14-08-2020

14-AUGUST-2020
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The Hindu News Analysis – 14th August 2020 – Shankar IAS Academy

Page Number*
S.
News Articles
No.
C B D H T

1 PM announces Tax Payers Charter 1, 10 1, 8 1, 8 1, 8 1, 8

2 Schools without freedom (OPED) 8 6 6 6 6

3 Organ donation norms see a radical shift 2 - - - -

4 Inflation accelerates to 6.93% dimming chances of a rate cut 14 13 15 13 13

5 NEET can’t be online for those abroad: NTA 12 10 10 10 10

6 Prelims Practice Questions @ end of the video

© Shankar IAS Academy *C – Chennai; B – Bengaluru; D – Delhi; H – Hyderabad; T – Thiruvananthapuram

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Pgs: 1, 10 – C;
Pgs: 1, 8 – B, D, H, T;

© Shankar IAS Academy

Part A—Preliminary Examination

Paper I - (200 marks)
 Current events of national and international importance.
 Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political
System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc
Part B—Main Examination
PAPER-III
General Studies- II: Governance, Constitution, Polity,
Social Justice and International relations
• Government policies and interventions for development
in various sectors and issues arising out of their design
and implementation.
PAPER-IV
General Studies-III: Technology, Economic Development,
Bio diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster
Management
• Indian Economy and issues relating to planning,
mobilization, of resources, growth, development and
employment.
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Transparent Taxation- Honouring the Honest

• A platform to initiate major tax reforms- Faceless Assessment

bringing transparency in income tax systems • Aims to impart greater efficiency,

and empowering taxpayers. transparency and accountability to the
assessment process.
• Make structural changes that meet the
requirements of the 21st century taxation • Eliminates the physical interface between the
system. taxpayer and the income tax department.

• Three main components are Faceless • Automated random allocation of cases using

Assessment, Faceless Appeal and Taxpayers data analytics and Artificial Intelligence.

Charter.

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Taxpayers Charter
Faceless Appeal
• A charter explaining the rights and duties of
• Appeals will be randomly allotted to tax
the taxpayers and responsibilities of income
officers across the country.
tax officers.
• Identification of the officers deciding appeal
• The taxpayer will be assured of fair,
will remain unknown.
courteous and rational behaviour.
• Tax payer will not be required to visit the
• It takes care of maintaining the dignity and
income tax office.
sensitivity of the taxpayer.

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Significance of the reforms

• Only 1.5 crore people in India pay taxes- • New reforms are aimed to make the tax
need an efficient and transparent tax system system Seamless, Painless, Faceless.
to widen the tax base.  Seamless: Works to resolve the problems of
• Making the lives of honest taxpayers easy is a taxpayer instead of entangling them
the responsibility of the government. further.

• Need a simplified tax system based on trust,  Painless: Everything from technology to rules
not of force and fear of punishment- example should be simple.
is GST.  Faceless: No need for a direct contact
• Maximum governance with minimum government between the Taxpayer and the Income Tax
will create people centric and public friendly Officer.
policies, instead of power centric policies.

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Pg: 8 – C; 6 – B, D, H, T;
© Shankar IAS Academy

Part A—Preliminary Examination

Paper I - (200 marks)
 Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political
System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues,
etc.
Part B—Main Examination
PAPER-III
General Studies- II: Governance, Constitution, Polity,
Social Justice and International relations
• Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the
States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal
structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local
levels and challenges therein.
• Issues relating to development and management of
Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education,
Human Resources.

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• Autonomy - taking decisions pertaining to the

functioning of the schools and classes, at the
local levels.

 Decisions are dependent on structures

designed to overlook local factors.

 Decentralisation was routinely favoured, but

it did not touch the core aspects of
education as a system.

• How the functional autonomy of principals and

teachers is affected?

 In a Government school, by requirement to

silently follow the orders and circulars
issued by the directorate and the
examination board.

