a G 20 group to further India’s interest in the global arena? Yes, that’s another big one (besides UN).

G 20 is a bloc of developing nations established on 20 August 2003. The G-20 accounts for – 60% of the world’s population, 70% of its farmers and 26% of world’s agricultural exports.

India has tried to use BRICS as a forum to engage China as the latter has become the largest market for the fast-industrializing countries of East Asia. India wants to resolve the age-old mis trust and complicated relationship between the two countries since the 1962 war between them.

What are the factors that will bolster co-operation among BRICS members?

Firstly, the common need among developing countries to construct economic order that reflects current situation will drive the BRICS’ efforts. In this matter, the idea of NDB and CRA are defining and will have a huge geo-economic and geopolitical impact

Secondly, the BRICS alternative idea in the landscape of global governance will attract support from other countries. There have been suggestions by political analysts that BRICS may expand its member quota

Thirdly, the expansion of BRICS interaction to other sector will make it more strong partnership

Lastly, Chinese support to BRICS will make sure that group remains a force to reckon with in the future

Chinese support – interesting point. Some would say that a lot depends on how China carries its might behind BRICS for the time to come.

Some concerns regarding the future of BRICS

Competition within themselves – The BRICS countries aspire to be regional powers and hence at some point will compete with each other

Different forms of governance – They have different political systems with Brazil, India and South Africa being democracies while Russia and China having authoritarian characteristics. It would be interesting to see how policy consensus is brought about!

Trade conflicts, maybe? Brazil and Russia are commodity exporting countries and thus benefit from high commodity prices while India and China are commodity importers that benefit from low commodity prices

Territorial Issues – China and India have outstanding territorial issues to resolve and India looks askance to any institution that has Chinese domination. Russia looks suspiciously at China’s interest in its sparsely populated far eastern of Siberia

The big daddy China – China spearheads three other major initiatives in this region – One Belt One Road (OBOR), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and SCO. You should know that the 7th BRICS summit was held as a joint summit with SCO. BRICS has to find a reckoning space among them to keep china’s interests alive!

Parting words on BRICS (more mirch masala)

All that UPSC want from an IAS aspirant is: Analysis, analysis, analysis. These are some of the fodder points that you can use in any answer involving BRICS and world arena.

Engaging China has been one of the important components of India’s foreign policy in recent years, considering that co-operation and negotiations with China is imperative to clearing the mistrust between the two countries.

Geostrategically, BRICS are now represented on all continents of the global south. In bilateral and regional agreements, the BRICS emphasize south-south solidarity and horizontal cooperation in contrast to western dominance.

Yet, in global fora such as G20, UN Security Council or World Climate Conferences, BRICS claim to speak on behalf of the developing world (whether they actually do represent these countries is disputable) and gradually challenge western supremacy in international politics.

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Want to read more?

• BRICS : Major Emerging Economies (extensive compilation of news cards)
• Ufa could be the yuan moment

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UPSC ke sawaal

#1. With reference to a grouping of countries known as BRICS, consider the following statements: (IAS Prelims 2014)

1. The First Summit of BRICS was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2009.
2. South Africa was the last to join the BRICS grouping.

Which of the statements given above is / are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

#2. The ‘Fortaleza Declaration’, recently in the news, is related to the affairs of ((IAS Prelims 2015)
(a) ASEAN
(b) BRICS
(c) OECD
(d) WTO

#3. With reference to BRIC countries, consider the following statements (IAS Prelims 2010)
1. At present, China’s GDP is more than the combined GDP of all the three other countries.
2. China’s population is more than the combined population of any two other countries.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

 

Yesterday came reports that the Lodha committee, angry at the defiance of its recommendations, asked banks to “freeze” BCCI accounts. BCCI countered by saying that this would result in cancellation of the ongoing India-New Zealand series due to lack of funds.

Do you think that Lodha committee over-reacted and is a pattern of SC exceeding its mandate? Did the BCCI over-react, and should have just acceded to the demands? Or is the media just blowing up the issue as usual?

