Polavaram Project
Polavaram Project Polavaram Project is a multi-purpose irrigation project. The dam across the Godavari River is under construction located in West Godavari District and East Godavari District in Andhra Pradesh state and its reservoir spreads in parts of Chhattisgarh and Orissa States also. The project is multipurpose major terminal reservoir project on river Godavari for development of Irrigation, Hydropower and drinking water facilities to East Godavari, Vishakhapatnam, West Godavari and Krishna districts of Andhra Pradesh. The Polavaram project was accorded national status in 2014 in the Andhra Pradesh Bifurcation Act and its design was changed. Objectives of Polavaram Project The Project envisages construction of Earth-cum-Rock fill dam across river Godavari. This project will supply 23.4TMC of drinking water to Visakhapatnam city and also to Vizag steel plant through its left canal It will also facilitate an inter-basin transfer of 80TMC annually to the Krishna river basin through its Right canal. It will also provide indirect benefits such as development of Pisciculture, tourism and urbanisation. Land used for the project: A total of 17,800 acres of land – 6,600 acres of forestland and 11,200 acres of revenue land – spread across 127 villages in four constituencies of West Godavari district – Polavaram, Chintalapudi, Gopalavaram and Denduluru – is being acquired for the project Features: The Project envisages construction of Earth-cum-Rock fill dam across river Godavari. The maximum height of the dam is 48 m. Benefits to Other States Odisha and Chhattisgarh shall be benefitted with 5 TMC & 1.5 TMC of irrigation water respectively Odisha and Chhattisgarh can develop & exploit pisciculture and boating facilities in their own territories 80 TMC of water in Krishna river shall be saved on account of diversion of equal amount from river Godavari. The water saved in river Krishna shall be shared between Andhra (45 TMC), Karnataka (21 TMC) & Maharashtra (14 TMC Significance for Andhra Pradesh: It will irrigate nearly 3 lakh ha of land, generate hydel power with installed capacity of 960 MW and provide drinking water facilities to 540 enroute villages covering 25 lakh populations. Read Also Sedition Law Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a so-called mega-regional economic agreement being negotiated since 2012 between the 10 ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) governments and their six FTA partners: Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. The proposed RCEP would cover almost every aspect of economy such as goods, services, investment, economic and technical cooperation, intellectual property rights (IPR), rules of origin, competition and dispute settlement. To achieve a modern, comprehensive, high-quality, and mutually beneficial economic partnership agreement among the ASEAN Member States and ASEAN’s FTA partners. The RCEP was built upon the existing ASEAN+1 FTAs with the spirit to strengthen economic linkages and to enhance trade and investment-related activities as well as to contribute to minimizing development gap among the parties. India has dropped out of the RCEP in November 2019 in ASEAN+3 summit. Read also India- Maldives relations Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. Join now
Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT)
Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) is a quasi-judicial institution set up in 1941 under section 5A of the Income Tax Act, 1922. Initially, it had three Benches at Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. But presently ITAT has 63 Benches at 27 different stations It deals with appeals under the Direct Taxes Acts namely, the Income-tax Act, 1961. The orders passed by the ITAT are final, an appeal lies to the High Court only if a substantial question of law arises for determination. ITAT draws inspiration from its motto ‘Nishpaksh Sulabh Satvar Nyay’, which means impartial, easy and speedy justice. ITAT stands out for its uniqueness of imparting justice to the litigants, by an inexpensive, easily accessible forum free from technicalities, regarded for its expert knowledge on the subject of Direct Taxes, besides rendering expeditious justice. More often than not, ITAT is referred to as ‘Mother Tribunal’ being the oldest Tribunal in the country. It is the success of the ITAT, which has prompted the Government of India to constitute similar Appellate Tribunals for indirect taxes i.e. Customs, Excise, Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Railway Claims Tribunal, Foreign Exchange Appellate Board, etc. UPSC Mains Answer Writing Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. Join now
India- Maldives relations
