Civil Services' Surgicals

  FEATURE SJE A demographic revolution is taking place throughout the world indicating a phenomenal rise in the population of the elderly. According to a UN estimate, the population of the people aged 60 years and above is expected to grow to 1.2 billion by 2025 and to 2 billion by 2050. Today, about two thirds of all the older people are living in the developing world. As per the Census 2001, in India, there were 77 million persons above 60 years constituting 7.5% of the total population of the country. This number is projected to go up to  12.4% of the population in 2026.  Such an increase obviously will throw up numerous challenges in designing old age specific programmes and schemes and addressing their issues in a comprehensive manner.   The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment  announced a National Policy for Older Persons in January, 1999. This policy reaffirmed the commitment of the Gove...

    FEATURE Tourism Dr. K. Parameswaran * The International Ecotourism Society has defined Ecotourism as the "responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people". The Australian Commission on National Ecotourism Strategy defines ecotourism as "nature-based tourism that involves education and interpretation of the natural environment and is managed to be ecologically sustainable". In modern times, eco tourism has been expected to help in achieving the following also: involve travel to natural destinations, minimize impact on natural resources, build up environmental awareness, provide impetus and financial support for conservation, financially benefit and empower local people and inculcate respect for local culture. A travel enthusiast from Kanyakumari in Tamilnadu and an avid practitioner of eco tourism guidelines,  R N Kesavaperumal  says that "ecotourism, to be worthy of i...

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Hamid Ansari has  said that the size and diversity of the Indian landscape adds to the difficulty of finding solutions. A population of 1.25 billion dispersed over 4,635 communities 78 percent of whom are not only linguistic and cultural but social categories. The human diversities are both hierarchical and spatial. ‘The de jure  WE, the sovereign people is in reality a fragmented ‘we’, divided by yawning gaps that remain to be bridged.’ Around 30 per cent of our people live below the official poverty line and the health and education indicators, for the population as a whole, despite recent correctives, leave much to be desired. Delivering the Annual Sardar Patel Memorial Lecture on ‘Physical Integration and Emotional Inconsonance’ organized by All India Radio (AIR) here yesterday, he said that there are, in addition, problems arising out of Naxalism and insurgency in some areas where the writ of the State runs in name only, demands for a...

  FEATURE MSME                                                                                  Jacob Abraham*             All over the world hard wood becomes a scarce commodity.  The furniture manufacturers are vigorously searching for an ecofriendly alternative to wood.  The National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) at Thiruvananthapuram, a constituent laboratory of CSIR has developed the technology to make wood substitute from natural fibre polymer comp...

FEATURE H&FW B.   Narzary * Reducing the maternal and infant mortality rate is the key goal feature of the Reproductive and Child Health Programme under the National Rural Health Mission. Several initiatives have been launched by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare under the Mission including  Janani   Suraksha   Yojana , a key intervention that has resulted in phenomenal growth in institutional deliveries with more than one  crore  women  beneficiaries  annually. JSY was launched to promote institutional deliveries so that skilled attendance at birth is made available  and  mothers and new born babies can be saved from pregnancy related complications and deaths.

FEATURE Commerce                                                                                                                                                                  Ashok Handoo* For a few months now, the Indian economy appears to be on a recovery path. At least there are enough indications to that. Foremost is the performance of various sectors of the economy.            Industrial output has been gathering some pace since August. It ...

The Union Cabinet today approved the National Policy on Electronics 2012. The draft National Policy on Electronics was released for public consultation and it has now been finalized based on comments from various stakeholders.

Oustees of the Omkareshwar Dam project called off their jal satyagraha after the Madhya Pradesh government accepted all their demands and constituted a ministerial committee to look into their grievances. On the 17th day of the protest, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan announced that the government had agreed to the key demands of the agitators — reducing the water level of the dam to 189 meters and providing land for land compensation to all those who had lost their land. “Compliance with the order given by the Grievances Redressal Authority about giving land for land to farmers surrendering 50 per cent [of their financial] compensation will be ensured within 90 days,” Mr. Chauhan said, after holding a “direct dialogue” with the affected farmers of Ghoghalgaon, Kewla Buzurg, Aikhand and Kamankhera at his residence. “A highlevel committee will hear problems of the dam-affected people,” he said. On September 10 the Madhya Pradesh Government partially accepted the demands of the...

(From IAS OUR DREAM blog) The  UPA Government is coming with  the  DNA Profiling BIll this winter session ,,,letzz hav a look at what this bill will b like  ..!!!! The  bill has been in  the  offing since 2007.  What does  the  proposed bill provide for ? Once it becomes a law,  the  bill  will grant  the  authority to collect vast amount of sensitive DNA data of citizens even if  the y are  "suspects"  in a criminal case .  The  data will be held till  the  person is cleared by court. The  bill proposes  the  creation of a  national DNA data bank  that will be manned by a manager of  the  rank of a joint secretary to  the  government of India. For  act ivists, this will help  the  government assume  the  role of an alarming "Big Bro the r" collecting vast amount of sensitive data of citizens. T...

(From IAS OUR DREAM blog) Some of  the  major highlights of  the  Food Security  Bill are: §      Up to 75% of  the  rural population (with at least 46% from priority category)  and  up to 50% of urban population (with at least 28% from priority category) are to be covered under Targeted Public Distribution System. §      7 kg of food-grains per person per month to be given to priority category households which include rice, wheat  and  coarse grains at Rs. 3, 2,  and  1 per kg, respectively. §      At least 3 kg of food-grains per person per month to be given to general category households, at prices not exceeding 50% of Minimum Support Price. §      Women to be made head of  the  household for  the  purpose of issue of ration cards. §      Maternity benefit to pregnant women  and ...

FEATURE  Railways H. C.  Kunwar *             With a view to improve the standard of cleanliness, Indian Railways have planned multi-pronged action by synergizing technology, education of users and provision of mechanised equipments. Various measures taken include introduction of mechanized cleaning process, award of rag picking/garbage disposal contracts, pay & Use toilet scheme etc. Besides, inspections by various officials at the railway stations are also conducted to monitor cleanliness, to identify weak areas and take remedial measures. Additional posts of Health Malaria Inspectors have been created during the last four years to ensure better supervision of cleanliness at railway stations.

Civil Services (Main) Examination - 2012 Essay (Compulsory) Time Allowed : Three Hours Maximum Marks : 200  Write an essay on any one of the following topics :                                                             200 1. In the context of Gandhiji's views on the matter, explore, on an evolutionary scale, the terms 'Swadhinata', 'Swaraj' and 'Dharmarajya'. Critically comment on their contemporary relevance to Indian democracy. 2. Is the criticism that the 'Public-private-Partnership' (PPP) model for development more of a bane than a boon in the Indian context justified? 3. Science and Mysticism : Are they compatible? 4. Managing work and home - is ...

Following is the address by Hon’ble Minister of State (I/C) for Environment & Forests, Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan on World Environment Day Celebration today. The Minister alongwith Delhi Chief Minister Smt. Sheila Dikshit flagged off Science Express – Biodiversity Special train at Safdarjang Railway Station in New Delhi “This is indeed a very important day to celebrate in recognition of the value of the environment around us and its significance for our lives.               The World Environment Day is celebrated every year, to not only create awareness but also to reaffirm our commitment to protect and safeguard the environment for us and our future generations. It’s a call for a positive environmental action to save our planet from further degradation. As so rightly said:  "Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Ear...