Aspire Civil Services

Role of Women and WomenRole of Women and WomRo'e of Women and Womens Os Organisation-Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 12:39:00 +0000

The role of women and womens movements were discussed in the previous two parts of this article.

Role of Women and Women's Organisation-Part 1

Role of Women and Women's Organisation-Part 2

WOMEN’S PARTICIPATION IN THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT

During the freedom movement, the struggle for Women’s right and equality was seen as an integral part of the struggle for national Independence. Many women who fought for the country’s freedom were also active on the issues of women’s rights. In 1885 the Indian National Congress was founded. In its 1889 Bombay Session, ten women participated. With the spread of women’s education among middle class by the last part of the nineteenth century, several women became active in the social and political life of India. Gandhiji’s call to women and large scale participation of women in India’s freedom movement brought about changes in the perception of nationalist leaders.

Role of Women and WomenRole of Women and WomRo'e of Women and Womens Os Organisation-Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 12:03:00 +0000

Having discussed the role of women in Indian society in Role of Women and Women's Organisation-Part 1 we will discuss the womens organisation and movement in the nineteenth and early twentieth century.

Social movement has been defined as an organised effort by a group of people either to bring or resist change in the society. Women’s movement is an important variant of social movement in the sense that it aims to bring changes in the institutional arrangements, values, customs and beliefs in the society that have subjugated women over the years.The reform movements of nineteenth and early twentieth centuries focused on women’s issues. The Brahmo Samaj, Prarthana Samaj and the Arya Samaj played important role in projecting women’s issues in a wider context.Womens organisation and participation in the national movement was exemplary.In the post-Independence period constitutional provisions and social legislations for women, planned economic development and social change affected women’s movement significantly.During the 1970s and 1980s occured the resurgence of women’s movement in India.

have you checked www.aspirecivilservice.com Our new website.

Role of Women and WomenRole of Women and WomRo'e of Women and Womens Os Organisation-Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 11:55:00 +0000

Gender :

The dictionary meaning of gender is “classification of objects roughly corresponding to the two sexes” as well as the properties of these two sexes. While discussing the differences between the sexes we generally focus on biological and reproductive functions, but differences in gender relate to various other attributes, which may be socially and culturally determined. In other words Status of Women sex is biological whereas gender is sociological, namely, the social meaning we attribute to it.

Role and Status:

Very simply, role tells us about what is expected from an individual in a particular situation, while status deals with her or his expectations arising out of that situation. To put it another way, a role deals with duties and obligations while status deals with rights (but not necessarily legal rights).

Our New Website

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 05 Jul 2013 09:01:00 +0000

Good Day,

I am happy to inform that we have launched our website www.aspirecivilservice.com today,

Features include

*Articles on various topics
*Forum Discussion for Prelims,Mains GS and optional subjects.
*Publish your very own articles
*Downloads section (coming soon)
*Community Page with Facebook's look and feel ,Create your own profile, connect with friends, chat etc.(coming soon)

Note: Registration is required for publishing articles and posting in Forums.

Suggestions are welcome.

Earths Interior

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 06:45:00 +0000

The interior of the earth is composed of three layers.

1. Crust which is divided into upper and lower by the Conard Discontinuity.
2. Mantle which is divided into upper and lower by the Reptite Discontinuity.
3. Core which is divided into upper and lower by the Transition or Lehman Discontinuity.
4. Crust and mantle is separated by the Moho discontinuit.
5. Mantle and core is separated by the Gutenberg discontinuity.

Evidences:

Artificial Sources

Density
Pressure
Temperature

Natural Sources

Vulcanicity
Seismic Waves

Density:
The density of the crust varies between 2.7 to 3.5 g/cms. The average density of the whole earth is 5.5. So we can assume that the interior core of the earth should be greater than 5.5. So the general trend is the density increases with increasing depth.

Pressure:
It is believed that the high density of the core is due to the high pressure created by the super incumbent load of the rocks. This is proved wrong because the density will not increase due to ressure after a certain limit. So the core should be made up of heavy metallic minerals. Research has shown that core is made up Nickel and Iron.

Temperature:
Temperature increases from the surface of the earth downward at the rate of 2 to 3 degree Celsius. Using geothermal maps it is identified that the temperature is 1000C at 43 km depth in tectonically active area while it is 500 C in tectonically stable areas.

