 Yes. Morning. Morning. Place by seat. So, and you are Ishita Keshore, right? Yes, sir. What's your role number? So, 580-9986. Okay. So, introduce yourself. So, I am Ishita Keshore. I am a graduate in economics from Shriram College of Commerce, Delhi University. After which I started working with Ernst & Young for two years in risk consulting. Okay. And thereafter I started my preparation for the civil services exam. Okay. In general, sir, I feel across school and college, sports has played a big role in my life. Okay. And it, I feel that it has really shaped my personality to a great extent. Good. So, what is your optional subject for UPSC? Sir, it's political science and IR. Okay. Good. So, you have played football, basketball. You also take Wando. Yes. Participated in some. Okay. So, you are the right person to ask. Okay. So, if you are posted as a sports secretary, you are not immediately like might be later or if you have an opportunity to meet sports secretary. So, what sort of immediate measures that could be brought in so that our performance in sports other than cricket and the spathmeton to some extent is coming up and Kabadi is also coming up slightly, but largely other than cricket, the other sports are being overlooked. Okay. They have not received the attention that they should have got. Okay. Even the reason FIFA World Cup or the Olympics, okay, we were not able to qualify in many categories and if we qualify also we are not able to be in the podium finish. Okay. So, what sort of measures that could be taken so that the other sports could also get benefitted and we will be bettering as a sporting nation? Yes, sir. I do agree that apart from cricket, all the other sports also have to be promoted and in recent times we have seen sports like badminton, tennis, India is performing well at the international level, but when it comes to other team sports like football, basketball, my suggestions to the sports secretary would be on two ends. Firstly, on the side of the players and the sport, we need to increase the infrastructure as far as football is concerned. Europe and other Latin American countries have a very strong grassroots level presence in sports. Europe has active scouting networks for school children under 11, under 13 years old. So, such sort of a model should be actively pursued across all states. It is there in Kerala and it is strongly present in Kerala for football, but must be there evenly. So, on the other side to bring a behavioral change in society where viewership is also demanded for other sports, so this requires us to promote these sports on digital media so that people are willing to watch, they have a sense of attachment. The kind of coverage that FIFA had seen, the kind of coverage that cricket receives is not even across the other sports. So, this kind of viewership will build a sort of relationship of the public with these sports and then this can take the thing forward. So, I would suggest on two lines, grassroots and TV viewership. So, I do accept that by improving the grassroots level scouting for the talents and then by improving the accessibility of the sports spectacles over multiple modes of communication will improve. But taking sports as a career, still there is some inhibition in the parent's mind. So, we do not see sports as a career and usually the risk reward is at adverse when it comes to sports. If a person is like pursuing an education or something curricular related career then there is a fallback options and all. So, do we, as a country, are we deficient in the plan B, plan C when it comes to a sporting career? So, when a person is not able to achieve in an international arena, so it is either winners take all policy. So, the other people who is coming, who is reaching up to national level, state level, whether they do have sufficient opportunity so that they have pursued that particular sport still a certain point in life. So, what is your opinion about this? Sir, on the career front, I feel that increasing the funding towards the sports infrastructure towards the kind of cash prizes that are received by the players will act as a strong incentive because only recently I was reading about Argentina and how young players see this as an opportunity to earn money and come out of their poverty for the entire family. So, they are very motivated. So, funding is a very strong issue that can motivate people, the cash prizes, a continuous source of training, their nutrition if these things are taken care of. So, broadly it brings us back to the infrastructure issues. Increasing our funds will encourage players. Secondly, I feel that sporting in general not just as a career, it is a very strong metric for developing someone's personality. So, even if people are not willing to pursue it beyond state level, beyond national level, I feel that there will not be a single national level player who will deny the role of sports in his or her life. So, not just as a profession but also at a personal level sports should be promoted. So, recently this FIFA 2022 World Cup happened. So, where did the final match took place, the stadium? Sir, I do not know the new one. So, they started using this VAR technology. So, are you aware about this technology? Sorry sir, VAR. Sir, augmented? Yeah, augmented, video augmented, refereeing actually. Video assisted refereeing. The referees on field referees can use the video footages for refereeing. So, are you aware about the technology being used? Yes sir, I have read about this technology being used in terms of determining the decision making. So, what are the, the VAR is only for four circumstances. Four incidents, the VAR technology can be used. Are you aware about what are those four? No sir, I do not know exactly which four instances. For goal, for penalty kick like that. So, whichever decision in the game, football game has the potential to turn around, change the