UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY No.5/45 NVN Layout, New Siddhapudur, Gandhipuram, Coimbatore - 44
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS MAY- 2020
S.NO INDEX PAGE NO
GS PAPER – I 1 THRISSUR POORAM 1 2 PURANDARA DASA 1 3 GURUDEV RABINDRANATH TAGORE 1
GS PAPER – II
1 ADD CHAKMAS AND HAJONGS TO RELIEF PLAN 2 2 MIGRANT WORKERS TO GET FREE FOODGRAINS 2 3 COVID-19 PANDEMIC MAY DRIVE 40-60 MLN TO EXTREME POVERTY: UNCTAD 3 REPORT 4 NO GRAINS, MATCHMAKING FOR SAHARIAS IN MADHYA PRADESH DURING 3 LOCKDOWN 5 MINOR FOREST PRODUCE (MFP) 4 6 SC TO HEAR PIL ON FOOD SECURITY FOR ALL 4 7 FILLING THE ABSENCE 5 8 JANAUSHADHI SUGAM 6 9 PRADHAN MANTRI BHARTIYA JANAUSHADHI PARIYOJANA ( PMBJP) 7 10 FALL IN KEY TREATMENT CATEGORIES 7 11 U.P., BIHAR MIGRANTS CAN GET RATIONS IN OTHER STATES TOO 8 12 INDIA GETS $3 MILLION MORE FROM USAID TO COMBAT PANDEMIC 9 13 INDIA’S DISEASE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM NEEDS A REBOOT 9 14 STATES WITH HIGH SWINE FLU RATE RECORD MOST COVID-19 CASES 10 15 ‘CHILDREN NEED LAPTOPS TO ACCESS ONLINE CLASSES’ 10 16 PREPARING FOR A SYNDEMIC 11 17 A HEALTH PARTNERSHIP 11 18 NATIONAL AI PORTAL OF INDIA 12 19 IT’S ABOUT FOOD, NUTRITION AND LIVELIHOOD SECURITY 13 20 AAROGYASETU MITR 13 21 HACKER SEES SECURITY FLAWS IN AAROGYA SETU 14 22 GOVERNOR’S RULE IN BTAD MAY IMPACT ASSAM ALLIANCE GOVT. 14 23 MAHARASHTRA LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS TO BE HELD ON MAY 21 15 24 PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE 15 25 PLEA CHALLENGING APPOINTMENT OF ADDITIONAL JUDGE REJECTED 16 26 MANIPUR SPEAKER RESERVES DECISION ON DISQUALIFICATION OF 7 LEGISLATORS 16 27 MIGRANT WORKMEN ACT, 1979, MUST BE RATIONALISED TO REMOVE 17 REQUIREMENTS THAT DISINCENTIVISE FORMALISATION 28 MPLADS, ITS SUSPENSION, AND WHY IT MUST GO 18 29 SAMUDRA SETU 19 30 VIZAG GAS LEAK CLAIMS 11 LIVES; OVER 350 HOSPITALISED 19 31 ODISHA GOVT. EXTENDS WORK SHIFT TO 12 HOURS 19 32 THE EPIDEMIC AND ENSURING SAFETY IN COURTS 20 33 CENTRE’S REPLY SOUGHT ON DELINKING SITE FROM APP 21 34 STOP THE RETURN TO LAISSEZ-FAIRE 21 35 ILO URGES PM NOT TO DILUTE LABOUR LAWS 22 36 ‘ACTIVISTS ARE OFTEN TARGETS OF CYBERBULLYING’ 23 37 ATAL PENSION YOJANA (APY) 24 38 SC SETS UP PANEL TO LOOK INTO J&K INTERNET CURBS 25 39 EQUAL FREEDOM AND FORCED LABOUR 25 40 RIDING ROUGHSHOD OVER STATE GOVERNMENTS 26 41 REAFFIRM COOPERATIVE FEDERALISM 28 42 RS.3,100 CRORE FROM PM CARES ALLOCATED FOR COVID-19 RELIEF 29 43 UNKNOWN SOURCES FUNDING PARTIES’ 29 44 BENGAL, ODISHA GET PROMISED ₹1,500 CR. 30 45 IMD INCLUDES POK IN WEATHER FORECASTS 31 46 INDIA FLAYS NOD FOR GILGIT-BALTISTAN POLLS 31 47 ROW OVER NEW LINK ROAD TO KAILASH MANSAROVAR 32 48 INDIAN, CHINESE TROOPS FACE OFF IN LADAKH, SIKKIM 33 49 NO AIR SPACE VIOLATION AT PANGONG TSO 34 50 WE FULLY COMPLIED WITH ICJ ORDER ON JADHAV: PAK. 35 51 PM SLAMS PAKISTAN IN VIRTUAL NAM MEETING 36 52 RESUSCITATING MULTILATERALISM WITH INDIA’S HELP 37 53 GOVERNMENT OF INDIA & AIIB SIGN AGREEMENT FOR $500 MILLION COVID-19 38 SUPPORT FOR INDIA 54 73RD WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY 39
GS PAPER – III
1 LIVELIHOOD OF 1.6 BLN INFORMAL WORKERS WORLDWIDE AT RISK, WARNS ILO 39 2 MSME IDEAS PORTAL 40 3 MARCH CORE SECTOR OUTPUT SLUMPS 6.5% 40 4 GI TAG 41 5 DIRECT TAXES REVENUES DEFY LOCKDOWN, JUMP 36.6% IN APRIL 42 6 E-NAM 42 7 E-NAM PLATFORM 42 8 CHAMPIONS PORTAL 43 9 INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT SHRANK 16.7% IN MARCH 43 10 KISAN SABHA APP 43 11 ECONOMIC RECOVERY MAY TAKE OVER A YEAR, SAYS CII 44 12 SBI TO EXTEND LOAN MORATORIUM TO NBFCS 44 13 THE ECONOMIC MALAISE 44 14 ENABLE LONGER WORK HOURS: CII TO CENTRE 45 15 HOW WILL THE COVID-19 RELIEF FOR MSMES HELP? 46 16 FASTag 47 17 SCRAPPING OF RBI BONDS A BLOW TO PEOPLE, SAYS CHIDAMBARAM 47 18 IDEATHON 48 19 MAOIST CASE: NIA MAY QUESTION MORE PEOPLE 48 20 GOLD ETFS SEE INFLOWS, JEWELLERY TAKES A HIKE 49 21 UNHEARD AND UNSEEN 50 22 PATHWAYS TO A MORE RESILIENT ECONOMY 50 23 HARYANA GOVERNMENT DECIDES TO LEVY ‘COVID CESS’ ON LIQUOR 52 24 THE SARAS COLLECTION” ON THE GOVERNMENT E-MARKETPLACE (GEM) PORTAL 53 25 SBI CUTS LENDING RATE, FD INTEREST 53 26 $3.6 MN IN U.S. FUNDING TO INDIAN LABS MAY BE DELAYED 54 27 PATENTING OF INNOVATIVE LOW COST PPE 54 28 PUNJAB FARMERS’ TO GO FOR DIRECT SEEDING OF RICE 55 29 PRADHAN MANTRI MATSYA SAMPADA YOJANA (PMMSY) 55 30 BANNERGHATTA BIOLOGICAL PARK 56 31 KOUNDINYA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY 56 32 VIZAG GAS LEAK: WHO IS LIABLE? 56 33 BLACK PANTHER SPOTTED IN GOA’S NETRAVALI SANCTUARY 57 34 40 GHARIALS RELEASED IN GHAGHARA RIVER AMID LOCKDOWN 57 35 DEFORESTATION RATE GLOBALLY DECLINED BETWEEN 2015 AND 2020: FAO REPORT 58 36 KEEPING ASIA-PACIFIC AFLOAT 58 37 THE CURIOUS CASE OF RAPID MELTING IN THE HIMALAYAS 59 38 CYCLONE AMPHAN COULD ADVANCE SOUTHWEST MONSOON OVER THE 59 ANDAMANS: IMD 39 INSECT ATTACKS AFFECTED 142 MN HA FOREST BETWEEN 2003 AND 2012: REPORT 60 40 ANNUAL ACTION PLAN APPROVED FOR BIHAR UNDER JAL JEEVAN MISSION 60 41 ICELAND WILL NOT HUNT WHALES IN 2020 61 42 REMDISIVIR SHOWS NO BENEFITS ON COVID-19 PATIENTS IN FIRST CLINICAL TRIAL 61 43 AFRICAN SWINE FEVER 62 44 A LAB AT THE HEART OF U.S.-CHINA VIRUS SPAT 62 45 ACE-2 63 46 HCQ FAILS IN FIRST RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS IN FRANCE, CHINA 63 47 PARALLEL UNIVERSE 63 48 NIAB DEVELOPS PORTABLE CORONAVIRUS DETECTION KIT 64
UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY UPSC Current Affairs May – 2020 LOGOHERE
GS PAPER- I
GS PAPER - 01 ART AND CULTURE - Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
THRISSUR POORAM Context:
Thrissur Pooram held in deafening silence. Thrissur Pooram: Thrissur Pooram is an annual Hindu festival held in Kerala. It is celebrated on the day when the star
sign “Pooram” occurs in the Malayalam month of “medam (April-May)”. Thrissur Pooram has a tradition of more than 200 years. This spectacular event was the brainchild of Raja Rama Varma, famously known as Sakthan Thampuran,
the Maharaja of Cochin (1790–1805). Pooram, though a Hindu ritual, has grown to encompass all religious and cultural strains of Kerala. Both the Muslim and Christian communities participate in the festival in a variety of ways highlighting
secular credentials of the state. Source:- The Hindu
PURANDARA DASA Context: Karnataka govt. takes efforts to solve mystery over birthplace of Purandara Dasa Purandaradasa: He was one of the most important music scholars of medieval India Purandara Dasa (1484–1564) was a Haridasa, great devotee of Lord Krishna (an incarnation of Lord Vishnu). Purandaradasa is Vaishnava poet, a saint and a social reformer. Purandaradasa was the pioneer who blended the rich musical streams, namely the Dravidian and Aryan music, into a single stream known as Carnatic music. In honor of his significant contributions to Carnatic music, he is widely referred to as the Pitamaha (lit. "father" or "grandfather") of Carnatic music Most of his keertanas deals with social reform and pinpoints defects found in the society. The philosophy of Purandara Dasa is harmonious with the concept of bhakti in Hinduism, broadly based on the Narada Bhakti Sutras and essentially synchronous with the pan-Indian Bhakti movement. Purandara Dasa fought the evils of casteism through his songs.
According to Purandara Dasa there were no inequalities among men and women. Both of them had same rights and obligations in their conduct of everyday life as well as observation of pity. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 01 HISTORY - Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues
GURUDEV RABINDRANATH TAGORE Context: National Gallery of Modern Art organised the Virtual Tour titled ―Gurudev – Journey of the Maestro
through his visual vocabulary‖ to commemorate the 159th birth anniversary of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. Rabindranath Tagore:
Rabindranath Tagore(1861-1941) known as ‗Gurudev‘ was a poet, novelist and painter. He was the first Indian to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, for his novel ‗Geetanjali‘.
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Bengal Partition: He was against the partition of Bengal and wrote the song Banglar Mati Banglar Jol (Soil of Bengal, Water of Bengal) to unite the Bengali population after the Bengal partition in 1905. It was reunited in 1911. Rakhi Utsav: It was started by Tagore during Bengal Partition where people from Hindu and Muslim communities tied colourful threads on each other‘s wrists to counter British efforts to create a divide between Hindus and Muslims. Knighthood: He was awarded a knighthood by King George V in 1915 but Tagore renounced it after the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Vishwabharati University: It was established by Tagore with the aim of helping education go beyond the confines of the classroom. National Anthem: He wrote the National Anthems of India (Jana Gana Mana) and Bangladesh (Amar
Shonar Bangla). Source:- PIB ------
GS PAPER- II
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to poverty and hunger.
ADD CHAKMAS AND HAJONGS TO RELIEF PLAN Context: The Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region (DoNER) has directed the Arunachal Pradesh government to include the Chakma and Hajong communities in the COVID-19 relief programme. Chakmas and Hajongs:
The Chakmas and Hajongs are ethnic people who lived in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, of erstwhile East Pakistan, who had to flee when their land was submerged by the Kaptai dam project in the 1960s. Chakmas are predominantly Buddhists, while Hajongs are Hindus.
They are found in northeast India, West Bengal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. The Chakma possess strong genetic affinities to Tibeto-Burman groups in Northeast India and to East Asian populations.
In Assam Chakma people have scheduled tribe status. Hajongs are predominantly rice farmers and have the status of a Scheduled Tribe in India(Assam and Meghalaya)
Hajong are the fourth largest ethnicity in Meghalaya. In 2015 Supreme Court directed the Central government to grant citizenship to the Chakma and Hajong refugees, mostly staying in Arunachal Pradesh
Source:- The Hindu
MIGRANT WORKERS TO GET FREE FOODGRAINS Context: A major focus of the second tranche of the economic stimulus package announced by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday is to provide free foodgrains for the next two months to migrant workers who do not have ration cards. One nation - one Ration card: ‗One Nation, One Ration Card‘ is a central government initiative that would allow eligible beneficiaries to avail food grain they are entitled to, under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) from any fair price shop (FPS) across the country. Under the scheme, ration cardholders can get food grain from any ration depot across the nation. The government aims to achieve 100 percent coverage by March 2021
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The new system, based on a technological solution, will identify a beneficiary through biometric authentication on electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices installed at the FPSs, and enable that person to purchase the quantity of foodgrains to which she is entitled under the NFSA. Ration card portability is aimed at providing intra-state as well as inter-state portability of ration cards. Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS) portal (http://www.impds.nic.in/) provides the technological platform for the inter-state portability of ration cards, enabling a migrant worker to buy foodgrains from any FPS across the country
The Annavitran portal enables a migrant worker or his family to avail the benefits of PDS outside their district but within their state. It will enable migrant workers to buy foodgrains from any FPS by using their existing/same ration card. Source:- The Hindu
COVID-19 PANDEMIC MAY DRIVE 40-60 MLN TO EXTREME POVERTY: UNCTAD REPORT
Context: The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic is likely to drive around 40-60 million people to extreme poverty, according to a report published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and
Development (UNCTAD). The report, titled How COVID-19 is changing the world: A statistical perspective, comes amid a sharp decline in the global economy. Key highlights: Global poverty — the share of the world‘s population living on less than $1.90 (Rs 143.41) per day — is projected to increase to 8.6 per cent (665 million people) in 2020, from 8.2 per cent (632 million people) in 2019, the report pointed out. The current employment decline was the biggest since the second World War Twenty-three million people will be pushed into extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, while 16 million will suffer extreme poverty in south Asia. Low- and middle-income countries will suffer the greatest consequences in terms of extreme poverty.
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD): UNCTAD is a permanent intergovernmental body established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964. It is part of the UN Secretariat. headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. UNCTAD is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly dealing with development, investment and trade issues. Objective: It supports developing countries to access the benefits of a globalized economy more fairly and effectively. Reports published: Trade and Development Report World Investment Report
Technology and Innovation Report Digital Economy Report
Source:- Down to Earth
GS PAPER - 01 SOCIETY - Issues related to poverty
NO GRAINS, MATCHMAKING FOR SAHARIAS IN MADHYA PRADESH DURING LOCKDOWN
Context: No grains, matchmaking for Saharias as lockdown gnaws away at harvest season in Madhya Pradesh Saharias:
The Saharia, Sahar, Sehariya, or Sahariya are an ethnic group in the state of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, India. 3
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Saharias are a particularly vulnerable tribal group. They speak the Munda language that belongs to the Austro-Asiatic language family. The Saharia tribe is divided based on occupation into five sub-tribes: The Arsi are weavers The Muli are ironworkers. The Kindal are basket makers. The Kumbi are potters.
PVTGs are more vulnerable among the tribal groups. Particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs) are the marginalized section of the Scheduled tribes of India. They are relatively isolated, educationally and socio-economically backwards, living in a habitat far away from amenities.
The criteria followed for determination of PVTGs are as follows. 1. A pre-agriculture level of technology; 2. A stagnant or declining population;
3. Extremely low literacy; and 4. A subsistence level of the economy. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 - SOCIETY - population and associated issues, poverty and developmental issues
MINOR FOREST PRODUCE (MFP)
Context: The Government revised the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Minor Forest Produce (MFP) of 49 items. Minor Forest Produce: The scheme, launched by the Centre in August 2013, provides fair price for MFP collected by tribals through MSP. It is designed as a social safety net for improvement of livelihood of MFP gatherers by providing them fair price for the MFPs they collect. MFP comprises all non-timber forest produce of plant origin such as bamboo, brush wood, stumps, cane, tussar, cocoons, honey, wax, lac, tendu or kendu leaves, medicinal plants and herbs, roots, tubers, etc, according to the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India is the Nodal Ministry for implementation of the scheme which will announce Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the selected MFPs with the technical support from TRIFED. TRIFED will act as the Central Nodal Agency for implementation and monitoring of the scheme through State level implementing agencies. Source:- PIB
SC TO HEAR PIL ON FOOD SECURITY FOR ALL
Context: The Supreme Court is set to hear a public interest litigation petition filed by Congress Rajya Sabha member Jairam Ramesh seeking universal coverage under the Public Distribution System and food security for all amid an ―acute food shortage‖ due to the ongoing nationwide lockdown. More in the news: The PIL sought relaxations in the requirement of ration cards for supply of rations under the Public Distribution System during the coronavirus pandemic in order to help mitigate the food shortages and prevent deaths of the poor. there have been numerous deaths due to starvation since the commencement of the lockdown and that there are many marginalised sections of people who are not covered under the National Food Security Act and in dire need of rations.
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It also says that Any alternative remedy at this stage would take a long time, which could further accentuate food shortages and lead to wide-scale starvation deaths.
National Food Security Act (NFSA): The National Food Security Act (NFSA) was introduced by the Government of India in 2013. Goal: seeks sustainable solutions to end hunger in all its forms by 2030 and to achieve food security. The aim is to ensure that everyone everywhere has enough good-quality food to lead a healthy life. Right to food and water is an intrinsic part of (Article 21) Right to life.
Nutrition Food Security is being addressed through the National cooked Mid-day Meal Programme, ICDS, Kishori Shakti Yojana, Nutrition programme for Adolescent Girls and Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Yojana
Key Features: The Act provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50% of the urban population for receiving subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS). The Act also has a special focus on the nutritional support to women and children. Children upto 14 years of age will be entitled to nutritious meals as per the prescribed nutritional standards. In case of non-supply of entitled foodgrains or meals, the beneficiaries will receive food security allowance. The Act also contains provisions for setting up of grievance redressal mechanism at the District and State levels.