At a depth of 100 km temperature is about 1200 C the rocks are in a molten semi solid state and this region is called the Aesthenosphere. But at this rate the temperature would be 25000 C at which the earth will not exist. So the high temperature at asthenosphere is due to the disintegration of radioactive materials found in that region.

Inferences:
1.The average temperature id around 1100 C at the aesthenosphere.
2.At depths of 400 and 700 km it is 1500 C and 1900 C respectively.
3.At 2900 km it is 3700 C.
4.At 5100 km it is 4300 C.

Vulcanicity:
During volcanic eruptions molten rock lava is thrown out. So there must be a molten magma chanber in the interior of the earth. However with increasing pressure the melting point of the rocks increase So the inner core cannot be a liquid due to high pressure.

Seismic waves:
Seismology is the study of earth quakes and the different tremors and waves generated during an earthquake are called seismic waves which is broadly classified into primary (P) waves, secondary (S)waves and Surface waves.

P Waves	Can pass through all mediums solid liquid and Gas
S Waves	Cannot pass through Liquid.
Surface Waves	Low energy waves generated at the surface of the earth which causes the maximum destruction.

Shadow regions:
The P waves are not observed in the regions at an angle of ~105 to ~140 degrees.
The S waves are not observed in the regions after an angle of 105 degrees.

The regions where the waves are not observed are called shadow regions.

The velocity of the P and S waves very with depth and research shows that there are three set of velocities implying three layers.

Based on the above inferences we can identify that

Crust is solid
Mantle is plastic (a solid that flows)
Outer Core is liquid
Inner Core is solid.

Factors that contributed to the unity of India

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 12:13:00 +0000

This is part of the series in Modern Indian History that is added to GS I in the new syllabus.

India as a young nation after Independence had to strive for the Unity of India. The global Intellegentsia was skeptical of the survival of India as the divisive forces and the factors that contribute to fragmentation were largeand they outnumbered the reasons and factors of India's unity and existence. Yet India has withstood the test of time against all odds and is considered by historians and researchers of democracy as an exception as India was reeling under poverty, communal-ism, caste-ism, underdevelopment, linguistic and regional exclusiveness, Inequality etc. We will be considering the factors that unite India in this article.

In spite of the evils of the odds and evils of the colonial legacy, the greatest good that occurred because of the british rule is the unification of India. Never been in the history of India it is dominated, controlled and united by a single power.This was accomplished by the policies off direct annexation, subsidiary alliance,doctrine of lapse etc. This was followed by the administrative and political reforms that gave an all India character to the empire. This completes the political Integration of India. Yet the British introduced the policy of divide and rule so that the entire empire would not rise against the British.

While the British united India politically, It was the struggle against British rule that brought the people from different regions together. With western education the Indian Intelligentsia explored the concept of nation state and popularized it among the masses using vernacular languages.The concept of Bharatavarsha or Hindustan started gaining popularity. The Indian national congress as a movement and as a arty before and after Independence comprised leaders of all India character and brought the people of India together.

In spite of all these the ugly head of communal-ism came to the fore with partition. It was the largest mass migration in Modern world history and not to mention the forceful evictions, communal massacre, looting and dishonor of women belonging to other community that accompanied it.The Indian leaders were quick to learn from the partition and ensured that such a thing never happens again. This reflected in the making of the constitution that had the provision to safeguard the unity of India. These noble ideals are found scattered through out the constitution in the form of fundamental rights, DPSP etc.(Explain the various provisions that safeguard culture, religion etc). These provisions gave a sense of security to the people and forced the people indirectly to stay united.

The ideals of the political parties of the time were all India in character. The Congress encompassed leaders from all regions of the country and the policies that were formulated by the congress were put to intense debate and suggestions from the leaders of different regions were accommodated into the policies. Many a bill had not been finalized due to the opposition in congress itself. Thus the Government policies satisfied the needs of all regions.

The All India services namely IAS and IPS were created and the recruitment of officers to these services and other central services are open to anyone in India. The fact that the recruitment was done by the Union government rather than state governments enabled the union to form a steel framework for the administration of India.

The Industrial development led to the migration of skilled and semiskilled labours throughout India by which the cultures of different people, regions were assimilated into one. This is evident from the thriving metros and Industrial cities of India.

The divisive forces like extremism(both right wing an d left wing), caste-ism are still dominant in India but India has shown that it is capable to overcome these challenges for all time to come.

