33. IS FARMER LOAN WAIVER THE RIGHT MOVE FOR THE WELFARE OF INDIAN FARMERS?

A loan waiver is the waiving of the real or potential liability of the person or party who has taken out a loan through the voluntary action of the
person or party who has made the loan.

With a general election looming, farm loan waivers have once again become a popular policy option for politicians looking to capture the rural vote
bank. A backdrop of low food prices and concerns of distress in the agrarian economy have further emboldened political leaders to call for such
loan waivers, which weaken state finances and hurt banks by impacting future loan repayments.

Farm Loan Waivers Announced in FY18 And FY19 YTD

States Farm Loan Waiver (Rs Crore)

Karnataka 44,000

Madhya Pradesh 38,000

Uttar Pradesh 36,000

Maharashtra 34,000

Chhattisgarh 6,100

Tamil Nadu 1,800

Punjab 1,500

Andhra Pradesh 3,600

Telangana 3,000

Assam 650

https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/india-braces-for-surge-in-populist-farm-loan-waiver-schemes
Issues associated with the scheme

• Scheme is available only to 15 % of marginal farmers who have taken formal loans.
• Marginally poor farmers without any formal loans are neglected.
• After loan waiver scheme, banks reduce credit support to small farmers during next loan cycle.
• Small farmers use money saved from loan waiver for domestic consumption instead of agriculture.
• Leading to low agriculture productivity.
• Very less impact against the money spent. Which further curtails the limit of allocated credit in the subsequent year

https://blog.forumias.com/solutions-beyond-farm-loan-waivers/

Not helping farmers’ welfare.

• This sop provides relief to the relatively better off and lesser-in-number medium and large farmers without having much impact on their
income and consumption.
• The government along with the farmers’ lobby should desist from clamouring for loan waivers as it provides instant temporary relief from
debt but largely fails to contribute to farmers’ welfare in the long run.
• It should be understood that writing off loans would not only put pressure on already constrained fiscal resources but also bring in the
challenge of identifying eligible beneficiaries and distributing the amount.

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/loan-waiver-is-not-the-solution/article20394319.ece

Banks brace for impact

When a loan waiver is announced, at first, banks see a fall in bad loans in their agricultural lending portfolio as the government makes good on
overdue loans. However, it is the second order impact of such loan waivers which is more damaging. In anticipation of loan waivers continuing,
borrowers are often seen defaulting on repayments even if they have the ability to pay back dues.

In a report dated Dec.12, Macquarie Research noted that bad loans in State Bank of India’s agriculture loan portfolio have shot up after past loan
waivers. SBI’s agriculture bad loans shot up from 6.4 percent before Uttar Pradesh announced its loan waiver to 11.4 percent as of September
2018, the research house noted.
Impact on government finances

The decision of state government’s to announce loan waivers will also add to the weakness in state finances.

Some of these states have already seen their fiscal deficits worsen due to the impact of the UDAY (Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana) scheme, which
passed on a part of the debt burden of state electricity distribution companies onto the state government. Loan waivers will add to the revenue
expenditure of the states that opt for such schemes, in turn, compromising productive spending.

They can also have a long-lasting impact on state finances by pushing up borrowings and borrowing costs.

https://www.bloombergquint.com/business/india-braces-for-surge-in-populist-farm-loan-waiver-schemes

Solutions beyond farm loan waivers

• Spend money on building canals and warehouses.

• Advanced storage facility – will reduce waste of perishable produce.
• Efficient E-Markets – Could ensure better prices to farmers.
• Rural Electrification.

https://blog.forumias.com/solutions-beyond-farm-loan-waivers/
34. AFTER DEMONITISATION, IS INDIA REALLY GOING TOWARDS A CASHELESS ECONOMY?

What is a cashless economy?

A system where no physical cash is in circulation is a cashless system. Payments are made through credit and debit cards, bank electronic fund
transfers or virtual wallets.
Benefits of cashless economy

• Cost reduction
• Risk reduction
• Convenient
• Increase in tax base
• Containment of parallel economy
• Financial inclusions
• Discounts

http://www.mbauniverse.com/group-discussion/topic/business-economy/cashless-economy

After two years of demonetization cashless India is still a distant dream

Hurdles in making India a cashless economy

• More than 60% of Indian population belongs to rural region. Almost a quarter of the rural populace doesn’t have mobile phones and a large
percentage of them are computer illiterate. They are not comfortable using computers or mobile phones for transactions and rely on other
people for help. This sometimes leads to misuse of the accounts and siphoning of funds, so majority of rural mass prefer cash over digital
modes.
• About 90% of the Indian labor market is informal. Majority being employed in agriculture and manufacturing sector where daily wage is
prevalent. Under such circumstances the informal labor market is heavily cash dependent.
• India is a country where 90% of transactions are paid for in cash because cash facilitates making transactions anonymous, helping conceal
activities from the government in a way that might help agents avoid laws, regulations and taxes.
• Security is another big concern regarding cashless transactions. Indians are wary of digital modes due to cyber security incidents such as
phishing, scanning, website intrusions, defacements and virus code.
• Though several companies have come up with inexpensive smart phones still they are not affordable for most of the people in the country.
Unless Indian government provides necessary subsidy or affordable solutions cashless economy would be a farfetched dream.
• Though several companies have come up with inexpensive smart phones still they are not affordable for most of the people in the country.
Unless Indian government provides necessary subsidy or affordable solutions cashless economy would be a farfetched dream.

https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/two-years-after-demonetisation-cashless-india-still-a-distant-dream-45682/
35. PROS AND CONS OF ONLINE SHOPPING

What is Online Shopping? Online shopping is defined as the act of purchasing services or buying goods over the internet. It is a way to shop for
multiple items or compare the rates of service providers from the comfort of home or on a personal mobile device.

PROS CONS

• CONVENIENCE • NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

• BETTER PRICES OFPACKAGING AND GAS
• MORE VARIETY • SHIPPING PROBLEMS AND DELAYS
• EASY TO SEMD GIFTS • RISK OF FRAUD
• MORE CONTROL • SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ONLINE
• EASY PRICE COMPARISONS • RETURNS CAN BE COMPLICATED
• NO CEOWDS • YOU DON’T KNOE EXATLY WHAT YOU
• NO SALES PRESSURE ARE GETTING
• PRIVACY FOR DISCREET PURCHASES • UNFRIENDLY, SCAMMY, OR
COMPLICATED WEBSITES
• NO SALES ASSISTANCE
https://toughnickel.com/frugal-living/Online- • NO SUPPORT OR LOCAL RETAILESRS
shopping-sites-benefits https://toughnickel.com/frugal-
living/Online-shopping-sites-benefits

Things to remember while shopping online

• Quality ratings are aspects of online shopping that you simply cannot avoid. You have to be sure about the words you read on a merchandise description
and interpret them in the right way. There are terms like new, fair and refurbished mentioned on products. These will define the quality of the particular
thing you buy.
• Don’t go in for quick buys. It is more important to stress on a product you buy online that what you get from stores.
• Make sure that you are verified about the timing of shipping. A product, depending on the brand you buy from, can vary from 1 to 15 days or more. It is
a vital part which doesn’t work when your need is urgent. Make sure that you check the delivery dates and you are also assured that the brand would
deliver you within the promised time.
• Finally, make sure that you read the return policy. If you are not happy with the merchandise, you would have to go for a longer span to return, but you
need to first make sure that the policy to return is hassle-free. Sound process of return policy reflects the quality of the brand.
36. Corruption in Economy: It is the root cause for Indian Economic slowdown
What does corruption actually means?

It means disregard for morality, integrity, character, and duty. It also means disregard for honor, right, and justice. We can also say corruption is like AIDS. It
spreads from one corrupt person to another. What can a common man or a single person do in such a situation? Nothing! But if all of us stand together and
decide to put an end to this evil, the system can be improved.

