(The Gist of PIB) Historic reforms initiated in the Space sector

Historic reforms initiated in the Space sector

• Union Cabinet approved far reaching reforms in the Space sector.

Major objectives:

• It aimed at boosting private sector participation in the entire range of space activities.
• The sector will receive new energy and dynamism, to help the country leapfrog to the next stages of space activities.
• This will not only result in an accelerated growth of this sector but will enable Indian Industry to be an important player in global space economy.
• There is an opportunity for large-scale employment in the technology sector and India becoming a Global technology powerhouse.

Key highlights:

• The newly created Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) will provide a level playing field for private companies to use Indian space infrastructure. It will also hand-hold, promote and guide the private industries in space activities through encouraging policies and a friendly regulatory environment.
• The Public Sector Enterprise ‘New Space India Limited (NSIL)’ will endeavour to reorient space activities from a ‘supply driven’ model to a ‘demand driven’ model, thereby ensuring optimum utilization of our space assets.
• These reforms will allow ISRO to focus more on research and development activities, new technologies, exploration missions and human spaceflight programme.
• Some of the planetary exploration missions will also be opened up to private sector through an ‘announcement of opportunity’ mechanism.

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Courtesy: PIB

(The Gist of PIB) Annual TB Report 2020

Annual TB Report 2020

• Union Minister for Health released the annual TB Report 2020. He also released a Joint Monitoring Mission (JMM) report, a manual on Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to TB patients under NIKSHAY system, a Training Module, and the quarterly newsletter NIKSHAY Patrika.

The key achievements listed in the Report include:

• Around 24.04 Lakh TB patients have been notified in 2019. This amounts to a 14% increase in TB notification as compared to the year 2018.
• Achieving near-complete on-line notification of TB patients through the NIKSHAY system.
• Private sector notifications increased by 35% with 6.78 lakh TB patients notified.
• Due to easy availability of molecular diagnostics, the proportion of children diagnosed with TB increased to 8% in 2019 compared to 6% in 2018.
• Provision of HIV testing for all notified TB patients increased from 67% in 2018 to 81% in 2019.
• Expansion of treatment services has resulted in a 12% improvement in the treatment success rate of notified patients. For 2019 it is 81% compared to 69% in 2018.
• NIKSHAY also expanded the provision of four Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) schemes of the programme including of Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) to TB patients.

Ranking of states:

• For the first time Central TB Division (CTD) introduced a quarterly ranking on TB elimination efforts by all the states and UTs.
• In the categories of larger states with more than 50 lakh population, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh were awarded as best performing States.
• In the category of smaller states with less than 50 lakh population, Tripura and Nagaland were awarded.
• In the category of Union Territory, Dadara and Nagar Haveli, and Daman & Diu were chosen as the best performers

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Courtesy: PIB

Q. Write a note on Ghurye’s conception of caste in India. 10 Marks/2019

Q. What is caste politics? Substantiate your answer with examples of how identities are defined by caste dynamics. 20 Marks/2019

Q. What do you understand by discrete castes and muddled hierarchies? Substantiate your answer with suitable illustrations. 20 Marks/2018

Q. Has caste system hindered democracy and adult franchise in India. Discuss. 20 Marks/2018

Q.Which is more significant, the principal of ‘hierarchy’ or the principal of difference; in intercaste relations in the present day? 10 Marks/2017

Q.How have the struggles against untouchability changed their forms and perspective from Gandhian to Ambedkarite positions? 10 Marks/2017

Q.What are the changes in the cultural and structural aspects of the caste system since independence? 10 Marks/2017

Q. How has B.R. Ambedkar identified the features of caste system? How is it different from the mainstream treatment of caste features? 20 Marks/2016

Q. Discuss Andre Beteille’s account of the relationship between caste, class and power as a change from symmetrical to asymmetrical one. 20 Marks/2016

Q. Louis Dumont’s perspective on Indian caste system. 10 Marks/2015

Q. How far Gandhi ji was trusted by the untouchables. 10 Marks/2015

Q. Is caste system changing, weakening or disintegrating in India? 20 Marks/2015

Q. How far Srinivas’s Sanskritization is modernizing force or traditionalizing force in understanding the changes in caste system? 10 Marks/2015

Q. Discuss B.R. Ambedkar as a wise democrat. 20 Marks/2015

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Sociology Mains Optional Study Notes

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Q. Elaborate Srinivas’s views on religion and society among the Coorgs. 10 Marks/2019

Q. Give an account of Ranajit Guha’s approach in studying ‘subaltern class’10 Marks/2019

Q. Write a note on G.S.Ghurye’s Indological perspective of understanding Indian society. 10 Marks/2018

Q.Analyse A.R. Desai’s views on India’s path of development. 20 Marks/2018

Q.Write a critique of the structural and functional perspective used by M.N. Srinivas in the understanding of Indian society. 10 Marks/2017

