MONTHLYCURRENT AFFAIRSNOVEMBER 2021

IAS/HAS/PCSIAS/HAS/PCS

OUR ACHIEVER 2019-20

Mayank SharmaHAS Rank-2 (SDM)

Vipan KumarDistrict ManagerAnshul Kumar

HAS Rank-15 (DEO)

PriyankaHAS Rank-12 (BDO)

Akshay SharmaHAS Rank-9 (DEO)

Piyush ChauhanSecretary

Rajneesh ChauhanSecretary

Anubhav sharmaExecutive Officer

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS/SECRETARY

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Index

Sr. No. Topics Page No.

1 Polity and Governance 2-14

2 Economy 14-26

3 India and World 26-32

4 Environment 33-46

5 Science and Tech. 46-54

6 Himachal current affairs 54-67

7 Defence 68-68

8 Summit and Conferences 68-70

9 Index 71-72

10 MOU 72-73

11 Government schemes 73-76

12 Appointment 77-78

13 Award 78-79

14 Days and Themes 79-81

15 Sports 81-82

16 Miscellaneous 82-92

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Polity and Governance

Personal Data Protection (PDP) Law

Why in news?

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has appealed from exemption from Personal Data

Protection (PDP) Law, to avoid the duplicity of laws..

Why demand for exemption?

• The UIDAI demanded that it should get a blanket exemption from the Personal Data Protection

(PDP) Law.

• It further argued that it already is being governed by the Aadhaar Act and the PDP bill could be

counter-productive.

About Personal Data Protection (PDP) Bill 2019:

• The Bill is based on a report made by an Expert Committee chaired by Justice B.N. Srikrishna.

• The bill was passed to provide protection to personal data of individuals. It seeks to create

framework for processing personal data, by establishing a Data Protection Authority. It governs

processing of personal data by government, companies incorporated in India, as well as foreign

companies that deals with personal data of individuals in India. It categorises personal data like

financial data, caste, religious & political beliefs, biometric data etc as sensitive personal data.

Key features of the bill:

• Data classification: There are three sorts of user data: sensitive, critical, and general.

• Data Principle Concept: Gives the data principle control over his or her personal data and how it

is used.

• Individuals must have the right to be forgotten, which permits them to withdraw their

permission to data collection and disclosure.

• Exemptions: The government has the authority to request data for research or national security

purposes.

• The establishment of an independent regulator, the Data Protection Authority (DPA), to protect

the public's interests and prevent data misuse.

• Each company will have a Data Protection Officer (DPO) who will work in conjunction with the

Data Protection Authority (DPA).

• User Verification Mechanism (UVM): Based on the severity of data, social media firms must

design UVM.

• The non-personal data can be stored and processed outside of India, but personal data must be

kept on Indian Territory.

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What are the various challenges?

• The data protection authority's independence is debatable.

• A wide range of data is available to the government.

• It features a problematic section 35 that gives the Central government the right to suspend all

or some of the Act's provisions for government agencies, citing "Indian sovereignty and

integrity," "public order," "friendly relations with foreign governments," and "state security."

• The prevalent digital illiteracy is also a major source of concern.

• The convoluted wording employed by internet service providers in their terms and conditions.

• Inadequate digital infrastructure.

Way forward

• Data localization should be made mandatory.

• Focus on improving digital literacy and awareness, not just the digital economy.

• They must focus on the autonomy of the data protection authority.

• To establish an effective data protection policy, the DPB should be passed and enforced as soon

as possible.

Bhasha Sangam Initiative: Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat

Why in news?

Recently, the Union Education minister launched the Bhasha Sangam initiative for schools, Bhasha

Sangam Mobile App and Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Mobile Quiz to commemorate Rashtriya Ekta

Diwas.

About Bhasha Sangam-

• It is an initiative of the Ministry of Education under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat, to teach basic

sentences of everyday usage in 22 Indian languages under VIII schedule of the Constitution of

India.

• The idea is that people should acquire basic conversational skills in an Indian language other

than their mother tongue.

• One of its objectives is to enhance linguistic tolerance and respect, and promote national

integration.

• It is aimed that at least 75 lakh people should acquire this skill during the Azadi Ka Amrit

Mahotsav period.

About Bhasha Sangam Mobile App:

• It is an initiative of the Department of Higher Education(DoHE) in collaboration with MyGov.

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• The App initially has 100 sentences of everyday usage in 22 Indian languages. These sentences

are available in both Roman script and in the script of the given language and also in audio

format.

About Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Quiz App:

• It is a quiz game targeted toward children and youngsters for helping them learn more about

our different regions, states, culture, national Heroes, monuments, traditions, tourist locations,

languages, geography, history and topography.

NHRC on Police Reforms

Why in news?

Recently, the National Human Rights Commission(NHRC) core advisory group on criminal justice system

reforms has issued several directives to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the State Governments

on the reforms in the Criminal Justice System.

➢ The NHRC has asked the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and the State Governments to set up

Police Complaints Authorities as per the Supreme Court judgment in Prakash Singh vs. Union

of India, 2006.

What is the Police Complaint Authority(PCA)?

• PCA is a body that adjudicates allegations of improper or shoddy investigations, refusal to file

FIRs, custodial torture grievous hurt, rape or death in police custody

• It makes recommendations to the government for taking disciplinary action against erring police

officers.

• In India, seventeen states have established the PCAs through State Police Acts, while ten states

have done this through executive orders.

Other key recommendations of NHRC-

▪ The NHRC’s core advisory group on criminal justice system reforms has said there is an

immediate need to set up police complaints authorities at the State/UT and district level.

▪ The core group, which met on August 18, recommended to the MHA and the States that

the status of compliance should be displayed on the websites of the Ministry and the State

Home Departments.

▪ It also said the MHA and the Law Ministry should consider implementing the recommendations

of the 113th report of the Law Commission to add Section 114 B to the Indian Evidence Act.

▪ This would ensure that in case a person sustains injuries in police custody, it is presumed that

the injuries were inflicted by the police and the burden of proof to explain the injury lies on the

authority concerned.

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▪ The core group also recommended making the legal framework technology-friendly to speed

up the criminal justice system.

▪ It also recommended that the Supreme Court’s December 2020 order to install CCTV cameras

with night vision in all police stations should be “implemented immediately” to ensure

accountability.

▪ Among the recommendations were the involvement of trained social workers and law students

with police stations as part of community policing and incorporating community policing in

police manuals, laws and advisories.

Nutrition Smart Village Initiative

Why in news?

As part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, to commemorate the 75th year of Independence of India a

programme on "Nutrition Smart Village" will be initiated to strengthen the Poshan Abhiyan.

About Nutrition Smart Village Programme:

• As part of the programme, a total of 75 villages will be

adopted by All India Coordinated Research Project

(AICRP) centres and Indian Council of Agricultural

Research – Central Institute for Women in

Agriculture (ICAR-CIWA).

• The Programme is in line with the Prime Minister’s call

to adopt and transform 75 villages.

Objectives of the Programme

• To promote nutritional awareness.

• To promote Education and behavioral change in rural

areas involving farm women and school children

• To harness traditional knowledge through the local recipe to overcome malnutrition and

• To implement nutrition-sensitive agriculture through homestead agriculture and Nutri-garden.

Char-Dham Project

Why in news?

Recently the Supreme Court has highlighted the need to balance national security concerns with

environmental issues in context of Char- Dham Project.

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About Char-Dham Project:

• The Char Dham project consists of widening and repairing 889-kilometres of national highways

leading to revered shrines of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri.

• It is a proposed two-lane expresses National Highway with a minimum width of 10 metres in

the state of Uttarakhand.

• The project includes 900 km national highways will connect whole of Uttarakhand state.

Chamba Tunnel:

• The Chamba tunnel is 440 m long and is a Horseshoe type tunnel with 10-metre carriageway

width and 5.5m vertical clearance.

• The BRO achieved this major milestone by digging up a 440 m long Tunnel below the busy

Chamba town on Rishikesh-Dharasu road Highway (NH 94).

Environmental Concerns:

• Char dham project is being constructed in the ecologically sensitive area of the Lesser

Himalayas which have a history of frequent landslides because of their recent origin and are,

therefore, unstable.

➢ The area forms the Main Central Thrust of the Lesser Himalayan region. This is where the

Indian tectonic plate goes under the Eurasian Tectonic Plate

• The project will refurbish 900 km of the damaged highways with two lanes, 12 bypass roads,

15 big flyovers, 101 small bridges, 3,596 culverts and two tunnels.

➢ Major portion of the project area falls under the dry deciduous biome along the dry slopes

of the rivers.

➢ Ruthless harvesting or uprooting of vegetation in the widening of roads can prove to be

perilous for the biodiversity and regional ecology.

➢ The existence of river slopes depends on the vegetal cover. These slopes become fragile for

flush floods and landslides in the absence of vegetal cover.

Impacting Biodiversity within project corridor:

• Vegetation: Chir Pine, Malu, Semal, Khair, Bel, Dhaula, Bansa along with high-value medicinal

herbs like Kalihari (Gloriosa superba) and Makoy (Solanum nigrum).

• Grasses: Apluda mutica, Heteropogon contortus, Thysolaena sp., and Eriophorum comosum.

• Animals: Leopard, Sambhar, Kakad, Goral, Siyar, Sehi, Udbilav, and many species of bats are

common mammals of this biome.

• Birds: Kalij Pheasant (Schedule-I), Tragopans (Schedule-I), and various species of Vultures

(Schedule-I) along with endangered fish Golden Mahseer.

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Purvanchal Expressway: UP

Recently PM Modi inaugurated the 341-km Purvanchal Expressway at Karwal Kheri in Sultanpur district,

Uttar Pradesh.

Key Highlights:

• Expressway starts at Chandsara village, (Lucknow), located near the existing Lucknow-

Sultanpur Road (NH-731), and it ends at Haidaria village Gazipur on National Highway 31, UP-

Bihar border, in Ghazipur district is only 18 km where this 6 lanes expressway finally ends.

• The expressway has been billed as the “carrier of development” to the underdeveloped

Purvanchal region with an estimated cost of Rs 22,496 crore.

• The expressway will develop an industrial corridor providing connectivity from the eastern to

western borders of UP thereby opening the gates of development. The two major ends of

the industrial corridor will be the existing Agra-Lucknow and Agra-Noida Yamuna expressways

providing multi-modal transport services that would pass through the states as main arteries.

• The expressway will go through major urban centres of Uttar Pradesh covering districts like

Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Sultanpur, Ayodhya, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau and

Ghazipur.

• It will be equipped with modern amenities like CNG stations, electric recharge stations for

vehicles and will be eased with 18 flyovers, seven railway over bridges, seven long bridges, 104

minor bridges, 13 interchanges and 271 underpasses.

• It will also be connected with the defence corridor through the Agra and Bundelkhand

expressways which will boost Defence Infra in the country.

Covid-19 Impact on Learning: ASER 2021

Why in news?

16th Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2021 (Rural) was published by Pratham foundation on

November 17, 2021. The report focused on rural school education levels in a post-pandemic world.

Key highlights of the report:

• As per the ASER survey conducted in September, in Andhra Pradesh, less than 35% of children

had textbooks, and only 60% had textbooks in Rajasthan. More than 98% had textbooks in

West Bengal, Nagaland and Assam

• The ASER survey mentions that in the week of the survey, about one in three rural children had

done no learning activity at all

• It also states that about two in three had no learning materials or activity given by their school

that week, and only one in ten had access to live online classes.

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• The ASER survey provides a glimpse into the levels of learning loss that students in rural India

are suffering, with varying levels of access to technology, school and family resources resulting

in a digital divide in education.

Enrolment:

• It found that 5.3% of rural children aged 6-10 years had not yet enrolled in school this year, in

comparison to just 1.8% in 2018.

• This seems to indicate that due to the disruptions caused by the pandemic, families are waiting

for the physical opening of schools to enrol their youngest children, with about 10% of six-year-

olds not in school.

• Among 15-16-year-olds, however, enrolment levels are actually slightly higher than in 2018.

• Enrolment patterns also show a slight shift toward government schools, with private schools

seeing a drop in enrolment in all age groups.

Smartphones:

• In 2018, ASER surveyors found that about 36% of rural households with school-going children

had smartphones.

• By 2020, that figure had spiked to 62%. About 11% of families bought a new phone after the

lockdown, of which 80% were smartphones.

Learning materials

• However, two thirds of rural children nationwide reported that they had not received any

learning materials or activities at all.

• In Bihar, less than 8% got such materials from their schools, along with 20% in West Bengal,

Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

• On the other hand, more than 80% of rural children in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Kerala and

Gujarat received such input.

• Many children did learning activities on their own, with or without regular input.

• Of the 70% who did some activities, 11% had access to live online classes, and 21% had videos or

recorded classes, with much higher levels in private schools.

• About 60% studied from their textbooks, and 20% watched classes broadcast on TV.

• In Andhra Pradesh, half of all children did no learning activity at all, while in Kerala, only 5% of

children were left out.

Parental education:

• As per the survey, about 20% of children whose parents had less than five years of education got

learning materials, compared to 46% among parents who had studied beyond Class IX

themselves.

• Almost 40% in low education households got no materials and did no learning, compared to 17%

of high education families.

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• However, almost 40% of low education families persevered and did some learning activities

even without receiving any learning materials at all, the survey found.

About ASER:

• ASER is a nationwide survey of rural education and learning outcomes in terms of reading and arithmetic skills that has been conducted by the NGO Pratham for the last 15 years.

• This year, the survey was conducted via phone calls, reaching 52,227 rural households with school age children in 30 States and Union Territories.

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) Report on Political Fundings

Why in news?

According to a survey by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), over 55 percent of funds

collected by regional parties in FY 2019-20 originated from “unknown” sources.

Key findings of the report

• A significant portion comes from “unknown” sources: Nearly all of the donations from

“unknown” sources came in the form of electoral bonds.

• According to the study, donations from “unknown” sources accounted for 70.98 percent of

national parties’ income.

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• The list was topped by southern parties: TRS, TDP, YSR Congress Party, DMK, and JD(S), all from

the south, topped the list of regional parties with the largest income from “unknown” sources.

• Donors who are “well-known”: Regional parties earn 22.98 percent of their total income in

donations from “known” donors.

• TRS had the highest earnings: Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) recorded the greatest income

from undisclosed sources among regional parties.

ADR Recommendations:

• In 2016, 255 parties were removed from the list of registered unrecognised parties because

they were no longer active.

• This exercise should be continued in order to weed out all political parties that have not run for

office in more than five years, as well as to tighten the registration procedure.

• The registration of political parties must be regulated in order to prevent money laundering,

corrupt election tactics, and the misuse of money power.

• As a result, the ECI should enforce tight standards for registering a group of people as a

political party, as well as taking the drastic step of delisting parties that do not follow the rules.

• Unrecognized parties should be subjected to IT examination, particularly those that do not run

for office but record the receipt of voluntary funds.

About Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR)

• A group of professors from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad founded the

Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) in 1999.

• They filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) with the Delhi High Court in 1999, seeking for [or

requesting] the disclosure of candidates’ criminal, financial, and educational backgrounds.

• Based on this, the Supreme Court mandated that all candidates contesting elections file an

affidavit with the Election Commission disclosing their criminal, financial, and educational

backgrounds before to the election.

• The first election watch was undertaken by ADR in 2002 for the Gujarat Assembly Elections, in

which the electorate was given a full analysis of the backgrounds of candidates contesting

elections in order to enable them make an informed choice during the polls.

• Since then, ADR has worked with the National Election Watch to organise Election Watches for

practically all state and parliament elections. It works on a number of programmes aiming at

improving the country’s political and electoral systems’ transparency and accountability.

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor project

Why in news?

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be inaugurating Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor project in

Varanasi on December 13, 2021.

➢ It is a major project with a budget of 600 crores (approximately).

➢ The purchase of land and structures around the temple complex, as well as resettlement

compensation, cost an estimated 300 crores.

About Kashi Vishwanath Temple:

• It is one of the most well-known Hindu temples in the world, dedicated to Lord Shiva.

• It is located at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

• The temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas, the holiest of Shiva temples, and is located on the

western bank of the holy river Ganga.

Concerning the project

• At least 400 households were evicted from the region, and various encroachments around the

mediaeval temple were demolished to make space for the project.

• A paved walkway connects the temple to the ghats as part of the project.

• A museum, a library, a pilgrim facilitation centre, and a salvation house will be included.

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Ceremony

• The main ‘archakas’ of the 12 ‘Jyotirlingas’ would be present at the function (of which Kashi is

one),

• Water was brought in from all of the country’s major rivers for the ‘abhishek’ of the chief deity,

Baba Vishwanath (Lord Shiva).

• The event will include a sound and laser performance about the temple’s history and successive

reconstructions after devastation.

• The Ganga ghats will be illuminated in the tradition of ‘Dev Dipawali.’

Purpose of a corridor:

Congestion should be reduced.

• The temple, which is located on the Ganga’s left bank, is bordered by tight and claustrophobic

alleyways.

• As a result, it has difficulty dealing with large crowds in its packed lanes during holiday seasons,

which occur throughout the year.

Boost the tourism industry

• It would give facilities such as bigger and cleaner roads and lanes, greater lighting with bright

street lights, and pure drinking water to pilgrims and travellers.

The CBI & ED Directors Tenure were Extended

Why in news?

Recently the President signed two ordinances allowing the Centre to extend the terms of the heads of

the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate from two to five years.

➢ The Delhi Special Police Establishment (DSPE) Act of 1946 and the Central Vigilance

Commission (CVC) Act of 2003 have been changed to allow the government to keep the two

chiefs in their positions for another year after their two-year mandates have finished.

➢ The chiefs of the Central Agency currently serve for a fixed two-year term, but they can now

be extended three times a year.

Amendments to the DSPE Act:

• Provided that, in the public interest, the period for which the Director holds the office on his

initial appointment may be extended up to one year at a time, on the recommendation of the

Committee (which includes the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, and the Chief

Justice of India) and for reasons to be recorded in writing.

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• Provided, further, that no such extension shall be granted after the expiration of a total of five

years, including the initial appointment period.

CVC Act Amendments:

• On the recommendation of the Committee (which includes the CVC chief, Revenue and Home

Secretaries, among others) and for reasons to be recorded in writing, the period for which the

Director of Enforcement holds the office on his initial appointment may be extended up to one

year at a time in the public interest.

• Provided, further, that no such extension shall be granted after the expiration of a total of five

years, including the initial appointment period.

Criticism

• The decision has enraged the Opposition, as the ordinances were introduced just two weeks

before the winter session of Parliament began.

• 17th Lok Sabha: In the 17th Lok Sabha, the BJP government introduced 3.7 ordinances for every

ten bills.

• Pet parrots at ED and CBI: Some people have complained that the same stunts are used to

maintain their pets in ED and CBI.

Central Bureau of Investigation

• It is the central government’s primary investigation agency for matters involving corruption

and major criminal investigations.

• Its origins can be traced back to the Special Police Establishment, which was established in

1941 to investigate bribery and corruption during World War II.

• After the Santhanam committee’s recommendation, the Ministry of Home Affairs passed a

resolution establishing the CBI in 1963.

Enforcement Directorate

• The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is an Indian law enforcement and economic intelligence

organisation tasked with enforcing economic laws and combating economic crime.

• It is part of the Ministry of Finance’s Department of Revenue.

• Officers from the Indian Revenue Service, Indian Police Service, and Indian Administrative

Service, as well as promoted officers from its own cadre, make up this body.

• This Directorate dates back to 1 May 1956, when the Department of Economic Affairs

established a ‘Enforcement Unit’ to handle Exchange Control Laws infractions under the Foreign

Exchange Regulation Act of 1947.

Rani Kamlapati

Why in news?

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The Habibganj railway station in Bhopal has been renamed Rani Kamlapati station.