Source:- The Hindu
FILLING THE ABSENCE Context: India‘s COVID-19 strategy of containment was derailed when the announcement of the national lockdown resulted in millions of migrant labourers deciding to leave their place of work and travel back to their place of residence. The process of convincing labour to stay where they were has met with minimal success. In a country
where migrants are an important part of economic activity, the present crisis is more than just a humanitarian crisis. Migrant population in India:
According to Census 2011, there were 454 million migrants in India — doubling over the 1991-2011 period. Notably, the acceleration of migration was particularly pronounced for females, increasing at nearly twice the rate of male migration — a significant part of it being for marriage. The percentage share
of people migrating for work and business has actually declined. The share of urban-to-urban migrants has risen over the years, indicating that inter-urban mobility is a growing phenomenon. Further, the proportion of short-term migrants is much lower than long-term migrants. After 2011, estimates in the Economic Survey indicated that migration within India continued to increase manifold and on average, migration within states is around four times that across states. Thus the suspension of interstate transportation and inter-district transportation was a big blow to the migrant population. Steps taken by Government: The central government has permitted state governments to utilise the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for setting up shelters for migrants and providing them food.
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The Centre has also released Rs 11,000 crore of its contribution in advance to all states on April 3 to augment the funds in their SDRF. The government will also allocate an additional Rs 40,000 crore under MGNREGA to provide work. This measure will help generate nearly 300 crore person days in total and create a large number of durable and livelihood assets, including water conservation assets. Permanent and Long lasting solution for Migration: There is a need to reorient the working of the Construction Workers Welfare Board (CWWB) in each state. (reorientation of the working of the Construction Workers Welfare Board (CWWB) in each state.)
provides social security to migrant workers utilisation of CWWB funds towards the provision of housing for migrant workers in construction and related industries.
A comprehensive database of migrant workers needs to be prepared on a war footing to establish a system akin to JAM. With the country now moving towards the One Nation One Ration Card, all the respective state
governments can start working in unison to ensure the use of such ration cards for extending all benefits other than PDS. Portability of food security should be the first step towards portability of healthcare, education benefits.
A basic social security framework for migrants, preferably through a simple interstate self-registration process that can be authenticated through SMSs, can be developed. This could be enhanced to include migrant children in the annual work plans of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. Migrants can also have unrestricted access to skill programmes. states must put an end to restrictive domicile provisions for working in different states. There is a need for articulation of a national policy of migrant labour in this era of digital technology. The time has now come for a complete overhaul of obsolete legislation regulating migrant labour in India. For example, in the Inter-State Migrant Workers Act 1979 (ISMWA), the inter-state migrant has to migrate through a contractor. Such laws create a serious challenge in extending stable employment and social security nets to this set of workers. We also believe that with so many social programmes running in the country, the government should now
create a comprehensive database, drawing on the databases of Ayushman Bharat, PM-KISAN, PMJDY, PMUY and MUDRA for future social welfare initiatives. Source:- The Indian Express
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
JANAUSHADHI SUGAM Context: Over 325000 people are using ―Janaushadhi Sugam‖ Mobile App to access Janaushadhi kendras Janaushadhi Sugam: Locate nearby Janaushadhi Kendra (through Google Map). Search Janaushadhi generic medicines. Analyse product comparison of Generic vs Branded medicine in form of MRP & overall savings, etc
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP): Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) is a campaign launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the
masses. PMBJP stores have been set up to provide generic drugs, which are available at lesser prices but are equivalent in quality and efficacy as expensive branded drugs.
It was launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals in November 2008 under the name
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Jan Aushadi Campaign.
Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) is the implementation agency for PMBJP.
Vision:
To bring down the healthcare budget of every citizen of India through providing Quality generic Medicines at Affordable Prices. Mission:
Create awareness among the public regarding generic medicines. Create demand for generic medicines through medical practitioners. Create awareness through education and awareness program that high price need not be synonymous with high quality. Provide all the commonly used generic medicines covering all the therapeutic groups. Provide all the related health care products too under the scheme. Objective: Making quality medicines available at affordable prices for all, particularly the poor and
disadvantaged, through exclusive outlets "Jan Aushadhi Medical Store", so as to reduce out of pocket expenses in healthcare.
Source:- PIB
PRADHAN MANTRI BHARTIYA JANAUSHADHI PARIYOJANA ( PMBJP) Context: Amid lockdown many Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Kendras(PMBJK) are accepting the orders for medicines on WhatsApp and e-mail, where on the basis of uploaded prescriptions medicines are delivered at the doorsteps of the patients. Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana ( PMBJP): Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) is a campaign launched by the Department
of Pharmaceuticals in 2008 under the name Jan Aushadi Campaign. Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) is the implementation agency for PMBJP. The Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India works under the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers.
PMBJP stores have been set up to provide generic drugs, which are available at lesser prices but are equivalent in quality and efficacy as expensive branded drugs. It also intends to extend the coverage of quality generic medicines so as to reduce the out of pocket
expenditure on medicines and thereby redefine the unit cost of treatment per person. It will create awareness about generic medicines through education and publicity so that quality is not synonymous with an only high price.
Source:- PIB
FALL IN KEY TREATMENT CATEGORIES Context: According to data from the official National Health Authority (NHA), only the ‗general medicine‘ category sees jump under Ayushman Bharat. More in the news:
Cardiology treatments offered under the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB- PMJAY) declined by 45%; ‗general surgeries‘ plummeted by 23% and procedures related to gynaecology and obstetrics nosedived 25% from February to April 2020.
The AB-PMJAY, according to the Centre, offers health insurance to 10.74 crore poor, rural families and identified occupational categories of urban workers‘ families. The government-backed project offers an annual cover of Rs.5,00,000 per family (on a family floater
basis). It covers medical and hospitalisation expenses for several secondary care and tertiary care procedures. These services can be accessed at several private hospitals also.
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Issue: With the lockdown, private hospitals largely shut down, with the government itself encouraging people to visit hospitals only for essential treatments. However, with several reports of COVID-19 infections in healthcare workers and doctors, the number of visits to hospitals in general saw a decline, as evidenced by the PMJAY data. Also, the people are hesitant and afraid to go to hospitals.
Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY): The Ayushman Bharat programme was launched in 2018 to address health issues at all levels – primary, secondary and tertiary. It has two components: 1. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), earlier known as the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) 2. Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) Ayushman Bharat is an integrated approach comprising health insurance and primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare. Key Features:
PM-JAY is a visionary scheme that aims at the fulfilment of the concept of Universal Health Coverage (UHC). It offers many benefits, which are discussed below. PM-JAY is the world‘s largest health insurance/ assurance scheme fully financed by the
government. It provides a cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization across public and private empanelled hospitals in India. There is no restriction on the family size, age or gender. All pre–existing conditions are covered from day one. Source:- The Hindu
U.P., BIHAR MIGRANTS CAN GET RATIONS IN OTHER STATES TOO Context: Uttar Pradesh and Bihar joined the Centre‘s ration card portability scheme on International Labour Day. Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu also joined the national cluster under the Food Ministry‘s One Nation One Ration Card scheme. More in the news: The other States which are already part of the national cluster are Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana and Tripura. Impact: It Offers some hope that their huge migrant worker populations can start accessing subsidised and free foodgrains in many of the States where they have been left stranded by the COVID-19 lockdown.
One Nation One Ration Card scheme: One Nation One Ration Card (RC) will ensure all beneficiaries especially migrants can access PDS across the nation from any PDS shop of their own choice. Based on a technological solution, a beneficiary will be identified through biometric
authentication. This will be done with the electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices installed at the FPSs. The person can purchase the quantity of foodgrains to which she is entitled under the NFSA.
Benefits: no poor person is deprived of getting subsidised foodgrains under the food security scheme
when they shift from one place to another. It also aims to remove the chance of anyone holding more than one ration card to avail benefits from different states. Significance: This will provide freedom to the beneficiaries as they will not be tied to any one PDS
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shop and reduce their dependence on shop owners and curtail instances of corruption.
Source:- The Hindu
INDIA GETS $3 MILLION MORE FROM USAID TO COMBAT PANDEMIC Context: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced that it is going to provide 3 million USD for India‘s PAHAL project. PAHAL project: PAHAL(Partnerships for Affordable Healthcare Access and Longevity) is a joint initiative of USAID and IPE Global. Aim: To provide support to growth stage social enterprises in developing affordable & quality healthcare solutions for the urban poor. To reach 10 million poor in India by 2020 Reduce out of pocket expenditure of the underserved urban communities by 30%. Source:- livemint
INDIA‟S DISEASE SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM NEEDS A REBOOT Context:
Recent trends with respect to COVID-19 cases in India - shows that 75.3% of deaths have been concentrated in the age group of 60 years and above, and in 83% of deaths, the deceased were battling pre-existing identified health conditions.
Reason to fear the novel coronavirus for which we have no established cure. However, there is even more reason to fear a combination of COVID-19 with existing illnesses and medical complications. Situation of comorbidity, which in ways makes it difficult to differentiate between dying of COVID-19, or dying with COVID-19. Issue of disease watch: Many poors, who are battling various diseases - little access to major public hospitals in the wake of the lockdown. Particularly of out-patient department services in public hospitals, has been severely affected, and largely, emergency cases are being entertained. Failure of disease surveillance: Many of the adverse medical conditions prevalent among the vast majority of our country are not even identified due to the lax disease surveillance system. one, a significant number of the infected (poor and marginalised people) do not have access to health-care facilities and so fail to report their condition to certified medical practitioners.
Even when an infected person has access to such facilities, their clinical case does not always culminate in the required testing (blood/serum, throat swab, sputum, stool, urine failure to identify the definitive cause (aetiology) for an illness by differentiating and separating
pathogens (disease-causing microorganisms) on the basis of variations in groups, subgroups, strains, etc. Undifferentiated illnesses :
affect lakhs of people every year worldwide. They claim many lives, especially of the poor who are victims of low immunity and have limited access to health care. Many ailments are simply clubbed together and referred to by generic names such as ‗Respiratory Tract Infection‘ (RTI), ‗Urinary Tract Infection‘, ‗Acute Febrile Illness (AFI)‘, ‗Acute Undifferentiated Fever‘, ‗Fever of Unknown Origin‘ (FUO). Lack of focused attention of scientific research:
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As the disease evolves but ―interest‖ in it remains fleeting, the differences developing in the sub- groups, strains in the genotype of the pathogen concerned fail to be consistently tracked. Knowledge of the pathogen, and, consequently, the required disease control soon lag behind. Contagious diseases are ignored as ―ordinary‖, and elicit very low attention. In contrast, some diseases are quickly identified as epidemics of greater public concern.
Example: According to public health experts, one person in every 10 seconds contracts TB, and up to 1,400 people in India die every day of the disease.fatality rate that is way higher than those attributed to COVID-19 so far.
Conclusion: COVID-19 has gained singular prominence over several other lethal diseases. Importantly, pre-existing diseases have the potential to combine with COVID-19, and with devastating consequences. It becomes
imperative to identify the comparative fatality rates of many of the silent epidemics, which in their own right require urgent attention. Source:- The Hindu
STATES WITH HIGH SWINE FLU RATE RECORD MOST COVID-19 CASES
Context: Five States — Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, Tamil Nadu — account for about 70% of India‘s confirmed COVID-19 cases, that stood at 46, 416.
More in the news: Recent, data from the Health Ministry‘s National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), show that these are also States that consistently accounted for the bulk of swine flu cases, or seasonal influenza (H1N1) since
2015. Last year, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Maharashtra accounted for 15,580 cases of confirmed H1N1 — or 54 % of the confirmed infections. In 2018 again, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat,
made up 65% of H1N1 cases. In 2015, which saw 42,592 cases, the largest spike in cases since the swine flu pandemic of 2009-10, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi polled 63% of the cases .
Excluding 2016, Maharashtra and Gujarat have either led or been among the top three in India‘s swine flu count. Source:- The Hindu
„CHILDREN NEED LAPTOPS TO ACCESS ONLINE CLASSES‟ Context: The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Centre and the city government to respond to a petition seeking directions to provide free laptops, tablets or mobile phones to poor kids so that they can access online classes during the COVID-19 lockdown. Issue: The NGO has contended that the private unaided schools‘ decision to conduct classes via videoconferencing would affect over 50,000 students belonging to the economically weaker sections (EWS).
Not providing the laptop, phone and high-speed internet, free of cost, to the poor kids would amount to a violation of their fundamental right to education. The children belonging to EWS or disadvantaged group category are protected under Article 21A of the
Constitution for getting an equitable quality education and the State is duty-bound to remove all financial barriers coming in the way of getting quality education in the same manner as their counterpart fee-paying students,
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Right to Education:
Eighty-sixth Amendment act 2002 inserted Article 21-A in the Constitution of India.
Aims to provide free and compulsory education of all children in the age group of six to fourteen
years The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, represents the consequential legislation envisaged under Article 21-A, means that every child has a right to full
time elementary education of satisfactory and equitable quality in a formal school which satisfies certain essential norms and standards.
Source:- The Hindu
PREPARING FOR A SYNDEMIC Context: The World Health Organization has announced that COVID-19 will likely never go away. Experts warn that there will be a second wave of infections. Syndemic: A syndemic is a situation when two or more epidemics interact synergistically to produce an increased burden of disease in a population Example: The 1957 Asian influenza pandemic, showed that deaths then could be not only due to the primary viral infection, but also due to secondary bacterial infections among influenza patients;
Kenya, 5% of HIV infections are due to higher HIV infectiousness of malaria-infected HIV patients. Way forward:
Along with large-scale population testing, societies around the world will also have to consider innovations in population health surveillance technology and develop creative business models at a scale potentially unheard of in recent times.
Monitor oxygen levels in the brain daily through a pulse oximeter. It turns out that COVID-19 is causing happy hypoxia, where lack of oxygen in the brain is going undetected till things become too late. With India‘s ongoing migrant crisis, we cannot rule out COVID-19 becoming syndemic given large-
scale urban-to-rural chaotic migration. Added to this is the complexity of the upcoming dengue and malaria season. The time has come to look at testing/tracing/isolating as well as ideas to deploy population health surveillance technologies like smart thermometers and oximeters. Source:- The Hindu
A HEALTH PARTNERSHIP Context: On March 25, despite fewer notified cases compared to other countries, India closed its international borders and enforced a lockdown. Global efforts to develop a vaccine against COVID-19 are progressing at an unprecedented pace. Even if a vaccine is developed before December, getting it to our large population will certainly take some time. This is a serious concern that the government is grappling with. India‟s Health care system: Approximately 70 per cent of the healthcare services in India are provided by private players. If private healthcare crumbles due to economic constraints or other factors, India‘s entire healthcare system can crumble. India has handled the COVID-19 pandemic exceptionally well. However, considering the rise in the number of infections, India is in dire need of more medical staff and amenities.
The health ministry has predicted the number of cases would peak at 8,26,000, the number of doctors seems absurdly low. 11
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India has a doctor-to-population ratio well below the level recommended by the WHO India has a shortage of about 6 lakh doctors and 20 lakh nurses and an even greater number of supporting medical staff. Measures needed: If the government wants to stay successful in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, it needs to rapidly build
medical institutions and increase the number of doctors. If India wants to achieve a 1:1,000 ratio, it will need an additional 2.07 million doctors by 2030. For this, the government needs to increase its spending on the health sector.
It needs to aid attempts at constructing new medical institutes - can be a semi-private or public-private partnership. To achieve an ideal ratio of healthcare workers to the country‘s population and create adequate health
infrastructure, it is of utmost importance to bring in FDI to the sector. further strengthen biomedical research and invest in cutting edge ―made in India‖ health technologies. Tax cut for star ups - health technology
Conclusion: Only a healthy nation can grow. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented India with an opportunity. The Indian healthcare system can go through a radical overhauling, where it can be more sustainable as well as
responsive. Source:- Indian Express
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources
NATIONAL AI PORTAL OF INDIA Context: Union Minister for Electronics and IT, Law and Justice and Communications Ravi Shankar Prasad
launched India‘s national Artificial Intelligence Portal. Minister for Electronics & Information Technology, Communications and Law & Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad, also launched a National Program for the youth, “Responsible AI for Youth”. National AI portal : jointly developed by the Ministry of Electronics and IT and IT Industry. National e-Governance Division of Ministry of Electronics and IT and NASSCOM from the IT industry will jointly run this portal. The portal is a one stop digital platform for AI related developments in India, sharing of resources such as articles, startups, investment funds in AI, resources, companies and educational institutions related to AI in India. The portal will also share documents, case studies, research reports etc. Responsible AI for Youth: created and launched by the National e-Governance Division, Ministry of Electronics & IT in collaboration with Intel India, with support from Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSE&L), Ministry of Human Resource Development. The aim of this Program is to give the young students of our country a platform and empower them with appropriate new age tech mind-set, relevant AI skill-sets and access to required AI tool-sets to make them digitally ready for the future. It will empower the youth to become AI ready and help reduce the skill gap, while enabling youth to create meaningful social impact solutions.
The Program is designed to reach out to students from Government schools pan India and provide them with an opportunity to become part of the skilled workforce in an inclusive manner. Source:- PIB
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IT‟S ABOUT FOOD, NUTRITION AND LIVELIHOOD SECURITY Context: The current national lockdown to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the problems of food, nutrition and livelihood security confronting a large number of rural people, in particular, migrants to cities. Dimensions of food security: Availability of food in the market: function of production Shortage of labour
Agricultural inputs are expensive and unavailable marketing arrangements including supply chains are not fully functional pricing is not remunerative, and public procurement is also not adequate.
The lack of storage or value addition facilities Access to food, which is a function of purchasing power: In light of the closure of schools and anganwadi centres, and the consequent disruptions in the
provision of midday meals or other nutritional inputs A lot of people employed both on farms and in the non-farm sector are without jobs. If job security is threatened, then so is food and nutrition security. Measures needed: Though, the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and the PDS, has assured some additional food to every individual during this crisis. This should be further strengthened and the food basket widened by including millets, pulses and oil. Food security and access to nutritious, We have to ensure people do not lose their jobs. To strengthen livelihood security, the definition of a worker in MGNREGA needs to be expanded to cover skilled work related to farmers and their farming activities. Conclusion: Through a combination of farmers‘ cooperation, technological upgrading and favourable public policies in procurement, pricing and distribution, can deal with the fallouts of the pandemic. Linkages between agriculture, nutrition and health is the need of the hour.
Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Important aspects of Governance
AAROGYASETU MITR Context: The Government of India has launched Aarogya Setu Mitr portal under Public-Private Partnership(PPP)
mode. Arogya setu Mitr: It has been developed with the help of the office of Principal Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister and Niti Aayog with voluntary participation from other organisations. Aarogya Setu Mitr Portal will be available on Aarogya Setu app. offer free tele-consultation for those with Covid-19-like symptoms and ancillary services at market rates such as home collection of samples for diagnostics and medicine delivery. Source:- Indian Express
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HACKER SEES SECURITY FLAWS IN AAROGYA SETU Context: Ethical hacker Robert Baptiste alleged that security flaws in the coronavirus tracking app Aarogya Setu enabled him to see that five people at the Prime Minister‘s Office (PMO) and two at the Army headquarters were unwell. More in the news: The ethical hacker took to Twitter to caution the government that a security issue had been found in the App.
He also cautioned that the privacy of 90 million Indians is at stake. The ethical hacker who alleged security flaws in Aarogya Setu, called for making the application‘s source code open.
Further, the French hacker had said that a user can get the COVID-19 statistics displayed on the home screen by changing the radius and latitude-longitude using a script. In response to the issues raised, the team of Aarogya Setu, in a statement, said no personal information of
any user was proven to be at risk. It noted that the application fetched a user‘s location and stored it on a server in a secure, encrypted and anonymised manner,
At the time of registration At the time of self-assessment When the user submits his or her contact tracing data voluntarily through the app or when the contact tracing data is fetched after the person turns COVID-19 positive. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Separation of powers between various organs dispute redressal mechanisms and institutions.
GOVERNOR‟S RULE IN BTAD MAY IMPACT ASSAM ALLIANCE GOVT. Context: The imposition of Governor‘s Rule in the Bodol and Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) may impact the alliance government in Assam. Background: The five-year term of the BTC expired on April 27. The elections to the council, scheduled on April 4, were deferred because of the COVID-19 pandemic and guidelines for maintaining social distancing. Issue: Assam government had been insisting on an extension of the council‘s term by six months in view of the ―unprecedented health-related crisis in India and elsewhere on earth.
Clause-6A of the sixth schedule: The elected members of the District Council shall hold office for a term of five years from the date appointed for the first meeting of the Council after the general elections to the Council
while a Proclamation of Emergency is in operation or if circumstances exist which, in the opinion of the Governor, render the holding of elections impracticable, be extended by the Governor for a period not exceeding one year at a time in any case where a Proclamation of Emergency is in
operation not extending beyond a period of six months after the Proclamation has ceased to operate Source:- The Hindu
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GS PAPER - 02 POLITY - Parliament and State Legislatures - structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.
MAHARASHTRA LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS TO BE HELD ON MAY 21
Context: Elections to the nine vacant Maharashtra Legislative Council seats will be held on May 21, officials of the Election Commission of India (ECI) said
The decision comes a day after Governor B.S. Koshyari wrote to the ECI asking that the elections be held at the earliest. Legislative council:
The LC or Vidhan Parishad is the upper house in those states that have a bicameral legislature Under Article 169 of the constitution, Parliament may by law create or abolish the second chamber in a state by a simple majority.
If the Legislative Assembly of that state passes a resolution to that effect by a special majority. Strength of the house: Under Article 171, a Council shall not exeed one third of the total number of the members in
the legislative Assembly of that state. And shall not be less than 40. Term : 6 years one third of a State Legislative Council‘s membership expire every two years.
Members are elected: 1/3rd of members are elected by members of the Assembly. 1/3rd by electorates consisting of members of municipalities, district boards and other local authorities in the state. 1/12th by an electorate consisting of teachers. 1/12th by registered graduates. The remaining members are nominated by the Governor from among those who have distinguished themselves in literature, science, art, the cooperative movement, and social service.
Councils in other states: Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Recently, Andhra Pradesh Assembly recently passed a resolution to abolish the state‘s Legislative
Council (LC). Legislative assemblies of Rajasthan, Assam and Odisha have passed resolutions for the formation of the Council.
Source:- The Hindu
PR IME MINISTER‟S OFFICE Context: After the exit of two senior bureaucrats — Tarun Bajaj and A.K. Sharma — from the Prime Minister‘s Office in the latest reshuffle, six joint secretaries in the office have been assigned to six verticals from A to P. Prime minister Office: Prime Minister‘s Office (PMO) is a staffing agency assisting the Prime Minister in the efficient discharge of his role, functions, and responsibilities.
PMO is an extra-constitutional body that has no mention in the Indian Constitution. However, it was given the status of a department under the Government of India Allocation of Business Rules, 1961. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) consists of the immediate staff of the Prime Minister of India, as well
as multiple levels of support staff reporting to the Prime Minister The PMO is headed by the Principal Secretary Function:
The PMO provides secretarial assistance to the Prime Minister
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The Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) and the National Defence Fund (NDF) are operated directly from the PMO The Prime Minister through his office coordinates with all ministers in the central union cabinet, minister of independent charges and governors and ministers of state government Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 POLITY - Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.
PLEA CHALLENGING APPOINTMENT OF ADDITIONAL JUDGE REJECTED Context: The Supreme Court dismissed a plea by a district judge challenging the appointment of a 'junior' judicial officer as an additional judge of the Karnataka High Court and seeking a stay on his swearing-in contending that it breaches the seniority rule. Additional Judge: Under Article 224 clause (1), the President can appoint duly qualified persons as additional judges of a high court for a temporary period When,
There is a temporary increase in the business of the high court; or There are arrears of work in the high court. Tenure of Additional judge should not exceed 2 years.
Additional judge cannot hold office after attaining the age of 62 years Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Parliament and State Legislatures - structure, functioning, conduct of
business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.
MANIPUR SPEAKER RESERVES DECISION ON DISQUALIFICATION OF 7 LEGISLATORS Context: Manipur Assembly Speaker Yumnam Khemchand reserved his decision on the disqualification of seven Congress MLAs who have been supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government in the State. 10th Schedule: The 10th Schedule of the Indian Constitution (which talks about the anti-defection law) is designed to prevent political defections prompted by the lure of office or material benefits or other like considerations. The 10th Schedule of the Indian Constitution popularly referred to as the ‗Anti-Defection Law‘ was inserted by the 52nd Amendment (1985) to the Constitution.
‗Defection‘ has been defined as, ―To abandon a position or association, often to join an opposing group‖. The anti-defection law was enacted to ensure that a party member does not violate the mandate of the party and in case he does so, he will lose his membership of the House. The law applies to both
Parliament and state assemblies. The aim of the Anti-Defection Law is to prevent MPs from switching political parties for any personal motive.
Exception: In the situation where two-thirds of the legislators of a political party decide to merge into another party, neither the members who decide to merge, nor the ones who stay with the original party will face
disqualification. Any person elected as chairman or speaker can resign from his party, and rejoin the party if he demits that post.
Earlier, the law allowed parties to be split, but at present, this has been outlawed. Source:- The Hindu
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MIGRANT WORKMEN ACT, 1979, MUST BE RATIONALISED TO REMOVE REQUIREMENTS THAT DISINCENTIVISE FORMALISATION Context: The fallout of the lockdown in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 highlights the urgent need to rationalise the legislative framework for labour in India. Migrant labour has been among the worst affected due to the lockdown. They fall through the cracks of India‘s social security net, and the government response has shown a significant gap between high- minded intentions reflected in existing laws and their implementation. Existing Legislation: Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979 The Act was enacted to prevent the exploitation of inter-state migrant workmen by contractors, and to
ensure fair and decent conditions of employment. The law requires all establishments hiring inter-state migrants to be registered, and contractors who recruit such workmen be licensed.
Contractors are obligated to provide details of all workmen to the relevant authority. Migrant workmen are entitled to wages similar to other workmen, displacement allowance, journey allowance, and payment of wages during the period of journey.
Contractors are also required to ensure regular payment, non-discrimination, provisioning of suitable accommodation, free medical facilities and protective clothing for the workmen. Issue:
In the immediate aftermath of the lockdown, state governments were taken unawares by inter-state migrants who were desperate to return home. state governments had complete details of inter-state migrant workmen coming through contractors within
their states. While this would still leave out migrants who move across states on their own, a large segment would be automatically registered due to the requirements of the Act. States would consequently have been better prepared to take steps to protect such workmen during this lockdown. However, almost no state seems to have implemented this law in letter and spirit. This highlights the lack of state capacity to enforce such provisions. To implement this law alone, government inspectors would not only have to maintain records of inter-state workmen, but also verify whether all the other requirements regarding wages, allowances, accommodation and health care are complied with. Issues with implementation: Cost of hiring inter-state workmen higher than intra state work-men. The act requires equal pay for inter-state workmen, but also requires other social protection that would make their employment significantly more expensive than intra-state workmen. Absence of government preparedness and the consequent failure in preventing genuine hardships for vulnerable groups.
This law, and many other labour-welfare legislation never considered issues like compliance costs, government capacity for enforcement, and importantly, counter-productive consequences. Conclusion:
Less than 10% of workforce enjoys considerable protections, while those in the informal tier get almost no protections. Since welfare schemes are also predicated on the visibility of those getting the benefits, informal workers, especially in urban areas, fall through cracks in the system.
Laws such as the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979 must therefore be rationalised to remove requirements that disincentivise formalisation. We must be pragmatic and ensure that employers and contractors have incentives to come forward and register labourers without being worried about punitive action or impractical social safety requirements. Source:- Indian Express
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GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
MPLADS, ITS SUSPENSION, AND WHY IT MUST GO Context: Recently, government suspended the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) for two years. The government‘s reason is this: to use these funds ―to strengthen the government‘s efforts in managing the challenges and adverse impact of COVID-19 in the country‖.
There are many that favour scrapping MPLADS on account of violation of guidelines Despite the Supreme Court declaring the validity of the scheme,, there are regular demands for either scrapping or reinventing the scheme. MPLAND Scheme:
scheme violates one of the cardinal principles - separation of powers gives an executive function to legislators Implementation of the scheme has always left much to be desired:
Expenditure incurred by the executing agencies being less than amount booked. Though the scheme envisages that works under the scheme should be limited to asset creation, 78% of the works recommended were for improvement of existing assets
Use of lesser quantities of material than specified by contractors resulting in excess payments and sub-standard works no accountability for the expenditure in terms of the quality and quantities executed against specifications Register of assets created, as required under the scheme, not maintained, therefore location and existence of assets could not be verified The implementation of the scheme was marked by various shortcomings and lapses... These were indicative of the failure of internal control mechanisms in the department in terms of non- maintenance of records Gaps in utilisation: A report published in IndiaSpend says that, most MPs use money under MPLADS quite
haphazardly, and a significant portion of it is left unspent. 508 MPs (93.55%) did not, or could not, utilise the entire MPLADS amount from May 4, 2014 till December 10, 2018, in 4 years and 7 months.
Only 35 MPs of the Lok Sabha utilised the entire amount of MPLADS during this period Money under MPLADS being used to appease or oblige two sets of people: opinion-makers or opinion-influencers, and favourite contractors. Conclusion: MPLAD scheme should not be scrapped as this provides feasible means for ground level development. Instead, factors that result in its inefficient utilisation and those which can improve its effectiveness should be identified and addressed. A primary reason for underutilisation is that MPs have no real knowledge of actual needs of their constituents or of the development landscape of the constituency. This can be addressed by structured research to support constituency development and planning. There is a need for a planned approach towards development based on detailed primary survey, data analysis and empirical research that also takes into account central and state welfare schemes would yield better results. Source:- The Hindu
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SAMUDRA SETU
Context:
Indian Navy has launched Operation “Samudra Setu‖ - meaning ―Sea Bridge‖
Samudra setu: It is a part of national effort to repatriate Indian citizens from overseas. Naval ships Jalashwa and Magar are enroute to the port of Male to evacuate people
Vande Bharat Mission: to bring back thousands of its nationals stranded abroad due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown. Source:- The Hindu
VIZAG GAS LEAK CLAIMS 11 LIVES; OVER 350 HOSPITALISED Context: Eleven people, including a six-year-old girl, died and over 350 were admitted to hospitals after styrene
monomer gas leaked from a chemical plant belonging to LG Polymers at RR Venkatapuram in Visakhapatnam. Styrene :
Styrene is used in production of polystyrene plastics, rubber fiberglass and latex. It is also found in cigarette smoke, vehicle exhaust and natural foods like vegetables and fruits Consumer products like packaging materials, insulation for wiring and appliances, fibreglass, plastic pipes, automobile parts and drinking cups contain styrene. Styrene is also used as an intermediate in the synthesis of materials used for ion exchange resins and to produce copolymers. styrene is that it is a flammable liquid. Health effects: US-based Environment Protection Agency (EPA) mentioned that respiratory issues, irritation in eyes and mucous membranes, and gastrointestinal problems can be caused with short-term exposure to the substance. If exposed for a longer duration, a person‘s central nervous system can be affected leading to many problems. It can also cause cancer in some cases or induce depression in a few. Source:- The Hindu
ODISHA GOVT. EXTENDS WORK SHIFT TO 12 HOURS Context: The State Government has decided to increase the working hours by four hours per day to make up for the man-hours lost due to the extended nationwide lockdown. More in the news: The working hours have been increased following requests from industries.
working hours have been increased by from 8 hours to 12 hours per day, and 48 hours to 72 hours per week with overtime pay Besides, no female worker will be allowed to work in a factory between 7 pm and 6 am unless
specifically permitted by the Government in this regard. Additional four hours of overtime wages per day will be paid as prescribed under Section 59 of Factories Act, subject to an overtime limit of 24 hours per week.
Factories Act, 1948: Serves to assist in formulating national policies in India with respect to occupational safety and health in factories and docks in India.
Regulate health, safety welfare, and annual leave and enact special provision in respect of young persons, women and children who work in the factories. The Act is administered by the Ministry of Labour and Employment in India through its Directorate
General Factory Advice Service & Labour Institutes (DGFASLI) and by the State Governments through their factory inspectorates. 19
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The Act is applicable to any factory employing 20 or more workers Source:- Indian Express
THE EPIDEMIC AND ENSURING SAFETY IN COURTS
Context: In a letter addressed to the Chief Justice of India, the Bar Council of India has opposed the continuation of virtual hearings once the lockdown is lifted, on the grounds that 90% of the advocates and judges are
―unaware of technology and its nuances‖. Background: On April 6, invoking its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court issued certain
directions for the functioning of courts through video conferencing during the lockdown. The Court directed the State officials of the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to liaison with the respective High Courts and formulate a plan for the virtual functioning of courts.
A virtual court hearing is one where there is no physical court room. All the participants take part in proceedings using telephone or video conferencing facilities. It was made clear that the guidelines for this would be formulated by the NIC and sent to the respective courts and lawyers. But the NIC has not yet notified the guidelines. In its order, the Supreme Court had also indicated that the district courts would follow the video conferencing rules as formulated by the respective High Courts. E-filing system:
In India, most advocates and litigants are unaware of and unwilling to use e-filling services. The e-filing system was introduced in the Delhi High Court in 2009. Compared to the other High Courts in the country, the Delhi High Court is far ahead in terms of technology.
In the Delhi High Court, e-filing is mandatory for company, taxation and arbitration jurisdictions. In the Bombay High Court, e-courts started functioning from 2013. Initially they started taking up company matters, arbitration and conciliation matters, income tax
appeals and suits. Now even writs, suits and testamentary matters are heard by e-courts. In the Madras High Court, the facility for e-filing of cases, which was initially only for bail applications, was launched on April 22, 2020. Filing of urgent cases through e-mail is also permitted now.
Issue: Lockdown will depend on the facilities available at the court concerned. While such facilities are largely available in the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court, they are not available in the various other High Courts and subordinate courts. The judiciary must be allotted sufficient funds for self-administration and timely delivery of justice. Today, technology dictates our lifestyle, but because of lack of allocation of sufficient funds to improve and strengthen technical support for the judiciary, we in India are unable to make full use of technology. Implementing guidelines: As much of the Supreme Court and many High Courts will remain closed for the summer, the High Courts can consider constituting committees, as the Delhi High Court did, to create graded plans for the courts functioning after the lockdown. They can formulate plans based on the availability of infrastructure
to conduct virtual hearings or actual hearings, or by running courts in shifts. In case any of the courts are inclined to conduct open court hearings, they may have to implement some guidelines. One, only those lawyers/litigants whose cases are listed for the day‘s hearing should be
allowed to enter court halls. Two, the lawyers must enter in batches according to the serial number in the list. Three, thermal image cameras must be installed at the entrance of every court building, to identify risk
persons. Four, every person entering the court premises must install the Aarogya Setu app on their phones. Five, at the entrance of every court complex, an automatic hand wash faucet should be installed.
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Six, there should be regulations on the manner of functioning and running of public utility services, canteens, etc., within the court premises with all necessary precautions. Seven, masks, gloves and sanitisers should be made available. Importantly, as junior lawyers have been seriously impacted by the lockdown, they should receive financial assistance (even in the form of a loan from a nationalised bank) from the Central government. Source:- The Hindu
CENTRE‟S REPLY SOUGHT ON DELINKING SITE FROM APP Context: The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the Central Government to respond on a plea filed against
linking of the Government mandated Aarogya Setu App website for promotion. More in the news: The website promotes and acts as a "marketing tool" for e-pharmacies and the Government Application is
being used "arbitrarily", for the benefit of selected handpicked companies. The Petitioner further submitted that linking of the website with a Government app was deceptive inasmuch as it gives a wrong and misleading impression to a user that the website as well as the information made available on it is also government mandated and approved.
Right to FREEDOM OF TRADE AND COMMERCE: Right to freedom of trade and commerce has been enshrined under Article 19(1) (g) of the Constitution of India Article 19(l)(g) is granted only to the citizen of India, and it cannot be claimed by non-citizen. This is not absolute rights, the state can impose restrictions. in the interest of the general public: The interest of general public, even they are meant for the people of particular or a particular state. It does not mean that the interest must be of the public of the whole India
State has the power to prohibit the trades which are immoral or illegal or injurious to public health and welfare of the public A law relating to professional or technical qualifications necessary for practicing a
profession A law relating to the carrying on by the State, or by any corporation owned or controlled by it, of any trade, business, industry or service, whether to the exclusion, complete or partial, ofcitizens or otherwise.
Source:- The Hindu
STOP THE RETURN TO LAISSEZ-FAIRE Context: Through the public health crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are witness to another massive tragedy — of workers being abandoned by their employers and, above all, by the state. The workers‘ right to go home was curbed using the Disaster Management Act, 2005. No provisions were made for their food, shelter, or medical relief. Wage payments were not ensured, and the state‘s cash and food relief did not cover most workers. Several States have exempted industries from complying with various provisions of labour laws. The Confederation of Indian Industry has suggested 12-hour work shifts and that governments issue directions to make workers join duty failing which the workers would face penal actions. Thus, after an organised abandonment of the unorganised workforce, the employers want the state to reintroduce laissez-faire and a system of indenture for the organised workforce too. This will take away the protection conferred on organised labour by Parliament.
