In Consideration Of Being Allowed To Participate In The Activities And Programmes Of: Fill & Download for Free

There are a number of answers to this question, although with the exception of a small number, many of them have either (i) misunderstood the role of a working royal as opposed to an ordinary member of the British royal family; (ii) been factually incorrect on how working royals are funded; (iii) fixated on tabloid stories of family feuding.The short answer is that there are a number of factors to consider in effectively ‘hiring’ a member of the royal family to serve as a working royal, which for most is a full-time job. There is only so much work to go around and there is a diminishing return from having to manage a greater number of family members. Suitability for the work is part of the decision, as well as not giving the public an (incorrect) impression that there are a large number of family members doing very little while getting paid.Here is some background that is involved in such a decision as in the case of Beatrice and Eugenie.1. The role of a working royal versus an ordinary member of the royal family:Some answers have suggested that there is no difference between being a working royal or not, as most of the work involves patronising charities, endorsing causes and participating in photo opportunities. This is to seriously misunderstand the role, duties, and requirements of a working royal who is deployed (full-time) to participate in a range of events that directly represent the sovereign and the government of the United Kingdom in areas separate from any charitable work they might undertake.Here are a few aspects of the role of a working royal:- All working royals are directly representing the sovereign and carry out responsibilities in her name (separate from the private or voluntary patronage of charities, etc. of any royal family member, whether a working one or not)- The whereabouts, activities and statements of working royals are recorded in the Court Circular, a public document issued daily by Buckingham Palace (and formerly published daily in the Times)- Unlike other royal family members, most working royals play an honorary role in various military regiments, etc., often as a colonel-in-chief. The role entails inspection at parade, the giving medals, and the hearing of reports, all on behalf of the sovereign.- Working royals attend the opening of buildings, exhibitions and events, the laying of dedication stones, and the hosting of events (both in public and at various palaces) that mark or commemorate important anniversaries of a wide range of non-charitable organisations, e.g., The Royal Academy of Engineers, etc.- Many working royals serve as chancellors of various universities and Oxbridge colleges. The role includes the chairing of regular meetings of the highest level governing bodies of those universities and colleges.- Working royals make ‘visits’ to many different organisations, institutions and events (not limited to charities), representing the Queen in the community. In some cases, this is because a working royal has been invited; in other cases the approach is made from Buckingham Palace. And in still other cases the request has come from a government department, a minister, or an official.- Working royals attend and participate in state dinners, entertaining foreign dignitaries and hosting events that bring together the political and state participants of many different countries, their ambassadors, etc. Non-working royals are not expected to attend such events and are usually not invited.- Working royals are deployed overseas regularly by the British government’s Foreign office for state visits. During a state visit they will participate in a large range of activities, events and meetings on behalf of the United Kingdom, usually in a programme that is designed in collaboration with the Foreign office. The events and meetings will include community events, public forums, meetings with politicians and state leaders, leaders of local religious organisations, significant non-officials, etc.- Working royals are often members of the Privy Council (made up of government ministers and others) and therefore participate in major constitutional matters and the passage of statutes, etc.- Although not legally limited to working royals, the Counsellors of State usually coincide with working royals—by law, these are the consort and the first four people in the line of succession over 21 years of age; the role being to take on the responsibilities of the sovereign for state and constitutional functions when she is absent from the country or otherwise incapacitated for a short term. Two together preside over the Privy Council, sign state documents, give royal assent to legislation, etc. Current counsellors are: Philip (retired), Charles, William, Harry and Andrew.In the case of Beatrice and Eugenie, it is presently up to the Queen to decide whether or not they will be added to the payroll and whether they are suitable for the kind of work she needs them undertake to represent the sovereign and the government, fulfil certain state functions, liaise with politicians and ambassadors, etc. Rumours that Charles has refused to consider them for future work when he is on the throne are probably false, although it is reasonable to assume he has considered the vast amount of work that needs to be done, how many persons will be required, and who they should be as part of shaping his plans for the conduct of the family under his reign. This is not to suggest that they may not be suitable, but to say that they may not be necessary or may not be a ‘good fit’.2. How are working royals funded?Several answers have suggested the working royals are funded directly by the taxpayer (incorrect) or by the Sovereign