Mains Marathon Compilation May

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2017
MAINS MARATHON
COMPILATION
MAY 2017
1|Page
FORUMIAS
MAINS MARATHON COMPILATION MAY 2017
Questions :
General studies-1:
1.Do you think that Drip-Irrigation is beneficial than conventional systems? Discuss the
important features of the proposed Ramthal (Marol) Lift Irrigation Scheme. (GS 1) 9
-
?
()
2.What are the faultlines which hindered the consolidation of India is still not
complete, particularly in the north east, even after 70 years of independence? (GS 1)
,

, 70 ? 11
3. Discuss the internal security problem of Nagaland. What steps have been taken to
address the issue? (GS 1) 12

?
4.The issue of poor uptake of healthcare programmes by the masses is a result of
mismanaged health centres and, to some extent, human psychology. Critically
comment. (GS 1) 13
,
,
5.Safely managed wastewater is an affordable and sustainable source of water,
energy, nutrients and other recoverable materials. Discuss. (GS 1) 15
6.What do you know by Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)? Suggest some measures
to tackle the same by the government. (GS 1) 18
7. Most of the heat wave deaths are preventable because its onset and duration are
easily predictable and the relief-measures are simple. What are the steps taken by
NDMA to counter heat waves? (GS 1) 19
8.Briefly discuss about the location and significance of Mangroves in India. (GS 1)20
9.The French Revolution became the classic example of a revolution which many
nations tried to emulate. Discuss the biggest achievements of the French
Revolution. (GS 1) 22
10.What was New Imperialism? How was it different from the earlier version? 23
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Page 2
General studies-2:
1.If the government wants to restore peace to the Valley, it cannot do it by force
talks with dissidents is the only option. Critically analyse the statement. 27
2.Despite emerging convergences between India and Turkey, resilient and close India
Turkey ties remain a distant dream. In the light of the given statement, examine India
Turkey Relations.(GS 2) 28
,

,
|
3.Enumerate the applications of South Asia Satellite built by India. How can it help
the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations? (GS 2) 30
4.Do you think that the introduction of judicial performance index can spur
competitive reforms of the judiciary in the States? Discuss. (GS 2) 31

?
5.NITI Aayogs Three Year Action Agenda forms part of a larger vision document which
spans a seven-year strategy and a 15-year vision. Discuss the key points of the
agenda. (GS 2) 32
,
15

6.Do you think that Section 139AA is a chilling trajectory the state has taken to dilute
civil liberties? Give your opinion. (GS 2) 34
13 9
?
7.Critically examine the issues involved in the functioning of Lokpal. Does it clash with
the mandate to elected representatives? Suggest practical ways to make Lokpal
effective without interfering it in the government affairs. (GS 2) 35

?

8.Do you think that the Government lacks clarity in healthcare? Discuss the pros and
cons of the recent National Health Policy. (GS 2) 37
?

Page 3
9..What is Integrated Case Management Information System (ICMIS)? How can it help
transform a paper court to a digital court? (GS 2) 39
( ) ?
?
10.The selection process that led to Justice Karnan becoming a judge needs revisiting.
Do you agree? (GS 2) 40

?
11.The interests of transparency in judiciary require that the appointments process
not be shrouded in secrecy, which breeds nepotism and favouritism. Comment. (GS
2) 41

,
12.What are the long term benefits from Chinas OBOR? Discuss the criticism of Indias
policy towards OBOR. (GS 2) 43
13.Briefly discuss the history of Israel Palestine conflict. Are there signs of
fundamental shift in their relationship now? (GS 2) 45
14.Do you think that Personal laws must be subordinate to fundamental rights? Give
your opinion. (GS 2) 48
15.As an advocate of a multipolar Asia, India has done well to sit out the BRI forum.
Critically evaluate. (GS 2) 49
16.Discuss the governance structure in a district. What are the functions of a District
Planning Committe? (GS 2) 50
17.How does a Recall Election work? Discuss the reasons to have a right to recall in
India. (GS 2) 52
?
18.Mention a few characteristics of Universal Basic Income. What are the issues in the
implementation of Universal Basic Income in India? (GS 2) 53

?
19.Though the legislation has superseded the Vishakha Guidelines by SC, the
implementation of the Sexual Harassment law hasnt been done in its spirit.
Comment. (GS 2) 54
20.Law Commission has come out with its 268th report on undertrial prisoners.
Discuss its recommendations. (GS 2) 56
21.. What is Vienna convention? ICJ has showed creativity by balancing its powers
with principle of state sovereignty and consent. Discuss. (GS 2) 57
22.Discuss the key elements of Asia Africa Growth Corridor. (GS 2) 58

Page 4
23.Discuss how maternal undernourishment is a potent contributor to child stunting in

India. (GS 2) 60
24. .Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Act is now in effect. Discuss its key
provisions. (GS 2) 62
( )

25. Discuss the provisions of the Real Estate (Development and Regulation) Act, 2016.
How will it impact the ambitious scheme Housing for All by 2022? 64
( ) , 2016 2022
?
General studies-3:-
1..How far would the Real Estate (regulation & Development) Act, be helpful in
bringing reforms to the real estate sector of India. Also suggest some measures to
improve it.(GS 3.) 66
2.Enumerate the different types of irrigation systems that can be helpful for
conservation of water and yield improvement of farms in India. What are the
challenges facing farmers in India, in adopting these systems and also suggest some
measures to tackle them. 68
3. A One Nation One Market Model for Farmers, on the lines of GST is the panacea
for agricultural marketing in India Discuss.(GS 3) 74
4. A robust IPR regime is necessary for growth. Discuss Indias performance at
implementation of IP Laws, and suggest measures to improve Indias perception as a
protector of Intellectual Property Rights.(GS 3) 76
5. How can the government ensure accountability and transparency in the Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in India? (GS 3) 78
6. Discuss the consequences of Climate Change on agriculture and food security in
India. (GS 1, GS 3) 79
7.. ISROs South Asia satellite not a technological breakthrough, but diplomatically
very significant. Give reasons. (GS 3) 80
,

8.What are Equity exchange-traded funds (ETF)? Discuss the key drivers responsible
for rise of equity ETFs recently? (GS 3 81

() ?
?
9.Discuss the key recommendations of report of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget
Management (FRBM) review committee chaired by N.K. Singh. (GS 3) 82
Page 5
.. ()

10.Discuss the problems faced by agriculture sector in India. How are states like MP
with higher agri growth rate tackling the problems? (GS 3) 84

?
11. Indian science needs hard work and a critically large base of experts, not more
management. Do you agree? In this context, discuss about the SPARK (Sustainable
Progress through Application of Research and Knowledge) Initiative. (GS 3) 86
,
? , (
)
12. Discuss the functions of Rail Development Authority (RDA). Also, discuss the
structure of the RDA. (GS 3) 89
() ,

13. What is Augmented reality? Discuss its applications in the real world. (GS 3)90
?
14. What are generics? List out a few arguments floated against generics. (GS 3)92
?
15. What are malware? Discuss the problems crated by WannaCry ransomware in
the digital payments ecosystem and the ways to tackle the same. (GS 3) 93
? WannaCry ransomware

16.Discuss all issues faced by GM Mustard faced in India. What are the key hurdles
in approving transgenic mustard for environmental release? (GS 3) 94

?
17.Despite the high level of NPAS, there has been no banking crisis. In your opinion,
what is the reason for the same? (GS 3) 96
18. Developments in the solar space will help India meet its energy demand in a more
environmentally sustainable manner. Discuss. (GS 3) 97
19.What is the role of Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee? Discuss the concerns
being raised against the cultivation of GM Mustard. (GS 3) 99
Page 6
20. Examine the problems in the implementation of GST regime. Also, discuss the
reasons why CAG cant audit GSTN. (GS 3) 100
,
?
21. Investment rate in India has continuously fallen since reaching peak in 2007-08.
Enumerate the reasons and suggest ways to increase investment. (GS 3) 103
22. Do you support taxing of agricultural income? Give concrete arguments in support
of your opinion. (GS 3) 104
23. What is zero day vulnerability? How can hackers exploit the same? (GS 3) 105
24. The shift to flexible inflation targeting by RBIs monetary policy committee is
based on a deep theoretical shift in economic policy thinking. Discuss. (GS 3) 106
25. Why is a hybridised mustard variety required? Why is there an objection for its
introduction? Discuss the deficiencies in the evaluation process of GM mustard. 107
26. Political optics have overpowered economic logic in the framing of the GST
structure. Critically comment. (GS 3) 109
27.Not taxing agricultural income violates horizontal and vertical equity, and
encourages laundering of non-agricultural income as agricultural income. Do you think
that this argument is valid? (GS 3) 110
, -
- ?
28.Does making Aadhaar mandatory for filing income tax returns and PAN card violate
citizens right to his own body? Give your opinion. (GS 3) 112

?

Page 7
General studies-4:
1.To win without risk is to triumph without glory. Do you agree? (GS 4) 114
2.Man is by nature a political animal. Critically comment. (GS 4) 115
. .
3.Law is nothing other than a certain ordinance of reason for the common good,
promulgated by the person who has the care of the community. Discuss. (GS 4) 116
4. Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in
this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of
social progress. Critically comment. (GS 4) 117
5.Ethics is nothing else than reverence for life. Discuss. (GS 4) 118
6.In any society that is governed by the rule of law, some form of morality is always
imposed. Critically discuss. (GS 4) 119
,


Page 8
Questions and answers:
General studies-1:
1. Do you think that Drip-Irrigation is beneficial than conventional systems? Discuss the
important features of the proposed Ramthal (Marol) Lift Irrigation Scheme. (GS 1)
-
?
()
The Hindu
Introduction:
Drip irrigation is a form of irrigation that saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to
drip slowly to the roots of many different plants, either onto the soil surface or directly
onto the root zone, through a network of valves,pipes,tubing and emitters.
Yes,drip irrigation is better:-
The drip put in place ensures that water just sufficient to the particular variety sown is
given.
It is chosen instead of surface irrigation for various reasons, often including concern
about minimizing evaporation.
Fertilizer and nutrient loss is minimized due to localized application and reduced
leaching.
Water application efficiency is high if managed correctly
Field levelling is not necessary.
Fields with irregular shapes are easily accommodated.
Recycled non-potable water can be safely used.
Moisture within the root zone can be maintained at field capacity.
Soil type plays less important role in frequency of irrigation.
Soil erosion is lessened.
Weed growth is lessened.
Water distribution is highly uniform, controlled by output of each nozzle.
Labour cost is less than other irrigation methods.
Variation in supply can be regulated by regulating the valves and drippers.
Foliage remains dry, reducing the risk of disease.
Usually operated at lower pressure than other types of pressurised irrigation, reducing
energy costs.
Problems:-
Initial cost can be more than overhead systems.
The sun can affect the tubes used for drip irrigation, shortening their usable life.
Page 9
If the water is not properly filtered and the equipment not properly maintained, it can
result in clogging .
For subsurface drip the irrigator cannot see the water that is applied. This may lead to
the farmer either applying too much water (low efficiency) or an insufficient amount of
water.
Drip tape causes extra cleanup costs after harvest.
Waste of water, time and harvest, if not installed properly.
The Ramthal (Marol) Lift Irrigation Scheme :-
The Ramthal (Marol) Lift Irrigation Scheme touted as the largest micro-irrigation
project in Asia is slated to be launched in June.
Over 15,000 farmers are expected to benefit.
Test run in September: A joint venture of Netafim India Private
Limited and Jain Irrigation, it is being run on a build, own,
operate and transfer (BOOT) model.
The two companies, tasked with the project's implementation,
will oversee the project for five years befo re it is transferred to
Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Limited (KBJNL). It will hand over the
day-to-day affairs to the 35 water users' associations (WUA)
active in the region.
Important features of Ramthal lift irrigation scheme:-
The scheme is being seen as a boon for farmers in the arid region,
who depend almost exclusively on scanty rainfall for cultivation
during the rabi season.
While the first stage of the scheme covered an area of 11,000
hectares, the project's second stage will bring a further 24,000
hectares of agricultural land under its ambit, making it the
world's largest single drip irrigation project.
Around 15,000 small and marginal farmers in 30 villages of the
taluk will benefit from the scheme.
It would help double food production in the following years.
It aims at irrigating about 60,000 acres of land in backward regions of Hungund taluk in
Bagalkot district in one year.
Though the system is expensive, the government opted for it considering the long-term
benefits, including water conservation.
It has many advantages such as savings in electricity (as it works mostly on gravitation),
increased productivity, reduction in labour cost and expenditure on fertilizers, equitable
distribution of water, prevention of water-logging and without the need for land
acquisition.
Page 10
2. What are the faultlines which hindered the consolidation of India is still not complete,
particularly in the north east, even after 70 years of independence? (GS 1)
, 70 ?
Daily Editorial
Even after 70 years of Independence , North east India has been struggling internally to
integrate into the Indian society.
Fault lines are:-
The Naga insurgence, which started in the 1950s, known as the mother of the Northeast
insurgencies, is one of the oldest unresolved armed conflicts in the world.
The reasons for the respective conflicts are wide ranging from separatist movements, to
inter-community, communal and inter-ethnic conflicts.
Geographic:-
o North east India is separated from the Indian mainland. Accessibility and
communication is also quite difficult.
o It has hilly and steep terrain which is not suitable for settlements or
infrastructure development.
o Most of the area is under forest cover which doesn't give much scope of setting
up industries.
Disputes:-
o Areas like Arunachal have territorial claims being made by China which has not
allowed us to follow our developmental pursuits in full swing.
Social:
o Ethinicity:-
Most people are of Tibeto-Burmese origin and people from North or
south India do not connect with them.
o Culture:-
Distinct language,demography and traditions.
Security:
o There are demand for separate statehood now and then.
The representation of these states in parliament is quite dismal for instance, Arunachal
Pradesh has just two seats Arunachal west and East in Lok sabha.
Way forward:

Page 11
The key focus areas for the government in the near-term should be health,
education, infrastructure and implementation
Coordination and Implementation
The projects should be implemented with precision and efficiency. India cannot
afford any further delay in the development of the region.
The ministry should cultivate brand north east to woo the investment and tourism from India
& abroad. The mantra of self-sustainability shall be imbibed in the region for uniform growth
and development.
3. Discuss the internal security problem of Nagaland. What steps have been taken to address
the issue? (GS 1)
Daily Editorial
Internal security problem of Nagaland:-
The Nagas believe that they were not part of India, whether through conquest or
consent. The Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) is a Naga nationalist group
operating in North-east India.
The main aim of the organisation is to establish a soverign state, Nagalim unifying all
the areas inhabited by the Naga people in Northeast India and Burma.
Clashes among different tribal groups and factions
Parallel government
Multiple insurgent groups:
o NSCN(I-M) and NSCN(K). Though they signed ceasefire agreements with Indian
government, there are instances of violations particularly by NSCN(K).
Border issues with Assam:
o This is resulting in frequent clashes and conflicts. This is hindering the
development of Nagaland.
Criminal networks operating through Nagaland: Like Drug trafficking and currency
forfeiting. Presence of underground groups that deal in extortion, arms, drugs,
smuggling etc.
Goal of Nagalim creation:
o Nagalim is creation of a region inhabited bu Nagas. This involves parts of
Manipur, Assam and Arunachal pradesh.
Steps taken are:-

Page 12
In 1947, Assam Governor signed a 9-point agreement which was almost immediately
rejected by Phizo.
The Naga Hills, a district of Assam, was upgraded to a state in 1963, by also adding the
Tuensang Tract that was then part of NEFA.
In April the next year, a Peace Mission was formed, and got the government and NNC to
sign an agreement to suspend operations that September. But the NNC/NFG/NFA
continued to indulge in violence, and after six rounds of talks, the Peace Mission was
abandoned in 1967, and a massive counter-insurgency operation launched.
The govt of India and Naga insurgent group NSCN (IM) signed a peace accord in 2016.
However, this is only a framework agreement. The details of the accord are yet to be
fleshed out.
Initiative by centre to ensure ceasefire with NSCN(IM) by signing framework agreement
Deployment of assam rifles to check insurgency
Special category status to strenghten state governemt developemnt effort
Border management by fencing, flood lights etc
4. The issue of poor uptake of healthcare programmes by the masses is a result of

mismanaged health centres and, to some extent, human psychology. Critically comment. (GS
1)
,
,
Live Mint
Yes:-
policymakers good intentions have been marred by the lack of effective public service
delivery mechanisms.
o An inefficient service delivery mechanism creates inequity in access to
healthcare and results in the suppressed uptake of services by the masses as
they turn to private alternatives.
o In a study conducted by the World Bank and Harvard University in 2003, it was
found that in 1,500 primary healthcare centres across India, 40% of healthcare
workers in government health clinics were absent from work.
For the underprivileged, a visit to a primary healthcare centre may mean the loss of a
days wage.

Page 13
o Given that a full immunization schedule requires at least five visits to the sub-
centres, for a poor family the opportunity cost is huge, especially given a bad
service delivery system.
A lack of understanding of the benefits of vaccination, and, to some extent, distrust in
government healthcare services, exacerbate the problem.
When it comes to service delivery, evidence-based policy has been absent in India.
Policymakers need to know what works and what doesnt.
o There is evidence to show that projects fail largely as they are not evidence-
based.
However, the biggest dilemma that policymakers face is that though there is abundant
evidence available, there is a lack of consensus about its quality.
o In 2015, there was one government hospital bed for every 1,833 people
compared with 2,336 persons a decade earlier.
o However, as Lancet points out, this has been inequitably distributed.
For instance, there is one government hospital bed for every 614 people
in Goa compared with one every 8,789 people in Bihar. The care provided
in these facilities is also not up to the mark.
There arent enough skilled healthcare professionals in India despite recent increases in
MBBS programmes and nursing courses.In community health centres in rural areas of
many states, ranging from Gujarat to West Bengal, the shortfall of specialists exceeds
80%.
The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) numbers show a decrease in the use of public
hospitals over the past two decades only 32% of urban Indians use them now, compared
with 43% in 1995-96.
Most Indian women put their families first and are very reluctant to go to hospital for
their own illness.
However there are other reasons for the current healthcare situation in India .They are:-
Only about 1 per cent of GDP comes from the government. In most countries that do a
decent job in health policy, around 50-60% of health spending is by government, where
they consider public health as public good. India cannot deal with malaria, tuberculosis,
HIV etc. with a public spending of 1 per cent.
The problem is that there is information asymmetry in the health sector. Unless one
has systems for regulating there will be malpractice and ethical problems, with no forum
for redressal.
Costs of medical treatment have increased so much that they are one of the primary
reasons driving people into poverty.
According to Lancet. Corruption also increases irrational use of drugs and technology.
o For instance, kickbacks from referrals to other doctors or from pharmaceutical
and device companies lead to unnecessary procedures such as CT scans, stent
insertions and caesarean sections, the study said.
Page 14
Solutions:-
A study, conducted by the researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
US, with NGO Seva Mandir showed that monitoring, coupled with punitive pay
incentive, reduced the absence of nurses from 60% to 30% in healthcare centres.
o This proves that healthcare workers are responsive to properly administered
incentives, and that comprehensive monitoring does make a difference.
Some lessons can be learnt from the following instances:-
o A research study done by the MIT on 2,000 children from 134 villages of
Udaipur, from 2004-07, helped provide immunization services through mobile
camps on fixed days in one intervention.
o In the other intervention, it incentivized parents with a gift of 1kg of lentils on
immunization days and a thali on the completion of the whole schedule. It
showed that providing poor families with non-financial incentives in addition to
reliable services and education about immunization was more effective in
nudging them to complete their childs immunization schedule .
The government has allocated Rs48,878 crore to the health sector in the recent
budget, increasing it to 2.2% of the total Union budget . With such a massive
investment, the government would do well to ensure that healthcare services reach the
intended beneficiaries and that the beneficiaries avail of them fully.
Countries like Brazil and Thailand have been able to put regulations in place for the
health sector. From the point of view of patients,India needs a mechanism where
patients can register complaints and/or redress their grievances.
Spending some resources on research will help the government deliver benefits in an
effective way as well as avoid the often-repeated mistakes of earlier mechanisms.
5. Safely managed wastewater is an affordable and sustainable source of water, energy,

nutrients and other recoverable materials. Discuss. (GS 1)
The Hindu | WHO

Introduction:-
In recent decades, population growth, accelerated urbanisation and economic
development have resulted in an increase in the quantity of wastewater and the overall
pollution load being generated.
With this years world water day theme as wastewater, the importance regarding this
issue has grown further .
Waste water is defined as any water that has been adversely affected in quality by
anthropogenic influences and as a result of domestic, industrial, commercial and
agricultural activities.
Facts:-

Page 15
Globally, over 80% of the wastewater generated goes back to the ecosystem without
being treated or reused. Another fact is that 1.8 billion people use drinking water
contaminated with faeces which increases their risk of contracting cholera, dysentery,
typhoid and polio. Also, 663 million people still lack access to improved drinking water
sources.
Safely managed wastewater is an affordable and sustainable source of water, energy,

nutrients and other recoverable materials because:
Treating your wastewater to recycle/reuse it can be especially helpful in areas with low
water resources.
Because failing to treat your wastewater can potentially harm the environment, human
health, and your process.
One of the impacts on the environment is agricultural impacts.
o The sewage water contains salts which is soluble that may accumulate in the
root zone with possible harmful effect on soil health and crop yield.
o The physical and mechanical properties of the soil, such as dispersion of particle,
stability of aggregates, soil structure and permeability are very sensitive to the
types of exchangeable ions present in irrigation water.
o Thus, when effluent use is being planned, several factors related to the soil
properties must be taken into consideration.
o On the other hand the effect of dissolved solids in the irrigation water on the
growth of plants is also another aspect of agriculture which one has to be
concerned.
o Dissolved salts increase the osmotic potential of soil water and increase the
osmotic pressure of the soil solution which increases the growth and the yield of
most plants decline progressively as osmotic pressure increases.
In addition the one of the environment impact is ecological impact where the drainage
water from waste water irrigation schemes drains particularly into small confined lakes
and water bodies and surface water.. Here the overloading organic materials resulting
in decrease in dissolved oxygen may lead to changes in the composition of a aquatic life
such as fish deaths and reduced fishery.
The eutrophication potential of waste water irrigation can be assessed using biological
indices, which in turn can be qualified in monitory units using economic valuation
techniques.

