Вы находитесь на странице: 1из 109

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.

co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Letsstudytogether.co (LST) is leading online competitive exam portal that provides quality study
materials for Banking, SSC, Railway and all other competitive exams.

Descriptive Book for Syndicate Bank PO 2018


Vol.1- Essay writing
Syndicate Bank Descriptive Paper 2018. Welcome to the www.letsstudytogether.co online learning section. The
Syndicate Bank PO exam will have two papers – objective and descriptive. As we all know you all are familiar with
objective tests, most of you are not very comfortable with Descriptive Paper.

Read this article to know How to Prepare for Syndicate Bank PO Descriptive Paper 2018. The Descriptive Test is a 30
minute long paper worth 50 marks. Descriptive Paper is just qualifying in nature; you don’t have to deal with the
stress of maximizing your score. Hopefully, though, you haven’t been neglecting the practice for your Syndicate Bank
PO 2017 Descriptive Paper.

Here, we are going to share some tips on how to prepare Syndicate Bank PO Descriptive Paper (Essay writing) that
will help you in Syndicate Bank PO Mains Exam.

3 Reasons Why Syndicate Bank PO Descriptive Paper is


Easier than you Think!
Syndicate Bank PO Descriptive Exam’s Qualifying Nature: Syndicate Bank PO Mains Descriptive
Paper is just qualifying in nature; you don’t have to deal with the stress of maximizing your score.

Content is Key Master: If you are preparing for Syndicate Bank PO Descriptive Paper, it’s highly likely that you
have good knowledge of Current Affairs and GK section (Statistical Data, Factual information, etc.). You can use this
in the descriptive paper Essay and Letter. As we know that Quality content comes from good knowledge of current
affairs and GK. If your content knowledge is good and your language is decent then you already win half the battle!!!

You already know the Questions: The Syndicate Bank PO Descriptive Paper is not going to be complete
surprise because you already know that you will have to solve questions based an Essay related to recent events and
you also know that you have to write a Letter which will be either formal or informal.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Essay Writing tips for Syndicate Bank PO 2018
While preparing for Syndicate Bank PO Descriptive Paper 2018 first and foremost, brush up your English because the
Descriptive Paper aims to assess how well you can articulate information. It also wants to see how you can effectively
communicate it to others.

Essay Writing is an important part of the Syndicate Bank PO Descriptive Paper 2018, as maximum marks are assigned
for essay writing. It involves organizing and structuring of your thoughts and ideas.

How to write Essay?


Always write essay in following parts:-

• Introduction: It should include the Background and the history of the Subject.
• About: It should include the details, concept, and theory of the Subject.
• Positives: Here you must state the advantages of the subject which should include various benefits caused to
the different sections of the society, Indian economy, women and country overall. At last, state what impact
it has worldwide (if any).
• Negatives: This should be covered carefully and include any harm it has caused / will cause to the people,
economy of the country.
• Suggestions: Here you must mention any improvement in the subject for the better. The suggestion should
be good and must reflect positive changes in the future.
• Conclusion: Here you are required to summarize all the points you have mentioned above.

Important Tips for Essay Writing


• Start practicing by writing small paragraphs on relevant topics.
• Take time to choose the subject.
• You should be familiar with the subject.
• Give informed opinions instead of stating assumptions.
• Think for some time about the subject.
• Note down all the important points.
• Be neutral while writing an essay.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Important Tips for Writing an Effective Essay
Pick a topic.
You may have your topic assigned. You should think about the type of paper that you want to produce. Should it be a
general overview of the subject or a specific analysis? Narrow your focus if necessary.

Once you have determined the purpose, you will need to do some research on topics that you find intriguing. Think
about your life. What is it that interests you? Jot these subjects down.

Finally, evaluate your options. If your goal is to educate, choose a subject that you have already studied. If your goal
is to persuade, choose a subject that you are passionate about. Whatever the mission of the essay, make sure that
you are interested in your topic.

Read The Question Carefully.


You must examine the question meticulously to make sure you answer what is asked. Generally the essay questions
have some direction words that give a hint about what is wanted in the essay, such as compare, describe, explain,
argue, discuss, critique, etc. These words are actually the task words that help you identify the task that needs to be
done. Highlight the key words and identify the topic words that indicate what the whole essay is going to be about.

In order to write a successful essay, you must organize your thoughts. By taking what’s already in your head and
putting it to paper, you are able to see connections and links between ideas more clearly.

Write the body.


The main purpose of a body paragraph is to explain in detail the examples that support your thesis. Begin each
paragraph with a theme sentence that connects the paragraph to the rest of the essay. Start with the first subtopic
and continue with supporting details.

You can draw up comparisons to make the examiner understand what you are trying to say.

The body of your essay argues, explains or describes your topic. Each main idea that you wrote in your body will
become a separate section within the body of your essay.

Each body paragraph will have the same basic structure. Begin by writing one of your main ideas as the introductory
sentence. Next, write each of your supporting ideas in sentence format, but leave three or four lines in between each
point to come back and give detailed examples to back up your position. Fill in these spaces with relative information
that will help link smaller ideas together.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Write the introduction.
Now that you have developed your thesis and the overall body of your essay, you must write an introduction. The
introduction should attract the reader’s attention and show the focus of your essay.

Give a brief punchy statement which intends to grab the examiner‘s attention and make him/her want to continue to
read your essay. Support your statement by a few arguments that leave no doubt in the examiner‘s mind about
which side you are on from the beginning of your essay.

Begin with an attention grabber. You can use shocking information, dialogue, a story, a quote, or a simple summary
of your topic. Whichever angle you choose, make sure that it ties in with your thesis statement, which will be
included as the last sentence of your introduction.

Make sure that your introduction gives the examiner a clear understanding of what your essay is about and tells
him/her what to expect in the paragraphs to come.

Write the conclusion.


The conclusion brings closure of the topic and sums up your overall ideas while providing a final perspective on your
topic. Your conclusion should consist of three to five strong sentences. Simply review your main points and provide
reinforcement of your thesis. . You can start by summarizing your main ideas by drawing together each component
of you previously made arguments in a logical and significant way.

Add the finishing touches.


After writing your conclusion, you might think that you have completed your essay. Wrong. Before you consider this
a finished work, you must pay attention to all the small details.

Check the order of your paragraphs. Your strongest points should be the first and last paragraphs within the body,
with the others falling in the middle. Also, make sure that your paragraph order makes sense. If your essay is
describing a process, such as how to make a great chocolate cake, make sure that your paragraphs fall in the correct
order.

• Check the order of your paragraphs.

• Make sure that the order of your paragraphs makes sense.

• Make sure that flow of sentences is smooth.

• Add phrases to connect thoughts or ideas.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
• Check your essay for grammar and spelling mistakes.

Finally, review what you have written. Reread your paper and check to see if it makes sense. Make sure that
sentence flow is smooth and add phrases to help connect thoughts or ideas. Check your essay for grammar and
spelling mistakes.

Expected Essay Topics for Syndicate Bank PO


Descriptive Paper 2017
S. NO Essay Topic S. NO Essay Topic

1. Cryptocurrency & Bitcoin 35. Alcohol Ban in India – Pros and Cons
2. Right to Privacy 36. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan – How far was it
successful?
3. FDI in India 37. Is Technology rising Unemployment rates?
4. Urbanisation and Its Hazards 38. Is a relook needed in the caste reservation
system?
5. Demonitazation - Gains and the loses 39. Women's safety in workplace
6. Farmer's-suicide-issue 40. Women Entrepreneurs in India

7. Should India accept Rohingya Refugees 41. Online Education in India


8. Improvements in our Education System? 42. Special Economic Zones: Boon or Bane
9. Impact of Consolidation and merger in Banking 43. Unemployment – A Major Issue in India
Sector- Merger of SBI Associate and Bharatiya
Mahila Bank with SBI
10. Future of Banking Industry 44. Technology is killing human imagination!
11. What is the impact of Reliance Jio to other 45. Tax havens – should they be ousted?
telecom operators?
12. What is Bharat QR Code? 46. Should WhatsApp be banned in India?
13. Demonetization and its impact on Indian 47. Impact of Brexit on UK and the world!
Economy
14. Reason behind increasing NPA in PSU Banks 48. Mobile Banking & Payment Industry in India
while private sector banks making profit
15. What is Cyber Swachhta Kendra? 49. Role of Technology in Banking sector
16. What is Mobile Wallet/e-wallet- like PayTM, Jio 50. Social Networking - Boon or Bane?
Money, Airtel Money PayUMoney & its impact
on society?
17. GST and its impact on Indian Economy 51. BASEL - III - It's aftermath and effects

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
18. Goods and Services Tax 52. Water Crisis and the Monsoon Factor in India
19. Sanitation and Cleanliness in India 53. Water Crisis and the Monsoon Factor in India,
Discuss the necessary measures
20. Pros and cons of allowing 10 year old children 54. Agricultural Techniques in India and the
to open bank accounts condition of farmers
21. Demonetization of old 500 & 1000 rupees notes 55. Does Globalisation Benefit Developing
– Is it a good move? Countries More Than The Developed Ones?
22. Sexual harassment in workplace causes and 56. Education at all level should Ade free for
remedies. women in India
23. China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) Project 57. Women Education
24. Present Education System in India 58. Why Should You Invest in Mutual Funds?
25. Women Empowerment in India 59. Aadhar Card’s Scope In India : History, Pros and
Cons
26. SBI merger with associate banks – Good or Bad? 60. Specialization vs Generalization
27. Loan waiver for farmers – Good or Bad? 61. Technology changing the face of Education
28. Impact of Demonetization on Indian Economy 62. Social Networking in our lives
29. Union Budget 2017-18 – Is it beneficial for the 63. Unique Identification Number For Every Indian
common man?
30. Is India ready to be a Cashless Economy? 64. Role of digitization in Banking Sector
31. Is it really worth to become a cashless
economy?
32. How can we deal with increasing Cyber Crimes?
33. India’s fight against ‘Black Money’
34. Alcohol Ban in India – Pros and Cons

Cryptocurrency
What is a 'Cryptocurrency?'

A cryptocurrency is a digital or virtual currency that uses cryptography for security. A cryptocurrency is
difficult to counterfeit because of this security feature. A defining feature of a cryptocurrency, and arguably
its most endearing allure, is its organic nature; it is not issued by any central authority, rendering it
theoretically immune to government interference or manipulation.

It is a currency associated with the internet that uses cryptography, the process of converting legible
information into an almost uncrack able code, to track purchases and transfers.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Cryptography was born out of the need for secure communication in the Second World War. It has evolved
in the digital era with elements of mathematical theory and computer science to become a way to secure
communications, information and money online.

The first cryptocurrency was bitcoin, which was created in 2009 and is still the best known. There has been
a proliferation of cryptocurrencies in the past decade and there are now more than 1,000 available on the
internet.

The anonymous nature of cryptocurrency transactions makes them well-suited for a host of nefarious
activities, such as money laundering and tax evasion. The first cryptocurrency to capture the public
imagination was Bitcoin, which was launched in 2009 by an individual or group known under the
pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. As of September 2015, there were over 14.6 million bitcoins in circulation
with a total market value of $3.4 billion. Bitcoin's success has spawned a number of competing
cryptocurrencies, such as Litecoin, Namecoin and PPCoin.

How is Cryptocurrency different from a normal currency?

The following unique features of cryptocurrency makes is different from a normal currency:-

• It is crypto graphed unlike any of the paper currency we use.

• It is not issued by any Government or central authority but instead is regulated by a complex
network called ‘Block chains’.

• There is no government intervention in the valuation or regulation of the value of a cryptocurrency.

• It does not involve any physical movement of the currency transferred from one place to another.

• These are highly secured. The database concerning the cryptocurrency cannot be easily changed or
hacked.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Cryptocurrency Benefits and Drawbacks

Cryptocurrencies make it easier to transfer funds between two parties in a transaction; these transfers are
facilitated through the use of public and private keys for security purposes. These fund transfers are done
with minimal processing fees, allowing users to avoid the steep fees charged by most banks and financial
institutions for wire transfers.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Central to the genius of Bitcoin is the block chain it uses to store an online ledger of all the transactions
that have ever been conducted using bitcoins, providing a data structure for this ledger that is exposed to a
limited threat from hackers and can be copied across all computers running Bitcoin software. Many experts
see this block chain as having important uses in technologies, such as online voting and crowdfunding, and
major financial institutions such as JP Morgan Chase see potential in cryptocurrencies to lower transaction
costs by making payment processing more efficient.

However, because cryptocurrencies are virtual and do not have a central repository, a digital
cryptocurrency balance can be wiped out by a computer crash if a backup copy of the holdings does not
exist. Since prices are based on supply and demand, the rate at which a cryptocurrency can be exchanged
for another currency can fluctuate widely.

Cryptocurrencies are not immune to the threat of hacking. In Bitcoin's short history, the company has been
subject to over 40 thefts, including a few that exceeded $1 million in value. Still, many observers look at
cryptocurrencies as hope that a currency can exist that preserves value, facilitates exchange, is more
transportable than hard metals, and is outside the influence of central banks and governments.

Bitcoin
Bitcoin that supports digital and secured currency has been popping out in the News from last few months.
From recognition of main currency in Japan to the demand in "Ransomware virus" Bitcoin has made itself
strong in the race of the hot and trending topics in the Current Affairs. Keeping in mind the pattern of
Current Affairs questions asked in Bank of Baroda PO exam, Bitcoin can be other topics from which the
questions can be asked in upcoming Banking and Insurance examinations like SBI PO Mains, DENA Bank PO,
NICL Mains Exam etc. So here is some important and interesting information on Bitcoin that you must
know before appearing in Exams:

Bitcoin is a consensus network that enables a new payment system and completely digital money. It is the
first decentralized peer-to-peer payment network that is powered by its users with no central authority or
middlemen. From a user perspective, Bitcoin is pretty much like cash for the Internet. Bitcoin is the first
implementation of a concept called "cryptocurrency", which was first described in 1998 by Wei Dai. Few
other popular cryptocurrencies are Dash, Blackcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, Ripple, Namecoin etc. Nobody
owns the Bitcoin network much like no one owns the technology behind email. It is controlled by all Bitcoin
users around the world. One can acquire it as payment for goods or services, purchase Bitcoins at a Bitcoin
exchange, exchange it with someone near you, and earn it through competitive mining.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Bitcoin payments are easier to make than debit or credit card purchases, and can be received without a
merchant account. Payments are made from a wallet application, either on your computer or smartphone,
by entering the recipient's address, the payment amount, and pressing send. The advantages of Bitcoin are
Payment freedom, fewer risks for merchants, Security and control, Transparent and neutral. It has finally
gained the recognition of a mainstream currency along the lines of other fiat currencies. The privilege
follows the implementation of a new law in Japan which categorizes Bitcoin as a legal payment option
within the country. The much-awaited law went into effect on April 1, 2017. It is a digital currency that is
not tied to a bank or government and allows users to spend money anonymously. The coins are created by
users who 'mine' them by lending computing power to verify other users' transactions. The Value of one
Bitcoin is nearly equal to 2,300 US Dollars.

What are the pros and cons of Bitcoins?

Pros-

• The transaction parties can remain anonymous if they wish to. These transactions are
pseudonymous in nature i.e. neither the transactions nor the accounts are connected to the real
world identities. A 30-digit address is received that consists of alphabets and numbers coded in a
certain way.

• The transactions are highly secured and encrypted. They cannot be reversed once completed.

• It eliminates the middlemen fees.

• These are not manipulated by any governmental or central authority and are completely
decentralised.

Cons-

• Since there is no central authority involved, this is still widely used for illegal transactions and
antisocial acts.

• It is highly dependent on technology so the risk of operational glitches always remain the same.

What are the types of risks involved in Bitcoin?

• Fraud risk: - As bitcoin is encrypted with a Private Key to verify owners and register transactions,
hackers tend to sell false bitcoins.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
• Market Risk: - The value of Bitcoins keep fluctuating on day to day basis.

• Tax Risk: - A bitcoin is still ineligible to be included in any kind of tax advantages. This hampers the
whole purpose of investment.

In India, the bitcoin is still fighting to find a legal authorisation in the market unlike United States where
these currencies are highly recognised and appreciated. Until late April 2017, the Central Bank i.e. RBI did
not recognise Virtual currency as a legal tender. Due to its nature, it was recognised as a computer
programme rather than a currency. That means that a purchase of virtual currency by any Indian is
considered as a purchase of a software programme.

But, the Ministry of Finance has constituted a committee to look into the existing frameworks around
virtual currencies. It will examine the present value of Virtual currencies not only in India but also around
the globe. It will also determine the role of government and RBI in the regulation of Bitcoins and other
cryptocurrencies. The report is due to be submitted later this year.

Right to Privacy
What is Right to Privacy?

Some legal experts tend to define privacy as a human right enjoyed by every human being by virtue of his
or her existence. It depends on no instrument or charter. Privacy can also extend to other aspects,
including bodily integrity, personal autonomy, informational self-determination, protection from state
surveillance, dignity, confidentiality, compelled speech and freedom to dissent or move or think. In short,
the right to privacy has to be determined on a case-by-case basis. Privacy enjoys a robust legal framework
internationally. Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 and Article 17 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), 1966, legally protect persons against “arbitrary
interference” with one’s privacy, family, home, correspondence, honour and reputation. India signed and
ratified the ICCPR on April 10, 1979, without reservation. Article 7 and 8 of the Charter of Fundamental
Rights of the European Union, 2012, recognises the respect for private and family life, home and
communications. Article 8 mandates protection of personal data and its collection for a specified legitimate
purpose.

What are the various features of Right to Privacy?

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
• Privacy is a constitutionally protected right emerging primarily from the guarantee of life and liberty
in Article 21 of the Constitution.

• It includes the preservation of personal intimacies, sanctity of family life, marriage, procreation, the
home and sexual orientation.

• Privacy connotes a right to be left alone. It safeguards individual autonomy and recognizes one’s
ability to control vital aspects of his/her life.

• Privacy is not an absolute right, but any invasion must be based on legality, need and
proportionality.

• Informational privacy is a facet of this right. Dangers to this can originate from both state and non-
state actors.

How did it come about?

The trigger is the government’s Aadhaar scheme, which collects personal details and biometrics to identify
beneficiaries for government welfare schemes. A bunch of petitions was filed in the Supreme Court in 2015
terming Aadhaar a breach of privacy. The petitioners argued that Aadhaar enrolment was the means to a
“totalitarian state” and an open invitation for personal data leakage.

The government countered that the right to privacy of an “elite few” is submissive to the right of the
masses to lead a dignified life in a developing country. It said informational privacy does not exist before
compelling state interests and is not an absolute right. It reasoned that collection and use of personal data
of citizens for Aadhaar — now a law under the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies,
Benefits and Services) Act of 2016 — benefits millions of poor. The government claims Aadhaar is a
panacea for corruption in public distribution, money-laundering and terror funding. Plagued by
contradictions in the past judicial pronouncements on whether or not privacy is a fundamental right, a five-
judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court decided to refer the question to a nine-judge Bench.

This nine-judge Bench, led by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar, for the first time, is engaged in an intense
debate with legal scholars and prominent lawyers on whether or not privacy is a fundamental right in the
Constitution. At the same time, the judges and the legal community are vexed by the amorphous nature of
privacy.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
The government argues that right to privacy is not expressly included in the Constitution as the founding
fathers rejected or jettisoned the idea of inclusion of privacy as a fundamental right. But petitioners insist
that the recognition of privacy as a fundamental freedom is an essential deterrent against intrusion into
personal space and data by state and private players in a technologically dynamic society.

Why does it matter?

The apprehension expressed by the Supreme Court about the collection and use of data is the risk of
personal information falling into the hands of private players and service providers. The apprehension is
best expressed in the words of Justice Chandrachud on the nine-judge Bench: “I don’t want the state to
pass on my personal information to some 2,000 service providers who will send me WhatsApp messages
offering cosmetics and air conditioners... That is our area of concern. Personal details turn into vital
commercial information for private service providers.” Both the government and service providers collect
personal data. This adds to the danger of data leakage.

Positives:

• This will ensure the dignity of the individual as mentioned in our Preamble.

• It will impose restrictions on the government when it tries encroach our privacy.

• It will also give impetus to the Right to personal liberty, under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Negatives:

• It can hinder the implementation and performance of welfare schemes -like Aadhar and Direct
Benefits Transfer-which requires personal data of citizens. These schemes are well intended and
helps in identification of marginalised sections and effective implementation by preventing
leakages.

• Right to Privacy will also restrict police and intelligence agencies to collect private information
about accused, dead persons etc. as mentioned in DNA Profiling bill.

What was Government’s view of Right to Privacy?

• Government told the SC that right to privacy is a fundamental right but it is a “wholly qualified
right”

• Government stand means ‘right to privacy’ could be subject to reasonable restrictions.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
FDI in India
FDI or Foreign Direct Investment is the investment made by an investor or a company of a foreign country
in the business or a company in another country. FDI comes in different forms such as a total buyout of a
company in a country by merger or acquisition, acquiring the shares in a company, setting up new
enterprises in the country and expanding the sphere of operations of an existing company.

The economic liberalization initiated by the Indian government in the year 1991 opened the Indian
economy to foreign investments. Foreign cash inflow into the Indian economy gained momentum after the
decision but bureaucratic red tape and lack of political will posed a major impediment in attracting foreign
investments into the country.

Advantages of FDI

Employment generation- Unemployment continues to plague the Indian youth and is one of the major
issues facing India. FDI creates new jobs in the target country due to the setting up of new companies. In
India, it is generally agreed that an increase in the manufacturing sector can generate new jobs because
the government jobs are limited and cannot provide employment to the millions of educated youths of the
country.

Quality of products and flow of technology- The quality of products manufactured by the company
increase greatly due to the increased competition in the market. Modern technologies brought by the
foreign companies into India will give the much needed boost to the Indian industries and make them more
competitive in the world. Consumers would also be greatly benefited due to the decreased prices of the
products manufactured in their own country. It has been estimated that consumer savings would increase
by 5-10% due to FDI.

Improvement of agricultural sector- The Indian farmers are in a pitiable state. Every year thousands of
farmers are committing suicide all over the country due to the lesser returns generated by their agricultural
produce. FDI will bring about a significant change in the lives of the farmers as they would earn 10-30%
more income for their products.

Increase in government revenue- The revenue earned by the government is estimated to be increased by
about 25-30 million dollars. This increased revenue would be highly beneficial for the development of

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
India. The Indian economy would receive a huge boost and would greatly contribute to the country’s quest
to become an economic powerhouse.

Disadvantages of FDI

Bad deal for the small entrepreneurs- The small businessmen and the cottage industry would face
extinction from the market because they would not be in a position to compete with the big multinational
giants with their immense resources and formidable marketing methods. The Indian consumers would be
more inclined towards the products manufactured by the big companies.

Trade Deficit- Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights and Trade Related Investment Measures restrict
the production of certain products in other countries. These measures force the countries like India to
manufacture certain products at a higher cost through FDI.

Inflation- The critics of FDI argue that the presence of foreign companies in India would result in inflation in
the economy. It is argued that the foreign companies tend to spend a lot of money on advertisements to
attract customers. This huge amount of money spent on advertisements is compensated by increasing the
prices of the goods. Therefore, the consumer is forced to spend a lot more than required. The companies
gradually gain control of the market and exploit the consumers.

Limited employment generation- It has also been argued that FDI would not result in job creation for
illiterate and semi literate people. The number of such people in India is high which gives credence to such
arguments. It is also pointed out that the big retail companies like Walmart are only going to move the jobs
from the unorganized to the organized sector without any significant enhancement in the number of jobs.

Impact on Farmers- Many critics of the FDI have dismissed the possible benefits that FDI is likely to have on
farmers. They have argued that the entry of big foreign companies in India would place the farmers
completely under their control. FDI would prove to be extremely detrimental to the farmer’s interests.

Corruption- Political and bureaucratic corruption is rampant in India. The foreign companies go to the
extent of bribing government officials and ministers in their quest to grab a large chunk of government’s
favours and the market. The nexus between the businessmen, politicians and the bureaucrats along with
past precedents of big ticket corruption in the country does create doubts in the minds of many about the
benefits of FDI in India.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Urbanisation and Its Hazards
Introduction

The last few decades have witnessed population explosion in cities across the world. While some cities
have managed to put infrastructure in place to cope with the surge in city population, most have been
unable to cope up. Urbanisation is the phenomenon involving large scale migration of rural people to cities
in search of better opportunities. The drawbacks associated with rural life including erratic monsoon and
failure of crops which have led to many farmers committing suicide as they are unable to provide enough
means for their family. Other reasons are the quality of life possible through education in good institutions
available in the cities is not possible in rural areas.

