Atal Tunnel
Atal Tunnel Atal Tunnel is the longest highway tunnel in the World. The 9.02 Km long tunnel connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the year. Earlier the valley was cut off for about 6 months each year owing to heavy snowfall. The Tunnel is built with ultra-modern specifications in the Pir Panjal range of Himalayas at an altitude of 3000 Mtrs (10,000 Feet) from the Mean Sea Level (MSL). Atal Tunnel – Significance: The tunnel reduces the road distance by 46 Kms between Manali and Leh and the time by about 4 to 5 hours. The 9.02 Km long tunnel connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the year. Earlier the valley was cut off for about 6 months each year owing to heavy snowfall. The Tunnel is built with ultra-modern specifications in the Pir Panjal range of Himalayas at an altitude of 3000 Mtrs (10,000 Feet) from the Mean Sea Level (MSL). It has state of the art electromechanical systems including semi transverse ventilation, SCADA controlled fire fighting, illumination and monitoring systems. The Tunnel has ample safety features built into it. The South Portal (SP) of Atal Tunnel is located at a distance of 25 Km from Manali at an altitude of 3060 Mtrs, while the North Portal (NP) of the tunnel is located near village Telling, Sissu, in Lahaul Valley at an altitude of 3071 Mtrs. It is horseshoe-shaped, single tube double lane tunnel with a roadway of 8 Mtrs. It has an overhead clearance of 5.525 Mtrs. It is 10.5-meter wide and has a 3.6 x 2.25 Mtrs fireproof emergency egress tunnel built into the main tunnel itself. Atal Tunnel has been designed for a traffic density of 3000 cars per day and 1500 trucks per day with max speed of 80 km/hr. It has a state of the art electromechanical system including semi transverse ventilation system, SCADA controlled firefighting, illumination and monitoring system. key safety features: (a) Tunnel entry barriers at both portals. (b) Telephone connections at every 150 Mtrs for emergency communication. (c) Fire hydrant mechanisms at every 60 Mtrs. (d) Auto incident detection system with CCTV cameras at every 250 Mtrs. (e) Air quality monitoring at every 1 Km. (f) Evacuation lighting / exit signs at every 25 Mtrs. (g) Broadcasting system throughout the tunnel. (h) Fire-rated Dampers at every 50 Mtrs. (i) Cameras at every 60 Mtrs. The historic decision to construct a strategic tunnel below the Rohtang Pass was taken on June 03, 2000, when late Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister. The foundation stone for the Access Road to the South Portal of the tunnel was laid on May 26, 2002. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) worked relentlessly to overcome major geological, terrain, and weather challenges that included the most difficult stretch of the 587-meter Seri Nalah Fault Zone. The breakthrough from both ends was achieved on October 15, 2017. The Union Cabinet met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 24th December 2019 and decided to name the Rohtang Tunnel as Atal Tunnel to honor the contribution made by the former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Read Also NIRVIK scheme Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Lok Virasat
Lok Virasat An online festival of films on folk Art and Paintings Lok Virasat will begin with Bastar – Rhythm of Progress (15 Mins / 1975 / Chandrashekhar Nair), a film depicting the life of tribals and their folk art which are increasingly getting the urban patronage. The other films being streamed include The Kingdom of God (69 Mins / 1987 / Ranbir Roy), on the great Indian heritage of art and culture with focus on various folk art traditions. Bhavai – Fading Memories (38 Mins /2008 / V Packrirsamy), a film on Bhavai – a folk art of Gujarat. Naman – Khele (26 Mins / 2012 / Ashok Rane), a film on the ancient folk art performed in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. Sahi Jata, The Fusion Cult (27 Mins / 2012 / Satyendra Mohanty), a film on the unique fusion of muscle and music in the form of folk art on the back-drop of the ancient Orissa town of Puri. Therukoothu : Dancing For Life (35 Mins / 2016 / Jimmy Luke), a film depicting the age old Tamil folk art. Echoes of the Past (52 Mins / 2016 / Merajur Rahman Baruah), exploring the unique folk art form of Behrupiyas from historical perspective extending to the contemporary state. Folk Paintings of Orissa (9 Mins / 1976 / Bani Doota), a film on the varied and rich folk paintings of Orissa and the dedicated work of folk painters and Kalighat Paintings (16 Mins / 1981 / Punendu Pattrea), presenting a brief history of the unique Kalighat paintings. Warli Paintings (17 Mins / 1985 / V.K.Wankhede), a film about the traditional art evolved by the Warli tribals living in the Thane District in Maharashtra. Madhubani Paintings (14 Mins / 1971 / Debabrata Roy), a film on the famous painting of Madhubani. Patachitra (17 Mins / 1980 / Purnendu Pattrea), a film on the art of scroll painting practiced by village folks across India. Pichwai (26 Mins / 2012 / Pankaj Rishi Kumar), a film that traces the origin of Nathdwara School of painting complete the festival package. Read Also One Nation, One Election Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Khalistan Movement
