Police Reforms

None of the recommendations of National Police Commission, 1979 were implemented. 

Problems:

1. Faulty performance appraisal system: Hence, less no. of cases registered by SHOs –> reluctance to register FIR.
2. Communication gap between police and political leadership.
3. Overburdened Police. Population-Policemen ratio India 658:1, Ideal is 20:1.
4. Continuation of Police Act 1861, enacted after Sepoy Mutiny which was authoritarian in nature.
5. Corruption.
6. Untrained policemen equipped with age-old rusted arms cannot fight the super equipped militants.

In 1996, PIL was filled and SC came out with directives in Prakash Singh and others vs UOI, 2006.

1. Establishment of State Security commission which would work as watchdog and scientifically appraise the police.
2. Separation of investigation from law and order.
3. 4 operational post (SHO, SP, DIG, IG) terms should be fixed ie, 2 years. (reducing frequent transfer)
4. Appointment of DGP; (UPSC to prepare the list of 3-4 Senior most police officers; CM to choose; Length of service; range of exp; service record); Once appointed tenure fixed for 2 years.
5. Police Establishment Board to deal with transfer, posting and promotion to be done. State can’t victimize now.
6. National Police Complaint Authority.
7. National Security Commissions for selecting the heads of CAPFs.
8. Community Policing.

Terrorism

Terrorism:

1. Marginalization + Deprivation (with exceptions) –> Frustration and alienation –> Aggression + Terrorism
2. To achieve ideological goals and inculcating fear in the minds of people to fulfill the purpose.

Types of Terrorism:

1. Nationalist terrorism: not satisfied by the regime by resorting to terrorism. eg. Khalistan
2. State Terrorism: To suppress its own people (rebels); eg. Nazism and in china (during cold war)
3. State Sponsored terrorism. Eg. Pakistan; Nonstate actors (Jamat-ud-dawa; Jaish-e-Mohammad etc.) funded by state agencies

Why terrorist target Urban areas?

1. Maximum damage (human+economic)
2. Media attention
3. Ease in absconding
4. Availability of logistics

To tackle terrorism:

1. Malayan Model: Use of ground force not air force (Isolating area; eliminating the terrorists; sanitizing the area- removing sleeper cells; handing over of area); Eg. J&K
2. Grievance detection model: Directly IB intervenes- Preparedness (gathering local intelligence; reducing the riots)
3. Counter-proxy war model: Insurgencies

Corrective Measures:

1. NATGRID: Common database; (RAW- IB – NIA); IT in policing
2. Intra-institutional synergy
3. Eyes and ear scheme: as followed in US since 9/11; making public aware (guards, chowkidars, security personals, parking attendants, vendors and general public)
4. Freezing of the finances of terrorists
5. Human intelligence coupled with Technical Intelligence (Eyes and Ears + IT)
6. Requires international co-operation

Organized crime: Profit driven activities (smuggling-arms, drugs, human traficking), don’t crave for media attention where as terrorism is ideological war.

India and Arab League

Arab League

1. group of Arabic-speaking nations (22 including Palestine)
2. formed to counter Axis powers, led by British; freeing from colonial rule
3. Bolster ties, coordinate policies for common good
4. preventing Jewish communities from creating Jewish state in Palestine

Issues in the Arab world

1. Sectarian Conflict: Shia-Sunni
2. Terrorism – ISIS
3. foul relations between GCC (Saudi Arabia) and Iran
4. Israel-Palestine

India- Arab Relations

1. Trade, Culture and Social relations since ancient times
2. India supports Palestine cause
3. FDI, Remittance

Recent Developments

1. Manama Declaration
2. Supports UNSC reforms
3. Supports Nuclear Disarmament
4. Conveyed concerns over Syria
5. Condemns terrorism and association with religion
6. People to people relations; Science and tech.

Crisis in Nepal

Why are Madheshis/People Protesting?

1. State demarcation in the new constitution disregards proportional representation
2. it has been made on geographical and economic lines and not on ethnic.
3. Identity of Madhesis under threat
4. Nepal adopted a secular constitution despite being Hindu majority nation
5. People in plains discriminated by elites of hills

India’s Opposition in Nepal:

1. Nepali communists allege interference of India in domestic affairs (Big brother attitude)
2. Ideological similarity of Communist party of Nepal with China
3. India being held responsible for the economic blockade

Why India should interfere?

