1. ECONOMY 1. Lottery, Gambling, betting Taxable under GST Act, says SC 04 1.1. ECONOMY SNIPPETS

1. State of Food and Agriculture Report 2020 06 2. India’s Population with Disabilities 08 3. Minimum Support Price 09 4. Lakshadweep group of Islands 10 5. India's RTGS channel to be available round the clock 11

2. ENVIRONMENT 1. Cyclone Burevi 13 2. Now Kaziranga can be explored through Boats and Bicycles 15

2.1. ENVIRONMENT SNIPPETS

1. India Inches towards first Marine ‘Designated Area’ off Maharashtra Coast 18 2. Peacock Soft-shelled Turtle 19 3. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef 20 4. Jaguars can Survive Climate Change but lack of food Threatens Prey Species 21 5. Mount Everest 22 6. Narmada Landscape Restoration Project 23 7. Worldwide Legal Wildlife Trade Increased by 2,000% Since 1980 24 8. Species in News: Myristica Swamp Treefrog 26 9. Shola Sky Islands of the Western Ghats 27 10. Hydroponics: The Art of Soil-Less Farming 28 11. Bringing life back to Western Ghats grasslands 30 12. Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme 31

3. POLITY & GOVERNANCE 1. Electrification of Railways 33 2. Environmental Violations in Chardham Project 34 3. Export Promotion Council for Technical Textiles 37 4. J&K Administration Seeks Review of Order on Roshini Act 38 5. Pleas Against CAA Pending before SC 40

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6. Central Vista Redevelopment Project 41 7. Centre Firm on Farm Laws 43 8. Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) 45 9. Cabinet approves setting up of Public Wi-Fi Networks 47 10. National Register of Citizens (NRC) 50 11. Centre tells Telangana to Withdraw Plea on Water Use 52 12. Delimitation should be based on 2031 Census 53

3.1. POLITY & GOVERNANCE SNIPPETS

1. COVID Suraksha 55 2. National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) 56 3. National Maritime Domain Awareness (NDMA) Centre 57 4. Unnat Bharat Abhiyan Scheme 58 5. Honey Adulterated with Sugar Syrup 59 6. Attorney General Consent for Contempt 60 7. Municipal Bonds 62 8. Cannabis not a dangerous narcotic: United Nations 64 9. Organochlorines may be behind Eluru mystery illness 65 10. Historical truths must be depicted without encouraging hatred or enmity, says SC 66 11. Invest India Wins the UN Investment Promotion Award 2020 67 12. 5th India Water Impact Summit 69

4. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 1. Vulnerability of Indian Youth towards Epidemic 72 2. The Rise of the AI Economy 73

4.1. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY SNIPPETS 1. National Organ Donation Day 75 2. ARTPARK to usher in AI & Robotics for societal impact 76 3. Border Security Force (BSF) 77 4. Surveyor-2 Spacecraft 78 5. Arecibo Radio Telescope 78 6. HL-2M Tokamak 79

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7. Hayabusa 2 80 8. The Great Conjunction 81 9. Beresheet 2 82 10. P Ovale Malaria 83

5.1. ART AND CULTURE & MISCELLANEOUS

1. Guru Nanak 85 2. Four sites in India get World Heritage Irrigation Structure tag 86 3. Hampi Chariot 88 4. TharuTribals 89 5. International Bharati Festival 2020 90

6. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. China-Nepal Bilateral Cooperation 92 2. China and Pakistan sign Military Deal 94 3. Biden Sets New Demands for Return to Iran Nuclear Deal 95 4. Organisation of Islamic Cooperation 97 5. Gender Gap in Judiciary 99 6. World Malaria Report (WMR) 2020 102 7. UN Removes Cannabis from Dangerous Substances 104 8. Havana Syndrome 106 9. Emission Gap Report 2020 108 10. Quad is U.S. anti-China Game, Says Russia 110 11. India is on track to Reduce Emissions 112 12. UK and EU Ditch Deadline and Pursue Brexit Talks 113

6.1. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS SNIPPETS

1. Emergency Use Authorisation 115 2. United Nations Investment Promotion Award 116 3. South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Charter day 117 4. Global Health Estimates Report 2019 119 5. 14th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Plus 120

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1. ECONOMY 1. Lottery, Gambling, betting Taxable under GST Act, says SC Why in News? • The Supreme Court recently held that lottery, gambling and betting are taxable under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act. What is Gambling & Betting? • Betting is considered to be a form of gambling. The main difference between the two activities is that in gambling ‘the stakes’ or ‘the wager’ is placed on an event without any basis of the outcomes, whereas in betting the stakes are placed, based on at least an idea or the performance about the said betting event. • Kautilya’s Arthashastra defined gambling as wagering with inanimate objects such as dice; and betting as something that involved challenges and was concerned with cockfights, Animal Races and Similar Contests. About Goods and Services Tax: • It is a comprehensive, multi-stage, destination-based indirect tax that is levied on every value addition. • The Goods and Service Tax Act was passed in the Parliament on 29th March 2017 and came into effect on 1st July 2017. • Under the GST Council and 101st constitutional amendment 2017, the tax is levied at every point of sale.GST is categorised into Central GST (CGST), State GST (SGST) and Integrated GST (IGST) depending on whether the transaction is intra-State or inter-State. • Central GST: CGST is a tax levied on intra-State supplies of both goods and services by the Central Government and is governed by the CGST Act. • State GST: SGST is also levied on the same intra-State supply but will be governed by the State Governments. • This implies that both the Central and the State governments agree on combining their levies with an appropriate proportion for revenue sharing between them. • However, it is clearly mentioned in Section 8 of the GST Act that the taxes be levied on all intra-State supplies of goods and/or services but the rate of tax shall not be exceeding 14%, each. • Integrated GST: IGST is a tax levied on all inter-State supplies of goods and/or services and is governed by the IGST Act. It is applicable to any supply of goods and/or services in both cases of import into and export from India.

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Observations by the Court: • The court held that lottery, betting and gambling are “actionable claims” and come within the definition of ‘goods’ under Section 2(52) of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017.A three-judge Bench said that the levy of GST on lotteries does not amount to “hostile discrimination”. • Lottery, betting and gambling are well known concepts and have been in practice in this country since before Independence and were regulated and taxed by different legislations. • When Act, 2017 defines the ‘goods’ to include actionable claims and included only three categories of actionable claims, i.e., lottery, betting and gambling, for purposes of levy of GST, it cannot be said that there was no rationale for the Parliament in including these three actionable claims for tax purposes, and leaving others. • The court said State regulation, including taxation in one or other form, on lottery, betting and Gambling, has been in Existence for Decades. What is the Issue? • Justice Bhushan was responding to arguments made by Skill Lotto Solutions and other lottery agents that lottery is not ‘goods’ and GST on it was illegal. They said taxing only lottery, gambling and betting and not other activities showed a “clear hostile discrimination”. • But the court said the Parliament had an absolute power to go for an “inclusive definition” of the term ‘goods’ to include actionable claims like lottery, Gambling and Betting. • The power to make laws as conferred by Article 246A fully empowers the Parliament to make laws with respect to goods and services tax and expansive definition of goods given in Section 2(52) cannot be said to be not in accord with the constitutional provisions. Can Parliament Levy tax on Lottery, Betting and Gambling? • Article 246A is a special provision with regard to goods and services tax w.e.f. 16.09.2016, which special power has to be liberally construed empowering the Parliament to make laws with respect to goods and services tax. • Besides, the court said Section 2(52) of the GST Act was in line with the Constitution Bench judgment of the Supreme Court in the Sunrise Associates case, which had held that “the sale of a lottery ticket amounts to the transfer of an actionable claim”. • The court also rejected a suggestion to exclude the prize money from GST while determining the face value of the lottery tickets.

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Way Forward: • The value of taxable supply is a matter of statutory regulation. • It is not permissible to compute the value of taxable supply by excluding prize which has been contemplated in the Statutory Scheme.

1.1. ECONOMY SNIPPETS 1. State of Food and Agriculture Report 2020 Why in News? • A report titled 'The State of Food and Agriculture 2020: Overcoming water challenges in agriculture' was released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently.

Highlights: • Around 3.2 billion people across the world live in agricultural areas with high or very high- water shortages or scarcity, with 1.2 billion people in very high levels of water stress. • Some 520 million of the 1.2 billion people lived in rural areas while 660 million lived in small urban centres surrounded by agricultural areas. • Nearly half of the 1.2 billion people lived in south Asia, while 460 million lived in east and southeast Asia. • About one-fifth of the population lived in agricultural areas with very high-water shortages or scarcity in central Asia, west Asia and north Africa. • Only 1–4 per cent lived in extremely water-constrained areas in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, north America and Oceania. • About 11% of rain-fed cropland and 14% of pastureland experienced severe recurring droughts, while more than 60% of irrigated cropland was highly water-stressed.

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• The annual amount of available freshwater resources per person had declined by more than 20% in the past two decades.

Mapping the SDG Target: • The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), SDG 6 aims to ensure availability and Sustainable Management of water and sanitation for all. • Water is closely linked to several SDGS, so managing scarce water resources is a critical determinant for their fulfilment including achieving Zero Hunger. • Agriculture accounts for 70% of the world’s freshwater withdrawals. • The UN called for better management of water, especially in agriculture, to keep resources in check and Boost Agricultural Yields. Major Suggestions: • Unlocking the potential of rainfed agriculture. • Collecting or harvesting more water, and infiltrating it into the root-zone. • Conserving water by increasing plant uptake capacity and reducing root-zone evaporation and drainage losses. • Rehabilitating and modernizing sustainable irrigation systems in irrigated areas. • Implementing best agronomic practices. • Investing in non-consumptive uses of water (Ex: aquaculture) and in non-conventional sources of water (water reuse and desalination). • Water accounting and auditing should be the basis for any effective strategy for addressing water shortages and scarcity.

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• Strengthening policy coherence and improving water management in countries. Specific steps include: ✓ Capacity strengthening for public institutions ✓ Coordination across ministries (water, agriculture and energy) ✓ Improved planning and monitoring tools ✓ Upgraded and integrated databases.

2. India’s Population with Disabilities Why in News? • December 3 is Marked by the UN as International Day of Persons with Disabilities in a bid to promote a more Inclusive and Accessible world for the differently-abled and to raise Awareness for their Rights. Disability in India: • About 2.2% of India’s population lives with some kind of physical or mental disability, as per the National Statistics Office report on disability released last year. • How are the disabled identified? • Until the 2011 census, there were questions on seven kinds of disabilities in the questionnaire.This list of disabilities was expanded to 21 when the Rights of People with Disabilities was introduced in 2016. • Accordingly, the 2019 report included questions to identify people with temporary loss of ability as well as Neurological and Blood Disorders in addition. • The earlier definition included mental retardation and permanent inability to move, speak, hear and see. • Significantly, the revised definition recognizes deformities and injuries of acid attack victims as disabilities, entitling them to various Relief Measures. Who are disabled and in what way? • Rural men had the highest prevalence of disability in India, according to the NSO report. • A higher proportion of men were disabled in India compared with women, and disability was more prevalent in rural areas than in urban areas. • Inability to move without assistance was the most common disability. More men experienced locomotor disability than women. • These numbers were self-reported. In other words, the respondents were asked if they experienced any difficulty in performing tasks like moving, talking, etc.

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• Are these measures in line with those from other surveys? • The 2011 census estimated that the number of people with disabilities in India is close to 2.68 crore (or 2.2% of the population) — that is more than the entire population of Australia. • This Number was based on the older definition of disability, yet the proportion of disabled people in the population is not different from the 2019 NSO report, which used the expanded definition of disability. • Other metrics for evaluating disability have provided different estimates. • A group of doctors from AIIMS found that alternate questionnaires like the Rapid Assessment of Disability have resulted in a prevalence ranging from 1.6%-43.3%. How can the Range be so Wide? • The proportion of population facing disability becomes bigger as one move from a narrow definition to a broader one. • For instance, if one defines disability as the difficulty in accessing public services for all kinds of Reasons, even Social or Economic, then the Proportion goes up. Why is it Important to Map Disabled People? • Like other disadvantaged groups, the disabled in India are entitled to some benefits, ranging from reservation in educational institutes to concessions on railway tickets. • To claim these benefits, they have to furnish certificates as proof of disability. • At the macro level, data on the prevalence and type of disability is useful while making allocations for welfare schemes.

3. Minimum Support Price Why in News? • Recently, the major demands of protesting farmers has been that the government guarantee in writing the Minimum Support Price system, which assures them of a fixed price for their crops, 1.5 times of the cost of production. About Minimum Support Price: • It is a “minimum price” for any crop that the government considers as remunerative for farmers and hence deserving of “support”. • It is also the price that government agencies pay whenever they procure the particular crop. The Union Budget for 2018-19 had announced that MSP would be kept at levels of 1.5 the cost of production.

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About Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) • It recommends MSPs for 22 mandated crops and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane. • It is an attached office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India. It came into existence in January 1965. It is an advisory body whose recommendations are not binding on the Government. • The mandated crops include 14 crops of the kharif season, 6 rabi crops and 2 other commercial crops. • In addition, the MSPs of toria and de-husked coconut are fixed on the basis of the MSPs of rapeseed/mustard and copra, respectively. • The list of crops are ✓ Cereals (7): Paddy, wheat, barley, jowar, bajra, maize and ragi, ✓ Pulses (5): Gram, arhar/tur, moong, urad and lentil, ✓ Oilseeds(8): Groundnut, rapeseed/mustard, toria, soyabean, sunflower seed, sesamum, safflower seed and niger seed, ✓ Raw cotton, Raw jute, Copra, De-husked coconut, and Sugarcane (Fair and remunerative price). • The CACP considered various factors while recommending the MSP for a commodity, including cost of cultivation. It also took into account the supply and demand situation for the commodity, market price trends (domestic and global) and parity vis-à-vis other crops, and implications for consumers (inflation), environment (soil and water use) and terms of trade between Agriculture and Non-agriculture sectors.

4. Lakshadweep group of Islands Why in News? • Recently, the entire Lakshadweep group of islands has been declared as an organic agricultural area under the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) of India. About Participatory Guarantee System: • It is a process of certifying organic products, which ensures that their production takes place in accordance with laid-down quality standards. • The certification is in the form of a documented logo or a statement. It is implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.

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• It is only for farmers or communities that can organise and perform as a group within a village or a cluster of contiguous villages, and is applicable only to farm activities such as crop production, processing, and livestock rearing, and off-farm processing “by PGS farmers of their direct products”. Highlights: • Lakshadweep is the first Union Territory to become 100% organic as all farming is carried out without the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, providing access to safer food choices and making agriculture a more environmentally-friendly activity. • Earlier in 2016, Sikkim became India’s first “100 percent organic” State. • The entire 32 square kilometre geographical land area of the UT was declared as organic after receiving required certifications and declarations under Centre’s Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (organic farming improvement programme). • The UT administration had imposed a formal uniform ban on sale, use and entry of synthetic chemicals for agriculture purposes from October 2017 onwards to make the islands a chemical-free zone. Cropping Pattern: • Coconut is the only major crop on the islands and remains idle for six months. • The coconut processing industry works only for about six months. The period between May and December sees the industry come to a standstill. • The island administration plans to introduce dryers and other machinery to utilise the nuts even during this Standstill Period. The island’s coconut farmers are also expected to benefit from the Union Government’s ‘One District One Product’ programme of food processing. The entire island is being considered as a single district and coconut oil has been identified as the Product.

5. India's RTGS channel to be available round the clock Why in News? • The Reserve Bank of India has announced its Real Time Gross Settlement System (RTGS) will become a 'round the clock' service, available on 'all days of the year'. Highlights: • It will provide extended flexibility to businesses for effecting paymentsand will enable introduction of additional settlement cycles in ancillary payment systems.

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Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS): • RTGS systems are specialist funds transfer systems where the transfer of money or securities takes place from one bank to any other bank on a "real-time" and on a "gross" basis. • In this transfer, the beneficiary bank receives the instruction to transfer funds immediately when you carry out the transaction, and the transfer is instantaneous. • It is specifically suited for high value transactions. • RTGS began its operations from 2004. • It is operated by central bank of any country as it is considered as critical infrastructure for any country. Payments under RTGS are irrevocable. • The feature of positive confirmation for credit to beneficiary accounts is also available in RTGS. • From July 2019, RBI stopped levying charges ontransactions through NEFT and RTGS. Benefits: • Does not require any physical exchange of money. • Suited for low volume, high value transaction system. • It lowers the settlement risks. • It is a safe and secure system. • Transactions have legal backing. • Transaction charges have been capped by RBI. National Electronic Funds Transfer System (NEFT): • Objective: establish an electronic funds transfer system to facilitate an efficient, secure, economical, reliable and expeditious system of funds transfer and clearing in the banking sector throughout India. • NEFT is maintained by RBI. • NEFT enables bank customers in India to transfer funds between any two NEFT-enabled bank accounts on a one-to-one basis. • It is done via electronic messages. • It doesn’t occur in real-time basis. • There would be 48 half-hourly batches occurring between 00.30 am to 00:00 am every day regardless of a holiday or otherwise. • There are no service charges.

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2. ENVIRONMENT 1. Cyclone Burevi Why in News? • Cyclone Burevi which was threatening the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu has weakened into a Deep Depression. What are Tropical Cyclones? • Tropical cyclones are violent storms that originate over oceans in tropical areas and move over to the coastal areas bringing about large scale destruction caused by violent winds, very heavy rainfall and storm surges. • Tropical Cyclones are one of the most devastating natural calamities in the world. • Tropical cyclones originate and intensify over Warm Tropical Oceans. Favourable Conditions for Formation: • Large sea surface with temperature higher than 27° C. • Presence of the Coriolis force. • Small variations in the vertical wind speed. • A pre-existing weak low- pressure area or low-level-cyclonic circulation. • Upper divergence above the sea level system. Stages of Formation of Tropical Cyclones: • The development cycle of tropical cyclones may be divided into three stages: • Formation and Initial Development Stage ✓ The formation and initial development of a cyclonic storm depends upon the transfer of water vapour and heat from the warm ocean to the overlying air, primarily by evaporation from the sea surface. ✓ It encourages formation of massive vertical cumulus clouds due to convection with condensation of rising air above the ocean surface. • Mature Stage: ✓ When a tropical storm intensifies, the air rises in vigorous thunderstorms and tends to spread out horizontally at the tropopause level. Once air spreads out, a positive pressure at high levels is produced, which accelerates the downward motion of air due to convection. ✓ With the inducement of subsidence, air warms up by compression and a warm ‘Eye’ (Low pressure centre) is generated. The main physical feature of a mature tropical

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cyclone in the Indian Ocean is a concentric pattern of highly turbulent giant cumulus thundercloud bands. • Modification and Decay: ✓ A tropical cyclone begins to weaken in terms of its central low pressure, internal warmth and extremely high speeds, as soon as its source of warm moist air begins to ebb or is abruptly cut off. ✓ This happens after its landfall or when it passes over cold waters.

Cyclones in India: • Tropical cyclones originate over the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. These tropical cyclones have very high wind velocity and heavy rainfall and hit the Indian Coastal states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha and Gujarat (These five states are more vulnerable to cyclone disasters than others in India). • Most of these cyclones are very destructive due to high wind velocity and torrential rain that accompanies it.

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• There are three elements associated with cyclones which cause destruction during its occurrence. These are- ✓ Strong Winds/Squall: It damages installations, dwellings, communications systems, trees etc., resulting in loss of life and property. ✓ Torrential Rains and Inland Flooding: Rain is a serious problem for the people who become shelter less due to the cyclone. Heavy rainfall is usually spread over a wide area and causes large scale soil erosion and weakening of embankments. ✓ Storm Surge: It is an abnormal rise of sea level near the coast caused by a severe tropical cyclone. Due to storm Surge Sea water inundates low lying areas of coastal regions drowning human beings and livestock, causes eroding beaches and embankments, destroys vegetation and leads to reduction of soil fertility. Management of Cyclones: • There are many structural and non-structural measures for effective disaster management of cyclones. • The structural measures include construction of cyclone shelters, construction of cyclone resistant buildings, road links, culverts, bridges, canals, drains, saline embankments, surface water tanks, Communication and Power Transmission Networks etc. • Non-structural measures like early warning dissemination systems, management of coastal zones, awareness generation and disaster risk management and capacity building of all the stakeholders involved. • These measures are being adopted and tackled on a State-to-State basis under the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) being implemented through World Bank Assistance.

2. Now Kaziranga can be explored through Boats and Bicycles Why in News? • Elephants and jeeps are no longer the only modes of regulated transport to call on the rhino in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, billed as the best-conserved home of the one-horned Animal. About the News: • The park can now be explored by boats while bicycle tracks are being finalised. One can go trekking too. • But the new activities are beyond the 1,302-sq. km Kaziranga’s core area of 482 sq. km.

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• In November, the park authorities launched a boat safari at Bhomoraguri after the addition of 3,053 hectares to the park. The opening of the Bhomoraguri wildlife beat office under the Nagaon Wildlife Division of Kaziranga made this possible. ✓ Bhomoraguri is about 30 km from Kaziranga’s westernmost range Burapahar. Why this Move? • The objective of the new activities was to generate as much revenue to take care of the rhino habitat and the communities dependent on the health of the park, he said. • The priority is conservation with some amount of commercialisation. At the same time, forest authorities want domination of the areas added to the tiger serve and better monitoring by way of utilising the fringe areas for tourists. • If boating is the buzzword for the northern fringe of Kaziranga, the focus of eco-tourism promotion in the southern additions is on Trekking and Cycling. About Kaziranga National Park: • Kaziranga is located in the State of Assam and covers 42,996 Hectare (ha). It is the single largest undisturbed and representative area in the Brahmaputra Valley floodplain. • It was declared as a National Park in 1974 and has been declared a tiger reserve since 2007. It has a total tiger reserve area of 1,030 sq km with a core area of 430 sq. km. • It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. • It is recognized as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. • It is the home of the world's most one-horned rhinos. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary has the highest density of one-horned rhinos in the world and second highest number of Rhinos in Assam after Kaziranga National Park. • Much of the focus of conservation efforts in Kaziranga are focused on the 'big four' species— Rhino, Elephant, Royal Bengal tiger and Asiatic water buffalo. • The 2018 census had yielded 2,413 rhinos and approximately 1,100 elephants. • As per the figures of tiger census conducted in 2014, Kaziranga had an estimated 103 tigers, the third highest population in India after Jim Corbett National Park (215) in Uttarakhand and Bandipur National Park (120) in Karnataka. • Kaziranga is also home to 9 of the 14 species of primates found in the Indian subcontinent. • The National Highway 37 passes through the park area. • The park also has more than 250 seasonal water bodies, besides the Diphlu River running through it. • Other national parks in Assam are:

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✓ Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, ✓ Manas National Park, ✓ Nameri National Park, ✓ Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park.