Page 16
The hidden impact on the environment is the increase on the production of green
house emissions.
The large agriculture reuse project might cause to the environmental externalities
associated with pumping water uphill which emits greenhouse gas. Another impact is
on the health.
The sewage water contains pathogenic microorganisms like bacteria, viruses,
protozoan's and parasitic worms, the diseases and signs related with such infection are
also diverse including typhoid,dysentry and cholera, diarrhea and vomiting.
the concentration of the pathogens in waste water is dependent on the source
population and the susceptibility to infection varies from one population to another.
So basically the waste water is actually harm for the nature even though its treated and
release to the environment so as a human being we should not dispose the waste into
the water thus our water will be clean and the cost of the treatment can be reduced.
What can be done?
At the national and regional levels, water pollution prevention policies should be
integrated into non-water policies that have implications on water quality such as
agriculture and land use management, trade, industry, energy, and urban development.
Water pollution should be made a punishable offence. The effectiveness and power of
the polluter pay principle should be considered.
Various policies, plans and strategies to protect water resources should be participatory,
allowing for consultation between government, industry and the public. At the local
level, capacity building enables the community to make decisions and disseminate them
to the appropriate authorities, thus influencing political processes
. Market-based strategies such as environmental taxes, pollution levies and tradable
permit systems should be implemented, and can be used to fight against or abate water
pollution. Incentive mechanisms such as subsidies, soft loans, tax relaxation should be
included in installing pollution management devices.
6. What do you know by Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs)? Suggest some measures to
tackle the same by the government. (GS 1)
WHO
Neglected tropical diseases:-

Page 17
Around the world, nearly 1.6 billion people are affected by a group of diseases so
ignored that the term used to refer to them is called neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
A diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical
conditions in 149 countries affect more than one billion people and cost developing
economies billions of dollars every year.
Populations living in poverty, without adequate sanitation and in close contact with
infectious vectors and domestic animals and livestock are those worst affected.
These are a cluster of 17 diseases affecting the poorest people living in the least
developed pockets.
While some of these diseases may be unfamiliar, leprosy, kala-azar and filariasis are
better known in India .
What can the government do?
Continued surveillance and epidemiologic data collection is necessary to ensure that

the disease continues to be under control.
Besides basic research, the discovery of new facts about a disease, vaccines and drugs
along with new strategies and sustained research are needed to make an impact.
Partnerships with diverse stakeholders are useful in creating awareness, improving
case detection, treatment completion and, most importantly, managing stigma.
Timely diagnosis and treatment access in unreached areas, focussing on the
fundamentals of preventive interventions, nutrition, safe drinking water, sanitation and
hygiene are essential in fast-tracking the goal of elimination.
The Indian government has set itself the target of eliminating kala-azar and filariasis by
2017, and leprosy by 2018. With such ambitious targets, sustained research must
remain an integral component of disease elimination programmes. Besides basic
research the discovery of new facts about a disease, vaccines and drugs new strategies
are needed to make an impact.
For programmes to succeed, it is important to maintain constant vigilance through
robust surveillance and reporting mechanisms.
o Partnerships with diverse stakeholders including the private sector, community-
based organisations, and community leaders are specifically useful in creating
awareness, improving case detection, treatment completion and, most
importantly, managing stigma associated with these diseases.
While tackling NTDs, it will be important to remember that along with timely diagnosis
and treatment access in unreached areas, focussing on the fundamentals of preventive
interventions, nutrition, safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene are essential in fast-
tracking the ultimate goal of elimination.

Page 18
7. Most of the heat wave deaths are preventable because its onset and duration are easily
predictable and the relief-measures are simple. What are the steps taken by NDMA to
counter heat waves? (GS 1)
NDMA-1 | NDMA-2
Introduction:-
A Heat Wave is a period of abnormally high temperatures, more than the normal
maximum temperature that occurs during the summer season in the North-Western
parts of India.
However with climate change heat waves have become a common phenomena.
Measures taken to counter heat waves by NDMA are:-
It is time to devise a national level strategy and plan to combat this disaster.
A comprehensive heat preparedness and response requires involvement from not only
government authorities but also non-governmental organizations and civil society.
The local authorities should carry out a vulnerability assessment in order to identify
these areas.
The following are key lesson learnt from Ahmedabad Heat Wave Action
Plan:
o Recognize Heat Wave as a major Health Risk.
o Map out the 'High Risk' Communities.
o Setting up of 'Public Cooling Places'.
o Issue Heat wave alerts through different media.
o Establish Early Warning System and Inter-Agency Coordination to alert residents
on predicted high and extreme temperatures. Who will do what, when, and how
is made clear to individuals and units of key departments, especially for health.
o Capacity building / training programme for health care professionals at local
level to recognize and respond to heat-related illnesses, particularly during
extreme heat events. These training programmes should focus on medical
officers, paramedical staff and community health staff so that they can
effectively prevent and manage heat-related medical issues to reduce mortality
and morbidity.
Public Awareness and community outreach Disseminating public awareness messages
on how to protect against the extreme heat-wave through print, electronic and social
media and
Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials such as pamphlets, posters
and advertisements and Television Commercials (TVCs) on Dos and Donts and
treatment measures for heat related illnesses.
o Collaboration with non government and civil society:
Collaboration with non-governmental organizations and civil society
organizations to improve bus stands, building temporary
Page 19
shelters, wherever necessary, improved water delivery systems in public

areas and other
o innovative measures to tackle Heat wave conditions.
Odisha State Disaster Management Authority is taking steps proactively such as:
o Early warning systems:
Temperature and humidity levels, considered together, will determine
the threshold for heat wave alerts. Bhubaneswar experiences up to 85
percent humidity in the summer, with Odishas coastal regions facing
even higher humidity.
o Public outreach:
Temperature forecasts and heat alerts will be sent as bulk messages
on mobile phones, including to the media for wider broadcast and
Electronic screens at busy traffic intersections and market places will also
display the information.
It is also developing a website and a mobile phone app that would not
only provide heat alerts but also help users identify, via maps, heat
shelters and drinking water availability along highways through the state.
o Medical upgradation and administrative measures- Heat treatment wings also
are planned in hospitals, and heat alerts would trigger early morning shifts for
schools and offices.
o Prevention of Heat Related Illness:
Heat-related illness is largely avoidable. The most crucial point of
intervention concerns the use of appropriate prevention strategies by
susceptible individuals.
Knowledge of effective prevention and first-aid treatment, besides an
awareness of potential side-effects of prescription drugs during hot
weather is crucial for physicians and pharmacists.
8. Briefly discuss about the location and significance of Mangroves in India. (GS 1)
Link-1 | Link-2 | Link-3

Introduction:-
A mangrove is a shrub or small tree that grows in coastal saline or brackish water.
. Mangroves are salt tolerant trees, also called halophytes and are adapted to life in
harsh coastal conditions.
Location:-
The deltas of the Ganges,Mahanadi,Godavari,Krishna and Kaveri rivers are known to
contain mangrove forests.
The following table shows the presence of mangroves in the different states of India and
the total area covered by them in square kilometers.

Page 20
Rank States/UTs with Highest Mangrove Cover 2013 Total Mangrove Cover in km2
1 West Bengal 2,097

2 Gujarat 1,103
3 Andaman And Nicobar Islands 604
Some of the important mangroves are Sunderland,bhitarkanika,pichavaram etc..
Significance:-
Mangroves protect shorelines from erosion

o Mangroves protect shorelines from damaging storm and hurricane winds, waves,
and floods.
o Mangroves also help prevent erosion by stabilizing sediments with their tangled
root systems.
o They maintain water quality and clarity, filtering pollutants and trapping
sediments originating from land.
Mangroves serve as valuable nursery areas for fish and invertebrates
o Serving as valuable nursery areas for shrimp, crustaceans, mollusks, and fishes,
mangroves are a critical component of commercial and recreational fishing
industries.
o These habitats provide a rich source of food while also offering refuge from
predation.
Mangroves Support Threatened and Endangered Species
o In addition to commercially important species, mangroves also support a
number of threatened and endangered species.
Mangroves are utilized in many parts of the world as a renewable resource
o In other parts of the world, people have utilized mangrove trees as a renewable
resource.
o Harvested for durable, water-resistant wood, mangroves have been used in
building houses, boats, pilings, and furniture.
Fisheries:
o Mangrove forests are home to a large variety of fish, crab, shrimp, and mollusk
species.
o These fisheries form an essential source of food for thousands of coastal
communities around the world.
Timber and plant products:
o Mangrove wood is resistant to rot and insects, making it extremely valuable.
Many coastal and indigenous communities rely on this wood for construction
material as well as for fuel.
Page 21
o Sundari tree in Sunderbans is known for its hard timber.

Coastal protection:
o The dense root systems of mangrove forests trap sediments flowing down rivers
and off the land. This helps stabilizes the coastline and prevents erosion from
waves and storms.
o By filtering out sediments, the forests also protect coral reefs and seagrass
meadows from being smothered in sediment.
Tourism:
o Given the diversity of life inhabiting mangrove systems, and their proximity in
many cases to other tourist attractions such as coral reefs and sandy beaches,
India witnessed the significance of mangroves during tsunami and so with government
initiatives like mangroves for the future it should conserve them more.
9.The French Revolution became the classic example of a revolution which many nations tried
to emulate. Discuss the biggest achievements of the French Revolution. (GS 1)
Link
Introduction:-
The French revolution obviously had a major impact on Europe and the New World.
Historians widely regard the Revolution as one of the most important events in human
history.
The biggest achievements of French revolution are:-
The French Revolution had a major impact on Europe and the New World.
Economy:-
o Rural France became more a land of small independent farms.
o Harvest taxes were ended, much to the relief of the peasants.
o It changed the course of human history, bringing an end to feudalism and
making a path for future advances in broadly defined freedom of an individual.
Social:
o Because all the children had a share in the family's property, there was a
declining birth rate.
o Workers acquired rights
o Free land was a reality
o Agricultural reforms
Political:

Page 22
o held out the promise of rule by law under a constitutional order, but it did not
rule out a monarch.
o It helped in the emancipation of the individual, in greater division of landed
property, the abolition of the privileges of noble birth, the establishment of
equality, the simplification of life.
o After the French revolution especially in France power to rule actually stayed
with people.The king was a figurehead, the nobility had lost all their titles .
o The impact on French nationalism was profound. Napoleon became such a
heroic symbol of the nation that the glory was easily picked up by his nephew,
who was overwhelmingly elected president
o Nationalism became a powerful force in all European Countries
o Constitutionalism was accepted
o Declarations of Rights had been made three times
o Right to Property declared
Concerns:
o Actual constitution of 1799 was a farce.
o These Declarations were more form than substance. In 1799 they
were omitted.
o Flagrantly violated in the Terror, equality and security were
prefered to liberty (1799)
o It was never really tried, the Dictatorship began in
1799
Religious:
Concerns:
o No religious freedom, strong anti-Protestant & anti-semitic
feelings arose
10. What was New Imperialism? How was it different from the earlier version? (GS 1)
Link
New imperialism:-
New Imperialism was a period of colonial expansion by European powers,Japan and
USA during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The period is distinguished by an unprecedented pursuit of overseas territorial
acquisitions.

At the time, states focused on building their empires with new technological advances
and developments, making their territory bigger through conquest, and exploiting their
resources.
During the era of New Imperialism, the Western powers (and Japan) conquered almost
all of Africa and parts of Asia.
Page 23
The new wave of imperialism reflected ongoing rivalries among the powers, the
economic desire for new resources and markets, and a civilizing mission ethos.
Many of the colonies established during this era gained independence during the era
of decolonisation that followed WWII.
How is it different from the previous version:
Old Imperialism New Imperialism (1870-1914)
(1450-1650)
Economic causes: Economic causes:
God, Glory, and Gold Cheap, certain raw materials
Sought precious metals and goods Colonies functioned as markets for
they could not produce manufactured goods
Sought new routes to Asia Large profits with minimum risks
Military bases and materials
Outlet for surplus population
Religion: Religion:
Primarily Roman Catholic missionary As much Protestant missionary activity
zeal as Catholic
Humanitarianism
Geographic focus: Geographic focus:

Africacoastal Sub-Saharan Africa divided up
Asiacoastal, islands South and southeast Asia colonized
Americasprimary focus for Spheres of influenceAsia
colonization
Technology:- Technology:-
Ocean-going vessels Quinine
Cannon Vaccination
Muskets Machine gun
Writing Railroad
Telegraph
Steamboat
Nature: Nature:
Aspect of exploration and Commercial Aspect of Industrial Revolution
Revolution Africa and Asia land empires
Africa and Asiamore commercial Pushed social reforms and western
empire education

Page 24
Explored for new trade routes Spread blessings of Western culture

Americas more a land empire Nationalism
Founded settlements
Established rule
Administration: Administration:
Large geographic areas under single Smaller colonial areas
nation British relied on indirect rule
British established permanent Other powers ruled directly through
colonies with limited self-rule paternalism and assimilation
Spainsubjected conquered people Not result of coherent planning
to system of forced labor With telegraph, more control from
Not interested in territorial mother country
acquisitions More racism and segregation
and war, though they did occur
Education: Education:
State-supported in Java and India Africa
not state education
left to Missionaries;
higher education not promoted
Asia
More access to higher education
Superiority of Western learning and
culture stressed
ultimately provoked anti-colonial
resistance and nationalism
Resistance to Colonial Rule :-

Resistance to Colonial Rule :- Algerians and East Africans failed in
Natives of New Mexico revolted resistance attempts
against Spanish settlers
Leading states: Leading states:

1500s: Portugal & Spain Great Britain
1600s :France, Britain, & France
Netherlands Germany
USA
Italy
Belgium

Page 25
Russia
Impact of colonization: Impact of colonization:

Negative: Negative:
Death of natives from war and Death of natives from war and
European diseases European diseases
Breakdown of traditions Economic exploitation
Positive Arbitrary political divisions
Global exchange of food items and Breakdown of traditions
livestock Positive
Reduced local warfare
Unification
Modernization
Raised standards of living

Page 26
General studies-2:
1. If the government wants to restore peace to the Valley, it cannot do it by force talks
with dissidents is the only option. Critically analyse the statement.(GS 2)
The Hindu
Yes,talks are needed :-

When India stops talking, it create problems for the country. Dialogue must never be
interrupted and must talk with everyone because everyone is a stakeholder.There is a
need to with both mainstream parties and separatists.
Government needs to form a committee of parliamentarians who would engage with all
the stakeholders with the purpose of arriving at a lasting political solution.
The first talks should be with the dissidents in the Valley, who have already suffered
two months of violence and curfew.
o This would cover immediate confidence-building measures and trust building
between the government and dissidents; it would also explore options for a
lasting political solution.
When it comes to a lasting political solution, however, the stakeholders are a much
wider group that includes representatives of all regions and political parties of the state,
refugees and those in exile, as well as special interest groups such as SCs and STs, who
would need to be on board with the solution.
Treating it as a purely law and order problem; trying to quell the uprising of the last 10
months with muscular force without understanding the psychological complexities and
problems of Kashmir is not going to help India.
In the Kashmiri perception what is basically wrong is Indias 'approach' to Kashmir.
Consequently, the Kashmiri feels alienated; under siege. His ultimate fear is that he
could be reduced to a minority in his own land.This feeling needs to be eliminated.
It is not the only option :-

There is also the problem of void of leadership in Kashmir. The state government barely
exists. The J&K Police is hardly in control.the people should be brought into confidence.
The Kashmiri suffers from a deep disempowerment complex this needs to be well dealt
with.
Lack of development and providing employment opportunities helps Kashmir have a
good motive about India and inturn helps Kashmir itself.

Page 27
2. Despite emerging convergences between India and Turkey, resilient and close India Turkey
ties remain a distant dream. In the light of the given statement, examine India Turkey
Relations.(GS 2)
,
, |
Link 1 | Link 2 | Link 3
India turkey relations:-
High points:-
Terrorism:-
o India would always have Turkeys full solidarity in the fight against terrorism.
o Both sides urged all countries and entities to work sincerely to disrupt terrorist
networks and their financing, and stop cross-border movement of terrorists.
Support for membership in International agencies:
o Turkeys support for Indias membership of the MTCR and applications to join
the Nuclear Suppliers Group and Wassenaar Arrangement.
o UN:-
supported India's bid for a permanent seat in the
United Nations Security Council, even as he called for
major reforms in the exclusive body.
o
Economy:-
o Several bilateral agreements and institutional mechanisms, at the governmental
level as well as in business-to-business (B2B) , provide the framework for
strengthening economic and commercial ties, including the IndiaTurkey Joint
Committee on Economic and Technical Cooperation (JCETC) and India-Turkey
Joint Business Council (JBC) between the Federation of Indian Chambers of
Commerce and the Industry (FICCI) and Foreign Economic Relations Board of
Turkey (DEIK).
o More recently in April 2015, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) signed a
memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Union of Chambers and
Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) to promote bilateral trade and
economic cooperation.
o The TOBB also signed a cooperation agreement with the FICCI for establishing
the India-Turkey Working Committee and Investment Forums.
o In August 2015, State Bank of India and Turkey's Akbank entered into a
cooperation agreement to support bilateral trade and investments.
o In December 2016, the Reserve Bank of India signed a MoU on "Supervisory
Cooperation and Exchange of Supervisory Information" with the Banking
Regulation and Supervision Agency of Republic of Turkey.

Page 28
o Earlier, several Indian companies entered the Turkish market. Notable among
them are Polyplex.
o India is also among the major trade partners of Turkey. According to Turkish
statistics, the bilateral trade volume between India and Turkey was about $6.4
billion in 2016
o The two sides recently also discussed economic ties. The two leaders have set a
target of US $10 billion, up from the existing US $6 billion, by 2020.
Cultural relations:-
o India and Turkey also have a cultural overlap. The Sufi philosophy of Mevlana
Jelaluddin Rumi found resonance in the Indian sub-continent with its own
traditions of Sufism and the Bhakti movement. There are also many common
words in both Hindustani and Turkish languages.
Defence:-
o Turkey military industry and the technology is in line with india's Make in India in
Defence sector.
Climate change:-
o Both countries are committed to Paris Agreement
Concerns:-
Economy:-
Bilateral trade turnover of around $6 billion does not do full justice to convergences in
our economies.
Kashmir issue:-
o Turkey wanted a multilateral dialogue but India drew the red line that Kashmir is
a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan and that it sees the dispute
through the prism of cross-border and state-sponsored terrorism being
perpetrated by Pakistan in the Valley.
o Turkey hyphenated its gesture with a similar status for Pakistan, a country with
which Turkey has extremely close political and strategic relations, and supporting
Pakistans case for NSG membership.
Syria issue:
o Turkey favour the removal of Assad regime in line with NATO whereas india
favour the peaceful dispute resolution
Russian role:
o India has good relation with it whereas turkey has deteriorated its relation with
russia over shooting its plane.
The recent meetings show India turkey relations are moving ahead in an amicable note .
3.Enumerate the applications of South Asia Satellite built by India. How can it help the South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations? (GS 2)

Page 29

( ) ?
The Hindu
Introduction:
The South Asia Satellite, also known as GSAT-9, is a geostationary communication and
meteorology satellite operated by the ISRO for the SAARC region
Applications and How can it help SAARC nations:-
The satellite will provide communication service to SAARC member Nations except
Pakistan who boycotted in early 2016.
Diplomatically, the South Asia satellite is significant for some reasons like:-
o The satellite has been launched without any specific quid pro quo shows that
India is willing to use its technological capabilities as a tool of diplomacy.
o It reveals both Indias ambition and capability to create what can be termed
technological commons. By gifting this satellite to its neighbours, India has
created an open access resource that can be leveraged by the latter to address
some of their critical domestic concerns. Building such commons is essential not
only to address immediate problems but also spur research, innovation and
economic growth in the region.
South Asia satellite will boost the regional co-operation among the member countries
It will reinforce the Indian policy of "Neighbourhood First" and help in increasing India's
influence on face of aggressive China.
It will open new avenues of engagement between India and member countries thus
deepening the economic ties. Also helpful in promoting "Make in India".
It is also equipped with remote sensing state of the art technology which enables
collection of real-time weather data and helps in observations of the geology of the
South Asian nations
It will go a long way in addressing South Asias economic and developmental priorities
Since these countries are situated in disaster prone areas like Nepal and Bhutan in
earthquake zone, Bangladesh in flood prone area, Services of this satellite in
communication and disaster management will be of immense help.
The satellite will assist in the fields of natural resources mapping, telemedicine,
education, IT connectivity and fostering people to people contact. This is an appropriate
example of our commitment to South Asia
The South Asia satellite is emblematic of a more confident and assertive India. India must make
a concerted effort to expand the range of technologies it can use as part of its diplomatic
arsenal.
Page 30
4. Do you think that the introduction of judicial performance index can spur competitive
reforms of the judiciary in the States? Discuss. (GS 2)

?
The Hindu
Introduction:-
The NITI Aayog has proposed the introduction of a judicial performance index to reduce
delays and the outsourcing of non-core functions of the police to private agencies or
other government departments, in a bid to fix justice system that is in dire need of
reform.
Yes:-
It could help High Courts and their chief justices keep track of the performance and
processes at district courts and subordinate levels for reducing delay, should be the first
step in judicial system reforms.
The index can also include certain progress on process steps already approved by High
Courts and such an annual evaluation should give judges in High Courts a sense of
where they are failing and what they need to fix.
Since the subordinate judiciary is largely within the domain of the High Courts, this
could also spur competitive reform of the judiciary in those States.
Functions such as serving court summons and antecedents and address verification for
passport applications or job verifications can be outsourced.
streamlining judicial appointments on the basis of online real-time statistics on the
workload of pending cases.
Such data will help enable priority appointment of judges at the lower judiciary levels
keeping in mind a scientific approach to assess the number of judges needed to tackle
pendency.
check delay in trial and address the issue of pendency of cases.
Increasing the use of information and communication technology, and streamlining
judicial appointments.
It would require fixing non-mandatory time frames for different types of cases as broad
guidelines to benchmark when a case has been delayed, it said.
The index can also include certain progress on process steps that have already been
approved by high courts, like burden of day-to-day activity being removed from judges
and given to administrative officials.
Page 31
Niti Aayog report has also suggested shifting some workload out of the regular court
system and the introduction of an administrative cadre in the judicial system.
No:-
However with no changes in the police population ratio,lack of empathy of police
people, corruption in judiciary the implementation of this need to be looked care of.
Judiciary and criminal justice reforms have been long awaited and this would be the first
step in the reform process.
5.NITI Aayogs Three Year Action Agenda forms part of a larger vision document which spans
a seven-year strategy and a 15-year vision. Discuss the key points of the agenda. (GS 2)
,
15

Live Mint | Link
Introduction:
With an increasingly open and liberalized economy and given the new realities of
the global economy, India needed to rethink the tools and approaches to
conceptualizing the development process.
NITI Aayog released its Three Year Action Agenda document, a comprehensive
framework for proposed policy changes to be implemented in the short term in
India
Key points are:-
The Vision, Strategy and Action Agenda framework will allow India to better align the
development strategy with the changed reality of India.
The Agenda is wide-ranging:
o It covers the different sectors of the economy like agriculture, industry and
manufacturing and discusses the policies necessary for urban and rural
transformation and a range of growth-enabling ingredients such as transport,
digital connectivity and entrepreneurship.
o Agriculture: Doubling Farmers Incomes by 2022
Reform the Agricultural Produce Marketing to ensure that farmers
receive remunerative prices.
Raise productivity through enhanced irrigation, faster seed replacement
and precision agriculture.
Page 32
o Industry and Services: Job Creation

Create Coastal Employment Zones to boost exports and generate high-
productivity jobs
o Urban Development
Need to bring down land prices to make housing affordable through
increased supply of urban land
o Regional strategies
Actions targeted aimed at improving development outcomes in the (i)
North Eastern Region, (ii) Coastal Areas & Islands, (iii) North Himalayan
states and (iv) Desert and Drought prone states.
o Transport and Digital Connectivity
Strengthen infrastructure in roadways, railways, shipping & ports, inland
waterways and civil aviation.
o Energy
Adopt consumer friendly measures such as provision of electricity to all
households by 2022, LPG connection to all BPL households, elimination of
black carbon by 2022, and extension of the city gas distribution
programme to 100 smart cities.
o Science and technology:-
Create a National Science, Technology & Innovation Foundation to
identify and deliberate national issues, recommend priority interventions
in S&T and prepare frameworks for their implementation
o Governance
Re-calibrate the role of the government by shrinking its involvement in
activities that do not serve a public purpose and expanding its role in
areas that necessarily require public provision
o Other areas include health, environment,building an inclusive society,education
and skill development,rule of law,taxation and regulation.
Tentative medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) for the Centre is proposed.
Proposes reduction of the fiscal deficit to 3% of the GDP by 2018-19, and the revenue
deficit to 0.9% of the GDP by 2019-20
Positives:-
In just over 200 pages, it manages to inform, reason, and offer a distilled sense of
priorities for policy reform.
The agenda describes well the fundamental dilemma concerning economic
transformation of India:
Page 33
Agenda offers a number of compelling proposals ranging from the use of high-yield
seeds to improved irrigation techniques to the removal of the infamous tariff inversion
problem In laying out these proposals, it also underscores the critical need to enhance
the scale of production in each of the sectors
On the issue of scale, a few proposals are especially noteworthy.
o To deal with small and fragmented landholdings, the document proposes the
use of a modern land-leasing law that balances and protects the rights of the
tenant and landowners as a potential solution.
For manufacturing, the document proposes the development of a few Coastal
Economic Zones (CEZs) operating under a liberal economic environment and with an
abundance of landmuch as in China, where large firms, operating in its special
economic zones, sometimes each employ hundreds of thousands of workers.
The documents chapters on transport and physical connectivity, as also on digital
connectivity, offer a detailed picture of the existing infrastructure framework, with
many specific proposals on improving efficiency and closing gaps in coverage.
There is considerable unevenness across the country in access to the digital network
and in the ability to benefit from such services. The Agenda highlights priorities in this
area and offers its thoughts on how these gaps might be bridged.
believe that its primary contribution will be in serving as a base of knowledge and
analysis to support any future discussions on policy reform
However some concerns need to be noted like framework document of this scope could run
the risk of saying something about everything, while offering nothing specific or actionable
about anything.
6. Do you think that Section 139AA is a chilling trajectory the state has taken to dilute civil
liberties? Give your opinion. (GS 2)
13 9
?
Link-1 | Link-2
What is section 139AA?

