Current Affairs (CONSOLIDaTION)

May 2020 (Part – I)

Drishti, 641, First Floor, Dr. Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi-110009 Phone: 87501 87501, WhatsApp: 92058 85200, IVR: 8010-440-440 Email: [email protected] Contents

Polity and Governance...... 1 z SC Refuses to Restore 4G Services in J&K...... 1 z Epidemic Disease Act, 1897...... 2 z Vizag Gas Leak ...... 3 z Strict vs Absolute Liability Principle...... 4 z Liquor Revenue for States...... 5 z Labour Laws Diluted...... 6 z Annulment of Election of MLA...... 7 z Ordinance to Check APMCs: Gujarat...... 9 z Jharkhand Launches Employment Schemes...... 10 z Report on Energy Efficiency Measures...... 10 z Modifications in PMRF Scheme...... 12 z Saras Collection...... 12 z SAMARTH ERP...... 13

Economic Scenario...... 15 z Atmanirbhar Bharat and Economic Stimulus...... 15 z Economic Stimulus-I...... 16 z Economic Stimulus-II...... 18 z Economic Stimulus-III...... 20 z Economic Stimulus-IV...... 21 z Economic Stimulus-V...... 23 z Core Sector Shrinks by 6.5%...... 26 z Forex Reserves...... 27 z Drop in FPI Outflows...... 27 z RBI Cancels Licence of CKP Co-op Bank...... 29 z Co-operative Banks Under Sarfaesi Act...... 30 z Manufacturing Hits Record Low...... 31 z MSMEs and Covid-19...... 32 z Helicopter Money...... 33 z Relevance of the Consol Bonds amid Covid-19...... 34 z RBI’s Gold Reserve Increased...... 35 z Mandis Under e-NAM Increased...... 36 z CHAMPIONS Portal for MSME...... 36

International Relations...... 38 z Permanent Mission to UN...... 38 z Virtual NAM Summit...... 39 z New Road to Kailash Mansarovar...... 40 z India-Nepal on Kailash Mansarovar Link Road...... 41 z Face-off Between India and China...... 42 z Currency Change in Iran...... 43 z Mission Sagar...... 44 z Financial Help by AIIB to India...... 45

Science and Technology...... 46 z Luhman 16: Binary Brown Dwarf System...... 46 z Demo-2 Mission...... 47 z African Swine Fever in Assam...... 47 z 1-D Simulation Code to Study Earth’s Magnetosphere...... 48 z Development of the Nanomaterials Based Supercapacitors...... 49 z Long March 5B’ Rocket by China...... 50 z Comparison of Measures Against Covid-19...... 51 z Covid-19 in States with High Swine Flu Rates...... 52 z Coronavirus Causes Blood Clots...... 53 z Silent Hypoxia...... 54 z Mathematical and Simulation Aspects of Covid-19...... 55 z UV Blaster...... 56 z COBAS 6800 Testing Machine...... 56 z Feluda Test for Covid-19...... 57 z ELISA Antibody Kits...... 57 z Ultraviolet Light and Viruses...... 58 z Automated UV Systems...... 60 z BiPAP Ventilator “SwasthVayu”...... 60 z Use of TB Drugs on Crops...... 61 z Aarogya Setu Data Access and Knowledge Sharing Protocol...... 62

Environment and Ecology...... 64 z Locusts Appeared Early in Rajasthan...... 64 z Tiger Population in Sunderbans Rises...... 65 z Black Panther in Netravali Sanctuary...... 65 z Sariska Tiger Reserve...... 66 z Olive Ridley Turtles...... 66 z A Study on Sal Forest Tortoise...... 67 z Energy Needs in the Context of Climate Crisis...... 68 z Energy Transition Index: WEF...... 69 z Deforestation Rate Declined...... 70 z River Nila ...... 71

History...... 72 z Rabindranath Tagore...... 72 z Gandhi Peace Prize...... 72 z 480th Birth Anniversary of Maharana Pratap...... 73 z Gopal Krishna Gokhale...... 73 Geography...... 75 z Erosion in Ladakh and Zanskar...... 75 z Surge-type Glaciers...... 76 z Diamer-Bhasha Dam...... 77

Art & Culture...... 78 z GI Tags ...... 78 z Buddha Purnima...... 79 z Construction of Rath Yatra Chariots Allowed...... 80

Social Issues...... 81 z International Workers’ Day...... 81 z Opposition to Permanent Bru Settlement in Tripura...... 81 z Global Nutrition Report 2020...... 82 z Devices for Disabled and Elderly...... 83 z Data Related to Birth Rate and Death Rate...... 84

Security...... 86 z Combating Bioterrorism...... 86 z Army’s Proposal of 3 Year Tenure for Civilians...... 87 z Abolition of Posts in MES...... 88

Miscellaneous...... 90 z Indian Photojournalists Won Pulitzer Prize...... 90 z National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research and Covid-19...... 90 z Vande Bharat Mission...... 91 z National Technology Day...... 91 z Parkinson’s Disease...... 91 z World Red Cross Day ...... 92 z National Biomedical Resource Indigenization Consortium ...... 92 www.drishtiIAS.com CURRENT AFFAIRS MAY 2020 1 Polity and Governance

Highlights z SC Refuses to Restore 4G Services in J&K z Ordinance to Check APMCs: Gujarat z Epidemic Disease Act, 1897 z Jharkhand Launches Employment Schemes z Vizag Gas Leak z Report on Energy Efficiency Measures z Strict vs Absolute Liability Principle z Modifications in PMRF Scheme z Liquor Revenue for States z Saras Collection z Labour Laws Diluted z SAMARTH ERP z Annulment of Election of MLA

€ The bench ordered the constitution of a Special SC Refuses to Committee, headed by the Union Home Secretary, Restore 4G Services in J&K to determine the necessity of the continuation of limiting mobile Internet to 2G speed in the region. € The committee is expected to suggest the Why in News alternatives regarding limiting the restrictions to Recently, the Supreme Court refused to restore 4G those areas where it is necessary and the possible services in Jammu and Kashmir and ordered setting up ways of allowing faster Internet (3G or 4G) on a of a high-powered committee to look into the contentions trial basis over certain geographical areas. raised by petitioners against limited 2G services in the Need of 4G and National Security Union Territory. ¾ Need of 4G in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic: ¾ In August 2019, the Central government had suspended € Health: 4G services are necessary to provide access all modes of communications in the wake ofrevocation to the medical fraternity including patients to access of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, granted latest information, advisories, and guidelines. under Article 370. Eventually, services were partially restored, with internet speed restricted to 2G. € Education: The petition also argued that the schools across the country have shifted to online classes in ¾ A plea was filed by ‘Foundation for Media Professionals’ view of the lockdown but lack of the 4G internet for restoration of high-speed internet in Jammu and puts J&K students at a disadvantage. Kashmir in view of the Covid-19 situation. € Trade and Business: The lower internet service Key Points speed has also affected businesses dependent on the online mode. ¾ Balance of Human Rights and National Security:The ¾ National Security Concerns: Court ruled that the special circumstances occur in € An issue of infiltration of outside sources through the Union Territory which requires delicate balancing the borders and destabilizing the integrity of the of national security concerns and human rights. nation was raised during the hearing. ¾ The bench Reference to the Previous Judgement: € Even the J&K administration stated that high-speed also referred to its earlier decision in the Anuradha internet will enable the spread of fake news/ Bhasin case (2020) wherein it ordered review of rumours and transfer of heavy data files (audio/ restrictions placed in J&K in the wake of abrogation video files) will become prevalent and may be of Article 370 of the Constitution. utilised by terror outfits for incitement as also in ¾ Constitution of Special Committee: planning attacks.

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Anuradha Bhasin vs Union of India, 2020 ¾ The colonial-era Act empowers the state governments to take special measures and prescribe regulations in ¾ Fundamental Rights Under Article 19: an epidemic. It also defines penalties for disobedience € The judgement declared that the freedom of of these regulations, andprovides for immunity for speech and expression and the freedom to actions taken under the Act “in good faith”. practice any profession or carry on any trade, business or occupation over the medium of Key Points Internet enjoys constitutional protection under ¾ Article 19(1)(a) and Article 19(1)(g)respectively. Aim: € The aims to provide for € It also ruled that such freedom is not absolute, Epidemic Diseases Act the restrictions imposed on it should be in the better prevention of the spread of dangerous consonance with the mandate under Article epidemic diseases. 19(2) and Article 19(6) of the Constitution. € Under the act, temporary provisions or regulations ¾ Territorial Extent of Internet Suspensions: can be made to be observed by the public to tackle or prevent the outbreak of a disease. € It had also directed authorities to pass internet suspension orders with respect to only those ¾ Powers to Central Government: areas, where there is absolute necessity of such € Section 2A of the Act empowers the central restrictions to be imposed. government to take steps to prevent the spread ¾ Constitution of Review Committee: of an epidemic. € The Court also directed the government to € Health is a State subject, but by invoking Section constitute a review committee to review orders 2 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, advisories and leading to suspension and shutting down of directions of the Ministry of Health & Family Internet, mobile and fixed line telecommunication Welfare will be enforceable. services. € It allows the government to inspect any ship arriving z All orders leading to suspension and shutting or leaving any post and the power to detain any down of Internet, mobile and fixed line person intending to sail or arriving in the country. telecommunication services are issued under ¾ Penalty for Disobedience: Rule 2 (2) of the Temporary Suspension of € Section 3 provides penalties for disobeying any Telecom Services [Public Emergency or Public regulation or order made under the Act. These Service] Rules, 2017. are according to section 188 of the Indian Penal z These are the rules to be followed if the Code (Disobedience to order duly promulgated government intends to temporarily suspend by a public servant). telecom services in any part of the country. ¾ Legal Protection to Implementing Officers: z These rules have been framed by the government € Section 4gives legal protection to the implementing on the basis of the powers conferred by section officers acting under the Act. 7 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. ¾ Enforcement of the Act in the Recent Past: € The Review Committee shall consist ofState as € The Epidemics Diseases Act is routinely enforced as the issue involved well as Central level officials across the country for dealing with outbreaks of affects not only the UT of Jammu and Kashmir diseases such as Swine Flu, Dengue. but also the whole country. € For Example, in 2009, to tackle the swine flu outbreak in Pune, Section 2 powers were used to Epidemic Disease Act, 1897 open screening centres in civic hospitals across the city, and swine flu was declared a notifiable disease. Why in News Recently, the Union government directed States and Background Union Territories to invoke the Epidemic Disease Act, ¾ Context: The Epidemic Diseases Bill was introduced 1897 to fight the Covid-19 outbreak. in 1897, during an outbreak of bubonic plague.

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¾ Need: Since the existing laws were insufficientto deal with various matters such as “overcrowded houses, Vizag Gas Leak neglected latrines and huts, accumulations of filth, insanitary cowsheds and stables, and the disposal Why in News of house refuse. Recently, a gas leak has affected five villages in ¾ Special Powers: The Bill had called for special powers Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh. for governments of Indian provinces and local ¾ The source of the gas leak was a styrene plant owned bodies, including to check passengers of trains and by South Korean electronics giant LG located in the area. sea routes. ¾ The possible reason for gas leak is stagnation and ¾ Global Concern: The government of the day was changes in temperature inside the storage tank that also concerned that several countries were alarmed could have resulted in auto polymerization(chemical by the situation in India. As Russia had speculated reaction) and vapourisation of the styrene. that the whole subcontinent might be infected due to plague. Styrene ¾ Plague Description: ¾ Plague is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis € Styrene is an organic compound with the usually found in small mammals and their fleas. formula C8H8. € It is a . ¾ There are two main clinical forms of plague infection: derivative of benzene (C6H6) bubonic and pneumonic. € It is stored in factories as a liquid, but evaporates € Bubonic plague is the most common form and is easily, and has to be kept at temperatures under characterized by painful swollen lymph nodes 20°C. or ‘buboes’. ¾ Sources: € Pneumonic plague is a form of severe lung € Styrene is found in vehicle exhaust, cigarette smoke, infection. and in natural foods like fruits and vegetables. ¾ Plague is transmitted between animals and ¾ Uses: humans by the bite of infected fleas, direct contact € It is a flammable liquid that is used in the with infected tissues, and inhalation of infected manufacturing of polystyrene plastics, fiberglass, respiratory droplets. rubber, and latex. ¾ Antibiotic treatment is effective against plague ¾ Risk of Exposure: bacteria, so early diagnosis and early treatment € Short Term Exposure: It can result in respiratory can save lives. problems, irritation in the eyes, irritation in the ¾ Currently, the three most endemic countries are mucous membrane, and gastrointestinal issues. the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, € Long-Term Exposure: It could drastically affect and Peru. the central nervous system and lead to other related problems like peripheral neuropathy. Recent Changes in the It could also lead to cancer and depression in Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 some cases. ¾ Recently, the Cabinet amended the Act through an z However,there is no sufficient evidence of an ordinance stating that commission or abetment of association between styrene exposure and an acts of violence against healthcare service personnel increased risk of leukemia and lymphoma. shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of three months to five years, and with fine of Rs 50,000 State of Chemical Disaster Risk in India to Rs 2 lakh. ¾ According to the National Disaster Management ¾ In case of causing grievous hurt, imprisonment shall Authority (NDMA), in the recent past, over 130 be for a term of six months to seven years and a fine significant chemical accidents have been reported of Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. in the country.

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¾ Further, there are thousands of registered hazardous to environmental protection and conservation of factories and unorganised sectors dealing with forests. numerous ranges of hazardous material posing serious z According to PRS legislative, any incident similar and complex levels of disaster risks. to the Bhopal gas tragedy will be tried in the ¾ There are over 1861 Major Accident Hazard (MAH) National Green Tribunal and most likely under units spread across 301 districts and 25 states and the provisions of the Environment (Protection) three Union Territories in all zones of the country. Act, 1986. € The Major Accident is defined as an incident z If an offence is committed by a company then involving loss of life inside or outside the site or every person directly in charge and responsible ten or more injuries. will be deemed guilty, unless he proves that the € Further it also involves the release of toxic chemical offence was committed without his knowledge or explosion or fire of spillage of hazardous chemical or that he had exercised all due diligence to resulting in ‘on-site’ or ‘off-site’ emergencies leading prevent the commission of such an offence. to adverse effects to the environment. Bhopal Gas Tragedy Laws to Protect ¾ Post-midnight on December 3, 1984, Methyl

Against Chemical Disasters in India Isocyanate (MIC) (Chemical formula- CH3NCO or C H NO) leaked from the pesticide plant of Union ¾ Laws Before and During Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984): 2 3 Carbide (now Dow Chemicals), a Multinational € At the time of the Bhopal gas tragedy, the Indian Corporation (MNC), in Madhya Pradesh capital Penal Code (IPC) was the only relevant law specifying Bhopal. criminal liability for such incidents. € It is estimated that about 40 tonnes of gas and ¾ Laws After Bhopal Gas Tragedy (1984): other chemicals leaked from the Union Carbide € Bhopal Gas Leak (Processing of Claims) Act, factory. 1985: It gives powers to the central government € Methyl Isocyanate is extremely toxic gas and if to secure the claims arising out of or connected its concentration in the air touches 21ppm (parts with the Bhopal gas tragedy. per million), it can cause death within minutes z Under the provisions of this Act, such claims of inhaling the gas. are dealt with speedily and equitably. ¾ It is one of the worst chemical disasters globally and € The Environment Protection Act, 1986: It gives still continues to have its ill effects on the people powers to the central government to undertake of the affected areas. measures for improving the environment and set standards and inspect industrial units. € The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991: It is Strict vs Absolute an insurance meant to provide relief to persons Liability Principle affected by accidents that occur while handling hazardous substances. Why in News € The National Environment Appellate Authority Act, 1997: Under this Act, the National Environment Recently, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) found Appellate Authority can hear appeals regarding LG Polymers prima facie liable under the strict liability the restriction of areas in which any industries, principle for the Vizag gas leak. operations or processes or class of industries shall ¾ However, according to the lawyers, the term absolute not be carried out or shall be carried out subject liability principle should have been used instead. to certain safeguards under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Key Points € National Green Tribunal, 2010 : It provided for the ¾ The NGT directed the company to deposit an initial establishment of the National Green Tribunalfor amount of Rs.50 crore and formed a fact-finding effective and expeditious disposal of cases related committee.

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¾ The use of the term strict liability has been questioned ¾ The court wanted corporations to be made fully liable by the lawyers because it was made redundant in for future undeserved suffering of innocent citizens India by the Supreme Court in 1987. and held that a hazardous enterprise has an absolute ¾ Strict Liability Principle: non-delegable duty to the community. € Under it, a party/company is not liable and need ¾ That time, India was still under the shock of theBhopal not pay compensation if a hazardous substance gas tragedy, 1984. escapes its premises by accident or by an ‘act of € Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) leaked from the pesticide God’ (Force Majeure) among other circumstances. plant of Union Carbide in the capital city of Madhya ¾ Absolute Liability Principle: Pradesh. € Under it, a party/company in a hazardous industry cannot claim any exemption. It has to mandatorily Liquor Revenue for States pay compensation, whether or not the disaster was caused by its negligence. Why in News ¾ The National Green Tribunal Act of 2010 incorporates Recently, the central government eased restrictions the absolute liability principle. in the third phase of the nationwide lockdown and € Section 17 of the act mandates that the Tribunal allowed the sale of liquor. The Delhi government should apply the absolute liability principle even announced a 70% hike as ‘Special Corona Fee’ in the if the disaster caused is an accident. price of liquor across categories. € A hazardous enterprise is liable even if the disaster ¾ This shows the importance of liquor to the economy is an accident and not caused by the negligence of the states. of the company. Background Key Points ¾ The Supreme Court, in the M.C. Mehta vs Union of ¾ State’s Earnings from Liquor India 1987, found strict liability principle inadequate € Liquor contributes a considerable amount to the to protect citizens’ rights and replaced it with the exchequers of all states and Union Territories (UTs) absolute liability principle. except Gujarat and Bihar, both of which have ¾ This judgement came on the Oleum gas leak case enforced prohibition. of Delhi in 1986. z Andhra Pradesh announced prohibition in 2019, € Oleum gas leaked from a fertiliser plant ofShriram however, sale of the liquor has been allowed Food and Fertilisers Ltd. complex at Delhi, causing with “prohibition tax”. damages to several people. € States levy excise duty on manufacture and sale € Oleum or fuming sulfuric acid refers to solutions of liquor. of various compositions of sulfur trioxide in sulfuric € States also charge special fees on imported acid or sometimes more specifically to disulfuric foreign liquor, transport fee, and label & brand acid (also known as pyrosulfuric acid). registration charges. ¾ The court found that strict liability which was evolved € A few states like Uttar Pradesh, have imposed a in an English case called Rylands versus Fletcher, ‘special duty on liquor’ to collect funds for special 1868, provided companies with several exemptions purposes, such as maintenance of stray cattle. from assuming liability. ¾ The Reserve Bank of India published the report ¾ Absolute liability, on the other hand, provides them ‘State Finances: A Study of Budgets of 2019-20’ in with no defence or exemptions and is part ofArticle September 2019. 21 (Right to Life). € It shows that state excise duty on alcohol accounts € Article 21 declares that no person shall be deprived for around 10-15% of Own Tax Revenue of a of his life or personal liberty except according to majority of states. procedure established by law. This right is available € In fact, state excise duties on liquor is thesecond to both citizens and non-citizens. or third largest contributor to the category State’s

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Own Tax revenue; Goods and Services Tax-GST is € Non-Tax Revenue the largest. This is the reason states have always z These are collected by the governments for wanted liquor kept out of the purview of GST. providing/facilitating any goods and service. € According to the report, in 2019-20, state GST z It is compulsory to pay a part of the income had the highest share, 43.5%, in states’ Own Tax earned/generated and amount of goods and Revenue, followed by Sale Tax at 23.5% (mainly services consumed as tax. However, non-tax on petroleum products which are out of GST), revenue becomes payable only when services state excise at 12.5%, and taxes on property and offered by the government are availed. capital transactions at 11.3%. z Components: ¾ State Excise n Interest: It comprises interest of loans given € Excise duty on production of few items including to states and union territories for reasons that on liquor and other alcohol-based items is like non-plan schemes and planned schemes imposed and collected by state governments and with a maturity period of 20 years and also is called ‘State Excise’ duty. interest on loans advanced to Public Sector z Excise duty is basically a production tax. It is Enterprises (PSEs), Port Trusts and other imposed on manufactured items in India that statutory bodies etc. are meant for domestic consumption. n Dividends and profits, Petroleum license, € Revenue receipts from state excise come mainly Power supply fees, Fees for Communication from commodities such as Country Spirits; Liquor; Services, Broadcasting fees, Road, Bridges Foreign Liquors and Spirits; Medicinal and Toilet usage fees, Examination fees etc. Preparations containing Alcohol, Opium etc; Opium, Hemp and other Drugs; Sales to Canteen Stores Depots. Labour Laws Diluted € Apart from these, a substantial amount comes from licences, fine and confiscation of alcohol products. Why in News ¾ Sources of Revenue for States Amid the coronavirus-induced lockdown, an increasing € Tax Revenue number of states that include Uttar Pradesh, Madhya z State’s Own Tax Revenue Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat have pushed through n Taxes on Income (agricultural income tax changes to their labour laws by way of ordinances or and taxes on professions, trades, callings executive orders. and employment) ¾ Since labour is a concurrent subject under the n Taxes on Property and Capital Transactions Constitution of India, states can frame their own laws (land revenue, stamps and registration fees, but need the approval of the Central government. urban immovable property tax) Key Points n Taxes on Commodities and Services (sales tax, state sales tax/VAT, central sales tax, ¾ The Uttar Pradesh government has approved an surcharge on sales tax, receipts of turnover Ordinance exempting businesses from the purview tax, other receipts, state excise, taxes on of all the labour laws except few for the next three vehicles, taxes on goods and passengers, years. taxes and duties on electricity, entertainment € The labour laws related to settling industrial tax, state GST, and “other taxes and duties”) disputes, occupational safety, health and working z Share in Central Taxes conditions of workers, and those related to trade n Article 280 of the Indian Constitution requires unions, contract workers, and migrant labourers the composition of theFinance Commission will become defunct. in every five years so that the states can get € However, laws related to bonded labour, deployment a reasonable part in the tax revenue of the of women and children and timely payment of union government. salaries will not be relaxed.

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¾ The changes in the labour laws will apply to both the ¾ To increase the revenue of states which have fallen existing businesses and the new factories being set due to closure of industrial units during Covid-19 up in the state. lockdown. ¾ Similarly, the Madhya Pradesh government has also ¾ Labour reform has been a demand of industries for a suspended many labour laws for the next 1000 days. long time. The changes became necessary as investors Few important amendments are: were stuck in a web of laws and red-tapism. € Employers can increase working hours in factories from 8 to 12 hours and are also allowed up to 72 Issues Involved hours a week in overtime, subject to the will of ¾ The labour law changes will allow more factories to employees. operate without following safety and health norms € The factory registration now will be done in a and give a free hand to new companies to “keep day, instead of 30 days. And the licence should labourers in service as per their convenience”. be renewed after 10 years, instead of a year. There ¾ Denying the rights of workers is a violation of human is also the provision of penalty on officials not and fundamental rights. complying with the deadline. ¾ It may create insecurity among the workers. € Industrial Units will be exempted from majority of ¾ The changes may lead to for the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. desperate conditions workers. z Organisations will be able to keep workers in service at their convenience. z The Labour Department or the labour court will Annulment of Election of MLA not interfere in the action taken by industries. € Contractors employing less than 50 workers will Why in News be able to work without registration under the The Gujarat High Court has set aside the election of Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, a BJP leader in 2017 on grounds of “corrupt practice” 1970. and “manipulation of record”. € Major relaxations to new industrial units are: z Exempted from provisions on ‘right of workers’, Key Points which includes obtaining details of their ¾ The order passed on a petition, filed by the opposing health and safety at work, to get a better work Congress candidate, alleged that the returning officer environment which include drinking water, had illegally rejected 429 votes received via postal ventilation, crèches, weekly holidays and interval ballot. of rest, etc. ¾ The Court held election as void under Section 100(1) z Exempted from the requirement of keeping registers and inspections and can change shifts (d)(iv) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. at their convenience. ¾ The observation gains relevance since the number z Employers are exempt from penalties in case of rejected votes (429) was more than the victory of violation of labour laws. margin (327). ¾ The judgment also held that the instructions of the Rationale Behind the Changes in Labour Laws Election Commission was not followed, giving an ¾ States have begun easing labour laws to attract unfair advantage to the winning candidate and thus investment and encourage industrial activity. materially affecting the election. ¾ To protect the existing employment, and to provide employment to workers who have migrated back to Election to the State Legislature their respective states. ¾ The Constitution of India as well as the Parliament of ¾ Bring about transparency in the administrative India has laid down qualifications and disqualifications procedures and convert the challenges of a distressed for being elected as a member of State Legislative economy into opportunities. Assembly and State Legislative Council.

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Qualifications Disqualifications ¾ Constitutional Provisions ¾ Constitutional Provisions € Citizenship of India. € Any office of profit under the Union or State government(except € Subscription to an oath or affirmation that of a minister or any other office exempted by the state before the person authorised by the legislature). Election Commission. € Unsound mind and stands so declared by a court. € Age must be not less than 25 years for € Undischarged insolvent. the legislative assembly and not less € Not a citizen of India or has voluntarily acquired the citizenship than 30 years for the legislative council. of a foreign state or is under any acknowledgement of allegiance € Need to possess other qualifications to a foreign state. prescribed by Parliament. € Disqualified under any law made by Parliament. ¾ Parliamentary Provisions (RPA, 1951) ¾ Parliamentary Provisions through Representation of People € A person to be elected to the legislative Act (1951) assembly must be an elector for an € Must not have been found guilty of certain election offences assembly constituency in the concerned or corrupt practices in the elections. state. € Must not have been convicted for any offence resulting in € A person to be elected to the legislative imprisonment for two or more years. But, the detention of a council must be an elector for an person under a preventive detention law is not a disqualification. assembly constituency in the concerned € Must not fail to lodge an account of election expenses within state and to be qualified for the the time. governor’s nomination, he must be a € Must not have any interest in government contracts, works resident in the concerned state. or services. € He must be a member of a scheduled € Must not be a director or managing agent nor hold an office caste or scheduled tribe if he wants of profit in a corporation in which the government has at to contest a seat reserved for them. least 25% share. However, a member of scheduled castes or scheduled tribes can also contest a € Must not have been dismissed from government service for seat not reserved for them. corruption or disloyalty to the state. € Must not have been convicted for promoting enmity between different groups or for the offence of bribery. € Must not have been punished for preaching and practicing social crimes such as untouchability, dowry and sati. Note: On the question of whether a member has become subject to any of the above disqualifications, thegovernor’s decision is final. However, he should obtain the opinion of the Election Commission and act accordingly.

¾ We can study about various provisions on the same ¾ Article 323 B empowers the appropriate legislature in the table given below. (Parliament or a state legislature) to establish a tribunal for the adjudication of election disputes. Election Petition € It also provides for the exclusion of the jurisdiction ¾ The lays down that no election to the Constitution of all courts (except the special leave appeal Parliament or the state legislature is to be questioned jurisdiction of the Supreme Court) in such disputes. except by an election petition presented to such authority and in such manner as provided by the € So far, no such tribunal has been established. appropriate legislature. ¾ In Chandra Kumar case (1997), the clause of the ¾ Since 1966, the election petitions are triable Highby exclusion of the jurisdiction of all courts in election Courts alone. Whereas the appellate jurisdiction lies disputes was declared unconstitutional by the with the Supreme Court alone. Supreme Court.

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¾ Consequently, if at any time an election tribunal is ¾ Unified Single Trading Licence:The ordinance provides established, an appeal from its decision lies to the traders with one unified single trading licence through high court. which they can participate in trading activities anywhere in the state. Ordinance to € It will allow multiple traders to attract the farmers depending on the quality of their produce and Check APMCs: Gujarat offer competitive prices without the restriction of place and area jurisdiction. Why in News € For that, amendments allow setting up of portals for e-markets. Recently, Gujarat’s state government has cleared ¾ the Gujarat Agricultural Produce Markets (Amendment) Expansion in Grievance Redressal: The director of an Ordinance 2020. APMC and the Gujarat State Agriculture marketing board will also start taking care of the grievance ¾ It has ended the monopoly of state-run Agricultural redressal which was solely managed by the APMC Produce Market Committees (APMCs) and has till now. allowed private entities to set up their own market ¾ : Permission to committees or sub-market yards. Expected Benefits to the Farmers private entities will lead to competition and will Key Highlights of the Ordinance offer the best possible remuneration to farmers for their produce. ¾ Restrictions on Jurisdiction: The ordinance restricts € Till now, APMCs used to form a cartel and decide the jurisdiction of APMCs to thephysical boundaries on what prices to offer to farmers. of their respective marketing yards and they can levy cess only on those transactions, happening within € Farmers will not be bound to sell only to one the boundary walls of their marketing yard. particular APMC and can choose the one with the best deal in their favour. € Earlier, an APMC had jurisdiction over an entire ¾ or more than one taluka. Viewpoint of APMCs € APMCs have not welcomed the decision because € Farmers and traders of a particular taluka had to it and compulsorily sell their produce to their respective ends their monopoly allows private players to enter. APMCs. € The ordinance will also affect revenues because € Apart from that, APMCs levied a cess on any no cess will be collected on transactions outside transaction that happened within the marketing the physical boundaries of marketing yards. yard of the APMC or outside it. z For example, last year, of the Rs. 2.5 crore ¾ Opportunity to Private Markets: The ordinance earned as market fees, Rs. 1.5 crore came from permits for setting up of private markets. transactions that were conducted outside the € Privately-owned old storages or warehouses can marketing yard. With the new ordinance in be converted into a sub-market yard or a private place, this revenue will be lost. market that can compete with the APMCs. ¾ The Ministry of Agriculture, formulated a model law € Farmers can also set up private markets themselves. on agricultural marketing,State Agricultural Produce € To save the smaller APMCs from the negative Marketing (Development and Regulation) Act, 2003 competition from private markets and a fair play, and requested the state governments to suitably the state government plans to bring a rule that amend their respective APMC Acts. will not allow the setting up of a private market ¾ Union Budgets of 2014-15 and 2015-16 had suggested within a five-kilometre radius of an existing APMC. the creation of a National Agricultural Market(NAM) € Also to protect them, the government will collect following which e-NAM was launched on 14th April 20% cess from private players and reroute 14% 2016 as a pan-India electronic trade portal to link of it back to the APMCs. APMCs across the States.

