GK January 2015

FOCUS
FOCUS
Dear Students,
FOCUS is a Raus IAS Study Circles monthly publication of current affairs analysis. The publication, as the
name suggests, focuses solely on such current affair items and newspaper editorials which are relevant to
the dynamic segments of the General Studies syllabus and are important themes for the Essay paper of the
Civil Services Examination.
FOCUS is not just a collection of current affairs and general knowledge items, it is in fact a collective effort
of experienced trainers and educators in varied themes of General Studies to analyse these news items,
research and provide background and related information, lend a generalist viewpoint to these news pieces
and thus prepare critical notes for the study of General Studies papers.
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Features:
All news items are categorized and clubbed theme-wise (International, India & the World, National,
Polity & Governance, Science & Technology, Defence and so on)
Maps and figures, wherever relevant, have been provided with news
Background information has been added to make a news understandable in totality
Related and additional information
News Analysis
Must read editorials of the month
Essay
Assignment (Questions)
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All in a very simple and lucid format
How to use?
This issue is broadly divided into twenty six parts:
Parts One to Nineteen are different themes under which all news items have been categorized.
Part Twenty contains all the important editorials from different sources which we consider are a must
read for all aspirants.
Part Twenty One contains important articles which we consider are a must read for all aspirants.
Part Twenty Two on Essay.
Part Twenty Three contains a bunch of multiple choice questions on current affairs incorporated with
emphasis on Preliminary General Studies - Paper I and 15 descriptive type questions for various core
sections of the Main exam.
Part Twenty Four contains solutions and explanations to multiple choice questions incorporated in
FOCUS-December, 2014 issue.
Part Twenty Five : Focus Special
Study maps and figures carefully. It will add depth to your knowledge.
Never miss the Background of any news. UPSC asks questions from the background of the news.
Use Related Information and Additional Information to create extra dimensions to your answer.
News Analysis and Editorial will help you develop views about an issue. UPSC asks questions based
upon your views regarding an issue.
FOCUS: Current Affairs Analysis for Civil Services Examination | Edition January 2015
FOCUS
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Make a collection of all these issues/publications and keep revising them as these notes will not only
help you answer many questions in the General Studies papers but will also be very helpful for the
Essay paper.
Further Assistance:
For further understanding of any current affair items or editorials, please consult the respective
thematic faculty member/professor.
For clarity on practice multiple choice questions (MCQs) given in this issue, please consult the FOCUS
(November, 2014) issue.
For clarity on question on GS Main Exam, please consult respective thematic faculty.
The sources for all the news items and other related information are:
Sources:
1. The Hindu
2. The Times of India
3. The Indian Express
4. Asian Age
5. The Tribune
6. The Economic Times
7. Frontline
8. Economic and Political Weekly
9. World Focus
10. BBC
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Good Luck!
RAUS IAS STUDY CIRCLE
ESSAY WRITING
The Study Circle invites and encourages students to write essay on any or both of the below mentioned topics and
submit to the office for inclusion in the February, 2015 issue. Essays can be submitted on any of the following issues:1. Fifty Golds in Olympics: Can this be a reality for India?
2. Is the growing level of competition good for the youth?
- Word limit: Desired word limit is 1500 words.
- Clarity of thought, lucidity in expression, coherence and analytical thinking is expected from the students.
- Timelines: All essays must be submitted either as hard copies at the Office on 3rd floor or emailed as soft copies to
focus@rauias.com latest by 28th February, 2015. No extension in the date of submission will be considered.
- Students can submit essay on either of the topics. Do remember to mention your Name and Batch number along
with the essay.
Note:
The best essay on the basis of merit and relevance to the topic will be published in FEBRUARY-2015 issue.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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PART ONE | INTERNATIONAL
U.N. confirms Palestine will be ICC member on April 1

Saudi King Abdullah dies, new ruler is Salman
Thai ex-Premier Yingluck impeached
Greece election: Anti-austerity Syriza wins election
China steps up drive to integrate Africa into Maritime Silk Road
Pakistan legislators approve military courts for terror cases
Yemen president quits, throwing country deeper into chaos
16 towns and villages destroyed by Boko Haram
Cuba and U.S. open historic talks
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PART TWO | INDIA AND THE WORLD
Nepal to join Silk Road Economic Belt through Tibet

Sri Lanka's strongman president voted out after a decade
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PART THREE | NATIONAL NEWS
Learning outcomes poor, says ASER

Global exhibition on services
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PART FOUR | ECONOMY
ECB launches 1 trillion euro rescue plan to revive euro economy

India will catch up with Chinas growth rate in 2016-17: World Bank
India to beat China in growth in 2016: IMF
RBI asks banks to review minimum lending rate every quarter
Indias trade deficit with China rises to $37.8 b
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PART FIVE| POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
Wage code to replace all related laws
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PART SIX| SOCIAL ISSUES
Odds of escaping poverty in India, U.S. same: World Bank

Over a billion live on less than $1.25 a day: Oxfam
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PART SEVEN| SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Government approves Neutrino Project

Why stars feast and fast partly resolved
Deadly TB strains emerged in Asia over 6,000 years ago
Dawn
Penghu 1
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PART EIGHT | ENERGY
US and India announce breakthrough on nuclear deal
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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New China-Myanmar oil pipeline bypasses Malacca trap
PART NINE | DEFENCE
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India, U.S. to extend Defence cooperation pact
Fossils of dolphin-like creature found off Scotland

Open-billed storks flock to Raiganj
Sri Lankan flying snake sighted in A.P.
New location discovered for rare Forest Owlet
India has 70 per cent of the tiger population in the world
Fossil finds push back snake origins
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PART ELEVEN | HEALTH
Teixobactin: Scientists find promising new antibiotic

Insecticide-resistant mosquito discovered
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PART TWELVE | SPORTS
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Chennai Open
Ronaldo retains the Ballon dOr
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PART THIRTEEN |ORGANISATIONS IN NEWS
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NITI Aayog
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PART FOURTEEN | PERSONALITIES
Gyan Mani Nepal

H.S. Brahma
Libby Lane
Pahlaj Nihalani
Paulina Vega
Rajni Kothari
R.K. Laxman
Surendra Kumar Sinha
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PART FIFTEEN | AWARDS
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DSC Prize
Periyar tiger reserve wins NTCA award
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PART SIXTEEN| HISTORY AND CULTURE
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PART TEN | ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY & BIODIVERSITY
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Excavation at Harappan site reveals house plan

Vasundhara International Film Festival
Jaipur Litfest
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PART SEVENTEEN| PLACES

Golden Triangle
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Golden Crescent
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PART EIGHTEEN| BOOKS AND AUTHORS

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The Red Sari
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PART NINETEEN| MISCELLANEOUS
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New app brings voices of Holocaust to modern devices
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PART TWENTY | EDITORIALS
Kill graft, India will grow even faster

For the farmers
Tiger is burning bright
Relief for big business
Watershed in judicial history
A chance for Lanka to return to democracy
You said it
Long but worthwhile wait
Red flag in Athens
Hasty changes in land law
All hail teixobactin
Give Niti Aayog time to reveal itself
Mythology and science
To fix the leak
Moderation warranted
Opportunity for BCCI
The attack on Charlie Hebdo
Why ignore Boko Haram?
The year of Paris
Things fell apart
A new chapter of openness
The dragon in the room
Go beyond blocking sites
Ceding ground to the Army
Loosening a stranglehold
Overseas Indians are a national resource
Another missed deadline
Like any other criminal
Silencing a sensitive writer
Policy distorts gender equity
Unending confrontation
Censorious conduct
Tackle the primary tasks
The Presidents counsel
Finding money for health
Trillion dollar baby
The dynamics of inequality
Critical transition in Saudi Arabia
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Connecting safe havens

Understanding our roots
Another Ebola battle won
Expansion and crisis
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PART TWENTY ONE | ARTICLES

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Why Federalism? A Perspective

Federalism in India: Political and Fiscal
Indias tango with the great powers
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PART TWENTY TWO| ESSAY

PART TWENTY THREE| ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
PART TWENTY FOUR| SOLUTIONS
PART TWENTY FIVE| FOCUS SPECIAL
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U.N. confirms Palestine will be ICC member on April 1
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon confirmed the Palestinians will formally become a member of
the International Criminal Court (ICC) on April 1 and the court's registrar said that jurisdiction would date
back to June 13, 2014.
This means the court's prosecutor could investigate the 50-day war between Israel and Hamas militants in the
Gaza Strip in July and August 2014, during which more than 2,100 Palestinians were killed.
The Hague-based court handles war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. It could exercise jurisdiction
over such crimes committed by anyone on Palestinian territory. Israel, like the United States, is not an ICC
member, but its citizens could be tried on accusations of crimes on Palestinian land.
REACTIONS AGAINST THE MOVE

Recently, the Palestinians delivered to U.N. headquarters documents to join the Rome Statute of the ICC and
other international treaties, in a move that has heightened tensions with Israel and could lead to cuts in U.S. aid.
(The United Nations is the official depositary of the Rome Statute).
Israel retaliated by freezing the tax revenue due to the Palestinian Authority and vowed to take other steps in
response to the move.
The United States also criticized the ICC membership bid as counterproductive and the US Congress threatened
to withhold the aid.
REASON BEHIND THE MOVE
The move to join the ICC is part of a Palestinian strategy to internationalize their push for statehood, moving
away from U.S.-led negotiations that have been the framework for the peace process for decades.
The Palestinians were upgraded from observer entity to U.N. "observer state" in 2012, opening the doors for
them to join the ICC and a host of other international organizations.
BACKGROUND
The Palestinians, who have been locked in a bloody conflict with Israel for decades, seek a state that covers
Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem - lands Israel captured in a 1967 war.
Momentum to recognize a Palestinian state has built since President Mahmoud Abbas succeeded in a bid for de
facto recognition of statehood at the U.N. General Assembly in 2012, making Palestinians eligible to join the ICC.
Several parliaments in Europe have already adopted non-binding motions calling for the recognition of
Palestine, and Sweden has gone a step further by saying it will recognize it as a state.
RELATED INFORMATION: ICC
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal that sits
in The Hague in the Netherlands.
The ICC has the jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against
humanity, and war crimes. The ICC is intended to complement existing national judicial systems and it may
therefore only exercise its jurisdiction when certain conditions are met, such as when national courts are
unwilling or unable to prosecute criminals or when the United Nations Security Council or individual states
refer investigations to the Court.
The ICC began functioning on 1 July 2002, the date on which the Rome Statute entered into force. The Rome
Statute is a multilateral treaty which serves as the ICC's foundational and governing document. States which
become party to the Rome Statute, for example by ratifying it, become member states of the ICC.
PART ONE| INTERNATIONAL
ISRAEL- PALESTINE CONFLICT: A TIMELINE
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Saudi King Abdullah dies, new ruler is Salman
Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah died and his brother Salman became king, the royal court in the world's top oil
exporter and birthplace of Islam said in an official statement.
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Abdullah had ruled Saudi Arabia as king since 2005, but

had run the country as de facto regent for a decade before
that after his predecessor King Fahd suffered a
debilitating stroke.
Abdullah pushed cautious changes in the conservative
Islamic kingdom including increased women's rights and
economic deregulation, but made no moves towards
democracy.
CHALLENGES AHEAD
The new King Salman named his half-brother Muqrin as his crown prince and heir, rapidly moving to forestall
any fears of a succession crisis at a moment when Saudi Arabia faces unprecedented turmoil on its borders.
The rise of Islamic State in war-torn Syria and Iraq has brought to the kingdom's frontiers a militant group that
vows to bring down the Al Saud dynasty.
In Yemen, the Iran-allied Shi'ite Houthis have all but seized power and plunged the country to the brink of total
chaos, opening space for al Qaeda, which waged an insurgency in Saudi Arabia from 2003-06 and nearly killed a
top prince in 2009.
The problems in all those countries are being played out against an overarching backdrop of bitter rivalry
between Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and its arch regional foe Shi'ite Iran and bumps in Riyadh's key
relationship with the United States.
Meanwhile the oil price has more than halved since June, leaving the kingdom likely to face its first budget
deficit since 2009 and navigating difficulties with other OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting
Countries) members that disagree with its strategy not to defend prices.
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MAIN THRUSTS OF STRATEGIC POLICY

King Salman has been part of the ruling clique of princes for decades and is thought likely to continue the main
thrusts of Saudi strategic policy, including maintaining the alliance with the United States and working towards
energy market stability.
In the long term Saudi rulers have to manage the needs of a rapidly growing population plagued by structural
unemployment, and an economy that remains overly dependent on oil revenue and undermined by lavish
subsidies.
RELATED INFORMATION: SAUDI ARABIA
Saudi Arabia, officially known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is the largest Arab state in Western Asia by land
area (constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula), and the second-largest in the Arab world after Algeria.
The area of modern-day Saudi Arabia formerly consisted of four distinct regions: Hejaz, Najd and parts of
Eastern Arabia (Al-Hasa) and Southern Arabia (Asir). The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932 by Ibn
Saud. He united the four regions into a single state through a series of conquests beginning in 1902 with the
capture of Riyadh, the ancestral home of his family, the House of Saud.
The country has since been an absolute monarchy governed along Islamic lines, namely under the influence of
Wahhabism.
Saudi Arabia also exerts some influence over the world's 1.6 billion Muslims through its guardianship of Mecca
and Medina, Islam's holiest places.
Saudi Arabia is the world's dominant oil producer and exporter while it controls the world's second largest
hydrocarbon reserves. Backed by the energy reserves, the kingdom is categorized as a high income economy
and is the only Arab country to be part of the G-20 major economies.
Thai ex-Premier Yingluck impeached
Thailands junta-stacked Parliament voted to impeach the former Premier, Yingluck Shinawatra, hours after
prosecutors announced plans to indict her for corruption in a double blow that risks reigniting the countrys
bitter divisions.
The successful impeachment of Ms. Yingluck, the

kingdoms first woman Premier and the sister of former
leader Thaksin Shinawatra, carries an automatic five-year
ban from politics while the criminal charges could
eventually see her jailed for up to a decade.
ANALYSIS
Experts say the impeachment and criminal charges are
the latest attempt by the countrys royalist elite, and its
army backers, to nullify the political influence of the
Shinawatras, whose parties have won every election since 2001.
But the juntas pursuit of the family could also disturb the uneasy calm that has descended on Thailand since the
military took over. Ms. Yingluck, was toppled from office by a controversial court ruling shortly before the army
staged a coup in May last year.
The Shinawatras Red Shirt supporters, who have lain low since the coup, will be enraged by the twin decision
although widespread street protests are unlikely given martial law banning political gatherings remains in
place.
Both the impeachment and corruption charges revolve around her administrations controversial rice subsidy
programme, which funnelled cash to her rural base but cost billions of dollars and inspired protests that felled
her government.

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Greece election: Anti-austerity Syriza wins election
Anti-austerity Syriza party won Greece's general election, putting the country on a possible collision course
with the EU (European Union) over its massive bailout.
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Greek left-wing leader Alexis Tsipras was sworn in as the

Prime Minister of a new hard-line, anti-bailout
government determined to face down international
lenders and end nearly five years of tough economic
measures.
The decisive victory by Mr. Tsipras Syriza in election
reignites fears of new financial troubles in the country
that set off the regional crisis in 2009. It is the first time a
member of the 19-nation eurozone will be led by parties
rejecting German-backed austerity.
Also, for the first time in more than 40 years, neither the New Democracy party of Samaras nor the centre-left
PASOK, the two forces that had dominated Greek politics since the fall of a military junta in 1974, will be in
power, beaten by Syriza that has until recently always been at the fringe.
COALITION DEAL
Tsipras sealed a coalition deal with the small Independent Greeks party which also opposes Greeces EU/IMF
(International Monetary Fund) aid programme though the two parties are at odds on many social issues like
illegal immigration.
The alliance is an unusual one between parties on the opposite end of the political spectrum brought together by
a mutual hatred of the 240-billion bailout programme keeping Greece afloat at the price of budget cuts.
The alliance suggests a hard-line stance against Greeces creditors, who have dismissed Mr. Tsiprass demands
for a debt writeoff and insisted the country stay on the path of reforms and austerity to get its finances back on
track.
A TURNING POINT IN THE LONG EUROZONE CRISIS
Together with recent decision by the ECB (European Central Bank) to pump billions of euros into the eurozones
flagging economy despite objections from Germany, Syrizas victory marks a turning point in the long eurozone
crisis.
It signals a move away from the budgetary rigour championed by Germany as the accepted approach to dealing
with troubled economies, though it is unclear the extent to which Syriza will be able to wring concessions and
aid from creditors.
FURTHER IMPLICATIONS
Mr. Tsipras success is also likely to empower Europes fringe parties, including other anti-austerity movements
across the regions economically-depressed south. The trouncing of the conservatives represents a defeat of
Europes middle-ground political guard, which has dallied on a growth-versus-budget discipline debate for five
years while voters suffered.
China steps up drive to integrate Africa into Maritime Silk Road
China has accelerated its drive to draw Africa into the Maritime Silk Road (MSR) Beijings ambitious
transcontinental initiative - following the visit to the continent by Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Among the several themes that were covered during Mr. Wangs five-nation visit, the push for speedy
construction of a modern standard-gauge rail link between Nairobi and Mombasa was one of the star highlights.
SIGNIFICANCE
The project to linkup the capital of Kenya and the countrys well-established port has much larger implications.
Once it is through, the rail corridor will help connect the vast hinterland of East Africa with the Indian Ocean,
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making it a salient strategic project, which will add one more layer to the realisation of Chinese President Xi
Jinpings dream of establishing a 21st century Maritime Silk Road (MSR).
If plans materialise, Mombasa would be eventually linked with Malaba in west Kenya and then Kampala, Kigali
and Juba - capitals of Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan.
OTHER CHINESE INITIATIVES

As concrete steps are taken on ground, it has become apparent that Africa is becoming one of the pillars of the
MSR project. Apart from building railroads, highways and airports, the Chinese are developing 12 deep water
ports, seven of which are along the African coastline. These are Djibouti, Dares Salaam, Maputo, Libreville
(Gabon), Tema (Ghana), Dakar (Senegal), Bizerte (Tunisia).
In turn, these ports connect with the MSR, as they are meant to serve large commercial ships coming from Asia,
laden with food and industrial products, and return with raw materials from Africa.
ASIA-AFRICA LINK
Africa connects well with one of the major spurs of the MSR the Chinese province of Yunnan, which shares
borders with Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos, with Thailand further to the south.
Hoping to avoid the vulnerable Malacca strait, the Chinese are building rail corridors from Kunming, Yunnans
capital, to Myanmar and Thailand via landlocked Laos.
China has signed an agreement to build a rail corridor that will connect Yunnan with Myanmars port city of
Kyaukphyu on the Bay of Bengal, thus bypassing Malacca straits. Kyaukphyu is also the starting point of the
China-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline.
With Laos, the China-Vientiane railroad project is expected to be completed by 2018. China has recently
approved a 23 billion dollar project, which includes a high-speed rail link between Chaing Khong, just south of
the Laos capital Vientiane, with Ban Phachi in Thailand.
Some analysts are of the view that China and Thailand are taking the lead in building the MSRs connection with
Africa. Thai rice exporters are likely to be one of the main beneficiaries of the Asia-Africa link under the MSR
plan. Already 60 per cent of Thai rice exports in 2013 headed for Africa, and consumption trend was even higher
in 2014.
Pakistan legislators approve military courts for terror cases
Pakistans lower house of Parliament approved the establishment of military courts to hear terrorism-related
cases, after a Taliban massacre at a military-run school in the northwest shocked the nation.
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The measure was approved after more than a two-thirds

majority of legislators voted to amend the Constitution to
allow for military courts to be set up.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had announced the plan
after militants gunned down more than hundred children
at the Peshawar school. He also ended a six-year
moratorium on the death penalty in terror cases, and
several people have since gone to the gallows.
Yemen president quits, throwing country deeper
into chaos
Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi resigned, just

days after Houthi rebels battled their way into his presidential
palace, plunging the unstable Arab country deeper into chaos
and depriving Washington of a key ally against al-Qaeda.
The announcement of Hadis resignation startled the Arabian
Peninsula country, where the Iran-backed Houthis emerged as
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the dominant faction by seizing the capital in September 2014 and dictating terms to a humiliated Hadi.
BACKGROUND
Yemen, an impoverished nation of 25 million, has been plagued by Islamist insurgency, separatist conflict,
sectarian strife and economic crisis for years.
An Arab spring-style popular uprising in 2011 led to the downfall of long-ruling president Ali Abdullah Saleh,
bringing more chaos.
The Houthis, rebels from the north drawn from a large Shia minority that ruled a 1,000-year kingdom in Yemen
until 1962, stormed into the capital in September 2014 but had mostly held back from directly challenging Hadi
until recently, when they detained his chief of staff.
They accuse the president of seeking to bypass a power-sharing deal signed when they seized Sana in
September, and say they are also working to protect state institutions from corrupt civil servants and officers
trying to plunder state property.
16 towns and villages destroyed by Boko Haram
A spike in Boko Haram attacks in north-eastern Nigeria has sent thousands of people fleeing to neighbouring
Chad, the U.N. refugee agency said.
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Members of the armed Islamist

movement, Boko Haram,
recently captured the town of
Baga in Borno state.
The town lies close to Lake
Chad, where the borders of
Nigeria, Chad, Niger and
Cameroon converge, and the
town has been attacked by the
group before.
Boko Haram went on to
destroy at least 16 towns and
villages in the remote north of
Borno state.
RELATED INFORMATION: BOKO HARAM

Boko Haram ("Western education is forbidden") is a terrorist Islamist movement based in northeast Nigeria, also
active in Chad, Niger and northern Cameroon. The group is led by Abubakar Shekau.
Boko Haram - which has caused havoc in Africa's most populous country, Nigeria, through a wave of bombings,
assassinations and abductions - is fighting to overthrow the government and create an Islamic state.
Boko Haram promotes a version of Islam which makes it "haram", or forbidden, for Muslims to take part in any
political or social activity associated with Western society. This includes voting in elections, wearing shirts and
trousers or receiving a secular education.
Boko Haram regards the Nigerian state as being run by non-believers - and it has extended its military campaign
by targeting neighbouring states too.
Cuba and U.S. open historic talks
The United States and Cuba opened historic talks in Havana to end decades of Cold War-era animosity and reestablish diplomatic relations.
The meetings in Havana followed the historic decision by U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban leader Raul
Castro in December to seek normal diplomatic relations.
BACKGROUND
The US and Cuba
have had no
diplomatic relations
since 1961, but the
breakdown
of
relations
came
steadily after the
revolution in 1959
which
brought
communist leader
Fidel Castro to
power.
By 1960 Castros
government had
seized private land
and
companies,
some of which were
US
subsidiaries.
President
Eisenhower began
restricting trade with the island nation but it was President Kennedy who established a permanent embargo in
1962.
The tensest moment came in October of the same year when US spy planes found evidence of Soviet missiles
being built on Cuban soil. The Cuban missile crisis was defused when Soviet leader Kruschev and President
Kennedy struck a secret deal to remove US missiles from Turkey. Soviet missiles left Cuban soil, but the damage
was done.
The US strengthened embargo rules in 1992 and 1996. The last decade has seen restrictions relaxed and
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tightened depending on the political climate.
PART TWO| INDIA AND THE WORLD

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Nepal to join Silk Road Economic Belt through Tibet
China has taken a firm step to extend the Silk Road Economic Belt to South Asia, by working out a blueprint of
connecting Nepal with the Eurasian transport corridor.
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Recently, Nepal formally signed document endorsing the Silk Road Economic Belt a pet project of Chinese
President Xi Jinping for connecting Asia with Europe along a land corridor, with China as its hub.
AN EXTENSION OF THE QINGHAI-TIBET RAILWAY

China wants to connect with Nepal and South Asia through an extension of the Qinghai-Tibet railway.
The rail line from Lhasa has already been extended to Shigatse, Tibets second largest city. The Chinese plan to
build two lines from Shigatse. One would lead to Kerung, the nearest Chinese town from Nepal, from where it
would be extended to Rasuwagadhi in Nepal. The other line would head to Yadong on the India-Bhutan border.
GLOBALISATION OF THE NEPALESE ECONOMY

The rail connectivity with China will spur the globalisation of the Nepalese economy. Once a rail connection
with China is established, Nepalese goods can be transited to the international markets through the Eurasian
transportation network.
A REACTION TO ASIA PIVOT DOCTRINE

Analysts point out that China has marshalled, along with Russia as its core partner, the Silk Route project to
counter the Washington-led Asia Pivot doctrine, which has the containment of a rising China at its heart.
Under the new Silk Route blueprint, the Chinese want to open up the transportation channel from the Pacific to
the Baltic Sea, from which would radiate rail and road routes, which would also connect with East Asia, West
Asia, and South Asia.
RELATED INFORMATION: SILK ROAD ECONOMIC BELT

In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled plans for two massive trade and infrastructure networks
connecting East Asia with Europe: the New Silk Road (also known as the Silk Road Economic Belt) and the
Maritime Silk Road.
The massive investments that these plans require will help boost economic development in Chinas poorer
inland regions, a key goal of the Silk Road Economic Belt.
For China, the Silk Road Economic Belt and Maritime Silk Road are also opportunities to expand Chinese
influence. Regional partners (particularly smaller and often over-looked countries like the Maldives) are eager to
gain Chinese assistance in building critical infrastructure for their people. And in countries that have several
major powers vying for their affections (the Central Asian states, Indian Ocean states, and Eastern European
states in particular), Chinas initiative may spark a sort of bidding war that encourages Chinas rivals to
commit funding and diplomatic attention in ways they might not otherwise do. For example, Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modis concerted outreach to Indias smaller neighbors, including Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and
Nepal, is partially motivated by fear that New Delhi is being overshadowed by Beijing in those regions.
The Silk Road Economic Belt and Maritime Silk Road also showcase Beijings softer side. The vast trade network
would increase the number of regional governments that view China as a patron and benefactor rather than a
threat.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: THE ANCIENT SILK ROUTE

The Silk Road, or Silk Route, is a series of trade and cultural transmission routes that were central to cultural
interaction through regions of the Asian continent connecting the West and East by linking traders, merchants,
pilgrims, monks, soldiers, nomads, and urban dwellers from China and India to the Mediterranean Sea during
various periods of time.
Trade on the Silk Road was a significant factor in the development of the civilizations of China, the Indian
subcontinent, Persia, Europe, and Arabia, opening long-distance, political and economic interactions between
the civilizations.
In June 2014, UNESCO designated the Chang'an-Tianshan corridor of the Silk Road as a World Heritage Site.
2.
Sri Lanka's strongman president voted out after a decade
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa lost his bid for a third term, ending a decade of rule that critics say
had become increasingly authoritarian and marred by nepotism and corruption.
15
In an unthinkable result, Sri Lankan President Mahinda

Rajapaksa lost to his former friend and health minister,
Maithripala Sirisena, who defected from the ruling party
and turned the election into a referendum on the
president and the enormous power he wields over the
island nation of 21 million.
Sirisena has pledged to abolish the executive presidency
that gave Rajapaksa unprecedented power and hold a
fresh parliamentary election within 100 days. He has also
promised a crackdown on corruption.
MINORITIES SUPPORT
Like Rajapaksa, Sirisena is from the majority Sinhala Buddhist community, but he has reached out to ethnic
minority Tamils and Muslims and has the support of several small parties.
The two biggest minorities - Tamils and Muslims - voted for Sirisena in large numbers, and probably swung the
vote his way. It will be difficult for him to ignore their grievances now, including constitutional changes for a
settlement of the Tamil ethnic grievances that fuelled the long civil war in the country.
CONCENTRATION OF POWER IN THE PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE

Rajapaksa won the last election in 2010, surfing a wave of popularity months after the defeat of the Tamil Tiger
rebels.
PART TWO| INDIA AND THE WORLD
Following his 2010 reelection, an emboldened Rajapaksa amended the constitution to concentrate power in the
presidential office and remove presidential term limits. Critics say that he had become increasingly
authoritarian, with several family members holding powerful positions.
Rajapaksa had called this election two years early, confident that the usually fractured opposition would fail to
produce a credible challenge. But he lost because a majority of Sri Lankans were dissatisfied with a regime they
saw as repressive, nepotistic and unwilling to embrace the essential changes that the end of the civil war in 2010
required.
INTERNATIONAL IMPLICATIONS
Sri Lankas big neighbor, India, and Western democracies have a major interest in the new governments
success. After Mr. Rajapaksa came under sustained criticism for his human rights record, including a United
Nations investigation of atrocities at the end of the civil war, he turned to China, which, never troubled by
human rights violations, seized on the opportunity to extend its influence. Beijing lent billions for construction
projects, and Chinese President Xi Jinping personally launched a $1.5 billion port project in the capital, Colombo,
in September. The recent visit to Colombo by a Chinese submarine underlined the growing strategic
relationship.
Now, the new government says that it will investigate some of the Chinese contracts for corruption while
balancing relations with India, Pakistan, Japan and China. If Mr. Sirisena succeeds in rebuilding democratic
institutions, Sri Lanka will return to being a natural ally of India and the United States rather than the
authoritarian camp of China.
16
16

1.
2.
Learning outcomes poor, says ASER
While more than 96 per cent of the children in the 6-14 age group are attending school, there are still some
worrying signs as reading and mathematical abilities are still not up to the mark. According to the 10th Annual
Status of Education Report (ASER 2014) released recently, the situation with basic reading continues to be
extremely disheartening in India.
The report states that only a fourth of all
children studying in class 3 can read a class 2
text fluently. Even in class 5 only 50% of the
students are able to read class 2 text.
The percentage of children in class 2 who still
cannot recognise numbers up to 9 has increased
over time. Rural figures for proficiency in basic
arithmetic have remained virtually unchanged
over the last few years.
But students in some states have shown marked
improvement in reading levels since 2013. In
states like Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh,
Haryana, Bihar, Odisha and Karnataka the
percentage of class 5 students who can at least
read class 2 level text is much more than the
national average.
ASER
17
ASER is the largest annual household survey of
children in rural India that focuses on the status
of schooling and basic learning. Facilitated by Pratham, in each rural district ASER is conducted by local
organizations and institutions.
Every year, ASER finds out whether children in rural India go to school, whether they can read simple text and
whether they can do basic arithmetic.
Global exhibition on services
After launching the Make in India initiative aimed at the manufacturing industry, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi is set to initiate a big push for the services sector in April.
Mr. Modi will inaugurate a global exhibition on services on April 23 to showcase Indias strength in the sector
and provide a platform to the industry to explore opportunities.
Over 40 countries are expected to participate in the exhibition as besides IT, big opportunities exist in tourism,
wellness, yoga, healthcare, education, logistics, media and entertainment, R&D, space and hospitality.
Indias rank in the global exports of services improved from the 11th in 2009 to the sixth in 2013. Still, there is
tremendous scope as Indias share in the global services trade is only 3 per cent, compared with 4.6 per cent of
China.
VITAL ROLE
India ran a net surplus of $73 billion in services trade during 2013-14 as exports exceeded imports. The surplus
in services helped provide for some part of the trade deficit in merchandise of $138 billion.
PART TWO| ECONOMY
PART FOUR | ECONOMY