In March 2017, in a surprise addendum to the Finance Bill the union government
introduced Section 139AA. Section 139AA requires linking the PAN card to an Aadhaar
number to file income tax returns (ITRs) and allow the PAN to remain valid.

Page 34
Yes it does give power to the state:-

The Aadhaar Act makes it clear that enrolment is voluntary. Therefore, parliament
cannot enact another provision in the form of section 139AA of the Income Tax Act
making Aadhaar mandatory for filing income tax returns, as it would be contrary to the
Aadhaar Act.
Aadhaar is considered as invasion of privacy.
Aadhaar contain various sensitive data like fingerprint, iris scan which can be misused
hence affecting civil liberty.
Continued leak of Aadhaar data. Ex recently 135 million aadhaar data were leaked.
As an existing PAN can be declared void if the taxpayer does not link it with Aadhaar
within the period that will be notified by the government.
No it doesnt:-
Citizens are already submitting various personal data like photograph, signature etc
Biometric data is just an addition to the list.
Indians do not have fundamental right to privacy as pointed out by various Supreme
court's judgement.
Biometric identification system was an essential feature of contemporary society
Aadhaar linkage is aimed to stop tax evasion and black money circulation which will
benefit the public at large. Slight compromise on privacy to further public good is
acceptable restriction.
Already many safeguards are placed like restriction on sharing of data, liability for
security of data etc.
7. Critically examine the issues involved in the functioning of Lokpal. Does it clash with the
mandate to elected representatives? Suggest practical ways to make Lokpal effective without
interfering it in the government affairs. (GS 2)
Daily Editorial | Link

Lokpal:-
A Lokpal is an anti-corruption authority or ombudsman who represents the public
interest.The Lokpal has jurisdiction over all Members of Parliament and central
government employees in cases of corruption.
Positives:-
Lokpals jurisdiction will cover all categories of public servants. All entities (NGOs)
receiving donations from foreign source in the context of the Foreign Contribution
Page 35
Regulation Act (FCRA) in excess of Rs 10 lakh per year are under the jurisdiction of
Lokpal.
Problems in functioning:-
As per the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act of 2013 the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok
Sabha will be part of the Lokpal selection panel. At present, there is no Leader of the
Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
The governments proposed amendment to the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA)
which requires the Lokpal to seek government sanction not only for prosecuting public
servants but even retired public officials is clearly designed to weaken the Lokpal.
The act, even in its present moribund state, is being whittled down with amendments,
such as one in 2016
It eliminates the earlier statutory requirement for public servants to disclose the assets
of their spouses and dependent children
Though it is well-known that illegally acquired assets are usually in the names of family
members.
The method of appointment of the Lokpal will not make it an independent authority.
The reason for the governments reluctance on the Lokpal is on account of its
implications for the CBI
o The Lokpal Act has invested the inquiry and prosecution wings of the Lokpal with
the powers presently exercised by the CBI, the last thing that the political
executive would concede willingly.
As the Lokpal Bill currently stands, investigations can be extended indefinitely, whether
whistleblowers are involved or not.
Religious bodies and charities are excluded from the ambit of the Lokpal:-This can
have disturbing consequences, considering the number of quasi-spiritual and religious
organisations that have been involved in scandals
Lack of distinguished jurist in selection panel, Mr Nariman resigned after appointment.
CBI and the officers which would investigate charges are under Home ministry.
Jurisdictional problem of CVC and Lokpal over investigation

Prior approval by centre to initiate corruption proceedings against bureaucrats
Yes,it interferes with elected representatives work:-

The Lokpal Act has invested the inquiry and prosecution wings of the Lokpal with the
powers presently exercised by the CBI, the last thing that the political executive would
concede willingly.
No government would want an investigating agency functioning under an
unaccountable entity to monitor not only government servants but also MPs and the
top political executive including the PM.
Page 36
Lokpal's functioning may clash with elected representatives mandate because of

frequent inquiries and prosecutions.
Lokpal has jurisdiction over PM, Ministers, Member of Parliament.
The Executive is mandated to take policy decision that may not prove successful, leading
to prosecution of honest ministers and bureaucrats
Public account committe of parliament is also mandated to look into expenditure by
executive.
How to make it effective:-
The political will to actively take action with respect to the bill has to be taken by the
government.
The people need to be made aware about the dire need for an anti corruption agency
and lokpal is to be demanded for public interest.
Lokpal should do ground work - verification of allegations before initiating inquiry.
Technological interventions improve transparency in governance.
8. Do you think that the Government lacks clarity in healthcare? Discuss the pros and cons
of the recent National Health Policy. (GS 2)
Live Mint
Yes,it lacks clarity:-
India faces the dual challenges of communicable and non-communicable
diseases.Centre and state government healthcare spending has been hovering around
the 1.15% of GDP (gross domestic product) mark.
Heavy-handed drug price controls under the DPCO in previous years, for instance, have
both denuded the domestic sector, leading to a dangerous dependence on imports
from China for the active pharmaceutical ingredients used in many common drugs, and
encouraged oligopolistic behaviour.
2017 policy aims Public private partnership however recent rise in stent prices and drug
pricing under DPCO hinder prvate particpation.
No it doesn't:-
National health policy 2017 featuring universality, equity, access etc point to clear aim.
Health schemes for immunization, women and child health care eg ICDP, Janani
Suraksha karyakram etc are point on to check IMR and MMR.
National health policy:-
Positives:-

Page 37
It promised to reform medical education and improve hospital bed availability, clean up
regulation of the sector.
Improve the quality of, and access to, public primary healthcare. The last is particularly
important; good primary care reduces the pressure on secondary and tertiary
healthcare.
The policy also set out the objective of strategic purchase of services not only from
public facilities and not-for-profit private facilities, but also from for-profit private
facilities.
It envisages providing a larger package of assured comprehensive primary
healthcare through the Health and Wellness Centers.
It is a comprehensive package that will include care for major non-communicable
diseases (NCDs), geriatric healthcare, mental health, palliative care and rehabilitative
care services.
It proposes free diagnostics, free drugs and free emergency and essential healthcare
services in all public hospitals in order to provide healthcare access and financial
protection.
It seeks to establish regular tracking of disability adjusted life years (DALY) Index as a
measure of burden of disease and its major categories trends by 2022.
It aims to improve and strengthen the regulatory environment by putting in place
systems for setting standards and ensuring quality of healthcare.
It also looks at reforms in the existing regulatory systems both for easing drugs and
devices manufacturing to promote Make in India and also reforming medical education.
It advocates development of mid-level service providers, public health cadre, nurse
practitioners to improve availability of appropriate health human resource.
Targets: It aims to ensure availability of 2 beds per 1000 population to enable access
within golden hour. It proposes to increase life expectancy from 67.5 to 70 years by
2025.
It aims to reduce total fertility rate (TFR) to 2.1 at sub-national and national level by
2025.
It also aims to reduce mortality rate (MR) of children under 5 years of age to 23 per
1000 by 2025 and maternal mortality rate (MMR) to 100 by 2020.
It also aims to reduce infant mortality rate to 28 by 2019 and reduce neo-natal mortality
to 16 and still birth rate to single digit by 2025.
Negatives:-
It targeted government healthcare expenditure of 2.5% of GDP lower by far than the
global average of 5.4%.
Experts have doubted the attainability of targets set by the National Health Policy 2017,
as it avoids the task of chalking out a clear path to synergise relationship between public
and private players.

Page 38
Health policy has hardly any information regarding how the government plans to
partner with the private sector.
Comparatively lower public fund as compared to internatioal standard
Does not follow right based approach.
Right to Health is not a fundamental right.
No health cess provision to ensure secure funding.
Health data: Focus on this was missing.
Universal health insurance coverage is missing.
9. What is Integrated Case Management Information System (ICMIS)? How can it help
transform a paper court to a digital court? (GS 2)
( ) ?
?
The Hindu
Introduction:-
Applauding the Supreme Courts initiative to go paperless, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi launched the Supreme Courts Integrated Case Management Information System
(ICMIS).
Integrated case management information system:-
The Integrated Case Management Information System or ICMIS is described as the next
generation hybrid database which is used to better enable litigants to access and
retrieve information online.
ICMIS will provide information on:
o Next tentative date of listing generated through e-process
o Categories and Acts & Section
o Objections in Defective matters
o Interlocutory Application/Documents
o Office Reports
o Listing dates.
o Judgement/Orders
o Appearance information of accused.
o Tracking of file movement
o Status of the notice issued
Along with this, there will also be an online court fee calculator and an online limitation
calculator.
It is also proposed that it will operate as an online gateway for payment of court fee and
process fee. Other features offered under the new system include an online court fee

Page 39
calculator. This is expected to streamline the filing process for both the advocates and
the registry.
How can it help to transform a paper court into digital court:-
With the help of a new software, High Court will be able to access the case records and
it will reduce the repetition of case data entries in the Supreme Court
The Integrated Case Management Information System (ICMIS) will allow a litigant to
digitally file a case and watch its progress on a real-time basis.
The system will help litigants access data and retrieve information online. It will be a
step towards a paperless Supreme Court.
The Chief justice proposed to integrate the system with all the 24 High Courts and the
subordinate courts. It would help usher in transparency, reduce manipulation and help
the litigant track the progress of a case on a real- time basis.
The Prime Minister said a paperless approach would be a boon to both litigants and the
environment.
It will help litigants to file only one case and the same will be transferred to higher
courts automatically due to digitisation of documents.
it will help the bar and not increase its workload.
10. The selection process that led to Justice Karnan becoming a judge needs revisiting. Do you
agree? (GS 2)
Indian Express
Introduction:-
Recently the supreme court sentenced justice Karnan to six months for contempt.
Yes:-
Need to re-evaluate the selection process that led to the appointment of Justice Karnan.
Clearly, the selection process omitted effective consideration of his fitness to act as a
judge.
o This failure is not of the collegium alone that recommended him but it appears
that no red flags were raised by the agencies that are tasked with background
checks and security clearance.
Finding that there needs to be action against judges who do not follow universally
accepted values, the Supreme Court in 1999 adopted the Report of the Committee on
In-House Procedure to take suitable remedial action against erring judges. This
procedure was created to deal with allegations against a judge pertaining to the
discharge of his judicial functions.
Page 40
o In Justice Karnans case, this in-house procedure appears not to have been
resorted to..
India needs serious contemplation from all limbs of its democracy to prevent such a
situation and to ensure that only those of sterling quality, character and courage
occupy the high constitutional office of a judge.
There is no procedure to discipline a judge before impeachment.Impeachment by
Parliament is a long-drawn-out and difficult process.
Even admitting that sometimes a poor appointment might have been made, there has
been no effort to create a transparent mechanism to discipline judges who overstep
the lines of propriety.
Like with appointments, the whole process is shrouded in secrecy with corridor gossip
substituting for facts and informed debates.
Those with legitimate grievances against a judge have little recourse from the judiciary
itself, or for that matter, any other institution.
The contempt case is still sub judice but its not clear what the Supreme Courts
endgame in these proceedings is. Its powers under the contempt jurisdiction are vast
but do not extend to removing a High Court judge, something that can only be done
through impeachment by the President.
No:-
The merit of initiating suo motu contempt proceedings by the Supreme Court and the
orders, issuing warrants and directions for medical examination, have been debated
enough.
11.The interests of transparency in judiciary require that the appointments process not be
shrouded in secrecy, which breeds nepotism and favouritism. Comment. (GS 2)
Indian Express
Introduction:-
With Justice Karnan issue in limelight, the judicial appointment process and the issue of
judicial accountability to the forefront again.
Why judicial appointment process need to be transparent:-
The Judges Inquiry Act, 1968, falls short of prescribing a procedure to deal with errant
judges.
o The system of impeachment doesnt work due to its onerous and political
nature. In the absence of an effective law for judicial accountability, this problem
will continue.

Page 41
An ex-officio body of judges and government functionaries cannot do justice to the

enormous task of screening and selecting judges to our highest courts.
To preserve the sanctity of the judiciary as an institution that will not compromise with
its oath to protect the Constitution, nor allow itself to be prejudiced by popular
sentiments, or surrender to intimidation.
The government and the judiciary have been going back and forth on the memorandum
of procedure for appointments to the higher judiciary and neglecting the call for
transparency by not even sharing a copy of the document with the people.
The collegium also did not lay down any criteria for appointments or any method for
evaluating candidates on those criteria.
o It also did not lay down any system for transparency in appointments.
o Thus, appointments continued to be made in an arbitrary and nepotistic manner
with the people not being informed about who was going to be appointed and
on what basis.
The memorandum of procedure brought in by the government after SC struck down
NJAC act is therefore stuck, with no agreement in sight between the government and
the Chief Justice of India.
How can judicial appointment process be made transparent:-

There is need for a full-time body for appointments as well as for receiving complaints
against judges. An ex-officio body of judges .
Only a full-time commission, independent of the government and the judiciary, can
impart transparency and credibility to the system of appointments to the higher
judiciary.
need a system where names of meritorious candidates are shortlisted and put out for
the public to raise their objections and provide relevant information that the appointing
authorities may not have about the proposed appointees.
Clearly-defined criteria for assessing the suitability of a judge would bring objectivity in
the process.
Minimum transparency would require that the criteria for selection of judges be made
known, the comparative evaluation of candidates also be made known, and names of
shortlisted/selected candidates announced before appointment, so that those who have
relevant information about the candidate can send it to the appointing authority.
Basic criteria to judge the competence of a candidate should include integrity,
competence, judicial temperament, common sense and sensitivity towards the
problems of the common man, among others.
A system modelled on the British Judicial Appointments Commission, which follows a
method to evaluate candidates based on predetermined and set criteria, is well worth
considering.

Page 42
The road to securing judicial accountability is long and hard, but proper accountability for such
a powerful and vital organ like the Indian judiciary is essential for the survival of the rule of law
and democracy in this country. The time has come for the people of the country, who are the
real stakeholders in an honestly functioning judiciary, to assert themselves and demand for
such a body to be appointed and this scuffle over judicial appointments to be laid to rest.
12. What are the long term benefits from Chinas OBOR? Discuss the criticism of Indias
policy towards OBOR. (GS 2)
TOI | Indian Express
OBOR:-
Belt and Road is Chinas most ambitious initiative in history. Popularly known as One
Belt One Road (OBOR), this infrastructure project of gigantic proportions attempts to
bring under its sway more than 60 countries, from the Scandinavian world to the South
Pacific Islands, in its land and maritime versions.
The ancient Silk Route is said to be the inspiration for this initiative launched in 2013.
Long term benefits of OBOR:-
This is singularly the biggest constellation of nations in the 21st century.
Economic:
o When completed, the rail, road and maritime routes of this project are expected
to boost bilateral and multilateral trade in a big way.
o The economic importance of participating in OBOR cannot be understated as it
could provide business and new investments opportunities for countries eyeing
foreign investments.
o According to a report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asia will require
approximately US$8.2 trillion (RM35.6 trillion) to finance infrastructure
development from 2010 to 2020.
o The economies along the routes account for about 63 per cent of the worlds
population and 29 per cent of global GDP.
o According to an HSBC estimate, the Belt and Road Initiative will generate
roughly 300 billion yuan to 500 billion yuan in railway investment, financing
more than 15,000km in high-speed rail links along the route.
o The Belt and Road Initiative is expected to bridge the infrastructure gap and
thus accelerate economic growth across the Asia Pacific area and Central and
Eastern Europe:
Benefits to China:
o Chinese companies, both state-owned and private, are able to go global and
export their spare capacity in building infrastructure projects to the world.
o Chinese firms are able to offer competitive pricing and their prices are usually
lower than US or EU companies. Chinese firms are also winning lucrative service
Page 43
contracts, once the domain of US, European and Japanese firms, to run those
completed infrastructure.
o China can even spread its manufacturing across countries as manufacturing costs
such as power and wages in China are going up. If OBOR becomes a reality, it can
help China create a vast economic empire in Asia and Africa.
Benefits to other countries:
o Less-developed countries along the new Silk Road stand are among the big
winners of investment as China revives ancient land and maritime trade routes,
according to estimates by a top bank.
o The inclusion of the Middle East and Central Asia could contribute to peace and
prosperity in these currently dramatically turbulent regions.
o As China puts conditions on every beneficiary of the trade plan to get rid of
corruption, Pakistan and other South Asian countries must gear up to liberate
themselves from vicious chains of corruption.
o The trade plan undoubtedly will have a deep impact in alleviating poverty
plaguing South Asia, home to 1.7 billion people.
International rise of China:
With US following an isolationist approach China will yield greater global influence.
Criticism of India's policy:-

The moot point remains that India is not able to carry any of the big powers, including
the US, and especially its neighbors along on the vital question of Westphalian
sovereignty as in the Chinese conveners summit 29 countries participated and showed
interest.
o Critics say India was isolated even in the South Asian region since all
neighbouring countries except Bhutan chose to attend despite Indias boycott.
By boycotting the summit rather than showing up and making its voice heard loud and
clear in the comity of nations, India has in fact sent out a message that it will make
proforma noise on this issue but actually acquiesce to the fait accompli.What this lack of
dexterity does is allow the Chinese embrace of Pakistan to get even tighter.
The fact remains that India would have to deal with Pakistani and Chinese navies jointly
patrolling the Arabian Sea off Indias western seaboard and directly threatening Indias
energy and resource supply lines.
With Hambantota also being developed as a Chinese resourced port in Sri Lanka, the
Gwadar-Hamabantota axis may end up emerging as an access denial area in Indias
home waters.
Genuine Concerns of India:-
Indias Achilles heel is the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, popularly known as CPEC.
The CPEC is seen as a part of the Belt and Road initiative .India had vociferously objected
to it on the very question of sovereignty.
Page 44
A major security concern is CPEC giving China control of Pakistan's Gwadar port. Add to
that OBOR boosting the Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean. OBOR will turn China's
old 'string of pearls' policy to encircle India into a reality.
13. Briefly discuss the history of Israel Palestine conflict. Are there signs of fundamental shift
in their relationship now? (GS 2)
Link
Introduction:
Israel is the world's only Jewish state, located just east of the Mediterranean Sea.
Palestinians, the Arab population that hails from the land Israel now controls, refer to
the territory as Palestine, and want to establish a state by that name on all or part of the
same land.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is over who gets what land and how it's controlled
History of Israel Palestine conflict:-
It is the ongoing struggle between Israelis and Palestinians that began in the mid-20th
century.
The history of this conflict began with the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948.
With millions of Jews being displaced during the Holocaust, the United Nations was
looking for a good place to establish a Jewish state.
At the time, Palestine was actually a British colony, and the UN figured that Palestine
(which included Jerusalem, the center of the Jewish faith) was the best place to
establish the new Jewish state of Israel. So, in late November, 1947, the UN passed
Resolution 181, which divided the Palestinian territory into Jewish and Arab states.
After this Israel declared independence which led to Israel Arab war.The 1948 war
uprooted 700,000 Palestinians from their homes, creating a refugee crisis that is still
not resolved. Palestinians call this mass eviction the Nakba Arabic for "catastrophe"
and its legacy remains one of the most intractable issues in ongoing peace negotiations.
Today there are more than 7 million Palestinian refugees, defined as people displaced
in 1948 and their descendants. A core Palestinian demand in peace negotiations is
some kind of justice for these refugees, most commonly in the form of the "right of
return" to the homes their families abandoned in 1948.
Israel can't accept the right of return without abandoning either its Jewish or
democratic identity. Adding 7 million Arabs to Israel's population would make Jews a
minority .
One of the core problems in negotiations, then, is how to find a way to get justice for
the refugees that both the Israeli and Palestinian people can accept. Ideas proposed so
far include financial compensation and limited settlement by Israel , but no two leaders
have ever agreed on the details of how these would work.

Page 45
West Bank:
o The West Bank is a chunk of land east of Israel. It's home to 2.6 million
Palestinians, and would make up the heart of any Palestinian state. Israel took
control of it in 1967 and has allowed Jewish settlers to move in, but Palestinians
(and most of the international community) consider it illegally occupied
Palestinian land
o There are about 500,000 Jewish settlers living in the West Bank, many of whom
live near the border with Israel proper. In a two-state deal, some of these
settlers would have to leave the West Bank, while some border settlements
would become Israeli land. In exchange, Israel would give over some of its
territory to Palestine. These would be called "land swaps." No set of Israeli and
Palestinian leaders has agreed on precisely where to draw the border.
Jerusalem is a city that straddles the border between Israel and the West Bank. It's
home to some of the holiest sites in both Judaism and Islam, and so both Israel and
Palestine want to make it their capital. How to split the city fairly remains one of the
fundamental issues dividing Israelis and Palestinians.
Gaza is a densely populated strip of land that is mostly surrounded by Israel and
peopled almost exclusively by Palestinians. Israel used to have a military presence, but
withdrew unilaterally in 2005. It's currently under Israeli blockade.
o Hamas's takeover of Gaza prompted an Israeli blockade of commercial goods
into Gaza, on the grounds that Hamas could use those goods to make weapons
to be used against Israel. Israel has eased the blockade over time, but the cutoff
of basic supplies like fuel still does significant humanitarian harm by cutting off
access to electricity ,food and medicine.
Settlements are communities of Jews that have been moving to the West Bank since it
came under Israeli occupation in 1967.Most international lawyers believe settlements
violate the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the transfer of population into
occupied territories. Israel disputes that.
Yes,there are signs of fundamental shift :-
Its different this time because this time, the two are at war just as the surrounding
Middle East descends into total turmoil. And when everything abates, the two sides will
end up even further from an agreement than they have been for years.
The entire region is so troubled that no one, not even the U.S., can give the Israeli-
Palestine conflict the attention it once demanded. And American officials can no longer
argue that a settlement would ripple positively across the Middle East.