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Agricultural Produce Market Committee and provide wage employment to the rural people in the coming 5 years. ¾ It is a statutory market committee constituted by a State Government in respect of trade in certain ¾ Birsa Harit Gram Yojana (BHGY): notified agricultural or horticultural or livestock € The BHGY is envisaged at bringing over two lakh products, under the Agricultural Produce Market acres of unused government fallow land under Committee Act issued by that state government. the afforestation programme. € Agriculture is a state subject. € About five lakh families will be provided 100 fruit- ¾ Objectives: bearing plants. € € Ensure transparency in pricing systems and The initial plantation, maintenance, land work and transactions taking place in the market area. afforestation will be taken up through MGNREGA. € € Provide market-led extension services to farmers. Each family is estimated to receive an annual income of Rs.50,000 from fruit harvest after three € Ensure payment for agricultural produce sold years while the ownership of land will remain with by farmers on the same day. the government. € Promote agricultural processing including activities ¾ Neelambar Pitambar Jal Sammridhi Yojna (NPJSY): for value addition in agricultural produce. € Under this, the government is aiming at creating € Setup and promote public private partnership agro-water storage units by arresting rainwater in the management of agricultural markets, etc. and runaway groundwater. € Nearly 5 lakh acre of cultivable land can be irrigated Jharkhand Launches through the initiative. Employment Schemes € An estimated 10 crore person days will be generated through the scheme in the next 4-5 years. Why in News ¾ Veer Sahid Poto Ho Khel Vikas Scheme (VSPHKVS): Recently, Jharkhand launched three employment € Under VSPHKVS, the government is linking sports with rural job schemes for creation of assets in schemes — Birsa Harit Gram Yojana (BHGY), Neelambar the rural areas in order to give a boost to sports. Pitambar JAL Sammridhi Yojana (NPJSY) and Veer Sahid Poto Ho Khel Vikas Scheme (VSPHKVS) — to create wage € About 5,000 sports grounds are being planned to be employment for workers in rural areas. set up, with one each in all the 4,300 panchayats. ¾ Earlier, the Odisha government has announced a Rs 100-crore Urban Wage Employment Initiative Report on Energy to generate employment for the urban poor in 114 urban local bodies. Efficiency Measures

Key Points Why in News ¾ These three schemes have been devised in convergence Recently the Ministry of Power and New and with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Renewable Energy released a report on the “Impact of Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). energy efficiency measures for the year 2018-19”. ¾ According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CIME) data, the State is reeling under severe joblessness Key Points with unemployment rate pegged at 47.1% — double ¾ Agency Involved: The report was prepared by a third that of the national average (23.5%). party agency PWC Ltd, who was engaged by Bureau € The arrival of an estimated 5 lakh to 6 lakh stranded of Energy efficiency (BEE). migrant workers (due to Covid-19 lockdown) from ¾ Methodology: Since 2017-18, every year BEE has been other states is likely to worsen the situation. appointing a third party expert agency which compares ¾ Through MGNREGA and these special schemes the the estimated and actual energy consumption due state government plans to create 30 crore person days to various energy efficiency schemes.

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€ The study assesses the resultant impact of current exchanges, Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) and schemes at national as well as state levelfor the Power Exchange India Limited (PXIL). financial year and compares it with a situation € The scheme is unique in many ways, particularly where the same were not implemented. from a developing country’s perspective since it ¾ Objective:To evaluate the performance and impact of creates a market for energy efficiency through all the key energy efficiency programmes in India, in tradable certificates ESCerts, by allowing them terms of total energy saved and the related reduction to be used for meeting energy reduction targets.

in the CO2 emissions. ¾ Standards & Labelling Programme: ¾ Key Findings: € A key objective of this programme by BEE is to € Electricity Saving: Implementation of various provide the consumer an informed choice about energy efficiency schemes have led to total the energy saving and thereby the cost saving electricity savings to the tune of 113.16 Billion Units potential of the relevant marketed product. in 2018-19, which is 9.39% of the net electricity € The programme targets display of energy consumption. performance labels on high energy end use € Energy Saving: The total energy savings achieved equipment & appliances and lays down minimum in 2018-19 is 23.73 Mtoe (million Tonne of Oil energy performance standards. Equivalent), which is 2.69% of the total primary ¾ Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All: energy supply (estimated to be 879.23 Mtoe in India). € UJALA was launched in 2015 with a target of replacing 77 crore incandescent lamps with LED € Emission Reduction: These efforts have also bulbs and to nullify the high-cost of LEDs that contributed in reducing 151.74 Million Tonnes of acted as a barrier previously in the adoption of CO emissions, whereas last year this number was 2 energy-efficient systems. 108 Million Tonnes of CO2. € The scheme was implemented to set up a phase- ¾ Flagship Programmes: This year the study has identified wise LED distribution. the following major programmes, viz. Perform, Achieve and Trade Scheme, Standards & Labelling € The objective is to promote efficient lighting, Programme, UJALA Programme, Municipal Demand enhance awareness on using efficient equipment Side Management Programme. that will reduce electricity bills and preserve the environment. ¾ Perform, Achieve and Trade Scheme: € It is the world’s largest domestic lighting project. € It is a market-based mechanism to further accelerate as well as incentivize energy efficiency in the large ¾ Municipal Demand Side Management Programme: energy-intensive industries. € The Municipality Demand Side Management (Mu- € The Energy Savings Certificates (ESCerts) were DSM) programme of BEE was initiated during the introduced in India in 2011 under the Perform, Eleventh five year plan(2007-2012). Achieve Trade scheme (PAT) by the Bureau of € The basic objective of the project is to improve the Energy Efficiency (BEE) under the National Mission overall energy efficiency of the Urban Local Bodies of Energy Efficiency. (ULBs), which could lead to substantial savings in z NMEEE is one of the eight national missions the electricity consumption, thereby resulting in under the National Action Plan on Climate cost reduction/savings for the ULBs. Change (NAPCC) launched by the Government of India in the year 2008. Bureau of Energy Efficiency ¾ The BEE is a statutory body established through € This market- based mechanism is facilitated under the Ministry through the trading of Energy Savings Certificates Energy Conservation Act, 2001 (ESCerts) which are issued to those plants who of Power, Government of India. have overachieved their targets. ¾ It assists in developing policies and strategies with the primary objective of € Those plants which under achieve their targets are reducing the energy entitled to purchase ESCerts throughtwo power intensity of the Indian economy.

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¾ BEE coordinates with designated consumers, completed 12 months or 24 months as per certain designated agencies, and other organizations requirements, can also apply to become fellow to identify and utilize the existing resources and under the scheme. infrastructure, in performing its functions. ¾ National Institute of Technologies (NITs) which appear in top 25 institutions in theNational Institute Ranking Background Framework (NIRF) ranking can also become PMRF Granting institution. ¾ Pledge: India has pledged in the Conference of the Parties (COP21) of the United Nations Framework ¾ To boost research a dedicated Division is being Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to bring created in the MHRD with the name of “Research down the energy intensity of its economy by 33 to and Innovation Division”. 35% compared to 2005 levels by 2030. € This division will be headed by a director who € Energy intensity is the amount of energy required will be coordinating research work of various to produce one unit of Gross Domestic Product institutions coming under MHRD. (GDP). Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship Scheme € High energy intensities indicate a high cost of ¾ In order to attract meritorious students into converting energy into GDP. Whereas, low energy research, Government of India, in 2018 launched intensity indicates a lower cost of converting Prime Minister’s Research Fellows (PMRF) Scheme, energy into GDP. which offers direct admission to such students in ¾ Achievement: With its energy efficiency initiatives the Ph.D programmes in various higher educational India has already reduced the energy intensity of its institutions in the country. economy by 20% compared to 2005 levels. ¾ The scheme is aimed at attracting the talent pool ¾ Significance:Energy efficiency reducing greenhouse of the country to doctoral (Ph.D.) programmes gas emissions, reducing demand for energy imports, for carrying out research in cutting edge science and lowering costs on a household and economy- and technology domains, with focus on national wide level. priorities. ¾ The institutes which can offer PMRF include all the Modifications in PMRF Scheme IITs, IISERs, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru and some of the top Central Universities/NITsthat offer science and/or technology degrees. Why in News ¾ A fellowship of Rs. 70,000/- per month for the first Recently, the Ministry of Human Resources and two years, Rs. 75,000/- per month for the 3rd year, Development has carried out various amendments in the and Rs. 80,000/- per month in the 4th and 5th year Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship Scheme to boost is provided under the scheme. research in the country. ¾ Apart from this, a research grant of Rs. 2 lakh per Key Amendments year is provided to each of the Fellows for a period of 5 years to cover their academic contingency ¾ Now, students from any recognized university can expenses and for foreign/national travel expenses. apply for the fellowship. € Earlier the fellowship scheme was open only for students from Central Universities, IITs, IISc, NITs, Saras Collection IISERs, IIEST and IIITs. ¾ The requirement of GATE score has also been reduced Why in News from 750 to 600. Recently, the Indian government launched the Saras ¾ As per new guidelines there will be two channels of Collection on the Government e Marketplace (GeM) portal. entries i.e direct entry and lateral entry. ¾ It is a unique initiative by the GeM, Deendayal € In lateral entry, the students, who are pursuing Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission PhD in PMRF granting institutions, and have (DAY-NRLM) and Ministry of Rural Development.

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Key Points ¾ It also provides the tools of e-bidding and reverse ¾ The Saras Collectionshowcases daily utility products e-auction to facilitate the government users achieve made by rural Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and aims to the best value for their money. provide SHGs in rural areas with market access to ¾ GeM is a completely paperless, cashless and system Central and State Government buyers. driven e-market place that enables procurement ¾ The Saras Collection will provide SHGs with direct of common use goods and services with minimal access to Government buyers which will do away human interface. with intermediaries in the supply chain, thus ensuring better prices for SHGs and spurring employment SAMARTH ERP opportunities at the local level. ¾ Mechanisms: Why in News € For Functionaries: They will be provided dashboards The Ministry of Human Resource Development at the national, state, district and block level (MHRD) has developed an e-governance platform for real time information about the number of ‘SAMARTH Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) ’ under products uploaded, their value and volume of the National Mission of Education in Information and orders received and fulfilled. Communication Technology Scheme (NMEICT). € Government buyers: They will be sensitized through system generated messages/ alerts in the Key Points Marketplace about availability of SHG products ¾ SAMARTH ERP is an open source, open standard on the portal. enabled robust, secure, scalable, and evolutionary ¾ GeM will collaborate with State functionaries to process automation engine for Universities and Higher address the capacity building and training needs of Educational Institutions. SHGs and build up their competencies required for € Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) refers to a type order packaging, catalogue management and logistics. of software used to manage day-to-day business ¾ GeM will develop online learning resources in vernacular activities such as accounting, procurement, project content for SHGs with inputs and assistance from the management, risk management and compliance, NRLM and the State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs). and supply chain operations. € ERP in a University can improve management and Government e-Marketplace administration. ¾ GeM is a one-stop National Public Procurement ¾ The platform has been implemented at theNational Portal to facilitate online procurement of common Institute of Technology (NIT), Kurukshetra, a use goods and services required by various central participating unit under the World Bank-supported and state government departments/organizations/ Technical Education Quality Improvement Program public sector undertakings (PSUs). (TEQIP). ¾ It was launched in 2016 to bring transparency and ¾ It would automate the processes of the enhancement of efficiency in the government buying process. productivity through better information management ¾ It has been developed by Directorate General of in the institute by seamless access to information and Supplies and Disposals (Ministry of Commerce proper utilization of information. and Industry) with technical support of National ¾ It caters to faculty, students and staff at a University/ e-governance Division (Ministry of Electronic and Higher Educational Institutions. Information Technology). ¾ It functions under Directorate General of Supplies National Mission on Education through and Disposals (DGS&D), Ministry of Commerce and Information and Communication Technology Industry. ¾ The Mission, launched in 2009, is a landmark initiative ¾ The procurement of goods and services by Ministries of the MHRD, with the objective of seamlessly providing and the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) is quality educational content to all the eligible and mandatory for goods and services available on GeM. willing learners in India.

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¾ It has been envisaged to leverage the potential of ICT, spoken tutorials, documentation, such as textbook in the teaching and learning process for the benefit companions, awareness programmes, such as of all the learners in Higher Education Institutions. conferences, training workshops, and internships. ¾ Initiatives under the Program: € Virtual Lab: This is a project to develop a fully € SWAYAM: The Study Webs of Active Learning for interactive simulation environment to perform Young Aspiring Minds (SWAYAM) is an integrated experiments, collect data, and answer questions platform for offering online courses, covering to assess the understanding of the knowledge school (9th to 12th) to Postgraduate Level. The online acquired. courses are being used not only by the students € E-Yantra: It is a project for enabling effective but also by the teachers and non-student learners, education across engineering colleges in India on in the form of lifelong learning. embedded systems and robotics. € SWAYAM Prabha: It is an initiative to provide 32 High Quality Educational Channels through DTH Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (Direct to Home) across the length and breadth ¾ It was started in 2002 by the Ministry of Human of the country on a 24×7 basis. Resources and Development with the assistance € National Digital Library of India (NDL):It is a project of the World Bank and is being implemented in a to develop a framework of virtual repository of phased manner. learning resources with a single-window search ¾ It aims to upscale the quality of technical education facility. Presently, there are more than 3 crore and enhance capacities of institutions. digital resources available through the NDL. ¾ The Technical Education Quality Improvement € Spoken Tutorial: They are 10-minute long, audio- Programme III (TEQIP-III) was started in 2017 and video tutorials, on open source software, to improve will be completed by 2021. employment potential of students. It is created for € It aims to develop technical education as a self learning, audio dubbed into 22 languages and key component for improving the quality of with the availability of an online version. Engineering Education. € Free and Open Source Software for Education € The objective is to improve quality and equity (FOSSEE): It is a project promoting the use of in engineering institutions in focus states such open source software in educational institutions. It does that through instructional material, such as as in low income states.

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Economic Scenario

Highlights z Atmanirbhar Bharat and Economic Stimulus z RBI Cancels Licence of CKP Co-op Bank z Economic Stimulus-I z Co-operative Banks Under Sarfaesi Act z Economic Stimulus-II z Manufacturing Hits Record Low z Economic Stimulus-III z MSMEs and Covid-19 z Economic Stimulus-IV z Helicopter Money z Economic Stimulus-V z Relevance of the Consol Bonds amid Covid-19 z Core Sector Shrinks by 6.5% z RBI’s Gold Reserve Increased z Forex Reserves z Mandis Under e-NAM Increased z Drop in FPI Outflows z CHAMPIONS Portal for MSME

¾ The Mission will be carried out in two phases: Atmanirbhar Bharat € Phase 1: It will consider sectors like medical and Economic Stimulus textiles, electronics, plastics and toys where local manufacturing and exports can be promoted. € It will consider products like gems and Why in News Phase 2: jewellery, pharma and steel, etc. Recently, the Prime Minister has announced the ¾ The Mission would be based on five pillars, namely: ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (or Self-reliant India € Economy Mission)’ with an economic stimulus package, worth Rs € Infrastructure 20 lakh crores aimed towards achieving the mission. ¾ The announced economic package is 10% of India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2019-20. ¾ The amount includes packages already announced at the beginning of the lockdown incorporatingmeasures from the RBI and the payouts under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. ¾ The package is expected to focus on land, labour, liquidity, and laws. Self-reliant India Mission ¾ The Self-reliant India Mission aims towards cutting down import dependence by focussing on substitution while improving safety compliance and quality goods to gain global market share. € The Self-reliance neither signifies any exclusionary or isolationist strategiesbut involves creation of a helping hand to the whole world. ¾ The Mission focuses on the importance of promoting “local” products.

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€ System z Recently, Indian banks have parked Rs 8.5 lakh € Vibrant Demography crores with the central bank. So in terms of € Demand calculations, RBI has given a stimulus of Rs 6 lakh crore. But in reality, RBI has received an ¾ The Mission is also expected to complement ‘Make even bigger amount back from the banks. In India Initiative’ which intends to encourage manufacturing in India. € Thus, the declared amount is 10% of GDP, but less than 5% cash outgo is expected. Analysis of the Economic Package ¾ Inclusion of RBIs’ Expenditure in Fiscal Package: Economic Stimulus-I € The declared package is considered to be substantially less because it includes the actions of Why in News RBI as part of the government’s “fiscal” package, Recently, the Union Finance Minister announced even though only the government controls the liquidity measures for businesses, especially Micro, Small fiscal policy and not the RBI (which controls the and Medium enterprises (MSMEs), as part of the first ‘monetary’ policy). tranche of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. € Thus, the Government expenditure and RBI’s actions ¾ The announced measures also form a part of the Rs. are neither the same nor can they be added in 20-lakh-crore economic stimulus package to deal this manner. And thus nowhere in the world fiscal with the Covid-19 pandemic. packages are declared in this manner. ¾ This economic stimulus includes both liquidity financing € For instance, when the US announced a relief measures and credit guarantees. package of $3 trillion (Rs 225 lakh crore), it only refers to the money that will be spent by the Key Points government — and does not include the expenditure ¾ of the Federal Reserve (US central bank). Salaried Workers and Taxpayers: € The deadline for income tax returns for the financial ¾ Implication of Inclusion of RBIs’ Expenditure: year 2019-20 has been extended, with the due € If the government is including RBI’s liquidity decisions date now pushed to November 30, 2020. in the calculation, then theactual fresh spending € The rates of Tax Deduction at Source (TDS) and by the government could be considerably lower. Tax Collection at Source (TCS) have been cut by z That’s because RBI has been coming out with 25% for the FY 2020-21. Long Term Repo Operation (LTRO), to infuse liquidity into the banking system worth Rs 1 € The statutory Provident Fund (PF) payments have lakh crore at a time. If RBI launches another been reduced from 12% to 10% for both employers LTRO of Rs 1 lakh crore, then the overall fiscal and employees for the next three months. help falls by the same amount. ¾ NBFCs, Housing Finance Companies and Microfinance € The direct expenditure by a government usually Institutions: includes wage subsidy or direct benefit transfer € Many of these institutions serve the MSME sector or payment of salaries, etc, immediately and financially and will be supported through a Rs necessarily stimulates the economy. In other 30,000 crore investment scheme fully guaranteed words, that money necessarily reaches the people, by the Centre. either as through salary or purchase. € Further, an expanded partial credit guarantee € But measures from RBI include credit easing, that scheme worth Rs 45,000 crores also has been is, making more money available to the banks so offered, of which the first 20% of losses will be that they can lend to the broader economy, is not borne by the Centre. like government expenditure. € For instance, if the government provides a 100% z In times of crisis, banks may take that money credit guarantee up to an amount of Rs 1 crore from RBI and, instead of lending it, may park to a firm, it means that a bank can lend Rs 1 crore it back with the RBI. to that firm; in case the firm fails to pay back, the

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government will repay all of Rs 1 crore. If this Existing and Revised Definition of MSMEs guarantee was for the first 20% of the loan, then Existing MSME Classification the government would guarantee to pay back only Rs 20 lakh. Criteria: Investment in Plant & Machinery or Equipment Classification Micro Small Medium ¾ Power Distribution Companies: Mfg. Investment Investment Investment € As these companies are facing an unprecedented Enterprises

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€ Subordinate Debt Scheme : The loans of amount Rs. 20,000 crore will be provided to MSMEs Economic Stimulus-II that were already categorised as “stressed”, or struggling to pay back. Why in News z In this case, the government provides partial This includes the short term and long-term measures guarantee. for supporting the poor, including migrants, farmers, tiny € Equity Infusion: Fund of Funds with corpus of Rs businesses and street vendors as part of the second 10,000 crores will be set up which will provide tranche of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. equity funding for MSMEs with growth potential ¾ The Economic Stimulus-I was announced which and viability. includes both liquidity financing measures and credit guarantees. Credit Guarantees to MSMEs ¾ Description: Key Points € A Credit Guarantee Schemes (CGS) by the ¾ Free Food Grains Supply government assures the bank that its loan will € Allocation of additional food grain to all the States/ be repaid by the government in case the MSME UTs (5 kg per migrant labourer and 1 kg chana per falters. family per month) for two months (May and June, ¾ Reasons for Introduction of CGS: 2020) free of cost. € Though, there was an option to pump liquidity z This move is an extension of the Pradhan Mantri via the banks but banks suspect any new loans Gharib Kalyan Yojana. due to rising Non-Performing Assets (NPAs). € Eligibility: Migrant labourers not covered under € Thus, the government faced a dual problem National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 or without where banks had the money but were not a ration card in the State/UT in which they are willing to lend to the credit-starved sections of stranded at present. the economy, while the government itself did not z There are an estimated 8 crore migrant workers, have enough money to directly help the economy. housed in government and privately run relief € The credit guarantees solve dual issues faced camps across the country since the lockdown. by the government. € The entire outlay of Rs.3500 crore will be borne ¾ Implications: by the Government of India. € Such CGS creates moral hazards as borrowers ¾ One Nation One Ration Card remain assured of paying back and the lender € 67 crore beneficiaries covering 83% of Public remains assured of receiving credit amounts. Distribution System (PDS) population will be Subsequently, the government is forced to pay covered by National portability of Ration cards by the amount. August, 2020 and 100% National portability will be achieved by March, 2021. Overall Implications of Economic Stimulus € One Nation One Ration Card is part of Technology ¾ The measures announced during the first tranche of Driven System Reforms and will enable migrant the economic stimulus focuses majorly on supply workers and their family members to access PDS side measures, aimed at activating businesses in the benefits from any Fair Price Shop in the country. MSME, real estate, NBFC sectors. z This will ensure that the people in transit, ¾ In general, stimulus measures are aimed at boosting especially migrant workers can also get the PDS demand either by government spending on its benefit across the country. own account or increasing disposable incomes ¾ Scheme for Affordable Rental Housing Complexes of households through cash transfers or tax for Migrant Workers and Urban Poor concessions. € This scheme will be launched soon and under this, ¾ Indian economy needs both supply and demand side the Central Government will provide ease of living measures for the revival. at affordable rent.

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€ Under this: € Government will grant immediate approval to these z Government funded houses in the cities will plans which will create job opportunities in urban, be converted into Affordable Rental Housing semi-urban and rural areas and also for Tribals. Complexes (ARHC) under PPP mode (Public ¾ Additional Emergency Working Capital through Private Partnerships) through concessionaires. NABARD ¾ Interest Subvention for Shishu MUDRA loanees € National Bank for Agriculture and Rural € Government of India will provide Interest subvention Development (NABARD) will extend additional of 2% for prompt payees for a period of 12 months re-finance support of Rs.30,000 crore for meeting to MUDRA Shishu loanees, who have loans below crop loan requirements of Rural Cooperative Banks Rs. 50,000. (RCBs) and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs). € The current portfolio of MUDRA Shishu loans is z This refinance will be front-loaded (uneven around Rs. 1.62 Lakh crore. This will provide relief distribution with a greater proportion at one of about Rs. 1,500 crore to Shishu MUDRA loanees. time and smaller ones at other time) and available immediately. ¾ Credit Facility for Street Vendors € This is over and above Rs. 90,000 crore that will € A scheme will be launched to facilitate easy access be provided by NABARD to this sector in the to credit to Street vendors and enable them to normal course. restart their businesses. € This will benefit around 3 crore farmers, mostly € It is expected that 50 lakh street vendors will small and marginal and will meet their post-harvest be benefited under this scheme and credit of Rabi and current Kharif requirements. Rs. 5,000 crore would be provided. ¾ Credit Boost to Kisan Credit Card Scheme € Bank credit facilities for initial working capital up to Rs. 10,000 for each enterprise will be extended. € It is a special drive to provide concessional credit to Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) ¾ Extension of Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme beneficiaries through Kisan Credit Cards. € The Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme for Middle € It will inject additional liquidity of Rs. 2 lakh crore Income Group (MIG, annual income between in the farm sector. Rs. 6 and Rs. 18 lakhs) will be extended up to € March 2021. 2.5 crore farmers will be covered and fisherman and animal husbandry farmers will also be included z This subsidy scheme comes under the Pradhan in this drive. Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). € This will benefit 2.5 lakhs middle income families Criticism during 2020-21 and will lead to investment of over ¾ Economists say that this intervention wastoo little, too Rs. 70,000 crore in housing sector. late, and that the free foodgrain provision should have € This will create a significant number of jobs by giving been universalised to deal with widespread distress. a boost to the Housing sector and will stimulate ¾ There are 50 crore people in the country without ration demand for steel, cement, transport and other cards, of which 10 crore are legally entitled to PDS grain construction materials. under NFSA. Of the rest, there are many people who ¾ Creating Employment using CAMPA Funds were managing in normal times, vegetable vendors, € Approximately Rs. 6,000 crore of funds under gig economy workers, autorickshaw drivers, who are Compensatory Afforestation Management & in dire straits now. PDS needed to be extended to all Planning Authority (CAMPA) will be used. these people at this time. € The funds will be utilised in afforestation and ¾ Economists have asked the government for a one- plantation works, artificial regeneration, forest time cash transfer to vulnerable sections like migrant management, soil & moisture conservation works, labourers. forest protection, forest and wildlife related ¾ There were no steps taken to extend Mahatma Gandhi infrastructure development, wildlife protection National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and management etc. employment guarantee to at least 200 days.

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€ Currently, MGNREGA aims to provide at least 100 € National Animal Disease Control Programme for days of wage employment. Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis launched with a total outlay of ₹13,343 crore to ensure 100% vaccination of cattle, buffalo, sheep, Economic Stimulus-III goat and pig population. ¾ Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund Why in News € Under it, a fund of ₹15,000 crore will be set up, This announcement includes the measures to with an aim to support private investment in strengthen Infrastructure Logistics, Capacity Building, Dairy Processing, value addition and cattle feed Governance and Administrative Reforms for Agriculture, infrastructure. Fisheries and Food Processing Sectors as part of the third z Animal rearing or husbandry is considered an tranche of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. associate business with agricultural activities in rural India and is an integral component of Key Points Indian agriculture, supporting the livelihood of ¾ Agri Infrastructure Fund the rural population. € Financing facilities of ₹1,00,000 crore for funding € Incentives will be given for establishing plants Agriculture Infrastructure Projects at farm-gate and for export of niche products. aggregation points (Primary Agricultural Cooperative z A niche product is a product targeting a specific Societies, Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs), section of a larger industry and market. Niche Agriculture entrepreneurs, Start-ups, etc.). products are often (but not always) more € Funds will be created immediately. expensive than more generic products. ¾ Formalisation of Micro Food Enterprises z Example: Organic foods, Speciality foodstuff like € A ₹10,000 crore scheme promoting ‘Vocal for high-quality coffee, Customisable products, etc. Local with Global outreach’ will be launched to ¾ Promotion of Herbal Cultivation help 2 lakh Micro Food Enterprises (MFEs) who € 10,00,000 hectare will be covered under Herbal need technical upgradation to attainFood Safety cultivation in next two years with an outlay of and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) food ₹4,000 crore which will lead to ₹5,000 crore income standards, build brands and marketing. generation for farmers. € Existing micro food enterprises, FPOs, Self Help € The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) has Groups (SHGs) and Cooperatives will be supported. supported 2.25 lakh hectare area under cultivation € The focus will be on women and SC/ST owned units of medicinal plants and will bring 800-hectare area and those in Aspirational districts and a Cluster by developing a corridor of medicinal plants along based approach (e.g. Mango in Uttar Pradesh, the banks of Ganga. Tomato in Karnataka, Chilli in Andhra Pradesh, z NMPB was set up by the Government or India on Orange in Maharashtra etc.) will be followed. 24th November, 2000 to promote the medicinal ¾ Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana plants sector. € The scheme will be launched for integrated, z Currently, the board is located under the sustainable, inclusive development of marine and Ministry of AYUSH. inland fisheries. ¾ Beekeeping Initiatives € ₹11,000 crore for activities in Marine, Inland € With an outlay of ₹500 crore, Government will fisheries and Aquaculture and ₹9000 crore for implement a scheme for: Infrastructure (fishing harbours, cold chain, markets z Infrastructure development related to Integrated etc) shall be provided. Beekeeping Development Centres, capacity € The focus will be on Islands, Himalayan States, building, collection, marketing and storage North-east and Aspirational Districts. centres, post harvest & value addition facilities. ¾ National Animal Disease Control Programme ¾ Extension of Operation Greens

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€ Operation Greens run by the Ministry of Food on Article 301 (Freedom of trade, commerce and Processing Industries will be extended from intercourse) of the Constitution along with entries in Tomatoes, Onion and Potatoes (TOP) to all fruit the Seventh Schedule (defines and specifies allocation and vegetables, with an outlay of ₹500 crore. of powers and functions between Union and States). € It will provide 50% subsidy on transportation from € These give powers to the Centre to regulate all surplus to deficit markets, 50% subsidy on storage, interstate and intrastate trade and commerce in including cold storages and will be launched as foodstuffs, which can be used to create an integrated pilot for the next 6 months and will be extended national market by removing restrictions placed and expanded. by APMC laws. € This will lead to better price realisation to farmers, reduced wastages and affordability of products Economic Stimulus-IV for consumers. ¾ Amendments to Essential Commodities Act, 1955 Why in News € Under the amendments to the Essential Commodities The fourth tranche of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan Act (ESA), agriculture food stuffs including cereals, is targeted towards fast track investments in the eight edible oils, oilseeds, pulses, onions and potatoes sectors. shall be deregulated. ¾ The fourth tranche focuses on eight sectors namely, € Stock limits will be imposed under very exceptional coal, minerals, defence production, civil aviation, circumstances like national calamities, famine with power distribution, social infrastructure, space and surge in prices. atomic energy. € Further, no such stock limit shall apply to processors or value chain participants, subject to their installed Basis of Policy Reforms for Fast-track Investments capacity or to any exporter subject to the export ¾ Fast tracking of investment clearance through the demand. Empowered Group of Secretaries. ¾ Agriculture Marketing Reforms ¾ Establishment of Project Development Cell in each € A Central law will be formulated to provide: Ministry to prepare a list of investable projects and z Adequate choices to the farmer to sell their also to coordinate with investors and Central/State produce at remunerative price. Governments. z Barrier free Inter-State Trade. ¾ Ranking of States on investment attractiveness to z Framework for e-trading of agriculture produce. compete for new investment. ¾ Incentive schemes for promotion of new champion Advantages from the Reforms sectors such as solar PhotoVoltaic (PV) manufacturing; ¾ The two recent reforms of amendment in the ECA advanced cell battery storage etc. and the proposed formulation of a Central law that will not bind farmers to sell their crop only to licensed Key Points traders in the Agricultural Produce Market Committee ¾ Coal Sector: (APMC) mandis of their respective talukas or districts € Commercial Mining: will empower farmers. z The introduction of commercial mining will € ECA will define clear triggers in terms of “price remove the government monopoly in coal surges” for imposition of stocking limits. mining. India has the third-largest coal availability € These provisions will be incorporated in the Act itself within its untapped mines and yet India still to remove any scope for administrative ambiguity. imports coal. € This will help in inflation-targeting within the ceiling z Commercial mining will be introduced on the of 6% as prescribed by the Reserve Bank of India. basis of a revenue-sharing mechanism. The ¾ While agriculture is a state subject and state government will receive a share of the gross governments have accordingly enacted their own revenue from the sale of coal but will not be APMC Acts, the new Central law apparently relies involved with the cost incurred.