Q. Salient features of A.R. Desai’s Marxist Sociology. 10 Marks/2016

Q. Discuss Marxist approach to the analysis of Indian nationalism. 20 Marks/2015

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Social Movements

Q.Are social movements primordial in means and progressive in agenda? Explain.10 Marks/2018

Q.What is new in ‘new social movement‘? Elaborate your answer with special reference to India.20 Marks/2017

Q.Examine the role of protest movements in changing the status of Dalits in India. 10 marks/2016

Q.To what extent revolution replaces the existing order of society? Discuss. 10 marks/2016

Education System & Social change

Q.Discuss the issues of access and exclusion in higher education in India. 10 Marks/2019

Q.Schooling does not ensure upward mobility of all members of this society. Discuss with reference in class societies. 20 Marks/2018

Q."Education is a major source of social mobility in contemporary society." Explain. 20 marks/2016

Q.“Education helps in perpetuating social and economic inequalities.” Critically examine the statement. 20 marks/2015

Science and Technology

Q.Critically analyse the role of science and technology in bringing about social change.20 marks/2017

Social change in Modern Society and Development

Q.Critique A.G. Frank’s ‘development of underdevelopment’. 10 Marks/2019

Q.Feminist scholars argue that ‘New media’ is masculine and hence reinforces structural hierarchies rather than reconfiguring them. Comment. 20 Marks/2019

Q.Does collapse of functionalism and bankruptcy of Marxism coincide with the rupture of modernity? Discuss.20 Marks/2018

Q.Is the theory of cultural lag valid in present times? Discuss.10 Marks/2018

Q.Assess the role of mass media as an agent of social change.10 Marks/2017

Q.Examine any two theories of social change in detail society.20 Marks/2017

Q.“Social conflict is both a cause and a consequence of social change”. Explain.10 Marks/2016

Q."Social change can be brought about through development." Illustrate from the contemporary situation of India”.  20 marks/2016

Q.Explain the relevance of the idea of ‘cultural lag’ in understanding social change.10 Marks/2015

Q.Examine the dialectical relation between tradition and modernity in the study of social change. 20 marks/2015
 

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Q.What, according to Irawati Karve, are the Major difference between North Indian and South Indian Kinship system? 10 Marks/2019

Q.In the light of judicial intervention on ‘Live-in relationships’, discuss the future of marriage and family in India. 20 Marks/2019

Q.What are the new forms of family in developed societies? Discuss.10 Marks/2018

Q.Define patriarchy. How does patriarchy manifest in interpersonal relations?20 Marks/2018

Q.Distinguish between family and household with reference to the concept of development of the household.20 Marks/2018

Q.Examine ‘patriarchal bargain‘as gendered division of work in contemporary India.10 Marks/2017

Q.Examine the relationship between the contemporary trends in marriage and changing from of family.20 Marks/2017

Q.Discuss the regional variations of kinship system in Indian society.20 Marks/2017

Q.To what extent is patriarchy a cause for the problems of women? Discuss.10 Marks/2016

Q.Discuss the contemporary trends in family as a response to social change in modern society. 20 marks/2016

Q.Distinguish between family and household as sociological concepts. 10 marks/2016

Q.Is male authority absent in matrilineal society? Discuss. 10 marks/2015

Q.How do the rules of descent and alliance in kinship differ from each other? Illustrate. 10 marks/2015
 

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RBI’s Dilemma (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 3:Education 
Prelims level: Monetary Policy of RBI
Mains level: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment

Context:

• Over the past few months, the RBI, along with the monetary policy committee, has undertaken a slew of measures to arrest the economic slowdown, and address the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
• Their actions are guided by multiple considerations like inflation and growth management, debt management and currency management.
• All these have exposed the limitations of and the inherent contradictions in the central banking framework in India.

Monetary policy:

• Take the monetary policy function. The MPC is guided by the goal of maintaining inflation at 4 plus/minus 2 per cent. 
• Since February 2019, the MPC has, and rightly so, attached primacy to reviving growth, lowering the benchmark repo rate by 250 basis points. 
• However, in its August policy, despite dire growth prospects, it chose to maintain the status quo. 
• This decision was driven, in part, by elevated inflation which continues to average above the upper threshold of the inflation targeting framework. 
• This raises the question: At the current juncture, should the MPC be driven by growth considerations or should short-term inflation concerns dominate?
• That there is considerable uncertainty over the trajectory of inflation is beyond debate. But at its core is a question: Is COVID inflationary or disinflationary? 
• Will it be inflationary in the short run (retail inflation is elevated largely due to supply dislocations) but disinflationary over the medium term (with demand falling)? 
• Or does the MPC believe that it will remain inflationary over the medium term with supply-side disruptions outweighing the effects of a fall in demand?

