08 + 09 AUGUST 2018 CA

A recent move by the Centre seeking applications from ‘outstanding individuals’ to fill in 10 posts of Joint Secretary, has caused anxiety amongst bureaucrats.

Some apprehensions over lateral entry:

• Many serving IAS officers think this move may cause threat to their primacy.
• This move may end a “neutral and impartial” civil service with the likely induction of loyalists and politically indoctrinated persons into the system.
• This may mark the “privatisation of the IAS”. Private business houses may “plant” their people in order to influence government policies.
• The political leadership, by creating a ‘divide and rule’ mechanism, would further demoralise the ‘steel frame of governance’.

How the Secretariat functions?

• The key officials in the secretariat decides on, how an abstract idea is to be given a concrete, implementable shape.
• Higher bureaucracy in the secretariat often has to examine proposals received from specialised departments/corporations.
• With the consultation of other ministries/departments they prepare a cohesive note to facilitate the Minister concerned or the Cabinet to take a final decision.
• The detailed procedures have been formulated for proper functioning which requires both expertise and experience.
• Though the original proposal is often prepared by technical experts, after the file moves through this long internal and hierarchical process, the final decision rests with the higher bureaucracy and finally the Minister/Cabinet.

Generalist v. specialist

Generalist view:

• The best leadership is provided by generalists who have a breadth of understanding and experience.
• Specialists, no matter how competent, tend to have a narrow vision and are not equipped to take a broader view.
• The domain knowledge has to feed into policy-making, but that can be accomplished by domain experts advising the generalist leader in decision-making.
• In this view, a good IAS officer can head the Department of Agriculture as competently as she would the Department of Shipping.

Specialist view:

• Specialists like engineers, doctors, agricultural scientists, etc. have always had a substantial say not only in the decision-making process also in its implementation.
• Secretaries to the Departments of Atomic Energy, Science & Technology, Scientific and Industrial Research, Health Research, and Agricultural Research have always been scientists of eminence.
• Similarly, in departments like the Railways, Posts, etc., all senior positions are manned by Indian Railway or Postal Service officers.
• Generalised bureaucracy is not equipped to comprehend complex economic and technical issues in order to properly aid and advise the Minister. For increasingly complex matrix of decision-making is, specialists are more efficient than generalists.

How apprehensions can be resolved?

• The government must ensure that only candidates, the likes of whom are not available in the existing system, are appointed.
• If they turn out to be truly outstanding, there should be provisions to induct them permanently in the government, with approval of the UPSC, and consider them for higher postings.
• Ideas have also been advanced for IAS and other officers to gain work experience, for a limited period, in the private sector.
• These fears can be reduced by letting the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) handle the recruitment process, after defining the job requirements more explicitly.

Conclusion:

• The apprehensions on lateral entry are based on perceptions, a reality check is necessary. Also this is a bold decision that should be given a fair trial.
• The lateral entry scheme, if implemented properly, may foster more competitive spirit, break the complacency of the higher civil servants and eventually prove to be a pioneering initiative in public interest.

 Introduction:

Latest GST Council meeting held on issues facing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Do you know?

What are MSME?

MSME are units producing goods and rendering services in terms of annual turnover as follows:

• A micro enterprise will be defined as a unit where the annual turnover does not exceed five crore rupees;
• A small enterprise will be defined as a unit where the annual turnover is more than five crore rupees but does not exceed Rs 75 crore;
• A medium enterprise will be defined as a unit where the annual turnover is more than seventy five crore rupees but does not exceed Rs 250 crore.

What is GST Council?

• Goods & Services Tax Council is a constitutional body for making recommendations to the Union and State Government on issues related to Goods and Service Tax.
• The GST Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister and other members are the Union State Minister of Revenue or Finance and Ministers in-charge of Finance or Taxation of all the States.

(For further details: http://www.gstcouncil.gov.in/gst-council)

Recent GST meetings’ decisions (Regarding MSME):

• Firms with an annual turnover of less than Rs. 5 crore constitute 93% of the registered taxpayers under the GST. Such businesses need no longer file cumbersome returns every month, but only on a quarterly basis.
• GST Council returned to a consensual approach on decisions.
• There is a proposal to push digital payments by offering a cash-back to consumers using RuPay cards or the UPI platform, final decision will be taken after a detailed system-wide evaluation of such incentives.

