Outcomes versus promises

Mains Paper:  2 | International Relations
Prelims level: 2+2 Dialogue
Mains level: While Russia is seeking to cement its relationship with India, the U.S. wants India to make strategic choices 

Context 

• Russian President Vladimir Putin’s whirlwind visit to Delhi earlier this month, lasting less than 24 hours.
• It came just a month after the visits, in September, of U.S. Secretary of State Mike R. Pompeo and Defence Secretary James N. Mattis to participate in the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue with their Indian counterparts, Sushma Swaraj and Nirmala Sitharaman.
• Summit, dialogue
• The summit between the Indian Prime Minister and the Russian President is now an annual event, the protocol having been agreed upon by Mr. Putin and Manmohan Singh in 2005. 
• In the 2009 meeting between Dmitry Medvedev and Mr. Singh the log-jam in the long pending sale to India of the Russian aircraft carrier, Gorshkov (since renamed Vikramaditya) could be resolved and, in the latest instance, the inking of the $5.4 billion S-400 Triumf missile defence system. 
• The recent 2+2 Dialogue between India and the U.S., on the other hand, is a new concept, and while it has been hailed as a path-breaking event paving the way for an avalanche of state-of-the art defence equipment from the U.S..
• The outcomes from this initial meet were clearly dwarfed by what took place during Mr. Putin’s visit.

The 2+2 Dialogue

• The 2+2 Dialogue a format the U.S. employs with some of its closest allies including Japan and Australia.
• It has given the impression that India has come within the U.S. orbit of influence, detaching itself further from Russia. 
• This impression is further heightened by India signing on to the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) recently.
• However India still fancies a close relationship with Russia, one of its and most dependable allies.
• The summit’s mega missile defence deal clearly took the shine off any promises made at the 2+2 Dialogue regarding future defence acquisitions from the U.S. Russia’s S-400 Triumf, possibly the best missile defence system in the world, comes with no strings attached.
• There is no Russian equivalent of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) in place.
• The S-400 Triumf can be deployed against all enemies, irrespective of any other defence choices that India might have.

Russian steadfastness

• There were several other concrete outcomes from the Putin-Modi summit.
• India and Russia signed on to a document to expand civil nuclear energy cooperation and agreed on a second site for Russian nuclear reactors. 
• They signed a memorandum of understanding on a joint programme in the field of human space-flight, enabling Indian astronauts to be trained in Russia.
• They also agreed on the virtues of a regional security architecture to provide security to all countries in Asia and in the regions of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
• This seemed to demonstrate a clear ‘mutuality of interests’.
• The 2+2 Dialogue, for its part, marks a paradigmatic change in the nature of India-U.S. relations.
• It hence needs to be viewed, more appropriately, as the culmination of a long-standing attempt by the U.S. to woo India, something that has been in the works for some time.
• As a prelude to this, the U.S. had renamed the Asia-Pacific as the Indo-Pacific. It had blocked more than $1.5 billion in U.S. security aid to Pakistan, allotting a mere $150 million in 2019.
• U.S.-India economic cooperation was stated to have grown exponentially within two decades, with the total goods and services trade between India and U.S. increasing from $11.2 billion in 1995 to $126.2 billion in 2017.
• U.S. foreign direct investment into India substantially increased during this period. The most important bait was India being accorded the status of a ‘major defence partner’.
• The underlying theme of the 2+2 Dialogue, notwithstanding all this, seems however, aimed at forging a possible containment of China strategy, with India partnering the U.S. in this effort. 
• The U.S., at present, perceives China as posing a major challenge to its supremacy, and ‘the most significant threat to U.S. interest from a counter-intelligence perspective’.
• Whether China was specifically discussed or not in the course of the 2+2 Dialogue, it was obviously the 400-pound gorilla in the room.

A setback for U.S.

• The U.S. has obviously been preparing for this for some time, unleashing a spate of allegations against China.
• These include an implicit reference to the threat China posed to other nations in the region, including India, given that China had the second largest defence budget in the world, the largest standing army, the third largest air force, and was rapidly expanding its navy. 
• Specific mention was also made by the U.S. to the Chinese navy’s ‘anti-access’ capabilities and its ‘area denial tactics.
• It possibly intended to warn countries in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) like India of the growing menace posed by the Chinese navy.

Post Cold war context 

• The situation is greatly complicated by the fact that the world today faces a post-Cold War situation. 
• The rise of China’s economic power and its growing military might, and the re-emergence of Russia are significant pointers to this situation. 
• The U.S., hence, no longer holds all the cards. Additionally, many existing precepts are undergoing changes. 
• The threat to the rules-based international order today comes as much from within existing democracies.

Conclusion 

• India needs to ponder deeply on what is in its best interests. 
• It should not allow itself to be easily persuaded in the belief that democracies, by and large, offer better choices.
• It should not reject, without due consideration, what is in its best interest.
• Its decision needs to be dictated by the cold logic of circumstances. 
• Strategic ambivalence is not an answer to the situation that India faces today. 
• Strategic integrity and autonomy, and mature strategic judgment are required in a world where disruption is the order of the day.

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UPSC Prelims Questions: 

Q.1) Which among the following countries is not the member of Eurasian Economic Union?
(a) Russia
(b) Belarus
(c) Kazakhstan
(d) Ukraine

Correct Answer: D

UPSC Mains Questions:
Q.1) To what extent relationship with Russia is important for India. Crucially examine as per post cold war scenarios. 
 

