Competitive World

Tag: MPPSC 2021

  • India’s Taliban Challenge (India’s Options)

    In this article, we will discuss India’s Taliban Challenge (India’s Options). So, let’s get started.

    India’s Options

    • Broader Diplomatic Engagement: India should consider appointing a special envoy dedicated to Afghanistan. The envoy can ensure that Indian views are expressed at every meeting, and broaden engagement with the Taliban.
    • Decoupling of Taliban-Pakistan: Although Pakistan’s leverage over the Taliban is real, it may not be absolute.
    • The Taliban is bound to seek a measure of autonomy from Pakistan. India will have to wait a while before the current issues between India and the Taliban can be overcome.
    • Balancing the Opportunities in Afghanistan: Structuring the internal balance of power within Afghanistan has always been hard. A deeper Sino-Pak partnership in Afghanistan will inevitably produce countervailing trends.
    • However, for a patient, open-minded and active India, there will be no dearth of balancing opportunities in Afghanistan.
    • Leverage Indian Infrastructural Developments: Indian USD 3 billion assistance to Afghanistan is in concrete projects that serve its population and have earned it their goodwill that will endure.
    • The need today is to not stop the development work in Afghanistan and continue the good work.
    • Global Cooperation: There is a lot less global acceptance of terrorism today than in it was in the 1990s.
    • No major power would like to see Afghanistan re-emerge as a global sanctuary of terror.
    • The world has also imposed significant new constraints on Pakistan’s support for terror through mechanisms like the Financial Action Task Force.

  • India’s Taliban Challenge

    In this article, we will discuss India’s Taliban Challenge. So, let’s get started.

    Challenges For India

    • Issue of Indian Security: The restoration of Taliban rule in Afghanistan presents some very serious potential challenges for Indian security.
    • The challenges range from securing its development infrastructures to safely evacuating Indians stranded in troubled Afghanistan.
    • Spread of International Terrorism: For India, a bigger challenge will be about the Taliban’s renewed support for international terrorism and Pakistan’s re-direction of jihadi groups that have allegedly fought with the Taliban towards India.
    • Religious Fundamentalism: Like all radical groups, the Taliban will have trouble balancing its religious ideology with the imperatives of state interests.
    • India faces a challenge to deradicalise the region for long lasting peace and stability.
    • New Regional Geopolitical Developments: There can be new regional geopolitical alignments (such as China-Pakistan-Taliban) which may go against the interests of India.
    • Meanwhile, the US withdrawal compels the creation of a new balance of power system in and around Afghanistan.
    • Moreover, the US and the West will try to shape the international attitudes towards the new regime.
    • No Contiguity With Taliban: Unlike Pakistan, China and Iran, India has no contiguity with Afghanistan.
    • Russia has a security treaty with Tajikistan, for instance, and has deployed more troops there to prevent a destabilising spill over from the turmoil in Afghanistan into Central Asia.
    • India has no such security responsibilities and no direct access to Central Asia.
    • This may give reasons to the Taliban to hit back at India through Pakistan in J&K, given that LeT and Jaish are operating in Afghanistan alongside the Taliban.

  • Depreciating Indian Rupee (Reasons)

    In this article, we will discuss Depreciating Indian Rupee (Reasons). So, let’s get started.

    Reasons for the Decline

    • Rising Covid Cases:
    • Rising Covid-19 cases have emerged as a key concern. As several states are now considering more stringent lockdown measures, market participants are concerned over delay in the recovery of the economy, which was hit hard in 2020-21 by the pandemic.
    • Strengthening of USD:
    • The strengthening of USD in line with expectations of better growth in the US economy, has also put pressure on the Rupee.
    • Reserve Bank of India’s (RBIs) G-SAP:
    • RBI’s announcement of Government Securities Acquisition Programme (G-SAP) programme to infuse liquidity has also put additional pressure on the Rupee.
    • This is being read as a sort of quantitative easing policy the global central banks had followed, in which the RBI will support the government’s elevated borrowing programme through infusion of liquidity.
    • Decreasing FPI Investments:
    • Another factor that is putting additional pressure is the decreasing support of the Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs), who pumped huge inflows into Indian equity markets between October 2020 and February 2021.
    • While the FPIs invested a net of Rs. 1.94 lakh crore between October 2020 and February 2021 (in the Indian markets), in the month of April 2021 they have pulled out a net of Rs 2,263 crore (till date).

  • Impact of Depreciating Rupee

    In this article, we will discuss Impact of Depreciating Rupee. So, let’s get started.

