Monthly Mainstorming April 2019

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www.shankariasacademy.com || www.iasparliament.com
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APRIL 2019
INDEX
GS-1
1. Art and Culture ............................................................................................................. 3
2. Geography ..................................................................................................................... 4
GS-2
3. Indian Polity...................................................................................................................5
4. Governance ....................................................................................................................7
5. Government Policies ..................................................................................................... 8
6. Social Justice ................................................................................................................ 12
7. Health ........................................................................................................................... 12
8. Education ..................................................................................................................... 14
9. International Relations ............................................................................................... 14

GS-3
10. Indian Economy ........................................................................................................... 19
11. Agriculture .................................................................................................................. 23
12. Science and Technology .............................................................................................. 23
13. Environment ................................................................................................................27
14. Security ......................................................................................................................... 31
15. Role of Social Media.................................................................................................... 32
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APRIL 2019
G.S PAPER I
1. ART AND CULTURE
Enumerate the criteria adopted by the Government to determine the eligibility for granting
classical language status. Discuss the major initiatives of Government of India for protecting,
preserving linguistic diversity in India.
KEY POINTS
Criteria
The criteria evolved by Government to determine declaration of a language as a Classical language is as under:-
• High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years;
• A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers;
• The literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech community;
• The classical language and literature being distinct from modern, there may also be a discontinuity between
the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.
Initiatives for protecting linguistic diversity
• The Indian Literature Abroad (ILA) project has been initiated by the Ministry of Culture, Government of
India, to support and facilitate translation and promotion of literary heritage and contemporary literature
from the Indian languages into major foreign languages (especially those recognized by UNESCO).
• ILA aims to by project and promote the plurality of Indian literatures internationally.
• Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) launched the first Indian Sign Language
Dictionary, the basic aim of developing the ISL Dictionary is to remove communications barriers between the
deaf and hearing communities as it is focused on providing more information in Indian sign language.
• Its aim is to give Deaf people the constitutional right as well as the opportunity of freedom of expression and
also bringing them into the main stream of the society.
• President’s Certificate of Honour’ and ‘Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman’ Awards to scholars in Classical
Languages.
India must draw a lesson from the aftermath of Notre Dame fire. In this context discuss the
relevance of Adopt a Heritage project of Government of India.
KEY POINTS
• The Notre Dame, one of the many symbols of France, French take their cultural heritage very seriously.
• French billionaires, corporate, local authorities and even the average French man/woman on the street have
committed donations totalling 750 million Euros to restore the monument.
• Adopt a heritage scheme, resembles this pattern, but in a different way.
• The Adopt a Heritage scheme is a collaborative effort by Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), State/UTs Governments and envisages development and maintenance of
tourist amenities at heritage sites and making them tourist friendly.
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• To enhance tourism potential and cultural importance in a planned and phased manner. The project primarily
focuses on providing basic amenities that include cleanliness, public conveniences, safe drinking water, and
ease of access for tourists, signages, illumination, Wi-fi. (Preventive measures to protect the monuments).
• The Adopt a Heritage’ is essentially a non-revenue generating project. It is part of responsible tourism where
the ‘Monument Mitra’ essentially spends his CSR funds for upkeep and maintenance etc, and gets limited
visibility.
• The monument mitras comprises of Private industries, public industries, individuals who essentially take part
and participate in protecting the monument.
• The scheme not only promotes cultural and heritage value of the country to generate livelihoods in the
identified regions, but also creates employment through active involvement of local communities.
• The scheme is essentially to protect and preserve monuments, cultural heritage of our country. The Notre
dame fire showed the national unity of French in protecting their cultural heritage which needs to replicate in
India via this scheme.
2. GEOGRAPHY
Developing biodiversity parks are essential to the changing dynamics of the Indian city
landscape. Analyse
KEY POINTS
• Bio-diversity parks in urban areas provides ecosystem services like recharging ground water, providing pure
air, wetlands absorbing the pollutants etc.
• Delhi Capital Region all set to get South Biodiversity, marking its seventh biodiversity park. While the primary
aim of the initiative is to remove the water hyacinths from the river and thereby improve the water quality.
• This further marks a new milestone as it is the first time that a constructed wetland system is set to be built on
a river.
• Development of the biodiversity park on the Yamuna floodplain over the next five years.
• Trees in the biodiversity parks help curb the unwanted noises, thereby reducing the noise pollution.
• Crop residues can be used as organic manure in biodiversity parks which not only increases the fertility of the
soil but also promote the biodiversity in parks.
• This eventually reduce the problem of Stubble burning especially in parts of Haryana, Punjab.
• Helps restoring the lost regional diversity within growing cities and urban areas.
Why is the Himalayan Mountains gaining height gradually? Establish its relationship with the
occurrence of earth quakes and enumerate the consequences.
KEY POINTS
Himalayas gaining height
• The Himalayas, one of the youngest and active mountain ranges in the world, rose when the Indian tectonic
plate rammed against the Asian plate.
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• As there is a difference in the relative movements of these two plates, the faster moving Indian plate is pushing
under the Asian plate, prompting the Himalayas to gain height continuously, albeit in a small measure.
Relationship with Earth quakes
• As the Indian plate ducks under the Asian plate, the friction between the plates is stored as strain energy,
which needs to be released every now and then.
• This release of energy along the fault lines causes earth quakes. The collision of continent – continent plate
convergence produces earth quakes of higher magnitude.
Consequences
• Northern plains of India which are made up of alluvial deposits ampilifies the after shocks of earth quakes
causing heavy damages to settlements.
• Damaging of cultural heritage monuments.
Loss of lives along with loss of property
3. INDIAN POLITY
Discuss the various possible impacts of final judgment by the Supreme court on the judiciary’s right
to privacy.
KEY POINTS
• Supreme Court had complied with the terms of a resolution adopted in 1997, in which all judges had
committed to disclosing information about their assets and liabilities to the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
• The resolution had specifically mandated that the information would remain “confidential”.
• In 2005, Parliament passed the RTI Act, creating a legal right to demand information held by public
authorities which arguably also includes the CJI.
• So public servants as a class of employees cannot be forced to disclose their personal assets to the public
merely because they hold public posts.
• However, in individual cases, if the person seeking such information could demonstrate a “larger public
interest” such as wrongdoing or impropriety on the part of the public official, the information could be
disclosed.
Possible impacts
• Putta swamy case Supreme Court declared that Right to Privacy as Fundamental right.
• This can influence PUCL (2003) and Lok Prahari v. Union of India (2018), in which forces them to publicly
disclose not just their assets but also the sources of their income.
• The final ruling of the Constitution Bench will also impact the contentious Section 44 of the Lokpal Act, 2013,
which requires all public servants (this includes judges) to disclose their assets but is silent on whether the
disclosure should be to the competent authority or the general public.
• The final ruling enforces judicial accountability and effectively highlights the system of checks and balances.
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Though the Supreme Court restricted the application of Sedition law in various instances, it is been
misused repeatedly. Should this law be repealed? Comment
KEY POINTS
Restriction of sedition law
• While the Supreme Court has, in Kedar Nath Singh case of 1962, upheld the Constitutional validity of 124A, it
has severely restricted its application.
• In the Common Cause v. Union of India case, the Supreme Court said that authorities, while dealing with the
offences under Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, will be bound by the principles laid down in the Kedar
Nath Singh v. State of Bihar case, and sedition charges cannot be invoked for criticising the government.
• In the Malleshwaram bomb blast case of April 2013, Bengaluru police released three accused after failing to
prove charges. The Karnataka State Human Rights Commission had sought compensation from the State for
wrongful incarceration, setting a precedent for State accountability.
Recent misuse of sedition law
• The arrest and prolonged detention of Imphal-based journalist under the draconian sedition law and National
Security Act (NSA) for criticising the Manipur Chief Minister.
• To take only a recent instance, former JNU student union president is facing charges of sedition for being part
of the students’ assembly that chanted allegedly seditious slogans.
Repealing the sedition law
• Repeated misuse of this law curbs freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Fundamental rights.
• But Supreme court has severly limited usage of sedition law through various judgements.
• Therefore the usage of law has to be based on comprehensive guidelines which needs to be established by
supreme court.
What is meant by state funding of elections? Does it pave the way for the conduct of free, fair and
transparent elections in the country? Analyze
KEY POINTS
State Funding of Elections means Government provides funds to the candidates for contesting elections and meeting
other election-related expenses.
Paves for free, fair elections
State funding of elections has been suggested in the past in response to the high cost of elections and as a measure
against corruption in the electoral process.
• Increase transparency and accountability
• Reduce black money in election-related expenses and corruption
• Avoid forming a business-political nexus with a vested interests.
• Level playing ground for all candidates especially those not belonging to renowned parties and
independent candidates.
Challenges
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• The proliferation of political parties to make easy money without the genuine aim to win elections and
public welfare.
• Might reduce already low spending on social sector like health, education and R&D.
• The form of upport whether in cash or through subsidies.
Recommendations
• 1999 Law Commission of India report concluded that total state funding of elections is “desirable”
so long as political parties are prohibited from taking funds from other sources.
• The Commission concurred with the Indrajit Gupta Committee that only partial state funding was possible
given the economic conditions of the country at that time.
• Additionally, it strongly recommended that the appropriate regulatory framework be put in place with
regard to political parties (provisions ensuring internal democracy, internal structures and maintenance
of accounts, their auditing and submission to Election Commission) before state funding of elections is
attempted.
4. GOVERNANCE
The first Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) in 1965 recognized the need for administrative
services personnel to have specialized skills. Comment in the context of lateral entry initiative by
UPSC.
KEY POINTS
• Lateral entry means the appointment of specialists from private sector in government organisations.
The second ARC, in 2005, called for a transparent method to institutionalise induction from outside the UPSC
process.
• Apart from drawing from the private sector talent pool, lateral entry will help alleviate the drought within the
government’s administrative services.
• The 2016 BS Baswan committee report pointed out that many large states suffer from a pronounced deficit of
IAS officers, leading to their reluctance to depute officers for central posting.
• So, the government (both the Union and the states) should consider making lateral entry a permanent feature
rather than a one-off or episodic initiative.
Lateral entry a positive move
• Evolving complex administration along with growing Information and communication technology needs
specialization from various fields for smooth functioning of administration.
• Lateral entry by Union Public Service Commission is a path breaking move for inducting wide talent from
private sector into the Government organisations.
• Lateral entry will help alleviate the talent drought within the government’s administrative services.
• This will provide more inputs into the policy making thereby adopting a comprehensive approach for efficient
government administration.
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• Example: an agriculture expert working with the Food and Agriculture Organization, is set to join the
agriculture and farmers’ welfare ministry.
Challenges
• Government need to create a better enabling environment for experts to adapt and work according to the
existing situation.
• Tensions between generalists and specialists is bound to occur that needs to be streamlined, which is very
difficult process in the administration.
• The quality people hired and their performance level in the public arena is unknown and pose a serious
trouble for the government.
Discuss the major reforms that are needed to be taken up in civil services for effective functioning of
administration in India.
KEY POINTS
• The first ARC recommended that the departments and organizations which were in direct charge of
development programmes should introduce performance budgeting of the civil servants to measure their
technical capability.
• Specialization in particular fields for civil servants is necessary condition for effective implementation of
policies, recently Government inducted specialists into the civil services which is a good move in this context.
• State government needs to appoint qualified judges by recruiting quality civil servants in judiciary to dispose
the pending cases effectively .
• The Hota Committee recommended that Sections 13 (1) (d) and 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and
Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedure may be amended to protect honest civil servants from malicious
prosecution and harassment.
• Bribery obtained by civil servants need to be made a substantive offence and should be accordingly if the
offence is proved through impartial investigation.
• ARC report on refurbishing personnel administration recommended that civil servants should have a fixed
tenure of 2 years, and should not be transferred arbitrarily by the state government.
5. GOVERNMENT POLICIES
Discuss the strategies that are required for the over all development of the power sector in India.
KEY POINTS
• The erection of electricity poles and an extension of wires do not necessarily mean uninterrupted power flow
to households.
• The Access to Clean Cooking Energy and Electricity Survey of States (ACCESS) report by the Council on
Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), has highlighted the gap between a connection and reliable power
supply.
• While the median hours of supply increased from 12 hours in 2015 to 16 hours a day in 2018, it is still far from
the goal of 24x7.
For 24x7 power supply
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• In order to achieve 24x7 power for all, India needs real-time monitoring of supply at the end-user level. While
the government is bringing all feeders in the country online, we currently have no provision to monitor supply
as experienced by households.
• Only such granular monitoring can help track the evolving reality of electricity supply on the ground and guide
discoms to act in areas with sub-optimal performance. Smart meters (that the government plans to roll out)
should help enable such monitoring.
• Discoms need to focus on improving the quality of supply as well as maintenance services. Adequate demand
estimation and respective power procurement will go a long way in reducing load shedding.
• Moreover, about half the rural population across the six States reported at least two days of 24-hour-long
unpredictable blackouts in a month. Such incidents are indicative of poor maintenance, as opposed to
intentional load-shedding.
• Discoms need to identify novel cost-effective approaches to maintain infrastructure in these far-flung areas.
Odisha has outsourced infrastructure maintenance in some of its rural areas to franchisees, while Maharashtra
has introduced village-level coordinators to address local-level challenges.
• Finally, the improvement in supply should be complemented with a significant improvement in customer
service, which includes billing, metering and collection.
• We need radically innovative approaches such as the proposed prepaid smart meters and last-mile rural
franchisees to improve customer service and revenue collection.
The Operation Digital board aims to improve the quality of teaching-learning and ensure that the
graduates are suitable for requirements of society and market. Do you agree with this view?
Analyse
KEY POINTS
• ODB aims at converting a class room into a digital class room and in addition to availability of e-resources at
any time and at any place to students.
• It will also help in provisioning of personalised adaptive learning as well as Intelligent Tutoring by exploiting
emerging technologies like Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence & Data Analytics.
• UGC will be the implementing agency for ODB in Higher Educational Institutions to improve the quality of
across country.
• But the quality of infrastructure in schools will hurt the objective of the scheme; the existing state of electronic
infrastructure — computers, a lone projector, a few printers — remains persistently pathetic on account of
poor or zero maintenance.
• Even internet availability is intermittent and usually of poor quality. Then comes the problem of teacher
shortage even in these schools.
• The state of elementary schools is even more worrisome. There are over 1 lakh schools with just one teacher.
So implementation of operation digital board in such areas will be very difficult.
• The alleged problems of these institutions, such as outdated curricula, indifferent faculty, poor learning
outcomes, lack of meaningful pedagogies, or unemployable graduates have nothing to do with digital
technology bottlenecks.
• Faculty shortages are crippling the publicly-funded higher educational system, as well. The lack of interest,
among students, in academic work arising from a conditioning produced by a combination of poor schooling,
aggressive coaching and lack of appropriate jobs cannot be treated with any digital medicine.
The WHO has flagged antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a global health emergency. Analyse, and
discuss the challenges present in combating AMR in India and suggest remedial measures to
prevent it.
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KEY POINTS
• Many antibiotics are no longer effective in fighting infections as those infections have built up resistance to the
medication.
• Deaths due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) could surpass annual cancer fatalities, a situation which the UN
has called a “global health emergency.”
• By 2050, some five million people could die each year in Asia alone due to resistance to antibiotic medicines or
antimicrobials, according to World Health Organisation.
Challenges in combating AMR
• Aggressive prescription by doctors.
• Frequent use of antibiotic use in farm animals and pesticide use in plants.
• The unbalanced consumption of antimicrobials continues unchecked despite well-meaning initiatives of