 In private schools, by the actions of school

owners and managers.
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• Local factors and school activities

 varying levels of impact of COVID-19 -

school activities could be carried out at
least in places where there is less or no
infection.

 When use of technology was prescribed for

teaching, this is over-emphasized to the
level that compromises learning through
observation of natural phenomena.

 child psychology - in formative stages,

the human mind needs opportunities to
observe natural phenomenon, represent
it in different forms and analyse it.

 less emphasis on basic learning equipment

in our schools

© Shankar IAS Academy

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Part A—Preliminary Examination

Paper I - (200 marks)
 Current events of national and international importance.
 Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System,
Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
 General Science.
Part B—Main Examination
General Studies- II: Governance, Constitution, Polity, Social
Justice and International relations
• Government policies and interventions for development in
various sectors and issues arising out of their design and
implementation.
• Issues relating to development and management of Social
Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human
Resources.
PAPER-IV
General Studies-III: Technology, Economic Development, Bio
diversity, Environment, Security and Disaster Management
• Science and Technology- developments and their
applications and effects in everyday life.
Pg: 2 – C;
© Shankar IAS Academy

• T.N. had framed guidelines to ensure that

World Organ Donation Day organ transplants continued uninterrupted
• Observed every year on 13th August. during the pandemic - performing COVID-
19 tests for the donors, recipients, and
• Aim
for their near relatives/attendants.
 To motivate normal human beings to pledge
Organ donation
to donate organs after death

 To spread awareness about the importance of • The gift of an organ to a person with end
organ donation. stage organ disease and who needs a
transplant.
News
• Organs can be donated - Liver, Kidney,
• COVID-19 has affected organ donations and
transplants. Pancreas, Heart, Lung, and Intestine.

• Lockdown has slowed down organ donations and • Tissues can be donated - Cornea, Bone,
transplants in Tamil Nadu. Skin, Heart Valve, blood vessels, nerves and
tendon etc.
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Diseases Organs

Heart failure Heart

Terminal lung illnesses Lungs

Organ/tissue transplantation

• The act of surgical removal of an Kidney failure Kidneys

organ/tissue from one person and placing it

Liver failure Liver
into another person.

• Needed when the recipient's organ has failed Diabetes Pancreas

or has been damaged due to illness/injury.
Corneal Blindness Eyes

Heart Valvular disease Heart valve

Severe burns Skin

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Types of Organ donation  SWAP Donors - living near-relative donor is

incompatible with the recipient, provision
1. Living Donor Organ Donation
for swapping of donors between two such
• A person during her life can donate one pairs.
kidney, a portion of pancreas and a part of
 Permissible only for near relatives as
the liver etc.
donors.
• Types of living organ donations.
 Legally permitted under Transplantation
 Living Near Related Donors - only of Human Organs (Amendment) act 2011.
immediate blood relations are accepted
2. Deceased Donor Organ Donation
usually as donors - parents, spouse, siblings,
children, grandparents and grandchildren. • Also known as Cadaver donation.

 Living Non-near relative Donors - other • A person can donate multiple organ and tissues
than near relative of recipient/patient. after brain-stem death or cardiac death.

 Donate only for the reason of affection • Donor’s organ continues to live in another
and attachment towards the recipient or person’s body after transplantation.
for any other special reason.
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Who can donate? Organ

Age limit
• Deceased Donor - anyone, regardless of age, transplanted
race or gender can become an organ and
Kidneys, liver up-to 70 years
tissue donor after her/his Brainstem/Cardiac
Death. Heart, lungs up-to 50 years

 Consent of near relative or a person in Pancreas,

up-to 60-65 years
lawful possession of the dead body is Intestine
required.
Corneas, skin up-to 100 years
 Donor is under the age of 18 years -
consent from one of the parents or any Heart valves up-to 50 years
near relative authorized by the parents is
Bone up-to 70 years
essential.

