[Mission 2023] Insights SECURE SYNOPSIS: 31 January 2023

 

NOTE: Please remember that following ‘answers’ are NOT ‘model answers’. They are NOT synopsis too if we go by definition of the term. What we are providing is content that both meets demand of the question and at the same


General Studies – 1


 

Topic: Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.

1. The mechanisms for coordination and dispute resolution have held the Indus Waters Treaty in good stead for at least half a century, and it has often been used as a template between upper riparian and lower riparian states worldwide. Analyse. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: The HinduIndian Express

Why the question:

The government’s decision to issue notice to Pakistan, calling for negotiations to amend the Indus Waters Treaty. 

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the significance and shortcomings of Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan.

Directive word: 

Analyse – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by giving context about the Indus Waters Treaty.

Body:

First, write about the major provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan.

Next, write about the successes of Indus Waters Treaty in ensuring peaceful coexistence despite troubled relations between the both countries and its significance.

Next, write about the various issues in the Indus Waters Treaty which have affected both the parties and possible solutions to it.

Conclusion:

Conclude with a way forward.

Introduction

The Indus system comprises of main Indus River, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej. The basin is mainly shared by India and Pakistan with a small share for China and Afghanistan. Under the treaty signed between India and Pakistan in 1960, all the waters of three rivers, namely Ravi, Sutlej and Beas (Eastern Rivers) were allocated to India for exclusive use. While, the waters of Western rivers – Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab were allocated to Pakistan except for specified domestic, non-consumptive and agricultural use permitted to India as provided in the Treaty. India has also been given the right to generate hydroelectricity through run of the river (RoR) projects on the Western Rivers which, subject to specific criteria for design and operation is unrestricted.

Body

Background

  • New Delhi has issued a notice to Islamabad seeking modification of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
  • The notice follows Pakistan’s continued “intransigence” in implementing the treaty, by raising repeated objections to the construction of hydel projects on the Indian side.
  • India isinvoking Article XII (3) of the treaty to bring changes to the 1960 pact.

 

Reasons behind success of Indus Water Treaty

  • First, the treaty has unequal sharing of the waters. Pakistan has been allocated ~80% of the Indus basin waters.
  • Experts have termed this the most generous water sharing treaty. It is the only water-sharing pact in the world that compels upper riparian State to defer to the interests of the downstream State.
  • Second, it prevents India from building any storage systemson the western rivers.
  • Even though the treaty lays out that under certain exceptional circumstances storage systems can be built, Pakistan deliberately stops any such effort. The extensively technical nature of the treaty allows Pakistan to stall legitimate Indian Projects.
  • Third, the basin’s size and volume is getting altered by climate changeand this alteration is going to intensify in future. There would be instances of more high-intensity rainfall as well as long stretches of scanty rainfall.
  • There would be a high influx of water due to glacial melt. The contribution of glaciers in the Indus basin is higher than in the Ganges or Brahmaputra basins.
  • A change in the flow conditions may classify as ‘change of circumstances’ which can justify renegotiation or termination in the future.
  • Fourth, the recent report of the Standing Committee of Water resources noted that canals in Punjab and Rajasthan (Rajasthan Feeder and the Sirhind Feeder) had become old and were not maintained properly. This had resulted in the lowering of their water carrying capacity.
  • Thus, the water from the Harike Barrage on the confluence of the Beas and Sutlej in Punjab was usually released downstream into Pakistan. Pakistan is getting more waters than its entitlement in the Eastern Rivers.

Way forward for India

  • India has not fully utilised its rights over the waters of the Indus system.
  • India should take steps to completely utilize its entitlement of waters of Western Rivers. The infrastructure to utilize the waters has remained under-developed in J&K.
  • Some experts suggest that in case of escalation of hostilities by Pakistan in future, India can suspend the meetings of Permanent Commission. If the first state of dispute redressal is not functional, the subsequent two steps of 3-tier dispute redressal don’t kick in. Thus India can use this as a pressure tactic on Pakistan.
  • India should explore the possibility of using climate change as a ‘change in circumstances’ to initiate conversation on renegotiation of the IWT. This will also put pressure on Pakistan.
  • Experts in India and Pakistan should assess how much of the waters in the Eastern and Western rivers are snow or rain-fed within their respective territories. Such estimates would add to the accuracy of each side’s dependence on the other in sharing the waters of these rivers.
  • As per the standing committee of water resources, the canal systems in Punjab and Rajasthan should be repaired to increase their water carrying capacity.