various governments, including India’s.
• Antimicrobial R&D pipeline ran dry a few decades ago, and interest from drug companies depleting due to
heavy investments in R&D and the dynamic trends in AMR.
• Untreated bio-medical wastes discharged in water bodies. Eg: River Musi in Hyderabad is heavily polluted by
bio-medical wates.
Remedial measures
• Effective implementation of Redline Campaign.
• India develops National Action Plan to combat Antimicrobial Resistance, which needs be covered
comprehensively across the country.
• The packaging of antibiotics drugs will have mandatory Schedule H1 warning printed on the label in a box
with red border and the Rx symbol in red.
• They can be sold by pharmaceutical chemists only on production of a valid prescription. Government drug
inspectors can conduct surprise checks on these registers.
The government must be more proactive in not only shifting vehicles to cleaner fuels but also
ensuring the quality of air by other means. Discuss
KEY POINTS
Shifting to cleaner fuels
• Maruti Suzuki’s decision makes it clear that in spite of being a strong past performer, this fuel, diesel is riding
into the sunset as far as the personal vehicle is concerned.
• This outcome should be welcomed for the positive impact it will have on air quality and public health.
• In Delhi, for instance, the effect of shifting the three-wheeler and bus fleet to Compressed Natural Gas
improved air quality, but the gains were quickly negated by a rise in overall vehicle numbers, especially those
run on diesel, besides a rise in other sources of pollution.
Reasons for deteriorating air quality
• Although diesel has powered India’s commercial transport segment for decades, its fortunes are declining for
several reasons, beginning with the narrowing of the price differential with petrol.
• The diesel emissions data (defeat device) scandal involving carmaker Volkswagen dismayed many consumers.
Government’s role
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• Giving enough time for car manufacturers to reorient their engines and by providing them support indirectly
like concession in taxes, duties etc.
• Emphasis on improving public transportation, reducing private vehicle usage.
• The national plan to shift to higher quality BS VI grade fuels may offer some mitigation of pollution.
Improving air quality in the cities requires a transformative planning approach guided by the singular objective of
reducing the use of polluting vehicles.
What are the lessons that Government should learn from the successes and failures of past urban
development schemes. Discuss the role of local government in it
KEY POINTS
Successes
• JNNURM covered a wide variety of sectors from roads and transport to water and sanitation.
• AMRUT covers roads, transport, water and sewerage, while JNNURM intended to promote self-governing
cities.
• A major achievement of the current urban programme, AMRUT though, has been in decentralising the project
sanction process.
• The Smart Cities Mission (SCM) was launched as a “bold, new” initiative to cater to the ambitions of the urban
middle class, escalate the country’s digital transformation and justify the current government’s commitment
to the eternal aspiration of modernity.
Failures
• Waste management was isolated and transferred to the massive sanitation programme — the Swachh Bharat
Mission (SBM).
• AMRUT focused only on big cities as opposed to the JNNURM that covered smaller towns as well.
• JNNURM also uncovered the lack of capacity of local governments with small and medium towns struggling to
complete projects.
• Centralised administration under JNNURM.
• The Smart City mission largely covers traditional infrastructure projects which are already eligible under
AMRUT, causing overlapping.
Lessons learnt and role of local government
• Prevention of overlapping the objectives in schemes and integrating them thereby saving time and financial
resources.
• Devolution of powers in administration is the need of the hour, simultaneously increasing the human resource
capacity and technical skills at local level.
• Proper planning at state level and district level via District planning committee and Metropolitan planning
committee.
• The Centre will have to undertake timely data reporting protocols to ensure the proper functioning of its
schemes.
• Moreover, one approach cannot work for urban areas of different sizes. We also need to reconsider the
simplistic rural-urban binary in formulating policy.
• A graded urban policy that addresses the needs of the smallest urban settlements will be more effective in
catering to every section of society.
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6. SOCIAL JUSTICE
Small water enterprises (SWEs) can play an important role in fostering women entrepreneurship
and ensuring their economic participation in the nation’s development. Discuss
KEY POINTS
• SWEs can provide opportunities to women to turn from water bearers to water managers, improving
availability and accessibility of safe drinking water, earning livelihood, and improving their quality of life.
• Engaging women in the management of SWEs can help achieve the twin objectives of women’s empowerment
1. Provision of safe drinking water to the communities,
2. Contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals 6 (Clean Water), 5 (Gender Equality) and 8 (Decent Work and
Economic Growth).
• Promoting the concept of SWEs, the Safe Water Network India (SWNI) took up the initiative to empower
grass-roots women—self-help groups or slum-level federation by empowering them with skills, deploying
technology, and reducing their work hours to mainstream them into an economic activity, thus changing their
historical role from water carriers to safe water managers.
• Their journey was not easy given societal barriers, gendered roles and responsibilities, access to finance,
besides lack of skill-sets.
• To achieve this goal, a series of training programmes were developed and workshops conducted in local
languages where women entrepreneurs were trained to understand the conceptual and operational aspects of
treatment facilities.
• The iJal station managers were also trained to engage with customers and educate their community members
about the benefits of consuming safe drinking water.
• Additionally, women working at these water stations not only earn a livelihood, but also make a positive and
long-lasting impact within their communities and contribute to the national economy.
• Investment in SWEs provide an opportunity to women, particularly in rural areas, to improve the health of
communities and earn livelihoods.
• More initiatives need to be taken to create gender parity in the economy. It’s the collective responsibility of the
government and society to realise the goal of a more inclusive, sustainable and prosperous future.
7. HEALTH
How vaccines are more effective than drugs to combat various diseases in the long run? Discuss the
salient features of India’s new vaccine on malaria and its impact.
KEY POINTS
• A vaccine is a far more economic solution in the long-run than drugs, and since it primes the immune system
to fight off the pathogen, disease burden falls sharply with the threat of resistance nullified or minimised.
• A vaccine creates a memory effect in the immune system and generates needed anti-bodies to fight the antti-
gen.
• Vaccine is also more cheaper than drugs with little or no side effects.
Salient features of new vaccine
• The launch of the first malarial vaccine—RTS,S—in Africa should be a blessing not just India, but most nations
with a high malaria burden are either developing or poor African/South Asian nations.
• Pharma giant GSK that developed RTS,S will donate 10 million doses for the project.
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• RTS,S prompts the immune system to interfere in the first stages of the Plasmodium falciparum (the most
lethal as well as the most prevalent malarial parasite species) life-cycle in the human body by preventing its
entry into the human host’s liver from the latter’s bloodstream following a mosquito bite.
• Children in Africa who were part of the phase III trials received four doses of RTS,S, and the vaccine was
shown to prevent 4 in 10 cases of malaria.
Impacts
• Once the pilot project is completed in Africa, WHO will be reviewing the results, and based on the results, the
vaccine could likely become part of the anti-malaria protocol.
• For India, if the vaccine is found effective, the key question then will be the cost to public health, especially if
the vaccine is made part of the universal immunisation programme.
• But, given India aims to eliminate the disease by 2030 and high-burden states like Odisha have shown
exceptional commitment, cost shouldn’t weigh too heavy if adoption is considered.
How vaccines are more effective than drugs to combat various diseases in the long run? Discuss the
salient features of India’s new vaccine on malaria and its impact.
KEY POINTS
• A vaccine is a far more economic solution in the long-run than drugs, and since it primes the immune system
to fight off the pathogen, disease burden falls sharply with the threat of resistance nullified or minimised.
• A vaccine creates a memory effect in the immune system and generates needed anti-bodies to fight the antti-
gen.
• Vaccine is also more cheaper than drugs with little or no side effects.
Salient features of new vaccine
• The launch of the first malarial vaccine—RTS,S—in Africa should be a blessing not just India, but most nations
with a high malaria burden are either developing or poor African/South Asian nations.
• Pharma giant GSK that developed RTS,S will donate 10 million doses for the project.
• RTS,S prompts the immune system to interfere in the first stages of the Plasmodium falciparum (the most
lethal as well as the most prevalent malarial parasite species) life-cycle in the human body by preventing its
entry into the human host’s liver from the latter’s bloodstream following a mosquito bite.
• Children in Africa who were part of the phase III trials received four doses of RTS,S, and the vaccine was
shown to prevent 4 in 10 cases of malaria.
Impacts
• Once the pilot project is completed in Africa, WHO will be reviewing the results, and based on the results, the
vaccine could likely become part of the anti-malaria protocol.
• For India, if the vaccine is found effective, the key question then will be the cost to public health, especially if
the vaccine is made part of the universal immunisation programme.
• But, given India aims to eliminate the disease by 2030 and high-burden states like Odisha have shown
exceptional commitment, cost shouldn’t weigh too heavy if adoption is considered.
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8. EDUCATION
Truly transforming public education and making a quantum leap in student learning in India will
require bold measures. Elucidate
KEY POINTS
• The core academic institutions—the SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training) and the
DIET (District Institute for Education and Training)—are understaffed and skills like curriculum design or
assessment design and analysis are often missing.
• Additionally, in several states, field offices have vacancies as high as 50%. We need to fill these vacancies with
the right people who have the relevant skills.
• Maharashtra, for example, has filled SCERT and DIET vacancies by selecting and training qualified teachers
from within the system through a competitive process. They have also instituted a stringent annual
performance review mechanism.
• Beyond vacancy filling, we need to make sure that individuals across the organisation have the relevant skills
to work with data and technology or planning and performance management, which are becoming
increasingly relevant.
• This will require rewriting job charts, mapping out the skills needed, providing targeted training and,
moreover, on-the-job support.
• Monitoring Information Systems built on real-time, accurate databases. A well-planned MIS can drastically
reduce the amount of time spent on repeated data collection and paperwork.
• With process automation, for example, head teachers can spend less time on paperwork (in one state, we saw
as many as 40 registers required at the school point) and more time mentoring teachers—and the same is true
at all levels of the system.
• In Jharkhand, with real-time school monitoring data now available, the state can identify the bottom 2,500
schools and provide targeted support.
• In Odisha, school staffing norms are being revisited and the availability of school-wise enrolment data is
enabling the state to accurately assess the financial implications of the changes.
• It will require us to take a comprehensive approach at scale, rethinking traditional delivery models and
adopting technology at an unprecedented pace.
• It will require changing the way we manage public finances and making education budgets more flexible. It
will require the public sector to become far more agile in its pace of decision-making.
• All of this will need political will to do and a coming together of the bureaucracy, civil society and the private
sector. But the results can be a tangible shift in the quality and competitiveness of our public schools.
9. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
There is a growing resonance and positivity between the India and ASEAN with a foreseeable
impact on the regional economy, trade and geopolitical stability. Explain
KEY POINTS
Economic Stability
• ASEAN India Free Trade Agreement (AIFTA), which was signed between ASEAN and India in 2015, has led to
a progressive market access, and a more conducive investment ecosystem among the member nations.
• Both India and ASEAN have set-up joint committees to monitor implementation of trade agreements and
identify non-tariff measures which can be further liberalised.
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• Apart from this, India and ASEAN countries have mutually decided to gradually abolish tariffs on 80% of tariff
lines accounting for 75% of trade.
• Further liberalisation in non-tariff measures would be important for India and ASEAN to realise the goal of
$200 billion trade by 2022.
• AIFTA and abolishing of tariffs on a vast number of product lines is expected to give great boost to bilateral
trade.
Transport
• Enhancing air connectivity along with maritime and road linkages can further create opportunities for
employment and growth for India and ASEAN.
• Further, it will be beneficial to establish efficient regional value chains (RVCs) which will strengthen economic
cooperation by expanding market access among ASEAN member countries.
Logistics is likely to play a prominent role in the growth of trade between India and ASEAN in the coming
years.
As a result, the focus of governments and businesses have shifted towards integrating logistics after the
implementation of various forward looking initiatives, like the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit.
• Building efficient institutional connectivity: It will be mutually beneficial to develop efficient