FOR THE TOPIC:

• 1.Transparency International in its study on index of corrupt countries in 2018 placed India at 81th rank out of 180 countries while Somalia tops the list.
Corruption in all walks of life in India is making it weak and has adverse impact on its growth. As per an estimate 80% of the public servants in India are
corrupt because of which the wheel of growth is being pulled down
• 2. As per an estimate more than Rs. 24,000 crores is paid in bribes. According to a World Bank report, the travel time for a Delhi-Mumbai trip can be
reduced by about 2 days per trip if the corruption and associated regulatory stoppages to extract bribes was eliminated!
• 3. MGNREGA, (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), NRHM (National Rural Health Mission), and other such programmes have
become controversial as poor quality of infrastructure is built, Poor is still poor to the same level, Funds assigned for rural health care and Medicines are
misappropriated. Corruption, waste and fraud-related losses from this government program has been alleged to be around Rs.10, 000 crores
• 4.in india corruption thrives in education where certificates like nc obc can be easily acquired using fake income certificate and by bribing officials
• 5.corruption not only affects business but also distribution of power in business and foreign investment, According to Kroll’s global fraud report released
earlier this year, almost 20 per cent of investors/companies were dissuaded from doing business in India due to corruption, ’evolving’ corporate
governance environment and risks to security of assets risks.
• 6.GROWTH OF GDP. With the reduction in Corruption level in India the growth rate of GDP might increase by 5 to 7%. As per an estimate the rampant
corruption in India causes loss of growth in terms of investment and employment by Rs.25000 crores.
• 7.loss of faith in governance, corruption manipulates judicial decision, which can have heavy impact in country stability

FOR THE TOPIC:

India’s economy grew at a faster pace than most major nations in 2018, and this year, it’s poised to overtake the U.K. to become the world’s fifth-
biggest economy which shows no insignificant role of corruption playing.

Although it is a fact that corruption should be curbed, at times it speeds up the processes also. People find it difficult to get their jobs done in the countries
where no corruption exists. It takes many days to get the Visa to many countries and years to get the green card in USA. Professionals, their relatives complain
that the process takes a very long time and since no one takes bribe in USA the process goes on its pace. How would it be, if the same processes were in India?
One could get it processed faster by spending some extra money.

Corruption is not the only thing playing in economic slowdown in fact its role is trivial there are many factors playing that are listed in the link below
https://www.managementstudyguide.com/causes-for-present-slowdown-in-indian-economy.html

SOLUTIONS

Reform and streamline the complex tax, labor and bankruptcy laws. The criminal code needs to be modified to reflect today's needs, not those of the 1870s.
Eliminate contradictory, outdated or unnecessary laws that don't reflect India's current needs

Provisions for an ombudsman and whistleblower protection.

Eliminate and/or consolidate dysfunctional government agencies/corporations (PSUs in India)

Impose sweeping bureaucratic, policing, judicial AND political reforms

Stricter scrutiny of government contracts/orders/tenders/RFPs (MOUs in India) such as the sale of government assets

Minimize the discretionary powers of ministers & bureaucrats

Eliminate subsidies that don't work and strengthen the distribution process by keeping inventory in check - It is important that officials DO NOT STEAL the things
meant for the poor

Don't vote for criminals, vote for reformers

Impose term limits on all politicians (not just the prime minister, but all levels of politicians, from the village level to the federal government)

REFERENCES:

https://www.careerlauncher.com/cat-mba/group-discussion/topics.html

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/news/indias-path-to-become-fifth-biggest-economy-rife-with-pitfalls/articleshow/67380563.cms

https://www.quora.com/Is-corruption-the-root-cause-of-economic-slowdown-in-India

http://www.mbauniverse.com/group-discussion/topic/business-economy/indian-economic-slowdown
37. Make in India: The idea will make India a manufacturing hub
Topic background
With a vision and mission to put Indian Economy on the wheel of high growth, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Government launched the “Make in India”
campaign. The project aims to attract businesses from around the world to invest and manufacture in India.

The vision of the campaign is to make India a global hub for the manufacturing of goods ranging from cars to software, satellites to submarines, paper to power
and a lot more.

Make in India-key facts

“Make in India” is a realistic project which aims to increase the contribution of manufacturing in GDP to 25% from 16% as of now.

With the launch of ‘Make in India’ campaign, India has already marked its presence as one of the fastest growing economies of the world.

India is having the favorable demographic dividends for the next 2-3 decades and the cost of the manpower is less as compared to the other developed
countries.

India is a house of strong and responsible business houses operating with credibility and professionalism. These business houses have big contribution into the
development of the Indian economy.

India has a strong consumer market and is going to expand in the coming years.

The strong technical and engineering capabilities backed by top-notch scientific and technical institutes are an added advantage to boost this campaign.

FOR:

Employment opportunities: If successful after a couple of years, this project should be able to open up more jobs in India than what our youth might be in need
of.
2. Fighting poverty: More jobs, more employment and less poverty is the ultimate aim of this campaign.
3. Foreign Investment: FDI flowed in after the announcement. Many multi-national companies have shown interest in opening up manufacturing units in India.
4. Healthy competition: Indian Companies will get good competition and will improve their working and calibre to meet the international standards.
Achievements:-

With the launch of Make in India, rules and policies are simplified. Now it is much easier to start a company in India. That means Red tapism is reduced.

Ease of doing business in India is increased. India now ranks 130th out of 190 countries in the World Bank’s 2016 ease of doing business index.

Make in India program attracted Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to India.

This program made India, one of the preferred manufacturing hubs.

It created new employment opportunities.

There is a boom of startups in India after launching Make in India.

CONS:

1. Capitalization: More FDI is not such good news for the campaign given that those companies are mostly notorious of placing their own returns as priority.

2. Corruption: There is bound to be indulging in monopoly, nepotism, corruption, favouritism and what not given our politician's records.

3. Environment: If liberalization did not harm the environment enough, this initiative will attract companies that will be more callous to our environment.

4. More debt: We are under huge debt. Inviting more FDI is not solving this issue anywhere nearly possible but definitely worsening it.

Conclusion:

The initiative was brought with an intention to improve the economic status of the country. If it delivers the results it expected during conceptualization, the
country will have a lot to thank PM Modi for!

REFERENCES:

https://www.tutorialride.com/gd-on-business-and-economy/group-discussion-on-make-in-india.htm

http://www.makeinindia.com/article/-/v/make-in-india-reason-vision-for-the-initiative
38. US Trade Policy: Is Trump creating World Trade War or it is a new revolution?
INTRODUCTION:

Donald Trump, the 45th president of the United States came to power in 2017 and his term goes up to 2021. During his election campaign, Trump advocated the
policy of Protectionism and ‘Making America Great Again.’ His economic policies follow American Economic Nationalism based on the theory of high tariffs to
reduce imports, creating more jobs for Americans, reducing the inflow of immigrants, substantially increasing the exports.

Key Highlights

Using the phrase ‘Smart Trade Not Stupid Trade’ Trump's trade policies promote mercantilism.

The prime focus of Trump in Trade Policy planning is Protectionism which he uses to defend U.S. industries from foreign competition.

His goal is to reduce the U.S. Trade Deficit with other countries especially China and European Union countries.

In view of Trump, with the American companies becoming wealthier, they can generate higher taxes to fund the military growth of America.

FOR:

The tax will raise input prices for American businesses, increasing their operational costs and putting pressure on profit margins.This is likely to feed through
into weaker wage and employment growth, leading to poorer retail sales and declining economic growth. The Trump boom is already fading: this tax seems
likely to hasten its end.

The tax will raise headline CPI inflation. How much inflation will rise depends on the extent to which producers are able and willing to absorb higher costs
rather than passing them on to customers

The tax will strengthen the U.S. dollar’s exchange rate. At the time of writing, the U.S. dollar was already up 10% versus the (offshore) Chinese renminbi. If
China allows the onshore renminbi to depreciate, this would largely negate the impact of the tax on Chinese exporters while making life more difficult for U.S.
exporters

Initiation of war Instead of major U.S. trading partners uniting against China, the U.S. is drawing fire from all sides for Trump tariffs. China is widely seen as the
prime culprit in global steel overcapacity that is at the root of Trump's 25% steel tariff. Yet China has been a minor steel exporter to the U.S., so Trump has
picked a fight with Japan, the EU, Mexico and Canada.
AGAINST:

1.The better and fairer trade deals the president wants to negotiate are designed to level the playing field on trade. This will benefit the U.S. because the current
playing field is distinctly tilted in favor of our trading partners.

2.the retaliation can be justified. While all Americans have benefitted from imported low-priced products, the costs in lost jobs and reduced incomes have
primarily fallen on America’s working class.

