UKPCS-2012 MAINS COURSE,SAMVEG IAS

UKPCS-2012 PRE RESULT OUT.SAMVEG IAS DEHRADUN

UKPCS-2012 PRE RESULT OUT.

HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL MY DEAR STUDENT WHO CLEARED THIS EXAM IN THEIR 1st ATTEMPT.

MAINS EXAM IN MAY.


SEE THE RESULT

http://ukpsc.gov.in/files/PCS-2012_IT.pdf

CUTOFF: UKPSC WILL DECLARE IT ON 10TH FEB.BUT AS I HAVE TOLD INITIALLY IT WILL BE B/W 180-190.IT IS THERE FOR GENERAL CATEGORY.

dear friends

one should concentrate now fully on mains.analyse the syllabus and mark the important topics that could be asked.then think what kind of question could be framed from marked syllabus .preparation should be simple and focussed. Donot bother for much details as u have to ans in limited words.think more on analysis part.many candidate are bothered with uttarakhand special ( history and geography),no need to specialised preparation.ur preparation for pre either from parikshvani/winsar will be sufficient but u have to under stand how to use material given in those books.u cannot leave any topics given there but u can priorities the topic.

rest strategy may differ from C2C but overall focus should be only on important topics. i will post later detailed strategy for mains.

Father of Birth Control Pill Carl Djerassi passes away

enowned chemist Carl Djerassi has passed away in San Francisco, United States (US). He was 91.

He was famously known as the father of the birth control pills for his contribution to the development of oral contraceptive birth pills.

About Carl Djerassi

• He was born on 29 October 1923.
• In 1951, he had led a research team in Mexico City that developed a synthetic moleculenorethindrone- a key component of the first birth control pill.
• Later, he had submitted many research papers on birth control pills. It includes a public policy article about the global implications of U.S. contraceptive research in 1969 and another article about the feasibility of a birth control pill for men in 1970.
• It should be noted that the first birth-control pill approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) was Enovid, developed Frank Colton at G.D. Searle & Co and not by him.
• He was also professor emeritus of chemistry at Stanford University and had written many poems, short stories and plays with an emphasis on mixing science and literature. Some of the poems reflected his life as a chemist.
• Awards: For his work on the contraceptive pills he was awarded US’s prestigious awardNational Medal of Science (1973), National Medal of Technology (1991). He was also inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame in 1978 for his research.

7th Pay Commission: Should other Central services officers get an IAS salary?