transportation and infrastructure to enhance economic exchanges between India and ASEAN countries.
Growth in innovative ways: India and ASEAN have identified innovation as a priority, and are working towards
understanding how to build connectivity so start-ups have access to markets in both regions.
Geo political stability
• Strengthening of Look east policy and stabilizes the development of Northeast Region.
• India’s hold over maritime security in the Indian Ocean will greatly increase with the help of ASEAN.
While India and ASEAN together transcend on their respective and joined paths to economic and social prosperity,
leveraging institutional mechanisms for an appropriate reduction of non-tariff barriers to enhance trade and
investment would be better for this strategic partnership.
The current momentum of bilateral relationship between India and China has not come easily and
needs to be cherished, despite geopolitical differences. Explain\
KEY POINTS
Brief Background
• The first phase is the joint proposal of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in the Bandung Conference,
guiding its agenda.
• In the second phase, after the border conflict in 1962, China-India relations fell into a fell into a “frozen
period”.
• The third phase, the 1990s is the “recovery period” in which the two countries promoted reform through
mutual learning and pushed for a complete settlement of the issues of Tibet and Sikkim.
• The fourth phase, until the present, is the “acceleration period, the present Government put huge efforts into
bilateral relations.
Geo-political differences
• Difference of opinion over Belt road initiative.
• China’s domination over South Asia
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• China’s increasing hold over Indian Ocean Region.
• China blocking India’s membership in Nuclear suppliers group

