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Quick Revision Test Series Value Addition M.S.Shashank July - 2021 Current Affairs

Sources: FOREWARD The Hindu | The Indian Dear Aspirants, Express Live mint | Every one of our students aims to get their dream job and The Economic Times | seeks the right tools that helps them complete their career Hindustan Times | PIB | defining tests. We aim to be one of the main tool to help an PRS | Government & aspirant become the one they aspire to be. AKS IAS thrives to be World Reports (NITI Aayog, the best step a student takes towards his/her goal and we do Budget, WEF Economic achieve it nearly every time. Our publishing unit is one of the Survey etc.) | NCERTs All essential means to serve our intentions through AKS IAS standard reference books Monthly Magazine (Bilingual) and various imprinted and AKS IAS Current Affairs forthcoming titles. Monthly Magazine covers a This Exclusive book has been prepared and compiled wide range of topics which keeping in mind the needs of those, who are looking for a overlaps with the CORE focused and intensive approach, who wish to streamline their subjects. preparation strategy for the various competitive examinations.

Head Office: Hyderabad AKS IAS Academy's - committed team has prepared this Regional Branch: Vizag book following certain norms to ensure non-partisan treatment of the subject, a dedicated effort to help you prepare best to

www.aksias.com crack the Examinations. Explaining each and every detail required. This all-inclusive volume will facilitate the aspirants to amass a complete and detailed understanding of the Follow US: AKS IAS concerned subject. We wish you the best for your Test preparation! M.S.Shashank

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1 M.S.Shashank

1. Polity & Governance ...... 6 1.1. riots: 3 student activists get bail ...... 6 1.2. Rules regulating cable TV network amended ...... 7 1.3. Plan to put Lakshadweep under Karnataka HC ...... 8 1.4. Time to Define Limits of Sedition: SC ...... 8 1.5. Section 304B of IPC: Dowry Deaths ...... 10 1.6. Corporatisation of Ordnance Factory Board ...... 10 1.7. Chief Secretary Transfer Issue...... 12 1.8. Draft Rules for live-streaming court proceedings out ...... 14 1.9. SC urged to stop illegal adoption ...... 14 1.10. Rengma Nagas demand ADC ...... 16 1.11. Special Purpose Vehicle for Mission Karmayogi ...... 17 1.12. Model Panchayat Citizens Charter ...... 18 1.13. Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2019-20 ...... 18

2. Economy ...... 21 2.1. Inland Vessels Bill receives Cabinet nod ...... 21 2.2. Cabinet panel approves additional fertilizer subsidy ...... 22 2.3. Sale of HTBt cotton Seeds Doubles ...... 22 2.4. 's ethanol roadmap ...... 24 2.5. GST Council Meet ...... 26 2.6. India’s first maritime arbitration centre GIMAC ...... 27 2.7. G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting ...... 27 2.8. Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2020: IRENA ...... 28 2.9. Guidelines for Other Service Providers (OSPs) ...... 29 2.10. RBI’s Proposals for Microfinance Institutions ...... 30 2.11. Global Minimum Tax ...... 31 2.12. Fast Tracking Freight In India ...... 33

3. International Relations ...... 34 3.1. Biden, Putin hold ‘great power’ summit ...... 34 3.2. 47th Edition of G7 Summit ...... 36 3.3. Italian Marines Case ...... 39 3.4. The Antarctic Treaty is turning 60 ...... 41

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2 M.S.Shashank 3.5. Tibet gets first bullet train from Lhasa to border ...... 43 3.6. IAF, Navy match skills with U.S. team ...... 44

4. Science & Technology ...... 45 4.1. New Shephard rocket system ...... 45 4.2. -12 ...... 46 4.3. UNESCO Science Report ...... 46 4.4. ‘Monoclonal antibody treatment beneficial’ ...... 47 4.5. Space-Time Induces Neutrino Oscillations ...... 48 4.6. Role of Animal Serum in Vaccine Making ...... 49 4.7. PASIPHAE Project ...... 50 4.8. EnVision Mission ...... 51 4.9. Disinfection System Vajra Kavach ...... 52 4.10. Deep Ocean Mission ...... 53 4.11. Missions to Venus ...... 54

5. Social Issues & Justice ...... 55 5.1. Birth, death registrations up in 2019 ...... 55 5.2. Child Labour: Tends and the Road Forward ...... 56 5.3. Bru Rehabilitation in ...... 58 5.4. EPFO and ESIC Extension to Covid-Hit Families ...... 59

6. Health ...... 60 6.1. Govt. report flags ‘lapses’ in bat study ...... 60 6.2. A place for disruptive technology in India’s health sector ...... 61 6.3. Soon, drones might ferry vaccines ...... 64 6.4. ‘ plus’ and an emerging public health threat ...... 65

7. Environment ...... 66 7.1. seeks realignment of tracks through wetland ...... 66 7.2. State of Finance for Nature Report ...... 67 7.3. staple rice and wheat losing their nutrients ...... 69 7.4. Pact signed to conserve rare turtle in Assam ...... 70 7.5. Bundi sanctuary as a tiger reserve ...... 71 7.6. UNESCO: Great Barrier Reef ‘in danger’ ...... 72 7.7. State of India’s Environment Report 2021 ...... 73 7.8. Rise In Biomedical Waste Amidst COVID-19 ...... 74

8. Internal Security ...... 76 8.1. Panel formed for talks on theatre commands ...... 76 ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

3 M.S.Shashank 8.2. Work begins on the Krivak class frigate ...... 76 8.3. MoD notifies ‘Second Positive Indigenisation List’ ...... 77

9. Geography & Disaster Management ...... 78 9.1. Massive distribution of ex gratia will strain finances, says Centre ...... 78 9.2. Increase sea level in Lakshadweep Islands ...... 79 9.3. Glacier Melting in Hindu Kush ...... 81 9.4. Rare Earth Metals at the Heart of -U.S. Rivalry ...... 83 9.5. DM Act is of 2005 vintage, was first enforced during pandemic ...... 84

10. History- Art & Culture...... 85 10.1. Remembering the Tulsa race massacre 100 years later ...... 85 10.2. Sant Kabir Das Jayanti ...... 86 10.1. National Maritime Heritage Complex: Lothal ...... 86 10.2. Chhatrapati Shivaji ...... 87

11. Awards ...... 87 11.1. Smart City awards 2020 ...... 87

12. Government Initiatives ...... 88 12.1. “Gold hallmarking” Becomes Mandatory ...... 88 12.2. Crash Course Programme for Covid-19 Frontline Workers ...... 88 12.3. Biotech-KISAN Programme ...... 89 12.4. Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) ...... 89 12.5. Horticulture Cluster Development Programme ...... 90 12.1. Bamboo Market Window on GeM Portal ...... 91

13. Persons & Appointments ...... 91 13.1. Jamsetji Tata ...... 91 13.2. Laurel Hubbard...... 91

14. Important Days ...... 92 14.1. World No Tobacco Day ...... 92 14.2. World Milk Day...... 92 14.3. World Environment Day 2021 ...... 92 14.4. World Sea Turtle Day ...... 92 14.5. 7th International Day of Yoga ...... 93 14.6. United Nations Public Service Day 2021 ...... 93 14.7. International Olympic Day ...... 93

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4 M.S.Shashank 15. Miscellaneous ...... 94 15.1. Nano Urea Liquid: IFFCO ...... 94 15.2. Itat e-dwar ...... 94 15.3. New human species discovered in Israel ...... 95 15.4. Rapid Antigen Test Kit for COVID-19 ...... 95 15.5. Kerala sets up Committee for Safety of Fishers ...... 96 15.6. Digital Skill Champions Programme ...... 96 15.7. China to run First Electric Train in Tibet ...... 96 15.8. RIL launches New Clean Energy Business ...... 97 15.9. Andhra’s SALT programme ...... 97 15.10. LIC introduces Technology Platform ‘e-PGS’ ...... 97 15.11. Centre for Research on Start-Ups and Risk Financing ...... 98 15.12. Green High-Speed Rail Rating System...... 98 15.13. Merger of CWC-CRWC ...... 99 15.14. Mukhyamantri Covid-19 Pariwar Aarthik Sahayata Yojana ...... 99 15.15. Incentives for having more children ...... 99 15.16. World’s first DNA-based Vaccine ...... 100 15.17. Green Tariff Policy launched ...... 100 15.18. India-Fiji MoU for Cooperation in Agriculture ...... 101 15.19. Yellow Watermelon commercially introduced ...... 101 15.20. Virtual Water analysis ...... 101 15.21. India-US launched Hydrogen Task Force ...... 102

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5 M.S.Shashank

Context: • POTA’s precursor, the Terrorist & Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) was The Delhi High Court granted bail to three students repealed in 1995. of Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Millia Islamia arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the northeast Delhi riots in 2020.

More Details:

• The court criticised the Delhi Police for casually invoking provisions of UAPA against the three accused noting that the line between the constitutionally guaranteed “right to protest” and “terrorist activity” had been blurred. • The three accused students were protesting against the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). • The court remarked that, in spite of the fact that the definition of ‘terrorist act’ in UAPA is Defining ‘terrorism’: wide and somewhat vague, the phrase ‘terrorist act’ cannot be permitted to be • To understand the concept and construction of casually applied to criminal acts that fall “terrorism”, the High Court referred to various squarely within the definition of conventional Supreme Court (SC) judgments where the issue offences. has already been dealt with. • The court cautioned that imposing extremely • In Hitendra Vishnu Thakur versus State of grave and serious penal provisions engrafted Maharashtra case, SC said: in sections 15, 17 and 18 of the UAPA upon • “A ‘terrorist’ activity does not merely arise by people would undermine the intent and causing disturbance of law and order or of purpose of the law. public order. The fallout of the intended activity must be such that it travels beyond the UAPA’s origin: capacity of the ordinary law enforcement agencies to tackle it under the ordinary penal • The ‘terrorist act’, including conspiracy and act law. preparatory to the commission of a terrorist • “Every terrorist may be a criminal but every act, were brought within the purview of UAPA criminal cannot be given the label of a by an amendment made in 2004 when the ‘terrorist’ only to set in motion the more Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) was stringent provisions of TADA.” repealed.

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6 M.S.Shashank Challenges to the Amendment Act • As per the petition, the right to equality is violated since the provision does not provide • So far, 2 petitions have been filed against the any detailed grounds based on which one may Amendment Act – Sajal Awasthi v. Union of be categorized as a terrorist. For this reason, India and Association for Protection of Civil the provision is ‘manifestly arbitrary’. The Rights v. Union of India – with Sajal Awasthi doctrine of manifest arbitrariness, in brief, being the lead petition. states that if a law is made without an • Both petitioners have more or less raised adequate governing principle and is excessive similar arguments against the amendment. or disproportionate in nature, the same is While this post only outlines the grounds manifestly arbitrary and thus antithetical to raised in the lead petition, they overlap greatly the right to equality. with those raised by the Association for o The amendment goes against the right Protection of Civil Rights. to dissent, which is a facet of the right • The overarching argument of both Petitioners to freedom of speech. is that an individual may be identified as a • As to the argument based on Article 21, terrorist without any judicial scrutiny and even petitioner claims that the right to reputation is before the commencement of a trial. Thus, an integral aspect of right to life and this right they challenge the Amendment Act as being will be taken away by the arbitrary exercise of violative of the right to equality (Article 14), powers under Section 35 free speech (Article 19) and life (Article 21) of the Constitution.

Context: • A viewer could file a complaint directly to the broadcaster, who would have to respond The Information and Broadcasting Ministry has within 15 days. amended the rules regulating cable television • If the complainant was not satisfied with the networks. response, the complaint could be escalated to the self-regulating bodies set up by TV More Details: channels, which should deal with the case in 60 days. • The amendment provides for a statutory o Such appeals would be dealt with by the mechanism for complaints raised by citizens Inter-Departmental Committee set up regarding any content broadcast. under the Oversight Mechanism. • At present, there are over 900 TV channels o The Committee would be headed by the that are required to comply with the Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Programme and Advertising Code laid down by Information and Broadcasting. the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting o Its members would be from the Ministry of under the Cable Television Network Rules. Women and Child Development, Home • The Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Ministry, Ministry of Electronics and Rules, 2021, provides for a three-level Information Technology, Ministry of grievance redressal mechanism: External Affairs, Ministry of Defence, and o self-regulation by broadcasters representatives of other Ministries and o self-regulation by the self-regulating organisations, including experts, as bodies of the broadcasters decided by the Centre. o oversight by an Inter-Departmental • This third tier was not only kept aside to hear Committee at the level of the Centre. the appeals, it could take up complaints that come directly to the Centre

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Context: Details:

• The Lakshadweep administration has mooted • The jurisdiction of a High Court can be shifted a proposal to shift its legal jurisdiction from the only through an Act of Parliament, according Kerala High Court to the Karnataka High Court. to the law. • According to Article 241 of the Constitution, Background: “Parliament may by law constitute a high court for a Union Territory or declare any court in • Lakshadweep administration has been facing any such territory to be a high court for all or widespread protests over its policies. any of the purposes of this Constitution,”. • As many as 23 applications, including 11 writ • Clause 4 of the same article mentions that petitions, have been filed against the “nothing in this article derogates from the Administrator and also against the alleged power of Parliament to extend or exclude the high-handedness of either the police or the jurisdiction of a high court for a state to, or local government of the islands. from, any Union Territory or part thereof”. • The proposal for shifting the legal jurisdiction • Legal experts opine that changing of high court from the High Court of Kerala to Karnataka would also mean extra-burden on the comes amid these developments. exchequer as all the cases, at present under trial, would have to be heard again afresh

Context: State government for violating its previous order. • Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) while • The previous order of SC directed the state protecting two Telugu (language) news government to immediately cease any direct channels from coercive action by the Andhra and indirect threats of prosecution and arrest Pradesh government noted that it is time to to citizens, who air their grievances. define the limits of sedition. • Presently, the Committee for Reforms in SC’s Ruling: Criminal Laws constituted by the Union Home Ministry to suggest reforms to the British-era Indiscriminate Use of Sedition: Indian Penal Code (IPC), is attempting for the first time to define Hate speech. • SC flagged indiscriminate use of the sedition law against critics, journalists, social media Case Details: users, activists and citizens for airing their grievances about the government's Covid-19 • Channels blamed the state government for management. suppressing the right to freedom of speech by • Even for seeking help to gain medical access, obstructing the media coverage and reportage equipment, drugs and oxygen cylinders, of the Covid-19 pandemic in the State. especially during the second wave of the • Article 19 guarantees freedom of expressing pandemic. one’s own views, opinions, beliefs and convictions freely by word of mouth, writing, Interpretation of ‘Sedition’: printing, picturing or in any other manner. • Channels urged the SC to initiate contempt • The ambit and parameters of the provisions proceedings against the senior officials of the of Sections 124A (sedition), 153A and 505 of the IPC would require interpretation. ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

8 M.S.Shashank • IPC Section 153 A: Punishes acts promoting • They have to live without their passport and enmity between different groups on ground of must produce themselves in the court at all religion, race, place of birth, residence, times as and when required. language, etc, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony. • IPC Section 505: Makes the publication and circulation of content which may cause ill-will or hatred between different groups an offence. • Particularly in the context of the right of the electronic and print media to communicate news, information and the rights, even those that may be critical of the prevailing regime in any part of the nation.

Rights of Media:

• Acknowledged the argument that the media was well within its rights to air critical programmes about a prevailing regime without attracting sedition. Way Forward

Sedition (Section 124A of IPC) • Section 124A of the IPC has its utility in

combating anti-national, secessionist and • Sedition is a crime under Section 124A, IPC. terrorist elements. However, Dissent and • Section 124A, IPC defines sedition as an criticism of the government are essential offence committed when "any person by ingredients of robust public debate in a vibrant words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or democracy. They should not be constructed as by visible representation, or otherwise, brings sedition. or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, • The higher judiciary should use its supervisory or excites or attempts to excite disaffection powers to sensitize the magistracy and police towards the government established by law in to the constitutional provisions protecting free India". speech. • Disaffection includes disloyalty and all feelings • The definition of sedition should be narrowed of enmity. However, comments without down, to include only the issues pertaining to exciting or attempting to excite hatred, the territorial integrity of India as well as the contempt or disaffection, will not constitute an sovereignty of the country. offence under this section. • Civil society must take the lead to raise • Punishment for the Offence of Sedition: awareness about the arbitrary use of Sedition • Sedition is a non-bailable offence. Punishment law. under the Section 124A ranges from

imprisonment up to three years to a life term,

to which fine may be added.

• A person charged under this law is barred from

a government job.

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Why in news? • Section 304-B, IPC does not take a pigeonhole approach in categorising death as homicidal or • Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) has widened the suicidal or accidental. scope of section 304B of Indian Penal Code (IPC) by • Also, the examination of the accused about the indicating that there is no straitjacket formula to incriminatory material against him should be determine the cruelty against women. done in a fair manner.

Highlights of the Judgement: • However, there is a need to balance other important considerations such as the right to a • Section 304B of IPC must be interpreted speedy trial. keeping in mind the legislative intent to curb About Section 304B of IPC: the social evil of bride burning and dowry demand. • According to Section 304B, to make out a case • The court should use their discretion to of dowry death, a woman should have died of determine if the period between the cruelty or burns or other bodily injuries or “otherwise harassment and the death of the victim would than under normal circumstances” within come within the term “soon before”. seven years of her marriage. • For such determination, an important factor is • She should have suffered cruelty or the establishment of a "proximate and live harassment from her husband or in-laws link" between the cruelty and the “soon before her death” in connection with consequential death of the victim. demand for dowry. • Over the years, courts had interpreted the phrase 'soon before' in Section 304B as 'immediately before'. This interpretation Reports on Dowry Death: would make it necessary for a woman to have been harassed moments before she died. • Dowry deaths accounted for 40% to 50% • Even the spectrum of cruelty is quite varied, as homicides in the country for almost a decade it can range from physical, verbal or even from 1999 to 2018. emotional. No straitjacket formulae can • The latest data furnished by the National therefore be laid down to define what exact Crime Records Bureau indicates that in 2019 the phrase ‘soon before’ entails. itself, 7,115 cases were registered under • Further, the phrase “otherwise than under Section 304B IPC. Considering the significance normal circumstances” in the section calls for of such a legislation (Section 304B), a strict a liberal interpretation. interpretation would defeat the very object for which it was enacted

Why In News Major Highlights

• Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved the • The decision was taken by the Cabinet plan to corporatise the Ordnance Factory Committee on Security in July 2020, when it Board (OFB). approved to transform it into one or more government-owned corporate entities to improve its autonomy, accountability and efficiency in ordnance supplies.

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10 M.S.Shashank • In September, the government formed an Ordnance Factory Board Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) to oversee the process. • OFB, consisting of the Indian Ordnance • OFB has 41 factories, which will be subsumed Factories, is a giant industrial setup which into seven fully government owned corporate functions under the Department of entities on the lines of Defence Public Sector Defence Production of the Ministry of Undertakings (DPSU). Defence. o The OFB, the establishment of which was • OFB, headquartered at Kolkata, is a accepted by the British in 1775, will cease conglomerate of 41 Factories, 9 Training to exist. Institutes, 3 Regional Marketing Centres • The factories would be subsumed based on the and 4 Regional Controllers of Safety. type of manufacturing. • It is the oldest and largest industrial setup o The ammunition and explosives group and possesses the unique distinction of would be mainly engaged in producing over 200 years’ experience in defence ammunition of various calibre and production. explosives, with huge potential to grow exponentially, not only by way of ‘Make in India’ but also by ‘Making for the World’. Aims and Objectives o Similarly, the vehicles group would mainly engage in producing defence mobility and • It is a major decision in terms of national combat vehicles such as tanks, trawls, security and also makes the country self- infantry and mine protected vehicles. sufficient in defence manufacturing. o The weapons and equipment group would • This restructuring is aimed at transforming the be mainly engaged in production of small ordnance factories into productive and arms, medium and large calibre guns and profitable assets, deepening specialisation in other weapon systems and is expected to the product range, enhancing increase its share in the domestic market competitiveness, improving quality and through meeting the demand as well as achieving cost efficiency. product diversification. • It would also help in overcoming various o The troop comfort items group, the shortcomings in the existing system of the OFB ancillary group, the opto-electronics group by eliminating inefficient supply chains and and the parachute group constituted the provide these companies incentive to become entire structure, once implemented. competitive and explore new opportunities in • All employees of the OFB (Group A, B and C) the market, including exports belonging to the production units would be . transferred to the corporate entities on • This move would allow these companies deemed deputation initially for a period of two autonomy and help improve accountability years without altering their service conditions and efficiency. as Central government employees.

• The pension liabilities of the retirees and existing employees would continue to be

borne by the government. • EGoM would decide upon the matters related

to implementation and review any issues arising from time to time.

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11 M.S.Shashank

Why In News Indian Administrative Service (cadre) Rules, 1954 Recently, West Bengal chief secretary opted for superannuation instead of reporting to Delhi’s • After the All-India Services Act, 1951 came North Block as directed by central government into existence, the IAS cadre rules were order. framed in 1954. • The said rule on deputation giving more Background discretionary powers to the Centre was added in May 1969. • On May 28, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under the Ministry of Personnel directed that West Bengal Chief Prevalent Practice for Deputation Secretary report to its office at North Block in Delhi on May 31. • Concurrence is being taken: Before any officer • The order came hours after the West Bengal of All India Services (AIS) is called for Chief Minister allegedly skipped a review deputation to the Centre, his or her meeting on Cyclone Yaas with the Prime concurrence is required. Minister. • Procedure: • On May 31, the Chief Secretary resigned and o The Establishment Officer in DoPT invites later he was appointed Chief Advisor to the nominations from State governments. Chief Minister for a period of three years. o Once the nomination is received, their • The 1987 batch IAS officer has never been on eligibility is scrutinised by a panel and Central deputation and is to superannuate on then an offer list is prepared, traditionally May 31. done with the State government on • Earlier, on the request of the State board. government, Centre had approved a three- o Central Ministries and offices can then month extension in service to the officer top choose from the list of officers on offer. most bureaucrat in the State. o AIS officers are recruited by the Centre and they are lent to States. Order from DoPT • Not on website: The publication of the offer list on DoPT’s website was discontinued by the • The order read that the Appointments government in 2018 amid reports that not Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved many State government officers were willing the “placement of services” of the Chief to come to the Centre for deputation. Secretary under Rule 6(I) of the Indian Administrative Service (cadre) Rules, 1954 Action on refusing to comply with the order with the Government of India with “immediate effect.” • The All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) • The rule says that a cadre officer may, with the Rules, 1969 are not clear on the punishment in concurrence of the State governments such cases. But Rule 7 says the authority to concerned and the Central government, be institute proceedings and to impose penalties deputed for service under the Central will be the State government while he or she government or another State government. was “serving in connection with the affairs of a • Provided that in case of any disagreement, the State.” matter shall be decided by the Central • The Centre may ask the State to conduct an government and the State government or enquiry or, citing an exceptional case, can State governments concerned shall give effect order an enquiry on its own. to the decision of the Central government. ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

12 M.S.Shashank • The Chief Minister can write to the Centre to • In December, the Centre asked that three IPS reconsider its decision. officers who were in charge of security when • The officer can take the plea that he was acting BJP president’s motorcade was attacked under the instructions of the Chief Minister. outside Kolkata, allegedly by supporters of the • This case is peculiar as he retires on May 31 Trinamool Congress, be sent on deputation and is not on deputation to the Central with the Centre. government. • The state government refused, citing a shortage of IPS officers. Unprecedented Move • The officers concerned were not relieved from the state and the Centre did not insist either. • Although the Centre holds ultimate control, there is also a custom that an officer will not TAMIL NADU, 2014 be deputed against his/her own will. • This order is unilateral and an awkward step, • IPS officer was deputed to the CBI in 2014, but unbecoming of the Central government the Tamil Nadu government refused to release specially after they gave due extension. her, and suspended her when she defied the • Thus, the current order is not only state’s order. unprecedented but also vindictive. • However, the suspension did not apply because she had by that time already joined Issues the CBI.

• The unilateral orders to depute All India Way Forward Services officials are legally untenable, historically unprecedented and to some • The Chief Secretary is considered to be 'a extent, unconstitutional. linchpin' in the administration. Therefore, • The central government using the coveted while taking such a decision, the Centre is posts such as Chief Secretary to play political required to hold prior consultation with the vendetta is challenging the tenets of State and, in the event of disagreement, the democracy. Centre should cite the extraordinary • Such orders are against public interest and circumstances that justify such a recall. diminishes the public’s faith in the government • The All-India Services have the liability to serve of the day. both under the State and under the Centre which strengthens the unitary character of the Earlier showdowns Indian federation. Thus, the Centre should not fall prey to personal egos and narrow WEST BENGAL, 2019 considerations and compromise the spirit of cooperative federalism. • In February 2019, the Home Ministry had written to the then West Bengal Chief Secretary calling for action against five IPS officers, including DGP, for allegedly taking part in a dharna organised by the Trinamool Congress against CBI raids. • The Home Ministry had asked the state to withdraw medals conferred on the officers. • The state government said no officer had taken part in the dharna.

WEST BENGAL, 2020

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13 M.S.Shashank

Context: • Matrimonial matters, cases under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences • The Supreme Court (SC) e-Committee has Act (POCSO) and under the Juvenile Justice released the ‘Draft Model Rules for Live- (Care and Protection of Children) Act would Streaming and Recording of Court also be exempted from live stream. Proceedings’. • The Bench can exempt any case it considers antithetical to the administration of justice. More Details: The reasons must be recorded in writing. • The final decision as to whether or not to allow • Recently, the Chief Justice of India N.V. the live-streaming of the proceedings or any Ramana had said that the process to make live portion thereof will be of the Bench, however, stream a reality was actively under it will be guided by the principle of an open consideration. judicial process. • The Rules are part of the National Policy and • Personal information such as date of birth, Action Plan for implementation of Information home address, identity card number, bank and Communication Technology (ICT) in the account information, and the personal judiciary. information of related parties, such as close • The Rules would cover live-streaming and relatives, witnesses and other participants, will recording of proceedings in High Courts, lower be deleted or muted. courts and tribunals. Significance: Recommendations: • Amidst the national lockdown, the Supreme The rules intend to balance between access to Court and several other courts have been information and concerns of privacy and holding virtual proceedings. Live-streaming of confidentiality. Following are the court proceedings will help those even in recommendations made by the SC e-Committee. distant places to witness court proceedings. • It has the potential of throwing up an option to • A 10-minute delay in transmission. the public to witness proceedings which they • Exclusion of communally sensitive cases. otherwise could not have due to logistical • Exclusion of matters that involve sexual issues and infrastructural restrictions. offences and gender violence against women. • The issue of limited media access can also be resolved through live streaming

Context: • The private individuals and organisations have • The Supreme Court recently agreed to been actively collecting data on orphaned intervene on a spate of complaints about the children while claiming that they want to assist illegal adoption of COVID orphans through families and children in adoption. private individuals and organisations. • The second wave of the pandemic was at its worst form during this period, leaving a trail of Background: death across the country.

