Expert committee constituted to revisit IAS exam pattern: Dr. Jitendra Singh

Expert committee constituted to revisit IAS exam pattern: Dr. Jitendra Singh

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh disclosed that as a follow-up to the decision taken by the government in the month of May this year, an expert committee consisting of leading academicians, technocrats and senior bureaucrats of national repute has been constituted to revisit the entire pattern, syllabus and eligibility criteria for IAS / Civil Services examination. He was speaking to a group of civil services aspirants, here today.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said that based on the report of the Committee, further changes in the civil services exam pattern will be contemplated with the primary objective of providing a level playing field to aspirants from diverse streams of curriculum like mathematics, engineering, medicine or humanities and at the same time, also ensuring that the youngsters who took up IAS as a career possess a genuine aptitude for administrative job.

Till such time as the recommendations of the expert committee are received and the government subsequently takes a decision on the same, Dr. Jitendra Singh clarified that the General Studies Paper-II (CSAT) in the Civil Services Preliminary Examination will remain a qualifying paper with minimum qualifying marks fixed at 33%. Meanwhile, the DoPT’s decision taken last year to exclude the English portion consisting of 22 marks in the General Studies Paper-II of the Civil Services Preliminary Examination from tabulation also continues to remain in force, he added.

Reiterating the Narendra Modi government’s resolve to provide “maximum governance” and “ease of governance”, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, the decision to revise the IAS pattern was a path-breaking one and aimed to achieve the basic objective of ensuring that the best and the most deserving with a genuine aptitude, should get the opportunity to become a part of the administrative set up of rapidly developing 21st century India.

Dr. Jitendra Singh recalled that soon after the present government took over on May 26, 2014, it was confronted with the demands from across the country for revisiting the pattern and syllabus of Civil Services examination. After prolonged deliberations at different levels, he had himself personally studied the question papers of the last 3 years of IAS / Civil Services examination and come to a conclusion that the issue deserved to be re-looked in the background of inputs received from different quarters. It was also being alleged that the present syllabus and pattern tended to benefit students from mathematics and engineering backgrounds, he said. At the same time, there was also risk of the aptitude becoming a casualty in the pursuit of a secure IAS career, he observed. 

India has the makings of becoming the “clean energy world capital.”

PM’s roundtable on renewable energy

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today chaired a roundtable meeting on renewable energy, with top energy CEOs and experts, in San Jose.

Dr. Ernest Moniz, Secretary of Energy, United States; and Prof. Steven Chu, former US Secretary of Energy were present at the roundtable meeting.

Top energy CEOs and investors, including Ahmad Chatila, CEO SunEdison; Nikesh Arora, President and COO, Softbank; K.R. Sridhar, CEO, Bloom Energy; Jonathan Wolfson, CEO, Solazyme; John Doerr, Venture Capitalist; and Ira Ehrenpreis of DBL partners were present.

Prof Arun Majumdar, Prof Roger Noll, Dr. Anjani Kochar, and Prof. Sally Benson, all from Stanford University, participated.

Among the views expressed at the roundtable, was a clear assertion that India has the makings of becoming the “clean energy world capital.” 

The participants said that clean and renewable energy will soon be an inexpensive energy option, with electricity storage becoming cheaper. Participants were of the view that States and Cities in India should be allowed to take the lead in clean energy initiatives. A related thought was that the current grid is not designed for carrying the 175 GigaWatts (GW) of renewable energy that India is targeting, and therefore a complimentary effort is required on the grid side. Private investment was emphasized as vital for realizing the vision of 175 GW, with a parallel example being given of how Israel had solved its water shortage using private investment.

Experts were of the view that India has to address issues in four key areas – viz. technology integration; finance; regulatory frameworks; and the right talent pool. They also expressed concern at the financial status of power distribution companies (Discoms) in India.

The CEOs present gave a brief overview of the technologies and innovations being used in their companies. In addition to solar and wind energy, biomass was also suggested as a key provider of clean energy.