    Impact of Depreciating Rupee

    Losers:

    • People Importing from outside.
    • People seeking foreign education.
    • People travelling abroad.
    • People investing abroad.
    • People seeking medical treatment abroad etc.

    Gainers:

    • People exporting from India.
    • People receiving remittances from Non Resident Indian (NRI).
    • Foreign tourists as travel to India gets cheaper.

  • Currency Depreciation

    In this article, we will discuss Currency Depreciation. So, let’s get started.

    Currency Depreciation

    • Currency depreciation is a fall in the value of a currency in a floating exchange rate system.
    • In a floating exchange rate system, market forces (based on demand and supply of a currency) determine the value of a currency.
    • Rupee depreciation means that rupee has become less valuable with respect to dollar.
    • It means that the rupee is now weaker than what it used to be earlier.
    • For example: USD 1 used to equal to Rs. 70, now USD 1 is equal to Rs. 76, implying that the rupee has depreciated relative to the dollar i.e. it takes more rupees to purchase a dollar.
    • Some of the factors that influence the value of a currency:
    • Inflation
    • Interest rates
    • Trade deficit
    • Macroeconomic policies
    • Equity market
    • Currency depreciation increases a country’s export activity as its products and services become cheaper to buy.
    • The RBI intervenes in the currency market to support the rupee as a weak domestic unit can increase a country’s import bill.
    • There are a variety of methods by which RBI intervenes:
    • It can intervene directly in the currency market by buying and selling dollars.
    • If the RBI wishes to increase the rupee value, then it can sell dollars and when it needs to bring down rupee value, it can buy dollars.
    • The central bank can also influence the value of rupee by the way of monetary policy.
    • RBI can adjust the repo rate (the rate at which RBI lends to banks) and the liquidity ratio (the portion of money banks are required to invest in government bonds) to control rupee.

  • Devaluation of Currency

    In this article, we will discuss Devaluation of Currency (Definition). So, let’s get started.

    Devaluation is the deliberate downward adjustment of the value of a country’s money related to another currency, group of currencies or currency standard. It is often confused with depreciation and is the opposite of revaluation which refers to the readjustment of a currency exchange rate.

    Definition

    The government of country may decide to devalue its currency and like depreciation it is not the result of non-governmental activities.

    One reason a country made devalue its currency is to combat a trade imbalance. Devaluation reduces the cost of a country’s export rendering them more competitive in the Global market which is which in turn increases the cost of imports. If imports are more expensive domestic consumers are less likely to purchase them further strengthening domestic businesses because exports increase and imports decrease there is typically a better balance of payments because the trade deficit shrinks. In short a country that devalue its currency can produce is difficult because there is a greater demand for cheaper exports.

  • English (Practice Set-12)

    In this article, we will solve English (Practice Set-12). So, let’s get started.

    1. Fill in the blank with it to complete the sentence.
    The date of the function………. not been decided yet.

    • (a) have
    • (b) has
    • (c) was
    • (d) is

    Directions (Q. Nos. 2-3) Find the error and justify your answers and choose ‘No error’ if you find no error.

    2. This is first time (a) /the company has ventured into (b)movie production. (c) No crror (d)

    3. There is no argument against the fact that (a)/ humans are most intelligent (b)/of all species. (c) No error (d)

    4. A sentence has been given Direct/Indirect. Select the one which best expresses the same sentence in Indirect/Direct
    He said, “Gandhi ji faced many awkward situations when he was living in south Africa”.

    • (a) He said that Gandhi ji had faced many awkward situations when he was living in South Africa.
    • (b) He says that Gandhi ji faced many awkward situations when he was living in South Africa.
    • (c) He told that Gandhi ji had faced many awkward situations when he was living to South Africa.
    • (d) He said that Gandhi ji had been facing awkward situations when he was living in South Africa.

    5. Fill in the blank.

    Had he taken his degree five years ago, he …….. got a promotion by now.

    • (a) might
    • (b) would have
    • (c) will be
    • (d) was

    6. Choose the proper sequence.

    • (a) He may be poor now but he appears to have been rich in his youth.
    • (b) He may be poor now but he appears to be rich in his youth
    • (c) He may be poor now but he appears being rich in his youth.
    • (d) He may be poor now but he appears to rich in his youth.

    7. Choose correct option to improve the sentence at place of underlined words.

    Honesty is more superior than riches.

