ForumIAS October Final One

ForumIAS
Mains
Marathon
October 2016
The Journey of a Thousand Miles begins with the first step
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GS-1
INDEX
Questions
1. Since World War 2, European countries spoke passionately about the
universalization of human rights, but in 2015, when Europe faced the
refugee crisis, all these fine principles have been cast aside. In this context
bring out the implications of refugee crisis on Europe.
2. Rural Development is key to National Development. In the light of this,
discuss how rural transformation can be made more inclusive?
3. Analyze the impact of Globalization on the indigenous tribes of the
World.
4. Examine Prohibition imposed in certain states is often discriminatory to
the weaker sections of the society. Do you agree?
GS-2
Questions
1. Demand for reservation in jobs is escalating, in this context critically

analyze how helpful can be the reservation in government jobs to handle
increasing unemployment. What should be the rationale behind providing
reservation in jobs?
2. In the wake of recent escalation of tension with neighboring country,
bringing efficiency and increasing capabilities in defense procurements
have become of utmost importance for India. Critically evaluate how
Defense Procurement Procedure 2016 can be helpful in realizing this goal
of India?
3. Does divesting in PSUs hinder the social welfare of a nation? Also
discuss the rationale behind pushing for divestment in PSUs in India.
4. Discuss the possible threats India may face due to Geo-spatial
technological development. How Geospatial Information Regulation Bill,
2016 may help in dealing with these problems. What could be its possible
implications?
5. India and Mauritius have agreed to amend their more than two decade
old tax treaty. What objectives do India and Mauritius intent to achieve by
that and what would be its various possible effects?
6. Discuss why India should maintain a cordial relation with China. What
are the challenges India and China relations are facing at present?
7. Critically analyze the rationale behind tax disclosure scheme and its
effectiveness in dealing with black money.
8. How Management Information System (MIS) system of Mahatma
Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme
can be used to bring effectiveness in other government initiatives? Also

suggest the steps to make the information system more effective.
9. While RTI) Act has undoubtedly been a most empowering legislation for
citizens, it has misuses too. Elaborate and highlight the provisions of RTI
that act against misuse of RTI.
10. India has signed civil nuclear agreement with many developed
countries, but signing agreement with Japan is most significant. Elucidate.
11. Only a full-time commission, which is independent of the government
and the judiciary, can impart transparency and credibility to the system of
appointments to the higher judiciary. Comment.
12. How can the amendments to HIV and AIDS bill, 2014 tackle the
challenges?
13. Discuss the strategic significance of Iran to Indias Foreign Policy.
Highlight the significance of the Chabahar Port in securing Indias
economic and strategic interests in West Asia.
14. Critically analyze the present US policy in Middle East. Has it fueled the
regional conflict? What Implication does this conflict have on India?
15. Do you think there is a need for a legal framework to protect HIV
affected people from discrimination? What steps has the government taken
in this direction?
16. Disarmament should be the top priority for United Nations today more
than ever before. Critically analyze in the light of recent events.
17. The best way to fight terror is to not by war, but by political and
economic isolation of nations that sponsor terror. Examine how regional
associations like SAARC can contribute to a terrorism free world.
18. Critically examine the Draft National Policy for Women 2016. Evaluate
how far it will succeed in the empowerment of Indias women, in the 21st
century.
19. Critically examine the need of a right based legislation in the health
sector on the lines of Right to Education (RTE).
20. Critically examine the evolution of National Education Policy in India.
How does the new Education Policy, 2016 improve upon the former
policies? The Mental Health care Bill is the first step towards recognizing
mental health as a health challenge. Critically examine discussing its salient
provisions.
21. Account for the choice of Prime Ministerial form of Government over
the Presidential form of Government in India.
22. The recent Constitutional crisis in Arunachal Pradesh does not augur
well for Indian federalism. Critically examine.
23. Does abolishing triple talaq interfere with the right to freedom of
religion? Critically analyze.
24. India best defense against state sponsored terrorism is to strengthen
military deterrence and diplomatic coercion against Pakistan. Critically
analyze.
25. Examine the need for a national water commission. What role can it
play in the management of water?
26. Is unilateral revocation of the Indus water treaty a viable non war
offensive against Pakistan? Discuss in detail.
27. Discuss the significance of the Trilateral Highway Project between India
and Myanmar.
28. The United Nations Security Council does not reflect the new world
order of the 21st century. In this context, discuss the need for UNSC
reforms.
29. What do you understand by domestic violence? How effective is the
Domestic Violence Act, 2005 in dealing with protecting women from
violence in domestic relationships?
30. What has led to the rise in consumer demand in Indian Economy?
Analyze.
31. What is the importance of the BRICS in the light of competing

associations of developing nations?
32. Examine the reasons that led to the scrapping of railway budget for
Indian Railways.
33. Discuss the strategic importance of India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral
Highway Project.
34. Discuss the impact of the Indian Ocean Rim Association on global
economy.
35. How can Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) achieve its goal of eliminating
open defecation by 2019?
36. Can BIMSTEC serve as a better regional cooperation option than
SAARC? Discuss.
37. Discuss the various features of Indias nuclear Doctrine. Is there a need
to revisit the Doctrine? Critically examine.
38. Discuss the key recommendations of the T.S.R. Subramanian
committee on the New Education Policy (NEP) to improve the education
sector in India.
39. What role can India play in non-escalation of the South China Sea
dispute?
40. What are the key amendments to the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961?
41. Discuss the relevance of the Legislative Councils in the States. Do you
think they should be scrapped? Why or why not?
42. Critically examine the salient features of Insolvency and Bankruptcy
Code, 2016.
43. How has globalization affected terrorism? Critically examine.
44. How can the government address economic inequality by increasing
financial inclusion? Examine the efforts made by the government in
promoting financial inclusion in India.
45. India has moved from its Look East to Act East Policy which promises a
greater role and partnership in the ASEAN region and RCEP negotiations
keeping in line with its status as an emerging global power. Critically

examine.
46. Is there a shift in Russias foreign policy that is impacting Moscows
relations with India? Examine.
47. Examine the significance of Antarctic Circumpolar Expedition (ACE)
that was held recently.
48. How can India and Myanmar enhance their ties, in the light of
increasing Chinese economic investments in Myanmar?
49. Discuss the salient features of National Medical Commission Bill, 2016.
How can it address Indias health challenges?
50. New Zealand, an NSG member, had raised questions about Indias
entry into the NSG, based on its stand that only signatories of the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty are eligible to join the group. Critically comment.
51. Discuss the strategic interests of India in Maldives. In this regard,
critically analyze the bilateral relationship between India and Maldives.
52. Cite the reasons for India to implement the commitments under Trade
Facilitation Agreement (TFA). In the light of this, discuss the contradictions
in interests of developed and developing world in the WTO negotiations.
GS-3
Questions
1. It took us centuries to develop the complex systems of values assigned to
lands in the agrarian settlement, which is being altered by urbanization
with new logics of efficiency and economy of service delivery. Elucidate.
2. In case global oil prices stays at the present low range, what can be the
long term implications on economy of India and world. What Policy
alternatives should India consider for that scenario?
3. Critically analyze the rationale behind tax disclosure scheme and its
effectiveness in dealing with black money.
4. Call drop problem has become one of the biggest problems for the 900
million-odd mobile subscribers in the country in recent times. Highlight the
factors causing call drop problem and suggest some measures to deal with
it.
5. Government has been promoting LPG as a clean and healthy cooking
medium compared to traditional Indian cooking mediums like dung cakes
and firewood. Highlight the benefits of using LPG over traditional mediums
and what are the barriers in introducing it universally in India?
6. How does the Chinese growth story differ from Indias? Discuss the
challenges that they face.
7. Policymakers in India are facing the dilemma between promoting the
generic industry for social welfare and development of healthcare sector . In
this context , how far will Indias new National Intellectual Property Rights
(IPR) Policy be helpful in balancing IP rights with needs of the nation's
poor for cheaper medicines.
8. It is said that development of molecular machines can be the beginning a
new industrial revolution of the twenty-first century. Write a short note on
Molecular Machines, also bring out their various possible applications?
9. Discuss the loopholes in the land acquisition laws that have facilitated
Union and the various State governments in routinely acquiring land for
the benefit of private industry.
10. Despite having a enough potential and contribution to Indias
renewable energy, wind power sector has been subject to the neglect of
government compared to solar energy sector. Comment and also highlight
how Indias new policy for repowering of wind power project will be helpful
to promote wind power projects in India?
11. Whats ailing research and development in India? Suggest some
measures for development of R&D in India.
12. How far does India ease of doing business perception get affected by
domestic resistance to implement international arbitration. Examine with
suitable examples.
13. Innovation is the key to growth. In this light discuss the recent rise of
Startups in India. What recent changes have helped in the promotion of
Start ups in India?
14. Discuss the challenges faced by food processing Industry. What benefits
do food processing industries offer to various stakeholders.
15. What do you understand by National Technology Missions? Critically
examine any two National Technology Missions.
16. Evaluate the benefits of a Committee based approach to framing
monetary policy.
17. Briefly discuss the provisions of the new Intellectual Property Rights
(IPR) Policy? Suggest measures to bring a strong and effective IPR
governance system in India.
18. Air pollution is the worlds biggest risk to health. In this light, how does
particulate matter cause air pollution? How does it affect health?
19. Why does India find the Aviation emission cap for Civil Aviation by
2020 unjust? Cite reasons.
20. How would digital payments play a critical role in achieving the Digital
India vision?
21. What factors are required to create a vibrant startup ecosystem in

India? Do you think the Indian startup scene dominated by technology
entrepreneurs? Give reasons.
22. What do you understand by domestic violence? How effective is the
Domestic Violence Act, 2005 in dealing with protecting women from
violence in domestic relationships?
23. What has led to the rise in consumer demand in Indian Economy?
Analyze.
24. What are hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs)? How can India limit its use of
HFCs as mandated by Kigali agreement?
25. What could be the impact of new Defence Procurement Procedure
(DPP) on the Indian defense growth story?
26. India remains a bright spot in the global economy, but rising nonperforming assets (NPAs) in public sector banks remains a challenge.
Comment.
27. What are the challenges faced by the food processing industry in India
to boost growth in this sector?
28. How has the Income Declaration Scheme (IDS) contributed towards
transparency and growth of the Indian economy?
29. What do you mean by TRIPS (Trade Related aspects of IPRs)? How can
the National IPR policy promote innovation in the country?
30. Can the International Solar Alliance (ISA) reduce the global greenhouse
emissions and provide cheap energy?
31. Indian Economy is expanding at the rate of over seven percent, but the
growth is jobless. Comment
32. How to bring growth and prosperity in the distressed agriculture sector
of India?
33. India is one of the worlds fastest growing e-commerce market. Discuss
the possible factors that drive the e-commerce market in India.
34. How can India combat Vector Borne Diseases like dengue and
chikungunya?
35. Discuss the impact of GST on the energy sector in India.

36. Examine the reasons for the low tax-to-GDP ratio in India. Suggest
measures to improve this condition.
37. List out the challenges faced by the power sector in India.
38. Discuss the challenges faced by IMD in accurately predicting the
monsoon in India.
39. The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill continues to ignore the
Forest Rights Act (FRA). Critically comment.
40. Examine the provisions of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy,
2016. How can it boost innovation in India?
41. The centerpiece of Civil Aviation Policy 2016 is to boost regional air
connectivity and build a more safe and sustainable aviation industry.
Discuss.
42. List some of the challenges faced by startups in India. Analyze the
provisions of Start-up India program.
43. Discuss the impact of GST on Indias international trade and foreign
investment.
44. What do you mean by scramjet engines? How is the launch of rockets
using scramjet engine by ISRO significant to India?
45. In the light of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, critically
examine the progress made by India in meeting its climate goals.
46. Examine the reason why Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has emphasized
on an early implementation of Cyber Security Framework in banks.
47. What are the parameters used in measuring the National Air Quality
Index? Discuss the ways India can tackle air pollution.
48. Discuss the impact of El Nino on agriculture in India. Does El Nino
affect the Indian monsoon?
49. Critically analyze the Doing Business 2017 report from Indias
perspective. Is the ranking system flawed?
ANSWERS
GS 1
1. Since World War 2, European countries spoke passionately
about the universalization of human rights, but in 2015, when
Europe faced the refugee crisis, all these fine principles have
been cast aside. In this context bring out the implications of
refugee crisis on Europe.
A refugee is a person who is outside the country of his nationality and

cannot return to it for fear of persecution on grounds of race,
religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or
political opinion. This fear must be well-founded for the grant of
refugee status by international organizations like the UN. If the fear
of persecution is unfounded then a person who is seeking refugee
status can be deported.
Overwhelmed by the prospect of granting refugee status to tens of

thousands of West Asian Muslims, most European countries have
reacted by simple throwing their moral compass away.
Since the end of World War II, these countries owned the human
rights narrative as a proprietary feudal asset. They lectured the Global
South on human rights. They used it as a tool of their foreign and
economic policy. They spoke passionately about the universalisation
of human rights. But in 2015, as refugees from West Asia stream into
Europe, all these fine principles have been cast aside.
Most European countries are signatories to the UNs 1951 Refugee

Convention and are legally bound to uphold the principle of nonrefoulement which forbids the rendering of a true victim of
persecution to his or her persecutor. European countries are ethically
and legally bound to not return these fleeing people to a situation
where their life is at risk.
However, other EU states have either refused to take part in

allocation schemes, or, like Hungary and Bulgaria, have put up fences
around their borders to keep refugees out.
Tens of thousands of persons have entered Hungary in recent

months, mostly en route to Germany and other northern European
countries, but Hungarian law makes it illegal for civilians in Hungary
to help them get there, prohibits offering free rides to people whove
entered the country illegally and without a visa and even grants
Hungarian police and military extraordinary powers to search private
homes if they suspect someone of harbouring illegal migrants.
If there was ever a moment when the entire architecture of modern

international law has been so summarily put to disuse, then this is it.
This is the time for developed countries in Europe to take the lead in
co-creating new approaches in international law, upholding existing
guidelines for refugees while pushing for even more humane
standards.
2. Rural Development is key to National Development. In

this light, discuss how rural transformation can be made
more inclusive?
Rural areas cannot remain insulated from this economy-wide

transformation. They transform with rising productivity in
agriculture, increasing commercialisation and marketable surpluses,
and diversification towards high-value agriculture and also towards
off-farm employment through the development of agri value-chains.
Rural transformation, on its own, may not be as effective in reducing

poverty unless it is made inclusive.
Agricultural development is the key part of this inclusiveness within

the overall rural transformation, as a majority of the working force in
most of the countries at low/moderate levels of rural transformation
are still engaged in agriculture. In terms of overall economy-wide
structural transformation, agriculture accounts for less than 18% of
GDP.
Policies need to be inclusive and must bring poor, and often

marginalized, rural people into the economic mainstream so that
rural development is socially, economically and environmentally
sustainable Agriculture remains vital for economic development
regardless of the stage of structural transformation.
A good price incentive can trigger investments in agriculture, leading

to productivity gains, increases in real farm wages, and thus fall in
poverty. As India moves forward, with the overall GDP likely to grow
at 7-8% per annum till 2030, the share of agriculture in GDP will fall
further.
But to keep the rural transformation more inclusive for faster poverty
elimination, India will have to not only focus on raising productivity
in agriculture through higher R&D (seeds) and irrigation, but also
move fast to build value-chains for high-value agri-products like
livestock and horticulture, which account for more than half of value
of agriculture (cereals account for less than 20%).
Also, in health and education to have inclusive rural transformation.
If India can do it, and do it efficiently and in a participatory mode, it
can certainly hope to eliminate not just poverty, but also malnutrition
by 2030 and bring about inclusive rural development.
3. Analyze the impact of Globalisation on the indigenous tribes of

the World.
Globalisation is the free movement of goods, services, capital, and

people and information technology across national boundaries. It is
driven by integrated global economy, which influences both,
economic as well as social relations within and across countries.
The impact of globalisation is strongest on tribal populations of the

world perhaps more than any other because these communities have
no voice and are therefore easily swept aside by the invisible hand of
the market and its proponents. Globalisation is not merely a question
of marginalization for indigenous peoples it is a multi-pronged attack
on the very foundation of their existence and livelihoods.
Indigenous people throughout the world sit on the frontlines of

globalizations expansion; they occupy the last pristine places on
earth, where resources are still abundant: forests, minerals, water,
and genetic diversity.
New advances in technology, the reorientation toward export-led

development, and the imperatives of pleasing global financial markets
are all driving forces in the extermination of countless native
communities which stand in their way.
The tribals sometimes end up as debris in the globalised policies,

unable to access the resources which were their life sustaining forces
or to compete with the mainstream society to be absorbed into
alternate economies. Those absorbed in the new industries and
projects were minimal compared to the extent of displacement and
the destruction of traditional livelihood.
They tribal community is the most vulnerable section of our society

living in natural and unpolluted surrounding far away from
civilization with their traditional values, customs and beliefs.
The gains of globalization have so far accrued to those who already

have education and skill advantage, easier market access and
possession of assets for use as collateral to access credit. For the
tribals, globalization is associated with rising prices, loss of job
security, lack of health care and tribal development programmes.
4. Prohibition imposed in certain states is often discriminatory

to the weaker sections of the society. Do you agree?
To strengthen societal morality as enshrined in Directive Principles of State
Policy (DPSP) state imposes prohibition. Bur the weaker section of society,
lacking in capacity to respond to changing externalities, are affected the
most. Hence such prohibitions are discriminatory to them as can be seen in
following instances i.
Dance Bar ban - imposed in Maharashtra pushed bar girls out of their
job. Some with no alternative were pushed into prostitution.
ii.
Beef Ban - recently imposed in Maharashtra affected lakhs of poor in
the supply chain.
iii. Alcohol ban - in certain states again hits poor as over the counter sale
is done by them.
Prohibitions are not planned well to provide alternatives to poor for
livelihood. They are ad hoc and done most of the time politically motivated.
This increases vulnerability of the poor.
However prohibiting alcohol benefit women and increases their safety at
home in public places. In fact demand to ban alcohol emanates from poor
women groups.
DPSP must be balanced with right to life under article 21 of the
constitution. State has the responsibility to develop a value laden society
but also must endeavor to fulfill everyones right to livelihood.
GS 2
1. Demand for reservation in jobs is escalating, in this context
critically analyze how helpful can be the reservation in
government jobs to handle increasing unemployment. What
should be the rationale behind providing reservation in jobs.
Reservation in Government jobs to handle unemployment
Policy of reservations was started to uplift the submerged sections of

Indian society, to protect their rights and to overcome the cumulative
disparities of power, wealth and culture existed among various
sections of society.
Instead of becoming a viable instrument for the upliftment of the

submerged section of the society, it has created vested interests of the
powerful lobbies of society.
The real problem in fact is not unemployment but unemployability

which can only be solved through proper education.
Since last two years there has been a constant reduction in latent
unemployment in the agri sector. But, this labour force in now
engaged in unorganized labour sector which has less to do with
reservation.
Rationale behind providing reservation in jobs
The underlying theory behind the reservation policy by India isunder-representation of the identifiable groups as a legacy of the
Indian caste system. The framers of the Constitution believed that,
due to the caste system, SCs and the STs were historically oppressed
and denied respect and equal opportunity in Indian society and were
thus under-represented in nation-building activities.
The goal of reservation policy in India should be to bring

improvement in the welfare of the people who, historically, have been
economically and socially depressed.
The very basic intent is to provide reservation is to bring equity and

equality. Economically it is redistribution of resources.
Reservation not only provides social justice but also economic justice
as prescribed in constitution.
Redistribution creates economy or value addition from a economic

vulnerable section of society so plays significant role in resolving
current crisis.
2. In the wake of recent escalation of tension with neighboring

country, bringing efficiency and increasing capabilities in
defence procurements have become of utmost importance for
India. Critically evaluate how Defence Procurement Procedure
2016 can be helpful in realizing this goal of India?
The Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) has laid out the process
for acquisition of equipment for the Indian Army, Navy and Air
Force.
It would try to achieve enhanced self-reliance in defence

manufacturing, and to leverage the economic opportunity present in
developing the Indian defence industry.
There is an immense potential in leveraging the manpower and

engineering capability within the country for attaining self-reliance in
design, development, and manufacturing in defence sector. It is
therefore of utmost importance that the concept of Make in India
remains the focal point of the defence acquisition policy/procedure.
DPP focuses on institutionalizing, streamlining, and simplifying

defence procurement procedure to give a boost to Make in India
initiative of the Government of India, by promoting indigenous
design, development and manufacturing of defence equipment,
platforms, systems and subsystems.
The policy would make the system more transparent and cut out
delays But the centerpiece of the new policy is to boost home grown
defence industry.
At the heart of the DPP is a new category for indigenously designed,

developed and manufactured equipment.
The new DPP would help India reduce its dependency on foreign
countries and source defence equipment within India.
It would also provide a greater thrust to the Make in India initiative

in defence production. DPP-2016 has introduced a new procurement
category, Buy (IndianIndigenously Designed, Developed and
Manufactured), or Buy (Indian IDDM).
It will set the tone for a new procurement regime with a clear
intention to boost the Make in India initiative in the defence sector,
and to speed up the procurement process.
Thus, the DPP favors a swift Defence Procurement Procedure which would
help in decision making and delegating powers to the appropriate
authorities to ensure an efficient and effective implementation of the
procurement process, by all the stakeholders concerned.
3. Does divesting in PSUs hinder the social welfare of a nation?
Also discuss the rationale behind pushing for divestment in
PSUs in India.
The state of our PSUs is vital if we want schemes such as Make in

India to succeed. Besides, this will hopefully clarify the role of the
government versus market on the one hand and government
ownership versus regulation on the other.
Over the years, the policy of divestment has increasingly become a

tool to raise resources to cover the fiscal deficit with little focus on
market discipline or strategic objective.
Divestment is an important aspect for improving the structure of

incentives and accountability of PSUs in India. It is the approach
towards divestment that defines the incentive for any PSU to run
efficiently.
Disinvestment also assumes significance due to the prevalence of an

increasingly competitive environment which makes it difficult for
many PSUs to operate profitably. This leads to rapid erosion of the
value of the public assets making it critical to disinvest early.
Financial return cannot be the sole reason for investment in PSUs.

