[Mission 2024] Insights SECURE SYNOPSIS: 27 September 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: Social empowerment

1.  Highlight the historical context of gender inequality and the struggle for women’s rights in India. Discuss ways to address various challenges, including social norms, economic disparities, and political representation, to advance women’s empowerment fully.  (250 words).

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: The Hindu , Insights on India

Why the question:

The article discusses the long journey toward achieving gender equality and women’s rights in India.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the causes for gender inequality and its impact and ways to overcome it.

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: 

Start by giving context.

Body:

First, write about the various historical causes for gender inequality – , educational, economic and social causes. Trace the struggle for women equality in India.

Next, write about the how the gender inequality impacts the Indian society. Cite examples and statistics to substantiate.

Next, write about the various measures needed to bridge the gender gap.

Conclusion:

Conclude by writing a way forward.

Introduction

India ranks 135 among a total of 146 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index, 2022, released by the World Economic Forum. The Global Gender Gap Report, 2022, says it will now take 132 years to reach gender parity, with the gap reducing only by four years since 2021 and the gender gap closed by 68. 1%. India ranks poorly among its neighbours and is behind Bangladesh (71), Nepal (96), Sri Lanka (110), Maldives (117) and Bhutan (126). Only the performance of Iran (143), Pakistan (145) and Afghanistan(146) was worse than India in South Asia. In 2021, India ranked 140 out of 156 nations.

Body

Causes for Gender inequality in the country

• High gender divide: The gender gap in the country has widened, with only 62.5% of it closed and especially low gender parity in political empowerment and economic participation and opportunity.
• Wage gap: Women are paid considerably less than men, with some research showing that the gender pay gap between women and men in the same jobs with equivalent qualifications can be as much as 34%.
• Labour force participation: India, as of 2020, has the lowest female labour force participation rate among South Asian nations, with four out of five women neither working nor looking for jobs.
• High Job loss: According to Oxfam, 17 million women in India lost their jobs in April 2020, with their unemployment rate rising far higher than that among men.
• Lesser opportunities for women: Women were found to be seven times more likely to lose their jobs during the lockdown phases, and if rendered unemployed, were 11 times more likely to remain jobless than their male counterparts.
• Uneven domestic responsibility: Potential reasons for this include the increased burden of domestic responsibilities that Indian women typically had to bear, in terms of not just household chores but extra time needed for elderly care and children’s studies, with schools shut.
• Even pre-pandemic, a Time Use Survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Office showed that women spent nearly 4.5 hours on childcare and other care-giving responsibilities, in contrast with the meagre 0.88 hours for men.

Impact on society

• Pre-natal sex-selective Abortion:The most extreme expression of the preference for sons is female infanticide and sex selective abortion. A study in a Bombay hospital found that 96% of female were aborted.
• Sexual Harassment at work places: is a harassment of a sexual nature, typically in the work place. Sexual harassment is considered a form of illegal discrimination. Sexual harassment at work place is not an isolated phenomenon but a mainfestaion of the larger gender discrimination in society.
• Female are malnourished: India has exceptionally high rate of child malnutrition, because tradition in India requires that women eat last and least throughout their lives, even when pregnant.
• Women are uneducated: Families are far less likely to educate girls than boys and far more likely to pull them out of school, either to help out at home or from fear of violence. So women and girls receive far less education than men both due to social norms and fears of violence.
• Women are in Poor health: Females receive less health care than males. Many women die in childbirth. The practice of breast feeding female children for shorter periods of time reflects the strong desire for sons.
• Women are overworked: Women work longer hours and their work is more than the men (agricultural Work).
• Women are Unskilled: Women have unequal access to resources.
• Injustice Policy of Reservation in Public office:The women occupy 46% of the Indian population but reservation is given for only 33% where reserved.
• Women are mistreated:In recent year there has been an alarming rise in atrocities against women in India in term s of rapes, assaults and dowry related murders.
• Women are Powerless:While women are guaranteed equality under the constitution. But due to lack of power to decide who they will marry and are often married off as children.

