Global warming

Quick points to remember

• Global warming or climate change is mainly caused by greenhouse gases.
• The major greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide, other significant one being methane.
• The United States of America is responsible for around 25 percent of the total carbon dioxide emitted into the
atmosphere.
• The average temperature of Earth has increased by 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit from the last century.
• The temperature in the Arctic region has seen an increase of almost double the global average.
• The wildlife has been hit hard by global warming as indigenous creatures like polar bears and coral reef are
dwindling fast in number.
Introduction
Global warming is one of the most alarming and sensitive issues of the past and present decade. It is characteristically defined
as an increase in temperature of the atmosphere and water bodies of Earth. Gradually, it is showing drastic effects on its
climate. One of the main reasons for this cataclysmic change is the increased amount of emission of greenhouse gases, led by
carbon dioxide, which traps the heat in the Earth's atmosphere, making it warm. These greenhouse gases are necessary to
keep the temperature of the planet from falling below freezing levels, but an excessive amount of it has had negative effects
due to increased retention of heat. The increased amount is mainly due to excessive burning of fossil fuels, deforestation,
distorted agricultural practices and destructive human activities. Some call it a hoax, saying it is a periodic phenomenon that
happens cyclically over a period of time, but the alarming rise in temperature and the rapid melting of ice caps have got
everyone worried of its actual potential.
Current scenario
A lot of evidence suggests that global warming has affected our planet in the worst way possible over the past decade. The
amount of carbon dioxide emission has almost doubled and is the highest over the past 800,000 years. This drastic climatic
change will be disastrous for natural vegetation, the natural habitat of wildlife, alter the natural crop cycles and will spread
diseases. There have been warning signs of an alarming rise in sea-level over the past few years and is threatening a
number of coastal lands to be submerged. The climatic change will also turn the planet into a hub for a number of infectious
diseases and parasitic infestation. Some places will become too hot and inhabitable, causing a mass migration of people
leading to a refugee crisis. A lot of animals are dependent on the Arctic region for its survival, like the arctic birds, the ringed
seals, walrus, lemmings, tundra hares, whales, polar bears, muskoxen etcetera and their numbers are dwindling at a faster
rate, pushing them closer to the verge of extinction. All these scenarios are not something that should be taken lightly.
How to reduce global warming
Though global warming happens on a broader aspect, you can contribute in bringing down the negative effects of it by
addressing its root cause and trying to rectify that. Few methods to reduce global warming as an individual are-
• Say no to deforestation- Trees absorb and store carbon dioxide and gives out fresh oxygen to breathe,
therefore, it is apt that an effort is made to save them. Rapid deforestation has become very common now,
mainly to convert forests into lands for business profits. You should stand up against this by spreading the
idea of the importance of trees and plantations.
• Plant trees- Another way of counteracting deforestation is planting trees wherever possible. The life of every
tree is important, so every tree you plant, you are working towards making the planet a better place to live.
• Use the renewable source of energy- There are enough renewable sources of energy around you which
can be utilised smartly for various purpose while reducing the need to burn fossil fuels. These fossil fuels emit
an increased amount of carbon dioxide which directly contributes to global warming. Renewable resources
like wind, solar energy, water etcetera should be harvested efficiently.
• Avoid using vehicles that eject a lot of harmful emissions into the atmosphere. Switch to cycles or e-
bikes for transport. Use public transport wherever possible.
Quick facts about global warming
• Most of the records of high temperatures have been broken in this century with 2016 being the hottest year
after 1880.
• There has been a rise of 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit in the global average temperature from the 20th century.
• The ice coverage over the Arctic sea has reduced by 4.1 percent since 1979.
• Sea levels are increasing at a rate of 3.4 mm per year, highest in the past 2000 years.
• Coral reefs like the Great Barrier Reef in Australia are extremely sensitive to climatic changes. They have
been damaged severely due to bleaching leading to the death of almost 2/3rd of its total extent.
• There has been a reduction in pH of ocean water by 0.1, making it acidic.
 • Temperature changes are likely to be as high as 6 degrees by 2100.
• 25 to 35 percent of the wildlife is on the verge of being listed as endangered species.
Conclusion: No matter how much you close your eyes and ears and go on with your life, global warming is something
that will affect everyone eventually. Being a resident of this planet, it should be your endeavour to save your home from
losing its stature of a habitable one and pave a better future for the generations to come. Fight global warming now.
Nuclear Weapons
Quick Points to Remember
• Nuclear weapons created great havoc for humankind in the past and are still a menace to the world.
• The first nuclear weapon, atom bomb caused the perilous impact on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the small
towns in Japan, a drastic impact that lasted for decades.
• After the peril of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, most of the nations around the world voluntarily renounced the
production and use of Nuclear weapons.
• Some of the nations that agreed that they possess nuclear weapons are United States of America, India,
Pakistan, China and North Korea.

• The nuclear weapon testing recently took place in North Korea, and it became the bone of contentment
around the world.
• North Korea agreed to halt the experiments related to Nuclear weapons on temporary grounds but still, the
world is worried about the outbreak of another World war by the arrogant moves of North Korea.
Introduction
Nuclear weapons or atomic bombs are the outcomes of nuclear fission or nuclear fusion reactions. The first experiment on
hydrogen bomb took place in earlier 1930s. By the menace that took place in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the United Nations
Organization was founded with an intention to preserve peace and common brotherhood in the world. The main objective of
the UNO is to stop the wars between the nations and nuclear disarmament.
Recently, North Korea declared that they are conducting experiments on nuclear weapons and revealed the number of
nuclear missiles and weapons they have. Their moves seemed a call for the war with the United States of America. The
American President passed a declaration about financial restrictions to be imposed on North Korea if they move further with
the experiments on nuclear weapons.
The scenario of nuclear disarmament
• Last year, the chief of NATO military, James Starvidis predicted that there was 10 percent chance for the United
States to enter into Nuclear Conflict with North Korea. In the Indian Scenario, the government declared that they
conducted experiments on nuclear weapons with a mission to establish peace in the world in 1974. This mission
was called as “smiling Buddha” at that time.
• During the 1970s, the United States promoted the study and experiments on nuclear weapons under the mask of
Study of Physics to precede its opponent Russia, the Soviet Union then. However, The Treaty for Non-Proliferation
came into existence to support nuclear disarmament. India denied this treaty on account of arrogant moves of its
neighbours Pakistan and China.
• According to the statistics, United Nations of America, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, France, United Kingdom and
North Korea agreed about the possession of nuclear arms. Israel is suspected to have nuclear weapons, but
disagreed about the statistics adhering to the norms of internal security. Reports reveal that 20 nuclear weapons
are detonated around the world as parts of experiments and 10 percent of electricity in the United States of
America was produced from a disassembled atomic bomb during the Russia warheads until 2013.
Key Points
• According to the Stockholm University, nine nations possess a total of 16,300 nuclear weapons. Currently,
Belgium, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and Turkey share nuclear weapons with the USA. These nations are
called nuclear weapon hosting nations. Nuclear weapon hosting means, the countries cannot detonate the nuclear
weapons without the issue of the special secret security code by the United States of America. Germany
conducted nuclear explosive experiments on their own earlier, but renounced the process later.
• Another shocking fact is that the funding for experimenting with nuclear explosives in the United States of America
does not come from United States Department of Defence, but from Department of Energy.
• A survey by Dr. Louise Reiss in 1961 on chemical content on baby teeth revealed that nuclear explosive tests have
the worst impact on the growth of teeth and bones on new-born babies and leave hazardous results on pregnant
women. With these results, most of the nations decided to restrict the number, intensity, and magnitude of nuclear
weapon experiments.
 • Sources prove that the documents showing Iraq conducting nuclear tests and possess nuclear arms are fake ones
and the culprit is still absconding. These facts show what impact nuclear explosives leave on future generations
physically, mentally and emotionally.
Conclusion: The government of United States of America still pays compensation for survivors of Bikini Atoll after their
nuclear experiments there. This is an instance that reveals the perilous effects of nuclear weapons on mankind. The nuclear
weapons created for defending a nation may lead to the destruction of the entire world. The UNO is working on prevention of
use and production of nuclear weapons, but most of the nations need to accept the treaty for nuclear disarmament till date.

T20 cricket
Quick points to remember
• T20 cricket is the shortest format of professional level cricket.
• T20 or Twenty20 as the name suggests is a 20-over per side game.
• One inning typically lasts for around 90 mins with 10 mins break in between innings.
• It has gained popularity because of its fast pace and heightened entertainment factor.
• The first T20 match was introduced by England and Wales Cricket Board.
Introduction
One thing that T20 cricket has managed to do efficiently is capture the attention of audience from all over the world and
served cricket on a platter with the right mix of the sport and entertainment. Although most people consider Test cricket as
the most formidable format of the sport, there is no denying the fact that T20 cricket has brought a larger fraction of people
together which eventually led to more interest in the sport. Men and women, old and young, everyone is hooked onto their
television sets when this format is being played.
One might be wondering what led to the immense popularity of T20 cricket. For starters, it takes a considerably less amount
of time, 90 mins for each innings and a 10 mins break in between. Effectively, that is around 4 hours for a match, like most
other competitive sports like football, hockey etcetera, something most people are ready to spare from their hectic schedule.
Add to that the drama, the entertainment, the nail-biting finish, never seen before shots, extraordinary talents at the display,
all compressed in the time period of two average Hollywood movies and the perfect mix is ready. It has so many followers
throughout the world that other than the
international T20s that are scheduled in almost every cricket series, almost every major cricket playing nation has its
own domestic leagues. These leagues have been successful in pulling over a large number of audiences to the
stadiums, making it a swashbuckling offer. There is no denying the fact that the money involved is also more than any
other format, making it lucrative for players around the world.
The present scenario
As mentioned earlier, domestic leagues have gained a lot of popularity in recent times, bringing people of all age-
groups together to enjoy a game of cricket, proving to be a good ambassador for the sports. Leagues like the Big
Bash League of Australia and the Natwest T20 Blast of England are very popular, but the one that sits at the top is the
Indian edition, Indian premier league. The best aspect of these leagues is the fact that it has led to an intermingling of
players of different countries together and also among the domestic and international players, making it a great
learning experience for the young brigade. T20 has occupied quite a large platform in the international arena as well
with the T20 world cup which started in South Africa and was won by India. West Indies are the reigning champions
now, though a team has to defend the title every 2 years.
Reasons why T20 cricket is good for everyone
➢ It is a shorter format and has an adequate quota of the sport and entertainment.
➢ Due to the shorter time period, it has more takers from every field of life
➢ Increased the popularity of cricket with more people taking interest in the 50-over and Test cricket format.
➢ Brings people together sharing the same passion under the same roof
➢ In the domestic leagues, Junior and domestic players get to rub shoulders with international legends,
making it an excellent learning curve for them.
➢ Newer and innovative ways of playing the game are being implemented, resulting in the evolution of the
game.

➢ Brought players from different countries together, playing under the same team, benefitting the spirit of the
game.

Quick facts

• The novel format was first introduced by the English and Wales Cricket Board on 13 June 2003 in
English County Cricket.
• The first international T20 match was played between New Zealand and New Zealand women's team on
5th August 2004
• The first men's T20 international was held between Australia and New Zealand on 17th February 2005
• The first ton in T20 international was hit by Chris Gayle, in the first match of the inaugural World Cup in
2007.
• Sri Lanka defeated Kenya by 172 runs in 2007, making it the largest margin of victory.
• Shahid Afridi has 5 ducks in his international career, highest for any batsman.
• Aaron Finch has the highest score in T20 internationals, scoring 156 runs of 63 balls.
• The highest team score is by Sri Lanka, posting a mammoth 260/6 against Kenya
• The lowest team score is a mere 39 runs by Ireland in 2014.
• Dimitri Mascarenhas took the first T20 hat-trick while playing for New Hampshire while Brett Lee took the
first T20 international hat-trick against Bangladesh.
Conclusion: With the ever-increasing popularity of this format of the game, it is here to stay. It has spread cricket to
every nook and corner of the world and even non-cricket playing nations like Nepal, Hong Kong, Netherlands have
their own domestic leagues, giving a platform for young talents to perform. So, sit back and enjoy the game of cricket
with your near and dear ones.
Terrorism
Quick points to remember:
• The term 'terrorism’ has its origin from the French Revolution of the late 18th century.
• Gained popularity during the reign of U.S president Ronald Reagan.
• It is a form of violence that is generally driven by political, ideological, financial or religious motive.
• Terrorism has claimed millions of innocent lives throughout the world.
Introduction
War and terrorism have been prevalent among humans from time immemorial, but it has gained prominence in recent
times because of the severe atrocities associated with it. In the broadest meaning of the term, terrorism is the
intentional use of indiscriminate violence in order to instill fear among the people for financial, political, ideological or
religious agendas. Though there is no specific, accepted definition of terrorism, it is generally associated with
something which is morally wrong and is used as a weapon by both left and right wing politicians, fascists, religious
fanatics and sometimes even the ruling government.
The main problem with labelling someone as a terrorist is the difference in perspective. To defenders of a particular
ideology, a violent act by the opposition is terrorism. Similarly, any act to repress or restrain the opposition is defined
as terrorism by them. So, basically it is a double-edged sword, the main sufferers being the common and innocent
people. Terrorism can be spread either in the form of fanatical groups like al-Qaeda or Boko Haram who commit
heinous crimes in the name of religion or it may be in the form of an individual, the ‘lone-wolf’ terrorist who operates
alone and commits an act of violence in a mass scale.
when political motivation becomes the primary factor for spreading terrorism, it mostly leads to violence of the mob
against any ethnic or racial group without any rationale as such. They are mostly irked by some random ideologies,
messages and threats with no backing.
The present scenario
As mentioned earlier, terrorism is something the human race has always associated with, from the time wars have
been fought. However, with the advent of anti-terror organisations, the issue has taken a front seat in recent times.
The perils of terrorism have gripped almost every country, led by a group or organization trying to force their
ideologies on others. Whether it is a bomb blast in the city of Karachi, Pakistan or in the city of London, it has led to
loss of innocent lives.
The main motive behind these acts of violence is to instil terror into the minds of people so that they accept the
propaganda that they are trying to propagate. The terrorist organizations, like the ISIS, al-Qaeda, Boko Haram have
taken a stronghold in certain countries though they have faced higher resistance from various corners of the world
lately. It is the responsibility of the national government to identify and rid the country of terrorism with minimum loss
of lives. The aspect of individual terrorism has gained popularity in the countries of the West where a single individual
causes mass terror.
It is not uncommon to hear about mass shootings in schools, bars, clubs and other public places. Countries which are
being ripped apart due to the advent of terrorism have been plunged into poverty, forcing people to vacate their
homes and lands in order to save themselves and their families, leading to increased cases of refugees.
How to stop terrorism
• It is true that the main initiative should come from the national government. The acts of terrorism
should be condemned by all.
• Some terrorist organizations are supported by the national government itself to counter international
rivals. This spreads terrorism and should be abandoned immediately.
• Stop military aid and weapon sales in order to control the number of terrorist attacks.
• Fight for an independent development of the economy of a country.
• Dismantle military bases in other war-stricken countries.
Quick facts about terrorism
• The number of victims of terrorism worldwide has increased from 3.329 in 2000 to 32,658 in 2014, a
hike by almost 80 percent.
• Five countries mostly affected by organisational terrorism are Syria, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan
and Iraq.
• The number of countries with more than 500 deaths due to terrorism has gone up from 5 to 11.
• The lone-wolf attack pattern is responsible for 70 percent of deaths since 2006 in Western countries.
• 54% of the total attacks were in the form of explosions or bombings.
Conclusion: Unfortunately, terrorism is gaining a vice-like grip in modern society and acts of terror are as common as
everyday news. If appropriate steps of intervention are not taken promptly, it is not far that the world goes into a state
of chaos. So, start waging your 'war on terror’ and work together to wipe out this stigma completely.

Women Empowerment
Quick points to remember:
• Employment of women stands at a considerably lower percentage than men.
• Empowered women contribute to an increased growth of the economy of a country.
• Education of women decreases chances of child mortality.
• Women are paid much lesser than men for similar kind of work.
Introduction
The two genders, men and women, have always co-existed. There have been times when women have been
subdued, subjugated to oppression and ridicule and their freedom has been taken away. The fact can’t be denied that
empowerment of women is necessary for the development of the society. Women empowerment points to the fact
that social, political, judicial and all other rights should be equally given to women and there should not be any
discrimination.
Women empowerment, to some extent, points towards gender equality, mainly due to the fact that it has been a male
patriarchal society for a long time and women have not been able to exercise their rights efficiently. Entire nation,
communities, groups stand to benefit from measures taken for women empowerment as it not only increases the
quantity and quality of human resources available, but also helps to overthrow the obstacles of development and
poverty.
The present scenario
The issue of women empowerment has been taken up seriously in the past few decades because of the realization of
the fact that women are entitled to all the rights available to men and that the society can gain exponentially if it is ably
supported. There has been a creation of a safe environment where a woman can take her own decisions owing to
their personal benefits as well as benefit of the society. Women have equal rights to economic and social justice, have
equal rights to education and a conducive environment at work, enabling them to live with dignity and self-respect.
The Constitution has introduced a number of Articles which guards the interest of women. Equal pay for work under
Article 39(d), Relief for Maternity under Article 42, Dowry Protection Act of 1961, Protection of Women from Domestic
Violence Act of 2005 and the Prevention, redressal and prevention of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace
Act of 2013 are some of the notable changes that have pointed towards women empowerment.
Importance of women empowerment
• Women form approximately half the population of the world, but very few are employed even though
they are equally capable of doing so.
• Women are talented enough to do most of the work that men do.
• It leads to an overall development of the society as a society with equality is bound to flourish.
• Women will be able to earn their own living and also be able to share the financial burden of the
family. This will eventually lead to growth in the economy of the country.
 • There will be significant reduction in domestic violence. Once women are given proper education, they
will not only earn the respect of the society but will also be able to tackle the problems of domestic
violence, as most of it stems from the fact that the woman is not aware of what she is supposed to do.
• Once women are educated and given the freedom to execute their fundamental rights like casting
votes for political outfits, there will be a marked reduction in corruption.
• Once women become capable of earning money through the job that they do and are paid for it, they
can sustain themselves effectively or contribute to the total income of the family. This will reduce the
poverty and will encourage more and more women to take up work.
• They will make the nation proud in whatever field they choose to explore, whether it be medical
science or sports or the business industry.
Quick facts about women empowerment
• Education of women has resulted in economic growth of about 50% in the last 50 years.
• After analysing 219 countries from 1979 to 2009, it was found that if women are educated, it reduces
the chance of death during childbirth by 9.5 percent.
• Over 60 million girls are still married off as a child before they become 18 years old.
• Women form the majority, almost 70%, of the people staying in poverty.
• They form 80% of the total number of displaced refugees.
• Only 47 percent of women have access to the financial institution.
• Female employment is at a mere 47.1 percent as compared to men at 72.7 percent.
Conclusion: As mentioned above, empowering women is very important from a number of aspects of life. They also
have all the rights that a human being has and if given the right opportunities, they will be able to lead a dignified life.
Women empowerment has not been exercised completely yet, but the world is definitely on the right path.
Foreign Direct Investment in Defence
Quick points to remember:
• There is a debate about allowing foreign direct investments in defence sector in India.
• This decision may seem a major move in favour of the concept Make in India.
• The government denied the proposals of restricting foreign direct investments into defence sector to
49 percent in 2016.
• This does not mean that the government has provided relaxation for the restriction of 49 percent of
FDI in “state of the art “technology. FDIs above
49 percent in defence sector still need government approval.
• The decision made by the government does not assure automatic approval of FDIs below 49 percent
in the defence sector as well.
• The approval for 100 percent FDI in the defence sector is to promote
“Make in India” initiative in the defence sector.
• The major corporate companies opposed the decision of the government’s decision to approve 100
percent FDI in the defence sector.
• The argument of the major corporate companies behind their stand is that the Indian companies
should hold above the 49 percent stake along with the global defence companies while undertaking an
Indian project with an intention to promote Indian expertise.
• The government of India ruled out these arguments saying the 100 percent FDIs will be permitted to
promote the participation of global defence companies to invest in Indian defence projects.
Introduction
The government has decided to relax the restrictions regarding FDIs to promote global defence companies in India to
manufacture defence equipment in India and thus to support the economic development of India with the “make in
India” initiative. This decision angered the most of Indian corporate companies that share a hand in the manufacture
of defence equipment and armoury.
This decision made the Indian companies which manufacture defence goods to review their standards and plans
because FDIs may reduce the dependence of the government on domestic companies in the production of defence
mechanisms.
Real Scenario
• In fact, before June 2016, the foreign direct investments are permitted up to 49 percent in the defence
sector. The remaining control over the project vested with the Indian stakeholders. The present
decision of the government may reduce the growing opportunities of domestic original equipment
manufacturers or OEMs.
• Under previous laws, the foreign OEMs are required to associate with the Indian partners to invest in
the defence sector. The new rules enable the OEMs to operate with their original name without the
involvement of Indian companies in their projects.
• The new rules cause heavy competition between the domestic manufacturers as well.
• Tata Motors Ltd., which involved in defence OEMs, opined in this context that permission for 100%
FDI in defence will create a head to head competition between the domestic and foreign industries and
promote the chances for exchange of knowledge and enhances the scope for research and
development according to advanced foreign standards and thus supports the improvement of quality in
domestic defence equipment.
• The new rules are helpful to reduce the burden of getting clearances by the government and ensure
rapid progress in the Indian defence sector, stated spokesperson from the government of India.
 • The bitter truth is that India is the largest importer of warfare since decades. The relaxation of the rules
regarding FDIs are intended to support the exchange of knowledge and thus enhances the scope of
indigenous research with foreign collabouration.
• Apart from these statements, the government of India revealed to the parliament that there is zero
percent FDI in the fields of defence, coal industries, and ports. These sectors failed to attract any
foreign direct investments during April-December last year.
• The government has relaxed the rules regarding FDI in defence, civil aviation, and single-brand retail
to promote foreign direct investments in the above sectors. Statistics reveal that India imports 70
percent of its military hardware from different countries.
• There are two ways for getting approval for investment in India. They are
• Getting investment approval from Reserve bank of India, or automatic route.
• Getting approval from the government of India through Foreign Investment Promotion Board or FIPB.
• Foreign direct investments are not permitted in chit funds, tobacco or substitute products, railways,
roads, atomic energy, railway operations, real estate business, construction of farmhouses, townships
etc.
Conclusion : Relaxation of rules for FDI is opposed by the majority of the Indian corporate companies with
regard to increase in competition between domestic companies and foreign companies. The government gave
the clarity that 100 percent is permitted with respect to some norms related to the exchange of knowledge and
technology. However, statistics reveal that there is no FDI in defence sector last year.

Modernization of Indian Armed forces

Quick points to remember:

• India has a hostile neighbourhood and the boundaries have different climatic conditions with hot
deserts in the western India and glaciers in northern India.
• The armed forces of India are modernized than Pakistan but far backwards when compared to China.
• The armed forces need relevant advancements to modern technological developments worldwide.
• The Indian army has noticed certain sections to be modernized in the right direction.
• Some of the parts of the action plan to modernize Indian army are digitalization of battlefield,
modernization of punch to armour, modernizing infantry, and use of advanced weapons and
modernizing artillery and air defence.
• This is a long-term integrated perspective plan or LTIPP that has to take the shape before 2027.
• The army needs power packed modern warfare with advanced technologies by 2022 according to the
experts.
• The government expressed its commitment to accomplish the mission of modernizing the Indian
armed forces at the earliest and does not repeat the delay to take the project forward like earlier.
• The Indian government felt the need for rapid modernization of Indian armed forces and began to
make moves accordingly by policies like Make In India.
Introduction
Since a decade, the neighbouring countries of India are developing rapidly and are taking steps to modernize the
armed forces and warfare in the war-foot-lines. Speaking frankly, adopting technological developments into the Indian
armed forces is very slow when compared to the other parts of the world.
Since India is one of the major aspiring superpowers worldwide, there is an immediate need to adopt technological
advancements in terms of armed forces and warfare. In the present scenario, the government has to fix many
technical, social, and economic issues for speedy implementation of reforms needed for modernization of armed
forces. The hardware and modern warfare required to achieve self-sufficiency regarding the defence of the nation has
many structural and cultural challenges. The need for modern and dynamic warfare increases within five years from
now, according to the experts. To meet these standards, the government has to encourage the indigenous research
in the field of manufacturing dynamic and modern warfare.
Scenario
• The government launched projects like Digital India and Make in India to achieve self-sufficiency in all the
sections of development including defence. The experts are striving hard on a project to design modern
machine guns, war tanks, and bulletproof light-weight dresses for the infantry.
• India is facing the most critical threats to the integrity in the form of neighbouring countries like China and
Pakistan. China is considered as the most capable enemy to the nation in this context. The improvement of
rapport between China and Pakistan is another alarming factor for the security of the nation.
• There are many conventional conflicts facing the security and integrity of the nation like unrest since
decades in Jammu and Kashmir, territorial issues with China, and menaces of urban terrorism and leftist
radical violence in North-eastern India. There are predictions about India has to face two-side war with
China and Pakistan in the near future. If an immediate war breaks out, China has multi-faceted advantages
over India in nuclear, missile, and military pieces of equipment and warfare. To attain self-sufficiency and
curb the upcoming threats, modernization of armed forces is the need of the hour.
• Therefore, advanced research for the modernization of warfare in the means of land, sea, and air is given
the top priority when it comes to Make in India program. Statistics show that India is the largest importer of
modern warfare. So, the requirement for developing indigenous warfare is the main concept behind the
modernization of armed forces. Since decades of independence, the geopolitical conditions have
undergone tremendous changes. The armed forces lack minimal standard modern armoury, which is a
 dangerous threat to the internal and external security of the nation. So, modernizing the infantry is the top
priority in the LTIPP.
• Till date, the most vital requirements for setting up modern defence industries for research and
development of armoury and warfare using indigenous technology still remain as a question. Though made
in India is laying focus at this point, the assurance for completion of this project is still a point of
contentment between the financial and defence ministries.

Conclusion: To end up, India seems to lag behind some of its neighbouring countries to adopt modern technology for
defending the nation from security threats, including the modernization of armed forces. The steps taken by the
government to develop warfare using indigenous technology is still in the form of blueprint but did not take the
required shape. The government and experts have to prove their commitment to provide modern warfare to the armed
forces at the earliest and save the nation from attacks.

Reservation System in India

Quick Facts to remember:

• Reservation system is governed by the constitution of India, statutory laws and local regulations.
• The SC (Scheduled Caste), ST (Scheduled Tribes) OBC (Other backward classes) and some other
backward classes in the Muslim community under BC(M) are the major beneficiaries under this law.
• Reservation system is exercised in various public sector units such as Govt jobs, enrolment in higher
educational institutes, union and state civil services.
• India’s affirmative action program was launched in 1950.
Introduction
The reservation system in India was brought into effect with the objective of uplifting the socially backward
classes and providing equal opportunities to those who because of the social and cultural reasons got neglected.
It was introduced to uplift the socially and educationally backward communities who inadequately represent in
such services. Dr B R Ambedkar was made head of the drafting committee of the Indian Constitution. After
Independence the govt of India listed some backward groups as SC and ST. These groups had been historically
oppressed and denied equality because of the ancient Indian Caste system. Earlier the govt had reserved 15%
vacancies in govt educational institutes and 7.5% in jobs. The situation was to be reviewed after 5 years.
As this system got linked with the vote bank and caste politics, the period got extended without any revisions and
later on reservation or quota system was introduced in other govt. bodies as well. According to the Supreme
Court ruling
that reservation cannot exceed 50% as it would violate equal access granted by the constitution. Reservation in
most Indian states is at 50%. But there are states where the quota system exceeds the 50% limit such as in
Tamil Nadu. There the caste based reservation stands at 69% and applies to almost 87% of the population.

In 1975 the concept of creamy layer was coined during the case of State of Kerela VS. N M Thomas. The judge
said “benefits of the reservation shall be snatched away by the top creamy layer of the backward class, thus
leaving the weakest among the weak and leaving the fortunate layers to consume the whole cake" In 1992 Indra
Sawhney vs Union of India judgment prescribed 11 indicators to assess backwardness and established the
qualitative exclusion such as the creamy layer.
Quick Facts:
• Out of 543 seats in India's parliament, 84 (15.47%) are reserved for SC/Dalits and 47 (8.66%)for
ST/Tribes
• In 1953, Kalelkar Commission was established to assess the situation of the socially and educationally
backward class. It made significant observations but a reservation of 27% was set.
• In central-government funded higher education institutions, 22.5% of available seats are reserved for
Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) students (7.5% for STs, 15% for SCs).
• In Gujarat, 33% of posts are reserved for females in all government departments and services, such
as police, health, education and general administration.
• In 2012, 25% reservation is provided to the reserved category children in the Government aided &
Private schools under the Right to education act which was passed earlier by the parliament.
• In January 2016 Government has given 33 percent reservations to women in all paramilitary forces,
including Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
• There is no reservation granted on the basis of religion in the Central educational institutions at the
national level, although reservation has been extended to religious minorities in some states.
Conclusion: The issue of reservation has faced strong opposition from the unreserved categories and has been
a major cause of disagreement between the reserved and the non-reserved. Intellectuals believe that reservation
is the biggest enemy of meritocracy. This system of relaxed entry criteria is compromising on the quality of
education. It is promoting and inflating moderate merits and thus compromising on quality talent. There are
arguments that reservation system is a compromise on merit and thus quality. Some propose that the system of
relaxed entry criteria should be replaced by offering financial aid and support to the underprivileged but
deserving candidates only. This could help in uplifting the backward classes along with maintaining the merit
quality. Compromising on merit the name of equality is not the right approach as it compromises on the
capabilities on deserving candidates.
 While there is constant opposing of the reservation system but the unreserved categories, there are classes that
are the neediest and are not able to take advantage of the provision because of the lack of awareness. The
creamy layer enjoys most of the benefits of this provision.
AFSPA
Quick Points to remember

• AFSPA stands for Armed forces special powers act.

• AFSPA was enacted in the year 1958 in the North East.
• AFSPA is enacted only when a state or region is declared as “disturbed” by the central government.
• Some special powers are granted to the armed forces under this act.
Introduction
AFSPA (Armed forces special powers act) is a name given to the collective acts of the Parliament of India. The Armed
forces special powers ordinance was first propagated by the British on 15th August 1942 in order to suppress the Quit
India movement. In order to deal with the internal national security situation that incited because of the partition in
1947, the central govt modeled on the same structure, the Bengal disturbed areas ordinance, the Assam disturbed
areas ordinance, the East Bengal disturbed areas ordinance and the united provinces disturbed areas ordinance
An area can be declared as disturbed by the central govt. under the following circumstances:
The administration and local police fail in tackling local issue
Return of centric security forces has led to the return of miscreants or erosion of the “peace dividend”
The unrest and instability in the state is has scaled beyond the managing capacity of the local authorities
AFSPA grants some special powers to the Indian armed forces to maintain law and order in disturbed areas. Some of
the powers that an armed officer is granted are:
The officer can fire upon or use other kind of force even if it causes death, after giving due warning to the person who
is acting against law and order.
Destruction of any hide-outs or shelters prepared by armed volunteers or absconders wanted for any offence.

Arrest without a warrant anyone who has committed cognizable crime or is suspected of doing so. Force may be used
if necessary.
Enter and search any premise if suspected of hiding such person or weapons.
Stop and search any vehicle if suspicious.
The officer has legal immunity for their actions. No prosecution, suit or legal proceeding can be made against an
officer under this law. The decision of the govt. for declaring an area disturbed can also not be judicially reviewed
The immunity of the armed officers was ended by the Supreme Court. The act has faced huge criticism from human
rights groups as it grants huge powers to officers in the conflict ridden areas. The act was originally enacted as an
ordinance in 1958 to control the insurgency caused but Naga militants. After the reorganization North eastern states
and the creation of new states AFSPA was amended so that it could be applied to other neighbouring states.
Quick Facts:

• AFSPA came into effect in 1958 in the North eastern states due to the Naga militant’s insurgency.
• It has been in effect since and as of now is in force in the states of Assam, Nagaland, Manipur excluding
Imphal municipal council area, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Changlang, Longding, and Tirap district of
ArunachalPradesh.
• The Tripura govt lifted the act in 2015.
 Another act was passed in 1983 and was applicable to Punjab and Chandigarh. It was withdrawn in 1997,
roughly 14 years after it came to force.
• An act was passed in 1990 and was applied to Jammu and Kashmir and has been in force since.
• On July 8 2016 the Supreme Court ended the immunity of the armed forces officers.
• AFSPA has faced huge criticism from the UN and non-govt organizations stating it as the violation of
human rights. On March 31 2012 UN asked India to evoke the act saying that such act had no place in the
Indian democracy and it was in violation of the international law. The UN commissioner of the
Human rights, in the year 2009 described it as “dated and colonial-era law that breach contemporary
international human rights standards”.
• Many reports have pointed out multiple occurrences of violence by the armed forces against the civilians.
There have been instances and reports of disappearances by the police or army in Kashmir and the human
rights groups have condemned the abuses calling them “extra judicial executions “and “torture”.
Conclusion: AFSPA was formed in order to maintain law and order in the areas that are conflict ridden and
disturbed. There has huge criticism of this act and yet some are of the view that this act is necessary in order to
maintain and protect the law and order in the country. There have been instances where it is said that the armed
forces have misused their powers. In a landmark ruling Supreme Court ended the immunity of the armed officers
stating “It does not matter whether the victim was a common person or a militant or a terrorist, nor does it matter
whether the aggressor was a common person or the state. The law is the same for both and is equally applicable
to both. This is the requirement of a democracy and the requirement of preservation of the rule of law and the
preservation of individual liberties.”

Yoga
Quick Points to Remember
• Yoga is a way of living that aims mainly at healthy body and mind.
• Yoga has its deep roots in the past and is around since more than 5000 years ago.
 • The word ‘Yoga’ is derived from the Sanskrit language and it simply means ‘to join’, ‘to attach’
or ‘to unite’.
• Yoga recharges the body with cosmic energy and has a holistic effect.
• The discipline or exercises of Yoga originated in ancient India.
Introduction:
In this hectic world, human beings have become robotic- physically, mentally and even emotionally. The modern
generation is failing to follow work-life balance due to work and peer pressures. Life has become more materialistic,
competitive and goal-oriented. High pressures and tensions of modern lifestyle are the main causes of psychosomatic
ailments.
The good thing is recent researchers have documented that mind; the psyche plays a vital role in the majority of these
psychosomatic diseases. Hence, people have now turned towards the ancient Indian science, Yoga and Ayurveda to
treat these diseases with their holistic approach. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of
well-being at mental, physical, social and spiritual levels and not just the absence of illness or infirmity".
In the Indian treasures like the Bhagavad Gita, it is said that ‘Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the
self’.

Yoga Scenario:
• Since ancient times, the path of Yoga is followed as it enlightens and balances mind, body, and soul.
The path winds back 5000 years in native India. Today, it is more popular than it was ever before.
Right from superstars to sportspersons does it. Now, Yoga bestrides the continent from Washington to
Hollywood. More than fifteen million Americans indulge in some form of yoga in their routine fitness
regimen. Around 75% of the health clubs in the United States offer yoga classes.
• On 27 September 2014, the current Prime Minister of India, Mr. Narendra Modi proposed the idea of
International Yoga Day during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Then,
unanimously, Yoga day was declared by the UNGA and since 2015, International Day of Yoga is
celebrated on 21 June every year.
Reasons Why Yoga Is Good For Everyone:
• Yoga boosts confidence by releasing tension from the mind.
• It lowers stress-levels, relaxes mind and body and thus, improves mood.
• Practicing yoga gives a deep sense of relaxation and helps to lose weight naturally.
• Various exercises practiced in Yoga sessions helps to improve muscle tone and strength. It stretches
muscles and soft tissues. In addition, it frees the joint movement and thus, improves overall flexibility
of the body and posture.
• It increases lung capacity and benefits breathing.
Quick Facts:
• There are about 196 Yoga Sutras/ aphorisms.
• There are 84 classic Yoga Asanas.
• Yoga symbol, the swastika is derived from the Sanskrit term- Svastik which means ‘associated with
well-being’.
• The ‘Om’, another yoga symbol is widely found in Hindu and Tibetan philosophy. It is believed to be
the first sound of the universe. It is said that this sound connects to the conscience (Ajna Chakra) or
‘third eye’ region.
• As per Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva is worshiped as the Supreme Lord of
Yoga. He is also credited as ‘Adi Yogi’ / ‘First Yogi’ and ‘Adi Guru’ / ‘First Guru’. Also, it is believed that
Shiva imparted the wisdom of Yoga to the seven saints (Saptha Rishis).
• During the 2nd century BCR, Maharishi Patanjali was a saint. He is well-known for his ‘Patanjali Yoga
Sutra’, a treatise on Yoga.
• The first known appearance of the word ‘Yoga’ is found in the Katha
Upanishad, the most widely studied Upanishads. It is composed in around fourth to third century BCE.
• In the 17th century, Max Müller and others translated Katha Upanishad into Persian and its copies
were translated into Latin and then distributed in Europe.
• In the West, Swami Vivekananda is known for being the proponent of Yoga as he introduced the
Indian philosophies of Yoga and Vedanta to the Western world.
• ParamahansaYogananda, an Indian yogi taught Kriya Yoga to over millions of people around the
world.
• In the modern world, B K S Iyengar was considered to be the principal of the yoga teachers.
• In 2015, June 21, which was the inception of Yoga Day, the Indian Postal Service released a stamp of
yoga. It showcased a seated yogi outline with the Anjali Mudra overhead.
Conclusion: Yoga encompasses various aspects such as purification and peace of mind and body, higher
energy levels, etc. So, with Yoga, de-stress and enjoy peace of mind, body, and soul. Daily practicing Yoga
reconnects with the inner peace and replenishes the energies.

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

Quick Points to Remember:
• CPEC is a collection of infrastructure projects, currently under construction in Pakistan.
• The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor was established on 22 May 2013 and launched in 2015.
 • The value of CPEC project is worth $46 billion.
• The project will highly benefit both the countries in their economic growth and development.
• The CPEC is the part of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21 st Maritime
Silk Road project.
Introduction:
Pakistan and China have good trading relations with each other. To increase the volume of their trade, China decided
to make a large investment in Pakistan which is named as China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). The CPEC is
the collection of infrastructural developments, including power generations and research and development projects.
China and Pakistan, both the countries are going to equally benefit from the project thus they both are interested in it,
and putting all its efforts to complete the project. The locations selected for the project are Gwadar port in Baluchistan,
Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber, Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh in Pakistan and Xinjiang in china. The total length of CPEC
is about 3000kms.
China has launched one of the largest investment projects for Pakistan. It is going to fund the infrastructure and
power project in the country which will help Pakistan to overcome the power shortage crisis and also fulfil the
infrastructure needs. Thus, project and trade will significantly impact the GDP and also increase the Foreign
Direct Investment of Pakistan. The CPEC project has potential to deepen the relation between China and Pakistan. It
will not only benefit Pakistan and China, but will also have positive impact on Iran, Afghanistan, India, Central Asian
Republic and other neighbouring regions.
China-Pakistan economic corridor is the step towards regionalization in this globalized world. CPEC is the new hope
for better region with peace, development and growth.
Significance of CPEC:
• China Pakistan Economic Corridor has great importance for the growth and development of the
region.
• Areas of cooperation and development includes regional connectivity like Transport Infrastructure,
Energy Hub, Logistic Hub, Trade and Commerce, Peace and Development, Explore potential bilateral
investment, Harmonization and Integration of civilizations.
• This will increase livelihood and employment opportunities and help in Industrial, Financial and
Agricultural cooperation. It will also enhance educational linkage, security and stability of the region.
• The GDP of Pakistan has increased enough to put the economy on the right track. On the other side,
the country has staved off a foreign exchange crisis.
• Energy shortage have been a major havoc in Pakistan, so energy sector is the primary focus of the
corridor.
• The project connects the south-western China with Pakistan emerging Gwadar port, which will
improve the roads and railway connectivity providing energy starved Pakistan with needed economic
infrastructure.
• It is estimated to add 17,045 MW of energy to Pakistan’s national grid.
• For China, CPEC is the fate changer in strategic and economic senses.
• China’s industrial growth mostly depends on crude oil imports via sea routes from regions like eastern
Africa, western Africa and the Middle East, that passes through the Malacca Strait.