Khalistan Movement The Khalistan movement is a Sikh separatist movement seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state, called Khalistān in the Punjab Region. Such a state existed in Punjab from 1709 to 1849. Objectives of Khalistan Movement: 1- To create independence state- Khalistan. 2- Self Home Rule. 3- Anti-Nationalism. Historical events responsible for Khalistan: 1947 Partition of India –Independence of India was not a joyful event for Sikhs, partition left Sikhs in a lot of discontentment with regard to their traditional lands being lost to Pakistan. The fight for a separate Sikh state owes its origins to the Punjabi Suba Movement. The Akali Dal – a Sikh-dominated political party – sought to create a separate Sikh Suba or Province. When the States Reorganization Commission, constituted to assess the demand for separate states by linguistic groups, made its recommendations, it rejected the Akali Dal’s demand. But after a series of violent protests, the Indira Gandhi government relented in 1966. The state was trifurcated into Punjabi-majority Punjab, Hindi-majority Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Some hilly regions of the state were merged into Himachal Pradesh. However, the Anadpur Sahib resolution reignited the passion of Sikhs and sowed the seeds of the Khalistan movement Causes: The Khalistan movement is a Sikh nationalist movement that wants to create an independent state for Sikh people, via armed struggle or political, inside the current North-Western Republic of India Such a state existed in Punjab from 1709 to 1849. The idea of Khalistan was an idea first created in 1940s, remained idle but was revived by an NRI seeking a separate homeland for Sikhs. In early 1980s, the movement had emerged as a major separatist movement, fed mostly by bias of Indian Government against Punjab in the case of Chandigarh and sharing of Ravi-Beas waters. There was intense political rivalry between Congress Party and the Akali Dal, Akali Dal was gradually gaining ground as the political representative of the Sikh community. Congress leadership of that time tried to divide the Akalis by propping up diverse groups of people within the Akali Dal. Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale led the Khalistan as an extremist movement, he was initially used by Congress to counter Akali Dal but later he was inspired by the Khalistan ideology and turned against Indian government. The movement was fed on arms under the patronage of Pakistan’s ISI who was seeking revenge for creation of Bangladesh. Bhindranwale emerged as the extremist voice of Sikhs, over-ruling the moderate voices of leaders declared himself as the protector and arbiter of Sikh rights and acquired arms. Demands for separate nation-hood for Punjab was carried out through violent protests and killings of high profile persons in Indian government. Read GS 2 Notes India and Its Neighbourhood Causes to fall Khalistan Movement : 1-Operation Blue Star one of the reason because Khalistan movement was headed by a terrorist group. 2-Diaspora of Sikhs community in India. 3-lack of support of the people as it was morally and ethically not viable. 4-.India saw Pakistan and US taking interest in the movement thus movement took an international colour which could compromise India’s territorial integrity. Indo-Canadian relationship: An Indian-origin businessman Jaspal Atwalwas involved in shooting Punjab Minister as part of the Khalistan movement was claimed to be in the Canadian delegation to India. He was formerly associated with the banned Sikh separatists outfit International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF), Itseeks to establish a separate country for the Sikhs of India called Khalistan. India declared the ISYF as a terrorist outfit and banned it under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in 2001. The outfit is also banned in Canada, United Kingdom and USA, which have sizeable Sikh populations. The Canadian PMO clarified that Mr. Atwal was not part of official delegation to PM’s visit to India, nor was he invited by the Prime Minister’s Office. It also claimed that as is the case with international trips, individuals sometimes travel on their own to the location of the visit. The irrelevance of the Khalistan movement notwithstanding, agencies such as the Pakistan’s ISI have not stopped trying to foment violence, either directly by funding fringe sections or by linking them with terror groups in Kashmir. Even if the Khalistan movement has been interred, the threat of terror in Kashmir remains well and truly active. https://youtu.be/s5rmYGY4A80 Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Sea Sparkle
Sea Sparkle The bloom of Noctiluca Scintillans, commonly known as “sea sparkle” that the Karnataka coast has been witnessing since about a month, has displaced microscopic algae called diatoms, which form the basis of the marine food chain. This has deprived food for the planktivorous fish, scientists from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), Mangaluru, have said. The bioluminescent Noctiluca Scintillans also brightened the sea water during night. The toxic blooms of N. Scintillans were linked to massive fish and marine invertebrate kills. Though the species does not produce a toxin, it was found to accumulate toxic levels of ammonia, which is then excreted into the surrounding waters, possibly acting as the killing agent in blooms. The ammonia makes N. Scintillans unpalatable for most creatures. Only jellyfish and salps were known to prey on it. N. Scintillans grazes on other micro-organisms such as larvae, fish eggs, and diatoms. But the unicellular phytoplankton that live inside it can photosynthesise, turning sunlight into energy. They help their host cell survive even when food was scarce. Thus, N. Scintillans acts as both a plant and an animal. Plankton bloom: Plankton bloom was reported when the density of plankton would be more than 1,00,000 cells per m3. Bioluminescence was the production and emission of light by a living organism and occurs due to a chemical reaction, involving a light-emitting molecule and an enzyme, called luciferin and luciferase. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