Need of the hour

• Behavioral Nudge: For instance, by using taxes to incentivize fairly sharing child-care responsibilities, or by encouraging women and girls to enter traditionally male-dominated sectors such as the armed forces and information technology. Eg Supreme Court in India declared that women could now hold commanding positions in Army.
  • Paternity leaves for men, to share the responsibility of child rearing.
  • Incentivizing companies to employ women, and reach 50% target.
• Gender Justice at Work
  • Bridging the wage gap for equal work.
  • Making work places safer through strong laws. India has enacted Sexual Harassment at workplaces act.
  • Promote diversity and anti-bias courses for all employees.
  • Comprehensive leadership training for women to excel in their fields.
• Gender sensitization: Breaking the social barriers by gender sensitization and education at families, schools and workplaces. Eg : In the NCERT Books, gender roles, bias and prejudice inducing writings were removed.
• Social security and financial literacy: Formalization of jobs should be pushed to avail benefits to many women. Until then, social security benefits should be provided to women in unorganized sector. Eg : Self Help Group-Bank Linkage Programme in India
  • Embedding financial literacy in programmes where women have significant representation could be a good starting point.
• Strong laws and policies wrt equal pay for equal work, maternity benefits are needed to promote women’s representation in economy.
• Political Representation: India has provided 33% reservation for women in the Panchayats and Local Bodies. Capacity Building and training can increase their capabilities further.

Way forward

• Learning from the Nordic region, noteworthy participation of women in politics, institutions and public life is the catalyst for transformational change.
• Women need to be equal participants in the labour force to pioneer the societal changes the world needs in this integral period of transition.
• Every effort must be directed towards achieving gender parallelism by facilitating women in leadership and decision-making positions.
• Social protection programmes should be gender-responsive and account for the differential needs of women and girls.
• Research and scientific literature also provide unequivocal evidence that countries led by women are dealing with the pandemic more effectively than many others.

Conclusion

Gender equality is a human right which entitles all persons irrespective of their gender to live with dignity and with freedom. Gender equality is also a precondition for development and reducing of poverty. Gender shouldn’t be an unreasonable determining factor curbing the potential of women.

General Studies – 2

Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

2. Considering the Northeast as a single entity oversimplifies its diverse cultural, linguistic, and ethnic composition, which has led to marginalized communities within the region feeling neglected and overlooked. Critically examine. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: The Hindu

Why the question:

The article discusses the issue of treating the Northeastern region of India as a single homogenous territory and highlights the complexity of identity and marginality in the region.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the challenges of north east India due to homogenous approach and ways to overcome it.

Directive word:

Critically examine – When asked to ‘Examine’, we have to look into 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. When ‘critically’ is suffixed or prefixed to a directive, one needs to look at the good and bad of the topic and give a fair judgment.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by giving context.

Body:

First, write about various impediments to development of north east regions – political instability, insurgency, high tribal population, lack of funds and security concerns etc.

Next, write about the need for acknowledging and respecting the unique identities and aspirations of different Northeastern states and communities to address their specific needs effectively. Suggest measures to be taken in this regard.

Conclusion:

Conclude with a way forward.

Introduction

India’s North Eastern Region is a rainbow country, known for its diversity. It stretches from the foothills of the Himalayas in the eastern range and is surrounded by Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Nepal and Myanmar. The region is rich in natural resources, covered with dense forests, has the highest rainfall in the country, with large and small river systems nesting the land and is a treasure house of flora and fauna. Marked by diversity in customs, cultures, traditions and languages, it is home to multifarious social, ethnic and linguistic groups.

Body

North East Region

• The NER is strategically located with access to the traditional domestic market of eastern India
• It has proximity to the major states in the east and adjacent countries such as Bangladesh and Myanmar.
• The region comprising India’s eight northeastern States (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim).
• It has overcome several (but not all) security challenges and is now heading toward economic development.
• The extensive web of linkages with neighboring Bangladesh.
• Japan has emerged as a significant development partner for both India and Bangladesh.