Aspirants are encouraged to comment, criticise the post so that it caters to the requirements of UPSC main exam.

Sci & Tech : Mobile Technology Generations

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:07:00 +0000

Telecommunications have grown leaps and bounds from telephones to portable radio phones to cellular phones( first generation to fifth Generation). The below document gives an overview about all the generations.

Generations of mobile wireless technology pdf download

SCi & Tech : Electromagnetic Spectrum

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 06:40:00 +0000

The electromagnetic (EM) spectrum is the range of all types of EM radiation. Radiation is energy that travels and spreads out as it goes – the visible light that comes from a lamp in your house and the radio waves that come from a radio station are two types of electromagnetic radiation. The other types of EM radiation that make up the electromagnetic spectrum are microwaves, infrared light, ultraviolet light, X-rays and gamma-rays.

The types of electromagnetic radiation are broadly classified into the following classes

Gamma radiation
X-ray radiation
Ultraviolet radiation
Visible radiation
Infrared radiation
Terahertz radiation
Microwave radiation
Radio waves

EM waves in everyday life.

Radio: Your radio captures radio waves emitted by radio stations, bringing your favorite tunes. Radio waves are also emitted by stars and gases in space.

Microwave: Microwave radiation will cook your popcorn in just a few minutes, but is also used by astronomers to learn about the structure of nearby galaxies.

Infrared: Night vision goggles pick up the infrared light emitted by our skin and objects with heat. In space, infrared light helps us map the dust between stars.

Visible: Our eyes detect visible light. Fireflies, light bulbs, and stars all emit visible light.

Ultraviolet: Ultraviolet radiation is emitted by the Sun and are the reason skin tans and burns. "Hot" objects in space emit UV radiation as well.

X-ray: A dentist uses X-rays to image your teeth, and airport security uses them to see through your bag. Hot gases in the Universe also emit X-rays.

Gamma ray: Doctors use gamma-ray imaging to see inside your body. The biggest gamma-ray generator of all is the Universe.

Radio frequency

Main articles: Radio frequency, Radio spectrum, and Radio waves

Radio waves generally are utilized by antennas of appropriate size (according to the principle of resonance), with wavelengths ranging from hundreds of meters to about one millimeter. They are used for transmission of data, via modulation. Television, mobile phones, wireless networking, and amateur radio all use radio waves. The use of the radio spectrum is regulated by many governments through frequency allocation.
Radio waves can be made to carry information by varying a combination of the amplitude, frequency, and phase of the wave within a frequency band. When EM radiation impinges upon a conductor, it couples to the conductor, travels along it, and induces an electric current on the surface of that conductor by exciting the electrons of the conducting material. This effect (the skin effect) is used in antennas.

Microwaves

Main article: Microwaves

Plot of Earth's atmospheric transmittance (or opacity) to various wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation.

The super-high frequency (SHF) and extremely high frequency (EHF) of microwaves come after radio waves. Microwaves are waves that are typically short enough to employ tubular metal waveguides of reasonable diameter. Microwave energy is produced with klystron and magnetron tubes, and with solid state diodes such as Gunn and IMPATT devices. Microwaves are absorbed by molecules that have a dipole moment in liquids. In a microwave oven, this effect is used to heat food. Low-intensity microwave radiation is used in Wi-Fi, although this is at intensity levels unable to cause thermal heating.
Volumetric heating, as used by microwave ovens, transfers energy through the material electromagnetically, not as a thermal heat flux. The benefit of this is a more uniform heating and reduced heating time; microwaves can heat material in less than 1% of the time of conventional heating methods.
When active, the average microwave oven is powerful enough to cause interference at close range with poorly shielded electromagnetic fields such as those found in mobile medical devices and cheap consumer electronics.

Terahertz radiation

Main article: Terahertz radiation

Terahertz radiation is a region of the spectrum between far infrared and microwaves. Until recently, the range was rarely studied and few sources existed for microwave energy at the high end of the band (sub-millimeter waves or so-called terahertz waves), but applications such as imaging and communications are now appearing. Scientists are also looking to apply terahertz technology in the armed forces, where high-frequency waves might be directed at enemy troops to incapacitate their electronic equipment.^[17]

Infrared radiation

Main article: Infrared radiation

The infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum covers the range from roughly 300 GHz (1 mm) to 400 THz (750 nm). It can be divided into three parts:^[3]