This is a debate so you need to take a side and rebut each others points.

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Useful Links –

Lodha committee’s recommendations on the BCCI

http://www.thehindu.com/sport/lodha-committee-tells-yes-bank-not-to-freeze-bcci-accounts/article9183323.ece

http://www.firstpost.com/sports/bcci-vs-lodha-committee-panel-never-ordered-freezing-of-bank-accounts-3033386.html

GS1 (Consolidation within the country)

India is a land of diversity. People speak different languages, have different beliefs etc, but are still united as Indians. What are the factors responsible for this unity?

Demand – Explain elements which unite India and build a common identity.

Approach –

– Brief mention of differences (2 marks)

– Historical, cultural etc factors (geography, freedom struggle etc) responsible for creating an Indian identity which makes us united (8 marks)

GS2 (Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies)

There are many regulatory bodies in India, such as SEBI, TRAI etc. Why are they necessary? Discuss issues relating to their independence given that the government appoints their heads and there may be a conflict of interest.

Demand – What is the purpose of regulatory bodies? Discuss with examples. Is independence an issue for them?

Approach –

– Purpose of regulatory bodies such as checking anti-competitive practices (2.5 marks)

– Give examples of such bodies and purpose (2.5 marks)

– Why is their independence necessary? (2.5 marks)

– What are the dangers to their independence? (2.5 marks)

GS3 (Indian economy)

Countries such as China have used SEZ’s to develop manufacturing zones and promote exports. What has India’s experience been with SEZ’s? What are the reasons for their success or failure?

Demand – Discuss whether SEZ’s have failed or succeeded in India and the reasons.

Approach –

– What are SEZ’s? (2 marks)

– State of SEZ’s in India? (4 marks)

– Way forward. (4 marks)

GS4 (Case study)

A member of your team has to take frequent leaves due to the health problems of her child. This results in more work load on her team members leading to anger. The team member is otherwise an ideal employee. How would you deal with this situation if you were the manager of this team?

Demand and Approach – No hints in case studies!

GS4 (Case study)

A member of your team has to take frequent leaves due to the health problems of her child. This results in more work load on her team members leading to anger. The team member is otherwise an ideal employee. How would you deal with this situation if you were the manager of this team?

Best answer

Simran Bains wrote the best answer for this question and got a score of 4.5/10 (if the best answer is an image, it cannot be uploaded here, hence scroll down to see those). The answer is being reproduced below for everyone’s convenience. Of course these answers can always be improved. (Best answer  of a particular only involves those given on that day, later answers may not have been checked)

GS3 (Indian economy)

Countries such as China have used SEZ’s to develop manufacturing zones and promote exports. What has India’s experience been with SEZ’s? What are the reasons for their success or failure?

Best answer

Aman Chauhan wrote the best answer for this question and got a score of 5/10 (if the best answer is an image, it cannot be uploaded here, hence scroll down to see those). The answer is being reproduced below for everyone’s convenience. Of course these answers can always be improved. (Best answer  of a particular only involves those given on that day, later answers may not have been checked)

GS2 (Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies)

There are many regulatory bodies in India, such as SEBI, TRAI etc. Why are they necessary? Discuss issues relating to their independence given that the government appoints their heads and there may be a conflict of interest.

Best answer

Ashutosh Namdeo wrote the best answer for this question and got a score of 4.5/10 (if the best answer is an image, it cannot be uploaded here, hence scroll down to see those). The answer is being reproduced below for everyone’s convenience. Of course these answers can always be improved. (Best answer  of a particular only involves those given on that day, later answers may not have been checked)

GS1 (Consolidation within the country)

India is a land of diversity. People speak different languages, have different beliefs etc, but are still united as Indians. What are the factors responsible for this unity?

