Hee EDITORIALS ie aH: Manali est alts en tnme Are reflection of your thought process. WE MAKE YOU THINK AS EXPECTED BY UPSC. ST) Lee Cracking IAS Academy Cee eR ere aa7 AJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Kesey DECEMBER 2019 UPSC 1S NOT GOD ! WE DEMYSTIFY IT!JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 1) Substance across the Arabian Sea Korat [efnrefin & + Even by its volatile standards, our Southwest Asian sub-region has lately been unusually turbulent, as reflected in issues ranging from Indi Pakistan tensions to the approaching denouements of crises in Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan. + The oil market, too, has been inclement. Against this disorderly context, it is no small wonder that India-Saudi Arabia relations have not only remained steady, but kept their positive trajectory. + Acknowledging core interests: Politically, New Delhi and Riyadh acknowledged each other’s core interests and accommodated them. + Thus, Saudi Arabia showed an “understanding” of recent Indian actions in Jammu and Kashmir and India “strongly condemned” the various attacks on Saudi civilian facilities. + Their bilateral defence, security and anti-terror cooperation has intensified and the first naval exercise is to be held soon. Oe SS7 AJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + The Riyadh Summit acquired added importance as it coincidentally preceded two domestic developments in India with considerable traction in the Islamic world: the conversion of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories that happened on Thursday and the Supreme Court verdict on the Ayodhya dispute. + Despite vigorous efforts, the bilateral commercial and economic ties have still remained range-bound. Trade has drifted downwards largely due to lower crude prices. + According to the latest Indian data, the bilateral trade in the first nine months of 2019 stood at $22,416 million, having fallen by 9.2% over the corresponding figure in 2018. + It was 5:1 in kingdom’s favour and was dominated by the traditional commodities, revealing the need for greater Indian export promotion efforts, + The Saudi investment in India, too, remains far below potential. The kingdom’s cumulative investments in India are only $229 million, or 0.05% of the total inbound FDI. + Though the kingdom’s Indian community has come down marginally tc 2.6 million, they, nevertheless, are still the largest foreign community and their annual homeward remittances remain steady at $11 billion. + There is growing room for optimism, however. The kingdom’s Vision 2030, a strategic document, lists eight major partner countries including India, the world’s third largest oil importer. + Saudi Aramco is to be one of the two strategic partners in the proposed $44 billion, 1.2 mbpd PSU refineries at Raigarh on India’s west coast. It is also to acquire a fifth of the Reliance refinery at Jamnagar and to participate in India’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves. + Ifrealised, these investments could total nearly $30 billion, catapulting the kingdom to fourth position among countries investing in India. + Earlier, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had committed to investing $100 billion in India. ERTS TT a7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + As the 12 bilateral documents signed in Riyadh Summit show, India and Saudi Arabia have already commenced leveraging opportunities across a vast eco-space, from energy to agriculture and from fintech to skilling. + New bilateral council: Setting up of a bilateral Strategic Partnership Council (SPC) to be co-chaired by the Indian Prime Minister and the Saudi Crown Prince is a defining development. « Given the centralised nature of executive at both ends, it would, hopefully, expedite the decision-making process. The SPC would be a permanent bilateral platform with two verticals jointly serviced by the two Foreign and Trade & Industry Ministries. + Among the potential areas for next stage of bilateral cooperation could be greater bilateral synergy in Indian infrastructure, agriculture, start-ups, skilling and IT. + Shifting some labour-intensive establishments from Saudi Arabia to India would serve the respective national priorities by reducing the kingdom’s expatriate population and boosting ‘Make in India’. (The ‘x-factor’ in relationship) has more strategic interests in more economic but some, India ¢—Fcramam P Saudi Arabia <> has more economic interests in Pakistan y In view of the strategic and economic nexus between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, it wll be unwise for New Delhi to seriously believe that it will be ‘able to wean Saudi Arabia away from Pakistan. y Instead, India should try to bond economic relationship, and then use it to leverage strategic relationship with Saudi Arabia ’ This could contribute to regional stability as well as mutual prosperity ae Ve7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Kesey DECEMBER 2019 2) On deciphering Greta’s climate message MRM aU Ul a elle hope. | don’t want you. to be hopeful. | want you to panic ... and act ECM m Ue Ewe) fire.” + She is being looked at as an emotionally charged icon of environmental struggles, but there is more to Greta Thunberg’s point of view than mere emotion and passionate commitment. + Ifwe decipher all the issues raised in her brief presentation at the UN General Assembly, we can notice how it expands the familiar contours of the discussion over climate change. + Some of the issues she raised were a regular feature in many debates over natural resources, but there were other, new issues as well. One well-recognised issue is the direct connection between economic growth and the state of the environment. Devotees of speedy and high economic growth have been indifferent to the limits that nature imposes on the theoretical scope of growth. Nearly half a century has passed since the idea of ‘limits to growth’ was recognised and proposed as a ground for change in development Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECERBER 2070 policies. Apparently, political leaders and the civil servants who serve ther do not feel constrained by that idea. + The younger ones may not be acquainted with the 1972 report wherein the paradox of economic development was examined. + Victims of indifference (speech): “All you can talk about is money and fairy tales of economic growth,” Ms. Thunberg told her audience at the UN headquarters in New York. + She accused world leaders of ignoring or deliberately looking away from the responsibility they have towards the young today and in the future. + Her argument would have pleased Mahatma Gandhi. He too thought that economics concerned solely with wealth undermines ethical responsibilities. It ignores justice as a primary human yearning and, in today’s terminology, a right. + This was also the underlying theme of Ms. Thunberg’s presentation to the leaders and representatives of different countries. She presented herself as a victim of their indifference to climate change. “You have stolen my childhood with your empty words,” she said. + Asan activist-teenager, she had reasons to feel that way. Her campaign on climate change had cost her more than just school attendance. + Being young implies being part of a future. Ms. Thunberg was referring to the collective future of those who are young today and also to future generations. + These futures are bleak - not in the context in which economic slowdown affect prospects of prosperity and comfort. Ms. Thunberg’s focus was on climate change, a composite idea that imparts bleakness to everybody’s future. Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + She suggested that higher income or status would not help to avoid the consequences of climate change. That is an important point, and not everyone today is convinced about its correctness. + Not only the richer nations, but also the richer people in every nation continue to believe that they can buy relief and escape from the consequences of climate change for their progeny. + Childhoods stymied: Parents invest huge amounts of money in their children’s education to make sure that they lead better lives. So do nations. Their leaders talk eloquently about the younger generation taking the nation forward. + It is easy to miss her message or misconstrue it because her presentation was strident. While she was so visibly emotional during her brief speech, her message was that we must stop being emotional about our children. + Although she was addressing an audience of political leaders, she wanted all of us to recognise and accept the bitter truth that we - and those who represent us -have compromised the future of our children. + Itis not the distant generations that will face the consequences of climate change. No, the crisis is already upon us. It will unfold in the lives of those who are growing up today. + The steps currently under consideration for containing the consequences of climate change are far too inadequate to cope with the crisis. And even these modest steps are being taken with great reluctance, which proves Ms. Thunberg’s point was that we are not mentally ready to accept the challenge. + Itis the adults and older people today who might feel rattled by Ms. Thunberg’s speech. When she spoke in the UN General Assembly, many ERTS TT aAJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 in the audience could be heard laughing. They saw her more as a spectacle than as a real person. They were accustomed to routine expressions of concern about climate change. + Many such leaders are quite pleased with the efforts by the UN and its various bodies to pursue the policies related to sustainable development. They find long, comfortable targets for reduction of carbon emissions quite sufficient and satisfactory. + We can hardly imagine that Ms. Thunberg woke them up. If that were possible, we wouldn’t be where we are in our encounter with nature’s fury for which we have coined the euphemism of ‘climate change” "People tell me | should study to become a climate scientist so | can solve the climate crisis. But the climate crisis has already been solved. We already have all the facts and solutions. All we have to do is to wake up and change.” Greta Thunberg 3) On core sector output: From bad to worse + Hopes of a quick turnaround in the economy have turned out to be quite premature in light of the latest set of economic data released on Friday. SER SC TT SSJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Kesey DECEMBER 2019 Stagflation + The Commerce and Industry Ministry reported that core sector output, which is measured by tracking the performance of eight major industries including cement, steel, and crude oil, contracted by a sharp 5.2% in September. + This is its worst fall in 14 years, Seven out of the eight core industries witnessed a contraction, with the coal sector being the worst hit, shrinking by over 20%. ‘The latest figures are in stark contrast to core sector growth of 4.3% reported during the same month last year. Given that core sector contraction was only 0.5% in August, the recent trend points towards a worsening of the economic situation. + At the moment, it seems quite likely that gloomy core sector performance will affect GDP growth in the second quarter as well as the full financial year. Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + Itis worth noting that while a few high-frequency data points had shown some signs of a nascent revival in the economy in September, most still remain mired in a slump. + Plus, the present contraction in the core sector, which represents the capital base of the economy, suggests that the negative effects of the fal in consumption are spreading across the entire production chain. + In further bad news, data released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy showed that unemployment in October rose to a three-year high of 8.5% in October + This (unemployment) marks a sharp jump from 7.2% in September. If growth fails to pick up, the unemployment scene could get ugly and further contribute to the demand slowdown. + What is even more worrying is the fact that the current slowdown comes in the midst of a spree of aggressive rate cuts amounting to 135 basis points by the Reserve Bank of India since February this year + Lending in the festival season has picked up with banks extending over 21 lakh crore in the period between mid-September and mid- October. Yet, growth in credit this financial year till now is a flat 0.2% only. + Festival season sales have shown an uptick with increase in sales of automobiles and also consumer durables. But it remains to be seen if this trend sustains. + The government at the Centre is clearly in an unenviable position with very little fiscal leeway to boost growth by increasing its spending. Some of the reforms announced in the last few months may show some positive results with time. + But without more meaningful structural reforms to address long-term problems such as the private sector’s reluctance to invest, ERTS TT aJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + Itis unlikely that India will move towards the heady days of 8%-plus growth any time soon. PERFORMANCE OF 8 CORE INDUSTRIES Sector-wise growth rate (%) (Weight in IP: 40.27%) = June 2018 mi June 2019 ee 14. 