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Magazine Gist July 2018

ABHIMANU IAS

Fortnightly Magazine Gist July,2018

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1. FUN WITH STATISTICS ........................................................................................................................................... 3

Reference Article: Frontline-Trade with neighbours (by RAMESH CHAKRAPANI) ............................................... 3

How to Use the Summary .................................................................................................................................... 4

2. Universal Village Electrification ............................................................................................................................ 6

Reference article: Yojana-Universal Village Electrification in 1000 Days: The Journey (by A.K. Bhalla) ............. 6

How to Use the Summary .................................................................................................................................... 8

3. Energy for Future ................................................................................................................................................ 10

Reference Article: Yojana-Meeting the Energy Needs of the Future ................................................................ 10

How to Use the Summary .................................................................................................................................. 12

5. Dangers of falling rupee ...................................................................................................................................... 13

Reference Article: Frontline-Dangers of falling rupee (by C.P. Chandrasekhar) ............................................... 13

How to Use the summary ................................................................................................................................... 15

6. Targetting Economic Offenders .......................................................................................................................... 17

Reference Article: Yojana-Targetting Economic Offenders ............................................................................... 17

How to Use This Summary ................................................................................................................................. 18

7. World’s Fastest Supercomputer ......................................................................................................................... 20

Reference Article: Frontline-Race to the top in supercomputing (R. RAMACHANDRAN) ................................. 20

How to Use the Summary .................................................................................................................................. 20

8. Managing Nipah-Success Story of Kerela ........................................................................................................... 22

Reference Article: After the Outbreak (by RAJEEV SADANANDAN /Frontline) ................................................. 22


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1. FUN WITH STATISTICS

REFERENCE ARTICLE: FRONTLINE-TRADE WITH NEIGHBOURS (BY RAMESH CHAKRAPANI)

Context of this Summary:

India’s trade with its seven South Asian neighbours has been undergoing a significant shift

Rise of Bangladesh as its largest trading partner is the most notable Development (2012-13 to 2016-17)

India's Import Statistics:

Imports into the country from South Asian nations have not shown any

substantial increase from 2012-13 to 2016-17,

exception being 2014-15 when they rose by 19 per cent

Imports into the country totalled $2.68 billion in 2012-13 and $2.81 billion

in 2016-17

Agricultural products top among India's imports from South Asia (32%),

followed by textiles products (21%)

India's Export Statistics:

India has a Diverse export basket to Southeast Asia

It includes: engineering products (33 per cent), textile and textile

products (20 per cent), mineral products (14 per cent) and chemicals

and allied products (11 per cent)

exports from India have been rising steadily for the most part of 2012-

13 to 2016-17,

exports grew from $15.11 billion in 2012-13 to $19.10 billion in 2016-17

India has consistently maintained a substantial trade surplus with South

Asia over the period.

Trading Partners:

As per 2016-17 data, Bangladesh is India’s largest trading partner in

South Asia, followed by

2. Nepal

3. Sri Lanka

4. Pakistan

5. Bhutan

6. Afghanistan

7. Maldives


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83 per cent of the total exports in South Asia were made to Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka

Bangladesh alone accounting for 35 per cent

54% of Nepal’s exports came to India, 73% of its imports went from India (2016)

17.3% of India’s exports to Pakistan through land

Agricultural products top among India's imports from South Asia (32%), followed by textiles and textile

products (21%)

Trade aspects with Bangladesh

India’s importance to Bangladesh as a trading partner is

underscored by the fact that it served as the source of 14

per cent of that country's imports in the calendar year 2016.

The total bilateral trade with Bangladesh increased by 9.9

per cent to $7.4 billion in 2016-17.

India's exports to Bangladesh have been posting a healthy

growth, climbing from $5.14 billion in 2012-13 to $6.73 billion in 2016-17

HOW TO USE THE SUMMARY

Relevance in ESSAY:

Several Charts and Dig for presentation

Trade Angle for Globalisation

Neighborhood Policy Angle

Etc

PRACTICE QUESTION FOR PRELIM: Q1. In context of International Trade of India with South Asian Nations, which of the following statements are correct?

1. exports from India have been rising steadily for the most part of 2012-13 to 2016-17

2. India failed to maintain a substantial trade surplus with South Asia over the same period

3. The period has witnessed Rise of Bangladesh as its largest trading partner of India

select the correct codes:

a. All are correct

b. 1 only

c. 3 only

d. 1&3 only


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Q2. Arrange the following countries in increasing order of their Trade Partnership with India

1. Maldives

2. Pakistan

3. Nepal

4. Srilanka

5. Bangladesh

select the correct codes:

a. 5,4,3,2,1

b. 5,3,4,2,1

c. 2,5,3,4,1

d. 2,3,5,4,1

MAINS QUESTION

Q International Trade plays a key role in Development of a Country. In this context examine the benefits for India of

having cordial trade relations with its neighboring countries in South Asia.