Best answer

Shashank Pander wrote the best answer for this question and got a score of 4/10 (if the best answer is an image, it cannot be uploaded here, hence scroll down to see those). The answer is being reproduced below for everyone’s convenience. Of course these answers can always be improved. (Best answer  of a particular only involves those given on that day, later answers may not have been checked)

I will maintain a link list of all post written under this theme, here – 

#1. Indian Agriculture 101 – What’s NPF, PMKSY, CCEA and CACP?

#2. Indian Agriculture 102 – India’s Green Revolution and National Food Security Mission

#3. Indian Agriculture 103 – What is Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY) and is it any good?

#4. Indian Agriculture 104 – Everything that you need to know about Drought Management in India

#5. Irrigation In India: Issues & Developments – Read the backgrounder on Neeranchal Watershed Project

#6. 8 Types of Farming in India

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Hello,

Indian Agriculture, as we all would agree is a topic that haunts us all (second only to Environment & Biodiversity). Here is an attempt to understand the economics, policy making etc. of this very, very important sub-segment of Indian Economics for GS Mains.

I find that most of the newbies have no idea about how to cover this portion which involves – schemes by ministries, economics around it, op-eds and cross examinations of success and failures.

I will be using a standard source – The Annual Report of Ministry of Agriculture [Pdf here].

There is absolutely no need to go for Indian Economy reference books or wait for that big fat India Year Book to come out to understand Indian Agriculture. In fact, Dr. V strongly advices against using the IYB!

The Ministry’s report is an amazing piece of art! I won’t be covering it linearly but would be touching upon the IAS Pre and Mains aspects of the syllabus to extract maximum juice for all of us. We will discuss things like difference between CECA and CACP, reason behind new crop insurance schemes and will cover things in tidbits format for an easy recall.

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PS: All Blogs are accessible from Web and App

PPS: Please do leave your comments on the blog. Participate in the questions which are posed between the lines and let me know if you liked what you read.

 

We know that  54.6% of India’s population is engaged in agriculture and allied activities (census 2011) and it contributes 17.4% to the country’s Gross Value Added.

That’s the very first line we read in any policy document/ economic survey chapter related to Agriculture and to an uninitiated, this strikes as an ironical play of numbers.

More than half of our population is engaged in something which adds less than 20% value to our country’s economy? Why don’t we just outsource our food supplies to other nations and educate the next gen farmers to write code and sell IT software so that we make more money!

If I tell you that, the %age share kept on decreasing year over year – you would be amused still.

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Don’t worry. A fall in the share of the agriculture and allied sector in GVA is an expected outcome in a fast growing and structurally changing economy. This means that we as a country have more avenues of value creation. Which is good, right?

Before we go on further, you may wonder what these allied activities are?

The allied industries are all the small and medium enterprises that depend directly or indirectly on the activity of Agriculture.

When you think of paddy crop – you don’t just think of paddy but also of the labour it employs, the fertilizer industry which it calls for, the sales agencies, the pesticides folks etc. All these come into allied industry.

Got it? Now chew on this and prepare yourself for a Prelims MCQ on allied industry!

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At this point, we have a vague idea that monsoons being a notorious variable in the agriculture space, most of the times we aren’t able to meet our targets, farmers go in distress, reality bites when we see videos of farmer suicides and we salute people like Nana Patekar & co. who go out of their way to allay the concerns of their families. We wonder about govt. schemes, insurance policies, family welfare programs and why they are not in play etc. etc.

But being an aspiring bureaucrat, you need to know your basics first.

National Policy for Farmers (NPF), 2007

Major aims: To improve economic viability of farming and increase net income of farmers. This is like the umbrella policy. It’s a national level scheme and many of the existing schemes which you hear about in papers etc. are being run under this.

I never knew that Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), Kisan Credit Card, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) etc etc. are all part of this. You tend to miss on such information but now you know.

Can you imagine the expanse of this National Policy?

No one is going to ask you to list down its policy objectives, but this is a great way of stepping into a senior bureaucrat’s shoes and understand the gamut of activities he/ she needs to keep in his/her mind while drafting a policy document.