Cyclones Luban and Titli

The recent occurrence of two cyclones at the two coasts, Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea cause great havoc in the region. Luban cyclone after a brief stopover, become a severe cyclone in the west-central Arabian sea. Bay of Bengal, on the other hand, get the host of cyclonic storms Titli. Both the cyclones have been put under the severe categories. 

However, landfall of cyclone Titli over the eastern coast of India is very devastating. Squally winds with speeds reaching up to 90 Km/Hour and gusting to 100 Km/Hour are likely over the deep seas of the central and adjoining North Bay of Bengal the same day. 

Damages in the Eastern Coast-

• The most severely affected state by the Titli was Odisha. The storm affected 16 out of the 30 districts of the state. 
• More than 5 million people in the state were affected. Incidents of heavy rainfall and landslides are very common during this storm period. 
• The state has also seen immense infrastructural damage, which highlights the long term economic loss that accompanies natural disasters. 
• Andhra Pradesh also faces disaster because of Titli.  

What is tropical cyclones?

• Both the cyclones Luban and Titli put under the tropical cyclone category. Tropical cyclones inherently are more devastating and causes great losses.   
• Violent storms that originate over oceans in tropical areas and more over to the coastal areas bringing about large scale destruction due to violent winds (squalls), very heavy rainfall (torrential rainfall) and storm surge.
• In tropical cyclones, Irregular wind movement involving closed circulation of air around a low pressure center occur.
• This closed circulation is the result of Coriolis force due to the rotation of the earth.  
• Wind movements are anti clockwise in northern hemisphere and clockwise in southern hemisphere. 

Origin and development of Tropical Cyclone-

• Tropical cyclones have thermal origin and they develop over tropical seas during late summers.
• At these location the strong local convection currents acquire a whirling motion because of the Coriolis force. 
• India with a long coastline of 7516.16 Km is one of the worst affected regions, where it is exposed to 10% of the tropical cyclones in the world.  

Condition of Cyclonic Disaster Preparedness and Management in India-

• India is highly vulnerable to natural disasters especially cyclones, earthquakes and landslides etc.
• According to Home Ministry, nearly 8% of the total area in India is prone of cyclones.
• Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) is the nodal agency for the early warning of cyclones and floods.
• National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has already prepared national guidelines on management of cyclones. 
• Home Ministry has also launched National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) to upgrade the forecasting, tracking and warning about cyclones in states. 
• The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is the executing body that performs rescuing and managing relief work.

In 2016, a blueprint of National Disaster Management plan was unveiled to tackle disaster. According to plan, Ministry of Earth Science will be responsible for Disaster management of cyclones. By this plan, India has joined the list of countries which follow the Sendai framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-30.

Issues associated with Cyclone Disaster preparedness in India--

• The Indian disaster preparedness machinery largely focus over the post disaster relief works, more about management than prevention.
• Marginalized communities in the coastal regions are mostly ill-prepared and unable to cope-up with disaster.
• There is a lack of proper coordination between the central and state governments and its agencies. 
• There is also a lack of coordination between the local communities for search and rescue mission.  

Steps to be taken-

• There is a need to harmonize the national and local level disaster resilient by-laws, land use zoning, resource planning, early warning system establishments and technical competencies.
• Model of success stories like Built Back Better program of Gujarat Government after 2001 earthquake need to be inculcated.
• There is a need to move away from risk-blind approach to the risk-informed decision when comes to infrastructural projects. There is also a need for Disaster Risk Audit for future developmental project for both public and private entities. 
• Disaster management plan should be more inclusive that include women, civil society and academia. 

Way forward-

Natural phenomena are very unpredictive. What we can do is to prepare ourselves to mitigate the destructions caused by cyclones. But for that we need to come up with better technological aspirations. Strict command and coordinated structure along with the participation and cooperation of local communities are inevitable. 

Multiple Choice Question-

Q. Which of the following is/are the conditions for the formation of tropical cyclone?
1. Large sea surface with temperature higher than 27 degree.
2. A pre-existing high pressure area.
3. A high variations in the vertical wind speed.
i. Only 1
Ii. Only 1 and 2
Iii. Only 1 and 3
Iv. All the above
Answer is i 
Hint- Only 1 is correct.

Mains-

A question may be asked in GS 1 paper in geography section. There are also chances a question over disaster management from this topic itself. The format may be--
 
Q. India accounts for nearly 10% of all the tropical cyclones in the world. The country has progressed significantly in planning and managing this disaster effectively, but there still remains some drawbacks in the present situation. Comment.
 
Hint-- Here we need to put up a comprehensive view related to the topic. Start with the cyclonic situations in both the major coasts of India. Try to strengthen it with some name like Luban and Titli. In body try to mention important developments in cyclonic disaster management. Discuss major loopholes and conclude with a way forward. I have mentioned important points try to put them while writing answer.  

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Spotlight/News Analysis (20, October 2018):

UPSC IAS Mains Public Administration Solved Exam Paper - 2015

Paper - II

Time Allowed: Three Hours

Maximum Marks: 250

Section-A

Q1. Attempt all of the following in about 150 words each: 10×5=50

1. “Democracy within bureaucracy is likely to reduce its effectiveness.” Do you agree with this view? Argue your case. (for Answer Join Public Administration Online Coaching)
2. “District Collector’s role in the development process has been overemphasized.” Comment on the statement. (for Answer Join Public Administration Online Coaching)
3. Why has District Planning been marginalized in many States and remained prominent in a few States? Explain. (for Answer Join Public Administration Online Coaching)
4. “Ordinance-making power of the Executive needs to be suitably restrained.” Examine it critically. (for Answer Join Public Administration Online Coaching)
5. ‘Minimum government, maximum governance’ is not just a slogan but a philosophy of administration with enormous potentialities.” Do you agree? Give reasons for your answer. (for Answer Join Public Administration Online Coaching)

Q2.

