Focus Eng Oct 14

FOCUS
FOCUS
Dear Students,
FOCUS is a Raus IAS Study Circles monthly publication of current affairs analysis. The publication, as the
name suggests, focuses solely on such current affair items and newspaper editorials which are relevant to
the dynamic segments of the General Studies syllabus and are important themes for the Essay paper of the
Civil Services Examination.
FOCUS is not just a collection of current affairs and general knowledge items, it is in fact a collective effort
of experienced trainers and educators in varied themes of General Studies to analyse these news items,
research and provide background and related information, lend a generalist viewpoint to these news pieces
and thus prepare critical notes for the study of General Studies papers.
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Features:
All news items are categorized and clubbed theme-wise (International, India & the World, National,
Polity & Governance, Science & Technology, Defence and so on)
Maps and figures, wherever relevant, have been provided with news
Background information has been added to make a news understandable in totality
Related and additional information
News Analysis
Must read editorials of the month
Essay
Assignment (Questions)
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All in a very simple and lucid format
How to use?
This issue is broadly divided into twenty six parts:
Parts One to Twenty are different themes under which all news items have been categorized.
Part Twenty One contains all the important editorials from different sources which we consider are a
must read for all aspirants.
Part Twenty Two contains two important articles which we consider are a must read for all aspirants.
Part Twenty Three on Essay.
Part Twenty Four contains a bunch of 50 multiple choice questions on current affairs incorporated
with emphasis on Preliminary General Studies - Paper I and 15 descriptive type questions for various
core sections of the Main exam.
Part Twenty Five contains solutions and explanations to 50 multiple choice questions incorporated in
FOCUS-September, 2014 issue.
Part Twenty Six : Focus Special
Study maps and figures carefully. It will add depth to your knowledge.
Never miss the Background of any news. UPSC asks questions from the background of the news.
Use Related Information and Additional Information to create extra dimensions to your answer.
News Analysis and Editorial will help you develop views about an issue. UPSC asks questions based
upon your views regarding an issue.
FOCUS: Current Affairs Analysis for Civil Services Examination | Edition October 2014
FOCUS
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Make a collection of all these issues/publications and keep revising them as these notes will not only
help you answer many questions in the General Studies papers but will also be very helpful for the
Essay paper.
Further Assistance:
For further understanding of any current affair items or editorials, please consult the respective
thematic faculty member/professor.
For clarity on practice multiple choice questions (MCQs) given in this issue, please consult the FOCUS
(August, 2014) issue.
For clarity on question on GS Main Exam, please consult respective thematic faculty.
The sources for all the news items and other related information are:
Sources:
1. The Hindu
2. The Times of India
3. The Indian Express
4. Asian Age
5. The Tribune
6. The Economic Times
7. Frontline
8. Economic and Political Weekly
9. World Focus
10. BBC
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Good Luck!
RAUS IAS STUDY CIRCLE
ESSAY WRITING
The Study Circle invites and encourages students to write essay on any or both of the below mentioned topics and
submit to the office for inclusion in the November, 2014 issue. Essays can be submitted on any of the following issues:1. The challenges of good governance in India.
2. Managing disasters in India: issues and challenges
- Word limit: Desired word limit is 1500-2000 words.
- Clarity of thought, lucidity in expression, coherence and analytical thinking is expected from the students.
- Timelines: All essays must be submitted either as hard copies at the Office on 3rd floor or emailed as soft copies to
focus@rauias.com latest by November 30, 2014. No extension in the date of submission will be considered.
- Students can submit essay on either of the topics. Do remember to mention your Name and Batch number along
with the essay.
Note:
The best essay on the basis of merit and relevance to the topic will be published in NOVEMBER-2014 issue.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART ONE | INTERNATIONAL
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Jamaat chief gets death for war crimes

Joko Widodo sworn in as Indonesian president
Sweden recognises Palestinian state
Secular party beats Islamists in Tunisian polls
Latvia's ruling parties win election
Morales wins third presidential term in Bolivia
Dilma Rousseff wins re-election in Brazil
Estonia legalises gay relationships
EU sanctions against LTTE struck down
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PART TWO | INDIA AND THE WORLD
Yal Devi Express

Vietnam to buy naval vessels from India to patrol disputed South China Sea
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Cyclone Hudhud
India bans import of animal-tested beauty products
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PART FOUR | ECONOMY
India slips further in ease of business ranking

Govt. cuts non-Plan spending by 10%
Slump is over, time for growth: IMF
Emerging economies more vulnerable to shocks: IMF
RBI starts to monitor growing trades by firms in debt markets
World Bank estimates 5.6% growth for current fiscal
India signs up for Chinas Asian bank
Swiss gold exports to India soar; banks wary
World Bank Group launches Global Infrastructure Facility
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PART FIVE| POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
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PART THREE | NATIONAL NEWS
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Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana

New law proposed for small factories
PM rolls out labour reforms
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PART SIX| SOCIAL ISSUES
Two-thirds of prison inmates in India are undertrials

It will take 81 years for gender parity at workplace, says WEF report
Increased toilet coverage has little health impact: study
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PART SEVEN| SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
ISRO successfully launches navigation satellite IRNSS 1C
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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PART EIGHT | ENERGY

PFBR awaits clearance
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PART NINE | DEFENCE
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Scientists grow miniature human stomachs from stem cells

Indigenous microscope uses peacock feather technology
Exploding stellar fireball caught on camera for the first time
BrahMos Mini
Flight trial of Nirbhay successful
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PART TEN | ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY & BIODIVERSITY

7 new frog species reported from Western Ghats and Sri Lanka
Cut water, power supply to industries polluting Ganga: SC
Western Ghats in Karnataka receive more monsoon rainfall
U.S.-Indonesia debt-for-nature swap
Amur falcons arrive in Nagaland
EU strikes compromise to set new climate target
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PART ELEVEN | HEALTH
WHO declares Nigeria free of Ebola

Swasthya Bima Yojana to be merged with UHAM
A handheld device that detects malaria in 30 minutes
Conditional WHO nod for new multi-drug resistant TB drug
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PART TWELVE | CONFERENCES AND SUMMITS
COP6 to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
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PART THIRTEEN | SPORTS
Pankaj Advani clinches World Billiards title, bags 3 Grand Doubles

2014 US Open
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PART FOURTEEN |ORGANISATIONS IN NEWS

UN Human Rights Council
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PART FIFTEEN | PERSONALITIES
Azita Raji
Ghulam Azam
Jean-Claude
Michael Bloomberg
N. Mahalingam
Oscar Pistorius
Siegfried Lenz 44
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PART SIXTEEN | AWARDS

TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Nobel Prizes 2014

Worlds Childrens Prize for Malala
World Media Summit awards for P. Sainath, Al Jazeera
Indian scientist presented World Food Prize
Richard Flanagan wins Man Booker Prize
Ashwika Kapur bags Panda award
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PART SEVENTEEN| HISTORY AND CULTURE
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Museum treasures to go online

Indonesian cave paintings suggest art came out of Africa
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PART EIGHTEEN| PLACES
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Pushkar
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PART NINETEEN| BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Playing It My Way
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PART TWENTY | MISCELLANEOUS
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Russia turns back clocks to permanent Winter Time

Google executive sets records with leap from edge of space
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PART TWENTY ONE| EDITORIALS
Wrong medicine
Lead from the front
Battling Ebola: The virus reaches the West, but Nigeria tackles it
Diesel, gas: Steps in right direction
Afghanistans change of guard
Grand unification
Faculty crunch: Higher education has much else to worry about
Inspector raj gone, but unions suspicious
Road for national good
The distance to disarmament
Well deserved: Action against DLF should prompt a corporate cleanup
Loosening tobaccos deadly grip
Moving fast on coal allocations
A rural safety net is essential in India
Morales and his moral comp
The freedom to marry
Aftermath of the crisis
Cost-effective treatment: Focus on mental health too at the primary level
Health for all: Compulsory rural stint wont suffice
Resolving IPR disputes
Health coverage for all
Be reasonable
Looking east, to the seas
The art of memory
Not a sensible decision
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A commendable effort
Reading Tirole
A Nobel cause, indeed
Deepening relationship
The message behind the broom
Matters of mind, body
Still parched
A policy of status quo
The truth behind encounters
Issues of surrogacy
Standing still
We grow, they die: Half of wildlife lost in 40 years, no mourning 72
Brightness at night
Train to Jaffna
Towards clarity
A positive move
Like teachers, like pupils: Quality education remains a distant dream
Pakistan back to its old games on Kashmir
The return of Ms. Rousseff
Bold proposals on climate deal
A new bank for Asia
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PART TWENTY TWO | ARTICLES

Cuba: More for less

The global laggard
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PART TWENTY THREE| ESSAY

PART TWENTY FOUR| ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
PART TWENTY FIVE| SOLUTIONS
PART TWENTY SIX| FOCUS SPECIAL
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PART ONE|INTERNATIONAL
PART ONE | INTERNATIONAL

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Jamaat chief gets death for war crimes
A Bangladesh war crimes tribunal handed death penalty to Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami for
crimes, which include the killings of nations leading intellectuals during the countrys War of Liberation in
1971.
Motiur Rahman Nizami was the President of the then Jamaat student wing Islami Chhatra Sangha (now Islami
Chhatra Shibir) that turned into the Pakistan armys infamous auxiliary force Al Badr in 1971.
The tribunal found the Jamaat chief to be criminally responsible for the execution of leading secular intellectuals
and conspiracy to commit war crimes.
BACKGROUND
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamaat for short, is the largest Islamist political party in Bangladesh. On 1 August
2013 the Bangladesh Supreme Court declared the registration of the Jamaat-e-Islami illegal, ruling that the party
is unfit to contest national polls.
In 1971, the predecessor of the party Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan took a stance against the independence of
Bangladesh and opposed the break-up of Pakistan.
It collaborated with the Pakistani Army in its operations against Bengali nationalists and pro-liberation
intellectuals. Jamaat-e-Islami members led the formation of the Razakar and Al-Badr paramilitary forces.
Upon the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, the new government banned Jamaat-e-Islami from political
participation and its leaders went into exile in Pakistan.
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Following the assassination of the first president and the military coup that brought Maj. Gen. Ziaur Rahman to
power in Bangladesh in 1975, the ban on the Jamaat was lifted and the new party Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh
was formed. Its leaders were allowed to return.
In the 1980s, the Jamaat joined the multi-party alliance for the restoration of democracy. It later allied with Ziaur
Rahman's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Jamaat leaders became ministers in the two BNP-led regimes of
prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia.
In 2010 the government, led by the Awami League, began prosecution of war crimes committed during the 1971
war under the International Crimes Tribunal. Several leaders of the BNP and Jamaat were charged with war
crimes. In response, the Jamaat has held major strikes and violent protests across the country and a mass
destruction of public and national properties.
Joko Widodo sworn in as Indonesian president
Jakarta governor Joko Widodo, locally known as Jokowi, was sworn in as the seventh Indonesian president. He
replaced Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
The former Jakarta governor is the first president not to
have come from the military or political elite.
Elected in July, he now leads the world's third-largest
democracy, with a population of about 250 million
people.
CHALLENGES AHEAD
At the top of Jokos task list is to tackle corruption within
government. He also needs to boost the nations
infrastructure development.
One of the first, and biggest, challenges he faces is to reduce the Indonesia's at least $20bn fuel subsidy bill.
Money taken from fuel subsidies can help finance construction of projects such as roads, sea ports and railroads.
But it wont be easy with many Indonesians accustomed to subsidized prices of gasoline and diesel.
In a nation of about 250 million people the worlds fourth largest by population and abundant in natural
resources like copper, gold and timber, Joko needs to contend with a commodities boom that has now faded and
a trade deficit that threatens to further undermine economic growth.
Politically, after a narrow victory in the July 9 election, he faces a legislature that is controlled by opposing
political parties, and that may hinder progress on pushing his reforms..
Sweden recognises Palestinian state
The Swedish government officially recognised the state of Palestine and said there were signs other European
Union states would follow its lead. Swedish government hoped it would bring a new dynamic to efforts to end
decades of Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Sweden said that the move was aimed at supporting moderate
Palestinians and making their status more equal with that of Israel in
peace negotiations.
The move drew immediate criticism from Israel, saying it was
counterproductive and would hurt prospects for future negotiations.
But Sweden's decision drew praise from Palestinians who called on
other countries to match it.
With Britain's parliament having recognised Palestine in a non-binding
vote earlier this month, and similar votes in the pipeline in Spain,
France and Ireland, the Palestinians hope momentum in Europe is
shifting.
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THE ISSUE OF STATEHOOD

Palestinians seek statehood in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the blockaded Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem
as their capital. The land was captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war, although Israeli soldiers and
settlers pulled out of Gaza in 2005.
Years of efforts to forge a two-state solution have made little progress, with the last effort at negotiations
collapsing in April. Palestinians now see little choice but to make a unilateral push for statehood.
Earlier, Palestine said a resolution would be put to the United Nations Security Council calling for a November
2017 deadline for the establishment of two states based on the boundaries that existed before the 1967 war.
The U.N. General Assembly approved the de facto recognition of the state of Palestine in 2012, but the European
Union and most EU countries have yet to give official recognition.
Secular party beats Islamists in Tunisian polls
The secular Nidaa Tounes party came out on top in Tunisias landmark legislative polls, beating the Islamist
Ennahda party which came second.
Tunisians hope the election and the presidential vote on
November 23 will provide much-coveted stability, nearly
four years after the January 2011 revolution that toppled
long-time president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Ennahda, which won Tunisias first free elections three
years ago after the toppling of Ben Ali, had previously been
accused of working to Islamicise its society away from its
traditional secularism.
GRAND COALITION LIKELY

Under Tunisias electoral system, a party that gains the largest number of votes but falls short of an outright
majority is given a mandate to form a coalition government, so a grand coalition is likely between the two
parties.
Latvia's ruling parties win election
Latvia's hawkish centre-right ruling coalition won a clear majority in the general election, after taking a hard
line over the actions of Russia, its neighbour and former ruler, in Ukraine.
Victory for the centre-right in the Baltic state, which takes
over the presidency of the EU at the start of next year, will
bring a sigh of relief from many worried that the proRussian Concord party might gain power and give
Russian President Vladimir Putin a friendly voice in the
European Union.
The former Soviet republic is a member of both NATO and
the European Union and has backed EU economic
sanctions imposed against Moscow over its annexation of
Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and its support for proRussian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
ETHNIC RUSSIANS
Latvia contains many ethnic Russians, who constitute about a quarter of its two million population. When the
Soviet Union broke up many ethnic Russians were stranded in the Baltic states and defined as "non-citizens"
without full passports.
Some fear that the Russian-speaking communities in the Baltics could become geopolitical flashpoints,
potentially manipulated by Putin to destabilise the region. Moscow has long complained about the rights of
ethnic Russians in the Baltics.
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With Russia on its doorstep, the Latvian government has taken a robust stance on security. After taking over as
prime minister in January, Straujuma has boosted defence spending and joined Baltic neighbours Estonia and
Lithuania in pressing for a bigger NATO presence in the region.
Latvia has also strongly backed EU sanctions imposed on Russia and, along with its Baltic neighbours and
Poland, agreed to host U.S. troops and tanks.
RELATED INFORMATION: BALTIC STATES

The Baltic states (also known as the Baltics, Baltic nations or Baltic countries) are three northern European
countries east of the Baltic Sea Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which gained independence from the Russian
Empire in the wake of World War I.
Morales wins third presidential term in Bolivia
Evo Morales easily won an unprecedented third term as Bolivias president on the strength of the economic and
political stability brought by his government.
While known internationally for his anti-imperialist and
socialist rhetoric, he is widely popular at home for a
pragmatic economic stewardship that spreads gains from
Bolivias natural gas and mineral wealth among the
masses.
A boom in commodities prices increased export revenue
nine-fold and the country has accumulated $15.5 billion in
international reserves. Economic growth has averaged 5
percent annually, well above the regional average.
Half a million people have put poverty behind them since
Bolivias first indigenous president, Morales, first took office in 2006, with per capita gross national income up
from $1,000 that year to $2,550 in 2013, according to the World Bank.
Dilma Rousseff wins re-election in Brazil
Brazil's leftist President Dilma Rousseff narrowly won re-election after convincing voters that her party's
strong record of reducing poverty over the last 12 years was more important than an ongoing economic slump.
After the closest, most divisive campaign since Brazil
returned to democracy three decades ago, Rousseff won
the runoff against centrist opposition leader Aecio Neves.
The vote split Latin America's biggest country almost
evenly in two along lines of both social class and
geography. Neves prevailed in Brazil's richer south,
southeast and center-west, while Rousseff took the
Amazon north and impoverished northeast.
The result means another four years in power for the
Workers' Party, which since 2003 has virtually
transformed Brazil - lifting 40 million from poverty, reducing unemployment to record lows and making big
inroads against hunger in what remains one of the world's most unequal countries.
The party's star has faded recently. The economy has averaged less than 2 percent annual growth under
Rousseff's often unpredictable policies, making Brazil's glory days of robust growth last decade an ever-more
distant memory.
Numerous corruption scandals, high inflation and frustration over poor public services like health care tempted
many to consider a switch to Neves' more pro-business agenda. Yet Rousseff and her supporters spent the
campaign warning voters, especially the poor, that a vote for the him would mean a return to the less
compassionate, more unequal Brazil of the 1990s - an argument that Neves rigorously denied, but ultimately
prevailed anyway.
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ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS
With 200 million people and a gross domestic product of some $2 trillion, Brazil is Latin America's largest
economy and its most populous country.
By re-electing Rousseff, Brazil will remain on a middle ground between more socialist governments in
Venezuela and Argentina, and the freer-trading, faster-growing countries on the Pacific coast that include
Colombia and Chile.
FROM TECHNOCRAT TO PRESIDENT
Rousseff, who was jailed and tortured in the early 1970s for opposing that era's military dictatorship, is the
country's first woman president. The daughter of a Bulgarian aristocrat who emigrated to Brazil during World
War Two, she was a relatively obscure government technocrat until her predecessor Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
hand-picked her as his successor.
Many in the Workers' Party are already thinking ahead to the next election in 2018, when Lula, who governed
from 2003 to 2010, has said he may run again. Brazil's constitution doesn't allow presidents to seek a third
consecutive term.
Estonia legalises gay relationships
Estonia became the first former Soviet nation to legalise gay partnerships. Lawmakers voted to approve a
partnership act that recognises the civil unions of all couples regardless of gender.
The new law will give those in civil unions, heterosexual or gay,
almost the same rights as married couples, including financial,
social and health benefits provided by the government and legal
protection for children.
It comes into force in January 2016, after it has been signed by
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President Toomas Hendrik Ilves who supported the bill.
EU sanctions against LTTE struck down
European Union (EU) judges struck down anti-terrorism sanctions against the Tamil Tigers that were imposed
by the EU but said that the assets of the Sri Lankan group should remain frozen for the time being.
BASED ON IMPUTATIONS
The court said that a decision by EU leaders in 2006 to place the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on a
list of terrorist organisations had been based on imputations derived from the press and the Internet rather
than on direct investigation of the groups actions, as required by law.
However, the court rejected the LTTEs contention that it was exempt from EU anti-terrorism legislation because
it was engaged in an armed conflict with the Sri Lankan government and bound by the laws of war. The court,
which stressed it was taking no view on whether the LTTE was a terrorist organisation, said EU laws on
terrorism also applied to armed conflicts.
Saying that sanctions might be applied in future against the Tigers, who were defeated militarily in 2009, the
court said assets that were frozen should remain so temporarily.
PART TWO| INDIA AND THE WORLD

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Yal Devi Express
The iconic Yal Devi Express from Colombo to Jaffna resumed its
run, some 25 years after the link was suspended during the height
of the Sri Lankan civil war.
IRCON, an Indian Railways subsidiary, restored a section of the

line from Omanthai to Pallai in the Northern Province, damaged
during the war, with a $800-million line of credit from India.
Connecting the south to the north, the 339-km line is the longest on
the island. Now, IRCON plans to extend the line to
Kankesanthurai, the northern most tip of the island with a naval
base and a port that India is helping rebuild.
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Vietnam to buy naval vessels from India to patrol disputed South China Sea
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In a first overt gesture of strengthening defence ties with Vietnam, India said that it will sell new naval vessels
to Vietnam under the recently-announced $100 million Line of Credit. The two countries also signed several
agreements, including a memorandum of understanding for exploration by ONGC Videsh Limited in two blocks
in the South China Sea.
This is the first significant
military hardware supply
between India and Vietnam,
ever since the South China Sea
issue came to the fore.
Vietnam had agreed to buy
four patrol vessels for its navy
under the Line of Credit
scheme. Hanoi wants the
vessels for surveillance off its
coast and around its military
bases in the Spratly island
chain in South China Sea
where it is building a naval
bulwark to China with Kiloclass submarines from Russia.
Also talks are on to train
Vietnam Air Force pilots in
flying Sukhoi fighters. India is
already training the Vietnam
Navy personnel in operating
the Kilo-class submarine among other areas.
OTHER AGREEMENTS
Apart from agreements in oil and gas exploration, the two countries signed five pacts for cooperation in sectors
like education, culture and broadcasting, conservation and restoration of the world heritage site of MySon in
Vietnams Quang Nam Province and the Nalanda university project.
The countries also agreed to increase cooperation in space projects and in peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
RELATED INFORMATION: TERRITORIAL DISPUTES IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

Territorial disputes in the South China Sea involve both island and maritime claims among sovereign states
within the region, namely Brunei, the People's Republic of China, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, and
Vietnam.
There are disputes concerning both the Spratly and the Paracel islands as well as maritime boundaries in the
Gulf of Tonkin and elsewhere. There is a further dispute in the waters near the Indonesian Natuna Islands.
The interests of different nations include acquiring fishing areas around the two archipelagos; the potential
exploitation of suspected crude oil and natural gas under the waters of various parts of the South China Sea; and
the strategic control of important shipping lanes.
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1.
Cyclone Hudhud
Cyclone Hudhud hit the states of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa on October 12 leaving behind a trail of destruction
as it ripped through the coastal cities, causing damage to crops and buildings.
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Hudhud caused extensive damage to the city of Visakhapatnam and the neighbouring districts of Vizianagaram
and Srikakulam of Andhra Pradesh.
Hudhud originated from a low pressure system that formed under the influence of an upper-air cyclonic
circulation in the Andaman Sea. Hudhud then intensified into a cyclonic storm and underwent rapid deepening
in the following days and was classified as a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm (Category 4 - SaffirSimpson scale).
(*The name Hudhud, suggested by Oman, refers to the bird Hoopoe. The bird is known as "hudhud" in the
Quran, and appears in the story of Sulayman (Solomon)).
RELATED INFORMATION: WHAT IS A TROPICAL CYCLONE?

A tropical cyclone is a rapidly-rotating storm system characterised by a low-pressure centre, strong winds, and a
spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain.
Tropical cyclones typically form over large bodies of relatively warm water. They derive their energy from the
evaporation of water from the ocean surface, which ultimately re-condenses into clouds and rain when moist air
rises and cools to saturation.
The term "tropical" refers to the geographical origin of these systems, which usually form over the tropical
oceans. The term "cyclone" refers to their cyclonic nature, with wind blowing counter clockwise in the Northern
Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.
In addition to strong winds and rain, tropical cyclones are capable of generating high waves, damaging storm
surge, and tornadoes. They typically weaken rapidly over land where they are cut off from their primary energy
source. For this reason, coastal regions are particularly vulnerable to damage from a tropical cyclone as
compared to inland regions.
Hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones (or even Willy-willys in Australia!) are all words used for the same weather
phenomena A tropical cyclone. The different terms are used in different parts of the world, viz. (Hurricane is
used in the North Atlantic Ocean, North-East Pacific Ocean and South Pacific Ocean, Typhoon is used in the
North-West Pacific Ocean and Cyclone is used in the South-West Pacific.
Eye of a Cyclone: The eye is a region of mostly calm weather at the center of strong tropical cyclones. The eye
of a storm is a roughly circular area, typically 3065 km (2040 miles) in diameter. It is surrounded by the
Eyewall, a ring of towering thunderstorms where the most severe weather occurs. The cyclone's lowest
barometric pressure occurs in the eye, and can be as much as 15 percent lower than the pressure outside the
storm.

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India bans import of animal-tested beauty products
Nearly five months after banning cosmetic animal testing within the country, India has now also imposed a ban
on importing such products that test on animals and thus becomes the first cruelty-free cosmetics zone in South
Asia.
This amended Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, imposing dual ban (test and import), has now put India in the league
of European Union and Israel that had imposed such ban long ago.
15
PART FOUR | ECONOMY
PART FOUR | ECONOMY

1.
16
16
India slips further in ease of business ranking
India ranked 142

among the 189
countries surveyed
for the latest World
Banks Ease of
Doing Business
report that was
released recently, a
drop by two places
from the last years
ranking,
as
Singapore topped
the list.
The fall in ranking
from last years 140
is mainly because
other
nations
performed much
better.
Indias
ranking originally
stood at 134 last
year, but was
adjusted to 140 to
account for fresh
data.
In the 2014 report,
India had 52.78
points and this year
it scored 53.97
points.
The latest ranking,
however, does not
take into account a
slew of measures
taken by the Modi
government
to
make India a
business friendly
destination.
Appreciative of the
steps taken by the
new government,
World Bank officials
said that there was a very high likelihood of India significantly jumping up the ladder in the next report.
PART FOUR | ECONOMY

2.
3.
Govt. cuts non-Plan spending by 10%
The Finance Ministry ordered a mandatory 10 per cent cut in the Centres non-Plan expenditure for 2014-15.
The cut does not cover interest
payment, repayment of debt, defence
capital, salaries, pension or Finance
Commission grants to States. But
subsidies will face the brunt of the
cuts.
The Finance Ministry said the
objective of the fiscal prudence and
economy measures was the need to
rationalise expenditure and optimise
available resources.
The Ministry revived its standard
measures, including curbs on
conferences abroad or in five-star
hotels, purchase of vehicles and staff
cars, travel curbs on flying first class
and ban on new posts.
Slump is over, time for growth: IMF
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said

India has recovered from the economic slowdown. It
expects economic growth to increase in the rest of
2014 and in 2015, spurred by a continuing pick-up
in exports and investments that it projects will more
than offset the effect of an unfavourable monsoon on
agricultural growth.
In the World Economic Outlook released recently by
it, the IMF projected slightly stronger growth in India
in 2014 than its April Outlook projection from 5.4
per cent to 5.6 per cent and kept its 2015 projection
unchanged at 6.4 per cent.
OPTIMISTIC
The Reserve Bank of India, in contrast, has said India
has not fully recovered yet from the slowdown. The
IMF India forecast is more optimistic than that of the
RBI, which, in September, said it expected growth
during the remaining of 2014 to slow from the 5.7 per
cent recorded in April-June and not to pick up before
December.
THE WORLD SCENE
Structural reforms should continue in all economies,
though the agenda varies across countries, the
Outlook recommended. For India, it specifically
recommended improvement of investment
conditions.
17
PART FOUR | ECONOMY
4.
The Outlook cut its world Gross Domestic Product growth to 3.3 per cent in 2014 and 3.8 per cent in 2015. The
forecasts in April were 3.4 per cent for 2014 and 4 per cent in 2015. The Outlook, however, projects that the
uneven global recovery is likely to continue despite setbacks.
World growth in the first half of 2014 was less than the levels the IMF projected in its April Outlook, reflecting a
number of negative surprises such as unexpected weaker GDP growths in both China and the U.S. during
January-April and rising geopolitical risks.
However, the Outlook notes that China has implemented measures to buttress its economy which have
supported faster growth in April-June. The IMFs China 2014 growth forecast remains unchanged at 7.4 per cent.
The 2015 forecast too remains at the April level of 7.1 per cent.
Growth in emerging markets and developing economies is projected to increase modestly in the second half of
2014 and into 2015, supported by stronger domestic demand for goods and services as well as a recovery in
external demand arising out of faster growth in advanced economies.
RELATED INFORMATION: WORLD ECONOMIC OUTLOOK

World Economic Outlook (WEO) is basically a survey conducted and published by the International Monetary
Fund.
It is published twice and partly updated 3 times a year. It portrays the world economy in the near and medium
context.
WEO forecasts include the macroeconomic indicators, such as GDP, inflation, current account and fiscal balance,
of more than 180 countries around the globe. It also deals with major economic policy issues.
Emerging economies more vulnerable to shocks: IMF
The Global Financial Stability Report released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warns that the risk of
shocks emerging from advanced economies hitting emerging economies, including India, has doubled since the
collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, triggering a global financial crisis.
18
18
PORTFOLIO INVESTMENTS
The report finds that the share of portfolio investments from advanced
economies in the total debt and equity investments in emerging markets
has doubled in the past decade to 12 per cent. The heightened risk is on
account of these rapidly rising financial market linkages through which
shocks can get transferred swiftly.
The finding has implications for Indian policy-makers as foreign portfolio
investments in the debt and equity markets have been on the rise.
QE EASING
IMF warned of the vulnerability of the global economy and emerging
market economies such as India to the U.S. Feds imminent reversal of its
Quantitative Easing (QE) policy by which it kept interest rates at near-zero levels to spur domestic demand
and kick-start the U.S. economy. This resulted in a flow of dollar investments into emerging markets such as
India which may reverse on the reversal of the policy.
5.
RBI starts to monitor growing trades by firms in debt markets
Worried by a surge in trading in debt markets by companies, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has directed its
supervision team to monitor and survey such trades.
The move by the RBI reflects concerns that companies which are building large trading positions in debt and
currency markets could pose risks to financial market stability. Currently, there is a regulatory grey area about
who supervises trades by companies in those markets.
PART FOUR | ECONOMY