Way Forward: GST with respect to MSME

• Further easing of compliance for micro firms with turnover far below Rs. 5 crore is needed.
• There is a need to review the Rs. 50,000 threshold for mandatory use of e-way bills to track movement of taxable goods.

• About Scrub typhus (definition in pic above)
• Majority of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) patients have scrub typhus.
• Scrub typhus can be treated easily if detected early.
• Mites present in the soil carried Orientia tsutsugumashi, the bacterium which causes scrub typhus.

The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018

Introduction:

The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018 has been introduced in the Parliament, with a view to creating a national DNA database for solving crimes and identifying missing persons.

About the Bill:

• The purpose of the bill is to expand the application of DNA-based forensic technologies to support and strengthen the justice delivery system of the country.
• By providing for the mandatory accreditation and regulation of DNA laboratories, the Bill seeks to ensure that the DNA test results are reliable and the data remain protected from misuse or abuse in terms of the privacy rights of our citizens.
• Bill’s provisions will enable the cross-matching between persons who have been reported missing on the one hand and unidentified dead bodies found in various parts of the country on the other, and also for establishing the identity of victims in mass disasters.
• The Bill includes provisions for the destruction of DNA samples and removal of innocent people’s DNA profiles from the database.

Criticism on DNA bill:

• Creating large databases is often not a cost-effective way to solve more crimes, and limited resources must be targeted effectively.
• Using DNA effectively during criminal investigations requires proper crime scene examination, trained and reliable policing, a trusted chain of custody of samples, reliable analysis, and proper use of expert evidence in court. Without these prerequisites, a DNA database will worsen rather than solve problems in the criminal justice system (false matches or misinterpretation or planting of evidence, etc.).
• The Bill’s proposed DNA Regulatory Board is still too powerful and insufficiently transparent or accountable.
• There are provisions which give the government or the Board the power to amend aspects of the safeguards in the Bill, and to avoid accountability in court.
• A number of other privacy protections are also missing — the need to restrict DNA profiling so that it uses only non-coding DNA, a commonly used international standard for one.
• There is no attempt to assess the cost effectiveness of these provisions or to estimate the database’s likely size.

Way Forward:

• Consideration should be given to an independent forensic science regulator.

• An independent ethics board should be set up.
• The Board’s responsibilities for privacy protections need an independent regulator.
• Privacy or data protection bill should be adopted first.
• Any international sharing of DNA profiles should also be covered by a privacy or data protection law, and meet international human rights standards.
• There should be separate the databases for missing persons and for criminals set up by the Bill, so that people who volunteer their DNA to help find their missing relatives are not treated as suspects for criminal offences.
• It is needed to specify that volunteers must be fully informed about future storage and uses of their genetic information before they give consent.
• International evidence shows that the success of a DNA database is driven primarily by the number of crime scene DNA profiles loaded on to it, not by the number of DNA profiles from individuals, so proper crime scene analysis should be the top priority.

Conclusion:

In short, important safeguards and a cost-benefit analysis are still lacking for this Bill, which needs full parliamentary scrutiny.

ALSO IN NEWS

Restricted Area Permit (RAP) regime

The Union government has decided to exclude 29 inhabited Andaman & Nicobar Islands from the Restricted Area Permit (RAP) regime, subject to certain conditions, to boost tourism and overall development of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

• RAP regime was notified under the Foreigners (Restricted Areas) Order, 1963.
• Under it, foreign nationals are not normally allowed to visit protected or restricted area unless Government is satisfied that there are extra-ordinary reasons to justify their visit.
• Every foreigner, except citizen of Bhutan, who desires to enter and stay in protected or restricted area, is required to obtain special permit from competent authority having power to issue such permits to foreigner, seeking it.
• Citizens of Afghanistan, China and Pakistan and foreign nationals of Pakistani origin are exception and are not allowed to enter such areas.

FALL ARMYWORM (FAW)

• Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) has sounded the alarm after the invasive agricultural pest, Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), was discovered in Karnataka.
• Fall Armyworm is a major maize pest in North America, arrived in Africa in 2016. Since then, it has threatened the continent’s maize crop.
• The Karnataka finding is the first report of the pest in Asia.
• Scientists warn the insect could spread throughout Asia to become a major threat to global food security.
• The discovery is more worrisome because the pest feeds on around 100 different crops, such as vegetables, rice, and sugarcane.