1.
ECB launches 1 trillion euro rescue plan to revive euro economy
The European Central Bank (ECB) took the ultimate policy leap, launching a government bond-buying program
which will pump hundreds of billions in new money into a sagging euro zone economy.
18
18
The ECB said it would

purchase sovereign debt from
this March until the end of
September 2016, despite
opposition from Germany that
it could allow spendthrift
countries to slacken economic
reforms.
QUANTITATIVE EASING
Together with existing
schemes to buy private debt and funnel hundreds of billions of euros in cheap loans to banks, the new
quantitative easing program will release 60 billion euros ($68 billion) a month into the economy, ECB President
Mario Draghi said.
By September next year, more than 1 trillion euros will have been created under quantitative easing, the ECB's
last remaining major policy option for reviving economic growth and warding off deflation.
The ECB and the central banks of euro zone countries will buy up bonds in proportion to its "capital key",
meaning more debt will be scooped up from the biggest economies such as Germany than from small member
states such as Ireland.
CONCERNS
Economists noted that Draghi had said only 20 percent of purchases would be the responsibility of the ECB. This
means the bulk of any potential losses, should a euro zone government default on its debt, would fall on
national central banks.
Critics say this casts doubt over the unity of the euro zone and its principle of solidarity, and countries with
already high debts could find themselves in yet deeper water.
The ECB is trying to push euro zone annual inflation back up to its target of just below two percent; consumer
prices fell recently, raising fears of a Japanese-style deflationary spiral. But there are doubts, and not only in
Germany, over whether printing fresh money will work.
Most euro zone government bond yields are at ultra-low levels and the euro had already dropped sharply
against the dollar. Lower borrowing costs and a weaker currency could both help to boost economic growth but
there is a question about how much further either can fall.
RELATED INFORMATION: ECB
The European Central Bank (ECB) is the central bank for the euro and administers monetary policy of the euro
zone, which consists of 19 EU member states and is one of the largest currency areas in the world.
It is one of the world's most important central banks and is one of the seven institutions of the European Union
(EU) listed in the Treaty on European Union (TEU). The capital stock of the bank is owned by the central banks
of all 28 EU member states.
The Treaty of Amsterdam established the bank in 1998, and it is headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany. The
President of the ECB is Mario Draghi.
EURO ZONE
PART TWO | ECONOMY
2.
The euro zone, officially called the euro area, is a monetary union of 19 European Union (EU) member states that
have adopted the euro () as their common currency and sole legal tender.
The euro zone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. Other EU states
(except for Denmark and the United Kingdom) are obliged to join once they meet the criteria to do so.
Monetary policy of the zone is the responsibility of the European Central Bank (ECB) which is governed by a
president and a board of the heads of national central banks.
DEFLATION
In economics, deflation is a decrease in the general price level of goods and services. Deflation occurs when the
inflation rate falls below 0% (a negative inflation rate). This should not be confused with disinflation, a slowdown in the inflation rate (i.e., when inflation declines to lower levels).
Inflation reduces the real value of money over time; conversely, deflation increases the real value of money the currency of a national or regional economy. This allows one to buy more goods with the same amount of
money over time.
Economists generally believe that deflation is a problem in a modern economy because it increases the real value
of debt, and may aggravate recessions and lead to a deflationary spiral.
India will catch up with Chinas growth rate in 2016-17: World Bank
Buoyed by the economic reform measures taken by the Indian government after coming to power in May last
year, the World Bank has said that India would catch up with Chinas growth in the year 2016-17.
India will catch up with Chinas growth in the
year 2016 and 2017, according to the Global
Outlook: Disappointments, Divergences, and
Expectations Global Economic Prospects, report.
Chinas growth will remain high, but will begin to
taper very gently, reaching 6.9 per cent in 2017.
19
The World Bank in its report also forecast a
growth rate for India of seven per cent each in the
fiscal year 2016 and 2017 as against Chinas 7 per
cent and 6.9 per cent respectively. This would be for the first time in recent past that Indias growth rate would
catch up with that of the Asian giant China.
For India, the World Bank estimated a growth rate of 5.6 per cent in 2014 and has forecast a growth rate of 6.4
percent in 2015, while that of China as 7.4 (estimated) in 2014 and 7.1 per cent (forecast) in 2015.
GROWTH IN SOUTH ASIA

In its report the Bank said growth in South Asia rose to an estimated 5.5 per cent in 2014 from a 10-year low of
4.9 percent in 2013. The upturn was driven by India, the regions largest economy, which emerged from two
years of modest growth, it said.
Regional growth is projected to rise to 6.8 per cent by 2017, as reforms ease supply constraints in India, political
tensions subside in Pakistan, remittances remain robust in Bangladesh and Nepal, and demand for the regions
exports firms, it said.
Sustaining the pace of reform and maintaining political stability are key to maintaining the recent growth
momentum, the report said.
RELATED INFORMATION: WORLD BANK
The World Bank is a United Nations international financial institution that provides loans to developing
countries for capital programs. The World Bank is a component of the World Bank Group, and a member of the
United Nations Development Group.
PART TWO| ECONOMY
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty. According to its Articles of Agreement, all its
decisions must be guided by a commitment to the promotion of foreign investment and international trade and
to the facilitation of capital investment.
It is headquartered in Washington D.C., United States. Its President is Jim Yong Kim.
The World Bank is not to be confused with the United Nations World Bank Group, a member of the United
Nations Economic and Social Council, and a family of five international organizations that make leveraged loans
to poor countries:
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
International Development Association (IDA)
International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)
3.
India to beat China in growth in 2016: IMF
20
20
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected India to grow at 6.5 per cent in 2016, overtaking China
whose growth was forecast to slow down to 6.3 per cent.
In its World Economic Outlook report released, the
IMF forecast that India would grow at 6.3 per cent in
2015, up from 5.8 per cent in 2014. Chinas 2014
growth rate was 7.4 per cent.
In India, the weaker external demand is offset by the
boost from lower oil prices and a pick-up in industrial
and investment activity after policy reforms by the
Narendra Modi government, the IMF said.
U.N. WESP
In another forecast released recently, the United
Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects (U.N. WESP) report predicted a smart recovery for India in
2015. It pegged its 2015 India growth forecast lower than the IMFs at 5.9 per cent. At 6.3 per cent, the UN
WESPs 2016 India growth forecast is, however, closer to that of the IMF.
GLOBAL GROWTH PROJECTION
The IMF said global growth would receive a boost from lower oil prices. But this boost was projected to be more
than offset by negative factors such as investment weakness, as adjustment to diminished expectations about
medium-term growth continues in many advanced and emerging market economies.
It cut its global growth projection for 2015 to 3.5 per cent and for 2016 to 3.7 per cent, to show a downward
revision of 0.3 per cent relative to its October 2014 forecast. The revision reflects a reassessment of prospects in
China, Russia, the euro area and Japan as well as weaker activity in some major oil exporters because of the
sharp drop in oil prices, it said in the World Economic Outlook. The U.S. is the only major economy whose
growth projections have been raised.
INDIA WILL HAVE TO SUSTAIN HIGH GROWTH RATES: UNESCAP
India could overtake China, but it must be taken note of that China has grown at high growth rates of 9 per cent
to 10 per cent over decades and it is a much larger economy and India will have to work to sustain high growth
rates over a period of time to be an engine of global growth, said the United Nations Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). It said there was no way other than the Centre to increase its
public spending on infrastructure to take India on to a sustainable high growth path.
RELATED INFORMATION: IMF
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., in
the United States, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate
PART TWO | ECONOMY
international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around
the world.
Formed in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference, it came into formal existence in 1945.
Its Managing Director is Christine Lagarde.
4.
RBI asks banks to review minimum lending rate every quarter
5.
The Reserve Bank of India asked banks to notify the Base Rate, or the minimum lending rate, at least once in
every three months based on the cost of funds, a move seen as a nudge to lenders to pass on the changes in the
policy rate to borrowers.
The direction comes soon after the RBI cut the repo rate by 0.25 percentage point, the
first reduction in 20 months, to boost credit and economic growth.
Banks have in the past shown reluctance to pass on the benefits of rate cut, but have
been proactive in raising the benchmark lending rate soon after the repo rate (the rate
at which the RBI lends to banks) is hiked.
At present, the review of the Base Rate does not have a fixed schedule. The new
guidelines will come into effect from February 19.
BASE RATE METHODOLOGY

Further, the RBI said it had been decided to allow banks to review the Base Rate methodology after three years
from the date of its finalisation instead of the current periodicity of five years. This has been done to provide
banks greater operational flexibility.
On interest margins, the RBI said an existing borrower should not be charged extra except on account of
deterioration in the credit risk profile of the customer or change in the tenor premium.
Indias trade deficit with China rises to $37.8 b
Indias trade deficit with China rose to a whopping $37.8 billion last year even as bilateral trade picked up,
totalling $70.59 billion, a year-on-year increase of 7.9 per cent.
According to figures released by Chinese customs, India China bilateral trade increased by 7.9 per cent last
year, halting the decline in the last two years.
But Indias trade deficit woes continued, as it mounted as high as $37.8 billion, making it difficult to bridge the
gap. The leadership of the two countries have fixed a trade target of $100 billion for this year.
EVER-WIDENING DEFICIT
While the trade has increased between the two countries becoming a binding factor in improving relations, the
ever-widening deficit has become a major stumbling block, especially for India, whose exports were hit by
depreciating rupee and also by declining exports of iron ore which previously was the main stay of Indian
exports.
Keeping the gap in mind, India has been pressuring China to open up more in IT, pharmaceuticals and agriproducts besides stepping up Chinese investments in India to compensate for the trade deficit.
While Chinese leadership has been promising to open up more for Indian trade, especially for pharmaceuticals,
a sum of $20 billion has been committed for investments in two industrial parks in Gujarat and Maharashtra
during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to India in September last.
TO STEP UP COOPERATION
India and China are in talks to step up cooperation in plans to modernise the Indian Railways, which could
further increase Chinese investments in the country.
China is also keen to market its high-speed railway technology in India, and has committed to do a feasibility
study this year for Delhi-Chennai corridor.
21
PART TWO| POLITY AND GOVERNANCE
PART FIVE | POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1.
Wage code to replace all related laws
The government plans to introduce a wage code, that will replace Central laws pertaining to wage related
matters and cover both the organised and the unorganised sectors.
Though the government had invited comments in July 2014 on the draft Minimum Wages (Amendment) Bill,
2013, which included setting a national minimum wage floor, the new wage code once finalised will subsume
key laws, including the Minimum Wages Act 1948 and the proposed amendment.
The wage code will set basic provisions related to payment of wages and bonuses. Once this is finalised, the
Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the Payment of Bonus Act, 1965, and the Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, will no
longer be in place. The aim is to reduce the number of laws employers have to comply with.
NATIONAL FLOOR LEVEL MINIMUM WAGE

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in 2012 as well as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government
last year had proposed a statutory National Floor Level Minimum Wage (NFLMW) which will make it binding
for all State governments to pay the minimum wages specified for various economic activities. The NFLMW was
based on the 1991 recommendations of the National Commission on Rural Labour.
The National Minimum Wages Act, 1948, lays down minimum wages for 45 listed economic activities. But since
labour is a subject in the concurrent list, States can decide minimum wages for more than 1,600 economic
activities. Wages paid to workers is frequently less than the specified rates. The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976
provides for equal wages for women and men workers for the same work.
22
22
PART SIX| SOCIAL ISSUES
PART SIX | SOCIAL ISSUES

1.
Odds of escaping poverty in India, U.S. same: World Bank
A World Bank report has challenged the conventional understanding of Indias inequality. The report,
Addressing inequality in South Asia, has found that the probability of a poor person moving out of poverty in
India in 2014 was as good as that in the U.S.
2.
The report has found that sons from

Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe
households are no longer stuck in the jobs
done by their fathers. Across generations,
mobility of occupational profiles among
Muslims has been similar to that of higher
caste Hindus, whereas mobility among
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and
Other Backward Classes has become higher
than that of upper caste Hindus over time.
The report shows that one of the main drivers
of upward mobility is the increase in number
of non-farm jobs in rural India.
URBANISATION REDUCING INEQUALITY

The World Bank report has found that between 2004-05 and 2009-10, 15 per cent of Indias population, or 40 per
cent of the poor, moved above the poverty line. In the same period, a sizeable portion of the poor and the
vulnerable over 9 per cent of the total population or about 11 per cent of the poor and vulnerable moved
23
into the middle class.
However, over 9 per cent of the total population, or about 14 per cent of the non-poor group, slipped back into
poverty, revealing the greater risks faced by the vulnerable and even the middle class than in other countries,
the report, Addressing inequality in South Asia, said.
The third finding of the report, that challenges the conventional understanding of inequality in India, is that
urbanisation is reducing inequality, not increasing it.
Over a billion live on less than $1.25 a day: Oxfam
Global wealth inequality has reached staggering proportions with 1 in 9 people not getting enough to eat and
over a billion on less than $ 1.25 a day.
According to a report by Oxfam, if wealth concentration grows at
the present rate, in two years 1 per cent of the global population
will earn more than the remaining 99 per cent.
Data from Credit Suisse shows that since 2010, the richest 1% of
adults in the world have been increasing their share of total
global wealth, Oxfams report entitled Having it All and
Wanting More said.
In 2010, the richest 80 people in the world had a net wealth of $1.3
tn. By 2014, the 80 people who top the Forbes rich list had a
collective wealth of $1.9 tn; an increase of $600 bn in just 4 years,
the report notes.
The poorest half of the world has seen an absolute decline in their share of the worlds wealth since 2010.
PART SIX|SOCIAL ISSUES
7-POINT PROGRAMME
The international agency has called for governments to adopt a 7-point programme to address the problem of
staggering inequality. They are to prevent tax dodging, invest in free public services like health and education,
spread the tax burden to the rich, introduce both minimum wage legislation, and equal pay legislation for
women, and ensure safety nets for the poorest.
RELATED INFORMATION: OXFAM
Oxfam is an international confederation of 17 organizations working in approximately 94 countries worldwide
to find solutions to poverty and what it considers injustice around the world.
Oxfam works directly with communities and seeks to influence the powerful, to ensure that poor people can
improve their lives and livelihoods and have a say in decisions that affect them. Each organization (affiliate)
works together internationally to achieve a greater impact through collective efforts.
Oxfam was originally founded in Oxford in 1942 as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief by a group of
Quakers, social activists, and Oxford academics; this is now Oxfam Great Britain, still based in Oxford.
The organization changed its name to OXFAM in 1965. Its Director is Winnie Byanyima.
24
24

1.
Government approves Neutrino Project
Union cabinet approved setting up of India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) in Bodi West Hills, Tamil Nadu.
The project will be
jointly supported by the
Department of Atomic
Energy
and
the
Department of Science
and Technology. The
infrastructural support
will be given by the
Government of Tamil
Nadu as the project is
located in the State.
An Inter-Institutional
Centre for High Energy
Physics (IICHEP) will
also be established in
Madurai, which is
about 110 km from the
proposed site of the
neutrino observatory.
Along with the setting
up of the underground
25
laboratory and the
IICHEP,
the
Government of India
also approved the
construction of a 50,000
tonne magnetised iron calorimeter detector (ICAL) to study the properties of the neutrino, in particular the mass
hierarchy among different types of neutrino.
INO laboratory will also host other experiments such as the neutrino-less double beta decay and the search for
dark matter.
NEUTRINO
A neutrino is an electrically neutral, weakly interacting elementary subatomic particle with half-integer spin.
The neutrino (meaning "little neutral one" in Italian) is denoted by the Greek letter (nu). All evidence suggests
that neutrinos have mass but that their masses are tiny, even by the standards of subatomic particles.
Neutrinos do not carry any electric charge, which means that they are not affected by the electromagnetic force
that acts on charged particles, such as electrons and protons. Neutrinos are affected only by the weak subatomic
force, which is of much shorter range than electromagnetism, and gravity, which is relatively weak on the
subatomic scale. Therefore, a neutrino typically passes through normal matter unimpeded.
Neutrinos can be created in a several ways, including in certain types of radioactive decay, in nuclear reactions
such as those that take place in the Sun, in nuclear reactors, and when cosmic rays hit atoms.
There are three types, or "flavors", of neutrinos: electron neutrinos, muon neutrinos and tau neutrinos. Each type
is associated with an antiparticle, called an "antineutrino", which also has neutral electric charge and half-integer
spin.
Most neutrinos passing through the Earth emanate from the Sun. About 65 billion solar neutrinos per second
pass through every square centimeter perpendicular to the direction of the Sun in the region of the Earth.
PART SEVEN|SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
2.
26
26
3.
RELATED INFORMATION: DARK MATTER

Dark matter is a hypothetical kind of matter that cannot be seen with telescopes but accounts for most of the
matter in the Universe.
The existence and properties of dark matter are inferred from its gravitational effects on visible matter, radiation
and the large-scale structure of the Universe. It has not been detected directly, making it one of the greatest
mysteries in modern astrophysics.
It is hypothesized to be matter that does not react to light. It neither emits nor absorbs light or any other
electromagnetic radiation at any significant level.
Why stars feast and fast partly resolved
Supergiant fast x-ray transients (SGXT) are in the news. SGXT is the name for a certain type of binary star
a pair of stars revolving around each other.
To be specific, they are a pair in which one partner is a big bright
star and the other is a highly condensed dark companion a black
hole or a neutron star which attracts mass from the bright star.
As the material spirals into the dark star, it emits x-rays. Hence, it
appears to the onlooker that they are shining brightly in x-rays.
Suddenly, without warning, the pair dims to a fraction of its
brightness within minutes. This behaviour of shining and
dimming, called fasting and feasting has puzzled astronomers
for a decade now.
NUSTAR
This puzzle has now been partly resolved by means of a breakthrough, thanks to the work of an international
team led by Varun Bhalerao of the Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune. The results
were published recently in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
There were several competing theories as to why the fasting and feasting behaviour happens. One is that the
large star gives out a clumpy wind, and when this wind hits the dense star, it would glow.
The other theory is that the dense star has a high magnetic field and this served as a barrier that would dam the
wind until the pressure built up and broke the dam and the matter carried by the wind would suddenly fall
into the compact star, causing a glow.
Varun Bhaleraos team observed the magnetic field of the dark companion and actually measured it, finding it to
be too weak for the damming mechanism to work. Dr. Bhaleraos team observed the binary using a space x-ray
telescope known as NuStar, a NASA space mission. It is the first x-ray space telescope that can focus on very
high energy x-rays.
SIGNIFICANCE
The discovery of the mechanism of fasting and feasting process is the breakthrough that many were looking
forward to and has given important inputs for further theoretical understanding of these binaries. This allows us
to better understand how massive stars form, to study how binaries evolve and to calculate details of supernova
explosions, where a neutron star is born in the death of a massive star.
Deadly TB strains emerged in Asia over 6,000 years ago
In a path-breaking find, an evolutionary geneticist from the National Museum of Natural History in Paris decoded the
tuberculosis (TB) genome, suggesting that a pernicious family of the strain emerged in Asia over 6,000 years ago.
The study of nearly 5,000 samples of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from around the world showed how a lineage
of the bacterium that emerged thousands of years ago in China has since become a global killer, widely resistant
to antibiotic drugs.
Consistent with its name, the Beijing lineage did emerge near north-eastern China. And it did so around 6,600
years ago which coincides with archaeological evidence for the beginnings of rice farming in Chinas upper
Yangtze river valley.
Although M. tuberculosis, probably, first
emerged some 40,000 years ago in Africa,
the disease did not take hold until humans
took to farming with the consequent
settling down. The grouping of people in
settlements made it easier for the
respiratory pathogen to spread from
person to person.
BEIJING LINEAGE
Of all the M. bacterium strains circulating
today, few strike more fear in public-health
officials than the Beijing lineage. First
identified in greater Beijing in the mid1990s, this lineage now circulates
throughout the world and many strains are
resistant to drugs that vanquish other types of TB.
The increasing availability of antibiotics in the 1960s, meanwhile, coincides with a fall in the numbers of the
bacterium. The lineage rebounded, however, in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Since it emerged, the Beijing
lineage has become much more infectious so it out-competes other strains of the bacterium.
4.
Dawn
NASAs Dawn spacecraft sent back a picture of

Ceres taken from a distance of 237,000 km. The
27
image although fairly blurry is 30 per
cent higher in resolution than those taken by
NASAs (National Aeronautics and Space
Administration) Hubble Space Telescope 10
years ago.
As the spacecraft moves closer to Ceres, the
images sent back will get better. Dawn will
enter into Ceres orbit on March 6 to capture
detailed images and measure variations in
reflected light to get insights into its surface
composition.
Last year, astronomers who studied data from ESAs (European Space Agency) Herschel Space Observatory
reported plumes of vapour emerging from Ceres surface, suggesting that it contained regions rich in water ice.
Dawn will be the first spacecraft to visit any dwarf planet.
CERES
At 950 km diameter Ceres is the smallest known dwarf planet, but the largest object in the asteroid belt between
Mars and Jupiter.
It was originally classified as a true planet in the 1800s, then demoted to an asteroid and finally in 2006
promoted again as a dwarf planet a status it now shares with Pluto.
But the icy Ceres, right through the changing nomenclature, has held a unique fascination for scientists: not least
because it is thought to contain vast reserves of water.
PART SEVEN|SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1.
2.
3.
RELATED INFORMATION: DWARF PLANET

A dwarf planet is an object of the size of a planet (a planetary-mass object) that is neither a planet nor a natural
satellite. More explicitly, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) defines a dwarf planet as a celestial body
that:
is in direct orbit of the Sun
is massive enough for its gravity to turn it into a nearly round shape
has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.
5.
Penghu 1
Researchers have identified the first known prehistoric human from Taiwan which may represent an entirely
new species that lived as recently as 10,000 years ago.
The newly discovered big-toothed human, Penghu 1, might have coexisted and even interbred with our species. The discovery supports the
growing body of evidence that Homo sapiens was not the only species from
our genus living in Europe and Asia between 200,000 and 10,000 years ago.
The jawbones size further reveals that Penghu 1 was not a dwarf, unlike
tiny Homo floresiensis, which lived on the island of Flores, Indonesia,
where other animals were also smaller than usual. Penghu 1, instead, lived
on what was then mainland Asia in an ecosystem that included many other
animals.
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PART EIGHT| ENERGY
PART EIGHT| ENERGY

1.
US and India announce breakthrough on nuclear deal
The US and India

announced
a
breakthrough on a
pact that will allow
American
companies
to
supply India with
civilian
nuclear
technology. It came
during President
Barack Obama's
visit to India.
The nuclear deal
had been held up
for six years amid
concerns over the
liability for any
nuclear accident.
The nuclear pact
had been agreed in
2008 but the US was
worried
about
29
Indian laws on
liability over any
accidents.
Now, a large
insurance pool will
be set up by India, without the need for any further legislation, that will indemnify American reactor builders
against liability in case of an accident.
BACKGROUND
The 123 Agreement signed between the United States of America and the Republic of India is known as the
Indo-US nuclear deal.
The framework for this agreement was a July 18, 2005, joint statement by then Indian Prime Minister Dr.
Manmohan Singh and then U.S. President George W. Bush, under which India agreed to separate its civil and
military nuclear facilities and to place all its civil nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) safeguards and, in exchange, the United States agreed to work toward full civil nuclear cooperation with
India.
This U.S.-India deal took more than three years to come to fruition as it had to go through several complex
stages, including amendment of U.S. domestic law, a civil-military nuclear Separation Plan in India, an IndiaIAEA safeguards (inspections) agreement and the grant of an exemption for India by the Nuclear Suppliers
Group (NSG), an export-control cartel that had been formed mainly in response to India's first nuclear test in
1974.
In 2008, the IAEA Board of Governors approved, and in 2009, India signed an India-specific safeguards
agreement with the IAEA.
The 48-nation NSG also granted the waiver to India in 2008 allowing it to access civilian nuclear technology and
fuel from other countries.
PART EIGHT|ENERGY
The implementation of this waiver made India the only known country with nuclear weapons which is not a
party to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) but is still allowed to carry out nuclear commerce with the rest of
the world.
On October 1, 2008 the U.S. Senate also approved the civilian nuclear agreement allowing India to purchase
nuclear fuel and technology from -- and sell them to -- the United States. The agreement was signed by then
Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his counterpart then Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice, on October 10.
2.
New China-Myanmar oil pipeline bypasses Malacca trap
China has taken a firm step to beef up its energy security by inaugurating a pipeline that will bring crude oil
from a deepwater port in Myanmar, along a transit route that will bypass the strategic Malacca Straits.
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The tankers will offload oil at Maday Island

a deep water port developed by China in the
Bay of Bengal. From there, oil, mostly brought
from West Asia and Africa, will be pumped
into a 2402-kilometre long pipeline that will
stretch for 771 kilometres in Myanmar and
another 1631 kilometres in China.
A gas pipeline, next to the Maday Island
terminal, already runs from Myanmars port
of Kyaukpyu. China also finalised plans to
establish a rail corridor from Kyaukpyu to its
Yunnan province.
SIGNIFICANCE
The strategic oil pipeline will service Chinas
two major growth centres Kunming and
Chongqing, an industrial hub along the
Yangtze River delta. Both cities are pivotal in
the development of Chinas Silk Road
Economic Belt and the 21st century Maritime Silk Road.
Kunming is one of the starting points of the Maritime Silk Road, because it connects with three ASEAN
countries Myanmar, Vietnam and Laos. Landlocked Laos in turn becomes the gateway to ports in Thailand,
and a wider transportation network covering Malaysia and Singapore as well.
Chongqing is already a well-established junction along the Silk Road rail corridor, which begins at the coastal
city of Yiwu, and heads to Duisburg - a major destination in Germanys Ruhr industrial belt.
OIL PIPELINE BYPASSES THE MALACCA STRAITS
Significantly, the new oil pipeline bypasses the Malacca Straits a narrow channel that connects the Indian
Ocean with the Pacific. The Chinese are concerned that their access to the Malacca Straits the main channel of
their trade and energy supplies can become compromised on account of Beijings growing rivalry with the
United States, and maritime disputes with neighbours in the South China Sea.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
Analysts say that apart from enhancing energy security, the construction of an oil and gas pipeline from
Myanmar is driven by environmental considerations, as China works to limit carbon emissions resulting from its
over-dependence on coal.
Consequently, China has signed a long-term $400 billion gas deal with Russia, which will deliver energy
supplies, which will be routed for consumption towards the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei metropolitan area in the
north, and the Yangtze River delta in the east.
PART EIGHT| ENERGY
Russia and China have also signed an agreement for gas supplies along the western Altai route, which China
hopes will also help reduce its carbon footprint.
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PART NINE|DEFENCE
PART NINE| DEFENCE

1.
India, U.S. to extend Defence cooperation pact
Aiming for a transformative defence partnership, India and the U.S.

agreed to extend the Defence Cooperation Agreement and identified
four projects under the Defence Technology Trade Initiative (DTTI)
for joint production and development and exploring cooperation for
jet engines and aircraft carrier systems. The agreement would guide
the bilateral defence cooperation for the next 10 years.
In a significant step, the two countries agreed to set up a working
group to explore aircraft carrier technology and design and develop
jet engine technology in India.
The projects identified under the DTTI include next-generation Raven mini-unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs),
roll-on, roll-off intelligence kits for C-130 transport aircraft and mobile electric hybrid power source.
Both countries also agreed to increase bilateral anti-terror cooperation, intelligence sharing and maritime
security.
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PART TEN| ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY & BIODIVERSITY

1.
2.
Fossils of dolphin-like creature found off Scotland
A giant killer reptile which resembled a dolphin merged with a crocodile once roamed the ancient seas around
Scotland.
The new species of ancient sea monster that
lived around 170 million years ago has been
identified from fossils found on the Isle of
Skye.
The dolphin-like creatures were as long as 14
feet from snout to tail, and inhabited warm,
shallow seas around Scotland during the
Jurassic Period, according to researchers. They
were near the top of the food chain at the time
and preyed on fish and other reptiles.
SKYE
During the Jurassic Period, much of Skye was under water. At the time, it was joined to the rest of the UK and
was part of a large island positioned between landmasses that gradually drifted apart and became Europe and
North America. Skye is one of the few places in the world where fossils from the Middle Jurassic Period can be
found.
ICHTHYOSAURS
A team of palaeontologists studied fossil fragments unearthed on the island over the past 50 years. They
identified several examples of extinct aquatic animals - known as ichthyosaurs - which lived during the Early-to33
Middle Jurassic Period, including the entirely new species.
The new species - Dearcmhara shawcrossi - is named in honour of an amateur enthusiast, Brian Shawcross, who
recovered the creature's fossils from the island's Bearreraig Bay in 1959.
RELATED INFORMATION: PALAEONTOLOGY
Paleontology or palaeontology is the scientific study of life existent prior to, but sometimes including, the start of
the Holocene Epoch. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with
each other and their environments (their paleoecology).
The science became established in the 18th century as a result of Georges Cuvier's work on comparative
anatomy, and developed rapidly in the 19th century.
Paleontology lies on the border between biology and geology, but differs from archaeology in that it excludes
the study of morphologically modern humans.
JURASSIC
The Jurassic is a geologic period that extends from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The
Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic Era, also known as the Age of Reptiles.
The Jurassic is named after the Jura Mountains within the European Alps, where limestone strata from the
period were first identified.
Open-billed storks flock to Raiganj
The Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary in West Bengals Uttar Dinajpur district, which attracted a record 68,000 birds
in 2014, has the most Asian open-billed storks in the country.
PART TEN|ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY & BIODIVERSITY
34
34
3.
The wildlife sanctuary at Raiganj is the only place in the country

where open-billed stork birds are found in such a high
concentration.
The open-billed stork is a local migrant. The birds visit rice fields
during the day and also feed on molluscs.
The Raiganj sanctuary is one of the 466 IBA (important birds and
biodiversity sites) recognised by Birdlife International. The increase
in number of Asian open-billed storks at the sanctuary might be
due to the sanctuary proving to be a safe habitat.
Other areas like the Danapur Military Cantonment in Bihar,
Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh and Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary in Karnataka are also important
habitats for this species, but their number was not as high as it is in Raiganj.
RELATED INFORMATION: OPENBILL STORK

The Asian openbill or Asian openbill stork (Anastomus oscitans) is a large wading bird in the stork family
Ciconiidae.
This distinctive stork is found mainly in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is greyish white with
glossy black wings and tail and the adults have a gap between the arched upper mandible and recurved lower
mandible. Young birds are born without this gap which is thought to be an adaptation that aids in the handling
of snails, their main prey.
Although resident within their range, they make long distance movements in response to weather and food
availability.
IMPORTANT BIRD AND BIODIVERSITY AREA (IBA)
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the
conservation of birds populations.
The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International. These sites are small enough to be
entirely conserved and differ in their character, habitat or ornithological importance from the surrounding
habitat.
Often IBAs form part of a country's existing protected area network, and so are protected under national
legislation.
Sri Lankan flying snake sighted in A.P.
A flying snake, known to be endemic to Sri Lanka, was sighted in Andhra Pradesh's Seshachalam forests.
According to researchers, this is the first time that Chrysopelea
taprobanica has been sighted outside the island nation. The species,
known to be found in dry zone lowlands and parts of the
intermediate climatic zones in Sri Lanka, was spotted at the
Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve in Chittoor district.
It was about a year ago that the species was seen in Chalama, a core
forest area about 25 km from the hill shrine of Tirumala.
Morphological studies and DNA tests proved that it was indeed
Chrysopelea taprobanica, which glides by stretching its body into a
flattened strip. However, the researchers have revealed this now
after Checklist, a journal of biodiversity data, mentioned it in its
latest issue.
The species may have moved between Sri Lanka and the dry zones
of peninsular India before the two regions got separated due to
some natural events about 17,000 years ago.
4.
5.
SESHACHALAM HILL RANGE

The Seshachalam hill range is part of the Eastern Ghats, which are a chain of broken hills in peninsular India.
They have been less explored for their biodiversity compared to the Western Ghats.
The researchers feel that the discovery of rare species could throw more light on the rich biodiversity of the
Eastern Ghats. Other rare species found here in recent times include Slender Coral Snake (Calliophis
melanurus), Elliot's Shieldtail (Uropeltis ellioti), Brown vine snake (Ahaetulla pulverulenta) and Nagarjunasagar
Racer (Coluber bholanathi).
RELATED INFORMATION: BIOSPHERE RESERVE
A biosphere reserve is an area proposed by its residents, ratified by a national committee, and designated by
UNESCOs Man and Biosphere (MAB) program, which demonstrates innovative approaches to living and
working in harmony with nature.
One of the primary objectives of MAB is to achieve a sustainable balance between the goals of conserving
biological diversity, promoting economic development, and maintaining associated cultural values.
The Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote
interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable
use of natural resources.
New location discovered for rare Forest Owlet
A survey by city-based Wildlife Research and Conservation Society (WRCS) in the forest areas of Madhya
Pradesh found a new location for the critically endangered Forest Owlet in the Betul district of the state.
The society is carrying out a long-term ecological study on the Forest Owlet in
the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh. Betul is the adjoining district located to
the southeast of Khandwa.
The new discovery has raised some interesting questions. For instance, the new
location is close to the existing Forest Owlet habitat in Khandwa, but is also not
far from the Melghat tiger reserve, which is home to the largest population of the
35
bird. Little is known about the dispersal pattern of these birds and it remains to
be seen whether there are any connections between the habitats.
DISCONTINUOUS POPULATIONS AND CHALLENGING CONDITIONS