Conclusion

The Indus Waters Treaty is considered one of the most successful water-sharing endeavours in the world today. However, there is a need to update certain technical specifications and expand the scope of the agreement to address climate change.

 

Topic: Salient features of world’s physical geography.

2. Throw light on the various direct and indirect ways from which we can study the earth’s interior. Discuss the importance of studying the interior of earth. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Easy

Reference: Insights on India

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1 and mentioned as part of Mission-2023 Secure timetable.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about how we can understand the interior of earth by using various sources and its importance.

Directive word: 

Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for and against arguments.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by mentioning that the structure of earth’s interior.

Body:

First, write about the direct sources of information about the earth’s Interior.

Next, write about the direct sources of information about the earth’s Interior – rate of change of temperature and pressure, Meteors, Gravitation, Seismic Waves and Magnetic sources etc. Explain them brief.

Next, write about the importance of studying the importance of earth.

Conclusion:

Conclude by summarising.

Introduction

The radius of the earth is 6,370 kms. Thus, it is impossible to reach the center of the earth and find out about the composition. Also, this composition is changing in nature. The rapid increase in temperature is also one of the factors that put a limit to direct observation of the earth’s interior. However, through some direct and indirect sources, the scientists have a fair idea about how the earth’s interior look like.

Body

 

Direct Sources of information about the Earth’s Interior

  1. Deep earth mining and drilling reveal the nature of rocks deep down the surface.
  2. But as mining and drilling are not practically possible beyond a certain depth, they don’t reveal much information about the earth’s interior.
  3. Mponeng gold mine(deepest mine in the world) and TauTona gold mine(second deepest mine in the world) in South Africa are deepest mines reaching to a depth of only 3.9 km.
  4. And the deepest drilling is only about 12 km deep hole bored by the Soviet Union in the 1970s over the Kola Peninsula.
  5. Volcanic eruption forms another source of obtaining direct information.

Indirect Sources of information about the Earth’s Interior:

  1. By analysing the rate of change of temperature and pressure from the surface towards the interior.
  2. Meteors, as they belong to the same type of materials earth is made of.
  3. Gravitation, which is greater near poles and less at the equator.
  4. Gravity anomaly, which is the change in gravity value according to the mass of material, gives us information about the materials in the earth’s interior.
  5. Magnetic sources. Magnetic surveys also provide information about the distribution of magnetic materials in the crustal portion, and thus, provide information about the distribution of materials in this part.
  6. Seismic Waves: the shadow zones of body waves (Primary and secondary waves) give us information about the state of materials in the interior.

Importance of studying interior of the earth:

  • We rely on Earth for valuable resources such as soil, water, metals, industrial minerals, and energy, and we need to know how to find these resources and exploit them sustainably.
  • We can study rocks and the fossils they contain to understand the evolution of our environment and the life within it.
  • We can learn to minimize our risks from earthquakes, volcanoes, slope failures, and damaging storms.
  • We can learn how and why Earth’s climate has changed in the past, and use that knowledge to understand both natural and human-caused climate change.
  • We can recognize how our activities have altered the environment in many ways and the climate in increasingly serious ways, and how to avoid more severe changes in the future.
  • We can use our knowledge of Earth to understand other planets in our solar system, as well as those around distant stars.

Conclusion

Studying the interior structure of Earth provides us with a better understanding of Earth, helps us to understand earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, how the atmosphere formed, and to study earth’s magnetic fields.

 

Topic: Salient features of world’s physical geography.