• The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) informed a Bench that it had received many complaints about; ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

14 M.S.Shashank About NCPCR: within government sources to private bodies, which circulate them. • Set up in March 2007 under the Commission • Care must be taken by the authorities to for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005. ensure that their action is not in violation of • It works under the administrative control of Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act 2015. the Ministry of Women & Child Development. • It prohibits the disclosure of the identity of • Definition: The Child is defined as a person in children with regard to the name, school, age, the 0 to 18 years age group. address or any information which would reveal • The Commission’s Mandate is to ensure that the essential details of the child. all Laws, Policies, Programmes, and Administrative Mechanisms are in consonance NCPCR statistics: with the Child Rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution of India and also the UN The data shows that: Convention on the Rights of the Child. 3,621 children were orphaned, 26,176 children lost either parent and Court Observations 274 children were abandoned.

• Social media posts are circulating those Concerns: children are up for adoption. This is plainly illegal and violates the Juvenile Justice Act. • NCPCR urged the court to direct the States and • The adoption of orphaned/abandoned/ Union Territories to not place any confidential surrendered children is lawful only after the information about children in the public adoption procedure as given under the domain which would make them susceptible Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 is followed and the to trafficking. final adoption order is passed by the • Several NGOs are seeking monetary support in prescribed authority. the name of children impacted by COVID. • The national child rights body stated that the • There is no disclosure to authorities regarding information about these children, including actual beneficiaries, as mandated under the JJ their personal details, are being leaked from Act, 2015

Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 replaced the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000. Change in Nomenclature: • The Act changes the nomenclature from ‘juvenile’ to ‘child’ or ‘child in conflict with law’. Also, it removes the negative connotation associated with the word “juvenile”. • It also includes several new and clear definitions such as orphaned, abandoned and surrendered children; and petty, serious and heinous offences committed by children. Special Provisions for Age 16-18 years: • Included special provisions to tackle child offenders committing heinous offences in the age group of 16-18 years.

Mandatory Constitution of the JJ Board: • It mandates setting up Juvenile Justice Boards and Child Welfare Committees in every district. Both must have at least one woman member each. Adoption Related Clauses: • A separate new chapter on Adoption to streamline adoption procedures for an orphan, abandoned and surrendered children. • Also, the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) was granted the status of a statutory body to enable it to perform its function more effectively. • The Act states that the adoption of a child is final on the issuance of an adoption order by the court. Currently, there are 629 adoption cases pending in various courts.

Child Care Institutions (CCI):

• All Child Care Institutions, whether run by State Government or by voluntary or non-governmental organisations are to be mandatorily registered under the Act within 6 months from the date of commencement of the Act.

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• These regions are named as district council of • The Rengma Nagas in Assam have written to (name of district) and regional council of Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding (name of region). an autonomous district council amid a decision • Each autonomous district and regional council by the Central and the State governments to consist of not more than 30 members, of which upgrade the Karbi Anglong Autonomous four are nominated by the governor and the Council (KAAC) into a territorial council. rest via elections, all of whom remain in power for a term of five years. Rengma Naga Connection between the 6th Schedule and ADCs • Rengma is a Naga tribe found in Nagaland and Assam states of India. According to the 2011 • The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution deals Population Census of India, Rengma with the administration of the tribal areas in population stands at just over 60 thousand. the four northeastern states of Assam, • The headquarter of the Rengmas in Nagaland , Tripura and as per Article is at Tseminyu, and the headquarter of the 244. Rengmas in Assam is located at • The Governor is empowered to increase or Phentsero/Karenga Village. decrease the areas or change the names of the • Like other Naga tribes, there are few written autonomous districts. While executive powers historical records of Rengmas. of the Union extend in Scheduled areas with • The Rengmas are experts in terrace cultivation. respect to their administration in Vth The harvest festival of the Rengmas is called schedule, the VIth schedule areas remain Ngada. within executive authority of the state. • In Assam, the Rengma tribals are found in the • The acts of Parliament or the state legislature Karbi-Anglong, the then Mikir Hills. The do not apply to autonomous districts and Rengmas migrated to the then Mikir Hills in the autonomous regions or apply with specified early part of 1800. modifications and exceptions. • The Councils have also been endowed with About Autonomous District Councils (ADCs) wide civil and criminal judicial powers, for example establishing village courts etc. • The Autonomous districts and regional However, the jurisdiction of these councils is councils (ADCs) are empowered with civil and subject to the jurisdiction of the concerned judicial powers can constitute village courts High Court. within their jurisdiction to hear the trial of • The sixth schedule to the Constitution includes cases involving the tribes. 10 autonomous district councils in 4 states. • Governors of states that fall under the Sixth These are: Schedule specify the jurisdiction of high courts • Assam: Bodoland Territorial Council, Karbi for each of these cases. Anglong Autonomous Council and Dima Hasao • Along with ADCs, the Sixth Schedule also Autonomous District Council. provides for separate Regional Councils for • Meghalaya: Garo Hills Autonomous District each area constituted as an autonomous Council, Jaintia Hills Autonomous District region. Council and Khasi Hills Autonomous District • In all, there are 10 areas in the Northeast that Council. are registered as autonomous districts – three • Tripura: Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous in Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram and one in District Council. Tripura.

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16 M.S.Shashank • Mizoram: Chakma Autonomous District Mikirs till 1976, were the indigeneous tribal Council, Lai Autonomous District Council, of Mikir Hills. Autonomous District Council. • RNPC president said that the government was on the verge of taking a decision without About the recent demand of Rengma Nagas taking them on board and thus they had written to the MHA and the Chief Minister. The History NSCN (I-M) stand • The Rengma Naga Peoples’ Council (RNPC), a registered body, said in the memorandum that • The National Socialist Council of Nagaland or the Rengmas were the first tribal people in NSCN (Isak-Muivah), which is in talks with the Assam to have encountered the British in Centre for a peace deal, said that the Rengma 1839, but the existing Rengma Hills was issue was one of the important agendas of the eliminated from the political map of the State “Indo-Naga political talks” and no authority and replaced with that of Mikir Hills (now Karbi should go far enough to override their Anglong) in 1951. interests. • Narrating its history, the council said that • More than 3,000 Rengma Nagas were forced during the Burmese invasions of Assam in 1816 to relocate to relief camps in 2013 after several and 1819, it was the Rengmas who gave people were killed in a series of attacks shelter to the Ahom refugees. following a call given by a Karbi insurgent • The petition said that the Rengma Hills was group. partitioned in 1963 between Assam and • The Centre is likely to finalise a peace pact with Nagaland at the time of creation of Nagaland the six Karbi insurgent groups and one of State and the Karbis, who were known as them- the KLNLF signed a suspension of operation in 2009 with the Assam government

Why in News? More Details:

• Recently, a three-member task force has been • The Centre has recently approved the formed to help the government in bringing ‘National Programme for Civil Services major bureaucratic reforms through its Capacity Building – Mission Karmayogi’ to ambitious “Mission Karmayogi”. effect a transformational shift from rule based training to role-based capacity development of all civil services in the country. About Mission Karmayogi: • The Programme also aims to enhance citizen experience for government services and Aim and Objectives: improve availability of competent workforce. • To effectively roll out this competency driven • It is aimed at building a future-ready civil mission, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), service with the right attitude, skills and namely ‘Karmayogi Bharat’, would be set up as knowledge, aligned to the vision of New India. a not-for-profit company. • It aims to prepare Indian civil servants for the • It will be set up under section 8 of Companies future by making them more creative, Act, 2013 as a 100% government-owned constructive, imaginative, proactive, innovative, entity. progressive, professional, energetic, • The SPV will be responsible to deliver and transparent, and technology-enabled. manage design, implement, enhance and manage a digital platform and infrastructure, manage and deliver competency assessment services, and manage governance of telemetry ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

17 M.S.Shashank data and ensure provision of monitoring and for the SPV aligning its vision, mission and evaluation. functions. • The task force shall submit its recommendations on organisational structure

Why In News Model Panchayat Citizens Charter

Recently, The Ministry of Panchayati Raj in • The Panchayats will utilise this framework to collaboration with National Institute of Rural draw up a Citizens Charter and adopt it Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) has through a resolution of the Gram Sabha by released a Model Panchayat Citizens Charter 15th August, 2021. framework. o States were accordingly requested to draw up a time bound plan of action with the due Objectives & Need approval of Gram Sabha. o They would draw up a Citizens Charter, • The Panchayats have been playing a critical detailing the different categories of role in preventing and managing the services rendered to the citizen by the unprecedented crisis of COVID-19 at the Panchayat, the conditions for such service grassroots level. and also the time limit for such service. o They have been entrusted with many • It would ensure transparent and effective important tasks related to the delivery of public services for sustainable everyday life of the people. development and enhanced citizen service • The aim of establishing a Citizen charter is to experiences. provide services to the people through • It would be deepening inclusive and Panchayats in a time bound manner, accountable Local Self Governments by redressing their grievances and improving incorporating diverse views while designing their lives. and delivering services. • It aimed for delivery of the services across the • This will help in making the citizens aware of 29 sectors, aligning actions with localised their rights on the one hand, and to make the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) . Panchayats and their elected representatives directly accountable to the people, on the other hand.

Why In News transformational change in the field of school education. The Union Education Minister approved the • It was first published for States and Union release of the Performance Grading Index (PGI) Territories 2019 with reference year 2017-18. 2019-20 for States and Union Territories of India. • PGI is released by the Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL), Ministry of About Education. • The PGI is structured in two categories: • The Government has introduced the PGI with o Learning Outcomes and a set of 70 parameters to catalyse o Governance & Management • Domains under categories include: ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

18 M.S.Shashank 1. Access, improvement by at least 20% (72 points or 2. Infrastructure & Facilities, more). 3. Equity, • It has been prepared with the same set of 70 parameters used for the two previous PGIs. 4. Governance process. The updating of these data and vetting of the same have been carried out by: More Data: o State/UT level using the online portals of Shagun, • The total weightage under the PGI is 1000 o Unified District Education System for points with each of the 70 indicators having an Education Plus (UDISE+) assigned weightage of either 10 or 20 points. o Mid-Day Meal website • A++ category states (Highest Grade): o scores from National Achievement Survey o Punjab, (NAS) conducted by the National Council of o Chandigarh, Educational Research and Training o Tamil Nadu, (NCERT). o Andaman & Nicobar Islands and o Public Financial Management System o Kerala (PFMS) • Most of the States/UTs have improved their grade in PGI 2019-20 compared to the earlier These portals have been created and maintained years. by the DoSEL, MoE. • States and UTs whose overall PGI score improved by 10%, i.e., 100 or more points: • The main source of data, that is the UDISE+, is o Andaman & Nicobar Islands, updated on an annual basis through the MIS o , coordinators at different levels of State o , Government and a three stage verification by o Puducherry, the block, district and State level officers of the o Punjab and Education Departments of concerned o Tamil Nadu States/UTs. • States and UTs who have shown improvement by 10% (8 points) or more in the PGI domain: Significance Access. o Andaman & Nicobar Islands, • It is envisaged that the index would propel o Lakshadweep and States and UTs towards undertaking multi- o Punjab pronged interventions that will bring about the • As many as thirteen States and UTs have much-desired optimal education outcomes. shown improvement by 10% (15 points) or • It will also help the States/UTs to pinpoint the more in the PGI domain: Infrastructure and gaps and accordingly prioritise areas for Facilities. Andaman & Nicobar Islands and intervention to ensure that the school Odisha have shown improvement by 20% or education system is robust at every level. more. • When implemented with the Right to • States who have shown more than 10% Education (RTE) Act, it will help in bringing improvement in the PGI domain: Equity. better Quality of education with enhanced o Arunachal Pradesh, Accessibility from the latter. o Manipur and • This exercise is expected to act as a good o Odisha source of information for best practices • Nineteen States and UTs have shown followed by States and UTs which can be improvement by 10% (36 points) or more in shared. the PGI domain: Governance Process. • The PGI evaluation provides a grade to the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, States and UTs, as opposed to ranking. Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Punjab, Grading, by allowing several States and UTs to Rajasthan and West Bengal have shown ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

19 M.S.Shashank be considered at the same level, eliminates the Conclusion phenomenon of one improving only at the cost of others, thereby casting a stigma of • The PGI scores and grades achieved by the underperformance on the latter. States and UTs in 2019-20 bear testimony to • Question wise scores of each State/UT has the efficacy of the PGI system. Many States been shared so that Best Practices of higher and UTs have made substantial improvements Scoring states can be followed by other lower in many of the outcome parameters, along scoring states. with measurable improvements in their • It will help in achieving SDG 4 targets of Quality governance and management-related Education. parameters. • Data is collected from all levels which will • The system strives to maintain standards and increase the accuracy of the database and will uniformity across the country while giving help in creating optimised solutions. ample scope for the country’s diverse culture and heritage to grow and flourish. Indexes like Issues these will help to notice the gaps and bridge them with modern solutions. • Population sometimes may be construed as a • The framework of a real time data availability hindrance to development as it tends to system (namely, UDISE+, Shagun, etc.) and an increase the financial outlays for interventions objective and holistic performance evaluation by the Government. framework provided through the PGI would • A State/UT that has already come near the provide the right combination for effective highest possible score would have less scope implementation of policy in the School of showing large improvements in score. Education sector. • A performance-based grant would provide the required incentive to the States and UTs to ensure their continuous and focused attention to this sector, which is crucial for overall growth and development of the country

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Context: • All non-mechanically propelled vessels will also have to be enrolled at the district, The Union Cabinet gave the nod to the Inland taluk or panchayat or village level. Vessels Bill, 2021. • It enlarges the definition of ‘inland waters’, by including tidal water limit and national More Details: waterways declared by the Central Government. • Inland Vessels Bill, 2021 will replace the • It also deals with pollution control Inland Vessels Act, 1917. measures of Inland Vessels. This bill directs • Draft Inland Vessels bill proposes to the Central Government to designate a list streamline and regulate how vessels travel of chemicals, substances, etc. as in the inland water fields of India. pollutants. • A total of 4,000 km inland waterways have been operationalised. Inland Waterways: • The Bill will regulate the safety, security and registration of inland vessels. • India has about 14,500 km of navigable • A key feature of the Bill is a unified law for waterways which comprise of rivers, canals, the entire country, instead of separate backwaters, creeks, etc. rules framed by the States. • As per the National Waterways Act 2016, • The certificate of registration granted 111 waterways have been declared as under the proposed law will be deemed to National Waterways (NWs). be valid in all States and Union Territories, • NW-1: Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River and there will be no need to seek separate System (Prayagraj-Haldia) with length 1620 permissions from the States. km is the longest National Waterway in • The Bill provides for a central database for India. recording the details of the vessel, vessel • The Inland Waterways Authority of India registration and the crew on an electronic (IWAI) is implementing the Jal Marg Vikas portal. Project (JMVP) for capacity augmentation of • It requires all mechanically propelled navigation on the Haldia-Varanasi stretch of vessels to be mandatorily registered. Ganga (part of NW-1) with the technical and financial assistance of the World Bank.

Inland Waterways Authority of India:

• It came into existence on 27th October 1986 for development and regulation of inland waterways for shipping and navigation. • It primarily undertakes projects for development and maintenance of IWT (Inland Water Transport) infrastructure on national waterways through grants received from the Ministry of Shipping. • It is headquartered at Noida (Uttar Pradesh).

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21 M.S.Shashank

Context: the proposal of the Department of Fertilizers for the continuation of the Nutrient Based The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has Subsidy (NBS) till 2019-20. approved the proposal to hike subsidy rates for • The continuation of the Nutrient Based phosphorus and potassium-based fertilizers by Subsidy Scheme will ensure that an adequate 140%. quantity of P&K is made available to the farmers at a statutory controlled price. Details: Union Budget 2021 and Nutrient Based • The move is aimed at providing relief to Subsidy Scheme farmers as the Kharif sowing season begins. • It is a one-time measure as part of COVID-19 • There have been no reforms in the relief. Nutrient Based Subsidy Scheme in Union Budget 2021. Though Nirmala Fertilizer Subsidy: Sitharaman made an announcement to release an additional Rs 65,000 crore • For urea, the Centre sets a fixed maximum towards fertilisers subsidy over and retail price. above Rs 71,000 crore allocated in the • For non-urea fertilizers, prices are Budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 21 and for decontrolled and the Centre fixes nutrient- FY22, she has allocated close to Rs based subsidy rates. 80,000 crore.

Nutrient Based Subsidy Scheme Note:

• Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Programme for • Fertilisers supply one or more plant nutrients Fertilizers was initiated in the year 2010. essential to the growth of plants. • Under the scheme, a fixed amount of subsidy • Diammonium phosphate (DAP) is the main decided on an annual basis is provided on each source of Phosphorous. grade of subsidized Phosphatic and Potassic • Essential plant nutrients based on the amounts (P&K) fertilizers, except for Urea, based on the of nutrients that are required by plants nutrient content present in them. are distinguished as macronutrients and • The scheme is administered by the micronutrients. Department of Fertilizers under the Ministry of • Phosphorus is a macronutrient. Chemicals & Fertilizers. • Other frequently used fertilizers are muriate of • In a recent development, the Cabinet potash (MOP) and urea Committee on Economic Affairs has approved

Why In News • Industry lobbies have written to the Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, The illegal cultivation of herbicide-tolerant (HT) Bt demanding that action be taken to stop such cotton has seen a huge jump this year 2021 and sales and punish offenders. the sale of illegal seed packets have more than doubled.

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22 M.S.Shashank Bt Cotton produced in Gujarat and then moved to Maharashtra. • Bt cotton is the only genetically modified (GM) • It will not only decimate small cotton seed crop that is allowed in India since 2002. companies but also threatens the entire legal o Bt cotton was first approved for cotton seed market in India. commercial use in the United States in • Cultivation of the genetically modified cotton 1995. In 2002, a joint venture between variant has serious environmental and US-based Monsanto and the economic consequences. Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Co Ltd (Mahyco) introduced Bt cotton to Legal Position of GM crops in India India. • It has two alien genes from the soil bacterium All GM crops in India need to be Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that allows the crop approved by the Genetic Engineering to develop a protein toxic to the common pest Appraisal Committee (GEAC), the apex pink bollworm and the other is Ht Bt cotton body under the Ministry of Environment, which is derived with the insertion of an Forest and Climate Change for regulating additional gene, from another soil bacterium, the manufacture, use, import, export which allows the plant to resist the common and storage of hazardous micro- herbicide glyphosate. organisms or genetically engineered organisms (GMOs) and cells in the Herbicide Tolerant Bt (HTBt) Cotton country.

• The HTBt cotton variant adds another layer of modification. It makes the plant resistant to the herbicide glyphosate. This has not been Reasons For Favouring HTBt approved by regulators. o It is feared that glyphosate has a • Farmers say the cultivation cost reduces carcinogenic effect. drastically with HTBt seeds as they can spray o The unchecked spread of herbicide herbicides to eliminate weeds without damage resistance to nearby plants through to cotton crop and save labour cost required to pollination could create a variety of pull out weeds that reduce the yield. superweeds. o There is a shortage of the labour needed to do at least two rounds of Major Concerns Highlighted weeding for Bt cotton. o With HTBt, they can simply do one • This year there is a big increase in such illegal round of glyphosate spraying with no cultivation especially in Maharashtra from 30 need for weeding. It saves Rs.7,000 to lakh packets last year to about 75 lakh packets Rs.8,000 per acre for farmers. this year (2021) and to make matters worse, the illegal seeds are sold using the brand name Stand of Government of prominent companies. • It is illegal to grow HTBt cotton in India since • The Centre has made a policy to ban this the Government has not cleared it for variant. commercial cultivation. o But the State governments must take • Farmers are at risk with such illegal cotton action. seed sale as there is no accountability of the • Following Central advisories to all cotton- quality of seed. growing States, Maharashtra, Gujarat and • The industry is losing legitimate seed sales and Telangana have seized HTBt stock and taken the government also loses revenue in terms of punitive action against the culprits. States tax collection noting that HTBt seeds are often

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23 M.S.Shashank have also been asked to regulate the sale of glyphosate. Genetic Modification • It has been decided that proposals for field trials of GM crops, including Bt brinjal, will not • GM is a technology that involves be taken up for consideration by the Genetic inserting DNA into the genome of an Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) organism. To produce a GM plant, without the recommendation of the State/UT new DNA is transferred into plant concerned. cells. Usually, the cells are then • However, the State government officials said grown in tissue culture where they that they were still waiting for further develop into plants. The seeds directions from the Centre. produced by these plants will inherit the new DNA.

Why in News? Ethanol

The government of India has advanced the target • It is a biofuel, that is, a fuel produced by for 20 per cent ethanol blending in petrol (also processing organic matter. called E20) to 2025 from 2030. E20 will be rolled • Ethanol in India is obtained primarily out from April 2023. from sugarcane via a fermentation process. Energy security • Ethanol is high in oxygen content, which therefore allows an engine to • The Union government has emphasised that more thoroughly combust fuel. increased use of ethanol can help reduce the • Also, since it is plant-based, it is oil import bill. India’s net import cost stands at considered to be a renewable fuel. $551 billion in 2020-21.

• It is estimated that the E20 program can save • The Society of Indian Automobile the country $4 billion (Rs 30,000 crore) per Manufacturers informed the expert annum. committee that with modifications in engines • Last year, oil companies procured ethanol (hardware and tuning), the loss in efficiency worth about Rs 21,000 crore. Hence it is due to blended fuel can be reduced. benefitting the sugarcane farmers. Further, • The use of E20 will require new engine the government plans to encourage use of specifications and changes to the fuel lines, as water-sparing crops, such as maize, to produce well as some plastic and rubber parts due to ethanol, and production of ethanol from non- the fuel’s corrosive nature, analysts cautioned. food feedstock. • The engines, moreover, will need to be recalibrated to achieve the required power-, Compatible vehicles efficiency- and emission-level balance due to the lower energy density of the fuel. This can • There is an estimated loss of six-seven per cent be taken care of by producing compatible fuel efficiency for four wheelers and three-four vehicles. per cent for two wheelers when using E20, the • E20 material compliant and E10 compliant committee report noted. These vehicles are vehicles may be rolled out across the country originally designed for E0 and calibrated for from April 2023, the committee noted. These E10. vehicles can tolerate 10 to 20 per cent of ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

24 M.S.Shashank ethanol blended petrol and also deliver no such change in emissions was observed for optimal performance with E10 fuel. nitrogen oxides emissions. • Vehicles with E20-tuned engines can be rolled • Addition of ethanol, with a high blending out all across the country from April 2025. octane number, however, allowed a reduction These vehicles would run on E20 only and will in aromatics in petrol. Such blends also burn provide high performance. cleaner as they have higher octane levels than • The Union ministry of road transport and pure petrol but have higher evaporative highways issued a gazette notification March emissions from fuel tanks and dispensing 2021 mandating stickers on vehicles equipment. mentioning their E20, E85 or E100 • Therefore, petrol requires extra processing to compatibility. This will pave the way for flex reduce evaporative emissions before blending fuel vehicles. with ethanol. Further, studies also point out • Such vehicles are already in use in the United that higher emission rates of acetaldehyde and States, Brazil and Canada. Flex fuel engines can formaldehyde relative to petrol is offset by run any ratio of blended petrol — from E20 to reduction in benzene and 1,3-butadiene E100. One E100 pilot project in Pune has been emissions, which are commonly emitted inaugurated so far. TVS Apache two-wheelers species from petrol combustion resulting in are designed to run on E80 or pure ethanol overall reduction in toxicity. (E100), according to reports. • It is crucial to study the emissions from flexible fuel vehicles not only for the regulated gases Impact on emissions but also the unregulated ones. • In Europe, biofuels have been seen as a • Use of ethanol-blended petrol decreases measure to reduce emissions of greenhouse emissions such as carbon monoxide (CO), gases from road transport because they were hydrocarbons (HC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), considered CO2-neutral fuels once lifecycle the expert committee noted. Higher emissions are considered. reductions in CO emissions were observed • Considering just the end use also indicates that with E20 fuel — 50 per cent lower in two- CO2 emissions from blended fuel are lower wheelers and 30 per cent lower in four- than that for petrol since ethanol contains less wheelers. carbon than petrol and produces less CO2. • HC emissions reduced by 20 per cent with • The blended fuel burns more efficiently with a ethanol blends compared to normal petrol. more homogenous mixture, which leads to a Nitrous oxide emissions, however, did not decrease in CO2 emissions compared with show a significant trend as it depended on the pure petrol. The emission benefit varies vehicle / engine type and engine operating depending on feedstock used in producing conditions. ethanol, according to the US Department of • The unregulated carbonyl emissions, such as Energy’s alternative fuel data centre. acetaldehyde emission were, however, higher • The carbon dioxide released by a vehicle when with E10 and E20 compared to normal petrol. ethanol is burned is offset by the carbon However, these emissions were relatively dioxide captured when the feedstock crops are lower. Evaporative emission test results with grown to produce ethanol. Comparatively, no E20 fuel were similar to E0. emissions are offset when these petroleum products are burned. Global evidences • But producing and burning ethanol results in CO2 emissions. Hence, net CO2 emission • An increase in the ethanol content in fuels benefit depends on how ethanol is made and reduced the emissions of some regulated whether or not indirect impacts on land use pollutants such as CO, HC and CO2. However, are included in the calculations

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25 M.S.Shashank

Why In News? GST Amnesty Scheme

Recently, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council • It is likely to benefit around 89 per cent of GST has met after a gap of seven months due to the taxpayers who can file pending returns, avail budget session and assembly elections. benefits of the scheme, with reduced late fees. • It has been recommended for reducing late • The GST Council met for the first time in the fees and will provide relief to small taxpayers. financial year 2021-22 and the last meeting was held in October 2020. Rationalisation of Late Fees

Major Decisions • The maximum amount of late fee has been reduced and it will come into effect from Exemptions on Covid-related Supplies future tax periods. o This will provide long-term relief for • It has decided to exempt Integrated GST (IGST) small GST taxpayers. on import of free Covid-related supplies till 31st August. Annual Return Filing • It has also decided to put Amphotericin B (a key medicine for the treatment of black • It will continue to be optional for 2020-21, for fungus), in the list of items exempted from the small taxpayers with turnover less than Rs. IGST. 2 crore. • A Group of Ministers (GoM) will be formed to • The reconciliation statements for 2020-21 examine the need for further reductions and need to be furnished by the taxpayers with a decide on any new rates in exemptions. turnover of Rs. 5 crore or more. • Following the severe impact of the second • Annual return filing has been simplified and wave of Covid-19 pandemic across the country the Council has recommended amending the during the past two months, many states had Central Goods & Services Tax (CGST) Act 2017 sought a reduction in GST rates on essential to allow for self-certification of reconciliation Covid-19 materials including key medicines, statements, instead of getting it certified by medical devices, vaccines and services. Chartered Accountants. • The Law Committee will look into issues Inverted Duty involving Quarterly Return Filing and Quarterly Payment and the modalities will be worked • Like 2020, the Council felt that this is not the out. appropriate time for a correction in inverted duty, so it remains the same. GST Compensation Cess • It refers to a situation where the rate of tax on inputs purchased (i.e.GST rate paid on inputs • The same formula as 2020 is to be adopted this received) is more than the rate of tax on year as well. outward supplies (i.e. GST rate payable on • The rough estimate is that the centre will have sales). to borrow Rs 1.58 lakh crore and pass it on to o In the pre-GST regime, a situation of an states. inverted duty structure arose in cases • A special session of the GST Council will be held where import duty on raw materials to discuss extending paying compensation to that were used in the production of states beyond 2022 finished goods was higher than the import duty on finished goods itself.