6.
World Bank estimates 5.6% growth for current fiscal
The World Bank has said that India is

expected to grow at 5.6 per cent in current
fiscal i.e. 2014-15. The growth is expected
to accelerate further to 6.4 per cent in
2015-16 and 7 per cent in 2016-17.
India's long run growth potential remains
high due to favourable demographics,
relatively high savings and policies and
efforts to improve skills and education,
facilitate domestic market integration and
incentivise manufacturing activities, the
Bank said in a report titled 'India
Development Update'.
7.
EXTERNAL SHOCKS
However, it said that external shocks such as financial market disturbance, slower global growth, higher oil
prices and geo political tensions could have adverse impact on baseline trajectory.
At the same time, there are some domestic risks such as challenges to energy supply and fiscal pressures from
weak revenue collection in the short-term and the 7th pay commission's recommendation on public sector
remuneration in the medium term.
On the other hand, further progress on reform agenda, particularly the implementation of Goods and Services
Tax, which could transform India into a common market and dramatically boost its competitiveness, may help
offset both domestic and external risks to outlook.
India signs up for Chinas Asian bank
China, India among 21 countries moved forward towards setting up an Asian infrastructure lender seen as a 19
counterweight to Western-backed international development banks.
PART FOUR | ECONOMY
The signatories put their names to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish the Asian
Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) at a ceremony in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.
The MOU signatories will negotiate the bank's specifics in the coming months and expect to finish by the end of
next year.
The institution, whose development has been driven by China and which is expected to have initial capital of
$50 billion, it intended to address the region's burgeoning demand for funding transportation, dams, ports and
other facilities.
ABSENCE OF JAPAN, SOUTH KOREA AND INDONESIA

Other than China, among Asia's 10 largest economies only India and Singapore signed the AIIB memorandum,
with three of the top five -- Japan, South Korea and Indonesia -- notably absent.
The Japanese government has expressed concern, while the United States is fiercely opposed to the AIIB.
8.
Swiss gold exports to India soar; banks wary
20
20
As banks in Switzerland come under greater black money scrutiny, the quantum of gold having left Swiss shores
for India so far this year has reached a record high level of over 11 billion Swiss francs (about Rs. 70,000 crore).
The total Swiss gold exports to India since
January this year has grown to 11.4 billion Swiss
francs, show the data compiled by the Swiss
governments cross-border trade monitoring
agency.
LAYERING
While industry watchers attribute the surge
during September partly to increased demand
ahead of Diwali and other festivals in India, the
sudden spike is also being seen suspiciously in
the backdrop of gold being used for layering
purposes to move funds from Swiss banks amid
growing scrutiny for suspected black money.
According to banking industry sources, banks
operating in Switzerland, including those
headquartered in the Alpine nation and the Swiss units of other European banks, have turned wary about
dealing with their Indian clients in the wake of a growing scrutiny of such accounts.
A number of Swiss banks have begun telling their Indian clients to sign undertakings that are aimed at
derisking the banking institutions from potential risks arising out of regulatory actions against the bank
customers by foreign governments.
9.
World Bank Group launches Global Infrastructure Facility
Even as India is finding it difficult to meet its ambitious target of ensuring investments worth $1 trillion during
the 12th Five-Year Plan (2012-17) in the infrastructure sector, the World Bank Group recently launched a new
Global Infrastructure Facility (GIF) to ensure that billions of dollars are channelised to develop world-class
infrastructure in emerging markets like India and developing economies.
The World Bank Group said, through the GIF, it plans to work with
the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the New
Development Bank (NDB) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) to
boost investment in bankable infrastructure projects in the
emerging and developing economies.
PART FOUR | ECONOMY
KEY FOCUS
The key focus of GIF will be on climate friendly investments as well as ventures to bolster trade. Work has
already started on a pipeline selection process and the GIF is talking to partners and beneficiary countries about
projects with the potential to transform developing economies and boost job creation.
PARTNERSHIP
AIIB is an initiative backed by China. India is also one of the founding members of AIIB. Along with it, the NDB
(or BRICS Development Bank being set up by BRICS countries including India) also is aimed at helping
emerging and developing countries effectively finance infrastructure and sustainable development projects.
World Bank Group told that the World Bank will extend all help to AIIB, NDB and ADB including its experience
in financing, supervising and implementing as well as its expertise in risk mitigation and in ensuring that there
are enough environmental and social safeguards while building big infrastructure projects.
Some of the worlds largest asset management and private equity firms, pension and insurance funds, and
commercial banks managing several trillions of dollars in assets will work as partners in the GIF to unlock
billions of dollars for infrastructure in the developing world.
This partnership will help tackle the massive infrastructure deficit in developing economies and emerging
markets, which is one of the fundamental bottlenecks to reducing poverty and boosting shared prosperity.
Recent data showed that private infrastructure investment in emerging markets and developing economies
dropped from $186 billion in 2012 to $150 billion last year. Recently, in India, the Deepak Parekh committee
trimmed the 12th Plan Period infrastructure investment projections by around 40% from Rs 51.46 lakh crore (it
earlier projected) to Rs 30.90 lakh crore following waning interest in investment with several problems troubling
public-private partnership projects.
21
PART FIVE | POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1.
Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana
The government launched the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana (VKY),

aimed at improving the infrastructure and human development
indices of the tribal population.
The scheme, modelled on one with a similar name in Gujarat,
allots Rs. 10 crore to each block with a tribal population of over
33 per cent.
The scheme is being piloted in Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh,
Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
The government also granted approval in principle to recognise Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan as a
centre of excellence in the field of tribal language and literature. A proposal to set up a national research centre
in the Tribal Research Institute, Bhubaneshwar, to promote studies on the socio-economic development and
culture of the tribal people, was also approved.
2.
22
22
New law proposed for small factories
The Labour Ministry has proposed the Small Factories (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Services)
Bill to govern wages and conditions of work in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The Bill envisages rules
for wages, overtime hours, social security and appointment of factory inspectors in units employing fewer than
40 workers.
While the government introduced the
Factories Act (Amendment) Bill, 2014 in
the Lok Sabha in August, the new Bill
has been proposed to align the work
conditions in the SMEs with the
Factories Act amendments and allow
enterprises to file compliance forms
online as the government announced
earlier.
Also, there has been a demand from the
SME sector for a separate Act to govern
them. In line with that, this Act will
reduce the number of forms required
for compliance with rules. It will allow
the SMEs to employ women in night
shifts based on the fulfilment of certain
conditions. It will change the inspection
system to one based on self-certification
and inspections based on computer lots.
The Bill builds on the Labour Laws
(Exemption from Furnishing Returns and Maintaining Registers by Certain Establishments) Amendment Bill,
2011, which increases the number of laws under which units will be exempt from maintaining registers and
filings returns.
THE FACTORIES ACT (AMENDMENT) BILL

The Factories Act (Amendment) Bill is for allowing the States to raise the minimum number of workers
employed to 20 where power was used and 40 for others, from 10 and 20, respectively. Based on the suggestions
in a June 2011 report by an expert committee under former Planning Commission member Narendra Jadhav, the
Bill removes prohibitions on women working on certain machines in motion and near cotton openers and allows
the State governments to make rules allowing women to work night shifts in factories upon fulfilling certain
conditions. It doubled the permissible overtime hours from 50 hours in one quarter to 100 hours and from 75
hours to 125 hours in certain cases. The Small Factories Bill will bring the SMEs, which account for over 30 per
cent of industrial production, in line with the amendments to the Factories Act.
3.
PM rolls out labour reforms
Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled new measures for the youth, workers and employers to improve ease
of doing business for enterprises while expanding government support for training workers.
Mr. Modi also launched the Universal Account Number scheme (UAN) for all Provident Fund (PF) contributors
which will allow portability and online tracking of PF benefits.
23
PART SIX|SOCIAL ISSUES
PART SIX | SOCIAL ISSUES

1.
24
24
2.
Two-thirds of prison inmates in India are undertrials
Two of every three persons incarcerated in India have not yet been convicted of any crime, and Muslims are
over-represented among such undertrials, new official data show.
Despite repeated Supreme Court
orders on the rights of undertrials,
the jails are filling ever faster with
them, shows Prisons Statistics for
2013 released by the National Crime
Records Bureau. The number of
convicts grew by 1.4 per cent from
2012 to 2013, but the number of
undertrials shot up by 9.3 per cent
during the period.
Men make up 96 per cent of all prison
inmates. Nearly 2,000 children of
women inmates live behind bars, 80
per cent of those women being
undertrials.
A sharp increase in the number of
undertrials charged with crimes
against women contributes to the rise
in the number of all undertrials. The
number of men convicted of rape rose
dramatically too, by 16 per cent the biggest increase among major sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Undertrials are younger than convicts nearly half are under the age of 30 and over 70 per cent have not
completed school. Muslims form 21 per cent of them. On the other hand, 17 per cent of those convicted are
Muslims.
The disproportionate presence of members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Muslims among
undertrials points not simply to a technical breakdown but also to the increased vulnerability of these groups,
and probably bias.
Among the 2.8 lakh undertrials, over 3,000 have been behind bars for over five years. Between them, Uttar
Pradesh and Bihar are home to 1,500 of those undertrials. Most undertrials 60 per cent of them have,
however, been behind bars for less than six months.
While most States have a little over twice as many undertrials as convicts, Bihar has a staggering six times as
many.
It will take 81 years for gender parity at workplace, says WEF report
India, which ranks low on narrowing the gender gap in education, health and equal pay for equal work, has,
however, taken a high position on the political empowerment sub-index, shows the annual gender survey of the
World Economic Forum (WEF).
Placing India at 114 out of 142 countries vis--vis removing gender-based disparities, the survey puts the
country at number 15 on the scorecard for political empowerment. India also tops the list of countries on the
years with woman head of state (over the past 50 years). While it fell 13 places to 114th slot, politically it is
ranked higher than the United States and the United Kingdom. It ranks 111 on the list of countries which have
women in Parliament and 107 on the list of countries with women ministers.
PART SIX | SOCIAL ISSUES
3.
India experienced a drop [in absolute and relative value] on the health and survival sub-index compared with
2006, mainly due to a decrease in the female-to-male sex ratio at birth. In 2014, it also performed below average
on the Economic Participation and Opportunity and Educational Attainment sub-indexes, the report says.
Owing to its low sex ratio at birth India slumps to 114th position overall, which makes it the lowest-ranked
BRICS nation and one of the few countries where female labour force participation is shrinking, the report states.
NORDIC NATIONS DOMINATE

Pointing out that it will take 81 years for
gender parity at the workplace, the report
shows Nordic nations dominate the Global
Gender Gap Index in 2014; Nicaragua,
Rwanda and the Philippines all make the
top 10.
The report says on average, in 2014, over 96
per cent of the gap in health outcomes, 94
per cent of the gap in educational
attainment, 60 per cent of the gap in
economic participation and 21 per cent of
the gap in political empowerment have
been closed. No country in the world has
achieved gender equality.
THE INDEX
The index was first introduced by the
World Economic Forum in 2006 as a
framework for capturing the magnitude of gender-based disparities and tracking their progress. The index
benchmarks national gender gaps on economic, political, education and health criteria.
25
RELATED INFORMATION: WEF
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is a Swiss nonprofit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva.
It describes itself as an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by
engaging business, political, academic, and other leaders of society to shape global, regional, and industry
agendas.
The forum is best known for its annual winter meeting in Davos (Switzerland). Beside meetings, the foundation
produces a series of research reports and engages its members in sector specific initiatives.
Increased toilet coverage has little health impact: study
New evidence has raised troubling questions about Indias 25-year strategy of pushing people to use toilets as a
way to improve health.
In a paper published in the medical journal Lancet, researchers found that increased toilet coverage did not lead
to any significant improvements in the occurrence of child diarrhoea, prevalence of parasitic worm infections,
child stunting or child mortality.
For their study, researchers looked at 50 villages in Odishas Puri district between May 2010 and December 2013,
where the then Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) to build toilets was in effect, and 50 otherwise similar villages
where the campaign had not yet started.
POSSIBLE EXPLANATION
One key possible explanation for the absence of a health impact, the researchers said, could be the patchy
implementation of the scheme, and uneven rates of use of toilets at the end of the study period, just 63 per
cent of households in the villages where the scheme ran had any toilet, and two-thirds of this group reported a
family member using the toilet. Usage was substantially lower among men than among women.
PART SIX|SOCIAL ISSUES
The study is important because it shows that even a very careful effort to improve sanitation might not actually
reduce open defecation, because sanitation behaviour is very hard to change.
26
26
RELATED INFORMATION: TSC

Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) previously called Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) is a Community-led total
sanitation program initiated by Government of India in 1999.
It is a demand-driven and people-centered sanitation program. It evolved from the limited achievements of the
first structured programme for rural sanitation in India, the Central Rural Sanitation Programme, which had
minimal community participation.
The main goal of Total Sanitation Campaign is to eradicate the practice of open defecation by 2017.
Villages that achieve "open defecation free" status receive monetary rewards and high publicity under the
program called Nirmal Gram Puraskar.

1.
ISRO successfully launches navigation satellite IRNSS 1C
Scripting yet another milestone, ISRO successfully launched IRNSS 1C, the third member of the seven satellite
constellation of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS).
27
The satellite, which is similar in composition to its predecessors 1A and 1B, carries navigation and ranging
payloads.
India hopes to put all the seven satellites in space by 2015. However, the IRNSS could start functioning even
with a minimum of four navigation satellites in space.
THE OBJECTIVE
At a total budget of around Rs 1,420 crore, ISRO is in the process of putting in place the IRNSS, comprising
space, ground and user segments, which would provide accurate position information service to users in India
as well as the region extending up to 1500 km from its boundary. It will be utilized for two services standard
positioning service (SPS) extended to all users and restricted service (RS) which will be encrypted.
28
28
IRNSS would help in terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking and fleet
management, integration with mobile phones, mapping and land survey data capture and others.
NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEM

A navigation satellite system uses a cluster of spacecraft that regularly transmit signals. Suitably equipped
receivers can then use that data to work out their exact position.
Satellite-based navigation has, over the years, become indispensable, with a multitude of both civilian and
military uses. Vehicles, big and small, as well as aircraft and ships increasingly find their way using such
navigation devices. People these days turn to map and location-based services on their mobile devices.
WORLD SCENE
The best known and currently the most widely used navigation satellite system is the U.S. Global Positioning
System (GPS), which became operational two decades ago.
Russia too offers global coverage with its Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS).
Europe is establishing its own global system, Galileo. Although the full constellation will be ready only by 2019,
it plans to begin some services, with a reduced number of satellites, soon.
In 2012, China announced operational services from its BeiDou Navigation Satellite System over the country and
surrounding areas. It intends to launch more satellites and expand the system for global coverage by 2020.
Japan has already launched the first of three satellites for its regional system that will augment GPS services.
THE NEED OF A SEPARATE SATELLITE NAVIGATION SYSTEM
The reason why India needed its own satellite navigation system is because it is essential to ensure that the
nation has an assured service when required as it will reduce the dependence upon a foreign navigational
system, like GPS. The same has been felt in Europe, which, although a close ally of the U.S., still felt the need to
have its own navigation satellites. Much to Americas annoyance, European institutions began moves in the late
1990s to establish the Galileo system.
DEFENCE, PRIME FACTOR
Military operations rely heavily on satellite navigation, and Indias defence requirements appear to have played
an important part in the decision to establish an independent system. The operator of a foreign system can
choose to deliberately degrade the accuracy of its signals, as the U.S. reportedly did with the freely accessible
GPS signals when invading Iraq.
Apart from signals that anyone can utilise free of cost, satellite navigation systems, including the Indian one,
provide an encrypted service that is restricted to those authorised to receive it.
Moreover, satellite navigation had huge civilian applications. With India developing both economically and
technologically, this factor too would have influenced the decision to establish the IRNSS.
GAGAN
Indias IRNSS, along with GAGAN is set to serve a potentially huge market across the sub-continent. GAGAN,
an abbreviation for GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation, is a satellite-based system implemented jointly
by ISRO and the Airports Authority of India to improve GPS accuracy over the country as an aid for aviation.
RELATED INFORMATION: INTEROPERABILITY
The worlds navigation satellite operators increasingly find it beneficial to make their systems work together.
Interoperability, which allows receivers to take signals from more than one system, is catching on.
Especially in situations where signals from one constellation of satellites might not be readily available, such as
when those signals are obstructed by tall buildings in an urban setting or in mountainous terrain, a receiver that
is able to utilise multiple systems can function better and more accurately.
A combination of Galileo and GPS receivers would allow far more accurate position determination, noted a 2011
review of the European system. The same would be true if the BeiDou and GPS systems were used together,
noted a presentation made at a conference held in Shanghai, China.

2.
Scientists grow miniature human stomachs from stem cells
Scientists have grown miniature human stomachs from stem cells as a way of studying gastric diseases such as
ulcers and stomach cancer and in the future creating tissue to repair patients stomachs.
3.
GASTRIC ORGANOIDS
The mini-stomachs are grown in petri dishes from stem
cells. Fully formed, they are the size of a pea and shaped
like a rugby ball. They are hollow with an interior lining
that is folded into glands and pits like a real stomach.
Crucially, the researchers found that the miniature
stomachs, known as gastric organoids, respond to infection
very much like ordinary human stomachs, so the finding
gives a new way to study human stomach diseases because
animals just dont get the same diseases.
Having grown the mini-stomachs, the researchers then
injected them with bacterium Helicobacter pylori. In animals, Helicobacter pylori has little effect and disease
does not follow but in the gastric organoid, the invading bacteria behaved as if it were a real human stomach.
The stomach researchers are now investigating whether their technique can be used to grow replacement
stomach tissues for repairing ulcers, which are effectively holes in the stomachs lining. The technique, which
the team is testing on mice, involves growing a suitable piece of replacement tissue and surgically introducing it
to patch the hole.
HELICOBACTER PYLORI
Human gastric diseases are associated with chronic infection by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Half the
worlds population is infected with the bug, which can be picked up from food. Although most people do not
show symptoms, once the infection is present, up to 20% of carriers will develop gastric ulcers during their
lifetimes. Around 2% will develop stomach cancer.
In developing countries, where Helicobacter pylori infection is more prevalent, gastric cancers are the second 29
leading cause of cancer-related deaths.
MINIATURE ORGANS
This is not the first time that miniature organs have been grown from stem cells. In 2013, scientists grew
miniature kidneys and successfully transplanted into a rat. Replacement windpipes, grown from stem cells on
lab-made scaffolds, have also been grown and transplanted into patients.
Indigenous microscope uses peacock feather technology
India launched an indigenously manufactured microscope that generates 3D images of objects. The Broad
Spectrum Confocal Microscope has several applications in medicine and materials sciences.
It uses an infrared beam which passes through a patented photonic crystal fibre made by the Central Glass and
Ceramics Research Institute (CGCRI), Kolkata.
The optic fibre produces multiple wavelengths from the laser due to its surface which has very small holes. This
is similar to the way a peacocks feather scatters light. This is projected on to the target object which allows us to
see a three dimensional structure of the object.
The microscope was developed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) along with Vinvish
Technologies, Thiruvananthapuram, under the New Millennium Indian Technology Initiative, an effort
launched by the CSIR over a decade ago to develop technologies through collaborative efforts by research
laboratories and technology companies in India.
COST-EFFECTIVE
While similar confocal microscopes cost about Rs. 4 crore to import, these will be priced between Rs. 1.25 crore
and Rs. 1.5 crore.

4.
Exploding stellar fireball caught on camera for the first time
A team of astronomers captured the first images of a thermonuclear fireball from a nova star, allowing them to
track the explosion as it expanded.
The nova erupted in the constellation Delphinus, and was recorded with the Chara Array infrared telescope in
the US.
Researchers from 17 institutions around the world analysed the resulting data. It revealed with unprecedented
clarity how the fireball evolves as the gas fuelling it expands and cools.
NOVA
These explosions are quite unusual events caused by a white dwarf star, which is a burned-out remnant of a star
made of very dense material a teaspoon full of this stuff weighs tonnes.
The white dwarf star is like a mosquito that buzzes around the companion star, slowly sucking hydrogen from
its companion through a little gravitational straw.
This creates an ocean of hydrogen on its surface a few hundred metres thick, with the pressure at the bottom
of the ocean eventually reaching critical point and triggering a thermonuclear explosion called a nova.
30
30
PART EIGHT| ENERGY
PART EIGHT| ENERGY

1.
PFBR awaits clearance
All construction works on reactor at Kalpakkam have been completed and

loading of the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) with liquid
sodium awaits clearance from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board
(AERB), said Prabhat Kumar, chairman and managing director, Bharatiya
Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI).
BHAVINI, a public sector undertaking of the Department of Atomic
Energy, has built the PFBR at Kalpakkam, 60 km from Chennai.
RELATED INFORMATION: BREEDER REACTOR

A breeder reactor is a nuclear reactor capable of generating more fissile
material than it consumes.
These devices are able to achieve this feat because their neutron economy is
high enough to breed more fissile fuel than they use from fissile material
like uranium-238 or thorium-232.
31
PART NINE| DEFENCE
PART NINE| DEFENCE

1.
BrahMos Mini
A new, lighter version of the supersonic cruise missile BrahMos called

BrahMos-M (Mini) weighing around 1.5 tonnes is being planned for use by
the Navy and the Air Force.
Once inducted into the Navy, the Mini can be launched from submarines
torpedo tubes.
For the Air Force a mini version means a Beyond Visual Range (BVR)
missile compatible with future platforms namely, the Medium Multi-Role
Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) and Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA).
RELATED INFORMATION: BVR

A beyond-visual-range missile (BVR) is an air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) that is capable of engaging targets at
ranges of 37 km or beyond.
2.
Flight trial of Nirbhay successful
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32
Boosting Indias plan to enhance strategic deterrence capability, the first long-range sub-sonic cruise missile,
Nirbhay, was test-fired for a range of over 1,000 km.
The success came in the second flight trial as the first had to be terminated midway in March last year after it
deviated from the pre-designated trajectory.
It is a tree-top, low-altitude flying missile, which can evade radars. The fire-and-forget missile developed by the
DRDOs (Defence Research & Development Organisation) Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE),
Bangalore, can carry both nuclear and conventional warheads to a distance of over 1,000 km.
Nirbhay has the capability to pick out its target from multiple structures. It is expected to bridge the critical gap
for a long-range sub-sonic cruise missile.
RELATED INFORMATION: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BALLISTIC AND CRUISE MISSILES

A ballistic missile is only guided during relatively brief periods of flight, and its trajectory is largely unpowered
and governed by gravity (and air resistance if in the atmosphere). This contrasts to a cruise missile which is
aerodynamically guided in powered flight.
A cruise missile is a guided missile, the major portion of whose flight path to its target (a land-based or seabased target) is conducted at approximately constant velocity.
PART TEN|ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY AND BIODIVERSITY
PART TEN| ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY & BIODIVERSITY

1.
2.
7 new frog species reported from Western Ghats and Sri Lanka
A team of researchers from India and Sri Lanka has discovered seven new species of golden-backed frogs in the
Western Ghats-Sri Lanka global biodiversity hotspot, throwing new light on the highly distinct and diverse
fauna in the two countries.
The results of the decade-long survey published in the latest
issue of Contributions to Zoology, an international journal
brought out by the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in the
Netherlands, show that the frogs in Sri Lanka and those in
India belong to distinctly different species. It was earlier
believed that some of the golden-backed frogs (Genus
Hylarana) found in the two countries were of the same
species.
DNA STUDY
The team used DNA techniques and morphological evidence as tools to identify species and understand the
frogs distribution.
The survey yielded 14 distinct golden-backed frogs, with seven new species, including one (Hylarana serendipi)
from Sri Lanka. Of the six new species from the Western Ghats, four (H. doni, H.urbis, H.magna and H sreeni)
are found in Kerala and one each in Karnataka (H. indica) and Maharashtra (H.caesari).
The study also indicates that frogs in the region are under threat due to habitat destruction. Interestingly, one of
the newly-named species, Hylarana urbis, had remained unnoticed though its habitat is in urban areas in and
around Kochi and is under threat due to human activity.
Cut water, power supply to industries polluting Ganga: SC
Observing that its last hope rests on the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Supreme Court referred to it the
responsibility to monitor and inspect industrial units along the Ganga and even cut off water and power
connections if the units are found to be polluting the river.
The court also asked the tribunal to file a status report every six months on actions taken to control industrial
pollution along Ganga.
It said official apathy and failure at various levels in both the State and the Central Pollution Control Board has
led to the Ganga dying at the hands of highly and grossly polluting units, which flush their untreated effluents
into the river without any checks.
The inaction continues even after numerous orders has been passed by the Supreme Court directing the
authorities to protect the river since 1980s, when a PIL was filed before the court by lawyer M.C. Mehta
highlighting the alarming state of the river and its depletion owing to pollution.
RELATED INFORMATION: NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL

National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 is an Act of the Parliament of India which enables creation of a special
tribunal to handle the expeditious disposal of the cases pertaining to environmental issues.
This is the first body of its kind that is required by its parent statute to apply the "polluter pays" principle and
the principle of sustainable development.
This court can rightly be called special because India is the third country following Australia and New Zealand
to have such a system.
33

3.
34
34
Western Ghats in Karnataka receive more monsoon rainfall
In a recent study of rainfall trends using remotely sensed satellite data and actual field data from the Indian
Meteorological Department of the Western Ghats region over the past 14 years, it was found that during the
monsoon months of June, July, August, September, the average rainfall was more over Karnataka than
Maharashtra and Kerala. (*The Western Ghats run parallel to the Arabian Sea coast for approximately 1,600 km
from the Maharashtra-Gujarat border to the southern tip of Kerala.)
There are several reasons for this. First, the mountain topography in
Karnataka is broader than the narrow topography of the Ghats in
Maharashtra. Due to the greater width of the mountains, the rain bearing
winds have to necessarily travel a longer distance and have more time for
the drops to coalesce and precipitate as rainfall, resulting in higher
rainfall.
In contrast, the narrow width of the Ghats in Maharashtra allows the rainbearing wind to cross over to the leeward side rapidly before
precipitation can occur. As for Kerala, the Ghats there are in the form of
isolated mountains, where the rain-bearing winds can easily cross over to
the leeward side through the gaps in between without precipitation
occurring.
Second, the slope of the mountain has a direct bearing on the possibility
of precipitation. This is borne out by the Ghats of Karnataka where the
mountains are gently sloping, compared to the steep slopes of the Ghats
in Maharashtra and Kerala.
The air parcel will retain its energy and speed for a longer time when the
slope is gradual. This will provide sufficient vertical motion to cloud
droplets to grow by collisioncoalescence process and hence form
precipitation.
Third, the gentle slope provides a greater area for sunlight absorption and heating leading to greater convection
when compared with an abrupt slope i.e. less Ghat area such as that of the Maharashtra and Kerala Ghats.
OTHER FINDINGS
The results of the study of the effects of topography of the Western Ghats on the rainfall that the Ghats receive
during the summer monsoon or the southwest monsoon were published in the International Journal of
Climatology.
Interestingly, the study found that often areas of heavy rainfall were far away from the summits of the
mountains, as much as 50 km away. The reason for this is that there is more chance of rainfall occurring at the
foot of the mountain as there is greater depth for the moisture in the clouds to coalesce into big drops which
finally reach the ground.
COMPARISION WITH ANDES MOUNTAINS
The Andes mountains of Chile run parallel to Chiles Pacific coast and boast of some of the highest peaks in the
world. Lying in the rain shadow of the mountains is the Atacama desert one of the most desolate, barren and
hostile deserts in the world. Most of the precipitation from rain bearing winds falls on the windward side or on
the mountains themselves and hence the barrenness of the Atacama desert. Had the Western Ghats been as lofty
as the Andes or the Himalayas, the mountains and the rain shadow region would not boast of the dense
vegetation and rich biodiversity of flora and fauna as they do now.
4.
U.S.-Indonesia debt-for-nature swap
The United States struck a deal to reduce Indonesias debts in exchange for Jakarta pledging about $12 million
for programmes to protect endangered species and their habitats on Sumatra island.
The agreement will provide additional funds for environmental groups to improve programmes aimed at
protecting the Sumatran low-land rainforests as well as efforts to increase populations of threatened animals.
The forests of Sumatra, a huge island in western Indonesia, are one of the
most bio-diverse places on the planet and are home to critically endangered
Sumatran rhinos and tigers.
5.
Amur falcons arrive in Nagaland
Amur falcons from Mongolia reached Nagaland to mark the advent of

another migratory season.
SATELLITE-TAGGED
In November, 2013 three Amur falcons Naga, Pangti and Wokha, named after Nagaland, Pangti village and
Wokha district respectively were satellite-tagged and released in Nagalands Doyang forest to scientifically
establish the long migration route of the Amur falcons from Mongolia to South Africa via Nagaland.
LONGEST BIRD MIGRATION