• To alleviate the Malacca dilemma and ensure its energy security, China has diversified its energy
sources and supply routes.
• It is also diversifying its access routes to expansive energy sources to ensure smooth supply and flow
of crude oils in the event of crisis.
• The Gwadar port, oil pipelines, rail and land routes to Central Asia and the Middle East are
alternatives to sea lane passing through the Malacca strait.
• Gwadar is reinforcing China’s geostrategic influence in Pacific and Indian
Ocean, it reduces thousands of miles saving both transportation cost and time. Gwadar enables China
to protect its supplies at the Strait of Hormuz, whereas Djibouti offers unparalleled access to the Gulf
of Aden.
• The Gwadar port which is under the control of China can turn the port into permanent Chinese Naval
facility in the Indian Ocean.
Challenges to CPEC:
• China-Pakistan Economic Corridor faces multiple challenges, such as security and political challenges
in Pakistan.
• Regional security is the biggest problem for the CPEC as it passes through some of the areas which
do not have proper security environment, especially the Afghanistan conundrum.
• The security in Afghanistan is getting worst and devastating day by day after the pull-out of NATO
forces, this could affect the Xingjian province which is an important region for the functioning of CPEC.
• Stability in Afghanistan is of major importance now as it can destabilize the regional security,
particularly China and Western parts of China.
• The political disputes among various political leaders is yet another challenge before the CPEC.
• The dissatisfaction is due to dividends, funds for project of CPEC and route selection.
• The political difficulties over CPEC among political parties are existing in the history of Pakistan where
the allocation of resources has always been utilized for political gains.
• For the proper functioning CPEC, Pakistan needs highly proficient labour to execute the project. The
existing labour skills are not enough to pursue the CPEC.
Conclusion: CPEC could encourage socio-economic development in Pakistan. It can facilitate the development for
regional economic and trade connectivity and integration between South, Central and East Asia. The regional
economic integration through CPEC could play a great role in resolving political disturbance through cooperation. The
CPEC aims to put Pakistan on high growth through infrastructure. The CPEC project will help to build a stable
economy in Pakistan and create an opportunity to revive its industries. The poverty ratio will decline across the
country. This project will certainly provide the most secure, shortest and cheapest route to China to import oils and
energy.

India- Sri Lanka Relations

Quick Points to Remember
• India and Sri Lanka are the closest maritime neighbours just a few nautical miles away.
• Both the countries share many cultural and social similarities.
• The Tamils and Sinhalese are the major communities in Sri Lanka. Most of the historical and cultural
conflicts were aroused between these two groups even before Independence.
• Sri Lanka got Independence in the year 1948.
• During the colonial rule, the Tamils got a lion’s share of educational and employment opportunities and
the Northern province of the nation hailed by the Tamilians in the majority have better development at
that time.
• After the Independence, the nationalist groups of Sinhalese forced the government to make the laws
that eliminate the Tamils from their opportunities and rights. The passing of only Sinhalese act was
one of such moves by the government in addition to the deprival of Tamil plantation workers from their
firms in 1949. The constitution was framed in favour of Sinhalese and Buddhism and this caused
agitations in the country.
• To oppose the open discrimination, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was founded in 1976. The
mission of this association was to attain separate nation for the Tamils by violent methods and the civil
war was started in 1983.
• Indian government offered military support to the Sri Lankan government to curb the Tamil radical
forces. This move enraged the LTTE activists and led to the assassination of Indian Prime Minister
then, Late Shri. Rajiv Gandhi. This is the major issue that led to the conflict between both the nations.
Introduction
The bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka were soured due to the assassination of Prime Minister of India,
Late Shri. Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 by LTTE activists. To improve the bilateral relations, Indo- Sri Lankan accord was
signed in 1987. India launched a peacekeeping force, IPKF, called as operation Pawan, as a force to make peace
between the Sinhalese and Tamils, and to pacify the civil war. This mission was proved futile and led to the
assassination of Rajiv Gandhi by Tamil separatists.
In 2009, the violence due to civil war in Sri Lanka was ended after capturing the last area dominated by Tamils for 25
years. The Indian government offered extensive services and rehabilitation in the war-prone areas. But the Tamil
empathetic governments in Tamil Nadu succeeded to stop the centre from executing their plans by their protests. By
that time, the Tamil politicians played a pivotal role in the Indian central government.
In 2009 and 2012, India voted against some resolutions in the United Nations Organization Human Rights
Commission or UNHRC to probe into the allegations against Sri Lankan government about violation of human rights
in areas hailed by Tamil militants. In 2014, the government of India again voted in favour of resolution while China and
Pakistan opposed the resolution of probing into the issues of war crimes in Sri Lanka by UNHRC. These are the
issues of contentment between India and Sri Lanka.
Scenario
• On the other hand, there are strong social and cultural ties between India and Sri Lanka since the ancient
times. There are a majority or Tamils of Indian origin and a minute number of other Indian communities in
Sri Lanka like Parsis, Memons, Telugus, Gujaratis and Malayalis who settled there for a living. Though they
count for less than 10,000 in number, they mingled with Sri Lankan people with a strong emotional bond.
The trade relations are pretty good between the two countries.
• With the issues like the vote in the United Nations made Sri Lanka move a little closer to China. China
constructed two ports as a part of Maritime silk
route towards the sea at Colombo and Hambantota. The Chinese started funding Sri Lanka in huge
amounts for infrastructural and industrial projects. The Sri Lankans accepted to seek the Chinese
collabouration in satellite launching at SAT, Sri Lanka’s only Satellite operations Centre.
• Alarmed by these moves of China, India also extended helping hands to Sri Lanka in development activities
in the Eastern and northern provinces. India is planning to collabourate in the Tincomalee port project at Sri
Lanka to give a strong answer to China’s attempts to extend its development activities in the ports of
Colombo and Hambantota.
• Fishermen issue is another bone of contentment between the two nations. The Sri Lankan police regularly
arrests the Indian fishermen for illegal fishing activities by crossing the maritime border and entering their
territorial waters. The Indian government also places allegations against Sri Lankan fishermen for illegal
fishing.
Conclusion: Though India and Sri Lanka have many commonalities regarding social and cultural behaviour, the
minor issues are making both of them apart. The Indian government, alarmed by the moves of China, is sweating
hard to resolve bilateral issues.
 Sex Education
Quick Points to Remember
• Sex is a natural part of everyone’s life.
• Sex education does not promote youngsters to indulge in sex; actually, it does the opposite.
• It exposes teenagers to their natural sexual expression.
• Sex education protects the young souls from unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted
diseases.
• It can prevent the ubiquity of unauthentic sexual information.
Introduction:
Today, the modernization and technological progress have opened doors of opportunities and choices for the modern
youth. Now, every kind of information is available on fingertips. Teenagers are totally unpredictable and their risk-
taking streak makes them seriously vulnerable. Nowadays, there is drastic increase in cases of unwanted
pregnancies in teenagers, abortions, miscarriages, and spread of sexually transmitted diseases. This makes it
essential to introduce sex education among the young people. Education aims to prepare youngsters for the future
and sex education thus becomes a fundamental part of a healthy journey towards an adult life.
Importance of Sex Education:
Sex education is a kind of precautionary measure and the need of the day. It helps the young minds to channelize
their energies in a meaningful direction. It exposes the youngsters to their bodily changes, gender identity, body
image, intimacy, sexual expression, family responsibility and much more. Also, sex education helps in skill-building
that aids the youngsters to make informed decisions and communicate about sex and their sexual health.
Information related to abstinence, puberty, reproduction, relationships, contraception and condoms, sexual violence
and its prevention, sexual orientation, etc. should be given to the teenagers by trained teachers. Youngsters learn to
treat sexual development as a natural and normal part of human development through sex education.
Imparting Sex Education to Youngsters:
Sex education should be mandatory in the school curriculum. It should be implemented in both government and
private schools. Its syllabus must be carefully knitted to cover all the crucial aspects of sex education for the young
souls.
Through sex education, importance about personal hygiene must be taught.
The best way to put youngsters anxieties to rest is simply by giving them sex education in consultation with experts in
the field, parents and trained teachers.
Indulging in pornography, forced sex, and physical abuse is getting common across the world and it can lead to early
unwanted pregnancies. Hence, sex education should include these important aspects in the syllabus. This curriculum
can help the youth to understand the inhuman and unethical behaviors.
While imparting knowledge about sex education, the trained teachers should also give the wisdom of contraceptives
and talk about the plethora of contraception methods that are available in the market including the morning pills,
condoms and lastly abortion.
Alternate methods of sex education should be approached including the visual media and film screenings showing the
life-taking sexually transmitted diseases, etc. In addition, free health camps and regular health checkups can be set
up for the underprivileged.
With the help of intensive training programs, self-worth must be taught to the youngsters. Teenagers should be
informed about the irreparable damages that can occur in random sexual acts.
Sex Education Tips:
• ‘No-penetration’ does not mean ‘no-pregnancy’.
• Sex during menstruation is not ‘safe-sex’. Chances of pregnancy are still there.
• Not all females bleed when they encounter sex for the very first time.
• Condoms do have expiry dates.
• With sex education, youngsters understand the difference between healthy and unhealthy
relationships.
Quick Facts:
• Comprehensive sex education programs can aid the youngsters to delay their sexual initiation.
• Sex is a fundamental part of every human; hence sex education is mandatory in many schools and
colleges across the globe.
• It incorporates values as well as cultural sensitivity in young people.
• Youngsters get most of their sex education through various online websites, and its majority of the
time not accurate. Hence, sex education must start at an early age at home or school.
• Date rapes are becoming common in every country and hence, it is necessary to make the youngsters
aware of this heinous crime through sex education.
• Sex education to children with special needs is very important and it requires compassionate
approach towards them.
• Parents and teachers should make the youngsters understand about the sexual anatomy of human
beings. They should explain the emotional and physical turmoil that the youngsters can experience
when they hit puberty.
Conclusion: Every youngster should have sex education mandatorily incorporated into their curriculum and
schooling. It must be comprehensive and medically accurate. Sex education must be offered throughout a student's
school years, just like any other subject. It is the fundamental duty of our society to give right information and
education to the youngsters related to sex and sexuality.
World Trade Organization
Quick Points to be Remember
• International Organization that only deals with global rules in between nations.
• Helps in Cutting the cost of living cost and raise living Standards
• Helps in Settlement of disputes Reduction of Trade Tension
• Create Good Governance among Countries
 • Supporting Environment and Health
Introduction:
The organization that flapped its arms to more than 140 nations round the world and regulated the global trade related
rules in an efficacious manner is profoundly known as World Trade Organization. It's a basic conceptual structure for
conduct of international trade in goods, services and intellectual properties. It defines the legal rights and bounds for
different governments in multilevel modelling books. In short, it is an institute which inspects the rules of trade
between nations and for nations.
Created on January 1, 1995, it is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It is an enriched substitute of General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), which was created in 1948 and includes intellectual properties as an
additional attribute. The basic origin of idea for the formation of an institute to define rules to global trade market came
up after the Second World War period when economies dwindled at base level.
Accordingly a United Nations Conference on Trade and Employment was convoked at Havana in November 1947. It
led to Havana Charter Agreement to create an International Trade Organization (ITO). This incident was followed by
the formation of council to set and define rules. But to maintain equality, agreement should be passed by all
participating members or by majority. It was then agreed by 23 countries out of 50 participating countries as General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) which was an effort to retrieve from the aborted attempt to create the ITO.
World Trade Organization membership showed a sharp increment from 23 countries in 1947 to 123 countries by
1994. India was one of the founder members of GATT which was later redefined as World Trade Organization.
Principles of WTO
• The basic principles followed by World Trade Organization in order to define its working are mentioned
below:
• Zero tolerance to malpractices in Trade and business.
• To encourage healthy competition.
• Each one is treated equally irrespective of any favouritism.
• Neutrality in Trade.
• Proper distinction of trade and commerce.
• Courtly platform to resolve trade related issues.
Reasons for WTO’s Rise:
• Colloquium for trade negotiations
The WTO serves as a platform for discussion among its Members about their multilateral trade
relations with others.
• Administer and Monitor WTO trade agreements
The WTO provides a governing body to look after all the trade transactions made globally turns-on the
alarm to alert the member countries.
• Handling trade disputes
The WTO works as a regulating body in-case of any disputes between members related to trade and
provides a middle way solution to handle the conflicts in order to maintain peace.
• Assistance and support to developing countries
WTO always assures equal treatment to all and helps developing countries to keep pace with developed
countries. Recent amendments to TRIPS agreement prove the same.
• Maintains Relationship with other organizations
In order to maintain a proper balance, organization needs to maintain a set of codes that respects the
principles of other organizations as well. WTO
understands this fact in true sense and cooperates appropriately with the International Monetary Fund and
with the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
• Defines rules for Trade
It works as a controlling body composed of representatives of all the member countries, which meet at least
once in every two years. The council members carry out the functions of the WTO and take necessary
actions.
Fact Pellets:
• US Great depression of 1930’s and Second World War set the base for the formation of WHO.
• Plenitude of Councils, Committees and Bodies to regulate different sections of trade and tariff related
parameters at the micro-level. Each unit submits its report to the higher in hierarchy.
• The WTO serves as a platform for discussion among its Members about their multilateral trade
relations with others.
• Recently, WTO has announced revision of the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
(TRIPS) Agreement providing new ways to access medicines for members of developing countries.
Conclusion: Whether it is the case of collapsing of world trade in 2008 or Trump discussion with India on its import
rebates, all meet at the grand archway of WTO to file their concerns. WTO and trust are considered as synonyms in
world market and have successfully proved the same for the last progressive seventy years. In this way we can say
that, WTO is helping the country to encourage healthy competition, to treat everyone equally without any favoritism,
keep everyone in trade, to keep neutrality and to resolve all trade related issues.

Population of India- Merits and Demerits

Quick Points to be Remember
• India is the second highest populated country in the world with over 120 crore population according to
census 2011.
• According to census 2016, the population of India is around 132 crore and is expected to level the
demographics of China within no time which has the population around 137.25 crores.
• The debate about the growth of the population is a never-ending one. Some call the huge population a
blessing and some call it a curse.
 • Most of the experts feel that identifying the merits and demerits of population growth is the most
complicated task, but a majority of them feel
• that India will become the nation with the highest number of earning age-group people, youngsters
between 20-35 years in the upcoming years.
• But in some parts of the world, the populous countries like China are suffering from issues of
unemployment and the highest number of unproductive age-group right now. Some feel that this
situation can repeat in India in future.
• On the other hand, economists feel that growth of population is helpful to the nation by improving the
potential for becoming the economic superpower.
• With the rapid growth of population in the 1950s -1980s, the growth in unemployment has increased to
alarming range in addition to the shortage of infrastructural facilities.
• However, the efforts of the government to control the rapid population growth proved fruitful by 1990s

Introduction
According to statistics, India may cross China to reach the state of the country with the highest population in the
upcoming years. But some economists say that this is a good sign because India is one of the countries with the
highest number of productive people, and this is a factor that helps to make India the country with the potential to
grow as an economic superpower.
Currently, according to demographics, the population of the country is over 132 crores as in 2016.
Let us have a look at advantages and disadvantages of population growth in India.
Scenario
The growth of population in India has its own benefits. Some of them are of the view that the growth of population
helps to overcome the shortage of manpower. This helps to improve the productivity of the nation and supports its
economic growth. The population growth in India may be a factor for supporting the growth of skilled people in India.
These consequences may support the initiatives like “make in India”. Population growth in India supports
improvement in the production and export of goods in the nation. The improvement in the productivity of the nation
supports improvement in industrial and technological growth of the nation. The increase in manpower supports the
utilization of human resources to the greater extent and thus helps to overcome issues like unemployment and import
of skilled people overseas.
Analysing the disadvantages of overpopulation on the grounds of the norms discussed above, even if the manpower
increases with the growth of population, the opportunities of employment may not increase according to the growing
needs of the people. These consequences may lead to economic inequalities and disturbances in the social life.
In some cases, the productive age group may turn old and this huge population may lag the nation back in the
economic development. Overpopulation of the country in the earlier decades is one of the reasons for migration of
skilled people to overseas in search of a living. In India, above 30 percent of the population are below the
poverty line. This is the important cause for the economic underdevelopment of the nation. Overpopulation increases
the intensity of the issue.
On the other hand, uncontrolled growth in the population on communal grounds may lead to the rise of anti-social
elements. However, poverty is the important issue faced by the nation for centuries. Overpopulation has the scope to
grow this menace to the heights. Unemployment, poverty, economic inequalities, scarcity in resources like food and
water are some of the common disadvantages faced by the nation due to overpopulation.
Conclusion
Overpopulation may cause environmental pollution by decaying natural resources and this will show its negative
impact on the healthy living of the countrymen. India achieved control on population growth by the decades of efforts
and educating the common people about the disadvantages of
overpopulation. If the growth of population has one advantage, statistics and socio-economic studies show 100
disadvantages associated with this issue. There will be more disadvantages with overpopulation with the negligible
number of benefits related to it. The nation has been a progressive nation since decades. To promote the nation as a
superpower, control of population is certainly one of the key elements.

Brahmos
Quick Points to be Remember
• Brahmos Supersonic cruise missile is a result of combined research of Indian and Russian scientists.
• The aim behind the design of this missile is to design cruise missile to meet the security needs of the
nation.
• Brahmos is the most successful missile company in the nation, the result of incredible political and
technological understanding between the two nations, India and Russia.
• The aim of collabouration between the two nations is to design and develop the world’s only
supersonic cruise missile, Brahmos.
• India holds 50.5 % of share and Russia holds 49.5% of share in the joint venture.
• The contract was signed on 9th July 1999 and the company received $123.75 million from the Russian
government and $126.25 million from the Indian government.
• Brahmos was successfully launched on 01 June 2001 for the first time.
• The visionaries behind this project are Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam, former president of India and NV
Mikhailov, the first Deputy Defence minister of Russia.
 • The inter-government agreement related to the design of this missile was signed on 12 th February
1998.
• This is the joint venture between DRDO and NPOM, Defence Research and Development
Organization of India and NPO Mashinostroyenia of Russia.
Introduction
In 1983, the foundation was laid by the scientists and the government of India for developing missiles under
Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme or IGMDP. This programme aimed at designing and developing
the missiles needed to meet the security needs of the nation including small ranges, intermediate ranges, and
supersonic missiles. The reason behind the formation of this department was to meet the security of the nation during
the outbreak of Gulf war in the 1990s.
Scenario
• Brahmos is a two-stage supersonic cruise missile that has a solid propellant booster engine in the first
stage and brings supersonic stage and gets parted from the propellant. The second stage of this
missile comprises of a liquid ramjet that takes the missile to the 3 Mach speed in cruise stage. The
missile’s special features are attained from stealth technology and the guidance system with advanced
embedded software.
• The missile has the shortest flight time with the speed ranging up to 290km per hour in the space. This
system assures lower dispersion of targets, an incredible weapon system that dominates any other
known in the world.
• This system operates upon the principle of “fire and forget”. It can adopt various flight targets. This
system can cruise up to an altitude of 15km and terminal altitude of this missile can be lowered up to
10m. Brahmos carries a warhead weighing between 200-300kgs.
• The special features that keep Brahmos different from other subsonic cruise missiles are
• Velocity is 3 times more
• Flight range is 2.5 to 3 times more
• Kinetic energy is 9 times more than other subsonic missiles
• Seeker range is 3 to 4 times more
• This supersonic cruise missile has an identical configuration for subsea, sea and land platforms.
• Transport launch canister is used by this supersonic cruise missile for transportation, storage, and
launch.
• Brahmos has a low radar signature
Brahmos is the first supersonic cruise missile in service. This missile’s first version of the induction was commenced
in 2005 by Indian Navy and INS Rajput was the first ship to launch this missile. All the future warships are being
designed keeping in mind the midlife upgradations of this missile.
On the other hand, Indian army also inducted three regiments of Brahmos Supersonic cruise missile.
The deployment of this missile is dependent on the needs of the Indian Navy and the navies of the other friendly
nations. This missile can be launched underwater and succeeded in flight testing from a submerged platform. This
canister missile can be launched underwater in vertical mode as well.
To attain aerodynamic stability, additional fins are added at the rear side of this missile. The aircraft version of this
missile was tested successfully in 2017. The modifications related to this missile will be done by Sukhoi Missile
Bureau and Indian Air Force. The missile successfully completed its ground trials as well. The modifications of SU-
30MKI to integrate with this missile are being carried out by the missile experts. The additional integration with
weapon control of this aircraft is also in progress.
The plans for flight-trials of this missile are designed along with SU-30MKI in 2017. Brahmos missile is rendering its
service to the nation as a ship based weapon complex and land-based weapon complex. The aircraft version of this
supersonic cruise missile is under progress.
Conclusion: To end up, this missile is the result of efforts made by the visionaries and the governments of India and
Russia. This missile is one of the successful experiments made to defend the integrity of the nation.
Honour Killing
Quick Points to Remember
• Honour Killing is also called as ‘shame killing’ or ‘customary killing’.
• It is often planned and executed by victim’s family members.
• People who commit this heinous crime usually believe that their action is right and justified.
• Generally, women are the victims of this type of violence, but sometimes men are also targeted.
Victims are physically, mentally and emotionally abused and murdered for a plethora of reasons such
as refusing an arranged marriage, disobeying elders, seeking a divorce etc.
• In many instances, raped women are murdered as family members think it brings 'dishonour' to their
family.
Introduction:
An honour killing is an extreme type of domestic violence. It happens when a victim is murdered by their own family
member or members because of the rumours, belief or even suspicion that the individual has brought dishonour to the
family, clan or community. Honour killing victims are targeted as it is assumed that their behaviour violates religious or
cultural norms. It is believed that murdering the person bringing ‘dishonour’ is justified and they can reclaim the
family’s honour.
In honour killing cases, the murders are called as the assailants and they feel that the only way to salvage their
family’s honour is by harming or killing the victim. Generally, the victims of honour killing are shot, burned alive,
stoned, smothered, strangled, acid attacked or stabbed.
How Common is Honour Killing?
Honour killings are documented among the people of almost all major religions followed in the world. In 2000, as per
the United Nations reports, it is estimated that around 5,000 cases of honour killings occur worldwide each year.
Majority of the

cases are reported from Islamic regions of South Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. However, sometimes such
types of killings are not even reported. So, no one really knows the exact figure and number of cases.
Why Honour Killing Matters?
Honour killing is a worldwide phenomenon and it represents the horrific and scary result of an honour-based society.
We live in such a patriarchal society in which honour is considered more crucial than someone’s life.
What Leads to Honour Killing?
• Girls and women become the major targets of heinous crime like honour killing. Generally, women are
considered to have brought dishonour to the family in situations like:
• Being rape victims,
• Refusing to do arrange marriage,
• Seeking divorce, even in case of abusive relationship,
• Having a love affair,
• Involvement in premarital sex,
• Flirting or even talking with an unrelated male,
• Homosexuality,
• Participation in public life,
• Dressing which is seemed inappropriate by the elders and if they are not following a strict dress code,
etc.
• However, men have also become victims of honour killings.
Why Does Honour Killing Happen?
Honour killing is based on the belief that women are mere objects and are responsible for maintaining the family’s
honour. They are not treated as humans and deemed as the property of male relatives. Some families or communities
believe that they can safeguard their ‘honour’ by punishing the woman or even men who act ‘dishonourably. Hence,
generally, such types of killings occur in patriarchal communities where family and male status are prioritized and kept
above anyone else.
Quick Facts:
• Most cases of women’s honour killings occur in Muslim countries. However, such type of murders is
not sanctioned by Islamic law or religion.
• This crime is most pervasive in those families, where women are treated as mere property and honour
is deeply-rooted. Even the government turns a blind eye to the cases of honour killings. Rather, these
types of murders are documented as accidents or suicides.
• In Alexandria, Egypt, almost 47% of the women were murdered in the name of protecting honour after
they had been raped.
• In most honour killing cases, the women’s brothers, fathers or husbands kill them.
• The nature of honour killing crime is distinctive and collective. Members of a family or extended family
plan the crime together.
• Honour killings are carried out to control the behaviour of the victim in regard to sexuality, marriage,
etc.
• The family’s social status in the community and the disgrace associated with losing reputation
encourage people for honour killing.
• Generally, the murderers do not face any negative stigma associated with this crime as their behaviour
is considered appropriate and justified by the community.
• Often, the teenage brothers are selected to be the executioner by their families as their legal
sentences are light as compared to adults.
Conclusion: Sometimes, a forced suicide can be used as a substitute for an honour killing. In such incidences, none
of the family members are directly involved in the killing of the victim, but they force her or him to commit suicide, so
as to bypass the punishment. In any form, honour killings are criticized and considered as a serious human rights
violation.

Water Scarcity
Quick Points To Remember
• India is currently facing relentless drinking water crisis.
• Although half of India’s total water is supplied in rural areas, only 18% rural population has access to
fresh and treated drinking water.
• More than half pipelines carrying water to the rural areas, consist of untreated water.
• As per WHO’s estimations, every year around 38 million people get infected with waterborne disease
among which 75% patients are children.
• In India, more than 6 lakh children under the age of 10 die due to diarrhoea caused due to unhygienic
lifestyle and untreated water consumption.
• More than 90% of water waste is released into rivers and lakes. This water is completely untreated
and also pollutes the fresh water sources.
Introduction:
Despite having a strong river system made up of the most flourishing rivers like Ganges, Narmada, Brahmaputra,
Tapi, Godavari, Indus, Godavari and more, India is facing severe water scarcity. The disposal of waste waters in the
natural and clean water sources has led to water pollution and scarcity of treated water.
India has 16% of the world’s population, but only 4% of world’s water. Increasing population is one of the major
reasons of water scarcity in India and the total population of 1.2 billion in the country is facing water shortage.
Mismanagement of water sources and heavy increase in population are the major reasons behind water scarcity in
India.
Current scenario:
It is assumed that India might become a water starved country by 2050 where almost all the areas of India would face
drinking water scarcity. Also, it is estimated that the industrial and domestic sectors will demand 85% additional water.
The per capita accessibility of water has also reduced almost 3 times in the last few years.
Due to urban development, the ground water is excessively used. Also, water is neither stored nor reused in effective
ways. The increase of industrial waste into the natural water reservoirs is increasing and this has lead to decrease of
natural ingredients in water.
Prominent Causes of water scarcity in India:
The major cause of water scarcity In India is inefficient use of water resources for agriculture. Agriculture being the
primary occupation, a lot of water is used for irrigation. Use of traditional techniques for drainage, water conveyance
and rigorous use of groundwater are the basic causes of water scarcity.
Despite having a fulfilling river system in India, lack of water management has led to water scarcity. Ineffective
distribution of water among urban and rural areas is one of the reasons behind scarcity.
Increasing population is also one of the prominent causes of water scarcity. Rapid consumption of clean water and
lack of preservation plays a huge part in water scarcity.
Also sewage, improper waste water drainage, rise in construction etc. are the chief reasons behind the scarcity of
water faced by India.
Quick Facts about water scarcity:
• Throughout the world, around 1.1 billion people are lacking treated drinking water.
• Approximately, 1 out of 5 deaths of children under the age of 5 is due to waterborne disease.
• If all the people in the world had clean and treated drinking water, the death caused by diarrhoea
would reduce by 34%.
• Almost half of the patients in the hospitals suffer from water borne disease.
• Around 31% schools do not have clean drinking water or proper toilets
• People in rural areas don’t have access to clean drinking water
• India’s water quality is highly dangerous as India ranks 120th out of 122 countries in terms of water
quality
• 5 out of 15 venture capitalist firms provide funds to companies in the drinking water section.
• India ranks 133rd out of 180 countries for the water availability.
• 70% of the earth is water, but only 2% water is safe. From this 2%, 1.6% water is occupied by glaciers
and ice caps.
• 210 million people in India lack proper sanitization and live in unsafe environment.
• Children and women spend 140 million hours in just collecting fresh drinking water for their families.
• 1 billion women and children travel around 6km regularly to collect fresh drinking water.
• If a small amount of $1 is invested in management of water crisis, the return we would get is $4.
Conclusion: Despite of having multiple water resources, we are facing water scarcity due to improper management
of water resources and inefficient water supply. If utilization of underground water is controlled and if water is utilized
in a smart and appropriate way, it can be preserved. It is the moral responsibility of every individual to understand the
importance of saving water to prevent intense water crisis in future.

Corruption in India
Quick points to remember
• India is one of the countries with the highest corruption rates. In 2017, India ranked 81 st in the
corruption perception index.
• Private and government, both the sectors are influenced by corruption. The most corrupt sectors in
India are Real estate, infrastructure, aerospace, mining and metal.
• It is examined that 92% Indians offer bribe to private or public sector companies for jobs.
• Central vigilance commission, India against corruption, Bharat Swabhiman Trust and ASTRA are the
organizations fighting against corruption.
• Real estate remains one of the major sectors contributing in corruption. Approximately, 38% of
property deals in India are made by offering and receiving bribe.
• Law enforcement officers are also included in corruption and almost 62% officers collect bribe. This
also includes collecting bribe for passport verification and traffic rule violation.
Introduction
Corruption has vitally distressed Indian economy. The central, state or local government agencies are constantly
suffering due to increase in corruption. Not only the economy is facing a huge loss, but the gearing development of
India has also witnessed a breakdown due to corruption. Studies show that almost all Indians have paid bribe to get
jobs and admissions in educational institutes. 50% Indians have also offered bribe and used their contacts to get their
public sector/ government sector related work quickly. India’s trucking industry is also one of the areas invoking
bribery. People are forced to pay billions of rupees at highways and police stops.
Corrupt Indians have also been witnessed sending their black money into their Swiss bank accounts. Politicians,
industrialists, government officials, property dealers and contractors are accused of being highly corrupt.
Current scenario
In today’s scenario, if a person is looking for a government job or admission in any institute without satisfying the
educational qualifications, offering bribe works quite well. There are ample food suppliers using false weighing
machines and tactics to cheat the customers. Tax officers charge money illegally though the houses and buildings are
strictly constructed under the government’s law. The trucking industry has to pay a lot of bribe on highways. People
offer bribe to the government officials to get their complex tasks completed in a short time span. In fact, 60% of the
people getting driving license from the agents get their licenses without attempting the exam.

Corruption is spread everywhere from private sectors to public sectors. From tiny shopkeepers to reputed
industrialists, everyone is in urge to cheat the customers through such tactics. Officials and workers at higher
designations use their power to bribe people and contribute in increasing corruption.
Ways to control corruption in India
Though corruption is a social stigma that can be eliminated gradually, collective attempts can help in speeding the
process. By identifying the major factors contributing in corruption and implementing correct solutions, it is possible to
control and then fight corruption in India. Some of the ways to control corruption are:
Everyone unaware about any tax payments or governmental process should learn about the Right to Information Act.
This act will give you all the information you need to understand about the tax payments, the charges of government
processes and a lot more. People can get in touch with the Public Information Officer for receiving information.
Being a responsible citizen of India, people should report if anyone asks for bribe. There are several places where
you can report the case. Central Vigilance Commission CVC is a point of contact for citizens to complain about
corruption. People can file their complaints and get quick response.
People should increase their awareness about different laws and acts proposed for fighting corruption. Learn about
these laws and ask for transparency while making different payments. Collect receipts, contact the authorized people
and report any person asking for bribe.
Quick facts about corruption in India
• Around 35% parliament members have criminal cases filed against them. Political parties have a corruption
arte of 4.4%
• Only 40% of intended grain reaches to the poor and the rest is distributed among corrupt officials and bad
administrators.
• 65% of road stops for truckers are intended to extract money from them
• An average urban individual pays 4500 as bribe every year
• Real estate and infrastructure and real estate firms pay up to 50% bribe
Conclusion: Corruption has spread its strong roots in India. From public to private sectors, bribery is practiced
everywhere. To remove corruption from India, individuals will have to contribute in fighting corruption by learning
about protection acts and by filling complaints. Fighting corruption requires collective efforts and thus, each and every
individual should boycott bribery from their routine.

Start up India
Quick points to remember:
• Start-ups are empowering the youth of India while increasing employment opportunities and
encouraging innovation among different sectors.
• Start-up India is an initiative launched by PM Narendra Modi on 15th August 2015 at Red Fort.
• India is a proud country to have 3rd largest number of start-ups in the world.
• More than 65% of Indian start-ups are located in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore.
• In 2015, random start-ups received around $5billion funding amount following which, capital of
$3.billion was dedicated to the start-up scheme.
• There are 3-4 start-ups initiated every day and this initiative is launched to provide more funding and
support to start-ups.
Introduction
Start-up India is a campaign launched by Narendra Modi and aims to empower entrepreneurship while providing
funding, incentives, industrial partnerships and better opportunities to the entrepreneurs. The aim of this campaign is
to promote entrepreneurship by eliminating unnecessary state government policies such as foreign investment
proposals, clearances, land permissions etc.
Indian government has helped entrepreneurs build 1 million mobile app based start-ups. Also the MUDRA bank has
provided the entrepreneurs with loans at low interests, mini finances and funding to entrepreneurs from different
educational backgrounds. The primary capital of $3.1 billion has been dedicated for this initiative.
The ministry of human resource development and department of science and technology also have granted their
contribution while setting up 75 different start-up hubs at NIITs, IISERs, IITs and NIPERs. Also, a Japan based bank,
SoftBank has invested an amount of $2billion in Indian start-ups. Apart from this, different Japanese firms have
confirmed investment of $10billion in Indian start-ups. Due to increased
funding opportunities and partnerships, this initiative is expected to give a rise to entrepreneurship in India.
The present scenario
As per the state initiative, the Kerala IT mission has been started. This scheme focused in achieving $50million for
state start-up investment. The first project under this scheme was first telecom incubator start-up village that was
launched in 2012. Also, states like Telangana, Andhra Pradesh Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan Odhisha and
Bhubaneswar are also benefited under this scheme. Different start-up schemes have started in all these states to
raise funds of $15million to $30million for start-ups.
This scheme also focuses on industry – academia partnership. Under this scheme, the union ministry of HRD has
launched a plan of developing research parks throughout India. The parks are created in partnership with different
educational institutes. The primary investment amount for this scheme is 100 crore. Under this scheme, the
entrepreneurs would get facilitated with funds as well as with initial motivation and support.
In 2016, the program named I-MADE was launched in which, the department of telecommunications in India, telecom
centre of excellence, unified and EVC ventures helped entrepreneurs to launch their mobile applications.
Quick facts about Start up India
• The start-up India offers 10,000 crore funding pool.
• This initiative will promote and globalize India as a start-up hub.
• This initiative is aimed to improve entrepreneurship and innovation in the country itself.
• This scheme also includes the plan for providing IPR protection to the start-up organizations.
 • The aim of this initiative is not only to promote India as a start-up centre but also to make India the
focal point of innovative industries.
• One of the promising benefits of this scheme is to reduce patent fee for founders and start-ups.
• It also provides tax freedom for the first 3 years.
• The initiative also aims to target 500k educational institutes and around 1million students for this
initiative.
• Patent registration scheme under this initiative significantly reduces making it easy for entrepreneurs
to patent their products
• This scheme offers 3 year tax holiday for entrepreneurs.
• There will be no capital gain tax on the personal property sold to start-up a firm.
• 35 new incubators and 31 innovation hubs will be developed at national institutes.
• There will be special innovation programs in around 5 lakh schools to promote this scheme.
• There will be a panel of legal supporters to provide hassle free filing of patent application.
• This scheme also supports Atal innovation mission under which, support will be provided to youth to
encourage innovation and use talent for producing something creative.
Conclusion: Start-up India is a very empowering and strengthening initiative for entrepreneurs. This scheme
launched by Narendra Modi is advantageous for entrepreneurs looking for funding and other governmental support.
Through this scheme, not only entrepreneurs, but school students and graduates will get benefited. The government,
banks, educational institutes are contributors of this empowering scheme that is aimed to promote India as a start-up
hub around the globe.
Demonetization
Quick Points to Remember
• Indian economic system was left upside down within a fortnight. 8 th November 2016 – this date
deserves a special mention in the history of Indian economy. Whether it was a total debacle or it was a
beacon for the seamless brighter economy, is still uncertain! But let’s focus on certain facts which led
to the sudden rollout of demonetization:
• Over the past few decades, the growth of the parallel economy was boundless which gradually
crippled the growth of the economy. Circulation of fake currency, unaccounted transactions were
becoming the biggest obstacles in the path of steady economic growth. So, it was a masterstroke to
stop the growth of the parallel economy.
• Excessive cash circulations which were actually the funding for terrorists and corrupt politicians
became waste within a fortnight.
• Most importantly, it incorporated digital modes of payment systems which include UPI codes, digital
wallets and Merchant QR code scanners. No chaos of cash! Transaction gets processed within a
fraction of seconds.
• Cashless transactions undeniably narrow the scope of unaccounted transactions and hence tax
evaders found it difficult to escape.
• Tax revenue increased but subsequently, it helped the government to sanction loans at quite less rate
of interest.
Introduction: Is Demonetization truly a revolutionary change in Indian Economy?
Well, dark clouds are still hovering and it’s not a child’s play to clean up the murky tax evasion procedures. Parallel
economy is not something which can be stopped with one master stroke! Neither it’s feasible to incorporate 360°
digital transactions, owing to the bulk percentage of rural coverage. But yes, it was undoubtedly a hard
blow to money launderers who never ever thought that all their foul plays will become futile and all their savings would
turn zero. Cashless transactions are undeniably the most effective procedure to put an end to unaccounted
transactions in the long run.
Demonetization – The Current Scenario
• Approximately cash deposits of 2.89 Lakh Crore are undergoing investigation, though it hasn’t yielded
much result. Who does this wealth belong to? Well, let the investigation go on.
• 5.56 suspected transactions have been detected by advanced economic analyst tools.
• Detection of undisclosed income of INR 29,213 Crore.
• Scrutiny of 18 Lacs suspected accounts across the nation.
• 20% - 25% reduction in currency circulation.
• Approximately 56 new taxpayers were added within a month.
• No of Returns filed increased to 24.7% as compared to 9.9% in the previous year
• Advance tax collections of Personal Income Tax grew at 41.79% over same period of last year
• Personal Income Tax under Self-Assessment Tax grew at 34.25% over same period last year
Cleansing India’s Financial System
• Transactions of more than 3 lakh suspected companies under the surveillance.
• Around 450 companies were blacklisted and 800 untraceable companies to be further enlisted as
fraudulent organizations.
• More than 400 suspicious transactions identified and market value of properties attached found to be
more than Rs 800 crore
• Deposits in the banking system increased to Rs 3 lakh crore and nevertheless it will help to reduce
fiscal deficits.
• Additional liquidity helped reduce interest rates by 100 basic points.
 • Digital payments increased by 56% from 71.27 crore transactions in October 2016 to 111.45 crore
transaction in May 2017. This growth percentage is predicted to undergo a steep rise.
• Approximately, more than 1 crore workers added to EPF and ESIC system post-demonetization.
• Bank accounts opened for about 50 lakh workers to get their wages credited directly to their accounts.
Not any sort of daily wages in lieu of inked fingerprints anymore.
• The demonetization program has been assessed with regards to its transient expenses and long-haul
picks up. Here and now misfortunes incorporate loss of welfare for the low-wage individuals and a
decrease in GDP development. On the long haul increase side, an extensive number of advantages
are distinguished which will show up with time.
• The spread of cashless transactions, development of the formal economy, enlistment of new salary
citizens, connecting or bookkeeping physical resource speculation to PAN, purifying of the real estate
development, conscience about avoiding black income transactions, etc., are supposed to be the
major long-term gain. These require extra or strong arrangement measures by the administration too.
• Increase in money related reserve funds: At present, over half of the family unit investment funds are
in physical investment funds like gold and land. A huge part of these is in black money. Presently with
the low reward in the land and gold property, wise individuals may think of investing in budgetary
structures like bank stores, shared assets and so on.
Conclusion: Well, demonetization has been claimed as a complete fiasco by the oppositions, and truly there are still
quite uncertainties about the feasibility of long-term benefits. But being honest taxpayers and humble citizens, we
should have some patience to witness the pitfalls and beneficiary effects in upcoming years. Demonetization impacts
are still in a very nascent phase.