115 121 ' 69 8473 42 i ve il Of ia 27°21 “15; 68 s Coal Crudeoil Natural Refinery Fertizers Steel Cement Electricity gas SSS 7 8 Overallindex 0 source: MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY 4) On need for decongestion: Cramped prisons + With an average occupancy rate of 115% of their capacity, Indian jails continue to remain congested and overcrowded, numbers in the National Crime Records Bureau’s “Prison Statistics India — 2017” report have revealed. + In 16 of the 28 States covered in the report, occupancy rate was higher than 100% with States and Union Territories such as Uttar Pradesh (165%), Chhattisgarh (157.2%), Delhi (151.2%) and Sikkim (140.7%) faring the worst. + Despite the Supreme Court and other institutions regularly raising the issue of prison reforms and decongestion in jails, it is evident that the measures taken have heen niecemeal in mast States Oe SS7 AJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + While overall occupancy rates have come down from 140% in 2007 to 115% in 2017, only a few States have, in this period, gone about building more jails or increasing capacity in prisons in line with the changes in inmate population. + Some States such as Tamil Nadu have reduced their prison occupancy rate (to 61.3%) by increasing the number of jails and their capacity besides reducing arrests for actions unless there is a cognisable offence made out. + Rajasthan and Maharashtra have not managed to augment jail capacity to fit in the increased inmate population in the past decade, while States such as U.P. continue to have high occupancy rates because of increased inmate population despite a relative increase in prison capacity. + More than 68% of those incarcerated were under trials, indicating that a majority were poor and were unable to execute bail bonds or provide sureties. + There were a series of recommendations made by the Law Commission of India in its 268th report in May 2017 that highlighted the inconsistencies in the bail system as one of the key reasons for overcrowding in prisons. + Clearly, expediting the trial process for such prisoners is the most important endeavour, but short of this there are ways to decongest prisons by granting relief to under trials. + The Commission recommended that those detained for offences that come with a punishment of up to seven years of imprisonment should be released on completing one-third of that period and for those charged with offences that attract a longer jail term, after they complete half of that period. ERTS TT aa JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + For those who have spent the whole period as under trials, the period undergone should be considered for remission. It also recommended that the police should avoid needless arrests, while magistrates should refrain from mechanical remand orders. + It is imperative that these recommendations are incorporated into law soonest. A system of holding under trials for too long without a just trial process in overcrowded prisons that suffer problems of hygiene, management and discipline, is one that is ripe for recidivism. + There is a greater chance of prisoners hardening as criminals rather than of them reforming and getting rehabilitated in such jail conditions. BURSTING AT THE SEAMS sof Decenber 31, 2004, ere were 987 Soctonng Fer Ind wits capocty 361 prisoners according to NCRB data eit i “iments Detenues » -* Others 08% : | ° Males 400855 3 . . i race 314% Li» 67.6% af prisoners while females at 17681 represent 42% Gonder-wise distribution (2014) @ Male @ Female - ‘¢ Nagaland, Tripura, re ones EEG, sneer ‘occupancy rates SER SC TT SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 5) On WhatsApp snooping scandal: Pegasus misadventure CERTain of Breach In Sept 2019, CERT-In issued CERT-In advisory based t Nees advisory on onits owninternal a tt = WhatsApp tracking mechanism te OF atresnpts —————— lotarget 121 vulnerability on | jtrated the i May 17,2019 “high” Indians, and May 17,2019 | severity as “hig! saidaround Govt officials say | Agency said the 20 may have advisory came 3 | vulnerability could days before be exploited by messaging app making a “decoy informed govt WhatsApp voice call” + The Government’s reaction to messaging platform WhatsApp’s revelation that Indian journalists and human rights activists were among some 1,400 people globally spied upon using a surveillance technology developed by Israel-based NSO Group is inadequate and, more unfortunately, far from reassuring. + Thursday’s disclosure by Facebook-owned WhatsApp, which is suing the Israeli company in a California federal court for the hack, is a chilling reminder that nothing is private in the digital world, given the right tools. + In this case, a malicious code, named Pegasus, exploited a bug in the call function of WhatsApp to make its way into the phones of those select users, where it would potentially have had access to every bit of information. + But the disclosure raises a more worrying question: on whose directions were the Indian journalists and human rights activists spied upon? There are a few reasons why this question is important. « this was not done with money in mind. as the NSO says on its website, “NSO nraduets are used exclusively hv cavernmen: Oe SS tellisence anda JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECERBER 2070 law enforcement agencies to fight crime and terror.” The NSO, by its own admission, sells its service only to government agencies. + Those targeted include civil rights activists, lawyers, and journalists. Notably, some of them have legally represented activists arrested in the case related to the violence in Bhima Koregaon in 2018. + Lawyer Nihalsing Rathod, academic Anand Teltumbde, Dalit activist Vivel Sundara, and human rights lawyer Jagdish Meshram are some of those who have been targeted by Pegasus. Who would have wanted to snoop on them? + Itis, therefore, extremely important for the Government to clear the air on this issue in no uncertain terms especially when WhatsApp had given information to CERT-IN, a government agency, in May, even if without any mention of Pegasus or the extent of breach. + Itis all right to ask WhatsApp, as the Government has done, as to why the breach happened and what it is doing to safeguard the privacy of its users in India, estimated to be around 400 million. + Inseparate statements, Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and the Ministry of Home Affairs have expressed concern about privacy breaches while at the same time hinting that this issue is being politicised and an attempt is being made to malign the Government. + This is hardly a trivial issue, as it concems the digital well-being of citizens, the very thing this Government says it wants to promote. + Ina country where data protection and privacy laws are still in a nascent stage, incidents such as this highlight the big dangers to privacy and freedom in an increasingly digital society. + It is thus imperative that the Government sends a strong message on privacy, something that the Supreme Court in 2017 declared to be ERTS TT aJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 intrinsic to life and liberty and therefore an inherent part of the fundamental rights. + The first thing it could do is to answer categorically if any of the governmental agencies used NSO’s services. The government must clarify whether it deployed spyware to snoop on its critics. BY THE NUMBERS 36) LIKELY @) 37 \e)st OPERATORS LINKED TO COUNTRIES LIKELY INFECTIONS OPERATORS WITH @ INFECTIONS IN| Ae eel © GSMS with 6) On perilous use of Manja: String of deaths > Donot fly kites close ‘to roads and Landingaa kite on a road Cette ern’ neck — from wearing a eer ey winds stronger than | smc Cracking IAS Academy ‘ommended Peper oar] Since 2005 Feel The Pulse of upsc ™ Newer fly kites in from reaching the neck ETT aT7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + The perilous use of manja, a synthetic kite string coated with powdered glass, remains pervasive, endangering human lives and making a mockery of the multiple bans on its manufacture and sale. + Three-year-old Abhinayu of Chennai, who died on Sunday after a dangling manja slit his neck while he was seated on a motorcycle his father rode, is the latest victim, + Only in August, a man in Delhi bled to death after being entangled by a manja. Actually, the carliest recorded instance of a death caused by a kite string in Chennai was in October 1975 in the wake of which 197 people were arrested + Kite flying is not just a pastime but also an organised festival in States such as Gujarat and Rajasthan. During this year’s Makar Sankranti, three persons were killed in Gujarat and over a 100 injured in different States. + Birds, including the White Rumped Vulture, get frequently entangled in manja strings as well. An estimate cited by the Animal Welfare Board o1 India said that at least 2,000 birds are injured at the annual kite flying event in Ahmedabad of which 500 eventually die. + What has turned the once-harmless activity of kite flying into a bloody societal menace is the substitution of the traditional cotton thread with the nylon or single plastic fiber string made of monofilament fishing line coated with powdered glass. + Dubbed Chinese manja (though locally manufactured), the transparent and light-coloured string is not easily visible. While the cotton thread too is coated with finely powdered glass, its sharpness is blunted when mixed with boiled rice, flour, egg white and tree gum. ERTS TT a7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + The factory-scale manufacture of Chinese manja and its pricing at just one-third of the rate of a cotton spool, coupled with the thrill of cutting off another kite, has led to its widespread use. + The nylon string is also non-biodegradable, making it an environmenta hazard. When dangling from high-tension overhead electricity cables, it has also led to electrical accidents. + Taking these into account, in July 2017, the National Green Tribunal rected the authorities to banned synthetic manja across India. It book violators not only under the provisions of the IPC - Indian Penal Code but also invoke the EPA - Environment (Protection) Act, PCA - Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, and WPA - Wildlife (Protection) Act as the case would warrant. + The cases of people being convicted for manufacturing, selling or using manja are rare. Unless the authorities get their act together, the list of casualties could only get bigger with another Makar Sankranti around in two months’ time. + Multiple State governments have banned the manja. But what is lacking is enforcement. The police seize spools of manja and arrest a few persons each time a human life is lost. There is no sustained endeavour to end the menace. 7) On Delhi's air pollution: Clearing the air + Delhi is once again in the grip of its annual, winter pollution crisis. The city’s tryst with air pollution crises isn’t new. The rising prominence of particulate matter (PM) from various sources has long been a public health scourge. + What differentiates the prevalent PM crisis from earlier ones is the public’s ability to monitor pollution levels for themselves. The ERTS TT aRaja Sir's IAS GOOGLE rez faltered DECEMBER 2019 measurement of pollution, which used to be the domain of weather agencie: or pollution control boards, can now be done with consumer appliances. + However, increased public awareness and social media angst haven’t translated into meaningful public action. + The Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi, which provides for a ratcheting slew of measures - from stopping construction work to halting private vehicles - isn’t effective when air quality reaches its nadir. It recommends action only after pollutants soar. + A Task Force - which comprises top officials of Delhi and the Centre - advises the EPCA - Environmental Pollution Control Authority, which is in charge of enforcing the GRAP. Rarely does it recommend tough pre- emptive action and when it does, there’s no real pressure on municipal bodies and police to ensure that polluters are punished. + There is a sense of resignation among both the Centre and the Delhi government about tackling the pollution crisis. Meteorology and Delhi’s geography render the city vulnerable to a certain amount of Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 winter pollution, particularly when wind speeds drop to less than 10 kmph. + However, preventing local sources of pollution from worsening air quality will require both the State and the Centre to implement unpopular decisions. + This would include an outright ban on two wheelers, three wheelers and cars when air quality starts to deteriorate, a halt on construction, shutting down power plants in the vicinity of Delhi and a substantial spike in parking rates. And, of course, getting the farmers of Punjab and Haryana to not burn stubble at all. + Even if this confluence of miracles were to occur, it wouldn’t guarantee blue skies on a windless day and, therefore, political brownie points. This makes it convenient for governments to engage in theatre such as having Ministers bicycle to work and blaming farmers for burning rice chaff. WHY DELHI AIR SO BAD? RESEARCH FINDS REASONS > Non-linear city structure, which inhibits displacement of air > Tough to take solid waste out of city, causes pollution when burned within the city > Non-linear city structure means more transport routes, leading to congestion SUGGESTIONS = '0 reduce dust, make NCR / Ci ate micro forest to increase | Jpmprove public | im i no-construction zone ‘green space in city, thereby ‘transport and during winters proving air quality ae | encourage its usage Vea JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + The Delhi government and the Centre routinely cite pollution figures averaged for the entire year to claim success of some piecemeal measure or the other but hide the lows of October and November. Tackling Delhi’s winter air requires tough steps that need to be in place at least a couple of months before the plummet. At the very least it requires a truly empowered, independent agency that can implement measures while negotiating the tricky relationship between the Centre and Delhi. Else, beyond the momentary outrage, the fight against pollution will remain on a prayer, and the wind. 8) On India opting out of RCEP: Safe, for now WHAT IS RCEP? Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a proposed free trade agreement with 16 nations: ca Brunei Philippines Australia Cambodia Singapore China Indonesia Thailand India Laos Vietnam Japan Malaysia South Korea Myanmar New Zealand + India eventually decided to play it safe by pulling out at the last minute from the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) which was finalised by 15 countries in Bangkok on Monday. + The pressure mounted on the government and the Prime Minister by interest groups, ranging from farmers, small industries and traders, to political parties across the board, surely played a major role in the decision to stay out of the grouping. ae VeJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Kesey DECEMBER 2019 + The country had little choice but to exit after its safeguard requests were not conceded. On the one side was the looming figure of China in the group and that country’s desperate need to find newer markets for its products in the backdrop of its trade dispute with the U.S. + India runs a massive bilateral trade deficit of $53 billion with China and the fact that China has not taken satisfactory efforts to whittle down the deficit certainly were major inputs in India’s decision. Lost Opportunity India had the highest tariffs of any large Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership trade deal member, and now isn’t joining the pact. Weighted mean tariff rate on all products 0% 2 4 6 8 India South Korea China Vietnam Japan Indonesia PI New Zealand ppines Australia Note: Figures are for 2017 Source: World Rank Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + Second, India’s experience with countries with which it has signed free trade agreements till now is not exactly a happy one. Though trade has increased post-FTA with South Korea, ASEAN and Japan, imports have risen faster than exports from India. + According to a paper published by NITT Aayog, India has a bilateral trade deficit with most of the member countries of RCEP. + More importantly, while exports to RCEP countries account for just 15% of India’s total exports, imports from RCEP countries make up 35% of the country’s total imports. + Given this, it is obvious that in the immediate context the country had more to lose than gain from joining RCEP. + India’s request for country-specific tariff schedules was rejected early in the negotiations. So was its suggestion of an auto-trigger mechanism to check a sudden surge in imports from particular partner countries. + India also argued for stricter rules of origin, and rightly so too, but this too failed to pass muster. Movement of professionals was another area that saw an impasse. Given these, there was little chance of the political leadership agreeing to join the bloc. + Policymakers must have reasoned that India has active FTAs with most members of the RCEP except China, Australia and New Zealand and there will be no economic impact. + However, the fallout of India’s decision is that it has burnished its image as a protectionist nation with high tariff walls. With a market of 1.3 billion people, there is bound to be more pressure on India to open its gates. ERTS TT a4 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE can As ee DECEMBER 2019 + The smart way to handle this is to initiate reforms on the export front, bring down costs in the economy and, simultaneously, increase efficiencies. + India cannot miss out on being a part of global supply chains and this can happen only if tariff barriers are reduced. And the best way to balance the effect of rising imports is by promoting exports. Tariff wall: cannot be permanent. Oummaza India's Chinese hurdles India has been at a disadvantage vis-a-vis China with a trade deficit of $53 billion In 2018-18. India's worry was that joining REP could have meant Chinese goods entering India through a third RCEP country. Total trade with RCEP nations* ME imports ll Exports —@ Trace cieficit_ns bey 22.78 28.06 104.39 105.25 130.61 133.95 135.89 P 83 Pare 52.49 1.08 aa ASEAN Settee a =» 70.32 pas Imports 2 goa Lays down norms for availability in schools WHERE TO REPORT VIOLATIONS eet ee a ea Chief Executive Officer, 3rd Hoor, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Food and Drug Administration Bhawan, Kotla Road, New Delhi - 110002. The objections or suggestions may also be mailed to regulation @fssai-_govin + The challenge will be in enforcement, particularly in preventing the sale and promotion of unhealthy food near schools. For instance, despite the sale and advertisement of tobacco products within 100 yards of a school being prohibited, violation is more the norm than the exception. + Shops that sell tobacco products very often also sell many of the packaged unhealthy foods that the FSSAI now wants to ban. The onus of inculcating healthy eating habits also starts at home. Oe SSJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + Besides taking steps to reduce the intake of unhealthy food, both schools and parents should ensure children get adequate physical activity, which is increasingly being neglected for various reasons. + Itis a combination of healthy food and regular physical activity that will go a long way in bringing up healthier children. 