GS Paper 1

Q.1)  Along with economic factor it was the misrule and inefficiency of CZAR Nicholas II which sowed the seeds of Russian Revolution. Comment.

NCERT

Answer Structure:

• The Russian Revolution was 1 of the most significant event in Modern World History.The Russian revolution not only transformed Russia but its effect was felt far and wide.
• The Weaknesses of Russian economy and the economic difficulties faced by the masses  played most important role in igniting the revolution of 1917.
• Even during the opening decade of 20^th century there was no trace of industrial revolution in Russia and the industries were in backward conditions. The production remained very low and because of this Russia was facing immense difficulties.
• The Russian agriculture was also in backward condition. Most of the land was controlled by feudal lords and there was no trace of Agriculture revolution as well. The agriculture technology was still medieval in outlook and Czarist regime of Russia made no effort to reform the agriculture.The peasants were exploited by land-lords.
• The problem of hunger and poverty remained in Russia.
• However the misrule of CZAR II  has aggravated these problems further. The CZARIST Regime was weak , inefficient and corrupt. It was also characterized by the presence of feudal elements and class privileges.
• The aristocracy dominated the administration and misused the state authority for their own benefits.
• This corrupt and inefficient regime was resulting in the exploitation and harassment  of masses because of this the common masses were facing immense difficulties in Russia during the opening decade of 20^th century.
• Russian involvement in the number of wars & battles had exposed the inherent weaknesses of czarist regime and this popular dissatisfaction was also responsible for the revolution.

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• GS Paper 2

Q.2) The proposed wage code Bill, which incorporates a universal minimum wage, will lead to higher unemployment and informalization of the economy. In the light of the above statement critically Discuss the key features of proposed wage code bill?

Source: http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/WgZM9HZxouo9qiByArRETP/Having-a-minimum-wage-law-is-a-mistake.html

Introduction:

• The proposed wage code bill recognizes a statutory right of monthly minimum wage for all citizens to be set across India, which will be binding on all the states to follow and set wages higher than the proposed.
• The Bill is aimed at reducing disparity in minimum wages across geographical regions and sectors by subsuming four extant Acts: the minimum Wages Act of 1948, the Payment of Wages Act of 1936, the Payment of Bonus Act of 1965 and the Equal Remuneration Act of 1976.

Criticism:

• Though, the Bill signals a formal start of the process of consolidating 44 labour laws into four codes, which is welcomed by some and also seen by some as a redline for its diminishing effects on economy.
• The new wage rate certainly will be higher than the current wage rate however, the actual minimum wage is yet to be set by the Central government. This increase in the cost for employer will invariably result in either retrenchment of employees or a significant slowdown in new hiring or both.
• It will also result in decreasing number of hours of work in order to compensate the increased price. A minimum wage does not satisfy its original intentions i.e. elimination of poverty and will tend to increase unemployment and reduce family income.
• There is a possibility that the Act (when passed and implemented) will contain migration but loss of job and reduced income will further add on the migration and vulnerability to adopt informal jobs as hiring will be less or totally stopped.
• There is also the possibility that when implemented it will increase the use of automated machines in jobs as machines are one time investment, more efficient and good for long term in cost savings.
• The Bill seeks to assume a single national floor for wages for entire country as diverse as India, with so many variations to costs of living. This will increase in disparity of facilities as the cost of living differs across various states.
• The Bill increases the government interventions in non-formal jobs as it seeks to expand the reach of minimum wage regulation to non-formal organisations also.
• At a time when India is facing only job losses and the rate of creation of new jobs is a serious concern, a higher minimum wage will only worsen the situation.
• The applicability of current Act is restricted to scheduled establishments due to which a sizeable number of workers are left out. If Parliament approves the code, the minimum wage will be applicable to all classes of workers. This will certainly make it more difficult for smaller companies to function efficiently.
• The unorganized sector will eventually find ways around to bypass the law if economics tells them that they can’t afford it.

Conclusion:

• The good news is that the Indian Government is in full swing to bring in reforms with the aim of creating a more effective, rationalized, transparent and user-friendly Labour law system in the country. But the need of the hour demands government’s sole focus on easing labour laws, facilitating formalization of the economy by providing more job security and focus on reducing regulatory hurdles for businesses.
• Hence, the Government should bring a balanced approach concerning the highest number of working population to sort out the current demand of the country and a step ahead towards ease of doing business.

