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(Current Affairs) National Events | September: 2015

National Events

Modi’s Ambitious Skill India Mission

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious Skill India mission is expected to be a mass campaign involving the youth to encourage them to take up skilling and vocational training to improve their employability.

  • The mission, which will be launched on Wednesday by the Prime Minister, is likely to see a large turnout of Union ministers including the finance minister, railway minister as well as chief ministers.

  • “Nearly 18 ministers including Union ministers as well as chief ministers would be attending the event,” said a senior government official, adding that a large number of private skill trainers would also attend.

  • Invitees from the private sector include Tata Group chairman Cyrus Mistry, Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra, chiefs of industry associations as well as Teamlease Services chairman Manish Sabharwal and Romesh Wadhwani of the Wadhwani Foundation.

  • The Skill India mission, which is being launched on the World Youth Skills Day, will also be simultaneously launched by state governments.

  • “While a number of chief ministers will be in New Delhi, each of the states too will launch the Mission to create awareness amongst youth about the need for skilling,” said the official.

  • Data from the Census 2011 and 68th round of the National Sample Survey revealed than an estimated 10.4 crore fresh workers would enter the labour market and require skill training by 2022, and 29.8 crore of the existing workforce will require additional skill training over the same time period.

  • Accordingly, the government now plans to skill 40.2 crore workers by 2022 and a number of schemes including the new National Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 2015, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana and the skill loan scheme will be launched.

  • The Prime Minister will also unveil a new logo and slogan for the Skill India mission and give out letters of employment to some of the students who have successfully undergone skill training.

Antrix site was outsourced

  • More than a day after the website re-routing went public, the home page of ISRO’s Antrix Corporation was not yet up.
  • There was no official update or information on what action was being taken.
  • For those looking for information on antrix.gov.in, the message until 9 p.m. on Monday was, “ This site is under construction. Come back soon .”
  • The “redirecting” of Antrix’s homepage to jdcentwine.org - or American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, a large Jewish humanitarian aid body — went public on Sunday afternoon.
  • According to a couple of sources who spoke about the incident, the Antrix site shows the latest date as 13 July 2015. Before that, it does not appear to have been updated after January 20, 2015 — almost seven months back. One source said he had visited it over five weeks back.
  • Although ISRO does not call it a hacking act, any unauthorised web entry and changing of its content amounts to it said Mirza Faizan, Co-Founder of the Global Cyber Security Response Team.
  • Sites related to sensitive agencies of the Departments of Space, Defence R&D and Atomic Energy are obvious targets.
  • The Antrix site was being hosted by an external contractor based in Bengaluru. Interestingly, this host’s site also showed that it was under construction, Mr. Faizan said. Did the compromise happen there?
  • The obvious question is: Should the hosting of the website of a strategic agency be outsourced?

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The Gist of Kurukshetra: September 2015

The Gist of Kurukshetra: September 2015

Agrarian Policies and Programmes A Solution for Strengthening Rural India

Agriculture has been feeding entire world’s population. Agriculture has been at the focal point of rural life for centuries. The rural economy was almost exclusively determined by agricultural activities at the time of India’s independence. As the country moved on an economic growth path in the post-independence era and the rural economy diversified, the dominance of the agricultural sector in the overall economy has slowly declined over the years. Yet, the socio-economic structure of India can be observed from the fact that the majority of the country’s population depend on agriculture for their livelihood. According to census 2011, 68.9 percent (83.3 crore) population is still rural. The agriculture sector contributed more than half the output of the Indian economy when the country embarked on its First Five-Year Plan in 1950-51. Over a period of seven decades, the share of agriculture has gradually declined to less than 15 percent. Despite its shrinking share in national income and losing dominance in rural income, the performance of the agriculture sector remains a matter of central concern to policymakers and the public at large. The main reasons for this are: (1) more than half the total workforce in the country remains employed in this sector and it is a source of livelihood for a majority of the population; (2) the performance of agriculture is much more important than other sectors for inclusive growth and for reducing poverty (Ravallion and Datt 1996; Datt and Ravallion 1998; Virmani 2008); (3) the performance of agriculture determines the food and nutrition security of the population of the country; (4) the growth of agriculture has a significant bearing on food and overall inflation and macroeconomic stability; and (5) much of trade, commerce and industrial activities are linked to agriculture.