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€ Coal Gasification/Liquefaction: z It will be incentivised through rebate (partial refund) in revenue share to lower the environmental impact. It is also expected to assist India in switching to a gas-based economy. € Infrastructure Investment: z The infrastructure development worth of Rs. 50,000 crores will be done to achieve the Coal India Limited’s (CIL) target of 1 billion tons coal production by 2023-24 plus coal production from private blocks. € Coal Bed Methane (CBM) Extraction: z These extraction rights to be auctioned from Coal India Limited’s (CIL) coal mines. making by setting up a Project Management € Mining Plan Simplification: Unit (PMU) to support contract management. z Ease of Doing Business measures, such as Mining € Reduction in Defence Import Bill: Plan simplification, will be considered. It is z The government will notify a list of weapons/ expected to increase annual production by 40%. platforms banned for imports and thus such ¾ Mineral Sector: items can only be purchased from India. € Exploration-cum-Mining-cum-Production Regime: ¾ Civil Aviation: z 500 mining blocks would be offered through an € Efficient Airspace Management: open and transparent auction process under z The restrictions on the utilisation of Indian this composite regime. airspace will be eased so that the flying of € Joint Auction of Bauxite and Coal Mineral Blocks: civilian aircraft becomes more efficient. Such z It aims to enhance the aluminium industry’s utilisation is expected to bring in benefits of competitiveness by reducing the cost of electricity nearly Rs 1,000 crore per year. generation. z It will also lead to optimal utilization of airspace, reduction in fuel use, time and will have positive € Captive and Non-captive Mines: environmental impact. z The government has decided to remove the distinction between captive and non-captive z Currently, only 60% of India’s airspace is freely available and thus airplanes have been flying mines to allow the transfer of mining leases to most destinations through longer routes and the sale of surplus unused minerals, leading hence more fuel is used in the process and the to better efficiency in mining and production. customers end up paying more. z The captive mines are that produce minerals € Airports Development through PPP: for use by the same company. z In addition to the existing ones,six more airports ¾ Defence Sector: will be auctioned under the Public-Private- € Revision of FDI Limit: Partnership (PPP) model for its development. z The FDI limit in defence manufacturing under € India-a global hub for AircraftMaintenance, Repair automatic route will be raised from 49% to 74%. and Overhaul (MRO): € Project Management Unit: z The aircraft component repairs and airframe z The government is expected to begin time- maintenance is intended to increase from Rs bound defence procurement and faster decision 800 crore to Rs 2,000 crore in three years.

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z The convergence between the Defence sector ¾ Atomic Energy: and the civil MROs will be established to bring € Research Reactor in PPP Mode: down the maintenance cost of airlines. z It will help to produce medical isotopes for ¾ Power Distribution Sector: affordable treatment of cancer and other € Tariff Policy Reforms: diseases. z The tariff policy reforms will be announced in z It will also generate facilities to use irradiation the future. The reforms are expected to focus technology for food preservation. This will on the consumer rights, promotion of industry complement agricultural reforms and assist and sustainability of the sector. farmers. € Privatization of Distribution in UTs: € Technology Development cum Incubation Centres: z The power departments/utilities in Union z These centres will be set up to act as a link Territories will be privatised. between India’s robust start-up ecosystem to the nuclear sector. z It is expected to improve the operational and financial efficiency in Distribution. Critcism ¾ Social Infrastructure Projects: ¾ It is considered to be less of a stimulus and more of € Investments through Viability Gap Funding: industrial reforms, which could have been announced z The government is expected to invest Rs 8,100 at any time. crores through Viability Gap Funding (VGF). ¾ It has been also observed that the only direct budgetary z Currently, most of the projects are supported cost in this tranche was the Rs. 8,100 crore to be by centre/states/statutory bodies with 20% as provided as a raised 30% viability gap funding to boost VGF. But the Centre will be increasing its share private investment in social sector infrastructure. in VGF to 30% in the future. ¾ The fourth tranche covered sectors of strategic z The above benefits will be provided if the projects importance but these policies will be rolled out over a will be proposed by Central Ministries/ State 3-6 month period, and any implication for supporting Government/ Statutory entities. or reviving the economy as it comes out of lockdown z Viability Gap Funding (VGF) signifies a grant, is missing. one-time or deferred, provided to support infrastructure projects that are economically Economic Stimulus-V justified but fall short of financial viability. The lack of financial viability usually arises from long gestation periods and the inability to increase Why in News user charges to commercial levels. Recently, the Union Finance Minister announced the ¾ Space Sector: measures for providing employment and support to businesses, state governments as well sectors such as € Participation of the Private Sector: education and health as part of the fifth and final tranche z The government will be providing a level playing of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. field for private companies in satellites, planetary exploration, outer space travel, launches and Key Points space-based services. ¾ Increase in Allocation for MGNREGA z Such private players will also be allowed to use € The Government will allocate an additional Rs.40,000 ISRO’s facilities and other relevant assets to crore under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural improve their capabilities. Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA). € Liberal Geo-spatial Data Policy: z It will help generate nearly 300 crore person z There will also be a liberal geo-spatial data days in total, addressing the need for more policy for providing remote-sensing data to work by the migrants who are returning to their tech-entrepreneurs. hometowns due to the pandemic and lockdown.

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¾ Technology Driven Education with Equity € Government will launch PM eVIDYA, a programme for multi-mode access to digital/online education with immediate effect. It consists of: z DIKSHA for school education in States/UTs: e-content and QR coded Energized Textbooks for all grades (one nation, one digital platform) z One earmarked TV channel per class from 1 to 12 (One class, One channel) z Extensive use of Radio, Community radio and Podcasts. z Special e-content for visually and hearing impaired. z Top 100 universities will be permitted to automatically start online courses by 30th May, 2020. € Manodarpan, an initiative for psycho-social support for students, teachers and families for mental health and emotional well-being will be launched. € New National Curriculum and Pedagogical z Creation of a larger number of durable and framework for school, early childhood and teachers livelihood assets including water conservation will be launched. assets which will boost the rural economy € National Foundational Literacy and Numeracy through higher production. Mission for ensuring that every child attains ¾ Health Reforms and Initiatives learning levels and outcomes in grade 5 by 2025 € Public expenditure on health will be increased will be launched by December 2020. by investing in grass root health institutions and ¾ Measures Related to IBC ramping up health and wellness centres in rural € Minimum threshold to initiate insolvency and urban areas. proceedings has been raised to Rs.1 crore (from € Preparing India for future pandemics: Rs.1 lakh, which largely insulates Micro, Small and z Setting up of Infectious Diseases Hospital Blocks Medium Enterprises-MSMEs). in all districts. € Special insolvency resolution framework for z Strengthening of lab networks and surveillance MSMEs under Section 240A of theInsolvency and (Integrated Public Health Labs in all districts Bankruptcy Code (IBC) will be notified. and blocks). € Suspension of fresh initiation of insolvency z The National Institutional Platform for One proceedings up to one year, depending upon the Health by Indian Council of Medical Research pandemic. (ICMR) will encourage research. € Empowering the Central Government to exclude z Implementation of National Digital Health Covid-19 related debt from the definition of Blueprint under the National Digital Health “default” under the IBC for the purpose of triggering Mission (NDHM). insolvency proceedings. n NDHM was recommended to be established ¾ Measures Related to the Companies Act as a purely government organization with € Decriminalisation of Companies Act, 2013 violations complete functional autonomy on the lines involving minor technical and procedural defaults of Unique Identification Authority of India (shortcomings in Corporate Social Responsibility (UIDAI) and Goods and Services Network (CSR) reporting, inadequacies in Board report, GSTN. filing defaults, etc).

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€ Majority of the compoundable offences sections € States can borrow more in the following pattern, to be shifted to Internal Adjudication Mechanism notified by the Department of Expenditure: (IAM). z The first 0.5% will be an unconditional increase. € The amendments will de-clog the criminal courts z Next 1% in 4 tranches of 0.25%, with each and National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). tranche linked to clearly specified, measurable ¾ Ease of Doing Business for Corporates and feasible reform actions. € Key reforms include: z The last 0.50% if milestones are achieved in at z Direct listing of securities by Indian public least three out of four reform areas. companies in permissible foreign jurisdictions. Analysis z Private companies which list Non-Convertible Debentures (NCDs) on stock exchanges not to ¾ On Increase in Allocation for MGNREGA be regarded as listed companies. € The step to allocate more resources to MGNREGA z Including the provisions of Part IXA (Producer was widely welcomed as it will support rural Companies) of Companies Act, 1956 in Companies livelihoods in the time of crisis. Act, 2013. € However, given that States account for 40% of z Power to create additional/specialized benches MGNREGA expenditure, including most upfront for National Company Law Appellate Tribunal costs, they will also have to spend on the scheme. (NCLAT). € Demand for work under MGNREGA had surged to a z Lower penalties for all defaults for Small nine-year high in 2019-20 as 5.47 crore households Companies, One-person Companies, Producer availed of the scheme, the highest since 2010-11. Companies and StartUps. ¾ On Support to State Governments ¾ Public Sector Enterprise Policy for a New, Self-reliant € The expansion of the fiscal deficit has been India welcomed by the states because GSDPs (Gross € Government will announce a new policy whereby: State Domestic Product) are likely to contract and z List of strategic sectors requiring the presence further shrink the possible borrowing at a time of Public Sector Enterprises (PSEs) in public when States are at the frontline of containment interest will be notified. and relief operations. z In strategic sectors, at least one enterprise will € However, the conditions on additional loans have remain in the public sector but private sector been criticised on the grounds that in future, severe will also be allowed. conditions may be imposed on even normal loans. z In other sectors, PSEs will be privatized (timing € The utilisation of additional 2% borrowing by to be based on feasibility etc.). states can be lower because states may settle on borrowing less to avoid undertaking politically ¾ Support to State Governments difficult reforms. € The Centre has decided to increase borrowing € limits of States from 3% to 5% for 2020-21 only A likely increase in borrowing cost due to the which will give States extra resources of Rs.4.28 emerging gap between total Public Sector Borrowing lakh crore. Requirement (PSBR) and available resources will also lead to states not opting for the increased € Part of the borrowing will be linked to specific borrowing. reforms (including recommendations of the Finance ¾ Commission). On Public Sector Enterprise Policy € It was criticised on the grounds that privatising € Reform linkage will be in four areas: PSUs would find fewer buyers at a time of global z Universalisation of‘One Nation One Ration card’. recession, while any potential buyer would be z Ease of Doing Business. spending money which could have gone into z Power distribution. fresh investment on a financial transfer instead, z Urban Local Body revenues. effectively contracting demand.

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Core Sector Industries Core Sector ¾ The eight core sector industries include coal, crude Shrinks by 6.5% oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertiliser, steel, cement and electricity Why in News ¾ The eight core industries comprise 40.27% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial The eight core sector industries contracted by 6.5% Production (IIP). in March, 2020. ¾ The eight Core Industries in decreasing order of their ¾ The cumulative growth of eight core sector industries weightage: Refinery Products> Electricity> Steel> during 2019-20 was 0.6%. Coal> Crude Oil> Natural Gas> Cement> Fertilizers. ¾ In February, 2020, the eight core sector industries recorded a growth of 5.5%. Industry Weight (In %) Petroleum & Refinery production 28.04 Key Points Electricity generation 19.85 ¾ Seven out of eight core sectors contracted in the Steel production 17.92 month of March. Coal production 10.33 € The contraction was led by steel production, elec- Crude Oil production 8.98 tricity, cement production, natural gas production, fertiliser production, crude oil production and Natural Gas production 6.88 petroleum & refinery production. Cement production 5.37 € Coal was the only core sector which saw growth. Fertilizers production 2.63 ¾ The contraction in the core sector has occurred despite the fact that several of the core sector industries were Index of Industrial Production given exemptions under the lockdown. E.g electricity ¾ The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is an and steel which are continuous processes and were indicator that measures the changes in the volume not stopped. of production of industrial products during a given ¾ However, the movement of goods faced major period. restrictions due the nationwide lockdown, ¾ It is compiled and published monthly by the National resulting in reduced demand which led to reduced Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and production. Programme Implementation. € The Government of India has imposed an ¾ IIP is a composite indicator that measures the growth unprecedented 21-day national lockdown, as part rate of industry groups classified under: of a series of steps to reduce the transmission of € Broad sectors, namely, Mining, Manufacturing, the Covid-19. and Electricity. ¾ The March core sector data also reflected the cut € Use-based sectors, namely Basic Goods, Capital in capital expenditure by both state and central Goods, and Intermediate Goods. governments in order to make up for falling tax ¾ Base Year for IIP is 2011-2012. revenues. ¾ The eight core industries of India represent about € The capital expenditure is defined as the money 40% of the weight of items that are included in the IIP. spent on the acquisition of assets like land, buildings, ¾ Significance of IIP : machinery, equipment, as well as investment in € It is used by government agencies including the shares. Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank of India, € High capital expenditure usually means more etc, for policy-making purposes. investment by the government towards the creation € IIP remains extremely relevant for the calculation of infrastructure and other assets that are crucial of the quarterly and advance GDP estimates. for rapid economic growth.

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€ The special drawing rights with the International Forex Reserves Monetary Fund (IMF) fell by $6 million to $1.42 billion. Why in News € The country’s reserve position with the IMF also was down by $8 million to $3.57 billion. According to the recent data from the Reserve Bank of India, India’s Foreign Exchange (Forex) reserves declined ¾ Earlier, the reserve had touched a life-time high of by $113 million to $479.45 billion in the week to 24 April, $487.23 billion in the week ended by 6 March, 2020. 2020 due to a fall in foreign currency assets. ¾ During 2019-20, the country’s foreign exchange reserves rose by almost $62 billion. Key Points ¾ Changes in forex reserves holdings. Foreign Exchange Reserves € The foreign currency assets (FCAs) decreased by ¾ Foreign exchange reserves are assets held on reserve $321 million to $441.56 billion. by a central bank in foreign currencies, which can € Gold reserves rose by $221 million to $32.901 billion. include bonds, treasury bills and other government securities. Foreign Currency Assets (FCA) € It needs to be noted that most foreign exchange ¾ FCAs are assets that are valued based on a currency reserves are held in U.S. dollars. other than the country’s own currency. ¾ These assets serve many purposes but are most ¾ FCA is the largest component of the forex reserve. significantly held to ensure that the central bank has It is expressed in dollar terms. backup funds if the national currency rapidly devalues ¾ The FCAs include the effect of appreciation or or becomes altogether insolvent. depreciation of non-US units like the euro, pound ¾ India’s Forex Reserve include: and yen held in the foreign exchange reserves. € Foreign Currency Assets Special Drawing Rights (SDR) € Gold reserves ¾ The SDR is an international reserve asset, created € Special Drawing Rights by the IMF in 1969 to supplement its member € Reserve position with theInternational Monetary countries’ official reserves. Fund (IMF) ¾ The SDR is neither a currency nor a claim on the IMF. Rather, it is a potential claim on the freely usable currencies of IMF members. SDRs can be Drop in FPI Outflows exchanged for these currencies. ¾ The value of the SDR is calculated from a weighted Why in News basket of major currencies, including the U.S. dollar, the euro, Japanese yen, Chinese yuan, and British According to recent data from Central Depository pound. Services Limited (CDSL), the Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) have significantly reduced the pace of outflows ¾ The interest rate on SDRs or (SDRi) is the interest from the in April, 2020, after a paid to members on their SDR holdings. equity and debt market record net outflow of Rs 1,18,203 crore in March 2020. Reserve Position in the International Monetary Fund Key Points ¾ A reserve tranche position implies a portion of the ¾ FPIs sold a net of Rs 6,883 crore from the equities required quota of currency each member country market and net holdings worth Rs 12,551 crore from must provide to the International Monetary Fund the debt market in April. (IMF) that can be utilized for its own purposes. € In equity market shares are issued and traded, ¾ The reserve tranche is basically an emergency account either through exchanges or over-the-counter that IMF members can access at any time without markets (i.e directly). It is also known as the stock agreeing to conditions or paying a service fee. market.

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€ The debt market is the market where debt ¾ A V-shaped recovery is different from an L-shaped instruments are traded. recovery, in which the economy stays in a slump for € Debt instruments are instruments that require a fixed a prolonged period of time. payment to the holder, usually with interest. E.g. bonds (government or corporate) and mortgages. ¾ However, they invested a net of Rs 4,032 crore in debt Voluntary Retention Route (VRR) scheme. € VRR scheme allows FPIs to participate in repo transactions and also invest in exchange traded funds that invest in debt instruments. ¾ Outflows have continued due to uncertainty surrounding economic conditions caused by Covid-19 Foreign Portfolio Investment lockdown and investors are cautious. However, the ¾ pessimism also continues to grip the markets. It consists of securities and other financial assets passively held by foreign investors. ¾ So far, India has been able to contain the Covid-19 pandemic from spreading aggressively. The measures € It does not provide the investor with direct announced by the government and the Reserve Bank ownership of financial assets and is relatively of India (RBI) periodically to revitalize the sagging liquid depending on the volatility of the market. economy have also resonated well with investors. € Foreign portfolio investment ispart of a country’s ¾ With selective relaxation in the lockdown and gradual capital account and is shown on its Balance of opening up of economic activity in the country, foreign Payments (BOP). investors will be closely watching the developments € The BOP measures the amount of money flowing on this front. from one country to other countries over one ¾ A success on developing medicine and vaccines will monetary year. lead to a V-shaped recovery in the economy and ¾ The investor does not actively manage the markets. investments through FPIs, he does not have control over the securities or the business. Voluntary Retention Route Scheme ¾ The investor’s goal is to create a quick return on ¾ The VRR scheme is aimed at attracting long-term and his money. stable FPI investments into debt markets. ¾ FPI is more liquid and less risky than Foreign Direct ¾ Investments through the route will be free of the Investment (FDI). regulatory norms applicable to FPI investments in € FDI is an investment made by a firm or debt markets, provided investors maintain a minimum individual in one country into business interests share of their investments for a fixed period. located in another country. FDI lets an investor ¾ VRR Scheme has a minimum retention period ofthree purchase a direct business interest in a foreign years and investors need to maintain a minimum of country. 75% of their investments in India. ¾ FPI is often referred to as “hot money” because ¾ FPIs registered with Securities and Exchange Board of of its tendency to flee at the first signs of trouble India (SEBI) are eligible to voluntarily invest through in an economy. the route in government and corporate bonds. ¾ FPI and FDI are both important sources of funding V-Shaped Recovery for most economies. Foreign capital can be used to ¾ A V-shaped recovery is characterized by a sharp develop infrastructure, set up manufacturing facilities economic decline followed by a quick and sustained and service hubs, and invest in other productive recovery. assets such as machinery and equipment, which contributes to economic growth and stimulates ¾ The recession of 1953 is an example of a V-shaped recovery. employment.

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Guarantee Corporation of India Ltd. (CGCI) under the RBI Cancels Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation Licence of CKP Co-op Bank Act, 1961. € It serves as a deposit insurance and credit guarantee Why in News for banks in India. € It is a fully owned subsidiary of and is governed Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the licence of Mumbai-based CKP Co-operative Bank. by the Reserve Bank of India. ¾ DICGC charges 10 paise per Rs. 100 of deposits held Key Points by a bank. The premium paid by the insured banks ¾ RBI has cancelled the licence of the bank as the to the Corporation is paid by the banks and is not to financial position of the bank was highly adverse and be passed on to depositors. unsustainable. ¾ DICGC last revised the deposit insurance cover to Rs. € The bank failed to meet the regulatory requirement 5 lakh in Feb, 2020, raising it from Rs. 1 lakh since of maintaining a minimum capital adequacy ratio 1993. The protection cover of deposits in Indian banks of 9 % and reserves. through insurance is among the lowest in the world. ¾ RBI has asked the Registrar of Co-operative Societies, € The Damodaran Committee on ‘Customer Services Maharashtra to start the process of winding up in Banks’ (2011) had recommended a five-time operations of CKP Co-operative bank and appoint increase in the cap to Rs.5 lakh due to rising a liquidator. income levels and increasing size of individual € On liquidation, every depositor of the bank is bank deposits. entitled to get up to Rs 5 lakh from the Deposit ¾ Banks, including regional rural banks, local area banks, Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation. foreign banks with branches in India, and cooperative ¾ In September last year, RBI had imposed restrictions banks, are mandated to take deposit insurance cover on Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) with the DICGC. Bank not to do any business for six months after it found major irregularities, which included financial Co-operative Banking irregularities, complete failure of internal control and ¾ A Co-operative bank is a financial entity which systems, and wrongdoing and under-reporting of its belongs to its members, who are at the same time lending exposure. the owners and the customers of their bank. It is distinct from commercial banks. Capital Adequacy Ratio ¾ Co-operative banks in India are registered under ¾ Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) is theratio of a bank’s the States Cooperative Societies Act. The Co- capital in relation to its risk weighted assets and operative banks are regulated by bothRegistrar of current liabilities.It is also known as Capital-to-Risk Co-operative Societiesand Reserve Bank of India Weighted Asset Ratio (CRAR). (RBI) and governed by the ¾ It is decided by central banks to prevent commercial € Banking Regulations Act 1949. banks from taking excess leverage and becoming € Banking Laws (Co-operative Societies) Act, 1955. insolvent in the process. ¾ Features of Cooperative Banks: ¾ The Basel III norms stipulated a capital to risk weighted assets of 8%. € Customer Owned Entities: Co-operative bank members are both customer and owner of the ¾ However, as per RBI norms, Indian scheduled bank. commercial banks are required to maintain a CAR of 9%. € Democratic Member Control: Co-operative banks Deposit Insurance and are owned and controlled by the members, who Credit Guarantee Corporation democratically elect a board of directors. Members ¾ DICGC came into existence in 1978 after the merger usually have equal voting rights, according to the of Deposit Insurance Corporation (DIC) and Credit cooperative principle of “one person, one vote”.

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z The argument was that under Lists I and II of € Profit Allocation: A significant part of the yearly profit, benefits or surplus is usually allocated to the 7th Schedule, the Constitution provides for constitute reserves and a part of this profit can distinct fields of legislative entries for the state also be distributed to the co-operative members, legislature and Parliament and once there is with legal and statutory limitations. already a valid law made by the state referring ○ Financial Inclusion: They have to its own field, there should not be a parallel played a significant role in the parliamentary law on the same topic. financial inclusion of unbanked rural ¾ Supreme Court verdict: masses. € Upholding the central government notification ¾ Co-operative Banks are broadlyclassified into Urban of January 28, 2003 which brought co-operative and Rural co-operative banksbased on their region societies within the purview of the Sarfaesi Act, of operation. the Supreme court said Co-operative banks Difference between UCBs and Commercial Banks come within the definition of “Banks” under the ¾ Regulation: Unlike commercial banks, UCBs are Banking Regulation Act, 1949 for the purposes of only partly regulated by the RBI. Their banking the Sarfaesi Act. operations are regulated by the RBI, which lays z The recovery procedure under the Sarfaesi Act down their capital adequacy, risk control and lending is also applicable to co-operative banks and norms. However, their management and resolution there is no clash with the Banking Regulation in the case of distress is regulated by the Registrar Act, 1949. of Co-operative Societieseither under the State or € The court also ruled that the Parliament has Central government. legislative competence to provide procedures ¾ Borrower can be a Shareholder: In general for a for recovery of loans under the Sarfaesi Act with commercial bank, there is a clear distinction between respect to cooperative banks. its shareholders and its borrowers whereas in a UCB, € The court was of the opinion that recovery of dues borrowers can even double up as shareholders. would be an essential function of any financial institution and co-operative banks cannot carry on Co-operative Banks any activity without compliance of provisions of the banking Act and any other legislation applicable Under Sarfaesi Act to such banks and the RBI Act.

Why in News Sarfaesi Act Recently, the Supreme Court held that Co-operative ¾ Banks utilize Sarfaesi Act as an effective toolfor bad banks established under a State law and multi-State level loans (Non Performing Asset) recovery. co-operative societies come within the ambit of the ¾ The Sarfaesi Act is effectiveonly against secured loans Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and where banks can enforce the underlying security. Enforcement of Security Interest (Sarfaesi) Act of 2002. ¾ Following are the main objectives of the Sarfaesi Act. Key Points € Provides the legal framework for securitization activities in India. ¾ Conflicting decisions by high courts: The judgment came in view of several conflicting decisions by high € It gives the procedures for the transfer of NPAs courts on the issues of to asset reconstruction companies for the € Whether the Co-operative banks can be called reconstruction of the assets. ‘Banks (financial Institution)’ under the Banking € Enforces the security interest without Court’s Regulation Act of 1949 or, intervention. € Whether the Parliament has legislative competence € Gives powers to banks and financial institutions to to regulate financial assets of cooperative banks take over the immovable property that is pledged formed under state law. to enforce the recovery of debt.

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¾ Major feature of Sarfaesi is that it promotes the setting ¾ Export orders have also witnessed a sharp decline. up of asset reconstruction companies (ARCs) and ¾ There was also evidence of supply-side disruption asset securitization companies (SCs) to deal with NPAs due to the lockdown. accumulated with the banks and financial institutions. ¾ The PMI slipped into contraction mode, after remaining ¾ The Act provides three alternative methods for recovery in the growth territory for 32 consecutive months. of non-performing assets, namely: € In PMI’s language, a reading above 50 means € Securitisation expansion, while a score below that denotes z Securitization is the practice of pooling together contraction. various types of debt instruments (assets) such ¾ According to the 12-month outlook for production as mortgages and other consumer loans and the demand will rebound once the Covid-19 threat selling them as bonds to investors. is diminished and lockdown restrictions are eased. € Asset Reconstruction ¾ The Index(PMI) is compiled by IHS Markit for more z Asset reconstruction is the activity of converting than 40 economies worldwide. IHS Markit is a global a bad or non-performing asset into performing leader in information, analytics and solutions for the asset with the help of Asset reconstruction major industries and markets that drive economies companies. worldwide. € Enforcement of Security without the intervention of the Court. z If the borrower defaults, the bank may enforce security interests by: n Take possession of the security; n Sale or lease or assign the right over the security; n Appoint Manager to manage the security; n Ask any debtors of the borrower to pay any sum due to the borrower.

Manufacturing Hits Record Low Purchasing Managers’ Index ¾ Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) is an indicator of Why in News business activity - both in the manufacturing and services sectors. According to a recent IHS Markit India monthly survey, Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) € It is calculated separately for the manufacturing fell to 27.4 in April, 2020 from 51.8 in March, 2020. and services sectors and then a composite index is also constructed. Key Points € The PMI summarizes whether market conditions ¾ India’s manufacturing sector activityhas witnessed as viewed by purchasing managers are expanding, contractionin April, 2020 due to national lockdown neutral, or contracting. restrictions. ¾ The purpose of the PMI is to provide information about € The new business orders have collapsed at a record current and future business conditions to pace severely hampering the demand. company decision makers, analysts, and investors. ¾ The PMI is a number from 0 to 100. € This is the sharpest deterioration in business conditions across the manufacturing sector since € PMI above 50 represents an expansion when data collection began over 15 years ago. compared to the previous month; ¾ The deteriorating demand conditions has led the € PMI under 50 represents a contraction, and manufacturers to drastically cut back staff numbers. € A reading at 50 indicates no change.

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¾ The PMI is usually released at the start of every month. It is, therefore, considered a good leading indicator MSMEs and Covid-19 of economic activity. ¾ It is different from the Index of Industrial Production Why in News (IIP), which also gauges the level of activity in the The Covid-19 pandemic has left its impact on all economy. sectors of the economy including the Medium, Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs) sector. Index ofIndustrial Production ¾ Earlier the government had declared the relief package ¾ The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is an index namely, the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana for the poor which details out the growth of various sectors in to help them fight the battle against Coronavirus an economy such as mineral mining, electricity, (Covid-19), the second package is expected to primarily manufacturing, etc. focus on the MSME sector. ¾ It is compiled and published monthly by the National Statistical Organisation (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. ¾ The Base Year of the Index of Eight Core Industries has been revised from the year 2004-05 to 2011-12 from April, 2017. € The eight core industries comprise 40.27% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). € The eight Core Industries in decreasing order of their weightage: Refinery Products > Electricity > Steel > Coal > Crude Oil > Natural Gas > Cement > Fertilizers. Difference between PMI and IIP MSMEs in India ¾ IIP covers the broader industrial sector compared ¾ Definition of MSMEs: to PMI. € In February 2018, the Union Cabinet decided the € IIP shows the change in production volume in criterion of an annual turnover (in line with the major industrial sub sectors like manufacturing, imposition of GST) for defining MSMEs. mining and electricity. z Formally, MSMEs were defined in terms of € Similarly, the IIP also gives use based (capital investment in plant and machinery/equip- goods, consumer goods etc) trends in industrial ment. But this criterion for the definition was production. criticized because credible and precise details ¾ PMI is more dynamic compared to a standard of investments were not easily available by industrial production index. authorities. € The PMI senses dynamic trends because of € According to the proposed definition (which is the variable it uses for the construction of the yet to be formally accepted), the categorisation index compared to volume based production would be: indicators like the IIP. z Micro Enterprise : An annual turnover less € For example, new orders under PMI show than Rs 5 crores. growth oriented positive trends and not z Small Enterprise : An annual turnover between just volume of past production that can be Rs 5 crores and Rs 75 crores. traced in an ordinary Index of Industrial z Medium Enterprise: An annual turnover less Production. than Rs 250 crores.