Rise in inflation:

• In large part, the current rise in inflation (CPI had fallen from January to March) is driven by supply-chain dislocations owing to the lockdowns. 
• This is evident from the growing disconnect between the wholesale and consumer price index. 
• Since April, while WPI has been in negative territory. 
• CPI has been elevated, indicating, excess supply/low demand at the producer/wholesale level but excess demand/low supply at the retail/consumer level, suggestive of dislocations in the intermediate supply chain. 
• Accepting this implies that the spurt in retail inflation will be temporary, and it will begin to trend lower as these disruptions ebb.
• Monetary policy is supposed to be forward looking. 
• So, if on balance, COVID is likely to be disinflationary over the medium term, although this will show up with a lag, then there is a case for looking beyond the current spike in retail inflation. 
• And given the collapse in the economy and that the transmission of rate cuts takes time, it tilts the balance in favour of further easing. 
• Worries of lower rates translating to higher future inflation may prove to be misplaced considering the extent of the fall in demand, the idle capacity in the system, and the little pricing power of producers.

Structural challenges:

• Considering that the MPC expects inflation to trend lower in the second half of the year (presumably due to easing of supply side disruptions), its stance in the August meeting was puzzling. 
• The MPC’s mandate is to deliver stable inflation over long periods of time, not just a few months. 
• Yet, it would appear as if it is more concerned about elevated inflation in the short run. 
• Will a few more months of data end its uncertainty that this is not a cyclical deviation but a structural downshift? Perhaps. 
• Unless the current MPC believes that it has approached the limits of conventional easing.
• One could also argue about the inefficacy of monetary policy at the current juncture, and thus the limited options before the committee other than to hold, and keep the power dry.
• But this argument is driven more so by the absence of policy levers available to the committee other than the repo rate. 
• Expanding the range of policy levers available to it may well render this argument void.
• Equally puzzling is the refusal to provide any firm projection of future inflation. 
• While there is considerable uncertainty over economic conditions, surely, the committee members are basing their decisions on some expectation of future inflation and growth. These should have been publicly disclosed. 
• While it is possible that the minutes of the MPC meeting shed light on their expectations, ideally, all MPC members should provide their individual estimates of inflation and growth.
• This growth-inflation conundrum is just one part of the story. 
• The current crisis has also brought to the fore the inherent contradictions between the MPC’s operations, and the RBI’s debt and currency management functions, pointing towards a larger structural challenge.

Key interventions:

• As manager of the government debt, the RBI is tasked with ensuring that the government’s borrowing programme sails through smoothly. 
• To this end, it has carried out several rounds of interventions popularly known as operation twist. 
• These interventions involve the RBI buying longer-dated government bonds, while simultaneously selling an equivalent amount of shorter-dated securities — pushing down long-term Gsec yields, and exerting upward pressure on short-term yields as a consequence. 
• In doing so, the RBI ended up doing exactly the opposite of what the MPC was trying to achieve by cutting short term rates, well before it reached the lower limit of its conventional policy response.
• Further, the RBI’s interventions in the currency market — intervening in order to prevent the rupee from appreciating — have constrained its ability to carry out open market operations as these would have led to further liquidity injections into the system. 
• Put differently, its debt management functions have run up against its currency management functions. 
• Underlining the complexity of all this is the talk of sterilisation — the opposite of injecting liquidity in the system.

Conclusion:

• The central bank must develop a clear strategy on what to do. At the one end, it is legally bound to an inflation target. 
• Yet, at this juncture, there is a strong argument to look past the current spurt in inflation, and test the limits of both conventional and unconventional monetary policy. 
• At the other end, while it may want to intervene to prevent the rupee’s appreciation, in doing so, it is constricting its debt management functions which will have its own set of consequences. There are no easy answers.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1) With reference to the dividend payment by Reserve Bank of India, consider the following statements:

1. The RBI board recently approved the transfer of Rs 57,128 crore as surplus to the central government for the accounting year 2019-20
2. There is no act/ rules specifying that any profits made by the Reserve Bank from its operations to be sent to the Centre.

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) Discuss the quantitative and qualitative tools opted by RBI for maintaining the liquidity in the market and changes brought by RBI to stabilise financial market like cut in Repo Rate, providing Moratorium etc and limitations of RBI.

New Policy, Old Mindset (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 2:Education
Prelims level: National Education Policy 
Mains level: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education

Context:

• School teachers, particularly in India, are caught in a strangely paradoxicalsituation — they are reveredand ridiculedat the same time. 
• The framing of teachers and perceptions around their work is rooted in mistrust. 
• Hence, the rhetoric to closely supervise, monitor and hold them accountable has now become the norm rather than an exception.