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Colonial exploitation: The move is reminiscent of the barbaric system of indentured labour introduced through the Bengal Regulations VII, 1819 for the British planters in Assam tea estates. Factory workers too faced severe exploitation and were made to work 16-hour days for a pittance. Their protests led to the Factories Act of 1911 which introduced 12-hour work shifts. Yet, the low wages, arbitrary wage cuts and other harsh conditions forced workers into ‗debt slavery‘. Genesis of labour law: The labour laws in India have emerged out of workers‘ struggles, which were very much part of the
freedom movement against oppressive colonial industrialists. Since the 1920s there were a series of strikes and agitations for better working conditions. The workers‘ demands were supported by our political leaders. Britain was forced to appoint the Royal
Commission on Labour, which gave a report in 1935. The Government of India Act, 1935 enabled greater representation of Indians in law-making. This resulted in reforms, which are forerunners to the present labour enactments. The indentured plantation labour saw relief in the form of the Plantations Labour Act,
1951. Dignity through democracy: By a democratic legislative process, Parliament stepped in to protect labour. The Factories Act lays down eight-hour work shifts, with overtime wages, weekly offs, leave with wages and measures for health, hygiene and safety. The Industrial Disputes Act provides for workers' participation to resolve wage and other disputes through negotiations so that strikes/lockouts, unjust retrenchments and dismissals are avoided. The Minimum Wages Act ensures wages below which it is not possible to subsist. No statutory support: Labour is a concurrent subject in the Constitution and most pieces of labour legislation are Central enactments. States cannot nullify Central enactments in one fell swoop. The Constitution does not envisage approval by the President of a State Ordinance which makes a whole slew of laws enacted by Parliament inoperable in the absence of corresponding legislations on the same subject. Section 5 of the Factories Act empowers the State governments to exempt only in case of a ―public emergency‖, which is explained as a ―grave emergency whereby the security of India or any part of the
territory thereof is threatened, whether by war or external aggression or internal disturbance‖. There is no such threat to the security of India now. Hours of work or holidays cannot be exempted even for public institutions.
Conclusion: The orders and ordinances issued by the State governments are undemocratic and unconstitutional. The resurgence of such a colonial mindset is a danger to the society and the well-being of millions and puts at
risk the health and safety of not only the workforce but their families too. The existing conditions of labour will have to be continued. In the unequal bargaining power between capital and labour, regulatory laws provide a countervailing balance and ensure the dignity of labour. Governments have a constitutional duty to ensure just, humane conditions of work and maternity benefits. The health and strength of the workers cannot be abused by force of economic necessity. Labour laws are thus civilisational goals and cannot be trumped on the excuse of a pandemic. Source:- The Hindu
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ILO URGES PM NOT TO DILUTE LABOUR LAWS Context: ILO has informed trade unions of India that its Director-General has expressed concern and urged the Prime Minister to send a clear message to the Central and State governments to uphold international labour laws after the recent dilution of laws by some States. Background: Ten central trade unions said they were considering lodging a complaint with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) against the ―anti-worker‖ changes in the labour laws in some States
Issue: Several States across India are ignoring the welfare laws for workers in the name of boosting economic activity.
Trade Unions have opposed the unilateral withdrawal of labour laws that some States have implemented and others are considering. Trade Unions see the recent blanket exemption given to establishments from the employer‘s obligations
under several labour laws for three years by the Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh governments as a retrograde and anti-worker move. While the U.P. Government had brought an ordinance for this, the M.P. Government had reportedly said it would also do the same. The Gujarat Government was also reportedly working on a similar exemption. Also, six state governments have increased the working hours from 8 to 12 hours.
International Labour Organisation (ILO): Established in 1919 by the Treaty of Versailles as an affiliated agency of the League of
Nations. Became the first affiliated specialized agency of the United Nations in 1946. it is the only tripartite U.N. agency. It brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 member States mandate is to advance social and economic justice through setting international labour standards Headquarter: Geneva, Switzerland
Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges, basics of cyber security
„ACTIVISTS ARE OFTEN TARGETS OF CYBERBULLYING‟ Context: The JNU Students‘ Union (JNUSU) on Friday condemned the trend of targeting activists through cyberbullying, saying it has been proven time and again that the ―bois locker room‖ episode — that has
recently come into light in Delhi — doesn‘t stand isolated. Cyberbullying: Cyberbullying or cyberharassment is a form of bullying or harassment using electronic means.
Examples of cyberbullying include text messages or emails, rumours sent by email or posted on social networking sites, and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites or fake profiles. Technically it‘s called Bullying when children below age of 18 are involved at the either end – as a bully
or as a victim. While it falls under harassment category if there are adults involved. India as a country stands 4th in cyberbullying. Also what is noteworthy is if 1 of 10 children has been bullied online, about 50% of children are also the cyberbullies.
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No special Anti-Cyber Bullying Laws in India yet. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre
and States and the performance of these schemes
ATAL PENSION YOJANA (APY) Context: Atal Pension Yojana‟ (APY) has completed five years of successful implementation.
Atal Pension Yojana‟ (APY): This scheme replaces the Swavalamban Yojana It was established to provide old age income security to the workers belonging to the unorganised sector.
Administered by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority Eligibility: Any individual aged between 18 years to 40 years and have a bank account are eligible for the scheme.
The subscriber should get their Aadhaar number recorded in the APY pension account as well as in their savings account. Benefits: The scheme provides the subscribers with a fixed pension ranging between Rs.1000 to Rs. 5000. The pension is provided if he/she joins and contributes between the age of 18 years and 40 years. The contribution level varies as per the conditions which is low if the subscriber joins the scheme early and might increase if he/she joins late. After the death of the subscriber, the spouse is eligible for availing the same benefits provided by the pension. And after the demise of both spouse and subscriber, the nominee will be entitled to receive the pension money that the subscriber had accumulated till 60 years of age. However if the subscriber dies before 60 years, the spouse will have the choice to either exit the scheme and claim the accumulated amount or continue maintaining the account under the subscriber's name for the remaining vested years.
Source:- PIB
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GS PAPER-02 GOVERNANCE - Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
SC SETS UP PANEL TO LOOK INTO J&K INTERNET CURBS
Context: The Jammu and Kashmir government‘s orders do not reveal any reason for making mobile 4G Internet inaccessible across the Union Territory (UT), the Supreme Court said
Besides, the government orders snipping the Internet speed to 2G were meant to operate for only a limited time. Background: The order was based on petitions filed separately by media professionals, school associations and private citizens claiming that lack of access to high-speed Internet in J&K had crippled medical efforts to contain the COVID-19 contagion and pulled the rug under online education and businesses. The government, on the other hand, maintained that high-speed Internet was a facilitator of terrorism in the UT. Right to internet: Recently, SC said access to the Internet is a fundamental right under Article 19 of the Constitution The Supreme Court has declared that access to the internet is a fundamental right protected under Article 19 of the Constitution. The Internet is the primary source of information to millions of Indian citizens. A non-citizen can avail the same benefits but cannot claim it as her fundamental right. a, Kerala had become the first state in 2017 to declare access to Internet "a basic human right".
Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections
EQUAL FREEDOM AND FORCED LABOUR Context:
Steps being taken by various State governments, ostensibly under cover of the COVID-19 pandemic, are grossly unconstitutional: various State governments are in the process of removing labour laws altogether (for a set period of time).
Increase in working hours and a removal of minimum wages are two proposals strongly under discussion. Historical Background: Soon after Independence, while the Constitution of a free India was being drafted, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the chairperson of the Drafting Committee, was asked to prepare a note on the idea of Fundamental Rights. B.R. Ambedkar argued that fundamental rights must also ―eliminate the possibility of the more powerful having the power to impose arbitrary restraints on the less powerful by withdrawing from the control he has over the economic life of the people‖ — or, more euphemistically, to tackle the ―the dictatorship of the private employer‖. Labour rights: 1931 Karachi Declaration and Bill of Rights — a fore-runner to the Constitution — expressly placed labour rights on a par with ordinary civil rights such as the freedom of speech and expression. In its Preamble, it declared that ―political freedom must include... real economic freedom of the...
millions‖. These principles eventually found their way into the Indian Constitution in the form of ―Directive Principles of State Policy‖, while a few of them were retained as fundamental rights.
Prominent among these was the right against forced labour, guaranteed by Article 23 of the Constitution.
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Judicial Stand: Supreme court in a landmark judgment, PUDR vs. Union of India, the Court held that the right against forced labour included the right to a minimum wage. It noted that often, migrant and contract labourers had ―no choice but to accept any work that came [their] way, even if the remuneration offered... is less than the minimum wage‖. Consequently, the Court held that ―the compulsion of economic circumstance which leaves no choice of alternatives to a person in want and compels him to provide labour or service‖ was no less a form of forced labour than any other, and its remedy lay in a constitutional guarantee of the minimum wage.
LAbour laws: A market economy is sustained by a set of laws — the laws of contract, of property, and so on. This legal structure ensures that capital and labour do not face each other as equals across a mythical bargaining
table. rise of the platform or gig economy, the rise of casualisation and precarious employment, and further fractures within the workforce, this inequality of power has only grown starker.
The purpose of labour laws, which arose out of a long period of struggle (often accompanied by state- sanctioned violence against workers), has always been to mitigate this imbalance of power. Challenges/ issues in labour laws:
Labour law which sets up a labour bureaucracy that is prone to corruption adjudicatory mechanisms are inefficient; the rights that labour laws grant are effectively submerged in a creaking judicial system, thus providing no real relief; that the system creates an unconscionable tiered structure where a majority of the workforce, engaged in contract labour or informal employment, has very few rights, while those in formal employment have greater security, at least in theory; Reforms needed: These problems certainly call for a debate on the future of labour rights, especially in a world where the rapidly changing nature of work is already rendering old concepts of jobs and employments obsolete (courts around the world, for example, are struggling with how to classify platform workers such as Uber drivers). But this debate must be guided by B.R. Ambedkar‘s insights that remain relevant even today, the Constitutional guarantee against forced labour, and the understanding of force and freedom that takes into account differences in power. If the Constitution is to remain a charter of freedom, however, it must be equal freedom — and that must
be the yardstick from which we measure proposed legal changes in the shadow of COVID-19. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.
RIDING ROUGHSHOD OVER STATE GOVERNMENTS
Context: The Central government has so far followed a mostly top-down approach in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. ostensibly under the Disaster Management Act of 2005, containing varying restrictions on
public activity and commerce which the States are expected to enforce. The Centre directs the State governments to scrupulously enforce every new set of guidelines, with the States only being allowed to increase and not dilute the restrictions. This centralised approach is counterproductive, has put the federal structure of India under strain, and is in fact beyond the powers of the Central government. Counterproductive: Latest guidelines, has classified all districts in the country as red, orange or green zones in a bid to lift lockdown restrictions in an area-specific manner. Some States/Union Territories objected to the classification of certain areas/districts as red zones on the ground that these areas are very large. They
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pointed out that there was no need to keep economic activity on hold in an entire district when cases had been reported only from a small portion of that district. Kerala, probably the best-performing State in terms of its response to COVID-19, was sent a missive by the Central government to refrain from relaxing restricti ons in the State. This centralised approach, A study of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 as well as relevant provisions of the Constitution makes it clear that this practice of issuing guidelines and directions to the States is itself unconstitutional. The federal scheme:
Under the federal scheme, Parliament can legislate on matters under the Union List (List I), Stage legislatures can legislate on matters under the State List (List II), and both Parliament and State legislatures can legislate on matters under the Concurrent List (List III).
The residuary power to legislate on matters that are not mentioned in either List II or List III vests with Parliament under Article 248 of the Constitution read with Entry 97 of List I. As per per Articles 73 and 162, Central and State governments can only take executive actions in matters
where Parliament and State legislatures, respectively, have powers to legislate. Disaster management: The Disaster Management Act allows the Centre to issue guidelines, directions or orders to the States for
mitigating the effects of any disaster. It does not does not find mention in either List II or List III, nor does any particular entry in List I specifically deal with this. Disaster Management Act could only have been enacted by Parliament in exercise of its residuary powers of legislation under Article 248 read with Entry 97 of List I. However, ‗public health and sanitation‘ is a specific field of legislation under Entry 6 of List II. This would imply that States have the exclusive right to legislate and act on matters concerning public health. Thus, the Centre‘s guidelines and directions to the States for dealing with the pandemic trench upon a field of legislation and executive action that is exclusively assigned to the States — public health. The Supreme Court has held time and again that federalism is a basic feature of the Constitution and although the Union enjoys many more powers than States, the States are sovereign. The Disaster Management Act, having been enacted by Parliament under its residuary powers of legislation, cannot be applied to pandemics in view of the fact that the power to legislate on public health is vested specifically and exclusively with the States.
Under Entry 29 of List III, both Parliament and State legislatures are competent to legislate on matters involving inter-State spread of contagious or infectious diseases. Parliament would be competent to pass a law that allows the Central government to issue
directions to the States to prevent inter-State spread of a disease like COVID-19. That law is not the Disaster Management Act which is concerned with disasters in general, and not pandemics in particular. ‗Prevention of inter-State spread of contagious and infectious diseases‘ being a specific legislative head provided in List III, the same must be deemed to have been excluded from Parliament‘s residuary legislative powers. Therefore, the Disaster Management Act, which has been enacted under Parliament‘s residuary legislative powers, cannot be applied to the prevention of inter-State spread of contagious and infectious diseases. Applying another law: Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, which has the objective of preventing ―…the spread of dangerous
epidemic diseases.‖ However, under this Act, it is the State governments which have the prerogative to take appropriate measures for arresting the outbreak or spread of a contagious or infectious disease in their respective States.
The Central government‘s powers are limited to taking measures for inspecting and detaining persons travelling out of or into the country. Even if that Act were to be amended, it would not empower the 27
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Central government to issue directions to the States to contain the pandemic within the State; it can only deal with inter-State spread of the disease. Conclusion: Disaster Management Act is plainly unconstitutional. The States are not legally bound to observe the directions/guidelines being issued by the Central government and would be well within their rights to
challenge them before the apex court. Source:- The Hindu
REAFFIRM COOPERATIVE FEDERALISM Context:
Responding effectively to the pandemic requires the Centre to view the States as equals Many exigencies have tested the foundations of our federal democracy, but none as harshly as this pandemic. And when India‘s success in defeating COVID-19 actively rests upon Centre-State collaboration, it is indeed its commitment to federalism that is under the most strain. Federalism: K.C. Wheare notes, traditionally signifies the independence of the Union and State governments of a country, in their own spheres. However, there was nothing traditional about the circumstances in which India‘s Constituent Assembly met. ‗Cooperative federalism‘ — essentially defined by administrative cooperation between the Centre and the States, and a partial dependence of the States upon payments from the Centre. Accordingly, Indian constitutional law expert Granville Austin remarks that despite a strong Centre, cooperative federalism doesn‘t necessarily result in weaker States; rather, the progress of the Republic rests upon active cooperation between the two. Fissures in cooperation:
Some recent developments have revealed fissures in Centre-State cooperation. Zone classifications into ‗red‘ and ‗orange‘ has evoked sharp criticisms from several States. The States have demanded more autonomy in making such classifications. This is despite the fact that
State consultation is a legislative mandate cast upon the Centre under the Disaster Management Act of 2005 (under which binding COVID-19 guidelines are being issued by the Centre to the States).
The Act envisages the creation of a ‗National Plan‘ under Section 11, as well as issuance of binding guidelines by the Centre to States under Section 6(2), in furtherance of the ‗National Plan‘. The ‗National Plan‘ then is a broader vision document while the binding guidelines are its enforcement mechanism. Now, Section 11(2) of the Act mandates State consultations before formulating a ‗National Plan‘, and to that extent, when the binding guidelines are ultimately issued under it, they are expected to represent the views of the States.
However, the Centre has not formulated the ‗National Plan‘, and has chosen instead to respond to COVID-19 through ad hoc binding guidelines issued to States, thereby circumventing the legislative mandate of State consultations.
The Centre has also declared that corporations donating to PM-CARES can avail CSR exemptions, but those donating towards any Chief Minister‘s Relief Fund cannot. This directly disincentivises donations to any Chief Minister‘s Relief Fund; diverts crores in potential State revenues to PM-CARES; and makes the States largely dependent upon the Centre. Revenue streams of several States have dried up because of the liquor sale ban; negligible sale of petrol/diesel; no land dealings and registration of agreements. States‘ GST collections have also been severely affected with their dues still not disbursed by the Centre.
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Conclusion: As it is the States which act as first responders to the pandemic, supplying them with adequate funds becomes a pre-requisite in effectively tackling the crisis. This requires the Centre to view the States as equals, and strengthen their capabilities, instead of increasing their dependence upon itself. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-
governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential
RS.3,100 CRORE FROM PM CARES ALLOCATED FOR COVID-19 RELIEF Context: The Prime Minister‘s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund, better known as PM CARES, will allocate Rs.3,100 crore to COVID-19 relief, including funds for ventilators, migrant workers and vaccine development. More in the news: The PM CARES Fund Trust has decided to spend Rs.2,000 crore to buy 50,000 Indian-made ventilators, which will be provided to government-run hospitals designated for COVID-19 treatment in all the States and Union Territories. Another Rs.1,000 crore will be used to support the States‘ welfare measures for migrant workers, and will help provide accommodation, food, medical treatment and transport. The money will be released to the district administration through the State Disaster Relief Commissioners. PM CARES will give Rs.100 crore to support those in the Indian academia, start-ups and industry who are working on designing and developing a vaccine against COVID-19. The money will be spent under
the supervision of the Principal Scientific Adviser.
