The-Recitals-October-2019.Pdf
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Dear Students The preparation of current affairs magazine is an evolutionary process as its nature and content keeps changing according to the demands of Civil Service Exam. As you are aware about the importance of current affairs for the prelims as well as mains exam, our aim is to follow an integrated approach covering all stages of examination from prelims to interview. Keeping these things in mind, we, at Vajiram and Ravi Institute, are always in the process of evolving our self so as to help aspirants counter the challenges put forward by UPSC. In fulfillment of our objective and commitment towards the students, we have introduced some changes in our current affairs magazine. The CA Magazines, now with the name of “The Recitals”, will have four sections. These are: 1. Feature Article: As you are aware of the fact that civil service mains exam has become quite exhaustive and analytical, especially since 2013 after the change in syllabus, we have decided to focus on 2-3 topics every month that will provide an insight into the issue so as to help students understand the core of the issue. This will help in Essay writing as well as Mains Exam. 2. Mains Q&A: New students quite often struggle to find out that in what way the given topic is useful for them and in what form questions can be framed from the article. To help those students, we at Vajiram and Ravi have designed an innovative way to teach current affairs. Now, we will cover the current issues through questions and answers so as to make it more targeted towards exam. This will not just provide the information and analysis on current issues but will also help in learning the art of answer writing. Further the related information on the topics on which questions have been framed but that is outside the purview of answer will be given in the Box as ‘Extra Mile’. 3. Prelims Q&A: This section will contain prelims based MCQs that will test your diligence while reading the current issues. These MCQs will be of UPSC standard and will contain detailed explanation. Students are advised to attempt these MCQs honestly and read the Explanation carefully. The idea is to also provide students with a question bank of around 600 current affairs MCQs (50 Qs × 12 months = 600 Qs) just before their prelims examination, which will act as revision on issues spanning over the entire year. 4. Bridging Gaps: This section will contain miscellaneous topics which has not been covered through Q&A. That is why it is called Bridging Gaps, meaning the left-over topics. So, the new magazine is a complete overhaul of what we have been doing for so long. We hope that the new beginning will be to the liking of students. Thanks Best Wishes VAJIRAM AND RAVI The Recitals (October 2019) Page 1 MPLADS Scheme Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) is a scheme formulated by Government of India in December 1993. The objective of the scheme is to enable MPs to recommend works of developmental nature with emphasis on the creation of durable community assets based on the locally felt needs to be taken up in their Constituencies. Initially, this scheme was administered by Ministry of Rural Development. Later, the scheme was transferred to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in October 1994. Coverage Area Of Recommendation • Lok Sabha Members can recommend works within their Constituencies in one or more districts and elected Members of Rajya Sabha can recommend works within the State of Election in one or more districts. While, nominated Members of both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha can recommend works anywhere in the country. • MPs can also recommend work of upto Rs. 25 lakhs per year outside their constituency or state of election to promote national unity, harmony and fraternity. • Natural Calamity: MPs can recommend work of upto 25 lakh for Natural Calamity in the state and upto Rs. 1 crore in the country in case of Calamity of Severe Nature (e.g. Tsunami, major cyclones and earthquakes). • SC/ST: MPs need to recommend work worth at least 15% and 7.5% of their funds to create assets in areas inhabited by Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) respectively. Types Of Recommended Work • Works which will serve greater public purpose and not purpose of few individuals need to be recommended. MPs can only recommend, but District Authorities have ultimate power to sanction it. • Key priority sectors: Drinking water facility, education, electricity facility, non-conventional energy resources, healthcare and sanitation, irrigation facilities, railways, roads, pathways and bridges, sports, agriculture and allied activities, self-help group development, urban development. • Works not permitted: Construction of office and residential buildings for public and private agencies, land acquisition or paying compensation, naming assets after individuals, grants or loans to VAJIRAM AND RAVI The Recitals (October 2019) Page 2 state/central relief fund, assets for individual benefits, works on lands belonging to religious groups, execution of works in unauthorized colonies. Funding • In 1993-94, when the Scheme was launched, an amount of Rs. 5 lakh per Member of Parliament was allotted which became Rupees one crore per annum per MP constituency from 1994-95. This was stepped up to Rs. 2 crore from 1998-99 and now it is Rs.5 crore from the financial year 2011-12 • Funds are non-lapsable in nature i.e. in case of non-release of fund in a particular year it is carried forward to the next year. Presently close to 4,000 crores are disbursed annually for MPLADS scheme. Fund Convergence • Funds for MPLADS can be converged with Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) for creating more durable assets and with National Program for Development of Sports (Khelo India). • MPLAD Scheme can be converged in individual/stand-alone projects of other Central and State Government schemes provided such works of Central/State Governments Schemes are eligible under MPLADS. • Funds from local bodies can similarly also be pooled with MPLADS works. Wherever such pooling is done, funds from other scheme sources should be used first and the MPLADS funds should be released later, so that MPLADS fund results in completion of the project. Agencies Involved • The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has been responsible for the policy formulation, release of funds & prescribing monitoring mechanism for implementation of the Scheme. • A Department in each State/UT is designated as the Nodal Department with the overall responsibility of supervision, monitoring and coordination of the MPLADS implementation with the districts and other Line Departments. • The Government of India informs the State Nodal Department about the MPLADS funds released to the District Authorities. The District Authorities report the status of MPLADS implementation to the Government of India and State Nodal Department. VAJIRAM AND RAVI The Recitals (October 2019) Page 3 • District authorities (DAs) sanction the work recommended by MPs; sanction funds; identify implementation agency and user agency, implement the work on ground, transfer assets to user agency, and report back to ministry about status of MPLADS in the district. Positives • As on 2nd July, 2018, 47572.75 crores have been released by G.O.I. since 1993 of which 94.99% have been utilized under the scheme. • Right from inception of the Scheme, durable assets of national priorities viz. drinking water, primary education, public health, sanitation and roads, etc. are being created. • About 65% of the created assets have been rated as good and the created assets are as per the felt needs and has improved their quality of life. • As the elected MP knows the needs to the electorate well, the scheme can act as an effective channel for allocation of resources. • It also addresses the need of inclusive development by mandating expenses in SC and ST areas. Issues • Corruption: There have been cases of widespread corruption & misappropriation of funds. In lot of cases, private contractors (which are not permitted) are engaged to implement the works. Also, there are instances where expenditure has been incurred on works which are prohibited under the scheme. • Funding: There are large amounts of unspent balances rising over the years, low utilisation of funds and an expenditure bias towards a particular sector. A significant number of MPs are yet to open a bank account. • Delivery: There are weaknesses in the process of sanction. The District Authorities tend to execute works without receiving any recommendations from MPs concerned or on the recommendation of the representatives of the MPs rather than the MPs themselves. • Monitoring: Further, there are lapses on the monitoring and supervision front, with the District Authorities failing to inspect the required number of sanctioned works as well as in sending regular monitoring reports. VAJIRAM AND RAVI The Recitals (October 2019) Page 4 • Sustainability: There have been charges that the scheme goes against the spirit of the 73rd and the 74th Amendment, with MPs enjoying the privilege of an uninterrupted yearly flow of funds to do the work which local bodies are better placed to deliver. • Constitutionality: The Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) has recommended the abolition of the Scheme on the grounds that the scheme seriously erodes the notion of separation of powers, as the legislator directly becomes the executive. However, in response to a Writ Petition that challenged the constitutionality of MPLAD scheme as ultra vires of the Constitution of India, in May 2010, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court ruled that – - there was no violation of the concept of separation of powers because the role of an MP in this case is recommendatory and the actual work is carried out by the Panchayats and Municipalities which belong to the executive organ.