UPSC Mains 2020 GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 4 (ETHICS – GS4) – UPSC CIVIL SERVICES (CSE) MAINS EXAMINATION 2020
UPSC Mains 2020 GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 4 (ETHICS – GS4) – UPSC CIVIL SERVICES (CSE) MAINS EXAMINATION 2020 SECTION A 1.(a) Discuss the role of ethics and values in enhancing the following three major components of Comprehensive National Power(CNP)viz. human capital, soft power(culture and policies), and social harmony. (150 words) (b) “Education is not an injunction, it is an effective and pervasive tool for all-round development of an individual and social transformation”.Examine the New Education Policy,2020(NEP,2020)in light of the above statement. (150 words) (a) ‘ Hatred is destructive of a person‘s wisdom and conscience that can poison a nation’s spirit. Do you agree with this view? Justify your answer. (150 words) (b) What are the main components of emotional intelligence (EI) ? Can they be learned? discuss. (150 words) (a) What teachings of Buddha are most relevant today and why? Discuss. (150 words) (b) ‘The will to power exits, but it can be tamed and be guided by rationality and principles of moral duty.’ Examine this statement in the context of international relations. (150 words) (a) Distinguish between laws and rules. Discuss the role of ethics in formulating them. (150 words). (b) A positive attitude is considered to be an essential characteristic of a civil servant who is often required to function under extreme stress. What contributes a positive attitude in person.? (150 words). (a) What are the main factors responsible for gender responsibility in India ? Discuss the contribution of Savitribai Phule in this regard. (150 words). (b) The current internet expansion has instilled a different set of cultural values which are in conflict with traditional values. Discuss. (150 words). What do each of the following quotations mean to you? (a) ” Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand do so. If not fold your hands, bless your brothers and let them go their own way.” – Swami Vivekanand (150 words). (b) “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in service of others .” Mahatma Gandhi (150 words). (c) ” A system of morality which is based on relative emotional values is a mere illusion, a thoroughly vulgar conception which has nothing sound in it and nothing true.” – Socrates. (150 words). Read UPSC 2021 Mains Complete Questions SECTION B Rajesh Kumar is a senior public servant, with a reputation of honesty and forthrightness, currently posted in the Finance Ministry as the Head of the Budget Division. His department is presently busy in organizing the budgetary support to the states, four of which are due to the polls within the financial year. This year’s annual budget had allotted Rs 8300 crores for the National Housing Scheme (NHS), a centrally sponsored social housing scheme for the weaker sections of society. Rs 775 crores have been drawn for NHS till June. The Ministry of Commerce had long been pursuing a case for setting up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in a southern state to boost exports. After two years of detailed discussion between the center and state, the Union Cabinet approved the project in August. The process was initiated to acquire the necessary land. Eighteen months ago a leading Public Sector Unit (PSU) had projected the need for setting up a large natural gas processing plant in a northern state for the regional gas grid. The land is already in possession of the PSU. The gas grid is an essential component of the national energy security strategy. After three rounds of global bidding, the project was allotted to an MNC, M/s XYZ Hydrocarbons. The first tranche of payment to the MNC is scheduled to be made in December. Finance Ministry was asked for a timely allocation of an additional Rs 6000 crores for these two developmental projects. It was decided to recommend re-appropriation of this entire amount from NHS allocation. The file was forwarded to the Budget Department for their comments and further processing. On studying the case file, Rajesh Kumar realized that this re-appropriation may cause an inordinate delay in the execution of NHS, a project much publicized in the rallies of senior politicians. Correspondingly, the non-availability of finances would cause a financial loss in the SEZ and national embarrassment due to delayed payment in the international project. Rajesh Kumar discussed the matter with seniors. He was conveyed that this politically sensitive situation needs to be processed immediately. Rajesh Kumar realized that diversion of funds from the NHS could raise difficult questions for the government in the Parliament. Discuss the following with reference to this case: Ethical issues involved in re-appropriation of funds from a welfare project to the development projects. Given the need for proper utilization of public funds, discuss the options available to Rajesh Kumar. Is resigning a worthy option? (250 words) The Chairman of Bharat Missiles Ltd (BML) was watching a program on TV wherein the Prime Minister was addressing the nation on the necessity of developing a self-reliant India. He subconsciously nodded in agreement and smiled to himself as he mentally reviewed BML’s journey in the past two decades. BML had admirably progressed from producing first-generation anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) to designing and producing state of the art ATGM weapon systems that would be the envy of any army. He sighed in reconciliation with his assumptions that the government would probably not alter the status quo of a ban on the export of military weaponry. To his surprise, the very next day he got a telephone call from the Director-General, Ministry of Defence, asking him to discuss the modalities of increasing BML production of ATGMs as there is a probability of exporting the same to a friendly country. The Director-General wanted the Chairman to discuss the details with his staff in Delhi next week. Two days later, at a press conference, the Defence Minister stated that he aims to double the current weapons export levels within five years. This would give an impetus to financing the development and manufacturing of indigenous weapons in the country. He also stated that all
GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 3 (GS3) – UPSC CIVIL SERVICES (CSE) MAINS EXAMINATION 2020
UPSC Mains 2020 GENERAL STUDIES PAPER 3 (GS3) – UPSC CIVIL SERVICES (CSE) MAINS EXAMINATION 2020 Q.1) Explain intergenerational and intragenerational issues of equity from the perspective of inclusive growth and sustainable growth. (Answer in 150 words) Q.2) Define potential GDP and its determinants. What are the factors that have been inhibiting India from realizing its potential GDP? ( Answer in 150 words.) Q.3) What are the main constraints in transports and marketing of agricultural produce in India? ( Answer in 150 words.) Q.4) What are the challenges and opportunities in food processing sector in the country? How can income of the farmers can sustainably be increased by encouraging food processing? ( Answer in 150 words) Q.5) What do you understand by nanotechnology? And how its helping in health sector? ( Answer in 150 words.) Q.6) How is science interwoven deeply with our lives? What are the striking changes in agriculture triggered off by science-based technologies? (Answer in 150 words) Q.7) How does the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2020 differ from the existing EIA Notification, 2006? (Answer in 150 words) Q.8) What are the salient features of the Jal Shakti Abhiyan launched by the Government of India for water conservation and water security? (Answer in 150 words) Q.9) Discuss different types of Cybercrimes and measures required to be taken to fight the menace. (Answer in 150 words) Q.10) For effective border area management, discuss the steps required to be taken to deny local support to militants and also suggest ways to manage favourable perception among locals. (Answer in 150 words) Q.11) Explain the meaning of investment in an economy in terms of capital formation.Discuss the factors to be considered while designing a concession agreement between a public entity and private entity.(Answer in 250 words) Q.12) Explain the rationale behind Goods and Services Tax(Compensation to states)act of 2017.How has COVID-19 impacted the GST compensation fund and created new federal tensions? (Answer in 250 words) Q.13) What are the major factors responsible for making rice-wheat system a success?In spite of this success how has this system become bane in India?(Answer in 250 words) Q.14) Suggest measures to improve water storage and irrigation system to make its judicious use under depleting scenario. (Answer in 250 words) Q.15) COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented devastation worldwide. However, technological advancements are being availed readily to win over the crises.Give an account of how technology was sought to aid management of the Pandemic.(Answer in 250 words) Q.16) Describe the benefits of deriving electric energy from sunlight in contrast to the conventional energy generation. What are the initiatives offered by our government for this purpose? (Answer in 250 words) Q.17) What are the features of the National Clean Air Programme(NCAP) initiated by the government of India? (Answer in 250 words) Q.18) Discuss the recent measures initiated in the disaster management by the Government of India departing from the earlier reactive approach. (Answer in 250 words) Q.19) What are the determinants of left-wing extremism in the Eastern part of India? What strategy should the Government of India, civil administration and security forces adopt to counter the threat in the affected areas? (Answer in 250 words) Q.20) Analyze internal security threats and transborder crimes along Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan borders including Line of Control (LoC). Also, discuss the role played by various security forces in this regard. (Answer in 250 words)
Changing World Order India and UNSC
