Current Affairs - FEBRUARY-2021 - Vanik IAS

CURRENTAFFAIRS

Month ofFEBRUARY-2021

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CURRENT AFFAIRS – FEBRUARY–2021

CONTENTS17Section-A:MAINSCURRENTAFFAIRS

AreaofGS TopicsinNews

GS-I GEOGRAPHY • ExtremeHeatEventsinIndia’sCities:AFrameworkforAdaptiveActionPlans

GS-IIGOVERNANCE • CounteringDisinformationandHateSpeechOnline

POLITY • SCquestionsoverdelayinclearingCollegiumrecommendations

GS-III ECONOMY • Quantitative Easing variants in EmergingMarkets

GS-IV ETHICS • PublicParticipation,animportantelementofgoodgovernance

Section-B:PRELIMSCURRENTAFFAIRSAreaofGS TopicsinNews

GS-II

GOVERNANCE

• Assam celebrates first anniversary of BTRagreement

• S.P.Balasubramaniam,ShinzoAbeawardedPadmaVibhushan

INTERNATIONALRELATIONS

• USannouncesrestorationofrelationswithPalestine

• US,Russiaagreetoextend‘NewSTART’nucleararmstreaty

POLITY • President’saddresstothejointsittingofParliament

GS-III

ECONOMY• CabinetapprovedMinimumSupportPriceofCoprafor2021seas

on

• Off-BudgetBorrowing

ENVIRONMENT• GreenTax

• SigurPlateau

SCIENCE & TECH. • Manufacturedsand(M-sand)

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GOVERNANCE







GS-III


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• SigurPlateau












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• SigurPlateau




SECTION:A(MAINS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS


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CURRENTAFFAIRS


EXTREMEHEATEVENTSININDIA’SCITIES:AFRAMEWORKFORADAPTIVEACTIONPLANS

CONTEXT• Amongthemostsevereconsequencesofclimatechangeistheglobalriseinaveragetemperatures,andtheresultantheatw

aves.

• Giventheincreaseinthefrequencyandintensityofheatwaves,itisessentialtoprepareandimplementhearactionplansandtoadoptaframeworkforadaptiveactionplans.⦿ BACKGROUND

o Climatechange,thelong-termalterationoftemperature and typicalweatherpatterns,hasemergedasadefiningchallengeofthe21stcentury.

o Althoughitisbothnaturallyinducedandanthropogenicincharacter,climatechange’srapidrateismostlyhuman-made.

o Over 150 years of industrialisation,deforestation,fossilfueluseandlarge-scaleagriculturehaveresultedinrecordlevelsofgreenhousegases(GHGs)beingemitted intotheatmosphere.

o Burgeoningpopulations,growingeconomies,andimproved living standards have also meantaconsiderable rise in the cumulative level ofGHGemissions.

o ThereisadirectlinkbetweentheconcentrationofGHGs in the Earth’s atmosphere and theaverageglobaltemperature—risingGHGconcentrationhastranslatedintoincreasingmeanglobaltemperature.

o Consequently,therewillalsobeimpactsonbiodiversity and the ecosystem, including specieslossandextinction.

oThis is likely to lead to climate-related riskstohealth,livelihoods,foodsecurity,watersupply,humansecurityandeconomic growth.

⦿ANALYSIS

WhatareHeatwaves?

o A heatwave refers to surface temperaturesbeingsignificantlyhigherthannormalforseveraldaysat a time.

o TheWorld MeteorologicalOrganizationdefinesheatwavesas“fiveormoreconsecutivedaysduringwhichthedailymaximumtemperature surpasses theaveragemaximumtemperatureby5°C(9°F)ormore”.

o However,thereisnouniversallyaccepteddefinitionforheatwaves.

o Heatwavesaremeasuredrelativetotheusualweatherin an area and the normaltemperaturesfortheseason,andsodefinitionaldifferencesare reflective of global climatic variationsand thegeographically variable nature ofheatwaves andtheirimpact.

DifferentstandardsonheatwavesSeveral countries have adopted theirownstandardson heatwaves:

• India: The India MeteorologicalDepartmentrequires that, to be classified as aheatwave,temperaturesshouldreach:

➤atleast40°Cintheplains,

➤atleast30°Cinthehillyregionsand,

➤ should reflect an increase of at least 5°C-6°C (or 9°F-10.8°F) above thenormaltemperature

ImportantReports• In its Fifth Assessment Report (2013),

theUnitedNationsIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange(IPCC)revealedthatbetween1880and2012,theaverageglobaltemperatureroseby0.85percent.➤Thereportalsostatedthatagreatdealof

irreversible damage had alreadybeentriggeredandmostaspectsofclimatechangewillpersistforcenturies,evenifemissionsare controlled.

• A 2018 IPCC report concluded that manyofthe adverse impacts of climate changewouldcomeat the1.5°C mark, including

➤extremetemperaturesinmostinhabitedregions

➤ariseinmeansealevel

➤heavyprecipitationinmanyareas

➤theprobabilityofdroughtandprecipitationdeficitsin some areas




aves.









⦿ANALYSIS

WhatareHeatwaves?





















aves.









⦿ANALYSIS

WhatareHeatwaves?


















WEEK-1(FEBRUARY,2021)CURRENT AFFAIRS – FEBRUARY–2021

How‘urbanization’iscontributingtothephenomenon?

IndiaandHeatwaves

o India routinely experiences hot summers but,inrecent years, several parts of the countryhaveseenabnormallyhightemperatures—4°C-5°C(39.2°F-41°F) above normal—over severaldays,beingdefined as heatwaves.

o India’snorthwestregiontypicallyexperiencesheatwaves between March to June, and inrarecasesuntil July.

o Buildings, roads and other infrastructureabsorbandre-emitthesun’sheatmorethannaturallandscapessuchasforestsandwaterbodies.

o Urbanareas,wheresuchstructuresarehighlyconcentratedandgreeneryislimited,become‘islands’ ofhigher temperatures in comparisontooutlyingareas.

o Consequently,temperaturesinurbanareasareabout1°F-7°F higher in the daytime and about2°F-5°Fhigherinthenighttimethantemperaturesinoutlying areas.

o India is rapidly urbanising, with many of itscitiesadding large populations regularly. Indiancitieshavealreadyexperiencedthefalloutofrisingtemperatures.In2015:

➤Hyderabad recorded a temperature of46°C(114.8°F)on 21 May

➤Delhiwas46.4°C(115.5°F)on25May

➤Prayagraj recorded a temperature of47.8°C(118°F) on 9 June

➤Bhubaneshwar44°C(111.2°F)on10June

o It was the fifth deadliest heatwave everrecorded,with 2400 death reported across thecountry thatyear.

o Urban habitats are more prone to disastersthanruralareas—citieshavefrequentlybeenhitbyfloods and othercalamities and bore the brunt oftheCOVID-19pandemic worldwide.

o Similarly, cities are more vulnerable toheatwavesdue to the ‘heat island effect’.Urbanised areasexperience higher temperaturesdue to their builtdensity.

IsthephenomenonlimitedtoIndia?

Heatwavesareaglobalphenomenon;aroundtheworld,daysaregettinghottermorefrequently.The proportion ofthe Earth’s surface area thatwassubjectedtoscorchingsummers(significantlyhigher

Aren’t‘heatwaves’and‘loo’same?• Additionally,duringthesummermonths,northan

dnorthwestIndiaalsoexperiencethe‘loo’—strong, hot, dry winds that blow duringthedayandsometimesuntillateintheevening.

➤Onaccountofitsextremetemperature,rangingbetween 45°C-50°C (115°F-120°F)and verylow humidity, the ‘loo’ zaps thehumanbody dry on exposure, leadingtofatalheatstroke.

➤However,the‘loo’isanormalweatherphenomenoninnorthernIndia,andheatwaves areconsidered to occurabovethisconditionnotbefore it.

• Accordingtothe‘AssessmentofClimateChange Over The Indian Region’ report bytheUnion Ministry of Earth Sciences,India’saveragetemperaturehasrisenby0.7°C(33.2°F) between 1901 and 2018 and will riseby4.4°C (39.9°F) by 2100, while heatwaveswillmultiply by a factor of two or three andtheirduration will double compared to the1976-2005period.

• SimilarconclusionsweremadebytheMcKinseyGlobalInstitute,whichpredictedthatby2050Indiawouldfacemanylethalheatwaves—three-dayeventsduringwhichtheaveragedailymaximumwet-bulbtemperatureexceedsthesurvivabilitythresholdforahealthyhumanrestinginthe shade.

➤Scientificliteratureholdsthatat35°C(95°F)wet bulb, a healthy humanbeingcansurvivebyrestingintheshadeforapproximatelyfive hours.

• Heatwaves killed about 6,187 people inIndiabetween2011and 2018.

• However, data on heatwave fatalities arenotwidelyavailablesincemostcasesgounreportedandtheambiguityofsymptomsmaymeanthatmortalityratesare notaccuratelycaptured.

• UnitedStates:TheUSNationalWeatherServicedefinesaheatwaveasaspellof“abnormallyanduncomfortablyhotandunusually humid weather”over two days ormore.

• Denmark:InDenmark,aheatwaveoccurswhenthemeanofthehighestrecordedtemperaturemeasured over three consecutivedaysexceeds28°C (82.4°F).

• Australia: In Adelaide, Australia, a heatwaveisdefinedasfivestraightdayswithtemperaturesat or above 35°C (95°F), or threeconsecutivedaysat or over 40°C (104°F).



IndiaandHeatwaves






























IndiaandHeatwaves





























thantheaveragetemperatures)increasedfrom1 oTheHAPincludedfourkeystrategies.percentbetween1951-80toover10percentbetween1981-2010.

o UnitedStates:IntheUS,forinstance,thefrequencyofheatwaves has increased substantially, fromanaverage of two per year during the 1960s tooversixper year during the2010s.

o England:InEngland,between2015and2019,

➤Awareness:First,publicawarenessandcommunity outreach to share informationontherisksofheatwavesanddosanddon’tstofollow to prevent heat-related deathsandillnesses.

➤Earlywarningsystem:Second,toputanearlywarningsysteminplacetoalertcitizensabout

over 3,400 people lost their lives on accountofextremetemperatures,withnearly900extradeaths(deathsabovethenormalnumbersrecordedeach

theonsetoftheheatwaveandsetinter-agencycoordinationinmotion.

➤Training:Third,tobuildcapacityamongyear)duringthe2019summerheatwaves.

o Europe:In2003,adevastatingheatwaveduringEurope’shottestsummersincethesixteenth

healthcareprofessionals,includingparamedicalstaffandcommunityhealthstaff.

➤Adaptive techniques: Fourth, to launchcenturykilledabout30,000peopleacrosstheregion.

o Japan:In2018,Japan’sweatheragencywarnedofunprecedented levels of threat on accountofextremeheatanddeclaredtheheatwavesweeping

measurestoreduceheatexposureandpromoteadaptive techniques, such as access topotabledrinkingwater,coolingspacesandnightshelters,especiallyforhigh-risk populations.

o NDMA’sguidelines:However,inthewakeofthecountryasanaturaldisaster.

o Africa:While Sub-Saharan Africa has beenthe 2015 heatwaves, the National DisasterManagement Authority (NDMA) published

identifiedasaheatwave‘hotspot’,regionalgovernmentshavenotreportedsuchevents,but the Africancontinent is as vulnerable to theimpactsofheatwavesas elsewhere.

WhatarehealthimpactsofHeatwaves?Heatwaveshaveseveralhealthimpacts.

guidelines on preventing andmanagingheatwaves.

➤TheNDMAurgedcitiesandstatestoprepareheatactionplans(HAPs)thatfocuson

➤earlywarningsystems

➤traininghealthcareprofessionals

➤raisingpublicawarenesso Dehydration: Heatwaves can ➤encouragingcollaborationwithNGOsandcivil

cause severe dehydration, acutecerebrovascularaccidentsandcontributetothrombogenesis(blood clots).

o Heatcramps:Heatcrampsresultinedema

society,asameanstotackleheatwaves

o SeveralothercitiesinIndiahavealsoadoptedsuchstrategies.

➤Currently,30citiesacross11statesfacing(swelling)andsyncope(fainting),oftenaccompaniedby feverbelow 39°C(102°F).

o Heatexhaustionand/orheatstroke:Heatexhaustion can cause fatigue, weakness,dizziness,headaches, nausea, vomiting, musclecramps andsweating. Meanwhile, heat strokescause the bodytemperature to rise to 40°C(104°F) or more andcan result in delirium,seizures, coma or possiblefatality.

IsIndiatakingenoughmeasures?o Despitethehighincidencesofdeathsduetoheatwave

sandtherisingnumberofextremeweatherevents,IndiadoesnotrecogniseheatwavesasadisasterunderitsDisasterManagement Act (2005).

o AMC’sHeatActionPlan:However,in2013,theAhmedabadMunicipalCorporation(AMC)implementedthecountry’sfirstHAP,developedinthe aftermath ofthe 2010 heatwave that hit thecity, withtemperatures exceeding 46.8°C (116.2°F)and1344peoplelosingtheir lives.

extremehotweatherconditionshaveadoptedHAPs,includingDelhi,Hyderabad,BhubaneshwarandNagpur.

Whatneedstobedone?Indiamustadoptseveralmeasurestoprepareforandtackle theimpactsofheatwaves.

o Recognition under DM Act: It mustrecogniseheatwavesasadisasterandincludeitundertheDisasterManagementAct.ThiswillequiptheCentre,statesandurbanlocalbodieswithstatutorypowerstoenforceorders.Itwillalsogiveauthorities access torevenues that flow from theAct.

o Therearetwobroadtypesofresponsestodisasters:

➤mitigation(thereductionofheatwavesources):Mitigation measures can bemoreglobalwhileadaptationisprimarilylocal.

➤adaptation(adjustmentmechanismstocopewithheatwaves):Withinadaptation,














































































annualpreparatoryandoperationalstepsina cityand long-term but local policy-drivendesignchangesshouldbeincluded.

significanturbanplanningmeasuresforlong-termsustainability.

o Early warning system: Cities must develop ⦿ CONCLUSIONsoundearlywarningsystemstoinformcitizensof acoming heatwave. Additionally, publichealthinformation and guidelines should bepreparedandmadeavailable toall citizens.

o Special attention to vulnerable people:Specialattention must be given to the urban poorandothervulnerable groups.

o Urbanplanning:Inadditiontotheshort-term stepsthat need to be taken each yeartomanageheatwaves,citiesmustinitiateseveral

Given India’s increasing vulnerability to heatwaves,itmust first recognize such incidents as a disastertomake national and state disaster assistanceavailablefor mitigation efforts. Although the NDMAhas issuedguidelines on dealing with heatwaves, anational HAPwill be extremely beneficial to cities andwill “drive anational agenda to embed adaptationplanning forrising temperature in our plans anddesign for space,utilities,infrastructureandindustries.”

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COUNTERINGDISINFORMATIONANDHATESPEECHONLINE

CONTEXT• Inordertoaligntheutilityofsocialmediaplatformswiththewelfareofcitizens,whilesafeguardingtherightto free

speech, there is need for an overhaul of India’s current regulatory framework in order to curbhatespeechandfakenewsonline.

• Thefailureofthesystemraisesconcernsandcallsfortransparentrecognitionofforestdwellers’rights.⦿BACKGROUND ⦿ANALYSIS

o Theuseofsocialmediaforpeddlingfakenewsandhate speechisnota newphenomenon.

Towhatextent,socialmediaistobeblamed?

o Beforethepandemic,episodesofinformation o Vulnerabletoabuse:Socialmediaplatformsdumping peaked during elections, socio-politicalmovements,ortomanipulatefinancialmarkets.

o The COVID-19 pandemic has shown how fastandwideinformationcanspread:sofast,thatthephenomenonwasgiventhename,“infodemic”.

o AmidsttheCOVID-19crisis,ithasbecomeapparentthat widespread fake news can threatenpublichealth. Public awareness is key in battling ahealthcrisis.

o However,iftheregulationofmisinformationisconcentratedinthehandsofplatformsorgovernmentagencies, it becomes susceptible toperception-alterationtactics.

facilitate the sharing of information andenhanceconnectivity and civic engagement.At thesametime, however, they are vulnerable to abusebymalicious actors who use the channels tospreadmisinformation and hateful and divisivecontent.Behind the veil of protecting free speech,techcompaniesinIndiaremainoblivioustosuchpotentialmisuse.

o Conflicts:Socialmediaplatformsmayhavedemocratisedtheinternet,butthesametechnologycan createconflicts as it enables theproliferationoferroneousinformationatanunprecedentedpace.

o Lack of quick identification: The companiesdonot have adequate resources to quicklyidentifysuchcontent and removethem.

o Numerical advantage: Fake news thrivesondisseminationthroughsurplusordeficitinformationmodels.Underthesurplusmodel,if enough usersshare the same information, itvalidates itself by asheer numerical advantage,including when thegatekeepers ofinformation(likejournalistsorpoliticians)validateit.

o Widespreadimpact:Theimpactoffakenewsisenhancedduetolackofaccesstocorrectinformation, limited prominence of fact-checkingmediums,overwhelmingnature,ortheuser’sinabilitytocomprehenditsconsequence.

o Higher interaction: Of all the content intheseplatforms,thosethatareextremist,fakeandpopulistarefoundtooftengarnerhigh“interaction”numbers.

➤Facebook, for example, took down 40millionmisleadingpostsinMarch2020alone,andanother50millionthefollowing month.

o Targetedadvertisement:Thealgorithmsoftheseplatforms work in such a manner that theyrecordtheuser’spastinteractionsandfilltheirfeedwith

Example(scrutinisingandfactcheck)• Facebook, for one, can be a highly

powerfultool, with over 290 million users inIndia—itshighestinthe world.

• Inrecenttimes,however,variousgovernmentshave begun scrutinising the platform forwhatthey allege to be its lackadaisicalapproach tohatespeech.

• InApril2020,Facebookflagged50millionpostswith warning labels; itargued that once acontentis flagged, 95 percent of end-usersdonotaccess it.

• Fact-checking organisations are alsoworkingto counter fake news campaigns,including, inIndia—reportsaboutpurported“cures”againsttheCOVID-19.

• AccordingtoaReutersreport,betweenJanuaryandMarch2020,therewasa900-percentincreaseinfact-checksrelatedtoCovid-19.

• Thesamereportindicatesthatamere20-percentof the total misleading content inthatperiodhadcomefromprominentpublicfiguresandenjoyed69percent ofallengagement.






















































their identified interests; this facilitatestargetedadvertisements, from where theplatforms earntheirincomes.

India’s Regulatory Framework:AnOverview

1. FakeNewso Thereisinadequateregulationoffakenews

underIndianlaw.

o Duetothevarioustypesoffakenews,theirmotivations, and the ways they are shared, theregulatorychallenge isdaunting.

oTo combat fake news, the first imperative istoidentifythe different forms:➤‘misinformation’istheinadvertentsharingof

voice—suchaspoliticiansorcelebrities—canharnessthiscapacitytoinciteangerordividecommunitieswithoutbeingthreatenedbyanyformofliability.

o India’smultiplelawsonsedition,publicorder,enmitybetweengroups,anddecencyandmorality,broadlyform the country’s jurisprudence on whatisknown as “hate speech”, without using thetermitself.

o FollowingtheunconstitutionalityofSection66A ofthe IT Act, no provision under the IT Actcurrentlyaims to curtail either online oroffline‘HateSpeech’.

oThe most employed sections 153A and 295Aofthe Indian Penal Code (IPC) are alsoinadequatetodealwiththebarrageofonlinehatecontent.

falsecontent o The Parliamentary Standing Committee➤Whereas, ‘disinformation’ is deliberate

sharingwithan intent to deceive

• Itssub-typesare

• misleadingcontent

• impostercontent

• fabricatedcontent

• false connection

• falsecontext

• manipulatedcontent

• satireorparody

o The Indian Ministry of Electronics andInformationTechnology (MeitY) has recognisedthe potentialfor misuse of platforms and evenbroadly defined‘disinformation’.

o However, the term is yet to be adopted undertheITAct orany provisions ofthe penalcode.

o Section505(1)(b)oftheIndianPenalCodeorSection54ofDisasterManagementAct,2005,bothprovidebroadrecourseagainstcases which have severeconsequences onpublicwellbeing;theyareshorthanded,however,againsttherapid paceof socialmedia.

o These regulations also lack precedent oruniformapplicationagainstmultipletypesoffakenews.

2. HateSpeecho Absolutefreespeechlawsthatprotectagainstanytyp

eofcensorshipinadvertentlyrenderprotectiontohate speechas well.

o In India, hate speech is not profuselyrestricted,itremainsundefinedwithappropriateITActprovisions or a regulatory mechanism foronlinecontent.

hasrecommendedchangestotheITActbyincorporatingtheessenceoftheSection153A.

➤ThereportalsosuggestsstricterpenaltiesthanprescribedunderSection153Aduetothe faster andwider spread of information inonlinespaces.

➤It advocates criminalising “innocentforwards”,for example, with the samestrictness as theoriginatorof the content.

Howothercountriesarehandlingtheseplatforms?Many countries have initiated inquiries into theroleplayedbytheseplatformsinspreadingextremist,hateful or fake content.

o Germany, Singapore, and France can nowlevysignificantfinesagainstplatformsthatfailtorestrict illegal content after due process ofnoticeandflagging.

o The United Kingdom (UK) is debating anOnlineHarmsWhitePaper.

o TheEuropeanCommissionhasproposedtwolegislative initiatives—i.e., the Digital Services Act(DSA)and the Digital Markets Act (DMA) forthecreationofregulatorymechanismstocounteronlineharms.

Challenges/Issues

o Absentappropriatecodesorregulationsfor o Nodefinition: TheIndianchallengetogarnerintermediaries,thosewhotendtohavealouder consensusandcounter‘hatespeech’and‘fake

In the United States in early January2021,platforms like Twitter provided a peek intotheirability to counter disinformation, directingend-users to reliable sources, and suspendingtheaccount of former president Donald Trump,“duetotheriskoffurtherincitementofviolence.”





underIndianlaw.









• Itssub-typesare


• impostercontent



• falsecontext


• satireorparody















Challenges/Issues







underIndianlaw.









• Itssub-typesare


• impostercontent



• falsecontext


• satireorparody















Challenges/Issues




news’extendstotheirunderstandinginreal/offlineworld.Bothremainundefinedunderanydomesticlegalmandate,includingthe ITAct.

o Ethical-legal gap: The difficult question

FramingIndia’sApproach(GuidingPrinciples)o TheIndianresponsemustbedrivenbyfourguiding

principles:➤Accountability and transparency over

concerning hate speech or fake newslegislationpertainstotheexistingethical-legalgap,theexecutive response departing fromconservativeunderstandingofonlinespacesanddata.

o Lackofeffectiveregulation:Whiledisruptivetechnologiesareevolvingatafasterrate,theregulations failto address gaps to deter unethicalbehaviour.

o Lack of approach to counter manipulationandhatespeech:Theplatformsalonearenotequippedto oversee the task for a remodelled approachtocountermanipulationandhatespeech.

o Difficulty in removal of risky content: Duetothe overarching jurisdictional nature of theseactsand easy multiplication, taking down contentisnot a silver bullet in countering hate speechandfakenews.

o Lack of accountability and transparency:Thelackofaccountabilityandtransparencycallsforarethinking of social media platforms’ roleandstructureinordertocountertheirmisuse.

o No liability: In India, social media platformsarenot liable under any rules or regulations.Theyfunction under a regulatory vacuum and arenotbound by any industry regulatory standardsforthe functions they dispense

decision-making by tech platforms, stateandnon-stateactors

➤Ensureconsistencyandcollectivewillbyencouraginginclusivestakeholderengagementforall decision-making processes

➤Respecthumanrightsstandardsandhabituatehumaneapplicationoftech.Incentivise innovativeadoption of redesignedtechproductsthatpre-emptandprovidesafeguardsfrom onlineharms

➤Legal certainty for consistent applicationandexecutionofdutiesandrightsofstakeholders⦿CONCLUSION

The evolving nature of online harm necessitatesanappropriateresponsefromtheregulatorybodies.Additionally, the dissimilar nature of thepandemic,compounded by the weaponization ofinformation-sharingmodels,benefitfewandnegativelyaffectlargepopulations. Intervention in this regard isnecessary.However, any restriction cannot be vaguelyor hastilydrafted to allow selective and arbitraryapplication byeither the tech companies orgovernmentauthorities.Abalancemustbefoundinthisregard,definingthe roles of various stakeholders in a co-regulatorymodel.

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SCQUESTIONSOVERDELAYINCLEARINGCOLLEGIUMRECOMMENDATIONS

CONTEXTThe Supreme Court questioned the government about the delay in clearing Collegium recommendations

forjudicialappointments to various High Courts.⦿ BACKGROUND

o ABenchheadedbyCJISABobde—whichtermedita“matterofgreatconcern”—askedtheMinistryof Law and Justice to spell outhow much timeitwouldtaketoprocesstherecommendations.

o Pointing out that recommendations sent bythehigh courts of Bombay and Allahabad in May-June 2020 were hanging fire, it said in manycasesgovernmenttookmorethanayear.

o As per the court, as on date 189 proposalsonappointment of judges are pending andsoughtanupdateonthelatestpositionfromthegovernment.

➤Thecentralgovernmentisyettoclear16namesthatwereapprovedbytheSupremeCourtcollegiumforappointmenttofourhighcourts,with the oldestrecommendations going backtoJuly 2019.

➤Thecentralgovernmentisalsoyettoprocess103proposalsthatweresenttotheUnionMinistryofLaw&Justicebyvarioushighcourtsto beforwarded to the top court collegium foritsapproval, deepening the vacancy crisisinthehigher judiciary.⦿ANALYSIS

WhatisCollegiumsystem?o It is the system of appointment and transfer

ofjudgesthathasevolvedthroughjudgmentsoftheSupremeCourt,andnotbyanActofParliamentorbyaprovision oftheConstitution.

o Underthesystem,thecollegiumdecidesthefollowing:

➤appointments and elevations of judgesandlawyers to the Supreme Court and theHighCourts

➤transferofjudgestoHighCourtsandtheApexcourt

Theprocedureo CJIandSCJudges:ThePresidentofIndiaappointsthe

CJIand theother SCjudges.➤CJI: As far as the CJI is concerned, the

outgoingCJIrecommendshissuccessor.• In practice, it has been strictly by

seniorityever since the supersessioncontroversy ofthe1970s.• TheUnionLawMinisterforwardstherecomme

ndationtothePrimeMinisterwho,inturn,advisesthe President.

➤SC Judges: For other judges of the topcourt,theproposalisinitiatedbythe CJI.• The CJI consults the rest of the

Collegiummembers, as well as the senior-most judgeof the court hailing from theHigh Court towhichtherecommendedpersonbelongs.• The consultees must record their

opinionsinwritinganditshouldformpartofthefile.• The Collegium sends the

recommendationto the Law Minister, whoforwards it tothePrimeMinistertoadvisethePresident.

o Chief Justice of HC: The Chief Justice ofHighCourts is appointed as per the policy ofhavingChief Justices from outside the respectiveStates.TheCollegiumtakesthecallontheelevation.

o HC Judge: High Court judges arerecommendedbyaCollegiumcomprisingtheCJIandtwosenior-mostjudges.➤Theproposal,however,isinitiatedbytheChief

Justice of the High Court concernedinconsultationwithtwosenior-mostcolleagues.

➤TherecommendationissenttotheChiefMinister,whoadvisestheGovernortosendtheproposaltotheUnionLawMinister.

ConsultationwithJudges• The constitution also has another

conditionspecific to the appointment of thejudges intheHigh Courts and the SupremeCourt.

CompositionofCollegium• SC Collegium: The Supreme Court

collegiumis headed by the Chief Justice ofIndiaandcomprisesfourotherseniormostjudgesofthecourt.

• HC Collegium: A High Court collegium isledby its Chief Justice and four otherseniormostjudgesof that court.


































































o Thecollegiumcameintobeingthroughinterpretationsofpertinentconstitutionalprovisions by theSupreme Court in the JudgesCases.

IsthesystemprovidedintheConstitution?➤The Collegium of judges is the Supreme

Court’sinvention.

➤It does not figure in the Constitution, whichsaysjudges of the Supreme Court andHighCourtsareappointedbythePresidentandspeaksofaprocess ofconsultation.

Whatabout‘independenceofjudiciary’?o TheConstitutionofIndiahasembodiedtheconceptof

IndependenceofJudiciary.

o However, the appointment of judges in theHighCourt and the Supreme Court has been leftto thePresident, who works on the aid and adviceof thecouncilof ministers.

o The President shall act in accordance withsuchadvice.

Genesisofthesystemo Thecollegiumsystemhasitsgenesisinaseriesof

Supreme Court judgments called the‘JudgesCases’.

WrappingUp

TheMemorandumofProcedurethatgovernstheprocessfor judicial appointments requires the Centreto giveits feedback on the names recommended.Havingbeen forced to play second fiddle,successivegovernments have used their feedback asa ‘pocketveto’. The time has come to fix the lacunaein thejudicial appointment system in the interest ofjusticeand welfare of thecountry.

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• The‘FirstJudgesCase’(1981)ruledthatthe“consultation”withtheCJIinthematterofappointments must be full andeffective.However,itrejectedtheideathattheCJI’sopinion, albeit carrying great weight,shouldhaveprimacy.• The Second Judges Case (1993)

introducedtheCollegiumsystem,holdingthat“consultation”really meant “concurrence”.Itadded that it was not the CJI’sindividualopinion, but an institutional opinionformed inconsultation with the two senior-most judgesinthe Supreme Court.

• OnaPresidentialReferenceforitsopinion,theSupreme Court, in the Third JudgesCase(1998)expandedtheCollegiumtoafive-member body, comprising the CJI and fourofhissenior-mostcolleagues.

• Article124(2) mandates thePresidenttoconsultthejudgesofthecourtbeforeappointinga judgeinthe samecourt.

• The ‘consultation’ however did not bindthepresident in the same way he is bound bythecouncil of ministers and the president’spowertoappointjudgesbefore1973wasjustaformalityandtheappointmentswereonbehalfoftheexecutive government.




Court’sinvention.








WrappingUp


**********









Court’sinvention.








WrappingUp


**********







QUANTITATIVEEASINGVARIANTSINEMERGINGMARKETSCONTEXT

The coronavirus-led market rout hit developing economies hard. In order to combat economic pain from

theCOVID-19pandemic,morethanadozenemergingmarketshaveadopted quantitativeeasing.⦿ BACKGROUND

oSeveral emerging economies have responded tothefinancial shock from the COVID-19 pandemicinarather dramatic fashion.

o Thepandemicandtheensuingfalloutintermsof twindemand and supply shocks — and all thisamid apersistent shortfall in public finances —inducedEmerging Market (EM) governmentstoseekswiftandinnovativesolutions.

o QuantitativeEasing(QE)anditsvariantshavebeenpopular for a while.

o Oftenlikenedtofinancingfiscaldeficitsovernight,QEis meant to prevent unwarrantedtighteningduringtimes of stress.

o Normally,itisassumedthatonlythemostadvancedeconomies like the US, EU, and Japanwouldimplement it as a last resort forstabilisingtheeconomy intheface of recession.

o However, many EM countries have plungedintotheir self-styled versions of QE programmeswithpolicyrateswelloverzero,citingtheneedtoquellmarket dysfunctions and ease liquidityconditionsover the short run.

o WhilesomecentralbanksincludingSouthAfricaandIndialimitedthemselvestobuyinggovernmentdebtinsecondarytrading,otherssuchasIndonesiaandGhanalaunchedthemselvesstraight into primarymarkets, snapping up bondsassoonas theywereissued.

o Againstthisbackdrop,EMpolicymakershavetried toreconcile concerns of inflation anddebtsustainabilitywithclaimsofadequateforexreservesandmanageablecurrentaccountdeficits.

➤These new reserves are meant tonormalizecreditmarkets duringcrunches.

oIn QE, central banks generate money topurchasebondsfrombanks,financialinstitutionsandinfusemoneysupplyforincreasedcreditactivity.

o BanksandFinancialinstitutionsmaylendtogovernments,businesses,individualhouseholdsatlowerinterest rates. This results in increasedlevelsofconsumption and income.

o Theoretically,whentheeconomyrecovers,Centralbanksellsthebondsanddestroysthecashreceived. Thismeans in the long term there hasbeenno extracash created.

o But QE is often undertaken by emergingmarketsunderdifferentcircumstancesaltogether.

o In such cases, central banks are called uponwhenthe government faces temporary yet intensefiscalpressures. And this is also where the realriskscomein.

⦿ANALYSIS

WhatisQE?o QuantitativeEasing(QE)isan unconventional

QEdeploymentandtheroleof‘corecurrencies’and‘peripheralcurrencies’

monetarypolicythatimpliesprintingnewmoneyto purchase government debt and otherfinancialassets when interest rates have alreadyhitzero.

o Objective: The rationale behind this is to

o InthecontextofQEdeployment,itisalsoimportanttounderscorethedifferencebetweentheroleof

➤corecurrencies(sayUSdollar,theEuro)

➤peripheralcurrencies‘boosteconomicactivity’bycreatingnewbankreserves.

o Onlytheformercurrenciesaretrulyglobalinthesensethatthosearedemandedbybothforeign

Thelastresort• Usually,Centralbanksattempttoreviveeconomy

through Monetary policy tools, toinfuse moreliquidity into the economy, suchaslowering-

➤CashReserveRatio

➤StatutoryLiquidityRatio

➤BanksRates

➤Reporates

• QEisusedasalastresort,whennoothertoolsareworkingtoreviveeconomy.