Grant (also incorrect). The sovereign has a number of different sources of income that are used in different ways, and only one of them is used to pay for working royals.The Sovereign Grant provides the sovereign with about GBP38million annually to fund the royal household, manage the palaces and collections held in trust, and run the constitutional activities of the crown. The amount is calculated as a percentage of the government’s revenue from the Crown Estates, honouring an arrangement made with George III to hand over the Crown Estates to the government in exchange for the cost of living and funding his sovereign role. The crown estate is one of the largest property portfolios in the UK, bad includes seabeds (used for wind/sea energy, etc.) most of Regent St in London, much land and many other investments. The Crown Estate brings in revenue that goes directly to the government Treasury, a percentage of which is sent to the Queen. The Sovereign Grant is usually not the source of funds for the living costs of working royals.The Revenue of the Duchy of Lancaster: The Queen also earns from the revenue of the Duchy of Lancaster (a private estate which has been part of the holdings of the monarch since Henry IV). Mostly investment, farming, land holdings, tenancies, etc., bringing in an estimated GBP16million annually. The funds are used to run the Queen’s official expenses as well as some of her private expenses. As an asset, the Duchy is also held in trust and cannot be sold, and is strictly controlled. It is also used by the Queen to pay for the expenses (living costs) of members of the Royal Family who carry out public duties on her behalf, except the Prince of Wales who is funded separately from a similar portfolio known as the Duchy of Cornwall.Private investment portfolio: The British sovereign has a sizeable private investment portfolio which has built up over time primarily as inheritances from her predecessors and their spouses, and this provides a sizeable private income. The amount is unknown but it does not typically fund her official duties or the duties of working royals. It is unknown if any portion of this income is contributed to working royals, but we do know it is not the source of any official payments to working royals.((Side-note: While the Queen is exempt from paying tax on earnings from the sovereign grant and the Duchy of Lancaster, only on her private income, she voluntarily pays tax on any income derived from any source that benefits her and her family members privately.))In short, working royals (who have given up earning from other sources) are paid a salary by the Queen directly in exchange for taking on the responsibilities as required by the sovereign and the government. Government payments for working royal’s expenses (e.g., travel) are refunded directly by the Queen to the treasury.Security, however, for working royals is usually considered a government expense and is considered reasonable expenditure by the taxpayer on the basis that the activities of working royals are part of the normal process of government in Britain, that they expose the working royals to safety risks and that such security is necessary (no different from securing cabinet ministers, etc.)Finally, working royals usually receive appropriate accommodation in exchange for their service as working royals, funded by the Queen or as grace-and-favour homes. These range depending on the person, the needs, and the seniority of the working royal, and can include London apartments in Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace or St James’ Palace; the purchase costs of private country homes (e.g., Princess Anne’s Gatcombe Park) or the use of country homes that form part of either the crown estates (e.g., Harry’s Frogmore Cottage, part of the Windsor estate which is a crown estate) or the private estates (e.g., William’s Anmer Hall on the Queen’s private Sandringham Estate).In consideration of Beatrice and Eugenie and other more distant family members, the sovereign has to weigh up (i) whether the earnings of the Duchy of Lancaster can manage extra royal family members while still paying enough to everyone else to make the job attractive (e.g., to prevent Harry from heading off to become a military consultant or Catherine a party planner, etc.), (ii) the costs to the state of the extra security if there is an increase in working royals and (iii) the availability of accommodation, which obviously is not limitless.3. Stories of family feudingAs there is such a lot of low-level tabloid nonsense available both online and in low-quality papers and magazines, it is understandable, although always disappointing, to read answers on Quora that repeat falsehoods and non-evidenced stories about family in-fighting.A number of answers have suggested that the reason Charles does not, in his reign, wish to have Beatrice and Eugenie serve as working royals is due to fights between Andrew and Charles over Camilla, jealousy that Andrew was the Queen’s favourite as a child,When approached from a mature and reasoned perspective, we can see that most of this is complete rubbish and would have no bearing on any decision related to future working royals. Rather, what we see is a very fine balance drawn between (a) the constitutional responsibilities of the Queen and the Prince of Wales, all of which are clearly taken extremely seriously and involve a wide range of persons advising and managing, from courtiers to government staff; and (b) the management of a very complex organisational structure (sometimes referred to as ‘the firm’) which involves both ancient and modern assets and income, huge expenses maintaining buildings, running of investments, hiring staff, and managing the main expenses of running the ‘royal system’ for the British people.

