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RCEP Ultimatum : Cut Tariffs or Leave FTA talks

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RCEP

The members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) have, in a sort of ultimatum, asked India to either to consent to eliminate tariffs on most products quickly or leave the talks on the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that is being negotiated by RCEP itself.

Background

The members of RCEP, a trading bloc consisting of 16 Asia Pacific countries, are irked by what they think as India’s obstructionist, defensive and half-hearted approach” that is “delaying” the result of the talks. They have said that 12th round of RCEP talks, that is going to be held during April 23-29 at Perth in Australia, could be a “turning point” in negotiation with India.

RCEP members, particularly China, Japan, Australia, South Korea and New Zealand, were upset over India’s protectionist stance, concentrating only on the export of manpower and not on liberalizing trade in goods and other services as well as investment.

Must Read: Abel Prize 2016 Goes to Wiles for Solving FLT

Demand of RCEP Member Nations

Some member countries, particularly 10- members ASEAN bloc, want India to take a long-term approach and consent to eliminate deities (except in agriculture and industrial goods) on a higher threshold within a decade to help India get the benefit of the opportunities arising out of Global Value Chain.

What is RCEP

Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is among the three mega FTAs in the world so far. The other two are TTP-Trans Pacific Partnership, led by the US and the TTIP- Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership between US and European Union (EU).

The Foreign Trade Agreement (FTA) is proposed between the ten member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comprising Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and six states with which ASEAN has existing FTAs which include Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.

It was in November 2012 that RCEP negotiations were officially initiated at the Summit in Cambodia. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is considered as an alternation to the TPP agreement that incorporates the United States but leaves out China.

Read Also: SC Questions Centre on Human Rights Violation

UPSC CSAT 2016 : Programme, Qualifications and Schedule

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Syskool
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CSAT 2016

UPSC conducts Preliminary Examination of the Civil Services Examination which is also known as UPSC CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test). Initiating from 2011, CSAT is being held as a combination of two papers ( General Studies and General Aptitude). The combined score in those two papers is  used to select candidates who can appear for Civil Services (Mains) Exam. The candidates who  score well in the Civil Services (Mains) Exam and the subsequent Interview, are appointed for the prestigious IAS (Indian Administrative Service), IPS (Indian Police Service), IFS (Indian Foreign Service), IRS (Indian Revenue Service) and other Central Services  posts in accordance with the Rules published by the Department of Personnel & Training in the Gazette of India Extraordinary.

UPSC Civil Services 2016 Exam Schedule

  • Civil Services CSAT 2016 Prelims

Date of Notification – 27.04.2016

Last Date for Receipt of Applications – 27.05.2016

Exam Date : 07.08.2016 ( Sunday )

Duration : 01 Day

  • Civil Services CSAT 2016 Mains

Exam Date : 03.12.2016 (Saturday)

Duration : 05 days

When will CSAT 2016 be held?

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced that CSAT 2016 would be held on August 07, 2016 (Sunday). CSAT is traditionally conducted every year in May. CSAT paper 1 will be conducted in the morning session and CSAT paper 2 will be conducted in the afternoon.

Must Read: Union Public Service Commission

Who is eligible to appear for CSAT 2016?

Indian nationalities who have attained the age of 21 years, and not have attained the upper age limit of 32 years on 1st August of the year, in which he/she attempts the exams, are eligible. UPSC Commission takes up verification of eligibility conditions with reference to original documents only after the candidate has qualified for Interview / Personality Test.

Educational Qualification for CSAT 2016

The candidate must hold bachelor’s degree in any discipline from any recognized university. Final year degree students who will obtain the degree by August 1, 2016 are also eligible for CSAT 2016 Exam. The degree can be of any class (distinction, first, second etc.). Degree obtained from any recognised distance education/open university is also eligible.

No. of Attempts allowed in CSAT 2016 Exams

Every candidate appearing at the examination who is otherwise eligible, shall be permitted six attempts at the examination. Provided that this restriction on the number of attempts will not apply to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes candidates who are otherwise eligible.

For some candidates there is a limit on the number of times they can attempt the Civil Services Exams. Even attending to one paper of CSAT (Prelim Exam) counts as an attempt. Applying for CSAT (Prelim Exam) but not attending to any paper does not count as an attempt.

Read Also: Civil Services Examination

How to Apply online for CSAT 2016 Exam?

Candidates are required to apply Civil Services Exam Online by using the website http://www.upsconline.nic.in. Detailed instructions for filling up Civil Services Exam Online applications are available on the above mentioned website.