Origin of Urbanisation

While the roots of urbanisation can be traced back to Renaissance times, it came to fore only during the
Industrial revolution of 18th & 19th century. However, massive urbanisation has happened in the most
populated continent of the world, Asia, only in 20th century. It is estimated that over 60% of the world’s
population would be residing in cities of the world

Ill-effects of Urbanisation

So, what are the broad issues that arise as a result of urbanisation? The increase in population leads to
massive housing problems as most people who migrate to cities are unable to find an affordable place to
stay. Ultimately, this results in creation of slums and occupying of streets. These slums are a breeding
ground for various crimes. This is because people who have settled down are contractual labourers and
hence do not have a permanent source of income. Hence, uneven income drives them to do illegal work
through which they can earn a quick buck. One of the biggest effects of urban agglomeration is that it
increases the demand as well as consumption of water. The limited access to potable water has serious
health hazards including water borne diseases which result in taking lives of millions of people including
children. In addition to this, the migratory population also adds to the growth in urban traffic ultimately
choking the transport system which was built taking into account a limited capacity.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Health Hazards caused as a result of Urbanisation

But, probably the biggest effects of urbanisation are the health hazards. The contamination of water, air
and land spread disease. Large scale traffic is responsible for air pollution ultimately affecting the quality of
air the people breathe. The amount of waste generated in the cities is also a matter of grave concern which
governments across the world have been trying to address. However, the government’s efforts have not
been able to match the steady migration and increasing filth added to the cities. The toxic wastes
ultimately cause diseases such as malaria and dengue.

Sanitation is another grey area as hygiene related diseases due to inappropriate drainage system also
results in death of millions of people as well as causing various diseases. The rapid renouncing of
agriculture by subsequent generations whose ancestors were engaged in farming also presents a challenge
to food production. After all, food production is the most essential aspect of any economy and if every
person starts migrating to urban area or towards industries, who would grow crops?

More the number of people, more the pressure on resources which ultimately drive up the prices of
essential commodities causing trouble to the common man. If you thought that the impact of urbanisation
was limited to environment, think again. The lifestyle that people lead in cities has also induced
psychological stress including alienation and social issues such as marital instability.

Urbanisation has been one of the leading causes of displacement of habitats. Since large amounts of
forests have been cleared for urban dwelling and where high rise buildings have come up, it has disturbed
the natural habitat of various fauna. Besides this, the increasing number of buildings as well as greater
population has resulted in increase in temperature. Hence, growth in incomes and lifestyles has degraded
the overall quality of human life as well as the emotional aspects connected with it.

Positive side of Urbanisation

On the flip side, Urbanisation does have a lot of pros to its credit which cannot be ignored. Excellent
educational facilities offering variety of courses that provide students with myriad career options. All this
ultimately leads to human resource contributing more to the economy, bringing in foreign exchange.
Urbanisation has also brought along people of different cultures closer. Hence, a city like Mumbai may
have a huge population of Marathis but over time it has witnessed large number of people from North,
South and even Eastern parts of the country settling down making social integration more

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
acceptable. Also, it cannot be denied that life style, health facilities and quality of infrastructure in urban
areas are far better.

Conclusion

Hence, the need of the hour is to do massive urban planning for not only the upcoming cities but also
existing cities which have already become victims of poor planning and sudden population
explosion. Urbanisation has changed the landscape of cities in the 20th century and it will continue to do
so in the times to come as well. However, the need is to ensure that urbanisation can help in improving
lives of millions and not lowering it. A consolidated effort would have to be made by the governments of
major cities to address the challenges that lie ahead of them and provide their citizens with a better quality
of life.

Demonetizations - Gains and the loses


Demonetisation can be defined as an economic policy of stripping a currency unit of its recognition as legal
tender. In other words, after demonetization of a certain currency it can no longer posses the value it used
to hold.

After nine months of Prime Minister NarendraModi's announcement of banning Rs.500 and Rs.1000
currency notes, on November 8 of the last year, it is still a controversythat- is demonetisation, a success or
a failure? Or, more specifically, what are the gains and loses of demonetisation?

Though primary purpose of demonetisation was to unleash the country from the 'grip of corruption and
black money', it was also implemented with an intention to cease terror funding and curb counterfeit
currency.

By banning total Rs.15.44 lakh crore which accounted 86 per cent of India's total currency, it was expected
that a sizeable amount of these banned high-value currencies would not return into the banking system,
but would remain at the hands of holders. The amount of this scrapped currency notes(was estimated to
be between Rs.3-5 lakh crore) would be used in various public welfare schemes and infrastructure
development projects. It was also anticipated that the counterfeit currencies either would be caught or
would become useless pieces of paper.

Although demonetization is not a big disaster like the global crisis of 2007, it still acted as a liquidity shock
across the nation, disrupting the entire economy.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
According to RBI's annual report, as much as 98.96 per cent of banned currency has returned to central
bank, only a piffling amount of Rs.16,000crore didn't come back.

The purpose reducing counterfeit currency does not seem to be served as well. In 2015, the amount of
total detected counterfeit currency in circulation by National Investigating Agency was Rs.400crore, while
the total value of the fake money that has come to the bank is Rs.41 crore, which is nowhere near the
former amount.

Ray of Hope

• Because of demonetisation, the huge amount of money, which has been unbanked, has come
into the banking system. This cash came back to the banks,will be taxed and that's a obvious
gain. If most of the black money is detected, the economist SurjitBhallahas calculated, the
additional revenue in the first year will be Rs.2.5 lakh crore with a further increase of Rs.1.5 lakh
crore in perpetuity.
• Finance Ministry said, terrorist financing has stopped almost entirely, because of
demonetisation of special bank notes.
• Severe cash crunch caused by 'NoteBandi', led people to lean more and more on digital
transaction. Measures have been taken by government to promote cashless economy as well.

Conclusion

Experts say, there is a little impact of demonetisation on black economy, since only 1 per cent of black
wealth is kept as cash. The process of demonetisation was carried out without preparation and caused big
loses to the informal sectors.

All in all, it affected most ominously to those who never possessed any black money. The beneficial spin-
offs ofdemonetization could have been achieved by other and less-self-defeating ways.

Though, India has achieved significant gains in various field, especially after liberalization, the prosperity of
our country is still shackled in the chains of corruption, illicit activities, tax evasion, opaqueness and
inefficiency of administration etc. Few people believe, to settle all these factors lagging our nation behind,
once and for all, a huge disruption was needed and demonetization did just that.

Triple Talaq
www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Triple talaq, as it is commonly called, is an ancient and controversial Islamic practice where a man divorces
a woman by saying the word talaq, the Arabic word for divorce, three times. Sometimes, it's even delivered
by phone or text message.

In theory, it should take three months to take effect. In practice, it is often instantaneous -- the woman
forced out of the house with barely a moment's notice.

India, home to the second largest Muslim population in the world, is among the few that do not ban the
practice. Other countries with majority Muslim populations like Pakistan and Indonesia have outlawed the
practice for years.

In Islam, marriage is a social contract with clear conditions to be noted down in a nikahnama (marriage
contract). Not only this, it provides for affirmative provisions for a bride such as mehr (dower).

Triple talaq is mentioned nowhere in the Quran, and perhaps, this is the reason why it is illegal in most
Muslim countries. The Quran gives equal right to both husband and wife to seek divorce.

But it nowhere allows instant divorce, for it treats marriage as a serious social relationship, entered into by
two individuals. There are a number of verses in the Quran that call for attempts to reconcile in the case of
marital discord.

It really going to empower Muslim women

There is a verse calling for mediators, from families of both sides, if reconciliation between husband and
wife is not working out. The verses clearly call for reconciliation and mediation process to be carried out
over a period of 90 days. Allah has ordered the man or the husband to carry out this process. Divorce can
happen at the end of this time period if the process does not lead to any reconciliation.

So, the question of unilateral or instant divorce, does not arise. This makes the practice of triple talaq, as
practiced in our country, totally un-Quranic. The Quran is the greatest source of guidance for Muslims.
Besides, Muslims draw lot of inspiration and learning from the Sunnah or the life teachings of the Prophet.

There is a widely known incident when the Prophet of Islam was tremendously displeased and
reprimanded a man for divorcing his wife in an instant. No wonder, world over triple talaq is not accepted
by Muslims. The Shia community in India, too, does not hold it as valid.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Triple talaq, happens not because of religion but, patriarchy and power play masquerading as religion. It is
important that ordinary Muslim women and men are educated about the Quranic principles of justice and
fairness concerning divorce.

It is important that everybody learns about triple talaq being un-Quranic. Only then can these false notions
manufactured by the conservative patriarchal bodies be exposed for what they are - un-Qurani and
unjustified. Only then can the bluff of the so-called personal law boards, be called wrong, as is happening
now. Prevalence of triple talaq is the most pre-eminent illustration of legal discrimination against Indian
Muslim women.

The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955; the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 and the consistent amendments to the
Christian Marriage and Divorce Act which has been amended as recently as 2005, have enabled women
from different communities to obtain legal justice to a considerable extent.

Conclusion

While it is imperative that communities move towards reform and address the concerns raised by women
of the community equally, there is a need to strengthen the provisions of secular laws to address what are
essentially civil matters.

It is necessary to draw a distinction between laws relating to marriage and family from what is argued to be
the essence of religion and its practice.

Women especially stand to lose if they become pawns in power games especially in present times, in a
context where the rhetoric of identity politics gets shriller and there is a strong possibility of it being
hijacked by anti-democratic forces.

Clearly, the debates on women's life and experiences and opposition to the movement for equal rights go
back a long way into history.

Constitutionally speaking, it is clear that triple talaq is a gross violation of the rights of women citizens. The
right to religious freedom applies equally to women and men.

It nowhere gives male citizens the permission to oppress female citizens. Muslim women have been denied
their Quranic rights owing to misinterpretations and interference of patriarchal orthodox bodies.

We are confident that the courts will make this long-pending correction and give justice to the Muslim
women of the country.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Farmer's-suicide-issue
Agriculture in India is the predominant occupation of the majority. With more than half of the population
depending on agriculture as primary occupation, India is the second largest country in terms of arable area.
However farmers in India, like many other countries, are bound to live an intensely hard life. In spite of
being feeders of the entire nation, they live in misery and poverty, which many times leads them to end
their lives.

Causes of Farmer's Suicide

The primary cause of farmer's suicide is their poverty. The inception of miserable condition of farmers
dates back to the colonial era when the British imposed hard hitting revenue system. Be it Permanent
Settlement, Ryotwari or Mahalwari, all were aimed at extracting more and more revenue. This exorbitant
revenue created a new class of moneylenders. After independence, efforts have been made by
government for farmers to end the vicious cycle of debt trap by controlling moneylenders, yet this system
is quite prevalent in villages. A major reason for this is inability of government to provide financial benefits
to needy farmers through institutional means. Instead it has been found that a major portion of
institutional loans is taken by big and rich farmers who instead use it for non-agricultural purpose. In
absence of institutional loans, small farmers are forced to go to moneylenders, who usually charge more
interest. However in case of crop failure or low price for crops, when these farmers are unable to repay
loan, they are harassed, which many times forces them to end their life.

Another big reason for the poverty of farmers is their unawareness towards what crop to grow according
to the weather and soil condition, which may pay them high. Below threshold production or crop failure
brings low to no remunerations, which causes piling up of interest on the loans taken. This again brings
heavy exploitation of the farmers, again forcing them to end their life.

Solution

The solution to the problem lies in increasing the agricultural production, proper payments to farmers
against their crops and for financial help, encouragement of institutional loans through banks.

The increase in production would ultimately improve their financial conditions. It would also prevent them
from getting into debt trap of moneylenders. For this steps must be taken to encourage the farmers to
grow crops according to weather predictions and soil conditions. Also steps must be taken to improve the

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
quality of land by proper use of manure. Some significant steps in this direction are Soil Health card,
PradhanMantriKrishiSinchaiYojna, cutting of Montanso Royalty by 70% etc. Optimum use of technology
must be made to increase the crop production. For this better quality and genetically modified seeds must
be provided. After harvesting, provision must be made for proper store houses. Removal of intermediaries
and direct to market schemes must be encouraged. This would definitely improve their financial
conditions.

Even in case if they have to resort to borrowing, encouragement must be made towards institutional loans
through banks. Strict watch must be kept that the loan is being provided to needy farmers only and that
too used for agricultural purpose only.

In case of crop failure or below production, financial assistance may be provided to them. A humanitarian
approach must be applied during the recovery of loans from them. If required concession on loan
repayment may be provided.

An important requirement is that government schemes must be so formed that they can be applied
generically over the entire area, equally benefitting all. If schemes are not made benefitting all, they tend
to create two specific classes- one exploiting and the other exploited. The exploited class generally consists
of small farmers or agricultural peasants, who in absence of any safeguard tend to commit suicide.

In addition, avenues for alternative souse of income must be provided to farmers, so that in case of crop
failure, they may be able to sustain their livelihood.

Conclusion

Farmers are the food providers of the nation. "Farmers not only gives riches to a nation, but the only
riches she can call her own".

Their contribution in making of nation can never be under estimated. However on one hand their life is
poverty ridden and pitiful, on the other hand, the remaining population is becoming luxurious. It is high
time when steps must be taken to improve their condition and provide them with protection from
exploitation, else their alienation may prove disastrous to the country as well as individual.

Should India accept Rohingya Refugees

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
The Rohingya are the world's biggest stateless ethnic group. There are about a million of them, most of
whom live in northern Rakhine state of Myanmar. They are Muslim by religion. The Rohingya trace their
origins in Rakhine to the 15th century or earlier, but official name for them today is "Bengali", intended to
underline that they came to Rakhine as part of the British East India Company after it defeated the
Burmese king in 1826. Under Myanmar's discriminatory 1982 citizenship law, only those who trace their
residence in the country to before 1823 or Kachin, Kayah, Karen, Chin, Mon, Rakhine and Shan ethnic
groups, qualify for full citizenship. Myanmar's official list of "national races" consist of 135 communities but
do not recognize Rohingya as one of them.

An estimated 300000 plus Rohingya refugees from Rakhine state in Myanmar have fled to neighboring
Bangladesh in just about a fortnight. This latest wave of refugees is a direct result of the crackdown by
security forces in Myanmar after attacks by a terror group, Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) on
August 2017 that killed a dozen security personnel.

Myanmar's army has carried out "clearance operations" in the north of the western state to root out
insurgents accused of deadly raids on police border post.

Response by International Community

UN has described the "Rohingya of Myanmar as one of the world's most persecuted people in the world".
The economic backwardness of Myanmar, presence of two powers i.e. India and China and low strategic
importance in terms of resources, made western countries reluctant to get involved in this humanitarian
crisis. Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh PM, at UN general assembly speech urged international community for
creating a "safe zones" for the Rohingya in Myanmar, but she failed to obtain any diplomatic backing from
major and great powers. Suu Kyi has been criticizedinternationally for her attitude towards the Rohingya,
and there have been calls for withdrawing the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to her for her fight for the
restoration of democracy in Myanmar. International Pressure compelled her to appoint commission under
former UN secretary Kofi Annan. Though her office has welcomed the report but the powerful military has,
however, more or less rejected the report.

India should accept Rohingya Refugees

India should come forward to help the refugees. The reasons are 3-fold: maintain a tradition of generosity,
economic and strategic factors.

A welcoming nation, not only as a major power in the region but also as the largest democracy in the
world, there are expectations that India should extend help to the fleeing Rohingya, at least on

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
humanitarian grounds, and contribute to help resolve the conundrum. India has been historically known to
be benevolent to refugees. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, it welcomed thousands of refugees from
Myanmar. New Delhi not only provided basic necessities such as food and shelter but also provided
refugees the necessary logistics to continue their pro-democratic movement from India. Another extant
example of India's magnanimity in welcoming refugees is the presence of approximately 120,000 Tibetan
refugees, residing in different parts of India. It is understandable about the concerns in some quarters in
India that the Islamist terrorist groups may expand their networks through some hardline Rohingya.
Bombings in Bodh Gaya in 2013 has been considered as the revenge attack by Rohingyas against the
Buddhist majority in Myanmar.

Projects at stake, peace and stability in the Rakhine state is important for India's economic investment. The
continued violence in Rakhine state is affecting India's Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport project,
aimed at developing transport infrastructure in south-west Myanmar and India's northeast.

India shouldn't accept Rohingya Refugee

Refugees are the most vulnerable section, they can be easily exploited, threatened and forced into
activities that they may not willing to do. They need food, shelter, protection, healthcare, education,
counselling, training, jobs and slow integration. India being itself a developing country and acc. To UNDP
India has 51% people living under Multi-Dimensional poverty, couldn't have the sources to guarantee all of
that.

India, being a highly diverse country has also learnt some lessons from the past. Most refugees from the
neighboring countries have some cultural and linguistic similarities to one or more of its own states (ex:
Bangladesh-West Bengal, Sri Lankan Tamils- Tamil Nadu). The refugees often leave the camps and enter
the largely unrecorded general population and eventually find ways to become an Indian citizen (during
elections for exchange of votes or through other ways illegally, yes agents that facilitate this have been
arrested in the past).

Insurgent groups in North-East region of India has been fighting against the Indian government with a
major issue of migrating population. The influx of Bengalis in plains of Assam, Chakma and Hajong refugee's
from Bangladesh in Arunachal, Bru migrants in Tripura from Mizoram etc. has spread a feeling of hatred
against Indian administration for not being able to regulate such migration, which made these native
residents to reduce to minority in their ancestral lands. Signing of Assam accord, Naga accord etc. has
guaranteed that illegal immigrants would be deported and future influx of non-local would be closely
monitored.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Conclusion

India is caught in a difficult spot. It is not trying to balance the contradictory interests of Myanmar and
Bangladesh, it has its own reasons to worry about the onslaught of refugees. India realizes that no. of
Rohingyas will also land up in its own territory. It fears radicalization of this group. India is facing a difficult
choice between letting an "errant" regime creates problems in the neighborhood and inviting greater
Chinese involvement in the region by accepting coercive tactics. A perception of India's unhelpful attitude
should not become a reason for Zia upstaging Hasina in the 2018 elections.

India's philosophy of VasudhaivaKutumbkamthat promotes the feeling of 'one world' and "Athithi Devo
Bhava" that teaches us that guest is a god and should be treated with utmost respect in order to fulfill
"Athithi Rina" i.e. debt toward guest. India since centuries has accepted the persecuted communities, for
ex. Persians, Jews, Tibetans, Sikhs etc. and these communities has not only helped India to become a
colorful society but has contributed to develop "cultural pluralism" and made Indians "tolerant" towards
other religion and accept them as their brothers and sisters.

When there are growing calls from the international community to the Myanmar government to end
violence in Rakhine state and address the Rohingya conundrum, it would not be a wise strategic move for
India to ignore them. While the government may take a conscious decision to publicly support Myanmar's
leader Aung San Suu Kyi, at the same time it should gently prod her government to adopt a positive
attitude toward resolving the Rohingya problem with the help of the international community.

Improvements in our Education System?


Education is not a finite process. It is not initiated at the morning bell and terminated at dismissal. It does
not begin after Labor Day and end in June. And it most definitely does not start on the first day of
Kindergarten and end on graduation day. Perhaps most importantly, it does not begin in 3rd grade (or
whenever your state begins state assessments) and it should not end after testing is completed in March.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Unfortunately, our current education system focuses on a goal being achieved, a test being passed and
getting the "right" answer.

First, there is qualitative evidence that teachers must be evaluated based on professional teaching
standards, multi-faceted evidence of teacher practice, student learning, professional contributions and
teacher collaboration. A successful approaches to teacher evaluation and concluded that there are seven
criteria for an effective teacher evaluation system.

• Teacher evaluations should be based on professional teaching standards.


• Evaluations should include multi-faced evidence of teacher practice, student learning and
professional contributions.
• Evaluators should be knowledgeable about instruction and well trained in the evaluation
system.
• Evaluations should be accompanied by useful feedback and connected to professional
development opportunities.
• The evaluation system should value and encourage teacher collaboration,

• Expert teachers should be part of the assistance and review process.

• Panels of teachers and administrators should oversee the evaluation process to guarantee
useful and high quality information.

Second, we know that the inclusion of student performance acts in favor of the students, but results in a
partially unfair allocation of teacher recognition.

Third, we know that teacher evaluation is a tool that depends on complementary inputs. In order for
teachers to be able to improve their practice, they must use the information derived from evaluation to
identify needs specific to their groups, develop strategies and take action.

For this to happen teachers must have time to analyze the data and count on the necessary support to
bring their strategies to an improved instruction practice. The improvement of the quality of education
supply is a process that required continuous knowledge.

Learning must be relevant. If we learn skills because we NEED them to do something that matters to us,
then we remember them. For example, students working on measuring and calculating the area of a plot
of land in which they will be growing a garden to provide vegetables for class snacks are going to care
about the formula for calculating area. In fact, they will probably be able to derive the formula. Textbooks,

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
while an "easy fix" are very ineffective, especially if the textbook is the primary (or exclusive) source of
information and work provided to the students.

Concluding, teacher evaluation is a tool to improve the quality of education that depends on
complementary inputs and should ideally consider professional teaching standards, multi-faceted evidence
of teacher practice, student learning, professional contributions and teacher collaboration. Just in case you
wonder, what you think about your teacher probably does not matter. It is likely you think your best
teachers are those that gave you best grades.

Impact of Consolidation and merger in Banking Sector- Merger


of SBI Associate and Bharatiya Mahila Bank with SBI
The five associate banks that will merge with SBI are: SBBJ (State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur), SBM (State
Bank of Mysore), SBT (State Bank of Travancore), SBP (State Bank of Patiala) and SBH (State Bank of
Hyderabad). SBI is India's largest bank with assets of Rs 30.72 lakh crore and figures at No. 64 in the global
ranking of banks (as of December 2015; December 2016 ranking is still awaited). Post-merger, with assets
of approximately Rs 40 lakh crore, it will be among the top 50 banks in the world.

The five associate banks became a part of SBI from April 1, but the various merger processes will start only
after April 24, once the balance sheets of the five entities are audited and added.

There are currently 550 SBI offices while its associate banks have 259. The target for the number of
controlling offices after the merger is 687 -- a reduction of 122 offices. Employees directly affected by these
shutdowns -- estimated at 1,107 -- will be redeployed, mostly in customer-interface operations. The
benefits of merger of State Bank of India with its five associates will not be felt by the bank but its
borrowers as well. The bank is gearing up to offer lower interest rates on home, car and personal loans to
thousands of customers migrating from the associate banks to the parent SBI.

“As a result of the merger the borrowers can expect to get lower rates of interest at the time of renewal or
at the time of origination as SBIs rates are obviously the best in the market. Indian Government has
decided to merge the PSU banks under SBI. Well this decision is more extroversive because it has both Pros
and Cons. Firstly after the amalgamation it can withstand the strong competition from private sector banks
and can accumulate more resources to channelize trained manpower across its branches. Secondly in
terms of cost cutting, instead of setting up new branches, it can utilize the already existing branches of its
child banks.But if you look at the other side it might not be beneficiary for the employees because factors

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
like experience, promotions, and hikes come into picture. Now currently SBI is dwelled with lots of debts in
terms of non-performing asserts whereas banks like SBH, SBP are in profits. So, there will be an extra
burden on these child banks.

Advantages

• Despite having second largest population country, no Indian bank is in the list of top 50 world's largest
bank. With this merger SBI will become 44th largest bank in the world by assets
• the bigger the bank, the better is the diversification of its assets portfolio and lesser chances that the
bank will fail in the system.
• The merged entity will be able to tap into cheaper funds more easily and it will also be able to
rationalize the branches all over the country, to cut down the operation costs.
• As of now SBI alone has employee strength of more than 2 lakhs, combining with all these banks it will
cross 3 lakh base and that is huge terms of employment.
• with this merger SBI will be able to finance more and more mammoth projects that will lead to
economic development of the country.
• SBI 's reach and network will multiply, efficiency will likely to increase with the rationalisation of
branches.
• Adoption of development of technologies in associate banks will be faster and the combined entity
will have network of over 24000 branches with ATM serving 50 crore customers.