➢ On November 15, the birth anniversary of the legendary 19th-century tribal freedom hero Birsa

Munda, the renamed and refurbished railway station was inaugurated.

Reason behind the Chnage

According to the state government, the renaming is being done to honour the memories and sacrifices

of a Gond queen.

About Gond community:

• With a population of over 1.2 crore, the Gond community is India’s largest tribal group.

• The Gond are a Scheduled Tribe from India’s central and south-central regions. Madhya

Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, and Odisha are all

home to the Gond.

• The Gonds are members of the Gondi–Manda subgroup of the Dravidian language family’s

South Central branch.

Rani Kamlapati, and her storey:

• In the 18th century, Rani Kamlapati was the widow of Nizam Shah, whose Gond dynasty ruled

the then Ginnorgarh, 55 kilometres from Bhopal.

• After her husband was assassinated, Kampalati is said to have displayed remarkable bravery in

battling aggressors during her rule.

• Kamlapati was Bhopal’s “last Hindu queen,” who worked hard to improve water management

and establish parks and temples.

Economics

Exchange Traded Funds (ETF)

Why in news?

Recently, the Cabinet

Committee on Economic

Affairs, chaired by the Prime

Minister of India, has approved

India’s first corporate bond

Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) —

Bharat Bond ETF.

About Exchange Traded Funds:

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• An Exchange Traded Fund is a fund which invests in shares, bonds or commodities and tracks

their prices.

• Hence, the value of ETF is in turn based upon the value of underlying security or commodity.

• The ETFs are traded on the stock exchanges like Shares.

BHARAT BOND ETF:

• It is a debt-based ETF made by pooling bonds issued by central public sector enterprises.

• It is the 1st corporate bond ETF of India.

• Minimum investment: Rs.1000; Maximum investment for retail investors: Rs. 2 Lakh; Maturity

Period: 3-year and 10-year.

What is Gold-based ETFs?

• The Gold-based ETFs are those ETFs which invest in Gold. The company issuing the gold ETFs

invests its money in physical Gold and converts its investment in different units of paper-based

ETF.

• Normally, 1 unit of gold ETF in paper form represents 1 gm of physical gold. So, when a person

buys 10 units of ETF, it is akin to buying of 10 gms of gold.

• Please note that the person does not get custody of the physical gold on buying the ETF. He

gets only the units of ETF which represents physical Gold.

• These ETFs can be bought or sold in the stock exchange.

Redemption of Gold-based ETFs:

• Only some of the ETFs provide the option of redemption of Gold based ETF in terms of physical

Gold for the retail Investor.

• However, for large Investors, the Redemption in terms of physical Gold is allowed only after

their investment exceeds a certain threshold. This threshold varies across ETF and is usually

above 1 kg (1000 Units).

Advantages of Gold-based ETF:

• Secure investment: No concerns over theft or storage

• Easy Transactions: Traded on the Stock Exchanges

• Loan Collateral: Can be used as Collateral to borrow loans

• Higher Returns: Provide higher returns to the Investment

Suicides of agricultural labourers: NCRB

Why in news?

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According to a recent report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Suicides among farm

workers have increased by 18%.

Key Highlights of the report:

• In total, 10,677 farm workers committed suicide in 2020, somewhat more than the 10,281 who

committed suicide in 2019.

• They accounted for 7% of all suicides in the United States.

• In 2020, 5,098 agricultural labourers committed suicide, an increase of 18% from the 4,324 who

committed suicide the previous year.

• The majority of individuals who died did so because their principal source of income and job was

in agriculture or horticulture.

• Suicides decreased by 3.7 percent among farmers who cultivate their own land, with or without

the assistance of other labourers.

• Suicides among tenant farmers cultivating leased property have decreased by 23%, from 828 to

639.

Various states’ performance:

• Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state, with 4,006 suicides in the agricultural

sector, including a 15% increase in farmworker suicides.

• Karnataka (2016), Andhra Pradesh (889), and Madhya Pradesh are among the other states

having a bad track record (735).

• In 2020, the number of farmworker suicides in Karnataka increased by 43 percent.

• Andhra Pradesh was one of the few states to see an improvement, with 14 percent fewer

suicides in the agricultural sector.

Agriculture’s problems include:

• Despite record production of some major agricultural products and an increase in exports,

India’s farm sector faces some underlying challenges, including low crop yields, monsoon

dependency, a low share of exports in global markets, a lag in farm mechanisation, the burden

of loans, and farmer suicides. All of this adds to the already-struggled industry’s burden, limiting

its expansion.

Suicides among farmers are caused by a variety of factors.

• There is no consensus on the major causes, but studies reveal that suicide victims are driven by

a variety of factors, the most common of which is the inability to repay loans.

• The following are some of the suicide causes that account for at least a percentage of all suicide

deaths:

• The most significant increases were in poverty and unemployment.

• Then there’s drug or alcohol addiction, disease, and family issues.

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• Although there has been a rise in student suicides, it is more likely that this is due to longer-

term issues (such as incapacity to continue school) rather than tests.

Challenges to come:

• Irrigation reaches less than half of India’s total farmland, a situation that has remained largely

unchanged over the last decade, and more than 60% of our farmers are vulnerable to rainfall

irregularities.

• Rain-fed farming yields are typically half of what irrigated farmland yields.

• Though India’s fertiliser use has caught up to that of the rest of the world, this is neither

efficient nor environmentally sustainable. Both of these factors increase the expense of farming.

• After an early surge during the Green Revolution, research on high-yielding crops has

plateaued, forcing farmers to rely on patented seeds to squeeze more out of their meagre

acreage.

• Initiatives like the eNAM are assisting in the direct integration of farmers’ produce with the

market, although eliminating the role of intermediaries is still a work in progress.

Way forward

• Policy management that is proactive: It can optimise the benefits for all stakeholders, including

those who are left out.

• Mental Health Helpline: Raising Mental Health Awareness.

• Raising the MSP in accordance with the recommendations of the MS Swaminathan Committee.

• Farming Value Chains Should Be Improved: In order to get higher pricing, agriculture should

build a value chain that includes farming, wholesaling, warehousing, logistics, processing, and

retailing.

• Direct Benefit Transfers: Direct benefit transfers are the most effective and least distortive

means to support farmers.

• Loan waivers aren’t a cure-all:

• What’s evident is that loan forgiveness isn’t the panacea that politicians portray it to be.

• Those wishing to assist India’s farmers should work considerably harder to determine what they

truly require.

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)

Why in news?

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme has a negative

net balance of Rs. 8,686 crore, according to its own financial statement.

Key Highlights:

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• The Centre’s flagship rural employment scheme has ran out of money halfway through the

fiscal year, and supplemental budgetary allocations will not be able to save it till the new

Parliamentary session begins in a month.

• The budget for the scheme in 2021-22 was set at just Rs. 73,000 crore.

• The central government claimed that the statewide lockdown had ended and that supplemental

financial allocations would be available if funds ran out.

• However, the overall expenditure, including payments due, had already surpassed Rs. 79,810

crore as of October 29.

• Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal are the worst-performing states, with a

negative net balance in 21 of them..

About MGNREGA:

• In 2005, the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) was enacted.

• The goal is to increase people’s livelihood security in rural areas.

• It is a countrywide programme that guarantees any rural household that requests it 100 days of

wage employment each year.

• Its goal is to ensure the ‘Right to Work.’

• Every enrolled household gets a Job Card (JC) to keep track of the job they’ve done.

• The gram panchayat is in charge of implementing the scheme.

• Unemployment benefits will be paid to job seekers if they do not find work within 15 days of

receiving their application.

• Employment must be available within 5 kilometres of an applicant’s home.

• MGNREGA employment is a legislative requirement.

Challenges faced by MGNREGA:

• Low Wage Rate: As a result of this, workers have lost interest, allowing contractors and

intermediaries to gain control.

• Inadequate Budget Allocation: Due to a lack of sanctions from the federal government, money

have dried up in many states, causing work to be hampered during peak season.

• Payment Delays: Despite Supreme Court judgments, numerous initiatives, and other

government orders, no measures for calculating complete salary delays and compensating

workers have been developed.

• Corruption and irregularities: When compared to the actual funds allotted for welfare systems,

the funds that reach the beneficiaries are quite small.

• Discrimination: Discrimination against women and persons from backward groups is recorded

often in different regions of the country, with a large number of occurrences going unreported.

• Non-payment of Unemployment Allowance: The number of unemployment allowances

recorded in the Management Information System is extremely high.

• Lack of Awareness: People, particularly women, are unaware of the plan and its provisions,

resulting in ill-informed decisions or incapacity to take use of the scheme’s benefits.

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• Insufficient Infrastructure Development: Poor quality assets are the result of poor supervision

and a lack of timely resources.

• Non-Purposive Spending: While MGNREGA has boosted the earning power of rural people, the

workers’ spending patterns are important because they rarely save any of their salaries.

Way forward:

• It is necessary to conduct social audits in accordance with the guidelines, as well as to

effectively administer the delay compensation system.

• The compensation clause in the system requires agencies responsible for the delay to pay 0.05

percent of salary per day after the muster roll is closed.

• Women’s and backward-class participation must be encouraged by boosting awareness and

making it more inclusive.

• People should also be made aware of the need to eliminate discrimination against them.

• The reasons for inefficient use of finances should be investigated, and efforts done to remedy

them. Actions should also be taken against officers who are discovered to have misappropriated

monies.

• Villages must also be allowed to take management of their own water security, despite the

fact that many villages’ catchment regions are on Forest Department-controlled and-owned

territory.

• National Level Monitors (NLMs) should be monitored more frequently, and States should take

appropriate action in response to their suggestions.

• The Ministry of Rural Development uses NLMs to monitor MGNREGA on a regular and

exceptional basis, as well as to investigate complaints about misappropriation of money and

other issues.

SBI Report on Shrinking of India’s Informal Economy

Why in news?

According to the latest “Ecowrap” report from the State Bank of India, India’s informal economy has

decreased to roughly 15-20% of official GDP, down from 52 percent three years ago.

Key Highlights of the Report:

• Following the implementation of GST, greater digitalization, and demonetisation, India’s

informal economy has decreased to roughly 15-20% of the official GDP, down from 52 percent

three years ago, according to a report by the State Bank of India’s (SBI) economic research

department.

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• According to SBI Eco wrap, at least Rs 13 lakh crore has entered the official economy through

various routes over the previous few years, including the current programme on the e-Shram

platform.

• According to SBI predictions, the informal agriculture sector has declined from 97.1 percent of

the industry’s GVA in 2017-18 to just 70 percent to 75 percent in 2020-21, owing to higher

credit penetration via Kisan credit cards.

• The informal sector comprises of “own-account” or unorganised businesses that hire workers,

with agriculture accounting for the largest share of such unorganised activity due to tiny and

fragmented holdings.

About informal economy:

• According to the International Labour Organization, the informal sector consists of a variety of

economic units that are primarily owned, operated, and maintained by individuals, and which

typically employ one or more employees on a continuous basis.

• These units are typically involved in the production of goods or services with the primary goal

of providing employment and income to these individuals.

• Agricultural labourers, farmers, small business owners and employees, as well as self-

employed businesses with no hired workers, all fall under this category.

• Even though India has experienced tremendous levels of economic growth over the last three

decades, the informal sector still accounts for more than 80% of non-agricultural employment.

Issues raised by the Report:

• Numbers with flaws: According to some experts, the informal sector accounted for 42-44

percent of GDP, not 52 percent, and while formalisation has increased, the informal sector has

not halved.

• Tax-to-GDP Ratio: In the case of high levels of formalisation, the tax-to-GDP ratio would have

increased dramatically. It has, however, barely increased from roughly 16.5 percent to 17.5

percent.

Factors that Influence the Economy’s Formalization

GST adoption:

• Once GST is in place, a paper trail will be created, and most businesses will be unable to

operate unless they are part of the formal economy.

• Technology is being used to construct aggregation platforms for service providers such as

Amazon, Flipkart, Uber, Ola, and others. These platforms not only help to create jobs, but they

also help to formalise the economy.

Demonetisation combined with the prohibition of cash transactions:

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• Above a defined ceiling and other attempts to reduce the economy’s cash intensity have put the

informal sector under strain, since they remove most of the arbitrage available to the sector’s

operators.

• Rules are being developed to compel all units to pay salaries to workers through direct deposit

into their bank accounts as nowadays no party in its supply chain wants to deal in big volumes of

cash.

Simplify tax administration:

• More often than tax rates, tax administration is recognised as a difficulty. Consider using a single

tax for MSMEs to reduce the number of payments. Offer a variety of payment choices, such as

one-time or instalment payments.

Reforms to labour laws:

• These safeguard fundamental rights while making it simpler to hire, fire, and employ employees

on flexible contracts.

Cryptocurrencies- Regulation

Why in news?

Recently, the PM chaired a meeting on cryptocurrency where the need for its regulation was

discussed.

➢ Earlier, RBI cautioned investors about digital currency over its non-transparent advertising.

Raise of Cryptocurrencies:

• The pioneer cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, was traded at just $0.0008 in 2010 and commanded a

market price of about $65,000 in April 2021.

• Many newer coins have also been introduced since Bitcoin’s launch and their cumulative market

value touched $2.5 trillion by May 2021.

Significance of Cryptocurrencies:

Corruption Check:

• As blocks run on a peer-to-peer network, it helps keep corruption in check by tracking the flow

of funds and transactions.

Time Effective:

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• Cryptocurrencies can help save money and substantial time for the remitter and the receiver,

as it is conducted entirely on the Internet, runs on a mechanism that involves very less

transaction fees and is almost instantaneous.

Cost Effective:

• Intermediaries such as banks, credit card and payment gateways draw almost 3% from the total

global economic output of over $100 trillion, as fees for their services.

• Integrating blockchain into these sectors could result in hundreds of billions of dollars in savings.

Crypto-currencies in India:

• In 2018, The RBI issued a circular preventing all banks from dealing in cryptocurrencies. This

circular was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in May 2020.

• Recently, the government has announced to introduce a bill; Cryptocurrency and Regulation of

Official Digital Currency Bill, 2021, to create a sovereign digital currency and simultaneously ban

all private cryptocurrencies.

• In India, the funds that have gone into the Indian blockchain start-ups account for less than

0.2% of the amount raised by the sector globally.

• Because of the present stance on cryptocurrencies, it is nearly hard for blockchain

entrepreneurs and investors to make a profit.

• Some of the technology’s real-world applications in relation to cryptocurrencies

Use in voting:

• Voters can vote for the deserving leader while remaining anonymous.

• Use in fund distribution: A large sum of money is distributed to state leaders, but due to corrupt

minds, the money vanishes and is scattered. Cryptocurrency will undoubtedly assist the country

in overcoming it.

The Reserve Bank of India and Digital Currency

• The Reserve Bank of India is looking on a Central Bank Digital Currency based on DLT

(Distributed Ledger Technology).

• Details are recorded in numerous places at the same time under DLT.

• Blockchain, for example, is a sort of distributed ledger.

• CBDC (Central Bank Digital Currency): It will be recognised as legal tender.

• Can be converted/exchanged at the same rate as cash in the same denomination.

Concerns/Challenges

• Cyberattacks on wallets and exchange mechanisms are both security risks (Cryptojacking).

• Used in Illicit Trading, Criminal Activities, and Organized Crime as a Shield.

• The Indian rupee faces a threat if a substantial number of investors choose to invest in digital

currencies rather than rupee-based savings such as provident funds.

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• Outside of regular financial systems, there is a lack of liquidity and lower acceptability.

• Price Volatility: Price swings are common, and computer power is wasted.

• Consumer protection is lacking due to the lack of Dispute Resolution Mechanisms and the

Securities and Exchange Board of India’s oversight (SEBI).

Way forward

• Take a page from the developed world and implement safeguards, measures, and a regulatory

framework.

• The Cryptocurrency Regulation Bill must be passed quickly.

RBI’s Retail Direct Scheme

Why in news?

Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had announced the ‘RBI Retail Direct’ scheme.

About the Scheme:

It is a one-stop solution to facilitate investment in Government Securities by individual investors.

Key highlights:

• Retail investors (individuals) will have the facility to open and maintain the ‘Retail Direct Gilt

Account’ (RDG Account) with RBI.

• RDG Account can be opened through an ‘Online portal’ provided for the purpose of the scheme.

• The ‘Online portal’ will also give the registered users the following facilities:

➢ Access to primary issuance of Government securities

➢ Access to NDS-OM

• The scheme allows that the retail investors can buy and sell Treasury Bills, G-Secs, Sovereign

Gold Bonds and State Development Loans.

• The participation and allotment of securities will be as per the non-competitive scheme for

participation in primary auction of government securities and procedural guidelines for SGB

issuance.

Eligibility under RBI Retail Direct Scheme

• Retail investors, as defined under the scheme, can register under the Scheme and maintain a

RDG Account, if they have the following:

➢ Rupee savings bank account maintained in India;

➢ Permanent Account Number (PAN) issued by the Income Tax Department;

➢ Any OVD for KYC purpose;

➢ Valid email id; and

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➢ Registered mobile number

• The Non-Resident retail investors eligible to invest in Government Securities under Foreign

Exchange Management Act, 1999 are eligible under the scheme.

• The RDG account can be opened singly or jointly with another retail investor who meets the

eligibility criteria.

Significance of the scheme:

• It is aimed at improving ease of access by retail investors through online access to the

government securities market i.e. both primary and secondary.

• The scheme allows that an investor would be able to bid in G-Secs auctions and buy them in the

secondary market as well.

Services offered under RBI Retail Direct Scheme

• Financial Statement: The link provides transaction history and the balance position of securities

holdings in the Retail Direct Gilt Account.

• Provision for nominations: The investors can fill up and upload the nomination form in the

appropriate format, which must be signed.

➢ A maximum of two nominations is allowed.

• Pledge/Lien: The Securities held in the RDG Account will be available for pledge/lien.

• Gift Transactions: ‘Retail Direct Investors’ will have an online facility to gift government

securities to other Retail Direct Investors.

• Grievance redressal: Any query or grievances related to ‘Retail Direct’ Scheme can be raised on

the portal which will be handled/resolved by Public Debt Office (PDO) Mumbai, RBI.

US Inflation and Impact on India

Why in news?

Retail inflation in the United States has surged to 6.2% over the last few days, the highest year-on-year

increase in three decades. These soaring prices have caught the world's attention, as well as that of

India.

What Is Inflation?

• Inflation is the rate

at which prices

increase over a

specified time

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period. In India, inflation is often calculated on a year-on-year basis.

• In other words, if the inflation rate for a certain month is 10%, it means that prices in that

month were 10% higher than they were a year ago.

• In India, inflation is largely assessed by two indices — the WPI (Wholesale Price Index) and the

CPI (Consumer Price Index), which reflect changes in wholesale and retail prices, respectively.

• India's inflation target is a flexible 4 (+/-2) percent.

• Inflation's Effect on People: Because the poor have less money to tolerate rapid price increases,

they bear the brunt of high inflation. However, a moderate level of inflation is necessary for the

economy to boost production.

Reasons behind Rising Inflation In The United States:

• The Federal Reserve, the US central bank, targets a rate of inflation of no more than 2%. When

seen in this light, a 6.2 percent inflation rate represents a fairly rapid increase in prices.

• In most cases, an inflation increase can be attributed to either increased demand or decreased

supply. Both of these factors are at play in the United States.

• Economic recovery has been considerably more rapid than supply chain recovery, exacerbating

the mismatch between demand and supply, resulting in a continuous price increase.

• Demand Side Inflation: The US economy had a sharp recovery following the rapid launch of the

Covid-19 vaccination campaign. A portion of the inflationary surge resulted from this unusually

rapid recovery in consumer demand overall. This recovery was aided further by the government

pumping billions of dollars into the economy to not only provide relief to consumers and jobless

workers but also to stimulate demand.