The Prime Minister thanked the participants for their views, and emphasized India’s commitment to realize the vision of 175 GigaWatts of clean energy. He said there is massive scope of investment in the sector, for example, through the Railways, where 100 percent FDI has been allowed. He said the Government is working to address issues in regulation, and address the financial health of Discoms.

The Prime Minister also gave an overview of initiatives already undertaken in the area of renewable energy, such as Kochi Airport becoming a solar-powered airport, and solar panels being installed over a canal in Gujarat. He said that early next month, a district court in the tribal belt of Jharkhand will become entirely solar-powered. The Prime Minister also mentioned coal gasification as an important area of research. He expressed confidence of a renewable energy revolution over the next decade. 

SAMVEG IAS MAINS TEST SERIES

US, India and security in the Asia-Pacific

That India-US ties are at the nexus of a new beginning shaping the Indo-Pacific is no surprise. PM Modi's second visit to the US at the beginning of his second year in office only reiterates the importance of this relationship. Although Modi is in New York to attend the 70th annual session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), he will also be in Silicon Valley to interact with business leaders and address the Indo-American community, before meeting President Obama. The presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping in the US at the same time only is testament to the dynamics brimming in Asia. While Modi is scheduled to meet with Obama on September 28, Xi had his meeting at the White House on September 25.

Modi talked about eliminating poverty, tackling climate change and reforming the UN including the Security Council, at the UNGA. These same issues also find their way in the India-US bilateral talks along with other issues such as defence cooperation and Af-Pak relations. The joint statement at the recently concluded maiden India-US strategic and commercial dialogue underlines the growing ambit of this relationship. Washington has voiced its support for India's permanent membership of the UNSC and in the Missile Technology Control Regime. Both sides also recognised the India-US partnership as a significant contributor to peace and stability in the Indian Ocean and Asia-Pacific regions. India forms a significant factor in US policy for the Asia-Pacific and that is why maritime security dominates the agenda on both sides when it comes to regional collaboration in the Indian Ocean and the Asia-Pacific. In the backdrop of Modi's upcoming meeting with Obama, it is worth examining the US-India potential in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions.

Washington currently is keener on India playing an active security role than New Delhi is willing to take on. Support from the US for such a role for India has been tremendous. The article in Foreign Policy - "How India and the United States Are Building a 21st-Century Partnership" - by US Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, capture the contours of this support building up in US policy for the region. China's dramatic rise and expanding ambitions for the region steered Washington's attention back to the Asia-Pacific sooner than it would have liked. While officials and diplomats continue to assert that American presence in Asia needs no validation, the fact remains that Washington would prefer a network of partnerships to sustain its influence in the region. The US Department of Defense (DoD) is paying special attention to the Asia-Pacific by engaging with old and new friends, keeping in line with its rebalance strategy. In all of this, it is easy to place India's role as the lynchpin.

India looms large in implementing the recent US DoD report, Maritime Security in the Asia Pacific. Released on August 21, the document re-emphasises Washington's commitment, building on Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter's visit to the region in May-June this year. While the report is careful in not targeting China directly, the objectives outlined underpin Beijing as the problem that America has to address in the Asia-Pacific. Combining American objectives with its strategic interests, the document identifies collaboration and strengthening of American allies and partners as the crux in achieving its goals too. Washington particularly "sees a strategic convergence between India's 'Act East' policy and the US rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region" and is "seeking to reinforce India's maritime capabilities as a net provider of security in the Indian Ocean region and beyond".

India playing an active security role is to its advantage, as Chinese expansion into the Indian Ocean has been gradually increasing. While New Delhi has picked up its pace under the Modi government, which has invoked a sharper policy in the maritime domain, it may be struggling to sustain the momentum.

The changing security dynamics in the Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific are primarily due to an increase in Chinese activities fuelled by the great Chinese dream. Territorial disputes and strategic conflicts in the high seas is a new domain of strategy in Asia - an area which has not been tested as yet. There is a fair amount of nervousness surrounding China's forays into the Indian Ocean and the developments in the East and South China Seas. While the Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean is now a reality, the challenge lies in the uncertainty surrounding the security environment that such a change may bring about. It is unknown whether China is attempting to alter the existing architecture or just tweaking it enough to accommodate itself at the great powers table. Hence, Washington appears to be moving towards a network of coalitions to uphold the current international order and secure its strategic interests.