Far-infrared, from 300 GHz (1 mm) to 30 THz (10 μm). The lower part of this range may also be called microwaves. This radiation is typically absorbed by so-called rotational modes in gas-phase molecules, by molecular motions in liquids, and by phonons in solids. The water in Earth's atmosphere absorbs so strongly in this range that it renders the atmosphere in effect opaque. However, there are certain wavelength ranges ("windows") within the opaque range that allow partial transmission, and can be used for astronomy. The wavelength range from approximately 200 μm up to a few mm is often referred to as "sub-millimeter" in astronomy, reserving far infrared for wavelengths below 200 μm.
Mid-infrared, from 30 to 120 THz (10 to 2.5 μm). Hot objects (black-body radiators) can radiate strongly in this range, and human skin at normal body temperature radiates strongly at the lower end of this region. This radiation is absorbed by molecular vibrations, where the different atoms in a molecule vibrate around their equilibrium positions. This range is sometimes called the fingerprint region, since the mid-infrared absorption spectrum of a compound is very specific for that compound.
Near-infrared, from 120 to 400 THz (2,500 to 750 nm). Physical processes that are relevant for this range are similar to those for visible light. The highest frequences in this region can be detected directly by some types of photographic film, and by many types of solid state image sensors for infrared photography and videography.

Visible radiation (light)

Main article: Visible spectrum

Above infrared in frequency comes visible light. The Sun emits its peak power in the visible region, although integrating the entire emission power spectrum through all wavelengths shows that the Sun emits slightly more infrared than visible light.^[18] By definition, visible light is the part of the EM spectrum to which the human eye is the most sensitive. Visible light (and near-infrared light) is typically absorbed and emitted by electrons in molecules and atoms that move from one energy level to another. This action allows the chemical mechanisms that underly human vision and plant photosynthesis. The light which excites the human visual system is a very small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. A rainbow shows the optical (visible) part of the electromagnetic spectrum; infrared (if you could see it) would be located just beyond the red side of the rainbow with ultraviolet appearing just beyond the violet end.
Electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength between 380 nm and 760 nm (400-790 terahertz) is detected by the human eye and perceived as visible light. Other wavelengths, especially near infrared (longer than 760 nm) and ultraviolet (shorter than 380 nm) are also sometimes referred to as light, especially when the visibility to humans is not relevant. White light is a combination of lights of different wavelengths in the visible spectrum. Passing white light through a prism splits it up into the several colors of light observed in the visible spectrum between 400 nm and 780 nm.
If radiation having a frequency in the visible region of the EM spectrum reflects off an object, say, a bowl of fruit, and then strikes our eyes, this results in our visual perception of the scene. Our brain's visual system processes the multitude of reflected frequencies into different shades and hues, and through this insufficiently-understood psychophysical phenomenon, most people perceive a bowl of fruit.
At most wavelengths, however, the information carried by electromagnetic radiation is not directly detected by human senses. Natural sources produce EM radiation across the spectrum, and technology can also manipulate a broad range of wavelengths. Optical fiber transmits light that, although not necessarily in the visible part of the spectrum (it is usually infrared), can carry information. The modulation is similar to that used with radio waves.

Ultraviolet light

Main article: Ultraviolet

The amount of penetration of UV relative to altitude in Earth's ozone

Next in frequency comes ultraviolet (UV). The wavelength of UV rays is shorter than the violet end of the visible spectrum but longer than the X-ray.
UV in the very shortest range (next to X-rays) is capable even of ionizing atoms (see photoelectric effect), greatly changing their physical behavior.
At the middle range of UV, UV rays cannot ionize but can break chemical bonds, making molecules to be unusually reactive. Sunburn, for example, is caused by the disruptive effects of middle range UV radiation on skin cells, which is the main cause of skin cancer. UV rays in the middle range can irreparably damage the complex DNA molecules in the cells producing thymine dimers making it a very potent mutagen.
The Sun emits significant UV radiation (about 10% of its total power), including extremely short wavelength UV that could potentially destroy most life on land (ocean water would provide some protection for life there). However, most of the Sun's most-damaging UV wavelengths are absorbed by the atmosphere's oxygen, nitrogen, and ozone layer before they reach the surface. The higher ranges of UV (vacuum UV) are absorbed by nitrogen and, at longer wavelengths, by simple diatomic oxygen in the air. Most of the UV in this mid-range is blocked by the ozone layer, which absorbs strongly in the important 200–315 nm range, the lower part of which is too long to be absorbed by ordinary dioxygen in air. The range between 315 nm and visible light (called UV-A) is not blocked well by the atmosphere, but does not cause sunburn and does less biological damage. However, it is not harmless and does cause oxygen radicals, mutation and skin damage. See ultraviolet for more information.