3. The U.S. objective in such tariffs would be to level a playing field tilted against American businesses, prevent a flood of foreign products designed to destroy
American industrial sectors from pouring into our country, and protect our crown jewels of technology.

4. looking forward, a study by the private services firm PwC projects that by 2050, China will be world’s largest economy, India will be second and the United
States will drop to third, with fourth place going to Indonesia. This would be a dramatic drop from our traditional position as the world richest economy.
Changing times require changing policies. Just because America’s trade practices made sense decades ago does not mean these same trade practices make
sense in the 21st century.

REFERENCES:

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/trumps-trade-critics-are-wrong-his-tariffs-could-bring-major-benefits-to-america

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/20/us-trade-war-with-china-wont-be-ending-anytime-soon-cnbc-cfo-survey.html
 39. DALIT ASSERTION AND POLITICS OF RESERVATION

• There is a new swing in dalit politics today.

• Its signs are palpable in the ways dalits have reacted to the atrocities on them, the modes of struggles devised,
• the kind of alliances forged and the norms invoked for the action.
• While old ways of doing dalit politics- paternalism, quotas, sub-caste appeal, conversion are still around, dalits
• are increasingly taking charge of affairs in their own hands.
• Access to higher and professional education has enabled horizontal and vertical social and economic
• mobility for Dalits. It has led to the creation of a class of writers, professionals, administrators and the
• entrepreneurs within the Dalit community.
• This Dalit assertion has started posing a challenge to the age-old hierarchy-based supremacy of the upper
• and intermediate castes and even the OBCs.
• The latter are finding it increasingly difficult to accept this new Dalit assertion as it threatens their various interests.

RECENT HAPPENINGS: DALIT ASSERTION FOR SOCIAL EQUITY

• Anger among the Dalits, extremely backward castes and poor labor classes is increasing because they feel left out and deprived in comparison to the prosperous elite classes in
society.
• Deep cleavages of the Indian society came into the open as violent clashes broke out when the Dalits were attacked in villages around Bhima Koregoan on January 1, 2018. They
sparked angry Dalits to launch strong protests all over Maharashtra, which also spread to Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Opposition parties and leaders blamed the
BJP governments of these states, alleging that they had failed to protect the life and property of Dalits.
• More than 500 million poorest of the poor Indians are engaged in a struggle for sheer survival, and to keep the kitchen fires burning. The Wretched of the Earth, as Fanon calls
them, come on the streets to protest when they feel angry and frustrated with their living situation.

WHAT IS RESERVATION SYSTEM?

• India, as a country, has been divided on the basis of caste, creed and religion since times immemorial.
• One of the implications of the caste system prevalent in the country is the reservation system.
• Reservation System involves reserving a certain percentage of seats for education or jobs in government institutions, for people belonging to backward communities or the
minorities.
• These include quotas set aside for scheduled castes (SC), scheduled tribes (ST) and other backward classes (OBC) and these are governed by the Constitution as well as the local rules
and regulations.
• Ahead of elections to Lok Sabha, the Union Cabinet has cleared a Bill to be brought in Parliament, seeking to provide 10% reservation in government higher
education institution and government jobs to the economically backward among the ‘general category’.
 FOR AGAINST

• The current reservation system keeps 13% of

vacancies in government sector reserved for SC, 7.5
% for ST and 27.5% for OBC.
• This implies that these economically and socially
weaker sectors of the society get better opportunities
to uplift their economic as well as social status,
making it the biggest benefit of this system for the
underprivileged.
• These reservations not only apply to job
opportunities but also admissions in colleges,
universities and government run educational
institutions, which means that students belong to the
backward classes have been given an extra
advantage to come up with higher education.
• As a consequence, the reservation system opens new
doors of opportunities for such people and gives them
a chance to build a better future for themselves as
well as their coming generations.
• It is believed that the system supersedes merit in
certain circumstances, when meritorious candidates
are deprived of the jobs or admissions so that
candidates of backward classes can be
accommodated as per the reservation system.
• Moreover, the system is confined to government
institutions and firms, while those in the private
sector are still beyond the reach of people belonging
to the backward classes, either because they lack the
skills needed to enter these firms or institutions or
they are not financially sound enough to afford
them.
• Some believe that the reservation system is a political
tool to get hold of the backward class vote bank and
it has an overall negative impact on the productive
workforce of the country by ignoring the people with
true potential and giving people opportunities on the
basis of caste rather than merit.

• It is also a step to remove the social and economic

disparities in the country and take a step forward on
the path of a balanced society.

SOURCE

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/blogs/et-editorials/a-senseless-attack-on-dalit-assertion/

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/a-pan-india-dalit-assertion/article25022245.ece

https://www.worldblaze.in/top-pros-and-cons-of-reservation-system-in-india/
 40. RIVER POLLUTION IN INDIA-STATUS, CHALLENGES AND POSSIBLE SOLUTION

• Besides being a holy river for Hindus, the Ganges also provides water to millions of people in India. Unfortunately, billions of liters of human feces and other sewage is dumped into this river,
threatening not only humans, but the natural ecosystem of the river.
• India's Ganga River is a paradox: The mighty river's tributaries are cool, Himalayan-glacier fed springs. But where the river meets Indian subcontinent's highly populated cities, and pours
out into the Bay of Bengal, the water goes from crystal clear to trash-and sewage-infested sludge.
• And the Ganga, is in bad shape. Untreated sewage flows directly into the river where people cook, bathe, and perform burial rites for the recently-deceased.
• Factories and farms from industries as varied as leather tanning to shipbuilding line the river's banks, dumping dangerous chemicals into the river.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF RIVER POLLUTION

• Sewage
With billions of people on the planet, disposing of sewage waste is a major problem. According to 2015 and 2016 figures from the World Health Organization, some 663 million people (9
percent of the world's population) don't have access to safe drinking water, while 2.4 billion (40 percent of the world's population) don't have proper sanitation (hygienic toilet facilities);
although there have been great improvements in securing access to clean water, relatively little progress has been made on improving global sanitation in the last decade. Sewage disposal
affects people's immediate environments and leads to water-related illnesses such as diarrhea that kills 525,000 children under five each year.

• Nutrients
Suitably treated and used in moderate quantities, sewage can be a fertilizer: it returns important nutrients to the environment, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, which plants and animals
need for growth. The trouble is, sewage is often released in much greater quantities than the natural environment can cope with. Chemical fertilizers used by farmers also add nutrients to the
soil, which drain into rivers and seas and add to the fertilizing effect of the sewage. Together, sewage and fertilizers can cause a massive increase in the growth of algae or plankton that
overwhelms huge areas of oceans, lakes, or rivers. This is known as a harmful algal bloom (also known as an HAB or red tide, because it can turn the water red). It is harmful because it
removes oxygen from the water that kills other forms of life, leading to what is known as a dead zone.

• Waste water
A few statistics illustrate the scale of the problem that waste water (chemicals washed down drains and discharged from factories) can cause. Around half of all ocean pollution is caused by
sewage and waste water. Each year, the world generates perhaps 5–10 billion tons of industrial waste, much of which is pumped untreated into rivers, oceans, and other waterways.

• Chemical waste
Detergents are relatively mild substances. At the opposite end of the spectrum are highly toxic chemicals such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). They were once widely used to
manufacture electronic circuit boards, but their harmful effects have now been recognized and their use is highly restricted in many countries. Nevertheless, an estimated half million tons of
PCBs were discharged into the environment during the 20th century.

• Plastics
While plastics are not toxic in quite the same way as poisonous chemicals, they nevertheless present a major hazard to seabirds, fish, and other marine creatures. For example, plastic fishing
lines and other debris can strangle or choke fish. (This is sometimes called ghost fishing.) About half of the world's seabird species are known to have eaten plastic residues.

WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES OF RIVER POLLUTION ?

• Loss of floodplain, riparian habitat, and river complexity resulting from a range of agricultural and urban development over the decades.

• Water quality violations for temperature, bacteria, and mercury. Increases in pesticides, as well as emerging contaminants such as flame retardants.

• Large dams on the major tributaries that significantly block fish passage, resulting in a Biological Opinion that is being slowly implemented at best to improve fish passage.