12) On Alternative Investment Fund: Real estate shelter Realty test A look into the details of the Alternative Investment Fund announced by the Centre to finance stalled housing projects Ait Contribution “sit s¢) Contribution of SBI and by Centre Lic How will AIF help? = 1,600 stalled housing projects likely to take off. Even projects classified as NPAs will be eligible = The move is likely to generate jobs and revive demand for building materials like cement, iron and steel + From first looks, the long-awaited package to support the real estate sector, cleared by the Cabinet on Wednesday, appears well-designed. The 225,000 crore Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has expanded in both size and scope from th« earlier one announced in September. And the variables are clear such as the unit sizes that will be supported. Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 « The AIF will provide funds to bail out stalled real estate projects with unit size of less than %2 crore a unit in metros and @1 crore in other places. + The Centre will contribute 210,000 crore, with the State Bank of India and Life Insurance Corporation of India providing the balance. + The fund, to be managed by SBICAP Ventures, will offer support to viable projects with a positive net worth and registered with the Real Estate Regulatory Authority. + What makes the scheme good is that it will also apply to projects that have been declared as non-performing assets by banks and to those lined up before the insolvency court. + Apart from real estate promoters, this will also aid lenders, mainly finance companies and banks, whose funds are locked up in these projects. + According to Ms. Sitharaman, over 1,600 projects involving some 4.58 lakh housing units are stalled for want of funds. There are also unsold units across the country with one market estimate putting their value at over &4 lakh crore. + Most of the stalled projects are solvent but stuck for liquidity and with support from the AIF, can be completed, unlocking value not just for buyers but also precious cash for the project promoters and their lenders. + The real estate sector is not only one of the biggest providers of jobs but also has a huge multiplier effect in the economy. Industries ranging from cement and steel to paints and sanitary ware stand to reap the benefits of a healthy real estate sector. ERTS TT a7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE can As ee DECEMBER 2019 + This is apart from banks and financial institutions. While the AIF is a gooc idea, it is important that it is implemented without glitches. Too many good ideas have suffered due to bad implementation. + The critical part will be identifying the genuine projects in need of support and ensuring that biases do not creep in. Also important will be attracting more investors into the AIP. + The Finance Minister said that sovereign funds and other private investors have shown interest. These need to be followed upon quickly and money should be released from the AIF right away so that the trickle- down effect is felt before the end of this financial year. + Along with private money in the AIF will also come return expectations that need to be managed. The government, through its latest move, and the Reserve Bank of India with successive rate cuts and liquidity infusion, have set the stage. + The Alternative Investment Fund could help revive the stressed sector. The real estate industry now has to do its part. GETTING REAL ABOUT REALTY The special window will provide funds to stalled projects... (which will ensure delivery of flats toa large number of homebuyers. ironce manic BEE PSC 1S NOT GOD! WE DEMYSTIFY IT |AJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECERBER 2070 14) On Moody’s negative rating: Thumbs down SLOWDOWN Sm hea SHADOW Ratings) (Rata Rating agency says agency eee ie Seine Baa2 | ee ee) Standa nae peer shoot eee Petey Fitch ———s«BEB- Stable. “IEYOU LOOKATTHEIMF'S © Projects fiscal deficit of 3.7% PROJECTIONS, THEY COUNT US AMONG BOO Ce, THE FASTEST GROWING MAJOR ea ECONOMIES...WEHAVE © Says economy grew by 5% MAINTAINED INFLATION AND between April and June, BUDGETARY RECTITUDE, AND weakest since 2013 THE CURRENTACCOUNT — © Doesn't expect credit crunch among DEFICITIS ALSO UNDER NBFCs to be resolved quickly ‘CONTROL © Upgrade unlikely in near term 7) Amana SROSES RSET ION —) Chakraborty, rating at Baa2 (2nd-lowest pee. Economic affairs investment grade score) ae secretary + Ratings agency Moody’s has reacted predictably to the turbulence in the economy by revising the outlook on its sovereign rating for India from stable to negative. + Moody’s India rating is a notch higher than that of Standard & Poor’s and the outlook revision now may well be to compensate for its past optimism on India. + Yet, the outlook revision has to be seen for what it is: a warning that if the economy fails to bounce back soon enough, the sovereign rating could be up for an unfavourable review + With due respect to Moody’s, none of the issues that it has highlighted is unknown. The growth slowdown and its effects on the fiscal deficit and borrowings are the main worries. + On the one hand, tax revenue growth is nowhere near budgeted levels and with the slowdown extending into the third quarter, it is clear that tax revenues will undershoot by a wide margin. Oe SSAJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 On the other, the government has been forced to spend more to give a leg up to the economy. Apart from pushing expenditure on capital projects, the government last month gave away corporate tax concessions amounting to a whopping @1.45 lakh crore. + Even with the boost from the 71.76 lakh crore dividend payout from the Reserve Bank of India, the budget arithmetic is optimistic and it now appears certain that the government will miss the fiscal deficit target of 3.3% of GDP. + The only question is: by how much? Moody’s has projected that the deficit will slip to 3.7% of GDP this fiscal. + Ratings agencies are ultra-sensitive to fiscal deficit overruns but the positive factor here is that India’s borrowings are almost wholly domestic. External debt to GDP is just 20% but the ratings do have an impact on investor sentiment. VaR S59 With both domestic demand ... wand exports on the decline, (% growth, y-o-y) Non-food credit (% growth, y-o-y)| (% growth, y-o-y) % v 15 Fixed investment 98 20 ‘4 ii 91 13.5 ei 52 1 5 10 8 0 : Private 4 0 consumption 3.1 5 5 Fy20 QUFY17 QUFY20 Mar 30, 2018 Oct 25, 2019 Fyi7 FY18 FY19 (Hl) Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + But the Moody’s outlook revision comes when there are faint signs of a revival in the economy. To be sure, it may be another quarter or two before growth picks up - the second quarter numbers due later this month may show GDP growing at less than 5%. + But the festive season uptick in sales of automobiles and white goods does point to the return of the consumer to the market. Of course, the possibility that it was an artificial boost driven by the big discounts that were on offer cannot be ruled out. + But there are other positive signals such as the increase in bank credit offtake reported by the RBI for the second successive fortnight. + The government needs to press the pedal harder on reforms and in debugging GST. It may also have little option than to go big on disinvestment in the remaining four months of this fiscal. + The target of 21.05 lakh crore that it set for itself in the budget has to be bested by a wide margin if the fiscal deficit slippage is to be contained. The supportive measures announced in the last two months should be closely monitored for implementation and debt accumulation Rating action by Moody's Debt to GOP (%) 70 6 0 SBI Baad # =| Negative Stable 68 1674 NTPC Baa =» | Negative Stable s NHAI Baa2 ep | Negative Stable Fis Fron | HOFC Bank Baa? oo | Negative Stable Bank of india Baad = Stable Unchanged India 69 Russia fl 16.5 Canara Bank Baa3 # | Stable Unchanged Indonesia 30 Infosys A3 oe | Negative Stable Philippines 39 z S Africa 60 ONGC Baal = Negative Stable s Oe SS HIMF estimate (%,2019) | 4% Unchanged7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 15) On Ayodhya verdict: Peace and justice vy ee + There comes a time when the need for peace and closure is greater than the need for undoing an injustice. In allowing a temple to come up through a government-appointed trust at the disputed site in Ayodhya, the Supreme Court has apparently chosen a path most conducive to social harmony + To compensate the Muslim litigants, who were deprived of the centuries- old Babri Masjid through an illegal act of demolition, the court has asked for the allotment of a five-acre plot of land elsewhere in Ayodhya that may be used for building a new mosque. + That this is more of moral consolation by way of a political compromise and less of adjudication in recognition of their religious rights is obvious. + The final award will always be a source of discomfiture for those to whom closure goes beyond ensuring peace in a communally polarised environment. ERTS TT a7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECERBER 2070 + But what is most welcome about the 1,045-page verdict of a Bench of five judges is its unanimity. For, it sends out a message that the judiciary has, with a single mind, ventured to give legal burial to a prolonged dispute that began as a minor litigation, expanded into a divisive political cause, and became a festering wound on the body-politic for years. + The fact that the case is over at last must come as great relief to all peace loving people. This sense of relief masks the bitter truth that the fear of < Hindu backlash if there was an adverse verdict was genuine. + After nearly three decades of unrelenting pursuit of communal polarisation, the majoritarian, revanchist forces in the country have fatigued their secular adversaries into passive acquiescence + The Bench indeed has done well to record its revulsion at two incidents that represented an onslaught on the psyche of secular India: the desecration of the masjid in 1949 when Hindu idols were planted surreptitiously under its central dome, and the planned destruction of the whole structure by the foot soldiers of Hindutva on December 6, 1992. + But what is most disappointing about it is that the relief spelt out by the Bench may amount to legitimising the very demolition it unequivocally condemns. Having declared that the suits are representative of the two communities, organised violence by one party ought not to have been ignored. + Itis common knowledge that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, which spearheaded the temple movement with the active backing of the Bharatiya Janata Party and organised the demolition of the mosque, got a foothold in the litigation through an individual who represented the deity, Ram Lalla, as “a next friend” in a fresh suit filed in 1989 + A reading of the judgment reveals that the outcome is not wholly in line with the evidentiary conclusions the court itself reaches. Oe SS4 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Kesey DECEMBER 2019 in 1993 + It notes that archaeological evidence - procured only because excavation was made possible by the demolition and as such not available to the parties at the time of institution of the suits - only shows the existence of a 12th century Hindu religious structure underneath, but does not prove any demolition or explain what happened in the intervening centuries. It acknowledges that namaz was offered at the mosque between 1857 and 1949, and declares that Muslims did not abandon it, but offers no relief even though their religious rights stand proved. Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + The entire disputed area covering both the inner and outer courtyards are awarded to one side contrary to its own conclusion that Muslims had a right, albeit a contested one, in the inner courtyard. + While it holds that Hindus had possessory right over the entire outer courtyard to the exclusion of Muslims, it does not decide whether they had exclusive title; on the other hand, it rejects the Muslim claim solely on the ground that they failed to prove “exclusive title”. + Also, the court says evidence of Hindu worship was available for a period prior to 1857, while there was proof of namaz only after 1857, without accounting for the fact that it was in that year that a massive riot took place that led to the British administration putting up a railing to divide the mosque from the Hindu shrines in the outer courtyard. + The case has been decided on the balance of probabilities that Hindus have proved a better title than Muslims. While it is true that “preponderance of probabilities” is the standard of proof in civil law, it is doubtful whether this can be invoked to the exclusion of an acknowledged right belonging to the other side. + It will be disappointing to the country as a whole if the judgment in favour of Hindu litigants does not end the belligerence of Hindu organisations that ran the movement to build a temple at the very spot on which the Babri Masjid stood until that fateful day in 1992. + For none can deny that the politicisation and communalisation of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute left in its wake a trail of violence and led to terrible loss of lives and property across the country. + To the toxic effect of the sectarian strife set off by the temple movement through processions and the infamous ‘rath yatra’ of BJP leader L.K. Advani, one can attribute many deadly riots and a wave of retaliatory bombings by Islamists since the late 1980s. ERTS TT aAJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE acing IAs haters DECEMBER 2019 + In paving the way for a Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Supreme Court prioritised communal harmony over all else. But there would be a real sense of justice only if those who plotted and executed the demolition are convicted in the ongoing trial in Lucknow. + The rulers of the day owe this much to the nation. And in the spirit of the ‘new India’ put forward by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it would be in the fitness of things if the VHP and other organisations which participated in the demolition are expressly excluded from the proposed trust to build the temple.a JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + In paving the way for the building of a temple for Ram on the spot believed to be his janmasthan, the Supreme Court held up the faith of millions of Hindus. But it cannot allow the judgment to be perceived as an endorsement of any challenge to the rule of law in the name of faith. 