As we start this series and write more chapters, we will be covering the Prelims and Mains worthy aspects of these 14 policy objectives. When you are done, you can come back, read each line and recall what we covered.

Policy provisions in NPF-2007 include:

1. Asset reforms in respect of land, water, livestock, fisheries and bio-resources;
2. Supply of good quality seeds and disease-free planting material, Issue of soil health passbooks to the farmers and integrated pest management system;
3. Region and crop specific implements and machinery;
4. Support services for women;
5. Timely, adequate and easy reach of institutional credit at reasonable interest rates and farmer-friendly insurance instruments;
6. Support services and inputs like application of frontier technologies; agricultural bio-security system;
7. Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and setting up of farm schools to revitalize agricultural extension;
8. Coverage of farmers under a comprehensive national social security scheme;
9. Effective implementation of Minimum Support Price (MSP) across the country and establishing community foodgrain banks;
10. Development of agricultural market infrastructure and terminal markets for agriculture;
11. Curriculum reforms in agricultural universities;
12. Special categories of farming like organic farming and contract farming;
13. Rural non-farm employment initiative for farm households; and
14. Integrated approach for rural energy

100 bucks say that you overlooked these 14 points! But think for a moment – in any mains or essay question based on agriculture – these themes are going to recur. This is a national level policy instituted in 2007 and it is still in play, which means that these idealistic goals have still not been achieved. That’s 14 points for you to rattle off to anyone who asks you about the “agricultural issues that need our attention!”

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Moving on, the first chapter of the annual report mentions some important schemes, committees, jargons etc which need our attention. Let’s understand them in tidbits before we move on.

[Tidbits] Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)

source

• The scheme has been approved with an outlay of Rs. 50,000 crore for a period of 5 years
• What’s an outlay? 
• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave approval to that outlay. CCEA is chaired by PM
• Ministries involved? 
  • Ministry of Rural Development
  • MoWR RD & GR
  • Ministry of Agriculture

Usually when multiple ministries are involved – it’s a case of amalgamation of a lot of schemes into one. For instance, here – PMKSY has been formulated amalgamating ongoing schemes:

• Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) of the Ministry of Water Resources
• River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR,RD&GR)
• Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) of Department of Land Resources (DoLR)
• On Farm Water Management (OFWM) of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC)

You want to read more on this – Achieving the goals of- Per drop more crop & Har khet ko paani

[Tidbits] Kisan Credit Card

source

Answer this question –

In India, which of the following have the highest share in the disbursement of credit to agriculture and allied activities?

• Commercial Banks
• Cooperative Banks
• Regional Rural Banks
• Microfinance Institutions

KCC is implemented by Commercial Banks, Cooperative Banks and Regional Rural Banks. I hope you know that Commercial Bank includes the Public Sector Banks in its definition.

[Tidbits] Crop Insurance in India

We will study this in great detail later but very, very quickly:

• The existing crop insurance schemes have recently been reviewed – This is important to note otherwise we keep reading outdated stuff and confuse among the many names and schemes!
• Earlier we had National Crop Insurance Programme (NCIP) and it had many schemes under it:
  • Modified National Agricultural Scheme (MNAIS)
  • Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (WBCIS)
  • Coconut Palm Insurance Scheme (CPIS)
• Now forget all the above because the flavour of the day is – Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

source

“This is a historic day. I am confident that this scheme, which is inspired by the consideration of farmers’ benefit, will bring about a major transformation to the lives of farmers,” – PM’s Tweet

There are a few significant features about the new scheme and this will make it both – farmers’ friendly and a game-changer in the long run. How does this scheme overcomes the shortcomings of previous scheme? What makes it a game changer? Read this blog to understand in detail – Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana – Min Premium, Max Insurance

[Tidbits] What should I know about Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices?

• CACP is mandated to advise on the price policy (MSP) of 23 crops under 5 groups of commodities namely
  • Kharif crops,
  • Rabi crops,
  • Sugarcane,
  • Raw Jute and
  • Copra (dried coconut)
• Please note that for the determination of MSP – cost of production is not the only variable for consideration
• Other factors: Demand and supply, price trends in the market, both domestic and international, inter-crop price parity etc.

