{"id":14588,"date":"2018-01-18T12:58:12","date_gmt":"2018-01-18T07:28:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=14588"},"modified":"2018-01-16T15:59:20","modified_gmt":"2018-01-16T10:29:20","slug":"answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-january-17-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-january-17-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Answers: Mains Marathon \u2013 UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions \u2013 January 17, 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/mains-marathon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Archives<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q.1) In recent times, human-wildlife conflict is one of the biggest major threats for both the entities. What are the reasons attached to it? Critically examine how far the government has succeeded in implementing government schemes for conservation of tigers. (GS\u20133) \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Introduction:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sanctuaries and National Parks are <\/span><b>areas of significant ecological, floral, faunal or natural significance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are <\/span><b>notified by State Governments and protected by the Forest Department<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hunting of wild animals, encroachment and\/or destruction of habitat, construction of tourist lodges and other such activities are prohibited.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A National Park or Wildlife Sanctuary that is considered significant for protecting tigers can be additionally designated as a <\/span><b>Tiger Reserve<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>What are the major threats for tigers in India?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The major threats for tigers in India are as follows:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Poaching:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2017, already 22 cases of poaching-related deaths have come to light.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Poaching and the illegal trade is the <\/span><b>biggest and most concerning threat<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that the world&#8217;s remaining wild tigers face.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Demand for tiger skin, bone and other body parts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, involves poaching and trafficking.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Loss of habitat:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An <\/span><b>increase in human populations<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> throughout tiger range countries has resulted in tiger habitats being reduced.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Only 7% of the tiger\u2019s historical range is intact<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> today and tiger habitats are left in isolated areas.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This results in <\/span><b>small pockets of tiger habitat<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> surrounded by human populations.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Loss of Prey Species:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tiger preys species like <\/span><b>deer and pigs, which are often poached and over<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hunted leading to devastating consequences for tigers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An inadequate supply leads to p<\/span><b>oor health condition and of food forces tigers to increase their range<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> when searching for a meal.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Human-Wildlife Conflict:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the human population continues to increase, <\/span><b>people encroach farther into historic tiger habitat<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a result, human and wildlife conflicts can lead to r<\/span><b>evenge killings and result in negative attitudes <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">toward tigers that hinder future conservation efforts. <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>What are the reasons for the failure of these initiatives?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reasons for the failure of government schemes for conservation of tigers are as follows: <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Difficulties in isolating the core areas:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The aim of projects such as \u2018Project Tiger\u2019 was to isolate the core areas from human encroachment and the remaining areas were to be made into buffer zones. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But in practice however, the complete isolation of core areas proved difficult.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Inefficiency in implementing policies:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even though the government has spent a fortune in the last 10 years but efficient implementation of its policies still remains the crux of the problem.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>No proper coordination:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is an immense lack of coordination amongst the bodies dealing with conservation of tigers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is no intelligence gathering system and if there is some intelligence input, there does not exist adequate action mechanism. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Unskilled forest guards: <\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Forest guards still haven&#8217;t eradicated poaching completely.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is not only a 30% staff shortage in the forest department but also a deficiency of quality weapons.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Improper utilization of funds: <\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Funds are released by the centre on time but these funds are extremely insufficient.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This creates a Shortage of all basic materials required for tiger protection.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Way ahead:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The need <\/span><b>of the hour<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is <\/span><b>to secure their habitats and corridors<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and to <\/span><b>enhance protective cover of those outside of Protected Area.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Vacancies for field staff must be filled and only qualified persons <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">knowing basics of computer and other techniques must be recruited.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These staff<\/span><b> should be paid reasonably.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>A proper training needs to be given<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to newly recruited staff.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>They should be made part of the government initiatives<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>good quality weapons<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> should be provided<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A legal system that provides very <\/span><b>harsh punishment in a quick manner<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> needs to be established. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q.2) Explain the salient features of Electronic-Human Resource Management System (e-HRMS)? Do you think e-HRMS will be a major advantage in the public administration? (GS\u20131)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Introduction:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On 25<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, December, 2017 The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances &amp; Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh launched <\/span><b>the electronic-Human Resource Management System (e-HRMS)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Salient features of electronic-Human Resource Management System (e-HRMS):<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The salient features of electronic-Human Resource Management System are as follows:<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Single platform:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> With launch of e-HRMS, employees will be able to not only see all their details w.r.t service book, leave, GPF, Salary etc., but also apply for different kind of claims\/reimbursements, loan\/advances, leave, leave encashment, LTC advances, Tour etc. on a single platform.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>No dependency:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Employees shall not be dependant for data updating on administration, but they may themselves update the data with their login subject to verification by concerned administration.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Track status easily:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> They will be able to track status and match details instantly.