Challenges in the north east region

• Geographical Challenges:
  • Very high rainfall, shifting river courses, poor drainage system and narrow valleys are regularly causing severe floods, erosion, landslides and sand deposition in the North East causing loss of huge areas of valuable agricultural land.
  • Hilly, inaccessible and undulating terrain has led to underdeveloped transport links.
  • Large area of land is under ‘Jhum cultivation’ which leads to large scale deforestation resulting in soil erosion and loss of soil fertility.
• Disaster Proneness of North East:
  • High rainfall and large river basins of the Brahmaputra and the Barak along with their narrow valleys regularly cause severe floods, erosion, landslides and sand deposition leading to loss of huge areas of valuable agricultural land and thereby reduction of the average size of land holdings in the region.
  • The region is highly prone to Earthquakes and post the great earthquake of intensity of 8.5 in Richter scale of 1950 in Assam, flood and erosion have increased in the state and till date about5000-6000sq.km of land has been lost due to erosion by rivers. This has made lakhs of people landless and homeless in the state.
• Historical Challenges:
  • Despite the above mentioned challenges, the North-eastern region was at par with rest of the country at independence but post-independence events have retarded the development of the region.
  • Partition of the country: When the major road, rail and river routes connecting North East to the rest of the country suddenly got snapped.
  • The Bangladesh Liberation was of 1971: When crores of people from Bangladesh entered some states of North East as refugees which changed the demographic situation in some state of North-East bordering Bangladesh.
  • Insurgencies: From the end of the seventies of the last century problems of insurgency started in states like Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Manipur, Insurgency affected the present day Nagaland and Mizoram in the fifties and sixties of the last century. Now, of course, due to various actions taken by the Central and State governments, insurgency in this region is no longer a matter of great concern.
• Infrastructural Factors:
  • NER has about 6 per cent of the national roads and about 13 percent of the national highways. However, their quality is not good due to poor maintenance.
  • The prominent indicators of shortfalls in infrastructure in this region are: increasingly congested roads, power failures, shortage of drinking water etc.
• Political challenges:
  • Chinese Aggression on Arunachal Pradesh (called NEFA at that time) in 1962, apparently refrain large scale investment from private player in North East.
  • Large scale Migration from Bangladesh led to various socio-economic- political problem
  • The culture of ‘bandhs’ is peculiar problem of NER, widely prevalent in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland.
  • Three fourth of NER have no proper land records and Individual ownership of land is not well established
• Social Challenges:
  • Remarkable growth of migration from the North East to different parts of the country mostly in search of education and job opportunities gives big blow to the local society.
  • Drug abuse is a serious problem among youth of North east with more than 30% of its youth being drug abusers.
  • The pandemic of HIV/AIDS, spreading fast in Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram, is also a matter of grave concern.
  • Migration from surrounding areas of NERs (Bangladesh and states of Bihar and Bengal) reduced the average size of land holding to about one hectare.
• Lack of Social Infrastructure:
  • Inadequate number of polytechnics and higher institutions for engineering, medical and nursing studies etc.
  • Teachers’ Training is poor thereby leading to poor standards of education

Act east factor

• Troika of central government, state government and the indigenous people can peacefully stabilise the region by settling the issues harmoniously.
  • Maintaining a peaceful North East is vital for India’s ‘Act East Policy’ as the NorthEast Region is the doorway to the ASEAN regions.
  • All the states gain by being connected to one another and for this peaceful border to ensure ‘free’ movement of people and trade are essential.
• Empowerment of the people by maximizing self-governance and participatory development through grass-roots planning. Such planning will help to evolve development strategy based on the resources, needs and aspirations of the people.
• Rural development with a focus on improving agricultural productivity and the creation of non-farm avocations and employment.
• Development of sectors with comparative advantage agro-processing industries, modernization and development of sericulture, investment in manufacturing units based on the resources available in the region, harnessing the large hydroelectric power generation potential and focus on developing services such as tourism that will help to accelerate development and create productive employment opportunities.
• Capacity development will have to address the issue of imparting skills among the people to enhance their productivity, generating a class of entrepreneurs within the region willing to take risks.
• Augmenting infrastructure, including rail, road, inland water and air transportation to facilitate a two-way movement of people and goods within the region and outside, communication networks including broadband and wireless connectivity, and harnessing of the vast power generation potential, all of which will open up markets for produce from the region, attract private investment, create greater employment opportunities and expand choices for people of the region.
• Ensuring adequate flow of resources for public investments in infrastructure, implementing a framework for private participation in augmenting infrastructure and creating an enabling environment for the flow of investments to harness the physical resources of the region for the welfare of the people.

Conclusion

Innovation, Initiatives, Ideas and Implementation–all the four needs to go together. Inclusive growth is possible through improved governance, doing away with the draconian laws and ensuring the local communities are empowered to implement basic services. For this, all the stakeholders need to formulate a comprehensive realistic plan for the overall development of North East.