India- Maldives relations As close and friendly neighbours, India and Maldives share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and commercial links steeped in antiquity and enjoy cordial and multi-dimensional relations. India was among the first to recognise Maldives after its independence in 1965 and to establish diplomatic relations with the country. India established its mission at Malé in 1972. Importance of Maldives to India: People To People Contact Economic and Commercial Relations: India and Maldives signed a trade agreement in 1981, which provides for export of essential commodities. Growing from modest beginnings, India-Maldives bilateral trade now stands at Rs.700 crores. Indian exports to the Maldives include agriculture and poultry produce, sugar, fruits, vegetables, spices, rice, wheat flour (Atta), textiles, drugs and medicines, a variety of engineering and industrial products, sand and aggregate, cement for building etc. Indian imports primarily scrap metals from the Maldives. Under the bilateral agreement, India provides essential food items like rice, wheat flour, sugar, dal, onion, potato and eggs and construction material such as sand and stone aggregates to Maldives on favourable terms 3. Indian Business in Maldives Cultural Relations: The India Cultural Center (ICC), established in Male in July 2011, conducts regular courses in yoga, classical music and dance. ICC programmes have become immensely popular among Maldivians of all ages. Indian Community Capacity Building and Training Maldives Vs India Radicalisation Political Instability China’s strategic footprint in India’s neighbourhood has increased. The Maldives has emerged as an important ‘pearl’ in China’s “String of Pearls” construct in South Asia. The India-Maldives relationship suffered a setback when Maldives entered into a Free-Trade Agreement (FTA) with China in 2017. Significance : Geographical: Maldives’ proximity to the west coast of India. History: India and Maldives share ethnic, linguistic, cultural, religious and commercial links Geo-political: Maldives is an important aspect of India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy. Trade and Tourism: India is Maldives’ 4th largest trade partner after UAE, China and Singapore. In 2018, India was the 5th largest source of tourist arrivals in Maldives. Defence: Its potential to allow a third nation’s naval presence in the area. Diaspora: Indians are the second largest expatriate community in Maldives with an approximate strength of around 22,000. Disaster Management: The Government of India has provided large-scale assistance to Maldives in the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and during the 2014 Male water crisis. Initiatives proposed: Air connectivity “bubble” for travel direct ferry service Submarine cable for telecom connectivity assistance for the Greater Male Connectivity project (GMCP) At present, India-assisted projects in the region include water and sewerage projects on 34 islands, reclamation project for the Addl island, a port on Gulhifalhu, airport redevelopment at Hanimadhoo, and a hospital and a cricket stadium in Hulhumale. Read GS Notes by Ravisankar Sarma UPSC Topper Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. Join now
Treaty of brest-litovsk
Treaty of brest-litovsk Treaties of Brest-Litovsk, peace treaties signed at Brest-Litovsk (now in Belarus) by the Central Powers with the Ukrainian Republic (Feb. 9, 1918) and with Soviet Russia (March 3, 1918), which concluded hostilities between those countries during World War I. Out Break of the Civil War: The February Revolution broke out in early March 1917 (or February, according to the Julian calendar, which the Russians used at the time); Nicholas abdicated later that month. After Lenin’s return from exile (aided by the Germans) in mid-April, he and his fellow Bolsheviks worked quickly to seize power from the provisional government, led by Alexander Kerensky, Russia’s minister of war. In early November, aided by the Russian military, they were successful. One of Lenin’s first actions as leader was to call a halt to Russian participation in the war. An armistice was reached in early December 1917 and a formal cease-fire was declared December 15, but determining the terms of peace between Russia and the Central Powers proved to be far more complicated. Negotiations began at Brest-Litovsk on December 22. Leading their respective delegations were foreign ministers Leon Trotsky (1879-1940) of Russia, Richard von Kuhlmann of Germany and Count Ottokar Czernin of Austria. In mid-February, the talks broke down when an angry Trotsky deemed the Central Powers’ terms too harsh and their demands for territory unacceptable. Fighting resumed briefly on the Eastern Front, but the German armies advanced quickly, and both Lenin and Trotsky soon realized that Russia, in its weakened state, would be forced to give in to the enemy terms. Negotiations resumed later that month and the final treaty was signed on March 3, 1918. By the terms of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, Russia recognized the independence of Ukraine, Georgia and Finland; gave up Poland and the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to Germany and Austria-Hungary; and ceded Kars, Ardahan and Batum to Turkey. The total losses constituted some 1 million square miles of Russia’s former territory; a third of its population or around 55 million people; a majority of its coal, oil and iron stores; and much of its industry. Lenin bitterly called the settlement “that abyss of defeat, dismemberment, enslavement and humiliation.” Read Political Crisis in Nepal Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. Join now