Future of Banking Industry


The banking sector has witnessed an unprecedented growth along with outstanding improvement in its
quality of assets and efficiency. Banks have gradually transformed themselves and have gone worldwide.
ATMs, Internet banking, mobile banking and social banking have made "anytime anywhere banking" the
benchmark now.
What is shaping the future of banking industry is the increasing use of mobile wallets. With the advent of
technology and increasing use of smartphones and tablet based devices, the use of mobile banking
functionality would enable customers to connect across the entire world faster than before. The attempt of
the banks to go digital has been to reduce the cost of operations. ATMS, which have been offering a wide
range of services, reduces the cost. Internet operations reduce it further.
Many Banks have been offering banking services through social networking sites like the twitter and
Facebook and have launched Pockets, a digital bank with a mobile interface. It is a wallet, a virtual place to
store money. It can be used to book tickets, pay bills, check bank accounts, open FD, credit cards and make
fund transfers, view credit card statements, transfer money to linked accounts.
The future of retail banking will be dominated by mobile computing and technology. Banks offer online
banking and mobile apps that can do most banking functions. Digital currencies and payment networks like

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Bitcoin may prove to be the true future of mobile banking as the underlying technology gains mass
acceptance.

What is the impact of Reliance Jio to other telecom


operators?
It has been exactly eight months since Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) chairman Mukesh Ambani announced
the launch of the company’s 4G enabled telecom network Jio.Jio seems to have made a dent, with even
rivals like Airtel acknowledging that the newest kid on the block is here to stay. Here is how Jio has
impacted the Indian telecom market, till now, and what may be in store for the future.

Jio has grown at a scorching pace

A month after its launch, RIL claimed that the network had 16 million subscribers, which, it said was
an all time record. Analysts believe, that the network, which has been adding 1-1.2 million
subscribers a day, will likely have 25 million 4G customers. This compares with Airtel, which has 35
million 3G and 4G users, and Vodafone and Idea, which together have 25 million. Mumbai -based
financial consultancy Edelweiss said in a report released in October that in the next three years Jio
could have 100 million subscribers. This, if it happens, will be more than 2.5 times the number of
subscribers Jio will require to breakeven. In a September report, brokerage Religare had said that to
breakeven at the EBITDA level, the network will need to have at least 40 million subscribers.

Jio has sent demand for VoLTE enabled handsets soaring

As a Techcircle report noted on 1 November, demand for Voice over LTE (VoLTE) phones in the
country had surged since Jio was launched in September. VoLTE technology allows voice calls to be
transmitted as data, while a 4G network is being used. Citing market research fir m Counterpoint
Technology, the report said that 80% of LTE compatible smartphones shipped during the July -
September quarter (Q3) were VoLTE enabled, as compared to 63% in Q2 and 30% in Q1. It further
said that 90% of all LTE (4G) enabled phones to be shipped into India by the first half of 2017 will use
VoLTE technology. According to Counterpoint, Samsung, Lyf, Lenovo and Xiaomi are among the
leading brands in the VoLTE category. This effectively means that going forward, VoLTE will become
the default basic minimum smartphone technology in the country.

Jio has set off a fierce mobile tariff war in the country

At its launch, Ambani said that Jio will offer the lowest data tariffs in the country, and will also let
users make voice calls for free not just on its network but also from Jio to other networks. And, it
gave its customers a free four-month trial period. Anticipating this, just a couple of days before Jio

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
announced its data plans, Airtel slashed its prepaid tariffs by 80%, and the other operators followed
suit. A closer analysis showed that although Jio’s offering was certainly the cheapest, it wasn’t
cheaper by much. Yet, it had disrupted the data market unlike any other operator had done in the
past.

Jio is hurting the balance sheets of other telecom companies

Airtel saw a 4.9% decline in its Q2 profit following the operator slashing data tariffs. Even with a
decline in profit, Airtel bettered analysts’ expectations, with a 24% increase in data revenue, but its
rival Idea wasn’t so lucky and actually saw its data revenue decline by more than 19%. Some
unconfirmed news reports say that although the existing operators do not want to make the ir voice
calls totally free, they could make calls made over the VoLTE networks they will roll out in future
free. This could hurt their margins further.

Jio is forcing the other players to join forces

The telecom industry has begun consolidating. Little less than a fortnight after Jio’s launch, Ambani’s
younger brother Anil Ambani announced his company Reliance Communications’ (RCom) merger with
rival Aircel. The long-awaited move led to the creation of a Rs 65,000 crore entity, which is also
reportedly in talks with Russia’s Sistema, which already holds 10% in RCom. This, even as Jio itself
shares RCom’s network, fibre, spectrum, and towers. Analysts say that as Jio spreads its wings and
Airtel, Vodafone, and Idea fight to hold on to their respective market shares, India’s telecom industry
could see a further round of consolidation involving smaller players who may find it hard to survive.

Jio could impact the online content market in India

Cheap and fast data means only one thing: people will gorge on more and more audio-visual content
online. Jio has launched at a time when video streaming service Netflix is struggling to get a foothold
into the price conscious Indian market, where rivals like Hotstar are already jostling for space. This,
even as Amazon is waiting in the wings to launch its video streaming service in India. The Jio suite
offers more than 300 live streaming TV channels and hundreds of music albums and movies.
Although this will be available free till the end of 2017, Jio hopes to cash in on this after that. This
will force other incumbents to up their game in the online video streaming space, and we could see
significantly more original online content, and significantly higher ad spends, especially around
tournaments like the Indian Premier League.

What is Bharat QR Code?


www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
RBI's Deputy Governor R Gandhi on 20 February 2017 launched BharatQR code in Mumbai, an
interoperable and low cost payment acceptance solution, developed by National Payments Corporation of
India (NPCI), MasterCard, and Visa. With BharatQR, the consumers will not need to scan different quick
response (QR) codes at the same merchant provided by the different payment networks. The merchants
will only need to display one QR code at the storefront or through the acquiring bank's mobile application.
The interoperable payment acceptance solution works with MasterCard, RuPay, and Visa accounts.

This UPI app supports all Indian banks which use that platform, which is built over the Immediate Payment
Service infrastructure and allows the user to instantly transfer money between the bank accounts of any
two parties. It can be used on all mobile devices. To use the BHIM app, the user need to have an internet
enabled smartphone and UPI compatible bank account. The BHIM app works on UPI protocols and thus
require mobile number linked to the bank account to make transaction. With the help of BHIM app, the
user can manage multiple bank account that support UPI services in one single app. The app also enables
other features – user can check bank balance, switch accounts and send money to non-UPI supported
banks with the help of IFSC code, account number. The app also supports fund transfers to Aadhar
registered bank accounts.

Benefits:

• BHIM allow users to send or receive money to other UPI payment addresses or scanning QR code
or account number with IFSC code or MMID (Mobile Money Identifier) Code to users who do not
have a UPI-based bank account.
• BHIM allows users to check current balance in their bank accounts and to choose which bank
account to use for conducting transactions, although only one can be active at any time.
• Users can create their own QR code for a fixed amount of money, which is helpful in merchant —
seller — buyer transactions. They can also have more than one payment address.
• If the 12-digit Aadhaar is listed as a payment ID on the BHIM app will not require any biometric
authentication or prior registration with the bank or Unified Payment Interface (UPI).
• Version 1.3 allows the user to use mobile numbers from their contact book to send money and
also save payment addresses for future use without needing to type the address again. User can
also check the Previous Transaction History by Tapping Transaction Box. Here only the transaction
through BHIM shown.
• At present, the upper limit per UPI transaction is Rs. 1 Lakh.

Demonetization and its impact on Indian


Economy
www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
On November 8, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a historic decision by announcing that the high-
denomination notes (Rs 500 and Rs 1,000) then in circulation would cease to be legal tender.With
demonetization effort 86% of India’s currency was nullified that aimed to wash the stock of ‘black market's
cash supply’ and counterfeit notes out of the economy and convert it into the licit, banked and taxable,
part of the economy. To reduce the impact of sudden commercial collapse, a 50 day period ensued where
the population could (ideally) exchange their canceled cash for newly designed 500 and 2,000 rupee notes
or deposit them into bank accounts. Irrespective of the widespread anguish and household disturbances,
an optimistic sentiment shown in favour of the decision.

Cash is the preferred mode of transaction in India and only less than half the population uses banking
system for monetary transactions. An immediate public anger appeared against the mismanaged and
unprepared banking system. The banks didn’t have enough of the newly designed banknotes (Rs 500 and
Rs 2000) to distribute in exchange for the canceled notes. The move has also led to a shortage of lower
denomination notes such as Rs 100 and Rs 50 that are still legal tender, as people have taken to conserving
whatever cash they have in hand. The demonization initiative has caused a sudden breakdown in India’s
commerce and the unbanked and informal economy is hard hit. Trade across all aspects of the economy
has interrupted, and sectors like agriculture, fishing, and the huge informal market were almost shut down
during the initial days of announcement. The informal sector in India employs more than a majority of the
workers and most transactions are in cash. Disruption to this system could endanger the employment and
livelihood of weaker sections of society. The change disturbed the lives of ordinary people, led to
widespread need and major job losses for the poor.

Nevertheless, although India’s demonetization move was apparently mismanaged in the beginning, the
effects at micro level look advantageous. For instance, all sorts of illegal activities, like terrorist financing,
etc. have been completely hit after the announcement. The demonetization process has also repaired
India's counterfeiting problem for the near to mid-term. The cash-centric black market for the most part
ceased to function with the nullification of the bulk of its currency. It has also been reported that the new
500 and 2,000 rupee notes are less vulnerable to counterfeiting, having advanced security features. It is
also thought that the drive will wipe out a measure of corruption and tax evasion in India’s real estate
market. Growth in cash-intensive sectors such as real estate, construction and FMCG is likely to take a hit in
the short term as consumers are deferring purchases. The real-estate market is likely to come to a standstill
with property prices likely to fall and the possible tax inquiries following demonetization will affect both
consumption and investment in the formal and informal sectors. However, there is a positive side to the
story, over the medium term, there would be benefits through higher government spending and greater
financial inclusion. Also, the movement of household savings from physical to financial will help boost
growth, according to Yes Bank report.
With exchange of the old currency notes coming to an end, many people are forced to open accounts to
save their money. It is estimated that banks have opened about 30 lakh (and still counting) new accounts

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
since the demonetization drive began on November 8. India's largest bank, State Bank of India (SBI), with
its 17,097 branches -- half of which are in the rural and semi-urban areas – is opening 50,000 accounts a
day. The leading consumer internet companies in India (Flipkart, Snapdeal, Shopclues, CCAvenues, Ola and
Oyo Rooms) have applauded the move, saying it will pave the way for digital payments, aid the process of
financial inclusion and the overall transformation in the economy will translate into long-term benefits for
the industry. Payments companies Paytm and Freecharge saw a surge in adoption of their digital wallets.
According to market experts, the growth of digital payments and wallets is the first phase of the impact
and will give big boost to lending and credit as the digital records of merchants will expand and create
more demand in the second phase.
Even though demonetization move created adverse short-term policy impact the real impact of must be
assessed in the medium/long term. The reduction in overall investments, both in the formal and informal
sectors, would certainly reduce economic growth potential. However, the move need to be followed up
with ensuing actions to remain effective. These actions relate primarily to structural changes to make the
system more lawful, reducing too much bureaucracy, make the tax system simple and transparent. In
addition, a greater effort is required to include the informal sector and ensure effectiveness and the illegal
activities such as generation of black money and corruption should not be channeled back into the
economy.

Following are the main impacts.


• Demonetization is not a big disaster like global banking sector crisis of 2007; but at the same time, it
will act as a liquidity shock that disturbs economic activities.
• Liquidity crunch (short term effect): liquidity shock means people are not able to get sufficient volume
of popular denomination especially Rs 500. This currency unit is the favourable denomination in daily
life. It constituted to nearly 49% of the previous currency supply in terms of value. Higher the time
required to resupply Rs 500 notes, higher will be the duration of the liquidity crunch. Current reports
indicate that all security printing press can print only 2000 million units of RS 500 notes by the end of
this year. Nearly 16000 mn Rs 500 notes were in circulation as on end March 2016. Some portion of
this were filled by the new Rs 2000 notes. Towards end of March approximately 10000 mn units will
be printed and replaced. All these indicate that currency crunch will be in our economy for the next
four months.
• Welfare loss for the currency using population: Most active segments of the population who
constitute the ‘base of the pyramid’ uses currency to meet their transactions. The daily wage earners,
other labourers, small traders etc. who reside out of the formal economy uses cash frequently. These
sections will lose income in the absence of liquid cash. Cash stringency will compel firms to reduce
labour cost and thus reduces income to the poor working class.
• There will be a trickle up effect of the liquidity chaos to the higher income people with time.
• Consumption will be hit: When liquidity shortage strikes, it is consumption that is going to be
adversely affected first.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
• Consumption ↓→ Production ↓→ Employment ↓→ Growth ↓→ Tax revenue ↓
• Most Important Topics For Descriptive Paper
• Loss of Growth momentum- India risks its position of being the fastest growing largest economy:
reduced consumption, income, investment etc. may reduce India’s GDP growth as the liquidity impact
itself may last three -four months.
• Impact on bank deposits and interest rate: Deposit in the short term may rise, but in the long term, its
effect will come down. The savings with the banks are actually liquid cash people stored. It is difficult
to assume that such ready cash once stored in their hands will be put into savings for a long term.
They saved this money into banks just to convert the old notes into new notes. These are not
voluntary savings aimed to get interest. It will be converted into active liquidity by the savers when
full-fledged new currency supply take place. This means that new savings with banks is only transitory
or short-term deposit. It may be encashed by the savers at the appropriate time. It is not necessary
that demonetization will produce big savings in the banking system in the medium term. Most of the
savings are obtained by biggie public sector banks like the SBI. They may reduce interest rate in the
short/medium term. But they can't follow it in the long term.
• Impact on black money: Only a small portion of black money is actually stored in the form of cash.
Usually, black income is kept in the form of physical assets like gold, land, buildings etc. Hence the
amount of black money countered by demonetization depend upon the amount of black money held
in the form of cash and it will be smaller than expected. But more than anything else, demonetization
has a big propaganda effect. People are now much convinced about the need to fight black income.
Such a nationwide awareness and urge will encourage government to come out with even strong
measures.
• Impact on counterfeit currency: the real impact will be on counterfeit/fake currency as its circulation
will be checked after this exercise.

Demonetization as a cleaning exercise may produce several good things in the economy. At the same time,
it creates unavoidable income and welfare losses to the poor sections of the society who gets income
based on their daily work and those who doesn’t have the digital transaction culture. Overall economic
activies will be dampened in the short term. But the unmeasurable benefits of having more transparency
and reduced volume of black money activities can be pointed as long term benefits.

Reason behind increasing NPA in PSU Banks while


private sector banks making profit
The banking sector has been facing the severe problems of the rising NPAs. But the problem of NPAs is
more in public sector banks when compared to private sector banks and foreign banks, the NPAs in PSB are
increasing due to external as well as internal factors.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
1. External Factors
A. Ineffective recovery tribunal

The Govt. has set of numbers of recovery tribunals, which works for recovery of loans and advances, due to
their carelessness and ineffectiveness in their work the bank suffers the consequence of non-recover, their
by reducing their profitability and liquidity.
B. Willful Defaults

There are borrowers who are competent to pay back loans but are intentionally withdrawing it. These
groups of people should be recognized and proper measures should be taken in order to get back the
money extended to them as advances and loans.
C. Natural calamities

This is the measure factor, which is creating alarming increase in NPAs of the PSBs. every now and then
India is hit by major natural calamities thus making the borrowers unable to pay back there loans. Thus the
bank has to make large amount of provisions in order to pay damages those loans, hence end up the fiscal
with a reduced profit. Basically ours farmers depends on rain fall for cropping.
Due to irregularities of rain fall the farmers are not to attain the production level thus they are not repaying
the loans.
D. Industrial sickness

Inappropriate project handling , ineffective management , lack of adequate resources , lack of advance
technology , day to day changing govt. Policies produce industrial sickness. Therefore the banks that
finance those industries ultimately end up with a low recovery of their loans reducing their profit and
liquidity.
E. Lack of demand

Entrepreneurs in India could not predict their product demand and starts production which ultimately piles
up their product thus making them unable to pay back the money they borrow to operate these activities.
The banks recover the amount by selling of their assets, which covers a smallest label. Therefore the banks
record the non recovered part as NPAs and has to make provision for it.
F. Change on Govt. policies

With every new govt. banking sector gets new policies for its operation, so it has to cope with the changing
principles and policies for the regulation of the rising of NPAs. For example, the fallout of handloom sector
is continuing as most of the weavers Co-operative societies have become defunct largely due to withdrawal
of state patronage. The rehabilitation plan worked out by the Central government to renew the handloom
sector has not yet been implemented, so the over dues due to the handloom sectors are becoming NPAs.
2. Internal Factors

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
A. Defective Lending process

There are three cardinal principles of bank lending that have been followed by the commercial banks, that
is, Principles of safety, Principle of liquidity, Principles of profitability. Principles of safety mean that the
borrower is in a position to pay back the loan, including both principal and interest. The refund of loan
depends upon the borrowers, Capacity to pay and Willingness to pay.

Capacity to pay depends upon, Tangible assets, Success in business. Willingness to pay depends on,
Character, Honest, Reputation of borrower. The banker should, therefore take utmost care in ensuring that
the enterprise or business for which a loan is sought is a sound one and the borrower is competent of
carrying it out successfully, he should be a person of integrity and good character.
B. Inappropriate technology

Due to improper technology and management information system, market driven decisions on real time
basis can not be taken. Proper MIS and financial accounting system is not implemented in the banks, which
leads to poor credit collection, so NPA, therefore all the branches of the bank should be computerized.
C. Improper SWOT analysis

The inappropriate strength, weakness, opportunity and threat analysis is another reason for increase in
NPAs. While providing unsecured advances the banks depend more on the honesty, integrity, and financial
soundness and credit worthiness of the borrower, so, banks should consider the borrowers own capital
investment and bank should collect credit information of the borrowers from, a. Bankers b. Enquiry from
market/segment of trade, industry, business. c. From external credit rating agencies.

Banker should examine the balance sheet which shows the true picture of business will be revealed on
analysis of profit/loss a/c and balance sheet. When bankers give loan, he should examine the purpose of
the loan. To make sure safety and liquidity, banks should grant loan for productive purpose only. Bank
should examine the profitability, viability, long term acceptability of the project while financing.
D. Poor credit appraisal system

Deprived credit appraisal is an additional factor for the increase in NPAs, due to poor credit appraisal the
bank gives advances to those who are not able to repay it back. They should use better credit appraisal to
reduce the NPAs.
E. Managerial deficiencies

The banker should always select the borrower very cautiously and should take tangible assets as security to
safe guard its interests. When accepting securities, banks should consider, the Marketability, Acceptability,
Safety, Transferability etc. The banker should follow the principle of diversification of risk based on the
famous maxim “do not keep all the eggs in one basket”, which means that the banker should not grant

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
advances to a few big farms only or to concentrate them in few industries or in a few cities. If a latest big
customer meets misfortune or certain traders or industries affected adversely, the overall position of the
bank will not be affected.
F. Absence of regular industrial visit

The irregularities in spot visit also increases the NPAs, absence of regularly visit of bank officials to the
customer point decreases the collection of interest and principals on the loan. So the NPAs can be collected
by regular visits.

The growth and proliferation in the activities of the bank has led to ever- increasing non-performing assets
that have mounted to a huge amount during the last decade or so. The quantum of NPAs has been
calculated and put at different figures mainly due to absence of correct statistics and the method on the
basis adopted for calculating the percentage of NPAs in relation to either the total assets of the bank or the
quantity of loan portfolio or on the basis of the number of the accounts or the size of the outstanding
advances.
For a large number of years, the banks have been taking credit in its books, on basis of accrued interest
income, even for the sum of periodic interest that was not really paid by the borrower. This was done by
raising debit in suspense account and crediting amount equivalent to the periodic interest in the loan
account of the borrower.

After objections from the auditors and income tax authority the banks altered strategy and started giving
extra loans to the defaulting borrowers for the purpose of making payments to the bank for adjustment of
the over dues, in many cases the due dates of payments were postponed and even the entire period of the
loan was extended further again and again. As if to attach fire to the fuel, ambitious programme for branch
progress and extension of banking services led to new recruitments, transfers, relocation and unhealthy
competition amongst offices of the same bank, but at the same time adequate facilities available for
training of the staff were not expanded.

In the anxiety to attain business targets the rules and procedures for prudent banking were conveniently
forgotten. Even the senior management setup conveniently relaxed the rules for proper appraisal of the
loan proposals, the provisions of standard bank sanction letter, errors in execution of the loan agreements,
deeds of hypothecation and mortgages were more often overlooked for compliance in the hurry for
disbursement and attainment of targets for purposes of building up record of achievements and reporting.

What is Cyber Swachhta Kendra?


With an aim to strengthen its cyber space, the Indian government on 21 February 2017 announced the

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
launch of Cyber Swachhata Kendra, a Botnet cleaning and malware analysis centre. The centre, with an
investment of Rs.100 crore, will offer free tools for users to clear malicious infections from their systems
and will work closely with internet service providers and banks to ensure a clean and safe internet
ecosystem. The "Cyber Swachhta Kendra" (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre) is a part of the
Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). It has been set up for analyzing BOTs/malware
characteristics and providing information and enabling citizens for removal of BOTs/malware. In addition,
"Cyber Swachhta Kendra" will strive to create awareness among citizens to secure their data, computers,
mobile phones and devices such as home routers.

The "Cyber Swachhta Kendra" collaborates with industry and academia to detect systems infected by bots.
It also collaborates with the Internet Service Providers to notify the end users regarding infection of their
system and providing them assistance to clean their systems. The center will also enhance awareness of
common users regarding botnet, malware infections and measures to be taken to prevent malware
infections and secure their computers / systems / devices.

The " Cyber Swachhta Kendra " (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre) is a part of the Government
of India's Digital India initiative under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to
create a secure cyber space by detecting botnet infections in India and to notify, enable cleaning and
securing systems of end users so as to prevent further infections. The " Cyber Swachhta Kendra " (Botnet
Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre) is set up in accordance with the objectives of the "National Cyber
Security Policy", which envisages creating a secure cyber eco system in the country. This centre operates in
close coordination and collaboration with Internet Service Providers and Product/Antivirus companies. This
website provides information and tools to users to secure their systems/devices. This centre is being
operated by the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) under provisions of Section 70B of
the Information Technology Act, 2000.

Whenever an infection is detected, the Botnet centre will send alerts on the infected IP addresses to the
internet service providers, who will inform the end- user. It will work in close collaboration with the banks
to detect malware infections in their banking network and enable remedial actions. The Cyber Swachhata
Kendra was first announced in 2015. More than 3,500 users have currently downloaded and tried the free
bot removal tools till date.

The users can log on to the Cyber Swachhata Kendra portal and clean their systems using the free cleaning
tools. Among the various tools, some include USB Pratirodh, a desktop security solution, which protects
from USB mass storage device threats, AppSamvid,a desktop solution that protects systems by allowing
installation of genuine applications through white listing and M-Kavach, an indigenously developed
solution to address the security threats in mobiles. In 2016, there were about 50,300 cybersecurity
incidents observed such as phishing, website intrusions and defacements, virus and denial of service
attacks. “As per the information reported to and tracked by Indian Computer Emergency Response Team

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
(CERT-In), a total number of 44,679, 49,455 and 50,362 cyber security incidents were observed during the
years 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively,”.

What is Mobile Wallet/e-wallet- like PayTM, Jio Money, Airtel


Money PayUMoney & its impact on society?
With advancement in technology, things around us have changed drastically. Technology caters to man’s
comfort and convenience. With the help of your smartphone, you can do everything. Be it ordering food or
groceries, booking a cab or movie tickets, etc.
With the introduction of Mobile Wallet, it has become extremely convenient for a person to make cashless
transactions. And although a number of companies have cropped up in India, offering consumers this
product called ‘mobile wallet’, there is still a lack of awareness among people about the concept and its
utility.

What is a mobile wallet?