THERMAL BATTERY

India has become home to the world’s first-ever thermal battery plant. The thermal battery facility, inaugurated in Andhra Pradesh, will be owned by Bharat Energy Storage Technology Private Limited (BEST).

A thermal energy battery is used for storing and releasing thermal energy. It allows for available energy to be temporarily stored and be released for use whenever necessary. Standard battery technology is based on charging and discharging cycles mainly operated by electricity. The most commonly used Lithium-ion battery works on electrical energy. However, thermal batteries operate on thermal energy, which can be defined as energy created by temperature differences.

Applications with power grids:

• The possible integration of thermal batteries with power grids is one of its main applications. This will help boost industrial demand and provide substantial support to public transport and telecom grids.
• Thermal batteries can function as long as heat is available for them to operate, which can be helpful in power transmission to remote areas. India’s rising regional energy requirements can be resolved using this technology.
• The telecom industry will also benefit as thermal batteries will help boost signal strength and network connectivity, which will thereby increase internet and smartphone penetration. 

Use in e-vehicles technology:

The thermal batteries can be used in electric vehicles as well. India’s automobile industry has an ambitious target of going completely electric by 2030. Car manufacturers can use thermal battery technology to manufacture vehicle with clean energy at minimal maintenance cost and set up charging stations for the same. 

Why is it good compared to other technologies?

• Although solar power is considered the most reliable source of energy yet it has pitfalls. The energy generation is not possible after sunset and high rainfall areas, which brings in the need for a robust energy storage infrastructure. Thus, the coming of thermal battery is a landmark development in the field of technology and environmental protection.
• Existing energy storage technologies depend on Lithium-based batteries, which are limited by life cycles, making it a very expensive proposition with replacements needed every six to seven years. They are also low on energy density and need a high footprint.
• Furthermore, Lithium’s sensitivity to extreme temperatures requires the energy storage systems to be placed in conditioned temperatures, requiring about eight to ten per cent energy storage for the cause.

 The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has called for transforming heritage buildings in Rajasthan into “economic assets” for the society. Economic benefits could be derived from these properties as an alternative to paying for their upkeep on a regular basis.

About Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH):

• The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is a non-profit charitable organisationregistered under the Societies’ Registration Act, 1860.
• Aim: It was founded in 1984 with the vision to create a membership organisation to stimulate and spearhead heritage awareness and conservation in India.
• Contributions: Since 1984, INTACH has pioneered the conservation and protection of India’s natural and cultural heritage and is today the largest membership organisation in the country dedicated to conservation.
• In 2007, the United Nations awarded INTACH a special consultative status with United Nations Economic and Social Council.

TRAI MyCall App , DND 2.0 App :

Recognizing the importance of reaching out to the consumers and to safeguard their interests, TRAI has now integrated its Mobile Apps namely DND 2.0 & MyCall with UMANG Platform.

Niryat Mitra:

Ministry of Commerce & Industry has launched Niryat Mitra – mobile App.

• The app has been developed by the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).
• It provides wide range of information required to undertake international trade right from the policy provisions for export and import, applicable GST rate, available export incentives, tariff, preferential tariff, market access requirements – SPS and TBT measures. All the information is available at tariff line.
• The app works internally to map the ITC HS code of other countries with that of India and provides all the required data without the users bothering about the HS code of any country. Presently the app comes with the data of 87 countries.

FOCUS(a prelims 2019 prespective)

#1  The Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve has become the 11th Biosphere Reserve from India to be included in the UNESCO designated World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR).

This decision was taken at the recently concluded 30th Session of International Coordinating Council (ICC) of Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme of UNESCO held at Palembang, Indonesia.

Facts:

India has 18 Biosphere Reserves. With the inclusion of Khangchendzonga, the number of internationally designated World Network of Biosphere Reserves (WNBR) has become 11, with 7 Biosphere Reserves being domestic Biosphere Reserves.

