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  • CCTNS Project: Reforming the Policing in India

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    Recently, govt. extended the deadline for implementation of the Rs 2,000-crore CCTNS project to March 2017

    Let’s know more about it!!

     

    What is the CCTNS project?

    CCTNS is a Mission Mode Project under the National e-Governance Plan of Govt of India.

    The Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) project was launched in 2009 in the aftermath of the 26/11 attacks.

    It aims at establishing seamless connectivity among 15,000 police stations across the country, and an additional 5,000 offices of supervisory police officers.

     

    What are the objectives of CCTNS?

    • Make the Police functioning citizen friendly and more transparent by automating the functioning of Police Stations.
    • Improve delivery of citizen-centric services through effective usage of ICT.
    • Provide the Investigating Officers of the Civil Police with tools, technology and information to facilitate investigation of crime and detection of criminals.
    • Facilitate interaction and sharing of information among Police Stations, Districts, State/UT headquarters, etc.
    • Assist senior Police Officers in better management of Police Force.
    • Keep track of the progress of Cases, including in Courts.
    • Reduce manual and redundant records keeping.

    How was such an idea of CCTNS conceived?

    The project was the brainchild of former Home Minister P Chidambaram.

    CCTNS entailed digitisation of data related to FIRs registered, cases investigated, and chargesheets filed in all police stations, in order to develop a national database of crime and criminals.

    It was envisaged as a system to facilitate collection, storage, retrieval, analysis, transfer and sharing of data and information at the police station.

    Why was this system needed?

    There was lack of communication between police of different states. Each police station was an island, where records were maintained manually.

    The need was felt for a technology-driven network which would enable real- time interaction between police stations.

    What is the progress made in the project?

    2009: CCEA approved the project with an allocation of Rs. 2000 crore. The initial deadline for setting it up was 2012, which was revised to March 2015.

    2015: Union Cabinet decided to revamp and fast-track the project, and complete its implementation by March 2017.

    New Development: Govt. has decided to implement the Integrated Criminal Justice System (ICJS) by integrating CCTNS with e-courts, e-prisons, forensics and prosecution in order to transfer data among the various pillars of the criminal justice system.

    Over 11,600 police stations countrywide are now using the CCTNS software to register FIRs. More than 26 lakh FIRs were registered through CCTNS over the past year.

    How will citizens benefit from CCTNS?

    It will lead to the creation of a central citizen portal with links to state-level citizen portals.

    This will bring several citizen-friendly services online such as police verification for purposes including passports, reporting a crime, tracking the progress of a case, reporting of grievances against police officials, access to victim compensation fund, and legal services.

    A list of proclaimed offenders, sex offenders and most wanted criminals will also be published on the citizen portal.

    Published with inputs from Pushpendra

  • Everything you need to know about the Greece’ Crisis

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    And now the lighter side – 

     

  • ASEAN-India and East Asia Summit 2015

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    This article embrace a focus on two powerful regional blocs at the ASEAN-India and East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur. Stay tuned to India-ASEAN and East Asia Summit, as we capture it in detail.

     

    Let’s take a quick track overview

    • The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand.
    • The Founding Fathers of ASEAN were, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
    • Since then, membership has expanded to include Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar (Burma), and Vietnam.
    • The creation of ASEAN was motivated by a common fear of communism, and a thirst for economic development.

    What’s the main purpose of ASEAN?

    • To accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through joint endeavours in the spirit of equality and partnership.
    • In order to strengthen the foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian Nations.
    • To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance on matters of common interest in the economic, social, cultural, technical, scientific and administrative fields.

    What are the significant outcomes of the ASEAN Summit 2015?

    • ASEAN leaders declared the establishment of an EU-style regional economic bloc, ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), a single market with a free flow of goods, capital and skilled labour in the region.
    • The AEC envisages a single market with a free flow of goods, capital and skilled labour across borders in the highly competitive economic region.
    • It will integrate Southeast Asia’s diverse economies, a region with 620 million people and a combined GDP of $2.4 trillion.
    • For the people at large, the declarations imply increased economic opportunities and access to quality jobs, wider choices and better quality products and services.

     

    Let’s take a glance at the East Asia Summit?

    • East Asia Summit is a unique Leaders-led forum of 18 countries of the Asia-Pacific region formed to further the objectives of regional peace, security and prosperity.
    • Established in 2005, EAS allows the principal players in the Asia-Pacific region to discuss issues of common interest and concern in an open and transparent manner at the highest level.
    • It is an initiative of ASEAN and is based on the premise of the centrality of ASEAN.

    Six priority areas of regional cooperation in EAS framework

    • Environment and Energy.
    • Education.
    • Finance.
    • Global Health Issues and Pandemic Diseases.
    • Natural Disaster Management.
    • ASEAN Connectivity.

    How many members benchmarked to the list?

    The membership of EAS consists of ten ASEAN Member States and Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation and the USA.

    So, What’s the healthy news for India in summit?

    • The leaders of the East Asia Summit are expected to discuss matters of international concern including terrorism, irregular migration, the South China Sea, the situation in Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East.
    • The negotiations on Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement involving the 10 ASEAN countries and its six FTA partners including India have seen some breakthroughs and are expected to be concluded in 2016.
    • The agreement will open doors for Indian business in the RCEP countries having a combined GDP of USD 17 trillion.
    • At the ASEAN summit, the leaders will take note of the new Plan of Action (2016-2020) to further enhance ASEAN-India cooperation along the politico-security, economic and socio-cultural pillars.

    How does this summit addresses the talk on South China Sea disputes?

    • China claims almost the entire energy-rich South China Sea.
    • It prompted concerns in Washington and across the region that China is trying to militarise its claims in the South China Sea.
    • The Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have territorial claims in the South China Sea.

    Can ASEAN ever solve the South China Seas dispute through multilateral dialogue?

    • For the last two decades ASEAN has invested enormous time and effort in multilateral forums to promote peace and security in East Asia.
    • Evaluating ASEAN’s role in managing the problem in the South China Seas reveals that far from addressing this evolving conflict over international rights of free passage on the high seas, its weak multilateral approach only further stirs already troubled waters.
    • On the surface, ASEAN’s softly-softly approach seemed to bear fruit with an ASEAN-China Free trade agreement and a Declaration of a Code of Conduct to manage disputes in the South China Sea in 2002.

    What is the biggest threat facing the world today?

    Is it about China’s hegemony over South China Sea?

    • Beijing’s comfort with the ASEAN process culminated in 2002 in the signing of a non-binding Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.
    • The South China Sea dispute ultimately demonstrates how more powerful actors can manipulate ASEAN’s weak multilateral dialogue process to advance grand strategic interests.
    • China, in other words, is successfully engaging ASEAN in a policy of divide and rule.
    • For instance, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that, Beijing wanted any disputes resolved in negotiations between it and ASEAN on the basis “of historical facts and in accordance with international law” and that China and ASEAN were working on a code of conduct.