Mobile wallet is the digital equivalent to the physical wallet in which we carry money. It is an online
platform which allows a user to keep money in it, just like a bank account. A user needs to make an account
with a mobile wallet provider. After which money is added to the ‘mobile wallet’ account using a debit,
credit, online transaction from bank account or via cash (a recharge kiosk).

The main difference between a mobile wallet and online transactions via bank account is that, unlike banks
mobile wallet does not charge any amount of money on every transaction and saves the customer from the
hassle of entering card details and pin number for each and every transaction. It is easy and convenient as
the user just needs to sign in the account and make the payment.

Some of the mobile wallet providers are Paytm, Citrus, Oxigen, Freecharge, Mobikwik, Zaakpay, ItzCash
etc. Mobile wallets, today are as mainstream as debit or credit cards. Cash is still the king of payments, and
that is a hurdle that UPI has to overcome in order to drive mobile payments into mainstream
consciousness. The ease of payments through cash is what makes it such a popular means for transaction.
Cash is ubiquitous, requires no form of electronic equipment or technical know-how to transact with, and is
equally popular in urban and rural areas.

The benefits of using a mobile wallet are multi-fold. One does not have to haggle for change, nor worry
about a trip to a nearby ATM to withdraw cash. It is a secure, convenient and efficient way to pay for things
without having to carry multiple credit or debit cards or even wads of cash and coins.
Mobile wallet adoption in India has risen significantly in the last couple of years as smartphones and mobile
internet have become an inseparable part of our daily lives. With better phones and faster data
connections, transacting through a mobile wallet is an easy affair.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
GST and its impact on Indian Economy
The Goods and Services Tax (GST), the biggest reform in India’s indirect tax structure since the economy
began to be opened up 25 years ago, at last looks set to become reality. The Constitution (122nd)
Amendment Bill comes up in Rajya Sabha today, on the back of a broad political consensus and boosted by
the ‘good wishes’ of the Congress, which holds the crucial cards on its passage. Here’s how GST differs from
the current regimes, how it will work, and what will happen if Parliament clears the Bill.

What is the GST?

It's a blanket indirect tax that will subsume several indirect state and federal taxes such as value added tax
(VAT) and excise duty, and different state taxes, central surcharges, entertainment tax, luxury tax and a
slew of related levies by local bodies.

The GST is likely be at 18 per cent, and is widely expected to be implemented next year in April.

GST is a 'destination-based' tax, which means it's charged where goods are consumed, as opposed to
where they are produced. Because it shifts the power that several Indian states have had in imposing
indirect taxes on the production and movement, a centralised GST Council has been set up that will decide
which taxes will fall in the purview of states and which can be subsumed into the GST. A dispute resolution
mechanism will also be established to resolve any GST-related disputes.

What will become cheaper?

Expect many goods and purchases to become cheaper with the exception of fuel, liquor and tobacco. While
several industries are expected to be beneficiaries, the entertainment industry may be a big winner as it
will significantly bring down the 27 per cent entertainment tax. Here's how going to the movies will
become cheaper: the central and state taxes come to about Rs.66 on a Rs.300 movie ticket. The tax could
come down to about Rs.46. Stocks of PVR cinema have shot up in recent weeks. Another beneficiary is the
construction and building materials industry, which means the housing sector may also be a big winner.

The GST Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in May 2015, but got stuck in the Rajya Sabha where BJP does not
have a majority. The bill needs a nod from the two- thirds in both Houses of Parliament and will have to
later ratified by 50 per cent of state legislatures.

The government had to address several concerns and agree to key amendments demanded from the

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
opposing political parties on the key proposed provisions of the GST bill. One such amendment has been
the scrapping of an additional one per cent tax, which was proposed earlier as a way to compensate states
on any revenue losses. This would have resulted in a cascading tax and defeated the intent of a
"destination-based" tax that is GST. The Modi government has also agreed to grant more powers to states
for providing them full compensation for a period of five years, for revenue losses.

The opposition demand for the setting up of a dispute resolution mechanism as part of the GST council has
also been agreed upon by the government.

What happens next?

However, with the impending passage of the GST Bill, the government will have to put up a mad scramble
to put together all the mechanisms and state approvals in place to implement the GST by its rollout date of
July 1, 2017. Additionally, companies and tax collectors will have to be prepared on the necessary changes.
Some companies may even have to overhaul their business processes to make way for the new tax change.

Why is it a big deal?

The GST is expected to add two per cent to the country's GDP, besides making the movement of goods
easier across states. Because so far taxes have varied across states, often commercial trucks have had to go
through multiple checkpoints to obtain the necessary permits and pay several taxes to the states they pass
on their routes, which causes delays and encourages bribery. A uniform tax will make that movement of
commercial products smoother.

GST's history and politics:

The GST has been in the making for more than a decade. Congress originally mooted GST in 2006 and a
constitution amendment bill was introduced in Lok Sabha in March 2011 but it lapsed with the dissolution
of the 15th Lok Sabha.

Goods and Services Tax


The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a value added tax that will replace all indirect taxes levied on goods
and services by the Government, both Central and States, once it is implemented.
The GST is a consolidated tax based on a uniform rate of tax fixed for both goods and services. All goods
and services, leaving aside a few (alcohol, tobacco, petroleum products), will be brought into the GST and
there will be no difference between goods and services. The GST rate is expected to be around 14-16 per
cent.
Introduction of a GST is very much essential in the emerging environment of the Indian economy. In the
GST system, when all the taxes are integrated, it would make possible the taxation burden to be split

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
equitably between manufacturing and services. It will also help to build a transparent and corruption-free
tax administration. There are certain bottlenecks which need to be taken care of before that: What
preparations are needed at the level of Central and State Governments for implementing the GST?
Whether the Government machinery is efficient enough for such an enormous change? Whether the tax-
payers are ready for such a change?
According to a study by the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), full implementation of
the GST could expand India’s growth of gross domestic product by 0.9-1.7 percentage points. By
implementing the GST, India will gain $15 billion a year. It will promote more exports, create more
employment opportunities and boost growth.

Sanitation and Cleanliness in India


Every year some 3.4 million people, mostly children, die from diseases associated with inadequate water
supply, sanitation, and hygiene. Over half of the hospital beds in the world are filled with people suffering
from water and sanitation-related diseases. India alone forms a major chunk of all this data.

In our country, access to sanitation facilities and safe drinking water is still a distant dream. While India is
progressing in other aspects, lack of sanitation and drinking water facilities have acted as a hindrance to
the development process. These basic rights are not only important to health and sustainable
development, but are also very essential for removal of poverty and overall growth of the country.
According to the latest estimates by the UN, 48% of the total population in India defecates in open, which
is more than in any other country in the world.

The father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, was well aware of the bad and unclean situation here. He
emphasized on cleanliness and sanitation, as well as its implementation in the daily lives for everyone.
However, it was not so effective due to insufficient participation of the masses. Today, even after 67 years
of independence, we have only about 30% of the rural households which have access to toilets.

When human waste (feces and urine) is not taken care of, it leads to increased pollution in the
environment and causes serious health problems, such as diarrhea, worms, cholera, and bladder infections.
Improper sanitation and inaccessibility to safe and clean water is the reasons why millions of Indians suffer
every year from such diseases. Providing sanitation to all is the need of time.

So, bearing all the sanitation and cleanliness related problems in mind, our government has taken a bold
step. For ensuring hygiene, waste management and sanitation across the nation, a “Swachh Bharat
Abhiyan” or “Clean India Mission” was launched in Oct, 2014. Furthermore, emphasizing on “Clean India”
in his 2014 Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself said that this movement is
associated with the economic activity of the country.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
The prime objective of the mission is to create sanitation facilities for all. It aims to provide every rural
family with a toilet by 2019. The completion of this mission would indirectly draw the attention of business
investors in India and enhance the GDP growth. Clean India would bring more tourists and enhance its
economic condition. The Prime Minister of India has requested every Indian to devote their 100 hours per
year for the cleanliness in India which is estimated to be more than sufficient to turn this country into a
clean country by 2019.

Pros and cons of allowing 10 year old children to


open bank accounts
To encourage your child to start young, many banks offer attractive savings accounts, exclusively for
children. There are many pros and cons of letting your child open a bank account. As fund-flows into their
accounts happen through transfers from the parents' accounts, they can monitor their spending. Parents
also get mail/SMS alerts on the account transactions. These added services help instill a sense of discipline
and responsibility in money matters. Periodical personalized account statement, for example it shows the
child his/her spending habits. Also, limits on the ATM withdrawals and debit card usage curb their
temptation for impulsive purchases. Accounts are not only designed to teach children the habit of saving,
but also the habit of investment.

While there are many benefits that flow from making your kids financially independent, there are few
things which you need to consider. It is in any case your money and you would be accompanying your child
when he does most of his banking transactions, would you rather spend out of your pocket. Liberal
spending limits that almost all banks offer also seem to bother. Would you give a debit card to your 10-year
old with a daily spending or ATM withdrawal limit with huge amounts. Would children, be careful with their
debit cards and internet pins and passwords or would it give room for misuse.

Demonetization of old 500 & 1000 rupees notes


– Is it a good move?
Background :-
• On 8th November 2016, Indian Government demonetized 500 and 1000 rupee notes that are in
circulation, and announced the issuance of new 500 and 2000 rupee notes.
• Time limit was set to exchange old notes with new ones.
Reasons for this move :-
• To counter black money and fake currency. People who have black money cannot be able to deposit

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
the old currency easily. So black money can be taken out of circulation.
In Favor :-
• A good chunk of black money will be taken out of circulation strengthening India’s economy.
• This step will instill fear among the tax evaders that they are not inescapable if they follow illegal
practices.
• This move is a big blow to the corruption, drug trafficking and smuggling, because all these activities
are carried out with black money.
• Most of the fake currency will be out of the system.
• Old notes are allowed to be paid for utility bills. In the one week span after the demonetization
move, lots of outstanding bills are cleared, which will have positive impact on economy.
• Supreme Court responded negatively to the petition asking for withdrawal of the demonetization
move and said that the move is laudable.
• With the inconvenience caused to farmers in the Rabi crop season, Govt of India relaxed the
demonetization rules and said that farmers can now buy seeds with the old 500 notes.
• Common people should bear the inconvenience for the greater good of the society.
• International response to this move is positive.
• With this move, owners of informal organisations are more likely to register their organisations to
transform them into formal organisations. Thereby tax revenue for governments will be increased.
• ‘Chattisgarh’ is the first state to pass notion supporting the demonetization move.
Against :-
• It caused a lot of inconvenience to common people. People were forced to stand in long queues at
ATMs and banks as there was very low limit of withdrawal each time.
• Still there are many Indians, especially in the below poverty line section that have no bank
accounts. They will have no other option, because one person can exchange old notes worth
Rs.2000/- only. Remaining amount can be deposited in the bank accounts.
• People who are in emergency situations such as medical emergencies and marriage ceremonies are
suffering because of the present situation.
• Cost of demonetization is more than its benefits. The expenditure for printing new notes and the
costs to carry out denomination move are very high.
• Most of the black money may not be in terms of physical cash.
• 85% of transactions in India are cash transactions. So It may not be the right move to force
everyone towards cashless transactions all of a sudden.
• Once the new notes come into circulation, the problem of black money may return to the previous
position.
• The decision was one-sided. India is a democratic country. Democratic government shouldn’t take
one-sided decisions like Monarchial governments.
• This move caused temporary loss to workers in informal sectors. Because most of them get wages
per day in cash. Due to lack of physical cash, employers had to stop work for few days.
• World Bank estimated that demonetization move will reduce GDP growth from the earlier

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
estimated 7.6% to 7% for the financial year 2016-17.
• ‘Delhi’, ‘Uttar Pradesh’ and ‘West Bengal’ opposed the move.

Conclusion :-
Demonetization of higher denomination notes is a good move but with poor execution. Government would
have given alternatives for common people. It would have taken steps to avoid inconvenience to
commoners. But this move will surely strengthen India’s economy, which in turn benefits common people.

Sexual harassment in workplace causes and


remedies.
It is good that women are breaking the silence and coming out of their shells to fight against the sexual
harassments happening at their work places. We could see the recent cases; an employee from 'Tehelka'
magazine had lodged a complaint against its Managing Editor Tarun Tejpal for sexually harassing her during
an event in Goa.
In other incident a student from Jawaharlal Nehru University complained against a senior government
official for harassing her ahead of the International Film Festival (IFFI) in Goa.

In yet another incident a law intern alleged that a retired Supreme Court judge A.K Ganguly had sexually
harassed her in 2012. It is very unfortunate that the most powerful, influential and responsible persons of
the society who should stand for women empowerment are accused in such cases. After these three
incidents, has stirred a debate everywhere that to what extent women are safe at the wok places. It is
observed that both in organized sector and in unorganized sector, women are suffering from sexual
harassment.

Many of the women who are working in schools, hospitals, and departmental stores etc; are not aware of
the laws. If the situation is intolerable they quit their job or opt for transfers or else resign to live with the
situation.

Women working in unorganized sector or single women who are economically vulnerable become victims
of sexual harassment. This is because her male colleagues or employer knows that she cannot risk her
livelihood, and therefore indulge in acts of sexual harassment. If the victim comes out and speaks about the
incident she is pressurized to furnish proof, which she cannot, because such incidents happen in a closed
room or at lonely environment. So the fear of fighting a superior and its consequences and the pressure
from colleagues, forces her to keep quit, as it may impact her career.

Such incident, instead of getting justice gets free publicity and the victim becomes topic of discussion.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
People start talking about her attire, behavior and other movements. The victim in such situation feels that
it would have been better, if she had remained silent rather remain in a state of mental torture. According
to Supreme Court's Vishaka guidelines 13 August 1997, against the sexual harassment, every organized
sector should have an internal complaint committee, the presiding officer of which should be a senior
women employee and at least one- half of the committee should be a women.

However, many organizations still did not have these internal complaints committee. Strict instructions
should be issued to all such organizations, which do not have internal complaints committee that it should
be constituted immediately. The law also says that the local complaints committee should be constituted in
districts to receive complaints from women working in establishments that have less than 10 employees
and cannot constitute an internal committee.

The sexual harassment of women at workplace (prevention, prohibition and redress) act 2013 says that it is
a duty of an employer to help and support the women if she chooses to file complaint for an offence under
the Indian penal code or any other law. The act also says that the internal committee or a local committee
can recommend punishment for a woman who makes a false complaint. Each organization should give
proper awareness to its employees about sexual harassment. It should mention that such act is punishable
under the company rules.

Finally, woman's safety is her own responsibility; she should maintain a proper professional and personal
conduct at the workplace and must take care of her attire and behavior so that no one targets or harasses
her.

China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) Project


Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013 unveiled an ambitious economic and foreign policy - the "Silk Road
Economic Belt" and "21st Century Maritime Silk Road". "ONE BELT,ONE ROAD" is a plan of China to get
access to central asia's oil and gas resources and It will help developing countries like India,Bangladesh,Sri
Lanka,Indonesia by having more access to the trade. to develop its trade by having multiple routes by both
sea and land. The main aim is connectivity and corporation of people’s republic of China with Eurasia ,
Middle East , Africa via the landlocked Central Asia ( Kazakhstan , Uzbekistan etc) and littoral south east
Asia nations . China wants to revive an ancient network of silk land and ocean trade routes of centuries
past. It's instigating an infrastructure building boom across Central Asia up to Europe to help boost trade
and improve transport logistics. The land-based projects are the belt. Various economic corridors are on
the cards too, including with Pakistan, Mongolia and Bangladesh. The maritime road which will connect up
China's southern provinces to south- east Asia and the east coast of Africa with ports and railways.
Why?
• Beijing is seeking to exercise some regional leadership.
• China wants to make the Renminbi the main trade and investment currency in countries involved.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
• It needs to channel "excess capacity" somewhere.
• It's about standard setting. China wants to shift from lower level manufacturing to higher end
industrial goods. It believes emerging markets in its neighbourhood will be more willing to accept
Chinese-made high speed rail, energy generators and telecommunications equipment compared to
more developed countries.
• China is also trying to close the inequality gap between inland western provinces and its wealthy
eastern seaboard.
• As the US seeks an "American First" agenda, many countries are rushing to be part of China's big
plans.
In Numbers
• One Belt One Road has $US1.3 trillion worth of projects already initiated under the banner.
• It's more than seven times larger than America's Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe after the Second
World War.
• Countries involved: 65
• Total population reach 4.4 billion and share of global economy 30 per cent.
• China has earmarked $US40 billion ($A54 billion) for a special fund, this is on top of the $US100
billion capitalisation of the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, which will have projects involved.
Benefits:

• It will fill gaps in infrastructure projects for developing countries ie. Afghanistan and Pakistan see it
as a "path out of poverty".
• Economic growth.
• Increased trade and faster transit of goods.
• International cooperation. CHALLENGES
• Lack of trust between China and some countries involved.
• Two out of three countries involved have a sovereign credit rating below investment grade.
• Some countries are unstable, which poses security risks to Chinese companies and workers.
Challenges

• Lack of trust between China and some countries involved.


• Two out of three countries involved have a sovereign credit rating below investment grade.
• Some countries are unstable, which poses security risks to Chinese companies and workers.
• Some Chinese bankers are worried about the risks of investing, such as feasibility of some projects
and political instability.
• Critics fear China is seeking economic and strategic domination, and human rights and
environmental standards could be undermined.
• There's concerns poor countries could be left laden with massive debts.
• It's unclear who is in charge of One Belt One Road.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
• In Sri Lanka there have been protests against some of the projects.
• India is upset the $US57 billion China-Pakistan economic corridor runs through disputed Kashmir,
saying it violates its sovereignty.

Why is India opposed to OBOR?

The main reason behind India’s opposition towards the policy is the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC), which is a part of OBOR. Recent Chinese reports claim that following the launch of CPEC in Pakistan,
the country has received investments worth more than $46 billion. “We are all for promoting connectivity…
but on the OBOR, our position is that since the so-called CPEC forms a part of OBOR, and it passes through
Indian territory, that is where our difficulty lies,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Gopal Baglay had said
earlier this week. Citing sovereignty issues, India has raised objections over CPEC projects in Pakistan-
occupied Kashmir (PoK). China, however, has not tried to attenuate India’s concerns. “The CPEC is a
flagship project, but all countries in South Asia have now confirmed participation in the Belt and Road
Forum and are making use of the initiative,”.

Present Education System in India


Positive side of Indian Education system:-
• Students go through many exams in their learning years. It teaches to analyse our strengths and
weaknesses consistently.
• Indian education system emphasizes competitive spirit. Competition teaches students to unleash
their full potential.
• Indian schools teach basic knowledge in all subjects.
• Annual system in school years helps slow learners.
• These days a lot of positive changes are happening in the education system of India. Emphasis on
practical knowledge is increased.
Drawbacks of Indian Education system :-
• Rote learning. Emphasis on memorizing the facts rather than thoroughly understanding the
concepts.
• Completely relying on text books.
• Giving more importance to text books than the teacher. There is no autonomy to teachers.
• Students have no freedom to think creatively and to question the content in the text books.
• Taking marks as assessment of student’s talent, when marks can be easily obtained by memorizing
the pre-written answers from the text books.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
• Students are not being taught why they are learning the particular subjects and topic. Text books do
not mention how the topics are relevant in the practical life.
• There is no incentive for teachers to encourage critical thinking in children.
• Lack of infrastructure.
• Most of the syllabus is in theoretical form.
• Dearth of capable teachers in government schools.
• Low salaries of teachers.
• Pressurizing students for marks and grades. Student suicides are increasing day by day.
• Students are learning the subjects just to reach to the next level, i.e obtaining admission from the
good college.
• Indian govt is spending only 3% of its GDP on education.
• As the Govt unable invest enough in the education sectors, private institutions roped in, and the
result is High cost of education.
• No control of govt on fee structure of private educational institutes.
• Ethics aren’t being taught in schools. And the result of this is many educated persons lack ethics.
• Very low teacher to student ratio. As a result, teachers are not able to concentrate on each and
every child. According to Right to Education, there should be one teacher for every 30 students.
• High prices of higher education in India. Indian Govt isn’t investing in the higher education
aspirants.
• Rise of coaching centers for competitive exams and private tuitions for school children are is
resulted by the poor education system, which couldn’t make students job-ready.
• Our text books do not mention the importance of physical activity and the extra curricular
activities. Most of the schools in India do not have play grounds.
• Not encouraging research and innovation.
• Not teaching students about how to deal with daily life struggles.
• Incentivising hyper-competitiveness rather than encouraging to co-learn.
• Shortage of text books for govt school students.
• No proper career guidance available for students.
• Most of the govt school students are unable to do basic math. This reveals the negligence of
teachers.
• Not everyone has access to school. A lot rural areas still have no schools. And there are many single
teacher schools.
• In the top 100 universities list by ‘Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings 2016’, none
of the Indian universities could make into the list.
What Indian Government is doing:-
• The ‘National Policy on Education’ was framed in 1986 and was amended in 1992.
• New Education Policy (NEP) is going to be formed in 2016 to bring revolutionary changes in Indian
education system.
• Rashtriya Madyamika Abhiyan, 2009 – This scheme aims to enhance access to secondary education

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
and to improve its quality.
• Vidyanjali scheme, 2016 – to encourage extra curricular activities in students.
• Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), 2013 – A mission to finance massively in state
universities. But this wasn’t successful as expected.
What still needs to be done :-
• Indian Govt needs to invest heavily in infrastructure, teachers and in training teachers. At least 4%
of its GDP must be invested in the education sector.
• Our attitude towards marks and grades needs to be changed.
• Method of teaching needs a relook. Teachers should encourage logical thinking & creativity in
students. “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn.”― Benjamin
Franklin
• Exams should be in a way that student’s understanding of the subject can be assessed.
• Students should be exposed to economic and societal problems in the world.
• Self help books and biographies of successful persons should be a part of the syllabus. So that
children can mould their personalities and can handle stress well, once they start career.
• Malnutrition effects child’s ability to learn. So, nutritional deficit must be taken care of.

Situation in other countries :-


• USA is spending 5.4% of its GDP in the education sector, whereas Brazil is spending 5.7% of its GDP.
• China invests heavily in its students and universities. In the Times Higher Education World
Reputation Rankings 2016, China could grab nine positions in the top 100 universities list.
• In South Korea, which has high literacy rates, there is a high respect for teaching profession.

Conclusion :-
There is a dire need for revolutionary changes in the India’s education system. Not just the syllabus and
pedagogy, but also the attitude change towards the marks system need to be changed. With the effective
learning system, India can successfully utilize its vast human resources.

Women Empowerment in India


Need for women empowerment:-
• Even in this 21st century Gender inequality still exists.
• There are so many women, who are silently baring the harassment of their life partners because of
the lack of education, lack of legal awareness and lack of empowerment.
• When women are empowered, whole society benefits.
• Educating women about health care promotes healthier families.
• Even though a woman works 24/7 to raise her children and to maintain her family, she is not getting
recognition for the work.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
• “There is no chance of the welfare of the world unless the condition of women is improved. It is not
possible for a bird to fly on one wing.”- Swami Vivekananda.
Facts :-
• Year ‘2001’ was declared as the “women’s empowerment year”.
Challenges :-
• Female Foeticide.
• Dowry.
• Restriction on widow remarriage.
• Gender Bias.
• Neglect during childhood.
• Childhood marriages.
• Gender specific specialization at work.
• Cultural definition of appropriate gender roles.
• Belief in the inherent superiority of males.
• Families are considered as a private sphere and stays under male control.
• Limited access to cash and credit.
• Limited employment opportunities.
• Limited access to education.
• Female infanticide.
• Poverty effects women more than men.
• India’s maternal mortality is highest in South Asia.
• Domestic violence.
• Crimes against women.
• Honor killings.
• Trafficking of women.
• Lack of awareness about government schemes.