Every year, from October to November, a large number of Amur falcons arrive in the northeast, especially in
Nagaland for roosting, from Mongolia en route to their final destination South Africa. The falcons travel up to
22,000 km a year known to be one of the longest distance migrations of birds.
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6.
EU strikes compromise to set new climate target
European Union leaders struck a deal on a new target to cut carbon emissions, calling it a new global standard
but leaving critics warning that compromises undermined the fight against climate change.
An overall target was agreed for the 28-nation bloc to cut its emissions of carbon by 2030 by at least 40 percent
from levels in the benchmark year of 1990. An existing goal of a 20 percent cut by 2020 has already been nearly
met, in part due to the collapse of communist-era industry in the east.
EU leaders called the 40-percent target an ambitious signal to the likes of the United States and China to follow
suit at the U.N. climate summit France is hosting in December next year.
ENVIRONMENTALISTS STILL DISAPPOINTED

But environmentalists complained that new targets could still leave the EU struggling to make the at least 80
percent cut by 2050 that its own experts say is needed to limit the rise in global average temperatures to two
degrees Celsius.
And they were further disappointed by a softening in the final agreement of goals for increasing the use of solar,
wind and other renewable energy sources and for improving efficiency through insulation, cleaner engines and
the like.
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36
PART ELEVEN|HEALTH
PART ELEVEN| HEALTH

1.
WHO declares Nigeria free of Ebola
The
World
Health
Organization declared that
Nigeria is free of Ebola, a
rare victory in the monthslong battle against the fatal
disease.
The WHO announcement
came after 42 days - twice
the diseases maximum
incubation period (21 days)
- passed since the last case
in Nigeria tested negative.
For an outbreak to be
declared officially over,
WHO
convenes
a
committee on surveillance,
epidemiology and lab
testing to determine that
all conditions have been
met.
But the disease still
continues to spread rapidly in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea and has claimed more than 4,500 lives.
2.
Swasthya Bima Yojana to be merged with UHAM
The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), which insures

families of unorganised sector workers for medical care, will be
transferred from the Ministry of Labour and Employment to
the Union Health Ministry.
The RSBY, operationalised in 2008 by the UPA government,
will be merged with the Universal Health Assurance Mission
(UHAM) proposed by the NDA government.
The scheme, which covers secondary care, hospitalisation
expenses up to Rs. 30,000 at empanelled public and private
hospitals at present, will be expanded to include tertiary care
for major surgeries, accompanied by increasing coverage
beyond Rs. 30,000.
RELATED INFORMATION: PRIMARY, SECONDARY AND TERTIARY HEALTHCARE

PRIMARY CARE refers to the work of health professionals who act as the first point of consultation for all
patients within the health care system. Such a professional would usually be a primary care physician, such as a
general practitioner or family physician, a licensed independent practitioner such as a physiotherapist, or a nonphysician primary care provider (mid-level provider) such as a physician assistant or nurse practitioner.
SECONDARY CARE refers to the health care services provided by medical specialists and other health
professionals who generally do not have first contact with patients, for example, cardiologists, urologists and
dermatologists.
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PART ELEVEN|HEALTH
3.
38
38
4.
It includes acute care: necessary treatment for a short period of time for a brief but serious illness, injury or other
health condition, such as in a hospital emergency department. It also includes skilled attendance during
childbirth, intensive care, and medical imaging services.
TERTIARY CARE is specialized consultative health care, usually for inpatients and on referral from a primary or
secondary health professional, in a facility that has personnel and facilities for advanced medical investigation
and treatment, such as a tertiary referral hospital.
Examples of tertiary care services are cancer management, neurosurgery, cardiac surgery, plastic surgery,
treatment for severe burns, advanced neonatology services and other complex medical and surgical
interventions.
A handheld device that detects malaria in 30 minutes
Scientists at the Bangalore based Indian Institute of Science (IISc) are developing a handheld device that can
detect malaria in 30 minutes. The project, which is in a proof-of-concept stage, is supported by Biotechnology
Ignition Grant from the Indian governments Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (Birac).
The
device
analyses each cell
in the sample of
blood and gives a
visual
representation as
well as quantitative
count of the
malaria-affected
cells.
At present, the
Indian government
recommends the
use of microscopy
or
a
rapid
diagnostic
test,
both of which take
at least 24 hours to
come up with the
results.
HOW IT WORKS?
The handheld device has a common optical reader into which the user can slide in a replaceable microfluidic
cartridge when a test has to be performed. This cartridge is loaded with a set of compounds to carry out
automated on-chip processing of the blood sample. The affected blood cells display structural features that are
different from normal cells, which can be seen on the devices LCD display.
The process runs on a smartphone-like platform and does the evaluation automatically. It doesnt require the
intervention of a skilled technician. While the qualitative test results can be known instantaneously, quantitative
parasitemia levels are assessed and displayed in about 30 minutes.
The scientists also believe that this portable handheld device can be modified for diagnosing other diseases as
well.
Conditional WHO nod for new multi-drug resistant TB drug
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed a new drug to stem the global spread of multi-drug
resistant (MDR) tuberculosis, but has cautioned that its use must follow a set of guidelines issued by it.
PART ELEVEN|HEALTH
Pointing out that since information about

this new drug, Delamanid, remains
limited, as it has only been through Phase
IIb trial [the phase specifically designed to
study efficacy how well the drug works
at the prescribed dosage] and studies for
safety and efficacy, the WHO has issued
interim policy guidance that lists five
conditions that must be in place if the new
drug is used to for treatment of MDR-TB.
Delamanid has been granted conditional
approval by the European Medicine
Agency in April 2014 and can be used for
the treatment of tuberculosis resistant to at
least isoniazid and rifampicin, the main
first-line drugs. (MDR-TB is TB that does
not respond to at least isoniazid and
rifampicin, the two most powerful anti-TB
drugs.)
According to the WHO, 4,80,000 people
developed MDR-TB in the world in 2013 and more than half of these cases occurred in India, China and the
Russian federation. Almost 84,000 patients with MDR-TB were notified to the WHO globally in 2012, up from
62,000 in 2011. The biggest increases were in India, South Africa and Ukraine.
39
PART TWELVE| CONFERENCES AND SUMMITS
PART TWELVE| CONFERENCES AND SUMMITS

1.
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40
COP6 to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control
TOBACCO TAXATION
One of the first decisions approved by the Parties was on the tax
measures to reduce the demand for tobacco. Tobacco taxation is a
very effective tool for influencing the prices of tobacco higher
taxes usually lead to higher prices, which in turn lead to lower
consumption.
The regulations provide for tax rates to be monitored, increased and
adjusted annually, taking into account inflation and income growth. At the same time, all tobacco products
should be taxed in a comparable way to prevent substitutions of the use of one product with another.
Several measures aimed at restricting tobacco industry interference were decided by the parties. These include
requesting the Convention Secretariat to continue providing technical support to the parties, and to engage with
international organizations on the matters of tobacco companies influence.
ELECTRONIC NICOTINE
Another milestone in tobacco control was adoption of the decision on electronic nicotine (and non-nicotine)
delivery systems, also known as electronic cigarettes. This rather novel product was first launched by
independent companies, but many of them are now being controlled by multinational tobacco companies.
The decision allows parties to prohibit or regulate these products as they see fit, whether as tobacco, medicinal,
consumer or any other product category, and urges parties to consider banning or restricting promotion,
advertising and sponsorship of these products.
MOSCOW DECLARATION
COP6 honored the tradition of the previous conferences and adopted the Moscow Declaration. Noting that the
heaviest burden of tobacco related diseases is borne by the most vulnerable population groups, the Declaration
calls on the parties to strengthen international collaboration on tobacco control and attain a voluntary global
target of 30% prevalence reduction by 2025.
RELATED INFORMATION: WHO FCTC
The World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) is a treaty adopted
by the 56th World Health Assembly in 2003. The treaty came into force in 2005.
The FCTC, one of the most quickly ratified treaties in United Nations history, is a supranational agreement that
seeks to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic
consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke by enacting a set of universal standards
stating the dangers of tobacco and limiting its use in all forms worldwide.
To this end, the treaty's provisions include rules that govern the production, sale, distribution, advertisement,
and taxation of tobacco. FCTC standards are, however, minimum requirements, and signatories are encouraged
to be even more stringent in regulating tobacco than the treaty requires them to be.
PART THIRTEEN|SPORTS
PART THIRTEEN| SPORTS

1.
Pankaj Advani clinches World Billiards title, bags 3 Grand Doubles
India's most celebrated cueist Pankaj Advani clinched the World Billiards
Championship (time format) title to bag a record 12th world crown and also complete a
rare 'Grand Double' post his third win in both the long and short formats in the same
year.
Advani's previous grand doubles were in 2005 and in 2008.
RELATED INFORMATION: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BILLIARDS

AND SNOOKER?
Billiards is played with three balls: white, red and yellow. The white and yellow balls are the cue balls of the two
opponents respectively and the objective is to score some set points. The player who scores the required points
first, wins.
In snooker, there are 15 red and six coloured balls and one cue ball. The player has to pot a red first, then a
colour, and again a red, and so on. At the end of the frame the player with more points wins.
2.
2014 US Open
Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri won the Venetian Macau Open.
41
PART FOURTEEN| ORGANISATION IN NEWS
PART FOURTEEN| ORGANISATION IN NEWS
1.
UN Human Rights Council
In a significant victory, India was re-elected to the UN's main human rights body for the period of 2015-17,
receiving the highest number of votes in the Asia-Pacific group. India is currently a member of the 47-nation
UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and its first term is due to end on December 31, 2014.
42
42
ABOUT: UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is a United Nations system
inter-governmental body whose 47 member states are responsible for promoting
and protecting human rights around the world.
SUCCESSOR TO CHR
The UNHRC is the successor to the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR,
herein CHR), and is a subsidiary body of the UN General Assembly. The council
works closely with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR).
The General Assembly established the UNHRC by adopting a resolution on 15 March 2006, in order to replace
the previous CHR which had been heavily criticised for allowing countries with poor human rights records to be
members.
ELECTION OF MEMBERS
The UN General Assembly elects the members who occupy the UNHRC's 47 seats. The General Assembly takes
into account the candidate States contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as their
voluntary pledges and commitments in this regard.
The term of each seat is three years, and no member may occupy a seat for more than two consecutive terms.
The General Assembly, via a two-thirds majority, can suspend the rights and privileges of any Council member
that it decides has persistently committed gross and systematic violations of human rights during its term of
membership.
INSTITUTION-BUILDING PACKAGE
On 18 June 2007, one year after holding its first meeting, the UNHRC adopted its Institution-building package,
which provides elements to guide it in its future work.
Among the elements was the Universal Periodic Review. The Universal Periodic Review assesses the human
rights situations in all 193 UN Member States.
Another element is an Advisory Committee, which serves as the UNHRCs think tank, and provides it with
expertise and advice on thematic human rights issues, that is, issues which pertain to all parts of the world.
A further element is a Complaint procedure, which allows individuals and organizations to bring complaints
about human rights violations to the attention of the Council.
FOCUS
The UNHRC has addressed conflicts including the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and also addresses rights-related
situations in countries such as in Burma, Guinea, North Korea, Cte d'Ivoire, Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Libya, Iran, and
Sri Lanka.
The UNHRC also addresses important thematic human rights issues such as freedom of association and
assembly, freedom of expression, freedom of belief and religion, women's rights, LGBT rights, and the rights of
racial and ethnic minorities.
PART FIFTEEN|PERSONALITIES
PART FIFTEEN| PERSONALITIES

1.
Azita Raji
U.S. President Barack Obama nominated Indian-American Azita Raji as the U.S. Ambassador to Sweden.
2.
Ghulam Azam
Bangladeshi war criminal Ghulam Azam, who led the Jamaat-e-Islami during the countrys liberation war in
1971, died.
Azam, the brain behind the conspiracy to thwart the birth of Bangladesh, had backed a united Pakistan and led
both the political and the auxiliary forces manned by Bengalis that assisted the Pakistan military.
On July 15 last year, the International Crimes Tribunal handed down 90-year jail sentence to Azam, saying that
though he deserved death he was being given the jail sentence due to his old age.
3.
Jean-Claude
Haitis former dictator Jean-Claude Baby Doc Duvalier, who ruled the impoverished Caribbean nation with an
iron fist from 1971 until his ouster in 1986, passed away.
The death of Baby Doc, as he was commonly known, marks the end of a dark chapter for a desperate country
plundered first by his ruthless father Francois Papa Doc Duvalier, a physician-turned-populist politician
before being further ravaged by his son.
An estimated 30,000 people were killed during the reign of the Duvalier father and son, rights activists say.
Baby Doc returned to Haiti in 2011, after 25 years of exile, but victims, opponents and activists never saw him
face justice.
4.
Michael Bloomberg
Former New York Mayor and philanthropist billionaire Michael Bloomberg was granted an honorary
knighthood from Britain.
He is one of the richest men in America and was honoured for his entrepreneurial and philanthropic
endeavours, and the many ways in which they have benefitted British-U.S. relations.
Mr. Bloomberg, who founded the successful news and financial data company Bloomberg PLC and served as
New York Mayor for a record 12 years until January 2014, is well known for his love of Britain.
5.
N. Mahalingam
Veteran industrialist, N. Mahalingam, passed away. Gandhian, educationist and philanthropist, he received the
Padma Bhushan in 2007.
6.
Oscar Pistorius
Oscar Pistorius was sentenced to five years in prison for the death of Reeva Steenkamp. In February 2013,
Pistorius fatally shot her, in his home.
RELATED INFORMATION
Oscar Pistorius is a South African sprint runner. Although both of Pistorius' legs were amputated below the
knee when he was 11 months old, he has competed in events for single below-knee amputees and for ablebodied athletes.
43
PART FIFTEEN| PERSONALITIES
At the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, Pistorius became the first amputee to win an able-bodied world
track medal. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Pistorius became the first double leg amputee to participate in the
Olympics.
7.
Siegfried Lenz
Revered German novelist Siegfried Lenz, who was credited with helping his country grapple with the Nazi
legacy, passed away.
Mr. Lenz bagged prestigious prizes for novels such as the widely translated Deutschstunde (German Lesson),
Das Vorbild (An Exemplary Life) and Heimatmuseum (The Heritage).
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44
PART SIXTEEN|AWARDS
PART SIXTEEN| AWARDS

1.
Nobel Prizes 2014
This years Nobel prizes have been

awarded to a range of notable
individuals from countries around the
globe. Among them are the youngest
recipient to receive the peace prize, 17year-old Malala Yousafzai, and the fifth
married couple to win an award in the
history of the Nobels, May-Britt and
Edvard Moser from the Norwegian
University of Science and Technology.
Here are the 2014 winners:

Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prize in Physics 2014
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry

2014
The Nobel Prize in Physiology

or Medicine 2014
The Nobel Prize in Literature

2014
The Nobel Peace Prize 2014
Laureate/s
Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi
Amano and Shuji
Nakamura
Eric Betzig, Stefan W.
Hell and William E.
Moerner
John O'Keefe, May-Britt
Moser and Edvard I.
Moser
Contribution
"for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting
diodes which has enabled bright and energy-saving
white light sources"
"for the development of super-resolved fluorescence
microscopy"
"for their discoveries of cells that constitute a

positioning system in the brain"
Patrick Modiano
"for the art of memory with which he has evoked the

most ungraspable human destinies and uncovered
the life-world of the occupation"
Kailash Satyarthi and

Malala Yousafzai
"for their struggle against the suppression of children

and young people and for the right of all children to
education"
The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in

Economic Sciences in Memory Jean Tirole
of Alfred Nobel 2014
BACKGROUND: THE NOBEL PRIZE
"for his analysis of market power and regulation"
45
The Nobel Prize is a set of annual international awards bestowed in a number of categories by Swedish and
Norwegian committees in recognition of cultural and/or scientific advances.
The will of the Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel established the prizes in 1895. The prizes in Physics, Chemistry,
Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace were first awarded in 1901. The related Nobel Memorial Prize in
Economic Sciences was created in 1968.
The Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway, while the other prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awards the Nobel Prize in Physics, the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, and
the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences; the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet awards the Nobel
Prize in Physiology or Medicine; the Swedish Academy grants the Nobel Prize in Literature; and the Nobel
Peace Prize is not awarded by a Swedish organisation but by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
The prize is not awarded posthumously; however, if a person is awarded a prize and dies before receiving it, the
prize may still be presented. A prize may not be shared among more than three people.
RELATED INFORMATION: KAILASH SATYARTHI

Kailash Satyarthi is an Indian children's rights advocate and an activist against child labour.
He founded the Bachpan Bachao Andolan in 1980. Today, this non-profit organization is leading the movement
to eliminate child trafficking and child labour in India. It receives information from a large network of
volunteers.
It is largely because of Satyarthi's work and activism that the International Labour Organization adopted
Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labour, which is now a principal guideline for governments
around the world.
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2.
Worlds Childrens Prize for Malala
Champion for girls rights Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate
in history, won the Worlds Childrens Prize, after a global vote involving millions of
children.
The award was created in 2000 and is part a worldwide educational programme in
which children learn about global issues, democracy and their own rights. The
programme finishes with a global vote.
PART SIXTEEN|AWARDS
This years honorary awards went to former Microsoft executive John Wood, founder of the Room to Read
literacy group, and Indira Ranamagar from Nepal, for her work for the children of prisoners.
Nelson Mandela, Graca Machel, Anne Frank and Kofi Annan have previously been honoured in the awards.
3.
World Media Summit awards for P. Sainath, Al Jazeera
P. Sainath (for his reporting in The Hindu), Al Jazeera English, USA Today
and Global Post were among the winners of the World Media Summit
(WMS) Global Awards for Excellence, 2014.
Mr. Sainath won the Public Welfare Award for Exemplary News
Professionals in Developing Countries, while Al Jazeera English received
the Public Welfare Award for Exemplary News Teams in Developing
Countries.
4.
Indian scientist presented World Food Prize
Sanjaya Rajaram, an eminent Indian scientist, was awarded the World Food
Prize in recognition of his significant contributions to global wheat
production.
Mr. Rajaram, currently a Senior Scientific Advisor at the International
Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), has
developed some 480 wheat varieties that have been released in 51 countries
across six continents and an estimated 58 million hectares.
The World Food Prize, presented at the 2014 Borlaug Dialogue, held in Des
Moines, United States, is the foremost international award recognising
individuals whose achievements have advanced human development by
increasing the quality, quantity, or availability of food.
5.
Richard Flanagan wins Man Booker Prize
Australian writer Richard Flanagan won the Man Booker Prize

for his book about wartime brutality and its aftermath.
Flanagan drew on his fathers experiences as a World War II
prisoner of the Japanese for his book The Narrow Road to the
Deep North, which centers on the Burma Death Railway, built
with forced labor at the cost of tens of thousands of lives.
Flanagan is the third Australian to take the award, after Thomas
Keneally and Peter Carey.
This was the first year writers of all nationalities were eligible
for the Booker, previously open only to authors from Britain,
Ireland and the Commonwealth of dozens of former British
colonies, including Australia.
6.
Ashwika Kapur bags Panda award
Ashwika Kapur of Kolkata won the prestigious Panda Award, as part of the annual Wildscreen Film Festival
held at Bristol, U.K. She is the first Indian woman to win the coveted wildlife photography award for her film on
a Kakapo parrot.
The Kakapo parrot, a nocturnal and flightless species of the parrot, has been classified as a critically endangered
species since 2012 on the IUCN Red List. The bird, found in New Zealand, is known to be one of the longestliving birds.
47
RELATED INFORMATION: IUCN RED LIST

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data List), founded in 1964,
is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world's main authority on the
conservation status of species.
A series of Regional Red Lists are produced by countries or organizations, which assess the risk of extinction to
species within a political management unit.
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48

1.
2.
Museum treasures to go online
A web portal, that will contain digitised content from museums across the country, was launched by the
Ministry of Culture. The software and the web portal were developed by Centre of Development of Advanced
Computing, Pune.
The Ministry of Culture plans to digitise the collections of all museums under its control as well as the
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
In the first phase of the project, collections from 10 museums have been digitised. Other collections will be
digitised in phases and made available for online viewing over a period of three to four years.
The endeavour is expected to help scholars and school students, as well as a general audience by providing
glimpses of rich collections, hitherto hidden from the public eye.
The portal is also expected to give an impetus to tourism in the country, by encouraging people to visit
museums.
Indonesian cave paintings suggest art came out of Africa
Paintings of wild animals and hand markings left by adults and children on cave walls in Indonesia are at least
35,000 years old, making them some of the oldest artworks known, analysis has shown.
The rock art was originally discovered in caves on the island of Sulawesi in
the 1950s, but was thought to be less than 10,000 years old because
scientists thought older paintings could not possibly survive in a tropical
climate.
But fresh analysis of the pictures by an Australian-Indonesian team has
stunned researchers by dating one hand marking to at least 39,900 years
old, and two paintings of animals a pig-deer or babirusa, and another
49
animal, probably a wild pig to at least 35,400 and 35,700 years ago
respectively.
The paintings were made with the natural mineral pigment ochre probably ironstone haematite which the
hunter-gatherers ground to a powder and mixed with water or other liquids to create paint.
SIGNIFICANCE
The work reveals that rather than Europe being at the heart of an explosion of creative brilliance when modern
humans arrived from Africa, the early settlers of Asia were creating their own artworks at the same time or even
earlier.
Archaeologists have not ruled out that the different groups of colonising humans developed their artistic skills
independently of one another, but an enticing alternative is that the modern human ancestors in both Europe
and Asia were artists before they left the African continent.
1.
Pushkar
The world-famous annual fair began at Pushkar town near Ajmer on October
31.
The Pushkar Fair (Pushkar Camel Fair) or locally Pushkar ka Mela is the
annual camel and livestock fair, held in the state of Rajasthan. It is one of the
world's largest camel fairs, and apart from buying and selling of livestock it
has become an important tourist attraction.
50
50
1.
Playing It My Way
Playing It My Way is the autobiography of former Indian cricketer Sachin

Tendulkar. The book summarises Tendulkar's early days, his 24 years of international
career and aspects of his life that have not been shared publicly.
51

