KALHAN CURRENT NOTES

(KCN (

Add: 220, First floor, Behind Sargam Talkies, Zone-II, M.P. Nagar,. Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh- 462011 (Near Vijaya Bank) 0755-4923060 7222988881, 9685979429 SEPTEMBER-2019

CONTENTS

S. NO SUBJECT PAGE NO.

01. G.S. PAPER - I (a) Indian History and Culture 3 - 7 . (b) Social Issues 8 (c) Geography (India and World) 9 - 11

02. G.S. PAPER - II (a) Polity and Governance 15 - 33 (b) International Relations and Orgnizations 34 - 41

03. G.S PAPER - III (a) Indian Economic Development and Infrastructure 45 - 59 (b) Agriculture 60 - 61 (c) Environment, Bio-diversity and Climate Change 62 - 73 (d) Science and Technology 74 - 81 (e) Defence and Internal Security 82 - 83

04. MISCELLANEOUS 87 - 90

05. YOJANA (SEPTEMBER) 93 - 98

G.S PAPER - I

1 2 A. INDIAN HISTORY & CULTURE PuriJagannath Temple Ø Among the prized collections of the Ø The Shree Jagannath Temple of Puri is Society is an original copy of Dante’s an important Hindu temple, belonging Divine Comedy, and coins issued by to the Vaishnava tradition, situated in Kumaragupta (5th century), Akbar (16th the state of Odisha. century), and Shivaji (17th century). Ø The temple is famous for its annual Ø The Society offers Junior Fellowships Rathayatra (chariot festival). for research and recommends scholars Ø The temple was built by the Ganga for the Tagore National Fellowship of dynasty king Chodaganga in the 12th the Ministry of Culture. century A.D. Ø The Governor of Maharashtra is the Ø In the 9th century A.D., Sankaracharya Society’s Chief Patron. visited Puri and founded the GovardhanaMatha as the eastern A 200-year history dhama of India. Ø The Asiatic Society began its journey in Ø Sankaracharya had founded four 1804 as the Literary Society of Bombay. Mathas across India, known as dhama Ø It was founded by Sir James Mackintosh, which literally means, a sacred place. a Scottish colonial administrator who Ø Puri is the dhama of eastern had a keen interest in Oriental studies. India. The other dhamas are: Ø In 1826, the Literary Society became SharadaPeetham (Sringeri, Karnataka), the Mumbai arm of the London-based Dwaraka (Gujarat), and Jyotir Math Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain (Uttarakhand). and Ireland and came to be called the Ø The mathas were to be led by men who Bombay Branch of the Royal Asiatic would be known as ‘Shankaracharyas’. Society (BBRAS). Ø As suggested by the Odisha government, Ø In its early days, membership of the the demolition of structures within Society was restricted to European 75-metre radius of the temple, “gentlemen”, and the “natives” were not including the 12th century Emar Mutt, allowed to join until 1841. for security reasons. Ø The Bombay Geographical Society and Asiatic Society, Mumbai the Anthropological Society of Bombay Ø The Asiatic Society is housed in the merged with the BBRAS in 1873 and iconic Town Hall building in the colonial- 1896 respectively. era Fort precinct and has witnessed the Ø In 1954, the institution was severed evolution of the city’s intelligentsia in from its London parent and became the its long history. Asiatic Society of Bombay. In 2002, it Ø It is a learned society whose activities acquired its present name. include conducting historical research, Ø According to the Society’s website, its awarding historians, and running an journal has been in publication since institute of post-graduate studies. 1841. Ø Its library, home to over 1 lakh books, consists of rare manuscripts contributed Indo-European language origins to it by the East India Company. Ø Largest-ever study of ancient human Ø It has generous donations by the likes DNA illuminates the Indo-European of MountstuartElphinstone, Jagannath language origins. Shankarsheth, CowasjiJehangir, and Ø It indicated that Indo-European BhauDaji Lad. languages, arrived in Europe via the Ø The library recently scrapped its referral steppes. system for membership, thus expanding Ø Indo-European languages are the access to its resources. world’s biggest language group.

3 Ø It includes Hindi-Urdu, Farsi, Russian, Ø These DNA in Rakhigarhi had little of English, French, Gaelic and more than any Steppe pastoralist-derived ancestry. 400 other languages. Ø It shows that it was not ubiquitous in Ø It suggests that the mass migration north-west South Asia during the IVC of Bronze Age herders from Eurasian as it is today Steppes, starting 5,000 years ago, Ø The paper indicates that there was no westward to Europe and east to Asia. Aryan invasion and no Aryan migration, Ø Despite being spread over a vast area Ø All the developments from the hunting- encompassing myriad cultures, these gathering to modern times in South languages share uncanny similarities. Asia were done by indigenous people. Ø Similarities in syntax, numbers, basic Ø The paper concludes Indians came from adjectives and numerous nouns. a genetic pool predominantly belonging Ø The study also found that the present- to an indigenous ancient civilisation. day speakers of both these groups descend from a subgroup of steppe No Mass-migration of Aryans herders. Ø The finding also negates the hypothesis Ø They moved west toward Europe 5,000 about mass migration during Harappan years ago, then spread back east to times from outside South Asia. Central and South Asia in the following Ø Researchers successfully sequenced 1,500 years. the first genome of an individual Ø It also found that, from Harappa and combining it with Ø South Asians who today speak Dravidian archaeological data. languages (mainly in southern India Ø It found that hunter-gatherers of South and southwestern Pakistan) had very Asia had an independent origin, and little steppe DNA. authored the settled way of life in this Ø While those who speak Indo-European part of the world. languages like Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali Ø They do not contain genome from either have far more. the Steppe region or ancient Iranian Ø As far as agriculture is concerned, prior farmers. work has found that farming spread to Ø The genetic continuity from hunter Europe via people of Anatolian ancestry. gatherer to modern times is visible in Ø The study also points out that these the DNA results. steppe land herders have left their Ø The study finds that the same hunter- genetic mark on most Europeans living gatherer communities developed into today. agricultural communities and formed Harappan Civilization DNA Study the Harappan civilization. Ø A new DNA study finds 2500 BC ‘Rakhigarhi’ skeletons have no traces of No migration from Central Asia ‘Aryan gene’. Ø India had a heterogeneous population Ø Study examined DNA of skeletons right from the beginning of settled life. found in Rakhigarhi, an Indus Valley There was a hint that settled life and Civilisation site in Haryana. domestication went from South Asia to Ø It found that there is no traces of R1a1 West Asia. or Central Asian ‘steppe’, gene. Ø The researchers also suggest that Ø The population has no detectable there was a movement of people from ancestry from Steppe pastoralists or east to west as the Harappan people’s from Anatolian (modern day Turkey) presence is evident at sites like Gonur and Iranian farmers. in Turkmenistan and Sahr-i-Sokhta in Ø It suggests that farming in South Asia Iran. arose from local foragers rather than Ø As the Harappans traded with from large-scale migration from the Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Persian Gulf West, and almost all across South Asia, there Ø The Central Asian ‘steppe’ gene is found was bound to be movement of people in much of the Indian population today. resulting in a mixed genetic history.

4 Origins of farming Ø However, scholars soon started to reject Ø The researchers concluded that farming Wheeler’s theory, since the skeletons in South Asia was not due to the belonged to a period after the city’s movement of people from the farming abandonment and none were found cultures of the west and that local near the citadel. foragers adopted it. Ø In Europe, ancient-DNA studies have Pulikali Ø Pulikali (Tiger Dance) is a folk art of shown that agriculture tended to spread through an influx of people with Kerala. Ø ancestry in Anatolia, in modern day Artists wear a tiger mask, paint their Turkey. bodies like tigers and dance to the Ø The new study shows a similar dynamic rhythm of traditional percussion in Iran and Turan (southern Central instruments such as thakil, udukku Asia), where the researchers found that and chenda. Anatolian-related ancestry and farming Ø It is performed on the fourth day of arrived around the same time. Onam festival. Ø In South Asia, however, the story Ø The main theme of this folk art is tiger appears quite different. hunting with participants playing the Ø The researchers found an absence of role of tiger and hunter. Anatolian-related ancestry. Ø They saw that Iranian-related ancestry Vallam Kali Ø The annual snake boat regatta in South Asians comes from a lineage that separated from ancient Iranian (UthrittathiVallamkali) held in the river farmers and hunter-gatherers before Pampa marked the grand finale of the those groups split from each other, annual season of snake boat races in nearly 9,000 years ago. the part of Central Travancore. Ø Vallam Kali is a traditional boat race in Rakhigarhi- the epicenter Kerala, India. Ø The discovery of two more mounds Ø It is a form of canoe racing and uses at the Harappan site of Rakhigarhi paddled war canoes. in Hisar district, Haryana, has led to Ø It is mainly conducted during the archaeologists establishing it as the season of the harvest festival Onam in biggest Harappancivilisation site. autumn. Ø Until now, specialists in the Ø Vallam Kali includes races of many Harappancivilisation had argued that kinds of paddled longboats, and fame Mohenjo-daro in Pakistan was the in Kerala the traditional boats of Kerala. largest among the 2,000 Harappan Ø The Nehru Trophy Boat Race is a sites known to exist in India, Pakistan popular Vallam Kali event held in the and Afghanistan. Punnamada Lake near Alappuzha, Ø The archaeological remains at Mohenjo- Kerala. daro extend around 300 hectares. Ø Mohenjo-daro, Harappa and Bengal Famine Ø The greatest tragedy that befell the Ganweriwala (all in Pakistan) and Rakhigarhi and Dholavira (both in country in the 20th century under India) are ranked as the first to the fifth British watch, the Bengal famine, the biggest Harappan sites. worst through 1943. Ø The famine took half as many lives as Aryan Invasion Theory the Holocaust did. Ø In 1953 Mortimer Wheeler proposed that Ø Official records from that period the invasion of an Indo-European tribe available in the India Office Records from Central Asia, the “Aryans”, caused section of the British Library establish the decline of the Indus Civilization. that the famine was not the outcome of Ø As evidence, he cited a group of 37 a lack of foodgrain. skeletons found in various parts of Ø Rather, political machinations, greed, Mohenjo-daro, and passages in the hoarding and bureaucratic bungling on Vedas referring to battles and forts. a massive scale.

5 Ø A careful reading of official papers Ø Recovery of 10 spindle whorls, 20 establishes that, sharply pinpointed bone tip tools used Ø at all levels of British-Indian for design creations, hanging stones administration the effort was more of the yarn, terracotta spheres, copper to create records and “keep the files needle and earthen vessels to hold healthy”, liquid clearly attest to the various stages Ø to save ‘official’ skin at some future of weaving industry from spinning, enquiry, rather than to get to grips with yarning, looming and weaving and later the problem through resolute action. for dyeing. Ø Apart from the matter of the settlement’s Ø The war effort could resulted in famine, age, the report highlights the supposedly but it opted to continue exporting rice high standard of living in the Sangam from India to elsewhere in the empire. era. Ø Rice stocks continued to leave India Ø The document describes “well-laid even as London was denying urgent floors made of fine clay”, “roof tiles” requests from India. with “grooves” to “drain water”, joints Ø It is good copy to hold the Winston fastened with “iron nails”, etc. Churchill solely responsible for the Ø Archaeologists also unearthed 110 dies famine ignoring the fact that enough made of ivory, and attributed them to the food was available within India to have Sangam people’s alleged participation in prevented its occurrence. sports and other recreational activities. Ø The report additionally discusses Sangam era is much older evidence of cattle-rearing, structural Ø In a major turning point in the cultural engineering, handicrafts, a local historiography of the ancient Sangam weaving industry, household utensils, Age, the TN Archaeology Department and ornaments and terracotta figurines. found that the cultural deposits unearthed during excavations at Sangam Age Keeladi are dated to a period between Ø The ‘Sangam’ describes a period from 6th century BCE and 1st century CE. the sixth century BC to the third century Ø This is the first time the date has been AD encompassing today’s Tamil Nadu, officially announced. Kerala, the southern parts of Karnataka Ø The new findings in the report place and Andhra Pradesh, and northern Sri Keeladiartefacts about 300 years earlier Lanka. than previously believed — 3rd century Ø The Tamil Sangams or Cankams were BCE. assemblies of Tamil scholars and poets Ø The results from the fourth excavations that, according to traditional Tamil suggest that the “second urbanisation accounts, occurred in the remote past. Ø It is named for scholarly congregations [the first being Indus] of Vaigai plains in and around the city of Madurai, happened in Tamil Nadu around 6th located about 400 km southwest of century BCE as it happened in Gangetic Chennai. plains.” Ø The period is noted for its Tamil Ø The recent scientific dates obtained for literature and its literary output is Keeladi findings push back the date of closely associated with a significant Tamil-Brahmi script to another century, politico-literary movement in early i.e., 6th century BCE. 20th century TN, which held that the Ø These results clearly ascertained that Dravidian people could be descended they attained literacy or learned the art from the people of the Indus Valley of writing as early as 6th century BCE. civilisation. Ø Fifty-six Tamil-Brahmi inscribed Ø The Sivaganga discovery is the first potsherds were recovered from the site major one of its kind in the state that of excavation. claims to attest to the presence of Ø Pottery specimens from Keeladi an ancient urban civilisation in the confirmed that water containers and subcontinent’s south, a civilisation that cooking vessels were shaped out of has often been pooh-poohed as political locally available raw materials. rhetoric.