Changing World Order India and UNSC It enters the United Nations Security Council for the third time since the end of the Cold War, India finds a very different dynamic than the one it encountered during the earlier stints in 1991-92 and 2011-12. India, too, has changed over the last decade. The range of Indian interests has expanded and so has the circle of India’s international partners. Delhi’s attitudes have also shifted from the reactive to the proactive. That, in turn, should make India’s new stint at the UNSC more purposeful and pragmatic. Purposefulness is about tightly integrating its UNSC engagement with India’s broader national goals. Pragmatism demands adapting to the changed conditions at the UNSC and avoiding overly ambitious goals. India And UNSC : India will start its eighth term as a non-permanent, voting member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). This two-year term presents a unique opportunity for the country to demonstrate global power and responsibility, thereby strengthening its claim to a permanent seat on the Council, which it has sought for decades. Indeed, the UNSC is overdue for some structural reforms and India has vocally and rightfully asserted that it deserves to be taken more seriously on the international stage. At the same time, while the Indian government talks a lot about deserving global power status, what exactly does it want to do with this power? That’s a question that nobody, including the Indians, has an answer to yet. To be perceived as a major power, India must articulate a clear vision of a world order, something that it has not so far done. Seventy years after attaining independence, at a time of monumental global shifts, India cannot continue to seek refuge in vacuous statements about strategic autonomy and sovereignty, and expect that the world will see it as a worthy leader. It must demonstrate its capacity to lead by example, through changes in both its foreign and domestic policy environments. Changing World Order : New Cold-War: During 1991-92, Delhi saw the collapse of the Soviet Union, the end of the Cold War and the new Russia’s turn to the US and the West. The People’s Republic of China was focused on getting its house in order, opening its economy and keeping a low profile in the unipolar moment. India, too, had good reasons to keep its head down. Delhi had to fix its broken economy, put out political bushfires across the country and rejig its foreign policy to cope with the post-Soviet world. Retrenchment of US: retrenchment has led to a severe blow to multilateralism and globalisation Indo-Pacific as a New Sub-System: Indo-Pacific refers to the Indian and the Pacific Oceans between the east coast of Africa and the American west coast and their several littoral countries. Challenges For Indian Foreign Policy: Compromising Non-Alignment China protects Pakistan from the international pressures that India has sought to mobilise at various fora. China now has assumed an aggressive posture towards India. It can be seen in recent Galwan Valley Clashes. Way Forward: India now joins the UNSC amid a continuing military standoff, India can now expose the Chinese aggression in the Ladakh region. India should continue its partnership with G4 (Brazil, Germany and Japan) countries to expand the UNSC and become a permanent member. India could also use the UNSC tenure to deepen collaboration with its European partners like France and Germany in the security arena. India must also sustain an intensive dialogue with Russia on all international issues, notwithstanding Russia’s worsening problems with the West and closer ties to China. India needs to revitalise its engagement with its traditional partners in the global south by articulating their peace and security concerns in the UNSC
Ganges River Dolphin
Ganges River Dolphin Ganges River dolphin (Platanista gangetica gangetica) occur in the Ganges-Brahmaputra River system primarily in India and Bangladesh. They are listed as Endangered by the IUCN due to a probable population decline of at least 50% over the last 50 years and projected future population declines. No quantitative estimates of abundance are available for the Ganges River dolphin although an overall abundance of about 2000 has been suggested. Dolphins have been extirpated from the upper reaches of many rivers, the population has been fragmented by irrigation barrages and dry season habitat is further reduced by diversion of water. In comparison to the Ganges, the Brahmaputra River is less degraded and is therefore of great importance for persistence of the subspecies. For this reason, a recent proposal by Oil India Ltd. to initiate seismic exploration (using explosives and airguns) along the bed of the Brahmaputra River to prospect for oil has potentially disastrous implications for Ganges River dolphins. This project was designed to provide missing baseline information on distribution, abundance, behaviour and acoustics of Ganges River dolphins in the Brahmaputra River and suggest suitable locations to establish protected areas. The hope is that