UPSC allows online application and the process is very simple, secure and reliable as electronic acknowledgement ensures that application process remain error-free. The application website will open after the notification is issued in 27th April, 2016. Online application process for CSAT 2016 will start from 27.04.2016. The last date for filling the online application for CSAT 2016 is 27.05.2016 till 11.59 P.M. after which the link will be disabled.

About 3,00,000 people are expected to take the test and about 11,000 – 12,000 people will be qualified for the Civil Services ( Mains ) Exam.

UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2016 Application Fee

Candidates (excepting Female / SC / ST / PH candidates who are exempted from payment of fee) are required to pay fee of Rupee 100/- (Rupees One Hundred only) either by remitting the money in any Branch of SBI by Cash, or by using net banking facility of State Bank of India / State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur / State Bank of Hyderabad / State Bank of Mysore / State Bank of Patiala / State Bank of Travancore or by using Visa / Master Credit / Debit Card.

How much is the pass score in CSAT 2016 to Qualify for Mains?

CSAT has 2 papers – Paper I (General Studies and Current Affairs) which is generally very tough and Paper II (General Aptitude) which is generally very easy. Assuming those difficulty levels, a combined score (total score from both the papers) of about 50% is good for general category candidates to qualify for Mains.

Read Also: Things to Keep in Mind While Choosing Optional Paper for IAS Exam

UPSC CSAT 2016 Syllabus

The UPSC CSAT 2016 will have two compulsory Papers of 200 marks each and of two hours duration each. All questions are of objective type. The marks scored in the CSAT 2016 are used for determining qualified candidates for the Civil Services (Mains) Exam 2016 only. The CSAT 2016 score will not be carried over to the next stage (Civil Services Mains Exam 2016).

Paper I – ( 200 marks ) Duration : Two hours.

  • Current events of national and international importance.
  • History of India and Indian National Movement.
  • Indian and World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic geography of India and the World.
  • Indian Polity and Governance – Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.
  • Economic and Social Development – Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion, Demographics, Social Sector Initiatives, etc.
  • General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.
  • General Science.

Paper II – ( 200 marks ) Duration : Two hours.

  • Comprehension
  • Interpersonal skills including communication skills
  • Logical reasoning and analytical ability
  • Decision making and problem solving
  • General mental ability
  • Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude etc.), Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc.)

Also Read: NCERT books for IAS Exam Preparation – PDF Free Download

Important Notes for UPSC Examination 2016 are:

  • The eligible candidates shall be issued an e-Admission Certificate three weeks before the commencement of the Civil Services Preliminary examination 2016. The e-Admission Certificates for Civil Services Preliminary Exam will be made available in the UPSC website (www.upsc.gov.in) for downloading by candidates. No Admission Certificate for Civil Service Exam 2016 will be sent by post.
  • Candidates should note that there will be negative marking for wrong answers marked by a candidate in the Objective Type Question Papers.
  • In case of any guidance / information / clarification regarding their applications, candidature etc. Candidates can contact over Telephone No. 011-23385271 / 011-23381125 / 011-23098543 on working days between 10.00 hrs and 17.00 hrs.
  • Mobile phones, pagers or any other communication devices are not allowed inside the premises where the examination is being conducted. Any infringement of these instructions shall entail disciplinary action including ban from future examinations.
  • Candidates are required to apply only through online mode no other mode for submission of UPSC IAS applications is allowed.
  • Before initiating the process of filling up of IAS Online Application, a candidate must have his / her photograph and signature duly scanned in the jpg. format in such a manner that each file should not exceed 40 KB and must not be less than 3 KB in size for the photograph and 1 KB for the signature.
  • Applicants should avoid submitting multiple applications. However, if due to any unavoidable circumstances, any applicant submits multiple applications then he / she must ensure that the applications with higher RID is complete in all respects and fee paid against one RID shall not be adjusted against any other RID.
  • The applicants must ensure that while filling their IAS Application Form, they are providing their valid and active E-Mail IDs as the Union Public Service Commission may use electronic mode of communication while contacting them at different stages of Civil Services Examination process. The applicants are advised to check their emails at regular intervals and ensure that the email address ending with @ nic.in are directed to their inbox folder and not to the Spam folder or any other folder.