One Nation, One Election
One Nation, One Election The Law Commission submitted a draft report to the government on August 30, 2018, endorsing the proposal. It even recommended changes to the Constitution and the electoral law so as to enable holding simultaneous polls. Simultaneous polls: Currently, elections to the state assemblies and the Lok Sabha are held separately — that is whenever the incumbent government’s five-year term ends or whenever it is dissolved due to various reasons. This applies to both the state legislatures and the Lok Sabha. The terms of Legislative Assemblies and the Lok Sabha may not synchronise with one another. For instance, Rajasthan faced elections in late 2018, whereas Tamil Nadu will go to elections only in 2021. The idea of “One Nation, One Election” envisages a system where elections to all states and the Lok Sabha will have to be held simultaneously. This will involve the restructuring of the Indian election cycle in a manner that elections to the states and the centre synchronise. This would mean that the voters will cast their vote for electing members of the LS and the state assemblies on a single day, at the same time (or in a phased manner as the case may be). What is the background? Post adoption of the Constitution, the elections to Lok Sabha and all State Legislative Assemblies were held simultaneously between 1951 till 1967 when the cycle of synchronized elections got disrupted. The first general elections to Lok Sabha and all State Legislative Assemblies were held together in 1951-52. That practice continued over three subsequent general elections held in the years- 1957, 1962 and 1967. However, due to the premature dissolution of some Legislative Assemblies in 1968 and 1969, the cycle got disrupted for the first time. In1970, Fourth Lok Sabha was itself dissolved prematurely and fresh elections held in 1971. Thus, First, Second and Third Lok Sabha enjoyed full five year terms. The term of Fifth Lok Sabha was extended till 1977 under Article 352. After that, the Eighth, Tenth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth Lok Sabha could complete their full five year terms. Sixth, Seventh, Ninth, Eleventh, Twelfth and Thirteenth Lok Sabha was dissolved prematurely. Various State Assemblies also faced similar issues over a period of time. As a result of all such premature dissolutions and extension, the cycle of simultaneous elections has been firmly disrupted The issue of simultaneous elections: Term of House of People and State Legislative Assemblies Premature dissolution of Lok Sabha or State Assemblies Responsibility for conduct of elections to Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies Frequent elections disrupt normal public life Frequent elections perpetuate caste, religion and communal issues across the country Frequent elections adversely impact the focus of governance and policy making Challenges: Operational feasibility / Do-ability Impact to voter behavior Having to face electorate more than once every 5 year enhances the accountability of politicians and keeps them on their toes and Many jobs are created during elections, boosting the economy at the grass-root levels”. One nation one election – advantages Simultaneous polls will reduce enormous costs involved in separate elections. The system will help ruling parties focus on governance instead of being constantly in election mode. Simultaneous polls will boost voter turnout, according to the Law Commission. Conclusion: Elections impact everyone in the entire country – citizens, businesses, administrative machinery, constitutional institutions, political parties, leaders and so on. Eventual implementation of this measure would not only require significant Constitutional and Statutory amendments, it would also require significant consensus amongst the key stakeholders. Without a general consensus and wider acceptance, its intent and efficacy could be compromised. The Constitution does provide sufficient room to make amendments to suit the changing times and needs of the country. This flexibility is not just an enabling tool but in fact a responsibility on Governments to provide the best governance systems, processes and opportunities to its citizens. As a way forward, it is therefore suggested that a focused group of stakeholders comprising constitution and subject matter experts, think tanks, government officials and representatives of various political parties come together and work out appropriate implementation related details. This may include drafting appropriate constitution and statutory amendments, agreeing on a workable framework to facilitate transition to simultaneous elections, developing a stakeholder communication plan etc. As is the case with long-term structural reforms, implementing this measure would also cause some short-term pain. However, this would be a stepping stone towards improved governance and a larger initiation of “electoral reforms” – a desperately needed measure to reboot the Indian polity. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Water Dispute in India