E-Governance
Quick Points to Remember
• It is a digital era. Seamless governance and most importantly to enhance the outreach and exercising of
public services in most efficient and eco-friendly manner is what E-Governance stands for. Before we delve
deep into the core matters of E-Governance, let’s have a glance at the types of E-governance in India:
• G2G (Government to Government): This sort of governance denotes the flow of information within different
governing units via seamless electronic media. The flow of information can either be horizontal (between
different governing bodies) or vertical (between national, provincial and local governing bodies or between
different levels of the same unit).
• G2C (Government to Citizens): This sort of communication is between the administration and natives. It
helps in proficient conveyance of a vast scope of open administration and furthermore expands the nature
of administrations. The citizens appreciate the decision of when, how and from where to communicate with
the legislature. Its motivation is to enhance the availability and accessibility of public-oriented services.
• G2B (Government to Business): This sort of communication is between the government and the business
group. The essential goal is to diminish red tapes, spare time and decrease operational bottlenecks. The
G2B activities can be promotional and facilitative for example, in authorizing, licenses, attainment and
income gathering, exchange, tourism and speculation.
• G2E (Government to Employees): This sort of communication is between the legislature and the
representatives (employees/salaried individuals) as the Government is the greatest employer. This
collabouration is a two-way process mainly used for expanding the fulfilment levels of representatives.
Introduction
How E-governance emerged?
E-administration might be characterized as the conveyance of taxpayer driven organizations and data to people, in
general, utilizing electronic means. Such methods for conveying data is regularly referred to as Information
Technology or 'IT' in abbreviated form. Utilization of IT in government offices is an effective, quick and straightforward
process for scattering data to general society and other organizations, as well as for performing government
organization exercises.
The term governance might be depicted as a procedure by which society steers itself. In this procedure, the
connections among the State, Private Venture and Civil Society are as a rule progressively adapted and changed
through the impact of Information and Communication Advances (ICTs), constituting the wonder of e-Governance.
Current Scenario of E-governance
National Capacity Building Framework, Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR): MoPR has designed a National
Capability Building Framework (NCBF), which outlines a comprehensive approach towards building the capabilities of
Panchayats. NCBF was created inter alia for (a) Improving the Gram/Ward Sabha functioning, particularly to provide
opportunities to the poor, women and scheduled castes/scheduled tribes, to assert their demands through
participative planning, monitor plan implementation and to hold their local governments to account through invoking
Right to Information and social audit; (b) Developing capacity of ‘lynchpin capacity providers’ and effective
mechanisms to engage civil society and the private sector in the delivery of capacity development services; and (c)
Creating conducive socio-political environment through sensitising the media, political parties, representatives in the
legislatures, civil society organisations and citizens to accepting and promoting local governments.
• Citizen Report Card (CRC): Citizen Report Card is a simple yet powerful tool to provide systematic
feedback to public agencies from users of public services.
• Social Media: This new channel of engagement is becoming increasingly popular amongst the
various government agencies, departments and ministries.
• Reasons: Why E-governance is very essential?
The main advantage of implementing electronic government is to improve the efficiency of the current system (Paper-
based system). That would in return save money and time. The introduction would also facilitate better
communication between governments and businesses. For Example, E-Governance encourages G2G and B2B
correspondence; which will allow small businesses to seek government contracts at par with bigger businesses.
The general public is moving towards the portable associations and the capacity of an e-taxpayer driven organization
to be open to residents regardless of an area throughout the nation. It brings the next and conceivably greatest
advantage of an e-taxpayer driven organization as we live in what is presently named as the Knowledge-driven digital
era.
The expected advantages of e-government incorporate productivity, enhanced administrations, better availability of
open administrations, and more straightforwardness and responsibility.
Utilization of ICT makes the entire governing process seamless. All the data of the Government would be made
accessible on the web. The citizens can see the data at whatever point they need to see. In any case, this is just
conceivable when each snippet of data of the Government is transferred on the web and is accessible to the general
public. Current administering process leaves numerous approaches to cover the data from the entire nation. ICT
helps make the data accessible internet wiping out every possibility of data concealing.
Conclusion: E-Governance has an extraordinary part to play, that enhances and backs all assignments performed by
the administration units and aided offices. This is mainly because it streamlines and enhances the quality of
undertaken works.
GST
Quick Points to remember
• Before delving deep into the core matter of GST, let’s have a quick glance at what made our
government incorporate GST:
• It reduces tax burden which torments the manufacturing businesses and hinders the growth rate of
production. Owing to various clauses on every tax, a manufacturing unit fails to deliver product to its
optimum capacity. Now, GST will provide a system, as consumers will know exactly how much they
are paying as tax and based on what. Obviously, GST will be mentioned in the final bill.
• GST will be the most beneficial for the exporters, as it removes the customs duties. It will eventually
lead to the increase of nation’s competitiveness in the overseas market, owing to the lesser cost of
transactions.
• Moreover, it will clear up the clutters of taxes deposited by the government and hence it will help to
enhance the more effective use of taxes in terms of the overall project development.
Introduction: Does GST has the potential to enhance the maximum growth of revenue
“One nation, One market, One tax” – the notion which led to the rollout of GST. Prior to GST, there were a lot of inter-
state barriers with respect to every trade. The tax system seemed to be in a dismantled state of unwanted burdens.
Undeniably, it brought a huge relief from indirect taxes like VAT, CST, Service Tax and most importantly excise duty.
This rollout appears to be the beacon of hope which may enable India’s crippled economy to gain the momentum and
run on a simplified path of futuristic growth. But again, there’s a fear of disruption owing to the abrupt transition and
undeniably it may take ample time for the taxpayers to get themselves accustomed to the new tax structure. Will our
hopes for the brighter economy really come to surface or still there’s an uncertainty? Well, that thoroughly depends on
how our government makes GST turn out to be a good and simple taxpaying system. A lot of GST billing software has
already surged in the market which enables easy and seamless bookkeeping. Even, it seems to be promising enough
to hinder the growth of the parallel economy as it reduces the scope of revenue leakage. Now, let’s have a look at
how GST has impacted India, as of now.
GST Current Scenario – Short-Term Impact
GST Implementation in every business comes up with a cost of compliance. As opposed to the actual reason of
incorporating GST, the ground reality seems to be a bit different. Owing to the increased cost of compliance, it
prohibits the production rate of small-scale manufacturers and it passively affects the increased cost of goods. Most
importantly, cost of some daily commodities have undergone steep rise, whereas there has been a marginal increase
in the cost of some daily consumables. There has been quite a lot of protest from small-time traders and
manufacturers, to keep GST on hold as of now, as the current economic structure isn’t eligible enough to induce GST.
Reasons why GST is good for everyone
To forecast the long-term benefits, it just doesn’t reduce the tax rates, but minimizes the tax slabs as well. Currently,
in India, there are 5 slabs with 3 rates- an integrated rate, a central rate and a state rate. We can’t expect the shift as
of now; although the government has promised to revise the rates no sooner the ‘revenue neutral rate’ will be
attained. But it’s just a verbal assurance. Now, keeping aside the factoids, let’s focus on the facts which truly seem to
be beneficial.
Quick Facts
• After some initial hassles, the manufacturing cost will decrease substantially, owing to the lower
burden of taxes and giveaway of credits to the manufacturers. So, we can keep our fingers crossed
and expect the cost of daily consumables and commodity goods to decrease.
• Each and every transaction needs to be accountable and scrutinized; hence it will reduce the
circulation of black money to a large extent.
• If fiscal deficits remain under check, then revenue from taxes from the government is likely to increase,
which will further facilitate the incorporation of new development projects.
• No excise duty will undeniably increase the rate of export, while it may widen the scope of FDI
(Foreign Direct Investment)
• A huge sigh of relief from VAT, CST and service taxes.
 Conclusion: To sum up the whole thing, the immediate focus should be on figuring out the ways to reduce the cost of
compliances, so that it will enable the production rate of small and medium manufacturing units. With quite a few
clouds of uncertainties hovering over heads, GST will only work out if the citizens and government work in sync to
streamline the overall process. Not an easy task, but again a beacon for brighter and seamless economy.

Social Media
Quick Points to Remember
• Why does an individual share information on social networking sites?
• To support a cause or most importantly to address some issues of the society. To share his/her
opinion publicly to see whether their standpoint coincides with that of others.
• To interact with a like-minded person, be it in terms of business or just a casual friendship. To nurture
relationships with a vow of standing by each other whenever needed.
• To stay in sync with the society and participate in worthwhile discussions to unleash one’s true
potential of logical reasoning and sensibility.
Introduction – Social Media: A Virtual Society
Yes, we all are living in a virtual society! A society which has no bounds. In today’s world, do we really miss
somebody? No. We can keep track of every happening of his/her life via their updates which keep streaming on our
timeline. We can go for a video chat, as per our convenience and it’s almost like sitting together face to face. From
politicians to students, nobody has kept themselves refrained from the social network. Undeniably, freedom of speech
can be best exercised via social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook. It keeps an individual glued to the virtual
community of their choice where they can fully explore their potential to express their thoughts. From trending
hashtags to blood boiling statements! From sharing a content to a varied range of remarks! Everything works in sync
to make the social network a global platform to socialize, to embark a new venture or discover a new hobby, and most
importantly to evolve oneself. Gone are those eras, when the viewpoint of a common citizen remained unnoticed for
ages!! Now an opinion of mass gathers momentum within a fraction of seconds and undeniably it draws the attention
of those for whom it’s meant.
Current Scenario
There’s no vertical which has remained untouched by the social waves. In terms of business development, a
marketing plan remains incomplete without a compact strategy of making it big via social media. It’s all about creating
the buzz at right time! What does it take to hit the bull’s eye at a real time? Reaching out to the right influencer via
some creatively sorted out hashtags out of a trending context. Call it a news propagation media! Call it a medium to
shout out your opinion or revealing some of our best potentials! The social network is a daily consumable. Now, how
far an individual can go to make himself/herself famous in a social network? Well, that depends on the psyche of an
individual. However, some have certainly opted for the controversial paths to stay in the limelight! Some have chosen
to be the wise demonstrator of facts. The fact is, certain features of social networks bear something very luring which
even compels an introvert person to break through the shackles of anxiety and take a surge to unleash the true self.

Reasons why social network is good for everyone

Really, is it? While it enables a person to get rid of anxiety disorder, at the same time it may compel an individual to
go through an awkward complex of abandoning true self. It’s a virtual world where everything can be pretended and
moreover, the pretension gets embraced with a facade of originality. So, let’s sort out some facts which actually stand
out to be beneficial for an individual.
Quick Facts
• Enhances Engagement: What it takes to share some of your creativity or passion with those who matter?
A touch of finger & yes you are in the role.
• Express Your Viewpoint: There’s a wide range of perspectives regarding an issue! It’s the platform where
you can come forward with your opinion without any hindrance and see whether your standpoint is in sync
with the society.
• Discover Yourself: Our greatest battle in life is to explore ourselves to the fullest! Where else, apart from
the social network, can we unleash our true potential? Nowhere.
• Build Relationships That Matters: In the world of pretentions and fake emotions, yet you may figure out a
way to reach some influencers who will actually help to shape up your life and get rid of unwanted myths of
the society.
• Get rid of social anxiety: Even psychiatrists can’t help with what social media can! It simply adds wings to
your imagination and you may turn out to become a social butterfly.
Conclusion: Remember, don’t let social media to drive you, instead you drive your own thoughts tactfully via social
media. It has concurrent beneficial and malefic effects! But remember all the malefic effects are actually our inner
evils which get revealed in the manifestations of intense activities across social networks. It’s okay to face your evils
and conquer them, get influenced with the right motive and keep yourself evolving with enhancements of social
networks.
 SAARC
Quick points to remember
• South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is known as SAARC
• It is an inter-governmental organization or association and union of nations of South Asia and was
founded in 1985 in Dhaka.
• SAARC consists of world’s 3% area, 21% population and 3.8% of global economy
• This association aims to improve economic and regional development of the member countries India,
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Maldives.
• The SAARC summit should be held at least once a year when needed where the discussions are
made on various topics.
• In SAARC, the ministers of foreign/ external ministers of the member countries form the council of the
ministry.
Introduction
Founded in 1985, SAARC is an association aimed to establish peace, friendly trade relations, for development of the
economic and regional integration between the member countries. It was founded in Dhaka and has its secretariat in
Kathmandu. The countries of South Asia have similar religions, ethnicities, culture and development goals. Each year,
the SAARC summit is organized to prepare new policies and ideas.
Till now, there are several successful and beneficial programs proposed by the members to reduce poverty in
member countries, to raise funds for progress and to create free trade zones. As the initial programs, SAARC made
several achievements. A lot of policies were launched like 7 integrated programs of action,
Setting up the regional centres in the member countries, development of an independent commission for poverty
alleviation, development fund etc.

However, SAARC has not been able to function in full swing because of the disputes between India and Pakistan.
The association also has not been able to achieve 100% success due to the political differences, bilateral issues and
development pattern difference between the member states.
Current scenario
Currently, the commission is working towards SAFTA. This stands for South Asian Trade Free Area that aims to
create a free trading zone between member countries. Also, the programs named SAVE- SAARC audio visual
exchange program, SAARC scholarship, youth volunteers program, youth award program, games association, south
Asian festivals etc are organized for empowering the relations between the member countries.
Till date, 14 SAARC summits have been organized at different areas. The foreign and state ministers or the member
countries arrange summit twice a year or more during any extraordinary situation. The committee performs
monitoring, choose priorities, and approve projects related to finance, trade, budget and different activities during the
meetings.
Till date, some progressive decisions and policies were made during the meetings. Strategies for SAARC food bank,
development fund, strategies for controlling terrorism, policies and plans to control human and drug trafficking,
policies for easing trade relations between member countries, poverty alleviation, disaster management, economic
cooperation, counter terrorism etc. were made. During each summit, these issues were raised and new policies and
strategies to fight the above given issues were launched. However, the main attention of SAARC summits was to
implement SAFTA. The aim behind developing SAFTA was to form a custom union, economic union and common
trade market. This agreement was signed on 6 th January 2004, in the summit held at Pakistan. After this agreement,
the SAARC exports increased to $354.6 billion and imports increased to $330billion. A substantial rise was witnessed
in imports and exports after the implementation of SAFTA. The last SAARC summit was organized in 2011 and the
next summit is expected to be held in 2018.
Quick facts about SAARC
• The primary duty and responsibility of the council of ministers in SAARC is to review the progress, take
decisions on new fields of cooperation, formulation of new policies and other general matters.
• In the SAARC summit, the head of states and governments form a body of leaders, choose a vice chairman
and chairman who conduct the meeting.
• Reports and proposals are made during the meeting and at the end of the meeting, the decisions are based
on the agreement.
• The observer countries of SAARC are Australia, China, European Union, Iran, Japan, Mauritius, Burma,
South Korea and United States.
• The official language of SAARC meetings and association is English.
Conclusion: SARRC is an association and regional cooperation proposed with the aim of improving the
relations between all the members countries. SARRC provides the member countries a platform to work together
with peace, understanding and honesty while helping each other. This is an association where the member
countries can solve their mutual disputes and address the arguments to find productive solutions. Various
schemes like South Asian Free Trade Area and SAARC visa exemption had benefited the member countries
while easing trade and travel between the member countries.

ISRO- Indian Space Research Organization

Quick points to remember
The developmental activities of a nation has many aspects, one of the most important is the progress in the space
research and technology. In 1960, when the space activities in India started the scientific exploration of upper
atmosphere and ionosphere over magnetic equator using small rockets, they realized that the space technology has
enormous potential for national development. Dr.Vikram Sarabhai envisioned that the space technology has great
power to contribute in national development and work for the betterment of common people.
ISRO is the abbreviation for Indian Space Research Organization. It was established under the control of Department
of Space (DOS). Primary objective of ISRO is advancement of space and technology and its applications for nation
building. The main headquarter of ISRO is in Bangalore (Karnataka). ISRO was established on 15 august 1969. The
motto of ISRO is “Manav Jati Ki Seva Mein Antariksa Praudyogiki (Space technology in the service of humankind).
Primary spaceport is Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh).
On 19 April 1975, ISRO built India’s first satellite named Aryabhata which was launched by the Soviet Union. Rohini
was the first satellite which was placed in orbit by an Indian-made vehicle, SLV-3 in 1980. INSAT for communication,
meteorological services and television broadcasting, and Indian Remote Sensing Satellite (IRS) for resource
monitoring and management are the other major satellites that were launched by ISRO.
Applications of ISRO:
Telecommunication- One of the largest communication satellite networks in the world uses its applications or land
management, radio networking, natural disaster, weather forecasting, water resource management and computer
communication. National Informatics Centre (NICNET) are direct beneficiaries of satellite technology. INSAT-2 also
provides data transmission for organisations such as the National Stock Exchange, road and railway transport, mobile
communication services, etc.
Resource management- The IRS have applications with Indian Natural Resource Management program that
includes Regional Remote Sensing Services and Remote Sensing Centres that uses IRS images for development.
This application helps in environment monitoring, impact of soil conservation measures, analyse soil erosion, land
cover for wildlife sanctuaries, fisheries monitoring, mining and geological applications like survey of metals and
mineral deposits, urban planning, etc.
Military- India’s satellite launch vehicles have military spin-offs. Prithvi missile ranging from 93-124 miles (150-
250kms) is not derived from Indian space programme and the Agni missile is drawn from SLV-3, an Indian space
programme. For the dual purpose project like SLV-3, ISRO opposed military applications under the control of Vikram
Sarabhai and Satish Dhawan.
Telemedicine: The technology of ISRO is also used for connecting patients in rural areas to medical professionals in
urban locations. The patients in rural areas are diagnosed and examined by urban professional doctors via video
conferencing with the help of satellites. Mobile telemedicine vans are spread out in different parts to provide
diagnosis, proper medicines and treatment.
There are many other applications such as Biodiversity Information System, Academics and cartography that ISRO
runs.
Achievements by ISRO:
ISRO successfully carried out one of the most complicated missions in the history of Indian Space Exploration with
the help of six nations, it launched 104 satellites into space. These were launched in single launch onboard PSLV-
C37. The satellites were successfully put into their desired orbit in one rocket. This took place in main spaceport of
ISRO i.e. Sriharikota.
On May 5, 2017, a satellite of 2230kgs was launched by geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV-F09) into its
decided geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO). A
satellite weighing more than three tonnes was carried by GSLV Mk-3 into a high orbit above Earth.
ISRO performed this act of launching 31 satellites in a single flight after launching 104 satellites altogether on June
23. The rocket that comprised 31 satellites was PSLV-C38.
These were some of the main achievements of ISRO, but there are several other successful missions that ISRO
carried out.
Planned missions of ISRO:
ISRO has planned a mission to the sun by the year 2019-20. The First Indian-based Solar Coronagraphy to study
Solar Corona is named as Aditya-1. The main objective of this mission is to study CME i.e. Coronal Mass Ejection
and physical parameters of space weather.
A new concept for a manned single stage reusable spaceplane capable of horizontal take-off and landing is
introduced. It is named as AVATAR from “Aerobic Vehicle for Trans atmospheric Hypersonic Aerospace
transportation”. This flight is proposed for 2025.
Other missions like GSAT-11 which can generate 10-12KW of power and support payload power of 8KW; NISAR i.e.
Nasa-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar; Mars Orbiter Mission 2 also called as Mangalyaan2 and Indian Venusian orbiter
mission are some of other main planned missions of ISRO.
Conclusion: ISRO is Indian space organization which has made various achievements, with its recent launches and
created a world record. ISRO has achieved enormous success in the past one decade, with highly reliable and quality
service. It has certainly emerged as an important factor for national development.

Human Rights
Quick points to remember
• The International Covenant on economic, social, and cultural rights that came into existence in 1976,
was signed by 164 countries by the end of 2016. The Covenant safeguards and gives a boost to
human rights that include:
• The basic human right to work in an objective and unbiased work environment.
• The right to education and freedom to observe social and cultural festivities.
• The freedom to encourage scientific discoveries and advancement of technologies.
• The right to a basic standard of living, related to the highest level of physical and mental stability.
Introduction
Irrespective of our religion, place of birth, all of us are entitled to the same basic rights and freedom. Human rights do
not form a part of privileges. They cannot be allowed or nullified by a certain privileged section of the society. They
are sacrosanct, unimpeachable, and should never be challenged by any court of law in any country whatsoever.
Although it sounds fair and just, implementing basic human rights can be often challenging even for the most
competent government. Let’s check out the fact surrounding human rights such as what is the basic foundation of
human rights? Who formulates the compilation of the rights? Who enforces them?
The struggle for rights, justice, and rightfulness dates back a few centuries all over the world. United Nations that
emerged from the ruins of WWII, was the first organization that took cognizance of the struggle for human rights. The
countries that formed United Nations came forward to resuscitate faith in basic fundamental
human rights. In 1948, the UN General Assembly declared a Universal declaration of basic human rights. The
document was formulated by a committee headed by the Chairperson Eleanor Roosevelt. The principle of human
rights is based on 30 articles documented in the universal declaration.
Human rights scenario in India
India was among the founding members of United Nations in 1945. India has been the member of UN Security
Council for seven terms. Currently, India, under the able leadership of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also
become a part of Economic, social council of United Nations. Justice D.S. Bhandari is one of the judges at the UN
court of justice.
Quick facts
• Some of the basic preliminary human rights in India include:
• All human beings are born free and equal and should be treated with equal dignity and rights.
• Principle of non-discrimination
• Right to life, liberty, and security
• Right to freedom of movement and freedom from a life of torture like slavery.
• Basic freedom in terms of civil rights like freedom of owning a home.
• Basic political rights like freedom of expression
• Religious, social, and cultural rights that enable an individual to participate in their own festivities
without fear.
• Right to education and freedom to choose their occupation where they will be entitled to a fair pay and
can form a trade union.
Why is it challenging to implement human rights?
If human rights principles are so well-developed, why on earth they are violated with impunity each time? Why is it
that human rights are ignored and abused in most of the countries?
Over the decades, we have grown to understand & expand our understanding of human rights and implement them in
a much improved manner. However, the United Nations human rights compilation is still a declaration and not a hard
law. The United Nations has the authority to address and investigate a human rights violation case of any nation,
however, lacks a concrete mechanism to enforce compensation to the victim or make the government change its
policy.
Recent human rights controversies
Currently, Narendra Modi government is relentlessly trying to develop a digital India that will bring about a
revolutionary change in the socio-economic aspect of the country. The backward classes will benefit immensely from
a digital India. In this context, another controversy has gained momentum that includes
Right to democracy
Right to the usage of internet and right to privacy
The recent Cambridge Analytica scam is a violation of digital privacy where Indian National Congress tried to
influence voters through bots and falsified information. Cambridge Analytica worked on their agenda to flare up riots
in various parts of the country to malign Modi government. Their agenda was to spread hatred among communities
via distorted fabrication of falsehood.
Conclusion: Human Rights in India is little perplexing owing to its rapidly growing economy and complicated social
structure. In a country with 1.3 billion of residents, it’s quite a bit of a challenge to protect human rights. The
demanding activists together with the current government has taken up the mammoth task of providing every citizen
with the basic right to housing, security, and socio-economic freedom that has long been denied to the lower
backward classes. India is on the right track of empowering every citizen of the country by providing them access to
unbiased human rights.
Media – fourth pillar of democracy
Quick points to remember
Introduction
The first media that came into being was print media where people either used their original name or nickname to
speak out against the ruling political parties, social evils and reiterated their culture and beliefs. Presence of media
dates back several years and it is regarded as a tool to embolden the society, making them aware of their rights and
contributions.
Media scenario in India
The first Indian print media came into existence in the late nineteenth century with Hicky’s Bengal Gazette. The print
media played a strategic role in the fight for freedom of India. Various print media flared up the passion for freedom
struggle among the youths across undivided India. Media was fair and without any affiliation to any political parties.
In the period 1975-1977, media faced the wrath of Indira Gandhi government when it was shunned from publishing
any news against the corrupt government. The print media was up in arms against the rampant and widespread
corruption of the ruling Indira government. It was the time when emergency was declared, the darkest period of Indian
democracy. Media too bore the brunt of a failed democracy and was completely asphyxiated.
Media did evolve from the dark days of cronyism and nepotism of the late seventies and attained great heights in the
eighties and nineties.
Quick facts
 • Currently, Indian media is spiralling back to the dungeons of disgrace. Recently a survey conducted
across the world revealed that Indians have
Completely lost their faith in Indian media owing to their distorted fabrication of lies and falsehood.
Their persistent effort to malign the Narendra Modi government by creating an atmosphere of fear has
not gone down well with the general public.
• Indian media concocted misleading stories, misinterpreted available information to suit their
paymasters’ political benefits. It is the dangerous situation for a democracy as often media is called
out for their lies.
• The channels compete amongst one another for getting a higher TRP rating and produce a dangerous
decoction of anti-national activities, scams involving money, and harassment of ordinary common
souls.
• In 2012, Leveson inquiry conducted on British media’s ethics and malpractices gave us a new term
journalistic ‘dark arts’. The term seems to be applicable to all the mainstream media across the world.
The social media comprising the digital media magazine, Facebook, and Twitter is crossing swords
every day with the mainstream media. Social media has become the voice of the common men who
have made it their habit to call out the lies and hatred that is being spread in the mainstream media.
Upon confrontation, mainstream media holds high moral ground or shifts their goalposts.
Recent media controversies
Indian media has lost all ethics. They are constantly trying to mislead people by misconstruing facts and work with an
agenda to satisfy political parties they are affiliated to according to their beliefs. Hardly will you find a neutral media
coming up with facts and figures.
NDTV, once upon a time most watched news channel was caught in a money-laundering scam. The income tax
affiliated tribunal has tightened the noose and ordered them to pay up a penalty of INR 1150 crores.
Selective outrage by Indian media on cases of sexual abuse, molestation, rape and social evils has disgraced their
profession. Under the cover of a free press, media is bringing forth reports and stories that have no relation to the
real-life incident. Even the surgical strike conducted in 2016, was denied by a few sections of the media.
Conclusion: The list of a conscienceless media is endless. Today’s journalism has become synonymous with deceit,
bribery, hoax, and breach of privacy of citizens to the extent of criminality. The greatest threat to media is the
mainstream media itself with its criminal intent.

BRICS
Quick points to remember
• BRICS stands for an association made up of the 5 emerging economies namely Brazil, Russia, India,
China and South Africa.
• South Africa joined the association in 2010 and until 2010, it was known as BRIC.
• BRICS nations conduct and attend national formal summits.
• First formal summit of BRIC was conducted in 2009 while the aim of the summit was to improve global
economy, to improve the financial institutions and how the 4 BRIC countries can work together
peacefully.
• BRICS includes 25% of the world’s land and 40% of the world’s population.
• All the 5 countries in BRICS are highly corrupt.
Introduction
BRICS is a union of the 5 emerging economies of the world- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. These
economies arrange a meeting or formal summit each year during which, important decisions and discussions are
made about how the countries can work together and how they can make improvements in the global economy.
Initially, the union was named as BRIC and later it was renamed to BRICS when South Africa joined the union in
2010.
In the past 15 years, China has overtaken Japan and become the 2 nd largest economy. The BRICS summits are very
fruitful as the global challenges are discussed by global leaders. Financial and economic development is discussed by
different countries for the development of BRICS nations.
Current scenario
BRICS economies are playing a very important role in the global economy since BRICS was launched. China along
with India has managed to grow and both these countries are continuously progressing in different sectors. Just like
the financial institutions, BRICS has established New Development Bank to benefit all the member countries since
2014. This pact was signed in 2014 at the Brazil summit and the bank was worth $100billion. In this bank, China
made a contribution of $41 billion, other 3 economics, India, Brazil and Russia together made the contribution of $18
and South Africa made the contribution of $5 billion. Apart from NDB, BRICS also has a Contingent Reserve
Arrangement of $100billion that will serve as an international foreign exchange and can also be used during crisis.
The future BRICS summits shall lead to discussions and signing progressive pacts about finance, globalization,
foreign exchange and other such matters.

Quick facts about BRICS

• Due to BRICS, the middle classes of China and India are growing at a rapid speed.
• The fall in prices of commodities are threatening other BRICS nations.
• India and China have the fastest growth rate amongst all the BRICS nations.
• 2 of every 5 people on this planet belong to any BRICS nation. The count is 3 billion people.
 • BRICS countries have 30% of the world’s GDP.
• It is estimated that BRICS will match the total size of G7 by 2030.
• 50% of the world’s workforce belongs to BRICS economies.
• Nigeria, Sudan, Bangladesh, Greece, Egypt, Iran, Argentina, Afghanistan, Turkey, Mexico have also
shown interest in joining BRICS.
• BRICS countries are all different from each other in terms of literacy, culture, opportunities and
education.
• The primary duty and responsibility of the council of ministers in SAARC is to review the progress,
take decisions on new fields of cooperation, formulation of new policies and other general matters.
• In the SAARC summit, the head of states and governments form a body of leaders, choose a vice
chairman and chairman who conduct the meeting.
• Reports and proposals are made during the meetings and at the end of the meeting; the decisions are
based on the agreement.
• The observer countries of SAARC are Australia, China, European Union, Iran, Japan, Mauritius,
Burma, South Korea and United States.
• The official language of SAARC meetings and association is English.
• According to the foreign trade policy, investors of BRICS enjoyed 52% return compared to 16% return
of the G7 investors.
• China has the highest increase in economy and also has contributed in the global economy when
compared to other BRICS nations.
Conclusion: The aim of BRICS is to build a strong partnership among these 5 economies for a bright and flourishing
future. Although all the BRICs economies are completely diverse from each other, the economies have come together
for mutual and global benefits. The potential of BRICS is expected to surpass the power of G7 by 2050, as per a
report of Goldman Sachs. While Brazil, Russia and South Africa are recovering from economic recession, India and
China are growing at a lightning speed in different sectors.
Make in India concept
Quick points to remember
• Make in India concept was launched on 25th September 2014 by the government of India to motive
companies manufacture goods in India.
• This movement covers 25 sectors of economy and is a type of swadeshi movement.
• India collabourated with Japan and announced $12 billion fund for Japan-India and Make-In-India
Finance facility.
• India surpassed China and US in terms of foreign direct investment in 2015.
• Due to this movement, India received investments and queries for $230 billion .
• Due to this movement, India also jumped to the 100th position from 169 countries in the list of ‘ease of
doing business index’.
Introduction
Make in India is a revolutionary movement launched in 2014 aimed to increase job creation and skill enhancement in
India while increasing the number of manufacturing industries. The aim of this movement is to motive the companies
to produce and manufacture their products in India. The motive also includes improving the quality of products and
decreasing the impact of manufacturing process on the environment.
Along with the movement, a slogan named ‘Zero Defect Zero Effect’ was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
that focused on the product quality and emphasized that no product should be defective and should also not affect
the environment in an adverse way.

Current scenario
After the launch of the Make in India movement, $250million investment commitments and inquiries came and as a
result, India rose to the top position at a global level for foreign direct investments during 2015 surpassing US and
China with a whooping amount of $60 billion. To encourage this movement, some states also launched their special
make in India movements.
Under the make in India movement was released the make in India week event was launched on 13 th February 2016.
In this event, 2500+ international and 8000+ domestic delegates of foreign direct investment took part. This event
received over $230billion of investment inquiries.
Quick facts about Make in India movement

• Under the make in India movement, Maharashtra alone received $120 billion investment inquiries.
• The make in India movement includes sectors like automobile, automobile
Components, aviation, biotechnology, construction, defence manufacturing.
• The aim of this movement was to enrich India’s capabilities amid the partners located abroad, among
the Indian business community and specially with the Indian citizens.
• For promoting the campaign, special mobile applications were developed.
• The department of industrial policy and promotion DIPP collabourated with some reputed brands to
build a refreshing infrastructure to provide information.
• The brochures and applications were designed to showcase the facts, figures, initiatives, contact
details and other such information about the campaign.
• Make in India movement is a collabourative and combined approach. along with DIPP, there were
some powerful collabourations made with other brands and organizations to empower the movement
 • DIPP invited Union ministers, secretaries to the government of India, industry leaders, knowledge
partners, government officials and state governments to participate in the campaign.
• A workshop was conducted to gather the secretaries and industrialists to prepare an action plan for 3
years regarding manufacturing. The aim behind this workshop was to increase the outcomes of the
manufacturing industry to 25% of the GDP by 2020.
• The manufacturing infrastructure has witnessed a huge growth since the launch of this movement. The
key sectors that reflected maximum benefit were the railway sector, defence, insurance and medical
sectors.
• Also, a workshop named ‘Make in India- sectorial perspective and initiatives’ was launched in 2014 in
which, a 3 year plan was made to boost investments in targeted 25 sectors.
• An investor facilitation cell was formed in 2014. This cell was made to assist the investors in finding
the regulatory approvals and services during the investment period, during the execution and post
execution phases.
• Indian embassies were also informed about the foreign investment and motives of the campaign.
• Also, this campaign in India gained a lot of proposals from Japan and thus, a special team was
designed to track and monitor all the proposals from
Japan. This team is known as ‘Japan plus’
• This team provides quick investment proposals from Japan and offers immense support to the
Japanese companies looking forward to establish themselves in the Indian market.
• Sectors like railway, defence, space etc. were made open for investment and different policies were
relaxed.
Conclusion: Due to make in India movement, the credibility of India has increased at an intense level. The project
has contributed in empowering different sectors and Indian economy by grabbing attention of a lot of foreign
investors. The movement is working at the desired momentum and is also reflecting desired success rate.
Mother
Quick points to remember
• Mother is the female parent to a child who gives birth and bears a special relation with the child.
• A mother may or may not be the biological parent, but can be still called a mother if she gives birth to
an offspring, she raises other’s children or when he offers her ovum for fertilization.
• Americans spend $14.6 billion on purchasing mother’s day gifts.
• The highest ratio of maternal deaths is in developing countries. 99% of maternal deaths occur in
developing countries.
• Around 800 women die every day due to pregnancy related complications.
• The youngest mother of the history is Lina Medina. She was 5 years old when she gave birth to a
6.5lbs boy in Peru.
Introduction
Traditionally, role of women was restrained to being a wife and a mother. Women were expected to dedicate all their
energy to nurture and raise their kids. With changing time, women started becoming ‘career women’ or ‘working
mothers’.
Nothing is considered to be more respectful and better than a mother. The role of a mother in her kids’s life is simply
unexplainable. From feeding the kids to educating them, from guiding the kids through their life to providing values
and morals; a mother shapes the entire character of her kid.

Biological facts about a mother

Mothers share a very strong physiological connection with their babies. The smile, touch and voice of a mother are
very precious to the babies and can help in relieving stress. Mother’s breast milk as well as the saliva of mothers is
very helpful for the
baby’s health. In fact, breast milk of the mother is a strong immunity booster for her kids and can also prevent
diseases like HIV.
Through placenta, when the mother and baby exchange some cells, these cells remain in the mother’s brain and
body. These cells in the child’s body also help in preventing the baby from different disease.
Though motherhood is becoming less popular, women are still giving birth to children despite being unmarried, single
or divorced. Experiencing motherhood is still a prominent wish of women.
Quick facts about Mothers
• Oldest mother recorded in history is Rajo Devi Lohan from India who was 70 years old when she gave
birth to a baby girl in 2008.
• There are around 85million mothers just in US and around 2 billion mothers in the world.
• The average age of new mothers is 25 years as compared to 21 years back in1970.
• Mother’s day is one of the busiest phone days and there are around 122.5 million phone calls made on
this day.
• On an average, mothers have 2 kids compared to 7-8 kids in 1700.
• The first mother’s day was celebrated on 10th may 1908 and was found by Anna Jarvis.
• Modern mothers are educated and older as compared to mothers in previous centuries.
• It is estimated that half of the children will live with a single mother before reaching the age of 18.
• During pregnancy, children and the mother exchange some cells through placenta and these cells
survive in the mother’s body for years.
 • Mothers from all around the globe face a lot of guilt of not spending enough time with the kids and not
providing a good financial background.
• As per studies, mothers who give birth at an older age, live more.
• In Canada, working mothers get a leave for a year and get 55% of their salary during the first year of
having a baby.
• Mothers typically spend over 45,653 hours taking care of their kids and family.
• If being a mother was a paid job, mothers would earn $94,260 every year.
• Mrs. Vassilyev from Russia is the mother to give birth to most children. She gave birth to 69 children.
Conclusion: The role and character of being a mother has evolved a lot with time but still, the charisma and
value of a mother hasn’t changed. Women carry a lot of compassion, empathy and a soft heart and thus, are
considered powerful and immensely precious mothers. From giving birth to kids to making them capable of living
their lives, mothers play the most important role in their kids’ lives. A mother has the power of playing different
roles of a teacher, a friend, a guide, a philosopher in her kid’s life and thus, the designation of mother deserves
all the respect and love.

Kids Reality Shows – Good or Bad

Quick Points to remember
• Reality TV could be a means to showcase talent at a national level.
• Reality TV may put kids under unnecessary pressure.
• The environment on the sets while shooting may not be child friendly.
• It is a parent’s job to ensure that their children do not face any negative exposure while in the show.
Introduction
The idea of meeting celebrities, getting famous and getting a chance to showcase your talent to the entire country is
something that attracts participants to reality TV shows. There has been an increase in kid’s reality shows in the past
few years. These reality shows aim to explore talent among kids at a very young age and this idea seems to be very
attractive to kids and their parents. They see it as a platform to show their talent to the world and pave a path to
success and instant fame at a young age. As this trend is on a steep rise, it is important to explore in what ways it
could affect kids.
You can see all kinds of reality TV concepts that are specifically designed for kids. Dance reality shows, singing
shows or just any kind of talent hunting shows. These TV shows very well recognize the desire of the parents to see
their kids become successful and famous. Parents who think that their kid has some talent feel like showing it to the
world, and reality TV gives them this chance. It is important to note that while kids may be inclined towards
participating in the TV shows; the final decision is made by the parent. This is why it is important that the parents
make an informed decision while choosing to make their kids participate in such shows. With fierce competition
among kids these days and the rising expectation of the parents
from their kids, reality TV seems like a good enough option to get instant fame and recognition.
While instant fame and talent recognition at such a young age may seem quite attractive, it is not all sunshine and
happy news. Time and again, there has been a debate on whether reality TV shows are good for kids or not and there
have been researches that have shown negative effects of reality TV on kids.
Negative effects of reality TV on kids:
While it may seem like a good idea for kids to showcase their talent at such a young age, they may not be aware of
whether this is the path that they want to choose when they grow up. But as they are good at it, parents somehow
believe that this could be their destiny. Once this talent is validated by fame, it starts looking like the right choice as a
career and the kids lose the chance to experiment other things and explore other options.
Reality TV exposes children to a highly competitive and demanding environment. They feel the pressure of delivering
and winning at a very young age. While healthy competition is good for kids in order to motivate them and instill
qualities of determination and achievement, unhealthy competition may put them under unnecessary pressure and
stress. Putting them under this kind of pressure may not be good for their mental health.
There is a different side of reality TV shows other than winning. Experiencing rejection and failure at a national level
can cause kids to question their capabilities and lead to disappointment, low self-confidence and low self-esteem.
This memory of rejection as a child may stay with them throughout their lives and scar their childhood.
Children in reality TV shows are wrenched away from all normal childhood activities and are made to spend hours in
front of the camera shooting. This is no less than child labour.
These children are devoid of a normal childhood which should be the goal of every parent. They are put into
competitive environment with a lot of pressure upon them to deliver. They are constantly pressurized to perform better
with every stage of the reality show. They face disappointment, rejection and criticism at an age when they do not
know how to handle it.
Most reality shows do not focus on the best interests of the participants. Their major focus is TRPs and entertainment
and for that they are willing to go to any extent. Sometimes kids are put into very difficult emotional situations just to
boost up the TRPs. The best interest of the children is overlooked.
Conclusion: There are stories of celebrities who participated as kids in a Reality TV show and made it big in life. This
is all the more a reason for the children and their parents to take this path. But it is important to understand that not all
kids will have that kind of success and putting your child through this kind of experience may not be as good an idea
as it looks.
Government needs to take steps in order to ensure that children are not made to work for long hours and the rules for
reality TV involving kids have to be made strict and compulsory in order to protect these kids from any negative
exposure.
Capital Punishment
Quick Points to remember
 • Capital punishment is also known as death penalty.
• Under this practice, a person is put to death by the state for a crime that he has committed.
• Under the IPC 1860, there is provision of death sentence for various offences.
• Article 72 of the constitution has a provision of clemency of capital punishment under which the
President of India has the power to grant a pardon.
Introduction
Capital punishment also known as death penalty is carried out for capital crimes or capital offences. This sentence is
carried out only for most heinous of the crimes and is also called “rarest of the rare” punishment. Crimes such as
murder, treason, mutiny, and cases where rape was fatal are punishable by death after considering a number of other
factors.
The debate surrounding the abolition of the death penalty is an ongoing one. While some people are of the view that a
person who has committed such heinous crime deserves a death penalty, others believe that death penalty is not a
solution to crimes and not good for the society at large. Most of the countries have abolished death penalty and are of
the view that it has no place in a democratic country.
Those who are in the favour of death penalty as a punishment often lay down the argument that crimes such as
murder and rape are heinous and a death penalty for such grave crimes will set an example for other criminals. As a
result of capital punishment, the number of such crimes will come down. It only seems fair for a person who has
committed such a crime to suffer and set an example. The aim
here is also to serve justice for the damage caused and prevent such incidents from happening again. The person
who has committed such a crime is a potential threat to the society. There is a chance that the person might repeat
his crime after serving his term. Carrying out capital punishment abolishes this threat.
It may seem just to a number of people, but there are also those who oppose capital punishment and consider it as
inhuman and unethical. The argument laid by people opposing it is that murder is heinous and inhuman for everyone,
even if it is committed by the government as a means of justice. There will be no difference between the offender and
the government if this punishment is carried out. It is always a better option to imprison the offender as he may want
to change himself and not giving a second chance seems wrong.
The most important point raised against capital punishment is wrongful execution. It is argued that not all convictions
that take place are correct. Since most of the cases are hugely dependent upon evidence, lawyers, witnesses and the
judgment of the court, there may be a chance that the person might receive a death penalty for a crime that he never
committed, but was unable to prove the same in the court of law. There have been instances in the past where the
offender was later found to be innocent and the conviction was revoked, but if in cases like those a death penalty had
been awarded as a punishment, it would have been an irreversible wrongful acts.