In October last year, ornithologists Sunil Laad and Rohidas Dagale of the Bombay
Natural History Society (BNHS) had sighted the bird in the Tansa wildlife
sanctuary - the first time it was spotted in the Western Ghats. These sightings
indicate that the Forest Owlet is surviving in India maybe in discontinuous populations and under challenging
conditions.
RELATED INFORMATION: BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY
The Bombay Natural History Society, founded in 1883, is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in
India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research.
It supports many research efforts through grants, and publishes the Journal of the Bombay Natural History
Society.
Many prominent naturalists, including the ornithologists Slim Ali and S. Dillon Ripley have been associated
with it.
India has 70 per cent of the tiger population in the world
According to preliminary estimates in Status of Tigers in India, 2014, India now has 70 per cent of the tiger
population in the world with the latest assessment estimating 2,226 big cats, up 30 per cent from 1,706 in 2010.
PART TEN|ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY & BIODIVERSITY
36
36
6.
LARGEST INCREASE IN THE WESTERN GHATS

The largest increase was recorded in the
Western Ghats Landscape complex
Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Tamil Nadu.
The
Mudumalai-Bandipur-NagaraholeWayanad complex holds the worlds single
largest tiger population currently estimated
at over 570 tigers, the report says.
However, the Sunderbans did not report an
increase in the numbers because of a low
prey base and other factors. Odisha
reported a fall in number.
The latest round of assessment used stateof-the art technology of double sampling,
using camera traps to estimate the
distribution of tigers in 47 reserves in 18
States. The only portions which were not
scanned were some parts of the north-east
and Jharkhand.
EFFECTIVE TACKLING OF POACHING
The population increased at the rate of six per cent per annum in India from 2006 while the world lost 97 per
cent tigers in the last 50 years in 13
countries.
The main reasons for this increase in
tiger population are effective tackling of
poaching, and the positive attitude of
the wildlife services.
RELATED INFORMATION: PROJECT
TIGER
Project Tiger was launched in 1973 by
the Government of India under its then
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
The project aims at ensuring a viable
population of tigers in their natural
habitats and also to protect them from
extinction.
The project's task force visualized the
tiger reserves as breeding nuclei, from
which surplus animals would migrate to
adjacent forests.
The government also set up a Tiger
Protection Force to combat poachers and
funded relocation of villagers to minimize human-tiger conflicts.
Fossil finds push back snake origins
Snakes have been slithering on Earth far longer than anyone ever realised. Scientists recently described the four
oldest-known snake fossils, the most ancient of which was a reptile called Eophis underwoodi unearthed in a
quarry near Oxford, England, that lived about 167 million years ago.
The remarkable fossils from Britain, Portugal and the United States
rewrite the history of snake evolution, pushing back snake origins by
tens of millions of years. Until now, the oldest snake fossil dated from
about 102 million years ago.
Scientists say snakes evolved from lizards, and a number of previously
discovered fossils of primitive snakes featured small back legs. Those
described recently did not include entire skeletons, but the researchers
say all four may have had some form of reduced forelimbs and hind
limbs.
LIVED DURING THE AGE OF DINOSAURS

The four snakes lived during the age of dinosaurs. Eophis, the oldest,
was a swamp dweller that probably ate small minnows, insects and tadpoles.
The largest, named Portugalophis lignites and discovered in a coal mine in central Portugal, was 155 million
years old. It may have eaten small mammals, young dinosaurs, lizards, birds and frogs.
Diablophis gilmorei, a snake from about 155 million years ago, was found in western Colorado (United States).
It was a bit larger than Eophis and probably ate similar prey.
Parviraptor estesi, found in sea cliffs near Swanage, England, was 144 million years old.
The four snakes skull anatomy was similar to modern snakes and other fossil snakes. The characteristic snake
skull design likely emerged before these reptiles acquired their elongated and legless body plan.
37
PART ELEVEN|HEALTH
PART ELEVEN| HEALTH

1.
Teixobactin: Scientists find promising new antibiotic
Using a novel technique to culture soil bacteria that previously could not be grown in the laboratory, a team of
U.S. scientists has isolated a promising new antibiotic to which resistance may not develop easily.
38
38
The research, published recently in Nature, comes at a time when there is growing alarm both at the spread of
antibiotic-resistant microbes and the failure to find new classes of antibiotics in recent decades.
ISOLATION CHIP
During the golden age of antibiotics from about 1940 to around 1960, scientists were able to find a number of
new drugs by carefully screening soil bacteria, looking for anti-microbial activity. However, they were able to
examine only bacteria that could be grown in the laboratory and more than 99 per cent of the bacterial species in
the soil resisted such efforts, with the result that such leads eventually petered out.
Now the researchers used an isolation chip (iChip) developed to culture previously uncultivable soil bacteria.
This chip has a large number of tiny chambers to hold individual bacterial cells. Covered with semi-permeable
membranes, the chip could be then placed in the soil, allowing vital nutrients and growth factors to diffuse into
its chambers.
TEIXOBACTIN
With the iChip, the scientists could grow 10,000 bacterial strains. The extract from one such bacterium,
provisionally named Eleftheria terrae, yielded an entirely new sort of antibiotic, teixobactin.
PART ELEVEN|HEALTH
2.
Laboratory tests showed that this molecule was effective against many human pathogens, including drugresistant ones. It might also offer a single-drug therapy for tuberculosis, which currently required prolonged
treatment with a multi-drug combination.
Even when the susceptible forms of the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and the one that causes
tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, were grown in the presence of low doses of the antibiotic, drugresistant mutants could not be found. Nor did such mutants evolve after S. aureus cultures were repeatedly
exposed to sub-lethal doses of the antibiotic over several days.
MECHANISM
Teixobactin work by binding to highly conserved precursors that bacteria use to build their cell walls. Resistance
is less likely to develop against antibiotics that target precursors for cell wall synthesis. When, on the other hand,
the antibiotic acts on bacterial proteins, genes for those proteins could mutate and produce resistance.
Insecticide-resistant mosquito discovered
A newly discovered super mosquito has the ability to survive the insecticides used to treat bed nets which are
key to preventing the spread of malaria in humans, scientists say.
Interbreeding of two malaria mosquito species in the West African
country of Mali has resulted in a super mosquito hybrid that is
resistant to insecticide-treated bed nets, according to a new research.
The research provides convincing evidence indicating that a manmade change in the environment the introduction of insecticides
has altered the evolutionary relationship between two species, in this
case a breakdown in the reproductive isolation that separates them.
M AND S FORMS
Anopheles gambiae, a major malaria vector, is interbreeding with isolated pockets of another malaria mosquito,
A coluzzii. Entomologists initially considered them as the M and S forms of Anopheles gambiae. They are
39
now recognised as separate species.
It is an example of one unusual mechanism that has promoted the rapid evolution of insecticide resistance in one
of the major malaria mosquito species.
NEW STRATEGIES ARE NEEDED
The World Health Organisations World Malaria Report indicates that deaths from malaria worldwide have
decreased by 47 per cent since 2000. Much of that is attributed to the insecticide-treated bed nets. However, it
was just a matter of time for insecticide resistance to emerge. Now there is an urgent need to develop new and
effective malaria vector control strategies.
A number of new strategies are in development, including new insecticides, biological agents including
mosquitokilling bacteria and fungi and genetic manipulation of mosquitoes aimed at either killing them or
altering their ability to transmit the malaria parasite.
PART TWELVE | SPORTS
PART TWELVE| SPORTS

1.
Chennai Open
Stanislas Wawrinka successfully defended his Aircel Chennai Open crown by beating
Aljaz Bedene in the final of the 2015 edition.
The Chennai Open is a professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It
is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the Association of Tennis
Professionals (ATP) World Tour. It is held annually in January at the SDAT (Sports
Development Authority of Tamil Nadu) Tennis Stadium in Chennai.
2.
Ronaldo retains the Ballon dOr
Portugals Cristiano Ronaldo won the FIFA Ballon dOr for the second year in a row and the third time in his
career, ahead of Argentinean Lionel Messi and Manuel Neuer of Germany.
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40
RELATED INFORMATION: BALLON D'OR

The FIFA Ballon d'Or is an annual association football award given by FIFA to
the male player considered to have performed the best in the previous
calendar year.
It is awarded based on the votes from national team coaches and captains, as
well as journalists from around the world.
The award started in 2010 after France Football's Ballon d'Or and the men's
FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) World Player of the Year award were merged.
The winner of the inaugural 2010 FIFA Ballon d'Or was Lionel Messi who then went on to reclaim the title the
following two years.
PART THIRTEEN| ORGANISATION IN NEWS

1.
NITI Aayog
The government announced that the Planning Commission had been revamped and rechristened as the NITI (National
Institution for Transforming India) Aayog, with a multi-tiered structure including a governing council that comprises the
chief ministers of all states and lieutenant governors of union territories.
The Cabinet in its meeting in August 2014 approved the repeal of the Cabinet Resolution dated March 15, 1950 through wh
41
42
42
A THREE-TIER STRUCTURE
Narendra Modis NITI Aayog, the body which replaces Yojana Aayog (Planning Commission), will have a
three-tier structure headed by the Prime Minister.
The body will have a Governing Council comprising State Chief Ministers and Lt. Governors of Union
Territories, Regional Councils to address specific issues and contingencies impacting more than one State or a
region, and full-time organisational framework headed by the Prime Minister. The three layers will be formed
for a specified tenure.
The Prime Minister, in the new body, will be assisted by a Vice-Chairperson and full-time members. There will
be two part-time members who will be selected from leading universities, research organisations and other
relevant institutions in an ex-officio capacity. Part-time members will be appointed on a rotational basis. Four
Union Ministers will be ex-officio members. There will also be a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) with a fixed
tenure and in the rank of Secretary to the Government of India.
The Regional Councils will be chaired by the Chairperson of the NITI Aayog, the Prime Minister, or his
nominee. Both General and Regional councils will have experts, specialists and practitioners with relevant
domain knowledge as special invitees nominated by the Prime Minister.
BOTTOM UP APPROACH
In a crucial departure
from its earlier
avatar,
Planning
Commission, the new
body will adopt a
Bottom
Up
approach,
where
decisions will be
taken at the local
level and then
endorsed at the
Central level. This is
also reflected in one
of the approach
which says, To
develop mechanisms
to formulate credible
plans at the village
level and aggregate
these progressively at
higher levels of
Government.
To be chaired by the
Prime Minister, the
revamped institution
will serve as a
government think
tank with the
mandate to provide strategic and technical advice to the Centre and states. This includes matters of national and
international import on the economic front, dissemination of best practices from within the country as well as
from other nations, the infusion of new policy ideas and specific issue-based support.
While the Planning Commission was primarily responsible for deciding on plan spending of the Centre and
allocation to state governments, the NITI Aayog will provide a national agenda framework for the Prime
Minister and the chief ministers after evolving a shared vision of national development priorities, sectors and
strategies with the active involvement of states.
RELATED INFORMATION: ARVIND PANAGARIYA

Pro-reform economist Arvind Panagariya took charge as the first vice-chairman of the National Institution for
Transforming India (NITI) Aayog.
The earlier Planning Commission had a deputy chairperson at the helm, with the prime minister as its
chairperson. The prime minister will be the chairperson of the current body, too.
Panagariya is known for his market-friendly views and is a protege of well-known trade economist Jagdish
Bhagwati. Together with his mentor, he contested Nobel laureate Amartya Sen on prioritising wealth
distribution over economic growth.
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PART FOURTEEN| PERSONALITIES

1.
Gyan Mani Nepal
Nepal chose its first Integrity Idol. Gyan Mani Nepal, an education officer in the eastern district of Panchthar,
won the title for his commitment towards educational reforms in the region.
In a country where government officials are often associated with corruption and incompetence, this title aims to
shine a spotlight on honest and industrious civil servants.
2.
H.S. Brahma
Hari Shankar Brahma took over as the Chief Election Commissioner. He succeeded V S Sampath.
3.
Libby Lane
Elizabeth Jane Holden "Libby" Lane is a Church of England bishop. She is the first woman to be appointed as a
bishop by the Church of England, after its General Synod voted in July 2014 to allow women to become bishops.
4.
Pahlaj Nihalani
The government put in place an entirely new censor board with Pahlaj Nihalani as its chairperson.
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RELATED INFORMATION: CENSOR BOARD

The Central Board of Film Certification (often referred to as the Censor Board) is a statutory censorship and
classification body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.
It is tasked with "regulating the public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952".
It assigns certifications to films, television shows, television ads, and publications for exhibition, sale or hire in
India. Films can be publicly exhibited in India only after they are certified by the Board.
5.
Paulina Vega
Colombias Paulina Vega was crowned Miss Universe at the worlds top beauty pageant in Florida.
She became only the second beauty queen from her nation to take home the prize. The last time Colombia won
the crown was in 1958, when Luz Marina Zuluaga took the title.
6.
Rajni Kothari
Rajni Kothari, preeminent political theorist and activist, who in the 1960s developed the idea of the Congress
system to explain the partys umbrella character that accommodated multiple interests within its fold, passed
away.
Numerous books and commentaries that combined empirical research and theoretical originality make Mr.
Kothari possibly the most influential thinker on the development of the Indian political system.
He had an enduring influence on the study of Indian politics with his many books, especially, his magnum opus,
Politics in India, and also Caste in Indian Politics, and Rethinking Development: In Search of Humane
Alternatives, among others.
Mr. Kothari founded the Centre for the Study of Developing Society in 1963 in Delhi, which grew as a premier
institute. He was also chairman of the Indian Council of Social Science Research, and in various capacities,
mentored several generations of Indian social scientists.

7.
R.K. Laxman
The legendary cartoonist, R.K. Laxman, one of post-Independence Indias

greatest caricaturists, passed away.
He is best known for his creation The Common Man and for his daily cartoon
strip, "You Said It" in The Times of India, which started in 1951.
Laxman started his career as a part-time cartoonist, working mostly for local
newspapers and magazines. While a college student, he illustrated his elder
brother R. K. Narayan's stories in The Hindu. His first full-time job was as a
political cartoonist for the The Free Press Journal in Mumbai. Later, he joined
The Times of India, and became famous for the Common Man character.
8.
Surendra Kumar Sinha
Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha was appointed the 21st Chief Justice of
Bangladesh. The first non-Muslim to lead the countrys top judiciary, Justice
Sinha is the first Chief Justice from the countrys ethnic minority Hindu
community.
Having had an illustrious career, Justice Sinha sat on the Appellate Division bench that heard the 13th
amendment appeal of the Constitution and scrapped the provision for caretaker government system to oversee
national elections. He was also part of the bench that heard the 2009 appeals in the landmark assassination case
of the countrys founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
He has been an appeals judge in the ongoing war crimes trials linked to Bangladeshs war of liberation against
Pakistan in 1971.
During the period of his judgeship, Justice Sinha also delivered a number of landmark judgments, including the
vital fifth amendment to the Constitution which declared the military rule of Gen. Ziaur Rahman illegal and
unconstitutional.
45
PART FIFTEEN| AWARDS
PART FIFTEEN| AWARDS

1.
DSC Prize
Indian-American author Jhumpa Lahiri won the $50,000 DSC Prize for Literature,
one of South Asias top literary awards, for her book The Lowland.
The Prize celebrates writing on the South Asian region from writers across the
globe and is given to the best novel or translations into English of a work on or
about the region. The winner is announced at the Jaipur Literature Festival.
2.
Periyar tiger reserve wins NTCA award
The Periyar Tiger Reserve, in Kerala, bagged the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) biennial
award for encouraging local public participation in managing the reserve.
46
46
There are 75 communities living

around the reserve, including tribal
people who are dependent on ecodevelopment programmes. The
reserve set up the Periyar
Foundation in 2006 which was a
model for other reserves in
biodiversity conservation and
community participation in
managing natural resources.
The community-based eco-tourism
activities also helped visitors.
Tourism was supplemented by
pepper growing and marketing
which was a value addition.
Later, the Wildlife Protection Act
was amended so that each reserve
would set up such a Foundation.
RELATED
INFORMATION:
NATIONAL
TIGER
CONSERVATION AUTHORITY
The National Tiger Conservation Authority was established in December 2005 following a recommendation of
the Tiger Task Force, constituted by the Prime Minister of India for reorganized management of Project Tiger
and the many Tiger Reserves in India.

1.
Excavation at Harappan site reveals house plan
Excavation conducted by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at the late-Harappan site of Chandayan in
Uttar Pradesh has, for the first time, revealed the plan of a house on the Ganga-Yamuna doab, with its mud
walls, four successive floor levels and post-holes.
While these were found in the habitation area,
trenches laid in the burial area brought to light
Harappan pots, the remains of a skeleton, a broken
copper crown placed on the skull, animal bones
and remains of a feast, indicating a funeral
ceremony.
The habitation area is significant for the floor
levels, and mud walls were occurring in the
Ganga-Yamuna doab for the first time.
The ASI estimated that the late-Harappan site
could have existed before 4,000 years.
RELATED INFORMATION: ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA

The Archaeological Survey of India is an Indian government agency in the Ministry of Culture that is
responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of cultural monuments.
The Archaeological Survey of India was formed in 1861 by a statute passed into law by Lord Canning with
Alexander Cunningham as the first Director-General.
2.
Vasundhara International Film Festival
The ninth edition of the Kirloskar Vasundhara International Film Festival (VKIFF) Indias only film event
dedicated to critically analysing environmental issues commenced in Pune on January 16 with a topical theme
Zero Waste: Begins with Us.
As many as 140 films from 25 countries, including Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, China and Kenya, were
screened. Allied activities, such as waste disposal drives and seminars, were held in tandem with the screenings.
The opening film The Carbon Rush (2012), directed by Canadian Amy Miller, offered look at the debilitating
impact of carbon trading on indigenous peoples across continents while graphically dissecting the Kyoto
protocol.
Particularly relevant to garbage woes plaguing Indian cities were documentary shorts like Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle; Masters of Waste; and No Mans Land which depict the leavings of the Indian society and its impact on
those who struggle to clear them.
3.
Jaipur Litfest
The eighth edition of the Jaipur Literature Festival, the worlds

largest free literary festival, ended with a record participation
of 2.45 lakh people during the five days.
The festival will be held at the Southbank Centre in London in

May and in Boulder, Colorado, U.S., in autumn.
This year, the festival awarded three prizes, including the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature to Jhumpa
Lahiri; the Ojas Art Award to Bhajju Shyam and Venkat Raman Singh Shyam; and the Khushwant Singh
Memorial Prize for Poetry to Arundhathi Subramaniam for her work When God is a Traveller.
47

1.
48
48
Golden Triangle
The Golden Triangle is one of Asia's two main opium-producing areas. It is an area of around 367,000 square
miles that overlaps the mountains of three countries of Southeast Asia: Myanmar, Laos and Thailand.
The Golden Triangle designates the confluence of the Ruak River and the Mekong River.
Most of the world's heroin came from the Golden Triangle until the early 21st century when Afghanistan
became the world's largest producer.
Opium poppy cultivation in Southeast Asia's "Golden Triangle" has tripled since 2006 and remains the primary
means of subsistence and the drug of choice for farmers in many parts of rural Myanmar and Laos,
according to a new UN report.
The burgeoning demand for opiates is fuelled largely by China, were the number of heroin users has risen by
roughly 500,000 since 2007, to 1.3 million.
2.
Golden Crescent
The Golden Crescent is the name given to one of Asia's two principal areas of illicit opium production (with the
other being the Golden Triangle), located at the crossroads of Central, South, and Western Asia. This space
overlaps three nations, Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan, whose mountainous peripheries define the crescent,
though only Afghanistan and Pakistan produce opium, with Iran being a consumer and trans-shipment route
for the smuggled opiates.
The Golden Crescent has a much longer history of opium production than Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle. The
Golden Triangle emerged as a modern-day opium-producing entity only in the 1980s, after the Golden Crescent
did so in the 1950s.
Afghanistan now produces over 90% of the world's non-pharmaceutical-grade opium.
49
PART EIGHTEEN | BOOKS AND AUTHORS
PART EIGHTEEN| BOOKS AND AUTHORS
1.
The Red Sari
The Red Sari (El sari rojo) is a book by Javier Moro. It is

a dramatized version of Sonia Gandhi's life and it ran
into some controversy in India. Javier Moro's Spanish
and Italian publishers received mails from Indian
National Congress lawyers with demands to withdraw
the book from stores. Congress stated that book
distorted facts and misinterpreted details.
The book was originally published in October 2008 in
Spain in Spanish. The book tells the story of the Gandhi
family through the eyes of Sonia Gandhi. The book was finally released in India in January 2015.
50
50

1.
New app brings voices of Holocaust to modern devices
Seventy years after the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp, an Android application is aiming to provide new
insights into the Holocaust for modern-day smartphone and tablet users.
70 Voices: Victims, Perpetrators and Bystanders is the work of the Holocaust Educational Trust, which has
made it available as a free download through Google, Amazon and Apples app stores.
The app will offer 70 different perspectives on the Holocaust from people who were alive at the time, at a time
when the number of people able to give firsthand accounts continues to dwindle.
RELATED INFORMATION: HOLOCAUST

The Holocaust was a genocide in which approximately six million Jews were killed by the Nazi regime and its
collaborators. Killings took place throughout Nazi Germany and German-occupied territories.
From 1941 to 1945, Jews were targeted and methodically murdered in a genocide, the largest in modern history,
and part of a broader aggregate of acts of oppression and killings of various ethnic and political groups in
Europe by the Nazis.
AUSCHWITZ CONCENTRATION CAMP

Auschwitz concentration camp was a network of German Nazi concentration camps and extermination camps
built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II.
51
PART TWENTY| EDITORIALS