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26 M.S.Shashank

Why in news? Financial Service Centre in a Special Economic Zone and may prescribe the requirements for • The Gujarat Maritime University signed a setting up and operation of such center. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with • The Central Government shall approve only the International Financial Services Centres one International Financial Services Centre in a Authority in GIFT City to promote the Gujarat Special Economic Zone. International Maritime Arbitration Centre (GIMAC). About GIMAC • GIFT (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City), located in Gandhinagar is India’s first • Gujarat International Maritime Arbitration International Financial Services Centre. Centre (GIMAC) will be the first centre of its kind in the country that will manage International Financial Service Centre (IFSC) arbitration and mediation proceedings with disputes related to the maritime and shipping • An IFSC caters to customers outside the sector. jurisdiction of the domestic economy. Such • The idea is to create a world-class arbitration centres deal with flows of finance, financial centre focused on maritime and shipping products and services across borders. disputes that can help resolve commercial and • An expert panel headed by former World Bank financial conflicts between entities having economist Percy Mistry submitted a report on operations in India. making Mumbai an international financial • The GIMAC will be part of a maritime cluster centre in 2007. However, the global financial that the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) is crisis in 2008 made countries including India setting up in GIFT City at Gandhinagar. cautious about rapidly opening up their • There are over 35 arbitral institutions in India, financial sectors. however, none focus exclusively on the • In India, IFSC has been defined in Special disputes related to the maritime sector, hence Economic Zone (SEZ) Act, 2005. the GIMAC will help in this regard with Gujrat • Since India has many restrictions on the continuing to witness a rapid extension in financial sector, such as partial capital account maritime activities and inching closer to convertibility, high SLR (statutory liquidity becoming a global maritime hub with the ratio) requirements and foreign investment implementation of Gujarat Maritime Cluster restrictions, an SEZ can serve as a testing project. ground for financial sector reforms before they • The GIMAC will facilitate faster dispute are rolled out in the entire nation. resolution while improving the attractiveness • As per the SEZ Act the Central Government of GIFT Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and the may approve the setting up of an International ease of doing business

Why in News? Priorities at G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting. • Recently, the Union Minister for Labour and Employment has said that India is making Issues Discussed: collective efforts to reduce gender gaps in labour force participation. • The Employment Working Group deliberated • He was delivering the Ministerial Address on upon key issues, including women Declaration and Employment Working Group ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

27 M.S.Shashank employment, social security and remote roles that artificial intelligence and other working. technologies threaten to usurp. • In 2014, G20 Leaders pledged in Brisbane to o As routine jobs become automated, reduce the gap in labour force participation the pressure on women will intensify rates between men and women by 25% by and they will experience higher 2025, with the aim of bringing 100 million unemployment rates. women into the labour market, increasing • Lack of Gender-Related Data: Globally, major global and inclusive growth, and reducing gaps in gendered data and the lack of trend poverty and inequality. data make it hard to monitor progress. o In India, too, significant gaps in data on Constraints in Female Labor Force Participation the girl child prevent a systematic longitudinal assessment of the lives of • Stereotyping in Society: India’s societal norms girls. are such that women are expected to take the • Impact of Covid-19: Owing to Covid-19, global responsibility of family care and childcare. This female employment is 19% more at risk than stereotype is a critical barrier to women’s male employment (ILO estimates). labor force participation. o Due to this, women are in constant Way Forward conflict over-allotment of time for work and life is a war of attrition for • Work opportunities for women are restricted them. to a few sectors. Policies are needed to • Digital Divide: In India in 2019, internet users promote access to employment across the were 67% male and 33% female, and this gap spectrum of sectors and occupations, is even bigger in rural areas. investments in diversified sectors and upgrade o This divide can become a barrier for to high-end activities, particularly in rural and women to access critical education, semi-urban areas along with infrastructural health, and financial services, or to support like transport, housing, sanitation achieve success in activities or sectors facilities, lights and so on. that are becoming more digitized. • Encouraging female entrepreneurship can • Technological Disruption: Women hold most promote a broader dynamic economy, elevate of the administrative and data-processing the economic role of women, and therefore distribute the benefits of growth more equitably

Why in News? between USD 0.055 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) and USD 0.148/kWh. • Recently, the International Renewable Energy • Replacing this expensive coal power with Agency (IRENA) released the ‘Renewable renewables will save operators USD 32 billion Power Generation Costs in 2020’ report. a year and reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by around three billion tonnes. Replacing Coal with Renewables: • Renewable capacities added in 2019 would have saved emerging and developing nations • 810 gigawatts (GW) capacity of the world’s USD 6 billion per annum compared to the same existing coal-fired plants i.e. 38% of the total capabilities from conventional sources. global energy capacity now have higher operating costs than new utility-scale Growth of Renewables in 2020: photovoltaics and onshore wind energy. • The cost range for generation of fossil fuel- • The year 2020 was a record year for fired power in G20 countries is estimated to be renewables deployment despite the Covid-19- ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

28 M.S.Shashank pandemic, with 261 GW installed. The addition ▪ The outlook till 2022 sees global was almost 50% higher than that made in 2019 renewable power costs falling further. and represented 82% of the global new power capacity. Way Forward • Around 162 GW or 62% of total renewable power capacity added last year had lower • Renewables in all intent and purposes are the costs than the cheapest new fossil fuel option. most affordable energy sources. Countries should consider deploying these at scale to Supplies from Sources Added in 2020: achieve the Paris Agreement targets and shield their economies from external shocks from • Geothermal > Photovoltaics (PV)> Wind fossil fuel markets. power> Hydropower > Bioenergy> • Right policy incentives and financial incentives Concentrating solar power. to de-risk the sector as well as political support is the need of the hour as most countries have Reasons for Growth: already signaled their commitments towards deploying renewables. • Between 2000 and 2020, renewables capacity grew more than three times, increasing by 754 GW to 2,799 GW. International Renewable Energy Agency • The growth was occasioned by advancements in technologies, consistent fall in component • It is an intergovernmental organisation, costs, cost-competitive supply distribution it was officially founded in Bonn, channels, learning by using and commercial- Germany, in January 2009. scale availability. • Currently it has 164 members, India is the 77th Founding Member of IRENA. Reducing Cost of Renewables: • It has its headquarters in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. • In about 10 years (2010-2020), the cost of power produced from commercial solar PVs fell by 85%, CSP 68%, onshore wind 68% and offshore wind 48%.

Why in News? Business process outsourcing (BPO):

• Recently, the Department of • BPO is a business practice in which an Telecommunications (DoT) has eased the organization contracts with an external service norms for Other Service Providers (OSPs). provider to perform an essential business task. • The OSP guidelines were earlier liberalised in • BPO offers several benefits, such as November 2020 in order to encourage the BPO lower costs, global expansion, and (Business Process Outsourcing) industry in higher efficiency, while some of the India. The new guidelines have been simplified drawbacks include security issues, even further, offering greater ease of business hidden costs, and overdependence. and regulatory clarity. • OSPs or Other Service Providers are companies or firms which provide secondary or tertiary services such as telemarketing, telebanking or telemedicine for various companies, banks or hospital chains, respectively. ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

29 M.S.Shashank • The Indian Information Technology (IT) - BPO Other Provisions: industry was worth $37.6 billion in 2019-2020, and has the potential to rise to $55.5 billion • Exempted OSPs from requirement of any over the next four to five years. registration. • No Bank Guarantees were to be furnished. Important Features of New Policy: • Work from Home and Work from Anywhere was also permitted. • Distinction between Domestic and • Penalties for violations were removed International OSPs has been removed. A BPO altogether reaffirming the trust the centre with common Telecom resources will Government has in business. now be to serve customers located worldwide including in India. Expected Benefits: • Now, the interconnectivity between all types of OSP centres is permitted. • The guidelines will make it easier for BPOs and • The Electronic Private Automatic Branch ITes firms in cutting down on the cost of Exchange (EPABX) of OSPs can now be located location, rent for premises and other ancillary anywhere in the world. costs such as electricity and internet bills. • Removed the requirement of OSPs submitting • The companies will no longer have to carry the their reports to the DoT on a period basis. additional compliance burden of providing the • Such service providers will have to self- details of OSP employees to the DoT, as they regulate and maintain a call data are recognised as extended or remote agents. record, a usage data record and a • The doing away of registration norms will also system log for all customer calls for a mean that there will be no renewal of such certain time period. licenses. This will invite foreign companies to • They will also have to abide by the data set up or expand their other service providing security norms prescribed by the units in India. Centre. • It will allow employees to opt for freelancing for more than one company while working from home, thereby attracting more workers in the sector

Why in News? 2,00,000 for rural and urban/semi urban areas, respectively. • Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) • For this purpose, ‘household’ means a group of proposed to lift the interest rate cap on persons normally living together and taking Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), and said all food from a common kitchen. micro loans should be regulated by a common • RBI has mooted capping the payment of set of guidelines irrespective of who gives interest and repayment of principal for all them. outstanding loan obligations of the household as a percentage of the household income, More Details: subject to a limit of maximum 50%. • Non-banking Financial Company (NBFC)-MFIs, • RBI has suggested a common definition of like any other NBFC, shall be guided by a microfinance loans for all regulated entities. board-approved policy and the fair practices • Microfinance loans should mean collateral- code, whereby disclosure and transparency free loans to households with annual would be ensured. household income of Rs 1,25,000 and Rs

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30 M.S.Shashank • There would be no ceiling prescribed for the around 102 million accounts (including banks interest rate. There would be no collateral and small finance banks) of the poor population allowed for micro loans. of India. • There can be no prepayment penalty, while all • Different types of financial services providers for entities have to permit the borrowers to repay poor people have emerged - non-government weekly, fortnightly or monthly instalments as organizations (NGOs); cooperatives; community- per their choice. based development institutions like self-help groups and credit unions; commercial and state Significance of Proposal: banks; insurance and credit card companies; telecommunications and wire services; post • RBI has reposed faith in the maturity of the offices; and other points of sale - offering new microfinance sector with this step. possibilities. • This is a forward-looking step where the • Non Banking Finance Company (NBFC)-MFIs in responsibility is of the institution to fix a India are regulated by The Non-Banking reasonable interest rate on transparent terms. Financial Company -Micro Finance Institutions (Reserve Bank) Directions, 2011 of the Reserve Microfinance Institutions Bank of India (RBI).

• MFI is an organization that offers financial services to low income populations. • These service eses include microloans, micro savings and microinsurance. • MFIs are financial companies that provide small loans to people who do not have any access to banking facilities. • The definition of “small loans” varies between countries. In India, all loans that are below Rs.1 lakh can be considered as microloans. • In most cases the so-called interest rates are lower than those charged by normal banks, certain rivals of this concept accuse microfinance entities of creating gain by manipulating the poor people’s money. • Microfinance sector has grown rapidly over the past few decades and currently it is serving

Why In News? paid in the countries where businesses operate. • Recently, Finance Ministers from the Group of • It will be a reform of the global tax system to Seven (G7) nations reached a landmark accord make it fit for the global digital age. setting a global minimum corporate tax rate. • The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has been About coordinating tax negotiations among 140 countries for years on rules for taxing cross- • The G-7 countries would back a minimum border digital services and curbing tax base global corporation tax rate of at least 15%, and erosion and profit shifting (BEPS), including a put in place measures to ensure taxes were global corporate minimum tax. ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

31 M.S.Shashank Functioning of Global Minimum Tax to achieve low global tax cost. Any final agreement could have major repercussions for • The global minimum tax rate would apply to low-tax countries and tax havens. companies' overseas profits. Therefore, if • Loss of Revenue: A minimum tax of 15 per cent countries agree on a global minimum tax, may not raise substantial revenues. Rich governments could still set whatever local nations have already struggled for years to corporate tax rate they want. agree on a way to raise more revenue from • If companies pay lower rates in a particular large multinationals such as Google, Amazon country, their home governments could "top- and Facebook, which often book profits in up" their taxes to the agreed minimum rate, jurisdictions where they pay little or no tax. eliminating the advantage of shifting profits to • Loss of Investments: Some low-tax European a tax haven. jurisdictions such as the Netherlands, Ireland • Other items still to be negotiated include- and Luxembourg and some in the Caribbean o whether industries like investment rely largely on tax rate arbitrage to attract funds and real estate investment trusts MNCs. There is a possibility that other should be covered; countries may want a higher minimum global o when to apply the new rate and tax rate to compensate for the loss. o ensuring it is compatible with the 2017 • Achieving Consensus: The global pact would U.S. tax reforms aimed at deterring tax- face the challenge of getting other major base erosion. nations on the same page, since this impinges Significance on the right of the sovereign to decide a nation's tax policy. The battle for low-tax • Uniformity of Tax: This will reach an equitable countries will be more about building support solution on the allocation of taxing rights. It for a minimum rate as close as possible to its paves the way for changes in global tax treaties 12.5% or seeking certain exemptions. pursuant to the consensus being reached. • Curbing Tax Evasion: Major economies are Suggestions aiming to discourage multinationals from shifting profits and tax revenues to low-tax • Decide on the metrics that will determine how countries regardless of where their sales are and to which multinational companies the tax made. It will help those initiatives. will be applied. • Extra Tax: The minimum is expected to make • Formulate policy or rules on what will happen up the bulk of the $50 billion-$80 billion in in the meantime to digital services taxes on big extra tax that the OECD estimates firms will technology companies in various jurisdictions. end up paying globally under deals on both fronts. Impact on India • Prevent cross-border taxation: It will put in place measures to ensure businesses pay taxes • India is likely to benefit from the global in the countries where they operate, a move minimum 15 per cent corporate tax rate pact aimed at plugging loopholes in cross-border inked by the world's richest nations as the taxation. effective domestic tax rate is above the • Ending Digital Taxes: It will put an end to the threshold. various digital taxes that have proliferated • India is expected to benefit as it is a big market around the world similar to the equalization for a large number of tech companies. levy in India. Moreover, India attracts foreign investment owing to its large internal market, quality Issues labour at competitive rates, strategic location for exports and a thriving private sector. • Affects Companies: The global minimum rate impacts companies using low-tax jurisdiction

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32 M.S.Shashank • In all probability, the concessional Indian tax Conclusion regime would still work, and India would continue to attract investment. • The Global Minimum Tax is a landmark step • The global corporate tax pact is a path toward the global consensus necessary to breaking one, especially for large and reform the international tax system. developing countries like India which would • There should be appropriate coordination always find it very difficult to keep corporate between the application of the new tax rates artificially lower in a bid to increase international tax rules and the removal of all much needed foreign direct investments in the Digital Services Taxes. country. • If a broad consensus is reached, it will be extremely hard for any low-tax country to try and block an accord

Why In News India has the potential to:

NITI Aayog and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) • Reduce its logistics cost by 4% of GDP. released a new report titled Fast Tracking Freight • Achieve 10 gigatonnes of cumulative CO2 in India. emissions savings between 2020 and 2050 • Reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate • It presents key opportunities for India to matter (PM) emissions by 35% and 28%, reduce its logistics costs. respectively, until 2050.

Major Highlights Cost-effective

• Freight transport: Freight transport demand is • Freight transportation is a critical backbone of expected to grow rapidly in the future due to India’s growing economy, and it’s important the rising demand for goods and services. to make this transport system more cost- • Freight transport is essential to economic effective, efficient, and cleaner. development, it is plagued by high logistics • Efficient freight transport will also play an costs and contributes to rising CO2 emissions essential role in realising the benefits of and air pollution in cities. existing government initiatives such as Make in • As India’s freight activity grows five-fold by India, Atma Nirbhar Bharat, and Digital India. 2050 and about 400 million citizens move to cities, a whole system transformation can help Recommendations uplift the freight sector. • This transformation will be defined by tapping • The recommendations include increasing the into opportunities such as efficient rail-based rail network’s capacity, promoting intermodal transport, the optimisation of logistics and transport, improving warehousing and supply chains, and shift to electric and other trucking practices, policy measures and pilot clean-fuel vehicles. projects for clean technology adoption, and • These solutions can help India save ?311 lakh stricter fuel economy standards. crore cumulatively over the next three • When successfully deployed at scale, the decades. proposed solutions can help India establish itself as a leader in logistics innovation and efficiency in the Asia–Pacific region and beyond

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33 M.S.Shashank

Why In News START I (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) Recently, the U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian

President Vladimir Putin concluded their summit • It was a bilateral treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union on the reduction and the meeting at Geneva, Switzerland. limitation of strategic offensive arms. • The treaty was signed on 31 July 1991 and entered About the Summit into force on 5 December 1994. • The treaty barred its signatories from deploying • The leaders of both the countries met at a more than 6,000 nuclear warheads and a total of highly anticipated summit at a time when both 1,600 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) leaders say relations between their countries and bombers. are at an all-time low. New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) • The US sought for a more predictable relationship between the “two great powers”. • It is a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the • The leaders decided to return their United States and the Russian Federation. Ambassadors in an attempt to lower tensions • It was signed on 8 April 2010 in Prague, and, after ratification, entered into force on 5 February 2011. and follow up bilateral engagements with “a • It is expected to last until 2026, having been strategic stability dialogue” on arms reduction. extended in 2021. • New START replaced the Treaty of Moscow (SORT), Plunging US-Russia Ties which was to expire in December 2012. • It follows the START I treaty, which expired in • When Russia ended its post-Soviet strategic December 2009; the proposed START II treaty, retreat and adopted a more assertive foreign which never entered into force; and the START III policy, partly in response to NATO expansion treaty, for which negotiations were never into eastern Europe, the West saw it as a threat concluded. to its primacy. • The treaty calls for halving the number of strategic • The 2008 Georgia war practically ended the nuclear missile launchers. camaraderie between “democratic Russia” and • A new inspection and verification regime will be established, replacing the SORT mechanism. the West. • The annexation of Crimea in 2014 renewed Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT) tensions. Russia was thrown out of the G8, and western sanctions followed. • The Treaty Between the United States of America • Ties hit rock bottom after allegations that and the Russian Federation. Russian intelligence units had carried out • It was also known as the Treaty of Moscow. cyberattacks and run an online campaign to get • It was a strategic arms reduction treaty between Donald Trump elected President in the 2016 the United States and Russia that was in force from U.S. election. June 2003 until February 2011 when it was • Ties between the two countries, as both superseded by the New START treaty. leaders have admitted, are at the lowest point since the end of the Cold War.

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34 M.S.Shashank Recent Tensions tone for engagement between the two competing powers. • Today, there are structural issues in the U.S.- • Move to Reduce Tensions: Despite the Russia ties. differences, the leaders held talks on all critical • In March 2021, after assuming the White issues, bringing diplomacy to the centre-stage. House, Mr. Biden described Mr. Putin as a It’s too early to see any meaningful change in “killer”. He also said the Russian leader was Russia-U.S. relations. While there was no “going to pay” for the “interference” in the major breakthrough, which was not expected 2020 U.S. presidential election. anyway, they could at least demonstrate a • Russia is reeling under Western sanctions and willingness to strengthen engagement and seems determined to resist any move by NATO reduce tensions. to expand into its backyard. • Ukraine remains an unresolved crisis. Earlier The US: Main focus on China this year, Russia had assembled Russian troops on the Ukraine border in a direct challenge to • The US is reorienting American foreign policy the US. to deal with the China challenge more • Russia’s Ambassador to the U.S. was recalled effectively. from Washington about three months ago • In this regard, the US ended America’s support after Biden described Mr. Putin as a killer. for Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, and is pulling • The U.S. Ambassador to Russia left Moscow back all American troops from Afghanistan by almost two months ago after Russia suggested September 11. he return to Washington for consultations. • In March 2021, the US called the first summit • The bilateral relations between the two of Quad countries - the U.S., India, Japan and countries had practically collapsed after the Australia - which decided to boost vaccine recalling of Ambassadors by both countries. production to help other countries. • On the other side, Russia was steadily • The U.S. Congress passed the $250 billion tech deepening its partnership with China. and manufacturing Bill, which would ensure funds for the semiconductor research, design, Significance of the Summit and manufacturing initiatives. The aim is undoubtedly to counter China. • Easing the hostility: One summit doesn’t • And then, The US President travelled to Europe resolve the serious foreign policy differences to rally reluctant allies around the U.S. in the between the two former Cold War rivals, but emerging geopolitical contest with China. both leaders have sought to ease the hostility. • When the US moves forward, focusing on These geopolitical and bilateral issues cannot China, Russia remains a distraction. be resolved instantly but they can certainly take measures to prevent relations from Western alliance: Targeting China worsening. • Dealing with China’s Challenge: With the • When the US president went to Europe, the China challenge in the background, the Geneva focus was on China - a sign of the emerging summit suggests that policymakers in the US shifts in the global power balance. have at least started thinking of Russia as a • Mr. Biden held a host of talks with separate secondary challenge that needs to be tackled blocs in Europe - the Group of Seven (G7), diplomatically, not only through coercion, if NATO and the EU, with a focus on the U.S. wants to take on a rising China. strengthening the western alliance. • Diplomatic Engagement with Russia: The US • The G7 industrialised nations — the U.S., the and Russia must reset their relationship to U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Japan pragmatic levels and reduce tensions. The — issued a communique slamming China’s Geneva summit between the US President and human rights records. his Russian counterpart has set a pragmatic

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35 M.S.Shashank • Issues such as the detention of Uighurs in Way Forward Xinjiang, the crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong, growing tensions with Taiwan and the • The message from the Summit is that the alleged lack of transparency on Covid-19 were leaders wanted to establish rules of all mentioned in the G7 statement. engagement so that the countries can better • The 30-member NATO, whose traditional address their differences and seek common focus has been on Russia, has also issued a ground on issues of mutual interest. statement in which China has been mentioned • The US should be less pessimistic about multiple times. Russia’s foreign policy goals. Whether the US • NATO members warned against the “systemic likes it or not, Russia, despite its weakened challenges to the rules-based international economic status, remains a great power. With order” emanating from China’s rise. some predictability in ties with Russia, the US • The U.S. and the 27-member EU have decided can strengthen his China-focussed foreign to cooperate more on technology, regulation, policy. industrial development and trade in an • If Russia wants to restore its lost glory in global attempt to help the West compete better with politics, then it should be ready to cooperate China. They have also decided to set up a high- with the West. Permanent hostility with other level trade and technology council, which powers cannot be of much help to Russia. And would boost innovation and investment. with a less hostile America, Russia can retain Russian influence in the country’s backyard. • Both countries should be ready to address their critical concerns and agree to a cold peace, which would help in addressing other geopolitical problems such as Syria

Why In News Genesis

Recently, the seven nations of the Group of Seven • It traces its origin to an informal meeting of the (G7) have held the 47th G7 Summit at Cornwall in Finance Ministers of France, West Germany, south-west England. the US, Great Britain and Japan (Group of Five) in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis. • It was hosted by the United Kingdom (UK), • Canada joined the group in 1976 and the which in January 2021, invited India to attend European Union (EU) began attending the the Summit, along with Australia and South meetings from 1977. Korea as guest countries. • It was called the G8 after the original seven were joined by Russia in 1997 and it returned Group of Seven to being called G7 when Russia was expelled as a member in 2014 following the latter’s • It is an intergovernmental organisation of annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine. seven countries that are the world’s most industrialized and developed economies. Principles • Present Members: France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, United States of America, • The group regards itself as “a community of Canada and Japan. values”, with freedom and human rights, o All the G7 countries and India are a part of democracy, the rule of law, prosperity and G20. sustainable development as its key principles. o It prides itself as a group of nations that steadfastly promote liberal democracy ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