X-rays

Main article: X-rays

After UV come X-rays, which, like the upper ranges of UV are also ionizing. However, due to their higher energies, X-rays can also interact with matter by means of the Compton effect. Hard X-rays have shorter wavelengths than soft X-rays. As they can pass through most substances with some absorption, X-rays can be used to 'see through' objects with thicknesses less than equivalent to a few meters of water. The most notable use in this category being diagnostic X-ray images in medicine (a process known as radiography). X-rays are useful as probes in high-energy physics. In astronomy Neutron stars and accretion disks around black holes emit X-rays, which enable us to study them. X-rays are also emitted by stars and are strongly emitted by some types of nebulae. However, X-ray telescopes must be placed outside the Earth's atmosphere to see astronomical X-rays, since the atmosphere of Earth has a density equivalent to about 10 meters of water, which is sufficient to block almost all astronomical X-rays (and also astronomical gamma rays—see below).

Gamma rays

Main article: Gamma rays

After hard X-rays come gamma rays, which were discovered by Paul Villard in 1900. These are the most energetic photons, having no defined lower limit to their wavelength. In astronomy they are valuable for studying high-energy objects or regions, however like with X-rays this can only be done with telescopes outside the Earth's atmosphere. Gamma rays are useful to physicists thanks to their penetrative ability and their production from a number of radioisotopes. Gamma rays are also used for the irradiation of food and seed for sterilization, and in medicine they are occasionally used in radiation cancer therapy. More commonly, gamma rays are used for diagnostic imaging in nuclear medicine, with an example being PET scans. The wavelength of gamma rays can be measured with high accuracy by means of Compton scattering.

Source:
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l1/emspectrum.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_spectrum

Preparing for the Civil Service Exam : Book by IAS toppers

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 03:51:00 +0000

Preparing for the Civil Service Exam : Book by IAS toppers

Prelims are over and its time for Mains. Preparation tips and strategy for Civil services by the toppers themselves.

Reading between the lines by IAS toppers

Preparing for the new CSM Pattern

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 28 May 2013 14:33:00 +0000

Hi Folks,

Please find below the pattern analysis and book list article published in the Employment news.

Pattern analysis

Book List

CSP 2013 Answer keys

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 28 May 2013 05:54:00 +0000

Answers Keys for CSP 2013 from Vajiram and CL.

Except two or three questions the answer keys seem to be legit.

CSP 2013 Paper 1 Answer Keys

CSP 2013 Paper 2 Answer Keys

Follow us on Blogger, Twitter and facebook.

History Notes for revision

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:02:00 +0000

Here are a few documents that can be used for revision during the exams. Click the links below.

Ancient India:

Medieval India:

Modern India:

Disclaimer: All are collected by me from internet and the credit goes to the original uploader/owner.

Medieval India - An Overview

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 07:52:00 +0000

Modern India Lectures

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 05:39:00 +0000

Modern India - Part 1

Modern India - Part 2

Modern India - Part 3

Modern India - Part 4

Fodder for GS

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:57:00 +0000

Sustainable Food security in an era of climate change

Ramachandra Guha views of India

Modern India - Partition of India and Pakistan

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:40:00 +0000

Indian History by Romila Thapar

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:36:00 +0000

Book List for History Optional

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:49:00 +0000

Well here are the books you can refer for History Main Optional paper.

Paper 1 : Ancient and Medieval India.
Ancient India : RS Sharma(old ncert) or DN JHA. Follow any one as most of the contents are same.

Medieval India : Satish Chandra (or)
An advanced study in the history of medieval India : JL Mehta

Paper 2: Modern India and World History.
Modern India by Bipan Chandra(covers almost the entire syllabus)
Indias struggle for Independance : Bipan chandra et al. (A more elaborate book focussing on freedom struggle alone)
Modern Indian History by grover (A guide kind of book prepared with Civil service in mind)

A history of Modern World : Jain and Mathur can be supplemented with Mastering world history by Norman Lowe

The above books are more than sufficient for the exams.

