Daily Practice Sheet 6 January 2021

Daily Practice Sheet 6 January 2021

By

Santosh Sir

All 6 Prelims qualified

4 CSE Mains qualified

If I can do it, you can too

Daily Prelims Topics

• Bird flu outbreak in Kerala: Avian flu outbreak has been classified as a ‘state disaster’ after the Centre notified the outbreak of H5N8 subset of Influenza
• Cabinet Committee on Parliament Affairs
• Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog
• Aadhar enabled Payment Systems and Aadhar Payment Bridge Systems
• Women Scientist Programme
• Asian water bird census
• Global economic prospectus report
• G-TAM

Daily Data

Irrigation

• India receives around 4,000 billion cubic meters (bcm) of rainfall, but a large part of it falls in the east.
• Moreover, most of the rain is received within 100 hours of torrential downpour, making water storage and irrigation critical for agriculture.
• India has one of the highest water usages for agriculture in the world — of the total 761 bcm withdrawals of water, 688 bcm (90.5 per cent) goes into agriculture leaving 17 bcm (1.2 per cent) for industry and 56 bcm for municipal use. (China uses 385.2 bcm (64.4 per cent) out of the total withdrawals of 598.1 bcm for agriculture)
• The total estimated groundwater depletion in India is in the range of 122-199 bcm as calculated from the observation wells (1996-2016) and satellite data (2002-2016)

R&D

• Over the last 20 years, India has been spending between 0.7 to 0.8 per cent of its GDP on R&D

Internet Shutdowns

• INDIA suffered the biggest economic impact in the world in 2020 due to Internet shutdowns, adding up to 8,927 hours and $2.8 billion losses.
• The economic impact seen in India was more than double the combined cost for the next 20 countries in the list.

(UK-based privacy and security research firm Top10VPN)

Daily Mapping

1. Galwan
2. Grand Renaissance Dam hydropower project/Nile River

(Explained: On Nile, a Grand Dam divides African nations | Explained News,The Indian Express)

Daily Mains Mantra

 NEWSPAPER

 GS 1: History

1. Discuss the history of farmers protest in India. [Reference: The Hindu]

GS 1: Society

1. Malnourishment in India a gender problem. Do you agree? Discuss how gender discrimination is the key underlying cause of malnourishment in India.

Approach:

In the Introduction, throw insights on how malnourishment and gender problem is linked. Add the data MDPI which highlights the malnourishment and associated problem in women particular.

In the body of the answer compare and contrast various factors leading to malnourishment. Factors like cultural, political, social, economy can be added. Highlight how patriarchy is the root cause of gender inequality.

• Add NFHS data on malnourishment in India. Link poverty and malnourishment. Highlight the findings of GHI and India’s rank.
• Add the vicious cycle of gender inequality and deprivation of resources leading to feminization of poverty which then ultimately leads to poor nutritional status. Link how malnourishment leads to malnourished children and its effects on development of the Country
• Write about the schemes like ICDS, Poshan Maa, PoshyanAbhyaan and its effects on minimizing malnourishment.
• Add suggestions on the need for multi sectoral approach, integrated nutritional policy and schemes like MGNREGA, NHM, can actually help in curbing the menace of Malnourishment and associated effects.

In conclusion, make an emphasis on how minimizing malnourishment is imperative for achieving SDG’s. End the answer with a positive note on how empowering women will actually leads to reduction in Malnourishment.

GS 1: Polity

1. What do you understand by judicial review? Why heightened judicial review is not right? [Reference: The Hindu]
2. All India Service because of it’s dual control is a contentious issue in our federal set up. Discuss it’s role and federal issues associated with it. [Reference: The Hindu]

GS2: International Relations

1. Discuss irritants in Indo-USA relations. Also, throw light on significance of this relationship in current context. [Reference: Indian Express]

Approach:

Introduction:

Show rising Indo-USA relation in bilateral (trade, defence) and global context. However, different irritants are a continuous threat for this relationship.

Body:

1. Discuss irritants from point of view of the both countries. For ex-

USA’s perspective

• India’s Russia and Iran relationship
• Trade restrictions (From National solar mission to Atma Nirbhar Bharat)
• Trade deficit

India’s perspective

• USA’s role in Afghanistan and changing stance
• CAATSA
• Trade barriers and India out of GSP
• Transfer of technology

2. Why in current context relationship is essential:
   • Bilateral: Economic relationship in wake of rising slowdown, protectionism (India needs technology and Fund, USA need market)
   • Geo-political concern: China, Indo-pacific
   • Global: Climate change, Terrorism, UNSC reforms etc.
   • Security in neighbourhood (Both invested in Afghanistan)

Suggest a framework for cooperation going ahead building on 2+2 dialogue, QUAD, Reform in UNSC etc.