The crisis in the Indian agricultural sector cropped up as a result of privatization, liberalization and globalization during nineties. The major impact of these changes was on the small farmers, the major farming community of the country. Farm saved seeds were replaced by corporate seeds which needed fertilizers and pesticides. Agriculture became a costly affair. The Indian small farmers failed to adjust with these challenges. Managing finance for the agricultural work became a difficult task. Understanding the problems that have cropped up in farming, some small farmers gave up farming and shifted to other occupations. The farmers who failed to cope up with these changes were driven to suicide in the depressed state.

Selected Articles from Various News Paper: Civil Services Mentor Magazine - September 2015

Selected Articles from Various Newspapers & Journals

The OROP struggle

Thousands of ex-servicemen converged on the national capital over the past weekend to protest against the delay on the part of the government in announcing a firm timeline for the implementation of the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme. Others have gone on a relay-hunger strike across the country, saying they would do so till their demand is met. In the run-up to the 2014 elections and after, the Bharatiya Janata Party held out several assurances on OROP, raising expectations among the community of veterans. OROP is meant to bring parity among retired military personnel based only on rank and tenure and irrespective of the date of retirement. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi accepted in his “Mann Ki Baat” broadcast, the government had underestimated the complexity of the process. One of the major concerns of the government as it works out the details relates to similar demands that could potentially come from the Central police and paramilitary forces. The logic of OROP stems from the fact that unlike in other government services where the retirement age is 55, 58 or 60, in the military services a soldier retires around 35. So extending the scheme to non-military cadres will nullify its very rationale. In order to pre-empt any legal issues in the future, the government is working to call it military pension, making it a provision that applies only to the armed forces. Another issue relates to allocating finances for the immediate rollout phase and making the necessary provision for enhancements in future. Wary of any bid by the government to redefine OROP, veterans are demanding that it stick to the accepted definition.

UFA 2015: Civil Services Mentor Magazine - September - 2015

UFA 2015

Two important international conferences were organised in Ufa (Russia) in july. One is Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which is an intergovernmental international organization founded in Shanghai on June 15, 2001 by six countries – China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Analyst believe that SCO can transform the idea of Eurasia into reality. Its member states cover an area of over 30 million sq. km, or about three fifths of Eurasia, with a population of 1.455 billion, about a quarter of the world’s total. Its working languages are Chinese and Russian. First meeting of Shanghai Five countries, which include China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikistan, happened in 1996 in shanghai and the next in moscow. Thereafter, this annual meeting became a regular practice and had been held alternately in the five states. On the fifth anniversary of the Shanghai Five in June 2001, the heads of state of its members and the President of Uzbekistan met in Shanghai, the birthplace of the mechanism. First they signed a joint declaration admitting Uzbekistan as member of the Shanghai Five mechanism and then jointly issued the Declaration on the Establishment of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. According to the SCO Charter and the Declaration on the Establishment of the SCO, the main purposes of SCO are: strengthening mutual trust and good-neighborliness and friendship among member states; developing their effective cooperation in political affairs, the economy and trade, energy, working together to maintain regional peace.

The SCO has not accepted any new members since its initial formation in 2001. Nonetheless, the organization has managed to expand rapidly by granting states “observer” and “dialogue partner” status to countries. Before this summit there were five observer states, namely, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Iran, India, and Pakistan. India and Pakistan has been given full membership in Ufa summit. The process for formal inclusion into SCO will take place in 2016. Various benefits will come to India from this summit:

  • This will open up economic opportunities as well as highly important energy sector from central Asia to India;
  • SCO will provide a platform to fight the terrorism and curb the menace of ISIS;
  • SCO will also provide the opportunity to engage in solving the problem of security in Afghanistan;
  • SCO will be helpful in finalising the long held projects like TAPI pipeline;

The Gist of Yojana: September 2015

The Gist of Yojana: September 2015

Yoga: Right Path to Health and Wellnes

Yoga is a spiritual discipline based on an extremely subtle science, which focuses on bringing harmony between mind and body. It is an art and science of healthy living. The holistic approach of Yoga is well established and it brings harmony in all walks of life and thus, known for disease prevention, health promotion and management of many lifestyle -related disorders. The term ‘Yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘Yuj’, meaning ‘to join’ or ‘to yoke’ or ‘to unite’. As per Yogic scriptures, the practice of Yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with that of the Universal Consciousness, indicating a perfect harmony between the mind and body, man and nature. The aim of yoga is self-realization, to overcome all kinds of sufferings leading to ‘the state of liberation’ (Moksha) or ‘freedom’(Kaivalya). Living with freedom in all walks oflife, health and harmony are the main objectives of yoga practice.