PM CARES Fund: The fund was set up in March 2020, in the wake of of COVID-19 pandemic. The PM CARES Fund Trust, which decides the allocations, is headed by the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of the PM CARES Fund. Government of India, Minister of Defence, Minister of Home Affairs and the Minister of Finance are ex-
officio Trustees of the PM CARES Fund. The Chairperson of the Board of Trustees i.e. the Prime Minister shall have the power to nominate 3 trustees to the Board of Trustees who shall be eminent persons in the field of
research, science, health, social work, public administration, law and philanthropy. Any person appointed a Trustee shall act in a pro bono capacity. The fund does not get any budgetary support and consists entirely of voluntary contributions from individuals or organizations. Donations to PM CARES Fund by the individuals would qualify for 100% tax exemption under 80G of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
Source:- The Hindu
UNKNOWN SOURCES FUNDING PARTIES‟ Context: According to a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms, as much as 67% of donations to national parties in 2018-19 came from ―unknown sources‖. Key Highlights: The ADR analysed the income tax returns and donation statements submitted to the Election Commission by the BJP, the Congress, the Trinamool, the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Nationalist Congress Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party. Contribution from known sources: The total income of the parties was Rs.3,749.37 crore of which Rs.951.66 crore was from known donors. 29
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The BSP declared zero voluntary contributions. Electoral bonds accounted for 78% of the Rs.2,512.98 crore, or 67%, income from unknown sources. Parties are required to give details of all donations above Rs.20,000, donations under Rs.20,000 and those via electoral bonds remain anonymous. Out of the total income from unknown sources, 64% went to the BJP and 29% to the Congress. A very large percentage of the income of political parties cannot be traced to the original donor, full details of all donors should be made available for public scrutiny under the RTI [Right to Information Act].
Electoral Bond:
Electoral bonds are instruments/securities are used to donate funds to the political parties. An electoral bond is like a promissory note that can be bought by any Indian citizen or company incorporated in India from select branches of State Bank of India. An individual or party will be allowed to purchase these bonds digitally or through cheque after disclosing their identity through know your customer (KYC) norms The citizen or corporate can then donate the same to any eligible political party of his/her choice. The bonds are similar to bank notes that are payable to the bearer on demand and are free of interest. It has to be redeemed by Political parties within 15 days only in their specified account. Any party that is registered and has secured at least one per cent of the votes polled in the most recent General elections or Assembly elections is eligible to receive electoral bonds Every party that is registered under section 29A of the Representation of the Peoples Act,
1951 (43 of 1951) and has secured at least one per cent of the votes polled in the most recent Lok Sabha or State election will be allotted a verified account by the Election Commission of India.
The electoral bonds will not bear the name of the donor. Thus, the political party might not be aware of the donor‘s identity. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.
BENGAL, ODISHA GET PROMISED Rs.1,500 CR. Context: Relief of Rs.1,000 crore and Rs.500 crore have been released to West Bengal and Odisha, respectively, in the wake of the damage and destruction caused by Cyclone ampan The relief amount has been disbursed from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). National Disaster ResponseFund(NDRF):
National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) was renamed as National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) on 28 September 2010 with the enactment of the Disaster Management Act in 2005 The National Disaster Response Fund(NDRF) was constituted under the DM Act, 2005. fund managed by the Central Government for meeting the expenses for emergency response, relief and
rehabilitation due to any threatening disaster situation or disaster. NDRF is constituted to supplement the funds of the State Disaster Response Funds (SDRF) of the states to facilitate immediate relief in case of calamities of a severe nature.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the National Disaster Management Authority takes decisions on the expenses from National Disaster Response Fund, in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the Central Government in consultation with the National Authority.
NDRF is located in the "Public Accounts" of Government of India under "Reserve Funds not bearing interest" Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) audits the accounts of NDRF
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Sources of Financing NDRF: NDRF is financed through the levy of a cess on certain items, chargeable to excise and customs duty, and approved annually through the Finance Bill The requirement for funds beyond what is available under the NDRF is met through general budgetary resources. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - India and its Neighbourhood relations
IMD INCLUDES POK IN WEATHER FORECASTS Context: The IMD‘s Regional Meteorological Centre has started including cities under Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir in its forecasts More in the news: The IMD has started including Gilgit-Baltistan and Muzaffarabad, which are parts of PoK, under the Jammu and Kashmir meteorological sub-division since May 5 These cities of PoK have now found a place in the overall forecast of the northwest division.
The northwest division consists of nine sub-divisions — Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi-Chandigarh-Haryana, Punjab, east Uttar Pradesh, west Uttar Pradesh, east Rajasthan and west Rajasthan. The development assumes significance as New Delhi has been of a position that the Pakistan-occupied-
Kashmir belongs to India. Source:- The Hindu
INDIA FLAYS NOD FOR GILGIT-BALTISTAN POLLS Context:
The External Affairs Ministry issued a ―strong protest‖ on Monday over an order by the Pakistan Supreme Court allowing the Imran Khan government to hold elections in the region of Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Background: On April 30, Pakistan‘s apex court had allowed the federal government‘s application to amend the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan Order, 2018, to set up a caretaker government and conduct provincial
Assembly elections. India‟s Contention: India lodged ―strong protest‖ through a démarche, that ―clearly conveyed that the entire Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, including the areas of Gilgit and Baltistan, are an integral part of India by virtue of its fully legal and irrevocable accession‖. India completely rejects such actions and continued attempts to bring material changes in Pakistan- occupied areas of the Indian territory of Jammu & Kashmir
Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK): Pakistan Occupied Kashmir is an area of 13,297 sq km, which was under the control of the Pakistani forces when the ceasefire line came into effect on January 1, 1949.
Pakistan occupied Kashmir is divided into two parts:
Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK)
Gilgit-Baltistan (referred to as the 'Northern Areas' till August 2009) Azad Jammu and Kashmir in Pakistan is also called Azad Kashmir and is attached to the western part of Indian Kashmir.
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Baltistan was the area of west Ladakh province which was occupied by Pakistan in 1947. PoK staretic view: PoK is of immense strategic importance. It shares borders with several countries - the Punjab and North-West Frontier Province provinces (now called Khyber-Pakhthunkhwa) in Pakistan to the west, the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan in the north-west, Xinjiang province of the People‘s Republic of China to the north and India‘s Jammu and Kashmir to the east. Gilgit Baltistan:
Gilgit Baltistan (GB) is spread over 72,871 sq km, and is five-and-a-half times the size of PoK. Located in the northern Pakistan. It borders China in the North, Afghanistan in the west, Tajikistan in the north west and Kashmir in the south east. It shares a geographical boundary with Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and India considers it as part of the undivided Jammu and Kashmir, while Pakistan sees it as a separate from PoK. The USD 46 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) also passes through this
region. GB is divided into three administrative divisions and 10 districts. PoK and GB are both ―autonomous territories‖.
Source:- The Hindu
ROW OVER NEW LINK ROAD TO KAILASH MANSAROVAR Context: Inauguration of the new link road from India to China to shorten the travel time for pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar.‘ The link road starts from Dharchula in Uttarakhand and runs 80 km to the Lipulekh pass and has been built by the Border Roads Organisation. More in the news: Inauguration of the new link road has run into diplomatic trouble as Nepal has strongly objected to India‘s move. Nepal‟s Contention: Nepal has claimed that the „Link Road‟ connecting to Lipulekh passes through Nepali territory.
It further, claims that claims that India‘s move marks a breach of the agreement reached between the Indian Prime Minister and Nepal PM in 2014 which sought to work out the outstanding boundary issues on Kalapani (where Lipulekh lies) and Susta.
India's response: The Ministry of External Affairs of India has clarified that the link road passing through Uttarakhand‟s Pithoragarh district lies completely within the territory of India.
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India has also clarified that the new link road follows the pre-existing route used by the pilgrims of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. India has stated that the boundary delineation exercise with Nepal is ongoing, and that India is committed to resolving outstanding boundary issues through diplomatic dialogue and in the spirit of our close and friendly bilateral relations with Nepal.
Kalapani region:
The Kalapani territory is an area disputed between India and Nepal, While Nepal claims Kalapani to be a part of its Darchula district, the region is administered in India as a part of Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand.
Kalapani is located at an altitude of 3600m on the Kailash Manasarovar route. It borders Uttarakhand in India and Sudurpashchim Pradesh in Nepal. Kalapani is a trijunction meeting point of India, Tibet and Nepal borders. The region has been manned by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police since 1962. The Treaty of Sugauli signed by the Kingdom of Nepal and British India (after Anglo- Nepalese War) in 1816 located the Kali River as Nepal's western boundary with India. The discrepancy in locating the source of the river led to boundary disputes between India and Nepal, with each country producing maps supporting their own claims. The Kali River in the Kalapani region demarcates the border between India and Nepal.
Source:- The Hindu
INDIAN, CHINESE TROOPS FACE OFF IN LADAKH, SIKKIM Context: Two incidents of face-off have been reported between Indian and Chinese troops at the border. Background: The first incident occurred in Eastern Ladakh on May 5 and the second occurred at Naku La, Sikkim, on May 9. The issues were resolved locally. Recent Tension: Face off near Pangong Tso lake:
The first incident occurred in eastern Ladakh near Pangong Tso lake, a major part of which China holds. The reported face off has resulted in injuries to several soldiers of both armies. Pangong Tso has witnessed such incidents in the past, including in 2017 and 2019.
Face off at Naku la: The second incident occurred at Naku La, Sikkim, at an altitude of over 16,000 feet. As a result of aggressive behaviour, minor injuries were caused to both sides.
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Line of Actual Control(LAC):
The India-China borders can be broken down into three sectors
Western sector:
Territorial dispute over Aksai Chin. India claims it as part of erstwhile Kashmir, while China claims it is part of Xinjiang. During the time of British rule in India, two borders between India and China
were proposed- Johnson‘s Line and McDonald Line. The Johnson‘s line (proposed in 1865) shows Aksai Chin in erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir (now Ladakh) i.e. under India‘s control whereas McDonald Line (proposed in 1893) places it under China‘s control. India considers Johnson Line as a correct, rightful national border with China, while on the other hand, China considers the McDonald Line as the correct border with India. At present, Line of Actual Control (LAC) is the line separating Indian areas of Ladakh from Aksai Chin. It is concurrent with the Chinese Aksai Chin claim line. Middle sector:
Both sides do not have much disagreement over the border in this area. Eastern sector: The boundary with China runs from the eastern limit of Bhutan to a point near
the Talu Pass at the trijunction of Tibet, India and Myanmar. This boundary line is called McMahon Line.
Source:- The Hindu
NO AIR SPACE VIOLATION AT PANGONG TSO Context: The government sources have clarified that there was no airspace violation by China in Ladakh. Background: It was reported that Chinese helicopters were spotted flying close to the un-demarcated border between
India and China in Eastern Ladakh after which Su-30 fighters of the Indian Air Force too carried out sorties in the area. Around 250 soldiers of both sides were engaged in a fierce face-off near Pangong Lake.
Stating that incidents of face-off and aggressive behaviour occur on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), it is said that the patrols disengaged after local-level interaction and dialogue More in the news:
There were two incidents of face-off between Indian and Chinese troops recently which resulted in injuries to several soldiers on both sides. The first incident occurred near Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh while the second face-off occurred at
Naku La in Sikkim. Pangong Tso has seen such several incidents in the past including in 2017 and in 2019. 34
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Pangong Tso lake:
Pangong Tso is a long narrow, deep, endorheic (landlocked) lake
It is situated at a height of more than 14,000 ft in the Ladakh Himalayas.
The brackish water lake freezes over in winter, and becomes ideal for ice skating and polo. The lake is in the process of being identified under the Ramsar Convention as a wetland of international importance. This will be the first trans-boundary wetland in South Asia under the
convention.
Source:- The Hindu
WE FULLY COMPLIED WITH ICJ ORDER ON JADHAV: PAK. Context: Pakistan said that it has ―fully complied‖ with the ICJ‘s judgment in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case, days
after India‘s lead counsel Harish Salve asserted that New Delhi had hoped it might be able to persuade Islamabad through ―back channel‖ to release the Indian death-row convict. Background:
Mr. Jadhav, a retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of ―espionage and terrorism‖ in April 2017. Weeks later, India approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Pakistan for denial of
consular access to Mr. Jadhav and challenging the death sentence. The court ruled in July last year that Pakistan must undertake an ―effective review and reconsideration‖ of the conviction and sentence of Mr. Jadhav and also grant consular access to India without further delay.
International Court of Justice (ICJ):
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN). It was established in June 19465 to replace the Permanent Court of International Justice. The seat of the Court: The Peace Palace in The Hague (Netonherlands).
It settles legal disputes between States and gives advisory opinions in accordance with international law, on legal questions referred to it by authorized United Nations organs and specialized agencies. Opinions provided by the court in advisory proceedings are essentially advisory and not binding.
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Structure:
The Court is composed of 15 judges, who are elected for terms of office of nine years terms of
office by the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council. These two organs vote
simultaneously but separately. A candidate must receive an absolute majority of votes in both sides for getting elected. There are 15 judges in the Court and they are distributed as per the regions:
3 from Africa. 2 from Latin America and Caribbean. 3 from Asia. 5 from Western Europe and other states. 2 from Eastern Europe. Limitations: It has no jurisdiction to try individuals accused of war crimes or crimes against humanity. As it is not a criminal court, it does not have a prosecutor able to initiate proceedings.
Court can only hear a dispute when requested by one or more States. It cannot deal with a dispute on its own initiative. The ICJ only has jurisdiction based on consent, not compulsory jurisdiction.
Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests
PM SLAMS PAKISTAN IN VIRTUAL NAM MEETING Context:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday made an indirect reference to Pakistan during an online meeting of the Non Aligned Movement (NAM) Contact Group, and said some countries were fomenting terrorism in the midst of the global coronavirus pandemic. More in the news: Modi supported a more representative post-COVID-19 world order and urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to focus on building health capacity in the developing countries. The NAM grouping met on the theme of ―United against COVID-19‖. The remark may be seen as a reference by the PM to Pakistan‘s role in supporting cross-border terrorism in recent days, with a spike in ceasefire violations across the Line of Control in Kashmir.
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM):
The Non-Aligned Movement was formed during the Cold War as an organization of States that did not seek to formally align themselves with either the United States or the Soviet Union, but sought to remain independent or neutral.
The basic concept for the group originated in 1955 during discussions that took place at the Asia-Africa Bandung Conference held in Indonesia. The Non-Aligned Movement was founded and held its first conference (the Belgrade
Conference) in 1961 It was largely conceived by India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru; Indonesia's first president, Sukarno; Egypt's second president, Gamal Abdel Nasser; Ghana's first president Kwame Nkrumah; and Yugoslavia's President, Josip Broz Tito. Principles: J.L. Nehru was founding members, the principles of NAM was largely guided by Panchsheel principles, some of them are: Mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty Mutual non-aggression
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Mutual non-interference in domestic affairs
Equality and mutual benefit
Peaceful co-existence
Source:- The Hindu
RESUSCITATING MULTILATERALISM WITH INDIA‟S HELP Context: Even as the coronavirus pandemic unleashes its devastation across the globe, To reduce the further spread of the virus, to develop effective medical treatments, and to curtail the worst effects of the inevitable recession that is already in the offing, cooperation among nations will be necessary. Deepened by the pandemic:
The pandemic has heightened the crisis of multilateralism, not created it. And amidst the many cracks in the system, it has deepened one especially dangerous fault-line: multilateralism, in its current form, is incapable of dealing with misuse by ―systemic rivals‖.
None of our multilateral institutions was built for a world where the ties of interdependence — which were supposed to enhance the well-being of all — could themselves be ―weaponized‖ for nationalistic gain, at the expense of other players.
The misuse of existing rules (or loopholes within the existing rules) by several countries, especially by China (e.g. via forced technology requirements, intellectual property rights violations, and subsidies), to gain an unfair advantage in trade relations
The pandemic has provided us with some even more alarming illustrations of how damaging the weaponisation of global supply chains can be. Weaponised interdependence: As death tolls rose (in some cases, to catastrophic proportions) many countries responded with export restrictions on critical medical supplies. This was inevitable given the absence of adequate stocks within countries. Recognising the shortages that countries were facing, China offered to sell these products to countries in need. dangers of using faulty equipment on critical patients EU and India concerned about predatory takeovers of their companies by China.
Reforming multilateralism: Need for reassurance and policies that reflect a renewed commitment to the raison d‘étre of
multilateralism. There is an urgent need for some strategic decoupling, handled smartly in cooperation with other like- minded countries.
This may cause considerable disruption to existing global value chains; shrinking of the global economic pie. We will be less prosperous. But we will also be more secure. Closer cooperation with some and distancing from others. Membership of such renewed multilateral institutions would not be universal; rather, one would limit deep integration to countries with which one shares first-order values — such as pluralism, democracy, liberalism, animal welfare rights, and more. India‟s role: Because of COVID-19 and the apparent malfeasance and the opaqueness with which China has dealt with the crises - loss of global public opinion, faith in the competence and integrity of a great power - its image as a reliable partner has suffered a huge dent. Neither aid diplomacy nor the unleashing of Chinese soft power can easily recover the trust
deficit that exists today between China and much of the rest of the world. The current crisis in multilateralism could be a remarkable opportunity for India
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Some constituencies in the West seek a gradual decoupling from China, they would be well served to look toward India. Strategies : India‘s cooperation with like-minded actors will be key India could work closely with the Alliance for Multilateralism (an initiative launched by Germany and France) to shape both the alliance itself and the reform agenda at large. Working together with a group of countries from the developed and developing countries could further amplify India‘s voice.
India could lead a coalition to bridge this deficit of trust through a regime of incentives and sanctions that seek to embed Beijing into a much more guided and directed socialisation into the rules of the international system.
Conclusion: The strategic and economic have, however, to be in consonance with each other. In the longer term then, whether multi-polarity is the only firm guarantor of a sustainable and fairer
multilateralism requires further debate among scholars and practitioners alike. Source:- The Hindu
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA & AIIB SIGN AGREEMENT FOR $500 MILLION COVID-19 SUPPORT FOR INDIA
Context: The Government of India and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) signed a US$ 500 million ―COVID-19 Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Project‖ to help India to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and strengthen its public health preparedness. More in the news: This is the first ever health sector support from the Bank to India. This new support will cover all States and Union Territories across India and address the needs of infected people, at-risk populations, medical and emergency personnel and service providers, medical and testing facilities, and national and animal health agencies. The project will enable the Government of India to slow and limit as much as possible the spread of COVID-19 in India by providing immediate support to enhance disease detection capacities by scaling up procurement of PPE, oxygen delivery systems, and medicines, build resilient health systems to provide core public health, prevention, and patient management functions to manage COVID-19 and future disease outbreaks, support research on COVID-19 by Indian and other global institutions working in
collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research, address significant negative externalities expected in the event of a widespread COVID-19 outbreak and strengthen public structures for the coordination and management of the project.
The project will also enhance the resilience of India‘s health system to provide core public health prevention and patient care to better manage COVID-19 and future disease outbreaks. It will help strengthen India‘s Integrated Disease Surveillance Program, revamp infectious disease hospitals, district,
civil, general and medical college hospitals, and build a network of high containment Biosafety Level 3 laboratories.