36 M.S.Shashank and enjoy economic prosperity, which particularly vulnerable to they seek to institutionalise through disinformation and cyber-attacks. multilateral cooperation. • The statement stressed on the need to ensure • It meets annually to discuss issues of common that cyberspace remains an avenue for interest like international security, energy advancing democratic values and not of policy and global economic governance. subverting it. • It does not have a formal constitution or a fixed • It also committed to strengthen open societies headquarters and the decisions taken by globally by protecting civic space and media leaders during annual summits are non- freedom, promoting freedom of expression, binding. freedom of assembly and association, and freedom of religion or belief, and by tackling all Major Highlights of the Summit forms of discrimination, including racism. o For India, these are important Build Back Better World (B3W) Initiative commitments amid global concern over the controversial Citizenship • It was proposed by the US President for a free, Amendment Act (CAA) that was cleared open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. by Parliament in 2019. • The initiative pledges hundreds of billions of • The statement is directed at China and Russia infrastructure investment in low- and middle- and the situation in India was not discussed. income countries based on values-driven, o India has been under scrutiny over high-standard and transparent partnerships. internet curbs in Jammu and Kashmir • It is seen as a counterweight against China's and over the Information Technology multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative. (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 and the Building Back Together: Open Societies and face-off with tech giants. Economies • Another G7 statement hit out at China on human rights and fundamental freedoms in • The ‘Open Societies Statement’ was adopted Xinjiang and Hong Kong and the unilateral at the end of this outreach session, where the attempts to change the status quo in the South Prime Minister (PM) of India was the lead China Sea. speaker. o It also called for a transparent and • The joint statement was signed by the G7 timely World Health Organisation countries and India, South Korea, Australia and (WHO) Covid-19 origins study in China. South Africa, termed as ‘Democracies 11’ by o However, it was not signed by India and the British PM. other outreach countries. • The statement held that the world is at a critical juncture, facing threats to freedom and Building Back Greener: Climate and Nature democracy from rising authoritarianism, electoral interference, corruption, economic • The session on Climate Change actions will coercion, manipulation of information, lead up to the Conference of Parties (COP) 26 including disinformation, online harms and Summit, which will be held in the UK, later in cyber attacks, politically motivated internet 2021. shutdowns, human rights violations and • India highlighted the non-democratic and abuses, terrorism and violent extremism. unequal nature of global governance • Open societies that reaffirm and encourage institutions and held that the planet’s the values of freedom of expression, both atmosphere, biodiversity and oceans cannot online and offline, as a freedom that be protected by countries acting in silos. safeguards democracy and helps people live • India called for the reform of the multilateral free from fear and oppression. system and collective action on climate change o However, several leaders expressed concerns that open societies are ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

37 M.S.Shashank and stressed that developing countries need constructively on the issue of better access to climate finance. intellectual property waivers in • India called for a holistic approach towards discussions at the World Trade climate change that covers mitigation, Organization (WTO). adaptation, technology transfer, climate o India sought strong support from the financing, equity, climate justice and lifestyle G7 countries for the joint India-South change. Africa proposal for a TRIPs waiver, • On India’s unwavering commitment to climate which would enable the UN plans to action, the Indian PM highlighted that India is vaccinate the globe by doubling the the only G20 country on track to meet its Paris production of coronavirus vaccines. commitments. • India also took note of the increasing Economic Issues effectiveness of the two major global initiatives namely the Coalition for Disaster Global Minimum Tax Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and International Solar Alliance (ISA). • The G7 formally embraced a global minimum tax of at least 15 per cent on multinational Building Back Better from Covid-19 corporations, following an agreement reached by G7 Finance Ministers earlier. • The G7 leaders took note of the havoc caused • It is meant to stop companies from using tax by the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on havens to shift profits and to avoid taxes. people’s lives and economies. • It was proposed by the Biden administration as • In the Carbis Bay Declaration, the participants a way to pay for infrastructure projects, in held that quickly developing and licensing addition to creating an alternative that could vaccines, medicines and diagnostics for future remove some European countries’ digital diseases is an important step in order to services taxes that largely hit US tech firms. prepare for future epidemics or pandemics. o The G7 pledged over the next 12 Special Drawing Rights months to secure a further 1 billion vaccine doses either through donating • The G7 also agreed to increase the SDRs of surplus supplies or providing further low-income countries by USD 100 billion. finance to COVAX. • SDRs are issued by the International Monetary ▪ COVAX is the UN-backed Fund (IMF) to boost the reserves and reduce scheme charged with the borrowing costs of vulnerable countries, distributing vaccines to low- allowing them to increase spending on health and middle-income countries. systems and cover pandemic costs. • The main new pledges came from the US, UK and Germany, where the US committed Other Highlights sharing 500 million doses and the UK committed for another 100 million shots. • The UK PM sought to hail the traditional trans- • The communique also set out plans to reduce Atlantic ties with the US and a revival of their roadblocks to production in Africa and on the mutual role in setting the multilateral tone for controversial proposal for a TRIPs (Intellectual G7 and beyond. Property Rights) waiver for Covid-19 related medicines and vaccines. o They will support manufacturing in low income countries and would engage

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38 M.S.Shashank

Context: vessel, apparently mistaking them for pirates operating near the Kerala Coast. • The Supreme Court ordered the closure of • After three years, Italy moved the court proceedings in India against the two International Tribunal for Law of the Sea Italian marines who in 2012 allegedly killed (ITLOS) seeking for two italian marines to stay two fishermen off the Kerala coast after in their own country during the trial process mistaking them for pirates. and also to stop India from going ahead with • According to the decision of the International its criminal prosecution. Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), the duo • At that time, India had set up a specially would be tried in Italy. designated court, as ordered by Indian Supreme Court, to determine the applicability Background: of jurisdiction. • India’s National Investigation Agency had • Earlier, the government approached the court already slapped charges against the two for closure of the pending trial against the Italians under sections of the Indian Penal marines, following a United Nations tribunal Code, related to murder, attempt to murder, decision that the duo would be tried in Italy. mischief and common intent. • Following that, the court said it would consider • The ITLOS judgement of 2015 called on Italy passing an order to quash the criminal and India to suspend all domestic prosecutions proceedings only after Italy deposited ₹10 arising from the Enrica Lexie Case. It had also crore as compensation for the bereaved ordered not to initiate any steps that might families of the fishermen. jeopardize or prejudice the carrying out of any decision which the arbitral tribunal may History of the Case: provide. • The matter led to a long freeze in diplomatic • In 2012, Indian police had detained two Italian relations between India and Italy, which were marines posted on oil tanker Enrica Lexie who reset only in 2016 had shot at two Indian fishermen on an Indian

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

• It is an international agreement that came into force in 1982. • It is also known as the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea Treaty. • It divides marine areas into five main zones namely o Internal Waters. o Territorial Sea. o Contiguous Zone. o Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). o High Seas. • It provides a framework for state jurisdiction in maritime spaces. It provides a different legal status to different maritime zones.

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39 M.S.Shashank Permanent Court of Arbitration

• It is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to serve the international community in the field of dispute resolution and to facilitate arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution between States. • It was established in 1899 and has headquarters at The Hague, the Netherlands. • In real terms it is not a court, it is an organizer of arbitral tribunals to resolve conflicts between member states, international organizations, or private parties. • All decisions delivered by it are called “awards” and are binding on all the parties in the dispute and have to be carried out without delay. They cannot appeal against it.

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40 M.S.Shashank

Why in News? demilitarized zone to be preserved for scientific research only. • The 1959 Antarctic Treaty celebrates its 60th • The twelve original signatories are Argentina, anniversary on June 23rd 2021. Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the Union of Antarctic Treaty System Soviet Socialist Republics, the UK and the US. • Major Provisions of the Antarctic Treaty: • The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, • Promoting the freedom of scientific research. collectively known as the Antarctic Treaty • Countries can use the continent only for System (ATS), regulate international relations peaceful purposes. with respect to Antarctica, Earth’s only • Prohibition of military activities, nuclear tests continent without a native human population. and the disposal of radioactive waste. • For the purposes of the treaty system, • Neutralising territorial sovereignty, this means Antarctica is defined as all of the land and ice a limit was placed on making any new claim or shelves south of 60°S latitude. The treaty enlargement of an existing claim. entered into force in 1961 and currently has 54 • It put a freeze on any disputes between parties. claimants over their territories on the • The treaty sets aside Antarctica as a scientific continent. preserve, establishes freedom of scientific investigation, and bans military activity on the How the treaty has expanded in its 60 years? continent. • The treaty was the first arms control • Though the compact has held for 60 years, agreement established during the Cold War. there have been tensions from time to time. • The Antarctic Treaty System’s yearly Antarctic Argentina and the UK, for instance, have Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCM) are the overlapping claims to territory on the international forum for the administration and continent. When combined with their ongoing management of the region. dispute over the nearby Falkland (Malvinas) • Only 29 of the 54 parties to the agreements Islands, their Antarctic relationship remains have the right to participate in decision- frosty. making at these meetings, though the other 25 • A key reason why the treaty has been able to are still allowed to attend. survive has been its ability to evolve through a • Major International Agreements of the Treaty number of additional conventions and other System: legal protocols. These have dealt with the 1. The 1959 Antarctic Treaty. conservation of marine living resources, 2. The 1972 Convention for the prohibitions on mining, and the adoption of Conservation of Antarctic Seals. comprehensive environmental protection 3. The 1980 Convention on the mechanisms. Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living • Membership of the treaty has grown in the Resources. intervening years, with 54 signatories today. 4. The 1991 Protocol on Environmental • Building, operating and conducting scientific Protection to the Antarctic Treaty. research programs are key to the success not only of the treaty, but also to the claimants’ About the Antarctic Treaty credibility in Antarctica.

• The Antarctic Treaty was signed between 12 countries in Washington on 1st December 1959 for making the Antarctic Continent a ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

41 M.S.Shashank About the claims on Antarctica and the principle • The Antarctic Treaty is often considered to of the treaty represent an example of the common heritage of mankind principle. • Antarctica currently has no permanent population and therefore it has no citizenship India’s programmes in Antarctica nor government. • Personnel present on Antarctica at any time • Indian Antarctic Programme: The Indian are almost always citizens or nationals of some Antarctic Programme is a scientific research sovereignty outside Antarctica, as there is no and exploration program under the National Antarctic sovereignty. Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research • The majority of Antarctica is claimed by one or (NCPOR) that started in 1981 when the first more countries, but most countries do not Indian expedition to Antarctica was made. explicitly recognize those claims. • Dakshin Gangotri: Dakshin Gangotri was the • The area on the mainland between 90 degrees first Indian scientific research base station west and 150 degrees west is the only major established in Antarctica, as a part of the land on Earth not claimed by any country. Indian Antarctic Program. However, now it has • Governments that are party to the Antarctic weakened and become just a supply base. Treaty and its Protocol on Environmental • Maitri: Maitri is India’s second permanent Protection implement the articles of these research station in Antarctica. It was built and agreements, and decisions taken under them, finished in 1989 and is situated on the rocky through national laws. mountainous region called Schirmacher Oasis. • These laws generally apply only to their own • Bharti: Bharti, India’s latest research station citizens, wherever they are in Antarctica, and operation since 2012. It has been constructed serve to enforce the consensus decisions of to help researchers work in safety despite the the consultative parties: about which activities harsh weather and it is India’s first committed are acceptable, which areas require permits to research facility and is located about 3000 km enter, what processes of environmental east of Maitri impact assessment must precede activities, and so on.

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Why in News? China’s push in Border Infrastructure and reasons China started operating the first bullet train line in Tibet, linking Lhasa to Nyingchi near the border • A part of the border infrastructure push is the with Arunachal Pradesh. construction of new civilian settlements — along with the expansion of existing smaller About China’s Railway Near Arunachal Border hamlets — along border areas, some of which lie in disputed territories claimed by India and • Lhasa-Nyingchi rail line is the second route Bhutan, to strengthen China’s control over the linking Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) with land. mainland China – the Qinghai-Tibet railway • In 2017, the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) line that connected Lhasa to the hinterland is government launched a plan to build the first such line. “moderately well-off villages” in border areas, • The China State Railway Group said that the of which many would be developed in the new Railway line operating the first bullet prefectures of Ngari, Shigatse, Shannan and train, on which construction began in 2014, Nyingchi, along China’s borders with India, would connect the capital city of the Tibet Bhutan and Nepal. Autonomous Region to the border city of • In 2020, satellite images emerged showing a Nyingchi with a travel time of three and a half new village called Pangda built 2-3 km into hours. what Bhutan sees as its land. • Over 90% of the track is 3000 metres above • In January 2021, another village built newly 4- sea-level, state media quoted the railway 5 km into what India sees as its territory in group as saying, and the line is the first Arunachal came to light via satellite images. electrified high speed rail (HSR) line, as China Indian officials said this land has been under refers to bullet trains, in Tibet. China’s effective control since 1959 and there • The Lhasa-Nyingchi rail is one among several were military barracks there earlier. major infrastructure projects recently • The civilian settlements, along with the new completed in Tibet’s southern and infrastructure connectivity, are seen as aimed southeastern counties near the Arunachal at bolstering China’s control over the areas. border. • The Lhasa-Nyingchi rail is one section of the Steps Taken by India to counter Chinese Sichuan-Tibet railway line connecting the two infrastructure in Border provincial capitals • The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Security Concerns regarding the railway line for constructed the Daporijo bridge over Subansiri India river in Arunachal Pradesh which links roads leading upto the Line of Actual Control (LAC) • The railway line will largely improve the between India and China, in a record span of efficiency and convenience of military just 27 days. personnel and material transportation and • The foundation of a tunnel at Nechiphu in logistical supplies in the border area. West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh • In situations of direct standoff near Arunachal which will shorten travel time for troops till the Pradesh border, as was seen during Doklam or LAC through Tawang, which China claims to be recent Ladakh standoff, China might be at an its territory was laid. advantageous position. • The BRO is already constructing an all-weather tunnel under the Se La pass in Arunachal ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

43 M.S.Shashank Pradesh which connects Tawang to the rest of Village-Vijaynagar (Changlang district) in Arunachal and Guwahati. Arunachal Pradesh. • The state government of Arunachal Pradesh • Bogibeel bridge, which is India’s longest road- has advocated selection of 10 census towns rail bridge connecting Dibrugarh in Assam to along the India-China border as pilot projects Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh was for infrastructure development in order to inaugurated in 2018. stop people living along its international • India is set to spend 10% funds of the Border borders, specifically with China, from Area Development Programme (BADP) only to migrating to faraway urban centres in the improve the infrastructure along the China State. border. • Sisseri River Bridge located at lower Dibang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh connecting Dibang Valley and Siang was inaugurated. • In 2019, the Indian Air Force inaugurated resurfaced runway at India’s easternmost India’s Border Area Development Programme (BADP)

• The Border Area Development Programme (BADP) was launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1986-87 as part of a comprehensive approach to Border Management. • BADP was initiated in the border areas of the western region during the Seventh Five Year Plan (1985- 90), for ensuring balanced development of border areas through development of infrastructure and promotion of a sense of security among the border population. • It is a centrally sponsored scheme. Funds are provided to the states as a non-lapsable special central assistance for the execution of projects relating to infrastructure, livelihood, education, health, agriculture and allied sectors. • The States covered are Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Rajasthan, , Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.

Why in News? • The exercise aims to strengthen the bilateral relationship and cooperation by • The Indian Navy and the Air Force began a two- demonstrating the ability to integrate and day passage exercise with U.S. Navy Carrier coordinate comprehensively in maritime Strike Group (CSG) Ronald Reagan during its operations. transit through the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). U.S. Security Cooperation With India About the U.S. India 2-day passage exercise • In 2016, the United States designated India as • The Indian Naval warships along with aircraft a Major Defense Partner. Commensurate with from Navy and Indian Air Force (IAF) are this designation, in 2018, India was elevated to engaged in joint multi-domain operations with Strategic Trade Authorization tier 1 status, the U.S. Carrier Strike Group. which allows India to receive license-free access to a wide range of military and dual-use

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44 M.S.Shashank technologies regulated by the Department of • From 2016 to 2019, India and the United States Commerce. jointly taught the UN Peacekeeping Course for • U.S.-India defense trade cooperation African Partners. continues to expand with the Logistics • These courses, conducted in New Delhi and Exchange Memorandum of Agreement organized for officers from 23 African troop (LEMOA), Communications, Compatibility and and police contributing countries, were co- Security Agreement (COMCASA), and the sponsored by the U.S. Global Peace Operations Industrial Security Agreement (ISA) now in Initiative, and taught by U.S., Indian, and place. African course alumni. • Since 2015, the United States also authorized • In November 2019, the United States and India India over $3 billion in defense articles via the conducted Tiger Triumph, the first-ever tri- Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) process, which service (ground, naval, and air forces) exercise licenses the export of the defense equipment, between the two countries. Such military services, and related manufacturing exercises enhance U.S.-India relations and help technologies controlled under the 21 create a more stable and secure Indo-Pacific categories of the U.S. Munitions List (USML). region

Context: Significance of this New Shephard rocket system:

• Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos’s • The idea behind New Shephard is to provide space company named Blue Origin has easier and more cost-effective access to space. concluded the online auction for the first seat This is meant for purposes such as academic on the New Shephard rocket system. It is a research, corporate technology development rocket system meant to take tourists to space. and entrepreneurial ventures among others. • Moreover, apart from academic and research- About New Shephard Rocket System: oriented goals, the rocket will also allow space tourists to experience microgravity by taking • New Shephard is a reusable rocket system that them 100 km above the Earth. has been designed to take astronauts and • Microgravity is the condition in which people research payloads past the Karman line – the or objects appear to be weightless. The effects internationally recognized boundary of space. of microgravity can be seen when astronauts • Built by: The rocket system has been built by and objects float in space. Blue Origin, space company of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. What is the Karman Line? • Named after: The rocket system has been named after astronaut Alan Shephard – the • The Karman line is the internationally first American to go to space. recognized boundary of space. • The line is named after Theodore von Kármán, a Hungarian American engineer and physicist.

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45 M.S.Shashank • He was the first person to determine the • FAI is an international standard-setting and altitude at which the atmosphere becomes too record-keeping body for aeronautics and thin to support aeronautical flight. astronautics. • The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale • However, not all organizations recognize this (FAI) defines the Kármán line as the altitude of definition. The US Air Force and NASA define 100 kilometres (62 miles) above Earth’s mean the boundary as 50 miles (80 km) above sea sea level. level. But there is no international law that defines the edge of space or the limit of national airspace

Context: the module’s technologies, including its life- support system. • China has launched the Long March 2F rocket • Moreover, the men will also be monitored for transporting the Shenzhou-12 or Divine Vessel. how they fare in space physically and psychologically for an extended period of time. About Shenzhou-12 or Divine Vessel: • Significance: Shenzhou-12 is China’s seventh manned mission to space and the first during • Shenzhou-12 is a manned mission. It is the the construction of China’s space station. third of the 11 missions that needed to • It is also the first in nearly five years after complete China’s first Permanent space China’s manned mission in 2016. station, named . Among these missions, four will be manned About Tiangong Space Station: missions. • Tiangong is a planned Chinese Permanent Working: space station to be placed in Low Earth . • The operations of the station will be controlled • Shenzhou-12 is made up of three sections—an by the Beijing Aerospace Command and orbiter module, a return module and a Control Center in China. propelling module. • Significance: The Space Station roughly will be • It will carry three astronauts to the orbiting one-fifth the mass of the International Space Tianhe core module. The astronauts will test Station

Context: (GERD) remained at 0.7% of the GDP for several years. • ‘UNESCO Science Report 2021: The race • India has one of the lowest GERD/GDP ratios against time for smarter development’ among the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, released by United Nations Educational, South Africa) nations. Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) states that India’s Investment in Research UNESCO Science Report remains unsatisfactory. India’s Gross Domestic Expenditure on Research & Development • The UNESCO Science Report 2021 is the 7th report in the series of UNESCO Science Report.

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46 M.S.Shashank • It has been published every 5 years since its the share of R&D in private business enterprises launch in 1993. has increased to 42%. • The Indian chapter of the 2021 Report has been authored by Sunil Mani, Director of • The R&D is focused primarily on sectors like Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Pharmaceuticals, automotive, and Information Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Technology. • The investment in R&D by foreign India’s Investment in Research multinationals has increased, accounting for as much as 16% of private-sector investment in India’s research intensity has been declining since R&D in 2019. 2014. Positive Aspects • The Science of Technology Policy of 2003 fixed the limit of devoting 2% of GDP to Research & • The number of scientific publications by India Development (R&D) by 2007. The target date researchers on latest technologies has for 2% of GDP on R&D was set to 2018 and increased significantly from 80, 458 in 2011 to later to 2022. 1.61 lakh in 2019. • Finally, In 2020 the task force drafting India’s • India has also made ‘solid progress’ towards new Science & Technology Policy had set the the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of 2% on GDP for R&D to 2030. targets concerning industry, infrastructure and innovation. Density of Scientists/Engineers engaged in R&D Need for Improved Linkages • The density of Scientists/Engineers engaged in R&D in India stood at 11 in 2018 (per 10, 000 • The UNESCO Science Report highlights the of the labour force). At the same time, the need for ‘policy bridges’ for an effective ratio stood at 50 in China, 130 in Japan and 180 interaction between foreign and local research in South Korea. firms. • It also calls for improved linkages between the Decline of R&D in Government sector start-up ecosystem and manufacturers to boost technological development in sectors in The report highlights a steady decline in the R&D which India has a global presence of the Government sector since 2015. However

Context: • Antibodies bind to antigens and kill the invading pathogen. • Monoclonal antibody treatment has emerged as a relatively effective and safer alternative in Monoclonal antibodies: treating COVID-19 patients. • Monoclonal antibodies are identical copies of Background: an antibody that targets one specific antigen. • Scientists can make monoclonal antibodies by Immune response in human beings: exposing white blood cells to a particular antigen. • The body’s immune system • Each monoclonal antibody is specific to its generates antibodies as a defense mechanism matching antigen. Scientists select a single against unfamiliar molecules from bacteria white blood cell or clone and use this as the and viruses, termed antigens. basis to produce many identical cells, making ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

47 M.S.Shashank many identical copies of the monoclonal • Monoclonal antibodies have previously been antibody. used to treat viral infections such as Ebola and HIV. Monoclonal antibody treatment: Details: • Monoclonal antibodies are produced in a laboratory setting and then infused into the • Two of the Monoclonal antibodies being used blood. These monoclonal antibodies fight in India include the REGCov2 (Casirivimab and disease by enlisting natural immune system Imdevimab). functions. • In these drugs, antibodies for COVID target • The Monoclonal antibodies help in reducing specific proteins and destroy them before they the symptoms and disease progression. initiate inflammation

Why In News? • Neutrinos, electrons, protons and other particles, which are in the category of Indian scientists have shown that the geometry of fermions, show a certain peculiarity when they space-time can cause neutrinos to oscillate. move in presence of gravity. • Space-time induces a quantum force in Key Findings addition to gravity between every two fermions. • Neutrinos are mysterious particles, produced • This force can depend on the spin of the copiously in nuclear reactions in the Sun, stars, particles, and causes massless neutrinos to and elsewhere. appear massive when they pass through • They “oscillate”- meaning that different types matter, like the Sun’s corona or the Earth’s of neutrinos change into one another – as has atmosphere. been found in many experiments. • Something similar happens for electroweak • Probing of oscillations of neutrinos and their interactions, and together with the relations with mass are crucial in studying the geometrically induced mass it is enough to origin of the universe. cause oscillation of neutrinos. • Neutrinos interact very weakly with everything else – trillions of them pass through every Neutrinos human being every second without anyone noticing. • Neutrinos are the smallest • A neutrino’s spin always points in the opposite particles currently known. direction of its motion, and until a few years • Since neutrinos are electrically ago, neutrinos were believed to be massless. neutral, they are not affected by the electromagnetic forces which Cause Neutrino Oscillations act on electrons. Hence, they are also called Ghost Particles. • The geometry of space-time can cause • Neutrinos are everywhere, but neutrino oscillations through quantum effects they interact so weakly with the even if neutrinos are massless. forces around hence, are hard to • Einstein’s theory of general relativity says that detect. gravitation is the manifestation of space-time curvature.