Some inputs from this summary to enrich your content:

Relevant Pie charts to depict India's Trade Profile

India has a Diverse export basket to Southeast Asia

It includes: engineering products (33 per cent), textile and textile products (20 per cent), mineral products (14 per

cent) and chemicals and allied products (11 per cent)

exports grew from $15.11 billion in 2012-13 to $19.10 billion in 2016-17

Going beyond this Summary:

Benefit from Employment Angle

Strong Trade will dilute Border tensions (Pakistan)

International Significance of India; India's bid for permanent Membership to UNSC

Apart from this

Update the data from Economic Survey

Revise Concepts like Balance of Payments; Current Account Deficit etc

Find out and analyze contemporary challenges in India's International Trade

Find other areas where Neighboring Countries share interests with India (ex; Rivers)


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2. UNIVERSAL VILLAGE ELECTRIFICATION

REFERENCE ARTICLE: YOJANA-UNIVERSAL VILLAGE ELECTRIFICATION IN 1000 DAYS: THE JOURNEY (BY A.K. BHALLA)

Context:

The summary examines the progress of DDUGJY in the backdrop of the commitment made by PM for

electrifying remaining 18500 odd un-electrified villages in 1000 days

Identifying the Objective

Ensuring access to electricity in all census villages

Ensuring quality and reliability of power supply especially in rural areas

Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana

An integrated scheme covering all aspects of power distribution in rural areas

erstwhile rural electrification scheme has been subsumed in DDUGJY as a separate rural electrification

component

Total Outlay: Rs75893 Crore; Gross Budgetary Support: Rs63027 Crore

the scheme envisages:

1. electrification of un-electrified villages

2. intensive electrification of already electrified villages to provide access to households

3. strengthening and augmentation of sub-transmission and distribution infrastructure to improve

quality and reliability of power supply

4. feeder separation to provide assured power supply to farmers

5. metering of feeders, distribution transformers and consumers to facilitate energy audit and

reduction of losses

Planning & Strategy:

A. PROPER IDENTIFICATION OF VILLAGES:

all states requested to identify the remaining un-electrified villages with census code of 2011

having exact names, geographical locations, demography etc of the target villages

B. SOLAR PV BASED OFF-GRID SOLUTIONS

many of the remaining un-electrified villages are located in remote areas with difficult terrain, deep

forests etc

transportation and logistics becomes a major hurdle for creation of Power Infrastructure

such villages to be electrified through off-grid mode using Solar Photovoltaic based solutions

C. BIDDING DOCUMENTS:

focus on standard bidding documents and e-tendering process

D. INNOVATIVE FINANCING:


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apart from Gross Budgetary Support, Ministry of Power to raise money from market

around Rs9000 crore were raised in last 2 financial year through instruments like 'Bonds' and through

Financial Institutions like 'PFC' and 'REC'

E. FLEXIBILITY TO STATE GOVERNMENTS

a strait jacket or a one size fits all approach may not work considering vast diversity of India

States therefore were given adequate liberty to execute the projects

a step in right direction in spirit of Cooperative federalism

F. HANDHOLDING STATES/DISCOMS

necessary help provided to state DISCOMS wherever required

Nodal Agency (REC) opened its office in almost all states, and deputed senior officers to interact and aid

the state governments on daily basis for quick execution

Gram Vidyut Abhiyanta (GVA) appointed by REC at block/district level to assist them in monitoring and

expeditious implementation

GVAs are graduate engineers from local areas to assist DISCOMs in extensive field monitoring

G. MILESTONE BASED MONITORING

entire process divided in 12 steps/milestones with stipulated timelines for monitoring and capturing

progress.

the milestones include entire process right from the award of work, survey, material procurement,

material delivery at site, erection and commissioning and energisation etc

H. TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

mobile app:"GARV" launched to ensure transparency and public dissemination of information

such a public disclosure of information has also created an environment of enhanced accountability in

the system

I. REGULAR REVIEW AND MONITORING:

A system established at Central Level, State Level and DISCOM Level for review and monitoring

Regional Review Meetings also held for better coordination and Project Management

issues impeding the progress are highlighted in such reviews and resolved at earliest

Progress:

Village electrification has improved exponentially during 2015-16: 7,108 Villages electrified

the progress was more than cumulative progress of previous 3 years:

2012-13: 2587

2013-14: 1197

2014-15: 1405

No. of Days from announcement

No. of villages electrified

200 6021


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400 10233 600 13174 800 14701 1000 18452*

*1271 villages found uninhabited or in grazing reserve

Implementation Challenges and Remediation:

Most of the remaining villages were located in remote and inaccessible areas with difficult hilly terrain,

deep forest, LWE affected etc

Connectivity and accessibility of the villages acted as major hurdle

Evaluative Remark:

Support of States, DISCOMS, contractors, vendors, equipment manufacturers and people of the states

significantly aided in timely completion of the commitment

What next:

next target would be to electrify all households in the country

"Pradhan Mantri Sahaj bijli Har Ghar Yojana" launched to achieve this objective

it seeks to provide last mile connectivity and service connections to all remaining households in both

rural and Urban areas

target is to achieve it by 31st March 2019


Relevance in Essay:

Points for Good Governance

Angle for Bridging the rural-urban gap

Importance of Energy/Power in India & steps taken

PRACTICE QUESTION FOR PRELIM

Q Which of the following Statements in context of DDUGJY are correct? 1. It is a flagship scheme of Ministry of Rural Development 2. The erstwhile Rural Electrification scheme has been subsumed under DDUGJY 3. It envisages elecrification in Rural Areas only 4. NABARD is the implementing agency of DDUGJY Select the correct codes: a. 2&3 only b. 1,2&4 only c. 2,3&4 only d. All of above

Going beyond this Summary

Read more schemes

Schemes are extremely important for PRELIMS, important flagship schemes of different Ministries should

be revised before Prelim


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MAINS QUESTION

Q Even after 70 years of Independence, many villages in India face shortage of electricity and a chunk remains un-electrified. Examine the progress made by Government to overcome this challenge with special reference to DDUGJY.

Some inputs from this summary to enrich your content:

suitable tables and charts

an integrated scheme covering all aspects of power distribution in rural areas

Proper Identification of Villages:

Solar PV based off-grid solutions

Innovative Financing:

Flexibility to state Governments

Gram Vidyut Abhiyanta (GVA) appointed by REC

mobile app:"GARV"etc


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3. ENERGY FOR FUTURE

REFERENCE ARTICLE: YOJANA-MEETING THE ENERGY NEEDS OF THE FUTURE

Context:

Ministry of Renewable Energy has taken up the largest renewable capacity expansion programme in the

world with a vision for clean energy future

The summary enlists major initiatives in different sectors of Renewable Energy

Source Based Initiatives

A. SOLAR POWER:

Capacity of the scheme for "Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power " has been enhanced

from 20 GW to 40 GW

Rooftop Solar Power:

Amendments in building by laws for mandatory provision of roof top solar for new construction or

higher floor area ratio and making roof top solar as a part of housing loan by banks / NHB

Provision of roof top solar photovoltaic system and 10 percent renewable energy as mandatory under

mission statement and guidelines for development of smart cities

Tax, Tariff and Financial Assisstance:

Raising tax free solar bonds for managing equity to setup solar projects

Tariff based competitive bidding process for purchase of solar power.

Central financial assistance for setting up of rooftop solar PV, up to 30 percent of the benchmark cost in

residential, institutional and social sectors in general category states and up to 70 percent of the

benchmark cost in special category states

Capacity Building:

Surya Mitra program has been launched for creation of a qualified technical workforce and over 11

thousand persons have been trained under the program

B. WIND POWER:

Wind Potential of India:

In terms of wind power installed capacity, India is globally placed at 4th position after China, USA and

Germany

The Wind power potential of the country has been reassessed by the National Institute for Wind Energy

(NIWE) and it has been estimated to be 302 GW at 100 meter hub height

India has a long coastline where there is a good possibility for developing the offshore wind power

projects

Initiatives Taken:


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Policy: The Cabinet cleared National Offshore Wind Energy Policy to tap the offshore wind potential of

India

NIWE has signed MoU with Gujarat and Rajasthan based on wind forecasting experience of Tamil Nadu

Meso scale map prepared for wind resource at 120 meter height, as most of the turbine hub heights

being installed are more than 100 meters

C. BIO-ENEGY

Central financial assistance for biomass power projects includes installations from biomass combustion,

biomass gasification and bagasse co-generation

Promotion of off grid biogas power project for captive power generation

Family Size Biogas Plants mainly for rural and semi urban households are set up under the National

Biogas and Manure Management Program (NBMMP)

Amendments in Tariff Policy:

PURCHASE AND GENERATION OBLIGATIONS:

Enhancement in solar renewable purchase obligation to 8 percent by March 2022

Introduction of renewable generation obligation for new coal / lignite based thermal plants

Further, pursuant to the revised tariff policy, the MoP has notified the long term growth trajectory of

renewable purchase obligation for solar and non solar energy for the next 3 years

ENSURING AFFORDABILITY

Bundling of renewable power for ensuring affordable renewable electricity

Waving off interstate transmission charges for solar and wind power

GREEN ENERGY CORRIDOR:

Intra-State Transmission System being implemented in 8 Renewable Rich States (Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan,

Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh)

It aims to synchronise electricity produced from renewable sources, such as solar and wind, with

conventional power stations in the grid.

Other Initiatives:

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Formation of International Solar Alliance which became a legal entity in December 2017 is one major

initiative where the 121 countries try to collaborate with each other to harness the potential of solar

energy.

FINANCIAL ASSISSTANCE

Bank loans up to Rs. 15 crores will be given to borrowers for purposes like solar based power

generation, biomass based power generators, wind power systems and for renewable based power

utilities.

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT


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Foreign Direct Investment up to 100 percent is permitted under the automatic route for renewable

energy generation and distribution projects subject to provision of the Electricity Act, 2003


Relevance for Essay:

Energy Security Angle

Important Statistics for substantiation

Government Initiatives taken so far

PRACTICE QUESTION PRELIMS Q Which of the following statements are correct in context of “Surya Mitra” Program 1. Surya Mitras are Banking correspondents for helping clients to get loans to install Roof top solar panel 2. Union Government’s skill development program to create skilled manpower in commissioning, installation, O&M

of solar power plants and equipment 3. It primary objective is to provide entrepreneurship and employability opportunites to rural and urban youth &

women Select the correct codes: a. 2&3 only b. 2 only c. 1&3 only d. All of above *a

Going Beyond this Summary:

Read more about Surya Mitra and other initiatives like International Solar alliance mentioned in this

summary

MAINS QUESTION: Q A robust Renewable Energy Infrastructure has become the need of the hour for Energy Security. In the light of this statement examine the steps taken by the Government in Renewable Energy sector. Some inputs from this summary to enrich your content:

SOLAR: Capacity of the scheme for "Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power " has been enhanced from 20 GW to 40 GW

WIND: In terms of wind power installed capacity, India is globally placed at 4th position after China, USA and Germany

WIND Policy: The Cabinet cleared National Offshore Wind Energy Policy to tap the offshore wind potential of India

NIWE has signed MoU with Gujarat and Rajasthan based on wind forecasting experience of Tamil Nadu

Green Energy Corridor

Etc

Going Beyond the Article:

Keep a tab on current affairs for latest Govt Schemes


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5. DANGERS OF FALLING RUPEE

REFERENCE ARTICLE: FRONTLINE-DANGERS OF FALLING RUPEE (BY C.P. CHANDRASEKHAR)

Context:

THE rupee relative to dollar has depreciated by more than 7.5 % since the beginning of the year.

Depreciation relative to other major currencies such as the British pound, the euro and the yen has been

much less.

Yet, the fall vis-a-vis the dollar is of significance as most of India’s trade and its foreign debt is denominated

in dollars.

Cascading Impacts:

Rise in the current account deficit on India’s balance of payments

The current account deficit rose from $41.6 billion in 2016 to $73.3 billion in 2017

The outflow of foreign currency was further enhanced by:

Retreat of investors because of rising interest rates in advanced countries and the still-hesitant recovery

from the global recession

There was a net outflow of portfolio investments of $8.44 billion in the January 1-May 25 period this year,

with $7.95 billion flowing out in May alone.

Is India a Bubble Economy?

Periodic bouts of rupee depreciation that sometimes even trigger panic are a symptom of India being a bubble

economy. There are many features that warrant it being characterised as one. The following contains how the

Bubble expands and finally Bursts.

India's Failure to reap the true benefits of Liberalisation:

Failure to transform into an internationally competitive manufactured-exports-driven economy

Rather emerging as a favored destination for international financial investors.

The resulting large capital inflows have had a number of effects, all of which together define the bubble on

which economic growth rides.

Impact of International Financial Investments/Large Capital Inflows (post

Liberalisation)

The inflows resulted in a medium-term spike in stock market values with a significant volatility

Stock market valuations of many companies now at levels not warranted by potential earnings

Flows into debt markets adds to the exposure to foreign debt of domestic firms looking to benefit from

low interest rates abroad


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Impact of Foreign Debt:

money borrowed at low interest rates in the advanced economies finances

a large part of the foreign financial investment

the level of capital inflows is extremely sensitive to the interest rate in the

developed countries.