The 36th report of the law commission submitted in 1967 states that the abolition or awarding of the death penalty
should be carried out only after considering a balanced approach for and against it. One single argument cannot be a
deciding factor for the punishment to be awarded or abolished. Above all, the protection of the society is of utmost
importance and the prime factor while making this decision.
Facts
• The law commission report says that there have been very few executions in the recent past with
significant time gaps.
• The time period between 2004 and 2012 was an execution free period.
• The first death penalty was carried out in the Jagmohanvs State of Uttar Pradesh case in 1973.
Conclusion: While there are reasonable arguments both for and against the capital punishment, it is totally upon the
wisdom of the law to make a decision. After considering all the factors, a very careful decision should be made in
matters of the capital punishment. Taking a life is a heinous action both for a criminal and the government. In such a
situation, it is important to gather as much evidence and proof as possible before making this decision. Wrongful
convictions remain a very sensitive subject when it comes to capital punishment. Even the law states that an innocent
should not be punished even if 100 culprits go free.

Smart Work Vs Hard Work

Quick Points To remember
• While hard work lets you stay in your comfort zone, smart work encourages you to step out and make
a difference.
• Smart work lets you push the boundary and strokes your creativity.
• Smart workers value time more than anything.
• They deliver value 80% of their time and solve problems that their customers are willing to pay for.
• Your goals can be reached faster with smart work without feeling exhausted.
• Smart work when embedded with hard work allows you to grow more in your industry.
Introduction:
We live an era where overworking has become more of a habit. It has now taken the form of a drug and every drug
has its side own effects. This one includes stress, exhaustion and a less productive- more time-consuming routine. It
also disrupts the normal body functioning which compromises on the 6-7 hours of sleep.
Hard work is done by everybody, but one has to be smart about where to work hard to achieve your goal. For e.g. the
workers/labourers at a construction, mine or road construction sites work blood and sweat, but are they getting
anywhere?
So, now the question is what about the sayings, “the harder you work, the luckier you get”. So if you ask, whether to
work hard or not? Well, of course, hard work is necessary but it is significant for smart and hard work go hand in
hand. Remember, the effort is important but knowing where to invest those efforts make all the difference.
Smart work is about making the right strategy, sketching a disciplined work routine which can help to grow your
visions and be more productive. At the end of the day what you have achieved is that WHAT counts. For starters, try
to decode the success journey of someone who you really look up to who has put a ton of efforts, hard work and
smart work to make it happen.
So what is the real difference between hard work and smart work?
To put it in simple words, hard work is when you do a certain amount of work dedicatedly for a certain amount of time
whereas smart work is when you do the same amount of work more efficiently in less time.
Generally, hard work requires physical abilities while smart work demands mental abilities thereby driving your
creative side. Smart work is misunderstood for taking short-cuts. Note that, shortcuts are explored with smart
techniques and tricks which doesn’t mean the person doing it is lazy. A smart path shows the ability to outperform and
be more organized.
The grind is necessary, putting in the right hours and really working on stuff is extremely necessary. There is a thin
line between working for the sake of it and working to truly achieve the goals. Doing the former isn’t necessarily going
to move the wheel forward. A lot of time you work hard, but you spin the wheel in the mud and just not go forward.
A very revered principle known as 80/20 principle shows 20% efforts to be made for 80% results. So if you can
incorporate this into your working model and adapt to smart working techniques, you can move your projects at a little
faster pace. Focus on the 20% of the things in business or life that gives 80% of the results.
Hard work is certainly the core reason behind success, but it does not mean to take the monogamous route and work
just for the sake of it, because it is nothing but wasting time. Smart work has an advantage of knowing where to go,
how to reach and how efficiently to reach.
To sum up, smart work is executing a pre-planned task armed with knowledge and innovation.
Quick Facts:
• Smart work focuses on Specific Measurable Attainable Result oriented and Time-bound
• Use of old ideas in a smarter way to get more results
• Smart work benefits by – a sense of fulfilment, productivity, effectiveness and add value.
• Smart work focuses on important tasks
• Smart work is not a substitute for hard work but they are both two sides of the same coin.
Conclusion: If you want to succeed, you need to inculcate both hard and smart working model into your system.
Don’t get caught up in the myth of just working hard, instead make sure you put it in the right areas, have a tunnel
vision, focus and track your progress. If you are working towards your goal consistently, you can absolutely achieve
what you want. So, it is always necessary to have that right balance of both.

NATO
Quick points to remember:
• NATO is a military partnership between 29 members from Europe and North America.
• It was formed to protect Europe against the threat from the Soviet Union.
• NATO defends the area over Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia and Albania on a 24-hour basis and
365 days per year.
• NATO has over 3 million men & women available for active military services.
Introduction:
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was founded in the aftermath of the Second World War. Its purpose was to
secure peace in Europe and promote cooperation among its members. The alliance’s founding treaty was signed in
Washington in 1949 with merely 12 members from North American countries.
It commits the allies to democracy, individual liberty as well as the peaceful resolution of disputes. Notably, the treaty
sets out the idea of collective defence, which means, attack on one member is equivalent to attack against all and
hence other members come together to defend.
NATO ensures that the European member countries are separately linked to that of its North American member
countries. It also provides a platform for dialogue and cooperation across the Atlantic.
Though found with only 12 members, the alliance allows other nations to join as long as all existing allies agree.
Today NATO comprises of 29 members who are stronger and safer together. For almost 7 years, NATO has ensured
security within its
Territory. However, threats and the way NATO handles them have certainly evolved over time.
Later with the collapse of Soviet Union, some say that NATO has achieved its purpose and it was no longer needed,
yet, the alliance prevails even today. NATO has responded to changes in the security environment by shifting its
focus and taking on new tasks. Since the 1990s, the alliance has developed relations with non-member countries. But
today working with non-member countries and other organizations is considered to be one of the prime tasks of
NATO.
It works with over 40 partner countries as well as with other international organizations, like the UN and the EU. It has
taken an important role in the international management since the end of the war.
Some of its tasks include: 1) The air campaign led by NATO over Libya to protect civilians suffering atrocity of the
Qadhafi dictatorship. 2) Deployed forces in Afghanistan to bring stability in the wake of 9/11 attacks on the United
States 3) Prevent Piracy off the Horn of Africa 4) Cooperating to fight terrorism in the Mediterranean Sea. 5)
Supported to stem illegal migration and human trafficking amongst some.
Quick Facts:
• On August 19, 2008, NATO suspended relations with Russia, saying it will not hold meetings with the
country until it withdraws its troops from Georgia.
 • In regard to terrorism, the Deputy Secretary General highlighted NATO’s efforts to project stability and its
role in the Global Coalition to defeat ISIS as well as the four battle groups that have been deployed in the
Baltic States and Poland to defend against Russia.
• The members of NATO comprise of at least 50% of the world’s GDP.
• NATO has an official annual budget of 200 billion Euros.

• ICAO is the very own phonetic alphabet of NATO.

• NATO has a global network of security partners from over 40 countries.

• While Israel was the first non-European nation to be offered membership, Iceland is the only member nation
of NATO that does not have its own standing army.
• The latest and the most exciting system to come into play in the organization is the ACCS or the Air
Command and Control System.
• NATO has a permanent, integrated military command structure where military and civilian personnel from
all member states work together.
• Official languages of NATO are English and French.

• NATO now recognizes cyberspace as an ‘operational domain’ – just as land, sea or air.
Conclusion: There is a never-ending debate over whose favour NATO works, Americans or Europeans and whether
it uses its resources efficiently. Some say it should be disbanded right after Soviet fell apart and that the US president
Donald Trump being unfavourable of its functioning. Amidst all the tensions, NATO claims to have a purpose for its
existence. Some of which are confronting with the spread of mass destruction, cyber-attacks and threats to energy
supplies as well as environmental challenges. These challenges are humungous for any one country or organization
to handle on its own. Hence, NATO is closely working with its network of partners to help tackle them.

Alcohol Ban in India

Quick points to remember
• Alcohol is banned in India in the states of Gujarat, Bihar and Nagaland.
• Alcohol ban refers to the prohibition of sale and consumption of alcohol in the boundaries of the states
in which it is banned.
• Violating this law is a punishable offence and may even lead to imprisonment.
• In most of the states in the past, the prohibition of alcohol has been a failure.
Introduction
In India, alcohol prohibition is enforced in the states of Gujarat, Bihar, Nagaland and the union territory of
Lakshadweep. The Directive principle of state policy (DPSP)states that “the State shall endeavour to bring about
prohibition of the consumption except for medicinal purposes of intoxicating drinks and of drugs which are injurious to
health”.
Bihar chief Minister Nitish Kumar imposed a total ban on the Sale of alcohol in Bihar from 1 st April 2016. Sale and
consumption of alcohol in hotels, bars clubs or any other place is now illegal in Bihar and violation of this law may
lead to 5 to 10 years of imprisonment. The states of Mizoram and Haryana have also imposed alcohol ban in the past,
but later on lifted it. Tamil Nadu also imposed a phased ban on alcohol in the state in order to attract women voters.
Gujarat is another state where prohibition of alcohol is enforced. It is illegal to manufacture, store, sell or consume
alcohol in Gujarat. However, foreigners and NRIs can get a 30 day liquor permit.
It is a known fact that states that have imposed a ban on alcohol have failed to successfully implement it. For
instance, Nagaland and Gujarat have been dry states since decades but people have found means to surpass the law
and quench their thirst. In case of Nagaland, Assam border helps in the liquor flow in the state. It is said that in
Gujarat, liquor gets delivered on the doorstep even faster than pizza. Prohibition has not only failed to achieve the
objective of alcohol ban, but has also resulted in bootlegging corruption more prevalent. The black market trade of
alcohol is another concern that rose after the ban on alcohol.
Alcohol policy in India is a state affair. This leads to major procurement loopholes. For instance, if alcohol is banned in
a particular state, it can very easily be procured from the bordering states. These loopholes lead to easy access of
alcohol even if there is a ban thus, making it almost ineffective.

Alcohol is banned in order to reduce crime, solve social issues and improve health in the country. Not only does it fail
to achieve these objectives, it also leads to increased problems such as loss of lively hood and loss of revenue.
Statistics show that Gujarat loses approximately 2000-3000 crore in revenue every year. It is estimated that Bihar
would lose approximately 4000 crores of revenue per year because of this ban.
Alcohol consumption is said to give rise to domestic problems in households. It is observed that excessive
consumption of alcohol especially in the lower economic sections of the society is a major factor in ruining
households. It leads to crime and violence against women and financial issues in the family. However, it must be
noted that consumption of alcohol is not the sole factor which leads to these problems and an addict is able to procure
alcohol, even during the ban because of the loopholes in the policy. Thus, alcohol ban fails to achieve the objective of
social change in the society since there are huge implementation issues. The issues of social change will not be
solved by banning alcohol unless other related factors contributing to these problems are addressed.
Conclusion: Alcohol ban, in the manner in which it is exercised today, seems to be nothing more than a political
gimmick. Winning elections and attracting voters in the election time is the sole objective of these bans. Parallel black
markets are allowed to function even after the ban which clearly points out the disinterest of the governments to tackle
this issue head-on. Alcohol as a problem cannot be solved by imposing bans as clearly there are so many loopholes
that people can very easily surpass the law. There is need of holistic approach to solve problems related to alcohol
consumption. A policy framework that covers all the aspects of alcohol ranging from its production pricing location and
consumption needs to be developed. It is also important that these policies should not only be made, but also
implemented and taken seriously.

Bullet Trains In India

Quick Points to remember
• India has begun work on its first bullet train project.
• The foundation of this project was laid in September 2017.
• The bullet train will run between Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
• The project is estimated to be complete by 2022.
• The project is being built with the help of Japan in terms of technology and Finance.
• The project will cost around one lakh crore rupees.

Introduction
In the month of September 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation of India’s first Bullet train project.
These trains are called bullet trains because of their appearance and speed. A bullet train is generally a high speed
train that can cover a distance of 250 km per hour. This train will run between Mumbai and Ahmedabad covering a
distance of 500 km in just 3 hours. Currently the time taken to cover this distance is approximately 7 hours. This train
will reduce the travel time by 4 hours. There will be a total of 12 stations where the train will halt. The train corridor
runs from Bandra-KurlaComplex (BKC) to Sabarmati railway station Ahmedabad. These trains will take a total of 70
trips each day, 35 in each direction.
The train will have 10 coaches out of which one coach will be business class and other nine coaches will be standard.
The business coaches are said to have amenities like leg rest, space for luggage, refrigerators, water heaters, tea
and coffee maker etc. There will be separate washrooms for men, women and differently abled people, separate
coaches for feeding mothers or sick people. The train has been designed keeping in mind all the needs of the
passengers and luxurious travel amenities have been incorporated in the business class to match international
standards.
This project is being built with the help of Japan. Currently India does not have the indigenous high speed rail
technology that is required to build this project. Japan is providing this technology to India.
The running of bullet train in India has a lot advantages. With increasing traffic, an alternate mode of transport will
reduce the crowd on the roads, hence reducing traffic. Bullet trains will considerably reduce travel time. Less time
taken to travel will boost business. People will not have to migrate to larger cities as the time taken to travel will be
considerably manageable, thus reducing migration from smaller cities to larger cities. Bullet trains are much safer as
compared to the normal trains and hence safety which is a major concern when it comes to Indian railways is also
addressed. The Japanese Shinkansen trains, which are bullet trains in Japan, started running in 1964. Since then
there have zero cases of fatalities. The project will be earthquake and fire resistant. Sensors will be installed for
motion detection. Running of bullet train helps in infrastructure development, thereby creating huge employment
opportunities and leading to economic growth.
The bullet train project is an expensive affair and is estimated to cost around one lakh crore rupees. The cost may
increase due to future fluctuations and inflation. The project is 81% financed by Japan at an interest rate of 0.01% for
50 years. These numbers may look considerably low, but the Japanese Yen is projected to appreciate over a period
of time in comparison to the Indian rupee, which might question the viability of the loan. It is also estimated that in
order to make this project economically viable, the fares may range anywhere between Rs4000- Rs7000. These fares
can easily be compared to air fares and can be afforded only by the rich class. This again raises the question if this
project be of any benefit to the middle and lower economic sections of the society.

There have been arguments against the bullet train project since the condition of the Indian Railway System needs
attention. Some are of the view that there is a greater need of investment in the current railway infrastructure in order
to improve and
strengthen it. Investment in a project that caters to just upper economic sections is not a viable choice at this point.
Facts
• The train will have a capacity for 750 passengers.
• There will be 7 km stretch that will be under the sea.
• 825 hectares of land is required to build this project.
• The second bullet train project will start after the completion of this project which will connect Delhi to
Amritsar via Chandigarh.
Conclusion : Although the current railway system needs attention, the need of better infrastructure and amenities
can also not be denied. As India is now the world’s fastest growing economy, it is important to take steps in the
direction of building of a world class infrastructure. Necessary steps should be taken in both the directions.
 Compulsory Military Training
Quick points to remember
• Compulsory or mandatory procurement of people in national services, especially military services is
known as conscription.
• Compulsory military training is a very controversial topic and continues to remain a matter of
discussion in different nations.
• Conscription is a strategy for building a strong and gigantic military force to empower the military force
of a nation during the times of war.
• Almost every roman aged between 19 to 45 is liable for conscription and national services.
• Currently, there are 27 countries having compulsory military training.
• Conscription was introduced in France during 1798 in place of requisition.
Introduction
Mandatory military training or conscription is an age old concept. The countries following conscription makes it
mandatory for the citizens to enroll in the military services. Conscription was widely followed during the French
revolution when it was mandatory for young men aged from 18-45 to serve the military. A lot of European nations then
copied this system considering the benefits and potential towards improving the power of military forces.
Conscription is considered as a matter of discussion as some countries believe that mandating military training
violates individual rights. This subject remains controversial as individuals having political objections, religious
objections or any sort of disagreement evade the service or by leaving the country or by looking for shelter in other
countries. In the current scenario, there are a lot of nations that no longer conscript the soldiers and instead, rely on
professional militaries of the country and on the volunteers enrolled.
Current scenario
In the 21st century, more emphasis is made on improving voluntary military training instead of compulsory military
training for citizens. A lot of countries still stick to conscription to strengthen the power of their military forces while
some countries still consider conscription as a violation of individual human rights. Nations like South Korea, Egypt,
Russia, Ukraine etc. still stick to conscription as, they need a strong military, want to promote national unity, want to
promote discipline and involvement in national service among the youth.
However, there are still some countries where conscription is a matter of controversy as it may violate human
liberties, or because conscription requires a lot of military budget or because conscription may create unrest or
protests. It is believed that conscription might interfere with other forms of education and learning people want. Also,
the quality of services offered in the military is affected.
Conscription or military training is simply not for everyone. As per the studies, around 40,000 military people returning
from wars were suffering from anxiety, depression and such traumatic experiences. Also, the hard-core training and
risk of physical injuries increases with conscription.
Quick facts about Compulsory Military Training
• English colonists did make military training compulsory as short term training and also as a service for
local defence.
• Bolivia is the country that made conscription mandatory for men aged 18 to 49 since 1904.
• Cape Verde, Chad, Eritrea, Israel, North Korea, Norway, China and Sweden have compulsory military
services for women.
• The first comprehensive conscription was established by the French Republic in the wars and during
the French Revolution.
• Due to conscription, France was able to defend itself from the European monarchy attacks in 16 th
century.
• It was established by Napoleon in 1803 when he became the emperor but soon after his defeat in
1815, conscription was discontinued.
• Prussia also supported conscription between 1807-1813 and discontinued the system during 1870-
1871.
• In US, conscription was followed during 1861-65 when the civil war happened while after the First
World War, America and the Great Britain were the only 2 nations practicing conscription during peace
time.
• In different nations, the age for registering in the military drafts has kept changing. Some follow the 18-
45 rule while some follow the age gap of 26-35
• Around 40,000 military members of US and Afghanistan are facing anxiety and depression issues due
to conscription.
Conclusion: Since the First World War and before, conscription has been practiced by a lot of nations to improve
their military especially during wars and is still observed in a lot of nations. Conscription or mandatory military training
has a lot of potential benefits for a nation. From strengthening the military power of the nation to assist discipline and
sense of national service in youth, there are a lot of benefits of conscription. However, it is against the free will of
individuals and might cause unrest in the nation and thus, a lot of countries are still shying away from practicing
conscription.

DRDO
Quick points to remember
• DRDO stands for Defence Research and Development Organization.
 • This is an Indian Republic agency with headquarters located in Delhi.
• This agency was formed in 1958 as a result of merger between the state Technical Development
Establishment and Directorate of technical development and assembly with Defence Science
Organization.
• DRDO was formed by merging different defence organizations and now works with different national
and international agencies.
• Ministry of defence and Government of India has administrative control over the agency.
• DRDO is one of India’s largest government agencies and dynamic research organization with more
than 30,000 employees.
Introduction
DRDO is a research and development agency that develops technology and equipments that can be used by Indian
Defence system. Formed in 1958 and headquartered in Delhi, this agency has developed some of the most
intellectual and promising projects while collabourating with different agencies like directorate of technical
development, NPOM and different agencies located internationally.
The research and development segment of this organization has around 5000 scientists and more than 30,000
employees. The first project of DRDO is Project Indigo, started in 1960 soon after the establishment of DRDO.
Between 1980-2007, DRDO along with IGMDP launched various missiles like Agni, Prithvi, Akash Trishul and NAG.
Mega projects from DRDO
One of the largest and most impeccable projects from DRDO was the Advanced Radar named Divyachakshu. This
radar can scan through walls and is the first equipment India army possesses. The radar can scan through 20-30cm
thick walls and can provide images of the other side of the walls or barriers at the distance of 20metres.
This radar can also catch the thermal signatures and movements in an area and can give a clear representation of the
movements. While tracking the heat on the other side of the wall, the radar gives a thermal picture which can provide
a lot of information of the things happening on the other side. This radar has been used for tracking terrorist activities
and can be used to locate the terrorists. The cost of this radar is 35 lakhs which is extremely low compared to similar
equipment in the international market available at the price of around 2 crores.
Apart from missiles, DRDO has also developed some non-lethal weapons, submarines, cruise missiles, radars,
sensors and a lot of dynamic equipment for Indian defence system.

Quick facts about DRDO

• DRDO is one of the largest and prominent research and development agencies in India with around 52
labouratories around India employed in developing helpful defence technologies
• This agency covers vast disciplines like electronics, aeronautics, combat vehicles, naval systems,
missiles, armaments, special materials etc.
• The first successful project of DRDO was known as Project Indigo. This was an Indio-Swiss project
aimed to develop surface-to-air missiles. This project commenced on 1962.
• In 1983, another project was launched by Ministry of Defence named IGMDP- Integrated Guided
Missile Development Program. This program was launched for development of dynamic missiles.
• The popular missiles namely Aakash, Agni-I, Agni-II, Agni-III, Agni-V, Prithvi-I, Prithvi-II, Prithvi-III,
Trishul and NAG are made in the IGMPD.
• Another mega project named DivyaChakshu is a barrier imaging radar that can scan through walls up
to the thickness of 20-30cm. This project is too developed by DRDO.
• J Manjula is the first woman Director of DRDO. She served as the director of electronics and
communications systems which is one of the significant clusters of DRDO.
• India’s DRDO and Russia’s NPOM came together for a project and as a result, the BrahMos
Supersonic Cruise Missile was developed. This is the fastest cruise missile of the world.
• DRDO also developed a non lethal grenade from one of the hottest chilies in 2010.
• DRDO developed a herbal medicine named Lukoskin to treat vitiligo.
• One of the best projects of DRDO is the electrically powered and remotely controlled robot. This robot
is used for locating, managing and damaging the harmful objects in a safe way.
• The INSAS rifle developed by RDRO is used by Indian army while the premium rifle is used by the
royal army of Oman.
• Currently, DRDO is working on a project to develop a 25KW laser weapon to destroy the missiles.
Conclusion: DRDO is a very powerful research and development agency that has so far produced some of the finest
missiles and equipment for Indian system. The agency is also collabourating with agencies in different nations for
developing some powerful and highly beneficial modern equipment. Along with different Indian agencies, DRDO has
launched progressive and beneficial defence weapons to make India a strong country with high tech defence system.

South China Sea

Quick points to remember
• South China Sea carries immense strategic importance and is a part of the Pacific Ocean. One third of
the world’s waterway shipping passes through this sea.
• This sea is around 3,500,000 square kilometers and witnesses the trade of over $3 Trillion every year.
• There are ample rivers that merge into the South China Sea namely Pampanga river, Rajang river,
Red river, Mekong river, Pasig river, Min river, Jiulong river and Pearl river.
 • Fishing is observed as the main business in the South China Sea. As per some studies, world’s 10%
of commercially wedged fishes are from the
South China Sea.
• The South China Sea provides employment opportunity to millions of people around the world.
Introduction
South China Sea is a part of the Pacific Ocean with its limits located in China, Vietnam, Philippines, Strait of
Singapore, Bangka Belitung Islands and Borneo. The name South China Sea is the term used for sea in English in
most of the European languages. The name was based on Europe’s interest in the sea due to its strategic trading
importance. The sea was also named as the China Sea, West Philippines Sea, but none of these names were
officially referred for the South China Sea.

United States insists that the South China Sea is purely international waters and UNCLOS – United Nations
Conventions of Laws of the Sea should determine its sovereignty. All the regions connecting with the South China
Sea are claiming their dominance over this sea due to its importance in trade.
Current Scenario
This busy international waterway has become a reason of dispute between a number of south Asian countries.
Philippines went legal and claimed the South China Sea and as a reply, the permanent court of arbitration PCS has
stated that China doesn’t have any historical rights over the South China Sea and by claiming the rights over the sea,
China has violated Philippines’ sovereignty rights on the sea.
Vietnam and Philippines have claimed 21 and 8 islands of the South China Sea. Vietnam, Philippines and Taiwan
have posted military forces on some islands while Vietnam has also built some mobile rocket launchers that can
smack China’s seize on the sea. Beijing has built sports clubs, runways, airports, communication equipment and more
on seven islands of the sea. All these countries are claiming their hold on the South China Sea while China is
dominantly claiming its major share. The dispute continues to remain unsolved as no country has been able to prove
its complete sovereignty over the sea.
Quick facts about South China Sea
• The South China Sea covers above 3 million square kilometres of area encircling places like China,
Philippines, Taiwan, Mainland Southeast Asia and Borneo island.
• This sea is a huge link between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean which makes it an incredibly
important region for shipping. Ship borne trade of trillions passes from this sea.
• It is believed that a huge source of gas and oil is resting under the seabed.
• The marine life and creatures in South China sea includes sharks, eels, huge oysters, seabirds, sea
turtles etc.
• Since centuries, China has claimed the major portion of the South China Sea as its own property.
However, there have been many conflicts and tensions between China and other southeast countries
regarding the water of this sea.
• During the conflicts, Philippines was the country that filed case at the
Permanent Court of Arbitration to challenge China’s claims about the South China Sea’s majority in
2013.
• China gave powers to administer over the South China Sea to a city named Sansha in 2012.
• As per assumptions, the South China Sea was made around 45 million years ago. It is also believed
that a huge dangerous ground cracked and opened up into a sea.
• The South China Sea boarder is surrounded with more than 250 small and large islands, sandbars
and reefs. In fact, around 30% coral reefs are present in the sea.
• Around 37% of the reef fish and 76% of coral fishes are found in the South China Sea.
Conclusion: South China Sea is one of the assets when it comes to trading. Shipping of around $5 Trillion passes
through this sea and thus, all the bordering countries are claiming their dominance over the sea. However, none of
the countries have been able to succeed in proving their claims.

BPO in India
Quick points to remember
• BPO in India mainly refers to the outsourcing service industry that caters to western operations of
MNCs.
• In 2012, around 3 million people were working in the outsourcing sector.
• The yearly revenues generated from outsourcing business are $11billion which is 1% of India’s GDP.
• According to several analyses, it is believed that India will remain the fundamental destination for
outsourcing and within the next decade, its GDP will grow up to 10%.
• BPO is the fastest growing field of ITES industry. The services provided by BPOs in India include
customer service - phone or chat support, telemarketing services, technical support, data entry
processing, data conversion, form processing, online research etc.

Introduction
Business Process Outsourcing is one of the speedily developing industries in India. Most of the foreign companies
outsource their work in India due to the cost advantages, low business risks, economy of scale, highly efficient in-
house resources and such factors. India has a number of proficient English speakers, labourers charging low salaries
and a pool of talented employees that makes India a favourable and competitive market for BPO. Also the geographic
location and investor friendly tax structure of India has allured foreign companies to outsource their work in India.
India still stands out in providing world class customer service and India is competing with Vietnam, Philippines, China
Bulgaria, Romania and several other countries in the BPO industry. NASSCOM National Association of Software and
Service Companies predicted that India will remain the hub for outsourcing services in the future.
Current Scenario
By 2016 the BPO industry crossed the revenue of $140 billion and is expected to grow at high annual rates. It is
predicted that in 2018, new technologies like cloud computing, software automation, social media will emerge and the
use of these technologies in BPO sector will increase. BPO companies are giving emphasis on robotic process
automation for efficient and cost savvy services. It is expected that the workforce of India’s BPO industry will decrease
14% by 2021 creating more opportunities for automation.
The use of social media management tools will increase for better customer service and effective Interactive Voice
Response IVR. Emphasis will be made on multitasking, cloud computing and such technologies to improve India’s
hold on BPO industry. The BPO industry contributes around 8% to India’s gross domestic product and thus,
companies are thriving to enhance the BPO services by improving their working methodologies.
Quick facts about BPO in India
• 70% of the sales from BPO industry comes from touch facility, 20% comes from records and 10%
from fact generation.
• GenPact, Infosys BPO, Tata consultancy, Wipro BPO, FirstSource, Serco Global Services, Aegis
limited, WNS global services are the top companies offering BPO services in India.
• The BPO services in India has witnessed annual growth of 50%.
• The Indian IT-BPO sector has is one of the outstanding cost effective and emerging fields in the past
decade.
• BPO industry has opened and increased job scopes for thousands of Indians and this ratio is expected
to reach 1.1million Indians.
• 56% of the world’s business process outsourcing is handled by Indian
BPO companies.
• India has become one of the prominent destinations for business process outsourcing. Around four
fifth of the world’s top 500 countries already are outsourcing their work to India.
• Typically, 1 million professional English speakers and 1.5 million graduates from different universities
join BPOs.
• Outsourcing their work in India helps foreign companies to generate about 50% cost savings.
• Foreign companies are expected to spend a whopping amount of $7.3billion on BPOs in India this
year.
• Between 2012-2016, the BPO industry nurtured at the rate of 4.4% and surpassed the revenue of
$140 billion.
• India is connected with the top fortune 500 companies and thus, is a prominent leader in FAO market.
• India also consists of a number of excellent English speaking lawyers having expert knowledge in
foreign legal system. They can offer legal support and services to companies affiliated with foreign
companies and agencies. This increases the scope of foreign investment and collaboration with
diverse companies.
Conclusion :The outlook for BPO industry in 2018 reflects profitability and growth. BPO industry has marked its
dominance in India and is expected to grow at an increasing rate in the upcoming years. While keeping in mind the
revenues achieved from outsourcing work and by the contribution of BPO in the GDP of India, companies have
started acknowledging latest technologies and some rational methods to empower the BPO industry.

Unemployment in India
Quick points to remember
• One of the common social issues in India is unemployment and a significant change in this condition
will require a long time.
• According to the UN report, unemployment in India is to increase marginally between the year 2017-
2018, that is from 17.7 million to 17.8 million.
• Around 31 million Indians are jobless and are looking for jobs as per the information provided by
CMIE. CMIE is a board that keeps a track of business and economic data.
• Compared to other developing courtiers, unemployment ratio of India is not immensely high as from
the total workforce of 467 million, around 9.5% people are unemployed and jobless
• As per the reports, 77% percent of families do not have regular earners while 67% people earn INR
11,000 per month.
Introduction
Unemployment stands as a leading social issue in India. The Ministry of Labour and unemployment keeps the track of
unemployment records. As per the data from this ministry, India is facing 4% unemployment in 2016-2017. There are
ample efforts made by the government to target mainly rural and urban unemployment and offer employment
opportunities to maximum people.
If reports are believed, India will face a very slight increase, around 0.1% of increase in unemployment in India. This is
due to the steps taken by the government, due to increasing awareness about education and due to rise in the
number of skilled people in India.
Current Scenario and steps taken by the government to prevent Unemployment in India
Considering the increasing rates of unemployment in India, government has taken some steps and initiatives to
decrease unemployment through some policies. One of the famous acts is the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
Employment Guarantee Act. This is a scheme which provides 100 days employment to an unemployed person in the
year.
This act has been implemented in around 200 districts and is expected to expand over 600 more districts gradually.
India is a country of villages and thus, development of villages can contribute in the development of the nation. This
scheme was launched keeping in mind the empowerment of rural areas of India. Every person working under this
scheme will be paid the daily wages of Rs 150. Apart from this scheme, Indian government has launched a special
newspaper segment in which, ample job openings are posted everyday to help the jobseekers find employment in an
easy way. Along with the job opening posts, this newspaper also posts various government exam schedules and
recruitment processes.
Another important step is a web portal (www.nsc.gov.in) launched by ministry of Labour and Employment to avail
common platform for jobseekers where they can search and apply for jobs. This portal consists of the job openings for
government, private and contractual jobs. Also, several steps are taken to provide employment to disguised
unemployed people in IT, manufacturing, biotechnology and such sectors.
Quick facts about BPO in India
• Around 58% of graduates and 62% post graduates stated that the reason behind their unemployment
was unavailability of jobs matching their skills.
• More than 50% families in India families do not have any regular income source.
• According to the India skills report, out of 100,000 candidates, 96% candidates are unemployable.
• A powerful portal named National Career Service Portal is launched for educating unemployed people
about different jobs in the privet or government sectors.
• Total employment of India is around 90% from which 93.5% people are employed in informal sectors
while the other people are working with public or private sectors.
• India has performed considerably well in terms of job creation since last 2 years and this has helped
South Asia attain 6.8% growth.
• In rural areas, the ratio of female unemployment is quite low compared to male unemployment while in
urban areas, the situation is opposite.
• India’s rural unemployment rate is 7.15% while the urban unemployment rate is 9.62%.
• As per the surveys, unemployment for men especially in urban areas is very high compared to men
living in rural areas as well as women working in rural and urban areas
Conclusion: If the government of India continues to make efforts for encouraging education and fighting against
unemployment, India can compete with other developing countries and use its huge manpower to become a
superpower. India simply needs to emphasize on education and skill development for meeting the high end
requirements of jobs in different sectors. The collective efforts of Ministry of Labour and Employment and the
government of India, can simply decrease unemployment in India while preventing a lot of productive workforce to
leave the nation due to lack of appropriate jobs.

Indian GDP
Quick points to remember
• The economy of India is a mixed developing economy and also one of the fastest growing service
sectors in the world.
• India is the 6th largest economy in terms of nominal GDP while ranks 3rd in terms of per capita GDP.
• After the economic liberalization in 1991, India has constantly faced the growth of 6-7% in the GDP
annually.
• In the fiscal year 2015-2016, India was ranked first in the World Bank’s growth outlook for the first
time. During this year, the economy of India grew 7.6%.
• During the British rule, some social democratic policies ruled India but after the 1991, during the
economic liberalization, India moved towards market based economy. By 2008, India launched itself
as one of the fastest growing economies of the world.

Introduction
Since 2008, India has been maintaining its fast paced development in different sectors. From IT to BPO, from
healthcare to biotechnology, India’s GDP has increased due to its increasing success in these fields. The World Bank
has announced India as a rapidly growing economy and will regain its 7.5%GDP in two years. India has also
conquered China in terms of economical growth as it is predicted that compared to 7.3% of India’s GDP growth,
China’s annual GDP growth will slow down to 6.6%.
Current Scenario
India has now become one of the fastest growing economies while performing excellently well in different sectors.
Considering the contribution of industries like IT, BPO, manufacturing and e-commerce, India’s GDP has faced an
immense annual growth. India’s current GDP per capita is $1,706.39 while the GDP growth rate is 7.1%.
India is currently competing with China in terms of growth in sectors like IT, software services and investment. It is
estimated that within 2 years, Indian GDP will attain the growth rate of 8%. In the past year, after the implementation
of GST, several events made India regain its momentum and emerged as a fastest growing economy again with a
7.2% GDP compared to previous GDP of 6.6%
Quick facts about Indian GDP
• In per nominal GDP, India stands at the 141st number while in per capita GDP with a GDP of $2134,
India ranks 123rd with the GDP of $7,738.
• The factors like increased youth population, low dependency rates, investment rates, healthy savings
and collabouration with global economy makes India’s growth potentially way more positive.
 • The major aspects contributing in low economic growth are poor infrastructure, improper labour laws
and several government policies.
• India is a reliable and promising hub for service sector enjoying the yearly growth rate of 9%
• India is a profound and leading exporter of software services, outrushing/BPO services and IT
services. These three services contribute $157 billion revenue.
• IT industry is India’s leading private sector employer and contributes a major share in globalizing India
as an IT hub.
• Also India ranks as the 3rd largest hub for start-ups having more than 3100 start-ups in the year 2014-
2015.
• India’s largest employer is agriculture, but it contributes 17% in India’s
GDP.
• The manufacturing industry also has a huge share of 26% contribution in the GDP.
• India is a hub of automobile production and produced around 21.48millions in the year 2013-14. This
ratio has been continuously increasing.
• India had a market of $600billion in 2015 and became one of the leading e-commerce markets of the
world.
• Under the British rule, India’s contribution in the world’s economy dropped from 24% to 4.1%. During
this era, India’s contribution in industrial output and India’s own GDP also dropped significantly.
• India ranks second in the world for its farm output. Being agriculture the main occupation, other
sectors like fishing, forest etc. also contributes 17% in the national GDP. Agriculture solely contributes
23% of GDP while it also has 56% of India’s total population in 2016.
• India’s chemical industry is the third largest producer in Asia and contributes 5% in India’s GDP.
• India is expected to turn into the 6th largest pharmaceutical market in the world with $36.7 billion in the
GDP.
• Apart from the above given industries, India has also emerged in industries like mining.

Conclusion: India needs a great structural transformation and growth in different sectors if it aims to increase its
GDP and also its contribution in the world’s GDP. Also improvement in land, labour and financial markets would be
needed to maintain the current growth. India’s banking sector also needs a reform for stability and growth while
sectors like IT, software and BPO needs encouragement and global integration.

Democracy
Quick points to remember:

• Democracy in general means rule of the people

• According to Wikipedia,” Democracy is a system of government in which the citizens exercise power
directly or elect representatives from among themselves to form a governing body”
• By definition, democracy is a form of government that is of the people, for the people and by the
people.
Introduction:
Democracy started in Greek cities, notably ancient Athens where people came together to speak about their concerns
and opinions in the presence of their then rulers. This was the beginning of an era where people started to make
decisions instead of the rulers.
When put to practice, democracy gives people the power to be the voice that needs to be heard. Instead of one
person making all the decisions in a country, democracy brings the views and interest of all people so that the future
of that country can be decided based on all these collective views.
There are two forms of democracy: Direct and indirect. In a direct democracy, people govern themselves. Each
individual will have a say in every decision made, that affects the country. Conversely, in representative/ indirect
democracy, the representatives are elected through elections.
Today most democracies are indirect or representative, which means you can’t vote for a new law yourself but instead
you can vote for people who can then make law and present your interests. It is to note that democracy isn’t just
about voting. It is about everything that protects the best interest of the people no matter what their race, religion or
gender is. These interests can be quality of life, infrastructure, human rights, and respect for the rule of law, political
tolerance, multi-party system, and many more.
Modern democracy is divided into three branches: Legislative- people who make the law 2) Executive: people who
make sure you obey the law and 3) Judiciary: Who judge you if you commit a crime. The above three branches are
independent of each other and most importantly, even they have the responsibility of following the law and not exceed
the authority.
In general, a democratic set up should reflect the interest, value and desire of the society that it governs. One of the
fall back, of a democratic ruling was that the powerful people always had more power and that is why a good
democracy also has the law to protect the rights of smaller and weaker groups.
It is to note that every country has its unique democratic system but all these different democracies are laid on a
fundamental set of principles.
Indian democracy, one of the largest democratic countries in the world, was created in 1947 under the leadership of
Indian National Congress. Being a constitutional republic, it is governed under the world’s largest constitution written
by B.R. Ambedkar.
Our democratic principles are as follows:
India is a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic and Republic where Sovereign means independent, Socialist
means social and economic equality for all Indian citizens, Secular means freedom to choose and practice your
religion, Democratic means democratically elected governance, Republic means head of the state (the president) is
not hereditary king/ruler but an individual indirectly elected by people.
Initially, in countries like USA and Britain, the voting right wasn’t given for all of the citizens. Blacks and women were
excluded, In fact, voting right was limited to intellectuals and officials. India, on the other hand, granted voting rights to
all its citizens irrespective of caste, race and gender.
Quick Facts:
• The word democracy comes from the Greek terms: ‘Demos’ – people and
‘Kratos’ – to power/rule.
• The first democratic government is thought to have developed during the 6 th century B.C.
• Winston Churchill once said democracy is the worst of government except for all those other forms
that have been tried from time to time.
• Democracy is also sometimes referred as the rule by the majority.
• South Africa transitioned into democracy in the year 1994.
• Bhutan is the world’s youngest democracy where the first election began in the year 2007.
• Fruits of democracy – freedom, equality, Justice, good governance and peace.
• 1/6th of the global population lives in India, which makes Republic India the world’s largest democracy.
• According to The Sixty-first Amendment' of the Constitution of India, the voting age is 18 in India
whereas 16 is the minimum voting age in Scotland, Switzerland, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Austria,
Nicaragua and Cuba.