    All of which is to say, peace on Chinese terms!

     

    Published with inputs from Arun

  • G20: The Antalya Summit 2015 – Everything that you should know

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    This article gives you an overview of G20, since its formation to latest key achievements in 2015 Summit. Stay tuned to India and G20 as we capture the antalya summit 2015 in detail.

    G20 in a quick fast track glance

    Together, the G20 economies account for –

    • 85% of the global economic output
    • 80% of world trade, and
    • 65% of the global population.

    Which of the 20 members make promise of inclusive and robust growth in 2015?

    Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the European Union.

    Let’s take a Historical dive on G20

    • The G20 was formally established on 26 September, 1999, at the Finance Ministers’ meeting of G7 (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States) in the aftermath of the Asian Financial Crisis.
    • The G20 convened for the first time at the leaders’ level in Washington, D.C. on November 14-15, 2008, to respond collectively to the 2008-09 crisis.
    • In order to restore global growth, strengthen the global financial system, and reform international financial institutions.
    • The G20 played a key role in supporting the first stages of economic recovery and continues to promote measures to reform international financial institutions, improve financial regulation, and strengthen the global economy through an increasingly comprehensive agenda.
    • This year, Turkish G20 Presidency’s theme is “Collective Action for Inclusive and Robust Growth”.

    Okay, how’s the structure of G20?

    • The G-20 operates without a permanent secretariat or staff. (Take a Note of it, it may form a prelims’ question)
    • The group’s chair is part of a revolving three-member management group of past, present and future chairs, referred to as the “Troika”.
    • The role of the Troika is to ensure continuity in the G-20’s work and management across host years.
    • Turkey will host the 2015 summit in Antalya, while China will host the 2016 summit in Hangzhou.

    Then, what is the role of Asian countries?

    • A 2011 report released by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) predicted that large Asian economies such as China and India would play a more important role in global economic governance in future.
    • The report claimed that the rise of emerging market economies heralded a new world order, in which the G-20 would become the global economic steering committee.
    • The ADB furthermore noted that Asian countries had led the global recovery following the late-2000s recession.
    • It predicted that the region would have a greater presence on the global stage, shaping the G-20’s agenda for balanced and sustainable growth through strengthening intraregional trade and stimulating domestic demand.

    G20-info

    What are the significant outcomes of Turkey’s G20 presidency in 2015?

    #1. Framework for Strong, Sustainable and Balanced Growth

    • Antalya Action Plan including national and global steps for strong, sustainable and balanced growth.
    • Adjusted Growth Strategies, including policies towards inclusiveness, in line with recent economic developments.

    #2. Investment and Infrastructure

    • G20 Investment Strategies and G20/OECD Report on G20 Investment Strategies.
    • PPP Guidelines: World Bank Group Infrastructure Deliverables.

    #3. International financial Architecture

    • Strong emphasis on the importance of the full implementation of the 2010 IMF Quota and Governance Reform.
    • Leaders provided a strong momentum to completion of the SDR basket review so as the basket continues to reflect the role of currencies in the global trading and financial system.

    #4. International Tax

    Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action Plan finalised.

    #5. Climate Change Finance

    Leaders committed to work together to for a successful outcome of the COP21 and a fair, balanced, ambitious, durable and dynamic agreement.

    #6. Development

    G20 and Low Income Developing Countries (LIDC) Framework
    G20 Food Security Action Plan

    #7. Trade

    • Statement of a strong support for a successful WTO Nairobi Ministers Conference with balanced outcomes on Doha Development agenda issues and guidance for post-Nairobi.
    • Report on better integration of SME and LIDC’s into the Global Value Chains.

    What are the India’s concerns and reform agenda?

    • Prime Minister Modi had expressed hope earlier, that the US would ratify the quota reforms of the International Monitoring Fund, a key demand of the developing countries.
    • Optimistic news came about that, G20 communique backed India on the issue of IMF quota reforms and called for early reforms, and expressed disappointment with the delay.

    Why is there need of IMF Quota review reform?

    • The IMF quota reforms are aimed at giving more voice and voting power to the emerging economies with regard to the functioning of the multilateral body.
    • Once the review takes effect, India’s share will increase from the current 2.44 per cent to 2.75 per cent, following which the country will become the eighth largest quota holder at the IMF, up from the 11th position.

    Does G20 would helped to resolve syrian crisis?

    • The Guardian reports that Obama and Putin at G20, agreed that the United Nations will negotiate a peace deal between the Syrian government and the rebel groups.
    • Putin also thanked David Cameron for sharing intelligence suggesting IS had taken down a Russian plane. Whether this means President Assad’s time is up is unclear.
    • We’re a long way from a proper strategy to bring peace to Syria. However, Russia and the West talking is still a big step forwards.
    • It also may mean countries will begin working more closely together to combat IS. May be!
    Published with inputs from Arun

  • Vienna Conference to end Syria’s endless agony

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    This article gives you an understanding of how perplex and deepened Syria Crisis is , and solutions from Global Interests in it. Stay tuned to Syria Crisis and World.

     

    What’s the Vienna conference ?

    • The conference at Vienna on October 30, bringing together 17 states (China, Egypt, France, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the UK, and the US), ended with a nine-point joint communique.
    • The United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU) were also represented at the conference.
    • This is the third such attempt to hold talks to find a way to bring to an end Syria’s complicated issues.

    Historical Background

    Previous two attempts, Geneva 1 (June 2012) and Geneva 2 (February 2014), can be correctly characterised as insincere and cynical theatre, for 4 reasons:

    • Iran, an important stakeholder, willing and able to frustrate any search for a political solution that excludes it, was not invited.
    • With the US-supported rebels given undue weightage, not all the opposition parties in Syria were invited.
    • Principal initiators, the US and Russia, more intent on scoring points over each other.
    • By inviting warring Syrian parties, including the Bashar al-Assad regime, their external supporters found it difficult to talk frankly among themselves.
    • The exclusion of Syria this time in Vienna is a wise step.

    The highlights of the communique

    • Syria’s unity, independence, territorial integrity, and secular character are fundamental, and imperative to promote all efforts to end the war.
    • The Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist groups, as designated by the UNSC, must be defeated.
    • The UN is invited to convene a conference of representatives of the Syrian Government and the Opposition to start a political process leading to credible, inclusive, non-sectarian governance followed by a new constitution, and an election under the UN supervision.
    • In parallel with political process, participants along with UN will explore modalities for a nationwide ceasefire to be effective.

    What’s the principal bone of contention? Is it about Assad’s position?