the robust scientific data generated will enable informed management decisions that will safeguard this important and vulnerable population. An extensive survey was conducted in the entire 1044 km of dolphin inhabited sections of the Brahmaputra River from the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border to India-Bangladesh border. The best estimate of 264 dolphins in the entire Brahmaputra River system was recorded, with 80.3% occurring in the Brahmaputra mainstream, 11% in the Kulsi River and 8.7% in the Subansiri River. Dolphin encounter rate in the Brahmaputra was 0.24 dolphin/km, in the Kulsi was 0.40 dolphin/km and in the Subansiri it was 0.24 dolphin/km. Behavioural studies on dive time and surfacing interval and acoustic investigations were also carried out in two dolphin hotspots. Dolphins spent an average 107.3 seconds under water and 1.26 seconds above water. Mortality through fisheries by-catch was identified as one of the major threats to Ganges dolphins in the Brahmaputra. Based on high abundance, potential for protection and possibilities for dolphin eco-tourism, eight river sections were identified as potential protected areas and community-based conservation areas. Major Threats: Unintentional killing through entanglement in fishing gear. Poaching for dolphin oil, used as fish attractant and for medicinal purposes. Habitat destruction due to development projects (e.g. water extraction and the construction of barrages, high dams and embankments), pollution (industrial waste and pesticides, municipal sewage discharge and noise from vessel traffic) and overexploitation of prey mainly due to the widespread use of non-selective fishing gear. Fragmented populations created by dams and barrages have degraded downstream habitat and created impoundments with high sedimentation and altered assemblages of fish and invertebrate species. https://youtu.be/-q2splwaC1s
Open Skies Treaty
Open Skies Treaty The United States announced its intention to withdraw from the Treaty on Open Skies on May 22, 2020; this withdrawal took effect on November 22, 2020. Russia has also announced its plans to withdraw, noting that it would begin the domestic procedures for withdrawal on January 15, 2021, and would then send the official notification to the other treaty parties. Key Provisions: Open Skies participants make all their territory accessible to over flights by unarmed fixed-wing observation aircraft. They can restrict flights for safety concerns, but cannot impede or prohibit flights over areas, including military installations that would otherwise be off-limits. In most cases, the nation conducting the observation flight provides the aircraft and sensors; officials from the host nation participate in the flight. The nation conducting an observation flight must provide 72 hours’ notice before arriving in the host country. This provides the host with time to suspend sensitive military exercises or activities. The observation team presents a mission plan, specifying details including the route and altitude for the flight. The host nation can propose changes to the mission plan, due to weather or flight safety considerations, but it cannot deny access to any area of its territory. Open Skies aircraft can be equipped with four types of sensors: optical panoramic and framing cameras (for still photography) with a ground resolution of 30 centimeters (around one foot); video cameras with a ground resolution of 30 centimeters; infrared line-scanning devices with a ground resolution of 50 centimeters (around 20 inches); and sideways-looking synthetic aperture radars (SARs) with a ground resolution of 3 meters (around 8 feet). This equipment can collect basic information on military forces and activities, but would not provide detailed technical intelligence. It also allows monitoring of military and civilian infrastructure, such as industrial plants, airports, roads, and railway lines, but would not allow recognition of sensitive details about items such as electronic equipment. The participants can upgrade cameras and sensors as technology advances, as long as the capabilities remain within treaty parameters. The party using the new technology must demonstrate that technology to the others participants and receive consensus approval before they can transition to new cameras. Russia has recently equipped its aircraft with electro-optical cameras, replacing film with digital cameras. In 2018, the United States blocked approval of Russia’s use of new cameras, delaying flights planned for that year; it reversed this decision in late 2018, and flights resumed in 2019 Russian Compliance According to the U.S. State Department, Russia restricted access for Open Skies flights over Kaliningrad, over Moscow, and along the border between Russia and the Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russia reportedly also failed to provide priority flight clearance for Open Skies flights on a few occasions. The United States raised these issues in the Open Skies Consultative Commission; some have been resolved. Nevertheless, the