What are National Parks? • They are the areas that are set by the government to conserve the natural environment. • A national park has more restrictions as compared to a wildlife sanctuary. • Their boundaries are fixed and defined. • The main objective of a national park is to protect the natural environment of the area and Biodiversity Conservation. What is Allowed and what is not Allowed Inside National Parks? • Here, no human activity is allowed. • Grazing of livestock and private tenurial rights are not permitted here. • Species mentioned in the Schedules of the Wildlife Act are not allowed to be hunted or captured. No person shall destroy, remove, or exploit any wildlife from a National Park or destroy or damage the habitat of any wild animal or deprive any wild animal of its habitat within a national park. • They cannot be downgraded to the status of a ‘Sanctuary’. Declaration of National Parks: • National parks can be declared both by the Central Government and State governments. No alteration of the boundaries of a national park shall be made except on a resolution passed by the State Legislature.

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2.1. ENVIRONMENT SNIPPETS 1. India Inches towards first Marine ‘Designated Area’ off Maharashtra Coast Why in News? • A proposal has been sent to the Centre to notify Angria Bank as a ‘designated area’ under the Maritime Zones Act, 1976. What is the Matter? • The Maharashtra state government has sent its final proposal to the Centre to notify 2,011.43 sq km Angria Bank as a ‘designated area’ under the Maritime Zones Act, 1976. • Angria Bank is located 105km off the Konkan coast. • The Angira bank, named after Maratha Admiral KanhojiAngre, is located in Malvan town of Sindhudurg districtIt will be the India’s first marine protected zone beyond territorial waters, if approved. Significance of Angria Bank: • It is a submerged plateau with coral reef formation (39 species of both hard and soft corals (protected under Schedule I of the WPA) across 650 sq km.). • Wildlife Institute of India has identified Angria Bank among 106 important coastal and marine biodiversity areas in India. • As many as 123 species of fish, 43 species of invertebrates, dolphins and whales among other marine animals protected under India’s wildlife laws were recorded. • Threats including overfishing, oil, natural gas and mineral exploration, rising ocean temperatures, and rising marine traffic were identified. Why there was the Need to send a Proposal to Center? • As Angria Bank lies beyond the Indian territorial waters (12 nautical miles), it is not possible to declare the site as a protected area under the Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972. • Therefore, being in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the only way to provide legal protection is by notifying it as a ‘designated area’ for marine protection under the Maritime Zones Act, 1976, (covering territorial waters, continental shelf, exclusive economic zone, and other maritime zones) of the Ministry of External Affairs. • This proposal is a first under the Maritime Zones Act, 1976. • With more conservation focus there will be more protective measures, promotion of research, a bit of controlled tourism, and control over suspected threats.

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The Proposal was based on which sources? • The proposal was based on underwater and boat surveys. • The decision will help India meet international obligations for more protection of our marine biodiversity. • Marine protected Areas: ✓ Marine Protected Areas are created by delineating zones with permitted and non- permitted uses within that zone. ✓ Marine Protected Areas in India are the area defined under IUCN Guidelines. They limit anthropogenic activities and exploitation of resources in these areas. ✓ The term Marine Protected Areas include marine reserves, fully protected marine areas, no-take zones, marine sanctuaries, ocean sanctuaries, marine parks, locally managed marine areas, to name a few. • Gulf of Kutch Marine National Park is the first National Marine park of India. • India’s other marine protected areas are: ✓ Gahirmatha Sanctuary ✓ Gulf Kutch Sanctuary ✓ Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park ✓ Gulf of Mannar National Park • Many of these have quite different levels of protection, and the range of activities allowed or prohibited within their boundaries varies considerably too. • (As per World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Marine Protected Area are:- • An area designated and effectively managed to protect marine ecosystems, processes, habitats, and species, which can contribute to the restoration and replenishment of resources for social, economic, and cultural enrichment.

2. Peacock Soft-shelled Turtle Why in News? • Peacock soft-shelled turtle has recently been rescued from a fish market in Assam’s Silchar. Highlights: • Its scientific Name is Nilssoniahurum. • They have a large head, downturned snout with low and oval carapace of dark olive green to nearly black, sometimes with a yellow rim.

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• The head and limbs are olive green; the forehead has dark reticulations and large yellow or orange patches or spots, especially behind the eyes and across the snout. • Males possess relatively longer and thicker tails than females. Habitat: • This species is confined to India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. • In India, it is widespread in the northern and central parts of the Indian subcontinent. • These are found in rivers, streams, lakes and ponds with mud or sand bottoms. • The species is heavily exploited for its meat and calipee (the outer cartilaginous rim of the shell). Threats in the River Ganga to the species are those generic for all large river turtles, including reduction of fish stock, as a result of overfishing, pollution, increase in river traffic, and sand-mining, among others. • Its Conservation Status are Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I; IUCN Red List: Vulnerable; and CITES: Appendix I.

3. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Why in News: • The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has recently highlighted that Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is in a critical state and deteriorating as climate change warms up the waters in which it lies. Highlights: • It is the world’s most extensive and spectacular coral reef ecosystem composed of over 2,900 Individual reefs and 900 Islands. • It is located in the Coral Sea (North-East Coast), off the coast of Queensland, Australia. • It can be seen from outer space and is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms. • Its structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. • They are made up of genetically identical organisms called polyps, which are tiny, soft- bodied organisms. At their base is a hard, protective limestone skeleton called a calicle, which forms the structure of coral reefs. • These polyps have microscopic algae called zooxanthellae living within their tissues. The corals and algae have a mutualistic (symbiotic) relationship. It was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981.

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Concern for Corals: • Coral along large swathes of the 2,300-kilometre reef have been killed by rising sea Temperatures linked to climate change, leaving behind skeletal remains in a process known as coral bleaching. • When corals face stress by changes in conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrients, they expel the symbiotic algae zooxanthellae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white. This phenomenon is called coral bleaching. • It can recover if the stress-caused bleaching is not severe. The bleaching has occurred in the Caribbean, Indian, and Pacific oceans on a regular basis. • About International Union for Conservation of Nature • It is a membership union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. Created in 1948, it is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. • It is headquartered in Switzerland. • The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species.

4. Jaguars can Survive Climate Change but lack of food Threatens Prey Species Why in News? • The six jaguar population scenarios were analysed, mapping the cat’s solitary behaviour, mating, birth of cubs, competition, illegal hunting, starvation and availability of key prey. Highlights: • Species exhibit some robustness to extreme drought and flood, but repeated exposure can result in rapid decline. • Predictions show species can recover- at lower numbers -- if there are periods of benign Climate Patterns. Jaguar: • The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a large felid species and the only extant member of the genus Panthera native to the Americas. • The jaguar's present range extends from the extreme southwestern United States and Mexico in North America, across much of Central America, and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina in South America.

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• The jaguar is the largest cat species in the New World, and the third largest in the world. • Habitat of jaguar is tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest, swamps, and wooded regions. • IUCN status- near threatened • It is the keystone species. • It is an organism that helps define an entire ecosystem. • Without it, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist.

5. Mount Everest Why in News? • Nepal and China jointly announced the new height of Mount Everest as 8,848.86 meters. Highlights: • Mount Everest or Sagarmatha, Earth’s highest mountain above sea level, is located in the Himalayas between China and Nepal -– the border between them running across its summit point. • Its current official elevation – 8,848.86m – places it more than 200m above the world’s second-highest mountain, K2, which is 8,611m tall and located in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. • The mountain gets its English name from Sir George Everest, a colonial-era geographer who served as the Surveyor General of India in the mid-19th century. • Considered an elite climbing destination, Everest was first scaled in 1953 by the Indian- Nepalese Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Edmund Hillary. Everest’s First Survey: • The mission to measure the world’s highest peak was taken up on a serious note in 1847 and culminated with the finding of a team led by Andrew Waugh of the Royal Surveyor General of India. • The team discovered that ‘Peak 15’ — as Mt Everest was referred to then — was the highest mountain, contrary to the then-prevailing belief that Mt Kanchenjunga (8,582 m) was the highest peak in the world. • Another belief, prevailing even today, is that 8,840 m is not the height that was actually determined by the 19th-century team.That survey, based on trigonometric calculations, is known as the Great Trigonometric Survey of India.

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Why is the Height being Revised? • The height of the summit, however, is known to change because of tectonic activity, such as the 2015 Nepal Earthquake. • Its measurement over the decades has also depended on who was surveying. • Another debate is whether the height should • be based on the Highest rock point or the Highest Snow Point.

6. Narmada Landscape Restoration Project Why in News? • National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal, to implement the Narmada Landscape Restoration Project (NLRP). Narmada Landscape Restoration Project: • Aim: To establish an incentivisation mechanism to maintain sustainable landscape practices in Narmada basin. • Landscape restoration is the concept of sustainable development and building a public participation platform integrated with experts, designers, and user. Funding Mechanism: • The project will be jointly implemented with ✓ IIFM, Bhopal, an Autonomous Institute under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), ✓ Government of India (GoI) with the grant-in-aid from NTPC Ltd. ✓ Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI)an intergovernmental organization that promotes sustainable and inclusive economic growth in emerging economies ✓ United States Agency for International Development (USAID) ✓ The international development arm of the US Government. Implementation: • 4-year project will be implemented in Khargone District of Madhya Pradesh, in the catchments of tributaries of the River Narmada between Omkareshwar and Maheshwar Dams. Omkareshwar Dam: • The Omkareshwar Dam is one of the major downstream dams of Indira Sagar Project. • lies along the bank for the Narmada and Kaveri.

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Maheshwar Dam: • Maheshwar is one of the planned large dams on the Narmada Valley to provide 400 MW Electricity. Implementing Agencies: • IIFM, Bhopal, an Autonomous Institute under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) will be jointly implementing this project with Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). Benefits of the Project: • Demonstrate nature-based Solutions for Enhancing Ecosystem Services. • Promote a clean and sustainable Environment concerning land, Water and air. • Improvement in water Quality and Quantity. Narmada River: • Narmada is the largest west flowing river of the peninsular region. • It rises from Maikala range near Amarkantak in Madhya Pradesh. • It flows through a rift valley between the Vindhya Range on the north and the Satpura Range on the south. • It drains a large area in Madhya Pradesh and some areas in Maharashtra and Gujarat. • It forms DhuanDhar Falls near Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh). • There are several islands in the estuary of the Narmada of which Aliabet is the largest. • Major Tributaries: Hiran, Orsang, the Barna and the Kolar. • Major Hydro Power Projects: Indira Sagar, Sardar Sarovar etc.

7. Worldwide Legal Wildlife Trade Increased by 2,000% Since 1980 Why in News? • A report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services has said that trade in wildlife has become Highly Unsustainable. Highlights: • The international legal wildlife trade has increased500 per cent in value since 2005 and 2,000 per cent since the 1980s. • Estimated value of the global illegal trade in wildlife is worth around $7-23 billion per year, equivalent to nearly 25 per cent of the value of the legal market. • Legal wildlife trade is unsustainable and becoming a threat to biodiversity conservation.

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• North America, Europe and some parts of Asia were net importers and consumers. • Countries in South America, Africa, Southeast Asia and Oceania were net suppliersor had a large domestic trade. • In China, a growing wealthy middle class is often the main consumer of fashion productsof wildlife for traditional Chinese medicine or for food. • The European Union and the United States were leading consumers of legally traded wildlife. • The US was one of the largest legal importers of Wildlife Globally. • CITES had been able to reduce wildlife trade, drive up value of sustainably traded species and products and promote captive-breeding, ranching or farming as alternatives to wild capture. • Captive breeding might increase consumer demand and put pressure on free-living populations for founder stock. Note: • Fisheries and forestry resources — were not regulated under CITES. • Domestic use and trade of wildlife fell outside the Purview of the Convention. What the Report said on Wildlife Farming? • Wildlife farming might offer an alternative source for wildlife products and reduce hunting pressure on free-living populations but it has its negative sides too. • Wildlife farms are stocked repeatedly with wild-caught individuals that are largely indistinguishable from those that are captive-bred. • Record keeping is often lax or non-existent. • Enforcement of laws is often poor. • Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services: • It was established in 2012 by 94 governments. • Currently it has 137 member countries. • It is an independent intergovernmental body established by States to • Strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services. • Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. • Long-term human well-being and sustainable development. • The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) provides secretariat services to IPBES.

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• India is a member of IPBES since 2012. Work of IPBES: • Assessments: On specific themes (e.g. “Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production”); methodological issues (e.g. “Scenarios and Modelling); and at both the regional and global levels (e.g. “Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services”). • Policy Support: Identifying policy-relevant tools and methodologies, facilitating their use, and catalyzing their Further Development. • Building Capacity & Knowledge: Identifying and meeting the priority capacity, knowledge and data needs of our member States, experts and stakeholders. • Communications & Outreach: Ensuring the widest reach and impact of our work.

8. Species in News: Myristica Swamp Treefrog Why in News? • Myristica swamp treefrog, a rare arboreal (living on trees) species endemic to the Western Ghats has been recorded for the first time in Kerala’s Thrissur District. Myristica Swamp Treefrog: • It bears the scientific name Mercuranamyristicapalustris. • The frog was first spotted in 2013 in the Myristica swamps of Arippa, near the Kulathupuzha Reserve Forest, in the western foothills of Agasthyamalai, in Kollam district. • Unlike the Myristica swamp treefrog found in the foothills of the Agasthyamalai, these frogs were found to be active throughout June and early July. Unique Traits: • These frogs are rare and elusive for the reason that they are arboreal and active only for a few weeks during their breeding season. • During this season, there is a large aggregation of males that descend from the high canopy of the trees. The breeding season, unlike for other frogs, starts in the pre-monsoon season (May) and ends before the monsoon becomes fully active in June. • Before the end of the breeding season, the female frogs along with their male counterparts descend on the forest floor. The female digs the mud and lays eggs in shallow burrows in mud.After breeding and egg-laying, they retreat back to the high canopies of the tree and remain elusive till Next Breeding Season.

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9. Shola Sky Islands of the Western Ghats Why in News? • Tropical montane grasslands (TMG) in the Shola Sky Islands of the Western Ghats have Suffered big losses due to Invasions by Exotic Trees. Sky Islands: • “Sky islands” are the tops of tall mountains that become environmentally isolated from each other even if they are close together, geographically speaking. • The Western Ghats are a mountain chain in southwest India home to spectacular and unique sky islands.The peaks of the Western Ghats, ranging between 3,000 and 8,500 feet above sea level, host an almost unbelievable array of microclimates, looking like “patches of forests floating in a sea of Grasslands. What are TMGs? • TMG are high elevation grasslands forming only 2% of all grasslands in the world. • Among their functions is regulating the global carbon cycle and serving as a source of water to Downstream Communities. • Researchers say grasslands do not benefit from conservation and restoration efforts afforded to tropical montane Forests, possibly due to Limited Information. Treasures of Shola: • One of the specific habitats unique to the sky islands of this area is a type of low- temperature, high-humidity tropical cloud forest full of stunted trees mixed with grasslands called the Shola.The Shola forests of South derive their name from the Tamil word solai, which means a ‘tropical rain forest’. • Classified as ‘Southern Montane Wet Temperate Forest’ the Sholas are found in the upper reaches of the Nilgiris, Anamalais, Palni hills, Kalakadu, Mundanthurai and Kanyakumari in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. • These forests are found sheltered in valleys with sufficient moisture and proper drainage, at an altitude of more than 1,500 metres. Various Threats to them: • Loss of grasslands due to invasive exotic trees is a “novel threat” through the establishment and expansion of exotic tree plantations. • These exotic trees include acacias, pines and eucalyptus, shrinking the range sizes of endemic species, including plants, birds, amphibians and mammals.

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• In the Western Ghats, 23% of montane grasslands were reportedly converted into invasive exotic tree cover over a period of 44 years. • Attempts to manage invasive exotic trees in montane grasslands incorporated approaches that include prevention and mechanical, chemical and biological control. • For invasive species such as Acacia mearnsii that grow rapidly and disperse seeds widely, Removing Mature trees is often ineffective.

10. Hydroponics: The Art of Soil-Less Farming Why in News? Hydroponics: • Hydroponics is the cultivation of plants without using soil. • Hydroponic flowers, herbs, and vegetables are planted in inert growing media and supplied with nutrient-rich solutions, oxygen, and water. • This system fosters rapid growth, stronger yields, and superior quality. • When a plant is grown in soil, its roots are perpetually searching for the necessary nutrition to support the plant. • If a plant’s root system is exposed directly to water and nutrition, the plant does not have to exert any energy in sustaining itself. • The energy the roots would have expended acquiring food and water can be redirected into the plant’s maturation. As a result, leaf growth flourishes as does the blooming of fruits and Flowers.

Why Hydroponics? • Plants sustain themselves by a process called photosynthesis. But they do not need soil to photosynthesize.

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• They need the soil to supply them with Water and Nutrients. • When nutrients are dissolved in water they can be applied directly to the plant’s root system by Flooding, Misting, or Immersion. • Hydroponic innovations have proven direct exposure to nutrient-filled water can be a more effective and versatile method of Growth than Traditional Irrigation. How does Hydroponics Work? • Hydroponic systems work by allowing minute control over environmental conditions like temperature and pH balance and maximized exposure to nutrients and water. • It administers nutrient solutions tailored to the needs of the particular plant being grown. • They allow you to control exactly how much light the plants receive and for how long. • pH levels can be monitored and adjusted. In a highly customized and controlled Environment, Plant Growth Accelerates. Components of Hydroponics • To maintain a flourishing hydroponic system, we need to become acquainted with a few components that make it run Efficiently. Growing Media: • Hydroponic plants are often grown in inert media that support the plant’s weight and anchor its root structure. Growing Media is the substitute for soil, however, it does not provide any Independent nutrition to the plant. • Instead, this porous media retains moisture and nutrients from the nutrient solution which it then Delivers to the plant. Air Stones and Air Pumps: • Plants that are submerged in water can quickly drown if the water is not sufficiently aerated. Air stones disperse tiny bubbles of dissolved oxygen throughout your nutrient solution reservoir. These Bubbles also help evenly distribute the dissolved nutrients in the solution. Air stones do not generate oxygen on their own. • They need to be attached to an external air pump via opaque food grade plastic tubing Net Pots: • Net pots are mesh planters that hold hydroponic plants. The latticed material allows roots to grow out of the sides and bottom of the pot, giving greater exposure to oxygen and nutrients.Net pots also provide Superior Drainage compared to Traditional Clay or Plastic Pots.

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Benefits: • By controlling the environment of the plant in hydroponics, many risk factors are reduced: • Plants grown in gardens and fields are introduced to a host of variables that negatively impact their health and growth. Fungus in the soil can spread diseases to plants. • Wildlife like rabbits can plunder ripening vegetables from your garden. • Pests like locusts can descend on crops and obliterate them in an afternoon. Hydroponic systems end the unpredictability of growing plants outdoors and in the earth. • Without the mechanical resistance of the soil, seedlings can mature much faster. • By eliminating pesticides, hydroponics produces much healthier and high-quality fruits and vegetables. Without obstacles, plants are free to grow vigorously and rapidly. Various limitations: • A hydroponic system isn’t cheap • Constant monitoring is required • Micro-organisms that are water-based can creep in rather easily • Growing a hydroponic garden demands an expertise • Production is limited compared to Field Conditions • If a Disease Appears, all plants in the system will be affected • Without soil to serve as a buffer if the system fails plant death will occur rapidly

11. Bringing life back to Western Ghats grasslands Why in News? • Sites for restoration have been found in the Nilgiris, Palani Hills and Anamalai, where exotic trees are erasing biodiversity. Highlights: • Tropical Montane Grasslands (TMG) in the Shola Sky Islands of the Western Ghats have suffered big reductions due to invasions by exotic trees such as acacias, pines and eucalyptus, shrinking the range sizes of endemic species, including plants, birds, amphibians and mammals. • 23% of montane grasslands were converted into invasive exotic tree cover over a period of time. • Grassland restoration sites were identified using satellite images and have recommended careful removal of young and isolated exotic trees at the invasion front and restoring grasslands, instead of removing dense stands of mature exotic trees.

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Tropical Montane Grasslands (TMG): • TMG are high elevation grasslands forming only 2% of all grasslands in the world. • They are tropical, subtropical, and temperate. • Plants of these habitats display features such as rosette structures, waxy surfaces, and abundant pilosity. • Drier, subtropical montane grasslands, savannas, and woodlands include the Ethiopian Highlands, the Zambezian montane grasslands and woodlands, and the montane habitats of southeastern Africa. • They regulate the global carbon cycle and serve as a source of water to downstream communities. • In India, TMG have even been classified as wastelands in forest management plans since they are unlikely to generate revenue, contrary to the timber found in forests. Shola Grasslands: • Sholas are the local name for patches of stunted tropical montane forest found in valleys of higher montane regions of south India. • They are found in the states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. • 35 percent of the plants, 42 percent of the fish, 48 percent of the reptiles, and 75 percent of the amphibians that live in these rain forests are endemic species. • Invasive Alien Species are the greatest threats to endemic flora and fauna. Invasive Alien Species (IAS): • Invasive alien species are species that are introduced, accidentally or intentionally, outside of their natural geographic range and that become threat to the local species. • It can lead to the local or global extinction of native species. • E.g. Papaya Mealy Bug, Cotton Mealy Bug, Amazon sailfin catfish, Black Wattle, etc.

12. Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme Why in News? • Recently, the number of loans sanctioned to the struggling businesses and micro, small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has decreased. Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme: • It was launched as part of the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan Package’ in May 2020. • The scheme is targeted to benefit Medium Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs) as well as Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency (MUDRA) borrowers.

