India’s population data and a tale of two projections (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 1: Society 
Prelims level:Total fertility rate
Mains level: Population and associated issues

Context: 

• A new study published in the highly regarded journal, The Lancet, has shaken up the world of population policy. 
• It argues that while India is destined to be the largest country in the world, its population will peak by mid-century. 
• And as the 21st century closes, its ultimate population will be far smaller than anyone could have anticipated, about 1.09 billion instead of approximately 1.35 billion today. It could even be as low as 724 million.
• The population projections are also subject to underlying assumptions that deserve careful scrutiny. They predict that by the year 2100, on average, Indian women will have 1.29 children. 
• Since each woman must have two children to replace herself and her husband, this will result in a sharp population decline. 
• Contrast this predicted fertility rate of 1.29 for India with the projected cohort fertility of 1.53 for the United States and 1.78 for France in the same model. 
• It is difficult to believe that Indian parents could be less committed to childbearing than American or French parents.
• The UN projects that India’s population will be 1.64 billion by 2050. 

Fertility decline:

• India’s demographic future contains a peaking and subsequently declining population driven by a sharp reduction in fertility. 
• In the 1950s, India’s Total fertility rate (TFR) was nearly six children per woman; today it is 2.2. 
• Ironically, the massive push for family planning coupled with forced sterilisation during the Emergency barely led to a 17% decline in TFR from 5.9 in 1960 to 4.9 in 1980. 
• However, between 1992 and 2015, it had fallen by 35% from 3.4 to 2.2.
• What happened to accelerate fertility decline to a level where 18 States and Union Territories have a TFR below 2, the replacement level? 
• One might attribute it to the success of the family planning programme but family planning has long lost its primacy in the Indian policy discourse. 
• Between 1975 and 1994, family planning workers had targets they were expected to meet regarding sterilisations, condom distribution and intrauterine device (IUD) insertion. 
• Often these targets led to explicit or implicitcoercion. Following the Cairo conference on Population and Development in 1994, these targets were abandoned.
• If carrots have been dropped, the stick of policies designed to punish people with large families has been largely ineffective. 
• Punitivepolicies include denial of maternity leave for third and subsequent births, limiting benefits of maternity schemes and ineligibility to contest in local body elections for individuals with large families. 

Aspirational revolution:

• If public policies to encourage the small family norm or to provide contraception have been lackadaisical, what led couples to abandon the ideal of large families?
• It seems highly probable that the socioeconomic transformation of India since the 1990s has played an important role. 
• Over this period, agriculture became an increasingly smaller part of the Indian economy.
• School and college enrolment grew sharply and individuals lucky enough to find a job in government, multinationals or software services companies reaped tremendous financial benefits. 
• Not surprisingly, parents began to rethink their family-building strategies. 
• Where farmers used to see more workers when they saw their children, the new aspirational parents see enrolment in coaching classes as a ticket to success.
• The literature on fertility decline in western countries attributes the decline in fertility to retreat from the family.
• Indian parents seem to demonstrate increased rather than decreased commitment to family by reducing the number of children and investing more in each child. 
• Research finds that small and large families do not differ in their leisure activities, women’s participation in the workforce or how many material goods they purchase. 
• However, smaller families invest more money in their children by sending them to private schools and coaching classes. It is not aspirations for self but that for children that seems to drive fertility decline.

Conclusion:

• Demographic data suggest that the aspirational revolution is already under way. 
• What we need to hasten the fertility decline is to ensure that the health and family welfare system is up to this challenge and provides contraception and sexual and reproductive health services that allow individuals to have only as many children as they want.
• The country’s demographic future will see peaking and then declining numbers driven by a sharp fertility reduction

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), consider the following statements:
1. It is for junior athletes in the country with an aim to produce Olympic champions by 2028.
2. Monthly stipend of Rs. 1, 50, 000/- to each athlete is also provided under TOPS.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Mains Questions:
Q.1) India is projected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country by 2027. Discuss the challenges of rising population and suggest a way forward.

Just closure : On Italian marines case (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2: International 
Prelims level:Permanent Court of Arbitration
Mains level: Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate

Context: 

• Two Kerala fishermen were killed by the Italian marines on February 15, 2012. 
• It may seem pragmaticto keep any pending litigation alive until all dues relating to it are paid and all legal issues are settled. 
• However, it is somewhat puzzling that the Supreme Court of India has said it would keep the Italian marines’ case alive until “hefty” and “adequate” compensation is paid by Italy.

No point in delaying:

• The Court has indicated that it would not allow the closure of the trial until such compensation is paid. And it has ordered that the families of the victims be heard on this matter. 
• Union government has declared that it would abide by the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague, which granted immunity to the marines.
• India also favoured Italy as the appropriate jurisdiction where the marines could be tried for the crime. 
• It does not seem proper to delay the process of bringing closure to the matter. 
• For one thing, the PCA, an arbitral tribunal that adjudicatesdisputes under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), has itself ruled that India is entitled to compensation. 
• Second, it hardly needs emphasis that the pendency of the matter in court should not become a bargaining point that delays the reaching of a fair settlement. 
• Continuing hearings may also be seen as India being reluctant to ceaseall criminal proceedings against the marines as per the ruling.

Needless objections:

• The Court’s resolve to obtain adequate and hefty compensation for the families of the victims is welcome, though it would be difficult to have a judicial determination of what quantum would satisfy these requirements. 
• The Centre may have approached the top court for formal permission to close the pending trial proceedings as a matter of abundant caution. 
• But as far as the law goes, it could have approached the trial court itself through the public prosecutor for withdrawal from prosecution under Section 321 of the CrPC. 
• Article 253 of the Constitution says Parliament may enact a law to give effect to any international treaty or convention.
• This has been cited by government to argue that in view of the PCA court’s finding on jurisdiction being in conflict with the Supreme Court’s ruling in 2013 that the Union government alone can try the case, a law may be needed before the trial is closed. 
• This is just needless quibblingas the conflict has ceasedafter India agreed to abide by the tribunal’s ruling in keeping with its obligations under UNCLOS. 

 Conclusion:

• India’s focus should now be on negotiating for compensation and ensuring a purposive criminal trial in Italy.
• The focus must be on adequate compensation for families of fishermen killed by marines.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the ammonium nitrate, consider the following statements:
1. In its pure form, ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) is a white, crystalline chemical which is soluble in water. 
2. Pure ammonium nitrate is an explosive on its own and classified as an oxidiser (Grade 5.1) under the United Nations classification of dangerous goods. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Mains Questions:
Q.1) What is the Italian Marines case? What are the Permanent Court of Arbitration said and about UNCLOS?

How digital adoption will help India get economically stronger (Financial Express)

Mains Paper 3:Economy 
Prelims level:Unified Payments Interface
Mains level: Role of digitalisation in Indian economy 

Context: 

• Post-demonetisation, the government’s resolve to ensure that digital payment reaches everyone got a shake-up with the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
• Although PayTM, by virtue of its earlier launch in 2010, had managed to penetrate the market, UPI came as a respite to those who believed in a safe and secure medium that allows them to transact from their bank account and not through a prepaid wallet. 
• The BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) app later filled the void, especially in rural and semi-urban areas.
• Increasing interest in digital transactions: 
• UPI can be construed as a path-breaking initiative that educated people about the benefits of electronic payment. Be it wallet-based providers like PayTM, MobiKwik and Amazon Pay or mobile payment apps such as Google Pay, PhonePe and BHIM, all became popular.
• Even if we simply annualise FY21 data on a conservative basis based on Q1-FY21 data, the growth trend has been phenomenal for UPI. 
• The CAGR for the last five years has been 434% on volume basis and 337% on amount basis. On a month-on-month basis, too, growth in UPI transaction has been good. The full lockdown month of April 2020 saw a sharp dip, but growth seems to be recovering again.
• The initiative of making RTGS and NEFT transactions, which form the bulk of digital transactions, free was another step towards digital economy.
• The future of digital economy appears strong, if we look into the vision document of RBI. 
• In January 2019, RBI constituted a special committee headed by Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani with a vision to strengthen digital payments ecosystem in India. 
• The committee submitted its report in May 2019 and an important vision the committee gave was to increase the percentage of digital transaction value to 1,500% of GDP by December 2021 from 769% in 2018.