Government Schemes and Programs :-


• STEP (Support to training cum Employment for women) – To increase the self-reliance and
autonomy of women by enhancing their productivity & enabling them to take up income generation
activity.
• SSA (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan) – For girl child education. It lead to increase in the Gender Parity Index
(GPI).
• The National literacy Mission or Saakshar Bharat – Literacy of women. Literacy is the critical
instrument of women’s empowerment.
• National Rural Health Mission – Educating women on health care. It has resulted in the decline in
fertility rates, Maternal mortality rates (MMR), Infant mortality rates (IMR).
• SHG (Self Help Groups) – For economic development in women by giving micro finances.
• GB (Gender budgeting) – Identifying the felt needs of women and re-prioritizing and increasing

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
expenditure to meet these needs.
• NMEW (National Mission for Empowerment of Women) – To ensure economic & social
empowerment of women.
• Swayamsidha scheme – To ensures total development of women.
• Swadhar scheme – Basic necessities to marginalized women & girls.
• Kishori Shakti Yojana – Empowerment of adolscent girls.
• Mahila Samridhi Yojana – For women empowerment.
• Maternity Benefit Scheme – Payment of Rs.500/- to pregnant women for the first two births only if
the woman belongs to BPL (Below Poverty Line) category.
• Rastriya Mahila Kosh – To provide micro loans for women.
• Scheme for working women hostel – To promote availability of safe & conveniently located
accommodation fro working women.
• Development of women & children in Rural Areas (DWCRA)– Creation of groups of women for
income generating activities on self sustaining basis.
• SABLA – Empowerment of adolescent girls.

How can we take part :-


• First of all, woman must have the will to be independent & to be the best of herself, then rest of
everything follows.
• Creating legal awareness among women about their rights.
• Educating women. Education makes them independent.
• Providing health facilities & economic security.
• Skill development programs.
• Forming groups. Unity gives strength to everyone.
• And many more little things which makes significant difference and leads to the great future.

Conclusion :-
The Government and we, the people have responsibility towards women empowerment. And we can
achieve this ‘Millennium Development Goal’ definitely. One day will come, when gender inequality will
only be present in the history books.
Youth in Politics

SBI merger with associate banks – Good or


Bad?
Theme :-
• State Bank of India’s five associate banks will be merged with SBI from 1st April, 2017. This is the

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
biggest merger yet in the Indian banking industry.

Good :-
• With this move, SBI’s assets will be 37 lakh crore rupees with nearly 50 crore customer base. Hence
SBI’s rankings will go up in global banking stage.
• Large international bank will be created in India.
• Costs of operations will be reduced. Profits will be increased.
• Consolidated SBI can secure a place in the global list of top 50 large banks.
• Internationally sourced funds and domestic deposits will be increased.
Bad :-
• Consolidated SBI will be too big, nearly four times to its next competitor. This will result in
monopoly situation. Lack of competitive spirit may slow down the progress.
• If SBI faces financial crisis, state will not be capable to provide the required capital, because SBI
will be too big.
• Due to its huge share in Economy, losses for SBI will have a significant negative impact on Indian
Economy.
• Merger will be an expensive and herculean task.
• Future recruitment will slow down for the next 3 to 4 years.
• Customers of associate banks may lose personalized service, because of impersonal nature of SBI.
• Merger will deepen the problem of bad debts.

Conclusion :-
SBI merger with associate banks benefits Indian banking industry as well as Indian Economy. However the
move has many challenges.

Loan waiver for farmers – Good or Bad?


Theme :-
• Uttar Pradesh government waives farm loans worth Rs. 36,000 crores in April 2017.
• Tamil Nadu also decided to waive loans for farmers.
• Several other states including AP, Telangana & Maharastra have pressure to follow the same.
Good :-
• In India, results of crops highly depend on monsoons. Farmers invest heavily on crops by taking
loans. If the crop fails due to lack of rains or insufficient market demand, farmers will get trapped in
debt. Farmer suicides are increasing in India. So, it’s a good step to waive farm loans.
• Many farmers borrow money from unofficial moneylenders for high interest rates and get trapped

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
in vicious cycle of debt. Farm loan waiver schemes will divert these farmers to borrow money from
banks.
• Agriculture in India is not a good career option yet. Many farmers are leave farming, if they find
alternatives. If this situation continues, there will be a severe food scarcity. To prevent this
situation, government need to gain the trust of farmers. Farm loan waiver scheme does that.
Bad :-
• Loan waiver schemes disrupts credit discipline. Farmers will turn into willful defaulters as they wait
for the next loan waiver scheme, which is bad for economy.
• This scheme indirectly punishes loan repayers. Those who repaid loan before the announcement of
the scheme are at loss.
• Those who didn’t repay loans, even if they afford to are at benefit. But here, taxpayers are at loss,
because loans will be waived with taxpayers’ money.
• Instead of loan waiver scheme, it will much better if government improves the crop insurance
scheme, educates farmers about the market trends, increases the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
• Banks may brand farm loans as bad loans and they may implement stricter rules to lend money to
farmers.
• Rich farmers too may take loans even if there is no need, in the hope of the next loan waiver
scheme. This will impact the farmers who are genuinely in need of loans.
Facts :-
• Agricultural debt waiver scheme was first implemented in 2008 under UPA government. Then,
Rs.60,000 crore worth farm loans were waived off.

Conclusion :-
Though loan waive offs will disrupt credit discipline, farm loan waiver scheme is beneficial to many. Amid
the increasing farmer suicides, loan waiver scheme provides relief for many families and encourages them
to invest in the next crop. This in turn benefits India’s food security as well. But care must be taken to weed
out the willful defaulters from the scheme and to provide incentives to those who repaid the loans.

Impact of Demonetization on Indian


Economy
Positive impact :-
• A good part of black money is eliminated from the economy. This money can be spent by Indian
government for the development of country.
• Post-demonetization, Indian government blocked many routes for black money formation.
• With increased transparency, trust on Indian Economy is increased. Thereby foreign investments
poured in.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
• Amid the fears of government moves, everyone is now ready to pay the taxes. Hence more
revenue for Indian government.
• Due to the heavy usage of cash transactions, informal sector is the worst hit by demonetization
move. Though it suffered at first, many informal organizations are now turning into formal
organizations, which means more transparency and more taxes for Indian Economy.
• Demonetization move encouraged cashless transactions, which is a boost to Economy.
• As people are more likely to keep their money in banks, savings will be increased.
• With more money in banks, loans will be available to more people. With increased loans, banks will
be benefited by interests.
Negative impact :-
• GDP growth was earlier estimated as 7.8%. Post-demonetization, estimates are lowered to 7.1%.
• Agriculture sector, small and medium scale businesses and informal sectors are the worst hit by
demonetization. It takes a lot of time for them to recover from the losses. This has a negative effect
on Economy.
• There is no guarantee that demonetization move will turn India into a cashless economy.
• Consumer demand was hit by demonetization, hence retail inflation fell to 3.17% – a multi year low.
With this, growth of economy will slowdown.
Conclusion :-
Though the GDP growth will get hit for the year 2017, the effect of demonetization move along with
policies like Digital India, Benami Act, cap on cash transactions will spur GDP growth in the coming years.

Union Budget 2017-18 – Is it beneficial for the


common man?
What is Union Budget :-
• Union Budget is the annual report of India’s finances for the financial year.
• Till 2016, Union budget was presented on the last working day of February. From 2017, it is being
presented on February 1st, so that entire budgetary exercise can be implemented from 1st April
instead of June.
In Favor :-
• Income tax rate for 2.5 to 5 lakh annual income slab is reduced from 10% to 5%. This is a major
relief for an average Indian.
• In this budget, affordable housing projects are given infrastructure status. More investors and
builders now take part in building affordable homes. Thereby own house dream will become a
reality to many.
• Funds for health sector is increased by 23%. This is a big help for underprivileged and middle class

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
people.
• Funds for infrastructure is increased. This increases the quality of life for common man.
• ‘Sankalp’ program was announced, which focuses on skill development and market training to
youth of India.
• Safety of Train passengers is given importance. 1 lakh crore rupees is allotted for this.
• Service charge on train tickets is scrapped for tickets booked online. So, train journey becomes
cheaper.
• This budget aims to double farmer’s income by 2022.
• 5000 post graduate seats in medical education will be added every year. This can solve the problem
of scarcity of specialist doctors in rural areas.
• ‘Computer Emergency Response Team‘ was setup to check cyber frauds. This helps common
people, who are vulnerable to cyber attacks amid India’s transition to cashless economy.
• Social security is given importance. LIC will implement a pension scheme that assures 8% annual
return for senior citizens.
• Startups can now avail tax holiday for three years in the first seven years of existence. Earlier tax
holiday is there for three years in the first five of years of the startup. This is a big advantage to
youth who are launching their startups, because it takes time time to get success in startups.
Against :-
• Low and middle income groups are given importance, whereas higher income group isn’t given any
special facilities.
• Cash transactions above 3 lakhs is illegal from now. Common man is forced to go for cashless
transactions.
• Handloom sector isn’t mentioned in the budget. This is a big blow to handloom weavers.
• Banking reforms are not given much importance as required.
• Big companies are left out.
Conclusion :-
This year’s union budget tried to give equal importance to all sectors. Rather than concentrating on short
term benefits, government focused on long-term benefits. Amid fears of developed countries to take
Indian graduates, this year budget is trying to ensure a better future in India, so that there is no need to
migrate to other countries for better quality of life. Union budget 2017-18 is definitely beneficial to
common man.

Is India ready to be a Cashless Economy?


In Favor :-
• Long before demonetizing 500 & 1000 rupee notes, Indian government is trying to increase cashless
transactions through Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme, Jan Dhan accounts etc.
• From the moment higher denomination notes are demonetized, cashless transactions have

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
increased at a rapid rate.
• Though India has a huge proportion of digital illiteracy, using debit card does not require much
digital literacy.
• Many state governments are working hard to spread the awareness of digital transactions.
• Indian Government rolled out incentives for going digital in financial transactions. It introduced
daily and weekly lucky draws to encourage digital transactions.
Against :-
• Till the moment 500 & 1000 rupee notes are demonetized, cash transactions constituted 85%
among all the financial transactions in India.
• Even after the demonetization move, cash transactions are still the king.
• India has a huge population of digital illiterates. It’ll take a lot of time to transform everyone into
digital literates.
• No country is a fully cashless economy yet. India is still a developing country, and needs a lot time
to transform itself into cashless economy.
• Though no. of accounts have increased drastically after the demonetization move, once the scarcity
of new notes is reduced, there is no guarantee that everyone will use that bank accounts.
• With the recent hack of 32 lakh Rupay & Visa debit cards, there is a doubt in cyber security of Indian
Banking. Before going for completely cashless economy, India needs to strengthen its cyber security
first.
Facts :-
• ‘Sweden’ is closest to achieving cashless society. Cash transactions in Sweden constitutes to only
3%.
• M-Pesa created a revolution in ‘Kenya’. The usage of M-Pesa is so high that even salaries are
credited through it. Cash transactions decreased drastically in Kenya.
• South Korea gives tax incentives for cashless transactions, and could increase the share of non-cash
transactions.

Conclusion :-
Though cashless transactions have increased these days, right now India cannot completely become a
cashless economy considering its high proportion of digital illiteracy and cash transactions. But Indian
Government is working towards increasing the share of cashless transactions, which is a good thing for any
economy.

Is it really worth to become a cashless economy?


In Favor:-
• Cashless transactions ensures transparency and reduces black money formation.
• The problems like pick pocketing and robbery will be eliminated.
• Cashless transactions counter tax evasions.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
• 45% of India’s GDP is influenced by informal economy. Cashless economy forces informal sector to
transform itself into formal sector.
• Digital literacy can be in increased.
• Expenditure for the manufacture of currency notes can be avoided by cashless less economy.
• Tourists to India have no need to struggle for physical cash.
• Corruption and commission culture can be eradicated by online payment modes.
• It will create an universal platform for banking services to all as no physical infrastructure is needed
other than digital. Less cost for banks.
• Problem of fake currency notes can be eliminated by digital payment.
• All the subsidies and welfare scheme benefits can be directly utilized by the beneficiaries without
the need for withdrawing money thus avoiding the inconvenience.
• Cash less economy will create huge employment opportunities in banking as well as in software
industry.
• Many online wallets and apps are giving discounts and cashbacks for online payments which will
help the customers to save money.
• Helps in attracting foreign investors and domestic investors to invest in India.
Against:-
• There is a small service charge for IMPS transactions, but with cash transactions there will be no
loss.
• Cash transactions are very convenient in daily life. We are used to it.
• A large part of Indian population is digital illiterates.
• Automatic and digital payment may have cut in blue collar jobs and according a recent survey, there
may be a loss of 70,000 jobs in India.
• Cyber crimes and other modes of thefts will be increased. There is lack of digital awareness in the
country, forget about awareness about cyber crimes.
• It will be difficult to provide a smooth internet infrastructure which can cater to such a huge volume
of users in India.
• Illiteracy and lack of awareness can be taken advantage by some, it inturn encourages the
commission agent culture in rural areas. Money can be robbed in the pretext of helping digital
illiterates.
• Phishing is still highly prevalent in India. Is it really worth bringing more people to digital world?
Basics:-
• Cashless economy refers to financial transactions without using physical cash.
• On November 8th 2016 prime minister of India announced the historical decision of demonetization
high value currency notes of 500 and 1000, and talks of cash less society or cash less economy
started making news in Indian media and public.
• In ancient days too there was cashless economy and the payment was used to be done in the form
of goods for services. Exchange of goods was also been practiced in those days.
Situation in Other countries:-

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
• In ‘Belgium’, ‘France’, and ‘Canada’ over 90% of consumer payments are made via cashless modes.
• About 80% or more transactions were made by non-cash modes in ‘United Kingdom’, ‘Sweden’,
‘Australia’, ‘Netherlands’, and the ‘US’.
• ‘Germany’ accounts for about 76% of cash less transactions.
• Asian country ‘South Korea’ too use cashless payments as the major mode of consumer payments.
Conclusion:-
Cash less economy is indeed a positive thing for any economy. But Indian government should increase the
spending on Internet penetration in the rural areas. New strict and stringent laws needed to improve the
cyber security in the country. Continuous and uninterrupted supply of power to banks must be provided.

How can we deal with increasing Cyber Crimes?


Background:-
• Around 11,592 cases of cyber crimes were reported across India in 2015, the number is 26 folds
more than the cases reported in 2006 accounting 453 cases.
• Financial fraud and identity theft are the most common cyber crimes. A lot of people lost their hard-
earned money because of cyber crimes.
• Amid India’s transition to cashless economy, cyber crimes are increasing multifold.
What is Cyber Crime:-
• Any crime that is committed by using computer and internet network is a cyber crime.
• In a cyber crime the computer may have been used in the commission of the crime, or it may be the
target.
• Most of the cyber crimes are
▪ Fraud and financial crimes
▪ Cyber terrorism
▪ Cyber extortion
▪ Cyber warfare
▪ False-flagging
▪ Phishing
Causes:-
• Common people do not have much awareness on methods of cyber crimes. This is biggest
advantage for criminals.
• Nonexistence of any strict laws and loopholes of the existing laws encouraging cyber crimes.
• Cyber crimes happen because there will be high rate of return on investment and the risk of loss is
low.
• Financial gain was the biggest motive for cyber crimes.
• The facility of being anonymous is giving opportunity to cyber criminals.
• Cyber criminals don’t have fear of rival gangs.
• Lack of digital infrastructure and network to tackle the menace.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Effects:-
• Leakage of important information of vital systems such as nuclear plants, railways andhospitals that
can lead to dire consequences.
• Financial frauds and fake online lottery and job scams damage the economic condition.
• Stalking, cyber bullying and harassment through online increased drastically.
• Cyber crime may cause damage to the social and communal harmony by spreading provocative
media files and messages without the fear of being caught thus encouraging youth to get involved
in such activities.
• It may cause big losses to the business industry by creating fake companies, transactions and deals
in sales etc.
What India is doing:-
• Indian Government is spreading awareness though advertisements in televisions about fraud phone
calls and cyber crimes.
• India has ‘Information Technology Act, 2000’ in law.
• India has ‘Cyber Crime police stations‘, which deal with cyber crimes exclusively.
• “National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Center” (NCIIPC) has been established as
the nodal agency for the protection of critical information infrastructure.
Best practices :-
• Number of cyber security soldiers needs to be increased on a war-footing.
• Digital literacy rates should be increased, so that dependence on others for cashless transactions
will be reduced. Thereby, less chances of financial fraud.
• Cyber vulnerabilities should be identified.
• Financial sector and cyber security industry should collaborate.
• People should not reveal too much personal information on the internet.
Conclusion:-
Whole world is fighting against cyber crimes. Some countries have advanced technology and human
resources to deal with them. And some countries do not have that yet. India needs to increase its
investment on cyber security and should spend on awareness programs on war-footing.

India’s fight against ‘Black Money’


What is Black money :-
• Money earned through illegal ways and the money earned without paying taxes is called as ‘Black
money’.
• Black money doesn’t always stay black. If a parent uses his black money to pay his child’s fee, it
becomes white money in the hands of a school owner. But if the school owner doesn’t pay his
taxes, it becomes black money.
Loopholes causing formation of Black money :-
• Lack of effective punishments for those who do not pay taxes.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
• ‘Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act’, 1988 wasn’t implemented till 2016.
• Once in a while, tax evaders are given a chance to display their income without facing punishment.
It removed the fear of punishment in them.
• Long process to pay taxes and to file tax returns is deterring some people from paying taxes.
What Indian Govt is doing :-
• There are some institutions in India to curb the formation of black money. They are –
• Income Tax Department (IT)- It creates a positive environment for paying taxes. It blocks all
the opportunities for black money formation.
• Enforcement Directorate (ED)- It works to curb Money Laundering.
• Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) – It works to eliminate Terrorism financing, Counterfeit
currency, Hawala money etc.
• Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) – It ensures central excise tax and service taxes
are paid. It alerts other institutions about the ways people are using to escape from taxes.
• Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) – It lists out the tax evasioners.
• Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) – It acts against corruption and illegal money.
• Benami Act (Amendment), 2016 – Benami Act, 1988 is strengthened through amendment.
• Black Money Act, 2015
• As all these institutions and laws are failed to curb black money formation, Indian
Government demonetized higher denomination currency notes all of a sudden on one day in the
year 2016. This move was taken because a lot of black money is kept by tax evaders in higher
denomination notes.
• Indian government is taking steps to make things easier for cashless transactions, as that will ensure
transparency.
What still needs to be done :-
• Punishments for not paying taxes should be severe.
• There is a lack of human resources in the institutions working towards curbing black money. More
skilled and ethical people needs to be recruited.
• ‘Voluntary Disclosure of Income Schemes’ will only encourage the formation of black money,
because tax evaders are in the opinion that they can disclose their income in the next scheme and
can be forgiven.
• Awareness programs about paying taxes should be conducted.
• Tax processes should be made easier.
Conclusion :-
Till 2016, there were no effective steps to eradicate black money. In the year 2016, Indian Government is
tough against tax evaders and is taking effective steps to completely eliminate the black money. It still
needs to do more and need to take steps to avoid inconvenience to commoners.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Alcohol Ban in India – Pros and Cons
In Favor :-
• With alcohol ban, problems of domestic violence & financial drain will be reduced.
• When alcohol is available abundantly, chances of drinking is higher.
• Total ban on Alcohol in ‘Lakshadweep’ is a big success.
• Alcohol consumption is highly prevalent in the poorer sections of society. Ban on Alcohol will save
them from financial drain.
• Crimes and accidents will be reduced to some extent.
• Alcohol addiction is not just a threat to the person that drinks, but also to his/her entire family.
Against :-
• Supply of illicit liquor will be increased.
• States will lose revenue from the alcohol sale.
• Smuggling & liquor mafias will be increased. Smuggling to the ‘Nagaland’ state from the neighboring
state ‘Assam’ is an example for this.
• Use of alternative addictives such as drugs will be increased especially among youth.
• Many people, who are working in the Alcohol industry will lose their
Basics :-
• Alcoholic beverages can be divided into 3 types – Beers (4-6% Alcohol), Wine (9-16% Alcohol) &
Liquor ((or Hard Liquor) up to 40% Alcohol).
• In most of the states of India, ban on Alcohol did exist during pre-independence days, but was lifted
after India became independent, except in the state of Gujarat.
• Till now alcohol is banned in Nagaland, Mizoram, Gujarat, Bihar and Kerala.
• Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Harayana & Manipur experimented partial or complete ban on liquor.
• De-addiction centers were opened in places, where the ban is imposed.
• These days political parties are promising Alcohol ban to woo women voters.
Situation in other countries :-
• In 1920s, North America banned Alcohol. But this ban was a big failure. the ban came to end in the
early 1930s.
• In Phillippines & Turkey, restriction on alcohol are there during elections.
• Sale of Alcohol is illegal in Afghanistan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Yemen due to Islamic faith.
• In Bangladesh, only Non-Muslims can consume alcohol.
Conclusion :-
Alcohol ban is a good step for bringing down the consumption, but total ban in a single phase may not
yield good results. It must be implemented in a phased manner and the sale should be restricted to very
few outlets, so that the consumption can be brought down.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan – How far was it successful?
Background :-
• Gandhiji once said, ‘Sanitation is more important than Independence’.
• Nearly half of the population of India defecate in the open.
• On 2nd October 2014, ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’, the biggest ever cleanliness drive was launched to
ensure hygiene, waste management & sanitation in India. It aimed to eradicate open defecation by
2nd Oct 2019 as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birthday.
• Through this program, govt builds toilets and community toilets for schools, houses and public
places.
• SBA is a centrally sponsored scheme. Funding for this program was set as 2 lakh crore. For North
Eastern & Special category states, funding will be in 90:10 ratio by center and state. And for all
other states, funding will be in 75:25 ratio.
• World Bank approved $1.5 billion to support SBA.
• 2% Swachh Bharat Cess is being levied on all taxable services.
• Companies can contribute to this program through ‘Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)’.
• 100 Iconic heritage, spiritual and cultural places including ‘Taj Mahal’, ‘Golden Temple’, ‘Ajmer
Sharif Dargah’ to be cleaned up under Swachh Bharat Mission.
Positive side :-
• As per Government reports, as of April 2016, more than 1.5 crore household toilets, 65,108
community toilets and 11,705 public toilets have been constructed and 2.29 crore household toilets
are still under construction.
• Toilets and dustbins will be setup for every 500 metres in cities.
• The issue of sanitation and the unhygienic conditions in India came into limelight and are
recognized. This is the biggest step towards the Clean India.
• It gives dignity to the cleaning staff.
• This program has dedicated staff to conduct awareness programs and to work towards behavioral
change.
• This created employment opportunities.
• Public health will be improved.
• Many waterborne diseases like Cholera, Malaria, Dengue etc. can be prevented.
• Healthcare costs will be reduced, thereby contributes to GDP growth.
• Tourism sector will benefit.
• People have a tendency to throw garbage on the dirty areas. Once all the public places are clean, no
more dirty areas will exist.
• To manage solid waste, electricity is being produced from it.
• Maharashtra govt introduced Anti-spitting law.
Loopholes :-
• There are no proper dust bins are available in the public places still.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
• Apart from the media appearances, almost no one attempts to clean public places.
• Till the problem of slums is solved, SBA cannot be successful to the full extent.
Conclusion :-
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is indeed successful in acknowledging the unhygienic conditions in India. Instead of
ignoring the sanitation issue, working towards the clean India is undoubtedly a good thing. Though the
target seems unbelievable by 2019, the problem of open defecation will be reduced to a great extent by
then. That’ll be enough to call this program successful.

Is Technology rising Unemployment rates?


Yes :-
• Redundancy and Automation is continuously replacing human labour.
• If any business depends heavily on human labour, it tends to fail as it cannot cope up with the
competition from the technologically advanced competitors.
• Several kinds of jobs are increasingly getting replaced by technology. As per the reports, there is a
significant drop in the typists, weavers, construction workers etc.
• Low-skilled workers are the worst hit.

No :-
• Technology is not causing unemployment. It is just shifting human labour towards different kinds of
jobs.
• Though it is taking away some jobs, it is creating more jobs day by day. The net employment
opportunities are positive.
• With the advancement in technology, people no longer need to do repetitive tasks, and hence more
creative companies have born, giving employment to many.
• Research by an English based Deloitte Consultancy analysed employment trends for the past 140
years and reported that Technology created more jobs than it took away.
• There was a misconception at the time of industrial revolution that machines replaces human
labour and hence creates unemployment. Contrary to that, machines caused opening of many
industries and more employment opportunities.
• The technological advancements are not fully tapped yet. Once technology is utilized to the full
extent, more employment opportunities will be created.
Conclusion :-
Technology made our lives easier and is indeed creating newer kinds of jobs. It is inevitable that we should
adapt to change and upgrade our skills to mould ourselves into newer types of jobs.