1.
Kill graft, India will grow even faster
The Asian Age | Category: Economy
Following the World Banks recent estimates that Indias growth rate will be faster than that of China, the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) has recognised that Indias GDP is likely to grow at 6.3 per cent in 2016 and 6.5 per cent in 2017.
The IMF has also cut Chinas growth rate to 6.8 per cent in 2015 and 6.3 per cent for 2016, which puts Indias growth at
a rate faster than Chinas.
India, in any case, is on a growth path, and if Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision materialises there is no reason
why India will not see eight per cent, or even nine per cent, growth. Corruption alone is said to eat up two per cent of
GDP; if Mr Modi is able to control this in the short term, Indias GDP could really start to sizzle as it would unleash the
unbounded energies and innovative abilities of the aam aadmi into creating productive assets.
There is nothing sacrosanct in the IMFs figures as it had trotted out Indias growth rate at 6.4 per cent in October and
within three months it revised it down a fraction. One does not know how and why the IMF arrived at the lower figure
eight months into Mr Modis regime, and the 50 changes his government has brought in by way of reforms.
The comparison with China is like comparing oranges to apples. To begin with, Indias growth rate is on a low base
and Chinas economy is four times larger than Indias. Besides, Chinas growth rate has been over 10 per cent in the
last three decades and it has in the last two years been trying to cool down its overheated economy. So its current GDP
growth rate coming at 7.4 per cent a 24-year low is not a great worry for Beijing. The bigger worry is to increase
consumption as it had built massive infrastructure and this is reportedly lying unused. Its huge social problems could
be exacerbated as it tries to control growth. The Chinese leadership tackles its problems with seriousness and speed,
which is still not so in India.
The leadership in India, from the Prime Minister downwards, like its predecessor, spends more time socialising with
the suited-and-booted elite, more recently in the snow-clad environs of Davos, than with the small entrepreneur or
worker who is unable to get into the mainstream because of bureaucratic hassles and graft. Corruption is a major cause
52 of impoverishment because the poor are not spared by greedy officials right down to the taluka level.
52 India has all the resources, both natural and human, and if these energies are unleashed by the inclusive growth
programmes being truly inclusive, the IMFs figures could well be another figure gone wrong.
2.
For the farmers
The Indian Express | Category: Economy
The Centre is reportedly considering decontrol of urea over a period of three years, at the end of which retail prices
would be totally market-determined, with farmers getting a fixed per-bag subsidy to be credited directly to their bank
accounts. If this happens, it will probably be the most politically challenging economic reform the Narendra Modi
government undertakes. Given the crash in global oil prices, decontrol of diesel was, politically, no big deal. If
anything, the Centre has only undermined the spirit of decontrol by hiking excise duties, thereby preventing
consumers from fully reaping the benefits of cheaper international crude. Urea decontrol, by contrast, is fraught with
political risk. The current retail price of Rs 5,360 or $ 86 per tonne is way below the landed cost of $ 300 for imported
urea. Even with a 50 per cent subsidy, farmers would need to pay roughly twice the amount they currently do and
in a context where minimum support prices (MSPs) for crops cannot be raised significantly.
This state of affairs can be blamed on the previous UPA dispensation. At a time when world agri-commodity prices
were ruling firm, increases in MSPs could easily have compensated for higher production costs on account of urea
decontrol. Farmers, in fact, barely protested when prices of all other fertilisers went up three-fold or more following
their decontrol. Instead, the retail price of urea has been revised upwards by a mere 11 per cent since early 2002. Not
only prices, even its imports continue to be subject to controls and canalisation through designated state-owned
firms. The Centres annual fertiliser subsidy bill of around Rs 1,10,000 crore today which includes unpaid liabilities
is almost equal to its entire Plan budget for agriculture, farm research and rural development.
The present government has the unenviable task of sorting out this mess. Asking farmers to pay more without
expecting higher prices for their produce isnt easy. But that is where communication matters. Farmers should know
that the current retail prices would make urea prone to black-marketing, which is already happening. The fertiliser
subsidy regime now is fiscally unsustainable both for government and industry, besides encouraging nutrient usage
damaging for soil health. In the long run, the losers are the farmers themselves. Domestic urea plants closing down
will not help them. Their interests will be better served if the monies saved from the fertiliser subsidy are redirected to
agricultural research, rural roads, 247 power and broadband connectivity. Seen in this context, a three-year subsidy
reform programme is eminently implementable even politically.
3.
Tiger is burning bright
Pioneer | Category: Environment and Ecology
The revival of India's tiger population is a huge success story for conservation efforts in the country. But to sustain this
momentum, greater attention on dramatically increasing the countrys forest cover is necessary. This may seem like a
tall order, but it is possible. Only last year, the Government announced that India's forest cover had grown, if only
marginally.
For now, the reported 30 per cent rise in tiger population from a median estimate of 1,706 tigers in 2010 to 2,226 now
is being attributed to better forest management practices, especially the rehabilitation of humans previously settled
inside core tiger areas. These efforts have gained steam since 2010, and in the past four years have helped make tiger
habitats largely inviolate. However, as the Sunderbans stands proof, the tiger population will stagnate unless more
areas are brought under forest cover.
This may be easier said than done, given the continued rise of population pressures as well as the competing demands
of economic development. No matter how much we talk of sustainable development, at the end of the day, we cannot
wish away the fact that there is only a finite amount of land and resources. Having said that, there should be no two
ways around the fact that, even within the existing paradigms and challenges, there's a lot more that can be done.
For one, there has to be better implementation of green laws: When trees have to be cut down to build factories and
hotels, the law, for example, usually restricts the number of trees that can be felled and requires a comparable number
to be planted elsewhere. Unfortunately, these rules are largely followed in the breach. Another important issue here is
that of forest corridors which connect different reserves and protected areas. These are crucial to sustaining healthy
populations (not just of tigers but also elephants and other wildlife). But most of India's forest corridors are degraded
and, without immediate attention, will only serve as death traps for man and animal alike. A third recommendation 53
for sustaining the growth in tiger population is improving the quality and quantity of prey which is currently under
much pressure from human population.
Finally, even as we look at new ways and means to increase the tiger population, we cannot afford to give up on the
basics of forest management and conservation that helped us script today's success story in the first place. This means,
first and foremost, that we must not lower our guard in protecting tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries poachers
must be given strict and prompt punishment, forest officials need to be better equipped to tackle poachers, and there
has to be added emphasis on integrating local communities into the Governments conservation efforts. India cannot
allow the gains made in this regard to be reversed. As home to the world's largest tiger population, India owes this not
just to itself but also to the rest of the world.
4.
Relief for big business
The Tribune | Category: Economy
By deciding not to appeal against the pro-Vodafone order of the Bombay High Court, the Modi government has eased
tax worries of foreign investors. British mobile company Vodafone was accused of under-pricing shares in a rights
issue to the parent company and dragged in a Rs 3,200-crore tax dispute. The Bombay court ruled in its favour in
October and the Cabinet recently, acting on the advice of the Attorney General, decided not to go in for appeal.
Vodafone is not the only foreign company to benefit. Shell, IBM and Nokia, all multinationals, have tax cases pending
in courts. If they too obtain favourable verdicts, the government would not challenge them since it has decided to
accept all orders of courts and tribunals going in favour of the taxpayer.
The aim is to avoid tiring litigation which locks up huge amounts of tax arrears and scares away investors. But those
supporting the decision taken by Pranab Mukherjee as Finance Minister to impose retrospective tax may see red in this
pro-capitalist gesture of the Modi government. Vodafone had earlier got a favourable verdict from the Supreme Court
in a case concerning its purchase of 67 per cent stake in Hutchison Essar, which had prompted the previous UPA
government to issue an ordinance empowering the government to tax companies with retrospective effect. This had
led to a massive outflow of foreign capital. It was only after the change of government at the Centre that foreign
investors returned to India in hordes. Much of the money, however, is parked in stock markets which can be
repatriated any time.
To lure private investment in job-creating manufacturing and services, a congenial economic environment is required.
The Modi government has opened up defence and insurance to FDI and reportedly cleared hurdles to operationalise
the nuclear treaty with the US. The corporate tax relief decision may provoke individual taxpayers to demand
concessions. The budget will be keenly watched for this. Though expectations are high, Finance Minister Jaitley will
have to balance the pressure on finances with demands for tax giveaways.
5.
Watershed in judicial history
The Hindu | Category: Polity and Governance
The Supreme Court of India and the High Courts, described as the most powerful judiciary in the world, are
witnessing dramatic changes in their institutional structure. Pending notification, the legislature has passed the
Constitution (121st Amendment) Bill, 2014 and The National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, 2014 to regulate
the procedure for recommending the appointment and transfer of the Chief Justices and Judges of these higher courts,
marking a watershed in judicial history. The new law provides for the setting up of the National Judicial
Appointments Commission (NJAC), a six-member panel headed by the Chief Justice of India, and includes two seniormost Supreme Court judges, the Union Minister of Law and Justice and two eminent persons nominated by a
committee comprising the Prime Minister, the CJI and the Leader of the Opposition. Although controversial, this
represents a much-needed reform of the older collegium system. That system was a judge-devised practice of
appointments that evolved out of the three-judges cases (1982, 1993 and 1998) wherein the Chief Justice along with a
panel of senior-most judges would make a binding recommendation to the President on the appointees. This model
was a reaction to blatant favouritism by the executive that marked appointments until the Supreme Court decided to
change the procedure. To avoid charges of favouritism, the collegiums relied on seniority, which only encouraged
more mediocrity.
Although such an inter-institutional model has the potential to enhance merit and diversity in the judiciary, it is the
fine print of law that raises questions. With three of the six members being judges, a decision of the Commission can be
54 vetoed by any two members. The judicial members of the NJAC lack the preponderance in voice necessary to maintain
54 independence. The fear is that the NJAC may encourage High Court judges to give pro-government rulings with the
object of gaining eventual promotion to the Supreme Court. This problem was dealt with by the Venkatachaliah
Committee, endorsed by the Vajpayee government, which suggested a panel of three judges, the Union Minister and
only one eminent person, thus reducing the scope for executive interference. Having a relook at this report might
have been of value. But the BJP has ignored it and instead demanded more say in the NJAC; the Opposition did not
seem to have any complaints about the procedure either. With several influential lawyers criticising the law for being a
political assault on judicial independence, the constitutionality of the law is about to be challenged in court. Whether
this would eventually lead to a conflict between the two wings of the government, is something to be seen.
6.
A chance for Lanka to return to democracy
The Asian Age | Category: India and World
The defeat of Mahinda Rajapaksa in the January 8 presidential election in Sri Lanka, and the emergence of Maithripala
Sirisena with a clear vote of nearly 52 per cent, gives the country a clear shot at returning to the path of normal
democratic politics after Mr Rajapaksa had essayed an executive presidency most noted for its autocratic governance
with family rule as its key ingredient.
Mr Sirisena has promised to undo the 18th Amendment, which defines the executive presidency of his predecessor.
Undoing this in one hundred days, as he promised in the election campaign, calls for deft politics to consolidate the
somewhat eclectic and contradictory alliance he leads, and extract the best in terms of his own agenda from Mr
Rajapaksas followers, who command a majority in Parliament, where election is due only by the end of next year.
Mr Sirisena triumphed on account of emerging as the candidate of a united Opposition coalition. Until November, he
was Mr Rajapaksas health minister. He broke off, with a section of the ruling Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP)
defecting with him. He could also rally the principal Opposition, the United national Party, to project his candidature.
The Tamils and the Muslims, in the north and the east of the country, backed the SLFP defector in order to get rid of
the dictator, as Mr Rajapaksa had come to be portrayed in many narratives.
The executive presidency can be undone in Parliament if this group hangs together and shows it can harvest Mr
Rajapaksas support in the House. Democratic compromises will need to be reached. The new President will stand a
realistic chance of success if this can be done while undoing the virtual military cantonment style rule in the Tamil
north, working toward a genuine devolution of powers to the Tamil minority, and holding back the Sinhala communal
elements of the Bodu Bala Sena who had wreaked violence on the Muslims with impunity during Mr Rajapaksas
presidency.
This process can be helped in some measure if parties in Tamil Nadu dont become strident and vituperative on the
Tamil issue in the island republic. That will also afford Prime Minister Narendra Modi the opportunity to extend
President Sirisena political support in dealing with questions pertaining to devolution of powers to the Tamils, and
gain in turn the prospect of restoring a lost equilibrium to Sri Lankas foreign relations which had tended under Mr
Rajapaksa to lean toward China militarily and in economic terms.
President Sirisena appointing UNPs Ranil Wickremesinghe his Prime Minister is being seen positively in this context
and in the context of repairing ties with the West. However, New Delhi should tend relations with the new Sri Lanka
with care, taking nothing for granted.
7.
You said it
The Tribune | Category: Personalities
R. K. Laxman gave the common man a face. The common man wore a checked shirt and a dhoti, and for six decades,
from 1951 to 2003. R. K. Laxman punctured political egos, took potshots at the pompous and set the tone of discourse
as tens of thousands of his readers reacted to the "You said it" cartoon every day. To call Laxman, who died recently,
the pre-eminent cartoonist in the country would be to present an incomplete sketch. He was much more than that - he
was our conscience keeper who seemed to catch the mood of the common man he gave a face to so effortlessly. He
was the man whose sharp satire and sure lines made millions chuckle. Even as they liked his healthy irreverence, they
also reflected on what was highlighted. He fought against corruption, sloth and pretension, all with equal verve,
through the cartoons he drew.
Cartoonists have a long history in India, and they have been a powerful medium of expressing opinion in a manner
that is succinct and often sharp. Of course, Laxman stood out among the cartoonists of his day, but others too used 55
their ink and pen to draw lines that educated even as they poked the powerful on behalf of the common man.
Sometimes they ran afoul of their subjects, but over the years towering Indian leaders showed in many ways that they
appreciated being the subjects of the cartoonists, even when the barbs hit home and made them uncomfortable.
The cartoonist in Laxman was exacting and discriminating in what he drew. Something also needs to be said for the
reaction of the leaders who were his subjects - they had the sense enough to laugh at themselves. Somehow there has
been a decrease in the level of tolerance in public discourse these days. This is unfortunate, since it is depriving us of
the essential breath of fresh air that critics and cartoonists provide. The common man deserves a Laxman, and we will
miss the perspective that his uncommon satire provided.
8. Long but worthwhile wait
Pioneer | Category: Defence
Ideally, the handover of the first indigenously built Light Combat Aircraft, Tejas, to the Indian Air Force should have
been a red-letter day for the Armed Forces and the country's defence manufacturing industry. But while all
stakeholders deserve a round of applause for taking the project to its logical conclusion, the inordinate delay in
delivery and the consequently hefty price tag, unfortunately, dampen the mood to some extent.
Conceptualised in the 1980s, the project took more than three decades to come to fruition for several reasons from
the usual bureaucratic and political bottlenecks to alleged interference from foreign powers. In the intervening years,
aviation and defence technology made significant advances. This, in turn, necessitated several revisions of the original
design, which is also why Tejas is still a few steps away from the finish line.
The Indian Air Force has insisted that the multi-role aircraft come fitted with a particularly Russian gun and longrange missiles and also have mid-air refuelling capabilities and better electronics and software. It is only after these
have been integrated that Tejas will get the final clearance for induction into the Air Force.
But while the Tejas's progress at a snail's pace all these years gives us ample reason to grumble, we must not let that
overshadow the positives that the project has generated for the future. Upon being commissioned, it will replace the
ageing MiG23 fleet, and the Air Force can surely do with the Tejas's superior design and manoeuverability.
More importantly, the Tejas gives a tremendous boost to India's defence manufacturing industry. Critics will, of
course, point out that the Tejas with its American engine (the Kaveri engine project was scrapped) is not a fully
indigenous project. They are correct but let us not forget that at the time Tejas was conceptualised, India's aerospace
industry was non-existent. In the course of building the Tejas from scratch, India has produced not just one aircraft but
created an entire eco-system.
This includes setting up the infrastructure for the aerospace industry (such as National Flight Testing Centre),
upgrading laboratories of the Defence Research and Development Organisation, and bringing other public sector units
involved in defence manufacturing up to mark. As part of a domino effect, the project has also helped private players
in the field come of age and motivated academic institutions to improve their game.
And all this is separate from developing the basic knowhow for Tejas. The development of such eco-systems is
especially important if India wants to stop importing its guns and planes, ships and tanks, and use ones that are
produced at home without affecting its fighting capabilities. In this context, the Tejas project may also serve as a
landmark in the Modi Government's flagship Make in India programme which has a strong defence manufacturing
segment. In fact, the aircraft's relatively low selling price makes it a perfect fit for cost-conscious markets.
9.
Red flag in Athens
The Indian Express | Category: International
When the eurozone crisis unfolded, it was not expected that the European Central Bank (ECB) would roll out a
stimulus, or that Greece would actually elect the far-left. Over the last few days, both have happened. The ECB flooded
the market with a 1.1 trillion euro package and radical left Syriza has formed a coalition with the right-wing Greek
Independents, after falling just short of an absolute majority in recent general election. The euro marked this potential
turning point for the European Union, and especially for the monetary union, by falling to $1.11 against the US dollar,
its lowest in more than 11 years, while global markets prepared for a period of likely volatility.
Although Syrizas leader, Alexis Tsipras, insists Greece will retain the euro and cooperate with the EU on a fair and
mutually beneficial solution, his post-result rhetoric returned to the overwhelming populism of Syrizas campaign.
He said the mandate is undoubtedly cancelling the bailouts of austerity and destruction, adding that the Troika is
56 a thing of the past. That troika is the EU, ECB and IMF, lenders who put Greece through big budgetary cuts and
56 restructuring. Tsipras had promised to write off half of Greeces 240 billion euro debt and raise salaries.
Unsurprisingly, from Frankfurt to Brussels, Greeks had been warned against the wrong result and its new leaders
cautioned against reneging on the countrys deals.
Greece has been hit hard by austerity, given the job losses, cutback in public services and pensions, with
unemployment at 25.5 per cent against an eurozone average of 11.5 per cent. But with a final bailout of 7.2 billion euros
hanging in the balance, Syriza may find governing vastly different from campaigning. Also, the recent ECB roll-out
may mitigate Syrizas impact. But its triumph comes at a time when populists, on the right and the left, are gaining
ground in states like France, Italy and Spain. Spains anti-austerity Podemos leads polls; and the anti-EU UK
Independence Party is certain to make its presence felt in Mays general election. From 52 per cent in 2007, public faith
in the EU has dipped to a third. Handled without caution, Syriza could yet signal a dimming of the EU project.
10.
Hasty changes in land law
When a law is enacted after considerable debate and consultation, it will be wise to study the experience of its
implementation for some time before it is amended, in order to address perceived difficulties. Any such amendment
within the first year of its entry into force, especially one pushed through as an ordinance, will be inevitably perceived
as hasty, even if on the positive side it is meant to eliminate delays in land acquisition. In this backdrop, the Right to
Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Amendment) Ordinance,
2014, is bound to face criticism that the changes constitute a significant dilution of a progressive law. The Congress and
the Left parties are likely to oppose the changes when the law comes to Parliament in the form of a bill to replace the
ordinance. In substance, the ordinance makes a significant change by omitting in respect of a wide range of projects the
requirements of a social impact assessment study, the informed consent of a large section of the families affected by the
acquisition of land. These projects include those that are vital to national security and defence, rural infrastructure,
affordable housing and housing for the poor, besides industrial corridors and infrastructure and social infrastructure
projects. The vital element of making acquisition a consultative and participative process may thus be subject to
bureaucratic discretion.
The principle of eminent domain, which justifies the compulsory acquisition of land by the state for a public purpose,
normally ought to be accompanied by a duty to give fair compensation. However, the colonial Land Acquisition Act of
1894 had in effect reduced compensation to a mere token in relation to the market value, and for decades it was used to
deprive many, mostly farmers, of their land for a pittance. Last years law radically altered this relationship between
citizen and state and created a fair compensation right, as well as a new structure for rehabilitation and resettlement. It
also cast a duty on the government to create specified amenities in every resettlement area. Thankfully, the ordinance
does not dilute these provisions, but additionally extends them to a list of Acts that were previously exempted.
However, this is not its own contribution, as the original Act itself said such a provision shall be enacted within a year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has projected the amendments as those that strengthen protection for the affected
families and also removes difficulties in implementation. Perhaps the regimes intentions could have been better
understood had the changes been introduced as a bill in Parliament and referred to a committee for appraisal.
11. All hail teixobactin
The Indian Express | Category: Health
For a while now, the spectre of a postantibiotic world has seemed ominous and imminent to those at the frontline of
medical care. Nothing would cheer them more, therefore, than the discovery of teixobactin recently by scientists in
America. In the last 30-odd years, the bugs have had the edge in the battle between life-threatening bacteria and
medicine. No new antibiotic was discovered in these three decades. But the indiscriminate use of existing drugs has led
to widespread resistance in many bacteria. The bugs have turned into superbugs, while the bug-slayers arsenal has
been steadily depleted. That holds true of all countries, but especially India, where the treatment of tuberculosis has
reached crisis levels.
Anitbiotics are chemical substances extracted from bacteria. They are useful to us because they can eliminate other
bacteria. Most of them are to be found in the commonest of substances: soil. But only 1 per cent of those can be
extracted, and make the journey from topsoil to lab and the chemists shelves. Teixobactin holds out hope for a couple 57
of reasons: because it launches a multi-cell attack on bacteria, it might be some time before resistance develops. Second,
the team at the Northeastern University in Boston has found a method to grow antibiotics in their natural
environment. They buried a chip, each of its hundred chambers infiltrated by bacteria, in their backyard. A profusion
of microrganisms was born, and the chemicals they produce tested for antibiotic properties.
A layer of fungi growing on a petridish of bacteria had led Alexander Fleming to the discovery of penicillin in 1928.
Even in his Nobel speech, he had warned against resistance. That danger persists, with the potential of setting medical
science back by decades, when a cut on a finger could be a mortal injury. Teixobactin or not, thats a public health
apocalypse that needs to be fought back.
12. Give Niti Aayog time to reveal itself
The Asian Age | Category: Polity and Governance
Given that the resolution of the Union Cabinet setting up the National Institution for Transforming India Aayog, or the
Niti Commission which was unveiled on the first day of the new year is wrapped in woolly rhetoric, it is tempting to
say that this body which has been put in place after jettisoning the Planning Commission is neither fish nor fowl nor
good red herring.
The best that can be said for it, as for many other initiatives of the present regime, is that we should give it time to
reveal itself and the outcomes contingent on it.
The Planning Commission had been set up under Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1950, an era when the Indian
capitalist was at best fledgling and the Indian state had to take on the burden of doing the ground work to set the
country on the road to transformation from the earlier colonial framework. It is this which is being sought to be reviled
as socialistic.
Nevertheless, while the working of the earlier plan body showed up shortcomings from time to time, it did sterling
work from the ground up. It mapped the resources available in different parts of the country and pointed to the needs
of developing the physical and the social infrastructure in an extremely poor society by sending resources in directions
in which they were needed.
In Prime Minister Narendra Modis conception of things, all that is old hat, fit only for rubbishing. He would like the
role of the state only to be that of an enabler as the Niti Aayog resolution points out under the Bharatiya
development model, whatever that expression may mean.
This is, of course, another way of saying that it is the market that will determine priorities and the allocation of
resources to various sectors, and not any planning authority. The Cabinet resolution unfurling the Niti Aayog speaks
particularly of the purchasing power of the middle class and the neo-middle class, in effect underlining their role as
no more than a large market.
Cooperative federalism is another aspect sought to be underlined under the Niti Aayog. The meaning of this is not
wholly clear although it is indicated that planning is not to be top down but bottom up, with each state pointing to its
own priorities to the Aayog, as against the one-size-fits-all approach that Mr Modi has attributed to the superseded
model of development. The validity of such attribution can be debated, of course. Nevertheless, chief ministers of
states and lieutenant-governors of Union Territories are to sit on the general council of the Aayog and that, it is
believed, will liberate states from any diktat of the Union. Lets wait and see.
13.
Mythology and science
The Hindu | Category: Science and Technology
The 102nd Indian Science Congress held in Mumbai will be remembered for a very long time to come, but for all the
wrong reasons. For the first time, the science congress had a session on Ancient Sciences through Sanskrit. If the
Indian Science Congress had long lost its eminence as a forum where results of serious science being done in the
country are presented and discussed in most sessions, the inclusion of Ancient Sciences through Sanskrit has only
lowered its standing further. Even as a public session, there is no real reason whatsoever for it to have been included in
the proceedings. At best, a session could have been devoted to the history of Indian science which has real and
substantial achievements to celebrate, with serious scholars working on the subject presenting papers. With Prime
Minister Narendra Modi setting the tone for this antiquity frenzy with his implausible claims that cosmetic surgery
was practised thousands of years ago and in-vitro fertilisation-like procedure was resorted to long back, and different
58 political leaders following it up with several other incredulous claims well before the start of the national event, the
58 reason for the inclusion of the session becomes supremely clear. Instead of fostering scientific temper, the congress has
provided a forum to seed the minds of young people with pseudoscience. Some of the papers presented were about
Indians knowledge of making aeroplanes that could undertake interplanetary travel, between 7000 and 6000 BC,
and radars that worked on the principle of detecting energy given out by animate and inanimate objects and finding
out if a body was dead or alive.
Science is grounded on the principle of reproducibility of results. The claims of advanced science and technology in the
ancient world are based on some references in ancient scripts that may be wholly imaginary. Flying, for instance, has
caught humankinds imagination across cultures right from ancient times. Such references should be taken for the
myths they are, not as scientific facts. Scientists have been able to create animal chimeras that have cells/organs of
different species, much as what Greek mythology describes. Should the Greeks then be taken as pioneers in the science
of chimera production? Thanks to our understanding of genetics and the ability to fertilise eggs outside the body,
producing designer babies is no longer in the realm of science fiction. Should the creators of the science fiction then be
credited with devising the procedures? Compare this with how Sir Arthur C. Clarke documented his idea of
communications satellites in a concept paper published in 1945. Dozens of geosynchronous satellites launched each
year do precisely what Sir Arthur had visualised there.
14.
To fix the leak
Leakages in the public distribution system may have risen steadily over the past decade. According to a forthcoming
ICRIER (Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations) paper by Ashok Gulati and Shweta Saini, in
1999-2000, such leakages amounted to 24 per cent of all grain distributed by the Food Corporation of India, but in 201112, this number rose to almost 47 per cent. Worryingly, while the percentage had shown a steady decline between
2004-05 and 2009-10, there has been a 6 per cent increase from 2009-10 onwards. The issue of leakages in targeted
subsidies has been a subject of constant debate, and alternative mechanisms such as cash transfers and vouchers have
been proposed. While the new government at the Centre has indicated its willingness to undertake reforms to the PDS
system, some of the issues deserve to be re-examined.
All elected governments agree on the need for a social welfare system for the poor, though disagreements remain on
the scope of coverage and method of delivery. While one system may, in fact, be more efficient than the other, it is also
true that under the existing infrastructural constraints, even a complete shift from one system to another may not yield
more than incremental results. For example, a move to direct benefit transfer through bank accounts may not yield
efficiencies in a largely under-banked economy such as Indias. The government has pushed the Jan Dhan Yojana with
much fanfare, but as of now, there is no reassuring data on the usage of these bank accounts.
Data has consistently shown that better-off states, including most southern states, have had greater success in plugging
leakages. At the same time, poorer states like Chhattisgarh have failed to do so, in spite of adopting technology-driven
solutions. Clearly, one critical need is to develop basic state capacity and infrastructure that allow recipients greater
ease in accessing benefits, in whatever form they are transferred. Focusing on this may also force an acknowledgement
of the need to ensure that the basic mechanisms of delivery of services required for all sections of the society, such as
roads, banking and payment systems, and electricity, are developed on a priority basis. These priorities are not eitheror choices. They are complementary and interdependent.
15.
Moderation warranted
The Hindu | Category: International
The recent narrow defeat of a resolution in the United Nations Security Council on Palestinian statehood should be
read in the context of resistance from the United States and Israel to the territorys bid for UN membership. In 2012,
Washington and Tel Aviv opposed a landmark UN General Assembly vote by 138 countries to upgrade Palestines
status from Observer to Non-Member Observer State in the world body. Introduced by Jordan, the recent resolution
called for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the West Bank by 2017 and the creation of a capital in East Jerusalem
territories captured by Israel besides Gaza Strip in the so-called Six-Day War in 1967. Against the backdrop of the
failure of peace talks, the Palestinian Authority (PA) under President Mahmoud Abbas has pinned its hopes for any
meaningful progress on taking recourse to international legal instruments. Accordingly, Mr. Abbas has moved swiftly
to accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) once the UNSC resolution was defeated in 59
December. In January, Palestine was invited as an observer at the annual meeting of states that have joined the ICC.
The Palestinians expect the step would eventually lead to the trial of certain Israeli leaders for war crimes in The
Hague court. But a determination has yet to be made on whether its jurisdiction would commence from 2012, when the
status of Palestine was revised at the UN, or after its accession to the Rome treaty is completed. It is also uncertain
whether the nature of the violence during the conflict would qualify for prosecution by the ICC. What is clear,
however, is that the activities of both the PA and the Islamic militant group Hamas would also come under scrutiny
should the court deem it fit to investigate Israel. But paradoxically, the U.S. and Israel continue to regard any attempt
by the PA to gain international recognition as confrontational, insisting that direct negotiations are the only possible
avenue to find a lasting solution. Both have threatened retaliation in the form of severe economic sanctions against
Palestine and travel restrictions on their leaders. Such a stance is unhelpful considering the PA is the main moderate
voice wedded to a two-state solution, unlike Hamas that refuses to recognise the state of Israel. But international
opinion in support of Palestinian self-determination is growing, as is evident from the overwhelming backing accorded
to the European Parliament resolution. The Palestinian bid to join the ICC is expected to strengthen Israels hardliners
in the elections in March. The larger interests of peace in the Middle East warrant moderation.
16.
Opportunity for BCCI
Pioneer | Category: Sports
The Supreme Court's recent verdict on the IPL mess has certainly to do with Mr N Srinivasan, but it also goes beyond
him. In barring Mr Srinivasan from contesting for the presidentship of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the
court has unambiguously ruled that BCCI officials having commercial interests in cricket, such as in the Indian Premier
League, cannot hold positions on the board. In other words, the apex court has struck down the amendment to Rule
6.2.4 of the IPL which allowed the clash of interest.
It is this action that makes the verdict a landmark one, and it will go a long way in cleansing Indian cricket, which has
been beset since the amendment came into being in September 2008. And so, while Mr Srinivasan has been
immediately hit by the ruling he cannot stand for BCCI presidentship unless he gives up his interests in Chennai
Super Kings the doors have been closed on other officials too who may have entertained the idea to follow in Mr
Srinivasan's footsteps.
This is a most welcome development, since even common sense would revolt against a situation where a BCCI official,
who is mandated to protect cricket against vested interests, also holds a stake in a team that comes under the
monitoring umbrella. Unfortunately, Mr Srinivasan had not seen the writing on the wall as material mounted against
this practice, and, prompted by his misguided well-wishers, decided to be belligerent in the face of justified opposition.
Of course, he can take solace from the fact that the apex court has not found him culpable of a cover-up. But then
again, the court also did not find his actions above suspicion, and merely said that suspicion does not equal culpability.
That said, Mr Srinivasan has egg on his face. He would have been saved the embarrassment had he quit his claim to
presidentship after the court's observations during its earlier sittings had set the tone for what was to come. But he,
along with his supporters, had latched on to technicalities and decided to ignore the spirit of the case.
There is another reason why the recent verdict is a landmark one: It has shattered the cocoon of privacy that the BCCI
had managed to maintain all these years on the pretext that it was not a state organisation that should be put to public
scrutiny. While the Bench did not declare the BCCI as a Government body, it clearly stated that the functions of the
board are clearly public functionsno matter discharged by a society registered under the Registration of Societies
Act.
This validates the stand which various people connected with the affairs of cricket in the country have maintained
that the BCCI, which partakes of many facilities and concessions from the Centre and State Governments, cannot
escape public accountability. The Supreme Court's ruling will not just open up the BCCI to greater scrutiny but can
also lead to renewed demands that the Government should have a larger say in the functioning of other sports
organisations, especially when things get rotten as they have in quite a few of these outfits. Meanwhile, the BCCI
must seize upon the opportunity and move swiftly to cleanse its internal affairs. The big question is: Will it? Its
members are responsible people who cannot be oblivious to the pressing desire to do so.
17.
The attack on Charlie Hebdo
60 The horrific terrorist attack in Paris at the office of the French magazine Charlie Hebdo is a direct assault on the
60 freedom of speech, thought and expression, the fundamentals on which all open, democratic societies are built. Ten
staff members at the satirical weekly, including four of its top cartoonists, were gunned down by masked men who
entered the building and targeted the editorial meeting in what seemed to be a well-planned and professional
operation. They left shouting Allahu-Akbar, killing two policemen on the street outside before driving off in a getaway
car. Since 2006, when it first published the Danish cartoons of Prophet Mohammed, Charlie Hebdo had been under
threat of violent attacks by Islamist groups. Refusing to be intimidated, the publication continued to caricature Islam
even after a firebombing in November 2011, just as it also relentlessly lampooned Christianity and Judaism its
Christmas week cover caricaturing the birth of Jesus was designed to provoke and cause offence. Self-censorship in
order not to hurt religious sensibilities is now the norm in most parts of the world, so too in India, where media and
expressions of popular culture including cinema, art and writing have to walk the tightrope daily in deference to what
Salman Rushdie in an interview to this newspaper described as the non-existent right to not be offended: the fracas
caused by Hindutva groups against the film PK is the most recent example of this. In truly democratic societies, this
should not be the case, and that is what Charlie Hebdo believed and practised. Irrespective of what anyone thinks of its
editorial policy, all who believe in freedom of expression and the democratic way of life must express solidarity with
the magazine, and condemn this unspeakable act of violence against them.
Attacking democratic freedoms is part of a larger agenda. Whether it is al-Qaeda, IS or any other group, extremist
ideology thrives best in a polarised society. If the sizeable numbers of people adhering to the Muslim faith have been
able to resist Islamism, it is because French republicanism has been able to surmount even the most divisive
controversies, such as the ban on wearing the hijab and niqab in public and the Islamophobic discourse by the French
right-wing parties that surrounded it. While the inevitable security measures will have to be taken, it would be most
unfortunate if the attack on Charlie Hebdo were to give rise to a backlash against French Muslims. That would result
in precisely what Islamist groups want an alienated Muslim population that would become a recruiting ground for
their violent cause. Maintaining freedoms and equality before the law in the face of a severe challenge to security is the
most difficult test for any democratic polity and society.