3. What are the conditions essential for the full development of Karst topography? Elaborate on the various types of landforms formed by the action of ground water. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Insights on India

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 1 and mentioned as part of Mission-2023 Secure timetable.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the process of the formation of Karst landforms and their various types.

Directive word: 

Elaborate – Give a detailed account as to how and why it occurred, or what is the context. You must be defining key terms wherever appropriate and substantiate with relevant associated facts.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by mentioning of landforms formed by the action of ground water.

Body:

First, explain the chemical process by which Karst landforms are formed.

Next, Explain the features like; Sinkholes and caves are erosional landforms formed due to the action of ground water.

Next, explain depositional landforms of groundwater. With neat diagrams the karst landforms associated with groundwater.

Conclusion:

Conclude with significance of such action of ground water in creation of landforms.

Introduction

Karst is a term used to describe landscapes that are formed by chemical weathering process controlled by groundwater activity. Karsts are found in widely scattered sections of the world, including the Causses of France; the Kwangsi area of China; the Yucatán Peninsula in the United States.

It is a dry, upland landscape with underground drainage instead of surface streams. It is so named after a province of Yugoslavia on the Adriatic Sea coast where such formations are most noticeable.

Body

Conditions essential for the full development of Karst topography

  • A karst landform is a geological feature created on the earth’s surface by the drainage of water into the ground.
  • Karst landscapes are predominantly composed of limestone rock that contains > 70 percent calcium carbonate.
  • The region should have the presence of large stretches of thick water-soluble rocks such as limestone.
  • Rocks should be permeable, jointed, and cracked.
  • Should have sufficient rainfall or sufficient source of water to dissolve the carbonate rocks.
  • The absence of surface drainage and a well-developed groundwater channel is needed for the formation of karst topography and associated features.

Various types of landforms formed by the action of ground water

 

Erosional Landforms

Lapies

  • It is formed due to differential solution activity along parallel to sub-parallel joints. They are also called grooved, fluted and ridge-like features in an open limestone field.

Limestone Pavements  

  • It is a smoother form of lapies.

Sinkholes

A sinkhole is an opening more or less circular at the top and funnel-shaped towards the bottom.

  • Small to medium sized rounded to sub-rounded shallow depressions called swallow holes form on the surface of rocks like limestone by the action of the solution.
  • Solution sink: When as sinkhole is formed solely through the process of solution, it is called as a solution sink.
  • collapse sink : Sometimes a  sinkhole starts its formation through the solution process but later collapses due to the presence of some caves or hollow beneath it and becomes a bigger sinkhole. These types are called as collapse sinks. The term Doline is also used.
    • Solution sinks are more common than collapse sinks.
  • Uvalas: When several sink holes join together to form valley of sinks, they are called as Uvala

Caves

  • In the areas where there are alternative beds of rocks (non-soluble) with limestone or dolomite in between or in areas where limestone are dense, massive and occurring as thick beds, cave formation is prominent.
  • Caves normally have an opening through which cave streams are discharged
  • Caves having an opening at both the ends are called tunnels.

Cavern

  • This is an underground cave formed by water action by various methods in a limestone or chalk area.

Karst Window

  • When a number of adjoining sinkholes collapse, they form an open, broad area called a karst window.

Polje/Blind Valley

  • A number of uvalas may coalesce to create a valley called polje which is actually a flat-floored depression. If the streams lose themselves in these valleys, then these are called blind valleys. These valleys may have surface streams and may be used for agriculture.

Arch/Natural Bridge

  • When a part of the cavern collapses the portion which keeps standing forms an arch

Depositional Landforms

A region with a large stretch of limestone is called a Karst Region. Groundwater and limestone together make a spectacular landform inside the caverns like the stalactites, stalagmites and pillars.

Stalactites, Stalagmites and Pillars

They are formed when the calcium carbonates dissolved in groundwater get deposited once the water evaporates. These structures are commonly found in limestone caves.