• QEasamonetarypolicytoolwasusedbyfederalreserve bank duringglobal financialcrisis in2008 and by European CentralBankduringEuroDebtCrisisin2014.



















⦿ANALYSIS











➤CashReserveRatio


➤BanksRates

➤Reporates





















⦿ANALYSIS











➤CashReserveRatio


➤BanksRates

➤Reporates




and domestic market participants while thelatteronesare only domestically demanded.

o Peripheral currencies are also often underminedbyhistorical episodes of currency and debtcrises,highinflationandlimitedcredibility,andthefragilityoffinancialsectorsandpoliticalsystems.

Isn’t printing currency a good solutiontoalleconomicproblems?o Centralbankscannotkeepprintingcurrencyindefinitely

bybuyingbondstoalleviatethestressfromdeterioratingfiscal dynamics.

o Thisiswhatinstentifiesthepossiblerisksposed ➤Inflation fears: Printing money beyondby QE in EMs (compared to the moreadvancedeconomies).

o Instructively, during times of panic, investorsrushintothesafestassetslikeUStreasurysecurities.

o This usually happens at the expense of otherlessmatureeconomiesthatfacesignificantcapitaloutflows.

o Asaresult,manyEMsfacerisingbondyieldsand a higherterm premium, which is theextracompensationofferedforbondswithlongermaturities.

Whattranspired?o As a matter of fact, several EM economies

facedunprecedented capital outflows andsubsequentspikes in bond yields earlier this yearcaused by asuddeninvestor panic.

o Simultaneously, most private asset markets,saystocks, bonds, commodities, and property,alsocameunderstress asliquiditydriedup.

o At least 20 EM central banks, fiscally strongerandvulnerableonesalike,havesinceresortedtosomeform of asset purchases on top of sharpinterestrate cuts, to backstop the economy bystabilisingfinancialmarkets.

o And so far for most EMs, these thick andfastmeasureshavenotbeencounterproductive.➤First group: Interestingly, at the time of

QEintroductions,onlyCroatiaandChilewereclosetozerowhilePolandreachedthereslightlylater.WhilethisfirstgroupofEMcentralbankschose toengage in QE only after exhaustingthe spacefor further rate cuts, a secondgroupdivedinwithlargelyfiscal(insteadofmonetary)

appropriatelimitsmaysparkinflationfears.➤Erode confidence in local currency: It

canalsoerodeconfidenceinthelocalcurrency.➤Worsen exchange rate: The unsustainabilityof

debt monetisation can spookinternationalinvestors and the resultantoutbound capitalflowswill worsentheexchangerate.

➤Currency run: At the extreme, theirdeparturecanbring a full-fledged currencyrun.

o Therefore,itistheperceptionofgovernmentsolvencywhichmakesthestaterobustagainstdebtrollover risks.

WhyQEisoftenseenashigh-riskadviceforEms?Notwithstandingtheshorttermgains,itisnotdifficulttosee why QE is often seen as high-risk advice forEMs.o Damagethecredibilityofcentralbanks:Intenseinjectionso

fliquiditycandamagethecredibilityofcentralbanksgreatlyandcauseinflationaryshocks,currencyruns,andexchangerateinstabilitybesidesthepossibilityofdebtdistressandworseningprivatesectorbalance sheets.

o Multipleissues:Intenseinjectionsofliquidityalsocause➤inflationaryshocks➤currencyruns➤exchangerateinstability➤debtdistress➤worseningprivatesectorbalancesheets

objectives.➤Secondgroup:Centralbanksin

GhanaandthePhilippinescitedexceptionalcircumstances and openly offered lifelinestotheirgovernmentsbypurchasingsovereigndebttowardoffexcessivepressure.

➤Third group: Lastly, central banks inSouthAfrica,ThailandandIndiaamongothers,whichconstitute the third set, merelyundertooktheroleofamarketmakertobolsterconfidenceinprivateinvestors.Theirintentwasnotjusttoraisebondprices,buttosimultaneouslytighten

o Challengingdebtdynamics:Atthisjuncture,Brazil,Colombia, and Costa Rica are among thosefacingchallenging debt dynamics.➤Brazil isperceivedtobetheriskiestofall,because of

its reluctance in adoptingreformsamidahighpublicdebtburden(86%ofGDP).

➤CostaRica,meanwhile,hasbeenfacingasteepinterest payment burden, reflectedbylooseningcreditspreads,sinceitseconomywentinto a tailspin.

o Inflationaryrisk: Similarly, Turkey, Poland,

thespreads(otherwiselargegapsbetweenthebidandofferprices)andreduceitsvolatility.

Hungary,andIndiaareamongthosefacinginflationary risk.


































































⦿CONCLUSION

Finally,itisworthnotingthatonlystrongandcrediblecentralbanksareabletopulloffunconventionalpoliciessuccessfully over the longer run. EMcentralbankswithweakandunstablecurrenciesshould

understandablybemorecautiouswhenitcomestounconventionalmonetarypolicies.Theseareextraordinarycircumstances and it may be wrong toassume thatinvestors would continue reactingthesamewayasinterventionbecomesroutine.

**********


⦿CONCLUSION



**********


⦿CONCLUSION



**********


PUBLICPARTICIPATION,ANIMPORTANTELEMENTOF GOOD GOVERNANCE

CONTEXTWith rapid urbanization in India, a focus on good governance is critical for sustainability for the country, as

awhole.Inthisregard, ‘public participation’is animportant element ofgood governance.⦿ BACKGROUND o Ensuresjustice:Publicparticipationhavethe

o India is the largest democracy in the worldandcitizensherearehighlyenthusiastictobeapartofGovernance.

o AfterIndependence,IndiahasadoptedrepresentativedemocracyasformofGovernment.

o Public participation is a mainstay ofdemocracyandoneofthekeycomponentsofdecisionmakingprocess.

o A fundamental rethinking is under way abouttherolesofgovernment,citizens,andcommunityorganizationsinpublicpolicy.

o Can government be reconstructed to makepublicpoliciesmoreresponsivetocitizensandthusmoreeffective?

o Duringlastsevendecades,thegovernmenthasnotdirectly involved citizens in Public PolicymakingProcess.

o However,itisimportantnow,tounderstand

potential to throw new light on differentaspectsof the human condition, and follow upwiththeauthorities,throughtothejudicialsystem,tosecurerights andjustice.

o Reducescorruption:Inthedeliberativedemocracydiscourse,ithasbeenproposedthatacollaborativecountervailing power is needed, to help fostertheintegrity of empowered participatorygovernance,and reduce its susceptibility tovarious forms ofcorruption.

how to Indian democracy more peopleorientedand how to increase citizens’engagement in thegovernmentprocess.⦿ANALYSIS

Whypublicparticipationisessentialfor

WaysofCitizenEngagemento Informationsharing

o Consultationo Joint assessment

o Shareddecision-makingandcollaboration

Indian democracy?o Increasingtransparencyandaccountability:Citize

nsplayacriticalroleinadvocatingandhelpingtomake public institutions more transparentandaccountable.

o Solutions to complex issues: It alsocontributesto effective and innovative solutionsto complexdevelopmentchallenges.

o Improved development results: Under the

Whataretheprinciplesofparticipatorydemocracy?Theprincipleofparticipatorydemocracyhastwointegralelements–

o Publicparticipationindecisionmaking:Thefirstelementiscarefullycircumscribedbythestateof Rule ofLaw or procedure established bylawandafinebalancehasbeenstruckbetween“needforpublicparticipationandeffectivefunctioning

rightconditions,citizenengagementcanhelpgovernmentsachieveimproveddevelopmentresultsincreatinglinksbetweencitizenengagementandimprovedpublicservicedelivery,public financialmanagement, governance,socialinclusionandempowerment.

o Surfacing important issues: It helps tosurfaceimportantissuesofsocialandenvironmentaljustice,entitlementsand equity.

of administration”. The participation itselfinvolvesthreefeatures –

➤thestage

➤theextent

➤thenatureofparticipation

o PlacinginformationregardingGovernmentactionsinpublicdomain

Challengestodemocracy• India is sometimes called an

‘unlikelydemocracy’,builtas ithas beenin:

➤Poverty

➤widespreadilliteracy

➤ a deeply hierarchical social structurewhichare seen as ‘inhospitable conditionsfor thefunctioningof democracy’




























➤thestage

➤theextent





➤Poverty






























➤thestage

➤theextent





➤Poverty




Thetrendof‘publicparticipation’inother o Publicscrutiny:Inaddition,draftBillsshoulddemocracyo UnitedStates:TheUSSenatemakesitmandatoryto

require written submissions from the publicforany Bill introduced, with no restrictions onsenatecommittees.

o Australia: Australia holds workshops as partofregional consultations in the prelegislativestage,and after a report is finalised. Transcripts ofanydepositions made as part of submissionsbeforethecommittees are published.

o Canada: The province of Ontario in Canada hasalonghistory of active citizenengagement.

o UnitedKingdom:TheUKGovernmenthadreleaseda citizen engagement framework in2008thatsoughttodeepenengagementwithpubliconawidevarietyofissuesincludingconstitutionalchange,policyformulation,behaviouralissuese.g.smokingetc.

ChallengesinCitizenEngagemento LimitedtrustinGovernment:Itisseenthatgenerally

, government actions are often low onpublic trustdue to many reasons. Theprimarychallengetoinitiateconsultationistrustbuilding.

o Political Reluctance: Public participation is

undergorigorousscrutinybyexpertsandordinarycitizens alike — with drafts circulated in advancetoacademics, trade unions, business bodiesandinterestedcitizens.

o Other measures: Furthermore, thegovernmentcan-

➤understand viewpoints of citizens andgatherfeedback

➤getpeople’sideasandtheircontributionthroughthe tasks

➤identifytalentandexpertisewhichcanbegarneredtowards the success of projectswithpeople’sparticipation

➤implement best ideas and achieve the goalof‘GoodGovernance’

Government initiatives to ensurecitizens’engagement

MyGov-Itisaninnovativeplatformlaunchedtoensurecitizens’ engagement in decision making bytheGovernment so that the ultimate goal of“GoodGovernance”forbuildingIndiaisachieved.

essentiallyapoliticalprocessandisoftennotformalised or conducted in a structuredmanner.Assuch,peopleareoftenreluctanttoparticipate.

o Limited capacity to engage: Given thelimitedavailabilityofknowledgeandsometimesrequirementofspecialisedskillsetsviz.Legal,technicaletc,manypeoplebelievethattheircapacitytoengageinsuchprocessesislimited.

o LackofCommitment:Engagementinpolicymaking processes is a long drawn processandoftenrequiresindividualstomakelongtermcommitmentsabouttime andother resources.

What needs to be done toincreaseparticipation?

o Mechanismfor regular Participation: Thegovernmentneedstocreatemechanismsforinterested registered voters to participate inlocalgovernment on a regular basis, in ameaningfulfashion.

o Greaterdatacollectionatmicrolevel:Tosupportthis, it needs greater data collection at thewardlevel,particularlywithrespecttoexpenditure,voterrolls andbelow-poverty-line lists.

Concludingobservations

Tobuildabetter,crediblestate,thecountryneedsto startat the bottom. Rising awareness abouttheimportanceofpublicparticipationandthebenefitsofsuch cooperation will help empower citizens,shiftedthemawayfromtheircurrentemasculatedstate.

**********

OrganicandclaimedParticipation• Socialmovements,claimedparticipationspaces,i

ncluding organic NGO-led participation, areastrongshapingforce inIndia.

InducedParticipation• In India, the most consequential enablers

ofinduced participation have been the 73rdand74thConstitutionalAmendmentActs(CAA),creating institutions of local self-governmentinvillagesandurbanareasacrossthecountry,withelected councils.

• Empowered participatory governance inIndiarefers to local self-government in ruralIndia,especially in relation to gram sabhas(villageassemblies).


























**********































**********







SECTION:B(PRELIMS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS


SECTION:B(PRELIMS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS


SECTION:B(PRELIMS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS


QuickdetailsoftheAccord• ThenumberofseatsinBTADwillbeincreasedfrom40to60

• AcentraluniversitywillbesetupatBaramainthenameofUpendraNathBrahma• SpecialindustrialpolicyforBTAD

• RailwaycoachfactorytobesetupinBTADarea• SportsAuthorityofIndia(SAI)centretobesetupatUdalguri,BaksaandChirang

• DC,SPwillbeappointedinconsultationwithBTCauthority• ANationalSportsUniversitywillbesetup

• AutonomousWelfareCouncilfortheBodopeoplelivingoutsideBTADareas• GOItoexpeditetheprocessofgrantingHillstribestatustoBodoslivinginHillsareas

• AveterinarycollegewillbesetupatKumarikata• AcentraluniversityandRIIMSwillbesetupinUdalguri• SpecialindustrialpolicyforBTAD

ASSAMCELEBRATESFIRSTANNIVERSARYOFBTRAGREEMENT⦿ CONTEXT: AssamiscelebratingthefirstanniversaryofthehistoricBodolandTerritorialRegion(BTR) agreement.

⦿ABOUT: WhatisBodoAccord?

• TheBodoAccord,wassignedinNewDelhionJanuary27lastyearbytheCentrewithallfourfactions of-

o NationalDemocraticFrontofBodoland(NDFB)

o theAllBodoStudentsUnion(ABSU)

o UnitedBodoPeoples’Organisation(UBPO)

• It was expectedto end decadesold violent demandfor a separateBodoland stateandbringpeace toareas dominatedby Bodos,the largesttribe inAssam.

• ThisisthethirdpeacedealwithBodorebelgroups.

Thepreviouspacts

• ThisisthethirdpactsignedbetweenthegovernmentwithBodotribessofar.

• 1993:AllBodoStudentsUnion(ABSU)andthegovernmentofIndiasignedthefirstagreementin1993.

o ThedealhelpedinthecreationofBodolandAutonomousCouncil.

o The Bodos were unsatisfied with the pact as their demands were not met whichledtoan armedmovement for aseparate Bodoland.

• 2003:In2003,thesecondagreementwassignedbetweenGovernmentofIndiaandextremistgroupBodoLiberationTigers(BLT).

o ThispactledtotheformationofBTCwithinfourdistricts-Udalguri,Chirang,BaskaandKokrajhar.

o TheseareasarecommonlycalledtheBodolandTerritorialAreaDistrict(BTAD).
















Thepreviouspacts























Thepreviouspacts









WhoareBodo?• TheBodopeoplearethelargesttribeofAssamsettledinthenorthernpartoftheBrahmaputrari

ver valley.

• ItisestimatedthattheBodotribecomprise28percentofAssam’spopulation.

S.P.BALASUBRAMANIAM,SHINZOABEAWARDEDPADMAVIBHUSHAN⦿CONTEXT: Late singer and music composer S.P. Balasubramaniam, former

JapanesePrimeMinisterShinzoAbeandIslamicscholarMaulanaWahiduddinKhanhave been conferred India’s second highest civilian award, thePadmaVibhushan.

⦿ABOUT: BharatRatna• The BharatRatnaisthehighestcivilian

awardoftheRepublicofIndia.

• Institutedon:2January1954.• Theawardisconferredinrecognitionofexc

eptionalservice/performanceofthehighest order, without distinctionofrace,occupation, position,or sex.

• TherecommendationsfortheBharatRatnaaremadebythePrimeMinistertothePresident, with a maximum ofthreenomineesbeingawardedperyear.

• The recipientsreceiveaSanad(certificate)signedbythePresidentandapeepalleaf-shapedmedallion.• There is no monetary grant

associatedwiththe award.

• Bharat Ratna recipients rank seventhintheIndianorderofprecedence.

• ThefirstrecipientsoftheBharatRatnawere:thelastGovernor-General of theDominion of India –C.Rajagopalachari.• ThoughusuallyconferredonIndia-

borncitizens,theBharatRatnahasbeenawarded to one naturalised citizen – Mother Teresa, and to two non-Indians:AbdulGhaffarKhanand NelsonMandela,born inand citizenofSouthAfrica.

PadmaVibhushan• ThePadmaVibhushanisthesecond-highestcivilianawardoftheRepublicofIndia,afterthe

BharatRatna.

• Institutedon:2January1954.• Theawardisgivenfor“exceptionalanddistinguishedservice”,withoutdistinctionofrace,occ

upation, position, or sex.

• Theawardcriteriainclude“serviceinanyfieldincludingservicerenderedbyGovernmentservants”.



ver valley.















BharatRatna.






ver valley.















BharatRatna.





• Itisacircular-shapedbronzetonedmedallion13⁄4inches(44mm)indiameterand 1⁄8inch(3.2 mm)thick.

• A centrally located lotus flower is embossed on the obverse side of the medal andthetext “Padma” written in Devanagari script is placed above and the text “Vibhushan”isplacedbelow the lotus.

• The Emblem of India is placed in the centre of the reverse side with the nationalmottoof India, “Satyameva Jayate” (Truth alone triumphs), in Devanagari Script,inscribed ontheloweredge.

• Ithasalsobeenawardedtosomedistinguishedindividualswhowerenotcitizensof India.

PadmaBhushan• The Padma Bhushan

isthethird-highestcivilianawardintheRepublicofIndia.• The medal is ranked fifth

inthe order of precedenceofwearingofmedals.


PadmaShri• PadmaShriisthefourth-

highestcivilianawardintheRepublicofIndia.


USANNOUNCESRESTORATIONOFRELATIONSWITHPALESTINE⦿ CONTEXT: U.S.President’sadministrationannounceditwasrestoringrelationswiththePal

estiniansandrenewingaidtoPalestinianrefugees.

⦿ABOUT: Whatis‘in’theplan?• The Biden administration will support a two-state solution, which it sees as “the

bestwaytoensure Israelstaysa democraticandJewish state.”

• Thenewadministrationwillbaseitspoliciesonconsultationswith bothsides.• Due to the large gaps between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders, the

administrationbelievesthatitsgoalshouldbetopreservethepossibilityofatwo-statesolutioninthefuturewhilefocusingonimprovingthesituationontheground,mainlyinGaza.

• TheUnitedStateswouldencourageIsraelandthePalestinianstoavoidunilateralstepsthatwillmake atwo-state solutionharder toreach —like:








































o Annexation

o settlementbuilding

o thedemolitionofPalestinianhomesbyIsrae

o thepaymentstoterroristsfromthePalestinians

• Bidenadministrationwouldopposeone-sidedorbiasedresolutionsthatsingleoutIsraelininternational forums.

⦿ BACKGROUND • IsraelisandPalestinianshaveclashedoverclaimstotheHolyLandfordecades,aconflictthathaslongbeenone ofthe world’smostintractable.

• Israel forcefully captured East Jerusalem and the West Bank in the 1967 war.Theinternationalcommunityconsidersbothareastobeoccupiedterritory,andthePalestiniansseekthem asparts ofafuture independentstate.

• Although the United States is a strong supporter of Israel, it has traditionally triedtoadvance a diplomatic solution that would reconcile the competing claims of thetwoparties.

• The latest move is a reversal of the Trump administration’s cut-off and a keyelementof its new support for a two-state solution to the decades-old conflictbetween IsraelisandPalestinians.

• PresidentDonaldTrump’sadministrationprovidedunprecedentedsupporttoIsrael,recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, moving the U.S. Embassy from TelAviv,slashingfinancialassistanceforthePalestiniansandreversingcourseontheillegitimacyofIsraelisettlementsonlandclaimedby thePalestinians.

• The peace plan unveiled by Trump a year ago envisions a disjointed Palestinianstatethat turns over key parts of the West Bank to Israel, siding with Israel oncontentiousissuessuchasbordersandthestatusofJerusalemandJewishsettlements.

• ItwasvehementlyrejectedbythePalestinians.

Whythisdevelopmentmatters?

• TheTrumpadministrationdramaticallychangedU.S.policyontheIsraeli-Palestinianconflict.

• PresidentBiden’spolicies,laidoutforthefirsttimetoday,willshifttheU.S.backtothemoretraditionalpositionsheldbypreviousDemocraticandRepublicanadministrations.

WhatareU.S.interestsinthedispute?

• TheMiddleEasthaslongbeenofcentralimportancetotheUnitedStatesassuccessiveadministrationspursuedabroadsetofinterrelatedgoalsincluding:

o securingvitalenergyresources

o stavingoffSovietandIranianinfluence

o ensuringthesurvivalandsecurityofIsraelandAraballies

o counteringterrorism

o promotingdemocracy

o reducingrefugeeflows

• Correspondingly,theUnitedStateshassoughttoresolvetheIsraeli-Palestinianconflict,which has been a major driver of regional dynamics, with an eyetowardobtainingthesestrategicobjectiveswhilebalancingitssupportforIsraelandpushingforbroaderregionalstability.


o Annexation

























o Annexation

























Overview• Signed:8April2010• EnteredintoForce:5February2011• Duration:Ten-yeardurationwithoptiontoextendfornomorethanfiveyears

• Parties:UnitedStates,RussianFederation

US,RUSSIAAGREETOEXTEND‘NEWSTART’NUCLEARARMSTREATY⦿ CONTEXT: TheRussianlowerhouseofParliament,theDuma,ratifiedanewSTARTnucleartr

eatywiththeUS.

⦿ABOUT: Whatisinthetreaty?

• The New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), was signed in 2010 by formerUSPresidentBarackObamaandhisRussiancounterpartatthetime,DmitryMedvedev.

• Thetreatywastoreplacethe1991STARTtreaty.

• The treaty limits each party to 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles(ICBMs)or deployed submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), 1,550 nuclearwarheads ondeployedICBMsandSLBMs,and800deployedandnon-deployedICBMlaunchers.

• Italsoenvisionsarigorousinspectionregimetoverifycompliance.





eatywiththeUS.










eatywiththeUS.







Hasthetreatyworked?TheU.S.andRussiareducedtheirnucleararsenalstotheagreed-uponlimitsbythe2018deadlinesetforth inthe treaty.

• The U.S. had 1,457 deployed warheads and 675 deployed strategic delivery systemsasofDec.1,2020, accordingto theU.S. State Department.

• Russiahad1,447deployedwarheadsattributedto510deployedstrategiclaunchers.Combined,thetwocountriesaccountforabout90%oftheworld’snuclearweapons.

PRESIDENT’SADDRESS TOTHEJOINTSITTINGOFPARLIAMENT⦿CONTEXT:

⦿ABOUT:

The first Parliament session of 2021 began with President RamNathKovind addressing members of both Houses of Parliament. ThisjointsittingofParliamentwhichisbeingheldduringthetimeoftheCoronaviruspandemichasgreatsignificance.

PresidentAddress• TheConstitutiongivesthePresidentthepowertoaddresseitherHouseorajointsittingofthe

two Houses of Parliament.

• ThereisnosetformatforthePresident’sspeech.TheConstitutionstatesthatthePresidentshall“informParliamentofthecauseofthesummons”.

• Article87oftheConstitutionofIndiaprovidestwospecialoccasionsonwhichthePresidentaddresses a jointsitting:

o Toaddresstheopeningsessionofanewlegislatureafterageneralelection.

o ToaddressthefirstsittingofParliamenteachyear.

• Asessionofaneworcontinuinglegislaturecannotbeginwithoutfulfillingthisrequirement.

• When the Constitution came into force, the President was required to addresseachsessionofParliament.TheFirstAmendmenttotheConstitutionin1951changedthispositionandmadethePresident’saddress oncea year.






⦿ABOUT:















⦿ABOUT:











JointSittingofParliament• ThejointsittingoftheParliamentiscalledbythePresidentunderArticle108.• AsperArticle108ofConstitution,aJointsessionofParliamentcanbesummonedinthefollowi

ng situations.

• IfafteraBillhasbeenpassedbyoneHouseandsubmittedtotheotherHouse—o TheBillisrejectedbytheotherHouse

o theHouseshavefinallydisagreedastotheamendmentstobemadeintheBill

o more than six months elapse from the date ofthe reception of the Bill by theotherHousewithout the Billbeing passed by it

• Iftheaboveconditionsaresatisfied,thePresidentofIndiamaysummonthejointsittingofboththe houses of parliament.

ExceptionstothejointsittingThesetwobillscannotbereferredtoajointsitting:

• MoneyBillo UndertheConstitutionofIndia,moneybillsrequiretheapprovaloftheLokSabhaonly.

o Rajya Sabha can make recommendations to Lok Sabha, which it is not requiredtoaccept.

o EvenifRajyaSabhadoesn’tpassamoneybillwithin14days,itisdeemedtohave beenpassed by both the Houses of Parliament after the expiry of the aboveperiod.

o Therefore, a requirement to summon a joint session can never arise in the case ofamoneybill.

• ConstitutionAmendmentBillo Article368ofIndianconstitutionrequirethatconstitutionofIndiacanbeamendedbyboth

houses ofparliament by2/3majority(specialmajority).

o Incaseofdisagreementbetweenbothhouses,thereisnoprovisiontosummonajointsessionof parliament.

Whopresidesthejointsitting?• ItispresidedoverbytheSpeakeror,intheirabsence,bytheDeputySpeakeroftheLokSabhaori

ntheirabsence,theDeputy-ChairpersonoftheRajyaSabha.

• TheChairpersondoesn’tpresideoverthejointsessionatanymeans/cost.• IfanyoftheaboveofficersarenotpresentthenanyothermemberoftheParliamentcanpreside

by consensus of both the House.

CABINETAPPROVEDMINIMUMSUPPORTPRICEOFCOPRAFOR2021SEASON⦿ CONTEXT: TheCabinetCommitteeonEconomicAffairshasgivenitsapprovalfortheMinim

um SupportPrice(MSP)ofcopra for2021season.

⦿ABOUT: Key-takeaways• TheapprovalisbasedonrecommendationsoftheCommissionforAgriculturalCostsandP

rices(CACP).



ng situations.




















rices(CACP).



ng situations.




















rices(CACP).


Copra• Copraisatermthatreferstosun-driedorsmokedcoconut“meat”or“flesh”,theediblepart

of a coconut.

• Copraismainlyusedtoyieldcoconutoil,however,thebyproductsthemselvesareusedforadditional purposes, mostlyas food for livestock.

• Worldproducers:Indonesia,thePhilippines,IndiaandBrazilareamongtheworld'stopcoconut producers.

• Majorproducingstates(India):Kerala,Karnataka,TamilNaduandAndhraPradeshtogetheraccountformorethan90%ofcoconutproductioninthecountry.

CAGReport,2019• AComptrollerandAuditorGeneralreportof2019pointsout,thisrouteof

financingputsmajorsourcesoffundsoutsidethecontrolofParliament.• Suchoff-budgetfinancingisnotpartofthecalculationofthefiscalindicatorsdespite

fiscalimplications.

• The increase in MSP for copra for 2021 season is in line with the principle of fixingtheMSP at a level of at least 1.5 times the all India weighted average cost ofproductionwhichwas announcedby the Governmentinthe Budget2018-19.

• It assures a minimum of 50 percent as margin of profit as one of the importantandprogressivestepstowardsmakingpossibledoublingoffarmers’incomesby2022.

• Nodal Agencies: The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing FederationofIndia Limited (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumer Federation ofIndiaLimited (NCCF) will continue to act as Central Nodal Agencies to undertakepricesupportoperations at theMSP inthe coconutgrowing States.

DeclaredMSPforCopra

• Milling Copra: The MSP for Fair Average Quality (FAQ) of milling copra hasbeenincreased,by Rs.375/-, to Rs. 10335/- per quintal for 2021 season from Rs. 9960/-perquintalin2020.

• BallCopra:TheMSPforballcoprahasbeenincreased,byRs.300/-,toRs.10,600/-perquintalfor 2021seasonfromRs.10300/-per quintalin2020.

ThedeclaredMSPensuresareturnof51.87percentformillingcopraand55.76percentforballcopraover theall-India weighted averagecost of production.

OFF-BUDGETBORROWING⦿CONTEXT: Inordertorestrictthefiscaldeficittoarespectablenumber,“off-budgetborrowing”istheeasiestresortforthegovernment.

⦿ABOUT: Whatare‘Off-BudgetBorrowings’?

• Off-budgetborrowingsareloansthataretakennotbytheCentredirectly,butbyanotherpublicinstitutionwhichborrowsonthedirections ofthecentralgovernment.

• Suchborrowingsareusedtofulfilthegovernment’sexpenditureneeds.

• But since the liability of the loan is not formally on the Centre, the loan is notincludedinthe nationalfiscal deficit.

• Thishelpskeepthecountry’sfiscaldeficitwithinacceptablelimits.



of a coconut.






fiscalimplications.




DeclaredMSPforCopra












of a coconut.






fiscalimplications.




DeclaredMSPforCopra











Pollutingvehicle• Commercial vehicle: It is estimated that commercial vehicles, which

constituteabout 5 per cent of the total vehicle fleet, contribute about 65-70 percent of totalvehicularpollution.

• Olderfleet:Theolderfleet,typicallymanufacturedbeforetheyear2000constitutelessthat 1 per cent of the total fleet but contributes around 15 per cent oftotalvehicular pollution. These older vehicles pollute 10-25 times more thanmodernvehicles.

⦿ BACKGROUND •TheUnionBudgetistobepresentedonFebruary1.

• ThemostsoughtafterdetailsintheBudgetistheleveloffiscaldeficit,whichiskeenlywatchedby rating agencies,both insideandoutside the country.

• Thisnumberisthemostimportantmetrictounderstandthefinancialhealthofanygovernment’sfinances.

• Thisiswhymostgovernmentswanttorestricttheirfiscaldeficittoarespectablenumber.

• Oneofthewaystodothisisbyresortingto“off-budgetborrowings”.

Howareoff-budgetborrowingsraised?• Implementingagencies:Thegovernmentcanaskanimplementingagencytoraisethereq

uiredfundsfromthe marketthroughloansorby issuingbonds.

oForexample,foodsubsidyisoneofthemajorexpendituresoftheCentre.

➤In the Budget presentation for 2020-21, the government paid only halftheamountbudgetedforthefoodsubsidybillto theFoodCorporationofIndia.

➤The shortfall was met through a loan from the National Small SavingsFund.ThisallowedtheCentretohalveitsfoodsubsidybillfromRs1,51,000croretoRs77,892crore in2020-21.

• OtherPSUs:government.

Other public sector undertakings have also borrowed for the

oForinstance,publicsectoroilmarketingcompanieswereaskedtopayforsubsidisedgascylindersforPradhanMantriUjjwalaYojanabeneficiariesinthepast.

• PSBs:Publicsectorbanksarealsousedtofundoff-budgetexpenses.

oForexample,loansfromPSUbankswereusedtomakeupfortheshortfallinthereleaseoffertiliser subsidy.

⦿ CONTEXT:

⦿ABOUT:

GREENTAXTheTransportMinistryhasapprovedaproposalfora‘greentax’onoldvehicles.

WhatisGreenTax?

• GreenTaxaimstocurbpollutionandmotivatepeopletoswitchtoenvironment-friendlyalternatives.

• The tax has been proposed to dissuade people from using vehicles that damagetheenvironment, motivate them to switch to newer, less polluting vehicles and toreduceoverallpollution level andmake the polluterpay for it.

• RevenuecollectedfromtheGreenTaxtobekeptinaseparateaccountandusedfortacklingpollution,andforstatestosetupstate-of-artfacilitiesforemissionmonitoring.




















⦿ CONTEXT:

⦿ABOUT:


WhatisGreenTax?























⦿ CONTEXT:

⦿ABOUT:


WhatisGreenTax?





Pollutantsproducedbyvehicleexhausts• Carbonmonoxide,hydrocarbons,nitrogenoxides,particles,volatileorganiccompounds

and sulfurdioxide.

• Hydrocarbonsandnitrogenoxidesreactwithsunlightandwarmtemperaturestoformground-levelozone.

• Ground-levelozone,amainingredientinsmog,cancauseupperrespiratoryproblemsandlungdamage.

Whowillbechargedunderthetax?

• Theproposalistolevya‘greentax’onoldvehiclesthatarepollutingtheenvironment.

• Vehicleolderthan8years:Transportvehiclesolderthaneightyearscanbechargedatthetimeofrenewaloffitnesscertificate,attherateof10-25% oftheroadtax.

• Personalvehicles:Personalvehicleswillbechargedatthetimeofrenewaloftheirregistrationcertificate after a period of 15 years.

• Publictransport:The‘greentax’willbelowerforpublictransportvehicleslikecitybuses,buttheratewillbehigherforvehiclesbeingregisteredinhighlypollutedcities.

o Insuchinstances,theratewillbe50%oftheroadtax.

• Exemption:Vehicleslikestronghybrids,electricvehiclesandalternativefuelslikeCNG,ethanol,LPG will be exempted.

Whatabout‘Scrappingpolicy’?

• The Ministry alsoapproved apolicy ofderegistration andscrapping ofvehiclesownedbygovernment departments andPSUs,which areabove 15yearsinage.

• ThepolicywillcomeintoeffectfromApril1,2022.

• Abroaderscrappagepolicyforcommercialvehiclesisawaitedandislikelytobeannouncedduring this year’sBudgetnext week.

⦿CONTEXT:

SIGURPLATEAU

TheSupremeCourtappointedconservationistNanditaHazarikaasMemberofaTechnicalCommitteeconstituted.

⦿ABOUT: TheCommittee

• TheTechnicalCommitteewasconstitutedbySCinOctober2020.

