EducatorIAS

What are the ‘Vanilla Islands’ Vanilla Islands is a grouping of six island nations in south-west Indian Ocean who joined hands in 2010 to integrate their efforts to boost tourism. Mayotte, Comoros, Mauritius, Seychelles, Reunion and Madagascar are its members. The term ‘Vanilla’ is used because these countries are known for their export of the flavouring substance Vanilla. Madagascar is an island country situated approximately 400 kilometres off the coast of East Africa. A former French colony, Madagascar is one of the least developed nations of the world. It is a member of the the African Union (AU) as well as the Southern African Development Community (SADC). A small Gujarati merchant community exists here. Comoros is a small island nation situated in the warm Indian Ocean waters of the Mozambique Channel. It is a volcanic archipelago with the largest city and capital at Moroni. Arabic and French are the two official languages. The majority of the Comorans follow Sunni Islam and Como...

Examine major issues with technology sector in India?what is strategy followed by India for transforming technology sector  in India? In the technology sector, five important issues were:  (a) silo-centric approaches to development of technology  (b) technology standards either not developed or applied, leading to sub-optimal industrial development  (c) dual use technologies not being optimally commercialised  (d) R&D programs not aligned to efforts at technology development (e) need for mapping of technologies important for applications in society and industry. India strategy : 1)The Constitution of Technology Group is an effort at addressing the above problems.        This Group is mandated to render timely policy advice on latest technologies; mapping of technology and technology products; commercialisation of dual use technologies developed in national laboratories and government R&D organisations; developing an indigenisation roa...

Gandhiji said: “I shall work for an India in which the poorest shall feel that it is their country, in whose making they have an effective voice, an India in which there shall be no high class and low class of people, an India in which all communities shall live in perfect harmony. Gandhiji said :Swaraj I mean the government of India by the consent of the people as ascertained by the vote of the largest number of the adult population, male or female, native born or domiciled, who have contributed by manual labour to the service of the State and who have taken the trouble of having their names registered as voters… I hope… to achieve the end by demonstrating that real Swaraj will come not by the acquisition of authority by a few but by the acquisition of the capacity by all to resist authority when it is abused. In other words, Swaraj is to be attained by educating the masses to a sense of their capacity to regulate and control authority. Gandhiji said:Satyagraha is a relentless search ...

Introduction : Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) published by the World Economic Forum in 2018 ranks 149 countries on their status of gender equality through various parameters. On this index, India ranked 108 th  on its performance on gender equality. In the Global Gender Gap Index 2020, the number of countries increased to 153 in which India’s ranking was 112 th . India’s score has moved from 0.665 in 2018 to 0.668 in 2020. Government of India has given utmost priority to end the gender based inequities, reducing disparity between men and women, improving socio-economic status of women and increasing their participation in various fields. Some of the major initiatives takenby Government of India to ensure that women gain equal rights, opportunities and access to resources are: Constitutional Provisions –  Articles such as Article 14, Article 15 (3), Article 39A, and Article 42 make special provisions for rights of women to ensure gender equality. Legislative Provisions –  ...

Steps taken by the Government to conserve and develop indigenous breeds of cattle are as under:  i)  Nationwide Artificial Insemination (AI) programme: Nationwide AI programme has been launched on 11th September 2019 for implementation in 600 districts with less than 50% Artificial Insemination coverage covering 100 villages per district 200 animals per village. During the programe from 15th September 2019 to 15th March 2020 about 1.2 crore animals will be covered, so far 22 lakh Artificial inseminations have been performed and 12.1 lakh farmers got benefitted as on date 31.01.2020. ii)   Krishi Kalyan Abhiyan: Artificial Insemination Coverage (AI) with High Yielding Indigenous Breeds: In the 112 aspirational districts identified by NITI Aayog. Under the programme 9.05 lakh artificial inseminations have been performed for protection of indigenous breeds. iii)   Establishment/strengthening of Embryo Transfer and In-Vitro Fertilization centres: Projects for s...