[Prelims 2009] Consider the following statements:

1. The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices recommends the Minimum Support Prices for 32 crops.
2. The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs. Food and Public: Distribution has launched the National Food Security Mission.

Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

What’s the difference between CCEA and CACP?

• CACP assess the various factors and recommends a MSP (Minimum Support Price) to the Ministry
• Ministry may either agree or disagree with it and come up with a new price
• That price then goes to CCEA (Chaired by the PM) and CCEA has the power to approve an MSP

Clear? Awesome!

That’s all for this first lesson. We move onto next in a few days but it would be great if you can comment to let me know how you find this! For newbies or oldies, does it feel like it helped understand the Agriculture and various Economic/ Polity angles?

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References: Apart  from extensive research around news articles, the mainstay of this series is the annual report of the Ministry of Agriculture to the GOI – Click to download a copy

All articles in this series are listed here – First timers to IAS Prep? Prepare Indian Agriculture for GS Mains with me!

[Update] Starting today, we have launched a Daily Debate Module – CD Pe Charcha

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Hi, after more than a month of 4 GS questions everyday, and with a great response from people we would like some feedback. Here are some questions for you, please leave the feedback in the comments.

1. Is the DNA (the Demand and Approach, e.g. DNA) useful? We believe its purpose is to help people new to answer writing get started, and experienced answer writers should not feel the need for it. Its disadvantage is that people use the format and don’t develop question interpretation skills themselves. Some forum members also complain that its use results in similar answer. So here are the questions –

a) Should we keep the DNA?

b) If yes should we publish it later in the day so that people can develop interpretation skills themselves?

c) Or would people new to answer writing prefer things the way it is?

2. What is your view about the level of difficulty of the questions? Would you like more difficult questions or the present questions are good?

3. Students who are not attempting the questions, what’s the main reason? Paucity of time/ Lack of basic knowledge? How are you making the best use of this initiative then?

GS1 (Indian Geography)

The IMD recently got its forecast for this year wrong. India will now get 3% less rain than normal. What are the phenomena that result in variations in Indian monsoon.

Demand – Discuss all phenomena which can bring variations in monsoon such as La Nina etc.

Approach –

– Discuss Indian monsoon (4 marks)

– Reasons for variation, e.g. La Nina, El Nino etc (4 marks)

– Why was the rainfall low this year? (2 marks)

GS2 (Government policies)

The government claims to have gotten almost USD 10 billion in the recent Income Declaration Scheme. What is this scheme? Is this a short term measure only?

Demand – Give the features of the scheme.

Approach –

– Need for such a scheme? (4 marks)

– Features of scheme. (4 marks)

– Is this a short term measure only? (2 marks)

GS3 (Disaster and disaster management)

Pakistan has threatened first use of its nuclear weapons in the case of war with India. Throughout the 20^th century the US and USSR did everything possible to avoid using nuclear weapons. What damage would nuclear weapons result in? How would we contain such damage?

Demand – Damage from nuclear weapons such as the primary explosion, radiation etc to be discussed.

Approach –

– Explain working of nuclear bomb, why is it so destructive (3 marks)

– Damages caused by it – heat, shockwave, radiation etc (3 marks)

– Measures to contain damage (4 marks)

GS4 (Ethics in public administration)

“Living up to the public trust is much more than just an act of compliance”. Explain with suitable examples.

Demand – Public officials should walk the talk.

Approach –

– What kind of trust does the public impose on public officials? (5 marks)

– How can public officials honor that trust? (5 marks)

GS4 (Ethics in public administration)

“Living up to the public trust is much more than just an act of compliance”. Explain with suitable examples.