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¾ Statistical Data about MSMEs in India: (or about Rs 11 lakh crore) of the MSME credit need that it can potentially fund. € Total Number of MSMEs: According to the Annual ¾ Report of the Department of MSMEs (2018-19), Delays in Payments to MSMEs: there are 6.34 crore MSMEs in the country. € It is one of the biggest reasons for financial turmoil in the MSME sector. € Rural-Urban Distribution:Around 51% of these are situated in rural India and 49% of them are € MSMEs face delays in payment from their buyers situated in urban India. which also includes the government. It also faces delays in GST refunds. € Employment: Both rural and urban MSMEs together employ over 11 crore people but 55 % Problem Aggravated due to Covid-19 of the employment happens in the urban MSMEs. ¾ Declining Revenues: MSMEs are already struggling, € Category-wise Distribution:99.5% of all MSMEs in terms of declining revenues and capacity utilisation, fall in the micro category. While micro enterprises in the lead-up to the Covid-19 crisis. are equally distributed over rural and urban India, ¾ Unavailability of Cash: The total lockdown has raised small and medium ones are predominantly in an issue of the existence of MSMEs primarily due to urban India. unavailability of cash which subsequently will result € Social Distribution of MSMEs:About 66 % of all in the job losses. MSMEs are owned by people belonging to the ¾ Lack of Labour Availability: The return of migrant Scheduled Castes (12.5%), the Scheduled Tribes labourers will create an issue of lack of labour (4.1%) and Other Backward Classes (49.7%). availability. € Gender Ratio in MSMEs: The gender ratio among ¾ Loan Against Collateral : Loans to MSMEs are mostly employees is largely consistent across the board given against property (as collateral) but in times at roughly 80% male and 20% female. of crisis, property values fall and that inhibits the € Geographical Distribution:Seven Indian states extension of new loans. account for 50 % of all MSMEs. These are Uttar ¾ Steps Taken: To ease the firms’ financial distress during Pradesh (14%), West Bengal (14%), Tamil Nadu this period, the Reserve bank of India has announced (8%), Maharashtra (8%), Karnataka (6%), Bihar several measures such as a moratorium on term loans, (5%) and Andhra Pradesh (5%). and easier working capital financing. Some public Problems Faced by MSMEs in India sector banks have also opened up emergency credit lines for businesses. ¾ Too Small to get Registered: € Being out of the formal network, these MSMEs do Way Forward not have to maintain accounts, pay taxes or adhere ¾ The government can provide tax relief (GST and to regulatory norms etc., which brings down their corporate tax), give swifter refunds, and provide costs. But in a time of crisis, it also constrains a liquidity to rural India (may be through PM-Kisan) government’s ability to help them. to boost demand for MSME products. ¾ Lack of Financing: ¾ A credit guarantee by the government can help as € Most of the MSME funding comes from informal it assures the bank that its loan will be repaid by sources and it explains why the Reserve Bank the government in case the MSME falters. If such of India’s efforts to push more liquidity towards defaults happen, credit guarantees are shown as a the MSMEs have had a limited impact. Also, the departmental expense in the Budget. government has launched schemes in this regard. € Further, banks dither from extending loans to Helicopter Money MSMEs due to the high ratio of bad loans. € According to a 2018 report by the International Finance Corporation (part of the World Bank), the Why in News formal banking system supplies less than one-third Recently, the Telangana Chief Minister suggested

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that the helicopter money can help states to come out of the economic chaos created by Covid-19 pandemic. Relevance of the

Key Points Consol Bonds amid Covid-19 ¾ Helicopter money: Why in News € It is an unconventional monetary policy tool, which involves printing large sums of money The Covid-19 pandemic and consequential national and distributing it to the public, to stimulate the lockdown in the country has laid a grave impact on the economy during a recession (decline in general Indian economy. economic activity) or when interest rates fall to ¾ Considering the above scenario, the large stimulus zero. needs to be introduced by the government to pull back the economy where the required stimulus will € Under such a policy, a central bank “directly increases the money supply and, via the government, exceed the current revenue receipts of the government. distributes the new cash to the population with € The stimulusrefers to attempts to use monetary the aim of boosting demand and inflation”. or fiscal policy (or stabilization policy in general) to stimulate the economy. € The term was coined by American economist Milton Friedman. It basically denotes a helicopter ¾ Thus, an introduction of aConsol Bond is one of the dropping money from the sky. solutions for the government to fund the stimulus. ¾ Difference between helicopter money and quantitative Background easing: ¾ In the Budget (2020) before the pandemic, India € Helicopter money should not be confused with projected a deficit of Rs.7.96-lakh crore. quantitative easing, because both aim to boost ¾ Further, the financial deficit is expected to increase consumer spending and increase inflation. by a wide margin due to revenue shrinkage from € In case of helicopter money, currency is the coming depression accompanied by a lack of distributed to the public and there is no repayment disinvestment. liability. ¾ Though, the government and RBI have announced € Whereas in case of quantitative easing, it involves various economic measures to deal with the economic the use of printed money by central banks to impact of nationwide lockdown but these measures buy government bonds. Here the government are considered to be inadequate. has to pay back for the assets that the central € In addition to the planned expenditure, the bank buys. government needs to spend nearly Rs. 5 lakh ¾ Benefits of helicopter money: crore and Rs. 6 lakh crore as stimulus. € It does not rely on increased borrowing to fuel the economy, which means that it doesn’t create Consol Bonds more debt. ¾ Description: € It boosts spending and economic growth more € Consol bond (also known as perpetual bond) is effectively than quantitative easing because it a fixed income security with no maturity date. increases aggregate demand – the demand for € It is often considered a type of equity, rather goods and services – immediately. than debt. ¾ Issues with helicopter money: € The major benefit of these bonds is that theypay € It does not involve repayment liability, therefore a steady stream of interest payments forever. many people argue that it’s not a feasible solution However, these bonds can be redeemed at issuer’s to revive the economy. discretion. € It may lead to over-inflation. ¾ Notable Existence of Consol Bonds in the History: € It may devalue the currency in the foreign exchange € The console bonds were majorly used by the British market. government during World War-I.

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€ The bonds were issued in 1917 as the British Key Points government sought to raise more money to finance ¾ The RBI’s total gold reserves were 612.56 tonnes in the ongoing cost of World War-I. the preceding fiscal ended March 2019. € In 2014, the British government, a century after ¾ The addition of 40.45 tonnes of gold has raised the the start of World War-I, paid out 10% of the total value of gold reserves to $30.57 billion by March 2020 outstanding Consol bond debt. from $23.07 billion in March 2019. Consol Bonds and ¾ The share of gold in the total foreign exchange (forex) Current Indian Economic Scenario reserves rose from about 5.59% as of March 2019 to about 6.40% by March 2020. ¾ Consol Bonds Instead of PM-CARES: € India’s Forex Reserve include: Foreign Currency € The introduction of the Consol bonds would have Assets, Gold reserves, Special Drawing Rights and been a better solution for the government if people Reserve positionwith the International Monetary would have invested in consol bonds instead of Fund (IMF) making donations to the Prime Minister’s Citizen ¾ Around 360.71 tonnes of gold is held overseas in safe Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations custody with the Bank of England and the Bank for (PM-CARES Fund). It could have made citizens International Settlements, while the remaining gold in handling the economic as active participants is held domestically. scenario of the country. ¾ The gold reserves will help the central banks around € Unlike PM-CARES, the proceeds of the bonds could the globe to focus on the measures needed to contain have been used to fulfil the various essential medical the economic impact of Covid-19. as well as economic requirements of the country. ¾ Gains or losses on valuation offoreign currency assets ¾ One of the Available Solutions: and gold due to movements in the exchange rates € The fall of real estate and given the lack of safe and/or price of gold are booked under a balance sheet havens outside of gold, the bond would offer a head named the Currency and Gold Revaluation dual benefit as a risk free investment for retail Account (CGRA). investors. € CGRA represents the value of the gold and foreign € An attractive coupon rate for the bond or tax currency that the RBI holds on behalf of India. rebates can also be an incentive for investors. € It shows funds that are available to compensate € The government can consider a phased redemption RBI’s loss in the value of gold and foreign exchange of these bonds after the economy is put back on reserve holdings. a path of high growth. € The balances in CGRA provide a buffer against exchange rate/gold price fluctuations. RBI’s Gold Reserve Increased Gold & Economy ¾ As Currency: Why in News € Gold was used as the world reserve currency up According to the ‘Report on Management of Foreign through most of the 20th century. The United Exchange Reserves’, the Reserve Bank of India’s total States used the gold standard until 1971. holdings of gold reached 653.01 tonnes in the financial € The paper money had to be backed up by equal year 2019-20. amounts of gold in their reserves. ¾ The Reserve Bank of India publishes half-yearly € Although the gold standard has been discontinued, reports on management of foreign exchange reserves some economists feel that we should return as part of its efforts towards enhanced transparency to it due to the volatility of the U.S. dollar and and levels of disclosure. other currencies. ¾ These reports are prepared half yearly with reference ¾ As a hedge against inflation: to the position as at end-March and end-September € The demand for gold increases during inflationary each year.

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from their collection centres without bringing it times due to its inherent value and limited supply. As it cannot be diluted, gold is able to to mandis. retain value much better than other forms of € A warehouse-based trading module. currency. € A logistics moduleoffering users trackable transport ¾ Strength of Currency: facilities through aggregators with access to 11 € When a country imports more than it exports, lakh trucks. the value of its currency will decline. ¾ On 1st May 2020, Agriculture Ministry had launched € On the other hand, the value of its currency integration of 200 e-NAM mandis from 7 States will increase when a country is a net exporter. including 1 new state of Karnataka being added on e-NAM. € Thus, a country that exports gold or has access to gold reserves will see an increase in the strength ¾ Now the total mandis under e-NAM has reached of its currency when gold prices increase, since a total of around 950 across India from about 550 this increases the value of the country’s total before lockdown. exports. e-NAM z Since, the central banks rely on printing more ¾ It is a pan-India electronic trading portal. money to buy gold, they create an excess supply of the currency. This increases the ¾ It was launched in April 2016 with the objective supply and thereby reduces the value of the of integrating the existing Mandis to “One Nation currency used to purchase it. One Market” for agricultural commodities in India. ¾ It networks the existing APMC mandisto create a unified national market for agricultural commodities Mandis Under e-NAM Increased and has a vision: € To promote uniformity in agriculture marketing Why in News by streamlining procedures across the integrated According to the recent data, the number of connected markets. mandis, or wholesale markets under e-NAM has increased € Removing information asymmetry between upto 65%. buyers and sellers and promoting real time price ¾ This increase is because of transport disruptions and discovery based on actual demand and supply. social distancing requirements which have made ¾ It provides for contactless remote bidding and mobile- physical mandi trade more difficult in recent times. based anytime payment for which traders do not need to either visit mandis or banks for the same. Key Points ¾ Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is ¾ After the launch of e-NAM in 2016, its progress was the lead agency for implementing e-NAM. slow, due to: € It functions under the aegis of the Ministry of € Many States did not amend their Agricultural Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. Produce Market Committee (APMC) Acts. € Most farmers were not part of the cooperatives that would help aggregate the bulk quantity of CHAMPIONS Portal for MSME produce needed to attract online buyers. € Most mandis did not possess the infrastructure Why in News to make the most of the platform. Recently, the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium ¾ The Central Government recognised the potential Enterprises (MSME) has launched CHAMPIONS portal. of e-NAM in overcoming some of the hurdles of the lockdown, and introduced some important new Key Points features in April, 2020: ¾ The CHAMPIONS stands here for Creation and € A trading module allowing Farmer Producer Harmonious Application of Modern Processes for Organisations (FPOs) to trade produce directly Increasing the Output and National Strength.

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¾ Aim: To assist Indian MSMEs march into the big € In addition to ICT tools including telephone, internet league as National and Global CHAMPIONS by and video conference, the system is enabled by solving their grievances and encouraging, supporting, Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics and Machine helping and hand holding them. Learning. ¾ Three basic objectives: € It is also fully integrated on a real time basis € Support: To help the MSMEs in this difficult with the Government of India’s main grievances situation in terms of finance, raw materials, labour, portal Centralized Public Grievances Redress and permissions, etc. Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) and the Ministry’s other web based mechanisms. € Explore: To help them capture new opportunities like manufacturing of medical accessories and € The entire ICT architecture is created in house products like Personal Protection Equipments with the help of the National Informatics (PPEs), masks, etc. Centre. € Promote: To identify the sparks, i.e., the bright ¾ A network of control rooms is created in the Hub & MSMEs who can not only withstand but can also Spoke Model. become national and international champions. € The Hub is situated in New Delhi in the Secretary ¾ It is a technology driven Control Room-Cum-Man- MSME’s office. agement Information System which utilises modern € The spokes will be in the States in various offices information and communication technology (ICT) tools. and institutions of the Ministry.

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International Relations

Highlights z Permanent Mission to UN z Face-off Between India and China z Virtual NAM Summit z Currency Change in Iran z New Road to Kailash Mansarovar z Mission Sagar z India-Nepal on Kailash Mansarovar Link Road z Financial Help by AIIB to India

¾ Indian Permanent Mission at the United Nations Permanent Mission to UN € There are currently eight Indians in senior leadership positions at the UN at the levels of Under Secretary Why in News General and Assistant Secretary General. India has appointed T S Tirumurti as its Permanent € The first Indian delegates at the UN included Representative to the United Nations (UN). statesman Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar and freedom fighters Hansa Mehta, Lakshmi N. Menon and Key Points Vijayalakshmi Pandit ¾ Permanent Mission to the United Nations z Mehta and Pandit were among the 15 women € It is the diplomatic mission that every member members of the Indian Constituent Assembly. state deputes to the UN. € India was among the select members of the UN € It is headed by a Permanent Representative who that signed the United Nations Declaration at is also referred to as the UN ambassador. Washington on 1st January, 1942. € According to Article 1(7) of the Vienna Convention € India also participated in the historic UN Conference on the Representation of Statesin their Relations of International Organization at San Francisco from with International Organizations of a Universal 25th April to 26th June, 1945. Character, 1975 it is a mission of permanent € As a founding member of the United Nations, India character, representing the State, sent by a State strongly supports the purposes and principles of member of an international organization to the the UN and has made significant contributions to organization. implementing the goals of the Charter, and the z Other important Vienna Conventions are the evolution of the UN’s specialized programmes Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and agencies. 1961 and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of 1963. Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar (1887-1976) ¾ One of the prominent lawyers of his time and joined € According to the UN General Assembly resolution the Justice Party in 1917. 257(III) of 3rd December, 1948, permanent missions assist in the realization of the purposes and ¾ He was India’s delegate to the San Francisco principles of the UN. Conference. ¾ z They keep the necessary liaison between the In 1946 he was elected the first President of the United Member States and the Secretariat in periods Nations’ Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). between sessions of the different organs of the UN. ¾ He also served as the chair of the executive boards € UN Permanent Representatives are assigned to the of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UN headquarters in New York City, and at other United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural offices in Geneva, Vienna and Nairobi as well. Organization (UNESCO).

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Hansa Mehta (1897-1995) by the UN General Assembly president and World Health Organisation (WHO) chief. ¾ After studying Journalism and Sociology from England, she returned to India and served as the President of ¾ It was the first time that Prime Minister Narendra the Bhagini Samaj and played a crucial role during Modi participated in a NAM Summit since he assumed the campaign against the Simon Commission. the office in 2014. ¾ She was the first woman to be elected to the Bombay € Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first Legislative Council in 1931. Indian Prime Minister to skip the NAM Summit ¾ She represented India on the Nuclear Sub-Committee in 2016 and in 2019. on the status of women in 1946. Key Points ¾ As the Indian delegate on the UN Human Rights ¾ Commission (now known as the UN Human Rights Adoption of the Declaration: Council) in 1947-48, she was responsible for changing € The Summit adopted a Declaration underlining the language Justice Party of the Universal Declaration the importance of international solidarity in the of Human Rights from “all men are created equal” fight againstCovid-19 . to “all human beings”, highlighting the need for ¾ Creation of Task Force: gender equality. € It also announced the creation of a ‘Task Force’ Lakshmi Menon (1899-1994) to identify needs and requirements of member States. ¾ She was one of the founder members of the All India Women’s Conference. € A common database reflecting counties’ basic medical, social and humanitarian needs in the ¾ She was India’s delegate to the Third Committee fight against Covid-19 will be created. in 1948 and argued forcefully in favour of non- discrimination based on sex and “the equal rights of India’s Stand at the Summit men and women” in the in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ¾ India’s Role in Fight Against Covid-19: ¾ In 1949-1950, she headed the UN Section on the € India is regarded as the pharmacy of the world Status of Women and Children. especially for affordable medicines. € Despite its own needs during Covid-19 pandemic, Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (1900-1990) it has ensured supply of medicines to 123 partner ¾ She led the Indian delegation to the UN (1946-48 countries including 59 NAM members. and 1952-53). € India is also active in global efforts to develop ¾ In 1953, she became the first woman to be elected remedies and vaccines for Covid-19. president of the UN General Assembly. ¾ Need for the New Template of Globalisation: ¾ In 1978, she was appointed the Indian representative to the UN Human Rights Commission. € India stated that Covid-19 has shown limitations of the existing international system. The world needs more representative international institutions and Virtual NAM Summit thus world order should be more representative. € Thus, in the post-Covid world, a new template Why in News of globalisation, based on fairness, equality, and The virtual Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Contact humanity is needed. Group Summit on “United against Covid-19” through ¾ International Cooperation: video conferencing was held recently. € NAM should call upon the international community ¾ The meeting wasconvened at the initiative of President and the WHO to focus on building health-capacity Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, in his capacity as chair in developing countries. of the Non Aligned Movement. € World needs to ensure equitable, affordable and ¾ Moreover 30 Heads of State and other leaders had timely access to health products and technologies joined the Summit. The Summit was also addressed for all.

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¾ Other Issues: Actual Control (LAC) and opening a new route for Kailash € India also flagged the issues of “terrorism” and Mansarovar yatra via Lipulekh Pass (China border). “fake news”, calling them “deadly viruses” at a ¾ It is scheduled to be completed by December 2022 and time when the world fights the novel coronavirus. will significantly reduce the travel time for pilgrims. € The above issues divide communities and countries creating difficult situations. Key Points ¾ The Link Road is named as the Kailash-Mansarovar Non-Aligned Movement Yatra Route under which the Border Roads Organisation ¾ The Non-Aligned Movement was formed during (BRO) achieved road connectivity from Dharchula the Cold War as an organization of States that did (Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand) to Lipulekh. not seek to formally align themselves with either € Lipulekh Pass also known as Lipu-Lekh Pass/ the United States or the Soviet Union, but sought Qiangla or Tri-Corner is a high altitude mountain to remain independent or neutral. pass situated in the western Himalayas with a ¾ The basic concept for the group originated in 1955 height of 5,334 metre or 17,500 feet. during discussions that took place at the Asia-Africa € It is an International mountain pass between Bandung Conference held in Indonesia. India, China and Nepal. ¾ The Non-Aligned Movement was founded and held ¾ The road was made under directions of the China its first conference (the Belgrade Conference) in Study Group (CSG) and is funded by Indo-China 1961 under the leadership of Josip Broz Tito of Border Road (ICBR). Yugoslavia, Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, Jawaharlal Nehru of India, Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana, and ¾ It was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security Sukarno of Indonesia. (CCS) in 2005. ¾ NAM does not have a formal constitution or ¾ The last 5-km of the road could not be finished due to permanent secretariat, and its administration is a temporary ban placed on the last-mile connectivity non-hierarchical and rotational. Decisions are made in 2016 by the Director General Military Operations, by consensus, which requires substantial agreement, which is yet to be lifted. but not unanimity. ¾ Advantages: ¾ It has 120 members as of April 2018 comprising 53 € It is the shortest and cheapest route with just countries from Africa, 39 from Asia, 26 from Latin one-fifth distance of road travel as compared to America and the Caribbean and 2 from Europe other old routes. The other route is via Sikkim. (Belarus and Azerbaijan). There are 17 countries and € There is no air travel involved and the majority 10 international organizations that are Observers of the travel (84%) is in India and only 16% in at NAM. ¾ The purpose of the organization was enumerated in the Kailash Mansarovar Havana Declaration of 1979 to ensure “the national ¾ To Hindus it is the earthly embodiment of the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and dominant mountain of heaven, Meru, and the security of non-aligned countries” in their struggle residence of Lord Shiva and his consort Goddess against imperialism, colonialism, neo-colonialism, Parvati. racism, and all forms of foreign subjugation. ¾ The Kailash range’s supreme peak lies in the Chinese- occupied Tibet at the height of 6,675 meters. New Road to ¾ The pilgrimage to Kailash and to the sacred Mansarover lake that lies 30 km to its south, is Kailash Mansarovar run exclusively by a government organization, the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN). Why in News € The organization works in collaboration with Recently, the Defence Minister of India has inaugurated the Government of India’s Ministry of External a new 80-km road in Uttarakhand connecting theLine of Affairs and the Government of China.

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China compared to other routes where 80% road z These arrangements were made following Nepal’s travel is in China. war with the British due to which Nepal had to € Except for a 5-km trek, whole travel will be on cede a large part of territory which currently vehicles reducing the 5-day trek to 2- days road forms the present Uttarakhand. travel. € Nepal seeks to question China as well because China and India had signed an agreement in May 2015 to develop Lipulekh as a commercial passage India-Nepal on Kailash without consulting Nepal which majorly affected Mansarovar Link Road the triangulation of the countries. € The government of Nepal remains committed to Why in News seek diplomatic solutions to the boundary issues on the basis of historical treaty, documents, facts Nepal has strongly objected to the newly inaugurated and maps in keeping with the spirit of close and link road which connects Pithoragarh (Uttarakhand) to friendly bilateral ties between the two countries. Lipulekh pass (China border) significantly reducing the time of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Kali River ¾ Nepal claims the territory at the Lipulekh pass around ¾ It is also known as Sharda river or Kali Ganga in 400 sq km area east of Kali river in the tri-junction Uttarakhand. of Nepal, Tibet and India, through which the road ¾ It joins Ghagra river in Uttar Pradesh, which is a passes as its own. tributary of Ganga. Key Points ¾ River Projects: Tanakpur hydro-electric project, Chameliya hydro-electric project, Sharda Barrage. ¾ Nepal’s Stand € Nepal referred to the 2014 agreement between Lipulekh Pass Prime Ministers of both countries, for Foreign ¾ It is also known as Lipu-Lekh Pass/Qiangla or Tri- Secretaries to work out the “outstanding boundary Corner is a high altitude mountain pass situated issues” on Kalapani (where Lipulekh lies) and Susta in the western Himalayas with a height of 5,334 (bordering Bihar). metre or 17,500 feet. z According to Nepal’s Foreign Ministry, the ¾ It is an International mountain pass between India, unilateral decision to build a road there, is a China and Nepal. breach of the 2014 agreement. ¾ India’s Response € For evidence, Nepal has the maps during the 1816 € According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Sugauli treaty and other complementing treaties the road going through Pithoragarh lies completely that followed, fixing that Limpiadhura, Kalapani within the territory of India. and Lipulekh were shown east of Kali river and part of Nepal. € The road follows the pre-existing route used by the pilgrims of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra which has been made pliable for the ease and convenience of pilgrims, locals and traders, under the present project. € India held that the boundary delineation exercise with Nepal is in process and it is committed to resolving outstanding boundary issues through diplomatic dialogue. ¾ Other Issues € In November 2019, Nepal protested against the publication of Indian maps that included the Kalapani area.

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€ However, India rejected Nepal’s contention, on the border. The resolving mechanism also involves asserting that the map accurately depicts the the local Border Personnel Meeting (BPM). sovereign territory of India. € These protocols with China have been established ¾ Both nations are in the process of scheduling foreign to resolve issues amicably at the local formation secretary-level talks, which will be held once dates are commander level. finalised after the two governments have successfully ¾ The recent clash happened three years after the dealt with the challenge of Covid-19. Doklam stand-off between India and China (2017), which was also experienced across the border in Sikkim. Face-off Between € Doklam, or Donglang in Chinese, is an area spread over less than a 100 sq km comprising a plateau India and China and a valley at the trijunction between India, Bhutan and China. Why in News € The Doklam issue was discussed in the Wuhan Recently, Indian and Chinese troops engaged in a Summit (2018) and two nations decided to issue temporary and short duration face-offalong the Line of “strategic guidance” to their militaries to strengthen Actual Control (LAC) at Naku La (Sikkim) and near Pangong communications so that they can build trust and Tso Lake (Eastern Ladakh). understanding.

Naku La McMahon Line Line of Actual Control ¾ Naku La sector is a pass at a height of more than The 890-km McMahon The Line of Actual Control 5,000 metres above Mean Sea Level (MSL) in the Line separating British (LAC) is the effective bor- state of Sikkim. India and Tibet was drawn der between India and € It is located ahead of Muguthang or Cho Lhamu by Sir Henry McMahon at China. (source of River Teesta). the China-Tibet-Britain ¾ At Muguthang, the road on the Chinese side is Simla Convention (1914). motorable, and on the Indian side, it is a remote area. The line marked out pre- LAC was supposed to di- ¾ The other passes located in the state of Sikkim are viously unclaimed/unde- vide areas under Indian Nathu La Pass and Jelep La Pass. fined borders between and Chinese control since Pangong Tso Lake Britain and Tibet. Also the the end of the Sino-Indian ¾ Pangong Lake is located in the Union Territory of Line put Tawang (a region War of 1962. Ladakh. of the present Arunachal ¾ It is situated at a height of almost 4,350m,and is Pradesh) in the British the world’s highest saltwater lake. empire. ¾ Extending to almost 160km, one-third of the Pangong The line was forgotten un- Unlike the LoC (between Lake lies in India and the other two-thirds in China. til the British government India and Pakistan), the published the documents LAC was not mutually Key Points in 1937. Subsequently, agreed upon. This was ¾ The temporary and brief face-offs occur because the China refused to accept because the war ended unresolved and undemarcated boundary issues. the line. with a unilateral ceasefire € The India-China border shares the 3,488-km-long by China. Line of Actual Control. Global Examples of Aggressive Diplomacy by China ¾ Both countries have differing perceptions owing to the ¾ undemarcated boundary, which lead to transgressions Covid-19 Origin: and face-offs as each side patrols up to the areas. € China has been engaged in aggressive diplomacy ¾ Any such issue is resolved through the mutually with western countries, which have sought established protocols to maintain peace and tranquillity clarity on the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic

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a that has crippled the world economy, and led Guardian Council, body of conservative clerics to almost four million people across the globe that supervises the Parliament. falling ill. ¾ After its approval, theCentral Bank of Iran will have ¾ South China Sea: two years to implement the change for removing rial from circulation and issuing toman instead. € It has also reported that China has established new administrative districts for theSpratly and Background Paracel archipelagos in the South China Sea. ¾ € China has also named 80 islands and other This move comes after a sharp fall in the value of geographical features in the sea, claiming the currency as a result of crippling US sanctions. sovereignty over underwater features in the ¾ The currency has been devalued 3,500 times since contested region. 1971. It declined steadily since the Iranian Revolution, 1979 brought the religious government to power. Currency Change in Iran ¾ The idea of removing four zeros has been floated since 2008 but gained strength after2018 when the US exited Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed Why in News sanctions and the rial lost more than 60% of its value. Iran’s parliament has passed a bill allowing the gov- ernment to slash four zeros from the rial and authorizing Chronology of US-Iran Relations its replacement with another basic unit of currency called ¾ 1953: Overthrow of Mossadeq the toman (redenomination). € The US and British intelligence agencies planned ¾ Under the bill, Iran’s national currency will be changed a coup to oust Iran’s democratically elected Prime from the rial to the Toman, which is equal to 10,000 Minister, Mohammad Mossadeq. rials. € He sought to nationalise Iran’s oil industry, which ¾ Redenomination: was against the US’s capitalist interests. € It is the process whereby a country’s currency is ¾ 1979: Iranian Revolution revalued due to significant inflation and currency € The US-backed Shah of Iran, Mohammed Reza devaluation, or when a country adopts a new Pahlevi was forced to leave the country in 1979, currency and needs to exchange the old currency following months of demonstrations and strikes for a new one at a fixed rate. against his rule by secular and religious opponents. € In simpler words, it is exchanging old currency for new currency, or changing the face value of € This led to the return of Islamic religious leader existing notes in circulation. Ayatollah Khomeini from exile and following a referendum, the Islamic Republic of Iran was Key Points proclaimed on 1st April 1979. ¾ ¾ Eliminating the four zeros was anecessary action to 1979-81: US Embassy Hostage Crisis simplify financial transactions. € The US embassy in Tehran was seized by protesters in November 1979 and American hostages were € It would vastly simplify financial calculations by eliminating the need for Iranian shoppers to carry held inside for 444 days. loads of rials to make purchases, which they have € The final 52 hostages were freed in January 1981, the to do because of inflation. day of US President Ronald Reagan’s inauguration ¾ According to the (ceremony to mark the commencement of a new Iran’s Students 4-year presidential term). News Agency ¾ 2002-13: Nuclear Fears and Sanctions (ISNA), the bill € In 2002 an Iranian opposition group revealed that needs to be ap- Iran was developing nuclear facilities including a proved by the uranium enrichment plant.

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€ In pursuance of this, several sanctions are imposed € Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles by the United Nations (UN), the US and the along with La Réunion are part of Indian Ocean European Union (EU) against Iran. Commission. India has recently become an z US President George Bush denounces Iran as part observer to the Commission. of an “axis of evil” with Iraq and North Korea. ¾ This is the first time that a single assistance mission € This causes Iran’s currency to lose two-thirds of is covering all island countries of the western Indian its value in two years. Ocean in one go — except Sri Lanka, for which set of ¾ 2013-16: Closer ties and a nuclear deal medicines have been airlifted. ¾ € In September 2013, Iran’s new moderate President The assistance is in line with India’s role as the first Hassan Rouhani took office. responder in the Indian Ocean region. € € In 2015, after a flurry of diplomatic activity, It highlights the importance accorded by India Iran agreed on a long-term deal on its nuclear to relations with her neighbouring countries and programme- Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action further strengthens the existing bond. (JCPOA) with a group of world powers known as ¾ The deployment is also in consonance with the Prime the P5+1 - the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Minister’s vision of Security and Growth for All in Germany. the Region (SAGAR). € Under the accord, Iran agreed to limit its sensitive ¾ Under the Mission, India will nuclear activities and allow in international € Deploy Medical Assistance Team s in Mauritius inspectors in return for the lifting of crippling and Comoros, helping their Governments deal economic sanctions. with Covid emergency and in case of Comoros, ¾ 2018-19: US-Iran Tensions in current times with dengue fever also. € Policy of maximum pressure: In May 2018, the € Deliver consignments of Covid related essential US abandoned the nuclear deal and reinstated medicines to Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros economic sanctions against Iran. and Seychelles and about 600 tonnes of food items to Maldives. € Policy of strategic patience: Iran acted with restraint, with thinking that by abiding by the nuclear deal it z In addition, in case of Mauritius, a special could get economic favour from the EU. However, consignment of Ayurvedic medicines is also this policy failed to work for Iran and thereby it being sent. began a counter-pressure campaign. € The consignments also include Hydroxychloroquine € In June 2019, Iranian forces shot down a US military tablets. drone over the Strait of Hormuz and then began SAGAR the cycle of response and escalation between the ¾ two countries. Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) was launched in 2015. It is India’s strategic vision for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Mission Sagar ¾ Through SAGAR, India seeks to deepen economic and security cooperation with its maritime Why in News neighbours and assist in building their maritime security capabilities. India has sent Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kesari, carrying food items and medical assistance teams, to countries ¾ Further, India seeks to safeguard its national interests in the southern Indian Ocean to deal with Covid-19 and ensure Indian Ocean region to become inclusive, pandemic as part of a “Mission Sagar” initiative. collaborative and respect international law. ¾ The key relevance of SAGAR emerges when seen Key Points in conjunction with India’s other policies impacting ¾ The countries including Maldives, Mauritius, Madagascar, the maritime domain like Act East Policy, Project Comoros and Seychelles had requested India for Sagarmala, Project Mausam, India as ‘net security assistance in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. provider’, focus on Blue Economy etc.