Realizing the immense scope for development of fisheries and aquaculture, the Government of India hasrestructured the Central Plan Schemes under an umbrella of Blue Revolution. The restructured CentrallySponsored Scheme (CSS) on Blue Revolution: Integrated Development and Management ofFisherieswasapproved in December, 2015 by the CCEA with a total central budgetary outlay of Rs.3000 crorefor five years (i.e. till end 2019-20). The major components of the CSS on Blue Revolution scheme are as under: i. Development of Inland Fisheries and Aquaculture, ii. Development of Marine Fisheries, Infrastructure and Post-harvest Operations, iii. National Scheme for Welfare of Fishermen iv. Monitoring, Control and Surveillance and other need-based Interventions (MCS), v. Institutional Arrangement for Fisheries Sector, vi. Strengthening of Database & Geographical Information System of the Fisheries Sector (SoDGIS), vii. National Fisheries Development Board and its activities(NFDB) The Blue Revolu...

As per 19th Livestock Census 2012, there are 190.90 million numbers of cattle in the country owned by 65 million numbers of households. In a cooperative system, farmers owning milch cattle organise dairy cooperative societies (DCS) at village level where they pour milk. The milk so collected from a cluster of such DCS are stored and cooled in BMCs located at one of these DCS. DAHD provides assistance for BMCs to dairy cooperatives for installation at village level dairy cooperative societies to cool and preserve milk. In Rajasthan, as on December 2019, there are 2686 number of BMCs with installed capacity of 4410 Thousand Litre and 15017 numbers of registered dairy cooperative societies covering 8.20 lakh farmers. In the country, as on March 2019, there is an installed BMC capacity of 41447 Thousand Litre and 1.91 lakh number of dairy cooperative societies covering 169.29 lakh farmer members. (i) National Programme for Dairy Development (ii) National Dairy Plan-Phase I (iii) Dairy Proc...

Fundamental Truths of Vedanta According to Swami Vivekananda 1. The inherent divinity of man. 2. The non-duality of the Ultimate Reality, ofBrahman or Atman. 3. The ultimate Reality as Brahman or the Absolute of Philosophy, is also the Intimate Reality as Iswara or God, of religion. 4. The Ultimate Reality as the Atman becomes capable, of not just a belief in Him, but of the realization or experience or anubhava of Him, by man. 5. Such anubhava, and the struggle towards it, constitutes dynamic spirituality, and the true meaning of religion, and not just a belief in His existence and a static piety based on it.  6. Such dynamic spirituality means the steady spiritual growth of man, or his growth in his spiritual dimension, by developing increasing awareness by him of his inborn divine nature.  7. Such spiritual growth is to be achieved by man in the context of his life and work by the comprehensive spiritual technique of Yoga as taught in the Bhagavad Gita, which bridges the gu...

FDI is a major driver of economic growth and a source of non-debt finance for the economic development of the country. Government has put in place an investor friendly policy on FDI, under which FDI up to 100% is permitted on the automatic route in most sectors/ activities. FDI policy provisions have been progressively liberalized across various sectors in recent years to make India an attractive investment destination. Some of the sectors include Defence, Construction Development, Trading, Pharmaceuticals, Power Exchanges, Insurance, Pension, Other Financial Services, Asset reconstruction Companies, Broadcasting and Civil Aviation. These reforms have contributed to India attracting record FDI inflows in the last 5 years. Total FDI into India from 2014-15 to 2018-19 has been US $ 286 billion as compared to US $ 189 billion in the 5-year period prior to that (2009-10 to 2013-14). In fact, total FDI in 2018-19 i.e. US $ 64.37 billion (provisional figure) is the highest ever FDI re...