Importance of teachers:

• The National Education Policy 2020 reiteratesthe importance of teachers and aspires for outstanding students (mentioned 9 times in this section, without explaining what it really means) to choose the teaching profession. 
• Several measures are suggested for the same including scholarships, housing, ensuring “decent and pleasant” conditions in school and providing opportunities for their continuous professional development (CPD). 
• The measures are good and need to be carried out. However, there are three key assumptions in this section which must be examined. 
• One, outstanding candidates, if attracted to the teaching profession will enhance the quality of education. 
• While one agrees with this assumption, one is not convinced with the measures suggested in the NEP to attract “outstanding” talent. 
• They indicate minimal conditions for teachers to work and can hardly be seen as making any value addition to their professional lives. 
• In fact, security of tenure and salary of a government school teacher is a definite attraction for most people, but in the neo-liberal regime, even that is under threat. 
• So why would “outstanding” youngsters be interested in making this career choice? 
• Linked to this is the oft-repeated idea of “passion” amongst teachers, as if passion alone will see teachers through and improve the quality of education.

Key assessment:

• Two, a comprehensive system of teacher assessment will lead to greater efficiency and accountability on the part of teachers. 
• There is value in developing a system of assessment which will be used to reward some teachers and motivate others. 
• But would it be fair to assess (based on peer reviews, attendance, commitment, hours of service to CPD and other forms of service to the school and community) all teachers by the same yardstick when they are working in starkly varying conditions? 
• None of the parameters listed take cognisance of the backgrounds of children they teach. 
• For example, students of teachers equipped with social and cultural capital will do well even with minimal inputs from the teachers, and vice versa. 
• Moreover, to entirely discredit the experience gained by teachers which comes with years of service may not be appropriate.
• Three, good teacher education programmes would prepare good teachers. 
• One can hardly contest this assumption, but the question is whether that alone will ensure effective teaching and meaningful learning in the classroom. 
• For example, an outstanding teacher could crumble under pressure if her class has a huge number of students. 
• Similarly, a teacher trained in a rigorous programme may also excessively depend on one textbook, if the externally designed student-assessment system is tightly tied to that book.

Linking with performance:

• In the current context, there is increasing talk of connecting teacher accountability with externally tested learning outcomes of students, irrespective of the differences among them. 
• Excessive monitoring through use of CCTV cameras, techniques such as deep breathing, meditation to calm their mind, and equating an enabling environment with personal attributes such as passion and motivation will be tested. 
• In the current environment, records/documentation take precedence over teaching and the educational discourse is repletewith voices which support the hiring of under-paid teachers. The morale of all teachers is low.
• Despite variations in social contexts, if one were to understand how Finland, the world’s finest education system, transitioned from mediocre academic scores to outstanding results, one will find teachers at the centre of reforms. 
• Good salaries, regular increments, rigorous entrance exams, professionally valued degrees for teachers, autonomy in curriculum development and student assessment are part of this reform process. 
• However, the one remarkable feature which stands out is the implicit belief that teaching, caring and educating children is a highly demanding job and cannot be measured by quantitative measures alone. 
• Therefore, even if students do badly, unwavering trust in teachers ensures that they are never in the radar of suspicion.

Conclusion:

• Implementing these ideas in our context may require a 360-degree change in mindsets, may confront several obstacles and take time, but that’s exactly what our education system requires. 
• A turnaround of our attitude and policies towards teachers.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1) With reference to the organic farming, consider the following statements:

1. India ranks first in number of organic farmers and ninth in terms of area under organic farming. 
2. Kerala became the first State in the world to become fully organic. 

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). Highlights the role of teachers under National Education Policy. How it is different from existing education policy? 

Peace is precious (Indian Express)

Mains Paper 3:Security 
Prelims level: National Socialist Council of Nagalim
Mains level: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security

Context:

• The new controversy over the 2015 Framework Agreement between the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM), is a rewind to past Naga grievances— flag and sovereignty. 
• Now, one more is added to the list of grievances- the Naga group wants a new interlocutor. 

Parallel government:

• The framework agreement did not address the details of the contentious demands. 
• The differences that existed on these issues between the Centre and the NSCN(IM) are well known. 
• The NSCN(IM), with which the government has been dealing for nearly 25 years, has declared it no longer trusts the interlocutor, R N Ravi, who it has accused of alteringthe original framework agreement. 
• It is pertinent that this new turn in the Naga peace process was triggered after Ravi, recently expressed concern about “armed gangs” in the state “running a parallel government” and extortion rackets. 
• The NSCN(IM) called the letter “despicable” and incompatible with the spirit of the framework agreement.

Slipping away:

• Governor Ravi’s words appeared to reflect interlocutorRavi’s frustration that a peace agreement that should have been wrapped up long ago.
• Prime Minister has been keen to reach an agreement quickly — is being delayed by the NSCN(IM). 
• The impatience has been evident from last year, when Ravi, within months of being appointed governor last July, blamed the “procrastinatingattitude” of the NSCN(IM) for the delay. 
• When Ravi was appointed governor, it was welcomed by all sides as a decision that could push the framework agreement in the right direction. 
• In hindsight, it seems it would have been better not to combine the two offices in one individual, as the two roles demand different functioning styles. 
• From the beginning of the Naga peace process, the role of the interlocutor has been low profile, in keeping with the demands of the complex, protracted negotiations.
• The governor, on the other hand, occupies a constitutional office, and is a public persona, and his remarks, especially if addressed to the state government, take on political meaning.