• On October 14, the top court upheld the Tamil Nadu government’s authority tonotifyan‘elephantcorridor’andprotectthemigratorypathoftheanimalsthroughtheNilgiribiosphere reserve.

o ThereserveisthelargestprotectedforestareainIndia,spanningacrossTamilNadu,Karnatakaand Kerala.

• It was constituted to hear complaints by land owners against the action taken bytheNilgris Collector, which included sealing of their buildings and allegations aboutthe“arbitraryvarianceinacreage oftheelephant corridor.”

Sigurplateau

• The corridor is situated in the ecologically fragile Sigur plateau, which connectstheWestern and the Eastern Ghats and sustains elephant populations and theirgeneticdiversity.



and sulfurdioxide.














⦿CONTEXT:

SIGURPLATEAU







Sigurplateau




and sulfurdioxide.














⦿CONTEXT:

SIGURPLATEAU







Sigurplateau



• It has the Nilgiri Hills on its southwestern side and the Moyar River Valley on its north-easternside.

• Theelephantscrosstheplateauinsearchoffoodandwater.• Theplateauisalowrainfallmarginallandwithpoorsoilsandtillrecenttimes,alsohadalowpop

ulation density.

• There are five major streams in the Sigur plateau, namely, the Moyar River, SigurRiver,Avarahalla River, Kedarhalla River and Gundattihalla River. All these riversoriginate intheNilgiris plateau.

⦿ CONTEXT:

MANUFACTUREDSAND(M-SAND)TheRajasthangovernmentbroughtthemuch-awaitedpolicyonmanufacturedsand(M-sand),givingindustrystatustotheunitsproducingit for construction workand reducing the dependence on bajri (riverbedsand).

⦿ABOUT: Whatismanufacturedsand(M-sand)?• Manufacturedsand(M-Sand)isasubstituteofriversandforconcreteconstruction.• Producedfrom:Manufacturedsandisproducedfromhardgranitestonebycrushing.Thecr

ushedsandisofcubicalshapewithgroundededges,washedandgradedtoasaconstructionmaterial.

• Size:Thesizeofmanufacturedsand(M-Sand)islessthan4.75mm.

Usageofmanufacturedsand:• To meet high demands: Manufactured sand is an alternative for river sand. Due

tofast growing construction industry, the demand for sand has increasedtremendously,causingdeficiencyof suitableriver sandinmostpartof theword.

• Depletionofgoodqualityriversand:Duetothedepletionofgoodqualityriversandfor theuse of construction, the use of manufactured sand has been increased.TheSupremeCourthadbanned illegalminingonriverbedsin2017.• To cut transportation cost: Another reason for use of M-Sand is its availability

andtransportation cost.

• To cut construction cost: Thus, the cost of construction can be controlled by theuseofmanufacturedsandasanalternative materialfor construction.

• Easily available: Since manufactured sand can be crushed from hard granite rocks,itcan be readily available at the nearby place, reducing the cost of transportationfromfar-offriver sandbed.

• Easy modification: The other advantage of using M-Sand is, it can be dust free,thesizes of m-sand can be controlled easily so that it meets the required grading forthegivenconstruction.

• Eco-Friendly:Usage of manufactured sand prevents dredging of river beds togetriversandwhichmayleadtoenvironmentaldisasterlikegroundwaterdepletion,waterscarcity, threat to the safety of bridges, dams etc. to make M-Sands more eco-friendlythanriver sand.

**********




ulation density.


⦿ CONTEXT:













**********




ulation density.


⦿ CONTEXT:













**********




GS-I GEOGRAPHY • Hurricanesandtyphoonsmoving30kmclosertocoastseverydecade

GS-IIGOVERNANCE • Revival of age-old border row

betweenMaharashtraand Karnataka


• SpecialUKBNOVisaSchemeformillionsofHongKongresidents

GS-III ECONOMY• BudgetPreparation

• ThefutureofIndianagriculture

GS-IV ETHICS • Employee’saccountabilityforsocialmediapost


GS-I HISTORY&CULTURE • ‘ChauriChaura’ CentenaryCelebrations

GS-II GOVERNANCE • Corruptionperceptionindex2020

GS-III

ECONOMY

• 2021Censustogodigital

• AirpollutioninruralIndia:Ignoredbutnotabsent

• DiscoveryofIndia’sFirsteverLithiumReservesinKarnataka’sMandya

ENVIRONMENT• ConservationofFishingCat

• DenmarkapprovesplanforenergyislandinNorthSea

SCIENCE & TECH.

• SquareKilometreArray,theworld’slargestradiotelescope

• Silk-protein-basedtumourmodelsfortestingoutcancer

• Stardust1.0
















GS-III

ECONOMY






SCIENCE & TECH.



• Stardust1.0
















GS-III

ECONOMY






SCIENCE & TECH.



• Stardust1.0



SECTION:A(MAINS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS


SECTION:A(MAINS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS


SECTION:A(MAINS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS


HURRICANESANDTYPHOONSMOVING30KMCLOSERTO COASTS EVERY DECADE

CONTEXTHigh-intensity tropical cyclones have been moving closer to coasts over the past 40 years, potentially causing

moredestructionthan before,as perastudy.Theresearch ispublishedinScience.⦿ BACKGROUND

o Theteamanalyzedglobaldatafrom1982-2018 ontropical cyclone formation,movementandintensitymainlygatheredfromsatelliteobservations.

o In the observation, it has been found thatatmaximum intensity, cyclones were onaveragegetting30kmclosertocoastlinesperdecade.

o Therewerealsoonaveragetwomorecyclones

Howhurricanesarecategorized?o Hurricanesarecategorizedaccordingtothespeed

oftheirmaximumsustainedwinds.

o Thescaleusedforthispurpose,calledtheSaffir-SimpsonHurricaneWindScale,wasdevelopedin1971 by civil engineer Herbert Saffir andbymeteorologistandthen-directoroftheU.S.NationalHurricaneCenter,BobSimpson.

o TheSaffir-Simpsonscaleratesahurricane’s

perdecadewithin200kmofland.

o The study emphasizes the need tounderstandallaspectsoftropical cyclones.⦿ANALYSIS

UnderstandingthegeographyofHurricaneso Hurricanes are large, swirling storms with

windsof119kilometersperhour(74mph)orhigher.

➤That’sfasterthanacheetah,thefastestanimalonland.

o The storms form over warm ocean watersandsometimesstrikeland.

o When a hurricane reaches land, it pushes awallofoceanwaterashore.Thiswallofwateriscalledastormsurge,whichalongwithheavyraincancauseflooding, especially nearthe coast.

severityfrom1(verydangerous)to5(catastrophic),basedonthefollowingwindspeeds:

➤Category1:Windsof74-95mph(119-153km/h)

➤Category 2: Winds of 96-110 mph (154-177km/h)



➤Category5:Windsexceeding157mph(252km/h)

Key-highlightsoftheStudyo Previously,studieshaveshownthatthemaximumi

ntensityoftropicalcyclonesisfoundfurthertowards the poles. However, thisdoesnotnecessarilymeanthesemorepolewardstormsare moredevastating.

o Westernwardshift:Thenewfindingsshowcyclonesatmaximumintensityarealsomigratingwestward, bringing them closer tocoastlinesandincreasingtheir potentialfordamage.

o Occurrenceoftheadditionalcyclone:Eachdecadesincethe1980s,anadditionaltwocycloneshave come within 124 miles (200 km)ofland.

Reasonsbehindtheshifto Theexactmechanismforthisenhancedwestwardst

eeringisunknown,butitmaybedue

The different terms hurricanes, typhoons,andtropicalcyclonesallrefertotropicalstorms.They are named differently depending ontheregionthey occur in.

• HurricanesaretropicalstormsthatformovertheNorthAtlanticOceanandNortheastPacific.

• Cyclones are formed over the SouthPacificandthe IndianOcean.

• Typhoons are formed over theNorthwestPacificOcean






































































tothesameunderlyingmechanismforpolewardmigrationofcyclonesasrisingtemperaturescauseatmospheric patterns toshift.

o Theresearchersalsostatedthatitcouldbeconnected to changes in tropicalatmosphericpatternspossiblycausedbyclimatechange.

AtlanticZone,aspecialcase?o Cyclones across the globe are moving closer

toland,except Atlantic hurricanes.

o It’smysteriousthat,unlikeotherareas,theAtlantichurricanebasindidn’tshowanysignificantwestward shift.

o ThereasonisnotsurebutthatcouldbebecausetheAtlantichurricanezoneismorecloselysurroundedbycontinents.

o ThebusiesttropicalcyclonebasinisinthewesternPacific,wheretherearethemostlandfalls and theshift westward is twice as bigasthe globalaverage.

Apuzzlingsituationo Thoughstormsaregettingclosertoland,researche

rsstillhavenotseenasignificantincreaseinlandfalls,which“isstillapuzzle”.

o It is not only the landfall that causesdamage.Whenthecycloneiscloseenoughtolanditcanalso cause damage like Hurricane SandyandDorianin2019,bothofwhichskirtedalongtheUScoastforaconsiderabletimebeforemakinglandfall.

AreHurricanesimpactedbyclimatechange?o Hurricanesfeedoffofheatenergy,soasEarth’sglob

altemperaturescontinuetorise,hurricanesarebound to be affected.

o Sofar,it’snotevidentthathurricanesarenecessarilyformingmoreoftenbecauseofrisingtemperatures,althoughscientistsdopredict that hurricaneactivity and intensitywilllikelyincreaseinfutureyears.

Howdoesitimpact?

o Impactoneconomy:Globally,80to100cyclonesdevelopovertropicaloceanseachyear,impactingregions in the Pacific, Atlantic, andIndianOceans and causing billions of dollarsofdamage.

o Risktocoastalcommunities:Thesestormsarelikelybecomingmoredestructiveastheyspendmoretimealongcoastlinesattheirhighestintensities.Therisktosomecoastalcommunitiesaround theworld may be increasing andthatwillhaveprofoundimplicationsoverthecomingdecades.

o Otherimpactsare:

➤Impactonenvironment:Destructiontofloraandfauna

➤Agricultural loss

➤Lossoflifeandlivelihood⦿CONCLUSION

Thisnewresearchisplausible,especiallysincescientists have already seen a shift of storms moretowardthe north and south poles, but itraisesquestionsthatrequirefollowup,especiallywhyno corresponding increase in landfalls hasbeenfound. All these strange shifts are takingcyclonesoutoftheirpreferredenvironmentofwarmtropicalwatersaway from land.

**********















Howdoesitimpact?



o Otherimpactsare:





**********















Howdoesitimpact?



o Otherimpactsare:





**********


REVIVALOFAGE-OLDBORDERROWBETWEENMAHARASHTRA

ANDKARNATAKA

CONTEXTRecently, a book has been published by the state government of Maharashtra, titled ‘Maharashtra-

KarnatakaSeemavad: Sangharsh Aani Sankalp’ (Maharashtra-Karnataka Boundary Dispute: Struggle andPledge). Thebook is a collection of articles, news, and other material on the demand that Marathi-speaking areas

in Karnatakashouldbeintegrated into Maharashtra.⦿ BACKGROUND speakersoutnumberedKannada-speakersinthoseareas.

o ThedisputebeganwhentheerstwhileBombayPresidency had present-day Karnatakadistrictsof Vijayapura, Belagavi, Dharwad, andUttara-Kannada.

o In1948,theBelgaummunicipalityrequestedthatthe district be incorporated into theproposedMaharashtrastate.

o But with the States Reorganisation Act of1956,Belgaumand10talukasofBombayStatebecameapartof thethenMysoreState.

o Thishappenedbecausestatesweredividedbasedonlinguisticandadministrativelines.

o Thislong-smolderinginter-statedisputeresurfacesfrom time to time.⦿ANALYSIS

Whatisthedisputeallabout?o Thegenesisofthedisputeliesinthereorganization

ofstatesalonglinguisticandadministrativelinesin1956.

o TheerstwhileBombayPresidency,amultilingualprovince, included the present-dayKarnatakadistricts of Vijayapura, Belagavi,Dharwad, andUttaraKannada.

o In1948,theBelgaummunicipalityrequestedthatthe district, having a predominantly Marathi-speaking population, be incorporated intotheproposedMaharashtra state.

Whatisclaimedbybothstates?o Maharashtra has for long claimed that

certainareas that are a part of Karnataka -Belagavi,Karwar,andNippani–shouldbehandedover to Maharashtra. The statecontends thatthe majority of the population inthese areas isMarathi-speaking.

o Karnataka, on the other hand, maintainsthatBelagavi is an integral part of the state andhasbuilt the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha,modeledafter the Vidhana Soudha, the statesecretariatinBengaluru,wherealegislativesessionisheldoncea year.

Whatisthepresentsituation?o However,TheStatesReorganisationActof o Maharashtrahascontinuedtodemandthat814

1956 made Belgaum and 10 talukas ofBombayStateapartofthethenMysoreState(whichwasrenamedKarnatakain1973).

o While demarcating borders, theReorganisationof States Commission sought toinclude talukaswith a Kannada-speakingpopulation of morethan50percent inMysore.

o But the opponents of the region’s inclusioninMysorehavemaintainedthatin1956,Marathi-

villages from Karnataka based on the theoryofvillage being the unit of calculation,contiguity,and enumerating linguisticpopulation in eachvillage.

o Thenin2004,theMaharashtragovernmentmovedtheSupremeCourtseekingresolutionof theborder dispute under Article 131(b)oftheConstitution.

o Thiscase isstillpending inthe apex court.

MahajanCommission

• Eventually, the Centre formed theMahajanCommission, comprisingrepresentatives ofboth Maharashtra andthen Mysore, for aresolutionin1966.

• Thecommissionin1967recommendedhanding over 264 villages toMaharashtra,whichwasformedin1960whileleavingBelgaumand247othervillageswiththesouthernstate.

• However, Maharashtra rejected thereportcallingitillogically



ANDKARNATAKA























MahajanCommission






ANDKARNATAKA























MahajanCommission





oTheKarnatakagovernmenttoohasmademovesemphasizingitsterritoryoverBelgaumbyconstructinganassemblybuildingandholding

tofluctuateduetothefrequentchangeinthecourseof rivers.

➤HaryanaandUP:Likewise,Haryanaanditswintersessionthereannually.

oItalsoformallychangedthenameofBelgaumtoBelagaviin2014.

UttarPradesh’sfluctuatingboundarywassought to be solved in the 1970s. Butissuesarestillnot resolved.

➤Haryana and Punjab: Punjab andHaryanaarelockedoverthetransferofChandigarhtoPunjab,andpartoftheFazilkasub-districtofPunjab to Haryana.

➤OrissaandAndhraPradesh:BetweenOrissa and Andhra Pradesh, theboundarydisputerelatesto63villagesfallingpresentlyin Orissa. But neither governmenthas askedforCentralintervention.

➤OrissaandJharkhand:Similarly,Orissa

Majorinter-statedisputesinIndia

• Assam–Nagaland

andJharkhandhaveaboundarydisputerelatingtosevenvillagesoftheMayurbhangandKeonjhar districts. Orissa hasclaimedterritories in the former princelystatesofSeraikelaandKharsuan,nowinJharkhand.

➤Orissa and Chattishgarh: Orissa haslockedwithChhattisgarhoverthreevillagesofNaupadadistrict.OrissaandWestBengalarealsostalematedoverfivevillagesofBalasoreandMayurbhanj districts of Orissa.

➤HimachalPradesh and Uttarakhand:➤Boundary:434kilometer HimachalPradeshiscontestingUttarakhand➤Area of dispute: Assam districts of

Sivasagar,Jorhat, and Golaghat.➤Commissions:SundaramCommissionin1971an

dShastriCommissionin1985

• Gujarat – Rajasthan➤Areaofdispute:MangadhHill,locatedon

oversixplacesofDehradundistrict,adjoiningitsShimladistrict.

➤Arunachal Pradesh and Assam:ArunachalPradesh claims territory in Assambased onhistory.

➤Meghalaya and Assam: Assam and

the border of the two states. Gujaratclaimshalf of the hill, while Rajasthan claimstheentirehill istheirs.

• Karnataka-Kerala➤Areaofdispute:districtofKasaragod➤Committee:SupremeCourt,JusticeM.Mahajan

(1967)

• Orissa–WestBengal

Meghalayadon’thaveamajorboundarydispute, the reply said. But Nagalandclaims5,000sqmilesofterritoryinAssam“onhistoricalgrounds”.

Theinter-stateborderdisputesinthecountryneedtogetresolvedsoon.Anditcanonlyhappenwhenthe governmentfinds a lasting solution to borderdisputes.

➤Area of dispute: 82 villages underJaleswarandBhogaraiblocksinBalasoredistrict

• Assam–Meghalaya➤Areaofdispute:MikirHills

• Others

⦿WAYFORWARD

TheStategovernmentofMaharashtraisnowplanningto organize a Maharashtra governmentconferencein the disputed areas, enlisting morebeneficiariesfrom this region for schemes of theMaharashtragovernment,andcreating adatabase

➤BiharandUP: Theinter-stateboundary ofallsuchpersonswhocanbemobilizedtosupport

Article131

• Article 131 of the Constitution of Indiaveststhe Supreme Court with originaljurisdictionover any dispute arising betweenthe statesorbetweenthe centerand state.

• SChasoriginaljurisdictioninanydispute:(a) between the Government of India

andoneor moreStates

(b) between the Government of Indiaandany State or States on one side andoneormore otherStates onthe other;or

(c) BetweentwoormoreStates

(ifthedisputeinvolvesanyquestion(whetheroflaworfact)onwhichtheexistenceorextentofalegalright depends)























(1967)






• Others

⦿WAYFORWARD



Article131



andoneor moreStates


























(1967)






• Others

⦿WAYFORWARD



Article131



andoneor moreStates





SPECIAL UK BNO VISA SCHEME FOR MILLIONSOFHONGKONGRESIDENTS

CONTEXTAvisascheme toallowHong Kongresidentstocometo theUK openedrecently,withsome 300,000peopleexpected to

apply. The visa, which is open to holders of a British National (Overseas) passport and theirimmediatedependents,willoffer a fast track to UKcitizenship.⦿ BACKGROUND

o ThemovecomesasChinaandHongKonghavesaidthey will no longer recognize theBritishNational Overseas (BNO) passport as avalidtraveldocument from January 31.

o TheUKgovernmentforecaststhenewvisacouldattract more than 300,000 peopleandtheirdependants to Britain.

➤BNO is a special status created underBritishlaw in 1987 that specifically relates toHongKong.

➤TheyallowedholderstovisittheU.K.visa-freeforuptosixmonths,butdidn’tautomaticallyconferthe rightto liveor workthere.

➤Holders also weren’t eligible to accesspublicfunds.

⦿ANALYSIS

HongKong’sBritishHistory

o The scheme is also in a response toBeijing’sdecisionlastyeartoimposeasweepingnational security law on Hong Kong, aformerBritishcolony,tosnuffouthugeandsometimesviolentpro-democracy protests.

o UK called the imposition of the security law“aseriousandclearbreachoftheSino-BritishJointDeclaration”.

o Britainsayswiththenewvisapolicy,itisfulfillingahistoricandmoralcommitmenttoHongKongpeople.

o Hong Kong was previously a port city oftheBritishEmpire,andinheritedadifferentsociety,cultureandlegaltraditionfromMainlandChina.

o As a result, when it was handed back toChinaunder the 1984 Sino-British jointdeclaration(“1984 Joint Declaration”), thelegallybindingtreatysoughttoretainHongKong’swayoflife,commonlawlegalsystemandcapitalisteconomy, and guarantee its politico-economicstatusfor50yearsfrom 1997.

o ButbeforeHongKongwasreturned,theUKandChina made an agreement to introduce“onecountry,twosystems”.

o ItwasagreedthatHongKong’scapitalistsystem,whichwasdifferenttoChina’scommunistmodel,wouldcontinue.

National Security Law

• Thelawcriminalisesfouractivities:“secession,subversion,organizationandperpetrationofterrorist activities, and collusion withaforeign country or with external elementstoendangernationalsecurity”.

• ThelawallowsBeijingtooverridelocallawswhile enhancing its ability tosuppresspolitical opposition.

• It also gives the mainland power toexercisejurisdictionoverselectcriminalcases,raisingthe prospect that for the first time inHongKong’s history, suspects could beextraditedacrossthebordertofacetrial,andpotentiallyprisontime, inthe mainland.










⦿ANALYSIS






















⦿ANALYSIS














o ItalsomeantHongKonghasitsownlegalsystemandborders,andrightssuchasfreedomof assembly,free speech and freedom of thepressareprotected.

o It is one of the few places in Chineseterritorywherepeoplehavebeenabletomarkthe1989TiananmenSquarecrackdown,wherethemilitary opened fire on unarmed protestersinBeijing.

o The agreement signed in 1984 was set tolastuntil2047.

o But the UK says this agreement - known astheJointDeclaration-isunderthreatbecausetheterritory has passed anew law that givesChinasweepingnewcontrolsoverthepeopleofHongKong.

British National (Overseas) passport andtheirimmediatedependents,andwillofferafasttrackto UK citizenship.

o Applicantswhogetthevisacanliveandworkin theUK for 5 years, after which they applyforsettlement.

o Citizenship: Twelve months after this, theycanapply for citizenship.

Howmanypeopleareexpectedtocome?o The British government estimates 5.4

millionHongKongresidentsareeligibleforthescheme,that’sabout72%ofits7.5millionpopulation.

o Theseinclude:

oThe newlawcameintoeffectonthe30 ➤2.9millionBNOsJunefollowingmonthsofmassprotests.

o TheUKalsohasaninterestinHongKongbecause300,000UKnationalslive there.

WhatisBNOCitizenship?o BritishNationalOverseas(BNO)citizenshipisa

type of British nationality created in 1985thatpeopleinHongKongcouldapplyforbeforethe1997handovertoChinatoretainalinkwiththeUK.

o Thelifelongstatus,whichcannotbepasseddownto family members, did not giveholdersanyspecialrights.

o It meant only they could visit the UK forsixmonthswithout a visa.

o But the new system, in place from 31January2021, allows these BNO citizens andtheir closefamilyto apply for visa inthe UK.

Whatisinthenewlaw?o Underthespecialvisascheme,thevisaswillbeissue

dtothoseinHongKongwhoholda

➤2.3milliondependentsofBNOs

➤187,00018-23-year-oldswithatleastoneBNOparent

o Itisdifficulttosayhowmanyeligiblepeoplewillactuallycome to the UK.

o Agovernmentreportpublishedlastyearputthenumberofpeopleexpectedtotakeuptheofferatabout300,000inthefirstfiveyears.⦿WAYFORWARD

ItisnotclearhowmanyHongKongerswilltakeup theoffer, especially as the coronavirusrestrictsglobalflightsandmiresmuchoftheworld,including Britain, in a painful economicmalaise.ButaBN(O)passportisavailabletoahugenumberof people (about 70 percent of Hong Kong’s7.5million population), Britain predicts up to154,000Hong Kongers could arrive over the nextyear andas many as 322,000 over five years,bringing anestimated “net benefit” of up to £2.9billion ($4billion).

**********











o Theseinclude:















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o Theseinclude:















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BUDGETPREPARATION

CONTEXTTheUnionFinanceMinistrypresentedtheUnionBudget2021-22inParliament.⦿ BACKGROUND

o The genesis of the central Budget in Indiagoesback to 1860 when it was first introducedbythen finance minister James Wilson, twoyearsafter the transfer of Indian administrationfromtheEastIndiaCompanytotheBritishCrown.

o TheBudgetispresentedthrough14documents,someofwhicharemandatedbytheConstitutionofIndia,whileothersarelikeexplanatorydocuments.

o Union Budget is an annual financialstatementof estimated receipts andexpenditures oftheGovernmentofIndiainrespectofeachfinancialyear.

o According to Article 112 of the ConstitutionofIndia,theUnionBudgetofayearisastatementoftheestimatedreceiptsandexpenditureofthegovernmentforthatparticularyear.

stakeholderssuchasfarmers,businessmen,FIIs,economists,andcivilsocietygroupstotaketheirviews.

o Once the pre-Budget meetings are over, afinalcall on the tax proposals is taken by thefinanceminister.

o TheproposalsarediscussedwiththePMbeforetheBudgetisfrozen.

Howisthebudgetpresented?

o TheSecretary-GeneraloftheLokSabhaSecretariatseeksapprovalofthePresidentafterthe Speaker agrees to thedate suggested bythegovernment.

o ThefinanceministerpresentsthebudgetintheLokSabhaoutliningkeyestimatesandproposals.

o Hebriefsthecabinetonthebudgetproposals⦿ANALYSIS

Whomakesthebudget?o Thebudgetismadethroughaconsultativeprocess

involving the ministry of finance,NITIAayog,andspendingministries.

through a ‘summary for the cabinet’ justbeforehepresents the budget.

o Thebudgetis tabledintheParliamentaftertheminister’sspeech.

WhatcomprisestheBudget?

o Financeministry issuesguidelinestospend Theunionbudgetisdividedintotwoparts-basedonwhichministriespresenttheirdemands.

o The Budget Division of the DepartmentofEconomicAffairsinthefinanceministryisthenodal body responsible for producingtheBudget.

Howisthebudgetmade?o Budget Division issues a circular to all

Unionministries,states,UTs,autonomousbodies,depts, and the defense forces for preparingtheestimatesforthenextyear.

o After ministries & departments send intheirdemands,extensiveconsultationsareheldbetween Union ministries and theDepartmentofExpenditureofthefinanceministry.

o At the same time, the Department ofEconomicAffairsandDepartmentofRevenuemeet

• CapitalBudget:

➤As the name suggests, the capitalbudgetprovides details with regards to thecapitalpaymentsandcapitalreceiptsofthegovernment.Thecapitalpaymentscanbethemoney spent on infrastructure,healthcarefacilities,etc.Thecapitalreceiptsaccountforthe loans taken from the RBI or thegeneralpublic.

• RevenueBudget:

➤Therevenuebudgetcomprisesoftherevenueexpenditure and revenue receipts.Thegovernment is known to besufferingfroma‘revenuedeficit’incaseiftherevenue receipts are lower than therevenueexpenditure.


BUDGETPREPARATION
























• CapitalBudget:


• RevenueBudget:



BUDGETPREPARATION
























• CapitalBudget:


• RevenueBudget:



ConstitutionalsanctityoftheBudgeto The preparation of the Budget for the

approvalofthelegislatureisaConstitutionalobligation.

o ThecontrolofParliamentoverthefinancesof thecountry is exercised throughlegislativeprerogativeovertaxationandlegislativecontroloverexpenditure.

o Tothiseffect,therearespecificprovisionsintheConstitutionconsolidatingthesetenets.

o Article265providesthatnotaxshallbeleviedorcollected except by authority of law; Article266provides that no expenditure can beincurredfromtheConsolidatedFundofIndiaandofthe states, except with the authorization ofthelegislature.

o Here are the constitutional and legal basesofsomeotherkeyaspectsoftheBudget:

• AnnualFinancialStatement➤Interestingly, the Constitution of India

doesnotspecificallyusethewordBudget.

➤Article 112 of the Constitution providesforlayingbeforeParliamentan‘AnnualFinancialStatement’providingastatementoftheestimated receipts and expenditure forthefinancial year. This statement evidencesthereceipts and expenditure of thegovernmentinthreeseparatepartsunderwhichaccountsaremaintained.Theseare:• ConsolidatedFundofIndia• ContingencyFundofIndia• PublicAccount

➤According to constitutional provisions,theAnnualFinancialStatementhastodistinguishexpenditure on revenue account fromotherexpenditure.Itcomprises:

• Revenue budget: Proceeds of taxesandinterestanddividendoninvestmentsmadebythegovernment,fees,andotherreceiptsforservicesrenderedbythegovernment.• Capitalbudget:Capitalreceiptsandpayme

nts, including loans, raised bythegovernment from the public,borrowingsfrom Reserve Bank, et al.

• DemandforGrants➤TheestimatesofexpenditurefromtheConsolida

ted Fund of India included in theAnnualFinancial Statement are requiredtobevotedbytheLokSabhaandsubmittedin

theformofDemandforGrantsasmandatedbyArticle113.

➤These demands are arranged ministry-wise,andaseparatedemandforeachofthemajorservicesispresented.

• AppropriationBill➤Pursuantto the Demand for

Grants,theAppropriationBillisintroducedforappropriatingmoniesoutoftheConsolidatedFund of India to meet the said grantsasprovidedunderArticle114.

➤The Appropriation Bill is intended togiveauthoritytothegovernmenttoincurexpenditurefromandoutoftheConsolidatedFundofIndia.

➤The procedure for passing this Bill isthesameasinthecaseofotherMoneyBills.

FinanceBillo AtthetimeofintroductionoftheAnnualFinancialSt

atement,aFinanceBillisalsopresentedbeforeParliament-theFinanceBillsatisfiesthecriteriaofa‘MoneyBill’asitprovidesfortheimposition,abolition,remission, alteration, or regulationoftaxesproposed inthe Budget.

o A‘MoneyBill’isdefinedunderArticle110(1).o It is pertinent to note that every Finance Bill is

aMoneyBillbuteveryMoneyBillisnotaFinanceBill.

o ABillisdeemedtobeaMoneyBillifitcontainsprovisionsdealingwithsixspecificmattersprovidedunderArticle110(1).

o TheFinanceBill,whichprovidesfortheimposition,abolition,remission,alterationorregulationoftaxesproposedintheBudget,fallsunderArticle110(1)(a)oftheConstitution.

Vote-on-account,voteofcreditandexceptionalgranto Pending the completion of the

parliamentaryprocedurerelatingtothevotingontheDemandforGrants,andpassingoftheAppropriationBill,theConstitutionunderArticle116grantspowertotheLokSabhatomakeagrantinadvanceforauthorising the withdrawal of moneyfromtheConsolidatedFundofIndiainrespectoftheestimatedexpenditureforapartofanyfinancialyear,referredtoasvote-on-account.

o TheLokSabhaalsohasthepowertomakegrantsformeetingunexpecteddemands,referredtoasvoteofcredit,ortomakeanexceptionalgrant.






























































FiscalResponsibilityandBudgetManagementAct,2003o InadditiontotheBudgetdocuments,theFiscal

Responsibility and BudgetManagementAct,2003,mandatethatcertainadditionaldocumentsshallbelaidbeforeParliament.

o Thisincludesthemacro-economicframeworkforthe relevant financialyear; fiscal policystrategystatementforthefinancialyear;medium-term fiscal policy statement and medium-termexpenditureframeworkstatement.

o UponPresident’srecommendation,obtainedunderArticle117(1)and117(3)forintroductionandconsiderationoftheBudget,itislaidbeforetheLokSabhabythefinanceminister.⦿CONCLUSION

TheBudgetassumesgreatsignificanceasitimpactstheoverall Indian economy. A Union Budgetthatincludes and covers all the different sectors oftheeconomy, is a must for the development ofthecountry.

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THEFUTUREOFINDIANAGRICULTURECONTEXT

• The question of future of Indian agriculture has been around for some time now since the agrarian distressandcrisisinthesector.

• It has become more important in the context of the spate of recent reforms that include permittingprivatewholesale markets, contract farming, direct purchase from farmers and land leasing across states bothundertheearlierstate-levelActs,andnowunderthecentralActs.⦿ BACKGROUND

o India is an agricultural country. However,thesector is facing various issues andchallengesdue to the recent reformsintroduced by theCentre.

o These reforms led to the dispute, whichraisesquestions not only about agriculture butaboutdwindlingpopulationsinruralIndiawheresmallcommunitiesarealreadystrugglingtosurvive.

o Futureofagricultureisaveryimportantquestionfortheplannersandallotherstakeholders.However,its future depends on many existingandmissing policies and directions ofpolicyreforms.

o But, it is sad to note that India does not haveapolicy for the same. The sector loses itspolicyfocus as it is a state subject, butpracticallybeingrun bythe Centrefor longtime.

o When the sector is faced with economic,socialand environmental crisis, absence ofpolicyisthemajorfactorinthecrisisnotbeingattendedbyanystakeholder.⦿ANALYSIS

AssessingtheprofiletheIndianagriculturalsector

only a part of their income comes fromfarmingactivity now with others coming fromwages,off-farmandnon-farm activities.

o Self-sufficientIndia:Althoughthesector’scontributionintheGDPhasreducedtolessthan20 percent,agricultural production hasgrown.Thishasmadeusself-sufficientandtakenusfrom being a begging bowl for foodafterindependence to a net exporter ofagricultureandallied products.

➤Total foodgrain production in the countryisestimated to be a record 291.95milliontonnes,accordingtothesecondadvanceestimatesfor 2019-20.

o Crops: India is the top producer of milk,spices,pulses, tea, cashew and jute, and thesecond-largest producer of rice, wheat,oilseeds, fruitsandvegetables,sugarcaneandcotton.

Theincreasingpressureonlando Increasingpopulation,increasingaverageincome

and globalisation effects in Indiawillincreasedemandforquantity,qualityandnutritiousfood, and varietyof food.

o AspertheestimatesofIndianCouncilforAgriculturalResearch(ICAR),demandforfoodgrainwouldincreaseto345milliontonnes

oContributiontoGDP: Thefarmproduction by2030.sectorcontributesonly13percentofthegrossdomestic product (GDP). Smallfarmerscontribute51percentofagriculturaloutputwith46percentofoperatedland,andamuchhighershare(70percent) inhigh-valuecrops.

oEmployment generation: The sectorengages44percent workforce.

o Therefore,pressureondecreasingavailablecultivablelandtoproducemorequantity,varietyandqualityoffoodwillkeeponincreasing.

