#Important_notes_ssb_Lecturette

Unseasonal Rains & It's Impact[1/2]

✓Unseasonal rains in India have once again highlighted the vulnerabilities of our agricultural sector.

✓While rain is generally seen as a blessing, unseasonal rains can be a curse for farmers already reeling under the impact of low crop prices, rising input costs, and changing weather patterns.

✓Unseasonal rains can have a cascading effect on the overall inflationary trend.

✓The impact of unseasonal rain is not just limited to the agricultural sector but also extends to other sectors of the economy.

‼️What are the Causes of Unseasonal Rains?

🔹Climate Change:

✓Climate change can result in unpredictable weather patterns, including unseasonal rain.

✓Global warming, weak western disturbances and strong subtropical jet stream are the causes of recent unseasonal rains.

🔹El Nino:

✓El Nino is a weather phenomenon that occurs when warm water from the western Pacific Ocean flows eastward.

✓This can result in drought conditions in some regions and unseasonal rain in others.

🔹La Nina:

✓La Nina is a weather phenomenon that occurs when cool water from the eastern Pacific Ocean flows westward.

✓This can result in excess rainfall in some regions, including unseasonal rain.

🔹Atmospheric Instability:

✓Atmospheric instability can also result in unseasonal rain. When there is a sudden change in atmospheric pressure, it can result in precipitation, even during non-monsoon seasons.

🔹Human Activities:

✓Human activities such as deforestation, urbanization, and pollution can also contribute to unseasonal rain.

✓Deforestation can disrupt the water cycle, while urbanization and pollution can affect the microclimate, resulting in unseasonal rain.

❗What is the Impact of Unseasonal Rains?

🔸Agricultural Sector:

✓Unseasonal rains can lead to crop loss and impact post-harvest crops, leading to a rise in prices of perishable commodities such as vegetables and fruits.

✓Farmers already reeling under the impact of low crop prices, rising input costs, and changing weather patterns are adversely affected.

🔸Construction Sector:

✓Disruption caused by unseasonal rains can lead to a rise in prices of key raw materials such as cement and steel.

🔸Consumption Patterns:

✓The rise in prices of essential commodities can lead to a fall in the overall demand for non-essential goods and services.

🔸Social Impact:

✓Unseasonal rain can have a social impact, especially on the vulnerable sections of society such as small farmers, daily wage laborers, and migrant workers.

🔸Political Impact:

✓Unseasonal rain has a significant political impact as well, especially in the context of the upcoming state and national elections.

✓The ruling political party often faces criticism from the opposition for not doing enough to address the concerns of farmers.

✓Political blame game happens, with each party trying to score points over the other.

For more @ssbgeneraldiscussion

#Important_notes_ssb_Lecturette

Unseasonal Rains & It's Impact [2/2]

❓What is the Multi-Pronged Approach to Address the Issue?

🔹Short-term Measures:

✓Centre and States can provide compensation for crop loss, supply seeds and fertilizers at subsidized rates.

✓Minimum Support Price could be increased.

🔹Long-term Measures:

✓Structural reforms in the agricultural sector can make it more resilient to changing weather patterns.

✓Promote crop diversification, encourage the use of modern technologies and farming practices, and strengthen the supply chain infrastructure to reduce wastage and post-harvest losses.

🔹Mitigating Climate Change:

✓India needs to take a proactive approach towards mitigating its impact.

✓This requires a coordinated effort between the Centre and States, civil society organizations, and the private sector.

⁉️Conclusion

✓The impact of unseasonal rain is not just limited to the agricultural sector but also extends to other sectors of the economy.

✓A multi-parenged approach involving both short- and long-term measures is needed to address the issue.

✓Mitigating climate change is crucial to ensure the resilience of the agricultural sector.

✓The government has launched several initiatives to address the concerns of farmers, but greater coordination between the central and state governments is needed.

For more @ssbgeneraldiscussion

#Important_notes_ssb_Lecturette
#GD_Material

Criminalisation of Politics [1/2]

✔️Why in News: Recently, the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has revealed that the number of candidates with criminal cases has increased in all major political parties in Karnataka ahead of the 2023 Assembly Elections, highlighting the Issue of Criminalisation of Politics.

✓The ADR has recommended the permanent disqualification of candidates convicted of serious criminal offenses from contesting elections.