Conclusion:

• But the gains of the 25-year-old peace process are real, and too important to be fritteredaway in a clash of personalities. 
• A majority of Nagas still trust Ravi as an able interlocutor. The NSCN(IM) is the largest rebel group, and a durable peace in the Northeast would be impossible without it. 
• Centre and NSCN-IM should keep the conversation going, show wisdom and sagacityto conclude agreement.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1). With reference to the Price Monitoring and Resource Unit (PMRU), consider the following statements:

1. It will function at the State level under the direct supervision of the State Drug Controller for increasing outreach of NPPA. 
2. PMRUs are societies registered under the Societies Registration Act having its own Memorandum of Association/ Bye laws. 

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). Briefly explain the Naga crisis, along with initiatives taken to resolve the issues.

Privatisation via graded autonomy (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:Education 
Prelims level: National Education Policy
Mains level: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education

Context:

• The Indian Cabinet approved the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, despite vehementopposition to several of its provisions that were earlier circulated as a draft policy document. 
• Among these provisions is the phasing out of the system of affiliated colleges and the grant of greater autonomy in academic, administrative and financial matters to premium colleges, and essentially, to the top ranked universities of the country.

Politico Bureaucratic interference:

• This measure has drawn on the long-standing anxieties about the perilsof politico-bureaucratic interference in the internal functioning of universities. 
• Concerns about the substantial burden on universities which have to regulate admissions, set curricula and conduct examinations for a large number of undergraduate colleges. 
• Likewise, concerns have long existed about over-centralisation, namely, the constraints imposed on the potential for premium affiliated colleges to innovate and evolve. 
• Notably, drawing on such concerns, the earliest inclinations towards autonomy were reflected in the recommendations of different education committees from the 1960s onwards. 
• In its report, the Mahajani Committee on Colleges (1964), for example, took the position that one way of improving the standard of higher education in India was by giving them what might be called for want of an ‘autonomous’ status”.

Perils of Autonomy:

• Even while solutions to apprehensionsabout over-centralisation were being discussed by stakeholders, these came to be used by successive governments to build a case for the model of graded autonomy. 
• This model has adverse ramifications for accessibility, equity and quality for the higher education sector.
• In recent decades, a form of policy discourse has clearly developed in which the dominant opinion holds that the state cannot be expected to pay for the education of all. 
• Correspondingly, there has been a serious lack of development of educational infrastructure to meet the rapidly increasing demand for higher education. 
• In response to the widening gap between the demand and supply for education, successive governments have pushed through measures that have largely allowed for greater penetration of private capital in higher education. 
• Due to this, there is persistent decline in per-capita government allocation of funds towards education. 
• Consequently, private colleges and universities have grown in number, and there has been a rapid expansion of the open and distance learning (ODL) education.

Unequal structure:

• In line with these developments, recommendations of recent education commissions have promoted the already existing unequal structure of funding for higher education. 
• It has perpetuated the prevailing hierarchy in higher education along the lines of “centres of excellence” or metropolitan Central government-funded universities, provincial Central government-funded universities, regional universities and colleges funded by State governments, etc. 
• The National Knowledge Commission (2005) stated that undergraduate colleges are constrained by their affiliated status.
• The problem is particularly acute for undergraduate colleges that are good, for both teachers and students are subjected to the ‘convoy problem’ insofar as they are forced to move at the speed of the slowest. 
• In fact the design of courses and examinations needs to be flexible.
• Rather than bringing lower-grade affiliated colleges at par with premium colleges, recent commissions and high-powered committees have taken to projecting the relatively equitable funding from the Central/State government, common syllabi and evaluation systems, standardised teacher recruitment rules, etc. as fetters. 
• In turn, the dominant policy discourse vocally propagates “graded autonomy” for better performing Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs). 
• Academic excellence can be supported through grant of special funds whilst allowing greater power to such institutions to grant degrees, start new self-financed courses, decide on fee structure, hire and fix the pay of non-tenured teachers independent of the regulatory authority, etc. 
• This paradigm has been gradually enforced with the UGC in 2018 granting public-funded universities the right to apply for autonomy. 
• This will be based on whether they are ranked among top 500 of reputed world rankings or have National Assessment and Accreditation (NAAC) scores above 3.26.

