{"id":14054,"date":"2018-01-06T13:00:03","date_gmt":"2018-01-06T07:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=14054"},"modified":"2018-01-04T17:18:12","modified_gmt":"2018-01-04T11:48:12","slug":"answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-january-5-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-january-5-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Answers: Mains Marathon \u2013 UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions \u2013 January 5, 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/mains-marathon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Archives<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q.1) In the recent times, Bitcoins have become a topic of debate which sets hopes as well as some dangers. \u00a0Discuss.(GS-3)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bitcoin is a digital currency that is not backed by any country&#8217;s central bank or government. Bitcoins can be traded for goods or services with vendors who accept Bitcoins as payment. \u00a0Bitcoin is a piece of digital code which is also used by people as currency. It was started in 2009 by Satoshi Nakamoto, whose real identity is still shrouded in mystery. In the recent times, Bitcoins have become a topic of debate which sets hopes as well as some dangers. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Advantages of bitcoins:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bitcoin has numerous benefits and advantages over using localized currency.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Freedom in Payment<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With Bitcoin it is very possible to be able to send and get money anywhere in the world at any given time.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Control and Security<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allowing users to be in control of their transactions help keep Bitcoin safe for the network.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Merchants cannot charge extra fees on anything without being noticed. They must talk with the consumer before adding any charges.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Payments in Bitcoin can be made and finalized without one\u2019s personal information being tied to the transactions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Information is Transparent<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the block chain, all finalized transactions are available for everyone to see, however personal information is hidden.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Very Low Fees<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Currently there are either no fees, or very low fees within Bitcoin payments.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Fewer Risks for Merchants<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the fact that Bitcoin transactions cannot be reversed, do not carry with them personal information, and are secure, merchants are protected from potential losses that might occur from fraud.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Dangers or disadvantages:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Very less acceptability: Only a miniscule number of goods and service providers accept payment in Bitcoins currently.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Highly fluctuating value of bitcoins.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Less cognizability: Even illiterate people can recognize and differentiate between different currency notes based on their colour, dimension, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Owing to the above limitations of bitcoin, it is a less reliable \u201cmedium of exchange\u201d as compared to fiat money.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Potential adverse effects of its use on the economy and security of a nation and world in general<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Black markets: Bitcoins are accepted by people selling illegal goods and services like drugs, arms or by online gambling websites.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Money laundering<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some regulators and law enforcement agencies have raised apprehensions of bitcoins being used for money laundering.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unauthorized mining:In 2011, cases of botnets engaged in covert mining of bitcoins were detected. E-Sports Entertainment in USA was accused of hijacking 14000 computers to mine bitcoins.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jobs in bitcoin mining companies and bitcoin exchanges<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Extreme volatility<\/span><b>:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Investing in cryptocurrencies involves very high risk, as prices have been extremely volatile. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An unregulated space<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Unlike other investment avenues, cryptocurrencies are not regulated by government entities or banks.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q.2) What are the reasons for which freedom of speech and expression is both restricted and protected in India? (GS-2)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Introduction:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Freedom of speech and expression is broadly understood as the <\/span><b>notion that every person has the natural right to freely express themselves through any media<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and<\/span><b> without outside interference<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, such as censorship, and <\/span><b>without fear of reprisal<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, such as threats and persecutions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Freedom of expression is a complex right as <\/span><b>freedom of expression is not absolute<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It carries with it <\/span><b>special duties and responsibilities<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> therefore it may be subject <\/span><b>to certain restrictions provided by law. \u00a0<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Protection Freedom of Speech and Expression:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are four important justifications for freedom of speech :<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Transparency: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If restrictions on speech are tolerated, society tends to keep silent about accurate facts and valuable opinion.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p>Personality and its growth: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Freedom of speech is an integral aspect of each individual\u2019s right to self-development and self-fulfillment, restrictions on which will hamper personality and its growth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>One\u2019s belief and show political attitudes: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Freedom of speech provides opportunity to <\/span>express one\u2019s belief and show political attitudes<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which ultimately results in the <\/span>welfare of the society and state<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Democracy: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Freedom of speech is important to <\/span>understand political issues and participate in smooth working of democracy and decision-making<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Restriction of Freedom of Speech and Expression: \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For a positive and healthy environment the right requires certain restrictions. Some of the major reasons are as follows: <\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Security of State: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under Article 19(2) reasonable restrictions can be imposed on freedom of speech and expression in the interest of <\/span>security of State<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The term \u201csecurity of state\u201d refers only to <\/span><b>serious and aggravated forms of public order <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">e.g. rebellion, waging war against the State, insurrection and not ordinary breaches of public order and public safety, e.g. unlawful assembly, riot, affray.