They have to serve social/strategic purposes.
It is essential that divestment is not seen as an option to cover for

short-term fiscal gains; instead, it should be part of a strategic plan to
improve the production of goods and services in India.
4. Discuss the possible threats India may face due to Geo-spatial

technological development. How Geospatial Information
Regulation Bill, 2016 may help in dealing with these problems.
What could be its possible implications.
Geomatics, also known as geospatial technology, is the discipline of
gathering, storing, processing, and delivering geographic information or
spatially referenced information. it consists of products, services and tools
involved in the collection, integration and management of geographic
data.The location is the primary factor used to integrate a very wide range
of data for spatial analysis and visualization.
Threats faced by India due to geospatial technological development
Public interest is compromised. There would be a threat posed by the

terrorists.
initiatives such as Google Earth use high quality satellite imagery to

display birds eye view of various establishments including minute details
and are therefore bound to cover defense establishments and sensitive
areas, posing a threat to Indian security.
Mapping practices violate the individual rights of a person under

Article 21 of the Constitution.
Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, 2016 in dealing with the problems
It would regulate the acquisition, dissemination, publication and

distribution of geospatial information of India which may likely affect
the security, sovereignty and integrity of India.
According to the draft, it will be mandatory to take permission from a

government authority before acquiring, disseminating, publishing or
distributing any geospatial information of India.
In simple terms, any addition or creation of anything that has to do

with any geospatial information - or location - within the territory of
India will need the permission of the government or, in this case, a
Security Vetting Authority.
Possible implications
Illegal acquisition of geospatial information of India - Fine ranging

from Rs. 1 crore to Rs. 100 crore and/or imprisonment for a period up
to seven years.
Illegal dissemination, publication or distribution of geospatial

information of India - Whoever disseminates, publishes or distributes
any geospatial information of India in contravention of section 4,
shall be punished with a fine ranging from Rs. 10 lakhs to Rs. 100
crore and/or imprisonment for a period up to seven years.
Use of geospatial information of India outside India - Fine ranging from Rs.
1 crore to Rs. 100 crore and/or imprisonment for a period up to seven
years.
5. India and Mauritius have agreed to amend their more than
two decade old tax treaty. What objectives does India and
Mauritius intend to achieve by that and what would be its
various possible effects?
India and Mauritius have amended their more than two decade old
tax treaty in Port Louis.
India gets the right to tax capital gains arising from transfer of shares
of Indian resident companies.
The amendment clearly states that all investments made before 1

April 2017 will not be liable to be taxed in India. This means that even
if investors who have bought shares in Indian companies before 1
April 2017 decide to sell these shares after this date, the capital gains
accruing to them will not be taxed in India.
The protocol gives India the right to tax capital gains on transfer of
Indian shares acquired on or after 1 April 2017.
The amendment to the India Mauritius tax treaty also automatically

applies to the India-Singapore tax agreement.
It will impact private equity and venture capital investors who

typically invest in unlisted securities as they will now be liable to pay
capital gains tax in India.
The protocol will tackle the long pending issues of treaty abuse and
round tripping of funds, curb revenue loss, prevent double nontaxation, streamline the flow of investment and stimulate the flow of
exchange of information between India and Mauritius
Many foreign investors will have to redraw their strategies. The

incentive to route investments through Mauritius will cease to exist
once the new rule kicks-in. This could raise their tax outgo.
6. Discuss why India should maintain a cordial relation with

China. What are the challenges India and China relations are
facing at present?
The compass of bilateral relations with China needs to be carefully set

by India, but they have been diminished by NSG developments.
The great Himalayan Divide between India and China was in evidence
following the Chinese refusal to support India's case for entry into the
Nuclear Suppliers Group.
While non-entry into the Group is not the end of the world, for India
lives to fight another day, of concern is what the Chinese stance
implies for the bilateral relationship between the two Asian giants.
Geopolitical rivalry and calibrated cooperation, seemingly

antithetical, coexist within the framework of our relationship with
China.
Beijing has cautioned that India should avoid getting entangled in

the South China Sea issue, but there is also an expectation that it will
continue to adhere to its stated policy of strategic autonomy.
In dealing with China, India has to be conscious of the fact that in

terms of both economic and military capabilities, the asymmetry
between the two countries continues to expand.
There are only two ways to deal with this power asymmetry; one is to
acquire and deploy capabilities which will make any aggressive
military move by China a risky proposition. The other is to enmesh
oneself more tightly in the U.S.-led countervailing coalition targeting
China. The latter does run counter to Indias view of itself as an

independent power but there is a steady creep in that direction.
A careful balance has been maintained between the competitive and

cooperative components of the relationship.
Both need to downplay their differences and seek to create a positive

ambience.
7. Critically analyze the rationale behind tax disclosure scheme
and its effectiveness in dealing with black money.
The Centres move to mop up black money from the economy by

giving taxpayers amnesty to declare undisclosed past income by
paying tax on it at an effective, slightly high rate of 45 per cent has
yielded a surprisingly positive dividend.
Stern warnings about tough action and possible jail terms for those
who failed to declare their cartloads of black money may have added
punch to the Finance Ministrys pitch.
The Centre, however, must not consider this the end of its campaign
on black money. To put things in context, the average undisclosed
income per taxpayer under the scheme stands at Rs.1 crore; and
though the disclosures are nearly double those in the last income
amnesty scheme (around Rs.33,700 crore), nearly two decades have
passed since then, making comparisons misleading.
The tax department is aware that Rs.65,250 crore is just the tip of the
iceberg it had sent seven lakh letters to suspected evaders based on
information on about 90 lakh high-value transactions that took place
without PAN card details.
The tax department must crack down on such evaders and spruce up
its data-mining methods to expand the countrys shallow tax base.
While the departments efforts have revealed undisclosed income of
over Rs.58,000 crore in the last two and half years, and more is being
pursued from tax havens where Indian holdings have come to light,
all of this is akin to treating the symptoms without addressing the
root cause.
If the Centre is serious about attacking Indias thriving black

economy, it needs to be bold and, for starters, make electoral funding
transparent, curb the misuse by the wealthy of tax-free income sops
for farmers, and encourage cashless transactions.
8. How Management Information System (MIS) system of

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act
(MGNREGA) scheme can be used to bring effectiveness in other
government initiatives? Also suggest the steps to make the
information system more effective.
The Management Information System of MGNREGA is a way to

providing data on implementation. But to achieve complete
transparency it has to overcome several shortcomings.
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act

(MGNREGA) is not only a pioneering livelihood security programme
but also a great example of proactive disclosure of information
through its Management Information System (MIS).
It is the first transaction-based real-time system for any public works

programme in the country that is available in the public domain.
There has been a digitisation of all the processes in MGNREGA

right from a worker registering demand for work, to work allotment,
to finally getting wages for completed works.
Another notable feature of the MIS is the availability of information

through online reports at various levels of disaggregation.
This has enabled any citizen to monitor the implementation of the

programme and has consequently charted a new paradigm of
transparency since the enactment of the Right to Information (RTI)
Act.
While this system is certainly a great feather in the cap of a

transparent democracy, it is critical to understand its current
shortcomings and possible ways to improve its functioning.
However, it does not provide any data dictionary. A data dictionary is

a repository of all the names of variables/columns used in various
reports, containing a brief explanation of its meanings. Such a
dictionary is crucial so that any citizen accessing the online reports
can understand the content in them.
The MIS is a powerful mechanism to have an evidence-based

discourse for monitoring basic services. But a governance framework
for the MIS needs to be put in place that lays out the minimum
standards and accountability of the Ministry managing the system.
Such a framework must be built in consultation with all concerned

parties and should follow the provisions of the law (both MGNREGA
and RTI).
9. While RTI) Act has undoubtedly been the most empowering

legislation for citizens, it has misuses too. Elaborate and
highlight the provisions of RTI that act against misuse of RTI.
Right to Information (RTI) Act mandates timely response to citizen
requests for government information. The basic objective of the act is to
empower the citizens, promote transparency and accountability in the
Government.
How is RTI an empowering provision?
Every person in India can use this act to find out information that can
make their lives better. Every citizen of India has a right to have
Information from public authorities.
Citizens in every State of India will be able to access information from

the Central and State Government, whether or not a separate State right to
information law is in place.
Under the provisions of the Act, any citizen of india may request
information from a public authority which is required to reply within thirty
days. So, it ensures time bound delivery of information.
It ensures transparency by ensuring free flow of information and

upholds the rights of citizens. information is power. Free information not
only gives powers in the hands of people but also it empowers them.
Misuses of RTI
Many a times, applications are filed only to harass the officers like
seeking details of an officer or beneficiarys private life.
For example, a teacher could file a number of RTI applications only to

harass a headmaster who had suspended him.
Misusing the RTI includes blackmailing and no one can stop anyone
in doing so, because as per the law there is nothing mentioned in it about
denying the information to people.
Sometimes, insignificant and irrelevant questions are asked which

may waste the useful time and money of public at large.
Provisions in RTI to act against its misuse
The following items are exempt from disclosure under section 8 of the Act:
Which would affect the sovereignty and integrity of India
Anything forbidden to be published by any court of law or tribunal
Which would cause a breach of privilege of Parliament
Information received in confidence from foreign Government


Information which would impede the process of investigation or
prosecution of offenders
Any Information which relates to personal information, the disclosure of

which has no relationship to any public activity or interest could be exempt
from disclosure.
Apart from these, there is a provision for penalty as well. Section 20 of the
RTI Act states that - If any state public information officer has without any
reasonable cause refused to receive an application for information or has
not furnished information within the time limit specified or denied the
request or knowingly given incorrect, or misleading information, it shall
impose a penalty of Rs 250 each day till application is received.
These provisions in the RTI act would therefore, prevent itself from misuse.
10. India has signed civil nuclear agreement with many

developed countries, but signing agreement with Japan is most
significant. Elucidate.
India has completed civil nuclear agreements with more than 10 countries
so far, including United States, Russia and Australia. But, the agreement
with Japan has most significance.
At a bilateral summit in New Delhi, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a memorandum of
agreement on civil nuclear cooperation.
Why is it significant:-
Japan has been a victim of a nuclear attack. It would be Japans first

signing of a civil nuclear cooperation pact with a country that has not joined
the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Japans support to the deal is an indication of the importance it accords
to relations with India. A Japan-India nuclear agreement is an essential
accomplishment to ensure the steady growth of Indias economy and, by
extension, that of the entire region.
The civil nuclear agreement with Japan is especially important for the
message of trust it would convey to Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG)
members. Japans support at the NSG has been particularly marked.
U.S. and French companies are eager to launch nuclear power projects
in India, but they cannot proceed without large amounts of components
from Japan, many of which claim 80 percent of the global market. And,
Japan cannot supply those components without a full-fledged nuclear
agreement resolving the aforementioned issues. For this reason as well, a
Japan-India nuclear deal is crucial.
Japanese nuclear energy technology and safety parameters are widely
considered to be cutting-edge, and many critical parts needed for Indian
reactors are made by Japanese manufacturers.
From an economic stand, an agreement on the transfer of civil

nuclear technology between Japan and India is vital to Indias continued
economic growth. Given the current state of technology, nuclear power is
the only realistic means of ensuring a steady supply of energy to meet
the nations growing demand for power without producing large-scale
carbon emissions.
11. Only a full-time commission, which is independent of the
government and the judiciary, can impart transparency and
credibility to the system of appointments to the higher judiciary.
Comment.
The Constitution of India has given the higher judiciary an important

function in addition to adjudication of disputes: to regulate the
executive and legislature to stay within the bounds of their powers to prevent the executive from violating the laws, the Constitution and
the fundamental rights of people guaranteed by the Constitution, and

the legislature from violating the Constitution.
The Supreme Court was anointed the final arbiter of the Constitution,
and in the landmark Kesavananda Bharati case, it held that even a
constitutional amendment could not violate the basic structure of the
Constitution.
The independence of the judiciary from the executive and legislature

has been regarded as a cornerstone of the Constitution, and the
Supreme Court has held it as an inviolable part of the basic structure
of the Constitution. The independence of the judiciary was seen not
just as functional independence but independence in manner of
appointments.
With appointments taken over by the judiciary, the governments

ability to influence the appointments and thus appoint politically
partisan or pliable people got reduced, but the problem of nepotism
and arbitrariness continued.
In order to regain some control over appointments, the government

introduced the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC)
Act.
The Supreme Court did not take this opportunity to lay down any
system of transparency in selection of judges.
There also needs to be some transparency in the selection to prevent

arbitrariness or nepotism. Minimum transparency would require that
the criteria for selection of judges be made known, the comparative
evaluation of candidates also be made known, and names of
shortlisted/selected candidates announced before appointment, so
that those who have relevant information about the candidate can
send it to the appointing authority.
Appointments to the higher judiciary are too serious a business to be

left to people who do not have any time and who function without any
system or transparency.
It is imperative that a system for selection of judges be put in place

and a full-time independent body be constituted to ensure that only
those persons who are in tune with the egalitarian constitutional
philosophy, and who have some sensitivity and understanding about
the common people of the country are appointed.
The road to securing judicial accountability is long and hard, but

proper accountability for such a powerful and vital organ like the
Indian judiciary is essential for the survival of the rule of law and
democracy in this country.
12. How can the amendments to HIV and AIDS bill, 2014 tackle
the challenges?
Bill prohibits discrimination against people living with HIV (PLHIV)

in accessing healthcare.
It also prohibits discrimination against PLHIV in accessing

healthcare, acquiring jobs, renting houses and in education institutions in
both public and private sectors.
These amendments will allow families that have faced discrimination

to go to court against institutions or persons being unfair.

The bill requires that no person shall be compelled to disclose his HIV
status except with his informed consent, and if required by a court order.
The Bill also prohibits any individual from publishing information or

advocating feelings of hatred against HIV positive persons and those living
with them.
Every HIV infected or affected person below the age of 18 years has
the right to reside in a shared household and enjoy the facilities of the
household.
The Bill also aims to enhance access to health care services by

ensuring informed consent and confidentiality for HIV-related testing,
treatment and clinical research.
The Bill makes provision for appointment of an ombudsman by State

Governments to inquire into complaints related to the violation of the Act
and penal actions in case of non-compliance.
13. Discuss the strategic significance of Iran to Indias Foreign
Policy. Highlight the significance of the Chabahar Port in
securing Indias economic and strategic interests in West Asia.
India-Iran foreign relations
India and Iran share friendly relations with each other, despite
India not supporting the 1979 revolution.
Iran is the second largest crude oil supplier to India. And, India is the
largest investor in Irans oil and gas industry.
Both countries support the anti-Taliban government in Afghanistan,

backed by United States.
Partnership with Iran extends to infrastructure development ,

energy, connectivity and education as well.
Iran frequently objected to Pakistan's attempts to draft anti-India
resolutions at various international organisations.
India welcomed Iran's inclusion as an observer state in the SAARC
regional organisation.
Significance of Chabahar port
Chabahar is a deep-sea port located in Sistan-Baluchistan area of
Iran at the mouth of Gulf of Oman.
Chabahar port is a strategically located port because it provides
direct access to the Indian Ocean, enabling bypassing of Strait of
Hormuz, a traditional choke point that separates Persian Gulf from the Gulf
of Oman and the Indian Ocean.
Chabahar port has been jointly financed by India and Iran. India is
helping in building the port to get access to oil and gas resources in Iran
and central asian countries.
Chabahar lies outside the Persian Gulf and can be easily accessed from
Indias western coast.
Chabahar therefore provides a Strategic edge to India.
Iran has agreed on a three-nation pact to build a transport-and-trade

corridor through Afghanistan that could help halve the time and cost
of doing business.
Developing the Chabahar port is seen as crucial for India because it

will not only allow New Delhi to bypass Pakistan and access global markets
but also counter Chinas expanding influence in the Indian Ocean
region.
From Chabahar port, the existing Iranian road network can link
up to Zaranj in Afghanistan.