• Supply Side Inflation: In 2020, the pandemic resulted in widespread lockdowns and disruptions

not just in the United States, but globally. Companies laid off employees and sharply reduced

production. In essence, the global supply chain has not resumed pre-pandemic levels of

production.

• While the United States has witnessed the sharpest increase in prices, inflation has startled

policymakers in the majority of the world's major economies, including Germany, China, and

Japan.

Indian Perspective on Inflation:

• While most other economies were surprised by a spike at prices during the pandemic, India was

one of the few major economies where high inflation predated the pandemic.

• The pandemic exacerbated supply difficulties, even though demand in India has not yet

rebounded to pre-Covid levels.

• As a result, despite the fact that India has entered a "technical" economic recession, the RBI

has not cut its benchmark interest rates (repo rate) once since May 2020.

• The RBI has opted to maintain an accommodative stance for as long as necessary to

reintroduce and sustain growth and to offset the economic impact of Covid-19, while also

ensuring that the inflation remains within target moving forward.

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• While overall inflation appears to be quite manageable at the moment, it is "core" inflation that

is worrying. The core inflation rate is the rate of inflation when food and energy prices are

excluded. It is high and is now on the verge of breaching the RBI's comfort zone. India's inflation

could worsen as a result of the global price hike.

Impact of US Inflation On India:

• When prices raise globally, imported inflation increases. In other words, everything imported by

India and by Indians will become more expensive.

• Inflation in advanced economies, particularly the US, will very certainly force the central

banks to abandon their loose monetary policies.

• In advanced economies, a tight money policy would imply higher interest rates. A tight

monetary policy entails raising interest rates in order to curb borrowing and promote savings.

• This will have a significant impact on the Indian economy in two ways:

➢ Indian firms seeking to raise capital outside of India may face increased costs.

➢ The RBI will have to adjust its monetary policy domestically by hiking interest rates. This,

in turn, may contribute to further inflation by increasing production costs.

Wholesale Price Index:

• Most widely used indicator of India.

• Published by the Office of Economic Adviser, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

• All transactions at the first point of bulk sale in the domestic market are included.

• The major criticism for this index is that the general public does not buy products at wholesale price.

• The base year of All-India WPI has been revised from 2004-05 to 2011-12 in 2017.

• It does not include service. Consumer Price Index (CPI):

• Consumer Price Index or CPI is the measure of changes in the price level of a basket of consumer goods and services bought by households.

• CPI is based on 260 commodities but includes certain services too.

India and world

Protocol to Prevent Human Trafficking: SCO

Why in news?

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has agreed a protocol to increase cooperation

in preventing and addressing the growing threat of human trafficking, particularly among women and

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children, at its 19th meeting (of Prosecutors General) held in New Delhi. Tajikistan is the current chair

of the SCO.

Human trafficking:

• Human trafficking is defined as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring, or

receiving of people for the purpose of exploitation using the threat or use of force or other

forms of coercion.

• The exploitation of others' prostitution or other types of sexual exploitation, forced labour or

services, slavery or practises comparable to slavery, servitude, or the removal of organs are all

examples of exploitation.

Salient Features of the Protocol

• Strengthen cooperation in preventing and combating the growing menace of trafficking in

persons especially, women and children.

• Continue exchanging the national legislation to combat the menace of trafficking in persons,

especially women and children.

• Provide protection and assistance to victims of trafficking within their competence.

• Develop cooperation between the educational (training) organizations (institutions) of the SCO

member states in the field of training and advanced training of prosecutors, whose competence

includes combating trafficking in persons especially, women and children.

• Conduct bilateral and multilateral activities, including video conferencing, on countering and

combating the threat of trafficking in persons, especially women and children.

Relevant Laws in India

The problem of trafficking in human beings by the Government of India is reflected in various legal

provisions to counter-trafficking provisions:

As enshrined in the Indian Constitution

• Article 23(1): It prohibits the trafficking of persons.

• Article 24 (Right Against Exploitation) of the Constitution of India.

IPC:

• Sections 366(A) of the Indian Penal Code: Prohibits kidnapping and Section 372 of IPC prohibits

selling minors into prostitution.

Legislations:

• Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (ITPA): It aims to stop immoral trafficking and

prostitution in India and is divided into 25 sections and one schedule.

• Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1976, Child Labour (Prohibition and Abolition) Act 1986

• Juvenile Justice Act: All of these prohibit bonded and forced labour.

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• Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012: It is a special law to protect

children from sexual abuse and exploitation.

Specific Legislation:

• Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006

• Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976

• Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986

• Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994

• Specific Sections in the IPC, like Sections 372 and 373 dealing with the selling and buying of girls

for the purpose of prostitution.

18th India-ASEAN Summit

Why in news?

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in the 18th India-ASEAN Summit at the invitation of

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, the current Chair of ASEAN.

➢ The Summit was held virtually and saw participation from the Leaders of ASEAN Member States.

Key highlights:

• The summit highlighted the milestone of the 30th anniversary of the India-ASEAN Partnership.

It announced the Year 2022 as India-ASEAN Friendship Year.

• Building upon the synergies between ASEAN Outlook for the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and India’s

Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative(IPOI), PM and ASEAN leaders welcomed the adoption of the

India-ASEAN Joint Statement on cooperation for peace, stability and prosperity in the region.

• In order to further strengthen India-ASEAN cultural connectivity, the Prime Minister announced

India’s support for establishing the ASEAN Cultural Heritage List.

• On COVID-19, the PM highlighted that India has contributed medical supplies worth USD

200,000 to ASEAN’s humanitarian initiative for Myanmar and USD 1 million for ASEAN’s Covid-

19 Response Fund.

• On trade and investment, the PM underlined the importance of diversification and resilience

of supply chains for post-COVID economic recovery and in this regard, the need to revamp the

India-ASEAN FTA.

India-France Defence Partnership

Why in news?

Recently, French Defence Minister Florence Parley had recently visited India.

Significance of Indo-France defence ties:

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• France is a major partner for India in developing various key military platforms including the

Scorpène submarines.

• There are various ties in defence equipment and industry cooperation between the two

countries.

• France is one of the Industrial and technological partnership under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

• Both countries are actively exploring measures to facilitate operational level interactions

between their respective armed forces.

What are areas discussed during French minister’s visit?

• French minister visited India to take part in Foundation laying ceremony of Dassault Reliance

Aerospace Ltd.’s manufacturing facility.

• A range of measures to expand military to military ties were discussed.

• Enhancing the scope of their joint exercises, in particular the Varuna naval exercise scheduled

in early 2018, were agreed upon.

• This meet is also likely to push for a follow on order of additional Rafael fighter jets, after the

delivery of 36 jets under Rs 58,000 crore deal finalised last year.

• Transfer of critical technology for various defence projects, in particular maritime security,

joint exercises of the armed for counter-terrorism are key areas discussed.

What are the advantages for India?

• Parley’s visit is aimed at strengthening all aspects of France’s “fast developing” defence

cooperation with India, its foremost Asian strategic partner.

• The two sides also agreed to expand counter-terror cooperation and felt that a lot more can be

done in the Indo-Pacific region, where China was trying to expand its footprint.

• Interestingly, the Trump Administration has also been favouring deeper Indo-US collaboration

on security in the Indo-Pacific region.

• Due to the need for greater maritime domain awareness, India and France will further expand

information sharing arrangements.

Delhi Declaration on Afghanistan

Why in news?

The Third Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan , a National Security Adviser (NSA)-level meet

conveyed the message that despite the current absence of an on-ground presence in Kabul, India

continues to matter in Afghan affairs.

Why is India Important?

Acceptance of invitation by other countries-

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• India’s invitation was accepted by countries having significant stakes in Afghanistan -Russia, Iran

and all the five Central Asian Republics (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and

Uzbekistan).

• They aptly downplayed outright refusal by Pakistan to join the meeting & China’s excuse for its

absence.

• Taliban said that it desired good diplomatic relations with India since it considers it as an

important regional country

Delhi Declaration

• Shared concerns- The Delhi Declaration depicts that all countries share similar concerns , also

widely held in the international community.

• Terrorism on Afghan soil- The declaration demanded that Afghan soil should not be used to

spread terrorism or extremist ideologies. It called for a control on opium production in

Afghanistan

• Gender Equality & Minority Rights-It reflected the view that the Taliban have to conform to

acceptable standards of behavior on gender issues and minority rights.

• Inclusive government- The Declaration also called for the formation of an open & inclusive

government that represents the will of the Afghan people and also has the participation of all

sections of society in its administrative and political structure

• Humanitarian assistance -There was a call for urgent humanitarian assistance to Afghan people

due to deteriorating socio-economic and humanitarian situation in the country. It emphasized

that humanitarian assistance should be provided in an unimpeded, direct and assured manner

to Afghanistan.

Concerns after Delhi Declaration:

• Open contact with Afghanistan- All the participants of the Delhi Dialogue except India have

open contacts with the Taliban even if some of them consider the Taliban to be a negative

political force.

• Settlement with Taliban on individual basis- It is quite possible that despite collective call for an

inclusive government, other countries would ultimately individually settle for a Taliban

government showing a degree of responsiveness on gender issues and minority rights, including

ethnic minorities.

• Russian stand- Russia’s statement after the Delhi Declaration reveals that each country will act

not on the basis of common positions but in keeping in view respective national interests

Issues Involved:

State sponsored terrorism

• Pakistan is a long-term adversity which actively funded armed militancy against India

• Taliban's takeover could prove to be a useful recruiting ground for more militants and terrorist

by ISI

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Strategic depth to Pakistan

• Pakistan is considered necessary interlocutor with taliban leadership because of both

geographical and ideological compulsions

Kashmir concerns

• The possibility of influx of Afghan fighters, Pakistan based terrorists being inspired by taliban

victory is a cause of worry

Response of other countries

• It is a significant transit point of trade and connectivity from Afghanistan so China with CPEC

and the US and Iran have all negotiated transit trade agreements.

• Turkmenistan's government had sent centre delegation to discuss Tapi gas pipeline and

Uzbekistan's government received taliban's deputy prime minister for visit

Indian investment in Afghanistan

• India has invested around 3 billion dollar in dams highways electricity grades hospitals schools

and the new parliament building

• After withdrawal of US troops and fall of Afghan government supported by India it would

become difficult to reap benefits of these investments and thus can turn out to be huge

economic and strategic loss

Challenges

Challenges with respect to Afghanistan

• Terrorism in Afghanistan & consequent spillover effect in neighbouring countries

• Radicalisation & extremism in Afghanistan’s population

• Porous borders- which may lead to movement to common people and Taliban fighters

• Trafficking of drugs ( also part of golden crescent)

• Misuse of equipment & weapons left behind by the US & its allies.

Afghanistan-Pakistan-China axis

• Pakistan being already at an advantageous position since taliban takeover and due to Chinese

strategic as well as economic interest in the region, the partnership between Afghanistan,

China and Pakistan would pose security as well as economic threat for India.The fear of two

front war is a major challenge for India.

Equation with Russia

• When previously, the Taliban was in power, India had made a common cause with Russia and

Iran in actively supporting the Panjshir Valley insurgency of the Northern Alliance .

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• But presently due to the Russian tilt towards China, it has taken a neutral stance on

Afghanistan’s issues with India.

Way Foward

• For India, the priority is a stable and plural Afghanistan as it would ensure that the region is not

a hotbed for terrorism and is instead a conduit to Central Asia between India and Pakistan.

• The NSA meeting can be seen as India’s attempt to set the table, be on the table, & decide the

agenda. India’s leadership will be essential in sustaining regional cooperation. India is as much a

Eurasian power as an Indo-Pacific one.

• To regain its hold in Afghanistan issue and for the promotion of its interests, India needs to play

a multi-faceted diplomatic game. Russia along with all important regional players has kept its

missions open in Afghanistan

• India has to proceed with caution but without inhibitions. That can only be through an

understanding of Afghan traditions and culture which has been under strain but which has not

disappeared altogether.

The Sydney Dialogue

Why in news?

Recently, the Indian Prime Minister delivered the keynote address at The Sydney Dialogue during which

he elaborated on India’s technology evolution and revolution.

➢ His speech referred to the perils of technology and data that had turned cryptocurrencies into

new forms of “weapons”.

About the Sydney Dialogue-

• It is an initiative of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

• It is an annual summit of cyber and critical technologies to discuss the fallout of the digital

domain on the law and order situation in the world.

• It was held from November 17-19, 2021.

• It brought together political, business and government leaders to debate, generate new ideas

and work towards common understandings of the opportunities and challenges posed by

emerging and critical technologies.

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Environment

Movement against Biological Invasion (MABI)

Why in news?

Recently, a scientist from the Agharkar Research Institute (Pune) has created MABI as a new effort to

fight Biological Invasion.

Key highlights:

• MABI is a green initiative that aims to systematically track and eradicate Invasive Alien Species

(IAS).

• The goal is to promote native flora conservation in the face of this mushrooming threat.

• Invasive Alien Species (IAS): An alien species is a species that has been brought outside of its

normal range; if it becomes a problem, it is referred to as an invasive alien species (IAS).

• IAS is defined as “an alien species whose introduction and spread threaten ecosystems, habitats,

or species with socio-cultural, economic, and environmental impact, as well as harm to human

health” by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).

Examples:

• Fungal diseases that have been unintentionally introduced continue to cause extensive

reductions in taxa ranging from bats and amphibians to corals and native forests.

• As Africa and Asia have discovered, intentionally introduced feedstock and biofuel crops that

invade pose a significant financial and environmental risk.

• Invasive pines (Pinus species) alter ecosystems and fire regimes in the biodiverse fynbos of

South Africa and the cerrado of Brazil.

• IAS is such a problem that it is particularly addressed in Aichi Biodiversity Target 9 and one

sentence of UN Sustainable Development Goal 15 – Life on Land.

Threats

Human and Animal Health:

• There is a direct link between human and animal health. They may pose a concern to the health

of livestock.

• Biological invasions pose a significant threat to global food security and livelihoods, with

impoverished countries being particularly vulnerable.

Environmental Consequences:

• The biological invasion may result in changes to fire regimes, disease transfer to native species,

forest loss, water flow reduction, and habitat transformation, among other things.

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• IAS are the most common hazard to amphibians, reptiles, and mammals on the IUCN Red List;

they diminish the resilience of natural habitats, leaving them more vulnerable to climate

change’s effects.

Financial Costs:

• Weed management consumes 32 percent of a farmer’s budget on average, which includes

insecticide spraying and labour costs.

Man-Animal Conflict:

• Because of the widespread presence of IAS such as Lantana Camara, the proportion of natural

grasses available to herbivorous animals has decreased. As a result, animals like the Indian gaur

and the chinkara (Indian gazelle) have been forced to migrate from their natural habitats to

human settlements, putting them in risk.

The Climate Vulnerability Index: CEEW

Why in news?

Recently, the Council on Energy, Environment, and Water, an environmental think tank, conducted a

first-of-its-kind district-level climate risk assessment, or Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI).

➢ It has assessed the vulnerability of 640 districts in India to extreme weather events such as

cyclones, floods, heat waves, droughts, and so on.

➢ According to the findings of German watch’s 2020 report, India is the seventh most vulnerable

country to climate extremes.

Key findings:

Affected States:

• Extreme climatic events threaten 27 Indian states and union territories, disrupting local

economies and displacing vulnerable communities.

• Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Bihar are the states in India most

vulnerable to extreme climate events like floods, droughts, and cyclones.

Climate Change’s Scale of Effect:

• More than 80% of Indians live in areas that are sensitive to climate change.

• Climate change affects 17 out of every 20 individuals in the country, with one out of every five

Indians living in very vulnerable locations.

• In over 45 percent of these districts, “unsustainable landscape and infrastructural

modifications” have occurred.

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• Adaptability is a problem when you have a low level of adaptability. Over 60% of Indian districts

have a medium to low adaptation capacity when it comes to dealing with extreme weather

occurrences.

Anthropogenic Activities’ Role:

• Anthropogenic activities have already made susceptible districts even more sensitive to natural

disasters’ effects. Some of the activities have resulted in the destruction of wetlands and

mangroves, which operate as natural barriers and make the area more vulnerable.

• Natural habitats have been degraded as a result of landscape changes such as the elimination of

forest cover and over-construction.

Causing a Financial Crisis:

• For poor countries like India, combating the increased frequency and scale of extreme climate

disasters is financially draining.

• These disasters will jeopardise investments in infrastructure such as housing, transportation,

and industries, particularly along the coasts, with growing weather-related insurance losses

potentially triggering the next financial crisis.

Criteria used to evaluate the districts:

• While rating a state’s or district’s preparedness, the Index considers a number of factors.

• These include the availability of critical infrastructure such as cyclone and flood shelters,

government mechanisms in place such as disaster management plans being updated, mitigation

strategies being implemented, and standard operating procedures being followed before,

during, and after extreme weather events, such as how people and livestock are evacuated or

how the administration prevents the loss of lives and livelihoods by mobilising food.

The Index’s Relevance:

• It aids in the mapping of major vulnerabilities as well as the development of policies to

improve resilience and adapt through climate-proofing communities, economies, and

infrastructure.

• Instead of focusing on individual climatic extremes, the study considers the cumulative risk of

hydro-met catastrophes, such as floods, cyclones, and droughts, as well as their consequences.

• Other natural disasters, such as earthquakes, are not considered in the study

Suggestions made by the Report:

• Develop a high-resolution Climate Risk Atlas (CRA) to better detect, quantify, and project

chronic and acute risks such as extreme climate events, heat and water stress, crop loss, vector-

borne diseases, and biodiversity collapse at the district level.

• To organise the environmental de-risking mission, create a centralised climate-risk commission.

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• As part of the development process, implement climate-sensitive landscape restoration that

focuses on rehabilitating, restoring, and reintegrating natural ecosystems.

• Increase adaptive capability by integrating climate risk profiling with infrastructure planning.

• Create innovative CVI-based financial instruments that integrate climate hazards for an

effective risk transfer mechanism to provide climate risk-related adaptation financing.

India targets net-zero carbon emissions by 2070

Why in news?

Recently, India announced that it will reach carbon neutrality by 2070 as part of a five-point action

plan that included reducing emissions to 50% by 2030.

➢ India has made this announcement in the COP 26 climate summit held in Glasgow.

Necessity of taking Climate action now:

• According to scientists, achieving net-zero by 2050 is the best chance the world has of keeping

temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels.

• India is the third-largest annual emitter of carbon emissions, but the sixth-largest when

historical emissions are taken into account and it is one of the lowest per capita emitters when

population size is taken into consideration.

• India had not committed to a date by which it would reach

net-zero emissions, or to a year by which it would ensure

that its net carbon dioxide emissions were zero.

• By 2070, India will have achieved net-zero carbon

emissions.

• In contrast, India had resisted calls from wealthier

countries to adopt net-zero targets in the run-up to the

COP.

India’s 5 Commitments

What countries have declared net-zero goals?

• New Zealand’s government approved the Zero Carbon

Act in 2019, committing the country to a carbon-free

future by 2050.

• The UK parliament enacted laws mandating the

government to cut the country’s net greenhouse gas

emissions by 100%.

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• President Joe Biden of the United States promised that by 2030, the country’s greenhouse gas

emissions will be reduced by at least 50% from 2005 levels.

• World War Zero was begun in 2019 with the purpose of bringing together unusual allies on

climate change and achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 in the country.

• The European Commission’s “Fit for 55” initiative asks all of the EU’s 27 member countries to

reduce emissions by 55% below 1990 levels by 2030.

• China stated that it would achieve net-zero emissions by 2060 and that it would not allow

emissions to exceed those of 2030.

The COP26

• The Conference of Parties (COP) is part of the United Nations Framework Convention on

Climate Change (UNFCCC), which was established in 1994.

• The 26th Conference of Parties (known as COP26) was held in Glasgow’s Scottish Event Campus

in 2021.

• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was founded to aim

toward “stabilisation of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.”