The Indian response so far has been encouraging, though not at a pace that Washington or other Asean members desire. New Delhi is particularly worried about Chinese investments in Sri Lanka, Maldives and other island nations in the Indian Ocean. The Maritime Silk Road (MSR) initiative running through the Indian Ocean is another area of concern for India. New Delhi is responding by stepping out of its rigid non-alignment policy and collaborating with the navies of the region, both at a bilateral and multilateral level. Although under the Modi government India signed the "US-India Joint Strategic Vision for Asia Pacific and the Indian Ocean Region" and is taking a firm stand on freedom of navigation through the South China Seas, India is unlikely to get deeply involved in the tensions in the Western Pacific.

In the Indian Ocean however, New Delhi must take Washington's support and emerge as a credible net security provider. The Indo-US partnership in this domain carries more strategic advantages than drawbacks. But there are other areas of friction in the Indo-US relationship that may hinder New Delhi's ability to realise the potential of such collaboration: Obama's meeting with both Xi and Modi at the end of this month will provide an insight into the next step of the Indo-US relationship.

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The writer is with the Observer Research Foundation

A recipe to keep the IPCC relevant

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will need to communicate complex scientific findings effectively, enhance scientific rigour and provide more regional climate information

 

 

 

All eyes are on Paris, where this December the conference of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) seeks to conclude a legally binding agreement to combat climate change, one of the greatest challenges of our time. The task is formidable but I am optimistic. This optimism comes from my observation of a situation that is distinctly different from the run-up to previous conferences. First, never before have policymakers disseminated such detailed and robust scientific information on the causes and the serious consequences of climate change, and about the options to confront it; second, never before has the business and financial world acknowledged that climate change is a threat to economic well-being; and third, never before did we have a combination of a top-down and bottom-up approach: the goal of keeping the global warming below 2°C is now combined with the declarations by countries of their own ambitions in contributing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

My optimism is nurtured by the historic joint declaration of China and the US regarding their greenhouse gas emissions, the announcement by the G7 of a long-term goal of decarbonisation, and India's announcement of ambitious renewable energy targets, especially with emphasis on solar energy. Clear and profound words by religious leaders - the encyclical "Laudato Sì" by Pope Francis and the Islamic Declaration on Global Climate Change - add a completely new dimension to the discussion.

Science has been crucial to establish the understanding of the serious consequences that continued greenhouse gas emissions from burning of fossil fuels and deforestation have on our planet and our livelihoods. Since the foundation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 1988 we have delivered scientific knowledge to policymakers in the form of comprehensive assessment reports that were created though an open and transparent process by thousands of scientists around the world. Generations of scientists have given their expertise and time voluntarily, which is indeed a unique contribution of the scientific community to all.

After the successful completion of the fifth assessment cycle, the new leadership of the IPCC will be elected in four weeks at its 42nd plenary. How can we make sure that the IPCC continues to assist the policy process of the UNFCCC in as successful a way as it has done over the past 27 years? Do we still need scientific knowledge to make progress in the political negotiations that seek solutions to the challenge of climate change?

I see three priorities that I regard as essential to ensure the continued usefulness and success of the IPCC. The first relates to communication. In the IPCC we need to embark on continuous communication activity. To be effective, communication of complex scientific findings on climate change should be concise and understandable. Statements such as, for example, "human influence on the climate system is clear", succinctly and faithfully summarise complex scientific assessment results. Such headline statements, that we have pioneered in Working Group I and which were much welcomed by all countries, should become a standard element of all IPCC products. This will facilitate communication not only with policymakers but also with the media and the public.

The second priority is maintaining and enhancing scientific rigour, robustness and objectivity in all areas of the assessment. This is important in times where the climate change discussion becomes increasingly political. Only with the authority and credibility of the voice of science will the IPCC be in a position to contribute usefully and effectively to the UNFCCC process.