Conclusion: To create a fair place to live and to voice our opinion, democracy needs to be implemented in every
governance. It gives a platform to debate, discuss and promote wise utilization of the spoken words. This kind of
environment results in exposing the citizens to various perspectives which can help in the overall development of the
country.
Privatization of Education
Quick points to remember
• Privatization has been used as a very productive tool in education. Private schools have also reflected
a major influence on the academic development and performance by building student’s character.
• Privatization of education has only improved the literacy rates and quality of education.
• One in every 4 schools is a private educational institution.
• One in every 10 child attends a private school/college.
• 67% of students from private institutes attend the 4 year college program compared to 40% of
government high school graduates.
• Students studying in private institutions feel safe and as per the statistics, they are safer than the
students in government institutions.
Introduction
Privatization has lately affected all the sectors of business while it has also penetrated the education sector. It is a fact
that Privatization of education is widening educational opportunities and quality of education for students in different
fields. It is important to consider that education is a building brick for every nation, especially for the developing
countries. High quality education and a pool of opportunities will help in increasing literacy rates while considerably
reducing the amount of education starved students.
While the government has been developing schools and educational institutes to provide education to underprivileged
students, disabled students and provide basic education for all, the private institutes have raised the quality and
scope of education for different students. Due to privatization, there are now uncountable institutes enough to
accommodate the youth and children of India.
Current Scenario
Due to the rise of private institutions, the world has been able to produce more educational opportunities in different
areas. Nowadays, we have special educational institutions for some unique and uncommon fields too. Due to
privatization of education, people are able to develop private institutions offering high end education in different fields.

Currently, private schools in India have gained 17million students. Between the periods of 2010-2016, the enrolment
of students in private schools has significantly increased. Especially, in urban areas, parents tend to look for private
schools or education institutes instead of government schools. There are factors like the quality of education, the
extracurricular activities, safety features, participation in practical events etc. that attract the parents towards the
private schools.
Also, it is surveyed that the government school teachers are paid 4 times more compared to the private teachers in
China as well as India but don’t perform as productively as them. Also, the amount Indian government dedicates to
education is 3% of its GDP which is very low contribution compared to the other BRICS countries. Looking at the
facilities and educational benefits students get from private institutions, parents are undeniably inclined towards
private institutes.
Quick facts about Privatization of Education
• Private educational institutes offer the savings of $50billion to the tax payers.
• Students from private institutes perform better in the skill tests and achievement tests than the
students of government schools.
• Private schools significantly contribute in fighting poverty among students with low socio-economic
backgrounds. This is because students with low socio-economic background in the private schools
 achieve their degrees in mid-20’s compared to the students with low socio-economic background
studying in government schools.
• As per the surveys, parents of the students studying in private institutes were highly satisfied with the
performance of their kids compared to the parents of students studying in government schools.
• Students of private educational institutes participate more frequently in the community service events
compared to the students of government institutes.
• There are schools for almost every field or requirement you can think of. This is possible due to the
rise of private institutions.
• A lot of private institutions and colleges are more affordable than people think.
• Students of private schools are considered to be highly active in sports, GK quizzes, various events
compared to the government school students.
• Around 90% of private institutes are established as non-profit organizations.
• Private institutions have small class sizes. This allows teachers to set their attention equally on all the
students.
• Private educational institutes educate around 5.5. Million students.
• Private education institutes are preferred due to their productive learning environment, extracurricular
activities and sports programs.
• One of the major reasons why parents prefer private schools is the zero tolerance policy and the level
of safety private schools offer. Activities like abuse, cheating, bullying are not encouraged or allowed
in private schools.
Conclusion: Considering the benefits private institutions offer, it is a great decision to encourage privatization of
education. Privatization will not only improve the educational scopes and quality, but will also help countries increase
their literacy rates and improve skill development among youth.

Nuclear Supplier Group NSG and India

Quick points to remember
• NSG - Nuclear Supplier Group is a group of countries supplying nuclear weapons that aim to eliminate
nuclear explosions by controlling the export tools, materials and technology that can be used to
produce nuclear weapons.
• When Indian nuclear test was done in May 1974, the NSG was found. This test identified that some
non-weapon nuclear technology can be easily turned into nuclear weapons.
• During a visit to India in 2010, the President of US, Barrack Obama announced support for India’s
participation in NSG.
• President of France, President of Russia, Japan, Switzerland, Canada and
UK have also offered their support to India’s entry into NSG.
• Countries like China, New Zealand, Ireland and Australia have opposed the inclusion of Indians in the
NSG group.
Introduction
Nuclear Supplier Group also known as NSG is a group formed by different countries offering nuclear weapons. It is a
fact that the tools, technologies and materials can easily turn into nuclear weapons and can be misused and thus, this
group was formed to eliminate all the possibilities of nuclear explosions. Countries aim to control the tools and
technologies export that can be easily used to make nuclear weapons.
Since the beginning, India has shown its interest in becoming one of the members of this group. After many attempts
and despite getting support from some of the major players in the group like US, UK, Canada, Japan, South Africa
etc, India did not become the member of NSG group due to opposition from China as India has
not signed the Non-proliferation Treaty. India has its own reasons for not signing the treaty.

New sanctions were imposed on India by some western countries and majorly by US. But in 2008, US and India had
a civil nuclear deal under section 123 of the Atomic Energy Act. India signed a military separation act and India IAEA
agreement. US helped India get NSG waivers. India also pledged to not share any important information about the
nuclear technology or weapons to any others. Due to this pledge, a lot of NSG members gave India a clean waiver
and agreed to trade with a country that did not sign the non-proliferation treaty.
As India is not a member of the NSG group, it refrains from the latest nuclear technology and tools. India again
applied for NSG membership in the year 2016.

Current Scenario
A lot of buzz was created when Indian applied for the membership of NSG again in 2016. India did not get the
membership because China stood as major opposition of India’s membership in NSG due to the non-proliferation
treaty. Though, India received the membership of Australia Group and Wassenaar arrangement. These are the similar
kind of 2 groups in which, the members try to control the weapons, technology and materials to prevent nuclear
explosions or misuse of nuclear technology.
A lot of countries like USA, UK, Russia, Canada, Switzerland, France etc. offered their support to India while there are
countries not willing to support India’s membership for NSG. The voluntary steps taken by India in controlling the
export of nuclear technology and focusing the renewable sources for energy preservation might help India get the
NSG membership in the near future.
Quick facts about NSG and India
 • There are total 48 members in NSG excluding India
• China is one of the strongest opposition against India and claims that India needs to sign the
nonproliferation treaty to become the member of NSG.
• India has also taken voluntarily steps to ensure the IAEA safeguard standards. It is committed to
reduce dependence on fossils and also ensured that 40% of the energy is generated from renewable
sources of energy.
• India is now a member of Australia Group and this increases the chances of India getting its NSG
membership sooner or later.
• Since the civil nuclear deal with US, India is significantly trying to contribute in controlling the nuclear
exports similar to the NSG group members and thus, is a deserving candidate of NSG membership.
Conclusion: If India gets the membership of NSG, India will be able to learn about new technologies and will impact
Indian economy positively. The Make in India program will gain immense boost due to advanced technology
introduced in India. It is expected that with the support of current members of NSG, India might be able to gain the
membership quite soon.
Women in Indian Armed Force
Quick points to remember
• India’s armed force is 9th largest employer of the world and has witnessed a huge rise in women
employees voluntarily joining different wings of Indian armed forces.
• Indian Army has 3% women, Indian Air Force has 8.5% women while Indian Navy has 2.8% women
staff.
• Women’s engagement in Indian armed forces started when ‘Indian military Nursing Service’ was made
during the British rule.
• Indian Army nurses took part in the WWI and WW2. Around 350 Indian nurses died or were missing
after the war.
• Recruitment of women in non-medical armed forces role began in 1992.
• Anjana Bhaduria, the candidate of India’s first batch at the Officers
Training Academy in 1992 is the proud first Indian Army officer to receive a gold medal.
• In 2015, a special role of a fighter pilot was opened for women. This also included procurement of the
role of helicopter pilot in the Indian Air Force.
Introduction
In this 21st century, there are no domains where women haven’t conquered. Recruitment in the Armed forces of India
voluntary means any woman can apply and train for different roles. However, the role of women in Indian armed force
was simply limited to nurses and doctors until 1992. After that, the doors of Indian armed forces were opened for
women. Women started getting entries in the armed forces as aviation officers, law, engineering, executives and
logistics. All the departments or segments of Indian Armed force in the Combat roles, combat supervisor roles, trainer
and support roles allow women participation.
Current Scenario
Currently, women in the armed forces in the non-medical field serve as Short Service Commissioned-SSC officers.
Under this commission, women can serve the armed forces from a period of 5-14 years. Though women are allowed
to register voluntarily in the armed forces, their serving duration is limited to only 10 years, and they are not allowed
on the fighter planes, ships or any combat units. Also, just 5% army officers, more than 8,350 in numbers are women.
Indian women in armed force are allowed to fly planes, helicopters, to wield weapons, to patrol over the border and
perform the roles like a nurse, doctor, lawyer, attendant, engineer etc. Although there are a lot of opportunities
available for women in armed forces, due to restricted openings, majority of women serve in the medical branch of all
the wings of Indian Armed Force. The Indian Army has around 5,660 women cadets from which, 4,224 women are
working under the medical category – as nurses or doctors while the other 1,436 are employed in other departments.
Also, in the Indian Navy, there are 819 women officers from which, 406 women are serving in the medical department
while the other 413 are working in other branches. In the Indian Air Force, 1,871 women are serving from which, 543
women are serving in the medical roles while the other 1,328 women are serving in other branches as pilots,
aeronautical engineers and education and administration.
Quick facts about Indian GDP
• Major Priya Jhingan was the first female to join the Indian Army in 1992.
• Lt General Punita Arora is the first lady to become the Vice Admiral of Indian Army and also the first
lady to get the highest rank of Lieutenant General of Indian Army.
• The first lady officer of the Air Marshall of the Indian Air Force was Padmavathy Bandopadhyay. She
was also the first lady to be promoted to the rank of Air Vice Marshal of IAF.
• Flight Lt. Harita Kaur Deol was the first female pilot to fly solo in the Indian Air Force.
• Gunman Sabena was the first woman IAF officer to fly in a combat zone during the Cagily war.
• It has been 88 years since women have been a part of the armed force and still, just 5% military
officers are women. This however indicates the slow growth and less participation of women in armed
forces.
• India is not one of the 25 countries that allow women to perform combat roles.
• In the paramilitary forces, the central reserve police force consists of 5,928 women and tops the list
while Indo-Tibetian Border Police has 1,091 women which make it stand at the bottom of the list.
• The Indian female unit also participates in the peace keeping missions of UN. Around 125 Indian
women are deployed in different areas like Monrovia and Liberia under the United Nations Mission.
Conclusion: India is witnessing a pleasant scenario of women getting deployed in armed forces. Although the annual
growth in the number of women in armed forces is slow, it is appreciable that India is making efforts to allow and
empower female candidates to join all the branches of Indian Armed forces.

Online Piracy
Quick points to remember
• Online piracy refers to infringement of patented or licensed content. The practice of Online piracy has
increased with the popularity of internet and social media.
• Online piracy affects various areas like piracy of books, games, videos, music, softwares, music and
much more.
• 97% of most visited pirated movie and TV sites exposed the visitors to frauds and scams while 3 in 4
people faced issues while accessing their device after visiting those sites.
• Illegal streaming is a word used for viewing unauthorized licensed content without downloading it.
• Most of the movie related piracy occurs through torrent websites.
• These sites are highly illegal and infringed.
• As per the survey, 25% people using the internet content have accessed minimum 1 item or content
illegally.

Introduction
Online piracy is a word used for describing illegal copying of patented, licensed or copyrighted material available
online. This term is widely used by companies offering licenses for online companies and brands. With the rise of
internet and ease of access over the internet, unauthorized duplication of copyrighted content has also increased.
Considering online privacy, numerous laws are made to prevent it. However, the laws and rules are followed strictly
only in limited countries. Piracy is practiced in different ways like video piracy, music piracy, movie piracy, content
piracy etc.
Generally, sharing private data, P2P networks, sharing or using patented data, social network based sharing can lead
to online piracy.
There are ample pirated sites on the internet nowadays and these sites bound the visitors with malwares, scams,
frauds and different harmful computer viruses.
Current scenario of Online Piracy
Online piracy is simply everywhere. Eliminating piracy is quite impossible as copyright infringement is growing and
evolving at a high speed. Music, videos, books and a lot of important material over the internet is getting downloaded
or used illegally. As per the US’s survey, China, US, Iran, Russian, India, Vietnam, Italy, Germany, Turkey and Korea
are the top 10 countries practicing software piracy and license misuse.
Quick facts about Online Piracy
• Crack or serial sites, P2P networks, Share hosting sites, Newsgroups piracy, Classified AD sites,
Auction sites, and torrent sites are the places or tools sued for online piracy.
• BitTorrent is one f the popular movie piracy sites. It gains 35% of traffic on the internet.
• 33% of YouTube videos are uploaded by the fans without permission.
• As per the surveys, around 375,000 jobs are lost every year in US due to online privacy while UK
faces 8,000 job loss.
• When a Russian movie is released, within the first weak, $1million downloads are made from the
internet.
• Around 40% softwares installed from internet were pirated.
• The world loses around $50billion due to online piracy.
• 7/10 Americans believe that it is ok to share files, music videos and legal content without any
authority.
• By 2009, download of around 30billion songs was unlawful.
• Number of legal downloads have drastically decreased since 2008.
• The duration between the release of a movie in US and its availability online is 12 days.
• The largest fine on an unauthorized user pirated products was $616.
• 20% content prepared from artists is pirated and only 7% is genuine.
• 2/3 torrent websites available online are illegal.
• More than 75% systems have at least 1 illegally downloaded application/software.
• 51% internet users residing in Spain accessed pirated content.
• 43% people who practiced online piracy stated that they watched pirated movies or downloaded
pirated music
• 69% piracy is committed by users aging between 16 to 18 years while 74% piracy is committed by the
age group of 19 to 24 years old people.
• 39% is the worlds’ piracy ratio.
• The value of all the unlicensed software is $52.2 Billion.
• There are only 9 countries in the world where unpaid softwares are not used.
• All the BRIC countries are in the top 20 countries with online piracy.
• Every year, online piracy ratio is increasing at a high speed.
• European states topped the list of global internet piracy ranking in 2016.
Conclusion: Online piracy snatches away the credit from the original creator of the content or products and it is a
bad practice. Billions of people lose their jobs while writers, musicians, movie makers, software developers, game
developers etc around the world face heavy losses due to online piracy. Although there are some strict laws and rules
declared to prevent piracy, there are minimal countries and regions where people prefer original content.

NASA
Quick points to remember
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency for United States Federal
Government. It is USA’s most powerful agency providing a platform for aeronautical and aerospace
research.
• NASA was established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1958.
• NASA was launched in response to the launch of the first artificial satellite by Soviet Union.
• President John F Kennedy presented a goal to NASA to send a human on moon. NASA successfully
sent the first man on moon in 1960 under the Apollo 11 mission.
• Apollo 11 & 13, Pioneer, Voyager, WMAP, Spirit & Opportunity, Spitzer, Viking, Cassini-Huygens,
Chandra and Hubble are some of the best missions of NASA.
• During the Apollo missions, around 12 men have walked the moon.
Introduction
NASA stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration which is an agency for aeronautics and aerospace
research. The agency was launched to encourage peaceful application of space science. National Aeronautics and
Space Act was passed in July 1958 and disestablished the previous ancestor National Advisory Committee of
Aeronautics NACA. The new agency was launched the same year in October 1958.
After the Soviet Union launched their first satellite, Sputnik I; NASA organized a special committee on space
technology to empower the status of the nation as well to compete with other nations in terms of aeronautics and
aerospace research.
Projects by NASA
NASA has created and launched a lot of programs throughout history and is currently working on 70 other missions.
From 1969 to 1972, NASA sent 12 men on the Moon under the Apollo project. Another project was the X-15 project
plane that commenced on 1959 and ended on 1968. It was all about a NACA rocket-powered hypersonic research
aircraft prepared in association with US Air force and Navy. For this project, 12 pilots were chosen from NACA, US Air
force and Navy and around 199 flights were made during this project. NASA then undertook the project Mercury,
Project Gemini, Apollo program, Skylab and Space shuttle programs.
After that, NASA started working on the international space station program –ISS. This mission consists of ISS
Expeditions where the astronauts spend long duration on the missions. The station is visible from the Earth and it’s
the largest artificial satellite moving on the Earth’s orbit. NASA is also working on Commercial Crew Supply and
Commercial Crew Development programs.
The commercial programs launched during 2010 with the aim of creating a crewed spacecraft capable of carrying at
least 4 astronauts to the ISS and bring them back. Under the administration of President Barack Obama, the manned
mission to asteroid was declared. The projects have focused on understanding human activities on the solar system,
expanding the understanding about the Earth and Universe, creation of high end technologies and aeronautical
research and on providing opportunities to participate in projects.
Quick facts about NASA
• NASA has 2 satellites nicknamed as Jerry and Tom and these 2 satellites chase each other and track
the distance between them to measure the gravitational difference.
• The Apollo astronauts were not qualified for life insurance and were not insured. Before the launch,
they resorted to ‘insurance autographs’.
• In 1972, a series of satellites were launched to photograph the surface of Earth from the space
• October 4-10 is declared as World Space Day as Russia’s Sputnik was launched on this day in 1957
and Outer Space Treaty in 1967.
• The Mercury, Apollo and Gemini space crafts were launched in Pacific and Atlantic oceans when they
returned to the earth
• NASA stated that they are working on some plans to destroy asteroids and harmful nuclear weapons.
• For NASA’s recruitment for 8 openings, there were 6,000 applications.
• NASA’s first space shuttle was Columbia which shattered into pieces during its re-entry on the earth.
• NASA sent about 2200 animals and insects like Spiders, Pigs, Monkeys, Rats on Space.
• NASA has an office of Planetary Protection just in case life is found on any other planet.
• Blackbird was a spy aircraft used by NASA to promote high speed aeronautical research.
• NASA made its first contact on social media in 2016 where a chat between 3 astronauts and Mark
Zuckerberg was broadcasted.
Conclusion: Although the initial missions of NASA didn’t go well, especially the Challenger and Columbia crash,
NASA has now emerged as one of the most reputed agencies with more than 18,000 employees. It is also one of the
US’s most funded organizations receiving thousands of applications from people around the world. Also, its approach
towards destroying hazardous weapons and asteroids is considered as an important initiative.

Child Labour
Quick Points to Remember
• Children in the age group 5-14 years are engaged in hazardous works
 • Child labour is banned under Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986
• 2011 census reports 10.1 million child labourers
• CHILDLINE 24-hour child helpline number started
Introduction
Engaging children under 14 years of age in any kind of job at the cost of their education is child labour. Some of these
jobs affect their health, their growth and make them physically and mentally weaker. Child labour is banned in India
and yet UNICEF reports that India has the highest number of child labourers.
Recent Issues
• The census survey in India is conducted after every 10 years. As per 2011 census, there were 10.1
million child labourers in our country. This figure although declined by 20% as compared to 2001 census
yet the numbers are a cause of worry.
• Most of the child labourers are from rural areas. Lack of adequate resources, illiteracy and financial
pressure on families forces them to give up their education and start working at an early age.
• In urban areas, children are mostly working in shops and domestic households.
• Child labourers in India are in fact working in hazardous industries like chemical factories, cracker
factories, cigarette factories etc which are said to be the worst form of child labour.
• The agricultural sector is said to have the maximum number of child labourers in India.
• CRY-Child Rights and You reports that 1.4 million child labourers in India are illiterate and do not even
know how to write their names.
• Because of Corruption prevalent in the system, the laws have not been able to abolish the practice of
child labour completely.
Laws and Initiatives
1. The Constitution of India under Fundamental Right (Article 24) prohibits any form of child labour under
Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986.
2. Child Labour (Prohibition and regulation) Act 1986
• This Act strictly prohibits the working of children below 14 years of age.
• A child (5-14 years) can only offer ‘help’ in domestic and household chores.
• Child labour is a punishable offense under the Act and attracts an imprisonment of 3
months or more and a fine of Rs10000-Rs20000.
3. National Policy on Child Labour (1987)
• The policy aims to provide rehabilitation to victims of Child labour
4. Right to Education Act 2009
• This Act makes it compulsory for children up to 14 years of age to attend school. Education is considered
as an important tool to deal with the problem of child labour.
5. UNICEF has also advised and devised strategies for combating child labour.
6. A number of NGOs like ‘Save the Children India’ are working to fight for the rights of children and ensuring
them access to basic needs and basic education.
7. Child Rights and You (CRY) works for protection and empowerment of children, the future of
India.
8. CHILDLINE India Foundation is a 24-hour child helpline number that works for Child Rights and
Protection.
What more can be done?
• There are loopholes in our implementation of laws. Strict punishments and Penalties need to be enforced
on people breaking the laws.
• Programmes for poverty alleviation need serious attention since that is the major reason for child labour
in India.
• What is that education cannot do? We need to educate the masses about the consequences of playing
with the lives of future of India and trigger a sense of responsibility amongst the crowd.
• Report any kind of child labour and child abuse. Be the voice of change.
• Employ only adults in your organizations.
• Donate and support NGOs who are working as angels for the affected children.
Conclusion
Child labour is a social issue. A social issue can only be solved when we assume a social responsibility. The
government alone cannot abolish it unless we change our mind-sets and bring about a behavioural change.
Let us all make up our mind that we shall not employ children less than 14 years of age in any kind of jobs and rather
encourage them to complete their education.
Together we can bring the change and give wings to the future of India.

Dowry System

Quick Points to Remember

• Even in the 21st Century, this evil is practiced.

• An average of 9 cases registered everyday
• 24771 dowry deaths in the last three years
 • Poor getting caught in debt traps because of dowry demands.
Introduction
India is a land of cultures and traditions. We have been following what our ancestors have always practiced. One
such tradition is dowry.
Dowry is a demand which is made by the groom’s family from the bride’s family at the time of an Indian wedding. The
demand may be for cash, car, jewellery etc. Dowry has although been declared illegal under the Dowry Prohibition
Act, 1961, yet even in the 21st Century, people do not refrain from giving and taking dowry. Surprisingly even
educated and high-class working women pay dowries in our country.
The National Crime Bureau records have been collecting data related to dowry cases since 1988 only and even then
the number of cases registered so far is 69382. According to an article published in Hindustan Times on 05 August
2011 an average of 9 cases of dowry are registered every day. About 10050 cases were registered in 2014.
Recent Issues

• There are cases where women are tormented and harassed for not bringing enough dowry and many of
them commit suicide because of the pressure.
• An average of 21 dowry deaths take place in India every day and around 8000 deaths every year under
section 304B Indian Penal Code (Dowry death). Around 24771 deaths were reported in the last three years.
• We come across cases where women are given body injuries or are burnt alive because of not fulfilling the
dowry demands. The biggest reason for domestic violence being practiced in India is also the dowry
system. In fact, with the increase in the number of such cases, the term ‘dowry abuse’ has been coined for
dowry related domestic violence.
• Since dowry is a financial burden on the girl’s family, people abandon their girl child because of this evil!
The birth of a girl child is still considered a burden in our country and dowry system is to be thanked!
• Moreover, some fathers are forced to take loans at high rates of Interest to arrange for dowry. Some banks
have even started ‘dowry loans’ and it’s not something to be proud of! There are schemes where the father
can take a loan of Rs 1 crore if he wants an IIT+IIM son-in-law! Shameful, isn’t it?
• In rural areas poor people are often seen to be caught in debt trap and even getting homeless because
they give their all for that dowry!
Dowry Prohibition Act , 1961
• This Act was introduced in 1961 to prohibit people from demanding and offering dowry. According to the Act
anybody giving or taking dowry shall be imprisoned for not less than 5 years and will be charged a penalty
of Rs 15000 or the amount of dowry, whichever is higher.
• A person who even demands dowry directly or indirectly shall attract an imprisonment of 6 months or more
and a penalty of Rs 10000.
• The Act extends to the whole of India and to persons of all religions, except for Jammu and Kashmir.
• The Union Ministry of Women and Child development has been suggesting regular amendments in the act
in order to strengthen the law.

Government Interventions Required

Despite the Act, everyday dowry cases are reported. So government needs to take some concrete steps to eradicate
this evil completely from the society.
• More and more awareness programmes for enlightening the people should be conducted especially in rural
areas. People should be encouraged to spend money on a daughter’s education rather than on dowry
demands.
• New schemes for women education, empowerment and jobs should be introduced.
• Severe punishments for dowry abuse need to be introduced.
Conclusion
The Government cannot succeed if people are not willing to bring a change. We make the society and so we have to
take a stand against dowry. Fathers and women all across the country should refuse to fulfil any demands made by
the groom’s family and men need to tell their families that they do not need dowry to feed them! Let’s join hands and
say no to Dowry!

Indian Economy

Quick Points to Remember

• The sixth largest economy in the world as per nominal GDP
• We are a mixed economy and a developing economy.
• Agriculture is the largest employment provider
• India has the fastest growing service sector.
• During 2015-2016 India was at the top of the World Bank’s growth outlook.
• 100 SMART CITIES project
• Attracting FDI at a very fast pace.

Introduction
Indian economy is amongst the fastest growing economies in the world. We are going through structural and
organizational changes at a great speed and are now the sixth largest economy in the world as per nominal GDP.
India is a developing mixed economy. We are a developing economy because we are on the path of development.
A mixed economy is one in which the state and demand-supply forces work together. In India the government
interferes wherever necessary to ensure equitable distribution of necessaries.
Key Points
• Indian economy is made up of three sectors- agriculture, industry and the service sector.
• In the early stages of development, Indian economy was majorly dependent on agriculture. Agriculture is
still the largest employment provider in India and 50% of the population is engaged in agriculture.
• Agriculture makes up 18% of India’s GDP and we are the largest producer of spices, pulses, wheat etc.
• The agricultural sector is vast and includes livestock, animal husbandry, fishing and allied activities etc.
• The industrial sector includes registered and unregistered manufacturing, mining, construction, quarrying
etc
• On an average, the industry contributes about 7% to the Indian economy every year. It is said to be a major
provider of foreign exchange earnings.
• The service sector in India is said to be the fastest growing sector of the economy. It includes tourism, real
estate, BPO, KPO, IT services.
• The service sector contributes 55.2% to Gross Value Added.
• We have become one of the largest exporters of IT and software services.
• With programmes for start-ups, the Indian economy has become the third-largest start-up hub in the world.
• With initiatives like digital India, e-Vikas etc, the e-commerce market is growing rapidly.
• Liberalisation, privatization, and globalization have made the Indian economy more open and acceptable to
global integration.
• India has become an attractive investment hub and the FDI has increased considerably.
• Indian economy works on the 5-year plan basis. We have agendas and a road-map for growth. The
planning commission of India is called the Niti-Aayog.
Recent Issues
Although we are a fast-growing economy, yet there are a number of bottlenecks that are acting as a hindrance for
development. These are
1. Low level of national income and low capital formation: Because of low incomes, the rate of savings is less
and this leads to low investments.
2. Use of obsolete technologies: We are not making adequate investments in advanced technology and are
therefore lacking behind.
3. The increasing population: India ranks second in terms of growing population. Because of this pressure, the
demand for land, infrastructure, resources etc has increased and has become a burden on the economy.
4. Lack of proper infrastructure: India still does not have proper social overheads and economic infrastructure.
5. Unemployment: The problem of unemployment is a serious problem with the majority of the population
comprising of youngsters.
Future Prospects and plans
• The government of India has planned to make 100 cities of India as smart cities and this is expected to
change the face of Indian economy and give a boost.
• The Indian economy is expected to touch the mark of 10 trillion dollars by 2032.
• Programmes for increasing agricultural productivity and double farmer incomes by 2022 are being worked
upon.
• Railway infrastructure is being worked upon and we are about to introduce bullet trains.
• 962 million young people are expected to work in India by 2030.
• Niti Ayog has devised measures for controlling pollution and secure a healthy environment for India.
• Higher expenditure on health and education is planned to accelerate the process of development.
Conclusion
The cards are in favour of the Indian economy and we are growing steady and fast. We aim to be the world’s fourth-
largest economy by 2022 and are constantly working on the road to development.
Happy Development!

Love Marriage Vs Arranged Marriage

Quick Points to Remember
• Marriage is an important decision of one’s life.
• A constant debate in the mind of youngsters today is Love marriage vs Arranged marriage.
• Both come with their own pros and cons
• Statistics indicate 75% people in India prefer arranged marriages and 90% of people have arranged
marriages.
• With modernisation, love marriages are gaining popularity and acceptance.
Introduction
Marriage is believed to be a sacred tie up between two souls and two families. Everybody looks for compatibility and
has expectations when looking forward to his/her marriage.
There are a thousand questions that pop up in the minds of youngsters today while planning for their marriages. One
such question is love marriage or arranged marriage?
Both of them have two sides of the story and there can never be a fixed answer to this debatable question.
Love Marriage
Key Points
• A love marriage is one in which the partners are already familiar to each other and with mutual
consent they decide to spend the rest of their lives together.
 • The partners know in advance the qualities and lacking of each other and they accept these
happily.
• There is a pre-developed understanding between the partners which creates a comfortable
environment for both of them and reduces the effort required to adjust to the new life.
But at the same time,
• Love marriages are often not supported by the families.
• There are high expectations in love marriages which often brings pressurising situations for the
spouses.
• There is a tendency of comparison in love marriages. Partners tend to compare how things were
before marriage and how their worlds have altogether changed after marriage. This often creates
misunderstandings between the two.
Arranged Marriage
Key Points
• An arranged marriage is one which is fixed by the families after taking into consideration their
compatibilities, standards, education etc.
• Arranged marriage is a popular concept in India and 90% people in India have arranged
marriages. There is family support in such marriages. The arranged marriage culture has never
been acceptable to western countries.
• Everything is good when it is new isn’t it? There is a fresh start in arranged marriages and the
partners enjoy this phase of getting to know a new person and all those connected with him/her.
But at the same time,
• It takes more time to adjust oneself in an arranged marriage.
• Often it is seen that in arranged marriages there are more expectations from the girl to make
efforts and make the relationship work which creates an unbalance.
• Since the person is a stranger many of his/her behavioural traits are uncovered after marriage
which may be difficult to cope up with.
What does the research say?
• 75% people in India prefer arranged marriages.
• According to Dr Robert Epstein from Harvard, in love marriages the love reaches its peak by 18 months and
then starts declining while in arranged marriages it takes 5 years to reach the peak and the love grows two
times stronger by 10 years.
• The UNFPA survey indicates that with increase in women empowerment and education more women have
started taking a stand for themselves and have started opting for love marriages.
• Stephanie Coontz, the research director for Council of Contemporary Families, suggests that arranged
marriages are often repressive for women.
• But at the same time there are less cases for divorces in India for arranged marriages. The divorce rate in
India is only 1.2%. One major reason for this is people are concerned about their reputations, social status
and family pressures.
• With the launch of websites like shaadi.com, jeevansathi.com etc, the availability of choices in arranged
marriages have increased and made this concept of arranged marriage a little more comfortable.
Conclusion
One can never give a clear judgement for this contradictory question. We need to understand that marriage is not
about the perfect couple but about how two imperfect people make their lives perfect together. Both marriages require
efforts on the part of individuals and both can work wonders if the couple decides to make it beautiful!
So, have a happy married life!

MNCs in India
Quick points to remember
• 25% of the world economy is controlled by top 300 MNCs of the world
• MNCs may be in the form of branches, subsidiaries etc.
• Compound growth rate of 18% in MNC revenue in 20 years.
• Tata Consultancy services, Asian paints etc are doing exceptionally well across the world.
Introduction
An MNC is a company which has its business expanded to various countries of the
world in the form of foreign branches, subsidiaries etc The operations may be controlled by the headquarters in one
country. The marketing and investment operations may be in various countries.
Key Points
• MNCs are said to rule the economy today .The top 300 MNCs control about 25% of the world's
economy.The American MNCS controlled the world market previously but today MNCs are run by
Japanese, Germans, Indians etc
• Micromax Informatics, Hero Motocorp, Bajaj,Dabur, Parle agro, Café Coffee day etc are notably some of
the best MNCs in india.
• From 1991 to 2012, the number of MNCs in India increased by 4 times and a compound annual growth rate
of 18% in the revenue of MNCs in 20 years indicates how fast these are making a mark in the country.
• Hindustan Unilever ltd (HUL) and Maruti Suzuki were the dominating MNCs in India in the 1990s, holding
about 40% share of MNCs.
 • After liberalisation, there were many new entrants and India is now considered to be one of the best
business hubs.
• Asian Paints is working in across 24 countries.
• The ninth largest generics company Ranbaxy is doing exceptionally well overseas.
• Tata Consultancy Services is getting a major proportion of its revenue from foreign. This share ranges from
75-80%
• Infosys has 30 marketing offices in foreign countries.
• With the concept of outsourcing, India has become more attractive as good quality workers are available at
cheaper rates and back-office operations are taken care of.
Advantages of MNCs
• MNCs make huge capital investments in the country and accelerate the rate of economic growth.
• MNCs are a boon for the workers as they train them and make them 'human capital'
• MNCs pave the way for social overheads and other infrastructure facilities.
• These corporations bring with them a culture which today has led to global integration.
• MNCs enter into long term contracts and make long term commitments of development.
• The needs of every economy are taken into consideration and a roadmap is developed accordingly by a
number of management specialists.
Some arguments against MNCs
• MNCs play an important role in the economy and hold a substantial position. Sometimes they try to misuse
their powers and start interfering in the political decisions of the economy.
• The history of India also points at colonialism due to MNCs.
• MNCs often try to shift obsolete technologies to developing countries.
• The Environmental impacts of these companies cannot be overlooked. MNC operations are often
hazardous for the environment.
• Because of MNCs, the domestic retailers face severe competition and their share in the market starts
declining.
• Culture erosion and identity crisis are also a consequence of growing MNCs in India. We are adapting
foreign culture at a fast pace and forgetting our own roots!
The Future
It is the MNCs that are going to bring the much needed dynamic element and innovation to the economy of India and
in fact the world.
Conclusion
Despite the arguments against MNCs, we cannot deny the fact that MNCs have become global players in the world
market and are making a considerable impact on various economies.

They are the major source of economic and global integration.

‘It is the era of MNCs and it will continue to be’!

Organic Farming
Quick Points to Remember
• An alternative to synthetic farming practices.
• Came into picture in early 20th century.
• Green manures and biological practices are a basis of organic farming.
• Organic farming in India is carried out on about 2.2 million hectares of land.
• Aims to protect the environment as well as achieve self-sufficiency.
• Organic food market to grow over 25% by 2020.
Introduction
Organic farming is an alternative system of farming that promotes biological practices and environment-friendly
materials for crops and aims to cut down the use of synthetic substances that harm the soil and land in the long run. It
is a perfect combination of scientific knowledge and natural practices.
Key Points
• Organic farming originated in the early 20th century.
• 2.2 million hectares of land is under organic farming today. However, the demand for organic foods and
practices has grown recently.
• Before 2000 farmers all over India were using chemical fertilizers, pesticides
And other synthetic components for their crops. This
affected the quality of soil and degraded the lands.
• When the realisation hit the farmers, organic farming practices gained popularity.
• Organic farming practices promote the use of green manures, natural composts, animal wastes etc.
• In India, this organic farming is a boon because it relies on natural materials that are available in abundance
and also leads to cost-cutting for the farmers who had to spend too much for chemical fertilizers and
pesticides.
• Apart from the organic components, it promotes the use of practices that protect the land from degrading
and soil from pollution. For example, crop rotation, crop diversity etc.
• These practices enable the land to keep its fertility intact. Moreover, it relies on the action of micro-
organisms and natural nitrogen fixations which are good for the soil.
• The use of harmful weedicides for killing of weeds is also replaced by natural weed management. Mowing,
cutting, flame weeding etc are some of the techniques that are used for the same.
 • Integrated pest control, integrated nutrient management, use of a hybrid variety of seeds and a focus on
labour-intensive technologies makes organic farming all the more attractive.
• Raising natural livestock under healthy conditions is another salient feature of organic farming.
• Organic farming has helped us increase the food safety and food security.
Organic foods have helped us achieve self -sufficiency. People all over the country have become more
health conscious and now prefer organic and farm fresh foods.
• There are 700 Krishi Vigyan Kendras that are always ready to guide the Indian farmers for any problems
they face while farming and to teach them how to make use of new and improved technologies.
• The Farming Community set up the Organic Farming Association of India(OFAI) in 2002. It has
programmes for guiding the farmers about organic farming and brings in them the much-needed
awareness.
• There are organic farms that have become a talk of the town on the internet. Happy Hens organic farm,
Vrindavan farm, Back to Basics are some of the popular ones.
Future Plans
• India Organic Food Market Forecast and Opportunities 2020 Report suggests a growth of over 25% in the
market for organic foods by 2020.
• Promoting organic farming is the government’s mission now under the traditional agricultural development
plan. Research and innovations in this regard is taking place on a large scale.
• The Prime Minister has planned to promote E-marketing portal for organic products.
• Just like Green revolution in India, an Organic Revolution is proposed for India.
• In Sikkim, it is proposed that farmers practising organic farming shall be given a monthly pension. Such
initiatives will surely give a boost to the productivity.
• Initiatives like Agri-Udaan are taken by the government so as to make the farmers financially strong and
increase their income levels as well as standard of living.
• Increased investments are expected in organic farming as it is seen as a profitable venture.
Conclusion
Organic farming is thus a blessing in disguise for India and is undoubtedly Healthy for the environment
Healthy for the farmer
And Healthy for the consumers!
Organic Farming is the future of modern agriculture.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan

Quick Points to Remember
• The mission marks the 145th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi
• Launched by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi
• Targets to clean the cities of India by 2019
• 9.5 Billion dollars estimated to be spent.
• Aims to eliminate open defecation
• 14 states so far declared as open defecation free.
Introduction
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a cleanliness programme that was launched by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Raj
Ghat, New Delhi, on 2nd October 2014, the date that marks the 145th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. It,
therefore, has Gandhiji’s spectacles as its logo.
The drive aims to make Indian rural areas and cities clean and encourage hygienic habits among its residents by 2nd
October 2019 which will be the 150th anniversary of Gandhiji. The Prime Minister himself picked up the broom to give
a kick-start to his dream mission.
Key Points
• About 117000 children in India die every year because of poor sanitation and hygiene.
• The Swachh Bharat programme has therefore set its vision and missions clear.
• The vision is to reach Sustainable Development Goal number 6. When India becomes cleaner, greener
and makes hygiene an integral part of its culture, it shall achieve its goal. The government has decided to
allocate a budget of 9.5 billion dollars for this national campaign.
• One of the missions is to eliminate open defecation and construct toilets all over India. For this, the
government has planned an expenditure of 90 million dollars.
• Another mission is to ensure proper water and sanitation systems across the country.
• Cleaning of Rivers of India is one of the milestones to be achieved.
• Even Digital India is planned to be linked with this mission by making use of ideas such as solar-powered
trash cans!
What has been done so far?
• The government has a website sbm.gov.in that gives us a clear picture of where we stand and how far
we need to go.
• Around 68791019 toilets have been built in the country under this drive.
• We now have 14 states that are defecation free.
• Various NGOs all over the country have come forward to support the Prime Minister’s vision of a clean
India.
• Cleanliness drives and awareness programmes are being carried out in different cities. Campaigns like:
Run to Clean: New Delhi, Go Green: Trichy, Vision Carbon Neutral Trek: Combaitore etc are some of the
drives that have succeeded in encouraging a sense of responsibility amongst the crowd.
 • The Youth of India is taking initiatives to make this project a success. Many of the college students are
taking Swachh Bharat activities as their summer internships and the University Grants Commission has
decided to give them 2 extra credits for showing this zeal!
• Separation and treatment of solid and liquid wastes are given special attention to make sure these are
disposed of properly.
• Huge amounts are being spent on advertisements to engage more and more people in this drive. Various
cities and panchayats are asked to rank themselves on 1-10 scale based on their cleanliness scores.
• We have various brand ambassadors of the Swachh Bharat Mission. The
Prime Minister appointed Kapil Sharma, Kiran Bedi, Sourav Ganguly and other
big personalities as the ambassadors. Recently, Shilpa Shetty has been declared as the new brand
ambassador of the mission.
Challenges
• We still do not have adequate sewage treatment capacity. For example
Delhi, the capital city has only 60% sewage treatment capacity.
• Urbanisation is growing in the country and this comes with its own problems.
Cutting of trees, increased wastes and increased pollution are the biggest hindrances.
• Industrialisation across the country has led to increasing hazardous wastes and this has become a
serious issue.
• The evil of corruption becomes a bottleneck in India when proper funds are not allocated for the desired
projects.

