Daily Practice Sheet 18 January 2021

Daily Practice Sheet 18 January 2021

By

Santosh Sir

All 6 Prelims qualified

4 CSE Mains qualified

If I can do it, you can too

Daily Prelims Topic

• G7
• Ammonia as pollutant
• Ustad Mustafa Khan
• International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
• Blue and green hydrogen
• Smoking and vegetarianism could be ‘protective’ against SARS-CoV-2 infection: CSIR survey
• Gucchi Mushroom
• PM Awasyojna
• Vistadome coach deployed to promote tourism in Kevadia (Statue of Liberty) Gujrat

Daily Mapping

• Black sea
• Mount Semeru (Volcano erupts in Indonesia)
• Libya

Daily Constitution

Right to Health and Healthcare: It has been recognised by the Supreme Court as the part of fundamental right under article 21.

Daily Facts

Agriculture

By 2030, the country is likely to have almost 600 million people living in urban areas, who would need safe food from the hinterlands. Indian agriculture has an average holding size of 1.08 hectare (2015-16 data), while engaging 42 per cent of the country’s workforce.

Daily Mains Mantra

NEWSPAPER

GS 3: Economy

1. Explain the divergence between booming financial sector and stagnant real sector.

2. What do you understand by crop diversification? Discuss need for crop diversification as an immediate priority. Also suggest a basic policy framework for crop diversification in India. [Reference: India Express, India Express]

3. What is National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP)? Suggest measures to boost investment through NIP to upgrade infrastructure for a $5 trillion economy. [Reference: Financial Express]

Approach

Introduction:

NIP is a first-of-its-kind initiative to provide world-class infrastructure across the country and improve the quality of life for all citizens. It will improve project preparation, attract investments (both domestic & foreign) into infrastructure (social and physical), and will be crucial for attaining the target of becoming a $5 trillion economy by FY 2025.

Body: Mention Atanu Chakraborty Report which recommended NIP and the suggest committees as well as other measures.

Measures to boost investments through NIP:

Atanu Chakraborty Report noted need of 111 lakh crore over the next five years (2020-2025) to build infrastructure projects and drive economic growth.

• The centre (39 percent) and state (40 percent) are expected to have an almost equal sharein implementing the projects, while the private sector will have 21 percent share. NIP will channelize all this investment.
• Aggressive push towards asset sales.
• Monetisation of infrastructure assets.
• Setting up of development finance institutions (DFIs funded 20-25% of infrastructure investments during 2013-2018). DFIs in the state levels need to be increased)
• Strengthening the municipal bond market.

Other measures should be:

Setting up of a suitable mechanism to facilitate infrastructure asset monetisation, with a focus on State and city-level projects

Extension of the existing credit guarantee facilities for infrastructure projects, either through the proposed Credit Guarantee Enhancement Corporation or any other similar entity

Exploring tax exemptions/reducing tax for large investment to incentivise investment

Policy reforms for individual sectors: Ex- DISCOMs disburdening

Other measures which will attract investment: Appropriate regulatory & tariff setting mechanisms for specific sectors, streamlining land allotment, approvals, contract enforcement & renegotiation and dispute resolution practices for infrastructure projects.

Conclusion

Infrastructure investment can be the growth multiplier towards $5 trillion and also bring India out of current economic slowdown.

4. How is cartel different from competition in market system? In this context discuss impact of proposed regulatory authority for steel and cement industry. [Reference: Financial Express, India Blooms]

GS 3: Security

1. Recent controversy over WhatsApp privacy policy shows Privacy policies online are illegible and consent is broken. Elaborate. Also discuss how consent can be made truly empowering for digital users. [Reference: Indian Express, The Hindu]

2. What is 5G? How prepared India is prepared to adopt 5G? Also what measures first be taken to ensure India develops its own capacity in 5G. [Reference: Indian Express]

GS 3: Science and Technology

1. How technology helped the humankind overcomes the biggest disruption in recent history. [Reference: Financial Express]

2. Discuss new technologies for water purification amidst rising water stress. [Reference: Business Line]