{"id":9750,"date":"2017-10-11T13:21:55","date_gmt":"2017-10-11T07:51:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.forumias.com\/?p=9750"},"modified":"2017-10-06T14:42:54","modified_gmt":"2017-10-06T09:12:54","slug":"answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-october-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-october-10\/","title":{"rendered":"Answers: Mains Marathon \u2013 UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions \u2013 October 10"},"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) India has one of the lowest female labour force participation (FLFP) rates among emerging markets and developing countries. What are the reasons for low labour participation of female labours? \u00a0Suggest how more women participation in workforce can be achieved? \u00a0(GS-1)<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India has one of the lowest female labour force participation (FLFP) rates among emerging markets and developing countries.<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FLFP is measured as the share of women who are employed or are seeking work as a share of the working-age female population.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Women&#8217;s participation in the workforce is skewed towards certain sectors. For example<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>1-<\/strong>\u00a0<b>Unorganised sector<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Ninety percent of Indian workers are employed in the unorganized sector, where wages for women are lower and other factors like no flexibility, childcare benefits and maternity leaves creates disincentives for women to seek work outside the home.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>2-<\/strong>\u00a0<b>Manufacturing and services<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2013 This sector account for just 18 per cent of rural employment for women.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>3-\u00a0<\/strong><b>Agriculture <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; dominates at 75 per cent.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>4-<\/b>\u00a0<b>Blue collar jobs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Women are losing blue collar jobs while gaining white collar ones.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Reasons for low labour force participation:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Increased income of men<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; As men in the family start earning more income, women tend to cut back their work in the formal economy to concentrate more on household activities.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Caste factor<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; In some communities, especially in some upper castes, there may be a stigma attached to women working outside the home.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Safety issues &amp; Harassment issue at work place<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; Women are more vulnerable to exploitation and harassment at work in developing countries like India. They are also unable to effectively fight against harassment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The nature of economic growth in the country has meant that jobs were not created in large numbers in sectors that could readily absorb women, especially for those in rural areas.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>How to bring more women into the workforce?<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bridging gender gaps in secondary and tertiary education.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creating employment opportunities in male dominated sectors.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensuring skill training for women in key sectors.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Increasing the reach of the financial sector in order to provide services to the women entrepreneurs better.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Promoting gender diversity policies and practices in private sector organizations<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Strengthening legal provisions for women and the enforcement of these laws<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Addressing infrastructure issues.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reshaping societal attitudes and beliefs about women participation in the labour force.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Reservation can be provided to women in formal sector as provided in Bihar for state government jobs<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Q.2) Law Commission of India has released The DNA Based Technology (Use and Regulation) Bill, 2017. What the bill proposes? What are its various loopholes? GS-2<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Law Commission of India has released The DNA Based Technology (Use and Regulation) Bill, 2017. It aims to prevent misuse of DNA technology by regulating and standardizing DNA testing as well as supervising the activities of all authorized laboratories<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Proposals:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>The proposals of the bill are discussed below:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The bill proposes for establishing new institutions like a DNA profiling Board, a National DNA Data Bank and regional DNA databanks in every state or one or more states.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It restricts DNA profiling to the purpose of identification only and not for extracting any other information.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No bodily substances will be taken from a person unless consent is given by him except if the individual is arrested for certain specific offences or if magistrate is satisfied of the need for DNA test.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is also provision for defined instances for deletion of profiles and destruction of biological samples.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He can request for another DNA test in case of doubts that his earlier samples may have been contaminated.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any violation would attract imprisonment up to three years and a fine up to 2 lakhs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Only accredited labs by DNA profiling Board would be authorised to carry out DNA testing and analysis.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The new Bill has also removed a provision that allowed DNA profiles in the databank to be used for \u201ccreation and maintenance of population statistics databank\u201d.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Samples picked up from a crime scene, belonging to those who are not offenders or suspects, would not be matched with the databases. They would have to be expunged from the records on a written request from the individual concerned.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Loopholes:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are chances, that a wrong match is generated, causing unnecessary harassment to an individual.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Issue of privacy &#8211; such as whose DNA can be collected and under what circumstance, who can access the database, the circumstances under which a record can be deleted etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Security issue: Though the Law Commission cites the use of the 13 CODIS (Combined DNA Index System)<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2009<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">profiling standard as a means to protecting privacy in its report \u2014 this standard has yet to find its way in the text of the Bill. It has been pointed out that information like ancestry or susceptibility to a disease, or other genetic traits, is liable to be misused.