Strengthening hierarchies:

• In its current form, NEP 2020 as introduced by the NDA government is a curious combination of enhanced centralising features and specific features of autonomy. 
• The thrust towards deeper centralisation is indicative in the constitution of the government nominated umbrella institution, Higher Education Council of India (HECI).
• The new apex body, the National Education Commission, that is responsible for “developing”, “implementing” and “evaluating” the “educational vision of the country”. 
• Meanwhile, the power extended to premier educational establishments to design new courses, award degrees, among other features, represent the so-called prized features of autonomy.
• The issue of autonomy is the key to unravelling the inherent problem with NEP 2020 in matters of higher education. 
• By engaging with the multi-fold ramifications of this provision, a lot can be gleaned on the heavy cost that the common masses will pay in terms of growing inaccessibility of higher education. 
• Importantly, the model of graded autonomy is not based on universalisation of educational resources and equal access to quality higher education.
• It is based on furthering the prevailing hierarchy that exists between different colleges within a public-funded university, and between different universities across the country. 
• The best colleges gain the autonomy to bring in their own rules and regulations, and graduate to a privileged status whereby they enjoy the benefits of special funds from the newly proposed funding agencies.
• It is estimated that affiliated colleges with lower rankings and less than 3,000 students face the threat of mergers and even closure. 
• Such collateral damage contradicts targets set for higher gross enrolment ratios. 
• A shrinking of the number of public-funded colleges will only further push out marginalised sections and relegate them to low-grade private colleges and/or to informal education in the ODL and online modes.

Conclusion:

• The possibility of enhanced inaccessibility of quality higher education looms large.
• The fact that the independent rules and regulations of autonomous institutes shall curtail transparent admission procedures, which guarantee underprivileged students a share of seats in prestigious institutions. 
• Similarly, graded autonomy can be expected to trigger a massive spurt in expensive self-financed courses as premium colleges, as well as struggling affiliated colleges, strive to chalk out their financial self-sufficiency. 
• This will expectedly lead to significant expenditure by the individual learner. 
• And under the new proposed four-year undergraduate programme, the exclusion will simply manifest itself in the pushing out of disadvantaged sections. 
• More than deliverance, autonomy represents the via mediafor greater privatisation and enhanced hierarchization in higher education.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1). With reference to the salmonella bacteria, consider the following statements:

1. The salmonella bacteria resides in animals. 
2. Salmonella bacteria can transmit to humans only through air. 

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 are key provisions included are the New Education Policy? What are its relevance and concerns associated with this?

Data power (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2:Governance 
Prelims level: Not much 
Mains level: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability

Context:

• An investigative report by The Wall Street Journal last week has raised troubling questions about whether Facebook goes easy on hate speech violations by BJP leaders so as to be on the right side of the ruling party. 

No action:

• The Journal refers to the case of the BJP’s Telangana MLA, who, it says, has not been yet removed from FB despite his controversial posts about Muslims that were found to be in violation of its own rules and also deemed dangerous. 
• Elsewhere, Facebook reportedly does remove people with such profile and problematic actions from the platform. 
• In this case, the supposed reason for not acting against Mr. Singh is more problematic than the lack of action itself. 
• For, the Journal’s report goes on to say that Ms. Ankhi Das, Facebook’s Public Policy Director in India, was against taking these posts down as well as those of three others. 
• She reportedly told her colleagues that “punishing violations by politicians from Mr. Modi’s party would affect the company’s business prospects in the country”.

Raising political tussle:

• The report has predictably raised the political temperature, with the Congress demanding a joint parliamentary probe. 
• Some of its leaders have even alleged that this amounts to interfering with Indian elections. 
• Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who heads the Parliamentary panel on IT, has summonedFacebook. 
• The BJP has accused the Congress of trying to manipulate data with Facebook’s help. 
• This ought not to end as the usual war of words between two political rivals. 
• For, there is little doubt that this report raises uncomfortable questions about the possibility of an unholy nexusbetween those with the power to influence millions of people and those in power. 
• That too in the only country with a billion-plus population that is open to business for such Internet companies. 
• It is difficult to deny that the protagonist is a powerful social network, which till date carries the taint of being the source of the data which the political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica, illegally harvested in its quest to sway elections. 
• Sure, social media platforms in general, having grown rapidly with little content of their own, have struggled on the question of moderating comments and posts. 
• This, however, is much beyond the question of capability. The nature of the relationship between Facebook and the Government, and the rules governing it, are now under a cloud.

Conclusion:

• There is a need to dispelmisgivings about Facebook lobbying in the corridors of power. Only a full-fledged inquiry can help reveal the truth.
• India cannot allow a nexus between influential tech giants and powerful politicians.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1) With reference to the ‘International Left Handers Day’, consider the following statements:

1. Every year August 13 is marked as ‘International Left Handers Day’.
2. It was first observed in 1976 by Dean R. Campbell, the founder of Left-Handers International Inc.

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) Do you think India shouldn’t allow a nexus between influential tech giants and powerful politicians? Comment. 

Need for transparency: On PM CARES Fund (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 2: Governance 
Prelims level: PM CARES
Mains level: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability

Context:

• There is something about the nature of the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund that has led to demands for its scrutiny.
• Recently, Supreme Court has rejected a writ petition calling for a funds diversion from this fund to the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). 
• It also denied the petitioners’ demand that the “public charitable trust” be audited by the CAG. 
• The larger questions remain about its need, operation and its persisting lack of transparency. 