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Friendly relations with foreign states: Unrestrained malicious propaganda against a foreign friendly state<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> needs to be restricted at some level because something which has potential to affect such relationship should be checked by government.<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li>Public Order: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018Public order\u2019 is <\/span>synonymous with public peace, safety and tranquility<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Anything that disturbs public tranquility or public peace disturbs public order.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thus, <\/span><b>a law punishing utterances made with the deliberate intention to hurt the religious feelings of any class of persons is valid for <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">such speech or writing <\/span><b>has the tendency to create public disorder <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">even if in some case those activities may not actually lead to a breach of peace.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Decency or morality: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The way to express something or to say something should be decent one. It should not affect the morality of the society adversely.<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li><b>Sections 292 to 294<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the Indian Penal Code provide <\/span><b>instances of restrictions on the freedom of speech and expression in the interest of decency or morality<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Way forward:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<h4><b>To remain vigilante: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even though Freedom of speech and Expression is a boon for the citizens, but the government and media needs to remain vigilante for its proper usage.<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>To stay legit:<\/strong> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Freedom of speech and Expression<\/span><strong> should not infringe upon the sovereignty, unity, integrity and security of the country.<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> That applies to <\/span><strong>media\/social media<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as well.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q.3) Give an account of the benefits of using DNA in investigating crime. What are the problems in implementing DNA based investigations in India? (GS-3)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Introduction:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is the <\/span><b>hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nearly every cell in a person\u2019s body has the <\/span><b>same DN<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b> Benefits in implementing DNA based investigations:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is an <\/span><b>easy and painless method<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for the subject being tested.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is an <\/span><b>affordable and reliable technique<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Anyone at any age can be tested<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with this method without any major concerns.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a large variety of uses such as in <\/span><b>legal claims, missing persons cases, identification for the military, and paternity and prenatal testing<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Problems in implementing DNA based investigations:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>sample of DNA can easily be ruined<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> during the process, causing the sample to become completely useless for testing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The process itself is <\/span><b>complex and tedious<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It can give results that may be <\/span><b>hard to interpret<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Privacy issues could occur<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> if the information isn&#8217;t kept secure at the lab.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>In the context of India: \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>state police forces are yet to be trained<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in conducting such scientific investigations.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is also a <\/span><b>serious scarcity of capacity for DNA<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> fingerprinting in the country. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advanced practices in the technology are <\/span><b>limited to the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in Hyderabad.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are also several private labs that offer DNA testing, but <\/span><b>all work under an unregulated environment.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though DNA testing is done in criminal cases in India, the <\/span><b>instances were very low compared to other countries. <\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It <\/span><b>breaches the Right to Privacy<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, personal information if leaked, could potentially complicate insurance processes, health care and job prospects for an individual.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Way ahead:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Government and police should <\/span><b>increase the use of DNA testing in solving crimes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There should be <\/span><b>adequate and high-level training sessions<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for DNA investigation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They should <\/span><b>set up a board<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which will lay down procedures and standards.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are <\/span><b>recommendations for amendments in Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and Indian Evidence Act, 1872<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, to include scientific investigation in crimes. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Archives\u00a0 Q.1) In the recent times, Bitcoins have become a topic of debate which sets hopes as well as some dangers. \u00a0Discuss.(GS-3) Bitcoin is a digital currency that is not backed by any country&#8217;s central bank or government. Bitcoins can be traded for goods or services with vendors who accept Bitcoins as payment. \u00a0Bitcoin is&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-january-5-2018\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Answers: Mains Marathon \u2013 UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions \u2013 January 5, 2018<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":2292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mains-marathon-answers","category-public","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/pen-paper-laptop.jpg?fit=1000%2C500&ssl=1","views":{"total":0,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1704542075},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14054"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14054\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}