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• Eligibility: Borrowers with credit outstanding up to Rs. 50 crores as on 29.2.2020, and with an annual turnover of up to Rs. 250 crores. Key Features of the Scheme: • 100% guarantee coverage to be provided by National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC) for additional funding of up to Rs. 3 lakh crores. • A Guaranteed Emergency Credit Line (GECL) facility. • Tenor of the loan under Scheme shall be four years. • No Guarantee Fee shall be charged by NCGTC. • Interest rates under the Scheme shall be capped at 9.25% for banks and FIs, and at 14% for NBFCs. Objectives of the scheme: • To revive the severely impacted manufacturing sector along with other activities in the MSME sector.To provide credit at a low cost.The scheme is also expected to have a positive impact on the economy and support its revival. National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC): • NCGTC is a private limited company incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 in 2014. • It was established by the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance. • It is a wholly owned company of the Government of India. • It is to act as a common trustee company for multiple credit guarantee funds. Kamath Committee: • The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had set up a committee headed by K.V. Kamath on restructuring of loans impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. • The objective of the committee is to recommend parameters for one-time restructuring of corporate loans. The term of the committee has been extended till June 30 2021.

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3. POLITY & GOVERNANCE 1. Electrification of Railways Why in News? • Recently, the Minister of Railways has inaugurated the newly electrified Dhigawara- Bandikui section of North Western Railway and flagged off the first train on this electrified route from Dhigawara station in Alwar District, Rajasthan. History of Railways: • 1832: The first railway proposals for India were made in Madras. • 1837: The country got its first train in the form of Red Hill Railway, which was built with the sole purpose of transporting granite for road building. • 1853: In April, India’s first passenger train, operated by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway ran between Bori Bunder (Mumbai) and Thane. • 1925: In February, the first electric passenger train ran between Victoria Terminus and Kurla (Mumbai). • 1951: Indian Railways was nationalised. Current Electrification: • Indian Railways has set a target to complete Electrification of its Broad gauge network by December 2023. • More than 66% of the Broad gauge route has already been electrified. • With 18065 km of electrification, Railways recorded a 371% increase in electrification during 2014-20 period as compared to 2009-2014. Benefits of Electrification: • Speed: 100% electrification will provide seamless train operation by eliminating detention of trains due to change in traction (action of drawing or pulling something over a surface) from diesel to electric and vice versa. • Capacity: It will help Railways in enhancing line capacity due to higher speed and higher haulage capacity of Electric Locomotives. • Safety: Improved signalling system will lead to enhanced safety in train operations. • Less Financial Burden: Electric traction is much cheaper and efficient compared with diesel traction as running trains on electric traction is 50% cheaper than diesel. • Seamless Movement: Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) are ideal for suburban services, which require higher acceleration and braking features for frequent starts and stops.

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• Employment Generation: Direct employment during the construction phase for electrification will translate to about 20.4 crore man days, which will significantly boost the employment. • Energy Security: Total shift to electric traction will reduce fossil fuel consumption of about 2.83 billion liters per annum and also give a subsequent reduction in greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. • GHG emission for electric traction falls below diesel traction, making it an environmentally friendly option. • Energy Bill Savings: It provides savings of Rs. 13,510 crore per annum in fuel bill as maintenance of electric locomotive is low as compared to diesel locomotive. • Regeneration facilities of electric locomotives will save 15-20% energy and also there is a reduced overall requirement of electric locomotives due to their higher horsepower. • Sustainability: Reduced carbon footprint as environmental cost per tonne Km for electric traction is less as compared to diesel traction. • In line with the commitment made by India in Conference of Parties (COP) 21 (Paris) total shift to electric traction will reduce Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emission of Railways by 24% till 2027-28. • Carbon footprint can be defined as the total amount of GHG produced directly and indirectly to support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of CO2. Using More Renewable Energy: • In July 2020, Indian Railways decided to be self-reliant for its energy needs by utilizing its vacant lands for Renewable Energy (RE) projects. • It will utilize solar energy for meeting its Traction Power Requirements.

2. Environmental Violations in Chardham Project Why in News? • Environmentalists have alleged that the contractors deputed by the government to make roads as part of the Chardham project are violating the Supreme Court orders on the appropriate road width to be followed in Mountainous terrain. About Chardham Project: • It is a programme taken up by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways for connectivity improvement for Chardham (Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri) in Uttrakhand and part of the route leading to Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.

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• The cost of the project is around Rs. 12,000 Crore. • It envisages improvement as well as development of 889 km length of national highways. • Implementing Agencies are Uttarakhand State Public Works Department (PWD), BRO and the National Highway & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). • The work under the programme is being implemented on Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) mode. ✓ Under the EPC mode, the project cost is completely borne by the government. ✓ However, the contractor is directly responsible for ensuring quality of the work as well as rectification of defects and maintenance of the project stretch for a period of 4 years after completion of construction.

What was the Court Ruling? • A controversial aspect was the proposed width of the two-lane highways envisaged. • The top court ruled was that a width of 5.5 metre be enforced as it was in conformity with a 2018 recommendation of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) for Mountain Roads. Impact of Developmental Projects in Himalayas: • Himalayas are the world’s youngest mountain range. They are prone to erosion, landslides and seismic activity and rainstorms lashed the region. Therefore, this region is vulnerable and fragile. • There is a clear link between climate change and changing rainfall patterns in the Himalayas. Scientists are now certain that rainfall in India will become more extreme. There are higher possibilities of cloudbursts and “unprecedented” high rainfall over the region.

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• There is a link between the disaster and the manner in which “development” has been carried out in this ecologically fragile region. E.g hydropower projects. Currently, there are roughly 70 projects built or proposed on the Ganga. Hence the river would be modified through diversion to tunnels or reservoirs to such an extent that 80 per cent of the Bhagirathi and 65 percent of the Alaknanda could be “affected”. • The construction itself would have devastating impacts on the mountains – because of blasting to build tunnels and barrages. Also construction is carried out without the necessary precautions, thus the risk of landslides increases. The situation is the same when it comes to the building of roads, buildings or mining for minerals. Cases of illegal mining and construction are becoming familiar. • Tourism is being considered as the major engine driving the economy of Himalayan states which has provided valuable economic and livelihood opportunities to the locals and profits for the state governments. On the other hand, air and noise pollution, overbooked hotels, increasing and unregulated tourist footfall, urbanization, haphazard infrastructure non-availability of parking places, and local water and energy security are becoming recurrent problems. • Over exploitation of Natural Resources, Food Insecurity, ill-planned urbanization, loss of indigenous culture, natural disasters, increase in municipal sewage are impacting the Himalayan ecology. Cold climate in the mountains also restricts faster decomposition of garbage, thus often leading to their draining into rivers. • This contaminates aquatic life downstream and degrades the quality of the river water on which depends a large population. Places like Shimla are already battling with water crisis and outbreak of waterborne hepatitis because of improper sewage and garbage management About Border Roads Organisation: • It was conceived and raised in 1960 by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru for coordinating the speedy development of a network of roads in the North and the North Eastern border regions of the country. • It works under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence. • It has diversified into a large spectrum of construction and development works comprising airfields, building projects, defence works and tunneling and has endeared itself to the people.

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3. Export Promotion Council for Technical Textiles Why in News? • The Ministry of Textiles has invited proposals for the constitution of a dedicated Export Promotion Council (EPC) for Technical Textiles. What is Technical Textiles? • Technical textiles are textiles materials and products manufactured primarily for technical performance and functional properties rather than aesthetic characteristics. • Technical textiles are functional fabrics that have applications across various industries including automobiles, civil engineering and construction, agriculture, healthcare, industrial safety (fire proof jackets), personal protection (bullet proof jackets, high altitude combat gear), space applications etc. • Based on usage, there are 12 Technical Textile Segments: ✓ Agrotech, Meditech, Buildtech, Mobiltech, Clothtech, Oekotech, Geotech, Packtech, Hometech, Protech, Indutech and Sportech. ✓ For example, Mobiltech refers to products in vehicles such as seat belts and airbags, airplane seats. Geotech, which is incidentally the fastest growing segment, used to hold back soil, etc. About National Technical Textiles Mission: • The constitution of an Export Promotion Council for Technical Textiles is a part of the National Technical Textiles Mission. • The Council shall abide by all directions of the Central Government in respect of promotion and development of international trade. • It was approved with a total outlay of Rs. 1480 crore in February 2020. • It aims to position the country as a global leader in technical textiles and increase the use of technical textiles in the Domestic Market. • It aims at taking domestic market size to USD 40 billion to USD 50 billion by 2024. • It will be implemented for four years starting from 2020-2021 and has Four Components: ✓ First component: It focuses on research, development and innovation with an outlay of Rs. 1,000 crores.The research will be at both fibre level and application-based in geo, agro, medical, sports and mobile textiles and development of biodegradable technical textiles.Research activities will also focus on the development of indigenous machinery and process equipment.

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✓ Second component: It is for the promotion and development of the market for technical textiles. ✓ Third component: It focuses on export promotion so that technical textile exports from the country reach from Rs.14,000 crores to Rs. 20,000 crores by 2021-2022 and will ensure 10% average growth every year till the Mission ends. ✓ Fourth component: It focuses on education, training and skill development.A Mission Directorate is operational in the Ministry of Textiles for implementation of the Mission. Data on the Indian Technical Textiles Segment: • It is estimated at 16 billion USD which is approximately 6% of the 250 billion USD global Technical Textiles Market. • The penetration level of technical textiles in India varies between 5% and 10% against the level of 30% to 70% in Developed Countries.

4. J&K Administration Seeks Review of Order on Roshini Act Why in News? • The J&K administration has sought modifications to the High Court judgment passed on October 9, which declared the 2001 Roshni Act null and void in the Union Territory (UT) and directed authorities to end the Ownership rights of Occupants of Government Land. About the Roshini Act: • Enacted in 2001, the law sought to regularise Unauthorised land. • The Act envisaged the transfer of Ownership Rights of state land to its occupants, subject to the payment of a cost, as determined by the government. • The government said the revenue generated would be spent on commissioning hydroelectric power projects, hence the name “Roshni”. • Further, through amendments, the government also gave ownership rights of agricultural land to farmers occupying it for free, charging them only Rs 100 per kanal as documentation fee. Why it was Scrapped? • In 2009, the State Vigilance Organisation registered an FIR against several government officials for alleged criminal conspiracy to illegally possess and vest ownership of state land to occupants who did not satisfy criteria under the Roshni Act.

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• In 2014, a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) estimated that against the targeted Rs 25,000 crore, only Rs 76 crore had been realised from the transfer of encroached land between 2007 and 2013, thus defeating the purpose of the legislation. • The report blamed irregularities including arbitrary reduction in prices fixed by a standing committee, and said this was done to benefit politicians and affluent people. What is the Recent Controversy? • In October this year, the High Court held the Roshni Act as ‘unconstitutional’. • The court also directed the UT Government to make public names of those who grabbed the land under the Scheme. • Last week, the UT government began publishing the names of beneficiaries on its websites. • The first set of names included prominent politicians and their relatives, hotels, and a trust connected each to the dominant parties of the Gupkar declaration. A Scam being Busted: • Investigations into the land transfers subsequently found that land in Gulmarg had been given over to ineligible beneficiaries. • However several government officials illegally possessed and vested ownership of state land to occupants who did not satisfy criteria under the Roshni Act. • A report by the CAG estimated that against the targeted Rs 25,000 crore, only Rs 76 crore had been realized from the transfer of land between 2007 and 2013, thus defeating the purpose.The report blamed irregularities including arbitrary reduction in prices fixed by a standing committee, and said this was done to benefit Politicians and Affluent people. Now what is the Concern? • The petition argued that a large number of common people would suffer unintentionally.This includes landless cultivators and individuals who are themselves residing in dwellings on small areas. • They are unfortunately clubbed along with rich and wealthy land grabbers, who have obtained a title over state land through the provisions of the now struck Act. • The government underlined the need to “distinguish between these two classes of people; the fact of being either a landless cultivator or the house holder with one dwelling in personal use.” • J&K, however, called for a CBI investigation to focus on the design of legal and policy framework, changes with malafide intention to encroach public land and get possessory rights.

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5. Pleas Against CAA Pending before SC Why in News? • Over 140 petitions challenging the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) have been pending for nearly a year in the Supreme Court, leaving petitioners deeply disappointed over the delay. About the CAB: • The Parliament passed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019last year that seeks to give citizenship to refugees from the Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh and Zoroastrian communities fleeing religious persecution from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who came to India before 31st December, 2014. Residential requirement for citizenship through naturalization from the above saidcountries is at least 5 years. Residential requirement for citizenship through naturalization for others is 11 years. The Union Home Minister clarified that the Act is not confined to the State of Assam.The Bill will apply to all States and Union Territories of the country. • The beneficiaries of Citizenship Amendment Act can reside in any state of the country. Who are Illegal Immigrants? • According to the Citizenship Act, 1955, an illegal immigrant is one who enters India without a valid passport or with forged documents, or a person who stays beyond the visa Permit. What is NRC? • The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is meant to identify a bona fide citizen. • In other words, by the order of the Supreme Court of India, NRC is being currently updated in Assam to detect Bangladeshi nationals who might have entered the State illegally after the midnight of March 24, 1971. • The date was decided in the 1985 Assam Accord, which was signed between the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the AASU. The NRC was first published after the 1951 Census in the independent India when parts of Assam went to the East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. • The first draft of the updated list was concluded by December 31, 2017. Arguments against the Bill: • The fundamental criticism of the Act has been that it specifically targets Muslims. Critics argue that it is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution (which guarantees the right to equality) and the principle of secularism.

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• India has several other refugees that include Tamils from Sri Lanka and Hindu Rohingya from Myanmar. They are not covered under the Act. • Despite exemption granted to some regions in the North-eastern states, the prospect of citizenship for massive numbers of illegal Bangladeshi migrants has triggered deep anxieties in the states. It will be difficult for the government to differentiate between illegal migrants and those persecuted. Arguments in Favour: • The government has clarified that Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh are Islamic Republics where Muslims are in majority hence they cannot be treated as persecuted Minorities. It has assured that the Government will examine the application from any other community on a case to case basis. • This Act is a big boon to all those people who have been the victims of Partition and the subsequent conversion of the three countries into theocratic Islamic republics. • Citing partition between India and Pakistan on religious lines in 1947, the government has argued that millions of citizens of undivided India belonging to various faiths were staying in Pakistan and Bangladesh from 1947. • The constitutions of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh provide for a specific state religion. As a result, many persons belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities have faced persecution on grounds of religion in those countries. • Many such persons have fled to India to seek shelter and continued to stay in India even if their travel documents have expired or they have incomplete or no documents. • After Independence, not once but twice, India conceded that the minorities in its neighbourhood is its responsibility. First, immediately after Partition and again during the Indira-Mujib Pact in 1972 when India had agreed to absorb over 1.2 million refugees. • It is a historical fact that on both occasions, it was only the Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Christians who had come over to Indian side. 6. Central Vista Redevelopment Project Why in News? • The Supreme Court has allowed the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the new Parliament Building. About Central Vista: • In December, 1911, King George V made an announcement in Delhi Durbar (a grand assembly) to shift the capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi.

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• Delhi Durbar was hosted to mark the coronation of King George V. • The task of constructing a new city was given to Edwin Lutyens, known for his strong adherence to European Classicism and Herbert Baker, a prominent architect in South Africa. • Herbert Baker is also the architect of the Union buildings at Pretoria, South Africa. • Parliament House building was designed by both Lutyens and Baker. • Rashtrapati Bhavan was designed by Edwin Lutyens. • The Secretariat which includes both north and south block was designed by Herbert Baker. Why Government Stress for New Parliament? • Pre Independence building: The current one was built in 1927 to house the legislative council and was not intended to house a bicameral legislature that the country has today. • Lack of Space: The current building will be under more stress when the number of seats to Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are raised. Both Houses are already packed and members have to sit on plastic chairs when joint sessions are held, diminishing the dignity of the House. • Safety Concerns: The existing building does not conform to fire safety norms. Water and sewer lines are also haphazard and this is damaging its heritage nature. Security concerns in the wake of the 2001 Parliament attack shows its vulnerable nature. It is also not quake- proof. • Cost Advantage: Many central ministries are housed in different buildings with the result that the government ends up paying rent for many of them. The new building, a new central secretariat will help avoid this. • Environmental Benefits: The fact that people and officials have to run around the city to go to different ministries also increases traffic and pollution. The project also proposes interlinking of metro stations which will minimise use of vehicles. Architectural Features of the Building: • The foundation stone of the Parliament House was laid on February 12, 1921 by the Duke of Connaught. • Construction of the building was completed in 1927 and was inaugurated by the then Governor-General of India, Lord Irwin. • The shape of the building is circular, which is based on the Chausath Yogini temple of Morena, Madhya Pradesh.

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• The building has a Central Chamber which is surrounded by the semicircular halls that were constructed for the sessions of the Chamber of Princes (now used as the Library Hall), the State Council (now used for the Rajya Sabha), and the Central Legislative Assembly (now used for the Lok Sabha). • The architectural design of the building is a perfect mix of ancient Indian tradition and Modern Amenities. • The building hosts the Parliament House, the Reception Office Building, the Library Building, the Parliament House Annexe along with huge lawns and artificial ponds. • The structure is enclosed by an ornamental red sandstone walls and 12 iron gates. • The building was declared a Grade-I heritage property in 2009. • The Parliament House building has remarkable symbolic value. It embodies the spirit of Indian democracy. Hence, it would be advisable to reshape the Parliament building by imbibing the composite culture and rich architectural legacy of India. Criticism of the Building: • The Opposition, environmentalists, architects and citizens have raised many concerns even before the pandemic brought in Extra Issues. • They have questioned the lack of studies to ascertain the need for the project and its impact on the Environment, Traffic and Pollution. • Several key approvals for the proposed Parliament building have been pushed during the lockdown. This led to Allegations of a lack of Transparency. • They argue that in the situation created by the pandemic, the project must be deferred as the country can’t afford it at this time.

7. Centre Firm on Farm Laws Why in News? • Farmers took the national centrestage as their call for a 'Bharat Bandh' to push for a repeal of the new agri laws recently. What’s the Issue? • Three Farm Bills that are bond of contention: ✓ The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, ✓ The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, ✓ Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

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• These bills envisage bringing change in some of the key aspects of the farm economy — trading in agricultural commodities, price assurance, farm services including contracts, and stock limits for essential commodities. These bills sought to bring much needed reforms in the agricultural marketing system such as removing restrictions of private stock holding of agricultural produce or creating trading areas free of middlemen and take the market to the farmer. However, farmers are apprehensive that the free market philosophy supported by these bills could undermine the Minimum Support Price (MSP) system and make farmers vulnerable to market forces. Intended Benefits Associated with these Bills: • The Bills aim to do away with government interference in agricultural trade by creating trading areas free of middlemen and government taxes outside the structure of Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs). • It will allow farmers an option to sell their produce directly to these new zones, without going through the middlemen and paying levies such as mandi fees. • It sought to remove stock holding limits as well as curbs on inter-State and intra-State trade, and create a framework for contract farming. • Also, these bills promote the creation of Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO) on a large scale and will help in creating a farmer-friendly environment for contract farming where small players can benefit. These bills may enable private players to invest in warehousing, grading and other marketing infrastructure. • A combined effect of these bills will help in creating a ‘One Nation, One Market’ for Agricultural Produce. Issues Raised by the Farmers & Opposition: • Federal Angle: The provisions in the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, provide for unfettered commerce in designated trade areas outside APMC jurisdictions. ✓ Apart from this, the bill empowers the Centre government to issue orders to States in furtherance of the law’s objectives. ✓ However, matters of trade and agriculture being the part of subjects on the State list have caused resentment in States. • Lack of Consultation: First the ordinance route and now the hastily attempt to pass the Bills without proper consultation adds to the mistrust among various stakeholders including farmers.

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✓ Also, by allowing ‘trade zones’ to come up outside the APMC area, farmers have become apprehensive that the new system would lead to eventual exit from the minimum support price. • Absence of any regulation in non-APMC mandis: Another issue that is raised by the farmers is that the proposed bills give the preference for corporate interests at the cost of farmers’ interests. ✓ In absence of any regulation in non-APMC mandis, the farmers may find it difficult to deal with Corporates, as they solely operate on the motive of profit seeking. • Non-Favourable Market Conditions: While retail prices have remained high, data from the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) suggest a deceleration in farm gate prices for most Agricultural Produce. ✓ With rising input costs, farmers do not see the free market based framework providing them remunerative prices. ✓ These fears gain strength with the experience of States such as Bihar which abolished APMCs in 2006. After the abolition of mandis, farmers in Bihar on average received lower prices compared to the MSP for most crops. Way Forward: • Improve Agricultural Infrastructure to Strengthen Competition: Government should massively fund the expansion of the APMC market system, make efforts to remove trade cartels, and provide farmers good roads, logistics of scale and real time information. • Empowering State Farmers Commissions: Rather than opting for heavy centralisation, the emphasis should be on empowering farmers through State Farmers Commissions recommended by the National Commission for Farmers, to bring about a speedy government response to issues. • Consensus Building: The Centre should reach out to those opposing the Bills, including farmers, explain to them the need for reform, and get them on board.

8. Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) Why in News? • The three vaccine developers have recently made applications to the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), seeking emergency use approval for their candidate Covid-19 Vaccines.

