{"id":9400,"date":"2017-10-07T14:40:54","date_gmt":"2017-10-07T09:10:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=9400"},"modified":"2017-09-28T18:47:15","modified_gmt":"2017-09-28T13:17:15","slug":"answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-october-6","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-october-6\/","title":{"rendered":"Answers: Mains Marathon \u2013 UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions \u2013 October 6"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/mains-marathon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Archives<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Q.1 Mention the steps undertaken by the government to improve accessibility of electricity and discuss its outcome. Examine the \u00a0major issues being faced for ensuring increased accessibility of electricity in India. GS 3<\/p>\n<p><b>Steps undertaken by government to increase accessibility of electricity earlier and its outcome<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana launched in 2015, and the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana, both had aimed to provide free electricity connections to the poor.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, introduced two years ago to restructure the debt of State distribution agencies, has failed to make enough of a difference to this state of affairs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The outcome is not surprising, given that UDAY has failed to address the root problem of populism in the pricing of electricity. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana, or the <\/span><b>Saubhagya scheme<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> aims to make electricity accessible to every household by the end of 2018. Under the scheme, expected to cost a little over Rs.16,000 crore, poor households that have no access to electricity will be provided electricity connections free of cost.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Major issues faced while ensuring increased accessibility of electricity<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A free electricity connection can ease the financial burden on the poor to some degree, but it will not address the recurring burden of power bills.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The aim of improving affordability would require that supply be increased drastically to lower the price paid by retail consumers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The power generation utilities remain vastly under-utilized.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The plant load factor (PLF) of coal and lignite-based plants, an indicator of capacity utilization of power generation units, has dropped consistently over the decade from 77% in 2009-10 to 60% in 2016-17. This is due to demand for electricity from State distribution companies dropping in tandem with their deteriorating financial status. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Problem of populism in the pricing of electricity is also there. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Q.2 What is the Saubhagya scheme all about? Discuss. How will the beneficiaries be identified? Is it a scheme that entails subsidy payout? GS 3<\/p>\n<p><b>About Saubhagya scheme<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or Saubhagya aims to provide electricity connections to over 40 million families in rural and urban areas. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The scheme funds the cost of last-mile connectivity to willing households to help achieve the goal of lighting every household by 31 December 2018.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The scheme will help India, the world\u2019s third-largest energy consumer after the US and China, to help meet its global climate change commitments as electricity will substitute kerosene for lighting purposes.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>How will the beneficiaries be identified?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The beneficiaries for free electricity connections will be identified using <\/span><b>Socio Economic and Caste Census (SECC) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2011 data.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Is it a scheme that entails subsidy payout?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No, the scheme does not entail subsidy payout. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With no subsidy component for monthly electricity consumption, the Gram Panchayat and public institutions in the rural areas will be authorised to carry out billing and collection tasks which have been pain points for the discoms.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">States have also been provided with an incentive of 50% of their loan being converted to grants, if the electrification targets are met by 31 December 2018.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Q.3 The Supreme Court of India dismissed the plea to end the practice of burning the effigy of Ravana, a demon king in the epic Ramayana, on eve of the Dussehra festival. Discuss India\u2019s position on religion and its constitutional validity. Explain the pros and cons of Courts interfering in the matter of religion. (GS2)<\/p>\n<p><b>Answer \u2013<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>India\u2019s position on Religion<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has no state religion,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">State doesn\u2019t discriminate between religions,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">State cannot impose any tax to promote a religion or to maintain religious institution,<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Religious instructions cannot be imparted in educational institution run by state funds and<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In educational institutions recognized by the state and receiving aid from the government, religious instructions cannot be compulsorily given to an unwilling students.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Article 25 of the Indian Constitution<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Articles 25 to 28 states make India a secular state.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">42<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nd<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Amendment inserting the word \u201csecular\u201d make the assertion firmer.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Article 25 states that every individual is \u201cequally entitled to freedom of conscience\u201d and has the right \u201cto profess, practice and propagate religion\u201d of one\u2019s choice.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Practicing religion or the act of propagating it should not, however, affect the \u201cpublic order, morality and health.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Article doesn\u2019t put any restriction on the government when it comes to making any law to regulate \u201ceconomic, financial, political or other secular\u201d activities, which may be associated with religious practice.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Why should court interfere in religious matter?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Indian society has cultivated different cultures from times immemorial and has been home to majority of the world religions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though important, it is not an absolute right and is subject to various restrictions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The restrictions are- Public order, morality, health, social welfare, social reform, regulations of non-religious activity associated with religious practice.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Upholding secularism in the broader manner, religion in Indian Constitution is not defined by its integral parts.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since Indian constitution does not define what can be termed as \u201cintegral parts of religion\u201d, the matter ultimately comes to judiciary to interpret on a case-to-case basis.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The constitution itself mark the need to interfere with Article 25 (1) :Practicing religion or the act of propagating it should not, however, affect the \u201cpublic order, morality and health.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The constitution is above religion, and not vice-versa.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Why court shouldn\u2019t interfere in religious matters?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The whole point is to give the freedom of practice one\u2019s religion bar courts to interfere.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is unfortunate that the courts have become the peacemaker of what constitutes true religion.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Criticism on Court\u2019s Interference<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The judges have virtually assumed the theological authority to determine which tenets of faith are \u2018essential\u2019 to any faith\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Indian state have started acting like an agent for the reform and management of religions and its institutions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>What is the way out?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At this point, it\u2019s difficult to stand by a decision that does judiciary has the right or proficiency to decide what is essentially religious.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It has become the case of judicial overreach and thus to undermine the spirit of the religious freedom clauses written in the Constitution, and is by no means being violative of it.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The battle for gender justice, individual rights, animal rights and non-discrimination cannot be waged on haphazard orders and require much greater attention.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Archives\u00a0 Q.1 Mention the steps undertaken by the government to improve accessibility of electricity and discuss its outcome. Examine the \u00a0major issues being faced for ensuring increased accessibility of electricity in India. GS 3 Steps undertaken by government to increase accessibility of electricity earlier and its outcome Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana launched in&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-october-6\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Answers: Mains Marathon \u2013 UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions \u2013 October 6<\/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-9400","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":1704957771},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9400","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=9400"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9400\/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=9400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}