8th Dec 2014

Renewable power installed capacity as on October 31, 2014, has reached 33 GW. Wind energy accounts for 70 %, followed by biomass power 4.2 per cent, small hydropower 3.9 GW and solar power 2.8 GW

India Human Development Survey (IHDS) conducted by the National Council for Applied Economic Research (NCAER)

12th Dec

Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and System (CCTNS)

Corruption is also to blame for lack of safety for women in India. Critically comment.

The UBER Rape incident has exposed the many chinks in the armor of the administration.

There are instances of policemen, who are not associated with either the clearance process or with day-to-day policing, issuing character certificates, without any checks, to an applicant for a price.

Several specialised background-check agencies confront many stumbling blocks in the form of bureaucratic indifference and hostility.

Reasons Unlike many other countries in the West, India does not have a single national database of crimes and criminals.

The much-touted Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and System, which would have served the purpose, has remained a dream.

Solution Mechanisms to track criminals

we can have a dependable database that can be quickly accessed online.National Crime Records Bureau and the State Crime Rerecords Bureaus to upgrade their capacity quickly, for issuing clearance certificates to individuals for a prescribed fee.

A national register of sex offenders also needs to be built immediately and maintained by the NCRB to serve as a reference point for all employers, both private and government.Building deterrence with more stringent laws can help only a little. What is also required is a calculated denial of opportunities to predators, both in public places and in homes, where, incidentally, a large number of sexual assaults by close friends or relatives go unpunished.

Indian Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLNDA) of 201015th Dec 2014

Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) programme

Serious Notes.

16th Dec 2014

Indian Ocean Zone of Peace (IOZOP) and issues

The idea came in 1964 at Cairo Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement.Cairo Conference declared that the Indian Ocean should not be a battleground for the big powers.The Lusaka Declaration (1970) refined the idea further and it led to the UNGA resolution 2832 (XXVI).

U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution declared the Indian Ocean as a zone of peace, and which called upon the great powers not to allow an escalation and an expansion of military presence in the Indian Ocean.It also envisaged universal collective security in the region without military alliances.

Chopra Committee Report

In the backdrop of the 2013 Uttarakhand flood, the Supreme Court had directed the Union Environment Ministry to constitute an expert body to assess whether hydroelectric projects have contributed to the environmental degradation in the State and, if so, to what extent, and also whether it has contributed to the disaster.

In the same order, the Supreme Court also ordered the Ministry to examine whether the 24 projects mentioned by the Wildlife Institute of India in its report are causing significant impact on the biodiversity of Alaknanda and Bhagirathi river basins.

Chopra Committee report elucidated the catastrophic role played by the hydroelectric projects during the deluge.The Chopra Committee Report presents a strong case against projects between 2,200 and 2,500 metres above the sea level paraglacial regions.These regions have loose glacial debris (moraines) which when carried downstream can be disastrous, as was witnessed in the Vishnuprayag project, during the 2013 deluge.

Some of the projects among the 24 lie in the paraglacial regions.

The report states that intensive debris was brought to the hydropower projects along with the river water due to flash floods.

Internationalization of higher education

India under invests in its universities and colleges. The establishment of Nalanda University and SAARCs South Asian University are some small initiatives in the right direction.

Local students + international consciousness and knowledge = important for employment as well as citizenship in a globalizing economy

International students to local classrooms = future cooperation, economic ties, earning, diversity promotion

USA, China, Australia, Japan all have national programmes to attract foreign students.

The Saudi Arabia government sponsors a massive scholarship programme to send its students abroad to study.

The German Academic Exchange Service offers similar programmes.

Indian Council for Cultural Relations offers scholarships to foreign students, its scope is very limited.

India hosts around 30,000 international students compared to the 2,00,000 Indians studying abroad.

Japan and China each have more than 1,00,000 international students, and the U.S. hosts more than 8,00,000.

Most of Indias international students are from South Asia;

The large majority of non-Indian students study in private universities; Manipal University stands first

Jawaharlal Nehru University, Hyderabad University, and Tata Institute of Social Sciences facilitate the short-term incoming student visit programmes.

Host universities need to change some of the regulations with regard to credit transfer.

University of Kerala issue academic transcripts similar to overseas universities; it could be a model for other universities.

Other facilities to be provided Good orientation programmes, excellent hostel facilities, remedial courses, healthcare facilities, visa facilitation

Indian branch campuses functioning abroad have also increased.

Manipal University is in Malaysia and Amity operates campuses in the U.S., U.K., China and Singapore.

India does not have a national policy governing the entry or operation of foreign higher educational institutions.

Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill was introduced in the Indian Parliament in 2010 and lapsed.

New private universities and colleges are very active in promoting internationalisation through the adoption of foreign curriculum, twinning programmes, etc. but revenue generation is more important than educational quality.