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Legal Framework in India

• Transplantation of Human Organs Act 1994 -

enacted to provide a system of removal,
• Living Donor - at least 18 years of age - storage and transplantation of human organs
voluntarily authorize the removal of any of for therapeutic purposes .
their organ and/or tissue, during their lifetime,  Prevention of commercial dealings in human
as per prevalent medical practices for organs.
therapeutic purposes.
 Its scope was expanded by the
• Organs are matched to recipients on the basis Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment)
of medical suitability, urgency of transplant, Act 2011.
duration on the waiting list and geographical
 Tissues donation included.
location.
 ‘Near relative’ definition - expanded to
include grandchildren, grandparents.

 Provision of Swap Donation included.

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National Organ and Tissue Transplant

Organization (NOTTO)

• National level organization set up under

Directorate General of Health Services,
 Every hospital doing transplant activity -
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
whether retrieval of organ or organ
transplantation must have a transplant • The National Network division of NOTTO
coordinator in the hospital before the center function as apex centre for all India
is registered for transplantation under the activities of coordination and networking for
act. procurement and distribution of organs and
tissues.

• Registry of Organs and Tissues Donation and

Transplantation in country.

• NOTTO operates the waiting list and organ

allocation system.

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Issues and challenges

1. High Burden - Demand Versus Supply gap - 5. Lack of Organized systems for organ
huge disparity. procurement from deceased donor.

2. Poor Infrastructure especially in Govt. sector 6. Poor maintenance of standards in

hospitals. Transplantation, Retrieval and Tissue Banking

3. Lack of Awareness of concept of Brain-Stem 7. Prevention and Control of Organ trading.

Death among stakeholders.
8. High Cost - especially for uninsured and poor
4. Poor Awareness and attitude towards organ patients.
donation - leads to Poor Deceased Organ
donation rate.

© Shankar IAS Academy

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Practice Question – Prelims

Q. Consider the following statements regarding
inflation in an economy:
1. Creeping inflation is not dangerous to the
economy, but favourable for economic
development.
2. An economy is facing Hyper inflation when
the annual rate of inflation exceeds 20%.
3. Disinflation is a situation when both
inflation and unemployment are high in an
economy.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 only
c) 2 and 3 only
Pg: 14 – C; 13 – B, H, T; 15 – D; d) 1, 2 and 3
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• News: India’s retail inflation accelerated to

6.93% in July, remaining above RBI’s medium-
term target of 4%.

 Due to the increase in food prices due to

supply-side disruptions caused by lockdown.

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Cost-Push inflation
Inflation
• Caused by an increase in price.
• A continuous rise in general price level which
 Increase in raw material prices/workers
reduces the value of money or purchasing
power over a period of time. wage

Three main types of inflation  When firms unilaterally increase price of goods
to increase the profit margin.
Demand-Pull inflation

• Caused by an increased demand for output Structural Inflation

from households/entrepreneurs/ Government.
• Caused by structural imbalances and rigidities
• When the demand exceeds supply, the price in the economy.
level increases.
• Example- agricultural bottlenecks, government
• Increased money supply in the economy results
budget constraints and infrastructural
in increase in aggregate demand.
bottlenecks.

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• Classification of inflation
Disinflation
Type of Inflation Annual rate of inflation
• The process of reversing the inflationary
Creeping inflation Up to 3% trend without causing unemployment.

Walking inflation More than 10% Deflation

Running inflation Between 10-20% • A decrease in general price level of goods

and services.
Galloping inflation Exceeds 20%
Reflation

Stagflation • A situation often brought by the govt to

reduce unemployment and increase demand.
• When both inflation and unemployment are high
in an economy. • Govt adopts measures such as higher public
expenditure, tax cuts, interest rate cuts
• A combination of inflation and low growth.
etc.