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Why In News? o Vero cells are used to establish cell lives which help in the production of vaccines. Recently, the Government issued a clarification This technique has been used for decades stating that the Covaxin vaccine did not contain in Polio, Rabies, and Influenza vaccines. the serum of a newborn calf. o These Vero cells, after the growth, are washed with water, chemicals (also Background technically known as a buffer), many times to make them free from the newborn calf • Animal rights organisation People for the serum. Thereafter, these Vero cells are Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has cited infected with coronavirus for viral growth. reports that Covaxin uses Newborn Calf Serum o Thereafter this grown virus is also killed (NBCS) during the production stage. (inactivated) and purified. This killed virus • The calves used in the extraction of this serum is then used to make the final vaccine. are taken away from their mothers shortly after birth, which traumatises and distresses o Hence, the final vaccine (Covaxin) does not both the mother and calf. contain newborn calf serum at all and the o The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals calf serum is not an ingredient of the final (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001, vaccine product." prohibits the slaughter of pregnant • Covaxin is highly purified to contain only animals and animals less than three the inactivated virus components by months old. removing all other impurities. • PETA India has urged the Drugs Controller General of India to direct vaccine How are Viruses Cultured? manufacturers to replace newborn calf serum (NBCS) with animal-free which is commercially • Vaccines like the one made by Bharat Biotech available and chemically-defined media for the uses the disease-causing virus itself to trigger production of the COVID-19 vaccine. an immune response in human beings. o Animal-free media could be used to • The virus is killed, or inactivated, before being grow Vero cells for virus production used in the vaccine, and injected into the instead of using NBCS extracted by human body, but it is still able to trigger an slaughtering calves. immune response. • The virus needs to be grown, or cultured, in the • PETA also claimed that the use of animal- laboratory to be used in the vaccine. derived components such as NBCS in vaccine o Scientists try to create conditions production compromises the quality and conducive for the growth of these viruses reproducibility of research and is often by recreating the kind of environment associated with the risk of contamination by that exists in an infected person’s tissues. non-human proteins and pathogens. o Therefore, solutions containing ‘nutrients’ act as the growth medium for Government Response the virus. o These nutrients, like specific sugar and • The Union Health Ministry stated that the final salt molecules, are extracted from tissues vaccine (Covaxin) “does not contain NBCS at all of suitable animals like horses, cows, and the calf serum is not an ingredient of the goats or sheep. final vaccine product. o The virus grows in these nutrient-rich • The NBCS was used only for the solutions. After that, it goes through preparation/growth of Vero cells. several stages of purification that make it suitable to be used in a vaccine. ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

49 M.S.Shashank o There is no trace of the growth medium • Synthetic serum, and other nutrients, have after the entire process is over. also been developed, but the serum from newborn calf, which has been used in vaccine Why are Cow Components Used in Vaccine production for over 50 years, has “proven itself Development? as an extremely effective growth supplement

• The cow components are used mainly because Animal Serum in vaccines cows are large animals, easily available, and rich in some of the useful chemicals and • The animal serum has been used in the enzymes. development of vaccines in other ways as • Cow milk is a source of amino acids, and sugars well. such as galactose. Cow tallow derivatives used • The use of horse serum as an antibody in vaccine manufacture include glycerol. supplement in the diphtheria vaccine is more • Gelatin and some amino acids come from cow than 100 years old. bones. Cow skeletal muscle is used to prepare o Horses used to be injected with small broths used in certain complex media. doses of bacteria that caused • Many difficult to grow microorganisms and the diphtheria so that they could develop cells that are used to propagate viruses require antibodies. Later, the blood of the the addition of serum from blood to the infected animal was used to extract the growth media. antibodies and used in the vaccine

Why In News? • The distances to these stars will be obtained from measurements of the GAIA satellite. PASIPHAE Project is set to take place at the o The Global Astrometric Interferometer Skinakas Observatory, Crete, and the South for Astrophysics(GAIAl) is a European African Astronomical Observatory in Sutherland, Space Agency astronomical observatory South Africa mission. Its goal is to create the largest, most precise three-dimensional map of About PASIPHAE Project the Milky Way by surveying about 1% of the galaxy's 100 billion stars. • Polar-Areas Stellar-Imaging in Polarisation o By combining these data, astronomers High-Accuracy Experiment (PASIPHAE) is an will perform a maiden magnetic field international collaborative sky surveying tomography mapping of the interstellar project to study the polarisation in the light medium of very large areas of the sky coming from millions of stars. using a novel polarimeter instrument • The name is inspired from Pasiphae, the known as WALOP (Wide Area Linear daughter of Greek Sun God Helios, who was Optical Polarimeter). married to King Minos. • The survey will use two high-tech optical Stakeholders polarimeters to observe the northern and southern skies, simultaneously. • Scientists from the University of Crete, Greece, Caltech, USA, Inter-University Centre for Focus Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), India, the South African Astronomical Observatory • It will focus on capturing starlight polarisation and the University of Oslo, Norway, are of very faint stars that are so far away and involved in this project, steered by the polarisation signals from there have not been Institute of Astrophysics, Greece. studied systematically. ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

50 M.S.Shashank • The Infosys Foundation, India, Stavros • All previous attempts to detect this signal met Niarchos Foundation, Greece and the USA’s with failure mainly due to the difficulty posed National Science Foundation have each by our galaxy, the Milky Way, which emits provided a grant of $1 million, combined with copious amounts of polarised radiation. contributions from the European Research o Besides, it contains a lot of dust clouds Council and the National Research Foundation that are present in the form of in South Africa. clusters. o When starlight passes through these Relevance dust clouds, they get scattered and polarised. • Since its birth about 14 billion years ago, the o It is like trying to see faint stars in the universe has been constantly expanding, as sky during the daytime. The galactic evidenced by the presence of Cosmic emission is so bright that the Microwave Background (CMB) radiation which polarization signal of CMB radiation is fills the universe. lost. • However, so far, there have only been theories • The PASIPHAE survey will measure starlight and indirect evidence of inflation associated polarisation over large areas of the sky. with the early universe. • This data along with GAIA distances to the • A definitive consequence of the inflationary stars will help create a 3-Dimensional model of phase is that a tiny fraction of the CMB the distribution of the dust and magnetic field radiation should have its imprints in the form structure of the galaxy. of a specific kind of polarisation (known • Such data can help remove the galactic scientifically as a B-mode signal). polarised foreground light and enable astronomers to look for the elusive B-mode signal

Why In News? • It will be launched on an 6 rocket and the spacecraft will take about 15 months Recently, the European Space Agency (ESA) has to reach Venus and will take 16 more months selected EnVision as its next orbiter that will visit to achieve orbit circularisation. Venus. • The spacecraft will carry a range of instruments to study the planet’s atmosphere • Earlier, NASA selected two missions to the and surface, monitor trace gases in the planet Venus. atmosphere and analyse its surface o The missions called DAVINCI+ and composition. VERITAS have been selected based on • A radar provided by NASA will help to image their potential for scientific value and and map the surface. the feasibility of their development • EnVision will follow another ESA-led mission to plans. Venus called ‘Venus Express’ (2005-2014) that focussed on atmospheric research and pointed About the Mission to volcanic hotspots on the planet’s surface. o Other than this, Japan’s Akatsuki • EnVision is an ESA led mission with spacecraft has also been studying the contributions from NASA. It is likely to be planet’s atmosphere since 2015. launched sometime in the 2030s. o The earliest launch opportunity for EnVision is 2031, followed by 2032 and 2033. ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

51 M.S.Shashank Significance of Studying Venus processes) in the atmosphere of Venus that triggered excitement in the scientific • At the core of the ESA’s mission is the question community that some life forms might be of how Earth and Venus evolved so differently supported by the planet. from each other considering that they are o But the existence of life on the planet is roughly of the same size and composition. nearly impossible given the high • Scientists speculate about the existence of life temperatures of Venus and its acidic on Venus in its distant past and the possibility atmosphere. that life may exist in the top layers of its clouds o Even so, this discovery could mean that where temperatures are less extreme. life forms could have existed on Venus o In 2020, a team of scientists reported that before when it was habitable. As per this they had found phosphine gas (a chemical theory, the discovery of phosphine could produced only through biological simply be remnants from the past

Context: grants for innovators and entrepreneurs have • Vajra Kavach is a simple disinfection process been launched. that enables Corona Warriors to reuse their • Under NIDHI, PRAYAS programme has been masks and PPEs. initiated in which established Technology • The technology has been developed under the Business Incubators (TBI) are supported with NIDHI-PRAYAS program initiated by the PRAYAS grant to support innovators and Department of Science and Technology (DST). entrepreneurs with grants for ‘Proof of Concept (PoC)’ and developing prototypes. More Details: • PoC is evidence that a business idea works. • A maximum grant of Rs. 220 lakh is given to a TBI • Vajra Kavach’s UV (Ultra Violet) disinfection for establishing a PRAYAS Centre which includes system removes any possible traces of the Rs.100 lakh for PRAYAS SHALA, Rs. 20 lakh for disease-causing SARS-Cov-2 (Covid-19) virus operational cost of PRAYAS Centre and from Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), maximum of Rs. 10 lakh to one innovator for N95 masks, coats, gloves and gowns. developing prototype. Funding for ten • It enables reuse of PPEs and other materials innovators is given to the TBI in a year. used by healthcare workers. • It thus protects not only them, but our Objectives: environment too, by helping reduce • To enable translation of an innovative idea to a biomedical waste generation. It is also making prototype. personal protective equipment more • To provide a platform for faster experimentation available, affordable, and accessible. and modify approaches in the idea to market

journey. NIDHI-PRAYAS: • To generate innovative solutions relevant to local and global problems. • NIDHI-PRAYAS is National Initiative for • To attract a large number of youth who Developing and Harnessing Innovation demonstrate problem solving zeal and abilities. PRomoting and Accelerating Young and • To work on their new aspiring Innovators & startups. technology/knowledge/innovation based • The Department of Science & Technology has startups. launched a NIDHI program under which • To enhance the pipeline in terms of quality and programmes for setting up of incubators, seed quantity of innovative startups to the fund, accelerators and ‘Proof of concept’ incubators.

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Why In News o If this works, India would be among a handful of countries able to launch an Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved the long underwater mission at such depths. pending Deep Ocean Mission. o Currently, such technology and expertise is now available with only five About the Mission countries namely, the US, Russia, France, Japan and China. • The development of the mission has been o An Integrated Mining System will be going on since 2018. also developed for mining PMN at • It aims to study biodiversity, impact of climate those depths in the central Indian change, and establish an offshore marine Ocean. station to explore sources of thermal energy. • It is expected to cost Rs. 4,077 crore over the Ocean Climate Change Advisory Services next five years. o The estimated cost for the first phase • The second component involves developing of three years (2021-2024) would be Ocean Climate Change Advisory Services, Rs. 2,823.4 crore. which entails developing a suite of • The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) will be observations and models to understand and the nodal ministry implementing this multi- provide future projections of important institutional mission. climate variables on seasonal to decadal time • India has been allotted a site of 75,000 square scales. kilometres in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) by the International Seabed Authority Deep Sea Flora and Fauna (ISA) for exploitation of Polymetallic Nodules (PMN). • The third component is searching for deep sea o India was the first country to receive flora and fauna, including microbes and the status of a ‘Pioneer Investor’ in studying ways to sustainably utilise them. 1987 and was given an area of about 1.5 lakh sq km in the CIOB for nodule Sources of Hydrothermal Minerals exploration. o In 2002, India signed a contract with • The fourth component is to explore and the ISA and after complete resource identify potential sources of hydrothermal analysis of the seabed 50 per cent was minerals that are sources of precious metals surrendered and the country retained formed from the earth’s crust along the Indian an area of 75,000 sq km. Ocean mid-oceanic ridges.

Six Components OTEC Powered Desalination Plants

Manned Submersible and Integrated Mining • The fifth component involves studying and System preparing detailed engineering design for offshore Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion • Under the first component, a manned (OTEC) powered desalination plants. submersible will be developed to carry three people to a depth of 6,000 metres in the ocean Ocean Biology and Engineering Experts with a suite of scientific sensors and tools. • The sixth component is aimed at grooming experts in the field of ocean biology and ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

53 M.S.Shashank engineering. This component aims to translate • The exploration studies of minerals will pave research into industrial applications and the way for commercial exploitation in the product development through on-site near future, as and when commercial business incubator facilities. exploitation code is evolved by the ISA. • It is envisaged that 10 per cent of recovery of Significance that large reserve can meet the energy requirement of India for the next 100 years. • It will pave the way for further studies and • It has been estimated that 380 million metric research into deep-sea biodiversity. tonnes of PMN are available at the bottom of • As the ocean will be monitored continuously, the seas in the Central Indian Ocean. India’s every slight change in climate will be noted, Exclusive Economic Zone spreads over 2.2 leading to better data collections and hence million square kilometres improved actions.

Why In News? that use fewer resources and have shorter developmental times. • Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space • The two selections are a part of the ninth Administration (NASA) has announced plans to Discovery Program and were made from launch a pair of missions to Venus between proposals submitted in 2019. 2028 and 2030. • NASA has awarded approximately USD 500 • This would be the first US-led mission to million permission for development. Each is Venus’ atmosphere since 1978. expected to launch in the 2028-2030 timeframe. Objectives and Need DAVINCI+ (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation • The missions aim to study the atmosphere and of Noble Gases, Chemistry and Imaging) geologic features of Venus and to understand how Venus became an inferno-like world when • It will measure the composition of the dense, it has so many other characteristics similar to hothouse atmosphere of Venus to further Earth and may have been the first habitable understand its evolution. world in the solar system, complete with an • The mission consists of fly-by spacecraft and ocean and Earth-like climate. an atmospheric descent probe that will plunge • Scientists speculate about the existence of life through the planet’s thick atmosphere, making on Venus in its distant past and the possibility precise measurements of noble gases and that life may exist in the top layers of its clouds other elements to understand why Venus’ where temperatures are less extreme. atmosphere is a runaway hothouse compared o Both missions are expected to tell to the Earth’s. scientists more about the planet’s thick • It will host the Compact Ultraviolet to Visible cloud cover and the volcanoes on its Imaging Spectrometer (CUVIS) built by surface. Goddard. o CUVIS will make high-resolution About the Missions measurements of ultraviolet light using a new instrument based on freeform • Both missions are part of NASA's Discovery optics. Program, which began in 1992 to give o These observations will be used to scientists the chance to launch some missions determine the nature of the unknown

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54 M.S.Shashank ultraviolet absorber in Venus’ • It will map Venus’ surface to determine the atmosphere that absorbs up to half the planet’s geologic history and understand why incoming solar energy. it developed so differently than Earth. • It is also expected to return the first high- • Orbiting Venus with a synthetic aperture resolution images of unique geological radar, VERITAS will chart surface elevations characteristics on Venus called "tesserae” that over nearly the entire planet to create 3D may be comparable to Earth’s continents. The reconstructions of topography and confirm presence of tesserae may suggest that Venus whether processes such as plate tectonics and has tectonic plates like Earth. volcanism are still active on Venus. • It also will map infrared emissions from Venus’ VERITAS (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, surface that may help in determining the type Topography and Spectroscopy) of rocks that exist on Venus–a piece of information that is not exactly known yet. • It will also determine if active volcanoes are releasing water vapour into the atmosphere

Context: • The highest sex ratio at birth (SRB) was reported by Arunachal Pradesh (1,024), According to the “Vital Statistics of India Based on followed by Nagaland (1,001) Mizoram (975) The Civil Registration System” report the level of and Andaman & Nicobar Islands (965). registration of births and deaths in the country • The lowest SRB was reported by Gujarat (901), improved in 2019. Assam (903) and Madhya Pradesh (905), followed by Jammu & Kashmir (909). Key Highlights: Limitations: • While 14 States/Union Territories achieved 100% level of birth registrations, 19 • The level of registration was arrived at using States/Union Territories achieved 100% the mid-year projected population of the registration in cases of death. respective States/Union Territories of 2011- • The report states that the level of birth 2019 based on the 2011 census (Report of the registration increased from 87.8% in 2018 to Technical Group on Population Projections, 92.7% in 2019. Death registrations went up July 2020, National Commission on Population, from 84.6% to 92% during the period. Ministry of Health & Family Welfare). o Therefore, it is not comparable with Sex ratio at birth: rates presented in previous reports. • The level of registration was arrived at using • The share of institutional births in the total Sample Registration System Rates for 2018 as registered births was 81.2%. the survey for 2019, could not be completed • The number of registered births increased to due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 2.48 crore in 2019 from 2.33 crore in 2018. • Also, some States/Union Territories submitted • The share of male and female was 52.1% and incomplete or partial data, which was not 47.9%. included

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Context: • Additional Risks: Globally, nine million additional children are at risk of being pushed • "Child Labour: Global estimates 2020, trends into child labour by the end of 2022 as a result and the road forward", a report by ILO and the of the Covid-19 pandemic. Nearly 28 per cent UNICEF, has stated that progress to end child of children aged 5 to 11 years and 35 per cent labour has stalled for the first time in 20 years.

About

• It is released ahead of World Day Against Child Labour (12th June) in the United Nations International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour (2021). • The Report warns that progress is reversing the previous downward trend that saw child labour fall by 94 million between 2000 and 2016.

Findings of the Report

• Child labour: It compromises children’s education, restricting their rights and limiting their future opportunities, and leads to vicious inter-generational cycles of poverty and child labour. • Global Rise: The latest global estimates indicate that the number of children in child labour has risen to 160 million worldwide – an increase of 8.4 million children in the last four years. In sub-Saharan Africa, population growth, extreme poverty, and inadequate social protection measures have led to an additional 16.6 million children in child labour over the past four years. • Recent Reasons: This rise is due to two years of global lockdowns, school closures, economic disruptions and shrinking national budgets, due to job and income losses etc. • Sector-wise Data: The agriculture sector accounts for 70 percent of children in child labour (112 million) followed by 20 percent in services (31.4 million) and 10 percent in the industry (16.5 million). The prevalence of child labour in rural areas (14 per cent) is close to three times higher than in urban areas (5 per cent). ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

56 M.S.Shashank of children aged 12 to 14 years in child labour (1) Convention No 138 stipulates that the are out of school. minimum age at which children can start • Decreasing Safety: The number of children work should not be below the age of aged 5 to 17 years in hazardous work – defined compulsory schooling and in any case not as work that is likely to harm their health, less than 15 years; with a possible safety or morals – has risen by 6.5 million to 79 exception for developing countries. million since 2016. (2) Convention No. 182 prohibits hazardous • More male Child Labour: Child labour is more work which is likely to jeopardize children’s prevalent among boys than girls at every age. physical, mental or moral health. It aims at 63 million girls and 97 million boys were in immediate elimination of the worst forms child labour globally at the beginning of 2020, of child labour for children below 18 years. accounting for almost 1 in 10 of all children worldwide. Indian Constitution

Challenges • Article 21 A (Right to Education): The State shall provide free and compulsory education • The 2020 ILO-UNICEF global estimates indicate to all children of the age of 6 to 14 years in such a critical juncture in the worldwide effort manner as the State, by law, may determine. against child labour. • Article 23: Any type of forced labour is • The recent trends suggest we are falling far prohibited. behind on the collective commitment to end • Article 24: It states that a child under 14 years child labour in all its forms by 2025. cannot be employed to perform any hazardous • The ongoing COVID-19 crisis has clearly work in any factory or mine. heightened the risk of child labour, above all • Article 39: It states that “the health and through a sharp rise in poverty that may strength of workers, men and women, and the increase families’ reliance on child labour. tender age of children are not abused”. • The school closures are forcing vulnerable families to send their children to work. Child Labour Act (Prohibition and Regulation) • The governments are grappling with restricted 1986 - It prohibits children under the age of 14 fiscal space due to the COVID-19 crisis. Thus, years to be working in hazardous industries and sound policy choices and resource allocation processes. decisions would be critical. National Policy on Child Labour, 1987 - It contains the action plan for tackling the problem of child Child Labours in India labour. It envisages:

• According to data from Census 2011, the • A legislative action plan number of child labourers in India is 10.1 • Focusing and convergence of general million of which 5.6 million are boys and 4.5 development programmes for benefiting million are girls. children wherever possible, and • Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, • Project-based action plan of action for and Madhya Pradesh constitute nearly 55% of launching of projects for the welfare of total working children in India working children in areas of high concentration of child labour. National Legislations and ILO Conventions National Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme: • The enactment of the Child Labour Amendment (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, o Government had initiated it in 1988 to 2016and The Right to Education Act rehabilitate working children in 12 child labour 2009havepaved the way for ratification of endemic districts of the country and expanded ILO’s two core conventions. with time.

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57 M.S.Shashank o This is the major Central Sector Scheme for the not leave the responsibility of younger rehabilitation of child labour. children on their older siblings. o Motivate Village Education Platform for Effective Enforcement for No Child Committees (VECs) to improve the Labour (PENCIL)- It is an electronic platform that conditions of schools. aims at involving Centre, State, District, • Integrated Approach: Child labour and other Governments, civil society and the general public forms of exploitation are preventable through in achieving the target of child labour free society. integrated approaches that strengthen child protection systems as well as simultaneously Way Forward addressing poverty and inequity, improve access to and quality of education and mobilize • Role of Panchayat: As nearly 80% of child public support for respecting children’s rights. labour in India emanates from rural areas, the • Treating Children as Active Stakeholder: Panchayat can play a dominant role in Children have the power to play a significant mitigating child labour. In this context, role in preventing and responding to child panchayat should: labour. o Generate awareness about the ill- • They are key actors in child protection and can effects of child labour, give valuable insights into how they perceive o Encourage parents to send their their involvement and what they expect from children to school, the government and other stakeholders. o Create an environment where children stop working and get enrolled in Conclusion schools instead, o Ensure that children have sufficient Children belong in schools not workplaces. Child facilities available in schools, labour deprives children of their right to go to o Inform industry owners about the laws school and reinforces intergenerational cycles of prohibiting child labour and the poverty. Child labour acts as a major barrier to penalties for violating these laws, education, affecting both attendance and o Activate Balwadis and Aanganwadis in performance in school the village so that working mothers do

Context: complaint regarding the state government’s move to resettle over 40,000 displaced Brus of • The Eastern Zonal Bench of the National Green western Mizoram in the reserved forest. Tribunal (NGT) has sought response from the Tripura Forest Department and the North Tripura district administration on a public ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

58 M.S.Shashank More Details: most camp residents rejected the terms of the agreement. • The complainant pointed out that construction o The camp residents say that the agreement was being carried out for resettling the Brus in doesn't guarantee their safety in Mizoram. a 250-hectare green belt. • In October 2019, the supply of ration to relief • It was pointed out that this would be in camps was stopped on instructions of the violation of Section 2 of the Forest Home Ministry in a bid to hastily complete the Conservation Act of 1980. repatriation of refugees to Mizoram. Civil • NGT has sought a report from the Forest society outfits had alleged that at least six Department and a district administration in refugees died due to starvation. Tripura on the rehabilitation of the Bru refugees. Quadripartite Agreement

Background • All Bru tribals currently living in temporary relief camps in Tripura will be settled in the • Bru or is a community indigenous to state if they want to stay on. Northeast India, living mostly in Tripura, • The Bru who returned to Mizoram in the eight Mizoram and Assam. In Tripura, they are phases of repatriation since 2009, cannot recognised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal come back to Tripura. Group. • Each resettled family will get 03 acre (1.5 • In Mizoram, they have been targeted by ganda) of land for building a home, Rs 1.5 lakh groups that do not consider them indigenous as housing assistance, and Rs 4 lakh as a one- to the state. In 1997, following ethnic clashes, time cash benefit for sustenance. nearly 37,000 Brus fled Mamit, Kolasib and • They will also receive a monthly allowance of Lunglei districts of Mizoram and were Rs 5,000, and free rations for two years from accommodated in relief camps in Tripura. the date of resettlement. • Since then, 5,000 have returned to Mizoram in • All cash assistance will be through Direct eight phases of repatriation, while 32,000 still Benefit Transfer (DBT), and the state live in six relief camps in North Tripura. government will expedite the opening of bank o In June 2018, community leaders from the accounts and the issuance of Aadhaar, Bru camps signed an agreement with the permanent residence certificates, ST Centre and the two state governments, certificates, and voter identity cards to the providing for repatriation in Mizoram. But beneficiaries

Context: Extension of Benefits Under ESIC Scheme: • Recently, the government has announced an extension of pension coverage and insurance • All dependent family members of such persons benefits for families of those who died due to (who died of Covid) will be eligible for a Covid-19. pension equivalent to 90% of the average daily • The pension coverage will be extended under wage drawn by the worker as per the existing the Employees’ state Insurance Corporation of rules. India (ESIC) scheme and insurance benefits • This benefit will be available retrospectively under the Employees’ Deposit-Linked with effect from 24th March 2020 till 24th Insurance (EDLI) scheme for members March 2022. registered under the Employees’ Provident • The eligibility conditions for the ESIC benefits Fund Organisation (EPFO). are likely to include the norm that the insured ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

59 M.S.Shashank person must have been registered on the ESIC retrospectively from February 2020 for the online portal at least three months prior to the next three years. diagnosis of Covid resulting in death, the • Benefits are being made available to families insured person must have been employed for of even those employees who may have wages and contributions for at least 78 days. changed jobs in the last 12 months preceding his/her death. Under EPFO-EDLI: • All surviving dependent family members of EPFO are eligible to avail benefits of EDLI in • The maximum insurance benefit has been case of death of the member. increased to Rs 7 lakh from Rs 6 lakh. • About 6.53 crore families are expected to be • The provision of minimum insurance benefit of eligible. Rs 2.5 lakh has been restored and it will apply

Why in News? • Both the foreign funding of the study, which cost an estimated ₹1.9 crore, as well as • The government has concluded that there had concerns over the storage of the bat samples been concerning lapses in the conduct and collected have come up for scrutiny. protocols followed for the Nagaland bat study. • According to the Health Ministry report, the study didn’t have the requisite approval of Background: ICMR. And the facility at NCBS was not equipped in terms of biosafety and biosecurity • It was a probe into a filovirus study of bats in to undertake such testing. Nagaland by the Bengaluru-based National • The Health Ministry wants the samples of Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) and the nucleic acid extract stored at the Bio Safety Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). Level-4 (BSL-4) standard facility at the National Institute of Virology laboratory in Pune, rather Issue: than NCBS’s Bengaluru facilities, which are rated BSL-3 at present. • Earlier, an enquiry was initiated into whether adequate permissions had been sought for the • The findings of the report are significant in the study that had listed two scientists at the backdrop of the debate over the origins of Wuhan Institute of Virology as co-authors, and COVID-19 worldwide, and the handling of bat was partially funded by the U.S. Department of samples at the Wuhan Institute laboratory. Defense through its Defence Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). • Besides, there is an inter-department disagreement over where the bat samples should be stored.

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60 M.S.Shashank

Context: • Blockchain technology can help conceal the identity of any individual with complex and • In the light of the health crisis brought out by secure codes that can protect the sensitivity of the COVID-19 pandemic, the article discusses medical data. the relevance of disruptive technology and its applications in the medical sector. Streamline medical care:

Blockchain technology: • The time-consuming process of obtaining access to a patient’s medical records exhausts • The term ‘Blockchain’ denotes a shared staff resources and delays patient immutable record of a chain of transactions, care. Blockchain-based medical records offer a each comprising one block, with the blocks cure for these ills. being held together by cryptographic keys. • The decentralized nature of the technology These keys or signatures are stored in shared creates one ecosystem of patient data that can ledgers, joined by a mesh of nodes, or be quickly and efficiently referenced by processes that connect them. Each node has a doctors, hospitals, pharmacists and anyone copy of the whole chain, being constantly else involved in treatment. In this way, synchronized and kept up to date. blockchain can lead to faster diagnoses and • The advantages of blockchain technology personalized care plans. include its tamper-resistant nature, the • Thus blockchain medical records can help decentralized nature of the digital ledgers, and streamline care. the impossibility of changing a published transaction subsequently within the user Medical supply chain management and drug community that shares the ledger. This traceability and safety: technology is also called digital ledger technology (DLT). • Blockchain has immense applications in pharmaceutical supply chain management, Medical blockchain: and it can virtually guarantee full transparency in the shipping process right from the • The health blockchain would contain a manufacturing centre up until it reaches the complete indexed history of all medical data, consumer. including formal medical records and health data from mobile applications and wearable Complementing genomics: sensors that can be stored in a secure network and authenticated. • Blockchain is a perfect complement for the growing genomics field as it can safely house Application in healthcare: billions of genetic data points. Thus medical blockchain offers potential for point-of-care • Blockchains in healthcare can be envisaged in genomics management and the innumerable the following areas: benefits that it offers to medical treatment.