The number of seals and fossil remains of Indus Saraswati Valley civilization with yogic motives and figures performing Yoga Sadhana suggest the presence of yoga in ancient India. The phallic symbols, seals of idols of mother Goddess are suggestive of Tantra Yoga. Presence of yoga is available in folk traditions, Indus Saraswati valley civilization, Vedic and Upanishadic heritage, Buddhist and Jain traditions, Darsh anas, epics of Mahabharat including Bhagavadgeeta and Ramayana, theistic traditions of Shaivas, Vaishnavas, and Tantric traditions. Though yoga was being practiced in the pre-Vedic period, the great Sage Maharshi Patanjali systematized and codified the then existing practices of Yoga, its meaning and its related knowledge through his Yoga Sutras. After Patanjali, many Sages and Yoga Masters contributed greatly for the preservation and development of the field through their well documented practices and literature.

The widely practiced Yoga Sadhanas (Practices) are: Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana (Meditation), Samadhi /Samyama, Bandhas & Mudras, Shat-karmas, Yukta-ahara, Yukta karma, Mantra japa, etc.

Yamas are restraints and Niyamas are observances. These are considered to be pre-requisites for the Yoga Sadhanas (practices). Asanas, capable of bringing about stability of body and - mind , consists in adopting various body (psycho-physical) patterns, giving ability to maintain a body position (a stable awareness of one’s structural existence) for a considerable length and period of time as well. Asanas are widely practiced Yogic practices for healthy living.

Pranayama consists of developing awareness of one’s breathing followed by willful regulation of respiration as the functional or vital basis of one’s existence. It helps in developing· awareness of one’s mind and helps . to establish control over the mind. In the initial stages, this is done by developing awareness of the ‘flow of in-breath and out-breath’ (svasa-prasvasa) through nostrils, mouth and other body openings, its internal and external pathways and destinations. Later, this phenomenan is modified, through regulated, controlled and monitored inhalation (svasa) leading to the awareness of the body space/s getting filled (puraka), the space/s remaning in a filled state (kumbhaka) and it’s getting emptied (rechaka) during regulated, controlled and monitored exhalation (prasvasa). Pratyhara indicates dissociation of one’s consciousness (withdrawal) from the sense organs which help one .to remain connected with the external objects. Dharana indicates broad based field of attetion (inside the body and mind) which is usually understood as concentration. Dhyana (Meditation) is contemplation (focussed attention inside the body and mind) and Samadhi - integration.

Bandhas and Mudras are practices associated with pranayama. They are viewed as (the) higher Yogic practices mainly consisting on adopting certain body (psycho-physical) patterns along with (as well as) control over respiration. This further facilitates control over mind and paves the way for higher yogic attainment. Shat-karmas are de-toxification procedures, help to remove the toxins acumalated in the body and are clinical in nature.
Yuktahara (Right Food and other inputs) advocates appropriate food and food habits for healthy living. However, practice of Dhyana (Meditation) helping in self-realization leading to transcendence is considered as the esssence of Yoga Sadhana. However, ‘a judicious combination of practice of asana, pranayama and dhyana daily, keep individuals healthy and disease free.