Cherishing the Bilateral relationship
• In 1981, China and India resumed yatra for official Indian pilgrims to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar,
Tibet, China.
• In 2006, China and India reopened the Nathu La border trade route which had been closed for 44 years.
• Opening a new chapter of the bilateral relations during the BRICS Xiamen summit in September 2017.
• Both countries first historic informal meeting in Wuhan in April 2018.

People-people interactions
• The total number of Indian students studying in China is over 20,000. Chinese food, acupuncture, martial arts
and movie stars are increasingly popular in India.
• Yoga, Darjeeling tea are fashionable among Chinese youth. Yunnan Minzu University of China became the
first university out of India to award Master’s degree in yoga.
Business interactions
• Chinese companies are doing business in India and Chinese mobile phone brands such as Xiaomi, VIVO
and OPPO have represented half of the Indian market.
• The National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) of India has established three IT
corridors in Dalian, Guizhou and Xuzhou.
Multilateral cooperations
Members of multilateral organisations such as BRICS, SCO, the G20, etc., both China and India share common
interests in promoting globalisation and opposing trade protectionism.
Discuss the effects the cancelling of Kartarpur corridor talks. What are the measures that need to be
taken for the successful implementation of proposal?
KEY POINTS
Effects of Cancelling Kartarpur corridor talks
• Lack of stability in strengthening neighbourhood relations.
• Development distrust between India and Pakistan.
• Shows faultlines in India’s softpower.
• Undermines secular nature of the country.
• Decline in the role of SAARC as a means of integrating south asian region.
• Opportunity for china to strengthen its hold in south asia.