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Covid-19 Vaccines at Andidates Trail: • COVISHIELD by a Pune-based Serum Institute of India. Phase-III trials going on. • COVAXIN by Bharat Biotech, a Hyderabad-based company. Phase-III trials going on. • BNT162b2 by US pharmaceutical major Pfizer in collaboration with BioNTech.No trials in India so far. Regulatory Provisions in India: • The Clinical trials of new drugs and vaccines, and their approvals, are governed by the Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019. • There is nothing such as emergency use approval in Indian rules, however the 2019 rules provide for “Accelerated Approval Process” in several situations that would include the one like the current pandemic. • There is a provision for granting approval to a drug that is still in clinical trials provided the product is of meaningful therapeutic benefit. • Accelerated approval may also be granted to a new drug if it is intended for the treatment of a serious, or life-threatening condition, or disease of special relevance to the country, and addresses unmet medical needs. • A new drug, or a vaccine, can be considered for approval if remarkable effectiveness is reported even from phase-II trials. • The approval granted to drugs or vaccines that are still in clinical trials is temporary, and valid only for one year. About Clinical Trial: • It is a systematic study to generate data for discovering or verifying the clinical and pharmacological profile (including pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic) or adverse effects of a new drug on humans. It is carried out in four phases. • Phase I or clinical pharmacology trials or “first in man” study: This is the first time where the new drug is administered to a small number, a minimum of 2 healthy, informed volunteers for each dose under the close supervision of a doctor. • The purpose is to determine whether the new compound is tolerated by the patient's body and behaves in the predicted way. • Phase II or exploratory trials: During this phase, the medicine is administered to a group of approximately 10-12 informed patients in 3 to 4 centers to determine its effect and also to check for any unacceptable side effects.

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• Phase III or confirmatory trials: Purpose is to obtain sufficient evidence about the efficacy and safety of the drug in a larger number of patients, generally in comparison with a standard drug and/or a placebo as appropriate. In this phase, the group is between 1000- 3000 subjects. • Phase IV trials or post-marketing phase: Phase of surveillance after the medicine is made available to doctors, who start prescribing it. The effects are monitored on thousands of patients to help identify any unforeseen side effects. • Regulatory Mechanism in India: • Clinical trials in India are governed by the following acts are Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, Medical Council of India Act, 1956 and Central Council for Indian Medicine Act, 1970. • Prerequisites of conducting a clinical trial in India are Permission from the Drugs Controller General, India (DCGI), Approval from the respective Ethics Committee where the study is planned and Mandatory registration on the The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) maintained website. About Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO): • It is under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India is the National Regulatory Authority (NRA) of India. • The Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules 1945 have entrusted various responsibilities to central & state Regulators for Regulation of drugs & cosmetics. • It is responsible for approval of Drugs, Conduct of Clinical Trials under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. • CDSCO along with state regulators, is jointly responsible for grant of licenses of certain specialized categories of critical Drugs such as blood and blood products, I. V. Fluids, Vaccine etc.

9. Cabinet approves setting up of Public Wi-Fi Networks Why in News? • The Union Cabinet recently approved the proposal for setting up of public Wi-Fi networks across the country to accelerate proliferation of Broadband Internet Services. About the News: • These networks, which will be called PM-WANI (Wi-Fi Access Network Interface), will be set up at Public Data Offices (PDOs).

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• These PDOs can be opened up by anyone, including tea shops or a public office and there will be no license fee for providing broadband internet through these public Wi-Fi networks. Providers will get themselves registered with DoT through an online registration portal without paying any fee. This will be granted within seven days of the Application. What is PM-WANI? • A single interoperable platform that will enable the delivery of data and WiFi services to all Indians is the heart of India’s new Digital Communications Policy (2018–2022). • TRAI is inviting participation from companies/entities in the country to help set up a nation-wide interoperable WiFi network in form of Public Data Offices (PDOs) across the country. The new pilot project named Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (WANI) will run on a partnership model. Small entrepreneurs and shop owners can set up WiFi hotspots (or PDOs) by acquiring bandwidth from multiple Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and re- selling bandwidth as data to end customers at a cheaper rate. • The pilot project of WANI will accept any company, proprietorship, societies, NGOs, etc. to help set up paid public WiFi access points across the country using a shared model. • These companies will be able to purchase bandwidth from Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOAs)—a bandwidth aggregator which aggregates spectrum from multiple ISPs and provide them to PDO owners at cheaper rates. • In this manner, the cost of setting up WiFi infrastructure will be shared without PDOs requiring registering for a telecom license. Wifire, PayTM, Linq and C-DOT have created WANI enabled mobile apps for consumers. • WANI Mission: Existing ISPs and telcos do not have any form of incentive push to deliver WiFi services in rural locations. Hence in addition to existing service providers, small providers can also enter the public Wi-Fi ecosystem and have the capability and incentives to provide public Wi-Fi on a small scale. How does WANI Work? • WANI is publicly open WiFi framework. Users will have to do one time KYC within WANI enabled application. • Whenever WANI enabled application discovers and connects to a WANI compliant hotspot, application automatically sends a “digitally signed” authentication token. • When audit is required, token can be uniquely mapped to a KYC user making it strongly traceable in case of incidents.

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• Consumers get single-click connection Discovery is simple as app allows users to discover nearby WANI compliant Access Points. • User apps can provide location specific searches and allow users to discover “nearby” WiFi hotspots without being the range. • Users can add multiple devices into their profile to allow single click connect of all devices into single WiFi session. • There is interoperability as users can choose any WANI enabled application. • Users can setup profile with preferred Payment Gateway to collect and make secure payments. • User can use any WANI enabled consumer app for KYC and use it to connect (and optionally pay). • There is no credential exchange. • There are cheap sachet-sized packs, as WiFi usage is to be sold to users for consumption in sachet format in denominations of Rs 2 to Rs 20, etc for 1 GB. • WANI is a good example of unbundling/disaggregation—separation of the access from the underlying network through its platform. Basic Definitions: • ‘Public Data Offices (PDOs)’ basically have features of Public Call Offices (PCOs) but it aggregates mobile data instead of providing cheap voice calls. Small shops, bakeries, eateries, café outlets, cinema halls, museums, residential builders, are examples of Public Data Offices or PDOs. • ‘Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOAs)’ are PDOs who aggregate WiFi hotspots, bandwidth. • ‘App Providers’ are any mobile app company that can provide and manage eKYC (via mobile no. or Aadhaar) as well as digital payment providers. • ‘Hotspot providers’ are any domestic or foreign company manufacturing or providing WiFi/hotspot hardware, software services. What are its Benefits? • This is expected to be more business-friendly and in line with efforts for ease of doing business, adding that COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated delivery of stable and high speed broadband internet services to a large number of subscribers, particularly which do not have 4G mobile coverage.

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• “Wi-Fi Hotspots will massively encourage proliferation and penetration of [internet broadband] across the length and breadth of the country. Availability and use of Broadband will enhance incomes, employment, quality of life, ease of doing business etc. • Today, many hotspots operate on the principle of “OTP” (one-time passwords) which provide access for a limited time. Such hazards will be done away with the WANI architecture.

10. National Register of Citizens (NRC) Context: • The National Register of Citizens (NRC) authorities have submitted to the Guwahati High Court an affidavit reportedly containing the details of “illegal foreigners” whose names had crept into the updated list of citizens released in 2019. What is NRC? • The NRC is the list of Indian citizens and was prepared in 1951, following the census of 1951. • The process of NRC update was taken up in Assam as per a Supreme Court order in 2013. • In order to wean out cases of illegal migration from Bangladesh and other adjoining areas, NRC updation was carried out under The Citizenship Act, 1955, and according to rules framed in the Assam Accord. • The Assam government released the final draft of NRC on July 30, 2018. The list incorporates names of 2.89 crore people out of 3.29 crore applicants. The names of 40.07 lakh people have been left out. Why it was Carried Out? • Crisis of identity: Influx of immigrants has created a crisis of identity among the indigenous. Locals fear that their cultural survival will be affected, political control weakened and employment opportunities undermined because of immigrants. • Environmental degradation: Large areas of forest land were encroached upon by the immigrants for settlement and cultivation. The state experienced declining percent of land area under forest from 39% in 1951-52 to about 30% now. • Increase financial burden: Immigration has increased pressure on the part of state government, as the government has to increase the expenditure on education and health facilities to the Immigrants.

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Why is this Worrisome? • The official presumption that people residing in Assam areas are foreigners has reduced several million of these highly impoverished, mostly rural, powerless and poorly lettered residents to a situation of helplessness and extreme poverty, destitution, hardship. • It has also caused them abiding anxiety and uncertainty about their futures. They are required to convince a variety of usually hostile officials that they are citizens, based on vintage documents which even urban, educated, middle-class citizens would find hard to muster. • Women are especially in danger of exclusion from the citizenship register. Typically, they have no birth certificates, are not sent to school, and are married before they become adults. • UN experts are warning continuously that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam could render millions of citizens stateless and create instability in India. What can the Left Out do Now? • According to the Centre’s standard operating procedures (SOP), a rejected person would have 120 days from the date of receiving the rejection slip to approach a Foreigners’ Tribunal (FT) for judging their citizenship status. About Foreigners Tribunals in Assam: • The tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies, to determine if a person staying illegally is a “foreigner” or not. • Every individual, whose name does not figure in the final National Register of Citizens (NRC), can represent his/her case in front of the appellate authority i.e. Foreigners Tribunals (FT). • Assam has set up FTs, specifically to handle the cases of 19.06 lakh people left out of the updated NRC. • Under the provisions of Foreigners Act 1946 and Foreigners (Tribunals) Order 1964, only Foreigners Tribunals are empowered to declare a person as a foreigner. • The Assam Police Border Organisation, a wing of the State police tasked with detecting foreigners, readies the cases for the tribunals to decide who is a foreigner and who is not. Way Ahead: • A person’s citizenship is a basic human right. Declaring people foreigners in haste without judicially verifying their credentials can leave many human beings stateless.

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• The need of the hour is that Union Government should clearly chart out the course of action regarding the fate of excluded people from final NRC data and political parties should refrain from colouring the entire NRC process through electoral prospects that may snowball in to communal Violence. • There is a need for a robust mechanism of legal support for the four million who have to prove their citizenship to India with their Limited means.

11. Centre tells Telangana to Withdraw Plea on Water Use Why in News? • The Centre has said that it would consider referring (under Section 3 of the Inter State River Waters Disputes Act) the matter for reallocation of Krishna waters between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh either to a new tribunal or to the existing Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-II headed by Justice Brijesh Kumar, once Telangana withdrew its petition on the issue in the Supreme Court. What’s the Issue? • The Telangana government has filed a special leave petition (SLP) in Supreme Court seeking a direction to Andhra Pradesh government not to go ahead calling tenders for the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme. • The government maintains that under the provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, proposal for any new project on Krishna has to be first placed before the Krishna River Management Board and then before the Apex Council for ratification. Background: • The two States- AP and Telangana- share stretches of the Krishna and the Godavari and own their tributaries. • They have embarked on several new projects without getting clearance from the river boards, the Central Water Commission and the apex council comprising the Union Water Resources Minister and the Chief Ministers, as mandated by the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014. About the River Krishna: • It is an east-flowing river. • Originates at Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra and merges with the Bay of Bengal, flowing through Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

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• Basin: Together with its tributaries, it forms a vast basin that covers 33% of the total area of the Four States. What is the Dispute all about? • The dispute began with the erstwhile Hyderabad and Mysore states, and later continuing between successors Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. • In 1969, the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal (KWDT) was set up under the Inter-State River Water Dispute Act, 1956, and presented its report in 1973. • The report, which was published in 1976, divided the 2060 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of Krishna water at 75 per cent dependability into Three Parts: 1. 560 TMC for Maharashtra. 2. 700 TMC for Karnataka. 3. 800 TMC for Andhra Pradesh. Revised Order: • As new grievances arose between the states, the second KWDT was instituted in 2004. • It delivered its report in 2010, which made allocations of the Krishna water at 65 per cent dependability and for surplus flows as follows: 81 TMC for Maharashtra, 177 TMC for Karnataka, and 190 TMC for Andhra Pradesh. • After the creation of Telangana as a separate state in 2014, Andhra Pradesh is asking to include Telangana as a separate party at the KWDT and that the allocation of Krishna waters be reworked among four states, instead of three. • It has challenged the order of the Brijesh Kumar Tribunal in the Supreme Court.

12. Delimitation should be based on 2031 Census Why in News? • A paper released by the Pranab Mukherjee Foundation (PMF) on the eve of the late President’s birth anniversary has suggested that the next delimitation exercise should be a two-step process. What are the Two Step Processes? • A Delimitation Commission should be set up to redraw boundaries of constituencies on the basis of the 2031 Census. • A State Reorganisation Act be passed to split States into smaller ones.

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Background: • The 84th Amendment to the Constitution in 2002 had put a freeze on the delimitation of Lok Sabha and State Assembly constituencies till the first Census after 2026. While the current boundaries were drawn on the basis of the 2001 Census, the number of Lok Sabha seats and State Assembly seats remained frozen on the basis of the 1971 Census. Need for Reconsideration: • The Population According to the last census preceding the freeze was 50 crore, which in 50 years has grown to 130 crore. This has caused a massive asymmetry in the political Representation in the Country. What is Delimitation? • Delimitation literally means the process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a state that has a Legislative Body. Who Carries out the Exercise? • Delimitation is undertaken by a highly powerful commission. They are formally known as Delimitation Commission or Boundary Commission. • These bodies are so powerful that its orders have the force of law and they cannot be challenged before any court. Such commissions have been constituted at least four times in India — in 1952 under the Delimitation Commission Act, 1952; in 1963 under Delimitation Commission Act, 1962; in 1973 under Delimitation Act, 1972 and last in 2002 under Delimitation Act, 2002.The commissions’ orders are enforced as per the date specified by the President of India. Copies of these orders are laid before the Lok Sabha or the concerned Legislative Assembly. No modifications are permitted. Composition of the Commission: • According to the Delimitation Commission Act, 2002, the Delimitation Commission appointed by the Centre has to have three members: a serving or retired judge of the Supreme Court as the chairperson, and the Chief Election Commissioner or Election Commissioner nominated by the CEC and the State Election Commissioner as ex-officio members.

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3. POLITY & GOVERNANCE SNIPPETS 1. COVID Suraksha Why in News? • The Government has Launched recently 'Mission COVID Suraksha'. Mission COVID Suraksha: • Aim of the Mission: Development of COVID -19 vaccines. • Objective of the Mission: ✓ To accelerate pre-clinical and clinical development, licensure of Covid-19 vaccine candidates that are currently in clinical stages or ready to enter clinical stage of development. ✓ To establish clinical trial sites and strengthen the existing immunoassay laboratories, central laboratories and suitable facilities for animal studies, production facilities and other test facilities to support Covid-19 vaccine development. ✓ To support development of common harmonised protocols, training, data management systems, regulatory submissions, internal and external quality management systems and accreditations. • Led by: Department of Biotechnology • Implemented by: Mission Implementation Unit at Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) Financial Grant: • The government had announced the third stimulus package of Rs 900 crore for the Mission COVID Suraksha. Phase-I of the COVID Suraksha Mission has been allotted Rs.900 Crore for a period of 12 months. This grant will be provided to the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) for research and development of Indian Covid-19 vaccines. • Capabilities for process development, cell line development and manufacturing of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) batches for animal toxicology studies and clinical trials will also be supported under the mission. A key element will be development of a suitable target product profile so that vaccines being introduced through the mission have preferred characteristics applicable for India. The COVID -19 Vaccine Trials in India: • A total of 10 vaccine candidates have been supported by the DBT so far in both academia and industry.

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• As on date, five vaccine candidates are in Human Trials (Oxford-Astrazeneca, Bharat Biotech, ZyCoV-D, Sputnik V, Biological E) with at least three more in advanced stages of pre-clinical to enter human trials shortly.

2. National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) Why in News? • Recently, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) portal shows that demand for work has been at all-time high, according to data available up to November. Highlights: • It is a demand-based scheme and has emerged as a safety net during the pandemic for Jobless Migrant workers returning to their Villages • The number of gram panchayats generating nil person days of work during the current financial year are at an eight-year low of only 3.42% of the 2.68 lakh gram panchayats across the country. • The number of gram panchayats generating nil person days during the entire period was 3.91% of the total 2.64 lakh gram panchayats, in 2019. Over 96% of gram panchayats across the country have registered demand for work under NREGS from April till November-end. • Over 6.5 crore households, covering 9.42 crore individuals, have availed NREGS till November 2020, which is an all-time high. • The Highest number of demand for work came from Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. • The wage expenditure has also reached an all-time high of Rs. 53,522 crore during this period. Tamil Nadu has reported the highest figure of households that availed the NREGS across the country, since July and has been followed by West Bengal. • About National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme • The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 was notified by the Government of India on September, 2005 and was made effective in February 2006. Under it, the NREGS was introduced. • The Act aims at enhancing the livelihood security of people in rural areas by guaranteeing hundred days of wage employment in a financial year to a rural household whose adult members (at least 18 years of age) volunteer to do unskilled work.

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• The central government bears the full cost of unskilled labour, and 75% of the cost of material (the rest is borne by the states). • It is a demand-driven, social security and labour law that aims to enforce the ‘right to work’. • Ministry of Rural Development in association with state governments, monitors the implementation of the scheme. 3. National Maritime Domain Awareness (NDMA) Centre Why in News? • Recently, the Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC), the nodal agency for maritime data fusion set up after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. It will soon become a National Maritime Domain Awareness (NDMA) Centre. Highlights: • The Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) is extremely challenging since India is located in one of the busiest maritime traffic regions of the world. • The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is the commercial highway for large traffic and critical for the prosperity of many nations. Hence, threats such as maritime terrorism, piracy, trafficking, illegal fishing etc. are required to be kept subdued at all times. • It is defined by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as the effective understanding of anything associated with the maritime domain that could impact the security, safety, economy, or environment. • The maritime domain is defined as all areas and things of, on, under, relating to, adjacent to, or bordering on a sea, ocean, or other navigable waterway, including all maritime- related activities, India joined the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) as Observer. The Commission is an important regional institution in Western/African Indian Ocean. • The Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean region (IFC-IOR) was set up within the premises of the IMAC to coordinate with regional countries on maritime security and act as a regional repository of maritime data. • It will be a multi-agency centre and provide information to various stakeholders, from the fisheries department to local policing authorities on development or movements across the coast. This will make sure that any risk, especially transnational can be prevented. About Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC): • It is the main center of the Indian Navy for coastal surveillance and monitoring. It is located in Gurugram (Haryana) and became operational in 2014.

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• It is a joint initiative of Indian Navy, Coast Guard and Bharat Electronics Ltd. and functions under the National Security Adviser (NSA). • It is the nodal center of the National Command Control Communications and Intelligence Network (NC3I Network). • It tracks vessels on the high seas and gets data from the coastal radars, white shipping agreements, Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) transponders fitted on merchant ships, air and traffic management systems and global shipping databases. Its functions in line with the principles listed under 'Security and Growth of All in the Region (SAGAR)'. About White Shipping Agreement: • It refers to an exchange of relevant advance information on the identity and movement of commercial non-military merchant vessels. • Ships are classified into white (commercial ships), grey (military vessels), and black (illegal vessels). Automatic Identification System is an automated tracking system installed on all commercial vessels of specific tonnage. • All fishing vessels more than 20m long were mandated to have AIS transponders installed, while efforts are on to have such a system on under 20m fishing vessels as well. • It conducted a coastal security workshop for BIMSTEC countries. During the MT New Diamond (vessel) fire incident off the coast of Sri Lanka, IFC-IOR played a key role in the early Mobilization of resources that resulted in a Quick Reaction.

4. Unnat Bharat Abhiyan Scheme Why in News? • A review meeting regarding the progress of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan Scheme (UBA) was recently held Via Videoconferencing. Highlights: • Efforts should be made to maximise the number of Higher Educational Institutions under the scheme in order to benefit More Villages. • UBA should be used in sensitizing the school teachers regarding National Education Policy, 2020. Need for a portal was highlighted which will serve as an interactive platform for different institutions wherein they can share success stories and motivate each other. • Carry out a state-wise study and set targets regarding the parameters under UBA such as improvement in Literacy, Healthcare etc.

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About Unnat Bharat Abhiyan: • It is a flagship program of the Ministry of Education. It was launched in 2014. • It aims to link the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with a set of at least (5) villages, so that these institutions can contribute to the economic and social betterment of these village communities using their knowledge base. • It covers two major domains for holistic development of villages – human development and material (economic) development - in an integrated way. • Its objective is to engage the faculty and students of HEIs in identifying development issues in rural areas and finding sustainable solutions for the same. • Identify & select existing innovative technologies, enable customisation of technologies, or devise implementation methods for innovative solutions, as required by the people. • To allow HEIs to contribute to devising systems for smooth implementation of various Government programmes. • Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 is the upgraded version of UBA 1.0. It was launched in 2018. • UBA 1.0 or UBA Phase-1 was the Invitation Mode in which Participating Institutions were invited to be a part of UBA. • Whereas UBA 2.0 is the Challenge Mode of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan programme where all HEIs are required to willingly adopt at least 5 villages. Currently, UBA 2.0 Mode is going on.

5. Honey Adulterated with Sugar Syrup Why in News? • Recently, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) honey sold by several major brands in India has been found Adulterated with Sugar Syrup. Highlights: • The Samples of 10 out of 13 brands, which were examined, failed to clear the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) test. • Honey samples from brands such as Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath, Zandu, Hitkari and Apis Himalaya, all failed the internationally accepted NMR test. • Indian companies in the business of honey are importing synthetic sugar syrups from China for adulterating with honey. • CSE is a not-for-profit public interest research and advocacy organisation.

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• CSE tracked down Chinese trade portals which were advertising fructose syrup that can bypass tests to check adulteration. • Chinese companies informed CSE that even if 50-80% of the honey is adulterated with syrup, they would pass all stipulated tests as per Indian standards. • Tests employed as per Indian regulations check whether the honey is adulterated with C4 sugar (cane sugar) or C3 sugar (rice sugar). • Adulteration also destroyed the livelihoods of bee-keepers who found it unprofitable to make pure honey because sugar-syrup honey was often available at half the price. Impact: • Households consume more honey because of its intrinsic goodness (antimicrobial and Anti-Inflammatory Properties). • As per this investigation, most of the honey sold in the market is adulterated with sugar syrup. Therefore, instead of honey, people are eating more sugar, which will add to the risk of Covid-19 and increase the risk of Obesity. About Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Test: • It is a test that can ascertain the composition of a product at the molecular level. • It is an analytical chemistry technique used in quality control and research for determining the content and purity of a sample as well as its molecular structure. • The test is not required by Indian law for honey that is being marketed locally but is needed for export. The tests being able to detect additives, were not able to detect the quantity of adulteration.

