APSC Prelims and Mains Notes, APSC Test Series
Reform strategies include Alternative financing (user-fees, health insurance, community financing, private sector investment); Institutional management (autonomy to hospitals, monitoring and management by local government agencies, contracting); Public sector reforms (civil service reforms, capacity building, productivity improvement); and Collaboration with the private sector (public/private partnerships, joint ventures).
External commercial borrowing (ECB) is basically a loan availed by an Indian entity from a non-resident lender. They are used widely in India to facilitate access to foreign money by Indian corporations and PSUs (public sector undertakings). Most of these loans are provided by foreign commercial banks and other institutions. In the post reform period, … Read more
What are Patents? Patents are a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor. These rights are granted for a limited period of time, usually about twenty years. The granting of these rights is in return for public disclosure of the invention. Criteria for Patentability Patents protect inventions. These inventions could … Read more
Bio-Plastics refers to Bio-degradable Materials manufactured from Renewable Sources that can be used in Packaging of Goods similarly as Plastic. Earth consumes around 200 Million Tonnes of Plastic every Year resulting in Pollution and Climate Change. They have an advantage over conventional plastic as they are biodegradable, less carbon foot print, no additives, maintain the … Read more
These were laid down by the Supreme Court in a judgment in 1997. This was on a case filed by women’s rights groups, one of which was Vishaka. They had filed a public interest litigation over the alleged gang-rape of Bhanwari Devi, a social worker from Rajasthan. In 1992, she had prevented the marriage of … Read more
Unorganised sector: unorganised sector is defined as a production or service oriented enterprise owned by individuals or self employed workers (one who is not working for an employer and is engaged in an unorgnised sector job earning an income below a threshold or owning land below a notified limit) and if workers are employed, then … Read more
Steps taken to prevent Illegal Sand Mining: Government has amended the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification 2006 to make environmental impact clearance mandatory for small-scale sand mines It also provided for the creation of two bodies—a District-level Expert Appraisal Committee (DEAC) to assess the environmental impact of mines and a District Environment Impact Assessment Authority … Read more
Article 263 of the constitution provides for the establishment of an Inter-State Council (ISC). The Commission under the Chairmanship of Justice R. S. Sarkaria in its report in 1988 recommended that: A permanent Inter-State Council called the Inter Governmental Council (IGC) should be set up under Article 263. The IGC should be charged with … Read more
Qatar crisis is the manifestation of the diplomatic breakdown between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and its allies in the west Asian region that threatens to upset the stability of the region.Four Arab countries out of which three are also the members of Gulf Cooperation Council – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain along … Read more
A deficiency disease is caused due to the deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals. The deficiency of vitamin lead to the vitamin deficiency disease. Vitamin/Mineral Deficiency disease Symptoms Vitamin A Loss of vision Poor vision, loss of vision in darkness Vitamin B1 Beri beri Weak musles and very little energy to work Vitamin C Scurvy … Read more