Value addition

Government Initiatives for NE Region

• Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER):A Department of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) was established in 2001. It was elevated to a full ministry in 2004.
• Infrastructure Related Initiatives:
  • Under Bharatmala Pariyojana (BMP),road stretches aggregating to about 5,301 km in NER have been approved for improvement.
  • The North East has been kept as a priority area under RCS-UDAN(to make flying more affordable).
• Connectivity Projects:Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Project (Myanmar) and Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Corridor.
• For Promoting Tourism:Under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism, projects worth Rs.1400.03 crore have been sanctioned for the NER in the last five years.
• Mission Purvodaya:Purvodaya in the steel sector is aimed at driving accelerated development of Eastern India through the establishment of an integrated steel hub.
  • The Integrated Steel Hub, encompassing Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Northern Andhra Pradesh, would serve as a torchbearer for socio-economic growth of Eastern India.
• North-East Industrial Development Scheme (NEIDS):In order to promote employment in the North East States, the Government is incentivizing primarily the MSME Sector through this scheme.
• The National Bamboo Missionhas a special significance for the Northeast.
• North Eastern Region Vision 2020:The document provides an overarching framework for the development of the NE Region to bring it at par with other developed regions under which different Ministries, including the Ministry of DoNER have undertaken various initiatives.
• Digital North East Vision 2022:It emphasises leveraging digital technologies to transform lives of people of the north east and enhance the ease of living.

Topic:Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

3. India’s cautious approach towards expanding BRICS highlights the importance of maintaining the group’s core objectives of economic cooperation and coordination on global issues.  Analyse. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Tough

Reference: Insights on India , Insights on India

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 2 and mentioned as part of Mission-2024 Secure timetable.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the issues with respect to BRICS expansion.

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.

Body:

In the first part, write about the various issues among the BRICS member countries which has brough them at a crossroad. Mention the current limitations of the BRICS bloc and hindrances to achieve its potential.

Next, write about the issue of BRICS expansion and India’s cautious approach to it.

Conclusion:

Conclude with a way forward and diplomatic steps needed to be taken in this regard.

Introduction

BRICS is the acronym coined for an association of five major emerging national economies that have similar economic development. The five countries are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Together, BRICS accounts for about 40% of the world’s population and about 30% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product), making it a critical economic engine. It’s an emerging investment market and global power bloc. For India, BRICS is strategic especially in times where there is lot of geopolitical flux.

The 15^th BRICS summit will be held from August 22-24, 2023 and Indian Prime Minister will attend it. It will be the first in-person BRICS Summit after three consecutive years of virtual meetings owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Body

Challenges within BRICS

• Varied Political Structures and values:While Brazil, India and South Africa are democratic, China and Russia are not.
  • Structure of financial systems, levels of income, education, inequality, health challenges also differ substantially within BRICS which makes it hard for them to speak with a unified voice and to co- ordinate action.
• Different geopolitical agenda: The Brasilia declaration notes shared perceptions on global economic and financial governance. However, their interpretation by each country depends on its national interest in specific circumstances.
  • on expansion of the UN Security Council, BRICS exposed its disunity yet again by sticking to the formulation that refuses to go beyond China and Russia supporting the “aspiration” of Brazil, India and South Africa “to play a greater role in the UN”.
  • Also the China-Pak axis will always be a hindrance for India to fully cooperate with China. China’s rejection of NSG membership to India is an example.
• Diverging long-term economic goals of member countries:Though the five nations have greatly increased their combined economic heft since the turn of the century, the share is imbalanced.g. Brazil, Russia and South Africa’s shares of global output have actually shrunk since 2000.
  • Despite their combined population accounting for 40% of humanity, intra-BRICS trade still makes up just 15% of world trade.
  • Brazil also took India to WTO dispute resolution wrt sugar production.
• Ukraine crisis with Russia: The primary agenda of BRICS was rebalancing an international system dominated by the West.
  • However, the Ukraine crisis could act as a distraction from that primary agenda.
  • The geopolitical considerations of its members can come in the way of attaining the grouping’s original goal.