1.
Russia turns back clocks to permanent Winter Time
Russia turned back its clocks to winter time permanently in a move backed by President Vladimir Putin,
reversing a three-year experiment with non-stop summer time that proved highly unpopular.
Russia also tinkered with its time zones in order to revert to the full 11 zones from Kamchatka in the Pacific to
Kaliningrad on the borders of the European Union (EU) reduced to nine by previous President Dmitry
Medvedev.
In one of his high-profile reforms, Mr. Medvedev had backed Russias move to permanent Summer Time
(Greenwich Mean Time plus four hours). But the change provoked a rumble of protest, with many Russians
unhappy at getting up an hour earlier on pitch-dark winter mornings.
In July, Mr. Putin signed a law bringing back winter time (GMT plus three hours). He ruled that the clocks
henceforth would never change to summer time.
Time remains a highly political issue in Russia and the ex-Soviet region. Ukraines Crimea region switched two
hours forward to Moscow time in March, shortly after being annexed by Russia.
2.
Google executive sets records with leap from edge of space
Google executive Alan Eustace broke the sound barrier and set several skydiving records over the southern New
Mexico desert after taking a big leap from the edge of space.
Eustaces supersonic jump was part of a project by Paragon Space Development Corp. and its Stratospheric
Explorer team.
The technology that went into developing the balloon, the spacesuit and the other systems that were used in
launch will be used to advance commercial space flight, namely efforts by Arizona-based World View
Enterprises to take paying tourists up in a high-altitude balloon and luxury capsule starting in late 2016.
As more people head into the stratosphere, the spacesuits could be adapted for emergency rescues or other
scientific endeavours.
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1.
Wrong medicine
The Indian Express | Category: Economy
The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authoritys withdrawal of internal guidelines for fixing prices of non-essential
medicines, and clarification that its earlier order capping the prices of 108 anti-diabetes and cardiovascular
formulations stays, deepens the mystery surrounding the drug regulators recent actions. What prompted the NPPA to
issue these guidelines on May 29, enabling it to impose pricing restrictions even on drugs outside the National List of
Essential Medicines (NLEM) citing public interest? And what made it withdraw the same on September 22, stating
this was in compliance with the directions received from the department of pharmaceuticals? Surely, an
independent authority entrusted with enforcing the provisions of the Drugs (Price Control) Order (DPCO) cannot
simply be directed to withdraw any policy guidelines in this case, without specifying any reasons. The
clarification that the rescinding shall be prospective only compounds the confusion.
True, forcing drug makers not to charge more than 125 per cent of the simple average price of various brands in each
of the 108 formulations was a controversial intervention by the NPPA. Although para 19 of the DPCO empowers the
regulator to fix ceiling prices for any drug, this is to be invoked only in extraordinary circumstances. The industry
has a point that this provision potentially extends price control to all drugs, rendering the NLEM itself redundant. But
that still does not justify the patently anti-competitive pricing practices resorted to by some manufacturers. There are
many cases of branded formulations of particular companies costing 5-10 times more than the products of rivals
having virtually the same therapeutic value, and yet commanding disproportionately higher market shares. This
clearly has to do with the nexus between drug firms, doctors and the distribution channel that results in only
expensive branded medicines being bought. And the consumer here is usually someone who buys based on the
doctors prescription rather than by exercising informed, free-market choice.
Yet the solution to such market failure situations does not lie in bringing back price controls through crude para 19type instrumentalities. These, if anything, will only deter the industry from making investments in domestic
manufacturing and in R&D. A better route is self-regulation. Drug makers should not deny the existence of anti- 53
competitive pricing and marketing behaviour. It might be worthwhile for them, in fact, to evolve a voluntary code of
good practices in this regard. Also, it is better that the NPPA confines its remit to NLEM drugs. For the rest, the
Competition Commission of India is the best body to probe any unfair trade practices.
2.
Lead from the front
Pioneer | Category: India and World
India's successful re-election to the United Nations Human Rights Council is surely worthy of celebration. It received
the most number of votes in the Asia-Pacific group and, as both our Prime Minister and Indias Permanent
Representative to the UN have noted, this was the result of the country's continued commitment to the safeguarding of
human rights. It also reflects the countrys standing on the world stage. However, having said that, it is equally
important to add that unless India effectively leverages this opportunity to make an impact, it would mean little to
occupy a seat at the council just for the sake of it. The UNHRC has been criticised for being ineffective and biased, and
there is a general consensus that the rights body is plagued by the same problems that brought down its predecessor,
the UN Commission on Human Rights. Loose membership requirements, for example, have meant that countries like
Saudi Arabia, Qatar and several African dictatorships many of whom are habitual human rights offenders have
made it to the panel. Moreover, non-democratic states are known to have exploited their membership to the UNHRC
for domestic political gain. For example, such states have seen their trade with China rise after gaining membership to
the council; similarly, non-democratic African states have been found to be more likely to receive foreign aid from
China after they gain council membership. To make matters worse, while non-democratic states have used the
UNHRC card to whitewash their rights records, democratic ones have found themselves at the receiving end. For
example, with regard to countries like Sri Lanka and Israel, the council's human rights violator' tag has been used as a
stick when they have refused to toe the Establishment line. The question here is: What is India doing to improve the
council's performance? Or, is it even interested in taking charge and pushing for reforms? Unfortunately, at this point
PART TWENTY ONE | EDITORIALS
there is little to suggest that it is taking any concrete step. Its voting record at the UNHRC points to the contrary. We
are sometimes confused even about national priorities (as India's Sri Lanka vote proves).
India, along with other emerging nations, has often complained that the existing global governance structures do not
give it adequate space to make itself heard and participate in international decision-making processes on an equal
footing. Yet, as Western lawmakers and diplomats point out, even when India had the opportunity to lead on issues of
global import, it usually shied away from taking on additional responsibility. This is particularly the case with difficult
policy issues that may require New Delhi to upgrade its approach to foreign policy-making. For example, while India
on the one hand contributes one of the biggest contingents of peacekeepers (and, therefore, plays a substantial role in
maintaining world peace on the ground), on the other hand it is reluctant to take a definite stance on key issues. A case
in point is how India has yet to articulate its views on how the world should tackle the rise of the Islamic State. New
Delhi's security apparatus is ensuring that national interests are protected, but at the international forum, we should be
leading more from the front.
3.
Battling Ebola: The virus reaches the West, but Nigeria tackles it
The Tribune | Category: Health
SOON after the WHO declared Nigeria to be free from Ebola, there were reports of the virus spreading to the West,
with a doctor in New York being the latest victim. In Nigeria, a dedicated doctor diagnosed an infected patient, and
contained the virus. Since there is no specific treatment or vaccine, patients are given supportive care, and the fatality
rate can be as high as 90 per cent. The doctor and her patient were among the eight persons who died in the country.
However, her prompt and firm action saved Nigeria from a major health crisis. It allowed health officials to identify
other people the patient may have come in contact with and monitor their symptoms. Even as the government in
Nigeria prepares to handle more challenges, it has shown that even one right person at the right place and time can
save the day.
Some countries have banned passengers from Ebola-hit nations. Recently, the US put into place rules that would
obligate passengers arriving from the Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea to fly into five selected airports that have
extensive screening facilities. India too has reviewed various contingency plans for handling Ebola patients, in case
they fly into the country. However, there is some worry about the effectiveness of such plans, so the first emphasis
54 needs to be on monitoring visitors from the affected countries.
54 The World Health Organisation, which has been criticised for its slow and bureaucratic response to the deadly virus
threat, has now geared up and said it hopes to test two experimental Ebola vaccines in West Africa by January. It also
plans to make available soon a blood serum treatment in Liberia. No one knows how long it will take to control the
epidemic. The need is for concerted action. The resource-rich nations which have the means to provide help in treating
and containing the infection, must participate fully in eradicating the menace, even as other international agencies
work simultaneously to develop proper drugs. The fight against Ebola will be long, but as Nigeria showed recently, it
can be won.
4.
Diesel, gas: Steps in right direction
The Asian Age | Category: Economy
The cut in diesel prices by Rs 3.37 per litre and the announcement of the new pricing for natural gas are welcome
developments. While the diesel cut could have come earlier, given that global crude prices dropped 25 per cent since
June, the deregulation of diesel will usher in a new era for consumers and oil marketing companies. It should also
lower inflation to a significant extent and reduce the governments subsidy bill considerably.
World crude prices are now declining and will do so for a while as crude supply far exceeds demand due to slowing
global economies and over-production by the United States and the Arab oil-producing countries. But the government
should offer disincentives for the rich to buy gas guzzling cars and reduce the gap between petrol and diesel prices.
The pricing of natural gas had been hanging fire for nearly two years due to unacceptability of the irrational and
unjustifiable price recommendation by the Rangarajan Committee and others. The NarendraModi government rightly
rejected the recommendation for a hefty increase of $8.4 per million British thermal units (mBtu) and fixed a price of
$5.61 per mBtu from November 1. The current price is $4.2 per mBtu.
The new price has been welcomed by Indias national giant oil explorer ONGC. Its chairman D.K. Sarraf said every $1
hike in the price would add Rs 4,000 crores to its annual revenue and Rs 2,500 crores to its bottomline. The government
has promised a premium (unspecified) over the new price for new discoveries in ultra-deep water areas, deep water
areas and high temperature-high pressure areas.
Private sector petroleum major RIL (Reliance Industries Ltd) is, however, not expected to benefit from the new pricing
as it is involved in an arbitration case with the government over falling gas production from the K.G. Basin and until it
meets the shortfall, RIL will have to credit the difference between the revised price and the earlier price of $4.2/mBtu
to a gas pool account maintained by GAIL. RILs gas production has fallen gradually from the promised 60 million
standard cubic metres a day (mscmd) in 2011 to just 12 mscmd in the last one year.
It is a significant natural gas producer and its inability to keep targets has caused crores worth of losses to the power
and fertiliser sectors that depended on RIL gas. So while the gas pricing issue may be out of the way, gas availability is
still a major issue. RIL and its partner BP have planned huge investments in oil exploration based on a price of over $8
per mBtu. It is not certain whether they will go ahead with these plans at the new price of $5.6/mBtu. The government
will have to find a solution.
5.
Afghanistans change of guard
The Hindu | Category: International
The new President of Afghanistan, AshraffGhani, and Abdullah Abdullah, the countrys chief executive officer a
new post that is to evolve into a prime ministership in two years have their work cut out. Their swearing-in was
billed as the first peaceful transition of power in Afghanistans history, but there is little peace. Two suicide attacks in
Kabul claimed seven lives; a suicide bomber struck near Kabul airport on the day of the swearing-in; and, just recently
the Taliban, more confident as U.S and NATO troops withdraw, launched a fierce assault not far from the capital, in
Ghazni province. The peace process that began under the presidency of Hamid Karzai has stalled. The Taliban want to
rule Afghanistan; they are hardly interested in negotiating power-sharing deals to participate in a government they
consider imposed by the West. The main challenge before Mr. Ghani, a former World Bank executive and one-time
Finance Minister in the Karzai government, is nothing less than to ensure peace in a country with a raging insurgency,
repair an economy that is dependent on international aid, even as he crafts a foreign policy that has to take into
account the demands of half a dozen regional powers, including Pakistan, and countries beyond. Mr. Karzai, eager 55
towards the end of his term to get rid of the pro-West tag that was attached to him, had been reluctant to sign an
agreement allowing some U.S. troops to stay on after the drawdown by end-2014. Mr. Ghani has quickly drawn the
line under the previous government among his first actions as President was to ink the long pending Bilateral
Security Agreement and Status of Forces Agreement.
Compounding the difficulties is the tenuous political agreement between Mr. Ghani and Mr. Abdullah that ended the
post-election deadlock. Mr. Abdullah had refused to accept his defeat in the presidential run-off against Mr. Ghani,
accusing him of electoral fraud. After nearly six months of bitter negotiations, Mr. Ghani agreed to share power with
Mr. Abdullah in a U.S.-brokered deal that has brought together two leaders of opposed ethnicities Mr. Ghani is
Pashtun while Mr. Abdullah is Tajik. New Delhi, which was rightly wary of Mr. Karzais overtures to the Taliban,
must support and encourage Afghanistans new leadership, but in truth it is Pakistan, with its continuing lifeline to the
Taliban, which holds the key to the stability and survival of the new political arrangement. That in turn is crucial to
achieving long-term peace in Afghanistan and ensuring the regions security. Unfortunately, both will be elusive until
Pakistan, especially its security establishment, is able to draw the right lessons from its own pathetic internal security
situation to realise that an unstable Afghanistan goes against its own interests.
6.
Grand unification
In order to allow the finance ministry to interface more decisively with foreign governments to retrieve black money
stashed overseas, the government may bring all agencies involved, such as the Financial Intelligence Unit India and
the Financial Action Task Force Cell, under a unified command. Currently, they report to different departments and
ministries. Unification would ensure that on the issue of dodgy capital flows, the government addresses the world and
its myriad enforcement and intelligence agencies in a single, clear and authoritative voice. This would mesh well with
the new global standard on international tax reporting agreed on by the G20 in July. Besides, this is yet another
instance of the single-window strategy promoted earlier to improve the domestic investment climate and simplify the
interface between government and the people. It only happens to be externally directed this time.
But nothing will improve unless the communications flowing through that window are more effective. Dealing with
illegal capital flows is a subset of enforcement efforts across borders, an area in which, historically, the governments
attempts have been routinely baffled. Extradition requests in cases like the Bofors scandal and the Purulia arms drop
have been the most visible failures, but other interactions have also come to embarrassing ends due to legal ineptitude,
protocol errors and unrealistic expectations. For instance, the brouhaha over black money overseas reached its highest
pitch in 2012 when then CBI director A.P. Singh had estimated that Indians were global leaders, having stashed $500
billion in illegal funds overseas.
Black money overseas is a political issue. It was one of the BJPs main election issues in 2009 to resonate with
nationalist voters. It prodded the UPA government into releasing the improbably titled White Paper on Black Money
in 2012, a quarter after Singhs sensational claim. In 2014, it was elevated to a time-bound poll promise, and now the
government must stand and deliver. But if it is convinced that the volume of black money out there is substantial, and
that it can be recovered, it should invest in the necessary legwork. Innovating institutions and structural efficiencies
should be read as a preparatory step. The achievement it should lead to is still in the distant future.
7.
Faculty crunch: Higher education has much else to worry about
The Tribune | Category:Social
THE idea of academic pursuit has lost its sheen. Its not just the poor pupil-teacher ratio in higher education, which has
come to 23 students per teacher, that should be worrying the planners and educationists. The more worrisome part is
academics no more attract talent. Despite salaries being comparable with the best in the employment market, not many
would like to work as faculty in colleges and universities mushrooming across India. Lack of research facilities, grants
and opportunities to excel in ones area of research often due to nepotism and favouritism is a major factor that
pushes bright academicians to seek offshore jobs.
Even after the University Grants Commission (UGC) made it mandatory for all aspiring faculty members to clear the
National Eligibility Test or the State-Level Eligibility Test to ensure quality, not much has changed in terms of either
56 the number of teachers available or the quality of teaching. In fact, till as late as 2011, the UGC was flip-flopping on the
56 decision to honour or reject PhD degrees recognised and awarded by its own universities for a faculty position. All this
is symptomatic of the malaise that prevails across our much esteemed institutions of knowledge, from the top to
bottom.
As a result, 75 per cent of our technical graduates and more than 85 per cent general graduates produced by our
universities are unemployable by Indias high-growth global industries, according to the results of assessment tests
administered by the National Association of Software and Services Companies. There have been suggestions to abolish
the UGC, which has failed to respond to the changing requirements of education at multiple levels. In a rush to
produce more degree holders, we ignored quality. Now, just to get more faculty members, the same should not be
repeated. Wipro, an Indian MNC, started a programme called Mission 10 X to train teachers in appropriate pedagogy
techniques for teaching engineering students to meet its quality requirements in education. Why cant the UGC take a
leaf out of the Wipro book?
8. Inspector raj gone, but unions suspicious
The Asian Age | Category:Economy
The reforms announced under an umbrella programme, ShramevJayate (Work Triumphs), like making it easy for
companies to register online and being given one universal number, checking inspector raj, allowing portability of
employees provident fund (PF) to facilitate job shifts, etc., are all designed to make ease of doing business a reality and
attracting investment to boost the Make in India campaign. The interface between companies and labour officials has
been almost eliminated as companies will register on the ShramSuvidha portal and be given a universal registration
number irrespective of the number of persons they employ.
They will self-certify through a single form that they are following all the 16 laws and will be inspected once a year to
see that they are fulfilling their obligations. Prime Minister NarendraModi, who made these announcements, said this
is meant to be minimum government and maximum governance. It will definitely be a boon to the small and medium
industries who had to deal with 50 Central Acts and 100 state Acts, all of which added to their costs.
The PM also launched a campaign for vocational training and skill development that will enable equipping 23 lakh
apprentices with various skills from the present three lakh. MrModi was at pains to underline that labour must be
given more respect, perhaps to allay fears that workers are being given a raw deal.
While business organisations have been quick to welcome the changes, particularly the change rendering the estimated
1,800 factory inspectors toothless, the trade unions have been cautious and suspicious about the leeway given to
employers. All these changes are being implemented with immediate effect. There is a feeling that workers have been
left to the mercy of their employers. Earlier, unions could complain to the inspectors if laws were not followed, and the
inspectors would go to the concerned factory. Now workers have to depend on the goodwill of the employers for
things like minimum wages, work timings, overtime, etc. As MrModi said, there would have to be a lot of trust. One
labour expert feels the inspector raj will be replaced by employers raj or contractors raj.
It is perhaps too early to dismiss these changes as being totally anti-labour. There is no doubt that the labour laws
needed changing. There will have to be some mechanism for redressal of workers grievances if these changes are not
reduced to creating sweatshops to attract investment and boost the Make in India campaign. The alternative
would be tremendous social unrest.
9.
Road for national good
China's objection to India's plans to build a road along the McMahon Line in Arunachal Pradesh is not only misplaced
but also hypocritical. In the first place, the proposed road linking Tawang to Vijaynagar is well within Indian territory,
although Beijing may consider it disputed. India has every right to upgrade the infrastructure in its regions. Just
because previous regimes, especially those of the Congress-led ones, did not take the initiative since they did not wish
to ruffle the Chinese feathers, does not mean that India must remain saddled with poor facilities in a region which is of
strategic importance to the country. For decades, our security experts and Armed Forces have been emphasising on the
need to enhance the road transportation infrastructure on the Indian side of the McMahon Line as well as the Line of
Actual Control. Now that the NarendraModi-led Government appears to be veering towards this necessity, it needs to
be fully supported in the venture. China has claimed that the Indian proposal to construct the vital road link will
vitiate the relationship between the two countries and complicate a resolution to the existing border dispute. But this
need to resolve the border dispute never came in Beijing's way to construct roads and put in place other infrastructure
on its side of the McMahon Line or the LAC. It cannot be anybody's case that China should continue to upgrade its
facilities on its side while India sits back doing nothing, fearing that any similar action on its part would jeopardise 57
talks to resolve the border dispute. Not only has China been improving infrastructure on its side but it also has been
intruding into Indian territory. These are not developments conducive to resolving the border issue. Unmindful of
Indian concerns, China's rail network has come close to Sikkim (which, incidentally, it has still not officially recognised
as being part of India), and it has plans to construct another rail line close to Arunachal Pradesh. The Chinese call to
jointly safeguard peace and tranquility along the borders, sounds hollow given their own provocative actions, the
most recent being the intrusion when their President Xi Jinping was on a visit to India. Perhaps Beijing believed that
the rousing welcome President Xi received on his visit to India with Prime Minister NarendraModi receiving him at
Ahmedabad would maintain the status quo in the manner New Delhi conducted its China policy. MrModi is surely
intent on having good relations with China, but he and his Government will not, unlike earlier regimes, be overly
sensitive to Chinese demands. Beijing must have realised the change in tone and tenor that has come about with the
arrival of a new Government in New Delhi. When he was asked to react to China's objection, Union Minister for Home
Affairs Rajnath Singh said, We do not react, we act. While this would be music to many Indian ears, it must have
rattled Beijing.
But there is a difference between the desire to construct the Arunachal road link and the actual work on the ground.
Union Minister of State for Home KiranRijiju has been emphatic on the proposal and MrRajnath Singh has virtually
seconded the resolve. It is time for some action now. Any attempt to wriggle out of the project will be seen as backtracking, and will leave Beijing laughing.
10.
The distance to disarmament
The commemoration of the first International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on September 26 was
a moment for introspection. The Cold War is behind us and it is nearly 70 years since the catastrophe in Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. Yet, why are nuclear arms the most contentious of all Weapons of Mass Destruction, and nuclear
disarmament as distant as ever? The answers are not far to seek. The 1966 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty remains on
date the only agreement to prevent the spread of these weapons outside the original five nuclear weapons states. But
then, there are more countries today that flaunt these terrible weapons as a symbol of military might and many more
that are perhaps perilously close to their acquisition. This bleak history is a commentary on the discrimination inherent
in the NPT. The treaty privileges the status quo; it obliges non-nuclear weapons states not to acquire nuclear weapons,
without concomitant guarantees on disarmament from the Nuclear Weapons States (NWSs). The 1996 Comprehensive
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty aims to prohibit all tests and explosions. A potentially crucial deal, it has yet to come into
force because not all of the 44 countries with nuclear power reactors would ratify it. The big players in Asias
geopolitics including India have kept out of it, as has Washington.
Formal negotiations to finalise a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty have not commenced in all these decades. At issue has
been the question whether such a deal should cover existing or future stockpiles of plutonium and highly enriched
uranium needed to produce nuclear weapons. The refusal of many non-aligned countries to sign up to a deal that
would exclude current stocks from its purview, in effect preserving the hegemony of the NWSs, seem unexceptionable.
The 2010 New START (strategic arms reduction treaty) limits the U.S. and Russia to 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads
deployed on 700 strategic delivery systems. This is the most current legally binding and verifiable bilateral arms
control accord between Washington and Moscow. Meanwhile, the five nuclear weapons free zones in different regions
across the globe have not been backed by unconditional assurances by the original five NWSs not to use force. Against
this overall backdrop, the recent global ban on chemical and biological weapons other categories of WMDs offers
the hope of securing a similar abolition in relation to nuclear weapons at some time in the future. Efforts at the UN
Conference on Disarmament towards the conclusion of a treaty may be long-drawn. But the stakes for world peace
were never greater than they are today.
11. Well deserved: Action against DLF should prompt a corporate cleanup
The Tribune | Category: Economy
IN these days of corporate loot at least regulators are keeping up public faith in the system. SEBI has struck hard at
DLF for hiding material information at the time of its public issue in 2007. Earlier, the Competition Commission of
India had fined DLF Rs 630 crore for abusing its dominant position and taking Gurgaon flat owners for a ride. The case
58 is pending in the Supreme Court. The company's land deal with Robert Vadra had landed it in another controversy
58 which Congress opponents exploited to the hilt. A day after the SEBI action the DLF shares tanked 28 per cent.
Investors desert companies with shady managements.
While politicians and governments are usually seen hand in glove with companies, it is institutions such as SEBI and
the Supreme Court which punish the law-breakers. No matter how wealthy, powerful and well connected a
businessman or an industrialist may be, he must have the fear of the law. This is what SEBI and the Supreme Court
have done in the Sahara case. The apex court verdict in the coal scam must have sent the signal that it does not pay to
bribe politicians to get coal mines. The law, hopefully, will take its course in the Rs 45,000-crore Pearl group fraud case
and the Rs 2,400-crore Saradha chit fund scandal.
There are many more instances of corporate wrongdoings caught in litigation. Public sector banks have piled up nonperforming assets by extending loans on non-professional considerations. An illegality or a scandal can happen
anywhere. It is how a case is dealt with that differentiates one nation from another. It should not have taken the law
seven long years to catch up with DLF. If India is to grow and attract domestic and foreign investments, it must
strengthen the regulators and the justice system to cut delays and raise the cost for wrong-doings. Corporate cleanup is
as important as the campaign for sanitation.
12. Loosening tobaccos deadly grip
The Hindu | Category: Health
A few months after steeply increasing taxes on tobacco products, the government has come up with another muchneeded measure to contain tobacco consumption. Thanks to a recent amendment to the Cigarettes and other Tobacco
Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules of 2008, pictorial warnings are all set to achieve the desired results.
Beginning April 1, 2015, all tobacco products will carry a pictorial warning and text message that occupy at least 85 per
cent of the front and back of a package. The pictorial warning alone will take up 60 per cent of the space and the
written message the remaining 25 per cent. With this change, India will catapult itself to the No.1 position in the world,
alongside Thailand, on the international ranking based on the area dedicated to the warning. Aside from more than
doubling the statutory warning area on a package from 40 to 85 per cent, both sides of a package will carry the
warning; currently, it is displayed only on one side. In contrast to the completely ineffectual pictorial warnings now
being used on cigarette packets and chewing tobacco pouches, the chosen images can at once shock and educate
consumers of the risks of tobacco use. By also mandating that images be rotated every 12 months, the government has
ensured that India follows the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control labelling requirements in letter and
spirit. Incidentally, the pictorial warning that is currently being used has remained the same since December 2010 with
just one rotation after it was introduced on May 31, 2009.
The use of pictorial warnings turns the power of packaging on its head from building and reinforcing a brand,
packages become a vehicle for increasing awareness about tobaccos health risks. It is proven beyond doubt that the
use of graphic images along with written messages has the potential to significantly deter people from taking up the
habit and also prompt existing users to cut the amount of tobacco consumed and even quit smoking. Tobacco
companies are well aware of the power the pictorial warning wields and how much it could affect their bottom line.
They may well, on grounds of the health of the industry and the livelihood of the workers, seek to get the government
to dilute the amendment. After all, the industry had successfully gone through the process before; it had persuaded the
previous government to backtrack on nearly every provision till the warnings became ineffectual. How well the
government resists such pressure will show how determined it is to win the war against tobacco. Since one million
people in India die each year because of tobacco use, the government should not sacrifice proven and obvious health
benefits at the altar of commercial advantage.
13.
Moving fast on coal allocations
The Hindu | Category: Economy
The Centre has done well in moving quickly to clean up the mess in the coal sector following the Supreme Courts
cancellation of the allotment of 214 blocks. The cancelled blocks will be reallotted through an e-auction and an
ordinance will be promulgated shortly to facilitate the transfer of the mining land from existing owners to the new
ones who emerge successful from the auction. The most interesting part of the ordinance relates to the enabling
provision in it that will allow the government to allot coal mines to private companies for commercial exploitation.
Finance Minister ArunJaitley would not term it as denationalisation of the coal industry and held out the assurance
that the interests of Coal India would be protected. Yet, the fact is that the enabling provision confers powers that can
be exercised when the need arises. India, which has 301 billion tonnes of coal reserves among the highest in the 59
world imported 174 million tonnes last year, spending $20 billion of precious foreign exchange largely because of
the limitations that monopoly producer Coal India has in increasing its output. Allowing private players into
commercial mining of coal will not only fetch much-needed investment, including FDI, but also help increase
production to meet the countrys needs. Of course, the caveats to this are that it should be done after due regulatory
safeguards are built in and the impact on the environment is taken into account.
Meanwhile, the government has protected the interests of State and Central utilities by assuring them of allotments
outside of the bidding process. While an e-auction will lead to transparency, it is most likely that it will also push up
acquisition costs for successful bidders. This is especially because some of them are already operating downstream
projects such as cement, steel and power plants and will be keen to reacquire the mines that they have forfeited by the
apex court order. While these companies will be allowed to bid in the e-auction, they will not get the right of first
refusal over the mines that they are already operating, which is the right thing to do. The higher mine acquisition costs
could push up prices for consumers unless the availability of coal increases simultaneously. The tricky part of the eauction exercise will be in the valuation of the land and assets of the forfeited owners which will be done by a
committee. This could turn out to be contentious and needs to be handled with utmost transparency. The Centre also
needs to be commended for passing on the proceeds from the auction to the States where the mines are located. Thus,
States such as Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh and Odisha will get a much-needed revenue boost.
14.
A rural safety net is essential in India
The Asian Age | Category: Social
Under the stewardship of Union rural development minister Nitin Gadkari, things are looking far from good for the
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the 2005 law passed with cross-party support under
UPA-1 that came to be hailed internationally as the worlds largest rural job guarantee scheme although, at home,
some fair criticisms were also levelled at the way the massive project worked on the ground.
The critics pointed to corruption and noted that contractors were pocketing money by padding muster rolls and giving
the workers less than they were promised but made them sign on the government-stipulated figure. A good deal of
this was true, especially in states that arent administered well. But it was equally noteworthy that the scheme gave
employment to 50 million rural workers at a relatively small cost to the exchequer something like 0.3 per cent of the
GDP. Further, with the governments insistence on bank accounts being opened for workers (and this process has not
fully matured), the money began to go directly to bank or post office accounts and that helped to reduce corruption.
But Mr Gadkari, a businessman who did some construction work in Mumbai as a minister in Maharashtra, is not
impressed with the employment aspect. He appears keen to reduce the financing of the employment component of the
MGNREGA and increase the material component. This can only help contractors who are, in any case, known to drool
at the prospect of being hired for infrastructure projects and other public works.
Under the original law, 60 per cent of the financing was to go for wages and 40 for materials.
MrGadkari has made known his intention to make this 51:49. In wishing to bring this about, he is reported to be
overruling the top civil servants in his ministry who point out that five crore rural families will go to rack and ruin if
deprived of wage employment under MGNREGA.
The scheme was originally meant to offer 100 days of guaranteed unskilled work to every rural household in the
country and the UPA had said it desired to push this up to 150 days. In its counterview, the NDA proposes to lower
the employment period. In addition, it also seeks to withdraw the coverage of the scheme by about one-third of the
country.
Eminent economists and social activists such as Aruna Roy, who was a force behind the implementation of the
MGNREGA and fought the then government to make it more transparent and widespread, are naturally disappointed
with the rural development ministers cavalier attitude toward rural employment. They have written to the PM. In the
end, the whole thing may turn on how large their campaign to save rural jobs turns out to be.
15.
Morales and his moral comp
The 60 per cent mandate that President Evo Morales received recently for a third term is remarkably bigger than the
first one 54 per cent that he got in 2005. That is a measure of the continuing popular disenchantment with the
60 economic policies of the 1990s. The latest verdict also gives a sense of the fervour with which Bolivias first President of
60 indigenous descent has delivered on his welfarist redistributive agenda for nearly a decade in one of the poorest
countries of South America. The aggressive nationalisation of the Andean countrys natural wealth has constituted the
backbone of Moraless economic triumph. The size of Bolivias economy has tripled in recent years and it is expected to
emerge as the regions fastest growing state this year. Higher wages and cash transfers to the elderly and children that
have characterised the Morales era undoubtedly lent substance to the Presidents rhetoric on anti-capitalism and antiimperialism. However, there is growing concern that the commodities boom of the last decade may soon fade away as
in the case of the other countries of the region. The government has said that a massive programme of industrialisation
would be ushered in to boost growth and generate jobs. This may be the right strategy for La Paz to adopt, given that
the current share of investment is just about 19 per cent of Bolivias GDP. A shift away from the heavy reliance on
natural gas as a source of investment would be appropriate in view of the shale gas explorations in the U.S. and
countries in Latin America.
On the political front, Bolivia seems to fit into a familiar pattern of Latin American leaders serving successive terms in
office. Brazils Workers Party, in power since 2002, is seeking another term for President DilmaRousseff not to
mention other examples in the region. The phenomenon of political parties centred on the personalities of strong
leaders, who in turn obtain popular backing during elections, is natural in countries where democratic rule of law is a
relatively recent experience. Their ways may sometimes raise concerns about constitutional checks and balances. For
instance, Bolivias Constitutional Court last year cleared Mr. Moraless bid to run for a third term. It reasoned that an
existing provision allowing an incumbent President one re-election was amended in his first term and that a
presidential term is computed from the time of the adoption of the new Constitution. His voters evidently did not
question such an interpretation. The macro-economic policies have constituted the main source of the stability of the
Morales regime. Democratic accountability and an investment-friendly climate may be the key to his future success.
16.
The freedom to marry
The Hindu | Category: Social
The move from decriminalising homosexuality to granting legal status to gay marriages may seem a simple and logical
step. After all, the quintessentially liberal principle is that all people ought to be treated with equal respect and without
discrimination in every matter. This dictum would apply equally to the question of marital preferences as with sexual
orientation. But contemporary history tells a more complex story. The United States Supreme Court recently gave
assent to same-sex marriages in five States. It did so by declining to hear challenges to earlier appeals to court rulings.
Since the relevant circuit courts also have jurisdiction in six more States, the latest decision is in effect expected to allow
marriages among homosexuals in a majority of States 30 of them. This seeming surge in political and judicial
support is a far cry from the situation that existed just a decade ago. Thirteen States amended their constitutions in
2004 to ban same-sex marriages, reacting to Massachusettss move to allow them. They were echoing the spirit of the
1996 federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defined the institution of marriage as a union between man and woman.
It further authorised States that banned such marriages to withhold recognition to gay couples from other States where
this was legal.
But then, two Supreme Court rulings last year repudiated the view that a world where gays and lesbians were
wedlocked was an affront to heterosexual marriages a view that was espoused by social conservatives and religious
groups. In one ruling it struck down the 1996 legal provisions as being unconstitutional and violative of the Fifth
Amendment protection of individual liberty, and denial of equal benefits to same-sex couples. In the other, the court
nullified the ban on gay marriages in California, which, incidentally, was the first State to overturn the ban on interracial marriages in 1948. A number of States have since lifted the ban on same-sex marriages, including the five States
that have now won the courts backing. Globally, 17 countries predominantly European ones, besides two from
Latin America have ended the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriages and consequent social and legal
benefits. While The Netherlands was the first to do so in 2001, Britain, France and Brazil amended their laws suitably
last year. Icelands Johanna Sigurdardottir was the worlds first openly lesbian Prime Minister, between 2009 and 2013,
and was the countrys longest-serving member of Parliament. Freedom and equality, it is fairly obvious, eventually
and inexorably lead to a gender-neutral stance on many social questions that may have been settled by convention in
the past.
17.
Aftermath of the crisis
Pioneer | Category:Nation
Timely planning and effective implementation of those plans in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have managed to contain
the loss of lives to around half a dozen in the wake of the Hudhud cyclone that lashed the coastal parts of the two
States. While it is true that the destruction to property has been vast and widespread, the aftermath could have been
worse but for the near immaculate coordination between the States, the Centre and the National Disaster Response
Force (NDRF). The cyclone had snapped the crucial communications and power networks in Visakhapatnam, and yet
there was no chaos of the kind we witnessed in the case of recent floods in Jammu & Kashmir. The basic difference
between the two incidents is the manner in which the catastrophes were handled. The State administration in J&K was
completely missing from action; its warnings to the people were not given effectively enough; nor was any real effort
made to evacuate the vulnerable. It was eventually left to the brave soldiers of our Armed Forces to virtually singlehandedly come to the rescue of the population. There was also a complete lack of coordination among the various
agencies. Almost a similar situation had existed when flash floods had wreaked havoc in Uttarakhand. It is clear that
everyone concerned had learned lessons from past experiences this time around, including from the last cyclone,
Phailin. Incidentally, even Phailin's brunt had been contained as a result of efficient handling of the crisis. In a gesture
that must be replicated in similar unfortunate circumstances, Odisha, which has not suffered as much as Andhra
Pradesh, has promptly agreed to help in relief and restoration efforts in Andhra Pradesh after the latter sought
assistance. The good thing about the success in managing the crisis is that it has shored up the confidence of the
authorities. The Odisha Government has set for itself a target of zero casualty' from such natural disasters. Needless to
say, it is something that other States should work upon. Odisha had been among the worst sufferers in the past a
huge storm that hit the State in 1999 had claimed nearly 4,000 lives.
The impact of effective coordination helped the NDRF evacuate nearly 13,000 people in the two States. The Army, the
Navy and the Air Force were all ready to contribute, with a clear line of command. According to reports, naval ships
were on standby with relief material for at least 5,000 people even before the cyclone hit the States. While the States
were effectively doing their bit to combat the crisis, the Centre was constantly in touch and reviewing efforts through
the National Crisis Management Committee. It goes without saying that, but for the timely evacuation, the human
casualties in both Andhra Pradesh and Odisha would have been enormous.
61
But, while the immediate fury of Hudhud has begun to wane, many challenges lie ahead, and the good work done so
far by all agencies concerned can go in vain if the after-effects are not handled efficiently. The State and the Central
agencies have a lot of work at hand, and they cannot afford to be complacent. The follow-up measures, including
Central financial aid, are critical.
18.
Cost-effective treatment: Focus on mental health too at the primary level
WITH affordable healthcare out of bounds for common people, the government has in a welcome step decided to issue
guidelines on cost-effective treatment for 40 top killer diseases. The move involves the publishing of standard
treatment procedures and best available technologies to help patients make informed choices about the treatment they
wish to choose for a given medical condition. Going by the success of the WHO propagated effective, low-cost way to
prevent diarrhoeal diseases, one hopes the guidelines would be simple and affordable. Healthcare continues to be a
major burden for the common people, with the government spending just a small part of the GDP on health.
Since the private sector expenditure on healthcare in India is more than double of what the government spends,
guidelines like the ones proposed are more than needed for an unregulated healthcare industry. Patients are fleeced
and misguided from the stage of diagnosis to treatment. Secondly, by including 40 major diseases, the overlap of
schemes for the same healthcare issue will be avoided. In the past we have had multiple schemes for controlling
maternal mortality, causing wastage of resources for the same beneficiaries.
Though mortality rather than morbidity continues to be the major focus of healthcare in our country, mental illness, a
major cause of dysfunction that remains grossly under-represented by conventional public health statistics, is included
in the list of 40 diseases. Neuropsychiatric disorders are projected to increase to 15 per cent by the year 2020. While at
the international level mental health is receiving increasing importance, conditions like depressive disorders leading to
a rise in the number of suicides remain undiagnosed in our country. Schizophrenia is on the rise and needs to be
treated on a par with fatal diseases. Mental health needs to be integrated with primary healthcare as a first step to
remove helplessness faced by millions of patients who remain absent from the healthcare data. Offering informed
choices about their treatment will of course be an added advantage.
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19.
Health for all: Compulsory rural stint wont suffice
WITHOUT a doubt, healthcare is the right of every Indian including those who reside in rural areas. But in a country
way short of the WHO recommended 1:1000 doctor-patient ratio, motivating doctors to serve in rural areas has
remained an onerous task. Time and again the centre has toyed with a compulsory rural stint for medical students. Not
too long ago, the UPA government made one-year rural posting for MBBS graduates an eligibility criterion for writing
the PG exam and later backtracked on the issue. Now, the BJP Government has given a go-ahead to the rural-posting
policy and asked the Medical Council of India (MCI) to change the existing three-year medical PG course to provide
for a year-long mandatory village posting. But the moot point is can a one year compulsory posting alone help combat
the serious shortage of medical professionals that plagues rural medical care?
Healthcare is a tremendous challenge that India, despite progress and advancement in medical science, has not been
able to rise up to. While quality healthcare remains a major concern for most Indians, for those residing in rural areas
even basic health facilities remain a mirage. A large majority of rural posts for doctors remain unfilled. The shortage of
doctors, however, is only one facet of the appalling medical reality. Rural healthcare centres are short of technicians,
simple medicines and often people have to walk for more than 30 km to seek healthcare.
Besides addressing the issue of paucity of doctors, what rural India needs is better medical infrastructure and wellequipped healthcare centres. Doctors too must overcome their reluctance and be ready to serve in the rural hinterland
where they are needed the most. The government on its part needs to think of more innovative strategies and longlasting solutions. Setting up of premier medical institutions in rural areas can prove to be a game-changer. Several
studies have indicated that doctors trained in rural medical colleges are not only more likely to serve in rural areas but
also do a better job. Besides, proposals like developing middle-level healthcare providers through courses such as
Bachelors in Community medicine are worth pursuing. The road to universal healthcare might be bumpy, but as
Keralas health model marked by low cost and universal accessibility has shown, is the way to go.