Biosphere reserves:

• Launched in 1971, UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) is an Intergovernmental Scientific Programme that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments.
• MAB combines the natural and social sciences, economics and education to improve human livelihoods and the equitable sharing of benefits, and to safeguard natural and managed ecosystems, thus promoting innovative approaches to economic development that are socially and culturally appropriate, and environmentally sustainable.
• Its World Network of Biosphere Reserves currently counts more than 600 sites in 122 countries all over the world, including 20 transboundary sites.
• The first of India’s reserves to make it to UNESCO’s list was Tamil Nadu’s Niligiri Biosphere Reserve in 2000.
• Protection is granted not only to the flora and fauna of the protected region, but also to the human communities who inhabit these regions, and their ways of life.

Key facts on Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve:

• Kanchenjunga Biosphere Reserve is a National Park and a Biosphere Reserve located in Sikkim, India. The park is named after the mountain Kangchenjunga, which with a height of 8,586 metres (28,169 ft), is the third-highest peak in the world.
• The Biosphere Reserve is one of the highest ecosystems in the world, reaching elevations of 1, 220 metres above sea-level. It includes a range of ecolines, varying from sub-tropic to Arctic, as well as natural forests in different biomes, which support an immensely rich diversity of forest types and habitats.
• The core zone – Khangchendzonga National Park was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2016 under the ‘mixed’ category. 

BIOSPHERE RESERVES- DEFINITION:

A Biosphere Reserve is a unique and representative ecosystem of terrestrial and coastal areas which are internationally recognized, within the framework of UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB) programme. The biosphere reserve should fulfill the following three objectives:

• In-situ conservation of biodiversity of natural and semi-natural ecosystems and landscapes.
• Contribution to sustainable economic development of the human population living within and around the Biosphere Reserve.
• Provide facilities for long term ecological studies, environmental education and training and research and monitoring.

In order to fulfill the above objectives, the Biosphere Reserves are classified into zones like the core area, buffer area. The system of functions is prescribed for each zone.

#2 The International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples is being observed across the world on August 9, 2018.

Aim: To strengthen international cooperation for solving problems faced by indigenous peoples in areas such as human rights, the environment, education, health and social development.

Theme: ‘Indigenous peoples’ migration and movement’.

Significance of the day: The United Nations General Assembly on December 23, 1994 proclaimed 9 August as the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. The date marks the day of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations of the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in 1982.

#3 India’s largest bank State Bank of India (SBI) has launched its Multi Option Payment Acceptance Device (MOPAD) for digital payments convenience of merchants and consumers. It aims at providing digital convenience to customers and ease of doing business for merchants at the same time. SBI will roll-out this new initiative on all SBI PoS terminals in a phased manner.

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TO DO : A self study guide

RCEP and INDIA

• make a flow chart / mindmap for this topic and mail to > ipstudycircle@gmail.com

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07 AUGUST 2018

  * DISCUSSED YESTERDAY (CLICK HERE)

• There has been a steady decline in the number of HIV cases in India.
• The bad news is that Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura have emerged as the new hotspots for HIV, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• The HIV Sentinel Surveillance (HSS), a biennial study conducted by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), is one of the largest regular studies in the world dealing with HIV in high risk groups of the population.

Important value addition:

• Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) – leads to effectively suppressing the virus and reducing the transmission of HIV from the infected person.
• National AIDS Research Institute (NARI) target is to bring 90% of the 21 lakh people living with the HIV infection in India under ART.

Introduction:

The report of the Standing Committee on Labour (2017-18) headed by Kirit Somaiya, on the “Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and Skill Development Initiative Scheme” presents the grim condition of India’s Vocational Education System (ITIs).

History and some facts about vocational education in India:

• ITIs were initiated in the 1950s.
• In a span of 60 years, approx. 1,896 public and 2,000 private ITIs were set up.
• In a 10-year period from 2007, more than 9,000 additional private ITIs were accredited.
• The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) today has more than 6,000 private training centres.