• The member states were given a set of tasks, which included:

• Developing climate change mitigation strategies

• Working together to prepare for the effects of climate change

• Promoting climate change education, training, and public awareness

• The seventh COP was held in New Delhi from October 23 to November 1, 2002.

• COP21, one of the most important conferences, was held in Paris, France, in 2015. Member

countries agreed to collaborate to “keep global warming well below 2 degrees Celsius, ideally

1.5 degrees Celsius, in comparison to pre-industrial levels.”

Pakal Dul Hydro Electric Project

Why in news?

Recently, the diversion of the Marusudar River for the Pakal Dul Hydroelectric Project was inaugurated

by the Power Minister.

Key Highlights:

• Pakal Dul Dam is a 167-meter concrete-face rock-fill dam (CFRD) proposed on the Marusadar

River, a tributary of the Chenab River in J&K’s Kishtwar region.

• The dam’s main purpose is to generate hydroelectric power.

• Its subterranean power plant includes four units, each with a capacity of 250 MW (total 1000

MW).

• When completed, it will be the largest hydropower project in J&K, with a capacity of 1000

MW.

• It will be J&K’s first storage project.

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• The cost of the project is split between the Government of India and the Government of J&K.

• It will benefit J&K greatly by supplying power and enhancing water availability during the lean

season.

River Marusudar:

It is the Chenab River’s greatest tributary. The Nunkun Glacier in Warwan Valley is its source.

Glasgow Glacier: Antarctica

Why in news?

Recently, the 100-km long body of ice in Antarctica, which has been experiencing rapid melting, was

formally named Glasgow to mark its hosting of COP26 climate conference.

About Glasgow glacier

• The Glasgow glacier is 100-km long. Its surface area is 2,630 square kilometres.

• It is currently experiencing rapid melting. It is located on the Getz coast of Antarctica.

• The Getz coast has lost 315 million tonnes of ice in the past 25 years.

• Several other glaciers in the Getz coast have also been named similarly. They are Geneva, Rio,

Berlin, Kyoto, Bali, Stockholm, Paris and Incheon.

What is glacier melting?

• Glaciers are large sheets of snow and ice that are found on land all year long.

• Today, about 10% of land area on Earth is covered with glacial ice.

• Almost 90% is in Antarctica, while the remaining 10% is in the Greenland ice cap.

• Warmer temperatures cause glaciers to melt faster than they can accumulate new snow.

• The North Pole is the area where it is easier to observe the melting glaciers.

• During the last 30 years, the surface of the arctic glaciers has extraordinarily decreased.

• The surface of the ice cap of the South Pole is less, between 2010 and 2016 of approximately

1500 km2.

• The ice cap is losing every year approximately 5 meters of thickness from the base of the ice

layer, near the ocean floor.

• The intensive combustion of fossil carbon and the extended process of deforestation has

increased global warming.

• As a result, the raised temperatures, even higher in the poles, are causing glaciers to rapidly

melt.

• Scientists project that if emissions continue to rise unchecked, the Arctic could be ice free in the

summer by 2040.

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Consequences:

On Sea:

• Melting glaciers add to rising global sea levels, which in turn increases coastal erosion. E.g. The

Greenland ice sheet is disappearing four times faster than in 2003 and already contributes 20%

of current sea level rise.

• Storm surge gets elevated as warming air and ocean temperatures create more frequent and

intense coastal storms like hurricanes and typhoons.

• The ocean currents get influenced, as massive amounts of very cold glacial-melt water entering

warmer ocean waters slows down ocean currents.

On weather patterns:

• As permafrost thaws, the trapped carbon inside it is released to the atmosphere in the form of

methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. This process leads to more climate change and is an

example of a positive feedback loop, which happens when warming causes changes that lead to

even more warming.

• The Arctic is warming twice as fast as anywhere on earth, and research shows the polar vortex

is appearing outside of the Arctic more frequently because of changes to the jet stream, caused

by a combination of warming air and ocean temperatures in the Arctic and the tropics.

• The glacial melt in Antarctica and Greenland is changing the circulation of the Atlantic

Ocean and has been linked to more destructive storms and hurricanes around the planet.

On humans and wildlife:

• Industries that thrive on vibrant fisheries will be affected as warmer waters change where and

when fish spawn.

• Coastal communities will suffer as flooding becomes more frequent and storms become more

intense.

• In the Arctic, as sea ice melts, wildlife like walrus are losing their home and polar bears are

spending more time on land, causing higher rates of conflict between people and bears.

• The habitats of several marine and terrestrial species are changing which results in

the imbalance of the food chain.

• When permafrost melts, the land above it sinks or changes shape. Sinking land can damage

buildings and infrastructure such as roads, airports, and water and sewer pipes and also

affects ecosystems.

Himalayan case study : • The Himalayas is considered as the Third Pole.

• Within it, the core area is known as the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region.

• According to an estimate, HKH has the maximum snow storage after the poles.

• HKH is spread over 3,500 square kilometers across eight countries and is known as the Water Tower of Asia due to its reserve of frozen water.

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• Being a major source of water for the rivers, these glaciers are the lifeline for one-third of the population across the globe.

• According to an international study on the world’s glaciers published in journal Nature Geoscience, glaciers are melting and receding at an alarming rate in the Himalayas and glaciers in the HKH might contain 27 per cent less ice than previously suggested.

G20 Summit & Climate Change

Why in news?

Recently G20 leaders met for a two-day summit hosted by the Italian G20 presidency in Rome.

➢ Leaders met to address today’s most pressing global challenges and to converge upon common

efforts to recover better from the COVID-19 crisis and enable sustainable and inclusive growth

across the world.

➢ Leaders were re-engaging with the biggest issues facing the global community like the COVID-19

pandemic, climate change, a major tax agreement, and steps to address concerns regarding

global economic growth and stability.

Key Highlights:

Mitigate the pandemic:

• To address persisting vaccination gaps, the G20 leaders committed to substantially increasing

the provision of and access to vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, with particular regard to

the needs of low- and middle-income countries.

• Leaders also provided assurances of support to WHO’s target of inoculating 40% or more of the

global population against COVID-19 by 2021, and at least 70% by mid-2022.

• This assurance will boost the supply of vaccines in developing countries and provide cooperation

which will help the world overcome supply and financing constraints.

• The G20 leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to the Rome Declaration, adopted at the

Global Health Summit in May, as a "compass for collective action".

Climate change:

• The G20 leaders pledged to work collectively to ensure a successful UN climate conference

(COP26) and reaffirmed their commitment to the full and effective implementation of the

United Nations climate convention (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement.

• The G20 leaders noted that keeping the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees

compared to pre-industrial levels within reach will require meaningful and effective action and

commitment by all countries, taking into account differing approaches.

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• The G20 will accelerate their actions in the areas of mitigation, adaptation and finance,

acknowledging the key relevance of achieving global net zero greenhouse gas emissions or

carbon neutrality by or around mid-century.

• The leaders also committed to taking further action this decade and to formulating,

implementing, updating and, where necessary, enhancing their 2030 nationally determined

contributions (NDCs).

• The leaders recalled and reaffirmed the climate finance commitment made by developed

countries to jointly mobilise $100 billion per year by 2020 and through 2025 to support

developing countries in their efforts to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate and

adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change.

Sustainable development:

• The G20 leaders expressed their deep concern about the impact of the COVID-19 crisis,

especially in developing countries.

• They reaffirmed their commitment to a global response to accelerate progress towards the

Sustainable Development Goals and to support a sustainable, inclusive and resilient recovery

across the world.

• The leaders pledged to strengthen their actions to implement the G20 Action Plan on the 2030

Agenda and the G20 Support to COVID-19 Response and Recovery in developing countries.

• They also reaffirmed their continued support for African countries through a range of initiatives,

such as the G20 Compact with Africa.

Economic recovery:

• The world community is on shakier footing regarding the fragile post-COVID economic recovery

underway after paralysing lockdowns.

• G20 leaders affirm that national stimulus policies would not be removed prematurely as the

inflation is rising, energy prices are spiking, supply chain bottlenecks are prevalent.

• However, it would remain a challenge for the leaders to walk the tightrope between preserving

financial stability and fiscal sustainability.

Minimum tax:

• In a bid to avoid potentially debilitating wobbles in global finance, the G20 leadership agreed to

slap multinationals with a minimum 15% tax to create “a more stable and fairer international

tax system”.

• This would impact the tech titans of Silicon Valley, as this initiative would make it harder for

such companies to benefit from locating themselves in relatively lower-tax jurisdictions.

• This OECD-led reform enjoys the support of 136 countries, which account for more than 90% of

global GDP, and is likely to enter into force in 2023 or after.

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Declaration made by India:

Addressing Vaccine Inequity

• India is on track to produce over 5 billion vaccine doses by the end of next year, highlighting

the need to address vaccine inequity around the world (2022).

• India also made a strong priority on vaccine research, development, and innovation.

One Earth, One Health

• The concept of "One Earth, One Health," or the need for international collaboration in the fight

against the pandemic.

Resilient Global Supply Chains

• India emphasised the need of resilient global supply chains and asked G-20 countries to partner

with India in the recovery and diversification of supply chains.

Support for a Global Minimum Tax

• India applauded the G-20's decision to enact a 15% minimum corporation tax in order to make

the global financial system "more just and fair."

• India has expressed its support for the European Union's Indo-Pacific strategy, as well as French

leadership in it.

Impact of Stubble Burning on Respiratory Health

Why in news?

According to the recent study, correlating the effect of pollution on health, pollution from stubble

burning significantly reduced lung function and was particularly harmful to women in rural Punjab.

Key findings of the study

• The study was conducted in six villages of Patiala, Punjab, and spanned two phases.

➢ The first was in October 2018 and again the following summer from March to April 2019

and

➢ The second phase was undertaken in the same villages during late October-November,

2018.

• The latter is the period when crop burning peaks and the two timeframes were considered to

measure the change in air quality during both periods.

• While the links between particulate matter pollution and respiratory health are widely

documented, there have been limited studies in India that have clearly linked the impact of poor

air on lung health.

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• It emerged from the study that the concentrations of PM2.5, the category of unburnt carbon

particles considered most harmful to respiratory health, was found to increase more than

twice between the two phases, from 100 g/m3 to 250 g/m3.

• Incidentally these are around 10-15 times the WHO prescribed air quality standards though the

permissible standards by India’s Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) are higher.

More symptoms

During the crop residue burning period, a two- to three-fold increase was noted in most of the

respiratory symptoms, including:

➢ Wheezing,

➢ Breathlessness on exertion,

➢ Cough in morning,

➢ Cough at night,

➢ Skin rashes,

➢ Runny nose or itchiness of eyes, across all age groups.

• The highest number of complaints were reported by the elderly population (>40-60) and the

lowest in the younger age group(>10-18) during crop burning period in Punjab.

• There was decline in lung function with an increase in PM2.5 concentration across all age

groups even after controlling for several other exposure variables, such as the influence of

cooking fuel, ventilation, and distance from road.

➢ The study reported a 10-14% decline in lung function in men and nearly 15-18% decline in

women across all age categories.

What is Stubble burning ?

• Stubble burning refers to the practice of farmers setting fire to plant debris that remain in

farms after harvest.

• The origin of stubble burning can be traced to the advent of the Green Revolution and

mechanized harvesting, which utilised the combined harvesting technique.

• However, the popular combined harvesting technique was not efficacious, as machines left

behind onefoottall stalks.

Why stubble burning ?

• For winter crop (Rabi crop), farmers in Haryana and Punjab gets a very short interval and if

delayed, due to short winters these days, there is chance of considerable losses. Hence,

burning is the cheapest and fastest way to get rid of the stubble.

• Also if stubble is left in the field, pests like termites, slugs and other pests including those

resistant to herbicide and may attack the upcoming crop.

• Farmers are not well equipped economically – To deal with waste because they cannot afford

the new technology that is available to handle the waste material.

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• After green revolution and MSP system people of Indo-Gangetic shifted to rice cultivation and

have led to a rise in the rice acreage.

• Enhanced used of modernised farm mechanisation extract the rice grains only and leave large

quantities of rice stubble behind.

• Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act 2009 – This mandated farmers to delay sowing of

paddy to late June to discourage groundwater extraction. Which eventually led to delay of an

average of 10 days compared to 2002-2008 and now due to the delayed harvesting, rice chaff

burning coincides perfectly with the withdrawal of southwest monsoon.

• High Silica Content: Rice straw is considered useless as fodder in the case of non-basmati rice,

because of its high silica content.

Impact of stubble burning

• Air Pollution: Open stubble burning emits large amounts of toxic pollutants in the atmosphere

which contain harmful gases like methane (CH4), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Volatile organic

compound (VOC) and carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Causing a formation of

SMOG.

• Also, it leads to spike in Particulate Matter levels, contributing between 12 and 60 per cent of

PM concentrations.

• Smog clouds of ash and smoke from stubble burning can travel more than thousand

kilometers aided by the Westerly winds coming from the Mediterranean region. Reducing

visibility and causing accident.

• Soil Fertility: Burning stubble on ground destroys the nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, Sulfur

and potassium from the topsoil, making it less fertile in the soil, making it less fertile.

• The nutrients lost and proportion of straw were:

➢ Nitrogen 16kg (straw 80%)

➢ Phosphorous 0.5kg (straw 40%)

➢ Potassium 17kg (straw 60%)

➢ Sulphur 1kg (straw 50%)

• Heat Penetration: Heat generated by stubble burning penetrates into the soil, leading to the

loss of moisture and useful microbes.

• Health: Crop Residue Burning (CRB) has been identified as one of the major health hazard and a

reason for breathing illness, irritation of eyes and respiratory tract diseases.

• Lose of Soil nutrition: Burning husk on ground destroys the nutrients. Heat generated by

stubble burning penetrates into the soil, leading to the loss of the moisture and useful microbes.

• Economic loss: Crop residue also holds high productive value in biofuel and fiber industry.

Burning it deprives the farmers of higher economic returns and sources of clean energy.

Government Initiative taken

• Penalty and prosecution : Crop residue burning is an offence under the Air Act of 1981, the

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and various appropriate Acts. In addition, a penalty is being

imposed on any offending farmer.

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• In 2015 National Green Tribunal banned stubble burning burning in the states of Rajasthan,

Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab

Supreme Court observations:

• Minimum Support Price (MSP) Scheme must be so interpreted as to enable the States

concerned to wholly or partly deny the benefit of MSP to those who continue to burn the crop

residue

• Incentives could be provided to those who are not burning the stubble and disincentives for

those who continue the practice.

➢ Union Government: Under a 100% centrally-funded scheme, machines that help farmers in

in-situ management—by tilling the stubble back into the soil—were to be provided to

individual farmers at 50% subsidy and to custom hiring centres (CHCs) at 80% subsidy.

➢ State Government : Haryana has set up 2,879 CHCs so far and has provided nearly 16,000

straw-management machines, it has to set up 1,500 more and has to cover nearly as many

panchayats it has reached so far.

➢ Similarly, Punjab, which has provided 50,815 machines so far, will need to set up 5,000

more CHCs—against 7,378 set up already—and reach 41% of its panchayats by October

2020.

• Use of Technology to monitor: Use of satellite imagery and a team comprising local officials has

been deployed to monitor incidences of crop burning in the states of Punjab and Haryana.

• Awareness: Youth clubs, Kisan camps, radio and television campaigns have been started to

spread awareness on scientific crop residue management.

• Subsidies modern Technology to discourage Stubble burning: Government has been providing

subsidies ranging from 50-80% to farmers to buy crop residue disposal machines like Happy

Seeders machine (on rent basis).

Way Forward

• Source of clean energy : Promote paddy straw-based power plants. It will also create

employment opportunities.

• Improve soil productivity: Incorporation of crop residues in the soil can improve soil moisture

and help activate the growth of soil microorganisms for better plant growth.

• Better sources organic farming: An expansion of schemes like the MGNREGA for harvesting and

composting of stubble. Can promote model of Narwa (rivulet regeneration), Garuwa (cattle

conservation), Ghuruwa (composting) and Baari (kitchen garden)

• An innovative experiment has been undertaken by the Chhattisgarh government by setting up

“gauthans”.

• The most efficient technology to counter stubble burning at the moment is Turbo Happy Seeder

(THS).

• It not only cuts and uproots the stubble but can also drill wheat seeds in the soil that have just

been cleared up. The straw is simultaneously thrown over the sown seeds to form a mulch

cover.

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• Establishing Farm Machinery Banks for custom hiring of in-situ crop residue management

machinery.

• Co-operative societies of farmers, self-help groups, registered farmers societies/farmers

groups, private entrepreneurs for establishment of farm machinery banks or custom hiring

centres.

• Financial incentives to small and marginal farmers to engage in the management of the

residue of their non-basmati variety rice crop in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

• Shifting cropping pattern away from paddy to maize, cotton, fruits or vegetables in Punjab,

Haryana and UP.

• Stopping crop residue burning will aid the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), which aims to

reduce pollution by 20-30% in annual PM concentration by 2024.

• Wealth from the stubble: There is great potential for making investments in paddy straw-based

power plants which can help avoid stubble burning to a large extent and also create

employment opportunities.

• New opportunities for industrial use such as extraction of yeast protein can be explored through

scientific research.

• The long-term solution has to be crop diversification, away from paddy

• Industrial use: Like extraction of yeast protein can be explored through scientific research.

Science and Tech

Ocean Research Vessel- Sagar Nidhi

Why in news?

Recently, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences visited the Indian

Subcontinent’s Pioneer Research Vessel Ship “Sagar Nidhi”.

About Sagar Nidhi:

• Oceanographic Research Vessel (ORV) Sagar Nidhi is an ice-strengthened multidisciplinary

vessel operated by the National Institute of Ocean Technology(NIOT).

• The vessel is capable of carrying out geo-scientific, meteorological and oceanographic research.

• It is designed with blue-water capability with ranges of up to 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 km)

for voyages lasting up to 45 days.

• It was constructed at Fincantieri, Italy.

• The 104-metre-long vessel has fully automatic diesel-electric propulsion equipped with a

dynamic positioning system, azimuth thrusters.

• SagarNidhi is the first Indian flagged research ship.

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Research Vessel

• Research Vessel (Ships) is an important tool for ocean research and the development of ocean

technology.

• The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has at present has 6 ships namely Sagar Nidhi, Sagar

Manjusha, Sagar Kanya, Sagar Sampada, Sagar Tara and Sagar Anveshika.

National Institute of Technology (NIOT) Chennai

• It has the mandate to develop technologies for the sustainable harvesting living and non-living resources of the ocean.

• NIOT has successfully developed and demonstrated the technologies like Desalination Plants for drinking water in Lakshadweep Islands, extracting energy from Oceans, Restoration of Beach in Puducherry, development of Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles (ROV) and mining machine for 5500 metre water depths.

• It has the mandate to deploy and maintain moored data buoys for the data collection that aids in the weather prediction, cyclone tracking and Tsunami Early Warning.

Digital India Land Record Modernisation Programme

Why in news?

Recently the Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj has recently held a workshop

on Digital India Land Record Modernization Programme (DILRMP).

About DILRMP:

• The DILRMP was previously known as the National Land Record Modernization Programme

(NLRMP).

• It was launched in 2008 with the purpose to digitize and modernizing land records and

developing a centralized land record management system.

• The DILRMP is the amalgamation of two projects:

➢ Computerization of Land Records (CLR)

➢ Strengthening of Revenue Administration and Updating of Land Records (SRA & ULR)

• The district will be taken as the unit of implementation, where all activities under the

programme will converge.

Objective:

• The main aims of DILRMP are to usher in a system of updated land records, automated and

automatic mutation, integration between textual and spatial records, inter-connectivity

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between revenue and registration, to replace the present deeds registration and presumptive

title system with that of conclusive titling with title guarantee.