United States responded to limitations imposed by Russia by limiting the length of flights over Hawaii and removing access to two U.S. Air Force bases used during Russian missions over the United States. Benefits and Risks When the United States first signed Open Skies, most analysts agreed that the treaty would provide little information not already available from observation satellites. But supporters argued that the treaty could still benefit the United States and its allies. For example, most treaty participants do not have observation satellites, so, as former Secretary of State George Schultz noted, “Open Skies is their only means of alleviating security concerns through timely overhead imagery. ” This reduces the risk of misunderstandings or crises that could involve the United States and contributes to “a more stable and secure European continent.” In 1992, analysts asserted the treaty would create few risks for the United States because Russia could collect more detailed information with observation satellites. Nevertheless, some U.S. military and intelligence officials have since cautioned that better optical technology might allow Russia to overcome weaknesses in its satellite surveillance capabilities. Conclusions: Russia would operate commercially available cameras, with resolutions that are both within the bounds established by the treaty and also less precise than those offered by commercial satellites.
Parakram Diwas
Parakram Diwas The Indian government on Tuesday decided to celebrate Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s birthday on January 23 as ‘Parakram Diwas’ every year. Born to advocate Janakinath Bose in Odisha’s Cuttack on January 23, 1897, Netaji played a crucial role in India’s freedom movement. Subhash Chandra Bose had also established the Azad Hind Fauj. While there is controversy over Bose’s death in a plane crash in Taipei on August 18, 1945, the Central government had in an RTI in 2017 confirmed that he had died in the incident. “Starting from January 2021, every year the occasion will be celebrated to inspire people, especially youth of this country “to act with fortitude in the face of adversity as Netaji did, and to infuse in them a spirit of patriotic fervour,” . Centenary of the Chauri Chaura Incident 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
SBI does deals using SOFR as benchmark
SBI does deals using SOFR as benchmark State Bank of India (SBI) has executed two inter-bank short term money market deals with pricing linked to SOFR (Secured Overnight Financing Rate). SOFR is a replacement for USD LIBOR that may be phased out end-2021. This follows the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority deciding not to compel banks on LIBOR calculation after December. “The transaction shows SBI’s progress in aligning systems and processes to embrace alternate reference rates,” . SOFR (Secured Overnight Financing Rate): The secured overnight financing rate (SOFR) is a benchmark interest rate for dollar-denominated derivatives and loans that is replacing the London interbank offered rate (LIBOR). Interest rate swaps on more than $80 trillion in notional debt switched to the SOFR in October 2020. This transition is expected to increase long-term liquidity but also result in substantial short-term trading volatility in derivatives. KEY TAKEAWAYS The secured overnight financing rate (SOFR) is a benchmark interest rate for dollar-denominated derivatives and loans that is replacing the London interbank offered rate (LIBOR). SOFR is based on transactions in the Treasury repurchase market and is seen as preferable to LIBOR since it is based on data from observable transactions rather than on estimated borrowing rates. While SOFR is becoming the benchmark rate for dollar-denominated derivatives and loans, other countries have sought their own alternative rates, such as SONIA and EONIA. 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
Shadow Entrepreneurship
Shadow Entrepreneurship The global rise of shadow entrepreneurship, not just in education but other sectors such as finance (for easy loans), the betting economy (online games) and healthcare (e-pharmacies). Given the potential perverse consequences of shadow entrepreneurship in the long run for consumer welfare, regulation is needed to monitor quality of services. Supply and demand shock: When there is a supply and demand shock as momentous as COVID-19, a new market may open up to tackle the shifting inwards of markets, owing to rising prices and lower quantities available. Shadow entrepreneurs, offering the allure of technology-mediated services, can help release the associated distortions and frictions in the market by offering complementary services that traditional service providers may be constrained to offer or consumers might not be able to access due to lockdown constraints. This could produce a redistribution of old consumers towards these new markets provided through technology and also entry of new consumers. While markets may self-correct using the invisible hand principles, the