Don’t Miss: How to Crack IAS Exam? 10 Tips for IAS Preparation

Biotechnology Impact on Cotton Production

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Syskool
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Cotton Production

From 2002-03, the time of adoption of Bt cotton, India has witnessed an astonishing revolution in the cotton sector, that has not been felt in the case of any another crop. The cotton production jumped from 14 million bales in 2000-01 to 39 million bales in 2014-15, registering a 178% increase. India, on the whole, produced 140 million bales “extra” during 2003-04 to 2014-15. It has changed the status of India in the field of cotton production: India, from a net importer in 2000-01, became a net importer in 2014-15 as well as the largest producer. In fact India has been ranked the second largest exporter after the United States.

Economic Benefits from Cotton Production

With the enhancement in cotton production, India saved an import bill of $24.2 billion, collectively, in 2002-15. Apart from this, because of the surplus production India’s export of raw cotton mounted and added around $21.2 billion to national export earnings. To add more, India earned about $9.36 billion from the “extra” yarn exports that became possible by the increased cotton production.

Benefits of Cotton farmers

Due to the cultivation of hybrid Bt cotton seeds that started in 2002-03, the average income of farmers has increased by almost 575%. Moreover, the application of Bt cotton seeds in India has enhanced cotton yield from 308 kg per hectare in 2001 to 509 kg per hectare in 2009.

Read Also: Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY)

Problems of Bt cotton

Apart from imparting negative impact on the environment, it has affected, rather negatively, the farmers who lacked the technology as they felt being left behind in the race. Besides, GM seeds are resistant to only few diseases, issues like defective seeds, prevalence of GM-resistant pests like pink bollwarm are also emerging and causing concerns.

Recent Government Decision

Recently, as it has become obvious, the government has become control-centric in Bt cotton seeds pricing, including trait fees between parent company Mahyco Monsanto Biotech Ltd  and licensee companies that have acquired private contracts.

Impact on Farmers

It will lead to cheaper seeds (Bolgard II) for farmers, therefore, leading to a cut in production costs. It has been estimated to bring upto Rs. 250 crore savings for the Maharashtra cotton farmers. It is going to help farmers in enhancing production and cope better with droughts.

Must Read: PM Urged to Revamp Medical Council of India (MCI)

10 UPSC Toppers 2016 – All You Need to Know

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Syskool
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upsc toppers 2016

The UPSC Toppers marks reflect the strict pattern maintained by Union Public Service Commission while selecting country’s top bureaucrat which acts as nodal authority for the UPSC.

Merit List of UPSC Toppers

Tina Dabi

Delhi girl Tina Dabi has cracked the 2015 Civil Services Examination and has topped in the list of UPSC toppers. Tina her achieved this success in her first attempt and has graduated in Political Science from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University. “It is indeed a proud moment for me to top among the UPSC toppers and my mother is my role model,” Tina Dabi said.

Her mother wanted her to study Political Science and Tina chose it as her optional subject and got through in the Civil Services Examination. Tina Dabi has chosen Haryana as her cadre preference. She said, “I always wanted to work in a challenging state. That is why I chose Haryana.”

Marks Obtained by Tina Dabi

 Total Marks  Marks Obtained
Total (Written)  1750 868
 Interview 275  195
 Total  2025  1063 (52.49%)

Read More: Meet Tina Dabi IAS Topper 2015 – 2016

Athar Aamir-ul-Shafi Khan

Railway officer, Athar Aamir-ul-Shafi Khan from Jammu and Kashmir has got second rank in the list of UPSC toppers, who hails from Anantnag in South Kashmir, got through the test in his second attempt. In his first attempt in 2014, he had got Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) and is presently undergoing training in Indian Railways Institute of Transport Management, Lucknow. Athar Aamir-ul-Shafi Khan, chose Philosophy as his optional subject for Civil Services Exam.

An elated Athar Aamir-ul-Shafi Khan, one among the UPSC toppers said, “It is a dream come true and I will not leave any stone unturned to work for the betterment of people. I have opted for Jammu and Kashmir cadre and I will be happy in case I get chance to work there. I think there is a lot of scope to fulfill aspirations of people of my state.”

Marks obtained by Athar Aamir-ul-Shafi Khan

 Total Marks  Marks Obtained
Total (Written)  1750 825
 Interview 275  193
 Total  2025  1018 (50.27%)

Read More: Meet Athar Aamir-ul-Shafi Khan IAS, AIR – 2, 2015

Jasmeet Singh Sandhu

Delhi-based Jasmeet Singh Sandhu, an Indian Revenue Service officer, has secured third position in the list of UPSC toppers. Jasmeet was also selected in 2014 Civil Services exam and had got Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise). He is undergoing training at National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics in Faridabad.