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 GS Paper 3

 Q.3) What do you understand by sex semen technology. Discuss the usefulness of sex semen technology for our dairy sector?

Source: https://www.civilsdaily.com/op-ed-snap-how-technology-can-deliver-freedom-from-male-calf/

 

Though India is the largest producer and consumer of milk, dairy industry needs new technologies that ensure high milk producing cattle. As a step in that direction, the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) has launched a project called semen sex technology.

Sex semen technology is a pre-selection breeding technology that can be used to produce a calf of a desired sex. This technology is about pre-selecting the sex of offspring by sorting or separating the X-sperms from Y-sperms. The aim is to deliver freedom from male calves, by ensuring that cows are inseminated by semen containing only X-chromosome-bearing sperms. Sperm are sorted by identifying differences between the X- and Y- bearing sperm.

Advantages of Sexed Semen technology:

• Producing only female calves helps the farmers to save resources that would have been shared with unwanted males.
• An economic way to increase herd strength with no risk of introducing diseases by purchasing heifers from outside (improves bio-security)
• By increasing efficiency of embryo transfer and IVF program.
• Indian farmers will not have to import sexed semen of Sahiwal, Gir, Red Sindhi bulls and Murrah buffaloes and now produce it indigenously processed domestically at half the cost.
• Sexed semen’s usefulness is obvious, particularly in a country where even male calves cannot be sent freely to the slaughterhouse.
• Sperm-sorting technology has an accuracy of 93% i.e. if used will ensure that the calf produced will be female. With ordinary semen used in artificial insemination (AI), that probability is just 50%.

Challenges/ Issues associated with SST:

• Artificial Insemination using conventional semen is just over Rs 50 per insemination dose whereas comparable cost of sexed semen will be anywhere between Rs 1,200 and Rs 2,600 per straw.
• Require highly skilled person to operate sex sorting machines
• High cost of the product which include the cost of the intellectual property right.
• The lower sperm count (machine sorting speeds and efficiency aren’t high enough) and possibility of damage to the cells during the sorting process is another concern. So, managing lower sperm concentration will be a challenge in the field under Indian condition.
• There is no standard operating procedure to perform insemination with sexed semen cumbersome.
• The conception rate i.e. is the chance of the animal getting pregnant from sexed semen is 10-20% lower compared to conventional semen.

But for all its drawbacks, this is a technology still evolving and destined for improvement. The new product is gentler on the sperm cells, with lower processing pressures. The technique also helps in preventing cross breeding and promoting pure breeds. At a time when we are striving for doubling farmer’s income, the sexed semen technology will immensely help and accentuate the Indian dairy farmer undoubtedly.

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GS Paper 4 

Q.4) What in meant by ‘environmental ethics? Why is it important to study? Discuss any one environmental issue from the viewpoint of environmental ethics.

Environmental ethics is a branch of ethics that studies the relation of human beings and the environment and how ethics play a role in this. Environmental ethics believe that humans are a part of society as well as other living creatures, which includes plants and animals. These items are a very important part of the world and are considered to be a functional part of human life. Thus, it is essential that every human being respect and honor this and use morals and ethics when dealing with these creatures.

Why is it Imp.

1.To understand the essential features of moral or ethical thinking;

2.To learn about the important and distinguishing characteristics in environmental ethics;

3.To develop the skills to recognize and deploy moral discourse for leadership in environmental fields etc.

In the most general sense, environmental ethics invites us to consider three key propositions:

1.The Earth and its creatures have moral status, in other words, are worthy of our ethical concern;

2.The Earth and its creatures have intrinsic value, meaning that they have moral value merely because they exist, not only because they meet human needs;

3.Drawing from the idea of an ecosystem, human beings should consider “wholes” that include other forms of life and the environment.

The relationship between environmental ethics and the environmental sciences, however, is a complex and often contested one. For example, debates over whether ecologists and conservation biologists should also be advocates for environmental protection — a role that goes beyond the traditional profile of the “objective” scientist — have received much attention in these fields. Likewise, we will see that issues such as the place of animal welfare concerns in wildlife management, the valuation and control of non-native species, and the adoption of a more interventionist approach to conservation and ecological protection frequently divide environmental scientists and conservationists.