initial spike in demand and ensuing lock-in effects might imply higher market power for early movers. The manifestation of such market power will happen through a variety of ways beyond the obvious price setting effects. Small firms will get acquired by large firms. First movers in the space with deep pockets could generate irrationally high valuations. This may also show up with cross-border and national security implications as recently reported about shady loans being provided by Chinese instant loan providers online. Such technology-mediated shadow entrepreneurial platforms could also harbour less than safe spaces as is happening with harassment in Indian telemedicine platforms. It will also mean that unscrupulous individuals who are not entrepreneurs per se but are complementary service providers will potentially take more advantage of these post-pandemic market constraints, extracting money from consumers by means such as document forgery. Clearly, while such shadow entrepreneurialism may spike short-run welfare effects with technology mediated access, they could create perverse welfare consequences in the long run. Read Also Electoral Bond Way forward: Strong monitoring of quality would be essential. This needs to be complemented with non-compliance being punishable with a jail term, clamping down on services and related strict consequences. Those shadow firms that comply are more than welcome to join the dominant mode of service delivery with non-shadow firms. But without regulation, the situation could spiral out of control, given monitoring needs of public goods distribution for the developing world. There also needs to be an associated harmonisation of activities between competition authorities of governments (in India’s case the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in regulating shadow entrepreneurship and government departments in healthcare, education or finance). We may be in for the non-COVID-19 adverse welfare consequences of COVID-19, given the rise in shadow entrepreneurship around the world. Read Also G20 Summit 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
Natufian culture
Natufian culture Mesolithic culture of Palestine and southern Syria dating from about 9000 BC. Mainly hunters, the Natufians supplemented their diet by gathering wild grain; they likely did not cultivate it. They had sickles of flint blades set in straight bone handles for harvesting grain and stone mortars and pestles for grinding it. Some groups lived in caves, others occupied incipient villages. They buried their dead with their personal ornaments in cemeteries. Carved bone and stone artwork have been found. Natufian culture: The Natufian culture was first identified by Garrod (1932) during excavation of Shukbah Cave in Samaria and el-Wad at Mt Carmel. Since the 1930s, many Natufiansites have been reported from the Mediterranean Hills, the Jordan Valley, the Negev desert, and the Jordanian Plateau . The Natufian is an Epipalaeolithic industry for which the lunate, the most abundant geometric flint microlith, serves as an important chronological marker. The Natufian has traditionally been divided into Early and Late phases at 13,000 cal BP based on differences in burial customs (decorated early Natufian burials), the richness of art and ornament assemblages, the size of built structures, and, most importantly, the average greatest length of the lunate and the type of retouch employed in its manufacture NATUFIAN SITES: Late Natufian sites are geographically widespread. In some areas, sites are more or less sedentary, while in others, adaptations are more mobile and seasonal, depending on environmental conditions. Several caves and rockshelters inhabited during the Upper Palaeolithic, but abandoned in the Early Epipalaeolithic periods, were reoccupied during the Early Natufian. Many new sites were established during the Late Natufian, and continued to be used in the succeeding Pre-Pottery Neolithic . Natufian sites with large structures indicating the sedentary or semisedentary habitation of large groups in the final stages of the Late Natufian culture in the Jordan Valley. Based on distinct features of Natufian sites such as permanent architecture and microfaunal remains, including the first commensal species (domestic mice, rats, and the sparrow), Tchernov suggested that sedentary settlements, (residentially stationary arround occupations), emerge in the Natufian. SUBSISTENCE PRACTICES: The Mediterranean southern Levant was rich in food plants, including cereals, pulses, and nuts. Unfortunately, botanical evidence from Natufian sites is scarce, owing to poor preservation. Although the Natufians continued the Epipalaeolithic tradition of nut consumption evidence from phytoliths, groundstones, and sickle blades indicates that reliance on large-grained grasses increased significantly during this period. Although dog domestication is purported to have taken place by the Natufian, based on the discovery of joint canid–human burials at Eynan and Hayonim Terrace. The Natufians used a variety of