• A massive Superfund site in Portland Harbor - with 10 miles of contaminated sediments polluted with historic chemicals such as PCBs, DDT, and oil-based pollutants.
 POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

• Education
Making people aware of the problem is the first step to solving it. In the early 1990s, when surfers in Britain grew tired of catching illnesses from water polluted with sewage, they formed a
group called Surfers Against Sewage to force governments and water companies to clean up their act. People who've grown tired of walking the world's polluted beaches often band together
to organize community beach-cleaning sessions. Anglers who no longer catch so many fish have campaigned for tougher penalties against factories that pour pollution into our rivers.
Greater public awareness can make a positive difference.

• Laws
One of the biggest problems with water pollution is its transboundary nature. Many rivers cross countries, while seas span whole continents. Pollution discharged by factories in one country
with poor environmental standards can cause problems in neighboring nations, even when they have tougher laws and higher standards. Environmental laws can make it tougher for people
to pollute, but to be really effective they have to operate across national and international borders. This is why we have international laws governing the oceans, such as the 1982 UN
Convention on the Law of the Sea (signed by over 120 nations), the 1972 London (Dumping) Convention, the 1978 MARPOL International Convention for the Prevention of
Pollution from Ships, and the 1998 OSPAR Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic.

• Economy
Most environmental experts agree that the best way to tackle pollution is through something called the polluter pays principle. This means that whoever causes pollution should have to
pay to clean it up, one way or another. Polluter pays can operate in all kinds of ways. It could mean that tanker owners should have to take out insurance that covers the cost of oil spill
cleanups, for example. It could also mean that shoppers should have to pay for their plastic grocery bags, as is now common in Ireland, to encourage recycling and minimize waste. Or it
could mean that factories that use rivers must have their water inlet pipes downstream of their effluent outflow pipes, so if they cause pollution they themselves are the first people to suffer.

SOURCE

https://www.explainthatstuff.com/waterpollution.html

https://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/society/river-pollution-in-india-who-will-bell-the- cat
 41. FARM LOAN WAIVER - GOOD POLITICS BUT BAD ECONOMICS?

WHAT ARE FARM LOAN WAIVERS ?

• Several state governments have waived off farm loans over the past few months
• What farm loan waivers basically do is that they transfer debt from the level of individuals and households to that of the state governments.
• When a state government waives off farm loans it needs to compensate the banks which had originally given the loans to farmers. Hence, it ends up with the debt of the farmers.
• Loan Waivers do no good either to the farmer or to the economy. It is just an emotional pill used to eke out political benefits.
• The staple pre-election diet of waiving farm loans to purchase the votes of farmers is what is the reason behind this ‘uneconomical’ and ‘expensive’ trend.

PROMISES TO WAIVE FARM LOAN: A POLITICAL GAME

• Even smaller regional parties have for years promised farmers that their loans would be erased once the parties are voted to power. Unfortunately, once the political parties win, they soon
forget their promises and most farmers continue sinking into deep debt, with many committing suicide.
• Of course, besides making some noise about the suicides on the eve of elections, political parties ignore these disasters once they come to power. And continue to wish away the tragedies until it
is time for the next round of elections.
• For the poor farmers, the only hope is with the local moneylenders, who are generous in providing loans, but extort hefty interest rates that sometimes exceed 50 per cent per annum.
They have their musclemen in place to coax the funds out of the poor farmers.

UTTAR PRADESH FARM LOAN WAIVER SCHEME

• Past empirical research analysing the 2008 nationwide Agricultural Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme (ADWDRS) found that it led to a delay in loan repayment, increase in
defaults, and no significant productivity gains. In spite of the evidence against the effectiveness of the ADWDRS programme, many states continue to announce their own state-level
debt-waiver schemes. It is possible that state-level debt-waiver schemes could address state-specific indebtedness problems that a generic national-level programme like ADWDRS
could miss.
• The Uttar Pradesh Rin Mafi Yojana (UPRMY) is one such programme that was announced immediately after the ADWDRS programme in November 2011. Under the UPRMY, a total
of Rs1,720.42 crore was disbursed to 730,000 farmers from 74 districts over 2012-2015 (Table 1). Repayment rates fell dramatically after this announcement: the average repayment
rate fell from 25%-50% in 2010-11 (pre-announcement) to 10%-25% in 2011-12 (post-announcement) .

WHY BAD FOR THE ECONOMY ?

• Indian agriculture is often compared to the act of gambling in the monsoon. With the prevailing drought conditions and falling agricultural outputs in certain areas has fuelled the farmer suicides
throughout the country.
• However, the loan waiver scheme provides relief for many families thereby encouraging them to invest in the next crop.
• But these benefits don’t offer long term economic gain for farmers.
• Many economic experts feel that the money waived could be used for investing in infrastructure projects which help to eliminate middlemen and help them to reap maximum benefits of their
products.
• Though waivers can be an attractive tool for retaining farmer’s interest in agriculture and avoid fatal incidences, it could lead willful defaults among the farmers. If farm loan waivers are done
more than twice, farmers will start to wait for the next loan waiver scheme, which is bad for the economy and agriculture.
• Besides, taxpayers are at a loss, because loans will be waived only with hard earned money of taxpayers.

SOURCE

https://www.civilserviceindia.com/current-affairs/articles/farm-loan-waiver-good-for-the-country.html

https://www.equitymaster.com/diary/detail.asp?date=08/14/2017&story=6&title=Farm-Loan-Waivers-Why-Bad-Economics- Makes-for-Good-Politics
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/moneycontrol-research/comment-farm-loan-waivers-are-bad-for-the-economy-for-banks-and-for-farmers-2642231.html

https://www.dawn.com/news/1451847

42. Falling Indian Rupee – Causes and Impact

CAUSES :

The Rupee had weakened around 17% in the last 3 Months from July to October. It has weakened despite the RBI pumping in $25 billion
into the market this year. The central bank usually sells dollars from its over $400 billion foreign exchange reserves in order to defend the
currency. Most of the factors are global, But India’s internal imbalances amplified the problem.

1. Rising Crude Oil Prices : It adds to the weakening mainly because of the US sanctions on Iranian exports and a drop in Venezuela’s
production. India imports 80% of its oil needs and a costlier import oil bill meant the currency taking a further hit.
2. Free Fall of Other Currencies ( Lira, Peso) : Turkey financial turmoil has lead to a fall of 40 percent against the US Dollar in the first half of
year. As is often the case, turmoil of a country is not confined to it and developing countries like India are more likely to be exposed to crisis
like these.
3. US Federal Reserve Rates : US Fed Reserve ‘s steady hike in interest rates has made investments in US treasuries more attractive, thus
resulting in funds moving out of emerging markets like India.
4. US-China Trade War : Both the countries are increasing Tariffs on goods and services imported from each other. This is affecting all the
developing economies with the increase in imported goods or finished domestic goods manufactured using imported raw materials,
dampening the outlook for emerging market assets.
5. Current Account Deficit : It is the difference between country’s import and export. India’s import bill is higher than its exports’bill. A huge
dependency on crude oil imports and its increasing price, as mentioned before, making the deficit larger. Also all our exported goods and
services can be easily replaced by other countries. Thus, we need more Dollars on rupee to finance our growing deficit leading to
appreciation of Us Dollar and subsequent depreciation of Indian rupee.
6. Passive RBI : Typically, when the rupee weakens, the central bank sells dollars from its reserves to rescue it. So far, though, the Reserve
Bank of India (RBI) has not intervened aggressively to shore up the domestic currency.
 Impact of Weakening rupee on Indian Economy

A fall in the currency impacts the common man as high prices but it also boosts exports.

1. Higher Prices : Currency weakness leads to higher landed cost for commodities imported into the country. Crude oil and gold are
instances of such commodities which are traded higher in the domestic market in comparison with their international counterpart. Also
finished goods which are manufactured with imported raw materials will also become more costly.
2. Low Margins : Importers of capital goods will see a shrinkage in their margins
3. Inflationary Pressure : Currency weakness is likely to result in Inflation. Higher cost of commodities would exert pressure on overall
economic activity and may force the central bank to tweak its monetary policy.
4. Change in interest rates by RBI : Due to weakening rupee, RBI may increase its interest rates which may further impact the sentiment
of foreign investors .
5. Expensive Foreign Travel : With a weakened rupee, an overseas vacation will be more expensive. That’s all the case of many Indians
who remit money for maintenance of relatives and medical treatment.
6. Exporter’s Benefitted : Industries like textile, IT, leather, pharmaceutical will benefit as their exports will increase. However there will be
limited gain for engineering goods, jewellery sectors as they import raw materials.