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB): Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank
Mission: to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia. Headquartered in Beijing, AIIB finances infrastructure projects in the Asia-Pacific region. India is founding member of AIIB Voting: The voting shares are based on the size of each member country‘s economy (GDP in PPP terms) not
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on the basis of contribution to the bank‘s authorized capital.
China, India and Russia are the three largest shareholders.
Source:- PIB
GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS- Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate
73RD WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY Context: Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare participated in the 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) through Video Conference World Health Assembly: The World Health Assembly (WHA) is the forum through which the World Health Organization (WHO) is governed by its 194 member states. It is the world‘s highest health policy setting body and is composed of health ministers from member states. The members of the World Health Assembly generally meet every year in May in Geneva, the location of WHO Headquarters. It reports to the Economic and Social Council in accordance with any agreement between the Organization and the United Nations. Function: Determine the policies of the Organization, Appoint the Director-General, Supervise financial policies, and review and Approve the proposed programme budget. Source:- The Hindu ------
GS PAPER – III
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Effects of liberalisation of Economy
LIVELIHOOD OF 1.6 BLN INFORMAL WORKERS WORLDWIDE AT RISK, WARNS ILO
Context: Approximately 1.6 billion workers in the informal economy — nearly half of the global workforce — was in immediate danger of having their livelihoods destroyed because of the COVID-19, says ILO in a
report. Key Highlights: Asia and Africa both account for nearly 916 million workers from the informal economy, with an
additional 178 million in countries that are in partial lockdown. There are 772 million informal workers under complete lockdown in the Asia Pacific region alone, according to ILO estimates, with 77 million in countries with partial lockdown measures.
The ILO report raised concerns over the sharp decline in working hours across the world because of disruptions in the labour market from lockdown measures. The second (current) quarter of 2020 shows a far-reaching impact with respect to the number of working hours, according to the ILO estimates. Almost 11 per cent of working hours across the world were projected to be wiped out in this quarter, said the ILO report. This increase in the loss of jobs occurred because of extensions of lockdown measures
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International Labour Organisation(ILO):
It was created in 1919, as part of theTreaty of Versailles, that ended World War I, to reflect the
belief that universal and lasting peace can be accomplished only if it is based on social justice.
The only tripartite U.N. agency, since 1919 the ILO brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 member States set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all
women and men.
Source:- Down To Earth
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
MSME IDEAS PORTAL
Context: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari launched a The 'MSME Bank of Ideas, Innovation and Research' portal. Ideas Portal:
Portal for uploading ideas and innovations regarding the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector. This submission will then be evaluated by a team of government experts and will be published in public domain on the basis of its potential. This portal will help rate ideas based on six parameters which include economic viability, lean manufacturing, technological feasibility etc. The platform aims to enable venture capitalists and private equity firms connect with ideas and innovators to fund projects of MSMEs. The portal will also help MSME check funding availability with other Centre and State departments. MSME technology centres will also be included. The portal is aimed at encouraging research and help in standardisation and establishment of indigenous practices to help convert them into viable businesses. Source:- PIB
MARCH CORE SECTOR OUTPUT SLUMPS 6.5% Context:
Output at India‘s core sector contracted by 6.5% in March, Commerce Ministry data show, reflecting the early impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent nationwide lockdown. More in the news:
The index of eight core sector industries, which form 40% of the weight of items included in the broader Index of Industrial Production (IIP), reflected a contraction in key parts of the economy in March Analysts warned that the core sector data signalled a much sharper contraction in the wider IIP, especially
in April, as several core sector industries were actually exempted from the lockdown.
Index of eight core industries: It is a composite indicator that measures the short-term changes in the volume of production of a basket of industrial products during a given period with respect to that in a chosen base period. Compiled and released by Central statistical office Index gives the growth rates of different industry groups of the economy over a specified time period. The Eight Core Sectors/Industries are: Electricity Steel
Refinery products
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Crude oil
Coal
Cement
Natural gas Fertilisers Base year - 2011 -12.
Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - intellectual property rights.
GI TAG Context:
Kashmir saffron, which is cultivated and harvested in the Karewa (highlands) of Jammu and Kashmir, has been given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry. Chak-Hao, which is a black rice variety of Manipur, and Gorakhpur terracotta have also bagged the Geogrphical Indication (GI) tag.
More in the news: Chak - Hao: Black rice is a range of rice types of the species oryza sativa L.
It is also known as purple rice, some of which are glutinous rice. Black rice is a source of iron, vitamin E, and antioxidants (more than in blueberries). In Manipur, it is generally served in special occasions and festive events.
It is deemed that cultivation of black rice started when the earliest settlers of Manipur came to the place. In hills of Manipur, the grain is harvested in organic methods. No pesticide and chemical fertilizer is used. The black rice needs to be soaked for a few hours or overnight for cooking.
Gorakhpur Terracotta: The terracotta work of Gorakhpur is a centuries-old traditional art form, where the potters make various animal figures like, horses, elephants, camel, goat and ox with hand-applied ornamentation.
Some of the major products of craftsmanship include the Hauda elephants, Mahawatdar horse, deer, camel, five-faced Ganesha, singled-faced Ganesha, elephant table, chandeliers and hanging bells Kasmiri Saffron:
Kashmir saffron is grown in some regions of Kashmir, including Pulwama, Budgam, Kishtwar and Srinagar. Iran is the largest producer of saffron. With the GI tag, Kashmir saffron would gain more prominence in the export market. Kashmir saffron rejuvenates health and is used in cosmetics and for medicinal purposes. It has been associated with traditional Kashmiri cuisine. The unique characteristics of Kashmir saffron are its longer and thicker stigmas, natural deep-red colour, high aroma, bitter flavour, chemical-free processing, and high quantity of crocin (colouring strength), safranal (flavour) and picrocrocin (bitterness). It is the only saffron in the world grown at an altitude of 1,600 m to 1,800 m AMSL (above mean sea level). The saffron available in Kashmir is of three types — ‗Lachha Saffron‘ ‗Mongra Saffron‘ and ‗Guchhi Saffron‘.
GI tag:
Geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g. a town, region, or country). Approved by the Geneva-headquartered World Trade Organization.
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GI Tag acts as a certificate and it is a way of ensuring that similar products from elsewhere cannot
be sold under this name.
In India, the GI tag is governed by the Geographical Indication of Goods (Registration and
Protection) Act which came into being in 1999. A GI Tag is valid for a decade, after which it can be renewed for another 10 years. Darjeeling Tea was the first Indian product to get the geographical indication tag.
Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Growth, development and Employment
DIRECT TAXES REVENUES DEFY LOCKDOWN, JUMP 36.6% IN APRIL Context:
Despite the nationwide lockdown, Direct tax collection grew by 36.6%. More in the news: Among the zones, Mumbai reported a massive 500% growth in net tax collections, followed by Bengaluru that reported 160% growth. Delhi, at number three, reported a 34% growth in April.
Direct Tax: Direct tax is a type of tax where the incidence and impact of taxation fall on the same entity. In the case of direct tax, the burden can‘t be shifted by the taxpayer to someone else.
These are largely taxes on income or wealth. Income tax, corporation tax, property tax, inheritance tax and gift tax are examples of direct tax. overseen by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - e-technology in the aid of farmers Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices
E -NAM Context: 200 new mandis from 7 States integrated with the e-NAM platform for marketing of Agricultural produce. E- NAM: Pan-India electronic trade portal linking Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) across the States. It provides for contactless remote bidding and mobile-based anytime payment for which traders do not need to either visit mandis or banks for the same. Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is the lead agency for implementing eNAM under the aegis of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers‘ Welfare, Government of India. Single-window service for all Agricultural Produce Market Committees related information and services. Source:- PIB
E-NAM PLATFORM Context:
177 new mandis from 10 States & UTs integrated with the e-NAM platform for marketing of Agricultural produce E- NAM platform: National Agriculture Market (eNAM), a pan-India electronic trading portal Objective: integrating the existing Mandis to ―One Nation One Market‖ for agricultural commodities in India
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Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is the lead agency for implementing eNAM under the aegis of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers‘ Welfare, Government of India. The NAM portal provides a single window service for all APMC related information and services which includes commodity arrivals, quality & prices, provision to respond to trade offers and electronic payment settlement directly into farmers‘ accounts and helping them for better market access. Source:- PIB
CHAMPIONS PORTAL Context: Union Ministry of MSME has launched CHAMPIONS portal CHAMPION portal: CHAMPIONS stands here for Creation and Harmonious Application of Modern Processes for Increasing the Output and National Strength. It is grievance registration and management system for issues around finance, raw materials, labour, regulatory permissions etc. particularly due to the Covid impact faced by small businesses. It is a real one-stop-shop solution of MSME Ministry The portal will act as a control room that will provide information to the industries. It includes video conferences, internet and telephones. These systems are enabled with Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. The system is to be completely integrated with CPGRAMS of Government of India. Source:- PIB
INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT SHRANK 16.7% IN MARCH
Context: India‘s factory output plummeted to record lows in March, with the Index of Industrial Production contracting 16.7%, reflecting the drastic impact of the countrywide lockdown that began on March 25. Index of Industrial Production: IIP shows the growth rates in different industry groups of the economy in a fixed period of time. IIP index is computed and published by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO),on a monthly basis. It is a composite indicator of the general level of industrial activity in the economy. The industry groups that it measures are classified under the following: Broad sectors, namely, Mining, Manufacturing, and Electricity. Use-based sectors, namely Basic Goods, Capital Goods, and Intermediate Goods. Base Year for IIP is 2011-2012. The eight core industries of India represent about 40% of the weight of items that are included in the IIP. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and
issues arising out of their design and implementation
KISAN SABHA APP Context: CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) launched Kisan sabha App
Kisan Sabha: Aim: Kisan Sabha aims to provide the most economical and timely logistics support to the farmers and increase their profit margins by minimizing interference of middlemen and directly connecting with the institutional buyers. It will also help in providing best market rates of crops by comparing nearest mandis, booking of freight vehicle at cheapest cost thereby giving maximum benefit to the farmers.
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The portal connects the farmers, transporters, Service providers (like pesticides/ fertilizer/ dealers, cold store and warehouse owner), mandi dealers, customers (like big retail outlets, online stores, institutional buyers) and other related entities for timely and effective solution. one stop solution for farmers, transporters and other entities engaged in the agriculture Industry KisanSabha also works for people in agriculture services sector such as dealers of fertilizers/ pesticides,who can reach out to more farmers for their services. Source:- PIB
ECONOMIC RECOVERY MAY TAKE OVER A YEAR, SAYS CII Context: The country‘s high performing economic districts should be allowed to play by different rules in the third phase of the lockdown beginning on Monday, according to the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). More in the news: In a strategy paper submitted to the Centre on Saturday, the CII called for changes in zone classification, saying that the 100-150 districts with the highest economic value — identified either through GDP contribution or density of industrial clusters — should be allowed to restart industrial activity, even in containment areas, if stringent rules are followed.
It argued that the cost of 100% testing and aggressive health protocols is lower than continued shutdown in these areas. Source:- The Hindu
SBI TO EXTEND LOAN MORATORIUM TO NBFCS Context:
The State Bank of India (SBI) has decided to extend loan moratorium to the Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs). Background:
At the end of March 2020, the RBI had allowed banks to extend three-month repayment moratorium to their term loan customers without classifying them as non-performing assets. While the banks had extended the facility to the retail borrowers, they were reluctant to extend the same to the NBFCs, including housing finance companies and micro-finance institutions. More in the news: Bank funding is a key source of liquidity for the NBFCs.
As a result, NBFCs that had extended this benefit to their customers but were not granted the same by banks, were facing a severe liquidity crunch. SBI‘s move is seen as a huge relief to the non-banking finance companies facing a cash crunch.
The SBI will assess the cash flow situation of the NBFCs before deciding on extending the facility. If an entity had a negative cash flow, that is, if repayments or inflows to the NBFC were lower than the outflow, only then the facility would be extended. With SBI now deciding to offer the moratorium, NBFCs expect other commercial banks also to follow suit. Source:- The Hindu
THE ECONOMIC MALAISE Context: Slowly but perceptibly, we are moving into a different phase of the Covid crisis. The health situation remains serious, of course, precluding normal social interactions. But as the exit from lockdown starts, albeit slow in pace and differentiated across geographies, attention is beginning to focus on the task of reviving economic production. To recapitulate, the Covid crisis is dealing a sharp blow to an already-struggling financial sector. But no sector is in a strong position to rescue the banks, since balance sheets across the economy are now
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impaired. That means the costs cannot be spread, they must be minimised, which in turn requires urgent action because delays severely erode the underlying value of assets. Blotting balance sheets across the economy: For more than a month, firms of all sizes and sectors have been unable to sell their goods; many households have been unable to earn; financial institutions have been unable to collect on their loans; and
the government has been unable to collect much tax revenue. How bad is the damage likely to be? around one-third of industrial and service firms have applied for moratoria on their bank loans.
If only a quarter of these deferred loans eventually go bad, then the stock of non-performing assets (NPAs) would increase by Rs 5 lakh crore. who will pay for such losses, if they do materialise:
The government will want to pass the burden onto the corporate and household sectors, in the form of higher taxes, more arrears, and possibly higher inflation. But these sectors will resist, for they have financial problems of their own.
Delay recognising the Problem, Pushing it into the future: Dramatically,increase of deficits and debts, as revenues already slowing, have been decimated by the Covid crisis, while expenditures have increased. slowly recovering economy example by allowing banks not to classify bad loans as NPAs, and barring them from taking defaulters to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy (IBC) system. What can be done? preventing bankruptcies: Banks need to identify the firms that are viable, and lend them the funds they need to tide them over the immediate crisis. government might need to create a guarantee fund to support lending, as one of us has proposed. when firms do default, they need to be resolved as quickly as possible:
because the financial position of stressed firms tends to worsen over time. stressed firms have poor cash flows and can‘t obtain much in the way of loans from banks. So, they don‘t have enough money to fund their operations properly, which means that over time their
underlying business deteriorates, destroying the firms‘ market value. only way to maximise the recovery rate is to sort out the bad loans speedily. Conclusion:
A new approach is consequently needed. The immediate problems created by the crisis must be addressed, decisively and quickly. Then the attention will have to turn to addressing the pre-Covid legacy balance sheet problems, which have been intensified by the crisis. Source:- The Hindu
ENABLE LONGER WORK HOURS: CII TO CENTRE Context:
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has put forth several recommendations at a meeting between CII representatives and the Labour and Employment Minister. More in the news: Addressing labour shortage: The government must issue guidelines directing direct workers to rejoin duty and has suggested that those failing to report for work must be made liable for action under the Employment Standing Order Act and the Industrial Dispute Act. The CII has suggested that migrant workers residing in shelter homes or available locally near the industrial belts must be mapped and must be deployed to the nearest factories. Ensuring job retention: The industry body has sought removal of labour advisories issued under the Disaster Management Act that prohibits employers from any wage reduction, layoff and retrenchment of workers and has
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recommended that the provisions of layoff under the Industrial Dispute Act be extended to commercial establishments as a job retention measure for workers having no work. For the period of layoff, such workers shall remain on rolls and will get reduced wages along with statutory benefits such as ESIC and PF. Ensuring ease of business:
Labour codes should be further reviewed to enable greater ease of doing business and encourage entrepreneurship. Ensuring profitability of enterprises:
The States need to put the revision of minimum wages on hold for at least one year and the normal working hours of employees across sectors must be increased by allowing four hours overtime per day, with proportionate pay for overtime work.
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization. Founded in 1895, it works with the Government on policy issues. It works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India, partnering industry, Government, and civil society, through advisory and consultative processes.
Source:- The Hindu
HOW WILL THE COVID-19 RELIEF FOR MSMES HELP? Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs.20-lakh crore economic relief package titled Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. The relief package is being unveiled in tranches (from May 13) by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The first tranche, aimed at micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), non- banking financial companies (NBFCs) and at some individuals Proposals aimed at offering relief to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs):
collateral-free loans to MSMEs which will be fully guaranteed by the Centre. principal repayment moratorium for 12 months and the interest rate will be capped and there will be no guarantee fee.
All MSMEs with a turnover of up to Rs.100 crore and with outstanding credit of up to Rs.25 crore will be eligible to borrow up to 20% of their total outstanding credit. These loans will have a four-year tenure.
Collateral free loan A partial credit guarantee scheme has been extended to enable promoters of these units to increase their equity.
There is also a proposal to infuse equity into MSMEs through a Fund of funds system change in the definition of MSMEs: MSMEs will be defined not based on their investment alone but also on their turnover. The existing distinction between manufacturing and services units has been eliminated. a unit with up to Rs.1 crore investment and Rs.5 crore turnover will qualify as a micro unit, investment up to Rs.10 crore and turnover up to Rs.50 crore will qualify as a small unit, and investment up to Rs.20 crore and turnover up to Rs.100 crore will qualify as a medium enterprise. How will this benefit MSMEs? This will act as initial seed money for these small enterprises hit by zero cash flow due to the national lockdown. since the loans are guaranteed by the central government, Banks are now expected to be more comfortable to lend to this category of borrower because the risk is zero. Under the partial credit guarantee scheme, two lakh stressed MSMEs with non-performing assets (NPAs) are projected to benefit from this
Equity in MSMSE through Funds of Funds - expand size and capacity of the MSMEs with equity and help them get listed on the stock exchanges. 46
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Measures for the common man: In March, when the first relief package called the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana was announced, the government offered to pay the 24% provident fund contribution (employer+employee) for those earning up to Rs.15,000 a month as salary and working in units that employ less than 100 workers for three months. This has now been extended for another three months up to August.
To increase liquidity in their hands: PF contribution for those employed in the private sector has been reduced to 10% rate of tax deducted at source (TDS) and tax collected at source (TCS) has been reduced by 25%
Source:- The Hindu
FASTag Context: Vehicles with invalid or non-functional FASTag to be charged double toll Fee applicable to their category FASTAG: FASTag is a RFID passive tag used for making toll payments directly from the customers linked prepaid or savings/current account. It is affixed on the windscreen of the vehicle and enables the customer to drive through toll plazas, without stopping for any toll payments. FASTag is a device that employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for making toll payments directly while the vehicle is in motion. FASTag (RFID Tag) is affixed on the windscreen of the vehicle and enables a customer to make the toll payments directly from the account which is linked to FASTag. Electronic Toll Collection program on toll plazas by National Highway Authority of India. Works on the principle of Radio Frequency Identification Working : The tag needs to be affixed to the windscreen of the vehicle in such a way that the sensor at the toll plaza can read it.
It is valid for five years, and can be recharged as and when required. The payment method is a part of the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) programme. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) collects the payments.