THE IPS, IRS, IRTS and other Central service officers may step up their demands of getting equal pay with that of an IAS or IFS officer, as the 7th Pay Commission is now examining a pay revision that may come into effect from April 1, 2016. Satya Prasant P, an Indian Revenue Service officer who had earlier voiced his concerns about the IAS hegemony, has in his personal blog made a strong pitch for equal salary for officers belonging to all services, appealing the 7th Pay Commission to end the existing distortion. Let’s first see how much more an IAS officer gets than that of officers belonging to other services:
In a highly analytical piece written in his personal blog satyaprasantp@blogspot.in, (Full Article)  Prasant estimates that an IAS or IFS officer in a month gets Rs 4,000 to 5,000 more than officers belonging to other services after four years of service though all pass the same competitive examination. The gap goes up to Rs 15,000–16,000 per month by 14th year and Rs 18,000-20,000 per month by 17th year of service, as IAS and IFS officers are accorded additional increments at 3% each over their basic pay at three grades i.e. Senior Time Scale (STS), Junior Administrative Grade (JAG) and Non Functional Selection Grade (NFSG). “The Transport Allowance and other Allowances are calculated as a percentage of basic salary or basic salary plus DA. So it is anybody’s guess as to what will be the difference in salaries being paid to an IAS/IFS officer and other officers belonging to other Services like IPS, IRS, etc. as a result of two additional increments being granted to IAS/IFS at three levels,” he adds.
Prasant argues that this discriminatory practice has its roots in the erstwhile British colonial administration when the Indian Civil Service (ICS) was an elite cadre of officers comprising predominantly the British nationals or Europeans that occupied top administrative positions. Post-Independence, IAS took ICS’ space.
Prasant concedes that those IAS and IFS officers who got selected before 1979 could be considered of higher merit than those selected for IPS and other Central services, as the former had to clear two additional optional subjects of master’s degree standard. But examination pattern got changed since 1979.  
Based on Kothari Committee recommendations of 1976, recruitment to IAS, IFS, IPS and other Central Civil Services was being made through a common civil services examination since 1979. “However, the edge enjoyed by the IAS/IFS over the other Services in respect of salaries is being continued even after 1979 citing one or the other reason,” Prasant writes.
In fact, the question of pay parity cropped up during the earlier pay commissions as well, but the demand was set aside mainly with an argument that IAS officers are still the best talent, and they are generally posted in small places in their initial career. Also, they face frequent transfers, and the pulls and pressures that they have to stand upto early in their career are much more intense. The following is an excerpt from the 6th Pay Commission report that argued why IAS officers should get a better pay: “The role of IAS is still very important in the overall scheme of governance. They have an important coordinating, multi-functional and integrating role in the administrative framework with wide experience of working across various levels in diverse areas in Government. They hold important field level posts at the district level and at the cutting edge at the start of their careers with critical decision making and crisis management responsibilities. The leadership function, the strategic, coordinating and integrative role at this level requires the best talent available. The existing position would, therefore, need to be maintained. It will ensure that IAS officers near the beginning of their career are given slightly higher remuneration vis-à-vis other services and act as an incentive for the brightest candidates to enter this service. This is essential as the initial postings of IAS officers are generally to small places, they face frequent transfers and the pulls and pressures they have to stand upto early in their career are much more intense. The slight edge in the initial stages of their career would, to an extent, neutralize these problems. The Commission, accordingly, is of view that the existing edge for IAS in the three grades viz. Senior Time Scale, Junior Administrative Grade and Non-Functional Selection Grade needs to be retained.”
But according to Prasant, it’s a myth that IAS officers are the best talent available among the candidates selected through civil services examination. And this myth is “perpetrated by the IAS lobby to gain an unfair advantage over the other sister civil services in the country”, he adds.
Analyzing the Service Allocation lists for the civil services examinations from 2005 to 2012, Prasant sums up like this: “All those candidates who are allotted IAS in the Civil Services Examination merit list are neither the toppers of that year’s exam nor the brightest of the candidates selected in that year.”
Further, he calls the 6th Central Pay Commission’s justification of a higher pay for IAS “by citing their initial postings to small places, frequent transfers and intense pulls and pressures” as highly self-contradictory.  Prasant retorts: “Initial postings of IPS and Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers are also to small places. The pulls and pressures on IPS officers are much more than on the IAS officers.  The frequent transfers are seen more in the case of IPS than in the IAS.  IPS officers are at the forefront of combating terrorism and naxalism, which are the biggest security threats the country is facing.  IPS officers are working overtime to ensure that public order is maintained across the country.  The majority of the Central Civil Services officers belonging to Services like IRS(IT), IRS(C and CE), IDAS, IDES, IRTS and the Indian Forest Service officers are posted in the moffussil towns during their initial years of service. Some of them are posted in the remotest areas of the country like Jammu and Kashmir, North-East, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, border areas, etc.”
So, will 7th Pay Commission look into this "inequality" and give equal pay to all officers across services? What is your take? Which side you are in?

A crown of political thorns:ROLE OF FOREIGN SECRETARY

The post of Foreign Secretary brings with it an aura of brilliance, political acceptability, high visibility and vulnerability. But staying in the position for a full term is a Herculean task

Every two years, sometimes more often, national media regales readers with stories on the making and unmaking of Foreign Secretaries. No other post, not even that of the Cabinet Secretary, attracts such national attention and interest. The post brings with it an aura of brilliance, political acceptability, high visibility and vulnerability. It is a position that legends are made on. But becoming Foreign Secretary and staying there for a full term is a Herculean task. There are also instances in which unsuspecting officers are plucked out of their comfortable perches in Beijing, Islamabad and Dublin and installed in the hot seat. Some are born Foreign Secretaries, some achieve the job and some have the job thrust upon them.

The glamour of being Foreign Secretary is not as real as it is made out to be. The pressures and tension emanating from above and below are such that the person can hardly savour either power or glory. As the interface between the bureaucracy and the politicians, he is buffeted by both constantly. The Foreign Service is highly competitive, if not combative. Its leader needs to have three pairs of hands, like gods and goddesses — one pair to implement orders from above, one to hold on to his/her chair and one to do work. Any slackening will bring instant retribution, often undeserved and unjust. Two years of such tension is the reward for brilliance, manipulation or chance — ways to secure the post. Former Foreign Secretaries are a happier lot than the incumbents.