✓However, such disqualifications have not been implemented yet.

‼️What is the Criminalisation of Politics?

🔹About:

✓Criminalisation of politics is defined as the situation when criminals participate in the politics of the government, i.e., contest elections and get elected to the Parliament and state legislatures.

✓This growing menace has become a big problem for our society, affecting the basic principles of democracy, such as fairness in elections, following the law, and being accountable.

🔹Statistics:

✓According to data from the ADR, the number of candidates with criminal charges elected to Parliament in India has been on the rise since 2004.

✓In 2004, 24% of parliamentarians had pending criminal cases, which rose to 43% in 2019.

✓In a petition filed in Feb 2023, it was claimed that there has been an increase of 44% in the number of MPs with declared criminal cases since 2009.

✓In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, 159 MPs had declared serious criminal cases against them, including those of rape, murder, attempt to murder, kidnapping, crimes against women.

⁉️What are the Causes of Criminalisation of Politics?

🔸Vote Bank:

✓Candidates and political parties often resort to illegal means such as vote-buying and other illegitimate practices, aided by individuals commonly referred to as "goondas”.

✓This culture of political crime is often perpetuated by the close links between politicians and their constituencies providing a conducive environment for the misuse of power and resources for personal gain, leading to corruption and criminal activities.

🔸Corruption:

✓The majority of candidates contesting elections require money, funds, and donations.

✓It is pertinent to note that corruption directly gives rise to contempt of the law.

✓There is a direct relationship between contempt of law and criminalisation of politics. When contempt of law combines with the criminalisation of politics, it gives birth to flourishing corruption.

🔸Vested Interests:

✓People generally vote through a narrow prism of community interests and neglect the criminal background of the politicians.

✓This can lead to a situation where politicians with a criminal background are elected simply because they align with the interests of a particular community, rather than being held accountable for their actions.

🔸Muscle Power:

✓Politicians make promises to eliminate corruption and muscle power during elections, but rarely follow through.

✓The First Past the Post (FPTP) system favors the candidate with the most votes. The ideology behind using muscle power is that fear and violence can help parties win if they can't gain trust.

✓The FPTP system is also known as the simple majority system. In this voting method, the candidate with the highest number of votes in a constituency is declared the winner.

✓This creates a dangerous nexus between political parties and criminals.

🔸Money Power:

✓Black money and mafia funds contribute significantly to the criminalisation of politics.

✓These illegal sources of money are used to buy votes and win elections, leading to a rise in criminalisation in politics.

🔸Poor Governance:

✓The poor governance of the country also plays an important role in increasing the criminalization of politics.

✓There is absence of proper laws and rules for governing the procedure of the election.

✓Only the Model Code of Conduct is there which is also not enforced by any statute.

For more @ssbgeneraldiscussion

#Important_notes_ssb_Lecturette #GD_Material

Criminalisation of Politics [2/2]

‼️What are the Implications of Criminalisation of Politics?

🔹Against the Principle of Free and Fair Elections:

✓It limits the choice of voters to elect a suitable candidate.

✓It is against the ethos of Free and Fair Elections which is the bedrock of a democracy.

🔹Affecting Good Governance:

✓ The major problem is that the law-breakers become law-makers, this affects the efficacy of the democratic process in delivering good governance.

✓These unhealthy tendencies in the democratic system reflect a poor image of the nature of India’s state institutions and the quality of its elected representatives.

🔹Affecting Integrity of Public Servants:

✓The circulation of black money makes it easier for politicians to buy votes and secure their positions, leading to a situation where corrupt practices are normalized and become a part of the political system.

✓This makes it difficult for honest public servants to work effectively and can erode public trust in the government.

🔹Causes Social Disharmony:

✓It introduces a culture of violence in society and sets a bad precedent for the youth to follow and reduces people's faith in democracy as a system of governance.

❓Way Forward

▪️More Power to ECI:

✓Committees on electoral reforms have recommended state funding of elections and strengthening the Election Commission to curb black money and limit criminalisation of politics.

▪️Voters' Duty:

✓Voters should also be vigilant about misuse of money during elections.

✓The judiciary should play a proactive role by considering banning people accused with serious criminal charges from contesting elections.