Measures to be taken
• Frequent diplomatic engagement at ministerial and executive level.
• Boosting the economic ties via cross-border trade.
• Confidence building measures like cease firing across Line of control, ensuring full protection to pilgrims
especially from terrorist threats by both nations.
The emergence of new pro-democratic government in Maldives is a great opportunity for India to
strengthen its bilateral relations. Elaborate
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KEY POINTS
• The administration of Maldives has received a shot in the arm with the parliamentary election held recently
paving the way for easy passage of bills (higher number of seats won in the election).
• A policy agenda with a realistic chance of implementation, pro-democracy government assumed power after a
presidential election has sought to break with the regime of his predecessor which had propelled the Indian
Ocean nation into Beijing’s economic embrace.
• So India has a great opportunity in establishing strong relations with Maldives, paving way for strengthening
neighbourhood policy.
• China’s investments however, created debt trap, especially where it was linked to the grant of land, lease rights
and mega-construction projects. To grapples with these challenges, Maldives need New Delhi’s backing which
would be vital.
• When Maldivian president visisted India in December, a $1.4 billion financial assistance package for the
Maldives was announced, and the two governments agreed to exempt holders of diplomatic and official
passports from visa requirements.
• MoUs on Indian grant aid for “high-impact community development projects” have been signed, as also
agreements on clean energy and regional maritime security.
• So as long as the new government presses on with the urgent task of rebuilding and deepening the Maldives’
democratic credentials, there is hope for political stability and economic development across the island
archipelago and the wider IOR.
There are various instances where US has tried to bend the rules of global trading system in its
favour. What should India do to have a stable economy at the global level?
KEY POINTS
The time-tested strategy of the US of erecting barriers to exports from other countries, in order to coax them to come
to the negotiating table and accept even the most unreasonable demands of the US business and trade.
Instances where US bent the rules
• The illegal steel and aluminum tariffs, as well as the threatened withdrawal of GSP benefits to India, should be
viewed as integral parts of this line of action by the US.
• The US has taken pre-emptive action in order to prevent countries from meaningfully challenging the illegal
actions of it under the WTO’s dispute resolution mechanism. By refusing to nominate new members to the
Appellate Body, the highest judicial body at the WTO for adjudicating trade disputes.
• It has recently dealt a deep blow to multilateral dispute resolution by not allowing the meetings of the Dispute
Settlement Body (DSB) to proceed on the pretext that the US does not recognise the diplomats at the WTO.
• To undermine the concept of special and differential treatment (S&DT) during trade negotiations, a
fundamental pillar of both the GATT and the WTO, the US wants the same rules to apply to the developed
countries and to some of the larger developing countries.
• Developing countries would be compelled to give up the data generated in their country for free to the digital
giants in the developed countries. This would fuel the business of the digital giants, without any benefit
accruing to the developing countries.
India’s role for stable economy
• India needs to stood up firmly against US and has also succeeded in mobilising about a dozen developing
countries to oppose any dilution of S&DT.
• India needs to explain the dangers of the US strategy to other developing countries and get them on its side. It
has to effectively apply the essence of Non-aligned movement.
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• India should garner the support of Developed countries like Russia, Israel, Canada to counter the measures of
US democratically at the same time maintain its soft power matrix at the global arena.
Irrespective of their change in Governments, India and Indonesia have successfully upgraded their
status from bilateral relationship to a comprehensive partnership. Discuss
KEY POINTS
• The Hindu, Buddhist and later Muslim faith travelled to Indonesia from the shores of India. The Indonesian
folk art and dramas are based on stories from the great epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata.
• During the respective struggles for independence, the national leaderships of India and Indonesia led by
Jawaharlal Nehru and President Sukarno collaborated closely in supporting the cause of independence and
laid the foundation of the Non-Aligned Movement at the Asian-African Conference held in Bandung in 1955.
• Since the adoption of India’s ‘Look East Policy’ in 1991, there has been a rapid development of bilateral
relations in political, security, defence, commercial and cultural fields.
• The current Government wants to further deepen the relationship with East Asia and has therefore rightly
titled its policy as “Act East”.
• India in Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Leaders’ Summit held in Jakarta from on March 2017, sharing
the vision of peaceful region and sea and India’s willingness to set up an IORA Centre of Excellence for
strengthening Maritime Domain Awareness with coordination from Indonesia (CORPAT exercise with
Indonesia)
• Indonesia has emerged as the largest trading partner of India in the ASEAN region. Bilateral trade has
increased from US$ 4.3 billion in 2005-06 to US$ 17 billion in 2016-17. India is the second largest buyer of
coal and crude palm oil from Indonesia.This makes very stronger trade relations with Indonesia.
• Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) offers 20 scholarships every year to Indonesian students for
pursuing higher studies in India.
Discuss the rationale in the Central government’s decision to suspend trade across the Line of
Control between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
KEY POINTS
• The Ministry of Home Affairs announced the suspension from midnight of trade at the two designated points
at Salamabad and Chakan-da-Bagh, citing concerns about “illegal weapons, narcotics and fake currency” being
transported into India.
• The trade is mostly of local goods, and those employed, including in the transportation, are from border
communities. The people to peole contact across border has now faded.
• Further the employment opportunities created in the border communities is also now suspended,causing
hardship to people.
• The government has sent unsettling signals by closing the National Highway between Udhampur and
Baramulla to civilian traffic temporarily in order to secure the movement of troop convoys.
• The current decision also put pressure on constitutionality of article 370 of the constitutionality of India.
• The solution to violations of a trade agreement is to enforce the rules stringently, not stop exchange of goods
and put at risk the livelihood of countless people on both sides of the LoC.
What will be the implications of USA’s sanction on Iran’s oil supply for India? Discuss the India’s
preparatory plan to counter it.
KEY POINTS
Implications of USA’s sanctions
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• Iran was the fourth largest supplier of oil to India in 2018-19, and other suppliers may not provide the same
benefits in the form of price and credit facilities.
• The US move comes at a time when the price of the Indian crude basket, an average of the Dubai, Oman and
Brent crude benchmarks have been rising, and the country is in the middle of Lok Sabha elections.
• The big concern is that the substitute crude suppliers — Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Nigeria and the US — do
not offer the attractive options that Iran does, including 60-day credit, and free insurance and shipping.
• The challenge is to secure an alternative supplier at competitive terms in an already tightening global
situation.
• The projected drop in Iranian exports could further squeeze supply in a tight market — given the US has also
sanctioned Venezuela, and the OPEC and allied producers including Russia have voluntarily cut output, which
has pushed up oil prices more than 35% this year.
• The price of Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose as much as 3.3% the highest intraday level in almost
six months, immediately after the US announced its decision to end the Iran oil waiver.
India’s preparatory plan
• ISPRL, India’s strategic petroleum reserves limited, MoU with Saudi Arabia’s ADNOC limited to increase the
oil availability in Managalore, padur.
• India’s shift to renewables like solar, wind, geothermal energy.
• FAME scheme increases the reliability on electric vehicles.
• National bio fuels policy 2018 (ethanol blending with petrol), SATAT initiative (Compressed bio gas).
10. INDIAN ECONOMY
What is meant by insider trading? Discuss the recent amendments in regulating insider trading
brought by Securities Exchange Board of India which seeks to curb it comprehensively.
KEY POINTS
Insider Trading means the illegal practice of trading on the stock exchange to one's own advantage through having
access to confidential information.
Insider trading is trading on the basis of unpublished price sensitive information (UPSI) that is not generally available
to everyone.
Recent regulations by SEBI
• In 2015, SEBI had put in place a new framework for prohibition of insider trading based on the report of an
expert committee.
• SEBI made significant amendments to the 2015 regulations on the last day of 2018. To allow market
participants to realign their internal procedures, SEBI has made these amendments effective from April 1,
2019.
• The requirement for reporting trades and seeking pre-clearance before trading in the company’s shares has
been extended to senior employees of material subsidiaries and promoters of listed companies.
• The new requirements mandate that listed companies have to maintain records of personal information
(including PAN, mobile number) of their directors, employees and their immediate relatives, and persons with
whom such employees share a material financial relationship.
• These records, especially mobile number, will make it easier for SEBI to establish a connection between the
company and the person who trades, and provide valuable inputs during the investigation of leakages of
UPSI.
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• SEBI has also used Facebook to establish connections between insiders in certain cases. With the use of these
records, technology and SEBI’s sophisticated surveillance systems, we can expect a much higher possibility of
insider trading complaints being more effectively investigated.
• Listed companies are required to intimate the persons receiving UPSI of their obligations towards preventing
misuse of such information for insider trading, by way of an advance notice.
• The recent amendments make it clear that the regulator is rightly concerned about leakage of sensitive
information and difficulty in identifying the origin of such leaks.
What are the basic objectives of Performance and Credit Rating Scheme for Micro & Small
Enterprises (MSME)? Discuss its potential impacts on MSME sector.
KEY POINTS
Objectives
• The main objective of the scheme is to provide a trusted third party opinion on the capabilities and
creditworthiness of the Micro & Small Enterprises (MSEs) so as to create awareness amongst MSEs about the
strengths and weakness of their existing operations.
• Aimed at enabling registered micro and small enterprises to obtain credit ratings.
• This is to provide them an opportunity to improve & enhance their organizational strengths and credit
worthiness, so that they can access credit at cheaper rates and on easy terms.
• The scheme is also to facilitate them in increasing their acceptability from the Banks/Financial Institutions,
Customers / Buyers and Vendors.
Potential impacts
• Rating is an independent, trusted third party opinion on capabilities and credit worthiness of MSEs.
• Rating enables MSE units to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of their existing operations and take
corrective measures to enhance their organizational strength.
• Good rating enables MSEs to access to funds at cheaper rates and better terms,
• Rating facilitates prompter credit decisions from Banks on proposals of MSEs.
• Good rating enhances the acceptability of the MSEs with their customers and buyers.
• Facilitate buyers in capability & capacity assessment of MSEs before finalizing purchase contracts.
The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code possess the essential elements and practices for better revival
of financial institutions which are under stress. Elucidate .
KEY POINTS
• Revival of ailing firms, the insolvency proceedings under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (Code)
have returned 210 per cent of liquidation value for creditors.
• The Code provides a timeline of 180 days to conclude a corporate insolvency resolution process (CIRP),
extendable by a one-time extension up to 90 days.
• The insolvency resolution process cost, which includes fee of insolvency practitioner and other professionals,
and expenses related to meetings of committee of creditors (CoC), public announcements, filings and
litigations, etc., have been 0.5 per cent of the realisation by the creditors in contrast with a cost of 9 per cent
under the previous insolvency framework.
• The Code has become the preferred mode for insolvency resolution of a defaulting firm.
• The Code has proved to be an efficacious remedy even for loan recovery.
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• An insolvency practitioner manages the affairs of the firm as a going concern and protects and preserves the
value of its property.
• The Code envisages a resolution plan for reorganisation of a defaulting firm.
• Any creditor may seek any information about the firm’s business and financial affairs from the insolvency
practitioner.
• Any creditor may contest the decision of the insolvency practitioner accepting or rejecting its own claims or
claims of other creditors.
In what ways does the interoperability strengthen the regulatory supervision over stocks and
commodities market by SEBI? Elaborate.
KEY POINTS
• Interoperability of clearing corporations can reduce trading or impact costs, improve trade execution, and
maintain optimal utilisation of margin and capital resources in securities market.
• It gives choices to trading member/market participants to consolidate and clear their trade through a clearing
corporation of their choice instead of going through the concerned exchange where the trade is held.
• It curbs potential chances of trade disruption due to any systematic risk occurring on one exchange and the
member would be able to trade on other exchanges without paying additional margin that can foster efficiency
in the capital market and enable members participate in broad-based and product-driven trading platforms.
• It can catalyse competition among existing clearing houses in terms of prices and services they offer, and can
affect their margin requirement from the members and commission they charge on clearing.
• It can potentially discourage the possibilities of inter-exchange arbitrage and agency risk since the working of
clearing corporations together may bring down the inefficiency issue and improve market microstructure.
• A peer-to-peer interoperable framework can potentially mitigate inter-clearing corporation default risk
through existing margining system and deployment of additional financial resources.
• Additional capital may be required to maintain as a buffer and aid in the absorption of losses due to default by
an interoperable clearing corporation that is not linked to core settlement guarantee fund.
The joint initiative of the finance ministry and NITI Aayog to devise a system to transfer fertiliser
subsidy directly to farmers can serve several objectives. Discuss
KEY POINTS
• Fertiliser use varies from farmer to farmer and crop to crop and no specific data is available on these counts, it
is hard to work out the entitlement of every cultivator.
• The key issue is to identify the real cultivators, regardless of the land ownership, and put together a non-
discriminatory DBT system that is acceptable to all stakeholders in the fertiliser sector.
• At present, fertilisers are sold to the farmers at reduced rates and the subsidy is paid to the fertiliser
companies on the basis of actual sales as verified digitally through special devices installed at all retail outlets.
Aadhaar cards are used to authenticate the beneficiary farmers.
• Though this system also bypasses the state administrations and other intermediaries and is deemed as a kind
of DBT, it is beset with a host of snags.
• These include belated reimbursement of subsidy dues to the industry and the diversion of cheaper (read
subsidised) fertilisers to the chemical industry and to neighbouring countries through smuggling.
• Crediting the subsidy amount straight into the farmers’ bank accounts, on the other hand, is a better bet in
several respects.
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• Apart from plugging the scope for the misuse of subsidised fertilisers for non-agriculture purposes, the DBT
would spur balanced application of plant nutrients by discouraging overuse of urea which impairs soil fertility
and pollutes environment and groundwater.
• Moreover, the sale of plant nutrients at market prices, instead of subsidised rates, would introduce the much-
needed competition in the fertiliser sector, incentivising manufacturers to improve efficiencies, reduce costs
and come out with innovative fertiliser products to meet the farmers’ needs.
• On the downside, the higher retail prices (with subsidy going to banks) may render fertilisers unaffordable for
the cash-stressed small and marginal farmers.
• Besides, the subsidy amount may also tend to be put to other uses. Thus, the new system for fertiliser DBT
would need to aim specifically at promoting efficient, balanced and need-based use of plant nutrients keeping
in view the interests of all categories of farmers, whether landowners, tenants or share-croppers. Otherwise,
the very purpose of DBT would be defeated.
Dollar – Rupee swap, a financial tool introduced by RBI helps in promoting macro-economic
stability of the Indian Economy. Discuss
KEY POINTS
• The RBI’s two remarkably successful auctions for dollar-rupee swaps indicate that this tool has been designed
in such a way that it meets the requirements of all stakeholders.
• Not only has the auction helped the RBI meet its objective of infusing liquidity into the system at a particularly
challenging juncture and help bolster forex reserves, it has also helped banks and corporates put their dollar
holdings to good use.
• The aim of the swap arrangement was to infuse durable liquidity into the system, without disrupting either the
foreign currency or bond markets.
• Banks had to initially sell US dollars to the RBI at the reference rate on the date of the auction and receive
rupees in return, which were to be used to meet credit demand.
• In the second phase of the transaction, the amount in rupees, along with the premium that was bid, had to be
returned to the RBI at the end of three years and the RBI had to return the dollars to the banks.
• It’s clear that the auction has provided a channel through which entities in possession of dollars raised
through overseas loans, could earn additional revenue.
• Borrowers who wanted to hedge their future cash-flows would have also found the swap useful. With
borrowing rates in international markets ruling lower than the annualised premium bid in the auctions, it
would have also have been possible to borrow dollars from overseas to deliver to the central bank.
• Higher liquidity is expected to facilitate better transmission of policy rate cuts. Since the forex swap does not
impact the spot market of the rupee, any impact in the spot currency market is likely to be short-lived. This
move will also reduce pressure on bond yields.
• The forex market will be benefited through the swap arrangements as it helps bolster forex reserves at a time
when financial markets are in a turmoil due to rising crude oil prices.
• Since the dollars purchased through the auction will be a part of forex reserves for three years, it can be used
by the RBI in market interventions, if needed.
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11. AGRICULTURE
Livestock census plays a pivotal role in ensuring agricultural development in India. Elaborate
KEY POINTS
• Livestock census is a quinquennial complete enumeration process whereby data on number of livestock
along with their sex composition, age distribution, utility wise distribution etc. are generated across all states
and UTs.
• Livestock census actually covers the census of livestock, poultry, implements and machinery used for livestock
rearing.
• It is the only source for providing various kind of detailed information for these groups. India has largest
livestock numbers in the world. Sound and timely available database are the basic requirement for any
planning and policymaking purposes.
• The conduct of livestock census is thus essential for making plans and policies for growth of livestock sector
and also for overall growth of the economy.
• The total numbers of animals in each of the identified species are very important determinant factor in the
growth of livestock sector.
• Other supporting and supplementary data on the owners of livestock are also being collected and compiled.
These include information on occupation, income, landholding, education etc. to support holistic planning.
• Livestock is not only an integral part of the agriculture economy supporting the rural livelihood but also a
rudimentary element of our socio-cultural milieu.
• Our cultural heritage endows great importance to owning and rearing livestock as an inseparable part of an
inclusive universe. Accurate, reliable data therefore becomes crucial for planning and development of the
sector and counting sheep or any other animal becomes the foundation for a peaceful growth.
• To streamline the process and eliminate error, the ongoing 20th Livestock Census is harnessing the
technological innovations of the digital age. The current Livestock Census heavily leverages information
technology to create a high-quality database. There is complete elimination of paper, which has been replaced
with tablet computers.
12. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
What is meant by Kesseler syndrome? Discuss its implications. Does Mission Shakti Project of India
pose a threat to satellites in Low earth orbit? Comment.
KEY POINTS
Kesseler Syndrome is a scenario in which the density of objects in low Earth orbit (LEO) is high enough that collisions
between objects could cause a cascade where each collision generates space debris that increases the likelihood of
further collisions
Implications
• The distribution of debris in orbit could render space activities and the use of satellites in specific orbital
ranges impractical for many generations.
• Cascading collision of satellites in orbit would definitely affect life on Earth, by disrupting global
communication, limit globalization and undermine military intelligence.
Mission Shakti
• The satellite, which was one of India’s own, was literally left in pieces — thousands of them. NASA had
identified some pieces from the wreck,. Posing a potential threat of collision with ISS.
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• The debris from the destroyed Indian satellite would be typically moving at these speeds. A collision with any
other satellite in space could render that satellite dysfunctional, if not destroy it.
• But it does not pose any special threat to ISS, the additional pieces add to the risk profile of the ISS.
Significantly, however, the NASA administrator said the risk to ISS had increased 44%.
• India had said that since the test was carried out in low-earth orbit at just about 300 km from Earth’s surface,
the debris created would decay and fall back on to the earth within weeks.
• Fragments of the Indian satellite are expected to lose their velocities due to the atmospheric drag and then fall
towards Earth under gravity, and likely get burnt away due to air friction.
ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) does not have the resources or the capability to track space debris. It
depends on NASA for information on debris to adjust the flight paths of its launches and existing assets in space.
NASA and European Space Agency have an elaborate network of radars and optical instruments across the globe to
monitor and track the movement of space debris.
India must communicate its peaceful intentions just as it showcases its capabilities. Explain in the
context of Outer space treaty.
KEY POINTS
• The Indian Space Research Organisation’s successful launch of the PSLV-C45 rocket that placed 29
satellites in three different orbits is remarkable both for the complex set of multi-tasking the mission
accomplished and for the timing.
• PSLV-C45 placed EMISAT, which can, aid in electronic intelligence, first spy satellite.
• The dexterity with which so many satellites, most of them American, were placed in three different orbits
certainly showcases both the reliability and the expertise that ISRO offers.
• ISRO and the Defence Research and Development Organisation knocked out a satellite (MicroSAT-R) in a
Low Earth Orbit with a direct hit.
India having ratified outer space which calls for
• States shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies.
• the Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used exclusively for peaceful purposes.
Mission Shakti brought out the problem of space debris and damage to satellites impinging on the principles of outer
space treaty.
The UN Disarmament Commission, India expressed concern about the “weaponisation” of outer space, and sought
collective action to secure space-based assets.
India said it expects to play a role in the future in the drafting of international law on prevention of an arms race in
space. This is morally and pragmatically in keeping with India’s power projection.
What is meant by Hyperloop technology? Why it is more viable in India as compared to other
countries? Discuss the potential implications of this technology.
KEY POINTS
A hyperloop is a sealed tube or system of tubes through which a pod may travel free of air resistance or friction
conveying people or objects at high speed while being very efficient.
Viability in India
• The Maharashtra government has already declared it an official infrastructure project.
• An estimated 80 to 199 million passengers travel between the two Indian cities annually, hyperloop can meet
this demand by sending pods several times per minute.
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• Support from Central and State Government.