    • Probably, it is the US, Saudi Arabia, and their allies who have given in.
    • Till now, they have been repeating that Assad is not part of the solution and that the political process cannot start without his leaving office.
    • After the Russian military intervention, Assad’s position, from a military point of view at least, has improved.
    • The changed US position is that Assad has to go, but not on day one the political process starts. The US has wisely changed its position.
    • It is rather naïve to say that if Assad steps down, Syria will rapidly see the end of the civil wars.

    vienna-infograph

    What has been discussed in Vienna ?

    • The participants at the conference were not willing to put the ceasefire as an immediate goal.
    • It should be noted that the US announced its plans to send Special Forces to Syria the day the conference started.
    • Further, the Saudi decision to send more and better weapons to rebels supported by it remains unchanged.
    • In short, it was far from a gathering of powers with common goals keen to work together to find solutions.

    What about the Islamic State (IS) ?

    • It will not be invited to be part of the political process. Nor is it likely to agree to be part of the process even if invited.
    • Is it the intention of some of the participants, if not all, to reconcile Assad and all the non-IS rebels and thereafter put together a grand coalition against the IS?
    • How long will it take to put together such a coalition assuming that an attempt will be made?

    Is there a shift in the US policy ?

    • For Obama, it was a painful decision to send Special Forces, “less than fifty”, to Syria.
    • Their mission is to “help coordinate local ground forces and coalition efforts”.
    • In other words, the Special Forces will not assist forces fighting Assad’s regime.
    • Obama has found it difficult to answer cogently his critics at home who fault him with a weak and incoherent policy on Syria.

    Are there any concerns from Russia’s side ?

    • Surely, Russia has raised concerns about a ‘proxy war’ and urged closer consultations with the US to take care of deconfliction.
    • Looking ahead, if there is no settlement before the US presidential election due in a year’s time, Obama’s successor might step up the military involvement taking the US closer to a ‘proxy war’ with Russia.

    Then, has Vienna reached to a conclusion?

    • In conclusion, the Vienna Conference could lead over time to a ceasefire between Assad and the non-IS rebels, but it is too soon to say that it will.
    • The key powers adding fuel to the fire of the multiple civil wars raging in Syria have yet to reach the conclusion that it is in their interest to stop doing that.
    • The conference might not have been held but for the Russian bombing campaign and the inundation of Europe by refugees.
    • The US policy towards Syria is slowly changing and it is difficult to say whether it will be dragged deeper into the quagmire that Syria is.

    What is painfully clear is that we all are going to witness more killing, more refugees, and more talking, Isn’t it ? It is difficult, not to recall the Roman poet Ovid’s lines penned twenty centuries ago:

    Video meliora, proboque; deteriora sequor
    (I see better things and approve; I follow the worse)

     

    Published with inputs from Arun

  • The First Firangis | Chap 5 | The Marquess of Wellesley & His Subsidiary Alliance

    Previously, we discussed about  the land revenue experiments here – The First Firangis | Chap 4 | Extracting Land Revenue

    Moving on,

    If Robert Clive is credited to have won the first hand for EIC and Warren Hastings credited with consolidation of the British ascendancy in India, then it would be no big exaggeration to say that the Marquess of Wellesley was the guy who converted ‘the British Empire in India’ into ‘the British Empire of India.

    Like a Boss. #swag #subsidiary alliance

     

    British Empire in India was under a lot of mess before Wellesley’s arrival

    1. In the north-western India (the Af-Pak side), the danger of Zaman Shah’s aggression posed a serious threat to the British power in India.
    2. In the north and central India, the Marathas remained a formidable political power.
    3. The Nizam of Hyderabad employed the Frenchmen to train his
      army.
    4. The political unrest in the Karnataka region continued and Tipu Sultan was pain in the arse.

    In comes the imperialist Wellesley & his system of Subsidiary Alliance

    He wasn’t the first guy to come up with the novel idea of extracting a booty from the rulers in exchange for firangi service, his predecessors had concluded alliances with Indian princes like the Nawab of Oudh and the Nizam of Hyderabad.

    But, Wellesley enlarged and consolidated the already existing system. If you were a king back then, this is how your agreement would look like. 

    1. You are hereby given the status of a ‘protected state’, in lieu of which you will have to maintain a large standing army commanded by a British officer.
    2. That means, even if you do not have war, these guys would be paid a salary + your soldiers would be paid a pink slip and send off!
    3. You cannot keep any french/ portuguese/ european nationality in your court. The only firangi you will talk to would be a Brit. And just to make sure, we will have a british resident deployed in your court.
    4. You may, however do whatever you want in terms of your internal matters. But your external relations will be observed by us.

    If we were to draw a quick strip for you (being the ruler), these were the 3 prominent outcomes of the deal for you.

     

    The kingdoms which succumbed to this policy were – Hyderabad, Oudh, Tanjore, Surat, Karnatak and after much resistance – the Marathas (Holkars & Scindia).

    You might at this time wonder whether our Indian rulers were so ill-equipped that they lost the wars that easily? That’s hardly the case. But to do justice with that, we will need to take a fresh digression to look at the wars which were fought with Mysore & Marathas.

     

    Will do that in the next chapter.

     

    Two questions for you – 

    #1. What’s with the name – Marquess of Wellesley. What’s Marquess?

    #2. It was said that Tipu had a Jacobin club in his capital. What was that and why did it worry the Brits?

  • The First Firangis | Chap 4 | Extracting Land Revenue

    Every aspirant worth his salt would be aware of the 3 land revenue systems employed by the Brits to extract heavy booty from India. We trust you to fall in the same category but no harm revising some concepts, right?

    Before we dig into the systems, lets try to understand the land holdings/revenue systems that existed in the pre-British (Mughal) times.

    The country was not governed as a single unit with a single set of rules. The society was very diverse and so were the land holdings. We had the Khalisa Land, the Jagirs, the Mansabs, the Zamindari lands, etc. What’s important to note here was that these land owners had occupancy rights not propriety rights. So the concept of Private Property was absent. One couldn’t buy and sell property in the market like a commodity. This changes with the new policies of the British.

    Circling back to the land revenue systems  –

    • Permanent Settlement: The first of its kind in Bengal, Bihar & Orissa. Instituted by Lord Cornwallis (true blue aristocrat).
    • Ryotwari: Thomas Munroe got this up and working in Madras, Bombay and Assam. He had some tough time convincing the Brits to not go for Permanent Settlement here!
    • Mahalwari: North India, parts of western and central india – Company outsourced the revenue collection to village communities itself.

    Enough has been written and lectured about these 3 and UPSC probably won’t ask anything off it again but then, we thought, that it might just swoop in and churn out some heavy analytical stuff to trip you off.

    #1. Why was there a need to bring about Ryotwari, Mahalwari and whatever-wari when you already had Permanent Settlement?

    #2. Can you relate these changes in land revenue ideologies with what was happening in the English society? Like marry these policy changes with changes in ideologies etc etc!