An engineering graduate from IIT-Roorkee, Jasmeet Singh Sandhu started his preparations for Civil Services in 2010. But he was not able to clear it on his first two attempts, and got into the IRS on his third attempt. This was Jasmeet Singh Sandhu’s fourth attempt and found his name in the top 3 list of UPSC Toppers. With Punjabi literature as his optional subject he qualified the UPSC Exam.

Marks Obtained by Jasmeet Singh Sandhu

 Total Marks  Marks Obtained
Total (Written)  1750 824
 Interview 275  190
 Total  2025  1014 (50.07%)

Read More: Meet Jasmeet Singh Sandhu IAS, AIR-3, 2015

Artika Shukla

Varanasi woman Artika Shukla of 25 years made her city proud by securing fourth rank in the 2015 civil services examination in her first attempt. Aritka quit her MD paediatrics course in November 2014 to find her name in the list of UPSC Toppers. Before doing it, she sought advice of his elder brother Utkarsh Shukla, an officer of Indian Railway Traffic Services (IRTS). He encouraged her and asked her to go ahead.

Artika Shukla chose Medical Science as her subject because she has indepth knowledge of it that helped her a lot. She calls her brother as her source of inspiration. She also draws inspiration from former President the late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.

Marks Obtained by Artika Shukla

 Total Marks  Marks Obtained
Total (Written)  1750 827
 Interview 275  173
 Total  2025  1000 (49.38%)

Read More: Read Success Story of Artika Shukla IAS, AIR-4, 2015

Shashank Tripathi

Shashank Tripathi who hails from Kanpur quit the placement session of his college IIT Kanpur in the year 2013 and chose Civil Services and his decision of quitting the placement session definitely paid him well and his effort rewarded him with 5th rank in the UPSC toppers list.

Shashank a meritorious student since his school days had managed to crack the Civil Services in his first attempt as well and had got 272 AIR which landed him in the Indian Revenue Services (IRS) cadre but he was not satisfied and this made him work hard work again. This was Shashank Tripathi’s second attempt for UPSC Exam and he was undergoing training for that in Nagpur. Shashank Tripathi wishes to serve as the IAS officer in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Shashank Tripathi said that the mantra of success was focus while his studies. He said that it was challenging to study and undergo training and there was always a paucity of time, but his determination made him through for the second time to come in the list of UPSC Toppers.

Marks Obtained by Shashank Tripathi

 Total Marks  Marks Obtained
Total (Written)  1750 824
 Interview 275  172
 Total  2025  996 (49.19%)

Must Read: Tina Dabi tops UPSC Civil Services 2015-16 Results

Ashish Tiwari

Ashish Tiwari have been selected in UPSC and his name comes in the 6th position among the UPSC Toppers merit list. He is posted in Indian Oil Corporation as maintenance engineer in Jaipur. However, he chose Public Administration and not engineering as his optional subject for UPSC exam.

“Public administration has relevance with Indian Administrative Service, which is why I opted for this subject,” Ashish Tiwari said. He studied 6-7 hours a day for UPSC while doing his job to find his name among the UPSC Toppers.

Marks Obtained by Ashish Tiwari

 Total Marks  Marks Obtained
Total (Written)  1750 827
 Interview 275  168
 Total  2025  995 (49.14%)

Read Also: IAS Topper Gaurav Agarwal UPSC Interview 2014

Sharanya Ari

IT engineer Sharanya Ari secured the seventh rank in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2015. “Though I had an opportunity to fly abroad, my parents wanted me to join Civil Services,” said Sharanya Ari. It was her fourth attempt. It was a long-time dream of her parents to find Sharanya Ari’s name in list of UPSC Toppers. “After failure, picking yourself up and motivating yourself is the most challenging part in Civil Services Exam. Unless you have family support, you will not be successful,” said Sharanya Ari.

Marks Obtained by Sharanya Ari

 Total Marks  Marks Obtained
Total (Written)  1750 818
 Interview 275  165
 Total  2025  983 (48.54%)

Also Read: UPSC Board Interview of IAS Topper Chanchal Rana, Rank 7

Kumbhejkar Yogesh Vijay

Pune-based Yogesh Kumbhejkar was not satisfied with his 145th rank last year. After making it to the eighth position in his third attempt, Kumbhejkar Yogesh Vijay told he was happy training as an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer but was preparing to take the UPSC exam again to improve his rank and to see his name in the list of UPSC Toppers.