Potential implications
Positive
The pod floats through Magnetic Levitation so the energy consumption is low.
• The technology offers very fast speed of transportation which is twice that of aircraft.
• It has very low power consumption.
• It is low cost transportation system on long run.
• It is immune to bad weather conditions.
• It is resistant to earthquakes.
Negative
• High speed of capsule (almost at speed of sound) may cause dizziness to the passengers travelling due to
vibration and jostling.
• Initial cost of investment to have the system in place is very high.
• Moreover this is costly and also risky to maintain.
• Land use rights will be concern for deployment of the project.
• It has limited space in the train and hence people can not move freely.
• As hyperloop uses steel for track, it expands and changes shape when outside temperature is changed. This
may destroy the track of hyperloop technology.
What is meant by Genome sequencing? How will it impact the health care ecosystem in India?
Explain with relevant illustrations.
KEY POINTS
• Genome sequencing is figuring out the order of DNA nucleotides, or bases, in a genome—the order of As, Cs,
Gs, and Ts that make up an organism's DNA.
• Today, DNA sequencing on a large scale,the scale necessary for ambitious projects such as sequencing an
entire genome is mostly done by high-tech machines.
• A DNA sequence that has been translated from life's chemical alphabet into our alphabet of written letters.
• In an indigenous genetic mapping effort, nearly 1,000 rural youth from the length and breadth of India will
have their genomes sequenced by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
• The project aims at educating a generation of students on the “usefulness” of genomics, educating them about
genomics and putting a system in place that allows them to access information revealed by their genome.
• It opens a fresh perspective on the link between disease and the unique genetic make-up of each individual.
Diseases — including cystic fibrosis, thalassemia — are known to be the result of a single gene malfunctioning.
• While genes may render some insensitive to certain drugs, genome sequencing has shown that cancer too can
be understood from the viewpoint of genetics, rather than being seen as a disease of certain organs.
Illustrations
• Genome sequencing helps to develop the field of pharmacology by understanding the disease structure
accurately and contributes to the development of high quality drugs and medicines.
• India has been the largest generic drug supplier to Asia and Africa.
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• Genome asia 100k initiative provides sequencing of around 50000 genome of Indians to understand the
evolution of humans and associated disease.
Despite achieving huge success in the field of Space technology, there are some major factors that
pushes India to rethink on its space policy. Analyse
KEY POINTS
First anti-satellite weapon by India needs to come to terms with a number of factors that are transforming the political
and economic nature of outer space.
Need for reorientation of India’s national strategy towards outer space
• Unfolding the drift towards the weaponisation of outer space. India has joined other powers in developing
space assets for passive military uses of outer space — such as surveillance, targeting and military
communication. It now needs to prepare for an outer space that might become an active military theatre.
• But the great powers are investing heavily in developing a wide range of capabilities to conduct space warfare.
These include systems that are far more sophisticated than the one India tested. USA announced its decision
to set up a space force — the sixth arm of the military after army, navy, marine corps, coast.
• To effectively secure its interests in outer space, India will need a comprehensive military space policy and the
necessary investments to realise its goals.
• The challenge of the rapid expansion of commercial space and the growing role of the private sector.
• India’s national space programme has been quite successful in mobilising an advanced technology for
development. The Indian Space Research Organisation has also been conscious of the need to draw industry,
both public and private sector, to participate in the space.
• Delhi must promote a massive expansion of the private sector’s role in space to ensure that India gets a
reasonable slice of the growing global space business.
• Space now becomes the site for expansive commercial enterprise, national space agencies are under pressure
to redefine their role, providing the way for the participation of private sectors.
• The need to promote effective domestic and international regulatory frameworks for the development of space
programmes and to develop commercial space laws at home that attract investment, clarify property rights,
limit liability for space operators and set standards for space products and operations.
• Externally, India must prepare for the inevitable evolution of the global space regime centred around the 1967
Outer Space Treaty that insisted on peaceful uses of outer space, barred the national appropriation of celestial
bodies, and declared outer space to be common province of mankind.
Despite achieving huge success in the field of Space technology, there are some major factors that
pushes India to rethink on its space policy. Analyse
KEY POINTS
First anti-satellite weapon by India needs to come to terms with a number of factors that are transforming the political
and economic nature of outer space.
Need for reorientation of India’s national strategy towards outer space
• Unfolding the drift towards the weaponisation of outer space. India has joined other powers in developing
space assets for passive military uses of outer space — such as surveillance, targeting and military
communication. It now needs to prepare for an outer space that might become an active military theatre.
• But the great powers are investing heavily in developing a wide range of capabilities to conduct space warfare.
These include systems that are far more sophisticated than the one India tested. USA announced its decision
to set up a space force — the sixth arm of the military after army, navy, marine corps, coast.
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• To effectively secure its interests in outer space, India will need a comprehensive military space policy and the
necessary investments to realise its goals.
• The challenge of the rapid expansion of commercial space and the growing role of the private sector.
• India’s national space programme has been quite successful in mobilising an advanced technology for
development. The Indian Space Research Organisation has also been conscious of the need to draw industry,
both public and private sector, to participate in the space.
• Delhi must promote a massive expansion of the private sector’s role in space to ensure that India gets a
reasonable slice of the growing global space business.
• Space now becomes the site for expansive commercial enterprise, national space agencies are under pressure
to redefine their role, providing the way for the participation of private sectors.
• The need to promote effective domestic and international regulatory frameworks for the development of space
programmes and to develop commercial space laws at home that attract investment, clarify property rights,
limit liability for space operators and set standards for space products and operations.
• Externally, India must prepare for the inevitable evolution of the global space regime centred around the 1967
Outer Space Treaty that insisted on peaceful uses of outer space, barred the national appropriation of celestial
bodies, and declared outer space to be common province of mankind.
13. ENVIRONMENT
Discuss the significance of Earth Hour hosted by WWF and its outcomes.
KEY POINTS
• Earth Hour is the world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment where citizens around the world
unite to take a stand against climate change by turning off non-essential lights for one hour.
• Earth Hour is a global initiative of the World Wide Fund for Nature India (WWF), with a record participation
of around 180 countries and territories around the world.
Significance
• Earth Hour 2019 with its campaign ‘#Connect2Earth’ aims to build mass awareness on why nature is
important and create an unstoppable movement for nature similar to when the world came together to tackle
climate change.
• It shows the world that millions of people worldwide care about climate change and nature loss, and everyone
has a role to play in tackling these issues.
• Earth Hour has inspired millions to support and participate in critical climate and environmental initiatives,
helping drive climate policy, awareness and action worldwide.
• Earth hour also recognise the important role children and youth play in creating a more sustainable world.
Outcomes
• The movement helped create a 3.5 million hectare marine-protected area in Argentina and a 2,700-hectare
Earth Hour forest in Uganda.
• Banned all plastics in the Galapagos in 2014, planted 17 million trees in Kazakhstan.
• Light up homes with solar power in India and the Philippines, and push new legislation for the protection of
seas and forests in Russia.
• French Polynesia moved to protect 5 million square kilometres of its seas to preserve ocean ecosystems.
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Most countries are losing the will to trade economic development for protecting the environment.
Analyse
KEY POINTS
Current situation
The report on the state of global climate by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) shows record spikes in sea
level, ocean acidification, Arctic snow loss, and freakish weather events in 2018. It validates the notion
that climate change is outsmarting all efforts to contain it.
Response from countries
• The world’s biggest polluter, the US, have gone to the extent of threatening to withdraw from the Paris
agreement.
• Financial contributions to the Green climate Fund, meant to assist poor nations to slash their emissions and
go in for climate-resilient development, too, have not been forthcoming.
• Recently Government of Australia decided to stop contributions to GCF.
• Moreover, the anticipated reduction in the use of environment-vitiating fossil fuels, including coal, does not
seem to materialise.
• Even India can ill-afford to forgo the use of coal, regardless of taking significant strides in the renewable
energy sector.
Efforts to combat Climate change
• Recently Germany launched The Coradia iLint is the world’s first passenger train powered by a hydrogen fuel
cel,.This zero-emission train emits low levels of noise, with exhaust being only steam and condensed water.
• ITER, an engineering megaproject, which can effectively curbs dependency on fossil fuels, thereby reducing
cumulative carbon emissions.
The role of State Government and Local administrations are crucial in drawing up plans to address
heat stress and possible water scarcity. Examine.
KEY POINTS
There is a prospect of an El Niño, often associated with drought conditions, taking hold.
The monsoon, which normally sets in between June and July across the country, turn out to be deficient, it will add to
the pressures on rural employment and the economy as a whole.
Role of Local Administrations
• The key elements of protection in a heat wave are avoiding exposure during the hottest part of the day around
noon, especially in the case of senior citizens, staying adequately hydrated, wearing suitable clothing including
headgear, and creating shade in public places.
• These messages and weather alerts can be disseminated through television, mobile phone messaging and
social media platforms by urban local bodies in particular have a responsibility to care for the large number of
vulnerable city dwellers.
• Reviving the traditional water storing systems especially in cities to have adequate amount of water.
Role of state government
• Increasing the human resource capability of Panchayats and ULBs to chart out an effective plan to handle heat
wave.
• Reasonable financial devolution to local bodies to strengthen financial resource ccapabilities.
• Helping in Conducting frequent mock exercise and table top exercise with help of SDRF to handle the effects
of heat waves.
29
Conidering the General elections 2019 Both State and Local governments need to wowrk in coherence to increase the
voter turnouts despite facing the heat wave situation.
The major reason for water scarcity is an over-reliance on groundwater extraction, as most Indian
cities are unable to meet their water demand with existing supply. Examine
KEY POINTS
• A NITI Aayog report published last year predicted that Delhi and 20 other large cities are going to run out of
water by 2020.
• When this happens, local municipalities may have to stop supplying water.
• Meanwhile, the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has projected that more than 60 large and small cities
in India are on the verge of water scarcity.
• This rampant extraction will likely lead to zero groundwater levels in Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad by
2020, says the NITI Aayog report, affecting water supply for no less than 10 crore people.
• Excess groundwater extraction has already led to a 61% decline in groundwater level in wells in India between
2007 and 2017.
Reasons for over – reliance on ground water
• Poor agriculture practices can be blamed for the most part for depleting groundwater reserves.
• As of today, use of water for irrigation accounts for 80% of the total available water.
• Water-intensive crops like rice and sugar cane are widely grown in many northern states, often in blatant
disregard to the available water supply.
• The dominance of paddy-wheat crop rotation in Punjab is a case in point—it led to a rapid decline of water
table.
• Major cities lack traditional rain water harvesting system like kulhs, johads, eris etc, thereby depending on
groundwater for basic necessities instead of recharging ground water.
• Misuse of free electricity add the fuel to the fire.