It will open up route to landlocked Afghanistan where India has
developed close security ties and economic interests.
Indias increased presence in the region would also enable her to

become a significant player in the Middle-East.
With the Chabahar Port agreement, India has not only engaged with
Indias long-term ally Iran, but has broken through the strategic
encirclement by China and Pakistan.
14. Critically analyze the present US policy in Middle East. Has it

fueled the regional conflict? What Implication does this conflict
have on India?
Winding down a disastrous, unpopular war in West Asia fit into USs
foreign policy narrative of regaining the trust of the Islamic world and
giving greater attention to other challenges.
The U.S. withdrawal came under major criticism only after the
Islamic State (IS) took over Iraqi cities in early 2014. Critics say the
withdrawal was too early and put Iraqi security at risk.
But such arguments overlook the fact that Iraq witnessed sectarian
civil war and massive bloodshed in 2006-07 at the peak of the
American invasion. So the presence of U.S. troops per se doesnt deter
jihadist violence in the country. On the other side, there are several
reasons, such as the sectarianism of the Iraqi government and the
chaos in Syria, that led to the rise of the IS.
Americas Iraq war and the rise of Shiites to power in Baghdad had
made Irans regional presence stronger.
The agreement and the subsequent removal of sanctions make Iran a

stronger power. But it has delayed Iran becoming a nuclear country at
least by 10 years, leaving Israel the only nuclear-armed state in the
region. And to mollify Israels concerns, the administration tactically
turned a blind eye towards Israels atrocities against the Palestinians.
The U.S. has been actively present in the Syrian crisis from the very
beginning through its proxies. The nature and extent of U.S.
involvement in stabilizing a Middle East in chaos could have serious
implications for India.
West Asia is a region of crucial significance to India as the source of

employment for millions of Indians, remittances that help the Indian
exchequer, defense equipment, intelligence information, terrorist
security concerns, not to speak of the majority of Indian oil and
natural gas imports.
All of these interests could be adversely affected by a failure to
contain the chaos. Second, the extent of American involvement might
have direct implications for India-U.S. relations in terms of its
possible impact on the time, energy, resources and attention that the
senior-most U.S. policymakers can devote to nurturing the India-U.S.
relationship.
Third, India-U.S. differences on Middle East policy, for example on

Iran, can affect the broader bilateral relationship.
Fourth, given the potential impact on Indian interests and the

growing desire of a war-weary United States to share the burden with
like-minded countries, there may be a growing expectation in US that
India should do more to help out in the Middle East.
15. Do you think there is a need for a legal framework to protect

HIV affected people from discrimination ? What steps has the
government taken in this direction?
There is a lot of negative impact on lives of people living with HIV AIDS
socially and psychologically that starts from discrimination,for instance
people with HIV prohibited from travelling,access to health care facilities
and seeking employment.So there is a need to have legal frame work,if
there is no legal framework for HIV affected people consequences are:
Loss of income and livelihood

Withdrawal of caregiving in home
Increasing rate of orphans
Loss of marriage and childbearing options
Poor care in health sector
Loss of reputation
To address above problems recently cabinet approve amendment to the

HIV and AIDS (prevention and control)bill 2014 that include:
#Provide anti retroviral therapy
#An ombudsman will be appointed to hear the grievance of patients
#Facilitate access to health care services
#Confidentiality of HIV status of patient
#Facilitate access to welfare schemes
A disease like HIV AIDS needs prevention and care this bill aims at both
prevention and social protection to already affected persons and law only
can't do anything citizen too have to change their perspective regarding
HIV affected people.
16. Disarmament should be the top priority for United Nations
today more than ever before. Critically analyze in the light of
recent events.
Given the potential devastation from the use of even one nuclear
weapon, global nuclear disarmament must remain at the top of the
United Nations agenda.
It would be the height of folly to take for granted that such weapons
were too terrible ever to be used and that States would keep them for
deterrent purposes alone. As long as some States had developed such
weapons and as long as States stocked such weapons, there was
always a risk that they might resort to using them.
Some might view progress in the field of weapons of mass destruction

as the least promising. Indeed, during the past year the world had
witnessed several regrettable events, including a stall in the Treaty on
the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (START)
process and the advent of nuclear tests in South Asia.
The lack of respect by certain countries over security assurances to

non-nuclear-weapon States was another area of concern. The
difficulties in establishing a total ban on nuclear tests and on the
prohibition of the production of fissile material for weapons purposes
could also justify a certain gloom.
Countries possessing such weapons have well-funded, long-term

plans to modernize their nuclear arsenals. More than half of the
worlds population still lives in countries that either have such
weapons or are members of nuclear alliances.
17. The best way to fight terror is to not by war, but by political
and economic isolation of nations that sponsor terror. Examine
how regional associations like SAARC can contribute to a
terrorism free world.
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is the

regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of
nations in South Asia. Its member states include Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri
Lanka.
The war against a common enemy like terrorism must unite members
of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
and not divide them.
SAARC will become irrelevant if cross-border terrorism is not

addressed. SAARC with a counter-terror focus follows India,
Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan citing cross-border terrorism,
imposed war and interference from Pakistan, and cancelled
planned participation in the November SAARC summit in Islamabad.
It is a menace that has taken a heavy toll on the economic and social
fabric of almost all our countries. Terrorism poses an existential
threat to the civilized world, and it must be defeated. No country
should ever be allowed to facilitate or allow cross-border terrorism.
The security situation is deteriorating because of terror and terrorism

which cannot be tolerated. And the worst form of terrorism is crossborder terrorism.
All the leaders of South Asia must unite and take a firm stand and
decisive action to eliminate terrorism which stands as an obstacle to
the achievement of the goals that we envision for the region.
18. Critically examine the Draft National Policy for Women 2016.
Evaluate how far it will succeed in the empowerment of Indias
women, in the 21st century.
National Policy for Women, 2016, will replace the National Policy for
the Empowerment of Women, 2001. Apart from the safety issues, the
draft also seeks to address the emerging challenges confronting
Indian women.
Salient features of the National policy for women empowerment:
To create a society with women working as equal partners in all

spheres of life
To develop a framework to ensure equal rights and opportunities for
women
To make cyberspace a safe place for women and to address
"redistribution of gender roles, for reducing unpaid care work, review
of personal and customary laws in accordance with the Constitutional
provisions and many more."
It also seeks to review the criminalisation of marital rape keeping
women's rights in mind
Health and education of women have been kept a priority in the
proposed draft
The draft has proposed to "improve access to pre-primary education,
enrolment and retention of adolescent girls."
To carry out skill development and provide equal employment
opportunities
To provide suitable benefits related to maternity and child care
services
The draft plans to increase women's participation in the political,
administration, civil services and corporate boardrooms arena
To address all forms of violence against women
To improve child sex ratio (CSR)
To prevent trafficking at source, transit and destination areas for
effective monitoring of the networks
To enable safety and security of women with the help of "One Stop
Centres, Women Helpline, Mahila Police Volunteers, Reservation of
women in police force, Panic buttons in mobiles, Surveillance

mechanisms in public places."
To create eco-systems to encourage entrepreneurship amongst
women. This has been proposed to be done through podiums like
Mahila E-Haat etc
Aiding women in workplace through "flexi timings, increased
maternity leave, provision of child care/creches at workplace, life
cycle health care facilities."
19. Critically examine the need of a right based legislation in the

health sector on the lines of Right to Education (RTE).
A human rights-based approach (HRBA) aims to support better and

more sustainable development outcomes by analyzing and addressing
the inequalities, discriminatory practices (de jure and de facto) and
unjust power relations which are often at the heart of development
problems.
Civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights provide a guiding

framework for development plans, policies and processes. It also
appreciates the importance of capacity development.
A human rights-based approach to health specifically aims at

realizing the right to health and other health-related human rights.
Health policy making and programming are to be guided by human

rights standards and principles and aim at developing capacity of
duty bearers to meet their obligations and empowering rights-holders
to effectively claim their health rights.
If the right to health and other health-related human rights are to be

fully realized, policies and plans need to systematically integrate and
further these rights.
A human rights-based approach gives importance not only to

outcomes, but also to the processes.
Human rights standards and principles - such as participation,

equality and non-discrimination, and accountability - are to be
integrated into all stages of the health programming process:
assessment and analysis, priority setting, programme planning and
design, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.
20. Critically examine the evolution of National Education Policy

in India. How does the new Education Policy, 2016 improve
upon the former policies?
The draft of New Education Policy 2016 focused on addressing gender

discrimination, the creation of educational tribunals, and a common
curriculum for science, mathematics and English.
Revision of no-detention policy, promotion of Sanskrit, and bringing

back Class 10 board examinations are some of the key changes that
the policy talks about.
Pre-school education has not received the necessary attention in the

past as Government schools do not provide pre-primary education,
according to the draft National Education Policy. Pre-school
education for children in the age group of 4 to 5 years will be
implemented.
Curricular reforms will be carried out to meet the emerging

aspirations and align to national goals of social cohesion, religious
amity and national integration.
Norms for learning outcomes will be developed and applied

uniformly to both private and government schools.
Each State will undertake a detailed exercise of school mapping to

identify schools with low enrolment and inadequate infrastructure.
Skill development programmes in school and higher education

system will be reoriented.
A concerted effort will be made to make ICT an integral part of

education across all levels and domains of learning.
The framework of school standards with various parameters and

indicators to measure school quality, professional competence of
teachers, school leadership and the school management, as well as,
self-appraisal and performance assessment will be used throughout
the country.
An independent mechanism for administering the National Higher

Education Fellowship Programme will be put in place.
An expert committee will be constituted to study the systems of

accreditation in place internationally. It will draw from the
experiences of some of the best practices followed by countries having
well performing systems and will suggest restructuring of NAAC and
NAB as well as redefining methodologies, parameters and criteria.
A task force of experts will be set up to study the recruitment,

promotion and retention procedures, followed by internationally
renowned universities and institutions and suggest measures to
promote intellectual and academic excellence in HEIs.
A clear reorientation of research agenda of National University of

Educational
Planning
and
Administration
(NUEPA)
will
be
undertaken to reflect actual issues on the ground.
Finally, the government will take steps for reaching the long pending goal
of raising the investment in education sector to at least 6% of GDP as a
priority.
21. Account for the choice of Prime Ministerial form of
Government over the Presidential form of Government in India.
Difference between Parliamentary system and Presidential system:
The major difference between these two systems is that in a

Presidential system, the President is directly voted upon by the
people.He is answerable to the voters rather than the legislature.
While in a parliamentary system, the legislature holds supreme
power. The prime minister is chosen by members of the legislature
and in practice is the leader of the majority party in the legislature.
The prime minister along with his cabinet members must also belong
to the legislature, where they are subject to the questioning by the
legislature.
If the prime minister loses the support of the majority in the
legislature, he is forced to resign immediately and elections are called.
Countries such as India, UK, Germany, Iraq, Ireland, Israel and Italy
have parliamentary form of government while Afghanistan, USA,
Venezuela, Ghana, Iran and Indonesia have presidential form of
government.
Advantages of Presidential form of government:
Presidential form of government ensures stability of the government.

The executive can carry on with its policy till the end of its full term. It
helps in bringing stability to administration.
In this system decisions can be taken speedily and implemented

effectively. The executive in a parliamentary system is ridden with
indecision due to political pressures. Therefore, it is difficult to take
decisions promptly. However, the presidential executive is free from
such inhibitions. He makes his own decisions and gets them
implemented through his own ministers.
In the presidential system, the executive is free from the evils of party
influence in his daily administration as compared with parliamentary
form of government. His ministers are not political in nature nor he is
leading a political party in the legislature. This allows him required
freedom to carry on his administration without any obstacles.
But under a Parliamentary system everything needs to be done under

political consideration due to never ending party pressure on the
prime minister.
Disadvantages of presidential form of government:
In a presidential system, the executive is often chosen independently

from the legislature. If the executive and legislature in such a system
include members from different political parties, then stalemate or
deadlock is very much likely to occur where passing of key legislative
decisions are concerned.
The president in presidential form of government being not

responsible or answerable to anybody except the voters can be a
precarious proposition in a democratic form of government. When
the president becomes autocratic due to lack of any immediate check
the administration becomes irresponsible which in turn affects the

freedom of the people.
The separation of powers between executive and legislature in

presidential form of government sometimes creates conflicts and
deadlocks. The executive making policies not in consultation with the
legislature or the legislature bringing legislation without the initiative
of the executive, more often than not creates conflicts between them.
Political Structure of India:
Constitution of India provides for a Parliamentary form of

government. While doing so it follows the British model of
government. In fact, the type of government that functioned in India
before 1947 was very much similar to the British model of
parliamentary government.
Therefore, the members of the Constituent Assembly decided to
adopt this form of government for independent India. The
Constitution of India provides for the constitution of parliamentary
government both at the centre and the states.
Conclusion:
India as a nation is deeply divided into several groups with conflicting

interests. In this situation switching to presidential form of
government can be counter-productive. True, parliamentary form of
government makes decision making process a lengthy one in India
but it manages to keep the political integrity intact.
At least, it doesnt curtail the freedom of people. In presidential form
of government, the president can start behaving like an autocrat by
imposing his decisions on masses. Moreover, the nation is in no mood

for any new experiment which could pose any danger to its unity.
India is very form of government much used to the parliamentary
ernment since British Raj. Switching to presidential form of
government will add only confusion. At least all the varied groups are
getting representation in parliamentary form of government.
Therefore, India should continue with the parliamentary form of
government.
22. The recent Constitutional crisis in Arunachal Pradesh does

not augur well for Indian federalism. Critically examine.
Barely two months after a Supreme Court ruling restored the

Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Pema
Khandu left the Congress and joined the Peoples Party of Arunachal
(PPA), taking 43 MLAs with him. The government did not fall, but the
ruling party was changed.
This was the second time that Presidents Rule was imposed in the
State after it was granted full statehood in 1987. There followed bitter
recriminations between the Congress and the National Democratic
Alliance (NDA). On February 19, Presidents Rule was lifted.
The same day, the Supreme Court rejected the Congress plea for a
floor test in the Assembly, and on February 20, Pul was sworn in as
the Chief Minister.
Chief Minister Nabam Tuki resigned, a few hours ahead of the muchanticipated floor test. Pema Khandu, son of former Chief Minister
Dorjee Khandu, was elected as the chief of the Congress Legislature
Party.
Supreme Court had ordered restoration of the dismissed Congress

government by quashing all orders and decisions of the Governor
taken since December 9, 2015.
In this long and convoluted political drama, the Governors position

and role was seriously compromised.
These events therefore, did not hold good for Indian federalism as it
saw interference of the Union government into the political matters
and government formation of the state government.
23. Does abolishing triple talaq interfere with the right to

freedom of religion? Critically analyze.
There are two types of triple talaq. One, a person can utter triple talaq in
one sitting in the presence of two witnesses. Two, he can decide to give
talaq in three monthly installments.
The government has said that triple talaq violates the right to equality of
women, as well as their dignity, and "has no place in a secular country."
What this means is that Muslims and other minorities, like Christians,
would lose their existing right to apply their own civil code or laws for
family matters including marriage, divorce and inheritance. Some argue
that triple talaq infringes upon the right to religion. While, some assume
the abolition of triple talaq as a liberal step.
Women's rights activists have long called for reform of the Muslim personal
law which they say discriminates against women. What they want instead is
a well-defined law that criminalizes polygamy, unilateral divorce and child
marriage.
However, it is a fact that divorced women are placed in economically
disadvantageous positions and therefore new ideas are needed to aid them.
24. India best defense against state sponsored terrorism is to

strengthen military deterrence and diplomatic coercion against
Pakistan. Critically analyze.
Terrorists have long found refuge in countries and in many cases worked
hand in hand with the local governments. Today several countries continue
to attract terrorists and extremists for training and conspiring their attacks.
The host countries do not try to disassociate themselves fully from their ties
to terrorism and in some cases continue to provide tacit support and use
terror to accomplish broader objectives. Pakistan is a prime example.
Pakistan has long been the main staging ground and planning center for
terrorists operating in South Asia. After the launch of Operation Enduring
Freedom, thousands of terrorists were either killed or driven out of
Afghanistan, with the survivors taking refuge in Pakistan. Pakistan's
military and its secret spy service; Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) have
been training and funding several terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan
and India, including the decades long terrorism campaign in Indian
Kashmir.
Only a combination of Indian coercive and non-violent capabilities, and a
willingness to bargain, can motivate Pakistan to remove the threat of
violence. And just as threat of force alone will not work for India, terrorism
wont get Pakistan what it wants from India.
The links have long been clear, given that the Pakistani terrorist groups
operate in plain sight and have a very distinct Afghan and Indian focus. The
massive leak of U.S. Intelligence data on the Wikileaks website further
showed the complicity of the Pakistani state with terrorist groups, used to
establish a (false) state of deniability.
25. Examine the need for a national water commission. What
role can it play in the management of water?
At present water management in our country is done by Central water
commission (CWC), which develops surface water projects, and the Central
Groundwater Board (CGWB), which monitors groundwater. They work
independent of each other. There is a need for National water commission,

as has been recommended by Mihir Shah Committee, due to following
reasons:
i.
Previously we were more focused on building irrigation potential for
food security. Today the challenge is to effectively utilize the potential of big
dams, as the water is not reaching the farmers for whom it is meant. For
instance Maharashtra has 40% of countrys dam but 82% of the state is rain
fed.
ii.
The new challenge is to manage our aquifers sustainably.
Groundwater, which powered the Green Revolution, faces a crisis of
sustainability. Water levels and water quality has fallen. The previous
solution is now part of the problem
iii. Climate change poses fresh challenges exacerbated by impacts of
floods and droughts. Hence water management requires experts from
hydrology, hydrogeology, hydrometeorology, river ecology, ecological
economics, agronomy and participatory resource planning and
management.
Role of National water commission:
i.
Management of water resources in a holistic manner and not
separately as surface water, groundwater or river water.
ii.
Will bring expertise in water utilization, environmental and socioeconomic issues, efficient irrigation, management of droughts, floods,
climate change and food and water security.
iii. It would aim at reducing inter-state water disputes, bring greater
efficiency, better planning and increased emphasis on conservation of
water.
Water management must take multipronged approach with professionals
from different disciplines, participatory approach and successfully practices
from all over the world.
26. Is unilateral revocation of the Indus water treaty a viable non
war offensive against Pakistan? Discuss in detail.
In spite of its positional advantage, India has never used water as a military
tool, even in times of war. The revocation of the Indus water treaty as nonwar strategy will create following problems:
i.
Deteriorate bilateral relation - It may set off a spiral of discontent and
mistrust between the two countries. Peace may always remain elusive.
ii.
International credibility - Article 54 of Protocol I to the Geneva
Convention prohibits actions targeting civilian populations. 65 per cent of
Pakistans territory is part of the Indus basin which makes them overtly
dependent on the river.
iii. Regional stability Dhaka, Kathmandu or Thimphu may perceive
India as a unilateralist state. India must be seen to have inclination for
benefit-sharing. Only then Indias leadership will be accepted.
iv.
Indias position as a lower riparian state Indias actions as an upper
riparian country run the risk of seriously undermining its position as a
lower riparian state vis--vis China. On Brahmaputra, India has stakes in
institutionalizing norms of first-user rights, joint management and
consultative processes. If India chooses to renege on its own international
obligations then it will be unrealistic to expect cooperation from China.
However India should not be perceived as a soft state. India must take the
fight against terrorism in a targeted manner against terrorist groups.
Institutionally in U.N India can take the fight against Pakistan. Using
regional groupings like BIMSTEC, India can try to diplomatically isolate
Pakistan.
Water is an essential commodity. Poor will be most hurt by its scarcity.
Hence using Indus water treaty will be against the ethos of India.
27. Discuss the significance of the Trilateral Highway Project
between India and Myanmar.
Trilateral highway project between India, Myanmar and Thailand will have
following significance:
i.
Strategic
It will help in our Look East Policy. Our reach in Southeast Asia will
increase.
Our influence in Indian Ocean region will increase and help in power
balance vis--vis China.
Regional grouping like BIMSTEC may further increase and give us an
opportunity to diplomatically isolate Pakistan.
ii.
Economic
It will provide India direct access to the South-East and East Asian
markets. Trade potential with ASEAN will increase.
The highway can be connected to free trade zone proposed to be
developed at Sittwe Port in Myanmar.
In the second phase the highway is proposed to be extended to
Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Addition of Vietnam will be significant as it
is a member of TPP Agreement.
iii. N-E India will be better connected with East and S-E Asia. The
prospect to develop Food processing and other industry will increase
resulting in rapid development of the region.
iv.
Political Better regional cooperation through the project will help in
strengthening fight against terrorism, Disaster management, Piracy and
will bring peace and stability in the region. This will also help in our bid to
UNSC reform.
Infrastructure projects become drive of growth and development. Hence
the trilateral project must be completed in time bound manner.
28. The United Nations Security Council does not reflect the new
world order of the 21st century. In this context, discuss the need
for UNSC reforms.
The Security Council's membership and working methods reflect a

bygone era. Though geopolitics have changed drastically, the Council
has changed relatively little since 1945, when wartime victors crafted
a Charter in their interest and awarded "permanent" veto-wielding
Council seats for themselves.
Since 1993, the UN General Assembly has hotly debated Council

reform but has not been able to reach agreement. A handful of states
aspire to "permanent" status for themselves, while many other
countries reject such claims.
The reform of the Council is part of the broader issue of UN Reform,

to build a more effective and democratic global institution. This
includes the reform of other bodies like the General Assembly and the
Economic and Social Council, as well as improvement in the
organization's management and finance.
The Club of Four, or the G-4, comprising Japan, Germany, Brazil and
India that got formed to collectively lobby for permanent membership
in an expanded UN Security Council.
Each of the four has the gravitas necessary for entry into this most
exclusive of clubs within the UN system, although eyebrows may get
raised at yet another European country being included in a group,
where the continent is already well represented, with the UK and
France being permanent UNSC members.
Given the declining role of Europe in international geopolitics, a

situation which shows no sign of getting reversed in the coming
decades, if we assume that the number of permanent UNSC members
should get doubled to ten, clearly Asia should have at least three
seats.
India clearly merits a permanent seat at the UNSC. The UN General

Assembly should hold a separate vote on each of the countries
wanting to join the UNSC as a permanent member, followed by
another vote for each such country within the UNSC.
29. What do you understand by domestic violence? How effective

is the Domestic Violence Act, 2005 in dealing with protecting
women from violence in domestic relationships?
Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery,

sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic
pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner
against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence,
psychological violence, and emotional abuse.
The frequency and severity of domestic violence can vary

dramatically; however, the one constant component of domestic
violence is one partners consistent efforts to maintain power and
control over the other.
In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court has widened the scope of

the Domestic Violence Act by ordering deletion of the words adult
male from it, paving the way for prosecution of women and even
non-adults for subjecting a woman relative to violence and
harassment.
The apex court has ordered striking down of the two words from
Section 2(q) of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act,
2005, which deals with respondents who can be sued and prosecuted
under the Act for harassing a married woman in her matrimonial
home.
Referring to earlier verdicts, the Supreme court said that the

microscopic difference between male and female, adult and nonadult, regard being had to the object sought to be achieved by the
2005 Act, is neither real or substantial, nor does it have any rational
relation to the object of the legislation. The apex court Bench of
Justices Kurian Joseph and R.F. Nariman in its judgment said that
the remaining part of the legislation had been kept untouched and
would remain operative.
30. What has led to the rise in consumer demand in Indian

Economy? Analyze.
Backed by healthy salary hikes, rising aspirations and easy credit,

