27-03-2024

27-03-2024

Table of Contents
No. Article Newspaper Syllabus
1 The democratic political process is broken The Hindu GS - 2

Sensing China threat, India joins race to mine sea

2 The Hindu GS - 2
patch
3 CISF seizes foreign currency worth ₹3 cr The Hindu GS - 3

DGCA defers deadline for implementing new pilot rest

4 The Hindu GS - 2
norms
5 Employment scenario in India grim, says ILO report The Hindu GS - 3

Other articles:
a) Catastrophic collapse
6 b) India supports Philippines’ sovereignty, says Jaishankar; sparks Beijing
response
c) Nirmala Sitharaman, Jairam Ramesh squabble over Atal Pension Yojana
d) Activist ends hunger strike demanding Statehood for Ladakh

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 27-03-2024

The Hindu
Pg 11 - Chennai
Pg 9 - Bengaluru
Pg 7 - Delhi
Pg 7 - Hyderabad
Pg 9 - Thiruvananthapuram

Part B—Main Examination

Practice Question – Mains
PAPER-IV
GS – II
General Studies‐II : Governance, Constitution,
Polity, Social Justice and International relations.
Q. To enhance the quality of democracy in
India the Election Commission of India
• Parliament and State legislatures—structure, has proposed electoral reforms in 2016.
functioning, conduct of business, powers & What are the suggested reforms and how
privileges and issues arising out of these. far are they significant to make
• Feature of the Representation of People’s Act. democracy successful?
(250 words, 15 marks)

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Introduction

• Elections - Cornerstone of any democratic

system.

 Reflects the will of the people.

 providing rights to citizens.

 Fostering responsibility & accountability of

the political class etc.

• Issues - Increased political violence, bribing

of voters, criminalization of politics etc.

Body of the answer • Transparency in political funding

proposed Electoral reforms.  ECI - Setting limits on corporate

donations to political parties, mandating
• Cleaning the criminalization of politics.
the disclosure of donor identities etc.
 Proposal - Amend to the Representation of
• ECI proposed 2 reforms.
the People Act.
 Compulsory voting.
 Disqualification of candidates with
criminal charges from contesting  ECI - Exploring the feasibility of
elections. introducing compulsory voting to increase
voter turnout.
• Strengthening - ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA)
option.  Amendment to section 60 of the RPA-1951.

 Proposal to mandate re-elections in the  Overseas voters an option to vote via

constituencies - where NOTA receives the proxy or postal ballot.
highest number of votes.

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Significance of the suggested reforms.

• Criminization of Politics - Significance

• Structural Reforms.

 Constitutional protection - 2 other Election  In 2004 - around 24% of MPs - pending

commissioners on par with chief election
criminal cases against them.
commissioner.
 2009 - Percentage increased to 30%,
 Chief election commissioner is protected
under Article 324 (5).
 34% in 2014.
 Calls for the Expenditure to be charged on
 2019 - 43% of MPs had criminal cases
the Consolidated fund of India.
pending against them.
 Independent secretariat to enhance its
Independence.
• Section 8 of the RPA – Plagued by the

pendency of the cases.

• Political funding.

Increasing Peoples’ Participation.  Reforms - Didn’t address the problem.

• Turnout in 2019 general elections - 67%.  SC - Struck down the Electoral bonds
scheme terming it unconstitutional.
 More than 30% of Indian voters are not
voting in elections.  ECI proposal - State sponsored Election.

 SC - NOTA in the People’s Union for Civil • Increasing voting.

Liberties vs Union of India,2013 conferring  Public outreach campaign,

a negative vote.
 Vote from Home option for the Elderly
 Inefficiency of NOTA - ECI proposed this people, disabled etc.
reform.
 Proposal - Include proxy voting for NRI.

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Conclusion.

• Electoral reforms - Combat various evils of

elections like money & muscle power,

criminalisation, public apathy to vote.

• Successful implementation of these reforms -

Political will, public awareness, continued

vigilance of civil society, media etc.

The Hindu
Pg 1, 12 - Chennai
Pg 10 - Bengaluru
Pg 1, 10 - Delhi
Pg 1, 8 - Hyderabad
Pg 10 - Thiruvananthapuram

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 27-03-2024

International seabed authority

Part B—Main Examination
• Autonomous, inter-governmental organization
PAPER-IV
General Studies‐II : Governance, Constitution, • Established in 1994 under UNCLOS
Polity, Social Justice and International Relation
• Observer status to the united nations.
• Important International Institutions,
agencies and fora - their Structure, Mandate. • Headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica.

• 168 members including 167 member states and

the European union. India is also a member

• Functions of the ISA

 Regulates and supervises all the mineral-

related activities

 Considers applications for exploration and

exploitation of deep-sea resources

Carlsberg Ridge

• Northern section of the Central Indian

Ridge.

• Divergent tectonic plate boundary between

the African Plate and the Indo-Australian
Plate,

• Traversing the western regions of the Indian

Ocean.

• Covers a total area of 10,000 km².

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 27-03-2024

Afanasy-Nikitin seamount

• Cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts

• In the central Indian ocean.

• The area of the application covers 3,000

km².

• 3,000 km off India's coast

Practice Question – Prelims

Q. Afanasy-Nikitin Seamount sometimes seen in
the news is located in which of the following
area?
(a) Arctic Ocean
(b) Antarctic ocean
(c) Central Indian Ocean
(d) South Atlantic ocean

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 27-03-2024

The Hindu
Pg 14 - Chennai
Pg 12 - Bengaluru
Pg 12 - Delhi
Pg 10 - Hyderabad
Pg 12 - Thiruvananthapuram

Directorate General of Civil Aviation

• Regulatory body for safety aspects of civil

aviation.

