UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 19 August 2024 covers important current affairs of the day, their backward linkages, their relevance for Prelims exam and MCQs on main articles
InstaLinks : Insta Links help you think beyond the current affairs issue and help you think multidimensionally to develop depth in your understanding of these issues. These linkages provided in this ‘hint’ format help you frame possible questions in your mind that might arise(or an examiner might imagine) from each current event. InstaLinks also connect every issue to their static or theoretical background.
Table of Contents
GS Paper 2: (UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 19 August 2024)
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Lateral Entry into the Civil Services
GS Paper 4:
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Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) Guidelines
Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
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The Silent Bicycle Revolution
Facts for Prelims (FFP)
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National Film Awards
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First Information Report (FIR)
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BHAVISHYA
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Eri Silk
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Green Tug Transition Program (GTTP)
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 19 August 2024
GS Paper 2:
Lateral Entry into the Civil Services
Syllabus: Governance: Civil Services in India
Source: ET
Context: The central government has made its largest push for lateral entry into civil services, with the UPSC advertising 45 posts across various ministries. These positions include 10 joint secretaries and 35 director/deputy secretaries, to be filled on a contract basis.
About Lateral Entry:
The term lateral entry relates to the appointment of specialists, mainly those from the private sector, in government organisations.
Committees’ recommendations on lateral entry:
- The idea has been advocated by Surinder Nath Committee (2003), Hota Committee (2004) and Second ARC (2008).
- NITI Aayog, in its three-year Action Agenda (2017—2020), recommended the induction of personnel at middle and senior management levels in the central government.
Aim: This move aims to bring fresh talent and expertise into governance, with a focus on improving policy-making.
Positive implications of lateral entry recruitment.
- Enhanced Performance: Bringing in target-oriented talent from the private sector can boost government efficiency.
- Increased Competition: Introducing outside talent encourages competition, reducing complacency among civil servants.
- Proven Success: NITI Aayog’s positive experience with lateral entry highlights its effectiveness.
- Diverse Values: Lateral entry infuses the government with values of economy, efficiency, and effectiveness, fostering a performance-driven culture.
- Specialized Knowledge: Governance is increasingly complex, requiring specialized skills that generalist officers may lack. Specialists are essential for addressing modern administrative challenges.
- Filling the Gap: Lateral entry helps bridge the shortage of IAS officers, filling critical gaps in the government workforce.
- Cultural Shift: It promotes a shift away from bureaucratic red-tapism, encouraging a culture of efficiency and effectiveness.
- Participatory Governance: Lateral entry allows private sector and non-profit stakeholders to actively participate in the governance process, promoting a more inclusive approach.
Negative implications of lateral entry recruitment
| Negative Implications | Details |
| Non-application of Reservation Provisions | The government has said that the Reservation criteria do not apply to single-post jobs, potentially depriving underrepresented groups of opportunities in higher government positions. |
| Conflict of Interest Situations | Appointing individuals from private companies in related ministries may raise ethical concerns and questions of conflict of interest. |
| Private sector professionals may struggle to transition from a profit-oriented approach to a public service mindset required in government roles. | |
| Corruption Risk | Short-term lateral entry could lead to varying interests and motivations, potentially resulting in corrupt practices. |
| Lack of Training and Experience | Outside talent may lack the extensive field experience that civil services provide, potentially delaying administrative work. |
| Difficulty in Measuring Performance | The complex nature of government roles makes it challenging to assess the performance of lateral entrants. |
| Cumbersome Decision-Making Process | Lateral entrants may face difficulties adapting to the system without proper training, and by the time they build the necessary networks, their term may end. |
Way forward:
- Objective Criteria: Assign lateral entrants to meaningful portfolios with clear role requirements to ensure motivation and effectiveness.
- Relax Age Barrier: Lower the age requirement for lateral entry to attract younger talent, similar to past practices with figures like Montek Singh Ahluwalia and Bimal Jalan.
- Transparent Process: Ensure a transparent selection process, with UPSC’s involvement to provide legitimacy.
- Training: Develop intensive training programs for private-sector entrants to help them navigate the complexities of government work.
Conclusion:
Lateral entry is beneficial but requires careful consideration of entry criteria, assignments, training, and systemic reforms to succeed.