Indian consumers are spending more on new products - both online
and offline.
Consumer-oriented companies across sectors have seen robust sales

growth in the past few years.
Data show that Indian consumers are driving growth in the

automobiles and airline sectors, apart from supporting mobile phones
and consumer durables sales.
Retail loans, too, are rising, and this boom is likely to support the
broader economic growth in the current financial year.
Statistics tell the story of a surge in consumption. Consumer surge

has also been witnessed in consumer durables, new mobile phone
connections and expensive handsets sales.
Sales of consumer durables such as TVs, refrigerators, airconditioners and washing machines are expected to grow by 30
percent.
If India continues on its current high-growth path, over the next two
decades the Indian market will undergo a major transformation.
Income levels will almost triple, and India will climb from its position
as the twelfth-largest consumer market today to become the world's
fifth-largest consumer market by 2025.
31. What is the importance of the BRICS in the light of competing

associations of developing nations?
While the initial stages of the BRICS countries coming together did
not yield much, the pace of developments has significantly picked up
in recent years.
The BRICS countries would nevertheless show their support for the
G20 countries in playing a prominent role in steering the economic
leadership of the world.
As BRICS countries continued their statements of discontent with the

World Bank and IMF, and the role that developing countries were
accorded by them, the landmark New Development Bank (NDB) was
proposed by India, borne out of these.
The New Development Bank aims to offer financial and technical

assistance to sustainability and infrastructure projects.
It's true that economic cooperation among the five BRICS countries is
very important and would give a boost to manufacturing.
The BRICS countries have been seen as an engine of world economic

growth.
China and India are the second and seventh largest world economies,
respectively, ranking the second and first in terms of growth rate, and
first and third in terms of contribution to world economic growth.
32. Examine the reasons that led to the scrapping of railway

budget for Indian Railways.
Recently, the Union Government has decided to scrap the Railway Budget
as a separate entity paving way for a unified "Budget" of the GoI. There are
sound reasons for doing so, which can be listed as under:
1. Meagre fraction - Both the revenue and the cost budgeted for Indian
Railways has been reduced to a mere fraction of the total budget size. The
revenues from Industries, Services sector on the other has seen a major
transformation and enhanced size.
2. Relative importance - Indian Railways is recognized as one of the biggest
public sector, monopolized domain which under the divestment regime has
off late being reduced to one of less importance.
3. Equal focus & Manpower Utilization - By doing away with a separate
budget, the Railway Budget would be just be a fraction of the Union Budget.
Rather than being a separate one, the manpower will be better utilized. The
Govt. will do away with the duplicacy and adequate focus will be possible
for other sectors - Industries and Services which need a better focus to
utilize the demographic dividend of the time.
33. Discuss the strategic importance of India-Myanmar-Thailand

Trilateral Highway Project.
Trilateral highway project between India, Myanmar and Thailand will have
following significance:
i.
Strategic
It will help in our Look East Policy. Our reach in South East Asia
will increase.
Our influence in Indian Ocean region will increase and help in power
balance vis--vis China.
Regional grouping like BIMSTEC may further increase and give us an
opportunity to diplomatically isolate Pakistan.
ii.
Economic
It will provide India direct access to the South-East and East Asian
markets. Trade potential with ASEAN will increase.
The highway can be connected to free trade zone proposed to be
developed at Sittwe Port in Myanmar.
In the second phase the highway is proposed to be extended to
Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Addition of Vietnam will be significant as it
is a member of TPP Agreement.
iii. N-E India will be better connected with East and S-E Asia. The
prospect to develop Food processing and other industry will increase
resulting in rapid development of the region.
iv.
Political Better regional cooperation through the project will help in
strengthening fight against terrorism, Disaster management, Piracy and
will bring peace and stability in the region. This will also help in our bid to
UNSC reform.
Infrastructure projects become driver of growth and development. Hence
the trilateral project must be completed in time bound manner.
34. Discuss the impact of the Indian Ocean Rim Association on

global economy.
Indian ocean rim association (IORA) consist of 21 states in the Indian

ocean. IORA's prime agenda is to open regionalism for strengthening
economic cooperation ,trade facilitation and social development of the
region.its positive impact on global economies are
1.agriculture produce,marketing and investment in agriculture ,income of
farmers can be enhanced.
2. Better participation can enhance health and education sectors of world
economy.
3. Reduction in poverty and employment can be generated throughout the
world.
4. IT-BPM sector, tourism sector ,shipping services and media and
entertainment services can improved throughout the world.
5.IORA can play a vital role in Climate change and sustainbale development
in world economy.
6. Maritime safety and security , disaster management ,fisheries
management can improve global economy.
Some of the negative impacts are states are not United by IORA .
Countries like Yemen and Somalia are facing severe crisis .
India has not benefitted much despite being an important member of IORA
.
IORA can perform better and it's impact on global economy can increase
only if equal importance and share given to all states .
35. How can Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) achieve its goal of
eliminating open defecation by 2019?
Open defecation has huge socio-economic implication. It negates the efforts
made in the field of health and hygiene. It widens rural-urban divide.
Swachh Bharat can be used in following ways to achieve the ambitious
target of open defecation free India by 2019:
i.
Building infrastructure With budgetary allocation tripled for SBM,
more infrastructures like community toilets with adequate water facility
must be built.
ii.
Behavioral change Through various surveys it is known that people
do not use toilets despite having the facility of same in their houses. This
demand for behavioral change in people. The components of Information,
education and communication of SBM should be increased from present
1%.
iii. Understanding the beliefs of locals - Manual pit emptying is stigma in
rural areas as it is a work traditionally associated with lower class. The kind
of toilet promoted by government under SBM requires the same. More
research should be done to understand the behaviour of people.
iv.
Bio-digester toilets can be built under SBM. This will create
renewable energy and also obviate the need of manual pit emptying.
v.
Innovative measure Rajasthan government has stated to form
teams of young boys to patrol the fields early morning. People doing open
defecation feel shy and have stopped. Similarly in a district in Kerala
children in school are asked to say OD (open defecation) or ODF (Open
defecation free) instead of Present or absent. This has caused children to
persuade their parents to use toilets.
vi.
Awareness campaign through videos, nukkad natak etc.
SBM will have to build both physical and behavioral infrastructure to make
India open defecation free.
36. Can BIMSTEC serve as a better regional cooperation option

than SAARC? Discuss.
BIMTEC has some natural advantage over SAARC as a regional grouping
due to following reasons:
i.
Absence of Pakistan Pakistan which was obstructing the growth
agenda of SAARC will be absent in BIMSTEC.
ii.
Regional Connectivity Apart from India no two countries are
connected in SAARC except for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Interstate trade
infrastructure is also abysmal. On the other hand BIMSTEC countries have
number of infrastructural projects on the offing like Kaladan project, IndiaMyanmar- Thailand highway, BCIM corridor, BIMSTEC economic corridor.
iii. Trade potential BIMSTEC countries are more open to trade. If
Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore can be inducted in the group then trade
potential will go even higher.
iv.
Integration with other groups like ASEAN, TPP etc will become
easier through BIMSTEC.
v.
Unifying factor like shared Bay of Bengal and benefits and losses in
form cyclones etc, concern with china assertiveness etc better bind
BIMSTEC countries.
vi.
Cultural ties Most of the countries profess Buddhism whose roots
are in India.
37. Discuss the various features of Indias nuclear Doctrine. Is
there a need to revisit the Doctrine? Critically examine.
Indias nuclear doctrine was first enunciated following a Cabinet
Committee on Security (CCS) meeting in January 2003 over four and a
half years after the May 1998 tests.
Indias nuclear weapons were meant only for self defence, that India was
not interested in arms racing, and encapsulating concepts such as no first
use of nuclear weapons and their non use against non nuclear weapon
states.
Main Features of Indias Nuclear Doctrine:
1. Building and maintaining a credible minimum deterrent;
2. A No First Use posture; nuclear weapons to be used only in
retaliation against a nuclear attack on Indian territory or on Indian
forces anywhere;
3. Nuclear retaliation to a first strike will be massive and designed to

inflict unacceptable damage.
4. Nuclear retaliatory attacks to be authorized only by civilian political
leadership through the Nuclear Command Authority.
5. Non use of nuclear weapons against non nuclear weapon states.
6. India to retain option of retaliating with nuclear weapons in the event
of a major attack against it with biological or chemical weapons;
7. Continuance of strict controls on export of nuclear and missile related
materials and technologies, participation in FMCT negotiations,
continued moratorium on testing;
8. Continued commitment to goal of nuclear weapon free world,
through global, verifiable and non discriminatory disarmament.
Reason for calls to revisit the nuclear doctrine:
The major factor behind the questioning of the Nuclear Doctrine

stems from concerns about NFU. Dissatisfaction with our NFU
posture is not new.
Since an important element behind the call for revisiting our nuclear
doctrine emanates from a lack of confidence in our deterrent and in
our willingness to resort to the use of nuclear weapons in a massive
second strike in response to an attack on us with tactical weapons, the
same needs to be addressed by much more effective signaling and a
demonstration that the government will do what it says and will not
shy from making a robust response when necessary.
38. Discuss the key recommendations of the T.S.R. Subramanian

committee on the New Education Policy (NEP) to improve the
education sector in India.
Key recommendations of New Education Policy (NEP):
Early Childhood Care and Education(ECCE): The Committee

observed that the implementation of ECCE was inconsistent across
states. It emphasised the need for all government schools to have
facilities for pre-primary education. Hence, it recommended that
ECCE for children from four to five years of age be declared as a right.
This would facilitate pre-school education by the government instead
of the private sector until children reach six years of age.
The Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009: Currently, the norms for
infrastructure and quality have been laid down only for private
schools. The Committee recommended that the RTE should be
amended to provide uniform norms for recognition of both,
government and private schools.
It also recommended extending the RTE provision of common

curriculum to minority institutions, which are currently exempted.
School exam reforms: The Committee recommended the usage of

scaled scores and percentiles instead of the traditional marking
scheme. It suggested that students should be given the choice to pick
the difficulty level of the Mathematics and Science exams in class 10.
To reduce the stress levels of students, the Committee proposed
online on-demand board exams as opposed to year end exams.
In addition, the Committee recommended that the policy of no

detention should be upheld only till class five (age 11 years). This
would reverse the existing policy of no detention till class eight (age
14 years).
Teacher Management: The Committee observed that there has been a

steep rise in teacher shortage, absenteeism and grievances. It
recommended setting up of an Autonomous Teacher Recruitment
Board. It also recommended that teaching license should be subject
to renewal every 10 years. For teacher training, a four year integrated
B.Ed. course should be implemented.
ICT in Education: The Committee noted that the integration of

information technology (IT) and the education sector was inadequate
despite Computer Literacy and Studies in Schools. It recommended
IT be taken up for teacher training, adult literacy, remedial education
and as a learning tool in higher education. This would also include
developing online skill based courses.
Vocational education and training: The Committee recommended

scaling up the existing National Skills Qualification Framework to
include more students. It recommends expanding and revising the
choice of vocational courses in accordance with local opportunities
and resources. It also emphasised the need for formal certification by
the various Boards of Education for vocational education at par with
conventional education.
39. What role can India play in non-escalation of the South China
Sea dispute?
Southeast Asia and its contested littorals matter to Indian interests. Indian
trade and economic linkages in the Pacific are becoming stronger and
deeper. India can play following role in averting the escalation of the South
China Sea dispute:
i.
India followed the arbitration of ICJ in which 4/5th of disputed
maritime territory was given to Bangladesh. India can persuade other
countries to follow the judgement of ICJ and elevate the sanctity of its
Judgement. This will make it difficult for China to violate the judgment.
ii.
Help in building capability of littoral state like Vietnam to reduce
asymmetry of power.
iii. Help in acceptance of the principle of freedom of navigation and
commercial access as enshrined in the UNCLOS.
iv.
Highlight the issue of environmental degradation. This will make
China accountable for building Islands and destroying coral reefs in South
China Sea.
v.
Military alliance in Indian Ocean may make Chinas presence
difficult. This can be used as a concession to ease up the situation in South
China Sea.
Issue of South China Sea must be dealt with persuasion, Arbitration and
coercion as a last resort.
40. What are the key amendments to the Maternity Benefit Act,
1961?
The Act provides maternity leave up to 12 weeks for all women. The
Bill extends this period to 26 weeks. However, a woman with two or
more children will be entitled to 12 weeks of maternity leave.
The Bill introduces maternity leave up to 12 weeks for a woman who
adopts a child below the age of three months, and for commissioning
mothers. The period of maternity leave will be calculated from the
date the child is handed over to the adoptive or commissioning
mother.
The Bill requires every establishment with 50 or more employees to
provide for crche facilities within a prescribed distance. The woman
will be allowed four visits to the crche in a day.
An employer may permit a woman to work from home, if the nature
of work assigned permits her to do so. This may be mutually agreed
upon by the employer and the woman.
The Bill requires an establishment to inform a woman of all benefits
that would be available under the Bill, at the time of her appointment.
Such information must be given in writing and electronically.
Several expert bodies like the WHO have recommended that 24 weeks
of maternity leave is required to protect maternal and child health.
However, since the costs of this leave are to be borne by the employer,
it may have an adverse impact on job opportunities for women.
Various countries have implemented different funding models in
relation to maternity benefits. In some countries the employer bears
the cost, while in some others it is paid by the government.
While women will be provided with 26 weeks of maternity leave for
two children, the period of leave for a third child will be 12 weeks.
This could affect the growth and development of the third born child.
The Act and Bill cover women workers employed in establishments
with 10 or more employees, and other notified establishments.
However, a majority of the women workforce, who are in the

unorganised sectors, may not be covered.
There are several labour laws that provide maternity benefits to
women in different sectors. These laws differ in their coverage,
benefits and financing of such benefits.
41. Discuss the relevance of the Legislative Councils in the States.

Do you think they should be scrapped? Why or why not?
Indian polity has provision of Bicameral legislature in the states if they so
desire. Following are the relevance of the Legislative Councils in the States:
i.
Act as a check on hasty actions by the popularly elected House which
may be inclined to take populist and non-prudent decisions.
ii.
More debate and sharing of work between the Houses.
iii. Individuals who do not have aptitude and appetite to win direct
elections too are able to contribute to the legislative process.
However in current times of strengthening direct democracy there is little
relevance of Legislative councils and it should be scrapped on following
basis:
i.
They can be used to park leaders who didnt win election. As per Lok
Sabha data, 21 present MPs were MLCs earlier.
ii.
They can be used to delay progressive legislation.
iii.
They strain state finances. Rajasthan informed the Standing
Committee that approximately Rs 100 crore would be required to setup LC

with recurring annual expenditure.
iv.
Unlike Rajya Sabha which has substantial powers to shape nonfinancial legislation, Legislative Councils lack the constitutional mandate to
do so.
v.
Participation in governance and policy formulation for citizens not
going for direct election is easier now through RTI, mygov.in, responding to
governments questionnaire etc.
There should be systemic measure to make Legislative assembly more
accountable to the people and Legislative council must be scrapped.
42. Critically examine the salient features of Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
The Code creates time-bound processes for insolvency resolution of

companies and individuals. These processes will be completed within
180 days. If insolvency cannot be resolved, the assets of the
borrowers may be sold to repay creditors.
The resolution processes will be conducted by licensed insolvency

professionals (IPs). These IPs will be members of insolvency
professional agencies (IPAs). IPAs will also furnish performance
bonds equal to the assets of a company under insolvency resolution.
Information utilities (IUs) will be established to collect, collate and

disseminate financial information to facilitate insolvency resolution.
The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) will adjudicate

insolvency resolution for companies. The Debt Recovery Tribunal
(DRT) will adjudicate insolvency resolution for individuals.
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India will be set up to

regulate functioning of IPs, IPAs and IUs.
Time-bound insolvency resolution will require establishment of

several new entities. Also, given the pendency and disposal rate of
DRTs, their current capacity may be inadequate to take up the
additional role.
IPAs, regulated by the Board, will be created for regulating the

functioning of IPs. This approach of having regulated entities further
regulate professionals may be contrary to the current practice of

regulating licensed professionals. Further, requiring a high value of
performance bond may deter the formation of IPAs.
The Code provides an order of priority to distribute assets during

liquidation. It is unclear why: (i) secured creditors will receive their
entire outstanding amount, rather than up to their collateral value,
(ii) unsecured creditors have priority over trade creditors, and (iii)
government dues will be repaid after unsecured creditors.
The Code provides for the creation of multiple IUs. However, it does
not specify that full information about a company will be accessible
through a single query from any IU. This may lead to financial
information being scattered across these IUs.
The Code creates an Insolvency and Bankruptcy Fund. However, it does

not specify the manner in which the Fund will be used.
43. How has globalization affected terrorism? Critically examine.
After the Sept. 11th terrorist attacks against the US, the very discourse
of international relations and global politics has been transformed.
Prior to Sept. 11th, the dominant issues were geoeconomic in nature.
Globalization and humanitarian issues occupied the agendas of
international summits and international organizations.
To encourage the democratization of Arab and other mainly Muslim
nations is to ride in the slipstream of technological evolution, which
at the moment has anti-autocrat tendencies.
And steering nations toward economic modernization is largely a
matter of tearing down trade barriers and letting capitalism do what
it naturally does.
The ongoing globalization of technology and commerce, it would
seem, amounts to an autopilot anti-terrorism machine.
This clash of cultures, by itself, needn't be a huge problem. Sure, the
encroachment of modern values on traditional culture will create
friction, including resentment and even disgust.
In short: If people everywhere had economic opportunity and

political freedom, the clash of cultures that globalization brings would
more often be endured without explosion.
So, maybe globalization, to the extent that it's part of the problem, is
self-solving. By moving the world toward market economies and
democracy. In developing countries globalization can, in the short
run, create economic frustrations.
Today parts of the developing world are taking an even wilder ride,
going straight from pre-industrial agrarian lifestyles into the modern,
globalized world, covering in decades a jump that the West took
centuries to make. With traditional routes to status and community
being rapidly redefined, there is bound to be some virulent discontent
generated somewhere.
It is ironic that global terrorism, the phenomenon of terrorists
operating in and against several nations simultaneously, was
facilitated by globalization and now it has become the biggest
challenge to globalization. Global terrorism depends on the success of
globalization. In fact one may very conceive of global terrorism as a
facet of the global culture resulting from globalization.
44. How can the government address economic inequality by

increasing financial inclusion? Examine the efforts made by the
government in promoting financial inclusion in India.
Financial inclusion could be a powerful tool to remove economic inequality
in the following ways:
i.
Entrepreneurship Special provision of financial inclusion like
Mudra bank, Stand-up-India etc will encourage self -employment and
socio-economic wellbeing of women and lower caste.
ii.
Subsidy benefit will reach to the deserving with financial inclusion
through PMJDY bank account complemented with Aadhar and Mobile
number.
iii. Social upliftment With financial inclusion lower castes will not be
dependent on money lenders and less scope of subjugation by them. This
will give dignity and confidence of weak and poor and bring them on the
path of inclusive development.
The Government of India and the Reserve Bank of India have undertaken
concerted measures to extend financial inclusion i.
PM Jan Dhan Yojana was set up to remove financial
untouchability.
ii.
Special banks
a)
Mudra Bank Will give loans in niche areas like MSME etc
b)
Payment and Small Banks especially designed to serve lower
section of society.
iii. Special schemes - Start-up-India and Stand-up-India brings easy
credit to special categories for inclusive growth.
iv.
Banking correspondent serves the purpose of regular bank in
remote areas.
v.
Financial literacy programme to help people take maximum
advantage from available financial products.
45. India has moved from its Look East to Act East Policy which
promises a greater role and partnership in the ASEAN region
and RCEP negotiations keeping in line with its status as an
emerging global power. Critically examine.
South East Asian region has always been strategically important to India.
India's relations with ASEAN countries have blossomed in past few years.
New Delhi's strategic upgradation in the policy towards the region i.e. from
Look East to Act East has following evidences:
1) Creation of Project Development Fund for catalysing Indian economic

presence in the CLMV countries viz. Cambodia, Laos Myanmar and
Vietnam.
2) Recently signed agreements a) Various agreements signed between India and Vietnam in field of IT,
space, double taxation and sharing white shipping information.
b) India and Laos Air Service Agreement
c) MoUs signed between India and Myanmar in Power sector,Banking
Supervision etc.
3) India-Indonesia bilateral maritime exercise.
4) MekongGanga Cooperation for future trade and investment
cooperation in the region(India, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and
Vietnam)
Challenges:1) Increasing influence of China in Cambodia,Myanmar and Laos.In RCEP
also, China will dominate.
2) Countries like Indonesia are emerging as big powers in the region and
two powers can not coexist in same region.
3) Inconsistent relations with countries like Brunei and Cambodia.
4) Increasing Philippines's new president's interests in China.
ASEAN is full of opportunities. India has a huge market there. Vietnam is
one of the largest importer of India's meat exports. India needs to prioritize
its interests. Also,Myanmar is the gate to ASEAN countries. Perpetuating
good relations with Myanmar is of utmost importance.
46. Is there a shift in Russias foreign policy that is impacting

