Class Notes 4 You

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is an intergovernmental organisation founded in Shanghai, with the objective of political, economic and security cooperation between the member nations. India became a permanent member of the SCO in 2017 along with Pakistan. Iran was officially admitted recently as a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. Objective of SCO: 1. To strengthen the relations between member states, by deepening political, security and economic cooperation. 2. To strive for joint cooperation between the members to confront threats emanating from terrorism, extremism and separatism. 3. SCO aims to move towards developing a democratic and equitable international political order. 4. To ensure joint efforts in maintaining peace, security and stability in the region. 5. To deepen engagements in the field of trade/commerce, transport, tourism, environment, cultural linkages, education, research and technology. Critical examination of aims and objectives of SC...

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines Global public health security as “the activities required to minimise the danger and impact of acute public health events that endanger the collective health of populations living across geographical regions and international boundaries. The WHO’s weak response to China’s mishandling of the COVID-19 outbreak has questioned the WHO’s credibility. 1. The USA alleged the objections by WHO ‘to travel bans from China and termed it ‘a horrible, tragic mistake.’ 2. Since China acceded to the UN in 1971, it has periodically blocked Taiwan’s WHO membership on the grounds that the democratically governed island is part of China. 3. It struggles to set its own priorities because many of its donors give it money earmarked for specificnprojects. 4. The organisation’s Lyon-based International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) issued confusing warnings on everything from the air we breathe to the meat we eat to the phones we use. 5. Too Many Chiefs: The ...

Indian diaspora comprised approximately 31 million people, of which PIOs were 17 million and NRIs were 13 million, spread across 146 countries in the world. Playing a Decisive Role: Economic Implications: USA: ● The Indus Entrepreneur and Silicon Valley Bank had brought two delegations of Venture capital companies to explore potential investment opportunities. ● Some Venture capitalists of Indian origin in the US have funded Indian R&D companies who are likely to produce Intellectual Property and innovative products in the areas of wireless technology, semiconductor design technology. West Bridge Capital, Kleiner Perkins Caulfied & Byers and Norwest Venture Group are the best examples in this regard. Europe: ● Nand Kumar Kurup, an IIT-Delhi alumnus, runs a fashion company Ince Global in Milan which he set up in 2007. ● Ranjit Singh, who went to Italy from Punjab in 1993, now runs an auto parts factory in the north Italian city of Cremona and employs 30 workers –– all of whom ar...

It is rightly said the 21st century is Asian century, which is being led by China and this brings China in direct confrontation with the USA which is known for its hegemony since the end of the second world war. During the period of 1940-1990, there has been a direct confrontation with erstwhile Russia, but the competition with China is different in the sense: • Ideological vs Economical War : USA and USSR were locked in ideological battle China continues to be the world’s largest supplier of rare earth, used for high-technology consumer products and military equipment, accounting for roughly 90 percent of the world’s production and a lion’s share of the United States’ imports. • Bipolar vs Multipolar world : World was Bipolar thus all the countries were forced to fall in either of the two camps, but today the world is in flux, no one knows who stands where. • Pax Americana vs Indo-pacific : The 20th century was known as US dictating relations with the countries, but today with the cen...

AUKUS is a trilateral security partnership between the USA, UK and Australia to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines in the Indo-Pacific region. AUKUS represents, America is back, Partnership with fellow democracies and equal engagement with Indo-pacific and transatlantic countries. How AUKUS may supersede existing partnerships in the region as: 1. May undermine the more well-rounded/balanced objectives of QUAD. 2. May weaken the five eyes alliance group, (New-Zealand has shown displeasure over the formation of AUKUS) 3. May weaken the ASEAN centrality in the region. Malaysia and Indonesia have shown displeasure over the presence of nuclear-powered submarines in the region. 4. USA promoting security partnership with its Anglo-Saxon allies may leave India and others out from the regional security architecture. 5. France, being a traditional stakeholder in the region, because of the presence of many French controlled islands has taken a blow. As Australia has cancelled the ...

The Human Development Report indicates that the growth in the terms of GDP between 1990 to 2020 has been more than 7 times, but since 1990, HDI Value in India has increased from 0.429 to 0.645 registering an increase of merely 50%. Reasons for Consistent High Growth and low Human Development: 1. Inequality: As per Oxfam report, in the last 5 years, 1% of the wealthiest in India has increased their share in wealth by around 60%. 2. Jobless Growth: According to the Periodic Labour Force Survey, the unemployment rates in urban areas for all categories increased by almost three times between 2011-12 and 2017-18. 3. Low Learning Outcomes: According to the ASER Report, 60% of grade-5 students can’t read grade-2 text or recognise numbers beyond 99. 4. Health and Outpatient expenditure: Catastrophic healthcare related expenditure pushes families into debt, and people are meeting their healthcare expenses through some sort of borrowing. 5. Low Skill: According to HDI Report 2020, Barely one in ...