Effect of Covid-19:

• Covid-19 has taught us to focus on health, hygiene, sanitation and social distancing; I would say the usage of digital money and not relying on cash/currency is another important learning. Social distancing norms have played an important role in pushing up digital transactions, which I am sure would multiply manifold in the coming days.
• While the adoption of online payments during demonetisation was due to shortage of cash, Covid-19 is seeing increased digital penetration due to the scare of using cash. 
• One striking similarity between demonetisation and Covid-19 is that people have avoided activities such as discretionary purchases of consumer goods, real estate activity, expensive automobiles, etc.
• With real estate, hospitality, heavy purchases being virtually deferred in these times, it is the consumer good nondurables, followed by durables and FMCG that will see the maximum spend and this would bring in the use of e-commerce, other retail platforms and digital channels in a big way. 
• Even high-end shops selling apparels, footwear, personal care products, etc, have understood that recovery may take some time and it is, therefore, advisable to make a serious entry into the digital world. 
• We are witnessing times where even a vegetable vendor is using Google Forms to take orders and using wallets or UPI-based interfaces to accept payments.

Conclusion:

• India is one of the youngest countries with a favourable demographic dividend. 
• The adoption of social distancing norms, health and hygiene, the realisation by the government to increase the health expenditure from 1.28% to 2.5% of GDP by 2025, the increasing demand for self-reliance and the adoption of digital economy are key takeaways of this crisis situation, whichwould help India emerge economically stronger.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the ITER project, consider the following statements:
1. ITER will be the first fusion device to produce net energy. 
2. India is not part of ITER project. 
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Mains Questions:
Q.1) How digital adoption will help India get economically stronger? Comment with examples.

The WHO’s relevance is fading (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2: International 
Prelims level:World Health Organisation
Mains level: Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate

Context: 

• COVID-19 has infected more than 19 million people, claimed over 0.7 million lives and devastatedeconomies. 
• As the pandemic transcendsgeopolitical boundaries, one is forced to ruminateon a counterfactual with a series of timely global health interventions by the WHO duly supported by governments. 
• An early warning and timely policy measures by the WHO would have forewarned countries and set their preparatory efforts in motion for mountinga decisive response strategy.

Slow response:

• With regional offices in six geographical regions and country offices across 150 countries, the WHO was expected to play the dual role of a think tank and oversee global responses to public health emergencies. 
• It was reported that the earliest COVID-19 positive case in China was reported in November, but China informed the WHO about the disease only in January. 
• With the WHO country representative stationed in Beijing, it is unlikely that widespread transmission went unnoticed.
• Then, even though confirmed cases were reported from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the U.S. in January, the WHO continued to downplay the severity of the virus. 
• It took some inexplicabledecisions and actions such as declaring the pandemic as a public health emergency of international concern only on January 30.  
• It ignored Taiwan’s hints of human-to-human transmission and requests on sharing “relevant information”. Further, the WHO went on to praise China’s response to the pandemic.
• WHO was severely criticised for its poor handling of the Ebola outbreak in 2014 as well. Incontrovertibly, the relevance of the health agency has been fading. 
• The WHO has been reduced to a coordinating body, beholdento the interests of rich member states. 
• Its functional efficiency has been disadvantaged with organisational lethargyand absence of decisive leadership.
• The bureaucratic indolenceand underfunded programmes along with its inability to evolve to meet the needs of the 21st century is harming the reputation of WHO.

Relying on rich member states:

• WHO is funded through assessed contributions made by the member states and voluntary contributions from member states and private donors. 
• While assessed contributions can be spent as per the organisation’s priorities approved at the World Health Assembly, the irregular voluntary contributions are allocated in consultation with the donors. 
• While voluntary contributions accounted for nearly 80% of the budget in 2018-19, assessed contributions merely constituted 17% of the total budgetary support. 
• The challenges owing to constrained finances encumberautonomy in decision-making by favouring a donor-driven agenda.
• While the WHO has failed in arresting the pandemic, governments across the globe are equally responsible for their inepthandling and ill-preparedness. 
• However, that does not vindicateWHO’s tardiness in handling the crisis. 
• Many countries, especially in Africa and Asia, rely predominantly on the WHO for enforcing policy decisions governing public health. 
• Political leanings and financial compulsions of WHO cannot betray that trust. 

Conclusion:

• The burden of their expectations must weigh heavily on every policy decision taken by the global health agency, for when the WHO fails, many innocent lives are lost.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) Knowledge Pack, consider the following statements:
1. The Union Cabinet had approved ARHC as a sub scheme under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) to provide housing facility to migrant workers and urban poor.
2. Under the first model of ARHC, existing Government funded vacant houses will be converted into ARHCs through Public Private Partnership or by public agencies for a period of 25 years. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) What is WHO? What are its role and objectives? To what extent it’s funding mechanism and why its relevance is fading in the present context? What are the reforms needed?

The New Consumer (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 3: Economy 
Prelims level:Vocal for Local
Mains level: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment

Context:

• A “New Normal” is a term we have heard very often. But whether you like the term or not, the fact is COVID-19 is here to stay for some time and it has revolutionised the way we live and think. 
• The consumer during and post-COVID is showing remarkable flexibility, bringing about a paradigm shift in her consumption pattern. 
• I hope manufacturers, brand builders and the government are noting that the new consumer is following the “WW” curve — the “Wait and Watch” curve. 
• Whilst some state governments are busy demanding the opening up of the economy, they seem to have forgotten that the economy does not merely need opening up, but it requires urgent generation of basic demand. 
• Here is where consumer behaviour needs to be closely watched.
• Since the lockdown, the priorities of consumers have seen a drastic shift. For manufacturers, the consumer is the king — someone who can afford and buy their products. 
• For politicians, the voter is the king. Generally politicians are not really concerned with what products consumers buy, but what helps them buy their vote.
• In many cases, there is an overlap between the two but there are also differences.

 Overlap:

• First, the economy has been affected by a reduction in the purchasing power of many. Hence, the availability of money to buy products needs to be addressed. 
• The government must look at ways like a reduction in taxes which will help the common man. 
• Second, the current scenario has also made all of us go back to the basics, with food, shelter and safety being of prime importance. Luxury products hold little value. 
• Cars, air-conditioners, second houses, and branded apparel will see a fall in demand. But renting will increase. 
• Third, the emphasis will be on saving for a rainy day. Banks will have more money and cash will also be kept at home for emergencies.
• Fourth, aviation, tourism and hospitality sectors have been hit. Even if the lockdown restrictions are relaxed, people will be wary of traveling and only doing so when absolutely necessary. 
• Fifth, e-commerce has shown exponential growth and will continue to do so. Consumers would prefer making purchases online and opting for home deliveries rather than venturing out. 
• Sixth, with “Vocal for Local” gaining momentum, there’s a huge increase in local apps, local kirana stores, local artisans and brands. 
• Seventh, people are growing increasingly tired of being at home, and the urge to meet their near and dear ones is at an all-time high. 
• While a few industries like IT can work from home, most others cannot. 
• In such cases, their offices and factories will re-open, but with less staff/working hours/alternate days. 
• Eight, schools and colleges have taken a hit as e-learning and online courses are being preferred. 
• Nine, the entertainment industry has been drastically hit. Theatres too will take time to reopen and consumers will watch shows and movies at home. 
• The media and entertainment industry needs to pay heed to this and curate content accordingly. 
• Ten, with a lot of people laying emphasis on their health and immunity, there’s been a substantial rise in the consumption of organic, ayurvedic, and immunity boosting products. 
• Apart from the obvious products, financial and medical insurance will play an important role. 
• Lastly, real estate will suffer as no long-term, high investment purchases will be favoured, but renting will increase.