1. Strategic location of Nepal, porous borders, closness with china
2. Narcotics, Counterfiet currency, arms
3. Instibility of neighbours affects India’s economic prospects

Present amendments

1. Proportional representation were provided to Madhesis.
2. Electoral constituencies not demarcated on the basis of population

4th Industrial Revolution

Background

1. 1st IR:
   1. steam power
   2. Textile
   3. factories
2. 2nd IR
   1. Electricity
   2. Aeroplanes
   3. Moving Pictures
3. 3rd IR
   1. Telecommunication
   2. Internet
   3. Mass Communication
4. 4th IR
   1. Driverless Cars
   2. Smart Robotics
   3. Big Data, Augmented Reality, IoT

Challenges with 4th IR

1. Inequality, Unemployment will increase with increasing automation
2. will harm the developing economies
3. will increase social tensions

Power Sector

Aim : 24/7 affordable power by 2022. Budget 2016-17 aims to achieve 100 percent rural electrification by 2018.  100GW of solar capacity by 2022.
Problems plaguing power sector:

• Production- Power shortage (Demand Supply mismatch). Power plants are starved of coal. Inadequate linkage between mines and power plants. Higher ash content in coal, Lacking coal washeries. Land Acquisition hurdles. Ex- Nuclear plant
• Transmission and Distribution: Inefficient transmission. High Transmission & Distribution losses. Power theft.
• Growing subsidies by the State governments.
• Lack of transparency in State Electricity Regulatory Commissions.
• Improper audit of the finances of Electricity boards.
• Tariff revisions are not commensurate with increase in costs, which, coupled with system inefficiencies, contribute to losses.

Way forward:

• Promote transparency while bidding for projects.
• Hassle free land acquisition. Sale of surplus power.Lower domestic source requirement for solar panels to increase FDI. 
• UDAY scheme to improve finances of Power distributing companies: State to take upto 75% of their debts.
•  Commercialisation of the utilities is the ultimate solution, with day-to-day operations turned over to professional managers.
• Let users decide from which distribution companies they want to buy electricity.
• Under the separate carriage and content model, one company would own the network while electricity supply would be done by different entities. At present in India, power discoms supply as well as manage network that provides electricity for residential and commercial purposes.

ISIS- Reign of Terror

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria is an offshoot of Al-Qaeda that aims to establish an

"Islamic caliphate" in Syria and Iraq and impose its harsh interpretation of the Sharia

law.

Factors responsible for the rise 

• Belligerence shown by the West following the 9/11 attacks. 
• Marginalisation of the Sunnis in Iraq.
• Hijacking of the Syrian uprising by jihadists.
• Wahhabi Islam provided the ideological fuel. 

Implications of the Crisis

• Sectarian violence between Shia and Sunni would increase leading to political instability in this region.
• Capture and control over oil resources of this region may lead to energy crisis in the world. They had taken control over Iraq's key infrastructure including the Mosul dam.
• Spurt in terrorist activities across the world.
• IS has massacred Shaitat tribe, a case of gross human rights violation.
• IS considers preservation of arts,artefacts,museum etc as a form of idolatry and has destroyed temples and heritage sites. The group has profited from looting such treasures.

Why should India give a damn?

• Energy security of india is under theat as near about 80% oil comes from this region.
• India's 7 million diaspora who contribute $50 billion is spread in the Middle East. 
• Spread of radical ideology in India. Few students from South India have already shown their inclination towards the radical ideology. India came under the radar of ISIS as per a recent statement of the Ministry of Home.
• Organisations like SIMI joining hands with ISIS may lead to spurt in terrorist activities across India.

Way out

• Ramp up Strategic Petroleum Reserve from current capacity of 90 days to 180 days.
• Gather intelligence with cooperation of Gulf allies like Riyadh and Doha with whom India has strategic ties.
• ISIS draws its funding from the Iraqi oil fields that it controls now. This control must be cut-off.
• A peace keeping force by all member nations of UN should be sent to Iraq.

In the words of our honorable Prime Minister, "If anyone thinks that Indian Muslims will dance to their tunes ,they are delusional." He has nevertheless acknowledged the fact that our intelligence agencies need to be vigilant to nip any such activities in bud.