LINKS :
➢ https://indianexpress.com/article/business/economy/rupee-all-time-low-against-us-dollar-rupee-value-5369988/
➢ https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/markets/6-ways-in-which-a-falling-dollar-rupee-will-impact-the-indian-economy-
2976931.html
 43. Social Media – Bane Or Boon

Social media has grown tremendously in the last few years. Social media like facebook and youtube have seen a growth of 120 % in their users
since 2006. Every nation has been utilizing the power of social media. Movements like Arab Spring and #meToo would not be possible without
social media. However, It also affected the society in a negative way.

Social media as a Boon

1. Communication : It helps the society to connect with people from around the globe and helps to stay connected to them without any fees or
charge. It also helps in keeping in touch with family or friends who are far away.

2. Sharing Information : Social media is a great platform to share information, be it regarding some unfair practices in any other part of the
world or about the recent developments. In 2015, A woman in Greece fell off a cliff and broke her 20 ribs, pelvis and collar bone. Police
couldn’t find her. So she made her facebook account public and posted a photo with a location. Social media saved her life.

3. Promotion of Business : If someone wants to expand their business, first thing he’ll do is to digitally advertise its product on social media.
He may attract target consumers through social media platform.

4. Education : Students find social media platforms like YouTube and Byju’s quite helpful to clear their concepts through videos and there are
numerous sites that provide all the required information regarding a particular subject.

5. Help in funding Charities : Sites like gofundme has raised millions of dollars for noble causes just through social media.

6. Getting Feedback : If you want to visit a specific restaurant which is on the other side of the city or you want to read a specific book,
reviews on social media will surely help you to make these type of decisions and might save you some pennies.

7. Source of Entertainment : Social Media rejuvenates your mind from a hectic day through various comedy videos or memes posted on it. It
will lighten your mood.
Social Media As Bane

1. Cyberbullying : According to a report published by PewCenter.org most of the children have become victims of the cyberbullying over the
past. Since anyone can create a fake account and do anything without being traced, it has become quite easy for anyone to bully on the
Internet.
2. Hacking : Personal data and privacy can easily be hacked and shared on the Internet. Which can make financial losses and loss to
personal life. Similarly, identity theft is another issue that can give financial losses to anyone by hacking their personal accounts. Several
personal twitter and Facebook accounts have been hacked in the past and the hacker had posted materials that have affected the
individual’s personal lives.
3. Addiction : The addictive part of the social media is very bad and can disturb personal lives as well. The teenagers are the most affected
by the addiction of the social media. They get involved very extensively and are eventually cut off from the society.
4. Scams : Several Individuals are scammed through social media. Some Examples of social media scams are like this – Cash Grabs ( Open
this link and get free cash, submit your bank account number for crediting the amount), Hidden Charges ( Which type of Avenger character
are you? Take this quiz. The moment you take these quizzes, you unknowingly subscribed to a $4.99 subscription per month)
5. Reputation : Social media can easily ruin someone’s reputation just by creating a false story and spreading across the social media. Similarly
businesses can also suffer losses due to bad reputation being conveyed over the social media.
6. Fake News : Social media has been known for spreading information quickly, but people often forget about authenticating the source of
information and forward further to other people, which creates a network of fake/false information which tend to be believed to be true.
7. Makes us lazy : Social media has made us lazy as it has vanished the urge to meet new people and interact with them face-to-face. Social
media has made Dating so easy that none of us want to do the actual effort. This has also caused various health problems caused due to
sitting in front of laptops for hours.

8. Finding potential terrorists : Terrorist groups use it as a weapon to mislead youngsters by spreading wrong messages to influence
their way of thinking in a negative manner.

LINKS :

➢ https://www.techmaish.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-social-media-for-society/
➢ https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-social-media-1
➢ https://list25.com/25-advantages-of-social-media-that-are-good-to-keep-in-mind/
 44. Pollution is the price of Progress
Nothing captured more attention in a nation of cricket fanatics, than the sight of a smog-sickened Sri Lankan player doubled over
and vomiting on the grass during a nationally televised test match in Delhi in early December.

For :

1. Increasing Industrialization : Country’s developmental activities are affecting the environment to a certain extent. India is
manufacturing goods for domestic and international use which contribute to the water and air pollution

2. Shift of certain Industries : Water intensive and pollution industries like textiles, leather, sugar and paper have shifted from
developed countries to developing countries just because developing countries have less stringent environmental laws.

3. Increasing Automobiles : A Country is said to be developed when automobiles like car have become a necessity. In India,
Automobile sector has been receiving around $8-10 billion FDI in the recent years by developed countries for manufacturing more
contributors to pollution.

4. Need of the hour : The exploration of oil and the activities of multinational oil companies in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria has
caused substantial land, water and air pollution. However, for Nigeria to maintain its current economic growth path and sustain its
drive for poverty reduction, oil exploration and production will continue to be a dominant economic activity.

5. Coal Emissions : Energy is needed for the factories to work and even households need energy to do their daily tasks. Now energy
is produced through water, coal, nuclear, tidal, wind , solar and biomass. But the most common and easiest way to produce energy is
coal. So factories prefer coal because of its economical nature and ready availability. Thus coal emission results in increasing
pollution and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

6. Luxuries : Most people with enough money prefer big houses .These big houses are developed at the cost of cutting trees and
building their houses. Also malls, being the trending indicator of growth in a city/country, are build by sweeping off the entire forests.
AGAINST :
Is it not possible to grow without affecting the environment?

1. Real Cost Analysis : Researchers have found that cleaning industries and installing eco-friendly machines with less carbon
emissions may cost a lot initially. But it will always be less than actual cost borne caused by pollution. Pollution not only damages the
country’s image but also hurt its ability to attract tourists and investors ; air pollution also exacts heavy losses in labor losses, health
expenditure and premature deaths. World Bank estimates that around $55 billion worth of labor output alone is dragged by pollution
every year in India.
2. Economic Loss : Cost of treatment and wage loss during sickness contribute to economic loss. Also 80% of the economic loss is
suffered by the poor and socially vulnerable communities. As, if the water gets contaminated then rich may buy packaged water but
the poor person has to drink the water available to them.
3. Contribution by Developed countries : Developed Countries earn carbon points by suggesting developing countries to curb
pollution and to adopt strict pollution measures. But at the same time, developed countries ask the developing countries to
manufacture goods so they can buy from them at lower prices. Thus, developing countries prefer profit margin to environment
degradation.

LINKS
➢ https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-cost-of-pollution/article23732017.ece
➢ https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/23/magazine/what-does-it-take-to-stop-accepting-pollution-as-the-price-of-
progress.html
➢ https://breakingenergy.com/2014/09/23/environmental-pollution-is-inevitable-in-developing-countries/
 45. Falling Indian Rupee

We might have noticed a consistency in the fall of Indian Currency – Rupee. Why is it downgrading? Is it for our greater good? There are loads of questions that
might be emerging in your mind right now. But let’s put some light on the factors which are causing such downfall to Indian Currency.

These aspects had have been in to the picture for a long time, yet it’s been affecting the nations’ currency most now. Here below are some of the reasons behind
the unexpected drop:

• The Oil Slick—Turkish Crisis

• In case if you don’t know, nearly 80% of the crude oil is imported from other countries in order to meet up the needs of country’s fuel. And, nothing
comes without a cost. The country spends more money on these importing of fuels as compared to others. According to various reports done by energy
researchers and consultancy firms, the intake has been almost double this year as per the year of 2017. The consumption and the demand of fuels are
constantly growing on daily basis. Thus, the civilians are facing the rise in the cost of the fuel.
• If we talked about Turkish Crisis, it was the free falling of Lira—the Turkish currency—which accelerated the devaluation of Rupee. It has been estimated
that Lira has lost more than 40% of value in against to the US dollar in early period of year 2018. The reason has fallen to be the deterioration in the ties
between Turkey and US government over increasing influence of the President Tayyip Erdogan on overheated economy.
• “The plunge in the Lira,which began in May,now looks certain to push the Turkish economy into recession,and it may well trigger a banking crisis” Chief
Global economist at Capital Economics, Andrew Kenningham told Reuters. This has one way or another leading into hammering emerging market
currencies such as rupee. Some of the multiple factors which has caused in the major hit to Lira are, big dollar debts, rising inflation, diplomatic row
involving a pastor, lower interest rates and lack of adequate Forex reserves. Right now, Lira is one of the weakest currencies in the world thereby, resulting
in depreciation of Indian Rupee.
• Wider Trade Deficit

India’s import is substantially rising where the gains by the exports are contributing very less to the government treasure. It has been estimated that the
exports has contributed the country’s GDP at 14-year low resulting into trade deficit—the situation where the amount of country’s import value exceeds its
net exports value. As per several reports, the import value was USD156.8 billion in 2018, as compared to the USD 105.72 billion in the year, 2017.
Meanwhile, the expansion in merchandise imports in India was almost twice that of export growth in the end of March, 2018. Well, this has directly
affected in the downfall of the Indian currency.