Social development plays a major role in enhancing the capacity of demographic dividend. It reduces stress on human capabilities and brings in human resource formation. In order to bring in social development, the healthcare system has to be revamped and developed. Importance of Maternal Health care: 1. Cognitive and physical development of Infants. 2. Disease to new-born children like sepsis, Meningitis. 3. Different health risk like genetic conditions, STD, Hypertension 4. Infant mortality Rate (283/1000) will be checked. Importance of Health of Elderly: 1. Half of the elderly in India suffer from chronic disease which requires lifelong medication. 2. With age, there is a higher chance of Immunological and psychiatry disorder. 3. The elderly population is projected to reach 19% by 2050 and 71 % of elderly lives in Rural India Suggestions : 1. Geriatric pharmacotherapy to be included in the Undergraduate, PG and Nursing course to understand the impact of drugs on elderly. 2. Utilise N...

SDG seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all by 2030. New education Policy (NEP) calls for the entire education system to be reconfigured to support and foster learning, so that all of the critical targets and goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development can be achieved. NEP and SDG are in Congruence: NEP Recognizes, identifies, and fosters the unique capabilities of each student, by sensitising teachers as well as parents to promote each student’s holistic development in both academic and non-academic spheres. Restructuring education system: ● This policy envisages that the extant 10+2 structure in school education will be modified with a new pedagogical and curricular restructuring of 5+3+3+4 covering ages 3-18. ● To check drop outs, Counsellors or well-trained social workers connected to schools/school complexes and teachers will continuously work with students and their parents and will travel throu...

The welfare State plays a key role in the protection and promotion of the economic and social well-being of its citizens by providing proper educational and health facilities. Thus, the health services are not only a moral responsibility of the State, but a major pillar of SDG goal 4. Primary Health a necessary Precondition for Sustainable development : • The Primary health is the part of Universal health coverage which provides preventive, promotive, curative health services. • It is important to check Maternal and Infant mortality as Primary health care services are the first line of resort for mother and newly born child. • Accessible to quality Health services at primary level has potential to check rising malnutrition and its impact on learning capability of children. • Primary health care services provide rehabilitative services also, significant at the time of pandemic and its after impacts. • It is fair and equitable, providing all people with access to essential health service...

The performance and effectiveness of any welfare schemes depends on Policy formulation, implementation and evaluation. Instances of Non-Effectiveness of the schemes : 1. ICDS Scheme: The ICDS program, while successful in many ways, has not made a significant dent in child malnutrition. This is mostly due to the priority that the program has placed on food supplementation, targeting mostly children after the age of three when malnutrition has already set in. 2. Health Insurance schemes: One of the most common misconceptions about buying health insurance is that healthy people don’t need it. The seriousness is felt only while facing a medical contingency. Lack of awareness and involvement in policy process and its effect: 1. Policy Formulation: • Non identification of values of the broader community. • Non identification of areas of disagreement. • Lack of Identification of Priorities of the schemes. • Inadequate analysis of environmental and rehabilitation implications. 2. Policy Implem...

The 73rd & 74th Amendment is called a silent revolution, and Article 243D is said to be the most revolutionary provision which provides for the reservation of one-third of the seats for women in local bodies. Why reservation has had little impact on patriarchal character is evident in following points : ● Leadership issues: The Society, which is controlled and dominated by patriarchal values, recognizing the legitimacy of male domination over social resources, means of production, land and labour etc., turns the gender relation into a scenario of domination and subordination. ● The practice of Sarpanchpatis: The effective political power and decision making are wielded by husbands or other male relatives of elected women representatives. ● The violent nature of politics also has a negative impact on women’s political participation. ● Education and women’s status: The low educational background impedes their effective participation. ● Caste System: Hierarchical caste system in rural...