Water Dispute in India The Interstate River Water Disputes Amendment Bill 2019 seeks to improve the inter-state water disputes resolution by setting up a permanent tribunal supported by a deliberative mechanism the dispute resolution committee. The Dam Safety Bill 2019 aims to deal with the risks of India’s ageing dams, with the help of a comprehensive federal institutional framework comprising committees and authorities for dam safety at national and state levels. There is less significant body of analyses about state of water governance in India and our unique challenges and opportunities. Water Dispute in India Challenges: Groundwater Governance Environment Management Challenges Water Pollution Equity and Distribution Corruption Food Production Water Supply and Sanitation Elements of water governance: Democratic elements: In the process including transparency, accountability, decisive participation of the people on ground. Institutional Mechanism Constitutional provisions Legal Framework: Planning and decision making processes Needs: A NITI Aayog report held that 21 major cities are expected to run out of groundwater as soon as 2020 which may affect nearly 100 million people. Water crisis Greater centre-states coordination is also crucial for pursuing the current national projects like Ganga river rejuvenation or inland navigation or inter-basin transfers. Read Also Nirbhaya Act Government Innitiatives: Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) Ganga river rejuvenation Swatch Bharat Abhiyaan Way Forward : New technologies like GIS and Remote sensing together with Water resources domain skills has proven its application in successful mapping, evaluation and management strategizing of the asset. This includes all varied sources data collection, standardization, and storage of the entire gamete of information on a nationalized scale Implementing Mihir Shah Committee Recommendations Multi-Stakeholder Approach Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
KVIC’s Honey Mission
KVIC’s Honey Mission The self-sustainability measures initiated by Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic have begun yielding results. Under Honey Mission program about L,O2,000 bee hives with bee colonies have been proposed to be distributed to the 10, 2OO beneficiaries ( 10 Bee hives & Bee colonies to each beneficiary). The distressed migrant workers who were engaged with KVIC’s Honey Mission in Uttar Pradesh in the month of August, have reaped their first honey harvest and are awaiting a bumper yield in the months from December to March. To begin with, five migrant workers in Western UP’s Muzaffarnagar district extracted 253 kg of honey from their 50 honey bee boxes that were distributed to them on August 25 this year. Raw honey sells at an average of Rs 200 per kg and at this rate it is estimated to fetch nearly Rs 50,000 to the migrant workers. This means an average income of Rs 10,000 to each of these beneficiaries. A total of 700 bee boxes were distributed to 70 migrant workers after training by KVIC in this region. Honey extraction from remaining bee boxes will continue in coming days. The production of honey from these boxes will increase by at least 5 times in the months from December to March as the Eucalyptus and Mustard crop will be in full bloom during the season. Each of these bee boxes will produce nearly 25 kg of honey during the peak season. Further, the beekeepers will be able to migrate their boxes to nearby states like Haryana, Rajasthan and Eastern Uttar Pradesh where honey bees will find abundance of pollen and nectar and thus add to honey production. These distressed workers who had returned to their home from other cities were roped in with Honey Mission as part of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. KVIC Honey Mission – Objectives Create an end-to-end implementation framework for beekeeping skill development, which provides emplo5rment opportunities and income generation to agriculturists, beekeepers rural & urban unemployed youth. Enforce nationally acceptable standards of Good Beekeeping Practices (GPB) in the country. Develop a network of quality master trainers in the field of beekeeping for imparting Good Beekeeping / Apicultural Practices. Offer a passage for overseas market for hive products. Enable pathways from novice beekeepers to viable commercial beekeeping by handholding to credit linkages. Promote convergence and co-ordination between all the stakeholders of beekeeping in India. Maintaining national database, which will act as a portal for matching the demand and supply in the country. On the other hand, it will also serve as a platform for monitoring the performance of existing beekeepers and their skills, available bee colonies and their production in each state. To tap the local & rural natural resources,for generation of income and employment to rural & tribal people in selected pockets. To bring qualitative & quantitative enhancement in honey & hive products for export and domestic market. To promote beekeeping for increasing the crop productivity and pollination services avenue for beekeepers and farmers. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