Technological revolution Covid19
Technological revolution Covid19 The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented public health crisis that has led to staggering losses in economic activity and jobs. Even as the world grapples with containing the virus and stemming the economic haemorrhage, it is becoming clear that the pandemic is contributing to the accelerated deployment of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) automation technologies. The global labour market was already going through radical changes over the last few decades. According to World Economic Forum(WEF) the coronavirus pandemic has further accelerated the labour market’s transformation, which is going to take away 85 million jobs due to workforce automation but creates 97 million more. The technology revolution at the same time will generate 97 million new jobs in areas like artificial intelligence, content creation, cloud computing and green economy. Factors: The process of industrial relocation in Western countries. The so-called technological revolution. So, the real need right now is to evaluate how the COVID-19 crisis will affect this ongoing transformation. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated that 1,400 million workers in the world (around 37.5% of the total workers) worked in vulnerable employment. Pre-Pandemic Factors for 4IR Automation: Labour Costs Innovation in the Market Capital Expenditure. Occupation and Task Post-Pandemic Factors for 4IR Automation: Firm-Level Reorganisation Constrained Labour Supply and Productivity. Constrained Working Conditions for Women: Elderly and Vulnerable Populations Retreat from the Workforce: Change in Workers’ Preferences over Safety: Low Interest Rates Public Stimulus Packages That Support Business’ Adoption of Digital Solutions Employment Limited to COVID-19 Immune Workers Restrictions on Labour Mobility Policy Implications: Expand Social Safety Nets Monitor Automation Trends Carefully Support Workforce Upskilling and Retraining Promote Human-Centred 4IR Ecosystems. Regional Cooperation Towards Resilient, Innovative Economies Way forward: APEC economies should recognise that 4IR technologies – when managed effectively – can help economies reach higher levels of productivity at lower input costs while making entirely new industries and jobs possible. The pressures of the COVID -19 crisis is an opportunity for APEC to rebuild better for the future in ways that will create new space for business dynamism and innovation while ensuring that economic growth is inclusive, sustainable, and resilient . The real impact of AI and robotics on the labour market, strong changes are expected to disrupt our societies. Without employment providing a structure in the people’s lives and with technology replacing many human activities, our societies will likely shift towards more individualistic entities with less human interaction. For this reason, human fulfilment should be considered a fundamental factor in the upcoming industrial revolution. After all, if technology was created to make our lives easier and more efficient in terms of time and resources, we should wonder where the time saved goes to and even whether it is making us happier. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. Join now
IndARC
IndARC IndARC is India’s first underwater moored observatory was deployed on 23 July 2014 at 78o 56′ N and 12o E in the inner Kongsfjorden where the depth is ~180 m. The Ministry of Earth Sciences evolved a unique moored observatory ‘IndARC’ with suite of sensors for Physico-chemical and oceanographic in situ long-term data collection. The Arctic Ocean plays an important role in governing the earth’s climate and also faithfully records its past climatic history and represents a significant gap in ocean observations. Half way between Norway (1100km away from Norway) and the North Pole at a depth of 192 metre. Arctic: The Earth’s climate is already changing, and the changes are particularly marked in the Arctic. The Arctic is undergoing significant transformation as a result of climate change and increased human use including marine transportation, tourism and resource development. The highly uncertain sensitivity of the carbon cycle of the Arctic to the projected climate change is a major issue of global concern. Arctic has been a sink for atmospheric CO2. The impacts of climate change in the Arctic will be felt throughout the world because changes in physical processes here influence the climate on a global scale. Processes of change in the Arctic can therefore provide a unique insight into the climate change that is already taking place and also act as a forewarning of the future regional and global impacts of these changes. Challenges: The region is not well covered by satellites, and heavy cloud cover often limits their use. Knowledge gap. The lack of long-term, multidisciplinary inter-annual data spanning both the summer and ice-covered winter seasons. The data provided by IndARC helps to understand the Arctic processes and their influence on the Indian monsoon system through climate modelling studies; and the response of the Arctic to climatic variability. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Issues of Conventional Energy Sources