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¾ Finances: Financial Help € The project is being financed by the World Bank by AIIB to India and AIIB in the amount of $1.5 billion, of which $1.0 billion will be provided by the World Bank and $500 million will be provided by AIIB. Why in News ¾ Implementation: Recently, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank € It will be implemented by the National Health (AIIB) has approved USD 500 million for ‘Covid-19 Mission (NHM), the National Centre for Disease Emergency Response and Health Systems Preparedness Control (NCDC) and the Indian Council of Medical Project’ initiated by India. Research (ICMR). ¾ The project is expected to help India to respond to z NHM was launched by the government of India the Covid-19 pandemic and strengthen its public in 2013 subsuming the National Rural Health health preparedness. Mission and the National Urban Health Mission. Key Points z NCDC functions as the nodal agency in the country ¾ Aim: for disease surveillance facilitating prevention and control of communicable diseases under € The project intends to slow down and limit the the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. spread of Covid-19 in India. z ICMR is the apex body in India for the formulation, € It includes an immediate support for enhancement coordination and promotion of biomedical of disease detection capacities, oxygen delivery research. systems and medicines among others. € The project also strives to strengthen India’s Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Integrated Disease Surveillance Program (IDSP) ¾ It is a multilateral development bankwith a mission and the capacity to effectively manage future to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia. disease outbreaks. ¾ It is established by the AIIB Articles of Agreement z IDSP aims to strengthen/maintain decentralized (entered into force Dec. 25, 2015) which is a laboratory based and IT enabled disease multilateral treaty. The Parties (57 founding members) surveillance systems for epidemic prone diseases to agreement comprise the Membership of the Bank. to monitor disease trends. ¾ It is headquartered in Beijing and began its operations € It also aims to develop capacity and systems in January 2016. to detect existing and emerging zoonoses and ¾ India joined AIIB in 2016 as a regional member of upgrade viral research and diagnostic laboratories the Bank. for testing and research. ¾ The members of the Bank have now grown to 102 z As around 75% of new infectious diseases begin approved members worldwide. with human-to-animal contacts. € Further, fourteen of the G-20 nations are AIIB ¾ Beneficiaries: members including France, Germany, Italy and € The project will cover all States and Union the United Kingdom. Territories across India and address the needs ¾ By investing in sustainable infrastructure and other of infected people, at-risk populations, medical and emergency personnel and service providers, productive sectors in Asia and beyond, it connects medical and testing facilities, and national and people, services and markets that over time will animal health agencies. impact the lives of billions and build a better future.

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Science and Technology

Highlights z Luhman 16: Binary Brown Dwarf System z Mathematical and Simulation Aspects of Covid-19 z Demo-2 Mission z UV Blaster z African Swine Fever in Assam z COBAS 6800 Testing Machine z 1-D Simulation Code to Study Earth’s Magnetosphere z Feluda Test for Covid-19 z Development of the Nanomaterials Based Supercapacitors z ELISA Antibody Kits z Long March 5B’ Rocket by China z Ultraviolet Light and Viruses z Comparison of Measures Against Covid-19 z Automated UV Systems z Covid-19 in States with High Swine Flu Rates z BiPAP Ventilator “SwasthVayu” z Coronavirus Causes Blood Clots z Use of TB Drugs on Crops z Silent Hypoxia z Aarogya Setu Data Access and Knowledge Sharing Protocol

have found the actual structure of the clouds (not Luhman 16: Binary only their presence). Brown Dwarf System ¾ The polarimetry technique isn’t limited to brown dwarfs. It can also be applied to exoplanets orbiting distant stars, or even stars. However, light from brown Why in News dwarfs is ideal for the study. Recently, a group of astrophysicists have found that Luhman 16 the closest known brown dwarf, Luhman 16A shows signs of cloud bands similar to those seen on Jupiter and ¾ Luhman 16A is part of a binary system (Luhman 16) Saturn. containing a second brown dwarf, Luhman 16B. This pair of brown dwarfs Luhman 16A and Luhman 16B ¾ They used the technique of polarimetry to determine orbit each other. the properties of atmospheric clouds outside of the ¾ solar system. It is situated at a distance of about 6.5 light years from the Sun and the third closest system to the Sun Polarimetry after Alpha Centauri and Barnard’s star. ¾ Despite the fact that Luhman 16A and 16B have similar ¾ The concept of polarimetry technique was put forth masses and temperatures and presumably formed at by Indian astrophysicist Sujan Sengupta, that the light the same time, they show markedly different weather. emitted by a cloudy brown dwarf, or reflected off ¾ Luhman 16B shows no sign of stationary cloud an extrasolar planet, will be polarised. bands, instead showing evidence of more irregular, ¾ Polarimetry is the study of polarization. Polarization patchy clouds. is a property of light that represents the direction € Luhman 16B, therefore, has noticeable brightness that the light wave oscillates. variations as a result of its cloudy features, unlike ¾ When light is reflected off of particles it can favor Luhman 16A which has less brightness variation a certain angle of polarization. By measuring the due to a band of clouds. preferred polarization of light from a distant system, ¾ Understanding the cloud system over a brown dwarf astronomers can deduce the presence of clouds. can shed light on the pressure, temperature and € However, in case of Luhman 16A, the researchers climate on the surface of the celestial body.

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Brown Dwarfs Project Mercury (1958-63) ¾ Brown dwarfs are also called failed stars, because ¾ It was the first US man-in-space program. their masses are heavier than planets but lighter ¾ It was intended to orbit a manned spacecraft around than stars. Earth and to investigate man’s ability to function ¾ Due to their small masses, they are unable to sustain in space. fusion of their hydrogen to produce energy. Gemini Program (1962-66) ¾ It is believed that some of the more massive brown ¾ Designed as a bridge between the Mercury and dwarfs fuse deuterium or lithium and glow faintly. Apollo programs, it primarily tested equipment Binary Stars System and mission procedures and trained astronauts and ¾ Binary stars are two stars orbiting acommon center ground crews for future Apollo missions. of mass. Apollo Program (1963-72) ¾ The brighter star is officially classified as the primary ¾ It was designed to land humans on the Moon and star, while the dimmer of the two is the secondary bring them safely back to Earth. star. In cases where the stars are of equal brightness, ¾ the designation given by the discoverer is respected. Apollo 8 was the first manned mission to go to the moon. This mission did not land on the moon. It ¾ They are very important in astrophysics because orbited the moon, then came back to Earth. calculations of their orbits allow the masses of ¾ their component stars to be directly determined, Apollo 11 was the first moon landing mission. It which in turn allows other stellar parameters, such landed on 20th July, 1969. The crew of Apollo 11 as radius and density, to be indirectly estimated. was Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin. Space Shuttle Program (1981-2011) Demo-2 Mission ¾ NASA’s space shuttle fleet, Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour, flew 135 missions Why in News and helped construct the ISS. ¾ The spacecraft carried people into orbit repeatedly, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) launched, recovered and repaired satellites, and SpaceX are set for the Demo-2 mission from the conducted cutting-edge research and built the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA. largest structure in space. ¾ Demo-2 Mission will send astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). ¾ The mission is a major milestone for SpaceX, which is a private company founded by Elon Musk, who is Key Points the founder of Tesla. ¾ Under the Mission, astronauts Robert Behnken and € It has established itself as the leader in the private Douglas Hurley will dock with ISS and then remain space sector mainly due to its reusable rocket, there for between one to four months, depending the Falcon 9. on the time of next mission. ¾ It is a part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, African Swine Fever in Assam which is a partnership to develop and fly human space transportation systems. ¾ SpaceX spacecraft namedCrew Dragon will be used Why in News to take them into space. The Centre has advised the Assam state government € It will be only the fifth class of US spacecraft to to go for culling of pigs affected by the African Swine take human beings into orbit, after the Mercury, Fever (ASF). Gemini, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs. ¾ It is a high priority mission for the US which is clear by Key Points the fact that the mission is being carried out amidst ¾ A few organised piggeries in Assam have been affected Covid-19 pandemic. and the possible carrier could be humans.

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€ However, there is no confirmation on humans Key Points being the carrier of the virus. ¾ Formation of Earth’s Magnetosphere: ¾ Earlier in April, there were reported deaths of pigs € Sun is the major source of plasma deposition in due to the Classical Swine Fever (CSF). space around the Earth. Thus, the Sun forces some € Classical Swine Fever is also known as hog cholera of its plasma towards the earth in the form of and is a contagious viral disease of domestic and the solar wind. wild swine. z Plasma is the most common state of matter in € Unlike Swine Flu (H1N1) that attacks humans, the universe as a whole.It consists of a gas of classical swine fever is a viral disease that affects ions and free electrons. pigs only. It can be controlled by proper vaccination € The speed of solar wind varies between 300 to of pigs in time. 1500 km/s, which carries with it a solar magnetic African Swine Fever field, called the Interplanetary Magnetic Field (IMF). € The interaction of the IMF with the earth’s magnetic ¾ It is a highly contagious and fatal animal disease that field creates the magnetosphere of the earth. infects and leads to an acute form of hemorrhagic € The magnetosphere shields our home planet from fever in domestic and wild pigs. solar and cosmic particle radiation, as well as erosion ¾ It was first detected in Africa in the 1920s. of the atmosphere by the solar wind - the constant ¾ The mortality is close to 100% and since the fever has flow of charged particles streaming off the sun. no cure, the only way to stop its spread is by culling ¾ Regions of the Earth’s Magnetosphere: The schematic the animals. diagram of Earth’s magnetosphere shown consists of ¾ ASF is not a threat to human beings since it only different regions namely, spreads from animals to other animals. 1. Bow shock : It occurs ¾ ASF is a disease listed in the World Organisation for when the magneto- Animal Health (OIE) Terrestrial Animal Health Code sphere of an Earth and thus, reported to the OIE. interacts with the nearby flowing am- World Organisation for Animal Health bient plasma such ¾ OIE is an intergovernmental organisation responsible as the solar wind. for improving animal health worldwide. 2. Magnetosheath: It is ¾ In 2018, it had a total of 182 Member Countries. the region of space between the magnetopause and India is one of the member countries. the bow shock of a planet’s magnetosphere. ¾ OIE standards are recognised by the World Trade 3. Magnetopause : It is the boundary between the Organization as reference international sanitary rules. planet’s magnetic field and the solar wind. ¾ It is headquartered in Paris, France. 4. Northern tail lobe : The magnetosphere of the earth contains two lobes, referred to as the northern and 1-D Simulation Code to southern tail lobes. Magnetic field lines in the northern tail lobe point towards the earth. Study Earth’s Magnetosphere 5. Southern tail lobe: The magnetic field lines in the southern tail lobes point away from the earth. Usually, Why in News the tail lobes are almost empty, with few charged Scientists at the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism particles opposing the flow of the solar wind. (IIG) have developed a generalized one-dimensional fluid 6. Plasmasphere : The plasmasphere, or inner simulation codecapable of studying a wide spectrum of magnetosphere, is a region of the Earth’s magnetosphere coherent electric field structures in near-earth plasma consisting of low energy (cool) plasma. environments or earth’s magnetosphere. 7. Solar winds: It is a stream of charged particles released ¾ The developed simulation code is expected to help from the upper atmosphere of the Sun, called the in planning of future space missions. corona.

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¾ Significance of Study of Plasma Processes: stored in a given mass of a substance or system, i.e. € The plasma processes have the ability to hamper a measure of storage of energy. the working of a number of satellites that have ¾ Power density is the amount of power (time rate of been placed in orbit in the magnetospheric region. energy transfer) per unit volume, i.e. a measure of z However, the morphology of these plasma release of energy. processes changes over space and time. These Energy: Batteries, Capacitors and Supercapacitors changes can be ideally deciphered only through ¾ Like batteries, Capacitors are also used to store computer simulations. energy. While batteries rely on chemical reactions, € The study will help advance the knowledge of capacitors use static electricity (electrostatics) to plasma waves, instabilities, and coherent effects store energy. associated with wave-particle interactions that are ¾ Capacitors have many advantages over batteries: useful in planning future space missions. they weigh less, generally don’t contain harmful € It can also lead to precisely controlled fusion chemicals or toxic metals, and they can be charged and laboratory experiments for ever-expanding energy discharged many times. However, they cannot store needs of humanity. the same amount of electrical energy as batteries. ¾ Supercapacitors, also known as EDLC (electric Indian Institute of Geomagnetism double-layer capacitor) or Ultracapacitors, differ ¾ Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) is an from regular capacitors in that they can store a autonomous institution functioning directly under huge amount of energy. the Department of Science and Technology. ¾ Batteries have a higher energy density (they store ¾ It has its main Campus at Panvel, Navi Mumbai more energy per unit mass) but supercapacitors have (Maharashtra). a higher power density (they can release energy ¾ It conducts basic and applied research in Geomag- more quickly). This property makes supercapacitors netism (study of dynamics of earth’s magnetic field) particularly suitable forstoring and releasing large and allied fields like Solid Earth Geomagnetism/ amounts of power relatively quickly. Geophysics, Magnetosphere, Space and Atmo- ¾ Supercapacitors deliver quick bursts of energy spheric Sciences. during peak power demands and then quickly ¾ The Institute also supports the World Data Centre store energy and capture excess power that’s for Geomagnetism (WDC, Mumbai), which is the otherwise lost. In the example of an electric car, only International centre for Geomagnetic data a supercapacitor can provide needed power for in South Asia and caters to the needs of Space acceleration, while a battery provides range and and Earth Scientists and researchers from various recharges the supercapacitor between surges. universities and research institutions. Key Points Development ¾ Nanomaterials Based Supercapacitors: € The researchers have been working on carbon of the Nanomaterials (Carbon Nanotubes, Graphene) nanomaterials Based Supercapacitors based supercapacitors to achieve high energy density and power density of supercapacitors. Why in News € High energy density of supercapacitors suggests that constant current can be withdrawn for a longer Recently, a group of researchers (including a recipient duration without recharging. Hence automobiles of the INSPIRE Faculty Award) have made significant can run longer distances without charging. achievements in developing nanomaterials based su- € Thus, researchers have developed a reduced percapacitors to achieve high energy density and power graphene oxide (rGO) at a moderate temperature density of supercapacitors. of 100°C with high capacitance performance. It is ¾ Energy density is the amount of energy that can be cost-effective and suitable for commercial purposes.

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€ The focus on energy devices paves the way for € Scholarship for Higher Education (SHE): It aims the development of cost-effective and efficient to enhance rates of attachment of talented devices, which can be used for energy storage youth to undertake higher education in science application. intensive programmes, by providing scholarships ¾ Optoelectronic Applications of Nanomaterials: and mentorship. € Optoelectronics is the study and application of € Assured Opportunity for Research Careers (AORC): electronic devices and systems that source, detect It aims to attract, attach, retain and nourish talented and control light, usually considered a sub-field young scientific Human Resource for strengthening of photonics. the R&D foundation and base. € The researchers are developing novel nanostructures of carbon for Surface-Enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). z Surface-Enhanced Raman spectroscopy or surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a surface-sensitive technique that enhances Raman scattering by molecules adsorbed on rough metal surfaces or by nanostructures such as plasmonic-magnetic silica nanotubes. z The enhancement factor can be as much as 1010 to 1011, which means the technique may Long March even detect a single molecule. 5B’ Rocket by China € The SERS can help detect harmful molecules present in water at ultra-low concentrations. Why in News € The findings make way for materials which can be used as advanced photodetectors and also be used Recently, China has successfully launched the Long as optical sensors for water pollution control. March 5B’ rocket and prototype spacecraft. ¾ It is being considered as China’s successful step to Innovation in Science operate a permanent space station and send astronauts Pursuit for Inspired Research to the Moon. ¾ Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research ¾ India is also planning to launch its own space station. (INSPIRE) intends to attract talent to study science € A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting at an early age, and to help the country build the crew members, designed to remain in space for an required critical resource pool for strengthening and extended period of time and for other spacecraft expanding the Science and Technology base with long to dock. term foresight. € One fully functional space station in the Earth’s ¾ It is an India specific model for attracting talent with lower orbit is the International Space Station and an aptitude for research and innovation, for a career astronauts conduct different experiments in it. in Basic & Natural sciences. ¾ The scheme has been developed by the Department Key Points of Science & Technology (DST), Ministry of Science ¾ Long March 5B’ Rocket: and Technology and approved in 2008. € It was launched from the Wenchang launch site ¾ INSPIRE Scheme has included three programs and in the southern island of Hainan. five components.The three programmes are: € It weighs 849 tonnes. € Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent (SEATS): It aims to attract talented youth to study science by ¾ Unmanned Prototype Spaceship: providing INSPIRE Award of Rs 5000 to one million € It is expected to transport astronauts to a space young learners of the age group 10-15 years. station that China plans to complete by 2022 —

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Comparison of Measures Against Covid-19

Why in News The Oxford University has created a Stringency Index which shows how strict a country’s measures were and at what stage of the Covid-19 spread, it enforced these. ¾ India enforced one of the strongest lockdowns at an early phase of case growth. Stringency Index ¾ The Government Response Stringency Index is a composite measure based on various response indicators including school and workplace closures, stay-at-home policies and travel bans, rescaled to a value from 0 to 100. and eventually to the Moon. It will have capacity € A higher index score indicates a higher level of for a crew of six. stringency (100 = strictest response). ¾ Future Missions by China: ¾ It is among the metrics used by the Oxford Coronavirus € The assembly of the Tiangong space station is Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT). expected to begin in 2020 and finish in 2022. ¾ The Tracker has a team of 100 Oxford community € China plans to send an astronaut to the Moon in members who update a database of 17 indicators of about a decade and then build a base there. government response. z The United States is so far the only country to have successfully sent humans to the Moon. Key Points ¾ The Index has found that India has one of the strongest International Space Station (ISS) lockdown measures in the world, at a 100 score since ¾ ISS is a habitable artificial satellite - the single 22nd March, when the nationwide lockdownwas first largest man-made structure in low earth orbit. Its imposed. first component was launched into orbit in 1998. € It was slightly relaxed on 20th April after the ¾ It circles the Earth in roughly 92 minutes and government eased norms for certain workplaces completes 15.5 orbits per day. in regions outside the red zones (zones with ¾ The ISS programme is a joint project between five increasing rate of active cases). participating space agencies:NASA (United States), ¾ Other countries with a 100 score are Honduras, Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), Argentina, Jordan, Libya, Sri Lanka, Serbia and Rwanda. and CSA (Canada) but its ownership and use has ¾ Death Curve and Stringency Score: been established by intergovernmental treaties € The Index also provides an overlay of countries’ and agreements. death curve and their stringency score. ¾ It serves as a microgravity and space environment € Eighteen countries were compared for the highest research laboratory in which crew members conduct death count at the strongest measures. experiments in biology, human biology, physics, z Italy, Spain or France saw their deaths just astronomy, meteorology, and other fields. begin to flatten as they reached their highest ¾ Continuous presence at ISS has resulted in the longest stringency. continuous human presence in the low earth orbit. z China’s death curve saw a little or no change ¾ It is expected to operate until 2030. after it put stronger measures.

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z In the UK, the US and India, the death curve has not flattened even after imposition of the strictest measures. ¾ India’s Comparison: € India called its strict lockdown at a much earlier point on its case and death curves when compared to other countries with similar or higher case load. z While imposing lockdown, India had around 320 cases while others had more than 500 cases. € Spain called for its strictest measures later in its case and death count than all others. € Sweden has had the most liberal measures in this set and Iran the second most liberal. ¾ Response on WHO’s Recommendations € The researchers also examined if countries meet four of the six World Health Organization’s (WHO) ¾ The NCDC recorded Swine Flu cases this year as well recommendations for relaxing physical distancing as part of India’s Integrated Disease Surveillance measures. The four of them are: Programme. z Control transmission to a level the healthcare system can manage. Key Points z The healthcare system can detect and isolate ¾ Data History of Swine Flu all cases (not just serious ones). € 2019: Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Maharashtra z Manage transfer to and from high-risk accounted for 54%. transmission zones. € 2018: Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and z Community engagement. Gujarat accounted for 65%. € It was found that no countries meet the four € Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are among India’s most measured recommendations, but 20 are close. populous states and see intense migration to z India scored 0.7 (below Australia, Thailand, other states for work still they have not been in Taiwan and South Korea) because it scored 0 the top list always. for controlling its cases. ¾ Parallels between Covid-19 and Swine Flu z The highest scorers on this index, at 0.9, were € Both are caused due to pathogens that trace their Iceland, Hong Kong, Croatia and Trinidad & origins to viruses from non-human hosts even Tobago. though they belong to different families. z Both respiratory viruses that spread through Covid-19 in States contact. € Both infiltrate the lungs and cause characteristic with High Swine Flu Rates pulmonary infections but they have varying lethality. z Swine flu infections have ahigher case fatality Why in News rate (deaths per confirmed cases) and can cause Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi and Tamil significantdeaths in children as well as those Nadu account for about 70% of India’s confirmedCovid-19 less than 60. cases till now. z Covid-19 is relativelymore dangerous to those ¾ Data from the Health Ministry’s National Centre for above 60 and almost harmless in children. Disease Control (NCDC), show that these are also the n However, due to lack of sufficient research, states which consistently accounted for the majority it cannot be said which age group is safer or of Swine Flu (H1N1) cases, since 2015. not.

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€ High number of Covid-19 and Swine Flu cases ¾ Thus, Covid-19 is being seen as less of a typical have been observed in Gujarat and Maharashtra. respiratory disease and more of one that involves z The relative dominance of these diseases can dangerous clotting. be attributed to themigration for work. Key Points ¾ Observations ¾ Misconception of Only Lung Damage: € February-March are typical months for influenza (viral infection of upper or lower respiratory tract) € Initially, it was considered that the vast majority in India. of lung damage in Covid-19 patients was due to viral pneumonia. € Most influenza activity innorthern India has been seen during the summer months but in southern € But the autopsies of the Covid-19 patients shows and western India, cases occurred mostly during that clumps of platelets inside blood vessels, or winter months. microthrombi, to be the reason for rapid and dramatic deterioration of condition of patients. € According to scientists, due to the novel nature of ¾ Covid-19, the possibility of another spike later in Development of Thrombi: the year cannot be ruled out. € Usually these blood clots are called thrombi — that form in patients’ arterial catheters and filters used € For Swine flu, this year there is anexceptional rise to support failing kidneys. in testing and active surveillance across states otherwise only few states have the infrastructure € The clots impede blood flow in the lungs, which and system to actively report cases. develop severe blood-oxygen deficiency, causing difficulty in breathing. z Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu have 50 testing laboratories each for Covid-19 many of which ¾ Pulmonary Embolism: are also deployed for Swine flu. € Studies have found that as many as 30% of severely ill Covid-19 patientssuffered a so-calledpulmonary Swine Flu embolism — a potentially deadly blockage in one ¾ It is caused by the swine flu virus, the H1N1. of the arteries of the lungs. ¾ It is an infection of the respiratory tract characterized € Pulmonary embolism often occurs when bits of by the usual symptoms of flu like cough, nasal blood clots from veins deep in the legs travel to secretions, fever, loss of appetite, fatigue and the lungs. headache. € According to a study, the prevalence of pulmonary ¾ It is called swine flu because in the past it was embolism was 1.3% in critically ill patients without known to occur in people who had been in the Covid-19. vicinity of pigs. ¾ Detection of Blood Clots: ¾ The virus is transmitted by short-distance airborne € The D-dimer blood test is being used around the transmission, particularly in crowded enclosed world to monitor clot formation in patients, including spaces. Hand contamination and direct contact those with Covid-19, and patients are also being are other possible sources of transmission. dosened with heparin and other anticoagulant medications. Coronavirus ¾ History of Blood Clotting Diseases: € The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, caused by a Causes Blood Clots novel strain of influenza, was also linked to downstream damage from clots that could end Why in News lives dramatically. Recently, doctors around the world have noticed a € Viruses including HIV, dengue and Ebola are all raft of clotting-related disorders in Covid-19 patients, known to make blood cells prone to clumping. which causes benign skin lesions on the feet (Covid toe) € The pro-clotting effect may be even more to strokes and blood-vessel blockages. pronounced in patients with the coronavirus.

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Issues Involved z Values under 90% are considered low. ¾ Lung damage: If untreated, large arterial lung clots € When levels fall below 90%, patients could can put overwhelming strain on the heart, causing begin experiencing lethargy, confusion or mental cardiac arrest. disruptions because of insufficient quantities of oxygen reaching the brain. € Even tiny clots in the capillaries of lung tissue may interrupt blood flow, undermining attempts z Levels below 80% can result in damage to vital to help oxygenate patients with ventilators. organs. ¾ Vital organ damage: Clots may form in other parts of ¾ Silent Hypoxia the body, potentially damaging vital organs including € It is a form of oxygen deprivation that is harder the heart, kidneys, liver, bowel, and other tissues. to detect than regular hypoxis because patients ¾ Mistaken of Covid-19 recurrence: Covid-19 survivors appear to be less in distress. who have subsequent difficulty breathing, might € Covid pneumonia, a serious medical condition mistakenly believe it’s a recurrence of coronavirus found in severe Covid-19 patients, is preceded infection, when it may actually be a reactivation of by silent hypoxia. the whole clotting problem. € Many Covid-19 patients with oxygen levels below ¾ Subsequent disease: Pulmonary embolism also 80% look at ease and alert. There have been a few causes pulmonary hypertension, another dangerous cases of oxygen levels below 50% as well. complication that can cause fatigue and shortness z Those with such low levels of oxygen would of breath. normally appear extremely ill but not in silent ¾ Risk: Patients and doctors alike may not be aware of hypoxia cases. the risks or the potential need for treatment. € In many cases, Covid-19 patients with silent hypoxia did not exhibit symptoms such as shortness Silent Hypoxia of breath or coughing until their oxygen fell to acutely low levels, at which point there was a risk of acute respiratory distress (ARDS) and Why in News organ failure. Amidst the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, medical € Reasons: practitioners have reported a condition called silent or z The reason why people are left feeling breathless happy hypoxia, in which patients have extremely low is not because of the fall in oxygen levels itself blood oxygen levels, yet they do not show signs of but due to the rise in carbon dioxide levels breathlessness. that occur at the same time, when lungs are ¾ It has left medical practitioners confused and many of not able to expel this gas efficiently. them are now advocating for its early detection as a z In some Covid-19 cases, this was not the response means to avoid a fatal illness called Covid pneumonia. and patients did not feel breathless. z It happened because in patients with Covid Key Points pneumonia, the virus causes air sacs to fall, ¾ Hypoxia leading to a reduction in levels of oxygen. € It is a condition wherein there is not enough However, the lungs initially do not become oxygen available to the blood and body tissues. stiff or heavy with fluid and remain compliant € Hypoxia can either be generalised, affecting meaning they are able to expel carbon dioxide the whole body, or local, affecting a region of and avoid its buildup. Thus, patients do not feel the body. short of breath. z Normal arterial oxygen is approximately 75 ¾ A medical device called a pulse oximeter can be used to 100 millimetres of mercury (mm Hg) and in the early detection of silent hypoxia. normal pulse oximeter readings usually range € Active Covid-19 or suspected cases can check their from 95 to 100%. oxygen levels early on by using the device.

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€ A fall in oxygen levels can serve as a signal for Key Points seeking additional treatment immediately. ¾ These studies attempt to propose mathematical/ € Concerns have been raised against it arguing simulation models to account for various factors that the frequent use of the device would lead relevant to Covid-19 by modifying the basic SIR to increased anxiety. (Susceptible-Infected-Recovered) models. Pulse Oximeter € An SIR model is an epidemiological model that ¾ It is a test used to measure the oxygen level (oxygen computes the theoretical number of people infected saturation) of the blood. with a contagious illness in a closed population over time. ¾ The device measures the saturation of oxygen in red blood cells (RBCs) and can be attached to a € The name of this class of models derives from the person’s fingers, toes, nose, feet, ears or forehead. fact that they involve coupled equations relating the number of susceptible people , number of ¾ The method is easy and painless and the device people infected , and number of people who have can be reused or disposed of after use. recovered. ¾ It is generally used to check the health of patients ¾ with known conditions that affect blood oxygen Some of such factors are heterogeneity of population, levels like heart and lung conditions. the role of asymptomatic (showing no symptoms) population, migration and quarantine, effect of social Covid Pneumonia distancing and lockdown, socioeconomic factors and ¾ It is a potentially deadly condition in Covid-19 so on. patients which affects thelungs’ ability to transfer ¾ Aim oxygen and causes breathing difficulties. € To study Indian conditions and provide an estimate ¾ When a person cannot inhale enough oxygen and of Basic Reproduction Number (R0)- the qualitative exhale enough carbon dioxide, the pneumonia can indicator of the degree of contagiousness of the lead to death. disease. ¾ Covid pneumonia is especially severe because it z R0 tells the average number of people who will is viral and it completely affects the lungs instead catch the disease from one contagious person. of small parts. z The larger this number, the more contagious is € Other kinds of pneumonia which are caused the disease caused by the virus and the faster mainly by bacteria and can be treated using it will spread in the community. antibiotics areless severe than Covid pneumonia. ¾ It also aims to identify the maximum likelihood ¾ Patients are required to be put on ventilator support infection tree when infection reports and contact in such severe cases to ensure adequate circulation network structure are known to the administration. of oxygen in the body. ¾ To identify possible cures of Covid-19 through the study of DNA (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid) structures by Mathematical and Simulation creating patterns of DNA of different viruses.

