UPSC Key-October 20, 2022: Why you should read ‘Imported Inflation’ or ‘Electoral Right’ or ‘National Credit Framework’ for UPSC CSE

Rupee falls to record 83.02, imported inflation is now a worry

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Hit by rising global inflation and strengthening dollar, the rupee breached the 83 level to close at a fresh low of 83.02 against the US dollar on Wednesday amid large dollar demand from corporates and oil companies, raising the spectre of further rise in imported inflation.

• What is imported inflation?

• What causes imported inflation?

• This time, the rupee plunged to a fresh low of 83.02 against the US dollar-can you tell why this is happening?

• Why the Dollar is higher than the Indian Rupee?

• What do you understand by the ‘rupee exchange rate’?

• Why are the rupee-dollar exchange rate and forex reserves falling?

• Some experts also attribute “outflow of foreign portfolio investment (FPI) for rupee plunging”-What FPIs’ market exit means?

• How does outflow of foreign portfolio investment impacts the markets and the rupee?

• What will be the effect on the economy?

• What do you understand by Rupee depreciation?

• Appreciation vs Depreciation of Currency-Compare and Contrast

• How RBI has been intervening from time to time to contain the volatility in rupee?

• What should policymakers do to prevent the fall?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:  

📍Strengthening dollar, weakening rupee: what the numbers show

📍Explained: What Rs 80 to a dollar means

📍Explained: What FPIs’ market exit means

PM unveils Make in India new list: Frigates to SAMs

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story-Citing the induction of the indigenously-built Tejas light combat aircraft, light combat helicopters and aircraft carrier INS Vikrant into the Indian armed forces, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Wednesday that decisions to induct ‘Make in India’ products were not because of “political will”, but due to the “courage” shown by the leadership of the armed forces.

• What is positive Indigenisation list?

• What is the Indigenisation of Defence?

• Why Indigenisation of Defence?

• Indigenisation of Defence and Make in India-connect the dots

• What is Make in-India Programme?

• Can you name some prominent schemes by the Government of India in Make in India programme category?

• What is Make in India policy of defence and how it can boost exports

• What are the India’s defence industry components?

• What is Defence acquisition?

• Why Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP)?

• Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP)-know its key features

• How much India spends in defence as compared to other sectors?

• What is budget for defence imports?

• What Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) says about India’s defence and defence expenditure?

• When it comes to defence exports then why exports of defence products from India are limited to few countries like Vietnam?

• India can recalibrate not reduce the defence expenditure-do you agree?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:  

📍Defense Acquisition Procedure

📍India can supply weapons to Fight terror, drugs in Indian Ocean Region, says Rajnath

THE EDITORIAL PAGE

What DC doesn’t get

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Pratap Bhanu Mehta writes: If the Chinese are going nationalist, surely the world will not be safer by a doubling down on American nationalism. The rest of the world’s interest will lie not in opportunistically exploiting this rivalry but in banding together to change the self-defeating terms in which it is being conducted

• What Is Neoliberalism?

• Here, the author believes that the neoliberal global order based on open economies, reciprocal gains from trade, free flows of finance, elite mobility, and faith in interdependence is now ending-how he is substantiating this assertion?

• Why the author feels that the rise of China was always going to be a challenge?

• What is the American hegemony?

• What are the constraints on American hegemony today?

• “If the world is facing an economic and ecological crisis, surely the answer cannot be a late-19th century striving for national supremacy”-Decode

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:  

📍C Raja Mohan writes: India, America and the China challenge

THE IDEAS PAGE

Don’t force the vote

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Salient features of the Representation of People’s Act.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- SY Quraishi writes: The noble objective of enhanced voter participation can be best achieved through systematic voter education, amply demonstrated by the ECI in elections in all the states and Union territories since 2010 when a voter education division was set up.

• Quick Recall-FOR THE first time, over 1,000 corporate houses in Gujarat have signed agreements with the Election Commission (EC), undertaking to monitor “electoral participation of their workforce” and publish the names of those who don’t vote on their websites or office notice boards.

• How Election Commission of India has justified this step?

• What is the meaning of voter participation?

• What do you understand by voter apathy?

• What are some serious issues highlighted by the author surrounding voters’ rights?

• For Your Information-The Supreme Court, in PUCL vs Union of India, 2013, (popularly known as the NOTA judgment) has held that abstention from voting and negative voting are protected as freedom of expression, a fundamental right (Article 19). Earlier, in April 2009, the Court had taken the same view while dismissing a plea that sought to make voting mandatory on grounds of governments not representing the majority because of low turnouts.