18.
Why ignore Boko Haram?
Pioneer | Category: International
As Boko Haram terrorists kill scores more of civilians and soldiers alike recently, overrun yet another Nigerian town
and come dangerously close to capturing Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State which they control to a large extent,
there is little mention of its reign of terror in the international media. This is only to be expected, if coverage from the
Charlie Hebdo period is any indication. The same week that three Islamist radicals attacked the editorial offices of the
French satirical magazine in Paris, killing 17 persons, Boko Haram terrorists flattened the rural Nigerian town of Baga
and slaughtered an estimated 2,000 people.
Yet, the former received wall-to-wall coverage as well as a global march of unity that saw leaders from all across the
world gather in Paris to express their solidarity and support, while the latter was relegated to small news items on the
inside pages of daily papers. The reasons for this disproportionate coverage are many. First, there is the fatigue factor.
Boko Haram has been running a murderous campaign across the north-eastern Nigeria since 2009. Its atrocities have
become a matter of routine, much like the deaths in Syria and Iraq.
In comparison, killers don't go on the rampage in Western capitals everyday and so, when they do go on a killing
spree in Paris or London or Brussels or Ottawa or take hostages in Sydney, these events grab headlines. Second, from a
logistical point of view, it is easy to report on an event in Paris than cover another in Baga. In fact, even in today's age
of instant communication, it sometimes takes weeks before news from the remote, often conflict-torn, parts of the
African continent, reaches the mainstream discourse.
Some allege that the Nigerian crisis has been ignored by the world because neither America nor any other major
Western power has a direct stake in the country. This is not entirely true. Nigeria is the biggest African economy today,
an emerging global power, and home to vast oil reserves. All major powers have an interest in ensuring a stable
Nigeria and they have been involved in back channel discussions with the Nigerian Government to defeat Boko
Haram.
In fact, US Secretary of State John Kerry was in Nigeria recently and met with President Goodluck Jonathan and the
latter's electoral rival, Mr Muhammadu Buhari (the two men face each other in next month's presidential poll). Mr
Kerry also took great pains to underline that the Obama Administration is working closely with the Nigerian
Government on this issue. But at the end of the day, as similar crises (from the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq to the
Houthis in Yemen back to the Taliban in the AfPak region) around the world stand proof, foreign assistance is of little 61
help if national authorities are weak. In Nigeria's case, there is no denying that the failures of President Jonathan's
corrupt Government and inept military have contributed directly to Boko Haram's rise.
19.
The year of Paris
The Hindu | Category: Environment and Ecology
As the world heads towards a new climate treaty by the end of the year, with Lima providing a bare-bones launching
pad, many of the issues that have dogged negotiations will reach a flashpoint. Countries need to do more as was
evident during the UN climate talks but there is not much ambition reflected either in terms of finance or technology
transfer. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has reached just over $10 billion, far short of what developing countries need
to carry out urgent actions. The Synthesis Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has clearly
laid a strong scientific basis, and adaptation alone will not save the earth from warming to levels which will have
irreversible effects. The way the developed world is positioning itself, it is doubtful whether the issue of its historical
responsibility will be the mainstay of the new treaty, post 2020. India maintains that developed countries have to pay
for their pollution, and technology transfer cannot be entangled in intellectual property rights. Funding for mitigation
and adaptation in the developing world becomes crucial but the principle of common but differentiated responsibility
(CBDR) has taken a hard hit in recent times. Countries like the United Kingdom have already ruled out a separate
allocation of funds in addition to development aid for climate actions.
The developed world contends that emerging economies like China and India cannot be treated on a par with other
developing nations and that they have an equal responsibility to curb emissions. The polluter pays principle is already
wilting under pressure from the first world, and will be tested as erstwhile polluters develop cleaner technology and
pass it on to their poorer cousins. A case in point is the investment Europe has made in solar energy with feed-in tariffs
which has brought down the costs of photovoltaics. Renewable energy becomes the focus in countries like India and
China, which has already reached a bilateral agreement with the U.S. on climate. During President Obamas visit to
India, India and the U.S. are expected to firm up agreements on renewable energy and new technologies. India has
volunteered to reduce the energy intensity of its GDP by 20-25 per cent by 2020 as compared to the base year of 2005.
The government has tightened norms for the cement industry and will introduce new norms for fuel emissions but its
National Action Plan on Climate Change lacks a unified approach. The world will know by November if the aggregate
national contributions are adequate to keep global average warming less than 2C above pre-industrial levels.
Alternatives to an unsustainable path are in plenty; only the commitment needs to be scaled up, and thats why the
year to Paris will be decisive.
20.
Things fell apart
The Indian Express | Category: International
Libya has come a long way since Muammar Gaddafis death in October 2011, when Tripoli seemed ahead of Tunis and
Cairo in its democratic transition. That early promise is a distant memory now. Recent attack on the Corinthia Hotel in
Tripoli by suspected Islamic State (IS) militants occurred against the backdrop of a country that appears to be falling
apart a spate of bombings and kidnappings in its west; the state split between two rival governments based in
Tripoli and Tobruk, each with its own militia; the country fighting not one but two civil wars, against Islamists in the
east and a complex multipartite battle in the west.
Two things appear to have gone wrong in Libya. First, each of its warring groups Islamists, rebels who ousted
Gaddafi and the old-guard preferred to win first and then have democracy. Libyans have had no experience with
democracy, and the absence of institutions saw five governments come and go since October 2011. Second, Western
powers who midwived Gaddafis fall were too quick to abandon Libya. The September 2012 attack on the US consulate
in Benghazi, in which its ambassador was assassinated, sealed Libyas predicament. Given the ground complexities
that preclude any neat distinction between the good and bad guys, a military intervention is difficult. The justconcluded peace talks in Geneva are the only sign of progress in a long time, with the two main warring factions
declaring a ceasefire, although a third party didnt turn up.
In January 2015, Tunisia alone can boast a post-Arab Spring success. Cairo is back in the hands of a strongman, albeit
elected, after the divisive rule of a democratically chosen president. Syrias civil war has transmogrified into the larger
battle against the IS. Shiite militiamen in Yemen, home to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, ousted the president
62 before the recent deal to form a salvation government. For now, making peace seems as difficult as going to war in
62 the failing post-Arab Spring states.
21. A new chapter of openness
The Hindu | Category: India and world
As he listed the reasons why he believes the India-U.S. relationship is the defining partnership of this century,
Barack Obama dwelt in his farewell speech on all the similarities between the two nations: as diverse, multi-religious,
tolerant democracies that respect human rights. He made a much more vivid enunciation of where the future of IndiaU.S. ties lies as well. From the joint statement, to a declaration of friendship, to a strategic vision for the Asia-Pacific
region, rarely has the state-of-play between New Delhi and Washington been so clearly mapped out during any IndoU.S. summit. In inviting President Obama at short notice, having him officiate over the Republic Day parade and make
a series of public appearances together, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has gone where his predecessors have often
shied away from in seeking to take bilateral ties with America to a new level. The strategic defence framework, say
officials, will see their militaries move to a new level of closeness, for example. Whether it is about defence exchanges,
joint production of the four projects outlined, or the MoU between national defence universities, it is clear that the
interaction planned between the Indian and U.S. armed forces will be unprecedented.
The openness in ties was clear in other spheres of the relationship: from the frank discourse over economic issues, to
the obvious agreement on countering climate change, to the details of the Obama-Modi personal chemistry that they
referred to with ease. Mr. Modi went so far as to say that India and the U.S. had benefited from the bonhomie he
shared with Mr. Obama. However, while the exuberance and optimism in the relationship is a positive and welcome
development, especially as it comes after a period of intense negativity, it should not come at the cost of other
relationships. President Obamas criticism of Russia while in India, calling it a bully, was hardly something that
Prime Minister Modi could have anticipated, yet it may make a dent in relations with Russia. The vision statement on
the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean region is likely to have a more lasting impact on relations with China, as it seeks to
portray an India-U.S. front against diplomatic, economic and security challenges in the region. It will be External
Affairs Minister Sushma Swarajs task, as she heads to Beijing shortly, to assuage any fears that the pact is directed in
that direction.
Meanwhile, as the euphoria from the successes of the visit subsides, Mr. Modi will need to explain domestically just
how he was able to achieve the visits biggest breakthrough: on nuclear issues. For the past six years, India and the
U.S. have been unable to conclude the administrative arrangements that would enable commercial cooperation
between Indian and American companies under the civil nuclear deal. While diplomats are to be congratulated on
having cleared this hurdle, the Indian public must be informed about exactly what assurances have been given to U.S.
officials in return for their acceptance of the Indian liability law, and what the added costs would be. The UPA
government came in for much criticism from the then-in-Opposition BJP and paid a heavy price for its lack of openness
and clarity on liability issues. Mr. Modi and his government need to be more forthcoming about the details of the
agreement. Since the Indian taxpayer will be the consumer, the underwriter and the potential victim of any untoward
nuclear accident, the subject of liability in the nuclear deal is of utmost importance. The coming out of the India-U.S.
relationship is indeed a welcome new chapter in relations, but it cannot be written fully without complete openness
on the nuclear deal as well, which has been described as the centrepiece of India-U.S. understanding.
On the business side, there were no significant outcomes to talk about except for the resolve to expand trade ties and a
$4-billion commitment from the U.S. in investment and loans. To put this in perspective, Mr. Modi returned with a
$35-billion investment commitment from Japan when he visited Tokyo last year. Ironically, half of the investment
committed by Mr. Obama will go into the renewable energy sector where the U.S. and India are locked in a trade
dispute at the WTO. The dispute is over Indias imposition of local content requirements on solar cells and modules as
part of the projects awarded under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission. The U.S. is also unhappy with the
Make in India policy, especially in the renewable energy sector where it sees great prospects for its own companies. It
remains to be seen how much of the investment committed by Mr. Obama actually happens, given that it is linked to
Indian companies sourcing technology and products from the U.S. If the Indian IT sector was hoping for an agreement
on the issue of H1B visas, then it must be disappointed for Mr. Obama did not go beyond giving an assurance that the
U.S. would look into all aspects as part of overall immigration reform. Given that both the Senate and the House of
Representatives are under the control of Republicans, it would be rather difficult for the President to push through
deep immigration reform; he can accomplish only as much as is possible through executive action. Mr. Obama also 63
had India on the back foot on the subject of Intellectual Property protection, pointing out that U.S. companies were
hampered by the lack of adequate protection in India. Mr. Modi also found himself defending the Make in India
initiative even while promising that adversarial taxation policies would be phased out. Evidently, there are issues
where the two countries have a lot of work to do to align their respective positions; but that may just have got easier
now after Mr. Obamas high-on-optics visit and the understanding struck between him and Mr. Modi.
22.
The dragon in the room
The Indian Express | Category: India and World
The India-US joint vision statement has committed the two countries to promote the shared values that have made
our countries great. The none-too-subtle promise to stand up to Chinas authoritarianism is followed by a promise to
uphold freedom of navigation and over flight throughout the region, especially in the South China Sea. The
declaration marks a dramatic departure in the language of Indian diplomacy, generally shy of such ideological
messaging, but also in attitudes to China. It wasnt too many months ago that New Delhi was reluctant even to
conduct serious military-to-military exercises with Japan, for fear of upsetting China. The turning point in Modis
generally Sinophile thinking may well have been the Chinese intrusion into Chumar back in September, which took
place while President Xi Jinping was visiting Delhi. The action was a warning-growl, coming soon after India agreed to
sell missiles to Vietnam and put in place more robust patrolling on the Line of Actual Control. India could do little but
protest and the sense of humiliation, it is likely, lingered.
The argument underlying Indias policy shift isnt opaque. Beijing, Indias leadership points out, doesnt consult Delhi
before sending its submarines to Sri Lanka or blasting roads through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Theres no reason,
they have therefore concluded, for India to be reticent about deepening relationships with Chinas near-neighbours
with countries like Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, Australia and even the Philippines, all of whom have grown
increasingly worried about the dragons unpredictable bursts of ire. Modi is reported to have spent more than half an
hour during his one-on-one conversation with Obama discussing China and the United States found, to its surprise,
that their views were in complete consonance. Like the US and its Asian allies, India still hopes to grow its economic
relationship with China, but will at once participate in growing the strategic partnership to deter the new giant from
using its military muscle.
This argument is, in principle, unexceptionable but it doesnt address the problem of intrusions across the Line of
Actual Control or bring a border deal with China any closer. Indeed, there are even odds it could make both harder. It
takes courage to poke a dragon in the eye. It may even be necessary. But its wise to have carefully considered the
consequences.
23.
Go beyond blocking sites
The Tribune | Category: Polity and Governance
Even in the virtual world we can't escape our unique social obligations. First, the Supreme Court did not appreciate
the Central Governments helplessness and inability to find a legal framework to control advertisements for sexdetermination tests appearing on the web. Now, the apex court has restrained the Google, Yahoo and Microsoft search
engines from carrying advertisements or links relating to sex-determination tests. Under Section 22 of the PreConception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Technique (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994, advertisements of pre-natal
tests in any form or medium, including the Internet, are prohibited. The court is right in showing its concern, for the
skewed sex ratio continues to remain unabated.
The fact is information published on web sites is generally meant for worldwide dissemination and caters to the needs
of many countries, where sex determination may not be banned. A few web sites also provide rich material, useful to
medical students. And most of these web sites are hosted outside the country. The need for a legal framework to ban
content on the web was so far limited to the porn sites or the sites operated by terrorist outfits, with concerns like these
getting prominence. And the government will have to decide which way it would like to go: impose a ban or spread
greater awareness.
The issue does call for concerted efforts on the part of the departments of information technology, health and family
welfare and communications. The same technology can be used for mobilising public opinion for saving the girl child.
Blocking certain generic words can prove counter-productive; it may end up withholding even positive messages.
64 There is a greater need for public education and awareness drives to favour the girl child, even without getting into the
64 legal entangle of the web. If bans could bring about social change, the PCPNDT Act would have sorted out the skewed
gender ratio in the last two decades.
24. Ceding ground to the Army
The Hindu | Category: India and World
Earlier this month, Pakistans elected representatives voted to cut the ground from under their own feet. Despite the
misgivings that some political parties and several individual legislators had, the National Assembly and the Senate
ushered in the 21st Amendment to the Constitution under which military courts are to be set up for a period of two
years to adjudicate on terrorism-related cases. The political establishment seemed to have fallen in line with the
observation of the Army chief, General Raheel Sharif, that military courts had become the need of the extraordinary
times, a reference to the horrendous attack on a school by Taliban militants in which more than a hundred children
were killed. The last time Pakistan had military courts was during the martial law regime of General Zia-ul-Haq in the
1980s. The next military ruler, General Pervez Musharraf, did not promulgate martial law; there were no military
courts during his nine-year regime. That Parliament sanctioned the assumption of judicial powers by the Pakistan
Army during the time of an elected government led by Nawaz Sharif, who knows only too well the perils of military
rule, is a further irony. The move has undermined the hard-fought 2007 struggle of the judiciary for the separation of
powers, and is a blow to the countrys fragile democratic structure. There was immense public pressure on the
government to do something to contain terrorism after the Peshawar attack. Instead of using the opportunity to
strengthen investigations into terrorism offences, and put in place mechanisms to protect witnesses and judges from
intimidation by terrorist groups, the government grasped all too easily the hand offered by the military, an admission
of civilian helplessness.
The courts are to begin trying cases soon. In the eyes of the public, the Army is bound to be seen as being more
efficient than the elected government military trials do end quickly and military-appointed judges may be more
daring than those in Pakistans civilian anti-terrorist courts. But speed does not always serve the interests of justice,
and opens up the danger of misuse of the process against innocent civilians, including those involved in legitimate
political activity. Years of patronage by the security establishment of terrorist groups have radicalised all sections of
society. Pakistan can tackle this malaise only by strengthening its democratic institutions. For New Delhi, the military
courts present an interesting albeit double-edged opportunity. India could now possibly make the demand that the
cases against the accused in the Mumbai attack should now be shifted to a military court. But while this may speed up
the case, there is no guarantee that the chances of conviction would improve.
25.
Loosening a stranglehold
The Hindu | Category: Health
The war against tobacco has gained further vigour and momentum with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
recently placing in the public domain a draft Bill that seeks to amend the provisions of the Cigarettes and Other
Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and
Distribution) Act, 2003. Among the changes proposed, the one that will have an immediate and lasting impact on
reducing tobacco consumption is the prohibition on using a name or brand of tobacco products for marketing,
promoting or advertising other goods, services and events. Falling within the ambit of indirect advertising, the use of
a brand name of a tobacco product to market and advertise a non-tobacco product is a clear case of brand-sharing,
which the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) prohibits. Using the brand name of a tobacco
product to market a non-tobacco product is a ploy that is routinely resorted to by companies to get round the ban on
tobacco product advertising, which has been singularly responsible for the dramatic reduction in tobacco consumption
in India and across the world. It is one of the changes that the government can easily implement and effectively
enforce.
The draft Bill removes the ambiguity around point-of-sale display by banning the showcasing of tobacco products at
the entrance to or inside a shop; it is in line with the FCTC recommendation to keep these products out of public
view. Displaying tobacco products prominently inside a shop is a key means to promote them. Besides effectively
bypassing the ban on tobacco product advertising, it fuels impulse buying. While the prohibition can further reduce
tobacco consumption, putting it into effect will be a major problem as tobacco products are sold predominantly at
small shops. For the same reason, banning the sale of these products to anyone under the age of 21 can hardly be
enforced. The very fact that 15- to 24-year-olds account for over 27 per cent of tobacco consumption in India clearly 65
indicates that sale to those below 18 years, which is currently not allowed, is a reality. The outcome will be no different
in the case of a ban on the sale of cigarettes or bidis in the loose. Since ensuring that users are forced to notice the
pictorial warning and message on the packets is one of the main reasons for banning the sale of tobacco products
except as a whole packet, the amendment, on paper, will have a significant impact, particularly on bidi-smokers. Bidis
constitute nearly 85 per cent of all tobacco smoked in India, involving mainly those in the lower economic stratum, on
whom pictorial warnings could be expected to have the maximum impact.
26.
Overseas Indians are a national resource
The Asian Age | Category: India and World
Statistics are not unimportant. Recent data suggests that all categories of people of Indian background living overseas the familiar NRI (the Indian national living abroad for chunks of time each year), the PIO (person of Indian origin)
whose forebears migrated decades or even a century ago under the force of colonial circumstances, or the OCI
(overseas citizen of India), typically an Indian who has picked up foreign citizenship more recently but is keen to retain
family and other bonds with India - send back as remittances $70 billion per year, beating the Chinese to it.
This is about four per cent of Indias GDP and is higher than Indias IT exports. That sums up the potential of the part
the 25 million Indian people living in all parts of the world can play.
About a third of the remittances come from Indians in the Gulf, who are generally working class. It is time someone
from those parts received the Pravasi Samman award. Remittances generally go for the improvement of the conditions
of the families back home, like the building of a house, childrens education, and the upkeep of the elderly, all laudable
ends.
The Chinese have lately fallen behind the Indians in sending remittances because the living standards of the Chinese
people have risen. Now the Chinese send money home for investments in a bigger way than before, as FDI. If India
offers an enabling environment, the better off Indians in North America (in the US, they are the single most prosperous
overseas community), Western Europe, and Africa, can be encouraged to perform this role. They can also help bring
technology and expertise.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his inaugural speech at the Pravasi Bharat conference held at Gandhinagar
this year, we dont look to the Indians abroad for their pound sterling and dollar alone, but think of them as a
resource. Former PM Rajiv Gandhi had pointedly refused to see educated Indians going abroad as brain drain, but
thought of them as Indian resource abroad. In countries where Indians live, they are a distinct social and political
factor which works as pro-India leverage.
Also, as Mr Modi said, India had now risen to a very different situation from the early days. This offers the overseas
Indian attractive prospects in fields as diverse as business, education and spiritual and emotional fulfilment.
The Pravasi Bharat Divas was established by the Vajpayee government to mark the date when Mahatma Gandhi
returned from South Africa. This is the centenary of that significant event. Can we enable the Indian overseas to play a
part across the canvas of India, just as the Mahatma did?
27.
Another missed deadline
Pioneer | Category: International
With the passing of January 22, yet another deadline has expired in Nepal with lawmakers still unable to frame the
country's Constitution, a process that began six years ago. Yes, this time around the situation seems to have become
especially problematic with Maoists enforcing a general strike across the country and Opposition members of the
Constituent Assembly getting into a brawl earlier.
But at the end of the day, these are short-term problems that can be handled by law enforcement agencies. The more
pressing issue here is the debilitating impact this has on the morale of Nepali citizens, their faith in the political class,
and their support for the democratic process. After such a long wait for the Constitution, the average Nepali is tired
and frustrated. The country's perpetually squabbling politicians and their inability to rise above petty personal and
party interests to serve the national cause have sapped the public's confidence in their elected representatives. There is
a real danger of popular unrest, which is already visible on the streets of Kathmandu.
Remember, the Constitution-drafting process began in 2008 after the first Constituent Assembly was elected. The
Maoists, who had, only two years before that, laid down their guns and joined the political mainstream, were at the
66 helm while Nepal's traditional policy-makers, the Communists and the Nepali Congress, were in the Opposition.
66 But they could not make any progress in the drafting of the Constitution. Several multi-point agreements, usually
vaguely worded, were signed and trashed; deadlines came and passed; a slew of Prime Ministers and Presidents too
sought to make their mark and failed. With no way out of the mess, a second election was held in November 2013
which reversed the old power equation the Maoists, and the Madhesis, were moved to the Opposition while the
Nepali Congress was voted to the helm, followed by the Communists. There was hope that the new arrangement, led
by veteran leader Sushil Koirala, would deliver better results. On hindsight, perhaps, this was a little too much to
expect given that it was still largely the same set of leaders driving the process.
Either way, the bottom line is that there is still no Constitution with little progress on the main contentious issues.
These issues are the same as they were in 2008: The nature of federalism, the form of Government, the type of electoral
system and kind of judiciary. No doubt, every one of these is an important question that will determine the future of
the country, and they must be debated and deliberated upon, but at some point, definite answers must materialise.
This means consensus but also compromise (and yes, some coaxing and cajoling too). The Maoists, who head the
Opposition alliance, are surely to blame for the current crisis they are opposed to the proposed voting system and
want full consensus on all issues but the other parties arent free from blame either.
28.
Like any other criminal
Pioneer | Category: Polity and Governance
The Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team's recommendation to the apex court that tax evasion be
made a predicate offence has the potential to be gamechanger. Hopefully, the Supreme Court will forward it to the
Government which, in turn, must consider it in all seriousness. If the recommendation is implemented, and the
Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, is accordingly amended by Parliament, it will go a long way in not just
discouraging tax evasion but also coaxing foreign Governments to better cooperate in Indian tax investigations.
At present, tax evasion is a primarily civil offence in India, meaning those who are caught defrauding the state are only
expected to pay up their dues and some additional penalties they are not put behind bars. However, if the SIT's
recommendation becomes the law, then those who do not pay their taxes will have to face jail time. This is already the
case in many Western countries, and it is high time that India also treat its tax evaders strictly.
Moreover, the possibility of incarceration should serve an especially effective deterrent in this country because, as in
elsewhere in the world, such blue collar crimes are committed by otherwise respectable' people from small business
owners to MNC chiefs and industry captains. For them, it is one thing to pay a fine or face a tax audit but quite another
to spend time in a prison cell with rapists and murderers. That said, effective deterrence can only be established if
there is strict implementation of the law. Let us not forget that the Income Tax Act of 1961, for example, stipulates jail
time for various offences relating tax fraud but these are hardly enforced.
In India, tax evasion is rampant and it is estimated that, annually, the country loses trillions of rupees in unpaid taxes.
In other words, every year trillions of rupees that could have been used to build roads and highways, fund poverty
alleviation programmes and provide better education and healthcare to the people do not even make it to the public
treasury.
This is, indeed, a national crime and it is only fair that stringent punishment be given in such cases. Moreover, the
money that is illegally saved' is also rarely used for productive activities. Because the money has not been declared to
the authorities, it is extremely difficult to re-invest it in legitimate business through legal channels. In such cases, the
money is either spent on under-the-table consumption (such as high-end designer clothing that cost lakhs of rupees
and is paid for in cash) or siphoned out of the country and parked in a safe haven abroad.
Note how this fuels a vicious circle of black money and financial fraud, both within the country and internationally. To
understand the gravity of this problem and see how it often subsumes even honest and upright citizens, one only has
to look at India's real estate industry. Anybody who has ever tried selling a house in this country will testify that it is
almost impossible to get the entire sale price on the record. A large chunk of the actual transaction value is exchanged
in cash, while a ridiculously small amount is shown on paper. Those who refuse to accept bag loads of currency have
to settle for a much lower price. It is no coincidence then that the SIT has also recommended a Rs15 lakh ceiling for
cash-in-hand.
29.
67
Silencing a sensitive writer
The Hindu | Category: Personalities
Noted Tamil novelist Perumal Murugans Facebook page went blank in a virtual closure of his identity as a writer, in a
shocking illustration of the growing intolerance of fringe groups constricting public discourse. It is ironic that the
author was made to virtually recant to buy peace after the recent controversy over his novel Madhorubhagan, first
published in December 2010, purportedly offended the sensibilities of some dominant sections of society in the
western Kongu belt of Tamil Nadu. This, ironically at a time when many parts of the world are uniting in solidarity to
uphold freedom of expression in the wake of the terror attack on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo . At a
peace committee meeting in the Namakkal Collectorate, pro-Hindu caste outfits whose protests took the form of
burning copies of the book and organising a hartal in Tiruchengode town, reportedly consented to call off their
protests after the author agreed to issue an unconditional apology, delete controversial portions in the book,
withdraw unsold copies from the market and not to write on controversial subjects hurting sentiments of the people.
This pact, at the intervention of the local administration, is notwithstanding the fact that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak
Sangh and the State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party had distanced themselves from the protests, saying they were
localised popular stirs.
Set in the backdrop of a pre-Independence era belief system involving consensual sex ritually associated with the
annual car festival of the Sri Arthanareeshwarar Temple in Tiruchengode, Perumal Murugans fifth novel is by most
accounts in Tamil literary circles a very sensitive and poignant portrait of the dilemmas of a poor childless couple.
(Lord Siva in the Arthanareeshwarar form is in Hindu mythology and traditional philosophical understanding a
reassuring symbol of the unity of purush, or self, and prakriti, or nature.) The Penguin-published English version, One
Part Woman, is about how far would you go to conceive a child? Politics may have no patience for such conflicting
values, but in Indian intellectual traditions from ancient times, the spirit of orthodoxy and heterodoxy have coexisted.
Sectarian disputes are nothing new, while writers being able to reflect on socio-economic-cultural issues in the light of
received knowledge is the key to an open society. The rights under the Constitution are designed to protect the
freedom of expression of writers like Perumal Murugan who may seek to question uncomfortable truths from the past.
It is a pity that a range of forces conspired to silence him.
30.
Policy distorts gender equity
The Supreme Court recently refused to hear a petition challenging the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Second Amendment)
Ordinance, 2014 on procedural grounds, sending it back to the High Court. The controversial ordinance introduces a
set of educational qualifications of secondary education in order to be able to contest panchayat elections. For the post
of sarpanch, Class VIII is the minimum qualification, while posts in the zilla parishad require a Class X pass. The
petition is currently being heard by the Rajasthan High Court. The ordinance was challenged by several nongovernmental organisations and political parties including the Congress. The BJP, which had inexplicably taken the
ordinance route in the State, welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court and hailed it as a victory of truth. The
rationale of the law is to encourage education and literacy. The problem is not with the ends, but with the means.
Although the ordinance may be constitutionally valid as the facts are analogous to the reasoning of the Supreme Court
in Javed (2003), it is at the level of policy that the law is weak. In Javed , the Supreme Court upheld the
constitutionality of a provision that stipulated that no person who has more than two children could be elected as the
sarpanch or panch of a panchayat. A similar reasoning may be applied in the case of this ordinance as well. The Javed
judgment was criticised for its reasoning as also its consequences, such as instances where men gave their daughters
up for adoption to be able to contest elections. Ironically, it is not difficult for those who are influential to obtain false
Class X certificates either.
In India, the right to vote is only a statutory right, but the act of voting is a constitutionally protected freedom of
expression under Article 19, as a fundamental right ( PUCL , 2013). The freedom to vote is inseparable from the
freedom to contest in elections, and hence a policy of encouraging education cannot arguably prevail over
fundamental rights. The law is a major setback to the constitutional mandate of ensuring gender equality in panchayati
governance where the Rajasthan government has provided for 50 per cent reservation for women. In rural areas, the
literacy rate of women is only 45.8 per cent in tribal areas it is 25.22 per cent as opposed to the corresponding
male literacy rate of 76.16 per cent. The law therefore excludes the majority of potential women contestants. The
68 educational qualification norms, on top of the existing massive inequality in literacy rates, will reduce womens
68 participation in politics. Lastly, several grassroots activists argue that panchayat governance requires ethical values
and an understanding of local issues gained from experience, more than Class X certificates.
31.
Unending confrontation
An ill wind is blowing through Bangladesh once again. A year after the controversial election that returned the Awami
League and Sheikh Hasina to office for a second term, the political turmoil and uncertainty refuse to go away. While
the Opposition still refuses to accept the results of an election that it boycotted, the government has certainly not
helped matters. When Opposition leader Khaleda Zia announced a rally to observe the first anniversary of the election
on January 5 as Death of Democracy Day, the Sheikh Hasina government, which was planning a Victory Day of
Democracy responded by disallowing the protest and locking up the Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader in her
office. Clashes between activists of the ruling party and the BNP have claimed four lives. The government has now
threatened to slap a murder case on Ms. Zia, which could lead to her arrest. She, meanwhile, has called for an
indefinite and nationwide blockade. The BNP wants fresh elections to be held under a non-partisan caretaker
government, while the Awami League insists it will continue in office for its entire term that is to end in 2019. There
seems to be no meeting ground between the two parties, unable as they are to turn the page on their history of
confrontational and violent politics.
At the heart of the confrontation between the two parties are of course the unsettled questions from Bangladeshs
violent birth in 1971, including the question of who was on which side in the movement for liberation from Pakistan.
Settling those questions was never going to be easy. But the ham-fisted manner in which the Awami League has gone
about the task from its first term in office in 2008, setting up war tribunals that have dispensed speedy verdicts
including the death sentence to several in the senior leadership of the Jamaat-e-Islami and life terms to others
including BNP leaders, has proved particularly divisive. Despite the nation-halting hartals and protests,
Bangladeshs economy turned in a surprisingly good performance. The countrys GDP growth was estimated at 6.1 per
cent for the fiscal year ending with June 2014, half a percentage point higher than what the Asian Development Bank
had projected. For 2015, the projection is higher at 6.4 per cent, on the hope that private sector investment will also pick
up given some political stability. Perhaps Bangladesh might have done better and set an example for the entire region
but for the unending political conflict. For India, which has seen ties improving with Bangladesh under the Sheikh
Hasina government, the challenge is to ensure that the instability in Dhaka does not spill over to its territory and pose
security problems on its eastern borders.
32.
Censorious conduct
Pioneer | Category: Polity and Governance
Looked at fairly, it does seem that Ms Leela Samson and her supporters in the Central Board of Film Certification
(CBFC) decided to splash their liberal credentials because they wanted to exit in a blaze of glory. They latched on to a
reason which came by their way rather serendipitously: The clearance for the release of the film, The Messenger of
God, starring the controversial godman and head of Dera Sacha Sauda, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan. Ms Samson
and her supporters in the CBFC, or the Censor Board as it is popularly known, who opposed the go-ahead to the film,
tendered their resignations in protest.
They lashed out at the Government for its interference' and alleged that certain members of the panel were corrupt'.
Ms Samson and group also questioned the speedy clearance to the film. It is easy to fling allegations and use those
accusations to complicate an issue. But, much as Ms Samson and her supporters try to muddy the waters, the facts are
not going to melt away. And these facts do not substantiate the crusading credentials the former CBFC chief hopes to
project to the world. Let us deal with the principal allegation that The Messenger of God received a hasty clearance.
It was not released initially because the Examining Committee and the Revising Committee of the Censor Board did
not favour the film's certification. The Revising Committee thereafter referred the issue to the Film Certification
Appellate Tribunal (FCAT), which is the adjudicating body in case of such disputes. The FCAT cleared the film. The
accusation that the FCAT acted too swiftly to appear bipartisan and that it did so because it wanted to favour the film
and its hero, who is said to be close to the BJP, is mere conjecture. Members of the FCAT do not owe their allegiance to
the ruling party at the Centre. Also, the established process of dealing with the controversial film was scrupulously 69
followed. It is, therefore, difficult to understand Ms Samson's grievance.
The former Censor Board Chairpersons other allegation that Board members are corrupt is an irresponsible
remark. She has not offered an iota of evidence to back her grave accusation. Just as she has not given any specific
evidence to substantiate her charge that the Union Government has interfered in the functioning of the Censor Board.
In fact, Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has challenged her to
provide evidence of such interference. Moreover, are we to understand that Ms Samson and her supporters have only
now seven months after the Narendra Modi regime assumed charge suddenly discovered evils in the
Government? Had the Centre harboured hostility towards her, she would have been eased out months ago.
Notably, Ms Samson had grievances even during the Congress-led UPA regime too, but she had refused to precipitate
matters. Several controversial films had been certified during that period, but Ms Samson seemed perfectly at ease
with those developments. It is difficult to believe that the Congress-led regime, which had been interfering even in
Supreme Court-monitored probes of the Central Bureau of Investigation, had kept its hands of the Censor Board. But
none of that solicited the vehement response now on display. If anybody has played politics on the issue, it is Ms
Samson and her band of loyalists.
33.
Tackle the primary tasks
Pioneer | Category: Social
The latest Annual Status of Education Report, prepared by Pratham, once again serves as a strong reminder of how far
India has come in the field of education and how many challenges still remain. On the positive side, the consistently
high levels of enrollment in Indian schools is comforting. For the sixth year in a row, it has been found that more than
96 per cent of Indian children in the age group of six to 14 the cluster that is covered by the Right to Education Act
are going to school.
In effect, India is only a few steps away from achieving universal education. This is a massive development for a
country that only six decades ago, at the time of independence, had an abysmally low literacy level of 12 per cent. Also,
keep in mind that these high enrollment figures could not have been achieved if the girl child was being kept out of
school. True, there are still some States, like Uttar Pradesh, where the difference in enrollment levels for boys and girls
is more than eight per cent, and, generally, more boys are being sent to private schools than girls.
But the overall figures are, nonetheless, healthy. Another positive take-away from this year's study is that school
facilities have continued to improve. For example, most schools surveyed had drinking water facilities and functioning
toilets. There was also a marked increase in the percentage of schools with libraries, from 62.6 per cent in 2010 to 78.1
per cent in 2014, and a slightly less but equally promising jump in the percentage of schools that have computer access.
On the flip side, the survey has found that learning levels have remained almost as bad as previous years. A vast
majority of middle-school students, for instance, still cannot read primary-school texts. Even though a few States like
Tamil Nadu have shown marginal improvements, the national figures continue to be disappointing with Bihar, Assam,
Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra registering a further drop in performance.
The situation is even worse with mathematics, wherein almost all States, apart from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh,
have deteriorated. There is also no improvement in English language skills either; on the contrary, a larger percentage
of upper primary students, for example, now cannot read full sentences compared to 2009. If India fails to address
these issues at the earliest, it will be faced with a national crisis sooner than later.
Unable to read or write properly, do basic math or understand English, these students will be effectively
unemployable. No amount of economic growth and no number of foreign firms setting up shop in the country can
then help the situation. Already, industry folks are complaining that even college-educated Indian youth are not good
enough to be hired, even as thousands remain unemployed. Unless immediate action is taken, India's much touted
demographic dividend can quickly turn into its demographic disaster.
34.
The Presidents counsel
President Pranab Mukherjees pointed reminder to the government on the constitutional restrictions on the resort to
the ordinance route will, it is hoped, temper the present regimes proclivity to push through legislation by invoking the
70 extraordinary power repeatedly. Having signed a series of ordinances recently on the governments advice, once or
70 twice reportedly after seeking a clarification on the nature of the urgency that necessitated them, President Mukherjee
has the moral and constitutional authority to drive home the message to the government that it ought to be mindful of
the limitations of the ordinance route. He has underscored that ordinances can be promulgated only to meet certain
exigencies and under compelling circumstances, setting out the legal context in which the power may be invoked.
And by concurrently speaking out against the tendency to use disruption as a means of parliamentary intervention,
Mr. Mukherjee has subtly questioned the traditional wisdom of opposition parties that extracting an assurance or
concession across the floor by wilfully obstructing proceedings is part of a legitimate exercise of parliamentary duties.
In practice, both issues are intricately interlinked. It is often the combination of obstinacy on the part of the Treasury
Benches and the Oppositions obstructionist tactics that lead to legislative impasse and, further, to the promulgation of
ordinances. Governments are increasingly eager to avoid constructive engagement with the opposition because the
option of legislating through the use of presidential power is available to them.
Adding impetus to this tendency is the even more complacent belief that a lack of majority in the Upper House can be
compensated for by convening a joint session of both Houses under certain circumstances. In a Westminster-model
parliamentary democracy, Presidents may choose silent acquiescence with Cabinet decisions and avoid questioning
the rationale behind executive advice. However, sometimes they are justified in speaking their mind and voicing their
concerns on broad constitutional issues. What ought normally to occasion such concerns is any hint of impropriety, the
cavalier resort to ordinances being one example. The disruption of Parliament to the point of making it dysfunctional is
another example. The occasional piece of advice from a President may be easily dismissed by some as the feeble
articulation of outdated principles incompatible with what is needed to survive the unsavoury contestation that
electoral politics brings with it. However, it behoves a responsive government and a responsible opposition to avoid
breaching the limits of constitutional propriety in their actions.