Components

The DILRMP has 3 major components

• Computerization of land record

• Survey/re-survey

• Computerization of Registration

Benefits to citizens

• Real-time land ownership records will be available to the citizen

• Since the records will be placed on the websites with proper security IDs, property owners will

have free access to their records without any compromise in regard to confidentiality of the

information

• Free accessibility to the records will reduce interface between the citizen and the Government

functionaries, thereby reducing rent seeking and harassment.

• Public-private partnership (PPP) mode of service delivery will further reduce citizen interface

with Govt. machinery, while adding to the convenience

• Abolition of stamp papers and payment of stamp duty and registration fees through banks,

etc. will also reduce interface with the Registration machinery

E-Governance for Civil Aviation

Why in news?

Recently, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, launched an online platform called eGCA (e-

Governance for Civil Aviation).

➢ It is an online platform through which the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will offer

its 298 services including pilot licensing.

About eGCA :

• eGCA (e-Governance for Civil Aviation) is an e-governance platform that has been implemented

by the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for rendering 298 services including pilot

licensing and medical examination.

• eGCA is a portal for the dissemination of information and providing online, speedy service

delivery in a secure environment. It offers an end-to-end solution including several software

applications, connectivity with all the regional offices.

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• It aims at enhancing the efficiency of the various services of DGCA and increasing accountability

and transparency across all DGCA functions.

• The online platform eGCA has been developed by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) as Service

Provider and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) as Project Management Consultant.

Benefits of eGCA :

• Eliminating operational inefficiencies

• Minimizing personal interaction

• Improving regulatory reporting

• Enhancing transparency

• Increasing productivity

Significance f eGCA :

• As a single-window platform it will induce a monumental change through the automation of

the process and functions of DGCA.

• It will offer a strong base of IT infrastructure and service delivery framework.

• It is a step towards ‘ease of doing business’. It would add significant value to the safety

regulatory framework of DGCA.

Pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate Vaccine (PCV)

Why in news?

As part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav,’ the Union Health Minister announced a statewide extension

of the Pneumococcal 13-valent Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) under the Universal Immunisation Programme

(UIP).

➢ PCV would be available for general usage for the first time in the country.

➢ Pneumonia was the main cause of death among children under the age of five in both India

and the rest of the world.

About Pneumonia:

• Pneumonia can be caused by a variety of species, including bacteria, viruses, and fungus.

• The most common cause of severe pneumonia in children is pneumococcus pneumonia.

• Symptoms of pneumonia: Chest pain when you breathe or cough, changes in mental

awareness, phlegm-producing cough, fatigue, fever, chills, and other symptoms may occur.

• Antibiotics, antivirals, and antifungal medicines are among the treatments available.

• Pneumonia can be prevented with a healthy diet, good hygiene, and vaccines.

India’s Pneumonia Situation

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• According to UNICEF, pneumococcal illness kills over one lakh children under the age of five in

India every year. In India, pneumonia is responsible for about 16% of all child mortality.

• Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand were the top five

contributors to India’s pneumococcal pneumonia burden in terms of cases and deaths.

• The most common cause of severe pneumonia in children is pneumococcus pneumonia.

Initiatives to Combat Pneumonia

• The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF have collaborated on the Global Action

Plan for Pneumonia and Diarrhoea (GAPPD) to expedite illness prevention and control.

• IAPPD (Integrated Action Plan for Pneumonia and Diarrhoea Prevention and Control): It was

established in 2014 to coordinate efforts to reduce diarrhoea and pneumonia in children under

the age of five.

• The Global Forum on Childhood Pneumonia is collaboration between nine premier health and

children’s organisations, including UNICEF, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Gavi.

• SAANS (Social Awareness and Actions to Successfully Neutralize Pneumonia) Initiative: It aims

to minimise pneumonia-related child mortality, which accounts for about 15% of all fatalities

among children under the age of five each year.

Cord blood bank

Why in news?

The Cord Blood Banking Services Market was worth $1,126 million in 2016 and is expected to reach

$2,772 million by 2023, with a CAGR of 13.8% from 2017 to 2023.

➢ The increased awareness of

the benefits of using cord

blood stem cells for the

treatment of chronic

diseases like cancer has

resulted in a government

initiative that has resulted in

an increase in the number of

cord blood banks, which is

expected to fuel the market

growth of cord blood

banking services.

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What is Cord Blood and How Does It Work?

• The blood that stays in the umbilical cord and placenta after delivery is known as cord blood

(short for umbilical cord blood).

• The blood from the newborn that is left in the umbilical cord and placenta after birth is known

as cord blood. Cord blood banking is the process of conserving umbilical cord blood, which is a

rich source of stem cells, for future use.

• It contains hematopoietic stem cells, which are special cells that can be used to treat certain

disorders.

• Hematopoietic stem cells can develop into a variety of blood cells throughout the body.

• Cord blood banking is suggested around the world as a source of hematopoietic stem cells

(derived from bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood) transplantation for

haematological malignancies and diseases.

• The use of cord blood as a source of stem cells for all other disorders has yet to be established.

What Can You Do With It?

• Stem cells abound in the umbilical cord fluid.

• They can be used to treat cancer, blood problems such as anaemia, and immune system

disorders that interfere with your body’s capacity to fight itself.

• The fluid is simple to collect and contains 10 times the number of stem cells seen in bone

marrow.

• Cord blood stem cells are rarely infected and are just half as likely to be rejected as adult stem

cells.

Stem Cells

• Stem cells are unique human cells with the ability to differentiate into a variety of cell types,

ranging from muscle cells to brain cells.

• Adult stem cells and embryonic stem cells are the two types of stem cells.

• Embryonic stem cells are derived from unused embryos that have been submitted to research

following an in vitro fertilisation treatment.

• These embryonic stem cells are pluripotent, which means they can differentiate into a variety

of cell types.

Cord blood has numerous advantages.

• It protects a baby from any disorders that can be treated with stem cells (own & donor).

• It provides unrelated donor stem cells to the baby’s siblings, parents, and grandparents

(maternal and paternal).

Concerns about stem cell banking:

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• Despite the fact that its application is still experimental, stem cell banking has been intensively

marketed over the last decade. However, these companies charge parents exorbitant money

to save their children’s cells.

• The danger here is that corporations are just using emotional marketing to get parents to bank

their children’s cells for several years in the hopes of future therapeutic usage.

IRNSS-NaVIC: ISRO

Why in news?

The Vice President, Shri M Venkaiah Naidu today suggested to ISRO to give a thrust to the indigenously-

developed regional navigation satellite system, NaVIC for global use.

About NaviC:

• It is an Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System or IRNSS.

• The name NavIC was given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after successful launch of the

seventh navigation satellite, in April, 2016.

• It was developed in India by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and its commercial

wing ANTRIX.

• It consists of 8 satellites located at a distance of approximately 36,000 Km. Currently, 7 satellites

are active.

➢ 3 satellites are in Geostationary Orbit (GEO)

➢ 5 satellites are in inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (GSO)

• NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) is an autonomous regional satellite navigation

system established and maintained by ISRO.

• It covers India and a region extending up to 1 ,500 km beyond Indian mainland(primary

coverage area). It provides position accuracy better than 20 m (20) and timing accuracy better

than 50 ns (20).

• The actual measurements demonstrate accuracy better than 5 m and 20 m respectively.

• NavIC based applications are being used in various civilian sectors, including, transport, map

applications, and timekeeping.

• The objective of the NavIC is to provide navigation, timing, and reliable positioning services in

and around India.

• Working of the NavIC is very similar to the Global Positioning System(GPS) implemented by

the United States.

• The NavIC is certified by 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) which is responsible for

coordinating mobile telephony standards globally.

• Today major mobile chipset manufacturers like Qualcomm, MediaTek and Broadcom already

support NavIC across various chipset platforms.

• A few mobile phone OEMs have also released handsets, which can be enabled to receive NavlC

through Over the Air firmware update.

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• NavlC is an indigenous positioning system that is under Indian control. There is no risk of the

service being withdrawn or denied in a given situation.

Tsirkon Hypersonic Missile: Russia

Why in news?

Recently, Russia successfully test-launched a Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic cruise missile from the

Severodvinsk nuclear submarine for the first time in the Barents Sea which successfully hit its chosen

target.

About Tsirkon Hypersonic Missile:

• The 3M22 Zircon also spelled as 3M22 Tsirkon is a scramjet powered maneuvering anti-

ship hypersonic cruise missile currently in testing by Russia

• The Zircon missile is capable of flying 9 times the speed of sound and hit targets successfully

upto a range of 1,000 kms (620 miles).

• The Tsirkon Cruise Missile will join Avangard glide vehicles and the air-launched Kinzhal

(Dagger) missiles in Russia’s hypersonic arsenal.

• The missile can develop a speed of Mach 9 and fly at an altitude of 30-40 km where the range

and speed increase as air resistance is smaller.

• Experts estimate the payload at 300-400 kg and the missile length at 8-10 meters.

• Tsirkon is to be fired from universal vertical launchers 3S-14 on warships and submarines and

from Bastion mobile coastal missile launchers.

Hypersonic Technology:

• Speed: 5 or more times the Mach or speed of sound.

• Mach Number: It describes an aircraft’s speed compared with the speed of sound in air, with

Mach 1 equating to the speed of sound i.e. 343 metre per second.

• Technology Used: Most hypersonic vehicles primarily use the scramjet technology, which is a

type of Air Breathing propulsion System.

Types:

• Hypersonic cruise missiles: These are the ones that use rocket or jet propellant through their

flight and are regarded as being just faster versions of existing cruise missiles.

• Hypersonic Glide Vehicle (HGV): These missiles first go up into the atmosphere on a

conventional rocket before being launched towards their target.

Development of Hypersonic Technology in India:

• India, too, is working on hypersonic technologies.

• As far as space assets are concerned, India has already proved its capabilities through the test

of ASAT under Mission Shakti.

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• Hypersonic technology has been developed and tested by both DRDO (Defence research and

Development Organisation) and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation).

• Recently, DRDO has successfully flight-tested the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle

(HSTDV), with a capability to travel at 6 times the speed of sound.

• Also, a Hypersonic Wind Tunnel (HWT) test facility of the DRDO was inaugurated in Hyderabad.

It is a pressure vacuum-driven, enclosed free jet facility that simulates Mach 5 to 12.

Himachal Pradesh State Current Affairs

Water Supply and Sewerage project: Shimla

Why in news?

Recently, the World Bank has approved the Negotiation Package of a financial outlay of Rs. 1825 crore

($ 250 million) for Shimla Water Supply and Sewerage Services Delivery Program for improvement of

Water Supply Scheme services in Greater Shimla Area.

Key highlights:

• Under the scheme the World Bank would provide financial assistance of Rs. 1168 crore and rest

amount of Rs. 657 crore would be borne by the Himachal Pradesh Government.

• The project would ensure round the clock water supply in Municipal Corporation Shimla besides

strengthening the sewerage services.

• Under the project augmentation of Shimla Water Supply from River Satluj would be done with

additional 67 MLD to meet the water demand upto year 2050.

• Bulk of the water supply to Shimla Peri-Urban areas would also be ensured to meet the water

demand of Kufri, Shoghi, Ghanahatti which fall under Special Area Development Authority

and additional planning areas up to year 2050.

• It would also provide round the clock water supply to all domestic and commercial consumers

within Shimla Municipal Corporation area and Improved Sewerage services within Shimla

Municipal Corporation Area.

• The project envisages lifting of water from Satluj river near village Shakrodi, involving lifting to

a height of 1.6 km and pipe laying of 22 km to augment 67 MLD water at Sanjauli.

• The project also envisaged replacement of the distribution pipe network across MC Shimla

to upgrade it to a 24x7 water supply system. Additionally, the sewerage network in areas of

Mehli-Panthaghati, Tutu and Mashobra would be provided.

• The project would be completed by the year 2026.

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Saudade-A Love Everlasting (Poetry Book)

In news:

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur released book Saudade-A Love Everlasting written by a young author

Simran Agarwal.

➢ Simran is currently pursuing B.Sc. (Hons.) Forestry from Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar

University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan.

About the Book:

• The book is a collection of 70 poems divided into 8 themes i.e. Love, Heartbreak, Loss, Pain,

Hope, Longing, Courage and Self-Love.

• The book first talks about falling in love, losing that love and what people might feel when

they experience heartbreak and later shows how if we have hope and courage in life and learn

to love ourselves things get better with time.

Shri Hanuman Chalisa music album

In news:

• Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar released the new version of Shri Hanuman Chalisa in

music album Sankatmochan Hanuman Chalisa 2021 under 'Negi Records' at Raj Bhavan.

• The album is composed by music director and composer Neeraj Negi in the voice of Vijay

Suman.

H.P. Cabinet Decisions

In news:

The Meeting of State Cabinet was held on 8th November, which was presided over by the Chief Minister

Jai Ram Thakur and decided to recommend the Governor of Himachal Pradesh to convene the winter

session of Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha from 10th to 15th December, 2021 at Dharamshala, district

Kangra. It would have five sittings.

Key Highlights:

• It was decided in the meeting to open schools for students of class 3rd to 7th standard with

effect from 10th November 2021 and for students of 1st and 2nd standards from 15th of

November this year.

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• It was decided to resume transport buses on full capacity instead of earlier 50 percent norms.

• The Cabinet also decided to hold 'Janmanch' Programme on 21st November, 2021 in different

parts of the State.

• It also reviewed the progress in implementation of Swarnim Drishtri Patra of the Bharitya Janta

Party which has been adopted as Policy Document of the present State Government. General

Administration Department made a detailed presentation in this regard.

• The Cabinet decided to constitute a Committee under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary

with Vice Chancellors of Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla and Cluster University Mandi and

Secretary Education as its Members to work out the modalities to set up a State University at

Mandi.

• It gave its nod to enhance the stipend of PG-MDS students of Himachal Pradesh Government

Dental College Shimla by Rs.5000 per month from 1st April, 2021. Now the MDS students of

1st year would get Rs 40000 instead of Rs.35000, 2nd year students would get Rs. 45000 instead

of Rs. 40000 and 3rd year students will get Rs. 50000 per month instead of Rs. 45000.

• The Cabinet gave its approval for inclusion and addition of more items in the existing schedule

of the Himachal Pradesh Agricultural and Horticultural Produce Marketing (Development and

Regulation) Act, 2005 to achieve the perspective growth of diversified agriculture and allied

sector in the larger interest of farm community of the State. Earlier as many as 131 items were

included in the existing schedule of the Act. Now as many as 259 items including cereals, pulses,

oil seeds, fruits, vegetables fibres, animal husbandry products and livestock, condiments and

species, medicinal and aromatic plant species, flowers, potted plants and their seeds and

other produces have been included under it.

• It also decided to upgrade Government Middle School, Chet in Mandi district to Government

High School along with creation of requisite posts for its smooth functioning.

• It decided to fill up 10 posts of Drivers in General Administration Department of H.P.

Secretariat on secondment basis.

• A presentation was also made on Covid-19 situation in the State and to review the

preparedness to tackle the speculated third wave of corona virus.

Rs. 1.5 lakh each to 36 fire affected families of Malana

Why in news?

Chief Minister Jai Ram visited the ancient Malana village of Kullu district to meet the fire affected

families which took place during the month of October this year.

Key highlights:

• Chief Minister announced Rs. 1.50 lakh each to 36 affected families under Mukhya Mantri Awas

Yojna and handed over sanction letters in this regard to the families.

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• He also announced that 40,000 to the affected families under MNREGA, Rs. 25,000 each to the

families whose houses were completely gutted in this fire incident and Rs. 10,000 each from his

discretionary fund to those families whose houses were partially gutted.

• CM announced opening of Health Sub Centre at Malana and said that medical staff would be

provided in this institution at the earliest, and upgradation of Government High School, Malana

to Government Senior Secondary School.

• Jai Ram Thakur said that the Forest Corporation would also provide seven cubic meters TD to

the affected families for construction of houses, and irrigation facilities would also be made

available in Jari village under JICA and tapped water would be provided under the Jal Jeevan

Mission.

• Chief Minister also announced rupees one crore for construction of alternative road to Malana.

International Renuka fair

In news:

International Shri Renuka Ji fair at Renuka in Sirmour district started from 13th November, with

receiving of the palanquin of Lord Parshuram by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur.

Swarnim Him Mahotsav

In news:

Swarnim Him Mahotsav was celebrated at Himachal Bhawan New Delhi on 14th November, jointly by

the Resident Commissioner office and Himachal Social Bodies Federation as part of the ongoing

Swarnim Himachal Celebrations across the state, to mark the 50 years of statehood of Himachal

Pradesh.

Key highlights:

• Swarnim Himachal Painting Competition was organized on the occasion by the Federation in

which 72 children belonging to Himachal Pradesh residing in Delhi/NCR participated.

• Mallika Nadda, Chairperson Special Olympics Bharat was the Chief Guest on the occasion, has

awarded certificates to the participants and winners of the competition.

• While highlighting the rich socio-cultural history of Himachal, Mallika Nadda urged the

Himachalis to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the state while remaining connected to

their roots back home,.

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Specially abled persons need to be given opportunities not sympathy

Why in news?

While addressing a function as a chief guest at Himachal Pradesh University organised by HPU and

Umang Foundation to honour the specially-abled persons at Shimla, Governor Rajendra Vishwanath

Arlekar said that specially-abled (Divyang jan) do not need sympathy but they need to be given

opportunities as they have different talents.

About specially abled people:

‘Specially abled’ means that someone has different capabilities to the average person. It’s an umbrella

term, and can be used to describe a wide spectrum of disabilities, from blind people, to amputees, to

wheelchair users. In short, it’s an alternative description for a disabled person.

Issues and Challenges faced by specially abled people:

Health:

• A large number of disabilities are preventable, including those arising from medical issues during

birth, maternal conditions, malnutrition, as well as accidents and injuries.

• However, the health sector especially in rural India has failed to react proactively to disability

• Further there are lack of affordable access to proper health care, aids and appliances

• Healthcare facilities and poorly trained health-workers in rehabilitation centres is another

concern.

Education:

• The education system is not inclusive. Inclusion of children with mild to moderate disabilities in

regular schools has remained a major challenge.

• There are various issues such as availability special schools, access to schools, trained teachers,

and availability of educational materials for the disabled.

• Further, reservations for the disabled in higher educational institutions has not been fulfilled in

many instances

Employment:

• Even though many disabled adults are capable of productive work, disabled adults have far

lower employment rates than the general population.

• The situation is even worse in the private sector, where much less disabled are employed

Accessibility:

• Physical accessibility in buildings, transportation, access to services etc still remain a major challenge.

Discrimination/Social Exclusion:

59

• Negative attitudes held by the families of the disabled, and often the disabled themselves,

hinder disabled persons from taking an active part in the family, community or workforce.

• Differently-abled people face discrimination in everyday life. People suffering from mental

illness or mental retardation face the worst stigma and are subject to severe social exclusion.

Inadequate data and statistics:

• The lack of rigorous and comparable data and statics further hinders inclusion of persons with

disabilities. The major issues with collection of data and measuring disability are:

➢ Difficult to define disability

➢ Coverage: Different purposes require different disability data

➢ Reluctance in reporting disability as disability is considered to be a stigma in many

places/societies

Poor implementation of policies and schemes:

• Hinders the inclusion of disabled persons. Though various acts and schemes have been laid

down with an aim to empower the disabled, their enforcement face many challenges.

Way Forward

Prevention:

• Preventive health programs need to be strengthened and all children need to be screened at a

young age.

• Kerala has already started an early prevention programme. Comprehensive Newborn Screening

(CNS) programme seeks early identification of deficits in infants and reduce the state's burden

of disability.

Awareness:

• People with disabilities need to be better integrated into society by overcoming stigma

• There should be awareness campaigns to educate and aware people about different kinds of

disability

• Success stories of people with disabilities can be showcased to inculcate positive attitude among

people

Employment:

• Disabled adults need to be empowered with employable skills

• The private sector needs to be encouraged to employ them.