6 Ø It also strengthens the purported Ø ‘Bathukamma’ means ‘Mother Goddess connection between the Indus Valley come Alive’ and the patron goddess of settlers and the ancient residents of womanhood Goddess MahaGauri-‘Life Keezhadi. Giver’ is worshipped in the form of Bathukamma. Bathukamma Ø It is the festival for feminine felicitation. Ø Bathukamma is a colourful floral Ø The festival has over the years has festival of Telangana and is celebrated become a symbol of Telangana culture by womenfolk with exotic flowers of the and identity. region. Ø Bathukamma comes during the latter Ø Bathukamma is a beautiful flower half of monsoon, before the onset of stack, arranged with different unique winter. seasonal flowers most of them with Ø The festival represents the spirit of medicinal values, in seven concentric Telangana and is celebrated for nine layers in the shape of temple gopuram. days during Dasara.

Y Y Y Y Y

7 B. SOCIAL ISSUES Saharia Tribes Galo name Ø Saharias are a particularly vulnerable Ø The Galocommunity in Arunachal tribal group. Pradesh follow a unique system of Ø The Saharia are an ethnic group in the naming that helps them trace ancestors state of Madhya Pradesh, India. and origin. Ø They are also found in Baran district of Ø The Galos maintain genealogy (study of Rajasthan. families, family history, and the tracing Ø The tribe members believe in Folk Hinduism’s gods and goddess that they of their lineages) through given names. worship. Ø They follow a system of prefixing the Ø The Sahariya tribe health is very poor. second syllable of a father’s name to There is a prevalence of malnutrition that of a son, who passes on the suffix and pulmonary tuberculosis. in his name to his son. Ø The names of ancestors can be traced Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Policy from the first syllable or prefix of their Ø The Delhi Development Authority names. (DDA) approved the ‘Transit Oriented Ø Example: KenjumBagra is the 21st Development (TOD) Policy. descendant of Memo, the founder of Ø It plans to develop high-density, mixed- the Memo clan. Mr. Bagra’s father, use areas around 5 Metro stations at number 20 on the Memo line, is in Delhi in the first phase under this Gumken, his grandfather is Megum, policy. and his great-grandfather is Gumme. Ø The primary goals of the policy are to, The ‘me’ in his great-grandfather’s Ø Promote the use of public transport name was prefixed to his grandfather’s and discourage dependence on private name, whose suffix decided his father’s vehicles and name. Ø To provide walking-distance access to public transport to the maximum Galos: possible numbers of people Ø The Galos are one of the 26 major Ø DDA also wants to promote mixed communities of Arunachal Pradesh. housing and markets close to Metro Ø stations. This central Eastern Himalayan tribe Ø The relevance of TOD lies in the fact dominate West Siang, LepaRada and that despite a 373-km Delhi Metro rail Lower Siang districts. They have a network and other public transport big population in East Siang, Upper options, Subansiri and Namsai districts too. Ø Delhi has been unable to deliver Ø The Galos belong to the Tani group efficient, comfortable, affordable, and inhabiting Assam and Arunachal subsidised parking options. Pradesh, besides Tibet. Ø This has led to commuters relying on Ø They trace their common origin to a automobiles, especially private vehicles, primeval ancestor, Abotani. much more than on public transport. Ø The Galo have been listed as a Scheduled Ø At the heart of TOD, also lie the principles Tribe under the name Gallong since of healthy, more environment-friendly 1950. lifestyles.

Y Y Y Y Y

8 C. GEOGRAPHY (INDIA & WORLD) Monsoon Deficit Reduced to Near Zero Ø It counted 65.55 lakh lightning strikes Ø The heavy rains in August has reduced in India during this four-month the 2019 monsoon deficit to nearly zero. period, of which 23.53 lakh (36 per Ø As of August 31, India received 300 mm cent) happened to be cloud-to-ground of rain, 16% more than the 258 mm lightning, the kind that reaches the that’s typical for the month. Earth. Ø In July, India received rainfall of about Ø The other 41.04 lakh (64 per cent) 4% more than what was normal for the were in-cloud lightning, which remains month. confined to the clouds in which it was Ø This reduced the seasonal deficit formed. Ø (calculated from June 1 to July 31) from Odisha recorded over 9 lakh incidents of 32.8% on June 30 to 9%, on July 31. lightning (both kinds), the maximum for Ø As of August 31, that deficit is now any state but fewer deaths than Uttar Pradesh, which had 3.2 lakh incidents. down to 0.2%. Ø A surge of low pressure disturbances in Lightening the Bay of Bengal in July and August Ø Lightning is a very rapid and massive was responsible for the active monsoon. discharge of electricity in the atmosphere. Some of it is directed El Nino effect: towards the Earth. Ø The above average monsoon activity Ø It is a result of the difference in electrical was due to “increased activity” in the charge between the top and bottom of a Indian Ocean. cloud. Ø The El Nino activity had subsided Ø The lightning-generating clouds are however we were also seeing an above typically about 10-12 km in height, normal activity in the Indian Ocean. with their base about 1-2 km from the Ø Unlike the Pacific Ocean, the impact Earth’s surface. The temperatures at of the Indian Ocean isn’t as well the top range from -35°C to -45°C. understood. Mechanism of formation Lightning mapping Ø As water vapour moves upwards in the Ø For the first time, a report has mapped cloud, it condenses into water due to lightning strikes across the country, decreasing temperatures. and the lives they have claimed. Ø A huge amount of heat is generated in the process, pushing the water Report molecules further up. As they move Ø It has been prepared by Climate Resilient to temperatures below zero, droplets Observing Systems Promotion Council change into small ice crystals. (CROPC), a non-profit organisation that Ø As they continue upwards, they gather works closely with India Meteorological mass, until they become so heavy that Department (IMD). they start descending. It leads to a Ø Lightning strikes have caused at least system where smaller ice crystals move 1,311 deaths in the four-month period upwards while larger ones come down. between April and July this year, Ø The resulting collisions trigger release according to a first-of-its-kind report on of electrons, in a process very similar lightning incidents in India. to the generation of electric sparks. Ø UP accounted for 224 of these deaths, The moving free electrons cause more followed by Bihar (170), Odisha (129) collisions and more electrons; a chain and Jharkhand (118). reaction is formed.

9 Ø The process results in a situation in Ø It ensures the oceans are continually which the top layer of the cloud gets mixed, and heat and energy are positively charged while the middle distributed around Earth. layer is negatively charged. Ø Warming as a result of climate change, Ø The electrical potential difference the Indian Ocean is causing a series between the two layers is huge, of the of cascading effects that is providing order of billions of volts. In little time, AMOC a “jump start”. a huge current, of the order of lakhs Ø As warm water flows northwards in the to millions of amperes, starts to flow Atlantic, it cools, while the evaporation between the layers. increases its salt content. Ø It produces heat, leading to the heating Ø Low temperature and high salt content of the air column between the two raise the density of the water, causing it layers of cloud. It is because of this heat to sink deep into the ocean. that the air column looks red during Ø The cold, dense water deep below slowly lightning. spreads southward. Ø Ø The heated air column expands and Eventually, it gets pulled back to the produces shock waves that result in surface and warms again and, the thunder sounds. circulation is complete. Ø This continual mixing of the oceans, Banni Grasslands and distribution of heat and energy Ø The ‘Banni Grasslands’ in Kutch, around the planet, contribute to global Gujarat, span over 2,600 square climate. kilometres. Ø Another oceanic system, which is more Ø These grasslands are home to a pastoral frequent, is the El Niño-Southern community called the Maldhari. Oscillation (ENSO). Ø In the 1960s, the government wanted to Ø This involves temperature changes of 1°- protect this region from salinity ingress 3°C in the central and eastern tropical from the Rann of Kutch. Pacific Ocean, over periods between 3 Ø So it dropped millions of seeds of an and 7 years. exotic species called ProsopisJuliflora Ø El Niño refers to warming of the ocean from helicopters. surface and La Niña to cooling, while Ø Since then, ‘ProsopisJuliflora’ has “Neutral” is between these extremes. overtaken the native grasses in the Ø This alternating pattern affects rainfall area. distribution in the tropics and can have Ø The locals call this tree ‘Ganda (Crazy) a strong influence on weather in other Babool’ because it does not let anything parts of the world. else grow. Goldschmidtite Ø The problem of salinity has also Ø It is a new mineral from the Earth’s multiplied several times, and the mantle, found inside a diamond in Maldharis are faced with a perpetual Koffiefontein, South Africa. fodder crisis. Ø It has been named after Victor Moritz Ø Often called Asia’s finest natural Goldschmidt, the Norwegian scientist grassland, it now resembles a shrubby acknowledged as the founder of modern forest. geochemistry. Ø The area under the ‘ProsopisJuliflora’ Ø It has high concentrations of niobium, was only 6% till 1997 but it increased potassium and the rare earth elements to 54% in 2015. lanthanum and cerium. Ø It is an unusual chemical signature for AMOC a mineral from Earth’s mantle, which is Ø Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current usually dominated by elements such as is the large system of ocean currents magnesium and iron. operating in the Atlantic Ocean. Ø Though the mantle makes up about Ø It circulates the waters between the 80% of the Earth’s volume but very little north and the south. is known about it.

10 Ø Diamonds hold clues as they are found Ø Diamonds that are unearthed were up to 160 km beneath the surface, in brought up closer to the surface, the upper mantle. probably as a result of violent volcanic eruptions when the Earth was hotter.

Y Y Y Y Y

11 12 G.S PAPER - II

13 14 A. INDIAN POLITY, CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNANCE Final NRC Ø In 1985, the Assam Accord ended the Ø Out of the 3.3 Cr. applicants, more than agitation by incorporating this demand 19 lakh have been left out of Assam’s and prescribing 1971 as the base year final National Register of Citizens (NRC). for detecting and deporting foreigners Ø The final NRC was the conclusion of in the State. a five year exercise monitored by the Supreme Court that cost Rs1,220 Cr. About NRC Ø The final version of the NRC contains Ø The objective behind the NRC update is the names of around 3.11 Cr. of the to identify illegal migrants who entered total of 3.30 Cr. people who had applied Assam from Bangladesh after 24th for inclusion in the document. March 1971 and to determine whether Ø The number of exclusions has come the citizenship of the people who have down from the draft NRC. 41.09 lakh applied for their names to be included people were left out in the draft list in the NRC is genuine or not. published in July, 2018. Ø Since the fifties, there have been Ø The representatives of Gurkha community has said that more than migrations into Assam. The original one lakh community members have inhabitants fear that illegal migrants been excluded from the NRC. steal their jobs, land and change the cultural identity of the region. How did they got excluded? Ø In the late seventies, there was a Ø The final NRC has been published after movement started by university disposal of all claims and objections. students in Assam, led by the All Assam Ø Those who did not submit claims are Students’ Union. This was popularly also among the 19 lakh people left out. called the Assam Agitation, wherein Ø It was a huge exercise involving about there was a demand for the detection 52,000 Assam government officials and deportation of illegal migrants in working for a prolonged period. Assam. The agitation was aggressive Ø Those who are assigned as D (doubtful) voters and surname mismatch cases and brought the whole state to a are also excluded. standstill. Ø According to the Coordinator for NRC, Ø In 1985, the Assam Accord was signed all decisions of inclusion and exclusion between the All Assam Students Union were taken by statutory officers in an (AASU), the ‘All Assam Gana Sangram objective and transparent manner. Parishad’, and the then central Ø He added that applicants were provided government led by Rajiv Gandhi. adequate opportunity of being heard Ø This brought about stability there. The at every stage of the process as per provisions of the accord were: statutory provisions. Ø All foreigners who had come into Assam between 1951 and 1961 were to be Objectives behind NRC: given full citizenship including the right Ø Updating the NRC was aimed to filter to vote. Indians from illegal immigrants, believed Ø to have come mostly from Bangladesh. The foreigners who had entered Assam Ø There is a belief that illegal immigrants between 1961 and 1971 were to be are depriving locals of rights and given all rights of citizenship except the opportunities right to vote, which would be denied for Ø It has been a demand for almost forty a period of ten years. years that started in 1980 during the Ø All those who entered Assam after 1971 anti-foreigners’ Assam Agitation. would be deported.