Insta Links:
Mains Link:
“Lateral entry into administration is a reform that needs to be better implemented”, do you agree? Give your opinion with a suitable justification. (250 words)
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 19 August 2024 – GS Paper 4:
Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) Guidelines
Syllabus: Applications of Ethics/ Indian Society
Source: TH
Context: The Network of Women in Media, India (NWMI) has released guidelines to improve safety and equity in newsrooms. These guidelines address issues like poor working conditions, harassment, and unfair practices.
Common issues identified include:
- Widespread workplace humiliation and harassment.
- Tolerance of abusive behaviour from senior staff, often excused by past experiences.
- Disparaging comments based on personal attributes like caste, gender, and sexuality.
- Severe attacks primarily target women and LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Key recommendations include:
- Adherence to legal work hours, with overtime recognition.
- Fair and transparent salaries, adjusted for inflation and comparable industries.
- Minimum of 30 days paid leave, including mental health and menstrual leave.
- Establishment of professional HR departments with clear policies on acceptable behaviour.
- Transparent performance appraisals and a zero-tolerance policy for toxic behaviour.
- Regular communication and training on workplace policies.
- Prompt filling of vacancies to avoid overburdening staff.
- Journalists should work no more than 144 hours over four consecutive weeks. A mandatory day off each week.
- Enforce a zero-tolerance policy for toxic behaviour, with disciplinary action against violators, regardless of position or popularity.
These measures aim to create a respectful and equitable work environment for journalists.
Related Information:
Values of Ethical Journalism:
| Ethical Value | Description | Thinker/Expert |
| Truthfulness | Commitment to accuracy and honesty in reporting, avoiding distortion of facts. | Walter Lippmann |
| Objectivity | Reporting news without bias, ensuring fair representation of all sides of an issue. | Bernard Goldberg |
| Integrity | Upholding strong moral principles, avoiding conflicts of interest and corruption. | Ralph Waldo Emerson |
| Accountability | Taking responsibility for errors, and being transparent with corrections and clarifications. | Thomas Jefferson |
| Respect for Privacy | Protecting individuals’ privacy, particularly in sensitive stories, while balancing public interest. | John Stuart Mill |
| Independence | Maintaining editorial independence from external influences, including political and corporate pressures. | George Orwell |
| Fairness | Ensuring equitable treatment of subjects and audiences, avoiding prejudiced or discriminatory content. | John Rawls |
| Transparency | Being open about journalistic processes, sources, and potential biases. | Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel |
| Empathy | Showing compassion and understanding towards subjects, especially in human-interest stories. | Maya Angelou |
| Social Responsibility | Recognizing the role of media in shaping public opinion and upholding democratic values. | Noam Chomsky |
| Justice | Advocating for fairness, equality, and the protection of rights within media practices. | Martin Luther King Jr. |
| Professionalism | Adhering to high standards of journalistic practice, including thorough research and ethical sourcing. | David Randall |
| Human Dignity | Ensuring that all individuals are treated with respect and dignity in reporting and representation. | Immanuel Kant |
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 19 August 2024 Content for Mains Enrichment (CME)
The Silent Bicycle Revolution
Source: BBC
Context: India’s schoolgirls are quietly leading a cycling revolution, driven by state-run free bicycle schemes. In rural areas, cycling among girls has more than doubled over a decade, boosting school attendance and reducing dropout rates. This movement, though underreported, is transforming lives, especially in states like Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, and Chhattisgarh, where bicycles are empowering girls with mobility and education.
Impact of the Cycling Revolution:
- Increased School Attendance: More girls are attending school regularly.
- Reduced Dropout Rates: Fewer girls are dropping out of school.
- Empowerment: Enhanced confidence and mobility for girls.
- Gender Gap Reduction: A rise in cycling in India had occurred among rural girls – increasing more than two times from 4.5% in 2007 to 11% in 2017 – narrowing the gender gap in education and transportation.
- Educational Access: Improved access to education in rural areas.
- Economic Mobility: Potential for better employment opportunities in the future.
- Social Change: Challenging traditional gender roles and promoting self-reliance.
American suffragist Susan B Anthony famously said that the bicycle “has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance”.