Moscows relations with India? Examine.
India and Russia have one of the strongest strategic partnership. Both
counties have stood by each other in difficult times. But recent recalibration
of Russias foreign relation has impacted relation with India:
i.
Russia has reevaluated it relationship with Pakistan. It doesnt see
Pakistan as terror supporting state rather have declared than Pakistan is
also one of the victims of terror. Russia gave full support to Pakistan's
membership for SCO; conducted Joint military exercise; signed deal for
MI-35 helicopters. This is the major reason for recent easiness in the
relation.
ii.
Russias aggressive policy towards Crimea and sour relation with
West has made situation difficult for India who believe in multi-alignment.
India may find difficult to balance relation with U.S and Russia.
iii. Russias unconditional support to China on the issue of South China
Sea is also a matter of concern for India.
But Russia has made clear that relation with Pakistan is not at the cost of
relation with India. Relation with India is much deeper and stronger.
Recently India also signed deal to procure Moscow's most advanced antiaircraft defence system - S 400 Triumph. Russia, under sanction from the
west, may find it prudent to gather more friends and ally. India is aware of
Russia problem and has also supported it at international fora. Russia
supported India decision for recent surgical strike. Hence with
reciprocation from both sides relation can not only be maintained but
strengthened with time.
47. Examine the significance of Antarctic
Expedition (ACE) that was held recently.
Circumpolar
Innovative technology to undertake an Antarctic survey during first

international circumnavigation voyage for scientific assessment of southern
ocean is known as ACE.
i.
Global collaboration More than 5
0 researchers from 30 countries have collaborated for the expedition. Such

cooperation in important for overall climate change mitigation effort
through, Paris agreement, Kigali agreement etc.
i.
Concrete data- Antarctica is considered thermometer for global
phenomenon. But the changes that are going on around Antarctica are less
well understood as compared to Arctic.
ii.
Global phenomenon - Ocean currents around Southern Ocean are
related global phenomenon which are yet to be understood properly; Our
understanding of Monsoon, El Nino etc will be enhanced
iii. Global environmental linkage will also be better understood.
Mapping of whales, penguins and albatrosses in the Southern Ocean;
measuring the effect of plastic pollution on the food chain; and logging the
extent of phytoplankton and its role in regulating climate will enhance our
present knowledge.
iv.
Conditions before industrial revolution - Scientists will take ice core
samples and study biodiversity on the continent in an attempt to reveal
conditions before the onset of the Industrial Revolution.
v.
Motivation to study various other regions in tandem will also
increase due to the expedition.
With rapidly changing global climate more such research effort must be
taken to increase our understanding and formulating strategies to enhance
coping capability.
48. How can India and Myanmar enhance their ties, in the light
of increasing Chinese economic investments in Myanmar?
Myanmar is said to be one of the swing state which has huge political and
cultural importance for India. Although India can show limited economic
influence in Mayanmar, we can adopt following strategy to over this
constraint and forge a stronger relation that China:
i.
Project completion with efficiency will increase India need and
dependency for Myanmar. At present Kaladan and IMT trilateral Highway
must be completed expediently. India can also help in developing Sittwe

FTA.
ii.
Trade with Myanmar can be enhanced especially from the N-E
India. Myanmar has fertile condition and India with rich experience in
agriculture can help :
Agreements in pulse and oilseed production.
Extension services in Dryland farming.
iii. Alternative to China BIMSTEC, Project Mausam, Space services etc
can be used to shift the polarity of Myanmar China relation.
iv.
Bilateral engagement - must be strengthen. India-Mayanmar
Foundation can be step up.
v.
Culture Myanmar being an emerging democracy can learn a lot
from India in building grass root institutions. Buddhism can also be used
for people to people contact.
vi.
Environmental issues which are disregarded by China, can be
highlighted for Myanmar to look for an alternative.
India has a global image of benefit sharing. Such social capital must be
effectively utilised to turn Myanmar from friend to an ally.
49. Discuss the salient features of National Medical Commission
Bill, 2016. How can it address Indias health challenges?
The National Medical Commission draft Bill is a much needed and

long overdue endeavor by the NITI Aayog and the Government of
India aiming to reform the current Medical Council of India.
The Bill is comprehensive and well-drafted aiming to regulate
medical profession and improve the quality of medical
administration. The Bill aims to create four verticals to oversee
undergraduate and post-graduate education, establish a medical
assessment and rating Board and also a Board for medical
registration.
The Bill is rightly providing for convergence and effective

coordination.
The Bill has addressed the three challenges of rampant corruption,
failure to establish and maintain standards of medical education and
ineffective regulation of medical profession.
The proposed Bill rightly provides for an appeal to the Board of
Medical Registration whose decision shall be binding on the State
Medical Council.
The enormous importance of NMCs role in regulating standards of
medical education, professional ethics and medical care in India, a
regular framework for reporting and accountability should be
institutionalized in the law itself.
50. New Zealand, an NSG member, had raised questions about

Indias entry into the NSG, based on its stand that only
signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty are eligible
to join the group. Critically comment.
New Zealand is yet to change its hard-line position on only admitting

signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty into the NSG, a group
which works by consensus.
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key did not explicitly support
Indias application to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group, but only
committed to contribute constructively to the process to reach a
decision by an early date.
The formulation of the Kiwi response was similar to the noncommittal statement made by Brazilian President Michel Temer, who
expressed understanding about Indias position at the bilateral
meeting in Goa earlier this month.
It reiterated its commitment to the total elimination of all weapons of

mass destruction including in particular nuclear weapons. Pending
the global elimination of nuclear weapons, India will uphold global
non-proliferation and work with partners such as New Zealand to
advance nuclear disarmament.
China has made it clear that it would oppose any India-specific

membership process, calling instead for a 2-step procedure that
would first set the criteria for non-NPT members that include
Pakistan.
Though, New Zealand showed an understanding of Indias clean

energy needs and the importance of predictability in global rules on
nuclear commerce in enabling the expansion of nuclear energy in
India. Indias NSG membership application will hinge on its need to
keep climate change commitments.
New Zealand is part of a group called the New Agenda for Coalition
which promotes the NPT and pushes for nuclear disarmament
worldwide.
51. Discuss the strategic interests of India in Maldives. In this

regard, critically analyse the bilateral relationship between India
and Maldives.
Maldives is strategically located in Indian Ocean which increases its
importance for India. Following are Indian interest in Maldives:
i.
Influence in Indian Ocean region With rising Chines interest and
investment in the region, good relation with Maldives is imperative to
secure our rights.
ii.
Indian leadership Capacity building; Acting as net security
provider; seeking support for UNSC reform etc
iii. Terrorism Both countries are aware of growing dangers of terrorism
and challenge of radicalism. Security agencies have strengthened
information sharing, training and capacity building to deal with these
challenges.
iv.
Black money - A double-tax avoidance agreement with Maldives,
which is perceived to be tax havens, will check the flow of black money.
India and Maldives has long history of friendly relationship. Indian

Army's 'Operation Cactus' saved Maldives from coup. At the request
of Maldives, India maintains her naval presence there since 2009.
Indian was to come with relief supplies after the tsunami of 2004. In
2014, India dispatched water aid after a fire destroyed Maldives
biggest water treatment plant.
Maldives has pledged its support to India as a permanent member of

an expanded UN Security Council. Maldives also pulled out of SAARC
meeting to be held in Islamabad.
There was some strain in relation after agreement of MGR was

cancelled and given to a Chinese company. Last year Indian PM
skipped Male on his tour to Indian Ocean Nations due to nonconducive democratic atmosphere in Maldives. But India started reengaging with Male because of strategic and security reasons. India
supported Maldives in Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group
deliberation.
Recently New Delhi and Male patched up its ties and signed a crucial
action plan on defence cooperation. Indian Maldives relation,
although strong, is influenced by China. India seems to have adopted
a pragmatic approach in dealing with Maldives and will help to
counter the influence of China.
52. Cite the reasons for India to implement the commitments

under Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). In the light of this,
discuss the contradictions in interests of developed and
developing world in the WTO negotiations.
Why should India implement TFACreated with by ForumIAS.com - The Knowledge Network for Civil Services.
India has to be in a state of readiness to implement various

commitments under the World Trade Organisations (WTO) Trade
Facilitation Agreement (TFA) as it may become a binding agreement
soon.
India had submitted the instrument of ratification of the trade

facilitation agreement (TFA) to the World Trade Organization. The
TFA was concluded at the WTOs ninth ministerial meeting in Bali in
December 2013.
The Trade Facilitation Agreement would supplement ongoing reforms

to bring in enhanced transparency in cross-border trade in goods. It
aims at easing customs procedures to boost commerce.
Ratifying the WTOs Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) will help

India further boost economic growth by reducing trade costs and
supporting its integration into the global economy.
It further contains provisions for technical assistance and capacity

building in this area.
Contradictions in interests of developed and developing world
There are contradictions of interests among developed and

developing nations, especially in the matter of farm subsidy.
The difficulty with Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) runs in a

clause that says that farm subsidies cannot be more than 10% of the
value of agricultural production. If the limit is violated, other
participants can contest it and also go on to levy trade sanctions on

the nation.
The developing nations have a difficulty with the solutions offered by

the developed nations. Without the subsidies, the food security of the
developing nations could be genuinely damaged.
The 10% cap on subsidies will not be feasible for developing nations
like India to accomplish.
Also, It appears to be biased to the developed nations. For example,

US offers farm subsidies to its farmers to the tune of more than $20
billion per year. While, the WTO is binding the developing nations to
protocols, the issue of subsidies by developed nations like US appears
to be kept off the table.
WTO argues that if the developing countries continue to give prices to

farmers which are higher than the market prices, it might harm the
poor farmers in other parts of the world.
The developed world wants the issue of food security to be dis-associated

from the TFA. Here is where contractions occur.
GS 3
1. It took us centuries to develop the complex systems of values
assigned to lands in the agrarian settlement, which is being
altered by urbanization with new logics of efficiency and
economy of service delivery. Elucidate.
Developing the system of values assigned to lands in the agrarian

settlement too a long time. These values are based on soil conditions,
gradient, location relative to other geographic and geological features
such as groundwater, surface water, drainage patterns etc.
Lands were strategically exploited for production, left fallow to

recover, left unoccupied to provide buffers against the cycles of
excesses of nature.
Urbanisation alters this agrarian imprint with new logics of efficiency

and economy of service delivery. This is why cadastral maps of an
agrarian settlement show fluid zigzag boundaries of property.
After land use conversion for urbanisation, the boundaries change

into rigid geometric patterns. New logics of revenue categories, new
processes of record maintenance, reservation of land parcels for new
purposes and installation of new infrastructure erase the agrarian
birthmarks of land.
After land use conversion for urbanisation, the boundaries change

into rigid geometric patterns. While, In the 1970s, lands that served
ecological functions were occupied by the poor who migrated into the
city and found no housing.
With increasing pressure for land monetisation, governments and

public utilities are all vying with each other to capture and convert
land parcels to new uses.
We must re-centre our policy and retrain our engineers into

acknowledging our agrarian past.
Urbanisation is a profound geo-historic shift. We must manage it well

by careful observation, data gathering over long periods of time,
modelling the behaviour of nature in the altered context.
We can import modelling tools and sensor technologies. It must be

affirmed and nurtured in our cities. We can borrow money from
international agencies, but we must build our own resilience. With
climate change induced extreme events likely to occur with greater
frequency, we have little time to lose.
2. In case global oil prices stays at the present low range, what
can be the long term implications on economy of India and
world. What Policy alternatives should India consider for that
scenario?
Following are the implications of low global oil prices:
i.
Economic Fiscal health of non oil exporting countries like India,
China, Japan etc will improve. CAD will decrease and Forex reserve will
build up. But oil exporting countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran, Venezuela,
Russia etc suffer economically.
ii.
Social Workers in OPEC countries will become vulnerable to
becoming unemployed due to contraction of their economies. India having
huge number of workers in those countries may face problem in this front.
Further, most of oil resource rich countries have low level of social
development. Less government revenue owing to low prices will further
make human development difficult.
iii. Political Regional conflict over control of oil reserves will further
increase.
iv.
Environmental Low oil price will be a disincentive for investment in
clean energy. Shale gas exploration in U.S.A has been slowed down due to
low oil price. Countries may miss on Intended Nationally Determined
Contributions target.
The opportunity provided by low oil prices should be tapped well by
following Policy alternatives:
i.
Strategic storage More agreements for underground storage of
crude oil like the one we have with United Arab Emirates (UAE)
government should be signed with other oil exporting countries.
ii.
Oil refineries Indias already well-established oil refineries should
be beefed up to capitalize further on low oil prices.
iii.
Good relation with oil exporting countries
Balance between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Venezuela is facing economic problems with regard to paying bills to
India. India should think of alternatives like trade in rupees.
Social security agreement can be signed with OPEC countries so than
Indian workers have job security in those countries.
iv.
Investment in renewable energy Fiscal benefit accrued from low oil
price must be used in research and development in renewable energy to
translate it into long term benefit.
With futuristic policies long term benefit can be gained from the present
low oil price.
3. Critically analyze the rationale behind tax disclosure scheme
and its effectiveness in dealing with black money.
The Centres move to mop up black money from the economy by

giving taxpayers amnesty to declare undisclosed past income by
paying tax on it at an effective, slightly high rate of 45 per cent has
yielded a surprisingly positive dividend.
Stern warnings about tough action and possible jail terms for those
who failed to declare their cartloads of black money may have added
punch to the Finance Ministrys pitch.
The Centre, however, must not consider this the end of its campaign
on black money. To put things in context, the average undisclosed
income per taxpayer under the scheme stands at Rs.1 crore; and
though the disclosures are nearly double those in the last income
amnesty scheme (around Rs.33,700 crore), nearly two decades have
passed since then, making comparisons misleading.
The tax department is aware that Rs.65,250 crore is just the tip of the
iceberg it had sent seven lakh letters to suspected evaders based on
information on about 90 lakh high-value transactions that took place
without PAN card details.
The tax department must crack down on such evaders and spruce up
its data-mining methods to expand the countrys shallow tax base.
While the departments efforts have revealed undisclosed income of
over Rs.58,000 crore in the last two and half years, and more is being
pursued from tax havens where Indian holdings have come to light,
all of this is akin to treating the symptoms without addressing the
root cause.
If the Centre is serious about attacking Indias thriving black

economy, it needs to be bold and, for starters, make electoral funding
transparent, curb the misuse by the wealthy of tax-free income sops
for farmers, and encourage cashless transactions.
4. Call drop problem has become one of the biggest problems for
the 900 million-odd mobile subscribers in the country in recent
times. Highlight the factors causing call drop problem and
suggest some measures to deal with it.
Call drop is- "a voice call, which after being successfully established, is
interrupted prior to its normal completion (and) the cause of early
termination is within the network of the service provider.
What Causes Call Drops?
Reasons for call drop are technical and non-technical issues. Primary
among the technical reasons include lack of radio coverage, radio
interference between neighbouring cells, imperfections in the functioning
of the network, capacity constraints and overload, transmission media
related problems and unauthorized repeaters.
Non-technical issues could be low battery, low funds in pre-paid
connections. Even if you are miffed with your partner and disconnect the
call, it's considered a call drop.
1. Inadequate coverage which can be due to multiple reasons
o Lack of tower infrastructure
o Improper network planning
o Non-optimization of network
2. Overloaded cell towers number of subscribers are growing day by
day and most of them are on smartphones. The network capacity is
simply not being ramped up at the same pace resulting in
overloaded networks
3. Cityscape changes there have been instances where a new
multistoried building comes up and the adjacent buildings
subscribers lose cell reception. Such instances are very common
with rapidly changing cityscapes and call for routine network data
analysis from service providers.
4. Switching between towers this situation occurs when a person is
traveling or moving around while talking. If a call handover takes
place from one BTS to another, especially in case of overloaded

networks, there are chances of dropped calls.
5. Technical Failures this is beyond anyones control and operators
generally monitor downtimes
Solution
1. Optimize the networks and improve planning approaches
o the adoption of Self-Organizing Networks (SON) can mean
real-time capacity adjustments in an automated manner.
o Improved planning means usage of modern approaches like
GIS for network planning.
2.
Allay Radiation Fears: With radiation scare causing major concerns,
ideally telcos can take a collaborative route and use print, digital media to
spread awareness. This will naturally result in citizens coming forward and
proposing locations for newer towers as it involves monetary benefits.
3.
Use Analytics: Customers must not have to undergo hardships to
solve call drop issues. Through the use of sophisticated analytics, operators
must be in a position to assess the health of their networks, measure the
quantum of call drops and address them accordingly.
4.
On the LTE front: LTE offers more benefits in terms of spectral
efficiency.
5.
Technologies like Wi-Fi offloading must be rolled out in a faster
manner.
6.
Indoor coverage: Indoor coverage has always been a problem,
especially with higher frequencies.
7.
Offset power failures

o Operators need to look for better, environment-friendly
alternatives than diesel generators.
A robust small cell network might even mean no need for a

bigger power source.
8.
e-Clearance for new cell towers: The Government, in association with
TRAI or DoT could set up a new single-channel website with appropriate
revenue sharing model (state, local bodies) for faster clearance of new cell
towers.
o
5. Government has been promoting LPG as a clean and healthy

cooking medium compared to traditional Indian cooking
mediums like dung cakes and firewood. Highlight the benefits of
using LPG over traditional mediums and what are the barriers in
introducing it universally in India?
Liquified petroleum gas (LPG) is a very clean fossil fuel. It is used as fuel in
heating appliances, cooking equipment, and vehicles. It is a healthy fuel as
well. It does not cause much pollution as compared to traditional Indian
cooking mediums.
Benefits of using LPG over traditional mediums
LPG is a clean cooking energy, unlike traditional Indian cooking

mediums like firewood. It produces less harmful emissions than other
conventional fossil fuels. It comprises of very less quantity of particulate
substances that are detrimental.
It is not so harmful to health. Especially, the poor women in rural

India whose health interests are usually neglected in household priorities,
get an improved quality of life because of using a cleaner fuel. While in the
case of traditional Indian cooking mediums, incomplete combustion leads
to the release of small particles and other constituents that are damaging to
human health.

LPG is less harmful to the environment, with minimal sulphur
content and lowest black carbon emission to the atmosphere. It has the
lowest CO2 emissions amongst all refined fuels.
Swifter cooking of foods. LPG can cook quicker than any other
available alternatives as it has huge calorific value.
Less kitchen temperature. Cooking with LPG is certainly not a hot

and humid affair as stoves give out really less heat compared to other
cooking gas, thereby not shooting up your kitchen temperature alarmingly.
Convenience is also an important benefit. Safety is taken into

consideration. Delivery is reliable and safe.
Barriers in introducing LPG universally in India
Cost is a major factor. It acts a major hindrance in the spread of LPG.

The high cost of acquiring a connection discourages many to switch to LPG.
As per reports, around 95% of households say they cannot afford this fuel.
Limited LPG distribution networks in rural areas also cause a barrier

in the spread of LPG universally in India The government and oil marketing
companies (OMCs) have already established at least one LPG distributor in
each block. But, much needs to done.
The third major barrier would be lack of awareness. As per

government reports, around 40 per cent of LPG-deprived households in
rural areas cite a lack of information about the process of getting a
connection as a challenge. Therefore, awareness creation in rural areas and
among the urban poor is a must. For households in urban slums, the
absence of residential proof and a lack of interest by urban dealers to serve

them also pose a barrier.
Finally, administrative issues acts as a hinderance. Limited

penetration of LPG and retail pricing makes it very challenging for many
poor households, especially in rural India. Opening exclusive dealerships
for smaller cylinders would help overcome many of these issues. Efficient
administration and a comprehensive approach can solve many of these
problems.
Government and civil society have started giving importance to increase the
penetration of LPG in India, which is a welcome move.
6. How does the Chinese growth story differ from Indias?

Discuss the challenges that they face.
In 1980, both India and China had similar living standards.
The basic nature of Indias growth story could be summarized as the

democratic and inclusive nature of the countrys growth while ignoring the
slow pace of change.
While, China backed upon poverty eradication, urbanization and

infrastructure development while ignoring the social and environmental
costs these efforts have incurred.
The reforms in China accelerated in a sustained manner, unlike that

of India.