Third, the IPCC needs to provide more regional climate information. This includes more detailed projections of changes in the water cycle, particularly the monsoon systems delivering water to hundreds of millions of people, and regional projections of sea-level rise that threaten coastal settlements around the world. More robust estimates of the intensity and frequency of extreme events such as drought, flooding, tropical cyclones, and high-sea-level events are urgently needed. This information should be absorbed by impact studies and vulnerability analyses in order to provide quantitative estimates of climate change risks. A much closer interaction between the Working Groups will be required to achieve the regionalisation of information. And an essential element of this third priority must be mentioned: we will not be able to deliver this information successfully without the involvement of the scientists who live and work in these regions. This means that by necessity scientists from all regions, particularly from those that are most exposed to climate change and from developing countries, should become authors and lead authors in the next assessment. Capacity building that targets young experts is the best investment for the future, and will secure a new generation of scientists ready to help in the forthcoming assessments of the IPCC.

The IPCC's work should be recognised in a greater context. By the end of this month, the countries will agree on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals formulated by the UN. The IPCC has concluded in its last Synthesis Report: "Climate change is a threat to sustainable development". Addressing climate change through actions informed by science will send us in the right direction to achieve many of these important goals. However, continued emissions of greenhouse gases and deforestation - in short, business-as-usual - will result in unchecked climate change, creating a world that will be fundamentally different from the one we are now living in. In many regions adaptation will now no longer be possible due to the pervasive changes and worldwide impacts caused by warming and by ocean acidification. This will make reaching most of the Sustainable Development Goals impossible.

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The writer is professor at the University of Bern, Switzerland, and Co-Chair, Working Group I, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

Housing for all: Viability & Roadblocks

One of the most enduring problems faced in this country has been that of housing shortage. It is starkly evident in the fact that about 100 million people live in slums in India. With increasing urbanization this problem has been only growing exponentially. In urban areas, India faces a shortage of over 20 million houses at present. Reports indicate that by 2031 about 600 million people live in urban areas, about 200 million more than at present. The union cabinet has approved the Housing for All schemes by 2022 with a slew of measures aimed at helping people to build houses through financing apart from redevelopment of slums among other things. This scheme was announced in the budget this year.
The programme is a key promise in the Bharatiya Janata Party’s manifesto for the Lok Sabha election in 2014 — a “pucca” house for every family by the 75th year of Independence. Central grant of an average Rs. 1 lakh would be available for a house under the scheme. Even the State governments can exercise flexibility in spending the grant for any slum rehabilitation project using land as a resource for providing houses to slum-dwellers. An interest subsidy of 6.5% on housing loans availed up to a tenure of 15 years will be provided to economically weaker sections/lower income group (EWS/LIG) categories. It is a Centrally sponsored scheme.
The fundamental problem in not achieving housing for all is not really shortage of resources from government side. It is more of a planning and regulatory issue. People are forced to live in the slums, which are in the heart of cities, more for a economic, safety and day to day commutation needs. This is the major reason for the houses built by the government outside the cities laying vacant. 90% of India’s housing problem is not of absolute homelessness. majority of people are living in houses that are not fit for human habitation. People are forced to live in the illegal settlements because of the commutation problem in urban areas. They do not have access for basic facilities. Hence, legal recognition of their existence is necessary.
Various governments at the centre have been taking a slew of regulatory reforms such as allowing foreign direct investments, improving access to credit by households, providing tax incentives on housing loans. This has propelled private sector participation in urban housing development. However, it has largely resulted in the development of Middle Income Group (MIG) and High Income Group (HIG) houses, leading to significant shortage of EWS/LIG or affordable houses. Economically weaker sections/lower income group (EWS/LIG) categories houses constitute more than 95% of the housing shortage in 2012. The development of urban affordable houses has been limited due to several structural issues making it unfeasible business proposition for the private sector.
Major structural issues restricting private sector participation in urban affordable housing are:

• Rapid urban planning process.
• Lengthy and complex Approval procedure.
• High cost of development.
• Restrictive development norms.
• Cost overrun and project delays.