Concerns and Findings of Somiya Committee:

• Number of ITIs increasing rapidly abut they disregard norms and standards.
• Due to short-term courses, vocational training centres open and close frequently they are more prone to a dilution of standards.
• With the increase in number of institutes, government has been unable to regulate private institutions for quality.
• Placement in NSDC training has been less than 15%.
• Private sector engagement in skill development has been taken up by private training partners and not employers. The employers could have made the system demand-driven.
• The lack of a regulator for skill development has led to poor quality affiliation, assessment and certification.
• There are instances of responsibility outsourcing, no supervision, illegal activities and an ownership tussle between the Central and State governments.
• The QCI did not follow accreditation norms created by the National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT). The NCVT is just a stamp with no role in actually assessing quality.
• The future of 13.8 lakh students in these substandard ITIs is at risk. If the same exercise were extended to other skill development schemes, the picture would be grimmer.
• Lax provisions of vocational training programs and no scrutiny is a major concern. For example the Standard Training Assessment and Reward scheme spent Rs. 850 crore in 2013-14 with no norms for quality.
• The report also reinforces disturbing findings of a national survey by the research institute (NILERD) of the Planning Commission in 2011 about private ITIs: had fewer classrooms and workshops for practice; and their teachers were very poorly paid.

Way forward:

• Recommendations of the Sharada Prasad Committee to rationalise the Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) should be implemented.
• There is a need to establish a national board for all skill development programmes. The core work (accreditation, assessment, certification and course standards) cannot be outsourced. Like every other education board (such as the CBSE), a board is required in vocational training that is accountable.
• We should also have a mandatory rating system for the ITIs, published periodically.
• A ranking of the ITIs on several parameters such as the one done by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council in tertiary education.
• Talent from the open market should be encouraged to fill up higher posts in skill development.
• There should be one system, with one law (as recommended in the 12th Five Year Plan) and one national vocational education and training system, so that all the concerned partners of the sector can work seamlessly and can learn from, and work with each other.
• The ITIs have internal issues such as staffing and salaries that need attention. There is also a critical need to reskill ITI teachers and maintain the student-teacher ratio.
• Financial support from NSDC can be used to upgrade the technology.
• Financing from corporate social responsibility, multilateral organisations such as the World Bank and the government can meet the financial needs for skill development.
• As recommended by 12th Plan Reimbursable industry contribution (RIC) — a 1-2% payroll tax that will be reimbursed when employers train using public/private infrastructure and provide data.

Conclusion:

With the rise of 4th Industrial revolution, and on-going debates on Artificial Intelligence and automation, there is an urgent need to reboot the vocational education system of India. Also there is need to establish a system which is based on demand and supply rather than present out dated and archaic syllabus of vocational education.

Parliament has passed the Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018. The main highlight of the bill is that it seeks to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to introduce a new provision to sentence convicts of such crimes punishment of death.

Highlights of the Bill:

Punishment:

• It provides for stringent punishment including death penalty for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 years.

• The minimum punishment in case of rape of women has been increased from rigorous imprisonment of seven years to 10 years, extendable to life imprisonment.

• In case of rape of a girl under 16 years, the minimum punishment has been increased from 10 years to 20 years, extendable to imprisonment for rest of life, which means jail term till the convicts’ “natural life”.

• The punishment for gang rape of a girl below 16 years will invariably be imprisonment for the rest of life of the convict.

• Stringent punishment for rape of a girl under 12 years has been provided with the minimum jail term being 20 years which may go up to life in prison or death sentence. Gang rape of a girl under 12 years of age will invite punishment of jail term for the rest of life or death.

• The measure also provides for speedy investigations and trial. The time limit for investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within two months.

• The deadline for the completion of trial in all rape cases will be two months. A six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed.

Speedy investigation: 

• The measure also provides for speedy investigations and trial. The time limit for investigation of all cases of rape has been prescribed, which has to be mandatorily completed within two months.
• The deadline for the completion of trial in all rape cases will be two months. A six-month time limit for the disposal of appeals in rape cases has also been prescribed.

Bail related provisions:

There will also be no provision for anticipatory bail for a person accused of rape or gang rape of a girl under 16 years. It has also been prescribed that a court has to give notice of 15 days to a public prosecutor and the representative of the victim before deciding bail applications in case of rape of a girl under 16 years of age. 

Need for a stringent law:

The number of reported cases of rapes of children increased in India by 82% in 2016 compared to 2015. A climate of violence, social and economic insecurity, alienation, and a progressive undermining of the status of women and children seem to have given an impetus to carry out crimes against women and children.