35.
Finding money for health
Pioneer | Category: Health
The National Health Policy 2015 Draft, now in the public domain for consideration, reaffirms the Union Government's
commitment to find funds for the health sector, even as the Modi administration grapples with a high fiscal deficit
arising, among other things, out of high public spending and low revenue collection. The policy proposes to raise a
health tax to pay for the Government's ambitious health programmes and also suggests effective mobilisation of funds
raised through special commodity taxes, such as taxes on tobacco and alcohol, and special taxes on extractive
industries and development projects, which adversely impact public health and even natural habitats.
Although there is no clarity on how these plans will materialise, the moot point is that the Government seems sold to
the cause and is taking concrete steps on the ground. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised in his
election manifesto that he would provide universal healthcare, and towards that end, had also announced the National
Health Assurance Mission. Later, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had proposed a free healthcare
package that includes some basic medicines, diagnostic services and consultations at Government hospitals and clinics
across the country.
But, while all these plans sound good on paper, the fact of the matter remains that, howsoever sincere the Government
is about sharing the country's hospital and medicine bills, it simply does not have the kind of money needed to achieve
the purpose. Already, it is spending more than it earns and is under pressure to bridge the fiscal deficit. This is why,
late last year, the Government had to cut back its health allocation by 20 per cent about Rs6,000 crore was shaved off
the Rs35,163 crore total allocation for the financial year 2014-2015. Expectedly, the international media and some
sections of the national media played up the story as yet another example of the Modi Government going back on its
commitments, turning its back on the poor and not paying attention to the social sector.
Few cared to point out that the cut was, in fact, a routine accounting process, and that past Governments had done the
same. For example, the Congress-led UPA Government's initial health outlay for the financial year 2013-2014 was
Rs33,278 crore. However, its final allocation was shrunk by Rs5,747 crore to only Rs27,531 crore. The previous year too,
there was a difference of about Rs5,500 crore between the amount that had been promised in the annual Budget and
what was finally released. But negative news reports notwithstanding, there is no denying that the Government,
irrespective of which party is at the helm, faces a severe cash crunch and often has to take difficult decisions which
may include trimming an already small health budget. It is against this backdrop that the Modi Government's efforts 71
to find new financial solutions must be viewed.
36.
Trillion dollar baby
In a last ditch attempt to rescue the Eurozone from a deflationary spiral inflation was minus 0.2 per cent in
December and the unemployment rate is 11.5 per cent the European Central Bank (ECB) announced an open-ended
government bond buying programme. Mario Draghi, president of the ECB, announced that it would buy 60 billion
euros of bonds each month until September 2016. But crucially, Draghi added that the programme would remain in
place until we see a sustained adjustment in the path of inflation which is consistent with our aim of achieving
inflation rates below, but close to, 2 per cent.
Draghis public commitment to near-2 per cent inflation is an important signal and might go some way in breaking
deflationary expectations. In the coming days, the euro is likely to weaken this is a good thing for exports and
spurring inflation and sovereign bond yields will fall further leading to an adjustment of financial portfolios
towards more risky assets. Greece, whose yields have, in fact, risen due to political uncertainty, and which goes to the
polls this month, is the exception.
While the programme is bigger than expected and must have taken some nimble negotiation, the ECBs announcement
seems a few months too late. It is also complicated by involved risk-sharing across the national central banks of the
Eurozone and the reliance of European firms on bank finance, rather than capital markets. While better late than never,
its success compared to QE programmes in the US and the UK remains to be seen.
But Draghis announcement could be a boon for the Narendra Modi government. While the UPA had to contend with
high inflation and external vulnerability due to the imminent tapering of the US Federal Reserves QE programme, the
NDA has been lucky with global oil and commodity prices and their effect on moderating inflation. And now, with the
ECBs QE programme effectively neutralising the Feds bond-buying wind-down, it holds out the assurance of
continuing comfortable global liquidity and money streaming into Indian capital markets. This is not just because
India is not a commodity exporter but also because it seems more comfortably placed, with brighter growth prospects
than its emerging market peers. But there is no room for complacency. Sentiment may have returned to the market
but the investment cycle has not yet restarted. All eyes are on the Union budget. The Centre must start by rationalising
the subsidy regime and bringing the GST.
37.
The dynamics of inequality
The Hindu | Category: Social
Occupational and geographic mobility across the region are bridging income and consumption-related disparities, says
the World Bank report, Addressing Inequality in South Asia. The findings accordingly underscore the role of
urbanisation and private sector participation as being critical to mitigating socio-economic disadvantages. Inequality
should be understood in terms of monetary and non-monetary dimensions of well-being, contends the report. The
share of the poorest 40 per cent of households in total consumption shows that inequality in South Asia is moderate by
international standards. The comparison is valid even though estimates elsewhere are based on income per capita.
Significantly, but not surprisingly, economic mobility of the recent decades has proved beneficial to the population at
large, cutting across traditional divides and challenging stereotypes. This finding, if anything, underscores the positive
effects of legal safeguards for the protection of minorities. Indeed, monetary inequality of enormous significance is
manifested in Indias highly disproportionate billionaire wealth, amounting to 12 per cent of gross domestic product in
2012. The ratio is considerably large even compared with other countries at a similar level of economic development,
says the report.
Conversely, non-monetary indices of well-being pertain to opportunities available to people in the early years,
outcomes during adulthood and support systems through the life-cycle. Thus, although it is not the poorest region,
South Asia accounts for some of the worst human development outcomes in basic education and health care. Besides
the highest rates of infant and child mortality that prevail in many parts of the region, more than 50 per cent of poor
children below five years of age in Bangladesh and Nepal are stunted; the proportion for India is over 60 per cent.
Pervasive tax avoidance and regressive fuel and electricity subsidies are primarily responsible for the inadequate
provisioning of public services. Of no insignificant value is the non-dogmatic stance the report adopts on a
72 fundamental moral question such as inequality. Drawing upon influential academic debates in economics and
72 philosophy, the study argues that the rewards linked to hard work and entrepreneurship serve as incentives to give
ones best and enhance overall well-being. It would be fair to infer that non-monetary inequalities are arbitrary and
potentially more detrimental to economic growth over the long term. To bring such ideas into the public and political
mainstream would enhance the quality of the debate, and further consolidate contemporary competitive electoral
democracies.
38.
Critical transition in Saudi Arabia
The Hindu | Category: India and World
The death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, at the age of 90, beckoned a cautiously orchestrated transition of power to
his successor Salman in the Al Saud dynasty that holds power in the nation. King Salman has pledged that the
succession would be managed smoothly, with continuity in policies and stability in internal as well as foreign
relations. Given the rising violence and political instability in the region, and the glut in oil supply and consequent fall
in prices, this transition of power is a critical moment. Salman, who has been crown prince since 2012, is now 79 years
old and not in the best of health. Clearing any sort of uncertainty, Prince Muqrin, followed by Prince Mohammed bin
Nayef, 55, have been declared the crown princes to succeed King Salman. Although the monarchic succession plan
seems to be clearly mapped out, the House of Saud is said to be riven by factions and internal feuds. Whether order
will prevail within the royal family is hard to speculate, given the secretive nature of its internal affairs.
The transition of power is happening at a time when politics in the region is beset with uncertainty. Sunni-dominated
Saudi Arabia and Shia-dominated Iran, with their decades of rivalry, are closely following the turmoil in Yemen since
the resignation of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. The Shiite rebel group Houthi, suspected to have affiliations
with Iran, has often accused Saudi Arabia of meddling in the countrys internal affairs. Riyadh has been praised for its
effective counter-terrorism activities, especially with the Islamic State-dominated Iraq on its northern borders. Saudi
Arabia continues to have favourable strategic partnerships with the United States, the United Kingdom and Europe.
Even with the global glut in supply, King Salman is likely to continue pumping crude, keeping prices low, with no
apparent intention to alter policies anytime soon. India maintains significant economic ties with Saudi Arabia, which is
its biggest supplier of oil, accounting for 20.18 per cent of the imports in 2013-14. India accounts for 11 per cent of
Saudi Arabias exports and 7.2 per cent of its imports. Remittances from Indians in Saudi Arabia amount to a
substantial sum. From a socio-economic perspective, India has a lot at stake in the stability of the country. Given the
centrality of Saudi Arabia to western economic interests, the West has often treated the country as an exception when it
comes to human rights issues. The fact is that Saudi Arabia has an incredibly poor record in the matter of ensuring civil
and political rights. Public flogging, beheading, and a general climate of intolerance are hallmarks of its criminal justice
system. Women still do not have even the fundamental rights of speech, movement and assembly.
39.
Connecting safe havens
Pioneer | Category: Environment and Ecology
Even as ties between India and Nepal have strengthened in recent months, there is one area of bilateral cooperation
that has not received much attention: Wildlife conservation. The two countries share a long border that is home to a
vast array of flora and fauna, including some globally endangered species. Now, the two have joined hands to ensure
that these rich and diverse natural habitats on the border are well protected. Several projects are in the pipeline, but the
most recent is the functionalisation of the Boom-Brahmadev wildlife corridor.
Extending from the Haldwani forest division in Uttarakhand to the Kanchapur forest division in Nepal, the corridor is
used by elephants, tigers and rhinoceroses who clearly have no regard for dotted lines drawn on a map by humans.
The corridor serves as an important lifeline for the animals who would have otherwise been restricted to just one
habitat usually a protected area such as a tiger reserve or a wildlife sanctuary. As conservationists have been
highlighting since the 1990s, protected areas alone are not good enough to save wildlife.
Animals must have the freedom to move from one area to another, or else, they will not thrive. The Boom-Brahmadev
corridor itself is part of the larger Terai Arc Landscape. Bounded by India's Yamuna on the west and Nepal's Bagmati
to the east, this 12.3 million acre-region consists of about a dozen protected ecosystems on both sides of the border,
including the famous Corbett National Park in India and the Parsa Wildlife Reserve in Nepal. However, the area is also
under enormous human pressure, which has resulted in an increasing number of man-animal conflicts in recent years.
Wildlife corridors, such as the Boom-Brahmadev connector, can help ease the pressure to a large extent.
The only problem is that while Governments have had a reasonable amount of success in setting up safe havens or 73
protected areas, they have had a much harder time securing the corridors that connect two or more such areas as the
high number of elephants killed along the Dooars in North Bengal stands proof. The matter becomes more complicated
when a natural corridor cuts across rails, roads and often international borders even.
The rail line connecting Siliguri Junction to Alipurduar Junction, for instance, knives right through forested area, as a
result of which tuskers are routinely mowed down by speeding trains there. Similarly, the Boom-Bradmadev corridor
sits in the middle of sensitive border posts that need to be inter-connected. Thankfully, security and wildlife officials
from both sides of the border were able to work with conservationists to ensure that animal interests are also factored
into national security plans. Last year, the Sashastra Seema Bal, the Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department, and the
State's Forest Department agreed to elevate road stretches at 16 sites and re-align three other sections to secure wildlife
movement between India and Nepal.
40.
Understanding our roots
Pioneer | Category: Culture
As Indians, we take great pride in saying that we have an incredibly rich and diverse civilisational heritage. Yet, the
average Indian has little understanding of what exactly such civilisational wealth entails. For example, we know that
there are many literary gems written in Indian languages, but not even a handful of people in the country today have
read them in the original. Thankfully, a mammoth initiative is now underway to plug the gaping hole. With a $5.2
million dollar grant from Harvard scholar Rohan Murty, Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy's son, Harvard
University Press has launched the Murty Classical Library of India (MCLI), which aims to translate as many Indian
literary works into English as possible and make them available to the contemporary scholar and lay reader alike.
Though the project refers to classics', it does not mean that the library will only house long and heavy texts. Instead,
the MCLI will include anything that is good and interesting and important, in the words of Mr Sheldon Pollock, a
professor of South Asian studies at Columbia University and the library's general editor.
Harvard University Press plans to publish 500 volumes over the next 100 years, but for now the MCLI has got off to a
modest start. This month, it launched five volumes: Bullhe Shah's Sufi Lyrics edited and translated by Christopher
Shackle; Abu'l-Fazl's The History of Akbar (Volume 1) edited and translated by Wheeler M Thackston; Therigatha:
Poems of the First Buddhist Women translated by Charles Hallisey; Allasani Peddana's The Story of Manu translated
by Velcheru Narayana Rao and David Shulman; and finally, Surdas's Sur's Ocean: Poems from the Early Tradition
edited by Kenneth E Bryant and translated by John Stratton Hawley. Every volume is in two languages, with the
original text appearing along with the translation. This initial offering alone allows us a glimpse into the diversity of
the MCLI project. Geographically, it will cover a wide range of literary traditions with roots in Afghanistan in the west
to Myanmar in the east, Nepal in the north to Sri Lanka in the south. Thematically, it will include everything from
religious texts to scientific works, political treatises to feminist works. No wonder then that the MCLI has been dubbed
as the world's most complex publishing project ever.
The importance of a project such as the MCLI cannot be overstated, but two points underscore its urgency. First, many
of the classical texts exist only in their original manuscripts. Unless they are immediately retrieved and saved for
posterity, there is a real fear that they may be lost forever. Second, if India (indeed, the sub-continent as a whole)
wishes to emerge as a force to reckon with in the future and script its own narrative, it must understand its past. There
is, after all, something to being a soft power. A good deal of that power comes from realising and promoting the
countrys hoary cultural history and texts.
41.
Another Ebola battle won
The Hindu | Category: Health
On January 18, the World Health Organization and the Malian government declared Mali free of the Ebola virus
disease. Mali is the third country after Nigeria and Senegal to become free of the deadly disease. A country should
have had no new cases of Ebola for a continuous period of 42 days, which is a cycle of two incubation periods of 21
days, for it to be declared free of the virus. This is a particularly remarkable achievement for Mali, given the fact that it
shares a porous, 800-km-long border with Guinea. After all, on December 26, 2013, the first case of Ebola virus that led
to the unprecedented crisis in West Africa was found in a remote village in Guinea. Also, Mali became the sixth West
African country to record a case of Ebola when a two-year-old girl with symptoms arrived from Guinea in October last
year. Even in this moment of victory, Mali has to remember that it has now only won a battle. As long as the war
Ebola remains unfinished in West Africa as a whole, Mali must not lower its guard as new cases can always
74 against
come up. After all, the country once experienced a similar situation in November 2014 when it came so close to being
74 declared free of the Ebola virus, before a second wave of infections delayed such a declaration. The good news is
that there has been a turning point in the Ebola crisis with the number of new cases reported in the three worstaffected countries Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea falling in recent weeks. According to the WHO, as on January
21, 2015 all of 8,683 people have died of Ebola, and the number of cases so far is more than 21,759.
In all, if only eight cases and six deaths occurred in Mali, which are fewer than Nigeria with 20 cases and eight deaths,
the reason for that is the unprecedented efforts to contain the disease from the very beginning. Starting with tracing
every person who had come in contact with the sick girl on her journey from Guinea and, at one point, placing nearly
600 people under daily observation, the government, health workers and citizens acted aggressively to stamp out the
disease before it turned into a crisis situation. The massive public awareness campaign, monitoring along the border, a
fully geared public health system and precautions taken by people on their own helped Mali to stamp out the virus. Of
course, the sombre awareness of the crisis playing out in the three worst-affected countries had a major role to play in
this process. India has a lesson to learn from the way Nigeria and Mali have handled the Ebola outbreaks. Though
some vital precautionary steps were taken, the small number of centres that are capable of testing for the virus and the
lack of quarantine facilities at major airports indicate a low level of preparedness to counter the virus.
42.
Expansion and crisis
The Hindu | Category: Economy
To see Lithuanias euro adoption this month as an entry into a losers club is to miss the geopolitical picture wherein
several of the ex-Warsaw Pact states have staked their future on forging a European identity to the consternation of
Russia. The admission of Vilnius into the single currency bloc represents a landmark of sorts. The move completes the
accession of the three Baltic constituents of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) Estonia, Latvia
and Lithuania to the three main western institutions. These are the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the
European Union (EU) and now the eurozone. The European ambitions of another erstwhile Soviet state, Ukraine, as
demonstrated by its Parliaments vote in December to join NATO, underpins in no small measure the ongoing
separatist conflict in Kiev. Slovenia and Slovakia are the only other former Eastern bloc regions that have similarly
acceded to all the three institutions. Against this backdrop, the flow of western investment, greater export potential
and low borrowing cost resulting from integration into the eurozone would seem far more attractive to the Lithuanian
population of a few million.
The country has long felt the lock-in effects of a fixed exchange rate as the litas, the national currency until 2014, was
pegged to the euro some years ago. Lithuanias entry was not without its share of controversy when some legislators
expressed scepticism about the countrys preparedness to sacrifice the flexibility of a national currency. But the
continuing crisis in the eurozone would have deterred Vilnius. With the exception of the United Kingdom and
Denmark, accession to the EU implies a commitment to eventual adoption of the common currency by member-states
once they have complied with the economic convergence criteria. Lithuania has so far been the lone euro aspirant
whose 2006 bid was put on hold as Vilnius narrowly overshot the inflation limit for eligibility. But the expanded euro
area comprising 19 countries is not expected to witness further enlargement in the foreseeable future. Except Romania,
which has set itself a 2019 target, none of the other states has even given itself a euro-entry deadline. Realising the
eurozone targets on fiscal deficits has been among the more ticklish issues within the bloc, with major economies and
the architects of the rules themselves found to be in violation. Greater macroeconomic policy coherence is an admirable
objective and an imperative for countries that use a common currency. But such an ideal must be balanced with
political pragmatism as long as national capitals remain in charge of policy-formulation. That is the lesson from the
euros 15-year history so far.
75
PART TWENTY ONE| ARTICLES

1.
Why Federalism? A Perspective
Yojana-Feb,2015 | Category: Polity and Governance
FEDERALISM is an idea of contemporary modernistic democratic political system that introduces a system of
governance entailing an attempt to involve the widest possible populace and institutions into a system of governance.
This is to be introduced through a network of institutions and structures, and appropriate division of power and
administration between them. It is a uniquely modernist political phenomenon, in that it seeks to ensure a distribution
of powers and responsibilities within the politico- geographic boundaries of a political system. The process of
federalization is about the devolution of power, and the decentralization of administration, throughout the institutions
and structures of a given democratic political system. Typically, a system of political and administrative governance in
a democracy constitutes of a network of institutions and structures that spread from the centre to periphery, or the
central government to localities or regional and local governments. There is a distribution of powers and functions
between them that are thought to be appropriate in accordance to the wisdom of times. However, in practice, there is
always a multi-pronged tussle for increased devolution of power and decentralization of administration on the one
hand, gravitating towards the localities, whilst on the other hand, is the reverse process of centralization of power and
administration in the hands of central institutions and structures. This contradiction and dialectics marks the process of
federalization and federalism. Any deepening of democracy by definition will involve further devolution of power and
decentralization of administration.
In India, for instance, powers have been very clearly divided, in accordance to the Indian Constitution, between the
Central Government and the States. A further tier of the local bodies, that is municipalities and panchayats, exist below
the second tier of governance, that is, the state governments. The basic idea behind such a division of power has been
that of allowing respective tiers to deal with the respective issues within their competence. Central Government has an
76 overall supervisory role and considerable powers, regional or provincial or state governments are mandated to deal
76 with the issues relevant to regions or provinces, and whilst local or grassroots institutions with those pertaining to the
localities. Indian Constitution from its outset, with further Amendments has quite clearly outlined and defined the
respective domains of influence and action, including their powers, areas of legislative competence, areas of raising
revenues, fiscal field etc. Such a division is substantially exhaustive, although, it can be suitably modified further to
suit the contemporary requirements, after more than six decades of freedom of India and promulgation of Indian
Constitution. As has been noted earlier, Indian Constitution has not been a static, rigid document, and several
Amendments, notably, 73rd and 74th Amendments of Indian Constitution have taken place. Yet, there have been
problems with the actual implementation of these provisions. However, a comprehensive exercise in determining the
overall and optimal division of powers and decentralization of administration in all aspects, that is, political,
administrative, fiscal etc., to bring federal relations up to date with the contemporary requirements, is urgently
needed. Piecemeal alterations only go up to certain extent, and may even cause distortions. A harmonious and apt
division of rights and responsibilities between the various tiers of governance is required forthwith. This is to build up,
and not to undermine the federal system of politics and governance, as set out in the basic document, the Indian
Constitution and in subsequent Amendments that have been incorporated.
A responsive and responsible federal political system of polity and governance is essential in any political democracy
to maintain and sustain its relevance and integrity. Institutions or structures are not permanent or immutable. No
society is static, neither are its political system, its institutions and structures immune to contextual changes. Latter,
either transform in accordance to the larger context or perish. Thus, a federal system needs to deepen as political
democracy matures. One salient feature of such a reformation is gradual and appropriate devolution of power and
decentralization of administration, lest excessive or inappropriate centralization encourages fissiparous tendencies,
and threatens the integrity of the political systems itself. Most authoritarian and dictatorial political system,
throughout contemporary, modern history, have either collapsed under their own weight and disintegrated, often
giving rise to rather undesirable successor regimes and systems, creating socio-political upheavals or chaos of
unprecedented proportions in the wake of demise of such systems, or have resorted to unprecedented levels of
violence to sustain themselves, hurtling from one crisis to another. All this have been caused by highly centralised
power and administrative structures and institutions, with central power refusing adamantly to devolve powers,
responsibilities and administration to periphery or localities or regions or provinces, in the belief that such an exercise
in federalizing will undermine the integrity of the polity and the nation. In fact, history has shown that the reverse is
true. Often, such overly centralised political systems and systems of governance have indulged in show of formalistic
transfer of powers, without really doing so. Most centralised regimes, political systems and nation-states have
crumbled under their own weight that has resulted in their unceremonious disintegration.
Most democratic nations and political systems too have been very reluctant in devolving powers to their regions and
localities, leading to situations of virtual rebellion and secession. Political democracy can only remain relevant with
democratic political institutions and devolution of power, responsibilities and administration, and not by a centralised,
albeit democratic, rule or governance. The two concepts that of centralism and political democracy, are anachronistic
terms and realities. Federalisation and further involvement of localities through a larger and appropriate selfgovernance seem to be the only way for a reasonable and stable political democracy, lest the world is faced with
repeated phenomena of divisions along the lines of ethnic. sub-ethnic, linguistic, regional. sub regional, religious, racial
and other such politically active identifications and crafted identities. Many democratic, quasi-authoritarian and
authoritarian political systems that tend to follow either centralised democracy or outright centralism, as in case of
latter, tend to experience serious fissiparous and secessionist tendencies. They are either, after considerable
brinkmanship, as in the case of former, compelled to devolve substantial powers, albeit hesitantly to the localities, or,
as in the case of latter, use a combination of force and ensuing violence, and that of devolution of power, rather
reluctantly, and not to the requisite levels, to deal with the imminent threats of disintegration and thereby try to
preserve the integrity of political system and nationhood.
It has been observed in contemporary, post Second World War era and with the advent of 21Century, that host of
political problems faced by myriad sovereign nations lie in their being unable to adequately resolve the national
question. by federalizing, and thus democratizing their political systems through devolution of powers and
responsibilities and decentralizing their administrative structures. At the core of national question in all political
systems, - its ethnic, sub- ethnic, linguistics, religious, racial dimensions notwithstanding. - lies the aspiration of 77
common people in the localities to participate in governing and administering themselves. Although such an
aspiration, ambition, quest for self-governance or self rule of some variant, may have a somewhat negativist
dimension of localism or localistic chauvinism, yet it is coupled with a genuine desire to be able to have a greater say in
managing and resolving their own affairs. This is truly democratic aspiration of any people, and ought not be
suppressed, or ignored, or indifference shown to it. These sentiments must be respected in a truly democratic manner
through devolution and decentralization. A formalistic and half-hearted approach to such a process will only be
counterproductive and ineffective. Of course, this process of federalization has to be appropriate. However, more
democracy is any day better than less, or conditional democracy. Vested interests that tend to impede and stall such a
process and very often succeed in doing so, actually aggravate the problem in the long term as it gets postponed and
very difficult to resolve.
Rising levels of democratic consciousness amongst the people has given considerable impetus to the issue of
devolution and decentralization of power to localities. An urge for greater democratic freedom and responsibility is
often reflected in terms of assertion of socio-cultural identities with all their negative manifestations. Hence, the
political leaders and political systems will be wiser to recognize this impulse and pre-empt any negative fallout of such
assertions and aspirations by granting greater devolution, autonomy, decentralization, through a considered and
appropriate system of federalization. However, any devolution, autonomy or decentralization presupposes a
competent and coordinated division of powers and responsibilities. Any haphazard, half-hearted or disharmonious
division may result in tendencies of disintegration, and! or tendencies of authoritarianism rearing their head and
becoming dominant politically. Such tendencies have been witnessed in the course of recent history whereby several
countries split along ethnic, sub-ethnic, linguistic-chauvinist, religious lines. This can only be avoided by allowing a
considered, consistent, mature, appropriate autonomy, devolution and decentralization to genuinely empower the
localities. This will undermine any mobilization along pre-modern, primordial faultlines. Such an arrangement most
certainly envisages a significant and a positive role for the Centre within appropriate division of powers and
responsibilities. Periodic review and reorganization are important to avoid accumulation of any stress within a
political system that is liable to explode into ugly, even violent situations, or cause enough consternation and chaos
within a system so as to prevent its efficacious functioning whilst dealing with public affairs. Hence, Functional and
periodic review of institutional and structural mechanisms and subsequent reform of the process of federalization are
needed. Often governments, either because of inbuilt inertia, or under pressure from vested interests, or immature
political elements that come to dominate governments, tend to ignore such measures resulting in long-term structural
problems.
Modernistic, contemporary ideologies of Enlightenment, that is, liberalism, socialism, communism and their different
variants have dominated 19th and 20th century political systems. They gave rise to political systems that were rather
centralistic in spirit and content, albeit more democratic than the feudalist political systems of the yore, given the fact
that they sought to build up secular political institutions and the structures that came to be imbued with a sense of
triumphalism, over a primordial base that was primarily informed by the identities of the past like those based on
ethnicity, religion, caste, race and so on. Ideologies of modernity and enlightenment were a consequence of a secular
and industrial economic order that required a different, non primordial-identity-based economic, political and social
system to flourish, and a cultural order that dovetailed to the requirements of modernity and industrialism. However,
this project of modernity and enlightenment, based on a secular order of nation-states, that were to be sovereign and
democratic, as well as of a concomitant modernistic world order, was to be built on a superstructure that was
invariably an inheritance of the past centuries, and was essentially primordial in nature. Hence, both liberal democratic
and other political systems based on the ideas of socialism and communism and their other variants, notwithstanding
the praxis of democracy were essentially centralist at worst, or Unitarian at best, in one way or the other, and thus
authoritarian or quasi-authoritarian in practice, to a substantial extent. Thus, the political and other institutions that
were built within the political system were primarily centralised or of centralist orientation. Political and social
institutions, in fact any institution for that matter, does not evolve in a vacuum and is thus encumbered by its
respective inheritances from its past, particularly in case of the legacy of political and social cultures. Thus, the
inheritance of all the modernist institutions of Enlightenment, and concomitant and evolving political and social
were essentially feudalistic or semi-feudalistic and authoritarian or quasi-authoritarian. Therefore, the new
78 cultures
of building institutions imbibed authoritarian and quasi-authoritarian streak in terms of praxis and ideological
78 process
orientation from their respective past histories. As noted earlier, institutions do not emerge from a vacuum or
abstraction and tend to carry the legacy of inheritances, particularly the prevailing and dominant political and social
cultures that tend to be quite resilient and resistant to reforms. This substitution of political and social cultures to a
more secular, modern, democratic one, takes a long transitional period. These changes are spread over generations.
Even so-called classical democracies take very long time, therefore, to fully abandon a centralist and Unitarian ethos.
Thus federalisation and federalism has been a tedious and long drawn historical process everywhere. This is also true
for India. However, federalism and federalization is an inalienable part of democracy, and deepening of democracy.
This is a process that is neither smooth nor without resistance, particularly by the believers in centralist ethos, who fail
to recognize that political and economic systems work better, and with greater efficiency in situations where localities
are given greater autonomy and rights to manage their own affairs.
Vested interests provide stumbling blocks and resist or prevent devolution and decentralization. In the absence of
proper and appropriate federalism and requisite institutions, structures and functioning, centralised institutions
become moribund, alienated and often ossified. This leads to discontent in the absence of avenues of participation in
governance and administration, despite certain democratic processes like elections etc. being followed regularly. This
discontent with the absence of a properly responsive and responsible federalized political system may be tapped into
and mobilized by destabilizing political forces, particularly those based on primordial identities, for extremist politics.
Although political mobilization, in a modern political democracy, that is based on primordial identities, is a perfectly
legitimate activity, since they reflect the given socio-political and cultural realities of a society, yet in cases of high
discontentment of people with the failures of political system, and its failure to address legitimate grievances of
people, such mobilisations can be used to undermine the integrity of the political system or a nation itself. Involvement
of localities and people through the institutions of federalism may give them a sense of participation and selfgovernance, as well as an appreciation of the magnitude of the problems modern societies face with rising aspirations
and demands of a system. Thus, federalism and its institutional framework of an appropriate kind strengthens and not
weakens a society and its political system, and provides avenues for political participation governance, policy-making
etc. Political democracy, after all in final analysis, is about increased popular participation in governance and public
affairs, sans anarchy that could undermine evolved and legitimate institutional framework of the political system.
Hence, federalization also has to be a slow process that does not force the pace of development or changes beyond
reasonable and appropriate levels and becomes maximalist and arbitrary.
Dominant economic systems of modern times have favoured more centralised political systems since the diversities
and increased tiers of institutional arrangements have been seen to hamper smooth economic advancement, because
they are not believed to be able to provide stability and uniformity to a political system. A political system that is
more centralised, is deemed to be more conducive for economic progress and development since it is expected to
ensure political stability, predictability, uniformity of policies, their uniform application and implementation through a
centralised bureaucracy or administration, and above all, a near monopoly of local markets, in the absence of real
threat from local economic interests, who will in a less federalized political system, wield less political power and clout
to influence local politics, their institutions and local markets. Hence, the economic system, the economic elite and
economic imperatives, become the most important vested interest, or hindrance, to the political process of federalism.
Such centralistic ethos driven by economic imperatives, have become more obvious in the context of increasing
economic globalisation, dominance of global capital, deepening of market economy, although a tendency towards such
a push for centralism has been true for all variants of economic systems, including those based on planning, in modern
contemporary era. Market economy envisages a trickle- down mechanism and an optimally functioning market
economy for redistribution of fruits of economy, sans any real, well organized, redistributive mechanism that leaves a
very large section of population outside the pale of mainstream economy. Trickle-down does not happen in practise,
or happens very imperfectly, and in a very limited, circumscribed way. Market economy does not believe in the
possibility of a conscious redistributive process as a planned economy does, although the latter may have its own
problem of excessive dependence on organized administrative machinery and that again has its own imperfections.
Thus, this leads to a wide gap between rich and poor and fosters high levels of inequality and a skewed reality of
distribution of fruits of any economic growth. This effectively curtails greater opportunity for people to participate in
useful economic activities and undermines the prospects of prosperity to a very large section of population. In a proper
federal political system such redistribution is more efficient because of the devolution of power and decentralization of 79
administration. It is more effective in undertaking a conscious intervention that is more socially and economically
responsible, to ensure greater opportunities and better prospects of human and material development. It can do so
because of the proximity to the felt needs of the local population, involvement in realistic policy-making such that
there are no hare-brained and unrealistic schemes, and thorough participation in the process of implementation. Thus
both, the excesses of reliance on extreme market economy or extreme planning, can be avoided.
Politico-geographic boundaries have been drawn and redrawn since a long time, earlier as Kingdoms and later as
Nations. Wars, conquests and rebellions have the led to redrawing of boundaries. In modem era, ethnic, sub-ethnic,
linguistic, religion, race and other such identities have played an important role in the formation of nation-states. In
contemporary era, these fault-lines have been the basis of movements demanding formation of separate nations and
nation-states. In some cases, such demands have been rooted in the perception and realities of the presence of
dominant and subordinate ethnicities, sub-ethnicities, languages and linguistic chauvinisms, religions, races and so on.
Formation of nations and nation-states based on secular political ideals of ideologies of modem-day Enlightenment led
to establishment of political systems based on secular, constitutional, legislative, judicial frameworks, with Federalism
in some form or the other, constituting their vital institutional, structural and functional component. These modem
political systems are premised on the ideas of citizenship, secularism, nation-states, democracy, and soon, and have
been modemistic, countervailing, systemic force, particularly in multi-linguistic, multi-racial, multi- religious, multicultural political set up and societies, that most politico-geographic entities are, to the political systems that were based
on primordial political arrangements and configurations. Former are much more democratic and secular, than the
latter that are premised on the idea of we and they, or a subordinate other. The latter are thus, more centralised,
authoritarian, or even autocratic. Thus, true and appropriate federalism cannot be a part of latter. Both typologies
have, however, concomitant political culture that informs their institutions, structures and functioning. Most societies
are in a sort of transition from the preponderance of a more feudalistic political culture of primordial societies to a
political culture that is more democratized, secular and federal. This is, of course, not a straight-line transition.
Federalism, that is, an increasing devolution of power and decentralization of administration, to so-called localities is
an integral part of this positive transition. Hence, the importance of appropriate federalism, that takes the process of
democracy and secularism in a broad sense, forward.
2.
Federalism in India: Political and Fiscal
Yojana-Feb,2015 | Category: Polity and Governance
WE PROPOSE here to delineate the difference between political federalism and fiscal federalism as they are
understood today. While it is well understood that the two are not coextensive, there is still a need to differentiate
between decentralization and federalization. Scholars delving into fiscal federalism have a tendency to suggest that all
countries, barring city-states like Singapore and Monaco (and, one can add, Vatican City), are fiscally federal simply
because there too exists a level of government, which is called local. We also propose to posit the complexion of Indian
polity with respect to political federalism and fiscal federalism but almost as an illustration.
Present Categorisation of States