    • Stalactites are calcium carbonate deposits hanging as icicles while Stalagmites are calcium carbonate deposits which rise up from the floor.
    • When a stalactite and stalagmite happened to join together, it gives rise to pillars or columns of different diameters.

 

Conclusion

Groundwater dissolves minerals, carries the ions in solution, and then deposits them. Groundwater erodes rock beneath the ground surface, especially carbonate rock. The landforms by groundwater take a long time to form, due to repeated action of water and region-specific parameters.

 


General Studies – 2


 

Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

4.  Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) mostly affect impoverished communities and disproportionately affect women and children. These diseases cause devastating health, social and economic consequences to a lot of people. Mention the steps that can be taken to combat NTDs in the country. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Down to EarthInsights on India

Why the question:

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) continue to disproportionately impact the most impoverished members of the international community, living in areas with inadequate water safety, sanitation and access to health care, said a new World Health Organization (WHO) report.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about NTDs, its disproportionate impact and steps needed to combat it in the country.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by defining NTDs and giving the example of the same.

Body:

Frist, write about the impact of NTDs on impoverished communities and their socio-economic consequences. Substantiate with facts and examples.

Next, write about the steps that are needed to combat NTDs. Mention a holistic approach towards combating the diseases in both preventive and curative ways.

Conclusion:

Conclude by writing a way forward.

Introduction

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are infections caused by a variety of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa and parasitic worms. They generally receive less funding for research and treatment than malaises like tuberculosis, HIV-AIDS and malaria. Some examples include snakebite envenomation, scabies, yaws, trachoma, Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease. These are most common among marginalised communities in the developing regions of Africa, Asia and the Americas.

January 30 was declared as ‘World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day’’ and is observed every year to spread more light on these diseases.

Body

About NTDs

  • NTDs are a diverse group of communicable diseasesthat are common in tropical and subtropical conditions in 149 countries.
  • NTDs threaten more than 1.7 billion people living in the poorest and most marginalized communities worldwide.
  • They are preventable and treatable.
  • Disease classified as NTD by WHO
  • Buruli ulcer, Chagas disease, Dengue and Chikungunya, Guinea worm disease, Echinococcosis, Foodborne trematodiases. Human African trypanosomiasis, Leishmaniasis, Leprosy, Lymphatic filariasis, Mycetoma, chromoblastomycosis and other deep mycoses, Onchocerciasis, Rabies, Scabies and other ectoparasites, Schistosomiasis, Soil-transmitted helminthiases, Snakebite envenoming, Taeniasis/Cysticercosis, Trachoma and Yaws.
  • These diseases generally receive less funding for research and treatment than diseases like tuberculosis, HIV-AIDS and malaria.
  • NTDs and their intricate interrelationships with poverty and ecological systems —continue to cause devastating health, social and economic consequences.

Challenges and concerns to tackle NTDs

  • Lacking a strong political voice, people affected by these tropical diseases have a low profile and status in public health priorities.
  • Lack of reliable statistics and unpronounceable names of diseases have all hampered efforts to bring them out of the shadows.
  • Neglected tropical diseases affect more than 1 billion people, primarily poor populations living in tropical and subtropical climates.
  • They are frequently clustered together geographically and individuals are often afflicted with more than one parasite or infection.
  • More than 70% of countries and territories that report the presence of neglected tropical diseases are low-income or lower middle-income economies.

Measures needed to tackle NTDs

  • Sustaining political commitmentand providing adequate resources are of utmost importance, along with ensuring uninterrupted drug supplies and wider health service coverage, especially for currently underserved population groups.
  • Inter-country cooperationin terms of exchanging information, learning from each others’ experience and working together in border areas can be extremely useful, however, it does not always take place.
  • Resource mobilizationpublic–private partnershipsand community mobilization are therefore important and must be prioritized.
  • Regular briefing of the mediacan increase community involvement in elimination programmes, reduce stigma and discrimination and highlight the need for resources with which to eliminate these diseases that have been neglected until now.
  • Effective surveillance and monitoringare urgently needed, together with an evaluation system for tracking progress on a regular basis.
  • Operational researchis needed to generate evidence in support of the post-elimination strategy, including the integration of NTD control within primary health services.
  • Strengthening the integration of national disease control programmeswithin general health systems remains important.
  • Gender issues will require greater attention, particularly where women fear to attend health services because a specific diagnosis can cause them to be rejected by their families and communities.