Key differences:

• First, voters need to be provided with their daily needs — basic essentials such as food, water, housing, and electricity. The government is already taking care of that, but money also needs to be given. 
• Second, voters need jobs through development of infrastructure projects. 
• Third, farmers need to have insurance for their crops and the infrastructure to sell at the right price. 
• Lastly, migrant workers who have faced extreme hardships with their livelihoods being disrupted are looking for support. Most are still unemployed, and many are focusing on agriculture as a means of income.

Way forward:

• Government has to generate demand for products, and create jobs by improving infrastructure. Money will be required by all groups. 
• The government must incentivise spending by offering tax benefits on the amount spent on products like white goods/travel/eating out, and provide jobs by spending on infrastructure projects. 
• They must forget about fiscal prudencethis year. Philip Kotler has predicted that the pandemic will bring about the new consumer who will shake the foundations of capitalism. 
• He believes that the new consumer will be more careful against ostentatiousconsumption, resulting in a more equitable form of capitalism. 
• Currently, rural areas seem to be the focus of companies, as the consumer there is buying more than before. Those seeking volume will find solacein growth there in the coming year or so. 
• The bulk of our needy and voters lie in rural areas and the focus of government spending must continue to be there. 
• Companies should take advantage and provide products at affordable prices and increase the width of availability to exploit this opportunity. 
• One, however, must not forget that new products must also be launched in metros. It is the urban market that will stimulate growth in the medium to long run.

Conclusion:

• The government has done well to take care of the poor and rural markets. They are aware that spending by the urban consumer is also essential for pushing the economy up. 
• The middle income group is crying for attention. The government has planned and has been successful in generating employment by attracting FDI, and developing infrastructure, among others. 
• We will have to wait and see how the “WW” curve changes to the “SS” curve — Spend and Support the growth. 
   

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Vyapar Mala Express train, consider the following statements:
1. Northern Railway recently ran its first-ever Vyapar Mala Express train. 
2. This is an express service where piece-meal stock will reach its destination in a shorter time.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) Write short note on following:Moratorium period, Capital Adequacy Ratio, Regulatory capital, Nonperforming asset.

Beirut in the dark (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 2: Governance 
Prelims level:Beirut Blasts 
Mains level: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability

Context:

• The explosion in the Beirut docks area last week has left more than 150 citizens dead and over 5,000 injured. 
• Swathesof the city levelled and the dock out of commission, which could cause a food crisis in Lebanon in the days ahead. 
• Shock and confusion over the cause of the devastating explosion has turned into public anger, bringing on the spectre of a political problem. All this damage owed to a single explosion. 
• The blast had produced a powerful shock wave and a mushroom cloud, and it was briefly mistaken for the detonation of a nuclear weapon. 
• But the explosion turned out to have involved 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, which had been improperly stored in a densely populated area.

Dual use:

• Ammonium nitrate is best known as an agricultural fertiliser, but it is dual-use. 
• It is also an element of binary mining explosives like ANFO and the fertiliser or nitrate bomb, an improvised device used by militant organisations. 
• The same technology was also used in Oklahoma City in 1995, Bali in 2002 and Norway in 2011. 
• After a nitrate stockpile was revealed to have caused the disaster in Beirut, other nations have woken up to the risk. 
• In Australia, for instance, residents of Newcastle are concerned about a storage facility which holds about four times the volume of nitrate stockpiled in Beirut.

 Better late than never:

• In India, there is concern over 740 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored in a customs warehouse in Chennai since 2015, when it was apparently imported without the required licence. 
• The customs department has clarified that it is stored in a safe location far from human habitation.
• But given the hazardous nature of the chemical, which has been under the Explosives Act since 2011, it could have been disposed of. 
• In fact, in dealing with the dispute between the importer and the customs office, a court had drawn attention to the number of accidents involving ammonium nitrate across the country. 
• The fact that in a span of four years, 16,000 tonnes of the chemical went missing. 
• S Ramadoss of the PMK has suggested that the stockpile could be diverted to agricultural use, and customs officials are in a hurry to dispose of the chemical at the earliest. 

 Conclusion:

• The ammonium nitrate blast is a grimreminder: Despite the strict regulation of hazardous substances, risks remain.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Tanner-Whitehouse 3 (TW3), consider the following statements:
1. It is an age-verification test.
2. TW3 essentially involves an x-ray of the left wrist to check what stage of bone fusion a child has reached.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1) What is Ammonium Nitrate?How this can be safely stored then?

An uneven recovery (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 3: Economy 
Prelims level:Purchasing managers index
Mains level: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment

Context: 

• From the lows observed in April, economic activity in India has gradually climbed up in the weeks and months thereafter. 

Uncertainty: 

• While uncertainty looms over the pace of the recovery — some indicators suggest that economic activities have levelled off at lower levels — the picture that emerges is of an uneven, two-paced recovery. 
• The recovery in the manufacturing sector, especially in some segments, appears to be far greater as compared to the pick-up in the services sector. 
• This trend is observed in the purchasing managers index (PMI) for the two sectors. 
• After plummetingto a record low of 27.4 in April, the PMI manufacturing rose to 47.3 in June, dipping marginally thereafter to 46 in July. 
• In comparison, the PMI services, which plungedto a low of 5.4 in April, has limped thereon, touching 34.2 in July. 
• It is unlikely that the gap between the two will narrow significantly in the near term.

Grim Prospects:

• Faced with grimincome prospects, households have curbed their discretionary spending. 
• Services, non-essentials in particular, have suffered disproportionally from this fall in demand. 
• Adding to that is the fear of moving in crowded places which is also constraining consumption of services such as restaurants and hospitality, travel and tourism and others despite the easing of lockdown restrictions. 
• There are several indications to this effect. For instance, reports in this paper reveal that despite restaurants and eateries being allowed to reopen, more than 60% of licensed eateries in prominent areas of Delhi continue to remain shut and are yet to renew their trade/health licences. 
• The effects of this collapse in demand for services, and non-essential manufacturing, on jobs and incomes are quite visible. 
• 40 of the BSE 100 companies that have announced their results for the first quarter of the current financial year have seen a decline in their aggregate employee expenditure. This is indicative of a fall in both employees and employee costs. 
• Some indication of the extent of the losses incurred during this period will reflect in the quarterly GDP estimates.

 Conclusion:

• The near-term prospects don’t appear promising. 
• With income and job losses, self-imposed restrictions on movement, and localised lockdowns to deal with the spread of the pandemic continuing to influence consumption patterns, demand for services is likely to remain muted. 
• In such a scenario, both individuals and businesses are likely to continue to be risk averse. Much will depend on the success in containing the spread of the pandemic.
• Services are seeing a greater fall, with job losses, localised lockdowns holding back demand and sharpening the challenge.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1)With reference to the Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan, consider the following statements:
1. Vidyarthi Vigyan Manthan (VVM) is an initiative of Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA), in collaboration with NCERT and Vigyan Prasar. 
2. It is a national program for popularizing result oriented research in Indian Institute of Technologies. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: A

Mains Questions:
Q.1) What do you mean by the purchasing managers index? What is the process of the calculation of purchasing managers index? What are the roles of PMI in an Economy?

A new direction for India-U.S. ties (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2: International Relations 
Prelims level:Southeast Asia Treaty Organization
Mains level: Bilateral agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests

Context:

• The US under the leadership of President F. D. Roosevelt during the early 1940s once pressed Britain’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill to free India and co-opt India as a formal allyin World War II.
• But Britain firmly and obstinatelyrefused to agree despite the writing on the wall — that Indians had stood up and would achieve freedom sooner rather than later.
• India stabilised after a bloodyPartition in 1947, declared its commitment to democracy, fundamental rights, free press and non-violence in a written Constitution.