Therefore, the legal system must give a clear signal that we as a nation consider the rape of children below the age of 12 as among the most heinous of offences. Making such crimes punishable by capital punishment certainly gives such a signal. 

Is it sufficient?

Statistics have not been able to prove or disprove the efficacy of capital punishment as a deterrent. While the U.K. has seen an increase in murders since 1965 when capital punishment for murder was removed from the statute book, Canada has not seen any such impact since it abolished the death penalty in 1976. The underlying socio-economic conditions in a society that cause crimes seem to have as much of an impact on the increase or decrease of crimes as the law does. 

What is needed?

It is not the severity of the punishment but the certainty and uniformity of it which will reduce crime. Even for capital punishment to work as a deterrent, the fairness of the investigation, the certainty of conviction, and the speed of the trial are vital. With the police and judicial independence being under a cloud, especially after the incidents in Kathua and Unnao, the deterrent value of capital punishment seems diminished unless police reforms and fast-track courts are part of it.

ALSO IN NEWS

1. NITI Aayog has identified 117 districts as ‘Aspirational Districts’ for Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA).

 Selection of the districts:

These districts have been selected on the basis of the composite index which includes published data of deprivation enumerated under Socio-Economic Caste Census, Health & Nutrition, Education and Basic Infrastructure.

 Key facts:

Support by the Centre: Under the scheme, central assistance is provided for opening of new Model Degree Colleges(MDCs) in these districts and in unserved & underserved districts in North Eastern and Himalayan States.

Kind of support: The central support provided under the component of new MDCs is infrastructural in nature in which funds are released for creation of Colleges with requisite infrastructure such as appropriate number of class rooms, library, laboratory, faculty rooms, toilet blocks and other essential requirements for technologically advanced facilities.

States’ role: Under this component, a commitment is given by the State Governments that all recurring expenditure (including salaries) in respect of the MDC being established, will be borne by the respective State Government. Additionally, under a separate component of RUSA viz., Faculty Recruitment Support, central support is provided for creation of additional posts of Assistant Professors.

 About RUSA:

Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), launched in 2013 aims at providing strategic funding to eligible state higher educational institutions.

 Funding:

• The central funding (in the ratio of 60:40 for general category States, 90:10 for special category states and 100% for union territories) would be norm based and outcome dependent.
• The funding would flow from the central ministry through the state governments/union territories to the State Higher Education Councils before reaching the identified institutions.
• The funding to states would be made on the basis of critical appraisal of State Higher Education Plans, which would describe each state’s strategy to address issues of equity, access and excellence in higher education.

 Objectives:

The key objectives of RUSA are to improve access, equity and quality in higher education through planned development of higher education at the state level. Objectives include creating new academic institutions, expanding and upgrading the existing ones, developing institutions that are self-reliant in terms of quality education, professionally managed, and characterized by greater inclination towards research and provide students with education that is relevant to them as well the nation as a whole.

 Components:

• RUSA would create new universities through upgradation of existing autonomous colleges and conversion of colleges in a cluster.
• It would create new model degree colleges, new professional colleges and provide infrastructural support to universities and colleges.
• Faculty recruitment support, faculty improvements programmes and leadership development of educational administrators are also an important part of the scheme.
• In order to enhance skill development the existing central scheme of Polytechnics has been subsumed within RUSA. A separate component to synergise vocational education with higher education has also been included in RUSA.
• Besides these, RUSA also supports reforming, restructuring and building capacity of institutions in participating state.

2. Startup India launched the Startup Academia Alliance programme.

The Startup Academia Alliance aims to reduce the gap between scientific research and its industrial applications in order to increase the efficacy of these technologies and widen their impact.

Key Highlights:

The first phase of Startup Academia Alliance will be implemented in partnership with Regional Centre for Biotechnology, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), Council on Energy, Environment and Water, and TERI School of Advanced Studies.

Renowned scholars from these institutes, from fields including renewable energy, biotechnology, healthcare and life sciences were taken on board to provide mentorship and guidance to the startups working in relevant areas.

3. Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highway (MoRTH) launched two IT initiative Bidder Information Management System (BIMS) and Bhoomi Rashi and PFMS linkage aimed at expediting pre construction processes relating to bidding and land acquisition respectively.