technologies including nets, traps and bows and arrows to capture a wide spectrum of large and small wild animal taxa. Large prey included aurochs, red deer, fallow deer, and wild boar, but the small-bodied mountain gazelle was the staple species. Small game including slow-moving tortoises as well as quicker species such as hares, groundbirds, waterfowl, and fish were routinely collected throughout the Natufian. ARCHITECTURE: Increases in the scale of the built environment had a significant impact on Natufianlandscapes. Architecture includes rounded pit houses, with foundations made of local, undressed stones and retaining walls supporting the perimeter of the structure. Although semi-subterranean structures first appear in the region during the Early Epipalaeolithic. Read Also Gupta Empire BURIALS: The Natufian presents a striking increase in the number of human burials and in the size and scale of cemeteries. This is exemplified at the Late Natufian sites of Hilazon Tachtit and Raqefet Cave, which functioned nearly exclusively as cemeteries. A rise in the percentage of secondary burials, combined with skull removal and subsequent reburial in new locations, sometimes with other crania, first emerges in the Late Natufian and continues into the Neolithic Period The appearance of specialized funerary sites and associated feasting and other ritual practices indicates increased visibility of ritual practice in the Natufian. ARTISTIC EXPRESSION: Larger numbers of personal ornaments are recovered from Natufian sites than any preceding context. For example, 25% of the 1,000 worked bone items from the Natufian layer at Hayonim Cave were personal ornaments, including pendants and beads made of animal bone and teeth. Finely shaped, oval bone pendants manufactured from gazelle metapodials and perforated at the narrow end have been recovered from several Natufian sites. Most of the pendants were recovered from burials. Natufian culture Groundstone Tools: Groundstone tools are rare prior to the Natufian, but are common in Natufian base camps they comprise mortars of various sizes and a variety of bowls, mullers, and pestles made of limestone, basalt, and sandstone. These include very large fixed mortars, including boulder mortars, which weigh up to 100 kg and are 70–80 cm deep. Natufian boulder mortars retrieved from Mediterranean sites share specific traits that reflect common practices related to Natufian burial and commemorative Read Also Post Maurya Era SOCIAL ORGANIZATION AND RITUAL PRACTICE: Human burial inclusions indicate that the Natufians were egalitarian and lacked differentiation by wealth argues that egalitarianism was maintained through burial practices that minimized special treatment to downplay social differences as a strategy to cope with huge social and economic changes. Many of the social and economic changes associated with the transition to agriculture began or at least intensified during the Natufian and undoubtedly entailed substantial ideological changes. In the material record, these are expressed in ritual practice associated with human burials, such as arrangements of burial inclusions and the consumption of large quantities of food. The increasingly public dimension of ritual practice suggested by these communal events implies a greater need for integrative mechanisms as the Natufians settled into more permanent communities. The end of the Natufian and throughout the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A, various loci of incipient sedentism and cultivation formed in the Near East. In the southern Levant, the local Pre-Pottery Neolithic A culture emerged from the Natufian. 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
Socio Economic And Caste Census
Socio Economic And Caste Census India is looking to revamp parameters for the Socio Economic Caste Census-2021 that will define eligibility of a rural household in the country for various benefits offered under government schemes. The new criterion, under works, could lead to exclusion of households from flagship schemes after the new updated census is out. SECC 2021: “Based on the changes proposed on the parameters, a fresh questionnaire would be prepared to assess the status of these households. Sources said that the list of automatically excluded could see additions like those covered under the PM pension scheme for workers and the PM Kisan scheme. Besides, the automatically included criteria of household without shelter could be knocked off after massive pace of construction of rural houses under the PM Awas Yojana. The plan is also to use Aadhaar as a single identifier of beneficiaries for all its social sector schemes while assessing the socio economic status of all the beneficiaries under SECC-2021 to reduce frauds and duplication of social and economic benefits, besides providing a monitoring mechanism for the living standards of SECC provides the government the names and number of families in each panchayat and details their status on seven deprivation parameters. The rural development ministry will finalise the