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The system is designed in a way to obtain all management related inputs\/reports through its Dashboard.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Online data updating:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> All pendency of data updating as well as claims will be seen online by senior authorities that will instill more responsibility and accountability among all government servants.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Advantages of electronic-Human Resource Management System (e-HRMS):<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This system has various advantages such as:<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Providing Dash board for employee and management, Updated service records, E-governance in office procedures, Reduced file movement, Faster service delivery, Assist in decision making, Common document repository of employees, Standardization of Master Data, Minimize manual entry of data, Ease of sharing information among stake holders, e-Sign for accountability\/authenticity, PFMS and e-HRMS integration for faster payments of GPF, advances, Loans, reimbursements.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This will reduce <\/span><b>employee\u2019s grievances<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to a certain extent.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even availability of online data of employees will <\/span><b>help organisation to take many administrative decisions easily<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> like planning of recruitments, posting of official to a task as per their experience and qualification, easily available online to the administration.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It will also <\/span><b>help employees to concentrate more<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on public service once free from personal anxiety of getting their due work done.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That will <\/span><b>enhance public delivery<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> more satisfactory and more employees will be available for core work of the Government than maintaining of Service Book.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Availability of centralized data will <\/span><b>enable Government for policy research and planning<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> as such educational qualifications and other competencies and deficiencies may be easily obtained.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It will <\/span><b>enable Government to take transfer and posting decisions more pragmatically<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> based on reliable first hand data.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The e-service book for DOPT employees launched on March 30, 2017 was also an initiative taken to <\/span><b>fully automate it with live updating of all records<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Conclusion:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Electronic-Human Resource Management System (e-HRMS)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> was not only the solution to <\/span><b>manpower planning<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> but its integration with other e-Governance applications extended its ambit to various other <\/span><b>Government G2G, G2E and G2C services<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Q.3) Discuss the role of World Trade Centre in achieving food security. Why the member countries of World Trade Centre could not come to the conclusion on the agreement on food security? (GS\u20131)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Introduction:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The 164 members of World Trade Organisation recently met to discuss <\/span><b>substantive issues such as the food security right of developing countries and the centrality of development in multilateral trade negotiations.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Role of World Trade Centre in achieving food security:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The role of World Trade Centre in achieving food security is as follows:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Agriculture Committee:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work on food security at the WTO takes place in the <\/span><b>Agriculture Committee.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Committee on <\/span><b>Agriculture oversees the implementation of the Agriculture Agreement.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Its key responsibility is to <\/span><b>monitor how WTO members are complying with their commitments.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS):<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The WTO also contributes <\/span><b>expertise to an Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, as recommended by the United Nations High Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis, to which the WTO is a member.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Public stockholding programmes:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since 2013, <\/span><b>WTO members have agreed to negotiate and find a permanent solution to the issue of public stockholding programmes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for food security purposes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Under these programmes, developing countries <\/span><b>purchase and stockpile food, and distribute it to people in need<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, <\/span><b>some of these programmes involve support to farmers <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and are therefore considered to distort trade.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Why the agreement on food security right has been a failure?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The WTO\u2019s member countries could not meet the following criteria:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Public stockholding:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite best efforts, the members of WTO <\/span><b>could not meet the deadline on public stockholding<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for food security purposes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Public stockholding:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The members <\/span><b>could not even agree on more detailed programmes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in many areas.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Centrality of development:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They also <\/span><b>could not agree on the centrality of development<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which underlies the Doha Round, as well as special and differential treatment for all developing countries. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>U.S creates a hurdle:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The U.S. blocked the demands of more than a <\/span><b>100 developing nations, including India and China, to implement their food security programmes<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> without difficult conditions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since all major decisions in the WTO need to be taken by \u2018the membership as a whole\u2019, <\/span><b>even a single country can end up being the deal-breaker<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Way ahead:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The only way to get an outcome in these very difficult issues is when <\/span><b>every side shows flexibility.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There should be a<\/span><b> free flow of cooperation and understanding among its members.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Members of WTO should <\/span><b>first resolve outstanding issues<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of the ongoing Doha Round negotiations that began in 2001 with a <\/span><b>\u2018development agenda\u2019<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> before considering <\/span><b>\u2018new issues\u2019<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Archives Q.1) In recent times, human-wildlife conflict is one of the biggest major threats for both the entities. What are the reasons attached to it? Critically examine how far the government has succeeded in implementing government schemes for conservation of tigers. (GS\u20133) \u00a0 Introduction: Sanctuaries and National Parks are areas of significant ecological, floral, faunal&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-january-17-2018\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Answers: Mains Marathon \u2013 UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions \u2013 January 17, 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-14588","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":1,"cached_at":"","cached_date":1704929929},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14588","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=14588"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14588\/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=14588"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14588"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14588"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}