{"id":39285,"date":"2018-12-22T13:30:40","date_gmt":"2018-12-22T08:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=39285"},"modified":"2018-12-22T11:10:31","modified_gmt":"2018-12-22T05:40:31","slug":"answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-december-21-2018","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-december-21-2018\/","title":{"rendered":"Answers: Mains Marathon \u2013 UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions \u2013 December 21, 2018"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/mains-marathon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Archives<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><b>Q.1) The Constitution of India explicitly confers the powers of review on Indian judiciary. In the light of this statement critically examine the activism of judiciary in India.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Answer:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian Constitution establishes an integrated and independent judiciary. It is vested with the powers to review and invalidate any legislative and executive action that it deems to be violative of constitution.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Benefits of judicial activism:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Failure of the legislative and executive wings to provide \u2018good governance\u2019 makes judicial activism an imperative.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social reform : the recent verdicts by Supreme Court on Triple Talaq, Adultery, Section 377 and Sabarimala Temple show the significant role it can play in taking socially tough and unacceptable decisions<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Electoral reforms: Proactive interpretation of laws by the Supreme court has been the reason behind groundbreaking electoral reforms in the country which the legislatures wouldn\u2019t have bought.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We don\u2019t have a very rigid system of separation of powers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But this role of judiciary is discretionary and is expanding over the years to the extent that it is perceived to be overreach.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Overreach:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There should be a broad separation of powers among the three organs of the state and one organ should not encroach into the domain of another.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Courts do not possess the expertise to make decisions and they cannot be held accountable for the consequences of their decisions as they are appointed and not elected.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since judiciary is a non -elective body, it does not enjoy popular will to make laws.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Judicial accountability is still not institutionally established fully; the Judicial accountability bill and NJAC couldn&#8217;t get materialised and judiciary remains resistant to RTI.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Q.2) Prime Minister has focused on putting in place a \u2018development state\u2019 in place of the \u2018soft state\u2019 and Niti Ayog\u2019s recently released \u2018Strategy for New India @ 75\u2019 seeks to achieve this goal. Discuss.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Answer:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><strong>Key recommendations of the Strategy for New India @ 75 document:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Steadily accelerate the economy to achieve a GDP growth rate of about 8% on average during 2018-23.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In agriculture, shift the emphasis to converting farmers to \u2018agripreneurs\u2019 by further expanding e-National Agriculture Markets and replacing the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee Act with the Agricultural Produce and Livestock Marketing Act.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Give a strong push to \u2018Zero Budget Natural Farming\u2019 techniques that reduce costs,improve land quality and increase farmers\u2019 incomes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To ensure maximum employment creation, complete codification of labor laws and a massive effort must be made to upscale and expand apprenticeships.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Launch a mission \u201cExplore in India\u201d by revamping minerals exploration and licensing policy.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Some of the key recommendations in the section on infrastructure include:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expedite the establishment of the Rail Development Authority (RDA), which is already approved.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Double the share of freight transported by coastal shipping and inland waterways. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the completion of the Bharat Net programme in 2019, all 2.5 lakh gram panchayats will be digitally connected. Aim to deliver all government services at the state, district, and gram panchayat level digitally by 2022-23.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Some of the key recommendations in the section on inclusion include:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Successfully implementing the Ayushman Bharat programme including the establishment of 150,000 health and wellness centres across the country, and rolling out the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Abhiyan (PM-JAY).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Create a focal point for public health at the central level with state counterparts. Promote integrative medicine curriculum.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Upgrade the quality of the school education system and skills, including the creation of a new innovation ecosystem at the ground level by establishing at least 10,000 Atal Tinkering Labs by 2020.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conceptualize an electronic national educational registry for tracking each child\u2019s learning outcomes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As already done in rural areas, give a huge push to affordable housing in urban areas to improve workers\u2019 living conditions and ensure equity while providing a strong impetus to economic growth.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Some of the key recommendations in the section on governance include:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Implement the recommendations of the Second Administrative Reforms Commission as a prelude to appointing a successor for designing reforms in the changing context of emerging technologies and growing complexity of the economy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Set up a new autonomous body, viz., the Arbitration Council of India to grade arbitral institutions and accredit arbitrators to make the arbitration process cost effective and speedy, and to preempt the need for court intervention.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Address the backlog of pending cases &#8211; shift part of workload out of regular court system.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Expand the scope of Swachh Bharat Mission to cover initiatives for landfills, plastic waste and municipal waste and generating wealth from waste.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Q.3) The Draft Child Protection Policy is a welcome step in addressing child abuse, exploitation and neglect in institutions\/organisations. Justify.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Answer:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Provisions of the draft policy:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All organisations must have a code of conduct based on \u201czero tolerance of child abuse and exploitation\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It requires organisations to lay down that employees don\u2019t use language or behaviour that is \u201cinappropriate, harassing, abusive, sexually provocative, demeaning or culturally inappropriate\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Institutions should also designate a staff member to ensure that procedures are in place to ensure the protection of children as well as to report any abuse.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any individual who suspects physical, sexual or emotional abuse must report it to the helpline number 1098, police or a child welfare committee.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><b>Need for the policy:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to NCRB data for 2016, incidents of rape of children have increased by over 82% compared to 2015.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">NCRB Data series show that over the last 10 years, crimes against children has increased 5 times over.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acc to statistics of NCRB 2016, every day, around 150 children go missing in India \u2013 kidnapping and abduction is the largest crime against children in our country.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The study Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India ADSI 2014 reveal that fear of failure in examinations in the second highest cause of suicides in children.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Q.4) &#8220;Western Disturbances \u00a0play a critical role in the meteorology of the Indian subcontinent&#8221;. Discuss.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Answer:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the winter season, the subtropical jet stream is bifurcated into two branches due to physical obstruction of the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau. One branch flows to the south of the Himalayas while the second branch is positioned to the north of the Tibetan Plateau.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Role in climate:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The arrival of these storms causes precipitation and thus a sudden decrease in air temperature over North-West India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The weather becomes clear after the western disturbances passes away.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They also bring heavy snowfall in the Himalayan Region and a cold wave to north Indian plains.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They affect weather conditions during the winter season and give occasional rainfall which is highly beneficial for the standing rabi crops.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Archives Q.1) The Constitution of India explicitly confers the powers of review on Indian judiciary. In the light of this statement critically examine the activism of judiciary in India. Answer: Indian Constitution establishes an integrated and independent judiciary. It is vested with the powers to review and invalidate any legislative and executive action that it&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-december-21-2018\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Answers: Mains Marathon \u2013 UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions \u2013 December 21, 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-39285","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":1703831190},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39285","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=39285"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39285\/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=39285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}