Part B—Main Examination • Attached office of the Ministry of Civil

Aviation.
PAPER-IV
• Headquarters - New Delhi.
General Studies‐III : Technology, Economic
Development, Bio diversity, Environment, • Administration - Director General.
Security and Disaster Management.

• Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports,

Railways etc.

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• DGCA - Statutory body.

 Section 4A - Aircraft (Amendment) Act

• Checks proficiency of flight crew & other
2020 - creation of DGCA.
professionals.
Functions of DGCA
• Issues certificates to aerodromes.
• Regulating - Registration of civil aircrafts.
• Gives Air Operator’s Certificates to airlines
• Formulate - Standards for civil aircrafts.
based in India.
 Issues “Airworthiness” certificates to civil
• Regulation of air traffic to/from/within/over
aircraft.
India by both India based airlines and foreign
• Issues licenses - Pilots, aircraft maintenance airlines.
engineers, air traffic controllers and flight
• coordinates all regulatory functions with the
engineers.
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
 Conducts various exams to check their
skills.

Practice Question – Prelims

Q. Consider the following statements with
reference to International Civil Aviation
Organization.
1. It is a specialized agency of the United
Nations.
2. Its headquarters is located in New York.
3. All regulatory functions with the
International Civil Aviation Organization,
in India, is coordinated by the Foreign
Secretary of Ministry of External Affairs,
Government of India.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are
correct?
a) 1, 2 and 3
b) 2 only
c) 1 and 2 only
d) 1 only

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 27-03-2024

CISF

• Established in 1969 under CISF Act, 1968.

• Aim - to protect major PSUs.

• Converted to armed force with a larger ambit in 1983.

• Recommendation of the Justice Mukherjee Commission.

• CISF is one of seven Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) under

the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Hindu
Pg 3 - Chennai

Significance of CISF's Duties

• Ensures airport security at numerous

Where are they deployed
international and domestic airports
• Atomic energy and space installations, sea-
• Manages security operations on the Delhi
ports, steel plants, coal fields, hydro-electric
Metro, enhancing public safety and
and thermal power plants, defense production
counter-terrorism measures.
units, fertilizer and chemical industries,
• Disaster management and operates a
RBI’s note-printing mints, heritage
robust Fire Wing.
monuments such as the Taj Mahal.
• Providing security to the protected persons
who are classified as Z Plus, Z, X, Y.

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 27-03-2024

Practice Question - Prelims

Q. Which of the following is the oldest
Central Paramilitary Force in India?
(a) The Central Reserve Police Force.
(b) The Border Security Force.
(c) The Assam Rifles.
(d) The Commando Battalion for
Resolute Action.

The Hindu
Pg 1, 12 - Chennai
Pg 1, 10 - Bengaluru
Pg 1, 10 - Delhi
Pg 1, 8 - Hyderabad
Pg 1, 10 - Thiruvananthapuram

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 27-03-2024

India Employment Report 2024 • Increase in youth unemployment, especially

• Overall labor force participation and among those with secondary education or

employment rates have improved higher.

• Quality of employment remains poor. • Women make up a larger share of educated

unemployed youths compared to men.
• Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR),
Worker Population Ratio (WPR), and • Unemployed young people with at least a

Unemployment Rate (UR) worsened between secondary education has nearly doubled from

2000 and 2018. 2000 to 2022, reaching 65.7%.

• Transition to non-farm employment has been • Young people make up around 83% of India's

slow. unemployed population.

Recommendations

• Focusing on productive non-farm employment, • Need for targeted actions in five key
particularly in manufacturing, and supporting policy areas.
micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises
 Job creation promotion,
(MSMEs) through digitalization and cluster-
 Employment quality enhancement,
based approaches.
 Labor market inequality reduction,
• Improving job quality, addressing labor
market inequalities, enhancing skills  Skills development and ALMP
development and active labor market policies strengthening.
(ALMPs), and fostering stronger partnerships
 Addressing knowledge gaps in labor
between the government, private sector, and
market trends and youth employment.
other stakeholders.

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 27-03-2024

Practice Question – Prelims

Q. Indian Employment Survey is released by?
(a) International Labor organization
(b) NITI Aayog
(c) World Bank
(d) United Nations Development
Programme.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS
DISCUSSION

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 27-03-2024

Practice Question – Prelims

Q. Afanasy-Nikitin Seamount sometimes seen in
the news is located in which of the following
area?
(a) Arctic Ocean
(b) Antarctic ocean
(c) Central Indian Ocean
(d) South Atlantic ocean

Practice Question - Prelims

Q. Which of the following is the oldest
Central Paramilitary Force in India?
(a) The Central Reserve Police Force.
(b) The Border Security Force.
(c) The Assam Rifles.
(d) The Commando Battalion for
Resolute Action.

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 27-03-2024

Practice Question – Prelims

Q. Consider the following statements with
reference to International Civil Aviation
Organization.
1. It is a specialized agency of the United
Nations.
2. Its headquarters is located in New York.
3. All regulatory functions with the
International Civil Aviation Organization,
in India, is coordinated by the Foreign
Secretary of Ministry of External Affairs,
Government of India.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are
correct?
a) 1, 2 and 3
b) 2 only
c) 1 and 2 only
d) 1 only

Practice Question – Prelims

Q. Indian Employment Survey is released by?
(a) International Labor organization
(b) NITI Aayog
(c) World Bank
(d) United Nations Development
Programme.

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