Current Affairs  Important Newspaper Highlights for UPSC Civil Services Examination. 01 August 2022 The HINDU    🟠 (Page 1): Risking all for the love of Aravallis 🟢 (Page 6): An alarming fall 🟠 (Page 6): PMLA verdict, an erosion of constitutional buffers 🟢 (Page 6): PMLA verdict, an erosion of constitutional buffers 🟠 (Page 6): India’s ‘wheat waiver’ WTO demand is risk-fraught 🟢 (Page 7): Bringing Eurasia closer 🟠 (Page 8): The need for a distinction between blasphemy and hate speech 🟢 (Page 9): The technology powering hybrid electric vehicles 🟠 (Page 10): HAL to supply 12 light utility helicopters to armed forces   The Indian EXPRESS 🟢 (Page 1): Rains, falling prices prompt farmers to shift from pulses to soyabean, cotton 🟠 (Page 6): How Bharuch covered 100% beneficiaries under four welfare schemes 🟢 (Page 9): PM and President’s photos in govt ads: Supreme Court ruling, High Court interpretation 🟠 (Page 9): India’s unique jobs crisis 🟢 (Page 10): US-C...

Improvements were made in numerous sectors in post-independence India that led to the well-being of women in society. Many programmes and strategies were created with the goal of bringing about growth among women. The primary components that encourage women empowerment include encouraging them to obtain education and participate in the labour market. Reasons for persistence of patriarchy: 1. The initial lessons in patriarchy are learned in a family where a man/father is the head of the household. Man is considered the family's head and has power over women's sexuality, labour, reproduction, and mobility.  2. The idea of motherhood is promoted by patriarchal society, which limits women's mobility and burdens them with the responsibility of nurturing and rearing children. 3. These gender stereotypes that women are at a disadvantage and are vulnerable to violence and other kinds of discriminations and injustices. 4. Systemic deprivation and violence against women, such as rap...

Microfinance generally refers to the provision of basic financial services such as loans, saving accounts and insurances for low-income but economically active people. Self Help group helps in income security of rural poor through Self-help group Microfinance Model.  Asset Creation: ● SHGs are linked to banks first with a group deposit account, then for credit, which is disbursed to the group and in turn distributed to the members. ● SHGs are thus seen to confer many benefits, both economic and social, providing new and real opportunities for rural women. ● SHGs enable women to grow their savings and to access the credit which banks are increasingly willing (or directed) to lend. However, SHG Microfinance model are not free from challenges: 1. Stringent repayment schedule offered by most microcredit institutions. 2. Institutions offering microcredit are unable to judge the risk associated with lending to certain borrowers. 3. Higher rates of Interest 4. Over-dependence on banking s...

The SHG ‘bank-linkage’ programme is the flagship microfinance programme of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) which has actively supported to break the vicious cycle of Gender inequality, poverty and malnutrition. Usefulness of Micro Financing SHG for virtuous cycle: • By offering financial services to the poor unprivileged women of the country, the institutions have opened a door for their economic growth. For example, Jay Ambe SHG, in Rajasthan facilitates credit availability for its poor members. • Women’s engagement in income-generating microenterprises enhances their status and decision-making capacity within the household. This helps women in making effective expenditure on nutritious food. • Some of the SHGs like Kudumbashree, Jeevika, etc. are focussed on poverty reduction by engaging women in microenterprises. • The UP Government has tied with SHG to provide cooked meal to beneficiaries. CASE STUDY : • SHG Laksh in Rajasthan have managed to earn a...

Civil Society organizations (CSOs) refer to collectives that are separate from the state, government and business. These are organized by individuals for their private interests. A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a private, non-profit, voluntary, citizen-based group which functions to serve a specific social or  political purpose. Role of Civil Societies as an alternative of public service delivery to benefit the common citizen:  1. Civil Society has been widely recognised as an essential “third sector”. Its strength can have a positive influence on the state and the market. 2. Civil society acts through ‘social capital’— the capacity of people to act together willingly in their common long-term interest. Social capital is strong in a homogeneous, egalitarian society.  3. Gaps in public service delivery at the last mile can be filled. During the Covid shutdown, for example, a number of NGOs and volunteer groups donated food, rations, and other services to the homel...

As per Economic Survey, the services sector accounts for 54% of India GVA. Recently, Champion Services Sectors refers to the 12 identified sectors where the Government wants to give focused attention for promoting their development, and realizing their potential through partnership at different levels. Why there is a need of cooperation, Collaboration and Team Spirit: 1. Reducing cost by bringing effectiveness and enhancing efficiency of the project. 2. Feedback Mechanism will be strong so that necessary changes can be made to enhance productivity. 3. Technology transfer between different projects will be possible. 4. To check Non-Homogeneity: There are differences within the services sector with regard to the contribution of different sub-sectors to GDP and to employment. Services are inherently diverse, thus cooperation and partnership is required. 5. In an integrated economy one service sector does have a multiplier effect and link with the other service sector. E.g.: Tourism is lin...