Securing patient data: Big data analytics:

• Keeping important medical data safe and • Big data analytics examines large amounts of secure is the most popular blockchain data to uncover hidden patterns, correlations healthcare application at the moment, given and other insights. Analysis of big data allows that data breach of patient records has been a analysts, researchers and business users to major challenge. make better and faster decisions using data that was previously unusable. ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

61 M.S.Shashank Big data in the medical sector: • AI can help deploy more precise, efficient, and impactful interventions at exactly the right • In healthcare, big data uses specific statistics moment in a patient’s care. from a population or an individual to research new advancements, reduce costs, and even Developing the next generation of radiology cure or prevent the onset of diseases. In recent tools: years, healthcare data collection has moved into the digital realm, making analysis faster • As per some experts, artificial intelligence will and more accurate. enable the next generation of radiology tools that are accurate and detailed enough to Application in healthcare: replace the need for tissue samples in some cases. • Applications of big data analytics can help improve the patient-based service, through Expanding access to care in underserved regions: early disease detection, generate new insights into disease mechanisms, monitor the quality • Shortages of trained healthcare providers, of the medical and healthcare institutions as including ultrasound technicians and well as provide optimized hospital healthcare radiologists can significantly limit access to life- treatment regimes. saving care in developing nations around the world. Artificial intelligence: • Artificial intelligence could help mitigate the impacts of this severe deficit of qualified • Artificial intelligence (AI) is the simulation of clinical staff by taking over some of the human intelligence processes by machines, diagnostic duties typically allocated to especially computer systems. Specific humans. applications of AI include expert systems, • For example, AI imaging tools can screen chest natural language processing (NLP), speech x-rays for signs of tuberculosis, often achieving recognition and machine vision. a level of accuracy comparable to humans. This capability could be deployed AI in healthcare: through an app available to providers in low- resource areas, reducing the need for a trained • Artificial intelligence in healthcare refers to the diagnostic radiologist on site. use of complex algorithms designed to perform certain tasks in an automated fashion. Creating more precise analytics: When researchers, doctors and scientists inject data into computers, the newly built • Artificial intelligence can allow for more algorithms can review, interpret and even detailed and precise analysis of tests and scans suggest solutions to complex medical that may escape the human eye. problems. Monitoring health: Application in healthcare: • There has been increased access to devices • AI offers a number of advantages over with sensors that can collect valuable data traditional analytics and clinical decision- about their health. Example- Smartphones making techniques. Learning algorithms can with step trackers; wearables that can track become more precise and accurate as they heartbeat. This has helped generate large interact with training data, allowing humans quantities of health-related data. to gain unprecedented insights into • Collecting and analyzing this data – and diagnostics, care processes, treatment supplementing it with patient-provided variability, and patient outcomes. information through apps and other home monitoring devices – can offer a unique ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

62 M.S.Shashank perspective into individual and population measure heart rates and blood oxygen levels health. Artificial intelligence will play a through smart bracelets and rings that significant role in extracting actionable insights patients wear. from this large and varied treasure trove of data. Autonomous systems: • AI can provide earlier warnings for conditions like seizures or sepsis. • An autonomous robot is a robot that performs behaviours or tasks with a high degree of Revolutionize clinical decision making: autonomy. Autonomous robotics is usually considered to be a subfield of artificial • Artificial intelligence can help power predictive intelligence, robotics, and information analytics and clinical decision support tools engineering. that can help provide clues to problems long before they might otherwise be identified Application in healthcare: using traditional approaches. o Immunotherapy is one of the most • There have been numerous reports of field promising avenues for treating hospitals using robots to care for COVID-19 cancer. By using the body’s own affected patients and even sanitize wards. immune system to attack malignancies, Autonomous systems could potentially help patients may be able to beat stubborn reduce the chances of hospital staff tumours. However, only a small contracting infectious diseases from patients. number of patients respond to current o The Sawai Man Singh government immunotherapy options, and hospital in Jaipur has held trials with a oncologists still do not have a precise humanoid robot to deliver medicines and reliable method for identifying and food to COVID-19 patients. which patients will benefit from this • Medical autonomous systems can help option. Machine learning algorithms improve health delivery to a great extent. and their ability to synthesize highly These systems can also help provide medical complex datasets may be able to care delivery in dispersed and complex illuminate new options for targeting environments wherein there is a shortage of therapies to an individual’s unique skilled manpower. genetic makeup. o Autonomous systems in the medical sector could include autonomous Internet of Things: critical care system, autonomous intubation, autonomous • The Internet of things describes the network of cricothyrotomy and other autonomous physical objects that are embedded with interventional procedures. sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging Cloud computing: data with other devices and systems over the Internet. • Cloud computing is the delivery • The Internet of Medical Things, or IoMT (which of computing services—including servers, is defined as a connected infrastructure of storage, databases, networking, software, medical devices, software applications, and analytics, and intelligence—over the Internet health systems and services) is shaping to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, healthcare applications. and economies of scale. • There are hospitals, in China, that use 5G- powered temperature measurement devices Application in healthcare: at the entrance to flag patients who have fever/fever-like symptoms. Other robots • Cloud computing could facilitate collaboration and data exchanges between doctors, ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

63 M.S.Shashank departments, and even institutions and digital technologies and acknowledge the medical providers to enable the best digital divide in society. treatment. • Other challenges include the non- standardisation of health data, organisational Quantum computing: silos, data security and data privacy concerns, and also the high upfront costs involved in the • Quantum computing is the exploitation of adoption of these technologies. collective properties of quantum states, such as superposition and entanglement, to Recommendations: perform computation. • Quantum-enhanced machine learning • The adoption of the above technologies should algorithms are particularly relevant to the be complemented by a robust strategy medical sector. integrating human, financial, organisational and technological resources. Application in healthcare: • The adoption of disruptive technologies should be complemented by drawing upon • In the healthcare industry, quantum local knowledge. Community nurses, doctors, computing could help accelerate diagnoses, and health workers in developing countries do and personalize medicine. act as frontline sentinels and can provide • In genomic medicine, quantum valuable information at scale and pace. Thus computers may lead to quick sequencing of the local/traditional knowledge and DNA, opening up the possibility of experiences need to be used with modern personalized medicine. technology. • It can help speed up drug design and development. Conclusion: • In health care data collection, quantum mechanics and the • The disruptive technologies discussed above related computer power may assist on several can play an important role in improving the levels, including with data storage, data health sector in general and improve the transmission, and data security. welfare of societies. • The application of the disruptive technologies Challenges in the adoption of disruptive discussed above in the medical sector can help technologies: realize the ideal of universal health coverage (UHC). • The large scale adoption of these technologies should consider the ethical appropriateness of

Context: epidemic, a study was conducted to check the feasibility of delivering vaccines using drones. • The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) • With an innovative vaccine delivery has invited expression of interest from drone mechanism, the surge in the number of cases operators to develop a delivery model. can be checked.

• Drones could be used for delivering COVID-19 More Details: vaccines in remote and hard to reach • With the growing need for smart vaccination geographies in the country. instead of mass vaccination to stem the • Technical specifications for this include:

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64 M.S.Shashank o The ability of drones to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) Drones deployed for sanitisation and medicine o The ability to carry a payload of up to 4 delivery in Bengaluru kg o To cover a distance of up to 35 km • Karnataka chief minister inaugurated an • While at present, government rules permit initiative to use drones to sanitise only those drone operations that are within containment zones as well as deliver visual range, the ICMR project comes at a time medicines and essential goods to the the Ministry of Civil Aviation has allowed 20 affected people. entities to conduct trials for long-range or • For the first time in the country, drones are “beyond visual line of sight” drone flights. ready to supply medicines and also for • Based on learnings from test flights, the sanitising public places in Bengaluru government will frame the guidelines for BVLOS operations.

Context: • The Delta variant has a number of mutations that have allowed it to dominate in several • Concerns around the world and in India about countries, thus posing new challenges to the ‘Delta plus’ variant of the SARS- CoV-2 management of the pandemic.

Background: High infectiveness:

Delta plus variant: • The K417N mutation found in the Beta variant and the Gamma variant has been • Formally known as 1 or B.1.617.2.1, the Delta characterised as being highly infectious and plus is an emerging form of the Delta variant thus there are the concerns of a new wave (B.1.617.2). associated with this variant. • It has an additional mutation called K417N, o In the light of a recent spike in positivity which has previously been identified in the rate in some districts of Maharashtra Beta variant and the Gamma variant. and the increase in the delta plus o This mutation in the virus’s spike protein variants recorded from these districts facilitates entry into human host cells. experts have warned that Delta plus ▪ The spike protein, an important variant might be the reason behind a component of the coronavirus, third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. stimulates the virus’s entrance into human cells and causes infection. Impact of the vaccines on the new variant: • It is currently a “variant of interest”, and hasn’t been classified as a “variant of concern” yet in • Given the fact that the delta plus variant the World Health Organization’s list. has significant differences compared to the • Research is on to understand its strain that has been used by pharma transmissibility, virulence. companies to design vaccines, there are doubts being expressed on whether the Concerns: existing vaccines would be effective against the delta plus variant. High number of mutations: • Studies to determine the potency of Covishield and Covaxin against the Delta variant have indicated that while ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

65 M.S.Shashank antibodies continued to be produced • A major concern with the AY.1 is the against the variant, they were fewer presence of the K417N mutation. Previous antibodies produced than those produced studies have associated the mutation with against the strain used by companies to resistance to the newly developed prepare their vaccines. monoclonal antibody treatment drug, Casirivimab and Imdevimab. Render monoclonal antibody treatment • The mutation presumably allows the new ineffective: variant to “escape” antibodies in the monoclonal antibody treatment regimes

Context: • It is also designated a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention of The Assam government has proposed the Wetlands. realignment of a broad-gauge railway line through o Ramsar Convention is an international the Deepor Beel. agreement promoting the conservation and wise use of wetlands. • Clearance from the National Green Tribunal is o It is the only global treaty to focus on a expected once the eco-sensitive zone is single ecosystem. declared by the concerned authorities. • The wetland is also used by elephants as a major corridor. Issue: • It is considered one of the largest and important riverine wetlands in the • Several elephants have been run over on the Brahmaputra Valley of lower Assam. It is a railway track between the elevated Rani permanent freshwater lake. Reserve Forest and the sanctuary. • It is located about 10 km southwest of • The elephants use four corridors crossing the Guwahati in Assam. track to often bathe and feed on the aquatic plants in the wetland. • Besides, it creates noise pollution and disturbs the migratory birds.

Deepor Beel:

• Deepor Beel is an ‘Important Bird Area’ site as designated by Birdlife International. • It is a bird sanctuary that shelters over 200 species of birds, including about 70 species of migratory birds.

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66 M.S.Shashank

Context: potential for responding to damages and the ensuing avoided costs. • The report was produced by the World • Nature-based Solutions can provide up to 37 Economic Forum(WEF), U.N. Environment per cent of global cost-effective solutions12 to Programme(UNEP), and the Economics of Land reduce the emission gap of 32 Gigatons13 to Degradation (ELD) Initiative hosted by the meet the targets under the Paris Climate Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Agreement. Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in partnership with • Nature-based Solutions also have a vital role to Vivid Economics. play in helping countries adapt to climatic change, being “cheaper, longer lasting and More Details: yielding more co-benefits than technology- based solutions”. • A new report has found that investing less than 1% of global GDP in nature-based solutions can Definition of Nature-based Solutions help tackle climate change and halt biodiversity loss. According to the definition of NbS by IUCN, • At the moment, investments in these solutions societal challenges could include: total to US$133 billion, which is 0.10% of global • Environmental issues (e.g. climate change, GDP. And if governments and people want to biodiversity loss, desertification, disasters); meet their climate change targets, a total of • Ecosystem functionality issues (e.g. ecosystem US$4.1 trillion is needed to close the financing dynamics, non-linear effects, tipping points); gap in nature by 2050. • Socio-economic issues (e.g. population • According to the State of Finance for Nature increase, resource limitations, distribution); report, a total investment of US$8.1 trillion in • Financial issues (e.g. cost- nature is needed over the next three decades effectiveness/efficiency, risk management, to address climate change, land degradation financial returns); crisis and biodiversity loss, increasing four-fold • Developmental issues (e.g. access to by 2050 from the present investments of resources/technology, food/water security, US$133 billion (using 2020 as the base year), poverty); meaning each year US$536 billion should be • Sustainability issues (e.g. resilience, invested by 2050. adaptation, long-term resistance, impact); and • Health issues (e.g. access to health care, Nature-based Solutions pandemics).

• Nature-based Solutions (NbS) support a Investments transformational shift of the economy, by relying on nature to address societal • The largest proportion of this investment is challenges. carried out by public financial services • These societal challenges range from disaster providers, including the governments, risk reduction, climate change and biodiversity development finance institutions (DFIs), loss, to food and water security as well as environmental / climate funds, which human health. represents 86 per cent of total investment • Nature-based Solutions can be cheaper flows to protect biodiversity and landscapes, solutions than standard (non-natural) mixed with activities such as sustainable solutions over the longer term, owing to the forestry.

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67 M.S.Shashank • Public sector spending for the same is mostly through investments in sustainable dominated by the United States and China, supply chains and biodiversity offsets: followed by Japan, Germany and Australia. The US tops the list with approximately $36 billion • Commercial financial institutions a year in NbS spending, and is closely followed • Investors including insurance companies, by China with $31 billion. asset management firms • Countries such as Brazil, India and Saudi Arabia • Philanthropies including foundations and are likely spending large amounts of money endowments too, but they do not report internationally comparable data, according to the report. NbS finance is much smaller in scale than climate • The following contribute to 14 per cent of total finance and relies more heavily on public finance NbS financing equal to $18 billion a year,

Green Gigaton Challenge REDD+ and thus contribute to reducing tropical deforestation. • The Green Gigaton Challenge (GGC) is a public- • The global initiative aspires to securing private initiative that aims to catalyse funds commitments for transacting a cumulative from private companies and international gigaton of emission reductions by 2025 at donors to send a strong demand signal for attractive prices for forest countries (an initial high-integrity emissions reductions from floor price of USD 10 per ton is envisioned).

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68 M.S.Shashank • The GGC aims to facilitate a substantial which are essential to protect tropical increase in both international public and rainforests. private results-based funding commitments

Recommendations: Making Nature-based Solution a part of More Investments: Government Policies: • Public and private actors will need to scale up their annual investments by at least four times • Supporting inclusion of nature-based solutions to meet future climate, biodiversity and land in current nationally determined contribution degradation targets. revisions, national adaptation plans and • Annual investment should reach USD 536 domestic sectoral legislation. billion by 2050. • Aligning private finance with public policy for scaling up capital flows to nature to a level that Enhancing Cash Flows for Investment: can meet the targets of the three Rio Conventions. • Reforming taxes, repurposing agricultural policies and trade-related tariffs and System to Track Finances: harnessing the potential of carbon markets. • There is a need for a comprehensive system Smart Investments: and framework for labelling, tracking, reporting and verifying the state of finance for • Restoration of natural vegetation and NbS. afforestation are essential to meet • This would improve data comparability and international targets. quality as an input to future decision-making. • The most important component of annual • Further, there is a need to increase positive investment needs is the cost of establishing financial flows by de-risking & incentivizing new forests, as it accounts for 80% of total and reducing harmful financial flows costs.

Context: Possible reasons:

• A recent study notes the depleting trends of Dilution effect: essential nutrients in rice and wheat cultivated in India. • ‘Dilution effect’ is caused by decreased nutrient concentration in response to higher Details: grain yield. This is due to the fact that the rate of yield increase is not compensated by the • The study notes that the currently produced rate of nutrient take-up by the plants. rice and wheat grains as not having the same density of essential nutrients as those Decreased quantity of nutrients in soil: cultivated 50 years ago. • There has been a depleting trend in grain • The increasing use of monoculture cropping density of zinc and iron in rice and wheat patterns and intensive agricultural practices cultivated in India over the years. could have resulted in a scenario where the

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69 M.S.Shashank soils supporting plants could be low in plant- conventional plant breeding, or modern available nutrients. biotechnology. It involves the breeding of food crops that are rich in micronutrients. Concerns: o Biofortification differs from conventional fortification in that biofortification aims to • The lack of essential micronutrients like Zinc increase nutrient levels in crops during and iron in Rice and Wheat could adversely plant growth rather than through manual affect the nutritional security of billions of means during processing of the crops. people globally. o Examples of biofortification projects o Rice and wheat constitute the staple food include: for over half of the global population. ▪ iron-biofortification of rice, beans, o Counties like India which continue to sweet potato, cassava and legumes; battle micronutrient deficiency have diets ▪ zinc-biofortification of wheat, rice, composed mainly of rice, wheat, corn, beans, sweet potato and maize; and barley. The growing of newer ▪ provitamin A carotenoid- cultivars of rice and wheat cannot be a biofortification of sweet potato, maize sustainable option to alleviate zinc and and cassava; and iron malnutrition in Indian population. ▪ amino acid and protein- biofortification of sourghum and Recommendations: cassava. • The future breeding programmes of new Biofortification: cultivars should focus on improving the grain ionome (nutritional make-up) as a remedy to • Apart from the initiatives such as providing the observed trend of depleting micronutrient micro nutrient supplementation pills to school levels. children, there is also the need to concentrate options like biofortification. Sustainable agricultural practices: o Fortification is the practice of deliberately increasing the content of an essential • Given the ill effects of mono culture practices micronutrient, i.e. vitamins and minerals and intensive agricultural practices backed by (including trace elements) in a food, so as intensive fertilizer usage, there is the need for to improve the nutritional quality of the moving towards more sustainable agricultural food supply and provide a public health practices like organic farming, multi cropping benefit with minimal risk to health. and permanent agriculture which accord the o Biofortification is the process by which the necessary attention towards the overall health nutritional quality of food crops is of the soil. improved through agronomic practices,

Why in News?

• A major temple in Assam has signed a memorandum of understanding with two green NGOs for the long-term conservation of the rare freshwater black softshell turtle or the Nilssonia nigricans.

Figure 1 : Black softshell turtle: Details: ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

70 M.S.Shashank • A vision document 2030 was also launched • Sea Turtle Conservation Programme after Turtle Survival Alliance India and Help o It includes locating turtle nesting sites, Earth signed the pact involving the Hayagriva excavation and relocation of eggs to Madhava Temple Committee. the hatchery site. • The temple, revered by both Hindus and • India is a signatory to the Indian Ocean Sea Buddhists, is at Hajo. Turtle Agreement (IOSEA) of the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), a United Nations Black softshell turtle: backed initiative. o The main objective of the policy is to • Black softshell turtle (Nilssonia nigricans) is a secure the turtle nesting habitats in the species of freshwater turtle. country and rope in the local • It is found in India (Assam) and Bangladesh. communities for their safeguard. • It is called Bostami turtle or Mazari. • National Marine Turtle Action Plan • Until sightings along the Brahmaputra’s o It promotes inter-sectoral action for drainage in Assam, the black softshell turtle conservation and guides improved was thought to be “extinct in the wild” and coordination amongst the government, confined only to ponds of temples in civil society and all relevant northeastern India and Bangladesh. stakeholders on turtle accidents and • The International Union for Conservation of conservation. Nature has in 2021 listed the turtle as • Development of KURMA Application by the “critically endangered”. Indian Turtle Conservation Action Network • It does not enjoy legal protection under the (ITCAN) Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972. o The app has a built-in digital field guide • It has traditionally been hunted for its meat covering 29 species of freshwater and cartilage, traded in regional and turtles and tortoises of India international markets. • Their shell is light and flexible. This allows them to move more easily in open water, or in Protection Status muddy lake bottoms. It also allows them to move much faster on land than most turtles. IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered. Turtle Conservation Efforts Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, • Observation of the World Sea Turtle Day on 1972: Schedule IV, however, it 16th June every year. should be in Schedule I. o The celebrations highlight the importance of sea turtles in the marine CITES: Appendix I. system and aim to save the aquatic species from extinction.

Why in News? Sanctuary in Bundi, which is spread across 1,071 square km, into a tiger reserve. • Rajasthan is all set to get its fourth tiger reserve in Bundi as the state government has About Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary in Bundi received the go-ahead for it from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). • Ramgarh Vishdhari Wildlife Sanctuary acts like • NTCA’s technical committee has approved the a buffer for Ranthambore National Park, one proposal for converting Ramgarh Vishdhari ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

71 M.S.Shashank of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries in Striped Hyena, Sloth Bear, Golden Jackal, India. Chinkara, Nilgai & Fox. • It is located almost 45 kilometers on Bundi- • Its flora consists of Dhok, Khair, Salar, Khirni Nainwa Road and covers an area of 252 square trees with some Mango and Ber trees. kilometers approx. • Once NTCA notifies it as a tiger reserve, this • It is rich in biodiversity & is home to various will be the 52nd Tiger Reserve of India and the kinds of wild animals like Indian Wolf, Leopard, 4th Tiger reserve of Rajasthan

Why in News? recreation and also provide habitats for fishes, starfish and sea anemones. • The UN World Heritage Committee said in a draft report that “there is no possible doubt” that the network of colourful corals off Australia’s northeast coast was “facing ascertained danger” and the committee’s proposal to downgrade the Great Barrier Reef’s World Heritage status has irked Australia.

Great Barrier Reef

• The Great Barrier Reef, located in the Coral Sea (North-East Coast), off the coast of Queensland, Australia, is the world’s most extensive and spectacular coral reef ecosystem composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands. • This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps which are tiny, soft-bodied organisms and their base which is a hard, protective limestone skeleton called a calicle, forms the structure of coral reefs. • It was selected as a World Heritage Site in • Coral blocks are used for buildings and road 1981. construction, the lime supplied by corals is used in cement industries and coral reefs may About Coral Reefs also be used in jewellery. • India has four coral reef areas: Gulf of Mannar, • Indonesia has the largest coral reef area in the world and the Great Barrier Reef of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep Queensland coast of Australia is the largest islands and the Gulf of Kutch. aggregation of coral reefs. Risks and threats to coral reefs • India, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Chagos have the maximum coral reefs in South Asia. • Due to anthropogenic activities such as • Coral Reefs protect humanity from natural coastal development, destructive fishing calamities acting as a barrier, provide revenue and employment through tourism and ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

72 M.S.Shashank methods and pollution from domestic and • Placement on the ‘‘in-danger list’’ is not industrial sewage. considered a sanction and some nations have • Due to increased sedimentation, over- their sites added to gain international exploitation and recurring cyclones. attention and help to save them. • Coral diseases such as black band and white band due to infectious microorganisms Why does Australia irked by the report? introduced by the human population that live on the coastal regions. • As many as 53 sites are currently on the List of World Heritage in Danger. Highlights of the UN Committee’s report • The latest recommendation by the UN committee comes as a setback as Australia • Scientists say that the coral reef ecosystem has lobbied furiously for years to stay off the suffered three major bleaching events since endangered list. 2015 due to severe marine heatwaves. • The Great Barrier Reef losing its World • The report recommended that the world’s Heritage Site status list could potentially biggest coral reef ecosystem should be added reduce its attraction to tourists. to Unesco’s list of World Heritage in Danger • The threat of losing the World Heritage Site when the committee considers that question could also impact thousands of jobs in July. dependent on about 5 million people who visit the Great Barrier Reef each year

• Reasons for Dropped Rank: India still lags Why In News? behind on the SDG goals like ending hunger and achieving food security, achieving gender Recently, the Centre for Science and Environment equality and building resilient infrastructure, (CSE) has released the State of India’s promoting inclusive and sustainable Environment Report 2021. industrialisation and fostering innovation. o On India’s challenge of bringing safe • CSE is a public interest research and advocacy water and sanitation to all citizens, the organisation based in New Delhi. report offers a word of caution. • It researches into, lobbies for and • The overall SDG score of India is 61.9 out of communicates the urgency of development 100. that is both sustainable and equitable. • India ranks below four South Asian countries (Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh). Major Findings • State-wise Preparedness o Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh • The report carries a special section on the state have the best overall score and are on the of the Indian states, particularly on their path to achieving the SDGs in time. performance on Sustainable Development o Jharkhand and Bihar are the least Goals (SDG). prepared to meet the SDGs by 2030. o No state was found to be on track to ▪ While Jharkhand lags in five of the meet all the SDGs by 2030. SDGs, Bihar lags in seven. • Only a decade away from meeting these • It also highlighted that India ranked 168 out of globally committed development goals, India 180 countries in terms of Environmental occupies 117th position among 192 countries Performance Index (EPI) 2021. on the progress list. o EPI is calculated on various indicators, o It shows that India’s rank has slipped by including environmental health, climate, two places from 115th in 2020 on the 17 air pollution, sanitation and drinking water, SDGs. ecosystem services, biodiversity, etc. ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

73 M.S.Shashank o In the EPI 2020 report by Yale University, Solutions Network (SDSN) and the India ranked 148 in the category of Bertelsmann Stiftung. biodiversity and habitat which assesses • There are 17 SDGs which are an urgent call for countries’ actions toward retaining natural action by all countries, developed and ecosystems and protecting the full range of developing, in a global partnership. biodiversity within their borders. ▪ India was 21 positions behind Pakistan.

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

• It was adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015. • It provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. • The list was prepared by teams of independent experts at the Sustainable Development

Why In News have been cases of masks and the like making their way into dry waste. There has been a huge pile-up of biomedical waste generated in the aftermath of the second wave of Issues the pandemic. • Improper Segregation: Lack of strictly About monitored segregation and disposal makes biomedical waste management a serious • The quantity of biomedical waste generated public health issue. The segregation of waste is during the second wave at its peak is definitely a major challenge as a large quantity of food more than what was seen in the first wave. waste is also becoming a part of biomedical • The second wave saw more face shields, wastes. masks, PPE kits, disposable bed sheets, • Unscientific Disposal: Domestic waste is being syringes, etc. Although the collection was mixed with the covid waste coming out from relatively simpler. the home quarantine of positive cases. Lot of • This amount being generated is 4 to 5 times it is dumped mixed in landfills and also more than the normal scenario bio-medical “recklessly incinerated”, with serious waste generation. consequences to public health. • Even the cost of disposal has increased to Rs. • Avoiding segregation due to high disposal 58 per kilogram from Rs. 13 per kilogram. Cost: For general waste disposal, hospitals are charged monthly. But for COVID-19 waste, Covid and its impact they have to pay per kilo. So cases of passing this bio medical waste as general waste has • The second wave has spread even to the rural been seen. areas unlike the first wave where spread was • Management of Inventory: The bio medical limited to major urban centres and/or waste is being put along with industrial toxic metropolitan cities. waste in the incinerator. The problem is the • In addition to an approximately 25% increase inventory of the waste as there is no surity of in general waste due to work from home, there ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

74 M.S.Shashank how much is reused, recycled or disposed, and Suggestions it is hazardous. • Health concerns: Improper handling of • Aware clients on the scientific disposal of hospital waste might aggravate the spread of contaminated waste while ensuring the safety SARS-CoV-2 to medical staff and people who of their staff. handle waste. • Keep separate colour-coded bins with foot- operated lids. NGT’s Order on Bio-medical Waste • Use of a dedicated collection bin labelled as “COVID-19” to store COVID-19 waste. • Compliance Gaps: The NGT noted that it is • Maintain separate records of waste generated clear from the report submitted by the from COVID-19 isolation wards. Oversight Committee that there are huge gaps • A dedicated vehicle should collect only COVID- in compliance - in some states, compliance 19 waste. ranged from 17% to 38% only. • If waste is not treated by incinerators, deep • Underutilization: There was underutilization burial systems as per protocols must be used of the common bio-medical facilities at many properly while taking all due precautions to places. Facilities and their siting needed review prevent harm to the environment. and such facilities must obtain Environmental Clearance (EC). • Authorised Recyclers: Recycling of bio- medical waste has to be done through authorised recyclers and the hazardous bio- medical waste must not be mixed with the general waste. • Prevent Groundwater Contamination: While permitting deep burials, it should be ensured that groundwater contamination does not take place. • Role of CPCB: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) should review the compliance status from time to time and issue directions based on the observations from the reports received. • Common bio-medical facilities: There should be an adequate number of common bio- Conclusion medical facilities. o The Chief Secretaries of all the States/UTs • Pollution control Boards need to put on their have to ensure that authorization is keen observations to check the negative secured by every health care facility in actions and affects pertaining to biomedical their respective jurisdiction and that waste. there is adherence to the norms. • The rising issue of Bio-medical wastes in the o Similarly, the District Magistrates may, at country can be managed by segregating their level, take necessary steps in their properly while emulating the Kerala Model. Districts, in accordance with the District Environmental Plans.