Issues of Conventional Energy Sources The consumption of energy in petajoules from Coal and Lignite was highest which accounted for about 46.8% of the total consumption during 2018-19 followed by Crude Oil (33.2%) and Electricity (12.9%).While percapita consumption of energy has consistently increased during the years 2011-12 to 2018-19 with a CAGR of 2.30%, energy consumed for producing one unit of Gross Domestic Product has decreased during the period (CAGR (-) 1.92%). Coal: India is the world’s second-largest producer of coal after the People’s Republic of China. The share of coal in both the energy mix and the power mix in India has been increasing since the 1970s and in 2017 coal provided 44% of the total primary energy supply (TPES) and 74% of electricity generation. Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel resource in India, although Indian coal is generally of poor quality, with high ash content and low calorific value. Oil Oil remains an essential energy source for India. It is the second-largest source in the country’s total primary energy supply (TPES) and the largest in its total final consumption (TFC). Oil demand has increased rapidly over the last several decades and India is now the third-largest oil-consuming country in the world. Natural Gas: India’s natural gas consumption is small but increasing. Most gas is used in the industrial sector and in power generation. Residential gas consumption is small, but India is expanding its gas distribution networks rapidly, an area where major growth is expected. India aims to increase the share of natural gas to 15% of the energy mix by 2030 (PNGRB, 2013), which suggests a doubling of current demand and infrastructure needs, as part of a gas trading hub. This will require the availability of transport capacity across India, which will enable all market players to access LNG supplies. Under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) Act 2006, gas pipelines were declared common carriers/contract, and non-discriminatory third-party access is mandatory. Challenges of conventional energy: Ozone depletion Global warming Acid rain Accessibility Challenge Policy Challenges Lack of skilled manpower Lacks transportation infrastructure Economic challenges Way Forward The INDIA ENERGY SECURITY SCENARIOS, 2047(IESS) Augment refining and distribution of oil and gas. Improve India’s Energy diplomacy Promot Renewable Energy Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) Tax structure should be rationalized National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE) should conduct a thorough cost-benefit analysis of the available energy-efficient technologies and products across all sectors, especially agriculture, housing and transportation. Increasing accessibility to clean energy Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
National Green Tribunal
National Green Tribunal The National Green Tribunal has been established on 18.10.2010 under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources. Including enforcement of any legal right relating to the environment and giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and property and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. India is the third country in the world – after Australia and New Zealand – to set up such a body to deal with environmental cases. Objectives of National Green Tribunal It is a specialized body equipped with the necessary expertise to handle environmental disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues. The Tribunal shall not be bound by the procedure laid down under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice. The Tribunal’s dedicated jurisdiction in environmental matters shall provide speedy environmental justice and help reduce the burden of litigation in the higher courts. The Tribunal is mandated to make and endeavour for disposal of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of filing of the same. Initially, the NGT is proposed to be set up at five places of sittings and will follow the circuit procedure for making itself more accessible. New Delhi is the Principal Place of Sitting of the Tribunal and Bhopal, Pune, Kolkata, and Chennai shall be the other four place of sitting of the Tribunal. To achieve the objective of Article 21, 