Marks Obtained by Kumbhejkar Yogesh Vijay

 Total Marks  Marks Obtained
Total (Written)  1750 845
 Interview 275  138
 Total  2025  983 (48.54%)

Must Read: Dr.Ruveda Salam IPS – First Women from Kashmir to Qualify UPSC Exam

Karn Satyarthi

Karn Satyarthi, a small town boy from Jharkhand’s Dhanbad studied on his own to find his name in the merit list of UPSC toppers and achieved it by attaining All India Rank 9 in his second attempt. “India can progress only with an eradication of gender and caste discrimination,” Karn Satyarthi, an IIT-Kharagpur graduate in Mining Engineering, said.

Marks Obtained by Karn Satyarthi

 Total Marks  Marks Obtained
Total (Written)  1750 776
 Interview 275  206
 Total  2025 982 (48.49%)

Anupam Shukla

Marks Obtained by Anupam Shukla

 Total Marks  Marks Obtained
Total (Written)  1750 798
 Interview 275  182
 Total  2025  980 (48.40%)

Don’t Miss: Toppers Story – Ananya Das IAS

Top 10 Largest Economies of the World

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Syskool
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largest economy of world

The list of Industrial Economies of the world includes:

United States

The US economy, the largest in the world, represents about 22 % of the nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) calculated globally. The United States, an economic superpower, is highly advanced in terms of technology and infrastructure and has abundant natural resources. The US GDP was calculated to about $17.5 trillion in the year 2015.

Don’t Miss: The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

China

China has transformed itself from a centrally planned closed economy in the 1970s to a manufacturing and exporting hub over the years. The Chinese economy is propelled by an equal contribution from manufacturing and services (45% each, approximately) with a 10% contribution by the agricultural sector. The Chinese GDP was about $ 10 trillion in 2015.

Japan

The third largest economy in the world is the economy of Japan. It is recently the fourth largest by achieving the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). The country’s per capita income is about $36,899 in 2013 and GDP about $4.89 trillion in 2015.

Germany

Germany is Europe’s largest and strongest economy. Germany’s economy is known for its exports of machinery, vehicles, household equipment, and chemicals. The size of its nominal GDP is $3.28 trillion while its GDP in terms of the purchasing power parity is $3.62 trillion.

Don’t Miss: National Income 

France

France is the 5th largest economy with a nominal GDP of $2.9 trillion. Its GDP in term of the purchasing power parity is around $2.59 trillion. France has a low poverty rate and high standard of living, which is reflected in its GDP per capita of $40,445. The country is among the top exporters and importers in the world.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom with a $2.5 trillion GDP, is the world’s 6th largest and Europe’s 3rd largest economy. The country includes the population which takes into consideration the factors like GDP, Facts, Trade, and business inflation. The economy in terms of GDP and purchasing power parity stands at $2.43 trillion with a GDP per capita of $37,744.

 Brazil

Brazil, with its $2.24 trillion economies, is the 7th largest economy by nominal GDP. The Brazilian economy has developed services, manufacturing and agricultural sector, each sector contributing around 68%, 26%, and 6% respectively. The Brazilian GDP measured in purchasing power parity is $3.07 trillion, while its GDP per capita is $15,153.

Italy

Italy’s $2.13 trillion economy is the world’s 8th largest economy in terms of nominal GDP. The economy suffers from a huge public debt, estimated to be 133%of GDP, according to the CIA World Factbook. The GDP measured in purchasing power parity for the economy is estimated at $2.06 trillion, while its per capita GDP is $34,455.

Russia

Russia it is the 9th largest economy with a nominal GDP of $2.1 trillion. Russia’s domestic consumption amid a politically stable atmosphere has paved the way for economic growth in the country. Russia’s economy in terms of purchasing power parity is estimated at $3.56 trillion while its GDP per capita is $24,764.

India

India ranks 3rd in GDP in terms of Purchasing Power Parity ($7.28 trillion), while its nominal GDP ($2.04 trillion) places it in the 10th spot.

The country’s high population drags its GDP (in terms of Purchasing power parity) per capita down to $ 5,778. India’s 17% GDP is still dependent on agriculture. However, the services sector has picked up in recent years and

Related Posts: 

India to reduce emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35 percent by 2030

Poverty : Concept and its Variants

INDIAN ECONOMY

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