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 19 August 2024 Facts for Prelims (FFP)
National Film Awards
Source: PIB
Context: The 70th National Film Awards for 2022, highlighted significant achievements in Indian cinema across various categories. Marathi cinema received notable recognition, including:
- Best Marathi Film: Vaalvi (The Termite), won the Best Marathi Film award.
- Best Documentary and Best Narration: Murmurs of the Jungle, secured awards for Best Documentary and Best Narration/Voice-Over.
- Best Arts/Culture Film: The Marathi film Varsa (Legacy), Suryawanshi, won Best Arts/Culture Film.
- Best Biographical/Historical Film: Aanakhi Ek Mohenjo Daro won the Best Biographical/Historical Film award.
The National Film Awards, established in 1954 and originally called “State Awards,” initially presented 2 President’s Gold Medals, 2 certificates of merit, and 12 silver medals for regional films.
Since 1973, the awards have been administered by the Directorate of Film Festivals.
They are given in three main categories: Feature Films, Non-Feature Films, and Best Writing on Cinema.
Additionally, the Most Film Friendly State award is presented to a state that has significantly supported the growth of the film industry.
First Information Report (FIR)
Source: Economic Times
Context: In response to widespread protests following the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata, the Union Health Ministry directed that heads of government hospitals must file a First Information Report (FIR) within six hours of any violence against healthcare workers on duty.
- This directive, issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), addresses the increasing violence faced by doctors and healthcare staff, often from patients or their attendants.
- Public health is a ‘State’ subject and there is no Central law for preventing violence against healthcare workers (VAHCW).
First Information Report (FIR) is a written document prepared by the police when they receive information about the commission of a cognizable offence
It is a report of information that reaches the police first in point of time and that is why it is called the First Information Report.
BHAVISHYA
Source: PIB
Context: The Department of Pension and Pensioners’ Welfare (DOPPW) introduced “Bhavishya,” a centralized pension processing software, to address delays, errors, and financial losses in pension processing for central government employees.
- The software integrates 99 Ministries/Departments, 1020 Offices, and 8320 Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs), with over 2,50,845 Pension Payment Orders (PPOs) issued by August 2024.
“Bhavishya” streamlines the pension process by auto-registering retirees, enforcing strict timelines, and providing transparency and accountability.
The system automates pension calculations, offers real-time updates via email/SMS, and enables paperless processing through e-PPOs, which are integrated with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) and banks.
The software also supports Digilocker for easy access to pension documents and issues pensioner identity cards.
Eri Silk
Source: PIB
Context: The North Eastern Handicrafts and Handlooms Development Corporation (NEHHDC) has achieved the Oeko-Tex certification for Eri Silk, the world’s only vegan silk.
- This certification, awarded directly from Germany, highlights Eri Silk’s ethical and eco-friendly production process, where the moth naturally exits the cocoon, unlike other silk types where the moth is killed.
- The Oeko-Tex certification confirms that Eri Silk is free from harmful substances and produced under environmentally friendly conditions.
- This accomplishment enhances the global recognition of Eri Silk, a Geographical Indication (GI) product of Assam, and paves the way for its expansion into international markets.
India is unique in producing all five major types of commercially important silk, which are derived from different species of silkworms. These types include Mulberry, Oak Tasar, Tropical Tasar, Muga, and Eri.
Among these, Mulberry silk is cultivated, while the others, known as vanya silks, are wild silks.
Green Tug Transition Program (GTTP)
Source: PIB
Context: The Green Tug Transition Program (GTTP), is a significant initiative aimed at replacing diesel-powered harbor tugs in India with zero-emission, environmentally friendly alternatives.
- A tug is a particular class of boat which helps mega-ships enter or leave a port.
- Major ports will procure or charter green tugs powered by emerging technologies such as battery-electric, hybrid, methanol, and green hydrogen.
- The program aligns with India’s broader goals for sustainability and innovation in the maritime sector, as outlined in the Maritime India Vision 2030 and the Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047.
- These visions aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase the use of renewable energy in ports, and promote domestic manufacturing under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
By 2040, all tugs operating in Indian Major Ports are expected to transition to green technologies, marking a significant step towards a greener, more sustainable maritime future for India.
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS – 19 August 2024 [PDF]
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