1. To what extent has political culture influenced the administrative culture of India? Explain. 20
2. Briefly discuss the main recommendations of the Punchhi Commission (2010) on Centre-State relations for transforming Indian Federal System. 20
3. As Dr. B. R. Ambedkar observed, “the text of the Constitution can provide the organs of the State, but the final outcome of the governance process depends on how it has operationalized by the political parties and people”. Elucidate the statement. 10

Answers:

A. To what extent has political culture influenced the administrative culture of India? Explain. 20

Fred W. Riggs classified social structures into three types : fused, prismatic and diffracted and outlined features of administration in each of these categories. Administration is culture-bound and shaped by the environment in which it operates.

Administration is most immediately and prominently influenced by the political culture. The nature of political culture determines the nature of administrative culture. During British raj, Indian political system was centralized, and authoritarian. Therefore, administration too, was the same.

But after independence with the change of guard , political culture became democratic, and welfare-oriented. Therefore, administration ethos too changed in course of time.

Administration also influences political culture and helps in formulating governmental policies. The administrators provide different types of expertise and suggestions to the political executive in the course of the formulation of programmes and policies . Thus, administrative and political culture interacts each other.

B. Briefly discuss the main recommendations of the Punchhi Commission (2010) on Centre-State relations for transforming Indian Federal System. 20

The Commission on Centre-State relations under the Chairmanship of Madan Mohan Punchhi looked into the new issues of Centre-State relations keeping in view the changes that have been taken place in the polity and economy of India since the Sarkaria Commission had last looked at the issue of Centre-State relations over two decades ago.

Punchhi Commission recommended that the ISC must meet at least thrice a year on an agenda evolved after proper consultation with States.

The Commission also laid out the modalities for making the ISC an effective mechanism for intergovernmental dispute resolution.

Despite repeated assertions by different Commissions, the ISC has held only 10 meetings in the last 22 years of its existence and made tardy progress in addressing inter-State disputes.

UPSC IAS Mains Previous Years Public Administration Solved Exam Paper (i) - 2016

Paper-1: Section-A

Answer the following Questions in about 150 words each:

Q.1)

a) “Taylorism is considered very controversial despite its popularity.” (Stephen P. Waring) Comment.  (for Answer Join Public Administration Online Coaching)

b) “Public Administration is the translation of politics into reality that citizens see everyday.”(Donald F. Kettl and James W. Fesler) Explain.  (for Answer Join Public Administration Online Coaching)

c) “Morale can drive an organization forward or can lead to employees” discontent, poor job performance and absenteeism”.  (for Answer Join Public Administration Online Coaching)

d) “The autonomy of Public Corporations raised a great debate about their internal working and external relation with the Ministers and the Parliament.”  (for Answer Join Public Administration Online Coaching)

e) “In spite of certain advantages, Social Audit arrangements have mostly been ineffective because there is no legal provision for punitive action.”  (for Answer Join Public Administration Online Coaching)

Q.2)

a) “Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y describe two contrasting models of workforce motivation applied by managers in an organization.” Examine.  (for Answer Join Public Administration Online Coaching)

b) “The New Public Administration has seriously jolted the traditional concepts and outlook of the discipline and enriched the subject by imparting wider perspective by linking it closely to the society.” (Felix A. Nigro and Lloyd G. Nigro) Elucidate. 

Discretionary power of administrative agency is the right to make reasonable decisions by choosing from among acceptable choices.  Discretionary powers are conferred on administrative agencies because administrative agencies possess expertise and specialization to deal with matters delegated by legislatures to the agencies.

When a statute provides that an administrative agency has discretionary powers, it does not allow unlimited discretion.  Discretionary power can be exercised only in accordance with the statute. Administrative agencies can discharge discretionary functions within express or implied powers allotted to agencies by legislature.  Where a statute is clear and unambiguous, administrative agencies cannot disregard the statute.  Administrative agencies are not to exceed or ignore legislative limitations imposed upon agencies’ power.  Similarly, administrative agencies are not allowed to withhold its approval or authorization when statutory conditions for approval are met.

Administrative agencies are not supposed to exceed its power while exercising discretionary powers.  An agency which has been granted discretion by statute is expected to limit its discretion based on the regulations imposed by the statute.  When the legislature has provided a clear and unambiguous law, agencies are not justified in altering, modifying, or extending the reach of law.  Administrative agencies are expected to apply just and fair discretion. These agencies should comply with established principles of justice while exercising discretion.  It would amount to abuse of discretionary power if administrative agencies act arbitrarily, carelessly, fraudulently, or without factual basis.