States are often categorized by structure as unitary, federal and confederal though very few constitutions have called
their states as federal or for that matter, even unitary or confederal.
Unitary State
A unitary state may have several layers of local governments, where local includes regional. State is the principal
and local governments are the agents of this principal. In modern times, as citizens are accepted as the principal
rather than consumers or subjects, state is being increasingly conceived as an agent rather than the master.
Confederal And Federal States
In other two systemsconfederal and federal, there are two levels of states; the two share the sovereignty between
them by the constitution. For analytical purposes, we can call them union state and unit state. When a number of
80 sovereign states come (voluntarily or forced to come) together to form a union state, the form of the emerging polity
80 might become an issue. If constituting units lose their sovereignty altogether, the resulting polity becomes unitary. The
UK could be taken as a good case. But if the unit states retain their sovereignty substantially, the resulting polity
becomes co-federal. If however the constituting units surrender a good amount of sovereignty and yet retain it too in a
good measure, the emerging polity is called federal. All constituting unit states here have common rules in certain
matters through the union state, known in literature as shared-rule and they also continue having their own rules,
known in literature as self-rule. Accepted as father figure in federalism literature, Kenneth,, Who tried to impress
upon that units and union are coordinate and independent in their respective spheres. One can interpret it to say that
none are subordinate but are equal.
If functions which require common dealing or there is substantial economy of scale like defence or money or foreign
affairs, are devolved to the union state, then emerging polity can be said to be co federal. It was the case when the term
The United States of America was coined for the perpetual Union formed between original 13 states, each of which
was to retain its sovereignty, freedom and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this
Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled (See Articles of Confederation and
perpetual Union). In fact, Article 3 puts emphasis on each other for friendship, cooperation and assistance between
states. But a provision said that there shall be a common treasury to meet common defence and general welfare. Under
Confederation phase of the USA, constituting states were supposed to raise army and navy too.
However, many politicians argued in the Federalist papers that the confederation or the perpetual union is too
constrained and is toothless, as for each penny, it has to depend on contributions by the constituent unit states. Then,
they decided to form a more perfect Union in order to establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquillity, provide for the
common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to (themselves) and (their)
Posterity (See The Constitution of the United States, words and parentheses added) and imposed certain restrictions
on constituting states and asserted power to impose taxes, duties, imposts and excises but also to provide for common
defence and general welfare. The Constitution came into operation when 9th State (New Hampshire) ratified it on June
21, 1788. However, now, the union state shares sovereignty with constituting units which continue to be states in their
own right. The emerging polity would assume the form of federation. It is from here that the world learnt of
democratic republican form of federalism so much so that Switzerland, said to be a confederation since 1291, chose to
pattern its polity along the American lines in 1848 for a federal set up while leaving cantons all right to selfgovernment on local issues. It may however be mentioned that use of referendum and an element of direct democracy
are unique features of Switzerland. India is often described as a federal, quasi-federal or semi-federal and federal with
unitary features. And it is true. For example, governors of the states and judges of the High Courts are appointed by
the President of India and they are transferrable across the country. In the case of judges of High Courts, salaries are
paid by the state they serve in, while pensions are paid by the union.
State and Local Government

We have noted that a unitary state may have different levels of governments. All confederal and federal states do have
their local governments too, exception being Saint Christopher and Nevis (popularly called St. Kitts and Nevis). Local
governments may be at several levels under unit states. But, in many cases, there may be some local governments
under union state as well. Australia, Canada, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, the US and many other countries have federal
territories which are not sovereign and the laws for them are made by the union state. In India, laws for selfgovernment in union territories and cantonment boards are enacted by the Parliament of India with two exceptions,
NCT of Delhi and Pudduchery, in certain matters.
The relationship between a union state and its unit states is constructional, delineating their separate and concurrent
powers, while that between a unit state and its local government is legislative whereby, a unit state delegates some of
its powers to its local governments.
In India, the constitution provides for perpetual existence of local government, political reservation for certain sections
of the society, constitution of state election commission and of state finance commission.
Process of Federalisation
In history, we find two processes of federalization. In one case, pre-existing unit states came together to form a union 81
state. The United States of America is a prime example. In the other, a pre-existing unitary state creates unit states with
legislative powers through constitution, not just (local) governments which it can do through legislative acts or
administrative actions. The case in point is Belgium which, for long ruling as a unitary state, finally decided to go
federal in early l990s, respecting cultural and linguistic sentiments. There may be a mixed case too. India is said to be
such one. It is said that, while princely states were brought within the fold, after Independence, with what was British
India (Dominion of India) and provinces of British India were made states by given better legislative powers. To
begin with, all territories were divided into four categories of states but later, after various combinations and
permutations, there emerged states and union territories. In any case, for rest of the world, this cultural expanse was
known and recognized as India which, unlike Europe, was not so much known by its sub-cultures.
Here, one can well note that federalization does not automatically connote decentralization. With passage of times,
both unitary states and confederal ones are found to be moving towards the federal structure. Therefore,
decentralization of government below the level of a unit state does not make the state as the multi-order, multi-layer
federal.
STATE AND SUPER-STATE

Difference between Confederal State and Federal State
Though many states are not claiming these days to be confederal, this conceptual difference is very important. In a
confederation, a citizen belongs to a constituting unit state while the unit state in turn belongs to the union state and
there is no transitivity. In a unitary state, a citizen belongs to the state and there is only one level of state as such, call it
union or not. In a federation, a citizen simultaneously belongs to the unit state as well as to the union state. As a result,
the citizens (and hopefully other legal persons) are under the jurisdiction of only unit state in a confederation (and
under one state in a unitary state) while they are simultaneously under jurisdiction of both, his/her unit state and the
union state, in a federation.
There are certain countries in which unit states retain their constitutions too. States in the USA and Australia do have
their own constitutions wherein some of them explicitly assert sovereignty of their people2. Most federal countries
have a single constitution. In India. only one state, viz., Jammu and Kashmir, has a separate constitution3. Powers of
the two levels of states are delineated in the (national) constitution. One level cannot encroach upon the delineated
areas. Still there are two kinds of asymmetries. One relates to the concurrent areas and other relates to residuary
power. Generally, union state is given supremacy in concurrent areas, which is true of India. Residuary power rests
with unit states in the USA but with union state in India. And this is vertical asymmetry.
Under democratic dispensation, Confederal and unitary (with exception of the United Kingdom) states are both likely
to have a unicameral parliament but, using Indian nomenclature, a confederation will have a Council of States whereas
a unitary state will have a House of Representatives. A federal state will have both, a Council of Statesrepresenting
constituent unit states, and a House of People representing citizens in domicile4.
Federalism: Political and Fiscal
82
82
Political federalism is different from fiscal federalism. Political federalism is a relationship between sovereign States
while fiscal federalism is a relationship between fiscal matters of different tiers of government. In view of Broadway
and Shah (2009), some unitary countries like China might be fiscally more decentralized than are some federal
countries like Australia, India and Malaysia. Fiscal decentralization is perhaps one thing and fiscal federalism is
another. Yet economists have a habit of asserting that federal fiscal principles are equally applicable in all countries
irrespective of the fact that the country is politically unitary, federal or confederal because their approach to polity is
overly economic, that is, in terms of relationship of the state with the market. In their reckoning, a federation is imply
a multilevel system of government in which different levels of government exist, each of which has some independent
authority to make economic decisions within its jurisdiction (Broadway and Shah, 2009, p.4). We might well differ and
hold that economic decisions are only a subset of decisions that the states and governments are allowed to undertake
on behalf of the people. But more importantly, the relationship between states (not governments) at different levels
defines complexion of a national polity whether it is confederal or federal. A state may have a decentralized
government structure is a different matter.
In a confederal state, matter is very simple. Unit states contribute (or pay tribute) to the union state to carry out its
functions. In a unitary state, the state can, by legislation, grant power to local governments to collect and appropriate
tax proceeds. We might recall only a sovereign has the right to tax its people and their activities and a state, as a
sovereign, has that right through their legislative bodies. Governments collect taxes and, if allowed, appropriate the
proceeds. In a federal state, both union state and unit states are granted separate and concurrent rights to tax. The
Constitution of India has a clear- cut distinction. Local governments are also authorized to collect taxes on behalf of
their unit states as are the state departments. We can further note that user charges are charges for commercial
activities of the government. There may be a few pecuniary charges, fees and fines, which are of regulatory nature.
Fiscal constitution divides the sources of resources and areas of disbursement. Most scholars concentrate on taxrevenue on resources side and expenditure on disbursement side5. Howsoever neat division is carried out, there
emerge two imbalances. One is called vertical fiscal imbalance and the other is called horizontal fiscal imbalance.
Under the assumptions that sum total of resources available for nation as a whole are equal to sum total of resources
required, vertical imbalance would be that a level of government has more resources than it requires. It is found that
union level government raises more resources than it needs and therefore it passes on resources through revenue
sharing or grants to the unit states to support their expenditure. Thus, even if states at two levels are constitutionally
sovereign, independent and autonomous, fiscally the governments are not. For example, in India, of the total revenue,
union government collects more than 60 per cent while of the total expenditure; it spends around 40 per cent,
including expenditure on centrally sponsored schemes. Obviously the opposite is true for all the states put together.
Thus, roughly 1/3rd of revenue is transferred from the union to the state governments. Eleventh, Twelfth and
Thirteenth Finance Commissions had recommended respectively 29.5, 30.5 and 32.0 per cent of net tax proceeds of the
union as transfer to the state governments while Tenth Finance Commission had suggested 29.0 per cent of gross tax
proceeds. Of gross revenue proceeds of the union (including non-tax receipts), overall indicative limits were 37.5, 38.0
and 39.5 per cent. Looking from one angle, it all looks good, progressive but from another angle, it is not so good
because dependency of the states is on increase. In the background, all transfers are lateral; the union is only a
mechanism.
Indian Constitution on Legislative and Expenditure Domains

Scholars more often than not point out intervention of the union government in the state domain and detest the
tendency as an encroachment on matters included in the state list of the Seventh Schedule. What they tend to forget is
that the Seventh Schedule has to be read with Article 246 which is about subject-matter of laws to be made by
Parliament and the Legislatures. So, the Parliament cannot ordinarily make law in the domain of State (Legislature).
The Constitution has very clearly provided in Article 282:
The Union (or a State) may make any grants for any public purpose, notwithstanding that the purpose is not one with
respect to which Parliament (or the Legislature of the State, as the case may be) may make laws. (parentheses added)
The activities of Planning Commission and Centrally Sponsored Schemes get support from this Article, which is in
addition to those dealt with by the Finance Commission. Planning Commission also used provisions made in Article
292 about borrowing by the states in giving loans (as part of plan assistance). There are other Articles in the
Constitution of India which suggest state executive to comply with the laws made by Parliament and the executive
power of the Union to give directions to States (Article 256) or which suggest the executive power of the States not to
conflict with that of the Union (Article 257). There were commission and committees that dealt with issues of so-called
Centre-State relations.
Intergovernmental Transfers of Resources

Resources are transferred these days from union level to unit levels across the spectrum6. There are two major ways to
do it: through revenue- sharing and a variety of grants. In most cases, both are adopted.
Revenue sharing is carried in a variety of ways. First, it is tax by tax basis or a by pool of certain/all taxes. Where there
exists a comprehensive commodity tax on value added basis, they have generally gone for a pooled basis. India since
2000 has gone for pooling of most of taxes, direct and indirect. We adopt a mix of several criteria with judgemental 83
weights to decide the share of individual states. Some of the criteria like population are neutral, others like income
distance/ income-inverse are equity-oriented, and still others like tax efforts are incentive-based.
Grants are provided in a variety of ways but generally categorized as block and specific (categorical). Block grant can
be spent by a recipient state anyway it likes but categorical grants for a particular, often narrowly defined, purpose.
However, in western literature, even block grant is for broadly defined purpose like education. According to the
General Accounting Office, from 1980 to 2001, the number of federal block grant programs went from 450 to 700. But in
India, plan assistance and non-plan revenue grants are block grants. Literature also discusses conditional and nonconditional as well as matching and non-matching grants. Each one creates a different type of incentive in the
recipients behaviour and impacts the pattern of expenditure of the recipient state. We might not take it up for want of
space.
If we take example of Thirteenth Finance Commission, there were recommended five kind of grants made to unit
states by the union: (i) grants- in-aid-in revenue to offset non-plan revenue deficit, (ii) grant to help meet goal of
universalisation of elementary education, (iii) grant as performance incentive, (iv) grant for maintenance of roads
including roads in PMGSY, (vi) grant for environment protection. It is understandable that each one seeks a different
goal. They might distort the priorities of the states.
Generally, resources are passed on from the union government to the unit governments and from a unit government to
its local governments. However, the way constitutional provision has been interpreted in India by the Finance
Commissions, resources do flow from union government to local governments via state governments
Channels of Transfers
There are a variety of channels to transfer resources from government of the union state to governments of the unit
states. In some countries, a Ministry (Finance, Home Affairs, Local Governments or Rural development); in some other
countries, Legislature; in some countries, inter-government forum; and in some other countries, an independent
commission carries out the exercise of transfer of resources, specifying the form, the manner, the amount and the
purpose. Australia, South Africa and India have opted for an independent commission. In India, Finance Commission,
which springs up every fifth year, does this job. Constituted under Article 280, it distributes resources between the
union and states and uses Article 275 for grants from the union to states.
However, in India, a permanent extra-constitutional body with the name Planning Commission was instituted only a
few days after promulgation of the Constitution which had only mentioned economic and social as a subject matter in
the concurrent list of the Seventh Schedule. Prime Minister being its Chairman, the Planning Commission assumed a
lot of importance in economic sphere and the Finance Commission choose to shrink its sphere to non-plan revenue
gaps. Union Ministries too have some discretion in using funds, appropriated by them, in various states through
schemes and programmes. Thus, in India, we have three channels: Finance Commission, Planning Commission and
discretionary grants from union ministries.
Though Fourteenth Finance Commission has submitted its report, its recommendations are not out and TORs to the
Commission were given during earlier regime and Planning Commission is not in place, it is difficult to guess out how
fiscal scene is going to change for the next five years (2015-2020) while the present plan has two more years (2015-16
and 2016-17). Union Budget (2014-15) had taken into consideration the plan-budget financial exercise. It is expected
that a mid-term development perspective is kept in view.
With change in intervention policy matrix and emphasis on cooperative federalism as well as change in political
environment, we expect better availability of resources to the unit state governments (and in turn to local government)
and yet not increasing their dependence on the union kitty.
Resources in the final analysis pass from one part of the country to another, one section of the people to another, from
one generation to another and from one set of activities to another. But the present mechanism of federal transfers
creates an impression as if resources are flowing from one level of government to another level. There is a need for
better delineation of resource bases so that dependency of units reduces but the access to resources does not. In
whatever remains, the unit states get a matter of right, not be as charity. Grants may not become zero but they should
so conditional that the priorities of the unit states do not get compromised. It can happen only when unit states are
84 not
84 treated as responsible states and the basis of federation is fraternal, not paternal.
3.
Indias tango with the great powers
The Hindu-Feb 07, 2015 | Category: India and the World
Geopolitical and economic factors and the re-energised relationship between the U.S. and India are the drivers of change in the
trilateral relationship between India, Russia and China. The cumulative impact of these two trends points to a new, emerging
configuration of the triangular relationship
The latest trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of India, Russia and China was held on shifting strategic
sands. It would be no exaggeration to say that the triangular relationship between these countries is entering a new
phase one that differs significantly from the past. Indias ability to navigate this unfolding terrain will not only
impinge on its relationships with Russia and China, but also on its wider, international objectives and choices.
The drivers of change in this trilateral relationship are primarily geopolitical and economic. The civil war in Ukraine
shows no sign of abating, nor indeed does Russias involvement in the conflict. The resurgence of the fighting in
eastern Ukraine has left the peace talks in tatters. And Russian support for the rebels has ensured that the Ukrainian
forces cannot gain the upper hand. Indeed, the Ukrainians have suffered heavily in the recent fighting. This has led to a
chorus of calls in the West to arm the Ukrainian forces. Although U.S. President Barack Obama has demurred against
this, several influential voices including Mr. Obamas nominee for Defence Secretary, Ashton Carter have come
out in favour of providing heavy weapons to Ukraine.
Any such move will lead Russian President Vladimir Putin to dig in his heels still deeper. Russia already faces a raft of
economic sanctions imposed by the European Union (EU) and the U.S. The Russian economy is apparently wilting
under the one-two punch of these sanctions and the free-fall in oil prices. The projected slowdown in growth, the
depleting foreign exchange reserves, the rising inflation, the downgrading of Russias credit rating to junk status: all
point to a serious economic crunch. The economic sanctions have already led Russia to tilt closer towards China. The
talk of providing weapons to Ukraine or imposing further sanctions will accentuate this shift.
The second driver of change is the re-energised relationship between the U.S. and India. The U.S.-India Joint Strategic
Vision put out during Mr. Obamas visit not only singles out the South China Sea dispute but also commits India and
the U.S. to work together with other democracies in the Indian Ocean and Asia-Pacific region. The wisdom of issuing
such a statement is debatable. Are we staking our credibility before creating capabilities? Does it needlessly restrict our
room for diplomatic manoeuvre in the event of a crisis in the South China Sea? New Delhi insists that a strategic
embrace of the U.S. need not limit its relations with China. While this may be true in some generic sense, we should
not forget that every move on the chessboard of international politics will invite countermoves. We do not yet live in a
world that is free of consequences.
India-Russia relationship
The cumulative impact of these two trends points to a new, emerging configuration of the triangular relationship
between India, Russia and China. Going forward, Russia-China ties might become the strongest side of the triangle.
From Indias standpoint, this is historically unprecedented. New Delhis strategic ties with Moscow first took shape in
the late 1950s. The backcloth to the blossoming of this relationship was provided by Indias deteriorating relationship
with China owing to the disputed boundary. At the same time, ideological and strategic ties between Moscow and
Beijing were coming apart. Although the Russians played an ambivalent role during the war of 1962, Indo-Soviet ties,
especially in defence, continued to tighten.
The clashes between Soviet and Chinese forces in 1969 led Moscow to propose a treaty of friendship with India. The
treaty was eventually consummated at the height of the Bangladesh crisis of 1971. This crisis also saw the American
opening towards Maoist China, which subsequently led to a strategic nexus aimed at the Soviet Union. While New
Delhi and Moscow were pulled together by their shared concerns about Beijing, India found its choices being
circumscribed in other areas as well. For instance, after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, India publicly
supported the Russians, while the Americans and the Chinese covertly assisted Pakistan and the Mujahideen against 85
the Red Army.
By the time the Cold War drew to an end, there was a rapprochement between Russia and China. The collapse of the
Soviet Union also led India to look more towards the West. Yet, at no point, was there a possibility of a Russia-China
entente of the kind that is now crystallising. Nor did the normalisation of the Russia-China relationship outweigh
Indo-Russian ties. Most importantly, the developing relationship between Moscow and Beijing did not impact on New
Delhis immediate interests.
All this appears to be changing. In June 2014, Russia announced the lifting of its long-standing embargo on arms sales
to Pakistan. In November, Russia and Pakistan signed their first ever military cooperation agreement. The Russians
argue that if India can buy defence equipment from the U.S., why couldnt they sell to Pakistan. The problem for India,
of course, is the strategic import of such moves by Russia. Then again, we must realise that our growing proximity to
the U.S. reduces our leverage over Russia. As does Russias increasing tilt towards China. As always, a bit of history
can be useful.
Russia-China ties might become the strongest side of the triangle. From Indias standpoint, this is historically
unprecedented.
Back in the 1960s, the Russians first mooted the idea of selling military equipment to Pakistan. The Indian response
was swift and sharp. In a meeting with Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi bluntly said that
nothing should be done from which it could be inferred that the Soviet Union treated India at par with Pakistan.
India, she added, was especially worried with regard to Soviet help [to Pakistan], as such help might neutralise what
we have obtained from the Soviet Union. Moscow promptly backed off. The Russians did so because they needed
Indian support in their own problems with China. Moreover, India unlike Pakistan was not an American ally.
Security architecture
The strategic picture now is rather different. Discussions in the recent trilateral meeting underscored the complexities
that will confront India. The joint statement issued in Beijing makes the usual noises about the desirability of a
multipolar world. Yet, several points need to be unpacked. The statement calls for a security architecture in Asia that
must be open, inclusive, indivisible and transparent. The use of indivisible is interesting. This refers to the
American pivot and attempts at rallying its allies. By contrast, the India-U.S. statement supports at least
rhetorically the U.S.-led efforts. The Chinese and Russians have clearly taken note.
Things would be easy for India if it confronted stark choices between the U.S. and China. Consider the position taken
by the three countries on climate change. The statement hopes that in 2015, a legally-binding instrument would be
arrived at on the basis of equity, common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities. This fits with
Indias negotiating position so far. But the fact is that the U.S. and China have already agreed upon a plan that
effectively carves out an exceptional space for themselves and leaves little for countries like India to work with. This is
a nice example of the G2 solutions for which India will have to watch out.
Another instance of this might be in international trade. The joint statement affirms that the World Trade Organization
(WTO) must remain the preeminent global forum trade. This reflects their concern about U.S. efforts to create new
regional trading blocs in Europe and Asia. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) being negotiated by the Obama
administration aims to bring into force a very different kind of Free Trade Agreements (FTA) in Asia-Pacific, which
will bring on to the trade agenda a new set of norms and standards. The Chinese have been explicitly kept out of it by
the Americans in the hope that China will eventually have to come to terms with this trade agenda. Indeed, as the
TPP negotiations near completion, the Chinese have informally conveyed to the U.S. their desire to get on board. As in
climate change, a U.S.-China convergence on this issue will hurt Indian interests.
86 Then again, there are issues where the three countries interests seem closely aligned and in opposition to the U.S.
86 They have agreed to support a U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) resolution prohibiting intervention and forced
regime change. This cuts against the idea of Responsibility to Protect (R2P), which was introduced by the western
powers through the UNGA and sought to be built up as a norm governing interventions.
Indias relations with the great powers, then, are entering a period of unprecedented complexity. There are no pat
solutions or simple trade-offs. And every move we make will be consequential.

1.
Tourism: can this be the next big thing for India?
Nisha Mishra (Batch: GS-4A)
Man is curious and inquisitive, and a dynamic creature. This dynamism has facilitated as well as ensured his survival.
During the entire evolutionary journey of mankind; man has loved to travel, explore and seek adventure. Man still
loves travelling, exploring and seeking adventure, but not out of some compulsion to ensure his survival rather for
leisure and fun.
This distinct nature of man has paved the path for the development of a full-fledged service industry in the form of
tourism around the globe, India being no exception to this. In the recent years tourism in India is emerging as a crucial
service industry contributing around 6% to the national GDP and 8.78% to the total employment generation in the
economy. But the serious question emanating from these humble statistics is that whether it can turn out to the next
big thing for India or not?
In the background of the greater prospects that lie within the Indian domain for development of tourism, the above
question can be answered by understanding the fabric of Indian tourism itself and how it can be enhanced towards
seizing growing global needs in tandem with various other development needs.
India is the epitome of the world. No single country in the world has been endowed with such diversity and variety.
Each part of the country whether it be the deserts of Thar, coastal beaches of south India, Himalayas of the north,
rainforests and wetlands in the Northeast beam with ample scenic beauty. Nowadays, the term geological tourism is
in vogue, the rocky peaks, cliffs and steep snowy slopes to a large extent attract people for hiking, trekking and
mountaineering especially in regions of Deccan plateau or Ladakh. On the other hand quiet rural landscape appeals for
experiencing a non-urban way of life in the form of rural tourism. Riversides, gorges, waterfalls, etc. provide 87
spectacular views and adventurous water sports opportunities facilitate water tourism. The boat race in the
backwaters (Kayals) of Kerala- gods own country is a good example of this. The landscapes, flora and fauna which
area part of the various national parks, biosphere reserves and wildlife sanctuaries offer great prospects for tourism
development and play a vital role in the conservation and protection of endangered species, as well as in regulating
global environmental ecosystem.
Apart from geography of India; history too has played a significant role in promoting and nurturing Indian tourism.
The historical statues, shrines, tombs, minarets, forts, palaces, monuments, buildings every piece of art and
architecture gives us a glimpse into the Indian past. The performing arts (music, drama, and dance), traditions and
customs, costumes, cuisine, languages, plethora of festivals are expression of the rich Indian heritage and culture,
making India an attractive tourist destination. The conventional Indian wisdom based on yoga and Ayurveda is
gaining fast popularity. Yoga, Ayurveda, and natural health resorts are contributing greatly to the growth of medical
tourism in India. Also notable has been the rise of spiritual tourism in recent years.
Given such a shining profile and prospects of tourism, India has not fully leveraged the advantage hitherto. The
tourism sector is largely seen as a mere contributor towards foreign exchange reserves and employment generation.
But if we really want tourism to be the next BIG THING for India, this perspective must be shunned. Tourisms
contribution goes far beyond these two alone. Its development has a wider and deeper rationale. Tourism can greatly
help social development process. The objectives of poverty alleviation and sustainable human development can be met
in coherence along with tourism development. The local community stakeholders must be made aware of the
prospects and benefits of tourism development in their area. If they are engaged actively in efforts towards tourism
development, it will boost their quality of life with the additional income theyll receive from this direct participation.
This participation can be nurtured and developed by the government as a part of its many poverty alleviating
programmes; the difference here being that instead of making them dole beneficiaries of allowances, the locals can be
provided with a platform for instance whereby they can sell articles of handicrafts, such as jewellery, carpets, ethnic
clothes, antiquities-wooden and metallic, etc. directly to the customers without being harassed by middlemen and
brokers. Thus as a part of community development programmes, development of tourism can be a boon to achieve
socio-economic justice for the deprived and backward sections and promote sustainable human development.
Tourism development and disaster management go hand in hand. While incidents of Uttarakhand tragedy and recent
Kashmir floods are still afresh; its time we learn an early lesson before such incidents repeat themselves in future. Both
Uttarakhand and Kashmir suffered due to reckless and unsustainable developmental activities. Today, the increasing
and unrestricted tourist activity is causing serious collateral damage to these places and environment at large.
Therefore while the focus should surely be to develop tourism sector, it must be borne in mind to keep it in pace with
nature so that we dont fall prey to its fury.
Tourism can also be seen as a way forward to promote pluralism and multiculturalism, which can further help to
build and spread feeling of secularism and communal harmony among diverse communities of India. To serve this
purpose a reinterpretation of our history and culture is required. Plurality and diversity lies at the core of our countrys
history and culture; which presupposes co-existence of diverse beliefs, faiths, languages, dress codes, food habits and
what not. Our ancestors connected the whole landmass from Himalayas to the Indian Ocean by emphasising on the
fundamental unity of the country. The idol of Rama in far south of Rameshwaram is to be washed with the water from
the Ganga in the north, the four Dhamas, the four Peethas of AdiShankara, everyday remembrance of all rivers, etc. all these are not simply religious in nature they denote cultural unity. And this is what we are now badly failing to
understand and appreciate. Instead of looking in an integrated manner, we are carving smaller and smaller factions
possible. All the religious places are visited by tourists, even local nationals only as a part of either Char DhamYatra
or as holiday trip. This attitude of we Indians needs to be changed. These places having religious connotation, or
places of historical importance i.e. historical monuments must be seen beyond exclusively in sense of being mere
tourist places. They rather provide deeper insights about the evolution of our shared tradition, culture and history over
the ages. Adopting this perspective will not only help in creating integration and harmony, it will broaden our
understanding of each other promoting the ethos of brotherhood and secularism in the country.
right way to strive towards the above goal would be to create awareness among people through education. For
88 The
there must be change in the school curriculum and subject history, culture and sociology must be taught with a
88 this
new and broad perspective. However, to achieve this in true spirit, attitude of teachers also must change. Students
dread subjects like history and culture not because these are inherently boring, but because of the way in which they
are being taught. This must change. The purpose of education should be to enhance and broaden the understanding of
past (facilitated by better understanding of history and culture) and that of present (facilitated by understanding of
social fabric of the society we live in) to help us build a brighter future for ourselves..
Even though India is having high prospects for global tourism, it is plagued by serious problems. One of them is lack
of infrastructure including lack of connectivity which debars us from visiting places offering vistas of scenic beauty in
its pristine form. The more serious issues pertain to problems of insurgency, naxalism and terrorism. Incidents like
26/11 attacks of Mumbai, activities of fundamentalist terrorist outfits in the valleys of Kashmir and naxalite and
insurgent activities in north eastern states of India have made a major dent on the health of tourism in these areas.
Then there are also problems of frauds, misbehaviour and harassment by touts, even heinous crimes like rape and
murder against foreign tourists are committed which seriously harm the ethos of Indian hospitality. The sense of pride
in calling our country as Incredible India and our values of Atithi Devo Bhava are quashed altogether with such acts
of shame, causing irreparable damage to the tourism industry.
For long we have focused on the growth of services sector driven by development of information technology sector
alone, ignoring other options. Its high time we get out of this IT hangover and pay heed equally to other viable and
potential sectors. For this tourism should be brought in forefront and prioritised by the government.
Another important factor that acts as a negative impediment for tourism in India is lack of professionals who can cater
to the needs of the tourists. Therefore it becomes imperative to introduce and promote tourism studies in schools and
colleges or centres of higher education for bringing professionals to the tourism industry. Imparting training and
education will increase efficiency and hence employability of youth in the tourism industry allowing us to harness the
favourable demographic dividend to a greater extent.
Further, as a part of policy making, we must incorporate the success stories and experiences of other countries while
retaining our strengths in initiating development in this sector. For instance much of Switzerlands development can be
attributed to the well-developed tourism sector of the country. Even China has equally unleashed its potential and
developed rural tourism while paying heed to industrial and other service sectors also. In a country like India whose
heart is in the villages, efforts should be made to leverage this huge potential instead of urbanising the rural areas. But
of all the most inspiring is Singapores development model of tourism. It attracts large tourist inflows due the
metropolitan city life and conducive business environment that it offers in the form of business tourism. Promoting
this type of tourism will augment the efforts of transforming India into a major industrial and business hub; and also
give impetus to the Make in India drive.
Infrastructure development then becomes a necessary pre-condition. Though smart cities and bullet trains are sought
to become a reality for India; we still lack all-weather roads, so firstly roads have to become accessible throughout the
year. There is a need to upgrade the quality and capacity of our railways and air transport, providing faster and safer
access to tourist places. Hotels and resorts should be developed as per the needs of tourists and in compliance to the
international norms and standards. Sanitation and hygiene must be given due attention. For this the Swachh Bharat
Abhiyan needs to be carried out more seriously. While defining the countrys growth trajectory based on tourism, the
infrastructure development policy and urban development policies must be such which caters to preserve natural and
cultural heritage of the country.
The new government at centre is pushing for reforms in all sectors; tourism being no exception. In fact after the
Swachh Bharat now a Swachh Bharat,Swachh Smarak drive is to be proposed. The ministry of tourism with the
programme of end-to-end tourism seeks to address the problems faced by foreign tourists. Along with this to
encourage tourist inflow in areas affected by militancy, efforts are made with a motto of Tourism should replace
Terrorism. It is necessary that all wings of central and state government, private sector and voluntary organisations
become active partners in the endeavour to attain sustainable growth in tourism, if India is to become a world player in
the tourism industry. The role of common citizenry too cannot be minimised. As a part of our basic fundamental duties 89
we must value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture; and not pilfer waste and cause degeneration
to it.
Most importantly, the haphazard approach that we apply to development should be discarded. And replaced with a
planned and long-term vision abiding by the proverb which says;
Vision without Action is a Daydream, but Action without Vision is a Nightmare.
If we become serious in our approach even now, then tourism can definitely become the next big thing for India acting
as a means of empowerment and uplifting socially and economically backward and weaker sections of society;
working as a powerful antidote to tackle poverty and helping to bring into reality the much aspired and needed
Faster, Sustainable and More Inclusive Growth.
2.
With great power comes greater responsibility
Safiya N.Y. (Batch: GS-4A)