Using Yogic principles and practices for healing is called “Yoga Therapy”. Use of Yoga practices for therapeutic purposes is a ‘by-product’ of Yoga. Yogic Practices are mind centric and if we examine different references of Yoga, e.g. Upanishads, Gita, Yoga Sutra, classical Hatha Yoga texts or any other yogic texts, it is clear that Yoga is a discipline aimed for freedom of mind and its different faculties. The Mind, which is an instrument of perception, is used to ‘transcend’ itself to give the perceiver clarity about its position. Though, there is no reference of yogic tools available directly dealing with illness in the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, the word “Vyadhi” which means illness is given as one of the “antardya-s” (obstacles) (Chapter 1 Sutra 30). There are of course, direct references available to show how Kriyas, Asanas, Pranayamas and Mudras can be used to cure illnesses in Hatha Yoga Texts such as Hatha-yoga pradipika, GherandaSamhita, Yoga Yajnavalkya Samhita, Yoga Rahasya, etc. It is over the years, Yogdcdrya-s have developed the systems of Yoga for therapy purposes. They are passed on to their disciple and practiced as ‘Traditions of Yoga Therapy’.

The Yoga Therapy: Doctrines and Concepts

  • Doctrine of “Chitta-vrittinirodha”, “Kriyayoga” and “Astanga” as found in Patanjal’s Yoga Sutras.
  • Doctrine of “Panch ako sh a” (five sheathslbodies) as found in Upanishads.
  • Doctrine of various kinds of “Shuddhi” found in Patanjali Yoga Sutra and Hathayoga.
  • Doctrine of opening blocked channels of vayus and prana (nadishuddhi), opening of lotuses and chakras, pranayamas, mudras and dristis as found in Hathayoga and Kundalini Yoga.
  • Working with the mind on the lines of Patanjali Yoga Sutra, Mantra Yoga and Hathayoga.
  • Working on the lines of “Karm a-Jn ana-Bhakti” from Bhagawadgita.
  • Certain aspects of Tantra Yoga also get integrated in various Yoga practices.

Yoga therapy is being practiced now as an alternative healthcare practice in many parts of the world. The number of Yoga practitioners continues to rise tremendously. Of the many benefits ascribed to Yoga practice, blood pressure control is among the most studied. Yoga therapy has also been found to improve indices of risk in adults with type 2 diabetes, including glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, lipid profiles, anthropometric characteristics and blood pressure. It also leads to a reduction in oxidative damage; improve coagulation profiles and pulmonary function, and decreases sympathetic activation in adults with diabetes and related chronic disorders. Yoga may also be useful in reducing medication requirements in patients with diabetes and could help prevent and manage cardiovascular complications in this population.

Iran Nuclear Deal: Civil Services Mentor Magazine - September - 2015

Iran Nuclear Deal

Negotiations between Iran and the five permanent members of United Nations security council and Germany, famously referred as P5+1, began in 2006. These negotiations were done to make sure that Iran do not enrich uranium in large scale and make nuclear weapons. On the other hand Iran wanted to enrich the uranium for the civil energy purpose. During the period when negotiations reached an impasse the United States, the European Union imposed some sanctions on Iran. However change in government in Iran made the deal between the two groups a possibility. After several rounds of negotiations, on 24 November 2013, the Joint Plan of Action, an interim agreement on the Iranian nuclear program, was signed between Iran and the P5+1 countries in Geneva, Switzerland. This plan of action included short term freezing of Iran’s nuclear program and in exchange economic sanctions on Iran would be reduced.

In July 2015 a historic agreement between Iran and a group of six nations led by US has been reached. This agreement has potential to transform the geopolitical dynamics. This deal would remove the isolation of Iran from world community. This deal will have major impact on the US relations with countries like Saudi Arabia and Israel. International negotiators assembled in Austria have announced the final terms of the Iranian nuclear deal. Major points in the deal are as given below:

  • Iran will reduce its stockpile of low-enriched uranium by 98 percent to 300 kg for 15 years;

  • Iran can only use first-generation IR-1 centrifuges, and has to give up other models;

  • Iran will also reduce number of centrifuges operating at its primary processing center in Natanz. Centrifuges number would be reduced by two third to 5060;

  • another 1,000 centrifuges at Fordow are been allowed;

  • Iran will be allowed to enrich uranium to only to 3.67 percent;

  • Iran must fulfill its initial commitments by mid-October, after which the International Atomic Energy Agency will verify Iran’s compliance by mid-December. Once it has verifiably fulfilled its commitments, the United States, European Union, and United Nations Security Council will begin to remove their nuclear-related sanctions on Iran;