Transparency or accountability:

• A three-judge Bench asserted that no exception could be taken to the constitution of yet another public charitable trust at a time of a raging COVID-19 pandemic. 
• But the need for a fresh trust when there is the PM’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) with a substantial corpus in place is not clear. 
• Since the PM CARES Fund existed independent of budgetary support or government money, the Court’s reasoning was that there was “no occasion” for a CAG audit. 
• However, the concern is not about the legal basis or the absence of a CAG audit, or whether it is superfluous or indeed essential. 
• As responses to RTI queries on the Fund reveal, the government is not forthcoming on questions on its transparency or accountability. 
• Queries on the trust deed for the Fund, and its creation and operation have been summarily dismissed by arguing that the Fund was not a “public authority” even though the PM is its ex-officio chairman and three Cabinet ministers are its trustees. 
• And, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs had also treated it as a fund set up by the Centre.

Rising infections and deaths:

• Since the trust was created, lakhs of public and private sector employees have donated a day’s salary to it, with some of them claiming that this deduction was done without their explicit consent.
• Many public sector units and corporate entities too have made donations because of a proviso allowing uncapped corporate donations that would qualify as corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditure. 
• Earlier, a government panel had rightly suggested that the double benefit of tax exemption would be a “regressiveincentive”. 
• Thus far, the exact amount of donations and a clear break-up of the expenditure from the fund have not been provided. 
• Only an announcement that in May that ₹3,100 crore had been sanctioned from it to be spent on ventilators, migrant worker welfare and vaccine development. 
• States have led the response to COVID-19 and their resources have increasingly been stretched by the continuing rise in infections and deaths, which have crossed the 2.8 million and 54,000 mark, respectively. 
• At the very least, RTI requests that seek to understand how funds are being received and how they are being disbursed so far should be seen as legitimate. 

Way forward:

• Also, more needs to be done by the government to publicise donations to the more accountable NDRF which allows for a transfer of funds to States.
• The government must not stallqueries related to the operation of the PM CARES Fund.

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Prelims Questions:

Q.1). Consider the following statements:

1. An IAS officer serving in cadre (state) should submit his/her resignation to the chief secretary of the state. 
2. An IAS officer who is on central deputation is required to submit his/her resignation to the Cabinet secretary. 

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 are the key features of PM CARES fund? As PM CARES fund is different from National Disaster Response Fund, do you think the apex court ruling is justified? Comment.

(Notification) UPSC Central Armed Police Forces (Assistant Commandants) Examination, 2020

1. An impartial and independent conciliator assists the parties in resolving their dispute amicably. Discuss the provisions of law relating to conciliation. (10/II/7a/30)

2. Distinguish between ‘Foreign Award’ and ‘Conventional Award’. With the help of case law. (10/II/7b/30)

3. Examine the legal recognition of ‘Digital Signature’ and explain the procedure for this registration under the Information Technology Act. (10/II/8a/30)

4. “Competition Law needs to have  necessary provisions and teeth to  examine and adjudicate upon anti- competitive practices.” Examine and  evaluate this statement in the context of the Competition Act, 2012.  (11/II/7a/30)

5. The rise of Environmental Crimes in spite of Environmental Legislations is due to absence of adequate punitive methods of sentencing.” Discuss. (11/II/7b/30)

6. Passing of property and delivery of goods are two different concepts.” Explain with the help of provisions of The Sale of Goods Act and case aaw. (11/II/8b/30)

7. What is securing of digital signature under the Information Technology Act, 2000? State the duty of distance of the Certifying Authority. (11/II/8b/30)

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Printed Study Material for IAS PRE cum Mains General Studies

1. Corporate causing havoc to the wildlife 85 (Main) Law—Topic Wise Paper existing on seashores is an extreme type of environmental crime and laws are almost non-existent to deal with them directly. Discuss. (13/II/8b/25)

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Printed Study Material for IAS PRE cum Mains General Studies

1. Public Interest Litigation has been a-significant tool in protecting the-environment. Discuss with the help of-cases. (10/II/6b/30)-
2. “Ratification is a kind of affirmation of-unauthorized acts.” Critically examine.-Is there any different between ‘agency-by estoppel’ and ‘agency by-ratification’? Discuss. (11/II/ 6a/ 10)
3. A Central Government Medical-Research Institute in collaboration with-an MNC used a drug on experimental-basis on humans for curing cancer.-Some of the patients died due to this-drug. In order to sue for compensation-for such victims and violation of right-to privacy, Mr. X, a relative of a-deceased patient sought information-through the instrumentality of Right to-Information Act. The information was-refused on the ground that it affects the--contracting power of the Central-Government with foreign companies-and violates trade secrets too. Decide.-(11/II/6b/30)
4. Q refused to marry her boyfriend P,-resulting into P’s depression. Mr. R, a-friend of P, suggested him to take-revenge with an intention that P will-come out of shock. R provided with a-bottle of liquid believing it as acid. P-mistook X to be Q in darkens and threw-it on her (X) causing rashes on the face-of X, which later resulted into serious-injuries. The investigations revealed that-it was not acid but was a concentrate of-fungicide. Decide the liability of P and-R in the case, keeping in mind that-defence which may be available to P and-R. (13/II/4b/25)

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Printed Study Material for IAS PRE cum Mains General Studies

(The Gist of PIB) World Sickle Cell Day

World Sickle Cell Day

• The World Sickle Cell Day is being observed on June 19, 2020. It is observed each year to raise public awareness about the sickle cell disease and its treatment methods.