Source:- PIB
SCRAPPING OF RBI BONDS A BLOW TO PEOPLE, SAYS CHIDAMBARAM Context: The government‘s decision to discontinue the 7.75 per cent Savings (Taxable) Bonds, 2018 Why such a mov? The global growth rate projections have been brought down following the spread of coronavirus Pandemic. And since then, the interest rates have been on a decline. The bonds move now comes in line with - i. the cut in repo rate by the RBI ii. cut in deposit rates by banks iii. cut in small savings rate by the government The RBI's move to cut repo rate has been to push credit growth and demand to give a boost to the economy.
RBI 7.75% bonds scheme The Savings Taxable bonds issued by the government for retail investors can emerge as an
investment with a higher rate of interest. Popularly known as RBI Bonds or GOI bonds, they suit anyone looking for highest safety of principal and a regular income. Government in 2018 issued 7.75% Savings (Taxable) Bonds, 2018 (with effect from January 10,
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2018). There will be no maximum limit for investment in the Bonds.
Eligibility: Resident Indian (Non-Resident Indian- cannot apply for this)
Hindu Undivided Family and charitable institutions/universities
Income Tax: Interest on the Bonds will be taxable under the Income Tax Act, 1961 as applicable according to the relevant tax status of the Bond holders.
The Bonds will be exempt from wealth-tax under the Wealth Tax Act, 1957 Interest: The Bonds will be issued in ‗Cumulative‘ or ‗Non-cumulative‘ form, at the option of investor and will bear interest at the rate of 7.75% per annum.
Repayment: The Bonds shall be repayable on the expiration of 7 years from the date of issue. Premature encashment in respect of the Bonds shall be allowed for individual investors in the age group of 60 years and above
Transfer of Bonds: The Bonds are not transferable. And, the Bonds are not even tradeable in the Secondary market and are not eligible as collateral for loans from banking institutions, non-banking financial companies or financial institutions.
Source: The Hindu
IDEATHON Context:
The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) organized an IDEAthon IDEAthon on ―The future of River Management‘ to explore how the COVID-19 crisis can shape River Management strategies for the future. IDEAthon: The IDEAthon examined how the social angle of rivers can be leveraged on to address other crises. What lessons for river management has the pandemic taught us? And what response mechanisms are needed in the event of a river crisis? IDEAthon to garner more attention towards river management and also highlight the interconnectivity of Cities with the River.
A different perspective than traditional urban planning methods, the River cities need a special focus to capitalize on not only the socio-cultural significance of the river but also the ecological importance and economic potential which can help the city, if properly planned. The IDEAthon sought to brainstorm the learnings from COVID-19 pandemic, the following lockdown
and its impact on river management Source:- PIB
MAOIST CASE: NIA MAY QUESTION MORE PEOPLE Context: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is likely to question more persons suspected of maintaining contacts with Allan Shuhaib, 20, and Thaha Fasal, 24, arrested earlier under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on the charge of being associated with the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).
Unlawful activities (prevention) Act : Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is an Indian law aimed at effective prevention of unlawful activities associations in India. Its main objective was to make powers available for dealing with
activities directed against the integrity and sovereignty of India The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 enables more effective prevention of certain unlawful activities of individuals and associations and for dealing with terrorist activities, and
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other related matters.
UAPA provides special procedures to deal with terrorist activities, among other things.
It designates individuals as terrorists on certain grounds provided in the Act.
The Bill empowers the Director General of NIA to grant approval of seizure or attachment of property when the case is investigated by the said agency. The Bill empowers the officers of the NIA, of the rank of Inspector or above, to investigate cases of
terrorism in addition to those conducted by the DSP or ACP or above rank officer in the state.
Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising from it.
GOLD ETFS SEE INFLOWS, JEWELLERY TAKES A HIKE Context:
Gold backed exchange traded funds (ETFs) witnessed a huge jump in the first quarter of the year, on the other hand jewellery demand took a significant hit owing to the COVID•19 pandemic and imposed lockdowns. More in the enws: The COVID•19 pandemic increased safe haven investment demand for gold. Gold functions as a strategic asset as it holds the ability to act as an effective diversifier and alleviate losses during tough market conditions and economic downturns. The gold backed ETFs saw a sevenfold year on year increase in the midst of global uncertainty and financial market volatility. According to the Gold Demand Trends report by the World Gold Council, global gold demand held firm in the first quarter of 2020 that signalled a rise of 1% compared to the corresponding
period last year. The pandemic slashed jewellery demand as global governments imposed lockdown measures. On the price front, sharp investment inflows helped push the gold price in dollar terms to an eight •year
high.
Gold exchange Traded fund: A gold exchange-traded fund (Gold ETF) is a passive investment fund that aims to track the price of physical gold. Each unit of a gold ETF represents one gram of gold as the fund invests in physical gold and
investors get the units in dematerialised form. Since it‘s an ETF, the units are listed on stock exchanges and investors can buy or sell units on the exchange platform like any equity instrument.
Gold ETF is like buying gold in an electronic form. Hence, while selling a gold ETF unit, an investor will not get physical gold but the cash equivalent Benefits:
Flexibility Liquidity:offer high liquidity, Also, the transactional expenses (broker fee and govt duty) is less than that of physical gold.
Ease to hold for long time: They do not attract wealth tax on Gold ETFs as opposed to physical gold. Storage (in demat account) and safety are no issues either. Tax Efficiency:Returns generated from Gold ETFs are subject to long-term capital gains tax.
However, there will be no additional burden of sales tax, VAT, or wealth tax
Source:- The Hindu
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UNHEARD AND UNSEEN Context: COVID-19 is causing havoc across the world, destroying both lives and livelihoods. Developing countries such as India are particularly vulnerable as their vast informal workforce. This is largely a consequence of the continued neglect of the informal economy over the years in
the belief that it is a marginal or temporary sector where people subsist while they wait for formal jobs. Size of Informal economy:
According to Labour Force Survey, 2017-18, 90.6 per cent of India‘s workforce was informally employed This includes those who are employed in informal enterprises as well as informal workers in the formal sector.
The previous employment unemployment surveys suggest that the share of informally employed has been persistently high. Even, a period when India witnessed rapid economic growth, the share of the informal workforce
witnessed only a marginal decline from 93.2 percent to 90.6 percent. Looking head: It is likely that informal employment will increase as workers who lose formal jobs during the COVID crisis try to find or create work (by resorting to self-employment) in the informal economy. Also formal enterprises are likely to continue hiring informal workers as they seek more flexibility and attempt to cut labour costs to cope with the COVID-19 induced economic uncertainty. Multiple drivers of informality: Some self-employed persons choose to be in the informal economy voluntarily to avoid registration or taxation others do so out of necessity to eke out a subsistence living in the absence of alternative employment opportunities. Few informal enterprises choose to remain in the informal sector as they are deterred by the costs of formalisation or don‘t see much benefit from formalisation. Formal enterprises hiring informal workers as they seek more flexibility and attempt to cut labour costs.
Reform needed: Informal economy should be formalised The policy discourse on informality needs to focus not just on formalising informal enterprises but also
reducing the decent work deficit in informal employment. creating more formal jobs through labour intensive growth so that informal workers can move to these jobs.
Registering and taxing informal enterprises. Source:- The Indian Express
PATHWAYS TO A MORE RESILIENT ECONOMY Context: The COVID-19 global pandemic is a catastrophe, both for human lives and for economies. Economists cannot predict in what form the economy will emerge from it. Fundamental reforms of ideas and institutions in human societies are always difficult, until a crisis pushes for reforms. Challenging principles: The crisis has challenged the tenets of economics that have dominated public policy for the past 50 years.
Here are seven radical ideas emerging as pathways to build a more resilient economy and a more just society. De-Growth :
The obsession with GDP as the supreme goal of progress has been challenged often by a small number of people.
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Now, Nobel laureates in economics are calling upon their profession to rethink the fundamentals of economics, especially the purpose of GDP. A five-point de-growth manifesto by 170 Dutch academics has gone viral amidst the heightened Internet buzz during the lockdown. Goals for human progress must be reset as in what should we aspire for and how will we measure
if we are getting there? Concepts and Indicators like GNH, HDI also can be employed.
Redrawing the Boundaries: Boundary-lessness is a mantra for hyper-globalists as boundaries impede flows of trade, finance, and people. Therefore, removing boundaries is good for global growth.
However, since countries are at different stages of economic development, and have different compositions of resources, they must follow different paths to progress. This premise can explain the breakdown of WTO, in which all countries were expected to
open their borders, which caused harm to countries at different stages of development. Now COVID-19 has given another reason to maintain sufficient boundaries. Hyper globalism: It believes that globalisation is happening and that local cultures are being eroded primarily because of the expansion of international capitalism and the emergence of a homogenous global culture. They also believe that globalisation is a positive process characterised by economic growth, increasing prosperity and the spread of democracy. Government is good: The dictum ―Government is not the solution, but is the problem‖, has been up-ended by COVID- 19. Even capitalist corporations who wanted governments out of the way to make it easy for
them to do business are lining up for government bailouts. The Market is not the best solution: Money is a convenient currency for managing markets and for conducting transactions.
Whenever goods and services are left to markets, it becomes disadvantageous to those who do not have money to obtain what they need. The marketization of economies has contributed to the increasing inequalities in wealth over the last 50 years. Citizens not Consumers: In economies, human beings are consumers and producers. In societies, they are citizens. Citizens have a broader set of needs than consumers. Citizens‘ needs cannot be fulfilled merely by enabling them to consume more goods and services. They value justice, dignity, and societal harmony too. Economists‘ evaluations of the benefits of free trade, and competition policy too, which are based on consumer welfare alone, fail to account for negative impacts on what citizens value.
Collaboration not Competition: Collaboration is essential for progress. From school onwards, children are taught to compete.
Companies must improve their competitive abilities and nations too should follow the path. Further progress, to achieve the SDGs for example, will require collaboration among
scientists in different disciplines, and among diverse stakeholders, and collaboration among sovereign countries. Improvement in abilities to share and govern common resources have become essential for human survival in the 21st century.
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IP belongs to the Public: We are living in an era of knowledge. Just as those who owned more land used to have more power before, now those who own knowledge have more power and wealth than the rest. Intellectual property monopolies are producing enormous wealth for their owners, though many
were developed on the back of huge public investments. Moreover, powerful technologies can be used for benign or malign purposes. It is imperative to evolve new institutions for public ownership of technologies and for the regulation of
their use. Way Forward: There will be resistance to shifts in social, economic, and political power towards those who have less
from those who have more within the present paradigm. The economic system cannot be redesigned by domain experts devising solutions within their silos. Such as, trade experts recommending new trade policies, intellectual property experts recommending reforms of intellectual property rights, and industry experts recommending industry policies. All the pieces must fit together. Innovations are required at many levels to create a more resilient and just world. Innovation is essential in the overall design of the economy. Innovations will be required in business models too. Lastly, the redesign of economies, of businesses, and our lives, must begin with questions about purpose. As in the purpose of economic growth, the purpose of businesses and other institutions.
Source:- The Hindu
HARYANA GOVERNMENT DECIDES TO LEVY „COVID CESS‟ ON LIQUOR Context: The Haryana Cabinet on Tuesday decided to levy ―COVID cess‖ on all types of liquor in the State with
effect from Wednesday. Cess: Cess is a form of tax charged/levied over and above the base tax liability of a taxpayer. A cess is usually imposed additionally when the state or the central government looks to raise funds for specific purposes If the cess collected in a particular year goes unspent, it cannot be allocated for other purposes. The amount gets carried over to the next year and can only be used for the cause it was meant for. Types of cess in India: Education Cess: Education cess was introduced to finance and provide standard quality education to poor people. Health and education cess: Proposed in Budget 2018 by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to meet the education and health needs of rural and rural and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. Swachh Bharat Cess: Introduced in 2015, a 0.5% Swachh Bharat cess was imposed to fund national campaign for clearing the roads, streets and the infrastructure of India.
Krishi Kalyan Cess: This cess was aimed at developing the agricultural economy, and was collected at the rate of 0.5%. Infrastructure Cess: Announced in Union Budget 2016, this cess was charged on the production of vehicles. A cess is levied on the tax payable and not on the taxable income. In a sense, for the taxpayer, it is equivalent to a surcharge on tax. A cess can be levied on both direct and indirect taxes. The revenue obtained from income tax, corporation tax, and indirect taxes can be allocated for various purposes.
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The proceeds of all taxes and cesses are credited in the Consolidated Fund of India (CFI), an account of the Government of India. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints
THE SARAS COLLECTION” ON THE GOVERNMENT E-MARKETPLACE (GEM) PORTAL
Context: Rural Development Minister launched the Saras collection on Government e Marketplace (GeM) portal Saras collection:
Saras Collection showcases daily utility products made by rural self-help groups (SHGs) aims to provide SHGs in rural areas with market access to Central and State Government buyers. It is an initiative of Government e Marketplace (GeM) and the DeenDayal Antyodaya Yojana-National
Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) Under this initiative, SHG sellers will be able to list their products in 5 product categories, namely (i) handicrafts, (ii) handloom and textiles, (iii) office accessories, (iv) grocery and pantry, and (v) personal
care and hygiene. GeM: National Public Procurement Portal for procurement of goods and services required by Central and State Government organizations. It aims to enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement. functions under Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D),Ministry of Commerce and Industry. It also provides the tools of e-bidding and reverse e-auction to facilitate the government users achieve the best value for their money. Source:- PIB
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Statutory, regulatory and various quasi-judicial bodies Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
SBI CUTS LENDING RATE, FD INTEREST
Context: State Bank of India, the country‘s largest lender, has reduced the marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR) by 15 basis points across all tenures.
More in the news: Consequently, equated monthly installments on eligible home loan accounts (linked to MCLR) will get cheaper by approx. Rs.255.00 for a 30 year loan of Rs.25 lakh,‖ SBI said in a statement.
The lender has also reduced retail fixed deposit rate by 20 bps for up to three years maturity, citing adequate liquidity. Marginal cost of funds based lending rate (MCLR):
Marginal Cost of Funds based Lending Rate (MCLR) is the minimum lending rate below which a bank is not permitted to lend. RBI implemented MCLR on 1 April 2016 to determine rates of interests for loans.
MCLR is based on four components—the marginal cost of funds, negative carry on account of cash reserve ratio, operating costs and tenor premium. MCLR is linked to the actual deposit rates. Hence, when deposit rates rise, it indicates the banks are likely
to hike MCLR and lending rates are set to go up. It is an internal benchmark or reference rate for the bank. MCLR actually describes the method by which the minimum interest rate for loans is determined by a bank – on the basis of marginal cost or the additional or incremental cost of arranging one more rupee to the prospective borrower. Source:- The Hindu
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GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Effects of Liberalisation of Eonomy
$3.6 MN IN U.S. FUNDING TO INDIAN LABS MAY BE DELAYED
Context:
A decision by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to donate $3.6 million to Indian laboratories and research agencies to assist in countering the COVID-19 pandemic could run into delays, given that the agency has been placed on a watch list since December 2019.
More in the news: Funding from the U.S. government body would have to be cleared by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) as it had been placed on a ―watch list‖ in 2019.
This bars it from sending funds directly to any government or private institute in India without the MHA‘s clearance.
Foreign Contribution Regulation Act: FCRA regulates the foreign contribution (money donation) and foreign hospitality (e.g. free airplane tickets and hotel lodging during videsh-yaatra) given to various NGOs, institutes, judges, journalists, public servants etc.
Scope and Objective: The intent of the Act is to prevent use of foreign contribution or foreign hospitality for any activity detrimental to the national interest. Applicable to a natural person, body corporate, all other types of Indian entities (whether
incorporated or not) as well as NRIs and overseas branches/subsidiaries of Indian companies and other entities formed or registered in India. It is implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - issues relating to intellectual property rights.
PATENTING OF INNOVATIVE LOW COST PPE Context: Patenting of Innovative Low Cost PPE developed by Indian Navy Paves way for Rapid Mass Production Intellectual property rights: Intellectual property rights are the rights given to persons over the creations of their minds. They usually give the creator an exclusive right over the use of his/her creation for a certain period of time. International Intellectual Property system began with the creation of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial property in 1883 and the Berne Convention for the protection of Literary and Artistic Works in 1886. Both treaties are administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) India‘s Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy is in compliance with WTO‘s (World Trade Organisation) agreement on TRIPS (Trade Related aspects of IPRs), aims to sustain entrepreneurship and
boost ‗Make in India.‘ Types of IPR: Copyright:
covers literary works (such as novels, poems and plays), films, music, artistic works (e.g., drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures) and architectural design. Industrial Property:
Patents: exclusive rights granted by the Government to a company/individual for an invention. Trademark: Trademark is a word, or symbol, or phrase, or design, or any combination of these, which identifies and distinguishes the source or origin of a product or service. 54
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Design: Geographical Indication: Source:- PIB
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - AGRICULTURE
PUNJAB FARMERS‟ TO GO FOR DIRECT SEEDING OF RICE Context:
Due to labour shortage, Punjab farmers are turning towards direct seeding of rice(DSR) moving away from the traditional practice — of sowing nursery and then transplanting it. Direct seeding of rice: Alternative to transplanted paddy.
In DSR, the pre-germinated seeds are directly drilled into the field by a tractor-powered machine. There is no nursery preparation or transplantation involved in this method. Farmers have to only level their land and give one pre-sowing irrigation.
In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution that 15 May of every year should be observed as the International Day of Families. Advantage:
Water savings. Less numbers of labourers required. Reduce methane emissions due to a shorter flooding period and decreased soil disturbance compared to
transplanting rice seedlings. Drawback: Non-availability of herbicides.
The seed requirement for DSR is also high, 8-10 kg/acre, compared to 4-5 kg/acre in transplanting. Further, laser land levelling is compulsory in DSR. This is not so in transplanting. The sowing needs to be done timely so that the plants have come out properly before the monsoon rains
arrive. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Economics of Animal Rearing, Fishing
PRADHAN MANTRI MATSYA SAMPADA YOJANA (PMMSY) Context: The Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) aims to enhance fish production to 220 lakh metric tons by 2024-25 from 137.58 lakh metric tons in 2018-19 at an average annual growth rate of about 9%. PMMSY: A scheme to bring about Blue Revolution through sustainable and responsible development of fisheries sector in India PMMSY will be implemented over a period of 5 years from FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25 in all States/Union Territories.
The PMMSY will be implemented as an umbrella scheme with two separate components namely: (a) Central Sector Scheme and
(b) Centrally Sponsored Scheme For optimal outcomes, ‗Cluster or area-based approach‘ would be followed with requisite forward and backward linkages and end to end solutions. Objective:
Harnessing of fisheries potential in a sustainable, responsible, inclusive and equitable manner. Enhancing fish production and productivity through expansion, intensification, etc. Modernizing and strengthening of value chain – post-harvest management and quality improvement.