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75 M.S.Shashank

Context: under the purview of the theatre commands and financial implications that may arise in the A high-level committee has been formed for wider process of integration has necessitated the consultations on the creation of integrated tri- move. service theatre commands. Mandate of the committee: More Details: • The committee will examine all issues and find • The panel includes the Vice-Chiefs of the three a way forward before a formal note on their services, the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff creation is sent to the Cabinet Committee on to the Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, Security. and representatives from Ministries such as • The issue is about fine-tuning the proposals Home Affairs, Finance and Law. and forming a consensus on the integrated tri- • Some aspects like bringing in paramilitary service theatre commands forces, which are under the Home Ministry,

Integrated Theatre Commands:

• There are about 19 military commands in the country and only two of them are tri-service commands – Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and the Strategic Forces Command, which looks after nuclear assets. • Instead of having separate commands for every service, the CDS is working on having a joint or theatre command that can carry out all war-fighting formations under a single commander. • The commander could either be from the Army, Air Force or the Navy. • Theaterisation means putting specific units of personnel from the three services — Army, Navy and Air Force — under a common theatre commander so they fight as a cohesive unit. • Both the US and China follow a theatre command doctrine.

Why in News? • Two to be procured directly from Russia and two to be built by the GSL. • Krivak class frigate which is a stealth ship is being built by Goa Shipyard with technology Key Points: transfer from Russia. • The keel for the first ship was laid on January Background: 29, 2021. It would be delivered in 2026 and the second ship after six months. • In October 2016, India and Russia signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) for four Krivak or Talwar stealth frigates. ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

76 M.S.Shashank • Keel laying is a major milestone activity in the • Four gas turbine engines, gearboxes and construction of any ship symbolising formal specialist support will cost around $50-million commencement of the construction process. per ship. • For the first time that these vessels, with such • India had earlier procured six Krivak class technological complexity, were being frigates weighing around 4,000 tonnes in two constructed indigenously at the Goa Shipyard different batches, the Talwar class and the Ltd. (GSL). upgraded Teg class. • The engines for the ships are supplied by Zorya • The four ships to be built will weigh 300 tonnes Nashproekt of Ukraine. more than the earlier ones and will be armed with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles

Why in News? Benefits:

• In pursuance of Prime Minister Shri Narendra • It will give a boost to indigenisation with active Modi’s endeavor of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and participation of public and private sector for to boost indigenisation in the Defence sector, fulfilling the twin objectives of achieving self- Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) and promoting approved a proposal of the Department of defence exports. Military Affairs, Ministry of Defence (MoD) to • Import substitution of ammunition which is a notify the ‘Second Positive Indigenisation List’ recurring requirement has been given special of 108 items. focus. • Not only does the list recognise the potential More Details: of the local defence industry, it will also invigorate impetus to domestic Research & • All the 108 items will now be procured from Development by attracting fresh investment indigenous sources as per provisions given in into technology and manufacturing Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020. capabilities. • It is planned to be implemented progressively • It also provides an excellent opportunity for with effect from December 2021 to December ‘start-ups’, as Micro, Small, and Medium 2025. Enterprises (MSMEs) will get a tremendous boost from this initiative. Items Included: Initiatives Taken by Government: • It comprises complex systems, sensors, simulator, weapons and ammunitions like • Increased Capital Acquisition Budget (CAB) for Helicopters, Next Generation Corvettes, Domestic Sector: The Ministry of Defence has Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) decided to earmark around 64% of its systems, Tank Engines, Medium Power Radar modernisation funds under the capital for Mountains, MRSAM (Medium Range acquisition budget for 2021-22, a sum of Rs Surface to Air Missile) Weapon Systems and 70,221 crore, for purchases from the domestic many more such items to fulfil the sector. requirements of Indian Armed Forces. • For FY 2020-21, the capital budget allocation for domestic vendors was made at 58%, an amount of Rs. 52,000 crore. • Defence Industrial Corridors: India has inaugurated two defence industrial corridors,

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77 M.S.Shashank one in Tamil Nadu and the other in Uttar to ensure that the timelines mentioned in the Pradesh to boost the flagship “Make in India" list are met. programme that in turn would attract • It will thereby facilitate an environment for investment as well as encourage employment Indian defence manufacturers to create world generation. class infrastructure, assist in the government’s • The Central government has increased the ‘Make in India’ vision to make India self-reliant Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit in the in defence and develop the capabilities for defence sector from 49 to 74% under defence export in the near future. automatic route and beyond 74% through the • The Ministry of Defence is also expected to put government route. out the final version of the ‘Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy Way Forward (DPEPP) 2020’. • DPEPP is envisaged as an overarching guiding • The Ministry of Defence, Defence Research document to provide a focused, structured and Development Organisation (DRDO) and and significant thrust to defence production Service Headquarters shall take all necessary capabilities of the country for self-reliance and steps, including hand holding of the industry, exports

Context: strain due to the reduction in tax revenues and increase in health expenses. Government’s response to petitions in the o If the entire State Disaster Response Supreme Court to pay ₹4 lakh compensation to the Funds get consumed on ex gratia families of every COVID-19 victim. compensation for COVID-19 victims, sufficient funds might not be available Details: for organising COVID-19 response or to take care of other disasters like • The government responded to the petitions in cyclones, floods, etc. SC stating that the COVID-19 pandemic was • Besides, the MHA opines that granting ex not a one-time disaster and a broader gratia compensation for one disease while approach was needed for compensation. denying it for those accounting for a larger o Broader approach encompasses a share of mortality would not be fair or proper. different set of ‘Minimum Standards of Relief’ focused on public health State Disaster Response Funds interventions, social protection and economic recovery for the affected • SDRF has been constituted under Section 48 communities. (1) (a) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. • Its argument was that massive distribution of • It was constituted based on the compensation across the country at this point recommendations of the 13th Finance would dry up precious financial resources of Commission. the Centre and the States. • It is the primary fund available with the State • The finances of State governments and the governments for responses to notified Central government are already under severe

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78 M.S.Shashank disasters to meet expenditure for providing immediate relief. Disaster (s) Covered under SDRF: • It is audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) every year. • Cyclone, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, Contribution: cloudburst, pest attack, frost and cold waves.

• The Centre contributes 75% of the SDRF Local Disasters: allocation for general category States and Union Territories and 90% for special category • A State Government may use up to 10% of the States and Union Territories (northeastern funds available under the SDRF for providing States, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal immediate relief to the victims of natural Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir). disasters that they consider to be ‘disasters’ • The annual Central contribution is released in within the local context in the State and which two equal installments as per the are not included in the notified list of disasters recommendation of the Finance Commission. of the Ministry of Home Affairs

Why in the news? • The present work highlights that larger islands Minicoy and the capital Kavaratti are also • A team of scientists from the Department of vulnerable to sea-level rise, and expected to Architecture & Regional Planning and experience land-loss along 60% of the existing Department of Ocean Engineering & Naval shoreline. Architecture, IIT Kharagpur, with support from • Sea-level rise effects are seen to have the least the Department of Science & Technology, impact on Androth Island under all emission Government of India under the Climate scenarios. Change Programme (CCP), studied the Climate • Average sea levels have swelled over 8 inches projections of sea level rise and associated (about 23cm) since 1880, with about three of coastal inundation in atoll islands, a ring- those inches gained in the last 25 years. shaped coral reef or island. Trend in sea-level rise More Details: • The trend in sea-level rise for the Arabian Sea • Sea-levels will rise around the Lakshadweep for 1973-2010 is about 1.72 mm/year, while Islands in the range between 0.4 mm/year to for Lakshadweep Islands the tide gauge data 0.9 mm/year. during 1981-2005 indicates a sea-level rise of • The study highlights that the worst possible 0.5 mm/year. The sea level rising trend within inundation (flooding) scenarios projected for the Lakshadweep archipelago, which has a Lakshadweep Islands are almost similar under lagoon extent of 4200 square km, is projected different emission scenarios projected and all to be lower than that of the Arabian Sea basin the islands in the archipelago would be by the end of the century vulnerable to impact from sea-level rise. • For the first time, climate model projections Coral reefs in peril were used to assess the potential areas of inundation. • Lakshadweep has experienced three major • Smaller islands Chetlat and Amini are expected bleaching events from 1998, 2010 and 2016 to have major land-loss.

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79 M.S.Shashank corresponding to the El Nino events of those • That creates an imbalance between runoff and years. ocean evaporation, causing sea levels to rise. • While the reefs recovered from the 1998 event, recovery following the 2010 event was Loss of Greenland and Antarctica’s ice sheets: slower. Just when the reefs were showing signs of recovery from the 2010 bleaching, the • As with mountain glaciers, increased heat is El Nino hit the reefs in 2016. causing the massive ice sheets that cover • Cyclones, including Ockhi in 2018, followed • Greenland and Antarctica to melt more this collapse of coral. Coupled with the quickly. narrowing of the intervals between the • Scientists also believe that meltwater from bleaching events, commercial reef fishery in above and seawater from below is seeping recent years, has undermined the resilience of beneath Greenland's ice sheets, effectively these ecosystems. lubricating ice streams and causing them to • It’s a world of hurt for coral reefs globally with move more quickly into the sea. countries falling short of their commitments to • While melting in West Antarctica has drawn meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting considerable focus from scientists, especially global temperature rise by two degree with the 2017 break in the Larsen C ice shelf, Celsius—ideally 1.5 degree Celsius—by the glaciers in East Antarctica are also showing end of the century. signs of destabilizing. • According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), coral reefs would Consequences decline by 70-90% with global warming of 1.5 degree Celsius, whereas virtually all (> 99%) • When sea levels rise as rapidly as they have would be lost with two degree Celsius. been, even a small increase can have devastating effects on coastal habitats farther Three Primary Factors for Sea Level Rise inland, it can cause destructive erosion, wetland flooding, aquifer and agricultural soil • The change in sea levels is linked to three contamination with salt, and lost habitat for primary factors, all induced by ongoing global fish, birds, and plants. climate change: • Higher sea levels are coinciding with more dangerous hurricanes and typhoons that move Thermal expansion: more slowly and drop more rain, contributing to more powerful storm surges that can strip • When water heats up, it expands. About half of away everything in their path. One study found the sea-level rise over the past 25 years is that between 1963 and 2012, almost half of all attributable to warmer oceans simply deaths from Atlantic hurricanes were caused occupying more space. by storm surges. • Already, flooding in low-lying coastal areas is Melting glaciers: forcing people to migrate to higher ground, and millions more are vulnerable from flood • Large ice formations such as mountain glaciers risk and other climate change effects. The naturally melt a bit each summer. prospect of higher coastal water levels • In the winter, snows, primarily from threatens basic services such as Internet evaporated sea water, are generally sufficient access, since much of the underlying to balance out the melting. communications infrastructure lies in the path • Recently, though, persistently higher of rising seas. temperatures caused by global warming have led to greater than average summer melting as well as diminished snowfall due to later winters and earlier springs.

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80 M.S.Shashank Adapting to the threat building up the land, residents will need help from other nations if they decide to undertake • As a result of these risks, many coastal cities the expensive latter option. are already planning adaptation measures to cope with the long-term prospects of higher Way Forward sea levels, often at considerable cost. Building seawalls, rethinking roads, and planting • In the Marshall Islands, where rising sea levels mangroves or other vegetation to absorb are forcing a choice between relocating or water are all being undertaken. building up the land, residents will need help • In Jakarta, a $40 billion project will aim to from other nations if they decide to undertake protect the city with an 80-foot-high seawall. the expensive latter option. Rotterdam, home to the Global Center on • The Paris Agreement provides a clear vision on Adaptation, has offered a model to other cities limiting global warming and thus, sea level rise. seeking to combat flooding and land loss. The • The Coastal cities can implement following Dutch city has built barriers, drainage, and measures to address sea level rise innovative architectural features such as a o Using Beaches As Barriers “water square” with temporary ponds. o Building Seawalls • Of course, communities vulnerable to rising o Raising Roads seas can only go so far in holding back the tide. o Building Stormwater Pumps In the Marshall Islands, where rising sea levels o Upgrading Sewage Systems are forcing a choice between relocating or o Creating Natural Infrastructure o Slowing Land Sinkage

Context: Concerns Highlighted

According to a recent United Nations-backed • The HKH region continues to warm through research, up to two billion people in southeast the 21st century even if the world was able to Asia can face food and water shortages even as the limit global warming at the agreed 1.5 degrees Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) mountain ranges Celsius. lose up to two-thirds of its ice by 2100. o In the future, even if global warming is kept to 1.5 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrialisation levels, warming in the HKH region is likely to be at least 0.3 degrees Celsius higher and in the northwest Himalaya and Karakoram at least 0.7 degrees Celsius higher. • On the ice thickness of glaciers, it was estimated that glaciers in the HKH may contain 27 per cent less ice than previously suggested. • In the best-case scenarios, High Mountain Asia (the Asian mountain ranges surrounding the Tibetan Plateau) will lose a substantial part of its cryosphere in the next decades and thus a substantial part of its water storage abilities, which will lead to increased water stress in high mountain areas. o Cryosphere: It comprises portions of Earth’s surface where water is in solid ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

81 M.S.Shashank form, including sea ice, lake ice, river drainage lines or ice, snow cover, glaciers, ice caps, ice encroachments obstructing the sheets, etc. natural flow of water. • Melting glaciers and the loss of seasonal snow o Glacial Burst: When glaciers retreat, pose significant risks to the stability of water they leave a space which becomes a resources in South Asia. glacial lake being filled with water. • The glacier melt contributes to disasters such When such a lake breaches, it is known as flash floods, landslides, soil erosion and as Glacial Burst or Glacial Lake Outburst Glacial bursts, with mountain communities Flood (GLOF). especially vulnerable to such disasters. • The melting and thinning of glaciers may also o Flash Floods: These are highly localized affect hydropower production, which is a key events of short duration with a very source of renewable energy for the region. high peak and usually have less than six • Potential damage to other sectors including hours between the occurrence of the the infrastructure and adversely affect the rainfall and peak flood. larger tourism industry. ▪ The flood situation worsens in the presence of choked

Hindu Kush Himalayas

• The HKH region, often referred to as the ‘Third Pole’, is spread over 3,500 square kilometers across eight countries including India, Nepal, and China. • The range forms the western section of the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region (HKH) and is the westernmost extension of the Pamir Mountains, the Karakoram, and the Himalayas. • It divides the valley of the Amu Darya (the ancient Oxus) to the north from the Indus River valley to the south. • It contains the world’s third-largest storage of frozen water after the Antarctica and Arctic. • Over 240 million people live in the region’s mountains; 1.7 billion live in the river basins downstream, while food grown in these basins reaches three billion people.

Glacier

• It is a big body of ice that is created from falling and accumulated snow over a period of time. o They get created in areas where the temperatures are exceedingly low, including areas that are at sea level and mostly in high altitude areas like the mountain tops. • Reasons for Melting o Climate change, which is altering the patterns of temperature and precipitation and larger anthropogenic modifications of the atmosphere. o Deposits of anthropogenic Black Carbon (BC), which increase the glaciers’ absorption of solar radiation and raise air temperatures. ▪ Recent evidence suggests that it is responsible for more than 50 per cent of the accelerating glacier and snow melt. o The HKH region lies downwind from some of the most heavily polluted places on Earth, which threatens agriculture, climate as well as monsoon patterns.

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Recommendations/Suggestions • Farmers will need support to design and invest in locally-appropriate water storage solutions, • The report recommended shifting away from or to shift to agricultural practices that fossil fuel use in energy, transport, and other consume less water. sectors. • Designs of new hydropower plants and grids • It also suggests changing diets and agricultural will need to take into account the changing practices to move to net-zero emissions of climate and water availability. greenhouse gases. • Improvement in the data and information, • The countries in the region need to reduce capacity-building and early warning systems emissions of black carbon and other air and infrastructure design, which calls for pollutants as well. sufficient funding and large-scale coordination.

Why in News? • China alone accounts for 44 million tonnes followed by Brazil and Vietnam (18% each) and China’s dominance in the rare Earth Metals, key Russia (15%). to the future of manufacturing, is a cause for • China holds the leading position among concern for the West. producers of rare earth with 140 thousand tonnes. What are Rare Earth Metals? • China accounts for 90% of the world’s rare earth production. • The rare earth elements (REE) are a set of • The other major producers are Australia, USA, seventeen metallic elements. These include Russia, Malaysia and Vietnam. the fifteen lanthanides on the periodic table plus scandium and yttrium. • Rare earth elements are an essential part of many high-tech devices. • They have a wide range of applications, especially high-tech consumer products, such as cellular telephones, computer hard drives, electric and hybrid vehicles, and flat-screen monitors and televisions. • Significant defense applications include electronic displays, guidance systems, lasers, and radar and sonar systems. • Rare earth minerals, with names like neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium, are crucial to the manufacture of magnets used in industries of the future, such as wind turbines and electric cars.

Reserves & Production

• The total world reserves are estimated at 121 million tonnes of rare earth oxides (REO).

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83 M.S.Shashank • Concentrates/partially processed at many locations in Europe, USA, Japan and intermediate products are further processed China.

Rare Earth Metals in India • Indian Rare Earths Ltd (IREL), a Government of India Undertaking, and KMML, a Kerala State • In India, monazite is the principal source of Government Undertaking, are actively rare earths and thorium. engaged in mining and processing of beach • Rare earth elements contribute a total value of sand minerals from placer deposits. nearly $200 billion to the Indian economy. • As per the Foreign Trade Policy, 2015-2020 and • India has the world’s fifth-largest reserves of the effective policy on export and import, the rare earth elements, nearly twice as much as import of ores and concentrates of rare earth Australia, but it imports most of its rare earth metals and of rare earth oxides including rutile needs in finished form from its geopolitical sand are permitted 'freely' rival, China.

Context: Disaster Management Act 2005:

Hours before retiring, former Chief Secretary of • The DM Act, 2005, came into existence after West Bengal Alapan Bandyopadhyay was served a the tsunami of 2004. show-cause notice by the Union Home Ministry • It was invoked for the first time in the wake of under Section 51 of the Disaster Management the COVID-19 pandemic. (DM) Act, 2005, punishable by imprisonment of up o In March 2020, the Centre, through the to two years or a fine or both. National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) headed by the Prime Minister, invoked the provisions of the Act to streamline the management of the ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

84 M.S.Shashank pandemic, empowering district • It prescribes punishment for obstruction for magistrates to take decisions and refusal to comply with any direction given by centralise other decisions on the supply of or on behalf of the Central Government or the oxygen and movement of vehicles. State government or the National Executive o The Act has been extended across the Committee or the State Executive Committee country till June 30, 2021. or the District Authority under the Act. o It is enforced by the Home Ministry. • However, the section has two important caveats. Under the Act, in order to be Details: punishable, the action on the part of the person has to be: • Section 51 of the DM Act, 2005 pertains to o ‘without reasonable cause’ punishment for obstruction for refusal to o ‘failure of an officer to perform the comply with a direction given by the Central duty without due permission or lawful government. excuse’

Context: • The U.S President has now recognised the massacre. By doing so, he became the first The U.S. President Joe Biden officially recognised sitting American head of state to recognise the one of the worst incidents of violent racial hate in incident. the country’s modern history — the Tulsa Race Massacre of May-June 1921. Tulsa:

Tulsa Race Massacre: • Tulsa was the affluent, predominantly African American • There were widespread killings and damage to neighbourhood of Greenwood, property in Tulsa, Oklahoma, targeting founded by descendants of slaves. relatively well-to-do African Americans by o It had earned a reputation as rampaging white mobs. the “Black Wall Street” of the • The lethal violence resulted in the deaths of U.S. hundreds, bodily injury to thousands and • Tulsa was especially known for being millions of dollars of damage to the homes and an unofficial sanctuary city for African neighbourhoods burned down. Americans suffering the • Survivors, fearing reprisals had to hold on with consequences of harsh segregation in an elaborate attempt to cover up the massacre pre-civil rights America. and protect the perpetrators. • For years, the massacre was barely mentioned Way Forward: in government circles, and in newspapers and textbooks. • This gives an opportunity to introspect the • The Tulsa “Race Riot” Commission was formed policy actions that have sought to bridge the to investigate the events in 1997 and officially racial discord that continues to haunt released a report in 2001. American society.

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85 M.S.Shashank • The greater challenge for Mr. Biden’s curbing inequities in the home government is to take a step beyond the appraisal process. question of reparations to survivors and o By directing more federal spending to address the root causes of disparity that small and minority-owned businesses. continue to plague American society. o By closing the wealth gap between the • The President has planned to address racial African American community and discrimination: others through new initiatives focused o In the housing market by issuing new on economic opportunities for rules on fair housing practices and minorities.

Why in News? poet, saint and social reformer and a proponent of the Bhakti Movement. • Recently, Sant Kabir Das Jayanti was observed • Kabir's legacy is still going on through a sect on 24th June, 2021 to mark the birth known as Panth of Kabir, a religious anniversary of Sant Kabirdas. community that considers him as the founder. • Kabirdas Jayanti is celebrated on the Jyeshtha • Teacher: His early life was in a Muslim family, Purnima tithi, as per the Hindu lunar calendar. but he was strongly influenced by his teacher, the Hindu bhakti leader Ramananda. About: • Literature: Kabir Das' writings had a great influence on the Bhakti movement and • Sant Kabir Das was born in the city of Varanasi, includes titles like Kabir Granthawali, Anurag Uttar Pradesh. He was a 15th century mystic Sagar, Bijak, and Sakhi Granth

Why in News this destination that would be of great interest for the visitors. The Ministry of Culture (MoC) and Ministry of • It is going to cover an area of 400 acres, with Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) signed a structures such as Heritage Theme Park, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for National Maritime Heritage Museum, ‘Cooperation in Development of National Lighthouse Museum, Maritime Institute, eco- Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC)’ at Lothal, resorts, and more. Gujarat. • There will also be many pavilions where all coastal states in India and union territories can About: showcase their artifacts and maritime heritage. • NMHC will be developed in Lothal region of • The unique feature of NMHC is the recreation Gujarat. of ancient Lothal city, which is one of the • It would be developed as an international prominent cities of the ancient Indus valley tourist destination, where the maritime civilization. heritage of India from ancient to modern times would be showcased. • The idea is to create an edutainment (education with entertainment) approach for

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Why In News • The film speaks of a royal tax imposed by the “traitorous” landlords in Pernem, Bicholim, Recently, the Goa government released a short Maneri and Sattari in North Goa to oppress the film on Chhatrapati Shivaji on the occasion of the locals, after which they “betrayed the land and anniversary of the Maratha king’s coronation day. the state” and sought refuge with the Portuguese. About • The film says that Shivaji was the first Indian king to defeat the Portuguese • A Konkani and Hindi version of the film, titled o It was due to the influence of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shivrajyabhishek Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj that the Divas covers the history of Goa and Shivaji’s culture of Goa was saved from the role in fighting the Portuguese. Portuguese.

Context: • Surat and Indore won best award for their overall performance in 2020. • Smart City Awards 2020 was announced • Best union territory award was conferred to under the ‘Smart Cities Mission’. Chandigarh. • These awards were given under the themes of Social Aspects, Governance, Urban Category Wise winner Environment, Sanitation, Culture, Economy, Water, Built Environment and Urban Mobility. • Under this theme, Tirupati won award for Some other interesting themes were added Health Benchmark for Municipal Schools while this year namely, Sustainable Business model Bhubaneswar won for Socially Smart of ICCC and Innovation award specially in Bhubaneswar. COVID Management. • Tumakuru won award for Digital Library Solution. In governance category, Vadodara More Details: received the first rank. • In urban environment category, joint winners • Uttar Pradesh was ranked as top performing are Bhopal and Chennai. Smart Cities state under India Smart Cities Award Contest Leadership Award was conferred on 2020. Ahmedabad, Varanasi and Ranchi • Madhya Pradesh came second while Tamil Nadu at third position.

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Context: • Export and re-import of jewelry as per Trade • The government has announced the phased Policy of Government. implementation of mandatory Gold • Jewelry for international exhibitions and Hallmarking of Jewelry, with effect from June government-approved B2B domestic 16, 2021. exhibitions. • Watches, fountain pens, and special types of What is gold Hallmarking? jewelry such as Kundan, Polki, and Jadau.

• The Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) operates What was the need of making Gold Hallmarking the gold and silver hallmarking scheme in mandatory? India. It defines hallmarking as the accurate determination and official recording of the • India is the biggest consumer of gold. proportion of a precious metal(gold) in an However, the level of hallmarked jewelry is article (Jewelry). very low in the country. At present, only 30% • Hence, this means that it will guarantee the of Indian gold jewelry is hallmarked. purity or fineness of precious metal articles. • This is due to the non-availability of sufficient assaying and hallmarking centers (A&HC) Which metals are covered under the scheme? responsible for a low level of hallmarked jewelry. Hence, Gold Hallmarking has been • The Government of India has notified two made mandatory. categories under the purview of hallmarking— gold jewelry and gold artifacts and silver Phase wise implementation: jewelry and silver artifacts. • Therefore, hallmarking in India is available for • In the first phase, gold hallmarking will be the jewelry of only two metals—gold and available only in 256 districts. silver. • Jewelers having an annual turnover above Rs 40 lakh will come under its purview. Which metals have been exempted from • Moreover, there will be no penalty imposed till hallmarking? August 2021

What is the news? About the Crash Course Programme for Covid-19 Frontline Workers Prime Minister has launched a “customized crash course programme for Covid-19 frontline • Aim: The programme aims to create skilled workers”. non-medical healthcare workers to fill the present and future needs of manpower in the health sector. ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

88 M.S.Shashank o This will be done by providing fresh o Sample Collection Support and skills and upskills to over one lakh Covid o Medical Equipment Support. warriors across the country. • Nodal Scheme: The course has been designed under the Central Component of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana 3.0.