  • If one of the parties to the deal believes Iran is violating the deal, they can submit a complaint to an eight-member panel (consisting of the US, UK, France, Germany, Russia, China, and Iran itself, as well as the EU) for review;

  • If Iran is judged not to be living up to accord sanctions could snap back;

Greece Crisis: Civil Services Mentor Magazine - September - 2015

Greece Crisis

Greek crisis has its genesis in the year 1999 when euro currency was adopted. Adoption of Euro as common currency reduced trade costs among the Eurozone countries, increasing overall trade volume. In relative terms labour cost in countries such as Germany remained lesser as compared to Greece. This made Greece as less favoured destination for trade. This led to increse in Greece trade deficit from the levels of 1999.Both the Greek trade deficit and budget deficit rose from below 5% of GDP in 1999 to peak around 15% of GDP in the 2008–2009 periods.

Then after the global slowdown of 2008 trade volume declined. Greece cannot devalue its currency to make its trade competitive as it was controlled by the European central bank. In the year 2009 Greece announced that country has understated its fiscal burden earlier. After this announcements investors and foreign countries became skeptical about the prospects of Greece economy. This increased Greece’s debt to GDP ratio from 109 percent in 2008 to 146 percent in 2010. To make the matter worse countries bond ratings were also downgraded to junk status. This led to panic among the investors and they invested in safer investment options. In order to prevent the crisis from escalating to other parts of Europe, Troika of IMF, European commission, European Central Bank designed a bail out plan. There were two bail out plans:

  • First plan provided a loan of 110billion euro;
  • Second plan of 130 billion euro;

However troika imposed certain reform conditions on the Greece for the improvement of its financial situation. These reform conditions mainly include:

  • severe austerity measures to cut down government debt;
  • privatisation of government assets;
  • and structural reforms to improve the growth prospects;

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Gist of The Hindu: September 2015

Gist of The Hindu: September 2015

The OROP struggle

Thousands of ex-servicemen converged on the national capital over the past weekend to protest against the delay on the part of the government in announcing a firm timeline for the implementation of the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme. Others have gone on a relay-hunger strike across the country, saying they would do so till their demand is met. In the run-up to the 2014 elections and after, the Bharatiya Janata Party held out several assurances on OROP, raising expectations among the community of veterans. OROP is meant to bring parity among retired military personnel based only on rank and tenure and irrespective of the date of retirement. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi accepted in his “Mann Ki Baat” broadcast, the government had underestimated the complexity of the process. One of the major concerns of the government as it works out the details relates to similar demands that could potentially come from the Central police and paramilitary forces. The logic of OROP stems from the fact that unlike in other government services where the retirement age is 55, 58 or 60, in the military services a soldier retires around 35. So extending the scheme to non-military cadres will nullify its very rationale. In order to pre-empt any legal issues in the future, the government is working to call it military pension, making it a provision that applies only to the armed forces. Another issue relates to allocating finances for the immediate rollout phase and making the necessary provision for enhancements in future. Wary of any bid by the government to redefine OROP, veterans are demanding that it stick to the accepted definition.

The scheme, once implemented, is expected to benefit two and a half million ex-servicemen and women immediately. While the veterans’ anguish over the delay is understandable, they should appreciate the complexity of the process. Also, with OROP being one of the BJP’s top election promises, commitment for its implementation had been reiterated at the highest level by Mr. Modi. The issue, pending for four decades, has seen more progress in the last one year than over the last few decades. So while keeping up pressure on the government, it would be wise to give it room to work out the details. The government, on its part, should realise that these veterans fought for this country while in service, and it is indeed their legitimate right. In addition, they represent a strong voter base, as the last Lok Sabha elections proved. This is pertinent as protesting organisations have announced they would agitate in Bihar, where Assembly elections are due this year. The government should come out with a clear road map in the interests of the nation as well as its own. The existing mismatch between expectations and delivery could prove problematic in more ways than one.