    #3. Did new systems actually solve anything or did we just dabble in theories?

    Something like that… you never know! These days IAS Mains is witnessing a mix of pretty obvious/ complex sawaal jawaab.

    Since the grant of diwani for Bengal, Bihar & Orissa in 1765, the major concern for the EIC was to get more & more revenue. Why such greed?

    That’s because of an amazing economic concept called Mercantilism which guided EIC’s efforts to make sure that the salary packages of their Indian troops come  from India itself. No chance of a money transfer for any of the Indian expenditures!

    [back2basics] Mercantilism was the idea that the only true measure of a country’s wealth and success was the amount of gold that it had. If one country had more gold than another, it was necessarily better off. So essentially, you need to manage your imports and exports in such a way that exports >> imports.

    If you want a heavier definition, here’s what wiki says, “Mercantilism includes a national economic policy aimed at accumulating monetary reserves through a positive balance of trade, especially unfinished goods.” This will let the country save more gold for itself and be better off.

    Naturally, England did not want to ship off its accrued gold to India to pay for EIC’s expenses and hence these guys had one & only one goal –

    “Collect as much money as you can get boys”

    We read in the previous chapter of this series that in 1784, Cornwallis was sent to India with a specific mandate to streamline the revenue administration. And he thought that one way to solve the problem of corruption in revenue management was to permanently fix the revenue.

    “Assessment for ever”, that was the funda behind Permanent Settlement. The period of settlement was ~10 years (unless you default). And even with all the caveats in place, it did not reap fruitful results. We have covered most of this system in the previous post.

    At this time, you would do well to introduce yourself with a new powerful class in making, The Jotedars.

    [b2b] Don’t confuse them with Zamindars. The Zamindars used to often lived in Urban areas but theseJotedars were located within the villages and exercised direct control over a considerable section of poor villagers. When a Zamindar defaulted on it his due, these guys would swoop in and bid a higher price in the re-auction. And these badasses made a lot of money!

    In comes Thomas Munro & his Ryotwari experiment

    Two major differences between these two guys & hence the different policies.

    1. Cornwallis believed in rule of law & old school brit wisdom of replicating what worked at their home (England).
    2. Thomas Munro (in Madras) & some of his minions in western and northern India believed that we need to pay heed to Indian tradition & experience, empower the aam aadmi & ask him to become a ryot and pay up the price!

    Hence, Thomas Munro made an elaborate speech and contrary to Lord Cornwallis’ assessment, he instituted Ryotwari system in his command. Some say that he was inspired by the way Tipu Sultan used to administer revenue of his subjects (similar system – his military personnel used to collect revenue from individual farmers).

    Life of a farmer in a Ryotwari System?

    1. You will wake up in one of these parts of India – Madras, Bombay, Assam, Sind.
    2. You will have a piece of land to yourself – do whatever the hell you want, grow food crop/ cash crop, mortgage the land, but at the end of the year – you need to pay up tax (in cash).
    3. If you default, then you are kicked out (pretty much the expected outcome).
    4. You might go to money lenders and get loans for yourself (at times of drought, famines etc etc.) – which is a tragedy in waiting! More loans & indebtedness.
    5. Your rents won’t be the same – apparently Brits will assess the soil worthiness of your land and can frequently update their assessment.

    Last of all – Mahalwari or the pseudo Zamindari system

    Why was it called pseudo zamindari?

    Mahals were essentially a unit of land measurement in Punjab & Central India and Lambardars were heads (like zamindars) who were responsible for the collection of revenue.

    Mahalwari = mix of Permanent Settlement + Ryotwari was started by Holt Mackenzie. 

    1. In this system, the land was divided into Mahals. Each Mahal comprises one or more villages.
    2. Ownership rights were vested with the peasants.
    3. The villages committee was held responsible for collection of the taxes. Here’s where the Lambardar comes in and collects revenue.

    We thought it be a good digression to quickly cover up these three systems before we move onto the next governor general of substance.

    Do try to solve the 3 questions listed above.

     

     

  • The First Firangis | Chap 3 | Lord Cornwallis & His Permanent Settlement

    Previous one in the series – The First Firangis: Hey Pitt, What’s Your Act?

    This British soldier and statesman was probably best known for his defeat at Yorktown, Virginia, in the last important campaign (September 28–October 19, 1781) of the American Revolution.

    And yet he was appointed the Governor General of India? FTW!

    Yea well, perks of coming from an influential & aristocratic family! He was a close friend of Prime Minister Pitt and of Dundas, the most influential member of the Board of Control. Remember these two guys from the earlier comic?

    Anyhow, so Cornwallis stays in India as Gov General from 1786-1793 and his stint was quite remarkable.

     

     

    A blue-blooded aristocrat, he discharged his duties fearlessly, and naturally was a stickler of justice and doing things right.

    His greatest work was the purification of the civil service by the employment of capable and honest public servants.

     

    He persuaded the Directors of the Company to pay handsome salaries to the Company servants in order that they might free themselves from commercial and corrupting activities.

    Quite cool, right? For someone to have such foresight, am sure you guys would have wanted his ghost to preside over the 7th pay commission!

     

    Here’s a brief history of revenue collection till Cornwallis arrived at the scene

    1. Clive, the founder of the British Empire, could not give to Bengal a good land system. The land revenue was collected from peasants through oppressive agents.
    2. Warren Hastings established a Board of Revenue, appointed European District Collectors but still there were so manyy villages and so few officers to just go and collect revenue.
    3. Hastings tried to experiment with a bidding system wherein one big player agrees to take care of revenues for ~5 years and then it’s his headache to collect it from the peasants. As you would understand, this led to oppression and extortion of the farmers. Bad move!

    Here’s where Lord Cornwallis steps into the scene and gives the gyaan on *Permanent Settlement*

     

    Cornwallis came from a family of landlords in England. In those days, the British landlords were regarded as the permanent masters of their lands. They looked to the interests of the peasants and their lands, and collected revenue from them.

    … and this is where he committed the mistake of comparing apples to oranges!

    He thought of creating a class of hereditary landlords in India who should become permanent masters of their lands. He did not realise that Indian Zamindars had no love of land, or the love for people but anyway, in 1793 (his last year of governorship), he instituted Permanent Settlement in Bihar, Bengal & Orissa.

    1. Permanent Settlement recognized the landlords as the proprietors of the land.
    2. The landlords were given the right to transfer or sell their lands if they liked.
    3. Of course, all their rights ended if they failed to pay the revenue.
    4. Interestingly, once settled, the tax rate would not increase in future, hence the name – permanent settlement.

    Ques: In the interest of time & space, we would require readers to tell us the merits and demerits of Permanent Settlement. Quick bullet points would do.

    Do you guys remember the Pitt’s Act of 1784? That act was amended in 1786 so as enable him to overrule the decision of the majority of his council, if necessary.