6. Attorney General Consent for Contempt Why in News? • Attorney General of India granted consent to initiate criminal contempt of court proceedings against comic Illustrator for allegedly scandalizing the judiciary through her tweets and Illustrations. Procedure for bringing Criminal Contempt of Court: • The Contempt of the Courts Act, 1971 lays down the law on Contempt of court. • In case of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General or the Solicitor General and in case of High Courts, the Advocate General may bring in motion before the court for initiating a case of criminal contempt.

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• If the motion is brought about by any other person, the consent in writing of the Attorney General or Advocate General is required. • The objective behind the consent of attorney general is to save the time of the court. • It is meant to be safeguard against the frivolous petitions. Is AG’s Consent is Mandatory for all Contempt of Court Cases? • It is mandatory when private citizen wants to initiate a case of contempt of court against a person. • When court itself initiate a contempt of court case, the AG’s consent is not required. • Article 129 of the constitution gives SC the power to initiate contempt cases on its own. • E.g. Prashant Bhushan case What if AG Denies Consent? • When AG Denies consent to initiate the contempt of court, matter ends. • AG had denied to grant consent to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against actor for allegedly making derogatory comments against the Supreme Court. • The law has limitation period of one year for bringing in action against an individual. What if AG Grants the Consent? • Once the consent is given in writing, a notice under the contempt of courts act is served personally on the person against whom the proceedings are sought to be initiated by the court. If court decides not to serve the notice, the law requires the court to record the reasons for it. If court is satisfied it can order the attachment of property. • Once the notice is served, the alleged contemnor may file an affidavit in support of his defence. The court than takes into account any evidence available to check the affidavit. Contempt of Court: • It means anything that curtails or impairs the freedom of limits of the judicial proceedings. • Any conduct that tends to bring the authority and administration of Law into disrespect or disregard or to interfere with or prejudice parties or their witnesses during litigation. • It consists of words spoken or written which obstruct or tend to obstruct the administration of justice. Articles Regarding Contempt of Court in Constitution: • Article 129: ✓ The Supreme Court is a court of record and has all the powers of such a court including the power to punish for contempt of itself.

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• Article 215: ✓ High Courts to be courts of record.—Every High Court shall be a court of record and shall have all the powers of such a court including the power to punish for contempt of itself. • The Contempt of Courts Act,1971: • Objective: ✓ To define & limit powers of certain courts in punishing contempt of courts & to uphold the majesty and dignity of law courts and their image in the minds of the public is no way whittled down. • Civil Contempt – ✓ willful disobedience to any judgment, decree, direction, order, writ or other process of a court or willful breach of an undertaking given to a court ✓ Criminal contempt - publication (whether by words, spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representations, or otherwise) of any matter or the doing of any other act whatsoever which- ✓ Scandalizes or tends to scandalize, or lowers or tends to lower the authority of, any court ; or Prejudices, or interferes or tends to interfere with, the due course of any judicial proceeding; or ✓ Interferes or tends to interfere with, or obstructs or tends to obstruct, the administration of justice in any other manner • Exceptions: ✓ Innocent publication and distribution of matter - not contempt ✓ Fair and accurate report of judicial proceeding - not contempt ✓ Fair criticism of judicial act - not contempt ✓ Publication of information relating to proceedings in chambers or in camera - not contempt except in certain cases.

7. Municipal Bonds Why in News? • Bonds issued by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) got listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange. It’s the ninth city in the country to raise capital through Municipal Bonds. Municipal Bonds: • A municipal bond or muni bond is a debt instrument issued by municipal corporations or associated bodies.

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• These local governmental bodies utilise the funds raised through these bonds to finance projects for socio-economic development through building bridges, schools, hospitals, providing proper amenities to households, et al. • Such bonds come with a maturity period of three years, whereby municipal corporations provide returns on these bonds either from property and professional tax collected or from revenues generated from specific projects or both. • The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) revised the guidelines related to the issuance of municipal bonds in 2015 in an attempt to enable ULBs or local government bodies to raise finances from such sources. • Following this measure, different cities have capitalized on the new guidelines to fund initiatives such as Atal Mission Types: • There are primarily two types of municipal bonds in India, categorised as per their usage. These are – • General Obligation Bonds: ✓ These are issued to raise finances for general projects such as improving the infrastructure of a region. ✓ Repayment of the bond, along with interest, is processed through revenue generated from different projects and taxes. ✓ Revenue Bonds: ✓ These are issued to raise finance for specific projects, such as the construction of a particular building. ✓ Repayment of such bonds (principal and accrued interest) shall be paid through revenues explicitly generated from the declared projects. • Advantages of such Bonds: • There are multiple advantages of investing in municipal bonds which include – ✓ Transparency: • Municipal bonds that are issued to the public are rated by renowned agencies such as CRISIL, which allows investors transparency regarding the credibility of the investment option. ✓ Tax Benefits: • In India, municipal bonds are exempted from taxation if the investor conforms to certain stipulated rules. In addition to such conformation, interest rates generated on such investment tools are also exempt from taxation policy.

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✓ Minimal risk: • Municipal bonds are issued by municipal authorities, implying involvement of minimal risk with these securities. ✓ Their limitations: ✓ The disadvantages of municipal bonds are enumerated below – • Long maturity period: • Municipal bonds come with a lock-in period of three years, imposing a burden on the liquidity requirements of investors. ✓ Low-interest rates: • Even though interest rates on municipal bonds, in some cases, are higher than other debt instruments, these rates are considerably low when compared to returns from market- linked financial instruments such as equity shares.

8. Cannabis not a dangerous narcotic: United Nations Why in News? • The UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) has declared that cannabis is not a dangerous narcotic. • India has voted with the majority to remove cannabis and cannabis resin from the list of most dangerous substances at the 63rd ministerial session of the CND. UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND): • It is one of the functional commissions of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). • It is the central drug policy-making body within the UN established in 1946. • The CND meets annually when it considers and adopts a range of decisions and resolutions. • It has two distinct mandate areas: • It has treaty-based and normative functions under the international drug control conventions. Operational, policy-guidance functions as the governing body of the United Nations International Drug Control Program. • Under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961) and the Psychotropic Drugs Convention (1971), on the basis of advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO), CND can add drugs to or remove them from international control under the conventions, or can change the schedule(s) under which they are listed.

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• Under the Illicit Trafficking Convention (1988), on the advice of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), CND can bring under international control chemicals frequently used in the manufacture of illicit drugs. • It is chaired by a Bureau, including one member per Regional Group (Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe and other States, Latin America and the Caribbean). • Headquarters: Vienna, Austria • Members: 53 member states • India is amongst the 53 members of the CND. Cannabis: • Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant used primarily for medical or recreational purposes. • Cannabis has various mental and physical effects, which include euphoria, altered states of mind and sense of time, difficulty concentrating, impaired short-term memory and body movement, relaxation, and an increase in appetite. Cannabis in India: • Under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, production and sale of marijuana is banned. • While ganja is put under the umbrella of hard drugs, bhang is legal. • Bhang is widely used and sold in government-licensed shops in several states. • Sale and use of Cannabis is legal in Australia, Germany, Italy, Finland, Greece, etc.

9. Organochlorines may be behind Eluru mystery illness Why in News? • A ‘mystery disease’ has left 450 patients in Eluru, Andhra Pradesh with seizures, nausea, dizziness and headaches. • Among tentative reasons being blamed are Organochlorides. Organochlorides: • Organochlorines (OC) are a group of chlorinated compounds that belong to the class of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) with high persistence in the environment. • Almost 40 per cent of all pesticides used belong to the organochlorine class of chemicals as they are relatively cheaper. • Examples, Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), aldrin and dieldrin.

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• OC insecticides were earlier used to control malaria and typhus. • OC can cause several adverse effects in the central and peripheral nervous system. • As a result, several such chemicals were banned in some developed countries. How do these Pesticides Reach People? • People can be exposed to OCs through- ✓ Accidental inhalation if they are in an area where such pesticides were used or sprayed. ✓ Ingested through fish, dairy products and other fatty foods, which can get contaminated. ✓ Accumulate in the environment. ✓ Persistent and move long distances in surface runoff or groundwater. ✓ In the mid-1970s in India, OCs resulted in widespread reproductive failure among birds. ✓ They laid eggs with thin shells that cracked before hatching. How can these Pesticides Affect Human Health? • Exposure to OCs for- ✓ Short Period: convulsions, headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, tremors, confusion, muscle weakness, slurred speech, salivation and sweating. ✓ Long-term: Damage the liver, kidney, central nervous system, thyroid and bladder. ✓ There is also evidence indicating that it may cause cancer.

10. Historical truths must be depicted without encouraging hatred or enmity, says SC Why in News? • The judgement was passed against the FIRs that were filed against a T.V. news anchor for alleged remarks on Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in a News Show. The Supreme Court Verdict: • Court accepted that the historical truth may be relevant or important factor but it must be depicted without in any way disclosing or encouraging hatred or enmity between different classes or communities. • Truth may be a subjective element, making it one person’s relative truth over another’s. • Cultural value system, historical experiences, lived realities of social system and hierarchies determine how individual perceives the truth.

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• Free speech has empowered those who were marginalised and discriminated, and thus it would be wholly incorrect and a mistake to assume that free speech is an elite concept and indulgence. • We must condemn and check any attempt at dissemination of discrimination on the basis of race, religion, caste, creed or regional basis. • Social harmony and tolerance for hateful can be achieved by self-restraint, institutional check and correction, self-regulation or through mechanism of statutory regulations. • Penal threat alone which can’t help us achieve and ensure equality between groups. • Dignity of citizens of all castes, creed, religion and region is best protected by the fellow citizens belonging to non-targeted groups and even targeted groups. • In a polity committed to pluralism hate speech can’t contribute to the democracy rather it repudiates the right to equality.Objective of criminalizing hate speech is to protect dignity, ensure Political and Social equality between different identities and groups regardless of caste, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, linguistic preference etc. • Dissent and criticism of the elected government’s policy, when puissant, deceptive or even false would be ethically wrong, but would not invite penal action. Other SC Cases Involving Matter of Hatred: • K A Abbas vs Union of India, 1970 • Ebrahim Suleiman Sait v. M C Mohammed and Another, 1980

11. Invest India Wins the UN Investment Promotion Award 2020 Why in News? • The United Nations (UNCTAD) has declared Invest India as the winner of the 2020 United Nations Investment Promotion Award. • Invest India won the award in recognition of the breadth of the services and information that it has offered the Indian Investment Community since the onset of the Pandemic. Invest India: • Invest India is the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of India. • It is set up as a joint venture company between the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce & Industry (35% equity), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) (51% equity), and State Governments of India (0.5% each).

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• It is a not-for-profit, single window facilitator, set up in 2009 for prospective overseas investors as well as aspiring Indian investors. • It acts as the first point of reference for investors in India. Objectives: • To provide sector-specific and state-specific information to a foreign investor. • To assist in expediting regulatory approvals, and offer hand-holding services. • To assist Indian investors to make informed choices about investment opportunities overseas. To provide aftercare services that include initiating remedial action on problems faced by investors by involving the Government Departments concerned. • Make in India campaign / program is managed by Invest India. Investment Promotion Award: • It is declared by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). • The award recognizes the outstanding achievements and best practices of Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) across the Globe. UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development): • UNCTAD is a permanent intergovernmental body established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964. • Objective: ✓ To maximize the trade, investment and development opportunities of developing countries and assist them in their efforts to integrate into the world economy on an equitable basis. ✓ To formulate policies relating to all aspects of development including trade, aid, transport, finance and technology. • Members: 195 member States • India is one of the founding members of the organization. • Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland • Reports published by UNCTAD: ✓ Trade and Development Report ✓ World Investment Report ✓ The Least Developed Countries Report ✓ Information and Economy Report ✓ Technology and Innovation Report ✓ Commodities and Development Report

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12. 5th India Water Impact Summit Why in News? • Union Jal Shakti Minister inaugurated 5th India Water Impact Summit (IWIS) with focus on Arth Ganga-River Conservation Synchronized Development. Highlights: • This summit is aimed at discussing and disseminating the needs for the modalities of embracing Arth Ganga and the vision of the Prime Minister in sectors that closely interweave with river conservation. • The 5th IWIS will forge greater interaction between investors and stakeholders in the water sector and promote international cooperation between India and many foreign Countries for Water and River Management. National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG): • NMCG was registered as a society on 12th August 2011 under the Societies Registration Act 1860. • It acted as implementation arm of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA). • NGRBA has been replaced by National Ganga Council. • NMCG has a two-tier management structure and comprises of Governing Council and Executive Committee, both headed by Director General, NMCG. • The newly created structure attempts to bring all stakeholders on one platform to take a holistic approach towards the task of Ganga cleaning and rejuvenation. • NamamiGange is one of the largest, holistic and successful river conservation programs in the country which is laying down a model framework for river rejuvenation. Aims and Objectives of NMCG: • To accomplish the mandate of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA). • To ensure effective abatement of pollution and rejuvenation of the river Ganga by adopting a river basin approach to promote inter-sectoral co-ordination for comprehensive planning and management. • To maintain minimum ecological flows in the river Ganga with the aim of ensuring water quality and environmentally sustainable development. • Vision: • To restore the wholesomeness of the river defined in terms of ensuring AviralDhara (Continuous Flow), Nirmal Dhara (Unpolluted Flow), Geologic and Ecological Integrity.

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Key Functions: • Implement the work programme of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA). • Implement the World Bank supported National Ganga River Basin Project. • Coordinate and oversee the implementation of projects sanctioned by Government of India under NGRBA. Undertake any additional work or functions as may be assigned by MoWR, RD&GJ in the area of conservation of river Ganga. • Make rules and regulations for the conduct of the affairs of the NMCG and add or amend, vary or rescind them from time to time. • Accept or to provide any grant of money, loan securities or property of any kind and to undertake and accept the management of any endowment trust, fund or donation not inconsistent with the objectives of NMCG. • Take all such action and to enter all such actions as may appear necessary or incidental for the achievements of the objectives of the NGRBA. Summit Highlights: • Attempts are being made to bring the Ganga States to the common platform to showcase the collective efforts of national and international stakeholders. • It provides a platform: • To bring all stakeholders together to discuss, debate and develop model solutions for some of the biggest water related problems in India. • To showcase new technological innovations, research, policy frameworks and investment models from around the world and from within India. • Multi-country dialogue to strengthen India’s international collaborations in the Water sector. • Platform for civil society and faith leaders to engage with scientific, engineering, industry, finance and Government representatives. • Participation: ✓ Indian Government and State Governments. ✓ Ministries and Departments: ✓ Ministry of Jal Shakti ✓ National Mission for Clean Ganga ✓ cGanga/IIT Consortium ✓ Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change ✓ State Government Representations Various Municipal Commissioners

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✓ Various Subject Matter Experts • International: ✓ A number of country delegations and international experts. ✓ Experts from the UK, USA, Norway and other European countries participated in the event.

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4. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 1. Vulnerability of Indian Youth towards Epidemic Why in News? • Recently, a new research published in Diabetologia (journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes) highlights the Vulnerability of indian youth Towards Diabetes. Highlights: • The research titled “Lifetime risk of diabetes in metropolitan cities in India,’’ was done by a team of authors in India, U.K. and U.S., led by ShammiLuhar, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, U.K. • More than half of men (55%) and two thirds (65%) of women aged 20 years in India are more likely to develop diabetes, with most of those cases (around 95%) likely to be type 2 diabetes (T2D) in their lifetime. • The Type 2 diabetes: • It affects the way the body uses insulin. While the body still makes insulin, unlike in type I, the cells in the body do not respond to it as effectively as they once did. • The population with 45 and above age groups is the most affected with it. • This is the most common type of diabetes and it has strong links with obesity. • Lifetime risk of developing diabetes in 20 year old men and women free of diabetes today is 56% and 65%, respectively. • Obesity has a significant impact on vulnerability to diabetes. 86% higher among 20 year old women and 87% among men of metropolitan area. • India currently has 77 million adults who have diabetes and this number is expected to almost double to 134 million by 2045. • Women generally had a higher lifetime risk of developing diabetes across their lifespan. • Remaining lifetime risk of developing diabetes declined with age. As per researchers, those currently aged 60 years and free of diabetes, are less likely to develop diabetes in their remaining life. Sources for the study are: ✓ Sex and BMI-specific incidence rates of diabetes in urban India taken from the Centre for Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction in South Asia (2010–2018); ✓ Age, sex and urban-specific rates of mortality from period lifetables reported by the Government of India (2014);

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✓ Prevalence of diabetes from the Indian Council for Medical Research India Diabetes study (2008–2015). • Impact of developing diabetes are Overburdening of already strained health Infrastructure of the country and Increase out-of-pocket expenditure on diabetes treatment by patients. Causes of Diabetes: ✓ Urbanisation ✓ Decreasing diet quality ✓ Decreased levels of physical activity ✓ Prevention or postponing diabetes by effective lifestyle modification, such as: ✓ Following a healthy diet ✓ Increasing physical activity ✓ Reducing body weight in those who are obese or overweight About Diabetes: • It is a Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin (a hormone that regulates blood sugar, or glucose), or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. • Type I diabetes is also known as juvenile diabetes (as it mostly affects children of age 14- 16 years), this type occurs when the body fails to produce sufficient insulin. People with type I diabetes are insulin-dependent, which means they must take artificial insulin daily to stay alive. • Gestational diabetes occurs in women during pregnancy when the body sometimes becomes less sensitive to insulin. Gestational diabetes does not occur in all women and usually resolves after giving birth. • Diabetes affects the five major organs namely, Kidney, Heart, Blood vessels, Nervous System, and Eyes (retina). • The factors responsible for the increase in diabetes are an unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, harmful use of alcohol, overweight/obesity, tobacco use, etc.

2. The Rise of the AI Economy Why in News? • Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform the Indian economy. In the last few years, India made significant progress in its adoption. However, there are several areas India need to focus on to make the most of what AI offers.

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AI Adoption and Capacity Building in India: • NITI Aayog’s National Strategy for AI envisages ‘AI for all’ for inclusive growth. • NITI Aayog identifies healthcare, agriculture, education, smart cities and infrastructure, and smart mobility and transportation as focus areas for AI-led solutions for social impact. • The Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra governments, among others, have announced policies and strategies for AI adoption. • Technology companies have established AI centres of excellence to create solutions for global clients. • India has a thriving AI start-up ecosystem. • Our talent pool in AI/ML (Machine Learning) is fast-growing, with over 5,00,000 people working on these technologies at present. AI will boost Indian Economy: • Nasscom believes that data and AI will contribute $450 billion-$500 billion to India’s GDP by 2025, which is around 10% of the government’s aspiration of a $5 trillion economy. • The growing AI economy will create employment opportunity by creating an estimated over 20 million technical roles. • AI can create not just niche solutions to specific problems that banks and other service providers are deploying, such as speeding up loan application processing or improving customer service; it can also provide solutions for better governance and social impact. • AI can create not just niche solutions to specific problems that banks and other service providers are deploying, such as speeding up loan application processing or improving customer service; it can also provide solutions for better governance and social impact. Focus on 3 Areas: 1. Talent development ✓ In 2019, we nearly doubled our AI workforce to 72,000 from 40,000 the year before. ✓ However, the demand continues to outpace the supply. ✓ That means our efforts to develop talent must pick up speed. 2. Policies Around Data ✓ Without data, there cannot be AI. ✓ However, we need a balanced approach in the way we harness and utilise data. ✓ We need a robust legal framework that governs data and serves as the base for the ethical use of AI. 3. Providing the Right Amount of Training Data

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✓ Though the use of digital technologies has gone up, the level of digitisation continues to be low. ✓ This poses a big challenge for organisations in finding the right amount of training data to run AI/ML algorithms, which in turn affects the accuracy of the results. ✓ Then there is the problem of availability of clean datasets. ✓ Organisations need to invest in data management Frameworks that will clean their data before they are analysed, thus vastly improving the Outcomes of AI models.

4. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY SNIPPETS 1. National Organ Donation Day Why in News? • Recently, National Organ Donation Day was celebrated on 27th November by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. About National Organ Transplant Programme (NOTP): • It provides financial grants for establishing ROTTOs, SOTTOs, developing new and upgrading existing retrieval and transplant centres. • The National Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO), the Regional Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisations (ROTTO) at regional level and the State Organ & Tissue Transplant Organisations (SOTTO) at state level. • India ranked third in the world as per WHO Global Observatory on Donation and Transplantation (GODT) in terms of organ donation. About Transplantation of Human Organs Act, 1994: • Transplantation of Human Organs Act was passed in 1994 and subsequently amended in 2011 thus bringing in form Transplantation of Human Organs (Amendment) Act 2011. • It provides various regulations for the removal of human organs and its storage. • It also regulates the transplantation of human organs for therapeutic purposes and for the prevention of commercial dealings in human organs. • It recognises brain death identified as a form of the death process and defines criteria for brain death. It provides regulatory and advisory bodies for monitoring transplantation activity. It also provides for maintenance of a registry of donors and recipients of human organs and tissues.

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2. ARTPARK to usher in AI & Robotics for societal impact Why in News? • An AI & Robotics Technologies Park (ARTPARK) set up in Bengaluru will promote technology innovations in AI (Artificial Intelligence) & Robotics. • It will lead to societal impact by executing ambitious mission mode R&D projects in healthcare, education, mobility, infrastructure, agriculture, retail and cyber-security. AI & Robotics Technologies Park (ARTPARK): • ARTPARK is a unique not-for-profit foundation established by Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru as a public-private model with AI Foundry. • It is seed funded by Govt. of India and supported by consortium of Industry partners, academia and startups. Objective: • To create a world with inclusive and equitable access to AI via open Tools, Databanks, Standards, IP, Technologies and companies, while creating AI for next 6 bn people. Significance: • It will help translate cutting edge AI & Robotics research to solutions with triple impact (Societal impact, economic impact and technology impact). • Generous additional support of the Government of Karnataka to the ARTPARK Hub brings extraordinary value in increasing its effectiveness, reach and use. • ARTPARK will develop DataSetu that will enable confidentiality and privacy-preserving framework to share data and run analytics. • This will spur data-sharing ecosystem and create a data marketplace. National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (NM-ICPS): • NM-ICPS was launched in 2018 to harness the potential of this new wave of technology and make India a leading player in Cyber Physical Systems. • The NM-ICPS with its 25 Hubs has a unique architecture that envisages a strong collaboration and co-ownership among the triple helix of industry, academia and government. NM-ICPS is a Pan India Mission and covers entire gamut of India that includes Central Ministries, State Governments, Industry and Academia. Cyber Physical Systems (CPS): • CPS are new class of engineered systems that integrate computation and physical processes in a dynamic environment.