• Dumping Facilities are still not adequate and we still see people littering the roads mercilessly.
Conclusion
We all want to see our country beautiful. But how many of us actually contribute to making it beautiful?
Gandhiji said ‘Be the change you want to see’. So it is we the people of India who can give wings to this dream of a
clean India.

Electronic devices
Quick Points to remember
• Technology is now an important part of our lives
• Communicating, cooking, traveling, cleaning etc for every little chore we need electronic devices
• Lives are now easier, fast and comfortable
• At the same time they are affecting our lives badly
Introduction
Gone are the days when it took days to answer a letter, when everything had to be done manually and when life was
slow.
Necessity is the mother of invention they say. Our necessities have led to the inventions of electronic devices and
today we can hardly imagine our lives without these devices.
Technology is now an important part and parcel of our lives.
Key points
• Technology and advancement have completely changed the way of living our lives.
• Everything can be done quickly, smartly and conveniently.
• Man has invented a number of electronic devices and is still constantly working for betterment
• Today we can talk to anybody anywhere with just a click on our smart phones, we have dish washers,
washing machines and vacuum cleaners for cleaning and inductions for cooking and the list is never
ending.
• Computers and Internet have revolutionized the world.
• These devices are said to be a boon as they are helping us learn and grow and have widened our horizons.
• Children are grasping the use of gadgets quickly and these devices have made things creative for them.
• Electronic devices save time and labour. Manual work is reduced and people can utilize their time in other
activities.
• Today digital-India is possible because we have electronic devices.
• E-commerce, e-Vikas, e-payments all these require electronic devices. We can buy online, pay bills online,
transfer funds online and what not! Gosh! How life is 10 times simpler with just a few clicks!
• Women today can enjoy the facilities of work from home and manage their domestic lives. Thanks to
technology and devices.
• You can study online from the best teachers across the world. The world has become so small!
• You carry everything you need for entertainment is a small device be it music, shows, games etc
• New improvements and innovations are regularly taking place. The other day an article said that a device
shall be developed using which the sweat from our clothes could be used to power other electronic devices!
Amazing isn’t it? How they have widened our scope of imagination.
But how are they affecting us?
• They have made us so dependent on them that we are reluctant to do things by ourselves.
• Ironically the devices that were invented to save our time are consuming the maximum of our time.
• Children have stopped playing outdoor games and prefer spending time with their video games and other
devices
• We talk to people far-away on our electronic devices and ignore the ones sitting right next to us. That’s
what these devices have done to relations.
• Our concentration levels have been affected drastically. These gadgets are our biggest distractions!
 • The patience level of people has decreased. How we get angry when our mobile phones hang or the
internet is slow!
• Deteriorating health of many people today is attributed to these devices. Pain in the neck, back, shoulders,
headaches, loss of vision, harmful effects of radiations are all affecting us badly.
Conclusion
If we know how to use these devices and balance our lives, the electronic devices are only a boon.
They are indeed changing our lives. Let this change be positive only. Do not get trapped in this world of devices. Use
them only to make your lives easier.

Higher Education In India

Quick Points to Remember
• Third largest higher education system
• UGC is the main governing body
• 15 institutions have been accredited by UGC for supporting it in its operations
• 68 million graduates as per 2011 census
• Chandigarh and Delhi have the highest number of graduates
• Still there are loopholes in the system
Introduction
Higher education includes education after school that is graduation, post-graduation, doctorates etc. It is acquired
through colleges and universities that give us degrees, diplomas and certifications.
Indian higher education system is said to be the third largest in the world.
Key Points
• In Ancient India, Nalanda, Takshshila etc were the bodies of higher education.
• The University Grants Commission is the main coordinating body for higher education in India. It was set up
in 1953 to ensure quality education and compliance with standards for education. It is a statutory body
recognized by an Act of Parliament, by the government of India.
• 15 institutions have been accredited by UGC, helping and supporting it in its operations.
• The February 2017 data reports 789 universities, 37204 colleges and 11443 stand-alone institutions in
India.
• Institutions like IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology), IIMs (Indian Institutes of Management), NITs (National
Institutes of Technology) etc have made a mark
in the world and are globally recognized for their world-class education facilities.
• The 2011 census reports 68 million graduates.
• Union territories Chandigarh and Delhi are said to have the highest number of graduates.
• Education in the Technical field is seeing a rise. About 4.5 million engineers have enrolled recently.
• With programmes like distance education, the enrolment ratio has increased for Higher education.
• Indira Gandhi National Open University, a university for distance learning has 3.5 million students enrolled.
• National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has been set up to assess the quality standards of
various universities and colleges. NAAC provides rankings on the basis of a number of criteria.
The University Grants Commission
The UGC was inaugurated in December 1953 and became a statutory body in 1958.
The Head office is located in New Delhi.
Recent Issues
• Although we have growing number of IITs, IIMs etc we have still not matched the education
standard of universities like Oxford, Harvard etc.
• The census 2011 says that:
1. only 8.15% students are graduates.
2. Rural India has only one-third of the graduates.
3. 60% graduates in rural areas have a non-technical graduate degree.
4. Only 4% of SCs and less than 3% STs are graduates.
• There is still a need for adding the practical element to Indian higher education system. We are focussing
more on theoretical elements and degrees. In the real world, we require training. So there is a need to shift
focus.
• We still lack proper infrastructural facilities in colleges and universities.
• The fee structure of a number of colleges and universities is inappropriate and there are a number of
students who cannot afford higher education in India.
• Reservation system in India deprives many deserving students to get enrolled in top colleges and
universities.
Initiatives
• Rashtriya Uchhattar Shiksha Abhiyan has been initiated to manage and provide adequate funds for higher
education.
• A number of scholarship schemes have been initiated by the government to support financially weaker
students and make improvements in enrolment ratios.
• Online portals for a number of professional courses are now available and students can learn sitting in the
comfort of their rooms.
• National Research professorship, community colleges etc are other initiatives.
Conclusion
Higher education is as important as primary education. Students are the future of India and education is their guiding
light. The enrolment ratios and number of colleges, institutions, and universities are on a rise and the government is
constantly working to improve the system of higher education in India.There is a long way to go. We need to match
the international standards of quality of education.

Sports in India
Quick points to Remember
• Sports play an important role in one's overall development
• Hold importance from ancient times
• Sports Authority of India, main governing body.
• 2196.36 crore fund allocated in the union budget for 2018-2019.
• Still a lack of proper infrastructure and tools.
Introduction
Sports in India has been important from the ancient times. It was considered necessary for men to be proficient in
sports like hunting, shooting, swimming, horse-riding etc in the earlier times.
The popularity of sports has been intact ever since. Sports play an important role in overall development as they
teach us team spirit, cooperation, patience, and acceptance.
Key points
• Sports Authority of India is the main governing body for the promotion of sports in India.
• Sports like snooker, chess, cards etc have originated in India. Even the oldest forms of martial arts, judo,
karate find their roots in India.
• In rural areas, sports like kabaddi, kho-kho etc are popular. Kabaddi is now actively promoted on television
to make it popular among the urban areas as well. Pro-kabaddi leagues are telecasted regularly.
• The national game of India is hockey and the most popular sports in India is cricket.
• India has hosted sports events like Asian Games, Cricket world cups, Hockey world cup and
Commonwealth Games.
• We have sportspersons like Sachin Tendulkar, Leander Paes, Sania Mirza, PV Sindhu and many more that
we are proud of.
• India started participating in Olympics in 1990 and we have won 9 gold medals, 7 silver, and 12 bronze
medals. In 2016 Olympics 118 athletes represented India.
• Women sportspersons are now making a mark and we have PV Sindhu as the youngest Olympic medallist.
• In recent 2018 commonwealth games held at Gold coast, Australia, India stands third with 26 gold, 20
silver, 20 bronze medals. The performance has been excellent.
• Finance minister Arun Jaitley, in the 2018-2019 Union budget has allocated 2196.36 crore budget for sports
which is a hike of 258.2 crores from the previous budget.
• We have sporting facilities in India like Netaji Subhas National Institute of sports , Salt lake stadium
Kolkata , Jawaharlal Nehru stadium ,new delhi.
Sports Authority of India
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the government of India has set up the Sports Authority of India in 1984 as
the main governing body for sports in India.
It has academic institutes, centres of excellence, regional centres, training centres etc.
Proper training facilities are ensured coaches from even foreign countries are invited.
It runs a number of schemes like National Sports Talent Contest scheme, Special Area Games scheme etc
Issues
• Although we have started doing well in sports still many deserving sports people in India do not get
adequate funds for their training.
• Instances are seen where players have to sell their gold medals to survive! This is such a shame!
• There is lack of proper infrastructure and tools.
• Cricket being the most popular sports receives the limelight while other sports in India are often neglected.
• Parents in India still do not realize the importance of sports. Some conservative families only consider
education important and do not encourage children to participate in sports and come forward.
Initiatives
• Khelo-India is a national programme for the development of sports in India. This programme aims to
popularise sports and give the players platforms and recognition.
• Schemes for the promotion of sports among people with disabilities have also been developed
• We have a separate National Sports Development Fund for allocation of resources towards sports.
Conclusion
India is a storehouse of talent. There are a number of sportspersons who can make the country proud. They just
need some support from the government and they will shine.
We as responsible residents should also encourage sports activities and realize that sports are as important as
education.

4G Mobile Communication
Quick Points to Remember
• 4G is 4th generation technology that evolved from 3g technology
• 4G is set to ensure High data speeds
• No circuit switch telephony
• 85% users by 2018 end
• Mobile and Internet communications
 • Low internet penetration and improper infrastructure are bottlenecks
Introduction
India has the second largest telecommunication network and about 324.89 million internet subscribers which is the
second largest user base in the world.
The 4g technology came after the 3g technology and made its mark in India in 2017 promising us video blogs, high
definition mobile TV, fast gaming services etc.
Key points
• New mobile generations come about after every 10 years
1. 1981 had 1g
2. 1992 had 2 g
3. 2001 had 3g
4. And now we have 4g
5. We are soon going to head towards 5g
• 4g mobile communication ensures high data transfer speeds for internet craving users.
• It has revolutionized the communication sector.
• Wireless technologies like LTE, wifi can also use 4g on mobiles, laptops etc. It does not require circuit and
switch telephony service.
• Speed requirements set up by international telecommunications union radio communication sector are :
1. Low mobility communication: 1 gigabit per second
2. High mobility communication: 100 megabits per second
• IP based communication like IP telephony is the basis of 4g
• Link spectral efficiency:
1. 15 bit per sec per hertz in the downlink
2. 6.17 bit per second per Hertz in the uplink
• 4g is rapidly penetrating in the Indian market and 85% of the population is expected to adopt 4g technology
this year in India
• 2017 saw the coming of Jio in the Indian market and it took the country by storm. If the majority of the
people today have 4g, the reason is Jio. It has increased the accessibility and coverage of 4g in India
• Jio continues to give discounted data and voice plans to expand the 4g coverage.
• Other mobile networks in the competition have also reduced their tariff rates and are making it possible for
more and more people to have a 4g mobile communication.
• The prime ministers vision of a Digital India also requires more and more people to have access to 4G
mobile communication.
Issues
• The Internet and Mobile Association of India states that we have the lowest internet penetration rate that is
the ratio of internet users to total population is low.
• Secondly, the internet penetration rate is high in urban areas and low in rural areas. This is called ‘digital
divide’.
• India has low data speeds as compared to other countries of the world
• TRAI has a Myspeed app that tracks upload and download speeds and the speed indicates that India is at
the bottom of the list.
• Ookla says India is at rank 109 when it comes to 3g and 4g speeds
• India lacks proper infrastructure to support real 4G services.
Conclusion
India has the capacity for growth. We are working on the loopholes and the stats only indicate a positive direction
ahead.
The accessibility and coverage are increasing and the speeds shall also improve soon.
Development of Rural Areas
Quick Points to Remember
• A large proportion of the population lives in rural areas
• Rural area development is necessary for the overall development
• Lack of infrastructure, electricity , roads etc
• A number of schemes are working
Introduction
More than 60% of Indian population lives in rural areas. Rural development is therefore the main area of focus for the
upliftment of Indian economy.
Improving the conditions of the rural areas and giving them better access to resources is known as development of
rural areas.
The growth rates in rural areas are low and a number of schemes are being worked upon for rural development.
The health indicators like infant mortality rates, maternity mortality rates etc indicate a poor health scenario in rural
areas.
Recent issues
• There is lack of adequate infrastructure in rural areas and even basic needs at some places.
• The rural road connectivity is low. There are a number of areas which do not have proper roads and remain
fairly disconnected to even schools and other important areas.
• Although 73% of the total villages are said to be electrified as per 2017 data only 8% of these villages have
electricity in all households. There are places in india where people have not seen electricity in 70 years!
Shocking isn’t it?
• Literacy rate in rural areas is low as compared to urban areas. Literacy rate
in 70% in rural areas.
• The expenditure per student at primary level is Rs 2811 in rural areas as compared to Rs 10083 in urban
areas.
 • A majority of the rural population is dependent on agriculture. The farmers are suffering from a number of
problems like the use of traditional technologies, lack of proper credit facilities etc. Since agriculture forms
the backbone of the Indian economy and specifically rural areas, this sector needs attention.
• The unemployment rate is about 7.9% in rural areas and this is a serious problem.
• Lack of proper sanitation and hygiene. There are still places in India where there is open defecation.
• The internet penetration rate is low in rural areas and the people are still not acquainted with the latest
technologies.
• The poor people in rural areas are still dependant on the unorganized sector for credit.
Schemes and initiatives
• Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana for development of rural roads.
• Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana for developing self- employment opportunities in rural areas.
• Indira Awaas Yojana for housing benefits to rural areas.
• MGNREGA: Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act for providing 100 days of
guaranteed wage employment in a year.
• Mission Antyodya for poverty reduction and raising incomes
• About 2.5 lakh villages have been made defecation free under Swatch Bharat Mission.
• A number of skill development and training programmes are being run for rural entrepreneurship.
• NABARD ie. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural development is the apex institution working for
agricultural credit facilities.
Conclusion
We are on the road to development and that is a gradual process. There is a strong realization in the economy that for
overall development, rural development is the key measure. We still have a long path to go. A number of NGOs are
working for the upliftment of villages and that is quite inspiring. Rural development is a challenging process and the
government is working on the bottlenecks.There is a light of hope for rural development!

Election Commission
Quick Points to Remember:
• Autonomous body for election administration
• Powers under constitution article 324
• Decides the code of conduct for parties
• EVMs, EPICS, NOTA etc recent reforms by commission
Introduction
India is the largest democracy of the world. Democracy ensures that we choose our leaders by the way of elections.
The Election Commission of India is the supreme body that is responsible for administration of elections in India.
It ensures that elections of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and legislative assemblies are conducted in a free and unbiased
manner. It is set up under article 324 of the Constitution of India.
Key Points
• In India, regular elections are conducted at intervals. The Election Commission has the following functions:
1. Monitor the registration process of political parties.
2. Issue of a code of conduct to be followed by every political party.
3. Issue of symbols to various political parties and giving them recognition.
4. To check the qualifications, assets and criminal records of the participants.
5. Updating the voters list every year.
6. To keep a check on the election expenses.
7. To monitor the campaigns and propaganda undertaken by various parties.
8. To check that no political party is trying directly or indirectly to influence the votes in their favour.
9. To notify the public about election dates and various polling stations.
10. To send notices to defaulting parties and initiate an action.
11. To count the votes and ensure transparency.
• Presently, the Election Commission of India has one Chief Election Commissioner and two Election
Commissioners. The Election commissioners further have Deputy election commissioners, secretaries and
so on. It has a secretariat at new Delhi with 300 officials.
Reforms initiated
• It is the Election Commission of India that introduced Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) to ensure that the
voting is done in an unbiased manner.
• The EPICS that is Electoral Photo Identity Cards were made mandatory by 2004 elections.
• Introduction of VVPAT that is a Voter-verified paper audit trail in 2014 in eight Lok Sabha constituencies.
• Adding None of the Above (NOTA) option to EVMs. In 2014.
• In 2015 Photo electoral rolls on EVMs that is photographs of the candidates on voting machines was
introduced.
• The Election commission started its site eic.nic.in The site has various forms, training material, political
parties detail, voter education channel, eci newsletter, details about nearest polling stations etc.
Recent Issues
• The polling percentage in India is still not 100%. In 2014, the polling percentage was only 66.38%.
• The political parties still use religion and caste as tools to fill their vote banks and the Election Commission
has not been able to do much in this regard.
• With the introduction of RTI, a lot of complaints are received against the improper conduct of elections.
 • A number of discrepancies are reported in EVMs.
• Cases of misuse of media and official machinery are often reported.
• Corruption continues to be a widespread evil in the system. A number of cases of corruption and buying of
votes are reported. For example, In the 2002 Assembly elections, Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh
Badal was alleged for aggressive advertising and corruption.
• Cases of criminal activities during the election period are often reported.
Conclusion
The Election Commission of India is thus an independent and autonomous body that ensures that the political
environment of the country is free, peaceful and transparent. The loopholes are being worked upon constantly. Apart
from the reforms initiated, there is a need for more changes in the electoral system and greater transparency. Proper
management reporting system for the election process is required at state and central level. We should also
contribute our best efforts and cast our fair votes to fulfil our responsibility towards the country. Your vote is your
power!

Fundamental Rights
Quick Points to Remember
• Fundamental rights are basic rights
• Given in Article 12 to 35 of the constitution
• 6 fundamental rights are given in the constitution
• Citizens can approach the supreme court for violation of fundamental rights
Introduction
A right is a virtue to do something that is morally correct. The constitution of India gives us six Fundamental rights to
protect our dignity and ensure there is no kind of exploitation. These rights are also called basic rights and must be
given irrespective of our caste, creed, gender etc.
Key Points
• The fundamental rights are universally recognized.
• These are necessary for overall human development and for the sake of humanity.
• The six fundamental rights given by the constitution are: Right to Equality, Right to Freedom, Right against
exploitation, Right to freedom of religion, Cultural and educational rights and Right to constitutional
remedies.
• Recently, the Supreme Court has also recognized the Right to Privacy as a fundamental right.
• The fundamental rights are given in Article 12 to 35 of the constitution.
Right to Equality
• It is covered under article 14-18 of the constitution
• This right promises us that the law sees everybody equally.
• No distinction can be made in the name of caste, colour, sex etc. Untouchability is a punishable offense
under this right.
Right to freedom
• This fundamental right promises us freedom of speech, freedom to carry any profession, freedom to move
freely and settle in any part of the country.
• It is covered under articles 19-22 of the constitution.
Right Against exploitation
• Article 23 and 24 of the constitution enlighten us about our right against exploitation.
• Nobody can be exploited in the name of human trafficking, forced labour etc.

Right to Freedom of Religion

• Article 25-28 state that people have the right to join and practice any religion they want to.
• The religious activities, however, should not be against public interest or against morals.
• Nobody can be forced to adopt a particular religion.
Cultural and Educational Rights
• The constitution in its article 29 and 30 protects the cultural and educational rights of its citizens
• People can protect their culture, traditions, and languages and have their educational institutions for the
promotion of their cultures.
Right to Constitutional Remedies
• Article 32-35 state that a citizen who is denied any fundamental right can approach the supreme court.
• BR Ambedkar calls this right as the soul of the constitution.
Apart from these, the Supreme court in a case judgment in 2017 said that Right to Privacy is a fundamental
right!
Right to Privacy
• The Right to privacy is included in Article 21.
• This right states that every person has the right to privacy and the privacy of the citizens should be
respected. Privacy breached and encroachments shall not be tolerated and privacy invasions are
punishable.
Violation of Fundamental rights
• Anybody violating the fundamental rights shall be punished.
• The violation of fundamental rights is not acceptable in the Indian constitution and the victims can directly
approach the Apex judicial body that is the Supreme court in case of such violation.
• This is given in Article 32 of the Constitution.
Conclusion
The Fundamental rights are everybody’s rights. Every citizen must be aware of these rights and exercise them with
care. At the same time, we should also know our fundamental duties and respect each other's rights.

Influence of Western culture

Quick points to remember
• India itself is a land of cultures which we are forgetting
• Westernisation has taken its toll
• Westernisation is different from modernization
• Culture erosion, identity crisis, brain drain!

Introduction
India is a land of rich heritage and culture. We are known for our diverse cultures and traditions. Infact, it is the
various colors of India that attract the tourists the most. The British ruled India for 200 years and that gradually led to
the entry of Western culture in India. Westernization has impacted us deeply.
Key points
• The adaptation and influence of Western culture is called westernization.
• People misinterpret westernization as modernization.
• Modernisation is a change of mind-set. An open mind is a modern mind while westernization is merely
adoption of Western culture.
• Westernisation began with the British rule and today it has made a mark in India.
• Imitating the west is demonstration effect that is changing of behaviour by observing others.
The influence
Westernisation has brought both the sides along.
• India was said to be a land of snake charmers. A major proportion of the population was superstitious,
Orthodox and conservative. With westernization, the number of people believing in superstitions and
miracles have reduced. People have become more practical.
• Westernisation has brought modern technology along and we are now a tech-savvy country.
• People in India have now started accepting love marriages and living relationships.
But at the same time, it has led to our culture erosion.
• India is a country of values. We believe in living together and living in harmony. With westernization making
its influence, people have started living in nuclear families and breaking up of joint families is now a
common sight!
• People have started finding their comfort in western dressing styles and have forgotten their own traditional
dresses. Most of the young ladies today want to wear jeans and skirts instead of suits and sarees. Wearing
traditional clothes is considered as old-fashioned and that is quite disturbing!
• Although we have started accepting love marriages at the same time the number of divorce cases are also
increasing
• People today are fond of Chinese, Italian, Mexican foods etc and are forgetting the taste of their own
spices. With the popularity of the junk food the foreign food outlets like KFC, subway etc are increasing in
number and a large portion of our national income is going abroad.
• We speak English and are taking courses in French, German, Spanish etc! We have forgotten our national
language and our regional languages.
• In fact, people who speak their national /regional language are considered as less educated!
• Indian values teach us to greet our elders by touching their feet, but with westernization, we prefer ‘hi’ and
‘helo’ more! We use mom, dad, and other slangs because we want to be ‘look cool’.
• We watch English movies. Our music tastes have changed. We enjoy rock music rather than classical or
folk music. Same goes for dance. Western dance forms have taken over classical styles like Bharatnatyam,
Kathakali etc.
• We hardly know about the Indian calendar and follow the English calendar starting from January
• We have adopted the cake cutting culture for our birthdays and forgotten how Indian birthdays were
celebrated with morning prayers and some donations.
• Brain drain is a concept that has come along with westernization. People today want to study in foreign
colleges and universities and our talented working population is now serving the Western countries.

Conclusion
It is good that we want to learn something from the West. But blindly following the western culture is leading to an
identity crisis and our culture erosion.
Do not forget your roots. Our values make us who we are. Be proud to be an Indian and be proud of your traditions.

New Technologies in India

Quick Points to Remember
• The age of science and knowledge
• Breath taking technological trends in India seen in 2017
• Artificial intelligence, 3-D printing, AR, VR etc
• These technologies are being carried to the future with new additions
Introduction
We are living in a modern technological world. New technologies are constantly coming up and changing our lives.
With advancement in scientific research, India is progressing with new technologies. A number of research institutes
are funded by the central government in India. About 200 laboratories are there in the country.
Key Points
• Technology has taken a toll on our lives.
• We are living in a world full of ‘smart technologies’
• New technologies that made their way in 2017 include virtual reality systems, artificial intelligence, IOT
(Internet intelligence etc)
• These technologies are being taken ahead in 2018 with more novelty and innovation.
New Technologies
Use of AI
• Artificial intelligence refers to the intelligence of machines that machines doing the thinking process instead
of humans.
• The use of AI has started in India for automation. Companies like Grey Orange, KUKA robotics, Fanuc India
etc are amongst the top companies that have started using robots for automation.
• In another 2-3 years, we will start using AI in cafes, restaurants and even our homes.
Virtual and augmented reality
• Indian consumers are enjoying 360-degree virtual reality experiences. Virtual Reality is computer created
simulations transporting you to a different world.
• Augmented reality includes combining the real and virtual world. 2017 saw a trend of Pokemon Go game
which was based on Augmented Reality.
• Use of AR and VR technologies has been seen in gaming, entertainment, training, defence etc.
4G communication
• A massive spread of 4G-Long term evolution technology was seen in 2017. JIO took India by storm and
made 4G more accessible to people.

Smart Cars
• Companies like Toyota, Nissan, Honda have introduced connectivity platforms for making smart cars for
smart India. Smart cars mean vehicular automation and making use of artificial intelligence for driving.
Use of 3D printing materials
• With 3D printing, any three-dimensional object can be made from a digital model. The use of 3d printers
and printing services has started in India and the use is going to increase in the coming years. 3D printing
technology can be used in jewellery, architecture, medical industries etc.
Cloud computing
• The use of cloud computing has increased widely and by 2022 use of cloud computing is expected to
generate 2.2 million jobs in India. India’s vision of being ‘Digital India’ is possible only with the help of cloud
computing.
Delivery drones
• Amazon has filed a patent application to make use of delivery drones in India and this is the future of
customer based delivery systems. This is a revolutionary technology in the customer market.
Blockchain technology
• The block chain is a digitized ledger that records our transactions. With the advent of cryptocurrencies,
block chain economies are future economies. Finance minister Arun Jaitley in 2018 budget has planned to
make the use of Block chain technologies.
Internet of Things (IoT)
• The internet of things is a network of devices with software to exchange data. This is one of the latest
technological trends. IOT is said to be the next wave in India.
Conclusion
The 21st century is a technologically driven century and these technologies are taking India to new heights. We are
constantly learning and doing. Our lifestyles are going to be changed completely in the next few years with new
technologies coming rapidly in India!
Privacy
Quick points to remember
• Right to Privacy is a fundamental right
• A number of privacy laws have been enacted
• With technology and media, maintaining privacy has become difficult!
• A number of privacy scandals have been reported.
• 81% of the population is scared of privacy invasion on the internet.
• 15.4 million consumers had identity theft in 2016
• Tracking and hacking everywhere!
Introduction
Privacy is one's right to be in his own space without being questioned about it whether it's our body privacy, our
personal information or any other confidential information which we intend to keep private. Everybody has the right to
privacy and every government has laws to maintain the privacy of its residents. The right to privacy is included in the
constitution of 150 countries. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights also includes the Right to privacy in its
article 12. But how many of us are actually able to maintain that privacy?
Recent issues
• Today sadly about 81% of the population is scared of privacy breaches and cyber-crimes. There are cases
of blackmails, fraud calls, identity thefts etc.
• In 2009, 10000 email accounts on Hotmail suffered a privacy breach.
• In 2010 Google got 600 gigabytes of private unsecured data
 • The street view feature of the Google maps has got many complaints about privacy issues.
• A company, Rapleaf sold the private data of a number of users to advertisers!
• Facebook data leak 2018 has been one of the biggest privacy scandals hitting 87 million users!
• There have been a number of suicide cases because of privacy invasion.
How is our privacy being affected?
Technology here is to be blamed!
• When we make online transactions we have to submit our data. There have been so many cases of frauds
in online transactions. The 2016 data reports 15.4 million consumers getting trapped in identity thefts and
online frauds.
• We submit our PIN online ie. Personally identifiable number letting people know our locations.
• With social media ruling the world, people share every little information of what are they doing, where are
they roaming etc and sitting in our homes we know where are our friends and relatives. Uploading
photographs, videos, check-ins etc have hardly kept our lives ‘private’.
• People locate each other on social networking sites. Sometimes they even exchange personal information
with strangers and fall into their trap!
• We have cctvs at every second place and we don't even realize most of the times that we are under
surveillance.
• So many sites use cookies and people hardly know about such policies.
• The linking of Adhar cards with Sims and account numbers also led to a number of privacy protests. A
number of service providers had started getting data because of the same!
• A large number of cases of Phishing are reported This is using of links taking you to websites that hack
your personal information.
• Unsecured emails, unsecured Wi-Fi networks, unencrypted links all of these carry risks of privacy
breaches.
What can we do?
• Do not set up easy passwords. Use a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers and special characters. Keep
updating your passwords regularly.
• Do not share your card numbers and OTPs on calls. Those are often fraud calls.
• Do not share every little information on your social media accounts. We have to respect our own privacy
first!
• We should use paid versions for any protection software we make use of.
• Use double factor authentication wherever available and possible.

Conclusion
Be cautious of what you share in this informational and technological world. We have to be the guards and watchdogs
of our own privacy. Know your privacy rights and stand for yourself and your privacy wherever required. ‘Respect your
privacy and the privacy of others’.

Senior Citizens
Quick Points to Remember
• Ageing is a natural process
• After attaining an age of 60, you are a senior citizen
• 2011 census reports 8.6% population comprises of senior citizens
• Being a senior citizen has its own merits and demerits.
• A number of government schemes for senior citizens
Introduction
A person who has attained the age of 60 is a senior citizen. The ones who cross the age of 80 are called super senior
citizens. This age brings physical and psychological changes in the person and is thus considered a correct time for
retirement and relaxation. While the senior citizens constantly guide us with their experiences, at the same time we
have certain responsibilities towards them.
Key Points
• We are all ageing. With improvements in healthcare, the life expectancy ratios have improved and have
crossed 60. But people crossing the age of 60 become a part of the dependent population and are senior
citizens.
• The Census 2011 reported 104 million senior citizens making up 8.6% of the population and by 2026 the
numbers will reach 173 million. This indicates the number of senior citizens in India is increasing and so is
the old-age dependency ratio.
• The survey also indicates number of elderly people in rural areas than in urban areas.
• The more the number of senior citizens in India, the more they require attention and care both from the
government and their individual families.
The status of Senior citizens in India
• A number of families leave their elders in old age homes and do not even care to ask how are they doing.
The old age homes are flooding fast in India and that’s a sad reality! This is because they are no longer a
source of income for the family and rather increase their financial burden.
• There are a number of senior citizens who are not aware of their rights as elder citizens and do not know
the various schemes that the government runs for their welfare. As a result, they feel helpless.
• Old age brings along a number of problems and health issues like poor eyesight, less hearing ability,
problems in breathing etc. There are so many senior citizens in India who are suffering from a number of
diseases and have nobody to look after them.
 • Shamefully, a number of senior citizens in India are prone to harassment violence and abuses!
Government schemes for senior citizens
• There is a lower tax burden on senior citizens and an income up to Rs 3 lacs is non-taxable. For super
senior citizen, this tax bracket extends to 5 lacs.
• They can get a deduction of up to Rs 30000 under section 80D of Income Tax, for their expenditures on
health premiums.
• 50% concession on air and railway tickets is given to senior citizens.
• Schemes like Senior Citizen Investment scheme ensure a higher rate of interest on investments for the
elderly.
• Preferential hearing of court cases for senior citizens is another benefit.
• The Ministry of Social justice and Empowerment runs an Integrated programme for older persons (IPOP)
whereby it looks after their needs of food and shelter. It maintains a number of care centers and old age
homes.
• Other schemes include Varishta Bima Yojana, Indira Gandhi national old age pension scheme (IGNOAPS),
National Programme for Healthcare of Elderly (NPHCE)
Conclusion
It is said that the elderly are similar to children and require the same love, care, and attention. They dedicate their
whole life to the family and just expect some time of their loved ones as a return on their investment! How we forget
the way they took care of us when we knew nothing! Understand their dependencies and yearnings. It feels good
when you sit next to them and they share their experiences and knowledge. Let’s not forget that after all, we are all
ageing and will one day be a senior citizen too!

Supreme Court of India

Quick points to remember
• Three tier judicial system in India
• Supreme court is the Highest judicial body
• Has chief justice of India and 25 sanctioned judges
• Powers to look into-
1. Original jurisdictions
2. Appellate jurisdictions
3. Advisory jurisdictions
Introduction
The Indian judiciary system is divided into three tiers- district courts , high courts and the supreme court.
The Supreme Court of India is the highest official judiciary body and the final court for appeals. The Supreme court
is said to be the guardian of justice in India.
The composition and the jurisdiction of the Supreme court have been laid down in Articles 124 to 147 of the Indian
Constitution.
Key points
• It was established on 1 October 1937 as the federal court of India and renamed as the Supreme
Court of India on 26 January 1950 when the Constitution was validated.
• The Supreme court is located at New Delhi.
• The supreme court of India stands for truth only and the motto of the court is : Where there is truth , there is
victory
• The judgement given by the Supreme Court is final and binding .As per article 142 of the Constitution,
the president shall make sure that the final order given by Supreme Court is enforced.
• The chief justice along with the president appoints the judges.
Conditions for appointment as a judge:
• The person should have been a judge of a high court or two or more such courts in succession for a
minimum of five years.
• The person should have been an advocate of a high court or two or more such courts for a minimum
of ten years
When the conditions are fulfilled, the president decides the jurists.
Powers
• The Supreme Court takes care that every citizen is ensured his/her fundamental rights.
• The Supreme court is said to be court of final jurisdiction and it looks into the following:
1. Original Jurisdictions
a) Original jurisdictions means the cases that have been or can be brought directly to the
Supreme Court. This case arises when:
b) There is a conflict between state and central governments.
c) There is a conflict between different state governments.
d) Any enforcement of fundamental rights is required.

2. Appellate Jurisdictions
a) This jurisdiction is for appeals.
b) When the aggrieved party is not satisfied with the jurisdiction of the high court, it can
appeal to the supreme court and the decision of the supreme court shall be final.
c) In criminal cases, the accused can make an appeal to the supreme court if death
sentence order has been passed by the high court.
3. Advisory Jurisdictions
 a) The Supreme court plays the role of an advisor for the President as and when required by
him.
• In addition to the above, the supreme court makes sure that any law passed by the government of India is
not beyond the scope of its constitution and has the power to declare any law as unconstitutional.
• In cases that involve human rights violations, the supreme court also looks into writ petitions.
Some remarkable judgements passed by the Supreme court
The Supreme court has passed some remarkable judgements. Some of the recent include
• Giving recognition to the transgender
• Honouring our Right to Privacy and making it a fundamental right.
• The ban on VIP lights on cars.
• Making the triple talaaq unconstitutional.
• Death sentence for Nirbhaya culprits.
These are just a few of many examples where the supreme court has stood fair and tall!
Conclusion
Thus the Supreme court of India is the supreme body for maintenance of justice and law and order in the
country. It acts as a watchdog and is the strongest pillar of the Indian Judicial system. It is the Supreme court
which has kept our faith in law alive! Justice shall be served always!

Tourism in India
Quick Points to Remember
• Fast growing sector
• 9.14% contribution to GDP in 2017
• 10 million foreign tourists in 2017
• Ministry of tourism maintains and develops policies.
• Schemes like Swadesh darshan, various trade fairs etc conducted.

Introduction
India is a famous tourist destination. The tourism sector of India is a fast-growing sector. The tourism sector of India
has opened employment opportunities for a number of skilled and unkilled labour. It is helping us earn a handsome
foreign exchange and is giving a much-needed boost to the economy. At the same time, the western people are
getting acquainted with Indian colours, cultures, and traditions. Tourism opens the door for global integration.
Key points
• Indian Tourism sector has so much to offer. From mountains, deserts, rivers, and breathtaking greenery to
feed the soul of nature lovers, to historical monuments and folk fairs for culture lovers, we have it all.
• We hold a rank of 40 out of 136 countries according to Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017.
• The tourism sector contributed to 9.14% to our GDP in the previous year and there were about 10 million
tourists in India.
• In 2011, when London organized the World Tourism Mart, India bagged the
World’s Leading Destination award.
• The Ministry of Tourism of India is responsible for the promotion of tourism in India. It is even running 14
overseas offices to make people aware of the attractive tourist destinations in India.
• The most visited cities in India are Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Jaipur, and Agra.
• We are running an ‘Incredible India’ campaign for attracting tourists. It was started by Indian Tourism
development corporation (ITDC) in 2005.
• In 2008, ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ campaign endorsed by Aamir Khan was started. Presently, Narendra Modi
himself promotes the ‘Incredible India’.
Incredibleindia.org website for planning packages, booking tickets, applying for visa on arrival etc has been
started.
Recent initiatives for Promotion of Tourism
• E-TOURIST visa that can be applied online by residents of 40 countries. No visa is required by nationals of
Nepal, Bhutan, and Maldives.
• In November 2014, Visa on Arrival facility was introduced at 16 international airports. This increased the
tourist traffic by 1987.9% in 2015 as compared to 2014.
• Adarsh smarak scheme for providing all tourist facilities for monuments of India. These facilities include free
wifi, encroachment free areas etc.
• Organising various international tourism marts and trade fairs for extensive promotion.
• Mobile apps like Swachh Prayatan for cleanliness of tourist spots have been launched.
• 24*7 Tourist Helpline in 12 languages has been started.
• Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme, Swadesh Darshan scheme
etc have been launched to cater to the needs of the tourism sector in India.
The Loopholes
• There is still a lack of proper infrastructural facilities for proper development of tourism in India. There are
so many beautiful places that are still undiscovered by the tourists because there is no proper infrastructure
to connect to these places.
• There are a lot of places that are not clean and need attention. Moreover, the monuments of India are
losing their beauty because of pollution and other activities of residents.
 • Security reasons are another issue. Tourists in India fear Naxalism, teasing, rapes etc
• There are cases of frauds with the tourists just to make few extra dollars. Such unethical practices
deteriorate our image and prestige.
• We lack trained professionals who can guide the tourists well.
Conclusion
India is unbeatable when it comes to diversity. We have geographical diversity, climatic diversity and cultural diversity
which attracts people from all over the worlds. By 2028, it is expected that the tourism sector shall grow by an annual
rate of 6.9% The tourism sector of India is thus constantly heading forward and is unstoppable!