Accessible and affordable healthcare to the common man with the launch of Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan AarogyaYojana (AB-PMJAY) by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on 23rd September, 2018 at Ranchi, Jharkhand. Under the vision of Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Jan AarogyaYojana (AB-PMJAY) shall be implemented so that each and every citizen receives his due share of health care. With Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan AarogyaYojana, the government is taking healthcare protection to a new aspirational level. This is the “ world’s largest government funded healthcare program ” targeting more than 50 crore beneficiaries.   BENEFITS UNDER THE SCHEME:   Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana (PMJAY) will provide a  cover of up to Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year, for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization .   Over 10.74 crore vulnerable entitled families ( approximately 50 crore beneficiaries )  will be eligible  for these benefits....

Government of India has approved the development of following five industrial corridor projects to be implemented through National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT): A)  Status of Industrial Corridors Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC): Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) for all identified nodes/cities have been incorporated, trunk infrastructure works are nearing completion, land disposal policies have been finalized and the process of land allotment to investors has been initiated at the following locations: Dholera Special Investment Region in Gujarat (22.5 sqkms); Shendra-Bidkin Industrial Area in Maharashtra (18.55 sqkms); Integrated Industrial Township Project at Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh (747.5 acres); Integrated Industrial Township Project ‘VikramUdyogpuri’ near Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh (1100 acres).  A total of 67 plots have been allotted covering an area of 478.9 acres. Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Corridor (AKIC): Perspective pl...

The growth of industrial sector is an interplay of several factors, like domestic demand, demand for exports, level of investment and prevailing prices. The Government has been continuously taking steps to boost industrial growth including infrastructure sector which includes putting in place a policy framework to create conducive business environment, strengthening infrastructure network and ensuring availability of required inputs. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy and procedures have been simplified and liberalised progressively. The Government has also taken up a series of measures to improve Ease of Doing Business. Added IIP index growthstatus of Industrial sector status table  Measures took by Government   Recently, several short- term and long-term measures have been taken to boost investment, production and demand. Corporate tax rate has been slashed to 22% for domestic companies and 15% for new domestic manufacturing companies, drive has been initiated for G...

Snapshot :India’s overall exports (merchandise and services) increased from USD 498.63 billion in 2017-18 to USD 538.07 billion in 2018-19, registering a positive growth of 7.91% as compared to the previous year. India’s exports have also increased from USD 262.14 billion in 2018-19 (Apr-Sept) to USD 266.63 billion in 2019-20 (Apr-Sept), showing a positive growth of 1.71% during current year. There exists Export Development Fund (EDF) in Exim Bank under the provisions of the Export-Import Bank of India Act, 1981. Government has taken following steps to increase exports and thereby earn foreign exchange for the country: A new Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2015-20 was launched on 1 st  April 2015. The policy, rationalised the earlier export promotion schemes and introduced two new schemes, namely Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) for improving export of goods   and Services Exports from India Scheme (SEIS) for increasing exports of services. Duty credit scrips issue...

India’s ranking in the Global Competitiveness Index has fallen by 10 ranks partly as a consequence of a relatively small decline in score but more significantly due to faster improvements of several countries earlier ranked close to India.  The GCI brought out by the World Economic Forum involved performance review of 141 countries.  However, India ranked high on innovation (35 th ), financial sector (40 th ), and macro-economic stability (43 rd ).  On innovation, India was well ahead of most emerging economies and on par with several advanced economies The Government has announced several measures to boost economic growth rate and also to improve the ease of doing business and ease of living which, in turn, will improve India’s position in the Global Competitiveness Index. The key measures initiated include,  1)reduction of corporate tax rate from 30 percent to 22 percent to encourage investment in the economy; 2) extension of PM Kisan, an income support scheme, to ...

Per Drop More Crop component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY-PDMC) is operational in the country from 2015-16. The PMKSY- PDMC focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at farm level through Micro Irrigation viz. Drip and Sprinkler irrigation.          The Government provides financial assistance @ 55% for small and marginal farmers and @ 45% for other farmers for installation of Drip and Sprinkler Irrigation systems. In addition, some States provide additional incentives/top up subsidy for encouraging farmers to adopt Micro Irrigation. Irrigation Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the soil or agricultural field. It is thereplacement or supplementation of rainwater with another source of water. It is usedin dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall. The main idea behind irrigation systems is to assist in the growth of agricultural cropsand plants by maintaining with the minimum amount of water required,...