Best answer

Kunal Aggarwal wrote the best answer for this question and got a score of 4/10 (if the best answer is an image, it cannot be uploaded here, hence scroll down to see those). The answer is being reproduced below for everyone’s convenience. Of course these answers can always be improved. (Best answer  of a particular only involves those given on that day, later answers may not have been checked)

GS3 (Disaster and disaster management)

Pakistan has threatened first use of its nuclear weapons in the case of war with India. Throughout the 20^th century the US and USSR did everything possible to avoid using nuclear weapons. What damage would nuclear weapons result in? How would we contain such damage?

Best answer

Simran Bains wrote the best answer for this question and got a score of 4/10 (if the best answer is an image, it cannot be uploaded here, hence scroll down to see those). The answer is being reproduced below for everyone’s convenience. Of course these answers can always be improved. (Best answer  of a particular only involves those given on that day, later answers may not have been checked)

GS2 (Government policies)

The government announced that it has gotten almost USD 10 billion in the recent Income Declaration Scheme. What is this scheme? Is this only a short term measure?

Best answer

Aman Chauhan wrote the best answer for this question and got a score of 5/10 (if the best answer is an image, it cannot be uploaded here, hence scroll down to see those). The answer is being reproduced below for everyone’s convenience. Of course these answers can always be improved. (Best answer  of a particular only involves those given on that day, later answers may not have been checked)

GS1 (Indian Geography)

The IMD recently got its forecast for this year wrong. India will now get 3% less rain than normal. What are the phenomena that result in variations in Indian monsoon.

Best answer

Shashank Pander wrote the best answer for this question and got a score of 4/10 (if the best answer is an image, it cannot be uploaded here, hence scroll down to see those). The answer is being reproduced below for everyone’s convenience. Of course these answers can always be improved. (Best answer  of a particular only involves those given on that day, later answers may not have been checked)

If op-eds are like human beings then I mostly find that environment op-eds are like ARTS students and economics op-eds are like ENGINEERS. Confused Billi for one, is an engineer by training.

Why I make such an observation is because I always felt that environmentalists are rarely bothered about the developmental concerns. And the thing is that aside from UPSC preparation where I have to unwittingly mug up some quotes and write down some point of views –

Confusion Level 1: I always wonder if there an equation where we can put in some funda like:

Environmentalists ki concerns + Economist ki development optimism = NET ANSWER (Profit yaa Loss?)

You get the drift right? Engineers always feel that life would be much sorted if there were an equation available to understand the whole world view!

You want examples? Take this one

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s grand culture show: Positives due to the culture meet on tourism, soft power etc + Negatives due to environmental losses & Health issues post that = What net dollar gain?

Or should we have a happiness gain index (Just like Bhutan has a Gross National Happiness)

You get the drift right? Koi Prelims question nahi aaega iss discussion se but you can get some really cool mains & interview level points. How! I was reading this op-ed from Live Mint

1. Measures to safeguard the environment are often considered to be economic spoilers

2. World Bank did a new study – The cost of air pollution: strengthening the economic case for action

3. What’s different about this study? Usually economists rant about the costs of shutting down the factories due to environmental concerns. These guys said what about the “cost imposed on people living in regions where pollution and environmental degradation is higher.” Genius, right?

This right here is first point for your mains, essay and interview masala!

4. What were the findings? 

# The welfare costs and lost labour income due to air pollution amounted to 8.5% of India’s GDP in 2013! Big numbers right! Seedhe quote karne ka hai isko to

# The report ranks air pollution as the fourth biggest fatal risk factor in the world. Air pollution kills more people than tobacco, alcohol or drug use or unsafe sex in most countries. That’s a huge point of concern right?

If you are reading this line, then you know that you have enough ammo to beat the shit out of a crazy economics major who shuns the environmentalists. So, essentially the arts’ student won.

Infact – today’s Target Mains question was also on the similar lines – Read it later. This might also be a good time to revise PRELIMS specific basics on pollution and stuff – Air Pollution: Issues & Challenges and this Simple acts like brushing your teeth may be polluting the environment (this is more like a trivia blog).