How to prepare for Geography

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:32:00 +0000

For the last few years, UPSC is notorious among aspirants for not asking direct questions in almost all optional papers and GS. This is certainly true if one looks at the Geography Questions for 2012. So how to prepare? the key here is understanding the concepts thoroughly and correlating the same with news articles.

e.g) nuclear energy : Comes under the energy. In this case you should be able to environment, allied industries, pros and cons of nuclear energy, opposition to nuclear energy etc.

Consider the following question asked in 2012.

Comment on the viability of Malwa region to develop as a hub for food processing industries.

In this case you will have to correlate climate, existing industries, transport, agriculture of surrounding areas etc and NO BOOK teaches you this. you would have learnt all these vegetation , rainfall, industries etc but under separate topics. you couls answer this question only if you are thorough with your concets and rote learning will never help you and UPSC is keen on "Never give an edge to coaching institutes" and the Questions asked are vey dynamic.

So here are the book list:

paper 1:
physical geography : Savindra Singh.
Human geograhy, Models and theories : Majid Hussein.

Paper 2:
India : DR Khullar or RC Tiwari or any other book that you find it easy as the questions here are all almost dynamic.

Above all as a rule, have an atlas by your side while you prepare geography .

FDI In India

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 16:49:00 +0000

FDI in Retail

The Hindu : Columns / Chandrasekhar : The role of the small retailer

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 06:39:00 +0000

Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana

The Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) aims at correcting the imbalances in the availability of affordable healthcare facilities in the different parts of the country in general, and augmenting facilities for quality medical education in the under-served States in particular. The scheme was approved in March 2006.

The first phase in the PMSSY has two components – setting up of six institutions in the line of AIIMS; and upgradation of 13 existing Government medical college institutions.

It has been decided to set up 6 AIIMS-like institutions, one each in the States of Bihar (Patna), Chattisgarh (Raipur), Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal), Orissa (Bhubaneswar), Rajasthan (Jodhpur) and Uttaranchal (Rishikesh) at an estimated cost of Rs 840 crores per institution. These States have been identified on the basis of various socio-economic indicators like human development index, literacy rate, population below poverty line and per capital income and health indicators like population to bed ratio, prevalence rate of serious communicable diseases, infant mortality rate etc. Each institution will have a 960 bedded hospital (500 beds for the medical college hospital; 300 beds for Speciality/Super Speciality; 100 beds for ICU/Accident trauma; 30 beds for Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and 30 beds for Ayush) intended to provide healthcare facilities in 42 Speciality/Super-Speciality disciplines. Medical College will have 100 UG intake besides facilities for imparting PG/doctoral courses in various disciplines, largely based on Medical Council of India (MCI) norms and also nursing college conforming to Nursing Council norms.

In addition to this, 13 existing medical institutions spread over 10 States will also be upgraded, with an outlay of Rs. 120 crores (Rs. 100 crores from Central Government and Rs. 20 crores from State Government) for each institution. These institutions are Government Medical College, Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, Kolkatta Medical College, Kolkatta, West Bengal, Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, Varanasi, Uttar Pardesh, Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, Sri Venkateshwara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, Government. Medical College, Salem, Tamil Nadu, B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Bangalore Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi and Grants Medical College & Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals, Mumbai, Maharashtra.

In the second phase of PMSSY, the Government has approved the setting up of two more AIIMS-like institutions, one each in the States of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh and upgradation of six medical college institutions namely Government Medical College, Amritsar, Punjab; Government Medical College, Tanda, Himachal Pradesh; Government Medical College, Madurai, Tamil Nadu; Government Medical College, Nagpur, Maharashtra, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College of Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh andPt. B.D. Sharma Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak. The estimated cost for each AIIMS-like institution is Rs. 823 crore. For upgradation of medical college institutions, Central Government will contribute Rs. 125 crore each.

In the third phase of PMSSY, it is proposed to upgrade the following existing medical college institutions namely Government Medical College, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh;Government Medical College, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh; Government Medical College, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh; Government Medical College, Dharbanga, Bihar; Government Medical College, Kozhikode, Kerala; Vijaynagar Institute of Medical Sciences, Bellary, Karnataka and Government Medical College, Muzaffarpur, Bihar.

The project cost for upgradation of each medical college institution has been estimated at Rs. 150 crores per institution, out of which Central Government will contribute Rs. 125 crores and the remaining Rs. 25 crore will be borne by the respective State Governments.