The makings of a game-changer

The final report of the Bibek Debroy Committee on restructuring the Indian Railways has suggested a process of gradual reforms, involving the introduction of commercial accounting practices and greater decentralisation of powers, allowing the entry of the private sector, and the setting up of an independent regulator. The committee has indicated a five-year time frame to implement the measures. One of the most transformative suggestions made is allowing private sector players to run trains. It has suggested exposing railway production units to competition, and the creation of an environment conducive to private investment by giving confidence to private players through transparent accounting processes. This has to be seen in the context of the failure of the public-private partnership route so far in both the road and railway sectors. There have been different reports in the past that have pointed to what ails the Indian Railways. For instance, in 2012 a committee headed by Sam Pitroda, then Adviser to the Prime Minister, submitted plans for the modernisation of the Railways at a cost of Rs.5.6 lakh crore over a 10-year period. The Debroy Committee report stands out in having identified definitive measures to effect a transformation, and setting a timeline.

But it will be a challenging task, especially the recommendations relating to opening up to the private sector and setting up an independent regulator. The committee has acknowledged that restructuring would be a humongous task, and quite cautiously used the term ‘liberalisation’ for the entry of private players — rather than privatisation or deregulation. The railway employee unions are already up in arms over the references to the private sector. This would be a difficult equation to manage. The suggestion to set up an independent regulator will equally pose a challenge. This will essentially mean setting up a body outside of the powerful and centralised Railway Board, which might resist such a move. The setting up of an independent super-regulator has been spoken about in the financial services space, but not much has happened on that front. However, all these suggestions merit immediate consideration. The Railways has suffered huge under-investment in capacities and today its very viability is a question mark. Now the onus is on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who initiated the setting up of this Committee, and Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, known for his dynamic approach, to take the railway unions into confidence and implement the measures. Both have declared the Railways is not going to be privatised, but the unions do not appear pleased. Winning their trust would be key to the implementation of the measures. That would determine if this will remain just another report or a game-changer.

Socio Economic Caste Census: Civil Services Mentor Magazine - September - 2015

Socio Economic Caste Census

The Ministry of Rural Development Government of India, commenced the Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) 2011, in June 2011 through a comprehensive door to door enumeration across the country. This survey was started to look into the poverty situation and also large number of other social and political indicators. This is the first comprehensive exercise has been carried out for both rural and urban India after independence. Last such excersice was conducted in 1934. This data will help the government in better targeting the beneficaries for various social schemes.

The SECC, 2011 has the following three objectives:

  • To enable households to be ranked based on their Socio- Economic status. State Governments can then prepare a list of families living below the poverty line.
  • To make available authentic information that will enable caste-wise population enumeration of the country.
  • To make available authentic information regarding the socio economic condition, and education status of various castes and sections of the population

Digital India: Civil Services Mentor Magazine - September - 2015

Digital India

India has seen good growth in last two decades. This growth has largely been good for the country but it has also formed a digital divide in the country. There are people who connected with the digital world, this group mostly covers urban India, and then there is still very large population which is unconnected with the digital world. If India’s growth of last few decades is to be sustained this digital divide should be bridged soon. The Global Information Technology report for the World Economic Forum places India 68th in its ‘networked readiness index’ that ranks 140 countries. Digitalisation also has an important role in governance, it helps in reducing the leakages, involves citizen more in governance process and it is also helpful in making the government accountable.

In order to obtain all the benefits given above Government of India has started Digital India programme. Digital India has been envisioned as an ambitious umbrella programme to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. This programme has been envisaged and coordinated by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY). There is also a collaboration with various Central Ministries and State Governments. The Prime Minister of India is the chairman of the monitoring committee of Digital India programme. All the existing and ongoing e-Governance initiatives have been revamped to align them with the principles of Digital India. It takes together a large number of ideas into a single comprehensive plan so that each of them remain a part of larger goal.

The vision of Digital India is centred on three key areas -

  • Digital Infrastructure as a Utility to Every Citizen:- This vision will include several intiatives like High speed internet, Mobile banking enabling participation in financial sphere, safe and secure cyber space, easy access to common services etc.

  • Governance & Services on Demand- This vision includes government services available in real time from online and mobile ptalform, services digitally transformed for ease of doing business, integration between different departments, financial transactions should be made electronic and cashless etc.