Conclusion

NTDs are a group of diseases that disproportionately affect the world’s poorest people. These diseases hinder both physical and mental development, contribute to illness and death in mothers and children, make it difficult to farm or earn a living, and reduce workplace productivity. As a consequence of this, those who are impoverished are kept in a cycle that includes both poverty and disease.

.


General Studies – 3


 

Topic: Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices; Public Distribution System- objectives, functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of buffer stocks and food security; Technology missions; economics of animal-rearing.

5. Examine the constraints in increasing millet cultivation and consumption in the country. What are the steps that are needed to make millet cultivation profitable? (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: The HinduInsights on India

Why the question:

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets. Millets have special nutritive properties (they are high in protein, dietary fibre, micronutrients and antioxidants) and special agronomic characteristics (drought-resistant and suitable for semi-arid regions).

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the constraints in increased millet cultivation and consumption and steps that are needed to make millet cultivation profitable.

Directive word: 

Examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we must investigate the topic (content words) in detail, inspect it, investigate it and establish the key facts and issues related to the topic in question. While doing so we should explain why these facts and issues are important and their implications.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by giving context.

Body:

First, present a statistic regarding the growth of millets in India and advantages offered by millet cultivation.

Next, write about the constraints in millet cultivation and consumption – lack of renumeration, lack of promotion, lack of awareness etc.

Next, write about the steps that are needed to make millet cultivation profitable.

Conclusion:

Conclude by writing a way forward.

Introduction

With nearly 60 percent of India’s cultivated area is rain-fed, the damage caused by climate change is huge in agriculture sector. In order to save the farmers from such calamities, climate smart agricultural practices are increasingly promoted by government and other stakeholders. Millets cultivation is one such practice which seems to be the answer to fighting climate change, poverty and malnutrition.

Body

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring 2023 the International Year of Millets, as proposed by India to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Millets have special nutritive properties (they are high in protein, dietary fibre, micronutrients and antioxidants) and special agronomic characteristics (drought-resistant and suitable for semi-arid regions)..

Constraints in Millet cultivation

  • The decline in the area under millet cultivation with the low productivity of millets. For instance, Over the last decade, the production of sorghum (jowar) has fallen,the production of pearl millet (bajra) has stagnated,and the production of other millets, including finger millet (ragi), has stagnated or declined.
  • As the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has pointed out, the area under nutri-cereals has declined steeply in India since the mid-1980s — from 41 million hectares in the 1980s to 24 million hectares in 2017-18.
  • Very little portion of Millets was marketed, and a tiny share of grain is processed into value-added products.
  • MSP challenges: The government declares a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for jawar, bajra, and ragi only.
  • Low Consumption: In the latest available NSSO household consumption expenditure survey (which is more than a decade old), less than 10 per cent of rural and urban householdsreported consumption of millets.
  • Other challenges: lack of input subsidies and price incentives, and changing consumer preferences.
  • Preference for Wheat as staple food:Wheat because of gluten makes softer food and is more liked.
    Government policies: E National Food Security Act promotes wheat and rice
  • Lack of awareness about the benefit of Millet.
    • Although coarse grains are included in the definition of “foodgrains” under Section 2(5) of the NFSA,the distribution through PDS is negligible.

Measures needed to promote Millet cultivation

  • Yield enhancement should be attempted, using a combination of participatory varietal trials for improved seeds, new agronomic practices, and new technology.
  • Community seed banks were designed and constructed to conserve, restore, revive, strengthen, and improve local seed systems.
  • Market dynamics need to favour the growth of millets.
  • Incentivizing the adoption of inter-cropping and providing crop insurance and support for storage facilities will foster income and food security.
  • Millet marketing policies need to be broadened. Ready-to-cook products to be branded under the label and market links to be established
  • Millet cultivation clearly needs state support. The Odisha Millet Mission, for example, has reportedly managed to motivate about 70,000 farmers to take up millet farming as part of this programme.