A Rise in these interest rates due to changed circumstances could dry up

new inflows

In such a case Investors may choose to book profits and exit.

Such a situation could unwind equity and debt markets and weaken the

currency

This makes depreciation a reflection of the speculative investments that preceded the tendency.

Credit Boom and Systemic Fragility:

Large inflow of foreign capital, enhances liquidity in the system, and triggers a credit boom

Banks are forced to increase lending to the private sector (both households and firms)

Such a lending spurs demand and drives domestic market growth

The chances are high that agents unable to service their debts will be drawn into the universe of borrowers

thereby generating a threat of default

Such systemic fragility can intensify the capital flight that generates exchange rate volatility.

Adverse Impact of Import Intensive Consumption:

Demand fuelled by debt is likely to be more import-intensive than would otherwise have been the case.

Import-intensive consumption and investment that accompanies capital inflows leads to a widening current

account deficit.

A deficit generated when {foreign exchange outflow on account of imports}>{ inflows from exports of goods

and services and remittances}

Such deficit, even if financed by capital inflows, sends out signals that the currency is vulnerable

Inflation Effect:

Dependence on Imports along with depreciated Value of Rupee is likely to cause

Inflation

Due to high dependence on Oil Imports, the potential for Inflation gets Much

Higher amidst the rise in International Oil Prices

Central Banks are forced to follow Tight Monetary Policy and raises Interest Rates

Such a situation causes slower Growth on account of reduced Investments

The Economy thus gets trapped in Stagflation

The Bubble Bursts:


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Much of the Corporate borrowing in foreign currency (as in dig) is not

hedged for possible losses stemming from any currency depreciation

In an event of Depreciation the rupee costs of servicing foreign debt rise

sharply

Due to stagflation hurting the corporate profits, the burden of servicing

Foreign Debts become unbearable

This leads to Distress Sale of Assets following a Bankruptcy

Distressed Sale leads to asset price deflation

Conclusion:

Depending on the intensity of these effects, the bubble can burst and the

game of speculation can unravel.

It is for this reason that this round of currency depreciation is likely to be

scrutinised carefully. It could be the round in which the bubble economy becomes unsustainable


Relevance in ESSAY:

Negative aspect of Liberalisation

Limitations of Indian Economy

Need to boost export competetiveness angle

Going Beyond this Summary with a 3rd Eye:

Issues of NPAs

Innovative Solutions to various Problems of Indian Economy (NPA. Weak Currency etc)

PRACTICE QUESTION FOR PRELIM: Q In Context of Indian Economy, What is the likely outcome of Depreciation of Rupee vis-à-vis Dollar 1. Inflation in general prices of Commodities 2. wider current account deficit 3. decline in exports 4. increase in exports 5. expensive imports Select the most appropriate option a. 1,3&4 Only b. All of Above c. 1,2&4 only d. 2,3&4 Only Q Which of the following statements is correct? 1. Stagflation refers to high inflation accompanied by high Employment 2. Deflation refers to reduction in the general level of prices in the economy 3. Disinflation refers to reduction in rate of inflation Select the correct code a. All are correct


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b. Only 1 is correct c. None is Correct d. Only 2&3 are correct

MAINS QUESTION: Q Periodic bouts of rupee depreciation that sometimes even trigger panic are a symptom of India being a bubble economy. There are many features that warrant it being characterised as one. Explain You may use following inputs from summary to enrich your answer:

Relevant Flow Charts to explain

Impact of Foreign Debt

Impact of less competetive exports

Impact of Import Intensive Consumption

Impact of Foreign Debt by Corporates

etc Going Beyond the Summary with a 3rd eye:

Revise all Macroeconomic Concepts (GDP, Inflation, Balance of Payments etc) from NCERT

Read and Revise FRBM Act

Read& Revise Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code

Keep a tab on issues of NPAs

Role of RBI


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6. TARGETTING ECONOMIC OFFENDERS

REFERENCE ARTICLE: YOJANA-TARGETTING ECONOMIC OFFENDERS

Need for a New Act:

The banking sector is being impacted by the failure of its clients to service their loans in time

The existing civil and criminal provisions of law are not entirely adequate to deal with these severe

problems

The number of such default (Ex: Nirav Modi, Vijay Mallaya etc) may increase if they remain unchecked

The government feels a need for specific act targeting the economic offenders

Such a law would empower government to seize properties and appropriate the sale proceeds towards loan

creditors

The Bill

PREAMBLE:

"To provide for measures to deter fugitive economic offenders from evading the process of law in India by

staying outside the jurisdiction of Indian Courts, to preserve the sanctity of the rule of law in India and for

matters connected therewith or incidental thereto." DEFINING FUGITIVE ECONOMIC OFFENDER:

"Any individual against whom a warrant of arrest in relation to a Scheduled Offence has been issued by any

court in India who:

has left India so as to avoid criminal prosecution; or

being abroad, refuses to return to India to face criminal prosecution" DETERRENCE:

The bill brings under purview those cases where the total value of the economic offences is Rs 100crores or

more

It will force the absconding fugitive economic offenders to face trial for their offences

The bill allows for the attachment of the properties of the fugitive economic offender

It will go a long way to help banks and other financial institutions to achieve recovery from the absconding

defaulters INCENTIVE FOR COMPLIANCE

The bill proposes to give relief to the alleged offender if in case he returns to India prior to declaring him as

a fugitive economic offender &

If he submits to the appropriate jurisdictional court proceedings under the Act

In such compliance the proceedings under the act would cease SAFEGUARDS:

The bill has been well thought out and etched with necessary safeguards

It provides for hearing through counsel

allowing time to file a reply

serving notice of summons whether in India or abroad


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appeal to High Court have been appropriately provided APPEAL:

Appeal against the order of the Special Court shall lie before the High Court

The Appeal must be referred within a period of 30 days from the date of judgment

The High Court may entertain an appeal after the expiry of the said 30 days if they are satisfied that the

appellant had sufficient cause for not preferring the appeal within the due date

No appeal shall be entertained by the High Court after the expiry of 90 Days from the date of judgment OTHER SALIENT FEATURES

Application before the Special Court for a declaration that an individual is a fugitive economic offender

Attachment of the property of a fugitive economic offender

Issue of a notice by the Special Court to the individual alleged to be a fugitive economic offender

Confiscation of the property of an individual declared as a fugitive economic offender resulting from the

proceeds of crime

Confiscation of other property belonging to such offender in India and abroad, including benami property

Disentitlement of the fugitive economic offender from defending any civil claim

An Administrator will be appointed to manage and dispose of the confiscated property under the Act

Other Steps taken by the Government against Corruption and Black Money

Special Investigation Team on black money was created to check black money

Government has restructured India-Mauritius DTAA by taking right to impose capital gains tax in India

(source country), in this way, other DTAAs with countries like Singapore, Cyprus etc., also will be modified

Prevention of Money Laundering Act was amended to allow confiscation of property equivalent in value of

black money stashed abroad

Amendment to Benami Property Prohibition Act 2016 was made by providing broader and clearer coverage

and stricter penal provisions.

Future Prospect:

It is hoped that Bill will help in Central Government recover the properties of those high net worth

individuals who have fled from the country to avoid prosecution.

The exchequer will be bolstered after recovery from the sale of proceeds.

It is also expected to act as a deterrent to those who are contemplating or who are in the brink of of

committing economic offences and evading law

However, with time, there will be more clarity regarding the efficiency and the utility of this law.

HOW TO USE THIS SUMMARY

Relevance in Essay:

The summary covers one of the many problems of Indian Economy, and can be used as an input in

essay.

Steps against Black Money

Few inputs for “What ails the Indian Economy”


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PRACTICE QUESTION FOR PEWLIMS Q Which of the following correctly describes Economic Fugitive as per the Economic Offenders Bill? 1. Any individual against whom a warrant of arrest in relation to a Scheduled Offence has been issued by any court in

India who has left India so as to avoid criminal prosecution 2. Any individual against whom a warrant of arrest in relation to a Scheduled Offence has been issued by any court in

India who being abroad, refuses to return to India to face criminal prosecution 3. Any individual against whom a warrant of arrest in relation to a Scheduled Offence has been issued by any court in

India who is hiding in India itself Select the correct codes: a. All of above b. 1 & 2 only c. 2&3 only d. 1&3 only

MAINS QUESTION Q. Recent times in India have been witnessing increasing cases of banking frauds and absconding defaulters who flee the land unharmed. Analyze the statement while giving some suggestions to curb such a menace You may use following inputs from summary to enrich your answer:

The existing civil and criminal provisions of law are not entirely adequate to deal with these severe problems

Steps taken by the Government against Corruption and Black Money

Rationale and Deterrence of ‘Economic Offenders Bill” Going Beyond the Summary with a 3rd eye: (do not restrict your answer based only on this summary)

Give some reasons for increasing banking frauds

Bring Out some systemic failures that lead to defaulters eloping unharmed

What impact may such default have on the Economy of India


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7. WORLD’S FASTEST SUPERCOMPUTER

REFERENCE ARTICLE: FRONTLINE-RACE TO THE TOP IN SUPERCOMPUTING (R. RAMACHANDRAN)

Fastest Super Computer of the world:

U.S. Department of Energy’s (DoE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) unveiled a new supercomputer

named: “Summit”

It has a peak performance of 200,000 trillion calculations per second (200 petaflops)

Summit will topple China’s 93-petaflop TaihuLight that has been at the top spot since 2016

Summit is eight times more powerful than Titan, the current most powerful computer in the U.S., which is

also housed at the ORNL.