  • Digital Empowerment of Citizens- This vision includes initiatives such as Digital literacy, Universally accessible digital resources, All documents available in Indian languages,portability of all entitlements through cloud etc.
    In order to fulfill the above visions nine pillars of Digital India programme has been designed. These pillars include;

  • Broadband Highways;
  • Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity;
  • Public Internet Access Programme;
  • E-Governance: Reforming Government through Technology;
  • eKranti - Electronic Delivery of Services;
  • Information for All;
  • Electronics Manufacturing: Target Net Zero Imports;
  • IT for Jobs and
  • Early Harvest Programmes.

(Download) Civil Services Mentor Magazine, September 2015 - FREE PDF

 

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Free Digital Magazine: Civil Services Mentor, September 2015

Issue : September 2015
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Table of Contents:

Articles:

  • Digital India
  • Socio Economic Caste Census
  • Greece Crisis
  • Iran Nuclear Deal
  • UFA 2015
  • MOCK PAPER For GS Paper-II Preliminary Examination 2015
  • MOCK PAPER For GS Paper-I Preliminary Examination 2015

Current Affairs:

  • National Issues
  • International Issues
  • Economy
  • India & The World
  • Science & Technology
  • Sports
  • Awards & Prizes
  • Persons in News

Yojana Magazine: Issue September 2015

Yojana Magazine: Issue September 2015

In recent years, the question of how we can live a “smart” life has become the focus of everybody’s imagination. Growing population and rapid urbanization have forced large scale migration of people from rural to urban areas. This has resulted in heavy strain on energy, transportation, water, building and public spaces. Policy makers are trying hard to find ways and means to address these issues. Increasing need is being felt for “smart” city solutions which are both efficient and sustainable on one hand and can generate economic prosperity and social well-being on the other.

(Success Story) Aparajita Priyadarshini Behera AIR-13 in Indian Economic Service (IES) 2015

(Success Story) Aparajita Priyadarshini Behera AIR-13 in Indian Economic Service (IES) 2015

A 24-year-old girl of the district has secured 13th position in the Indian Economic Service (IES) examination conducted by the UPSC.

Daughter of a landless daily wager, who works at a fertiliser plant in Paradip, Aparajita Priyadarshini Behera of Mohanangala village under Mahakalapada block is pursuing Phd in Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Talking to this paper from New Delhi, Aparajita said, “Despite financial constraints, my father fulfilled all my requirements and nourished a dream to see me as a distinguished person. His restless hard work has finally paid off.”

A student of Mohanangala Primary and Kapileswar High School, Aparajita completed her Plus Two and Plus Three from Marshaghai college. She was a college topper and went on to pursue Post-Graduation in Economics in Utkal University.

(News) IAS Topper 2014 Ira Singhal has been given home cadre

(News) IAS Topper 2014 Ira Singhal has been given home cadre

Ira Singhal, who topped the civil services examination, has been given home cadre--union territories--to work as Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer.

All except one of five toppers of last year's civil services examination have been allocated their home cadres.

Singhal and fourth-rank holder Vandana Rao, who hail from Delhi, have been given AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram- Union Territories) cadre.

Second and fifth rank achievers Renu Raj and Suharsha Bhagat have got their home state Kerala and Bihar, respectively, as per the cadre allocation of 180 IAS officers finalised by Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

Third-rank holder Nidhi Gupta, who hails from Delhi, has been allocated Haryana cadre, it said.

An officer gets to serve allocated cadre state for most of the time of his or her career.

(Final Result) UPSC CDS (II) Exam - 2014 "OTA Course"

(Final Result) UPSC CDS (II) Exam - 2014 "OTA Course"

1. The following are the lists, in order of merit, in respect of 262 (*220 + ^ 42) candidates who have finally qualified on the basis of the results of the Combined Defence Services Examination (II), 2014 conducted by the Union Public Service Commission and Interviews held by the Services Selection Board of the Ministry of Defence for admission to the (i) *Officers Training Academy, Chennai, for 102nd Short Service Commission Course (for Men) and (ii) ^Officers Training Academy, Chennai, 16th Short Service Commission Women (Non-Technical) Course, commencing in October, 2015. The list of 102nd Short Service Commission Course (for Men) also includes the names of the candidates who were recommended earlier on the basis of the result of the same examination for admission to Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Naval Academy, Ezhimala, Kerala and Air Force Academy, Hyderabad (Pre-Flying) Training Course(s).