UPDATED & COMPLETED.TL;DR This video is what training of an IRS (IT) looks like:For the not so faint hearted, the elaborate answer:*Note: All videos used in this answer are created by my senior, IRS officer trainer of 69th batch Shreyans Gupta (Shreyans Gupta)The Training through the eyes of an IRS officer: As UPSC aspirants, most of us only aim for the IAS and we realise that other good services exist only once we start filling our DAF or we actually end up getting into one of them. So here is a peek at the training for Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax).I am now at the fag end of my training (12 months into my training) and so I am in a better shape to compile this answer.The training for an IRS(IT) probationer is formally for 2 years:Foundation Course - 4 months at LBSNAA, MussoorieSpecific Training pertaining to Income Tax - 16 months at National Academy of Direct Taxes (further referred to as NADT), NagpurGenerally the IRS probationers skip the Foundation Course (FC) in order to reappear for the Civil Service Exam(CSE) as FC is optional for IRS probationers. It is mandatory only for IAS, IPS and IFS officers. In my case, I had attended it so my training began on August 29, 2016. The FC lasted till about 9th December, 2016. After this we got a break for 10 days and our official training at NADT started on 19th December, 2016. This is generally the pattern that is followed every year.Small Digression: Before I mention the course of the training, I would like to highlight a unique and special feature of the IRS(IT) training. As the training is very rigorous, a probationer is not allowed to reappear for the civil service exam while he is undergoing training at Nagpur. Yet to accommodate for the probationers who would like to reappear for the exam, NADT has a special Extra Ordinary Leave (EOL) policy, wherein a candidate can take one year’s leave without pay to prepare for the exam. The cool thing about this is that the probationer does not lose his/her seniority (in postings, rank, pay etc), so after taking the exam when they join the training one year later, even though they are training with one batch junior yet they are very much a part of their own senior batch.The Actual Training: For our batch (70th batch of IRS), the training began on 19th December, 2016 when we walked into the prestigious NADT. We flew down to Nagpur and our senior batch (69th batch of IRS) had come to receive the youngest batch of IRS (70th batch) at the airport. This is one great thing about the IRS(IT), here the people live like a family. Not just in letter but also in spirit.The academy:There are two hostels in NADT:Nalanda - Hostel for the junior batch (our batch) which we occupy till the valediction of the senior batch takes place (which is generally 4 months after the new batch comes in).Vikramshila - (Read Hotel!) This is the hostel which we occupy once the seniors leave by early May.Apart from that we have the CC Ganapathy Sports Complex with amazing facilities for almost all sports, a stunning swimming pool, a breathtaking mess that looks like an airport and the food is beyond this world (Trust me! The mess serves us things like pizzas, pani puris, brownies, pasta, fried fish and what not!) and the mess staff are the sweetest people in the world.So, the training itself began with a cultural function organised in our welcome by the senior batch. This is a tradition followed every year. The following was the message that we were greeted with:The day of an IRS officer trainee begins at 6 a.m when we have to attend a morning activity. The choice is from Yoga, PT or Karate. After this we are required to attend classes from 9 a.m to 4 p.m but since Nagpur is too hot, the academy is considerate enough to shift our timings from 8 a.m to 2 p.m during the peak summer months (May, June). The classes are now held in a building called ATC with state of the art technology and infrastructure. The classes are on a range of topics- Accountancy, Direct Tax Laws, Business Laws, International Taxation, Management etc.Most lectures are conducted by the in house faculty but for various specialised topics we have senior officers from the field, experts from various institutions, professors from prestigious universities across the country. For eg: The business law classes are conducted by faculty from the National Law School of India University, Bangalore.This is what the bare Income Tax Act and Rules look like. We have to study the entire thing, imagine the plight! The joke is that no exercise is required if you are an IRS, just carry these books from hostel to academic building everyday and you will have the biceps of Hulk Hogan!Anyway, so we are free from classes after lunch but this in no way means that we are free to do whatever. The training is packed with so many elements that always keeps us on our toes! In NADT, we are encouraged to take a sport for the evenings and also there are many clubs like dance, drama, music etc which the Officer Trainees are encouraged to be a part of to groom their personalities. Apart from these there are continuous cultural events. Every and I mean EVERY festival is celebrated in NADT. The event is planned, organised and executed by the officer trainees themselves.The first major event that we attended after reaching Nagpur was India Day. Herein the officers trainees had to represent their respective states. The following is the video of the event (Every single performance in this video was done by my batchmates of the 70th batch of IRS, you can find me also somewhere in black and white dressed as a Rajasthani Kalbelia dancer, representing my state.) These events make training feel like its a part of one big celebration. You feel proud not only to be associated with your service but also be associated with this abundant culture that is India.:After this a few weeks later, in the first week of February we had the INTAX, the sports festival