• Compulsory Voting-Know the merits and demerits

• Do you think that now India should have Compulsory Voting?

• A number of countries around the world make it mandatory for citizens to vote-Can you name those countries? And what provisions they have regarding compulsory voting?

• Can you recall Compulsory Voting Bill, 2019?

• What is the Law Commission’s stand on the idea of compulsory voting?

• Do you Know-The Section 79 D of the Representation of People Act, 1951 defines “electoral right” to mean the right of a person to… vote or refrain from vote at an election”. The same provision exists in the Indian Penal Code, vide Section 171A (b). The law completely enables, but does not force, citizens to vote. Section135B of the Representation of People Act, 1951, grants a paid holiday to every person employed in any business, trade, industrial undertaking or any other establishment.

• “Free and fair election is a basic structure of the Constitution and necessarily includes within its ambit the right of an elector to cast his vote without fear of reprisal, duress or coercion”-Discuss

• ‘But the decision to name and shame those who don’t vote may be seen as a coercive step towards compulsory voting’-How far you agree?

• What is “electoral right”?

• When it comes to voting, persuasion and motivation by education rather than compulsion is the answer- What are the persuasion and motivation steps taken by ECI to educate voters?

• What is Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation program (SVEEP)?

• Do You Know-According to Section 135B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, every registered voter employed in any business, trade, industrial undertaking or any other establishment and entitled to vote in a Parliament or Assembly election has to be granted a paid holiday for the purpose. The state and central governments always notify polling day as a paid holiday within the meaning of Section 25 of Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Private Bill on compulsory voting divides House

📍Election Commission’s political plunge erodes its role as a neutral watchdog

EXPRESS NETWORK

Draft framework looks beyond classroom, to let students earn credit for vocational studies, too

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Economic and Social Development-Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- – School students will soon be able to earn credits from classroom learning as well as extracurricular activities, which will be deposited in a credit bank — a system already in place at the higher academic level — as the Centre on Wednesday unveiled the draft National Credit Framework.

• What is National Credit Framework?

• National Credit Framework-Know the objectives and key highlights

• What are the Features of National Credit Framework?

• National Credit Framework in India-List out its Merits and Demerits

• National Credit Framework in India-Challenges ahead?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:  

📍Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launches draft of National Credit Framework (NCrF) for public consultation

EXPLAINED

CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: History of the world will include events from 18th century such as industrial revolution, world wars, redrawal of national boundaries, colonization, decolonization, political philosophies like communism, capitalism, socialism etc.— their forms and effect on the society.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- The October of 1962 saw the Cold War hit its height, when the two great superpowers, the Soviet Union and the US, teetered on the brink of nuclear warfare for 13 days. The standoff, known as the Cuban missile crisis, was resolved and disaster narrowly averted thanks to timely negotiations between Soviet First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev and US President John F Kennedy.

• Cuban missile crisis, October 1962-How it started?

• Map Work-Cuba

• Why Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961 is known as an important precursor of the Cuban missile crisis?

• How did Cuban missile crisis ended?

• What were the consequences of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

• How Cuban Missile Crisis further escalated cold war between USA and USSR?

• What was India’s position during Cuban Missile Crisis and cold war era?

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:  

📍Cuban missile crisis

‘Oldest dock’ Lothal to get heritage complex: its features, significance

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: History of India

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What’s the ongoing story- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday evening reviewed the construction of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) site at Gujarat’s Lothal via video conferencing. “There are many such tales of our history that have been forgotten,” the PM said. “Lothal was not only a major trading centre of the Indus Valley Civilisation, but it was also a symbol of India’s maritime power and prosperity.”

• Where is Lothal?

• For Your Information-Lothal was nominated in April 2014 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and its application is pending on the tentative list of UNESCO. As per the nomination dossier submitted to UNESCO, “The excavated site of Lothal is the only port-town of the Indus Valley Civilisation.

• What is National Maritime Heritage Complex project?

• Indus Valley Civilization or Origin of Harappan Civilization-Know the date and Area and Areas of extension

• Map Work-Harrapan Sites including Lothal

• Harappan-Know the Urban infrastructure and architecture

• Harappan- Know about Harrapan society and religion

• Know in detail-Harappan art, craft and pottery

• Know in detail-Harappan Language and Scripts

• Reasons for Decline-Various Debates (Perspective-Left, Marxists and Conservatives etc)

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:  

📍PM to review site work progress of National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal on 18th October

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