Q.3)

a) “if the Regulatory Commissions…..are wholly independent, they are completely irresponsible for the doing of very important policy determining and Administrative work ….. on the other hand, to rob the commissions of their independence is seriously to menace the impartial performance of their judicial work.” (Cushman) Examine.  (for Answer Join Public Administration Online Coaching)

b) “Good governance is ensuring respect for human rights and strengthening democracy, promoting transparency and capacity in Public Administration.” (Kofi Annan) In the light of the statement, critically examine the criteria of good governance as provided by United Nations and Nayef Al-Rodhan. (for Answer Join Public Administration Online Coaching)

The United Nations is playing an increasing role in good governance. According to former UN Secretary- General Kofi Annan, "Good governance is ensuring respect for human rights and the rule of law; strengthening

c) “The legislative control over administration is not as effective as it ought to be”.  (for Answer Join Public Administration Online Coaching)

Q.4)

a)”Blake and Mouton defined leadership styles based on two dimensions-concern for people and concern for production.” In the light of statement, discuss the Managerial Grid Model. Explain with reason which one of the styles is the best.  (for Answer Join Public Administration Online Coaching)

The Blake Mouton Managerial Grid :

1.   Impoverished Management – Low Results/Low People

2.   Produce-or-Perish Management – High Results/Low People 

Reviewing the Competition Act

Mains Paper: 2 | Constitution 
Prelims level: Competition Act
Mains level: Network economies, virtual markets, the internet of things and the like call for a modern regulatory framework

Context 

• The Union ministry of finance has constituted a panel of experts to review the Competition Act/rules/regulations. 
• Periodic reviews of the Competition Act are important. 
• There has been no review of the current Act (2002) since its enactment. 
• The Raghavan Committee that formulated the need for a proactive competition law in lieu of the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act (MRTP), 1969, is of 1999 vintage.
• In fact, the review is overdue if the Act has to remain relevant. 

Crucial highlights about reviewing the Competition Act 

• Network economies, platforms, virtual markets, the internet of things, the increasing importance of non-tangible capital like patents.
• These call for a modern regulatory framework “in view of changing business environment” as the press release points out. 
• A few illustrations of the constraints imposed by the Act would help show how the prevailing legal framework can be a barrier when it comes to applying the economics of modern business to antitrust abuse.
• It is a major concern for the kind of globalized knowledge-based economy that India wishes to be. 
• The Raghavan Committee had highlighted competition and consumer welfare as the twin objectives of the Act, the preamble, in asserting competition and consumer interest, includes the rider, ‘keeping in view the economic development of the country”. 
• Innocuous as the statement is, it is open to interpretation in a way that protects domestic producers. 
• This is strengthened by the definition of consumer in section 2(f) of the Act. 
• The section includes both producer and the end consumer in the category of ‘consumer’ when a purchase is either for commercial use or for personal use. 
• Consequently, most cases of antitrust abuse roughly over 50%, in fact have been filed by producers. 
• To claim that these filings are on behalf of the end consumer is stretching the definition. 

Intervention in market pricing structures may end up protecting the competitor

• It has encouraged producers to ‘fire from the shoulders of the Commission’ as a strategy for meeting competition. 
• It has led to the emergence of perverse situations where ‘maximization of producer welfare’ is equated with maximization of total welfare. 
• This is against the well-established tenet of competition economics, maximization of consumer welfare. 
• As a result, pricing schemes, be they predatory or unfair pricing, (MCX-SX Vs NSE), are viewed from the perspective of a producer rather than that of the benefits/harm accruing to end consumers. 
• The optimal pricing solution is best arrived at by the interaction of demand and supply.
• The revenue model for an aggregator is from advertising. 
• Intervention in market pricing structures by the authority may end up protecting the competitor at the cost of competition. 
• To associate market power with dominance rather than look for the presence of entry barriers is a sure way to kill the emergence of business on platforms.
• Domination need not be associated with anti-competitive behaviour given the rapidly changing nature of technology where new innovation may disrupt the entire existing ecosystem.

Way forward 

• The Act defines dominance and market power in terms of the “ability to operate independently of competitive forces prevailing in the relevant market” (section 4 explanation) while section 19 (4) lists 13 factors that define dominance.
• It including any other factor the Commission wishes to consider. Seen with section 4, the operative section for ‘Abuse of Dominance’ the conditionality for market power is reduced to one of mere dominance. 
• If an enterprise is dominant, market power is considered inevitable. 
• This is dangerous for investment flows to digital markets where dominance is the norm. 
• Arguments of dominance ultimately depend on defining the ‘relevant market’ of antitrust abuse. 
• The relevant market (product) is with reference to substitutability or inter-changeability in terms of characteristics, their prices and intended use (section 2(t)). 

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UPSC Prelims Questions: 

Q.1) Which of the following is/are administered by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs?
1. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016
2. Competition Act, 2002
3. Companies Act, 2013
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: D

UPSC Mains Questions:
Q.1) Is a detailed Act necessary when business conditions are so fluid?
 

Amritsar disaster: avoidable tragedy

Mains Paper: 2 | Governance 
Prelims level: Amritsar disaster
Mains level: Responsibility must be fixed for the Amritsar disaster. Political spats won’t help 

Context 

• The ghastly Dasara disaster at Amritsar that has left 59 people dead is a harsh reminder, if any were needed, that government departments have not yet taken official protocols for safety at mass gatherings seriously.
• In the aftermath of the entirely preventable carnage, in which spectators crowding a railway track to watch burning of effigies were mowed down by a train.
• There is a frantic effort to pin responsibility on agencies and individuals, and, deplorably, to exploit public anger for political ends.
• Amritsar points to the basic failure of the district administration and the police, which should have ensured law and order.
• If the organisers of the event had obtained a no-objection certificate from the police, as reports suggest, what role did the law enforcement machinery play in crowd control?
• The Municipal Corporation in Amritsar has tried to distance itself, claiming that its permission was not sought, although almost everyone in the city knew it was taking place. 
• The magisterial inquiry ordered by the Punjab government should examine the actions of the revenue authorities and the police in organising the event, and whether rules were ignored to favour the organisers who claimed proximity to some politicians. 