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• CPS encompasses technology areas of Cybernetics, Mechatronics, Design and Embedded systems, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and many more. • The CPS systems are intelligent, autonomous and efficient and are expected to drive innovation in sectors as diverse as agriculture, water, energy, transportation, infrastructure, security, health and manufacturing.

3. Border Security Force (BSF) Why in News? • Recently, 56th 'Raising Day' event of the Border Security Force (BSF) was held on 1st December 2020 in New Delhi. Highlights: • It was raised in 1965 after the India-Pakistan war. It is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces of Union of India under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). • The 2.65-lakh force is deployed along the Pakistan and Bangladesh borders. • It is deployed on Indo-Pakistan International Border, Indo-Bangladesh International Border, Line of Control (LoC) along with Indian Army and in Anti-Naxal Operations. • It has an air wing, marine wing, an artillery regiment, and commando units. • It has been defending Sir Creak in Arabian Sea and Sundarban delta in the Bay of Bengal with its state of art fleet of Water Crafts. • It has an instrumental role in helping state administration in maintaining Law and Order and conduct of peaceful election. • It has been crusading against natural calamity to save precious human lives as and when warranted. • It contributes dedicated services to the UN peacekeeping Mission by sending a large contingent of its trained manpower every year. • It has been termed as the First Line of Defence of Indian Territories. • Other Central Armed Police Forces are Assam Rifles (AR), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), National Security Guards (NSG) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

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4. Surveyor-2 Spacecraft Why in News? • NASA has confirmed that the Near-Earth Object called 2020 SO is the rocket booster that helped lift the space agency’s Surveyor spacecraft toward the Moon in 1966. Surveyor-2: • The Surveyor-2 spacecraft was supposed to make a soft landing on the Moon’s surface in September 1966, during which time one of the three thrusters failed to ignite. • As a result of this the spacecraft started spinning and crashed on the surface. • The aim of the mission was to reconnoiter the lunar surface ahead of the Apollo missions that led to the first lunar landing in 1969. • While the spacecraft crashed into the Moon’s surface, the rocket booster disappeared into an unknown orbit around the Sun. How was the Object Determined to be the Rocket Booster? • Astronomers track Asteroids using telescope to determine if there are potentially hazardous asteroids that pose a threat to the planet. • Therefore, it is also important for them to be able to distinguish between natural and artificial objects that orbit around the Sun. • The rocket booster has come “somewhat close” to the Earth in the past few decades. • One approach to the Earth in late 1966 was so close that the object was thought to have originated from Earth. • In September, the NASA-funded telescope Detected It.

5. Arecibo Radio Telescope Why in News? • A massive radio telescope at Puerto Rico’s Arecibo Observatory — one of the world’s largest — collapsed on after sustaining Severe Damage, following 57 Years of Astronomical Discoveries. Arecibo Telescope: • The Arecibo Observatory, also known as the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC), was an observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico owned by the US National Science Foundation (NSF).

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• It was the world’s largest single-aperture telescope for 53 years, surpassed in July 2016 by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) in China. • The second-largest single-dish radio telescope in the world, it had withstood many hurricanes and earthquakes since it was First built in 1963. Its contributions: • Being the most powerful radar, scientists employed Arecibo to observe planets, asteroids and the Ionosphere. It made several discoveries over the decades, including finding prebiotic molecules in distant galaxies, the first exoplanets, and the first millisecond pulsar. In 1967, Arecibo was able to discover that the planet Mercury rotates in 59 days and not 88 days as had been originally thought. • In the following decades, it also served as a hub in the search for extraterrestrial life, and would look for radio signals from alien civilizations. • In 1993, scientists Russell Hulse and Joseph Taylor were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work on the observatory in monitoring a binary pulsar. • It provided a strict test of Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity and the first evidence for the existence of Gravitational Waves.

6. HL-2M Tokamak Why in News? • China successfully powered up its “artificial sun” nuclear fusion reactor for the first time marking a great Advance in the country’s Nuclear Power research capabilities.

HL-2M Tokamak: • The HL-2M Tokamak reactor is China’s largest and most advanced nuclear fusion experimental research device. • The mission is named Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST).

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• Located in Sichuan province and completed late last year, the reactor is often called an “artificial sun” on account of the enormous heat and power it produces. • It uses a powerful magnetic field to fuse hot plasma and can reach temperatures of over 150 million degrees Celsius- approximately ten times hotter than the core of the sun. • Scientists hope that the device can potentially unlock a powerful clean energy source. Nuclear Fusion: • Nuclear fusion is a reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei are combined to form one or more different atomic nuclei and subatomic particles (neutrons or protons). • Fusion is the process by which the sun and other stars generate light and heat. It is a nuclear process, where energy is produced by smashing together light atoms. • It is the opposite reaction of fission, where heavy elements like Uranium and Thorium are split apart. Nuclear Fusion Reaction: • For a nuclear fusion reaction to occur, it is necessary to bring two nuclei so close that nuclear forces become active and glue the nuclei together. • Nuclear forces are small-distance forces and have to act against the electrostatic forces where positively charged nuclei repel each other. • This is the reason nuclear fusion reactions occur mostly in high density, high-temperature environment (millions of degree Celsius) which is practically very difficult to achieve under laboratory conditions.

7. Hayabusa 2 Why in News? • Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has recently received a Capsule from the Unmanned Hayabusa 2. Highlights: • It was launched from Japan’s Tanegashima space centre in 2014 and took four years to reach the asteroid Ryugu. • It is carrying the first extensive samples of dust from the asteroid Ryugu • The mission builds on the original Hayabusa mission that was launched in 2003 and successfully linked up with asteroid Itokawa in 2005. • It returned samples to Earth in 2010 marking the first time when sample materials from an asteroid were brought back to Earth.

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• It is the Japanese term used for the peregrine falcon, which is the fastest bird during its hunting dive (200 mile per hour). • The space probe orbited above the asteroid for a few months to map its surface before landing. Then it used small explosives to blast a crater, collected the resulting debris and headed back to Earth in November 2019. • The craft’s mission seeks to answer some fundamental questions about the origins of the Solar systemand where molecules like water came from. Advantages: • Asteroids and comets are primitive bodies that can be considered to be the building blocks of the Early Solar system and they hold a record of the birth and initial evolution. • Asteroids and comets retain a record of when, where and in what conditions they were formed. Exploration of these primitive bodies is essential in gaining insight into the formation of the Solar system. • The Gases trapped in the rock samples could reveal more about the chemical mixture from the planets formed. • Among all the reasons that will eventually cause the extinction of life on Earth, an asteroid hit is widely acknowledged as one of the likeliest.

8. The Great Conjunction Why in News? • A rare celestial event, that Jupiter and Saturn will be seen very close to each other (conjunction) on 21st December 2020, appearing like one bright star. Highlights: • The two celestial bodies visually appear close to each other from Earth, it is called a conjunction. Astronomers use the term great conjunction to describe meetings of the two biggest worlds in the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn. • It happens about every 20 years. The conjunction is the result of the orbital paths of Jupiter and Saturn coming into line, as viewed from Earth. • Jupiter orbits the sun about every 12 years, and Saturn about every 29 years. • The conjunction will be on 21st December, 2020, also the date of the December solstice. • It will be the closest alignment of Saturn and Jupiter since 1623, in terms of distance. The next time the planets will be this close is 2080.

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• They will appear to be close together, however, they will be more than 400 million miles apart. Jupiter: • It is fifth in line from the Sun, Jupiter is, by far, the largest planet in the solar system – more than twice as massive as all the other planets combined. • Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are called Jovian or Gas Giant Planets. These have thick atmosphere, mostly of helium and hydrogen. • It is iconic Great Red Spot is a giant storm bigger than Earth that has raged for hundreds of years. • It rotates once about every 10 hours (a Jovian day), but takes about 12 Earth years to complete one orbit of the Sun (a Jovian year). • It has more than 75 moons. It has four largest moons are called the Galilean satellites after Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, who first observed them in 1610. • These large moons, named Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, are each distinctive worlds. • In 1979, the Voyager mission discovered Jupiter’s Faint Ring System. • Nine spacecraft have visited Jupiter. Seven flew by and two have orbited the gas giant. Juno, the most recent, arrived at Jupiter in 2016. Saturn: • It is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the solar system. • It takes about 10.7 hours to rotate on its axis once - a Saturn “day” - and 29 Earth years to orbit the sun. • It has 53 known moons with an additional 29 moons awaiting confirmation of their discovery - that is a total of 82 moons. It has the giant moon ‘Titan’. • It has the most spectacular ring system, with seven rings and several gaps and divisions between them. The missions have visited Saturn are Pioneer 11 and Voyagers 1 and 2 flew by; But Cassini orbited Saturn 294 times from 2004 to 2017.

9. Beresheet 2 Why in News? • Israel has recently launched the Beresheet 2 project aimed at landing an unmanned craft on the moon in 2024. Israel’s Beresheet probe crash landed on the Moon.

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Highlights: • It was a private mission to the Moon by Israeli non-profit SpaceIL organisation. Beresheet in hebrew (spoken in Israel) means Genesis. • It was successfully launched in February 2019, on board a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral (USA) and arrived in lunar orbit in April 2019. • It suffered an engine failure as it prepared to land and crashed abruptly on the surface of the Moon. Beresheet 2: • Its objective is to conducting experiments and collecting data on behalf of school students. • It will involve launching two landing craft and an orbiter that would circle the moon for years. It will cost around 100 million dollars raised from international partnerships and donors. Israel could become the fourth nation to land a spacecraft on the moon after the USA, the former Soviet Union and China. Other Missions to Moon: • India has planned a new moon mission named Chandrayaan-3. It is likely to be launched in early 2021. • It will be a mission repeat of Chandrayaan-2 and will include a Lander and Rover similar to that of Chandrayaan-2, but will not have an orbiter. • The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has decided to send an unmanned spacecraft to the moon in 2024. • Artemis is a crewed spaceflight program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that has the goal of landing "the first woman and the next man" on the Moon, specifically at the lunar south pole region by 2024.

10. P Ovale Malaria Why in News? • A not very common type of malaria, Plasmodium ovale, has recently been identified in a jawan in Kerala. The soldier is believed to have contracted it in Sudan, where Plasmodium ovale is Endemic. About Plasmodium ovale: • It is one among the five kinds of malarial parasites — Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax (the commonest ones), Plasmodium Malariae, Plasmodium Ovale and Plasmodium Knowlesi.

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• It is termed ovale as about 20% of the parasitised cells are oval in shape. • The parasite can remain in the spleen or liver of the body for a long time, even years, after the mosquito bite, and the person could become symptomatic later. • Its symptoms include fever for 48 hours, headache and nausea, and it rarely causes severe illness. • It is very similar to P vivax and the treatment modality is the same as it is for a person infected with P vivax. • The difference between P vivax and P ovale may be tricky and can be differentiated only through careful detection. • It is endemic to tropical Western Africa. It is relatively unusual outside of Africa and, where found, comprises less than 1% of the isolates. • It has also been detected in the Philippines, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, but is still relatively rare in these areas. About Malaria: • It is caused by Plasmodium falciparum is the most serious one and can even be fatal. • Plasmodium enters the human body as sporozoites (infectious form) through the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquito. • The parasites initially multiply within the liver cells and then attack the Red Blood Cells (RBCs) resulting in their rupture. • The rupture of RBCs is associated with release of a toxic substance, haemozoin, which is responsible for the chill and high fever recurring every three to four days. • When a female Anopheles mosquito bites an infected person, these parasites enter the mosquito’s body and undergo further Development.

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5.1. ART AND CULTURE SNIPPETS 1. Guru Nanak Why in News? • Recently, the President of India has greeted the citizens on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti. Highlights: • It is a sacred festival of the Sikh community and is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, who is believed to be born on Poornima (full moon) of the Kartika (8th month of Hindu calendar), which falls on 30th of November in 2020. Highlights: • Guru Nanak Dev was born in 1459 at Talwandi Rai Bhoe village near Lahore, which was later renamed as Nankana Sahib. • He was the first of the 10 gurus of Sikhism. Initiated inter-faith dialogue way back in the 16th century and had conversations with most of the religious denominations of his times. • Wrote compositions which were included in the Adi Granth, compiled by Guru Arjan (1563-1606), the fifth Sikh guru. • This came to be known as Guru Granth Sahib after the additions made by the 10th sikh guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708). • Advocated the 'Nirguna' (devotion to and worship of formless divine) form of bhakti. • Rejected sacrifices, ritual baths, image worship, austerities. • Set up rules for congregational worship (Sangat) involving collective recitation. • Gave the basic mantra of ‘Ek Onkar’ to his followers and insisted on treating all human beings equally, without discriminating on the basis of caste, creed and gender. • He Died in 1539 at Kartarpur, Punjab. • According to him, the whole world is God’s creation and all are born equal. There is only one universal creator i.e. “Ek Onkar Satnam”. • Apart from it, forgiveness, patience, forbearance, and kindness are the core of his teachings. • He placed the motto of "kirat karo, naam japo and vandchhako" (work, worship and share) before his disciples. • He stood for karma as the basis of dharma, and he transformed the idea of spiritualism into the ideology of social responsibility and social change.

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• He advocated the concept of “dasvandh” or donating one-tenth of one’s earning among needy persons. • "Women as well as men share the grace of God and are equally responsible for their actions to him”, according to him. • Respect for women and gender equality is perhaps the most important lesson to be learnt from his life.

2. Four sites in India get World Heritage Irrigation Structure tag Why in News? • Four sites in India have received the World Heritage Irrigation Structure (WHIS) in 2020. Highlights: • The Sites are: ✓ Cumbum (Kambham) lake, Andhra Pradesh ✓ Kurnool-Cuddapah Canal, Andhra Pradesh ✓ Porumamilla Tank (AnantharajaSagaram), Andhra Pradesh ✓ Dhamapur Lake, Maharashtra World Heritage Irrigation Structure: • The WHIS sites are annually recognised by International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage. • Aim: To understand the evolution of irrigation in civilizations across the world. • Objective: ✓ To learn from their significant achievements and gather knowledge about their unique features that have sustained the project over centuries. • Criteria for recognition: • The structure should be: ✓ More than 100 years’ old ✓ Functional, achieving food security ✓ Have archival value • International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID): ✓ The ICID is a global network of irrigation, drainage, and flood management experts. ✓ It recognises irrigation structures of international significance on the lines of World Heritage Sites recognised by the UNESCO. ✓ Japan (42) has the highest number of WHIS sites followed by China (23).

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✓ India has 6 WHIS sites. Significance: • The Recognition will provide the State governments more incentive and motivation to maintain them and ensure they are functional. Kambham Lake: • Kambham (or Gundlakamma Lake) is a historical water body located at Markapur in Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh. • Built on the Gundlakamma River upon Nallamalai hills, it is the second largest man-made irrigation tank in Asia. • It was built over 500 years ago and is about 7 km long and 3.5 km wide. • It was built by queen Varadharajamma (also known as Ruchidevi) the first wife of Sri Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara empire. Porumamilla Lake: • The Porumamilla Lake located near Kalasapadu in Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh. • As per the Porumamilla inscription, it was built during the reign of Bhaskaradu (Bhavaduradu), the son of the first Bukkarayalu of the Vijayanagara empire, when he was the head of the Udayagiri kingdom. • It has a history of over 500 years and extends over an area of 3,864 acres. KC Canal: • The Kurnool- Cuddapah Canal was constructed by the Britishers between 1863 and 1870 as an irrigation and navigation canal. • This canal interconnects the rivers Penna and Tungabhadra. • It presently irrigates nearly 1,70,000 acres with 40 Tmcft (thousand million cubic feet) water utilisation from the Krishna River. Dhamapur Lake: • It is a 490-year-old Lake, in the Sindhudurg district Maharashtra. • There are 64 streamlets that feed it and it irrigates 237-hectare land annually. • The site was built in 1530 by villagers of Dhamapur and Kalse, Maharashtra. • The lake remains full as it receives water throughout the year. • The lake receives water throughout the year and remains full throughout the year. • It is one of the top 100 wetlands in India identified by the Union Government for rapid restoration and improvement.

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• It is expected to be proposed as a Ramsar site (wetland of international significance) by the Maharashtra government. • There are 193 floral and 247 faunal species in this wetland.

3. Hampi Chariot Why in News? • Recently, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has taken steps to protect the stone chariot inside Vittala Temple complex at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hampi. Highlights: • Hampi Chariot is among three famous stone chariots in India, the other two being in Konark (Odisha) and Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu). • It was built in the 16th century by the orders of King Krishnadevaraya, a Vijayanagara ruler. • Vijayanagara rulers reigned from 14th to 17th century CE. • It is a shrine dedicated to Garuda, the official vehicle of Lord Vishnu. Vittala Temple: • It was built in the 15th century during the rule of Devaraya II, one of the rulers of the Vijayanagara Empire. • It is dedicated to Vittala and is also called Vijaya Vittala Temple. • It is said to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. • Dravidian style adorns the built of the complex, which is further enhanced with elaborate carvings. About Hampi: • It comprises mainly the remnants of the Capital City of Vijayanagara Empire. It is located in the Tungabhadra basin in central Karnataka. • It was founded by Harihara and Bukka in 1336. • It is classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (1986), it is also the “World’s Largest Open-air Museum”. • Vijayanagara Empire • Vijayanagara or “city of victory” was the name of both a city and an empire. • The empire was founded in the fourteenth century (1336 AD) by Harihara and Bukka of the Sangama dynasty.

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• It stretched from the river Krishna in the north to the extreme south of the peninsula.

4. TharuTribals Why in News? • Recently, the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government has working to connect Tharu villages in the districts of Balrampur, Bahraich, Lakhimpur and Pilibhit bordering Nepal, with the home stay scheme of the UP Forest Department. Highlights: • The word tharu is believed to be derived from sthavir, meaning followers of Theravada Buddhism. The community belongs to the Terai lowlands, amid the Shivaliks or lower Himalayas. • Terai is a region of northern India and southern Nepal running parallel to the lower ranges of the Himalayas. • The Tharus live in both India and Nepal. In the Indian terai, they live mostly in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar. • They are scheduled tribe in the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Most of them are forest dwellers, and some practice agriculture. • They speak various dialects of Tharu, a language of the Indo-Aryan subgroup, and variants of Hindi, Urdu, and Awadhi. • Tharus worship Lord Shiva as Mahadev, and call their supreme being “Narayan”, who they believe is the provider of sunshine, rain, and harvests. • Tharu women have stronger property rights than is allowed to women in mainstream North Indian Hindu custom. Standard items on the Tharu plate are bagiya or dhikri – which is a steamed dish of rice flour that is eaten with chutney or curry – and ghonghi, an edible snail that is cooked in a curry made of coriander, chili, garlic, and onion. About Theravada Buddhism: • It is strongest in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Myanmar. It is sometimes called 'Southern Buddhism'. The name means 'the doctrine of the elders' - the elders being the senior Buddhist monks. This school of Buddhism believes that it has remained closest to the original teachings of the Buddha. However, it does not over-emphasise the status of these teachings in a fundamentalist way - they are seen as tools to help people understand the truth, and not as having merit of their own.

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• It emphasises attaining self-liberation through one's own efforts. The follower is expected to "abstain from all kinds of evil, to accumulate all that is good and to purify their mind". • The ideal of Theravada Buddhism is the arhat, or perfected saint, who attains enlightenment as a result of his own efforts. • The Meditation is one of the main tools by which a Theravada Buddhist transforms themselves, and so a monk spends a great deal of time in meditation.

5. International Bharati Festival 2020 Why in News? • The Prime Minister has recently addressed the International Bharati Festival 2020, virtually organised by the Vanavil Cultural Centre (Tamil Nadu). Highlights: • The event celebrates the 138th birth anniversary (11th December 2020) of Tamil poet and writer Mahakavi Subramanya Bharati. Scholar Shri Seeni Viswanathan received the Bharathi Award for this year. • Subramanya Bharati born on 11th December 1882, in Ettayapuram, Madras Presidency. • An outstanding Indian writer of the nationalist period (1885-1920) who is regarded as the father of the modern Tamil style. • He is also known as ‘MahakaviBharathiyar’. His strong sense of social justice drove him to fight for self-determination. • After 1904, he joined the Tamil daily newspaper Swadesamitran. • This exposure to political affairs led to his involvement in the extremist wing of the Indian National Congress (INC) party. • In order to proclaim its revolutionary ardour, Bharathi had the weekly newspaper named ‘India’ printed in red paper. It was the first paper in Tamil Nadu to publish political cartoons. • He also published and edited a few other journals like “Vijaya”. He attended the annual sessions of INC and discussed national issues with extremist leaders like Bipin Chandra Pal, B.G. Tilak and V.V.S. Iyer. • His participation and activities in Benaras Session (1905) and Surat Session (1907) of the INC impressed many national leaders for his patriotic fervour. He published the sensational “SudesaGeethangal” in 1908.

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• Bharati’s reaction to the Russian Revolutions of 1917, in a poem entitled “Pudiya Russia” (“The New Russia”), offers a fascinating example of the poet’s political philosophy. • He was forced to flee to Pondicherry (now Puducherry), a French colony, where he lived in exile from 1910 to 1919. Bharathi Award: • The Bharati Award was instituted in 1994 by Vanavil Cultural Centre. • Every year, it is being conferred on eminent persons who have done laudable service in any field of social relevance and thus worked towards the fulfilment of Bharati’s dreams.