Key Features of the Scheme

• Firstly, the programme would be available at 111 training centers across 26 states in the country. • Secondly, the Covid warriors will be trained under six modules. These modules include: o Home Care Support o Basic Care Support o Advanced Care Support o Emergency Care Support

Context: agriculture and bio-resource related jobs and better livelihood ensuring biotechnological • The Ministry of Science and Technology has benefits to small and marginal farmers. issued a Special Call for the NorthEast Region • Farmers are also exposed to best global farm as a part of its Mission Programme “Biotech- management and practices. Krishi Innovation Science Application Network • This is a farmer-centric scheme developed by (Biotech-KISAN)”. and with farmers under the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and About Biotech-KISAN: Technology.

• It is a scientist-farmer partnership scheme Objective: launched in 2017. • It is a pan-India program, following a hub-and- • Biotech-KISAN is a scientist-farmer partnership spoke model and stimulates entrepreneurship scheme launched in 2017 for agriculture and innovation in farmers and empowers innovation with an objective to connect women farmers. science laboratories with the farmers to find • The Biotech-KISAN hubs are expected to fulfil out innovative solutions and technologies to the technology required to generate be applied at farm level

Why in News?: Mechanization to empower the farmers through the Sub-Mission on Agricultural • Recently, the Government of India has Mechanization (SMAM) scheme. released funds for various activities of Farm

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89 M.S.Shashank Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization capacity building activities and ensuring (SMAM) performance testing and certification of agricultural machines at designated testing • The Sub-Mission on Agricultural centres located all over the country. Mechanisation (SMAM) was launched in the • It will boost income of farmers and growth of year 2014-15 under the National Mission on the agricultural economy. Agricultural Extension and Technology. • Under the scheme, the Government of India Components of SMAM releases funds for Farm Mechanization like Establishment of Custom Hiring Centres, Farm • Promotion and strengthening of Agricultural Machinery Bank, High-tech Hubs to different Mechanization through Training, Testing and states. Demonstration: Aims to ensure performance testing of agricultural machinery and Aims and Objectives equipment, capacity building of farmers and end users and promoting farm mechanization • To boost up mechanization in the agriculture through demonstrations. sector, improving agricultural implements and • Demonstration, Training and Distribution of machinery that are essential inputs for modern Post-Harvest Technology and Management agriculture. (PHTM): Aims at popularizing technology for o This will enhance the productivity of primary processing, value addition, low cost crops besides reducing human scientific storage/transport and the crop by- drudgery and cost of cultivation. product management. • To offset the adverse economies of scale • Financial Assistance for Procurement of arising due to small and fragmented Agriculture Machinery and Equipment: landholding and high cost of individual Promotes ownership of various agricultural ownership; creating awareness among machinery & equipment as per norms of stakeholders through demonstration and assistance

Context: • In a pilot phase, the programme will be implemented in 12 horticulture clusters out of • The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare the total 53 clusters selected for the programme. has launched the Horticulture Cluster • These clusters will be implemented through Development Programme (CDP) in order to Cluster Development Agencies (CDAs) which are promote the export of horticultural produce. appointed on the recommendations of the • Horticulture is the branch of plant agriculture respective State/UT Government. dealing with garden crops, generally fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants. Objectives:

Cluster Development Programme (CDP): • To address all major issues related to the Indian horticulture sector including pre-production, • It is a central sector programme aimed at production, post-harvest management, logistics, growing and developing identified horticulture marketing and branding. clusters to make them globally competitive. • To leverage geographical specialisation and • Horticulture cluster is a regional/geographical promote integrated and market-led concentration of targeted horticulture crops. development of horticulture clusters. • It will be implemented by the National • To converge with other initiatives of the Horticulture Board (NHB) of the Ministry of Government such as the Agriculture Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. Infrastructure Fund. ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

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Why in News? More Details:

• Recently, the government of India has • It showcases a range of exquisitely dedicated a window ‘The Green Gold handcrafted bamboo and bamboo products, Collection’ on the GeM (Government e- handicrafts, disposals and office utility Marketplace) portal for the marketing of products on the GeM portal. Bamboo Goods. • It aims to provide bamboo artisans, weavers • This window is the collective work of the and entrepreneurs in rural areas with market National Bamboo Mission (NBM) and GeM. access to Government buyers. • It seeks to promote the adoption and use of bamboo products among Government buyers and usher a sustainable rural economy for an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Why In News? More Details:

• Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata who was the • An estimated donation of $102.4 billion was in founder of Tata Group, has emerged as the health and education sector. topper of the list of EdelGive Hurun • Total philanthropic value of Tata is made up of Philanthropists of Century. 66 percent of Tata Sons which is estimated at $100 billion. • Tata Group and its philanthropic activities are presently headed and overseen by Emeritus Chairman Ratan Tata

• New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) has • 43-year-old weightlifter had competed in selected weightlifter Laurel Hubbard to men’s weightlifting competitions before contest women’s +87 kg category. Weightlifter gender transition in 2013. will be the first transgender athlete to • Hubbard has been eligible to compete at compete at Olympics. Olympics since 2015. • In 2015, International Olympic Committee issued guidelines to allow any transgender ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

91 M.S.Shashank athlete to compete as woman on the condition nanomoles per litre for at least 12 months that their testosterone levels are below 10 before they take part in first competition

• The WHO has honoured Indian Union health minister Harsh Vardhan with Director-General Special award for his efforts to control tobacco consumption in India. • Every year, on 31st May, the World Health • His leadership was instrumental in the 2019 Organization (WHO) and global partners national legislation to ban E-cigarettes & celebrate World No Tobacco Day (WNTD). heated tobacco products. • The theme for the World No Tobacco Day 2021 is “Commit to Quit”. Theme for 2021: • 'Ecosystem Restoration'. • It will kick off the UN Decade on Ecosystem • Every year, the first day of June is observed as Restoration (2021-2030) - a global mission to World Milk Day. revive billions of hectares, from forests to • On the occasion, the Ministry of Fisheries, farmlands, from the top of mountains to the Animal Husbandry & Dairying announced the depth of the sea. launch of the Gopal Ratna Awards and • The theme for this year’s in India is ‘promotion integration of e-Gopala App with UMANG of biofuels for a better environment’. platform. • Pakistan will be the global host for 2021. • World Milk Day was established by the Food

and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in 2001. The day is intended to provide an opportunity to bring attention to activities that are connected with the dairy sector. • FAO is one of the specialised agencies of the • Recently, the World Sea Turtle Day (16th June) United Nations that leads international efforts has been observed. to defeat hunger. • It is observed every year on 16th June, with the • Theme will focus on Sustainability in the dairy aim to save this aquatic species from sector with messages around the extinction. It highlights the importance of sea environment, nutrition and socio-economics. turtles in the marine system. • In doing so it will reintroduce dairy farming to • The sea turtles live as keystone species in the the world. ocean body. Their existence is important to the environment and influences other species as well. If these species are removed, then the natural habitat will be affected, impacting • The World Environment Day is observed on the other wildlife and fauna in a different way 5th of June annually to encourage awareness • It is a day dedicated to and coincides with the and environmental protection. birthday of Dr. Archie Carr, the Father of Sea • The United Nations Assembly established Turtle Biology and the founder of the Sea World Environment Day in 1972, which was Turtle Conservancy. the first day of the Stockholm Conference on the human environment. ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

92 M.S.Shashank • The day emphasizes on the importance of public service in advancement phase. • It recognises work of public servants & • Seventh International Day of Yoga (21st June encourages young people to undertake 2021) is being celebrated by the Ministry of careers in public sector. Culture at 75 cultural heritage locations across • United Nations Public Service Day is celebrated the country. on June 23 every year. The day was designated • This year’s theme is “Yoga for wellness". by United Nations General Assembly’s • The extensive drive (Yoga at 75 cultural resolution to “celebrate the value and virtue of heritage) has been titled “Yoga, An Indian public service to community”. Heritage”, and is part of India’s “Azadi ka Amrit • On the occasion, United Nations Economic & Mahotsav” campaign. Social Council established the United Nations • The idea of International Day of Yoga (IDY) was Public Service Awards in 2003. This award proposed by India during the opening of the programme was updated in 2016 to accord 69th session of the United Nations General with 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Assembly (UNGA), held in 2014. Development. This award is bestowed on • The UN proclaimed 21st June as IDY by passing Public Service Day for contribution made a resolution in December, 2014. towards enhancing role, prestige and visibility • The first Yoga Day celebrations in 2015 at of public service. Rajpath in New Delhi created two Guinness • This day was observed under the theme World Records. “Innovating the Future Public Service: New o It was the world's largest yoga session Government Models for a New Era to Reach with 35,985 people. Sustainable Development Goals” in 2021. o 84 nationalities participated in it.

mYoga app

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launch mYoga • World Olympic Day is observed on June 23 app on the occasion of international day of across the world to embrace all through pure Yoga and gave the mantra of “Yog se Sahyog Olympic values. Tak”. This app is a great example of fusion of modern technology & ancient science. More Details: • mYoga App was launched to provide yoga training videos which will be available across • This day signifies the Olympic Games which is the world in different languages. held every four-year featuring summer and • Currently it is available in English, Hindi and winter sports competitions. French languages. It will be launched in other • During the event, thousands of athletes from UN languages soon. world take part in several competitions. • This app will play a great role in expanding • Athletes participate in sports activities like yoga worldwide. runs, music, exhibitions, and educational • App was launched in collaboration with World seminars on this day. Health Organisation (WHO). Olympic Day is based on three pillars: -

1) Move 2) Learn 3) Detect • United Nations Public Service Day is observed on June 23, to recognise value and virtue of public service to community. ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

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• India is dependent on imports to meet its urea Why in News? requirements.

Recently, the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Significance: Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) introduced the world's first Nano Urea Liquid for farmers across Improves Plant Nutrition: the world. • It has been found effective and efficient for More Details: plant nutrition which increases the production with improved nutritional quality. • It is a nutrient (liquid) to provide nitrogen to • It will boost a balanced nutrition program by plants as an alternative to the conventional reducing the excess use of Urea application in urea. the soil and will make the crops stronger, • It is developed to replace conventional urea healthier and protect them from lodging and it can curtail the requirement of the same effect. by at least 50%. • Lodging is the bending over of the stems near o It contains 40,000 mg/L of nitrogen in a ground level of grain crops, which makes them 500 ml bottle which is equivalent to the very difficult to harvest, and can dramatically impact of nitrogen nutrient provided by reduce yield. one bag of conventional urea. • Conventional urea is effective 30-40% in Improves Environment: delivering nitrogen to plants, while the effectiveness of the Nano Urea Liquid is over • It will also have a huge positive impact on the 80%. quality of underground water, a very o Its effectiveness has been tested in over significant reduction in global warming with an 11,000 farmers’ fields for 94 crops like rice impact on climate change and sustainable and wheat. development. o An average 8% increase in yield has been • Increase Farmers’ Income: witnessed. • It is easy on the pocket of farmers and will be • It has been indigenously developed at Nano effective in increasing farmers' income. It will Biotechnology Research Centre, Kalol, Gujrat also significantly bring down the cost of in line with Atmanirbhar Bharat and logistics and warehousing Atmanirbhar Krishi.

Why in News? More Details:

• Union Minister for Law & Justice, • ‘itat e-dwar’, will not only enhance the Communications and Electronics & IT, Shri Ravi accessibility, accountability and transparency Shankar Prasad, launched a e-filing portal of in the day to day working of the ITAT, but will Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) called also allow taxpayers to file online appeals, ‘itat e-dwar’. ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

94 M.S.Shashank applications, documents etc from the comfort rationalization of the fixation of cases leading of their home. to quicker disposal of cases. • It would not only result in economization of the use of paper, savings in costs but also

Context: who were neither fully Homo sapiens nor were Neanderthal. • An international group of archaeologists have • They found a parietal bone featured “archaic” discovered new human species in Israel which traits that are different from both early and is being considered as a missing piece in the recent Homo sapiens. history of human evolution. • Bone is considerably thicker than those found in Neanderthals and other homo sapiens. More Details: • Jaw and bones together display archaic features as well as Neanderthal features, • Archaeologists discovered pieces of skull, which are distinct from early homo sapiens including a right parietal (towards the and later Neanderthals. back/side of the skull). • As per researchers, fossils like famous Lady of • They also discovered a mandible (jaw) which Tabun, found at other Israeli sites might be dates back to 140,000–120,000 years old. part of this newly excavated human Analysis finds that, this jaw belonged to person population. “Lady of Tabun” was discovered in 1932 by pioneering archaeologist Yusra

Context: • It is a colloidal gold enhanced double antibody which is sandwich immunoassay to perform Minister of State for Education, Shri Sanjay Dhotre, qualitative determination of coronavirus launched a Rapid Antigen Test kit for COVID-19. It antigen in human nasal swabs, throat swabs was developed by IIT Delhi. and deep sputum sample. • This kit is suitable for general population Rapid Antigen Test kit (RAT Kit) screening and diagnosis of COVID-19 infection. • This invention by IIT Delhi is directed towards • RAT kit has been developed by IIT Delhi an in vitro diagnostic kit for detection of SARS- researchers led by Dr. Harpal Singh. He is a CoV-2 coronavirus antigens in nasopharyngeal professor at Centre for Biomedical Engineering swab. of IIT Delhi. • It uses rapid immunochromatographic • kit has been developed entirely using internal method. resources at IIT Delhi. It has been named as • Virus is identified on the basis of monoclonal SENSIT Rapid COVID-19 Ag Testing Kit. It antibodies which is specific for Coronavirus exhibits 86% Sensitivity & 100% Specificity. antigen. • Results obtained are qualitative based which Salient features of RAT kit can be inferred visually with naked eye

• kit is used for in vitro qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigen. ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

95 M.S.Shashank

Context: sea, coastal security and vessel monitoring systems (VMS). • Kerala’s Fisheries Department has constituted • It will also look after illegal, unreported and a seven-member committee to study and unregulated (IUU) fishing. submit report on methods to resolve issues • Committee will also analyse the “latest trends related to safety at sea. and internationally available options”. • Kerala’s Fisheries department decided to More Details: constitute the committee as long-term solution because of increasing instances of fishing- • Committee is headed by P. Sahadevan who related accidents at sea, especially during was former additional director of fisheries. monsoons; problems related to coastal security • Committee will study and submit report on and illegal & unregulated fishing methods to resolve issues related to safety at

Why in News? • This programme was launched with the aim of training Indian youth on digital skills in order to • National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) make them employment ready. and WhatsApp has launched its Digital Skill • Under this programme, school & university Champions Programme. students would be coached to consume digital and online skills. These skills would culminate More Details: with ‘Digital Skill Champions’ certification by WhatsApp and NSDC. Under the programme, partnership of NSDC and • Course under the programme is based on WhatsApp have identified following areas of module-format. It is comprehensive and collaboration: intensive in imparting knowledge regarding important aspects of online ecosystem. 1) WhatsApp Digital Skills Academy, and • It will also equip students with technology-based 2) Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) and learning on campuses across tier III and IV towns 3) WhatsApp Business App Training sessions. and cities. • It will be imparted through WhatsApp’s project Digital Skill Champion Programme implementation partner, InfiSpark

Why in News? • The 435.5-km Lhasa-Nyingchi section of Sichuan- Tibet Railway will be inaugurated ahead of • China will operationalise first electric train in centenary celebrations of ruling Communist remote Himalayan region of Tibet. The electric Party of China (CPC) on July 1. train will connect provincial capital Lhasa with • Nyingchi is a strategically located Tibetan border Nyingchi. town close to Arunachal Pradesh. • Electricity transmission process has been More Details: completed and tested

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Why in News? • It will set up 100 GW of solar power generating capacity. • Reliance Industry has announced to launch a • These capacities will be set up through rooftop new clean energy factory to make solar installations and de-centralised operations photovoltaic cells for next three years. across villages. • Reliance will set up solar manufacturing units, New Clean Energy Business a battery factory to store energy, a fuel cell- making factory and an electrolyser unit which • Mukesh Ambani will launch a Rs 75,000 crore will produce green hydrogen under the investment project. business. • It will be launched to set up four ‘Giga’ • This new business will be set up with the aim factories in order to make solar photovoltaic of bridging green energy divide in India as well cells, green hydrogen, batteries and fuel cells as in world. for next three years.

Why in News? • This programme was launched with the aim of improving learning outcomes, quality of • According to Education Minister of Andhra teaching practices and school management in Pradesh, Adimulapu Suresh, International basic education. This aim would be achieved Bank for Reconstruction and Development by transforming government schools into (IBRD) has sanctioned funds of Rs 1,860 crore vibrant and competitive institutions. to implementation of SALT programme. • Apart from improvement in basic education etc, the programme focuses on reforming SALT programme curriculum, improving classroom practices, professional development of teachers and • SALT programme stands for “Supporting preparing students to be fit for global Andhra’s Learning Transformation” competitive by introducing English as medium programme. of instruction across State-run educational institutions.

Why in News? • Project e-PGS was inaugurated by M R Kumar, Chairman of LIC, at Central Office, Mumbai. • Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has launched • First digital receipt generated on new IT a centralized web-based workflow-based IT platform was received by Rakesh Sharma, platform called “e-PGS”. Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of IDBI Bank. More Details:

• LIC launched this platform for its group business operations. ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

97 M.S.Shashank Significance of e-PGS • This system is capable of providing comprehensive self-servicing capabilities • New technology platform, e-PGS, has been through customer portal. On this portal, designed to provide a centralized collection corporate customers will be able to view their and payment accounting with high level of data, initiate actionable processes and lodge & bank integration. track claims. • It will provide collection through host-to-host • It has been designed to cater the expectations connectivity. It has been designed to provide of technology intensive corporate customers. very innovative features of seamless and • It will provide a high-level integration service integrated banking with automatic with customers’ technology systems to reconciliations. transfer data and services seamlessly.

Why in News? • It will address a hurdle for engaging in high- quality research. • Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has • CREST as an information resource will be made launched a ‘Centre for Research on Start-Ups accessible for researchers & policymakers and Risk Financing’ (CREST) which will provide which can result in top-tier publications. academic & thought leadership in innovation, • CREST mission would engage in scholarly entrepreneurship and risk capital. research encompassing areas of innovation, entrepreneurship, and risk capital. More Details: • This data repository is being developed on innovation, venturing and risk capital which • CREST will help in creating a data repository on will create infrastructure to carry high-quality Indian start-ups and ventures. research.

Why in News? environmental sustainability while enhancing commuter experience. • Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) in association with the National High-Speed Rail Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) has launched world’s first exclusive Green rating system for IGBC is a green building which uses less water, High-Speed Rail. optimises energy efficiency, generates less waste, conserves natural resources and provides More Details: healthier spaces for occupants as opposed to conventional building. It is the leading green • NHSRCL is a tool to enable new High-Speed Rail building movement of India. It was established by (HSR) stations which will apply energy-efficient Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in 2001. It is concepts during design and construction. based in CII-Sohrabji Green Business Centre, • It will reduce measurable adverse Hyderabad which is 1st Platinum rated green environmental impacts. building of India. IGBC seeks to enable a • IGBC’s Green HSR rating system has been ‘Sustainable built environment for all’ by 2025. launched with the objective of ensuring

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Why in News? • India & Saint Vincent and The Grenadines signed agreement for exchange of information • Union Cabinet has approved merger of Central & assistance to collect taxes which will help in Railside Warehouse Company (CRWC) and its India’s fight against offshore tax evasion and holding enterprise Central Warehousing tax avoidance practices. Corporation (CWC) in order to unify similar • CRWC & CWC merger will unify similar functions of both the companies. Companies functions of both companies, like were merged with the aim of improving warehousing, handling, and transportation. efficiency and increase financial savings. These functions would come under single administration which in turn will promote Significance of merger efficiency, optimum capacity utilisation, accountability, transparency and ensure • With the merger, it is expected that, financial savings. management expenditure of Railside • It will help in setting up at least 50 more Warehouse Complexes (RWCs) will be reduced Railside warehouses near goods-shed by Rs 5 crore due to savings in corporate office locations which will generate employment rent, salary of employees and other opportunities for 36,500-man days for skilled administrative costs. workers and 9,12,500-man days for unskilled workers.

Why in News? provided to every family that has lost a member amid pandemic. • Delhi government has launched • A pension of Rs 2,500 per month would also be “Mukhyamantri COVID-19 Pariwar Aarthik given to those families that lost the sole Sahayata Yojana” to provide financial breadwinner to covid-19 pandemic. assistance to the families who lost a member • Government will also consider single member due to Covid-19 pandemic. of affected family to be enrolled as civil defence volunteer. Why in News? • Government will also look after health and education needs of dependent children. • According to notification by Social Welfare Department, Rs 50,000 ex-gratia will be

Why in News? • Rs 1 lakh would be given to living parent with highest number of children in minister’s • Sports Minister of Mizoram, Robert Romawia constituency to encourage population growth Royte, has announced a cash incentive of Rs 1 among the demographically small Mizo lakh for having more children. communities. • This declaration was announced at a time More Details: when several Indian states are advocating population control policy. ©AKS IAS www.aksias.com 8448449709

99 M.S.Shashank • Person will also get a certificate and a trophy. development across several fields because of • Cost of the incentive will be borne by a gradual decline in its population. construction consultancy firm which is owned by Royte’s son. Population density in Mizoram • Minister made this declaration as infertility rate has increased and growth rate has • About 52 persons live in area of per square decreased among Mizo population which has kilometre in Mizoram. It has the second lowest become a serious concern. Mizoram is far population density in India, next to Arunachal below optimum number of people to attain Pradesh. National average is 382 per sq km.

Why in News? Single Dose or Double Dose

• Indian pharmaceutical company Zydus Cadila • All three vaccines currently being is soon going to apply Central Drugs Regulator administered in India are double dose (DGCI) for emergency approval of the corona vaccines. vaccine ZyCoV-D. If approved, it will be the • At the same time, there are single-dose world’s first DNA-based vaccine. vaccines also such as Johnson & Johnson and • With this, the number of vaccines available in Lite, which may come to India in the the country will increase to 4. So far, Serum coming months. But the Zykov-D vaccine is Institute’s Covishield, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin different from all these. Not one or two but and Russia’s Sputnik-V are being used in India. three doses of this Indian vaccine will be applied. During Phase-1 and Phase-2 trials, this vaccine keeps immunity strong for a long time after applying three doses.

Why in News? done in commercial and industrial (C&I) segment. • Union Government is working on a ‘Green • Once the policy is finalised, DISCOMs can Tariff Policy’ with the objective of reinforcing exclusively buy green electricity and supply it India’s green energy credentials. at ‘green tariff’. • Green Tariff will be the weighted average tariff More Details: of green energy that consumer will have to pay. • Green Tariff Policy will help electricity • The tariff will be slightly lower than tariff from distribution companies (DISCOMs) supply conventional fuel sources and a new electricity generated from clean energy regulation will help to ensure, if an industry projects at a cheaper rate as compared to wants only green power from developer, open power from conventional fuel sources such as access applications will be approved within a coal. fortnight. • Large corporate who are looking to procure only green power, they can contract such power from a clean energy developer as it is

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Why in News? • India and Fiji share a cordial and friendly relations based on mutual respect, • A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation and strong cultural & people-to- cooperation in agriculture & allied sectors was people ties. signed between Union Minister of Agriculture • Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Fiji and & Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar first Forum for India Pacific Islands and Fiji’s Minister of Agriculture, Waterways & Cooperation have given a new boost to India’s Environment, Dr. Mahendra Reddy. engagement with Fiji and Pacific region. • In the lines, signing of this MoU will further More Details: strengthen the multi-faceted cooperation between both the countries.

Why in News? returns which can benefit watermelon growers. • German agrochemicals major Bayer has • Yellow Gold 48 variety is best suited for commercially launched first-ever yellow cultivation during October to February. watermelon variety called “Yellow Gold 48” in Harvest can be done from April onwards after India under Seminis brand. which it will be available in market until mid- July. More Details: • Yellow Gold 48 is having high yield and income potential which will empower watermelon • Yellow watermelon has been developed from growers to diversify into new categories. It will superior germplasm under Bayer’s global also help in growing demand for exotic fruits. research and development efforts. It is the first of its kind yellow flesh watermelon • Yellow watermelon variety has been which have moderate to good plant type. It has commercially introduced in India after two dark green rind with slight stripes and orange years of local trials. yellow flesh colour. Average weight of the fruit • Yellow Gold 48 have enhanced yield potential, is 2.5 -3 kg. better disease & pest tolerance and higher

Why in News? • According to the professor, Virtual Water (VW) is water involved in production & trade of food • Researchers from Indian Institute of & non-food commodities & services. Technology, Guwahati have found way for • Virtual water is that “invisible” water that has better water management policies in India been consumed in the entire lifecycle of through Virtual Water analysis. This study was product or service. led by IIT-Guwahati professor Anamika Barua. Virtual Water Analysis Virtual Water • Results obtained from study of IIT Guwahati will help in bridging knowledge governance

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101 M.S.Shashank gap to mitigate water scarcity in Virtual Water • Study finds that, pressure on freshwater flows assessment. resources in water parched states can be • As per the study, states with chronic water reduced by diversifying production areas by scarcity, planning & implementation of using Virtual Water flows analysis to produce sustainable agriculture are crucial to achieve agro-climatically suitable food grains. water and food security.

Why in News? study innovative policy options & make recommendations. • According to US India Strategic Partnership • This task force will bridge government Forum (USISPF), India and United States has research with unique industry perspectives launched a hydrogen task force under which will help in reaching the goals of “Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP)” decarbonizing, high-polluting industrial which will boost India’s energy security efforts. sectors and achieving a greener & cleaner planet. More Details: • It will strengthen focused public, private cooperation between both the countries and • This task force was launched by United States make way for accelerated development & Department of Energy, Union Ministry of New deployment of hydrogen energy technologies and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and USISPF. • It will bring industries and academy together • It will represent industry & government with an aim of integrating private sector inputs stakeholders and assess technology status, to bring latest technology & adopt business models to develop and deploy hydrogen technologies.

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