of the academy which lasted for 6 days. This event included competitions in all the sports ranging from football to table tennis to athletics. Along with this there was also a marathon organised as a part of INTAX wherein the lady OTs had to complete a 5.5 km run and the gentlemen OTs had to finish 8.5 km run (This is also a part of tradition in NADT. Luckily for me, I won the female counterpart of this marathon!).Somewhere in mid February, a trek was organised to Panchmarhi for one of the weekends. This trek which is for educational purposes also includes a lot of fun.After this, in the second week of March for a period of one week, we had an attachment to the National Intelligence Agency where we were trained in areas of Intelligence like Secret Enquiry, cover, alibi etc. We even got a chance to meet various IB agents, one of whom told us the memory of how he captured a very highly wanted terrorist! The week just after that was the parliamentary attachment where we got a chance to witness The Lok Sabha live in action during the budget session and The Rajya Sabha. We even had various meetings with many renowned ministers like The Finance Minister and the man himself our very own Prime Minister. We also had a chance to visit the Rashtrapati bhawan where the President addressed us and hosted a high tea for us.In the month of April, we had the valediction ceremony of the senior batch (69th batch of IRS) in which apart from the official function we have a cultural evening organised by the Officer Trainees of the junior batch. If you had noticed, the welcome performance for the junior batch is by the seniors and their farewell as a sign of gratitude is by the juniors. This value inculcation is a crucial part of the training in NADT. The valediction programme had a plethora of performances which included dance, a play and singing performances, one of which was a Qawwali which looked as good as the professional Qawwalis even though all the people participating in it are Officer Trainees of the Indian Revenue Service.In the month of June, we had an excursion to Jabalpur. Finally the month of July marked the end of our first module of training in NADT. This end is to bring the Officers Trainees back to reality that IRS is not all fun, you need to study too! We are not spared by the continuos assignments, home tests, compulsory online courses throughout the module but the end is marked with your face to face encounter with the satan himself - departmental exams. Passing and acing these examinations is also a core part of the training. The academic training of an IRS (IT) probationer is indeed one of the most rigorous as compared to the other Indian Civil Services.The new month of August brings in new freshness with the beginning of Module -II of training. Between the two modules, Officer Trainees are allowed a week long Block Leave to visit home. Module - II deals with the more practical aspects of training which include On The Job Training (lovingly called OJT!), educational tours to SEBI, RBI, NSE, Bank, Tehsildar’s Office, GST office etc.The first OJT is for a period of 3 weeks which is mostly in Tier-II cities, the second one which is closer to our postings in January of the following year is for 6 weeks mostly in Metros and other big cities. OJT is for getting hands on experience of the department, life as an IRS officer in the field as well as to explore different parts of India with your friends. I had done my OJT-I in Nashik (try guessing why! :P) and I absolutely fell in love with the city and all the natural picturesque beauty around the city.Another very crucial part of the training is a week long trek in the Himalayas. For our batch we were divided into three groups - Uttarkashi, Narkanda and Dharmshala. The trek is a real adrenaline rush, wherein you live in the heart of nature with basic necessities and best of all - No Mobile Signal! The trek instills in you the true spirit of Espirit De Corps. As they say, “Shared pain brings people together!”.A 5 day long cultural festival - Anubhuti is also a part of the training curriculum. This festival allows you to not only develop your hobbies and talent in the various fields of art and culture but also allows you to meet, interact and witness the performances of other great artists around the country in the fields of music, art, literature, dance, theatre, poetry etc. As a part of Anubhuti, our play Geetanjali which was based on the life of an Autistic Transgender child was much appreciated. Thus, NADT also allows you to explore and exhibit your creative marvel!Apart from this, there was also a 5 day industrial visit to Aurangabad where groups visited industries of major private giants in the field of electronics, automobiles etc. We also had the opportunity to visit the marvel that is Ajanta Caves! The carvings and paintings in these caves, some of which are as old as 2nd Century BC are truly breathtaking.The months of December and January towards the end of your training are mostly the academics oriented months wherein you have to deal with most of your assignments, a dissertation on International Taxation and the devil himself - 2nd departmental exams.Finally towards the end of the training are the much awaited and coveted Foreign Attachment and Bharat Darshan. Both are generally of 10 days each. The routes and destination of these depends every year on the Administration so these are not fixed and may change based on logistics. Our foreign attachment is planned to be arranged in Europe in Feb (*fingers crossed*).Finally, the posting and Valediction of the batch is done by April of the following year. Thus, the overall training of an IRS officer which is of 1 year and 4 months is not about all work and no play. All round development is a key feature of our training.Whatever it may be but these are definitely the best days of one’s life. It’s like being in a college all over again while making your own money!