    Reforms under Cornwallis would spread out in 3 major areas:

    1. Administrative Reforms – You already read about it, above.
    2. Judicial Reforms – Suffice to know that he was ably assisted by Sir William Jones in reorganising the civil & criminal court.
    3. Police Reforms – Remember the old hindi movies with Ranjeet playing the odd ball police guy who used to extort nicities out of the hapless heroine, well, that DAROGA was Cornwallis’ creation!

    In the words of Marshman, ‘the daroga enjoyed almost unlimited power of extortion and became the scourge of the country”.

  • The First Firangis | Chap 2 | Hey Pitt, What’s Your Act?

    The first part – Warren Hastings And His Time as Gov General of India

     

    If Sunny Deol’s “Tareekh pe tareekh pe tareekh” dialogue were to be revisited (with amendments), now would a good time.

    Here’s what had happened till date:

    1. East India Company (EIC) unlike any other private company of the Great Britain struck gold in India! It was making a lot of money and understandably giving a share back to the crown, but it was sovereign in terms of  political and commercial dealings with Indian kings and trade.
    2. We saw in the last part that they ran out of luck in 1773 and were rescued by the the crown in lieu of some mandatory regulation/ supervising.
    3. But but but, as luck would had it, there were a lot of excesses done by the Company and the supervisory role proved to be inept!

    This is when Pitt proposed that there should be a new act whereby the crown will “superintend, direct and control” the government of the Company’s possessions in India.

    Masterstroke! In fact, the constitution set up by Pitt’s India Act did not undergo any major changes until the end of the company’s rule in India in 1858.

     

    The Pitt’s India Act 1784 actually provided for a joint government of the company and British crown in India.

    And how did Pitt’s India Act go about it?

    1. In political matters, the company which was till now working as somewhat sovereign was made directly subordinate to the British government.
    2. To make this possible, Board of Control was created with 6 people, including a position called as Secretary of State which grew stronger and stronger with time.
    3. The Company was to be represented by the Court of Directors and the Crown was represented by the Board of Control.

    Of course, as you would have guessed the powers of the company were clipped, Calcutta was made more powerful and Bombay and Madras (which were the other two major hubs of EIC were made subordinate to it).

     

    Love to know some more technicalities of the Pitt’s India Act?

    1. The Governor General Council was now under indirect control of the British Government through the Board of Control.
    2. There was also a secret committee of the 3 directors, which had to transmit the orders of the Board to India.
    3. This Secret Committee was to work as a link between the Board of control and the Court of Directors.

    But cool as this dual governance may have sounded, the Pitt’s Act did not last very long!

    Can you tell us the reasons why?

     

     

  • The First Firangis | Chap 1| Warren Hastings And His Time as Gov General of India

    Hello readers,

    The aim of introducing history lessons in a mix of comic + bullet point sequences is not to reinvent the wheel. We know that most of you would anyway go through the regular history books but here’s an attempt to reinforce the essentials and make things interesting.

     

    A lot had happened before Warren Hastings arrived at the scene in India (or shall we say, Fort William in Bengal). He was not the first governor under the company’s rule (that was Robert Clive) but he was one of the most imposing figures in our entire pre-independence history after East India Company started expanding in size.

    Quick trivia: EIC used to have agents till before. Think of EIC as a private company in Britain along with many many other companies. These guys would show up in a Mughal court and with all the diplomatic wisdom intact and ask for tiny-miny concessions, financial discounts etc etc. all in the good faith of trade and commerce! One such guy, Job Charnock in 1690, purchased the city of Kalikatta which then became Calcutta (english swag!) and he fortified it with Fort William.

    Okay, so what did Warren Hastings walk into?

    1. Well, the Battle of Plassey (1757) & Buxar (1764) had already sealed the fate of Indians – gone into the hands of the East India Company’s rule till about 1858 when British Crown said, “It’s time to hand this country over to us guys! You have botched it up enough.”
    2. But there was another mess up which had happened somewhere around 1773, when because of Company’s inept revenue management (Robert clive is to be blamed for that) & the infamous Bengal famine, they went into losses and was on a brink of bankruptcy!
    3. And this is where the first major constitutional change came in the company’s history and Warren Hastings was made the first governor general of Fort William after this major act was introduced.

    The Regulating Act of 1773

    1. The British parliament bailed the fledgling company out of debt but instituted a *regulation of sorts* so that such inept revenue, justice and administrative mismanagement is not repeated again!
    2. The Gov of Bengal was made Gov General of Bengal. He was assisted by 4 people.
      this 4+1 becomes the executive council (later called the govt of India).
    3. Now, this executive council in later acts will be supported by a legislative council. And these will grow big in course of time and form present days Parliament and Council of Ministers. After all we inherited a lot of stuff from these firangis only, right!

    Was Warren Hastings any good?

    1. He was a badass in the sense that he fought many wars & had very elevated imperialistic tendencies. He looked like a guy in full sway of the white man’s burden. You know that term right?
    2. But he did a lot of good in terms of administrative policies and was a stickler for justice.
      • He removed nawabs and zamindars from the corrupt & prejudiced judicial decision making.
      • Every district now had a civil court under the Collector and a criminal court under an Indian judge. He also instituted higher courts and a Supreme court was set up in Calcutta (via the Regulating Act 1773).
    3. He also abolished the system of dastaks, or free passes and regulated the internal trade. He enforced uniform tariffs and instituted a uniform system of pre-postage stamps.

    You know, you will be able to appreciate some of these systems which evolved since the time and are carried in the present day India. Of course there were more additions and subtractions over time and we who has what part to play in later stages!

    In comes the Pitt’s Act of 1784 and here’s where things change a bit

    We see the British Govt further tightening their grip on company matters.
    They establish the Board Of Control (BOC). The BOC had 6 members including the Secretary Of State (Morley of Morley Minto, etc).

    We don’t want to sweep you with the technicalities but what essentially happens now is that British government adds one more layer between the company’s director and itself.

    In the next chapter of this series, we will read more about this Pitt’s Act and see what happens next.

     

    PS: Feel free to ask questions or add important information down in the comments which can make this initiative more engaging.

  • IAS Mains 2015 & Beyond – Mini Quiz #4

    Subjects:

    Here are the 5 questions for IAS Mains 2015 challenge for the week. We have given a bit of initiation into why we chose these questions so that you have some idea before you attempt them all!

     

    We have come across several instances of global floral and faunal pattern undergoing re-distribution. Combining it with the buzzword that is Climate Change makes a worthy combination to be there in the test!

    #1. Anthropogenic factors have emerged as the largest contributor to the climate change which has accelerated the melting of the ice sheets across the globe. Discuss the ecological and environmental consequences of the disappearance of the major ice sheets from the face of the earth.