▪️Expeditious Judicial Processes:

✓Fast-tracking the judicial process can help weed out the corrupt as well as criminal elements in the political system.

✓A time-bound justice delivery system, firmer steps by the ECI and a proper strengthening of relevant laws.

▪️Amending RPA:

✓Increasing criminalisation in politics calls for an amendment in the RPA 1951 to debar the persons from contesting elections against whom any serious Nature of crimes is pending.

For more @ssbgeneraldiscussion

#Important_notes_ssb_Lecturette #GD_Material

Violence in Manipur [1/2]

✓There have been violent communal clashes in Manipur due to the Manipur High Court (HC) directing the State to pursue a 10-year-old recommendation to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the non-tribal Meitei community.

✓The violence escalated after the All-Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) organized a "tribal solidarity rally" against the alleged move to include the Meiteis on the ST list.

‼️What is the Meitei argument to support demand of ST status?

✓The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee of Manipur (STDCM) began demanding ST status for the Meiteis in 2012.

✓The Meiteis were recognised as a tribe before the merger of the State with the Union of India in 1949. The ST status is needed to “preserve” the community and “save the ancestral land, tradition, culture, and language” of the Meiteis.

✓In 1972, the union territory of Manipur became 19th state of India.

✓The Meiteis need constitutional safeguards against outsiders, stating that the community has been kept away from the hills while the tribal people can buy land in the “shrinking” Imphal Valley (Apprehension of Meities that creation of Greater Nagalim would lead to shrinking of Manipur’s geographical area).

✓The Meitein/Meetei have been gradually marginalised in their ancestral land.

✓Their population was 59% of the total population of Manipur in 1951 and has now been reduced to 44% as per 2011 Census data.

✓The Naga and Kuki movements fuelled Meitei nationalism.

✓Concerns over demographic change and shrinking of traditional Meitei areas started to surface in the 1970s.

✓During the period 2006-12 came the demand for an Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Manipur, to bar outsiders.

✓The free movement of the Kuki-Zomi across Manipur’s porous border with Myanmar fanned fears of demographic change.

✓The growth rate of Manipur’s population had jumped from 12.8% in the 1941-51 period to 35.04% during 1951-61 and to 37.56% in 1961-71 after the permit system was abolished.

✓In Manipur, the government is the largest employer and the reservation for STs in jobs amounts to an unfair advantage.
Infrastructure development (like railways that would open Manipur further) has made insecurities worse.

⁉️Why are tribal groups against ST status for Meiteis?

🔹The Meiteis have a demographic and political advantage and are also more academically advanced.

🔹ST status to the Meiteis would lead to loss of job opportunities and allow them to acquire land in the hills and push the tribals out.

🔹The language of the Meitei people is included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution and many of them have access to benefits associated with the SC, OBC or EWS status.

🔹Kukis and Nagas point out that tribal areas are 90% of state’s geographical area, but the bulk of its budget and development work is focused on the Meitei-dominated Imphal valley.

❗What led to the recent Unrest?

🔸While the forest eviction and demand for ST status for Meiteis have been the most prominent recent triggers, the divide between the Meiteis and tribals on several issues has widened over the past decade.

🔸Issues in Delimitation Process:

✓In 2020, as the Centre began the first delimitation process in the state since 1973, the Meitei community alleged that the Census figures used in the exercise did not accurately reflect the population break-up.

✓Tribal groups (Kuki and Nagas) on the other hand said they had grown to 40% of the state’s population and were underrepresented in the Assembly.

🔸Intrusion of Migrants from Neighbour Area:

✓The February 2021 coup in Myanmar has led to a refugee crisis in India’s Northeast. Meitei leaders have alleged that there has been a sudden mushrooming of villages in Churachandpur district.

🔸The Drugs Problem:

✓Some tribal groups with vested interests are trying to scuttle govt’s crusade against drugs.

For more @ssbgeneraldiscussion

#Important_notes_ssb_Lecturette #GD_Material

Violence in Manipur [2/2]

✓The anti-drug drive was started by destroying poppy fields. “Illegal settlers” related to the Kuki-Zomi of Manipur, growing drugs on cleared lands.

🔸Recent Unrest:

✓The first violent protest erupted over the eviction of the residents of a Kuki village.