Remedies
• The government must disincentivise paddy and sugar cane cultivation in areas where soil and water supply
conditions are not conducive for these crops.
• States with sinking groundwater need to appropriate those cropping patterns that suit their agro-climatic
zones.
• Switching to less water-intensive crops will enhance their irrigation water efficiency.
• Policymakers at both the Centre and states must encourage adoption of precision farming technologies, such
as laser-guided land levelling, which can cut water use by as much as 30%.
• At the same time, drip or micro irrigation ought to be incentivised amongst farmers in severely water-deficient
states, like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana and Tamil Nadu.
• Drip irrigation has higher efficiency of 90% vis-à-vis flood irrigation techniques, which is 60-70% effective.
• Another key focus point can be command area development (CAD). Now a part of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi
Sinchayee Yojana, the CAD initiative centres on “more crop per drop” to increase water-use efficiency in
irrigation.
• Reviving the traditional water harvesting system in cities will go a long way in mitigating imminent water
crisis.
30
Provisions of Indian Forest Act, 1927 was drafted to suit the objectives of a colonial power. In this
light, assuming yourself as a legislator, discuss the basic framework of Indian Forest Act 2019 for
sustainable forest management.
KEY POINTS
Indian forest act 2019
• India’s forests play a key role in moderating the lives of not just the adivasis and other traditional dwellers, but
everyone in the subcontinent, through their impact on the climate and monsoons.
• Their health can be improved only through collaboration. Any new forest law must, therefore, aim to reduce
conflicts, incentivise tribals and stop diversion for non-forest uses. Discretion of bureaucratic hold should be
reduced.
• This can be achieved by recognising all suitable landscapes as forests and insulating them from commercial
exploitation. Such an approach requires a partnership with communities on the one hand, and scientists on
the other.
• For decades now, the Forest Department has resisted independent scientific evaluation of forest health and
biodiversity conservation outcomes. This evaluation needs to be carried out with the help of environment
auditing and Environmental impact assessment.
• According to the Comptroller and Auditor General, Compensatory and afforestry forest management fund
remain unused for long periods of time, this needs to be used for conserving the pristine forests in India, along
with increase in transparency and accountability.
• Impact assessment reports have mostly been reduced to a farce, and the public hearings process has been
diluted. The government needs to launch a process of consultation, beginning with the State governments to
ensure that a progressive law is adopted by all States, including those that have their own versions of the
existing Act.
• The Centre must hear the voice of all stakeholders and communities, including independent scientific experts.
As the share of renewable energy is progressively entering the energy mix, changes have to be made
in the administration for affordable, accessible, reliable electricity. Elucidate.
KEY POINTS
• Competitiveness of renewables coupled with reducing costs of battery storage and rising costs of coal-based
power means an increasing share of renewable energy in the supply mix.
• Currently, there is limited rigour within the government in critically evaluating and prioritising needs,
anticipating changes and risks and preparing for them.
• Two steps are critical to avoid such problem. First, the gaps and discrepancies in public availability of crucial
data should be addressed. Second, analytical capability within the government should be enhanced.
• In order to assist the government in policy and decision making, an analytical agency needs to be set up that is
empowered to collect and reconcile data, analyse trends, publish reports and suggest policy interventions.
• This agency, tentatively called the Energy Analysis Office (EAO), should involve multiple ministries. Two
important prerequisites for such an office to be effective are policy relevance and independence from political
influence.
• This balance can be arrived at by placing the EAO under the administrative control of the Executive, but by
having its budget approved and work reviewed by Parliament.
31
• There is an urgent need for fundamental changes in the way Discoms plan and operate. Increasingly, markets
and competition would need to play a substantial role.
• Allowing large consumers to choose their suppliers for the long term helps them reduce costs, while also
enabling rational capacity addition. Discoms should avoid adding new baseload capacity without rigorous
demand-supply analysis.
• Solarising agricultural feeders can help in capping subsidy while providing day-time reliable supply to
farmers. These measures can allow Discoms to focus on improving supply and service to small and rural
consumers. This increases the affordability and accessibility.
Zero Budget Natural Farming is one of the effective solution, which is harmonious with nature, to
reverse the impact of climate change. Elaborate.
KEY POINTS
• To reverse the climate change impact, we need to put 20 billion million tonnes of CO2, each year, into the soil
in the form of stable soil carbon.
• There are some measures by which the CO2 can be removed from the atmosphere.
• The IPCC has analysed all the available solutions, of all these, “soil carbon sequestration” and “afforestation &
reforestation” are seen to be the most impactful and cost-effective.
• The solution is farming in harmony with nature. The technology has been given by an amazing individual,
Padma Shri Subhash Palekar.
• He has called it the zero budget natural farming (ZBNF). It is a miraculous solution to increase organic carbon
(OC) in soil by practising farming without using chemical fertilisers and pesticides and yet ensuring that
productivity levels remain at the same level while total costs decline substantially.
• This ensures rising farmers’ incomes, thereby overcoming the financial distress in rural sector.
• ZBNF practices can broadly be classified as Regenerative Agriculture. The practices are also called
agroecological practices.
• These champion farmers have demonstrated that they can improve their income and welfare levels while at
the same time making a paradigm shift that provides real solution to the climate change problem.
• ZBNF achieves carbon sequestration in soil by using traditional methods that have for long allowed a humus
rich soil to absorb moisture atmospheric moisture, thereby becoming more resilient to droughts.
14. SECURITY
India-Australia security relationship is crucial in securing Indian Ocean Region and aids expanding
bilateral ties. Explain
KEY POINTS
• A key element of Australia’s Indo-Pacific strategy is partnering with India in the vibrant Indian Ocean Region.
India is a leader in this region and Australia is a natural partner for addressing shared challenges.
• Both the countries must continue to work together to combat transnational crime, terrorism, people
smuggling, and illegal fishing, in order that they all enjoy a peaceful and prosperous Indian Ocean Region.
• As the nation with one of the longest Indian Ocean coastlines and with more than half of our goods trade
departing Indian Ocean ports, Australia is committed to addressing humanitarian and environmental
challenges in Indian Ocean neighbourhood.
• Establishment of International Fusion Centre to provide real-time surveillance data for countries across the
region as well as enhancing policing and military training both bilaterally and through regional centres.
32
• India-Australia bilateral relationship. Under the joint naval exercise known as AUSINDEX, we saw the largest
ever peacetime deployment of Australian defence assets and personnel to India.
• AUSINDEX, which has just concluded, builds on a fourfold increase in our defence engagement.
• Australia’s largest defence deployment to India, the exercise was the most complex ever carried out between
our defence forces.
• Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific, AU$2 billion initiative will boost Australia’s
support for infrastructure development in Pacific countries.
With the right awareness and systems in place cyberattacks can be prevented. Elaborate
KEY POINTS
• With connectivity and increased sharing of data, we are more than ever susceptible to such attacks.
• With sufficient awareness and precaution, individuals and organisations can protect themselves from
cyberattacks and that is the key.
• Cybersecurity is also about risk management. It is not just big organisations that are being targeted, small
organisations with just 4-5 systems and even individuals with supposedly little or no valuable information are
the targets.
• Perpetual targets of social engineering and phishing attacks looking to trick us into opening infected e-mails,
web pages and links.
• While being connected may be empowering, it can cause serious privacy concerns. News of fitness apps giving
away private information such as location, movement patterns and preferred routes is unsettling.
• This information can be critical when it pertains to military or law enforcement agencies.
• Preventing a cyberattack will necessitate a change in attitude of individuals as well as organisations.
• Taking small incremental steps and awareness is the key. We need to have a keen understanding of the risk
factors, stay aware of the latest frauds and their modus operandi.
• Limit social media posts to avoid sharing personal information, shouldn’t share confidential information such
as passwords and PINs, and use up-to-date anti-viruses and original software, along with other available
safety and security tools when going online.
• Dealing with cybersecurity also calls for a strategy towards risk mitigation and contingency planning.
• A one-off approach towards risk mitigation and dealing with attacks is unlikely to be effective in the fight
against cyberthreats.
• Every threat, every incident should be viewed as a stepping stone to check preparedness and improve security
standards.
• To be effective in dealing with cyberthreats, the entire exercise needs to be a sustained and proactive process,
and not just a reflexive one. The same is true for individuals, as well as organisations of all shapes and sizes.
15. ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Should the authority of monitoring contents in Social media need to be vested with independent
agency? Comment
KEY POINTS
• The platform exerts immense influence on the social, economic and political outcomes of a country.
• Face book has been accused of looking the other way when its platform was being allegedly misused to
influence democratic processes in the US.
33
• It has also been accused of not doing enough to prevent users’ data from being leaked to entities which
generated billions in profit. Such a platform cannot be trusted to do its own policing.
• On the other hand, governments, armed with draconian powers such as defamation and sedition laws, free
speech has taken a hit.
• India has been among the top countries in blocking politically inconvenient websites, including those of
foreign NGOs, UN organisations and activists.
Why need to setup an independent body
• Better transparency, accountability, consistency in regulating the contents.
• Less interference from the Governments.
• Effectively arresting fake news spread, genuine news, information reaches people, upholding essence of right
to information.
• Presence of experts, analysts in the independent agency brings professionalism to the domain, thereby
enhancing its efficiency.
• No ambiguity regarding the grounds for taking down an account, the guidelines should be spelt clearly.
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1