15 Ø However, there were many difficulties Ø The PURE study, found that the in implementing the provisions of the mortality was highest in the Low Income Accord. There were massive law and Countries (LIC) despite lower risk order problems involved. People were factors, and lowest in the High Income killed when a mob attacked the office of Countries (HIC). the Deputy Commissioner in Barpeta. Ø The study also presented at the European Ø In 2009, an NGO called Assam Public Society of Cardiology Congress, tracked Works filed a petition in the Supreme over 1,62,000 individuals, aged 35-70 Court demanding the identification and years, living in 21 countries across five deportation of illegal Bangladeshis in continents, over about 9.5 years. Assam. It also demanded the deletion of Ø Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues their names from the voter’s list. to be the leading cause of death across Ø In 2013, the SC ordered to complete the the world, but there are significant list updation by December 31st, 2017. variations between rich and poor Currently, the SC monitors the entire nations. Ø process of NRC updation. While in high income countries, death Ø There are about 40 lakh applicants who from cancer is twice that of CVD, in low are left out of the final draft of the NRC. income countries, death from cardiac disease was three times that of cancer. The final NRC draft was published on Ø Additionally, indoor or household air July 30th, 2018. pollution has been identified as a key Ø The NRC is updated on the basis of cause of CVD. the Citizenship Act, 1955 and The Ø The HIC in the study were Canada, Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Saudi Arabia, Sweden and United Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, Arab Emirates. The middle-income 2003. countries (MIC) were Argentina, Brazil, One Nation- One Ration card Chile, China, Columbia, Iran, Malaysia, One Nation One Ration Card (RC) which will Palestine, Philippines, Poland, Turkey ensure all beneficiaries especially migrants and South Africa. The LIC were can access PDS across the nation from any Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Tanzania PDS shop of their own choice. and Zimbabwe. Ø The study establishes that though risk The biggest beneficiary of this would be factors are lower in low income countries, migrant labourers who move to other States to factors such as access to quality health seek better job opportunities. care and lack of insurance have a play, leading to the mortality. This will provide freedom to the beneficiaries Ø It is believed that the high mortality in as they will not be tied to any one PDS shop poorer countries is not due to a higher and reduce their dependence on shop owners burden of risk factors, but likely other and curtail instances of corruption. factors including lower quality and less The objective is to ensure that this is health care. implemented nationally in a time-bound Institute of Eminence manner. Ø The HRD Ministry has awarded the status of Institute of Eminence to the The process also aims to do away with manual IIT-Madras, the IIT-Kharagpur, Delhi recordings of transactions, thereby ensuring University, Benares Hindu University clarity of record keeping. and the University of Hyderabad. Ø Four private universities — the Vellore Higher mortality from cardiovascular Institute of Technology, Amrita Vishwa diseases Vidyapeetham, Jamia Hamdard Ø A research paper shows that in low University and the Kalinga Institute of income countries, including India, Industrial Technology — were issued death from cardiac disease was three Letters of Intent to grant them the times that of cancer. status.

16 Ø The new greenfield Bharti Institute, a Ø The decision was made after reviewing project of Satya Bharti Foundation, has the law and order situation in the State. also been issued the letter. Ø The declaration was made under Section 3 of the AFSPA by the State Home and Institutions of Eminence scheme Political Department. Ø This scheme under the Union HRD Ø The Act grants special powers to ministry aims to project Indian security forces to maintain public order institutes to global recognition. in disturbed areas. Ø The selected institutes will enjoy Ø complete academic and administrative It has been in force in Assam since autonomy. November 1990. Ø Only higher education institutions Ø The State government under the AFSPA currently placed in the top 500 of global has declared Assam as ‘disturbed area’ rankings or top 50 of the National with effect from August 28, 2019, up to Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) six months unless withdrawn earlier. are eligible to apply for the eminence tag. Armed Forces Special Powers (Assam Ø The private Institutions of Eminence and Manipur) Act, 1958 can also come up as greenfield ventures Ø AFSPA was first enacted to deal with the provided the sponsoring organisation Naga insurgency in the Assam region. submits a convincing perspective plan Ø In 1951, the Naga National Council for 15 years. (NNC) reported that it conducted a “free and fair plebiscite” in which about Benefit for such institutions 99 percent of Nagas voted for a ‘Free Ø It will ensure complete autonomy to the Sovereign Naga Nation’. There was a selected institutions and facilitate them boycott of the first general election of to grow more rapidly 1952 which later extended to a boycott Ø They will get more opportunity to scale of government schools and officials. up their operations with more skills Ø In order to deal with the situation, and quality improvement so that they the Assam government imposed the become World Class Institutions in the Assam Maintenance of Public Order field of education (Autonomous District) Act in the Ø To achieve the top world ranking, these Institutions shall be provided with Naga Hills in 1953 and intensified Ø greater autonomy to admit foreign police action against the rebels. When students up to 30% of admitted students the situation worsened, the state Ø to recruit foreign faculty up to 25% of government of Assam deployed the faculty strength; to offer online courses Assam Rifles in the Naga Hills and up to 20% of its programmes enacted the Assam Disturbed Areas Ø to enter into academic collaboration Act of 1955, thus providing a legal with top 500 in the world ranking framework for the paramilitary forces Institutions without permission of UGC and the state police forces to combat Ø free to fix and charge fees from foreign insurgency in the region. But the Assam students without restriction Rifles and the state police forces could Ø the flexibility of course structure in not contain the Naga rebellion and the terms of number of credit hours and rebel Naga Nationalist Council (NNC) years to take a degree set up a parallel government in 1956. Ø complete flexibility in fixing of Ø To tackle this threat, The Armed Forces curriculum and syllabus (Assam and Manipur) Special Powers AFSPA Extended for Six Months in Ordinance 1958 was promulgated by Assam the President Dr. Rajendra Prasad on Ø The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 22 May 1958. It was later replaced by has been extended for six months in the Armed Forces (Assam and Manipur) Assam. Special Powers Act of 1958.

17 Ø The Armed Forces (Assam and Manipur) Ø The data would range from health, Special Powers Act, 1958 empowered education, finances to social aspects. only the Governors of the States and the Ø The India Urban Data Exchange set Administrators of the Union Territories up by the MoHUA for its Smart Cities to declare areas in the concerned State would be expanded, eventually leading or the Union Territory as ‘disturbed’. to a marketplace. Ø The reason for conferring such a power Ø While the plans are to eventually as per “Objects and Reasons’” included monetise the data, the immediate in the Bill was that “Keeping in view the objective is making sure that cities are duty of the Union under Article 355of mature in dealing with data. the Indian Constitution, interalia, to Ø This data would help cities plan their protect every State against any internal interventions better. disturbance, it is considered desirable Ø All cities would have data officers and that the Central government should data coordinators by 2024. also have the power to declare areas as Ø Datasets are getting used by companies ‘disturbed’, in order to enable its armed already. The cities could monetise the forces to exercise special powers”. data and use the proceeds for funding Ø It was later extended to all North- infrastructure projects. However, any Eastern states. monetisation of data needs to comply with the data privacy and other related Panel formed to apportion J&K assets laws. and liabilities Ø The Ministry of Home Affairs has formed Smart Cities Mission: a three-member committee headed by Ø Smart Cities Mission, is an urban retired IAS officer and former Defence renewal and retrofitting program by the Secretary Sanjay Mitra to apportion Government of India. the assets and the liabilities of Jammu Ø It was launched in 2015 with the and Kashmir between the two Union mission of developing 100 smart cities Territories of Ladakh and J&K that will across the country making them citizen come into being on October 31, 2019. friendly and sustainable. Ø As per Section 85 of the Jammu and Ø The mission is undertaken by the Urban Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, Development Ministry. It works in the Central government by an order partnership with the state governments establishes one or more Advisory in which the different cities are. Committees for the apportionment of Tribal area status for Ladakh the assets, rights and liabilities of the companies and corporations constituted Context: for the existing State of J&K between Ø The National Commission for Scheduled UT of J&K and UT of Ladakh. Tribes (NCST) has written to Home Minister and Tribal Affairs Minister, Centre moves to sell data from smart recommending that Ladakh be declared cities project a tribal area under the Sixth Schedule Ø Union Ministry of Housing and Urban of the Constitution. Affairs (MoHUA) officials have said that the open data platform for the 100 cities Details: (part of the Smart Cities Mission) would Ø The Home Ministry is the central be expanded to cover 500 cities by 2022 authority for declaring an area as a and all urban centres in the country by “tribal area”. 2024. Ø The NCST’s recommendation comes Ø Beginning with an open data platform for against the backdrop of growing demand the 100 cities by 2020, the government from a predominantly tribal population is planning to make a wide range of data and political leaders of Ladakh for of all 4,041 urban local bodies public by according “tribal area” status to the 2024. region.

18 Ø Though Ladakhis have welcomed the Ø National Commission for Scheduled Centre’s decision to revoke the special Tribes (NCST) is a constitutional body. status of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ø It was established through Constitution make Ladakh a Union territory, they (89th Amendment) Act, 2003 fear an influx of outsiders would lead Ø On the 89th Amendment of the to a change in the region’s demography, Constitution coming into force in 2004, jeopardising their culture and identity. the National Commission for Scheduled Ø It is estimated that more than 90 Tribes was set up under Article 338A percent of Ladakh’s population is tribal. on bifurcation of erstwhile National Ø The NCST opines that, including Ladakh Commission for Scheduled Castes under Schedule 6 will help in: and Scheduled Tribes to oversee the 1. Democratic devolution of powers. implementation of various safeguards 2. Preserving and promoting distinct provided to Scheduled Tribes under the culture of the region. Constitution. 3. Protection of agrarian rights including Ø With the amendment, the erstwhile rights on land and. National Commission for Scheduled 4. Enhancing transfer of funds for speedy Castes and Scheduled Tribes was development of the region. replaced by two separate Commissions: (i) National Commission for Scheduled Sixth Schedule of the Indian Castes (NCSC) Constitution: (ii) National Commission for Scheduled Ø The Sixth Schedule is related to the Tribes (NCST) administration of the North Eastern states of of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura Supreme Court stay on eviction of forest dwellers and Mizoram. Ø The Sixth Schedule gives tribal Context: communities considerable autonomy. Ø The Supreme Court has continued Ø The role of the Governor and the State its stay on the eviction of lakhs of are subject to significant limitations, Scheduled Tribes and other traditional with greater powers devolved locally. forest dwellers whose claims for forest Ø 6th schedule provides for District land rights have been rejected under Councils and Regional Councils with the Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006. certain legislative and judicial powers. Ø The District Council and the Regional Background: Council under the Sixth Schedule have Ø On February 13 2019, the Supreme real power to make laws, possibility on Court ordered state governments to the various legislative subjects, receiving evict lakhs of forest-dwelling people. grants-in-aids from the Consolidated Ø The affected families had filed claims to Fund of India to meet the costs of forest land under the Forest Rights Act, schemes for development, health care, 2006, which were rejected. education, roads and regulatory powers Ø The court’s decision was believed to to state control. hurt some of India’s most vulnerable Ø The mandate towards Devolution, communities. deconcentration and divestment Ø The February 13 eviction order was determines the protection of their stayed on February 28 after the Centre customs, better economic development moved the apex court to modify the and most importantly ethnic security. former order. Ø 6th schedule provides for District Ø The Supreme Court on 28th February Councils and Regional Councils with 2019 suspended the implementation certain legislative and judicial powers. of its controversial February 13, 2019, order after the tribal affairs ministry National Commission for Scheduled pointed out that process of settling their Tribes (NCST): claims and rights left a lot to be desired.

19 Forest Rights Act 2006: Pension scheme for farmers, shopkeepers Ø In the colonial era, the British diverted launched abundant forest wealth of the nation Context: to meet their economic needs. While Ø Prime Ministerlaunched ambitious procedure for settlement of rights was pension schemes for farmers, provided under statutes such as the shopkeepers and self-employed persons Indian Forest Act, 1927, these were from Ranchi hardly followed. Ø As a result, tribal and forest-dwelling Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan communities, who had been living Yojana: within the forests in harmony with Ø The ‘Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan the environment and the ecosystem, Yojana’ will help small and marginal farmers. continued to live inside the forests in Ø It is aimed at providing a minimum tenurial insecurity, a situation which pension of 3,000 per month, on continued even after independence as attaining the age of 60. they were marginalised. Ø Farmers who are currently between 18 Ø The symbiotic relationship between and 40 years of age can apply for the forests and forest-dwelling communities scheme. found recognition in the National Forest Policy, 1988. Pradhan Mantri Laghu Vyapari Maan Ø The policy called for the need to Dhan Yojana: Ø associate tribal people in the protection, Pradhan Mantri Laghu Vyapari Maan Dhan Yojana is a pension scheme for regeneration and development of shopkeepers and retail traders. forests. Ø Under the scheme beneficiaries between Ø The Scheduled Tribes and Other 18 and 40 years will get Rs. 3,000 per Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition month after completing 60 years of age. of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, also known as the Forest Rights Act was enacted to Swarojgar Pension Scheme protect the marginalised socio-economic Ø Swarojgar pension scheme is a scheme class of citizens and balance the right to for the self-employed. environment with their right to life and Ø Under this scheme, similar to Pradhan livelihood. Mantri Laghu Vyapari Maan Dhan Yojana, the beneficiaries between 18 Ø Land and its management fall under the and 40 years will get Rs 3,000 per exclusive legislative and administrative month after completing 60 years of age. jurisdiction of States as provided under Ø Modi also laid the foundation stone the Constitution of India. The land online for 462 Eklavya Model Schools reforms are monitored by the Ministry across the country, of which 69 will be of Rural Development (MoRD) and established in 13 of Jharkhand’s 24 Department of Land Resources (DoLR) districts. which is the nodal Ministry at the NATGRID to link social media accounts Centre. Ø FRA was also aimed at recognizing the Context: forest rights and occupation in forest Ø The ambitious National Intelligence Grid land by forest-dwelling Scheduled (NATGRID) project wants to link social Tribes and other traditional forest media accounts to the huge database dwellers who have been residing in of records related to immigration entry such forests for generations but whose and exit, banking and telephone details right could not be recorded. among others.