It is hoped that consequent to the successful implementation of PMSSY, better and affordable healthcare facilities will be easily accessible to one and all in the country.

– B. Narzary (PIB Features.)

-courtesy:http://indiacurrentaffairs.org

RTI-Dr. Manmohan Singh

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 06:02:00 +0000

The Right to Information : Issues and Concerns – Dr. Manmohan Singh

“The Right to Information act has been in force in our country for seven years now. By all accounts it has contributed in very large measure to our efforts for ensuring greater probity, greater transparency and greater accountability in the work of public authorities.
The greater public scrutiny of government action that it has enabled has been, I believe, good for our country. I congratulate all those who have been associated with the implementation of this very important piece of legislation, the Right to Information act in the past seven years.

In the last year itself close to 10 lakh people, in all parts of our country sought information from the Central government authorities under this legislation. Today, citizens everywhere feel empowered because of the Right to Information Act. It is a simple and uncomplicated legislation, easy to understand and use. And this I think is one of its major strengths.
It is a pointer to the success of the Right to Information that only about 4.5 percent of the applications that are filed before Central government authorities reach the Information Commissions for adjudication. It is estimated that out of the 20,000 appeals and complaints disposed of by the Central Information Commission every year on the average, only a couple of hundred cases a year have been challenged in our courts.
Notwithstanding its successes, the Right to Information is still evolving in our country. The potential for good, constructive use of this Right is perhaps far greater than what its current status would indicate. But this potential cannot be realized automatically. It would require concerted efforts towards removing the impediments that at present reduce its efficacy.
There are some obvious areas of concerns about the way the Right to Information Act is being used presently, and I had flagged a few of them when I addressed this Convention last year. There are concerns about frivolous and vexatious use of the Act in demanding information the disclosure of which cannot possibly serve any public purpose. Sometimes information covering a long time-span or a large number of cases is sought in an omnibus manner with the objective of discovering an inconsistency or mistake which can be criticized. Such queries besides serving little productive social purpose are also a drain on the resources of the public authorities, diverting precious man-hours that could be put to better use. Such requests for information have in fact come in for adverse criticism by the Supreme Court as well as the Central Information Commission.
Concerns have also been raised regarding possible infringement of personal privacy while providing information under the Right to Information Act. There is a fine balance required to be maintained between the Right to information and the right to privacy, which stems out of the Fundamental Right to Life and liberty. The citizens’ right to know should definitely be circumscribed if disclosure of information encroaches upon someone’s personal privacy. But where to draw the line is a complicated question. I am happy that this Convention will devote an exclusive session to “Privacy and Disclosure Issues”, which I hope will result in useful, constructive recommendations. The issue of a separate legislation on privacy is under consideration of an expert group under Justice A. P. Shah.
There are other issues as well which need to be addressed. For example, how much information should entities set up in the Public Private Partnership be obliged to disclose under the Right to Information Act. Blanket extension of the Act to such bodies may discourage private enterprises to enter into partnerships with the public sector entity. A blanket exclusion on the other hand may harm the cause of accountability of public officials. I am sure that you will discuss such issues in this Convention with a view to finding a way forward.
There has been some confusion about the implications of the recent Supreme Court order regarding the composition of the Central and State Information Commissions. As you might be aware, the government has decided to go in review before the Supreme Court in this matter.
The public authorities also have an important part to play in bringing about improvements in the implementation of the Right to Information Act. There are costs associated with providing access to information. It must be our endeavor to minimize these costs. Better training of employees, greater use of modern technology and proactive disclosure of the maximum possible amount of information are obvious solutions, not only for minimizing costs but also for making it easier for people to access information. In some places there may also be a need to change perceptions about the Right to Information- it should not be viewed as an irritant but something that is good for all of us collectively.
Rights, of course, cannot stand in isolation and must always be accompanied by reciprocal obligations. I had pointed out in my address to this Convention in 2008 that while asserting our rights we need to be equally conscious of our responsibilities and our commitments. I believe that all of us share a responsibility to promote more constructive and productive use of the Right to Information Act. This important legislation should not be only about criticizing, ridiculing, and running down public authorities. It should be more about promoting transparency and accountability, spreading information and awareness and empowering our citizen. I think that there is need for all of us to work towards building an environment where citizens see the government as a partner and not as an adversary.
The Right to Information Act is one of the many steps our government has taken for strengthening the institutional architecture for curbing corruption, enhancing transparency and accountability in public administration and improving delivery of services to the people. Other important legislations that are proposed include the Whistleblowers Protection Bill, the Time-bound Delivery of Goods and Services and Redressal of Grievances Bill and the Electronic Delivery of Services Bill, which are all currently under consideration of our Parliament. We have also put in place a National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy. Recently we have taken an initiative to facilitate direct cash transfer of government benefits to public accounts of beneficiaries. This would help in reducing leakages and wastage, and also make it easier for our citizens to avail of governmental assistance.
the Right to Information can be utilized for even better results to the benefit of our country and our people. It needs to be remembered that the ultimate goal of the legislation is to induce more efficiency in the work of our government and help it serve our people better. I hope you will utilize this Convention to find ways and means to achieve this objective more effectively.