Summit’s power will be put to work in research in areas including:

energy,

advanced materials

and artificial intelligence

In 2019, the bulk of the access to Summit will go to research teams selected through the DOE’s Innovative and

Novel Computational Impact on Theory and Experiment (INCITE) programme.

Some Specifications

Summit has been built by IBM (IBM AC922 system) and consists of 4,608 servers, each containing two 22-

core IBM Power 9 processors, and six NVIDIA Tesla V100 graphic processing unit accelerators with Mellanox

interconnections

Further Developments:

The U.S. will build an exascale supercomputing system—capable of at least one billion billion calculations

per second—by 2021

The Chinese Academy of Sciences, too, has launched a programme to build an exascale supercomputer by

2020

Further Reading:

India's fastest super computer (Pratyush)

Specifications of TaihuLight

Specifications of Titan


Relevance for Essay:

Quotable examples for Science and Tech Essay

PRACTICE QUESTION FOR PRELIM: Q1. Which of the following is the World’s fastest Super Computer?


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a) TaihuLight b) Titan c) Summit d) Prometheus *c Q2. Which of the following are correctly matched? 1) TaihuLight: Japan 2) Summit: USA 3) Shaheen II: Pakistan 4) Sequoia: USA Select the correct codes a) 1, 2 & 3 only b) 2, 3 & 4 only c) 2& 4only d) All of above *c

MAINS QUESTION: Q While India is known all over the world for its indispensible Computer-techies, the same is not reflected in its supercomputing technology. Comment Some inputs from the summary that you may use: Use some data given for comparison of other countries with India Go beyond the summary:

Progress made by India in Super Computing Technology Achievements therein, Lacunae and the way forward to develop more advanced technology


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8. MANAGING A HEALTH DISASTER-NIPAH IN KERELA

REFERENCE ARTICLE: AFTER THE OUTBREAK (BY RAJEEV SADANANDAN /FRONTLINE)

ON May 18, 2018, the outbreak of Nipah virus was concerned. By June 11, the outbreak was declared over.

Kerala’s health care system and social capital won the battle against Nipah, but it is important to review the

lessons learnt in order to prepare for future invasions as there is a strong possibility of the infection recurring.

Having a Good Surveillance

With the destruction of habitats and the impact of global warming, it is likely that many organisms that

existed commensally with wild animals will cross over to humans.

When a microbe moves from one species to another, it could become much more virulent than it was in the

host animal.

The reaction time for health or veterinary services would be very short.

We have to be prepared for the unexpected and be vigilant for any emerging infections.

In Kerela an alert team of doctors detected the second case saving many lives. However, had the first case,

been picked up in time, most of the deaths could have been avoided.

Standard Universal Practices in Hospitals:

A good health system needs to have adequate precautions to protect workers and patients against any

infection, known or unknown.

Many hospitals in India are inadequately equipped and the staff lack the needed knowledge and skills.

Most of the infections in this outbreak occurred in hospital settings.

While most of them could not have been prevented, but, a review of infection prevention and control

practices in hospitals can go a long way in preparedness for such events

Tackle with the social norms (Burials)

In past outbreaks, such as HIV and Ebola, lack of precautions during burial rites had become an occasion for

the spread of the virus.

The National Centre for Disease Control has issued guidelines for burial.

Religious and political leaders stepped in to convince families of the need to comply with burial guidelines.

There was no spread from burials after the notification.

Providing quality care

Guidelines:

o Based on experience of managing Ebola, guidelines had been developed for treating epidemics that

are highly infectious and where mortality rates are high.

o Kerala adopted these in managing the epidemic.

o More than 2,000 contacts were under constant surveillance & were verified twice daily

Emergency Infrastructure


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o Any case reporting positive was shifted to the dedicated treatment facility in specially equipped

ambulances, which were on standby in strategic locations

o Two existing buildings at the Government Medical College were evacuated and converted to

triaging, observation and treatment areas, each firewalled from the other.