Overcoming the problems

• Create institutional arrangement: Challenging the economic might of the West in the near future might be close to impossible. Despite the group comprising China, India and Russia, intra-BRICS trade accounts for less than 20 per cent of global trade.
  • BRICS is far from having its own payment mechanisms, international messaging systems or cards.
  • The Ukraine crisis should drive home the need to create institutional arrangements that can cushion against similar financial turbulence in the future.
• Recalibrate structure and expand: BRICS requires a recalibration of its structure and agenda. Creating financial mechanisms and technological institutions could turn BRICS into a G20 for developing nations.

• • It’s time to revisit the idea of expanding the grouping by inviting new members.
  • This could also impart new vigour to the BRICS’s developmental goals.

• Economic cooperation between India and China: Economic cooperation between India and China is vital for the success of any future BRICS endeavour. The border conflict has created a mistrust of China in India.
• South-south cooperation:We need to expand south-south cooperation to share experiences on food and agriculture production and make expanded efforts to share India’s experiences for countries in Africa and Asia.
• In the current situation, New Delhi is unlikely to take an anti-West stance.
• India, unlike China, is neither a UN Security Council member nor does it have major sticking points with the West. At the same time, India is not a part of the Western camp.
• That does open up the possibility of New Delhi taking a more proactive position in BRICS.The two powers need to come together for the sake of global governance reform.

Conclusion

The Ukraine crisis could be an occasion for the leaders of BRICS nations to commit themselves to the original goal of the bloc. It’s an opportunity they shouldn’t let go of. A significant amount of convergence on economic issues is required for BRICS to work as a strong multilateral body that will have a significant effect on global governance.

Value Addition

About BRICS and areas of cooperation

• Economic Cooperation: There are rapidly growing trade and investment flows between BRICS countries as well as economic cooperation activities across a range of sectors.
  • Agreements have been concluded in the areas of Economic and Trade Cooperation; Innovation Cooperation, Customs Cooperation; strategic cooperation between the BRICS Business Council , Contingent Reserve Agreement and the New Development Bank.
• Reform of multilateral institutions: BRICS was founded on the desire to end the domination of the western world over institutions of global governance (IMF, World Bank, UN) and strengthen multilateralism.
• Combat Terrorism: Terrorism is an international phenomenon impacting all parts of the world. Recent developments in Afghanistan stress the need to bridge the gap between rhetoric and action.
  • In this context, BRICS is attempting to shape its counter-terrorism strategy by crafting the BRICS Counter-Terrorism Action Plan.
  • It contains specific measures to fight radicalisation, terrorist financing and misuse of the Internet by terrorist groups.
• Promoting technological and digital solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals: This will help to improve governance and will also prove beneficial in the current situations e.g. Global pandemic response.
• Expanding people-to-people cooperation: This will improve gradually once all the travel restrictions are eased.

Significance of BRICS

• Economically, militarily, technologically, socially and culturally, BRICS nations represent a powerful bloc.
• 40 per cent of the world’s population: They have an estimated combined population of 3.23 billion people, which is over 40 per cent of the world’s population.
• 25 per cent of global GDP: They account for over more than a quarter of the world’s land area over three continents, and for more than 25 per cent of the global GDP.
• Two fastest growing large economies: The grouping comprises two of the fastest-growing nations, India and China.
• It has proved its mettle to an extent by establishing the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) and the Contingency Reserve Arrangement (CRA).

Topic: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.

4. The Financial Action Task Force plays a crucial role in promoting anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CFT) measures globally. While it has made significant strides in setting international standards and fostering cooperation, it faces challenges related to enforcement, effectiveness, and inclusivity. Critically analyse. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Insights on India

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 2 and mentioned as part of Mission-2024 Secure timetable.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about the performance of FATF in implementing anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CFT) measures

Directive word: 

Critically 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. 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: 

Begin by writing about the aims and objectives of FATF.

Body:

First, write about the various ways FATF tackles money laundering and terror financing – blacklist and grey list, measures like – Economic sanctions from IMF, World Bank and ADB etc, Reduction in international trade and international boycott etc.

Next, write about the successes and limitations of the above methodology of FATF. Write further steps to taken in this regard especially in the light of recent events.

Conclusion:

Conclude with a way forward.

Introduction

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 on the initiative of the G7 countries to develop policies to combat money laundering. In 2001, its mandate expanded to include terrorism financing. It monitors progress in implementing the FATF Recommendations through “peer reviews” (“mutual evaluations”) of member countries. The FATF Secretariat is housed at the OECD headquarters in Paris.