Page 46
Relations within the Palestinian community have become more complicated. During the
last two wars, in 2009 and 2012, Palestinian governance was split between the
extremist faction, Hamas, in Gaza, and the more moderate Palestinian Authority in the
West Bank.
The two factions have been uneasily allied in a power-sharing government. Which has
pulled the Palestinian Authority more directly into the conflict, despite its minimal
presence in Gaza. At the same time, the United States can't deal directly with the
Palestinians because we've labeled Hamas a terrorist group.
The priorities and alliances of the surrounding region have also shifted. Most
consequential: Egypt, at peace with Israel since the 1979 Camp David Accords, no longer
has the same clout to negotiate with the Palestinians (especially with Hamas). The new
Egyptian President el-Sisi has outlawed the Brotherhood as a terrorist group which
makes Egypt pretty much absent this time around..
Iran, a long-time Hamas supporter, has reversed its position . Not long ago, Iran's Shia
leaders had removed support for Hamas because of Hamas's allegiance to Sunni Syrian
rebels.
Israels parliament voted on a bill that expropriates private Palestinian land in the West
Bank.
The passage of legislation by Israel that would legalise nearly 4,000 Jewish settler
homes on private Palestinian lands in the West Bank flies in the face of international law
and norms.
o That the vote comes weeks after the UN Security Council demanded that Israel
stop all settlement activity in the Occupied Territories, and an international
conference attended by more than 70 countries urged both sides in the conflict
to resume talks, shows Israels disregard for international opinion and
institutions.
The world has to take strong measures to establish world peace and strong actions against
violence.Also the UN has to step and provide justice to Palestine.
14. Do you think that Personal laws must be subordinate to fundamental rights? Give your
opinion. (GS 2)
Live MInt
Personal laws must be subordinate to fundamental rights:-

Page 47
The Centres categorical stand that personal laws should be in conformity with the
Constitution will be of immense assistance to the Supreme Court in determining the
validity of practices such as triple talaq and polygamy. By arguing that such practices
impact adversely on the right of women to a life of dignity, the Centre has raised the
question whether constitutional protection given to religious practices should extend
even to those that are not in compliance with fundamental rights.
From the point of view of the fundamental rights of those affected, mostly women,
there is a strong case for these practices to be invalidated.
The idea that personal laws of religions should be beyond the scope of judicial review,
and that they are not subject to the Constitution, is inherently abhorrent. The affidavit
in which the All India Muslim Personal Law Board sought to defend triple talaq and
polygamy is but an execrable summary of the patriarchal notions entrenched in
conservative sections of society.
Entry 5 list III,schedule VII read with article 246 grants the State power to abolish
discriminatory personal laws
No:-
Many unanswered questions still remain like whether personal law is law under Article
13 of the Constitution.Article 13 lays down that all laws should conform to the
fundamental rights.
In a number of cases, it has been held that personal laws are not subject to Part III of the
Constitution that deals with fundamental rights and hence, they cannot be challenged
for violating rights guaranteed under Articles 14, 15 and 21.
In Krishna Singh Vs Mathura Ahir, 1980, the top court held that Part III of the
Constitution does not touch upon the personal laws of the parties.
The Bombay High Court held that subjecting personal laws to fundamental rights would
imply automatic invalidation of practices like untouchability,thereby not explaining the
introduction of Article 17.
Agricultural land in many states notoriously is often not held by the daughters of the
community. They have only recently seen an agitation in Nagaland for the inclusion of
women in municipal councils that failed. The demand was resisted on the ground that
legislation could not interfere with tribal customs.
Personal laws can be challenged, it will have far reaching consequences for all women
regardless of the religion they belong to and advance the goal of gender justice for
all.The existence of Article 44 implies that the drafters placed upon the Parliament the
onus of eradicating such discriminatory religious practices by enacting a Uniform Civil
Code.

Page 48
15.As an advocate of a multipolar Asia, India has done well to sit out the BRI forum. Critically
evaluate. (GS 2)
Link
Introduction:-
Thus, as the date of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation
Yes,India has done well to sit out of BRI forum:-
The moot point remains that India is not able to carry any of the big powers, including
the US, and especially its neighbors along on the vital question of Westphalian
sovereignty as in the Chinese conveners summit 29 countries participated and showed
interest.
o Critics say India was isolated even in the South Asian region since all
neighbouring countries except Bhutan chose to attend despite Indias boycott.
By boycotting the summit rather than showing up and making its voice heard loud and
clear in the comity of nations, India has in fact sent out a message that it will make
proforma noise on this issue but actually acquiesce to the fait accompli.What this lack of
dexterity does is allow the Chinese embrace of Pakistan to get even tighter.
The fact remains that India would have to deal with Pakistani and Chinese navies jointly
patrolling the Arabian Sea off Indias western seaboard and directly threatening Indias
energy and resource supply lines.
With Hambantota also being developed as a Chinese resourced port in Sri Lanka, the
Gwadar-Hamabantota axis may end up emerging as an access denial area in Indias
home waters.
With the theme of boosting cooperation and realising win-win development,
the forum seeks to cement consensus on globalisation as the continuing norm
of development.
Genuine Concerns of India:-
Indias Achilles heel is the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, popularly known as CPEC.
The CPEC is seen as a part of the Belt and Road initiative .India had vociferously objected
to it on the very question of sovereignty.
A major security concern is CPEC giving China control of Pakistan's Gwadar port. Add to
that OBOR boosting the Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean. OBOR will turn China's
old 'string of pearls' policy to encircle India into a reality.
16. Discuss the governance structure in a district. What are the functions of a District Planning
Committe? (GS 2)
Indian Express
Governance structure in a district:-

Page 49
District has been the basic unit of administration in India since ancient times.
India has a democratic welfare state which involves wide scope of activities for the
development
of the people and the nation as a whole.
District administration, is that part of public administration which functions in the
territorial limits of the district.
A district is placed under the charge of a District Officer called the District Collector
or Deputy Commissioner, the king-pin of our administration. He is the chief
representative of the government in the district.
For administrative purposes the district is divided into subdivisions, Tehsils, Parganas or
Circle or Ferka and the village is at the lowest level.
The sub division is headed by SDO -
SDM/ Assistant Collector. He performs revenue as well as law and order functions in his
sub divisions.
He is a link between the district collector and the tehsildar in revenue matters and DM
and the Station Police Officers in law and order matters.
Positives:-
The Planning Commission did look at the sub-district or block/taluka level.
o It had devised a criteria to rank blocks by their development indicators both
infrastructural and in terms of human development.
o This influences the choice of blocks for many centrally-sponsored schemes.
For the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(MGNREGA), an elaborate method of participatory planning was
developed and used to prepare the first list of 250 blocks.
o Though this was the first attempt at such an elaborate exercise involving
villagers, local administration officials and elected representatives, it did provide
encouraging results.
o This led to a better mix of asset creation under the MGNREGA, based more on
the needs of people and local geographies.
o The National Rural Livelihood Mission also works around this list of blocks. So
there has been a clear policy to look beyond districts.
According to the gram panchayat development plan, the gram panchayat and
gram sabha prepare a budget based on the needs of the community, and get funds
based on the area and the population. This is a paradigm shift in Indias development
policy framework.
Concerns:-
There are neither structures nor any specific persons with roles specified for planning at
levels of administration below the district.

Page 50
Given this variation, schemes designed in Delhi based on the one size fits all model lose
all momentum when they hit ground zero.
The Fourteenth Finance Commission provided a platform to move into decentralised
planning at the gram panchayat level. This gave rise to the gram panchayat
development plan, meant to provide the necessary space for decentralised planning at
smallest unit of governance.
o The gram panchayat development plan, however, is facing the same fate as
most other central or state government programmes.
o In general, gram panchayats only get funds which are earmarked for a particular
scheme or programme.
Capacity building for the people responsible for this transformation, however, has not
been a part of the process.
Functions of District Planning Committee:-

To prepare 20 years perspective plan, mission and vision for the district based on the
study of the existing problems and growth potential of both the rural and
urban areas of the district.
To prepare 5 Years development plans based on the above perspective plan
To prepare annual plans.
To prepare projects and schemes.
To co-ordinate between the rural and urban local bodies on consensus building for the
overall development of the district.
To conduct expert studies in the direction.
DPC has a major role in preparing, scrutinizing and scanning of various plans of the rural
and urban areas.
The DPC has to undertake studies and workshops on development indicators in the
district such as:-
o Admission of school children or school drop outs,
o Road length and quality of road
o Availability of safe drinking water
o Health indicators such as IMR/MMR, AIDS, malaria, etc., Based on the
indicators, the local bodies would be able
o to prepare and implement the development plans.
There is a very real need to work on governance structures at the sub-district and gram
panchayat level. New, smaller governance structures need to be enablers of decentralised
planning. Certainly the NITI Aayog has a crucial role to play in this. Strong, decisive leadership
with a wide mandate is a requirement for such transformation.

Page 51
17.How does a Recall Election work? Discuss the reasons to have a right to recall in India. (GS
2)
The Hindu | Link
Right to recall:-
A recall election is typically a process by which voters seek to remove elected

officials through a direct vote before their term is completed.
In a first-past-the-post system in a democracy, unfortunately, not every elected
representative truly enjoys the mandate of the people. Logic and justice
necessitate that if the people have the power to elect their representatives,
they should also have the power to remove these representatives when they
engage in misdeeds or fail to fulfil their duties. There exists no recourse for the
electorate if they are unhappy with their elected representative.
How does recall system work?
RTR law will be implemented if majority of Indian citizens display their support
via TCP (Transparent Complaint Procedure) law.
This transparent complaint procedure provides transparency in recalls and will
ensure that the citizens` complaint is visible and verifiable by anyone,
anywhere, and anytime so that the complaint cannot be suppressed by the
politicians, officials, judges, or the media. This procedure will ensure that the
evidence is not suppressed.
Filing an application to circulate a recall petition, circulating a recall petition,
gathering a specified number of signatures in a limited period, submitting
petitions to election officials for verification of signatures and when if sufficient
valid signatures are presented, a recall election is held
Why India needs a right to recall :-
It must coexist with the right to vote in order to deepen our democratic roots.
Having such a right offers a mechanism to ensure vertical accountability. Such
a right would be a significant check on corruption along with ongoing
criminalisation of politics.

Page 52
Having a process to recall could also limit campaign spending, as morally

skewed candidates weigh the risk of being recalled. This right would help
engender direct democracy in our country, broadening access and raising
inclusiveness.
Recalls have become a popular tool of grassroots activism in an age of extreme
political divisiveness.
Some concerns:-
Due care must be taken in the introduction of legislation associated with such
laws.
Californias gubernatorial recall elections are notorious for the influence
of special interests, with Governor Davis recall vote, in 2003, a classic
example.
Another problem with recalls is that a lot of the recall efforts costs money .
Also, some politicians could use their positions to abuse the system and by
making their supporters file Recall petitions on political opponents and on even
those who are sincere.
In some cases, this recall election might be used as a tool to influence
and blackmail politicians with the fear of recall to influence decisions a certain
way.
Thus, trust grows in people and people will actively get involved in the voting process which is
the fundamental right, compared to what happens now which is a poor turnout for the
elections.
18. Mention a few characteristics of Universal Basic Income. What are the issues in the
implementation of Universal Basic Income in India? (GS 2)
Indian Express | Economist | WSJ
Basic income:-
Basic income is an income unconditionally granted to all on an individual basis,

without means test or work requirement.
Characteristics of basic income:-

Page 53
It is Universal and not targeted. This would not only be more appropriate, it will
also reduce the burden of the bureaucracy in so far as it is engaged in identifying the
deserving beneficiaries of any targeted programme.
Another important feature is cash transfer in lieu of in-kind transfer.
UBI is unconditional. Cash transfers are not tied to exhibiting certain behaviour, and
the people are free to spend the cash as they want.
Issues:-
It would reduce the motivation for work and might encourage people to live off
assured cash transfers.
It is simply unaffordable.
As it is estimated paying a basic income equivalent to the poverty line, to
each and every adult in India, would entail a cost of 11% of GDP, which is
way above the 4.2% of GDP that the government currently spends on explicit
subsidies.
It is also argued that unconditional cash transfers might raise wages due to the
decline in the supply of casual labourers.
There is also question of whether a shift towards it should be a substitute for all
existing subsidies or whether it should complement the existing ones.
The value of a UBI for India has to be evaluated in terms of creating the conditions for its own
redundancy by enabling the poor in India to step out of the low-reform, low-income trap.
Besides, the real value of a UBI for the poor in India rests on its ability to solve the economic
problems and political incentive challenges
19. Though the legislation has superseded the Vishakha Guidelines by SC, the implementation
of the Sexual Harassment law hasnt been done in its spirit. Comment. (GS 2)
Link
Introduction :-
Vishakha, which sought detailed directions on how sexual harassment of women in the
workplace could be prevented.
The guidelines the SC issued in 1997, which came to be known as the Vishakha
Guidelines, were to be strictly observed in all workplaces and were binding and
enforceable in law.
Indias law against sexual harassment at the workplace was passed in 2013, laying out
processes that need to be followed in organised and unorganised sectors.
Yes,the implementation was not good :-

The Act has no provisions to enable speedy disposal of criminal complaints of this
nature.
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The Act does not satisfactorily address accountability. Notably, it does not specify who is
in charge of ensuring that workplaces comply with the Act, and who can be held
responsible if its provisions are not followed.
Even four years on, there are companies that fail to abide by these norms 65% of
respondents in an Indian Bar Association survey said their companies did not follow
prescribed norms.
Even in companies that do have sexual harassment prevention committees, the
complainant may fail to get justice, particularly when the accused is a high-performing
executive.
Unless companies are held liable by state governments, the Act will only be a toothless
tiger and the only redressal a victim will have is to file an FIR and wait for the endless
trial only to result in acquittal.
Yet, 70% women said they did not report sexual harassment by superiors because they
feared the repercussions, according to survey conducted by the Indian Bar Association
in 2017 of 6,047 respondents.
Between 2014 and 2015, cases of sexual harassment within office premises more than
doubled from 57 to 119 according to National Crime Records Bureau data.
Employers are either unaware of the laws provisions or have implemented them
partially and even those that do set up internal panels have poorly trained members.
Above all, there is little gender parity in organisations even today.
An internal complaints committee (ICC) is mandatory in every private or public
organisation that has 10 or more employees, according to the Sexual Harassment of
Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013. However, 36%
of Indian companies and 25% of multinational companies had not yet constituted their
ICCs.
The law imposes a penalty of upto Rs 50,000 on employers who do not implement the
Act in the workplace or even fail to constitute an ICC. But, the number of employers
who do not fully comply with the law indicates that there is little monitoring of their
redressal machinery.
There is a high rate of non-compliance in the private sector, as is evident in the 2015
study, by Ernst and Young.
o Two in five IT companies were oblivious to the need to set up ICCs and 50% of
advertising and media companies had not conducted training for ICC members,.
However it's not the case always :-
The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal)

Act retains the essence of the Vishakha Guidelines, and expands on its provisions.

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It widens the definition of aggrieved woman to include all women, irrespective of age
and employment status, and it covers clients, customers and domestic workers.
It expands workplace beyond traditional offices to include all kinds of organisations
across sectors, even non-traditional workplaces (for example those that involve
telecommuting) and places visited by employees for work.
It mandates the constitution of the internal complaint committee (ICC) and states the
action to be taken if an ICC is not formed and the filing of an audit report of the number
of complaints and action taken at the end of the year.
It lists the duties of the employer, like organising regular workshops and awareness
programmes to educate employees about the Act, and conducting orientation
programmes for the members of the ICC.
If the employer fails to constitute an ICC, or does not abide by any other provision, they
must pay a fine of up to 50,000. If the offender is a repeat offender, the fine gets
doubled. If the employer has been previously convicted of an offence under the Act, he
shall be convicted for twice the punishment, and the second offence can also lead to
cancellation or non-renewal of his licence.
A Metropolitan Magistrate or a Judicial Magistrate of the first class shall try the offence
punishable under the Act.
20. Law Commission has come out with its 268th report on undertrial prisoners. Discuss its
recommendations. (GS 2)
The Hindu
Introduction:-
Recently Law Commission released its report on bail law reform which deserves urgent
attention.
The Law Commission, in its 268th Report, highlights the problem where it has become
the norm for the rich and powerful to get bail with ease, while others languish in prison
Recommendations:-
The Commission seeks to improve on a provision introduced in 2005 to grant relief to

thousands of prisoners languishing without trial and to decongest Indias overcrowded
prisons.
Section 436A of the Code of Criminal Procedure stipulates that a prisoner shall be
released on bail on personal bond if he or she has undergone detention of half the
maximum period of imprisonment specified for that offence.

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The Law Commission recommends that those detained for an offence that would attract
up to seven years imprisonment be released on completing one-third of that period,
and those charged with offences attracting a longer jail term, after they complete half of
that period.
For those who had spent the whole period as undertrials, the period undergone may be
considered for remission.
In general terms, the Commission cautions the police against needless arrests and
magistrates against mechanical remand orders.
It gives an illustrative list of conditions that could be imposed in lieu of sureties or
financial bonds.
It advocates the need to impose the least restrictive conditions.
The Commission recommended to the government amendments to the bail provisions
in the Criminal Procedure Code with emphasis on the early release on bail of undertrials.
It recommended that undertrials who have completed one-third of the maximum
sentence for offences up to seven years be released on bail. Those who are awaiting
trial for offences punishable with imprisonment of more than seven years, should be
bailed out if they have completed one-half of their sentence.
The Commission said new legal provisions for remission should be included to cover
those undertrials who have already endured the full length of the maximum sentence.
Prolonged periods in prison where undertrials and convicts were not segregated would
only make hardened criminals of the former.
Facts:-
Over 60 per cent of arrests were unnecessary and such arrests accounted for 42.3 per
cent of jail expenditure.
According to law commision the imprisonment rate in India is 33 per 1,00,000 of the
national population
Concerns:-
The real solution to the problem of under trials is in providing speed trials
21. What is Vienna convention? ICJ has showed creativity by balancing its powers with
principle of state sovereignty and consent. Discuss. (GS 2)
Indian Express
Introduction:
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Recently in the Kulbushan yadav case ICJ has become the arbitrator in the case and this
brought Vienna convention in the spotlight.
Vienna convention:-
The right to consular access, encompassing the right of sending-state consuls to visit,
converse with and arrange legal representation for nationals of the home-state in
custody of the receiving-state, is provided for under article 36(1)(c) of the Vienna
Convention on Consular Relations, 1963 (VCCR), to which both India and Pakistan are
parties.
Under the VCCR, the receiving state (Pakistan in this case) is obligated to facilitate this
protection work by:
o Promptly informing the competent consulate when one of their nationals is
arrested or detained.
o Inform the detained foreign national of his right to consular access with his
home state.
o Facilitate the protection work performed by the competent consuls in the form
of visits, communications and legal arrangements made for the detainee.
Yes, ICJ showed creativity by balancing it's powers with principle of state sovereignty and
consent because of the following reasons:-
ICJ has recognised that not all state parties may follow its orders or judgments, a factor
inevitable in the multi-state context.
Even in the LaGrand case in 2001, ICJ recognised that exercising jurisdiction to
intervene directly in the fate of an individual would mean some departure from the
function of the principal judicial organ of the United Nations to settle inter-state
disputes concerning the rights and duties of states.
Thus, innovation must occur always under the shadow of the sovereign equality of all
states.
However the ICJ has asked Pakistan to take all possible measures to ensure that Indian
spy Kulbhushan Yadav is not executed before the court gives its final verdict.
There have been celebrations in India about this interim decision of ICJ but, in actual
fact, the ground realities have not changed. When all is said and done, the bottomline
is that Yadav remains in a Pakistani jail, after being sentenced to death by a military
court.
22. Discuss the key elements of Asia Africa Growth Corridor. (GS 2)
The Hindu
Introduction:-
Recently Indian and Japanese prime ministers have put forward the idea of Asia Africa
growth corridor and they have unvielded the vision document.
Asia Africa corridor:-

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The objective is to pursue joint initiatives in various sectors such as health,

infrastructure, manufacturing, and connectivity, in keeping with the development
priorities of Africa and the Sustainable Development Goals.
The AAGC is an important component of the India-Japan Vision 2025 for Indo-Pacific
Region.
It further converges with Japans Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy and Expanded
Partnership for Quality Infrastructure (EPQI) and Indias development cooperation with
Africa and Act East Policy.
Key elements:-
There are four key elements there are:-
o Enhancing capacity and skills
o building quality infrastructure and connecting institutions
o development and cooperation projects in health, farming, manufacturing and
disaster management
o people-to-peoplepartnerships.
Positives:-
The Asia Africa Growth Corridor is conceived as a more open and inclusive programme
that will be based on more consultations and keep people as the centre piece rather
than just trade and economic ties
will facilitate greater trilateral or triangular cooperation among Japan, India and Africa .
It will AAGC aims to advance sustainable development and interconnectedness between
and within the two growth poles of Asia and Africa to encourage a free and open Indo-
Pacific.
Besides the economic rationale, Japan also aims to garner African nations support for
its ambitions at the UN Security Council.
However, translating the idea into deliverables will require India and Japan to conceive
of joint projects aiding capacity building, infrastructure, and connectivity; synergize their
resources and capabilities; and most importantly ensure the efficient implementation of
these projects to demonstrate bilateral commitment to African partners.
Founded on a consultative and inclusive approach, the idea of AAGC is aimed at
cultivating value chains, integrating and developing a competitive economic bloc,
thereby accelerating Africa and Asias development trajectory.
23. Discuss how maternal undernourishment is a potent contributor to child stunting in

India. (GS 2)
Link | UNICEF

Page 59
How maternal undernourishment is a potent contributor to child stunting in India:-

UNICEF report shows that an estimated 195 million children under age 5 in developing
countries suffer from stunting, a consequence of chronic nutritional deprivation that
begins in the period before birth if the mother is undernourished.
Of these, more than 90 per cent are in Asia and Africa.
Maternal undernutrition affects a womans chances of surviving pregnancy as well as
her childs health.
Women who were stunted as girls, whose nutritional status was poor when they
conceived or who didnt gain enough
weight during pregnancy may deliver babies with low birthweight. These infants in turn
may never recoup from their early disadvantage.
Like other undernourished
children, they may be susceptible to infectious disease and death, and as adults they
may face a higher risk of chronic
illness such as heart disease and diabetes.
Thus the health of the child is inextricably linked to the health of the mother.
A womans low weight for height or
anaemia during pregnancy can lead to low birthweight and continued undernutrition in
her children.
At the same time, maternal undernutrition increases the risk of maternal death during
childbirth.
Household food security, often influenced by such factors as poverty, drought and other
emergencies, has an important role in determining the state of child and maternal
nutrition in many countries.
Short stature of the mother and poor maternal nutrition stores increase the risk of
Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR).
The level of maternal nutrition during pregnancy can affect newborn body size and
composition.
o Iodine-deficiency in mothers usually causes brain damage in their offspring, and
some cases cause extreme physical and mental retardation.
o This affects the childrens ability to achieve their full potential.
o In 2011 UNICEF reported that thirty percent of households in the developing
world were not consuming iodized salt, which accounted for 41 million infants
and newborns in whom iodine deficiency could still be prevented.
Other factors include:-
o A study in Pakistan revealed that
the majority of infants with signs of undernutrition hadmothers with virtually no
schooling.

