{"id":40338,"date":"2019-01-14T12:15:37","date_gmt":"2019-01-14T06:45:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=40338"},"modified":"2019-01-14T12:15:37","modified_gmt":"2019-01-14T06:45:37","slug":"answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-january-11-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-january-11-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Answers: Mains Marathon \u2013 UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions \u2013 January 11, 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/mains-marathon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Archives<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b>Q.1) DNA Technology Regulation Bill 2018 is a big step toward much needed reform in Criminal Justice system of India. Comment?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Answer:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Provisions of the bill:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It states that national and regional DNA data banks will be set up for maintaining a national database for identification of victims, accused, suspects, under-trials, missing persons and unidentified human remains.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It specifies reasons for collecting DNA in a schedule. The offences under this schedule cover:<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a) IPC<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">b) Special Laws life MTP<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">c) Civil disputes<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">d) Identification of deceased<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Benefits of the bill:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It creates a way for effective judicial mechanism and implementation of rights of citizens.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Annually, more than 4000 FIRs are filed under Sec 302 of IPC (murder) but failing to identify the identity of the victim.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ireland, UK, US already have such legislations for effective criminal justice system.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The bill has passed years of scrutiny from 2003 to DNA Profiling Committee in 2012 and finally introduced in the parliament.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reports often point out that almost 70% of the persons in jails are undertrials. This database creates a data point for identifying people in crime scenes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Q.2) What can be justification for introducing economic backwardness as ground for reservation in education and employment in addition to social and educational backwardness?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Answer:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lok Sabha passed a Bill allowing 10% quota in employment and education for the general category candidates who belong to the economically weaker sections.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Rationale:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The economically deprived among the poor in the Hindus and other religions will also benefit.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Often, caste-based and economic exploitations are different and not linked.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Farm distress, derailed urban economy lead to huge unemployment in the traditionally upper castes which are dependent on farming.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to reservation the representation of various groups in government jobs has increased significantly in last few years.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The economically weaker sections of citizens have largely remained excluded from higher education and public employment due to their financial capacity.Therefore, there is a need to amend the constitution to give them a fair chance of getting higher education and public employment,so as to fulfill the mandate of Article 46 of the Constitution.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Q.3) Discuss the implications of recent SC Judgment in Monsanto Case on farmer rights and farm biodiversity?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Answer:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supreme Court recently restored Monsanto\u2019s patent claim on genetically modified (GM) Bt cotton until its validity is decided by a single judge of the Delhi high court. As a result, the patent held by Monsanto over its Bollgard-II Bt cotton seed technology, a GM variant that resists the bollworm pest, will be enforceable in India for now.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Impact:<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This could lead to monopolising private interest over the public.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This creates a positive environment for agri R&amp;D.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The court has recognised that products of biotechnological processes such as man-made DNA constructs are patentable in India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Toxicity is a huge issue surrounding chemical pesticides and herbicides, used commonly with GMOs, in addition to the toxicity inherent to these plants. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GMOs may be toxic to non-target organisms, bees and butterflies being the most talked-about examples currently. Bees are hugely important in the pollination of many food crops, but are unfortunately extremely endangered by modern agricultural techniques, such as GM crops.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ests that are targeted by these agricultural methods can adapt to pesticides and herbicides, in addition to the DNA changes in GM plants to make them \u00a8resistant.\u00a8<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Evidence also suggests that small genetic changes in plants may produce even larger ecological shifts, meaning that there is potential for GMO\u00b4s to become persistent and weedy in agricultural conditions, since they are modified to be resistant to some modern agricultural techniques.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Q.4) Discuss the importance of Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Program for Climate Resilient Agriculture and higher crop productivity?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Answer:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) was launched during 1996- 1997 to give loan assistance to the States to help them complete some of the incomplete major\/medium irrigation projects which were at an advanced stage of completion and to create additional irrigation potential in the country.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now it is amalgamated under the broader PMKSY. Benefits of PMKSY are:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level (preparation of district level and, if required, sub district level water use plans).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enhance the physical access of water on the farm and expand cultivable area under assured irrigation (Har Khet ko pani).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Integration of water source, distribution and its efficient use, to make best use of water through appropriate technologies and practices.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Improve on &#8211; farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage and increase availability both in duration and extent.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enhance the adoption of precision &#8211; irrigation and other water saving technologies (More crop per drop).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enhance recharge of aquifers and introduce sustainable water conservation practices.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensure the integrated development of rainfed areas using the watershed approach towards soil and water conservation, regeneration of groundwater, arresting runoff, providing livelihood options and other NRM activities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Promote extension activities relating to water harvesting, water management and crop alignment for farmers and grass root level field functionaries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Explore the feasibility of reusing treated municipal wastewater for peri &#8211; urban agriculture.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Attract greater private investments in irrigation.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Archives Q.1) DNA Technology Regulation Bill 2018 is a big step toward much needed reform in Criminal Justice system of India. Comment? Answer: Provisions of the bill: It states that national and regional DNA data banks will be set up for maintaining a national database for identification of victims, accused, suspects, under-trials, missing persons and&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-january-11-2019\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Answers: Mains Marathon \u2013 UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions \u2013 January 11, 2019<\/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-40338","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":1699934965},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40338","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=40338"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40338\/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=40338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}