Body

Role of the FATF:

• The FATF has developed a series of Recommendationsthat are recognised as the international standard for combating of money laundering and the financing of terrorism and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
• They form the basis for a co-ordinated response to these threats to the integrity of the financial system and help ensure a level playing field.
• First issued in 1990, the FATF Recommendations were revised in 1996, 2001, 2003 and most recently in 2012 to ensure that they remain up to date and relevant, and they are intended to be of universal application.
• The 2003 Forty Recommendations require states, among other things, to:
  • Implement relevant international conventions
  • Criminalise money launderingand enable authorities to confiscate the proceeds of money laundering
  • Implement customer due diligence(e.g., identity verification), record keeping and suspicious transaction reporting requirements for financial institutions and designated non-financial businesses and professions
  • Establish a financial intelligence unitto receive and disseminate suspicious transaction reports, and
  • Cooperate internationallyin investigating and prosecuting money laundering
• The FATF monitors the progress of its members in implementing necessary measures, reviews money laundering and terrorist financing techniques and counter-measures, and promotes the adoption and implementation of appropriate measures globally.
• In collaboration with other international stakeholders, the FATF works to identify national-level vulnerabilities with the aim of protecting the international financial system from misuse.
• The FATF’s decision making body, the FATF Plenary, meets three times per year.

Challenges faced by FATF:

• First, the task of establishing a world-wide anti-money laundering network. This strategy is designed to expand and strengthen the regional bodies of the FATF.
• The second major challenge confronting the FATF is how best to manage its agenda in order to ensure that its countermeasures remain up-to-date, comprehensive and effective. International co-operation between financial regulators and law enforcement has been identified as cardinal to this goal
• Despite Pakistan’s failure to fulfil its task list, the FATF President has made it clear that they are not considering placing Pakistan on the ‘black list’, as they say it “continues to cooperate”.
• In light of the developments in Afghanistan, and concerns over the growth of transnational terror groups such as al-Qaeda and ISIL, as well as JeM and LeT taking advantage of the Taliban takeover to build new safe havens and financing networks, there are higher chances of money laundering and its related effects.

Way forward

• FATF must ensure that the investigation of Pakistan is not an open-ended process, and is brought to a credible and effective conclusion at the earliest.
• FATF must keep its commitment from 2001, when it added terror financing to its mandate, to prevent all terror groups from accessing these funding networks.

Conclusion

The FATF is therefore a “policy-making body” which works to generate the necessary political will to bring about national legislative and regulatory reforms in these areas. As of now there are only two countries in the blacklist — Iran and North Korea — and seven on the grey list, including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syria and Yemen.

Value addition

Objectives of the FATF:

• To set standards and promote effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing.
• To tackle other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.
• Act against illegal money.
• Identify cash couriers.
• Financial sanctions against designated terrorists.
• Deprive designated persons of their resources.

FATF and India:

• Recent proposal that Pakistan put back in the greylist could affect Pakistan’s credit rating. This will adversely impact its ability to raise loans from major international financial institutions to service existing debt.
• This will become even more difficult as compared with the previous listing, given the adversarial relationship with the US and the latter’s influence in major financial institutions. Pakistan will not have adequate resources to fund terrorism
• The decisions of the United Nations Financial Action Task Force (FATF)are about using the threat of economic punishment to move Pakistan away from funding terrorists operating against Afghanistan and India
• Being on the grey list would mean that Pakistan’s transactions are closely monitored. This would further cripple the country’s economy as companies across the world would hesitate from doing business with Pakistan.
• The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank too would avoid giving loans to Pakistan.

General Studies – 3

Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

5. Discuss the significance of preserving and managing water resources, including groundwater reserves, as a vital strategy to address the impacts of changing climate patterns and ensure sustainable water availability for future generations. (250 words)

Difficulty level: Moderate

Reference: Live Mint , Insights on India

Why the question:

The article emphasizes the importance of water management and conservation in coping with the challenges posed by climate change.

Key Demand of the question:

To write about urgent and immediate measures need to mitigate the water crisis in India.

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 giving the status of water stress in India. Mention facts from NITI Aayog reports of 2018.

Body:

First, you can draw a bubble diagram showing activities that are the major consumers of surface and ground water in India.