Page 60
o Womens social status in many developing countries, the low status of women is
considered to be one of the primary determinants of undernutrition across the
life cycle.
o Womens low status can result in their own health outcomes being
compromised,
which in turn can lead to lower infant birthweight and may affect the quality of
infant care and nutrition.
o A study in India showed that women with higher autonomy were significantly
less likely to have a stunted child when compared with their peers who had less
autonomy.
o Infants born to young mothers who are not fully developed are found to have
low birth weights.
o Maternal body size is strongly associated with the size of newborn children.
What needs to be done?
Evidence of successful programmes
in a number of countries salt iodization,vitamin A supple-
mentation, exclusive breastfeeding and community-based treatment of severe acute
malnutrition shows that this can
be done rapidly and effectively, and the experiences gained in these programmes can be
used as a guide.
An improvement in the status of women including access to education and health care,
a higher degree of decision-making power and gender equality will contribute to
marked and sustained improvements in child nutrition.
A global momentum is needed that will entail unified and compelling advocacy among
governments, lead organizations and institutions.
Enhanced advocacy and resources,
in combination with strengthened collaboration and effective coordination at the
international level, should be
reflected at the country level, with clear national ownership and leadership.
24. Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Act is now in effect. Discuss its key
provisions. (GS 2)
( )
The Hindu
Key provisions:-

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The act regulates transactions between buyers and promoters of residential real estate
projects. It establishes state level regulatory authorities called Real Estate Regulatory
Authorities (RERAs).
Residential real estate projects, with some exceptions, need to be registered with
RERAs. Promoters cannot book or offer these projects for sale without registering
them. Real estate agents dealing in these projects also need to register with RERAs.
On registration, the promoter must upload details of the project on the website of the
RERA. These include the site and layout plan, and schedule for completion of the real
estate project.
70% of the amount collected from buyers for a project must be maintained in a separate
bank account and must only be used for construction of that project. The state
government can alter this amount to less than 70%.
The act establishes state level tribunals called Real Estate Appellate Tribunals. Decisions
of RERAs can be appealed in these tribunals.
It is to primarily protect the interests of consumers and bring in efficiency and
transparency in the sale/purchase of real estate. RERA and the Appellate Tribunal are
expected to decide on complaints within an ambitious period of 60 days
The Act seeks to assist developers by giving the regulator powers to make
recommendations to State governments to create a single window clearance for
approvals in a time-bound manner.
The Act again ambitiously stipulates an electronic system, maintained on the website of
RERA, where developers are expected to update on a quarterly basis the status of their
projects, and submit regular audits and architectural reports.
Importantly, it requires developers to maintain separate escrow accounts in relation to
each project and deposit 70% of the collections in such an account to ensure that funds
collected are utilised only for the specific project. The Act also requires real estate
brokers and agents to register themselves with the regulator.
Concerns:-
Since land is a State subject under the Constitution, even after the Centre enacts the
legislation, State governments will have to ratify them. States will have to set up the
Real Estate Regulatory Authoritys (RERA) and the Real Estate Appellate Tribunals and
have only a maximum of a year from the coming into effect of the Act to do so.

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Some states have enacted laws to regulate real estate projects. The act differs from
these state laws on several grounds. It will override the provisions of these state laws in
case of any inconsistencies.
The act mandates that 70% of the amount collected from buyers of a project be used
only for construction of that project. In certain cases, the cost of construction could be
less than 70% and the cost of land more than 30% of the total amount collected. This
implies that part of the funds collected could remain unutilized, necessitating some
financing from other sources. This could raise the project cost.
The real estate sector has some other issues such as a lengthy process for project
approvals, lack of clear land titles, and prevalence of black money. Some of these fall
under the State List.
While consumer interests have been protected, developers find provisions of the Act to
be exceptionally burdensome on a sector already ailing from a paucity of funds and
multiple regulatory challenges.
It does not deal with the concerns of developers regarding force majeure (acts of god
outside their control) which result in a shortage of labour or issues on account of there
not being a central repository of land titles/deeds.
Finally, the new legislation is a welcome enactment. It will go a long way in assisting upstanding
developers. More importantly, it will ease the burden on innocent home buyers who put their
lifes savings into a real estate investment in the hope of having a roof over their head but often
find their dreams come tumbling down.
25. Discuss the provisions of the Real Estate (Development and Regulation) Act, 2016. How
will it impact the ambitious scheme Housing for All by 2022?
( ) , 2016 2022
?

Act :-
States will have to set up the Real Estate Regulatory Authoritys (RERA) and the Real
Estate Appellate Tribunals and have only a maximum of a year from the coming into
effect of the Act to do so.
The Acts preamble details the legislative intention which is to primarily protect the
interests of consumers and bring in efficiency and transparency in the sale/purchase
of real estate.
Page 63
The Act also attempts to establish an adjudicatory mechanism for the speedy redress of
disputes. RERA and the Appellate Tribunal are expected to decide on complaints
within an ambitious period of 60 days. But no legislation can protect the interest of
only one class.
As one of the largest job creators, the real estate sector contributes almost 6% towards
the GDP. Mindful of this, the Act seeks to assist developers by giving the regulator
powers to make recommendations to State governments to create a single window
clearance for approvals in a time-bound manner.
Highlights of the Act:-
The Act regulates transactions between buyers and promoters of residential real estate
projects by establishing state level regulatory authorities called Real Estate
Regulatory Authorities (RERAs).
estate project.
The Act establishes state level tribunals called Real Estate Appellate Tribunals. Decisions
of RERAs can be appealed in these tribunals
How will it impact ?
Indian government has come up with a Housing for All by 2022 Mission, with a clear
focus on affordable, low-cost and EWS (economically weaker section) housing.
The mission has gained momentum with a number of enabling policy initiatives and tax
reforms, including 100 percent service tax exemption to affordable
housing developers, infrastructure status to affordable housing to facilitate fund
flows, hiked exemption limit on interest outgo on home loans, and credit-linked
subsidy under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) along with the recently
passed real estate act.
With this act owning a house today has become much more affordable for the masses
as prices have fallen and interest rates are down.
Commercial real estate has already seen a turnaround and residential real estate is on
the path to recovery.
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According to experts, implementation of RERA is likely to bring in transparency in the

sector. RERA will protect the interest of the homebuyer and ensure timely delivery of
projects.
If the concerns are sorted out well,the act is a brilliant step in the real estate sector.

Page 65
General studies-3:
1.How far would the Real Estate (regulation & Development) Act, be helpful in bringing
reforms to the real estate sector of India. Also suggest some measures to improve it.(GS 3)
The Hindu
Introduction:-
The aim of the act is to primarily protect the interests of consumers and bring in
efficiency and transparency in the sale/purchase of real estate.
Key provisions:-
The act regulates transactions between buyers and promoters of residential real estate
projects. It establishes state level regulatory authorities called Real Estate Regulatory
Authorities (RERAs).
estate project.
The act establishes state level tribunals called Real Estate Appellate Tribunals. Decisions
of RERAs can be appealed in these tribunals.
It is to primarily protect the interests of consumers and bring in efficiency and
transparency in the sale/purchase of real estate. RERA and the Appellate Tribunal are
expected to decide on complaints within an ambitious period of 60 days
The Act seeks to assist developers by giving the regulator powers to make
recommendations to State governments to create a single window clearance for
approvals in a time-bound manner.
The Act again ambitiously stipulates an electronic system, maintained on the website of
RERA, where developers are expected to update on a quarterly basis the status of their
projects, and submit regular audits and architectural reports.

Page 66
Importantly, it requires developers to maintain separate escrow accounts in relation to

each project and deposit 70% of the collections in such an account to ensure that funds
collected are utilised only for the specific project. The Act also requires real estate
brokers and agents to register themselves with the regulator.
Concerns:-
Since land is a State subject under the Constitution, even after the Centre enacts the
legislation, State governments will have to ratify them. States will have to set up the
Real Estate Regulatory Authoritys (RERA) and the Real Estate Appellate Tribunals and
have only a maximum of a year from the coming into effect of the Act to do so.
Some states have enacted laws to regulate real estate projects. The act differs from
these state laws on several grounds. It will override the provisions of these state laws in
case of any inconsistencies.
Suggestions:
The following need to be looked into:
The act mandates that 70% of the amount collected from buyers of a project be used
only for construction of that project. In certain cases, the cost of construction could be
less than 70% and the cost of land more than 30% of the total amount collected. This
implies that part of the funds collected could remain unutilized, necessitating some
financing from other sources. This could raise the project cost.
The real estate sector has some other issues such as a lengthy process for project
approvals, lack of clear land titles, and prevalence of black money. Some of these fall
under the State List.
While consumer interests have been protected, developers find provisions of the Act to
be exceptionally burdensome on a sector already ailing from a paucity of funds and
multiple regulatory challenges.
It does not deal with the concerns of developers regarding force majeure (acts of god
outside their control) which result in a shortage of labour or issues on account of there
not being a central repository of land titles/deeds.
Finally, the new legislation is a welcome enactment. It will go a long way in assisting upstanding
developers. More importantly, it will ease the burden on innocent home buyers who put

Page 67
their lifes savings into a real estate investment in the hope of having a roof over their
head but often find their dreams come tumbling down.
3. Enumerate the different types of irrigation systems that can be helpful for conservation of
water and yield improvement of farms in India. What are the challenges facing farmers in
India, in adopting these systems and also suggest some measures to tackle them.(GS 3)
The Hindu
Irrigation systems:-
1.Drip irrigation:-
Drip irrigation is a form of irrigation that saves water and fertilizer by allowing water to
drip slowly to the roots of many different plants, either onto the soil surface or directly
onto the root zone, through a network of valves,pipes,tubing and emitters.
Yes,drip irrigation is better:-
The drip put in place ensures that water just sufficient to the particular variety sown is
given.
It is chosen instead of surface irrigation for various reasons, often including concern
about minimizing evaporation.
Fertilizer and nutrient loss is minimized due to localized application and reduced
leaching.
Water application efficiency is high if managed correctly
Field levelling is not necessary.
Fields with irregular shapes are easily accommodated.
Recycled non-potable water can be safely used.
Moisture within the root zone can be maintained at field capacity.
Soil type plays less important role in frequency of irrigation.
Soil erosion is lessened.
Weed growth is lessened.
Water distribution is highly uniform, controlled by output of each nozzle.
Labour cost is less than other irrigation methods.
Variation in supply can be regulated by regulating the valves and drippers.
Foliage remains dry, reducing the risk of disease.
Usually operated at lower pressure than other types of pressurised irrigation, reducing
energy costs.
Problems:-
Initial cost can be more than overhead systems.
The sun can affect the tubes used for drip irrigation, shortening their usable life.
If the water is not properly filtered and the equipment not properly maintained, it can
result in clogging .
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For subsurface drip the irrigator cannot see the water that is applied. This may lead to
the farmer either applying too much water (low efficiency) or an insufficient amount of
water.
Drip tape causes extra cleanup costs after harvest.
Waste of water, time and harvest, if not installed properly.
2.Sprinkler irrigation:-
The sprinkler irrigation system is effective for irrigation on uneven lands and on shallow
soils.
It is also suitable to coarse sandy terrain where the percolation loss is more and where
as a consequence, the frequency of irrigation required is more.
The sprinkler irrigation system is appropriate in rising and falling land where land
shaping is expensive or technically not practicable.
The elimination of fertile soil cover by land shaping is not advisable.
Sprinkler irrigation system can also be espoused in hilly regions where plantation crops
are grown.
Advantages of sprinkler irrigation:
1. It is Suitable to all types of soil apart from heavy clay.

2. It is most suitable for oil seeds and other cereal and vegetable crops.
3. It saves water.
4. With this technique of irrigation, there is control of water application convenient
for giving light and frequent irrigation and higher water application efficiency.
5. Sprinkle irrigation increases in yield.
6. It saves land as no bunds are required.
7. Areas located at a higher elevation than the source can be irrigated.
8. In this method of irrigation there is less problem of clogging of sprinkler nozzles due
to sediment laden water.
9. The overall cost of labour is generally reduced in this method of irrigation.
10. Erosion of soil cover which is common in surface irrigation can be reduced.
Disadvantages of sprinkler system:
1. In this technique, initial cost of implementation is high.

2. High and constant energy requirement for operation.
3. Under high wind condition and high temperature distribution and application
efficiency is poor.
4. When lands have been already levelled and developed for surface or other
irrigation methods sprinkler irrigation is not so economical.
5. There is loss of water due to evaporation from the area during irrigation.

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3.Surface Irrigation:
In this technique water flows and spreads over the surface of the land. Varied quantities
of water are allowed on the fields at different times. Therefore, flow of water under
surface irrigation comes under wobbly flow.
Furrow irrigation:-
o Large areas can be irrigated at a time.
o It saves labour since once the furrow is filled, it is not necessary to give water a
second time.
o It is a reasonably cheaper method.
o Plants get proper quantity of water by this system.
o Furrow irrigation is also beneficial for growing of tree crops.
o Major drawback of furrow system of irrigation is ensuring uniform dispersal of
water over a given field.
o Other problem with furrow irrigation is the increased potential for water loss
due to runoff.
Free flooding:-
o In free flooding method, water is applied to the land from field ditches without
any check or guidance to the flow.
o The land is divided into plots or kiaries of suitable size depending on porosity of
soil. Water is spread over the field from watercourse.
o The irrigation operation begins at the higher area and proceeds towards the
lower levels.
o The flow is stopped when the lower end of the field has received the desired
depth of water.
o The field watercourse is properly spaced, the spacing depends on the
topography, oil texture, depth of soil and size of stream..
o This technique is beneficial for newly established farms where making furrows is
very expensive.
o This method is economical and can be effectively used where water supply is in
plenty.
o This method is suitable for the fields with irregular surface in which other
techniques are difficult to apply.
o Major drawback of this method is that there is no perfect control over the flow
of water to attain high efficiency.
o Sometimes the flow of water over the soil is too rapid to fulfil soil moisture
deficiency. On the other hand, sometimes water is retained on the field for a
very long time and consequently the water is lost in infiltration or deep
percolation.
Border strip method:-

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o The water is diverted from the field channel into the strips. The water flows
gradually towards lower end, wetting the soil as it advances.
4.Well and tube well irrigation:-
Well irrigation is more popular in those regions where ground water is in ample and
where there are few canals.the greater part of the Penisnular India is not appropriate
for well irrigation due to stony structure, rough surface and lack of underground water.
Advantages of Well and Tube Well Irrigation:
o Well is simplest and cost effective source of irrigation and the poor Indian farmer
can easily afford it.
o Well is an independent source of irrigation and can be used as and when the
necessity arises.
o Several chemicals such as nitrate, chloride, sulphate, etc. are generally found
mixed in well water.
o They make soil fertility when they reach the agricultural field along with well
water.
o It is more reliable during periods of famine when surface water dries up.
Disadvantages of well and Tube Well Irrigation:
o With these methods, only limited area can be irrigated.
o Normally, a well can irrigate 1 to 8 hectares of land.
o The well may dry up and may be rendered ineffective for irrigation if excessive
water is taken out.
o In the drought situation, the ground water level falls and enough water is not
available in the well when it is needed the most.
o Tube wells can draw a lot of groundwater from its neighbouring areas and make
the ground dry and not suitable for agriculture. Well and tube well irrigation is
not possible in areas of salty groundwater.
5.Canal irrigation:-
Canals are most effective techniques of irrigation in areas of low level relief, deep fertile
soils, perennial source of water and extensive command area.
Therefore, the main concentration of canal irrigation is in the northern plain of India,
especially the areas comprising Uttar Pradesh Haryana and Punjab.
The digging of canals in stony and uneven areas is difficult and unprofitable. Thus the
canals are practically absent from the Peninsular plateau area.
Advantages of Canal Irrigation:
o Most of the canals provide perennial irrigation and supply water as and when
required.This saves the crops from drought conditions and helps in increasing
the farm production.
o Canals carry a lot of residue brought down by the rivers. This sediment is
deposited in the agricultural fields which make soil more fertile.

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o Some of the canals are parts of multipurpose projects and, therefore, provide
inexpensive source of irrigation.
o Although the initial cost involved in canal irrigation is more, it is quite cheap in
the long run.
Drawbacks of Canal Irrigation:
o The canal water soaks into the ground and results in water-logging along the
canal route.
o Excessive flow of water in the fields raises the ground water level. Capillary
action brings alkaline salts to the surface and makes large areas unfit for
agriculture.
o Huge areas in Panjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh suffer from the problem
caused by canal irrigation.
o The muddy areas near the canals act as reproduction grounds of mosquitoes
which result in widespread malaria.
o Many canals overflow during rainy season and flood the surrounding areas.
o Canal irrigation is suitable in plain areas only.
6.Tank Irrigation:-
A tank act as an irrigation storage system which is developed by constructing a small
bund of earth or stones built across a stream.
Advantages of Tank Irrigation:
o Most of the tanks are natural and not expensive for their construction.
o Even an individual farmer can have his own tank.
Tanks are normally constructed on rocky bed and have long life. In many tanks, fishing is
also done. This supplements both the food resources and income of the farmer.
Drawbacks of Tank Irrigation:-
o Major problem with tanks water storage is that tanks dry up during the dry
season and fail to provide irrigation when it is needed the most.
o Silting of the tank bed is a serious problem and it requires de-silting of the tank
at regular intervals.
o Much water is evaporated from the large expanse of shallow water and is
therefore not available for irrigation.
o Tanks cover large areas of cultivable land. In many areas, other sources of
irrigation have been adopted and the dry beds of tanks have been reclaimed for
agriculture.
o Furthermore, lifting of water from tanks and carrying it to the fields is a tiring
and expensive effort which discourages the use of tanks as a source of irrigation.
Other challenges:-
Water availability:

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o Though the average water availability in India remains more or less fixed
according to the natural hydraulic cycle, per capita availability is reducing
progressively owning to the increasing population.
Incomplete projects:
o There has been an increase in the number of projects awaiting completion since
the end of IV Plan.
Time and Cost overruns:
o Worst part of the inordinate delay in completion of projects has been the time
and cost overruns.
Underutilization:
o Inadequate provision of budget provision for operation and maintenance of the
irrigation system is significantly responsible for under-utilization followed by
non-completion of dis-tributaries, minors, field channels and on-farm
development.
Groundwater:
o Over-exploitation of groundwater and widespread environmental damage.
Management:
o Integrated Water Resource Management [IWRM] in agriculture is a concept of
sustainable development, allocation and monitoring of water resource and its
use in agriculture has not been successful in India.
Water Users Associations:
o Apart from the institutional aspect, WUAs need small but critical incentives to
motivate them manage irrigation system.
Measures needed are:
1. The policy and programs related to water should focus on equitable sharing of
water; integrated management of surface water, soil water and groundwater;
participation of an enlightened public in decision making and welfare of socially,
economically and politically weak segments of society, among others.
2. Calls for focused attention to promote improved water management practices in
irrigation projects suffering from operational deficiencies and integrated water
resources development and management approach.
3. Area-suitable water conservation measures have to be explored and adopted.
Also it is necessary to strengthen existing irrigation infrastructure, increase water
use efficiency and productivity, raise crops requiring less-water, make rainwater
harvesting mandatory for all and provide shading with trees the banks of canals
and other reservoirs.
4. The use of computers, communication and information to control irrigation
systems will yield many benefits, resulting in obvious economic savings and in
intangible benefits whose value cannot be measured in monetary terms.

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5. Rehabilitation and modernization of the existing water resource projects can be

carried out under three main headings, engineering, agronomy and
administration.
6. The engineering side includes modernization and rehabilitation of all headwork
and their replacement where they have outlived their usefulness, and
modernization of canals, canal structures, in particular the regulating devices,
provision of additional cross regulators, permanent outlets and on-farm
development works such as field channels, field drainage and land levelling.
7. The agronomic side includes the review of current cropping patterns, scientific
assessment of crop water requirements to upgrade the system to meet the new
demand, adoption of high-yielding varieties, propagation of proper cultural
practices and so on.
8. The administrative side includes the consolidation of land, volumetric supply of
irrigation water, changes in water rate policy and the like.
All of this can be achieved by improved water management at farm level, keeping in mind the
existing constraints of the physical system and its operational constraints.
Fact:-
In 2010, only about 35% of total agricultural land in India was reliably irrigated.
3. A One Nation One Market Model for Farmers, on the lines of GST is the panacea for
agricultural marketing in India Discuss.(GS 3)

Live Mint
Introduction:-
The Indian government is working on creating a common agricultural market that will
improve the lot of farmers and the efficiencies of Indias notoriously inefficient farm-
produce markets.
The government put out a model law proposing a fundamental reset in the way
agricultural markets operate.
It proposes to replace existing fragmented and over-regulated markets for agricultural
produce and allow farmers a wider choice of markets beyond the local mandi or
wholesale markets.

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Yes:-
As more states join the reform agenda, farmers can expect prices that are remunerative
and transparent.
The government last year launched an electronic National Agriculture Market (eNAM)
platform in April 2016 and later set an ambitious target of doubling farm incomes by
2022.
This was followed by a model law on land leasing (making it easier for tenant farmers to
access credit and insurance) and another on agriculture marketing. A law on contract
farming is in the works.
The current thrust on connecting farmers to markets complements the governments
earlier effort to reduce growing risks in agriculture through a revamped crop insurance
scheme and massive funding of irrigation projects.
The new model law on agriculture marketing adds a range of reforms to the required
amendments for joining eNAM. These include allowing setting up of private markets,
direct sale of produce by farmers to bulk buyers and capping market fees and
commission charges payable by a farmer.
Most importantly, it withdraws the power to issue trading licences from the mandis
managed by a board of tradersand vests it with the states director of agriculture
marketing.
Several states seemed to be willing to sign on.
Problems:-
Agriculture marketing is a state subject and the centre can only propose a blueprint. The
eventual rollout will depend on the state governments. A model Agricultural Produce
Marketing Committee (APMC) law was first proposed in 2003 but made little progress.
Many states have amended their marketing acts but are yet to notify rules.
Maharashtra, for instance, delisted fruits and vegetables a year back but did not notify
rules following pressure from the powerful traders lobby.
The centre can bring in enabling legislation to allow inter-state trade.It will deploy the
political capital to overhaul agriculture marketing the way it did for GST.
4. A robust IPR regime is necessary for growth. Discuss Indias performance at
implementation of IP Laws, and suggest measures to improve Indias perception as a
protector of Intellectual Property Rights.(GS 3)

Link 1 | Link 2
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Introduction:-
IPRs are critical to incentivizing innovation, which, in turn, is key to sustaining economic
growth and increasing living standards.
The International IP Index 2017 released by the US Chamber of Commerce,
appropriately titled The Roots Of Innovation, compares Indias intellectual property
environment with that of 44 other world economies. The index ranked India at a dismal
43rd position out of 45 countries.
Positive performance:-
The new IPR policy:
o The Policy aims to push IPRs as a marketable financial asset, promote innovation
and entrepreneurship, while protecting public interest.
o The policy is entirely compliant with the WTOs agreement on TRIPS.
o Special thrust on awareness generation and effective enforcement of IPRs,
besides encouragement of IP commercialisation through various incentives.
o India will engage constructively in the negotiation of international treaties and
agreements in consultation with stakeholders. The government will examine
accession to some multilateral treaties which are in India's interest, and become
a signatory to those treaties which India has de facto implemented to enable it
to participate in their decision making process
o Films, music, industrial drawings will be all covered by copyright.
o The Policy also seeks to facilitate domestic IPR filings, for the entire value chain
from IPR generation to commercialisation. It aims to promote research and
development through tax benefits.
o The IPR policy favoured the government considering financial support for a
limited period on sale and export of products based on IPRs generated from
public-funded research.
Proposal to create an effective loan guarantee scheme to encourage start-ups.
Negatives:-
In India, there is still a dearth of evidence-based research that can inform our laws,
practice and policy-making pertaining to IPRs.
They do not adequately appreciate the fundamental reality that IP laws and policies are
meant to incentivise innovation by establishing enforceable boundaries to protect new
products, processes, and original works of expression.
Multiple problems are still faced by pharmaceutical, software, biotechnology,
automotive, movie, music and other technology-led, IP-intensive industries.