• A Trajectory Leading Global Tensions

US administration under Trump leadership has imposed an import tariff raise against the countries like China, Europe, Mexico, Canada and now Turkey in
order to accelerate the pace of strengthening the dollar in future. This strong dollar phase is directly and adversely affecting the Indian Currency as, the
imports for India will be more expensive. Well, it’s a clear bad news for the India because it is one of the biggest importers of US goods in the world.
Besides, the intensifying US-China trade war continues in creating turns and turns in the Forex market.
 Moreover, Priyanka Upadhyay of SSJ Finance & Securities described publicly that abating foreign portfolio investor (FPI) outflows could contain
weakness to some extent. While India remains the fastest growing major economy, a weaker rupee, stubbornly high inflation, elevated oil prices and global
trade tensions pose the biggest downside risks to the economy.

While all the above points have greatly impacted in the downfall of the indian rupee lets now look into how it is impacting our economy in multiple ways:

• Higher landing cost for commodities

Currency weakness leads to higher landed cost for commodities imported into the country. Crude oil and gold are instances of such commodities which are
traded higher in the domestic market in comparison with their international counterparts.

• Impact on current account deficit

• A weak currency is likely to widen India's current account deficit further (CAD). A falling rupee versus the dollar increases the cost of imports and
increases export revenues in rupee terms.
• The current weakness in the rupee is mostly attributed to widening CAD, which is higher due to the crude oil import bill.
• As per government data, India's oil import bill rose over 50 percent in the first four months of this fiscal as against the same period last year. Since India
imports more than 80 percent of its crude requirement, it is resulting in huge dollar outflows.
• Impact on flows

Foreign capital inflows help in bridging the gap between imports and exports. Since our imports are more than exports, there is potential for an increase in
the trade deficit.

• Adds to inflationary pressure

Currency weakness is likely to result in inflationary pressure as well. Higher costs of commodities would exert pressure on overall economic activity and
may force the central bank to tweak its monetary policy to tackle inflation.

• Impact on GDP

Higher inflation is likely to hit short term growth prospect of the economy as well. Increased input cost due to weak currency may impact the profit margin
of companies.

• Rise in interest costs for India Inc

• Corporates may also face an additional burden on interest costs when the central bank lifts rates. This may impact sentiment of foreign investors in the
stock market.
• However, a weak rupee versus the dollar usually benefits exporters and people who are remitting currency into the country.
Conclusion

In brief we can say that the indian currency is falling and it is not at all good for our economy.There are lot external factors which are responsible for this fall and
most of these factors are outside the control of indian government.Lets hope that the tariff war between USA and China, Europe, Mexico, Canada and mexico ends
sooner than later and the price of crude oil falls dow or may be india can find a way to meets its oil requirements on their own

46. Crypto Currency-Opportunity or Threat

The crypto market is new, and not yet fully established. For these reasons, crypto-investment can be dangerous. On the other hand, since it’s new, it opens a wide
range of opportunities for investors.

Threats

It’s no surprise that cryptocurrency investors are becoming more reticent to participate in public crowdsales. In just the first 5 months of 2018, we’ve already seen,
and some have experienced, the worst scams and fraud to date.Let see at some of the problems and threats associated with crypto currency

• Problem of Trust
• The problem with scams, fraud, shills, etc, is a problem of TRUST: the lack of it. The problem of trust in cryptocurrency investment is not limited to
outright scams. Many projects use aggressive strategies of shilling, buy reviews and rankings, or are caught in the awkward position of having over-
promised.
• Many people have felt FOMO (fear of missing out) burning inside, drawing their heart rate up and their wallet out. And of course, some do make big
winnings, further fueling future FOMO.
• While many fall prey to FOMO, other well-meaning investors who are doing their best to identify smart plays still fall victims to scams, fraud, or over-
promised letdowns. If we are going to be honest with ourselves, the sirens of FOMO lead many more sailing on the seas of cryptocurrency investment and
into the rocks of scammy ICOs.
• High Volatility
• The crypto market is very volatile because it’s still a small market, and there is high correlation between the price of the major cryptocurrencies (BTC,
ETH, XRP). Even the smallest movement can have a huge effect on price, especially taking into account the fact that wealth distribution in
cryptocurrencies is disproportionate. Investors have very few ways to protect the value of their portfolio while staying in the crypto space.
• Price Manipulation
• Another form of price manipulation is “buy walls” and “sell walls” done by a handful of individuals with massive holdings, who are simply known as
“whales.” If you have heard that cryptocurrency markets are volatile, this is the number-one reason why.
• When an inexperienced investor sees a “buy wall,” they interpret that as a positive price signal. The logic goes something like this: if someone opens a
“buy” position worth a few million dollars, the price will go up. Since the same price position is taken by a whale, the investor will enter at a higher rate.
• A sizeable market position effectively creates pressure for smaller investors to enter the market at certain price range. If enough of these traders do the
same, this will actually result in a price movement and effectively manipulate the market price without spending a single cent.
• As soon as the price moves in the right direction, the “whale” will relocate their position in order to narrow down the range once again. If the market
changes direction, these walls will suddenly disappear, often leaving the asset price in free fall.
• The HODL Issue
 • HODLing sounds like a great option; however, if everyone just takes their money out of exchanges and puts it into offline wallets, that leaves the whales,
scammers, and price manipulators in total control of the market.
• The reason is that by HODLing, you have absolutely no control over the price. You must participate.
• We believe cryptocurrencies need to take some direct control of price action on the exchanges, and responsibly counter the negative effects of price
manipulation until the proper checks are in place.
• Bias
• The truth is, most players in crypto-investing are biased in some way — either in favor of their own coin, or against someone else’s.
• Sometimes, the bias stems from a financial commitment, and sometimes just from an intellectual one. Regardless of the source, nearly everyone recognizes
the bias. Most even admit it about themselves.

Opportunities

One of the key opportunities of crypto-investment is the ability to exchange and trade. Here are the advantages of exchanging/trading.

• Security
• When you trade, you do not own the virtual currency. You cannot steal, hack, or lose your keys. Your purchase goes through an intermediary, who is a
broker with bank security. You do not risk seeing your currencies fly away.
• Rapidity
• You can instantly buy any currency without needing a wallet, and without buying Bitcoin in order to buy other currencies.
• Gains: Up or Down
• You have the opportunity to win both the purchase and the sale. That is, you can “bet” on the upside as well as the downside of the desired currency. For
example, you buy for $10 USD, and you close at $11 US. If the price of the currency arrives as expected at $11 US, you have earned $1 US. If you decide
to sell at $10 and close at $9, and the currency drops as expected to $9, you will also have earned $1. This is called a CFD: “contract for difference,” or
“short sale.” So you have more opportunities to generate earnings.
• Leverage Effect
• Another advantage is the opportunity to play leverage. Let me explain what the leverage effect is. Here is an example: you have decided to invest $10 in a
cryptocurrency with a leverage of ⅕, and it is actually as if you had invested $50 US. Your winnings, if there are any, will be multiplied by 5. For this type
of trading, there is a type of security called “stop loss” that allows you to never lose more than you invested.
• HODL to Profit
• Crypto-investing seems promising. If you wait until the price of the currency rises, you can recover your investment and gain even more.
• In fact, as long as you have not sold, you have not lost! That’s why we keep seeing more and more holders appearing. HODLing won’t bring you down in
the near future.