    • (a) No improvement
    • (b) for superior than
    • (c) more superior to
    • (d) superior to

    8. Choose the correct preposition. Leaves …….. in autumn.

    • (a) fall down
    • (b) fall of
    • (c) fall on
    • (d) fall off

    Directions (Q. Nos. 9-12) Read the passage and answer the following questions.Soft skills refer to non-technical, personality. specific skills that are easy to learn and follow compared to technical skills Therefore these skills are called technical skills. Soft skills encompass anything and everything that relates to the functioning of a group. an individual or an organisation in relation to behavior, performance, interaction, team spirit and all related aspects which are non-technical in nature. In today’s competitive world, the only sustainable competitive advantage that cannot be duplicated is the “soft skills”, the quality, drive, enthusiasm and leadership ability of the people of the organisation. To be more precise, soft skill refers to the cluster of personality traits, interpersonal skills, social graces, etiquettes, personal habits, friendliness, leadership skills and optimism that mark each of us to varying degrees. For aspirants seeking job, a variety of basic traits and skills like knowledge, character traits, and interpersonal abilities combined with ethics and attitudes from the key to their ability to get a job to keep it, and to move up in the organisation. For corporates, soft skills are about projecting oneself and one’s professional skills in the best possible way, and taking holistic view of things. They are about how you interact with and react to others when you come into contact with them; they enable you to zero down to the most important point you went to make but in an attractive and charming manner.

    9. Which of the following is not true about soft skills?

    • (a) They are easy to learn.
    • (b) They involve team spirit.
    • (c) They are not non-technical skills.
    • (d) They do not rlate to an individual

    10. What is not included in the cluster of soft skills?

    • (a) Personality traits
    • (b) Social graces
    • (c) Pessimism
    • (d) Ladership skills

    11. What all skills an aspirant seeking a job should possess to build a career?

    • (a) Interpersonal abilities
    • (b) Character traits
    • (c) Knowledge
    • (d) All of these

    12. Select the suitable title for the passage.

    • (a) Soft Skills – A Non-Technical Skill
    • (6) Soft Skills Your Competitive Advantage
    • (c) Soft Skills A Complete Skill
    • (d) Soft Skills The Best Leadership Skill

    Directions (Q. Nos. 13-14) Find the error and justify your answers and choose ‘No error’ if you find no error.
    13. The university has ordered (a)/ an inquiry into the leak and formed an inquiry committee who will have to (b)/submit its primary report within 48 hours. (c) No error (d)

    14. There is a growing demand (a) for a law requiring employers to provide workers with paid leave (b) so as to care for sick children. (c)/ No error (d)

    15. Out of the four alternative, choose the one which can be substituted for the given words/sentence.
    A highly skilled musician

    • (a) Artiste
    • (b) Virtuoso
    • (c) Performer
    • (d) Diva

    16. Choose the most appropriate alternative out of the four. The police man told me that he knew that saint ……. he had been arrested and sent to prison for fifteen years.

    • (a) when
    • (b) while
    • (c) as
    • (d) since

    17. Identify the incorrect spelt word.

    • (a) Beautisian
    • (b) Bilingual
    • (c) Barbarian
    • (d) Balloon

    18. Choose the alternative which best express the meaning of the Idiom/Phrase.
    I don’t buy it

    • (a) I don’t believe it
    • (b) I have no money
    • (c) I summarize it
    • (d) I don’t need it

    19. In each of the following question, four word choices have been given. Out of these four words, you have to choose the one which can be substituted for the given words/sentences.
    Collection of names of books useful for the purpose,

    • (a) Bibiography
    • (b) Synchronize
    • (c) Explicable
    • (d) Dignified

    20. Find the crror and justify your answers and choose “No error’ if you find no error.
    Haven’t you notice (a) that for the past one month he hasn’t been here (b)) at his regular place? (C)/No error (d)

    21. Choose the correct Alternative in the place of underline word/sentence.
    Being a wet day, he stayed at home.

    • (a) Though
    • (b) since
    • (c) As it was
    • (d) No improvement

    Directions (Q. Nos. 22-23) In the following questions, pick up correct antonyms for the given words.

    22. Belittle

    • (a) expand
    • (b) inflate
    • (c) praise
    • (d) extol

    23. Inevitable

    • (a) uncertain
    • (b) ineligible
    • (c) inevident
    • (d) inefficient

    24. Each of the following items in this section consists of a sentence, the parts of where have been jumbled. These parts have been labelled P, Q, R and S. Given below each sentence there are four sequences namely (a), (b), (c) and (d). Your required to re-arrange the jumbled parts of the sentence and select the proper sequence.
    On the contrary, in countries like China and the other Paciftc countries, (P)
    permission for shooting but also (Q)
    film-makers not only obtain quick (R)
    get subsidies to undertake the job (S)
    Which one of the following sequences is correct?