The UN and CHINA:

• India thus appeared to the U.S. as worthy of replacing China in the most important Security Council, as a Permanent Member with a Veto.
• According to a recent study by Dr. Anton Harder, the author states that the U.S.’s offer for India to join the UNSC was conveyed by India’s Ambassador to the U.S. then, viz., Ms. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, Nehru’s sister.
• Nehru’s response was unequivocal.
• ‘So far as we are concerned, we are not going to countenanceit. That would be bad from every point of view. 
• It would be a clear affrontto China and it would mean some kind of a break between us and China.
• ‘We shall go on pressing for China’s admission in the UN and the Security Council. 
• India because of many factors, is certainly entitled to a permanent seat in the security council. But we are not going to at the cost of China’.
• Nehru not only declined the U.S. offer to India to become a UNSC Permanent Member with Veto but instead campaigned for China to take up that seat.
• The U.S. however resisted that campaign till 1972, when in a turnaround the U.S. supported Communist People’s Republic of China and entered into “strategic partnership” in the 1970s onwards with the reform-minded new leadership of Deng Xiaoping.
• Subsequently what China did to Nehru for this generosity at India’s expense is history from which we must learn.  

The shift to Pakistan:

• In 1953 after India’s tilt to the Soviet Union and China in the Korean war, the U.S. turned to Pakistan as a possible counterweight in South Asia against the Soviet Union and China. 
• The U.S. made Pakistan a member of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) and the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO), and liberally gave aid and armaments.
• Pakistan which was no match in military, economic development, and ancient and continuous culture that ensured democracy, began to dream of equality with India in the international domain.
• As a consequence, India had to go to war with Pakistan in 1965, 1971 and 1999, losing precious lives defending our own territory. 
• The U.S. even sent a Seventh Fleet Task Force with nuclear weapons on board to threaten us on the dismembermentof Pakistan during Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971.
• The rest is history. We have to learn from our past mistakes. 
• Today there is a new opportunity with the U.S. but it is not on a clean slate.

America’s November Roll:

• The success of our new bonding with the U.S. will first depend on the outcome of the U.S. Presidential elections this November. 
• The Democratic party rival and Presidential candidate, Joe Biden, has already taken a hostilestand against our government. 
• With the Left wing and liberals in the U.S. highly critical of the BJP government, such as rubbishing the Citizenship (Amendment) Act passed by India’s Parliament with a two-thirds majority.
• In inner U.S. circles our purchase from Russia of the S-400 air defence missile system and the refusal to agree to America’s request to send Indian troops to Afghanistan have mostly browned offU.S. officials. 
• U.S. policy makers know Indians love atmospherics and melas, but not substantive issues which concern the U.S.
• Therefore, we need to build trust with the U.S. that we will give to the U.S. as good as it gives us, and not give us lectures instead. The U.S. will then respond more than what we concede.
• In 1991 when then PM Chandra Shekhar told me to find out if we can get a policy-conditions free loan at a concessional interest rate from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 
• I told him that the IMF would never agree, but since a large size of the voting power in the IMF was directly or indirectly controlled by the U.S., we should placatethe U.S.
• Thereafter, PM Shekhar spoke to the U.S. that India would agree to a pending American request with the PM’s Office for permission to refuel their air force planes flying from the Philippines to Saudi Arabia for the first Gulf War when Iraq occupied Kuwait.
• I thereafter told the U.S. Ambassador in New Delhi about this but I said it was conditional on getting $2 billion (1991 prices). Over the weekend that loan arrived and India was saved from a default.

In synchrony:

• Today, thus, the new or fresh paradigm should be on how to structure India-U.S. understanding and which is in sync with common India-U.S. perspectives. 
• For this structuring we must: first realise that India-U.S. relations require give and take on both sides.
• What India needs to take today is for dealing with the Ladakh confrontation on our side of the Line of Actual Control by China. 
• Obviously, India needs U.S. hardware military equipment. India does not need U.S. troops to fight our battles against China on our border.
• Third, the U.S. needs India to fight her enemies in the neighbourhood such as in Afghanistan. 
• It is my view that India should send two divisions gradually to Afghanistan and relieve U.S. troops to go home.
• India needs the support of the U.S. and its ally, Israel, in cyberwarfare, satellite mappings of China and Pakistan, intercepts of electronic communication, hard intelligence on terrorists, and controlling the military and the Inter-Services Intelligence in Pakistan.
• India needs the U.S. to completely develop the Andaman and Nicobar, and also the Lakshadweep Islands as a naval and air force base, which the U.S. can share along with its allies such as Indonesia and Japan.
• India must be firm in two areas which are not amenableto give and take. One is that economic relations must be based on macroeconomic commercial principles. 
• Free, indiscriminate flow of U.S. foreign direct investment (FDI) is not in India’s national interest.

Look at technologies:

• Thus, India needs technologies such as thorium utilisation, desalination of sea water, and hydrogen fuel cells, but not Walmart.
• India needs U.S. universities to start campuses in India, as proposed in the new National Education Policy draft.
• Eighth, the U.S. must allow India’s exports of agricultural products including Bos indicus milk, which are of highly competitive prices in the world.
• FDI should be allowed into India selectively from abroad, including from the U.S., based on the economic theory of comparative advantage and not on subsidies and gratis.
• Tenth, tariffs of both India and the U.S. should be lowered, and the Indian rupee should be gradually revalued to ₹35 to a dollar. 
• Later, with the economy picking up, the rupee rate should go below 10 to the dollar.
• The other firm constraint is that India should not provide the U.S. with our troops to enter Tibet, or be involved in the Hong Kong and Taiwan issues because there is always a possibility of a leadership change in China.
• In the cases of Tibet, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, we have made explicit agreements. In the case of Tibet, two formal treaties were signed by Nehru (1954) and A.B. Vajpayee (2003).
• In the last point, in the long run, India, the U.S., and China should form a trilateral commitment for world peace provided Chinese current international policies undergo a healthy change.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1) With reference to the Khadi Agarbatti Aatmanirbhar Mission, consider the following statements:
1. The program named as “Khadi Agarbatti Aatmanirbhar Mission” aims at creating employment for unemployed and migrant workers in different parts of the country while increasing domestic Agarbatti production substantially.
2. Khadi and Village Industries Commission will provide 25% subsidy on the cost of the machines and will recover the remaining 75% of the cost from the artisans in easy installments every month. 
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A.   1 only
B.   2 only
C.   Both 1 and 2
D.   None 

Answer: CS

Mains Questions:
Q.1)What do you mean by the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization and the Central Treaty Organization. Also discuss the evolution of India’s foreign relations.

Balancing priorities : On development and environment (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2: Governance 
Prelims level:National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping
Mains level: Important aspect of governance transparency and accountability

Context:

• This year, the annual floods that upendthe Brahmaputra Valley have been followed by intensespells along the Konkan coast and Mumbai, and now Kerala, which until the end of last month recorded a slight deficit. 
• The landslip in Idukki, that has so far claimed 43 lives and rendered several homeless, follows from a continuing spell of heavy rains in Kerala. 
• Most districts have received three or four times more rain than what is normal. 
• Last year too, neighbouring Wayanad saw multiple hamletswiped out and the year before, the devastating floods in the State forced a debate on the need for new models of development. 

Landslides:

• Landslips, or landslides, in the Western Ghats have a history. 
• Following the 2018 floods, data from the Geological Survey of India showed that Kerala had experienced 67 major landslide events and several minor ones from 1961-2013. 
• As part of a National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping (NLSM) programme, the agency mapped several States in the Western Ghats, North-eastern States, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand to assess how vulnerabletheir districts were. 
• Nearly 13,000 square kilometres were mapped until 2018 and 6,000 were to be covered in 2019-20 in Kerala, according to the programme website. 
• Nearly 13 of the State’s 14 districts were proneto landslides. 
• What made Kerala particularly vulnerable was the high population density of over 800 per square kilometre as compared to other States that also faced high landslide risk.