Conclusion

Crypto is a twofold industry. Since it’s new, it has a lot of peculiarities. A good idea before investing would be to learn about all the possible hurdles. Don’t step
into the industry as a newbie. Be wise, take the best from investment opportunities, and become successful!
 47. Crypto Currency-Opportunity or Threat

The crypto market is new, and not yet fully established. For these reasons, crypto-investment can be dangerous. On the other hand, since it’s new, it opens a wide
range of opportunities for investors.

Threats

It’s no surprise that cryptocurrency investors are becoming more reticent to participate in public crowdsales. In just the first 5 months of 2018, we’ve already seen,
and some have experienced, the worst scams and fraud to date.Let see at some of the problems and threats associated with crypto currency

• Problem of Trust
• The problem with scams, fraud, shills, etc, is a problem of TRUST: the lack of it. The problem of trust in cryptocurrency investment is not limited to
outright scams. Many projects use aggressive strategies of shilling, buy reviews and rankings, or are caught in the awkward position of having over-
promised.
• Many people have felt FOMO (fear of missing out) burning inside, drawing their heart rate up and their wallet out. And of course, some do make big
winnings, further fueling future FOMO.
• While many fall prey to FOMO, other well-meaning investors who are doing their best to identify smart plays still fall victims to scams, fraud, or over-
promised letdowns. If we are going to be honest with ourselves, the sirens of FOMO lead many more sailing on the seas of cryptocurrency investment and
into the rocks of scammy ICOs.
• High Volatility
• The crypto market is very volatile because it’s still a small market, and there is high correlation between the price of the major cryptocurrencies (BTC,
ETH, XRP). Even the smallest movement can have a huge effect on price, especially taking into account the fact that wealth distribution in
cryptocurrencies is disproportionate. Investors have very few ways to protect the value of their portfolio while staying in the crypto space.
• Price Manipulation
• Another form of price manipulation is “buy walls” and “sell walls” done by a handful of individuals with massive holdings, who are simply known as
“whales.” If you have heard that cryptocurrency markets are volatile, this is the number-one reason why.
• When an inexperienced investor sees a “buy wall,” they interpret that as a positive price signal. The logic goes something like this: if someone opens a
“buy” position worth a few million dollars, the price will go up. Since the same price position is taken by a whale, the investor will enter at a higher rate.
• A sizeable market position effectively creates pressure for smaller investors to enter the market at certain price range. If enough of these traders do the
same, this will actually result in a price movement and effectively manipulate the market price without spending a single cent.
• As soon as the price moves in the right direction, the “whale” will relocate their position in order to narrow down the range once again. If the market
changes direction, these walls will suddenly disappear, often leaving the asset price in free fall.
• The HODL Issue
• HODLing sounds like a great option; however, if everyone just takes their money out of exchanges and puts it into offline wallets, that leaves the whales,
scammers, and price manipulators in total control of the market.
• The reason is that by HODLing, you have absolutely no control over the price. You must participate.
• We believe cryptocurrencies need to take some direct control of price action on the exchanges, and responsibly counter the negative effects of price
manipulation until the proper checks are in place.
 • Bias
• The truth is, most players in crypto-investing are biased in some way — either in favor of their own coin, or against someone else’s.
• Sometimes, the bias stems from a financial commitment, and sometimes just from an intellectual one. Regardless of the source, nearly everyone recognizes
the bias. Most even admit it about themselves.

Opportunities

One of the key opportunities of crypto-investment is the ability to exchange and trade. Here are the advantages of exchanging/trading.

• Security
• When you trade, you do not own the virtual currency. You cannot steal, hack, or lose your keys. Your purchase goes through an intermediary, who is a
broker with bank security. You do not risk seeing your currencies fly away.
• Rapidity
• You can instantly buy any currency without needing a wallet, and without buying Bitcoin in order to buy other currencies.
• Gains: Up or Down
• You have the opportunity to win both the purchase and the sale. That is, you can “bet” on the upside as well as the downside of the desired currency. For
example, you buy for $10 USD, and you close at $11 US. If the price of the currency arrives as expected at $11 US, you have earned $1 US. If you decide
to sell at $10 and close at $9, and the currency drops as expected to $9, you will also have earned $1. This is called a CFD: “contract for difference,” or
“short sale.” So you have more opportunities to generate earnings.
• Leverage Effect
• Another advantage is the opportunity to play leverage. Let me explain what the leverage effect is. Here is an example: you have decided to invest $10 in a
cryptocurrency with a leverage of ⅕, and it is actually as if you had invested $50 US. Your winnings, if there are any, will be multiplied by 5. For this type
of trading, there is a type of security called “stop loss” that allows you to never lose more than you invested.
• HODL to Profit
• Crypto-investing seems promising. If you wait until the price of the currency rises, you can recover your investment and gain even more.
• In fact, as long as you have not sold, you have not lost! That’s why we keep seeing more and more holders appearing. HODLing won’t bring you down in
the near future.

Conclusion

Crypto is a twofold industry. Since it’s new, it has a lot of peculiarities. A good idea before investing would be to learn about all the possible hurdles. Don’t step
into the industry as a newbie. Be wise, take the best from investment opportunities, and become successful!
 48. Pollution is the price of progress

Pollution is a challenge to developing countries which try to achieve rapid economic development without adequately managing the environment. In recent years,
the pollution load has increased, sometimes beyond the carrying capacity of the environment. Though various measures have been adopted to manage pollution,
significant progress has not been achieved. Lets look into the various points on how progress is intrinsically linked to pollution and it can be avoided.

• The environmental Kuznets curve

• India’s developmental activities are affecting the environment to a considerable extent, through over-exploitation of natural resources and
indiscriminate discharge of waste. This has been interpreted by the environmental Kuznets curves(EKC) hypothesis which suggests that as per capita
income grows, the increase in environmental impact hits the maximum and thereafter declines. According to the hypothesis, in the initial stages of
economic growth, when more resources are used, there is greater waste generation and more emissions. But when a country has achieved a certain
level of development, pollution reduces with greater protection of the environment, technological improvements, diversification of the economy from
manufacturing to services, and increasing scarcity and prices of environmental resources, leading to lower consumption.
• India is on the upward part of the EKC. For achieving sustainable development, it must move to the second stage. However, it is not wise to wait for that
stage. India can’t ignore the environmental consequences of its rapid growth. Over the last few decades, water-intensive and polluting industries such as
textiles, leather, sugar and paper have shifted from developed to developing countries. They withdraw huge quantities of water and discharge effluents
without adequate treatment. Before 1980, countries like the U.K. and the U.S. played a vital role in textile production and export. But by 2000, their
dominance had substantially reduced and the share of developing countries like India and China had increased. One of the factors attributed to this shift
is that there are relatively less stringent environmental policies in developing nations. Countries like India are now manufacturing products which
contribute to pollution for domestic and international markets.

• The Household Level

At the household level, the economic loss on account of pollution includes the cost of treatment and wage loss during sickness. Pollution impacts
ecosystems and related economic activities like agriculture and livestock. Air pollution causes climate change. Hence, pollution leads to the real and
potential loss of the overall development opportunity in an economy. Generally, pollution impacts the socially vulnerable and poor communities more
due to their weak coping options. When traditional drinking water sources get contaminated, the rich can buy packaged water. But the poor cannot
afford it and are hence compelled to use contaminated water. They are also less aware of the health hazards caused by pollution
• Politics and Pollution
Pollution is not a disease, it is only a symptom. Hence, its root cause should be investigated. For instance, in developing countries, water pollution has
not been a major topic of political debate, but political instruments including Environmental Quality Objectives and Uniform Standards are in the political
agendas of Western countries. Natural resources management agencies have centralised structures and function without the consultation of multi
stakeholders. Emission-based standards have not been very effective so far, since they are rarely monitored and only occasionally enforced. The
‘polluters pay’ principle is not in force. For the most part, polluters are not willing to internalise the external and social costs. Pollution is also neglected
by funding agencies worldwide and by governments in budgets. However, experiences from the U.S. and Europe reveal that pollution mitigation can
yield large gains to human health and the economy.