    They have asked impact of globalization on elderly and with globalization and its impact on Indian society forming a topic from where challenging questions can be framed, this question might just serve that purpose. And remember whenever the examiner frames such questions he/she knows that candidates might just focus on the negatives, something which is common. Don’t fall for the trap! As they say, every coin has two sides!

    #2. Debates on globalization have largely leaned towards its economic impact on countries side-lining its socio-cultural impact. Discuss how globalization has affected the socio-cultural milieu in India.

    The trend shows that the questions from Modern India have been hitherto easy and common like INA or economic impact of British so here is another one in the same line.

    #3. What caused a split among the ranks of Indian national Congress in the year 1907?

    Classic questions from geography (using the names we have heard umpteen times) which everyone seems to know only to overshoot the world limit! But they say brevity pays!

    #4. Discuss the modern theory(ies) of the origin of Indian monsoon.

    #5(a). Explain the origin of ‘Deccan Traps.’
    #5(b). Explain the formation of Atacama Desert.

     

  • Roadmap For Paris Climate Talks: Part III

    Subjects: ,

     

    This is the 3rd explainer in the series of articles on Paris Climate Talks and the underlying issues.

    Previous articles, here: Part 1 & Part 2

    In this article, we will explore the newly emerged concept of INDCs, which will shape the Paris climate change negotiations.

    What is an INDC?

    INDCs, known as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions.

    INDCs are bottom-up commitments from nations defining the extent of their emissions reduction contribution towards this global goal.

    INDCs showcase a paradigm shift from top-down approach to bottom-up system, in deciding the commitments towards climate change.

    Countries have agreed to publicly outline what post-2020 climate actions they intend to take under a new international agreement, known as their INDCs.

    Why are INDCs important for climate change?

    These INDCs will form the basis for the most awaited Paris Climate Change agreement by the end of this year, which will put in place a new protocol from 2020.

    It will largely determine whether the world achieves an ambitious 2015 agreement and is put on a path toward a low-carbon, climate-resilient future.

    Ambitious, equitable and transparent INDCs can provide the world a fighting chance to tackle climate change.

    How does the process work?

    The process for INDCs pairs national policy-setting in which countries determine their contributions in the context of their national priorities, circumstances and capabilities.

    It will be accompanied with a global framework where each country drives the collective action towards a low-carbon, climate-resilient future.

    INDCs are the primary means for govts to communicate internationally the steps they will take to address climate change in their own countries.

     

    What do India’s INDC look like?

    Indian INDCs are inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s famous quote, “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.”

    • India has promised to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35% by 2030 from 2005 levels. < The GHG emission intensity means the ratio between a country’s gross emissions to its gross domestic product at a particular point. >
    • To increase the share of non-fossil fuel sources in it’s energy portfolio to about 40% by 2030.
    • To create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.

    These emission intensity-reduction targets and adaptation to climate change will require about $2.5 trillion

    How will India mobilise funds to fulfill its INDC commitment?

    INDC data estimates spending of atleast $2.5 trillion between 2015-30 to meets its ambitious INDC target.

    India is banking on fiscal measures including fuel subsidy cuts and increased taxes on fossil fuels including diesel and petrol.

    The coal cess forms the corpus for the National Clean Environment Fund, which is used for financing clean energy, technologies, and projects related to it.

     

    Published with inputs from Pushpendra

  • Roadmap For Paris Climate Talks: Part II

    Subjects: ,

     

    This is 2nd explainer in the series of articles on Paris Climate Talks and the underlying issues.

    In this article, we will explore the principles that figure during climate change discussions, which could have serious implications during Paris climate change negotiations.

    Since more than 80% GHG emissions present in the atmosphere today have been emitted by the developed countries which underwent Industrial Revolution in last 150 years.

    Therefore, UN Framework Convention, 1994 placed the burden of mitigating climate change primarily on these countries.

     

    What is the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC)

    This principle demands a bigger response from countries that were historically responsible for the problem, and which were also more capable of responding effectively.

    Most of the rich and technologically advanced countries of the west fitted both criteria.

    The Convention divided the world in two clear groups:

    Annexure I countries: It was a group of 37 countries, who were required to take mandatory emission cuts.

    Non-Annex countries: It comprises the rest of the world, who could take other measures to deal with climate change, like adaptation, but were not required to mandatorily reduce their emissions.

    Where does the problem lie?

    CBDR is at the heart of the Kyoto Protocol, the existing global arrangement for fighting climate change that came into being at CoP-3 in Kyoto, and gave quantified emission cut targets to every Annex-I country.

    However, owing to persistent efforts of the rich and developed world, CBDR has been steadily diluted, and the clear-cut bifurcation of the world between Annex-I and non-Annex countries has slowly eroded.

    What is the principle of Loss and Damage ?

    It essentially tries to capture the inability of communities/countries to cope with the effects of global warming.

    At the Conference of Parties (COP19) of the UNFCCC, held in Warsaw in 2013, all parties agreed to set up a new mechanism on L&D.

    Loss: It generally refers to the complete forfeiture of items like land, ecosystems, or of human lives. The term includes both economic and non-economic losses.

    Damage: It refers to the harm to infrastructure and property that could be repaired.

    What makes Loss and Damage important and different from other mechanism?

    It is important because even after GHG emissions are reduced and communities adapt to climate change, there would still be loss and damage to people, livelihoods and infrastructure as a result of their inability to cope with climate change.

    This is distinct from mitigation, or reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and adaptation, or finding ways to live in a warmer world.

    How L&D will figure in Paris Climate Conference?

    The implementation of L&D principle would mean that Annex 1 countries would pay liability and compensation, as they are responsible for bulk of emissions.

    Recently, the Like Minded Developing Countries held a meeting in Delhi for the issues to be discussed in Paris COP and they have included Loss & Damage in their agenda.

    Published with inputs from Pushpendra

  • Roadmap For Paris Climate Talks: Part I

    Subjects: ,

     

    We are going to publish a series of articles on Paris Climate Talks and the underlying issues.

    In this article, we will explore what is the ‘conference of parties’, and why we will hear more about it as the year-end approaches. We will also understand the how planet’s future could hinge on a deal in Paris.

    What is the CoP-21 and its origin?

    • The annual meeting is called CoP, or Conference of Parties, ‘parties’ being a reference to the 196 signatories to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), that came into force in 1994.
    • The Paris meeting is the 21st meeting of the CoP, and hence it is being called CoP-21.

    Lets understand the objective of COP-21 

    • To deliver an agreement that will facilitate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the only way to mitigate climate change.

    What are the options to achieve this objective

    • Move to processes that do not release carbon dioxide, or minimises their emission. In terms of energy, sources like solar, wind or nuclear.
    • Make use of better technology to make industrial processes more efficient, and lower carbon emissions.

       

    What is the quantum of emissions to be cut?