20 Concerns: Collegium of Judges Ø The proposal has received resistance from the intelligence agencies, whose Context: officials fear that linking the social Ø The transfer of Chief Justice of the media accounts to sensitive government Madras High Court, Justice Vijaya data could expose the system to “trojan Kamlesh Tahilramani, to the Meghalaya attacks.” High Court and her subsequent Ø Intelligence agencies had also earlier resignation has created controversy opposed the NATGRID itself amid fears over functioning of the ‘collegium’ of that it would impinge on their territory judges. and possibly result in leaks on the leads The collegium system: they were working on to other agencies. Ø The Constitution states that the President shall appoint the judges of Details: the Supreme Court and High Courts Ø The project, initially started in 2009 after a process of consultation. with a budget of 2,800 crore, is an Ø The collegium makes appointments and online database for collating scattered transfers in the higher judiciary. It is an pieces of information and putting them invention by the Supreme Court. on one platform. Ø Some judges were superseded in the Ø It was first proposed in the aftermath appointment of the Chief Justice of of the terrorist attacks on Mumbai in India in the 2008. Ø Attempts were made subsequently to Ø NATGRID links intelligence and effect a mass transfer of High Court investigation agencies. judges across the country. Ø At least 10 central agencies like Ø There was a perception that the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and independence of the judiciary was Analysis Wing (R&AW) and others will under threat. have access to the data on a secured This resulted in a series of cases over platform. the years: Ø The 10 user agencies will be linked Ø The ‘First Judges Case’ (1981) ruled independently with certain databases that the ‘consultation’ with the CJI in that would be procured from 21 providing the matter of appointments must be full organisations and include telecom, tax and effective. However, it rejected the records, bank, immigration, etc. to idea that the CJI’s opinion should have enable the generation of intelligence primacy. inputs. Ø The Second Judges Case (1993) Ø An expression of interest (EOI) issued by introduced the Collegium system, NATGRID in 2017 had said “NATGRID is holding that ‘consultation’ really intending to set up an Entity Extraction, meant ‘concurrence’. It added that it Visualization and Analytics (EVA) was not the CJI’s individual opinion, system that would collect and analyse but an institutional opinion formed in consultation with the two senior-most information available from various data judges in the Supreme Court. sources.” Ø The Third Judges Case (1998) expanded Ø In January 2019, NATGRID revived the collegium to a five-member body, its EOI to select a System Integrator comprising the CJI and four of his (SI) to provide a software solution, senior-most colleagues. recommend hardware specification for running the solution and integrating Procedure followed by the collegium: and implementing the composite EVA Ø The President of India appoints the CJI solution. and the other SC judges.

21 Ø The outgoing CJI recommends his Ø However, the CJI should take into successor. In practice, it has been account the views of the CJ of the High strictly by seniority ever since the Court concerned and the views of one or supersession controversy of the 1970s. more SC judges who are in a position to Ø The Union Law Minister forwards the do so. recommendation to the Prime Minister Ø All transfers must be made in the who, in turn, advises the President. public interest for the betterment of the administration of justice. Ø The proposal for the appointment of other judges of the Supreme Court is Jammu and Kashmir’s Public Safety Act initiated by the CJI. Ø The Jammu & Kashmir Public Safety Ø The CJI consults the rest of the collegium Act, 1978 is a preventive detention law. members, as well as the senior-most Ø Under the Act, a person is taken into judge of the High Court to which the custody to prevent him or her from recommended person belongs. acting in any manner that is prejudicial Ø The consultees must record their to “the security of the state or the maintenance of the public order”. opinions in writing and it should form Ø It is very similar to the National part of the file. Security Act that is used by other state Ø The collegium sends the governments for preventive detention. recommendation to the Law Minister, Ø By definition, preventive detention is who forwards it to the Prime Minister to meant to be preventive, not punitive. advise the President. Ø It comes into force by an administrative Ø The Chief Justice of the High Courts order passed either by Divisional is appointed as per the policy of Commissioner or by the District having Chief Justices from outside the Magistrate and not by a detention order respective States. The collegium takes by police based on specific allegations the call on the elevation. or for specific violation of laws. Ø High Court judges are recommended Ø In 2015 new rules were notified and by a collegium comprising the CJI and some authority was given to the Home two senior-most judges. The proposal Department to issue such orders that is initiated by the Chief Justice of the were earlier done by the Divisional Commissioner or District Magistrate. High Court concerned in consultation with two senior-most colleagues. Issue with the Act Ø The recommendation is sent to the Chief Ø The PSA allows for detention of a person Minister, who advises the Governor to without a formal charge and without send the proposal to the Union Law trial. Minister. Ø It can be slapped on a person already in police custody; on someone immediately transfers : after being granted bail by a court; or Ø The collegium also recommends the even on a person acquitted by the court. transfer of Chief Justices and other Ø Detention can be up to two years. judges. Ø Unlike in police custody, a person who Ø Article 222 of the Constitution provides is detained under the PSA need not be for the transfer of a judge from one High produced before a magistrate within 24 Court to another. hours of the detention. Ø When a CJ is transferred, a replacement Ø The detained person does not have the must also be simultaneously found for right to move a bail application before a criminal court, and cannot engage any the High Court concerned. There can lawyer to represent him or her before be an acting CJ in a High Court for not the detaining authority. more than a month. Ø The only way this administrative Ø In matters of transfers, the opinion preventive detention order can be of the CJI ‘is determinative’, and the challenged is through a habeas corpus consent of the judge concerned is not petition filed by relatives of the detained required. person.

22 Ø The High Court and the Supreme Court Ø The DM also has to place the have the jurisdiction to hear such representation made by the detained petitions and pass a final order seeking person. The detained person too can quashing of the PSA. make a representation before this Ø However, if the order is quashed, there advisory board. in no bar on the government passing Ø Within eight week from the date of another detention order under the PSA detention, the board submits its report and detaining the person again. to the government, which will determine Ø The District Magistrate who has passed if the detention is in public interest. the detention order has protection Ø This report is binding on the government. under the Act, which states that the order is considered “done in good faith”. Constitutional safeguards Ø Article 22(a) of the Constitution states Therefore, there can no be prosecution that no person who is arrested shall or any legal proceeding against the be detained in custody without being official who has passed the order. informed, of the grounds for such Ø Also, a recent amendment by the arrest, nor shall he be denied the right Governor, persons detained under the to consult, and to be defended by, a PSA in Jammu & Kashmir can now be legal practitioner of his choice. detained in jails outside the state. Ø Article 22(b) states that every person Ø As per the latest order, the issuing arrested and detained shall be produced authority cannot mention the period before the nearest magistrate within of detention in the order, which earlier a period of 24 hours (excluding the used to be six month- one year. time necessary for the journey from Ø The default is 12 days detention now, the place of arrest to the court) and no after that the Home department has to such person shall be detained beyond ratify the notification and present the this period without the authority of a case before the Advisory Board. magistrate. Ø If the department concurs he could be Ø However, Article 22(3)(b) allows for released after 12 days or can be kept in preventive detention and restriction detention for minimum three months. on personal liberty for reasons of state Beyond that, the department will have security and public order. to seek the permission of the advisory Ø The Supreme Court has held that board. in order to prevent “misuse of this potentially dangerous power, the law of What happens once slapped ? preventive detention has to be strictly Ø Generally, when a person is detained construed and meticulous compliance under the PSA, the DM communicates with the procedural safeguards is to the person within five days (ten mandatory and vital”. days in exceptional circumstances), in Ø Therefore, the DM has to show that the writing, the reason for the detention. detention order follows the procedure Ø This communication is important established by law; any violation of these because it is on the basis of it that the procedural safeguards is to be termed detained person gets an opportunity of violation of constitutional rights. making a representation against the The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health order. Report Ø However, the DM also has the discretion Ø The report gives a comprehensive not to disclose all the facts on the basis estimates of disease burden due to of which the detention is ordered, if malnutrition and its trends in every he or she thinks that these facts are state of India. against “public interest”. Ø According to the report, two-thirds of the Ø The DM has to place the detention order 1.04 million deaths in children under 5 within four weeks before an advisory years in India are due to malnutrition. board, consisting of three members Ø The overall under-five death rate including a chairperson who is a former due to malnutrition has decreased judge of the High Court. substantially from 1990 to 2017.

23 Ø However, malnutrition is still the Ø recognition of their efforts to meet underlying risk factor for 68% of the human development parameters deaths in under-five children in India. Ø The Disability-Adjusted Life Years Larger issue (DALY) rate attributable to malnutrition Ø Both the abrogation of special status in children varies 7-fold among the to J&K, the following clampdown on states. civilian life, and the current demand of Ø The deaths rate range as high as 72.7% the Himalayan States highlight a key in Bihar and a low of 50.8% in Kerala. issue. Ø Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Ø It is the inability of the country to come Pradesh are states with a high such to terms with the specificity of the proportion. Himalayan region, whether political, Ø Meghalaya, Tamil Nadu, Mizoram and social, or ecological-economic. Goa have the lowest proportions of such Ø Various researches have shown how deaths. structurally different are Himalayan Ø Among the malnutrition indicators, ‘low regions from the Indian mainstream birth weight’ is the largest contributor in terms of their social and economic to child deaths in India. structure. Ø It is followed by child growth failure Ø Yet, this research has not found place which includes stunting, underweight, in the political understanding, whether and wasting. at the level of policy formulation or Ø For substantial improvements across popular conceptions. malnutrition indicators, states need Ø The problem of integrating the northern to implement an integrated nutrition mountains to the national mainstream policy. is not specific to India. Green Bonus for States Ø It covers the entire stretch of mountains Ø Recently, 11 Himalayan States of from Balochistan to Arunachal Pradesh. India met in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, Ø Each of the regions situated here has had demanding a “green bonus”, or a problems when it comes to integrating payment for environmental services the hilly regions with the nation states they provide to the nation. that are primarily anchored in the Ø This has brought to the surface the long- plains. standing problem of integration of the Ø Furthermore, this ‘integration problem’ mountain regions with the mainstream is not just a South Asian phenomenon. India. Ø China is struggling to integrate its Ø The Himalayan states stretch from J&K mountain people and their homelands (which was still a State during the meet) with its national mainstream. to Tripura. Ø Myanmar and Thailand, besides others, Ø The ruling government had earlier are also facing similar issues. committed a financial package to Consequences address the special developmental Ø The policies were framed on the social, needs of the Himalayan States. political and economic specificities of Ø The Himalayan States argued that the communities based in the riverine they paid a developmental price for plains, different from that of the maintaining forests, rivers, and other mountains. environmental goods that help the rest Ø It is the village or town of the Ganga of the country. plains, or along the Narmada or Krishna The States, thus, asked for – and Cauvery rivers that defined what it Ø help to develop hydropower resources means to be ‘Indian’. Ø subsidies for their environmental Ø The specificities of the mountain regions protection measures which deny them found no references in- - normal ‘development models’ • the norms of what an ‘Indian village’ is

24 • how the society is structured Ø The revision opens up the prospect for • how the economy is designed an upward revision in the wages paid • what ways does political life work out to workers under the MGNREGA. Ø In the mainstream thoughts, the Ø If the indices revision concludes soon mountain regions are at best imagined enough, the Centre is geared up to as calm ‘hill stations’ peopled by ‘noble notify updated MGNREGA wages in the savages’. current fiscal year of 2019-2020 itself Ø Otherwise, they are seen as wild regions rather than wait for the onset of 2020- inhabited by irrational bloodthirsty 2021. tribesmen. Ø This sense of urgency suggests the Ø This is not only a social-psychological government views giving a boost to feature but has direct practical the rural economy as a critical tool to consequences. combat the headwinds of the slowing Ø Policies and programmes are devised economy. with the ‘national norm’ in mind, which Ø have unintended consequences on the The slowdown narrative so far has hilly regions. been dominated by urban India’s consumption crimp and easing the MGNERGA wage hike corporate tax structure. Ø Centre plans to inject more money Ø But the distress in villages where into the Mahatma Gandhi National incomes are more vulnerable is more Rural Employment Guarantee Act disturbing. (MGNREGA) scheme. Ø The RBI’s annual report points out, Ø The government’s statistical machinery Ø Serious concern -Weakening of rural has begun work on revising the indices demand since the third quarter of 2018- that capture the trends in consumer 19 prices in rural India. Ø Top policy priority - Reviving Ø The current national average wage is aboutRs.178 per day. consumption. Ø Ø The decision to finally embark on a Reflecting rural distress, demand for long-overdue exercise is welcome. workunder the MGNREGA has been Ø The rural expenditure patterns have rising. altered significantly in the intervening Ø The job creation is in a flux and period. sentiment about the economy is also Ø Apart from essential spending on worsening. food, they are making space for higher Ø So, any move to put more money into spending on services such as education, rural households’ spending kitty would transport and telecom. likely have a better pay-off towards Ø But two-thirds of the dated inflation stirring up the economy. index is still driven by food prices. Ø Thismethod may effectively end up Parliament Budget Office (PBO) Ø There is a need for a Parliamentary understating the price pressures facing rural households. body to provide good quality analysis on Ø This depressant effect could be economic, fiscal or financial matters for highlighted when low food inflation the Parliamentarians. coincides with decelerating farm Ø This body exists in many countries incomes that still drive India’s rural around the world, going by many names economy. but most commonly as Parliamentary Budget Offices (PBOs). Benefits Ø The votersshouldknow the Ø Once the new basket is constructed, conversations, long-held opinions, hard the Statistics Ministry and the Labour facts and evidence. Bureau plans to improve the currency Ø The representatives, who we vote of the CPI-AL (MGNREGA wages are for,should have an independent, non- linked to this) and CPI-Rural indices partisan source for these hard facts and with annual reviews. evidence.