Artificial Intelligence and Agriculture
Artificial Intelligence and Agriculture Artificial intelligence (AI) is silently but increasingly entering Indian agriculture and hence affecting our society at large. Even though machine learning (which is a subset of AI) has been used for classifications and prediction purposes for, to cite a few, food grading and crop yield forecasting, recently, the new set of deep learning algorithms have heralded the possibilities of taking the research and applications of AI to much higher levels and with much more accuracy. Similarly, other AI techniques are making inroads in all fields including agriculture. Amid high expectations about how AI will help the common man and also transform his mind set, thoughts and attitude towards the benefits that it may bring, there are certain concerns about the ill-effects of such sophisticated technologies as well. In the end, if AI systems can enhance farmers in terms of their social and economic wellbeing, we should be open to innovating new upcoming technologies with AI as their soul. Use of AI in Agriculture: Technology powered by Artificial intelligence is ensuring the sustainability of quality food production for the coming decades. AI solutions are being used to diagnose pests, predict the best time to sow and gauge prices for produce. Drones, hydroponics, artificial lights and AI-powered cameras are protecting crops from wild animals. The agriculture industry is turning to AI for solving the double trouble of the food crisis and food wastage in the wake of locust swarms, climate change, droughts and floods. The land owners can have a virtual conversation on the platform and have their basic queries answered instantly. They can also keep tabs on the latest innovations they ought to know about. Tackling the Labour Challenge AI can Benefit Agriculture: 1) Growth driven by IoT Huge volumes of data are generated every day in both structured and unstructured format via IoT (internet of things). These relate to data on historical weather pattern, soil reports, new research, rainfall, pest infestation, images from drones and cameras and so on. Cognitive IOT solutions can sense all this data and provide strong insights to improve yield. 2) Soil testing Two technologies that stand for intelligent data fusion are Proximity Sensing and Remote Sensing. One use case of this high-resolution data is Soil Testing. While remote sensing requires sensors to be built into airborne or satellite systems, proximity sensing requires sensors in contact with soil or at a very close range. This helps in soil characterization based on the soil below the surface in a particular place. 3) Image-based insight generation Drone-based images can help in in-depth field analysis, crop monitoring, scanning of fields and so on. They can be combined with computer vision technology and IOT to ensure rapid actions by farmers. These feeds can generate real time weather alerts for farmers. 4) Detecting crop diseases Images of various crops are captured using Computer Vision Technology under white/UV-A light. Farmers can then arrange the produce into separate stacks before sending it to the market. Pre-processing of images ensures the leaf images are segmented into areas for further diagnosis. Such a technique would identify pests more distinctly. 5) Optimal mixture of agri products Based on multiple parameters like soil condition, weather outlook, type of seeds, infestation around a certain area, cognitive computing makes recommendations to farmers on the simplest choice of crops and seeds. The advice is further personalized basis on the farm’s requirement, local conditions, and past successes. External factors like marketplace trends, prices or consumer needs can also be factored in through artificial intelligence. 6) Monitoring crop health Remote sensing techniques alongside hyper spectral imaging and 3D laser scanning are essential to create crop metrics across thousands of acres. It could usher in a revolutionary change in terms of how croplands are monitored by farmers in terms of time and energy. This technology will monitor crops along their entire life-cycle and generate reports for detecting anomalies, if any. Conclusion: AI has both non-biological and human aspects embedded in it. Needless to say, diffusion of AI in all application arenas will also bring a paradigm shift in the way we do research and development in agriculture now. AI systems require continuous feeding of new information and increasing the amount of information in the backend databases used for performing tasks with almost accuracy, including mapping the history of and guiding the predictions from such systems. In this way, the AI systems will get evolved over time akin to human perfection in addition to adaptability. Best Books for UPSC Preparation Check Now Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
IAS – Steel frame of India’s government machinery
