trainee5's blog

(Notification) UPSC Indian Economic Service/Indian Statistical Service Examination (IES/ISS), 2020

Notification) UPSC Indian Economic Service/Indian Statistical Service Examination, 2020

No.12/2/2019-E.I(B) : A combined competitive examination for recruitment to Junior Time Scale of the Indian Statistical Service will be held by the Union Public Service Commission commencing from 16th October, 2020 in accordance with the Rules published by the Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation in the Gazette of India dated the 10th June, 2020.

Post Details:

The Services to which recruitment is to be made on the results of this examination and the approximate number of vacancies in Junior Time Scale of the Services are given below :-

(i) Indian Statistical Service - 47

NOTE : 01 vacancy has been kept reserved for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities in the category of Blindness or Low Vision. 

Minimum Educational Qualifications :

A candidate for the Indian Statistical Service must have obtained a Bachelor's Degree with Statistics/Mathematical Statistics/Applied Statistics as one of the subject or a Master's degree in Statistics/Mathematical Statistics/Applied Statistics from a University incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India or other Educational Institutes established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as University under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 or a Foreign University approved by the Central Government from time to time.  

(E-Book) YOJANA MAGAZINE PDF - JUL 2020

 (E-Book) YOJANA MAGAZINE PDF - JUL 2020

  • Medium: ENGLISH
  • E-BOOK NAME : YOJANA MAGAZINE PDF -JUL 2020
  • Total Pages: 68
  • PRICE: 49/- FREE/- (only for few days)
  • Hosting Charges: NIL
  • File Type: PDF File Download Link via Email

Content Table

  • Ethical Wealth Creation for a Self-Reliant India (Dr Krishnamurthy V Subramanian Surbhi Jain)
  • Export Strategy (Dr Ajay Sahai)
  • Jam Trinity (Ankita Sharma, Hindol Sengupta)
  • Making Farmers Self-Reliant (Dr Jagdeep Saxena)
  • Rural Development (Dr Nakul Parashar)
  • Resilient Health Systems (Dr Manisha Verma Siddhartha Kumar)
  • Effective Reasource Management
  • Harnessing Skills of Incoming Migrants (Rajeev Kumar)
  • Improving Livelihood Opportunities (Shipra Saxena, Narendra Singh Chouhan)
  • Ganthiji's Approach of Self-Reliance (Dr D P Singh, Moni Sahay)
  • Swachh and Smart Cities (Dr Krishna Dev)
  • Digital Defence Against COVID-19 (Saurabh Gaur Richa Rashmi)
  • Technology and Learning (Dr Abhay Kumar)
  • Satyajit Ray's Films: Deconstruction of Men and Masculinities (Dr Debjani Halder)

Click Here to Download PDF

Related E-Books:

Three messages: On Modi’s Leh visit (The Hindu)

Three messages: On Modi’s Leh visit (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 3: Security 
Prelims level: LAC

THE GIST of Editorial for UPSC Exams : 2 July 2020 (Delhi diktat (Indian Express))

Delhi diktat (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 2:Health 
Prelims level: WHO
Mains level: Healthcare infrastructure and related issues

THE GIST of Editorial for UPSC Exams : 23 June 2020 (A case to exempt GST in Central Police Canteens (The Hindu))

Transparency during a crisis (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:Governance 
Prelims level: Right to Information Act
Mains level: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability

Context:

  • Right to Information (RTI) applications seeking information pertaining to the PM CARES Fund have been stonewalled.
  • No information exists on the official website of the Fund regarding the amount collected, names of donors, expenditure incurred, or details of beneficiaries. 
  • The trust deed of the fund chaired by the Prime Minister is not available for public scrutiny. 
  • Reports suggest that donations of over $1 billion have been made, including contributions from foreign sources. 

Access to information is crucial:

  • This violation of peoples’ RTI is particularly concerning given the unprecedented crisis gripping the nation. 
  • Relief and welfare programmes funded through public money are the sole lifeline of millions who suddenly lost income-earning opportunities during the lockdown. 
  • If the poor and marginalised affected by the public health emergency must have access to relevant information.
  • A narrative seems to have emerged that public scrutiny of government actions is undesirable during the crisis and citizens must unquestioningly trust the state. 
  • This undermines the basic democratic tenet that citizens’ participation and oversight is necessary to ensure they are able to access their rights. 
  • Without information, peoples’ ability to perform that role is...........................