Sickle Cell Anaemia:

• It is characterized by a modification in the shape of the red blood cell from a smooth, donut-shape into a crescent or half-moon shape.
• These cells lack plasticity and can block small blood vessels, impairing blood flow. This condition leads to shortened red blood cell survival, and subsequent anaemia, often called sickle-cell anaemia.
• This leads to chronic acute pain syndromes, severe bacterial infections, and necrosis (tissue death).
• It is very common in African regions.
• It can be managed by simple procedures including high fluid intake, healthy diet, folic acid/Iron supplementation, pain medication, vaccination and antibiotics for the prevention and treatment of infections and a number of other therapeutic measures.
• World Sickle Cell Day:
• World Sickle Cell Day is a United Nation’s recognised day to raise awareness of sickle cell at a national and international level.
• In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution that recognises sickle cell disease as a public health problem and “one of the world’s foremost genetic diseases.”
• The resolution calls for members to raise awareness of sickle cell on June 19th of each year at national and international level.

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Q.Are all world religions patriarchal? Substantiate your answer with examples. 20 Marks/2019

Q.Discuss the challenges thrown by religious revivalism to a secular nation-state.10 Marks/2018

Q.What is sects? Discuss their role in multi-religious societies with empirical examples.20 Marks/2018

Q.Give an assessment of Durkheimian notion of ‘scared’ and ‘profane’ in sociology of religion. 10 Marks/2017

Q.Problematise the concept if secularism in the present context.10 Marks/2017

Q.Elaborate on various types of religious practices prevalent in India society.10 Marks/2017

Q.Is religion playing an important role in increasing fundamentalism? Give reasons for your answer.10 Marks/2016

Q.How is Durkheim's theory of religion different from Max Weber's theory of religion? 20 marks/2016

Q."Religious pluralism is the order of present-day societies." Explain by giving suitable examples.  20 marks/2016

Q.Distinguish between sects and cults with illustrations.10 Marks/2015

Q.Define Secularisation. What are its major dimensions in the modern world?20 Marks/2015
 

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Sociology Mains Optional Study Notes

UPSC Exam Complete Study Materials (Pre, Mains, Interview COMBO Study Kit)

Q.What is civil society? Present a note on civil society engagement with science and technology policy in India. 10 Marks/2019

Q.What are the theoretical models of societal power? Which one of them is most applicable in advanced industrial societies? 20 Marks/2019

Q.Discuss the concept of circulation of elite. 10 Marks/2019

Q.How is terrorism a new form of asymmetrical warfare? What are some of the challenges in trying to win the war on terrorism? 10 Marks/2019

Q.What, according to Pareto, are the basic characteristics of elites? Discuss. 10 Marks/2018

Q.Discuss the changing interface between state and civil society in post-independent India.10 Marks/2017

Q.Examine the dynamics of pressure group in multi-party political system.10 Marks/2017

Q.Discuss the importance of power elite' in democracy.10 Marks/2016

Q.“Ideology is crucial for social transformation in a democracy.” Discuss.10 Marks/2015

Q.Explain the conditions under which a collective action transforms into a social movement.20 Marks/2015

Q.Caste ideology appears to have strengthened democracy. Comment.10 Marks/2015

Q.“Globalization involves deterritorialization .” Examine with reference to the nation-state.”20 Marks/2015
 

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Sociology Mains Optional Study Notes

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 Q.What is ‘reserve army of labour’? Present the position of feminist scholars on this.  10 Marks/2019

Q.What is ‘informal labour’? Discuss the need for and challenges in regulating informal labour in the post-industrial society. 20 Marks/2019

Q.Discuss the nature of social organization of work in capitalist society with reference to the Limits of the working day.20 Marks/2018

Q.What is labour commitment? Discuss it with reference to studies of manufacturing industry.20 Marks/2018

Q.What do you understand by informalisation of labour ‘? Write your answer with special reference to India.10 Marks/2017

Q.Trace the changing nature of organisation of work in capitalist society over the years.20 Marks/2017

Q.Describe the nature of social organization of work in industrial society.10 Marks/2016

Q."Globalization has pushed the labour into informal organization of work." Substantiate your answer with suitable examples. 20 marks/2016

Q.Distinguish between the social organization of work in feudal society and in capitalist society.10 Marks/2015

Q.The increasing importance of the tertiary sector has weakened the formal organization of work in recent times. Examine the statement. 20 marks/2015

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