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No improvement in conviction rates &#8211; Over the last 25 years; most countries have adopted a DNA fingerprinting law and have developed databases for use primarily in criminal investigation, disaster identification and forensic science. However, DNA tests have not led to an improvement in conviction rates in countries where it is already being followed.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Q.3) Global weather disasters and the rising pollution levels of major Indian cities demands a change. \u00a0In reference to the above statement, explain Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) used in developing new electrical vehicles. Also discuss the factors that are important for the shift to electric vehicles using Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs). GS-3<\/p>\n<p><b>Introduction<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India is facing the need for a drastically reduced CO2 footprint per capita head.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Development of new technologies and energy \u2013 efficient products and services is an immediate need.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nations taking up the responsibility for global climate protection will have to think and invest both in technology and business perspective.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>India building vehicles based on Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs).<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India for over the last 30-40 years has developed the competence to engineer and build globally competitive vehicles based on Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs). <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India via joint ventures, technology licences and technology transfer, Indian manufacturers and suppliers have built full-fledged capabilities in ICEs.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Value engineering of these products ensured personal mobility for the Indian middle class at price points that are unmatched globally.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, about 40-50% of the domestic and export sales of Indian suppliers is tied to ICE.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Indian automotive industry has leveraged its investments in ICEs to build scale and globally competitive manufacturing as well as engineering capability.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>The factors important for the transition<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Technology transfer<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>joint ventures<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> have to be encouraged to ensure indigenization of technology.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customers will benefit from this transfer due to the Indian capability for cost-efficient engineering.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Industry <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">must play as much a leading role in electric vehicles as it does today in ICEs to ensure employment, capability building and tax revenue.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Localization<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is vital to avoid replacement of an oil import bill with a battery import bill. The latter simply switches political dependency from the Gulf states to China.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Policy clarity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a must. While a number of green technologies can be pursued, the practical reality of the Indian automotive industry is that resources for investment are limited.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><b>Policy consistency<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is equally crucial. Long-term investments are required; sudden policy changes that alter business case assumptions can drive companies into ruin.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Multinational corporations have technology available off-the-shelf and can relatively easy decide to engage or withdraw from the Indian market, e.g., General Motors. Indian companies are sure to lose out in unstable policy scenarios.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Technology risks such as liability issues around battery swapping, unstable battery technology, recycling of batteries and infrastructure requirements need to be assessed in detail.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have to be considered when comparing battery electric vehicles with fossil fuel vehicles. GHG emissions during battery production and recycling must be reduced. \u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cases like rural vs metro needs, 2-\/3-wheeler vs 4-wheeler applications needs to get studied in detail. As a consequence, a gradual transition towards electric mobility may be a more adequate scenario than a binary transition.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An industrial ecosystem can develop if local lead markets as well as an active industrial policy promoting the local champions are present.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the case of India, it is in the country\u2019s interest to champion key Indian manufacturers and their indigenous suppliers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Way ahead<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In an environment, where job creation is falling far short of population growth, active development of a high-paying sector is paramount for India.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The definite need for a transition to electric vehicles in India is undeniable.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian manufacturers and suppliers have to accept this reality and start working to pivot their product portfolios towards this new environment.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indian manufacturers need to revise their strategies and re-allocate investments.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The full force of India\u2019s engineering and entrepreneurial talent, however, will boom only with consistent cooperation between industry and government.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Archives\u00a0 Q.1) India has one of the lowest female labour force participation (FLFP) rates among emerging markets and developing countries. What are the reasons for low labour participation of female labours? \u00a0Suggest how more women participation in workforce can be achieved? \u00a0(GS-1) India has one of the lowest female labour force participation (FLFP) rates among&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/answers-mains-marathon-upsc-mains-current-affairs-questions-october-10\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Answers: Mains Marathon \u2013 UPSC Mains Current Affairs Questions \u2013 October 10<\/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-9750","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":1704898516},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9750","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=9750"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9750\/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=9750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/forumias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}