25 Ø This is particularly important for our Ø Offices in the Netherlands, Korea, Parliament, which controls the money Australia and the United Kingdom flows of our government and our have also been established for varying country. lengths of time. Ø This body should be appointed based Ø PBOs are also making an appearance on its expertise in budgetary, fiscal in emerging economies in Sub-Saharan and economic matters (Not based on Africa and Southeast Asia. political allegiance/expediency). Ø In some countries like Australia, the Ø This body serves parliamentarians Netherlands and Canada, PBOs have equally and without prejudice. been playing the unique role of costing Ø They help shape the debate and electoral platforms during an election discourse around the state of the nation’s campaign. finances and the fiscal implications of significant proposals. PBO problem solver Ø As the process toward the Union How PBOs work Budget 2020 has kicked off, PBOs Ø It provides the sole source of information would be prudent for parliamentarians on fiscal and economic projections. to examine the case for a PBO more Ø The role of this office does not always deeply. mean challenging the government. Ø It would also assist parliamentarians in Ø It is often the case that economic and the process of scrutiny of the information fiscal projections of a PBO and the (Now, exponentially increased)in Budget Ministry of Finance are similar. documents. Ø This is because the data sources and Ø Legislatures across the world have economic methodologies for such witnessed an increasingly stronger projections are well established and executive try to wrest away its rightful uniform. power of the purse. Ø But, without the existence of another Ø PBOs provide independent cost data point generated by a non-partisan estimates of electoral platform measures office, it is difficult for parliamentarians to political parties. to ensure the reliability of the projections Ø It would help resuscitate these powers and estimates make decisions on. that have fallen into disuse. PBO & AG? Ø This is why India’s Parliament and Ø A question that often arises is the government need to work quickly necessity of such an office when we to establish such an office; it is in already have an Auditor General (AG). everyone’s interests to do so. Ø AG - Provides retrospective audits and Right to access Internet analysis of the financial accounts and Ø The Kerala High Court held that the right performance of government operations. to have access to the Internet is part of Ø These audits are often focused on the the fundamental right to education as day-to-day goings on of government, well as the right to privacy under Article and often hone in on the performance 21 of the Constitution. of the civil service. Ø The court ordered to re-admit a student Ø PBO -Provides prospective, forward- who had been expelled from the college looking economic and fiscal projections, hostel for using her mobile phone and policy costings. beyond the restricted hours. Ø This distinguishes it from an auditor Ø The court observed that when the general, which provides useful Human Rights Council of the UN has information, but only after the fact. found that the right of access to Internet International Scenario is a fundamental freedom and a tool to Ø The most prominent oneamong such an ensure right to education. officeis the Congressional Budget Office Ø A rule or instruction which impairs the (US) which provides impartial advice to said right of the students cannot be the legislature. permitted to stand in the eye of law.

26 Ø The bench contended that the use of Ø The NPR exercise is different from the mobile phones amounted to a violation census and is not linked to the National of fundamental right to freedom of Register of Citizens (NRC). speech and expression under Article Ø For the purpose of the NPR, an ordinary 19(1)(a) of the Constitution. resident is defined as a person who has resided in a local area for the past Restrictions on Article 19(1)(a) six months or more or a person who Ø The court cited the observations of the intends to reside in that area for the Supreme Court in the S.Rengarajan next six months or more. and others v. P. Jagjivan Ram (1989) Ø Under the NPR, a Resident Identity Card case. will be issued to individuals aged over Ø It said that the fundamental freedom 18. This will be a chip-embedded smart under Article 19(1)(a) can be reasonably card containing the demographic and restricted only for the purposes biometric attributes of the individual. mentioned in Article 19(2) . Mukhyamantri Street Light Scheme Ø And the restriction must be justified Ø The Chief Minister of Delhi has on the anvil of necessity and not the announced the implementation of the quicksand of convenience or expediency. Mukhyamantri Street Light Scheme. Ø 19(2) provides for reasonable restrictions Ø The scheme seeks to initiate the on Art. 19(1)(a) in the interests of the installation of over two lakh LED lights sovereignty and integrity of India, the across the city. security of the State, friendly relations Ø The scheme is the largest-scale project with foreign States, public order, of its kind in the world which seeks decency or morality or in relation to install 2.10 lakh 20 to 40 watt LED to contempt of court, defamation or lights. incitement to an offence Ø The CCTV scheme is already being Digital Census implemented in Delhi. Ø The Home Minister also made an Ø The schemes are committed to ensuring announcement that the 2021 census women’s safety. would be carried out digitally. All India Survey on Higher Education Ø The decennial census exercise will be (AISHE) 2018-19 undertaken in 2021 and, for the first Ø AISHE was initiated in the year 2010- time, move from paper to digital format. 11 by the Ministry of Human Resource Ø It was said that the digital census had Development (MHRD). the potential to bring all cards such as Ø The main objectives of the survey was Aadhaar, passport, bank account, and to, driving licence on one platform. Ø Identify and capture all the institutions Ø He said there was no formal proposal of higher learning in the country. for the common utility card, but digital Ø Collect the data from all the higher census had the potential of preparing education institutions on various the base for it. aspects of higher education. Ø 12,000 crore would be spent on Ø Data is being collected on several preparation of the National Population parameters such as, Register (NPR) and census. Census will Ø Teachers, student enrolment, be carried out in 16 languages. programmes, Ø The NPR would be updated on a priority Ø Examination results, education finance, basis as it helps in tracking criminal infrastructure. activities, and better planning and Ø Indicators such as Gross Enrolment execution of government schemes. Ratio, Pupil-teacher ratio, Gender Parity Ø The NPR links biometric and demographic Index. details of any ordinary resident, thus Ø These are useful in making informed making it a comprehensive database of policy decisions and research for residents. development of education sector.

27 Ø AISHE 2018-19 showed the gender What it means? distribution of students enrolled in Ø Impeachment is a provision that allows various higher education courses in the Congress to remove the President of the country. Ø The total estimated student enrolment United States. in the country is 3,73,99,388, out of Ø Under the US Constitution, the House of which 51.36% are male and 48.64% Representatives (Lower House) has the female. Ø The ‘Gender ratio’ is higher on the male “the sole power of impeachment” while

side in most courses, but there are the Senate (Upper House) has “the sole exceptions, power to try all impeachments”. Ø Female enrolment is higher at M Phil and Postgraduate. Ø The Chief Justice of the US Supreme Ø Enrolment at UG level is 51% male and Court has the duty of presiding over 49% female. impeachment trials in the Senate. Ø Diploma has a highly skewed distribution at 66.8% male and 33.2% Grounds for impeachment female. Ø At PhD level, male enrolment is 56.18% Ø The President can be removed from and female enrolment is 43.82%. office for “treason, bribery, or other high Ø At integrated level, the distribution crimes and misdemeanors”. 57.50% male and 42.50% female. Ø PG Diploma student enrolment is Ø What constitutes these “high crimes” 54.09% male and 45.91% female. and “misdemeanors” (misdemeanors), Ø A higher overall share of male students however, is not clearly spelt out. in enrolment is a trend also in most of the states. Ø The New York Times explained that Ø The report is based on voluntary the expression “high crimes and uploading of data by institutions of misdemeanors” came out of the British Higher Education listed in government portal. common law tradition.

Impeachment inquiry against Trump Ø Essentially, it means an abuse of power by a high-level public official. This does Context: Ø The Speaker of the United States House not necessarily have to be a violation of of Representatives has announced an ordinary criminal statute. that the House would begin a formal Ø Historically, in the US, it has impeachment inquiry against American President Donald Trump to hold him encompassed corruption and other accountable for betrayal of his oath of abuses, including trying to obstruct office, betrayal of the national security judicial proceedings. and betrayal of the integrity of elections.

28 Impeachment process:

29 60% girls in Delhi colleges anaemic Ø Low haemoglobin levels lower productivity Ønd cause illness and Context: death, and thus impose an economic Ø According to an analysis of data cost. collected from ongoing anaemia Ø The loss of gross domestic product to detection and awareness camps of the anaemia was estimated at $22.64 billion Delhi government, about 60% of female (Rs 1.50 lakh crore) in 2016, more than students in Delhi colleges are anaemic, three times the health budget for 2017- well above the national average. 18. Anaemia: Economic Advisory Council Ø Anaemia can cause weakness, Ø Government of India has reconstituted breathlessness, lack of concentration the Economic Advisory Council to the and if the haemoglobin level falls Prime Minister (EAC-PM) for a period of quickly over a few days, it can even lead two years with effect from September to cardiac failure. 26, 2019. Ø Anaemia is a condition in which a person Ø Bibek Debroy and Shri Ratan P. Watal has a lower-than-normal number of red will continue to be the chairman and blood cells or quantity of haemoglobin, member secretary, respectively, of the which reduces the capacity of their reconstituted EAC-PM. blood to carry oxygen and can lead to Ø The release added that the EAC-PM a number of health problems, and even would have two part-time members death. apart from the two full-time members. Ø It is considered a severe public health Ø Economic Advisory Council is a non- problem if more than 40% of the constitutional and non-statutory, non- population is diagnosed with anaemia. permanent and independent body. Ø Men with haemoglobin levels of less Ø It is constituted to provide sound policy than 13.0 grams (g) per decilitre (dL) advice in key areas such as reviving are considered anaemic, as per World economic growth and creating enabling Health Organization norms. Women conditions for gainful employment. with levels lower than 12.0 g/dL are considered anaemic if they are not Ø The body comprises of economists of pregnant. Among pregnant women, high repute and eminence. levels lower than 11.0 g/dL signal Ø The body is constituted to provide advice anaemia. on economic issues to the government, Ø Anaemia in women and children has specifically to the Prime Minister. been a major problem in India for half a Ø The advice of the EAC-PM would be century. either on reference from the PM or suo- Ø According to National Family Health motu. Survey-4, the national average of Ø It submits periodic reports to PM related anaemia among women between 15 and to macroeconomic developments and 49 years is 53% and in Delhi it’s 54.3%. issues which will have implications of Ø While the national average came down the economic policy. from 55.3% to 53% between NFHS- mCessation programme 3 and NFHS-4, it rose from 44.3% to Ø Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, 55.3% in Delhi. in partnership with World Health Ø Just over half (51%) of Indian women Organisation and the International of reproductive age (15 to 49 years) are Telecommunications Union, had anaemic, according to the just-released started an initiative for utilising mobile Global Nutrition Report 2017. technology for tobacco cessation.

30 Ø WHO-ITU’s ‘Be Healthy Be Mobile’ 6th Schedule initiative, aims to reach out to tobacco users of all categories who want to quit Context tobacco use. Ø A Sub-committee constituted by the State government had decided to Ø The Centre’s ‘mCessation’ Programme recommend to the Standing Committee to quit tobacco is a text messaging of Parliament the removal of the programme for mobile phone users. word “unrepresented tribes” from the Ø A person looking to quit tobacco can amended Sixth Schedule. give a missed call to the toll-free number after which, they will be sent a series of 6th Schedule messages over several months. Ø The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution deals with the administration of the Ø In a 2018 report published by the tribal areas in the four northeastern peer-reviewed online journal BMJ states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura Innovations it was reported that the and Mizoram. ‘mCessation’ programme in India had Ø The rationality behind the special seen a 19% quit rate (estimated as not arrangements in respect of only these used any tobacco in the past 30 days). four states lies in the following: No right to block road for religious Ø “The tribes in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura purpose and Mizoram have not assimilated much Ø High Court of Karnataka has issued the life and ways of the other people in guidelines to all city municipal these states. These areas have hitherto been anthropological specimens. corporations in Bangalore, including the Ø The tribes in Assam, Meghalaya, Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike Tripura and Mizoram still have their (BBMP), on processing applications roots in their own culture, customs and for temporarily using public roads and civilization. footpaths. Ø These areas are, therefore, treated Ø It has declared that denial of permission differently by the Constitution and to put up temporary structures on roads sizeable amount of autonomy has and footpaths for religious festivals or been given to these people for self- functions will not infringe upon the right government. of freedom to free profession, practise and propagation of religion under the NIKSHAY Ø Constitution of India. It is a web enabled application, which facilitates monitoring of universal Ø The bench observed that “The right access to TB patient’s data by all under Article 25 (freedom to free concerned stakeholders. profession, practice and propagation Ø It has been developed jointly by the of religion) of the Constitution of India Central TB Division of the Ministry of does not extend to public road and Health and Family Welfare and National footpath…,” while stating that one Informatics Centre (NIC). cannot get rights to use public roads Ø Two objectives – (i) To create database and streets just because it was for of all TB patients including Multi-Drug religious purpose. Resistant cases across the country, (ii) Ø The Bench made it clear that its To use this database for monitoring and reference on religious festivals and research purposes at all levels so that functions was applicable to all religions TB can be eradicated from India in an and communities. effective manner. Ø The government launched the Nikshay Ø However, it was said that putting up Poshan Yojana, a direct benefit transfer temporary structures can be permitted scheme, to provide nutritional support only after ensuring that such structures to TB patients. would not cause any traffic obstruction.