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6. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS 1. China-Nepal Bilateral Cooperation Why in News? • Recently, China and Nepal have discussed various issues of bilateral interest, including bolstering military cooperation between the countries, issues pertaining to resumption of training and student exchange programs and follow up on defence assistance that have been impacted due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Historical Background: • In 1955, Nepal established diplomatic relations with China. • It recognised Tibet as part of China in 1956 and signed the Treaty of Peace and Friendship in 1960. • In the 1970s, when King Birendra of Nepal proposed Nepal as a “zone of peace” between India and China, India did not show keen interest, while China was quite supportive. These and many such issues created a rift in Nepal-India ties; while at the same time China has been proactive to support and aid Nepal. • Indo-Nepalese relations took a turn in 2015, when India imposed an informal yet effective blockade on Nepal, thus causing acute fuel and medicine shortages in Nepal. • Nepal imports almost all of its oil through India, as road links to China through the Himalayas had been blocked since the earthquakes of April and May 2015. • As tensions with India mounted, China reopened its border with Nepal, in Tibet. • After the recent visit of Chinese President, Nepal has reiterated its commitment to ‘One- China policy’, promising not to allow any forces to use its territory against China. China’s Interest: • Although Nepal and India have an open border and free mobility of people across borders; it is China that is increasingly working to take over India’s position of the largest trading partner of Nepal.India is the largest economy of south Asia and has been emerging as a leader of south Asian countries.China wants to contain India's growing power and status which may become a threat to Chinese dream of becoming the superpower. • The growing influence of India in Tibet had grave security considerations for China. • Thus, preserving the balance of power in southern Asia in its favour and securing Nepal’s active cooperation to prevent its rivals use of the country for anti-Chinese activities became principal strategic objectives of Beijing’s Nepal policy.

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• Nepal’s northern border with China lies entirely with Tibet and China sees security cooperation with Nepal as critical in controlling the Tibetan matters. • In this pursuit, China is following security diplomacy vis-à-vis Nepal.

Nepal’s Benefit: • For Nepal, China serves as a potential supplier of goods and assistance that it needs in order to recover its economy. • Almost half the population of Nepal is unemployed and more than half is illiterate. At the same time, more than 30 per cent of the people in Nepal live in poverty. • To deal with its internal problems, Nepal needs to engage with China to overcome its Poverty & Unemployment. • Nepal with China will gain the mileage in negotiations and counter India’s Big Brother approach. Through China Nepal Economic Corridor, Nepal seeks to end Indian dominance over its trade routes by increasing connectivity with China. India’s Concern: • Given the difference in the strategic weight of China and Nepal, security diplomacy can be used as a tool by China to interfere in the internal affairs of Nepal. • Since Nepal acts as a buffer state for India, seeing it slip into China's sphere of influence, will not be in India's strategic interest. • Also, China’s interest in “security diplomacy” is not limited to Nepal. • China's deep pockets make it difficult for India to control the expansion of China's influence in India's neighbourhood. • China Nepal Economic Corridor can lead to China dumping consumer goods through Nepal which will worsen India’s trade balance with China further. Way Forward: • India must not deny every Chinese investment in infrastructure because of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). • The corridor provides a likelihood of greater tourism and people to people contact which is important for bridging the trust deficit that exists today between India and China. • It will also lead to the rapid development of one of the poorest regions in the world which lie in Nepal and parts of northern and north-eastern India. • Nepal has sought to increase connectivity with China since a blockade along its border with India resulted in several months of acute shortage of fuel and medicine in 2015 and 2016.

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• Though India has all the rights of such blockades, however, India must refrain from such blockades as it affects India's credibility in the eyes of Nepali citizens. • India should act as a bridge rather than a blockade in realizing Nepal's dream of becoming a land-linked country from a land-locked one. • Given the importance of ties with Nepal, often romanticised as one of “roti-beti” (food and marriage), India must not delay dealing with the matter, and at a time when it already has a faceoff with China in Ladakh and Sikkim. • Since the free movement of people is permitted across the border, Nepal enjoys immense strategic relevance from India’s national security point of view, India should work towards ensuring stable and friendly relations with Nepal.

2. China and Pakistan sign Military Deal Why in News? • China and Pakistan have signed a new military memorandum of understanding to boost their already close Defence Relationship. About the News: • Both countries discussed “matters of mutual interest, regional security and enhanced bilateral defence collaboration” along with on-going projects under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), in which the Pakistani military is playing an increasingly prominent role. • Both sides “reaffirmed their commitment to ‘iron brotherhood’ and ‘all-weather’ Friendship.” • While details of the new MoU signed by the two militaries were not immediately available, it follows Another Agreement signed Last Year. About China Pakistan Economic Corridor: • It is one of the flagship projects of the Belt and Road Initiative of China. • The China Pakistan Economic Corridor is 3000 km long and consists of highways, Railways and pipelines. • Under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor Framework, China is to setup 1,124 megawatt of Kohala hydro power project in the Pakistan occupied Kashmir which is to be built on the Jhelum river. • The CPEC aims to link Gwadar of Pakistan with the Xinjiang province of China through was network of Railways and Highways.

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India’s Concerns: • The main concern of India is that CPEC passes through the Pakistan occupied Kashmir region. • Through CPEC China plans to shorten its supply lines through Gwadar port. • According to India an extensive presence of China in the region will undermine India’s influence in the Indian Ocean. • Also, India shares trust deficit with China and Pakistan due to a history of conflicts with the countries. China-Pakistan Relations: • China is constantly increasing its presence in South, West and Central Asia. • On the other hand, Pakistan is currently an inevitable lynchpin in the South Asian politics. • Also, the cordial relations between Pakistan and United States have faded since the assassination of Osama Bin Laden. • Slowly, the vacuum created by the fading US support in Pakistan is being filled by China and Russia.

3. Biden Sets New Demands for Return to Iran Nuclear Deal Context: • U.S. President-elect Joe Biden will insist Iran agrees to new demands if it wants the U.S. to return to a nuclear deal and Lift Sanctions.

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Background: • Decades old U.S.-Iranian tensions escalated after U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from a landmark nuclear agreement in 2018 and then reinforced crippling sanctions. • Iran has since May 2019 gradually suspended most of its key obligations under the Agreement. What’s the Way Ahead for Iran? • While Mr. Trump has sought to maximise pressure on Iran and isolate it globally, Mr. Biden has proposed to offer the Islamic republic a “credible path back to diplomacy”. • Besides, America is also obligated to implement Resolution 2231 as a member of the United Nations and its Security Council. • On 20 July 2015, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2231 (2015) endorsing the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). • Resolution 2231 provides for the termination of the provisions of previous Security Council resolutions on the Iranian nuclear issue and establishes specific restrictions that apply to all States Without Exception. What was the Iran Nuclear Deal? • Iran agreed to rein in its nuclear programme in a 2015 deal struck with the US, UK, Russia, China, France and Germany. • Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) Tehran agreed to significantly cut its stores of centrifuges, enriched uranium and heavy-water, all key components for Nuclear Weapons. • The JCPOA established the Joint Commission, with the negotiating parties all represented, to monitor Implementation of the Agreement.

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Why has US Pulled out of the Deal Now? • Trump and opponents to the deal said it is flawed because it gives Iran access to billions of dollars but does not address Iran’s support for groups the U.S. considers terrorists, like Hamas and Hezbollah. They noted it also doesn’t curb Iran’s development of ballistic missiles and that the deal phases out by 2030. They said Iran has lied about its nuclear program in the past.

4. Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Why in News? • The 47th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, held at Niamey (Niger), had made a reference to India over its policies on Jammu and Kashmir and in a response India has ‘strongly’ rejected the criticism of its Kashmir policy. About Organisation of Islamic Cooperation: • OIC is the second largest intergovernmental organization after the United Nations with a membership of 57 states. • India is not a member of the OIC. • It is the collective voice of the Muslim world. It endeavours to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world. • It was established upon a decision of the historical summit which took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, in 1969. • Headquarters: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. About the 47th Session of OIC: • A report submitted at the 47th session referred to the situation in Jammu and Kashmir. • It said that the decision of the Indian government to repeal special status (in 2019) was aimed towards changing the demographic and geographic composition of the territory. • The continuous blockade and restrictions together have led to human rights abuses. • The statement acknowledged the support that Pakistan has been providing to keep the Kashmir issue on the agenda of the organisation. What is India’s Stand? • India strongly hit out at the OIC, accusing it of making "factually incorrect and unwarranted" references to Jammu and Kashmir in resolutions adopted by the grouping at the Session.

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• India asserted that the union territory is an integral and inalienable part of the country. • India advised the OIC to refrain from making such references in future and said it is regrettable that the grouping continues to allow itself to be used by a certain country "which has an abominable record on religious tolerance, radicalism and persecution of minorities" in a clear reference to Pakistan. • After India revoked special status in Kashmir, Pakistan lobbied with the OIC for their condemnation of the move. • Over the last one year, Pakistan has tried to rouse sentiments among the Islamic countries, but only a handful of them, Turkey and Malaysia publicly criticised India. • Saudi Arabia and the UAE, both top leaders among the Muslim countries, were not as critical of India as Pakistan had hoped. Significance of India’s Latest Statement: • India believes to bust the double standard of OIC, where it supports the agenda of Pakistan in the name of Human Rights. • India now sees the duality of the OIC unjustifiable, since many of the member countries of the OIC have good bilateral ties and convey to India to ignore OIC statements but sign off on the joint statements which are largely drafted by Pakistan. • India also wants to challenge this issue because of the possibility of the Joe Biden administration in the US which may have a strong view on human rights in Kashmir and may issue statements that may complicate India’s image at the global stage. • With India preparing to take over a non-permanent member’s seat at the UN Security Council, it wants to use its diplomatic clout and goodwill to bury this issue at the global body in the next two years and bring up the Pakistan-sponsored cross-border terrorism high on agenda. India and OIC: • India’s Relationship with OIC as an Organisation: ✓ At the 45th session of the Foreign Ministers’ Summit in 2018, Bangladesh, the host, suggested that India, where more than 10% of the world’s Muslims live, should be given Observer status, but Pakistan opposed the proposal. ✓ In 2019, India made its maiden appearance at the OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting, as a “guest of honour”. ✓ This first-time invitation was seen as a diplomatic victory for India, especially at a time of heightened tensions with Pakistan following the Pulwama attack.

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Criticism of India's Policies by OIC: • It has been generally supportive of Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir, and has issued statements criticising the alleged Indian “atrocities” in the state/Union Territory. • In 2018, the OIC General Secretariat had “expressed strong condemnation of the killing of innocent Kashmiris by Indian forces in Indian-occupied Kashmir”. • It described the “direct shooting at demonstrators” as a “terrorist act”, and “called upon the international community to play its role in order to reach a just and lasting solution to the conflict in Kashmir”.OIC has criticised the Government of India over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, and the Babri Masjid verdict of the Supreme Court. • OIC has also criticised the Indian government for what it called “growing Islamophobia” in India. India’s Response: • India has always maintained that OIC has no locus standi in matters strictly internal to India including that of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir which is an integral and Inalienable Part of India. India’s Relationship with OIC Member Countries: • Individually, India has Good Relations with almost all Member nations. • Ties with the UAE and Saudi Arabia, especially, have improved significantly in recent years. The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi (UAE) was a special chief guest at the 68th Republic Day celebrations in 2017. • The OIC includes two of India’s close neighbours, Bangladesh and Maldives. • Indian diplomats say both countries privately admit that they do not want to complicate their bilateral ties with India on Kashmir.

5. Gender Gap in Judiciary Why in News? • The Attorney General (AG) K K Venugopal, in his written submission to the Supreme Court (SC), has recently emphasised the need for Greater Gender sensitisation among Members of the Judiciary. Highlights: • The Madhya Pradesh (MP) High Court (HC) asked a man to visit the home of the alleged victim and request her to tie a rakhi.

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• The SC had asked AG and others to recommend ways to improve gender sensitivity towards victims while laying down bail conditions for sex crime offenders. • The Bench had sought view on a plea about courts imposing bail conditions for sex crime offenders which end up Further Harassing, objectifying their Victims. About Gender Gap in Judiciary: • The SC only has 2 women judges, as against the 34 seats reserved for women judges and there has never been a female Chief Justice of India (CJI). • There are only 80 women judges out of the total sanctioned strength of 1,113 judges in the SC and the HCs. • Out of these 80 women judges, there are only two in the SC, and the other 78 are in various HCs, comprising only 7.2% of the total number of judges. • Of the 26 courts whose data was accessed, including the SC, the Punjab and Haryana HCs has the maximum strength of women judges (11 out of 85 judges) in the country, followed by the Madras HC (9 out of 75 judges). Both Delhi and Bombay HCs have 8 women judges. • The HCs of Manipur, Meghalaya, Patna, Tripura, Telangana, and Uttarakhand, do not have any women in the sitting judges.No data is centrally maintained on the number of women in tribunals or lower courts. • In the senior designation of lawyers, there are only 17 women senior counsel designates in the SC as opposed to 403 men. • The Delhi HC has 8 women and 229 men designates. Similarly, in the Bombay HC, there are 6 women and 157 men designates. The Importance of Women in Judiciary: • The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 5 and SDG 16 in particular), address the global responsibility of having gender equality and women’s representation in public institutions such as the judiciary. • Achieving equality for women judges is important not only because it is a right for women, but also because it is right for the achievement of a more just rule of law. Women judges strengthen the judiciary and help to gain the public's trust. • The entry of women judges is a positive step in the direction of judiciaries being perceived as being more transparent, inclusive, and representative of the people whose lives they affect. • Women judges enhance the legitimacy of courts, sending a powerful signal that they are open and accessible to those who seek recourse to justice.

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• Women judges bring those lived experiences to their judicial actions, experiences that tend toward a more comprehensive and empathetic perspective. • Adjudication is enhanced by the presence of women who bring to the fore considerations that would not have been taken into account in their absence and the scope of the discussion is hence enlarged, possibly preventing ill-considered or improper decisions. • By elucidating how laws and rulings can be based on gender stereotypes, or how they might have a different impact on women and men, a gender perspective enhances the fairness of adjudication, which ultimately benefits both men and women. Way Ahead: • The Courts should declare that such remarks (MP HC issue) are unacceptable which can potentially cause harm to the victim and to society at large. • Judicial orders should conform to certain judicial standards and necessary steps have to be taken to ensure that this does not happen in the future. • The SC must direct the collection of data to determine the number of women judges in the lower judiciary and tribunals and also to determine the year-wise number of senior designates by all HCs. Greater representation of women should be ensured at all levels of the judiciary, including the SC and this initiative must come from the SC itself, considering that the power of appointment rests almost exclusively with the SC Collegium. • The judges of the SC are appointed by the President. The CJI is appointed by the President after consultation with such judges of the SC and HCs as she deems necessary. • The other judges are appointed by the President after consultation with the CJI and such other judges of the SC and the HCs as she deems necessary. The consultation with the CJI is obligatory in the case of appointment of a judge other than CJI. • The goal must be to achieve at least 50% representation of women in all leadership positions and there should be a mandatory training of all lawyers on gender sensitisation. • Judges, who might belong to the “old school” and are maybe “patriarchal” in outlook, should be sensitised to deal with cases of sexual violence so that they do not pass orders objectifying women in such cases. Way Forward: • The wide prevalence of orders like the one from the MP HC and other similar instances makes it clear that there is a need for urgent intervention from the Courts. Improving the representation of women in the judiciary is of crucial importance and have to go a long way towards a more balanced and empathetic approach in cases involving sexual violence.

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• Changing the long-established demographics of a court can make the institution more amenable to consider itself in a new light, and potentially lead to further modernisation and reform. As a court's composition becomes more diverse, its customary practices become less entrenched; consequently, the old methods, often based on unstated codes of behaviour, or simply inertia, are no longer adequate.

6. World Malaria Report (WMR) 2020 Why in News? • The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recently released the World Malaria Report (WMR) 2020. Highlights: • The report provides a comprehensive update on global and regional malaria data and trends including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, elimination and surveillance. • It indicates that India has made considerable progress in reducing its malaria burden. • Malaria cases globally numbered about 229 million, an annual estimate that has remained virtually unchanged over the last four years. • It claimed about 4,09,000 lives in 2019, compared to 4,11,000 in 2018. • The report noted that the 11 highest-burden countries viz. Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, India, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda and Tanzania, account for 70% of the global estimated case burden and 71% of global estimated deaths from malaria. • Countries in South-East Asia made particularly strong progress, with reductions in cases and deaths of 73% and 74%, respectively. Indian Data Analysis: • India is the only high endemic country which has reported a decline of 17.6% in 2019 as compared to 2018. The Annual Parasite Incidence (API, the number of new infections per year per 1000 population) reduced by 18.4% in 2019 as compared to 2018. • India has sustained API less than one since the year 2012. India has also contributed to the largest drop in cases region-wide, from approximately 20 million to about 6 million. • The percentage drop in the malaria cases was 71.8% and deaths were 73.9% between 2000 to 2019. India achieved a reduction of 83.34% in malaria morbidity and 92% in malaria mortality between the year 2000 and 2019, thereby achieving Goal 6 of the Millennium Development Goals.

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• MDG 6 aimed to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, which have a direct and indirect impact on rural development, agricultural productivity and food and nutrition security. • The Sustainable Development Goals have replaced the MDGs. States of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya and Madhya Pradesh (high endemic states) disproportionately accounted for nearly 45.47% of malaria cases in 2019. • 63.64% of malaria deaths were also reported from these states. The figures and trends between the last two decades clearly show the drastic decline in malaria, hence the malaria elimination target of 2030 looks achievable. Initiatives to eliminate Malaria: • In India, malaria elimination efforts were initiated in 2015 and were intensified after the launch of the National Framework for Malaria Elimination (NFME) in 2016 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. • NFME is in line with WHO’s Global Technical Strategy for Malaria, 2016-2030, which guides the WHO Global Malaria Programme (GMP), responsible for coordinating WHO's global efforts to control and eliminate malaria. • The National Strategic Plan for Malaria Elimination (2017-22) was launched in July 2017 which laid down strategies for the following five years. • It gives year wise elimination targets in various parts of the country depending upon the endemicity of malaria. • Implementation of High Burden to High Impact (HBHI) initiative was started in four states (West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh) in July 2019. • The WHO and the RBM Partnership initiated the HBHI initiative in 11 high malaria burden countries, including India to end malaria, in 2018. • It has continued to make impressive gains in India, with 18% reductions in cases and 20% reductions in death, over the last 2 years. Due to the efforts made by the Government of India in the provision of microscopes, rapid diagnostics Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) to high burden areas has led to a reduction in endemicity in these otherwise very high endemic states. LLINs are nets treated in the factory with an insecticide incorporated into the net fabric which makes the insecticide last at least 20 washes in standard laboratory testing and three years of recommended use under field conditions. • Use of LLINs has been accepted by the community at large and has been one of the main contributors to the drastic malaria decline in the country.

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7. UN Removes Cannabis from Dangerous Substances Why in News? • Recently, the United Nations (UN) Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), at its 63rd session, has taken a number of decisions, leading to changes in the way cannabis (Marijuana or Hemp) is internationally regulated, including its reclassification out of the most Dangerous Category of Drugs. About the News: • In January 2019, the World Health Organisation (WHO) made six recommendations related to the scheduling of cannabis in UN treaties, including the deletion of cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule IV of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, 1961. • Schedule IV is the category of drugs that are considered to have "particularly dangerous properties" in comparison to other drugs. • The proposals were to be placed before the CND’s session in March 2019, but members voted to postpone the vote, requesting More Time. What is the Global Decision? • Older Status: The CND decision will remove cannabis from Schedule IV, where it was listed alongside deadly, addictive opioids, including heroin. • Current Status: Now, both cannabis and cannabis resin will remain on Schedule I, which includes the least dangerous category of substances. • Countries in Favour: 27 of the CND’s 53 Member States, including India, the USA and most European nations, voted in favour of the motion. • Countries not in Favour: 25 countries, including China, Pakistan, and Russia, were not in favour and there was one abstention, Ukraine. Significance of the Move: • Since the Convention was enforced in 1961, cannabis had been subject to the strictest control schedules, which even discouraged its use for medical purposes. • The reclassification of cannabis, although significant, would not immediately change its status worldwide as long as individual countries continue with existing regulations. • However, it will impact this process, as many nations follow the lead of international protocols while legislating in their respective nations. • With this historic vote, the CND has opened the door to recognizing the medicinal and Therapeutic Potential of Cannabis.

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India’s Stand and Regulations: • India has voted with the majority to remove cannabis and cannabis resin from the list of most dangerous substances in the Convention. • Under India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985, the production, manufacture, possession, sale, purchase, transport, and use of cannabis is a punishable offence. • The Act was enacted in 1985 which succeeded the Dangerous Drugs Act 1930. • The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) is vested with the power to charge individuals in cases related to the illegal use and supply of Narcotics. About Cannabis: • According to the WHO, cannabis is a generic term used to denote the several psychoactive preparations of the plant Cannabis sativa. • According to the WHO, cannabis is by far the most widely cultivated, trafficked and abused illicit drug in the world. • The major psychoactive constituent in cannabis is Delta9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). • The unpollinated female plants are called hashish. Cannabis oil (hashish oil) is a concentrate of cannabinoids (compounds which are structurally similar to THC) obtained by solvent extraction of the crude plant material or of the resin. What does NDPS Act says? • According to the NDPS Act “cannabis plant” means any plant of the genus cannabis. • ‘Charas’ is the separated resin extracted from the cannabis plant. The NDPS Act covers separated raisin, in whatever form, whether crude or purified, obtained from the cannabis plant and also includes concentrated preparation and resin known as hashish oil or liquid hashish. • The Act defines ‘ganja’ as the flowering or fruiting tops of the cannabis plant but it clearly excludes the seeds and leaves. • The Act illegalises any mixture with or without any neutral material, of any of the two forms of cannabis, charas and ganja, or any drink prepared from it. • The legislature left seeds and leaves of the cannabis plant out of the ambit of the Act, because the serrated leaves of the plant have negligible THC content. • ‘Bhang’, which is commonly consumed during festivals like Holi, is a paste made out of the leaves of the cannabis plant, and is hence not outlawed.

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• Similarly, CBD oil, an acronym for cannabidiol derived from the leaves of the cannabis plant, would not come under the NDPS Act. • The NDPS Act does not permit the recreational use of cannabis in India. • While CBD oil manufactured with a licence under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 can be legally used, it is not very common. Commission on Narcotic Drugs: • It is the UN agency mandated to decide on the scope of control of substances by placing them in the schedules of global drug control conventions. • It was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Vienna. • Global attitudes towards cannabis have changed dramatically since the commencement of the 1961 Convention, with many jurisdictions permitting cannabis use for recreation, medication or both. • Currently, over 50 countries allow medicinal cannabis programmes, and its recreational use has been legalised in Canada, Uruguay and 15 states of the USA.