Next, Mention the urgent steps that are needed to make sustainable water practises in agriculture more mainstreamed. cropping pattern shifts, water-saving seed varieties, regulation of groundwater usage, rejuvenation of catchment areas, participatory and bottom-up systems led by farmer producer organizations at conservation etc.

Write about the other steps that are required to tide over the crisis. Innovative solutions, mission mode management, aquifer recharge, rainwater harvesting and technology to monitor progress, community participation and rejuvenating existing water bodies etc.

Conclusion:

Conclude with a way forward.

Introduction

Water stress occurs when the demand for water exceeds the available amount during a certain period or when poor quality restricts its use. When per capita availability of water is below 1700 m³/year, water availability is termed as “stressed”.

Body

Water stress causes deterioration of fresh water resources in terms of quantity as well as quality

• India has 4 % of the world’s freshwater which has to cater to 17 % of the world’s population.
• Approximately 600 million peopleor roughly around 45 % of the population in India is facing high to severe water stress.
• As per the report, 21 Indian citieswill run out of their main source of water i.e. groundwater by 2020.
• Nearly40 % of the population will have absolutely no access to drinking water by 2030 and 6 % of India’s GDP will be lost by 2050 due to the water crisis.
• As per NITI Aayogreport (CWMI) released in June 2019, India is facing the worst-ever water crisis in history.
• A disastrous water crisis has been creeping up on us for years. Water tableshave declined precipitously, even by thousands of feet in some parts of Punjab, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh. Tanks and wells have gone dry.
• Some rivers have shrunk while other smaller ones have completely dried up.
• Water rationing is routine in many urban areas, while in many villages women are trudging longer distances to fetch water.
• A recent report mentions that over 70% of surface irrigation water is being simply wasted, nationally.
• Not only farmers are affected by the water crisis, urban dwellers in cities and towns across India are also facing a never seen before drinking water scarcity.
• In India, there are conflicts between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over sharing of Cauvery waters, between Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh over sharing of Narmada waters, between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana over sharing of Krishna waters, etc.

Measures to overcome water stress in the country

Seeing India’s looming water crisis through the locus of ‘urban’ and ‘rural’ not only allows a better grasp of the causative factors but also enables a stronger grip on the strategies to be deployed to reverse the water crisis.

• Urban water resource management

• Ground water management is of utmost importance in urban areas where 50% water is drawn from ground. E.g.: Encroachment of flood plains, ground water recharge are areas to work with.
• Loss of green cover in urban areas and heat island effect are reasons for depleting water sources. e.g.: Urban forests needs to be created like in Aarey, Mumbai.
• The Ministry of Water Resources must reconfigure its relationship with other Ministries and Departments (Urban Development, Local Self-Government and Environment).
• Enhanced integration and coordination are needed through effective land and water zoning regulations that protect urban water bodies, groundwater sources, wetlands and green cover while simultaneously working to enhance waste water recycling and water recharge activities targeting aquifers and wells through rainwater harvesting.

• Rural water resource management
  • Water and food security: At the sectoral level, the Ministries and Departments of water resources must coordinate efforts with their counterparts in agriculture, the environment and rural development for greater convergence to achieve water and food security.
    • g.: Water guzzler crops like paddy and wheat in Punjab have turned the soil saline and depleted ground water.
  • Whole of government approach: At the disciplinary level, governance and management should increasingly interact and draw from the expertise of fields such as hydrology (watershed sustainability), hydrogeology (aquifer mapping and recharge) and agriculture sciences (water-sensitive crop choices and soil health).
  • Surface water management: Again, the importance given to groundwater conservation should not ignore surface water conservation including the many rivers and lakes which are in a critical and dying state due to encroachment, pollution, over-abstraction and obstruction of water flow by dams.

Way Forward

• Effective land and water zoning regulations would protect urban water bodies, groundwater sources, wetlands and green cover.
• Enhance waste water recycling and water recharge activities targeting aquifers and wells through rainwater harvesting.
• Governance and management should increasingly interact and draw from the expertise of fields such as hydrology (watershed sustainability), hydrogeology (aquifer mapping and recharge) and agriculture sciences (water-sensitive crop choices and soil health).
• The importance given to groundwater conservation should not ignore surface water conservation including the rivers and lakes which are in a critical state due to encroachment and pollution.
• The Ministry of Jal Shakti must focus on protecting and conserving water resources on the one hand and minimising and enhancing efficiency of water usage on the other.