20.
Resolving IPR disputes
Pioneer | Category: Economy
Given how disputes over intellectual property rights have become a major irritant in India's economic engagement
with the rest of the world, the Modi Government has done well to begin tackling the issue head-on. Especially since the
new administration is placing trade and commerce at the heart of India's foreign policy, an effective IPR regime that is
in keeping with international standards and also conscious of domestic interests, is the need of the hour. The Union
Government has already promised such a regime within the next couple of months, and, additionally, is also working
on a one-on-one basis with partner countries to iron out long-standing differences. At the top of the list is the US which
has repeatedly complained that India's existing IP laws are regressive and, in some cases, violative of international
laws. In fact, ever since the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) began publishing its annual Special 301
Report which assesses the state of IP protection in countries with which the US does business India has been on
its priority watch-list. This year, the USTR threatened to downgrade India's rating and also announced an out-of-turn
review, which could be a prelude to unilateral sanctions. Hopefully, the new bilateral mechanism to look into these
contentious issues, announced during Prime Minister NarendraModi's recent US trip should stave off a crisis, and also
allow enough time and space to resolve the issues for the long term.
The Special 301 Report lists five areas of major concern: Copyright and piracy, patents and regulatory data protection,
trademarks and counterfeit, trade secrets, and localisation trends. In each of these cases, India either lacks legal
protection or that existing laws are not adequately enforced. Some cases, however, are more contentious than others
such as patents in the field of pharmaceuticals. An important case in point is the Supreme Court's landmark 2012
judgement in the Novartis case that allowed a local drug manufacturer to produce and sell a patented cancer medicine
without the patent holder's permission. Such moves help drastically reduce the price of otherwise prohibitively
expensive, life-saving medicines. Understandably, it is opposed by big pharmaceutical companies who argue that they
invest millions of dollars to develop these medicines and, therefore, have the right to profit from their sale. But there is
also an equally strong argument, put forth not just by India but Governments of other developing countries which
must protect the interests of millions of poor citizens as well, that the larger public good comes before individual
profit. In such cases, a middle ground has to be found. Besides, an effective IPR regime is not just about keeping big
corporates happy; it is as much about supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. For example, India's
63
lax piracy laws in the field of media and entertainment hurt foreign and domestic businesses alike.
21. Health coverage for all
Pioneer | Category: Health
The universal health insurance programme, announced by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, has the
potential to revolutionise the manner in which millions of people access healthcare in this country. If implemented
effectively, it can bring quality healthcare services at nominal prices to even the poorest of the poor. As of now, only 25
per cent of the country has insurance coverage; the rest are unprotected and vulnerable to the extent that even one
major road accident or a bout of serious illness can wipe out the savings of an entire family. And this is not just the
case for those living in abject poverty; large sections of the uninsured middle class, for example, are also equally at risk
of financial ruin in such situations. Against this backdrop, the Health Ministry deserves full credit for making health
insurance a national priority. Universal coverage has been on the Government's agenda since Independence
however, for a variety of reasons, including the lack of finances, it has never been implemented properly. There are
some smaller schemes that offer free or cheap health services to sections of the marginalised and the poor, but there is
no country-wide scheme. Once initiated, this universal health insurance scheme will complement the Pradhan Mantri
Jan DhanYojana, which seeks to promote financial inclusiveness in a country that still primarily functions in the
irregular sector. The new plan is not exactly comprehensive but it will ensure that everybody has access to at least
primary healthcare facilities. The scheme includes 50 essential drugs (that are expected to cover a significant majority
of health problems), a set of diagnostic services and 30 AYUSH (ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, unani, siddha, and
homoeopathy) drugs at all Government hospitals.
However, for the scheme to be truly effective, the country's overall healthcare infrastructure has to be overhauled. As
of now, it is woefully inadequate to support the healthcare needs of more than a billion people. The situation can
become worse once the new scheme comes into play and the system is accessed by an increasing number of people.
Also, let us not forget that lack of money is not the only reason why many in India can't afford basic healthcare. Almost
all Government hospitals and healthcare centres provide either free or highly subsided services. Yet, that is still not
good enough because of many problems that lie elsewhere for example, in some cases, state-run facilities don't have
adequate manpower or enough medicines or even basic medical equipment; in other cases, there are so few health
centres in a particular area that it is not always feasible for patients in remote locations to travel long distances.
Instances of critically ill patients dying en route to hospitals are tragically common. These are problems that will not be
solved through an insurance scheme.
Another aspect that needs to be looked into is the role of the private sector in the healthcare delivery mechanism.
Universal insurance will shift at least some of the patient burden on the private sector this is fine, even desirable.
However, the Government must ensure that the private sector is properly regulated so that patients aren't scammed or
trapped by their insurance providers.
22.
Be reasonable
The Indian Express | Category: Polity and Governance
The Central Information Commission has been headless since August 22 and in the interim, the Right to Information is
being eroded. A month ago, the Madras High Court invited widespread criticism by ruling that an RTI applicant must
state reasons for seeking information, and that it must serve the public interest. Now, the office of the governor of
Maharashtra has issued a government resolution empowering officers to ignore requests that do not serve any public
interest. The Madras High Court had moved suomotu to review its own order, clarifying that it violated Section 6(2) of
the RTI Act, which states that an application does not have to disclose reasons. However, the resolution in Maharashtra
remains to be reversed.
These moves appear to stem from impatience about frivolous and motivated requests. As the Madras High Court had
explained, the legislatures had not intended that information was to be handed out like pamphlets to any person,
unmindful of the object. In Mumbai, the Raj Bhavan is particularly disinterested in providing personal information
that may compromise privacy, especially in matters which may serve a private interest. However, the authorities
cannot ascribe motive or lack of it which is frivolity by another name to applicants with any degree of certainty
until the information released is put to use. Or not used, as the case may be. Besides, to declare the motive of an RTI
query in advance is self-defeating, alerting the very authorities that it may be designed to catch out. The mechanism
64 came with automatism built in precisely to negate governmental discretion.
64 The prevention of misuse should not be the first concern in the working of a law. Efficiency in use should routinely
trump that argument, specially in laws that effect fundamental changes in human behaviour and public practices. A
parallel may be drawn with the anti-dowry law, which is turning the tide on a mainstream but ugly custom. Its
provisions are perceived to have been widely misused, but the Supreme Court has nevertheless upheld Section 498A of
the IPC, which criminalises cruelty to women, while warning that it should not be used to settle scores. This year,
Lalitha Kumaramangalam, the new chairperson of the National Commission of Women, admitted that the law is
misused, but rejected this as a ground for dilution. The parallel with the RTI controversy is remarkable and by the
same logic, the law that exposed the Adarsh scam, and so many others, must not be diluted.
23.
Looking east, to the seas
If the Union Government does indeed follow up the new India-Myanmar direct shipping service, launched recently,
with similar connections to Vietnam and Thailand as planned, then together it will possibly be delivering one of the
biggest boosts to New Delhi's Look East policy in years. In the process, New Delhi will also be placing the muchneglected North East at the heart of the process and offering the region its best opportunity at greater economic
integration. For example, the India-Myanmar link, which starts in Chennai and then loops through Krishnapatnam,
Yangon and Colombo, will significantly improve connectivity to Mizoram through the Sittwe port. The sea route will
also prove to be far more cost effective than overland routes that cut through the North-East and then link up to the
Moreh-Mandalay-Mae Sot highway. Located in the capital of Myanmar's Rakhine State, the Sittwe port is at the mouth
of the Kaladanriver in the Bay of Bengal. Notably, its upgradation was financed by India as part of the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project, an important bilateral initiative that aims to develop transport infrastructure in
India's North-East and Myanmar's south west. Based on existing trade levels, feasibility studies for the India-Myanmar
shipping service have painted a gloomy picture. But the Shipping Corporation of India is hopeful of sustaining the
project in the long term and rightfully so. Myanmar has only just begun the process of opening up its economy, and
there is a lot of scope for strengthening bilateral trade ties.
Beyond commerce, the Government's decision to strengthen its Look East policy through sea trade also has an
important strategic dimension. First, it is necessary to better secure the North-East, particularly the region that is
commonly known as the chicken's neck'. Second, strengthening ties with the South East Asia is India's best bet to
counter-balance China's influence in the region. In fact, South East Asia has for long looked towards India for this
purpose. But for a variety of reasons, New Delhi, despite all its talk about a pro-active Look East policy, has mostly
limited itself to South Asia. Hopefully, there will now be a visible change in this regard. For instance, one of the
reasons why Myanmar sought to end its isolation from the rest of the world was because it did not want to become a
satellite state for China.
24. The art of memory
The Hindu | Category:Awards
The world outside France wondered who Patrick Modiano was after the French author was awarded the Nobel Prize
in literature recently. The 69-year-old author, who is well-known in France, a country where he has been often
compared to Marcel Proust, has been largely unknown to non-French readers. This is because despite having written
more than 30 novels and childrens books and screenplays, few of his works have been translated into English. But, as
the Swedish Academys previous Permanent Secretary, Horace Engdahl, once said: The purpose of the prize is to
make them [writers] famous, not to tap them when they are famous. Mr. Modianos work has stemmed mostly from
the complexities of his childhood. His father was an Italian Jew who did not wear the yellow star when Jews were
being deported, and instead came closer to organised crime gangs with ties to the Gestapo. His mother was a Flemish
actress whose heart, as the writer once described, was so cold that it made her lapdog leap through the window to
death. The French writer ClemenceBoulouque told The New Yorker: Modiano has returned again and again to the
same themes: the pull of the past, the threat of disappearance, the blurring of moral boundaries, the dark side of the
soul. As for writing, as Mr. Modiano put it, Its something natural, its something thats part of my life.
In his writing career spanning almost 50 years, Mr. Modiano has shunned publicity and the media limelight, and like
many of his works, has remained a mysterious character to his readers. This has led to the origin of the French term 65
modianesque, used to describe a mysterious person or situation. In some of his interviews the writer has suggested
that writing is not something that brings pleasure to him but is more of a burden from which he cannot set himself
free. He compares it to driving in fog when one doesnt know where one is going, but nevertheless one has to go on.
Mr. Modianos work often deals with his Jewish origin and the period of Occupation. In a 2010 interview to France
Today, Mr. Modiano said: After each novel, I have the impression that I have cleared it all away but I know Ill
come back over and over again to tiny details, little things that are a part of what I am. In the end, we are all
determined by the place and the time in which we were born. It is this quality that the Nobel Prize committee
recognised, describing it as the art of memory with which he has evoked the most ungraspable human destinies and
uncovered the life-world of the occupation. Unlike the detective Guy Roland in his best-known work, Missing Person,
Mr. Modiano doesnt have the luxury of losing his memory. But even if it had, he would always attempt to find it.
25.
Not a sensible decision
The Court of Justice of the European Union's decision to annul the sanctions imposed on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam is of concern. The Tamil terrorist group, though militarily defeated by the Sri Lankan Government in 2009, has
not been obliterated. It is active in foreign shores, receives support from the Tamil diaspora, and remains a threat to
post-war reconciliation efforts. At a time such as this, the EU court's decision is, if nothing else, a morale-booster for the
LTTE. It strengthens the silly argument that the separatist outfit is not a terrorist organisation but a resistance force,
and adds muscle to the groups lobbying efforts elsewhere to remove itself from terror listings. For example, in this
country, a few Tamil Nadu leaders have used the opportunity to call upon New Delhi to lift the ban on the LTTE. It
has been rightly ignored and there is no reason for the European ruling to have any bearing on India's long-held
position on the group. India was the first country to blacklist the LTTE in 1992, after the Tigers assassinated former
Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Notably, the EU was the last to proscribe the LTTE in 2006.
Thankfully, the EU court's ruling will have little on-the-ground impact for the LTTE, for the time being. Though the
court has annulled the sanctions, it has kept the group's assets temporarily frozen. This is because it is aware that the
group may be blacklisted again and that it would like to ensure the effectiveness of any possible future freezing of
funds. Importantly, the LTTE has been removed from the sanctions list on procedural grounds. The court found
that the European Council's 2006 decision to impose the sanctions was not based on acts examined and confirmed in
decisions of competent authorities as required by the law. It was based partly on factual imputations derived from
the Press and the internet and partly on decisions of Indian authorities. In the first case, the media reports were
rejected because they had not been directly examined; in the second case, the Indian decisions were dismissed because,
according to the court, Indian laws did not ensure the protection of the rights of defence and of the right to effective
judicial protection equivalent to that guaranteed at EU level. Note that the court has not ruled on the validity of the
LTTE's terror tag (a point that it has painstakingly sought to reiterate); it has merely said that the sanctions were
imposed on weak evidence. In other words, if it gets strong evidence against the LTTE, the group goes back on the
blacklist. This is where the Sri Lankan authorities come in. They must put together a strong case.
For now, the LTTE will seek to portray the decision as a legal victory. But even this is a tenuous argument as the
group's primary claim against the sanctions that it is not subject to the EU's anti-terrorism laws since it was involved
in an armed conflict with the Sri Lankan Government has been struck down. In some ways then, the EU court's
decision to almost free the Tamil Tiger seems like yet another way to bully Colombo. As the Sri Lankan President has
pointed out, it is no coincidence that the judgement came the same week that the EU threatened to ban Sri Lankan fish
imports to Europe.
26.
A commendable effort
The Hindu | Category: Science and Technology
Indias Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), with the consummate ease that has become the rockets hallmark,
recently placed the third Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) spacecraft into orbit. Over the years, the
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has steadily enhanced the capabilities of this rocket, which was originally
developed to put remote sensing satellites into orbits so that it could carry heavier satellites than before, inject them
into orbit with greater accuracy and take on a range of missions including launching the lunar probe, Chandrayaan-1,
66 as well as the Mars Orbiter Mission. Its record of 27 consecutive successful flights is a tribute to the meticulous
66 preparations and attention to every tiny detail that goes on behind the scenes before each launch. Indeed, the latest
launch was postponed by almost a week in order to attend to a technical glitch that had cropped up.
The IRNSS constellation will give India guaranteed access to what has become a critical service in the present day
navigation satellite signals. Americas Global Positioning System (GPS), with worldwide coverage, is the leader in the
field. Russia, for its part, established a similar capability with the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS). But
others worry about becoming wholly dependent on them for a service that is vital for military operations as well as in
many civilian sectors. Europe is therefore in the process of putting its own constellation of Galileo navigation satellites
in place. China is likewise creating the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System; a regional service has already been
launched and it intends to achieve global coverage by around 2020. Using its seven satellites, the IRNSS system will
beam accurate navigation signals over India and up to 1,500 km from its borders. Three of those satellites have already
been launched and ISRO plans to have the remaining satellites in place by the middle of next year. By adding four
more satellites, India has the option to extend the area covered by its navigation system. Meanwhile, ISROs Space
Applications Centre in Ahmedabad has undertaken the development of receivers that can utilise the IRNSS signals and
is also helping industry do the same. Early trials using these receivers are going to get under way. Efforts are also
going into chipsets for portable devices that will utilise those signals. A market assessment carried out by a wellknown consultancy company indicates that there is potentially a huge market available in the subcontinent. Turning
this potential into reality is going to be a challenge, and ISRO will necessarily have to play a leadership role here.
27.
Reading Tirole
The Indian Express | Category: Awards
This has been an oddly good year for French economists. The English translation of Thomas Pikettys Capital in the
Twenty-First Century became an instant classic when it was released in April. And now, Jean Tirole, professor at the
Toulouse School of Economics, has been awarded the Nobel prize for economics for his analysis of market power and
regulation. Most free-market cheerleaders base their advocacy on the assumption of perfectly competitive markets.
But the invisible hand cant function if an individual firm enjoys market power the ability to affect prices. In such an
instance, a case for intervention could be made. But the regulator is also hamstrung by poor and asymmetric
information. This is where Tirole comes in. By deploying game theory and mechanism design, Tirole rigorously
formalised several propositions about oligopolies and government contracting.(*oligopoly: a state of limited
competition, in which a market is shared by a small number of producers or sellers.)
There is no easy way to summarise the magisterial breadth of his work look back at the last year of news, and it is
possible to see a series of debates in which Tiroles voice cant be ignored. Take, for instance, the case of a regulator not
knowing a firms true marginal cost of production but needing to set prices. Or, a contractor wanting government to
renegotiate terms halfway through by reporting a holdup due to cost escalation. In both these cases, Tirole showed that
optimal government contracts might need to leave some fat on the bone for firms in order to incentivise them to
comply.
Given the scale of Tiroles impact on economic theory and government policy, this recognition comes not a moment
too soon. Especially in India, we could do with reading some more Tirole.
28.
A Nobel cause, indeed
Pioneer | Category: Awards
The joint award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Indian child rights activist KailashSatyarthi and Pakistani girls' education
advocate MalalaYousafzai, though largely welcomed with good cheer and much celebration in both countries, has also
received some criticism from the chattering classes. Some have sought to nitpick over the means and methods used by
MrSatyarthi to win the fight against child labour while others have wondered if MsYousafzai has made any significant
contribution towards improving the status of Pakistani girls. In India, MrSatyarthi's flagship BachpanBachaoAndolan
has come under scrutiny for receiving Western funding and, in return, supposedly pushing the West's anti-developing
world agenda under the garb of human rights activism; in Pakistan, MsYousafzai has always been somewhat of a
polarising figure. The teen activist who captured global attention, after she was shot in the head by the Taliban for
daring to go to school, has been dubbed a traitor by some in her own country where conspiracy theories about her
being a Western puppet' do the rounds. Additionally, the Norwegian Nobel Committee's attempts to frame the joint
award as some sort of an India-Pakistan peace symbol have also not gone down well with some quarters and 67
understandably so, especially as Indian and Pakistani forces trade gun fire in along the Line of Control. Finally, the
Committee's asinine suggestion that the award somehow promotes a joint Hindu-Muslim effort to fight for education
and against extremism hurts its credibility. It adds currency to the observation that the Nobel Peace prize is much like
a beauty contest award. Beauty, like peace, cannot be scientifically and objectively measured, and neither beauty nor
peace has much to do with the sashes and citations bestowed in their name.
Having said this, however, there can be no two ways about the fact that the Nobel (even if somewhat diminished) has
enormous brand value especially among the masses. This, in turn, makes it an effective tool to raise public awareness
and bring the issues of child labour and child rights back into the mainstream public discourse. Pessimists may point
out that any individual with an iota of social consciousness today is aware of the problems posed by child labour and
that, by extension, the Nobel does little else apart from perpetuating the old Indian image of a country full of
malnourished children begging by the roadside. But such critics ignore how horribly inured the average Indian is to
child labour. Forget about wondering if the fancy clothes we buy at glitzy malls have been sown in sweatshops by
children who are criminally underpaid, we find little wrong with chotus bringing us tea and sweeping our floors.
When these issues are pointed out, the usual indignant reply is that the job' puts food in chotu's belly and a roof over
his head. But the job' also keeps him away from school, and traps him in a life of poverty and deprivation, as
MrSatyarthi himself argues. Hopefully, as we take pride in his Nobel, we will also be goaded into changing our ways.
In Pakistan too, MsYousafzai's award will not directly improve female education but even if it can inspire one parent
or one family to push back against an oppressive society, it would have served its purpose.
29.
Deepening relationship
The Hindu | Category: India and World
After a hectic, often frenetic five days in the United States, it is time to take stock of the achievements of Prime Minister
NarendraModis visit. To begin with, the welcome he received, both in New York and in Washington, has firmly
closed the door on a most awkward situation in bilateral ties: that of India voting in a leader proscribed by the U.S. Mr.
Modi has been received at every level in the U.S., and if the Obama administration didnt revoke the visa order, the
gesture of President Obama right at the end to accompany Mr. Modi to the Martin Luther King Memorial came as a
poignant signal that the U.S. genuinely wants to move ahead with Indias newly elected leader. Secondly, U.S.
business, clearly disaffected by the difficulties they face in doing business with India, have also signalled its desire to
renew investments. The fact that the two countries issued a vision document, the two leaders penned a joint op-ed, and
then came out with a comprehensive 3,500-word Joint Statement, speaks volumes for the breadth of discussions
between them in a short period. Yet, while the three documents contain all the parts of the relationship, they fail to
convey the whole.
On issues where the countries agree, such as defence and energy, they show only incremental progress, without any
big announcements. On issues where the countries differ, like the nuclear deal, trade and WTO, they seem to have
deferred negotiations, indicating that no progress was made in resolving them. In that context, even the renewal of the
strategic partnership, and reference to joint and concerted efforts to dismantle terror groups including al-Qaeda,
Lashkar-e Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, the D-Company, and the Haqqanis do not indicate any particularly new action
or formulation. The statements seem most opaque when it comes to spelling out a shared worldview for India and the
U.S.: while referring obliquely to Chinas aggression in the South China Sea, global crises like the situations in Iraq
and Syria, and cooperation in Afghanistan, and a confounding, long reference to North Korea (DPRK), they list no
action or step that the two countries hope to take together. And while both sides made it clear ahead of the talks that
the U.S. would request, and India would discuss, the possibility of joining the anti-ISIS coalition, there is silence on
where those discussions led. On all fronts of the comprehensive dialogue, that is, eight issues including energy,
health, space, womens empowerment, trade, skills, strategy and security, Mr. Modis visit successfully brought IndiaU.S. ties, that were faltering for a few years, back on track. But in order to reach the finish line, Mr. Modi and Mr.
Obama will need a clearer enunciation of their shared vision for the road ahead.
30.
The message behind the broom
The Hindu | Category: Nation
launching the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, or Clean India Mission, on Gandhi Jayanthi day, Prime Minister
68 In
68 NarendraModi sought to highlight the importance his administration attached to both sanitation and Mahatma
Gandhi. Mr. Modi was evidently carrying forward the message in his Independence Day address on the need for more
toilets in schools, and for Indias villages and towns to be free of dirt. But the high-profile launch of the mission on
October 2 had its own meaning. Mr. Modi wanted to link his campaign to the toilet-cleaning ritual in Gandhis
ashrams, to emphasise that the seemingly demeaning, menial work was of great import in nation-building. The noise
surrounding the launch of the mission was intended to draw in all Indians to the cleanliness drive: everyone was
expected to devote two hours a week to cleaning their surroundings. Surely, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has been
successful as an event in increasing public awareness of the importance of sanitation. The imagery of the Prime
Minister taking time off to wield the broom in central Delhi might be of some effect in some areas for some time. But if
Mr. Modi was hoping for mass participation in a cleanliness drive that would keep India perpetually clean, public
policy must go far beyond symbolism.
If Indias villages and towns are to be dirt-free, what is required is not the involvement of each and every citizen for
two hours every week in the clean-up. While that would lend a Gandhian touch of personal involvement, it would
surely be a colossal waste of productive hours of skilled personnel. It is one thing to involve political leaders,
industrialists and celebrities in sweeping the streets to raise general awareness on sanitation, and quite another to
expect every working adult to put in two hours a week in cleaning. True, without the cooperation of citizens, it would
be impossible for any government or civic body to ensure clean streets and public places. But this is not the same as
requiring everyone in the workforce to engage in actual cleaning. Efforts must be made to de-stigmatise the act of
cleaning, and the participation of citizens in large numbers in a mass cleaning exercise, even if as a one-off or annual
event, will have a positive effect. The government may not be able to do everything, but voluntarism cannot be a
substitute for strengthening civic infrastructure. For ensuring cleanliness and hygiene and improving solid waste
management, Indias civic bodies will need to be at the centre of the Clean India Campaign. The Swachh Bharat
Abhiyan will have to be a sustainable programme, and its success ought not to depend on the hours each citizen puts
in to sweep streets. A lot can be done to further the ideal of cleanliness without wielding the broom.