Analysing the history 

• Major religious festivals in India are often overshadowed by deadly incidents such as stampedes and fires.
• The National Disaster Management Authority has responded to these horrors by creating a guide for State governments and local bodies, laying down a clear protocol to be followed for mass gatherings and festivals. 
• Whether this was followed by the Amritsar authorities in the planning of the Dasara celebrations is one of the questions that must be addressed. 
• There should be a transformation of the way such events are organised, with a lead agency in each State and district empowered to issue instructions, and in turn be accountable for public safety.
• There is a serious deficit of common spaces in cities, towns and villages to conduct spectacular events safely. 
• This is incongruous in a populous country with a tradition of festivals and cultural gatherings. 

Way forward 

• The Punjab government, wiser after the fact, says it will draw up guidelines for the future. At Amritsar, trespass on the track was the prime reason for the accident.
• A campaign to educate the public that railway tracks cannot be treated as commons, and vigorous enforcement, will reduce the probability of such incidents. 
• The Railways must identify hazard spots for train movement in heavily built-up areas and prevent trespass by barricading them. A culture of safety can take root if governments imbibe it first. 

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UPSC Prelims Questions: 

Q.1) Consider the following statements regarding Amritsar declaration. It’s about 

A.    The delegates from nearly 40 countries and leading groupings like EU participated in conference.  Indian delegation was led by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
B.    The theme of this edition of the conference was “Addressing Challenges, Achieving Prosperity.
C.    The three big issues of the conference were (i) countering terrorism to create stability in Afghanistan, (ii) Providing Afghanistan connectivity to strengthen economic activities and (iii) the development which is essential for its progress.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 2 and 3
(c) 3 only
(d) 2 and 3 only

Answer: B

UPSC Mains Questions:
Q.1) To what extent governments are responsible for Amritsar Disaster. Give your arguments in the answer.

We have failed our children

Mains Paper: 2 | Social Justice 
Prelims level: Human Capital Index
Mains level: While ‘Right to Education’ vastly expanded enrolment of children, not enough attention was paid to the quality of the schools, the teachers and the instruction. 

Context 

• According to some surveys, most people living in India report that they are happy. 
• The sense of contentment is despite the fact that jobs are scarce, the air is polluted, the water is unfit for drinking, the roads (except select national highways) are terrible, the law and order situation is alarming, and mob violence and mob justice seem to be the new normal.
• In approximately 49 crore children born and living in India who can claim a birth year in the 21st century.

Education and Health

• The World Bank publishes the World Development Report every year. 
• The 2019 report has constructed the HCI for 157 countries. 
• It is a measure of “the amount of human capital that a child born today can expect to attain by age 18”. 
• The index is measured in terms of the productivity of the next generation of workers relative to the benchmark of complete education and full health. 
• An economy in which a child born today can expect to achieve complete education and full health will score a value of 1 on the index.”

Crucial highlights about the data 

• Singapore occupies the first rank with an HCI of 0.88.
• The first 10 countries score over 0.80. They are Singapore, Republic of Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Finland, Ireland, Australia, Sweden, the Netherlands and Canada. 
• The ranks of the Big Five are good but not great: the United Kingdom (HCI 0.78) is at 15, France (0.76) at 22, the United States (0.76) at 24, Russia (0.73) at 34 and China (0.67) at 46.
• Ninety-six out of the 157 countries have an HCI score of over 0.51, which is a measure of the progress made by humankind as a whole.

Head Buried in Sand

• Among the remaining 61 countries that have an HCI of 0.50 or lower is India.
• India’s HCI is 0.44 and rank is 115. 
• That places India in the bottom third of the world. 
• The Government of India has decided to ignore the HCI and will continue to undertake its pathbreaking programme for human capital development aiming to rapidly transform quality and ease of life for all children.
• Nobody has accused the NDA government of being solely responsible for the low HCI. 
• All governments since Independence bear responsibility. What upset me is the unwillingness to admit to the shortcomings.
• The HCI is not a number plucked out of the air. It is based on six factors, each getting a score. In the case of India, given the average household income, the probability of a child surviving to the age of 5 is satisfactory at 0.96. The adult survival rate is reasonable at 0.83.
• What pulls India down are the ‘Learning adjusted years of school’ and ‘Fraction of children under 5 not stunted’. The score on the former is 5.8 years at school. On the latter, it is 0.62, meaning that 38 per cent of children under 5 years of age have a low height-for-age.

Cruel Negligence

• The HCI must be read along with the Global Hunger Index (GHI) published by Deutsche Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide.
• One out of seven children in India is undernourished; two out of five are stunted (low height-for-age); and one out of five is wasted (low weight-for-height). 
• The cause is undernutrition. On the one hand we have mountains of wheat and paddy and, on the other, we are unable to provide enough food to each child. 
• At the prodding of the National Advisory Council, the UPA acknowledged the need for State intervention and devised the MGNREGA and the Right to Food Security law. 
• The result is low HCI, high GHI (score 31.1, indicating ‘serious hunger’) and a low rank of 139 among 189 countries in the Human Development Index.