31 Ø Under the scheme, TB patients receive Ø Section 8 (2): A person convicted for the Rs. 500 per month for the entire contravention of—(a) any law providing duration of treatment. for the prevention of hoarding or profiteering; or (b) any law relating to Ø According to the recent Tuberculosis the adulteration of food or drugs; or (c) India Report 2019 released by the Govt any provisions of the Dowry Prohibition of India, the estimated TB incidence in Act, 1961. India stands at 27 lakh. Ø Section 8 (3): A person convicted of any Ø Report Highlights - TB burden in India offence and sentenced to imprisonment is highest in Uttar Pradesh, followed by for not less than two years [other than Maharashtra and Rajasthan, Gujarat any offence referred to in sub-section (1) and MP. or sub-section (2)] shall be disqualified from the date of such conviction and Ø The number of HIV-infected people who shall continue to be disqualified for go on to develop Tuberculosis (TB) is a further period of six years since his increasing in India. release. Ø TB is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among People Living with Section 11 of Representation of People’s HIV (PLHIV). Act 1951: Ø Section 11 deals with the removal Ø In 2018, the Revised National or reduction of the period of Tuberculosis Programme (RNTBP) was disqualification. able to achieve notification by 21.5 lakh Ø The Election Commission may, for persons, which is an increase of 16% as reasons to be recorded, remove any compared to 2017. disqualification or reduce the period of any such disqualification. EC cuts short disqualification term of Ø It is an extraordinary power vested Sikkim CM with the ECI, with the understanding that socio-economic-political factors Context: may, in certain peculiar circumstances, Ø The Election Commission of India (ECI) warrant that the general disqualification has cut short, the disqualification term prescribed by statutory rule can be of Sikkim Chief Minister removed/reduced. Comprehensive National Nutrition Section 8 of Representation of People’s Survey Act 1951: Ø Data from the first-ever national Ø Section 8 deals with Disqualification of nutrition survey conducted by the representatives on conviction for certain Centre, yet to be made public, shows offences. It states that: that obesity and undernutrition coexist in India, among children. Health experts Ø Section 8 (1): A person convicted of an have raised concerns over the delay in offence punishable under certain acts release of the survey. of Indian Penal Code, Protection of Civil Ø The Comprehensive National Nutrition Rights Act 1955, Unlawful Activities Survey was conducted by the Ministry (Prevention) Act 1967, Prevention of Health and Family Welfare and of Corruption Act 1988, Prevention UNICEF between February 2016 and of Terrorism Act 2002, etc. shall be October 2018. disqualified, where the convicted person Ø It is the first study undertaken to is sentenced to measure malnutrition, including micronutrient deficiencies through Ø In case of only fine – for a period of six biochemical measures such as blood years from the date of such conviction; and urine samples, anthropometric data Ø In case of imprisonment – from the date as well as details of non-communicable of such conviction and shall continue to diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, be disqualified for a further period of six cholesterol and kidney function in years since his release. children and adolescents.

32 Ø The National Family Health Ø The survey provides for the first time Survey (NFHS), however, collects hard evidence of the coexistence of anthropometric data (weight for age, obesity and undernutrition, among height for age, weight for height, mid- school-going children. upper arm circumference) to measure Ø The United Nations Children’s Fund prevalence of stunting, wasting and (UNICEF) considers nutrition as a underweight and household dietary pillar of human development and intake to measure deficiencies. However, recommends concrete, large-scale these are collected for children in the programming not only to reduce age group of 1-5 years and adults, but the burden of undernutrition and not for school going children between deprivation in countries, but also to the age of 5 and 19 years. advance economic progress. Ø There is no dearth of evidence to Findings of the survey: show that almost every perceivable Ø Out of the children in the age group of development challenge is made worse 5-9 years and adolescents in the age by malnutrition. group of 10-19 years are Ø In India’s case, along with undernutrition Ø 10% are pre-diabetic and micronutrient deficiencies, there is Ø 5% are overweight an emergence of overweight and obesity, Ø 5% suffer from blood pressure. contributing to the disease burden just Ø The study found prevalence of indicators as undernutrition does. of non-communicable diseases Ø In this context, it is imperative that alongside indicators of undernutrition the government rethink and redesign shown by various NFHS surveys such its nutrition policy at every level of as stunting, wasting and underweight. governance with integrated action on malnutrition in all its forms.

Y Y Y Y Y

33 B. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND ORGANIZATION

Automatic exchange of information Ø The step is likely to shed more light on (AEOI) the wealth Indians have stashed away Ø Banking details of Indians with accounts in Swiss bank accounts, for so long in Switzerland will be available to tax governed by strict local rules of secrecy. authorities as the automatic exchange Ø It is a significant step in the government’s of information regime kicks off between the two countries. fight against black money and the era Ø In 2016, India and Switzerland had of “Swiss bank secrecy” will finally be signed an information-sharing deal on over. bank accounts, which was to come in Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) effect from September 2019. Ø Ø Both countries intend to start collecting Indian Prime Minister attended the 5th data in accordance with the global AEOI ‘Eastern Economic Forum’ (EEF) in standard in 2018 and to exchange it Vladivostok, Russia. from 2019 onwards. Ø PM announced India would extend a $1 billion line of credit towards the About AEOI development of the Russian Far East. Ø This automatic exchange of information Ø India was the first country in the world (AEOI) is to be carried out under the Common Reporting Standard (CRS), to open a consulate in Vladivostok. the global reporting standard for such Ø Engaging closely with East Asia was exchange of information. in line with India’s policy goal of “Act Ø It takes care of aspects such as East”. confidentiality rules and data Ø This gives a new dimension to our safeguards. economic diplomacy. Ø The CRS has been developed by the Ø Among the participants in the Summit Organisation for Economic Cooperation are India, Malaysia, Japan, Australia, and Development (OECD). Ø Under the agreement, India will not and South Korea. receive information on bank accounts Ø In the last five years as many as 17 prior to 2018. different countries have invested in the Ø Under the agreement both jurisdictions Far East. will inform each other of any relevant Ø The region has its investment-friendly developments in respect to the approach and vast reserves of natural implementation of the OECD Common resources. Reporting Standard in their respective Ø With this, it has the potential to domestic laws. Ø Each jurisdiction confirms that it strengthen India-Russia economic has informed the other jurisdiction partnership in areas like, about the modalities made available to Ø Energy, tourism, agriculture, diamond persons making a voluntary disclosure mining and alternative energy. of their financial assets. Ø Lack of manpower is one of the main problems faced by the Far East. Benefits of the regime Ø Given this, Indian professionals like Ø In 2018, data from Zurich-based Swiss National Bank (SNB) had shown that doctors, engineers and teachers can after declining for three years, money help in the region’s development. parked by Indians in Swiss Banks rose Ø For India, there is immense potential 50 per cent to CHF (Swiss Franc) 1.02 for mid-sized and small businesses. billion (Rs 7,000 crore) in 2017 over the Ø The two countries agreed for the previous year. Chennai-Vladivostok sea route.

34 EEF Ø A vibrant sea route will help in the Ø EEF was established by a decree of the upscaling of trade relations between the President of the Russian Federation, in two nations. 2015. Ø It will also increase India’s presence Ø It aims to support economic development in the Indo-Pacific, and especially the of Russia’s ‘Far East’. and to expand South China Sea. international cooperation in Asia-Pacific India should not have joined U.S. ban, region. says Iran Ø It takes place each year in Vladivostok. Ø It serves as a platform for the discussion Context: of key issues in, Ø India’s decision to shut down oil imports Ø World economy, regional integration from Iran due to sanctions imposed and the development of new industrial by the United States is also hurting and technological sectors. India-Iran bilateral trade and India’s Ø The ‘Far East’ is the easternmost part of future in Chabahar port, said Iranian Russia. Ambassador to India Ali Chegeni. Ø The macro-region borders 2 oceans, the Pacific and the Arctic, and 5 countries, Background: Ø Ø China, Japan, Mongolia, the United The US reimposed sanctions on Iran in States and the N.Korea. November 2018, after pulling out of a 2015 nuclear accord between Tehran Ø The Far East is rich in natural resources and six world powers. like diamonds, stannary, gold, tungsten, Ø To reduce Iran’s crude oil export to fish and seafood. zero, the US ended the waivers that Ø About 1/3rd of all coal reserves and had allowed the top buyers of Iranian hydro-engineering resources of the oil, including India, to continue their Russia are available here. imports for six months. Ø Chennai to Vladivostok Sea route As of late April, India had dropped its Ø A Memorandum of Intent was signed dependency on Iranian oil from about to open a full-fledged maritime route 2.5 billion tonnes a month to 1 million tonnes a month. between Russia’s eastern port city and Ø India stopped importing oil from Iran Chennai. after American waivers granted to Ø This would allow India access to eight buyers expired in May 2019, in Russia’s Far East in 24 days, compared compliance with the US sanctions on to 40 days taken by current route via Tehran over its nuclear programme. Suez Canal. Ø This would also open new opportunities Details: for India, like the India-Russia-Vietnam Ø In the first public comments about trilateral cooperation. the Indian government’s decision to Ø In Russian, ‘Vladivostok’ is ‘Ruler of fall in line with U.S. sanctions, the the East’, located on the Golden Horn Ambassador said India had fought hard Bay to north of North Korea and a short for its independence and should not distance from Russia’s border with have given in to unilateral sanctions China. from the U.S. Ø It is the largest port on Russia’s Pacific Ø Pointing to China, Russia, and coast. Turkey, who have kept up their energy Ø Automobiles are a major item of import engagement with Iran, he said “It is at the port, from where they are often India’s sovereign decision, but others transported further inland. have chosen differently”. Ø India is building nuclear power plants with Russia’s collaboration in Concerns: Ø Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu. Of greater possible concern for India Ø The opening of a sea route is likely to was the Iranian Ambassador’s outlook help in the project. for the Chabahar port.

35 Ø India’s construction of the Shahid Ø It will help Nepal ensure stable energy Beheshti terminal at Chabahar port supply for its domestic market. since 2016 is a key component of Ø The 69-km pipeline, having a capacity its trade and connectivity routes of 2 million metric ton per annum, will to Afghanistan and Central Asia, provide cleaner petroleum products at circumventing Pakistan. affordable costs to the people of Nepal. Ø The Chabahar port, considered a Ø The project is being led by the Indian gateway to golden opportunities for Oil Corporation and the Nepal trade by India, Iran and Afghanistan Oil Corporation which has built with central Asian countries, is located infrastructure in Amlekhgunj for on the Indian Ocean in the Sistan and distribution of energy in Nepal. Baluchistan province of Iran. Ø Despite the U.S. sanctions waiver India, ASEAN agree to review free trade for Chabahar, Mr. Chegeni said that pact in goods India’s development work had been very slow, and that trade to Afghanistan was Context: Ø much lower than it should be. India and the 10-member ASEAN have Ø It was also said that in view of the delay agreed to initiate a review of the bilateral over India’s plans to build a railway free trade agreement (FTA) in goods to line connecting Chabahar port to the make it more user-friendly, simple and Afghan border at Zahedan, the Iranian trade facilitative. government had decided to complete Details: the railroad through its own resources Ø This was agreed upon during the by 2021. meeting between economic ministers of Ø In addition, Iran is now discussing an ASEAN and Commerce Minister Piyush LNG pipeline to China along the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), as Goyal in Bangkok. Ø India is not expected to retain its prior The two sides also decided to constitute interest in LNG imports from Iran. a joint committee for this purpose. Ø The ministers agreed to initiate the Motihari-Amlekhganj oil pipeline review of the ASEAN-India trade in Ø India launched South Asia’s maiden goods agreement to make it more user- cross-border oil pipeline from Motihari friendly, simple, and trade facilitative in India to Amlekhgunj in Nepal. for businesses. Ø The cross border petroleum products Ø Both the sides also gained the pipeline was inaugurated by Prime recommendations of the ASEAN-India Minister Narendra Modi and Nepal PM business council to further promote KP Sharma Oli via video conference. the potential of bilateral trade through Ø The Motihari-Amlekhgunj oil pipeline the utilisation of the free trade pact project was first proposed in 1996. as well as cooperation in some areas Ø The project was put back on the agenda like financial technology, connectivity, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s startups and innovation. visit to Kathmandu in 2014. Ø The two governments had signed an India-ASEAN Trade in goods pact: agreement to execute the project in Ø The India-ASEAN trade in goods pact August 2015. Construction had begun came into force from January 2010. in April 2018. Ø Under the pact, two trading partners Ø The project is one of the several set timelines for eliminating duties on connectivity schemes that India and the maximum number of goods traded Nepal have been planning for several between the two regions. years and was inked in 2015. Ø The 10 ASEAN members are Brunei, Ø A test supply was carried out in July Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, 2019 after which both sides had agreed Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, the to operationalize the energy route, a Philippines, Laos and Vietnam. first time effort in South Asia.