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Implementation of various laws has been lax. Patent or copyright infringement and
piracy in India is not uncommon. It is also the fact that India has poor performance in
R&D, where it accounts for meagre 2.7% of global expenditure. Poor IPR protection
regime plays some part in this.
According to intellectual property index,Patent protection in India remains outside of
international best practices.
Indian law does not provide adequate enforcement mechanisms to effectively combat
online piracy.
Among Indias key areas of weakness was the use of compulsory licensing (CL) for
commercial and non-emergency situations, and the expanded use of CL being
considered by the Indian government.
Another area of weakness was poor application and enforcement of civil remedies and
criminal penalties.
Measures to improve:-
Government needs to build upon the positive rhetoric of its IPR policy with the
substantial legislative reforms that innovators need.
In order to have strong and effective IPR laws, steps would be taken including review of
existing IP laws to update and improve them or to remove anomalies and
inconsistencies.
Beliefs, attitudes and approaches towards IPRs in India must change for the sake of the
ambitions articulated in this governments many initiatives from Make In India to
Startup India and Smart Cities.
Various subject matters in IPR are dealt by different departments and ministries, there
needs to be some integration among these arms. This integration is prerequisite for
formulating an integral IPR policy and taking stand at various international forums.
5. How can the government ensure accountability and transparency in the Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) activities in India? (GS 3)
Link
Introduction:-
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) necessitates a certain degree of openness and
transparency with corporate stakeholders .
These transparency obligations are driven by voluntary best practices, financing
requirements and law all of which tie CSR to corporate governance practices.
In order to streamline the philanthropic activities and ensure more accountability and
transparency, the government of India made it mandatory for companies to undertake
CSR activities under the Companies Act, 2013.

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The Global Reporting Initiative is an international, multi-stakeholder effort to create a

common framework for voluntary reporting of the economic, environmental, and social
impact of organization-level activity.
Its mission is to improve the comparability and credibility of sustainability reporting
worldwide.
As far as possible, the CSR initiatives should be designed in a sustainable manner and
should be scalable
and result oriented.
o Therefore, creating indirect advantages
such as brand visibility, social capital, partnerships, business opportunities, long-
term community relationships and most importantly nation building.
KPMGs report, also point to a geographic bias under the 2% law, with companies
funding projects closer to where they are based. Consequently, more industrialised
states are winning over poorer, more remote regions where development aid is
acutely needed.
The rise of ethics training inside corporations, some of it required by government
regulation, has helped CSR to spread.
o The aim of such training is to help employees make ethical decisions when the
answers are unclear
6. Discuss the consequences of Climate Change on agriculture and food security in India. (GS
1, GS 3)
Link-1 | Link-2
Consequences of climate change on agriculture and food security:-
Climate change affects food security in complex ways.
It impacts crops, livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, and can cause
grave social and economic consequences in the form of reduced incomes,
eroded livelihoods, trade disruption and adverse health impacts.
Food production:-
o It affects food production in many ways. For one, it may cause
significant increases in inter-annual and intra-seasonal variability of
monsoon rainfall.
The impact of climate change on water availability will be particularly
severe for India because large parts of the country already suffer from water
scarcity, to begin with, and largely depend on groundwater for irrigation.
With increased periods of low precipitation and dry spells due to climate
change, Indias groundwater resources will become even more important for
irrigation, leading to greater pressure on water resources.

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Indian agriculture, and thereby Indias food production, is highly vulnerable

to climate change largely because the sector contin ues to be highly sensitive
to monsoon variability.
o After all, about 65 percent of Indias cropped area is rain -fed.
o Acute water shortage conditions, together with thermal stress, will
affect rice productivity even more severely.
Climate change can slow down, and even drastically reduce, the
improvements in food security and nutrition that India has managed to
achieve so far.
Variation in the length of the crop growing season and higher frequency of
extreme events due to climate change and the consequent gr owth of output
adversely affect the farmers net income.
Climate change will also have an adverse impact on the livelihoods of fishers
and forest-dependent people.
Landless agricultural labourers wholly dependent on agricultural wages are
at the highest risk of losing their access to food.
Urban food insecurity is also a critical issue because poor households from
rural and coastal regions typically migrate to urban areas for livelihood
options.
Change in climatic conditions could lead to a reduction in the nutritional
quality of foods (reduced concentration in proteins and minerals like zinc
and iron) due to elevated carbon dioxide levels.
o In India, where legumes (pulses) rather than meat are the main source
of proteins, such changes in the quality of food crops will accelerate
the largely neglected epidemic known as hidden hunger or
micronutrient deficiency.
Suggestions:-
India needs to step up public investment in development and dissemination
of crop varieties which are more tolerant of temperature and precipitation
fluctuations and are more water- and nutrient-efficient.
Agricultural policy should focus on improving crop productivity and
developing safety nets to cope with the risks of climate change.
Better management of water resources must be a key feature of sustainable
agriculture.
Indias irrigation infrastructure needs to be upgraded; particular attention
needs to be given to north-western India, the countrys food basket that is
prone to climate-induced droughts.
To improve access to healthy food, effective public distribution systems need
to be put in place.

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Research efforts should be directed towards assessing and quantifying where

possible the impact of climate change on undernutrition and food
absorption.
7.ISROs South Asia satellite not a technological breakthrough, but diplomatically very
significant. Give reasons. (GS 3)
,

Indian Express
Introduction:-
The satellite will provide communication service to SAARC member Nations except
Pakistan who boycotted in early 2016.
The satellite is similar to previous communication satellites designed and launched by
ISRO, and technologically does not constitute a major breakthrough. However,
diplomatically, the South Asia satellite is significant for three reasons.
Why diplomatically significant?
It showcases Indias growing technological prowess. Along with previous missions such
as Chandrayaan and the Mars Orbiter Mission, the South Asia satellite underscores the
strength of Indian indigenous technological development.
The satellite has been launched without any specific quid pro quo shows that India is
willing to use its technological capabilities as a tool of diplomacy.
It also serves as a marketing tool for future launches at a time when ISRO is building a
strong niche for itself in the international satellite launch market.
It reveals both Indias ambition and capability to create what can be termed
technological commons. By gifting this satellite to its neighbours, India has created
an open access resource that can be leveraged by the latter to address some of their
critical domestic concerns. Building such commons is essential not only to address
immediate problems but also spur research, innovation and economic growth in the
region.
South Asia satellite will boost the regional co-operation among the member countries.
It will reinforce the Indian policy of "Neighbourhood First" and help in increasing India's
influence on face of aggressive China.
It will open new avenues of engagement between India and member countries thus
deepening the economic ties. Also helpful in promoting "Make in India",

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Since these countries are situated in disaster prone areas like Nepal and Bhutan in
earthquake zone, Bangladesh in flood prone area, Services of this satellite in
communication and disaster management will be of immense help.
The satellite will assist in the fields of natural resources mapping, telemedicine,
education, IT connectivity and fostering people to people contact.
The South Asia satellite is emblematic of a more confident and assertive India. India
must make a concerted effort to expand the range of technologies it can use as part of
its diplomatic arsenal.
8.What are Equity exchange-traded funds (ETF)? Discuss the key drivers responsible for rise
of equity ETFs recently? (GS 3

() ? ?
The Hindu | Link-1 | Video
Introduction:-
Equity exchange-traded funds (ETFs) saw significant growth in the financial year
2016-17 (FY17) with the total assets under management (AUM) increasing three-
fold on the back of higher demand from both retail and institutional investors.
The total AUM of equity ETFs was pegged at Rs. 43,234 crore as on March 31,
2017
Equity exchange traded funds:-
Equity Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are simple investment products that
combine the flexibility of stock investment and the simplicity of equity mutual
funds.
ETFs trade on the cash market of the National Stock Exchange, like any other
company stock, and can be bought and sold continuously at market prices.
Equity ETFs are passive investment instruments that are based on indices and
invest in securities in same proportion as the underlying index. Because of its
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index mirroring property, there is a complete transparency on the holdings of an

ETF.
A retail investor can buy ETFs for as little as Rs. 100 and then trade on the
exchange with a minimum trading lot of one unit and carry significantly lower
fund management costs.
Key drivers responsible for rise of equity ETF's recently:-

There is an increasing popularity of ETFs among retail investors, investments by pension
funds including Employees Provident Fund Organization in equity through the ETF
route
Further due to its unique structure and creation mechanism, the ETFs have much lower
expense ratios as compared to mutual funds.
The Government of India is also using the ETF route for disinvestment.
Portfolio diversification:-
o It gives opportunity for diversification of several stocks with single investment
unlike other mode where multiple investment is needed.
Exposure to many assets as investment can be done in variety of assets like
debts,gold,other international indices etc.
It can be traded from anywhere throughout from any trading terminal.
9. Discuss the key recommendations of report of the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget
Management (FRBM) review committee chaired by N.K. Singh. (GS 3)
.. ()

Live Mint | PIB
Introduction:-
The government appointed N.K.singh committee for reviewing FRBM and the
committee has submitted the report recently.
Key recommendations:-
The report prescribes a fiscal path over a six-year period of fairly severe fiscal tightening
going up to the year 2023.
o The Centre can take a pause on the fiscal consolidation front over the next three
years by maintaining a fiscal deficit to GDP ratio of 3% till 2019-20

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o Reaching a fiscal deficit to GDP ratio of 2.8% in 2020-21, 2.6% the next year and
2.5% in 2022-23
o Revenue deficit to 0.8 per cent by 2022-23.
o Debt-to-GDP ratio of 60% by 2023:
It has also said the Centre should replace the existing Fiscal Responsibility and Budget
Management (FRBM) Act, 2003, with a new law and also set up a Fiscal Council.
Adopt fiscal deficit as the key operational target consistent with achieving the medium-
term debt ceiling
An escape clause has been added and should be used only in specified circumstances,
when a deviation of up to 0.5 percentage points from the fiscal deficit target would be
permitted.
o However, Reserve Bank Governor Urjit Patel, who was also a member of the
committee, had said that the deviation should be limited to 0.3 percentage
points.
For any deviations, the Centre would be expected to hold formal consultations with the
three-member Fiscal Council that would also make multi-year fiscal forecasts for Central
and General governments.
The committee has also called for institutional reforms in general governments fiscal
management, including the Centre giving consent to State borrowings under Article
293 of the Constitution and requesting the RBI to issue a consolidated annual
prospectus for planned bond and loan issues by each government.
The report also includes a draft Fiscal Responsibility and Debt Management Bill, 2017.
Debt trajectory for individual states:
o Recommended that 15th FC should recommend for this based on track record of
fiscal prudence.
o 60% combined debt GDP ratio for centre and state, 40% for centre and 20% for
state. It is important as debt stock is high 50% for centre only that undermines
credit rating and sustainability.
Concerns:-
What the report prescribes for the period beyond 2023 a bit unclear, and is one of the
issues raised by a key member of the committee, the chief economic adviser (CEA).
o CEA was against precise revenue deficit targets as it will not give room for fiscal
manoeuvring.
Another issue correctly flagged by the CEA is that the FD target of 5%, through a back-
of-the-envelope calculation first used by the 12th Finance Commission, is based on very
uncertain estimates of the household financial savings rate.
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The report has little to say about the response to UDAY, which was an optional scheme
and an important issue, since Uday provides a template for resolving all parastatal debt
in ways similar to that attempted for power utilities.
Ensuring independence of council
Feasibilty, practicality and need of a fixed target vis-a-vis a range of target.
The debt target of 40% for the Centre is arrived at through an econometric exercise,
unfortunately modelled on a long-discredited 2010 paper.
However the report is a step in right direction to observe fiscal prudence and improve fiscal
health by reducing debt and matching the other countries which are following 60% debt
targets.
10. Discuss the problems faced by agriculture sector in India. How are states like MP with
higher agri growth rate tackling the problems? (GS 3)
Problems faced by agricultural sector:-

Instability:
o Agriculture in India is largely depends on monsoon. As a result, production of
food-grains fluctuates year after year
Cropping pattern:-
o In recent years there has occurred a fall in agricultural production mainly due to
fall in the output of non-food articles. Moreover rabi production has become as
important as kharif production in the late 1990s.
Land ownership:-
o There is some degree of concentration of land holding.
o Inequality in land distribution is also due to the fact that there are frequent
changes in land ownership in India.
o It is believed that large parcels of land in India are owned by a- relatively small
section of the rich farmers, landlords and money-lenders, while the vast
majority of farmers own very little amount of land, or no land at all.
o Moreover, most holdings are small and uneconomic. So the advantages of
large-scale farming cannot be derived and cost per unit with uneconomic
holdings is high, output per hectare is hectare is low. .
Sub-Division and Fragmentation of Holding:

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o Due to the growth of population and breakdown of the joint family system,
there has occurred continuous sub-division of agricultural land into smaller and
smaller plots.This leads to fragmentation of land holdings.
Land Tenure:
o The land tenure system of India is also far from perfect.
Conditions of Agricultural Labourers:
o The conditions of most agricultural labourers in India are far from satisfactory.
There is also the problem of surplus labour or disguised unemployment. This
pushes the wage rates below the subsistence levels.
Other problems include:-
o The systems and techniques of farming like lack of proper irrigation
techniques,lack of adequate water supply etc
o The marketing of agricultural products and
o The indebtedness of the farmers
However government has been taking active efforts to improve the agricultural sector situation
in the country with various initiatives like doubling the farmers income by 2022,Pradhan mantri
fasal bhima yojana,Pradhan mantri Krishi Sinchayi yojana etc .
How are states with higher agricultural growth rate tackling these problems?
Irrigation
o It began with water management. MP targeted an increase in the area under
irrigation.
o MP completed several unfinished irrigation projects on priority. Between 2009
and 2014, over 1,400 minor irrigation projects were completed in MP, increasing
the states irrigated area by 4.8 lakh ha.
Electricity
o But efficient utilisation of groundwater irrigation required provision of
uninterrupted power supply. Bijli (electricity) was, therefore, MPs next target.
o Uninterrupted power supply to fields was ensured during the wheat season.
Pricing of crops
o The MP government also incentivised wheat production by giving a 10 per cent
bonus above the Centres minimum support price (MSP) from 2007-08 to 2014-
15. This encouraged extensive wheat cultivation.
Procurement:-
o The procurement system was strengthened considerably. A digital app called e-
Uparjan was developed to systematically manage procurement operations and
payments.

Page 85
o Farmers were sent SMS alerts about the procurement dates and procurement
centres.
Capital infrastructure
o Roads (sadak) were built to enable farmers to tap markets that were far and
wide.
o The right incentives beginning with wheat and paddy cultivation including setting
up a strong procurement system and ensuring timely payment of MSPs
o Encouraging private investments in UPs agro-processing can help promote
agricultural diversification. Solar-powered cold storages for potatoes could
prevent price-crashes and also save energy costs.
11. Indian science needs hard work and a critically large base of experts, not more
management. Do you agree? In this context, discuss about the SPARK (Sustainable Progress
through Application of Research and Knowledge) Initiative. (GS 3)
,
? , (
)
The Hindu-1 | The HIndu-2

Yes India needs more experts:-
There is a lack of scientific expertise across all levels. India has failed in its educational
system to harness the enormous latent talent in the country and build a solid
foundation of science.
A major challenge in the funding of science by the government was that though
scientific departments were headed by scientists, they were frequently not independent
to take key decisions, such as filling vacancies and deciding how budgets to various
projects within a Ministry ought to be allotted.
Many highly qualified young scientists refuse to take up faculty positions in these
universities because of the lack of infrastructure, the hostile environment and
bureaucracy.
This is a disturbing situation. India needs trained, innovative minds to meet its
formidable challenges.
India is hamstrung by socio-cultural issues which is a herd mentality and a paucity of
early-stage mentorship.

Page 86
Science graduates are deprived of meaningful practical training because of poor

funding, government interference, inappropriately recruited faculty members and a lack
of laboratory facilities in most of these centres of learning.
Better management is needed:-

What one needs is a management technique that effectively identifies scientific
challenges and links the resulting breakthroughs with national problems
Need better governance systems for universities, institutes and research labs. We need
more capable academics to provide leadership, nurture young talent and establish a
superior research enterprise.
Indian universities are mired in bureaucracy. Archaic ordinances and rules set by the
University Grants Commission have stifled the spirit of academic excellence and
hampered institutions' flexibility. A lack of passionate leadership coupled with poor
funding has blunted their edge.
The departments are suffering due to excessive bureaucratization. The CSIR has its own
challenges
Spark initiative:-
SPARK (Sustainable Progress through Application of Research and Knowledge) is a
proposed initiative to synergise science activity in India
Positives:-
SPARK is a proposed independent S&T authority of India with the following objective
o Organisation of the expertise of various institutions across states to solve the
basic research problem - It will be done through Discovery Arm
o Working with industry and evolving PPP - through Delivery Arm
o Providing overarching yet 'light-touch' governance
o Synergising science activity
Concerns:-
India already have the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Prime Minister and the
Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. Both are two such similar bodies
and none of their recommendations resulted in concrete actions. In the end, they have
remained toothless.so what is the need for the third body.
The science departments are too different from one another to come under the purview
of one overarching body like SPARK.
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The goals of SPARK seem to be most closely attuned with NITI Aayog, and it might well
be effective only within this parent organisation, taking inputs from various quarters
such as industries, the ministries themselves and NGOs to make proposals, some of
which could move forward to become major initiatives.
Even if SPARK is constituted, it needs financial independence; given the relationship
between the Ministry of Finance and its Department of Expenditure on the one hand
and the science departments on the other, this remains a moot point.
The government should also create many specialized research centres in the
universities (like the CNRS in France). Fixing Indias university system will require a
complete overhaul of the UGC, changes in institutional policy and legislation.
India's systems for peer review, grants, publications, jobs, awards and fellowships
punish any potential future leaders in not so popular fields. Instead, the country should
develop new scientific ethics and etiquette.
The research community should value, for instance, collaboration with small
neighbouring colleges or universities instead of recognizing only international alliances.
India should create a new peer-review system, a new ranking of journals and new
measures of impact all tailor-made for our needs, problems, diseases, natural
resources and educational system.
12. Discuss the functions of Rail Development Authority (RDA). Also, discuss the structure of
the RDA. (GS 3)
() ,
The Hindu
Introduction:-
The Cabinet recently initiated a major reform by approving the setting up of a regulator
called the Rail Development Authority (RDA).
The concept of a regulator was first mooted in the railways in 2001 by an experts
group under Rakesh Mohan .This was later reiterated by the National Transport
Development Policy Committee (NTDPC) in 2014 and a panel under Bibek Debroy in
2015

Page 88
Functions:-
The regulator will decide on tariffs:

o The RDA will help the government take appropriate decisions on important
policy and operational issues, including pricing of services commensurate
with costs, suggest measures for enhancement of non-fare revenue.
o The regulator will frame principles, recommend tariffs, principles for
classification of commodities, frame principles for social service obligation
and guidelines for track access charges on dedicated freight corridors.
Ensure fair play and a level playing field for stakeholder investment in the railways:
o Ensure protection of consumer interests, promote competition, encourage
market development
Set up efficiency and performance standards and disseminate information by creating
positive environment for investment and promote efficient resource allocation.
It will also benchmark service standards, suggest measures for absorption of new
technologies and human resource development and provide a framework for non-
discriminatory open access to the dedicated freight corridor infrastructure.
RDA would provide transparency to passenger and freight tariff determination and
protect consumer interest by ensuring quality of service and cost optimisation.
It would also monitor policies on public-private partnerships.
Setting performance standards for rail operations and creating level playing policy for
private sector participation through an executive order.
Ensuring fair play:
o The regulatory body will ensure level-playing field for all stakeholders.
o It will help propose modifications and send suggestions or advisory notes on
investment in railways by the Indian Railways, make suggestions regarding
policies for private investment to ensure reasonable safeguards to PPP
investors and to resolve disputes regarding future concession agreements.
Drawbacks:-
This means, it can only recommend changes to passenger and goods fares to the
Railway Ministry which will taken a final call on fixing tariff.
Lacks autonomy :-
o The regulator may lack autonomy if its formed through an executive order.
Mere recommendatory powers to the RDA would not result in effective measures at the
grounds.
Low Budget :
o Only 50 crores are allotted to it and they are asked to employ the latest
technology and recruits best talents from the private sector which is not possible
with the current budget.
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Structure of RDA:-
A Chairman along with three members each for tariff, public private partnership and
efficiency, standards and benchmarking.
The members are to be appointed by a committee headed by cabinet secretary
Fixed term of five years each.
They can be removed by the Central government only on certain grounds, including
insolvency, conviction, misbehaviour, physical and mental incapability.
The organisation will be set up with an initial corpus of Rs50 crore and can engage
experts from relevant areas for assistance.
Positives :
o Check political interference as cabinet secretary report to Prime minister
o Each of the member has defined jurisdiction ie PPP, tariffs, standard , check
overlap
Concerns:
o Lacks autonomy
o Bureaucratic involvement in selection rather than sector experts
Therefore It is a good step to depoliticize the railways but it should be made statutory in the
future and more powers should be delegated to it so that it can fulfill the aim for which it is
formed.
13.. What is Augmented reality? Discuss its applications in the real world. (GS 3)
The Hindu
Augmented reality:-
Augmented reality is the integration of digital information with the user's environment
in real time.
Unlike virtual reality, which creates a totally artificial environment, augmented reality
uses the existing environment and overlays new information on top of it.
Augmented reality applications are written in special 3D programs that allow the
developer to tie animation or contextual digital information in the computer program to
an augmented reality "marker" in the real world.
Researchers and engineers are pulling graphics out of television screen or computer
display and integrating them into real-world environments. This new technology,
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called augmented reality, blurs the line between what's real and what's computer-
generated by enhancing what we see, hear, feel and smell.
Augmented reality is actually a mixture of real life and virtual reality, somewhere in
between the two, so it's often referred to as mixed reality. The key point is that the
extra information it gives you is highly topical and relevant to what you want to do or
know in a certain place and time.
Applications:-
Augmented reality is closer to the real world. Augmented reality adds graphics, sounds,
haptic feedback and smell to the natural world as it exists.
Both video games and cell phones are driving the development of augmented reality.
The military uses augmented reality to assist men and women making repairs in the
field.
o The Heads-Up Display (HUD) is the typical example of augmented reality when it
comes to military applications of the technology. A transparent display is
positioned directly in the fighter pilots view.
o The Head-Mounted Display (HMD) is used by ground troops. Critical data such as
enemy location can be presented to the soldier within their line of sight. This
technology is also used for simulations for training purposes.
There are a number of applications for augmented reality in the sightseeing and tourism
industries. The ability to augment a live view of displays in a museum with facts and
figures is a natural use of the technology.
Medical:
o There have been really interesting advances in the medical application of
augmented reality.
o Medical students use the technology to practice surgery in a controlled
environment. Visualizations aid in explaining complex medical conditions to
patients. Augmented reality can reduce the risk of an operation by giving the
surgeon improved sensory perception.
Gaming:
o With recent advances in computing power and technology, gaming applications
in augmented reality are on the upswing.
o The gaming industry is moving games outside like the old days equipped with the
wearable head gear of course.
Concerns:-
This new technological make-believe world which each one of us can create according
to our desires and fantasies is not socially shared. It insulates and creates an individual
who can only end up being socially delusional.
Privacy will become a concern.
14.. What are generics? List out a few arguments floated against generics. (GS 3)
Page 91
The Hindu
Generics:-
Once patents have expired, companies other than the original manufacturer can
produce and sell the drug. This usually results in significant reduction in costs. These off-
patent drugs are called generics internationally.
However, the term generic has a different meaning in Indias pharma trade. Medicines
marketed exclusively with INN names are called generics or generic medicine.
The WHO advocates generic prescribing as part of an overall strategy to ensure rational
medical treatment and prescribing tailored to local conditions.
Arguements against generics:-
In India, there are many barriers to rational prescribing. For example, there are a
bewildering number of fixed-dose combinations (FDCs), the vast majority of which have
no therapeutic justification. These FDCs account for about 45% of the market (about Rs.
45,000 crore).
Of the total domestic pharmaceutical formulations, a market of over Rs. 1 lakh crore,
generic medicines, as understood by the pharma trade, account for not more than 10%,
or Rs. 10,000 crore. Therefore, even if a doctor prescribes a drug by generic name, the
patient will generally end up buying a branded product.
Some argue that bioavailability and bioequivalence (BA and BE) of generics may not be
equal to the original brand.
it is believed that not more than 1% of generic drugs sold in India undergo quality tests
as practiced in USA or Europe.
If a doctor prescribes a drug with just the pharmaceutical salt name, then in all
probability, the chemist will dispense it with another branded generic or worse, with a
generic drug of doubtful quality.
In the absence of an international standard drug regulatory mechanism like the USFDA,
Indian doctors have to rely on the reputation of companies like Cipla, Sun and hundreds
of others who have demonstrated their commitment to quality over time.
What can be done?

