IAS UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 27th December 2019

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(PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS)

Vivekananda Rock Memorial: Golden Jubilee Celebrations

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I- Art & Culture; Modern history

In Newscc

• Vivekananda Rock Memorial is a monument in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu at the Tri-junction of Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian sea.
• It was built in 1970 in honour of Swami Vivekananda who is said to have attained enlightenment at this place in 1892, prior to his famous Chicago trip
• The memorial consists of two main structures, the Vivekananda Mandapam and the Shripada Mandapam. The design of the mandapa incorporates different styles of temple architecture from all over India. 

BrahMos Missile: Latest upgrades

Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II- International Affairs; GS-III- Security

In News

• DRDO carried out two successful tests of the latest variant of the BrahMos missile, one from the land platform and the other from air. 
• BrahMos is a cruise missile, meaning it can be guided towards a pre-determined land- or sea-based target. With a capability to attain speeds 2.8 times that of sound (Mach 2.8), BrahMos is classified as supersonic cruise missile. 
• An amalgam of the names of the rivers Brahmaputra and Moskva, BrahMos is being produced by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture company set up by DRDO and Mashinostroyenia of Russia in 1998.
• Its land-to-land, submarine-fired and now air-fired variants have been developed stage by stage
• A newer version under development is aimed at flying at speeds greater than Mach 5. These are called hypersonic cruise missiles. 
• BrahMos Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM): Another test was carried out from air, using the Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter jets of the Indian Air Force as the base. The missile destroyed a target at sea

Cruise Missile Vs Ballistic Missile

• The ballistic missile is targeted as a projectile from a single launch force with not much-added guidance.
• A cruise missile locates its target, or has a preset target, and navigates there. It generally consists of a guidance system, payload, and aircraft propulsion system, housed in an airframe with small wings and empennage for flight control.

Good Governance Index (GGI)

Part of: GS Prelims and GS Mains II – Governance

In News

• Good governance can be referred as an effective and efficient process of decision making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented) keeping the amelioration of citizens as the topmost priority. Resource allocation, creation of formal establishments, setting up rules and regulations etc., are part of achieving this goal
• The objectives of GGI are to provide quantifiable data to compare the state of governance in all states and UTs, enable states and UTs to formulate and implement suitable strategies for improving governance and shift to result oriented approaches and administration

• GGI will consider 10 sectors: agriculture and allied sectors, commerce and industries, human resource development, public health, public infrastructure and utilities, economic governance, social welfare and development, judicial & public security, environment, and citizen-centric governance.

• These ten Governance Sectors are measured on total 50 indicators.
• The states and UTs are divided into three groups: a). Big States, b). North-East & Hill States and c). UTs.
• On the index, Tamil Nadu has got the highest score (5.62), followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Chhattisgarh (5.4, 5.1, and 5.05) respectively.
• In economic governance ranking, Karnataka leads, followed by Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu.

Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-I- Modern History

In News

• December 25 is the birth anniversary of Madan Mohan Malaviya, the famed Indian educationist and freedom fighter who is also called ‘Mahamana’

• Malaviya is known for founding the Banaras Hindu University and for becoming one of the torchbearers of the freedom struggle — acting as a bridge between the Moderates and the Extremists in the Congress.
• Malaviya joined the Indian National Congress at its Calcutta session in 1886 — it had been founded a year previously at the Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Mumbai
• He became president of Congress four times — in 1909 (Lahore), in 1918 (Delhi), in 1930 (Delhi), and in 1932 (Calcutta). Malaviya was part of the Congress for almost 50 years.
• Malaviya was one of the early leaders of the Hindu Mahasabha, and helped found it in 1906. 
• He was a social reformer and a successful legislator, serving as a member of the Imperial Legislative Council for 11 years (1909–20).
• Malaviya espoused free and compulsory primary education, opposed the system of indentured labour in the British Empire, and supported the nationalisation of railways.
• In 2015, the government bestowed Malaviya with the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, 68 years after his death.
• In 2016, the Indian Railways started the Varanasi-New Delhi Mahamana Express in the leader’s honour.