36 Ø Based on preliminary ASEAN data, two- World Heritage Convention, 1972 way goods trade with India grew by 9.8 Ø It is a convention introduced by per cent from $73.6 billion in 2017 to UNESCO, concerning the Protection $80.8 billion in 2018. of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Rising trade deficit: Ø The primary mission of the convention Ø India is not happy about the fact that its trade deficit with ASEAN has is to identify and protect the world’s widened significantly since the pact was natural and cultural heritage considered implemented. to be of Outstanding Universal Value. Ø A NITI Aayog study reveals that India’s Ø It is governed by — World Heritage trade deficit with ASEAN doubled to $10 Committee supported by the UNESCO billion in 2017 from $5 billion in 2011. World Heritage Centre (Established in Ø One of the reasons for the growing 1992) deficit is the low utilisation of the FTA Ø By signing the Convention, each country route by Indian exporters to ASEAN pledges to conserve not only the World countries because of difficulties faced Heritage sites situated on its territory, in negotiating the rules. but also to protect its national heritage. Ø A review of the India-ASEAN FTA could Ø It explains how the World Heritage Fund help improve utilisation in India by is to be used and managed and under making the pact simpler and more user- friendly. what conditions international financial assistance may be provided. Regional Comprehensive Economic Ø IUCN is the Advisory Body on natural Partnership (RCEP) heritage. Ø RCEP is a mega trade deal currently Ø It recognizes the way in which being negotiated between 16 countries, people interact with nature, and the including the 10-member countries of fundamental need to preserve the the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), China, Japan, South balance between the two. Korea, Australia New Zealand and Specially Designated Global Terrorist India. (SDGT) Ø RCEP is an attempt to integrate ASEAN Ø Recently, US has designated the leader countries and the bloc’s FTA partners of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, — India, China, Japan, South Korea, Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, as a Specially Australia and New Zealand — in a free trade zone. Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). Ø Initially posed as an alternative to the Ø He is believed to have fought against the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), RCEP North Alliance alongside Afghan Taliban has gained a new dimension after the US before the US invaded Afghanistan. pulled out of the TPP and subsequently Ø Individuals or entities designated as a initiated a trade war, largely against SDGTs have either, China. Ø already taken part in terrorist activities Ø If completed, RCEP will be the world’s or biggest FTA, comprising countries that Ø believed to be potential threats by the make up 45% of the world’s population Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) with 33% of its GDP, and at least 28% of the US Department of the Treasury. of all trade in the world today, which Ø An individual is designated as an SDGT are projected to form half the world’s by the US under the provisions of GDP by 2050. Executive Order 13224. Ø While several labour groups and Ø industry bodies have lobbied against The Order 13224 was issued by the agreement and argued for more President George W Bush in 2001, protection, several economists have and which has been renewed annually pointed out that not joining the RCEP thereafter. will cut India out of the world’s biggest Ø It was issued in the aftermath of the trade bloc. 9/11 attacks aimed at,

37 Ø Blocking Property and Prohibiting Ø The European region hosted the highest Transactions With Persons Who number of the immigrants at 82 million Commit, Threaten To Commit, or in 2019, followed by North America Support Terrorism. (59 million) and Northern Africa and Ø Individuals acting as a part of terrorist Western Asia (49 million). organisations and financiers of these Ø Among countries, the U.S. hosts groups can be designated as SDGTs. the highest number of international Ø Once an individual or an entity is migrants (51 million), about 19% of the designated an SDGT, global population. Ø Their assets in the US or their Ø Forced displacements continue to rise, possessions held by US persons are with the number of refugees and asylum frozen or blocked. seekers increased by about 13 million Ø This includes leaders of terrorist from 2010 to 2017. organisations and individuals who have participated in terrorism-related WHO FCTC Ø The Framework Convention on Tobacco training activities. Ø Apart from SDGT, terrorist groups can Control (FCTC) is the world’s first public be designated as “Foreign Terrorist health treaty enacted under the World Organisations” (FTOs) under the Health Organization (WHO). Ø ‘Immigration and Nationality Act of It is the biggest global initiative in 1965’. tobacco control. Ø The WHO FCTC was developed International Migrant Stock 2019 by countries in response to the Ø India has emerged as the leading country globalization of the tobacco epidemic. of origin for immigrants across the It aims to tackle some of the causes world, with 17.5 million international of that epidemic, including complex migrants in 2019 coming from India, up factors with cross -border effects, from 15.9 million in 2015. such as trade liberalization and direct Ø The data is released by the UN DESA’s foreign investment, tobacco advertising, Population Division. promotion and sponsorship beyond Ø Data shows that the number of national borders, and illicit trade in international migrants in the world had tobacco products. reached an estimated 272 million 2019 Ø WHO-FCTC provides for various — 51 million more than in 2010. measures to reduce the demand as well Ø The percentage of international as the supply of tobacco. migrants of the total global population Ø India is a signatory to this treaty since has increased to 3.5% from 2.8% in 2004. 2000. Ø India played a leading role in FCTC Ø While India remained as the top source negotiations to finalize its provisions of international migrants, the number and was the regional coordinator for the of migrants living in India saw a slight South- East Asian countries. decline from 5.24 million in 2015 to an estimated 5.15 million in 2019 – both Russia formally accepts 2015 Paris 0.4% of the total population of the climate accord country. Ø Russia has announced that it would Ø Bangladesh was the leading country of implement the 2015 Paris Agreement to origin for migrants in India. fight climate change after Prime Minister Ø In a statement, the UN DESA Population approved a government resolution Division said that one-third of all signifying final acceptance of the deal. international migrants originated from Ø The decision to accept the accord 10 countries. signifies Russia’s consent to the Ø After India, Mexico ranked second as the obligations under the Paris Agreement. country of origin for 12 million migrants, Ø The same resolution said Russia would followed by China (11 million), Russia not technically ratify the accord due to (10 million) and Syria (8 million). a legal nuance.

38 Ø One of the world’s key energy producers, Ø Report suggested that, to combat the Russia has remained one of the largest impacts of climate change, there is a economies and polluters that signed need to triple the ‘Nationally determined but failed to ratify the accord. contributions’(NDCs). Ø Russia is the world’s fourth-largest Ø It highlights the urgent need for emitter of greenhouse gases and the development of concrete actions that biggest emitter not to have ratified the halt global warming and the worst landmark global climate deal. effects of climate change. Ø The Paris Agreement is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Solar Power – a UNEP report Ø Solar power is set to drive the global Convention on Climate Change, investment in new renewable energy dealing with greenhouse-gas-emissions mitigation, adaptation, and finance. capacity according to a report by UNEP. Ø Ø The Paris Agreement, gives countries Globally, the solar power capacity added a choice in how to join the accords by 638 GW during 2010-2019. Ø ratification, acceptance, approval or The report, has been released ahead of accession to the agreement, depending the UN Climate Action Summit 2019, on their national legislation. tracked trends and opportunities in the renewable sector since 2004. United in Science Report Ø Investment in renewable energy Ø The report was compiled by WMO under capacity hit $272.9 billion worldwide the umbrella of the Science Advisory in 2018, exceeding investments in new Group of the UN Climate Summit. fossil fuel generation. Ø It stated that global temperatures have Ø Capacity investment in renewable energy increased by 1.1°C since 1850, and in developing countries outweighed have spiked 0.2°C between 2011 and those in developed countries for the 4th 2015. consecutive year. Ø In 2018, the annual growth in CO2 Ø The capacity investment in developing emissions soared 2% and reached a countries, excluding China and India, record high of 37 billion tonnes. reached 22% up than the previous year Ø The current levels of CO2, methane and (2018). Nitrous oxide represent 146%, 257 % Ø However Investments in China and and 122% respectively of preindustrial India, on the other hand, together fell levels. 36%. Ø Moreover, the average global Ø Developed economies invested $125.8 temperatures from 2015-2019 are also billion, 10% higher than the previous on track to be the warmest five-year year (2018). period on record. Ø Middle East and Africa region saw Ø The increasing climate change has also capacity allocations jump 61% in 2018. accelerated sea-level rise, and made Ø A slowdown in fossil fuel subsidies, oceans more acidic than ever before. which runs into billions of dollars every Ø Global sea-levels increased to year, has indicated a shift towards approximately 4 mm/yr during 2007- renewables. 2016, from 3.04 mm/yr during 1997- Ø billion people still lack access to 2006. electricity globally, access can be given Ø Rise in CO2 levels, meanwhile, are through technologies like off-grid solar responsible for the growing acidity in power. the oceans. Ø The cheapest option in many countries Ø Oceans are a major source of carbon around the world is either solar or wind. sink. They store nearly 25 % of the annual human induced CO2 emissions. India’s NSG entry Ø The report also recorded a decline in Arctic sea ice by 12 % per decade from Context: 1979-2018. Ø At the Bloomberg Global Business Ø Antarctic ice sheet lost at least six-fold Forum in New York, Prime Minister amount of ice annually between 1979 made a pitch for India’s membership of and 2017. the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

39 Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) Ø Joining the NSG will give India better Ø Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a access to low-cost, clean nuclear energy group of nuclear supplier countries that important for its economic growth. seek to prevent nuclear proliferation Ø Following intense debates, that by controlling the export of materials, considered India’s Nuclear activities equipment, and technology that can be and appreciated its commitment to non- used to manufacture nuclear weapons. proliferation, India got an NSG waiver Ø NSG is a transnational body comprised in 2008. of nuclear supplier countries that aims Ø Although the 2008 NSG waiver to India to control the proliferation of nuclear does provide significant possibilities for weapons by curbing the export of India to engage in civilian nuclear trade nuclear weapons development materials with other countries (and indeed, India and related technology. has entered into such agreements with several countries like Russia, France, Ø It ensures that the materials and UK, USA, Kazakhstan, Australia, and technologies transferred to any nation others), membership of the NSG will are not diverted to developing nuclear provide greater certainty and a legal weapons. foundation for India’s nuclear regime Ø NSG consists of 48 members which and thus greater confidence for those include the five nuclear-weapon states countries investing billions of dollars to US, UK, France, China, and Russia. set up ambitious nuclear power projects Ø The guidelines of NSG are not binding. in India. Ø Decisions, including on membership, Ø As India’s international political, are made unanimously by consensus. economic, military and strategic profile Ø It is said to have been created as a sequel and clout increases, India would like to to India’s first nuclear test conducted in move into the category of international 1974. rule-creating nations rather than stay in the ranks of rule-adhering nations. Issues with India’s entry Ø The NSG controls most of the world’s Chabahar Port nuclear trade. Ø Chabahar Port is located on the Indian Ø While the U.S. and other countries Ocean in the Sistan and Baluchistan support India’s entry into the NSG, province of Iran. Ø China has opposed it saying India has It is located on the Gulf of Oman and not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation is the only oceanic port of the country. Treaty (NPT). The port gives access to the energy-rich Persian Gulf nations’ southern coast. Ø However, it is important to note that Ø India’s construction of the Shahid membership of NPT is not a condition Beheshti terminal at Chabahar port for becoming a member of NSG. It since 2016 is a key component of is only a guiding principle to which its trade and connectivity routes consideration needs to be given. to Afghanistan and Central Asia, Ø Many other countries have also opposed circumventing Pakistan. India’s entry into NSG but New Delhi Ø It is a strategic project that would has been making constant efforts to connect India, Afghanistan and Iran to blow away the resistance. Central Asia. Ø The opponents argue that granting it Ø Chabahar port will boost India’s membership would further undermine access to Iran, the key gateway to the efforts to prevent proliferation and International North-South Transport it would also infuriate India’s rival Corridor that has sea, rail and road Pakistan. routes between India, Russia, Iran, Europe and Central Asia. Why to join Ø It is easily accessible from India’s Ø India seeks to significantly expand western coast and is increasingly seen its nuclear power generation and also as a counter to Pakistan’s Gwadar port enter the export market in the coming located at distance of around 80 km years. from Chabahar.

40 Ø Establishment of a politically agreement between both the countries sustainable connectivity between India for trade and association between Tibet and Afghanistan will be ensured by this Region of China and India. project. Ø This agreement was signed by then Ø With Chabahar port becoming Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal functional, there will be a significant Nehru and Chinese premier Zhou Enlai boost in the import of iron ore, sugar, on 29 April 1954. and rice to India. Ø The Five Principles of Peaceful Co- existence are: Panchsheel Pact: 1. Mutual respect for each other’s Ø Panchsheel Pact or Five Principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty Peaceful Co-existence are a series of 2. Mutual non-aggression principles that have formed the basis 3. Mutual non-interference of the relationship between India and 4. Equality and mutual benefit China. 5. Peaceful co-existence Ø The first formal codification of the Panchsheel Pact was in the form of

Y Y Y Y Y

41 42 G.S PAPER - III

43 44 A.INDIAN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE

e-Vehicle Batteries Ø In 2018-19, over 90% of India’s electricity was generated from conventional Context sources such as coal. Ø There are: concerns regarding the Ø Only around 10% was produced from economic feasibility of electric vehicles renewable sources such as solar, wind (EVs) for mass use, as India is seeking and biomass. a transition from conventional fuel Ø Concerns of the Industry: vehicles to EVs. Ø The automobile industry had objected to the proposal of NITI Aayog and called Transition to EVs: for a practical approach in framing Ø Recently, the NITI Aayog proposed to electric vehicle-related policies. ban the sale of all internal combustion Ø There has been concerns that EVs engine (ICE) powered three-wheeler are still not financially viable because post March 2023. of various costs associated with their Ø It also suggested that all new two- manufacture and use. wheelers below 150cc sold after March Cost of the EVs: 2025 should be electric. Ø The portion of the costs of the drivetrain Ø The Union Budget announced tax of EVs is 4% lower when compared to incentives for early adopters of EVs. ICE vehicles. Ø The drivetrain is the system in a motor India’s Position on EV adoption: vehicle which connects the transmission Ø India’s mobility market is driven more to the drive axles. by two wheelers and hence EV adoption Ø This is primarily due to less parts in the will be driven by two-wheelers rather electric drivetrain. than cars. Ø However, the battery pack takes up Ø According to the NITI Aayog, 79% nearly half the cost of an electric vehicle. of vehicles on Indian roads are two- Ø The predominant battery chemistry wheelers. used in EVs is lithium-ion batteries (Li- Ø Three-wheelers and cars that cost less ion). than Rs.10 lakh account for 4% and Ø No new technologies are available for 12% of the vehicles respectively. immediate commercial usage. Ø The overall cost for two wheeler EVs is Ø The cost of key-components of the comparatively lesser since only smaller battery (the cathode, anode, electrolyte, batteries are needed when compared to separator, etc.) contribute almost 60% cars. to the total cost. Ø The rest is contributed by labour How to Make EVs Environment Friendly? charges, overheads and profit margins. Ø In conventional ICEs, petrol or diesel Ø At present, cells are imported and fuels the engine. “assembled” in India into batteries. It Ø In EVs, electrons supplied by the battery increases cost. fuel the vehicle and the battery itself is Ø Setting up a Li-ion manufacturing unit not the fuel. requires high capital expenditure. Ø The battery is a device that stores Decreasing Price of Battery Packs: electrons/energy which is sourced from Ø The price of these battery packs has electricity. consistently fallen over the past few Ø EV charging infrastructure needs to be years. powered through renewable sources to Ø Technological improvements, economies make it truly sustainable. of scale and increased demand for Ø Presently, most of India’s electricity is lithium-ion batteries are the factors generated using conventional sources. responsible for the decline in price.