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UPSC Prelims Questions: 

Q.1) Consider the following statements with reference to Global Human Capital Index:
1. The index captures the full human capital potential profile of a country among five distinct age groups.
2. India ranks lowest among the BRICS countries.
3. It is released by World Economic Forum.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: D

UPSC Mains Questions:
Q.1) While ‘Right to Education’ vastly expanded enrolment of children, not enough attention was paid to the quality of the schools, the teachers and the instruction. Critically examine the statement. 
 

(VIDEO) Regulating Anonymous Donations : Rajya Sabha TV Big Picture Debate

Topic of Discussion: Regulating Anonymous Donations : Rajya Sabha TV Big Picture Debate

L'affaire Khashoggi 

Mains Paper: 2 | IR
Prelims level: Jamal Khashoggi
Mains level: There are limits to Saudi Arabia’s defiance even within the ambit of narrow national interest 

Context 

• The gory, gruesome and ghastly details of the last few moments in the life of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
• As reported in the government-controlled Turkish media, have reaffirmed the continuing validity of the universal truth: the pen is mightier than the sword.

Tokenism in reactions

• Saudi Arabia is defiant. It has warned all those who may be thinking of isolating or even moving sanctions against the regime with dire consequences. 
• Some token action is being taken by some western governments such as demanding a thorough, impartial inquiry into the incident. 
• The chief of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, has cancelled her participation at the ‘Davos in the Desert’ Conference, in Riyadh. 
• The U.S. Treasury Secretary has joined the boycott. 
• The outrage is universal in the developed world, though the developing countries seem to have decided their own counsel. 
• The Bretton Woods institutions will still need Saudi funding.

India’s deck of cards

• India does not have the kind of money to throw around as the Saudis have.
• If India needs their oil, they also need to sell it. 
• They need to sell as much oil as they can to continue with their disastrous misadventure in Yemen. 
• If India is forced to reduce the import of Iranian oil to zero in the next few weeks, India does not have to worry about alternate sources of which there are plenty, as the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas has assured us.
• Saudi Arabia has no choice but to continue to make up the shortfall, first, because it needs to sell its oil, but second and more important, it must do all in its power to weaken and destroy its mortal enemy, the leader of the Shias of the world. 
• As King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia told the U.S. a few years ago, “the head of the snake needs to be cut off”. If it becomes useful to befriend India in its relentless campaign against Iran, it will be a small price to pay.

Way forward 

• There is yet one more weapon that India can selectively use. 
• The U.S., France, Russia all have only one interest in India  to sell their extremely expensive war material. 
• They not only earn money, they even earn our gratitude. 
• The principle of national interest can run into conflict with respect to other higher principles especially in democracies. 
• Thus, the Khashoggi affair might eventually result in action in the U.S. Congress which the President then will have no option but to abide by.
• This is what happened in Congressional action against Russia and which Mr. Trump then had to follow. Vox populi will on occasion trump narrow national interest.

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UPSC Prelims Questions: 

Q.1) Famous Journalist Jamal Khashoggi is belongs to which Country? 
A.    Turkey
B.    Iran
C.    Saudi Arabia 
D.    Iraq
Answer: C

UPSC Mains Questions:
Q.1) Is there a lesson for India in the Saudi Arabian stance of defiance? 
 

Taliban surge: on Kandahar attack

Mains Paper: 2 | IR
Prelims level: Kandahar attack
Mains level: With the Kandahar attack, the militants strike a blow to Afghan election and peace processes 

Context 

• The attack on a high-level meeting inside the Governor’s compound in southern Kandahar on Thursday, killing top security officials, is yet another reminder of the sharply deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan. 
• In recent years, the Taliban had shown its capability to infiltrate official meetings and attack any government building, notwithstanding claims by the authorities of heightened security. 
• A year ago, the Kandahar Governor’s office had come under attack by militants, resulting in the death of a Deputy Governor, the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates and members of Parliament.
• Thursday’s assault happened at a meeting that was attended by General Austin ‘Scott’ Miller, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan. 
• U.S. troops later said he was unhurt, while Gen. Abdul Raziq, the Kandahar police chief, and Abdul Momin, the Kandahar intelligence chief, were killed. 

Consequences behind this attack 

• The Kandahar attack happened two days ahead of the much-delayed parliamentary election. 
• From the day the election dates were announced, the Taliban had warned those participating in the process. 
• The security situation is so dire in the country that one-third of the polling stations will not open on Saturday, election day.
• The Taliban has repeatedly targeted election offices and gatherings, killing at least 10 candidates and dozens of their supporters. 
• Afghan security forces will now have to deal with the fallout of the Kandahar strike. 
• The attack is a setback for the U.S. plan for direct talks with the Taliban as a way out of the 17-year-long conflict. Zalmay Khalilzad, the American special envoy to Afghanistan, recently met Taliban representatives in Qatar. 
• The push for talks comes from a realisation that the war has drifted into a stalemate and an outright military solution could be impossible. 
• The U.S. is trying to turn up pressure on the militant group through Pakistan. But this strategy will work only if the Afghan forces and their allies make some advances on the ground, and bring the Taliban under military pressure. 
• What is actually happening, as incidents such as the Kandahar attack suggest, is the opposite. 
• Both the U.S. and Afghan forces appear to be clueless about how to stop the Taliban’s advances.