Zoning laws:

• The objective of the NLSM maps is to help State and district authorities incorporatethe risk of landslides into zoning laws. 
• However, just as in the case of earthquake zonation maps, or for that matter, any exercise to scientifically ascertain the risk from natural hazards to a region, these laws are barely implemented in the right spirit. 
• And this is not unique to Kerala. The details might vary but it is now beyond contestation that India is living in a new climate normal. 
• Frequent high intensity bursts of rain will co-exist along with long dry spells. 
• It has emerged from studies of Kerala’s topography that quarryingand the unscientific cutting of slopes into hills aggravatesthe risk of soil erosion. 
• Operationalising the State’s disaster management apparatus and allocating funds for preparedness are key policy responses, but Kerala also must double down on enforcing regulations and observing zoning laws as well as ensuring that slopes carved into hilly terrain have adequate provisions for draining water. 
• A lack of compliance with such principles is often a key reason why natural hazards end up causing a significant number of avoidable casualties. 

Conclusion:

• There is a cost to pursuingdevelopment goals without paying attention to environmental constraints.
• Development goals must be pursued without breachingenvironment regulations.
• Forecasts of ‘good’ or ‘normal’ monsoons are often beguilingand beliethe ominous.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1) With reference to the World breastfeeding week, consider the following statements:
1. It aims to promote exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life which has huge health benefits.
2. It is jointly organized by World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), WHO and UNICEF.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A.   1 only
B.   2 only
C.   Both 1 and 2
D.   None 

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1)What do you mean by the National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping programme? What is the significance of it?

Safety deficit: On Kozhikode aircrash (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 3: Governance 
Prelims level:DGCA
Mains level: Important aspect of governance transparency and accountability 

Context:

• The tragic crash of an Air India Express ‘Vande Bharat’ relief flight in Kozhikode, in which people lost their lives is a forceful reminder that there are no acceptable risks in aviation. 
• Although an even bigger disaster was avertedby the absence of fire in the aircraft, the crash snuffedout the lives of many returning home from Dubai after a long. 
• Many Indians could not quickly return home from countries where they were employed, studying or travelling, although they desperately sought flights back home since March. 
• For those who took that long-awaited trip on August 7, it ended in disaster.

Risky flight operations:

• There are clear pointers to the dangerous nature of flight operations at Kozhikode airport in the midst of a strong monsoon. 
• Even with the availability of an instrument landing system for the “tabletop” runway carved into undulatingterrain, the accident took place.
• There are problems with visibility, a far shorter safety area at the runway end than optimal.
• There was absence of arrester systems that could stop an overshooting plane from falling off the edge, as it happened with this aircraft. 
• Which of these factors, along with the monsoon impact, led to the disaster will become clear with a professional investigation. 
• The Civil Aviation Ministry should make a full disclosure on the technical evidence gathered, the integrity of which will be scrutinised by safety organisations worldwide.

Lack of safety measures:

• Apparently anxious to project an image of normalcy, the Ministry allowed the airport to restart flights in a day, while the accident cause was yet to be ascertained.
• If rainy conditions existed during the landing, as Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said, these may persist during the rest of the monsoon. 
• Each flight must, therefore, be considered for a potential diversion to a safe airport nearby in bad weather. 
• Significantly, the admission by the DGCA that the key recommendation of runway extension at Kozhikode made almost a decade ago was not possible due to land acquisitionissues.
• Although the facility could still support wide-bodied aircraft, it strengthens the view that corners may have been cut on safety. 
• The instance of an Air India Express plane suffering a tail strike in the same airport last year should have led to a full assessment, following up on the recommendations made after the 2010 crash in Mangaluru. 
• Since the visible cause of Friday’s crash was an overshoot, the runway continues to pose a threat. 
• Bad meteorological conditions such as rain and wind, and runway surface problems such as stagnation of water or rubber deposits that contribute to skidding endanger passengers and crew. 

Conclusion:

• Every air safety incident diminishesIndia’s reputation. 
• The Kozhikode crash should lead to a fresh review of all risky airports.
• Transparent remedial action must be taken immediately.
• The Kozhikode air crash shows that there can be no compromise on airport infrastructure.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1) Consider the following statements:
1. Union Ministry of Shipping has separated the operation routes for merchant vessels and fishing vessels in South-West Indian waters. 
2. The Bab-el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A.   1 only
B.   2 only
C.   Both 1 and 2
D.   None 

Answer: C

Overcoming mask reactance (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 4: Ethics 
Prelims level:Not much 
Mains level: Psychological factor

Context:

• Let’s face it, masks are unpleasant. 
• They are unpleasant because we cannot see each other’s facial expressions. They are also unpleasant because they give off a morose hospital-like vibe. 
• Considering the current context, we are pretty sure you know that we are not talking about fancy Halloween masks.
• At the cost of stating the obvious, we are talking about masks that cover our mouth and nostrils to protect ourselves against Covid-19 microbes. 
• The nostril covering part is the most unpleasant for as it means that we have to breathe inside a tiny space which somehow can make us feel quite trapped.

Psychological factor:

• The term reactance was coined by psychologist Jack Brehm in 1966. 
• Psychological reactance occurs when we feel our freedom is being suppressed by an authority and just to reassert our freedom, we act in the opposite direction to what the authority dictates. 

Some suggestions:

First suggestions:

• To suppressing someone’s freedom is denying them agency. By agency, we mean the autonomy to make our own decisions. 
• Therefore, if we frame rules to wear masks as a choice and not as diktats, then we will not be denying people’s agency. 

Second suggestions:

• To wearing a mask is an external cue that signals forced compliance. Researchers showed that impression management plays an important factor in people’s reactance. 
• To put it simply, people do not like to give the impression of being compliant and therefore not wearing a mask is kind of showing to the world that they are individualistic and independent. 
• One way around this is to help them assert their individual identity by designing a variety of masks rather than boring white and blue ones. 

Other suggestions:

• Lastly, reactance is largely associated with activities that engender fun and pleasure.
• For many extroverted personalities who are getting restless at home, there is not just the reactance against masks but also an overall reactance against being indoors.
• Therefore, authority figures have to figure out a way to communicate that they have no intention of curbing fun and pleasure. 

Way forward:

• We do acknowledge the frustration of a majority of readers of this article about why do we need to manipulate the framing of messages, create special designer masks, or project a fun-vibe to overcome reactance when the obvious and sensible thing to do is to wear a mask. 
• However, there will always be individuals who are more reactant than others and we need to protect them from getting Covid to protect us from getting it.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1) 1. It was founded in 1889 as Mohun Bagan Sporting Club, the club's football section is one of the oldest football clubs in India and Asia. 
2. July 29 is celebrated every year as Mohun Bagan day to commemorate the team’s famous IFA Shield triumph in 1911. 
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A.   1 only
B.   2 only
C.   Both 1 and 2
D.   None 

Answer: C
Mains Questions:
Q.1)Reactance occurs when we feel our freedom is being suppressed by an authority and just to reassert our freedom, we act in the opposite direction to what the authority dictates. Comment. 

Secondary agriculture is of primary importance (Financial Express)

Mains Paper 3: Economy 
Prelims level:APLMC Act
Mains level: 

Context:

• Over the last decade, Indian farmers, too, have been facing a similar situation, with the fundamentals of market forces working to their disadvantage in case of high-volume commodities. 
• Glut-induced post-harvest price dips have been exacerbated by the absence of suitable supply chains. 
• Most surpluses, in the Indian context, are local to a production zone, and are gainfully evacuated to far-range markets with healthier demands.