Way forward:

  • The huge potential of millets in bolstering India’s food and nutritional security and reducing hunger deserves top-level attention.
  • Incentives such as these need to be deployed across India for the country to bring its sustainability goals closer within reach.
  • As millets farming has been traditionally fitted within the multi cropping farming approach, it needs to be ensured that millets do not follow the monoculture route under the government extension programmes.
  • Government should make provisions for incentives to encourage millets cultivation.
  • Greater thrust must be given to value addition of the millets to increase demand among the urban consumers.
  • Government and CSOs should work together to generate awareness about the benefits conferred by millets and their role in nutrition and carbon sequestration needs.
  • Farm mechanisation should be equally prioritized to remove the drudgery associated with its traditional processing of millets.

Conclusion

The value of millets is evident in their relevance to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of food security, nutrition and poverty eradication. Brimming with potential, millets can act as a vital cog in the country’s sustainable development wheel if backed by policies that promote their production, incentivize farmers and strengthen market linkages.

 

Topic: issues relating to intellectual property rights

6. Critically analyse the National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy in spurring creativity and stimulating innovation in the country. How can the government take a balanced approach to protect Intellectual property rights of patent holders without affecting its public health and national interest exigencies? (250 words)

Difficulty level: Tough

Reference: Indian Express ,  Insights on India

Why the question:

In May 2016, the then Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (now known as the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) under the Ministry of Commerce released the 32-page National IPR Policy. The overall purpose of this document was to spell out the government’s comprehensive vision for the IPR ecosystem in the country towards shaping a more innovative and creative Bharat.

Key Demand of the question:

To evaluate the performance of IPR regime in India and to suggest changes to IPR policy to balance protecting patents while prioritising national interest.

Directive word: 

Critically analyze – When asked to analyse, you must examine methodically the structure or nature of the topic by separating it into component parts and present them in a summary. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a balanced judgment on the topic.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Start the answer by giving an overview of IPR regime in India. Give stats with respect to applied and approved IPR’s.

Body:

In the first part, give brief overview of National IPR Policy, 2016 and mention the challenges in enforcing Intellectual property rights (IPR) in India – procedural and substantive constraints, legal aspects, conflict with competition law, low awareness, counterfeiting and piracy, IP Financing, etc.

Mention IPR regime has gained further significance in light of the Government’s focus on ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and Covid-19 pandemic.

Next write about changes that are needed to National IPR Policy in order balance between protecting the rights of the IPR holders and national interest.

Conclusion:

Conclude by writing a way forward.

Introduction

Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) are legal rights, which result from intellectual invention, innovation and discovery in the industrial, scientific, literary and artistic fields. These rights entitle an individual or group to the moral and economic rights of creators in their creation. The National IPR Policy (2016) is a vision document that aims to create and exploit synergies between all forms of intellectual property (IP), concerned statutes and agencies. It sets in place an institutional mechanism for implementation, monitoring and review. It aims to incorporate and adapt global best practices to the Indian scenario.

Body

National IPR Policy, 2016

A comprehensive National IPR policy was adopted in May 2016, to stimulate innovation and creativity across sectors, and provide a clear vision regarding IPR issues. Objectives enshrined in the policy are hereunder:

  • IPR Awareness – Outreach and Promotion – To create public awareness about the economic, social and cultural benefits of IPRs among all sections of society;
  • Generation of IPRs – To stimulate the generation of IPRs;
  • Legal and Legislative Framework – To have strong and effective IPR laws, which balance the interests of rights’ owners with larger public interest
  • Administration and Management – To modernize and strengthen service-oriented IPR administration;
  • Commercialization of IPRs – Get value for IPRs through commercialization;
  • Enforcement and Adjudication – To strengthen the enforcement and adjudicatory mechanisms for combating IPR infringements; and
  • Human Capital Development – To strengthen and expand human resources, institutions and capacities for teaching, training, research and skill building in IPRs