Better measurement:

60

• The scale of disability in India needs to be better understood by improving the measurement of

disability.

Education:

• State-wise strategies on education for children with special needs need to be devised.

• There should be proper teacher training to address the needs of differently-abled children and

facilitate their inclusion in regular schools

• Further there should be more special schools and ensure educational material for differently-

abled children

Access:

• Safety measures like road safety, safety in residential areas, public transport system etc, should

be taken up

• Further, it should be made legally binding to make buildings disabled-friendly

Policy Interventions:

• More budgetary allocation for welfare of the disabled. There should be a disability budgeting on

line of gender budget.

• Proper implementation of schemes should be ensured. There should be proper monitoring

mechanisms and accountability of public funds.

National Press Day

Why in news?

The department of Information & Public Relations organised the state level function on 16th November

at Hotel Holiday Home on the occasion of National Press Day on the theme who is not afraid of media?

➢ Speaking on the occasion, Additional Chief Secretary, Information and Public Relations J.C

Sharma said that in a democratic set up, the Press was a vital pillar and the media had a great

responsibility for capacity building so that people could contribute efficiently in running this

system.

➢ Besides, the media also had onus to provide factual and true information to the masses to

maintain a cordial environment in the society so that they were not carried away by the false

propaganda of the anti-social elements.

Role of Media as a Watchdog in democracy:

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• Reporting: Media reporting on public affairs and investigations into wrongdoing in the

administration of public affairs is a must for a healthy democracy. This includes exposing frauds

or corruption cases that personally benefit politicians.

• Audit: Media plays an important role in auditing government policies and spending. An unbiased

media is important for transparent reporting.

• Awareness: Media is important to educate people on issues that are of utmost importance for

society. E.g. Increasing number of rape cases are threat to society and reflect state failure to

stop it. Media help in generating awareness about these social issues.

• Accountability: Media ensures accountability of the government by exposing the bad state of

democracy. By playing its watchdog role, the media help bring about reforms and in the long

term, assist in creating a culture of transparency and government accountability.

• Platform for debate: An election cannot be deemed democratic unless the public is fully able to

participate. As such, the media are vital in ensuring that there is a transparent platform for

debate and participation of the representatives in various national debates and discussion which

allow citizens to choose accordingly.

• Bridge: The media is a bridge between the citizens and the government. It help ciitizen’s voice to

reach government and help in highlighting various issues in the society.

• Informal opposition: Media also acts as an informal opposition, especially in case of an

opposition less in numbers in the legislature. It criticise and debate on various government

policies and schemes.

Various challenges faced by media:

• Censorship: The political leaders encourage censorship of media. Various efforts are made to

control and contain media through stringent norms and regulations.

• Sedition law: Section 124a of IPC under which sedition is punishable by life imprisonment

endanger the freedom of journalists. This lead to fear among journalists to work freely,

• Corruption: Paid news, advertorials and fake news are threat to free and unbiased media. All

this leads to favouritism and hinders unbiased reporting.

• Political influence: Corporate and political power has overwhelmed large sections of the media,

both print and visual, which lead to vested interests and destroy freedom.

Way forward:

• Legislation: Although India has the Press Council of India and specific regulations, the country

needs more detailed law regarding the media to protect not only the freedom of expression and

speech but also journalists’ safety.

• Strengthening justice system: Strengthening the courts, the police, and the justice system, and

the rule of law is important to provide adequate protection for journalists.

• Better regulation: Efforts must be made to enable regulations that would lower the barriers to

media ownership and reduce concentration of media ownership.

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• Independent agencies: There is a need to establish independent press councils, media watch

groups, Ombudsmen, and other media self‐regulatory bodies autonomous from the

government.

• Incentivise: Government must Institute awards and other forms of recognition for excellence in

watchdog reporting.

Mapping of vulnerable areas

Why in news?

In a virtual review meeting on winter season preparedness organised by Disaster Management Cell-

Revenue Department with the Deputy Commissioners and other line departments, Chief Secretary

Ram Subhag Singh directed directed the Deputy Commissioners and officers of line departments to

prepare map of vulnerable areas for upcoming winter season

Key Decisions taken:

• To identify the shadow areas and ensure preparedness of communication systems especially in

tribal and far flung areas.

• To explore alternate options of communications and to conduct mock drill to check functionality

of all modes of communications such as mobile, landlines, ISAT, VSAT, etc.

• To identify vulnerable areas as per the previous experience and deploying manpower and

machineries by prioritizing area for snow clearance.

• To make special arrangement for adjoining area of Atal Tunnel because large tourist influx could

occur in these areas during winter season.

• To make preparedness for cold waves during winters and to provide shelter to those living in

open areas.

• Formation of Quick Reaction Teams (QRT).

Vulnerability mapping:

Vulnerability mapping usually entails the mapping of exposure, sensitivity and coping capacity

indicators. The greater the exposure or sensitivity of a system, the greater the vulnerability, and

conversely, the greater the coping capacity, the less vulnerable the system will be.

Radio Orange

Why in news?

While addressing the launching ceremony of Shimla channel of Radio Orange, Chief Minister Jai Ram

Thakur highlighted the role played by Radio in information dissemination and entertainment particularly

in the hilly state like Himachal Pradesh.

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Key highlights:

• CM highlighted the commendable effort by Radio Orange to honour and promote small,

medium and large business entrepreneurs for their contribution to the society and its economic

development.

• Contribution of Radio Orange would go a long way in motivating the young entrepreneurs to

work with greater dedication and commitment to excel in their respective field.

Sutlej Textiles and Industries Limited

In news:

• Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur inaugurated the second unit of Sutlej Textiles and Industries.

Limited at Baddi in Doon Assembly Constituency of Solan district.

• Rs. 239 crores have been spent on the construction of this unit.

• It would provide employment to 600 people.

Dr. Ravinder Kumar Thakur

In news:

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur released two books of Dr. Ravinder Kumar Thakur, a Pahari poetry

collection Dilduye Ch Shool and Hindi poetry collection Aatm Bodh.

Himachal secures 1st rank in Sustainable Development Goals

In news:

Shimla has secured First Rank with 75.50 marks out of 100 in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in

Urban Areas for the year 2021.

About Sustainable Development Goals Urban Index Report:

• The SDG Urban Index & Dashboard (2021-22) was launched by NITI Aayog on November 23,

2021.

• It ranks 56 urban areas on 77 SDG indicators across targets like zero hunger, ending poverty,

quality education, good health and wellbeing, gender equality etc in the SDG framework.

• The index and dashboard will help in strengthening SDG localization as well as institute robust

SDG monitoring at the city level.

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• The index highlights strengths and gaps of ULB-level data, monitoring as well as reporting

systems.

MoU signed between H.P. Technical Education and Quest Alliance

In news:

Recently, the department of Technical Education, Vocational and Industrial Training Himachal Pradesh

Sundernagar has signed the MoU with the Future Right Skills Network, a collaborative effort by

Accenture, Cisco and J.P. Morgan and facilitated by the non-profit Quest Alliance for Training of

trainers.

Key highlights:

• The MoU was signed between Vivek Chandel, Director, Directorate of Technical Education

Sundernagar Himachal Pradesh and Venugopal Thirumalpad, Director, QUEST Alliance,

Bengaluru.

• All the trainers of the Employability Skills course in 138 Government ITI of Himachal Pradesh

will be trained under this MoU impacting 35000-trainees of the ITIs.

• All the expenses for the training shall be borne by the QUEST Alliance and there will be no

financial implication on the State.

• In the first phase, 10 identified ‘Master Trainers’ will be trained using the curriculum. Master

trainers will further train the instructor in-charge of the employability skills curriculum in all

Government ITIs in collaboration with Quest Alliance

• The program intervention will consist of employability skills curriculum training with 50 hours

of engagement via virtual and physical models such as webinars, reading materials, video

courses, assignments, and so on.

• Trainers were trained on the new Employability Skills curriculum, how to facilitate

Employability Skills classes, and how to organize the ITI's employability skills curriculum roll out.

• The Trainers will instruct students once they have been trained on employability skills using a

blended methodology that includes Quest App.

• The intervention through the Quest App will provide more than 90-hours of training to instill

skills in employability skills, digital literacy and fluency, workplace readiness, such as creative

problem solving and data use in decision making, and career management skills, such as

fostering a growth mindset and the ability to identify and plan career journeys to the trainees.

• The strategic goal for partnership for over the next three years is to equip trainers and

trainees in India with critical skills as they transition into the world of skilled workforce.

• Using the newly released Employability Skills curriculum, a blended learning employability skills

toolkit, which includes English communication, life skills, digital skills, work readiness through

self-learning digital lessons coupled with classroom games and activities will ease the

understanding of the subject.

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• The capacity building of Employability Skills trainers through cascade employability skill

Training of Trainers and extend post training support in the form of guest lectures, industry

exposure, sharing of teaching and learning aids for students and trainers.

Prabodh Saxena

In news:

• Additional Chief Secretary (Finance, Planning, Economics and Statistics and 20 point

programme) Prabodh Saxena has been nominated as member of Technical Advisory Committee

(TAC) in place of Anil Kumar Khachi for consideration of issues connected with ensuing Census

2021 pertaining to Himachal Pradesh

jan gan dhun ke janak

In news:

• Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur released the book titled Unsung Composer of INA Captain Ram

Singh Thakur jan gan dhun ke janak authored by Rajendra Rajan a prolific and eminent Hindi

writer.

• The book is well researched Chronicle of INA Soldier.

New pay scales

In news:

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur while addressing the Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) of the Himachal

Pradesh Non-Gazetted Employees Federation announced new pay scales for the employees of the State

Government with effect from 1 January, 2016.

Key highlights:

• The pay of January, 2022 would be payable in February, 2022 as per revised pay scales

• All the pensioners and family pensioners would also be given revised pension and other

pensionary benefits from 1 January, 2016.

• The Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief would be given on revised pay scales and revised

pension/family pension.

• These new pay scales and revised pension would put additional burden of Rs. 6000 crore

annually on the State exchequer.

• CM also announced implementation of New Pension System (Invalid Pension and Family

Pension ) from 15th May, 2003 according to Office Memorandum dated 5 May, 2009 of

Central Government to the employees of the State Government. This would put additional

burden of about Rs. 250 crore on the State exchequer.

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• CM announced reduction in the period of contractual employees of the State Government for

their regularization from three years to two years. He said that one-one year would also be

reduced for regularization/daily wages conversion in respect of daily wage employees, part

time workers, water guards and water carriers etc.

Special artificial limbs fitment camps

In news:

• A spokesperson of Empowerment of SCs, OBCs, Minorities and Specially Abled Department

said here today that for providing aids and appliances to the needy persons with disabilities,

special artificial limbs fitment camps are being organised by the department through Bhagwan

Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti, Jaipur from 1st December to 16th December in different

regions of the state that is Shimla, Mandi and Kangra.

• The camps are being organised for the beneficiary of all the district, who required artificial

limbs.

Defence

32nd India –Thailand CORPAT

● The Indo-Thai CORPAT was conducted to enhance maritime security and maritime links

between India and Thailand.

● India was represented by INS Karmuk which is an indigenously built Missile Corvette.

6th ‘EX SHAKTI 2021’

● India is represented by Gorkha Rifles Infantry Battalion and France Army is represented

by troops of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade.

● The navies of both nations will focus on Counter-Terrorism operations. They will enhance

their interoperability and military cooperation.

SITMEX–21

● The SITMEX is conducted among the Navies of India, Singapore, and Thailand.

● India is represented by the Indian Naval Ship (INS) Karmuk, which is an indigenously built

Missile Corvette.

15th ‘Dosti’ Exercise

● The coast guards of three nations conducted the exercise with the aim to enhance

interoperability and cooperation.

● It was the 15th edition of ‘Dost’ and was held in Maldives.

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Summit and Conferences

National Conference on ‘International Year of Fruits and Vegetables’

● The National Conference on ‘International Year of Fruits and Vegetables’ was addressed

by Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar.

● It was organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare in partnership with

the Food and Agriculture Organization.

16th G20 Summit

● The leaders assured to achieve climate goals. They have identified sustainable and

responsible consumption and production along with finance and technology to attain

climate goals.

● At the summit, PM Modi invited G20 Countries to make partnerships with India for

economic recovery and supply chain diversification.

COP26 Glasgow Climate Summit

● The COP26 Glasgow Climate Summit was held in Scotland.

● At the summit, he highlighted that India will reach net-zero carbon emission by 2070.

5th Ganga Utsav 2021

● The festival aims to celebrate the glory of the river Ganga. The glory and importance of other rivers

will also be celebrated under the festival.

● By doing so, the festival aims to promote the celebration of ‘Nadi Utsav’ (River Festival).

3rd Edition of Goa Maritime Conclave

● The Goa Maritime Conclave is the initiative of the Indian Navy.

● In this conclave, the non-traditional threats in the Indian Ocean Region and other issues

are discussed.

3rd Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan

● The ‘Delhi Declaration’ aims to have a terror-free environment, inclusive government in Afghanistan.

● The declaration is also known as ‘ Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan of

National Security Advisers/ Secretaries of Security Council’.

51st Conference of Governors and Lieutenant Governors

● The conference observed the participation of Governors and Lieutenant Governors from

all states and union territories of India.

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● At the conference, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, and

Union Home Minister Amit Shah were also present.

14th Cyber Security ‘c0c0n’ Conference

● The Kerala Police in association with the Society for the Policing of Cyberspace (POLCYB)

and Information Security Research Association (ISRA) conducted the conference.

● It was held to discuss the challenges faced in the digital era especially during the

pandemic situation and to find the solutions to those challenges.

WePOWER India Partnership Forum

● The forum aims to enhance South Asia Women's participation in Power Sector

Professional Network (WePOWER).

● The forum observed the participation of 168 stakeholders associated with the energy and

power sectors.

1st Global Innovation Summit of the Pharmaceuticals Sector

● The 1st Global Innovation Summit of the Pharmaceuticals sector was inaugurated by PM

Narendra Modi via video conferencing.

● The summit had 12 Sessions in which 40 national and international speakers expressed

their views on various subjects like regulatory environment, funding for innovation,

industry-academia collaboration, and innovation infrastructure.

21st Annual Council of Ministers (COM) Meeting of the IORA

● The 21st Annual Council of Ministers (COM) meeting of the Indian Ocean Rim Association

(IORA) was held recently in which India participated in a virtual manner.

● The Indian delegation was led by Minister of State External Affairs, Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan

Singh.

24th Bengaluru Tech Summit

● The 24th Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS), which is Asia’s largest tech event was held

recently and was inaugurated by Vice President Venkaiah Naidu.

● Its motto was to showcase various technology products and services which will serve the

domains like IT, Electronics, Healthcare, IoT, Agriculture, Medicine, etc.

‘Connect 2021’

● The ‘Connect 2021’ which is the flagship event of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)

is soon to be held.

● The CII aims to enhance the state’s GDP to US$ 1,000 billion by 2030 through this event.

5th World Congress on Disaster Management

● The WCDM is an initiative of Disaster Management Initiatives and Convergence Society

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(DMICS) Hyderabad.

● It aims to bring researchers, policymakers, and practitioners across the world together to

discuss issues and challenges faced in disaster risk management.

13th ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Summit

● India was represented by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu. He interacted with the

delegates via video conference.

● The countries from Asia and Europe participated in the summit to discuss regional and global issues

in various sectors.

20th SCO CHG Meeting

● India was represented by Union External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar.

● The meeting is held annually to discuss regional issues and the major focus of this meeting

was on the trade, economic growth and approve its annual budget.

Index and Ranking

QS Asia University Ranking 2022

● The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) has released QS Asia University Rankings 2022. The

ranking is topped by National University of Singapore.

● The 2nd position is marked by China’s

Peking University. LEADS 2021 Index

● This is the 3rd edition of the index report which defines methods to identify logistics infrastructure and services in India. The survey to rank the states and UTs were made from May to August 2021.

● Around 21 indicators were considered to rank the

states and UTs. Global Drug Policy Index

● The Global Drug Policy Index was released by Harm Reduction Consortium.

● The 1st position is marked by Norway with a score of 74 out of 100.

Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2022

● The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2022 was released by German-watch along

with Climate Action Network (CAN) and New Climate Institute.

● It was released on the sidelines of the 26th session of the Conference of the Parties

(CoP26) to the UNFCCC.

IQAir Air Quality Index

● The IQAir Air Quality Index was released, which gives the ranks for the cities in the world

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as per their pollution content in the air.

● Indian cities namely, Delhi, Kolkata, and Mumbai are the top ten most polluted citie of the

world.

TRACE Bribery Risk Matrix (TRACE Matrix)

● India is ranked at 82nd position with a risk score of 44 in the 2021 TRACE Bribery Risk Matrix.

● India ranked at 77th position in last year’s ranking for the same, thus India has slipped

five places down in the ranking.

IPF Smart Policing Index 2021

● The index was topped by Andhra Pradesh Police with an overall score of 8.11 out of 10.

● The 2nd and 3rd positions were marked by Telangana Police and Assam Police respectively.

1st SDG Urban Index and Dashboard 2021-22

● The index helps to measure SDG progress at the Urban Local Body (ULB) level.

● The index is framed by NITI Aayog in partnership with GIZ and BMZ under the umbrella of

Indo- German Development Cooperation.

National Multidimensional Poverty Index 2021

● The report is based on National Family Health Survey 4, which was conducted in 2015-16

by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS).

● It is based on 3 dimensions namely, Health, Education, and Standard of Living. These 3

dimensions are represented by 12 indicators.

MOU

Axis Bank signed MoU with Indian Navy

● The Axis Bank has signed MoU with the Indian Navy to offer a defence service salary package.

● The name of the defence service salary package is Power Salute.

India & World Bank signed Agreement for Health System of Meghalaya

● The agreement was signed for Meghalaya Health Systems Strengthening Project (MHSSP).

● The MHSSP aims to enhance the quality of health service and strengthen capacity to

manage future health emergencies like COVID-19 in the state.

MoRD signed MoU with Flipkart

● The MoU was signed for the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood

Mission (DAY- NRLM).

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● Under the MoU, both entities will work to empower local businesses and self-help groups (SHGs).

NDDB signed Agreement with Uttar Pradesh

● The partnership will help to support and promote the dairy sector in the state and will

provide required economic resilience to the dairy farmers.

● This will also double the farmer's income and will motivate non-dairy farmers to include

milk productions.

Two Agreements Signed Between India and Gambia

● India and the Gambia have signed two agreements to enhance their bilateral relations.

● Also, the request by the Gambia for procuring the dialysis machine was also approved by

a repurposing grant of USD 5,00,000.

Assam signed MoU with World Bank

● In this regard, the MoU was signed between the state’s Inland Water Transport (IWT) and

World Bank.

● A loan of Rs 770 crore was sanctioned for the same.

Indian Army signed MoU with University of Kashmir

● The Indian Army’s Chinar Corps which is based in Srinagar has signed an MoU with the

University of Kashmir.

● The MoU was signed to open a system or provision for the soldiers to take educational

courses through distance learning mode.

India and Israel signed Bilateral Innovation Agreement

● India and Israel signed bilateral innovation agreements to perform innovation and

enhance R&D activities by startups and MSMEs of both countries.

● Under the agreement, both countries will develop dual-use technologies.

Tourism Ministry signed MoU with IRCTC

● The MoU was signed to enhance ongoing efforts by the ministry to strengthen the

Hospitality & Tourism Industry in India.

● The MoU aims to grant visibility to accommodation units, which have self-certified

themselves on SAATHI i.e. System for Assessment, Awareness & Training for the Hospitality

Industry. The visibility will be granted on the OTA platform.

GOI signed Loan Pact with ADB

● The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have entered into a loan

agreement for development projects in Agartala, Tripura.