National Offset Policy (NOP)

Foreign companies selling goods worth over Rs.300 crore to the government or public sector undertakings would have to source part of their supplies from domestic manufacturers.

The minimum value of the offsets obligation will be 30 per cent of the estimated cost of the import.

The policy is aimed at boosting manufacturing sector growth.

It would help in - Attracting investments; Transfer and acquisition of new technology; Acquisition of raw material and assets; Improving balance of payment; Increasing capacity for R long-term supply pacts; and Enhancing exports

Sectors which will be covered under the NOP include civil aerospace, power, fertilizer, railways and other transportation, ports and shipyards, mining, medical equipment, medicine and telecom.

However sectors including defence, atomic energy and space would not be covered under the policy.

For smooth operation of the NOP, a 10-member National Offsets Authority (NOA) is also proposed.The Cabinet Secretary would head it.

17th Dec 2014

BRICS and Emerging Economies Rankings 2015 for Universities

China, Turkey, Taiwan, Russia, Brazil and South Africa among Top 10.

There is not a single Indian university in the top 20 universities.

Only the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, ranks 25 on the list.

Russian Initiatives

Project on Competitiveness Enhancement of Leading Russian Universities Among Global Research and Education Centres.

Project 5-100 to support the best universities in Russia

India has 11 universities in the top 100 but climbing down in rankings.

Indian universities need a transformational change for them to become relevant in the context of global rankings of universities.

Reforms and policy initiatives

1 - Treat the Universities differently depending on the kind of contribution they are making.Differentiation should be based on quality, performance and contribution.

2 Focus should be on multiple areas rather than on research and universities should be measured for their quality and excellence.

3 - Taking inspiration from the Project 5-100 initiative, India could consider empowering 50 of its top universities to seek global excellence.

Classification can be into 1) Central 2) State 3) private 4) deemed and 5) institutions of national importance.

4 - seek a complete overhaul of the regulatory framework.

Universities in India need to be made more autonomous; they need freedom.

5 - increase the amount of funding on research work. Disburse research grants without delay.

Incentivize research and publications among faculty members.

6) Need to focus on internationalisation of faculty members and students within Indian universities.

Transformational change needs to take place at every level of policymaking, regulation and governance in higher education if Indian universities are serious about seeking global excellence and achieving higher rankings.

Debating the right to die

India has the highest suicide rate in the world after China. Tamil Nadu tops the list followed by Maharashtra, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh. Reasons for Suicide disappointments, unmet expectations of achievement. Delete section 309 of the Indian Penal Code. Justified or not Right to Die Justifications As freedom of speech includes right to silence, freedom to do business includes freedom not to do any business. Similarly the right to life includes the right not to live. (But in future, a person may exercise all such rights except right to die). Suicide is considered a private affair, which in no way can cause damage to others. (But a person may be the sole breadwinner). Removing section 309 of IPC would lead in rapid increase in suicide rates in general and that of dowry deaths in particular. We should certainly have a law permitting euthanasia, but not suicide.

18th Dec 2014

Chinas dominating Oil Companies

Last year, in oil-rich Kazakhstan, Indias Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Videsh (OVL) was closing in on a coveted stake in the Kashagan project. But before it could seal the deal, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) entered the scene and outbid OVL. Drawing on sizeable capital from Chinas policy banks is one of the biggest advantages of Chinese national oil companies abroad. Chinas national oil companies also have plenty of cash to spend overseas. China remains the worlds fourth largest oil producer at over four million barrels per day in production. Indias leading company, the (ONGC), produces a fraction of that amount at home. Indias oil firms also do not have the same political power as Chinese national oil companies wield at home. In China, oil executives are often high-ranking members of the Communist Party and have more say in policies being implemented. Chinese national oil companies command a large variety of oil service and construction subsidiaries. They engage in from well drilling to road construction to even catering services. Chinese national oil companies are now shouldering high debt levels and engaged in fewer international ventures in 2014. There is a political dimension to this decline in international activity among Chinese national oil companies. President Xi Jinpings widespread anti-corruption campaign has discouraged all Chinese state-owned enterprises from making large overseas acquisitions. Chinas national oil companies are some of the main targets of the corruption probe. Former CNPC boss Zhou Yongkang was detained earlier this year for serious disciplinary violations.Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (2010)