Important highlights of National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy

  • The Policy aims to push IPRs as a marketable financial asset, promote innovation and entrepreneurship, while protecting public interest.
  • In order to have strong and effective IPR laws, steps would be taken — including review of existing IP laws — to update and improve them or to remove anomalies and inconsistencies.
  • The policy is entirely compliant with the WTO’s agreement on TRIPS.
  • Special thrust on awareness generation and effective enforcement of IPRs, besides encouragement of IP commercialisation through various incentives.
  • India will engage constructively in the negotiation of international treaties and agreements in consultation with stakeholde
  • The government will examine accession to some multilateral treaties which are in India’s interest, and become a signatory to those treaties which India has de facto implemented to enable it to participate in their decision making process, the policy said.
  • It suggests making the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) the nodal agency for all IPR issues. Copyrights related issues will also come under DIPP’s ambit from that of the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry.
  • Films, music, industrial drawings will be all covered by copyright.
  • The Policy also seeks to facilitate domestic IPR filings, for the entire value chain from IPR generation to commercialization. It aims to promote research and development through tax benefits.

Issues with the current policy:

  • Policy is aimed at a gold rush towards IPR. A blind rush towards IP could be a deterrent to innovation itself by restricting knowledge flow.
  • Policy recommends scientist and professors to convert all their discoveries into IP which in turn has the potential to curb the free flow of knowledge
  • IPR policy is driven by the agenda of IP maximalism, where IP owners’ rights will be maximised at the cost of public interest. This (policy) will influence courts and judges who might consider rights of patentees above that on common man in certain cases.
  • Connection between patenting and application of patented knowledge is yet to be established. Hence, patenting and not applying the new invention could deter progress
  • Policy recommends criminalization of unauthorised copying of movies – which is just a civil wrong.
  • Not understanding the modes of creativity and sharing in “shadow economy “, the policy leans towards superimposition of formal IP framework.
  • While IP could accelerate innovation in certain technologies it in turn impedes in others. Policy recommends scientist and professors to convert all their discoveries
  • According to USTR, Patent applicants face costly and time-consuming patent opposition hurdles, long timelines for receiving patents, and excessive reporting requirements

Measures needed:

  • Fostering an environment where innovation flourishes and a knowledge economy is built, is the key idea. Hence, the policy should have a balance.
  • It should encourage patenting and at the same time ensure that patentability of a product/process does not deter further innovation and progress.
  • Intellectual Property must not be about patents on paper but dearth of application in reality. T
  • The organisations such as CSIR and others must be encouraged to work upon socially useful applications of their patents.
  • Support for innovation has to be accompanied with instruments that guard local companies against the misuse of market power, coercive bargaining and aggressive acquisition strategies.
  • India needs to spread awareness on IPR in public and for its traditional industries to enable fair monetisation of IP Rights.
  • It needs to safeguard its patents, copyrights and traditional knowledge by ensuring easy IPR rules.

Conclusion

Beliefs, attitudes and approaches towards IPRs in India must change for the sake of the ambitions articulated in this government’s many initiatives—from Make in India to Startup India and Smart Cities. Indian policymakers do not adequately appreciate the fundamental reality that IP laws and policies are meant to incentivize innovation by establishing enforceable boundaries to protect new products, processes, and original works of expression. Adequate safeguards though necessary should not cripple innovation or new technology that can come to India and benefit the larger public.

 


General Studies – 4


 

Topic: Aptitude and foundational values for Civil Service, integrity, impartiality and nonpartisanship, objectivity, dedication to public service, empathy, tolerance and compassion towards the weaker-sections.

7. Objectivity is considered one of the most fundamental values in governance because it helps the public authorities to make correct decisions on the merit of evidence. Discuss. (150 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Conceptual Tuesdays’ in Mission-2022 Secure.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the importance of objectivity.