Is a relook needed in the caste reservation


www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
system?
In Favor of the present reservation system :-
• Many people from backward castes came out of poverty and have a dignified life, with the help of
caste reservation system.
• It compensates the social discrimination, backward castes go through. Social discrimination,
untouchability exist even today in some parts of India.
Loopholes :-
• There is no creamy layer concept for SCs and STs.
• There are many poor people in backward castes, who are not utilizing reservation. And there are
many people, who are using reservation at many levels and using the reservation benefits for their
children too.
• Percentages of reservations are based on 1930 caste census because there is no new caste census.
• Discriminatory towards upper castes.
• Not all upper castes are as powerful and wealthy as before.
• New communities are being added to the reserved categories. And there are demands from many
more communities to include them in the reservation quota. This dilutes the very purpose of
reservations – bringing the disadvantaged to the mainstream.
• Deepening caste identities.
• Caste reservation system is in conflict with one of the aims of our constitution – caste-less society.
• Showed path to vote bank politics.
What is needed :-
• If good education and abundant job opportunities are available to all, there won’t be any necessity
for reservations.
• Violent protests need to be curbed.
• Eligibility criteria should be reviewed.
• Creamy layer for SCs and STs.
What other countries are doing :-
• United States – Special consideration to racial minorities, native Americans, and women.
• Canada – ‘Employment Equity Act’ requires employers to increase the representation of four
designated groups – women, people with disabilities, Aboriginal peoples, and visible minorities.
• Russia – Quota system for ethnic minorities and women.
• South Africa – ‘Employment Equity Act’ requires employers to increase the representation of Blacks,
Indians, Coloreds and women.
Conclusion :-
Though there are loopholes, caste reservation system is still relevant today as it’s uplifting many
disadvantaged communities. But this needs to be restructured. Our approach should be the way to taking
undeserved out of reserved categories and focusing on the deserved rather than adding more and more

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
communities to the reserved categories. By this, reservation percentage will keep on decreasing and one
day caste reservations will no longer be there.

Women's safety in workplace


Safety of women at workplace has been a critical issue in India. Now a days, women are coming out of daily
household work and started work outside to support their family financially. Since more and more women
have started working, it is important to make workplace safer for them to work. If women are assured of
their safety, then only they can perform better. For this, various steps can be taken. Companies can install
more security cameras in the company, female guards at the gates, women helpline etc. Companies should
have zero tolerance policy toward any type of abuse or assault against any women. If women employee
required to work in night shifts, company should provide transportation from women's house to company.
Awareness sessions should be held from time to time to for employees about women safety issues.
Govt should also take some steps for women safety. All cab and autodriver should be screened thoroughly
for any criminal history for giving them license. GPS system should be installed in all the buses and cabs.
There should be one touch panic button option in mobiles which when pressed can alert the police about
any mishappening with any female employee. Police should increase number of PCR van and should patrol
streets more frequently, especially during night. Women only buses with female staffs should also be
started.
Court should expedite women abuse related cases so that any criminal will think twice before committing
any crime against women. Finally society should also change its mindset toward working women. Women
should be given education and more women should be encouraged to work.

Women Entrepreneurs in India


The word ‘entrepreneur’ has mostly been synonymous with men. In the 21st century though, things are
changing and many successful female entrepreneurs have emerged. These women are becoming role
models and are flourishing in their respective fields. Their confidence and refusal to be dominated by men
has inspired many more women across the country. These women have been acknowledged in their
respective fields and have even received accolades for their work.
In layman’s terms, entrepreneurship is basically running your own business. The person who has an idea,
and who executes this idea and makes sure that it functions smoothly is called an entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurs can also helm a business and make sure it runs smoothly. Some of the most famous women
entrepreneurs in India are Chanda Kocchar, (MD and CEO, ICICI Bank), Simone Tata (Chairperson, Trent
Limited), Neelam Dhawan (MD, HP-India), Naina Lal Kidwai (Country Head- HSBC Bank), and Kiran
Mazumdar Shaw (Chairman and MD, Biocon).
The rapid strides that these women have taken over the past few decades have shown us the calibre that
all women inherently possess. Indian women are coming out from the daily routine of their lives inside the

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
doors of their houses. Multitasking women all over the country balance their work, home and family
perfectly. Family members too are helping out and supporting women to achieve successful careers.
If all women decide to explore themselves and not limit their lives to certain jobs, then each one of them
can become a successful entrepreneur, working by their own rules and contently living their own life.
Indian women can achieve this dream and in the coming decades women will do brilliantly in so called
‘male-domains’ as well.

Media and Public Opinion in Contemporary


World
Before I delve into the intricacies of the topic, let us go back to the time when there were no TVs, no
advertisements and no newspapers. In those days, do you think you would know who, say for instance, Dr.
Raghuram Rajan was? The answer would be a ‘no’, except for those who personally knew him. It is so
because for most people the knowledge of even his existence, let alone the policies, comes from the
media.
It is the sheer amount of media presence that makes it so important, so crucial. Take a look around and
you’ll realise that we are surrounded by it. A variety of TV channels, newspapers, magazines, offline
advertisements, hoardings, and a countless number of websites on the Internet offer huge amounts of
information which is accessible to anyone. Media in today’s age has become a part and parcel of our lives
and it wouldn’t be wrong to say that about 90% of whatever we know comes from the media.
Media therefore is the most powerful tool for shaping public opinion in contemporary times, so much so
that it can sway the minds and thoughts of the masses the way it wants. In this connection, some of the TV
channels are performing a pivotal role in awakening the common man against corruption, social evils and
outmoded rites destroying the society. On the other hand, just to make fast bucks, a few media channels
showcase absurd content, without even considering the effect such visuals have on the society.
Thus, it is of utmost importance that the media realises its responsibility of moulding the public opinion
and does so in a positive and constructive manner so as to bring progressive changes in the society.

Online Education in India


www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Education is the basic foundation of a student’s life. It shapes his overall personality and demeanor. Thus it
is important that everyone has access to good education. With the growing popularity of electronic media,
conventional methods of teaching are slowly and steadily being replaced by modern technology. With
simple blackboards changing to interactive whiteboards, we are assured that change is on its way. This
brings us to another important facet of education in a country like India – online education. Online
education is considered to be the means of attending classes via the internet. Many companies and start-
ups provide online platforms to study on. These include MeritNation, Testbook, Toppr, Simplilearn, Ufaber,
Intellipaat and Learnsocial among others.

Also known as distance learning, online education provides students with the advantage of studying in an
atmosphere in which they are comfortable. This is especially beneficial for those individuals who
are burdened with family responsibilities at a young age and those who barely have the time to attend
a formal institution.
On the other hand, however, online education hinders the process of socialization. Limited contact with
peers and restricted interactions with teachers can confine one’s horizons. The guidance that can be given
through a direct, face-to-face conversation is often dwindled by the boundaries of the virtual world. To add
to this, internet penetration in India is very low. So it is not possible for people who really need this kind of
education to actually benefit from it. This becomes the responsibility of the government then to ensure
that the internet and consequently online education is made available to the remotest parts of the country.
Ultimately, just like there are two sides to a coin, online education has both advantages and disadvantages.
It depends on an individual and his circumstances to decide whether the pros outweigh the cons or vice
versa.

And that is probably why Heidi-Hayes Jacobs has said, “Teachers need to integrate technology seamlessly
into the curriculum instead of viewing it as an add-on, an afterthought, or an event.” The education
scenario in India must take such suggestions in its stride to better its service and quality.
Topic 4 for SBI PO Mains – Honesty is the Best Policy Right from a young age, the one value that people
around us have always tried to inculcate in us is honesty. Our parents, older siblings, teachers and
guardians always emphasize how important it is to be truthful in our actions and words. Even the father of
our nation, Mahatma Gandhi, always propagated truth as the strongest value addition to our characters.
However, we often tend to be carried away by the ease and comfort that lies shield us with. Truth is
something that is often seen as the more complicated and difficult thing to speak out. The bitterness and
rudeness attached with giving someone a frank opinion is tougher to handle than sugar coated lies and
flattery.

The most important thing to understand is that genuineness always pays off. Firstly, if you tell the truth,
you don’t have to remember what lies you created and concocted. Distorted versions of the truth, on the
other hand, require a very good memory. Secondly, the truth may hurt for a while but a lie causes much
more agony when it is revealed as a lie. Honesty is the foundation on which relationships and trust are

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
built. A single lie can jeopardize one’s faith. A single deception can destroy relations.

Lastly, people who always speak the truth do not live in the fear of being caught. Their mind is free of the
worry and anxiety of making up another lie. It is true, to cover up one lie, man has to speak a thousand!
So why choose the wrong path when the right one is welcoming us with open arms? It is true, and so shall
it always hold – Honesty is the best policy.

Special Economic Zones: Boon or Bane


Special Economic Zones, more popularly known as SEZs are specifically delineated duty free enclaves. They
are modern economic zones which enjoy special privileges as compared to the non-SEZ areas in the
country. SEZs are established to promote exports and attract investments by concentrating resources along
with relaxation in rules in some pockets. A scheme of setting up the SEZs in India was announced in the
Export and Import (EXIM) Policy in March 2000. But the implementation of this policy and the task of
setting up SEZs on a large scale has gathered momentum only recently after the rules and regulations were
clearly laid and amendments wherever required, duly made.

In my view, SEZs are a boon to the nation and its people. They have various benefits. The SEZ enclaves are
meant to showcase the country’s manufacturing prowess and its fast developing services sector-especially
its world class enterprises in the area of Information Technology (IT), Computer Software and Hardware
skills. However, SEZs go beyond the concepts of just industrial concentrations as they have a mix of both
industrial and human settlements. Conceptually, they are akin to Free Trade Zones (FTZs) which also offer
similar incentives and benefits of trade and commerce within the regions.

The Foreign Trade Policy clearly states that SEZs are growth engines that can boost manufacturing, increase
exports and generate sizeable employment. The SEZ Policy also gives an impetus to private sector to
overcome the country’s infrastructure problems which are considered to be a roadblock to attracting
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). While foreign investors are attracted towards India’s low-cost labour and
strong domestic market, they are apprehensive about moving their products through the country’s poor
network of roads, overburdened airports and clogged ports.

India is a vast country with a large population. Despite rapid economic development during the last five

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
years or so, there is persistent poverty and rampant unemployment. The setting up of Special Economic
Zones would result in the creation of lakhs of new jobs for skilled and unskilled workers. The number of
managerial jobs would increase tremendously. The Information Technology Parks and Computer Software
as well as Hardware Parks being created through SEZs shall firmly establish India as an IT and ITES giant.

SEZs have been established in many countries as testing grounds for implementation of liberal market
economy principles. They can bring about a great transformation through opening up of the economy in
the globalised world. Considering the enormous success of China’s SEZs, and given the fact that both India
and China have a similar socio-economic set up and are evenly matched in human and other resources, the
SEZ model of development can lead to higher growth in India too. But we need to remove the bottlenecks
and address the key issues that are closely connected with this model of development.

Unemployment – A Major Issue in India


One of the major problems of India is unemployment. Unemployment means the state of being without
any opportunity of earning one’s livelihood. In the good, old, golden days when the population of the world
was smaller, there was hardly a person who was not employed in some way or other to earn a living. But
this situation no longer exists. In those days most people lived in the rural areas and depended on
agriculture and cottage industries. But industrial civilization brought about a change in the situation. It
introduced machines, and as a single machine can do the work of many men, it naturally threw many
persons out of employment. No doubt, this industrial civilization has greatly increased the wants of and
opened up many new opportunities for employment. But this increase in scope for employment has not
been able to absorb the men discharged.

However, the automation of works has complicated the unemployment problem in India. The highly
sophisticated machineries are run by skilled and trained people. On one hand, the skilled people get
employed in these large industries. But, the large masses of unskilled Indians finds it hard get a job that
suits their skills. The population of our country is ever-rising. The abnormal rise in population has
intensified the problem of unemployment in India. That is why the problem of employment has been
getting more and more acute every year. It is the responsibility of the State to provide work to the people.
But the number of the unemployed persons in India is increasing at an alarming rate. More than one-third
of the total population still lives below the poverty line. The number of registered unemployed, not to
speak of those whose names are not in the register is quite shocking. The number of job seekers also on
the register of employment exchanges is increasing by leaps and bounds.

There are three classes of employment here. In the villages those people who live on agriculture work for
four or five months in a year, idle away the rest of the time. During that period they practically remain

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
unemployed. In the towns and cities there is another class of unemployed people who find no employment
in the factories due to the setting up of big machines there. Lastly, there are a large number of educated
people who are unemployed. The masses, the uneducated and even the illiterate adopt some way or the
other by means of which they can earn their living. The educated, however cannot do this. Problem of
employment among educated youth is a serious one. For every vacancy, there are dozens of applicants.
Out of many candidates who are interviewed, only few gets the job. A student dedicates several years of
his life in studies. It is a worry-some condition that even after getting Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree,
these youth population of India are facing unemployment problem.

The solutions for unemployment problem in India –


1. The villages should become self-sufficient in their economy and the villagers would not run to the cities
in search of jobs.
2. The system of present education should also be changed radically. Instead of giving only theoretical
education the students should be given vocational training, so that they can start some work after they
finish their education.
3. The country should promote industrialization so that more job opportunities can be created for the
workers.

Technology is killing human imagination!


Noted scientist and thinker Albert Einstein has stressed that imagination is more important than
knowledge. This is because knowledge is limited to what is known and understood while imagination
embraces the world and points to all there ever will be to know and understand.

But technology has changed the way people approach everything from online sales to writing. Has
technology changed us for the better or the worse when it comes to furthering the cause of the human
imagination? Let us explore the depth of the issue underlying the tradeoff between creativity and
technology.

Yes, technology has replaced creativity with piracy.

1. Computing has replaced creativity- Computers and the incessant use of technology have restricted the
sphere of knowledge and creativity to the screen. This has lowered the application of human creativity and
imagination in all spheres
2. These are no longer original -Any thesis or academic writing is no longer original because the computer
and the internet has made it easy to access academic information at any given point in time. This restricts
human imagination and creativity in academic settings. Replication of information has become easy and

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
intellectual data theft is rampant thanks to technology.
3. Piracy has become widespread - Perhaps the biggest obstacle in giving a free rein to human imagination
has been the use of pirated software and products in the market. Data theft has become a common
problem across creative fields such as movie making and fiction writing thanks to piracy and the influx of
technology. Software packages are also replicated causing tremendous losses in terms of reduced
programming creativity and revenue damage.
4. Technology has made mass scale replication possible -Technology has made it possible to replicate on a
mass scale, and this mass market production limits the role of human creativity and imagination in every
field from education to science and manufacturing.
5. Technology has stifled creativity - Thanks to the presence of graphics software and other technological
advancements, creativity and originality have gone for a toss. Replicating the Mona Lisa or Van Gogh’s
Sunflowers is now possible with the click of a mouse.
6. Special effects cancel out human imagination and creativity -Technology has mechanised everything
from music to film making and there is no scope for innovation or human creativity to take flight.
Technology has deadened the creative process through short cuts in production methods which create
artificial offerings that cannot match the originality of past products. From recycled plots to fake special
effects, the entertainment and mass media industry has undergone a negative change thanks to
technology.

No, technology improves communication and gets new ideas!

1. Technology is a platform for talent - Technology has made many innovations possible in fields as diverse
as music, entertainment and film-making. It has expanded the scope and power of human imagination by
enhancing the limits to which one can go in the creative process.
2. From health to science, technology has made innovation possible -Technology has furthered the cause
of human innovation and imagination in fields as far apart as philosophy and molecular biology.
Advancement of technologies has also helped in the growth of the health sector and enabled healthcare to
become life prolonging. Using scientific creativity and human innovation, biotechnology has revolutionised
the field of pharma and healthcare.
3. Technology helps human imagination to grow - Technology is not limiting creativity; rather it is helping
this to grow. This is because technology helps businesses to grow and expand thereby becoming more
capable of providing scope for the full potential of human creativity.
4. Communication becomes easier, imagination gets a boost -Technology has also boosted
communication which facilitates creativity through the spread of knowledge and ideas across the globe.
Sharing ideas is the key to forming insights, and many famous inventors have taken inspiration from past
innovations. Technology has quickened the pace of communication and provided online knowledge
industry which is thriving and enhancing human creativity by leaps and bounds.

Conclusion

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Technology has only unleashed the power and potential of human creativity and imagination. From making
films and documentaries to composing great works of music and art to even scientific innovations,
technology has liberated human imagination and provided a complete scope for aiding the creativity of
man. Only societies which are progressive and technologically advanced can hope to tap the power of
human creativity. There is no room in today’s world for outdated methods. Across a globe where
technology is even used to fight elections and wars, the cause of human imagination can be advanced
through the progress and growth of technology. To see technology as a counter to human creativity is to
misunderstand its very essence- which is the expansion of innovation that gives a free rein to human
imagination.

Tax havens – should they be ousted?


Introduction:
Panama paper leak was the biggest reveal of hidden money ever and while no one is spared from the
scrutinizing eyes of the tax department, it is also never been an unknown fact that Tax Havens such as
Switzerland have always existed to help politicians and riches all over the world hide their black money
without having to pay tax on it or without revealing it to the government.

Tax havens are countries that have less than transparent taxation system which heavily encourages tax
evasions of various kinds for anyone who wishes to invest there. Their tax rates are so low that rich profile
people from around the world are often tempted to hide their money in there with little knowledge to the
government of their own country.

Often called offshore investment, they are either lauded by people for being a safe place for investment or
they are simply demonized by media for being a hidden stash of money in order to run off from the income
tax department. Either ways tax havens have existed and will continue to exist. Or should they not exist at
all amid so much leaks and allegations?

No:
1. Reduced tax: Foreign investors get tax discounts and incentives when they stash their money in these
offshore banks that are in tax havens. They are actually designed to attract more investors from around the
world. They lent out this money to the highest bidders which brings them good return. These tax havens
are usually small countries with not much of an economic structure to rely upon. When tax rates are higher
in their home country, these tax havens are a rescue for them. Offshore investment cannot be designated
illegal and so could also be said about tax havens.
2. Protection of resources: One might be earning high at one point of time in life but they are pretty sure

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
that is not going to last forever; nobody’s does. They have the right to invest their money somewhere safe
and where they could get reliably leave it for later use. The money investments in tax havens are also
protected from recurring changes of laws of their own nation wherein new lawsuits could be filed against
someone and their earnings questioned at any stage of life.

3. Secrecy: Most of the banks in tax havens offer higher level of confidentiality than could be expected in
any other place of investment in your own country. Even if you have inherited a certain amount of fortune
or property from your ancestors, you are likely to pay heavy taxes before you get the ownership. However,
in tax havens there exists quite a simplified process for transferring ownership. There are terms laid out for
your secrecy and they cannot be breached so you can rest peacefully about these kinds of investment even
if you want them to be hidden from your family or business partners.
4. Tax doesn’t go in right hands anyways: Even if the rich class are to believe that the tax they will pay in
their own country is to go towards the development of their own country and making lives better of those
who are downtrodden, we all know that the truth is quite different. The tax that would flow into
government stash would indirectly flow into corrupt hands of politicians and their scams. These politicians
will also head towards tax havens to secure these amount. Why can’t the earner do it themselves?

Yes:

1. Avoiding taxes: In simple terms, tax havens provide a base for those people who want to escape paying
tax to their home government. They simply stash their money in a safe that is out of reach of the
government agencies and there is no finding out what kind of money is being deposited there. Those could
be and in most cases are black money that have been earned through illegal means. Criminals and
underworld people find it a bliss as there is absolutely no questioning on the source of their income which
is not the legal process at the banks of their home nation. You live in a country, enjoy the facilities and
rights that are given to any other citizen and when it comes to paying back to your nation so that they
could be developed more, you hide away your earnings at a place where there will be no taxing by your
own home government. That is cheating indeed and no good citizen should be involved in these kinds of
investment.

2. Hidden costs are often higher: People usually hide their money in tax havens or let’s say invest their
money there in order to save on income tax but there are costs of setting up business in a tax havens.
There are terms and conditions for owning accounts in an offshore bank which may include having own
house or business in that country. For setting up these terms it takes more incurred cost than they could
have to deal with while paying tax in their own country. They also call for higher than normal investments
only.

3. Poor revenue for the government: More rich people in the country should mean more revenue for
infrastructural development in the country but that is not achieved because of tax havens where usually

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
the larger part of the income is saturated. It results in middle class and higher middle class paying most of
the taxes even when their earnings are not quite high and the rich flying away to Swiss Bank to deposit
their earnings. They do pay a majority of their earnings in setting up the account but yet hesitate on paying
tax to their own government. How are underdeveloped countries supposed to grow if these tax havens
continue to get all the advantages?
4. Bad reputation: Media isn’t completely wrong when it demonizes offshore investments. Despite
promising confidentiality, there are always loopholes through which papers are leaked and hence people
do come to know what you have been up to while promising high ideals to your people. You are then at a
risk of losing everything you earned, including business and reputation. There is also no stability in tax
havens and the different rules that they have, quite different from what you know, could be confusing and
leading to stress.

Conclusion:
The sunny places for shady people, often the phrase used to describe tax havens, is not a good news for
the development of any nation. But since everyone from the top notch business people to those high
officials running the nation are involved in big investments in tax havens, there doesn’t seem to be any
closure of these hiding places. These small economies benefit from the investment of people from across
the world but at the same time their home countries lose heavily in terms of revenue.

Panama papers seem to have been a big exposure, let’s say the biggest ever, yet we don’t know what will
come out of it anyways. There doesn’t seem to be any stopping people from investing in tax havens and
there is no one who could actually make such laws for they are all waist deep into the conspiracy
themselves.

Should WhatsApp be banned in India?


Many messaging apps came into picture right after the good old emails were introduced. From Google’s
Hangout to Blackberry’s BBM, they all made an impact at their own time. However, the real catch came
with WhatsApp. Everyone was suddenly so hooked to it that even Facebook messenger saw huge fall in its
usage. A cross-platform chit-chat application that helps you stay connected all the time, WhatsApp has
become an addiction of its own kind.

When WhatsApp announced end-to-end encryption, there were already mixed responses from people all
over the country. In the wake of the iPhone incident in US where Apple was fighting FBI for its sealed
privacy, this came as a blow and anticipations started flying high. It should have been predicted right then
that soon our courts will be sitting to discuss if WhatsApp is to be banned in the country.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
A Haryana based right-to-information (RTI) activist has filed petition citing that the end-to-end encryption
gives way for communication to terrorists and that the app needs to be banned in order to prevent
conspiracy that would not be able to break through or intercept.

Yes:

1. Hard to procure data: A suspect would remain a suspect only if he used WhatsApp to communicate.
Nothing that goes in or comes out of the app would be traceable now. Even if the authorities have
evidences of the criminal conspiracy of a person, they wouldn’t be able to know his call and messaging
records. Even WhatsApp wouldn’t be able to break through an individual’s data since they would not have
the decryption keys. It is like easy access for communication to all the evil minds working against the peace
of the country.

2. The free call facility: WhatsApp’s not-so-old upgrading brought in free calling from one WhatsApp to the
other. It became a huge hit instantly. It doesn’t cost you anything but unlimited data. Now that it is
securely encrypted too, it could easily be used by criminal and terrorists to communicate with each other,
knowing that there would be no tracing or tracking them. The police would not be able to find out the
other people they interacted with. It is like a setback, sending advanced supervision to the era when call
tracing were not a concept.

3. Call tracing has helped: Call tracing and data procurement from social networks have helped the
investigation departments make positive progress in solving thousands of cases which would have
remained a mystery. Police and CBI have cracked the evil minded strategies of many criminals even before
they could make way for it. It was only possible because procuring call and message data was easier for
them. Many gangs and human traffickers have been caught owing to this technique. Very soon it will be a
matter of past if WhatsApp isn’t done away with.

4. Cybercrime: The cybercrime investigation departments have worked hard all these years to help people
stay free of cyber threats. Cases of blackmailing over obscene clips and picture were numerous but the
culprit was caught and punished all because it was accessible for the cybercrime department to look
through and find the loopholes that pointed towards the identity of the perpetrator. With impossible to
decrypt data, we could bid goodbye to the good work done by cybercrime cells.