Highlights of 2018-19(Final)         The Total Horticulture Production of the country is estimated to be 310.74 Million Tonne in 2018-19, which is marginally higher than the Horticulture Production in 2017-18. Increase in Fruits, Flowers, Spices and Honey while decrease in Vegetables, Aromatic & Medicinal Plants and Plantation Crops. Fruits Production is estimated to be around 97.97 Million Tonne, compared to 96.45 Million Tonne of 2017-18. Vegetables Production is estimated to be around 183.17 Million, which is lesser than the production of 2017-18. Onion Production is estimated to be around 22.82 Million Tonne, which is lesser than the production of 2017-18. Potato Production is estimated to be around 50.19 Million Tonne, which is lesser than the production of 2017-18. Tomato Production is estimated to be around 19.01 Million Tonne, which is lower than the production of 2017-18.

Snapshot MSME sector in India : There are 63.4 million MSMEs in India which contributes around 29% of India’s GDP, 49 % of exports, MSME sector is considered as the backbone of Indian economy, as it provides employment to 111 million people.  The measures taken in regard to the MSME sector mentioning a few: Atal innovation Centre for technology support, MUDRA Bank to provide funding support, aspire to improve social and economic life in rural India, 25% procurement of MSME by Public sector enterprises E-Biz Portal for Marketing support and new portal sanctioning 1 crore loan in 59 mins etc.. Govt has taken measures to help social security for MSME and unrecognised sectors The Economic Survey mention the following ing measures to undertaken to support the MSME sector in India to ensure better credit flow, technology up-gradation, ease of doing business and market access. key reforms for faster growth of this sector.  The initiatives and the status of these initiatives...

Back ground :The Assisted Reproductive Technology Regulation Bill 2020 is the most recent, in a series of legislations approved by the Union Cabinet to protect and safeguard the reproductive rights of women. The bill makes provisions for safe and ethical practice of assisted reproductive technology services in the country. Through the bill, the National Board, the State Boards, the National Registry and the State Registration Authorities respectively will regulate and supervise assisted reproductive technology clinics and assisted reproductive technology banks. Assisted reproductive technology (ART) has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years. India has one of the highest growths in the ART centers and the number of ART cycles performed every year. Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), including In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF), has given hope to a multitude of persons suffering from infertility, but also introduced a plethora of legal, ethical and social issues. Indi...

Poona Pact? What were the terms of the Poona Pact? An agreement between Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi was signed 84 years ago on September 24, 1932. The agreement was signed by Pt Madan Mohan Malviya and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and some Dalit leaders at Yerwada Central Jail in Pune, to break Mahathma Gandhi's fast unto death. Why did Mahatma Gandhi go on a fast unto death? In 1932, the Britishers announced 'The Communal Award' which was considered as one of  the tools of divide and rule in India. Mahatma Gandhi understood their move and knew that this was an attack on Indian nationalism. Therefore, Mahatma Gandhi went on a hunger strike and objected to the provision of separate electorates for the Dalits. Gandhi opposed the British since he felt that their policies would divide the Hindu society. Terms of poona Pact?  Seat reservation for the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in provincial legislature The STs and SCs would form an electoral college whic...

Upsc Mcq:Challange  1) Which one the following principles were supported by the theosophical society ? 1) Belief in karma and rebirth 2)belief in universal brother hood and humanity 3) Belief in vedantic philosophy 4) belief in monotheism  a) 1,2,3 b) 2,3 c) 1,4 d) 1,2,3,4 Answer is (a) 2)According to the   United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which India has ratified, expressly recognises in Article 13 is related to?   a) Article 13 that freedom of expression of the child includes the “freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of the child’s choice.” b) Article 13 of the CRC provides that member states should assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely. 1) only a  2) only b 3) both a and b 4) none Answer (only a)  3) which of th...