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) : Non-Proliferation Treaty is an International treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, to promote co-operation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament.3 Pillars or objectives of NPT :Non Proliferation : Nuclear weapon states are not to transfer any recipient whatsoever nuclear weapons and not to assist, encourage, or induce any Non-Nuclear Weapon States (NNWS) to manufacture or otherwise acquire them. Non-nuclear weapons states are not to receive nuclear weapons from any transferor, and are not to manufacture or acquire them. NNWS must accept the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards on all nuclear materials on their territories or under their control.Disarmament : All Parties must pursue negotiations in good faith on effective measures relating to the cessation of the nuclear arms race and to nuclear disarmament, and on a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.Peaceful use of Nuclear Energy : The Treaty does not affect the right of state parties to develop, produce, and use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, provided such activities are in conformity with Articles I and II. All state parties undertake to facilitate, and have a right to participate, in the exchange of equipment, materials, and scientific and technological information for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy.These Pillars constitute a “grand bargain” between the nuclear weapon states and the non-nuclear weapon states.1. States without nuclear weapons will not acquire them.2. States with nuclear weapons will pursue disarmament.3. All states can access nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, under safeguards.Why India refused to sign NPT ?1. As seen in above statements, NPT categorizes the world in 2 ways, Nuclear weapon state that tested nuclear bombs before 1st January 1967 ( US, Russia, China, UK, France) and non nuclear weapon States .2. NPT is a unfair treaty to the non-nuclear weapons states as it says that those who have nuclear weapons have no obligation to give them up while others are not allowed to have them.3. India is committed to nuclear non-proliferation, but does not want to endorse such a biased treaty.4. Although NPT calls for nuclear disarmament, no fixed timelines have been mentioned.5. China has allegedly violated the treaty by proliferating knowledge to Pakistan.6. Our security is threatened until these five countries completely dismantle their nuclear arsenal.India is ready for nuclear disarmament only if other countries do it too.Note: If India signs NPT , it will lose its nuclear potential, This may lead to considerable losses in political, military and ideological aspectsRegarding the issue of joining the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) we can notice that France was included in the elite group(NSG) without signing the NPT.Why is this membership important to India ?Access to technology for a range of uses from medicine to building nuclear power plants for India from the NSG which is essentially a traders’ cartel. India has its own indigenously developed technology but to get its hands on state of the art technology that countries within the NSG possess, it has to become part of the group.With India committed to reducing dependence on fossil fuels and ensuring that 40% of its energy is sourced from renewable and clean sources, there is a pressing need to scale up nuclear power production. This can only happen if India gains access to the NSG.India could sign the Nuclear non proliferation treaty and gain access to all this know how but that would mean giving up its entire nuclear arsenal. Given that it is situated in an unstable and unpredictable neighbourhood India is unlikely to sign the NPT or accede to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) that puts curbs on any further nuclear tests.With access to latest technology, India can commercialize the production of nuclear power equipment. This, in turn will boost innovation and high tech manufacturing in India and can be leveraged for economic and strategic benefits.Having the ability to offer its own nuclear power plants to the world means spawning of an entire nuclear industry and related technology development. This could give the Make in India programme a big boost.Sources : 1) NPT, CTBT - Reasons for India’s refusal to sign2) Why an NSG membership is important to India3) NPT not required for Nuclear Suppliers Group membership: India