5. What’s privacy and entertainment with security? So, people are agitated because they want privacy
and do not want anyone sneaking into their personal space, keeping track of messages and calls but are
they worried about security? Will it be worth sacrificing security for privacy and entertainment on social
media platforms? The cyber departments are not going to misuse the data that you send out but think of
what hackers could do with it.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
6. Illegal already: According to Indian constitution, WhatsApp has become illegal already. Section 5(2) of
the Indian Telegraph act grants the government the power to order the interception of messages which is
now impossible for WhatsApp. There are rules and procedures to be followed before tapping a person’s
phone calls of messages which ensures that your privacy is not leaked into the world. License Agreement
for Provision of Internet Services mandates that private parties in India cannot use encryption higher than
40-bits without procuring a permit from the government. WhatsApp really is in trouble with its 255-bit
encryption.

No:

1. Terrorism is not because of WhatsApp: There are various other means of communication, if not
WhatsApp, if criminals want to get their messages across. Terrorism did exist before WhatsApp and will
exist even if WhatsApp is banned. Instead of addressing this global threat with the other nations to know
how they are handling encryption, someone in India simply called for a ban. We just love the idea of
shunning anything that seems to disagree with our opinion.

2. Formulating laws could help: What we need are clearly and wisely formulated laws on encryption which
is currently lacking. Calling for a ban is extreme since it would not cut to the root of the problem. Problem
is that people do have presumptions regarding the prying eyes of the government officials. With the parties
full of goons, any of their information could be used for their personal benefits. People were overwhelmed
with the WhatsApp end-to-end encryption because it ensured them of privacy and protection from anyone
trying to sneak into their personal space.

3. How many will you ban? Viber, Secure Chat, Hike, Skype and so many apps that people are addicted to.
They all offer encryption that the government would want to shun with their 40-bits wand. These are all
the most effective means of communication for people staying far from friends and families. They bridge
the gap more effectively than any other social media app. It has solved the biggest problem and that is
cutting cost on calls.

WhatsApp, owned by social media giant Facebook, should comply with the 40-bit regulation. Banning
would be completely unfair but so would be allowing such a difficult encryption. Perhaps, new rules could
be formulated instead of a complete ban – a rule that could find a stable balance between upholding the
privacy of people and national security.

SC is set to hear the plea of the RTI activist and that would decide if WhatsApp will be shunned or
regulated. Either ways, people would not be happy – they love WhatsApp for the new end-to-end
encryption.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Impact of Brexit on UK and the world!
Decades of predictions and anticipations are ready to be weighed on the scale of reality as Britain packs its
boxes to bid farewell to European Union. While citizens of UK showed mixed reactions – some happy to
feel freed and others busy calculating the impacts that could go negative for them, the world outside
panicked. Without further ado let’s take a dig at some of the most prominent impacts of Brexit on UK and
the world at large.
Economic impacts:

1. Brexit managed to wipe $2 trillion off the global market. This came as a quick blow, maybe due to panic
or anticipations of losing further but this really happened. It is said to have gone down $1.50 trillion year-
to-date. Huge figures indeed!
2. British pound saw its worst ever day. Right at the early hours of Friday it went from being $1.50 against
the US dollar to just $1.33 which made FX traders experience the nightmare of their life.
3. The 8% slump in the pound is a big warning that UK is about to see inflation in days to come with imports
costing more than earlier.
4. Poorer citizens of UK will experience economic crisis more than ever as living costs will spike in days to
come.
5. Treasury modeling of currency shocks shows that there will be 2.3% increase in CPI which will increase
living cost for poor households by 3.3% while the richest people (who constitute 10% of the populace) will
see 1.6% increase in living costs.
6. The stock market of London started suffering abrupt loss but regained its stance to stop finally at 199
points or minus 3.1% amid clouds that forecast recession in the coming. UK, at the brink of recession, did
not expect such a negative impact.
7. The S&P 500, the broadest index of US stock, went down by 76 points to 2,037 points.
8. France got a tremendous shock with its CAC sliding by 8%.
9. Wall Street is said to have suffered its biggest one-day fall in 10 months. The Dow Jones Index slumped
by 608 points, or nearly 3.4 % at 17,402.
10. Japan’s Nikkei Index is being said to be experiencing its biggest fall since the Fukushima disaster of
2011.
11. Moody’s, the credit rating agency, cuts its rating outlook to negative owing to the economic problems
caused by Brexit. There are predictions of negative impact on the world economy and Moody is of the view
that unless UK negotiates a trade deal that largely replicates its current access to the single market, the
rating will continue to be negative. The country is at the verge of being downgraded.

12. Fall in pound has given access to Indian investors to gain property in UK at cheaper rates.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Political impacts:

1. British Prime Minister David Cameron tried to retain stability in the government but soon his political
position became unsustainable. He announced his plans to leave the position by October. The Conservative
party might become shattered with the referendum going totally against their plans and new elections will
have to be called for.
2. Geopolitics could go bad in times to come with Cameron gone. From the Labours’s party could rise
someone of euroskeptical nature and the ties which they have maintained with US could fail immediately.
Boris Johnson could be the next leader if new elections are called for.
3. There could be clash between UK nations and they might lose their unity after all. Scotland and Northern
Ireland had supported remaining in the UK since Scots have never been keen on being dominated by the
English. There could be more referendum of exists for Independence in times to come.

Immigration:

1. UK will gain complete control over its immigration issues. There would be no pestering for open border
policies to be burdened with. It would be able to filter and control the number of immigrants it wants to
take in.
2. EU nation citizens who are living in Britain and the British people who are living in one of the EU nations
will have to update their immigration statuses.
3. Travel costs from EU nations to Britain and vice versa will considerably increase and people will not have
easy access to and forth.
4. Companies that operate in EU as well as Britain will have to ensure that they are compliant with the two
sets of rules of both the nations.
5. Complying with the norms on each side might not be possible for all traders and hence trade for these
companies will come to a halt.
6. UK will still have to accept some immigration if it wants to continue trading with the rest of the EU
nations which brings us to think what is the point of exit if the immigration crisis would continue.

Trade impacts
1. Trading will suffer as companies would have to rethink policies in order to meet the set of guidelines of
both the sides. They will have to reframe strategies to stay in the trade.
2. British imports will suffer badly and is expected to go down by 25% in the next few years.
3. One third of the Indian investment in the UK is in the IT and telecom sector and now India will have to
set up different headquarters for Europe and Britain. Either India could be inclined towards EU or with
easier trade propositions from Britain alone.
4. UK, now free to make its own regulations, could be inclined towards making more investment in India –
after all India continues to be a great investment destination from the emerging markets perspective.
5. Larger companies, like Tata Group will face the shortcoming of higher tariffs imposed by the EU against

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
British imports.
It is going to take a year or two to complete the paperwork of a formal Brexit but the impacts won’t stop
anytime unless Britain goes the Norwegian way to negotiate trade deals. However, since the chances of
that happening are very low, we could expect more dent in the pound sterling and slow investment from
other nations.

Mobile Banking & Payment Industry in India


Mobile banking is growing and is changing the face of the banking industry in the country. Today, almost
every person is an active mobile phone user, with internet connectivity. With new apps being launched to
ensure convenience to the customers, along with security, mobile banking has been gaining popularity and
is being increasingly used today.

Growth and advancement in mobile technology is taking the mobile banking & payment industry in India
by storm. Banks have numerous opportunities to extend convenience and services to their existing
customers, as well as to the unbanked customer base in the rural parts of the country. With new ideas
being introduced in the industry on an everyday basis now, the competition has increased manifold, and
the industry is undergoing a state of transition.

Growth in Technology
The use of mobile phones has increased over the past few years and has widened the network of mobile
and internet connectivity across the country. With advancement in mobile technology, new ideas are being
introduced in the form of new apps and services in the mobile banking industry. These services aim at
ensuring increased convenience and security to their customers, and decrease in bank transaction costs.
Over the past two years, mobile banking customers has increased drastically, with an automatic increase in
mobile banking transactions.
Growth in Competition
New entrants in the Indian mobile banking & payment industry, like PayPal, M-Pesa and Paytm Wallet have
a huge contribution in this development of the industry. The reliability, security and convenience offered to
customers by these intermediaries has increased customer confidence and the eventual growth in banking
transactions.
Regulatory Steps
To further these services being provided to the customers, the Payment & Settlements Systems Act is
regulating the mobile payment industry in the country. Various necessary guidelines and security measures
have been introduced for secure card transactions in online & mobile banking.
Reaching out to the Unbanked & Meeting Needs

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
One of the challenges for the banking industry in India has been to extend its services to the unbanked
customer base in the rural areas of the country. In this regard, allowance was provided by the commercial
banks to appoint Business Correspondents, who act on behalf of the bank and deal with these unbanked
customers. These correspondents deliver these services with the help of the technology of mobile banking
& payment.
Also, banking needs of the population based in rural areas is different from those in urban areas. The
increased use of mobile phones and technological advancement in mobile banking has been able to meet
these differing needs and requirements effectively, with considerably reduced transaction costs. Both
transfer and management of funds can be done for the customers through mobile banking, without any
leakage of funds.
In Recent Days, there has been many partnership by Indian banks to facilitate Transaction through mobile
and to boast Contact less Payments.
The Future
At present, the mobile banking industry has too many players from the banking industry as well as adjacent
industries, entering and attempting with new and innovative ideas. There are prospects of voice
technology, more mobile apps and third-party payment services in the industry.
This sure has created some confusion in the minds of the customers. With time, those who have truly made
their mark in the mobile banking industry will stand out, with a thorough understanding of customers and
their needs, the regulations governing the industry, and future prospects that this industry holds.

Role of Technology in Banking sector


Technology has been a boon to many industries and especially to the banking industry. With the help of
technology banks are able to reach out to more customers and provide better services to them. Also, it
helps them function in an organized and in a secure way.

As for us (the customers) we have ATMs, Cash deposit machines, online banking, mobile banking etc which
are all fruits of technological advances which have made our banking experience much easier.

The following points prove the importance of technology in banking industry:

1. Mobile banking: Telephone or Mobile banking is a service provided by a banks and financial institution
where customer performs their transaction, over the telephone. This technology facilitates to call the bank
and give order to a bank computer for carrying out of operation under your account.

2. Automated Teller Machine: An automated teller machine is a computerized device that provides access
for financial transaction in a public place. The customer can have access to his bank account to make cash
withdrawals and check balances. Apart from these functions ATM facilitates to transfer money from one

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
account to another and can request for a cheque book.

3. Debit cards: A Debit card is a plastic card with a magnetic strip that can be used by a consumer as a
means of payment. Unlike a credit card, there is no line of credit; the debit card is linked to the account.

Funds charged to a debit card are directly deducted from the bank account it is associated with. It is card
that provides an alternative payment method to cash for making purchases. It can also be called as
electronic cheque.

4. Internet Banking: Internet banking means conducting financial transaction through a website. In
Internet banking consumers have an access to their account through a server. It provides various services
like online trading, online bill payment, shop online etc.

Conclusion: Emerging technologies have changed the banking industry from paper and branch based banks
to ”digitized and networked banking services. Therefore we can conclude that "Technology has played a big
role in reducing fraud in banks which protects its clients".

Social Networking - Boon or Bane?


Yes, there you see a crowd…… barge in and shoot out the most fancied and frequently asked question of
the century….. Is there anyone without a Facebook Account? You are sure to be insulted, with not a single
person would raise his hand indicative of the fact that either all of them possess accounts or that the
handful of them without such Accounts are holding back out of sheer feeling of shame and
embarrassment. This is the scenario faced by the world today. "The World dominated by Social Networking
Sites". Facebook, Twitter, What's App and its other counte m,mrparts have become the favorite abode for
the world at large. They have become a part and parcel of our lives as it takes not more than a fraction of a
second for anything good or bad to go VIRAL!!!!

In today's busy world where all of us are striving to earn a livelihood, life has become extremely mechanical
and utmost hectic. With the tremendous advancement in IT sector, the primary respite to the so called "
Mechanical Men" from their daily chores lies in Social Media and Social Media in its various manifestations
like Facebook, Twitter and What's App have not failed to engulf the whole world into its ambit, so much so
that people everywhere are glued on to the platform provided to them, each one of them busy creating a
niche for themselves in the virtual media, where they portray their unique identity, their views and
opinions.

Social Networking sites have brought about a dramatic change in our outlook today. People feel free to

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
voice out their opinion and lend their ears to others as they are sure that there would be supporters for
their views as well. These sites aptly replicate the mass media, several times more powerful than the third
estate as all our views may not be acceptable to the print media. They can also be regarded as the
storehouse of knowledge as people come to know about all that is going on around them, keeping them
adequately updated with current affairs. Social media has laid open the windows for the users to soar high
with the power of their views, imagination, ideas and opinions. It has become the most effective tool for
initiating a social cause, be it for lending alms to the poor or for anything relating to our immediate
surroundings. The strength that such campaigns imbibe when presented in the social media is sure to move
mountains and is worth emulating. The users of social media have gained something more….. yes their old
friends and acquaintances that they have left out long ago amidst their haste to get settled in life. They get
to know about the whereabouts of their friends and have a look at their photos and videos real time.

But of course, we shouldn't forget that every sunny day has within its fold, a dreary and dreadful night and
so it is in the case of social networking sites….. Yes all is not well with social networking sites. This recent
entrant is sometimes referred to as the Weapon of Mass Destruction….. for their dynamic power to destroy
anything good on their way, be it the valuable time or relationship between near and dear ones. The
productive time that is wasted by people, especially youth in surfing such sites have nothing to be
compensated with and it for this simple reason that many corporate have banned such sites during office
hours. These sites offer a fertile ground for cyber fraud and cyber evils threatening the community to be
staged. There are infinite number of fake accounts floated on such sites and people fall mercilessly into
such traps almost unabated which is evident from the numerous instances blared out by newspapers every
single day. Above all social networking sites lack the personal touch that is inherent while receiving a phone
call or a message from your dearest friend. It is often said that "As you get closer to your far away friends
through Facebook, you get farther away from those who are close to you." Think of the duration of the joy
that you get when you receive a like on face book for any of your comments/Photos. It is truly not more
than a minute …. And what is the whole point in making thousands of friends on Facebook when in reality
you don't have any intimacy with them and you are sure that they won't turn up when you are in trouble.
Such sites don't forget to send you intimation about your friend's birthday….. but do you really need the
help of such sites to remember your friend's birthday??? The latest trend witnessed in society today is
among school children opening Facebook Accounts and chatting with friends whom they meet every day at
schools. The whole idea of using social networking sites in such disastrous ways has contributed to its
disadvantages.

It is high time for us to realize that whether social networking sites are a boon or a bane depends on how
effectively and efficiently it is made use of by people at large. However it would not be proper to end
without proclaiming that they have truly helped people overcome the geographical barriers and have
transformed the whole world into a GLOBAL VILLAGE.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
BASEL - III - It's aftermath and effects
What are the Basel-III norms?
These are rules written by the Bank of International Settlement's Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS)
whose mandate is to define the reform agenda for the global banking community as a whole. The new rule
prescribes how to assess risks, and how much capital to set aside for banks in keeping with their risk
profile.

What are the changes which have been made to the way in which capital is defined?
Going by the new rules, the predominant component of capital is common equity and retained earnings.
The new rules restrict inclusion of items such as deferred tax assets, mortgage-servicing rights and
investments in financial institutions to no more than 15% of the common equity component. These rules
aim to improve the quantity and quality of the capital.

What do these new rules say?


While the key capital ratio has been raised to 7% of risky assets, according to the new norms, Tier-I capital
that includes common equity and perpetual preferred stock will be raised from 2-4.5% started in phases
from January 2013 to be completed by January 2015. In addition, banks will have to set aside another 2.5%
as a contingency for future stress. Banks that fail to meet the buffer would be unable to pay dividends,
though they will not be forced to raise cash.

How different is the approach now?


The new norms are based on renewed focus of central bankers on macro-prudential stability. The global
financial crisis following the crisis in the US sub-prime market has prompted this change in approach. The
previous set of guidelines, popularly known as Basel II focused on macro-prudential regulation. In other
words, global regulators are now focusing on financial stability of the system as a whole rather than micro
regulation of any individual bank.

How will these norms impact Indian banks?


Indian banks are not likely to be impacted by the new capital rules. The aggregate capital to risk-weighted
assets ratio of the Indian banking system stood at 13.4%, of which Tier-I capital constituted 9.3%. As such,
RBI does not expect our banking system to be significantly stretched in meeting the proposed new capital
rules, both in terms of the overall capital requirement and the quality of capital. There may be some
negative impact arising from shifting some deductions from Tier-I and Tier-II capital to common equity.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Water Crisis and the Monsoon Factor in India"
India is largely a tropical country, with nearly two-thirds of its population eking out its meagre living on
agriculture. Agriculture's contribution in our economy is 13.9 per cent. Therefore one can infer that our
agriculture is a problem-silencer and problem-adder, the former because where the employment is hidden
by disguised employment and the latter because large amount of our work-force goes waste because of
the dismal productivity. Discounting all these negativities, the fact of the matter remains that ours is
predominantly an agricultural economy. Farming community in India derives its life-blood from the
monsoon-dependent agriculture. People work hard, put in consistent efforts but at the end of the day, the
returns remain uncertain, and no less elusive. The primary reason for the uncertainty is our uneven and
uncertain water resources. Where large swathes of land remain dry for large parts of the year, some
months give farmers a big worry by floods and their regular unseemliness.

Water-crisis in our country is an ever-pervading reality. Many a people die, directly and indirectly, because
of water deficiency, water depletion and water sufficiency but having become poison. With increasing
subsistence and use of water, it is no rocket-science to understand that a substantial number of our north-
Indian perennial rivers have either become dead, near-dead or heavily polluted. The example of a dead
river in recent times is Hindon river (Zero BOD) in western Uttar Pradesh, Yamuna of Delhi is a near-dead
river and our mighty Ganga, despite its large carrying capacity, is a heavily-polluted river. The pollution of
rivers has only made our worst fears come true and has shattered our lives in general and of farmers in
particular. The impact of pollution and subsequent water crisis in Ganga on North-India can be measured
from the sentence, "What is brain for human machine, Ganga is for Northern plains. When brain is dead,
the patient is brain-dead."

Water crisis in India is also deeply entrenched because of our mindless and historical over-reliance on
Monsoon, which comes at its own will and goes at its own, sometimes clicks and sometimes strikes,
sometimes earlier and sometimes delayed. Though, it is veritably true that Monsoon has been the
historical cornerstone of our agriculture but the absence, resulting out of reluctance of subsequent
regimes, of any concrete game plan to mitigate the effects of the gaps and inadequacies in the monsoons
has made Monsoon our weak point. Though there have been in place certain measures like Rashtriya Kisan
Vikas Yojana and other subsidies in place to help the farmers but the zilch progress on setting the structure
of the agriculture is the real grave problem. Present government's scheme Rashtriya Krishi Sinchaaye
Yojana for irrigation to agriculture is a step in the right direction. Similarly "per drop more crop" is a
positive step to ensure effective utilization of water. Sprinkler irrigation on a country-wide scale can also
help.

Since water-crisis has a direct impact on us all in general and poor agriculturists in particular, it is
imperative to keep the interests of the Indian farmers, largely having small landholdings, in mind, on the
forefront. There is a project named National River Linking Project (NRLP), a pet project of the previous NDA

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
government, which is being looked into a-new. From how it has been designed, one can say that it may
provide some kind of succour to the regions which experience a deficient rainfall and no-temporary water
crisis like Bundelkhand of UP and adjoining region of MP (where Sesame, Arhar, Soyabean etc are grown),
Vidharbha of Maharashtra (Where Cotton and Sugarcane are Grown), arid and semi-arid regions of
Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh like Tumkur, Bellary, Anantpur etc. It can be that our water unevenness gets
somewhat solved by the project but the constraints raised by different environmental and policy groups
are a barrier yet in thinking of the project as a panacea to every water-related problem that our country is
confronted with.

Water-crisis is nowhere to go at least for the foreseeable future but it is within the realms of possibility to
strive and then usher in the energy to moderate its effects. Judicious use of the resource, effective cycling
and recycling of the used water and innovation in the water-delivery systems for agriculture have the
potential to make our water-woes much less painful, if not fully painless.

Water Crisis and the Monsoon Factor in India, Discuss the


necessary measures
India is largely a tropical country, with nearly two-thirds of its population eking out its meagre living on
agriculture. Agriculture's contribution in our economy is 13.9 per cent. Therefore one can infer that our
agriculture is a problem-silencer and problem-adder, the former because where the employment is hidden
by disguised employment and the latter because large amount of our work-force goes waste because of
the dismal productivity. Discounting all these negativities, the fact of the matter remains that ours is
predominantly an agricultural economy. Farming community in India derives its life-blood from the
monsoon-dependent agriculture. People work hard, put in consistent efforts but at the end of the day, the
returns remain uncertain, and no less elusive. The primary reason for the uncertainty is our uneven and
uncertain water resources. Where large swathes of land remain dry for large parts of the year, some
months give farmers a big worry by floods and their regular unseemliness.

Water-crisis in our country is an ever-pervading reality. Many a people die, directly and indirectly, because
of water deficiency, water depletion and water sufficiency but having become poison. With increasing
subsistence and use of water, it is no rocket-science to understand that a substantial number of our north-
Indian perennial rivers have either become dead, near-dead or heavily polluted. The example of a dead
river in recent times is Hindon river (Zero BOD) in western Uttar Pradesh, Yamuna of Delhi is a near-dead
river and our mighty Ganga, despite its large carrying capacity, is a heavily-polluted river. The pollution of
rivers has only made our worst fears come true and has shattered our lives in general and of farmers in
particular. The impact of pollution and subsequent water crisis in Ganga on North-India can be measured
from the sentence, "What is brain for human machine, Ganga is for Northern plains. When brain is dead,

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
the patient is brain-dead."

Water crisis in India is also deeply entrenched because of our mindless and historical over-reliance on
Monsoon, which comes at its own will and goes at its own, sometimes clicks and sometimes strikes,
sometimes earlier and sometimes delayed. Though, it is veritably true that Monsoon has been the
historical cornerstone of our agriculture but the absence, resulting out of reluctance of subsequent
regimes, of any concrete game plan to mitigate the effects of the gaps and inadequacies in the monsoons
has made Monsoon our weak point. Though there have been in place certain measures like Rashtriya Kisan
Vikas Yojana and other subsidies in place to help the farmers but the zilch progress on setting the structure
of the agriculture is the real grave problem. Present government's scheme Rashtriya Krishi Sinchaaye
Yojana for irrigation to agriculture is a step in the right direction. Similarly "per drop more crop" is a
positive step to ensure effective utilization of water. Sprinkler irrigation on a country-wide scale can also
help.

Since water-crisis has a direct impact on us all in general and poor agriculturists in particular, it is
imperative to keep the interests of the Indian farmers, largely having small landholdings, in mind, on the
forefront. There is a project named National River Linking Project (NRLP), a pet project of the previous NDA
government, which is being looked into a-new. From how it has been designed, one can say that it may
provide some kind of succour to the regions which experience a deficient rainfall and no-temporary water
crisis like Bundelkhand of UP and adjoining region of MP (where Sesame, Arhar, Soyabean etc are grown),
Vidharbha of Maharashtra (Where Cotton and Sugarcane are Grown), arid and semi-arid regions of
Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh like Tumkur, Bellary, Anantpur etc. It can be that our water unevenness gets
somewhat solved by the project but the constraints raised by different environmental and policy groups
are a barrier yet in thinking of the project as a panacea to every water-related problem that our country is
confronted with.

Water-crisis is nowhere to go at least for the foreseeable future but it is within the realms of possibility to
strive and then usher in the energy to moderate its effects. Judicious use of the resource, effective cycling
and recycling of the used water and innovation in the water-delivery systems for agriculture have the
potential to make our water-woes much less painful, if not fully painless.

Agricultural Techniques in India and the


condition of farmers
INDIA has been known to be an Agrarian country since centuries. Her great physiography, climate, latitude,
etc. has led to the production of great varieties of food consumed.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Since ancient times, man has been practising agriculture and also other activities like the animal
husbandry, poultry, etc. but the difference here is that he carried out 'Shifting Cultivation' until when the
time came in that he learned to grow crops using different techniques on one same land only. This is how
stability came into their life.