CLICK HERE FOR FULL EDITORIAL (Only for Course Members)

Seeking information:

  • The RTI Act, 2005, has empowered citizens to access information from public authorities and hold them accountable. 
  • During the COVID-19 crisis, proper implementation of the law has assumed greater significance than ever before. 
  • It is crucial that information related to implementation of relief measures announced by governments be widely disseminated. 
  • For instance, to ensure food security for the needy, Central and State governments have put in place schemes to provide subsidised rations. 
  • For effective delivery of foodgrains and other essential commodities, information must be made available in the public domain. 
  • Ground reports have revealed that in the absence of information, it is impossible for intended beneficiaries to get their due.  

Openness required:

  • Greater openness would prevent controversies of the kind exemplified by faulty testing kits and fake ventilators. 
  • Numerous instances have been reported of COVID-19-positive patients requiring treatment in intensive care units being shunted from one hospital to another. 
  • This could be prevented if hospitals and health centres publicly provide real-time information about availability of beds and other facilities. 
  • To ensure easy accessibility to those who need it the most, relevant information must be made available in local languages and widely disseminated. 
  • In fact, this is a statutory obligation of public authorities under Section 4 of the RTI Act. 

Role of transparency watchdogs:

  • In the current scenario the role of information commissions is crucial. 
  • While in the midst of a pandemic it is reasonable to expect delays in processing information requests.
  • Public authorities must not be allowed to interpret the crisis as a justification for not complying with the RTI Act. 
  • Unfortunately, an assessment revealed that 21 out of 29 commissions in the country did not hold a single hearing during the first three stages of the lockdown. 
  • While the Central Information Commission and some State commissions used audio and video conferencing to hear and dispose cases, most commissions did not make provision for hearing even urgent matters.
  • It is behind the cloak of secrecy that the rights of individuals are most frequently abrogated, corruption thrives and public trust in institutions is eroded. 

Way forward:

  • Incentives for secrecy are great, and the scope for discretionary actions wide. It is critical to create a culture of openness. 
  • Also, to empower people to participate meaningfully in the decisions that have profound effects on their lives and livelihoods. 
  • People must be able to obtain information about how and where their money is being spent in the efforts...................

CLICK HERE FOR FULL EDITORIAL (Only for Course Members)

Online Coaching for UPSC PRE Exam

E-Books Download for UPSC IAS Exams

General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

THE GIST of Editorial for UPSC Exams : 23 June 2020 (A case to exempt GST in Central Police Canteens (The Hindu))

A case to exempt GST in Central Police Canteens (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:Governance 
Prelims level: Central Armed Police Force
Mains level: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation

Context:

  • Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced in early May that only indigenous products will be sold in all Central Police Canteens run by the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF). 
  • This is a welcome step in keeping with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directive to promote indigenously manufactured products, or swadeshi products, in India. 
  • As almost all products sold in CAPF canteens are indigenous, detailed instructions.......................

CLICK HERE FOR FULL EDITORIAL (Only for Course Members)

Canteen sales:

  • There are over 119 master canteens functioning as depots and 1,700 canteens running across the country catering to over 50 lakh family members of 10 lakh serving personnel. 
  • the Central Police Canteen boasts of sales of over ₹2,800 crore worth of products annually. 
  • Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali has already made inroads into these canteens with various products and is expected to expand. 
  • The Khadi and Village Industries Commission is also channelising the sale of its products like textiles and uniform things through these canteens.
  • Non-exemption of GST on all products sold through canteens has been a sore point among the CAPF personnel. 
  • The rates at which the products are sold at present in the canteens are marginally less than the market rates. 
  • Exemption of GST will reduce the costs further making the products more easily affordable and lucrative. 
  • The government has to pay serious attention to this aspect. 

Paying VAT:

  • Before the GST came into effect, certain States had exempted the levy of VAT while many others, including Delhi, were reluctant to extend this benefit. 
  • While VAT was exempted for all Canteen Stores Department items, the Central Police Canteens in most States had to continue paying VAT.
  • The authorities cannot ignore the fact that the CAPF is working in difficult conditions across the country at grave risk to their lives.  

Conclusion:

  • While sale of indigenous products in CAPF canteens is a step in the right direction, the issue of ..........................