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Ensuring availability of uniform quality of generic drugs would facilitate doctors to

prescribe them with confidence.
15. What are malware? Discuss the problems crated by WannaCry ransomware in the digital
payments ecosystem and the ways to tackle the same. (GS 3)
? WannaCry ransomware

The HIndu
Malware:-
Malware is an abbreviated term meaning malicious software. This is software that is
specifically designed to gain access or damage a computer without the knowledge of the
owner.
There are various types of malware including spyware, keyloggers, true viruses, worms,
or any type of malicious code that infiltrates a computer.
Generally software is considered malware based on the intent of the creator rather than
its actual features.
Today, much of malware is created for profit through forced advertising (adware),
stealing sensitive information (spyware), spreading email spam or child pornography
(zombie computers), or to extort money (ransomware).
Problems created by WannaCry ransomware:-
The ransomware hit systems in over 100 countries, including Russia and the U.K., in one
of the most widespread cyber attacks in history. It infected computers running on older
versions of Microsoft operating systems like XP, locking access to files on the computer.
The cyber criminals have demanded a fee of about $300 in crypto-currencies like Bitcoin
for unlocking the device.
In Spain, major companies including telecommunications firm Telefonica have been
infected. The most disruptive attacks were reported in the UK, where hospitals and
clinics were forced to turn away patients after losing access to computers.
was reported to have infected more than 230,000 computers in over 150 countries.
According to Cyber risk modeling firm Cyence, economic losses from the cyber attack
could reach up to $4 billion.
Malware writers can exploit zero-day vulnerabilities through several different attack
vectors.
Sometimes, when users visit rogue websites, malicious code on the site can exploit
vulnerabilities in Web browsers.

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Web browsers are a particular target for criminals because of their widespread
distribution and usage.
Windows systems have the capability to automatically install updates, but in many
corporate set ups, the auto-update is disabled to give IT departments more control over
company machines. This left many machines vulnerable to the attack.
Vulnerabilities can be the result of improper computer or security configurations and
programming errors. If left unaddressed, vulnerabilities create security holes that can be
exploited by cybercriminals.
Hackers write code to target a specific security weakness and package it into exploit
malware, a type malicious software that takes advantage of a vulnerability in order to
compromise a computer system or cause an unintended behavior to occur on the
software.
If your computer is infected, exploit malware can steal your data, allowing hackers to
take unauthorized control of your computer, and even use the software in a way that
was not originally intended
For the everyday computer user, a vulnerability can pose serious security risks because
exploit malware can infect a computer through otherwise harmless web browsing
activities, such as viewing a website, opening a compromised message, or playing
infected media.
What can be done?
Establish personal online security best practices

Configure security settings for your operating system, internet browser and security
software
Microsoft has introduced a security patch to tackle the situation, and consumers across
the globe have been advised to download the solution at the earliest.
16. Discuss all issues faced by GM Mustard faced in India. What are the key hurdles
in approving transgenic mustard for environmental release? (GS 3)
The Hindu
Introduction:-

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GM Mustard has been in news recently due to huge uproar against its
commercialization by many environmentalist and Health experts on the belief that it is
likely to have negative affect on Health and environment.
Issues faced by GM mustard:-
Many groups suggest that farmers have committed suicide due to failure of Bt. Cotton
crops.The same might be repeated here.
On the flip side in absence of Labelling of such Transgenic crop consumers right to make
an informed decision will be affected.
Apprehension exists in general as for the first time a GM crop is being considered for
Human consumption.
Failing to reveal all data related to bio safety in Public is hinting towards possibility of
some negative unintended consequences.
Government needs to regulate GM firms to ensure proper standards are maintained
and health of consumers is not jeopardized
Government also needs to facilitate and motivate innovation in new sectors.
Takes away autonomy of farmers who may have to resort to the companies for each
subsequent harvest as there is issue of terminal gene in GM crops.
The GM crop is said to have 30% increased yield which will result in more profits for the
farmer. This increase is though yet to be verified.
Thus farmers can get rid of weeds without damaging the mustard crop saving them the
hassle of weeding. But the impact of this spraying on farmers is yet to be tested.
Less nutritional requirements and disease resistance is an important feature of gm
crops. But there have been cases of development of superweeds which may impact
productivity thus harming the farmer in the long run.
Successive governments have failed to move on the draft National Biotechnology
Regulatory Bill, 2008 that would enable a biotechnology regulator to take shape.
Since there will be no separate labelling mechanism of GM mustard, consumer choice
will be affected.
The long term health issues of GM crops remain untested.
has not been an open discussion with the general public regarding their views on GM
crops thus denying their voice.
Key hurdles for environmental release are:-
Opponents of GM technology are opposed to the commercial release of any form of
transgenic plants; they fear that introducing genes from soil bacterium or other forms
of animal life into plants will amount to playing with the natural order of plant life.
The concern that GM mustard employs a gene that will compel farmers to use specific
herbicides and be dependent on one or two companies deserves serious attention.
Way ahead:
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In a current environment where climatic change would have negative effects on yield of
many major crops which could seriously undermine food security, GM crops are the way
forward.
However at the same time to convince the opponents of GM crops to allow

commercialization of GM crops we need a strong regulatory framework.
What is therefore needed is an independent biotechnology regulatory authority, a
single organization that will replace the multiple committees at least six that are
part of the current regulatory structure. This authority would deal with the use of all
GMOs in agriculture, pharmaceutical and biodiversity sector
17. Despite the high level of NPAS, there has been no banking crisis. In your opinion, what is
the reason for the same? (GS 3)
Financial Express | Live Mint

Why was there no banking crisis:-
The latest move of empowering RBI to directly intervene in the resolution process is
expected to speed up the exercise.
Apart from a series of resolution schemes to clean up the bad assets, in 2015, the
banking regulator conducted a first-of-its-kind asset quality review and asked them to
set aside money for three kinds of loans.
It has revised and tightened more-than-a-decade old prompt corrective action or PCA
structure; encouraged banks to make provisions at higher rates for the advances given
to the stressed sectors of Indian economy
It asked banks to make suitable disclosures in case there are any material divergences in
banks asset classification and provisioning to that of the RBI norm in the Notes to
Accounts of their upcoming annual financial statements.
Banking Regulation Act has been amended through an ordinance and the RBI has been
given more powers to direct banks and speed up the process.
The latest PCA framework talks about three risk thresholds for net NPAs 6% to less than
9%, 9% to less than 12%, and 12% and above. Depending on the scale of deterioration in
a banks health, the RBI can take actions, varying between a clamp-down on branch
expansion to higher provisions, removal of the management and even superseding the
board..
Banks have also been asked to make higher provisions for standard advances given to
the stressed sectors of the economy, following a board-approved policy which must be
reviewed every quarter.
RBI in turn has marginally diluted the JLF scheme to accelerate the pace of resolution
under JLF/CAP, voicing urgency to adhere to timelines.

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The government, through an ordinance, modified the Banking Regulation Act to give the
RBI greater powers to address NPLs.
(i) power to direct banks to initiate insolvency proceedings in case of
default under the insolvency code
(ii) specific instructions to banks for resolution of stressed loans
(iii) appointment of authorities to advise banks on resolution issues.
Key changes made by RBI under the framework for revitalising distressed assets
(i) decision is binding on all banks if approved by 60% by value of
loans (75% earlier) and 50% by number of creditors (60% earlier)
(ii) decisions taken in the JLF will be unconditional/unambiguous
(iii) executives representing individual banks in meetings should have
requisite approval to take decisions. Decisions taken will have
implicit power of comfort from the board of these banks.
(iv) Monetary penalties will be levied if the above is not adhered to.
India needs to sensitize the bankers on risk management and monitoring of projects as much
as it needs to address the core issues in real economy to avoid the nightmare of certain banks
being buried under the pile of bad loans.
18. Developments in the solar space will help India meet its energy demand in a more
environmentally sustainable manner. Discuss. (GS 3)
Live Mint
Yes:-
Tariffs in the solar space have declined significantly over the years and it will make
Indias energy consumption mix more environment friendly.
Indias plan to ramp up solar power generation to 100 GW by 2022 is among the largest
in the world. It will help bring sustainable, clean, climate-friendly electricity to millions
of Indias people.
Indias plans to virtually triple the share of renewable energy by 2030 will both
transform the countrys energy supply and have far-reaching global implications in the
fight against climate change.
If India achieves 175GW renewable energy target by 2022, it will likely overachieve the
INDC target for the next six years.
India is already planning to develop one of the largest solar parks in the world.
o The 2 GW park in the southern state of Karnataka is expected to generate
enough electricity to power nearly 1 million households.
o The parks supply of clean, renewable solar energy will help reduce
CO2 emissions by 20 million tons a year, and save 3.6 million tons of natural gas
which is used to generate electricity.
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With around 300 days of sunshine every year, India has among the best conditions in
the world to harness solar energy. The rapid expansion of solar power can improve the
quality of life for millions of Indians, especially for its poorest citizens. It can also create
thousands of jobs in the solar industry and underpin progress in all areas of
development, helping the country fulfil its dream of becoming the India of the future.
No:-
Many challenges remain which are:-
The latest rates in the solar power space are among the lowest in the world; it remains
to be seen if they can be sustained in the long run.
In this scenario, it will have to front-load the renewable capacity, while renewable
energy technology and price would still be evolving. Actual production from these
additional capacities is unclear due to uncertainties in the capacity utilisation factor in
renewable energy.
As pointed out by many analysts,capital funding required for such renewable energy
capacity expansion remains a big challenge.
The power yield from the planned ten-fold increase in solar energy on an average will be
as little as 20% of the total capacity, making little difference to Indias emissions.
Despite the government schemes providing up to 30% subsidy) for rooftop solar and
attractive feed-in tariffs offered by state regulators, the lofty cost of rooftop solar panels
overrides the tangible benefit in the eyes of customers
It remains to been seen as to how low the solar power tariff can go and whether
producers are actually able to deliver at that rate on a sustainable basis.

So far, much of the clean energy promotion has come from the Centre and often
adopted by states through political delegation.
If India is to achieve its global commitment on energy transformation, it needs to
promote bottom up planning and execution, at least at the subnational level.
19.. What is the role of Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee? Discuss the concerns being
raised against the cultivation of GM Mustard. (GS 3)
The Hindu
Role of genetic engineering applications committee:-

It is established under Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
It is the apex body for approval of activities involving large scale use of hazardous
microorganisms and recombinants
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It is also responsible for approval of proposals relating to release of genetically

engineered organisms and products including experimental field trials.
To adopt practices for restriction or prohibition,sale,import and use of GMOs both for
research and applications under EPA.
To approve for conduct of large scale field trials,evaluation of large scale field trial data
and final approval for release of transgenic crop into the environment
To authorize large scale production and release of GMOs and products there of into the
environment
To authorize agencies or persons to have powers to take punitive actions under the EPA.
To permit the use of GMOs and products thereof for commercial applications
Concerns against GM mustard are:-
Mustard cannot be naturally hybridised because it is a self-pollinating plant having both male
and female reproductive parts in a single flower.
Hence there is no natural hybridization system in mustard, unlike in, say, cotton, maize or
tomato.
The main reason for its objection is in use of GM technology for hybridisation involving use of
alien genes.
Though GM technology is already commercialised in India through Bt cotton, it is argued that
cotton is not a food crop whereas mustard is largest edible oil yielding crop of India. Its
introduction may adversely affect human and animal health.
It is also argued that the reason for increased imports of edible oils is because of reduction in
import duties and that in turn discouraged domestic production by companies. It resulted in
reduction of cultivation of the crop by farmers.
There was similar opposition to introduction of Btbrinjal, another GM crop approved by the
GEAC in 2009.
When sustainable farming and low-input agriculture are becoming the buzzwords, crop
varieties that will end up doing more harm to the environment and crop fields is not
understable. GM mustard will require almost double the quantity of fertiliser and water.
GM mustard can affect honeybees directly and indirectly through effecting flowering and
pollen production. Protease inhibitors have proved detrimental to the longevity and
behaviour of bees.
What is therefore needed is an independent biotechnology regulatory authority, a single

organization that will replace the multiple committees. This authority would deal with the use of all
GMOs in agriculture, pharmaceutical and biodiversity sector

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20. Examine the problems in the implementation of GST regime. Also, discuss the reasons
why CAG cant audit GSTN. (GS 3)
,
?
The Hindu | TOI
Problems in the implementation of GST:-
GST is quite different from the existing indirect taxation system in the country.
For effective implementation of GST, tax administration staff both at central
and state levels would require to be trained properly in terms of concept,
legislation and procedure.
The tax administration staff would also need to change their mindset,
approach and attitude towards the tax payers. And for this, they would have to
learn, unlearn, and relearn the GST not only in letter but in spirit too.
Integrating all taxes levied on goods and services in a federal country with clear
cut distribution of legislative powers, like India, is undoubtedly, a mammoth
task.
Design issues:-
o Though the broad design of the GST is firmed up, specific issues like
threshold limits for goods and services, exemptions, definition of
supply, determining the place of supply of goods and services,
transition provisions for existing exemptions etc. need to be carefully
identified, analysed and appropriately addressed
IT Infrastructure:-
o The factor will impact the success of GST is the robust IT backbone
connecting all state governments, trade and industry, banks and
other stakeholders on a real-time basis.
o The process of tracking interState transactions will be extremely
complex and will require an infallible IT system.
o The clearing house mechanism envisaged in the dual model GST will
handle humungous data.
Revenue Neutral Rate (RNR):-

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o At present States are charging VAT @ 0%, 1%, 5%, 12.5%/13.5% and
20% besides other levies. Similarly, Centre is charging central excise
duty @ 12.5%, CST @ 2%, service tax @ 14%. RNR rates are a point of
debate and will be one of the final issues for consensus between the
Empowered Committee and the Centre.
Statutory Requirements:-
o As the imposition of GST will be delegated to both state and central
government, the constitution has to grant powers to both through an
amendment. It is seen as a difficult task as the law expects at least two-thirds
majority from the members of the parliament and that isnt easy given the
current political scenario of the country.
Make-shift Arrangements:
o State governments are demanding compensation from the central
government as they foresee a major dent in the revenue due to CST losses.
This is asked for the first 5 years after the implementation of GST, for which
the central government has agreed to 3 years. A final conclusion is yet to be
drawn.
Framework For Tax Disputes:
o There has to be a uniform legal procedure for tax disputes and litigations to
avoid any confusion.
Defining Inter-State Transactions:
o With the transportation services available everywhere, the place of sale and
consumption may not be the same. This makes it difficult to go forward with
revenue allocation. Hence, it becomes important to define procedures to
tackle such problems.
Infrastructure for The Collection Process: Proper infrastructure has to be designed to
track the movement of goods and services between states, collection and monitoring
revenue, identify defaulters etc.
Determiningg GST Rates: This is a major step in ensuring the success of GST. Arriving at
rates which are conducive to both the government and public is will be a daunting
task.
Currently, goods and services may be taxed at different rates across states owing to
geographic, economic and cultural reasons.
o For example, coconut oil is taxed in Kerala at 5%, while in Uttar Pradesh, it is
taxed at 12.5%., Therefore, taxing each good and service at a particular rate
will be a complex exercise as they cannot simply be moved to the nearest
slab rate.
o Disadvantage of a multiple rate structure is that it could lead to disputes on
classification of goods and services.

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However the government has already incorporated an SPV viz. Goods and Services Tax
Network (GSTN), which has to develop a GST portal front-end system for trade and industry
and back-end system for all government agencies.
GSTN will ensure technology support for registration, return filing, tax
payment, IGST settlement, MIS and other dashboards on GST portal to all the
stakeholders.
Can CAG audit GST?

Yes it can:-
In the draft Bill the role was restricted, which has been dropped in the final Bill
after the auditor raised objections with the finance ministry.
The audit of the GST regime will be like any other audit of government
department, state or central, and no party can claim exemption.
The CAG has pointed out in official communications in recent times that under
the new Companies Act, GSTN can be counted as government-controlled
company since its strategic control will be with the government. Like any PSU,
the CAG could depute chartered accountants to audit GSTN
Accessing the data at various points point of manufacture, point of sale etc.
would make the GST audit a complicated and almost impossible task, and will
hamper other functions, which would include CAG certification about the share
of GST for States.
CAG can't audit because:-
An official pointed out that the GSTN has refused to give the CAG access to its
network, saying it is only holding the data in a fiduciary capacity since the tax
data originally belongs to the Centre and States.
Officials also pointed out that the GSTN is owned by a private company, and
thus cannot be audited by CAG.
GSTN has said that it is just a pass through portal and CAG must approach CBEC
and States to get original data filed by taxpayers.
Therefore centre should make it clear and enable a transparency mechanism where CAG does
not overstep it's powers and at the same time public interest is guaranteed.
21. Investment rate in India has continuously fallen since reaching peak in 2007-08.
Enumerate the reasons and suggest ways to increase investment. (GS 3)
Link-1 | Link-2 | Link-3

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Why investment rate has fallen?

Private-sector fixed-capital investment, as a share of GDP, peaked at 33.6% in 2011-
2012 and has since trended down to the current low of 28.7% in 2014-2015.
And this weakness is a countrywide phenomenon, with all major states registering a
decline in ongoing projects over this period. Maharashtra and Karnataka, for example,
both experienced a cumulative decline of about 15% in projects;
As for Make in India, the reality is that capacity creation in manufacturing has suffered
a cumulative decline of 35% from its peak in 2011. The cumulative decline in services, at
13%, looks moderate in comparison.
One factor holding back investment is that major reforms, especially regarding land
acquisition, simply have not happened.
And, given parliamentary gridlock, the prospect of pushing through tough reforms
appears bleak. As a result, the central government has preferred simply to delegate
some of the task to state governments.
A second factor holding back investment is the continuing financial problems of Indian
banks and of many large corporations.
Higher tax rates do not make India a better place to invest.
Bureaucratic hurdles .
Delay in project clearances.
With help from falling commodity prices nominal interest rates have not fallen in line.
In terms of the consumer price index, the real cost of borrowing (cash credit) from
public-sector banks rose from 0.75% in the first quarter of 2012 to 5.24% in the third
quarter of 2015.
External conditions also held down investment in 2016. The US economy has recovered,
but the Chinese motor has slowed markedly, and growth in Japan and much of Europe
remains sluggish. That inevitably means fewer incentives in India to invest in export-
oriented sectors.
real cost of borrowing.
Ways to increase investment are:-

Liberalize policy to attract domestic capital investment, foreign direct investment and
institutional capital
Better governance and government processes, as well as progressive policy, are
necessary for India to inspire investors, attract foreign direct investment and execute
projects.
Streamlined bureaucracy and a simplified project approval process.
The shift in emphasis from services to manufacturing will require policy liberalization,
the opening of export and domestic markets, and the engagement of foreign capital and

Page 103
know-how in more sectors that can lead to improved infrastructure for citizens and
businesses.
Bankruptcy reform will be essential to place the corporate and financial sectors on a
sound footing.
Stagnant investment in Japan and several eurozone countries demonstrates the folly of
allowing corporate-debt overhangs and non-performing loans to go unresolved. India
must settle these issues before they turn chronic.
If the economy is to achieve the double-digit growth rates that China once boasted,
India will need to build much more production capacity and much more infrastructure.
22. Do you support taxing of agricultural income? Give concrete arguments in support of your
opinion. (GS 3)
Business Line | The Hindu

Yes agricultural income needs to be taxed or yes,it is valid:-
Laws:
o Section 2 (1A) of the Income Tax Act defines agricultural income as rent/revenue
from land, income derived from this land through agriculture and income
derived from buildings on that land.
o Section 10 (1) of the Income Tax Act excludes agricultural income from a
computation of total income. Neither of these sections is dispute-free and
chartered accountants and lawyers have been enriched via these. But broadly,
these propositions are true.
o Conditions on the sale of agricultural land vary from state to state .thishas been
misused.
Confusion:-
o In the Seventh Schedule, Entry 82 in the Union List mentions taxes other than
agricultural income, while Entry 46 in the State List mentions taxes on
agricultural income
4 lakh taxpayers claimed exemption from agriculture income in the assessment year
2014-15. The biggest were seed giants like Kaveri Seeds - which claimed Rs.186.63 crore
exemption and made a profit of Rs.215 crore before taxand multinational Monsanto
India, which claimed Rs.94 crore as exemption from agriculture income.
According to Vijay kelkar task force it has become a conduit for tax evasion.
The onset of tax avoidance as mechanized farms with hired labour took advantage of
the exemptions provided to cooperative farms. In assessment year 2014-15, for
instance, nine of the top 10 claimants for tax exemption of agricultural income were
corporations; the 10th was a state government department.