(MAINS FOCUS)

POLITY

TOPIC: General Studies 2:

• Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Good Governance Index: Measure governance in Indian states

Context:

• The MoS (PP) Dr Jitendra Singh launched the ‘Good Governance Index’ at an event organized by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, on the occasion of Good Governance Day.

Good Governance Day  :

• Good Governance Day  is observed in India annually on the 25th  December, the birth anniversary of former-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
• Good Governance Day was established in 2014 to honor Prime Minister Vajpayee by fostering awareness among the Indian people of accountability in government.

Good governance:

• Good governance is significant in public institutions to conduct and manage public affairs and resources to guarantee human rights in free of abuse and corruption, and with due regard for the rule of law.
• It is significant because it promises to deliver on the promise of human rights: civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.
• Good governance is thus, a function of installation of positive virtues of administration and elimination of vices of dysfunctionalities.

Elements of good governance:

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 27th December 2019

SRC: IASBABA

Good Governance Index:

• GGI is a uniform tool that will help in assessing the status of governance and the impact of interventions undertaken by governments across all states and UTs.
• GGI had been “scientifically designed” to reflect various parameters of governance.

  “Good governance can be referred as an effective and efficient process of decision making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented) keeping the amelioration of citizens as the topmost priority. Resource allocation, creation of formal establishments, setting up rules and regulations etc., are part of achieving this goal.” Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances 

Objective of Good Governance Index:

• To provide quantifiable data to compare the state of governance in all states and UTs, 

• Enable states and UTs to formulate and implement suitable strategies for improving governance and shift to result oriented approaches and administration

Measuring GGI: GGI will consider 10 sectors

• Agriculture and allied sectors, 

• Commerce and industries,

• Human resource development, 

• Public health, 

• Public infrastructure and utilities, 

• Economic governance, 

• Social welfare and development,

• Judicial & public security, 

• Environment, 

• Citizen-centric governance.

The states and UTs have been grouped into three categories: big states, Northeast and hill categories, and UTs.

• On the index, Tamil Nadu has got the highest score (5.62), followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Chhattisgarh (5.4, 5.1, and 5.05) respectively.
• Among the Northeastern and hill states, Himachal Pradesh is at the top with a score of 5.22, followed by Uttarakhand, Tripura, and Mizoram at 4.87, 4.5, and 4.41 respectively.
• In the list of environment rankings, West Bengal is on top, followed by Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Bihar.
• In economic governance ranking, Karnataka leads, followed by Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu.

Conclusion:

• Few challenges that are faced in accomplishment of good governance are weak institutions, lack of participation and democratisation, lack of social capital, corruption and other. 
• It is essential to address these challenges to achieve good governance that plays a paramount role in the transformation of predatory state to welfare state.

Connecting the dots:

• Do you think Good Governance Index brings in healthy competition among the states?
• Whata are the challenges of Good Governance?

ENVIRONMENT

TOPIC: General Studies 3:

• Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment

Atal Bhujal Yojana — Why a scheme for groundwater?

Context:

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Atal Bhujal Yojana, or Atal Jal, a day after the Cabinet approved it. 
• Atal Jal is a World Bank-funded, central scheme aimed at improving groundwater management. 
• It was approved by the World Bank Board in June 2018.

Background:

• The idea first came up in 2015, in view of depleting groundwater resources. 
• The government announced its intention to start a programme for management of groundwater resources in the Budget of 2016-17, with an estimated cost of about Rs 6,000 crore.