result of the game. So, only in four cases it could be used. Okay, leave it. We were delegate of Indochina Youth Delegation by Ministry of Youth Affairs. So, you are also student of economy. What is happening in China? Are we coming to end of this China's dominance in world economy? So, how do you see this, the current crisis they are facing? It was initially the COVID and followed by a lockdown zero COVID policy. During that time also they are manufacturing all the production started to decrease. Now also they are facing again a COVID wave. So, how should we see this? So, COVID has been an inflection point in the global economy and China is not immune to this trend. It has been witnessed across all major economies that some sort of disruption is observed. And this is prevalent right now in China as well because of the fresh COVID wave and the rise in cases along with the public resentment for the strict lockdown measures. So, but in the larger picture and in the long term the world's second largest economy with over four trillion dollars, 14 trillion dollars, sorry. So, I don't think it will bring about a huge change in China's share in the global trade. It is facing disruptions that cannot be denied and they need to be tackled very judiciously right now by China. But sir in the long run I don't see it changing a lot of economics. Economically I don't see a huge shift in China's position. How do you see this slump in China's economic performance for Indian case? Should we see this as an opportunity or should we be bothered that some of our products China is also a consumer? So, if China is getting affected again we will be affected and some supplies are coming from China. Say for example, pharmaceutical industry is the active pharmaceutical ingredients are imported from China. Majority of the raw materials are from China. Should we see this will be negatively affected or we should be hopeful that there are some fallouts which could be beneficial to India? Sir of course this gives India an opportunity to make its place in the global supply chains and China is vacating a place in terms of the smaller manufacturing goods and it is moving up in the hierarchy. So this position in general apart from the COVID disruptions also must be utilized by India because it is quickly being captured by countries like Bangladesh and textiles, Vietnam and footwear. So India must push as fast as possible reforms that can improve its manufacturing sector and given the present disruption is an opportunity for India. Though unfortunate for China it is an opportunity for India to make its place in the global supply chains. So are we into recession? Global recession, US recession, India recession. So where and all recession is present? Where recession is yet to occur or we are not into recession? Sir a recession is a negative growth rate for two consecutive quarters and India is not currently under recession. India has an average growth rate of about 6% in the last one or two quarters. Globally sir, yes the global GDP and the global rate of growth of the GDP has been in decline for two consecutive quarters. Same is the case for United States of America as well. So coming to this non-performing assets, NPA concerns coming to the banking sector. So around 2017 somewhere like we were too much concerned about the increasing NPAs in the banking sector. How is the situation now? So what were the measures taken whether we have bettered from that point of time? Sir a number of measures have been taken with regard to the banking sector's NPA problem. For example the Basel II norms were strictly followed and India has a higher capital adequacy ratio of 9% even though the Basel II recommends 8%. So such measures have been taken and presently we have seen positive results as well. The NPAs for the public sector banks recently have shown a positive result. They are down to 5-6% from 12% in 2017. So sir stringent measures and having due diligence and proper regulation in the banking sector can go a long way in ensuring that the money spent and the money kept is following proper procedures in the banking sector. The recent set of rate hikes so we are increasing the interest rate in the economy. So won't it affect adversely the investment climate in the country and in due course of time the GDP may also be affected. So we are focusing on inflation targeting but as a result the rate hikes are going to affect the production and the investment climate in the country. So what is your opinion and how we should go ahead? Sir the rate hikes have been an imperative measure because inflation is one of the foremost measures in maintaining macroeconomic stability in any country. So tackling inflation was a huge challenge especially since there were so many supply chain bottlenecks across the world whether with respect to oil or other semiconductor chips. So this fueled inflation very fast and it was important to tackle it. RBI has taken a measured and balanced approach in terms of slowly hiking its rate and tackling inflation but also being mindful of the other growth indicators. For example the investment climate, the growth of the GDP. So we also have to see these measures in comparison to what is happening in other countries because if investment is coming out of India these investors are going to countries which are offering higher rates of interest. For example the United States of America. So in comparison while a lot of FBI's have exited the market but still India has maintained a balanced economic climate despite the global disruptions. This rising the rates, interest rates is a supply side measure or demand side measure to tackle inflation. Inflation could be a demand side and supply side. Supply dirt also can cause inflation and demand is high also then inflation may happen. So by increasing the rates what we are trying to achieve? Which side we are trying to focus? Sir this is the supply