20th Dec

Learning from the Ernakulam experiment

In 1991, 80 per cent of couples in Kerala were using family planning methods as against 43 per cent in India as a whole. The figures for Kerala for general fertility rate, gross reproductive rate and total fertility rate are the lowest in India. In Kerala, the majority of births occur with an interval of 36 months and above, which is the second best in India following Assam. The birth rate in the State is 40 per cent below that of the national average. Factors responsible for States successful performance Family planning, literacy, womens empowerment, access to health services, social welfare measures, the public distribution system, nutritional security and poverty alleviation State-level intensive campaign in Ernakulam from 1970 to 1973, which emphasised on male sterilisation. This achieved dramatic results. In a month-long camp held in Ernakulam Town Hall, 64,000 vasectomies were performed safely in a festive atmosphere. One of the key aspects towards improving the national family planning programme is the involvement of the district Collector and Panchayati Raj institutions in its implementation. The Panchayati Raj system is a huge grassroots-level mechanism, which will help in mobilizing people for the programme throughout the country. Collectors and Panchayati Raj systems combined efforts were responsible for the outstanding success of the Ernakulam campaigns. At present, 97 per cent of sterilisations per year are sterilisations of women; only three per cent are male. The active cooperation and participation of men is vital for ensuring programme acceptance. The strategy should be to make vasectomies popular again. The annual national achievement could then become 12.5 million. Set up an inbuilt precautionary mechanism to avoid any possibility of mismanagement and possible excesses in a campaign approach One, all campaigns should be supervised by a team of officials and non-officials including voluntary workers and representatives of the Central and State governments. Two, a detailed compendium of instructions on how to organise an intensive campaign in a district and Community Development Block can be prepared.

22 December 2014

The Brahmaputra is called Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan. In India, it is Siang in Arunachal Pradesh and Dihang in the plains of Assam.

1) Critically discuss the problems faced by cotton cultivators in India. How does the centre and state governments have sought to address these problems?

Poor government supports Improper method of sale Location of banks Poor quality of packing materials Non-existence of Agmark Lab Insufficient pledge loan facility Price fluctuation Poor post storage facilities Lack of market information Unscientific weighing machines Delay in unloading services High marketing cost Unauthorized Deductions Poor customer relationship Insufficient godown facility High Input Costs The cost of cultivation is high. Input costs rose by nearly 30 per cent, but cotton prices dropped over the past 2 years. The cost of the fertilizer diammonium phosphate has shot up from Rs. 300 to Rs. 1,200 for one sack of 50 kg in two years. Price of Monocrotophos, a pesticide used by farmers, increased. Labour wages, seeds, power and fertilizers have seen similar steep hikes.Storage Issues - loss of weight, damage by rats, Wastage during handling, wet due to rain, poor maintenance

, Solutions Announce a farm relief package to waive half of the power bills and interest on agriculture loans. Reasons for cultivating cotton for a long time by the farmers Highly profitable traditional crop better marketing facilities less labour work Able to store for a longer period Able to wait for a better price

23rd Dec

What do you understand byreplacement levels of fertility? Should India attain it? Explain why.

Total fertility ratethe average number of children born per woman during her lifetime. Replacement level fertility is the total fertility rate at which a population replaces itself from one generation to the next, without migration. This rate is roughly 2.1 children per woman for most countries, although it may modestly vary with mortality rates. Reductions in fertility rates reflect expectations of increasing urbanization, expected declines in child mortality, and increases in income.Achieving replacement level fertility - benefits. Alleviate poverty; Increase social equality; Reduce agricultures pressure on ecosystems, climate, and water. Avoid agricultural expansion into remaining natural terrestrial ecosystems and relieve pressure on overstrained fisheries Reduce food demand and would significantly contribute to food security. Economic benefits through a demographic dividend. Help in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture to levels consistent with stabilizing the climate Reduce the need to withdraw more water from aquifers or add more agricultural chemicals that may pollute water bodies. Approaches to achieve replacement level fertility - Advance gender equity, Give people more control over their lives Increase educational opportunities for girls; Increase access to reproductive health services, including family planning Reduce infant and child mortality. Civil society organizations can help as well by raising awareness, generating resources, delivering services, and monitoring performance.

Why some states are given special status by the Union government? Examine the criteria stipulated to get the special status and its benefits. Do you think this mechanism is antithetical to federalism? Comment. (200 Words)

Special Category Status is a classification that allows states to get significant level of resources necessary for development.

Criteria - It is granted on grounds of

Hilly and difficult terrain; Low population density; Strategic location along international borders; Economic backwardness; Non-viable State finances. Sizeable share of tribal population Geographical isolation Remoteness to larger market

Currently, 11 states have been given the Special Status and Special Category Status.

There is a huge difference between the terms Special Status and Special Category Status. Special status is guaranteed by the Constitution of India through an Act passed by the two-third majority in both houses of the Parliament, as in the case of Jammu and Kashmir. Special Category Status is granted by the National Development Council

The benefits that a state gets under the provision of being a 'special state' are Preferential treatment in getting Central funds assistance Concession on excise duty, this attracts industries to the state Significant 30% of the Centres gross budget goes to the Special category states These states avail the benefit of debt swapping and debt relief schemes In centrally sponsored schemes and external aid, special category states get it in the ratio of 90% grants and 10% loans, while other states get 30% of their funds as grants.

Opposed to Federalism Asymmetry in terms of inter-state differences in geography, demography, and economy.