2. The number of vacancies as intimated by the Government, for (i) 102nd Short Service Commission Course (for Men) is 175 and for (ii) 16th Short Service Commission Women (Non-Technical) Course is 12.

3. The results of Medical Examination of candidates have not been taken into account in preparing the merit list. The candidature of all the candidates is Provisional. Verification of Date of Birth and Educational Qualification of these Candidates will be done by Army Head Quarter.

(News) From steel frame of the country to ‘Suffocating Bureaucracy’

From steel frame of the country to ‘Suffocating Bureaucracy’

https://iasexamportal.com/sites/default/files/UPSC.jpgFar from the lofty beginning of being espoused as the steel frame of the country, representing the essential spirit of the Indian nation—unity in diversity—the years since Independence have been marked by a steady deterioration of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). According to a recent survey of the bureaucracies of 12 Asian economies, India’s “suffocating bureaucracy” has been ranked as the least-efficient, and working with the country’s civil servants is described as a “slow and painful” process. Indian bureaucrats are said to be power centres in their own right, both at the national and state levels, and are quite resistant to reforms that affect them or the way they go about discharging their duties.

Good governance is basic to all reforms and changes in society. Given the significance of the bureaucracy in India’s development, some of the major changes that need to be incorporated in order to improve the IAS’s efficiency and performance are highlighted be-low. Based on my research, I have conceptualized an agency-based model of IAS. The significant features of the model are given below.

First, the bureaucratic structure in India is, to a large extent, an insulated labour market. The country should aim to develop a cadre of professional senior managers to support ministers in policy formulation and implementation. These should be lateral-entry contractual jobs with a well-defined career progression. Senior civil servants’ selection should be about identifying good managers for the public sector and should consist of individuals who have had an outstanding record of running public or private businesses, and/or strategic planning and execution of large public projects. Exceptional performers among those IAS officers who have entered through the civil service examination (conducted by the Union Public Service Commission or UPSC) should also be absorbed into the senior civil service. Creating a senior civil service will break the insulation of the IAS and will present as an incentive for the officers to work harder.

Second, public bureaucratic departments should be converted into national-level and state-level executive agencies. Each executive agency should be headed by a chief executive officer selected from the senior civil service and should have considerable operating freedom, subject, however, to the policy and resources framework set out by the ministers and Parliament.

Before forming an agency, however, some tough questions should be addressed: Should the agency be formed at all? If yes, could it be privatized or contracted out? Does the work overlap with that of other departments? Can multiple departments be merged into a single one?

(Notification) Jharkhand PSC: 6th Combined Civil Services (PT) Competitive Examination - 2015

(Notification) Jharkhand PSC: 6th Combined Civil Services (PT) Competitive Examination - 2015

Pay Grade, Educational Qualification & Age Limit:

 

Exam Syllabus:

Revised Scheme of Examination for Civil Services (SUBJECTS)

Duration (Hours)

Maximum Marks

Remarks

(A)PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION (Screening Test)
CSAT-Paper I 2 hours 200 OBJECTIVE TYPE
CSAT-Paper II 2 hours 200 OBJECTIVE TYPE

(B) MAIN EXAMINATION (No optional subjects. All are common compulsory Papers)
Paper-I: General Hindi & General English, having two separate sections on (i) General Hindi, and (ii) General English, each of 50 marks 3 hours 100 DESCRIPTIVE TYPE This paper is qualifiying in which minimum 30 marks is mandatory
Paper-II: Language and Literature: Under this paper, every candidate will have to opt for one Language and Literature out of fifteen listed by the Commission. 3 hours 100 DESCRIPTIVE TYPE
Paper-III: Social Sciences, having two distinct sections on (i) History (ii) Geography, each of equal weightage. 3 hours 200 DESCRIPTIVE TYPE
Paper-IV: Indian Constitution & Polity, Public Administration & Good Governance 3 hours 200 AS ABOVE
Paper-V: Indian Economy, Globalization and Sustainable Development 3 hours 200 AS ABOVE
Paper-Vi:General Sciences, Environment & Technology Development 3 hours 200 AS ABOVE
Total Marks (Main Examination)   1000  
Personality Test   100  
Grand Total   1100  

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