31.
Matters of mind, body
Pioneer | Category: Health
The new National Mental Health Policy is a landmark effort by the Union Government towards improving the overall
healthcare infrastructure. Launched recently by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan, the
policy is the first of its kind and puts the spotlight on this oft-ignored field. Though it is universally acknowledged that
good health is as much about physical well-being as it is about mental fitness, the two elements are rarely treated on an
equal footing. While those who suffer from physical illnesses usually enjoy special care and sympathy, the mentally ill
are often misunderstood and subject to suspicion. Similarly, while individuals seek medical attention for physiological
ailments, they are often reluctant to even acknowledge psychological disorders they fear being labeled mad' or
crazy' or insane'. Indeed, in India, as in many other parts of the world, mental health issues are often caught in a nasty
web of social stigma and superstition, which in turn brings about untold misery and suffering upon the sick. To make
matters worse, there has only been a limited effort on the part of the state to change the manner in which mental health
issues are addressed by society, as the laws governing this field, stand proof. For instance, suicide is still a crime which
means that depressed patients who attempt suicide and fail, can be put behind bars, instead of being admitted to a
hospital. Thankfully, the new policy investigates some of these crucial issues.
Apart from creating social awareness, the policy also lays the roadmap for how the state can take concrete measures to
revamp mental healthcare infrastructure. These include sanctioning of additional funds for modernisation of
psychological and psychiatric departments in all hospitals as well as the re-modeling of mental health institutes across
the country on the lines of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences in Bangalore. Such a large-scale,
wide-ranging push is indeed the need of the hour, as the existing infrastructure is woefully inadequate. To understand
the scope of the problem, one only has to look at the figures: Mental health expenses account for a puny 0.06 per cent of
India's overall healthcare budget, which in itself is less than two per cent of the country's Gross Domestic Product.
Comparatively, even Bangladesh spends more on mental health at 0.44 per cent of its total healthcare budget while
fellow BRICS nation Brazil spends 2.38 per cent and the US 6.2 per cent. And that is not all. India also has an acute
shortage of healthcare providers who are trained to deal with mental health issues. For example, this country of more
than a billion people has only 3,500 psychiatrists or just, one psychiatrist for every 3,43,000 people according to
the World Health Organisation. The bias against mental health is also seen in medical education. Aspiring doctors only
69
do a short training rotation in this field and few are interested in specialising this area.
32.
Still parched
The four-month monsoon season ended leaving a deficit of 12 per cent. The authorities have called it a below-normal
monsoon and the worst in the past five years, but skim the data and the picture seems even more sobering. Nearly onethird of the 36 met divisions in the country have received deficient rainfall, with Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh
which are major agriculture regions reporting a 50 per cent deficit. The surplus rain in September, which led to flash
floods in many states, further disrupting the agriculture cycle, helped bridge the deficit and avoid a drought, but the
lack of rain in June 60 per cent less than normal affected sowing and the impact would be seen in food
production.
A 7 per cent fall in production over last years harvest has been predicted. Haryana and UP, for instance, have already
declared drought. Any fall in the supply of foodgrains could trigger food inflation: a poor harvest in India tends to
cause a hike in commodity prices in the global market as well. By all accounts, the government must plan ahead to
address the fallout of a poor agriculture season. Though agriculture now contributes only 14 per cent of Indias GDP,
over 50 per cent of the workforce is employed by the sector. The large buffer stock of grains could be used to manage
supply shortages and keep prices under check. The MGNREGS could be deployed to help address rural distress in
drought-affected areas.
With over 60 per cent of farms dependent solely on the rains for irrigation, the monsoon has long been known to make
or break the lives of Indian farmers. Grandiose irrigation schemes are routinely conceived but the outcomes suffer
from tardy implementation and failure to meet targets like storage and distribution, as is evident in states like
Maharashtra. With many experts predicting that erratic monsoons are here to stay due to climate change, there is an
urgent need to expand the irrigation infrastructure intelligently. More localised irrigation structures need to be built
MGNREGS workers can help here. Better crop planning and promotion of water conserving practices like the system
of rice intensification are necessary. The Centre and the states should join hands to revamp agriculture extension
services so that plans conceived by experts in the government and research institutions percolate down to the farmers.
There is no time to be lost, the planning should begin now.
33.
A policy of status quo
The Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI) decision to maintain status quo on interest rates is on expected lines. The overall
environment is uncertain as yet with domestic economic recovery being uneven and with an upside risk to inflation
from food prices consequent to a deficient monsoon. The near-term signs are favourable for a dip in headline inflation
thanks to the sustained fall in global oil prices that have been passed on to consumers by the government, and the
relative stability in the foreign exchange markets. The medium-term picture, though, is still hazy with a number of
unknown variables, and the RBI is obviously not willing to risk its projection of 6 per cent inflation by January 2016
going astray. It is clear that the central bank will do whatever is necessary to ensure that the line is not crossed. The
current account deficit is projected to remain well under control though non-oil, non-gold imports in the April-August
period have risen to the highest level since March 2013. With credit growth remaining well below deposit growth and
the impact of the government expenditure programme kicking in, liquidity has not been a problem in the market. The
policy stance, therefore, appears to be one of caution tinged with optimism on the short-term economic variables.
What should be a cause for worry though is the sluggishness in credit offtake which is forcing banks to lower deposit
rates, in turn affecting senior citizens who live off interest income. State Bank of India recently cut rates on some tenors
to maintain its margins and it is likely that other banks will follow suit. The RBI has also maintained its projection of
5.5 per cent growth in GDP for this fiscal while pointing out that growth could slow down mildly in the second and
third quarters before picking up pace again in the fourth. With the picture on agriculture not very clear at the moment
and industrial output dipping in July after a good show in the couple of months preceding that, the central banks
caution on growth prospects is understandable. Going forward, the critical determinant of the sustenance of the
recovery would be resumption of investment activity. Forget new projects, even if the stalled ones resume in right
earnest there would be a positive impetus to growth. The fall in oil prices which has wiped out under-recovery in
70 diesel has given the government much-needed elbow room in managing the fiscal deficit. If the disinvestment
70 programme proceeds apace and at this point in time it does appear to be doing so then there is room for
justifiable optimism on the government meeting the challenging target of a 4.1 per cent fiscal deficit this year. Of
course, these data will be critical inputs for the RBI to reverse direction on the rate cycle.
34.
The truth behind encounters
The Hindu | Category: Polity and Governance
Making impartial investigations into killings in police encounters constitutes an area of governance that is quite
delicate and controversial. The police version often gains traction in the media, and support from the ruling party and
the administration often helps a cover-up. On the other hand, the gunning down of dreaded criminals or extremists in
genuine exchanges of fire may also be questioned by interested parties. This is the backdrop in which the state has
supported the armed forces with special laws to grant them immunity from prosecution in specified areas, mostly
those hit by conflict or insurgency. The recent Supreme Court verdict laying down detailed guidelines on how the
police and administration should respond to a death in an alleged encounter, seeks to put in place a proper mechanism
that will set at rest all doubt and speculation about the incident. The first requirement being an independent and
impartial investigation, the court has now laid down a standard procedure, which will operate in addition to existing
provisions in the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) relating to unnatural deaths. Section 176 of the CrPC already
provides for an enquiry by a judicial magistrate in such cases. Other guidelines cover investigations by the CID or a
police station from another station-house, establishing the victims identity, preservation of evidence on the spot,
preparation of a rough sketch of the scene, recovery of fingerprints, videography of the autopsy, and informing the
next of kin of the deceased at the earliest. Holding the magisterial enquiry and keeping the National Human Rights
Commission informed are other requirements. As a general rule, the court has asked the State governments to send a
report once in six months (January 15 and July 15 every year) on all incidents of death in police firing, in a prescribed
format.
Ending impunity and ensuring impartiality in probes subsequent to death at the hands of the police are easier said
than achieved in some conflict-hit regions. As the Supreme Court itself has pointed out, one cannot be oblivious to the
fact that the police in India have to perform a delicate task, especially wherever extremism and organised crime have
taken strong roots. However, it has also noted that even such criminals must be dealt with by the police in an efficient
and effective manner and brought to justice by following the rule of law. The Courts guidelines are by and large
practicable, but it requires political will and an alert civil society to ensure their implementation. A scientific, welldocumented investigation that results in a decisive finding, which the law now demands, is not beyond the capability
of a modern police force.
35.
Issues of surrogacy
The Hindu | Category: Social
With a range of alternative medical solutions to childlessness becoming available, surrogacy has emerged as one route
for many couples. While some countries have banned the practice, commercial gestational surrogacy, in which a
woman is paid to have a baby to whom she has no genetic link, has caught on in countries such as Mexico and India.
After the first surrogate delivery in India in June 1994, India has steadily emerged as an international destination.
Relatively inexpensive medical facilities, know-how in reproductive technology, and the availability of women, largely
from poor socio-economic situations and who are willing to take up the task, have aided the growth. Today there are
thousands of clinics in India that offer such services. From what was generally confined to close relatives or friends in
altruistic mode, the network has become extended, with payment of money to surrogate mothers becoming the norm.
Services are even being advertised. Such commercialisation of motherhood has raised ethical, philosophical, and social
questions and raised fears of the exploitation of women as baby-producers, and the possibility of selective breeding. In
several instances, complications have arisen regarding the interests and rights of the surrogate mother, child, and
intending parents. Yet, there are no clear legal provisions in place yet. The Indian Council of Medical Research in 2005
issued guidelines for the accreditation, supervision and regulation of surrogacy clinics, but those remain on paper. An
expert committee drafted the Assisted Reproductive Technologies (Regulation) Bill, 2010.
The Union government is now set to table in Parliament the Assisted Reproductive Technologies (Regulation) Bill
2013. Letting single parents and foreign nationals to have children through surrogates in India is one issue in focus.
The question relating to the citizenship of children born through an Indian surrogate and claimed by a foreign couple 71
is one outstanding issue. Unscrupulous or mismanaged agencies could wreak havoc with lives. Many surrogacy
agencies claim they are offering a legitimate service but in truth they operate in a grey area. The absence of appropriate
legal provisions to ensure that surrogate mothers, who often enter into loosely drafted agreements with commissioning
parents, do not become vulnerable is a serious issue. Right now, the surrogate mother could find herself with a child
she did not plan for, should the clients change their mind. On the other hand, the big worry of the intending parents
would be that the baby may not be handed over to them. A comprehensive regulatory framework and binding legal
provisions could bring order to the field, but the larger moral question whether human reproduction should be
commercialised would still remain.
36.
Standing still
Following the prime ministers Make in India speech in which he set a target of taking Indias rank in the World
Banks Ease of Doing Business report from 134 to the top 50, the Centre has unveiled a two-pronged strategy to
mitigate the hassles faced by businesses. While the states are being exhorted to make the investment climate less
hostile, another plan is underway to cut inter-departmental squabbling on clearances at the Centre. This is, of course,
most welcome, especially as the government appears to be borrowing from the experience of states and benchmarking
best practices for regulatory processes. But for an administration desperately trying to attract business, its policies in
the telecom and oil sectors are bewildering.
In the telecom sector, for instance, there has been an inexplicable delay in the department of telecommunications
granting companies the spectrum that they won in the February auctions. And given that the 20-year-old licences for
spectrum in the 900 Mhz band will be up for renewal next month in circles like Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai, the delay
in allocation could result in choked networks, disruptions and call drops. Thats not all. By challenging the TDSAT
verdict allowing intra-circle roaming in the 2100 Mhz band in the Supreme Court indeed, even the Q&As attached
to the government bid documents allowed this the Centre is further vitiating the environment. With the mergers
and acquisitions policy still unclear, expiry and non-renewal of 900 Mhzlicences across circles imminent, and the
government unable to free up and offer more spectrum for auction, the overall scenario is dismal. Indeed, the
upcoming auctions early next year will likely witness some fierce bidding because getting more spectrum is now a
matter of survival for telcos.
A similar stasis pervades the oil sector where there has been an uncertainty over decision on gas prices. As are
resolutions to year-old export proposals and lease extensions. Oil and telecom are two sectors in which businesses are
waiting to pump in capital. The stakes are high. In fact, it has been estimated that a 10 per cent increase in broadband
penetration could increase the GDP growth rate by 1.4 percentage points. Its time to get moving.
37.
We grow, they die: Half of wildlife lost in 40 years, no mourning
The Tribune | Category: Environment and Ecology
ANATOMICALLY modern man walked this earth the first around two lakh years ago. A tough but peaceful coexistence with his environment continued through the ages. In just the past 40 years, however, man has caused the loss
of half of the world's wildlife population, i.e., compared to what it was in 1970. And even then it was only a fraction of
what it was a couple of hundred years previous to that. This is according to the '2014 Living Planet Report' published
by the World Wildlife Fund, which is an index that tracks the numbers of animals in selected populations of
vertebrates mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish across the globe.
This shocking bit of statistic found a passing mention in the mainstream media in India, and no debate forget
outrage or disbelief followed. That is shocking. Shocking because it exposes the level of awareness we as a society
have of what we are doing to ourselves, not just to innocent animals. For the scientifically unaware, which includes
the mass of political leadership, bureaucracy and industry, it may be put this way: Humans are a product of the
environment as it existed before they came around. They are designed by nature to eat, breathe and live in that
environment. Will killing that ecosystem all forests, land, water and air leave us humans unharmed? And the rate
at which we are making wildlife, the fruit of that environment, disappear is evidence of that murder.
Information technology, global sharing of knowledge, and investment in data collection have today given us a far
better understanding than ever of what and where the threats are, and how they can be tackled. But human population
72 and greed that have led to climate change and loss of wildlife habitat - primary drivers of the catastrophe - may prove
72 to be forces too strong for better sense to counter. Amidst this blazing loss of not just population of animals but also
species, let us not forget we are also just another species.
38.
Brightness at night
The Hindu | Category: Awards
This years Nobel Prize for physics awarded to Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano of Nagoya University in Japan and
Shuji Nakamura of the University of California at Santa Barbara, goes beyond recognising their invention that is of
greatest benefit to mankind. It befittingly rewards them for their perseverance and tenacity and for daring to
challenge established truths. With red and green light emitting diodes (LEDs) already available, there were feverish
efforts by many industries and institutions across the world to invent a blue LED; a combination of red, green and blue
produces white light. But there were almost insurmountable challenges that had to be overcome, and most scientists
dropped out of the race midway. The first major practical difficulty to be overcome was growing high-quality gallium
nitride crystals using a suitable substrate. Dr. Akasaki and Dr. Amano, who worked as a team, and Dr. Nakamura used
diverse approaches to achieve this. The duo finally tasted success in 1986 even as others moved on to different
materials; Dr. Nakamura produced it four years later. Since the gallium nitride crystal is by default n-type layer with a
surplus of electrons, the laureates had to create a p-type layer (holes that are electron-deficient). Working against all
odds, the two teams finally succeeded in creating the p-type layer and hence a blue LED. They also created
heterojunctions with multiple layers to improve the efficiency of blue LED.
If the arrival of brighter fluorescent lamps in the 20th century reduced electricity consumption compared with
tungsten lamps, the advent of compact fluorescent lamps led to a further substantial drop in electricity consumption.
However, LED technology has made all the other lamp technologies redundant with the superior brightness per
wattage that it offers; the white light produced by LED has become a game-changer in lighting technology. Unlike the
other lighting options, where a certain proportion of the electricity is converted into heat and is wasted, LED
technology allows for direct conversion of all electricity into light, thereby increasing efficiency. With nearly 20 to 30
per cent of electricity worldwide being used for lighting, the widespread use of LEDs will lead to significant gains.
Besides being energy-efficient, LEDs are environment-friendly as no mercury is used to make them. Currently, blue
LED is used to produce red and green light by exciting phosphor. But dynamic control of colour composition can be
achieved by using LEDs of all the three colours; this may happen in the future. In about two decades after blue LED
came into being, it has revolutionised white light production. It remains to be seen if any another path-breaking
technology can ever displace the LED.
39.
Train to Jaffna
The Indian Express | Category: India and World
The return of the Yal Devi Express to Jaffna, extending its journey from Pallai deeper into Sri Lankas former war zone,
marks a historic moment. The Yal Devi (or Queen of Jaffna) was inaugurated in 1956 and ran along the lifeline
connecting Sri Lankas Tamil north with its Sinhalese south. But the resumption of fighting in 1990 stopped the train in
its tracks. Soon, the tracks disappeared into the LTTEs bunkers. The bombed out Jaffna railway station stood
testament to millions of lives torn apart. As the railway service to Jaffna is resumed, officials are concerned, among
other things, about educating the public on crossing a railway track, as many people here have never seen a train
before. This, too, signals a welcome normalcy.
Five years after the end of the civil war, the resumption of the Colombo-Jaffna railway is a major step in the norths
development, which, along with devolution, is an ongoing project. A day before he inaugurated the renovated line,
President MahindaRajapaksa accused the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) of not cooperating on his development
initiatives. The NPC, for its part, has been demanding more powers and has sought Indias intervention. New Delhis
political cover for the wars final phase in 2009 was premised on the need to end the conflict and also on a Colombo
generous in victory and committed to securing Tamil rights. Delhi has, since, nudged Colombo towards reconciliation,
even as it abstained from voting on a US-sponsored resolution at the UNHRC this year that it had voted for in 2013
and 2012, rescuing its Sri Lanka policy from domestic politics.
Part of the route was restored by IRCON, an Indian Railways subsidiary, which will also extend the line to
Kankesanthurai. Of late, Sri Lanka has played the China card against India, with encouragement from Beijing. Delhi
cannot object to Chinese inroads, and arguably cannot stay aloof from the cause of Tamil minority rights either. Yet, 73
the bilateral relationship is bigger than its issues. India must help the Sri Lankans help themselves. Building railways,
roads and ports, including the revival of the line to Talaimannar and the ferry service to India (the route taken from
Jaffna by Gandhi in 1927), would win Delhi considerable diplomatic goodwill.
40.
Towards clarity
The ministry of finance and the Reserve Bank of India are reportedly discussing a move towards a modern monetary
policy framework. This inflation-targeting framework is proposed to be effected through an agreement between the
ministry and the RBI, drawing substantially from the recommendations of the Urjit Patel committee report as well as
the Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission. Two crucial facets of this new architecture are an inflationtargeting central bank and a monetary policy committee (MPC) that will decide the policy rate, the instrument used by
the RBI for achieving the inflation target. Indias move towards an MPC regime is in line with international best
practice. Under the present framework, the RBI is responsible for setting its own target. This raises some concerns. The
proposed framework reportedly entrusts the job of setting the policy rate to an MPC, which will ensure a multiplicity
of views and promote transparent and accountable policymaking.
The RBIs move towards inflation targeting has gained momentum since Governor RaghuramRajan took over, but the
problem of the inflation-growth trade-off was long waiting to be addressed. Calibrating this trade-off is a legitimate
function of the elected representatives of the country. Low and stable inflation is in the best interests of the country,
and has been recognised as being important for sustained growth, while high inflation has negative consequences for
elected governments. There is, therefore, a legitimate political role in setting a clear inflation target. The previous
government stressed the need for an emphasis on both growth and inflation, while the RBI has been historically
apprehensive of involving the government in deciding the rate of inflation. Many of the apprehensions can be allayed
by a monetary policy agreement that clarifies the principal-agent relationship between the Central government and the
RBI. If the Central government sets out the inflation target in a publicly available agreement with the central bank, it
will insulate inflation targeting from political volatility, while promoting a clarity of objectives for the RBI.
The last government faced flak for policy paralysis and damaging its working relationship with the RBI. Moving to the
new framework will lead to a more certain monetary policy environment, which will anchor inflationary expectations
and gradually lead to a more stable investment climate in India.
41.
A positive move
The Hindu | Category: Defence
Boosting the nations defence preparedness, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has cleared a set of much-delayed
defence deals, worth Rs.78,000 crore. In line with the Make in India mantra, the focus was on indigenisation in
addressing critical equipment shortages. The Navy can heave a sigh of relief with the sanction for six new conventional
stealth submarines under Project 75I, all to be built in a single shipyard in India. At Rs.50,000 crore, this will be the
largest-ever domestic ship-building contract. A committee set up by the DAC will identify the eligible shipyard from
among five public sector and two private shipyards within eight weeks for issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP).
Project 75I was promulgated under the ambitious 30-year submarine construction plan, approved by the Cabinet in
1999 to build 24 conventional submarines. But not a single submarine has been inducted till date and the induction of
Scorpene submarines has been repeatedly delayed.
In another significant decision, the government has decided to go ahead with acquiring Israeli-built Spike Anti-Tank
Guided Missiles (ATGM), a third-generation fire-and-forget system, to equip the infantry with 300-plus launchers and
8,000-plus missiles, along with transfer of technology worth Rs.3,200 crore. This effectively nixes the U.S. offer of
producing the Javelin in India and further co-development of fourth-generation Javelin for use by the armies of both
countries. Given that the U.S. lobbied hard with New Delhi, this is sure to cause heartburn in Washington. Both the
systems have been extensively field-tested by the Indian Army, and opting for Spike is a pragmatic decision to save
time and money as the acquisition had already been delayed by two years. If things go as per plan, the deadline of the
Army to induct the new missiles by 2017 should be met. In all, about 40,000 missiles are required to equip the Armys
382 infantry battalions and 44 mechanised regiments. The decision not to go ahead with the Javelin also reflects
concerns relating to the extent of technology transfer by the U.S. In contrast, Israel has a long record of being a trusted
74 partner. The co-development would also have meant an end to the indigenous Nag ATGM project. The Midget
74 submarines for the Navy will boost the capacity of marine commandos to undertake special missions behind enemy
lines, and likewise the other deals represent significant capacity additions. The decision is without doubt a positive
movement with respect to the urgently needed modernisation of the three services. For this there is an immediate need
to reform the procurement process, which after several revisions is still cumbersome and opaque. The real test is to
ensure timely completion of the process in a transparent manner, adhering to the set deadlines.
42.
Like teachers, like pupils: Quality education remains a distant dream
The Tribune | Category: Social
AS if this was not bad enough news that close to 50 per cent of the class V pupils in our schools fail to read a text meant
for class II or solve a two-digit sum, there is a report that 95 per cent teaching aspirants have flunked the India Central
Teacher Eligibility Test meant to assess their knowledge and instruction abilities. Last year the percentage of failure
was even higher, at 98. It offers no consolation to a system that continues to raise serious questions about the quality of
teacher training programmes, poor communication skills, flawed process of selection and complete lack of mechanism
to continuously assess and upgrade their skills. Since a majority of the failed aspirants were B.Ed. degree holders, these
questions become even more pertinent.
From basic to higher education, nothing seems to be moving in the right direction, while our politicians exhort the
young to be world leaders in the knowledge industry. A lot of expectations were raised under the RTE Act, and the
government put in more money to make it a success. But like several other half-baked government schemes which are
implemented to show rosy data on paper, the changes implemented under the Act resulted in getting higher numbers
for universal education, but the quality suffered. If the interest and aptitude of the pupil is the primary motivator
behind all education programmes, the selection of competent teachers would follow.
The appointment of teachers in government schools has for long been politicised; teaching positions have been offered
as rewards by various governments. May it be the illegal appointment of 3,200 JBT teachers in Haryana or that of 1,983
physical training instructors whose appointment was quashed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court for lack of
required qualifications, incidents like these undermine the position of teachers on commitment and competence. A
flawed education system cannot produce competent teachers. Educationists and policymakers must find ways to
improve school education apart from spreading it far and wide.
43.
Pakistan back to its old games on Kashmir
The Asian Age | Category: India and World
Reversing the tide of some two decades of bilateral relations, Pakistan recently went to the United Nations against
India on the Kashmir question, indicating its present mood of reviving the spirit of political hostility that earlier
prevailed despite the Shimla Agreement the two countries had signed in 1972.
There has been some speculation that by seeking to re-internationalise the Kashmir issue, Islamabad is hoping to
capitalise on last months catastrophic floods in Kashmir, where the sloppy government effort turned the public stance
against the state and raised the demand among separatists for international aid to tackle the post-floods rehabilitation
crisis.
This factor should not be brushed aside. Until J&Ks next Assembly polls, which is due in January 2015 but could be
deferred if the BJP develops an interest in governors rule, the effort to keep Kashmir in the international glare may be
kept up by secessionists and simultaneously by Islamabad.
But it should be remembered that Pakistans well-advertised interest in speaking of Kashmir only in relation to
possible UN intervention predates the Kashmir floods. New Delhi seems to have either missed seeing this or attached
surprisingly little significance to it.
While Indias leaders were practising linguistic bombast in the context of Pakistan (especially since we were in the
middle of important state elections), Islamabad was busy scheming along lines that have remained quiescent for long.
External affairs minister SushmaSwaraj and her top officials appear to have missed the trick.
There is some irony in the fact that it is Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who had re-emphasised the Shimla
spirit of bilateral resolution of the Kashmir issue when he had signed the Lahore accord with then Prime Minister Atal
Behari Vajpayee. Under the thumb of his armed forces, Mr Sharif has now been obliged to renege on that chapter in
India-Pakistan ties. His security and foreign affairs adviser Sartaj Aziz has urged UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
to circulate his October 12 complaint against India as a document of the UN Security Council.
Pakistan does have powerful friends in the UN Security Council, including the United States and China, and
Islamabad would hope this might work as a counterweight against India. Strong and deft diplomatic handling of the
situation is thus clearly indicated. But it is clear as day that UNSC resolutions on a plebiscite in Kashmir have long 75
ceased to have any validity.
For those familiar with the subject, Islamabads dogged refusal to comply with the pre-requisite of demilitarisation for
a plebiscite to be held totally vitiated the atmosphere. Matters were made worse in later decades with Islamabad
fomenting terrorism against India, and then in the region, while professing peaceful intentions in settling its core
issue of Kashmir.
44.
The return of Ms. Rousseff
The Hindu | Category:International
In more ways than one, the recent re-election of Brazils President DilmaRousseff for a second consecutive term in
dramatic run-off represents a replay of the political script in Latin America. The narrative is one where the regions
heads of state usually hold office for successive spells, at times even beyond the stipulated two terms, by means of
tinkering with the Constitution. Yet that does not tell the full story of an electorate that is easily forgiving of their
leaders. For the repeated massive electoral mandates equally confirm popular faith in the stewardship of the regions
leftist parties, despite the economic challenges facing these countries. The term anti-incumbency seems almost alien to
the Latin American lexicon. The verdict received by Ms. Rousseff for another four years would appear above all to be a
measure of the popularity of the social protection programmes of the centre-left Workers party during its 12-year rule.
Such a reading is borne out by the response from Brazils vocal and impatient middle classes, who rallied behind the
two opposition candidates right through the poll campaign.
During the first-round poll on October 6, it was the popular environmentalist Marina Silva who consistently defied
predictions of a surge in support for the incumbent. It was her eventual elimination that pitch-forked AcioNeves of
the centrist Brazilian Social Democracy party never in the reckoning until then into the race. Similarly in the runoff, Mr. Neves came within three percentage points of the winning margin. Evidently, the ripples that Ms. Rousseffs
party felt in the run-up to the polls over corruption scandals in the big state oil refineries did little to dent the partys
pro-poor image. Nor was the state of the economy in recession enough to sway voters away. Brazil, as with other
countries of the region, may have nearly reached the end of the commodities boom of recent years. The President has,
in her second term, some deft balancing to do to retain the support of her political constituency, while formulating
policies to ensure macro-economic stability. A new beginning could well be in the offing. During the campaign and
after her victory, Ms. Rousseff has acknowledged egregious wrongdoing in the state-owned Petrobras, where she had
for a time served as a director. Greater transparency could further enhance Brazils growing global economic and
political clout. Latin American leaders have emerged as robust champions of democracy with a strong egalitarian
thrust. They could do more to safeguard these values. The best of intentions may not justify the erosion of basic
institutions.
45.
Bold proposals on climate deal
The Hindu | Category: Environment and Ecology
The bold proposals that form the European Unions (EU) new climate deal set the tone for the best bargain for a global
agreement in Paris next year. The decision to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 40 per cent by 2030 is ambitious
in comparison with the 8 per cent reductions on a 1990 baseline under the Kyoto Protocol. The EU was the lone
participant from among the industrialised nations. Themove follows through on the offer made at the 2013 Warsaw
United Nations Conference on Climate Change where countries agreed to make voluntary GHG emissions curbs in a
post-Kyoto scenario. The mainstay of the overall EU strategy would be the much-touted emissions trading system
(ETS). It currently covers over 11,000 power and industrial plants and airlines and about 45 per cent of the total GHG
emissions within the bloc. Sectors within the ETS would contribute 43 per cent reductions and those outside 30 per
cent by 2030. Other decisions include non-binding commitments to raise the share of renewable sources to 27 per cent
in the total energy consumption. The EU deal is subject to similar commitments that may be made by other countries at
the Paris summit next year.
With some national capitals from Poland to Portugal pleading special circumstances and others pushing to expand
caps into new sectors, the deal was significant for the distance covered than what remains to be done. The European
Trade Union Confederation, which represents about 60 million workers, has criticised the targets as too low, that
potentially could take away a million jobs created in a low-carbon economy. At the same time, with an eye on the 2015
climate summit, the Prince of Waless Corporate Leaders Group backed by over 50 companies representing 4.5 million
employees worldwide have advocated a robust EU climate and energy policy. This is a sign of convergence of interest
76 between industry and employee bodies that would be crucial to clinch a global pact in Paris. The record of the Kyoto
76 Protocol shows that countries with a pre-existing high technology base did not achieve the highest emissions
reductions, perhaps in view of their lock-in effects. It was the transitional economies of the states of the former Soviet
Union that registered impressive reductions. Here may be a lesson for emerging economies such as India to make
strategic decisions with an eye on opportunities for the future. The failure of the Copenhagen 2009 summit would
undoubtedly temper expectations among EU leaders about a global deal. But Washington has travelled some distance
since then and climate sceptics are on the back foot these days. There is thus real potential for progress.
46.
A new bank for Asia
A little more than a year after it was broached, a new multilateral bank in Asia the Asian Infrastructure Investment
Bank (AIIB) was born recently in Beijing, signalling in the process the failure of hectic lobbying by the United States
against the move. The bank has 21 signatory- countries, with India being the only major backer apart from China; the
rest are the smaller economies of Asia. The event was not without its share of drama as Australia, Indonesia and South
Korea pulled out apparently under pressure from the U.S. Yet, it may not have been easy for them, as statements from
some of their diplomats show. The three countries, which have extensive trade dealings with China, seem to be still
torn between safeguarding their relations with the Asian giant and not displeasing the U.S. It should surprise no one if
they decide to take the plunge after watching from the sidelines how the bank develops. The AIIB, along with the other
new China-based institution, the BRICS Bank, represents the first major challenge to the U.S.-led global economic order
and the 70-year uncontested reign of the Bretton Woods twins. In a way, the IMF and the World Bank have only
themselves to blame if they find their dominance under threat, because the seeds of the new bank sprouted from either
their inability or unwillingness, or both, to meet the growing funding needs of Asia.
As per the Asian Development Banks (ADB) assessment, Asia needs on an average $800 billion of investment in
infrastructure annually between now and 2020. Against this, the ADB, dominated by Japan which is also a founding
member, lends no more than $10 billion a year for infrastructure. With the American-dominated World Bank and the
Europe-led IMF also remaining hamstrung, the need for a multilateral body to finance the growth region of the world
was real. The ADB has been cautious in its comments, and understandably so; it can do with support for infrastructure
lending, yet needs to safeguard its turf. India, with its participation, has lent heft to the AIIB, which would otherwise
have been seen as a Chinese bank backed by membership from lightweight countries of the region. India, which will be
the second largest shareholder in the bank, should work with China to ensure that best practices are followed in
projects for procurement and materials and in terms of labour and environmental standards. While there is without
doubt a geo-political angle to the founding of the bank which is natural, given that the economic balance of power is
shifting to Asia care should be taken to ensure that it does not become the driving factor in the banks functioning.
The bank should do what it has been founded for fund Asias infrastructure.
77
PART TWENTY TWO| ARTICLES