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UPSC Prelims Questions: 

Q.1) Which among the following sites are associated with Ashokan art and architecture/inscriptions?
1. Dhauli
2. Maski
3. Kandahar
4. Girnar
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: D

UPSC Mains Questions:
Q.1) Recent attacks in Kandahar is matter of concerns for Afghan government and to destabilize the peace process. Critically examine the statement 
 

Keep the peace: on Sabarimala 

Mains Paper: 2 | Polity 
Prelims level: Sabarimala temple issue 
Mains level: The immediate task is to dial down the tensions over Sabarimala 

Context 

• The Sabarimala temple in Kerala in the last few days ought to persuade everyone, irrespective of where they stand on the Supreme Court’s recent verdict, of the importance of one thing: to keep the peace. 
• There is no dispute that the Supreme Court judgment allowing into the shrine the entry of all women, irrespective of their age, is the law of the land. 
• The popular protests that have consumed Kerala following the Supreme Court judgment have suggested there is a sizeable section of devotees of both sexes that believes women in the age group of 10 to 50 should not be permitted into the shrine. 
• This is no basis for devotees to prevent the implementation of the Supreme Court order, by threats and the unseemly use of force. 
• Not one woman has managed to enter the temple, with two of them being turned away just 500 metres from the shrine. 
• Faced with a threat by the head priest that the shrine itself would be closed if any of the women entered it, the police advised a woman journalist and an activist to turn back. 

Measures need to be taken 

• These developments do not augur well.
• Located in forest terrain, the shrine is accessible only from a few points, rendering it easy for protesters to stop vehicles and check for women in the 10 to 50 age group. 
• It transpires that two of the women who tried to enter the temple were activists.
• The State government has now declared that its protection is available only to genuine devotees and not those trying to make a statement. 
• Activists and non-devotees are legally entitled to visit the shrine, but in such a volatile atmosphere, little is gained and a lot is lost by merely attempting to score a point. 
• Everyone would do well to await the outcome of the review petitions before the apex court, even if the same issues resurfaced were the court to reiterate its verdict. 
• The State government, the Travancore Devaswom Board and the devotees should discuss ways of implementing the Supreme Court order instead of frittering away their energies on managing protests and conflicts on a daily basis. 

Way forward 

• If no solution is found soon, there is a risk that incidents may recur on any day when the shrine is open. 
• Next month, the temple will open again for a longer season, placing a question mark on the possibility of peaceful and incident-free worship for devotees.
• It is important that everyone works together to ensure that such fears are unfounded.

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UPSC Prelims Questions: 

Q.1) Sabarimala in kerala is a famous place that devoted to?
A.    Kotilingeshwara 
B.    Muthappan
C.    Aiyanar
D.    Ayyappan 
Answer: D

UPSC Mains Questions:
Q.1) What is the Sabarimala issues? What are the measures need to taken up by temple authority to resolve the issue? 

The end of digital history

Mains Paper: 3 | Science and Technology 
Prelims level: Indigenization of technology
Mains level: Indigenization of technology and developing new technology. Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nanotechnology, biotechnology 

Introduction 

• One of the digital planet’s many pleasures is that it has many distinct mountaintops.
• Different locations have offered different advantages: The US, Europe, China and India. 
• But that era might be coming to an end. 
• We may be en route to digital unipolarity as all the others cede the high ground to China. 
• Chances are, we are witnessing a phenomenon I shall call the end of digital history. 
• If digital history were the process by which we converge towards a technological utopia of algorithmic efficiency, social order and productivity, then we might be approaching this end as well. 
• This time the end-state might be one exemplified by an emerging China.

Analysing the situation 

• The world’s digital topography thus far. 
• The US, of course, is the pinnacle of digital innovation.
• In addition to its free-wheeling spirit, it is abundant in dorm rooms and garages, and college dropouts who abandon the former for the latter. 
• It also has many venture capitalists eager to throw money at a college dropout as long as every other venture capitalist is doing the same. 
• Europe, on the other hand, has always been the place where people have a healthy respect for history: Cathedrals and cobblestones over “smart” streetlights and self-driving cars. 
• The Europeans could be relied on to ensure that we didn’t let all this delirium about innovation overtake an old-fashioned concern for privacy and placing controls on the wanton generation, consolidation and harvesting of data. 
• By making the early move with a data protection framework, Europe had claimed the privacy mountaintop. 
• At the other end of the planet, China has people, and lots of them. 
• With 800 million of its citizens on the internet, the Chinese are wantonly generating, consolidating and harvesting data. 
• In turn, this data is digital fuel for the artificial intelligence machine that will power China’s ride up to its own mountaintop.

From India’s perspective 

• India’s hill climb has always been a more complex one to describe. It has people, poverty and phones resident in a noisy democracy. 
• While its e-commerce potential may be mouthwatering for investors, its true contribution may well be a framework that balances digital empowerment and digital productivity; this is a balance that has proven elusive elsewhere. 
• As the country’s top tech visionary, Nandan Nilekani, has written recently in Foreign Affairs, India’s intent is to give its citizens “technical and legal tools required to take back control of their data”.