1. Art and Culture ............................................................................................................. 3

5. Government Policies ..................................................................................................... 8

6. Social Justice ................................................................................................................ 12

9. International Relations ............................................................................................... 14

10. Indian Economy ........................................................................................................... 19

11. Agriculture .................................................................................................................. 23

12. Science and Technology .............................................................................................. 23

13. Environment ................................................................................................................27

14. Security ......................................................................................................................... 31

15. Role of Social Media.................................................................................................... 32

• A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers;

Initiatives for protecting linguistic diversity

• Adopt a heritage scheme, resembles this pattern, but in a different way.

Himalayas gaining height

Relationship with Earth quakes

• Damaging of cultural heritage monuments.

Loss of lives along with loss of property

Restriction of sedition law

Recent misuse of sedition law

Repealing the sedition law

Paves for free, fair elections

• Increase transparency and accountability

• Reduce black money in election-related expenses and corruption

• Avoid forming a business-political nexus with a vested interests.

• The form of upport whether in cash or through subsidies.

Lateral entry a positive move

• Aggressive prescription by doctors.

• The unbalanced consumption of antimicrobials continues unchecked despite well-meaning initiatives of

• Effective implementation of Redline Campaign.

• Emphasis on improving public transportation, reducing private vehicle usage.

• Centralised administration under JNNURM.

• Building efficient institutional connectivity: It will be mutually beneficial to develop efficient

• Difference of opinion over Belt road initiative.

• China’s domination over South Asia

• China’s increasing hold over Indian Ocean Region.

• China blocking India’s membership in Nuclear suppliers group

• Both countries first historic informal meeting in Wuhan in April 2018.

• Lack of stability in strengthening neighbourhood relations.

• Development distrust between India and Pakistan.

• Shows faultlines in India’s softpower.

• Undermines secular nature of the country.

• Decline in the role of SAARC as a means of integrating south asian region.

• Opportunity for china to strengthen its hold in south asia.

• Frequent diplomatic engagement at ministerial and executive level.

• Boosting the economic ties via cross-border trade.

• India’s shift to renewables like solar, wind, geothermal energy.

• FAME scheme increases the reliability on electric vehicles.

10. INDIAN ECONOMY

• Rating facilitates prompter credit decisions from Banks on proposals of MSEs.

• The Code envisages a resolution plan for reorganisation of a defaulting firm.

12. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• States shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies.

• The Maharashtra government has already declared it an official infrastructure project.

• Support from Central and State Government.

• It has very low power consumption.

• It is low cost transportation system on long run.

• It is immune to bad weather conditions.

• Initial cost of investment to have the system in place is very high.

• Moreover this is costly and also risky to maintain.

• Land use rights will be concern for deployment of the project.

• Reasonable financial devolution to local bodies to strengthen financial resource ccapabilities.

• Misuse of free electricity add the fuel to the fire.

• Preventing a cyberattack will necessitate a change in attitude of individuals as well as organisations.