Aspects of Covid-19 MATRICS Scheme ¾ It was launched in 2017 by the Science and Why in News Engineering Research Board (SERB). The Science and Engineering Research Board ¾ It aims to provide fixed grant support to active (SERB) has approved funding for 11 projects under the researchers with good credentials in Mathematical MATRICS scheme for studying mathematical modelling Sciences, Theoretical Sciences and Quantitative and computational aspects to tackle the Covid-19 Social Sciences. pandemic. ¾ The support is provided in the form of research ¾ SERB is a statutory body under the Department of grant of Rs. 2 lakh per annum plus overheads for a Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. period of three years.

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UV Blaster Drone as a Service ¾ Historically, many UAV applications were developed in the military as spy or reconnaissance vehicles Why in News used during wartime. Recently, the Defence Research and Development ¾ However, the development of this type of aircraft Organisation (DRDO) has developed an Ultra Violet (UV) has evolved towards commercial, civil and consumer Disinfection Tower for rapid and chemical free disinfection spaces, including professional videography, surveying, of high infection prone areas. construction, inspection, traffic management and ¾ The equipment named “UV blaster” is designed and last mile delivery. developed by Laser Science & Technology Centre ¾ Commercial drone services are developing UAV (LASTEC) with the help of M/s New Age Instruments services, sometimes called Drones as a Service and Materials Private Limited, Gurugram. (DaaS), to help industries, such as agriculture, € LASTEC is the Delhi based premier laboratory of construction, search and rescue, package delivery, DRDO. industrial inspection, insurance and videography, Key Points with tasks like collecting imagery and measurements and managing or broadcasting events. ¾ The UV blaster is a UV based ¾ Drone services seem cost-effective, portable, and – area sanitiser useful for high in extreme emergencies like Covid-19 can – provide tech surfaces like electronic the first take, including visuals, assessment and equipment, computers and extent of damage. other gadgets in laboratories and offices that are not suitable ¾ It also consists of patented autopilot technology, for disinfection with chemical advanced flight controller systems. methods. ¾ The product is also effective for COBAS 6800 Testing Machine areas with large flow of people such as airports, shopping malls, metros, hotels, factories, Why in News offices, etc. The Union Health Minister inaugurated the first ¾ The UV based area sanitiser may be used by remote automated coronavirus testing device named ‘COBAS operation through laptop/mobile phone using wifi link. 6800’. ¾ The sanitiser switches off on accidental opening of ¾ This is the first such testing machine that has been room or human intervention. procured by the Government for testing of Covid-19 ¾ It is also being considered as the key to arm operation. cases and is installed at the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). Corona-Killer 100 Key Points ¾ Corona-Killer 100 is an automated disinfecting Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) developed by Garuda ¾ COBAS 6800 is a fully automated, high end machine Aerospace - an ISO- 9001 company. for performing Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ¾ These drones will aid in the sanitation of public (RT-PCR) testing for Covid-19. places, hospitals and tall buildings up to 450 feet ¾ It will provide quality, high-volume testing as it can amid Covid-19 outbreak. test around 1200 samples in 24 hours. ¾ It is equipped with fuel efficient motors that enable € This will largely increase the testing capacity in the drone to be deployed for 12 hours a day. the country. ¾ Drone operations are faster, longer & safer than ¾ It is a sophisticated machine enabled with robotics manual spraying by workers who can become potential that minimizes the chance of contamination as well carriers of Covid-19. as the risk of infection to the health care workers.

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¾ The machine requires a minimum Biosafety Level € It is expected to help to fulfil an urgent need of 2 (BSL2+) containment level for testing, thus it was the rapid testing in India. placed at the NCDC. € It is the first such indigenous test kit to be developed € BSL2+ covers laboratories that work with agents in India based on Clustered Regularly Interspaced associated with human diseases (i.e. pathogenic Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) technology. or infectious organisms) that pose a moderate z CRISPR is a gene editing technology, which health hazard. replicates natural defence mechanisms in ¾ The device can also detect other pathogens like Viral bacteria to fight virus attacks, using a special Hepatitis B & C, HIV (Human Immunodeficiency protein called Cas9. Virus), Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Papilloma, z CRISPR-Cas9 technology behaves like a cut-and- Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, Chlamydia (a paste mechanism on DNA strands that contain bacterial infection), Neisseria (bacteria) etc. genetic information. The specific location of the genetic codes that need to be changed, National Centre for Disease Control or edited, is identified on the DNA strand, and ¾ It was formerly known as the National Institute of then, using the Cas9 protein, which acts like Communicable Diseases (NICD) and had its origin as a pair of scissors, that location is cut off from the Central Malaria Bureau, established at Kasauli the strand. (Himachal Pradesh) in 1909. z A DNA strand, when broken, has a natural ¾ NICD was transformed into NCDC with a larger tendency to repair itself. Scientists intervene mandate of controlling emerging and re-emerging during this auto-repair process, supplying the diseases in 2009. desired sequence of genetic codes that binds ¾ It functions as the nodal agency in the country for itself with the broken DNA strand. disease surveillance, facilitating prevention and ¾ Comparison to the RT-PCR Test: control of communicable diseases. € Working Principle: The Feluda test uses the gene- ¾ It is also a national level institute for training editing tool-Crispr-Cas9 to target and identify specialized manpower for public health, laboratory genomic sequences of the novel coronavirus in sciences and entomological services and is involved suspected individual samples. in various applied research activities. z RT-PCR test (Reverse Transcription Polymerase ¾ The Institute is under administrative control of Chain Reaction) detects the virus genetic material, the Director General of Health Services, Ministry which is the Ribonucleic acid (RNA). of Health and Family Welfare. € Cost: The Feluda test will cost less than Rs.500 ¾ Headquarter: New Delhi. compared to Rs. 4500 for the real-time PCR test which is currently being used for Covid-19 diagnosis Feluda Test for Covid-19 in India. € Required Medical Machinery: The Feluda test Why in News also does not rely on expensive real-time PCR machines for RNA isolation, DNA conversion, and Recently, the Council of Scientific and Industrial amplification which are already in limited supply Research’s Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology in the country. (CSIR-IGIB) has developed India’s first paper strip test for Covid-19 namely, ‘Feluda’. ELISA Antibody Kits Key Points ¾ Description: Why in News € The Feluda is a paper strip test that detects the Recently, the Indian Council of Medical Research coronavirus in an hour. (ICMR) has approved the first batch of antibody testing € Feluda is an acronym for FNCAS9 Editor Linked kits called “Covid KAVACH ELISA” manufactured by Zydus- Uniform Detection. Cadila to be used in sero-survey.

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Key Points Antibody ¾ Covid KAVACH ELISA has been developed at the ¾ Antibody, also called immunoglobulin is a protective National Institute of Virology, Pune, by isolating the protein produced by the immune system in response virus from patients in India. to the presence of a foreign substance, called an € Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) is a antigen. test that detects and measures antibodies in blood. € A wide range of substances are regarded by € The test can be used to determine antibodies the body as antigens, including disease-causing related to certain infectious conditions. organisms and toxic materials. € It can be used to diagnose HIV, which causes AIDS, ¾ Antibodies recognize and attack onto antigens in Zika virus etc. order to remove them from the body. ¾ The ELISA kits will be used in the new nationwide PCR Test “sero-survey” of the Ministry of Health. ¾ Kary Mullis, the American biochemist invented the € Sero-survey is meant to detect the prevalence PCR technique. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for of antibodies that appear after a patient has Chemistry in 1993. recovered. ¾ Under this, copies of a segment of DNA (deoxyri- ¾ According to the ICMR, real-time Reverse Transcription bonucleic acid) are created using an enzyme called Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) is still the frontline Polymerase. test for clinical diagnosis of Covid-19, but the antibody € The ‘chain reaction’ signifies how the DNA tests are critical for surveillance to understand the fragments are copied, exponentially — one is proportion of population exposed to infection. copied into two, the two are copied into four, € The antibody test for Covid-19 acts as a screening and so on. process that gives quick results in a few hours. ¾ A fluorescent DNA binding dye called the “probe” € The antibody test detects the body’s response to is added to DNA, which shows the presence of the the virus. It gives an indication that a person has virus on a fluorometer. been exposed to the virus. ¾ However, coronavirus is made of RNA (ribonucleic € If the test is positive, the swab is collected and acid). an Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) test is done using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) kit. ¾ Therefore to detect coronavirus, RNA is converted into DNA using a technique called reverse tran- ¾ ELISA antibody tests are different from the rapid antibody tests previously used by Indian authorities. scription. € A ‘reverse transcriptase’ enzyme converts the € ELISA kits are more reliable and cheaper than rapid antibody testing kits. RNA into DNA. ¾ Copies of the DNA are then made and amplified. € The ELISA kit has a sensitivity of 98.7% and a specificity of 100%. ¾ Generally, the entire process of PCR test takes 24 z Sensitivity signifies accurate positive test results, hours to deliver the result. whereas specificity signifies accurate negative test results. Ultraviolet € According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) the kits are suitable for “for testing large numbers Light and Viruses of samples per day, as well as in blood banks or for surveillance studies”. Why in News ¾ ELISA has minimal biosafety and biosecurity As nations begin relaxing restrictions, scientists are requirements as compared to the real-time RT-PCR test. studying the use of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation ¾ Moreover, ELISA-based testing is easily possible (UVGI) to detect the virus in public places and disinfect even at the district level as the test kit has inactivated contaminated public spaces to stop the transmission of virus. the virus.

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Key Points € It disinfects contaminated spaces, air and water and helps in preventing certain infectious diseases ¾ Ultraviolet Light: from spreading. € UV light from the sun has shorter wavelengths € According to the US Centers for Disease Prevention than visible light so it is not visible to the naked and Control (CDC), UVGI is a promising method eye. for disinfection. € UV radiation’s full spectrum is sourced from the z In 2005, the CDC revised its guidelines for using sun and can be classified into UV-A, UV-B and UVGI with regards to the spread of tuberculosis rays according to their wavelength. UV-C (TB) in hospital settings. € They differ in their biological activity and the extent z The guidelines intended to eliminate the spread to which they can penetrate the skin. of infection to healthcare workers from patients z The shorter the wavelength, the more harmful or others with unsuspected or undiagnosed the UV radiation. infection. z However, shorter wavelength UV radiation is € Scientists advise that fixtures containing UVGI less able to penetrate the skin. lamps can be mounted on the walls or suspended € Research shows that UV light kills cells and increased from the ceilings. exposure can cause cells to become carcinogenic z Such fixtures will shine light on the upper interior (cancerous) and increases the risk of gettingcancer . surface of a room and trap pathogens. z Installing a fan in such spaces can further draw Classification of UV Radiation the air upward, which will increase the speed ¾ UV-C: with which the UVGI can destroy pathogens. € Short-wavelength. € UVGI lamps can also be installed in room corners, € Most harmful but are completely absorbed by in air ducts of ventilation systems or portable or the Earth’s atmosphere and does not reach the fixedair cleaners. Earth’s surface. € UVGI fixtures are and should be installed above ¾ UV-B: people’s heads because their short wavelengths € Medium-wavelength. can irritate the skin and eyes. € Biologically active but cannot penetrate beyond ¾ Effectiveness: the superficial skin layers. € According to research papers, UVGI is most effective € Responsible for delayed tanning and burning. in preventing infections which are mainly spread € Enhances skin ageing and significantly promotes through smaller droplets and not by direct contact the development of skin cancer. or larger respiratory droplets. € Exposure to UV-B rays can cause DNA and cellular € The efficacy of UVGI depends on several factors, damage in living organisms. such as: € Most solar UVB is filtered by the atmosphere. z Sensitivity of microorganisms to UVGI. ¾ UV-A: z Dose/ intensity of UVGI required to kill pathogens. z € Relativelylong-wavelength . Humidity and weather conditions. z € Accounts for approximately 95% of the UV Air circulation in a room. radiation reaching the Earth’s surface. n It should be such that the air from below € Penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin and the room, where the pathogen is generated is responsible for the immediate tanning. reaches the upper-portions of the room, where the UVGI can trap and kill the pathogen. € Enhances the development of skin cancers. € However, using UVGI on a mass-scale in public ¾ UVGI Working Method: spaces like schools, universities, restaurants and € UVGI replicates UV wavelengths and uses its cinema halls is not a very cost-effective way for destructive properties to target pathogens. disease prevention.

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¾ DRDO’s Latest UV Developments: The Defence ¾ Earlier, DRDO had developed UV Blaster (ultraviolet Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) disinfection tower) for rapid and chemical free has recently developed automated contactless UV-C disinfection of high infection prone areas. devices namely DRUVS (Defence Research Ultraviolet Sanitiser) and NOTESCLEAN. Defence Research Ultraviolet Sanitiser ¾ It has been designed to sanitise mobile phones, Other Measures iPads, laptops, currency notes, cheque leafs, challans, ¾ Apart from using modern technology to combat passbooks, paper, envelopes, etc. viruses, it has been suggested to bring behavioural ¾ The DRUVS cabinet has a contactless operation which changes like social distancing and wearing masks. becomes crucial to contain the spread of Covid-19 ¾ Few countries have considered issuing immunity and other viruses. passports or risk-free certificates. ¾ It has proximity sensor switches, clubbed with drawer € Such certificates are based on the idea that the opening and closing mechanism which makes its natural immunity a person develops to any operation automatic and contactless. infection will protect them from contracting the ¾ It provides 360 degree exposure of UVC to the objects disease again. placed inside the cabinet and it automatically goes z Once infected with a viral pathogen, the body’s into sleep mode after the sanitation process. innate immune response kicks in and slows the spread of the virus. NOTESCLEAN z This response is followed by an adaptive ¾ The device picks the note response, wherein the body makes antibodies, inserted from the input slot which bind to the virus and help eliminate it. and makes them pass through z If this response is strong enough, it might prevent a series of UVC lamps for reinfection from the same pathogen. complete disinfection. ¾ € However, the World Health Organisation (WHO) It will save a lot of time because has warned against using immunity passports disinfection of each currency because there is, yet, no proof of immunity from note by DRUVS or any other the reinfection of Covid-19. sanitising process is a time consuming process. z Even if there is an immunity, its duration is Defence Research and Development Organisation not known ¾ It works under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence. Automated UV Systems ¾ Objective: To establish a world class science and technology base for India and provide Indian Defence Services decisive edge by equipping them with Why in News internationally competitive systems and solutions. Recently, the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), has ¾ It was established in 1958 after combining Technical developed an automated contactless UVC (short- Development Establishment (TDEs) of the Indian wavelength ultraviolet light with wavelengths between Army and the Directorate of Technical Development 200-280 nanometers) sanitisation cabinet, calledDefence & Production (DTDP) with the Defence Science Research UltraViolet Sanitiser Organisation (DSO). (DRUVS) and an automated UVC currency sanitising device, called NOTESCLEAN. BiPAP Ventilator “SwasthVayu” ¾ RCI is a Hyderabad based Defence Research and Why in News Development Organisation Recently, the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), (DRDO) premier lab. Bangalore has developed BiPAP ventilator named

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SwasthVayu, a non-invasive (involves use of masks or ¾ Where no alternatives are available, use of these similar device) breathing support device, for the use of antibiotics should be phased out by 2022-end. Till non-critical non-ICU cases of Covid-19. then, the antibiotics could be used on crops strictly ¾ BiPAP stands for Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure. It as per the label claim i.e. streptomycin sulphate (9%) is a type of positive pressure ventilator. and tetracycline hydrochloride (1%). ¾ While using BiPAP, positive air pressure is received ¾ The RC acknowledged that diseases in crops can be during breathing in and breathing out. But higher air managed by using integrated pest management and pressure is received during breathing in. other practices. ¾ Issues Involved: Key Points € Rampant Misuse: Although streptocycline use is ¾ SwasthVayu is connected with an oxygen concentrator, allowed for eight crops by the CIBRC, it was found and will be ideal to treat moderate or mid-stage severe to be used on many more crops in practice. Covid-19 patients who do not require intubation and € Antibiotic Resistance: Exposure to antibiotics can invasive ventilation. lead to development of antibiotic resistance in ¾ The ventilator is ideal for treating Covid-19 patients in humans and animals. wards, makeshift hospitals, dispensaries and homes € Benefits of Streptomycin: in the current Indian Covid-19 scenario. z It has important use for previously treated ¾ The major advantage of this machine is that it is tuberculosis (TB) patients. simple to use without any specialized nursing, cost z It is also used in multidrug-resistant TB patients effective, compact and configured with majority of and in certain cases of TB meningitis (brain TB). indigenous components. z The World Health Organization (WHO)recognises ¾ The system has been certified for safety and streptomycin as a critically important medicine performance by the National Accreditation Board for for human use. Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). Integrated Pest Management National Aerospace Laboratories ¾ It is an ecosystem-based strategy that focuses on ¾ National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) is a constituent long-term prevention of pests or their damage of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research through a combination of techniques such as (CSIR), India, established in 1959. biological control, habitat manipulation, modification ¾ It is the only government aerospace Research & of cultural practices, and use of resistant varieties. Development laboratory in the country’s civilian ¾ Pesticides are used only after monitoring and sector. according to established guidelines.Treatments are made with the goal of removing only the target Use of TB Drugs on Crops organism. ¾ Pest control materials are selected and applied in a manner Why in News that minimizes risks to human health, beneficial and nontarget organisms, and the Recently, the Registration Committee (RC) under the environment. Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC) has recommended to ban the use of antibiotics Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee streptomycin and tetracycline. ¾ The Central Insecticides Board & Registration Committee (CIBRC) was set up by the Ministry of Key Points Agriculture and Farmers Welfare in the year 1970 to regulate the import, manufacture, sale, transport, ¾ The RC recommended to ban antibiotics streptomycin distribution and use of insecticides. and tetracycline with immediate effect on crops ¾ The insecticides are regulated under where other options are available for bacterial Insecticides disease control. Act, 1968 and Insecticides Rules, 1971.

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¾ The Central Insecticides Board (CIB) advises the app’s developer, National Informatics Centre (NIC) Central Government and State Governments on shall be responsible for collection, processing and technical matters arising out of the administration of managing response data collected by the Aarogya Insecticides Act and to carry out the other functions Setu app under this Protocol. assigned to the Board by or under Insecticides rules. € Further, it also calls for the Empowered Group ¾ To import or manufacture any insecticide, registration on Technology and Data Management to review is required at the Registration Committee. the protocol after six months; unless extended. It will be in force only for six months from the date of its issue. Aarogya Setu z Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) is Data Access and a Group of Ministers (GoM) of the Union Government appointed by the Cabinet or the Knowledge Sharing Protocol Prime Minister for investigating and reporting on such matters as may be specified. Why in News z These EGoMs are also authorised to take Recently, the Ministry of Electronics and Information decisions in such matters after investigation. Technology (MeitY) has issued ‘Aarogya Setu Data Access ¾ Definition of Individual: and Knowledge Sharing Protocol, 2020’ laying down € The order states that the data pertaining to guidelines for sharing such data with government agencies individuals is urgently required in order to formulate and third parties amid Covid-19 pandemic. appropriate health responses for addressing the ¾ The executive order issued came amid concerns and Covid-19 pandemic. privacy issues expressed by a number of experts over € The Protocol clarifies that individuals means the efficacy and safety of the app. persons who are infected or are at high risk of being infected or who have come in contact with Aarogya Setu App infected individuals. ¾ It has been launched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. ¾ Categorisation of Data: ¾ It will help people in identifying the risk of getting € The data collected by the Aarogya Setu app is affected by the Coronavirus. broadly divided into four categories — ¾ It will also help to calculate risk based on the user’s z Demographic Data: It includes information interaction with others, using cutting edge Bluetooth such as name, mobile number, age, gender, technology, algorithms and artificial intelligence. profession and travel history. € Once installed in a smartphone, the app detects z Contact Data: It is about any other individual that other nearby devices with Aarogya Setu installed. a given individual has come in close proximity ¾ The app will help the Government take necessary with, including the duration of the contact, the timely steps for assessing risk of spread of Covid-19 proximate distance between the individuals infection and ensuring isolation where required. and the geographical location at which the contact occurred. Key Points z Self-assessment Data: It includes the responses ¾ Description: provided by that individual to the self-assessment € The issued Protocol intends to ensure that data test administered within the app. collected from the app is gathered, processed and z Location data: It comprises the geographical shared in an appropriate way. position of an individual in latitude and longitude. € The violation of the protocol will lead to the penalties € The demographic data, contact data, self-assessment under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. data and location data are collectively called as € MeitY is designated as the agency responsible for response data. the implementation of this Protocol. Further, the ¾ Ground for Data Sharing:

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€ The data can be shared only if it is strictly necessary z Stripped information must be assigned a to directly formulate or implement an appropriate randomly generated ID. health response. z The Protocol also discourages reversal of de- € It can also be shared for appropriate research work. identification and imposes penalties under ¾ Allowed Entities to Access Data: applicable laws for the time being in force. € The response data containing personal data may € Maintenance of the List: The NIC needs to maintain be shared by the app’s developer with the Health a list of, the agencies with the time at which data Ministry, Health Departments of State/Union sharing was initiated, the categories of such data Territory governments/local governments, National and the purpose of sharing the data. and State Disaster Management Authorities, other € Data Retention: Any entity with which the data ministries and departments of the central and state has been shared shall not retain the data beyond governments, and other public health institutions 180 days from the day it was collected. of the central, state and local governments. ¾ Concerns: € It can also be shared further with any third parties € There is a need for a Personal data protection that include the Indian universities or research law to back the government’s decision to make institutions and research entities registered in India. the app mandatory for everyone. z Further, the Protocol also empowers above z The Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 is in mentioned universities and research entities the process of being approved by Parliament. to share the data with other such institutions. € The clause for data sharing with third parties is ¾ Checks and Balances: open ended and has a highest possibility of being € De-identified Form:Except for demographic data, misused. The stated list of the third parties with the response data must be stripped of information which the data can be shared would have been that may make it possible to identify the individual helpful. personally. De-identification is the process used € Further, the process of de-identifying the data to prevent someone’s personal identity from should have been detailed, given that reversing being revealed. de-identification was not difficult.

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Environment and Ecology

Highlights z Locusts Appeared Early in Rajasthan z A Study on Sal Forest Tortoise z Tiger Population in Sunderbans Rises z Energy Needs in the Context of Climate Crisis z Black Panther in Netravali Sanctuary z Energy Transition Index: WEF z Sariska Tiger Reserve z Deforestation Rate Declined z Olive Ridley Turtles z River Nila

¾ Locusts are generally seen during the months of June Locusts Appeared and July as the insects are active from summer to Early in Rajasthan the rainy season. ¾ Locusts have a high capacity to multiply, form groups, migrate over relatively large distances (they can fly up Why in News to 150 km per day) and, if good rains fall and ecological Recently, scientists at theLocust Warning Organisation conditions become favourable, rapidly reproduce and (LWO) observed groups of desert locusts at Sri Ganganagar increase some 20-fold in three months. and Jaisalmer districts of Rajasthan. ¾ Threat to Vegetation: Locust adults can eat their ¾ This has raised the alarm-bell for the authorities as own weight every day, i.e. about two grams of fresh they caused huge damage to the growing rabi crops vegetation per day. A very small swarm eats as along western Rajasthan and parts of northern Gujarat much in one day as about 35,000 people, posing a during December, 2019-January, 2020. devastating threat to crops and food security. ¾ The desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is a short- ¾ If infestations are not detected and controlled, horned grasshopper. These winged insects differ from devastating plagues can develop that often take normal hoppers. several years and hundreds of millions of dollars to ¾ The genesis of present desert locust upsurge lies in bring under control with severe consequences on the Mekunu and Luban cyclonic storms that struck food security and livelihoods. Oman and Yemen, respectively in 2018. ¾ Locust Control measures include destroying egg € These storms turned large desert areas in remote masses laid by invading swarms, digging trenches to parts of the southern Arabian Peninsula into lakes, trap nymphs, using hopperdozers (wheeled screens which allowed the insects to breed undetected that cause locusts to fall into troughs containing water across multiple generations. and kerosene), using insecticidal baits, and applying insecticides to both swarms and breeding grounds Locust from aircraft. ¾ A locust is a large, mainly tropical grasshopper with € Organophosphate insecticides such asMalathion strong powers of flight. They differ from ordinary are effective against locusts. grasshoppers in their ability to change behaviour ¾ The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)provides (gregarize) and form swarms that can migrate over information on the general locust situation to the large distances. global community and gives timely warnings and € Gregarization means transformation of solitary forecasts to those countries in danger of invasion. insects etc. into a swarm due to rapid growth in € The FAO raised alarm over the locust outbreak in population. northeast Africa and Saudi Arabia in February, 2019.

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Locusts in India ¾ Estimation of the number of tigers in the Sunderbans has always been a challenge because of the difficult ¾ Four species viz. Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria), terrain that comprises dense mangrove forests, with Migratory locust (Locusta migratoria), Bombay Locust creeks and rivulets, and floods twice a day during ( Nomadacris succincta) and Tree locust (Anacridium the high tides. sp.) are found in India. ¾ The existing series of locust swarms that have entered India via Pakistan had originated in Iran. Movement Black Panther of locusts is facilitated by summer dusty winds, which in Netravali Sanctuary flow from the Arabian Sea, taking along these creatures from Sindh in Pakistan to western Rajasthan. Why in News ¾ The last major locust outbreak that was reported in Rajasthan was in 1993. A black panther was spotted in Goa’s Netravali Sanctuary. ¾ Locust Warning Organisation (LWO), Ministry of ¾ Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, is responsible While the area is a known habitat of tigers, this is for for monitoring, survey and control of Desert Locust the first time a black panther has been captured on camera in the sanctuary. in Scheduled Desert Areas mainly in the States of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Black Panther ¾ A black panther Tiger Population is the melanistic in Sunderbans Rises colour variant of any Panthera, particularly of the Why in News leopard in Asia and As per the latest census conducted by the West Africa, and the jaguar in the Americas. Bengal Forest Department, the tiger counthas increased € Melanism is the increased development of to 96 from 88 in Sunderbans. the dark-colored pigment melanin in the skin ¾ It is the highest annual jump reported from the or hair. Sundarbans. ¾ It is as shy as a normal leopard and very difficult to detect. It is mostly found in densely forested areas Sundarbans of southern India. ¾ Sundarbans is a vast contiguous mangrove forest ¾ Areas where black panther has been spotted earlier: ecosystem in the coastal region of Bay of Bengal € Periyar Tiger Reserve (Kerala) spread over India and Bangladesh on the delta of the € Bhadra Tiger Reserve, Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers. and Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka) ¾ The Sunderbans Delta is the only mangrove forest € Achanakmar Tiger Reserve (Chhattisgarh) in the world inhabited by tigers. € Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary (Goa) ¾ Indian Sundarbans constitute over 60% of the country’s € Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (Tamil Nadu) total mangrove forest area. ¾ Indian Sundarbans has been recognised as UNESCO Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary World Heritage Site in 1987 and ‘Wetland of Inter- ¾ Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary is located in South Eastern national Importance’ under the Ramsar Convention Goa and constitutes one of the vital corridors of the in January, 2019. Western Ghats. ¾ It is home to rare and globally threatened species, ¾ It is bounded by Cotigao wildlife sanctuary on the such as theNorthern River Terrapin, Royal Bengal Tiger, eastern side and Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary and Irrawaddy Dolphin, and the Fishing Cat. Mollem National Park on the northern side.

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¾ Netravali or Neturli is an important tributary of River € Kankarwadi fort is located in the center of the Zuari, which originates in the sanctuary. Reserve and it is said that Mughal emperor ¾ It has two important waterfalls namely, Savari and Aurangzeb had imprisoned his brother Dara Shikoh Mainapi. at this fort in struggle for succession to the throne. ¾ Forests mostly consist of moist deciduous vegetation € The Reserve also houses a famous temple of lord interspersed with evergreen and semi-evergreen Hanuman at Pandupole related to Pandavas. habitat. Project Tiger ¾ Fauna: Leopard, Giant Squirrel, Mouse Deer, Nilgiri ¾ Project Tiger is an ongoing Centrally Sponsored Wood Pigeon and Ceylon Frogmouth. Scheme of the Ministry of Environment, Forests ¾ Other Protected Areas in Goa: and Climate Change providing central assistance to € Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary the tiger States for tiger conservation in designated € Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary tiger reserves. ¾ The ) is € Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA a statutory body of the Ministry, with an overarching € Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary supervisory/coordination role, performing functions € Mollem National Park as provided in the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. € Dr Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary € The NTCA was launched in 2005, following the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force. It was Sariska Tiger Reserve given statutory status by the 2006 amendment of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. ¾ India now has as many as 2,967 tigers in the wild, Why in News with more than half of them in Madhya Pradesh and The 13th session of the Ministry of Tourism’s Dekho Karnataka, according to the latest tiger estimation Apna Desh webinar titled, ‘Destination- Sariska Tiger report for 2018. reserve’ was held recently. ¾ The population of tigers have increased by 33% ¾ The objective of the Ministry of Tourism’s webinar since the last census in 2014 when the total estimate series is to create awareness about and promote was 2,226. various tourism destinations of India, including the ¾ Sariska is the first tiger reserveto have successfully lesser known destinations and lesser known facets relocated Royal Bengal tigers in India and at present of popular destinations. there are around 20 tigers in the reserve.

Key Points Dekho Apna Desh ¾ Dekho Apna Desh is one of the three components ¾ Sariska Tiger Reserve is located in Aravali hills and of the Paryatan Parv. The other two are Tourism for forms a part of the Alwar District of Rajasthan. All and Tourism and Governance. ¾ The Reserve is immensely rich in flora and fauna and ¾ It intends to encourage Indians to travel their own is famous for Royal Bengal Tiger. country. € The park has populations of leopards, Nilgai, Sambar, chital etc. It also shelters a large population of Indian peafowl, crested serpent eagles, sand Olive Ridley Turtles grouse, golden backed woodpeckers, great Indian horned owls, tree pies, vultures,etc. Why in News ¾ Sariska was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1955 and Mass hatching of Olive Ridley turtles has begun at was declared the tiger reserve later in 1978, making Odisha’s Rushikulya rookery (near Ganjam district). it a part of India’s Project Tiger. ¾ The coast of Odisha in India is the largest mass nesting ¾ The Sanctuary houses ruined temples, forts, pavilions site for the Olive-ridley, followed by the coasts of and a palace. Mexico and Costa Rica.