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Practice Question – Prelims

Q. Which of the following statements is/are
correct with reference to National Testing
Agency?
1. It was established by Ministry of Youth
Affairs and Sports under the Society
Registration Act, 1860.
2. It is an independent and autonomous
premier testing organization to assess
the competency of candidates for
admission purposes only.
Which of the statements given above is/are
incorrect?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
Pg: 12 – C; 10 – B, D, H, T; (d) Neither 1 nor 2
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• Objectives

 To conduct efficient, transparent and

international standards tests in order to
National Testing Agency (NTA)
assess the competency of candidates for
• Ministry of Education (previously, Ministry of admission, and recruitment purposes.
Human Resource Development) established it
 To undertake research on educational,
under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
professional and testing systems to identify
• Established as a premier, specialist, gaps in the knowledge systems and take
autonomous and self-sustained testing steps for bridging them.
organization - conducts entrance examinations
 To identify experts and institutions in
for admission/fellowship in higher educational
setting examination questions.
institutions.
 To produce and disseminate information and
research on education and professional
development standards.

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 To help individual colleges and universities in

• Functions
the field of testing and to provide training
 To identify partner institutions with adequate and advisory services to the institutions in
infrastructure from the existing schools and India. To provide quality testing services to
higher education institutions which would the academic institutions in India.
facilitate conduct of online examinations
 To develop a state of the art culture of
without adversely impacting their academic
testing in India by using domestic and
routine.
international expertise. To collaborate with
 To create a question bank for all subjects international organizations like ETS to
using the modern techniques achieve the same.

 To establish a strong R&D culture as well as  To undertake any other examination that is
a pool of experts in different aspects of entrusted to it by the
testing Ministries/Departments of Government of
India/State Governments.

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Some of the exams conducted by NTA:

• Engineering : Joint Entrance Examination

(JEE) MAIN exam

• Medical: National Eligibility cum Entrance

Test(NEET).

• Management: Common Management Admission

Test (CMAT).

• Pharmacy: Graduate Pharmacy Aptitude Test

(GPAT).

• College/University: UGC-NET.

© Shankar IAS Academy

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© Shankar IAS Academy

Practice Question – Prelims

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding
inflation in an economy:
1. Creeping inflation is not dangerous to the
economy, but favourable for economic
development.
2. An economy is facing Hyper inflation when
the annual rate of inflation exceeds 20%.
3. Disinflation is a situation when both inflation
and unemployment are high in an economy.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 2 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1, 2 and 3

© Shankar IAS Academy

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Practice Question – Prelims

Q2.Which of the following statements is/are correct
with reference to National Testing Agency?
1. It was established by Ministry of Youth Affairs
and Sports under the Society Registration Act,
1860.
2. It is an independent and autonomous premier
testing organization to assess the competency
of candidates for admission purposes only.
Which of the statements given above is/are
incorrect?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

© Shankar IAS Academy

Practice Question – Prelims

Q3. Consider the following initiatives:
1. Faceless Assessment
2. Vivad se Vishwas
3. Faceless Appeal
4. Taxpayers Charter
Which of the above is/are part of the
“Transparent Taxation- Honouring the Honest”
platform?
a) 1 and 3 only
b) 2 and 4 only
c) 1, 2 and 3 only
d) 1, 3 and 4 only

© Shankar IAS Academy

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Practice Question – Prelims

Q4.Which of the following statements are correct
with reference to School Management
Committee.
1. While the committee prepares and
recommends school development plan, it does
not monitor the working of the school.
2. At least three-fourth of members of such
Committee shall be parents or guardians.
Select the correct answer from the code given below:
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2

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Practice Question – Prelims

Q5.Consider the following statements with reference
to Organ Donation and Transplantation.
1. Anyone, regardless of age, race or gender can
become an organ and tissue donor.
2. Swap transplant is not permitted in India.
3. Transplant commercialism is allowed by
Transplantation of Human Organs Act.
Which of the statements given above is/are
correct?.
(a) All of the above
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) None of the above

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Practice Question – Prelims

Answers
14-08-2020
Q1. option a
Q2. option c
Q3. option d
Q4. option b
Q5. option d

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