47 and 51A (g) of the Constitution of India by means of fair, fast, and satisfactory judicial procedure. Structure of NGT The Tribunal comprises of the Chairperson, the Judicial Members and Expert Members. They shall hold office for a term of five years and are not eligible for reappointment. The Chairperson is appointed by the Central Government in consultation with Chief Justice of India (CJI). A Selection Committee shall be formed by central government to appoint the Judicial Members and Expert Members. There are to be least 10 and maximum 20 full time Judicial members and Expert Members in the tribunal. Powers of NGT NGT provides a way for the evolution of environmental jurisprudence through the development of an alternative dispute resolution mechanism. It helps in the reduction of the litigation burden on environmental matters in the higher courts. NGT provides a faster solution for various environment-related disputes that are less formal and less expensive. It curbs environment-damaging activities. NGT ensures the strict observation of the Environment Impact Assessment process. NGT provides reliefs and compensations for any damages caused to persons and properties. The National Green Tribunal resolves various civil cases under the following seven laws that are related to the environment: Water Act (Prevention and Control of Pollution), 1974 Water Cess Act (Prevention and Control of Pollution), 1977 Forest Act (Conservation), 1980 Air Act (Prevention and Control of Pollution), 1981 Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 Biological Diversity Act, 2002 Important Landmark Judgments of NGT: The NGT has delivered a number of high-profile judgments. Most recently, it made it illegal for diesel vehicles over 15 years old from plying on the roads of Delhi, in a bid to tackle heavy air pollution. The body has also issued the cancellation of clearance to coal blocks in the Hasdeo-Arand forests of Chhattisgarh. In 2012, POSCO a steelmaker company signed a MoU with the Odisha government to set up steel project. NGT suspended order and this was considered a radical step in favour of the local communities and forests. In 2013 in Uttarakhand floods case, the Alaknanda Hydro Power Co. Ltd. was ordered to compensate to the petitioner – here, the NGT directly relied on the principle of ‘polluter pays’. In 2015, the NGT ordered that all diesel vehicles over 10 years old will not be permitted to ply in Delhi-NCR. The NGT, in 2017, imposed an interim ban on plastic bags of less than 50-micron thickness in Delhi because “they were causing animal deaths, clogging sewers and harming the environment”. Challenges: For a tribal trying to stop pollution from an iron ore mine in Bastar, this means filing and fighting a case in Bhopal. This is neither easy nor affordable. Conflicts are brewing between NGT and the high courts. As per the NGT Act, appeals from NGT can only go to the Supreme Court, thus by-passing the high courts.Backlog of cases in NGT as another reason for the institution’s failure to address environmental matters. Two important acts – Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 have been kept out of NGT’s jurisdiction. This restricts the jurisdiction area of NGT and at times hampers its functioning as crucial forest rights issue is linked directly to environment. Way forward System of Larger Bench in NGT Judicial review is an important power that must be given to NGT We should include other environment-related laws within NGT’S ambit. We must strengthen it by giving it more powers and by investing in strengthening its infrastructure Collaborative Approach Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Liberalised Remittance Scheme
Liberalised Remittance Scheme The Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) allows resident individuals to remit a certain amount of money during a financial year to another country for investment and expenditure. According to the prevailing regulations, resident individuals may remit up to $250,000 per financial year. This money can be used to pay expenses related to traveling (private or for business), medical treatment, studying, gifts and donations, maintenance of close relatives and so on. The remitted amount can also be invested in shares, debt instruments, and be used to buy immovable properties in overseas market. Individuals can also open, maintain and hold foreign currency accounts with banks outside India for carrying out transactions permitted under the scheme. LRS restricts buying and selling of foreign exchange abroad, or purchase of lottery tickets or sweep stakes, proscribed magazines and so on, or any items that are restricted under Schedule II of Foreign Exchange Management (Current Account Transactions) Rules, 2000. Can’t make remittances directly or indirectly to countries identified by the Financial Action Task Force as “non co-operative countries and territories”. Read Pradhan Mantri KISAN Samman Nidhi Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