Scarcity of water in India:

• India accounts for 16 per cent of the world’s population living in less than 2.5 per cent of the global area, and has just 4 per cent of the global water resources. 
• According to the Central Water Commission (CWC), the estimated water resources potential of the country, which occurs as natural runoff in the rivers, is 1,999 billion cubic metres. Of this, the estimated utilisable resources are 1,122 billion cubic metres per year — 690 BCM per year surface water and 432 BCM per year replenishable groundwater. With the population rising, demand for water will increase manifold in coming years. 
• According to the CWC, per capita availability in the country will decrease from 1,434 cubic metres in 2025 to 1,219 cubic metres in 2050.
• By CWC benchmarks, a water-stressed condition happens when per capita availability is less than 1,700 cubic metres, and a water-scarcity condition when per capita availability falls below 1,000 cubic metres. 
• Some river basins are facing a water-scarcity condition.( Krishna, Cauvery, Subarnarekha, Pennar, Mahi, Sabarmati and east-flowing rivers, and west-flowing rivers of Kutch and Saurashtra including Luni. )
• Water scarcity is most acute in the basins of the Cauvery, Pennar, Sabarmati and east-flowing rivers, and west-flowing rivers of Kutch and Saurashtra including Luni.

Groundwater situation:

• Water and Related Statistics 2019’, a report published by the CWC, the annual replenishable groundwater resources in India (2017) are 432 BCM, out of which 393 BCM is the annual “extractable” groundwater availability. 

•  Jal Shakti Ministry in Parliament recently. Among the states where at least 100 wells were monitored, the highest depletion has been in Karnataka (80%), Maharashtra (75%), Uttar Pradesh (73%), Andhra Pradesh (73%), Punjab (69%).

Daily Current Affairs IAS | UPSC Prelims and Mains Exam – 27th December 2019

SRC: IE

Atal Bhujal Yojana seek to address:

• For now, the Atal Bhujal Yojana will be implemented in seven states – Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and UP over five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25. It is expected that it will benefit about 8,350 gram panchayats in 78 districts. 
• According to Jal Shakti Ministry sources, if the scheme meets its objectives in water-stressed areas, it will be extended to other parts of the country.

Major components of the scheme:

• One is institutional strengthening and capacity building for sustainable ground water management in the states including improving monitoring networks, capacity building, strengthening of water user associations. 
• The second component is incentivising the states for achievements in improved groundwater management practices. 

Beneficiaries:

• Priority areas in seven states will be identified. 
• The seven states are Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. 
• The scheme is expected to benefit nearly 8,350 gram panchayats in 78 districts in these states. 

How does the scheme works ?

• The focus will be on arresting the rate of decline of groundwater levels as well as water consumption. The scheme will seek to strengthen the institutional framework and bring about behavioural changes at community level for sustainable groundwater resource management. It envisages community-led Water Security Plans.

Connecting the dots:

• Do you think groundwater management is a solution to agrarian crisis?
• Do you really think India’s Ground water is in Distress?

(TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE)

Model questions: (You can now post your answers in comment section)

Note: 

• Correct answers of today’s questions will be provided in next day’s DNA section. Kindly refer to it and update your answers. 

• Comments Up-voted by IASbaba are also the “correct answers”.

Q.1) Consider the following statements about Vivekananda Rock Memorial

1. It is a monument in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu at the Tri-junction of Indian ocean, Bay of Bengal and Arabian sea.
2. It was built in 1970 in honour of Swami Vivekananda who is said to have attained enlightenment at this place

Which of the above statement(s) given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q.2) Consider the following statements about BrahMos Missile

1. It is a ballistic missile with a range of 3000 Kms
2. It is being produced by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture company set up by DRDO and Russia in 1998.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q.3) Consider the following statements about Good Governance Index

1. It is being designed and released by NITI Aayog in collaboration with World Bank
2. The objective is to provide quantifiable data to compare the state of governance in all states and UTs and enable them to formulate and implement suitable strategies for improving governance

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q.4) Consider the following statements about Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya

1. He was one of the early leaders of the Hindu Mahasabha, and helped found it in 1906. 
2. He was staunch critic of Congress and opposed its policies & working style.
3. He founded the Banaras Hindu University for which he served as Vice-Chancellor from 1919 to 1938.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1,2 and 3

ANSWERS FOR 26 DEC 2019 TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE (TYK)

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