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Key Points of India (Dehradun), finds that over90% of the potential distribution of the Sal forest tortoise falls outside the ¾ Features: current protected area’s network. € The Olive ridley turtles are the Key Points smallest and most abundant ¾ The study covers parts of India with Bangladesh, of all sea turtles Bhutan and Nepal. found in the ¾ The study found that in northeast India, the world. representation of the sal forest tortoise in protected € These turtles are carnivores and get their name areas (such as reserves, sanctuaries, etc.) is least. from their olive colored carapace. ¾ The study also found that 29% of the predicted ¾ Habitat: They are found in warm waters of the Pacific, distribution of the species falls within high occurrence Atlantic and Indian oceans. fire zones. ¾ Migration: They migrate thousands of kilometers € The species experience jhum fire in northeast between feeding and mating grounds in the course India, which is a suitable habitat for the species. of a year. € Such an intervention may not only directly kill the ¾ Arribada (Mass Nesting): They are best known for animals but result in loss of habitat. their unique mass nesting called Arribada, where ¾ According to the IUCN, the population of the species thousands of females come together on the same may have fallen by about 80% in the last three beach to lay eggs. generations (90 years). € They lay their eggs over a period of five to seven days in conical nests about one and a half feet deep Sal Forest Tortoise which they dig with their hind flippers. ¾ Sal Forest Tortoise ¾ Threats: is also known as € They are extensively poached for their meat, shell the elongated and leather, and their eggs. tortoise (Indote- € However, the most severe threat they face is the studo elongata). accidental killing through entanglement in trawl ¾ Habitat: It is nets and gill nets due to uncontrolled fishing during widely distributed their mating season around nesting beaches. over eastern as well as northern India and Southeast ¾ Protection Status: Asia. € IUCN Red List: Vulnerable ¾ IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered. € CITES: Appendix I ¾ CITES: Appendix II € Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I ¾ Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972:Schedule IV ¾ Step Taken for Conservation: To reduce accidental ¾ Threat: Hunted for food, local use such as decorative killing in India, the Odisha government has made it masks and international wildlife trade. mandatory for trawls to use Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs), a net specially designed with an exit cover Wildlife Institute of India which allows the turtles to escape while retaining ¾ Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is an autonomous the catch. institution under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. A Study on Sal Forest Tortoise ¾ It was established in 1982. ¾ It is based in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Why in News ¾ It offers training programs, academic courses, and A recent study by ecologists in the Wildlife Institute advisory in wildlife research and management.

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increase in 2100 will require cuts in Greenhouse Energy Needs in the Gases (GHGs) emissions of 45% below 2010 levels Context of Climate Crisis by 2030 and to net zero by 2050”. ¾ Decarbonisation: Why in News € Zero emission targets can be easily met by the use of nuclear energy. It can also reduce the cost of Recently, on the occasion of the National Technology deep decarbonisation. Day, Padma Vibhushan Dr. Anil Kakodkar conveyed a € Decarbonising means message to the people of India about ‘Dealing with energy reducing carbon intensity, i.e. reducing the emissions per unit of electricity needs in the Context of Climate Crisis’. generated (often given in grams of carbon dioxide ¾ National technology day marks the anniversary of per kilowatt-hour). the Pokhran Nuclear Tests of 1998 that strengthened € Decarbonisation is essential since the demand Indian national security. for electric power from industries/commercial € India successfully test-fired its Shakti-1 nuclear sectors is high. missile in operation called Pokhran-II, also € It is possible by increasing the share of low-carbon codenamed as Operation Shakti. energy sources, particularly renewables like ¾ After the tests, India has entered into many solar, hydro and biomass (Biofuels) together with international agreements to promote nuclear nuclear which can greatly contribute in achieving commerce for peaceful purposes and to secure zero emissions. energy security through nuclear energy. ¾ Comparison: € Nuclear commerce in general refers to a worldwide € Japan saw the negative effects of nuclear energy trade centered on nuclear energy. (bombing at Hiroshima and Nagasaki) yet it has Key Points drafted an energy plan, to generate 20% to 22% of their total energy consumption asnuclear energy ¾ HDI and Energy Consumption: and to reduce CO2 emissions by 2030. € Dr. Kakodkar highlighted the correlation between € Germany had also planned to cut GHG emissions Human Development Index (HDI) and Per Capita by 2020 which has allotted huge amounts of all over the world. Energy Consumption production of renewable energy. € As per the statistics, countries with higher HDI € India, in order to decarbonise the energy have higher per capita consumption of energy. consumption, needs a30-fold increase in renewable € HDI emphasizes that people and their capabilities energy, 30-fold increase in nuclear energy and should be the ultimate criteria for assessing the doubling of thermal energy which would make development of a country, not economic growth 70% of energy carbon free. alone. ¾ Actions Required: ¾ Energy and Climate Security: € Different levels of consumption strategy need to € However, developing countries like India, on the be observed by different countriesbased on their other hand, face the challenge of choosing between HDI so that they can actively contribute towards energy security and climate security. It is important low/zero emissions. For example: to strike a balance between enhancing the quality z Countries with high HDI, should reduce their of human life as well as keeping a control over the energy consumption since it may not affect their climate crisis. HDI, much. They should also decarbonise their ¾ Emission Targets: electricity generation. € Various studies have been conducted on how to z Countries with moderate HDI should focus on control carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which is non-fossil electricity consumption. a serious threat to the environment. z Countries with low HDI should be able to € As per the report of the Intergovernmental Panel on provide subsidised sources of cleaner energy Climate Change (IPCC), “staying below 1.5 degree to their citizens.

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¾ Concerns and Solutions: z It is a result of multifaceted, incremental € Management of nuclear waste, that is produced approaches, including pricing carbon, retiring during energy generation, is a major concern. coal plants ahead of schedule and redesigning electricity markets to integrate renewable € To tackle the problem, India adopts the policy of energy sources. ‘Nuclear Recycle Technology’. € Its study measuring readiness for clean energy z Under it, the nuclear fuel- Uranium, Plutonium transition in 115 economies showed that 94 have etc, once used for generation of energy, is made progress since 2015. reused as a resource material by the commercial industries to be recycled. € The greatest overall progress is observed among emerging economies. z More than 99% of nuclear waste is reused as the waste management program in India ¾ India’s Ranking and Reasons: prioritises recycling. € India has moved up two positions to rank 74th with improvements in all three dimensions of the Energy Transition Index: WEF energy triangle namely: z Economic development and growth. z Energy access and security. Why in News z Environmental sustainability. Recently, the World Economic Forum (WEF) has € For India, gains have come from a government- released the annual rankings of the global Energy mandated renewable energy expansion programme Transition Index. i.e. to add 275 GW by 2027. ¾ The index benchmarks 115 economies on the current € India has also made significant strides in energy performance of their energy systems across economic efficiency through bulk procurement of LED bulbs, development and growth, environmental sustainability smart meters and programs for labelling of appli- and energy security and access indicators and their ances. Similar measures are being experimented readiness for transition to secure, sustainable, to drive down the costs of electric vehicles (EVs). affordable and inclusive energy systems. € It indicates a strong positive trajectory, driven by strong political commitment and an enabling Key Points policy environment. ¾ Data Analysis: ¾ Impact of Covid-19 € Sweden has topped the Index for the third € Covid-19 risks cancelling out recent progress in consecutive year and is followed by Switzerland transitioning to clean energy, with unprecedented and Finland in the top three. falls in demand, price volatility and pressure to € France (8th) and the UK (7th) are the only G20 quickly mitigate socioeconomic costs placing the countries in the top ten. near-term trajectory of the transition in doubt. € Only 11 out of 115 countries have made steady ¾ Suggestions improvements in ETI scores since 2015. Argentina, € Policies, roadmaps and governance frameworks China, India and Italy are among the major countries for energy transition at national, regional and with consistent annual improvements. global levels need to be more robust and resilient z In China (78th), problems of air pollution have against external shocks. resulted in policies to control emissions, electrify € The pandemic offers an opportunity to consider vehicles and develop the world’s largest capacity unorthodox intervention in the energy markets for solar photovoltaic (SPV) and onshore wind and global collaboration to support a recovery power plants. that accelerates the energy transition once the ¾ Performance Analysis: crisis subsides. € The results for 2020 show that 75% of countries € The economic recovery packages (like the have improved their environmental sustainability. announcement of the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan

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Yojana by India), introduced by the governments can ¾ Decline in rate of forest loss: The rate of net forest accelerate the transition to clean energy, by helping loss decreased substantially during the period of countries scale their efforts towards sustainable 1990–2020. and inclusive energy systems, if implemented with € It was 7.8 mha per year in the decade 1990–2000, long-term strategies. 5.2 mha per year in 2000–2010 and 4.7 mha per year in 2010–2020. World Economic Forum € This is due to a reduction in deforestation in some ¾ It is a Swiss nonprofit foundation established in countries, plus increases in forest area in others 1971, based in Geneva, Switzerland. through afforestation and thenatural expansion ¾ Recognized by the Swiss authorities as the inter- of forests. national institution for public-private cooperation, ¾ Areas that witnessed forest loss: Africa had the its mission is cited as, “committed to improving the largest annual rate of net forest loss in 2010–2020, state of the world by engaging business, political, at 3.9 mha, followed by South America, at 2.6 mha. academic, and other leaders of society to shape ¾ had the global, regional, and industry agendas”. Areas that witnessed forest gain: Asia highest net gain of forest area in 2010–2020, followed by ¾ Major reports published by WEF: Oceania and Europe. € Global Competitiveness Report € However, Oceania experienced net losses of forest € Global IT Report area in the decades 1990–2000 and 2000–2010. € Global Gender Gap Report ¾ Types of forest loss: The largest proportion of the € Global Risk Report world’s forests are tropical (45%), followed by boreal, € Global Travel and Tourism Report temperate and subtropical. € Naturally regenerating forest areas worldwide decreased since 1990, but the area of planted Deforestation Rate Declined forests has increased. ¾ Plantation forestcover is 131 mha, about 3% of the Why in News global forest area. According to the Global Forest Resources Assessment € The highest percent of plantation forests are in 2020 (FRA 2020) report, the rate of forest loss has declined South America while the lowest are in Europe. in the period of 1990-2020. ¾ Protected forest areas worldwide estimate around ¾ The FRA is released by the United Nations Food and 726 mha. Agriculture Organization (FAO). € South America has the highest share of forests in ¾ The FRA 2020 is based on the assessment of more protected areas, at 31%. than 60 forest-related variables in 236 countries and € The protected forest areas increased by 191 mha territories in the period of 1990–2020. since 1990.

Key Points Global Forest Resources Assessment ¾ The FRA presents a comprehensive view of the ¾ Total forest area: The world’s total forest area is world’s forests and the ways in which the resource 4.06 billion hectares (bha), which is 31% of the total is changing. land area. This area is equivalent to 0.52 hectares ¾ It supports the development of sound policies, per person. practices and investments affecting forests and ¾ Top countries in forest cover — the Russian Federation, forestry. Brazil, Canada, the United States of America and China constituted more than 54% of the world’s forests. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) ¾ Forest loss: According to the report, the world has ¾ The Food and Agriculture Organization is anagency lost 178 million hectares (mha) of forest since 1990, of the United Nationsthat leads international efforts an area the size of Libya. to defeat hunger.

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¾ FAO is also a source of knowledge and information Key Points and helps developing countries and countries in ¾ River Nila is also known as Bharathapuzha and transition to modernize and improve agriculture, Ponnani. forestry and fisheries practices and ensure good ¾ Origin: Amaravathipuzha originating fromThrimoorthy nutrition and food security for all. Hills of Anamalais in Tamil Nadu joins with Kalpathipuzha ¾ Formation: 16th October 1945 at Parali in Palakkad District and forms Nila. ¾ Headquarters: Rome, Italy ¾ Drainage Area: Kerala and Tamil Nadu. € It flows westward through Palakkad Gap (most River Nila prominent discontinuity in the western ghats) and drains into the Arabian Sea. ¾ Main Tributaries: Kannadipuzha (Chitturpuzha), Why in News Kalpathipuzha (Korapuzha), Gayathripuzha and Recently, the Ministry of Tourism organised a Thuthapuzha webinar- ‘Exploring River Nila’ as a part of the Dekho ¾ Malampuzha dam is the largest among the reservoirs Apna Desh Webinar series. built across Bharathapuzha.

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Highlights z Rabindranath Tagore z 480th Birth Anniversary of Maharana Pratap z Gandhi Peace Prize z Gopal Krishna Gokhale

a Ceylonese student of his, to pen and compose the Rabindranath Tagore national anthem of Sri Lanka.

Why in News Gandhi Peace Prize The Prime Minister of India paid tributes to Rabindranath Tagore on his 159th Jayanti on 7th May, 2020. Why in News Key Points Recently, the Ministry of Culture extended the nomination period for the Gandhi Peace Prize from 30th ¾ Rabindranath Tagore was born in Calcutta on May 7, April to 15th June 2020, due to the lockdown in the wake 1861. He was also referred to as ‘Gurudev’, ‘Kabiguru’, of the Covid-19. and ‘Biswakabi’. ¾ Regarded as the outstanding creative artist of modern Key Points India and hailed by W.B Yeats, Rabindranath Tagore was ¾ The annual award was instituted by the Government a Bengali poet, novelist, and painter, who was highly of India in 1995 during the commemoration of the influential in introducing Indian culture to the west. 125th Birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi for ¾ Rabindranath was an exceptional literary figure and those involved in social, economic and political a renowned polymath who singlehandedly reshaped transformation through non-violence. the region’s literature and music. ¾ The award carries an amount of Rs.1 crore, a Citation ¾ In 1913 Rabindranath Tagore was awarded the Nobel in a scroll, a plaque as well as an exquisite traditional Prize in Literature for his work on Gitanjali. handicraft/handloom item. € He was the first non-European to receive the ¾ The prize can be given to individuals, associations, Nobel Prize. institutions or organizations. ¾ In 1915 Tagore was awarded knighthood by the British € It can be divided between two persons/institutions King George V. In 1919, following the Jallianwalla Bagh who are considered by the Jury to be equally massacre he renounced his Knighthood. deserving of recognition in a given year ¾ Besides all his literary achievements he was also a € It is open to all persons regardless of nationality, philosopher and educationist who in 1921 established creed, race or sex. the Vishwa-Bharati University, a university that ¾ The prize is not awarded posthumously. challenged conventional education. ¾ In January 2019, Gandhi Peace Prize was awarded ¾ Rabindranath Tagore was a good friend of Mahatma for the years 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Gandhi and is said to have given him the title of Mahatma. ¾ Tagore had always stressed that unity in diversity is Mahatma Gandhi the only possible way for India’s national integration. ¾ Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born on 2nd ¾ He not only gave the national anthems for two October, 1869, at Porbandar in Gujarat and died countries, India and Bangladesh, but also inspired on 30th January, 1948, at Gandhi Smriti, New Delhi.

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¾ He was assassinated by Nathuram Godse in the Man Singh of Amber who was the general of the Birla House during his evening prayers. Mughal emperor Akbar. ¾ He was a lawyer, politician, social activist, writer € Maharana Pratap fought a brave war, but was and became the leader of the nationalist movement defeated by Mughal forces. against the British rule of India. € It is said that Maharana Pratap’s loyal horse named ¾ He is considered the Father of the Nation. Chetak, gave up his life as the Maharana was leaving the battlefield. ¾ Rabindranath Tagore is said to have given him the title of Mahatma. ¾ Reconquest: ¾ Gandhi and his ideologies played an important role € After 1579, the Mughal pressure relaxed over in liberating India from the British. Mewar and Pratap recovered Western Mewar including Kumbhalgarh, Udaipur and Gogunda. ¾ Gandhi’s Works: € During this period, he also built a new capital, € Journals: Young India, Navajivan, Harijan, Harijan Bandhu, Indian Opinion I and II, etc. Chavand, near modern Dungarpur. € Books: Hind Swaraj, Satyagraha in South Africa, The Story of My Experiments with Truth Gopal Krishna Gokhale (autobiography), etc. € Foundations: Natal Indian Congress (South Why in News Africa, 1894), Phoenix Settlement (South Africa, The Prime Minister paid tribute to Gopal Krishna 1904), Satyagraha Ashram (Ahemadabad, 1915), Gokhale on his 154th birth anniversary. Harijan Sevak Sangh (1932), Sevagram Ashram (Wardha, 1936), etc. ¾ Gopal Krishna Gokhale was a great social reformer and educationist who provided exemplary leadership to India’s freedom movement. 480th Birth Anniversary of Maharana Pratap Key Points ¾ Birth: Gopal Krishna Gokhale was born on 9th May 1866 in Kotluk village Why in News in present-day Maharashtra (then Recently, the Prime Minister and Vice President of part of the Bombay Presidency) in India paid tributes to Maharana Pratap on his 480th birth a Brahmin family. anniversary. ¾ Ideology: Maharana Pratap € Gokhale worked towards social empowerment, expansion of education, struggle for freedom in ¾ Description: India for three decades and rejected the use of € Rana Pratap Singh also known as Maharana Pratap reactionary or revolutionary ways. was born on May 9th 1540 in Kumbhalgarh, ¾ Role in Colonial Legislatures: Rajasthan. € Between 1899 and 1902, he was a member of € He was the 13th King of Mewar and was the eldest the Bombay Legislative Council followed by work son of Udai Singh II at the Imperial Legislative Council from 1902 till z Maharana Udai Singh II ruled the kingdom of his death (1915). Mewar, with his capital at Chittor. € At the Imperial legislature, Gokhale played a z Udai Singh II was also a founder of the city of key role in framing the Morley-Minto reforms Udaipur (Rajasthan). of 1909. ¾ Battle of Haldighati: ¾ Role in INC: € The Battle of Haldighati was fought in 1576 € He was associated with the Moderate Group of between Rana Pratap Singh of Mewar and Raja Indian National Congress (INC) (joined in 1889).

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€ He became president of INC in 1905 in Banaras € He established the Servants of India Society in session. 1905 for the expansion of Indian education. z This was the time when bitter differences had € He was also associated with the Sarvajanik sabha arisen between his group of ‘Moderates’ and journal started by Govind Ranade. the ‘Extremists’ led by Lala Lajpat Rai and Bal € In 1908, Gokhale founded the Ranade Institute Gangadhar Tilak among others. The two factions of Economics. split at the Surat session of 1907. € He started english weekly newspaper, The Hitavada z Despite the ideological difference, in 1907, (The people’s paper). he intensely campaigned for the release of ¾ Mentor to Gandhi: Lala Lajpat Rai, who was imprisoned that € As a liberal nationalist, he is regarded by Mahatma year by the British at Mandalay in present-day Gandhi as his political guru. Myanmar. € Gandhi wrote a book in Gujarati dedicated to the ¾ Related Societies and Other Works: leader titled Dharmatma‘ Gokhale’.

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Highlights z Erosion in Ladakh and Zanskar z Diamer-Bhasha Dam z Surge-type Glaciers

Erosion in Ladakh and Zanskar ¾ Zanskar valley can be divided into upper and lower divisions, separated by a gorge of nearly 60 km in length. Why in News Morphostratigraphy: The organization of rock or The scientists and students from theWadia Institute sediment strata into units based on their surface of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) have explored the Zanskar morphology (landforms). catchment area. Optically-Stimulated Luminescence: It is a late ¾ The study was conducted to understand the Quaternary dating techniqueused to date the last time landform evolution in transitional climatic zones, a quartz sediment was exposed to light. As sediment using morphostratigraphy, Optically Stimulated is transported by wind, water or ice, it is exposed to Luminescence (OSL) dating and provenance analysis sunlight and zeroed of any previous luminescence signal. of landforms like valley fill terraces and alluvial fans. Provenance Analysis: It aims to determine the € Valley Fill Terrace: The fill terrace is created either a stream or river starts to incise into the material source region (provenance) of a sediment sample. It that it deposited in the valley. Once this occurs is aimed to reconstruct the parent rock or rocks of sand benches composed completely of alluvium form bodies, the time of deposition of the sand and, if possible, on the sides of the valley. The upper most benches the climate conditions during the formation of the are the fill terraces. sediments. € : Triangle-shaped deposit of gravel, Alluvial Fans Key Findings sand and even smaller pieces of sediment, such as silt. ¾ Scientists traced where the rivers draining Himalaya ¾ WHIG is an autonomous institute under the and its foreland erode the most and identified the Department of Science & Technology, Government zones which receive these eroded sediments and fill up. of India. ¾ The study suggested that the wide valley of Padam in the upper Zanskar is a hotspot of sediment buffering Zanskar River and has stored a vast amount of sediments. ¾ It is one of the largest tributaries of the upper € The sediment contribution from such transient Indus catchment. basins is significant when compared to the sediment ¾ It drains transversely northward from the Higher reportedly eroded from the entire Indus system Himalaya, dominated by the Indian summer in Ladakh. monsoon, to flow through the arid, westerlies- ¾ Most of the sediments in the Padam valley were dominated, highly folded and thrusted Zanskar derived from Higher Himalayan crystalline that lie ranges in Ladakh. in the headwater region of Zanskar. ¾ The and the Doda Tsarap Lingti Chu confluence ¾ The dominant factors responsible for sediment erosion at Padam to form the Zanskar, which in turn joins were deglaciation and Indian Summer Monsoon . the Indus at Nimu derived precipitation in the headwaters.

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¾ The provenance analysis suggested that despite the presence of the deep narrow gorge and a low Surge-type Glaciers gradient, the upper and lower Zanskar valleys remained connected throughout their aggradational history. Why in News Significance Scientists from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Dehradun have found a seasonal ¾ The study will help to understand river-borne erosion advancement in 220 surging or surge-type glaciers in and sedimentation, which are the main drivers that the Karakoram Range of Ladakh. make large riverine plains, terraces and deltas that ¾ WIHG is an autonomous institute under the Department eventually become the evolving grounds for civilizations. of Science and Technology (DST). ¾ The study brought forwards the 35 thousand-year history of river erosion and identified hotspots of Key Points erosion and wide valleys that act as buffer zones. ¾ Surging or Surge-type glaciers are a certain type of ¾ It showed how rivers in drier Ladakh Himalaya operated glaciers that have shown advancement in volume on longer time scales and how they responded to and length over a period of time. varying climates. € Such glaciers go against the normal trend of € The Ladakh Himalaya forms a high altitude desert considerable reduction in volume and length of between Greater Himalayan ranges and Karakoram most glaciers in the Himalaya in recent decades. Ranges and the Indus and its tributaries are major ¾ Surging glaciers represent 40% of the total glaciated rivers flowing through the terrain. area of the Karakoram range. ¾ Understanding of water and sediment routing becomes crucial while developing infrastructure and for other Glaciers development works in the river catchment area. ¾ Masses of ice moving as sheets over the land (continental glacier or piedmont glacier if a vast sheet of ice is spread over the plains at the foot of mountains) or as linear flows down the slopes of mountains in broad trough-like valleys (mountain and valley glaciers) are called glaciers. ¾ The movement of glaciers is slow unlike water flow ranging from a few centimetres to a few meters per day. Glaciers move basically because of the force of gravity. ¾ Erosion by glaciers is tremendous because of friction caused by sheer weight of the ice. € The material plucked from the land by glaciers (usually large-sized angular blocks and fragments) get dragged along the floors or sides of the valleys and cause great damage through abrasion and plucking. € Glaciers can cause significant damage to even un- weathered rocks and can reduce high mountains into low hills and plains. ¾ As glaciers continue to move, debris gets removed, divides get lowered and eventually the slope is reduced to such an extent that glaciers stop moving, leaving only a mass of low hills and vast outwash plains along with other depositional features.

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¾ Surging glaciers do not flow at a constant speed, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Diamer district in Gilgit rather are subjected to cyclical flow instabilities. Baltistan. ¾ The oscillation of such glaciers have been broadly ¾ The dam will have a gross storage capacity of 8.1 classified into two phases: Million Acre Feet (MAF) and power generation capacity € Active (Surge) Phase- brief (months to years) of 4500 MW. rapid flow. ¾ With the height of 272 meters, it will be the tallest € Quiescent Phase- lengthy (tens to hundreds of Roller Compact Concrete (RCC) dam in the world. years) slow flow or stagnation. ¾ The dam project with a total financial outlay of about ¾ It was inferred that surge during winter is more 1,406.5 billion Pakistani rupees would be completed controlled because there is low amount of meltwater in 2028. which flows unsteadily underneath the glaciers. ¾ Purpose: ¾ The surging stops in summer because of the channelised € Fulfil the increasing water and electricity flow of the melted water. requirements of the country. € Serve as the main storage dam of the country, Significance of Studying Surging Glaciers besides Mangla and Tarbela dams. ¾ Surging glaciers can lead to the destruction of villages, € Help alleviate acute irrigation shortage in the Indus roads and bridges. basin irrigation system. ¾ They can also advance across a river valley and form an € Reduce intensity, quantum and duration of floods ice-dammed lake. These lakes can form catastrophic and reduce magnitude and frequency of floods in outburst floods. the River Indus downstream. ¾ Therefore, monitoring of glacier surges, ice-dammed € Accelerate development and create job lake formation and drainage is of paramount opportunities, besides improving availability of importance. water and clean energy. ¾ The project was approved in 2010, but it suffered delays Diamer-Bhasha Dam because international lending agencies backtracked due to the opposition from India as a major part Why in News of the dam is located in Gilgit-Baltistan (one of the disputed territories of India) and it will cause unrest Recently, Pakistan signed in the region. a contract with a joint venture ¾ of a China Power (Chinese India’s Stand: state-run firm) and the Frontier € India has opposed the move on the grounds that Works Organisation (FWO-a Gilgit-Baltistan region is part of the erstwhile state commercial arm of Pakistan’s of Jammu and Kashmir that was illegally occupied military) for the construction by Pakistan. of the Diamer-Bhasha dam. € India has consistently conveyed her protest and ¾ The contract covers shared concerns with both China and Pakistan on construction of a diversion system, main dam, access all such projects in the Indian territories under bridge and the 21MW Tangir hydropower project. Pakistan’s illegal occupation. € In the past too, India has opposed projects jointly Key Points taken up by Pakistan and China in Pakistan-occupied ¾ The Diamer-Bhasha Dam is located on the Indus Kashmir (POK) as part of the China-Pakistan River in northern Pakistan between Kohistan district Economic Corridor.

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Art & Culture

Highlights z GI Tags z Construction of Rath Yatra Chariots Allowed z Buddha Purnima

€ Also, such clay is found only in the months of May GI Tags and June, as for the rest of the year, the ponds are filled with water. Why in News ¾ The pottersdo not use any colour, they only dip the clay structure in a mixture of soda and mango tree Recently, Chak-Hao, the black rice of Manipur, barks, and bake it. terracotta of the Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Kashmir saffron have received the Geographical Indication (GI) € The red colour of terracotta does not fade for years. tag. € Major products of craftsmanship include the Hauda elephants, Mahawatdar horse, deer, camel, five- Chak-Hao Rice faced Ganesha, single-faced Ganesha, elephant ¾ Chak-Hao is a scented table, chandeliers, hanging bells etc. glutinous (sticky) rice Kashmir Saffron which has been in cultivation in Manipur ¾ Saffron cultivation is believed to have been introduced over centuries, and is in Kashmir by Central Asian immigrants around the characterised by its special 1st Century BCE. aroma. € It has been associated with traditional Kashmiri ¾ The rice is black in colour and takes the longest cuisine and represents the rich cultural heritage of the region. cooking time of 40-45 minutesdue to the presence of a fibrous bran layer and higher crude fibre content. € It is a very precious and costly product. ¾ It is normally eaten during community feasts and is ¾ In ancient Sanskrit literature, saffron is referred to served as Chak-Hao kheer. as ‘bahukam’. ¾ Chak-Hao has also been used by traditional medical ¾ It is cultivated and harvested in the Karewa (highlands) practitioners as part of traditional medicine. of Jammu and Kashmir. ¾ The features which differentiates it from other saffron Gorakhpur Terracotta varieties available the world over are: ¾ The terracotta work of Gorakhpur is a centuries-old € It is the only saffron that is grown at an altitude of traditional art form. 1,600 m to 1,800 m above mean sea level. ¾ The entire work is done € It has longer and thicker stigmas, natural deep-red with bare hands. colour, high aroma, bitter flavour, chemical-free ¾ The clay used in the processing. terracotta products is € It also has a high quantity of crocin (colouring ‘Kabis’ clay which is strength), safranal (flavour) and picrocrocin found in the ponds of (bitterness). Aurangabad, Bharwalia ¾ There are three types of saffron available in Kashmir and Budhadih village areas. — Lachha Saffron, Mongra Saffron and Guchhi Saffron.

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¾ Uses: Geographical Indication (GI) € Kashmir saffron is used globally as a spice. It also ¾ It is an insignia on products having a unique helps in revitalizing health. geographical origin and evolution over centuries with € It is used in cosmetics and for medicinal purposes. regard to its special quality or reputed attributes. ¾ Benefit of tag: With the GI tag, Kashmir saffron would ¾ It is a mark of authenticity and ensures that registered gain more prominence in the export market. authorized users or at least those residing inside € Iran is the largest producer of saffron and India is the geographic territory are allowed to use the a close competitor. popular product names. ¾ GI tag in India is governed by Geographical Indications Sohrai Khovar Paintings of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999. It ¾ The Sohrai Khovar painting is a traditional and is issued by the Geographical Indications Registry ritualistic mural art. (Chennai). € A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied ¾ Benefits of GI Tag: directly on a wall, ceiling or other permanent € It provides legal protection to Indian Geographical surfaces. Indications thus preventing unauthorized use of ¾ It is being practised the registered GIs by others. by local tribal women € It promotes economic prosperity of producers during local harvest of goods produced in a geographical territory. and marriage seasons € The GI protection in India leads to recognition using local, naturally of the product in other countries thus boosting available soils of exports. different colours in the area of Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand. ¾ Style features a profusion of lines, dots, animal figures Buddha Purnima and plants, often representing religious iconography i.e.visual image and symbols. Why in News ¾ It has been painted on the walls of important public In 2020, Buddha Purnima is being celebrated on 7th places in Jharkhand, such as the Birsa Munda Airport May. in Ranchi. Gautam Buddha Telia Rumal ¾ He was born as Siddhartha Gautama in circa 563 BCE, ¾ Telangana’s Telia Rumal cloth in a royal family in Lumbini which is situated near the involves intricate handmade Indo-Nepal border. work with cotton loom displaying a variety of designs ¾ His family belonged to the Sakya clan which ruled and motifs in three particular from Kapilvastu, Lumbini. lours — red, black and white. ¾ At the age of 29, Gautama left home and rejected his ¾ It is an art of Ikat tradition usingnatural vegetable dyes. life of riches and embraced a lifestyle of asceticism € Ikkat is a dyeing technique used to pattern textiles . or extreme self-discipline. ¾ Uniqueness: Telia Rumal can only be created using the ¾ After 49 consecutive days of meditation, Gautam traditional handloom process and not by any other attained Bodhi (enlightenment) under a pipal tree mechanical means as otherwise, the very quality of at Bodhgaya, Bihar. the Rumal would be lost. ¾ Buddha gave his first sermon in the village of Sarnath, ¾ The telia fabrics were used by nobles (Nizam’s dynasty) near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. This event is known in Hyderabad. The fabric was exported to Persian Gulf, as Dharma Chakra Pravartana (turning of the wheel Middle East, Aden, East Africa, Singapore and Burma. of law).