The reform process of China included transforming agriculture,
opening up of industrial sector for the growth of local enterprises, or
putting substantial effort to make state- owned enterprises more efficient.
The growth story of India and China are mostly contrasting.
China started economic reforms a decade before India. Indias

economic liberalization started from 1991. Indias economic liberalization
policies led to an increasing role of private sector and opened the economy
to foreign investment. However, China took a head start.
China's economic model has basically involved suppression of

consumption.Sustained low wages, financial repression and an undervalued
currency (thus boosting profits from exports) have helped generate higher
earnings for corporates to deploy into fixed investments.
Chinas leadership mostly focussed on maintaining absolute control

of the Communist Party of China (CPC) over all organs of the State and
promoting rapid economic growth, thereby becoming the worlds largest
economy.
For China, it needs to transit from manufacturing to services,

investment-driven to consumption-driven economy, and export-led to
domestic demand-led growth.
While in the case of India, it is quite the opposite. Indias economy

must transit from consumption-driven to investment-driven and from
services-led to manufacturing-led.

Chinas real GDP measured at purchasing power parity (PPP) in 2011
international dollars is now 2.4 times that of India. .
Apart from these, there is another problem with the growth story of
India. According to the Economic Survey, more than 90 percent of labor
force is self-employed or is in unorganized sector.
This means inferior work quality and poor working conditions - both
of which hampers productivity. Also, a large percentage of Indias labor
force is unskilled or uneducated.
Having said that, India is currently the fastest growing major

economy in the world and has bright prospects for the future.
7. Policymakers in India are facing the dilemma between

promoting the generic industry for social welfare and
development of healthcare sector . In this context , how far will
Indias new National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy be
helpful in balancing IP rights with needs of the nation's poor for
cheaper medicines.
The National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) policy which is in

compliance with WTO's (World Trade Organisation) agreement on
TRIPS (Trade Related aspects of IPRs), aims to sustain
entrepreneurship and boost Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet
scheme 'Make in India.
The Policy aims to push IPRs as a marketable financial asset, promote

innovation and entrepreneurship, while protecting public interest.
Special thrust on awareness generation and effective enforcement of

IPRs, besides encouragement of IP commercialisation through
various incentives.
The Policy also seeks to facilitate domestic IPR filings, for the entire
value chain from IPR generation to commercialisation. It aims to
promote research and development through tax benefits.
Proposal to create an effective loan guarantee scheme to encourage

start-ups.
However, some believe that the policy shows that the government has
not succumbed to demands from the US, but that it should have made
the policy more radical to protect Indias generic industry.
Indias generic industry is concerned.A major issue of concern is IP

enforcement and linking IP with innovation.
It also says India will continue to utilise the legislative space and
flexibilities available in international treaties and the TRIPS
Agreement. These flexibilities include the sovereign right of
countries to use provisions such as Section 3(d) and CLs for ensuring
the availability of essential and life-saving drugs at affordable prices.
The policy left the countrys patent laws intact and specifically did not
open up Section 3(d) of the Patents Act, which sets the standard for
what is considered an invention in India, for reinterpretation.
8. It is said that development of molecular machines can be the

beginning a new industrial revolution of the twenty-first century.
Write a short note on Molecular Machines, also bring out their
various possible applications?
Molecular Machines
A molecular machine is any discrete number of molecular

components that produce quasi-mechanical movements in response to
specific stimuli.
The expression is often more generally applied to molecules that

simply mimic functions that occur at the macroscopic level.
They are one thousand times thinner than a strand of hair- on a

nanometer scale.
The most complex molecular machines are proteins found within

cells.
The construction of complex molecular machines is an active area of

theoretical research.
2016's Nobel Laureates in Chemistry have taken molecular systems

out of equilibrium stalemate and into energy-filled states in which their
movements can be controlled.
Possible applications of Molecular Machines

They could one day go to work in the human body.
They could even detect any disease before we see any symptoms. They
could one day lead to the design of a molecular computer which could be
placed inside the body to detect disease before any symptoms are exhibited.
These mini machines could be developed so they can deliver drugs

within the human body directly to cancerous cells.. That could greatly
reduce the damage treatment such as what chemotherapy does to a
patients healthy cells.
Molecular systems capable of shifting a chemical or mechanical

process away from equilibrium represent a potentially important branch of
chemistry and nanotechnology.
Nanobots could be sent through blood vessels and nanomaterials can

monitor vital organ health.
9. Discuss the loopholes in the land acquisition laws that have
facilitated Union and the various State governments in routinely
acquiring land for the benefit of private industry.
A more progressive Central law on land acquisition is in place, but

several States have either amended the new law or enacted legislation
of their own.
The Supreme Court in Kedar Nath Yadav v. State of West Bengal

delivered one of the most momentous decisions of the year. It
invalidated the expropriation of land in Singur by the erstwhile Left

Front government in Bengal, and ordered that the acquired
properties be returned to their original landowners.
The colonial-era law might stood repealed by the loftily named Right
to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition,
Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act of 2013 (LARR Act).
But still, the courts ruling, especially Justice Gowdas judgment,

ought to resonate with significance. For it raises important concerns
about the extent of the states supposedly sovereign power to acquire
property, and the nature of what constitutes a public purpose
permitting such taking.
Under the 1894 statute there were broadly two forms of recognised
expropriation: one, acquisition for public purpose for governmental
use, and two, forced transfer of land from private individuals to
corporations for the latters commercial use.
To a limited extent, some of the concerns that Justice Gowda has

raised have already been allayed by the enactment of the LARR Act in
2013.
The statute not only defines public purpose with greater clarity, but
also mandates that where acquisitions are made for the benefit of
private companies, the prior consent of at least 80 per cent of the
affected landowners ought to be secured. But this legislation doesnt
negate the value in Justice Gowdas judgment, not least because the
power to make laws on acquisitions vests both with the Union and the
State governments.
Many of these State laws offend the Constitutions guarantee of equal

treatment, but unless the courts make express declarations to such an
effect, they are likely to be widely deployed to acquire land by
eschewing the LARR Act and by extending the meaning of public
purpose to absurd lengths.
The LARR Act was never going to be a panacea to all these evils; its
barely revolutionary when you consider that it does little to topple the
states supposed sovereign hold over all land.
There is nothing implicitly wrong in adopting a welfare-based

conception of the right to property, where the state sees it as its duty
to regulate ownership of land, among other resources.
After all, in every state where a right to property is considered

sacrosanct, those classes of people without property have little to
benefit from. But what we have today in India is a selective
preservation of property rights, where the least advantaged amongst
us also bears the greatest burden in terms of relinquishing ownership
of land.
10. Despite having a enough potential and contribution to Indias

renewable energy, wind power sector has been subject to the
neglect of government compared to solar energy sector.
Comment and also highlight how Indias new policy for
repowering of wind power project will be helpful to promote
wind power projects in India?
The new policy for repowering of wind power project will provide a
fillip to new investment proposals and infuse a fresh lease of life in
the ailing sector.
Accelerated Depreciation (AD) and Generation Based Incentive (GBI)

are also made available to the repowering projects as per the
conditions applicable to the new wind power projects.
Repowered wind projects can avail fiscal incentives such as

accelerated depreciation and generation-based incentives, which were
provided only for new wind projects.
The benefits of the new wind policy include:
Higher power generation from existing high-wind-potential sites.
Easier installation as infrastructure (such as road and site) has

already been developed for the existing plants.
Reduction in operation and maintenance (O&M) costs for new

turbines.
Better opportunities for the states to meet the renewable purchase

obligation targets as the flow of electricity from renewable power
increases in the grid.
Better power grid integration as recent wind turbines with upgraded

technology comply with the grid code unlike old turbines.
11. Whats ailing research and development in India? Suggest

some measures for development of R&D in India.
Indias brand of innovation is associated with frugal innovation and

jugaad.
While a useful concept for bringing innovative products to the

masses, these labels are often misconstrued as the creation of low cost
and low tech products.
Two, both the public and private sectors in India invest a woefully
small amount in research and development (R&D)less than 1% of
the countrys GDP. This compares poorly to leading nations such as
Israel, Finland and the US who invest anywhere from 3-6% of their
GDP in R&D and innovation.
Indian universities also suffer from poor linkages to industry and it is

rare to see strong research collaborations across universities and
companies of the kind that are the hallmark of leading American and
European universities.
Here are some strategies/measures:
First, it is important to articulate a national vision of innovation. This

can only be done as a successful collaboration across the government
and other key stakeholders including the private sector and academia.
Time after time, nations such as Finland, Japan and South Korea
which have successfully transformed themselves into innovation
destinations have shown that a collective national vision and strategy
for innovation are critical.
A strategy of letting private venture capital firms decide which firms

or sectors to support may not be the best approach for India. The
government in partnership with industry and academics should seek
to identify areas of focusareas where India seeks to innovate with
appropriate technologies and create solutions for India and the world.
Countries such as China and South Korea have shown how a focused
approach on a few sectors that mobilizes resources and leverages
knowledge transfer can lead to success. Doing this is not easy and
India has had its share of failures in the past.
The capacity of the country to absorb new technologies and to

innovate further will need to be enhanced by investing in the core
intellectual capability of universities and building appropriate
innovation ecosystems in partnership with leading firms.
It is important to recognize that entrepreneurship and innovation are

related but not the same. For one, not all entrepreneurs are
innovative.
While encouraging entrepreneurship is important for creating jobs

and promoting self-employment, one should note that significant
innovations happens in existing companies.
Encouraging innovation in the private and public sectors of the
economy is critical, especially if these companies are to become more
competitive globally.
Clear incentives should be provided to firms to invest in research and

development. Effective regulatory regimes should be encouraged to
support intellectual property and the longer term investments of
firms.
Finally, the government should make itself the showcase of digital

transformation and innovation. Government services touch the lives
of hundreds of millions within India, in all parts of the country
ranging from remote villages to large cities.
A smart pro-active strategy for innovation, supported by appropriate

leadership from the government and the private sector can help elevate
Indias mission to Innovate in India.
12. How far does India ease of doing business perception get
affected by domestic resistance to implement international
arbitration. Examine with suitable examples.
A country takes on an international obligation with the obvious intent

of honouring its commitments under a specific instrument, to the
fullest extent possible. Today, we see international agreements within
the realm of cross-border trade and investment incorporating robust
mechanisms for the enforcement of such obligations.
For instance, bilateral investment treaties (BITs), contain arbitration

clauses that give a private investor the right to initiate legal
proceedings against a foreign country, if it has breached investment
protection standards. Such standards, typically, require the host state
to mete out fair and equitable treatment (FET) to the investor,
alongside assuring the investor that it shall not illegally expropriate
an investors investment.
The most recent controversy involves the government cancelling the

spectrum licence that was promised to Devas Multimedia Ltd, a
company with foreign investors situated in, among other
jurisdictions, Germany and Mauritius.
The focus of the Antrix-Devas controversy was the cancellation of the

S-band spectrum licence by the cabinet committee on security, Indias
highest authority for making any decision concerning the countrys
security interests. From information available in public domain, the
committees decision in this regard led to the cancellation of the
agreement between Devas and Antrix.
Pivoting to the broader argument, a state cannot make decisions

affecting a foreign investors investment without adhering to essential
principles of due process, such as involving the investor in decisions
that concerns its investment. Presumably, this was the basis
underlying the tribunals interpretation of the FET clause in the
India-Mauritius BIPA.
If the current Indian political agenda is to incentivize foreign
investment, it should be simultaneously ensured that the Indian legal
framework is capable of regulating foreign investment, alongside
assisting foreign investors by efficiently realizing rights due to them
under various legal instruments.
13. Innovation is the key to growth. In this light discuss the

recent rise of Startups in India. What recent changes have
helped in the promotion of Start ups in India?
Startup India is a flagship initiative of the Government of India,

intended to build a strong eco-system for nurturing innovation and
Startups in the country that will drive sustainable economic growth
and generate large scale employment opportunities. The Government
through this initiative aims to empower Startups to grow through

innovation and design.
There is an attempt to create a single point of contact for the entire

Startup ecosystem and enable knowledge exchange and access to
funding.
There are attempts being made to promote awareness and adopt IPRs
by Startups and facilitate them in protecting and commercializing the
IPRs by providing access to high quality Intellectual Property services
and resources, including fast-track examination of patent
applications and rebate in fees.
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Bill 2015 (IBB), 2015 has provisions
for the fast track and / or voluntary closure of businesses.
In order to provide funding support to Startups, Government will set

up a fund with an initial corpus of INR 2,500 crore and a total corpus
of INR 10,000 crore over a period 4 years (i.e. INR 2,500 crore per
year).
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is started to promote innovation and

through Self-Employment and Talent Utilization (SETU).
The Government of India has also taken various measures to improve

the ease of doing business and is building an enabling environment
for the Startups, with the launch of the Startup India movement.
14. Discuss the challenges faced by food processing Industry.

What benefits do food processing industries offer to various
stakeholders.
The mission was started in the fields of literacy, immunization, oilseeds,
drinking water, dairy products and telecommunication.
India is one of the worlds largest producers as well as consumer of

food products, with the sector playing an important role in
contributing to the development of the economy.
Food processing industry in India is increasingly seen as a potential

source for driving the rural economy as it brings about synergy
between the consumer, industry and agriculture. A well developed
food processing industry is expected to increase farm gate prices,
reduce wastages, ensure value addition, promote crop diversification,
generate employment opportunities as well as export earnings.
Some of the key measures undertaken by the Government include:

amendment of the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee Act,
rationalization of food laws, implementation of the National
Horticulture mission etc.
The government has also outlined a plan to address the low scale of
processing activity in the country by setting up the mega food parks,
with integrated facilities for procurement, processing, storage and
transport.
To promote private sector activity and invite foreign investments in

the sector the Government allows 100% FDI in the food processing &
cold chain infrastructure.
15. What do you understand by National Technology Missions.

Critically examine any two National Technology Missions.
The missions specific goals are as follows:
1. Make clean potable water available to 100,000 problem villages in the

amount of 40 liters a day per person and 30 liters a day per head of
livestock.
2. Immunize 20-million pregnant women and 20-million children per
year.
3. Teach 80-million people ages 15-35 (75% of the adult illiterate) to read
and write at the rate of 10-million each year.
4. Increase oilseed production by as much as 18-million tons and reduce,
eliminate, or reverse Indias annual 10-billion rupee import bill for edible
oils.
5. Increase dairy production from 44- to 61-million metric tons per year
over eight years, raise dairy employment and incomes, and expands the
number of dairy cooperatives by 42%.
6.Improve
service,
dependability,
and
accessibility
telecommunications across the country, including rural areas.
of
Immunizations:
The mission also launched Indias polio vaccine production capacity. In
1987, India had zero production capacity. With government backing, they
began to study France and Russias methods. Several years later, India was
producing all of their own vaccines.
Telecommunication:
The official goal of the telecom mission was to improve service,
dependability, and accessibility of telecommunications across the country,
including rural areas. This was through indigenous development, local
young talent, rural telecom, digital switching networks, local manufacturing
and privatization.
16. Evaluate the benefits of a Committee based approach to

framing monetary policy.
-Monetary policy decisions by central banks have far-reaching implications
for the economy, investors, savers and borrowers.
-The Indian Government amended the RBI Act to hand over the job of
monetary policy making in India to a newly constituted Monetary Policy
Committee (MPC).
-The new MPC is a six-member panel that will bring value and
transparency. It will feature three members from the RBI and three
independent members to be selected by the Government.
-Indias shift to an MPC is driven by a clear inflation-targeting framework.
And, if it succeeds, it may also ensure that consumers and investors can
look forward to lower inflation rates over the long-term.
-The public disclosure of MPC deliberations will also tell us why its
members went for higher or lower rates.
-The new framework would see a lowering of friction that has at times
arisen between finance ministry and the central bank, which is often
regarded by the government as ignoring the need to nurture growth in the
drive to quell inflation.
17. Briefly discuss the provisions of the new Intellectual Property

Rights (IPR) Policy ? Suggest measures to bring a strong and
effective IPR governance system in India.
Intellectual property rights (IPRs) are the protections granted to the
creators of IP, and include trademarks, copyright, patents, industrial design
rights, and in some jurisdictions trade secrets.
-IP confers on individuals, enterprises or other entities the right to exclude
others from the use of their creations.
-Consequently, intellectual property rights (IPRs) may have a direct and

substantial impact on industry and trade as the owner of an IPR may,
through the enforcement of such a right - prevent the manufacture, use or
sale of a product which incorporates the IPR.
-We continue to have a robust dialogue with the government on everything
from patent, copyright and trademark protection. We need to arrive at that
optimal place where IPR frameworks provide a strong protection that
innovators need without the encumbrance of red tape, delay, frivolous
litigation that stifles innovation.
India has taken strong steps in strengthening the patent system in the
country. The Government aims at establishing a patent regime that is
conducive to technological advances and is in line with its global
commitments. These steps would ensure that India has a strong and
effective IPR governance system.
18. Air pollution is the worlds biggest risk to health. In this light,
how does particulate matter cause air pollution? How does it
affect health?
PM is the term used for solid or liquid particles emitted to the air. Some
particles are large enough to be seen, and others are so small that they can
only be detected with an electron microscope.
-Particulate matter can come from many sources. Generally, any activity
which involves burning of materials or any dust generating activities are
sources of PM.
-PM can alter the body's defense systems against foreign materials, damage
lung tissues.
- It can also aggravate existing respiratory and cardiovascular disease, and
can lead to cancer. In some cases, PM exposure can even lead to premature
death.
While strong bouts of pollution can make breathing hard and increase
respiratory problems, they also provoke low-grade pulmonary
inflammation, accelerating the development of atherosclerosis, a leading
cause of heart disease and altering heart function.
Particulate matter therefore, causes serious harm to the body and thus has
adverse effect on the health of a person.
19. Why does India find the Aviation emission cap for Civil
Aviation by 2020 unjust? Cite reasons.
India announced that it will not agree to the capping of aviation

emissions by 2020, even as it looks to ratify the Paris climate change
agreement that will come into force in November.
Developing countries, such as India, are resisting curbs that they feel
will obstruct their economy's growth.
The government is committed to reduce the aviation sector emissions

in the long run, but it would not comply with the global market-based
measure.
New Delhis concern stems from the decision to cap the amount of
carbon dioxide produced by international civil aviation at the amount
produced in 2020. The aviation sector in India is far from mature
growing at a rate of 23 per cent annually.
While effectively rejecting the global market based mechanism, India

has adopted the resolution to address emissions from the sector. Over
the next few years, the focus would be on designing the offsets
system, the rules and regulations for it;
New Delhi needs to be an active member of this process, putting

forward substantive suggestions that address the need to limit carbon
dioxide emissions while not obstructing the growth of the
international aviation sector.
20. How would digital payments play a critical role in achieving

the Digital India vision?
The cost of cash places a huge burden on the Indian economy

equivalent to 1.7 percent of GDP.
The high cost of cash stems from large volumes of cash flow in the
Indian economy relative to its peers across the globe.
Digital payments will pay a critical role in achieving the Digital India
vision and in driving financial inclusion. Achieving this goal would
not only help us to bring more people into the formal financial
system, but also in reducing the size of the shadow economy and
delivering an increase in jobs.
Ever-increasing penetration of smartphones, the entry of several nonbanking institutions offering payment services, consumer readiness
to adopt digital payments, progressive changes in the regulatory
framework will power the trend for digital payments.
Online payments through digital wallets and debit/credit cards have

been emerging as a preferred transaction mode over the past few
years, mainly due to the ease of transaction, availability of
smartphones and affordable Internet, and enhanced security and
encryption methods, which led to greater confidence among
customers.
Continued Government initiatives to drive e-payments, including

fiscal incentives for consumers and merchants to switch from cash,
efforts to bolster financial inclusion, and a focus on innovation are
necessary to drive change.
India should look to international examples for ways to increase the

adoption of digital payments such as establishing an acceptance
development initiative in Indonesia and Poland, mandating payment
of salaries electronically in Uruguay, and wide scale digitisation of
persontogovernment payments such as transit in London and
Singapore. Similar initiatives could be game changers for India.
21. What factors are required to create a vibrant startup

ecosystem in India? Do you think the Indian startup scene is
dominated by technology entrepreneurs? Give reasons.
Govt policies, capital assistance from corporate, guidance from

academics and sheer brilliance of Indian entrepreneurs can create the
environment for unleashing the true potential of our startup
ecosystem.
Through the 1980s, a handful of pioneering IT services companies,

including the likes of Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys and Wipro,
put India firmly on the global economic map. These companies
invested in technology and leveraged the countrys young, Englishspeaking workforce to provide cost-effective technology services to
clients across the globe.
The result is an industry that currently employs nearly four million

people, generating $150 billion in revenues for India today. The 1990s
witnessed the launch of Bharti Airtel, which today is Indias largest
telecommunications company. India has seen a dramatic acceleration
in both the quantum and diversity of start-ups.
India has become one of the top five start-up ecosystems in the world,
alongside the US, China, the UK and Israel. The country today is
home to a strong angel investor network, with the sector witnessing
active participation from every major venture capital or private equity
firm.
This recent scale-up of the Indian start-up ecosystem is the result of a

confluence of multiple factors. On the demand side, there has been a
massive explosion of consumers going online driven by smartphone
proliferation. On the supply slide, there has been a massive inflow of
entrepreneurial and technology talent.
Finally, large capital inflows from global investors has helped ignite
the entrepreneurial spark in our country. The vibrant start-up
ecosystem we see today is the result of all these positively reinforcing
mega trends.
The start-ups amplify the economic impact of technology at the

grassroots level.
It is this ability to inspire transformation at the grassroots level that

gives Indian startups a truly unique character.
Start-ups provide an excellent environment to nurture talent as well

as to leverage the power and scale up the latest technologies. In doing
so, some of them hold the promise of transforming the country and
potentially becoming the next set of Indian technology giants.
22. What do you understand by domestic violence? How effective

is the Domestic Violence Act, 2005 in dealing with protecting
women from violence in domestic relationships?
Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery,

sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic
pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner
against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence,
psychological violence, and emotional abuse.
The frequency and severity of domestic violence can vary

dramatically; however, the one constant component of domestic
violence is one partners consistent efforts to maintain power and
control over the other.
In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court has widened the scope of

the Domestic Violence Act by ordering deletion of the words adult
male from it, paving the way for prosecution of women and even
non-adults for subjecting a woman relative to violence and
harassment.
The apex court has ordered striking down of the two words from
Section 2(q) of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act,
2005, which deals with respondents who can be sued and prosecuted
under the Act for harassing a married woman in her matrimonial
home.
Referring to earlier verdicts, the Supreme court said that the

microscopic difference between male and female, adult and nonadult, regard being had to the object sought to be achieved by the
2005 Act, is neither real or substantial, nor does it have any rational
relation to the object of the legislation. The apex court Bench of
Justices Kurian Joseph and R.F. Nariman in its judgment said that
the remaining part of the legislation had been kept untouched and
would remain operative.
23. What has led to the rise in consumer demand in Indian