push inflation. No I am asking we are trying to reduce the inflation. We are addressing the problem on which side? Supply side or demand side? Sir I think we are addressing the supply side issues. Are you sure? Sir I will take more. Sir I think that the pent up demand has been there and we need demand to fuel the overall economy because we are a consumption based economy. So inflation is not discouraging, sorry the rate hikes are not discouraging that. The rate hikes are to check the rise in prices because of imported inflation in the supply chain. Actually so when the rates are increased what will happen in the economy? The money supply will be increased or decreased? Sir it will be decreased. Decreased. Money will be decreased. The demand is with the money only. So the demand will be reduced. Supply chain means by production, by increasing the production. So usually fiscal measures will be addressing the supply side. The monetary policy will be addressing the demand side. Then coming to international affairs, so far there had been 15 resolutions in various international fora against Russia. Due to the Russian aggression over Ukraine. So in all such 15 resolutions India has abstained from voting. How do you see the stance of India in abstaining from voting? Sir India has showcased to the world its strategic autonomy in its decision making on these resolutions. While Russia has been a long standing and all weather partner and friend across all the decades. India has categorically said at various forums including the recent visit by Prime Minister to Samarkand. Where he said that this is not the era for war. And we have said that cessation of violence must happen. Both parties should come back to the deliberation table and have dialogue with each other and resolve their issues without any violence. So while condemning all the violence, India has maintained its ties in the international relations through diplomacy and deft handling of the issue. So sir I feel that this has been, this has enhanced India's strategic decisions globally. Okay, so when it comes to general elections in the country, so we ask people not to abstain from voting. So come out and vote. Election commission is conducting sweep related activities, all those things. So but India is a country an aspiring superpower. Okay, so we are aspiring for a UN Security Council permanent membership. So in a crucial issue, so we are abstaining from voting. So won't this be seen as an indecisiveness on the part of India by the world community? And they will be judging us as a weak country. So we are not able to take a stand. If you feel Russia is your time-tested friend, vote for Russia. So if you feel the Ukraine caused the aggression by one power over another is wrong, then vote for the resolution or favor of Ukraine. So abstaining won't it be seen as an indecision from the country and it would be seen as a weakness? Sir in my opinion it is not weakness. And India, while critics of other countries have often called India a fanceter, which is indecisive and not making it stand clear. So but by merely voting in favor or against Ukraine, even Europe has voted against Russia. Europe's entire supply chain and its dependence on oil on Russia is still very high. So while India is not taking these global stances on case-by-case basis of these resolutions, India is definitely spreading its larger message of cessation of violence. India has engaged diplomatically with both Ukraine and Russia and just because it has abstained on a particular resolution does not mean it is a fanceter. Because in international relations these issues are complex, they cannot be seen in isolation and they cannot be seen in silos from one another. Economic interdependence, security dependence and cessation of violence have to be seen in a combined view to enhance India's national interest at the global stage. Yes, India also can do the same when it comes to a resolution. It is a way of registering your observation or remarks in a more forceful manner. So voting for a resolution or against a resolution is not going to preclude a country from importing or exporting anything from another country. So that trade relationship is a different one and voting in a resolution is a different thing. So that's what I was trying to mention. Then moving on to the next question. So there was a report. The report says in organ transplantation, they have analyzed a set of organ transplantation which has happened in the past. Women are more often donors than receivers when it comes to organ transplantation. So how do you see this aspect, this fact that women are more often donors compared to receivers? Sir, though I have not read the report but if I have to interpret it, in my opinion I feel women carry a strong sense of emotional quotient and they have a strong sense of empathy towards their responsibilities whether in the personal sphere or in the professional sphere. And they don't back down from challenges. Sir, in my personal experience also the women around me have always risen up to the challenges and I know a donor in my family also. So it does coincide with that and I feel it is that empathetic and emotional side of a woman who is always willing to go out and do whatever the best she can. So perhaps that can be something that is... Any other dimension which you can visualize? Sir, on the negative side sometimes I can think that there might be societal pressure on a woman to live up to these standards, to live up to these affirmations that women are supposed to be helping out. They are supposed to be empathetic. So this can create an external pressure for a woman especially for her husband or her son or a male family member going to the patriarchal society. This sort of external pressure can also be a reason. Could it be because women are more healthier for the corresponding age? So women remain donors and the male part is receivers.