Government proposes independent Commission to recommend MPs’ salaries

Government proposes independent Commission to recommend MPs’ salaries

Inter-Party forums in Legislatures to enhance coordination for better functioning

All India Whips’ Conference at Visakhapatnam to discuss these issues

The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has proposed a 3-member independent Emoluments Commission to recommend salaries and other allowances for the Members of Parliament. This proposal is contained in the Agenda Notes prepared by the Ministry for the two day All India Whips’ Conference to be held at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh during September 29-30, 2015. The Conference will be chaired by the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu.

Chief Whips and Whips of various parties in Parliament and state legislatures will also discuss establishing inter-Party forums in Legislatures for better coordination to enable effective functioning of legislative bodies. Delegates will also discuss the utility and shortcomings of the MPLADS (Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme) in the light of its implementation over the last 32 years and make suggestions and recommendations.

The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, in the Agenda Notes for the Whips Conference stated that “The setting up of an independent Emoluments Commission for recommending the salaries and allowances of the Members of Parliament will not only put to rest the public outcry and media criticism over MPs themselves deciding their salaries, it will also provide an appropriate opportunity to take into consideration the huge responsibilities and the important role they play in our representative democracy. It would ensure that recommendations on Parliamentary salary are reached in a fair, transparent and equitable way. Once there is consensus on setting up of the Commission, the Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act,1954 will suitably amended”.


The general principles suggested by the Ministry for determination of salary should be:

i. Salary should not be so low as to defer suitable candidates or so high as to make pay the primary attraction for the job;

ii. Salary should reflect level of responsibility; and

iii. Those with outside interests should not be deterred from entering Parliament, those who chose to make Parliament a full-time career should be adequately rewarded to reflect their responsibilities.

Presently, as per Article 106 of the Constitution of India, salaries of MPs are determined by the Act of 1954, amended from time to time. The last revision in salary of MPs was made in 2010 and MPs presently get a basic salary of Rs.50,000 per month. Salaries of Members of State Legislatures are decided as per Article 195 of the Constitution.

As per a comparative analysis of Members of Parliament in 37 developing and developed countries, basic salary of MPs is in the range of Rs.7,952 in Tunisia to a high of Rs.6,16,675 per month in Israel. MPs of only in six countries i.e Tunisia, Venezuela , Sri Lanka, Nepal, Haiti and Panama are drawing salary less than that of Indian MPs.

As per a survey conducted by Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) of 138 chambers from 104 Parliaments, 69 chambers indicated that it is the Parliament which determines the salaries of Members, in reference to another salary scale. 31 of these stated that MPs’ salaries are determined in reference to the Civil Service salary scale. In case of Bhutan, Namibia and the UK House of Commons, salaries are determined by independent bodies.

While referring to the growing challenges of House management further to increase in the number of parties in the legislatures, the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, in the Agenda Notes has stressed the need for enhancing floor coordination for better functioning of legislatures in the country. In this regard, the Ministry has proposed an inter-Party forum in Parliament and every state legislature to freely discuss various issues to be included in the list of Business of the House ahead of every session.

Presently, there are 6 National Parties, 53 State Parties besides 1,737 Registered/Unrecognised Parties in the country, of which, as many as 37 political parties and groups are represented in the 16th Lok Sabha.

The Conference will also deliberate the implementation of MPLADS scheme, introduced in 1993-94, under which funds being provided for each MP has increased from Rs.5.00 lakhs to Rs.5.00 cr in 2011-12. All India Whips Conference was conceived as early as in 1952, to provide a suitable forum for periodical meetings and mutual exchange of views on matters of common concern and to evolve standards to strengthen Parliamentary Democracy.

Whips of both the ruling and opposition parties play an important role in informing MPs about the business of the day, ensuring their attendance and formulating a collective opinion of the Party on major issues. They also interact with the presiding offices and Secretariat of the House on behalf of their parties to ensure coordination.

Since the first All India Whips Conference held in Indore in 1952, periodicity of the Conferences varied mostly from 2 to 11 years. Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu has desired to hold Whips Conferences regularly and the 16th such Conference was held last year.