General Studies – 4

Topic : Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators;

6. What does this quote means to you? (150 words)

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.” ― Carl Gustav Jung

Difficulty level: Easy

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Quotes Wednesdays’ in Mission-2024 Secure.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by explaining the literal meaning of the quote and highlighting its core meaning about importance of culture

Body:

Write about the various impediments to become who we truly are and how to come overcome those impediments. Mention how it is a privilege to be who we truly are. Substantiate with examples.

Conclusion:

Summarise by highlighting the importance of the quote in the present day.

Introduction

That age-old advice to “be yourself” is deceptively simple. Being yourself is a lifetime’s work of discovery and courage, stepping out from behind our fear of not being good enough.

Body

During all the stages of growing up, children are told how they should behave in different situations: at school, with siblings, with parents, and so on. They have to see themselves acting in a certain characteristic way towards friends in order to come to understand themselves as a friend. Similarly, they need to see themselves working in order to get a feel for just what sort of worker they are.

In short, the persona someone has—the way that person sees himself/herself—is learned over a period of time and comes from seeing himself/herself acting in different contexts. That persona is built up over a period of time until individuals come to recognize themselves as themselves. Only then can they reliably predict how they will act in certain situations. Only then can someone reasonably choose to “be yourself.”

It is commonplace for people to try to present themselves as if they are more attractive and desirable than they really are. A man may pretend to be urbane, and sophisticated, and poised.

Pretending to be someone you’re not is most often a response to an overwhelming feeling of insecurity with letting people see who you truly are. It’s an attempt at overcoming what is misguided thinking that the real you is somehow not worthy. But we must accept ourselves, and that is the key to self-discovery and personal growth. This helps in understanding our potential, to be unapologetically us in all situation and excel in life.

Conclusion

We have to dare to be ourselves, however frightening or strange that self may prove to be (May Sarton). Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.

Topic: Human Values – lessons from the lives and teachings of great leaders, reformers and administrators;

7. What does this quote means to you? (150 words)

“Make your ego porous. Will is of little importance, complaining is nothing, fame is nothing. Openness, patience, receptivity, solitude is everything.” ― Rainer Maria Rilke

Difficulty level: Easy

Why the question:

The question is part of the static syllabus of General studies paper – 4 and part of ‘Quotes Wednesdays’ in Mission-2024 Secure.

Structure of the answer:

Introduction: 

Begin by explaining the literal meaning of the quote and highlighting its core meaning about importance of culture

Body:

Write about role of ego in one’s life. Mention the various ways ego is manifested and ways it affects individuals, societies and nations. Substantiate with examples. Write about the ways to master ego and control it.

Conclusion:

Summarise by highlighting the importance of the quote in the present day.

Introduction

Ego is nothing but an ‘ever growing obsession’ that is commonly found in everyone. It is a negative trait that hampers one’s progress in life. Animals do not have this kind of trait and therefore do not fight among themselves for supercilious reasons. Their fight is only for survival or safety. However, most humans suffer from this monster called ego.

Body

The quote highlights the importance of shedding one’s ego. As we grow up and develop our emotional and social intelligence our character starts to form and mould our personality from a very young age, however interestingly as a child we haven’t learnt or become trapped by our ego. They aren’t frightened by the fear of failure that most of us learn as we get older.

Overcoming Ego

• Practice forgiveness & letting go:“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong”. The most powerful tool to learn to let go of our egos to make life easier is to practice forgiveness. We have to learn to forgive the people who hurt us and most importantly we have to learn to forgive ourselves.
• Honesty and being open: Honesty provides us unconditional freedomto be connected with ourselves instead of trying to be something that we’re not.
• Let go of controlling attitude: We are not our egos, we are not our jobs, we are not our material possessions, and we are not our achievements. Once you let your ego control your life, you will never be happy or relaxed because as soon as you lose one of the things that you identify with, the rest will fall like dominos and you will lose your happiness.
• Practice gratitude:It’s not happy people who are thankful; it’s thankful people who are happy.

Conclusion

“When ego is lost, limit is lost. You become infinite, kind and beautiful”. The ego loves to keep us trapped, rehashing old hurts, perceived mistakes, ancient regrets. Only when we let go of ego we can grow as individuals.

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