“The making and unmaking of Foreign Secretaries will continue to baffle the public and frustrate aspirants and incumbents, but the method in the madness will surface over the passage of time”

Past appointments

Any analysis of past appointments will defy any theory about the selection of Foreign Secretaries. Seniority has been the decisive factor in the largest number of appointments. But there have always been ways to get around it by rearranging the jigsaw puzzle and placing senior people in attractive posts abroad. Merit, subjective at every stage, is a nebulous factor. The rank allotted by the Union Public Service Commission, by the most objective and diligent process, has been in play only in some cases. Instances of officers at the top swinging from one political ideology to another to earn merit are not rare. Good officers have fallen by the wayside and some have made it with poor credentials. But the past record of selection of Foreign Secretaries presents a picture of near-perfection in a majority of the cases. The percentage of aberrations is not higher than in the making of Prime Ministers or the selection of Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

Complex picture

The unmaking of Foreign Secretaries presents a more complex picture. The most celebrated case was the unprecedented sacking of a Foreign Secretary at a press conference by the Prime Minister. The last straw in that case was a factual issue regarding whether the Prime Minister would visit Pakistan or not. The Prime Minister not only contradicted the Foreign Secretary, but also promised the nation a new Foreign Secretary. But it was well known that the chemistry between Rajiv Gandhi and A.P. Venkateswaran was not the best even before the latter was appointed Foreign Secretary. He was appointed because of his reputation and popularity in the service itself. “Let us have a bash at it!” Rajiv Gandhi is supposed to have said, while handing him the post. Venkateswaran’s removal was a foregone conclusion, and the favourite of the Prime Minister was all set to take over, but the heat of the moment forced the Prime Minister to appoint the senior most officer in the service in his place. That was the only time the Foreign Service openly revolted against a decision of the Prime Minister.

The removal of Jagat Singh Mehta by Charan Singh involved issues of foreign policy rather than personal predilections. Jagat Mehta’s rise from High Commissioner in Tanzania to Foreign Secretary was meteoric, primarily because of Indira Gandhi who discovered his potential. But her successors and finally she herself felt that his vision was not in keeping with the dictates of the times. Jagat Mehta anticipated much of the evolution of Indian foreign policy, like the reduction of rigidity of our nuclear policy and engagement with the United States and China. He had nothing against the Soviet Union, but his stress on other relationships set the Kremlin on fire and the heat was felt in New Delhi when the Soviet lobby took up the cudgels against him. The fiasco in Lusaka involving his candidature for the post of Secretary General of the Commonwealth speeded up his removal, but it was done in a clandestine manner. He was repeatedly told that his letter of resignation was not accepted, but his successor Ram Sathe was informed of his new post through unconventional communication channels not accessible to the serving Foreign Secretary. Indira Gandhi herself cancelled a posting the previous government had promised him and he stayed on in the service as an officer on special duty, as a disciplined soldier, till he retired. His vindication came when Atal Bihari Vajpayee honoured him with a Padma Bhushan many years later.

The politically savvy and shrewd S.K. Singh fell victim to his own feeling of invincibility, which prompted him to make an enemy of Inder Kumar Gujral at a time when the latter’s rise was not anticipated by anyone. He tried to smooth ruffled feathers to work for the new dispensation, but he was quietly removed with the promise of a political appointment, which did not materialise till the Congress returned to power. Neither the climb to the precarious rock of bureaucratic heights nor the descent is an easy ride for anyone. The satisfaction and pride come only when the person gets back to earth unscathed and looks at the path traversed. The journey to the pinnacle of the Foreign Service has more than its share of storms and avalanches.

The most recent “curtailing” of a Foreign Secretary’s term and the appointment of another just two days before his retirement are illustrative of the mix of the many factors which lead to such decisions. Both of them are extremely competent and both, having benefited from political patronage, must accept its shifting sands. Bureaucrats, who get close to the political leadership, rise and fall with their mentors.

The added hazard is that the post of the Foreign Secretary is constantly under scrutiny because of his or her high profile and visibility. The making and unmaking of Foreign Secretaries will continue to baffle the public and frustrate aspirants and incumbents, but the method in the madness will surface over the passage of time.