parameters and soon kickstart the exercise to compile the second in series SECC, due for launch next year. SECC-2011: The SECC-2011 had identified households based on 13 automatic exclusion parameters, five automatic inclusion parameters and seven deprivation criteria. Out of 179.1 million rural households identified, 39.3% or 70.5 million households fell in the automatic exclusion category, 0.92% or 1.65 million households were in the automatic inclusion category, while 106.9 million were considered for deprivation.SECC-2011 is a study of socio economic status of rural and urban households and allows ranking of households based on predefined parameters. SECC 2011 has three census components which were conducted by three separate authorities but under the overall coordination of Department of Rural Development in the Government of India. Census in Rural Area has been conducted by the Department of Rural Development (DoRD). Census in Urban areas is under the administrative jurisdiction of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation (MoHUPA). Caste Census is under the administrative control of Ministry of Home Affairs: Registrar General of India (RGI) and Census Commissioner . The following needs to be consciously taken on record while using SECC data: (i) The SECC data is respondent based input along with the counter sign of enumerator.The data is the “revealed data” by the household to the enumerator. However, collected data also meets the approval of Gram Sabha and Panchayats. (ii) The structure of the houses of household is described in SECC as Kuccha or Pucca depending on the respondent based information on predominant material used in walls and roof (iii) Ownership status of the house is respondent based information. (iv) Main source of income related to household has been clarified in rural areas as cultivation, manual casual labour, part time or full time domestic service, begging, non-agriculture own enterprise, begging/charity/alms and others. The various components of ‘other’ have however not been enumerated. (v) Some nuances of data needs to be clarified. For instance, “Non-adult member” questionnaire has used the age group of 16-59 instead of 14-59. Similarly the question on income of the main earner does not ask logical question on any other earner. Thus, when the household reports less than Rs. 5000/ month as the income of the main earner the natural second question of any other earner would have defined poverty status of the house sharply in income term. However, the approach of SECC is torely on enumerating multidimensionality of poverty and rank households accordingly for receiving benefits of governments’ positive interventions. Thus, even in the absence of the same, these households can be tracked on multi variable analysis on poverty by keeping in view the insecurity and uncertainty of wage jobs and insecure, unsafe and poor quality of households, etc. (vi) SECC data is compilation of 24 lakhs enumeration blocks where each enumeration block has roughly 125 households. These are the same enumeration blocks that were formed during census. This allows SECC data to rank household and categorise them on the basis of socio economic status using automatic exclusion criteria, automatic inlusion criteria and deprivation criteria. Census 2011 and Socio Economic Census 2011 (vii) The data of SECC does not and cannot super impose itself fully on the census data. While there is a high degree of compatibility in the two sets of data the findings could be different because the duration of census and that of SECC is different. Census 2011 on the other hand was conducted during the period 9th to 28th February 2011. Socio Economic Caste Census 2011 was largely carried out in 2011 and 2012 with a few states taking enumeration and verification in 2013 also. (viii) It is relevant to note that the regular Population Census is carried out under Census Act, 1948. According to this Act, Government must keep individual’s personal information confidential. Besides aim of regular Population Census is to provide overview, it is not concerned with any particular individual / household. In short personal data given in Population Census is confidential. On the contrary all the personal information given in the Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) is open for use by Government departments to grant and/ or restrict benefits to households. This required the right of verification of socio economic profile prepared by enumerators, verifiers and supervisors of state government of households to be shared in transparent manner with households, Panchayats and Gram Sabha. This entailed mid track change in process of SECC 2011 which had to introduce in November 2012 a process of complaints/ objections to be entertained under a pre-defined process after publication of draft SECC list. Accordingly, all published Draft District Lists were put for public scrutiny before Panchayat and were displayed in Gram Sabha except names of caste/tribe/religion details. Complaints / Objections were to be thereafter examined