    • (a) PRQS
    • (b) QSPR
    • (c) PSQR
    • (d) QRPS

    25. Fill in the blank.
    He will not work ………. he is compelled.

    • (a) till
    • (b) if
    • (c) after
    • (d) unless

    Answer sheet: 1 (b) 2 (a) 3 (b) 4 (a) 5 (b) 6 (a) 7 (d) 8 (a) 9 (c) 10 (c) 11 (d) 12 (b) 13 (a) 14 (d) 15 (c) 16 (d) 17 (a) 18 (a) 19 (a) 20 (a) 21 (c) 22 (d) 23 (c) 24 (a) 25 (d).

  • Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

    In this article, we will discuss Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. So, let’s get started.

    According to the recently released IPCC’s Report, Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is losing its stability and is very likely to decline over the 21st century.

    The ocean has an interconnected current, or circulation, system powered by wind, tides, the Earth’s rotation (Coriolis effect), the sun (solar energy), and water density differences.

    Key Points

    About AMOC:

    It is a large system of ocean currents.
    It is the Atlantic branch of the ocean conveyor belt or ThermoHaline Circulation (THC), and distributes heat and nutrients throughout the world’s ocean basins.

    Working of AMOC:

    • AMOC carries warm surface waters from the tropics towards the Northern Hemisphere, where it cools and sinks.
    • It then returns to the tropics and then to the South Atlantic as a bottom current. From there it is distributed to all ocean basins via the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.
    • The ACC is the most important current in the Southern Ocean, and the only current that flows completely around the globe.
    • Implications of decline of AMOC:
    • Without a proper AMOC and Gulf Stream, Europe will be very cold.
    • Gulf Stream, a part of the AMOC, is a warm current responsible for mild climate at the Eastern coast of North America as well as Europe.
    • An AMOC shutdown would cool the northern hemisphere and decrease rainfall over Europe.
    • It can also have an effect on the El Nino.
    • El Nino is a climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
    • It can also shift monsoons in South America and Africa.

  • India Plastics Pact (Need for Plastics Pact)

    In this article, we will discuss India Plastics Pact (Need for Plastics Pact). So, let’s get started.

    Need for Plastic Pacts:

    Indian Scenario:

    • India generates 9.46 million tonnes of plastic waste annually.
    • 40% plastic waste goes uncollected.
    • 43% of all plastics produced in India are used for packaging, majority of them being single-use.
    • However, viewed from the angle of livelihoods, post-consumer segregation, collection and disposal of plastics make up about half of the income of 1.5- 4 million waste-pickers in India.

    Global Scenario:

    • Mismanagement of more than 7.7 billion metric tonnes of plastic waste globally over the next 20 years is expected, which is equivalent to 16-times the weight of the human population.
    • Among the many applications of plastic, plastic packaging is the largest.
    • A 2019 report by the Center for International Environmental Law suggests that by 2050, greenhouse gas emissions from plastic could reach over 56 gigatonnes, 10-13% of the remaining carbon budget.

    Expected Outcome:

    • It can be expected to boost demand for recycled content, investments in recycling infrastructure, jobs in the waste sector, and beyond.
    • The Pact will support the Extended Producer Responsibility framework of the government and improve solid waste management as envisioned in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
    • Integral to the Pact’s framework is the involvement of the informal waste sector crucial to post-consumer segregation, collection and processing of plastic waste.
    • Apart from benefits to society and economy, delivering the targets will drive circularity of plastics and help tackle pollution.
    • They will lead to significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

  • India Plastics Pact

    In this article, we will discuss India Plastics Pact (About and Aim). So, let’s get started.

    The India Plastics Pact, the first in Asia, will be launched in September in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

    About:

    • The India Plastics Pact is an ambitious, collaborative initiative that aims to bring together businesses, governments and NGOs across the whole value chain to set time-bound commitments to reduce plastics from their value chains.
    • While the India Plastics Pact will be active in India, it will link globally with other Plastics Pacts.
    • The Pact will develop a road map for guidance, form action groups composed of members, and initiate innovation projects.
    • Members’ accountability is ensured through ambitious targets and annual data reporting.
    • The vision, targets and ambition of the India Plastics Pact are aligned with the circular economy principles of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy.

    Aim:

    • The Pact aims to transform the current linear plastics system into a circular plastics economy that will:
    • Reduce the use of problematic plastics,
    • Retain valuable materials in the economy for use in other products,
    • Generate jobs, investment and opportunities in the plastics system in India.
    • It aims to promote public-private collaborations that enable solutions to eliminate the plastics we do not need, bring innovation to packaging design, and to capture the value of the plastics we use.