    • The purpose is to restrict the global surface temperature within 2-degree Celsius as compared to pre-industrial times.
    • The 2-degree target is a certain maximum amount of carbon dioxide that can be left accumulated in the atmosphere, often referred to as carbon budget.
    • Scientists argue that at the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions, the budget would be exhausted in the next 25 years.

    Why is it difficult to cut this quantum of emissions?

    • Almost every human/industrial activity involves the use of energy which is produced primarily by burning fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, etc; all of which have high carbon content.
    • Cutting emissions will mean slowing these activities and, thus, economic development.

    There is more serious impact on developed countries

    The emission cuts for richer and developed countries would mean

    • Altering their lifestyles
    • Giving up big private vehicles to embrace public transport
    • Reducing consumption <This would have impact on countries whose economy is based on consumption>
    Published with inputs from Pushpendra

  • IAS Mains 2015 & Beyond – Mini Quiz #3

    Subjects:

    With special focus on GS3, here are the questions to solve for today. Model answers will be made available tomorrow.

     

    #1. Write a note on Green India Mission with special emphasis on its goals and current status.

    The National Mission for Green India (GIM) is one of the eight Missions outlined under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). It aims at protecting; restoring and enhancing India’s diminishing forest cover and responding to climate change by a combination of adaptation and mitigation measures.

    Try to consolidate your answer and keep it to the point. Do not start explaining the concept and waste words on that.

    #2. (a) What is ‘DigiLocker’? Discuss its utility.
    #2. (b) What is ‘Could Computing’? Identify its benefits.

    Factual question. Should be an easy answer. Try putting in some government of india centric points on how this can be extended to enhance participation, reach etc.

    #3. ‘Cyberspace has emerged as the biggest challenge to the national security’. Comment.

    Start your answer with an India centric viewpoint. Use a popular case (example) to establish your theory.

    #4. Discuss the environmental impact of constructing dams in Himalayan region and suggest the mitigating strategies.

    #5. Climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of the disasters/ As an administrator what steps shall you initiate to mitigate impact of flooding in the coastal and island territories of the country.

  • Google’s Project Loon: Balloon powered Internet

    Subjects: ,

    What is Google’s project loon ?

     

    Many of us think of the Internet as a global community. But two-thirds of the world’s population does not yet have Internet access.

    Balloon powered Internet: Project Loon is a network of balloons traveling on the edge of space, designed to connect people in rural and remote areas, help fill coverage gaps, and bring people back online after disasters.

    Then, How it exactly works ?

    • Project Loon balloons travel approximately 20 km above the Earth’s surface in the stratosphere.
    • Winds in the stratosphere are stratified, and each layer of wind varies in speed and direction.
    • Project Loon uses software algorithms to determine where its balloons need to go, then moves each one into a layer of wind blowing in the right direction.
    • By moving with the wind, the balloons can be arranged to form one large communications network.

    How is the Loon designed ?

    • The inflatable part of the balloon is called a balloon envelope.
    • Each balloon’s electronics are powered by an array of solar panels.
    • The panels produce approximately 100 Watts of power in full sun, which is enough to keep Loon’s electronics running.
    • Project Loon is able to power itself using entirely renewable energy sources.

     

     

    How does it connect?

    • Each balloon can provide connectivity to a ground area about 40 km in diameter using a wireless communications technology called Long-Term Evolution (LTE).
    • With this LTE, people will be able to access the Internet everywhere directly from their phones and other LTE-enabled devices.
    • Balloons relay wireless traffic from cell phones and other devices back to the global Internet using high-speed links.

    Very quickly then, what has Loon upto all this while?

    • Project Loon began in June 2013 with an experimental pilot in New Zealand.
    • The results of the pilot test as well as subsequent tests in New Zealand, California’s Central Valley and in Northeast Brazil were analysed.
    • They were used to improve the technology in preparation for the next stages of the project.

    What are Superpressure balloons?

    • Superpressure balloons are made out of tightly sealed plastic capable of containing highly pressurised lighter-than-air gases.
    • The concept was first developed for the US Air Force in the 1950s using a stretched polyester film called Mylar.
    • More recently, Nasa has experimented with the technology and suggested superpressure balloons could one day be deployed into Mars’s atmosphere.

    What’s the way forward for Google balloons?

    • Google suggests that Project Loon would be a cheaper solution than installing fibre optic cables or building mobile phone masts across all of Indonesia’s islands, which contain jungles and mountains.
    • Google is in talks with the Indian government to deploy this wind power project here. The company hopes to begin production by 2016.
    Published with inputs from Arun

  • India-Africa Forum Summit: Old Friends – Old Family

    Subjects:

    It’s likely to be the biggest diplomatic event in independent India’s political history. Never have more than 39 heads of states gathered in the country.

    • The India-Africa forum summit on October 29, four-day summit meeting between India and 54 African nations, aimed at deepening the spirit of partnership, strengthening international solidarity and expanding cooperation.
    • India hopes to create conditions that stimulate trade and investment flows between India and African countries.

    What is India-Africa Forum Summit and how did it start?

    • The India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS) is a celebration of the close partnership between Africa and India, started in 2008.
    • It was decided to hold the summits every three years, alternately in India and Africa. New Delhi was the venue in 2008 and Addis Ababa in 2011.
    • The third summit, scheduled to be held in 2014, was postponed because of the Ebola outbreak, and will now be held in Delhi from October 26 to 29.

    Reasons behind such an initiative?

    • Economically, Africa is very resource-rich, and has moved from being an underdeveloped continent to having several fast-growing economies, and new democracies.
    • Strategically, there are key shared interests in battling global terrorism, and piracy in the Indian Ocean.
    • Politically, India’s ambition to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council makes it imperative that it engages with all 54 countries of the continent.
    • New Delhi would also want a stronger partnership with Africa on climate change ahead of the COP-21 in Paris.

    How did it help in the development process of the African continent?

    • In the past three years alone, 25000 Africans have been trained or educated in India.
    • The Pan Africa e-network , which now connects 48 African countries, is becoming the new highway of regional connectivity and human development.
    • Under the India Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme, over 100 officials from sub-Saharan Africa receive training annually in India.
    • The continent’s progress will add great stability and momentum to the global economy and benefit India as well.

    Why India and Africa are important for world?

    • India and Africa constitute one-third of the world’s population. A large majority of them are in their youth.
    • Indeed, India and Africa will have a significant part of the global youth population in this century. Their future will shape the course of this world to a great extent.

    In what ways can the New Development Bank of BRICS benefit African countries?

    • It has brought together the five BRICS countries (especially South Africa) as equal partners in the establishment of the Bank, which reflects a completely new paradigm of financial structure of such institutions.
    • It would also, hopefully, have an African window or regional presence of the Bank in the future.

    Obsession with Chinese investments in Africa, Really?