CLICK HERE FOR FULL EDITORIAL (Only for Course Members)

Online Coaching for UPSC PRE Exam

E-Books Download for UPSC IAS Exams

General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

THE GIST of Editorial for UPSC Exams : 23 June 2020 (New-age mobility (Indian Express))

New-age mobility (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 3:Economy 
Prelims level: Electric vehicles
Mains level: Improving transport system with sustainable development 

Context:

  • Electric mobility is a definitive way to retain this pristine air without compromising functionality. 
  • Continuing with the ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles with the same alacrity as in the past may never enable us to see AQI of about 50 in Delhi and Mumbai. 
  • A shift to electric mobility is imminent and long overdue in India just as the trends show for Europe, the UK, China and other countries.

Initiatives towards promoting electric vehicles:

  • There were indications of this shift at the recently concluded Delhi Auto Expo 2020. 
  • Electric vehicles were the most photographed or Instagrammed stars of the show. A range of electric buses, commercial vehicles, cars, e-scooters and e-bikes were on display.
  • Electric buses are making an appearance in large cities, stimulated by the incentives available to municipal bodies. 
  • People find the idea of an electric bus sans noise and pollution.......................

CLICK HERE FOR FULL EDITORIAL (Only for Course Members)

What is preventing electric cars from becoming the preferred option? 

  • The most cited reason is the lack of charging infrastructure. 
  • Our obligation to the Paris Agreement may fall short unless we make the transition to electric—big and swift.
  • We do have public chargers in most large cities in India.That’s because worldwide everyone charges their electric cars at home. 
  • Recharging an electric vehicle is unlike refuelling an ICE car. It’s a fundamental behavioural change that needs to sink in.
  • The electric cars we buy come bundled with a home charging kit. It’s like your own private petrol pump. 
  • The charger is installed next to the location where you park your car, whether your apartment is in a high-rise or an independent house. When we come back from work, plug the charger into our car and relax. 
  • Our car will be charged in a few hours. New-generation electric cars in India have a real-world driving range of 275-375 km. And if your commute is largely within your city, you are completely sorted for the week.
  • A smart home charger can be controlled through a mobile app. This means you can switch the charger on and off from your living room and don’t need to physically reach out to the charging spot or the car.
  • The app also gives you the current state of charge, cost, range, ability to charge with discounted off-peak rates (if offered by your discom), total monthly consumption, etc.
  • Public chargers are typically required for emergency top-ups or intercity journeys. 
  • Similarly, if we run low on charge within the city, we may find a public charger at a mall, a municipal public parking lot, a supermarket or even our workplace.
  • Operators like Tata Power, Fortum, etc, are putting up rapid chargers along highways, at malls, residential complexes, public parking lots, commercial complexes, etc. 
  • However, setting up ubiquitous charging infrastructure needs collaboration between the automakers, utilities, end-users or the community and government agencies—supported by a policy framework.

What can we do to make a difference now? 

Take an electric cab or bus:

  • Electric buses are being deployed on many routes these days by almost all city transport bodies. Similarly, there are a lot of options for e-cabs in all the big cities—Evera Cabs, BluSmart, Glyd, Lithium, Ryds, Meru and others. We will be comfortable, cocooned in silence and, more importantly, emission-free and guilt-free.

Encourage charging infrastructure:

  • Ask your municipality, organisation or RWA to put an EV charger in your premises. Have conversations with people who matter, the corporators, municipal officials, the society/RWA committee, etc. 
  • A potential buyer will be comforted to see a charger in the vicinity and this can swing her buying decision.

Drive an EV:

  • We have some gorgeous EVs in India, and more are waiting in the wings. Promise to buy an electric car as your next purchase. There are a lot of incentives like deeply discounted or free registration, free toll, free parking or similar such. 
  • Furthermore, an electric car is so much fun to drive—thrilling linear torque, no gears, noiseless operation, etc. Top that with low cost of running, low maintenance, low cost of ownership, and you have a winner on your hands.

Conclusion:

  • When we do buy an electric car. We have made a responsible choice. 
  • We are driving with the ultimate badge of honour—a green number plate...............

CLICK HERE FOR FULL EDITORIAL (Only for Course Members)

Online Coaching for UPSC PRE Exam

E-Books Download for UPSC IAS Exams

General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

Pages

Subscribe to RSS - trainee5's blog