➤This presents a dismal picture of the sectorascomparedwithothersectors,astheearningsarepoor.

o Landdivision:85percentofIndia’sfarmersoperatelessthanfiveacresofland,halfofwhichinmanypartsofIndiamaybedry/rain-fedand

Agro-ClimaticZones

• Indiaisblessedwithlargearablelandwith 15agro-climatic zones as definedbyICAR,havingalmostalltypesofweatherconditions,soiltypesandcapableofgrowingavariety of crops.

➤WesternHimalayanRegion:JammuandKashmir,HimachalPradeshandthehillregionofUttarakhand























Agro-ClimaticZones

























Agro-ClimaticZones




isaffectingandgoingtoaffectmoretheproductioninfuture.Demandforfruitsandvegetables,dairyproducts,fishandmeatisgoingto increase infuture.

o Innovation: Researches, technologyimprovements,protectedcultivationofhighvaluegreensandothervegetableswillbemore. Therewill be more demand ofprocessedandaffordable quality products.

o Competitionamongprivatecompanies:Morecompetition will be there amongprivatecompanies giving innovative products,betterseeds,fertilisers,plantprotectionchemicals,customisedfarmmachineryandfeedforanimalsetc in cost effective ways at competitivepricesgivingmorereturnsoninvestmentbyfarmers.

o Eco-friendlyandclimateresilientcrop:Useofbiotechnologyandbreedingwillbeveryimportantindevelopingeco-friendlyanddiseaseresistant, climateresilient, more nutritious andtastiercropvarieties.

o AdoptionofAI:Precisionfarmingwithsoiltesting-baseddecisions,automationusingartificialintelligence will be focused forpreciseapplicationinputsin agriculture.Sensorsand drones will be used for precision,quality,environment in cost effective manner.Use ofGPS technology, drones, robots etccontrolledby smart phones etc can make life offarmerseasyand exciting with goodresults.

o Nano-technology: Usage of nano-technologyforenhancementoffoodqualityandsafety,efficientuseofinputswillbeinnearfuture.

o Digitalization:Retailing in agriculture will

Whatarethekey-trendsexpectedinthesector?

largelybedigitalised.

o Astudyestimatesthatover90percentofkiranastoresacrossthecountrywillbedigitalisedby 2025with modern traceable logisticsandtransparentsupplychain.

o WhatarethemajorconstraintsinIndianagriculture?

o Small land holding: Farming forsubsistencewhich makes scale of economy inquestion withmajorityof smallholdings.

o Changing demand due to increase in

• According to 2010-11 AgricultureCensus,thetotalnumberofoperationalholdingswas 138.35 million with average size of1.15hectares(ha).

➤EasternHimalayanRegion:ArunachalPradesh,thehillsofAssam,Sikkim,Meghalaya,Nagaland,Manipur,Mizoram,Tripura, and theDarjeeling district of WestBengal

➤Lower Gangetic Plain Region: WestBengal(except the hilly areas), eastern BiharandtheBrahmaputravalley

➤Middle Gangetic Plain Region: Parts ofUttarPradeshandBihar

➤UpperGangeticPlainsRegion:CentralandwesternpartsofUttarPradeshandthe Hardwarand Udham Nagar districts ofUttarakhand

➤Trans-Ganga Plains Region: Punjab,Haryana,Chandigarh,DelhiandtheGanganagardistrictofRajasthan

➤EasternPlateauandHills:ChhotanagpurPlateau, extending over Jharkhand,Orissa,ChhattisgarhandDandakaranya

➤CentralPlateauandHills:Bundelkhand,Baghelkhand,BhanderPlateau,MalwaPlateau,andVindhyachalHills

➤Western Plateau and Hills:SouthernpartofMalwaplateauandDeccanplateau(Maharashtra)

➤Southern Plateau and Hills: InteriorDeccanandincludespartsofsouthernMaharashtra,thegreaterpartsofKarnataka,AndhraPradesh,andTamilNaduuplandsfromAdilabadDistrictinthenorthtoMaduraiDistrictinthesouth

➤Eastern Coastal Plains and Hills:CoromandalandnorthernCircarcoastsofAndhraPradeshandOrissa

➤Western Coastal Plains and Ghats:MalabarandKonkancoastalplainsandtheSahyadris

➤Gujarat Plains and Hills: Hills and plainsofKathiawar,andthefertilevalleysofMahiandSabarmatirivers

➤WesternDryRegion:WestofAravalli(Rajasthan)

➤IslandRegion:Andaman-NicobarandLakshadweep

Inspiteofallthesefacts,theaverageproductivityofmanycropsinIndiaisquitelow.






























































oValuechainapproach:Acombinationof

o Lowaccessofcredit:Low-accessofcredit

livelihoodsandagribusinessorvaluechainapproachcanhelpleveragethesectorforbettermentofitsstakeholdersi.e.farmers,workersandothersaround it.

o Protectivemeasuresforsmallproducers:and prominent role of unorganisedcreditorsaffecting decisions of farmers inpurchasing ofinputsand sellingof outputs

o Lessutilisationoftechnology:Lessuseoftechnology,mechanisationandpoorproductivityforwhichfirsttwopointsareofmajorconcern

o Lessvalueaddition:Verylessvalueadditionascomparedtodevelopedcountriesandnegligibleprimary-level processing at farmerslevel.

o Poorinfrastructure:Poorinfrastructureforfarming making more dependence onweather,marketing and supply chain suitablefor highvaluecrops.

o Howthesekey-challengescanbeaddressed?

o Cost-effective technologies: There is aneedforworkoncost-effectivetechnologieswithenvironmentalprotectionandonconservingournatural resources.

o Fair and responsible production: Thesectorneedstoengagewithfairandresponsibleproduction and trade issues on a prioritybasisevenfor domestic markets.

There is a need for a policy at union andstatelevelsandevenmoreeffectiveregulationtoprotect small producer interest in aglobalisedmarketcontexttoleveragethestrengthsofmodern and large players in theagribusinessvalue chains for a win-win for allstakeholdersinvolvedsothatinclusiveandeffectivesustainable agricultural development couldbeattempted.

o Institutional innovation: There is also aneedforinstitutionalinnovationsbesidesproduct,processandorganisationalinnovations inthesector to deal with existing andemergingchallenges and problems ofsustainabilityinthesectorwhichcanbeconvertedintoopportunities.⦿WAYFORWARD

India is among the world’s most essentialfoodproducers.However,theagriculturalsectordeserves attention and support as it evolves.Thesectorneedsinnovation,andentrepreneurshipisthe best way forward. The potential is mind-boggling.

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• Ofthetotalholdings,85percentareinmarginaland small farm categories of lessthan2ha(GOI, 2014).















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EMPLOYEE’SACCOUNTABILITYFORSOCIALMEDIAPOST⦿ INTRODUCTION

o Recently, an employee of KannurInternationalAirportwasreportedlyterminatedfromhispostafterthepersoncriticisedthestategovernmentonhis Facebook post.

o TheemployeewasapparentlyunhappywiththeSupremeCourt’sverdictontheShreePadmanabhaswamyTempleandmadehisopinionspublic.Gettingbustedforpostingsomething offensive on socialmedia is not anew phenomenon.

o JamesGunn,afilmmaker,wasremovedfromthedirector’s chair for Guardians of the GalaxyVol3,when his past tweetscame haunting.

o However, in his case, it was a matter ofpoliticalopinionsandsharingthemonsocialmedia.

oHavingasayaboutanissueofnationalconcernandexpressing it on social media has been oneofthe routine activities in the last couple ofyears.

o That has quite often led to manyterminationsaswell.

o This is not the lone case. Recently, India’stechgiant Infosys also terminated the servicesofanemployeewhowrotean“inappropriatepost”onsocialmedia.

o Oneofthemorecurrentethicalissuesinbusinessisthequestionofemployees’personalbehavioronsocialmediaoutside ofworkhours.

o However, there’s still quite a large gray areaofsituations that may or may not make itethicallyjustifiable to fire an employee for theirsocialmediaconduct.

Here are a few questions to consider withregardsto this ethical dilemmainbusiness:

o Is it right to punish employees for certaintypesofsocialmediaposts?

o Are businesses obligated to keep anemployeewhoholdsdistastefulviewsandexpressesthemonline?

So,questionariseswhetheritiscorrecttoterminateanemployee for his /her personal post onsocialmedia.

o It’s fair not to sever ties with an employeejustbecauseher/histweetispoliticallymotivated.A

n

















n

















n

CURRENT AFFAIRS – FEBRUARY–2021allegation of any sort needs to beinvestigatedand a fair chance has to begiven to the persontoexplain.

o These days, social media is its ownjudge.Forinstance,let’sassumethereisajuniorinamultinationalITcompanywhopostssomethingaboutKashmirorMuslims.Immediately,someone picks it up and insinuatesthat it is anAmerican company’s view ofIndia. This is theproblemwithsocialmedia.

o The problem is one can’t wear one’scompany’sidentityandputavideothatdenouncesagender,government,leaderorcommunity.

o The employer, doesn’t care if theemployeehasapersonalview,becausethatisnotreflectiveofthe company’s view. The problemarises whenthesetwo start merging.

oThe best thing to do will be to just followthecompany’ssocial-mediapolicy.Nocompanystops anyonefrom sharing their views onsocialmediaas anindividual.

Manycompanieshaveelaboratesocial-mediaguidelines that employees have toadhere to. Theyare discouraged fromwriting anything unworthyabout theorganisation in a public forum. Butwhataboutpoliticalthoughtsandreasoning?Shouldthey be regulated as well? If yes, is itfair to curbsomeone’spersonal opinion?

o Italldependsonthecodeofethicsofthecompany.Manydissuadeemployeesfromputtinganypolitically-motivatedpostsonsocialmedia.

o Nowadays, the internet serves as a harddisconce one puts out something on it,it stays forgood.

o Onecan,ofcourse,haveadebateonsofttopics,but anti-national posts should not betolerated.One can have a neutral or mildopinion. If theyarenotoffensive, itisokay.

o Freedomofexpressioncannotbemistakenasameans to write whatever one wants.It may hurtthereputationofthe company.

o Manypeoplebelievessuchathingalwayswarrants a sacking. One can give awarning tothe employee as well and askthem toremovethoseposts.Onecan’twearone’scompany’s
























identityandputavideothatdenouncesagender,government,leaderorcommunity.

Social mediais notgoinganywhere nowthatitisserving its purpose in more ways than one.Formostpeople,thisistheonlygatewaytosharewhatthey want to express. Many nameless andfacelessentities are voicing their views andconcerns onaregularbasisnow.Fortheyoungpeople,thewaytoget their views registered is through social media.It’sa big influencer. They find a lot of comfort inbeingfaceless,nameless activists.”

CompanylikeIndigohasaveryclearsocial-mediapolicy.Itdoesn’ttakeawayanybody’srighttoexpresswhattheywanttoonsocialmedia,aslongasthatdoesn’tcomeinthewayofIndigoasa businessenterprise. However, it is also advisablethat onehas to be responsible to notbadmouthanykeyindividualofthecountryjustbecausethey have a device in their hands. With theabilitytobenamelessandfacelessalsocomessocialresponsibility.

WhenisitrighttofireanemployeeoverSocialMedia Posts?

o Whentheirbehaviorclearlycrossesastatedemployer policy or other obvious line, such asbeingthreatening or harassing towardotheremployees.

o Whenthebehaviorisclearlyviolatingthesocialmediapolicy,orwhentheemployeeisonsocialmediafor personal use while on the clock. (Thislikelywouldn’t be something that would resultintermination for a first offense, but itcouldescalate.)

o Behavinginawaythattarnishestheemployer’sreputation, either by association or simplyfromtheemployee’sconduct.

o Divulgingconfidentialinformation.

o Postingthingsthatprovetheemployeehasliedtothe organization, such as taking medicalordisability-relatedleavebutthenshowingonsocial mediathat the reason for the leave wasnotvalid.

When is it wrong to fire anemployeeoverSocialMediaPosts?o When the post is protected in some way.

Themost prominent example that someemployersoverlook or get wrong: Employeesshouldnotbefiredwhentheirsocialmediapostcouldbeconsidered “concerted activity” andcould,therefore, be protected activity undervariouslawsand regulations.

o Whentherearespecificrulesthatmustbefollowedbefore a termination (and thosearenotfollowed).

➤Forexample,theremaybecontractualstipulations with the employee’s union thatoutlinesteps that must be taken beforeanytermination. If those steps aren’tfollowed,theterminationmaybeillegalevenifitwould have beenfine otherwise.

o When the social media post representssomeotherprotectedactivity,likewhistle-blowing,orprotected reporting of somethingelse, such asdiscrimination or harassment.

o When the employee are protected throughthelawsand regulation.

o When it comes to employee etiquette onsocialmedia, the bottom line for mostcompanies isthat the employee can bejustifiably fired iftheactivityisdeemeddisloyalorfinanciallyharmfulto the company. Of course, neitheremployernoremployeeswouldwanttogettoapointlikethat.

Whatcancompanydoaboutethicalissuesrelatedtosocialmedia?o Addressingethicalproblemsincompanyconnecte

d to social media can be trickymainlybecausemostsituationswillfallinthegrayarea.

o Tohelpeliminateconfusionordisclarityforemployer,thebeststeptotakeistocreateaset of rules andpolicies that clearlydescribewhatis(andisn’t)acceptableforemployeestodoonsocialmedia.Company’sguidelinesforemployee behavior on social media shouldbepaired with training sessions andperiodiccompany-wideremindersvia email.

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SECTION:B(PRELIMS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS


SECTION:B(PRELIMS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS


SECTION:B(PRELIMS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS


QuickFacts

• Date:February5,1922

• Place:ChauriChaura,Gorakhpurdistrict,TheUnitedProvinces

• NatureofIncident:Violentattack

• NumberofCasualties:25deaths

• HistoricalSignificance:‘Non-cooperationMovement’wascalledoffduetotheincident

‘CHAURICHAURA’CENTENARYCELEBRATIONS⦿ CONTEXT: 4thFebruary2021marksthe100thyearcelebrationofChauriChauraatGorakhpur,UttarPradesh.

AboutChauriChauraIncident

• The‘ChauriChaura’incidentisalandmarkeventinthecountry’sfightforindependence.

• Theincidenttookplaceon4February1922atChauriChauraintheGorakhpurdistrictoftheUnitedProvince(modernUttarPradesh)inBritishIndia.

• Duringthis,alargegroupofprotestersparticipatingintheNon-cooperationmovement,clashed with police who openedfire.

• Inretaliationthedemonstratorsattackedandsetfiretoapolicestation,killingallofitsoccupants.

• Theincidentledtothedeathofthreeciviliansand22policemen.

• Mahatma Gandhi, who was strictly against violence, halted the non-co-operationmovement on the national level on 12 February 1922, as a direct resultof thisincident.

Non-CooperationMovement

• TheNon-CooperationMovementwaslaunchedin1920inresponsetotwokeyeventsin1919—

• theRowlattAct

• theJallianwalaBaghmassacre

• UndertheRowlattAct,politicalcasescouldbetriedwithoutajuryandthesuspectdetainedfor an indefinite period of time.

• The Act had sparked widespread protests across the country and in April1919,Gandhi had planned to visit Amritsar to join one such protest. However, hewasstoppedinDelhiandarrestedon10April,alongwithotherprominentleaders.Thisangeredthe people ofAmritsar who tookto the streets.

• Following this, General Reginald Dyer was tasked with restoring order in thecityandamong othermeasures, aban wasput inplaceon publicgatherings.

• On13April1919,GeneralDyeropenedfireonagatheringofunarmedmen,womenandchildren at Jallianwala Bagh, killing hundreds. More than 10,000 peoplehadgatheredinthe parkto protest theBritishrule.

• Whileofficialstatisticsnotethat400civiliansdied,theactualnumberisbelievedtobemuchhigher.


QuickFacts
















• theRowlattAct








QuickFacts
















• theRowlattAct








• The Jallianwala Bagh massacre marked a turning point in India’s history as wellasGandhi’sapproachtoindependence.Henowdemandedpurnaswarajorcompleteindependencefrom the British.

• TheNonCooperationMovementwastheindependence.

firststeptowardsthistotal

CORRUPTIONPERCEPTIONINDEX2020⦿CONTEXT:

⦿ABOUT:

India’srankhasslippedsixplacesto86thamong180countriesincorruptionperceptionindex(CPI)in2020.

• CorruptionPerceptionIndex(CPI)

o Releasedby:TransparencyInternational(TI).

o The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is the leading global indicator ofpublicsectorcorruption,providinganannualsnapshotoftherelativedegreeofcorruptionin180countries and territories.

o The index ranks180 countries andterritoriesbytheirperceived levels ofpublicsectorcorruption according to experts and business people.

o Itusesascaleof0to100,where0ishighly corruptand100isvery clean.

o A countrywithahigherscorehasahigherrank.

• Key-findingsoftheIndexo India ranked at 86th position with a score of 40 while more than two-thirds

ofcountriesscoredbelow50,withaglobal averagescoreofjust43.

o India’sscoreisbelowtheaveragescoreoftheAsia-Pacificregion(31countries)andglobal average.

o Indiawasrankedat80thpositionoutof180countriesin2019.

o Withascoreof31,India’sneighbourPakistanrankedat124.Othertop-scoringnationsinclude Singapore with a score of 85, Australia with 77 and Hong Kongalsowith77.

o Thisyear,NewZealandandDenmarkrankatfirstpositionwithscoresof88.

o SomaliaandSouthSudanranklowestat179thpositionwithscoresof12.

2021CENSUSTOGODIGITAL⦿CONTEXT:

⦿ABOUT:

TheMinsitryofFnanceannouncedthattheupcomingCensus2021issettobethefirstdigital census in the history of India and that the government hasallocatedoverRs 3,700crore forthesame.

WhatisCensus?

• PopulationCensusisthetotalprocessofcollecting,compiling,analyzingorotherwisedisseminating demographic, economic and social data pertaining, ataspecifictime,of allpersonsina countryor awell-defined partofa country.

• As such, the census provides snapshot of the country’s population and housingatagiven point of time.






⦿ABOUT:
















⦿ABOUT:


WhatisCensus?








⦿ABOUT:
















⦿ABOUT:


WhatisCensus?




TheCensusAct,1948

• TheCensusActwasenactedin1948toprovidefortheschemeofconductingpopulationcensuswithduties andresponsibilitiesofcensus officers.

TheNetherlandsimplementeditsfirstvirtualcensusin1981usingthepopulationregister andsurveys.

• Responsible agency: The Census is conducted by the Office of theRegistrarGeneral and Census Commissioner, India, under the Ministry of HomeAffairs,Governmentof India.

• Duration:Itisdoneevery10years.

• First and last Census: The census was first conducted in 1872 during theBritishrule.The lastcensus was done in2011.

• Firstcompletecensus:Itwasdonein1881.

Thefirst-everdigitalcensus

• The2021censusofIndiaissettobegininMarch2021,afterthepreviouscensuswasundertakenin2011–markingIndia’spopulationat1.21billionbackthen

• Thecensuswillbeconductedthroughamobileapplication.Thedecisiontomovefromthetraditionalpenandpaper wastakentopromoteDigitalIndia.

• Theexerciseissaidtobecarriedoutin16languages.

AIRPOLLUTIONINRURALINDIA: IGNOREDBUTNOTABSENT⦿ CONTEXT:

⦿ABOUT:

Airpollutionisatransboundaryproblem,ittranscendsruralandurbanboundaries.But the issue is rarely discussed and action plans are rigid. Rural airpollutionhas usually been ignored by scientists and policy makers alike forthelongesttime.

• Sourcesofpollutioninruralareas

o Vehicular pollution: While the extent of vehicular pollution may not bethesame in villages as in cities, the same sources richly contribute to pollutioninruralareas.

o Toxic air, effluent discharge due to operation of heavy industries:Mostheavyindustriesnowoperatebeyondcitylimits—inruralbelts—andthelocalpopulationistherecipientoftoxicairandeffluentdischarge,oftenduetoweakoversight.

o Stubbleburning:NorthernIndiafacesseasonalissueofstubbleburning,which,despitemediaattentionandDelhi’sannualairapocalypse,hascontinuedunabated.

o Agriculturalpollution:AgricultureisarichsourceofreactivenitrogeninIndia,asonly30percentofthenitrogenistakenupbyplants.Therestisreleasedintotheatmosphere, soilandwater.


TheCensusAct,1948












⦿ABOUT:








TheCensusAct,1948












⦿ABOUT:








Weakmonitoringnetwork

• Monitoringstationsdisproportionatelylocated:Indiahas804manualmonitoringstationsundertheNationalAmbientMonitoringProgramme(NAMP)and 274 real-time monitoring stations (CAAQMS). Most of thesearedisproportionatelylocatedintier-1cities;afewareintier-2cities.

o Aquickanalysisshowsthatreal-timemonitoringisnearlyabsentinruralareas.

o Additionally,evencitiesinArunachalPradesh,AndamanandNicobarIslandsandManipurdon’t haveasinglereal-timemonitoringstation.

• TheNAMPnetworkofmanualmonitorsfareonlymarginallybetter.Itdoescoverallstatesandincludesevensmallercitiesandtowns,but96percentmonitoringstationsarewithinthecity boundariesand donot coversurrounding ruralhamlets.

• Out of the 804 stations, only 26 are located in rural villages. Names of villagesandtheirtehsilshavebeenprovidedintheNAMPlist.TwoofthesestationsareinDadraandNagar Haveli among the Union territories.

Recentgovernmentschemes

• NationalBiomassCookstovesInitiative:In2009,theUnionMinistryofNewandRenewable Energy launched the National Biomass Cookstoves Initiativeandinstalledabout 27lakhunitsby 2017.

• UnnatChulhaAbhiyanProgramme:UnnatChulhaAbhiyanProgrammewaslaunched in 2014, wherein both family and community cookstoves usingbiomassbriquetteswere distributed.

• Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY): Launched in 2016, it is acountrywideinitiative to increase use of clean cooking fuels among those belowthe povertyline.

DISCOVERYOFINDIA’SFIRSTEVERLITHIUMRESERVESINKARNATAKA’SMANDYA’

⦿CONTEXT • In a major development, India has discovered its maiden lithium depositsof1,600 tonnes in the igneous rocks located in the Marlagalla-AllapatnaregionofKarnataka’s Mandya district.

• Though the discovery is very small in size in the present, it marks aninitialsuccess for the nation’s attempts to domestically mine the metal inIndia,whichis inhigh demandformakingelectric vehicles(EV).⦿ABOUT: WhatisLithium?

• Lithiumisametalofutmostimportance.Itiseverywheretoday.

• Lithium is a key element for new technologies and finds its use in ceramics,glass,telecommunicationand aerospace industries.

• Thewell-knownusesoflithiumareinlithiumionbatteries,lubricatinggrease,highenergyadditivestorocketpropellants,opticalmodulatorsformobilephonesandasaconvertertotritiumusedasarawmaterialforthermonuclearreactionsi.e.fusion.

• It’sthejuicethatpowersoursmartphones,tablets,cameras,laptopsandevencars.Thiselement is the driver of the technology age. And it could dictate the futureofcivilization.






































TheprojectedmarketWhileelectriccarsinIndiaremainasmallsegment,withanestimated3,000soldin2018comparedwiththe3.4millionfossilfuel-poweredcarsinthesameyear,the nation isforecast become the fourth-largest market for EVs by 2040,whenthesegmentwill comprisenearly athird ofall vehiclessales.

Karnataka’s Marlagalla-Allapatna area, along the Nagamangala SchistBelt,isbeingseenasamongthemostpromisinggeologicaldomainsforpotentialexplorationforlithiumandotherraremetals.

In2020,India,signedanagreementwithanArgentinianfirmtojointlyprospectlithium in the South American country that has the third largest reserves ofthemetalinthe world.

• Importantfacts

• ThegrowingdemandforLithiuminIndiaisdrivenbythegoalofIndiangovernmenttobecomeoneofthelargestelectricvehiclemarketsworldover.

• NITIAyoghassetanambitioustargettoincreasethenumberofelectricvehiclesby30percent by 2030.

• India’sfirstLithiumplanthasbeensetupatGujaratin2021,whereManikaranPowerLimitedwillinvestRs1000crore tosetupthisrefinery.

• TherefinerywilluseLithiumore toproducebasebatterymaterial.

• Boliviaistheleadingproducerwith2.10croretonneslithiumreserves,andArgentinahas1.70crore tonnes of Lithium.

• Chilehasaround8.6Mntonnes,Australiahas2.8Mntonnes,andevenPortugalhasaround 60Ktonnes oflithiumdeposits.

Whataretheadvantagesoflithiumfortherenewablesector?

• The element is promoted because it has a lot of potential in the renewablesectorofthemodernenergyspectrum,someofitsadvantagesinclude:

• Lithium-ion batteries can serve as a solution for varied power demandsacrossthe spectrum. It can range from vast energy storage to portable energystoragesolutions.They canthus beused aslarge orsmallbatteries.

• Lithium-ion battery has high energy density. This implies Li-ion batteries canlastway longer between charges, while maintaining high current output. Thismakes itanidealbattery for mostof our contemporary needs.

• Li-ion batteries are low to minimum maintenance, most other cells like Nickel-Cadmium(Ni-Cd)batterieshaveahugecostofownershipandmaintenance.

The survey was done on surface and limited subsurface in the pegmatitesofMarlagalla - Allapatna area by Atomic Minerals Directorate for ExplorationandResearch(AMD),aconstituentunitofDepartmentofAtomicEnergy.





• Importantfacts

















• Importantfacts














• Li-ionbatteriescomeinallshapesandsizes,givingtheuserswithmanyoptionstochoosefrom according to their needs.

CONSERVATIONOFFISHINGCAT⦿CONTEXT: The fishing cat, a lesser-known feline species, is facing several threats due toitsdepleting habitat. So, a worldwide campaign by the Fishing CatConservationAlliancetoprotectthefelineisbeingstarted.

AboutFishingCat• Thefishingcat(Prionailurusviverrinus)isamedium-

sizedwildcatofSouthandSoutheastAsia.

• Itisverymuchcontentandsurvivesinwater.• ProtectionStatus:Since2016,itislistedasVulnerableontheIUCNRedList.• Threats:Fishingcatpopulationshavedeclinedseverelyoverthelastdecade.Someofthe

reasons are forthe declining population is:

o habitatloss[wetlanddegradationandconversionforaquacultureandothercommercialprojects]

o sandminingalongriverbanks

o agriculturalintensificationresultinginlossofriverinebuffer

o targetedhuntingandretaliatorykillings

• Occurrence: They are found in Sundarbans in West Bengal andBangladesh,Chilikalagoon,andsurroundingwetlandsinOdisha,Coringa,andKrishnamangrovesin AndhraPradesh.o Fishing cats have a patchy distribution along the Eastern Ghats. They are

foundin

➤estuarinefloodplains

➤tidalmangroveforests

➤inlandfreshwaterhabitats

FishingCatConservationAlliance• TheFishingCatConservationAllianceisateamofconservationists,researchers,andenth

usiasts across the world.

• Aim:Tohaveaworldwithfunctioningfloodplainsandcoastalecosystems.

DENMARKAPPROVESPLANFORENERGYISLANDINNORTHSEA⦿CONTEXT: TheDanishgovernmenthasreportedlyapprovedplansfortheconstructionofthefirst

artificial“energy island”intheNorthSea.

⦿ABOUT Whattheenergyisland?• Theislandwouldactasahubforoffshorewinddevelopment,built80kmoffthecoastof

Denmarkinthe North Sea.













foundin























foundin












• Theislandcoversanareaof120,000m²,equivalentto18footballfields.

• Oncecompleted,itwouldstoreandsupplyenergytopowernearlythreemillionEuropeanhouseholds.

• Itwouldalsosupplygreenhydrogenforshipping,aviation,industryandheavytransportsectors.

Impactofthedevelopment

• ThelatestmovecomesastheEuropeanUnionannouncedtransformationofitselectricitysystemtomostlyrely onrenewableenergywithinten years.

• Itwillalsoincreaseitsoffshorewindenergycapacityapproximatelyby25timesbefore2050.

• TheprojectispartofDenmark’stargettocutgreenhousegasemissionsby70%by2030from 1990levels

SQUAREKILOMETREARRAY,THEWORLD’SLARGESTRADIOTELESCOPE⦿ CONTEXT:

⦿ABOUT:

TheSquareKilometreArrayObservatory(SKAO)Councilhelditsmaidenmeetingandapprovedtheestablishmentoftheworld’slargestradiotelescope.

• SquareKilometreArrayObservatory(SKAO)

o SKAOisanewintergovernmentalorganisationdedicatedtoradioastronomy.

o Headquarters:TheUnitedKingdom.

o Countriesinvolved:Atthemoment,organisationsfromtencountriesareapartofthe SKAO. These include Australia, Canada, China, India, Italy, NewZealand,SouthAfrica, Sweden,the Netherlands andthe UK.

• Theproposedtelescope

o The telescope, proposed to be the largest radio telescope in the world, willbelocated in Africa and Australia whose operation, maintenance andconstructionwillbe overseenby SKAO.

o The completion is expected to take nearly a decade at a cost of over£1.8billion.

o As per NASA, the telescope will accomplish its scientific goals bymeasuringneutralhydrogenovercosmictime,accuratelytimingthesignalsfrompulsarsintheMilkyWay,anddetectingmillionsofgalaxiesouttohighredshifts.

o Some of the questions that scientists hope to address using thistelescopeinclude:

➤thebeginningoftheuniverse

➤howandwhenthefirststarswereborn

➤thelife-cycleofagalaxy

➤exploringthepossibilityofdetectingtechnologically-activecivilisationselsewhereinour galaxy

➤understandingwheregravitationalwavescomefrom










⦿ABOUT:

























⦿ABOUT:

















SILK-PROTEIN-BASEDTUMOURMODELSFORTESTINGOUTCANCER⦿CONTEXT: ResearchersfromIITGuwahatihavecomeupwithsilk-protein–

basedtumour3Dmodelfortestingcancer drugs.

⦿ABOUT: KeyfeaturesoftheModel

• Bio-activity: It involves fabrication of a bio-active composite of silk proteinsfromtwospeciesof silkmoths.

• 3-D base: It builds a scaffold that provides a three-dimensional base forgrowingtumours.

• Imitate native environment: This 3D silk-based tumour model imitatesnativetumourmicroenvironment,complextumourphysiologyandmetastasis,thusimprovingdrug screening efficacy.

Howscientistsbuiltscaffolds?

• The scientists mixed the silk fibroins extracted from the cocoons of thedomesticsilk moth (Bombyx mori) and the silk glands of the muga silk moth(Antheraeaassama) in equal proportions and used them to build up scaffolds onwhich theygrewbreast and liver tumour cellcultures.

• As a proof of concept, the researchers created breast and liver tumouroidsandthese showed similar tumour physiology in 3D spatiotemporal arrangementsanddrug-resistance,as innative solidtumours.

• Theyalsotestedthescreeningcapacityofthetumoursonknownanticancerdrugs,DoxorubicinandPaclitaxel.

• Thetumoroidsgrownonthesilkcompositeexhibitedincreasedresistancetocancerdrugs(asinnativeconditions)comparedtomonolayersandspheroids.

The need

• Normally,cancerdrugsaretestedusingpatient-derivedprimarycancercells,ontumoursinducedinanimalmodelsorongeneticallymodifiedorganisms.

• Thesemodelsareinsufficienttoreproducethethree-dimensionalmorphologyandphysiologyof human tumours.

AboutRadiotelescopes

• Unlike optical telescopes, radio telescopes can detect invisible gasand,therefore, they can reveal areas of space that may be obscured bycosmicdust.

• Significantly, since the first radio signals were detected by physicistKarlJanskyinthe1930s,astronomershaveusedradiotelescopestodetectradiowavesemittedby differentobjects inthe universeandexplore it.

• AccordingtoNASA,thefieldofradioastronomyevolvedafterWorldWarII andbecame one of the most important tools for makingastronomicalobservationssince.













The need



















The need








STARDUST1.0⦿ CONTEXT: Stardust1.0,arocketpoweredbybio-derivedfuelsuccessfullytookofffromformermilitary base inMaine.

⦿ABOUT: WhatisStardust1.0?

• Stardust1.0isalaunchvehiclesuitedforstudentandbudgetpayloads.

• Therocketis20feettallandhasamassofroughly250kg.

• Payloads:Therocketcancarryamaximumpayloadmassof8kgandduringitsfirstlaunchcarriedthree payloads.The payloadsincluded:

o acubesatprototypebuiltbyhighschoolstudents

o ametalalloydesignedtolessenvibrations,whichisdevelopedbyKellogg’sResearchLabs

o acubesatfromsoftwarecompanyRocketInsights

• Manufacturedby:TherocketismanufacturedbybluShift,anaerospacecompanybased in Maine that is developing rockets that are powered by bio-derivedfuels.Otherrockets beingdeveloped by thecompany include

• Stardust Gen. 2, Starless Rouge and Red Dwarf, which is a low-Earth orbit(LEO)vehicleandisdesignedtoflya maximumpayload of30kg.

Firsttobepoweredbybiofuel

• Stardust1.0becamethefirstcommercialspacelaunchpoweredbybiofuel,whichisnon-toxicfortheenvironmentasopposed totraditionallyusedrocketfuels.