Create opportunities through robust supply chains:

• Robust supply-chains demand free and fair-trade opportunities that let sellers and buyers connect, guided by supply and demand movements. 
• The recent basket of reforms releases new energy for building both domestic and global supply-chains. These include 
• (i) a new market architecture comprising Gramin Agriculture Markets, or GrAMs, as aggregation platforms; 
• (ii) three market channels, viz. APMCs (Cooperative and Private pursuant to the Model APLMC Act,2017) and the intra- and inter-state direct trade under The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020; 
• (iii) Agricultural Export Policy 2018, focussing on volumes, standards and quality and cluster approach to production; 
• (iv) liberalisation of control orders under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955; 
• (v) contracts in respect of farming and services through The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020; and finally, 
• (vi) promotion of 10,000 FPOs.

Increasing institutional credit to farmers:

• Increased volumes of production and post-production (eNWR) institutional credit will financially strengthen farmers (crop, livestock and fishery) and help negotiate distress sale. Under Atmanirbhar Bharat that targets an investment of `1.65 lakh crore in the farm sector, agri-logistics will get a boost across all sub-sectors. 
• The interplay of competitive market forces and the highway of backward and forward linkages will help tap unmet demand in distant consumption zones. 
• The expected positive is expanded market area and operations. 
• A territorially-expanded market structure neutralises spatial fragmentation into several market zones (as under the APMC regime)and facilitates “one nation, one market”. 
• Emphasis on exports means supply-chains become part of the global market, and this evens out local surpluses through timely and effective conveyance to demand-responsive markets.

Scope for diversified agriculture:

• India’s scope for diversified agriculture is vast, thanks to extensive arable land, multiple agro-climatic zones and a rich cafeteria of soils. 
• India’s status as a global super-producer in agriculture is juxtaposed with low average income of its farmers. 
• The road to higher agricultural GVA and farmers’ income rests in efficient management of the post-production segment, comprising agri-logistics, processing and marketing.
• Agriculture generates raw materials that meet basic human requirements, and is considered as a primary economic activity. 
• The process of generating the agricultural produce is biological in nature, and is, therefore, a primary agriculture activity, and when the raw produce is processed, it gains additional value, and is referred to as secondary agriculture. 
• There are certain alternative agriculture activities like beekeeping, mushroom cultivation, agri-tourism, etc, which fall under the ambit of secondary agriculture. 
• Secondary agriculture helps in using all parts of an agricultural produce (e.g. crop residues, animal hair, bones, viscera, etc), processing to enhance shelf-life, increasing total factor productivity, and generating additional jobs and income for farmers. 
• It, thus, encompasses both food and non-food processing, and represents agro-processing.

Processing can happen at three different levels:

• (i) primary processing (simple farm gate practices like cleaning, sizing, packaging, etc); 
• (ii) post-harvest secondary processing (basic processing, packaging and branding); 
• (iii) high-end processing which involves complex processing technologies, machinery and finances, with output of a rich range of products from grains like wheat, rice, corn, soybean, etc.

Way ahead:

• The canvas of secondary agriculture in India is huge, and can range from new crops, organic produce, herbal and medicinal plants to manufactured commodities like starches from cereals, proteins from legumes, oils and oleo-chemicals from oleaginous crops, resins, gums, rubbers and latexes. 
• All these can serve as building blocks for processed foods, materials, composites, fibre and fuel systems, imparting a leg up to the competitiveness of India’s agriculture sector. 
• The outcome is functional expansion of market alongside territorial extension, creating newer demand for agri-produce.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1) With reference to the production of lithium in stars, consider the following statements:
1. Stars, as per known mechanisms of evolution, actually destroy lithium as they evolve into red giants.
2. According to a recent study when stars grow beyond their Red Giant stage into what is known as the Red Clump stage, they does not produce lithium. 
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A.   1 only
B.   2 only
C.   Both 1 and 2
D.   None 

Answer: A

Mains Questions: 
Q.1)Highlights the scope of diversified agriculture. Do you think secondary agriculture can create opportunities through robust supply chains? Comment.
 

• Medium: Hindi
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Content Table

• भारतीय संगीत का दार्शनिक स्वरूप (डॉ प्रांशु समदर्शी)
• पूर्वोत्तर क्षेत्र अनुपम आत्मीय संबंध (डॉ ताप्ती बरुआ कश्यप)
• ग्रामीण अर्थव्यवस्था के उद्धार में बांस की भूमिका (सुरेश प्रभु)
• विविधता से परिपूर्ण महाराष्ट्र (मीनल जोगलेकर)
• विविधता में एकता की शक्ति (अशोक कलारिया)
• मोटे अनाज की संस्कृति एक अवलोकन (पल्लवी उपाध्याय)
• तमिलनाडु के मंदिरों के शिलालेख (प्रदीप चक्रवर्ती)
• नृत्य से सामंजस्य (वीणा मणि)
• क्षेत्रीय सुरक्षा: भारत-चीन संबंध (डॉ श्रीकांत कोंडापल्ली)
• पारंपरिक नाट्य मंच.भारत की लोक और जनजातीय कला.
• राष्ट्रीय ध्वज का निर्माण यसवप्रभु होसकेरी,
• योजना-सही विकल्प

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Sample Material of Current Public Administration Magazine

1. Accountability and Responsibility

Dog feeding without accountability

Despite being the key authority for implementing the Animal Birth Control (dog) rules, the Animal Welfare Board of India has avoided taking any responsibility for the rising number of dog bites, rabies deaths and unregulated dog feeding, by blaming the municipalities. It is pertinent to note that it is the statutory, civic duty of municipal corporations under the state municipal acts to keep the streets of straying animals, check the spread of diseases and prevent public nuisance. This is the very bedrock of local governance and cannot change. Absurdly, under the ABC rules, municipalities are instead being forced to leave unowned dogs outside people‟s homes and on the streets — the exact opposite of the WHO guidelines for dog population management. 

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2. Indian Government and Politics

NEP 2020

One thing struck me as a major difference between the new National Education Policy and its predecessor. The previous policy, National Policy on Education 1986/1992, presented itself as an attempt to consolidate and build on all the earlier efforts, particularly NPE 1968. The new policy, NEP 2020, on the other hand, is very keen to establish that it is different (even in its name!) from everything of the past 

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(Article) डिजिटल शिक्षा पर भारत रिपोर्ट-2020

•  केन्द्रीय मानव संसाधन विकास मंत्री श्री रमेश पोखरियाल “निशंक” ने  डिजिटल शिक्षा पर भारत रिपोर्ट-2020 जारी की। उन्होंने इस अवसर पर कहा कि यह रिपोर्ट मानव संसाधन विकास मंत्रालय, राज्यों और केन्द्र शासित प्रदेशों के शिक्षा विभागों द्वारा घर पर बच्चों के लिए सुलभ और समावेशी शिक्षा सुनिश्चित करने और उनके सीखने के क्रम में आने वाली बाधाओं को दूर करने के लिए अपनाए गए अभिनव तरीकों की विस्तृत व्याख्या करती है।  

•  रिपोर्ट के अनुसार सरकार ने शिक्षा को एक व्यापक कार्यक्रम के रूप में परिकल्पित किया गया है जिसका लक्ष्य प्री-नर्सरी से लेकर उच्चतर माध्यमिक कक्षाओं तक स्कूलों के व्यापक स्पेक्ट्रम में डिजिटल शिक्षा को सार्वभौमिक बनाना है। गुणवत्तापूर्ण डिजिटल शिक्षा ने वैश्वीकरण के वर्तमान संदर्भ में एक नई प्रासंगिकता हासिल कर ली है। मानव संसाधन विकास मंत्रालय ने शिक्षकों, विद्वानों और छात्रों को सीखने की उनकी ललक में मदद करने के लिए कई परियोजनाएं शुरू की हैं, जैसे कि “दीक्षा मंच”, “स्वयं प्रभा टीवी चैनल”, ऑनलाइन एमओओसी पाठ्यक्रम, ऑन एयर– “शिक्षा वाणी”, दिव्यांगों के लिए एनआईओएस द्वारा विकसित “डेजी, ई-पाठशाला”,  “ओपन एजुकेशनल रिसोर्सेज (एनआरओईआर) की राष्ट्रीय रिपोजिटरी”, टीवी चैनल, ई- लर्निंग पोर्टल, वेबिनार, चैट समूह और पुस्तकों के वितरण सहित राज्य/केन्द्र शासित सरकारों के साथ अन्य डिजिटल पहल।