Cybercrime

Quick Points to Remember

• Use of computers for criminal activities
• Spam emails, hacking, information theft etc are types
• Every 10 minutes, a cybercrime is committed in India
• Cannot be eliminated completely
Introduction
Cybercrime is the use of electronic medium like computers for criminal activities. In this technological world the
criminals have also found a way to disturb the world though cybercrime. It is a serious problem that is growing on a
large scale and needs to be checked urgently.
Recent Issues
• In India there is a cybercrime every 10 minutes.
• Cyberattacks are affecting individuals as well as organisations.
• 27482 cases of cybercrime were reported in India in 2017.
• The years 2014-2017 have seen continuous increase in cybercrimes. During these years the National
Crime bureau Records reported that 13 ATMs and 22 financial organisations were affected by 79 phishing
incidents.
• Around 13653 credit card frauds were registered with the RBI in 2016-2017
Types of Cybercrimes
Hacking
Unauthorized encroachments into another persons computer or network is hacking. Between April 2017 and January
2018, about 22000 websites were hacked in India!
Virus
Virus attach themselves to files and delete or alter the data. Virus attacks can affect the data of any individual or
organisation hereby causing a loss.
Phishing
Obtaining personal and sensitive information through messages and email spoofing is phishing. It further has types
like clone phishing, spear phishing , whaling etc.
Software Piracy
Creating and distributing copies of original programs and violating the copyrights and patents is piracy. The problem
here is that often the users are not able to distinguish between the original and pirated versions.
Pornography
Using the internet for any sexual abuse and acts is pornography. The situations have gone worse with increase in
cases of child pornography.
Other Frauds
Privacy intrusion, investment frauds, data diddling, cyber defamation etc are other ways of committing a cybercrime.
Cyberterrorism
Cyberterrorism is the modern form of terrorism where terrorists use electronic media to complete their evil missions. It
targets the population on a massive scale and is extremely dangerous.
Information Technology Act 2000
• The Information Technology Act 2000 is an act of the Parliament that addresses the issues relating to
cybercrime in India.
• In 2011, data privacy rules have been introduced in the Act.
• In February 2017, M/s Voucha Gram India Pvt Ltd an e-commerce portal www.gyftr.com filed a complaint
against hacking and hackers were arrested for digital shoplifting under the provisions of the act.
What can be done
• Set difficult passwords but make sure you are able to remember them.
• Do not share OTP (One time password) and other cards related information with anyone.
• Keep your files in two locations and have backups.
• Do not talk to strangers online or share any kind of pictures, videos, personal information etc. with them.
• Do not click on random pop-ups.
• Use good quality anti-virus software.
• Buy original software and save yourself from pirated versions.
• There are a number of cybercrime investigation cells and cyber police stations in India. Immediately while a
complaint in case of an issue.
Conclusion
While for all of us technology is a boon but it also proves to be a bane when such cyber-crimes take place. The
government needs to resort to strict actions and measures to check the growth of such crimes. Meanwhile, we should
also keep our precautions and try to save ourselves from cybercrimes.
Gambling
Quick points to Remember:
• Based on risk and uncertainty
 • Mostly illegal, some form of legalized gambling does exist
• Gambling in Indian market: 60 billion US dollars annually.
• Public Gambling Act 1867 is the law of prohibition
Introduction
Gambling is an unfair economic activity which is based on making money by taking some risks and facing some
uncertainties. It is not considered as a fair means for making money. In India, however, gambling is done from
ancient time that is from the time of Mahabharata and in fact, it was the main reason for the Mahabharata.
Key Points
• Gambling is about taking a chance. It is based on the simple rule of ‘higher the risk, higher the return/loss’
• It can turn into an addiction and ruin lives.
• It is mostly banned but some form of legalized gambling does exist.
• Casino games, dice games, poker, betting, card games etc are all forms of gambling.
• In India, we have The Public Gambling Act 1867, which prohibits any kind of illegal gambling.
• India, however, has casinos and that are categorized under legalized gambling. Goa, Daman, and Sikkim
have casinos in India.
• Despite the prohibition, illegal gambling is widely carried out in India.
• There is a gambling of 60 billion US dollars every year in our country!
Gambling in India
• Indian law categorizes games as ‘games of skill’ and ‘games of chance’.
Games of skills are not illegal and games of chances are considered as a gamble and are banned.
• Lotteries, betting on horse racing, a game of rummy and legalized casinos are forms of gambling that are
not prohibited in India.
• Poker, teen-Patti, betting on sports like cricket etc are considered as illegal gambling.
• Online gambling is the new trend in the gambling world. Legalised online gambling is allowed in many
countries and many Indians have started using those sites for online gambling.
• We have online casinos for poker, passa, flish etc. Royal Panda and Betway casino are examples.
• Betting during Indian Premier League for cricket has become quite popular in India and is now done online.
• Lotteries are conducted on a wide scale as these are legal and are governed by the Central Lotteries
(Regulation) Act 1998.
• Indian states can make their own laws and policies for gambling and bet under rights given by the
Constitution.
• Panaji in India has a number of gambling facilities with table games, video poker machines etc.
• We have the largest casino in Daman that is Deltin Daman Casino.
• All kinds of electronic payments are however regulated by RBI to keep a check on any kind of illegal
transactions.
Public Gambling Act 1867
• The law was formed during British Rule in India
• Owning and running a gambling house, assisting and visiting a gambling house etc are all banned under
this law.
• Gambling is considered as a crime and is a punishable offense under the law.
• A penalty of Rs 200 or an imprisonment of up to 3 months is the punishment for gambling under the law.
Conclusion
Despite the anti-gambling laws, illegal gambling is running on a massive scale in India. Since many countries have
legalized some forms of gambling it is often suggested for India as well. Maybe in future there can be some scope for
legal gambling market in the Indian economy but one should never get addicted to making money through such
means!

Justice delayed is justice denied

Quick points to remember

• Everybody has the right to get justice
• Timely justice is necessary
• 2.81 crore cases pending in district courts
• Lack of required number of judges
Introduction
Law promises us justice. An aggrieved person looks up to the law of his country to give him justice. Justice is
everybody’s right. But at the same time what is important is timely justice. It is said that Justice delayed is justice
denied which means that if justice is not served at the right time, that is equivalent to having no justice.
Key points
• We live in a democratic country where everybody has the right to get justice.
• There is a huge backlog of cases in district courts and high courts.
• Some people spend their entire lives waiting for justice and that delayed justice is like no justice at all.
• In 2015-2016, 2.81 crore cases were pending in the district court
• We do not have the required number of judges.
Recent Issues
• It took 18 years to give a judgement on Uphar Cinema fire case where 59 people had lost their lives and
hundreds were injured. The court announced a fine of Rs 60 crore for the culprits. Is this justice? Getting a
verdict after 18 years and letting the culprit go with just a fine penalty!
 • The famous 1984 riots case where about 2800 people lost their lives has now become a quest for hunger.
Hunger for justice. There are so many families who still await justice.
• The Nirbahya case is one of the latest examples. The whole country stood in support of the victim to get her
immediate justice but sadly it took the government a year to give judgement for the case. Had there been
an immediate death sentence for the rapists, there would have been an example set before the criminals.
They would have known the power of law!
• In 2016, only 0.2% of the budget was dedicated to the law ministry. This is the lowest allocation in the
world!
• In 2015, of the total pending cases, about 15.8% cases were criminal cases that were pending for more
than 5 years. That means the criminals can roam about freely in the country for years, till the judgement
remains pending!
• Indian law is complicated and has a number of procedural formalities and technicalities. In a poor country
like ours, where people are not aware much and do not have adequate resources, it becomes difficult for
them to get timely justice.
What can be done?
• We need an adequate number of judges for fast delivery of case judgements. The government should plan
on filling the vacancies fast.
• There have been suggestions for Lok Adaalats and other such bodies for speedy judgements on basic civil
cases.
• People in India are not aware of their rights. Awareness and educational programmes for spreading
knowledge amongst the people about their rights and powers should be conducted. They should know what
does their law promise them
• Transparent systems need to be introduced where justified reasons are given for the delay in judgements.
• There should be a simplification of procedures so that people can understand the system.
Conclusion
India has the world’s longest constitution dedicated to the people of the country. There should be some revision in
laws so that timely justice is ensured to every citizen. If a person is in pain now and the medicine is given years later,
then that medicine is of no use. That holds true for justice as well! Timely justice is a serious concern that should be
dealt with as soon as possible so that people do not lose their faith in the law of their country.

Mercy killing

Quick Points to Remember

• Death is the truth of life
• Killing out of mercy if somebody is going through an unbearable pain/disease etc. is mercy killing
• Also known as Euthanasia
• Law passed for passive euthanasia in India
Introduction
Everybody wants a natural death, as planned by the Almighty. But if a person is going through an unbearable pain
and death puts him/her in a better situation than life, then it is better to put that person to peace. This is called mercy
killing that is killing out of mercy on a person.
Key Points
• Mercy killing is also called Euthanasia
• Usually practiced when the person is suffering from an incurable disease, excruciating pain or is in a coma
for a very long time and there are no hopes of recovery.
• It may be done by giving high dosages of medicines than required or by removing machines that are
supporting the life of the patient and putting him in pain instead.
• It can be active, passive, voluntary and involuntary
• Not legal everywhere
• In India, passive mercy killing has been legalized on March 7, 2018. Other countries where it is legal
include Netherlands, Belgium, Colombia, Luxembourg and Canada.
Different categories of Mercy Killing
Active: When the person is put to death actively by giving some kind of injections and medicines then it is active
mercy killing.
Passive: This is a type of ‘letting the person die’ mercy killing. Life support system machines, ventilators etc. are
removed so that the person can die naturally.
Voluntary: This kind of mercy killing is done when the patient himself pleads for death.
Involuntary: When mercy killing is done just out of sympathy and without the knowledge and consent of the patient, it
is involuntary.
Mercy Killing in India
• Mercy killing was not legal in India.
• In March 2009, Pinki Virani made a plea to the court for her friend Aruna Shanbaug and against this
judgement passed in March 2018, passive mercy killing acquired legal status in India.
• Conditions laid down by the supreme court for practicing passive Euthanasia:
• In case of PVS that is Persistent Vegetative State, passive Euthanasia can be practiced
• Or it can be done for the brain dead.
• The decision can be taken by the parents, spouse, close relatives or doctor.
• In case it is taken by near relatives or friends, there should be at least two witnesses.
 • Active Euthanasia is still not legal in India and many other countries. It is feared that if it is made legal there
are chances of abuse in the name of active mercy killing.
• There have been cases in India where patients have written to the President or Prime minister for active
mercy killing because of their poor condition but these pleas have often been rejected. For example, in
2008, Jeet Narayan, a father of four sons pleaded for euthanasia for all is sons and write to the President
for the same but the plea was rejected.

Conclusion
Often the authorities do not understand and accept the person’s plea for mercy killing. There has to be a purpose and
a justified reason for Mercy killing. It is only then that it should be practiced. We should try to understand the condition
of the person who demands mercy killing or is in need of mercy killing and the decision should be taken accordingly.

Role of NGO

Quick points to Remember

• NGO is a Non -government organisation
• Does not work for profit motive
• Free from government interference
• Helpage India, Udaan welfare are some examples

Introduction
An NGO is a Non-governmental organisation working for the community with an intention of bringing a social, political,
environmental or any other positive change.
The government does not interfere in the activities of an NGO but these NGOs definitely aid the government in the
betterment of the society.
Key Points
• The United Nations in 1945 gave the word Non-Governmental organisation.
• An NGO is usually formed by a group of volunteers that is people who voluntarily want to take up some
work for the society. Gradually other members join the NGO. There may also be some paid staff.
• The members can have a membership subscription fee and after that they basically run on donations and
charities.
• The main objective of NGO can be to bring about a social change, political awareness, developmental
work, environmental change etc. Making profits has never been the main motive for NGOs
• These organisations identify an issue and then decide their purpose contributing their best efforts to solve
the problem area.
• Such organisations may work at local, state, national or international level.
• What NGOs do for the society is not measurable. They do not contribute to the GDP of the economy but
what they do for the society has far-reaching effects.
• NGOs specify their social purpose and are usually exempted from taxes.
• NGOs also help a country in building international relations.

Role of NGOs in India

• In India NGOs have helped the needy in diverse areas and problems
• NGOs in India are working for the needy and are serving a wide variety of purposes. For example
• Deepalaya NGO in India works for education of poor students.
• The Udaan Welfare foundation has been working for women and children rights in the country.
• On similar lines, the Akshaya Trust is working for human rights of the citizens of the country.
• Helpage India is an award winning NGO and has worked dedicatedly for taking care of the elderly in India.
• These NGOs are working at national levels. Apart from these there are a number of NGOs running locally.
For example, Feeding India in Ludhiana takes away the excess food in restaurants and parties and
distributes it amongst the hungry!
• These are just few of the many examples that help us understand what role NGOs play in our country.
Issues
• Often NGOs face opposition from political parties because they may spoil the vote bank of a party in power.
The parties are afraid that the people will give the credit for all developmental work to NGOs.
• Some NGOs do not give proper reports of their accounts and no systematic auditing is done which is
against the laws if the country.
• Sometimes, misuse of funds and donations is done in the name of charity.
• Despite the issues, we cannot generalise that all NGOs are working improperly. Majority of them are a boon
for the society.
Conclusion
The NGOs are formed by common people and they work for common people. They reach parts of the society where
the government is not able to reach. Non-governmental organisations are as necessary as the government
organisations for upliftment and betterment of people of a country. There is a feeling of satisfaction when you do
something for the society. Anybody can join an NGO and contribute their best efforts. So maybe go and look for an
NGO in your society and be a part of the change!

Nuclear Power
Quick Points to Remember
• Use of nuclear reactions and energy
• Nuclear fission, nuclear decay, nuclear fusion
 • Can be used for good purposes as well as for destruction
• 25% of India’s energy requirement will come from nuclear power by 2050
Introduction
Nuclear power is the use of nuclear energy and nuclear reactions. It is basically used in Nuclear power plants to
generate electricity. Nuclear power is a non-renewable form of energy and is based on energies of the nucleus of an
atom.
Key Points
• Nuclear energy was discovered during the 1930s and 1940s
• Nuclear power revolves around nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, and nuclear decay.
• Nuclear fission: The breaking up of large atoms into smaller atoms is nuclear fission. A large amount of
energy is released and it is nuclear fission that is used for generating electricity.
• Nuclear fusion: This involves combining of two or more atoms to form one large atom. It can provide clean
energy to the environment.
• Nuclear decay: when one nucleus changes into the nucleus of other elements and becomes stable.
The Benefits
• 15% electricity produced in the world is through nuclear power.
• There are no greenhouse gas emissions or any kind of pollution while producing electricity through nuclear
power. So it is less harmful to the environment
• Less use of fossil fuels and saving such resources is another benefit.
• As compared to traditional hydro and wind energy, several times more energy is released in nuclear
reactions
• The nuclear reactors are a long time profitable investment and can work for more than 40 years. They have
enormous capacity and less downtime. These reactors work 90% of their annual time.
• The raw material is basically uranium. Uranium is not much expensive and so the costs of operation are
low.
The adverse effects
But at the same time, people usually associate nuclear power with danger.
• Nuclear weapons can destroy the world.
• Moreover, it takes a large time to build nuclear plants. It can take years.
• There is a risk associated with nuclear energy and the radioactive waste that is produced needs to be
managed with care.
• The location for setting up the plant needs to be decided with care because of the dangers associated
• There are risks of the spread of terrorism through nuclear power. for example North Korea today has
nuclear weapons and missiles and there is a constant threat to the world. Even testing these missiles is
dangerous
• In 2011 there was a Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in Japan that scared the world.
Nuclear power in India
• In India, nuclear power is the fifth largest source of electricity and we are continuously expanding.
• In 2016-17 India had 22 nuclear reactors and 7 nuclear power plants
• We aim to reach a capacity of 63 GW by 2032
• 25% of the country’s energy requirements will be drawn from nuclear power by 2050.
• The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) looks after the generation of nuclear power for
electricity in India.
• Department of Atomic energy is the main department for development of nuclear power technology and
other radioactive technologies.
Conclusion
Nuclear power has always been a subject of debate. It has two sides and it depends on the world which side to use.
They should reap the benefits of nuclear power and make it useful for the world because the energy requirements are
going to increase constantly while fossil fuels and other sources are already in shortage.
There is a great scope of nuclear power in the coming years.

Paid media
Quick Points to Remember
• Everybody knows the power of media
• Paid media is used a marketing strategy
• Print, broadcast, and internet are forms of paid media
• Increases exposure and revenue
• Google Adwords, SEO, LinkedIn etc
Introduction
Media tells us what is going around the world. The purpose of media is to make the people aware and spread
information. Paid media is however aimed at advertisements, branding, and marketing. It is now a very popular
strategy used by business houses for active marketing of their products.
Key points
• Media is of three types: Owned earned and paid.
• Owned media involves owning a website or a blog etc and earned media is the popularity that we earn
through good reviews, excellent contents etc.
• Paid media means we pay the third party for advertising our firm and products.
• It is also said to be bought media.
• It can be print paid media, broadcast paid media and internet paid media.
 • As compared to print and broadcast paid media, internet paid media is more commonly used in this
technological world. It is the modern form of paid media.
• It helps in reaching your audience easily and on a larger scale. It increases online visibility and gives the
much-needed exposure.
• Modern businesses use paid media for generating leads and increasing revenue. Branding is another
reason.
• Various types of paid media are used today. For example, you can pay for Facebook ads and increase the
number of people visiting your pages/sites etc. Similarly, you can have Instagram ads and promote tweets
on twitter etc.
• Helps in both B2B and B2C consultancy.
• A number of paid media marketing service agencies have started for providing the assistance in strategies
that can be used.
• Paid media is said to be a flexible option as tailor-made requirements are fulfilled according to the budget of
the user.
Tools used
• Making use of search engines like Google Adwords
• Search Engine optimization and Pay-per-click campaigns are another methods.
• Using social media is the new trend. Facebook ads, Instagram ads, Linkedin, sponsored ads, promoted
tweets, Youtube etc. are actively used as a form of paid media.
• Content discovery tools are used. For example Swayy, Reddit, Outbrain etc. These tools help people
discover content that is relevant to them.
• For Print and broadcast media, the business houses can buy space for advertisements.
Problems
• Often the users of paid media do not understand how much advertisement is enough advertisement. If the
display ads, for example, are too frequent then there are chances of them being ignored because that can
irritate the customers.
• Consumers sometimes also use Adblockers.
• The competition has increased because of increasing use of paid media. The number of advertisers is
increasing rapidly.
• The users focus more on paid media and do not realize that it is the mix of all three media that is earned,
owned and paid media that is necessary for the best marketing.
• Not all business houses are able to use paid forms of media as it requires investment and personnel for
handling paid media.
Conclusion
Paid media is an option open and available to every individual and organization today. Everybody is aware of the
power of paid media. What matters is how is it used and what strategies are adopted. Research well and implement
your plans accordingly.
Police Duties
Quick Points to Remember
• Policing is a 24*7 Job
• Maintenance of law and order, peace, security etc.
• Some special duties based on ranks
• Separate legislation for states
Introduction
Police officers are government-appointed entities and are representatives of the government. Policing is a never-
ending job. Police officers have to be alert all the time. For example, Assistant Superintendent, sub-divisional police
officer, DG, IG, DGP etc. Higher the rank, the more the duties. A Police officer in any country is responsible for
maintenance of peace, security of citizens and enforcement of the law.
Key Points
• Every police officer has varied duties and powers.
• The police is responsible for overall civil administration.
• They risk their lives for our safety and security. Sometimes the duties are to be performed 24*7.
• In India, we have three All India Services and Indian Police Service (IPS) is one of them. Moreover, it is The
Police Act, 1861 that regulates the police in India. Every state has different legislation for police officers.
• There are different ranks and the duties are set according to the rank of the officer.
Police duties in India
• The IPS officers in India are selected through the IPS exam conducted by
UPSC. The police officers wear ‘khaki’ uniform and sometimes in case of special investigation cases, they
may roam about without any uniform.
• Indian police is responsible for the following:
• Maintenance of law and order.
• Protect life, liberty, and rights of citizens and make them feel secure.
• Prevent any kind of criminal activity in the society and in case of any crime, the police is responsible for the
investigation of such crimes. The officers for this, have to be aware of the provisions of Indian Penal Code.
• File First Information reports in case of any offense being reported.
• Reach the place of the crime scene on time.
• Resolve any kind of conflicts and ensure that there is no chaos.
• Arrest people committing crimes.
 • Prevent any kind of harassment and exploitation of women, children and poor.
• Submit any kind of intelligence report if required.
• Maintain proper records.
• The police have special duties during elections, rallies, any public procession etc.
• Sometimes there are emergency duties for example during disaster management situations etc.
Special Duties
• We have specially trained officers as well that assist Indian Army in national emergency situations.
• The IPS officers also act as commanders of security agencies.
• IPS officers command and train other police officers.
• VIP security is the responsibility of the police.
Problems
• In India one of the problems in the police department is corrupt. Often the officers take bribes and leave the
criminals or dismiss the case.
• There is partiality with VIP criminals.
• Timeliness of reporting is another issue. The police in India often reaches late on the crime scene.
• The police officers often speak rudely or even hit the poor people. Sadly, in India, people are scared of the
police instead of feeling safe with them.
• It is often seen that the officers are not physically fit. Physical fitness is very necessary for an officer
considering his job.
Conclusion
Some police reforms are required in the country but at the same time, we should not forget to thank police officers for
their service to the society. They work dedicatedly for the citizens and even risk their lives. We sleep peacefully
because we know police is there to help and protect us.

Role of India in United Nations

Quick Points to Remember
• UN peacekeeping organization
• India one of founding members
• Active contribution in peacekeeping operations
• Fight against racial discrimination, colonialism, apartheid etc.
• Women officers for peacekeeping operations
Introduction
The United Nations is a peacekeeping global organization and was formed in October 1945. It was formed so that no
world war takes place or no such situation of destruction arises. India is said to be one of the founding members of
United Nations and participated in the declaration signed in 1945. India actively supports the UN in all its missions
and operations. So we are a proud member of the UN spreading peace across the world.
Key Points
• The United Nations has 193 states as its members.
• India is said to be one of the original members that strongly supports the peacekeeping efforts of United
Nations.
• The country has participated in international reforms and has also received assistance from United Nations
whenever required.
• India is a part of the G-4 and G-77 nations at the UN.
• The United Nations has often honoured the Indian peacekeepers for their sacrifices.
• However, India is not a permanent member of the UN. The five permanent members are China, Russia,
France, UK, and the US. These big five or permanent five have veto powers which India does not have.
Role of India in United Nations
• India participates in discussions of national and international importance. It takes part in various
conferences and declarations.
• In 2014, UN peacekeeping missions India was the third largest troop contributor. 7860 people were
deployed from India. These figures are just for one mission. More than 2 lac troops have been contributed
by India for various missions of the UN.
• In a fight against colonialism, India played an active role in the Non-Aligned Movement
• India raised the issue of Apartheid and racial discrimination in the UN and fought against these issues.
• India has always supported the principals and purposes of the United Nations. Despite having nuclear
weapons, India supported the United Nations call for nuclear disarmament.
• India has been an active contributor of funds to the UN.
• India assisted in estimating ODA (Official development assistance) figures for the United Nations.
• India is also training the peacekeepers of 85 countries.
• India has proudly been the first country to send women officers for peacekeeping operations
• India also drafted a Comprehensive Convention on International terrorism so as to deal with the problems
of terrorism.
• Indian armed forces have been deployed during the Korean war and peacekeeping operations in Congo,
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia etc.
• More than a hundred soldiers have given up their lives for the UN peacekeeping duty.
• India has always raised a voice wherever a need for reforms was felt. For example, India formed the G-4
along with Brazil, Japan, and Germany for demanding UNSC reforms.
Conclusion
Indian constitution and Indian values have always supported peacekeeping. This is one of the major reasons for India
being an active participant of the United Nations.
Even the United Nations realizes the contribution and importance of India as its member and has appreciated Indian
efforts in the UN missions and operations.
Thus, India is a proud member of the global peacekeeping organisation.

Use of Technology in Agriculture

Quick points to Remember
• Agriculture is an important sector of the economy
• Employs about half the population
• New technologies have transformed agriculture
• Mowers, drip irrigation, robots etc.
Introduction
Agriculture is said to be the backbone of Indian economy. It is a primary sector and employs half the population. Gone
are the days where everything had to be done by labour in agriculture. Technology has changed our lives and the
agriculture sector is not untouched. Technology has changed the way agriculture is done in India.
Key Points
• Today we have higher crop productivity, fewer crop failures, less use of chemicals for crops etc because of
use of technology in agriculture.
• Robots, moisture sensors, GPS technology etc. are various kinds of technologies that have made their way
in agriculture.
• Greater efficiency, low prices, and less labour work is possible through the use of technology.
• Technology is used for both the purposes that is for producing agricultural output and for marketing the
output and realizing good prices.
• Today, unlike traditional agriculture, the farmers make use of machines for sowing seeds, sprinklers and
other machines for irrigation, tractors and other forms of transportation, machines for harvesting etc. This
has changed how farming is done in the modern world.
• There are some indirect technological facilities that have aided agricultural growth. For example, we have
cooling facilities for storing perishable crops, development of animal feeds, genetic production of plants etc.
Use of technology in agriculture in India
• In India, farm mechanization has been taking place rapidly. Farmers in India make use of steam ploughs,
harrows etc for clearing the ground, reapers, mowers etc, for gathering crops, corn shellers, incubators etc
and other miscellaneous machinery that assist them and thereby makes their life simpler.
• Monsoons are unpredictable in India. For a number of years, farmers have suffered because of less rainfall.
But today we have treadle pumps, drip irrigation facilities etc. for proper irrigation of crops.
• There is a use of biotechnology and genetic engineering which has improved quality of crops and new
genetically produced crops have come into the picture.
• A number of apps for helping the farmers across the country have been developed. For example, an app
Mandi Trades helps farmers to sell their products to local buyers. Similarly, AgriApp takes us to all
agricultural apps, horticultural apps etc on one-click.
New Innovations
• Today we have supply chain models like Farmery, Puralite etc for dairy and horticulture products.
• Drones, robots, GPS technology are the future of Indian agriculture.
• A number of start-ups have come up with new innovations in India. For example, Barrix Agro sciences has
developed eco-friendly crop protection methods like fly pest sticky sheets, fly lures and traps etc. Another
start-up MITRA in Nashik has developed air blast sprayers and other products for mechanization of farms.

Problems
The Indian farmer is still not aware of the technologies that have been developed.
The farmers are illiterate and it becomes difficult to understand the use of technology.
Moreover, the farmers are poor and cannot afford modern means. So we have the existence of both traditional and
modern sector in Indian agriculture. Conclusion
It is said that by 2050, the population of the world will reach 9 billion people and that means the demand for food is
only going to increase. We need improved techniques in agriculture to improve and increase productivity.
In India, the government is although focusing on the agriculture sector but there is a dualism in India. We still have
farmers who are dependent on traditional methods that create this dualism.
We still have a long way to go. But we are only going further!

Chinese goods impact on India

Quick points to remember
• Indian market is flooded with Chinese goods
• Toys, crackers, electronics etc
• Cheap products, bulk availability
• Adverse impact on Indian domestic markets
Introduction
The Diwali lights with which you are decorating your homes may be Chinese. The toys your children play with may
have a made in china sticker behind! The dragon country has become an indispensable part of our lives indirectly. We
all somehow use Chinese products knowingly or unknowingly because India is flooded with Chinese products.

Key Points
• The Indian market is full of Chinese goods today. Toys, gadgets, crackers everywhere we find Chinese
goods more than domestic brands.
 • Most of the products you pick up from the market have made in China instead of made in India label.
• People prefer buying chinese goods because they are easily available at low rates. It is said that the
difference in prices of Indian and Chinese goods ranges from 10 to 70 percent. This is a huge difference.
• However, Boycott chinese products slogan had recently become popular on the internet due to the conflicts
with China.
The adverse effect
• Chinese goods are of poor quality and the durability of the products is really low. For example, the Chinese
crackers use sulphur as against nitrate used
in Indian crackers. Sulphate is dangerous but because of low prices and lack of awareness people prefer
buying Chinese crackers
• The domestic industry is badly affected by the presence of Chinese goods market on a large scale. The
international outflow of capital has increased.
• China has the largest toy market in the world and finds a huge market for its toys in India as well. As a
result, a number of Indian toy companies are shutting down
• The export policies of China are very simple and this leads to increase in the consumption of Chinese
goods.
• The dealers get huge margins and profits from Chinese goods because of low costs and hence prefer
selling Chinese goods instead of Indian goods.
• The strategy that China has adopted is called dumping. They are using Indian markets to dump their
excess production. We get obsolete technologies from the Chinese markets.
• In India, it is the small-scale market that gets affected the most. Many small-scale industries have shut
down because of the market dominance of Chinese products.
• One of the serious problems is that if India completely boycotts Chinese products, the same will be done by
China and the Indian economy will lose a good share of the market. So no such decisions in haste can be
taken.
What can be done?
• Some reforms should be initiated so that the Indian products give an equal competition to Chinese products
and people start shifting their demands.
• Economies of large scale should be reaped so as to lower the cost of production.
• Awareness should be spread among the people about the quality that Indian products offer.
Conclusion
The prime minister’s Make in India mission is going a long way to expand the Indian product market and will help in
more and more of import substitution in the coming future. The Indian population should also realize the impact of
Chinese goods on the Indian market and should try to buy domestic brands as much as possible.

Cosmetics, a new rage

Quick points to remember
• Cosmetic industry grew rapidly.
• Global cosmetic industry worth us $ 20 billion
• Chemicals, side effects etc.
• Indian cosmetic industry to reach US $ 35 billion by 2035
Introduction
Everybody today wants to look beautiful and in fact do anything to look beautiful. They want to look the best in their
pictures. And so cosmetics have become people's best friends today. The average expenditure per person on
cosmetics is growing continuously across the world. Cosmetics are a new rage!
Key points
• The internet, television and the cinema have left indelible impacts on the minds of people about the
importance of good looks and have increased the demand for cosmetics
• Fashion blogs and television advertisements constantly update the people about new cosmetics. Even
teenagers today use cosmetics while going to their schools and colleges and have made it a part of their
routines.
• On the global level, the cosmetics industry is of worth 20 billion U.S. dollars. It is one of the fastest growing
industries.
• Europe is said to be a leader in cosmetics.
• A number of multinational companies are ruling the cosmetic industry.
• Loreal, P&G, Unilever, Lakme, mac etc are some of the big time in the industry
• Skin care, body care, hair care etc cosmetics are available for men and women for every need. From
sensitive skin to normal skin to dry skin, they have all kinds of variants and thus the industry is expanding
vigorously.
• Shampoos, conditioners, sun protectors, lotions, lipsticks, creams etc have today become a part and parcel
of the people's routine.
• A number of chemicals are used in these products to show instant results to people.
• However, with increasing awareness, a number of Ayurvedic and herbal products have come in fashion.
• Many of the products are tested on animals and that is an important issue. How can we harm the innocent
ones for using products for ourself.

The Indian cosmetic industry

 • The Indian cosmetics industry is constantly evolving and the CAGR is expected to be 6% in the next 5
years.
• According to a survey, the Indian cosmetic industry will reach the US $ 35 billion by 2035.
• Due to increasing consciousness for herbal products, the Indian brands like Dabur, Himalaya etc expected
to grow at 12 %.
• The cosmetic industry once earned its major revenue from women but today men's cosmetics are also
gaining popularity and in the last 5 years has shown a growth of more than 42%
The side effects
• According to a survey, women expose themselves to 168 chemical ingredients every day by using
cosmetics which are harming them knowingly or unknowingly.
• Using a number of hair products leads to damaged and dry hair. Hairfall problems increase after use of
such products.
• Prolonged use of makeup damages the skin with acne, dark circles and even starts making you look
mature.
• Chemicals like zinc oxide, barium sulphates etc contained in products can lead to organ failures.
• Some body oils and bubble soaps have chemicals that can damage the reproductive parts of the body.
• Skin allergies, rashes, eye problems etc are other harmful effects.
• Moreover, people start feeling incomplete without these products and do not accept their natural selves.
Conclusion
Excess of everything is bad. There are people who do not feel confident if they are not wearing makeup or cannot go
out with their natural bare faces. In this filtered world, do not depend on some products for your confidence and do
not lose your originality. Natural is attractive. Use cosmetics with care and only when necessary.

Evolution in Telecommunication
Quick points to remember
• 1876 –telephone discovered
• Sms, email, 2G, 3G, wireless technologies and so on
• In India, the telecommunication sector saw growth after 1990’s
• e-governance, digital India made possible
• Internet of things, artificial intelligence etc are the future
Introduction
One sector that has seen the most noteworthy reforms is telecommunication. From landlines to smartphones and IoT
(Internet of things), the evolution in telecommunication has revolutionized the world.
Key Points
• The telephone was discovered in 1876 by Grahambell.
• Then came the first dial phone in 1891.
• The email message came in 1971 and the first mobile phone was introduced by Martin Cooper in 1973.
• 2G-Second generation technology was introduced in 1991 and 1992 saw the advent of SMS messages.
• After 2000, the telecommunication industry started revolutionizing rapidly. From 2G to 3G and 4G, wifi,
wireless technologies, internet of things etc, the technological innovations changed the way of
communication.
Evolution of telecommunication in India
• India has the second largest telecommunication network in the world. The growth of telecom industry in
India began after 1990’s and it is only growing faster since then. Liberalisation and privatization of telecom
sector acted as a catalyst for growth.
• In India, the evolution started with the introduction of the telegraph in 1850.
• In 1933, radiotelephone system was inaugurated between UK and India.
• The first STD call was made between Kanpur and Lucknow in 1960.
• 1980 saw the first satellite Earth Station at Sikanderabad
• The mobile telephone service and pagers successfully entered India in 1984.
• In 1995, India shook hands with the Internet.
• One of the important years for telecommunication in India was 1997 as the government set up the
Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
• Bsnl declared 2007 as the broadband year of India and in 2008 India saw the 3G arena.
• India uses both Global system for mobile communication (GSM) and code-division multiple access (CDMA)
technologies.
• The user base in India is constantly increasing. There were 324.89 million users of the Internet in India in
2017. With coming up of Jio in India, 4G data accessibility and coverage have increased in India. Mobile
tariffs have dropped down considerably and as a result of this 85% of the population of India is said to be
covered by 2018 for using the internet.
• The Prime minister has a vision of digital India and the revolutions in the telecommunication sector are only
going to make this possible.
• The modern telecommunication technologies in India have made e-governance and education of masses
possible.
 • But at the same time, there are some bottlenecks. We have 4G in India but we do not enjoy actual ‘4G
speeds’. While other countries are planning for 5G, we still do not have adequate infrastructure for proper
4G. India still has a long way to go.
Future expectations
• It is expected that about 3 lakh crores shall be invested in the telecommunication sector in India for
expansion and growth purposes.
• 5G is expected to enter India in 2018.
• Internet of Things, drones, robots, artificial intelligence is the future of the industry.
• Satellite phone services during traveling by air shall be made possible.
Conclusion
So the telecommunication sector has seen a remarkable evolution and revolution and has changed the way of our
lives. Everything today is possible with a click and touch. Thanks to the telecom sector!

India’s role in World Forum

Quick Points to Remember
• Founded in 1971
• Non-profit organisation
• Addresses global issues
• India plays an important role, industrial changes across the world.
Introduction
The World Economic forum is an organisation that has took an initiative to discuss and solve global issues through
public and private cooperation in this world full of competition. It has various concerns listed on its agenda and is
contributing its best efforts to the world.
Key Points
• The world economic forum is a nonprofit organization and was founded in 1971 in Switzerland.
• Currently the president f the forum is Borge Brende.
• Various big time people from a number of spheres attend the annual meetings of the forum.
• A number of issues that are of importance at the global level are discussed in these meetings.
• The forum also conducts research activities and launches a number of projects to deal with the major
issues.
• Initiatives and programmes to be undertaken are then decided accordingly.
India’s Role
• India plays an important role in the world forum and is believed to be a partner of the forum in making
industrial changes in the world. Its relations with the
forum has been for more than three decades and the participation has only been increasing.
• Gender equality, jobs, climate changes, economic changes etc are some of the topics that have been a
part of the discussion at the forum and India has contributed its best participation on these discussions.
• In the 2018 annual meeting at Davos Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with 100 delegates attended the
4-day event. He in fact delivered a speech at the plenary session and discussed India's role in the world.
• India has given yoga to the world. A yoga training session was also held at the World Economic Forum in
Davos.
• Various issues like terrorism, cyber threats etc were also addressed by the Prime Minister in the meeting.
• India has also taken an initiative to deal with climatic issues in the world. The Paris climate deal is a
commitment by India to take steps for saving the world from adverse climatic changes.
• Klaus Schwab who is the founder and chief executive of the forum sees potential in India to make its impact
on the world through new innovations and entrepreneurship.
• Indian economy is an important economy from the world point of view as well and is considered to impact
changes in the world economy
• The officials also believe that India is going to play a key role in the world’s fourth industrial revolution
involving artificial intelligence, robots etc, with the human assets it possesses.
• The WEF along with the government of India has entered into a partnership for setting up the centre for the
fourth industrial revolution in Mumbai.
Conclusion
India has always stepped forward whenever needed. The vision and missions set by the country are always decided
keeping in mind the impact on the world as a whole. Every Indian is proud of the role India plays in World economic
forum and the contribution it makes for the world.
Industrialisation
Quick Points to Remember
• A transition from agriculture to industry
• Industrialisation began in 18th & 19th century
• In India industrial policies after independence
• Small-scale industries, FDI in industries, Special Economic Zones
Introduction
As an economy develops, there is a shift from agriculture sector to the industrial sector. This is called industrialization.
This sectoral change marks the beginning of progress for the economy. With industrialization, more consumer goods
and capital goods are produced in the economy which improves both consumption and production.
Key Points
• Shift from primary sector to secondary sector is industrialization.
• It is crucial for growth and development of the economy and for making it independent.
 • Industrialisation began in 18th and 19th centuries in countries like Europe and North America.
• It involves setting up of a number of factories which means employment opportunities increase for both
skilled and unskilled labour.
• Training and skill development programmes come as a perk.
• Both capital goods industries and consumer goods industries are set up.
• Industrialisation requires a good investment in social overheads like the building of adequate infrastructure,
roads, bridges etc. So the country is also benefitted with these investments that come along.
• Moreover, agriculture and industry are complementary to each other. With industrialization, the agricultural
sector also benefits.
• The standard of living of people improves and a wider choice of goods is made available.
• The population starts migrating from rural areas to urban areas with industrialization.
• With industrialization, there can be import substitution that is goods which need to be imported can be
produced in the home country. The exports can also increase thereby increasing the foreign exchange.
Industrialisation in India
• In India, the focus on industrialization came after independence. The Industrial policy was developed in
1948. Both public and private sector played an important role at that time. There was a classification of
industries based on various grounds. There were norms for industrial licensing.
• It is only with the coming up of 1991 Industrial policy that there was an abolition of industrial licensing and
liberalization of industries. This accelerated the growth of industries in India.
• In India, there are a number of small-scale and micro and medium enterprises as well. The government
provides a number of benefits, tax concessions etc. to encourage setting up of more such industries.
• The industrial sector in India contributes about 30% to GDP.
• New initiatives involve permitting Foreign Direct Investment in the industrial sector to take advantage of
additional resources and better technologies. In some sectors, even 100% foreign equity participation has
been permitted.
• Special Economic Zones have been set up with relaxed rules to encourage setting up of more and more
industries.
• Major industries in India are textile industries, food-processing, chemical, cement, steel etc.
• There have been some negative impacts as well, of industrialization in India. For example, with
industrialization, the age-old cottage industries declined. Pollution and other environmental problems are
also a concern.
• Industrialisation in India has been slow because of bottlenecks. These include lack of adequate capital,
improper infrastructure, lack of skilled labour etc.
Conclusion
It is only with the advent of industrialization that economy starts moving forward towards the goal of self-sufficiency.
Industrialisation gives the much-needed kick-start to the economy. The government should keep making the much-
needed reforms in industrial policies so as to keep the pace of industrialization smooth in the country.
ISIS
Quick points to Remember
• Jihadist group
• Islamic state of Syria and Iraq
• Al-Qaeda ideology
• Aim to establish the caliphate across the world.
• 143 attacks in 29 countries.
• Airstrikes by USA and other countries.
Introduction
Today, a number of groups and organisations are spreading violence in the world in the name of religion. ISIS is one
such Jihadist groups. But unlike other such organisations, ISIS is a serious concern and a crucial matter as far as
world peace is concerned.
Key Points
• Isis is the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria
• It is a militant organisation and is also known as the Islamic state
• The former Al-Qaeda's members are the people behind the ideology and Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi is said to
be the main person behind the ideology.
• The USA interference in Iraq led to the uprising of the militant group
• The militant ideologies can be traced back to 2006 but the official isis name was given by AQI in 2013
• The name was again changed to the Islamic state in 2014 with Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as the caliph
Issues
• The isis wants a worldwide Islamic state and power. They do not support democracy and want the world to
be ruled by the caliph. This is what they call as the goal of establishment of the caliphate
• Isis is now said to be present in countries other than Iraq and Syria as well like Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt etc.
• Shia and Sunni Islam are two important beliefs of Islam and the isis members are followers of the Sunni
Islam. They are strongly against the Shia believers.
• The united nations have declared it as a terrorist organization as it is engaged in violent activities
• Several citizens, journalists, workers, and soldiers have been killed by the group. Spreading fear among the
people is their strategy. They have released videos of their violent activities on youtube. Apart from
bombings and murders, the group has also destroyed property and monuments.
 • The ISIS funds itself by selling oil, electricity etc and through other illegal activities. It enables the
organisation to have the required weapons and arms ammunition. The organisation is said to be the richest
terrorist organisation in the world.
• The ISIS has attacked 29 countries and killed more than 2000 people with 143 attacks. Paris attacks,
Brussels attack, Manchester attacks are some of the recent ones.
• The ISIS has claimed credit for a number of attacks and yet the countries are helpless.
What has the USA and other countries done against ISIS?
• The world is against the ISIS.
• The United States and other countries have often targeted the ISIS through air strikes. More than 8000
airstrikes have been made by USA itself. A number of bombings and other special operations have also
been conducted.
• More than 1500 airstrikes have been made by other countries like Belgium, France, Jordan etc.
• The USA conducts airstrikes through CENTRAL COMMAND.
Conclusion
The United Nations and various countries of the world should join hands to find out a solution or come up with some
kind of agreements with the ISIS to stop the violence that is being spread. Humanity is everybody’s religion and only
humanity should be practiced throughout the world!