Conclusion:

How Indo-USA relation in 21^st century can shape the world order particularly Indo-Pacific with win-win situation for both.

GS3: Economy

1. Digital revolution has deepened the financial inclusion in rural India. Critically examine. Also discuss how financial inclusion is a step towards inclusive growth. [Reference: Indian Express]
2. Elaborate the role of science and technology can play in bringing Indian agriculture out of stagnation. Also, examine Indian efforts in this direction so far. [Reference: Indian Express]
3. What is Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for vaccines and why it has been in controversy in India recently? Also show how different countries handle EUAs. [Reference: Financial Express]

Introduction

 (Give context)

The world Nations race for vaccination, the need for urgent use of vaccine has raised the controversy of emergency use authorisation. Emergency use authorisation is an interim mechanism by which the vaccine is applied to the public to tackle the pandemic situation without complete trial and approval procedure.

Need for emergency use authorisation

• State provides the legal authority for the use of vaccine in India CSDO approves vaccines.
• In emergency situations regulatory authorities around the world have developed mechanism to grant interim approvals
• The time taken for final approval
• The Corona pandemic spread has been increasing
• To reduce the death rate ( 8 cr around the world ) and to protect the front running health warriors the emergency approval is needed
• State is the welfare state which needs to care for the health of the public
• Vaccine gives confidence and boost the economy to overcome the slowdown 

The controversy of emergency use authorisation in India 

• Efficacy of the vaccine can be proved only at the phase III of the research has raised questions approval in other Western Nations like UK US and Russia have let the Indian vaccine corporates to propel their interest to be a part of the competition of vaccine business
• Immunogenicity and clinical efficacy are to be tested, immunogenicity translate into clinical efficacy until then clinical efficacy cannot be shown
• The new drugs and clinical trials rules 2019 where accelerated approval is based on clinical trial data
• (Clinical trial data of covaxin is yet it to be accepted)
• Quote, The controversy of 2 biotech corporate giants (India),rushing to govt for approval and critizing each other’s efficacY
• The proponents of wax in approval clean the urgent situation and the vaccination authorisation in other countries as basis for authorisation in India

 Approval across countries

• New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019, term this ‘accelerated approval’ Accelerated approval will be based on data from clinical trials where a surrogate endpoint(s) shall be considered rather than using standard outcome measures such as survival or disease progression, which are reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit, or a clinical endpoint.
• US FDA only gave approval to AstraZeneca to restart its trial in October. As the FDA requires the company to enrol 30,000 participants, it shall only consider their data once that threshold has been passed
• UK, while the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has been conducting a rolling review of vaccines—observing them from the development stage—it only considered Pfizer for approval to Pfizer BioNTech vaccine after submission of primary efficacy data 

Conclusion

Suggest

• Need for scientific approval not a bureaucratic procedure in approval of vaccine
• To avoid citizens from being vaccine hesitant 

GS4: Ethics and Integrity

1. What is conflict of interest? Show through examples conflict of interest in various ways of life. Also suggest how to overcome conflict of interest. [Reference: Indian Express]

Conflict of interest is the root cause of all ethical dilemma individuals play multiple roles in various institution of society and facedilemma.

Conflict of interest is the situation in which the individual is not able to take a view over a particular issue because of the dual role played by him/her

1. As an individual,

An individual may have to work in an organisation and be a person in a society hence he has two roads of professional integrity and responsibility towards society causes a conflict of interest

* Le wen Liang , when he found the covid-19 virus spread Faced  the  dilemma  exposing it as it was against the government rules for govt  doctor. however this exposure of covid-19 spirit lead to  abduction of him by the Chinese government

2. As an administrator,

Administrator might face conflict between morality and the conduct rules

(Quote any example of real time beaurcrats)

3. Society,

Concerns over whether application of kantian or utilitarian for the welfare of the society may arise over the authorities of the government or any private institutions

* The current covid situation has raised concerns over the approval of vaccines in emergency as the authorities face dilemma and controversies over the efficacy versus urgent need for controlling the disease 

4. Conflict of interest in govt

(Explain and Quote example of rigged panels in parliament) 

5. Conflict of interest in Policy making

(Explain and  Quote example)

6. Conflict of interest in media

(Explain and Quote example)

 Overcome conflict of interest

• Disclosure of interest
• Recusal

Conclusion

Give importance to resolve conflict of interest for goal congruence both in case of public and private organisation and in all walks of life

2. What do you understand by trust? Why it is hard to build? [Reference: Business Line]