1992 to 2019; How India has changed in the years since Babri demolition ‘hen mob ure down the Bb NasjiinAydiy years ae ada one, o mobile and far sme GDP Batwa abo kes unl and wnemployment was ach owe. am Os iftt iii & 2 0 Porn on corracam =| LsrEizaver Prank HE :Scittn ko E55, HS, a a ys Bm its t Unionist | siusrNortuir Gra nex CCovenssens | RuwarPAssncers | AMTRATELERS nen | RURATLNES 2 eo | OT He, yunz00 HEELS inom a: me ee on awe eer erases) | tetareg sane sence (7) On Kerala plan for free Internet roll-out: Casting the Net wide ~~ 2s Kerala Becomes 1st Indian State To Declare Internet As A Basic Right ae Aa JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECERBER 2070 + If things go as per plan, Kerala could have near-universal Internet access in a little over a year’s time. Last week’s nod by the State Cabinet for the Kerala Fibre Optic Network project clears the path for a Kerala-wide optical fibre network by December 2020. + At%1,548 crore, it is, without doubt, an ambitious project. But what makes it commendable is its recognition that Internet access is a basic human right. + No other Indian State has recognised Internet access in this manner till now. This is also in syne with what the UN has been articulating in recent years, based on the Internet’s role in enabling freedom of speech and reducing inequ ity, among other things. GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS | M-GOVERNANCE & E-GOVERNANCE h-speed Internet Development of single mobile app Wi-Fi services | for government services HOUSEHOLDS, INSTITUTIONS | DECENTRALISED BANKING SERVICES ©Fibre optic network | Banking kiosks at 2,450 by 2017 Connectivity 2 Mbps to 20 Mbps DIGI Common platform titled Digital Literacy to the Masses in Kerala e —_ & + And so, embedded in this plan to touch every household in Kerala is a provision to deliver free Internet access to over two million BPL families. The idea is to charge affordable rates for other families. + The network, to be set up by the Kerala State Electricity Board Ltd. and the Kerala State IT Infrastructure Ltd., will also connect 30,000 sovernment offices and educational institutions Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + When complete, Kerala, a State that already tops in human development indicators in the country, will be ready for a steep digital evolution. + Kerala’s plan for Internet roll-out, therefore, is also worthy of emulation by other States, given that Internet have-nots still exist in the millions. There is no doubt that India has made huge leaps in providing Internet access to its people in recent years. + To be sure, a good part of the growth till now can be attributed to cheay data plans, triggered in no small measure by the advent of Reliance Jio + According to a recent study by the Internet and Mobile Association of India and Nielsen, the country has 451 million active Internet users. + But this number masks huge access gaps. Internet penetration is significantly higher in urban areas than it is in rural areas; it is also significantly higher for men than it is for women. fi os a Empowering Brdin ‘through ior sii eie Friendly taco of Single window for rennet LT) rizen corvice XK a First choice ot citizen (Tota Hoof Akshava Centers 2837 Oe SS4 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + The best-performing State, Delhi-NCR, has an Internet penetration of 69%. The second-best is Kerala, with just 54%. Global technology companies have in recent years eyed the huge population of Internet have- nots as an opportunity. + Some, like Facebook, even came up with an idea of free access to a list of chosen sites, a severely skewed version of the Internet which endangered it basic values. While such ideas were thankfully rejected by the government, the gaps are there nonetheless. + There is no doubt that governments need to play an interventionist rok in plugging this gap. Kerala could set a healthy example. It’s plan for providing free Internet access to the poor is worthy of emulation by others 18) On Kartarpur corridor: The extra mile + For millions of Sikhs worldwide, the inauguration of the Kartarpur corridor was a dream seven decades in the making. Oe SSJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECERBER 2070 « Ever since India and Pakistan were partitioned with an arbitrary line drawn through Punjab, the placement of Kartarpur, where Guru Nanak spent his last years, meant that while a majority of his devotees were left on one side of the border, his last resting place was left just four kilometres on the other side. + Unlike the other major Sikh shrine at Guru Nanak’s birthplace Nankana Sahib, Kartarpur Sahib was off Pakistan’s highways and therefore fell into disuse. Those keen to see it were restricted to peering through binoculars at a border check post. + Saturday’s inauguration of the renovated shrine in Kartarpur by Prime Minister Imran Khan, and the access to the corridor from Sultanpur Lodhi on the Indian side by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saw the fervent hopes of all those people being granted, timed with the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Kartarpur \ \ Narowal PAKISTAN 2 oO Gurdaspur Dera Baba Nak IN DIA \. <> % - “Amritsar International Border Oe SS fs7 AJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + The corridor, which will allow 5,000 Indian pilgrims a day to walk visa-free into Pakistan, pay obeisance and then return to India, is unique. If both governments are willing, it could lend itself to other cross-border connections for Hindus and Sikhs to vi and for Muslims and Sufism followers to visit shrines just across the border in Gujarat and Rajasthan. shrines in Pakistan + That it was completed from start to finish in a year that saw relations between the two countries plumb new depths, is also nothing short of a miracle: from the Pulwama terror attack and the Balakot strikes. + The slugfest over the government’s moves on Kashmir; the recall of High Commissioners; and even Pakistan’s repeated denial of overflight rights to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s aircraft on foreign visits ete. it was a downward spiral. Each event was accompanied by sharp rhetoric and recriminations, yet the Kartarpur process was not derailed. + In that sense, the Kartarpur shrine has fulfilled the promise it held out to the devout, but hasn’t lived up to its potential for diplomacy. + Ithad been hoped, when Pakistan’s Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa first conveyed Islamabad’s acceptance of India’s long-pending demand for the corridor, that this would lead to a new sense of understanding between the two governments as well. + Instead, Pakistan’s encouragement of Khalistani separatist groups to use Kartarpur as a platform has been a constant cause for suspicion for India. On the other side, India’s misgivings have been seen as a churlish response to Pakistan’s efforts on building the corridor. + The fact is that neither side has been able to build on the goodwill for the project in both countries to create an atmosphere for talks on other issues. ERTS TT aJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 « This failure was most evident when both Mr. Modi and Mr. Khan carried out separate inauguration ceremonies, but failed to come together at the border for the launch of the project, though both leaders likened it to the “coming down of the Berlin wall”. + Kartarpur corridor has realised the dream of devout Sikhs, but done little for India-Pak. Ties. For that promise to be realised, leaders will need to walk the extra mile, both literally and figuratively. Y iV 09 Drarmiot woe 6 sab cro dase 1 —— 19) On Maharashtra politics: Betrayal of the mandate + The political play in Maharashtra that continued unabated because the Assembly election results in October 24 was brought to a conclusion, albeit briefly, from the imposition of President's rule Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + The Maharashtra verdict was and also in favour of this BJP-Shiv Sena pre- poll alliance, but the spouses couldn't agree on the conditions of energy consumption, resulting in prolonged haggling between these. + The Sena is that the BJP's oldest ally and the two are bound with a competitive adherence to Hindutva. The Sena's claim was not justified from the verdict - it obtained 56 chairs of this 288, although the BJP won almost twice that figure. + Even the BJP, ensconced in the Centre and willing to utilize power to curtail its adversaries, didn't relent. >< q Total Seats ra!) Maharashtra SEAT SHARE EXIT POLL 2019 2014 BIP 141 122 SENA 102 63 CONG 17 42 NCP 22 41 VBA - oO AIMIM 1 2 MNS ~ 1 OTHERS Ss 3 ae7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + The Sena overplayed its hand by parting with all the BJP and stopping the Union authorities. It miscalculated the other situation of directing a State authorities with the aid of this Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). + The notion of a Congress-NCP-Sena coalition authorities is poisonous. Post-poll coalitions are a valid path to government formation once the legislature is suspended however, the scenario in Maharashtra is far out of it. + There were just two pre-poll alliances, one obtained a clear majority and another clearly dropped. In the event the Congress and NCP wish to keep the BJP out of power for sectarian reasons, handing over power to a virulent strain of Hindutva will be disingenuous. + The creation of an NCP-Congress-Sena authorities, whatever might be its own facade, won't just be a betrayal of their mandate but also be indefensible in ideological terms apart from being suicidal tactically. + This kind of alliance, even if at all organized, wouldn't be sustainable or stable. These parties will be blamed to be devoid of political convictions. + The BIP is going to be the sole beneficiary of this type of comprehensive delegitimisation of the full Opposition spectrum in Maharashtra. From the inescapable mid-term election which will occur sooner rather than later, opportunists will pay a cost + The Congress and the NCP will be better off dropping this chance and leave the birds of the exact same feather to possibly float together. Nevertheless it was inexcusable of the Army to never offer the Sena or the NCP sufficient time to explore the prospect of an alternate government. + The BJP has to be expecting to stress the Sena back to the alliance, but the best route today appears a brand new election. ae VeAJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE ee DECEMBER 2019 MAHARASHTRA HOW iis MAHARAS' VOTED? cpm on 032 25.75 1.34 ae ET a E Ta I7_!7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + The forced resignation of Bolivian President Evo Morales has thrown into the weakest country in South America to its biggest political crisis in 13 decades, + Since Bolivia's first indigenous President, that climbed to the very best office during left-wing unionism, he presided over one of their most stable governments. + But cracks started to show up in his Movement for Socialism celebration when he sought a fourth successive term earlier this season. However, the Opposition contested the results and started widespread protests, demanding a new election. + Following the Organization of American States alleged widespread survey fraud in an audit file, the army forced Mr. Morales and his allies to resign. In asylum in Mexico, he's pledged to combat the"coup". + The minds of the Senate and chamber of deputies would be the other leaders at the hierarchy who might presume acting presidency. But in this situation, all four officers, all Socialists, have resigned. And it's left a vacuum, which the army could exploit. + Underneath his fairly good history, Bolivia has witnessed a fall in poverty, from 33 percent of the populace in 2006 to 15 percent this past year. The market has also witnessed a steady growth rate, + Mr. Morales created some significant political mistakes too. Mostly, he neglected to deliver up a second-rung leadership at the Movement for Socialism to whom he would pass the baton of the"21Ist century socialist revolution" + In 2016, his drive to end presidential term limits via a referendum failed. He said he accepted that the verdict. But after, a constitutional court raised the word limitations, allowing the President to look for re-election. Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + This had galvanised the Opposition, which asserted the President's electoral involvement itself was unconstitutional. Facing protests, Mr. Morales had provided another election. + That ought to have been the way ahead. A fair and free election being held under the oversight of international electoral monitors could have enabled the Bolivians to pick their legitimate leader. + Nevertheless, the violent protesters who insisted Mr. Morales's resignation, the police forces that rebelled against the authorities, and ultimately the generals who compelled the President to move all ruined the potential for a peaceful transition. + Both Morales and his opponents failed to ensure a Calm, orderly transition. They threw Bolivia to anarchy and chaos. And much more violence could be anticipating the nation. MEXICO Mexico City PERU BOLIVIA Cochabamba PARAGUAY ae A4 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 21) On shrinking industrial output: Gloom deepens Sluggish September es e 3.9% Apr 2018 -20.7% Ye 79.9% Sep 2019 Sep 2018. Apr 2018 Ei In signs of continuing weakness in the economy, India’s industrial so 7 output shrank for the second 58 straight month at 4.3% in September. This is likely to impact GDP growth, which ~4.3% or fas is already at a six-year low. SeP 2019 Graphic Sarvesh Kumar Sharma/Mint Source: Mospl + Another set of economic data from the National Statistical Office has reaffirmed both the depth and all-pervasive width of the ongoing economic slowdown. + The latest index of industrial production (IIP) estimates from the NSO show that output shrank by 4.3% in September, with all three component sectors in the index - manufacturing, mining and electricity, posting contractions. + This was the sharpest contraction in output since at least April 2012, before which the data was referenced to a different base year. Also, five of the six categories on the IIP’s use-based classification of goods registered declines, with only intermediate goods bucking the trend. + Disconcertingly, the prolonged slump in the output of capital goods, a proxy for investment activity by businesses, extended into a ninth Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 straight month as production contracted by about 21% for the second month in a row. + Consumer durables also posted a fourth straight contraction, with the 9.9% decline appearing in stark contrast to September 2018's 5.4% growth. + Clearly, manufacturers of white goods are struggling to find demand for their wares and the sliding production points to an absence of the traditiona festival-eve restocking bump. DEMAND WORRIES ‘© Gold Imports plunge 50.1% during festive season Domestic demand weak as non-oll, non-gold imports down 8.8% Investment demand feeble; low Imports of macnine tools, equipment ree Olt, gold Dring Imports down Growth (%) Petroleum, Crude & products CEES Pearls, precious & Semi- Precious stones Gola lotner drags Transport equipment Machine tools ’ Coal, Coke & Briquettes Petroleum progucts Man-made Yarn Cotton Yarn, Handioom Leather, leather product Meat, dairy & poultry Marine products + The second successive shrinkage in infrastructure and construction goods of 6.4% - reflects the challenges besetting the two eponymous aeJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + Here, the Centre’s announcement of a funding initiative to help stalled housing projects ought to provide some fillip in the coming months. Bu a stretched fiscal situation is likely to keep government spending on other big-ticket infrastructure projects muted for the foreseeable future. + From an industry perspective, 17 of the 23 industry groups that comprise the manufacturing sector contracted. And leading the slump, predictably was the motor vehicles industry, which posted a 25% contraction. + Ifthe wholesale data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) is any indicator of trends for this industry, there is certainly more pain ahead as overall shipments fell almost 13% from a year earlier in October + Demand for newly introduced utility vehicles was the saving grace, as it propelled a marginal uptick in passenger vehicle deliveries + SIAM’s figures on commercial vehicles, which show a 23% year-on- year decline, particularly underscore the demand vacuum in the rural hinterland and the wariness on the part of fleet operators to invest in new haulage capacity. With manufacturing having a weight of almost 78% in the IP, the latest report from IHS Markit gives little room for optimism. InRed Growth Drivers | Major Industrial Drags | No Immediate InReverse Mode — segt crow (x) Revival... NP 69 Sept Growth (2) Motor vehils,trallers -248 Boost Coital Furniture “a6 Q2GDP growth ee Machinery Bequipment -10.1 ™2fallbelon atl Ina aly Rubber plastics products 12.6 trent demand SS ee Computer electron, 108 pgimay ct Aor May Jn Jo Aug Sep Consumer B ean le ane lak wy & mE REL GOD ! WE D SL IT!7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + The survey-based Purchasing Managers’ Index revealed continuing manufacturing sector weakness in October as weakening demand hurt new orders and business sentiment. + In fact, business confidence had slipped last month to its lowest level in more than two-and-a-half years, according to the private economic research group. + All signs now point to the central bank cutting interest rates again at its next meeting, in order to help spur a revival. 22) On Karnataka rebel MLAs: Disqualified, yet qualified ay + It is not often that an adverse order brings relief along with it. Even while upholding the Karnataka Speaker’s orders disqualifying 17 defectors this year, the Supreme Court has allowed the former legislators to contest the December 5 by-elections to 15 Assembly seats. + The former Janata Dal (S) and Congress MLAs are now free not only to contest the polls, but may reap the benefits of their amoral crossover by getting a ticket from the ruling BJP. Oe SS4 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 Most of them had tried to resign from their respective parties in July, but the move was seen as a transparent ploy to bring down the JD(S)- Congress regime of H.D. Kumaraswamy The suspicion, not unfounded, was that they would get ministerial positions as soon as BJP leader B.S. Yediyurappa formed a BJP government. ‘The then Speaker, K.R. Ramesh Kumar, kept them at bay for days by refusing to act on their resignations. Ultimately, he disqualified all of them in orders passed on July 25 and 28 and said the disqualification would go on till 2023 - the end of the current Assembly’s term. ae The Speaker’s stance was quite controversial as it appeared to create a conflict between resignation and disqualification. He now stands partially vindicated as his argument that resignation could not be a ruse to evade an impending disqualification has been accepted. Ve7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + The Speaker was also hoping to keep the defectors out of any alternative regime as members disqualified for defection are barred from becoming ministers until they get re-elected. + The court’s exposition of the law relating to the interplay between resignation and defection is quite welcome. On the one hand, resignation does not take away the effect of a prior act that amounts to disqualification. + On the other, Speakers are not given a free pass to sit on resignation letters indefinitely. Under Article 190(3), a provision under which the Speaker has to ascertain the “voluntary” and “genuine” nature of a resignation before accepting it, the court is clear that it is a limited inquiry, only to see if the letter is authentic and if the intent to quit is based on free will. + “Once it is demonstrated that a member is willing to resign out of his free will, the Speaker has no option but to accept the resignation,” the court has said. + This effectively ends the argument that the Speaker is empowered to consider the motives and circumstances whenever a resignation is submitted + The verdict bemoans the fact that Speakers sometimes tend not to be neutral and that change of loyalty for the lure of office continues despite the anti-defection law. Identifying its weak aspects and strengthening the law may be the answer 23) On CJI office and RTI Act: Open, all the same + The adage, “sunlight is the best disinfectant” is often used to delineate the need for disclosure of matters related to public interest through the Right to Information mechanism. + The declaration of assets by ministers and legislators, besides electoral candidates, has gone a long way in shedding light on public ERTS TT a, JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 authorities and provided the citizenry more relevant information about their representatives. RIGHT TO D INFORMATION + Yet, judges of the Supreme Court had so far refused to share information on their personal assets, citing the express lack of public interest. + The welcome ruling by a five-member Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court that the office of the Chief Justice of India is a “public authority” under the RTI Act, as much as the apex court itself, now enables the disclosure of information such as the judges’ personal assets. + The judgment’s majority opinion, written by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, emphasised the need for transparency and accountability and that “disclosure is a facet of public interest”. SER SC TT SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECERBER 2070 + Inconcurring opinions, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud asserted that judicial independence was not secured by secrecy while Justice N.V. Ramana argued for the need of a proper calibration of transparency in light of the importance of judicial independence. + The Bench unanimously argued that the right to know under the RTI Act was not absolute and this had to be balanced with the right of privacy of judges. But the key take away from the judgment is that disclosure of details of serving judges’ personal assets was not a violation of their right to privacy. + The main opinion also argued that information related to issues such as judicial appointments will also be subject to the test of public interest and procedures mandated in the RTI Act that specify that views of third parties (in this case, judges) must be sought. + While laying out the importance of the assessment of public interest in any RTI query besides bringing the office of the CJI under the purview of the Act, the decision has gone on to uphold the Delhi High Court verdict in 2010. + The RTI Act is a strong weapon that enhances accountability, citizen activism and, consequently, participative democracy, even if its implementation has come under strain in recent years due mainly to the Central government's apathy and disregard for the nuts and bolts of the Act. + Yet, despite this, the Supreme Court judgment paves the way for greater transparency and could now impinge upon issues such as disclosure, under the RTI Act, by other institutions such as registered political parties. ae AJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + This is vital as political party financing is a murky area today, marked by opacity and exacerbated by the issue of electoral bonds, precluding citizens from being fully informed on sources of party incomes. WON'T HAMPER JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE TERRA a STA MLE MU Meme Pay Ue eae eae de “ UNBIASED AND ~ EQUAL IN THE EYE OF LAW 24) On Sabarimala review pleas: Review and reference Ordinarily, a reference to a seven-judge Bench for an authoritative pronouncement on the entire gamut of issues arising from Article 25 and 26 of the Constitution, which protect the religious freedoms of individuals and denominations, would have been welcome + However, the order of a Constitution Bench in making such a reference, while delivering the verdict on petitions seeking review of last year’s judgment allowing women in the 10-50 age group to offer worship at the Sabarimala temple, is problem SL SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + The order, passed by a narrow majority of three judges, with two dissenting, means that the review petition, as well as fresh writ petitions, on the issue will be kept pending until there is clarity on the nature of religious rights. + The majority, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, held that the petitions against the 2018 verdict, which laid down that the practice of keeping women of ovulating age out of the shrine is discriminatory and violative of the right to equality, have revived the question whether an individual’s right to worship can outweigh a religious group’s right to manage the affairs of its religion. + An issue resolved by a 4:1 majority is sought to be reconsidered by formulating fresh questions on the interplay between religious freedom and other fundamental rights, especially the right to equality. + The majority anticipates that similar basic questions on the conflict between individual freedom and constitutionally-protected religious beliefs may arise in other situations too ERTS TT a7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECERBER 2070 + It cites pending petitions concerning the entry of women into a dargah, the entry of Parsi women married to non-Parsis into an agyari, and the practice of female genital mutilation among Dawoodi Bohras. It is shocking that the Bench includes the abhorrent practice of female genital mutilation in this genre. + It is well-established that freedom of religion, under Article 25, is subjec to public order, morality and health, and it may not be difficult for any court to test the validity of the practice against the restriction on grounds of a woman’s health, and this may not require an exalted panel 0 seven judges. + In keeping the petitions on Sabarimala pending further, the court has displayed a disquieting inability to stand by its previous transformative judgment. + Further, it may lead to a repeat of the unsavoury incidents of last year when religious groups and political activists blocked and attacked women devotees. Justices Fali Nariman and D.Y. Chandrachud, in their dissent, rightly call out such transgressions against the rule of law and, while rejecting the need for review, want all authorities to remember their constitutional duty to work in aid of the Supreme Court and the law laid down by it. + An omnibus reconsideration of all issues related to religious freedom was not the way out of the serious issues posed by the Sabarimala judgment. $C 1S NOT GOD ! WE D AA. A SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 A TIMELINE Pea ee UE ea) ete uke ueaeyoge ay Prom en Caeser gael) a Indian Young Lawyers Association estas CLs ca in tne eur ee eB ORO ee aU Ee RC aes ee DO ee nr eR Pre metegtuaa Meteor’ banon Oey Cera eae ag Peek ered aa aa yee ec se Teter kre Sette a Cometic Afive-judge bench of SC allows entry Oren Seg ena re) ce aa eee bracket 10-50 years try to enter the Racer C na Meher ak a a ere eae ae cis] he ane esac ee eT cn tm oa ~ Reis eae csee 4 een enc’ ee eee ee ee ee eee ee eee SC refers case to a 7-judge bench US ea SSS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE acing IAs haters DECEMBER 2019 25) On telecom industry crisis: Crossed wires Omi Staying afloat TEdecom opetatos ae batting an unstable and unfavourable regdatory enrorment even as reverue and subscriber growth have seen an uptick. Gross revenue earned by telecom operators. ‘Subscriber growth Policy steps eco) Wireles subscribers (nmilon) 230000 237676 Dec! Ere Government & 2008) allocates licences on fist come fst Dec 200000 2003) ae served basis be 7329 i ‘Apexcourtcancels ee Dec 653 ‘licences, holding mal the process of 105,061 Dee allocation as flawed 1100000 an nee eae Dec} x3] ccs Tralordess UC be soo00 be scrapped fom 2020 anu 943.97, ° ba 101089 Trignesback tothe 2008 205 drawing board on SoxceSreneCautjigmerton Cb, Tai Sate tOScTAPIUC + Two leading and important players in the telecom industry - Bharti Airtel and Vodafone (Idea Merged) - have reported historic losse: in the second quarter of this fiscal. + Vodafone has declared a loss of 250,922 crore while Bharti Airtel has reported a loss of 22,830 crore. The losses were due to provisions that the two companies had to make following an adverse verdict in their Supreme Court battle with the government over the definition of ‘aggregate gross revenue’. Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECERBER 2070 + The two companies have also warned that if the government does not offer them relief on the demand to pay arrears of revenue share along with interest and penalty, adding up to about 80,000 crore between them, their very existence as a going concern will be in doubt - in short, what the companies are saying is that they would collapse. + Vodafone, in particular, has said that it will have no option but to exit India. It is true that the industry in general - minus Reliance Jio - and Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea in particular, are under severe stress and do deserve a helping hand from the government. Costly Disconnect Bharti Airtel, Vodafone idea face Penalty for allegedly denying Jio Se adequate points of interconnection communications Trai had recommended fines of Commission to take 21,050 cr each on Airtel and thefinaldecision _\ Vodafone ndiaandzss0cron Telcos areexpected Wdeain2016 to legally challenge Vodafone and idea, which merged —_ any levy of penalties operations in Aug 2018, had separately moved the Delhi High Court soon after + But the question to ask here is: why did they not provide for the liability in their balance sheets over the years? + Conservative accounting demands that contingent liabilities be provided for. The sudden pressure on their financials could have been avoided if they had made a provision in their balance sheet for the liability stemming from a possible adverse verdict in the case. + That said, it is clear that it is now time for the government to step in. A Committee of Secretaries headed by Cabinet Secretary Rajeev Gauba is studying ways in which the telecom industry can be bailed out. Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECERBER 2070 + While one waits for what this committee will come up with, the fact is that the industry needs another round of reforms right away. The government, which appropriates about 30% of the revenues of each player through various levies and taxes, needs to revisit some of the policies framed by it earlier. + The most important issue is addressing the validity of a licence fee in the form of revenue share. This was set when spectrum was allotted and not auctioned. + With the government now collecting revenues upfront in the form of spectrum auction fees - which some feel are unjustifiably high - there is little justification for a licence fee as well + There is also the issue of interconnect usage charges to be settled. The telecom regulator is adjudicating this dispute right now. + Talking of the regulator, the government also needs to look into the fairness of regulatory policies and approaches and ensure that they are unbiased. + The telecom industry is crucial to India’s next wave of growth through digitalisation and the government should not be blinded by short-term revenue considerations that imperil long-term prospects. ae AAJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE (Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 Tough Call Reducing interest and penalty Allowing longer tenure for payments Lowering licence fee, spectrum usage charge Base =1.3 Lakh crore Telecom n cos need to pay up Voda idea Telco says it will worst ask DOT to pro- affected vide relief, such among telcos, | as waiver of say analysts | interest & penalty Tread with Caution ~ > Officials say govt needs to be careful so as not to set wrong precedent Also, govt wants to avoid vigilance action in future US ea SSSJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 26) On the report of Ministry of Consumer Affairs: Quality on tap Pollution capital Water in Dethi ranked the most unsafe in India as the samples failed in 19 out of the 28 parameters. Samples from Mumbai were found to meet all parameters Delhi Kolkata Chennai Jaipur Dehradun Ranchi Raipur Hyderabad Bhubaneswar Mumbai MB NO.OF PARAMETERS IN WHICH SAMPLES ARE FAILING The report of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution red-flagging tap water quality in major Indian cities comes as no surprise, given that many official water distribution agencies routinely advise consumers to consume only boiled water. Going by the matrix of tests carried out by the Bureau of Indian Standards for the Ministry, Delhi has abysmal water quality, Chennai and Kolkata rank very low, and Mumbai is the only city with acceptable results. City water systems are normatively required to comply with the national standard for drinking water, IS 10500:2012, but most obviously feel no compulsion to do so. Oe SSa JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + Their lack of initiative could be attributed partly to the expanding footprint of packaged drinking water, especially in populous cities, coupled with the high dependence on groundwater in fast- growing urban clusters where State provision of piped water systems does not exist. + On paper, the Indian standard has a plethora of quality requirements, including absence o/f viruses, parasites and microscopic organisms, and control over levels of toxic substances. DOWN THE DRAIN &= How India’s states fare when it comes to managing their water resources. ‘UTTARAKHAND (281 Ganenep tose ‘SIKKIM (49) @ assam ca see awn (281 " mecunnaczes a _ @ Performers (Score >65) © Average (score 50-65) @ Laggards (Score =50) Novdats available vam wenatata21 magus Indicators with weights equally divided across a sector's (de source augmentation, demand and Supply side iriniing water, urban water supply, policy and Jovernance. A $C 1S NOT GOD ! WE D4 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + Butin practice, municipal water fails these tests due to the lack of accountability of the official agencies, and the absence of robust data in the public domain on quality testing. + The Centre’s approach to the issue relies on naming and shaming through a system of ranking, but this is unlikely to yield results, going by similar attempts to benchmark other urban services. + Making it legally binding on agencies to achieve standards and empowering consumers with rights is essential, because State governments would then take an integrated view of housing, water supply, sanitation and waste management. Groundwater extraction i A ae r- © 70% faster cubic km than estimated “— —~ groundwater earlier ——“—~—s lost in 6 years NO CLARITY ON HOW MUCH GROUNDWATER aaa Ground and Delhi needs ji surface 1 cubic km & Water ada ood water a year; likely to _e= up to total ———_ be worst affected utilisable water “———“—" Niti Aayog has warned that Delhi could run out of groundwater by 2020 Cone cubic km = 1 trillion litre) Source: National Geophysical Research Institute + A scientific approach to water management is vital, considering that 21 cities - including many of those found to have unclean tap water - could run out of groundwater as early as 2020, as per a NITI Aayog report. + Moreover, the Central Ground Water Board estimates that nearly a fifth of the urban local bodies are already facing a water crisis due to excessive extraction, failed monsoons, and unplanned development. Oe SS4 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + On the issue of regular testing, there is a case to entrust a separate agency with the task in each State, rather than relying on the same agency that provides water to also perform this function. + If data on water are made public on the same lines as air quality, it would ratchet up pressure on governments to act. + For too long, the response of water departments to the challenge has been to chlorinate the supply, as this removes pathogens, ignoring such aspects as appearance, smell and taste. It is time to move beyond this and make tap water genuinely desirable. 27) On apex court ruling on Essar Steel: A precedent Die ey ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel have offered 742,000 crore in cash to Essar Steel's creditors and will invest #8000 crore in the firm to make it India’s fourth-largest steelmaker by capacity oS © WS 254,550cr 230,000c > 7A69cr Total debt on the books Total pledged by Arcelor Its payment to clear dues of of Essar Steel inresolution plan Uttam Galva and KSS Petron POR nua een OP CE ere STEEL complex with _ COLDrollingmill and — PELLET-making 26% stake in Hazira nameplate capacity { galvanizingline at {facilities at } terminal, which will of 10mtpaat Hazira | downstreamhubin { Visakhapatnamand { remain with thenew in Gujarat. Pune. Paradip. * owners. + The Supreme Court’s judgment on Friday in the matter of Essar Steel’s bankruptcy is a landmark in the short history of insolvency and bankruptcy resolution in India. Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECERBER 2070 + Apart from clearing the way for eventual sale of Essar Steel to Arcelor Mittal, the verdict has clarified on important aspects of insolvency resolution that had been interpreted variously by the National Company Law Tribunal and the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). + First off, the apex court has upheld the primacy of financial creditors over operational creditors in the repayments waterfall, and rightly so too. It is the financial creditors who provide capital to an enterprise and their interests are secured in the form of collaterals on the firm’s assets. + Operational creditors, who are largely suppliers of goods and services, are unsecured creditors and they cannot claim equality or precedence over financial creditors. + Second, the Supreme Court has shown the NCLAT, which was attempting to appropriate the role of the Committee of Creditors (CoC) in an insolvency resolution, its place. + The ruling made it clear that the Committee of Creditors - is supreme when it comes to deciding on commercial issues, including the repaymen waterfall, in an insolvency resolution. + These two clarifications should alone help in quickening a number of other cases, big and small, that are stuck in the insolvency courts across the country. + The apex court has also held that the 330-day limit for resolution is not sacrosanct. This will ensure that creditors are not pressured to accept « below-par deal due to paucity of time. + With critical aspects of the law clarified, there may also not be reason to fear that entrenched promoter-defaulters can misuse the unlimited time now available to them. ae AAJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 » With the go-ahead given to the sale of Essar Steel, it is expected that banks will recover over 90% of the over %40,000 crore that the company owes them. Operational creditors are set to receive close to 1,200 crore. + This should clearly help improve the financial position of weak public sector banks and bolster profitability as the Essar dues were fully written off by them. Shares of banks such as State Bank of India, and Punjab National Bank rallied following the verdict. Essar Steel case: Banks' recovery MEAdmitted claims [Recovery (in © cr) so: eres 77° Conara sank SEES a Se 2,936 Edelweiss ARC 9137 PNB E (anim Vilas ban [326 ICICI Bank 2,296 Corporation Bank ae Edelweiss ARC [RINE 1,697 ae 1967 ‘dict Ban Syndicate fank BS32 1B Bonk SRBREER 2452 UCO Bank [fS$? Union Bank 2,122 Central Bank 430 Ot inca Stincie Bsso Deutsche 320 ee 2,829 Allahabad Bank [320 Bank of India 1,985 Bank of Baroda | 2. Edelweiss 1,966 556 ‘ARC CoB) : Exim Bank STS Edelweiss 1,247 ia $275 ARC (BoB) Hii. SRE ndia | [h61 Edelweiss ARC M993 Standard (Axis Bani) Chaitered Genk See Edelweiss jm 978 Source: Cot approved plan as per ARC (HDFC) bus NCLAT order, indianivesh & Banks + More importantly, the decision, it is believed, will serve as a useful precedent when it comes to deciding on future bankruptcy cases. + The insolvency and bankruptcy process is still young in India. There is a long way to go yet, especially in the matter of recovery percentages. Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + The Essar Steel resolution has raised the bar but the overall recovery in all cases that have been adjudicated is less than 50%. This has to improve, along with the time taken for resolution, because significant capital is locked up in bankrupt companies. 29) On nationwide protests: Iran on the boil + Nationwide protests that broke out over the weekend are the latest challenge to the Iranian regime that’s already struggling to fix a battered economy, hostile ties with the U.S. and waning influence in West Asia. + The trigger was the government's decision to raise the price of rationec fuel. Thousands of people took to the streets, reminiscent of recent protests in Hong Kong, Chile, Lebanon and neighbouring Iraq. + The protesters chanted slogans against the Islamic regime, carried “Death to Khamenei” posters, in a direct challenge to the country’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and burned down banks and stores. SER SC TT SSa JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECERBER 2070 + Security personnel reportedly unleashed violence on the protesters, while the government shut down the Internet. According to Iranian media, at least 12 people were killed, including security personnel, and some 1,000 protesters were arrested. + Both President Hassan Rouhani and Ayatollah Khamenei, the real ruler of Tran, have condemned the protests, while the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country’s top paramilitary force, has threatened to crack down on the demonstrations, raising the prospects of more violence. + Iran still has one of the lowest fuel prices in the world. But the rise was enough for a people reeling under high inflation, joblessness and a collapsing economy to take to the streets. + President Donald Trump’s decision last year to pull the U.S. out of the 2015 nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions has dealt a blow to Iran’s economy. Inflation has risen to 40%. A quarter of Iran’s youth are unemployed. + And according to the IMF, the country’s economy is expected to contract by 9.5% this year, while the currency, the rial, has plunged to record lows against the dollar. + It is now evident that the collapse of the nuclear deal has cost the Iranian economy dearly. And the protests broke out at a time when Iran’s influence in Lebanon and Iraq is being challenged by protesters + In Iraq, protesters bumed an Iranian consulate and turned their anger against Iran-trained militias. In Lebanon, where Iran-backed Hezbollah is a key pillar of the government, protesters demand the resignation of the entir political class. $C 1S NOT GOD ! WE D A7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE can As ee DECEMBER 2019 + And now in Iran, the protesters challenge the regime itself. In recent years Iran has seen many protests and labour agitations. And the regime’s response has always been typical. + It branded the protesters as counter-revolutionaries and blamed foreign hands. The economic woes have weakened the delicate balance between the regime and its angry youth. + The latest round of protests might die down. But Iran needs a lasting solution to address its revolting underbelly. It can’t violently suppress the protesters forever and needs to get the nuclear deal back on track. 30) On detention of elected representatives: House not in order SHARING OF POWER The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, 2019, will bring about the follow- Ing changes to the State = Two Union Territories to be formed out of the state ‘of Jammu and Kashmir: UT ‘of Ladakh (Kargil and Leh ‘and UT of J&K Gll other districts of the State of J&K @) @ Four sitting Rajya Sabha No entry: See ee aoe Sacco ea come Seine feseors Legislative Assembly of UT to block of J&K will have 107 seats vehicles to be chosen through a ona road EOE m9 a ~S,,.., , ————ee Soe enon) SaaS + More than 1,300 people who were detained around the Centre’s abrup! move on August 5 that downgraded and bifurcated Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) continue to be so 15 weeks later. Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECERBER 2070 + In detention are dozens of elected representatives including a member of the Lok Sabha, Faroog Abdullah, who also happens to be a former Chief Minister + Senior functionaries of the government have repeatedly said the situation is normal in J&K, but indefinite preventive detention of people is difficult to justify under any circumstances. + With continuing restrictions on communication, gauging the mood of the people may be tricky, but some signs of normalcy are visible as more businesses open and vehicular traffic increases in the Valley. + Now that the first Lieutenant Governor has also taken charge in J&K, immediate steps must be taken to open up political and civil society space. Instead of trying to hard sell an improbable portrait to the outside world + The Centre would do well by engaging with those most affected by its decisions - the people of J&K. The government cannot possibly see merit it undermining mainstream political leaders in J&K. + The paradox of continuing detentions and restrictions in J&K was stark when Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the forthcoming Constitution Day and the role of the Rajya Sabha in sustaining India’s federal structure on the first day of the winter session of Parliament + As the PM rightly indicated, Parliament is for giving meaningful voice to the people, not to make disruptive noise. But those prevented from attending the House are denied the right to speak for the people they are elected to represent. + The PM’s call for frank discussions and dialogues in the current session would ring hollow when some of them remain in detention. Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + The government has refused to make any commitment on Mr. Abdullah’s release, while a member of Rajya Sabha, Congress leader P. Chidambaram remains in judicial custody as government agencies and law officers show an alacrity that they reserve exclusively for pursuing Opposition leaders. + The PM’s appreciation of the Rajya Sabha’s role in the hollowing out of Article 370 through a hurried resolution in the last session was disingenuous. The non-deliberative manner in which a full-fledged State was reduced into two UTs in one stroke was an unprecedented assault on federalism. + Disruption by the Opposition is a marginal challenge to the role of Parliament at present. The real and graver trial of the legislature is the executive’s refusal to be scrutinised by it. + By undermining parliamentary committees and brazenly labelling any Bill as a money Bill in order to bypass the Rajya Sabha, the government has shown scant regard for parliamentary precedents and processes. A course correction is in order. 31) On Nationwide NRC: Senseless ae TS IT!7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECERBER 2070 + Home Minister Amit Shah’s announcement of a proposal for a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC) is worrisome on several counts, not the least of which is the apparent inability to learn from the experience of carrying out the humongous exercise in Assam. + The government, he said, would also re-introduce the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) in Parliament that envisages the grant of Indian citizenship to all refugees from minority communities in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. + Inall three nations Muslims are in a majority, and therefore, the Bill effectively denies benefit to Muslim minorities from other neighbouring countries, including Myanmar where Rohingya Muslims face persecution + Along with the promised combination of the NRC and CAB, the Home Minister announced that the NRC process would “naturally” be conducted in Assam again with the rest of the country. Interestingly, this comes just days after Ranjan Gogoi, who supervised the NRC process, demitted office as Chief Justice of India. Clearly, the Assam proposal will be in defiance of the Supreme Court, which directed the entir« NRC registration specific to Assam through all its tortuous details. + There is still no clarity on what the end results mean for the 19 lakh plus people who find themselves outside the NRC, potentially stateless and at risk of “deportation” to Bangladesh, which refuses to acknowledge, let alone accept, them. + Given that the NRC process in Assam was rooted in the specificities of the 1985 Assam Accord, and as the government never tires of saying, a court-mandated process, extending it to the entire country is both illogical and bizarre. $C 1S NOT GOD ! WE D A7 AJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Kesey DECEMBER 2019 + Flawed it might have been, but the NRC exercise, overseen by the Supreme Court, involved the active participation of the Central and State governments. For the government to repeat the exercise merely because the numbers thrown up are politically inconvenient for the ruling BJP, makes no sense a’ all. If there is a lesson from Assam, it is that there is no right way of going through a process such as the NRC. Like the CAB, which pointedly discriminates against Muslims, and is loaded against the right to equality and equal protection before the law as enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution, there are genuine fears that a nationwide NRC will target Muslims. One nation, one date — tierivucesor _DecHMBER 196%: Before a nationwide NRC exercise is the Constitution, government is plannit conducted, the Union government will the cut-off date for to compile a fase have to decide on a common cut-off date migration to India of Indigenous from Pakistan Inhabitants of Nagaland Pan MU (RIN) with this date, Midlkeoelieveriall when Nagaland Seseipperriay) acquired Statehood, etiettegerem —2sthe cut-off. Some Closet) groups have been erry say demanding that Statewiththisdate ME OO Icy} ert according to a 1977 notification, which MARCH 25, 1971: said that indigenous ‘Anyone who settled _inhabitant certificates in Assam before this _be issued only in cases date can be when a person settled included in the in Nagaland or bought a Citizenship register _ property prior to 1963 Details of how such an exercise will be carried out are, of course, not yet known. In the case of Assam, there was a cut-off date - March 25, 1971 - after which all foreigners as per the Assam Accord were to be “detected, deleted and expelled in accordance with law” Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + Presumably, the Centre will come out with a cut-off for the nationwide NRC, but it will be an arbitrary one. Given the dangers that lurk within such exercises, the government would do well to abandon the nationwide NRC-CAB combination. Indians can certainly be spared this pain. National Register of Citizens will be carried out across the country. No one, irrespective of their religion, should be worried. It is just a process ~ to get everyone under NRC —Amit Shah, home minister, in Rajya Sabha There are a few people who are trying to create disturbances in West Bengal in the name of NRC implementation. | want to make it very clear, we will never allow NRC in Bengal —Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal chief minister Assam government has not accepted the NRC. Assam government and BJP have requested the home minister to reject the NRC —Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam finance minister... aN 32) On PSU Disinvestment: Expedient Exit + The Cabinet’s latest decision to approve strategic disinvestment of the government’s shareholding in five public sector enterprises including Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, Shipping Corporation of India and the Container Corporation of India can at best be described as an expedient exit. + Faced with a massive shortfall in revenue and capital receipts - as of September 30, net tax revenue had only reached 36.8% of the budget estimate of 216.5 lakh crore for the full year. Oe SSJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Kesey DECEMBER 2019 + While non-debt capital receipts were at 17.2% of the fiscal’s target of about 21.2 lakh crore according to the Controller General of Accounts - the share sale is aimed at helping the government narrow the yawning fiscal gap. (TN Ls \, & Numaligarh Refinery Ltd in Assam) will be moved out of BPCL Cu ea and willbe retained by Pea beret inl agovernment-owned THDC and Neepco, respectively, to firm, before Bee Les disinvestment. CENTRE WILL sell its 53.29% stake in BPCL toa strategic buyer and cede } management control. Numaligarh, } Refinery won't be part of the sale. sf ESS A IT WILL also sell 63.75% and 30.8% \ EN stake in Shipping Corp. of India and | Finance minister Concor, respectively, to a strategic 4) buyer with management control. J + Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had made clear in July’s Budget speech that select and strategic disinvestment would “remain a priority” anc the Cabinet’s decision to sell the Centre’s entire 53.29% ownership in BPCL, all of its 63.75% holding in SCI and 30.8% of its stake in CONCOR is an attempt at ensuring the actualisation of this policy approach. + Still, the underlying rationale behind this government’s disinvestment programme remains hazy. It would be perfectly understandable if the aim was to exit unprofitable, non-strategic businesses. Oe SSa JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECERBER 2070 Strategic Sale Ete BPCL* Shipping Corp | Tehri peers Sale of full Sale of entire 63.8% Hydro to below 51% 53.3% stake to | stake to strategic buyer Entire 74.2% ceca Concor stake to NTPC PSUs to be identified (After 30.8% stake and -————__ by officials removing eg ae Numaligarh | Management control to Neepco Govtto retain Refinery from | Strategic buyer Entire 100% management control its fold) (Govt to retain 24% stake) | stake to NTPC on case-to-case basis + BPCL, however, is a profitable refiner and oil marketing company that has consistently paid a healthy dividend. It has also made investments in upstream energy resources and holds interests in overseas hydrocarbon blocks. To that extent, a full sale now deprives the government of alll upside potential. + While the BPCL stake could fetch the exchequer about 759,000 crore based on Thursday’s closing price on the BSE, the Cabinet’s decision to carve out and exclude the company’s 62% holding in Assam’s 3-million metric tonnes per annum Numaligarh refinery would surely pare the price it could get from a prospective buyer. + And the lack of an explanation for the logic behind the move also hints at politics taking precedence over any economic interest, especially given the ruling party’s keenness to strengthen its newfound sway in the restive northeastern States. + With just a little over four months left in the financial year, how the government intends to actually complete the transaction - from appointment of advisers, to deciding on the pricing mechanism and initiating a transparent bidding process before finalising a buyer - this Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + While the transfer of the government's stakes in THDC India Limited and North Eastern Electric Power Corporation to the captive buyer, state-ownec NIPC, will obviously go through in time, it is the market sale of the bigger ticket stakes that could pose a challenge. + With just 217,364 crore of the 21.05 lakh crore disinvestment target realised so far, the Centre has little choice but to expedite these strategic sale proposals in double-quick time. 33) On Maharashtra government formation: Midnight coup + The surreptitious manner in which Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were sworn in as Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, respectively, of Maharashtra on Saturday morning was admission by the troupe itself that this drama was beyond the pale. + Ifthe coming together of the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress in an attempt to form a majority in the hung State Oe SSa ae JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECERBER 2070 Assembly was disrespectful of the mandate, the skullduggery by the dead of night was an outright mockery of democratic norms and established procedure. Pursuit of power often involves amoral ingredients, but the surreal birthing of the new government was nothing short of sheer depravity. The BJP has not set any inspiring ethical bar when it achieved power without winning a popular mandate in several States, but this new low leaves the nation’s political ‘conscience’ with a sinking feeling. In one stroke, the President, the Prime Minister, and the Governor, all appear to be not as guardians of the constitutional order but collaborators in a clandestine, nocturnal scheme. Politically indefensible as the Sena-Congress-NCP alliance might be, its claim to form a government is technically unimpeachable, and cannot be denied. Political realignments in an existing legislature are often triggered by splits in alliances or parties. In Maharashtra it appears that the NCP legislature party leader is himself the leading defector - a unique situation. A more consequential betrayal is that of democracy itself. A series of unprecedented actions by the Centre and the Governor, and several unresolved questions that are associated with their actions, throw up multiple legal and constitutional issues. The top court might in due course adjudicate them, but the legitimacy of the Fadnavis government needs to be tested at once. That has been the precedent set by the court in comparable situations in which governments with dubious claims of numbers sought to delay the floor test and horse trading was suspected. A7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECERBER 2070 + The Governor administered the oath of office to the same person who had declined his invitation to form a government earlier. And this just as an alliance with sufficient numbers had taken shape. + The Supreme Court has acted with alacrity that this seeming infractior of constitutionalism calls for. In a rare event, the SC heard a petition by the Sena and the NCP on a Sunday, which it said was its duty. + Ithas called for records regarding material facts and circumstances that led the Centre and the Governor to act as they did on the intervening night of Friday-Saturday to be submitted to it on Monday morning. + The BJP sought to stonewall or slow down the case during arguments, but if it is so confident of the numbers, as it claims, it should submit itself to a floor test immediately, Fadnavis should be asked to seek a confidence vote immediately. ae A7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 34) On Helping 10-year-olds to read by 2030 Charan oped 3914 eheneeiite 2svot pe 75% of ppt ate protcent wenorpcten {0% of den a ota pray | aparoeet The poten owls i repeten SOL seen | Meng. | M008 ten messes janGlatalnm | SSrpoesent sehookng and ering 60% proficient 40% learning Poor Learning Poverty is the weighted average of the share of the population below the minimum proficiency level, adjusted by the out-of-school population. + For most children, turning 10 is an exciting moment. They are learning more about the world and expanding their horizons. But too many children - more than half of all 10 year olds in low- and middle-income countries - cannot read and understand a simple story + Weare in the middle of a global learning crisis that stifles opportunities and aspirations of hundreds of millions of children. That is unacceptable. In October, we (World Bank) released data to support a new learning target: by 2030, we want to cut, by at least half, the global level of learning poverty. + Missing possibilities: Learning to read is an especially critical skill: it opens a world of possibilities, and it is the foundation on which other essential learning is built - including numeracy and science + Wiping out learning poverty (defined as the percentage of children who cannot read and understand a simple story by age 10) is an urgent matter. Oe SS7 AJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 It is key to eliminating poverty in general and boosting shared prosperity. It is key to helping children achieve their potential. + But over the last several years, progress in reducing learning poverty has been stagnant. Globally between 2000 and 2017, there has only been a 10% improvement in learning outcomes for primary school- aged children. If this pace continues, 43% of 10-year-olds will not be able to read in 2030. + The good news is, the children who will turn 10 in 2030 will be born next year. If we work urgently, there is an opportunity to reverse this trend. + The target we have set is ambitious but achievable - and should galvanis« action toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG4) - ensuring