With great power comes greater responsibility. Voltaire said it first. And most of the young people from our
generation know it from Uncle Ben as in his famous advice to his more famous nephew, Spiderman. Ofcourse, Peter
Parkers Spiderman was advised and yes, very wisely by his uncle when he revealed that he got superpowers. Power
is such a complicated and wily thing that it can be used to do miracles and to cause chaos of all kinds. And that aspect
of power makes it entirely necessary to be cautious while executing all forms of it be it legitimate or otherwise.
The power structure of our present day world order describes for us its unending cruel politics and umpteen layers of
it that increase with each day. It is the powerful who make the other: the powerless, the weak and the subaltern. It is
the powerful who transforms the so called powerless to new forms of power too. It is this magic of the concept that
makes it one of the most covetous words on earth- say like - to be the most powerful on earth, in the country, among
the nations and the list goes on.
Human sciences have different takes on power and its politics. Feminists have decried the foul played by men, by
objectifying or mystifying or sidelining them to the peripheries or margins of world map. Even nature has power and
the ferociousness of it often has baffled man. Perhaps nature had taught men to be responsible with power. The
mischief of nature that has caused ravages in no time to mans material possessions might have made thinkers like
Voltaire to associate responsibility with power.
Our world is in a crisis caused by the power games that we played in the past centuries. There are the powerful and
the powerless who are unfortunately pitted against each other to gain triumph over the other. America remains the
worlds most powerful political power but sans its riches and has lost some of its sheen to the economic crises. The
economic meltdown did not end with U.S.; it went on to inflict injuries to the European ego. We have seen much more.
Terrorism and counter terrorism, war and retaliation, debt and borrowing, rape and death, capital punishment of the
state and beheading by the terrorist groups, organised terror and state organised crime. It is the common people who
suffer by the blatant display of power by a meagre section of the worlds people, who holds it. And people end up
swiping the screen in their hands and express their confusion over the conflicts of interests people have on worlds
issues. Like it or share it, there is no other better option; tech savvy population complains. We live in a fast changing
and bewildering world where every citizen has power in his/ her fingertips. We live in the age of social networking
and hence new forms of empowerment have been enabled with the development of communication technology. Arab
spring has blossomed out of a few mobile phones. It has turned the power structure of the Middle East overnight; how
it has ended a couple of kingdoms and their monarchs. Misuse of power was terminated by another form of power
that has revolted the masses against the corrupt practices of the privileged.
Yes, as the saying goes power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Where did the responsible part of
humanity go? Where did the morality go? And when did ideologies start creeping into the corridors of power, that
have started discarding dissent so callously as radical, rather than attending to the concerns of the dissenters
Big nations use their rhetoric and military power against the developing ones, and eat away the fair
90 meticulously?
of the other half of the worlds natural resources. The powerful ones keep on harming nature causing imbalances
90 share
in the natural cycles. Ofcourse we have many new climate deals to be proud of. We have attended many summits,
wrote and signed many deals, spoke mellifluous and loud words in virtual and real world, sent scientists to space and
arctic and are hoping to have the best results out of our actions. Nevertheless, climate suffers. Something has not been
done right. Chaos of the post modern mind suggests just that. Power that lacks a sense of accountability has slackened
mans concern to listen to the other side of every problem. It has made each and every one among us myopic in our
vision.
The other side of the story has a totally different side to display. The efforts of the weak and the marginalised sections
of the world to retaliate however show its inability to adhere to an acceptable path. They transgress from the non
violent, peaceful and constitutional paths of grievance redressing to extremely radical and violent ones. Ofcourse there
always has been exceptions. But the retaliations of the powerless have become so huge to the extent that the voices
unheard so far cannot be considered as insignificant. They defy norms and customs and are destroying the peace of the
world order. Change is so inevitable and it occurs at the turn of every century. The terrorist organisations like Al
Qaeda and ISIS from the Middle East and Africa and its likes in the South Asia resist the hegemony of west. They defy
the ideals of democracy that has denied them their share of power. LTTE which has started its operations as a rebel
group has turned to militant organisation and was uprooted recently. Israel redraws its boundary along with notions
of democracy and definition of diplomacy. Who is to blame and who are all responsible? The irony is nobody seems to
be.
We need to rethink why one percent of worlds population keeps with it 99 percent of worlds wealth or why the
concept of a multipolar world does not click equally in every corner of the world. The world has evolved into a global
village as the advocates of globalisation preach, but has failed to accept the individuality of every ethnic, cultural or
religious group that comes under it. That is where the fault lies. The developed world or the ruling elite have become
so powerful and selfish to the extent that they find the world as unipolar. The world affairs serve to promote the
interests of the ruling class rather than them serving the world. The dichotomy between the haves and have nots has
reached such a level that it betrays our conscience.
World belongs to every species that lives on it. Hence the powerful on earth should be more responsible. Lets save our
planet for generations to come. The pristine nature has lost its glory due to rampant developmental actions. Man has
failed to find that judicious midway that could possibly save nature as well as promote development. Climate talks in
Lima have come to a pause to resume in Paris. Why arent we reaching a consensus? It is the hesitance of a privileged
few to accept responsibility. Developing nations like India and others accuse developed nations of opportunism and
insensitivity to the needs of under developed and poor nations. The developed ones refuse to decrease their carbon
emissions citing their own genuine domestic reasons. The irresponsible and fast paced industrialisation in the 60s and
70s by the U.S., the U.K. and the likes has taken us to a situation that makes the whole world vulnerable to disasters.
We live under the imminent threats of floods and cyclones or global warming. The same logic applies to every aspect
of modern life. It shows how the reckless, irresponsible and insensitive use of power has led to hegemony real and
virtual.
However, one should not ignore the responsible role played by United Nations and other such organisations and civil
society movements that has helped to keep the perspective in check. Liberal societies like America, Europe and even
India has helped in triggering debates on universal topics like womens right, child labour, poverty, nuclear safety,
climate change etc. The present century has witnessed a number of struggles and movements that force the power
structure to check its efficiency. There were struggles in America against the Iraq invasion, protests during Wall Street
crisis and the consequences of which have broken the age old tradition of racial discrimination while electing the head
of the country in the hope that things will change for them.
To take the example of India, civil society movements in a last few years were so significant that it has changed the
political and environmental milieu in the country. The movement against corruption got support from all walks of life
and shook the established power structure of Indian political history. It created new equations of power. Country
witnessed unprecedented participation from the common man to defend the right of its women citizen in the events
that turned out after the Nirbhaya rape incident. Laws were passed, changed and regulated to make power appear 91
more conscientious and accountable. The Kudankulam nuclear protest was another such example that shook the base
of Indias nuclear dreams. NGOs like Greenpeace International demanded drastic security measures that would in turn
make nuclear companies as well as the govt. more answerable and responsible to the lives of the villagers living in the
outskirts of the nuclear reactor. The protests reached its crescent when it demanded the closing of the nuclear power
reactor in the region. The fights against Endosulfan (a deadly poisonous pesticide) from the Kasargod district in Kerala
have resulted in the phasing out of the use of the pesticide from the country. And after decades of coalition politics and
shared governance, we have unanimously elected a majority government in the hope that things will change for us.
The large share of power bequeathed to the hands of the new government adds to its responsibility. Let the fabric of
the country remain unaltered and be in continued poise. Let the hard gained and legitimate power acquired by the
government be instrumental in developing our future. Let the dissent be heard and attended to. Let its youth be
alerted about the responsibility associated with power and let their energy be channelized to better use. Let anarchy
ends and responsibility thrives. Let power be shared responsibly and wisely.
PART TWENTY THREE | ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
PART TWENTY THREE | ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
PART I: Contains multiple choice questions (MCQs) on current affairs for practice. In this issue, we have
covered probable questions for General Studies Preliminary (Paper I) drawn from the November, 2014 issue
of FOCUS magazine.
(Q1). Identify the correct statement/s.
(1)
The World Toilet Organization (WTO) is a
global non-profit organization committed to
improving toilet and sanitation conditions
worldwide.
(2)
In 2001, the World Toilet Organization
declared its founding day, 19 November, as
World Toilet Day. Since then, 19 November
has been observed globally by its member
organizations and others.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(Q2).
(a)
92 (b)
92 (c)
(d)
Codes
Statement 1 is correct
Both are correct
Both are incorrect
And Then One Day is a memoir of
Javed Akhtar
Naseeruddin Shah
Farooq Shaikh
Kaifi Azmi
(Q3). ___________set the record of becoming the first

city in the country to host an exhibition of dogs
of Indian breed
(a)
Begumpet
(b)
Salem
(c)
Bagalkot
(d)
Nagpur
(Q4). The Union government released a stamp in the
recognition of the __________. The breed is
being developed as sniffer dog for its sharp
memory and obedience.
(a)
Afghan Hound
(b)
Basset Hound
(c)
Mudhol Hound
(d)
Grey Hound
(Q5). Pictographs of the Sindu (Harappan) culture
have been discovered on rocks near the world
famous Hampi. Hampi is located in the state of
(a)
Telangana
(b)
(c)
(d)
Andhra Pradesh
Maharashtra
Karnataka
(Q6). Which of the following cricketers has recently

received C.K. Nayudu Lifetime achievement
award?
(a)
Dilip Vengsarkar
(b)
Sandeep Patil
(c)
K. Srikanth
(d)
Kiran More
(Q7). Which of the following organisations has
received the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace,
Disarmament and Development for 2014?
(a)
ISRO
(b)
DRDO
(c)
HAL
(d)
BEL
(1)
The 49th Jnanpith award was conferred upon
eminent Urdu poet Bilal Tanweer.
(2)
Hindi poet Kedarnath Singh won Shakti Bhatt
First Book Prize.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Codes
Both are correct
Both are incorrect
(Q9). Which of the following films won the Golden

Peacock award at IFFI 2014?
(a)
Ek Hazaarchi Note
(b)
Leviathan
(c)
Lunch Box
(d)
Citylights
(Q10). Which of the following writers was called
Queen of crime?
(a)
Agatha Christie
(b)
Dorothy L. Sayers
(c)
Margery Allingham
(d)
P.D. James
(Q11).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Fields Medal is associated with

Astronomy
Architecture
Mathematics
Economics
(Q12). Who will serve as an advocate for UN

Womens newly-launched HeForShe initiative
for gender equality and womens
empowerment?
(a)
Aamir Khan
(b)
Farhan Akhtar
(c)
Shahrukh Khan
(d)
Irfan Khan
(Q13). Who has been appointed as the new Secretary
General of Lok Sabha?
(a)
Anoop Mishra
(b)
Brajesh Mishra
(c)
Prakash Dubey
(d)
N.P. Singh
(Q14).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Director General of WTO is

Pascal Lamy
Mike Moore
Peter Sutherland
Roberto Azevdo
(Q15).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
2014 Davis Cup title was won by

France
Serbia
Switzerland
USA

(1)
Billiards is played with three balls: white, red
and yellow.
(2)
In snooker, there are 15 red and six coloured
balls and one cue ball.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Codes
Both are correct
Both are incorrect
(Q17). World Chess Championship 2014 was held in

the city of
(a)
Moscow
(b)
Sochi
(c)
St. Petersburg
(d)
Sevastopol
(Q18). Headquarter of FIDE (World Chess Federation)

is in the city of
(a)
Berlin
(b)
Brussels
(c)
Madrid
(d)
Paris
(Q19). Magnus Carlsen, who won World Chess
Championship 2014 belongs to
(a)
Finland
(b)
Norway
(c)
Sweden
(d)
Denmark
(Q20).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Fed Cup is associated with

Tennis
Golf
Snooker
Badminton
(Q21).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Nanavati Panel is associated with

Babri Masjid demolition case
post Godhra riots
Purulia arms drop case
26/11 attacks
(Q22). The committee associated with probing of IPL 93

scandal is
(a)
Naresh Chandra Committee
(b)
B.B. Kothari Committee
(c)
Mukul Mudgal Committee
(d)
Ashok Mehta Committee
(Q23). Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) is
proposed by
(a)
U.S.A
(b)
China
(c)
Japan
(d)
Russia
(Q24).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) is proposed by

U.S.A
China
Japan
Russia
(Q25).
(a)
(b)
(c)
2014 G-20 summit was held in the city of

Adelaide
Sydney
Brisbane
(d)
Cairns
(Q26). Finance ministers from G20 countries agreed to

draw to boost their collective GDP growth by
at least 2%. The said plan is known as
(a)
Paris Action Plan
(b)
Ottawa Action Plan
(c)
Brisbane Action Plan
(d)
Tokyo Action Plan
(Q27).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
The SAARC Secretariat is located in

Colombo
Kathmandu
Thimpu
Male
(Q28).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
SAARC is a group of _______ countries.

6
7
8
9
(Q29).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
What is Staphefekt?
a drug for Ebola
a drug for MDR TB
a new drug for HIV
a new drug for drug-resistant bacteria
94 (Q30). Post Lima-2014, the climate summit for the

94
year 2015 will be held in
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Brasilia
Lisbon
Copenhagen
Paris
(Q31). Which of the following animals was not able to

make to the list of UN Conservation of
Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)?
(a)
Polar Bear
(b)
Shark
(c)
Gazelle
(d)
African Lion
(Q32). Convention on migratory species (CMS) is also
called
(a)
Geneva Convention
(b)
Bonn Convention
(c)
Helsinki Convention
(d)
Stockholm Convention
(1)
(2)
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Convention on migratory species CMS is the

only global and UN-based intergovernmental
organization established exclusively for the
conservation and management of terrestrial,
aquatic and avian migratory species
throughout their range.
It is an intergovernmental treaty, concluded
under the aegis of the United Nations
Environment Programme.
Codes
Both are correct
Both are incorrect
(Q34). A new bird species named Muscicapa sodhii, is

a streaked flycatcher found in the Indonesian
island of
(a)
Java
(b)
Bali
(c)
Borneo
(d)
Sulawesi
(Q35).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary is located in

Maharashtra
Madhya Pradesh
Chattisgarh
Orissa
(Q36). Recently, Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary was in

news due to sighting of
(a)
Amur Falcon
(b)
Dodo
(c)
Forest Owlet
(d)
Great Indian Bustard
(Q37). DRDO developed; Air-independent propulsion
(AIP) is a technique to be used in
(a)
Fighter jets
(b)
Missiles
(c)
Submarines
(d)
Satellites
(Q38). The new Information Management and
Analysis Centre (IMAC), the nerve centre of
the Navy for coastal surveillance and
monitoring is being located in
(a)
Gurgaon
(b)
Faridabad
(c)
Chandigarh
(d)
Pinjore
(Q39). National Command Control Communication

and Intelligence Network was built by
(a)
DRDO
(b)
ISRO
(c)
BEL
(d)
BHEL
(Q40).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
What is Power of Siberia?

Symbolises giant Siberian Tiger
A new gas pipeline from Russia to China
Dense coniferous forest belt
Hot water geysers
(Q41). Suzlon sets up worlds tallest hybrid wind

turbine in
(a)
Kutch
(b)
Jaisalmer
(c)
Bikaner
(d)
Ladakh
(1)
Global Slavery Index, the index of 167
countries found India had by far the greatest
number of slaves.
(2)
Mali is the country where slavery is most
prevalent by the percentage of population.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Codes
Both are correct
Both are incorrect
(Q43). Which of the following countries is

collaborating in the establishment of Nalanda
University with India?
(a)
Taiwan
(b)
Nepal
(c)
Maldives
(d)
Bhutan
(Q44). A cargo train service has started running for
Madrid from the Chinese city of ______,
signaling the feverish efforts by China and
Russia, to revive the ancient Silk Route.
(a)
Yiwu
(b)
Chongqing
(c)
Chengdu
(d)
Urumqi
(Q45). Headquarter of International Atomic Energy

Agency (IAEA) is situated in
(a)
Vienna
(b)
Brussels
(c)
Geneva
(d)
Rome
(Q46). The IAEA has two "Regional Safeguards
Offices" which are located in
(a)
Washington and Canberra
(b)
Toronto and Tokyo
(c)
Ottawa and Nagoya
(d)
Houston and Sydney
(1)
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear
Weapons, commonly known as the NonProliferation Treaty or NPT, is an international
treaty with objective to prevent the spread of
nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to
promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of
nuclear energy, and to further the goal of
achieving nuclear disarmament.
(2)
North Korea, which acceded to the NPT in
1985 but never came into compliance,
announced its withdrawal in 2003. Also four
UN member states have never joined the NPT:
India, Israel, Pakistan and South Sudan.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Codes
Both are correct
Both are incorrect
(Q48).
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Hosni Mubarak was the erstwhile President of

Libya
Tunisia
Egypt
Jordan

(1)
The European Parliament (abbreviated as EU
Parliament or the EP) is the directly elected
parliamentary institution of the European
Union (EU). Together with the Council of the
European Union (the Council) and the
European Commission, it exercises the
legislative function of the EU.
(2)
The European Parliament has three places of
work Copenhagen (Denmark), Monaco and
Marseilles (France).
95
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Codes
Both are correct
Both are incorrect
(Q50). What is Resolute Support?

(a)
Global collaboration to destroy ISIS
(b)
NATO support for Ukraine
(c)
New NATO mission in Afghanistan
(d)
None of the above
96
96
PART II: A bunch of 15 relevant questions on various themes of General Studies (Main) Examination have
been put in this issue for practice.
GENERAL STUDIES (MAIN) PAPERS
Answer the following in 200 words:
Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.
Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.
Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.
Modern India
In what way did Mahatma Gandhi transform the nature of the national movement?
Why did the salt laws become an important issue of struggle?
Why was the charkha chosen as a symbol of nationalism?
How the First World War helped in the growth of the National Movement in India?
Why Gandhiji decided to withdraw the Non-Cooperation Movement?
Polity
Fundamental Rights place some limits on the authority of the state. Explain with examples.
Indian secularism focuses on more than the religion-state separation. Explain.
What was the task of the States Reorganisation Commission? What was its most salient recommendation?
In coalition politics, political parties are not aligning or realigning on the basis of ideology. What arguments
would you put forward to support or oppose this statement?
Regional demands from different parts of India exemplify the principle of unity with diversity. Do you agree?
Give reasons.
Geography
Are physical and chemical weathering processes independent of each other? If not, why? Explain with examples.
How do the latitude and the tilt in the axis of rotation of the earth affect the amount of radiation received at the
earths surface?
97
Why does tropical cyclone originate over the seas? In which part of the tropical cyclone do torrential rains and
high velocity winds blow and why?
Examine the factors that influence the temperature distribution of the oceans.
What is an ecological system? Identify the major types of ecosystems in the world.
Solutions are given hereunder for the multiple choice questions on current affairs given in December, 2014
issue of FOCUS magazine.
(Q1)(Q2)(Q3)(Q4)(Q5)(Q6)(Q7)(Q8)(Q9)(Q10)(Q11)(Q12)Exp:
98
98
(Q13)(Q14)(Q15)Exp:
(Q16)(Q17)(Q18)(Q19)(Q20)(Q21)(Q22)Exp:
(Q23)(Q24)(Q25)(Q26)-
Answer (c)
Answer (d)
Answer (b)
Answer (d)
Answer (a)
Answer (c)
Answer (d)
Answer (a)
Answer (c)
Answer (c)
Answer (a)
Answer (d)
Billiards is played with three balls: white, red
and yellow. The white and yellow balls are the
cue balls of the two opponents respectively
and the objective is to score some set points.
The player who scores the required points first,
wins.
In snooker, there are 15 red and six coloured
balls and one cue ball. The player has to pot a
red first, then a colour, and again a red, and so
on. At the end of the frame the player with
more points wins.
Answer (c)
Answer (a)
Answer (b)
The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY),
which insures families of unorganised sector
workers for medical care, will be transferred
from the Ministry of Labour and Employment
to the Union Health Ministry.
Answer (d)
Answer (b)
Answer (a)
Answer (d)
Answer (d)
Answer (b)
Answer (a)
Nicaragua, Rwanda and the Philippines all
make the top 10 in having least gender gap.
Answer (c)
Answer (c)
Answer (d)
Answer (d)
Exp:
(Q27)(Q28)(Q29)(Q30)(Q31)(Q32)(Q33)(Q34)(Q35)(Q36)(Q37)(Q38)(Q39)(Q40)-
Other than China, among Asia's 10 largest

economies only India and Singapore signed the
AIIB memorandum, with three of the top five - Japan, South Korea and Indonesia -- notably
absent.
The Japanese government has expressed
concern, while the United States is fiercely
opposed to the AIIB.
Answer (a)
Answer (c)
Answer (a)
Answer (d)
Answer (c)
Answer (a)
Answer (a)
Answer (a)
Answer (d)
Answer (c)
Answer (c)
Answer (d)
Answer (a)
Answer (c)
PART TWENTY FIVE | FOCUS SPECIAL
UNDERSTANDING PERSONALITY TEST (PT)

(Crossing the Final Frontier)
This article caters to the third and decisive stage of Civil Service Examination
Currently, the atmosphere is abuzz with the unnerving expectations of students who appeared in 2014 Main
Examination to emerge successful. Overall, the students who are embarking on the journey to become civil servants
have to cross three major stages during the entire course of examination conducted by UPSC. They are Preliminary,
Main and Personality Test.
Those students who will finally be clearing the second stage (Main Examination) will ultimately be proceeding to the
third and decisive stage. As every stage throws its own challenges to deal with; the third and final stage, Interview,
also comes up with fresh set of challenges for an aspirant to understand, master and deliver.
The Interview for final selection in UPSC examination is called Personality Test (PT) as it is aimed at assessing
candidates personality, suitability to be a competent administrator. The PT carrying 275 marks out of 2075 has the
final say in the success and rank of a candidate. Sometimes two or three marks more or less in the interview can lead to
huge changes in the final rankings; thus making a massive difference for a candidate in getting into IAS, IPS, IRS or
other allied services. So, let us now understand this third and decisive stage in its entirety.
The basic objective is to assess suitability of the candidate for civil service, his/her social traits, critical powers of
assimilation, clear and logical exposition, balance of judgment, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion
and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity. The motive of the personality test "is not to cross-examine" students
but to draw them into "purposive conversation", though "directed" in an unobtrusive manner. Prime objective is to 99
establish whether you: can do the job, will do the job, and will fit in. Your personality and behavioural style have a
significant role to play in providing the answers to all three questions.
According to UPSC: The candidate will be interviewed by a board that will have before them a record of his/her
career. He/she will be asked questions on matters of general interest. The object of the interview is to assess the
personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a board of competent and unbiased observers. The
test is intended to judge the mental calibre of a candidate. In broad terms this is really an assessment of not only his
intellectual qualities but also social traits and his interest in current affairs. Thus, the interviewers have two major
concerns in their mind: the personality issue and the knowledge aspect of the candidate.
Considering the above, PT is designed and directed towards testing the governmental attitude of the prospective
aspirant. Questions asked ranges from personal bio-data, academic background, current affairs and personal interests.
Broadly, it can be divided into 5 sections: (i) Personal, (ii) Academic, (iii) Optional subject, (iv) Current Affairs, and (v)
Hobbies. Personality assessment of the candidate is based on (a) Appearance (b) Demeanour and (c) Exposition.
The PT is in the form of unstructured interview where questions can be changed or adapted to meet the respondents
intelligence, understanding or belief. Board members are free to ask any question from the candidate and each case is
treated in isolation from others. Usually, PT may take the form of Stress Interview for judging the candidate on the basis
of attitude of handling work overload, dealing with multiple tasks, projects and departments, conflict management.
The goal is to assess how the candidate handles pressure or to purposely evoke emotional responses.
In PT, the qualities that are rated are clarity of expression, grasp of narrative and argument, reasoning ability,
appreciation of difference in opinion, awareness and concern for socio-economic problems, depths of interests and
personal attributes.
Broadly, the process can be divided into: (a) Pre-Interview phase- It encompasses the information available to the
interviewer beforehand (application form) and the perceptions interviewers form about the candidates from this
information prior to the actual face-to-face interaction, (b) Interview phase entails the actual process of interview, (c)
Post-Interview phase- The board likely to take consideration all the information from the pre-interview phase, and
integrates it to form a post-interview evaluation of the candidate.
Thought process of the Interview Board

Gauging personality is an intriguing art. Selecting a suitable candidate for the steel frame of India requires that the
board uses all possible methods to assess candidates psychology and job fit. Few of the tricks resorted by the board are
given in the following paragraphs.
To smoothen an over confident candidate, the board sees to the fact that the candidate feels uneasy at least for some
time. There is nothing obnoxious in this method because it is only in a state of slight mental anxiety or tension that an
individual gives out his true self. On the other hand, for excessively nervous candidates, the board asks simple things
like, the name and the place from where, the candidate comes, they are invariably meant to make the candidate feel at
home. There should not be even an iota of doubt that the board does not know the answers for the questions put to
candidates.
The Board quite often snubs the candidates so as to make them explain things in layman's language. Such a snubbing
is essential because only those candidates who have taken a lively interest in their subjects can use simple language.
(Avoid jargons and technical words). Interview Board also lays down traps for unnerving the candidate, to shake him/her
off from their zone of comfort prompting them to be decisive in approach, answering and mannerisms.
requirements of the particular post under consideration prompt the board to employ suitable techniques to lead a
100 The
into a purposeful conversation in order to judge whether the candidate has the potentiality to undertake the
100 candidate
responsibilities and duties of the cadre under consideration. (Keeping cool is the key)
Further the overall observation of the pallor of the face, the unconscious scratching of the nose, the dilation of the
pupils and the glint of the eyes, the disturbance in the rhythm of breathing, the fidgeting of fingers, the nervous
movement of the feet, postures and gestures, and all such like trivia give out overall overview of the personality of a
candidate to the board.
The board also resorts to trapping the candidate by provocation. At times, board deliberately mis-spells the name of a
candidate so that he/she would take offence if he/she has no sportive trait in him/her. The board might query stating
that they are absolutely ignorant. (for e.g. about the basic elements of economics when interviewing a candidate having master
degree in economics.)
The feline-like moves of the board are quite prolific in the situations when an assertion or statement made by a
candidate creates suspicion in the minds of the board regarding its authenticity. Allied to this feature is the tragedy of
telling lies, which cannot be shielded even by a shred of truth. Apart from the board taking advantage of the
involuntary or voluntary mistakes committed by a candidate, it also goes out to lay certain traps by pretending to be in
agreement with certain supposedly immutable ideas and beliefs. Very often, candidates are lost in such traps. (e.g.
mistakes on viewpoint, data, facts, situations, opinion etc). In order to take the candidates unawares, the board
deliberately puts forward conflicting views or statements in order to induce a stand by the candidate.(e.g. transgender
shall not be considered as third gender)
The last but one trap relates to manners etiquette and conduct from the moment a candidate enters the room to finally
leaving the room after completion of interview. (For e.g. Normally, the tricks of the board which are adopted to test the
PART TWENTY SEVEN| FOCUS SPECIAL
etiquette and manners of a candidate are things like a member getting up to go out, or entering the room while the candidate is
being interviewed, and dropping something on the floor and asking the candidate to call the helper. )
In brief, candidates must bear in mind that they are on test but not the board, and whatever the board does is designed
for the sake of knowing the administrative personality of a candidate; and there is nothing like deliberately making a
fool of the candidate.
What is basically observed?

First, perspective from which a candidate views things, (i.e., the happenings around him in all walks of life, inclusive
of subjects in which he has specialized); Second, nature of the knowledge to see whether it is the result of merely
memorizing things, or whether he/she has thought about them and is able to relate his knowledge to the facts of life;
Third, discretion, ability to take stand and decision- as an administrator good amount of discretion depends on the
candidate's viewpoint, an ability which manifests itself as imaginative understanding of things, capacity for leadership,
resourcefulness in grappling with the unexpected, and such other qualities. (What is needed is common sense and the
capacity for quick decision rather than erudition or brilliancy of imagination."); Fourth, prudence and tact- candidates
will do well to bear in mind that the board expects them not only to be a person of integrity and honesty but also
person of prudence and tact. In brief, a good candidate 'must be practical and worldly-wise, but not sentimental or
idealistic; Fifth, articulation- the next important requirement of a good candidate is his/her clarity or lucidity of
expression, however mundane or esoteric might be the topic for conversation; Sixth, non-judgemental attitude free
from biases and prejudices; Seventh, balance of mind that portrays ability to stay calm and maintain composure in
strenuous situations; Eighth, approach at work place- innovative approach and problem solving skills at workplace is
prerequisite in becoming an able administrator; Finally, one thing that the candidates should bear in mind is that the
board awards marks for the administrative personality of a candidate and not for his/her general personality which
might have the making of a good scholar or an artist. It is the administrative acumen of the candidate which is on test
in PT.
A good candidate is expected to lead the board and not passively answer the questions. Try to orient the interview
towards ones area of strength. Shed question and answer mentality. On the contrary enjoy the interaction and
101
conversation with experienced and intellectual minds sitting in the board.
Preparation for your personality test works

Research, as well as our large number of candidates, has shown that an effective preparation can assist you to improve
your personality test profile. Key to your success in a personality test is the understanding of the jobs requirements
and how they are measured in the personality test. This will help you demonstrate to the board that you have the
relevant personality characteristics to perform in the job.
Seeking professional guidance will definitely help and there are few prominent, reputed and experienced
organisations which can help in providing targeted guidance. Therefore, a good practice before the actual PT will
ultimately help in understanding what your current personality traits are, what type of personality traits are required
and are important, and how the board actually measures your personality.
In a nutshell, regular practice and guidance before the D-day can also help as confidence booster and improves the
chances of success.

GK January 2015

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FOCUS

PART ONE | INTERNATIONAL

U.N. confirms Palestine will be ICC member on April 1

PART TWO | INDIA AND THE WORLD

Nepal to join Silk Road Economic Belt through Tibet

PART THREE | NATIONAL NEWS

Learning outcomes poor, says ASER

PART FOUR | ECONOMY

ECB launches 1 trillion euro rescue plan to revive euro economy

PART FIVE| POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

Wage code to replace all related laws

PART SIX| SOCIAL ISSUES

Odds of escaping poverty in India, U.S. same: World Bank

PART SEVEN| SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Government approves Neutrino Project

PART EIGHT | ENERGY

US and India announce breakthrough on nuclear deal

New China-Myanmar oil pipeline bypasses Malacca trap

PART NINE | DEFENCE

India, U.S. to extend Defence cooperation pact

Fossils of dolphin-like creature found off Scotland

PART ELEVEN | HEALTH

Teixobactin: Scientists find promising new antibiotic

PART TWELVE | SPORTS

PART THIRTEEN |ORGANISATIONS IN NEWS

PART FOURTEEN | PERSONALITIES

Gyan Mani Nepal

PART FIFTEEN | AWARDS

PART SIXTEEN| HISTORY AND CULTURE

PART TEN | ENVIRONMENT, ECOLOGY & BIODIVERSITY

Excavation at Harappan site reveals house plan

PART SEVENTEEN| PLACES

PART EIGHTEEN| BOOKS AND AUTHORS

The Red Sari

PART NINETEEN| MISCELLANEOUS

New app brings voices of Holocaust to modern devices

PART TWENTY | EDITORIALS

Kill graft, India will grow even faster

Connecting safe havens

PART TWENTY ONE | ARTICLES

Why Federalism? A Perspective

PART TWENTY TWO| ESSAY

PART ONE | INTERNATIONAL

PART ONE | INTERNATIONAL

U.N. confirms Palestine will be ICC member on April 1

REACTIONS AGAINST THE MOVE

PART ONE| INTERNATIONAL

ISRAEL- PALESTINE CONFLICT: A TIMELINE

Saudi King Abdullah dies, new ruler is Salman

Abdullah had ruled Saudi Arabia as king since 2005, but

PART ONE | INTERNATIONAL

MAIN THRUSTS OF STRATEGIC POLICY

The successful impeachment of Ms. Yingluck, the

PART ONE| INTERNATIONAL

Greece election: Anti-austerity Syriza wins election

Greek left-wing leader Alexis Tsipras was sworn in as the

PART ONE | INTERNATIONAL

OTHER CHINESE INITIATIVES

The measure was approved after more than a two-thirds

Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi resigned, just

PART ONE| INTERNATIONAL

Members of the armed Islamist

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