Source : Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh address at the 7th annual convention of Information Commissioners in New Delhi .

Civil Services-the MYTH

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 18:11:00 +0000

Civil Services-the MYTH

Now you are one among those lakhs of civil service aspirants preparing for one of the toughest exams of the world namely the CIVIL SERVICES EXAM competing for about a thousand vacancies every year. And the toughest job among all others is to deal with your relatives and friends who goof up your preparations. The most frequent and common words / advices you come across are

1. He is preparing for the civil services.. So GREAT..
2.You should spend all your time surrounded by a mountain of books to clear the exams.
3.Friends asking you questions on whatever that comes to their mind as you are preparing for the exams.
4.You should forget everything else in this world(chat, mobile phone, facebook and above all outing with your (girl/boy)friends to clear the exams.
and above all the worst thing(i have come across all these)
1."Go for some thing else as the rate of success is very low"
2."Dont waste your precious time saying you are preparing for the exams. Go get some other job as a bird in hand is worth two in the bush"

So the ultimate question that arises in your mind right now is
1. " Is the civil service exam that much difficult?
2. "Will I be able to clear that?"
3. "What should I do to clear the exam?"

and the greatest myth that surrounds you is

"IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO CRACK THE CIVIL SERVICES EXAM"

but facts will show you that it is not so

So what do you need to to clear the exam.

All that you need is an investment of Rs.100 + Rs 200 in the form of exam fees for the preliminary and the main exam (that too if you belong to OC and OBC category only)

You have the investment now. What are you going to do with an investment alone. You need a strategy for success. from where can I get this strategy. Well there are a numerous institutes where I can enroll and get the strategy. If you are thinking like that then we feel pity for you. You are your master. You should evolve your own strategy for the exam as you are unique and no one can understand your needs better than you.

You have your investments, your strategy for preparation and what else you need? The answer is patience. The exam is a long process first the prelims, then the mains and finally the personality test exhausting you throughout an entire year. Wait I have cleared the prelims, then the uphill task of clearing mains exam and even attended the PT. Its time for me to relax. If you think so beware the notification for the next year's exam is round the corner and the cycle continues until you realize your dream.

Uh..Oh..I forgot to mention the most important thing...
Then who are your opponents in the exam?
More than 4 lakh so called aspirants aply for the exam.. Yes a whooping 4-5 lakhs..

Do they all really want to pursue a career in civil services?
No...
The investment is just 100 rupees. So I appplied..
My friend applied. So I applied.
I saw the advertisement so I applied.

These will be the answers from most of the applicants as you can see it from the number of aspirants attending the exam. Only 50% that is 2 to 2.5 lakh aspirants attend the exam.

So I need to compete with 2.5 aspirants?
Not really. Of them, most of the aspirants would not have prepared. So who is your real opponent. Very few about 40 to 50 thousand well prepared aspirants. of these 80% would be on their attempt number 2 or more. 10% would be on their last attempt and the remaining on their first attempt.

How many will make it to the mains?
Around 12000 to 13000 will make it to the main exam.

How many will make it to the PT?
May be around 2500 to 3500.

How may will be victorious and make it into the services?
One third of those who were called to the PT. Recent trends show the number of vacancies filled as around .
1000.

Finally let us summarize. So out of 50 true aspirants we can say 1 gets selected and are you that one?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 16:09:00 +0000

Well.. Well.. Well.. You are finally here.. As you finally landed up here We can assume you to be one of those gritty young minds looking for a career as a civil servant..

Welcome aboard..Take your seat..Wear your seat belts..And.. here we go in pursuing your dream..