8. Havana Syndrome Why in News? • A report by the National Academies of Sciences (NAS), USA has recently found directed microwave radiation to be the plausible cause of the Havana syndrome. About Havana Syndrome: • The USA diplomats and other employees stationed in Havana (capital of Cuba) reported feeling ill after hearing strange sounds and experiencing odd physical sensations,in 2016. • The symptoms included are nausea, severe headaches, fatigue, dizziness, sleep problems, and hearing loss, which have since come to be known as the Havana Syndrome. • The more chronic problems suffered by Havana personnel included mainly vestibular processing and cognitive problems as well as insomnia and headache. • The symptoms have resolved for some of the affected employees, for others, the effects have lingered and posed a significant obstacle to their work and affected the normal functioning of lives. About the NAS Report: • It examined four possibilities to explain the symptoms viz. infection, chemicals, psychological factors and microwave energy.

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• Only this report provides the clearest and detailed estimation of what may have transpired. • In earlier attempts by various other government agencies, scientists talked about psychological illness due to the stressful environment of foreign missions or brain abnormalities in the diplomats who had fallen ill. Highlights: • The Directed pulsed microwave radiation energy appears to be the most plausible mechanism in explaining the cases of Havana syndrome among those that the committee considered. By calling it “directed” and “pulsed” energy, the report leaves no room for confusion that the victims’ exposure was targeted and not due to common sources of microwave energy. The immediate symptoms that patients reported, including sensations of pain and buzzing sound, apparently emanated from a particular direction, or occurred in a specific spot in a room. • It warns about the possibility of future episodes and recommends establishing a response mechanism for similar incidents, adding that future incidents might be more dispersed in time and place, and even more difficult to recognise quickly. • The committee cannot rule out other possible mechanisms and considers it likely that a multiplicity of factors explains some cases and the differences between others. • It also does not mention the source and if the energy was delivered intentionally, even though it conducted significant research on microwave weapons. Microwave Weapons: • These are supposed to be a type of direct energy weapons, which aim highly focused energy in the form of sonic, laser, or microwaves, at a target. • The high-frequency electromagnetic radiations heat the water in the human body and cause discomfort and pain. It works the same way as the kitchen appliance. • In a microwave oven, an electron tube called a magnetron produces electromagnetic waves (microwaves) that bounce around the metal interior of the appliance, and are absorbed by the food. • The microwaves agitate the water molecules in the food, and their vibration produces heat that cooks the food. Foods with a high water content cook faster in a microwave often than drier foods. • A number of countries are thought to have developed these weapons to target both humans and electronic systems.

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• China had first put on display its microwave weapon, called Poly WB-1, at an air show in 2014. • The USA has also developed a prototype microwave-style weapon, which it calls the “Active Denial System”, which is the first non-lethal, directed-energy, counter-personnel system with an extended range greater than currently fielded non-lethal weapons. Suggestions: • American diplomats and members of their families in Cuba and China were suspected to have been targeted using ‘microwave weapons’ (Havana Syndrome). • People exposed to high-intensity microwave pulses have reported a clicking or buzzing sound, as if seeming to be coming from within the head. • Concerns have been raised on whether they can damage the eyes, or have a carcinogenic impact in the long term. • It is not clear yet whether these can kill or cause lasting damage in human targets. • The USA holds that studies have shown that natural blink reflex, aversion response and head turn all protect the eyes from the weapon.

9. Emission Gap Report 2020 Why in News? • Recently, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s Emissions Gap Report 2020 has been Published Recently. About Record High GreenHouse Gas (GHG) Emissions: • Global GHG emissions continued to grow for the third consecutive year in 2019, reaching a record high of 52.4 Gigatonne carbon equivalent (GtCO2e) without including land use changes (LUC).There is some indication that the Growth in Global GHG Emissions is slowing.The report from UNEP measures the gap between anticipated emissions and levels consistent with the Paris Agreement goals of limiting global warming this century to well below 2°C and pursuing 1.5°C.GHG emissions are declining in Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) economies and increasing in non-OECD economies. Carbon Emission: • The carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (from fossil fuels and carbonates) dominate total GHG emissions. It reached a Record 38.0 GtCO2 in 2019.

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Increasing Forest Fires: • Global GHG emissions have grown 1.4% per year on average, with a more rapid increase of 2.6% in 2019 due to a large increase in vegetation forest fires. • G20 countries account for bulk of emissions: • Over the last decade, the top four emitters (China, the United States of America, EU27+UK and India) have contributed to 55% of the total GHG emissions without LUC. • The top seven emitters (including the Russian Federation, Japan and international transport) have contributed to 65%, with G20 Members Accounting for 78%. • The Ranking of Countries changes when Considering per capita emissions. On Consumption-based Emissions: • There is a general tendency that rich countries have higher consumption-based emissions (emissions allocated to the country where goods are purchased and consumed, rather than where they are produced) than territorial-based emissions, as they typically have cleaner production, relatively more services and more imports of primary and secondary products. • Both emission types have declined at similar rates. Impacts caused by Pandemic: • CO2 emissions could decrease by about 7% in 2020 compared with 2019 emission levels, with a smaller drop expected in GHG emissions as non-CO2 is likely to be less affected. • The resulting atmospheric concentrations of GHGs such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) continued to increase in both 2019 and 2020. • Sector reporting the lowest dip in emission due to pandemic: • The biggest changes have occurred in transport, as restrictions were targeted to limit mobility, though reductions have also occurred in other sectors. Issues and Possible Solutions: • The world is still heading for a temperature rise in excess of 3°C this century. • The levels of ambition in the Paris Agreement still must be roughly tripled for the 2°C pathway and increased at least fivefold for the 1.5°C Pathway. • Rise of 3°C in global temperatures could cause catastrophic weather-related events around the world. • UN Experts believe the way to avoid it is encourage green recovery for countries facing Covid-induced economic slumps.

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• A green recovery involves investment in zero emissions tech and infrastructure, reducing fossil fuel subsidies, stopping new coal plants, and promoting nature-based solutions, according to the UN. • Such actions could cut 25% of predicted emissions by 2030, and gives the planet a 66% chance of keeping warming below the 2°mark that the Paris pact had set as a long term goal. • United Nations Environment Programme • It is a leading global environmental authority established on 5th June 1972.

10. Quad is U.S. anti-China Game, Says Russia Why in News? • Russia has called the four-nation quadrilateral strategic dialogue or Quad as a “devious policy” by western powers to engage India in “anti-China games”. What’s the Issue? • It expressed concerns about the U.S. Indo-Pacific policy and criticised the Quad. Also, for the First time it has suggested that India-Russia ties could be affected by it.

What are Russia’s concerns? • India has become an object of the western countries’ persistent, aggressive and devious policy as they are trying to engage it in anti-China games by promoting Indo-Pacific strategies, the so-called “Quad”. • At the same time the West is attempting to undermine Russia’s close partnership and privileged relations with India. This is the goal of the U.S.’s very tough pressure on New Delhi in the MTC [military and technical cooperation] area. • The incoming Biden administration is also expected to press harder on India against its purchase of the S-400 anti-missile system from Russia, which could attract U.S. sanctions. • Overall, the U.S. and European countries are trying to “restore” the unipolar model with U.S. leadership. What is Quad Grouping? • The quadrilateral security dialogue includes Japan, India, United States and Australia. • All four nations find a common ground of being the democratic nations and common interests of unhindered Maritime trade and Security.

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Background of Grouping: • The Grouping Traces its genesis to 2004 when the four countries came together to coordinate relief Operations in the aftermath of the Tsunami. • It then met for the first time in 2007 on the side-lines of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit. • The intention was to enhance maritime cooperation between the four nations. Significance of the Grouping: • Quad is an opportunity for like-minded countries to share notes and collaborate on projects of mutual interest. • Members share a vision of an open and free Indo-Pacific. Each is involved in development and economic projects as well as in promoting maritime domain awareness and maritime security. It is one of the many avenues for interaction among India, Australia, Japan and the US and should not be seen in an exclusive context. What are China’s views on the Quad? • There is a general understanding that the Quad would not take on a military dimension against any country. The strategic community in China, nevertheless, had branded it an emerging “Asian NATO”. Notably, Japanese Former PM Shinzo Abe’s “Confluence of Two Seas” address to the Indian Parliament gave a fresh impetus to the Quad concept. This recognised the economic rise of India. Why there is a need for formalisation? • Despite renewed efforts, the QUAD has faced criticism over its lack of formal structure. There have been calls for institutionalisation, a formal agreement to transform the group into a formidable anti-China bloc. • A lot has changed over the years. Each member state has faced the heat of China’s increased aggression. • China has grown in might and influence and is keen on picking up fights. • After attempting to influence Australia’s domestic policies, it slapped punitive tariffs on the country. It is engaged in what has become a routine border confrontation with India. • China has flared up territorial disputes with Japan with regards to the Senkaku Islands and is battling a fully-fledged trade war with the United States. • It sets the Global Environmental Agenda, promotes the sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative advocate for global environment protection.

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• Its major reports are Emission Gap Report, Global Environment Outlook, Frontiers, Invest into Healthy Planet. • Its major campaigns are Beat Pollution, UN75, World Environment Day, Wild for Life. • Its headquarters located in Nairobi, Kenya.

11. India is on track to Reduce Emissions Why in News? • Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has recently claimed that India was the only major G20 country that was on track towards keeping to its nationally determined commitments to halt runaway Global Warming. About the News: • In 2015, ahead of the United Nations’ significant climate conference in Paris, India announced three major voluntary commitments called the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC): ✓ Improving the emissions intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by 2030 below 2005 levels; ✓ Increasing the share of non-fossil fuels-based electricity to 40 per cent by 2030, ✓ Enhancing its forest cover, thereby absorbing 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide. • At present India had achieved 21% of its emissions intensity as a proportion of its GDP in line with its commitment to a 33-35% reduction by 2030. What is Paris Deal? • It is an international agreement to combat climate change and to reduce, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. • The aims of the Paris Agreement are: ✓ Keep the global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level. ✓ Pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius. ✓ Strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change. • Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) were conceived at Paris summit which requires each Party to prepare, communicate and maintain successive nationally determined contributions (NDCs) that it intends to achieve. • Paris Agreement replaced earlier Agreement to deal with climate change, the Kyoto Protocol.

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• In the Paris agreement, there is no difference between developing and developed countries. In the Kyoto Protocol, there was a differentiation between developed and developing countries by clubbing them as Annex 1 countries and non-Annex 1 country. About UNFCCC: • The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), was signed in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development and entered into force on March 21, 1994. It is also known as the Earth Summit, the Rio Summit. It has been ratified by 197 countries. • Its objective is to stabilize the greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system. It is not legally Binding in Nature. What are the India’s Efforts? • India has achieved a reduction of 21% in the emission intensity of its GDP between 2005 and 2014, which fulfils its pre-2020 voluntary target.

• Renewable energy installed capacity has increased by 226% in the last 5 years and stands more than 87 GW. • 80 million LPG connections are provided in rural areas under PM Ujjwala Yojana, with clean cooking fuel and a healthy environment. • More than 360 million LED bulbs have been distributed under the UJALA scheme, which has led to an energy saving of about 47 billion units of electricity per year and reduction of 38 million tonnes of CO2 per year. • India has also leapfrogged from Bharat Stage-IV (BS-IV) to Bharat Stage-VI (BS-VI) emission norms by April 1, 2020, which was earlier to be adopted by 2024.

12. UK and EU Ditch Deadline and Pursue Brexit Talks Why in News? • Britain´s Prime Minister Boris Johnson and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen agreed recently to push on with post-Brexit trade talks despite the passing of a self-imposed deadline. About Withdrawal Agreement: • Under this agreement, a transition period of 11 months has finalized until December 2020. However, it might get delayed until 2022 or 2023.

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• During this period, the U.K. will continue to participate in the EU’s Customs Union and in the Single Market. • The U.K. will apply EU law even if it is no longer a Member State and will also continue to abide by the international agreements of the EU. • The transition period makes sure that there is not a sudden shock but a degree of continuity and allows both parties to secure an orderly Brexit, minimizing disruption for the citizens, Businesses, Public Administrations, as well as for the international partners. What are its Impacts with EU? • By leaving the EU, the U.K. automatically, mechanically, legally, leaves hundreds of international agreements concluded by or on behalf of the EU, to the benefit of its Member States, on topics as different as trade, aviation, fisheries or civil nuclear cooperation. • However, with just 11 months to negotiate, there are only chances of very basic and minimal deals covering trade, fisheries and security. • In that case, at the end of 2020, differing aspirations for the trade talks might raise the prospect of a new no-deal scenario. • In the absence of a deal, the earlier accord on citizens’ rights, money and the Irish border will remain intact. Both of them will have to be ready for the economic shift in trading on World Trade Organization (WTO) terms. • The first priority is the trade deal to ensure the tariff and quota-free flow of goods between the EU and U.K. However, the EU will only agree to zero tariffs and zero quotas if the U.K. pledges zero dumping – that is, not lowering social and environmental standards to outcompete the EU. Negotiations will clash over the EU’s refusal to bring services into the trade deal. The EU seeks to link goods trade to maintaining the status quo on access to British waters which is considered to be a matter of concern for the U.K., so it might give rise to clashes. • Even the non-trade subjects will be full of political troubles because the EU Member States will have to change their policies according to the new deals and the regulations. What are the Impacts on India? • India has had strong historical ties with the U.K. and currently, it is one of India’s most important trading partners. In the last four years alone, the number of Indian companies investing in the U.K. has quadrupled. • It is important to see how India and the U.K. can manoeuvre through Brexit and enter into new trade agreements that are mutually beneficial to both economies. Brexit will directly

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impact not only the Indian stock market but the global market in totality, including the emerging markets in the world. This is because of the high volatility in the pound. Both the U.K. and EU account for 23.7% of Rupee’s effective exchange rate. With Brexit, foreign portfolio investments will outflow and will lead to the weakening of the rupee. India’s businesses based in the U.K. will be hampered as till now they had border-free access to the rest of Europe. • The investors are concerned as India invests more in the United Kingdom than the rest of Europe combined. What are the Impacts on the other World Countries? • Brexit will weaken the EU economically and politically. The U.K. was the EU’s second- biggest economy (after Germany) a major net budget contributor, key military force and one of the bloc’s two nuclear powers (another one is France) and permanent UN security council members. The U.K.’s departure has distracted attention from a number of other big and urgent problems, including the climate crisis. • In the longer term of balancing of global powers, a smaller Europe can be a weaker Europe in the face of an ambitious China and an Increasingly Protectionist US.

6. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS SNIPPETS 1. Emergency Use Authorisation Why in News? • Various pharmaceutical companies have applied for emergency use authorisation for their COVID-19 vaccines. Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA): • EUA is a mechanism to grant interim regulatory approvals where sufficient evidence is available to suggest a medical product is safe and effective. • Generally, to ensure medicines, vaccines, diagnostic tests and medical devices are safe to be administered, there is a long-drawn regulatory approval process. • However, during public health emergencies such as COVID pandemic, countries have developed a fast-tracked regulatory approval process to approve vaccines and medicines for public use, this is called EUA.

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• However, final approval is granted only after completion of the trials and analysis of full data. EUA in the US: • In the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grants a EUA. • EUA can be considered only after sufficient efficacy data from phase 3 trials had been generated. A EUA cannot be granted solely based on data from phase 1 or phase 2 trials, although these too need to show the product is safe. • Here, EUA has been granted for Tamiflu to treat H1N1. EUA in India: • In India, the regulatory authority is the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).India’s drug regulations do not have provisions for a EUA, and the process for receiving one is not clearly defined or consistent. • In the recent past, CDSCO has been granting emergency or restricted emergency approvals to Covid-19 drugs such as remdesivir, favipiravir and itolizumab. • Any company seeking to launch a vaccine approved elsewhere would have to conduct local trials to prove it is safe and effective on the Indian population. • The fastest approval for any vaccine until now — the mumps vaccine in the 1960s — took about four-and-a-half years after it was developed.

2. United Nations Investment Promotion Award Why in News? • Recently, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has declared ‘Invest India’ as winner of the United Nations Investment Promotion Award 2020. Highlights: • It recognises and celebrates the outstanding achievements of the world’s Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs). Since 2002, UNCTAD has organised these awards annually.

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• It also highlight the contributions of these organizations in raising private sector investment in sustainable development and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).The response of IPAs to the Covid-19 pandemic became the basis for the evaluation of the 2020 Award.Germany, South Korea and Singapore have been some of the past winners of the award.It is the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of India and acts as the first point of reference for investors in India. • It is a non-profit venture set up in 2009 under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. • United Nations Conference on Trade and Development • UNCTAD is a permanent intergovernmental body established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1964. Its headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland. • It was established to promote development-friendly integration of developing countries into the world economy. • It is a central agency that monitors performance of Investment promotion Agencies (IPAs) and identifies global best practices. • It highlighted good practices followed by Invest India, such as the Business Immunity Platform, Exclusive Investment Forum webinar series, its social media engagement and focus Covid response teams (such as business reconstruction, stakeholder outreach and supplier outreach) created as a response to the pandemic, in its publications. • Some of the reports published by it are Trade and Development Report, World Investment Report, Global Investment Trend Monitor Report, The Least Developed Countries Report, Information and Economy Report, Technology and Innovation Report and Commodities and Development Report

3. South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Charter day Why in News? • Recently, on SAARC 36th Charter Day anniversary, the Prime Minister said that SAARC can only be fully effective in the absence of “terror and violence”. Highlights: • SAARC Charter Day is observed annually on 8th December. This day marks the signing of the SAARC Charter in 1985 by the leaders of SAARC Countries at the First SAARC Summit held in Dhaka (Bangladesh).

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• The full potential of SAARC can only be realised in an atmosphere free of terror and violence. • It indicates that India’s concerns over cross-border terrorism from Pakistan remain a primary obstacle in India’s participation in the summit. • Both Pakistan and Nepal called for the SAARC summit to be held soon. India also called for SAARC countries to “recommit to defeating the forces that support and nurture terrorism.” • India is also committed to an “integrated, connected, secure and prosperous South Asia”, and will support the economic, technological, cultural and social development of the region. • Highlighting the importance of greater collaboration, India referred to the example of the early coordination between SAARC countries for dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. • An emergency Covid-19 fund was created with an initial contribution of USD 10 million from India. • Its functioning and activities have virtually stalled because of the strained relations between India and Pakistan. • Besides a virtual meeting in March on the Covid-19 situation, SAARC hasn’t had any significant engagements since India pulled out of the summit that was to be held in Pakistan in 2016 in the aftermath of the Uri terror attack. • South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation • Its eight member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. • Its secretariat is located in Kathmandu (Nepal). • Its objective to promote the welfare of the people of South Asia and to improve their quality of life, and to accelerate economic growth, among other things. • These are usually held biennially and hosted by member states in alphabetical order. • The last SAARC Summit in 2014 was held in Kathmandu (Nepal), which was attended by India.

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4. Global Health Estimates Report 2019 Why in News? • Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released the Global Health Estimates (GHE) report 2019. • The report conveys the need for an intensified global focus on preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases in all regions of the world, as set out in the agenda for the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Highlights: • The new estimates are a reminder that efforts are needed to rapidly step-up prevention, diagnosis and treatment of non-communicable diseases: • They make up 7 of the world’s top 10 causes of death. • Heart disease has remained the leading cause of death at the global level for the last 20 years and it is now killing more people than ever before. • Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are now among the top 10 causes of death worldwide. Deaths from diabetes increased by 70% globally between 2000 and 2019. • There is a general global decline in the percentage of deaths caused by communicable diseases. In 2019, pneumonia and other lower respiratory infections were the deadliest group of communicable diseases and together ranked as the fourth leading cause of death. • HIV/AIDS dropped from the 8th leading cause of death in 2000 to the 19th in 2019. • Tuberculosis is also no longer in the Global top 10. • The estimates further confirm the growing trend for longevity but with more disabilities. • In 2019, people were living more than 6 years longer than in 2000, with a global average of more than 73 years in 2019. • Drugs and Injuries are a major cause of disability and death. GHE: • GHE is published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) at the end of the decade. • It provides the latest available data on death and disability globally, by region and country, and by age, sex and cause. • The latest updates include Global, Regional and country trends from 2000 to 2019 inclusive. • It provides key insights on mortality and morbidity trends to support informed decision- making on health policy and Resource Allocation.

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5. 14th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Plus Why in News? • India’s defence minister has recently attended the 14th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) Plus organized online at Hanoi, Vietnam. It marked the 10th anniversary of ADMM Plus. Highlights • The 2nd ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) in 2007 at Singapore adopted a resolution to establish the ADMM-Plus. The first ADMM-Plus was convened at Hanoi, Vietnam in 2010. • It is a platform for ASEAN (The Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and it’s eight Dialogue Partners to strengthen security and defence cooperation for peace, stability, and development in the region. • Its member countries include ten ASEAN Member States and eight Plus countries, namely Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, and the United States. • The chairmanship of the ADMM-Plus follows the chairmanship of the ADMM. This year it was chaired by Vietnam. It aims to promote mutual trust and confidence between defence establishments through greater dialogue and transparency. • Their areas of cooperation is Maritime security, counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, peacekeeping operations and military medicine. • The current meet comes at the time when India and China remain engaged in a military standoff along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh, and tensions continue to mount in the South China Sea. • The future of the South East Asian Countries will be defined by their ability to collectively respond to challenges in the region, based on the fundamentals of freedom, inclusivity and openness. The response to the pandemic needs to be collective and collaborative. • The threats to the rules-based order, maritime security, cyber-related crimes and Terrorism. The Challenges are becoming increasingly trans-boundary in character which requires closer military-to-military interactions and cooperation amongst the ADMM-Plus countries. • The conduct of field training exercises and table-top exercises amongst the ADMM-Plus countries are important tools to understand each other, cooperate to enhance security and maintain Peace in the region.

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