1.
Cuba: More for less
Frontline-Oct 31, 2014 | Category: Health
THE near-universal health care system put in place by socialist Cuba ranks among the best in the world. In this
developing nation health care is free for all and the quality and efficiency of the service is commendable. Cubas
economy took a massive beating with the collapse of the Soviet Union. The island nation continues to suffer because of
the United States embargo on it. But its health care system can be a model for all developing nations.
Last month, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that Cuba would send a medical team of 165 people to
Sierra Leone to assist in the fight against the Ebola virus. This is the largest offer of a foreign medical team from a
single country during this outbreak, said Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the WHO, in a release.
This is not the first time Cuba has stepped in to aid a country in difficulty. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in
2005, Cuba offered medical supplies and staff. The George W. Bush administration declined the offer. It was
unfortunate, for thousands could have benefited from Cubas humanitarian support.
False pride or ideological barriers, however, did not stand in the way of the Pakistan government when it accepted
Cubas offer of help after an earthquake struck the subcontinent. While the Indian government did not even
acknowledge the Cuban gesture, Pakistans President Pervez Musharraf welcomed it and was quoted as having said
that one of the most heart-warming letters of support following the earthquake was from Cuban President Fidel
Castro. He expressed his deep gratitude in a telephone conversation with Castro. Cuba sent more than a thousand
medical personnel, who worked tirelessly in the tough conditions of the rugged mountains and also bore the entire
administrative and logistical expense.
78 A country with a population of 11.2 million, Cuba has an impressive record of medical aid in the international arena.
78 From helping out in Guatemala, Algeria, Haiti and Chile to treating more than 18,000 Ukrainian children affected by
the Chernobyl disaster, Cuba has always extended a hand of cooperation. A rapid response team of thousands of
doctors and nurses was constituted under the Henry Reeve International Team of Medical Specialists in Disasters and
Epidemics. At any given point in time, there are more than 30,000 members of this team working in about 70 countries.
Not only does Cuba provide medical aid, it also invites students from other countries to train as doctors almost free of
charge. Medical schools with Cuban cooperation have been established in several countries of Africa, including
Ethiopia, Uganda, Ghana, Gambia and Equatorial Guinea, and Yemen and East Timor. Cubas expertise in disaster
preparedness has been recognised by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Association of
Caribbean States selected Havana, the Cuban capital, as the headquarters of the Cross Cultural Network for Disaster
Risk Reduction to facilitate regional cooperation in disaster management.
Yet the international media continue to ignore these valuable contributions. When countries send money and
equipment, Cuba sends medical professionals to treat the sick and the injured. Fidel Castro was quoted as saying, You
cannot sort out anything with a few million; what is needed are medical personnel to save lives and treat the sick, but
they cannot send anyone because they don't have them, nor could they even assemble them. This is where you can
appreciate what a genuine revolution is, the values that it inculcates, and the enormous wealth of human capital that
we have created.
In Cuba, the health care system rests on the idea of prevention. Every community or neighbourhood has a doctor who
resides in the same area. The nurses and doctors not only treat patients but also monitor the health of the entire
population within their jurisdiction. To give an example, in urban areas, for every 1,000 patients there is one physician
who is responsible for delivering primary care. When required, the general physician refers patients to the district
speciality centre equipped to deal with the problem. Patients are categorised, according to health risks, from 1 to 4,
with the ones with chronic ailments in category 3 or 4. It is not uncommon for doctors to visit patients at home and the
onus for ensuring good health is on the doctors. In case of a maternal or infant mortality, the state can call upon the
doctor responsible to explain. The average life expectancy in Cuba is 77.5 years and its infant mortality rate is one of
the lowest in the world. On the contrary, in India medical aid is provided to patients who seek help. This makes health
care costly and out of the reach of a great many people.
The state-run health care system in Cuba has shown how the state, too, stands to benefit from these measures: Cuba
spends less per person annually and gets more done. It also makes good business sense: the country earns oil subsidies
from Venezuela in lieu of medical aid.
2.
The global laggard
The United Nations MDG report 2014 shows that despite Indias significant economic progress, around onethird of the worlds extremely poor people reside in the country.
Frontline-Sept. 19, 2014 | Category: Social Issues
IT is raining development goals. As the period for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) draws to a close next
year, discussions around these goals and what should replace them have reached fever pitch, with national
governments, international organisations and representatives of civil society participating in them.
Of course, before thinking of the next set of goals, the obvious prior requirement is to judge whether the MDGs
themselves have been met globally and in different regions and countries. It should be remembered that these goals
and the associated targets were not all that ambitious in most cases they amounted to little more than simple
extrapolations of past global average trends. The choice of targets was seen as somewhat arbitrary, and they were not
always equivalent in importance. Further, they were focussed on quantitative outcomes rather than the processes that
assisted or retarded such outcomes.
For example, the first goal of reducing extreme poverty and hunger is so broad that it effectively contains several major
goals all subsumed under this one head. This became especially so evident when the critically important target of full 79
and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and young people was added to the already
major targets of halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty and the proportion of hungry (or
undernourished) people.
Making all these part of one goal seems a bit odd, say in comparison to Goal 2 (achieving universal primary education)
or Goals 4 and 5 (reducing child mortality and improving maternal health) or Goal 6 (combating human
immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome, or HIV-AIDS, malaria and other diseases), which are
more limited in scope.
Other MDGs are inadequately delineated by the specific targets chosen. Thus, Goal 3 (promoting gender equality and
empowering women) has been reduced to what many have seen as extremely limited indicators: achieving gender
equality at different levels of education; reducing vulnerable employment of women; and increasing their participation
and representation in politics and government. Similarly, Goal 7 (ensuring environmental sustainability) is a mix of
good intentions (integrate principles of sustainable development into country policies and reduce biodiversity losses)
and specific but limited targets (halving the proportion of the population without sustainable access to safe drinking
water and basic sanitation, and improving the lives of at least 100 million slum dwellers).
Whatever their limitations, it is certainly true that the MDGs at least provided a framework for interpreting and
assessing progress in human conditions across the world. The United Nations MDG report 2014 provides a useful
summary of the achievements of the various goals in the final year before they are supposed to be met.
It clearly shows that while there has been significant progress in some areas (such as universal education) some of the
goals and targets are unlikely to be met at the global level, especially the goals of reducing hunger, generating more
good quality employment and improving maternal health. This lack of success in these areas is largely because of poor
progress in two regions: sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
India's record
Within South Asia, the role of India obviously looms large, and indeed because of the size of its population it matters
for the entire world. A large part of the success of the MDGs is because East Asia (especially China) has met them well
in advanceand the lack of success is largely owing to the lack of sufficient progress in India. So, it is safe to say that
these goals cannot be met globally if India alone does not meet them.
The U.N. MDG report for 2014 shows that progress on reducing income poverty has been slowest in South Asia,
largely owing to Indias relatively poor performance. Around one-third of the worlds extremely poor people reside in
India, according to this report.
However, the India Country Report on the MDGs from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in
India gives the opposite impression, suggesting that this particular target has already been met in India because of the
significant decline in income poverty from 37 per cent in 2004-05 to 22 per cent in 2011-12. Of course, there are
continuing concerns about looking at income poverty alone, which range from the multidimensionality of poverty to
the problematic and changing methods of estimating the incidence of income poverty.
More worrying is the evidence on hunger, where once again South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are the worst
performers, comparing very badly with the impressive progress made in other parts of developing Asia. Even this
official Government of India (GoI) report admits that progress on nutrition has been poor, to the extent that the target
of halving the incidence of hunger is definitely not likely to be met. Outcome indicators of child undernutrition remain
significantly above targetand once again nearly one-third of the underweight children in the world live in South
Asia, dominantly in India.
GoIs report on India does not contain information on employment trends even though this is identified as one of
80 The
targets of Goal 1. Maybe this is because the indicators for this target are so dreadful for India. The U.N.s global
80 the
report highlights this, noting that 73 per cent of men and 80 per cent of women in South Asia are involved in
vulnerable employment, with scarcely any improvement in this over the period since 2000.
Primary education enrolment has improved across the world, including India, and is one of the few targets that is
likely to be met. However, dropout rates remain high even at the primary school level; in South Asia they appear to
have shown little improvement.
Gender equality
Promoting gender equality and empowering women still remain a distant dream in most regions. The U.N. report
shows that gender disparities are prevalent at higher levels of education and there is significant evidence of gender
discrimination in labour markets in all regions. In India, we have other evident concerns: the decline in economic
empowerment reflected in falling recognised work participation, the very low political representation (less than 12 per
cent of elected representatives in Parliament), the low and still falling sex ratio, and the continued incidence of violence
against women in different forms.
Child mortality and maternal mortality continue to be very important concerns, and once again India is an
underperformer in comparative global terms. The world will not meet the target of reducing the under-five mortality
rate by two-thirds largely because of sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
The GoIs report notes that in India the infant mortality rate (IMR) has reduced by nearly 50 per cent during 1990-2012,
with the present level at 42. On such a trend, the IMR would be 40 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2015, while the MDG
target is 27. It is true that recently the pace of decline has accelerated, but this is still not enough to meet the declared
target.
Similarly, the maternal mortality rate (MMR) in South Asia is estimated to be way above the 2015 target for the region.
The GoIs report suggests that at current trends, India will reach an MMR of 140 by 2015, falling short by as many as 31
points. This reflects poor nutrition and sanitation conditions for mothers, low age at marriage, inadequate attendance
of skilled personnel at delivery and many other related problems that should have been direct concerns of
policymakers.
Another area in which the India performance is poor if not embarrassing is in sanitation and conditions of slum
dwellers. Improved sanitation is still more talked about than acted upon: nearly two-thirds of the estimated billion
people globally who have to rely on open defecation reside in India.
The National Sample Survey (NSS) 2012 revealed that 59 per cent of rural households and 9 per cent of urban
households had no latrine facilitiesand even when such facilities exist, access to water remains a huge problem.
Meanwhile, Census 2011 has reported 37 per cent growth in the number of slum households since 2001, with around
18 per cent of the urban population now living in identified slums.
For Indian observers, therefore, these reports on the progress of the MDGs are sources of shame and concern. They
should serve as wake-up calls for our leaders, but the sad truth is that there have been many such wake-up calls in the
past few years, and the people who matter do not seem to have been listening.
81
What Is Real Education?
Nisha Mishra (Batch: GS-4A)
The answer to the given question What is Real Education? can be understood only when at least we have a
understanding of what actually education is.
EDUCATION This 9 letter word often used so frequently as a part of daily routine, that its difficult to blatantly state
that those using this term dont even know its proper meaning, which they pretend is not so.
To begin with our understanding of Education, we must remember the words of Anatole France, he said, An
education isnt how much you have committed to memory or even how much you know, its being able to differentiate
between what you know and what you dont.
Thus we can say that education is much broader and holistic concept then we tend to assume it. It involves in its ambitsocial, political, cultural, moral, philosophical and economic dimensions. While many of us seek education merely to
gain economic benefits; assuming education as a tool to get good jobs, very few take it in terms of knowledge of self
dwelling on philosophical grounds. While some hold the notion that education is necessary to keep hold of our lives
and have understanding of whats going around.
The most dominant of these is certainly the economic one; as we generally and purposefully seek education to get a
good job, to economically well-off and at least in India it is so.
82 Education in social or political dimension deals with integrating ones self with the demands of the society and our
82 own needs i.e. striking a balance between self and group and it is something that comes by experience. Education also
bears moral, cultural, and ethical dimensions, which decides our code of conduct as members of society.
So, education is not only what we get from schools and colleges, it is also what we are imparted or learn at home and
moreover what we discover ourselves through our insights and experiences. Thus, education does not and can never
end with the end of school or college term (i.e. formal education) as its a lifelong process; it is a continuous process
spanned across life and ceases only with the end of life itself.
Now with the above said concept of education its easier to ascertain the fact why education is must for a civilized
society. Many people do the moral offence by considering education as a luxury meant for those who can afford it; but
given the high importance it holds in an individuals life, it will not be wrong to say that education is more than a
luxury, it is a responsibility that a society owes to itself; if a society is not educated that would mean the degeneration
of the people and society itself.
Now, with a little understanding about education we can attempt answering the core question of what is real
education?
In a clear and concise way we can summarise that what sculptor is to a block of marble, real education is to human
soul. This term real education is nothing fancy; it is only the binding essence of education. It is the incorporation of
skills, values and knowledge combined with accountability and responsibility that makes us more as humans and
lesser as biological animals. It is one which leads to the overall and complete making of an individual. Making one
more competent and efficient in all respects whether it be socially, politically, morally, economically, culturally, etc.
Real education can only be realized when the system imparting it is a good one, a sound one. With reference to Indian
context most of the things as a part of getting education (real education) are not realized, the reason being the absence
of a sound system of education.
If we are to consider only the bare statistics on the number of children formally enrolled in schools, even those figures
are far from satisfactory. As most of them particularly the children in rural areas, have no other option than to lean
towards the state run schools and colleges; where the situation is critically pitiable in terms of imparting even basic
education and skill, forget about real education.
Actually speaking the way education is tackled in our country is in itself a misery. Our policies on education have
become a redundant, we are blindly following the western norms without even realizing its drastic consequences. To
say more bluntly, we are trying to become a second rate America without any identity of our own. The present
education system has made us only degree holders without any concrete knowledge, it is devoid of lasting human
values which every individual must possess. It has made us more and more competitive not competent.
The individuals are different but to accentuate the differences and to encourage development of the individual as well
as nation, education is must. If we are being educated only to get a distinction, to have a wider domination over others
or to get a good job, then our lives will be shallow and empty. If we are being educated only to be scientists, to be
scholars wedded to books or specialists addicted to knowledge, and then we are contributing to destruction and
misery of the world.
It is very important for us to realize that education must be a liberal one contributing to the holistic development of an
individual; as this is what the purpose of education or real education must be.
If we look around; well find that education can act as a very powerful tool that can transform lives and change the
world. Not only many regional problems (like Naxalism, Regionalism and Communalism) etc. but national and
international problems like Poverty, Hunger, Terrorism, Global Warming, Climate change and so on, can only be
overcome with the change in the outlook of people towards these problems and this can be achieved only through
83
education (real education).
Education must never be confused with literacy. Though the state in India has shown efforts to increase the literacy
level which has come to around 75% yet it does not imply a rosy picture regarding the level of education in India. As
we very well know that literacy is a narrow concept and education implies a broader perspective. Education goes hand
in hand with freedom and justice for individuals, if individuals are not educated in a society, freedom and justice will
be non-existent in such a case, which in turn will automatically create hindrances for the development of individual as
well as the country, as for example what happened in colonial Indias not hidden from us.
Lets consider the impact of education on a larger (global) level the world as we know today is broadly categorized as
developed (or advanced), developing and lastly Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Visible and stark differences exist
between these categories whether these are social, political or economic in nature. With countries such as U.S.A., Japan,
European countries, etc. forming the group of advanced countries, are at the top notch in all spheres, where as the
Least Developed Countries comprising some Latin American and Sub-Saharan countries occupying the lowest rung.
Various indicators such as Human Development Index, Gender Related Development Index, Gender Inequality Index,
Global Hunger Index, etc also present a bleak scenario of these countries implying low standard of living being
prevent in these countries. The root cause may be more than one; but one of the most important one is lack of sound of
the education facilities in these countries.
The situation of India is no better as there still remain numerous challenges facing it today on account of developing a
sound education system even after 67 years of independence. While most of us keep on putting blame always and
everything on the government for its faulty policies, lack of political will or poor implementation of the existing good
ones; but while pointing a finger always at administration, we forget that the remaining four point towards us.
Yes, its true, if the education system is in a mess today, its more because of usour ignorance, lack of awareness, lack
of will to bring about a change in it, and running away from our social responsibilities has brought us here; and less
because of governments actions (or inactions, as the case maybe). Problems in India have persisted because some
think that getting good education is their exclusive right but not of others. Many of them never, ever from the core of
their thoughts want the deprived sections of society to get benefited by education because they fear that their
domination over them will come to an end. On the contrary, lack of awareness and moreover ignorance on the part of
these deprived people has led to their deplorable conditions in which they are.
We dont see a change in this part because we ourselves have never tried to bring about that change around us. Just
sitting in our cosy living rooms holding a cup of tea and blaming the state solely for the poor health of education in
India is not the way out. It needs to be taken more seriously. With the rising young population, the demographic
dividend is highly in favour of our country; and the possibility of India as a potential leader of the world would be
highly diminished if we fail to seize the benefits accruing at this point of time. Thus we need to reap the benefits from
this favourable demographic dividend, this can be done by turning our population as assets; as human capital.
And the tool required for this is education and only education. Without this, no amount of FDI, FII inflow or even
export surplus can boost the countrys economic growth and place us at par with the developed nations of the world.
A nation will develop only when its people will.
Initiatives on the part of government are being taken but we as members of society must also fulfill our social
responsibility. And a greater role can be played by educational institutions. Education should not be a burden as
schools and colleges now project it to be; rather there should be greater and fair chances for independent learning for
each and every individual.
Education is so vital for a society that its almost impossible to imagine the growth of society as we see it today. With
the rise in social evils whether it be increase in crimes, corruption, poverty, scams, ethnic problems, problems of
national importance such as naxalism, regionalism, national integration problems, etc; we must halt for a while and
think about the possible reasons, certainly well find absence of sound education or prevalence of faulty education as
perpetuating cause of these nuisances. It only reflects that roots of education arent strong enough to stop us from
84 the
84 treading the wrong path.
This is a serious threat to mankind at large; and we must get up from our deep slumber and start making efforts to
change this. But we must not get disheartened if our small efforts dont bear fruits in a short-span; they will definitely
and surely do wonders in the long run. Because this requires a change in the system (the existing education system)
and we very well know that changes in the system whether it be political, cultural, social or as the case here
educational cannot be changed all of a sudden. They are to be transformed slowly and steadily. Also, they can be
transformed only when there is a fundamental change in ourselves.
We must remember that individual is the centre to all systems, if they only do not understand themselves, there can be
no peace and order in the world; and this very understanding is facilitated by REAL EDUCATION.
Women Empowerment: Challenges and Prospects
Apurva Shrivastava (Batch: GS-4A)
Recently, India witnessed the triumph of its two MOMs. On one hand our Mars Orbiter Mission- MOM achieved
astonishing success in the field of space exploration and on the other hand Indian female boxer Mary Kom, mom of
three kids, brought glory for India in the Asian Games. One MOM proved Indias mettle in the field of science and
technology, the other proved that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. Success stories of Mary Kom and a
number of women like P T Usha, Kalpana Chawla, Arundhati Roy, Indira Nooyi, Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal, Chanda
Kochhar in various spheres of life reflects the massive change that the status of women has underwent in the past few
decades. In a traditionally patriarchical society, women have been able to come out of their shells and carve a niche for
themselves in the vast horizon of umpteen possibilities. Be it sports, science and technology, services, literature or
social, economical or political affairs, we have exemplary women in each and every domain.
There is no denying the fact that women in India have made a considerable progress in the last 67 years since
independence but they still have to struggle against many handicaps and social evils in the male dominated society.
Many evil and masculine forces still prevail in the modern Indian society that resists the forward march of its women
folk. It is ironical that a country which has recently acclaimed the status of the first Asian country to accomplish its
Mars mission in maiden attempt is positioned at 129th rank among 146 countries across the globe on the basis of
Gender Inequality Index. There has been amelioration in the position of women but their true empowerment is still
awaited.
Adhi-Abadi Half of the humanity: Swami Vivekanand, one of the greatest sons of India, quoted that, There is no
chance for the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved. It is not possible for a bird to fly on only one wing.
Women constitute half the population of the world. No country can emerge as a developed country while neglecting
its women folk. Inclusion of Women Empowerment as one of the prime goals in the eight Millennium Development
Goals underscores the relevance of this fact as empowered women folk represents an empowered nation. India
currently bears the tag of a developing nation. In order to achieve the status of a developed country India needs to
transform its colossal women force into an effective human resource. This is possible only through the empowerment
of women.
What is women empowerment? Women empowerment means emancipation of women from the vicious grips of
social, economical, political, caste and gender based discrimination. It means granting women the freedom to make
strategic life choices. Women empowerment does not mean Deifying Women. It means replacing patriarchy with
parity. There are various facets of women empowerment, such as:
Human Rights or Individual Rights: A woman is a being with senses, imagination and thoughts; she should be able to
express them freely. Individual empowerment means to have self confidence to articulate and assert, power to
negotiate and decide.
Social Empowerment: A critical aspect of social empowerment of women is promotion of gender equality. Gender
equality implies a society in which women and men enjoy the same opportunities, outcomes, rights and obligations in
85
all spheres of life.
Economical and occupational empowerment: It implies a better quality of material life through sustainable
livelihoods owned and managed by women. It means reducing their financial dependence on their male counterparts
by making them a significant part of human resource.
Educational Empowerment: It means empowering women with the knowledge, skills and self-confidence necessary to
participate fully in the development process. It means making women aware of their rights and developing a
confidence to claim them.
Legal Empowerment: It suggests the provision of an effective legal structure which is supportive of women
empowerment. It means addressing the gap between what the law proscribes and what actually occurs.
Political Empowerment: It means existence of a political system favouring the participation in and control by the
women of the political decision making process and in governance.
Women in India: A Historical Background
The historical background of Indian society reveals that in Rig Vedic times women enjoyed equal status with men in all
aspects of life. Women were not secluded from men and they freely participated in public life and received education.
Women could own property and widows could remarry. Girls enjoyed great freedom and settled their own marriage.
The position enjoyed by women in the Rig-Vedic period deteriorated in the later Vedic civilization. Women were
denied the right to education and widow remarriage. They were denied the right of inheritance and ownership of
property. Many social evils like child marriage and dowry system surfaced and started to engulf women. During
Gupta period the status of women immensely deteriorated. Dowry became an institution and Sati Pratha System
became prominent.
In the medieval period, child marriage, purdah system, jauhar, Sati, female infanticide and slavery were the main
social evils that contributed to the misery of Indian women.
British Raj and Struggle for Freedom: During the British Raj, many social reformers such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy,
Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar and Jyotirao Phule started agitations for the empowerment of women. Their efforts led to
abolition of Sati Pratha and formulation of the Widow Remarriage Act. Later, Stalwarts like Mahatma Gandhi and Pt.
Nehru advocated for women rights. As a result of their concentrated efforts the status of women in social, economical
and political life began to elevate in the Indian Society. Women actively participated in Indias quest for freedom. Some
of the famous women freedom fighters include Rani Laxibai, Vijyalaxmi Pandit, Dr. Annie Besant, Kasturba Gandhi,
Sarojini Naidu and many more.
Impact of Western Feminist movements: The feminist movements of the west influenced Indian women and the
feminist activism gained momentum in India in the 1970s. Female activists got united over issues such as female
infanticide, gender bias, health, safety and literacy. These movements helped women to conquer inner fear and realize
self-worth.
Current Scenario: Based on the ideas championed by our founding fathers for women empowerment many social,
economical and political provisions were incorporated in the Indian Constitution. Women in India now participate
fully in areas such as education, sports, politics, media, art and culture, service sector and science and technology. But
due to the deep-rooted patriarchial mentality in the Indian society, women are victimized, humiliated, tortured and
exploited. Even after seven decades of independence women are still subjected to discrimination in social, economical
and educational field. In daily life women are routinely defined by their sex and they are potential victims of heinious
crimes like rape, trafficking, kidnapping and dowry deaths.
86 Major / Landmark Steps taken for Women Empowerment:

86 Prior to Independence:
Abolition of Sati Pratha- Sati was a custom in which the widow was immolated alive on her husbands funeral pyre.
Raja Ram Mohan Roy took upon himself to eradicate this demonic custom. He announced that the rite of Sati was not a
part of Hindu religion. His dedicated efforts led to the abolition of Sati System in 1829.
Widow Remarriage Act: Widows were denied remarriage in the past. Ishwarchand Vidyasagar championed the right
of widows to remarry and was finally successful in getting the Hindu Widow Remarriage Act passed in 1856.
Post-Independence:
Provisions made under the Constitution of India:
Right to equality: Article 14 of the Indian Constitution guarantees to all Indian women equality before law. It prohibits
discrimination on the basis of religion, race, caste, sex and place of birth.
Equal pay for equal work: Article 39(d), guards the economic rights of women by guaranteeing equal pay for equal
work for both men and women.
Maternity Relief: Under Article 42, Indian Constitution allows provisions to be made by the state for securing just and
humane condition of work and maternity relief for women.
Laws of empower women / Legal Provisions:
The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961: Dowry is defined as a gift demanded or given as a precondition for a marriage. This
act prohibits the request, payment or acceptance of a dowry. Asking or giving dowry can be punished by
imprisonment as well as fine.
Protection of Women from Domestic violence act, 2005: Domestic violence include physical, sexual, verbal, emotional
and economical abuse suffered by the woman at the hands of her family (in-laws). This act provides for a more
effective protection of the rights of women guaranteed with the constitution, who are victims of such domestic
violence. A breach of this act is punishable with both fine and imprisonment.
Sexual Harassment of women at work place, (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013: Sexual harassment
means any unwelcome physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct of sexual nature. This act helps to create a conductive
environment at workplace fro women where they are not subjected to any sort of sexual harassment and can realize
their urges and energies.
Political Provisions:
Panchayat Raj Institutions: As per the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Act, all the local elected bodies
reserve one-third of their seats for women. Such a provision was made to increase the effective participation of women
in politics.
Womens Reservation Bill: It is a pending bill in India which proposes to reserve 33% of all seats of Lok Sabha and in
all state legislative assemblies for women. If passed, this bill will give a significant boost to the position of women in
politics.
Education: The Right to Education Act, 2010 secures the right of children to free and compulsory education till
completion of elementary education in a neighbourhood school. Girls are also provided with scholarships to complete
their higher education.
Economic Policies: The introduction of the policy of Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation led to the economic
welfare of women. Creation of white collar jobs attracted women folk towards employment. These policies had two
pronged effects, first it benefited Indias economy and second it empowered women economically by incorporating
them as a part of work force.
Various Government Policies and Schemes: The government of India is running various welfare schemes and
policies, both at state and central level for the empowerment of woman. Some of the major programmes and measures
include Swadhar (1995), Swayam Sidha (2001), Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women (STEP2003), Sabla Scheme (2010), National Mission for empowerment of women (2010) etc. All such policies and
programmes focuses social, economical and educational empowerment of women across various age groups.
Thus, we see that there have been no dearth of social, economical, political, legal and constitutional efforts made for 87
the empowerment of women both prior to and post independence. However, women in India continue to face
atrocities such as rape, dowry killings, acid attacks, human trafficking etc. According to a global poll conducted by
Reuters, India is the fourth most dangerous country in the world for women.
Women Empowerment- Challenges