• Thoughthebiofuelusedforthelaunchisnotyetclear,butasperthereportsitcanbesourced from farms aroundthe world.

Significanceoftherocket• Cheaperandenvironmentfriendly:Theserocketswillhelptolaunchsmall

satellitescalledcubesatsintospaceinawaythatisrelativelycheaperthanusingtraditionalrocketfueland islesstoxic forthe environment.

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GS-I GEOGRAPHY • ChamoliGlacierBreak

GS-IIGOVERNANCE • KurubaCommunitydemandingSTstatus

INTERNATIONALRELATIONS • ContinuityinIndia’stieswithCentralAsia

GS-III ECONOMY• WhatdoesenergysecuritymeanforMaldives?

• PulsesforFoodSecurityandSustainableFuture

GS-IV ETHICS • Ethicalissueswithvaccination


GS-IIPOLITY

• DisengagementprocessoninPangongTso

• MajorPortAuthoritiesBill,2020

• VijayanagarabecameKarnataka’s31stdistrict

INTERNATIONALRELATIONS • ChineseenergyprojectinSriLanka

GS-III

ECONOMY• Hydrogen:Thenextcleanenergyfrontier

• RBIgivesretailinvestorsdirectaccesstoGovernment‘Gilt bonds’

ENVIRONMENT • Eco-sensitive zones (ESZ) declaration aroundtheWayanadWildlife Sanctuary

SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY

• Depletionofparticularbraintissuelinkedtochronicdepression,suicide:Study

• Transparentwoodiscoming

• UnitedArabEmiratescelebratesitsfirstmissionatMars

CURRENTAFFAIRSANALYSTWEEK-3 (FEBRUARY, 2021)











GS-IIPOLITY





GS-III




SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY















GS-IIPOLITY





GS-III




SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY






SECTION:A(MAINS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS


SECTION:A(MAINS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS


SECTION:A(MAINS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS


Whatisa‘fault’?

• Afaultisafractureorzoneoffracturesbetweentwo blocks of rock. Faults allowtheblockstomoverelativetoeachother.

• Thismovementmayoccurrapidly,intheformofanearthquake-ormayoccurslowly,inthe formofcreep.

• Faultsmayrangeinlengthfromafewmillimeterstothousandsofkilometers.

CHAMOLIGLACIERBREAK

CONTEXTA major disaster struck the Himalayan state of Uttrakhand recently. A glacier broke after an avalanche in

theJoshimatharea of the state’sChamolidistrict.⦿ BACKGROUND

o Human activities profoundly affect theearth’sclimate and mountains are a sensitiveindicatorof that effect and they provide anearlyglimpseofwhatcouldcometopassinalowlandenvironment.

o Themountainecosystemiseasilydisruptedbyvariations in climate owing to theiraltitude,slope,and orientationto the sun.

o Astheearthheatsup,mountainsglaciersmelt atunprecedented rates, while rareplantsandanimalsstruggletosurviveoverever-diminishingareas.

o The melting of Himalayan glaciers hasdoubledsince the start of the 21st century dueto risingtemperature, losing over vertical foot-and-halfor ice each year, and potentiallythreateningwater supply for hundreds ofmillions of peopleincountries.

o Now,anotherdisasterinducedbyclimatechangedue to the negative impact of humansontheenvironment has been witnessed.

o Previously,theregionhaswitnesseddevastatingearthquakesandintherecentpastearthquakesinChamoli and flood in Kedarnath hasbeenwitnessed.⦿ANALYSIS

Whatisaglacieroutburst?Whatcausesthisdisaster?o Glaciallakeoutburstfloods(GLOF)isbeingconside

red to be the most likely trigger for thisevent.

o GLOFisareferencetofloodingcauseddownstreamduetoabreachinaglaciallake.

o Retreatingglaciers,likeseveralintheHimalayas,usually result in the formation of lakes attheirtips, called proglacial lakes, often boundonlybysedimentsand boulders.

o Iftheboundariesoftheselakesarebreached,itcanleadtolargeamountsofwaterrushing

down to nearby streams and rivers,gatheringmomentumonthewaybypickingupsediments,rocks,andothermaterial,andresultinginfloodingdownstream.

o GLOF events are not unusual, but theirimpactdepends on the size of the proglaciallake thatburst,and itslocation.

o In the Hindu Kush Himalaya, moraine-dammedglacial lakes are common andnumerous GLOFevents have been traced backto the failure ofmorainedams.

Why made the Himalayas so pronetodisasters?o There are four major faults in the

Himalayas,includingtheHimalayanFrontalFaultandthe Trans Himadri Fault. Multiple faultshavedevelopedparalleltothesefour.

o Thisbranchingandsub-branchingmeanthatthisisa zone of faults. The movement ofthousandsofyearsmeansthatallrockformationsarebrokenand crushed.

o Waterpenetratesdeepintotheinteriorandsabotages the rocks from the inside. Itwashesawaythe base ofthe rocks.

o Even if smaller ruptures occur along withshortsegments of the mountains, stress buildsupalongthefaults.Thataccumulatedstresseventually triggersan enormous earthquake.

o Thusthenumberoflandslidesishighintheregion.LandslidesandearthquakeswillcontinuetohappenintheregionbecauseofthemovementoftheplatesintheHimalayas.


Whatisa‘fault’?




CHAMOLIGLACIERBREAK
























Whatisa‘fault’?




CHAMOLIGLACIERBREAK
























Whatcanbethereasonsbehindtherecentdisaster?

oLowsnowfall:Reducedsnowfallthiswinter

How rapidly the Himalayas is losingitsice?o Asperthefirst-

everassessmentofclimatechangeimpactsontheHinduKushHimalayan(HKH) region, thenumber of glaciers in theHimalayan area hasincreased in the last fivedecades.

o Thisisanindicatorofhowsevereglaciermeltinghasbeen due to global warming.

o Theincreaseinthenumberofglaciersisprimarilydueto glacier fragmentation.

o Glacierfragmentationreferstothesplittingofbigglaciersinto smallerones.

o And this is happening due to consistent lossinareasthe glaciersoccupy.

o Sincethe1950s,onlyreductionshavebeenobservedinglacierarea (orshrinkage).

o Based on a compilation of area changestudies,easternHimalayanglaciershavetendedtoshrinkfasterthanglaciersinthecentralorwesternHimalayas.

o InthenorthernslopesoftheHimalayas,glaciersarereceding.

duetoclimatechangemayhaveplayedamajorpartin the glacier bursts. The glacialoutburstsarealsorelatedtoglobalwarming.Asthetemperaturesoarsduringsummers,theglaciersretreat,leavingbehindwater-filled,unstablemoraine-dammedlakes.

o Large hydropower projects: The entireStateofUttarakhandiscategorizedasfallinginZone-IVandVoftheearthquakeriskmapof India.Despite the threat of such calamity,largehydropower projects are in vogue inthestate.Thepotentialofthecumulativeeffectofmultiplesuchprojectshasturnedouttobemoreenvironmentallydamagingthansustainable,giventhecurrentpolicyofthestategovernment of pursuinghydro-power projectsindiscriminately.⦿ CONCLUSION

Uttarakhandisawake-upcall,notjustfortheGovernment and people in thestate, but also theplanners and decision-makers allover the country.It is said that those who fail tolearn from historyare doomed to suffer from itrepeatedly. It is hightime, therefore, for thegovernment to realizethattheHimalayanmountainsarefragileandimpatient,andthegovernmentshallsetitsdevelopmentpriorities and projects based on the potential ofthemountains, local and traditional knowledge aswellasaspirations of the place.

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Glacier area change ranges between−0.1percent/year for the Chandra-Bhagabasin(northwestern Indian Himalayanregion)between 1980 and 2010 to more than−1percent/year for the Poiqu basin (onthenorthern slopes of central Himalaya)between1986and2001.

• Thefaultsurfacecanbehorizontalorverticalorsomearbitrary angle in between.
















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KURUBACOMMUNITYDEMANDINGSTSTATUS

CONTEXTThe Kuruba community has been demanding the Schedule Tribe tag and held a massive rally in the outskirts

ofBengaluru, Karnataka.⦿ BACKGROUND

o ThreeyearsafterKarnatakawitnessedademandfrom the Lingayat community for aseparatereligiontag,theKurubashavedecidedtoreviveadecades’olddemandofincludingthemintheScheduledTribes(ST)category.

o AftermorethansevendecadesofIndependence,thereisnowagrowingnumberofcommunitiesdesiringtobe classedasscheduledtribes.

o There are probably many reasons behindthiscurrentspurtinthewishformarginality.

o Oneofthesewouldbethefearofsmallethnicitiesthat they would be pushed to the marginsofpolitical power as well as on landholdingsintheir traditional home grounds by the inflowofsettlers,thereforeneedingprotection.

o The tension, however, is also internal. Herethecontest is for the benefits of governmentjobreservation.

tag, moving the Kurubas to the ‘mostbackwardclasses’category,andbroughtinanarearestrictionstatingthatthoselivinginBidar,Yadgir,Kalaburagi, and Madikeri withKurubasynonymscancontinuetoavailtheSTbenefits.

WhatisthepresentreservationquotainKarnataka?

o Adhering to the Supreme Court’s 1992order,Karnataka has capped the reservation to50%where 32% has been earmarked forbackwardclasses,includingMuslims,Christians,andJains,15%forSCs,and3%for STs.

o This reservation quota has been furtherpairedintocategories:Category1(4),Category2A (15), Category 2B (4), Category 3A(4),Category3B(5),SC(15),andST (3).⦿ANALYSIS

TheKurubasCommunityo TheKurubasofKarnatakaareatraditionalsheeprea

ringcommunity.

o They are known by different names inotherstates,suchasKurumainAndhraPradesh,GollainsouthernKarnataka,DhangarinMaharashtra,PalinRajasthan,andMaldhari/GadariyainGujarat.

o Presently, the Kurubas constitute 9.3% ofthestate’spopulationandcomeunderthebackwardclasses category sharing 15% reservationwith104other castes.

o They subscribe to the teachings ofKanakadasawhowasarenownedcomposerofCarnaticmusic,poet,philosopher,andsaint

o Frompre-Independencetill1977,thecommunityenjoyedthe STstatus.

o In 1977, Justice LG Havanur, who headedthebackwardclasscommission,removed theST

SupremeCourt1992Order

• In1991,theNarasimhaRaogovernmentissuedanorderprovidinganadditionalreservation of10% for “othereconomicallybackward”’sections,totheexisting27%reservation recommended by theMandalCommissionfortheotherbackwardclasses.

• This was challenged by an advocate,IndraSawhney, and the apex court struckdowntheadditional10%andupheldthe27%reservation by capping the overall quotaat50%.

• Presently, only Tamil Nadu andMaharashtrahave exceeded the apex court’sceiling of50%.

➤TamilNaduhas69%reservation,whichwasachievedbyincludingthereservationlegislation in Schedule 9oftheConstitution.

➤In the case of Maharashtra, theBombayHighCourtupheldthestategovernment’squota for Marathas.















ringcommunity.


























ringcommunity.













WhatismeantbyScheduledTribes?o The Constitution of India in Article 366

(25)prescribesthattheScheduledTribesmeanssuchtribesortribalcommunitiesasaredeemedunderArticle 342 of the Constitution tobeScheduledTribes.

o TheNationalCommissionforScheduledTribesexplains:

➤Primitiveness,geographicalisolation,shyness,andsocial,educational&economicbackwardnessduetothesereasonsarethe traits thatdistinguish ScheduledTribecommunitiesofourcountryfromother

forScheduledTribes,tooverseetheimplementationoftheprovisionsandsafeguardsoftherightsofScheduledTribesinIndia.

o Apart from the rights under theConstitution,theScheduledCastesandTribes(PreventionofAtrocitiesAct)alsoextendsprotectiontoScheduledTribes.

o Article164alsoprovidesfortheappointmentofaministerinchargeoftribalwelfareinthestatesofChhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh,andOrissa, who may also be in charge ofthewelfare of the Scheduled Castes andbackwardclasses or any other work.

communities. o The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution

HowScheduledTribesareprotected?o Article 342 gives the President the power

tonotifythosecommunitiesinspecificregionsthatfall under the classification of ScheduledTribes.

o Apart from the fundamental rights underArticles15,16,andotherswhichassurenond iscr im ina t ionbasedoncaste,gender,race,religion, orplaceofbirth,theotherprovisionsprotectingthefundamental rightsofScheduled Tribes areasfollows.

o Article 46 directsthestate to work forthewelfareandpromotionoftheinterestsofScheduledTribesandtotakestepstosafeguardtheirinterests.

outlinestheprovisionsfortheadministrationofScheduledareas.Itassurestheestablishmentof TribesAdvisory Councils, with three-fourthsrepresentationfromthetribesinthearea,instateswithScheduledTribesbutwithoutScheduled Areas. The council’s dutiesincludeadvisingonmattersofwelfareandadvancementofthe tribes.

o Additionally, Articles243D,243T,330,and 332promiseproportionatereservationofseatsforbothScheduledCastesandScheduledTribesinPanchayats,Municipalities,StateLegislativeAssemblies,andtheLokSabha.

o Article338AdirectsthestatetocreateaNationalCommission


































o TheSixthSchedule oftheConstitutionalso o Overtheyears,socialandpoliticalmobilizationcontainsprovisions for theadministrationofTribalAreas,butinthestatesofAssam,Meghalaya,Tripura,andMizoram.

hasledtothenumberofSTsgrowingfrom225in1960 to more than 700 today (withoverlappingcommunitiesinmore thanone state).

o TheSC/STAtrocitiesActplacesScheduledTribesunderitsambitaswell.

WhatarethechallengesfacedbySTsinIndia?o Unemployment,poverty,homelessness,andw

aterscarcitycontinuetoplaguetheScheduledCaste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST)populations

o On the economic front, indebtednessamongSTsremainsan issue.

o Lack of sustainable livelihoodopportunitieshas also made it difficult forthem to maintainpersonal assets acquiredthrough governmentfinancial aid andotherwise.

WhythedemandforSTstatusisincreasing?

⦿ CONCLUSION

o TheIndianConstitutionensurescertainprotectionfor communities deemed ashavingScheduledTribe(ST)status.However,whichgroupsshouldbeaccordedthatstatushasbeencontentious. To avail of theprotectionsandbenefitsofbeingaccordedSTstatus,communitiesinIndiatrytoprovethemselvesasmeetingthe criteria.

o Thesituationneedswell-developed,transparentcriteria and a cleardefinition of what makesgroups eligible for STstatus. Developing suchcriteria with specificeconomic and social datathat can helpcompare communitiesrequestingSTstatuswithotherSTsandtotheIndianpopulationatlargewouldlimittheprecarious

o Getting ST status means that members ofthegroup have access to highly desiredtangiblebenefitssuchaspoliticalrepresentation,reservedseatsinschools,andgovernmentjobs.

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characterofdecidingwhobelongstowhatgroup,thereby ensuring greatertransparencyandconfidenceintheprocessofawardingdeserving communities STstatus.










⦿ CONCLUSION




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⦿ CONCLUSION




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WEEK-3(FEBRUARY,2021)WEEK-1(FEBRUARY,2021)CURRENT AFFAIRS – FEBRUARY–2021

CONTINUITYININDIA’STIESWITHCENTRALASIACONTEXT

As India cements its position as one of the fastest-growing major economies of the world, its increasedengagementwiththeCentralAsianregioncanleadtomutuallybeneficialgains—bothineconomicandstrategicterms.⦿ BACKGROUND

o IndiahasalonghistoryofculturalandcommercialrelationswithCentralAsia,facilitatedbyitsgeographicalproximityandtheSilkRoute.

o However, India-Central Asia relationsstagnatedinthe20thcentury,duetotheAnglo-Russian

rivalryinthe“GreatGame”andtheconsequentemergenceofnation-stateswithdifferingideologies.

➤TheGreatGame,alsoknownas‘BolshayaIgra’,which started in 1830 wasintense rivalrybetween British andRussiaempiresoverCentralAsiaandthetraderoutes.

➤Britain sought to influence or control muchofCentral Asia to buffer the “crown jewel”ofits empire, and Russia sought toexpanditsterritoryand sphereof influence.

o AfterthebreakupoftheSovietUnionandtheformationoftheindependentrepublicsin

Central Asia, India redesigned its ties withtheregion.

o However, in recent times, India has adoptedacoherentstrategytoupscaleitsrelationshipwithCA and reinvigorate the ancientsocioeconomicandtraditionaltieswiththeregionthroughnewinitiatives.

⦿ANALYSIS

WhatisCentralAsia?o Central Asia is a landlocked region, which

islocatedinthe heart of Asia.

o CentralAsiaiscomposedofthe5post-sovietcountries:Kazakhstan,Uzbekistan,Turkmenistan,KyrgyzstanandTajikistan.

o Thecountriesarealsoknownas5“Stans”duetothesameending intheir names.

o ItisboundedonthenorthbyRussiaandonthesouthbyIran,Afghanistan,andChina.

Why Central Asia assumessignificanceforIndia?












⦿ANALYSIS


















⦿ANALYSIS








ConnectivityInitiatives

• TAPIPipeline:Thelong-delayedTurkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline, backed bytheAsianDevelopmentBank(ADB),wasfirstproposedinthemid-1990sandallfouractorsofficiallysigned anintergovernmental agreement in2010.

o Geostrategic location: Central Asia, formsapartofIndia’sextendedneighbourhood.Itsgeographical proximity, strategic location,andhistorical linkages make it an importantpartnerforNew Delhi.

o Energy: Central Asia is significant for India asithasan abundance of oiland gas deposits.

o Globalpowerhub:Strategically,CentralAsiaisemerging as the next high-stakescompetitiongroundforglobalpowers,hence,itwouldbehooveIndiato paycloserattention.

o Significanttransportationhub:CentralAsiais amajor transportation hub for gas andoilpipelinesandmulti-modalcorridorsconnectingChina,Russia,Europe,and theIOR.

HowIndiaisincreasingengagementwiththeregion?

o India-CentralAsiaDialogue:AsapartofmovingIndia’sengagementwiththeregionforward,thefirstIndia-CentralAsiaDialoguewasheld in Samarkand,Uzbekistan on 13 January2019. The participantsincluded India, the fiveCentral Asian republicsand Afghanistan. ThesecondIndia-CentralAsiaDialoguewashostedvirtuallyinOctober 2020.

o IndiaisalsoinvolvedinthreeconnectivityinitiativesthatinvolveCentralAsia.TheseinitiativesaretheInternationalNorthSouthTransportCorridor(INSTC),theAshgabatAgreementandthedevelopmentofChabaharPortinIran.

• The region contains vasthydrocarbonfields both on-shore and off-shore intheCaspianSeawhichhomesaround4percentof the world’s natural gas reservesandapproximately3percentofoilreserves.

➤Gasin Turkmenistan

➤Oil,gasanduraniuminKazakhstan

➤UraniumandgasinUzbekistan

➤HydropowerinTajikistanandKyrgyzstan
































traderelations.

o NewDelhihasestablished IndianCulturalCentresinKazakhstan,TajikistanandUzbekistan.

o New Delhi’s constructivism is moreconcretelymanifestedinits‘ConnectCentralAsia’policy.

o The policy, launched in 2012, aimed toenhanceIndia’spolitical,economic,historicalandculturalconnectionswith CentralAsia.

o Engagementwiththeregionin2020sawaclearfocusonissuesofregionaleconomicdevelopment,connectivity,andsecurity—apartfrom theimmediate need of dealing withtheongoingpandemic.

➤Amongthehighlightswastheannouncementofanadditional1billionUSDLineofCreditextendedbyIndiaforprioritydevelopment projects inenergy,healthcare,connectivity,IT,agriculture,education,etc.

o India’s ‘Connect Central Asia Policy’coversanentiregamutofamulti-modelapproachto strengthen politico-economic, security, andculturalties betweenthetwo.

➤The policy received a significant boostin2018, when New Delhi’s diplomaticeffortspaiddividendsintheformofadmissioninto the Ashgabat Agreement, signedin2011betweenIran,Oman,TurkmenistanandUzbekistan and Qatar, for theestablishmentofaninternationaltransportandtransitcorridor.

UnderstandingIndia’sconstructiveapproacho India, for its part, has so far chosen to take

the‘constructivist’approach.

o Subsequently,Indiarevivedits“IndianTechnicalandEconomicCooperation”(ITEC)programmetoprovideassistancetotheCARscountries,as well ascapacity building through trainingprogrammes,study tours, technologytransfersand,insomecases,aidfordisasterrelief.

o TheITECprogrammescoveredinformationtechnology,management,journalism,diplomacy,entrepreneurship,and banking.

o NewDelhialsosignedtheStrategicPartnershipAgreements(SPA)withthreeofthefiveCARs—Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan—tostimulatedefencecooperationanddeepen

Whatneedstobedone?Efforts are now being made to address theweaktradetiesbyencouragingcooperationamongbusinessesonbothsides,asisevidentinthelaunchoftheIndia-CentralAsiaBusinessCouncilin2020.However, various other measures canalsoeffectively strengthentheties:

o Strategicandeconomiccooperation:Indiaalsoneeds to direct investment to the regiontoreap the economic benefits of thestrategiclocationofCentralAsiathatputsitatthecrossroads of key trade and commerceroutes.Sectorsliketheconstructionindustry,sericulture,pharmaceuticals, IT, and tourism offerpotentialfor collaboration.

o People-to-people tie: India must increaseitsdevelopmentalandhumanitarianaidtotheregion and promote closer people-to-peopletiesthrougheducation,knowledgetransfer,medicineandhealth,culture,cuisine,andtourism.

o Multilateralism:WhileIndiahasstrongrelationswiththeU.S.,itneedstoapplymultilateralisminCentralAsia.

➤First, India needs to define its economicandstrategicinterestsinthe region.

➤Second, India must explore the extenttowhichitcanactindependentlyoftheU.S.

• Asaregion,CentralAsiahasreceivedspecialattention in Prime Minister Modi’sforeignpolicy. India has designated CentralAsia aspartof itsextendedneighborhood.

• In2015ModivisitedallthefiveCentralAsiancountries–Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan,Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – ina periodof one week.

• HebecamethefirstIndianprimeministertovisitall the five Central Asian countries inasingletrip.

• Chabaharport:TheChabaharportthatwasrecentlymadepartiallyoperationalgivesNewDelhidirectlandaccessto CA.

• InternationalNorth–SouthTransportCorridor(INSTC):Inthelastfewyears,IndiahasinvestedinprojectssuchastheInternationalNorth–SouthTransportCorridor (INSTC). India seesthe INSTC as animport-export route toRussia, Europe andCentralAsia.


traderelations.

























traderelations.

























itsconstructiveapproach.

regarding Iran, Afghanistan and theCentralAsian countries.

o UtilizingMultilateralOrganization:Multilateralorganisations like SCO, EAEU,andCICAcanserveasplatformsforsustainedengagementandregularexchangeofideas.

⦿CONCLUSIONHow far India and Central Asian countries willtakethis renewed, centuries-old relations remainsto beseen. India must take into consideration itsfutureenergyneedsandthemarketpotentialofthegreater Eurasian region, and seize theopportunitytostretchitseconomicborderswhilemaintaining

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ShanghaiCooperationOrganisation(SCO)

• SCOisapermanentintergovernmentalinternationalorganisation,createdin2001inShanghai (China) by Kazakhstan,China,Kyrgyzstan,Russia,Tajikistan,andUzbekistan.

• The SCO currently comprises eightMemberStates(China,India,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan andUzbekistan),four Observer Statesinterested inaccedingtofullmembership(Afghanistan,Belarus,Iran,andMongolia)andsix“DialoguePartners” (Armenia, Azerbaijan,Cambodia,Nepal,SriLankaandTurkey).

EurasianEconomicUnion(EAEU)

• EAEUisaninternationaleconomicunionandfree trade zone comprisingcountrieslocatedincentralandnorthernAsiaandEasternEurope.

• ThefoundingmemberstatesofBelarus,Kazakhstan,andRussiaestablishedtheunionby treatyin 2014 and officiallyimplementedtheagreementbeginningonJan.1,2015.

Conference on Interaction and Confidence-BuildingMeasuresinAsia(CICA)

• CICAisaninter-governmentalforumforenhancingcooperation towardspromotingpeace,securityandstabilityinAsia.

• CICAmembersconsistof:Afghanistan,Azerbaijan, Bahrain, China,India,Iran,Iraq,Israel,Jordan,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Egypt,Mongolia,Pakistan,Palestine, South Korea, Russia,Tajikistan,Thailand, Turkey, United ArabEmirates,Uzbekistanand Vietnam.






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WHATDOESENERGYSECURITYMEANFORMALDIVES?

CONTEXTBeing one of the top energy importers, India understands the current ‘energy diplomacy’ and is investing

inengagingpotentialfuture energypartnerslike Maldivesand addressing itschallenges.⦿ BACKGROUND

o Energyhas,nodoubt,becomeanessentialstrategiccomponentofbilateralequations.

o Increasedcompetition:Therewillbeincreasedcompetition for energy resourcesunderpinnedbyotherformsofcompetitionandrivalrybetweennations,particularlythegreatpowers.

o Thisisbecauseenergysecurityisnotonlya o Interlinkednature:Energy diplomacy willcrucialforeignpolicygoal,butistiedinextricablytoanation’slargersecurityconcerns.

o As India and Maldives look to becomeenergypartners, it is important to consider thespecificways in which they can address eachother’senergychallenges.

o ItisfurtherusefulforIndiatounderstandenergysecurityfromthespecificpointofviewofasmallislandnation.⦿ANALYSIS

Understanding the concept of‘EnergySecurity’o Energysecurityreferstotheabilitytoensurethereli

ability of energy supply flows at stableandaffordableprices.

o Thegoalistomitigaterisk,whethergeopolitical,environmental,onthesupplyside,ortodowith

becomeinterlinkedwithotherkindsofdiplomacypertainingtotrade,environmentanddevelopmentassistance.

Whatarethechokepointsinthisdirection?o Disruption to supply lines: Considering

thatmuchoftheworldcontinuestodependonfossilfuels,thereisastrongmaritimecomponenttoenergy security. Disruptions to supplylinesoccurfor variousreasons suchas:

➤piracyornaturaldisasters

➤extremeweatherconditionsliketsunamisandfloods

➤globalpandemics

o Spike in prices: These delays lead tohighershipping costs and an invariable spike inprices,whetherdirectlyorindirectly.

pricestability. o Geopoliticaltensions: However,geopolitical

o Therearemanydimensionstoacountry’sdesireforenergy security, depending on where it sitson aworld map, what stage of developmentitseconomy is at and whether it’s a supplier oraconsumerof energy.

o Demographics,size,materialcapabilities,availabilityofenergyresources,technicalexpertise,humanresourcedevelopmentandseveral otherattributes, further add layersofcomplexitytothechallengeofenergysecurity.

Why energy diplomacy has takecentrestage?o Riseindemand:Theworldiswitnessingaburgeoni

ng demand for energy in the yearstocome,alongwithreservesofconventionalfossilfuelbecoming critically depleted.

tensionsarewhatmakenationstatesmostwary.Supply routes are particularlyvulnerabletochokepointsthatcanbeeasilyblockadedin times of crisis, such as the MalaccaStraits,Sunda Strait, Lombok Strait andStraits ofHormuz,amongst others.

WhatareMaldives’senergychallenges?o Relianceonimports:Overdependenceonimport

s is a vulnerability from the point ofviewofenergysecurity.Maldiveshasnoprovenfossilfuel reserves, i.e., oil or gas, so its energyneedsarealmost entirely metby imports.

o Energystorage:Analternativetomitigatingthevulnerabilitiesassociatedwithimportsistohavebetter energy storage. This must beaddressedacrossall energy types:


















➤globalpandemics




























➤globalpandemics












➤Forsolarpower,itwouldbebatteries,butthechallenge here is that they areprohibitivelyexpensive

➤For oil, developing a reserve stock isanoption.

o Environmental challenges: Nation statesfacea two-part challenge, how to meet theshort-term challenge of providing theirpopulationswith energy services whileaddressing the long-term goal of a zero-carbon economy. Energygoals cannot beaddressed one after the other,such as energyaccess first and climate changelater.

➤ForIndia,asitaddressesthemanydimensionsofitsenergysecuritygoals,itsbiggestchallenge willbe addressing thepresenceofcoalinitsenergymix.

o Inequalitychallenge:Thereisalargerchallengeofinequality,whichneedtobeaddressedbothintheMaldives as well as in India. Disparities existinterms of affordability, availability and qualityofservices. There is an urban rural divide whenitcomes to energy security in both countriesasalsoa strong urban bias.

Why helping Maldives is importantforIndia?o TheStraitofHormuzandtheStraitofMalaccaaret

heworld’smostimportantstrategicchokepointsbyvolumeofoiltransit.

o TheMaldivesisgeographicallypositionedlikea‘toll gate’ between the western IndianOceanchokepointsoftheGulfofAdenandtheStraitof Hormuz on the one hand, and theeasternIndianOceanchokepointoftheStraitofMalaccaon theother.

o Human resource development: Another o SincetheIndianOceanitselfisakeyhighwayforchallengethatneedstobeaddressedintheMaldivesisoneofhumanresourcedevelopment.

global energy and trade flows, theimportanceofMaldivesforinternationalsealanesofcommunicationisvital.
























o Thus,whiletheInternationalShippingLanes(ISLs)in the vicinity of the Maldives havebroadstrategic significance for global maritimetrade,theyareofparticularimportance toIndia.

o FiftypercentofIndia’sexternaltradeandeightypercentofitsenergyimportstransittheseISLs

o HelpingtoaddressMaldives’energyconcernsisastepintherightdirectionforIndia’sowngoalsofenergysecurity. ⦿CONCLUSION

o

o

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Energyisvitaltohowoureconomiesandsocietiesfunction.Indiaisbecomingincreasinglyinfluentialinglobalenergytrends.Thecountry’sdemandforenergyissettogrowrapidlyinthe coming decades,with electricity use set toincreaseparticularlyfast.

The country’s reliance on fuel importsmakesfurther improving energy security a keypriorityfortheIndianeconomy.Therefore,theapproachtoenergysecurityhastobeanintegratedone.

• Maldives is the lowest-lying countryontheplanet. With the highest elevation beingjust2.3 metres (7 feet 7 inches) above sealevel,the archipelago has the world’slowestnaturally-occurring‘highest-point’.

QuickfactsaboutMaldives

• The Republic of the Maldives is locatedintheIndian Ocean.

• Itisanarchipelagocomprisingapproximately1,200 islands with a geographicalspreadover90,000sq.km

• Incorporatingsome26atolls,theMaldivesisone of the world’s mostgeographicallydispersed countries, and is a99 per centwater-nation.





o

o

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o

o

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WEEK-1(FEBRUARY,2021)


PULSESFORFOODSECURITYANDSUSTAINABLEFUTURECONTEXT

WorldPulses Dayisobserved on February10 of everyyear to recognizethe importance ofpulsesas aglobal food.⦿ BACKGROUND

o ThecelebrationofWorldPulsesDay’isanopportunity to heighten public awarenessofthenutritionalbenefitsofpulsesandtheircontribution to sustainable food systems anda#ZeroHungerworld.

o Pulses have intrinsic value being packedwithnutrients,highproteincontent,lowfatandhighfiber, which keeps cholesterol and bloodsugarundercontrol.

⦿ANALYSIS

WhatarePulses?

o Notonlydotheyimprovefoodsecurityandcreateeconomicstability,buttheyalsocontributetoclimatechangemitigationbyreducinggreenhouse gases.

o Pulses play a crucial role in addressingfoodinsecurity and achieving healthy andbalanceddietsforall,pointingtotheneedtounlocktheirfullpotentialtoaccelerateprogresstowardstheSustainableDevelopmentGoals(SDGs)ofthe2030Agenda.

o Pulsesaretheedibleseedsofplantsinthelegumefamily.Pulsesgrowinpodsandcomeinavarietyofshapes,sizesandcolors.

o TheUnitedNationsFoodandAgricultureOrganization(FAO)recognizes11typesofpulses: drybeans, dry broad beans, drypeas,chickpeas,cowpeas,pigeonpeas,lentils,Bambara beans, vetches, lupins andpulsesnes(notelsewherespecified–minorpulsesthatdon’tfallinto oneoftheothercategories).

WhatisInternationaldayofPulses?

• February10isdesignatedasanInternationalday of Pulses to Celebrate a day thatmayexpress the worth, value and benefitsofPulses.

• Thisyear’sthemeforWorld Pulse Dayis“Nutritious Seeds for aSustainableFuture”, which explains in itselfthe value ofpulses.

• India is the largest producer of pulsesinthe globe, with an annual output of over23millionmetric tons.• The country widely grows pulses like

BengalGram,PigeonPeas,GreenBeans,ChickPeas,Black gram, Red Kidney Beans, BlackEyedPeas,Lentils,andWhite Peas.• Indiaaccountsfor25%oftheglobalproduction,

27%ofworldpulsesconsumptionandimports14%of pulsesinthe world.

• ApartfromIndia,othercountries,whichproduce a large number of pulsesincludeCanada,Myanmar,China,Nigeria,Brazil,Australia,theUSA,Russia,andTanzania,whileArgentina,France,Ethiopia,andTurkey.

InternationalYearofPulses(IYP)

• The IYP 2016 heightened publicawarenessofthenutritionalbenefitsofpulsesaspartofsustainable food production aimedtowardsfoodsecurityand nutrition.