So, what next? I was happy for a while that somehow, some study is able to marry economist and an environmentalist but then I thought okay, so what is the world doing for it!

But apne ko kya hai, apne ko to bass UPSC nikalna hai 🙂

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Now, the literature for environmental concerns & initiatives is huuuge! There is no way I can summarise everything in one post! I mean before entering into UPSC prep, I had no clue of UNEP and the Earth Summit of 1992 and then the Rio + 20 and so on. I am still grappling with its timeline and I still get confused with the outcomes of various talks, treaties, etc. etc.

This is a blog on the roadmap to Paris Climate Talk – Part 3 and this is the blog on outcome of Paris Talk and this is the update on Lima-Paris Action Agenda.

If someone can help this billi ki yahan pe chal kya raha hai, I will be forever indebted! For now, I am reading old cards listed on this story – NAPCC: India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change to understand the backstory on what India is doing.

Confusion Level 2: While reading up on these links, I wondered what if there is an essay question in general with a theme like – We are not doing enough for the environment  OR the famous old age – world has everything for your need but not for your greed etc. etc. What different can one write? What case studies can we give to give a simple, easy to understand narrative and voila, I found this nice interactive comparison done by guardian – Which countries are doing the most to stop dangerous global warming?

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Do read the links. You will like them (I hope). Tell me if you liked reading the post. What else do you want to be covered?

GS1 (Indian geography)

India is a rich source of renewable energy. What are these sources and what are the geographic factors which make it so rich?

Demand – Discuss sources of energy such as solar, wind etc and why India is rich in them.

Approach –

• What are the sources of renewable energy? (4 marks)
• Why is Indian rich in them? List factors such as latitude, longitude, vegetation etc. (6 marks)

GS2 (International relations)

The recent surgical strikes by India in PoK mark a watershed moment in India’s Pakistan policy. Critically comment.

Demand – Contrast India’s present approach towards Pakistan with previous approaches. Is there a difference?

Approach –

• Previous approaches by India to deal with Pakistan’s sponsoring terror activities (3.5 marks)
• Is the present response really different? Illustrate with examples. (3.5 marks)
• Future implications. (3 marks)

GS3 (Internal security)

Despite radical organisations coming up all over the world, Indian youth have largely stayed away. What could be the reasons for this? Is the internet leading to a reversal of this trend?

Demand – Discuss why ISIS, Al Qaeda have very limited influence among Indian youth, and how the internet could be changing this.

Approach –

• Radical organisations and factors which stop their growth in India, e.g. culture of India, democracy (5 marks)
• How is the internet being used to spread radical ideologies? (5 marks)

GS4 (Ethics and attitudes)

Since ancient times Indian society has concentrated more on the duty of an individual than his rights, in contrast to western society. Is this attitude changing in India today?

Demand – Are Indians today more aware/demanding of their rights? Are we forgetting our duties?

Approach –

• Ancient Indian attitudes towards duty and rights (2.5 marks)
• Views of leaders such as Gandhi (2.5 marks)
• Role of constitution and modernisation in making people demand their right (2.5 marks)
• Is this a good trend or bad? (2.5 marks)

GS1 (Indian Geography)

India is a rich source of renewable energy. What are these sources and what are the geographic factors which make it so rich?

Best answer

Rahul Jain wrote the best answer for this question and got a score of 5/10 (if the best answer is an image, it cannot be uploaded here, hence scroll down to see those). The answer is being reproduced below for everyone’s convenience. Of course these answers can always be improved. (Best answer  of a particular only involves those given on that day, later answers may not have been checked)

GS2 (International relations)

The recent surgical strikes by India in PoK mark a watershed moment in India’s Pakistan policy. Critically comment.

Best answer

Kunal Aggarwal wrote the best answer for this question and got a score of 5/10 (if the best answer is an image, it cannot be uploaded here, hence scroll down to see those). The answer is being reproduced below for everyone’s convenience. Of course these answers can always be improved. (Best answer  of a particular only involves those given on that day, later answers may not have been checked)