Psychological Void:-The most widespread and dehumanizing discrimination and assault against women are on the
psychological level. The discrimination against the girl child begins from the birth. Boys are preferred over girls; hence
female infanticide is a common practice in India. The ordeal that an Indian girl faces at birth is only the beginning of a
life long struggle to be seen and heard. The sense of women being inferior is passed on from one generation to another
through psychological conditioning.
Patriarchial Bottlenecks: The traditional Indian society is a patriarchial society ruled by the diktats of self proclaimed
caste lords who are the guardians of archaic and unjust traditions. They put the burden of traditions, culture and
honour on the shoulders of women and mar their growth. The incidences of honour killing reveal the distorted
social fibre in the male dominated society.
Economical Backwardness: Women constitute only 29% of the work force but 60% of the total destitute in the country.
There has been a failure in transforming the available women base into human resource. This in turn has hampered not
only the economic development of women but of the country as a whole.
Implementation Gaps: Through all these years we have paid attention only to developing and devising new schemes,
policies and programmes and have paid less attention to the proper monitoring system and implementation shortsightedness all these schemes and policies have failed to deliver upto their potential. As a result, despite the presence
of The Pre-Natal Diagnostic Technologies Act and various health programmes like Janani Suraksha Yojana and
National Rural Health Mission (NHRM), we have a skewed sex ratio and a high maternal mortality rate (MMR).
Illiteracy: Despite the fact that Right to education is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Indian Constitution, more
than 40% of women are illiterate in the country. Absence of elementary education gives rise to the evils of ignorance
and superstitious beliefs. Thus a large population of the women in the country is unaware of its rights and thus lives in
low esteem and low self-confidence.
Loopholes in the legal structure: Although there are number of laws to protect women against all sorts of violence yet
there has been significant increase in the episodes of rapes, extortions, acid, attacks etc. This is due to delay in legal
procedures and the presence of several loopholes in the functioning of judicial system.
Lack of Political Will: The still pending Womens Reservation Bill underscores the lack of political evils to empower
women politically. The male dominance prevails in the politics of India and women are forced to remain mere puppets
and rubber stamps.
Suggestions to Empower Women:
Bridging the Psychological gap: The age old psychological beliefs need to be reconditioned. It is only possible by
promoting the idea of gender equality and uprooting social ideology of male child preferability. This concept of
equality should be first developed in each and every household and from there it should be taken to the society. This
can be achieved by running awareness programmes with the help of Nukaad natak or dramas, radio, television,
internet etc. across the country.
Replacing Patriarchy with Parity: A strong patriarchial society with deep rooted socio-cultural values continues to
affect womens empowerment. The need of the hour is an egalitarian society, where there is no place for superiority.
The government should identify and eliminate such forces that work to keep alive the tradition of male dominance
over its female counterpart by issuing inhumane and unlawful diktats.
88
88 Bridging implementation gaps:- Government or semi-government bodies must be set up to monitor the programmes
devised for the welfare of the society. Due importance should be given for their proper implementation. Viable targets
should be set to attain through the effective implementation of these programmes. Both pre and post estimation of the
outcomes of the programmes should be made. Government should maintain and manage data of all government run
programmes. Also these data should be available for public scrutiny. This evil keep a tab on all the officials and govt.
and semi-govt. bodies responsible for the implementation of these programmes.
Education: You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation. Brigham
Young
Education is the most important and indispensable tool for women empowerment. It makes women aware of their
rights and responsibilities. Educational achievements of a woman can have ripple effects written the family and across
generations. An educated woman knows the significance of a small family and recognizes the importance of health
care and knows how to secure it for herself and her children. Thus decreasing MMR and IMR and improving sex ratio.
Thus programmes for educating women should be taken at war footing. Most of the girls drop out of schools due to
the unavailability of separate toilets for them. The recently launched Swachh Bharat Mission focusing at improving
sanitation facilities in schools and every rural household by 2019, can proved to be very significant in bringing down
the rate at girls dropping out of school.
Political Will: Women should have access to resources, rights and entitlements. They should be given decision making
powers and due position in governance. Thus, the Women Reservation Bill should be passed as soon as possible to
increase the effective participation of women in the politics of India.
Sealing the loopholes in legal structures: Justice delayed is justice denied, Efforts should be made to restructure the
legal process to deliver fair and in time justice to the victims of heinous crimes like rapes, acid attacks, sexual
harassment, trafficking and domestic violence. Stringent laws should be formulated or the existing laws should be
strengthening to deter the crime rate against women. The idea of fast-track courts, devised to impart speedy justice to
the victims of rapes and other crimes against women, is a good initiative taken by the judiciary and the government of
India.
Conclusion: Empowering Women sociality, economically, educationally politically and legally is going to be a
Herculean task. It is not going to be easy to change the culture of disregard for women which is so deep-rooted in
Indian society. But it does not mean that it is implausible. Only revolutions bring changes in a day but reforms take
their time. This one in particular will take its time as well. The idea of women empowerment might sound hard by the
yard but by the inch its just a clinch. All we need is a concentrated effort focused in the right direction that would rest
only with the liberation of women from all forms of evil.
It is part time for women to take their rightful place side by side with men. Thus, most important role in the
empowerment of women has to be played by women themselves. After all the Nobel Peace Prize laureate of this year, Malala Yousafzai, who looked directly in the eyes of one of the deadliest terrorist groups and declared that no gate, no
gun, no bolt and no bullet can be set upon the freedom of her mind and will. She arouse fear in the minds of Taliban
through her weapons against violence and unjust treatment of women, that constituted a book, a pen and a set of two
vocal cords that vibrates to create the sounds of her free mind and heart. Such is the might of woman.
Rephrasing a popular poem of the great literary scholar, Rabindranath Tagore, in the context of (Indian) womenWhere our women are without fears and their heads are held high, into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my
country awake.
89
PART TWENTY FOUR | ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
PART TWENTY FOUR | ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
PART I: Contains 50 multiple choice questions (MCQs) on current affairs for practice. In this issue, we have
covered probable questions for General Studies Preliminary (Paper I) drawn from the August, 2014 issue of
FOCUS magazine.
(Q1). Identify the correct statement/s.
(1)
International Youth Day is observed annually
on 12 August.
(2)
International Youth Day (IYD) is an awareness
day designated by the United Nations.
(3)
International Youth Day's Slogan for 2014 was
Youth and Mental Health.
th
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Codes
Statement 1 and 2 are correct
All are correct
All are incorrect
(Q2). Which of the following states has signed a

memorandum of understanding with
UNESCO to protect and promote the Spice
Route heritage?
(a)
Tamil Nadu
Kerala
90 (b)
Karnataka
90 (c)
(d)
Andhra Pradesh
(Q3). Fields Medal and Rolf Nevanlinna Prize are
the international awards given in the field of
(a)
Architecture
(b)
Astronomy
(c)
Mathematics
(d)
Economics
(Q4). Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award,
Denmarks most important literature prize was
recently awarded to
(a)
Vikram Seth
(b)
Jhumpa Lahiri
(c)
Arundhati Roy
(d)
Salman Rushdie
(Q5).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Emmy Awards are given in the field of

Music
Television
Films
Plays
(Q6). National Sports Day (29th August) is

associated with
(a)
Milkha Singh
(b)
Dhyan Chand
(c)
Balbir Singh
(d)
K.D. Jhadav
(Q7). Downing Street Declaration
associated with
(a)
right to self-determination for
Northern Ireland.
(b)
Wales.
(c)
Scotland.
(d)
None of the above
of 1993 was
the people of
the people of
the people of

(1)
Gandhi is an epic biographical film which
dramatises the life of Mohandas Karamchand
Gandhi.
(2)
The film covers Gandhi's life from a defining
moment in 1893 and concludes with his
assassination and funeral in 1948.
(3)
Gandhi in 1983 claimed eight Academy awards
- a record for a British film - including best
director for Ben Kingsley.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Codes
All are correct
All are incorrect
(Q9). Dead Poets Society, Good Morning Vietnam,

and Good Will Hunting are movies associated
with which of the following actors
(a)
Richard Gere
(b)
Bruce Willis
(c)
Brad Pitt
(d)
Robin Williams
(Q10). Iyengar School is associated with
(a)
Odissi Dance
(b)
(c)
(d)
Kalaripayattu
Yoga
Carnatic music
(Q11).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Margaret Chan is the Director-General of

UNESCO
UNICEF
WHO
UNDP

(1)
WHO is a specialized agency of the United
Nations (UN) that is concerned with
international public health.
(2)
WHO is responsible for the World Health
Report, World Health Survey, and World
Health Day.
(3)
The seat of the organization is in Genoa.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Codes
All are correct
All are incorrect
(Q13). Jack Nicklaus, Tom Morris, and Rory McIlroy

are associated with
(a)
Formula One
(b)
Snooker
(c)
Chess
(d)
Golf
(Q14). Which of the following countries is not part of
BASIC countries?
(a)
Brazil
(b)
Argentina
(c)
South Africa
(d)
China
(1)
Recently, 18th BASIC Ministerial Meeting was
held in Shanghai.
(2)
The group reiterated that developed countries
should walk the talk on climate change goals.
(3)
The group expressed serious concern on the
low level of mitigation ambition of developed
countries and expressed disappointment over
the continued lack of any clear road map.
(a)
(b)
(c)
Codes
All are correct
(d)
All are incorrect
(Q16). Like Minded Developing Countries (LMDC) is

a group for forging a common position on
(a)
Trade Facilitation
(b)
Climate Change
(c)
Disarmament
(d)
Preventing trade in endangered species
(1)
Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a fund within the
framework of the UNFCCC.
(2)
GCF was founded as a mechanism to transfer
money from the developed to the developing
world, in order to assist the developing
countries in adaptation and mitigation
practices to counter climate change.
(3)
It is intended to be the centrepiece of efforts to
raise Climate Finance.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Codes
All are correct
All are incorrect

(1)
(UNFCCC) is an international environmental
treaty negotiated at the United Nations 91
Conference on Environment and Development
(UNCED), informally known as Kyoto
Protocol.
(2)
The objective of the treaty is to stabilize
greenhouse gas concentrations in the
atmosphere at a level that would prevent
dangerous anthropogenic interference with the
climate system.
(3)
The treaty itself set no binding limits on
greenhouse gas emissions for individual
countries and contains no enforcement
mechanisms.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Codes
All are correct
All are incorrect
(Q19). Which of the followings persons will head

Supreme Court panel on capitation fees?
(a)
Manu Singhvi
(b)
Salman Khurshid
(c)
Arun Jaitley
(d)
Kapil Sibal
(Q20).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Justice Mukul Mudgal Committee is related to

IPL scandal
Coal scam
2G scam
Black Money

(1)
The National Institute of Public Finance and
Policy (NIPFP) is a centre for applied research
in sustainable public finance policy for
development, advocacy and capacity
development.
(2)
NIPFP also works jointly with the Department
of Economic Affairs to research the effects of
past economic policies.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Codes
Statement 1 is correct
Both are correct
Both are incorrect

(1)
Ebola is a viral illness of which the initial
symptoms can include a sudden fever, intense
weakness, muscle pain and a sore throat.
92 (2)
The disease infects humans through close
92
contact with infected animals, including
chimpanzees, fruit bats and forest antelopes.
(3)
It has becomes a severe epidemic in West
African countries- Liberia, Sierra Leone, and
Guinea.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Codes
All are correct
All are incorrect
(Q23). With reference to the WHO plan to check

spread of Ebola, identify the correct
statement/s.
(1)
Stopping transmission in the affected countries
through "scaling up effective, evidence-based
outbreak control measures.
(2)
Preventing the spread of Ebola to "the
neighbouring at-risk countries through
strengthening epidemic preparedness and
response measures.
(3)
The plan is also expected to highlight the
dangers faced by health workers on the front
lines of the outbreak, and to call for improving

ways to protect them from infection.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Codes
All are correct
All are incorrect

(1)
The National Green Tribunal was established
in 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal
of cases relating to environmental protection
and conservation of forests and other natural
resources including enforcement of any legal
right relating to environment.
(2)
This is the first body of its kind that is required
by its parent statute to apply the "polluter
pays" principle and the principle of sustainable
development.
(3)
It can rightly be called special because India is
the first country followed by Australia and
New Zealand to have such a system.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Codes
All are correct
All are incorrect
(Q25).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Kabani River is in the state of

Karnataka
Goa
Kerala
Tamil Nadu
(Q26). Australian humpback dolphin declared as a

new species is found in
(a)
the waters of northern Australia and New
Guinea
(b)
Tasman Sea
(c)
Great Australian Bight
(d)
Cook Strait
(Q27). Indias first indigenously-built stealth AntiSubmarine Warfare (ASW) is
(a)
INS Shankul
(b)
INS Kamorta
(c)
INS Chakra
(d)
INS Arihant
(Q28). A village in which of the following countries
has become the first to be powered by fuel cells
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Swaziland
Botswana
Namibia
South Africa
(3)
(Q29).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Borexino experiment is headed by

France
Germany
Italy
Austria
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(Q30).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Borexino experiment is associated with

Solar neutrinos
Solar flares
Solar storms
Helium nuclei
(Q35). Senkaku islands is a group of disputed islands

and bone of contention between
(a)
Japan and China
(b)
South Korea and China
(c)
Vietnam and China
(d)
Russia and China
(Q31).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
What is ASF1A?
A newly found solar cousin
A new variant of Anti Submarine Ship
One of the genes responsible for the
mechanism of cellular reprogramming
None of the above
(Q36). Which of the following countries has scrapped

the anti-gay laws?
(a)
Kenya
(b)
Ethiopia
(c)
Uganda
(d)
Sudan
(Q32).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Spacecraft Rosetta was launched by

NASA
European Space Agency
Russia
None of the above
(Q33).
(1)
(2)
(3)
Identify the correct statement/s.

A comet is an icy small Solar System body.
Comets have a wide range of orbital periods.
Short-period comets originate in the Kuiper
belt.
Longer-period comets originate in the Oort
cloud.
(Q37). Which of the following countries has granted

three year residency to Edward Snowden?
(a)
Venezuela
(b)
Cuba
93
(c)
Bolivia
(d)
Russia
(4)
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Codes
Statement 1, 2 and 3 are correct
Statement 2, 3 and 4 are correct
All are correct

(1)
Informalisation the proportion of informal
workers to total workers has fallen
significantly since 2004-5.
(2)
Manufacturing, construction, wholesale and
retail trade, transportation and storage were
the main sectors employing informal workers.
(Q38).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Among the States, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh

and Goa have highest proportion of informal
workers.
Codes
All are correct
All are incorrect
Dead Sea borders

Israel, Jordan and West Bank
Israel, Jordan and Syria
Israel, Egypt and Gaza
Israel, Lebanon and Syria
(Q39). Operation Protective Edge was an operation

launched by
(a)
U.S. on ISIS
(b)
NATO forces in Afghanistan
(c)
Israel in Gaza
(d)
Ukraine on pro Russian rebels
(Q40).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(Q41).
(a)
Golan Heights was occupied by Israel from

Lebanon
Syria
Jordan
Egypt
General Prayut Chan-ocha is the new Prime
Minister of
Vietnam
(b)
(c)
(d)
Cambodia
Laos
Thailand
(Q42). The gas associated with Bhopal Gas Tragedy

was
(a)
Sulfur tetrafluoride
(b)
Tetraethyl pyrophosphate
(c)
Methyl Isocyanate
(d)
Phosphorus pentafluoride
(Q43).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
What is AYUSH?
A computer virus
A new Torpedo
A new livelihood project
A government department

(1)
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is a
financial inclusion programme.
(2)
Under the scheme, account holders will be
provided zero-balance bank account.
(3)
RuPay debit card, accidental insurance cover of
Rs 1 lakh and life insurance cover of Rs 30,000
are additional features.
94 (a)
94 (b)
(c)
(d)
Codes
All are correct
All are incorrect

(1)
The new Securities Laws (Amendment) will
empower SEBI investigators to conduct
searches and seek information from suspects,
both within and outside the country.
(2)
The new powers will help SEBI recover dues
from defaulters, search premises and seize
documents relevant to any violation of capital
markets laws.
(3)
The law will also cover multi-level marketing
schemes, which are disguised as collective
investment scheme (CIS), with a corpus of
Rs.100 crore or more.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Codes
All are correct
All are incorrect
(Q46).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Okinawa is an island of
Japan
South Korea
Taiwan
China
(Q47).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Thailand is not bordered by

Malaysia
Cambodia
Laos
Vietnam
(Q48). New chairman of Public Accounts Committee

(PAC) is
(a)
P. Chidambaram
(b)
Kamal Nath
(c)
K.V. Thomas
(d)
Kapil Sibal
(Q49). The Irish Prime Minister associated with
Downing Street Declaration in 1993 was
(a)
John Bruton
(b)
Albert Reynolds
(c)
Bertie Ahem
(d)
Brian Cowen
(1)
Black economy amounts to 75% of Indias
GDP.
(2)
Black economy is driven substantially by the
higher education sector, real estate deals and
mining income.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Codes
Both are correct
Both are incorrect
PART II: A bunch of 15 relevant questions on various themes of General Studies (Main) Examination have
been put in this issue for practice.
GENERAL STUDIES (MAIN) PAPERS
Answer the following in about 200 words:
Modern India and National Movement
Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.
Trace the origin of the Swadeshi Movement. How did it involve the masses?
Write a note on the Theosophical Society.
Discuss the main finding of the Hartog Committee.
What was Mountbatten Plan? Discuss the reactions of Gandhi and Azad to the Plan.
Characterise the main features of Indian Renaissance.
Geography
Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.
Discuss the distribution of winds and rainfall over India in the summer monsoon season.
Why do the rivers of west coast not form a delta?
Bring out the causes for more frequent occurrences of landslides in the Himalayas than in Western Ghats.
Major hot deserts in Northern hemisphere are located between 20-30 degree North latitudes and on the
Western side of the continents. Why?
Explain how the Himalayan and the Tibetan highlands play an important role in the development of the South
West monsoon.
Polity
Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.
Access the importance of the role played by the Public Accounts Committee.
What are the provisions regarding the protection of Linguistic minorities in the Constitution?
Explain the discretionary powers of the Governor of a State.
Define Money-bill. Discuss how it is passed in the Parliament.
How does the Inter-State council establish coordination between States?
95
Solutions are given hereunder for the 50 multiple choice questions on current affairs given in September,
2014 issue of FOCUS magazine.
(Q1)(Q2)(Q3)(Q4)(Q5)(Q6)Exp:
(Q7)(Q8)(Q9)(Q10)(Q11)(Q12)(Q13)(Q14)(Q15)(Q16)(Q17)96 (Q18)96 (Q19)(Q20)(Q21)(Q22)(Q23)(Q24)(Q25)(Q26)(Q27)(Q28)(Q29)Exp:
(Q30)(Q31)(Q32)(Q33)-
Answer (d)
Answer (c)
Answer (b)
Answer (c)
Answer (a)
Answer (b)
Tamil-Brahmi, or Damili, is a variant of the
Brahmi script used to write the Tamil
language.
Answer (d)
Answer (c)
Answer (d)
Answer (b)
Answer (d)
Answer (c)
Answer (b)
Answer (a)
Answer (c)
Answer (d)
Answer (b)
Answer (c)
Answer (a)
Answer (c)
Answer (d)
Answer (a)
Answer (d)
Answer (d)
Answer (c)
Answer (c)
Answer (d)
Answer (c)
Answer (b)
India is ranked at 135, among the 'medium
development' countries like Egypt, South
Africa, Mongolia, Philippines and Indonesia.
Among India's neighbours, Bhutan and
Bangladesh too figure in this category.
Pakistan (ranked 146) and Nepal (145) are in
the 'low development' category, while Sri
Lanka (73) is in the 'high development'
category.
Answer (c)
Answer (c)
Answer (c)
Answer (a)
(Q34)(Q35)(Q36)(Q37)(Q38)(Q39)(Q40)(Q41)(Q42)(Q43)(Q44)(Q45)(Q46)(Q47)(Q48)(Q49)(Q50)-
Answer (a)
Answer (a)
Answer (d)
Answer (c)
Answer (d)
Answer (b)
Answer (a)
Answer (c)
Answer (b)
Answer (b)
Answer (c)
Answer (a)
Answer (d)
Answer (c)
Answer (b)
Answer (c)
Answer (a)
PART TWENTY SIX | FOCUS SPECIAL
PUBLIC HEALTH IN INDIA

(A brief overview)
(This article caters to the Social Issues portion of General Studies-Paper I in UPSC Mains examination and is also relevant for the
Essay Paper.)
Public Health is the science and art of promoting health, preventing

disease, and prolonging life through the organized efforts of society
(WHO). It is a social and political concept aimed at improving health,
quality of life among whole population through health promotion,
disease prevention and other forms of health interventions.
Public Health approach is a holistic approach which encompasses all
elements required for healthy living. It controls disease through health
promotion, specific protection and by restoration and rehabilitation. In
addition, disease surveillance which informs about ongoing as well as
emerging public health issues is a core public health function. Other
important functions are developing partnerships, formulation of
regulations/laws, planning/policies and Human Resources Development.
What the Indian Constitution says? Directive Principles of State Policy considers that the State shall regard raising of
the level of nutrition and standard of living of its people and improvement of public health as among its primary
duties under Article 47. In addition, Article 42, the State shall make provisions for securing just and humane conditions
of work and for maternity relief. The health system in India is expected to perform with objectives based on these 97
principles and evolve its spirit and structure to achieve these objectives.
Evolution of Public Health in India: The most comprehensive health policy and plan document ever prepared in
India was on the eve of Independence in 1946. This was the Health Survey and Development Committee Report
popularly referred to as the Bhore Committee. This Committee prepared a detailed plan of a National Health Service
for the country, which would provide a universal coverage to the entire population free of charges through a
comprehensive state run salaried health service. Later, many other committees reviewed the existing health
infrastructure/situation in the country and made recommendations needed to prevent and control diseases including
communicable, non-communicable and emerging diseases.
Recently, the Expert Committee on Public Health system (1996), the National Commission on Macroeconomics and
Health (2005), National Five Year Plans, National Health Policy (1983, 2002), and many international initiatives such
UN Millennium Development Goals (2000), have also provided strong policy directives for the development of health
care delivery system to control/prevent diseases.
Public Health System in India: Broadly, the healthcare services are divided under State list and Concurrent list in
India. While some items such as public health and hospitals fall in the State list, others such as population control and
family welfare, medical education, and quality control of drugs are included in the Concurrent list. The Union Ministry
of Health and Family Welfare (UMHFW) is the central authority responsible for implementation of various
programmes and schemes in areas of family welfare, prevention, and control of major diseases.
The public sector ownership is divided between central and state governments, and municipal and panchayat local
governments. The facilities include hospitals, secondary level hospitals, first level referral hospitals (community health
centres [CHCs] or rural hospitals), dispensaries, primary health centres (PHCs) and sub centres, and health posts.
Weakness of the Public Health System in India: Broadly, the major weaknesses in the Public Health system in India
have emanated from -Issues related to quality and functioning of Public Health Services.
Definition: Quality of public health services is defined by the extent of their availability and coverage, economic
affordability and social accessibility to all sections of society, efficacy, safety and epidemiological rationale, and
attitudes of the personnel. This, in turn, is dependent upon the culture of health services, which consists of the
organizational principles, motivations of personnel at all levels and their interactions among themselves as well as
with those to whom they provide services.
Factors that have contributed towards dilution in the quality and reach of Public Health Services are given
hereunder:
1.
Public health has effectively remained a low priority for the Indian state in terms of financing and political
attention in successive five-year plans. The overall system of health planning and decision making remained
highly centralized and top-down with minimal accountability, giving little scope for genuine community
initiatives.
2.
It may be noted that until 1983 India had no formal health policy. Although, significant expansion of
healthcare infrastructure did take place after National Health Policy-1983 yet this remained grossly
underutilized because of poor facilities and low attendance by medical staff, inadequate supplies, insufficient
hours, lack of community involvement and lack of proper monitoring mechanisms. The Primary Healthcare
Approach was never implemented in its full form, and selective vertical programmes were pushed as a
substitute for comprehensive health system development.
3.
This already unsatisfactory situation seriously worsened with the onset of liberalisation era from 1990s
onwards. This phase has witnessed staggering health inequities, resurgence of communicable diseases and an
even more unregulated drug industry with drug prices shooting up, adding up to the current crisis in public
health. Along with the retreat from the goal of universal access, special health needs of women, children and
other sections of society with special needs have become further sidelined or are inadequately addressed.
98
98 4.
5.
Closely related to this, and compounding this situation has been a Techno-managerial model of healthcare
inspired by the West, with an inability to evolve effective indigenous models and appropriate technologies, or
to effectively integrate modern and indigenous systems of medicine.
Consequently, emphasis is on more curative services and with inadequate lab capacity in the system and poor
participation of private sector in public health activities. As per NFHS III, the pattern of health care
expenditure in India shows that more than 70% of expenditure is from out of pocket by households. Estimates
suggests that in India the total health expenditure is around 6% of GDP, and is dominated by out of pocket
spending i.e. around 5%. The government/public expenditure on health care is around 1% of GDP. Due to this
low public expenditure the reach and quality of public health services are below the desired level.
Rejuvenating the Public Health System in India- Making right to health care a fundamental right is an important step
to initiate changes in the public health delivery mechanism. The other major steps that may be taken for rejuvenation
are:
1.
First, a considerably strengthened, accountable and reoriented public health system needs to be nurtured. Such
a rejuvenation of the public health system would require changes at levels of policy, structure, programmes,
and processes. Such strengthening should ensure adequate infrastructure, human power, services and supplies
at various levels, restoring the basic functionality of the system and rebuilding public confidence.
2.
Second, the base of strengthened public health would need to be a framework of comprehensive Primary
Health Care including Community health workers in every habitation; much more functional and accountable
Primary health centres (PHCs) and First referral units (FRUs), combined with a range of appropriate
preventive and promotive activities.
3.
Third, to institutionalize accountability would require a legal and constitutional framework to assure health
services as a Right. Once right to health care is considered, the task of the health movement would be to make
sure the range of services is as comprehensive as possible, and to ensure that the services required by various
marginalized sections and groups with special needs are definitely included.
4.
Fourth, substantially raising public finances for the public health system, through general taxation along with
various forms of special taxation and cesses for health security. Ending subsidization of the private medical
sector and effectively taxing this sector, especially its upper end; a special health security cess on all financial
transactions above a certain level; and preferential taxation of industries with negative health impacts are some
other measures that may be considered.
5.
Fifth, specific health care requirements of various groups with special needs such as women, children, and
elderly persons would need to be met through sets of special measures, sensitively delivered by the general
health system.
6.
Sixth, specific major health problems, both communicable diseases such as TB and HIV-AIDS, and noncommunicable health issues such as mental health would need to be addressed through programmes closely
integrated with a robust comprehensive health system.
7.
Seventh, progressively bringing the private medical sector under social regulation would be essential for
realization of health rights in meaningful manner. A first step in this direction would consist of legally and
organizationally ensuring that this sector meets minimum standards -follows standard treatment guidelines,
and observes ceilings on prices of essential health services.
8.
Eighth, much more effective public health support to indigenous healing systems is required, including active
research on areas such as community based evaluation of indigenous healing methods and synergistic
combination with modern medicine.
9.
Ninth, ensuring access to essential drugs in rights based framework, both in form of ensuring availability of 99
the range of essential drugs free of cost in public health facilities, and stringent price control.
10. Tenth, operationalising accountability and redressal mechanisms to ensure regular civil society monitoring and
inputs at various levels.
Conclusion: Besides above, for realization of Public Health for All, in its fullest and most humane sense, coordination
and synchronization with other conditions such as- comprehensive nutritional and food security (linked to livelihood
security), universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation, provision of healthy housing and local environments,
universal healthy working conditions and a safe general environment, access to health related education and
information for all, and an equitable, gender-just social milieu, free from violence are required.

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FOCUS

PART ONE | INTERNATIONAL

Jamaat chief gets death for war crimes

PART TWO | INDIA AND THE WORLD

Yal Devi Express

PART FOUR | ECONOMY

India slips further in ease of business ranking

PART FIVE| POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

PART THREE | NATIONAL NEWS

Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana

PART SIX| SOCIAL ISSUES

Two-thirds of prison inmates in India are undertrials

PART SEVEN| SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

ISRO successfully launches navigation satellite IRNSS 1C

PART EIGHT | ENERGY

PART NINE | DEFENCE

Scientists grow miniature human stomachs from stem cells

PART TEN | ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY & BIODIVERSITY

PART ELEVEN | HEALTH

WHO declares Nigeria free of Ebola

PART TWELVE | CONFERENCES AND SUMMITS

COP6 to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

PART THIRTEEN | SPORTS

Pankaj Advani clinches World Billiards title, bags 3 Grand Doubles

PART FOURTEEN |ORGANISATIONS IN NEWS

PART FIFTEEN | PERSONALITIES

PART SIXTEEN | AWARDS

Nobel Prizes 2014

PART SEVENTEEN| HISTORY AND CULTURE

Museum treasures to go online

PART EIGHTEEN| PLACES

PART NINETEEN| BOOKS AND AUTHORS

PART TWENTY | MISCELLANEOUS

Russia turns back clocks to permanent Winter Time

PART TWENTY ONE| EDITORIALS

PART TWENTY TWO | ARTICLES

Cuba: More for less

PART TWENTY THREE| ESSAY

PART ONE | INTERNATIONAL

Jamaat chief gets death for war crimes

THE ISSUE OF STATEHOOD

GRAND COALITION LIKELY

RELATED INFORMATION: BALTIC STATES

Morales wins third presidential term in Bolivia

PART TWO| INDIA AND THE WORLD

PART TWO | INDIA AND THE WORLD

Yal Devi Express

IRCON, an Indian Railways subsidiary, restored a section of the

PART TWO | INDIA AND THE WORLD

RELATED INFORMATION: TERRITORIAL DISPUTES IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA

PART THREE | NATIONAL NEWS

PART THREE | NATIONAL NEWS

RELATED INFORMATION: WHAT IS A TROPICAL CYCLONE?

PART THREE | NATIONAL NEWS

India bans import of animal-tested beauty products

PART FOUR | ECONOMY

PART FOUR | ECONOMY

India slips further in ease of business ranking

India ranked 142

PART FOUR | ECONOMY

Govt. cuts non-Plan spending by 10%

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said

PART FOUR | ECONOMY

RELATED INFORMATION: WORLD ECONOMIC OUTLOOK