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No:-
If India looks at the growth of its agriculture in the post-reform period, the relative
contribution of agricultural income to Indias gross domestic product has shrunk at an
alarming rate.
o During the period 1991 to 2016, the share of agriculture decreased from 32% to
15%. Compared with this, the workforce dependence on agriculture is still very
high, at 49.7%.
Given the technological and environmental constraints, the performance of the
agriculture sector has not been encouraging, and consequently, the welfare of the
population living in the countryside has not visibly improved. So taxing would only be
burdensome.
The income-expenditure gap for a majority of farmers is in the negative. More than one-
third of the farmers have expressed their choice to leave the non-remunerative
occupation.
The agrarian distress has been deepening, and there has been a rise in farmer suicides.
Instead of finding a viable policy to solve the crisis, floating the idea of taxing farming
income is a great disservice to the sector..
What is needed?
There must be a unified system of taxation across states. Agricultural income taxation
must be integrated with non-agricultural income taxation.
The Income Tax Act defines agricultural income but not who is a farmer. Since the two
are intertwined, the act should be amended.
Incremental tax revenues (net of costs) generated from suggestions above should be
assigned to the state government. This revenue should be exclusively used for the
benefit of farmers.
23. What is zero day vulnerability? How can hackers exploit the same? (GS 3)
Indian Express | Link-1 | Link-2

Introduction:-
Recently the WannaCry ransomware exploited vulnerabilities in Windows 7 that the US
National Security Agency (NSA) apparently knew about for a few years.
This attack raised perplexing questions about zero day vulnerability.
Zero day vulnerability:-

Page 105
A zero-day (also known as zero-hour or 0 day) vulnerability is an undisclosed computer

software vulnerability that hackers can exploit to adversely affect computer programs,
data, additional computers or a network.
It is known as a "zero-day" because it is not publicly reported or announced before
becoming active, leaving the software's author with zero days in which to
create patches or advise workarounds to mitigate its actions.
The fewer the days the bug has been known about, the higher the chances that it has no
fix or mitigation.
How can hackers exploit:-

Malware writers can exploit zero-day vulnerabilities through several different attack
vectors.
Sometimes, when users visit rogue websites, malicious code on the site can exploit
vulnerabilities in Web browsers.
Web browsers are a particular target for criminals because of their widespread
distribution and usage.
Windows systems have the capability to automatically install updates, but in many
corporate set ups, the auto-update is disabled to give IT departments more control over
company machines. This left many machines vulnerable to the attack.
Vulnerabilities can be the result of improper computer or security configurations and
programming errors. If left unaddressed, vulnerabilities create security holes that can be
exploited by cybercriminals.
Hackers write code to target a specific security weakness and package it into exploit
malware, a type malicious software that takes advantage of a vulnerability in order to
compromise a computer system or cause an unintended behavior to occur on the
software.
If your computer is infected, exploit malware can steal your data, allowing hackers to
take unauthorized control of your computer, and even use the software in a way that
was not originally intended
For the everyday computer user, a vulnerability can pose serious security risks because
exploit malware can infect a computer through otherwise harmless web browsing
activities, such as viewing a website, opening a compromised message, or playing
infected media.
What can be done?
Establish personal online security best practices

Configure security settings for your operating system, internet browser and security
software

Page 106
24. The shift to flexible inflation targeting by RBIs monetary policy committee is based on a
deep theoretical shift in economic policy thinking. Discuss. (GS 3)
Live Mint
Introduction:-
Indian monetary policy entered a new era more than a year ago. The Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) now considers consumer price inflation as the nominal anchor of its policy.
Yes:-
The new framework makes RBI more accountable as now it will have to explain to the
government if it fails to meet the inflation targets.
This will put India on a par with other nations in terms of flexible inflation targeting.
The Urjit Patel committee had unambiguously stated on page 12 of its report that it was
influenced by the New Keynesian research programme.
This is a shift from the earlier policy thinking that now there is a fixed target of inflation
which has to be pursued by RBI.
No:-
It is not clear whether the RBI has any sharp theoretical premise behind the flexible
inflation targeting that it has been advocating.So calling it a economic policy shift is way
ahead.
25.Why is a hybridised mustard variety required? Why is there an objection for its
introduction? Discuss the deficiencies in the evaluation process of GM mustard.(GS 3)
Daily Editorial
Why is hybridised mustard variety required:-

The GM hybridised mustard, as it is claimed, gives up to 30% more yield than the best
varieties such as Varuna currently grown in the country.
Researchers and promoters of GM Mustard argue that India imports Rs.60,000 crore
worth of edible oils every year.
There is an urgent need to reduce dependence on imports and raise domestic
crop yields of mustard, which in turn raises production of edible oils domestically.
To improve yields, hybridisation is a potential technique as it is successfully
demonstrated with many other crops.
Why is there an objection for its introduction-
Mustard cannot be naturally hybridised because it is a self-pollinating plant having both
male and female reproductive parts in a single flower.
Page 107
Hence there is no natural hybridization system in mustard, unlike in, say, cotton, maize
or tomato.
The main reason for its objection is in use of GM technology for hybridisation involving
use of alien genes.
Though GM technology is already commercialised in India through Bt cotton, it is argued
that cotton is not a food crop whereas mustard is largest edible oil yielding crop of India.
Its introduction may adversely affect human and animal health.
It is also argued that the reason for increased imports of edible oils is because of
reduction in import duties and that in turn discouraged domestic production by
companies. It resulted in reduction of cultivation of the crop by farmers.
There was similar opposition to introduction of Btbrinjal, another GM crop approved by
the GEAC in 2009.
When sustainable farming and low-input agriculture are becoming the buzzwords, crop
varieties that will end up doing more harm to the environment and crop fields is not
understable. GM mustard will require almost double the quantity of fertiliser and
water.
GM mustard can affect honeybees directly and indirectly through effecting flowering
and pollen production. Protease inhibitors have proved detrimental to the longevity and
behaviour of bees.
Deficiencies in the evaluation process of GM mustard:-
Regulatory weakness:-
o The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, which is responsible for approving
large-scale releases and commercialisation of GMOs, functions under the
Ministry of Environment and Forests and is not entirely independent.
o The case of the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation that supervises and
clears research activities and also small-scale field trials is even starker.
It is part of the Department of Biotechnology, whose primary task is to
promote biotechnology.
DBT therefore is the promoter as well as the regulator. On several
occasions, developers of transgenic crops have also been members of
regulatory committees.
The risks to health, environment and agriculture have not been evaluated even through
those inadequate tests which were conducted at the time of Bt brinjal examination,
though mustard is far more extensively grown and consumed than brinjal.
HT (herbicide tolerant) GM crops have been condemned by a number of medical
professionals and other scientists for increasing chemical herbicide use, leading to
serious health conditions at all stages, but most worryingly at the foetal stage.
A scientific report from Argentina found a fourfold increase in birth defects and a
threefold increase in childhood cancers in HT soya areas.
Page 108
Shockingly, the GEAC has conveniently omitted to have any herbicide-related studies. A
small committee was constituted to examine the safety dossier , the tests that were
done and the deliberations of GEAC were shrouded in secrecy.
After a scathing order from the Central Information Commission, the GEAC made a
sham of public consultations, through an opaque and perfunctory eyewash process.
What is therefore needed is an independent biotechnology regulatory authority, a single
organization that will replace the multiple committees. This authority would deal with
the use of all GMOs in agriculture, pharmaceutical and biodiversity sector.
26.. Political optics have overpowered economic logic in the framing of the GST structure.
Critically comment. (GS 3)
Live Mint
Introduction:
GST was meant to sweep the slate clean and put in place a simpler, leaner tax levy that
would ensure uniformity of indirect taxation across the country. Unfortunately, in a
country where indirect tax revenues exceed direct tax revenues, such tinkering assumes
great political significance.
Yes political considerations have overpowered economic logic:-
It is being rolled out in a political economy context characterized by skyrocketing

economic disparity both between and within major states.It may put pressure on the
federal nature of Indias polity.
The centralization of economic policy, as epitomized by GST, is occurring in a political
economy context in which regional parties are more important than ever.
GST aims to forge an economic union of India at a time when the economic disparity
among the various states of India is at its peak.Such economic disparity combined with
Indias unique political diversity renders the GST regime vulnerable to fractious
demands.
It is then evident that the policy priorities and taxation structure need to be different for
these two states, in line with their economic and demographic differences.
GST can potentially exacerbate regional inequality. What complicates this further in the
Indian context is its unique nature of political diversity.
The biggest challenge that GST faces is fiscal federalism. Robbing the states of their
rights to determine their own taxes is akin to robbing them of political authority.
The result is a three-tiered GST system which hinges on a complicated logic of intra-
state (CGST and SGST) and inter-state (IGST, to be divided between states and Centre)
supplies. This is the first level of convolution; ideally there should be only IGST which
can be divided among the states and the Centre
Page 109
The problem is that these dominant political economy concerns have led to a
complicated tax structure with multiple rates, exemptions and even cessesa far cry
from the clean goods and services tax that had been proposed initially more than a
decade ago.
The sheer complexity of the GST structure will result in tax disputes, lobbying and
corruption in the future
The GST council, with its focus on achieving political balance, is busy placating
conflicting lobbies.
No it's the other way round where economic considerations have taken precedence:-
Multiple registrations, a three-tiered tax structure based on a confounding place of
supply rule and baggage from the past like multiple-tax rates and cess mean that very
little will actually change for industries.
The implication is that uniform tax rates across all states of India will serve as a unifying
force of efficiency.
Replacing several hundreds of different tax rates across the 29 states of India with just
five tax slabs for all goods and services will reduce friction in the movement of goods
and services across state borders.
This can boost economic activity and contribute substantially to gross domestic product
(GDP) growth. For these reasons, the GST initiative has been justifiably acclaimed as a
milestone economic reform in independent India.
Poorer states with get benefitted because of uniform taxation .
increase in revenue of all states especially poor ones like Bihar, UP that have highest
corruption and lack state capacity
Tax base: Poor state have huge population ie demand especially for FMCG goods, thus
they would collect higher taxes in destination based system.
Overall national economy would improve due to ease of doing business and higher
foreign investments.
Tax evasion will decrease
27. Not taxing agricultural income violates horizontal and vertical equity, and encourages
laundering of non-agricultural income as agricultural income. Do you think that this
argument is valid? (GS 3)
, - -
?
Indian Express
Yes agricultural income needs to be taxed or yes,it is valid:-
Laws:

Page 110
o Section 2 (1A) of the Income Tax Act defines agricultural income as rent/revenue
from land, income derived from this land through agriculture and income
derived from buildings on that land.
o Section 10 (1) of the Income Tax Act excludes agricultural income from a
computation of total income. Neither of these sections is dispute-free and
chartered accountants and lawyers have been enriched via these. But broadly,
these propositions are true.
o Conditions on the sale of agricultural land vary from state to state .thishas been
misused.
Confusion:-
o In the Seventh Schedule, Entry 82 in the Union List mentions taxes other than
agricultural income, while Entry 46 in the State List mentions taxes on
agricultural income
4 lakh taxpayers claimed exemption from agriculture income in the assessment year
2014-15. The biggest were seed giants like Kaveri Seeds - which claimed Rs.186.63 crore
exemption and made a profit of Rs.215 crore before taxand multinational Monsanto
India, which claimed Rs.94 crore as exemption from agriculture income.
According to Vijay kelkar task force it has become a conduit for tax evasion.
The onset of tax avoidance as mechanized farms with hired labour took advantage of
the exemptions provided to cooperative farms. In assessment year 2014-15, for
instance, nine of the top 10 claimants for tax exemption of agricultural income were
corporations; the 10th was a state government department.
No:-
If India looks at the growth of its agriculture in the post-reform period, the relative
contribution of agricultural income to Indias gross domestic product has shrunk at an
alarming rate.
o During the period 1991 to 2016, the share of agriculture decreased from 32% to
15%. Compared with this, the workforce dependence on agriculture is still very
high, at 49.7%.
Given the technological and environmental constraints, the performance of the
agriculture sector has not been encouraging, and consequently, the welfare of the
population living in the countryside has not visibly improved. So taxing would only be
burdensome.
The income-expenditure gap for a majority of farmers is in the negative. More than one-
third of the farmers have expressed their choice to leave the non-remunerative
occupation.

Page 111
The agrarian distress has been deepening, and there has been a rise in farmer suicides.
Instead of finding a viable policy to solve the crisis, floating the idea of taxing farming
income is a great disservice to the sector..
What is needed?
There must be a unified system of taxation across states. Agricultural income taxation
must be integrated with non-agricultural income taxation.
The Income Tax Act defines agricultural income but not who is a farmer. Since the two
are intertwined, the act should be amended.
Incremental tax revenues (net of costs) generated from suggestions above should be
assigned to the state government. This revenue should be exclusively used for the
benefit of farmers.
28. Does making Aadhaar mandatory for filing income tax returns and PAN card violate
citizens right to his own body? Give your opinion. (GS 3)

?
The Hindu
Yes:-
state does not have the right to force a citizen to part with biometric details without
free, informed and voluntary consent it is an encroachment of fundamental rights.
The petitioners said that the Aadhaar would create two types citizens those with the
UID and those without. How can those without Aadhaar face penal consequences even
though Aadhaar is voluntary in the Act.
Aadhaar violates bodily integrity and personal autonomy, perpetuates discrimination
and disallows the voluntary nature of Aadhaar (as mentioned in the Aadhaar Act) to be
realised.
Aadhaar is insecure, riddled with leaks from government websites, prone to being
hacked. Petitioners argued that massive data leaks from various public and state-owned
websites, such as the Jharkhand Directorate of Social Security, which ended up
displaying the UIDs and bank account numbers of over a million pensioners.
No:-
Taking fingerprints and iris impressions for Aadhaar is not an invasion of a citizens body
as the right of a person to his own body is not absolute.
If one has to live in a collective called the state, one has to submit to its laws.

Page 112
It is to ensure that tax money goes to serve the poor and will create a better world.

Page 113
General studies-4:
1.To win without risk is to triumph without glory. Do you agree? (GS 4)
?
Risk takers sometimes gets glory for instance during quit india movement Gandhi took risk by
giving the slogan "do or die".This added the element of risk in it.Similarly revolutionary leaders
like Bhagat singh , Azad etc took risk by bombing the British assembly.The youth of india still
glorify them for their sacrifice
Glorious task of risk taking shows strong resolution of individual,highlights the efficacy to
control over the situation,highlights strong emotional intellegence present during the process
of risk taking for example Gandhijis anti-racial activities against south african regime
One may win without taking any risk and without leaving one's comfort zone. In this case, the
achievement may not give much much glory. Because they is already comfortable and new
achievement may not give much glory.
Some people triumph even without taking iota of risk in these cases society attributes their
success as lucky so the success is not glorified.Without taking risks ,One can succeed in short
term but not in longer term.
Moreover, it is not the case that winning is always necessary to have glory. Though the Indian
National Army (INA) was not able to overthrow the Britishers, their trials signalled the demise
of British rule in India. Even today, we cherish them because they took a risk worthy of the
glory.
Drug peddler too take huge risk to amass wealth. However, true victory comes by if means are
ethical.
Risk taking is necessary to achieve a victory. However, it has to be ethical and calculated risk
based on cost-benefit analysis not just for self but for society as a whole.
2. Man is by nature a political animal. Critically comment. (GS 4)
. .
Link-1 | Link-2
Yes:-

Page 114
Aristotle believed man was a "political animal" because he is a social creature with the
power of speech and moral reasoning.
Hence it is evident that the state is a creation of nature, and that man is by nature
a political animal.
Human beings are by nature political animals, because nature, which does nothing in
vain, has equipped them with speech, which enables them to communicate moral
concepts such as justice which are formative of the household and city-state.
Freedom is valued by every human assured by political structure for example
democracies
Assertion of power by every individual is shared with other living species.
Survival: Human organised themselves politically to ensure survival from enemy
Territorial aspirations: Human organised themselves to fulfill territorial aspirations eg
nazi concept of third reich
Power and reputation became a necessity in the society. This association of an
individual with a society made him a political animal.
To have a stable society a set of rules in the form of constitution is the yard stick for the
governance of the society. This gives him the rights and duties to live in a society. To
rule or become a part of the ruled is his choice.
Human interests, traditions and values differ hugely across cultures and territory;
striking environmental and cultural differences indeed make the case for the diversity of
human interests.
Yet the tendency to be political remains consistent; where language, climate and
lifestyle are so diverse, all humans have in common is the instinctive desire to socialise,
bargain, debate and compromise.
.
No:-
They are social animals as can be seen from the solidarity provided to victims of any
disaster and when people come together to effectively deal with it.
Peaceful and just living:-
o Political nature of human developed to provide justice to all irrespective of their
standing.
Not everyone is convinced by Aristotles account of mankind however, arguing that a
communal view of humans is far too narrow.
o Indeed, not everyone lives in a deliberative society, and perhaps not all humans
would choose to live with others.
o Critics may also argue the view that all humans strive for the same common goal
and share the same interests is incredibly flawed.
Whilst politics is an interest or even fascination of many in modern society,there is a far
greater population of those that are disillusioned or plainly uninterested in political.

Page 115
Even Aristotle says there are divisions in humans. Some(slaves) cannot rule because
they lack intelligence. So, the statement can be true in some context but not valid all the
time.
The sheer fact that government, tribes, monarchs and militaries have even formed is
proof enough that humans operate politically. Humans are essentially bargaining
beings; making deals and weighing up costs and benefits, because by doing so is the
best means to survive in a competing world
3. Law is nothing other than a certain ordinance of reason for the common good,
promulgated by the person who has the care of the community. Discuss. (GS 4)
Yes:-
Law is an ordinance of reason because it must be reasonable or based in reason and not
merely in the will of the legislator.
It is for the common good because the end of law is the good of the community it
binds, and not merely the good of the lawmaker or a special interest group.
It is made by the proper authority who has "care of the community", and not arbitrarily
imposed by outsiders. It is promulgated so that the law can be known.
Social groups are ordered, both by mutual coordination and by sharing a common
goal. Law is seen as central to this, but its coercive function is secondary.
Law does not inherently require coercion, because even a world of saints would require
laws to make life predictable.
In democracies especially laws are legislated for common good without which there are
active mechanisms like Supreme court which upheld the tenets of the constitution of
the laws are not abiding by it.
No:-
States can and do prohibit actions that are necessary for someones flourishing. It can
be argued that states dont really create clear, consistent rights and rules at all, because
they operate with a double standard of sovereignity which suspends such norms.
Sometimes laws go beyond in public interest as seen in many countries lack of necessary
abortion laws without which some of the innocent women have lost lives.
Sometimes laws are not evolved to keep in line with the current changes of the society
and are redundant .In this case they harm the community more.

Page 116
Overall laws are made for the benefit of the larger good.With effective checks laws can be
made more inclined to common good as well.
4. Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this
purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social
progress. Critically comment. (GS 4)
Introduction:-
The law is a set of rules for society, designed to protect basic rights and freedoms, and
to treat everyone fairly.
Laws are generally accepted as addressing fundamental purposes including:
o Universality
o Consistency
o Regulation
o Changeability and responsiveness
o Protective of individual and collective rights
According to Bentham it might be opined that a good law:
o Protects individual freedom
o Ensures collective security (including through the individuals responsibility to
not infringe that security through the prudent exercise of his/her freedom by
reference to the freedom of others); and,
o Acknowledges and protects fundamental rights.
It is because of proper law and order a sense of peace reveals in the world despite
extensive threats of violent behaviour visible.
Yet clearly there are examples where laws have not met these purposes and yet have
been laws enacted by elected governments like:
o Jim Crow segregation laws in various of the United States of America (whereby
segregation was legally imposed or protected by separate but equal laws) and
enduring until the 1960s6
o Similar Australian laws establishing the various officers of the Protector of
Aborigines7
o Apartheid and Pass laws in pre 1994 South Africa8
o Russia and Zimbabwes recent anti gay laws
o The suggested Illegality of recent Crimean succession motions.
o Women were not legally recognised as equal nor permitted to vote
o The First Nations Peoples of the then United States were not treated with such
unanimity of equality
o Slavery flourished
Page 117
Laws are the means by which political will is given expression. Thus if the political will is
not just then nor will be the expression of that will.
In this sense the absence of justice constitutes injustice and injustice oppresses.
Similarly, a law passed for an unjust purpose will oppress.
Anarchists and libertarian socialists argue that police and law themselves are
oppression. The term oppression, in such instances, refers to the subordination of a
given group or social category by unjust use of force or authority in order to achieve the
effects of oppression.
So ensuring law and order for its prescribed goals is very necessary otherwise it could only lead
to chaos.
5.Ethics is nothing else than reverence for life. Discuss. (GS 4)
Reverence for life affords people fundamental principal of morality, namely, that good
consists in maintaining, assisting and enhancing life, and that to destroy, to harm or to
hinder life is evil.
All living things have a moral status and on account of that should not be killed or harmed
without good reason.
"Reverence for Life says that the only thing humans are really sure of is that they live and
want to go on living. So humans are brothers and sisters to all living things, and owe to all of
them the same care and respect, that we wish for ourselves.
To some extent this is taking place as is evidenced by the growth of the environmental
movement.
Starting from its principle, founded on world and life denial, of abstention from action,
ancient Indian thought and this is a period when in other respects ethics have not
progressed very far reaches the tremendous discovery that ethics know no bounds. So far
as we know, this is for the first time clearly expressed by Jainism.
Schweitzer would say, that all life is sacred. This sacredness leads to a sense of responsibility
which characterizes a genuine ethical attitude.Ethics of reverence for life is universal insofar
as it applies to all living beings.
o The ethics of reverence for life is natural in the sense that sympathy is natural.
o Schweitzer argues that this sympathy, which lies at the bottom of reverence for life,
is part of human psychological makeup.
Gandhi, Schweitzer insists that human decision concerning when it is necessary to harm or
kill another life depends not only on the universal sanctity of life, nor only on the context
and its pragmatic and utilitarian considerations, but also on the level of our ethical
maturity. The more people develop sense of reverence for life, the more responsive and
caring they will be toward other living beings.

Page 118
However in many cases humans get greedy for commercial success and have been
threatening the life of multiple species around the world:-
Despite proclaiming that all life is sacred, life can exist only at the cost of another life.
people kill in order to get food and to protect themselves from dangerous diseases.
Thus, the greatest challenge for both teaching and practice of the ethics of reverence for
life is this: How can we respect life if we need to destroy it?
People should not go beyond what is necessary. Killing of animals for the sake of
pleasure can be avoidable (in the form of hunting and fishing).
Similarly with violence and terrorism on the rise the respect of life of other human being
is lost.
The same case can be seen when climate change and global warming is roaring its
impact on human kind as countries go back on their environmental agreements and
targets to achieve economic success.
But untill there is respect for life the ethical character of a person which is respected in all
societies is negligible and of no use.
6.In any society that is governed by the rule of law, some form of morality is always imposed.
Critically discuss. (GS 4)
Link
Yes,morality is imposed on the societies with rule of law:-

Societal reform: Laws like untouchability criminalisation(Article 17) aim to reform the
society to a moral one
Ensure uniformity, check non-conformers: Rule of law ensure no one violate the moral
ideals ensuring uniformity of moral values in society.
Accelerate the reform process: It ensures that morality is imposed overnight vis-a-vis
being slowly adopted
The rule of law is not imposed because:-
When there is rule of law the law is clear,The laws are clear, publicized, stable, and just;
are applied evenly; and protect fundamental rights, including the security of persons
and property and certain core human rights.

Page 119
The process by which the laws are enacted, administered, and enforced is accessible,
fair, and efficient.
Justice is delivered timely by competent, ethical, and independent representatives and
neutrals who are of sufficient number, have adequate resources, and reflect the
makeup of the communities they serve.
Representative institutions:
o Public representative mirror societal demand and thus the moral are adopted
and not imposed eg Death penalty for rape after nirbhaya case
Constitution:
o Framed by the people for the people , it provides all basic moral values that are
seen in law making and hence moral values are not imposed
It can be said that moral values in indian democracy originate among forward looking
citizens who inturn influence law makers to impose rule of law on the society.

Page 120

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23.Discuss how maternal undernourishment is a potent contributor to child stunting in

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Questions and answers:

The Ramthal (Marol) Lift Irrigation Scheme :-

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Steps taken are:-

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4. The issue of poor uptake of healthcare programmes by the masses is a result of

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5. Safely managed wastewater is an affordable and sustainable source of water, energy,

The Hindu | WHO

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Safely managed wastewater is an affordable and sustainable source of water, energy,

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What can be done?

Neglected tropical diseases:-

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Continued surveillance and epidemiologic data collection is necessary to ensure that

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shelters, wherever necessary, improved water delivery systems in public

Link-1 | Link-2 | Link-3

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1 West Bengal 2,097

Mangroves protect shorelines from erosion

o Sundari tree in Sunderbans is known for its hard timber.

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Geographic focus: Geographic focus:

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Explored for new trade routes Spread blessings of Western culture

Resistance to Colonial Rule :-

Leading states: Leading states:

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Impact of colonization: Impact of colonization:

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Yes,talks are needed :-

It is not the only option :-

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Key points are:-

o Industry and Services: Job Creation

What is section 139AA?

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Yes it does give power to the state:-

Daily Editorial | Link

Jurisdictional problem of CVC and Lokpal over investigation

Yes,it interferes with elected representatives work:-

Lokpal's functioning may clash with elected representatives mandate because of

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An ex-officio body of judges and government functionaries cannot do justice to the

How can judicial appointment process be made transparent:-

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Criticism of India's policy:-

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Yes,there are signs of fundamental shift :-

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Personal laws must be subordinate to fundamental rights:-