● The loan agreement worth $61 million (around Rs 454 crore) was signed for the same.

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SBI signed MoU with PONLAIT

● The MoU was signed to offer loan support to individual dairy farmers.

● The loan will be disbursed under the SAFAL (simple and fast agriculture loan) scheme of SBI.

Government Schemes

‘Dairy Sahakar’ Scheme

● The funds of Rs 5000 crore are sanctioned for the scheme.

● It will be implemented by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) under

the Ministry of Cooperation.

‘Samudrayan Project’

● The ‘Samudrayan project’ is India’s First Manned Ocean Mission.

● It was launched at the National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai.

Empowerment of Women Through Legal Awareness

● The program titled ‘Empowerment of Women through Legal Awareness’ was launched by

National Commission for Women (NCW) and National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).

● Under the program, practical knowledge about legal rights and remedies will be delivered

under women-related laws.

‘Whistle-blower Portal’

● It was launched as part of the celebration of ‘Vigilance Awareness Week 2021’.

● The launching of the portal was made by the CMD of IREDA, Pradip Kumar Das.

Bhasha Sangam Initiative, Bhasha Sangam App

● The Ministry of Education has developed the Bhasha Sangam initiative under Ek Bharat

Shreshtha Bharat.

● This initiative aims to teach basic sentences of daily usage in 22 Indian languages to the

students.

Jai Bhim Mukhyamantri Pratibha Vikas Yojana

● The scheme is framed for school going children who wish to become doctors, engineers,

civil servants or serve any other government jobs in future.

● The students whose parents annual income is upto Rs 8 lakhs can avail the benefit of the

scheme.

‘Janasevaka’ Scheme-- Karnataka

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● The scheme offers 58 government services at the doorstep of citizens of the state.

● During the first phase, the scheme will be rolled out in 198 municipal wards in Bengaluru.

Mukhyamantri Ghasiyari Kalyan Yojana

● Union Home Minister, Amit Shah launched Mukhyamantri Ghasiyari Kalyan

Yojana and computerization of cooperative societies in Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

● Under the scheme, nutritious fodder which also known as cattle feed will be provided in

vacuum packed bags of 25-30 kg to the cattle owners.

Pakal Dul Hydro Electric Project

● The Union Power Minister R K Singh inaugurated the diversion of the Marusudar River of Pakal Dul Hydro Electric Project in Kishtwar, J&K in a virtual manner.

● The project will help to attain the target of 450 GW Renewable energy by 2030.

DBT Star College Mentorship Programme

● The ‘DBT-Star College Mentorship Programme’ is the first-ever mentorship program

launched for young innovators in India.

● The program was also launched to celebrate the 75th year of India’s Independence.

Shramik Mitra Scheme-- Delhi

● The government of Delhi launched the Shramik Mitra scheme.

● The scheme aims to make aware the construction workers about the government

schemes launched for them and their families.

Rakshak Initiative – Odisha

● The Rakshak is a road safety initiative that aims to train first responders in road accidents.

● Under the initiative, 30,000 first responders will be trained by 300 master trainers. It will

be executed in 30 districts of the state.

‘Citizen’s Tele-Law Mobile App’

● During the launch, he also felicitated the Tele-Law Frontline Functionaries. The event was

organized by the Department of Justice.

● The 124 Frontline functionaries were felicitated which included Para legal volunteers,

village level entrepreneurs, panel lawyers, and state coordinators.

‘Ration Aapke Gram’ Scheme and ‘Sickle Cell Mission’ Launched

● The ‘Ration Aapke Gram’ aims to provide monthly PDS ration to the beneficiaries

belonging to janjatiya community.

● The ‘Sickle Cell Mission’ aims to perform health checkups of people suffering from sickle

cell anemia, Thalassemia, and other Hemoglobinopathies.

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Nationwide AHDF KCC Campaign

● The campaign aims to enhance the reach of benefits of Kisan Credit Card to eligible farmers

in India.

● The campaign will be executed for 3 months commencing from 15th Nov 2021.

Mukhya Mantri Udyam Kranti Yojana--- Madhya Pradesh

● The scheme aims to connect the state’s educated youth community to self-employment.

● The scheme was launched for the youth with a minimum qualification of 12th pass to the

age between 18 to 40 years.

Special Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme for Service Sector

● The SCLCSS aims to promote entrepreneurship skills and opportunities in the MSME

sector in the North-Eastern Region of the country.

● Under the scheme, the technology-related requirements of enterprises working in the

service sector will be fulfilled.

‘Tejasvini & Hausla’ Schemes and ‘Shikhar & Shikara’ Schemes

● The Tejaswini Scheme was launched under Mission Youth and will be implemented by J&K Bank.

● The Hausla Scheme is by J&K Trade Promotion Organisation. Both the schemes are

launched for women's empowerment.

‘SWADESH’

● The ‘SWADESH’ is a first of its kind large-scale multimodal neuroimaging database

designed for Indians.

● It is a unique brain initiative which is developed by DBT-National Brain Research Centre (DBT-

NBRC), Gurgaon, Haryana.

River Cities Alliance (RCA)

● The alliance is launched through partnering two entities namely National Mission for

Clean Ganga (NMCG) and National Institute for Urban Affairs (NIUA).

● The NMCG comes under Jal Shakti Ministry and NIUA cones under Housing and Urban

Affairs Ministry.

WISER Programme

● The Indo-German Science & Technology Centre (IGSTC) launched the Women’s

Involvement in Science & Engineering Research (WISER) Programme.

● It aims to promote gender equality in the R&D domain and involve women specifically in

Science and Technology.

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Model Retail Outlet Scheme- Indian Oil, BPCL and HPCL

● The scheme will help to benchmark Retail Outlet standards and ensure standardized customer

facilities in a seamless manner.

● The scheme will enhance service standards and amenities at the networks of these 3 oil PSUs.

Appointments

Name of the Person Designation

Rahul Dravid Head Coach of Indian men’s cricket team by BCCI

Arun Chawla New director-general of Industry chamber Federation

of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI)

Partha Satpathy India’s ambassador to Hungary

Sanjay Bhattacharyya India’s ambassador to Switzerland

Ajaneesh Kumar India’s ambassador to Estonia

Zubeen Garg Brand ambassador for the Bandhan Bank in Assam

CS Venkatakrishnan New CEO of Barclays

Morinari Watanabe President of the International Gymnastics

Federation (FIG)

Justice Ashok Bhushan Chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate

Tribunal

Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan Chief of Staff of Western Naval Command

Rajib Kumar Mishra CMD of PTC India Ltd (Power Trading Corporation

of India Limited)

Amitabh Bachchan Brand Ambassador for Amway India

Mohammed Siraj Brand Ambassador of My11Circle

Spaniard Daniel del Valle High Representative for Youth by International

Human Rights Foundation (IHRF)

Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar Next Chief of the Naval Staff

Fumio Kishida Prime Minister of Japan

Kapil Dev Brand ambassador of Novo Nordisk India to create awareness on having better diabetes management and early insulin adoption

Satya Narayan Pradhan DG of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB)

Jose Daniel Ortega Saavedra President of Nicaragua

Daniel Brul Goodwill Ambassador for the UN World Food

Programme (UNWFP)

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Rahul Dravid Brand ambassador of Children’s footwear brand

Plaeto

Professor Bimal Patel International Law Commission for a tenure of

five- year commencing 1st Jan 2023

Pramod Chandra Mody Secretary-General Rajya Sabha

Vidya Jayant Kulkarni, Ghanshyam Upadhyaya, and

Nawal Bajaj

Joint Directors in the Central Bureau of

Investigation(CBI)

Sourav Ganguly Chairman of the ICC men's Cricket Committee

VVS Laxman Head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA)

Shombi Sharp UN Resident Coordinator in India

Geoff Allardice Permanent CEO of the International Cricket Council

(ICC)

Rumen Radev Presidential elections of Bulgaria for the second term

MC Mary Kom Brand ambassador of the TRIFED Aadi Mahotsav

Inspector General Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi (from UAE) President of Interpol (International Criminal Police

Organisation)

Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah PM of Kuwait

Sourav Ganguly Brand ambassador of the Magik range of LED from

Century LED Limited

Rajnish Kumar Independent non-executive director of Hero

MotoCorp

Petr Fiala Prime Minister of the Czech Republic

Vivek Johri Chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and

Customs (CBIC)

Parag Agrawal CEO of Twitter

Admiral R Hari Kumar New Chief of the Indian Navy

Harshwanti Bisht First woman President of the Indian Mountaineering

Foundation (IMF)

Award and Honour

Awards Awardee

Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2020 by

the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports

Lieutenant Colonel Servesh Dhadwal and Colonel

Amit Bisht

Ezhuthachan Award 2021 P Valsala

Basavashree award 2021 by the Bruhanmutt Puneeth Rajkumar (Kannada actor)

‘Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2020’ Priyanka Mohite

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2021 JCB prize for Literature, for his book titled ‘Delhi: A

Soliloquy

M Mukundan (Author)

17th annual Kids Rights International Children’s Peace Prize for recycling household waste and tackling pollution

Vihaan and Nav Agarwal (Delhi-based teenage brothers)

'Regional Rural Banks' category award by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM)

Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB)

12th Manipur State Award for Literature 2020 for his book titled ‘Ei Amadi Adungeigi Ithat’ (I and the then island)

Beryl Thanga (Novelist)

Indian Film Personality of the Year award at the

International Film Festival of India 2021

Hema Malini (Actor and BJP leader) and Prasoon Joshi

(Lyricist)

Lifetime Achievement Award for 2021 by the

Badminton World Federation (BWF) Council

Prakash Padukone (Indian Badminton Player)

Tata Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award for

2021

Anita Desai (Author)

Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 for its contribution to

promoting the scope of education in India

Pratham NGO

1st Indian to be honoured with the Knighthood of Dr. S K Sohan Roy

Parte Guelfa

Pharma and Medical Device Startup India Grand

Challenge 2021

Sascan Meditech

Important Days and Themes

Date Day Theme

1st November 2021 World Vegan Day --

2nd November 2021 International Day to End Impunity

for Crimes against Journalists

--

2nd November 2021 National Ayurveda Day --

5th November 2021 World Tsunami Awareness Day --

6th November 2021 International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict

--

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7th November 2021 National Cancer Awareness Day --

7th November 2021 Infant Protection Day --

8th November 2021 World Urbanism Day or World

Town Planning Day

--

8th November 2021 International Day of Radiology Theme: Interventional Radiology – Active

care for the patient

9th November 2021 National Legal Services Day --

9th November to 14th

November 2021

International Week of Science and

Peace

--

10th November 2021 World Science Day for Peace and

Development

Theme: Building Climate-Ready

Communities

11th November 2021 National Education Day --

12th November 2021 Public Service Broadcasting Day --

12th November 2021 World Pneumonia Day --

14th November 2021 World Diabetes Day Theme: Access to Diabetes Care

14th November 2021 Children’s Day --

15th November to 21st November 2021

National Newborn Week Theme: ‘Safety, quality and nurturing care – the birthright of every newborn’

16th November 2021 International Day for Tolerance --

16th November 2021 National Press Day --

17th November 2021 World COPD Day Theme: Healthy Lungs – Never

More Important

17th November 2021 National Epilepsy Day Theme: ‘National Epilepsy

Awareness Month’

18th November 2021 National Naturopathy Day --

18th November 2021 World Philosophy Day --

18th November to 24th

November 2021

World Antimicrobial Awareness

week

Theme: ‘Spread Awareness, Stop Resistence’

19th November 2021 World Toilet Day Theme: ‘valuing toilets’

19th November 2021 552nd Guru Nanak Jayanti --

20th November 2021 World Children’s Day Theme: A Better Future for Every

Child

21st November 2021 World Fisheries Day --

21st November 2021 World Television Day --

21st November 2021 World Day of Remembrance for

Road Traffic Victims

Theme: ‘ACT for LOW SPEEDS /ACT

for LOW-SPEED STREETS’

24th November 2021 Lachit Divas --

24th November 2021 Martyrdom Day of Guru Tegh

Bahadur

--

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Sports

➢ Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) has won the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix 2020 held on

November 01, 2020. This was his 9th win of the season and 93rd F1 win of his career.

➢ The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced Jio as the title sponsor for the

2020 edition of the Women’s T20 Challenge.

➢ Indian boxers Amit Panghal, Sanjeet and Ashish Kumar have claimed gold medals at the 2020

Alexis Valentine International Boxing Tournament held in Nantes, France.

➢ The former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has announced retirement from all forms of

cricket on 2nd November 2020.

➢ West Indies batsman, Marlon Samuels has announced his retirement from professional cricket.

➢ Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Kiren Rijiju virtually inaugurated Sports Authority

of India’s (SAI) new Regional Centre in Zirakpur.

➢ World No.5 Daniil Medvedev of Russia has won the 2020 Rolex Paris Masters title by defeating

World No.7 Alexander Zverev of Germany, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 on 08 November 2020.

➢ Mumbai Indians defeated Delhi Capitals in the final of Dream11 Indian Premier League (IPL)

2020 to lift their fifth IPL trophy.

➢ China’s Chen Meng has been crowned as the winner of the first-ever ITTF Women’s World Cup

title.

➢ FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) cancelled the Women Under-17 world

cup due to COVID-19 pandemic.

➢ Indian cricketer Sudeep Tyagi, has announced his retirement from all forms of the game on 17

November 2020.

➢ The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on November 19, 2020, that the Women’s

T20 World Cup has been moved from its current 2022 slot to February 9-26, 2023.

➢ In Tennis, Daniil Medvedev (Russia) beat Dominic Thiem (Austria) to win the 2020 ATP Tour

Finals, 4-6, 7- 6, 6-4, held in London on 22 November 2020.

25th November 2021 International Day for the

Elimination of Violence Against

Women

Theme: ‘Orange the World: End Violence

against Women Now!’

26th November 2021 Constitution Day or Samvidhan

Diwas

--

26th November 2021 National Milk Day --

27th November 2021 National Organ Donation Day --

28th November 2021 National Cadet Corps (NCC) 73rd

Raising Day

--

29th November 2021 International Day of Solidarity with

the Palestinian People

--

30th November 2021 Day of Remembrance for all Victims

of Chemical Warfare

--

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➢ Greg Barclay, an Auckland-based commercial lawyer and director of New Zealand Cricket (NZC)

since 2012, has been elected as the new chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) on

24 November 2020, after a second round of voting.

➢ India has been appointed host of the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup 2022, the Bureau of the

FIFA Council

➢ Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had sanctioned 5 lakh rupees to the family of deceased

Manipuri Footballer Manitombi Singh in an effort to ease the financial crisis of the family.

➢ Mumbai Indians beat Delhi Capitals by five wickets in the final of Indian Premier League 2020.

➢ Trailblazers beats Supernovas by 16 runs to win the Women's T20 Challenge.

Nation and states Miscellaneous

National

➢ The Ministry of Shipping recently announced that the government of India is to set up fourteen

more aerodromes in the country to develop sea plane tourism in the country.

➢ The Ministry of AYUSH and Invest India will set up “Strategic Policy and Facilitation Bureau” to

facilitate systematic growth of AYUSH sector.

➢ The Central Government has provided support of Rs 670 crore to Regional Rural Banks (RRBs)

operating in the country to help them meet the regulatory capital requirement of 9%.

➢ The Ganga Utsav was begun virtually.

➢ The Government of India released Rs 2,200 crores to 15 states to improve Air Quality Measures.

➢ Union Government has extended the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) by one

month till 30th of November or till an amount of Rs. three lakh crores are sanctioned under the

scheme, whichever is earlier.

➢ The Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde and Justice DY Chandrachud of the Supreme

Court, jointly inaugurated India’s first-ever E-resource centre and virtual court called “Nyay

Kaushal” at Judicial Officers Training Institute in Nagpur.

➢ As of November 3, 2020, around 15 State Governments have identified districts to implement

the Fortification of Rice Scheme.

➢ The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved the Rs 1810 crore investment proposal of 210

MW of Luhri Stage I Hydro Power Project.

➢ Union minister for housing and urban affairs Hardeep Singh Puri launched the Nurturing

Neighbourhoods Challenge, which focuses on shaping cities for young children and their

families.

➢ The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved the Memorandum of Understanding signed

between India and Spain. The MoU will facilitate scientific and technical collaborations between

the countries in the field of Astronomy.

➢ The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi approved the MoU signed between India and UK in the

field of medical product regulation.

➢ Union Cabinet Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda holds a review

meeting of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).

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➢ eSanjeevani, the national telemedicine service set up by the Ministry of Health and Family

Welfare, has completed 7 lakh consultations.

➢ The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is to set up a committee to review the existing

guidelines of Television Rating Agencies.

➢ Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of various

development projects worth around 614 crores.

➢ In a first of its kind policy consultation, Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan

interacted with the highly-skilled Indian diaspora to facilitate channels for them to contribute to

India’s Science Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) 2020.

➢ The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), a flagship initiative by the NITI Aayog, and Russia’s Sirius

(Scientific International Research in Unique Terrestrial Station) has jointly launched ‘AIM–Sirius

Innovation Programme 3.0’, a 14-day virtual programme for Indian and Russian schoolchildren.

➢ The Centre announced a four-member committee, to be headed by Prasar Bharati CEO Shashi

Shekhar Vempati, to look into the Television Rating Points (TRP) system and recommend any

changes required to make it more robust and transparent.

➢ Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has invited OPEC member countries

to invest in India.

➢ The Government of India has decided to rename the Ministry of Shipping as the Ministry of

Ports, Shipping and Waterways.

➢ The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) announced that it will start providing Malaria

outbreak forecast from next monsoon.

➢ The Elephant Rehabilitation Centre at Kottoor in Thiruvananthapuram is set to become the

largest care and cure centre for elephants in the world. The first phase of the Elephant

Rehabilitation Centre will be commissioned in February 2021.

➢ The Centre has released 2,200 crore rupees as the first installment to 15 states for the

improvement of air quality measures in their million-plus cities.

➢ The Virgin Hyperloop that plans to connect Mumbai and Pune in 25 minutes has conducted its

first successful passenger ride.

➢ The Pakke Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Arunachal Pradesh has become the first reserve from the

Northeastern region to provide insurance cover against COVID-19 for its ‘Green Soldiers’

➢ Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said India is the only country on track to achieve the 2°C goal

under the Paris Agreement among all the G20 nations.

➢ National Cadet Corps (NCC), the largest uniformed youth organisation in the world, celebrated

its 72nd Raising Day on 22 November 2020.

➢ The 13th Urban Mobility India (UMI) Conference was organized by the Ministry of Housing and

Urban Affairs on 09 November 2020. The day-long Conference was held via Video Conference on

the theme “Emerging Trends in Urban Mobility”.

➢ The Department of Telecommunications has taken the decision of implementing this with the

consideration of TRAI Recommendation on “Ensuring Adequate Numbering Resources for Fixed

Line and Mobile Services”.

➢ The Pakistan Gurudwara body, PSGPC (Pakistan Sikh Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee) is to

celebrate the first anniversary of the inauguration of Kartarpur Corridor.

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➢ Shri Narendra Singh Tomar chaired Inter-Ministerial Approval Committee meeting. The

committee approved 29 projects leveraging investment of Rs 443 crores.

➢ The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has made FASTags mandatory for all

four-wheelers from January 1, 2021.

➢ Digital/Online media has been brought under the purview of the Ministry of Information and

Broadcasting.

➢ The United Nations has created a new alliance to prevent COVID-19 food crisis.It was proposed

by Italy and led by Food and Agriculture Organization.

➢ Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the state-of-the-art office-cum-residential

complex of Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, ITAT at Cuttack, Odisha.

➢ Health Minister Harsh Vardhan addressed the Boston Center of Excellence for Health and

Human Development through a Video Conference.

➢ In Maharashtra, the Central Railway workshop at Parel in Mumbai has manufactured a fifth

Narrow Gauge locomotive which will chug between Kalka to Shimla route.