Economy? Analyze.
Backed by healthy salary hikes, rising aspirations and easy credit,

Indian consumers are spending more on new products - both online
and offline.
Consumer-oriented companies across sectors have seen robust sales

growth in the past few years.
Data show that Indian consumers are driving growth in the

automobiles and airline sectors, apart from supporting mobile phones
and consumer durables sales.
Retail loans, too, are rising, and this boom is likely to support the
broader economic growth in the current financial year.
Statistics tell the story of a surge in consumption. Consumer surge

has also been witnessed in consumer durables, new mobile phone
connections and expensive handsets sales.
Sales of consumer durables such as TVs, refrigerators, airconditioners and washing machines are expected to grow by 30
percent.
If India continues on its current high-growth path, over the next two
decades the Indian market will undergo a major transformation.
Income levels will almost triple, and India will climb from its position
as the twelfth-largest consumer market today to become the world's
fifth-largest consumer market by 2025.
24. What are hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)? How can India limit

its use of HFCs as mandated by Kigali agreement?
Organic compounds with one or a few Flourine atom are referred to as
HFCs. The major industrial use of HFCs is in the form of refrigerants. It is
regarded as one of the potent greenhouse and ozone depleting gas.
The free Fl radical under the influence of sunlight breaks down Ozone
molecule in a tremendous fashion. Further, the amount of heat absorbed by
HFCs are to the tune of thousands of the CO2 equivalent.
Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol which has set limits and dephasing of HFCs altogether is a welcome step. It has added feather to
India's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) an ambitious
target to reduce GHGs emission by 2030 by switching to Green / NonConventional sources of energy.
India can limit use of GHGs by stringent legal action and compliance.
MOEFCC must articulate the same by enacting a law and seeing it through
the Parliament.
Further, attempt at reining alternatives to the use of HFCs which are nonozone depletor can be used.
25. What could be the impact of new Defence Procurement

Procedure (DPP) on the Indian defense growth story?
Being the multi-billion dollar and most lucrative defence market in

the world, India provides several opportunities for Indian and foreign
corporate entities for defence manufacturing. Due to the Make in
India campaign, the defence sector has moved from the periphery to
the core of Indian manufacturing.
The revised Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) provide more

flexibility to the end-users and the industry to work together,
especially on development projects. A new procurement category
Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured (IDDM) has
been introduced and accorded top priority. It essentially means the
government is leaving no stone unturned to give a boost to Make in
India.
The defence ministry would fund up to 90 per cent of the Make

projects prototype development cost. Adding one more safeguard for
the industry, the ministry will reimburse the remaining 10 per cent
prototype development cost, if the order is not placed within a
stipulated timeframe after the successful test of prototypes.
The DPP also addresses issues like incentives to move the Indian
defence industry up the value chain. Various provisions remove
ambiguities, ensure transparency, offer a level playing field and
clearly lay down procedures.
DPP 2016 has also opened up several co-development and coproduction avenues for Indian as well as foreign companies. The
ministry seems to have successfully bridged the gap between intent
and implementation.
End-users will literally have to exhaust all possible options of
domestic manufacturing before suggesting Buy Global
procurements.
26. India remains a bright spot in the global economy, but rising
non-performing assets (NPAs) in public sector banks remain a
challenge. Comment.
Financial sector is the backbone of any nation on which nation's entire
economy stands. A healthy bank balance sheet reflect the strength of
economy and enable the banking sector in generating long term credit
which will be further used for economic development of the nation.
However recent increase in NPA has led to debate of deteriorating
creditworthiness of banks.
1. Banks generate short term as well as long term credit for agriculture,
industries and service sector.
2. Increased NPA deteriorate banks capacity to lend to the sectors of
economy halting further economic development
3. Often NPA are product of irresponsible lending done by banks in boom
period in lure of getting easy return driven purely by sentiments.
Effect of NPA of public banks lead to overreliance on foreign banks:
1. Since world economy mostly developed countries has not overcome the
2008 financial crisis entirely, emerging markets like India provide good
opportunity due to its increased aggregate demand
2. Hence India is attracting capital from all over the world from foreign
banks, FDI, FII due to India's demand for credit.
3. Since public banks are not able to lend now due to increased NPA, credit
requirement might be fulfilled through private banks and foreign banks.
4. considering foreign banks susceptibility of increasing profits, it will lead
to more aggressive lending by foreign banks, over reliance on foreign
money.
5 .Too much foreign money is risky for long term economic development
due to short run overflight of capital and it will lead to exchange volatility.
6. Also they are involved in cream skimming and less priority sector
lending.
Since India has started of late in process of economic development and
there is still unfulfilled market demand and supply constraints, it seems
there is unending demand in short run and hence India stand as bright spot
in global economy, rising banks's NPA worries will surely delay this process
until the bank's balance sheet are cleaned off.
27. What are the challenges faced by the food processing
industry in India to boost growth in this sector?
Food processing industry is considered as foundation of industryagricultural linkage, considering industry has strong backward and forward
linkages and agriculture has limited backward linkage, food processing
industry can offset the weakness in agriculture sector.
Challenges:
1. Infrastructure: roads, rail, waterways
2. Technology
3. significant number of small scale industries: lack of economies of scale
4. lack of innovation
5. lack of credit
6. difference in tastes/ market: disincentivize large investment

7. dispersed market
8. lack of R&D in food processing
9. subsistence pattern of agriculture
10. lack of storage and warehouses: perishable nature of goods
11. unfavorable terms of trade for agriculture exports
12. lack of common market for agricultural produce
13. minimum support price: discourage commercial crops
28. How has the Income Declaration Scheme (IDS) contributed
towards transparency and growth of the Indian economy?
The government had initiated the Income Declaration Scheme (IDS)

to allow these tax defaulters to disclose their unaccounted money and
get spared from prosecution and inquiry.
The average sum declared per person works out to Rs 1 crore.
The Income Declaration Scheme (IDS) has unearthed much more

black money than the amnesty scheme introduced during 1997 in
which Rs 9,760 crore was declared.
The tax collected from the Income Declaration Scheme (IDS) 2016
will go into the Consolidated Fund of India and will be used for larger
welfare of people.
More important is the fact that we have a sizeable segment of the

economy now moving into the mainstream and yielding legitimate
income, which will be taxed year on year. One can keep drawing
parallels with the past schemes, debate whether the outcome could
have been better, complain about harassment by revenue.
But the key significance of the success of the IDS is the lessons and
the learnings it provides.there is a global drive towards elimination of
unaccounted income and wealth and India's initiative is a step in that

direction.
The fact that there is an increased transparency in government action,

there is reduction in corruption (more so at the higher echelons) and
the government is walking the talk demonstrates that unaccounted
monies will have reduced relevance.
29. What do you mean by TRIPS (Trade Related aspects of IPRs)?

How can the National IPR policy promote innovation in the
country?
The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property

Rights (TRIPS) is an international agreement administered by the
World Trade Organization (WTO) that sets down minimum standards
for many forms of intellectual property (IP) regulation as applied to
nationals of other WTO Members.
The Policy which is in compliance with WTO's (World Trade
Organisation) agreement on TRIPS (Trade Related aspects of IPRs),
aims to sustain entrepreneurship and boost Prime Minister Narendra
Modi's pet scheme 'Make in India.
The Policy aims to push IPRs as a marketable financial asset, promote
innovation and entrepreneurship, while protecting public interest.
In order to have strong and effective IPR laws, steps would be taken including review of existing IP laws - to update and improve them or
to remove anomalies and inconsistencies.
The policy is entirely compliant with the WTOs agreement on TRIPS.
Special thrust on awareness generation and effective enforcement of
IPRs, besides encouragement of IP commercialisation through
various incentives is provided.
India will engage constructively in the negotiation of international
treaties and agreements in consultation with stakeholders. The
government will examine accession to some multilateral treaties
which are in India's interest, and become a signatory to those treaties
which India has de facto implemented to enable it to participate in
their decision making process.
It suggests making the department of industrial policy and promotion

(DIPP) the nodal agency for all IPR issues. Copyrights related issues
will also come under DIPPs ambit from that of the Human Resource
Development (HRD) Ministry.
Trademark offices have been modernised, and the aim is to reduce
the time taken for examination and registration to just 1 month by
2017.
Films, music, industrial drawings will be all covered by copyright.
The Policy also seeks to facilitate domestic IPR filings, for the entire
value chain from IPR generation to commercialisation. It aims to
promote research and development through tax benefits.
Proposal to create an effective loan guarantee scheme to encourage
start-ups.
The National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) policy announced by
the government will thus help promote creativity and innovation in
the country.
30. Can the International Solar Alliance (ISA) reduce the global
greenhouse emissions and provide cheap energy?
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) seeks to bring together 121

tropical countries in a global effort to use solar energy and move away
from fossil fuels.
The International Solar Alliance is a common platform for

cooperation among sun-rich countries lying fully or partially between
the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn who are seeking to massively
ramp up solar energy, thereby helping to bend the global greenhouse
emissions curve whilst providing clean and cheap energy.
The initiative was launched at the UN Climate Change Conference in
Paris at the end of 2015 by the President of France and the Prime
Minister of India.
The aim is for countries to work together towards the deployment of

appropriate benchmarks, facilitating resource assessments,
supporting research and development and demonstration facilities,
with a view to encourage innovative and affordable applications of
solar technologies.
Key focus areas to achieve these objectives are to:

Promote solar technologies, new business models and investment in
the solar sector to enhance prosperity
Formulate projects and programmes to promote solar applications
Develop innovative financial mechanisms to reduce cost of capital
Build a common knowledge e-Portal
Facilitate capacity building for promotion and absorption of solar
technologies and R&D among member countries
31. Indian Economy is expanding at the rate of over seven

percent, but the growth is jobless. Comment.
Every month, a million Indians become age-eligible to join the

workforce, but the growth in jobs has not kept pace with the rising
number of aspirants. The result: unemployment has been on the rise,
despite India supposedly being one of the brighter spots in a slowing
global economy.
Traditionally, labour-intensive industries are beginning to

increasingly mechanise their operations. While it makes them more
productive and profitable, it also shrinks job opportunities.
Large manufacturers are also trimming operations, throwing many

jobs into jeopardy.
Others blame higher levels of automation for the job squeeze.

The public sector is shrinking: Government jobs, which were 19.5

million in 1996-97, are about 17 million today.
Not only are jobs fewer than before but those that are created are
precarious and badly paid because of the informalisation of the
economy.
32. How to bring growth and prosperity in the distressed

agriculture sector of India?
Agricultural sector in India today is reeling with plethora of problems like
inefficiency, lack of credit facility, fragmented landholding, lack of linkage
with market, adequate insurance for crop loss, innovation and engagement
of youth etc. Following steps can be taken to bring growth and prosperity in
agricultural sector:
i.
Agricultural efficiency better extension service for improved seed
quality, irrigation facility, credit facility for farm machinery to cooperatives
etc
ii.
Innovation in agriculture
Using solar panels in field which protect crops from heat and also
provides on field power for pumps.
Community owned lakes to make water available throughout the year
and also allow horticulture which provides better return.
iii. Climate smart agriculture - Growth of pulses, bajra etc must be
encouraged in dry areas. MSP must be set on regional basis to make
agriculture in harmony in with geological condition.
iv.
Social collaboration - Cooperative farming, land consolidation, SHGs
etc should be encouraged to give farmers better bargaining power and
choices.
v.
Investment Food processing industry to which agricultural sector
acts as feeder must be encouraged.
vi.
Market integration Government must remove middlemen through
efforts like e-NAM.
Agriculture sector employs half of our workers. Improving this sector could
be one of the best strategy to bring about socio-economic development of
our nation.
33. India is one of the worlds fastest growing e-commerce
markets. Discuss the possible factors that drive the e-commerce
market in India.
E-commerce is term given to the digital marketplace hosted by online etailors who bring together buyers and sellers to sell goods and services
online. India is one of the fastest growing e-commerce markets in the world
and set to grow even bigger with to increasing adoption of internet and
mobile broadband.
The big players in the e-commerce market are Amazon, flipkart, ebay etc.
the factors that are driving the growth of e-com market are:
1. improving access to internet and mobile broadband especially in rural
areas, with the subscriber base of over 110 million and growing.
2. Improving digital literacy
3. growing disposable incomes and rising rural incomes
4. innovative models tailored to indian marketplace like cash on delivery
models suited to cash transaction based economy
5. Rising entrepreneurship and self employment with govt support enabled
by easier credit policies by banks
The e-commerce model has considerable potential to contribute to
employment creation by connecting household based and small enterprises
to customers, saving on logistical and office space costs. It is imperative
that govt comes out with a facilitative rule based e-commerce policy to
enable the e-tailers to go beyond warehousing and bring their expertise to
the indian market. A coherent policy will also encourage investor sentiment
and induce investment.
34. How can India combat Vector Borne Diseases like dengue
and chikungunya?
With concerted effort vector borne diseases can be easily tackled. India can
adopt following measures:
Preventive
i.
Managing environment Behavioral pro-activeness like removing
breeding areas and garbage, changing waters in coolers etc , using mosquito
traps, ovitraps etc
ii.
Developing vaccines for prevention of vector borne diseases.
iii. Technology Mobile applications have been used to predict the

outbreak of diseases. Sri Lanka used an application called Mo-buzz which
used data from crowd sourcing. More such application must be used in
India.
iv.
Genetic Engineering When a genetically modified mosquito mate
with regular female mosquito, their progeny dies before adulthood.
v.
Research For instance in Wolbachia-infected mosquito, the
bacterium does not allow the replication of dengue virus; some fungus kill
the larvae in water bodies.
Mitigative
i.
etc
Personal methods Bed nets, mosquito repellent, Windows screen
ii.
Government support municipal services, treated mosquito nets,
iii. Primary health services must be strengthened for effective early

treatment.
iv.
Innovation eg Hawker is an indigenous mosquito and fly trapper
developed by Kerala resident. The device makes use of bio gas and smell of
septic tank to attract the mosquitoes. Once the mosquitoes get trapped, the
heat built up inside the device kills them. Such contribution from citizens
will be invaluable contribution.
Smaller nation like Sri Lanka and Maldives have successfully handled
vector borne diseases. India much better placed economically and
institutionally can also combat it effectively.
35. Discuss the impact of GST on the energy sector in India.
India has finally taken the giant step towards a unified Goods and
Services Tax (GST) regime with the Rajya Sabha granting approval for
the implementation of the much-awaited tax reform measure that
was first proposed three decades ago.
One of the main energy sub-sectors to be impacted post the

implementation of GST is renewable. The sector currently enjoys
various fiscal incentives like 100 per cent tax holiday on earnings for
10 years, concessional excise and custom duties and so on.
These incentives will come to an end in the new GST regime. The
indirect tax reform through the GST could, therefore, hike renewable
energy costs and pricing and hit investors.
Analysts expect the impact of the new taxation regime on the oil and
gas sector to be largely negative. This is because five petroleum
products - crude, natural gas, Aviation Turbine Fuel, diesel and petrol
- are excluded from the coverage of GST for the initial years while the
remaining petroleum products - kerosene, naphtha and Liquefied
Petroleum Gas - are covered within the coverage of GST.
36. Examine the reasons for the low tax-to-GDP ratio in India.
Suggest measures to improve this condition.
Indias tax to GDP ratio at 16.6% is well below the emerging market
economies (EME) and OECD averages of about 21% and 34% respectively.
Taxation is the key to long run political and economic development.
Therefore, bringing more and more people into the tax net via some form of
direct taxation will help in realizing the promise of Indian democracy.
Following reasons may be attributed to the low tax (Both direct and
indirect) to GDP ratio in India.
Structural factors like low per capita income. Low average incomes
and a high poverty rate result in a very small portion of the labor force
being eligible to pay personal income taxes.
Small tax base and its adverse effect tax buoyancy-Indias ratio of
taxpayers to voting age population is significantly less than that of
comparable countries (amounting to 4% while 23% is desirable). A small
tax base unnecessary burdens the honest tax payer4. According to shome
panel, in the last 10 years though the direct tax collection has increased by
more than 700%, the number of taxpayers has merely grown by 35%.
Tax exemption and subsidy policies- The exemptions in the taxable

income has grown at a much faster rate than the income. As a result, there
is less tax buoyancy. Similarly tax expenditure in the form of tax subsidies
and exemptions was more than 6 Lakh crores in FY 2015-16.
High Tax Evasions- Tax compliance in India is extremely low,

especially w.r.t. indirect taxes
Lingering of contentious, adversarial tax issues- India has one of the

highest numbers of disputes between tax administration and taxpayers.,
with lowers proportion of recovery of tax arrears, For example the
Vodafone tax dispute involving Rs. 20K crore lingering since 2008.
Loopholes in double tax avoidance treaties- Provisions for tax

exemption from short term capital gains are often misused by companies to
re-route their investments from such countries (called round-tripping of
funds). Similarly issues related to tax evasion, double non-taxation,, and
transfer pricing need to be fixed.
Lapses in tax administration- Tax Administration reforms

commission point to various areas for example removal of artificial
separation between direct and indirect tax administration, and need for
Enhanced co-operation between CBDT and CBEC among others.