• The Year created a unique opportunitytoencourageconnectionsthroughoutthefoodchain that would better utilize pulse-basedproteins,furtherglobalproductionofpulses,better utilize crop rotations and addressthechallengesinthe trade ofpulses.

• The day aims to spread the benefits ofnotonlyeating pulses,but alsogrowingpulses.

• The Day also comes under the secondgoaloftheUnitedNationsi.e.ZeroHunger.

• World Pulses Day is not limited to the2ndgoal of the UN. It also covers objectivesthathave been mentioned in the UN’sAgenda2030.This mayincludethe

➤3rdgoaloftheUN–“GoodHealthandWell-being”

➤13thgoaloftheUN–“ClimateAction”







⦿ANALYSIS

WhatarePulses?


























⦿ANALYSIS

WhatarePulses?





















Why‘hunger’stillcontinuestogrow?

o Despitetheglobalprogressthathasbeenachievedinadvancingfoodsecurityandalleviatingpoverty,thenumberofhungrypeoplein the worldcontinues to grow, reductionsinchildstuntingremaininsufficient,andobesityison the rise.

o Withmorethan840millionpeopleestimatedtobeundernourishedby2030,theworldisnotontracktoachieve ‘Zero Hunger’.

o The pandemic has further threatened livesandlivelihood by reversing decades of progressonendinghungerandachievingfoodsecurity.

o A UN World Food Programme (WFP)reportindicates a rise in hunger due to thepandemic,withanapproximately270millionpeoplefacing

Correlation between DietaryDiversityandqualityofdiet

o Researchindicatesadirectcorrelationbetweendietarydiversity—withthequalityofdietandhouseholdfoodsecurity—andhighersocio-economicstatusintermsofmaternaleducationand employment.

o AccordingtotheNFHS-42015-16,only9.6

food insecurity as opposed to the 149millionduringpre-COVIDtimes.Thisisamatterofgraveconcern.

o

percentchildren(6-23months)arefedaminimumacceptablediet.

➤Going by the latest NFHS-5 for 22states/UTs,there is a slight improvement inpercentageofchildrenreceivinganadequatediet,ranging from 5.9 percent in Gujarat to29.8percentinMeghalaya.

In India only 42 percent children (6-23months)haveminimummealfrequency(fedtheminimum number of times per day fortheirage),andamere21percenthaveminimumdietary diversity (diet containing four ormorefoodgroups—Grains,PulsesandLegumes,Milkand Milkproducts, Eggs, Fruits and Vegetables,andFreshFoods).

GlobalHungerIndex2020Indiaranks94outof107countriesontheGlobalHunger Index 2020. It falls under thecategoryof‘serious’levelofhunger.

• Malnutrition: The Lancet attributedtwo-thirds of the 1.04 million deaths inchildrenunder the age of five in Indiatomalnutrition.

• Stunted: Of the 144 million stunted under-five children in the world, Indiaaloneaccountsfor 46.6million.

• Wasted: Furthermore, India is home to25.5million off the 47 million wasted under-fivechildrenglobally.

The COVID-19 pandemic will possibly takethetollupbytentotwentypercent,worseningIndia’smalnutritionproblem.











o



















o










HowPulsescanhelpIndia?o Foodsecurityexistswhenallpeople,atalltimes,ha

ve physical, social and economic accesstosufficient, safe and nutritious food whichmeetstheir dietary needs and food preferencesfor anactiveand healthy life.

o Foodinsecurityisamajorissueformanypeopleandhouseholdsinpooranddevelopingcountries—itisestimatedthat795millionpeopleareundernourished. Pulses can helpcontributetofoodsecurityina numberofways.

• Health➤According to the Eat-Lancet

CommissiononFood,Planet,Health,Indianeedstoenhancedietarydiversityandbehaviourchange as it is crucial to achievingnutritionsecurity.

➤Pulsesareinexpensive,easytostore,highly-nutritious.

➤Low water footprint: They also have alowwater footprint as they are adapted tosemi-aridconditionsandcantoleratedroughtstress.

➤Enhance soil microbiome: They havetheability to enhance the soil microbiomehasbeenkeyinimprovingfarmingtechniquesinlow-incomerural areas.

➤HowGovernmentisensuringpulsesintodiet?

➤Pulsesareanindispensablesourceofprotein inIndian diets. The Government ofIndia’sfood security programmes providefor 50percent of the recommendeddietaryallowance of protein to children,adolescentgirls,andpregnantandlactatingwomen.

➤The government announced a reliefpackageduringthepandemic,providingforanadditional supply of 5 kg rice/wheat and1kgofpreferredpulsespermonth.

➤FAOsuggests‘Overcominghungerand ➤Some states namely Andhra Pradesh,

malnutritioninthe21stcenturymeansincreasing food quantity and quality, whilemakingsure we produce foodsustainably,efficientlyand safely’.

➤Pulsescontribute10percentofdietaryprotein,withamodestincreaseinmonthlypercapitaconsumption. Supplementing cereal-baseddietswithpulsescanpotentiallybringdownmalnutrition.

➤Pulsesarenutritionalpowerhousesamongallthe protein sources as they havezerocholesterol,highcontentofiron,gluten-free, rich in minerals and vitamins, low-fatcontent, and an important source ofdietaryfibre.

Telangana, Haryana, and HimachalPradeshhave succeeded in providing pulsesthroughthePublicDistributionSystem(PDS).

➤Moreover,pulsesarearichsourceoffermentablefibre,whichisbeneficialtomaintainthe intestinehealth.

➤They feed intestinal bacteria and promotetheassimilation of nutrients, thusfacilitatingproperimmunesystemfunctioning.

➤Pulsescancontributetotheoverarchingissue offood security in a number of ways,aselicitedinfigure.

• Environment➤Lower carbon footprint: Pulse crops havea

lower carbon footprint than mostfoodsbecausetheyrequireasmallamountoffertilizerto grow.

ProgressofNationalFoodSecurityAct

• The implementation of the NationalFoodSecurity Act was expected to make adent inthe nutritional challenges.

• TheActmadeaccesstofoodalegalentitlementfor a large part of the society —75 per centof the rural and 50 per centofthecountry’surban population.

• Today,NFSAisthekeypillarsupportingIndia’sfood-safety-net schemes, especiallythe:

➤TargetedPublicDistributionSystem(TPDS)

➤Mid-Day-Meal(MDM)

➤Integrated Child DevelopmentServices( ICDS-Anganwadi-SupplementaryNutritionProgramme)

• Nationalfiguresforfoodgrainprocurement,off-take, and budget allocations undertheNFSAare staggering.

• Procurementofriceandwheatincreasedbynearly 35 per cent between 2009-10and2018-19.

• Annual off take of food grains increasedbyroughly30percentduringthesameperiod.


































































⦿WAYFORWARD

Asapolicy,thePDSshouldprovidepulsesatsubsidisedrates to make them moreaffordableandavailable.Thiswillprovidethemuchneedednutritionalsecurity,especiallytothevulnerablesection of our population.Thereisanurgentneedtocreateawarenessontheconsumption of macronutrient rich pulses for thedualbenefit of nutrition and sustainability. Forahealthier futuregeneration,actnow!

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• Overall,theannualconsumerfoodsubsidy—orthedifferencebetweeneconomiccost ofprocurement and sales realisationatcentralissueprices—hasnearlytripled,fromRs42,489.7crorein2009-10toRs1,15,570crorein2020-21.

• In fact, the actual budget figures couldbehigher due to dues pending to theFoodCorporationof India.

• NFSA, however, seems to have misseditsmarkinachievingnutritionaloutcomesforanumberof reasons.


⦿WAYFORWARD


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⦿WAYFORWARD


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ETHICALISSUESWITHVACCINATIONCONTEXT

The World Health Organization recently included vaccine hesitancy in the Top 10 of global health threats. Inhighincome as well as low-income countries, people increasingly question the need for, and safety of, vaccinationsandtherefore decide to forego immunization of their children. In the past, it was often religious convictions that

ledpeople to refuse vaccination. Nowadays the main ground for refusal or hesitance is fear of side-effects anddoubtsabout the importance of protecting one’s children against diseases like measles or pertussis. Often these

beliefs aretriggeredor sustainedby‘viralmisinformation’, underminingtrust invaccines andvaccinations.⦿BACKGROUND:

o Second,onlytothedevelopmentofcleanwaterandsewagesystems,vaccineshavebeenamajorforcein reducing the occurrence ofinfectiousdiseases worldwide.

o Universalvaccinationprogramshaveeliminatedsmallpoxandreducedseriousdiseasesincludingmeasles,mumps,rotavirus,and polio.

o However,manyethicalissuessurroundthedevelopment and use of vaccines. Theseissuesinclude:

1. Requiringvaccinationbylaw;

2. thedevelopmentandtestingofvaccines;

3. informedconsentaboutthebenefitsandrisksof vaccination; and

4. theequitabledistributionofvaccines.

o Vaccination has raised controversies eversinceEdward Jenner conducted his experimentswithcowpox.

o For public health authorities andprofessionals,vaccinehesitancyandrefusalcreateethicaldilemmas.

o It is always argued that to what extent it canbejustifiedtocoerceparentstoacceptvaccinationfortheir children.

o Moreover, many experts also questionwhethercitizenshavetoberesponsibletoacceptvaccination and contribute to population-levelimmunitythat benefits everyone.

Ethicsofimmunizationandvaccineso Theeconomicandhumanbenefitsofvaccinationar

eclearformanyvaccines.But,economicandpolitical realities, along withphilosophicalquestions,raisecertainethicalissuesconcerningtheuse anddistribution of vaccines.

• Mandatoryvaccination:

➤Asdiseasesdisappearfromthegeneralpopulationaftersuccessfulvaccinationcampaigns,therealriskofanindividualcontracting the diseasedecreases, andtheperceptionoftheseriousnessofthedisease,evenifcontracted, isreduced.

➤Concomitantly, concerns about the realorimaginedadverseeffectsofthevaccinesincrease.

➤As a result, individuals might disagreewithgovernment mandates for population-widevaccination.

➤Morerecently,heightenedfearsoftheperceivedadverse effects of othervaccines(suchasmeaslesandhepatitisB),evenifunproven,havehadanimpactonimmunizationratesandtheincidenceofdisease.

➤Greaterawarenessoftheconsequencesoffailuretovaccinate,throughbettereducation,mightbethebesttooltocombatthisproblem.

• Povertyandpriorities:➤In wealthier countries, the ethical issues

thatsurround vaccination tend to focus ontherights of individuals versus governmentorsociety.

➤Inpoorercountries,thefundamentalissueisthelack of access to necessities forhealth,suchasadequatenutrition,cleanwater,medicines,or vaccines.

➤Althoughpovertyisthemaincauseofthesedeficiencies, other factors contribute,such asthe low priority given to healthandpreventivemeasures,thedisenfranchisementandlackofpoliticalandeconomicpowerofthe people most affected (childrenandwomen),corruption,and regionalwarfare.

➤Atpresent,onlyabout1%ofcontributionsto

➤Vaccineshavebecomevictimsoftheirownsuccess.

overseasdevelopmentaredirectedtowardsimmunizations.
































































➤The hurdle is not simply the purchasepriceoravailabilityofvaccines,butformanypoorcountries, there is a lack of infrastructureforhealth care in general, and vaccinedeliveryspecifically.

➤Thetrade-offofprotectingchildrennowfromdiseaseversusanemphasisonthedevelopmentofnewvaccinestoprotectchildreninthefutureisnotadebatethatcanberesolvedevenbySolomonicwisdom.

➤Neither trade-off is ethically defensible,northeworldshould,instead,workconstructivelyto increase the resources devoted tohealth,nutrition,prevention,andspecificallyimmunization, to make vaccines availabletoallpeople as required.

• ‘Trickle-down’orsimultaneousintro-duction:

➤Amarkedeffortisrequiredtointroducevaccinesintoallnecessaryareasoftheglobeina moretimely fashion.

➤The average time lag between licensing ofanew vaccine for industrialized countriesandits use in less developed countries is 10–20years.

➤There are many reasons for this,includingthelackofmanufacturingcapabilityforvaccinesthatrequirenewtechnologyintheirproduction, return on investment, andthecostofmanufacturingnewertechnology-basedvaccines.

➤For example, when the recombinant hepatitisBvirus vaccine was first introduced, therewasnot sufficient capacity worldwide foritsproduction.

➤Moreover,thecostofmanufacturingsuchahigh-tech vaccine put it beyond the reachofthe existing purchasing programs atthetime.

➤Althoughthetechnologythatsupportsrecombinantproteinvaccinesisnowavailableworldwide,ittooktimeandefforttodevelopthatcapacity,evenindevelopedcountries.

Stepstobetakentoaddressethicaldilemmas:➤The developed countries should treat all

oftheworld’schildrenastheirown,ratherthandenouncingparticulargroupsascausingtheseinequities.

➤Further support must be given rapidlytothosewhoseeffortswillresultinvaccinesthatare better tailored for developingcountries,bothintermsofthediseasefocusandthe development of technologies thatwillfacilitatevaccineaccessandsustainability.

➤Newparadigmslikepublic-privatepartnershipsandalliancesthataredesigned to engage local governmentsandmanufacturersattheearlystagesofresearchanddevelopment arerequired.

➤Inthisway,eachgroupcancontributewhattheydobesttothecommongoalsofimprovingaccesstoexistingvaccines,developingnewvaccinesandtechnologiesforexistingdiseases,andensuringthatincreasesinimmunizationratesaresustainable.

➤Perhaps most difficult of all will be tochangethemindsetofpeopleallovertheglobe.

➤Weneedtoplaceahigherpriorityonhealthanddiseaseprevention,andabovealltovaluethelivesofallpeople,nomatterwherethey live even ifthey are impoverished andpowerless.⦿CONCLUSION:

Vaccinationposesmanysuchethicaldilemmasfromthe time of formulation of research hypothesis tothefinal implementation of the vaccination anditsconduct till completion including post-vaccinationissuesthathavetobeclearlyunderstoodbyallthestakeholdersinvaccinationtocarryouttheirresponsibilitiesinprotectingtherightsofthe citizens.However, in the absence of a well-structuredvaccination policy in the country, thereis apressing need for continuous capacitybuildingexercises at all levels.Awareness aboutnationaland international guidelines andregulationsandputtinginplaceappropriatelawsinthecountrywillgo a long way in ensuring public confidenceaboutthe safety and well being of the peopletaking thevaccination.

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SECTION:B(PRELIMS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS


SECTION:B(PRELIMS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS


SECTION:B(PRELIMS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS


DISENGAGEMENTPROCESSONINPANGONGTSO⦿CONTEXT: Afteranine-monthstandoff,militariesofIndianandChinareachedanagreementondisengagementinthenorthandsouthbanksofPangonglakethatmandatesbothsidestoceaseforwarddeploymentoftroopsina“phased,coordinatedandverifiable”manner.

⦿ABOUT: ThedisengagementagreementThe two sides had reached an agreement to withdraw from Pangong Tso, a glacial lakeat14,000 ft (4,270 metres), after several rounds of talks between military commandersanddiplomatsfrom the nuclear-armed neighbours.

• ChineseforceswillcontinuetohaveatrooppresenceinthenorthbankofPangongLake tothe east of Finger 8. Meanwhile, Indian troops will also re-positionitsforcesatitspermanentbaseat theDhanSinghThapapostnearFinger3.

• SimilardisengagementissettotakeplacealongthesouthbankofPangongLake.It isworth noting though that this region houses the Kailash range, a crucialareathat,ifcontrolled,provides a sizeabletactical advantage.

• The disengagement will also entail that any structures built by both forcessinceApril last year in the north and south banks of the Pangong Lake area willbedismantled,with landformsrestored.

• ThetwopartieshavealsoagreedtoconductthenextmeetingofSeniorCommanderswithin48hoursfromwhencompletedisengagementinPangongLaketakesplace,witha viewtowards resolvingoutstanding issues.

AboutPangongLake

• PangongTsoisanendorheiclake(landlocked)thatispartlyinIndia’sLadakhregionandpartly inTibet.

• Thenamereflectsthemixedheritageofthelake:PangonginLadakhimeansextensiveconcavity,thewordTsoisTibetanfor lake.

• Situatedatanelevationofabout4,270m,itisanearly135-kmlong,narrowlake— 6km atits widestpoint— andshaped likedaboomerang.Itstotal areaisover600sqkm.

• The Karakoram Mountain range, which crosses Tajikistan, Afghanistan,Pakistan,ChinaandIndia,withheightsofover6,000metresincludingK2,theworld’ssecond highestpeak,endsat thenorthbank ofPangongTso.

• ItssouthernbanktoohashighbrokenmountainsslopingtowardsSpangurLakeinthesouth.

MAJORPORTAUTHORITIESBILL,2020⦿CONTEXT:

⦿ABOUT:

Inalatestdevelopment,RajyaSabhapassedtheMajorPortAuthoritiesBill,2020.TheLokSabhahadpassedthebillonSeptember23,2020,byvoicevote.

MajorportsinIndia

• State-runportsinthecountry,termed‘majorports’.

• Intermsofvolume,70percentofcargomovementisthroughportswhile90percentinvalue terms.








AboutPangongLake







⦿ABOUT:


MajorportsinIndia










AboutPangongLake







⦿ABOUT:


MajorportsinIndia




• Indiahas12majorports—Deendayal(erstwhileKandla),Mumbai,JNPT,Marmugao,NewMangalore,Cochin,Chennai,Kamarajar(earlierEnnore),VOChidambarnar,Visakhapatnam,ParadipandKolkata(includingHaldia).

• Thesetogetherhadhandled705milliontonnes(MT)ofcargoin2019-20.

Key-highlightsoftheBill

• The Bill aims to provide for the regulation, operation and planning of MajorPortsin India and to vest the administration, control and management of suchportsupon the Boards of Major Port Authorities and for matters connectedtherewithorincidentalthereto.

• ThenewlawwillsupersedethemajorPortTrustsAct,1963governingthecountry’s12majorports.

• The bill seeks to convert 11 of the 12 ports (except Kamarajar Port Ltd,locatedatEnnore,Chennai)runbytheCentreinto“authorities”fromthecurrent“trustee”set-up, in a biggest structural reform of state-owned ports ever attempted byanygovernment.

• Application: The Bill will apply to the major ports situated in Chennai,Cochin,Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Kandla, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Mangalore,Mormugao,Paradip,V.O.Chidambaranar,andVishakhapatnam.

• Governance:ItwillbecurtainsdownfortheTariffAuthorityforMajorPorts(TAMP);everyport will now be governed by a Port Authority (board) which will havethepowerstofix reference tariffs for various port services.

o TheroleofTariffAuthorityforMajorPorts(TAMP)hasbeenredefinedinthebill.Theport authority has now been given powers to fix tariffs which will act asareferencetariff for purposesof bidding forPPP projects.

o PPPoperatorswillbefreetofixtariffsbasedonmarketconditions.

Boardstoreplacetrusts

• Underthe1963Act,allmajorportsaremanagedbytherespectiveBoardofPortTruststhathavemembersappointed bythecentralgovernment.

• TheBillprovidesforthecreationofaBoardofMajorPortAuthorityforeachmajorport.

• TheseBoardswillreplacetheexisting PortTrusts,anot-for-profitgroupinvolvedinlegislative research.

VIJAYANAGARABECAMEKARNATAKA’S31stDISTRICT⦿ CONTEXT: The government of Karnataka notified the formation of a new district

calledVijayanagara, bifurcating the district of Ballari in the State. WithVijayanagara,thestate now has 31districts.

⦿ABOUT: The Vijayanagara district

• NamedafterthecapitaloftheVijayanagarEmpire,thenewdistrictwascarvedoutfromBallariundertheKarnatakaLandRevenue Act,1964.

• It is famous for itsVirupakshaTemple.

UNESCO World Heritage sites – Hampi and












































• Vijayanagarahassixtaluks–Hosapete,Kudligi,Hagaribommanahalli,Kotturu,HoovinaHadagali,andHarapanahalli.

• Hosapeteisitsheadquarters.

Formationofanewdistrict

• Fortheformationofanewdistrict,nocentralgovernmentpermissionisrequiredwhereastheformationofanewstateisinthepurviewofCentralgovernment.

• Thiswillbeunderthestategovernmentonly.

CHINESE ENERGYPROJECTIN SRILANKA⦿CONTEXT:

⦿ABOUTTHEPROJECT:

Inalatestdevelopment,SriLankaclearedChineseenergyproject,50kmoffTamilNadu.

• Undertheproject,ChinawillsetuphybridwindandsolarenergyprojectsonthreeSriLankanislandsoffthenorthernJaffnapeninsula45kmfromRameswaraminTamilNadu.

• Project’slocalpartenr:Theenergyproject’slocalpartner,theCeylonElectricityBoard.

• Funding:ThefundsfortheprojectaretocomefromtheAsianDevelopmentBank.

Theconcernedislands

• TheislandsconcernedaretheDelftIsland,AnalativuandNainativu.

• Delftisland,thelargestofthethreeislands,istheclosesttoRameswaram,whichliestothe island’ssouthwest.

• BetweenthetwoisKachchativu,thetinyislandthatIndiacededtoSriLankain1974.

• ThewatersaroundtheseislandsareanareaofcontestandrivalrybetweenTamilNaduandJaffnafishers.Thematterhasbeenonthebilateralagendafordecades.








⦿ABOUTTHEPROJECT:





Theconcernedislands












⦿ABOUTTHEPROJECT:





Theconcernedislands






EastContainerTerminal(ECT)deal

• India,JapanandSriLankahadinkedanagreementin2019todevelopColombo’sEastContainerTerminal.

• The project, worth an estimated $500-$700 million, was a key markerforinfrastructure investment in the island nation where Chinese projects aremostprominent.

WhySriLanka’stilttowardsChinaisconcerningforIndia?

• Two recent developments seem to have affected India’s relationship withSriLanka.

• Sri Lanka recently pulled out of the East Container Terminal (ECT) deal withIndiaandJapan at the Colomboport.

• On the same day, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) returned US$400millioncurrency swap facility, which it availed in July 2020 to meet its emergencyneedsduringthe Covid19inducedlockdown.

HYDROGEN:THENEXTCLEANENERGYFRONTIER⦿ CONTEXT: ResearchersfromtheIndianInstituteofTechnology,Delhihavecomeupwitha way togenerate clean fuel hydrogen from water at a low-cost, which isasignificantsteptowardseffortsacrosstheglobethatarebeingmadetolookforcleanerandgreenerenergysources.

⦿ABOUT: Whatishydrogen?

• Hydrogenisacleanalternativetomethane,alsoknownasnaturalgas.

• It’sthemostabundantchemicalelement,estimatedtocontribute75%ofthemassoftheuniverse.

Afuelcellworksmuchlikeanelectricbattery,convertingchemicalenergyintoelectricalenergy.




























Sulphur-Iodine(SI)thermochemicalhydrogencycle TheS–

Icycleisapurethermochemicalwatersplittingprocessconsistingofthreesteps.Thethreestepsare asfollows:I2+SO2+2H2O heat→2 HI+H2SO4(120°C)

TheHIisthenseparatedbydistillationorliquid/liquidgraviticseparation.

2H2SO4heat→2SO2+2H2O+ O2(830°C(1,530 °F))

Thewater,SO2andresidualH2SO4mustbeseparatedfromtheoxygenbyproductby condensation.

2HI→I2+H2(450°C)

IodineandanyaccompanyingwaterorSO2areseparatedbycondensation,and thehydrogenproduct remains as a gas.

Netreaction:2H2O → 2H2 +O2

Key-highlightsoftheresearch

• TheresearchershavesuccessfullysplitwaterbyaprocessknownasSulphur-Iodine(SI)thermochemical hydrogen cycle to generate low-cost, clean hydrogen

fuelforindustrialconsumption.

• Thethermo-chemicalhydrogencycleforsplittingwateroffersapracticalmeansofgeneratinghydrogenas afueland alsooxygenas abyproduct.

• Hence,itcanbeconsideredfavourablyforthecommercialproductionofhydrogenonalarge scale,inthe nearfuture.

RBIGIVESRETAILINVESTORSDIRECTACCESSTOGOVERNMENT‘GILTBONDS’

⦿CONTEXT: Inamajormoveaimedatencouragingsmallinvestorstobecomedirectinvestorsingovernment bonds, the Reserve Bank has proposed to allow them todirectlybuy government debt, also called “gilt bonds”, making India the firstAsiancountrytodoso andamongahandfulglobally.

⦿ABOUT: WhatareGiltFunds?

• Giltfundsaredebtfundsthatinvestingovernmentsecurities.Thegovernmentbondsused tobe issuedingolden-edgedcertificates.

• Thenicknamegiltcomesfromgildededgecertificates.

• Types:Therearetwokindsofgiltfunds.

o One,giltfundsthatinvestmostlyingovernmentsecuritiesacrossmaturities.

o Two,giltfundswithconstantmaturityof10years–thesefundsmustinvestatleast80%oftheirassetsingovernmentsecuritieswithamaturityof10years.





2H2SO4heat→2SO2+2H2O+ O2(830°C(1,530 °F))


2HI→I2+H2(450°C)




















2H2SO4heat→2SO2+2H2O+ O2(830°C(1,530 °F))


2HI→I2+H2(450°C)

















Impactofthedecision

• Regularisation:Thedecisionwillencourageformalisation,digitisation,andfinancialisation of savings with low yield non-financial assets expected to movetobetteryield and secureinstruments.

• Secureandfixedincome:Besidesopeninganearendlessdemandsource,itwillalsoprovide the retail investors a highly secure - sovereign-guarantee rated -fixedincomeinvestment avenue.

• Denationalisationofbanks:Ifmostrisk-aversedepositorscouldbepersuadedtoshiftto the G-Secs, the government could go ahead with the denationalisationofbanksat a faster pace.

Challenges/Issues

• Less interest rate: Since g-secs carry low risks, the commensurate returnsofferedarealsolow.Interestrateshavenotbeenattractivewhencomparedtootherfixed-income instruments like company fixed deposits, small saving instrumentsandnon-convertible debentures.

• Poor liquidity: Poor liquidity in the secondary market is a cause of concernformostinvestors.

• Huge investment required: Another big problem is the lot size required totradeing-secs.Typically,g-secmarketseestradesworthRs5croreandabove.

ECO-SENSITIVEZONES(ESZ)DECLARATIONAROUNDTHEWAYANADWILDLIFESANCTUARY⦿ CONTEXT: The State government of Kerala has requested Prime Minister Narendra

Modi’sintervention on the draft notification issued by the Ministry ofEnvironmentForest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) notifying 118.59 sq kmsaround Wayanadwildlifesanctuaryasaneco-sensitive zone (ESZ).

⦿ABOUT: WhatisEco-SensitiveZone?

• TheEcoSensitiveZonesareenvisagedasacushionorshockabsorbersforprotectedareas.Theyaresupposedtoactasthetransitionzonesfromareasofhighprotectiontolessprotection.

G-Secs

• G-Secs are tradeable investment instruments issued by the Central orstategovernments and are the most risk-free sovereign-backed bondsavailable inthecountry.

• They can broadly be classified into four categories, namely Treasury Bills(T-bills), Cash Management Bills (CMBs), dated G-Secs, andStateDevelopmentLoans(SDLs).

• These securities are available in both short-term and long-term tenures —rangingfromthreemonthsto30years—withanannualyieldstartingfrom3.37percent.

• Althoughgovernmentsecuritiesdonotcarrycreditrisk,theyarenotarisk-freeinstrument.They aresubjectto interestrate risk.


Impactofthedecision




Challenges/Issues








G-Secs






Impactofthedecision




Challenges/Issues








G-Secs






Wayanadwildlifesanctuary

• The Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is an animal sanctuary in Wayanad,Kerala,India.

• The sanctuary, spread over 344.44 sq km, is an integral part of theNilgiriBiosphere in the Western Ghats and contiguous to the tiger reservesofNagerholeandBandipurofKarnatakaandMudumalaiofTamilNadu.

• They are notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and ClimateChange,GovernmentofIndiaaroundProtectedAreas,NationalParksandWildlifeSanctuaries.

• Theyarelikeanecotone-thetransitionbetweentwobiologicalcommunitiesorecosystems, and it is crucial for the protection of protected areas likewildlifesanctuariesand forests.

• Itsaimistoreducetheimpactofhumaninterventioninthecoreprotectedarea.

WhatdoestheStatewant?

• The Kerala government is of the view that while notifying eco-sensitivezones,denselypopulated areas shouldbe excluded.

• In the case of Wayanad wildlife sanctuary areas such as Tholpetty,Kattikkulam,Panavalli,Kurukkanmoola,ChaligadhaandKappistore,Cheeyambam,Moodakolly,Cheeralaretheareastobeexcluded.

• TheKeralagovernmenthadpreparedrecommendationsfornotifyingeco-sensitivezonesaround21protectedareas inDecember2019.

o Accordingtothisamendedproposalfordraftnotificationtheextentofeco-sensitivezonegoes upto 88.2sq.kms.

Whatisinthenotification?

• The ESZ, as per the draft notification, will cover an area of 118.59 km,whichincludes 8.89 km of the Tirunelly reserve forest of north Wayanad and17.67 kmofChedelaythu rangeinsouthWayanad.

• Italsoincluded18.21sq.kmofhumansettlements,insidetheforest.

• The State government had submitted a revised draft notification by reducingtheESZto88.21sq.kmafterexcludingthehumansettlementson 30sq.Km.

The concerns

• Thebiodiversity-richWayanadwildlifesanctuaryhasasizeableelephantandtigerpopulation.

• However,therehavebeenconcernsovertheenvironmentaldegradationofWayanad,which isalso a tourist’shaven.

DEPLETIONOFPARTICULARBRAINTISSUELINKEDTOCHRONICDEPRESSION,SUICIDE:STUDY⦿CONTEXT: In a recent research, a common characteristic has been found in the

brainstructure of people who died by suicide.There was a sharp fall in thedensity of‘Astrocytes’,aparticularnervecellthroughoutthebrain.

















The concerns





















The concerns






Three regions of the brain that are considered to be responsible foremotionregulation—dorsomedialprefrontalcortex,dorsalcaudatenucleusandmediodorsalthalamus—werethefocusofthestudy.

⦿ABOUT: WhatisAstrocytes?

• Itisatypeofsupportivenervecells,lookliketheendofafrayedrope.

• Astrocytesarehighlyheterogeneousneuroglialcellswithdistinctfunctionalandmorphologicalcharacteristics indifferent partsof thebrain.

• Theyareresponsibleformaintaininganumberofcomplexprocessesneededforahealthy central nervous system (CNS).

Key-highlightsoftheStudy

• Scientistsfoundthatthenumberofastrocytes,wasmuchlowerinbrainsofpeoplewhohad died by suicide.

• Thedensitywasfivetimeslowerinthemediodorsalthalamusandcaudatenucleusandhalfintheprefrontalcortexinthesubjectswhohaddiedbysuicidesthanthose who had no psychiatric conditions till death.

• Astrocytescanstronglymodulatemostfacetsofneuronalactivity,includingneuronalfiring,neurotransmittersynthesis,neurotransmitterreuptakeandsynaptictransmission.

• Thehumancerebralcortexhasalargervolumeandfastervarietyofastrocytesthanthatinmice.So,theirroleinthehumanbrainwillbemuchmore significant.

• Theresearchalsonotedthatdepressionimpactedthequantityofthesenervecellsratherthan their structure. It, however, doesn’t establish the reason behindthisdepletionof astrocyte volume.

Howreductioninastrocyteshavenegativeeffects?

• A reduction in astrocytes in the brain regions studied here may havenegativeeffects because these brain regions make up a circuit thought to beimportant fordecisionmakingandemotional regulation,functionsaffectedbydepression

• Withfewerastrocytestosupportthem,theneuronsinthiscircuitmaynotfunctionas wellas they otherwise would.

• Abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex also seem to be connected toimpulsivity,whichmayplay a roleinsuicideinsomecases.

TRANSPARENTWOODISCOMING⦿ CONTEXT:

⦿ABOUT:

Asperanewstudy,researchershavefoundawaytomakewoodtransparentwithoutusinghugeamountsofenergyintheprocess.

• Woodisanancientmaterialhumanshavebeenusingformillionsofyears,fortheconstructionof housing,shipsandas asource offuel forburning.

• Woodisessentiallycomposedoftwobasicingredientscelluloseandlignin:o Celluloseistinyfibersandligninisthebondsthatkeepthesefiberstogetherandresist

s compression.


















⦿ABOUT:




s compression.


















⦿ABOUT:




s compression.


oLignin is a glue-like material that bonds the fibres together, a little like theplasticresin in fibreglass or carbon fibre. The lignin also contains moleculescalledchromophores, which give the wood its brown colour and preventlightfrompassing through.

• It’salsoarenewablesource,andonewaytocaptureexcesscarbondioxidefromtheEarth’satmosphere.

Understandingwood’slackoftransparency

• Wood’slackoftransparencycomesfromthecombinationofitstwomaincomponents-cellulose and lignin.

• Theligninabsorbslight,andthepresenceofchromophores–lightactivatedcompounds– inthe material makesthe wood lookbrown.

• Thefibresinthewood,whichmainlycomprisecellulose,arehollowtube-likestructures.

• Theairinthesehollowtubesscatterslight,furtherreducingthematerial’stransparency.