Directive:

Discuss – This is an all-encompassing directive – you must debate on paper by going through the details of the issues concerned by examining each one of them. You must give reasons for both for and against arguments.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction:

Start by defining objectivity.

Body:

Write about how Objectivity helps in taking decisions based upon established facts and figures, helps avoid personal opinion and bias and arrive at fair decision.

Cite suitable examples to substantiate your points.

Conclusion:

Complete the answer by stressing on its significance.

Introduction

Objectivity is a central philosophical concept, related to reality and truth, which has been variously defined by sources. Generally, objectivity means the state or quality of being true even outside of a subject‘s individual biases, interpretations, feelings, and imaginings. A proposition is generally considered objectively true when its truth conditions are met without biases caused by feelings, ideas, and opinions (mind-independent).

Body

Importance of Objectivity:

  • Critical thinking: By thinking both pros and cons and then taking a decision.
  • Right to review decisions: within judicial / administrative procedure, there should be mechanism for appellate board e.g. in taxation, land acquisition etc.
  • Right to be heard: often officers don’t hear the complaint or opinion of people properly and just do the things that are in their mind. Hence new schemes should have ‘social audit / public hearing’ components.
  • Information management: if you don’t have hardcore information /statistics, you can’t take objective decisions. E.g. sustainable development goals (SDG) have 17 goals and 169 targets. Previously in Millennium development goals (MDG), we had 18 indicators, yet we lacked proper statistical databases to compare performance. Lack of data, prevents us from finding the faults and fixing them.
  • Transparency:g. right to information act. Bureaucrat will think twice before taking subjective/discretionary decisions, fearing that he’ll have to answer it if someone files an RTI

Relevance of Objectivity in Public Services:

  • Being non-partisan
    • Objectivity will help civil servants to be non-partisan, impartial and more service oriented.
    • For example District collector in making appointments needs to give priority to merit rather than other factors like the caste or background of the caste.
  • Critical thinking and taking rational decisions
    • By thinking both pros and cons and then taking a decision.
    • It also contributes in rational merit based decision makings in day to day work of them. Team work, solving emergency issues like riotous situation.
    • within judicial / administrative procedure, there should be mechanism for appellate board g. in taxation, land acquisition etc.
    • It also plays a big role in reducing menace of corruption from the system.
  • Right to be heard:
    • often officers don’t hear the complaint or opinion of people properly and just do the things that are in their mind. Hence new schemes should have ‘social audit / public hearing’ components.
  • Information management:
    • if you don’t have hardcore information /statistics, you can’t take objective decisions.
    • g. sustainable development goals (SDG) have 17 goals and 169 targets. Previously in Millennium development goals (MDG), we had 18 indicators, yet we lacked proper statistical databases to compare performance. Lack of data, prevents us from finding the faults and fixing them.
  • Transparency:
    • Being objective ensures that work of civil servant becomes fair, transparent and visionary above all narrow considerations of kinship, nepotism, favouritism.
    • g. right to information act. Bureaucrat will think twice before taking subjective/discretionary decisions, fearing that he’ll have to answer it if someone files an RTI

Relevance in Private life

  • Objectivity is necessary to get an accurate explanation of how things work in the world.
    • g.: In a country like India, where black magic, superstition is still prevalent, objectivity becomes very imperative in bursting the myths.
  • It helps to tackle prejudices and stereotypes.
    • g.: The disabled and crippled are seen as a curse, while being unaware of the scientific reasons behind it.
    • The women are always held responsible for birth of a girl child while the actual fact remains that it is the man and his genes which is responsible for sex of the child.
  • Objectivity helps to tackle fake news menace which is growing at rampant rate.
  • Objectivity helps to overcome the ethical dilemmas, value judgement & complexities of social phenomena.

Conclusion

In public life objectivity as a value must strive for in all interaction but at many times being objective become difficult. Fairness as a value closest to objectivity can be practiced which progressively leads to objectivity.


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