Corruption too possess its economic costs and should be eliminated. Cash
transactions facilitate tax evasion.
Flourishing informal market ecosystems- Informal sectors like paying

guest accommodations, kirana stores, stationery shops, etc. evade taxation.
Measures to improve tax to GDP ratio in India
Widening the tax base by Implementation of GST- GST will be a

game changer as it will radically improve collection efficiency, will phase
out a number of exemptions in a phased manner, lower tax rates, increase
the compliance level and generate more revenues from indirect taxes. GST
will widen the tax base and generate additional annual revenues of about
1.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).
Improving compliance rate of tax laws-GAAR provisions may be

useful in dealing with tax evasion where tax benefits exceed Rs.3 crore.
Fixing loopholes in Taxation agreements- Renegotiating double tax

avoidance treaties which are frequently misused to evade tax. Recent
amendments in Mauritius double tax avoidance agreement is a case in
point. (Mauritius has been the source of around 34 percent of all foreign
direct investment inflows into India between 2000 and 2015).
Fast tracking of tax disputes, reducing discretion of taxman and

creating a predictable dispute resolution mechanism.
Efficient targeting of subsidies and phasing out tax exemptionsSubsidies to the well-off need to be scaled back, similarly tax exemptions to
be reviewed and phased out; reasonable taxation of the better-off,
regardless o where they get their income from-industry, services, real
estate, or agriculture.
Developing property taxation- They are not only progressive and

buoyant but also difficult to evade since they are imposed on a non-mobile
good, which can with todays technologies be relatively easily identified.
Given the extent to which property is a critical constituent of wealth and a
potential source of local government revenues, property taxation reforms
should be an important part of the countrys tax reform agenda.
Creating of tax policy council and tax research unit as suggested by

shome panel for both direct and indirect taxes. These will be crucial in
analyzing computerized tax data.
A number of issues in tax policy and tax administration need to be

addressed as mentioned in tax Administration reforms commission. For
example: avoiding retrospective taxation, separate dispute management

verticals in CBDT and CBDT etc.
As pointed by Economic survey 2015-16 one low hanging fruit would be to
refrain from raising exemption thresholds for the personal income tax,
allowing natural growth in income to increase the number of taxpayers.
It is in Indias long term interest to increase tax to GDP, ratio as it holds the
key to rapid economic development which is crucial for Indias
transformation into a developed economy.
37. List out the challenges faced by the power sector in India.
Electricity is critical to fuel the economic growth of India. The country

is on the fast trajectory of development but to keep the momentum of
growth high, availability of uninterrupted power supply is a must.
India needs electricity to fuel the growth of every industry, be it largescale or small scale, manufacturing, healthcare or education.
There are many roadblocks in unleashing the full potential of India's
power sector. One is fuel availability concerns faced by the industry.
Coal supply by Coal India Ltd (CIL) is restricted to around 65% of
actual coal requirement by coal-based thermal plants, leading to
increased dependence on imported coal. This results in increasing
power generation costs due to limited fuel availability. Increasing
operational inefficiencies and outstanding debts have led to poor
financial health.
Energy-efficiency is extremely important and can be promoted by
setting appropriate prices and this is particularly important where
energy prices are rising.
However, appropriate prices by themselves may not suffice and nonprice incentives/disincentives are therefore also required.
Given the importance of energy conservation, there is a need to focus
on technological options for improving energy efficiency in the
industry, power generation and commercial buildings, and promoting
renewable energy technologies in different end-use sectors. There is
need to introduce efficient high-end power turbines and generators.
There is a need for alternate energy which will not only offset the
demand of conventional fossil fuel, but also pave way to cleaner
solutions A green growth economy is the need of the hour. Ironically,
India has world's fifth largest coal reserves and still faces acute power
crisis.
Challenges do exist in the sector, which India has to overcome to
evolve from a developing market to a matured market. Meanwhile,
the gap between what can be achieved and what is currently present,
uncovers a number of possibilities and opportunities for growth.
38. Discuss the challenges faced by IMD in accurately predicting

the monsoon in India.
Indian Meteorological Department is an agency of the Ministry of Earth
Sciences of the Government of India. It is the principal agency responsible
for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology.Again
the predictions of IMD is not up to the mark as far as accuracy is
concerned,as per IMD in 2016 the total rainfall would be approximately 106
% unlike the actual rainfall which was approximately 96% .Following are
the challenges IMD is facing:
1. IMD is using Statistical model also known as ensemble model for
monsoon prediction,this model as name suggests extensively based on the
data collection and a minor fault in collecting or analysing the data can cost
IMD .
2.Coverage of Large geographical area-data for statistical model has been
collected from a wide geographic area such as it covers atmospheric
condition of Indian ocean,pacific ocean,Mediterranean sea,so this is very
difficult
3.Dynamic Concept-Weather and climate are very dynamic concepts
constantly changing and evolving so its difficult to predict the exact nature.
4.Intensity of Monsoon is based on a large number of phenomena such as
El-nino,La-Nina,Indian
Ocean
Dipole,
Madden
Julian
Oscillation,Westerlies,Easterlies so on and so forth,So analysis of such a
huge number of phenomenon is difficult
5. Climate change and its Undeciphered consequences-Constantly changing
climate and its unknown consequence are making the prediction more
difficult.
Still IMD is in the phase of improving itself as it is changing its old

Ensemble Model with New Dynamic model which is based on simulation
and extrapolation and also using supercomputers such as "ADITYA" for
better Monsoon predictions.
39. The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill continues to

ignore the Forest Rights Act (FRA). Critically comment.
The Bill establishes the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund

under the Public Account of India, and a State Compensatory
Afforestation Fund under the Public Account of each state.
These Funds will receive payments for: (i) compensatory
afforestation, (ii) net present value of forest (NPV), and (iii) other
project specific payments. The National Fund will receive 10% of
these funds, and the State Funds will receive the remaining 90%.
These Funds will be primarily spent on afforestation to compensate
for loss of forest cover, regeneration of forest ecosystem, wildlife
protection and infrastructure development.
The Bill also establishes the National and State Compensatory
Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authorities to manage
the National and State Funds.
The Bill establishes the Funds for compensatory afforestation and
forest conservation. However, there are several factors (other than
administration of funds) which affect compensatory afforestation and
forest conservation. These factors are mentioned below.
A 2013 CAG report noted that state forest departments lack the
planning and implementation capacity to carry out compensatory
afforestation and forest conservation. With the share of funds
transferred to states increasing from 10% to 90%, effective utilisation
of these funds will depend on the capacity of state forest departments.
Procuring land for compensatory afforestation is difficult as land is a
limited resource, and is required for multiple purposes, such as
agriculture, industry, etc. This is compounded by unclear land titles,
and difficulties in complying with procedures for land use.
A High Level Committee on Environment Laws observed that quality
of forest cover has declined between 1951 and 2014, with poor quality
of compensatory afforestation plantations being one of the reasons

behind the decline.
The Bill delegates the determination of NPV (value of loss of forest
ecosystem) to an expert committee constituted by the central
government. As NPV constitutes about half of the total funds
collected, its computation methodology would be important.
40. Examine the provisions of the Intellectual Property Rights

(IPR) Policy, 2016. How can it boost innovation in India?
The Policy recognizes the abundance of creative and innovative

energies that flow in India, and the need to tap into and channelise
these energies towards a better and brighter future for all.
The National IPR Policy is a vision document that aims to create and
exploit synergies between all forms of intellectual property (IP),
concerned statutes and agencies.
It sets in place an institutional mechanism for implementation,

monitoring and review. It aims to incorporate and adapt global best
practices to the Indian scenario.
The Policy recognizes that India has a well-established TRIPScompliant legislative, administrative and judicial framework to
safeguard IPRs, which meets its international obligations while
utilizing the flexibilities provided in the international regime to
address its developmental concerns.
It reiterates Indias commitment to the Doha Development Agenda

and the TRIPS agreement.
The Policy lays down the following seven objectives:

i. IPR Awareness.
ii. Generation of IPRs.

iii. Legal and Legislative Framework.
iv. Administration and Management.
v. Commercialization of IPRs.
vi. Enforcement and Adjudication.
vii. Human Capital Development.
41. The centerpiece of Civil Aviation Policy 2016 is to boost

regional air connectivity and build a more safe and sustainable
aviation industry. Discuss.
The Civil Aviation Policy 2016 is a very comprehensive policy, covering 22
areas of the Civil Aviation sector.
Its salient features are as follows:
Regional Connectivity Scheme:
-Airfare of about Rs2500 per passenger for a one-hour flight.
-Demand driven selection of Airports/airstrips for revival in consultation
with State Govts and airlines.
Route Dispersal Guidelines (RDG)
-Category I to be rationalized based on a transparent criteria, i.e., flying
distance of more than 700 km, average seat factor of 70% and above and
annual traffic of 5 lakh passengers.
-Withdrawal or revision of domestic operations to and within North East
Region etc, subject to full compliance of RDG, can be done under prior
intimation to MoCA at least three months before withdrawal or revision of
the service.
5/20 Requirement
-All airlines can now commence international operations provided that they
deploy 20 aircraft or 20% of total capacity (in term of average number of
seats on all departures put together), whichever is higher for domestic
operations
Bilateral Traffic Rights
-GoI will enter into 'Open Sky' ASA on a reciprocal basis with SAARC
countries and countries located beyond 5000 km from Delhi
Airport PPP/AAI
-Future tariffs at all airports will be calculated on a 'hybrid till' basis, unless
specified otherwise in concession agreements. 30% of non-aeronautical
revenue will be used to cross- subsidise aeronautical charges
Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul
-Provision for adequate land for MRO service providers will be made in all
future airport/heliport projects where potential for such MRO services
exists.
42. List some of the challenges faced by startups in India.
Analyze the provisions of Start-up India program.
Challenges faced by startups in India:
CapitalThe challenge is not to merely generate enough seed capital but also to
support in expansion and sustenance and maintenance. It is critical to plan
your finances in advance.
Lack of infrastructure supportInfrastructural support such as incubation and funding are not easy to find
in India. Irregular power supply, telephone reception network, etc. can be a
hindrance to the growth of any business.
Hiring the right talent-
- To find and hire the right kind of talent for the business with skills to
match growing customer expectations is one of the biggest challenges.
-With low salaries in comparison with other corporates,hiring skilled
manpower may not be possible and so you may have to settle for the next
best option.
43. Discuss the impact of GST on Indias international trade and

foreign investment.
Implementation of Goods & Service Tax (GST) will lead to increased

tax compliance and attract more foreign direct investments across
sectors due to tax transparency and ease of doing business.
There might be some heartburns like inflation in the early days of

implementation but GST will improve GDP of the country in the long
run.
Buoyed by the passage of the GST Bill in Rajya Sabha, industry

leaders today said the roll out of the indirect tax reform will lure more
foreign investors to India, improve the country's manufacturing
competitiveness and boost economic growth by nearly 2%.
When implemented, it is expected to usher in a harmonised national
market of goods and services and shall lead to a simplified, assesseefriendly tax administration system.
There are deep benefits for both domestic and global industries in
this clear, predictable, and unifying approach.
GST is likely to make goods cheaper for consumers, increase

competitiveness of Indian exports in international markets and boost
country's GDP growth by 2%. It would have far-reaching reform

places India at the cross-roads of an incredible economic opportunity.
44. What do you mean by scramjet engines? How is the launch
of rockets using scramjet engine by ISRO significant to India?
Supersonic Combustion Ramjet or SCRAMJET engine is a milestone

for Indian space agency and for India. It draws oxygen from the air
when the rocket travels through the atmosphere. Ordinary rockets
also draw the oxygen from air but they use compressor to draw in air,
compress and ignite to burn the fuel. But, the scramjets heating and
compression is done by movement of rocket itself as it is moving at
supersonic speed. ISRO has used hydrogen as fuel for scramjet test
and oxygen from atmospheric compressed air as oxidizer.
Following are the significance of Rocket launch using scramjet engine
for ISRO and India:
a)
Lower cost and more payload - A rocket using a scramjet engine
would be significantly lighter and smaller and, therefore, cheaper;
will be able to carry more payload. More satellites can be launched.
b)
Better digital services - The banking service, TV, mobile
communication and all other modern connectivity models are
dependent on satellites. If services from space are cheaper, more
people will be able to access services.
c)
Reusable Launch Vehicle - when combined with Scramjet
engine will reduce the cost drastically.
d)
Innovation ISRO has shown innovation spree PSLV, GSLV,
Reusable Launch Vehicle, Scramjet engine. All this will bring more
motivation for further innovation.
e)
Motivation to young talent to join space research.
f)
Future technology Scramjet powered planes will make travel
much faster.
g)
Soft power India with more number of satellites can better
serve the neighbours.
h)
Strategic Help in security surveillance; edge over other Asian
power etc
i)
Economic - More credibility to ISRO. This will bring more
revenue through more satellite launches of other countries.
Though, scramjet is a small step but it is step in right direction for

Strategic Autonomy in the field of space.
45. In the light of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change,

critically examine the progress made by India in meeting its
climate goals.
India has recently ratified Paris agreement on the birth anniversary of
Gandhiji. With this India will to fulfill its INDC of reducing greenhouse gas
emissions per unit of GDP by 33 to 35 per cent before 2030 and to increase
forest and tree cover to 33 per cent as a carbon sink.
Following are the efforts made to meet the climate goals:
i.
Renewable energy target - of installing 175 GW of renewable power
capacity by 2022; increasing the share of non-fossil-based power capacity
from 30 % to 40% by 2030.
ii.
National offshore wind power policy - have been approved. Since
India has more than 7600 Kilometres of coast, the prospects of offshore
wind power is bright.
iii.
Energy efficiency:
National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency implements the

Perform, Achieve and Trade (PAT) Mechanism, covering largest industrial
and power generation facilities.
Energy rating of appliances
National Energy Efficient Agriculture Pumps Programme
Super Critical Coal Based Thermal Power Technology
iv.
Green Tax - tax on coal has raised $2.85 billion for Indias clean
energy fund.
v.
Fuel efficiency
New vehicle fuel-economy standards of 4.8 liters per 100 kilometers.
Target of 20 percent blending of ethanol and biodiesel by 2017.
vi.
Other initiatives
Smart cities will help in efficient transport systems, utilities, and

energy networks.
National Mission on Sustainable Habitat includes initiatives such as
the Energy Conservation Building Code and actions to support recycling,
waste management etc.
The present effort must be supplemented with community participation in
forestry and supporting renewable energy industry under Make-in-India.
46. Examine the reason why Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has
emphasized on an early implementation of Cyber Security
Framework in banks.
The Reserve Bank of India on Monday emphasised an early

implementation of Cyber Security Framework in banks so that the
possibility of incidents such as the ATM/debit card data breach
happening in the future is minimised and in the event of such
incidents, containment measures are taken immediately.
The Reserve Bank of India has taken complete charge of monitoring

and to prevent further damage to the banking system as the data of
3.2 million cards have been compromised.
In a meeting convened by the regulator and attended by senior

officials of banks, National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) and
card network operators RBI has directed the lenders that from now
the central bank will be taking stock of the situation.
Lenders have been asked to not issue any communication with regard
to card misuse as all the information will now come from RBI.
Based on this, banks have been taking necessary remedial action to

avoid any potential abuse of such cards in future by unscrupulous
elements and to protect the interest of their customers
The central bank once again advised banks to review their security
arrangements under cyber security framework. Even in the last few
months RBI has been asking banks to step up the security to ensure
that chances of cyber fraud is minimised.
47. What are the parameters used in measuring the National Air
Quality Index? Discuss the ways India can tackle air pollution.
Air Quality Index is a tool for effective communication of air quality status
to people in terms, which are easy to understand. There are six AQI
categories, namely Good, Satisfactory, Moderately polluted, Poor, Very
Poor, and Severe depending on ambient concentration values eight
parameters PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, O3, NH3, and Pb.
Air pollution which is major problem in urban areas can be tackled by
following measures:
i.
Research -
Improving the fuel quality and engine design to easily move to Bharat
Stage VI.
Understanding the sources of the short-lived pollutants like black
carbon and ozone.
Improved cook stove technology for rural areas, diesel filters on
trucks in urban areas etc
ii.
Regulation
Satellite-level data along with ground-based information to get a

holistic picture of the extent of air pollution in a given region.
Uniform and tighter emissions standards for the entire country
iii.
Mitigation
Developing business model for collection, transportation and storage

of agricultural residue. This will reduce open burning of agricultural
residue and can instead be used as a source of energy.
Cleaner fuels like LPG through Ujjwala Yojana.
Implementing wall to wall paving of streets and vacuum cleaning of
roads.
iv.
Adaptation
Shifting freight transport from road to lower-emission modes like rail

and inland waterways and coastal shipping using Sagarmala project.
Replacing coal by solar energy.
National emission trading schemes (ETS)
There is a need of holistic approach to deal with increasingly high social,
economic and environmental cost of Air pollution. Formulation of
"National Clean Air Mission" can be effective in this regard.
48. Discuss the impact of El Nino on agriculture in India. Does El
Nino affect the Indian monsoon?
El Nino is a climatic phenomenon signified by warm Pacific Ocean. It
changes the normal pressure belts and triggers series of events like drought,
forest fire, weak monsoon etc. It impacts Indian agriculture in the following
ways:
i.
The main consequence of El Nino is poor productivity due to lower
rainfall and also lower spread of rainfall. Production of water intensive
crops like rice, sugarcane, cotton etc is severely affected.
ii.
Due to lower income technological adaptation in agriculture is also
less.
iii. Even the milch animals go hungry in absence of fodder and it leads to
poor production of milk.
iv.
El Nino is also linked to drought.
v.
Returning the loan becomes difficult for farmers. This creates
unwillingness in private sector banks to lend to agriculture sector.
Although effect of El Nino on Indian monsoon has not been understood
completely but there are evidences that it does influence Indian monsoon.
During normal year water circulation happens between Peru and Australia
and pool of warm water get collected around Australia called Western
Pacific Pool (WPP). From WPP air rise above and move towards Mascarene
High Pressure zone near East Africa. With Tibet as low pressure, air mass
traversing Indian Ocean, comes from the high pressure zone as monsoon.
But due to El Nino water circulation reverses from Australia to Peru and
High pressure at Mascarene is disrupted. This there results in weaker
monsoon.
49. Critically analyze the Doing Business 2017 report from
Indias perspective. Is the ranking system flawed?
Doing Business 2017 report gives Ease of doing business ranking

and is a scorecard for a country in its effort to improve business
environment. It also acts like a feedback for improvement.
Despite various reform measures, Indias position in Ease of doing

Business, in Doing Business 2017 report, has improved by one rank.
However many reform measures bankruptcy code, GST, introduction
of single window system for plan approvals, online ESIC (Employees
State Insurance Corporation) and EPFO registrations etc were not

considered this time.
The marginal improvement was due to some progress made in four

indicators getting electricity, enforcing contracts, trading across
borders and registering property. The report recognised the efforts of
Tata Power in Delhi to make it faster and cheaper to obtain a
connection. In the area of enforcing contracts, the countrys ranking
improved from 178 in 2016 to 172 in 2017 due to some commercial
benches in Delhi.
However the report takes into account only the affairs of Delhi and
Mumbai. Large number of initiative of states is also not taken into
account. States have taken initiative like online VAT payment,
dedicated single window for G2B services and facilitation, online
environmental clearances, GIS based land identification system in
Gujarat, Udyog Mitra, e-biz Karnataka etc. The cumulative effect is
large but not considered.
Hence there is need for wider coverage in the report as India is a large
country. But at the same time more effort in indicators in which India
is lagging dealing with construction permits, starting a business,
paying taxes and enforcing contracts must be taken.
All the best for Mains 2016

-Team ForumIAS

ForumIAS October Final One

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ForumIAS

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1. Demand for reservation in jobs is escalating, in this context critically

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can be used to bring effectiveness in other government initiatives? Also

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31. What is the importance of the BRICS in the light of competing

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keeping in line with its status as an emerging global power. Critically

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21. What factors are required to create a vibrant startup ecosystem in

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35. Discuss the impact of GST on the energy sector in India.

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A refugee is a person who is outside the country of his nationality and

Overwhelmed by the prospect of granting refugee status to tens of

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Most European countries are signatories to the UNs 1951 Refugee

However, other EU states have either refused to take part in

Tens of thousands of persons have entered Hungary in recent

If there was ever a moment when the entire architecture of modern

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2. Rural Development is key to National Development. In

Rural areas cannot remain insulated from this economy-wide

Rural transformation, on its own, may not be as effective in reducing

Agricultural development is the key part of this inclusiveness within

Policies need to be inclusive and must bring poor, and often

A good price incentive can trigger investments in agriculture, leading

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3. Analyze the impact of Globalisation on the indigenous tribes of

Globalisation is the free movement of goods, services, capital, and

The impact of globalisation is strongest on tribal populations of the

Indigenous people throughout the world sit on the frontlines of

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New advances in technology, the reorientation toward export-led

The tribals sometimes end up as debris in the globalised policies,

They tribal community is the most vulnerable section of our society

The gains of globalization have so far accrued to those who already

4. Prohibition imposed in certain states is often discriminatory

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Policy of reservations was started to uplift the submerged sections of

Instead of becoming a viable instrument for the upliftment of the

The real problem in fact is not unemployment but unemployability

Rationale behind providing reservation in jobs

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The goal of reservation policy in India should be to bring

The very basic intent is to provide reservation is to bring equity and

Redistribution creates economy or value addition from a economic

2. In the wake of recent escalation of tension with neighboring