4. The world’s first-ever thermal battery plant owned by Bharat Energy Storage Technology Private Limited (BEST) was inaugurated in Amravati, Andhra Pradesh. This plant aims to create new energy storage form that is expected to have commercial applications, while also maintain low carbon footprint and less dependent on external factors like weather.

IN DEPTH

Thirty years after the 8888 uprising

Introduction:

• August 8 marks the 30th anniversary of the people’s uprising in Myanmar.
• The ‘8888’ uprising (or the eighth day of August 1988) is one of Myanmar’s most important historic days in the context of the pro-democracy movement.

About 8888 Uprising:

• ‘8888’ was a people’s movement that challenged the then ruling Burma Socialist Programme Party’s grip on political, economic and social affairs which led the country into extreme poverty.
• The protests and the bloody crackdown gave rise to the National League for Democracy (NLD), a political party which paved the way for the current Myanmar State Counsellor, Aung San Suu Kyi’s entry into politics and for the pro-democracy movement to continue.
• Myanmar’s President Win Myint and Ms. Suu Kyi were political prisoners in the aftermath of the 1988 uprising.
• The objective of ‘8888’ was two-fold: to push for the transfer of power from the military to a civilian leadership and a change in the political system from an authoritarian regime to a multi-party democracy.

Significance of 8888 Uprising:

• The past 30 years have seen a change in leadership — from military dictatorship to a military-backed semi-democracy in 2011 and then to a negotiated hybrid regime with power being shared between unelected military personnel and an elected civilian leadership in 2016.
• It keeps alive the spirit of democracy; underscores the need for equality and federalism; and builds an awareness campaign on the role of military.
• But for the country’s ethnic minorities, their struggle and political demands still continue. The kind of federalism the ethnic minorities want, based on equality of rights to all citizens, has been denied by the military leadership and the government.

Myanmar in Transition:

• The democratic transition in Myanmar so far has been meticulously designed by the military. The primary objective, which is laid out in the country’s 2008 Constitution, is to give the military a dominant role in politics.
• Currently, Myanmar practices ‘Burmese way to democracy’, parallel to ‘Burmese way to socialism’
• Equality and federalism, these issues are today the most discussed in the on-going peace talks between the civilian government, the military and the ethnic armed groups. The success or failure of the peace talks will largely depend on how these two issues are handled and also depends Myanmar’s peace, stability and development.

Way Forward for Mayanmar:

• In political discussions, the ‘8888’ leaders should look at democratic transitions in other countries. They should share their findings to civil as well as military leadership of Myanmar.
• It should be noted that no democracy can succeed when the military holds the reins and is unaccountable to an elected civilian leadership.
• For democracy to strike deep roots in Myanmar, the role of the ‘8888’ leaders remains important. The people of Myanmar as well as members of the international community want a democracy that respects the rights of all its people, including the minorities.

FOCUS (A PRELIMS 2019 PRESPECTIVE)

Xingkong-2:

It is China’s hypersonic “waverider” flight vehicle. It is also called Starry Sky-2.

• It is capable of flying independently and of carrying nuclear warheads.
• It glides at high speeds using shockwaves generated by its own hypersonic flight with the air.

 Uakitite

• It is a new mineral has been discovered in a meteorite in Eastern Russia.
• It is named “uakitite” after the Uakit region of Siberia where the meteorite was discovered.
• 98% of the Uakit meteorite is an iron alloy called kamacite, which so far has only been found in other meteorites. The other two percent is comprised of minerals that form in space.
• Scientists don’t know a lot more about this mysterious space rock as they were unable to obtain all physical and optical properties of the mineral because of its small size.

Maitree 2018:

• It is an annual joint military training exercise between India and Thailand. The 2018 edition of this exercise is being held in Thailand.
• Aim: The aim of this exercise is to build and promote closer relations while exchanging skills and experiences between the two armies.
• Last exercise was held in Himachal Pradesh’s Bakloh in 2017.

MISC.

1. Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre (JCBC), Pinjore, Haryana

2. One-third of public sector banks remain headless as a Prime Minister-headed panel is yet to clear the CEO appointments.
3. Vigyan Prasar launches Internet-based channel to highlight India’s achievements – under the guidance of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) has launched India Science (indiascience.in)