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¾ He died at the age of 80 in 483 BCE at Kushinagara, ¾ During the festival, the three holy chariots carrying idols Uttar Pradesh. The event is known as Mahaparinibban of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balaram (Balabhadra) or Mahaparinirvana. and sister Subhadra are pulled by thousands of devotees from India and abroad.

Construction of Rath Jagannath Temple Yatra Chariots Allowed ¾ The temple is believed to be Why in News constructed in th The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has allowed the the 12 century by construction of chariots for the annual Rath Yatra at King Anatavarman Jagannath Puri in Odisha. Chodaganga Deva of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. ¾ It has also said that the complete segregation of the construction site should be ensured and social- ¾ Jagannath Puri temple is called ‘Yamanika Tirtha’ distancing norms be followed. where, according to the Hindu beliefs, the power of ¾ The Rath Yatra is expected to be held on 23rd June 2020. ‘Yama’, the god of death has been nullified in Puri due to the presence of Lord Jagannath. Key Points ¾ This temple was called the “White Pagoda” and is a ¾ Ratha Jatra, also called as Chariot Festival, is a Hindu part of Char Dham pilgrimages (Badrinath, Dwaraka, festival associated withLord Jagannath held at Puri, Puri, Rameswaram). Odisha. ¾ There are four gates to the temple- Eastern ‘Singhdwara’ ¾ The festival is celebrated on the 2nd day of Shukla which is the main gate with two crouching lions, Paksha of Ashadh, the third month, according to the Southern ‘Ashwadwara’, Western ‘Vyaghra Dwara traditional Oriya calendar. and Northern ‘Hastidwara’. There is a carving of each ¾ It is a 9 day-long event and marks the return of Lord form at each gate. Krishna to Vrindavan with his brother Balabhadra and ¾ In front of the entrance stands the Aruna stambha sister Subhadra to Gundicha Temple via Mausi Maa or sun pillar, which was originally at the Sun Temple Temple (maternal aunt’s home) near Saradha Bali, Puri. in Konark.

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Social Issues

Highlights z International Workers’ Day z Devices for Disabled and Elderly z Opposition to Permanent Bru Settlement in Tripura z Data Related to Birth Rate and Death Rate z Global Nutrition Report 2020

z Haymarket Affair was a peaceful rally in support International Workers’ Day of workers which led to a violent clash with the police, leading to severe casualties. Those Why in News who died were hailed as “Haymarket Martyrs”. z Workers’ rights violations, straining work hours, Every year, 1st May is celebrated as the International poor working conditions, low wages and child Workers’ Day and as Labour Day in different parts of the labour were the issues highlighted in the protest. world to commemorate the contributions of workers and the historic labour movements. ¾ USSR ¾ It is a day when the International Labour Organisation € The Soviet Union and the Eastern bloc nations (ILO), nations, employers and workers from all over started celebrating the Labor day after the Russian the world commit themselves towards the collective Revolution, 1917. efforts of promoting decent work for all. z Impact of Russian Revolution: New ideologies ¾ In 1889, the Second International, an organisation such as Marxism and Socialism inspired many created by socialist and labour parties, declared that socialist and communist groups and they 1st May would be commemorated as International attracted peasants and workers and made them Workers’ Day from then on. an integral part of national movement. ¾ On 1st May 1904, the International Socialist Congress € It became a national holiday during theCold War. at Amsterdam, the Netherlands called for the legal ¾ India establishment of the 8-hour day for the class demands € In India, Labor day was first celebrated in1923 , after of the proletariat and made it mandatory upon the the Labour Kisan Party of Hindustan initiated the proletarian organisations of all countries to stop work celebrations and Comrade Singaravelar (Singaravelu on this day. Chettiar) continued the celebrations. € Comrade Singaravelar was one of the leaders of the Historical Perspective Self Respect movement in the Madras Presidency ¾ USA and passed a resolution stating the government € The USA celebrates Labor day on the first Monday should allow everybody a national holiday on of September, every year. The USA recognised the Labour Day. day as a federal holiday in 1894. z Canada also celebrates the Labour day on the Opposition to Permanent same day as the US. € Labor day was designated as a day in support of Bru Settlement in Tripura workers by trade unions and socialist groups in the memory of the Haymarket affair of 1886 in Why in News Chicago, USA. It gave the workers’ movement a In the middle of the Covid-19 lockdown, two great impetus. community-specific groups have renewed their opposition

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to the permanent settlement of Bru refugees from ¾ The Centre, the governments of Mizoram and Mizoram in Tripura. Tripura and leaders of Bru organisations signed a ¾ The two groups namely, Nagarik Suraksha Mancha quadripartite agreement in January (2020) to let the (mostly representing Bengali people displaced from remaining 35,000 refugees who have stayed back to erstwhile East Pakistan post-partition in 1947) and be resettled in Tripura. the Mizo Convention have submitted a memorandum € The rehabilitation package included financial protesting against the proposed settlement of the assistance of Rs. 4 lakh and land for constructing displaced Brus in Tripura. a house for each family.

Background Global Nutrition Report 2020 ¾ Bru or Reang is a community indigenous to Northeast India, living mostly in Tripura, Mizoram and Assam. In Tripura, they are recognised as a Particularly Why in News Vulnerable Tribal Group. The Global Nutrition Report 2020 stated that India ¾ In Mizoram, they have been targeted by groups that is among 88 countries that are likely to miss global do not consider them indigenous to the state. In nutrition targets by 2025. 1997, following ethnic clashes, nearly 37,000 Brus ¾ It also identified the country as one with the highest fled Mamit, Kolasib and Lunglei districts of Mizoram rates of domestic inequalities in malnutrition. and were accommodated in relief camps in Tripura. Global Nutrition Targets ¾ Since then, 5,000 have returned to Mizoram in eight phases of repatriation, while 32,000 still live in six ¾ In 2012, the World Health Assembly (the decision- relief camps in North Tripura. making body of the World Health Organisation) identified six nutrition targets to be met by 2025. € In June 2018, community leaders from the Bru These are: camps signed an agreement with the Centre and the two state governments, providing for repatriation € Reduce stunting by 40% in children under 5. in Mizoram. But most camp residents rejected the € Reduce the prevalence of anaemia by 50% among terms of the agreement. women in the age group of 19-49 years. € The camp residents say that the agreement doesn’t € Ensure 30% reduction in low-birth weight. guarantee their safety in Mizoram. € Ensure no increase in childhood overweight. € Increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups the first six months up to at least 50% ¾ In India, tribal population makes up for 8.6% of the total population. € Reduce and maintain childhood wasting to less than 5%. ¾ Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) are more vulnerable among the tribal groups. India’s Status ¾ In 1973, the Dhebar Commission created Primitive ¾ India will miss targets for all four nutritional indicators Tribal Groups (PTGs) as a separate category, who for which there is data available, i.e. are less developed among the tribal groups. In 2006, the Government of India renamed the PTGs € Stunting among under-5 children, as PVTGs. € Anaemia among women of reproductive age, ¾ PVTGs have some basic characteristics - they are € Childhood overweight and mostly homogenous, with a small population, € Exclusive breastfeeding. relatively physically isolated, absence of written ¾ Stunting and wasting among children language, relatively simple technology and a slower € Data: 37.9% of children under 5 years are stunted rate of change etc. and 20.8% are wasted, compared to the Asia ¾ Among the 75 listed PVTG’s the highest number average of 22.7% and 9.4% respectively. are found in Odisha. € Inequity:

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z India is identified as among the three worst € One is ‘undernutrition’—which includes stunting countries, along with Nigeria and Indonesia, (low height for age), wasting (low weight for for steep within-country disparities in stunting, height), underweight (low weight for age) and where the levels varied four-fold across micronutrient deficiencies or insufficiencies (a communities. lack of important vitamins and minerals). z For example, Stunting level in Uttar Pradesh is € The other is overweight, obesity and diet-related over 40% and their rate among individuals in noncommunicable diseases (such as heart disease, the lowest income group is more than double stroke, diabetes and cancer). those in the highest income group at 22.0% and 50.7%, respectively. ¾ In April 2016, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming the UN Decade z In addition, stunting prevalence is 10.1% higher in rural areas compared to urban areas. of Action on Nutrition from 2016 to 2025. ¾ The ¾ Overweight and Obesity Sustainable Development Goal (SD Goal 2: Zero hunger) aims to end all forms of hunger and € Data: Rate of overweight and obesity continues malnutrition by 2030, making sure all people – to rise, affecting almost a fifth of the adults, at especially children – have access to sufficient and 21.6% of women and 17.8% of men. nutritious food all year round. € Inequity: There are nearly double as many obese adult females than there are males (5.1% compared Global Nutrition Report to 2.7%). ¾ The Global Nutrition Report wasconceived following ¾ Anaemia the first Nutrition for Growth Initiative Summit € One in two women of reproductive age is anaemic. (N4G) in 2013. ¾ Underweight children € The first report was published in 2014. € Between 2000 and 2016, rates of underweight ¾ It acts as a report card on the world’s nutrition— have decreased from 66.0% to 58.1% for boys globally, regionally, and country by country—and and 54.2% to 50.1% in girls. on efforts to improve it. € However, this is still high compared to the average ¾ It is a multi-stakeholder initiative, consisting of a of 35.6% for boys and 31.8% for girls in Asia. Stakeholder Group, Independent Expert Group and Report Secretariat. Link Between Malnutrition and Inequity ¾ The report emphasises on the link between malnutrition Devices for Disabled and Elderly and different forms of inequity, such as those based on geographic location, age, gender, ethnicity, education and wealth in all its forms. Why in News ¾ Inequities in food and health systems increase The Department of Science and Technology has inequalities in nutrition outcomes that in turn can helped in developing various assistive tools, devices and lead to more inequity, perpetuating a vicious cycle. technological solutions to mitigate the impact ofCovid-19 ¾ Coming at a time the world is battling Covid-19, among Divyangjan and Elderly through a programme on which has exposed different forms of socio-economic Technology Interventions for Disabled and Elderly (TIDE). inequities, the report calls for promoting equity to address malnutrition. Key Points ¾ Technology Interventions for Disabled and Elderly Malnutrition (TIDE): ¾ Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or € It is the Department of Science and Technology’s imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/ (DST) focused initiative onScience and Technology or nutrients. (S&T) interventions for the benefit of elderly and ¾ The term malnutrition covers two broad groups also the differently-abled Divyangjan persons in of conditions. the country.

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€ In addition to improving the quality-of-life of the last four decades from 36.9 in 1971 to 20.0 the target population with appropriate and/or in 2018. innovative scientific technological interventions, € The rural-urban differential has also narrowed. TIDE also aims at giving them autonomy, and However, the birth rate has continued to be higher independence through holistic development by in rural areas compared to urban areas. creating requisite enabling environments for their € Bihar (26.2) continues to remain at the top of list empowerment. in birth rate while Andaman and Nicobar (11.2) € Proposals on Research and Development for is at the bottom. technological solutions with multidisciplinary € Birth rate is a crude measure of fertility of a approach to improve the quality of life of Elderly populationand a crucial determinant of population population and Divyangjan and in making them self growth. sufficient are considered for financial assistance ¾ Death Rate: under this programme. € The death rate of India has witnessed a significant ¾ Latest Tools and Devices to tackle Covid-19: decline over the last four decades from 14.9 in € e-Tool: 1971 to 6.2 in 2018. z It aims to create awareness and impart health € In the last decade, death rate at an all-India level and hygiene related information along with has declined from 7.3 to 6.2. education and entertainment through tablets € The decline has been steeper in rural areas. and mobiles. € Chhattisgarh has the highest death rateat 8 and z It is expected to overcome loneliness of the Delhi, an almost entirely urban state,has a lowest persons with intellectual disabilities, due to death rate of 3.3. Covid-19 pandemic. € Wearable sensor device: Sample Registration System z It is a band to remotely monitor the activities ¾ It is a demographic survey for providing reliable of Elderly and Divyangjan staying alone or annual estimates of infant mortality rate, birth those who happen to be under quarantine or rate, death rate, and other fertility and mortality isolation wards. indicators at the national and sub-national levels. z The device will help the elderly to get outcomes ¾ It was initiated on a pilot basis by the Registrar regarding the improvement in muscle strength, General of India in a few states in 1964-65, it became flexibility and endurance without physical fully operational during 1969-70. interventions from doctors and physiotherapists. ¾ The field investigation consists of continuous enumeration of births and deaths in selected sample units by resident part time enumerators, generally Data Related to anganwadi workers & teachers, and an independent Birth Rate and Death Rate survey every six months by SRS supervisors. The data obtained by these two independent functionaries Why in News are matched. Recently, the Registrar General of India released data Registrar General of India related to birth rate, death rate and infant mortality rate ¾ Registrar General of India was founded in 1961 by in its Sample Registration System (SRS)bulletin for 2018. the Government of India under the Ministry of ¾ The rates are calculated per one thousand of the Home Affairs. population. ¾ It arranges, conducts and analyses the results of the demographic surveys of India including Census of Key Points India and Linguistic Survey of India. ¾ Birth Rate: ¾ The position of Registrar is usually held by a civil servant holding the rank of Joint Secretary. € India’s birth rate has declined drastically over

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€ Mortality is one of the basic components of € The IMR at an all-India level has declined from 50 population change. The data related to it is to 32 in the last decade. essential for demographic studies and public € Madhya Pradesh has the highest IMR of 48 and health administration. Nagaland has the lowest IMR of 4. ¾ Infant Mortality Rate: € Infant mortality is the number of deaths of € IMR has decreased to 32 about one-fourth as children under one year of age per 1000 live compared to 1971 (129). births.

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Highlights z Combating Bioterrorism z Abolition of Posts in MES z Army’s Proposal of 3 Year Tenure for Civilians

¾ It is a substantial threat because small amounts of Combating Bioterrorism biotic agents can beeffortlessly hidden, transported and discharged into vulnerable populations. Why in News ¾ It can impact and expose military and civilian susceptibilities to biological weapons and to the The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability complexity of offering ample safeguards. of several world powers in the event of use of biological weapons against them by rogue states and terrorist ¾ Bioweapons experts believe that currently bioterrorists groups. probably lack the biotechnological capability to produce-super pathogens or super pests. ¾ The United States, Britain and the Soviet Union were involved in developing complex biological weapons Covid-19: Bioweapon or Not programs after World War II and several nations ¾ Novel-coronavirus is alleged to have originated in bats. continue to do so currently as well. ¾ Some intelligence agencies initially proclaimed that Key Points coronavirus occurred naturally but later on, they claimed that the pandemic might have begun from ¾ Bioterrorism or Biological Attack: the Wuhan lab in China after the researchers were € It is the intentional release of viruses, bacteria, probably able to figure out how bat coronaviruses or other germs that can sicken or kill people, could mutate to attack humans. livestock or crops. ¾ However, there is no proof that the pandemic virus ¾ Biological Weapons: was engineered or manipulated, yet. € They use microorganisms and natural toxins to ¾ In the Indian context, with the existence of hostile produce disease in humans, animals, or plants. neighbours like Pakistan and China, the threat of € Biological weapons can be derived from: bacteria, biological warfare becomes important and cannot viruses, rickettsia, biological toxinsand fungi. be ruled out entirely. € These agents can be deployed as biological weapons when paired with a delivery system, Combating Bioterrorism such as a missile or aerosol device. ¾ The European Union (EU), Russia and China are € Bacillus anthracis, the bacteria that causes anthrax, finding ways to deter bioterrorism and biowarfare. is one of the most likely agents to be used in a The aim is to make it harder for terrorists to obtain biological attack. the resources for designing biological weapons. ¾ € The most destructive bioterrorism scenario is the These efforts should include: airborne dispersion of pathogens over a major € Intelligence Sharing & Rapid Detection population region. z Global intelligence agencies should operate € Tropical agricultural pathogens or pests can together and share credible intelligence. be used as anticrop agents to hamper the food z Combining human resources, laboratory security worldwide. resources and information supervision in novel,

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legal and satisfactory ways that allow for timely z Refining diagnostic laboratory capability and detection and categorization of hazards. epidemiological capabilities. z Rapid detection and surveillance are important for an efficient response to a bioterror strike. Way Forward € Pathogen Analysis ¾ The studies conducted to assess the actual efficiency z Speedy, uniform techniques that allow for the of counter bioterrorism measures are insufficient discovery of an extensive range of pathogens which needs to be changed. used as biological weapons in a measurable ¾ It becomes important that engaged and methodical fashion. efforts in studying the efficiency of counter bioterrorism z Pathogens are a usual part of the environment measures are applied in a meticulous way. and can complicate detection attempts. ¾ It should be taken into account that the implementation € Strengthening the Biological and Toxin Weapons of some specific counter bioterrorism practices can Convention possibly have consequences with respect to human z The Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention rights, institutional liberties, fundamental democratic (BTWC) of 1972 prohibits signatory nations values and the Rule of Law. to develop, produce, stockpile or otherwise, acquire or retain: Army’s Proposal of n Microbial or other biological agents or toxins whatever their origin or method 3 Year Tenure for Civilians of production, of types and in quantities that have no justification for prophylactic, Why in News protective or other peaceful purposes. Recently, the Army has proposed 3 years of voluntary n Weapons, equipment or means of delivery Tour of Duty (ToD) for civilians on a trial basis. designed to use such agents or toxins for hostile purposes or in armed conflict. Key Points z However, there is no exact authentication ¾ method that can ensure compliance with the Proposal: BTWC. Therefore, efforts must be made to € The Army plans to take civilians on a three- year strengthen the BTWC so that it helps to uncover ‘Tour of Duty’ (ToD) or ‘Three-year Short Service’ and successfully prevent biological weapons on a trial basis to serve in the force as both officers programs. and Other Ranks (ORs). z India ratified and pledged to abide by its € The proposal suggests several measures to obligations in 2015. incentivisethis scheme like a tax-free income for € Biodefense Systems three years and a token lump sum at the end of z Upgrading and installing biodefense systems three years of about Rs.5-6 lakh for officers and in major urban conglomerates to protect Rs.2-3 lakh for ORs. against deadly disease outbreaks initiated by € However, there will be no severance packages, bioterrorism. resettlement courses, professional encashment n During the Cold War, Soviet Union had set training leave, ex-Servicemen status, ex-Servicemen up several Biodefense systems across the Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) for the ToD country. officers and other ranks. z Developing and stockpiling vaccines and € The proposal is a shift from the concept of antimicrobial medicines that can be used to permanent service/job in the Armed Forces, defend the people against infections triggered towards internship/temporary experience for by biological weapons. three years. z Coaching first responders on how to deal with € If approved it will be a voluntary engagement a biological weapons attack. and there will be no dilution in selection criteria.

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€ The Army hopes that this would attract individuals ¾ MES is the infrastructure development agency for the from the best colleges, including the Indian Institute armed forces and defence establishments. of Technology. ¾ Rationale behind the Proposal: Key Points € There is a “resurgence of nationalism and ¾ Optimum Utilisation of Resources: This step of patriotism” in the country and the proposal abolition of around 9000 posts of basic and industrial attempts to tap the feeling of the youths who do staff will lead to significant savings. not want to join the Army as a profession but wish € Almost 70% of the budget is used for payment to experience military life for a temporary duration. of salaries and allowances and leaves very little ¾ Expected Benefits to the Army: money for actual infrastructural development. € Reduction of Financial Burden: The cost of a three- ¾ Restructuring of Workforce: The committee also year service per officer will be a fraction of the recommended to restructure the civilian workforce cost incurred on Short Service Commission (SSC) in a manner that the work of the MES could be partly officers,which includes cost of pre-commission done by departmentally employed staff and other training, pay, allowances, gratuity, leave encashment works could be outsourced. among others. ¾ Projected Savings: The recommendations can save € Modernisation of Army: The reduced financial up to Rs.25,000 crore in defence expenditure, if burden will shift the focus towards modernisation of implemented over the next five years. the army in terms of training,arms and equipment. € According to Stockholm International Peace ¾ Expected Benefits to the Youth: Research Institute (SIPRI), India was the among € It will not only provide a job with higher salary the top three top military spenders in the world but also ensures a placement in corporate sectors in 2019 after the US and China. after retirement as the corporate sector will prefer Shekatkar Committee to hire such youths rather than fresh graduates. ¾ € It has been seen that corporates favour individuals It was a 11-member committee, appointed by the who have been trained by the military at 26 or 27 erstwhile Defence Minister in mid-2016. years of age. ¾ It was headed by Lt. Gen. D.B. Shekatkar (Retd). ¾ Benefits to the Nation: ¾ It had the mandate to suggest measures to enhance € It will help to channelise the youth energy into combat capability and rebalance defence expenditure positive utilisation of their potential. of the armed forces. ¾ € Rigorous military training and habits inculcation It submitted its report in December 2016. will lead to healthy citizenry. ¾ Recommendations: € The entire nation will benefit from trained, € It made about 99 recommendations from optimising disciplined, confident, diligent and committed defence budget to the need for a Chief of the young men or women who have done the three- Defence Staff. year service. z Of these, the first batch of 65 recommendations pertaining to the Army were approved in August Abolition of Posts in MES 2017. € It recommended that India’s defence budget should be in the range of 2.5-3% of GDP (Gross Domestic Why in News Product), in view of current and future threats. Recently, the Defence Minister of India has approved € It had also suggested the establishment of a Joint a proposal for the abolition of a number of posts in the Services War College for training of middle-level Military Engineering Service (MES). officers, with three separate war colleges at Mhow ¾ This move is in lines with the recommendations of (Madhya Pradesh), Secunderabad (Telangana) and the Lt. Gen. D.B. Shekatkar (Retd.) Committee. Goa, focusing on training younger officers.

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€ The committee had also mooted for theMilitary € Government Owned Contractor Operated (GOCO) Intelligence School at Pune to be converted to Model a tri-service intelligence training establishment. z In the model, the assets owned by the € The recommendations on the creation of theChief government are operated by the private of Defence Staff post and a Department of Military industries. Affairs have been already implemented. z The main advantage of the model is that it is € Restructuring of Army headquarters efficient and will boost competitiveness among z The Army headquarters had instituted 4 studies the private entities. with an overall aim to enhance the operational € Closure of Military Farms and Army Postal and functional efficiencyof the force, optimize Establishments in peace locations. budget expenditure, facilitate modernization € Other recommendations which have been and address aspirations. implemented include, optimisation of signals z These studies are Re-organisation and right- establishments, restructuring of repair units, sizing of the Indian Army, Re-organisation of the redeployment of ordnance echelons, better Army Headquarters, Cadre review of officers and utilisation of supply and transportation units and Review of terms of engagement of rank and file. animal transport entities, etc.

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Miscellaneous

Highlights z Indian Photojournalists Won Pulitzer Prize z Parkinson’s Disease z National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research and Covid-19 z World Red Cross Day z Vande Bharat Mission z National Biomedical Resource Indigenization Consortium z National Technology Day

National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research Indian Photojournalists ¾ National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) Won Pulitzer Prize was established as an autonomous Research and Development Institution of the Ministry of Earth Why in News Sciences in 1998. Recently, five Indian photojournalists won the 2020 € It is located in Goa. Pulitzer Prize for feature photography. ¾ It is the nodal agency for planning, promotion, coordination and execution of the entire gamut of Key Points polar and southern ocean scientific research in the ¾ Pulitzer Prize is awarded for outstanding public country as well as for the associated logistics activities. in service and achievement American journalism, ¾ Its responsibilities include: letters, and music. € Management and upkeep of the Indian Antarctic ¾ It is awarded in the name of Joseph Pulitzer, a Research Bases “Maitri” and “Bharati”, and the newspaper publisher who gave money in his will to Indian Arctic base “Himadri”. Columbia University to launch a journalism school and establish the Prize. € Management of the Ministry’s research vessel ORV Sagar Kanya as well as the other research ¾ It was established in 1917 and is administered by chartered by the Ministry. Columbia University and Pulitzer Prize Board. vessels ¾ Each winner receives a certificate and a US$15,000 € Scientific research activities being undertaken cash award. The winner in the public service category by several national institutions and organizations is awarded a gold medal. in Antarctica, the Arctic and in the Indian Ocean sector of the Southern Ocean. National Centre for Polar and € Geoscientific surveys of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and its extended continental Ocean Research and Covid-19 shelf beyond 200m, deep-sea drilling in the Arabian Sea basin through the International Ocean Discovery Why in News Program (IODP), exploration for ocean non-living National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research,Goa resources such as gas hydrates and multi-metal has contributed in the fight against Covid-19 pandemic sulphides in mid-ocean ridges. through significant analytical work in the different z IODP is an international marine research laboratories for research work. collaboration that explores Earth’s history and ¾ It also actively participated in the various webinars and dynamics using ocean-going research platforms to sessions organized by the Ministry of Earth Sciences recover data recorded in seafloor sediments and during the lockdown. rocks and to monitor subseafloor environments.

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Vande National Technology Day Bharat Mission Why in News Why in News India observes its National Technology Day on 11th May every year. The Indian nationals stranded overseas due to the global coronavirus lockdown are expected to return Key Points under the Vande Bharat Mission. ¾ The day which was first observed on 11 May, 1999, ¾ Further, the Indian Navy has also launched Operation aims to commemorate the scientific and technological “Samudra Setu” (sea bridge) to repatriate Indian achievements of Indian scientists, engineers. The citizens from overseas. day was named by the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Key Points ¾ Every year, the Technology Development Board of ¾ Vande Bharat Mission is the biggest evacuation India (a statutory body under the Ministry of Science exercise to bring back Indian citizens stranded and Technology) celebrates the day by awarding abroad amidst the coronavirus-induced travel individuals with National Award for their contribution restrictions. to science and technology in India. € It is also considered as the largest exercise to ¾ The focus this year is ‘Rebooting the economy through bring back Indian citizens since the evacuation of Science and Technology.’ 177,000 from the Gulf region in the early 1990s at the start of hostilities between Iraq and Kuwait Significance during the first Gulf War. ¾ It is the day India successfully tested nuclear bombs ¾ The mission has given priority to Indian citizens with in Pokhran on May 11, 1998. “compelling reasons to return” – like those whose € India successfully test-fired its Shakti-1 nuclear employment have been terminated, those whose missile in operation called Pokhran-II, also visas have expired and not expected to be renewed codenamed as Operation Shakti. under the present circumstances and those who have € The nuclear missile was tested at the Indian Army’s lost family members in recent times. Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan. This was the ¾ Under the repatriation plan, the government will second test which was conducted after Pokhran-I be facilitating the return of Indian nationals codenamed Operation Smiling Buddha, in May 1974. stranded abroad on compelling grounds in a ¾ On the same day, India performed a successful test phased manner. firing of the Trishul Missile (surface to air short ¾ Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express will range missile) and had test flown the first indigenous operate 64 flights to bring back stranded Indians aircraft –‘Hansa – 3’. from 12 countries. ¾ The entirecost of travel will be borne by the passengers Parkinson’s Disease under the mission. ¾ Parkinson’s disease is a chronic, degenerative neuro- Operation Samudra Setu logical disorder that affects the central nervous system. ¾ The program named Samudra Setu by Indian ¾ It damages nerve cells in the brain dropping the entails to bring back around two thousand navy levels of dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical that Indians in two ships during the first phase of sends behavioural signals from the brain to the body. evacuation. ¾ The disease causes a variety of “motor” symptoms ¾ are being operated as INS Jalashwa and INS Magar (symptoms related to movement of the muscles), part of efforts to repatriate Indian nationals from including rigidity, delayed movement, poor balance, foreign shores. and tremors.

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¾ Medication can help control the symptoms of the ¾ The Red Cross Society is based on 7 principles namely, disease but it can’t be cured. humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, ¾ It affects the age group from 6 to 60 years. Worldwide, voluntary, unity and universality. about 10 million people have been affected by this disease. National Biomedical Resource Indigenization Consortium World Red Cross Day Why in News Why in News Recently, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) Recently, the World Red Cross Day was celebrated has launched a National Biomedical Resource by the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS). Indigenization Consortium (NBRIC)to drive indigenous focused on developing reagents (used in Key Points innovation chemical reactions), diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics ¾ World Red Cross day is observed on 8th May, on the birth for Covid-19. anniversary of Henry Dunant, who was the founder ¾ It is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) hosted and led of the International Committee of the Red Cross. by the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms € Henry Dunant was also the recipient of the first (C-CAMP). Nobel Peace Prize. Key Points Indian Red Cross Society ¾ It is a ‘Make in India’ initiative for biomedical research ¾ IRCS is a voluntary humanitarian organization to and innovative products, towards promoting import protect human life and health with the help of its substitution and exports network of over 1100 branches throughout India. . ¾ It aims to establish a nation-wide collaborative platform ¾ It was established in 1920 and has completed its for convergence of research, product resources and 100 years of existence. services towards developing reagents, diagnostics, ¾ It is a the largest independent humanitarian part of vaccines, and therapeutics across India. organisation in the world, the International Red ¾ It identifies providers/manufacturing enterprises Cross and Red Crescent Movement. of crucial bio-medical resources and connects them ¾ Its is to provide relief at the time of disasters/ mission with policy makers as well as with other stakeholders emergencies and also promotes healthcare facilities from public and private sectors. among vulnerable people and communities. ¾ The President of India is the President and the Union Centre for Cellular Health Minister is the Chairman of the Society. and Molecular Platforms ¾ It is one of the centers for technology-based ¾ Aim: To inspire, initiate and encourage all kinds of humanitarian activities under all times and innovation and entrepreneurship in the field of under the circumstances. life sciences DBT. ¾ It intends to develop state-of-the-art technologies ¾ Programmes: Promotion of humanitarian principles and to provide training on these technologies to and values, disaster response, disaster preparedness academia and industry. and health and care.

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