Agriculture has also been one of the major reasons for the British, French, Dutch, and Portuguese to come
and settle down in India for years. But today the scenario has changed. Globalisation has brought in some
positive and also some negative change within society and the activities. On one hand, the scope of
agriculture has widened, while on other-its contribution to India's total national income has come down.
Historically over 80% land is suitable for raising crops but over 15% out of it has been laid waste by poor
management practices. The frequent climatic changes taking place has caused damage and a great loss to
the farmers wherein committing suicide is found to be the best solution to this problem for them. On the
other side, some have found in new techniques and new varieties of crops as well. Due to growing
population there is more need for food and due to urbanization there is more demand for land so
producing more in less available and cultivable land is a great challenge.
Nowadays, Organic Farming, Vertical Farming, Multicrop Farming, Greenhouse Farming, Polytunnel or
Polyhouse Farming, Terrace Farming, etc. are practised on a large scale. Organic farming is an agricultural
form that relies on Crop Rotation, Green Manure, Compost, Biological Pest Control and also Mechanical
Cultivation. This helps to maintain soil quality and also limits use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. The
growth of market for organic products since 1990, has led to the demand for organic farming.

Multi crop farming helps farmers to avail money from different types of crops and it also helps to enhance
the fertility of the soil. This almost gives farmers an opportunity for continuous income.While green house
farming not being a that very new concept, has been used in nurseries, floriculture industry, etc. These
farms help controlled and favourable environment for the crops to grow in all seasons and also reduces
consumption of irrigation water. Low- cost, medium- cost and hi-tech green house are the different types
of greenhouses found. The Polyhouse or Polytunnel farming meaning cultivating crops under protected
conditions has advantages and also disadvantages. Whereas terrace farming is mostly carried out in city
area. India has thus been since years the largest producers of various agricultural products like Fresh Fruits,
Jute, Cotton, Rice, Wheat, Groundnuts, Tea, Coffee, etc. etc.

The major problems of farmers have been large families that is the land is fragmented into small portions
among the family members which reduces its productivity power and also less quantity gets produced.
Seeds, excess use of fertilizers and pesticides, lack of irrigation method i.e less availability of proper water,
lack of skills and mechanism, etc has also been reasons affecting farming and the farmers. There are also
few economic related problems like inadequate transport, inadequate storage, scarcity of capital,
agricultural marketing and much more.

The general stores selling every type of product are taking in all customers of the vendors selling their

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
produce in general markets. This can also be considered as a reason for less price to agricultural produce
sold in markets as compared to the price in malls or general stores. For this scenario to be changed the
farmers in India need to adopt new techniques, the government needs to give a good price for the farmers
produce. There's a need for giving employment to people in an organised sector and also implementing
properly the various policies planned and designed for the betterment of farmers. The farmers should be
given opportunity to contribute in the planning for the policies for them as a person who has actual
experience in this field can bring out better solutions than the one who has just seen it.

Does Globalisation Benefit Developing Countries More


Than The Developed Ones?
Until now, there is no single generally accepted definition of globalisation. Put 10 different economists
together and you will get 11 different definitions. However, most acknowledge that it is the process of
freer movement of human, goods, capital and information due to increase in economic integration. Down
the road, we have seen that level of international trade increases dramatically over the past decade,
especially creation of new trade ties between the rich and poor countries

Some economists argue that such process actually benefits rich and developed nations more than the poor
ones. On the other hand, some argue that the benefits accrued by third world countries have been
underestimated

Why developing countries benefit more?

(1) Lift many out of poverty. It is not difficult to see why. When a transnational company (TNC) decides to
relocate in low-cost economies, many new jobs will be created. It can be in production line, technical areas
and also management. People who are once unemployed will now have an opportunity to improve their
livelihood while those who already have working experience may be able to climb to a higher corporate
platform, thus earn better pay. Consider China. It has the largest poverty reduction in history, from 250
million in 1978 to about 34 millions in 1999. Indian government, has successfully cut poverty rate by half
despite late in opening up their economy

(2) Backbone of growth. With globalisation, goods can easily penetrate the borders of other countries,
thanks to the prominent role played by WTO. With its establishment (previously was GATT), global tariffs
on average has been reduced from 40% to just 4%. Low-cost Asian economies have the most to benefit
from this. This is because of the comparative advantage in manufacturing sector. Unskilled labours are in
abundance and yet level of productivity is comparable. Besides natural resources are easily obtainable
which further reduces the production costs. As such local economies can pursue export-led growth, a

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
buzzword synonymous with China. Such strategy allows economic diversification, rather than just having a
typical primary sector. The impact onto local economy can be magnified through multiplier effect. Perhaps
this explains, why China can register double-digit growth in the past few year.

(3) Exposure to competition. Firms which were once operating behind walls of barriers will now be forced
to be more competitive. Failure to do so, will force them to exit the industry very soon. Local firms will now
be more careful with the allocation of scarce resources to ensure there is no wastage. They will employ the
most efficient techniques of production. Innovation and R&D activities will increase to ensure the rolling-
out of new products, to satisfy consumer needs. Workers must continuously improve their productivity to
ensure that they are still relevant. All these when combine, will have a powerful supply-side effect that will
ensure the success of local economy in long run

(4) Cheaper price and more choice of goods. That’s simple. Say, a country produces barley. When barley is
also sourced from outside that means supply of barley in the economy will increase, causing its price to fall.
That’s something to be cheered by most consumers who are best categorized as low to middle income
earners. Consumer surplus will increase too since the gap between what they are willing to pay and what
they are actually paying increases. On top of that, standard of living will also increase when there are more
choice of goods

Why rich countries benefit more?

(1) Widening income inequality. Fragmentation of production process is driven by the goal of cost-
minimising. In many parts of Asia, labours are cheap, productivity is considerably high, raw materials are
easily obtainable and cost of shipping has fallen. Goods are produced with the lowest cost possible and in
most circumstance, cost saving will not be passed on to foreign buyers when the goods are shipped back to
home country. Entrepreneurs are reaping higher supernormal profits, while management will reward
themselves with fat bonuses leaving nothing for those grass-root workers. Even if there is, the reward
might be insignificant. This partly explains for the widening income inequality between the developed and
developing nations. While I agree that very few people will make a huge fortune out of this, they are
normally the firm owner which runs business that supply raw materials to foreign firms

(2) Low reinvestment onto local economy. In theory, foreign firms will reinvest part of their profits into the
local economy hence giving the economic growth a boost. In reality, most of the post-tax profits will be
repatriated towards home country, hence very little left to generate value for local economy. Local
suppliers of raw materials and capital goods may not benefit from this. In some worst case scenarios, local
firms will relocate to another place when the period of tax concession is over. All I can say is no
reinvestment and no tax proceeds for government

(3) Source of environmental hazard. There is no way we can claim that standard of living in developing

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
nations has increased when those countries become the house to so many factories which over-operate.
Water and air pollution are inevitable. Noise pollution is out of control when houses are located near to
factories or construction sites. Congestion is becoming more prominent when an area is designated for
factories. It is worth to note that 1st world countries have ‘shifted their problems’ to the 3rd world. Air is
cleaner over the other side. Their factories use clean technology unlike those in Asia. What’s more when
the environmental law is weak

(4) Exploitation of labour. Perhaps proponents of globalisation have exaggerated their stand. Claiming that
the standard of living in developing countries has increased based on real GDP per capita may not be that
accurate. While it is true that unskilled workers have received an increase in their paycheck, it is nothing
close to an increase in their workload. In short, an increase of wages by 10% leads to an increase of 50% in
works. One does not need to be a genius to see how factory workers are exploited in China. They are paid
peanuts and yet overworked. Women suffer the most in terms of discrimination in workplace. Labour
union is weak and the existing law is just too fragile to uphold justice for them. Also some workers may be
put to work under unsafe conditions. For instance, child labour in mines

(5) Put more into poverty. While it is true that many jobs are created when foreign factories and firms are
opened, there are even more unseen job losses. Some claim that every one new job created, up to three
will be lost. Think about this. How many local firms that really have the competitive edge to race against
giant conglomerates? Nearly none. In short, industrial liberalization rewards the competitive firms and
penalizes those uncompetitive ones which are made up of majority. Job creation is insufficient to offset the
amount of job losses. If globalisation brings so much benefit, then how come 80% of the global populations
earn only 20% of global income?

(6) Domination of local economy. Poor countries often become the subject of biasness. The WTO although
in theory is said to be an independent organization, is not more than a puppet to rich and powerful nation
like US. Poor countries are often urged to open up their economy to the import of agriculture goods from
1st world. On the other hand, it does not take any serious action when US and EU have such thick tariffs
protecting their agriculture and dairy industry against agricultural produce from the 3rd world. Also
through influential organization like IMF and World Bank, powerful countries have become the shadow
that meddles with the fate of HIPCs (Highly Indebted Poor Countries). Many ill-suited policies are fed onto
3rd world which creates more harm than good. The intention is to keep them begging for more financial
aid and hence being locked into more pricey agreement which they cannot commit

Globalization means exchanging our ideas, thoughts & services with other countries so that we can develop
our country by new technologies. It doesn't mean that we should not respect our nation. We should follow
our culture. By this we can globalize our products, exchange our ideas globally, improves education and
standard of living. It is because only with globalization India has achieved so much in technology &
education. Due to this there is no chance of unemployment. But there may be a problem of brain-drain.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
We should use globalization just for interacting with other countries but not following their culture and
traditions. As for a developing country we need advanced technology. This can be done by sharing ideas
with other countries. Each & every country has some great thoughts we need to take that great ideas so
that we can make our country a developed country sooner. So finally according to me globalization is
necessary

Yes, Globalization plays an important role in developing economy of any nation. This is the age of
Technology, If we want to uplift the economy any of our nation then we must adopt the new modern
Technologies.

There are many advantages of Globalisation:


1. It brings good exchange of ideas, thought, technology at global level.
2. It helps in improving our technology.
3. It helps in developing new domestic tools for own use within the nation.
4. It helps in exchanging the culture and civilisation of any nation.
5. It gives us luxury.

There are some disadvantages too :


1. There is brain drain condition.
2. We adopts something negative culture of other nations, which leads loss of our own culture.

Education at all level should Ade free for


women in India
Education at all level will provide benefits for both the nation and the women individuals. By giving these
women education, this enables everyone's potential to be fully tapped and released. Moreover, this will
help India to develop economically as a higher number of people will be educated and more talents will be
discovered. It is necessary for the government to open opportunities (in the field of education) for every
individual in order for the country to progress. This will provide the government with a wider range of
selection for the talented individuals instead of limiting these opportunities to the males. In addition, it has
been shown that although 68% of the women in India work, this is not reflected in the economy of India.
This is partially due to the fact that most of them work as labourers and cultivators in the agriculture
industry. Hence, by allowing education to be more accessible to the Indian women enables better job
opportunities to be made available to them when they are equipped with the necessary skills.
in my openion,the women should be gives free education,womens are supposed and exploited.From the
times unknown,if,this free education is gives to womens.I believe that world change the phase of the

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
countriesBut I can very much aware that it cant be done as it is difficult task that's why its should be limited
its high level.women exploited and financial state of the rural areas boys and girls.illustrate people and
finally obstruction netigian.pessurance,ratica dedicated and present women are not be expoited and they
are independent and they are support their families now because of free education and they are
independent nature now.Finally,i support the free education for women in india.

Women Education
Educated women are capable of bringing socio-economic changes. The constitution of almost all
democratic countries, including India, grantees equal rights to both men and women. Primary education is
now a fundamental right. When a woman (or a girl) is ensured of her rights, the society at large is ensured
of its sustainability.

Realizing the importance of women education, the government and many non-government organizations
took a lot of projects to spread women education. Literacy programs are being taken in favor of women.

Importance of Women education

The importance of women education is briefly summarized below:

Economic development and prosperity: Education will empower women to come forward and contribute
towards the development and prosperity of the country.

Economic empowerment: So long as women remain backward and economically dependent on men, the
helpless condition of them cannot be changed. Economic empowerment and independence will only come
through proper education and employment of women.

Improved life: In our country, girls wait for marriage and after marriage they lost their entities. Their rights
are trodden down, sometimes situation becomes insulting. If we do not take a broad outlook in the field of
female education, the situation will be worse.

Dignity and honor: Educated women are now looked upon with dignity and honor. They become a source
of inspiration for millions of young girls who make them their role-models.

Justice: Educated women are more informed of their rights for justice. It would eventually lead to decline
in instances of violence and injustice against women such as dowry, forced-prostitution, child-marriage,
female foeticide, etc.

Choice to choose a profession of her choice: Educated women can prove be highly successful in the fields

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
of life. A girl-child should get equal opportunity for education, so that, she can plan to become a successful
doctors, engineers, nurses, air-hostesses, cook, or choose a profession of her choice.

Alleviate poverty: Women education is a pre-requisite to alleviate poverty. Women need to take equal
burden of the massive task of eliminating poverty. This would demand massive contribution from educated
women. There cannot be much social and economic changes unless girls and women are given their rights
for education.

We can hope for better days while all women of our country will be enlightened and educated.

Why Should You Invest in Mutual Funds?


When considering investment opportunities, the first challenge that almost every investor faces is a
plethora of options. From stocks, bonds, shares, money market securities, to the right combination of two
or more of these, however, every option presents its own set of challenges and benefits.

So why should investors consider mutual funds over others to achieve their investment goals?

Mutual funds allow investors to pool in their money for a diversified selection of securities, managed by a
professional fund manager. It offers an array of innovative products like fund of funds, exchange-traded
funds, Fixed Maturity Plans, Sectoral Funds and many more.

Whether the objective is financial gains or convenience,mutual funds offer many benefits to its investors

Beat Inflation

Mutual Funds help investors generate better inflation-adjusted returns, without spending a lot of time and
energy on it.While most people consider letting their savings 'grow' in a bank, they don't consider that
inflation may be nibbling away its value.

Suppose you have Rs. 100 as savings in your bank today. These can buy about 10 bottles of water. Your
bank offers 5% interest per annum, so by next year you will have Rs. 105 in your bank.

However, inflation that year rose by 10%. Therefore, one bottle of water costs Rs. 11. By the end of the
year, with Rs. 105, you will not be able to afford 10 bottles of water anymore.
Mutual Funds provide an ideal investment option to place your savings for a long-term inflation adjusted
growth, so that the purchasing power of your hard earned money does not plummet over the years.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Expert Manager

Backed by a dedicated research team, investors are provided with the services of an experienced fund
manager who handles the financial decisions based on the performance and prospects available in the
market to achieve the objectives of the mutual fund scheme.

Convenience
Mutual funds are an ideal investment option when you are looking at convenience and timesaving
opportunity. With low investment amount alternatives, the ability to buy or sell them on any business day
and a multitude of choices based on an individual's goal and investment need, investors are free to pursue
their course of life while their investments earn for them.

Low Cost

Probably the biggest advantage for any investor is the low cost of investment that mutual funds offer, as
compared to investing directly in capital markets. Most stock options require significant capital, which may
not be possible for young investors who are just starting out.

Mutual funds, on the other hand, are relatively less expensive. The benefit of scale in brokerage and fees
translates to lower costs for investors. One can start with as low as Rs. 500 and get the advantage of long
term equity investment.

Diversification
Going by the adage, 'Do not put all your eggs in one basket', mutual funds help mitigate risks to a large
extent by distributing your investment across a diverse range of assets. Mutual funds offer a great
investment opportunity to investors who have a limited investment capital.

Liquidity
Investors have the advantage of getting their money back promptly, in case of open-ended schemes based
on the Net Asset Value (NAV) at that time. In case your investment is close-ended, it can be traded in the
stock exchange, as offered by some schemes.

Higher Return Potential

Based on medium or long-term investment, mutual funds have the potential to generate a higher return, as
you can invest on a diverse range of sectors and industries.

Safety &Transparency

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Fund managers provide regular information about the current value of the investment, along with their
strategy and outlook, to give a clear picture of how your investments are doing.

Moreover, since every mutual fund is regulated by SEBI, you can be assured that your investments are
managed in a disciplined and regulated manner and are in safe hands.

Every form of investment involves risk. However, skilful management, selection of fundamentally sound
securities and diversification can help reduce the risk, while increasing the chances of higher returns over
time.

Aadhar Card’s Scope In India : History, Pros and


Cons
Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identification number issued to Indian citizens by the Central government. It is
issued and managed by the UIDAI.

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) is a statutory authority established under the
provisions of the Aadhaar Act 2016 on 12 July 2016 by the Government of India, under the Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology. Under the Aadhaar Act 2016, UIDAI is responsible for Aadhaar
enrolment and authentication, including operation and management of all stages of Aadhaar life cycle,
developing the policy, procedure and system for issuing Aadhaar numbers to individuals and perform
authentication and also required to ensure the security of identity information and authentication records
of individuals.

• Aadhaar is not a proof of citizenship. It is essentially an identification document issued by the UIDAI
after it records and verifies every Indian resident’s details.

• These details include biometric and demographic data. Aadhaar is not meant to replace existing
identification documents like PAN, passport, driving license etc. However, it can be used as a single
identification document.

• With 1.123 billion enrolled members as of 28 February 2017 and over 99% of Indians aged 18 and
above being enrolled, Aadhaar has been described as “the most sophisticated ID program in world”.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
• Its scope has been greatly expanded in recent months, with the government pushing for it to be
mandated for availing welfare programs and official programs.

• The Aadhaar program has seen the Supreme Court and the government being at odds with each
other. The SC has repeatedly rejected any push to make Aadhaar mandatory for welfare schemes.

• The rising significance of Aadhaar has been accompanied by rising concerns over privacy issues and
potential for abuse and data breaches.

Pros

Aadhaar has been lauded in the public policy sphere as being a game-changer for effective implementation
of government schemes. Its most crucial role is that of plugging leakages via targeted public delivery and
social support systems.

Thus, Aadhaar is permeating into almost all forms of public services and processes and is increasingly being
made mandatory for a number of government procedures including filing income tax, applying for a PAN
card and even availing jobs under MNREGA. So, Aadhaar card and number provide us with national
identification and social benefits, and protect us from corruption and tax evasion.

Cons

When the Aadhaar was first implemented, most of the concerns related to it were regarding the
infringement of right to privacy of Indian citizens, the security of the collected biometric data, and the
legality of making Aadhaar mandatory. But these concerns have reached altogether a new level after the
issuance of more than 1,130,308,464 Aadhaar cards.

The concerns now is this: is the implementation and execution of the Aadhaar Act error-free? Are
government and extra-governmental agencies sticking to the various protective provisions of the Act? It
turns out this is where some of the good intentions behind the act are being eroded.

Click on below links

• Specialization vs Generalization
• Technology changing the face of Education
• Social Networking in our lives
• Unique Identification Number For Every Indian
• Role of digitization in Banking Sector

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
List of Essay writing Topics Asked in Previous
Year Exams
• Digitalization: The Next Revolution
• Mobile Technology – Growing Trend in Education Space
• How a Bankruptcy Code could improve the Financial Inclusion?
• Role of Small & Payment Banks in Financial Inclusion?
• Brexit ( UK withdrawal from the EU). What will be the Impact on India Economy?
• How Tourism effects Religious pilgrimage?
• How Nationalized Banks has contributed to the growth of Economy in India?
• How NABARD is a boon to Indian Agricultural Sector?
• Stable government is important for economic growth.
• Pros and Cons of outsourcing of banking activities.
• Benefit and Disadvantages of E-Commerce.
• Setting personal financial goal early in life.
• Banking Risk and Management
• Women Empowerment
• Will India ever be a developed country?
• Economic importance of tourism.
• Transformation caused on workplace by information technology In past two decades
• Advantages of classroom education over distance learning
• Tackling communication gap between the families due to mass media and internet.
• Role of effective credit rating.
• If I were minister of Banking Industry.
• Two types function of government are necessary and optional.
• There is no permanent friend or enemy in politics give examples from Indian politics.
• Relevance of Swadeshi on Globalization.
• How far can a press have license to infringe in others privacy?
• How economy is is related to common man?
• Pros and cons of allowing 10 year old children to open accounts.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
• Future of Banking Industry.
• How can education on economy are indulged in the college study?
• Contribution of unskilled labour in Indian economy.
• Role of newspapers in influencing society or youth.
• Suggestions to alleviate unemployment problem.
• India's Place in research paper survey.
• United Nation Organizations contribution towards the recent turmoil's in Ukraine.
• Benefits of Mutual fund investments.
• The Viability of Presidential Form of Govt In India.
• Those who saved More Taxed More. Justify
• Is presidential form of government is suitable for India?
• Enslavement of man by technology.
• Is generation gap a myth?
• Roll of uneducated people in Indian Economy.
• Is election commission right in banning election symbols during casting of votes?
• Ethical problems of e-commerce
• Over-dependence on monsoon
• Women's Safety - It is our responsibility
• Ethical problems of e-commerce
• Over-dependence on monsoon
• Pros and cons of ‘one rank one pension’ scheme
• Is election commission right in banning election symbols during casting of votes?
• Roll of uneducated people in Indian Economy.
• Is presidential form of government is suitable for India?
• Benefits of Mutual fund investments.
• Suggestions to alleviate unemployment problem
• Role of newspapers in influencing society or youth.
• Role of effective credit rating
• Economic importance of tourism
• Banking Risk and Management
• Is generation gap a myth
• Good effects of banning junk food in school canteens (Recently Maharashtra did this)

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
Other Important Essay Topics for Syndicate Bank PO
Exam 2018
• Good effects of banning junk food in school canteens (Recently Maharashtra did this)
• Ending VVIP culture by removing Red Beacons from Vehicles
• How triple talaq (Instant Divorce) in case of Muslims is unconstitutional
• Harmful effects of using plastic bags (Recently Madhya Pradesh did this)
• Essay on rising NPA problem in public Sector Banks
• Essay on Economic Importance Of Tourism
• Essay on Importance of Rivers on country’s Economy (Citing examples – Rivers Ganga and
Yamuna given human status recently)
• Effects of loan waiver given to farmers by political parties on country’s economy
• Women’s safety at work place. (Announcement by BJP Government before UP elections)
• Tax on agricultural income valid or invalid (Recently NITI Aayog member suggested this, but
rejected by Finance Minster)
• How is Economy Related to Common Man?
• Stopping Farmers from Committing Suicide.
• Benefits and Drawbacks of Winning Lotteries.
• To What Extent is Aadhaar Card Useful?
• Comment on the Relevance of Presidential Form of Governance in India.
• The Importance of Imparting Education in Vernacular Languages.
• Women’s Safety in the Workplace.
• Fairness of Taxation Criteria in the India.
• Give Ideas to Eradicate Unemployment.
• Is Man a Prisoner of Shackles of Technology?
• Pros and Cons of Mutual Funds Investments.
• Is Generation Gap an Outdated Concept?
• Monsoon Dependence of Indian Economy.
• Ethical Issues Posed by E-commerce.
• Creating Personal Financial Targets Early in Life.
• Discuss the Pros and Cons of OROP.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
• The Necessary Evil Called Entrance Exams.
• Impact of Digging Up Black Money on Indian Economy.
• Print Media’s Influence on Modern Youth.
• Banking Industry’s Future Prospects.
• Discuss the Role Unskilled Labour Plays in India.
• Justify the Cuts and Profits Earned by Brokers.
• Press and Privacy Infringement.
• The Impact of Media and Technology on Families.
• Will India Always Remain a Developing Country?
• If I were a Banking Industry Minister…
• Classroom Learning is More Beneficial than Distance Learning.
• Analyse the Impacts of 10-year-old Children Owning Bank Accounts.
• Indian Political Parties: Neither Friends Nor Foes.
• Tourism and its Effects on Economy.
• Has Information Technology Changed the Workplace Culture?
• Bringing About Effective Credit Rating.
• Prominence of Swadeshi in the Globalized Era.
• Inflation and Stabilization in Economy.
• Role of Uneducated Population in Indian Economy.
• Using Animals For Scientific Research.
• Rural Life Vs. Urbanisation.
• Corporate Social Responsibility.
• Role of NABARD in Indian Agro-Economy.
• Banning of Voting Symbols by the Election Commission.

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
( Click here to Download )

If you have any other queries regarding the program please write to us at
letsstudytogether.co & support@letsstudytogether.co

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
LST Important PDF’s Direct Links

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
OUR NEW ONLINE LEARNING PORTAL

Please like and subscribe our new Online Learning Portal Studywale.co

www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page
www.letsstudytogether.co www.studywale.co
Free Online Mock Test Subscribe Our YouTube Channel Like us on Facebook Page

Вам также может понравиться