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Doubling fishers and fish farmers incomes and generation of employment. Enhancing contribution to Agriculture Gross Value Addition and exports. Social, physical and economic security for fishers and fish farmers. Robust fisheries management and regulatory framework. Source:-PIB
GS PAPER - 03 ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY - Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation,
environmental impact assessment
BANNERGHATTA BIOLOGICAL PARK Context: Bengaluru‟s Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBBP), Karnataka has come out with the Animal
Adoption Programme to conserve wildlife and allow people to adopt animals at the zoo during the lockdown period. Bannerghatta NAtional Park:
The Bannerghatta National Park is located near Bangalore in Karnataka. The Bannerghatta Biological Park has been an integral part of Bannerghatta National Park and emerged out as an independent establishment during the year 2002.
Bannerghatta Biological Park is one among the few places in the world where wilderness is preserved so close to a big city. The park is part of a wildlife corridor for elephants which connects the BR Hills and the Sathyamangalam
forest. It is the first biological park in India to have a fenced forested elephant sanctuary. Source:- The Hindu
KOUNDINYA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY Context: Fear gripped the people of Gangavaram and Palamaner mandals abutting the Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary after a herd of wild elephants killed two cattle in a field at Bandameedha Jaravaripalle village under the Palamaner forest range. Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary: Koundinya Wildlife Sanctuary is the only sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh with a population of Asian elephants. The sanctuary is covered by southern tropical dry deciduous and thorn forests. The sanctuary is primarily an elephant reserve The vulnerable yellow-throated bulbul is present in the sanctuary. Source:- The Hindu
VIZAG GAS LEAK: WHO IS LIABLE?
Context: The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a Delhi-based think tank, has come out with an assessment of the styrene gas leak that occurred in the plant of LG Polymers India Pvt Ltd
Assessment by CSE: CSE first report has attributed the accident to the company‘s negligence and in not adhering to safety protocol.
The leak occurred as a result of styrene gas not being kept at the appropriate temperature. This caused a pressure build-up in the storage chamber that contained styrene and caused the valve to break, resulting in the gas leakage. How toxic is Styrene? Styrene — an organic compound used in the production of polymers, plastics and resins — is manufactured in petrochemical refineries.
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It is, likely, a carcinogenic substance that can react with oxygen in air to mutate into styrene dioxide, a substance that is more lethal. According to The Manufacture, Storage And Import Of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989, styrene is classified as a toxic and hazardous chemical. Acute (short-term) exposure to styrene in humans results in mucous membrane, eye irritation and gastro- intestinal effects. Chronic (long-term) exposure results in effects on the central nervous system (CNS), including headaches, fatigue, weakness, depression, CSN dysfunction, hearing loss and peripheral neuropathy. If it goes beyond 800 parts per million, the person can go into a coma.
What are the guidelines on storage of hazardous chemicals in plants? Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 Hazardous Waste (Management Handling and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 1989
Manufacture, Storage And Import Of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989 Chemical Accidents (Emergency, Planning, Preparedness and Response) Rules, 1996 Factories Amendment Act, 1987
Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 Source:- Down To Earth
BLACK PANTHER SPOTTED IN GOA‟S NETRAVALI SANCTUARY Context: A rare Black Panther was spotted in the Netravali wildlife sanctuary in South Goa. Black Panther: Black Panther or Black Leopard is a color variant of spotted Indian leopards, It is reported from densely forested areas of south India, mostly from the state of Karnataka. A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of any Panthera, particularly of the leopard (P. pardus) in Asia and Africa, and the jaguar (P. onca) in the Americas.
They are also known as the ghost of the forest. Netravali wildlife sanctuary: Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary is located in South-Eastern of Goa.
It constitutes one of the vital corridors of the Western Ghats Netravali or Neturli is an important tributary of River Zuari, which originates in the sanctuary.
Forests mostly consist of moist deciduous vegetation Source:- Indian Express
40 GHARIALS RELEASED IN GHAGHARA RIVER AMID LOCKDOWN Context: Forty gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) were released in the Ghaghara river by the Bahraich forest division of Uttar Pradesh in the first week of May. More in the news: The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), also known as the gavial, and fish-eating crocodile is a crocodilian in
the family Gavialidae, native to sandy freshwater river banks in the plains of the northern part of the Indian subcontinent. It is listed has critically endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of
Species The species is also listed under Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. The gharial once thrived in all the major river systems of the northern Indian subcontinent, from the Indus
River in Pakistan and the Ganges to the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar. The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is a critically endangered crocodilian existing only in India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
Chambal River in National Chambal Sanctuary is the natural habitat of gharial. Source:- Down to Earth 57
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DEFORESTATION RATE GLOBALLY DECLINED BETWEEN 2015 AND 2020: FAO REPORT Context: The rate of forest loss in 2015-2020 declined to an estimated 10 million hectares (mha), down from 12 million hectares (mha) in 2010-2015, according to the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 (FRA 2020). More about the report: The FRA 2020 was released by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
The FRA 2020 has examined the status of, and trends in, more than 60 forest-related variables in 236 countries and territories in the period 1990–2020. Key Highlights:
The largest proportion of the world‘s forests were tropical (45 per cent), followed by boreal, temperate and subtropical. More than 54 per cent of the world‘s forests were in only five countries — the Russian Federation, Brazil, Canada, the United States of America and China. Among the world‘s regions, Africa had the largest annual rate of net forest loss in 2010–2020, at 3.9 mha, followed by South America, at 2.6 mha. On the other hand, Asia had the highest net gain of forest area in 2010–2020, followed by Oceania and Europe. However, both Europe and Asia recorded substantially lower rates of net gain in 2010–2020 than in 2000–2010. The area of naturally regenerating forests worldwide decreased since 1990, but the area of planted forests increased by 123 mha. The rate of increase in the area of planted forest slowed in the last ten years. Source:- Down to Earth
KEEPING ASIA-PACIFIC AFLOAT Context: Asia-Pacific region has thrived on our seas. The seas provide food, livelihoods and a sense of identity, especially for coastal communities in the Pacific island states. In less than a century, climate change and unsustainable resource management have degraded ecosystems and diminished biodiversity, - threatening to drown progress and our way of life. Levels of overfishing have exponentially increased, leaving fish stocks and food systems vulnerable. Marine plastic pollution coursing through the region‘s rivers has contributed to most of the debris flooding the ocean. Lack of data:
Insights from ‗Changing Sails: Accelerating Regional Actions for Sustainable Oceans in Asia and the Pacific‘, the theme study of this year‘s Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), reveal that without data, we are swimming in the dark.
Data are available for only two out of ten targets for the Sustainable Development Goal 14, ‗Life Below Water‘. Due to limitations in methodology and national statistical systems, information gaps have persisted at uneven levels across countries. Plastic pollution: Asia and the Pacific produces nearly half of global plastic by volume, of which it consumes 38%. Plastics represent a double burden for the ocean: their production generates CO2 absorbed by the ocean, and as a final product enters the ocean as pollution. Environmental decline is also affecting fish stocks: The percentage of stocks fished at unsustainable levels has increased threefold from 10% in 1974 to 33% in 2015.
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Small island developing States of the Pacific experience much lower levels of connectivity, leaving them relatively isolated from the global economy. Way forward: There is a need for effective national policies and re-thinking production cycles. Generating complete data on fish stocks, fighting illicit fishing activity and conserving marine areas must remain a priority. We must also work with the shipping community to navigate toward green shipping. Enforcing sustainable shipping policies is essential. Trans-boundary ocean management and linking ocean data call for close cooperation among countries in the region. Harnessing ocean statistics through strong national statistical systems will serve as a compass guiding countries to monitor trends, devise timely responses and clear blind spots.
Our oceans keep our economy and our lives above the waves. In the post-COVID-19 era, we must use the years ahead to steer our collective fleets toward sustainable oceans. Source:- The Hindu
THE CURIOUS CASE OF RAPID MELTING IN THE HIMALAYAS Context: According to an international study on the world‘s glaciers published in journal Nature Geoscience, Hindu Kush Himalayas region is expected to lose half of its present-day glacier area by 2060, a decade earlier than the previously expected deadline of 2070. Hindu Kush Himalayas:
Spread over 3,500 square kilometers across - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. It is considered the Third Pole (after the North and South Poles), and has significant implications for
climate. It contains vast cryospheric zones and is also the world‘s largest store of snow and ice outside the polar region.
Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) are the freshwater towers of South Asia and parts of Southeast Asia. It is the source of ten large Asian river systems – the Amu Darya, Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Salween (Nu), Mekong, Yangtse, Yellow River, and Tarim (Dayan). Source:- Down to Earth
CYCLONE AMPHAN COULD ADVANCE SOUTHWEST MONSOON OVER THE ANDAMANS: IMD Context: Cyclone Amphan has created conditions that are favourable for the ―advance of the southwest monsoon over the south Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea and Andaman and Nicobar Islands around May 16. South west monsoon:
The period June to September is referred to as the 'Southwest Monsoon' period. Southwest Monsoon period is the principal rainy season for the Indian subcontinent. This is the summer monsoon period 59
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where the southwest monsoon holds away over the country. The whole country receives nearly 75% of its rainfall during this period. Southwest monsoon sets in over the extreme southwestern tip of the peninsula by the end of May. The onset of Monsoon is characterized by a sudden spurt of rainfall activity. It progresses inland in stages and covers the entire country by the middle of July.
It starts retrieving from the extreme northwest by the beginning of September, progressively receding southwards. Tamil Nadu is considered as a rain shadow region as it lies on the eastern (leaward side) side of western ghats. The total annual rainfall is maximum over the southernmost part of the state.
Source:- Down to earth
INSECT ATTACKS AFFECTED 142 MN HA FOREST BETWEEN 2003 AND 2012: REPORT Context: State of the World‘s Forests 2020 report released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the United Nations Environment Programme. Key Highlights: Since 1990 some 420 million hectares of forest have been lost through conversion to other land uses. although the rate of deforestation has decreased over the past three decades,
Despite a slowing of the rate of deforestation in the last decade, some 10 million hectares are still being lost each year through conversion to agriculture and other land uses. Deforestation and forest degradation continue to take place at alarming rates, which contributes significantly to the ongoing loss of biodiversity
Forty million hectares suffered the impact of insect and pest attacks in 2015 Invasive species (non-native insect pests, pathogens, vertebrates and plants) and outbreaks of native insect pests and diseases posed an increasing threat to the health, sustainability and productivity of natural and
planted forests globally, the report said. Climate change is expected to bring longer fire seasons and more-severe fires over much of the globe, including areas where fire was not earlier a common problem
State of the World‟s Forests 2020 report: The report was produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in partnership, for the first time, with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and technical
input from the UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC). Published on the International Day for Biological Diversity (22 May) Source:- Down to Earth
ANNUAL ACTION PLAN APPROVED FOR BIHAR UNDER JAL JEEVAN MISSION Context: Bihar State presented their Jal Jeevan Mission Annual Action Plan before Ministry of Jal Shakti for
consideration and approval, wherein in it is planned to have 100% coverage of all households with functional tap water connections by 2020-21. Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM):
Jal Jeevan Mission, is envisioned to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India. JJM focuses on integrated demand and supply-side management of water at the local level
The Mission is based on a community approach to water and includes extensive Information, Education and Communication as a key component of the mission. JJM looks to create a jan andolan for water, thereby making it everyone‘s priority.
Funding Pattern: The fund sharing pattern between the Centre and states is 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States, 50:50 for other states, and 100% for Union Territories. For the implementation of JJM, following institutional arrangement has been proposed: National Jal Jeevan Mission at the Central level; State Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM) at State level; 60
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District Water and Sanitation Mission (DWSM) at district level; and Gram Panchayat and/ or its sub-committees i.e. Village Water Sanitation Committee (VWSC)/ Paani Samiti at village Level. Source:- PIB
GS PAPER - 03 ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY - Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.
ICELAND WILL NOT HUNT WHALES IN 2020
Context: Iceland will not be hunting any whales in 2020. Two of the country‘s major whaling companies have decided to cancel their summer whaling season
International Whaling Commission: IWC was set up under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling which was signed in Washington DC on 2nd December 1946.
The purpose is to provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks and thus make possible the orderly development of the whaling industry. 89 countries have the membership of in IWC and all the member countries are signatories to this convention. India is a member state of the IWC.
Source:- Down To Earth
GS PAPER- 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano -technology, bio-technology
REMDISIVIR SHOWS NO BENEFITS ON COVID-19 PATIENTS IN FIRST CLINICAL TRIAL Context: According to a paper published in the journal The Lancet, The first-ever randomised control trial of the anti-viral drug remdesivir done on novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) positive patients has found no significant improvement in them. Key Highlights: Ramdev sivir did not significantly improve the time to clinical improvement, mortality, or time to clearance of virus in patients with serious COVID-19 compared with placebo Remdisivir:
Remdesivir was originally developed to treat the Ebola disease, and is designed to interfere with the way a virus reproduces, thereby stopping it from multiplying inside the body. It has been shown to successfully block SARS-CoV-2 from replicating in vitro, and had activity
against other coronavirus infections like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and COVID-19 in animal studies. Source:- Down to Earth
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AFRICAN SWINE FEVER
Context:
Assam Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Minister Atul Bora on Sunday said the Centre has advised the
State government to go for the culling of pigs affected by the African swine fever (ASF). African Swine fever: African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a large, double-stranded DNA virus in the Asfarviridae family.
The virus can be spread by ticks, but also by swine eating pork products that contain the virus. The virus can also be transmitted by direct or indirect contact with infected pigs, faeces or body fluids. There is no evidence these viruses cause disease in humans.
Source:- The Hindu
A LAB AT THE HEART OF U.S.-CHINA VIRUS SPAT Context: The U.S. President and the Secretary of State have both claimed that there is evidence the COVID-19 pathogen came from the lab in Wuhan — the city where the disease was first detected in 2019. More in the news: The Chinese laboratory, accused by top American officials of being the source of the pandemic, conducts research on the world‘s most dangerous diseases. The World Health Organization (WHO) states that no evidences have been offered to support the speculative claims. Also, scientists believe that the coronavirus jumped from animals to humans, possibly at a Wuhan market selling wild animals. All evidence so far strongly indicate a natural origin.
Wuhan Institute of Virology: The Wuhan institute houses the largest virus bank in Asia which preserves more than 1,500 strains. The complex contains Asia‘s first maximum-security lab equipped to handle Class 4 pathogens (P4) such as Ebola. The Wuhan lab can hold the world‘s most dangerous pathogens at maximum bio containment levels.
Work by the lab‘s scientists helped to shed light on the COVID-19 pathogen in the early days of the outbreak in Wuhan. They published work concluding that the new virus shared a 79.6% sequence identity to
the SARS coronavirus, and that it was 96% identical at the whole-genome level to a coronavirus found in bats. The lab‘s researchers had already conducted extensive investigations on the links between bats and disease outbreaks in China, and had highlighted the need to prepare for viruses potentially spreading out of their natural reservoirs into human communities.
Biosafety Level 4: Biosafety level 4 laboratories are used for diagnostic work and research on easily transmitted
pathogens which can cause fatal diseases. These include a number of viruses known to cause viral haemorrhagic fever such as Marburg virus, Ebola virus, Lassa virus, and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever. The reason biosafety levels are so important is because they dictate the type of work practices that are allowed to take place in a lab setting. They also heavily influence the overall design of the facility in question, as well as the type of specialized safety equipment used within it. Source:- The Hindu
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ACE-2 Context: SARS-CoV-2 has a high-binding capacity for ACE2 — between 10 and 20 times more that of original SARS virus ACE2: Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2, or ACE2, essentially acts as a port of entry that allows the coronavirus to invade our cells and replicate.
ACE2 is an enzyme molecule that connects the inside of our cells to the outside via the cell membrane. In normal physiology, another enzyme called ACE alters a chemical, Angiotensin I, and converts it into Angiotensin II, which causes blood vessels to constrict. The tightening of the blood vessels leads to an increase in blood pressure.
When the ACE2 molecule comes in: to counteract the effects of ACE, causing blood vessels to dilate and lowering blood pressure. The spikes around the surface of the virus, called S1 proteins, and they are what binds to the ACE2
molecule on our cells. The virus is then able to invade the cell by a process called endocytosis — where the cell membrane engulfs the virus and internalises it within a bubble called an endosome.
COVID-19, has a high binding capacity for ACE2 — between 10 and 20 times more that of the original SARS virus. This means it is much easier for SARS-CoV-2 to get into human cells compared to the original coronavirus, making it more infectious overall.
Source:- Down to Earth
HCQ FAILS IN FIRST RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS IN FRANCE, CHINA Context: Anti-malarial drug Hydorxychloroquine (HCQ) — claimed by many to show promise in combating the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) — failed in two separate randomised controlled trials (RCTs) conducted in France and China.
HCQ: Hydroxy-chloroquine is an oral drug used in the treatment of malaria and some autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Malaria is a disease caused by mosquito bite of female Anopheles and spreads through parasites. Autoimmune diseases are in which the body's immune system attacks healthy cells. Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting many joints, including those in the hands and feet. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) recommends the use of hydroxychloroquine as a prophylactic for asymptomatic healthcare workers and contacts of people who have been
infected by the virus. India is the largest exporter of the drug Source:- The Hindu
PARALLEL UNIVERSE
NASA detected a parallel universe in Antarctica where time runs backwards. Parallel Universe: In quantum mechanics, parallel universe is theorised as existing alongside our own, although undetectable. The recent reports claiming that there is evidence of a parallel universe appear to be based on Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) findings that are at least a couple of years old. A parallel universe, also known as a parallel dimension, alternate universe, or alternate reality, is a hypothetical self-contained plane of existence, co-existing with one's own.
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GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - indigenization of technology and developing new technology
NIAB DEVELOPS PORTABLE CORONAVIRUS DETECTION KIT Context: National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB), Hyderabad, have developed a biosensor that can detect the novel coronavirus in saliva samples. eCovSens: The new portable device, used to detect the presence of novel coronavirus antigens in human saliva within 30 seconds using just 20 microlitres of the sample. Working : The in-house built biosensor consists of a carbon electrode and the coronavirus antibody. The antibody is capable of binding with the spike protein found on the outer layer of the virus. An electrical signal is generated when the antigen and antibody binds.
Electrical components in the device further amplify this signal, process it, convert it to digital readings on an LCD display. The device can also be connected to a computer or cellphone via Bluetooth and studied. The signal‘s intensity was found to be proportional to the concentration of the antigen in the sample.
Source:- The Hindu
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