National integration
Quick Points to Remember
• Feeling of togetherness within a country
• Removing any kind of inequalities or differences
• 19 November National Integration day
• In 1961, National integration council of India was formed
• Psychological concept
Introduction
National integration is the feeling of unitedness irrespective of the caste, color, creed etc. It highlights how important is
to maintain unity at the national level and how powerful such integration can prove to be.
Key Points
• National integration aims at reducing any kind of socio-economic differences or inequalities from the minds
of people.
• In a diverse country like India where people come from different spheres, religions, and races, national
integration is important for moving forward and progressing. It is only after the people unite that the
developmental activities will show the desired results.
• The national integration day is celebrated every year on 19th November to spread awareness among the
people about its importance and power.
• When people maintain the spirit of unity, they work together for the betterment of the country. They keep
the interest of the country as supreme, over their individual interests.
• National integration has further dimensions like social integration, economic integration, political integration,
cultural integration etc.
National integration in India
• India is said to achieve its independence because of its unity. The constitution of India promises equality of
all and so it must be practiced. Any form of discrimination ruins the spirit of National Integration.
• The preamble of the constitution of India talks about the ‘unity and integrity’ of the nation.
• National integration was considered important for India from the time of independence because of the
presence of diversity. Many states wanted to be separate.
• So, In 1961, the first National Integration Council of India was formed by the then prime minister Jawaharlal
Nehru. The council looks into matters of communalism, differences based on religion etc. It was
reconstituted in 2005 with 103 members.
• But even then, there have been violence and conflicts in the name of religion, communal violence, linguistic
hysteria etc. Sadly, religion or languages unite people but only people belonging to the same religion and
make them against other religions. This disturbs the peace of the country.
How can national integration be promoted?
• Right from the early school days, children should be taught about the importance of national integration.
Topics relating to national integration should be discussed often.
• Events and programmes for promoting the spirit of national integration can be conducted in societies or at
the state level even at the national level.
• Campaigns may be initiated by some government or non-government organizations.
• The leaders of the country should talk about national integration rather than secure their vote banks in the
name of caste or religion. Good leaders make good countries.
Conclusion
National integration is a positive spirit that is indispensable for progress and growth of the individuals as well as the
country. It should always be collective interest instead over individual interest. It is a psychological concept that we
need to realize in order to take the country forward!

Naxalism
Quick points to Remember
• Supporter of Maoist ideology
• Serious threat to the country
 • Violent activities in various states- Red Corridor areas
• In 2009, Naxal movements in ten states
• Hundreds of officers killed during encounters
Introduction
Naxalism is an ideology that gave rise to the Naxalite movement and the Naxalites. According to the Naxals, it is
violence that can give them their rights and justice. It has now become a terrorist movement and is a serious area of
concern.
Key Points
• It is a community representing a particular type of ideology
• Supports Maoist ideas
• The Naxal movement began first in West Bengal and is in fact named after a village Naxalbari in West
Bengal.
• Communist Party of India (Maoist) is a Naxalite community in India
• Naxalism has now spread in various areas of the country and it is expected that if the movements don’t
stop, it can even reach the capital city and other NCR’s.
• In India, states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh etc are declared as red corridor areas as they experience the
maximum Naxalite violence activities.
• In July 1971 Indira Gandhi launched the ‘operation steeplechase’ to kill
Naxalites.
Recent Issues
• While in power, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh declared Naxalite groups to be a serious
threat to the country.
• An integrated national plan was initiated by the central government of India in 2009 to deal with the
Naxalites.
• In 2009, the Naxalite communities were active in 10 states of India.
• In 2010, there was an attack by 1000 Naxalites and 76 security personnel were killed.
• Hundreds of officers have laid down their lives while encounters with Naxalites.
• In April 2017, 25 Crpf officers were killed in Chattisgarh encounter.
• In the states where Naxalism is widely spread, the people support the ideology. In a survey, it was reported
that 58% of people in Andhra Pradesh support the violent strategies.
How it all began in India
• In India People’s war group (PWG) was founded in 1980 in Andhra Pradesh for standing up for the
peasants of India.
• In 2001 PWG was banned in India but it didn’t stop the violent activities.
• In 2004, it joined hands with Maoist Communist center of India and this merger gave birth to the
Communist Party of India- Maoist.
Reasons for Naxalite movement
• In India, although indiscrimination is preached and fundamental rights are ensured, yet the tribal people
of India always felt alienated and nothing recognizable has been done for their upliftment and
empowerment.
• The discrimination led to the formation of Naxalite groups so that they can fight for their rights.
• Dalits and Adivasis are supporters of the movement because they believe that justice has been denied
to them.
• Poverty, unemployment and caste discrimination are said to be the main reasons for the uprising of
Naxalites.
What can be done?
• The growth of Naxalite activities needs to be checked to make the country secure and free from terrorist
movements.
• The affected areas should be addressed and ensured justice and equality.
• Spread of education and awareness are the need of the hour.
• Development of social overheads and infrastructure is required for development and
removing of disparities.
• Tribal empowerment plans should be brought up.
• Employment opportunities should be generated.
• Peace talks and agreements should be entered into.
Conclusion
The Naxalite movements are a hindrance to the growth of the country and need to be dealt with urgently. Removing
of inequalities will not only make these groups feel empowered but will also increase the security of the country.

Power and Politics

Quick Points to Remember
• Personal power and power acquired through position
• Can be used for politics
• Affects behaviour of people
• Can be used positively as well
Introduction
Power is having the ability to affect others directly or indirectly. With power comes great responsibility. It is important
how power is used. When it is used for politics, it turns into a negative energy.
Key Points
 • Power can be personal power or power acquired through a position.
• Personal power can be power to influence and persuade others, or powers because of personal resources
and finances. It can also come when the person possesses some extra and outstanding knowledge and
skills.
• Positional power is power acquired because of a title or status.
• People can use their power positively or negatively to affect others. For example, positional powers give
both reward powers and coercive powers and it is on the person holding the position to decide which power
is to be used.
• Power and politics can affect individuals, organisations, and country as a whole.
Power and politics in organisations
• People are often scared of politics at workplaces. They believe people at higher positions and a power try to
cheat them in one way or other.
• The extent of power and politics in an organisation affects the behaviour of employees and in the long run,
determines the success of the firm. It can affect the level of their job satisfaction , their morale, and their
productivity.
• In organisations, it is seen that people try to misuse their power acquired through position and manipulate
the employees in various ways.
• In offices, power can be used for politics in various ways like forming of groups, withholding important
information, passing wrong information , complaining , attacking etc.
• Convincing labourers to form unions , creating bottlenecks for somebody’s promotion etc are all forms of
office power and politics.
How can it be checked?
• Clear-cut policies and a well-defined chain of command for simple organisational structure.
• Flexibility in communication should be ensured and everybody should have a say in important decisions.
• The leaders should not engage in any kind of biased behaviour against employees.
• A system of checks and balances should be developed.
Power and politics in the country
• In every country, there are leaders that possess power. Again, some leaders use their power for the
development of the nation while others just use it for politics.
• Blaming other party leaders, indulging in corruption, harassment of people, influencing vote banks etc are
all forms of misuse of power for politics
How can power and politics be used effectively?
• Power and politics can be used positively as well to achieve the required goals.
• Use power and politics to achieve collective interests rather than individual interests.
• Make more use of rewarding power than coercive power. Positive motivation works more for people than
negative motivation.
• Influence and impact people, but in a positive way.
Conclusion
When you hold power you are at a prestigious place and you should make the best possible use of it. It feels good
when power is used to influence people in a positive way and to make a positive difference in their lives. So use your
power with responsibility, care, and caution.

United Nations Security Council

Quick points to Remember
• Formed in 1945
• Responsible for maintaining peacekeeping
• Legislative, executive and judiciary powers
• Passing resolutions, recommending members, initiating military actions
• Some failures
Introduction
The United Nations is a peacekeeping organisation and the United Nations security council is the principal authority
responsible for maintenance of world peace. It is said to be one of the six organs of the United Nations and in fact the
most important organ.
Key Points
• The security council was formed in 1945 and had its first session in January 1946.
• It looks into international agreements and sanctions, any military sanctions and other peacekeeping
operations.
• The security council has 15 members of which Russian Federation, United
Kingdom, France, People’s republic of China and USA are permanent members holding veto powers.
• The members are given presidency each month in turns. For example Poland for January, Russia for
February and so on.
• The president is responsible for setting agendas of the meeting and look into the crisis to be handled. The
president can issue statements and make declarations.
• The meetings of the UN security council are covered by press and media but
there are consultation rooms where only members are allowed.

• It is only after the sanction of the security council that United nations sends peacekeepers to the affected
countries.
 • The security council can have a number of subsidiary bodies to support its operations.
Powers and role
• The United Nations charter gives three types of powers to the security council that is legislative powers,
executive powers and judiciary powers.
• The security council passes a resolution for any peacekeeping mission and monitors the peacekeeping
mission.
• It gets periodic reports from the Secretary-General and decides how to proceed, accordingly,
• The decisions of the security council are binding on the members.
• Moreover, the security council can order for investigations in case any international threat is suspected.
• Military actions can be initiated by the security council wherever required.
• The security council can give recommendations for admission of new members, appointment of secretary
general and judges of the International Court of Justice.
Failures of the UN security council
• There have been cases where the council could not take immediate steps when required.
• In 1994, there was genocide in Rwanda, which killed a million people and the UN security council could do
nothing.
• The unsc failed to protect the civilians in Sri Lanka civil war. There are many such similar examples.
• It has been unable to prevent a number of conflicts and in fact, many of the members of the UNSC have
been found involved in these.
• The failure to end the Syrian war is one of the latest examples where UNSC could not take any immediate
steps.
• There have been a number of flawed resolutions from the UNSC.
• Corruption is another issue. It is said that UNSC does what the USA tells it to do. Thanks to corruption.
Conclusion
In the words of Barack Obama: “The UN security council is imperfect but is indispensable”. Thus the Security Council,
while conforming to the principles of the United Nations does its best for maintenance of peace across the world.

Capital Punishment
Quick Points to Remember
• Capital punishments for capital offenses
• Death Penalty
• Abolished in around 104 countries.
• Beheading, hanging, shooting etc methods used
• Controversial subject
Introduction
Capital punishment is a penalty whereby the government sanctions death of the one who commits a crime. It is only
the state that can authorize capital punishments. There are certain offenses for which capital punishments may be
declared.
Key points
• Capital Punishment is known as the death penalty.
• The offenses for which capital punishment is sanctioned by the state are known as capital offenses.
• Since it is not considered morally correct, the practice of capital punishments has been abolished in a
number of countries.
• There are both, supporters and critics of capital punishments. While the supporters believe it is necessary
to punish the criminals and create fear in the minds of other culprits, the critics consider it inhuman to have
capital punishments.
• Before capital punishment, appeals may be filed by the criminal.
• About 104 countries are said to be abolitionist countries that are those countries that have abolished capital
punishments while 54 countries are said to be Retentionist countries. The rest are abolitionist in practice.
• Michigan was the first country to abolish capital punishment in 1846.
• Some of the most developed countries practice capital punishments. These include USA, Japan, Russia
etc. Ironically, these countries are high on Human Development index!
• China is said to be the most active country to be practicing capital punishments.
Capital Punishments in India
In India, capital punishments have very rarely been practiced. The Indian Penal code provides for death penalties in
case of murders, waging war against the nation, dacoits etc. The manner, motive, magnitude of crime etc are all
considered before declaring execution of the criminal. However, the president of India has the power to give a respite
to the criminal from the death sentence. In 2015, the law commission of India suggested that it should be abolished
except for terrorism cases. Ranga Billa case, Laxman Nayak case, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi assassination
case, Yakub Menon case etc are the most significant cases in India where capital punishments were given.
Capital punishments have not been completely abolished in India. Recently, the Indian law approved death penalties
for people raping children below 12 years of age.
Types of capital punishments
While in the ancient period, when capital punishments were legal almost everywhere the methods involved crushing
by animals, burying alive, boiling to death etc. the recent and modern form of capital punishments include the
following
• Hanging: Used by India, Singapore etc.
• Shooting: Practiced by Russia, Indonesia etc.
• Electrocution: USA and Philippines have been said to use this method of death penalty
 • Lethal injections: USA, China etc. have used this method.
• Gas inhalation: USA and Lithuania have practiced this method.
• Beheading: This may involve the use of a sword like in Saudi Arabia.
Conclusion
Capital punishment has always been a topic of never-ending debate. It is believed that the crime rate does not
decrease with capital punishments, while the Retentionist countries deem it necessary for the culprits. In the recent
years, however, more number of countries are heading towards abolishing it and it is offered in the rarest of cases.

Division of states
Quick Points to remember
• Different states, diversity
• 1953, the division of states on the basis of language.
• 29 states in India
• Both supporters and opponents of the division of states
Introduction
India is said to be a diverse country. We presently have 29 states and 7 Union territories. However the number was
not 29 from the beginning. There has been a division of states and addition of new states. The states are further
divided into districts.
Key points
• The topic of the division of states was first discussed by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1953 where he suggested
division on the basis of language. So the state reorganisation act 1956 reorganised the states on linguistic
basis.
• The first states to be created on the basis of language were Andhra Pradesh Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu
• There have been a number of changes thereafter, like the Bombay reorganisation act 1960, the formation
of Nagaland in 1963, Punjab reorganisation act 1966 etc
• Chattisgarh, Uttranchal, Jharkhand were created in 2000
• New states have been added to the list by either splitting the existing states or by combining a number of
districts to form a new state.
• Ten districts of Andhra Pradesh were united to form a new state of Telangana in 2014.
• There have been both supporters and opponents of the idea of division of states
• The state governments handle the states for better administration.
• Sometimes, it is the districts that demand the status of a state for more access to resources, for recognition
of their community and for greater rights and powers.
The point of view of supporters of the division of states

• The supporters of the division of states believe that it divides the country into smaller and manageable
units.
• Better administration is possible and it becomes easier to identify the target areas to be worked upon.
• Delegation of duties becomes easier
• Proper allocation of funds and resources can be made. For example, Chattisgarh has seen development
after division.
• After division of states it becomes necessary to work on their connectivity, so there is development of
infrastructure.
• In the long run, even development throughout the country can be made possible.
The opponents point of view of the division of states

• The opponents believe that division of states disturbs the national unity and creates a psychological divide.
• The smaller states are overlooked.
• The dependency of the small states on the central government and larger states increase.
• Regional imbalances are created. For example, in India, the north-eastern states are less developed as
compared to the states in south India.
• One state may have the latest infrastructure and MNCs like Bangalore and another state may even lack
proper roads like Manipur.
• The politicians try to create differences in the minds of people for their vote banks.
Conclusion
The Indian states represent India’s diversity, culture, and traditions. The division of states has both pros and cons.
However, people should understand and respect different cultures, traditions, and languages.
Despite the division, the spirit of national integration should be maintained and all states should move hand in hand
for overall development of the country.

Indian defence budget

Quick points to Remember
• Strategically important sector
• The defence budget has increased recently
• India among top 5 defence spenders
• But lack of required equipment, infrastructure etc.
• Imports of arms
• FDI in defence
Introduction
The defence sector of the country is one of the most strategically significant sectors of the country. So it is important
that proper allocation of funds should be made for this sector. The proportion of the Union Budget of India that is
allocated for the armed forces and defence is said to be the Indian Defence budget.
Key points
• The Ministry of Defence is given budget allocations. A major part of it is for
India’s defence budget and the rest is for defence pensions and other miscellaneous allocations.
• In 2018, the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley allocated Rs 404365 crore for
Ministry of defence out of which Rs 279305 crore was for India’s defence budget.
• Army sector has the maximum allocation out of the total budget in 2018 followed by Indian Airforce and
Navy.
• In 2018, the hike in Indian defence budget was 7.8% from last year.
• India is said to be amongst the top five military spenders in the world.
• Connectivity infrastructure is being focussed upon. For example, recently the Rohtang tunnel has been
completed for weather connectivity to Ladakh regions.
• The modernization project expenditures have however been low.
Recent Issues and need of the hour
• There is lack of equipment and infrastructure with the defence sector. For example, the Indian Air force
does not have the required combat aircraft.
• Similarly, we do not have an adequate number of submarines, artillery etc.
• So many soldiers in India do not have bulletproof jackets and helmets.
• A large proportion of the defence budget of India goes towards payment of pensions and salaries and yet
the sad part is the pay scale is not enough!
• With the increase in the number of threats and changing environments, there is a need for modernization of
the defence sector and we lack the required capital expenditure for that. We need to be prepared for facing
even advanced countries like China.
• India is still an importer of a number of arms and ammunition. We need to increase the domestic production
of weapons and other hardware.
The Government initiative
The government has been increasing the budget allocation every year. It has also allowed private and foreign direct
investment in the defence sector.
The Make in India initiative has production if defence equipment as one of the major goals.
Conclusion
The Indian defence system is one of the bests in the world. It is important that the defence personnel get an
appropriate budget allocation and all the necessary equipment that makes them more efficient. The security
environment needs to get modernized from time to time and it is important that the Indian defence sector keeps at par
with the latest developments.
So the defence budget of India needs to be set with care and consideration to cope up with the changes around the
world.

Indo Myanmar relation

Quick Points to Remember
• Share 1600 km border
• Both countries are strategically important for each other
• Strained relationship for three decades between the 1960s and 1990s
• Improved relationships after 1990’s
• Narendra Modi’s visit in 2017, 11 agreements.

Introduction
Myanmar, which was previously known as Burma is a neighbouring country of India. India and Myanmar share a
border of 1600 km. The four states that share the boundary with Myanmar are Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram,
Nagaland and Manipur. It is important that we move towards greater integration with Myanmar and maintain healthy
relations.
Key Points
• India and Myanmar are historically and culturally related.
• Myanmar is the only ASEAN country that shares a border with India so both the countries hold strategic
importance for each other.
• The relations are important for Narendra Modi’s South and South-east Asian regional cooperation vision.
• The relations are important for the Bimstec: Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-sectoral technical and
economic cooperation which involves bringing 21% of the world’s population together with a GDP of 2.5
trillion dollars.
• China’s increased interference has also necessitated greater economic integration between the two
countries.
• In the early years India and Myanmar had close relations but since 1962 the relations got strained.
• The relationships again started to improve after the 1990’s.
Issues
• Both the countries have not fully realised the growth potentials.
• The trade proportion is limited between the two countries. In 2014-15, India’s exports to Myanmar were only
4.9% and imports were only 8.1 %
• The growth in bilateral trade was from 2.05 billion dollars in 2015-2016 to 2.18 billion dollars in 2016-2017
which shows how slow the pace of growth is.
 • China’s FDI in Myanmar has been 25 times more than India.
• The tourist visits and the connectivity between the two countries are limited. Only New Delhi and Kolkata
are connected through air to Myanmar.
• India has recently restricted imports of green gram, black gram and pigeon pea from Myanmar.
Initiatives
• In order to ensure free movement to residents living within the 16km border, the Union Cabinet has
approved an agreement to give border pass.
• The extension of air, land and sea routes are being worked upon.
• 2 billion dollars investment has been made by India in Myanmar for infrastructural development projects.
• Indian railways have given 18 diesel-electric locomotives to Myanmar railways.
• The three countries India, Myanmar, and Thailand are building the Asian trilateral highway connecting them
to ASEAN.
• A road-river port cargo project popularly known as the Kaladan project is set to be completed by 2020 and
will link Kolkata to Sittwe in Myanmar.
• In September 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Myanmar for discussing trade issues, Rohingya
issue, defence and security issues etc. 11 agreements were signed during the visit. This visit is said to be
the turning point of future relations.
• No cost visas for Myanmar citizens have been announced.
Conclusion
We all like to have good relations with our neighbours, don’t we? So it is important that India and Myanmar being
neighbouring concerns have healthy relations and strong socio-economic integration. The cooperation will be of
mutual benefit to both the countries in the long run.

Medical Science
Quick Points to Remember
▪ Medical science helps in allowing a person to get a thorough understanding about the disease before it
strikes them.
▪ Treatment processes has been made effective with the use of technology in medical field.
▪ Medical science is trying to give a new direction to the lives of people by encouraging them to take
care of their health.
▪ Diagnosis methods serves as an opportunity to the people to detect the stage of a disease and in most of the
cases an early detection have saved lives of patients.
▪ Medical science is perhaps responsible for increasing life expectancy.
With the help of medical science, we have understood anatomy of cells, body function and DNA.
Introduction:
If we look back to history we will find that how medical science has developed over the decade. There was a time
when thousands of people used to die of infectious disease. However, year 2009 has found a new breakthrough in
the approach towards infectious disease. Technological developments can be one of the major catalysts behind the
developments that are brought into medical science. If we try to find out the specific area whereby maximum
success has been achieved in medical field is, surgery. New milestones have been reached in surgery with the
introduction of robotic surgery.
Gone are those days when people used to move to abroad for treating certain diseases. Nowadays, revolutions are
made in Indian subcontinent and cleared the pioneer of robotic surgery Dr Naresh Trehan is its example. Innovation
seems to hold a monopoly over health care industry. The developments that are made in medical field ranges from
development of new drugs to changes made in the hospital infrastructure. Government seems to have understood
the relevance of healthcare industry and so it has been contributing huge revenues for the development of this
sector.
Quick facts
• Cancer is considered to be a non-curable disease. Nonetheless, researches have been conducted and
fruitful results have been found. Medical science has been able to gain success in protecting the lives of
lakhs of women suffering from cervical cancer. Biochemists as well as gynaecologist have detected that
HPV virus is the major cause of this cancer. Cyberknife technology can give respite to the cancer patients.
• Have you ever heard that type II diabetes can be cured through surgery? Yes, you have heard it right. The
use of Ileal transportation method for shortening of the intestinal tract that lies in between terminal ileum
and stomach has been developed to cure diabetes. It is a biochemical procedure that is known to increase
secretion of insulin amongst diabetic patients.
• Use of antibiotics led to the advent of an era whereby patients suffering from communicable disease can
get treatment options. Researchers are further trying their best to find out antiviral for treating AIDS.
• Heart disease is perhaps one of the most common types of health problems that have been taking the
lives of people every year. The coronary artery bypass grafting can well be called a new breakthrough for
those suffering from heart disease.
• Earlier no one could have thought that with the failure of an organ it can be transplanted with surgery.
Medical science has made this impossible thing possible. Nowadays, so many people are opting for organ
transplantation. It can well be said that this revolution is an amalgamation of immunology and surgery.
• For detecting any internal injuries physicians had to depend upon x-rays. However, with the use of
radiologic imaging is helping doctors to undertake a detailed study of internal system of human body.
Role played by technology in medical science
Information technology is known to have played a significant role in medical science. It has opened new avenues for
decision making, communication and information sharing. Nowadays, doctors can take consultation from experts via
Skype and thereby bringing a change in decision making. Patient care has reached new heights with the use of
information technology. EMRs are enabling health care providers to keep records of the patients.
 This in turn helps the doctor to understand the diagnosis or treatment requirement of the patients by just going
through their data. Computerised physician order entry mechanisms have assisted physicians to find out the drug
needs of the patients.
These computerised systems could provide a helping hand towards the patients by prescribing them the correct drug
dosages.
Communication was a major drawback in medical science in the past and with information technology
communication seems to have improved. The use of technology with science seems to provide solution to the
problems of so many people.
Conclusion
This study definitely has introduced you with the path breaking developments that are being made in the field of
medical science. Health of the people has been restored with the use of technology. More developments are knocking
at the door as the doctors and the researchers are trying to find out solutions to some diseases that still remain non-
curable.

NDRF
Quick points to Remember
• Constituted in 2006, under DMA,2005
• Force for Rescue and relief operations during disasters
• 12 battalions, 12 vulnerable locations
• Important rescue operations
• Problem of accommodation, equipment etc.
Introduction
Today, we are all vulnerable to natural and man-made disasters. So it is important that the country has an efficient
disaster management force.
In India the National Disaster Response Force is the force that handles special cases of disaster management.
Key Points
• National disaster response force is responsible for tackling a special disaster situation
• NDRF has been constituted in 2006 under the Disaster management act 2005
• The decision to constitute NDRF came after the Orissa super cyclone in 1999 and Gujarat earthquake in
2001.
• The headquarters of the force is at new Delhi
• It works under the NDMA national disaster management authority which is the apex authority for disaster
management in India
• NDRF is said to have well trained and experienced personnel that makes it the worlds most dedicated
force.
• It consists of border security force, central reserve police force etc personnel from the central armed forces
of police
• The head of NDRF known as the director general who is generally an IPS officer
• There are 12 battalions in the NDRF force with each battalion having around 1149 people. Initially, in 2006,
there were 8 battalions.
• By 2019, four new battalions are planned to be added as decided by the Director General Sanjay Kumar
• The battalions are spread among 12 vulnerable areas of the country
• Both man-made and natural disasters are handled by the force.
• The Indian Airforce airlifts the NDRF teams to the areas that are hit by disasters and require the force
immediately.
Locations
The 12 locations where the battalions are located are
Guwahati, Haringhata, Mundali, Arakkonam, Pune, Vadodara, Bhatinda,Ghaziabad, Patna, Vijayawada, Varanasi,
Doimukh
Important Rescue operations
• In 2008, during the Kosi floods, more than 1 lakh people were rescued by the force.
• In 2010, when a six-storey building collapsed at Karnataka, the NDRF rescued 20 victims that were
trapped.
• In 2014, during the Jammu and Kashmir floods, more than 50000 people were rescued and 80 tonnes of
relief material was distributed.
• In 2015, NDRF played an important role in rescue operations of the Nepal Earthquake.
Role of NDRF
• To act actively during disasters
• Rescue and relief operations
• Impart training and conduct regular mock drills
• Organise campaigns for public or even drills for the general public
The problems
• There are some problems which the force faces due to the paucity of funds.
• Some teams do not have permanent shelters
• Accommodation and lack of amenities are major problems
• Some required equipment is also unavailable with the teams.
• If the force is doing so much for the country and its citizens, it is the duty of the government to pay heed to
their needs
Conclusion
The NDRF has the best people in its team that try their best to rescue people during disasters. The authorities,
however, should take care of the requirements of the force and equip them with all that is necessary.

Organ donation
Quick points to Remember
• Organ donation is a noble act that saves lives
• Living donation, deceased donation
• Difference between demand and supply
• Foundations and organisation for getting registered.
Introduction
Organ donation means giving away an organ of your body to the needful for transplantation with both parties consent.
The organs may also be donated after death for research or transplantation.
The donation that is made after death may be decided by the donor in advance or may be decided by a close relative.
Key points to Remember
• Organ donations for transplantations help in saving many lives.
• Transplants may be of kidneys, liver, pancreas, heart etc.
• Some transplants can be done while the person is alive for example kidney transplant, while others are
done after the person has died like the heart transplant.
• There is a huge gap between the people donating organs and the people who need transplants. This
shortage is in fact on a global level. For example, more than 1 lac people in USA awaited transplants in
February 2018.
• A number of organisations have started registrations for the people who are willing to donate their organs.
These organisations keep in touch with the hospitals, save time and serve the needy. For example,
donatelife.org in India is an NGO with moto ‘Life shared life lived’ and is actively involved in getting
the donators registered and helping the ones who require these organs. A number of awareness programs
for organ donation are also run by the NGO.
Types of organ donation
• Living Donation: It is done when the person is alive. A number of medical tests may be conducted before
the process. For example, people with HIV cannot donate organs. The psychological preparedness of the
donor is also evaluated.
• Deceased Donation: In this case, the doctors first verify that the person is dead. Then a number of tests to
ensure that his/her organs can be used, are conducted. Finally, the organs are kept safely.
Process
• Firstly the potential donors are identified.
• Then their eligibility is tested through medical procedures.
• Next, the organs of the donor and the needy are matched.
• Finally, the organs are transplanted and there is follow up for recovery.
Organ donation in India
• While organ donation does save lives in India but there is a huge gap between the demand and supply of
organs.
• In India, around 5 lac people die every year because of non -availability of organs.
• If 2,20,000 people await kidney transplants only 15000 are able to get it done! So the ratio is that low.
• Mostly deceased donation is done because people neither have much willingness for living donations nor
do they have much faith in medical authorities in India.
• Organ black marketing is another harsh truth of India. It is illegal but around 10000 organs are traded
annually in India!
• A number of foundations are however being run in India to spread awareness and support organ donation.
Conclusion
There was a time when organ failures led to deaths and we were helpless. But today technology has made possible
organ transplants and saved a number of lives.
You too can get registered and donate organs. You can give somebody a second life! How does that feel?!

R & D in India

Quick Points to Remember

• R and D is necessary for economic growth
• India stands at 60th position in GII, 2017
• Highest R and D investments in IT sector
• Global innovation hub by 2020
• Still less proportion of GDP allocated.
Introduction
Every economy is dynamic and has changing needs according to the changes in environment. Innovations through
research and development are therefore indispensable for individuals as well as for the economy to move forward.
Many economists have emphasized the positive relation between R and D and growth of the economy. India has
brilliant human assets continuously engaged in research and development.
Key Points
• R & D can be for manufacturing industries or in the form of applied research
 • The costs of R & D are high and involve huge capital expenditures.
• In 2017 India held the 60th position in the Global Innovation Index. Thanks to the R 7 D in India.
• The department of Scientific and industrial research tells about the extent of R and D carried out in India.
• Among the countries that contribute the maximum to research, India stands second.
• Agriculture, Engineering, science, pharmaceuticals etc. are sectors with most extensive research and
development.
• By 2020, India is expected to become the Global Innovation hub.
• Status of R and D In India
• India has 27% of the Asia’s new innovation centers.
• The number of students enrolling for PhD is continuously increasing in India.
• Reliance, Samsung, Paytm etc are amongst the top innovators in India.
• The engineering R and D was US $ 22.3 Billion in 2016.
• More than 1000 enterprises have R and D centers in India.
• A number of Global companies have set up their R and D centers in India. For example Abbott, Unilever,
FireEye etc. These have worked on supply chains, packaging technologies etc.
• With the Make in India vision, a number of R 7 d centers have opened up in India.
• The highest number of R and D centers in India are in Bangalore because of more and more MNC’s in the
city. Bangalore accounts for 48% of the country’s centers.
• The IT sector R and D investments have been on top in India leaving behind even USA and Germany.

The Problem area

• The huge capital investments required are the bottleneck. The economic survey 2017-2018 said that only
06 to 0.7 percent of GDP have been allocated to R & D department in the last twenty years and this is a
hindrance.
• The expenditure on R and D is much less than other advancing nations like Germany, china etc.
• Indian firms have still not managed to reach the top 5 sectors of R and D.
• There is less private investment as compared to public investment in this sector.
Conclusion
India has become an attractive destination for R and D investments in the previous years. The government has
identified the need for increasing its efforts in the R & D sector and is going to increase the budget allocations.
R and D bring the future along. Continuous research and development will only push the Indian economy forward.

Sign Language

Quick Points to Remember

• The language of the specially challenged
• Gestures, body movements etc.
• Different sign languages for different countries.
• American sign language, British sign language etc.
• Three categories: deaf sign language, auxiliary sign language, and manually coded language
Introduction
Languages make it possible to communicate and express ourselves. There are around 6500 spoken languages in the
world.
Apart from the spoken languages, there is a language which is used by the specially challenged to exchange their
ideas. It is known as the sign language.
Key Points
• Sign languages emerged because the deaf, dumb or any other type of specially challenged people needed
to communicate. They communicate as efficiently as oral languages.
• Sign languages make use of facial expressions, hands, fingers or any other type of body movements.
• However, there is no formal written form of sign languages. Informal forms may be used.
• Some of the sign languages have acquired legal status while many of these are not yet legally recognized.
• The sign languages are different in different communities and countries. For example, the American Sign
Language is different from the Japanese sign language.
• Just like there are different spoken languages, hundreds of sign languages are said to be existing.
• French Sign language and Plains Indian Sign Language are said to be the early forms of sign languages.
• Nicaraguan Sign Language is said to be the recently originated sign language, coming into picture only 40
years ago.
• The Indo-Pakistani Sign Language is said to be the sign language of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
There are a number of books, websites, online courses and apps to learn the same.
• People around the world have started recognizing and understanding sign languages and so the disabled
do not feel isolated.
• There are in fact special dictionaries as well for sign languages. These are said to be complex languages.
• Sign languages may be independent and completely different from spoken languages.
• The grammar which may be used in sign language is different from spoken languages.
• Videos, animations, pictures, special classes and books can be used to learn sign languages.
The categories
There are three categories of sign languages
• Deaf sign languages which are used by deaf communities.
• Auxilliary sign languages. Auxillary means additional. So these are used in addition to the oral languages.
For example, signs used to make babies understand.
• Manually coded languages are the third category. Hand-mouth systems, finger spellings etc are included in
this category.
Types of Sign Languages
The main types of sign languages recognized are:
• American Sign Language.
• British Sign Language.
• Signed English.
• Sign Supported English
• International Sign
• Finger Spelling
• Padget Gorman Signed Speech
• Pidgin Signed Language
These languages have been identified in a broad sense. Apart from these, 300 sign languages are said to exist. But
there is no proper confirmation.
Conclusion
Communication is gap filler among the human beings. These have removed the inferiority complex amongst the
specially challenged. Had there been no sign languages, the disabled would have felt helpless.
So sign languages are a blessing in disguise for these communities are being increasingly recognized throughout the
world.

Student Union

Quick Points to Remember

• Student unions represent the students
• Formal or informal
• Leaders selected through voting
• Organising events, campaigns
• Sometimes dirty politics
Introduction
A student union is an organisation of students in schools colleges or universities. The purpose of the union maybe
student rights, representation, any kind of organisational activity or event etc These are said to be the voice of the
youth today.
Key points
• Students union may be formal or informal
• Informal cases it is constituted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the educational institution
• Informal unions may be formed by students independently.
• Generally, the head of the union is elected through voting by students. There may be different designations
like president vice president secretary etc.
• A number of council and committee meetings may be conducted.
• Students union may represent the students both in the educational institution and outside.
• Such unions teach the students, leadership skills, teamwork, organising, problem-solving and prioritizing
collective interest over individual interest.
• The student unions become a support for the management authorities of the educational institution and
assist them in carrying out the activities smoothly.

Role
• A number of events, annual functions, campaigns etc may also be organised by the student unions. These
practical experiences are useful in teaching management skills to the students.
• Problems related to admission of students, fees, infrastructure etc are handled by student unions.
• But again power and politics make their way in student unions as well.
•It is the duty of the union to ensure that there is no harassment, ragging or any other inappropriate
behaviour with the students.
• A proper budget may be decided by the union for various welfare activities.
Problems
• It is sometimes debated that student unions must be banned. The following are the reasons
• In order to become the union leader, many students adopt bad tactics and spoil the atmosphere.
• The quest for power often turn the potential leaders into criminals. There is a misuse of powers.
• Politics in student unions often leads to violent activities.
• A number of controversies have been reported in India involving students union. The JNU controversy is
one such example where the students protested against Afzal Guru hanging case.
But banning is not the solution. The loopholes should be worked upon.
Student unions in India
• In India, it is seen that student unions are backed by political parties.
 • Some of these are recognised at the national level. For example Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad, All India
students federation, Delhi University students union etc.
• There is also a National Student Union of India which is India’s as well as the world’s largest democratic
student union.
Conclusion
Students union play a very important role in maintaining a peaceful and positive atmosphere in the educational
institution and make the students feel secure. It gives them an opportunity to bring any kind of good change.
The objectives of the union should be well defined and the unions should only work for the betterment of students.
Who knows we get the future leaders from student unions!

Politics and Religion

Quick points to remember
● India is driven by the two pillars, Religion and politics while caste based politics is widely observed in India
● The religious beliefs especially expressed by the Hindutva movement strong has influenced the Indian
politics in the 20th century
● Many aspects like casteism and communalism in politics emerged during the British rule in India
● In particular, the Indian Councils Act 1909 established different Hindi and Muslim body of voters for
provisional councils was highly disruptive. This act multiplied the stress between Hindus and Muslims
● Due to increasing dominance faced by lower castes, certain provisions for affirmative action were
commenced by the Constitution of India
Introduction
Since the formation of the constitution and before, India has witnessed religion based discrimination in the political
area. In fact, a lot of states ruled by the BJP were forced for conversions and the party gained a lot of attention when
the leaders of the part asserted themselves to several religious issues and concerns.
A lot of political parties are accused of giving political support to some religious issues just to gain more votes of a
particular community. Both the famous parties of Indian Politics, BJP and Congress have been accused for hauling
religious issues in the political matters. In fact, communalism plays a huge part in framing the history of Indian politics.
As a result of Britain’s Divide and rule policy, India was partitioned into two nations, one with the Muslim majority-
Pakistan while another with the Hindu majority – India. Even after partition, India has witnessed lot of communal
issues due to its Muslim minority and Hindu Majority. However, Indian Republic is secular and doesn’t support any
specific religion.
Current scenario
Communal riots have been increasing after the independence and after the partition. The corrupt politics take the
advantage of this weakness of India citizens and give more fire to religious conflicts. However, if we consider the
Indian constitution, Freedom of religion is an important part of the constitution.
In 2013, in Muzaffarnagar city located in the state of Uttar Pradesh, some intense communal riots happened. Police
evacuated both, the Hindus and Muslim villagers where the attackers beat children and around 100 people were
killed. With this incident, the political parties and opposition parties blamed each other as a cause of violence. The
politicians of Samajwadi Party that gains more Muslim votes accused the BJP for contributing in the riots for gaining
more votes.
Quick facts about Politics and Religion
● Mahatma Gandhi, the non-violent leader of India, worked hard to put down the religions riots between
Hindu and Muslim in Bengal
● One of the major post-independence communal riots occurred on the Sikh partisans inside the Harmandir
Sahib that caused a lot of damage to the Gurudwara
● This attack caused hundreds of civilians and soldiers along with 250 militants
● In 1992, another major communal attack happened when the Babri mosque was demolished as a result of
the Ayodhya debate
● In 2002, Godhra Train Burning incident happened in which, 2000 Muslims were killed. This was too a
communal attacks
● It is believed that BJP is the major political party of India due to the support of Hindus, which is the
dominating religion in India
● After the independence, Hinduism was considered as a minority in Indian politics but after 1980 Hinduism,
faced rising popularity
● It was also stated that during 1992, the Babri mosque demolition was caused due to the orders of BJP
leader Advani and during this riots, 4000 people died
● Political parties and leaders use the communal factor to amplify violence and ample of communal riots are
the example
● During 1930’s and 1940’s more activists of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh came out to protect Hinduism
● RSS was found by 1925, a native of Maharashtra Keshav Baliram, he was concerned that Hinduism is on a
verge of extinction and launched this party to protect it.
Conclusion
Indian politics and the events in the history of Indian politics have been majorly framed by religions. Muslim and Hindu
are the 2 religions commonly engaging in the communal riots. The political parties are accused of flaming the riots by
supporting a specific religion for grabbing more votes. Though, the Indian constitution doesn’t show any bias towards
any religion of India, the political parties and communalist people take advantage of the riots. India will become a truly
secular country with a secular constitution when religion will stop influencing politics and when politics will stop
dragging religion in political matters.