    • World Bank estimates that private Chinese investment accounted for 55% of all Chinese direct investment in Africa by the end of 2011, with most of the spending in manufacturing and the service sector.
    • India seeks to challenge China’s dominance on a continent that is blessed with vast natural resources and has the world’s fastest-growing population.
    • New Delhi wants to project its soft power and historical ties to Africa, in contrast to China’s focus on resource extraction and capital investment that has sparked a backlash in some countries against Beijing’s mercantilist expansion.

    What is on the agenda of this IAFS?

    1. A forceful support for United Nations Security Council reforms.
    2. The endorsement of India’s position at the WTO with regard to agricultural subsidies.
    3. An understanding of the African position on emerging mega free trade agreements like the US-led Trans Pacific Partnership.
    4. Finally a ‘Feel Good Factor’ to deepen diplomatic relations with African governments.

    Seven of the world’s fastest growing economies are now in Africa. All of this means that Africa’s engagement with the world is an opportunity for better, more equal relations.

    The third Summit, which will see the participation of all African nations for the first time, this is an opportunity to take India’s Africa policy out of China’s shadow and truly bring foreign policy home.

     

    Published with inputs from Arun

  • IAS Mains 2015 & Beyond – Mini Quiz #2

    Subjects:

    Let’s change study habits for good!

     

    For this week, for answer writing practice for IAS Mains 2015, we are bringing in these choicest questions from the topics that have been in news in 2015.

    #1. Discuss the concept of judicial independence in the light of the recent judgements of the SC with regard to NJAC.

    A lot has been said and debated in this topic in 2014/15. In this question, to fetch most marks – make sure you summarise and mention recent judgements and arguments put forth by either sides of the debate.

    Ref:

    • https://www.civilsdaily.com/key-points-on-njac-that-you-need-to-remember/
    • https://www.civilsdaily.com/njac-a-triumphant-verdict/

    #2. Bring out the potential of- and the bottlenecks to the ‘Start Up India, Stand Up India’ initiative.

    A classic question which looks at summarising our growing economic and political initiatives which can embolden India’s Startup initiatives. Answer in quick key points to cover this holistically.

    Ref: https://www.civilsdaily.com/story/digital-india-initiatives-whats-buzzing/

    #3. MDGs shall soon give way to the SDGs. Evaluate the performance of India on various parameters of the MDGs.

    #4. Discuss the recent political developments in Nepal. Should they be of any concern to India?

    #5. Present a case for the India’s membership to the UN Security Council.

    Imagine that you are making a case before countries with conflicting interests, how can you show the pros of putting India in the Security Council so that they agree despite not being on board with India’s ambitions. It’s a perfect question for the wannabe IFS Officer!

     

  • Modi, Tesla & Powerwall Battery Technology

    Subjects: ,

     

    Recent visit of Narendra Modi’s visit to Tesla Motors plant in San Jose, caught his attention to renewable energy technology, where the company’s CEO Elon musk introduced him to Powerwall battery technology.

    <Civil service aspirants cannot afford to miss such news, as it would have caught the attention of UPSC, I hope you remember the Prelims question on NFC technology>

    What is Powerwall Technology ?

    • It is a wall-mountable, high-capacity lithium ion battery that can be charged using power generated through solar panels.
    • Dimension – 4 feet tall , 3 feet wide and 7 inches deep.
    • It stores energy for commercial or domestic use.
    • It comes in two variants – 7 kwh & 10 kwh.

    What is a Power Pack ?

    • It is a scaled- up version of the powerwall, and can provide up to 100 kwh.
    • They can be scaled to megawatt- and gigawatt-sized power solutions.

    How are these batteries special ?

    Currently, Powerwall technology would eliminate the need for cables & massive infrastructure, present in a conventional grid system.

    CEO remarked -“The Powerwall would do to the conventional grid system, what mobile phones did to fixed line phones, eliminating the need for cables and massive infrastructure“.

    What Tesla has done to Lithium-ion technology ?

    • It has improved the lithium-ion technology.
    • It has also integrated massive power capacities – up to 6 times the capacity of a common lead acid battery in a single powerwall in a small space.
    • They are built to work for a period of 10 years, while most lead acid batteries die in 3 to 4 years.

     

    Is there any relevance for India ?

    Can they solve the problem of power-hungry rural homes!!

    • Govt. has envisaged supply of 58W to each household, with 2 light point of 9W and a socket of 40W for gadgets, under its rural electrification programme.
    • In this scenario, Powerwall would be good for multiple households.
    • Localised micro-grids could generate electricity from solar energy for villages not connected to the main grid.
    Published with inputs from Pushpendra

  • IAS Mains 2015 & Beyond – Mini Quiz #1

    So, as promised here we begin with our “IAS Mains 2015 & Beyond – Mini Quizes”. While we expect you to attempt the questions earnestly, we also understand our responsibility to explain to you why we chose to frame these questions over some random questions as we don’t want to bulldoze you with questions just for the heck of it but to ensure that you realise the actual benefit of these “IAS Mains Mini Quizzes” which is to acclimatize you to the answer writing in a time bound manner with a set of questions which have a reason to be there.

    Sounds good?

     

    So this set has been prepared for GS1. The paper in 2013 and 2014 could be largely classified into Indian History, World History + Society and Geography.

    In History they framed a question on Maulana Azad on his 125th anniversary. This time around Loh Purush has been quite in limelight and hence a question.

    Newspapers had been full of eulogy to our 1965 war response but it has become all too common for UPSC to become interested in framing a question. But a little known has been the war crimes news in our neighbourhood and hence a question on a war but the one in 1971 and the associated events.

    Thaw in US-Cuba relations was something to look for and the first thing that crosses the mind is Cuban Missile Crisis. As we have maintained that UPSC roams around a news item before picking up a question, we have one here!

    The questions in Geography were picked up from the items that have literally become common parlance like heat islands, temperature inversion, fold mountains and earthquakes. Continuing in same vein we have framed the questions from Ring of fire, Bay of Bengal and the Crust.

    Continuing with our efforts to live upto your expectations and the standard that we have set for ourselves, here we present the first set. Happy writing!

     

    #1. Enumerate the major highlights of the Simla Agreement (1972) signed between India and Pakistan in 1972.

    #2. What were the events that precipitated the Cuban Missile Crisis (October Crisis) in 1962? How was it resolved?

    #3. Discuss the contribution of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to pre- and post- independent India?

    #4. Explain the occurrence of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions along the Pacific Ring of Fire.

    #5. (a) Why are cyclone more common in Bay of Bengal compared to the Arabian Sea?
    #5. (b) The age of oceanic crust increases from the mid oceanic ridges towards the continental margins. Why?

     

    We will provide dummy answers of sorts by tomorrow evening so that you have a sense of wholesomeness!