The new method

• The new study demonstrates how to make wood transparent using asimplechemical–hydrogenperoxide–commonlyusedtobleachhair.

• This chemical modifies the chromophores, changing their structure so theynolongeract to absorb lightandcolour the wood.

• The chemical can be brushed onto the wood, and then activated using lighttoproduceabrilliantwhitematerial–blondwoodifyoulike.

• The other reason paper is white is because pores or holes in its structurescatterlight,justlike thehollow cellulose fibresin wood.

• Fillingthesefibreswithresinreducesthatscattering,allowinglighttopassthroughthewoodandmakingittransparent,whileretainingitsoriginalmechanicalproperties.

Usgaeoftransparentwood

• Transparentwoodwouldbemuchmoreresistanttoaccidentalbreakage

• Itcouldbecomeanalternativetoglassinenergyefficientbuildings,orperhapscoveringsfor solarpanels inharshenvironments.

UNITEDARABEMIRATESCELEBRATESITSFIRSTMISSIONATMARS⦿CONTEXT: TheUnitedArabEmirateshasputaprobecalledHopeinorbitaroundtheplanet,makin

gitonlythefifthspacefaringentitytodosoaftertheUS,theSovietUnion,EuropeandIndia.

⦿ABOUT: WhatisHOPE?

• Theunmannedprobe—named“Al-Amal”,Arabicfor“Hope”—isaUnitedArabEmiratesmissionto Mars.









The new method





















The new method














• HopelaunchedfromtheTanegashimaSpaceCenternearMinamitane,Japanlastyear(July 2020).

• The1,350-kilogrammeprobe—aboutthesizeofanSUV—tooksevenmonthstotravelthe 493millionkilometres to Mars.

• HopeistheArabworld’sfirstmissiontoanotherplanet.










India’sMOM(MarsOrbiterMission)successfullyachievedorbitin2014toimagetheentire planet, providing a unique perspective on its weather and surfacefeatures.

AbriefhistoryofMarsMission

• TheUS,UAE(latestone),Russia,IndiaandtheEUhavesofarsucceededinsendingmissionstoMarsregarded asthemostcomplexspacemission.

• IndiabecamethefirstAsiancountrytohavesuccessfullylauncheditsMarsorbitermissionMangalyaanwhichhasenteredtheorbitoftheredplanetin2014.

• IndiaalsobecamethefirstcountrytohaveenteredtheMartianorbitinitsfirstattempt.

Significanceofthemission

• ThemissionwillbuildacompletepictureofMars’climate,helpingscientistsbetterunderstandwhatMarswaslikewhenitsatmospherecouldhavesupportedlife.

• Its entry into Martian orbit paves the way for the probe’s science mission,duringwhich it will make observations of the planet’s atmosphere, across all timesandlocations.

RapidriseofUAEinspacesector

• TheUAE’sriseasaspacepowerhasbeenswift.

• The country’s first space venture was just 15 years ago, when it began workwiththe Satrec Initiative, a company based in Daejeon, South Korea, to build anEarth-observationsatellite.

• Lastyear,itannouncedplanstosendarovertotheMoonin2024.

• Unlike the Emirates Mars Mission, which involved hundreds of EmiratiengineersbutsawHopedesignedandbuiltmostlyintheUnitedStates,theroverisintendedtobe developed solelyinthe UAE.

**********

OtherMarsMissionsTheothertwoMarsmissioninclude-China’sTianwen-1dualorbiter-roverandPerseverancefromNASA, arealsoexpected toreachthe redplanet.

• Tianwen-1 means Questions to Heaven and comes from a poem written byQuYuan(about340-278BC),oneofthewell-knownpoetsofancientChina.

• TheChina’sfirstmarsprobe‘Tianwen-1’hasenteredorbitaroundtheRedPlanet.

➤China’s previous ‘Yinghuo-1’Marsmission,had failed afterit couldnotleavetheEarth’sorbitanddisintegratedoverthePacificOceanin2012.

• HopeandTianwen-1therebymadetheirrespectivecountriesthefifthandsixthearthlyculturestosuccessfullyreachred neighboringplanet.

NASA’sPerseveranceroverisexpectedtolandontheplanetinthecomingdays.















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GS-I GEOGRAPHY • Howicebergs‘really’melt?

GS-II POLITY&GOVERNANCE

• SilencingDissent:MisuseofSeditionLawtoShutUpCritics

GS-III

ENVIRONMENT • PangolinsinCameroonareonthevergeofextinction

SCIENCE & TECH. • LiberalisationofthegeospatialsectorinIndia

ECONOMY • PrivatisationofBanks

GS-IV ETHICS • Self-regulationofOTT


GS-I ART&CULTURE • NorecordsofchillaadjacenttoCharminar:ASI


• Concern regarding certification of billsasmoneybill

GS-III

ECONOMY • SAKSHAM(ShramikShaktiManch)

ENVIRONMENT • RaresightofMandrainduckinIndia

SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY

• NIClaunchesSandes

• GuineadeclaresEbolaepidemic

• ISROannounces‘Bhuvan’,analternativetoGoogle Maps

• Haemorrhagicsepticaemia

• Indiasuccessfullytest-firesHelina,Dhruvastraanti-tankguidedmissiles• Detailedgenomeofthemalariamosquitove

ctor








GS-III









GS-III



SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY






ctor








GS-III









GS-III



SCIENCE&TECHNOLOGY






ctor




SECTION:A(MAINS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS



SECTION:A(MAINS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS



SECTION:A(MAINS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS



Differencebetweenicebergs,glaciers,andotherice trivia• Glaciers and icebergs represent two of the

mostimportantfacets of Earth'secosystem.

• The glaciers, icebergs, ice sheets, andpermanentareas of snow in the polar regions (theArcticandAntarctica)comprise1.7%ofthetotalwaterontheplanet.

• Glaciers are large sheets of ice that can extendformiles.

HOW ICEBERGS‘REALLY’MELT?

CONTEXTIcebergs are melting faster than current models describe, according to a new study at the University of

Sydney.The researchers have proposed a new model to more accurately represent the melting speed of icebergsintooceans.

⦿ BACKGROUND

o Today, several million icebergs are floating ontheoceansofallsizesandshapes.Theyareformedinthe Arctic and Antarctic and, oncedetached,follow the currents (ocean) until theymelt anddisappear.

o Icebergmeltisresponsibleforabouthalfthefreshwater entering the ocean from theAntarcticandGreenland icesheets.

o However,currentmodelswronglyassumeicebergsmeltuniformly.

o Thus,accuratelymodelinghowitentersisimportantfor understanding the potential impactonoceancirculation.⦿ANALYSIS

UnderstandingthegeographyofIcebergso Icebergsarepiecesoficethatformedonlandand

floatinanoceanorlake.

o Icebergs come in all shapes and sizes, from ice-cube-sizedchunkstoiceislandsthesizeofasmallcountry.

Howdotheyform?Wheredotheygo?

o Icebergs calve from glaciers when directsunlightorrisingairtemperaturecausestheglacier’ssurfaceiceto becomemore brittle.

o Onceaniceberghascalvedoffaglacieritisalreadyfloating and, by the principle knownsinceArchimedes,raisesthe oceans’volume.

➤The term “iceberg” refers to chunks of icelargerthan5 meters(16 feet) across.

➤Smaller icebergs are known as bergybitsandgrowlers.Theycanbeespeciallydangerousforshipsbecausetheyarehardertospot.

o TheNorthAtlanticandthecoldwaterssurroundingAntarctica are home to most of the icebergsonEarth.

Archimedes’ principle and melting of seaiceandoceanwaterlevel• Archimedes' principle is used to understand

whythere's no change in water level when the icethatisfloating inthe water melts.

• The principle states that a body immersed inafluid is subjected to an upwards force equal totheweightof the displacedfluid.

➤Larger glaciers are referred to ascontinentalglaciers,whichstartatacentralpointandspread out as they accumulate more iceandother debris like dirt and rock.

➤GlaciersarelocatedintheArcticandAntarctica,withthelargestglaciersappearinginAntarctica.

• Icebergs, on the other hand, are smaller piecesofice that have broken off (or calved) fromglaciersand now drift with the ocean currents.

➤Onlythelargercontinentalglacierscreateicebergs,asittypicallydoesnothappenthata mountainglacier releases an iceberg into thesea.










⦿ BACKGROUND






























⦿ BACKGROUND






















Whatistheproposedmethod?

Theresults,publishedinPhysicalReviewFluids,haveimplicationsforoceanographersandclimatescientists.

o Icebergstravelwithoceancurrents,sometimessmashing up against the shore or gettingcaughtinshallowwaters.

o When an iceberg reaches warm waters, thenewclimateattacks itfromall sides.

o On the iceberg surface, warm air melts snowandice into pools called melt ponds that cantricklethroughthe icebergand widencracks.

o At the same time, warm water laps at theicebergedges, melting the ice and causing chunksof icetobreak off.

o Ontheunderside,warmerwatersmelttheicebergfromthe bottom up.

o Impacts:Icebergs have two mainimpactsonclimate

➤Icebergproductionaffectsthemassbalanceoftheparent icesheets

➤melting icebergs influence both oceanstructureandglobal sealevel

What were the assumptions made inthecurrentmodel?o Current models, which are incorporated into

themethodologyusedbytheIntergovernmentalPanel on Climate Change, assume thaticebergsmeltuniformly inocean currents.

➤The IPCC is the gold standard forclimatescience.

o However,thisrecentresearchhasshownthaticebergsdonotmeltuniformlyandmeltatdifferentspeedsdependingontheirshape.

o The new research proposes a very simplemodelthataccountsforicebergshape,asaprototypeforanimprovedmodeloficebergmelting.

o To test these models, the researchersdevelopedthefirstrealisticsmall-scalesimulationsofmeltingiceinsaltwater.

o The old models assumed that stationaryicebergsdidn’t melt at all, whereas the latestexperimentsshowmeltingofaboutamillimetereveryminute.

o In icebergs moving in oceans, the melting onthebase can be up to 30 percent faster than inoldmodels.

o Theresearchshowsthaticebergshapeisimportant.Given that the sides melt faster, wide icebergsmeltmore slowly but smaller, narrowericebergsmeltfaster.

o The sides of icebergs melt about twice as fastastheirbase.

o Foricebergsthataremovingintheocean,meltingatthe front can be three or four times fasterthanwhatthe old modelspredicted.

Conclusion

Whileicebergsareonlyonepartoftheglobalclimatesystem,theimprovedmodelprovidesscientistswitha dialthat they can tune to better capture the realityofEarth’schanging climate.

These methods can also be applied to manyothersystems, including glaciers melting or themeltingoffrozen,salineseaice.Moreover,thesemethodscouldbe used by astrobiologists to better understandicemoonslikeSaturn’sEnceladus,acandidateforfindinglife elsewherein theSolar System.

**********

The Intergovernmental Panel on ClimateChange(IPCC) was established in 1988 by theWorldMeteorological Organization (WMO) and theUnitedNations Environment Programme (UNEP) toassessclimatechangebasedon thelatestscience.

➤Forexample,aship thatis launched sinksinto theocean until the weight of the water itdisplacesis just equal to its own weight. As theship isloaded, it sinks deeper, displacing morewater,and so the magnitude of the buoyantforcecontinuously matches the weight oftheshipand itscargo.

• Application: The applicationsofArchimedes’principle are:

➤Archimedes’ principle is used in designingshipsandsubmarines

➤Lactometers based on Archimedes’ principleisusedtomeasurethepurityofasampleofmilk























Conclusion



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Conclusion



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SILENCINGDISSENT:MISUSEOFSEDITIONLAWTOSHUTUPCRITICS

CONTEXTThe sedition law cannot be used to “quieten the disquiet under the pretence of muzzling miscreants”, a court

inDelhisaidwhilegrantingbailtotwomenaccusedofpostingfakevideosonFacebookonthefarmerprotests.⦿ BACKGROUND

o Theincreasinguseoftheseditionlawbytheauthorities in recent years has led to allegationsthat thiscolonial-era provision is being invokedlargely tostifle the citizens’ freedom ofspeechandexpression,whichisguaranteedbytheConstitution.

o The arrest of environment activist Disha Raviovera toolkit in support of the protesting farmersis acaseinpoint.

➤Eventhoughthedocumentmakesnomentionofviolence or incitement to violentbehaviour,the 22-year-old woman has beenbooked onthecharge ofsedition.

➤WhethershewasawareoftheKhalistanileaningsofthegroupallegedlybehindthetoolkithasalsonotbeenestablishedsofar.

o AmidtheoutrageoverDisha’sarrest,aDelhicourthasgranted bail to a man accused of postingfakevideosonFacebookonthefarmers’protests.

o Thecourthasassertedthattheseditionlawcannotbeinvokedto‘quietendisquietunderthepretenceofmuzzling the miscreants’, especially if thereisno‘exhortationorincitementtocreatedisorderordisturbpublicpeace orresort toviolence’.⦿ANALYSIS

WheretheSeditionLawanditsvalidity?o Thelawwasoriginallydraftedin1837byThomasMac

aulay, the British historian-politician, butwasinexplicably omitted when the IPC wasenacted in1860.

o Section124Awasinsertedin1870byanamendmentintroducedbySirJamesStephenwhen it felt theneed for a specific section to dealwiththe offence.

o It was one of the many draconian laws enactedtostifleany voicesof dissent atthat time.

o Section124AIPCstates:“Whoever,bywords,eitherspokenorwritten,orbysigns,orbyvisiblerepresentation,orotherwise,bringsorattemptstobring into hatred orcontempt, or excites orattemptstoexcitedisaffectiontowards,theGovernmentestablishedbylawinIndia,shallbepunishedwith

imprisonmentforlife,towhichafinemaybeadded;or,withimprisonmentwhichmayextendtothreeyears,towhichafinemaybeadded;or,withfine.”

o Disaffectionincludesdisloyaltyandallfeelingsofenmity.

o However,commentswithoutexcitingorattemptingtoexcite hatred, contempt or disaffection, willnotconstituteanoffenceunderthissection.

Punishmentfortheoffenceofseditiono Sedition is a non-bailable offence.

PunishmentundertheSection124Arangesfromimprisonmentup to three years to a life term, towhich finemaybe added.

o A person charged under this law is barred fromagovernment job. They have to live withouttheirpassportandmustproducethemselvesinthecourtat all times as and when required.

What are the key-points made by theDelhiCourt?o The law of sedition was a powerful tool in

thehandsofthestatetomaintainpeaceandorderinsociety.

o However, it cannot be invoked to quieten thedisquietunderthepretenceofmuzzlingmiscreants.

o Its indiscriminate application threatens toundermineitspotencyandefficacy.

SC’sviewsonthelawo Section 124A has been challenged in various courts

inspecific cases. The validity of the provision itselfwasupheld by a Constitution Bench in 1962, inKedarnathSinghvsStateof Bihar.

➤That judgment went into the issue of whetherthelaw on sedition is consistent with thefundamentalrightunderArticle19(1)(a)whichguaranteeseachcitizen’sfreedomofspeechandexpression.

o TheSupremeCourtlaiddownthateverycitizenhasaright to say or write about the government,bywayofcriticismorcomment,aslongasitdoesnot

The number of sedition cases registered in Indiahasrisenfrom35in2016to93in2019,theconvictionratehas been going down — from 33 per cent in 2016tomerely3 per cent in2019.






























































“incitepeopletoviolence”againstthegovernment • Argumentsinfavourestablishedbylaworwiththeintentionofcreatingpublicdisorder.

o National interest: The law has its utility incombatinganti-national,secessionistandterroristelements

o Stability of the State: It ensures continuedexistenceof the government, which is essentialcondition of thestabilityofthe State.

o Robustdemocracy: Dissent and criticism of thegovernment are essential ingredients of robustpublicdebateinavibrantdemocracy.Righttoquestion,criticize and change rulers is very fundamental totheideaofdemocracy.

• Argumentsagainsto Legacyofcolonialrule:Itisarelicofcoloniallegacyanduns

uitedinademocracy.

o Constraint of constitutional machinery: It is aconstraintonthelegitimateexerciseofconstitutionallyguaranteedfreedomofspeechandexpression.

Seditionlawsinothercountrieso The United Kingdom deleted the seditious

libelthroughtheCoronersand JusticeAct,2009.

o In Australia, following the recommendationsoftheAustralianLawReformCommission(ALRC)theterm sedition was removed and replacedwithreferencesto‘urgingviolenceoffenses’.

Conclusion

TheConstitutionofIndiaprovidesallthewingsofthegovernance, with a responsibility to secure atleast‘freedom of expression’ of their citizens, and allsortsof intimidation to silence them must beremoved.Democracy must be encouraged by theStatewithoutfearingcriticism,onlythiswouldbenationalismintruesense. If the right of individual will be snatched,thewholecriminaljusticesystemwouldcrumbledown.

**********

LawCommissionofIndiaonSeditionLaw• In August 2018, the Law Commission of

Indiapublishedaconsultationpaperrecommendingthatitistimetore-thinkorrepealtheSection124AoftheIndianPenalCodethatdealswithsedition.• In its 39th Report (1968), the Law

Commissionhadrejectedtheideaofrepealingthesection.

• In its 42nd Report (1971), the panel wantedthescopeofthesectiontobeexpandedtocovertheConstitution, the legislature and thejudiciary,inadditiontothegovernmenttobeestablishedby law, as institutions against which'disaffection'shouldnot be tolerated.

• In the recent consultation paper on thesedition,theLawCommissionhassuggestedinvoking124A to only criminalize acts committed withtheintention to disrupt public order or tooverthrowtheGovernmentwithviolenceandillegalmeans.

KedarNathSinghversusStateofBihar(1962)• In Kedar Nath Singh versus State of Bihar

(1962),the Supreme Court had made it clear that‘strongwordsusedtoexpressdisapprobationofthemeasures of the Government with a view totheirimprovement or alteration by lawful means’didnotamount to sedition.

• Thisrulingputstheonusonlawenforcerstocomeupwithindisputableevidenceofincitementtoviolenceordisturbance ofpublic peace.

• Raisingthebogeyofseditiononflimsypretextswillonlyweakenthelawandenfeebledemocracy.







uitedinademocracy.





Conclusion


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uitedinademocracy.





Conclusion


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• CommonName:Pangolins• Scientificname:Manidae• Diet:Insectivore• Size:45inchesto4.5feetlong• Weight:4to72pounds

PANGOLINSINCAMEROONAREONTHEVERGEOFEXTINCTION

CONTEXTRampant poaching and mushrooming international wildlife trade fuelled by Chinese poachers, has resulted in

thedwindlingpopulationof pangolinsin Cameroonand otherpartsof theworld.⦿ BACKGROUND What are the different speciesofPangolins?

o Alsocalledscalyanteatersbecauseoftheirpreferred diet, pangolins are increasinglyvictimsofillegalwildlifecrime—mainlyinAsiaandingrowing amounts in Africa—fortheir meat andscales.

o Overonemillionpangolinshavebeenhuntedin thepast decade, making it one of the world’smosttrafficked mammals and pushing theelusiveanimaltowards extinction.

o Theyaremainlytradedbecauseoftheirscales.

o Pangolinscalesaremadeofkeratin,thesamematerialthatmakesupfingernails,hair,andhorn.

o Pangolin scales, like rhino horn, have noprovenmedicinal value, yet they are used intraditionalChinese medicine to help with ailmentsrangingfromlactationdifficultiesto arthritis.

o Thescalesaretypicallydriedandgroundupinto

Eightspeciesofpangolinsarefoundontwocontinents.They range from Vulnerable toCriticallyEndangered.

o FourspeciesliveinAfrica:➤Black-bellied pangolin

(Phataginustetradactyla)➤White-belliedpangolin(Phataginustricuspis)➤GiantGroundpangolin(Smutsiagigantea)➤Temminck’s Ground pangolin

(Smutsiatemminckii)o ThefourspeciesfoundinAsia:➤Indianpangolin(Maniscrassicaudata)➤Philippinepangolin(Manisculionensis)➤Sundapangolin(Manisjavanica)➤Chinesepangolin(Manispentadactyla)

powder,whichmaybeturnedintoapill.⦿ANALYSIS

WhatarePangolins?o Pangolins are unique mammals covered in

hardscales,comprised ofkeratin.

o They are solitary and active mostly at night.Mostliveontheground,butsome,liketheblack-belliedpangolin,also climb trees.

o They range in size from a large housecat tomorethanfour feet long.

o Alleightpangolinspeciesareprotectedundernational and international laws, and two are listedasCritically Endangered on the IUCN Red ListofThreatenedSpecies.

o ThespeciesisalsolistedundertheAppendixIoftheInternationalConventionofTradeinEndangeredSpecies(CITES)whichprohibitsinternationalcommercial trade.

o Habitat:Pangolinsarefoundinavarietyofhabitatsincludingtropicalandfloodedforests,thickbrush,clearedandcultivatedareas,andsavannahgrassland; in general they occurwherelargenumbersoffood(antsandtermites)arefound.

PangolinsinIndia• India is home to two species of pangolin. While

theChinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) isfoundinnortheasternIndia,theIndianPangolin(Maniscrassicaudata)isdistributedinotherpartsofthecountrysaswellasSriLanka,BangladeshandPakistan.

• Both these species are protected and are listedunderthe Schedule I Part I of the Wild Life(Protection)Act,1972andunderAppendixIoftheConventiononInternationalTradeinEndangeredSpecies(CITES).

• However,despiteprotectivemeasures,pangolinsinIndiaarewidelyexploitedandtradedbothdomesticallyandinternationally.

RecenteffortstosavePangolins• Maharashtra is set to be the first state in India

tohave a dedicated action plan for conservationofpangolins–theworld’smosttraffickedanimal.




























































ThedecliningtrendinCameroon

o Theshy,harmlesspangolinisbecomingincreasinglywellknownforonereason:It’sbelievedtobetheworld’smosttraffickednon-humanmammal.

o Tensofthousandsofpangolinsarepoachedeveryyear, killed for their scales for use intraditionalChinese medicine and for their meat, adelicacyamongsomeultra-wealthyinChinaandVietnam.

o Cameroonhoststhreespeciesofpangolin—white-bellied,black-belliedandgiant.Thereisoneotherspeciesfoundincentral Africa.

o Apartfrombeingasourcecountry,Cameroonservesasaninternationaltransithubforpangolins.

Whataretheimpactsofthelossofpangolins?o Being insectivorous mammals, they feed on

eggs,larvae and adults of ants and termites actingasbiologicalpestcontrollingagents.Thelossofpangolinscouldhavedrasticecologicalandeconomicaleffects on localcommunities.

o Thecriticallyendangeredspeciesconstituteadistincttaxonomic order and if they disappear,therewillbe nothing like them lefton Earth.

Suggestivemeasureso Information for effective conservation: There

isalsoalackofinformationonpangolin’secologicalbehaviour including habitat preferences, home-range,averagelife-span, reproduction-cycleandfeeding habits. This information is criticaltostrategicallyrevampon-goingconservationeffortsinCameroon.

o Promotingcommunity-stewardship:Involvingcommunitieslivingaroundpangolin’shabitatareascouldeffectivelysteerconservationcampaigns.Thereare several examples where huntershaveturnedinto die-hard conservationists.

o Employment to local: Bee-farming,pisciculture,piggery and orchard development,are few viableincome-generating opportunitiesthat should beprovidedto localcommunities.

ConclusionTo stop poaching of the mammal, regularmonitoringof the population trends of pangolin intheirhabitatareasisimportant.Itwillenablegovernmentandconservation institutions to make informeddecisionsaboutprotectingthespecies.Furthermore,itwillhelp in facilitating the identification andprioritisationof keysitesfor holisticconservation.

**********

• In2020,MadhyaPradeshforestdepartmentradio-taggedanIndianPangolin, forthefirsttime.

➤ The radio-tagging is part of a joint projectbythe department and non-profit, theWildlifeConservationTrust(WCT)thatalsoinvolvesthespecies’monitoringapartfromotheractivities.

World Pangolin Day is celebrated on thethirdSaturdayinFebruary.Thedayisanopportunityforpangolin enthusiasts to join together inraisingawareness about these unique mammals —and theirplight.

• PangolinsfallunderCategoryAofClassifiedWildlifeSpeciesinCameroon,whichfullyprotectsthemfromhunting, exploitationand possession.• Cameroon is also a signatory to the

ConventiononInternationalTradeinEndangeredSpeciesofWild Fauna and Flora also known asCITES. Theaim of CITES is to monitor internationaltrade andconserveendangered species.• But in many central African countries,

includingCameroon,illegalhuntingandtradecontinue.• Mostofthesewildlifeprotectionlawsandinternationa

lagreementnevertranslateintoactionontheground,thusgivingagoldenopportunitytopoachersandtraffickers.















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LIBERALISATIONOFTHEGEOSPATIALSECTORININDIA

CONTEXTIn a positive development, the Ministry of Science and Technology released new guidelines for the

‘Geospatialsector’inIndia,whichderegulatesexistingprotocolandliberalizesthesectortoamorecompetitivefield.⦿ BACKGROUND

o Thepastdecadehasseenanincreaseintheuseofgeospatial data in daily life with various appssuchas food delivery apps like Swiggy or Zomato,e-commercelikeAmazon,orevenweatherapps.

o However,therewerestrictrestrictionsonthecollection,storage,use,sale,disseminationofgeo-spatialdata, and mapping under the currentregime.

o TheNationalMapPolicy,2005hadnotbeenrenewedindecadesandhasbeendrivenbyinternalaswellasexternalsecurityconcerns.

o Thesectorneededliberalizationtodriveinnovationasitaffects the livesof ordinary citizens.

o Not only in the country, but there has also beenaglobalpushforopen accesstogeospatial data.

o The new guidelines will ensure open accessforsurveyingandhelpthecountrybecomemoreself-reliantandreach its$5trillion GDPgoal.

o Furthermore, it will lead to the addition ofaround0.5%ofGDP.

Wheregeospatialdataisused?o While for decades, geospatial data has been

apriorityforstrategicreasonsandinternalandexternal security concerns, this priority has seenashiftinthe past 15years.

o Geospatial data has now become imperativeforthegovernmentinplanningforinfrastructure,development,socialdevelopment,naturalcalamitiesaswellas the economy.

o Today,moresectorssuchasagriculture,environmentprotection,power,water,transportation,communication,health(trackingofdiseases, patients, hospitals,etc) relies heavily onthis data.

⦿ANALYSISWhatisgeospatialdata?o Geospatial data is data about objects, events,

orphenomena that have a location on thesurfaceoftheearth.

o Thelocationmaybestatic,ordynamic-

Governmentmonopolyinthesectoro Mappingwastillnowremainedagovernmentpreserv

e,handledbytheCentralgovernment’sSurveyofIndia.

o Privatecompaniesneededtonavigateasystemofpermissionsfromdifferentdepartmentsofthegovernment(dependingonthekindof

➤static like the location of a road, anearthquakeevent,malnutritionamongchildren

➤dynamic like a moving vehicle orpedestrian,thespreadofan infectiousdisease

o Geospatialdatagenerallycombineslocationinformation,attributeinformation(thecharacteristics of theobject, event, or phenomenaconcerned), andsometimes temporal informationor the time atwhich the location and attributesexist.

o Geo-spatialdatainvolves bothinformationofpublicinterestsuchasroads,localities,raillines, water bodies, and public amenities. Italsoprovides information regarding securityinterestlikelocationofcriticalinfrastructure,militarybase,deployedweapons etc.

data to be created) as well as the defenseandHome Ministries, to be able to collect, createordisseminategeospatial data.

o Initiallyconceptualizedasamattersolelyconcernedwithsecurity,geo-spatialdatacollectionwastheprerogativeofthedefenseforcesandthegovernment’slawenforcementagencies.

o GISmappingwasalsorudimentary,withthegovernment investing heavily in it after the Kargilwarhighlighted the dependence on foreigndataandtheneedforindigenoussourcesofdata.

Survey of India• SurveyofIndia,theNationalSurveyandMappingOr

ganizationofthecountryundertheDepartmentofScience & Technology, is the oldestscientificdepartmentoftheGovernment ofIndia.

PMSwamitvaYojana• PM Swamitva Yojana is a shining example of

theuse of geospatial data to empower thecountry’srural population.

• TheSwamitvaschemehelpstomapruralinhabitedlandsusingdronesandthelatestsurveymethods.

• It aims to ensure streamlined planning,revenuecollection and provide clarity overproperty rightsinrural areas.






































































andbusinessesthataredata-based.

o The mapping of the entire country that toowithhigh accuracy, by the Indian governmentalonecouldtake decades.

o Thegovernment,therefore,feltanurgentneedtoincentivizethegeospatialsectorforIndiancompaniesand increased investment fromprivateplayersinthe sector.

Whatwillbeitsimpacts?Whatarethenewguidelines?o The new guidelines will apply to geospatial

data,maps,products,solutions,andservicesofferedbygovernmentagencies,autonomousbodies,academicandresearchinstitutions,privateorganizations,non-governmentalorganizations,andindividuals.

o There shall be no requirement for priorapproval,securityclearance,license,oranyotherrestrictionsonthecollection,generation,preparation,dissemination,storage,publication,updating,and/ordigitization of geospatial data and mapswithintheterritory of India.

o Individuals,companies,organizations,andgovernment agencies, shall be free to process theacquiredgeospatial data, build applications anddevelopsolutions in relation to such data andusesuchdataproducts,applications,solutions,etcbyway of selling, distributing, sharing,swapping,disseminating,publishing,deprecatinganddestructing.

o Self-certificationwillbeusedtoconveyadherencetotheseguidelines.

o Therewillalsobeanegativelistofsensitiveattributesthatwouldrequireregulationbeforeanyonecanacquireand/orusesuchattributedata.

Whichareaswillbeexempted?o Theguidelineisnotforaccess,butonlyforsurveying.

o Thereisarestrictiononrevealingtheattributesorfeatures of sensitive areas even thoughtherewouldbenoneonsurveyingtheareaitself.

o There will be exceptions to sensitive defenseorsecurity-relateddata.

Whatwastheneedforderegulation?o Thissystemofacquiringlicensesorpermission,andth

e red tape involved, can take months,delayingprojects,especiallythosethatareinmissionmode–forbothIndiancompaniesaswellasgovernmentagencies.

o Thereisalsoahugelackofdatainthecountrywhichimpedesplanningforinfrastructure,development,

o Liberalizationofthesystemwillensure:

➤moreplayersinthefield

➤competitiveness of Indian companies in theglobalmarket

➤moreaccuratedataavailabletoboththegovernmentandindividualIndiantoformulateplansandadminister

o Employment generation: With this policy, theprivatesector would be able to bring innovation in thissectorandproducemoresolutionsbasedonit,resultinginanincreaseinemploymentinthegeospatialsector,whilealsopushingforththeeconomicgrowth.

➤Indiancompanieswillbeabletodevelopindigenousapps,forexample,anIndianversionofgooglemaps.

o Increase in Public-private partnership: There isalsolikely to be an increase in public-privatepartnershipswith the opening of this sector with datacollectioncompanies working with the Indiangovernment onvarioussectoralprojects.

o Domesticinnovation:Atthemoment,Indiareliesheavilyon foreign resources for mappingtechnologiesandservices.TheliberalizationofthemappingindustryanddemocratizationofexistingdatasetswillspurdomesticinnovationandenableIndiancompaniestocompeteintheglobalmappingecosystembyleveragingmoderngeospatialtechnologies.

o Economicdevelopment:Thegovernmentalsoexpectsanincrease in investment in the geospatial sectorbycompanies, and also an increase in the export ofdatato foreign companies and countries, which inturn willboostthe economy.

Conclusion

Thederegulationwilleliminate the requirementofpermissions as well as scrutiny, even forsecurityconcerns.Indiancompaniesnowcanself-attest,conformingtogovernmentguidelineswithoutactually having to be monitored by agovernmentagency-theseguidelines,therefore,placeagreatdeal of trust inIndian entities. Also, theincreasedparticipationoftheprivatesectorwillaugmentthegrowthofnewtechnologies,platforms,andapplications of geospatial data contributing to thecountry’sprogress.

• Itwassetupin1767.• Initsassignedroleasthenation’sPrincipalMapping

Agency, Survey of India bears aspecialresponsibilitytoensurethatthecountry’sdomainisexplored and mapped suitably, provide basemapsfor expeditious and integrated developmentandensure that all resources contribute with theirfullmeasure to the progress, prosperity, andsecurityof our country now and for generations tocome.


























Conclusion





























Conclusion






StrategicDisinvestment:• Strategic disinvestment would imply the sale of a substantial portion of the Government shareholding of

acentralpublicsectorenterprise(CPSE)ofupto50%,orsuchhigherpercentageasthecompetentauthoritymaydetermine,along with transfer of managementcontrol.

PRIVATISATIONOFBANKS

CONTEXTThe Union Budget 2021-22 has announced the privatization of two public sector banks (in addition to IDBI Bank)

andonegeneral insurance company in the upcomingfiscal.Italsoannouncedastrategicsale/disinvestmentpolicyforfourstrategicsectors—includingbanking,insurance,and

financialservices—inwhichitwillhavea“bareminimumpresence”.