Indian Administrative Service (IAS) the “steel frame” of India’s government machinery. Sardar Patel famously called the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) the “steel frame” of India’s government machinery. He, and many others, viewed the IAS as the solid foundation upon which the rest of the bureaucracy rested, a bastion of the nation’s best and brightest providing unfailing support to others in government. To this day, even with vastly increased opportunities in the private sector, the IAS continues to attract India’s best and brightest. Yet, despite the exceptional talent within the IAS, the institution no longer serves the greater interest of the country. Instead, there are reasons to believe that it might be hampering the country’s development. Read GENERAL STUDIES NOTES Key Insights Into the IAS For officers early in their careers, exam scores and education are highly predictive of future success. Older officers who enter the service as part of larger cadres face limited career prospects and are less effective at improving economic outcomes. While initial characteristics heavily shape career trajectories, in the long term, there are clear rewards for officers who systematically invest in training or acquire specialized skills. Individual bureaucrats can have strong, direct, and measurable impacts on tangible health, education, and poverty outcomes. Surprisingly, officers with strong local ties—thought to be vulnerable to corruption—are often linked to improved public service delivery. Political interference generates substantial inefficiency: the best officers do not always occupy important positions, while political loyalty offers bureaucrats an alternative path to career success. Counterintuitively, greater political competition does not necessarily lead to better bureaucratic performance. The IAS of today is hampered by several concomitant issues: A decline in the quality of recruits. Political interference. Perverse incentives for career advancement. A lack of specialized expertise. Perception of widespread corruption. These infirmities have compromised the ability of the IAS to fulfill its mandate. Reform Agenda for the Civil Service: The central and state governments should pass and implement pending legislation that protects bureaucrats against politically motivated transfers and postings. Despite judicial prodding, most states have stalled on such moves. The IAS should use data on civil servants’ abilities, education, and training when placing officers early in their careers. As officers gain experience, performance metrics can inform key decisions about promotion and allocation. The government should consider the proposal that officers deemed unfit for further service at certain career benchmarks be compulsorily retired through a transparent and uniform system of performance review. While the present government has moved in this direction, this procedure should be institutionalized. State and central governments should discuss whether state cadres should be given greater latitude to experiment with increasing the proportion of local IAS officers and track their relative performance. Further research is needed to better understand the impact of local officers on development outcomes, to develop data on bureaucratic efficiency among officers in senior posts, and to systematically examine the workings of state-level bureaucracies. Conclusion: Reforming the IAS will not be easy. The IAS is possibly the most powerful professional association in the country and will likely be resistant to any reform that encroaches on its authority A modern Indian state requires an administrative apparatus that encourages and recognizes productive high performers, ensures political buy-in within the policymaking process, and values genuine innovations in service delivery over an unquestioning adherence to hierarchy and procedure. Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. JOIN NOW
BrahMos missile
BrahMos missile A naval version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired by the Indian Navy in the Bay of Bengal as a part of a series of trials being carried out by the three services. A similar test firing of the missile was conducted by the Indian Navy in the Arabian sea six weeks back. BrahMos Aerospace, an India-Russian joint venture, produces the supersonic cruise missile that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or from land platforms. On November 24, the Indian Army had “successfully” test-fired the surface-to-surface BrahMos missile that flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach or almost three times the speed of sound. The range of the new land attack version of the missile has been extended to 400 km from the original 290 km. India has already deployed a sizeable number of the original BrahMos missiles and other key assets in several strategic locations along the Line of Actual Control with China in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. In the last two-and-half months, India has test-fired a number of missiles including an anti-radiation missile named Rudram-1 which is planned to be inducted into service by 2022. The Indian Air Force on October 30 test-fired the air launched version of the weapon from a Sukhoi fighter aircraft in the Bay of Bengal. The IAF is also integrating the Brahmos supersonic cruise missile on over 40 Sukhoi fighter jets which is aimed at bolstering overall combat capability of the force. Read Also Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Enroll today with the best civils service academy and take your first step towards your Civils journey. Feel free to reach out to us for any inquiries, collaborations, or support. We’re here to help. join now