•   इसके अलावा केन्द्र और राज्य सरकारों तथा केन्द्र शासित प्रदेश की सरकारों ने छात्रों के द्वार पर डिजिटल शिक्षा प्रदान करने के लिए महत्वपूर्ण कार्य भी किया है। छात्रों से जुड़ने के लिए कुछ प्रमुख माध्यमों के रूप में सोशल मीडिया टूल जैसे व्हाट्सएप ग्रुप, यू ट्यूब चैनल, आनलाइन कक्षाएं, गूगल मीट, स्काइप के साथ ई-लर्निंग पोर्टल, टीवी (दूरदर्शन और क्षेत्रीय चैनल), रेडियो और दीक्षा का उपयोग किया गया जिसमें दीक्षा का उपयोग सभी हितधारकों की सबसे प्रमुख पसंद थी।  राज्य सरकारों द्वारा की गई कुछ प्रमुख डिजिटल पहल में राजस्थान में “स्माइल” (सोशल मीडिया इंटरफेस फॉर लर्निंग एंगेजमेंट), जम्मू में “प्रोजेक्ट होम क्लासेस”, छत्तीसगढ़ में “पढ़ाई तुहार दुवार” (आपके द्वार पर शिक्षा), बिहार में “उन्नयन” पहल पोर्टल और मोबाइल एप्लिकेशन के माध्यम से शिक्षा, दिल्ली में एनसीटी का अभियान “बुनियाद”, केरल का अपना शैक्षिक टीवी चैनल (हाई-टेक स्कूल प्रोग्राम), “ई-विद्वान पोर्टल” और साथ ही मेघालय में शिक्षकों के लिए मुफ्त ऑनलाइन पाठ्यक्रम शामिल हैं। तेलंगाना में कोविड संकट के दौरान शिक्षकों के लिए मानसिक स्वास्थ्य पर ऑनलाइन सर्टिफिकेट प्रोग्राम भी चलाया जा रहा है।

•  कुछ राज्यों ने दूरस्थ शिक्षा की सुविधा के लिए नवीन मोबाइल ऐप और पोर्टल लॉन्च किए हैं। मध्य प्रदेश ने टॉप पैरेंट ऐप लॉन्च किया है, जो एक नि:शुल्क मोबाइल ऐप है जो छोटे बच्चों के माता-पिता (3-8 साल) को बाल विकास के ज्ञान और व्यवहारों की सीख देता है ताकि उन्हें अपने बच्चों के साथ सार्थक जुड़ाव बनाने में मदद मिल सके। केएचईएल (इलेक्ट्रॉनिक लर्निंग के लिए नॉलेज हब), एक गेम आधारित एप्लीकेशन भी शुरू किया गया है, जो कक्षा एक से लेकर कक्षा 3 तक के छात्रों के लिए है। उत्तराखंड “संपर्क बैंक ऐप” का उपयोग कर रहा है, जिसके माध्यम से प्राथमिक स्कूल के छात्र एनिमेटेड वीडियो, ऑडिओ, वर्कशीट, पहेलियों आदि का उपयोग कर सकते हैं। असम ने कक्षा 6 से 10. के लिए “बिस्वा विद्या असम मोबाइल एप्लिकेशन” लॉन्च किया है। बिहार ने कक्षा 1 से 12 तक के छात्रों के लिए ई-पुस्तकों के साथ “विद्यावाहिनी ऐप” लॉन्च किया है। “उन्नयन बिहार पहल” के तहत बिहार सरकार ने छात्रों के लिए “मेरा मोबाइल मेरा विद्यालय” शुरू किया है। इसी तरह शिक्षकों के लिए “उन्नयन बिहार” के तहत शिक्षक ऐप शुरू किया गया है। चंडीगढ़ ने कक्षा 1 से 8 तक के छात्रों के सीखने के परिणाम का आकलन करने के लिए “फीनिक्स मोबाइल एप्लिकेशन” लॉन्च किया है। महाराष्ट्र ने राज्य में छात्रों के लिए “लर्निंग आउटकम स्मार्ट क्यू मोबाइल ऐप” लॉन्च किया है। पंजाब ने कक्षा 1 से 10 तक के लिए आई स्कूएला लर्न मोबाइल एप्लिकेशन लॉन्च किया है। “सिक्किम एडुटेक ऐप” राज्य शिक्षा विभाग के तहत सिक्किम के सभी स्कूलों को जोड़ता है। इसमें छात्रों, शिक्षकों और प्रशासनिक इकाइयों के साथ-साथ अभिभावकों को भी लॉगिन करने की सुविधा दी गई है। त्रिपुरा में छात्रों के मूल्यांकन की सुविधा के लिए ‘एम्पॉवर यू शिक्षा दर्पण’ नाम का एक एप्लिकेशन शुरू किया गया है। उत्तर प्रदेश ने 3-8 वर्ष की आयु के बच्चों को लक्षित करते हुए “टॉप पैरेंट ऐप” लॉन्च किया है। वर्तमान में बच्चों के लिए “चिंपल”, “मैथ्स मस्ती” और “गूगल बोलो” जैसे तीन बेहतरीन एडुटेक ऐप हैं।

•   “ओडिशा शिक्षा संजोग”- ओडिशा में एक व्हाट्सएप आधारित डिजिटल लर्निंग कार्यक्रम शुरू किया गया है जो एक सुव्यवस्थित तरीके से वर्ग समूहों के साथ ई-सामग्री साझा करता है। व्हाट्सएप के माध्यम से पंजाब और पुद्दुचेरी में भी ऑनलाइन शिक्षा दी जा रही है। राजस्थान व्हाट्सएप का उपयोग “हवामहल- खुशनुमा शनिवार” कार्यक्रम के लिए कर रहा है, जहां छात्र कहानियों को सुनकर व्हाट्सएप के माध्यम से दिए गए निर्देशों के आधार पर खेल, खेल सकते हैं। 

•  मिशन प्रेरणा की ई-पाठशाला उत्तर प्रदेश में शिक्षकों और छात्रों के बीच संपर्क का एक व्हाट्सएप समूह है। हिमाचल प्रदेश ने तीन व्हाट्सएप अभियान शुरू किए हैं, जैसे, “करोना”, “थोड़ी मस्ती, थोड़ी पढ़ाई” और जहां राज्यों द्वारा ई-सामग्री की व्यवस्था की गई है 'वहां हर घर पाठशाला'। विशेष आवश्यकताओं वाले छात्रों के लिए, इस अभियान का नाम "हम किसी से कम नहीं- मेरा घर पाठशाला" रखा गया है। सामग्री को व्हाट्सएप समूहों के माध्यम से साझा किया जा रहा है जिसके साथ विशेष शिक्षकों की व्यवस्था की गई है।   कई राज्यों को इंटरनेट के बिना कम तकनीकी रूपों के साथ शिक्षण और निर्देशन के लिए रचनात्मक उपायों को अपनाना पड़ा है। झारखंड के जिलों में क्षेत्रीय दूरदर्शन और उपलब्ध रेडियो स्लॉट के माध्यम से बच्चों को संबोधित करने वाले वास्तविक शिक्षकों की व्यवस्था की गई है। स्थानीय टीवी चैनलों पर वर्चुअल कंट्रोल रूम के माध्यम से कक्षाओं को प्रसारित करने की पुद्दुचेरी की ऐसी ही पहल है। मणिपुर ने कक्षा 3 से 5 तक के छात्रों के लिए कॉमिक पुस्तकों की शुरुआत की है ताकि उन्हें मजेदार तरीके से अवधारणाओं को सीखने में मदद मिल सके। लद्दाख जैसे कम कनेक्टिविटी वाले क्षेत्रों में भी छात्रों को ऑनलाइन शिक्षा प्रदान करने के लिए ईएमबीआईबीई बैंगलोर गैर सरकारी संगठनों के साथ सहयोग कर रहा है। वर्तमान समय में सामुदायिक जुड़ाव सबसे कठिन काम है ऐसे में स्थानीय और व्यक्तिगत संसाधनों का महत्व ज्यादा हो गया है। हरियाणा राज्य द्वारा क्विज प्रतियोगिताओं जैसी लोकप्रिय सुविधाएँ आयोजित की जाती हैं।