⦿ BACKGROUND

o A little more than 51 years after the14largestbankswerenationalised,thegovernmentnowaimstoreduce ittojustfour.

o Inthepast,manycommitteeshadproposedbringingdownthegovernmentstakeinpublicbanks. TheNarasimham Committee onbankingsectorreforms,setupafter1991LPGreforms,proposedtoreducethegovernmentstakeinPSBsto33%.

o Through a series of moves over the last fewyears,the government is currently left with 12state-ownedbanks,from 28in2016.

o The two banks that will now be privatised willbeselectedthroughaprocessinwhichNITIAayogwillmakerecommendations,whichwillbeconsideredbyacoregroupofsecretariesondisinvestmentandthen the Alternative Mechanism (orGroupofMinisters).

ImpactNationalisationhadonPSBso Banking is ahighly competitive enterprise

thatworks on profits, nationalization of banks hasledto lesser competition between the publicsectorandprivate sector banks.

➤This has created a bureaucratic attitude inthefunctioningofthe bankingsystem.

➤Lackofresponsibilityandinitiative,red-tapism,inordinatedelaysarecommonfeaturesofnationalized banks.

o A liberal credit policy was incorporated toprovidesupporttotheweakersectionsoftheruralcommunity. But such a policy proved harmfultothestabilityofthebankingsystem.

o Due to the lack of performance audit ofbanks,policy-making failed to ensure that thefinancefrom the public institutions is going toproductiveusesinthelarger public interest.

o Theexperienceofthenationalizedbankshasshownthat these banks are now facing the problemsofheavyoverdueloansandeconomicallyunviable⦿ANALYSIS

Whywereprivatebanksnationalisedinthefirstplace?

o Then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who wasalsoFinance Minister, decided to nationalise the14largestprivatebanksonJuly19, 1969.

o The idea was to align the banking sectorwiththesocialisticapproachofthethengovernment.

o In the 1950s and 60s Indian banking sector,whichlargelycomprisedprivatebanks,hadlarge-scaleregionalandsector-wisedisparityintermsofservices offered.

o Thus,BanknationalizationwasdonetoincreasefinancialinclusioninIndia’sbankingsector.

o The big question is: if the banks areprivatizedagain,willprivatebanksrepeatthemistakesofthe1960s.

branches.o Giventhesignificanceofavibrantbankingsystemin

the growth story of the nation, privatisationofbankshas been proposed.

CurrentissuesplaguingPublicSectorBanks(PSBs)o Comparedwithprivatebanks,PSBscontinuetohaveh

ighnon-performingassets(NPAs)andstressedassetsalthoughthishasstarteddeclining.

o After the Covid-related regulatoryrelaxationsarelifted,banksareexpectedtoreporthigherNPAsand loan losses.This would mean thegovernmentwouldagainneedtoinjectequityintoweakpublicsectorbanks.

o Thegovernmentistryingtostrengthenthestrongbanks and also minimize theirnumbersthroughprivatisationtoreduceitsburdenofsupport.









⦿ BACKGROUND
































⦿ BACKGROUND

























o After1990,whenRBIallowedmorePrivateSector ➤Thiswouldtotally defeat the idea ofBanks,competitionincreased.Today,Privatebanks’marketshareinloanshasrisento36%in 2020 from21.26% in 2015, while publicsectorbanks’sharehasfallento59.8%from74.28%.

Willprivatizationhelp?o ArgumentsinFavour➤Privatizationwillfreeupthegovernment,themajo

rityowner,fromcontinuingtoprovideequitysupporttothebanksyearafteryear.

➤It will be another step towards reducingthefiscaldeficitandfinancingrevenueexpenditurethroughrevenuereceiptsinthelongterm.

➤This move is along the lines ofminimumgovernmentandmaximumgovernanceand proactive, people-centric, people-friendly,transparentandsustainablegovernance.

➤Privatizingloss-makingPSBswillhaveadeterrenteffectonthestaffandmanagementofsuchbanks.

o ArgumentsAgainst

➤According to the former Deputy GovernorofRBI,BankNationalisationwillnotsolveallissuesandsuggestedthatoperationalfreedomwithGovernmentownershipmayworkbetterasitdidinWestern countries.

inclusive banking as it is practiced nowandwas the guiding principle at the time ofthenationalizationof banks.

➤Thepasthistoryofprivatesectorbankstellsthefailure. Before 1969, all banks, except theSBI,were in the private sector. Between1947and1969, 559 banksfailed.

➤Thegovernmentwillhavedifficultyinprovidinglow-costfinancialservicestoruralandpoorsectionsofsocietyastheprivatemaynotlike toextenditsservices to them.

➤The loosening of the government’scontrolover the economy might make theeconomyfragileintesting conditions.

➤With the Government announcing moreandmoreinfrastructureprojects,theroleofPublicSectorBankswill increase.

Conclusion

Privatisation of banks is not a remedy to allsolutions.WithstepslikePrivatisationofBanks,theGovernmentshouldalsofocusoncomprehensivegovernancereforms,resolutionofNPAsandcreatingafreemarket sothat investment can be reinvigoratedandwheelsoftheeconomycanagaingetbackontrack.

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o ArgumentsAgainst







Conclusion


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o ArgumentsAgainst







Conclusion


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SELF-REGULATIONOFOTT

CONTEXTSeventeen online streaming providers have announced the adoption of an ‘implementation toolkit’, undertheaegis of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). This ‘toolkit’ is in furtherance to theUniversalSelf-Regulation Code that IAMAI had introduced in September 2020, which was rejected by theGovernment.Furthermore, on 16th February 2021, the Supreme Court asked the Centre on the measures itplans to take toregulatecontentonover-the-

top(OTT)videostreamingplatformssuchasNetflixandAmazonPrimeVideo.⦿ BACKGROUNDo SofarinIndia,therearenocomprehensivelawsorrules

regulating OTT platforms as it is arelativelynewmediumof entertainment.

o Unliketelevision,print,orradio,whichfollowguidelinesreleasedbygovernments,OTTplatforms,classified as digital media orsocialmedia,hadlittletonoregulationonthechoiceof content they offered, the subscriptionrates,certificationfor adult movies, andothers.⦿ANALYSIS

WhatareOTTplatforms?o OTT,orover-the-topplatforms,areaudioandvideo

hosting and streaming services thatstartedoutascontenthostingplatforms,butsoonbranched out into the production and releaseofshort movies, feature films, documentaries,andweb-seriesthemselves.

o Theseplatformsofferarangeofcontentanduseartificial intelligence to suggest to usersthecontent they are likely to view based on theirpastviewershipontheplatform.

o India is projected to become the second-largestonlinevideo-viewingaudienceby2020.

Whatisthe‘ImplementationToolkit’about?o The‘toolkit’,preparedbyIAMAI(Internet&Mobile

AssociationofIndia)inconsultationwiththestreamingplatforms,primarilyaimstoironoutthe issueswith the industry’s self-regulationcodethatwasputinmotionon4September2020.

o The toolkit provides details of the functioningofOTTplatforms’grievanceredressalmechanismforcomplaints received, including the compositionoftheirinternal panel and advisory panels.

o The new “implementation toolkit” is said tohavefollowedtheethicscodeandalsodefinedaframeworkforself-regulation.

WhataretheethicalissuesinvolvedinregulationofOTT?o Unequaltreatmentofsimilarserviceproviders

➤While the print was regulated by thePressCouncilofIndiaandTelevision(bothNewsand Entertainment) were being regulatedbytheCableNetworksRegulationAct(2005),contentononline,fellintoablackholewithnooversight.

➤Though there is no regulatory mechanismforOTTsasofnow,allsuchplatformscomeundertheInformationtechnologyAct,2000astheyqualify to be calledas Intermediaries.

➤Section 79 of the IT Act, intermediariesmustexerciseduediligencewhilestreamingcontent.TheGuidelinesforduediligencehavealsobeenframedbythe governmentin2011.

o Age-appropriate content is needed toensurewellbeing-➤OTT platforms’ advantage of playing

mediaanywhere and anytime has created amassivedemand for it, but also creates theproblem ofprovidingage-appropriatecontentforChildren.Ifchildrenaresubjectedtoviolentormaliciouscontent, it canlead to various psychologicalissuesinthefuture.

o Influenceofforeigncontentonsociety➤With the increasing presence of OTT

platforms,theyarestreamingalotofcross-culturalcontent.

➤Thoughitisgoodforcreatingacosmopolitanworld,ithasaggravatedsomeofthemeansinsocietylikeculturalimperialism.

o Regulation if becomes over-regulation cancurbcreativity and in turn freedom of speechandexpression➤As OTT platforms are relatively less

subjectedtocensorship,ithelpsbringsocio-politicalcontent or matters to a common man,whichotherwisearecensoredinmainstreammedia.

WhySelf-regulationisbetterthanGovernmentregulation?o It has been argued that OTT platforms

providepeople the right to choose whatever theywant tosee, thus regulation by the Governmentmay beunnecessary.


























































o The OTT industry has led to theDemocratizationofMediaandisbenefitingnumerouscontentproducers and artists. It also helps inaccessingregionalfilmsaroundthecountryaswellasglobally.

o Creativefreedomisnecessarytoprovideunbiasedinformationtomillionsofcitizensaboutthesituationofthecountry,thusindirectlydemandingtransparencyandaccountabilityfromtheGovernment.

Isself-regulationenough?o The issue of content regulation has always

beenimportant in India because of the diversenatureof Indian society in terms of religion,economicstatus,caste andlanguage.

o Therefore,theeffectthatOTThasonsocietyformsthebasisof itsregulationby thestate.

o Article19whichgivesafundamentalrighttofreedomofexpressioncomeswithreasonablerestrictions ofdecency and public morality,publicorder,defamation,incitementtooffenses,etc.

o Intimesoffast-changingentertainmentmedia,thegovernment andother stakeholders must cometogether to bring aproper framework that willbalance the freedom ofexpression andnecessaryrestrictionsforthesakeoflawandorder.

o OthercountriesoftheworldsuchasChinaandtheUSAhavecomeforwardtodeviselawsinthewakeofprogress in artificial intelligence and Internet-of-things.

o Indiawithitshugediversityanddemographicnaturecannot remain behind.

ConclusionInternetusagehasbeengrowinginIndia,becomingamarketplace for ideas, an opportunity forcontentcreatorstoreachmorepeoplethaneverbefore,anda new medium for entertainment and education.Inlight of this, both the government and theindustryshouldappreciatethenewspacethattheinternethasgiven to free speech in India and, as a result of it,theneed to adopt a more self-regulatory andfreedom-oriented regulatoryapproach.

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CURRENTAFFAIRS



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CURRENTAFFAIRS



SECTION:B(PRELIMS)

CURRENTAFFAIRS


QuickfactsaboutCharminar• Builtby:MohammedQuliQutubShahin1591➤HewasthefounderofHyderabadtocommemoratetheendoftheplagueinthecity

• Eachofthesidesmeasure20meterswhiletheminaretsarelocatedataheightof48.7metersfromthegroundlevel.

• EachsideofCharminaropensintoaplazalikestructurewherethegiantarchesoverlookthemajorthoroughfares.

• Itisaclearsquarestructurethatmeasures31.95mts.oneachsidewhileimposingarchesspan a distance of 11mts.

• Itisthesefour(char)minarets(minar)thatgivethebuilding,itsname'Charminar'.• Eachminarstandsonalotus-leafbase,aspecialrecurrentmotifinQutubShahibuildings.

• Thereare149circularstepsinsideeachminaret.• Thefourclocksinfourcardinaldirectionswereaddedintheyear1889.

“Protectedmonument”meansanancientmonumentwhichisdeclaredtobeofnationalimportance by or under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological SitesandRemainsAct,1958(AMASRAct).

NORECORDSOFCHILLAADJACENTTOCHARMINAR:ASI⦿ CONTEXT: TheBhagyalakshmiTempleabuttingtheCharminar‘cameintoexistence’afte

r the merger of Hyderabad State with the Union of India, and thereareno records of the chilla at the monument, the ArchaeologicalSurveyofIndia(ASI)hasstatedrespondingtoaRighttoInformationquery.

⦿ABOUT: Whatischilla?

• ChillaisaspiritualpracticeofpenanceandsolitudeinSufismknownmostlyinIndianandPersiantraditions.

• Inthisritualamendicantorasceticattemptstoremainseatedinacirclepracticingmeditationtechniques without food for40 days and nights.

• ThewordchillaisderivedfromthePersianwordchehel“forty”.Chillaiscommonlyperformedina solitary cell called a chilla-khana.

Thematter

• TheBhagyalakshmitempletoohasbeeninthecentreofalanddisputeliketheAyodhyaRamtemple.

• ItwasallegedthatthetemplewasbuiltandlaterencroachedintoCharminarproperty.

Key-observationsmadebyASI

• TheBhagyalakshmiTemplecameintoexistenceaftertakingoverofHyderabadbytheGovernment of India adjacent to South Eastern minaret of the Charminar, aCentrallyProtectedMonument.

• NorecordsareavailableinthisofficeabouttheChillaadjacenttoCharminar.

• Therehavebeenalotofquestionsinconnectionwiththeboththetempleandthechilla.















Thematter





















Thematter







WEEK-4(JANUARY,2021)WEEK-1(FEBRUARY,2021)CURRENT AFFAIRS – FEBRUARY–2021

Differencebetweenafinancebillandamoneybill• Financebillsaresimilartomoneybillsinthesensethatithasprovisionsrelatedtotax,expend

itureandthatmaycontain mattersspecifiedinArticle110(1).

• Amoneybillspecificallycentresitsidentityaroundtheprovisions(a)to(g)andiscertifiedbythe Speaker as such.

• AfinancialbillbecomesamoneybillonlywhenitcarriestheSpeaker’scertificationasamoneybill.

• BillsthatarenotcertifiedbytheSpeakerare:

➤BillsthatcontainanyofthemattersspecifiedinArticle110,butdonotcontainonlythosemattersArticle117(1)

➤Ordinarybills thatcontain provisionsinvolving expenditurefromtheConsolidatedFund,according to Article117(3)

CONCERNREGARDINGCERTIFICATIONOFBILLSASMONEYBILL⦿CONTEXT:

⦿ABOUT:

Inapre-emptivemove,theoppositionhasrequestedSpeakeroftheLok Sabhato not bypass the Rajya Sabha by declaring seven key Bills,as“moneybills”.

Whatismoneybill?

• Article110ofIndianconstitutionsaysaBillshallbedeemedtobeaMoneyBillifitcontainsonlyprovisionsdealing with allor anyof the matterslike,

o theimposition,abolition,remission,alterationorregulationofanytax,

o theregulationoftheborrowingofmoneyorthegivingofanyguaranteebytheGovernmentof India,

o thecustodyoftheconsolidatedFundortheContingencyFundofIndiaetc

WhatistheroleofRajyaSabhainmoneybill?

• MoneyBillscanbeintroducedonlyinLokSabha.

• OncemoneybillsarepassedbytheLokSabha,itissenttotheRajyaSabha.

• TheRajyaSabhamaynotamendmoneybillsbutcanrecommendamendments.

• To make sure that Rajya Sabha doesn’t amend the bill by adding some non-moneymatters (known as Financial Bill), the Lok Sabha Speaker certifies the bill as amoneybillbeforesendingittotheupperhouse,andthedecisionoftheSpeakerisbindingonboth the Houses.

• AmoneybillmustbereturnedtotheLokSabhawithin14daysorthebillisdeemedtohavepassedboth housesinthe formitwasoriginallypassed bythe LokSabha.

Whyoppositionhasshownitsconcern?

• Money Bills has special feature, after its certification from the Speaker (Article110(3):Speaker’s decision is final w.r.t, to certification), and it can only be presented inLokSabhaand RajyaSabhahasno power to amendit.

• HencethismoveisperceivedasbypassingthebicamerallegislativesystemofParliament.

• Moreoverduetoparliamentaryprivilegesandconceptofseparationofpowertherearelesssafeguardsagainst wrongfulcertification ofa billas moneybill.










⦿ABOUT:


Whatismoneybill?
























⦿ABOUT:


Whatismoneybill?
















OthercontroversiessurroundingSpeaker• AntiDefectionLaw• Certificationof MoneyBill• Voicevote

• Worksunderpressureofmajoritygovernment

Pastcontroversiesaboutmoneybill• Aadhaar(TargetedDeliveryofFinancialandOtherSubsidies,BenefitsandServices)Act

,2016:SupremeCourtheldthatpassingAadhaarActasmoneybillisjustified.

• FinanceAct2017hadamendedvariousActstoprovidefornewrulesandappointmentstovarious tribunals, including the industrial tribunal, Railway Claims Tribunal,NationalGreen Tribunal, Armed Forces Tribunal, appellate tribunals for sectors such astelecom,aviation,highways, taxation, companylaw, and others.

oSection184ofthesameActgavetheCentralgovernmentthepowerstoframerulesregardingthe tribunals. Later this actwas held unconstitutional.

IstheroleofSpeakeroutsidethepurviewofjudicialreview?• InKihotoHollohanvsZachillhu(AIR1993SC412),the“final”decisionofthespeakerregardi

ngdisqualificationofmembersoftheHouseunderTenthScheduleoftheIndianConstitution,hasbeenheldtobeajudicialdecisionsubjecttojudicialreview.

• InthepastSChascheckedthecertificationofbillsasmoneybillbyvirtueofitspowersunderArticle 142 eg. Adhar case.

SAKSHAM(SHRAMIKSHAKTIMANCH)⦿ CONTEXT: Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council(TIFAC)recently unveiled ‘SAKSHAM (Shramik Shakti Manch)’- adynamic jobportal.

⦿ABOUT: WhatisSAKSHAM?• SAKSHAM (Shramik Shakti Manch) is a dynamic portal for jobs/ mapping the skills

ofShramiksvis-à-visrequirementsofMSMEsandotherindustriesallacrossthecountry.

• The pilot portal originally initiated with two districts is now being launched as anallIndiaportal.

• Objective: The portal will map the skills of Shramiks vis-à-vis requirements ofMSMEstodirectlyconnectShramikswithMSMEsandfacilitateplacementof10lakhblue-collarjobs.

• KeyFeatures:o A dynamic jobportal - opportunity for Shramiksand MSMEs

o Facilitatecreationof10lakhbluecollarjobs

o DirectconnectbetweenShramiksandMSMEs,nomiddlemaninbetween

o MinimisemigrationofShramiks–jobopportunityinproximateMSMEs

Howdoesitwork?• TheportalwiththedemandandsupplydatausesalgorithmandArtificialIntelligence(AI)t

ools,forgeospatialinformationondemandandavailabilityofShramiks.

• ItalsoprovidesanalysisonskilltrainingprogrammesofShramiks.














































AboutTIFAC• TheTechnologyInformation,ForecastingandAssessmentCouncil(TIFAC),anautonomo

ustechnologythinktankundertheDepartmentofScience&Technology(DST),Government of India.

• Itwassetupin1988.• Itworkstolookaheadintechnologydomain,assessthetechnologytrajectories,andsuppo

rtinnovationbynetworkedactionsinselectareasofnationalimportance.

• Thedata/informationpertainingtotheShramiksandtheindustries(especiallyMSME)arebeingupdatedautomatically throughvariouswhatsappand otherlinks.

Genesis• ThegenesisofSAKSHAMtookplaceduringtheCovid-19pandemic.• Thelockdownimposedinthewakeofthepandemicleftlakhsofmigrantlabourerswithoutwor

k across India,forcing them toreturn home.

• ThepilotportaloriginallyinitiatedwithtwodistrictsisnowbeinglaunchedasanallIndiaportal.

RARESIGHTOFMANDRAINDUCKININDIA

⦿CONTEXT: Recently, a rare sight was noticed by people where they witnessed

aspectacular and rare Mandarin duck floating in the Maguri-

Motapungbeel(orwetland)ofAssam’sTinsukiadistrict.

⦿ABOUT: WhatistheMandarin duck?• Considered the most beautiful duck in the world, the Mandarin duck, or the

(Aixgalericulata) was first identified by Swedish botanist, physician and zoologistCarlLinnaeusin1758.

• Itisa“small-exoticlookingbird”nativetoEastAsia.• ThemigratoryduckbreedsinRussia,Korea,JapanandnortheasternpartsofChina.

Whyisit‘rare’forIndia?• Theduck,however,rarelyvisitsIndiaasitdoesnotfallinitsusualmigratoryroute.• Thereareonlyahandfulofrecordedsightingshere.Itwasrecordedino 1902inDibruriverintheRongagoraareainTinsukia

o 2013inManipur’sLoktakLake

o 2014inSaatvoiniBeelinManasNationalParkandTigerReserveinAssam’sBaksadistrict

MaguriMotapungwetland• The Maguri Motapung wetland is an Important Bird Area as declared by the

BombayNaturalHistory Society.

• ItislocatedclosetotheDibruSaikhowaNationalParkinUpperAssam.• Thewetlandhas agrasslandadjacent toit.• Theentireecosystem(grasslandandwetland)isveryimportantasitishometoatleast304 bird

species, including a number of endemic ones like Black-breastedparrotbillandMarsh babbler.
















































GovernmentInstantMessagingSystem(GIMS)• GIMS, like other instant messaging apps uses a valid mobile number or email id

toregisterthe user for thefirst time.

• It allows a user to mark a message as confidential, which the app's descriptionsays,will allow the recipient to be made aware the message should not be sharedwithothers.

• The confidential tag, however, does not change the way the message is sentfromoneuser to another.

• The app does not allow the user to change their email id or registeredphonenumber.

GovernmentalsolaunchedIndia'sversionofthe'Koo'AppinresponsetosocialmediaplatformTwitter.

⦿ CONTEXT:

NICLAUNCHESSANDESInabidtoprovideasecurewayforpeopletocommunicate,theNationalInformaticsCentre (NIC)has launchedSandes.

⦿ABOUT: WhatisSandesapp?• Sandesisamessagingapppreparedbythecentralgovernment.Itclaimstobeasecureappwhe

re the users’data will bekept safe.• The app hasbeen developedby NIC(National InformaticsCenter), whichis partof

theMinistryofElectronics andInformationTechnology(MeitY).• Sandes has an interface similar to many other apps currently available in the market.

Ithasanadditionalsafetyfeaturewhichallowsausertomarkamessageasconfidential.• ThechatsonthisinstantmessagingsystemsorGIMScanbebackeduptoausers’email.• Thiswillmaketherecipientawarethemessageshouldnotbesharedwithothers.

Isitanalternativeto‘Whatsapp’?• ‘Sandes’issaidtobeinlineswiththepopularinstantmessagingplatformWhatsApp.• Onlyadayago,theSupremeCourtissuedanoticetoFacebookandWhatsAppoverthecompa

nyupdatedprivacypolicythatithaspostponedforthenextthreemonths.

GUINEADECLARESEBOLAEPIDEMIC⦿ CONTEXT: Guinea has declared an Ebola outbreak after three persons died inthecountry’ssoutheast.Thisisthefirsttimethediseasehasbeenreportedinthecountrysince anoutbreakended in2016.

⦿ABOUT: WhatisEbolaVirusDisease?• Ebolaisa deadly disease caused by a virus.• Ebolavirusdisease(EVD),formerlyknownasEbolahaemorrhagicfever,isararebutsevere,

often fatal illnessinhumans.oTheterm“hemorrhagicfever”meansitcausesbleedinginsideandoutsidethebody.

• TheaverageEVDcasefatalityrateisaround50%.Casefatalityrateshavevariedfrom25%to90% inpast outbreaks.








⦿ CONTEXT:



















⦿ CONTEXT:













• IndianRegionalNavigationSatelliteSystemalsoknownasNavIC(NavigationwithIndianConstellation),isanindigenousnavigationsystem,developedbyISRO.

Transmission

• Thevirusistransmittedtopeoplefromwildanimalsandspreadsinthehumanpopulationthrough human-to-human transmission.

• Thevirusisnotairborne,whichmeansapersoncannotgetthediseasesimplybybreathingthesameair asan infected patient.

• Ebolajumpstohumansfrominfectedanimalslikechimpanzees,fruitbatsandforestantelope.

• OneofthenaturalreservoiroftheEbolavirusisbushmeat–non-domesticatedforestanimalshunted for consumption.

• Thediseasespreadsbetweenhumansthroughdirectcontactwithinfectedblood,bodilyfluids or organs.

• Itcanalsospreadindirectlythroughcontactwithcontaminatedenvironment.

ISROANNOUNCES ‘BHUVAN’,ANALTERNATIVE TOGOOGLEMAPS⦿CONTEXT: In an attempt to compete with Google Maps, Indian Space

ResearchOrganisation (ISRO) has partnered with digital mapping andnavigationtechnology solutions provider MapmyIndia to launch anIndian Mapsalternative.

⦿ABOUT: WhatareIndianmapalternatives?

• Aspartofthispartnership,MapMyIndia’sendusermaps,appsandserviceswillnowintegratewithISRO’scatalogueofsatelliteimageryandearthobservationdata.

o MapMyIndiabeganin1992,withanaimtoenhanceIndia’smap-makingcapabilities.

o MapmyIndia’smapscover7.5lakhIndianvillages,7500+citiesatstreetandbuilding-level,connectedby63lakhkilometersofroadnetworkpanIndiaandwithincities.

• The service would be a “privacy-centric” option, compared to “foreign map appsandsolutions”.

• It will enable ISRO and MapmyIndia to jointly identify and build a holisticgeospatialportalutilisingearthobservationdatasets,‘NavIC’,WebServicesandAPIs(applicationprogramming interface) available in MapmyIndia, ‘Bhuvan’, ‘VEDAS’ and‘MOSDAC’geoportals.

• Userswillbeabletoseemappingdataalongwithinformationaboutweather,pollution,agriculturaloutput,land-usechanges,flood andlandslidedisasters etc.

Previousoutbreaks• Thevirusfirstappearedintwosimultaneousoutbreaksin1976inSouthSudanandtheDem

ocraticRepublicof Congo(DRC).

• ThelastmajorEbolaoutbreakstartedin2014,whichemergedinGuineaandthenmovedacross borderstoSierraLeone and Liberia.

• Duringtheoutbreak,morethan11,000patientsoutofaround28,000withdetectedEbolacases losttheir lives.



Transmission






















Transmission





















Karlapatsanctuary• Karlapat sanctuary is spread over an area of 175 square km in Odisha’s

Kalahandidistrict.

• The sanctuary home to tigers, leopards, sambars, nilgais, barking deer, mousedeerandawidevarietyofbirdslikegreenmunia,greateared-nightjarandvariousreptiles,apart fromelephants.

• The forest consists of flora like Sal, Bija, Asan, Harida, Amala, Bahada andBambooandvarieties of medicinalplants.

• There are several small and big waterfalls inside the sanctuary likePhurlijharan,Ghusrigudi,Dumnijhola,Kamalajharan,Koyirupa,KuangandRajaRani.

GeospatialPortals

• Bhuvanisthenationalgeo-portaldevelopedandhostedbyISROcomprisinggeospatialdata,services, and tools for analysis.

• VEDAS (Visualisation of Earth observation Data and Archival System) is anonlinegeoprocessing platform that uses optical, microwave, thermal, andhyperspectral EOdata covering applications particularly meant for academia, researchand problemsolving

• MOSDAC(MeteorologicalandOceanographicSatelliteDataArchivalCentre)isa datarepository for all the meteorological missions of ISRO and deals with weather-relatedinformation,oceanography, andtropicalwater cycles.

⦿ CONTEXT:

HAEMORRHAGICSEPTICAEMIA

SixelephantsdiedofhaemorrhagicsepticaemiainKarlapatWildlifeSanctuaryinOdisha’sKalahandidistrictwithin14daysoftime.

⦿ABOUT: WhatisHaemorrhagicSepticaemia?

• Haemorrhagicsepticaemiaisacontagiousbacterialdiseasewhichinfectsanimalsthatcomeincontact with contaminated water orsoil.

• ItiscausedbycertainserotypesofPasteurellamultocida,aGramnegativecoccobacillusresidingmostlyas a commensal inthe nasopharynxof animals.

• Thediseasegenerallyspreadsintheperiodrightbeforeandafterthemonsoons.Itcanaffectcattle, buffalo and other animals.

• HaemorrhagicsepticaemiaoccursinpartsofAsiaandAfricaandisoftenfatal.

• Itcanbetransmittedbyingestingcontaminatedfoodandwaterorthroughrespiratorysecretions.

• HemorrhagicsepticaemiaisanimportantdiseaseinAsia,Africa,andtheMiddleEast.Ithasnever been confirmedin Mexico, Centralor South America.

INDIASUCCESSFULLYTEST-FIRESHELINA,DHRUVASTRAANTI-TANKGUIDEDMISSILES⦿ CONTEXT: Joint User Trials for Helina (Army Version) and Dhruvastra (Air

ForceVersion) Missile Systems have been carried out from AdvancedLightHelicopter(ALH)platformindesertranges.



Kalahandidistrict.




GeospatialPortals




⦿ CONTEXT:














Kalahandidistrict.




GeospatialPortals




⦿ CONTEXT:













⦿ABOUT: HelinaandDhruvastramissilesystems• TheHelina(Armyversion)andDhruvastra(AirForcevariant)arethird-generation

variantsoftheNaganti-tankguidedmissilesystem.• ThemissilesystemshavebeendesignedanddevelopedindigenouslybyDefenceResearchan

d DevelopmentOrganisation(DRDO).

Features• TheyarebasedontheLockonBeforeLaunch(LOBL)fireandforgetAnti-

TankGuidedMissilessystem.• Theycanengagetargetsbothindirecthitmodeaswellastopattackmode.• Thesystemhasall-weatherdayandnightcapability.

Anti-tankguidedmissile(ATGM)• Ananti-tankguidedmissile(ATGM),anti-tankmissile,anti-tankguided

weapon(ATGW),oranti-armorguidedweaponisaguidedmissile.• Itisprimarilydesignedtohitanddestroyheavilyarmored militaryvehicles.• India’sAnti-tankmissiles:➤DRDO AntiTankMissile➤Amoghamissile➤Nagmissile➤HELINAmissile/Dhruvastra➤SANTmissile➤Man-PortableAnti-tankGuidedMissile(MPATGM)➤Jasmineanti-tankmissile-VEMtechnologies

Nagmissile• TheNagmissile(Prospina-fortheland-attackversion),isanIndianmissilewith:➤third-generation➤all-weather➤fire-and-forget➤lock-onafterlaunch➤anti-tankguidedmissile(ATGM)➤theoperationalrangeof500mto20km• TheNaghasfivevariants➤alandversion,foramast-mountedsystem➤thehelicopter-launchedNag(HELINAandDhruvastra)➤a"man-portable"version(MPATGM)➤anair-launchedversion➤NagMissileCarrier(NAMICA)"tankbuster"• Development of the Nag is part of the Integrated Guided Missile

DevelopmentProgram(IGMDP),runbytheDefenceResearchandDevelopmentOrganisation(DRDO).

DETAILEDGENOMEOFTHE MALARIAMOSQUITOVECTOR⦿CONTEXT: In a latest development, scientists have unveiled the detailed genome

ofthe malaria mosquito vector, revealing thousands of new genes vitalforthedevelopmentofgeneticcontrolstrategiesofdiseasetransmission.


























Genome• Agenomeisallgeneticmaterialofanorganism.ItconsistsofDNA(orRNAinRNAviruses).

• The genome includes both the genes (the coding regions) and the noncodingDNA,aswell as mitochondrial DNAand chloroplast DNA.

• Thestudyofthegenomeiscalledgenomics.

Malariain India• Malaria is a potentially life-threatening disease caused by parasites

(Plasmodiumvivax, Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium malariae andPlasmodiumovale)thataretransmittedthroughthebiteofinfectedfemaleAnophelesmosquitoes.

• According to the World Malaria Report 2019, India represents 3% of theglobalmalariaburden.

⦿ABOUT: Key-highlightsofthefindings• Thedetailedgenomeofthemalariamosquitovector,revealedthousandsofnewgenesvitalfo

rthedevelopmentofgenetic controlstrategiesofdiseasetransmission.• ScientistsproducedanewreferencegenomefortheAsianmalariavectormosquito

Anophelesstephensi.o AnophelesstephensiisamajormalariavectormosquitoinurbanareasofSouthAsiaand

has recently invadedthe horn of Africa.

o ItispredictedtobecomeamajorurbanmalariavectorinAfrica,putting126millionurbanAfricans at risk.

• The newly revealed genes play key roles in blood feeding and the metabolismofingestedbloodmeal,reproductionandimmunityagainstmicrobialparasites.

• Thefindingsinclude29previouslyundetectedgenesthatplaycriticalrolesinresistancetochemicalinsecticides,anadvancementthatlendsitselftothenecessityofaddressinggrowingAfricanandAsianAn.stephensipopulationswithinsecticide-resistantmutations.

• Thenewgenomeassemblyisacomprehensiveandaccuratemapofgenomicfunctionalelements and will serve as a foundation for the new age of active genetics in An.Stephensi.

The need• Mosquito-transmittedmalariaistheleadingglobalkilleramongvector-

bornediseases,claimingover 400,000 human livesin2019.

• Inordertoengineeradvancedformsofdefenceagainstmalariatransmission,includingtargetedCRISPRandgenedrive-basedstrategies,scientistsrequireintricateknowledgeofthegenomes of vectormosquitoes.

oCRISPRtechnologyisageneeditingtoolwhichallowsresearcherstoeasilyalterDNAsequencesand modify gene function.

Significanceofthedevelopment• ThedevelopmentcanhelpaddressthegrowingAsianandAfricanAn.stephensipopulationswithin

secticide-resistant mutations.

• Thefindingsalsooffercluessuggestingthatthemolecularbasisofinsecticideresistancemaydiffer between sexes.

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Current Affairs - FEBRUARY-2021 - Vanik IAS

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