➢ Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate “Sarhad VistarVikasotsav 2020 “tomorrow at Dhordo

village situated in the forward borderarea in Kutch district of Gujarat.

➢ The Government of India has issued an order on 11 November 2020, to bring video streaming

over-the-top (OTT) platforms such as online films, audio-visual programmes and online news

and current affairs content under the ambit of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

➢ The Union Ministry of Textiles has launched a campaign for Diwali- “Local4Diwali”. The

campaign has been launched to promote the Indian handicraft which is the cultural heritage of

the country and also a source of livelihood for many.

➢ India has received the first commercial shipment from Bangladesh through water route on

November 9, 2020. The shipment was received Assam’s Karimganj on the Protocol for Inland

Water Trade and Transit (PIWTT) route.

➢ Hunar Haat has restarted from November 11 after a gap of around seven months due to the

COVID-19 pandemic.

➢ The government has made it mandatory for companies with annual turnover of Rs 100 crore

and above to go for e-invoicing for business to companies (B2C) transactions. This new rule will

be applicable from 01 January 2021.

➢ The Energy Efficiency Services Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the

Department of New and Renewable Energy, Goa.

➢ The World Economic Forum selected 36 cities from 22 countries for pioneering a policy road

map for smart cities. These smart cities are being developed under the G20 Global Smart Cities

Alliance.

➢ The first solar powered Textile Mill in Asia will come up in Parbhani district, Maharashtra.

➢ Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Shri Narendra Singh Tomar virtually inaugurated

the capacity building component of the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing

Enterprises scheme (PM- FME Scheme) on 18 November 2020

➢ The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has proposed a new scheme to develop Wind-Solar

Hybrid Parks. The scheme aims to address the key issues faced by renewable energy projects.

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➢ The Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh launched a portal for defence land management

system.

➢ Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri launched the Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge, aimed to ensure

that no person needs to enter a sewer or septic tank, unless absolutely unavoidable in the

interest of greater public hygiene.

➢ Indian Railways' coach manufacturing unit, The Rail Coach Factory (RCF) Kapurthala has rolled

out a semi high-speed double-decker coach that can run at a top speed of up to 160 kilometres

per hour (kmph), according to the Railways.

➢ PM Narendra Modi, Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering jointly launched RuPay card Phase-II

in Bhutan via video conferencing.

➢ Government of India sanctioned a loan of 3,971 crores of rupees for micro irrigation projects in

Tamil Nadu. This is one of the biggest loans being sanctioned for the state of Tamil Nadu.

➢ Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the Seismic

Survey Campaign by Oil India Limited.

➢ Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a statue of Swami Vivekananda in the JNU campus in

New Delhi through video conferencing.

➢ Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of rural drinking water supply projects

in Mirzapur and Sonbhadra districts of Vindhyachal region in Uttar Pradesh on 22 November

2020 via video conference. The total estimated cost of the projects is around Rs 5,555.38 Crore.

➢ The Uttarakhand forest department has dedicated the newly-built Moss Garden to the people,

claiming that it is the country’s first such garden, spread over 10 hectares in Kumaon’s Nainital

district.

➢ Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' today inaugurated 46 online AICTE Training and

Learning (ATAL) Academy Faculty Development Programmes (FDPs) to train teachers of higher

education institutions.

➢ Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated a mobile COVID-19 RT-PCR Lab at the Indian Council of

Medical Research (ICMR) in New Delhi

➢ The Deep Depression over the South West Bay of Bengal has intensified into the Cyclonic Storm

“Nivar,” on 24 November 2020.

➢ The Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs launched the Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge in 243

cities. The challenge is to prevent the “hazardous cleaning” of sewers and septic tanks and

promote their mechanized cleaning.

➢ The tenth edition of prestigious National science film festival kicked off on 24th November 2020

in a virtual mode.

➢ The Union Cabinet approved Rs 6,000 crores of capital infusion into the National Infrastructure

Investment Fund.

➢ The Invest India and the United Nations Development Programme has launched the sustainable

development goal investor map for India.

➢ President Ram Nath kovind boarded the Air India one-B777 aircraft.

➢ Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, the Union Minister for Food Processing Industries, Agriculture and

Farmers Welfare, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj virtually inaugurated the Mega Food

Park (MFP) at Phagwara in Kapurthala district of Punjab on 24 November 2020.

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➢ Prime minister Narendra Modi launched ‘Har Ghar Nal Yojna’ (tap water to every household),

for Sonbhadra and Mirzapur in Vindhya region of Uttar Pradesh via video conference.

➢ The Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot virtually

launched a ‘National Portal for Transgender Persons’ on 25 November 2020.

➢ Indian Railway has launched a completely digitised online Human Resource Management

System (HRMS).

➢ The Indian government on November 26, 2020, decided to extend the ban on the scheduled

international commercial passenger services till December 31, 2020, because of the ongoing

COVID-19 pandemic.

➢ The Ministry of Shipping announced on November 26, 2020, that it has issued a draft of the

Merchant Shipping Bill, 2020 for public consultation.

➢ Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a commemorative Rs 100 coin of the centennial

foundation day of the University of Lucknow through a video conference.

➢ Uttar Pradesh Cabinet has cleared the proposal to rename the Ayodhya airport as Maryada

Purushottam Sri Ram Airport, Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.

➢ The Union Minister of External Affairs Shri S Jaishankar recently announced at the Geneva

Donors conference that India is to construct the Shahtoot Dam across the Maidan river, a

tributary of river Kabul in Afghanistan.

➢ The Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar recently inaugurated a cooperative

programme for the beekeepers and honey collectors. The programme was launched in 5 states.

➢ Low-cost domestic airline major SpiceJet launched its dedicated freighter services to Leh on 26

November 2020.

➢ The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shri Narendra Singh Tomar virtually

inaugurated Honey Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) Programme in five states, for producing

honey.

➢ The Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar virtually

launched the web portal “India Climate Change Knowledge Portal” on 27 November 2020.

➢ A group art-exhibition was inaugurated in Dhaka to pay tribute to the Bangladesh Father of

Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

➢ Prime Minister Narendra Modi has embarked on a three-city visit on 28 November 2020, to

personally review the COVID-19 vaccine development and manufacturing process at facilities in

these cities.

➢ Union Health Minister reviews implementation of the National Digital Health Mission and

Ayushman Bharat- PMJAY.

➢ E-Lok Adalats were organized in 15 states, handling more number of cases. From June to

October, 27th E- Lok Adalats were organized in 27 states, handling more than 250,000 cases.

➢ Union Cabinet Secretary Shri Rajiv Gauba chaired the meeting of the National Crisis

Management Committee (NCMC) today through a video with the chief secretaries of Andhra

Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Meeting to review the situation of the upcoming cyclone.

➢ Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is set to visit his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi on 30

November 2020.

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➢ The Government of India recently launched Mission COVID Suraksha to accelerate development

of vaccine in the country.

➢ World Health Organisation is establishing the WHO Global Centre on Traditional Medicine in

India to strengthen the research on traditional medicines

➢ Union Home Ministry approved Rs,4381.8 corores for relief and assistance under the National

Disaster Response Fund to six states after natural calamities caused widespread devastation

➢ National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI) launched seven academic programmes

aimed toward creating ‘best skills sets’ in railway infrastructure management, systems and

communication engineering and transportation cum supply chain management.

➢ Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday (November 16, 2020) unveiled the 'Statue of Peace'

in Rajasthan to mark the 151st Birth Anniversary celebrations of Jainacharya Shree Vijay Vallabh

Surishwer Ji Maharaj.

➢ In a major boost to India’s ambitious human space flight programme amid times of Covid-19

pandemic infrastructure major Larsen & Toubro, delivered the first hardware - a booster

segment - for the Gaganyaan Launch Vehicle.

➢ Ministry of Youth Affairs And Sports has introduced an incentivisation structure to extend

monetary support to 500 private academies, through the Khelo India Scheme over the next four

years starting FY 2020-21.

➢ Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering on Friday

launched RuPay card Phase-II that will allow Bhutanese card holders to access the RuPay

network in India.

➢ The project is being executed as per Make-II guidelines of defence procurement and the

selection process has been conducted over 3 years.

➢ Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched ‘Secha Samadhan’, a bilingual mobile

application.

➢ The Union Ministry of Textiles has launched a campaign for Diwali- “Local4Diwali”. The

campaign has been launched to promote the Indian handicraft which is the cultural heritage of

the country and also a source of livelihood for many.

➢ In yet another boost for the Indian Navy, it’s fifth Scorpene class submarine ’Vagir’ was launched

at Mumbai’s Mazagon Dock.

➢ Union ministry of food processing industries (MoFPI) has announced 50% air transportation

subsidy for 41 notified fruits and vegetables from northeastern and Himalayan states to any

place in India under Operation Greens (TOP to TOTAL) Scheme as part of Aatma Nirbhar Bharat

Abhiyan.

➢ Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. has successfully conducted a ‘Proof of Concept’ feasibility study on

‘zero- emission electric mobility’ at one of its fuel stations in Bengaluru.

➢ Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri recently launched the Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge, aimed

to ensure that no person needs to enter a sewer or septic tank, unless absolutely unavoidable in

the interest of greater public hygiene.

➢ National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) has launched a digital

learning platform called the Future Skills Prime to encourage remote and self-paced learning.

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➢ Recently, the 30th edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) has been

concluded in the Andaman Sea close to the Strait of Malacca.

➢ The 24th edition of MALABAR maritime exercise, hosted by Indian Navy (IN) in two phases,

concluded in the Arabian Sea on 20 Nov 20

States

➢ PM inaugurated the first of its kind Sea Plane service of the country in Gujarat.

➢ PM Modi is to launch Ro-Pax ferry service between Ghogha and Hazira in Gujarat through video

conferencing

➢ The Panna Tiger Reserve of Madhya Pradesh has been included in the ‘World Network of

Biosphere Reserves’ list of the UNESCO.

➢ The Madhya Pradesh government, led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has decided to

set up a ‘Gau Cabinet’ for the protection, conservation and promotion of cows in the state.

➢ In Madhya Pradesh, a digital museum has been opened at Maharaj Bada in Gwalior for the

public.

➢ Kerala has been adjudged the best-governed state in the country, while Chandigarh emerged

the best- governed union territory according to the Public Affairs Index-2020 released by the

Public Affairs Centre.

➢ India’s first of its kind solar energy-driven miniature train was inaugurated at the Veli Tourist

Village, Kerala by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

➢ The government of Kerala has launched a pioneering eco-sustainable programme called

‘Parivarthanam’, to improve the livelihood of the fishing community.

➢ In West Bengal, Kolkata will soon feature India’s first “Tyre Park”, where artworks made from

scrap and defective parts will be on display.

➢ The West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced a number of initiatives for the

Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and refugee population.

➢ From December 1, West Bengal will launch an initiative to take government services to the

doorsteps of people. ‘Duare Duare Sarkar’ or government at the doorstep.

➢ Rajasthan government is planning to make a law on wearing face mask mandatory to prevent

the spread of coronavirus in the state.

➢ Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said Rs 6,000 will be given to women becoming mothers

for the second time under a new government scheme.

➢ On the eve of Statehood Day celebrations, on November 1, 2020, the State Government of

Chhattisgarh launched Fortified Rice Distribution Scheme.

➢ In Chhattisgarh, 27 Maoists have surrendered in Dantewada district in tribal Bastar division. The

surrendered Maoists were inspired by the ‘Lon Varratu’ campaign being carried out by the

police in the district. 'Lon Varratu' means 'Return Home' in the local tribal dialect Gondi. So far

more than 170 Maoists have surrendered under the ‘Lon Varratu’ campaign.

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➢ The Union Minister of Development of the North Eastern Region Shri Jitendra Singh inaugurated

the Mansar Lake Development Plan in Jammu and Kashmir

➢ In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Mahila Shakti Kendra, Rajouri launched Selfie with

Daughter Campaign in the district to celebrate the pride of having daughters under the Ministry

of Women and Child Development.

➢ Government notifies new Land rules that allow any Indian citizen to buy land in Jammu &

Kashmir. Indian citizens can now buy land in J&K (Jammu and Kashmir).

➢ Saffron Production under the National Saffron Mission that was so far confined to Kashmir is

now to be implemented in the North East.

➢ The Union Territory of Ladakh has got the largest solar power project set up under the Centre’s

‘Make In India’ initiative at Leh IAF station to provide sustainable energy alternative to fossil fuel

and traditional methods of energy generation.

➢ The foundation stone of PM Narendra Modi’s Dream to Make Ladakh Carbon Neutral has been

started from Kanoor Village of Kargil which has been the first Renewable Village in Ladakh.

➢ Union Territory of Puducherry celebrates its 66 th Liberation Day on 01 November

➢ Punjab Government initiated a drive to eradicate tobacco use to save children & youth as well as

tobacco free work place on the occasion of Punjab State No Tobacco Day. The theme of

campaign is “Tobacco Free Workplaces”.

➢ Punjab had revoked/withdrawn the general consent to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

➢ Union Food Processing Industries Minister Narendra Singh Tomar virtually inaugurated the Rs

107.83 crore mega food park at Phagwara in Kapurthala district of Punjab which is likely to

generate 5,000 jobs.

➢ Jharkhand, the ‘Land of Forest’ celebrates its State Formation Day on November 15 every year.

➢ Mirzapur city of Uttar Pradesh is all set to make the state proud across the globe as the ‘Japan

Carpet Fair’ will be exhibiting the world-famous foot-mats and wall hangings

➢ Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, November 22, launched the ‘Har Ghar Nal Yojana’

(Tap Water to Every Household) for the residents of Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra and Mirzapur

district.

➢ Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of 16 National Highway

projects in Uttar Pradesh on 26 November 2020

➢ Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath launched a special 10-day campaign to identify

people suffering from tuberculosis (TB) in the state.

➢ Uttar Pradesh government will celebrate the annual Deepotsav in Ayodhya on Diwali in a grand

manner and this time it is planning to break its own last year record by lighting around 6 lakh

diyas, earthen lamps on the ghats of Saryu.

➢ The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has decided to develop the Vindhyavasini Mandir Corridor

at Vindhyachal in Mirzapur district.

➢ Uttar Pradesh government has imposed Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) in the state.

➢ The Uttar Pradesh government has passed an ordinance to ban unlawful religious conversions

for marriage.

➢ The Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stone of Indo-Israeli

Centre of Excellence for Vegetables Protected Cultivation at Khetri on the outskirts of Guwahati

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➢ In Assam, the Education department has launched a toll free tele education helpline number for

government school students.

➢ In Assam, the Education department will start an Aadhaar enrolment drive for nearly 70 lakh

students.

➢ The Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has

announced that Assam’s Tezpur Litchi has been given the geographical indication (GI) tag.

➢ In Assam, Rupsi Airport at Kokrajhar district is all set to start commercial operation under

Regional Connectivity Scheme.

➢ A cow shelter in Assam’s Dibrugarh inaugurated Northeast’s first-ever cow hospital.

➢ In a major boost to the adoption of electric vehicles in the State, the Tamil Nadu government

has passed an order for 100 per cent exemption of motor vehicle tax for battery-operated

vehicles (BOVs).

➢ Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) said its researchers have developed a digital game

'IITM Covid Game' to create awareness about Covid-19 virus among the general public,

particularly children.

➢ The Health Minister of Maharashtra, Rajesh Tope on November 3, 2020, announced that Rs. 57

crores have been released by the state government for ASHA workers.

➢ Maharashtra will observe the National Unity Week from 19th to 25th of November.

➢ Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddav Thackeray launched “Maha Awas Yojana”.

➢ The Lonar Lake in Maharashtra's Buldhana district has been chosen as a wetland site of

international importance under the Ramsar conservation treaty

➢ The Jai Bhawani women’s cooperative factory are going to be the primary in Asia that may treat

solar energy. Spread across thirty acres of land the mill will process cotton to cloth.

➢ Mumbai becomes the first Indian city with designated infrastructure for women in its urban plan

➢ In Maharashtra, the Central Railway workshop at Parel in Mumbai has manufactured a fifth

Narrow Gauge locomotive which will chug between Kalka to Shimla route.

➢ Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao inaugurated the State’s first Rythu Vedika in

Jangaon agriculture cluster.

➢ Telangana has banned the employment of firecrackers with immediate effect prior Diwali

following a state supreme court directive to the regime, joining an inventory of states that have

taken an identical step citing COVID-19 pandemic.

➢ Every year on November 9, the Uttarakhand Day is celebrated

➢ In Dehradun, the Municipal Corporation has launched an initiative named Plastic Lao MASK LE

JAO to fight against the menace of plastic waste and contain the spread of Covid-19.

➢ India’s longest single-lane motorable suspension bridge has been inaugurated in Tehri-Garhwal

district of Uttarakhand.

➢ Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has asserted that Kumbh Mela will be held in

its divine form at Haridwar in 2021 despite the practical problems arising out of the COVID-19

pandemic.

➢ The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved USD 132.8 million loan to Meghalaya, to

improve and upgrade the power distribution network in the state.

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➢ Every year the cherry blossom festival is hosted by Meghalaya in the starting of November. This

year the festival has been cancelled due to covid-19.

➢ The “Go Electric” campaign was launched by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) in coordination

with the Andhra Pradesh State Energy Conservation Mission.

➢ Andhra Pradesh celebrated its Formation Day on 01 November with chief minister YS Jagan

Mohan Reddy unfurling the national flag at his official residence.

➢ Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched the website of Atal Medical and Research University,

Ner Chowk Mandi through video conferencing from Shimla.

➢ Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jairam Thakur launched ‘Him Suraksha Abhiyan’ on 24

November 2020.

➢ The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) conducted a joint tri-service exercise code-named

‘Bull Strike’ from 03 to 05 November 2020, at the remotely located Teressa Island, in the

strategically important Nicobar group of Islands.

➢ The Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched India’s first solar-based

Integrated Multi- Village Water Supply Project (IMVWSP) in Arunachal Pradesh.

➢ Arunachal Pradesh recorded the best sex ratio in India with 1,085 females born per thousand

males, followed by Kerala at 963 and Karnataka at 957.

➢ Arunachal Pradesh recorded the best sex ratio in the country compared to other states,

according to the 2018 report on "vital statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System."

➢ Nagaland govt decides to celebrate Hornbill Festival virtually this year. This festival is also called

the Festival of Festivals.

➢ A first of its kind in the state, North Police Station Kohima in Nagaland has been awarded an ISO

certification.

➢ In Nagaland, Kohima Smart City Development Limited, KSCDL has been declared Winner at the

ET Government Global Smart Cities Forum 2020 under the category Best Digital Initiative of the

Year (Technology) for Kohima City Wifi Phase-I Project.

➢ Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched ‘Secha Samadhan’, a bilingual mobile application, to

address the irrigation problems faced by farmers without them having to visit the offices

concerned.

➢ Bhubaneswar becomes the 1st city in the entire country to receive the ISO-9001:2015

certification for effective Faecal Sludge & Septage Management FSSM services.

➢ Odisha Essential Services (Maintenance) Amendment Bill-2020 was passed by the state

assembly

➢ The Karnataka Government has approved to carve out Vijayanagara as new district of the

state.Vijayanagara will be the 31st district of the State.

➢ The Bowring and Lady Curzon Medical College and Research Institute in Bengaluru have been

named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

➢ Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala presented Doctor of Science honorary doctorate upon ISRO

Chairman K Sivan.

➢ Government think-tank NITI Aayog has formed a high-level panel to explore the technological

and commercial viability of the Virgin Hyperloop technology for ultrahigh speed travel in India,

weeks after its first test was completed with humans on board.

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➢ The Delhi government will adopt the cost-effective model of rainwater harvesting currently

being implemented in the tribal-dominated Dungarpur district of Rajasthan.

➢ The Goa government will install the life-size statue of late Argentine football legend Diego

Maradona in the coastal belt of North district by early next year.

IAS/HAS/PCS