Six-point plan to realise ‘Asian Century’ dream

 India has unveiled an ambitious agenda to elevate its ties with
China, with External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj announcing a
six-point proposal to jointly realise with Beijing, the dream of an
“Asian Century”. In her first engagement of the morning in the Chinese
capital, Ms. Swaraj said at the inaugural of the Second India-China
Media Forum that a six-point template can enrich the civilizations of
India and China in the modern era, resulting in the realisation of an
“Asian Century”.

Listing out the proposals in alphabetical order A-F, Ms. Swaraj
stressed that New Delhi-Beijing ties can reach the next level if both
sides enforce an “action- oriented approach and a broad-based
bilateral engagement”. She asserted that the two countries need to
achieve “convergence on common regional and global interests” and
“develop new areas of cooperation”. The two sides needed to “expand
strategic communication” and “fulfil the common aspiration to usher
and ‘Asian Century’,” Ms. Swaraj observed.

The visiting Minister announced that on the “boundary question” - anirritant in the relationship that triggered the 1962, Sino-Indian war- “my government is committed to exploring an early settlement”. Ms.Swaraj, who arrived in Beijing on Saturday night, after a stopover inKunming, one of the starting points of the China’s Maritime Silk Road
initiative and the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economiccorridor, also observed that the foundation had been laid to take theSino-Indian “economic cooperation to a qualitatively new level”.

On its part, China acknowledged the Sino-Indian relations had entereda new period of “major-country relations,” a nuanced formulationreserved to describe Beijing’s ties with regional and global
heavyweights, including the United States. Also speaking at themedia-forum inaugural, China’s Jiang Jianguo, minister of statecouncil information office quoted former leader Deng Xiaoping as
saying that “only when China and India have developed will a real‘century of Asia’ will emerge.” He substantiated Beijing’s aspirationsby inviting India to participate in the Silk Road Economic Belt and
the 21 set century Maritime Silk Road—President Xi’s pet project toachieve Eurasian economic integration, based on a land and seatransportation network, complemented by a grid off energy pipelines,
fiber-optic highways, industrial parks and smart cities. “With the‘belt and road’ initiatives as wings, China wants to take off togetherwith the countries involved,” said Mr. Jiang. India has so far backedthe BCIM proposal that would connect Kolkata with Kunming-the capitalof Yunnan province, which is the gateway to three ASEAN countries:
Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. New Delhi also hosted a meeting of chiefnegotiators of the Asian Investment and Infrastructure Bank,signalling India’s full support to a China backed initiative that islikely to help support President Xi’s Silk Road projects.

Yet, China’s forays in the Indian Ocean, including Sri Lanka andMaldives, are impeding New Delhi full support for the MSR. “Ourstrategic dialogue with China has to broaden and deepen to addressthese concerns,” a diplomatic source told The Hindu. In her addressMs. Swaraj promised “to make it easier” for Chinese companies to dobusiness in India, citing the establishment of two China-backedindustrial parks in India, as an illustration of Bejing’s support for
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” initiative to spur themanufacturing sector in India.

'Queen' wins big at Filmfare Awards 2015

Vikas Bahl's coming-of-age drama 'Queen' triumphed at the 60th Filmfare Awards, winning in key categories including best film, best director and best actress for its lead star Kangana Ranaut.

The film bagged six honours in total - best editing to Abhijit Kokate and Anurag Kashyap, best cinematography (Bobby Singh and Siddharth Diwan) and and best background score for Amit Trivedi.

Kangana, who saw off competition from Alia Bhatt, Madhuri Dixit, Priyanka Chopra, Rani Mukerji and Sonam Kapoor in the best actress category, was not present to accept her award.

Vishal Bhardwaj's Shakespearean tale 'Haider' closely followed 'Queen' with five wins which includes a black lady for Shahid Kapoor in the best actor category and best supporting honours for Tabu and Kay Kay Menon.

'Haider' triumphed in the technical categories as well, with Dolly Ahluwalia winning best costume designer and Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray topping the best production design list.

The lifetime achievement award was given to veteran actress Kamini Kaushal for her outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.

Young star Alia Bhatt bagged the best actress (Critics) trophy for 'Highway' and Sanjay Mishra won the best actor (Critics) for his outstanding performance in 'Ankhon Dekhi', which also earned director-writer Rajat Kapoor the best story gong.

Kriti Sanon won best debut female award for 'Heropanti', while Pakistani heartthrob Fawad Khan won the best debut male award for 'Khoobsurat'.