Protecting the Health care workers

A burnout among the medical staff is usual in such situations. Some of the staff may try to avoid duty. These

have to be firmly dealt with.

At times like this senior faculty and officers should be in constant interaction with front-line personnel to

boost their morale.

In Kozhikode normal working hours were reduced and the staff was constantly boosted

To compensate working hours, additional personnel from other hospitals were readied for deployment if

entire health system was seen to be pulling together.

Having a Unified Command Structure:

An event like this needs response from multiple agencies.

While inputs need to be taken from different stakeholders, the final chain of command has to be clear

A centralized command, with adequate financial and administrative powers, has to be established to

manage the response.

In Kozhikode, this was set up under the leadership of the District Collector, with the Director of Health

Services and the local Medical College providing the technical support.

Holistic Social Mobilisation

A united efforts from State ministers, different Business

Houses and the Civil Society at large went a long way in

mitigating NIpah Virus Outbreak in Kerela.

An overt display of social capital kept the morale up when

the extent of danger was unknown and scenario was

depressing

Management of Communicaiton

Daily review of the data followed by a press briefing was carried on by Core Group

The print and visual media were briefed by experts and they carried reports educating the public on the

disease, prevention and mitigation strategies, what to do in different conditions, and a set of FAQs.

They also keept the morale of the team high.

Social Media Management:

o Health Department operated Facebook and Twitter accounts and as a result its reach

quadrupled during this period.

o The cyber cell of the Kerala Police remained on its toes to tackle rumour mongers.

Cross Border Cooperation:


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When the virus can move across territories, the response has to be global too.

India needs to have a mechanism for mounting a response, coordinating the best expertise sourced

nationally or internationally.

It is important to realise that an effective response to emerging viruses, for which India does not have the

required expertise, needs international cooperation.

When at a loss for remedies, Kerala reached out to all international contacts as was possible.

It was aided by Prof. Christopher Broder and Queenslan Governement

ICMR should do away with red-tapism and assemble the best international expertise in epidemiological

investigations and management protocols for Nipah.

Medical Research Facilities:

The outbreak also underlines the need for continued research into emerging diseases.

The interest generated by the Kerala episode has revived investment in this area.

India has a substantial stake in developing a drug for Nipah infections and it should take the leadership in

this area.

Documentation:

In any new epidemic the "process and lessons learnt" have to be documented for guidance in future.

This is the third episode of Nipah infection in India.

Failure in development of national guidelines forced India had to use the ones issued by the Government of

Bangladesh.

To avoid this in future, a standard operating procedures for outbreak investigation, public health response

and case management should be developed and made available to all States.

Summing Up:

India has be vigilant against recurrence of Nipah in any part of India.

It is also important that India develop a national policy on Nipah surveillance, containment, case

management and impact mitigation

Further lessons learnt from Kerela episode need to be codified for preparedness against Medical Disaster


Relevance in Essay:

The summary contains inputs for Governance Anlge which might be used in relevant essays

Perfect inputs to justify- “Prevention is Better than cure” or “Being Prepared beforehand is better than

mitigating the damage later)

“Cross Border Cooperation” is an integral part of inland security

etc

PRACTICE QUESTION FOR PRELIM Q. Nipah created a havoc in Kerela in 2018. Consider the following statements regarding NIPAH and identify the correct ones. 1. Nipah is a zoonotic disease which means humans can get infected with this virus from animals


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2. The natural host of this bacteria are fruit bats of the Pteropodidae Family 3. Its outbreak was first identified at a place called Nipah in Malaysia in 1998 Select the correct codes: a. All are correct b. 3 Only c. 2&3 Only d. 1&3 only

Ans*d

MAINS QUESTION: Q. With the sudden outbreak of the deadly Nipah viral infection, whose origin is still unknown, Kerala’s stressed health care system had to learn quite a few hard lessons before it could declare that the “first wave” of the rare infection in the State was more or less under control. In the light of this statement, discuss the factors for effectively dealing with an outbreak of an infectious disease in a developing country like India. Some Inputs from the summary you may use:

Having a Good Surveillance

Standard Universal Practices in Hospitals

Tackle with the social norms (Burials)

Providing quality care

Protecting the Health care workers

Having a Unified Command Structure

Etc

Use charts and diagrams if needed Go Beyond the summary to add your own innovative Ideas into the answer.

Note: Students are advised to come up with additional points that go beyond this summary. Adding a

different flavor to answers is always appreciated in UPSC.

magazine gist - abhimanu ias1. it is a flagship scheme of ministry of rural development 2. the...

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