•  दूरस्थ शिक्षा प्रदान करने की चुनौतियों से निपटने के लिए, एनआईओएस और स्वयं प्रभा सामग्री उन बच्चों को ध्यान में रखते हुए बनाई गई है, जो इंटरनेट से नहीं जुड़े हैं और जिनकी रेडियो और टीवी तक सीमित पहुंच है। नवोन्मेषी माध्यमों से सामग्री उपलब्ध कराने के लिए राज्यों की पहल समावेशी शिक्षा को सुनिश्चित कर रही है। उदाहरण के लिए- आंध्र प्रदेश ने महत्वपूर्ण विषयों को समझने और अपनी शंकाओं को दूर करने के लिए छात्रों के लिए टोल फ्री कॉल सेंटर और टोल फ्री वीडियो कॉल सेंटर शुरू किया है। खराब मोबाइल कनेक्टिविटी और इंटरनेट सेवाओं की अनुपलब्धता के कारण, छत्तीसगढ़ ने मोटर ई-स्कूल शुरू किया है। राज्य ने वीएफएस (वर्चुअल फील्ड सपोर्ट) के रूप में एक टोल फ्री नंबर भी शुरू किया है।  सुदूर क्षेत्रों में समावेशी शिक्षा सुनिश्चित करने के लिए जहां इंटरनेट कनेक्टिविटी और बिजली आपूर्ति सही नहीं है राज्यों और केंद्र शासित प्रदेशों ने भी बच्चों के घर पर पाठ्यपुस्तकों का वितरण किया है। 

•  जम्मू और कश्मीर ने दृष्टिबाधित शिक्षार्थियों के लिए लैपटॉप और ब्रेल स्पर्श पठनीयता के साथ छात्रों को मुफ्त टैब वितरित किए हैं। डिजिटल शिक्षा पहल भी प्रतियोगी परीक्षाओं की तैयारी करने वाले छात्रों के लिए मददगार बन रही है। गोवा ने राज्य में प्रवेश परीक्षा की तैयारी करने वाले छात्रों के लिए एम्बाइब, एक आर्टिफिशियल इंटेलिजेंस (एआई) सीखने, अभ्यास और परीक्षण के लिए ऑनलाइन मंच के साथ साझेदारी की है। कर्नाटक ने दूरदर्शन के माध्यम से एक परीक्षा तैयारी कार्यक्रम, और एक एसएसएलसी परीक्षा तैयारी कार्यक्रम शुरू किया है। एनईईटी परीक्षा की तैयारी करने वाले तमिलनाडु के सरकारी और सरकारी सहायता प्राप्त छात्रों के लिए विस्तृत विश्लेषण के साथ ऑनलाइन अभ्यास परीक्षण उपलब्ध हैं। राज्यों द्वारा विविध आवश्यकताओं को पूरा करने की जरूरत, भाषा पर पूरा नियंत्रण रखने के साथ-साथ व्यक्तित्व विकास भी सुनिश्चित करने को ध्यान में रखते हुए एनसीटी दिल्लीय द्वारा उच्च कक्षाओं के लिए शिक्षा सामग्री तैयार की गई है। लॉकडाउन के कारण बच्चों के मानसिक स्वास्थ्य को ध्यान में रखते हुए प्राइमरी कक्षाओं के छात्रों को मजेदार तरीके से पढ़ाने के लिए ऐसी सेवाओं की एसएमएस/आईवीआर के माध्यम से व्यवस्था की जा रही है। 

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Straying into troubled waters (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 2: International Relations 
Prelims level:Independence Days
Mains level: Bilateral agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests

Context:

• Along the coastal areas of Porbandar, Mangrol, Veraval in Gujarat and the Union Territory of Diu on India’s western coast are hundreds of families whose lives have been worst affected. 
• The men of their households missing with only strayhopes of their return, women and children struggling to make ends meet and see another sunrise. 
• The men are currently in jail in Pakistan, their families barely aware of their health and welfare. 
• Their only ‘crime’ was that they were doing their work in the waters between India and Pakistan. 
• These are fishermen who inadvertentlycrossed the invisible line in the water between the countries.
• As fishermen do not get ample fish on the Gujarat side, they have no option but to go farther and farther out into the sea. 
• As they fish in mid-sea, they end up in waters controlled by Pakistan and are arrested for inadvertently entering into that country.

 Exchanged lists:

• India and Pakistan exchanged lists of prisoners on July 1 as per which 270 Indian fishermen and 54 civilian prisoners are in Pakistan’s prisons. 
• India has 97 Pakistani fishermen and 265 civilian prisoners in its jails. 
• In more friendly or less antagonisticcircumstances, they would have been released after a formal procedure to check that they were really fishermen and not spies. 
• But, in these times of suspicion, the value of their lives lies depends on the bilateral relations. 
• Consequently, their families suffer. On average, these men would have spent one-and-a-half years in prisons. 
• Uncertainty hangs over them, given that in their prison cells, they have little knowledge of when they will be released and repatriated.

 The 2008 proposal:

• This is not a new problem; it has dragged on for years together, without a resolution in sight. 
• To address this issue, in 2008, India and Pakistan had formed a judicial committee consisting of four retired judges from each country. 
• The committee used to visit prisons of the other country specifically to meet the prisoners, examine consular access, status of their cases, delay in release and repatriation, their health condition, and so on. 
• It unanimously suggested release and repatriation of fishermen and a few women prisoners. 
• The governments of both countries praised their work but did not implement the recommendations. 
• The last meeting was held in October 2013. Five years later, there was a move to revive the panel. 
• India nominated its four members but Pakistan did not. It is yet to take a step in that direction. 
• Islamabad must do so urgently and call a meeting, given that the last meeting was held in India.

Returning their boats:

• Further, when fishermen are arrested, their boats are also confiscated.
• Their release means little till they get back possession of their boats from the other country. 
• Both the countries should release those boats which can sail with some repair work. 
• It is also time that the two countries now consider adopting a ‘no-arrest policy’ in the case of fishermen.
• In the coastal villages of both the countries, when men are imprisoned in the other country, women bear the bruntof the load, while somehow holding their families together. 
• The pain is the same on both sides of the border. There are many examples across villages where the children of the arrested fishermen have lost their childhoods. 
• As the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc in both countries, there are growing concerns for the health of the arrested fishermen among their families. 
• There is hardly any communication between the two except for some stray letters which are delayed. 
• The families have no definite way to know that their loved ones are safe from the virus. For the arrested fishermen, it is an issue of survival. 

Conclusion:

• For India and Pakistan celebrating their Independence Days this month, it should become a humanitarian issue and an appropriate occasion to release and repatriatefishermen. 
• Let the fishermen too have their freedoms back.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1) With reference to FDI in the commercial coal mining, consider the following statements:
1. Recently, the government modified its FDI policy according to which any entity of a country, which shares land border with India or where the beneficial owner of an investment into India is situated in or is a citizen of any such country, could invest only under the Government route.
2. Government of India had earlier permitted 100 % FDI under automatic route in coal mining activities, including associated processing infrastructure for sale of coal.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
A.   1 only
B.   2 only
C.   Both 1 and 2
D.   None 

Answer: C

Mains Questions:
Q.1)Highlights the 2008 proposal in relation with fishermen prisoners between India and Pakistan.