quality education for all. Several countries are showing that it is possible. + It will require nearly tripling the rate of progress worldwide, which can be done if every country can match the performance of the countries that made the most progress between 2000 and 2015. + The India example: In India, the Right-to-Education Act has been successful in increasing coverage and access to school education but now there is an urgent need to shift the focus to quality. + The decision of India to join the Programme for International Student Assessment and the merger of schemes under Samagra Shiksha are encouraging signs that India is moving in this direction. + In Kenya, the government’s national reading programme has more than tripled the percentage of grade two students reading at an appropriate level. This was accomplished through technology-enabled teacher coaching, teacher guides, and delivering one book per child. ERTS TT a7 AJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 TOP FIVE AND BOTTOM FIVE STATES/UT’S BY LITERACY RATE! 2011 PERSONS: MALES FEMALES RANK| NAME OF | LITERACY | NAME OF | LITERACY| NAME OF | LITERACY STATE/UT | RATE STATE/UT | RATE STATE/UT | RATE Top five states/UTs INDIA 74.0 INDIA 82.1 INDIA 65.5 i Kerala 93.9 Kerala 96.1 Kerala 92.0 2 Lakshadweep | 92.3, Lakshadweep | 96.0 Lakshadweep | 89.4 3 Mizoram 91.6 Mizoram 93.7 Mizoram 88.2 4 Tripura 87.8 Tripura 92.8 Tripura 83.1 5 Goa 87.4 Goa 92.2 ‘Goa 81.8 Bottom five states/UTs INDIA 74.0 INDIA 82.1 INDIA 65.5 i Bihar 63.8. Bihar 73.4 Bihar 52.7 2 ‘Arunachal | 67.0 ‘Arunachal | 73.7 ‘Arunachal | 53.3 Pradesh Pradesh Pradesh 3 Rajasthan | 67.1 Rajasthan | 75.6 Rajasthan | 56.2 4 Jharkhand | 67.6 Jharkhand | 77.2 Jharkhand | 58.0 “Andhra 677 “Andhra 78.3 “Andhra 58.3 Pradesh Pradesh Pradesh ‘Source- http://censusindia. gov.in/201 1-prov- « In Vietnam, a lean, effective curriculum ensures that the basics are covered, there is deep learning of fundamental skills, and all children have reading materials. Learning outcomes of Vietnamese students in the bottom 40% of the income ladder are as high, or higher, than the average student in high-income countries. + The challenges of reducing learning poverty will differ between countries and regions. In some countries, access to school remains an enormous problem - 258 million young people were out of school globally, in 2018. In other countries, children are in classrooms but are not learning. + By setting a global target, the World Bank can work with countries to define their own national learning targets. Cutting learning poverty in Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 half by 2030 is only an intermediate goal. Our ambition is to work with governments and development partners to bring that number to zero. + As the largest financier of education in low-and middle-income countries, the World Bank will work with countries to promote reading proficiency in primary schools. Policies include providing detailed guidance and practical training for teachers, ensuring access to more and better age-appropriate texts, and teaching children in the languag: they use at home. + Creating the right classroom: The World Bank is also working with governments and development partners to improve entire education systems, so advancements in literacy can be sustained and scaled up. + That means making sure children come to school prepared and motivated to learn; teachers are effective and valued and have access to technology; classrooms provide a well-equipped space for learning; schools are safe and inclusive; and education systems are well-managed. + An ambitious measurement and research agenda supports these efforts and includes measurement of both learning outcomes and their drivers. continued research and innovation, and the smart use of new technologies on how to build foundation skills. + The learning crisis not only wastes the children’s potential, it hurts entire economies. It will negatively impact future workforces and economic competitiveness - as the World Bank’s Human Capital Index shows that, globally, the productivity of the average child born today is expected to be only 56% of what it would be if countries invested enough in health and education. + Eliminating learning poverty must be a priority, just like ending hunger and extreme poverty. It will not be easy, but we cannot back ERTS TT aA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 down from the challenge. We owe it to the children all over the world to se’ our sights high, so they can too. 1% fF ro rT Prd Pet cr rte Eon crn eo Wn ' oF Le | ed ee Porm SIGS el rere Pond CT hi cot Cy Maes 35) On sanitation goals: Not so swachh Ser” Mission objectives © Elimination of open defecation i ~@ Eradication of Manual Scavenging . © Modem and Scientific Municipal Solid ae Waste Management © To effect behavioral change regarding is healthy sanitation practices “ Generate awareness about sanitation and its linkage with public health “ Capacity Augmentation for ULB's © To create an enabling environment for private sector participation in Capex (capital expenditure) and Opex (operation and maintenance) ae7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 India’s high-profile Swachh Bharat programme has won it plaudits globally for its goal of providing sanitation to all, but as new survey data from the National Statistical Office (NSO) show, it remains a work in progress. The quest to equip houses in the countryside with a toilet has led to an expansion, but there was a deficit of about 28% as of October last year and not 5% as the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Gramin) had claimed. ‘The declaration that the country has ended open defecation in its rural areas, made to international acclaim on Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, must return to the wish list, going by this survey. It is extraordinary that many States that were declared to be free of open defecation simply did not qualify for the status, according to the NSO data. The Centre has disputed the survey results, but it should ideally treat it as a fresh assessment of how much ground is yet to be covered. Clean India serncrnin Seven a SS | = = == ——- ia B emgggean | SEES . 3) ee - i mance | j - = i ier Sach High Powered j —— iw $Y Sees | = oes 1 _— == — “Comamsnity managed ee sanitation “sanitation eye a === ‘Gram Panchayat! Vilage Oe SSa JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECERBER 2070 + The data could help it review performance in States such as Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan, where the lack of toilets is reported to be higher than the national average. + More fundamentally, the survey provides an opportunity to review other social determinants such as education, housing and water supply which have a strong influence on adoption of sanitation. + It would be pointless to pursue sanitation as a separate ideal, if communities are unable to see its benefits due to overall deprivation. + The Central government has been reiterating its claims on rural India becoming entirely open defecation-free (ODF) on the basis of declarations made by States. Just last week, the Ministry of Jal Shakti said the coverage in 5,99,963 villages had risen from 38.7% in 2014, to 100% this year. + Itis indisputable that the number of toilets has gone up significantly, and for which taxpayers remitted about 20,600 crore as a cess since 2015, until the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax. + Yet, there is evidence to show that this has not translated into use everywhere. The NSO survey results add a new dimension, since they controvert data relied upon by the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on ODF. + It will take a marathon programme to bring all-round development to India’s villages, which have not really benefited from years of fast-paced economic growth. + Rural housing and water supply are key to bringing toilet access to all, and it is doubtful whether the 2.95 crore subsidised dwellings targeted to be built by 2022 under the government’s flagship housing programme can bridge the shortfall $C 1S NOT GOD ! WE D AAJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE acing IAs haters DECEMBER 2019 + Itis well-recognised that development indices are low in some States, and local bodies lack the capacity and resources to bring universal sanitation even where political will is present. + Sustained work to eliminate black spots in coverage and a massive urban programme are critical to ending open defecation and universalising toilet access. Sanitation cannot be a separate ideal without reference to other forms of deprivation. Toilet Construction, Top Five States Gujarat | Madhya | Andhra Chnateisgarh| Maharashtra 404,293 vex 327,880 298,900 s00x z 228,518 © 200K 161,907 112,307 s00K 41,442 33,919 Prem ox = = = Project Status Il Under Construction [jl Completed Urban Population Without Toilets Gujaret SI 32 2° Andhra Pradesh I 1 3.0%. ede ah 25 th TT 2.0 0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 aeJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Kesey DECEMBER 2019 36) On Fadnavis exit: Constitution day EXIT POLL| MAHARASHTRA®™ A -:) | & 7 + After slinking in by the dead of night as Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis quit three days later on Tuesday, unable to withstanc the test by the light of day. + He claimed the moral high ground as he resigned ahead of imminent ouster in a floor test in the State Assembly. The BJP’s brazen usurpation of power left a trail of vandalised norms and precedents, and will continue to rankle, but the fact that it was not allowed to stand is a tribute to India’s constitutional order, despite its inadequacies. + The Supreme Court acted with the deserving urgency, to “protect democratic values” as it said. It laid down the rules and timelines; ring- fenced the floor test and pre-empted manipulation. Oe SS7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + It observed that when “there is a possibility of horse trading, it becomes incumbent upon the Court to act”. There is no grace in Mr. Fadnavis’s exit; only relief that the nation has been spared more ugly spectacles. + The Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress alliance will now test its majority after forming the government. NCP leader Ajit Pawar’s dramatic return to the fold after a scandalous short-lived dalliance with the BJP probably will never be satisfactorily explained. + The top court’s order is interim and substantive questions thrown up by the series of events leading up to the swearing-in of Mr. Fadnavis will be adjudicated later. The tactics the BJP employed to seize power in the State were breathtaking in their insolence, though not entirely unprecedented. + The Governor used his discretion in a blatantly partisan manner to foist a government based on dubious claims of numbers, while denying the opportunity to the coalition. + The Centre, scripting and acting out the drama, rushed through the procedure to withdraw President’s rule - all done in a cloak-and-dagger manner. The Governor is constitutionally authorised to appoint a Chief Minister. + The assumed limits of this authority are being breached with alarming frequency and extent by partisan Governors, acting merely as tools in political schemes. Given this context, there is a need to define in clearer terms the boundaries of the Governor’s use of discretion in inviting a party to form a government. + President Ram Nath Kovind’s call for constitutional morality among all organs of the state and persons holding constitutional posts, during Constitution Day celebrations in Parliament on Tuesday, was appropriate. ae Ve7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + Tt was also ironic, as it followed the court’s order which called into questior the propriety and intention of the Centre and the Governor. Constitutional morality was violated by those entrusted to guard it. + The BJP’s nocturnal capture of power in Maharashtra was a dispiriting episode in Indian democracy. The court order and the subsequent resignation of Mr. Fadnavis offer hope that India’s constitutional order will force its caretakers to behave. 37) On why ISRO should go commercial: More bang for the buck + The Indian Space Research Organisation - ISRO’s successful launch on Wednesday of Cartosat-3, along with 13 other small U.S. satellites, marks a major technological milestone for India. + Cartosat-3 is capable of unprecedented image resolution of nearly 25 cm on the ground as against the best global military-grade satellites that can provide a 10 cm resolution. ae VeAJA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 « The best satellite images commercially available are between 25-30 cm. Thus, as a commercial satellite, Cartosat-3 creates a wealth of applications. Military espionage is the lowest hanging fruit. + Itis believed that surveillance by the earlier Cartosat-2 satellite series - with a resolution, though coarser, of about 65 cm - was used to plan and execute military operations such as ‘surgical strikes’ across the Line of Control in 2016 and the Manipur-Myanmar border in 2015. + For the government, such resolution can help monitor progress of road construction, coastal land-erosion, forest conservation, oceanic changes and infrastructure development. + Image resolution is good to have but secondary to image processing. That means unless and until there is sophisticated technology available to analyse the generated images, it is less valued, than co images scanned by better process PSLV-C47 ing-software Cartosat-3 is a third:generation eet te = eer Bo rumsm tte) fone See Pee eee Pen eee | Ser sos eens ois Pete XT i its A ie CIs NOT GOD | WE DEMYSTIFY IT7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECEMBER 2019 + While satellite launches make for a good spectacle, they are meaningful only in so far as they aid commerce and generate revenue and jobs. Indian regulations restrict access to satellite images sharper than one metre to the government. Other than for transponders, there is a long way to go for Indian private companies sending innovative payloads aboarc ISRO launch vehicles. + ISRO recently launched a company called New Space India Limited (NSIL), a competitor to Antrix, but like it, is another public enterprise meant to commercialise space products and satellite development deals with private entities. + The deal for the U.S. satellites launched along with Cartosat-3 was formally inked by the NSIL. A good beginning, it should not be shackled by bureaucratic encumbrances, a la Antrix. + The host of interesting electronics aboard Cartosat-3 should ideally inspire ISRO to explore collaboration with the private sector in improving high-technology manufacturing. + While ISRO’s key capability still lies in developing and launching small- and medium-sized satellites, it ought to be able to market the technology aboard Cartosat-3 globally and induce the farming out of satellite development projects to ISRO or its subsidiaries. + While ISRO’s credentials as a poster child for India’s technological abilities have been fortified, it still has a long way to go in terms of its reputation as an enabler of local business. 38) On Transgender Persons Act: Caught in the Act + Itis inconceivable that any effort to ostensibly ameliorate the fortunes of a particular group should be completely impervious to the entreaties of intended beneficiaries. ERTS TT a7 JA SIR’s Raja Sir's IAS GOOGLE Cracking IAS Academy DECERBER 2070

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