✓38 villages in the Churachandpur-Khoupum Protected Forest area (in Churachandpur and Noney districts) are “illegal settlements” and its residents are “encroachers (encroaching reserved and protected forests and wildlife sanctuaries for poppy plantation and drugs business”).

✓Kuki groups have claimed that the survey and eviction is a violation of Article 371C, as kukis are residents of Hill Area.

✓Article 371C provides for the creation of a committee of the Manipur Legislative Assembly consisting of the members elected from the Hill Areas of the state and Governor shall have responsibility for proper functioning of that committee.

✓At the State level there is Hill Area Committee constituted under the Manipur Legislative Assembly (Hill Areas Committee) order, 1972. The Hill areas Committee comprises of all MLAs elected from the hill areas of the State as its members.

✓The state government withdrew from the suspension of operations agreements with two Kuki extremist groups accused of inciting the protesters.

❓Way Forward

✓Need to evaluate the criteria for ST status (to Meities) in line with recommendations given by several Committees, like:

▪️The Lokur Committee (1965) recommended 5 criteria for identification, namely, primitive traits, distinct culture, geographical isolation, shyness of contact with the community at large, and backwardness.

▪️Bhuria Commission (2002-2004) focused on a wide range of issues from the 5th Schedule to tribal land and forests, health and education, the working of Panchayats and the status of tribal women.

▪️A High-Level Committee (HLC) in 2013, under chairmanship of Prof. Virginius Xaxa was constituted to study the 5 critical issues related to tribal communities: (1) livelihood and employment, (2) education, (3) health, (4) involuntary displacement and migration, (5) and legal and constitutional matters.

✓Bring more surveillance along the border areas to prevent the incursion of the migrants from Myanmar.

✓Strengthening economic and diplomatic ties with neighboring countries can help enhance
regional stability and security.

✓Need to maintain the identity of the people along the border areas to identify the local residence.

✓Signing Peace settlement agreements with the local insurgent group to maintain the peace in the region.

✓The repeal of AFSPA, the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958, is necessary to improve the human rights situation in the region.

✓The government should ensure that the legal system is fair and transparent to prevent the misuse of power by security forces.

✓The government should foster the participation of the people of the region in the decision-making process to instill a sense of ownership and belonging.

For more @ssbgeneraldiscussion

#Important_currentaffair_for_SSBinterview #Defence_News #GD_Material #Know_Your_Navy #Know_Your_Army #Know_Your_AirForce #Important_notes_ssb_Lecturette

🔸All recent deals and contracts of MoD

Hello future officers, hope you are doing well!

Here we are sharing all the recent deals and contracts signed my MoD in order to promote atamnirbarta in defence production.

1. 2400 Cr deal with BEL for Project Akashteer and Sarang systems

2. 9100 Cr deals for improved Akash Weapon Systems (AWS) and Swathi Radars

3. 1700 Cr deal with BAPL for procurement of next gen Maritime Mobile Batteries and BrahMos Missiles

4. 19600 Cr deal with Indian shipyards for 11 next gen offshore patrol vessels and 6 next gen missile vessels for IN

5. 1700 Cr deal with BEL for 13 Lynx U2 Fire control system for IN

6. 3000 Cr deal with BEL for procurement of 2 integrated electronic warfare systems Project Himshakti

7. 470 Cr deal with Ultra dimensions Pvt Ltd for modernization of naval aircraft yards at Goa and Kochi

8. 3700 Cr deal with BEL for medium power radars Arudhra and 129 DR-118 radar warning receivers

9. Women workforce in Indian Armed Forces

This post will be updated in due time and will remain pinned on the main channel,Candidates can access it any time under their thumb.

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#Monthly_Current_Affairs #Defence_Exams_Notes

Here,we are sharing all the links of previous months(for year 2023) compiled current affairs that covers different categories of CA via various sections.Ladies and Gentlemen can go through all PDFs using the links given below.

January 23
https://t.me/ssbgeneraldiscussion/17142
https://t.me/ssbgeneraldiscussion/16780

February 23
https://t.me/ssbgeneraldiscussion/17141
https://t.me/ssbgeneraldiscussion/17140

March 23
https://t.me/ssbgeneraldiscussion/17187
https://t.me/ssbgeneraldiscussion/17270

April 23
https://t.me/ssbgeneraldiscussion/17481
https://t.me/ssbgeneraldiscussion/17507

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