• Remedial measures
• Economic growth is an inevitable requirement, but it need not be at the cost of health. To tackle pollution, there should be public awareness about its
consequences, adequate pollution-linked databases, integration of pollution prevention policies into the development sector, strict enforcement of
pollution control policies, eco-friendly inputs in production, reliance on renewable energy, introduction of market-based/economic instruments
(charges/taxes/levies, tradable permits, subsidies and soft loans), and increase in ecosystem resilience through the conservation of biodiversity.
49. SOCIAL MEDIA: A BOON OR A BANE FOR SOCIETY AND
INDIVIDUALS

Key facts
• As of 2017, 45% of the world’s internet users are on social networking sites.
• In 2019, it is estimated that there will be around 2.77 billion social network users around the globe.
• Facebook is the most preferred social media platform. With more than 2000 million Facebook user world over, if a
country is constituted with them, it would be the world’s third largest, behind China and India.
• According to the same source, on average there were 2.13 billion Monthly active users of Facebook as of 31
December 2017, an increase of 14% year-over-year.

For the motion

• provides a global platform to express one’s views and opinions
• Instant communication
• cost-effective marketing and branding tool.
• new avenues for learning and job creation
• Governments of many countries are leveraging social media to engage with the citizens and to garner their
support, suggestions and views on policies for effective governance. Utilization of social media for general
election by Prime Minister Narendra Modi played an imperative role in his success.
• Increases knowledge
• Educational purposes
Against the motion
• Threat of hackers
• Addiction
• Health issues
• Credibility Of news and information
• Online bullying and harassment
• Depression : A latest 2018 poll has revealed that there have so many cases where people were
harassed and went into severe depression, sometimes leading to deaths and suicides.
• While many users feel their personal data is safe on social networking sites because they have set high levels
of security settings research suggests this is not the case. A case in point is the recent case where a
researcher linked to Cambridge Analytica (CA), a political consulting firm had accessed details of 50 million
Facebook users. The data was shared with Cambridge Analytica, which used online data to reach voters on
social media with personalized messages and swayed 2016 US elections
• Even terrorist organizations like al Qaeda and ISIS use social media to spread their propaganda and also
polarize people.
• With proliferation of social media the average attention span of humans has reduced to 8 seconds and the
situation is graver for millennial.

Sources
• http://www.mbauniverse.com/group-discussion/topic/social-issues/social-media
• https://mangalmay.org/blog/social-media-a-boon-or-a-bane/
50. Retirement homes

Senior citizens constitutes 8.5% of the total population (based on 2011 census). According to a report by non-profit HelpAge India, by 2050, almost 20% of the
population will be elderly.

Advantages

• Residential complex, senior company

• They provide 24/7 security
• maintenance, cleaning and other related work are included in the cost of living in a retirement community.
• Independence to elderly
• Increasing rate of abuse faced by elderly living with their families. (A survey shows that 60% elderly living with their families, face abuse and harassment)
can live peacefully here.
• Around the clock supervision and care by nursing professionals.
• Expert on-site medical care.
• A structured environment (set meal times, scheduled activities, etc.) where elderly can grow old, especially helpful in case of mentally or physically
disabled senior citizens.

Disadvantages

• Retirement communities are limited to specific areas which may be far away from the places of relatives or friends
• Moving out to new locality can be stressful
• They may feel lonely and dejected there, miss their children and family.
• Expensive
• Not being able to accept helps from others, thus, finding it difficult to live in these homes. There could also be a lack of privacy because of
community living.
• Lack of independence in choosing the furniture, food menu, personal belongingness, etc.
• Guilt trip faced by children for not being able to take care of their elderly parents.
• Grandchildren may never be loved by their grandparents, devoiding love from them.

SOURCE
www.career2nextorbit.com/amp/article/532/retirement-homes-does-advantage-of-living-in-them-outweighs-disadvantage
http://www.mbauniverse.com/group-discussion/topic/social-issues/retirement-homes
 51. Swachh Bharat Mission
An overview

• The mission aims to achieve an "open-defecation free" (ODF) India by 2 October 2019.
• by constructing 90 million toilets in rural India at a projected cost of ₹1.96 lakh crore (US$30 billion)
• The mission will also contribute to India reaching Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), established by the UN in 2015.
• The campaign was officially launched on 2 October 2014 at Rajghat, New Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi
• Slogan : One step towards cleanliness
Initiatives Taken for Swacch Bharat Mission

1. As part of the campaign, volunteers, known as Swachhagrahis, or ambassadors of cleanliness, have promoted indoor plumbing and the Community
Approaches to Sanitation (CAS) at the village level.
2. Government of India has appointed Central Public Works Department (CPWD) with the responsibility to dispose off waste from Government offices
3. The Ministry of Railways has planned to have the facility of cleaning on demand, clean bed-rolls from automatic laundries, bio-toilets, dustbins in all non-
AC coaches.
4. The Centre will use its Digital India project in conjunction with the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan to have solar-powered trash cans, which send alerts to
sanitation crew once they are full.
5. The Swachh Bharat Swachh Vidyalaya campaign was launched by the Minister of Human Resource Development, Government of India by participating in
the cleanliness drive along with the school's teachers and students.
6. , Prime Minister Modi nominated some of the prominent personalities as Brand Ambassadors of Swachh Bharat Mission.
7. Non-governmental activities to achieve the objectives of the campaign include the national real-time monitoring and updates from Non Government
Organizations (NGOs).
8. Some of the NGOs are The Ugly Indian; Waste Warriors; SWaCH Pune (Solid Waste Collection and Handling) who are working to achieve the swacch
Bharat goal.
9. A film with a great message to transform rural orthodox mindset ‘Toilet-Ek Prem Katha’ was released and made a great impact on masses.

Swachh Bharat: Progress reflects Success

• Kunwar Bai Yadav of a village in Dhamtari District sold seven of her goats to raise the money to build a toilet at her house at age of 106 in 2016.
She was declared a mascot of the campaign and was visited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Mobile App has been launched for use of the people and Government organisations to achieve the goals of Swachh
Bharat Abhiyan.
• An extensive sanitation survey is conducted every year across several hundred cities to check the progress and impact of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
and to foster a spirit of competition among the cities.
• In 2017, the national sanitation coverage rose to 65% from 38.7% on Oct 2, 2014 before the start of the campaign. It further rose to 90% in
August 2018.
• Eleven states, 314 districts and 3.25 lakh villages were declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) by February 15, 2018.
• The cities and towns which have been declared ODF stood at 22 per cent and the urban wards which have achieved 100 per cent door-to-door
solid waste collection stood at 50 per cent. The number of Swachhagrahi volunteers working across urban local bodies rose to 20,000, and those
working in rural India rose to more than a lakh. The number of schools with separate toilet facilities for girls rose from 0.4 million (37 per cent) to
almost one million (91 per cent).
• As per an independent survey released by Quality Council of India in August 2017, overall national rural "household access to toilet" coverage
increased to 62.45 per cent and usage to 91.29 per cent, with Haryana topping the national ranking with 99 per cent of households in rural areas
covered and usage of 100 per cent.
• Inspired by the Clean India Mission, a robot named Swachh Bot was built by a maker community in Chennai to clean the wastes on Besant Nagar
Beach.
 Success still at Large
• Until 2017, India was divided into five zones for the purpose of Swachh Bharat survey and each city was scored on 19 indicators. The cities were
classified into four colours: green, blue, black, and red, green being the cleanest city, and red the most polluted. None of the cities was rated as green—the
best category in the exercise.
• During the 2017-18 senses survey, the parameters of assessment were diluted, and cities were categorised, based on population, into metropolis, large,
medium, and small cities, and assessment took place according to this categorization to get at least some of the cities in the cleanest category.
• Corruption in ground implementation is again hampering the Swachh Bharat Mission. As per an independent Research report published by ABC Live
Haryana, Disbursement of Incentives under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) in the state of Haryana has been made Arbitrarily by ignoring the guidelines
of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban). It could be happening in many other states too.
• Despite all the expenses on spreading awareness, advertisements, and huge public money being spent on Swachh Bharat Mission, it appears there is little
headway. People are still resorting to littering, open defecating on Railways tracks, fields and other open areas.
• The Statistics and Data released by various agencies may not be accurate as ground realities are different. Unless physically verified the data may not
support the facts.
• The garbage disposal plan, sewage treatment plan especially in big cities need to be well devised, otherwise it will be difficult to make the mission a
success. Cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata have hills and mountains made of garbage which are waiting for concrete disposal plan. These mountains have
also become a disastrous threat for the area as they emit poisonous gases and are highly inflammable.
Links

• https://swachhsurvekshan2019.org/
• http://www.mbauniverse.com/group-discussion/topic/social-issues/swachh-bharat-mission