The empowerment toolbox components  

• A digital infrastructure designed as a public good; users with ownership of their data; “data fiduciaries” who are consent managers acting in the users’ interest; a “stack”,
• The world’s largest applications programming interface that would allow developers and entrepreneurs, public and private, to build products and services.
• Aadhaar, a foundation enabling efficient verification of each user’s identity. 
• With 1.2 billion people signed up to this biometric identity system, India seemed poised to climb its mountain. 
• The other grand nationwide initiatives, however, the execution fell shy of the vision. 
• The identity database has not proven to be secure and has raised fears of abuse by those in power or exploited for commercial use. 
• It has already failed in several instances, for a host of reasons from technical difficulties to the biometrics being hard to read.

Way forward 

• India is not alone in ceding its digital high ground. 
• China may set new standards in privacy protection as long as you overlook the notion that the state knows everything. 
• Beijing is reportedly reproducing aspects of Europe’s data protection rules, but it is going further by requiring that its citizens’ data be held within China.
• Europe, in the meantime, will focus on compliance and regulation and continue to struggle to re-establish an innovative mindset, one it has lost for two decades. 
• China is laying the groundwork for beating the US at its own game. 
• The US; it produces 4.7 million STEM graduates versus 5,68,000 in the US each year.
• Chinese-origin authors produce anywhere between a quarter to a third of all scientific papers; and, most importantly, it has a government that plans two steps ahead and a president who has a job for life without the annoying disorderliness of democracy. 
• The US, in the meantime, is struggling to deal with its growing angst about its digital companies and their many foibles while its government has all but abandoned investing in innovation for the long term.
• The digital planet’s high points US, Europe, India  are losing ground to China. 
• Unless governments, visionaries and entrepreneurs in each of these locations wake up and smell the coffee.
• A digital planet with a mountaintop in a single location doesn’t seem like a particularly exciting place, especially one that works with clockwork precision under the watchful eyes of a central planner. 
• It would be the end of digital history. Francis Fukuyama, the end-of-history progn

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UPSC Prelims Questions: 

Q.1) With reference to Bitcoins, consider the following statements:
1. The value of the Bitcoins is based on a basket of currencies.
2. In India, only the entities approved by the Reserve Bank of India can transact in Bitcoins.
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: D

UPSC Mains Questions:
Q.1)  Increasing protectionism in the West and the rise of new digital technologies pose challenges and opportunities for India’s IT services industry. How should India weather these challenges? Examine.

The anatomy of banking frauds

Mains Paper: 3 | Banking  
Prelims level: NPA 
Mains level: Issues relating to improving the banking system 

Introduction 

• The latest Financial Stability Report of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) shows, the Indian banking system reported about 6,500 instances of fraud involving over ₹30,000 crore in the last fiscal. 
• The state-run lender took a hit of about ₹12,000 crore. 
• Several other cases of large banking frauds were reported subsequently, which raised questions about the ability of banks, especially in the public sector, to contain them. 
• It is in this context that the analysis of the top 100 banking frauds by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), released this week, is important.

What CVCs are looking for?

• The CVC needs to be commended for this as it will help improve the general understanding of banking frauds. 
• It analyzed frauds in different sectors and has also suggested measures that will help avoid such unscrupulous activities in the future.
• The most audacious among the cases mentioned was that of the fixed deposit (FD) fraud. 
• The fraudster presented himself as a bank representative to companies and government organizations. 
• For banks, he became a financial advisor of those organizations and managed to mobilize large bulk deposits.
• He gave fake term deposit receipts (TDRs) to depositors. 
• The miscreant later opened loan accounts in the name of the depositors by giving fictitious documents and original TDRs and took the money away.

Improving the banking intelligence and other technology system 

• Most frauds show that banks did not do proper due diligence, both before and after disbursing loans. 
• The FD fraud, for example, shows the poor level of checks and balances in the banking system. Therefore, in order to check frauds, banks will need to improve their due diligence capabilities. 
• This will lead to better credit appraisal and also help contain non-performing assets (NPAs). As the financial system evolves, expands and gets more sophisticated, banks will need to be better prepared to avoid frauds. 
• It is also important that banks leverage technology to detect frauds and improve the sharing of information. 
• Further, like the PNB fraud, it is likely that in some cases bankers may have been complicit in frauds.
• However, law enforcement agencies should tread with care so that they don’t end up creating an environment of fear, affecting the flow of credit to productive sectors.

Way forward 

• By improving capabilities in the banking system, accountability of third-party service providers such as auditors and lawyers should also be fixed.
• India needs a system where auditors and other professionals vetting fake documents are not able to escape. 
• This is necessary as large frauds can increase reluctance in the banking system to lend, affecting the flow of credit.
• In this context, the CVC has rightly noted: “Bank must immediately delist such third valuers, Chartered Accountants/ Chartered engineers, Advocates etc. who have questionable credentials/ have been negligent in their professional duties or have caused financial loss to the bank by their willful acts of omission/ commission/dishonesty.”
• Some of the recent frauds and the accumulation of NPAs in the system show that Indian banks need significant improvements in operation and governance standards.
• Both the government and the regulator would do well to work with banks to improve the overall structure.

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UPSC Prelims Questions: 

Q.1) Consider the following statements about the Central Vigilance Commission:
1. Central Vigilance Commission consists of chairperson and not more than two members.
2. Salary, allowances and other conditions of services of the Central Vigilance Commissioner are similar to those of chairperson of UPSC.
3. The jurisdiction of the CVC does not extend to managers and above in general insurance companies.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 2 only
d) 3 only
Answer: A

UPSC Mains Questions:
Q.1) How to Improving the banking intelligence and other technology system to lower down the NPAs and stabilize the banking system as well?