45 Ø Fierce competition between major Explained :Merging of PSBs manufacturers has also brought down Ø The Centre announced a mega the price. amalgamation plan, the third in a row, Ø It is not clear if the battery cost can that merged ten public sector banks be reduced even further since the raw into four larger entities. material cost makes up the major part Ø With these series of mergers, the of price. number of state-owned banks is down to 12 from 27. Way Forward: Ø The cost of battery packs needs to be About the merger reduced significantly for any meaningful Ø There are four new sets of mergers — reduction in the price of EVs. Punjab National Bank, Oriental Bank Ø Any reduction in the cost of the of Commerce and United Bank of India battery pack will have to come from to merge to form the country’s second- a reduction in materials cost or the largest lender. manufacturing overhead since labour Ø Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank to cost is comparatively lesser. amalgamate; Union Bank of India to Ø India needs to manufacture Li-ion cells acquire Andhra Bank and Corporation in-house. Battery manufacturing in Bank; and Indian Bank to merge with India is expected to grow as electric Allahabad Bank. vehicles grow. Ø The biggest merger out of the four was Ø More focus needs to be given for Oriental Bank of Commerce and United electricity generation from renewable Bank merging into Punjab National sources. Bank to create a second largest state- Tunnel between Cherlopalli and Rapuru owned bank with Rs 17.95 lakh crore Ø Vice President inaugurated the business and 11,437 branches. country’s longest electrified rail tunnel Ø These three banks are technologically between Cherlopalli and Rapuru and compatible as they use Finacle Core the electrified railway line between Banking Solution (CBS) platform. Venkatachalam and Obulavaripalli. Ø The merger of Syndicate Bank with Ø The 6.7-km-long tunnel is an Canara Bank will create the fourth “engineering marvel” and said it would largest public sector bank with Rs provide viable rail connectivity between 15.20 lakh crorebusiness and a branch the Krishnapatnam Port and the network of 10,324 branches. hinterland for the seamless movement Ø Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank’s of freight. merger with Union Bank of India will Ø It also reduces the distance for trains create India’s fifth largest public sector coming from Guntakal Division to bank with Rs 14.59 lakh crore business Krishnapatnam by 72 km and eases and 9,609 branches. traffic density in the Obulavaripalli- Ø The merger of Allahabad Bank with Renigunta-Gudur section. Indian Bank will create the seventh Ø This newly commissioned line of 112 largest public sector bank with Rs 8.08 km reduces the travel time to five hours lakh crorebusiness with strong branch as compared to the 10 hrs earlier for a networks in the south, north and east goods train from Krishnapatnam Port to of the country. Obulavaripalli. Ø Besides facilitating operation of freight Why merge PSBs? trains the new line would also provide Ø According to the government, banks the shortest path on the Chennai- have been merged on the basis of likely Howrah and Chennai-Mumbai rail operating efficiencies, better usage of routes. equity and their technological platform. Ø It would also ease congestion of both Ø But the move marks a departure from passenger and freight-carrying trains the plan to privatize some of the banks in the Vijayawada-Gudur-Renigunta- or bringing in a strategic investors to Guntakal sections. usher in reform in the sector.

46 Ø The government, after consultations, Ø This means marking a large amount decided that amalgamation is the “best of money almost every year during the route” to achieve banking sector scale last few years in the Budget for capital and to support the target of achieving a infusion at many banks at a time when $5 trillion economic size for India in five there is a huge demand for social sector. years. Ø By reducing the number of banks to Ø The amalgamations will help banks a manageable count, the government to meaningfully scale up operations hopes that the demands for such capital but will not lead to any immediate improvement in their credit metrics. infusion will be lower progressively with increased efficiencies and with more Logic behind the move well capitalised banks. Ø For years, expert committees starting Ø It will also help that the government from the M Narasimham Committee can focus now on fewer banks than in have recommended that India should the past. have fewer but bigger and better- managed banks to ensure optimal use How have previous bank mergers fared? of capital, efficiency, wider reach and Ø Last year, the government had merged greater profitability. Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with Bank Ø The logic is that rather than having of Baroda, creating the third-largest several of its own banks competing for bank by loans in the country. the same pie (in terms of deposits or Ø The government said this merger has loans) in the same narrow geographies, leading to each one incurring costs, it been “a good learning experience” as would make sense to have large-sized profitability and business of the merged banks. entity has improved. Ø This may be true especially in India’s Ø Earlier, the State Bank of India had bigger cities and towns. acquired its associate banks. Ø It has also been argued that such an Ø Indian Overseas Bank, Uco Bank, Bank entity will then be able to respond better of Maharashtra and Punjab and Sind to emerging market trends or shifts and Bank, which have strong regional focus, compete more with private banks. will continue as separate entities. Ø The proposed big banks would be able Ø The government said profitability of to compete globally and improve their public sector banks has improved and operational efficiency once they lower total gross non-performing assets have their cost of lending and improve lending. come down to Rs 7.9 lakh crore at end- Ø But none of India’s banks including the March 2019 from Rs 8.65 lakh crore at largest, SBI, figures in the list of the top end-December 2018. 50 global banks. So that may be a long way away. More thrust on RBI Ø The RBI keeps monitoring large How does it help the government? institutions whose potential failure Ø For over decades starting from 1992, the can impact other institutions or banks government as the biggest shareholder and the financial sector, and which of over 25 banks had to provide capital could have a contagion effect and erode for them. confidence in other banks. Ø To grow and lend more, the banks often Ø A case in point is the recent instance need a higher amount of capital to set of IL&FS Group, which defaulted on aside also for loans that could go bad. repayments hitting many lenders and Ø With the government not willing to lower its equity holdings and with a investors. large slice of the capital being set aside Ø The creation of more large-sized banks to cover for bad loans, the burden of will mean the RBI will have to improve its infusing capital rests on the majority supervisory and monitoring processes shareholder. to address increased risks.

47 Will this help improve the performance Ø OMCs have been advised to fix realistic metrics now? transportation charges so that long Ø While the announced consolidation distance transportation of ethanol is of PSU banks is a credit positive as not disincentivised. it enables the consolidated entities Ø OMCs are advised to continue according to meaningfully improve scale of priority of ethanol from (in order of operations and help their competitive priority) position. 1) Sugarcane juice/sugar/sugar syrup, Ø At the same time, there will not be any 2) B-heavy molasses immediate improvement in their credit 3) C-heavy molasses metrics as all of them have relatively 4) Damaged food grains/other sources weak solvency profiles. Ø In that case, a large, well-capitalised Significance: strong bank absorbed two much smaller Ø Ethanol availability for EBP programme entities. is expected to increase significantly Ø In the present case, the mergers are due to higher price being offered for mostly among larger banks, with absorbing bank not necessarily in procurement of ethanol from all the strong health. sugarcane based routes, subsuming Ø However, given the merged banks are ‘partial sugarcane juice route’ and on similar technology platform, the ‘100% sugarcane juice route’ under integration should be smoother. ‘sugarcane juice route’ and for the first Ø Also it is likely that management time allowing sugar and sugar syrup for attention and bandwidth of the entities ethanol production. being merged could get split impacting Ø Increased ethanol blending in petrol the loan growth and reduce focus on has many benefits including strengthening asset quality in the short • Reduction in import dependency term. • Support to agricultural sector higher procurement price for ethanol • More environmental friendly fuel • Lesser pollution Context: • Additional income to farmers. Ø The Union Cabinet has approved a Ø Ethanol can be mixed with gasoline to higher procurement price for ethanol form different blends. As the ethanol purchased by oil marketing companies molecule contains oxygen, it allows the for the ethanol blended petrol (EBP) engine to more completely combust programme which will come into effect the fuel, resulting in fewer emissions from December 1, 2019 for a period of and thereby reducing the occurrence of one year. environmental pollution. Details: Ø According to the new decision, the price Ethanol: Ø Ethanol, an anhydrous ethyl alcohol of ethanol from C-heavy molasses will be increased from Rs. 43.46 per litre to having chemical formula of C2H5OH, Rs. 43.75 per litre. can be produced from sugarcane, Ø The price of ethanol from B-heavy maize, wheat, etc. which are having molasses will be increased from high starch content. Rs.52.43 per litre to Rs.54.27 per litre. Ø In India, ethanol is mainly produced from Ø The price of ethanol from sugarcane sugarcane molasses by fermentation juice, sugar, and sugar syrup has been process. set at Rs.59.48 per litre. Ø Ethanol can be mixed with gasoline to Ø The oil marketing companies will also form different blends. pay the Goods and Services Tax and Ø Since ethanol is produced from plants transportation tax associated with that harness the power of the sun, the ethanol supply — a provision that ethanol is also considered as renewable existed in the previous plan as well. fuel.

48 T.N. Manoharan task force Ø Amendment of the regulations with Ø A task force set up by the Reserve Bank respect to securitisation and assignment of India (RBI) has submitted its report of loans, asset reconstruction, foreign on the development of a secondary portfolio investment and external market for corporate loans. commercial borrowings were also Ø The task force was headed by Canara recommended. Bank chairman T.N. Manoharan Ø The committee also said that Ø It recommended setting up of a self- amendments in regulations issued regulatory body (SRB), which will by SEBI, IRDA and PFRDA were oversee the proposed secondary market. needed to enable participation of non- Ø The SRB may be set up as an association banking entities such as mutual funds, by scheduled commercial banks, public insurance companies and pension financial institutions and other related funds. entities, and may be incorporated Economic Slowdown as a Section 8 company under the Companies Act, 2013. Context Ø It must be set up within three months Ø India’s real or inflation-adjusted Gross from the date of acceptance of the Domestic Product (GDP) grew at 5 recommendations it said. per cent in the June 2019 quarter of Ø The SRB’s role will be to standardize financial year 2019-20 (Q1FY20), the loan documentation and covenants, slowest growth in six years (25 quarters). periodically review the documentation, Ø In nominal terms, the growth stood at ensure standardization of practices, 7.99 per cent, lowest since December and promote growth, liquidity, efficiency 2002. and transparency of the proposed secondary market. Cyclical slowdown Ø It will also be responsible for setting Ø A cyclical slowdown is a period of lean up a central loan contract registry, economic activity that occurs at regular which will finalize the detailed design intervals. Such slowdowns last over the structure, infrastructure, technological short-to-medium term, and are based aspects and nature of incorporation, to on the changes in the business cycle. Ø ensure legal sanctity of its operations Generally, interim fiscal and monetary and for executing agreements with measures, temporary recapitalisation other agencies. of credit markets, and need-based regulatory changes are required to Ø It said the SRB may stipulate minimum revive the economy. 5-10% of the loan outstanding as the threshold limit for the loan size eligible Structural slowdown for sale. Ø A structural slowdown, on the Ø The Task Force also recommended other hand, is a more deep-rooted setting up of an online loan sales phenomenon that occurs due to a one- platform to conduct auctions of off shift from an existing paradigm. secondary market loans. Ø The changes, which last over a Ø It said term loans have to be prioritized long-term, are driven by disruptive for the auction and, subsequently with technologies, changing demographics, experience, other categories of loans, and/or change in consumer behaviour. such as revolving credit facilities (cash credit, credit card receivables, etc.), Dissecting India’s slowdown: assets with bullet repayment and non-fund based facilities, could be A slowdown in consumption demand introduced. Ø The farm sector is still stuck in a low Ø Other recommendations of the Task income trap and 2019’s mercurial Force include linking the pricing of monsoon rains, has left some parts all loans to an external benchmark as flooded and others still facing deficits the current Marginal Cost of Funds and engendering a shortfall in kharif Based Lending Rate (MCLR) may not be sowing, rural demand is unlikely to comparable across banks. return

49 Decline in manufacturing Key economic Parameters Ø The slowdown in the auto sector Ø the mainstay of demand — Private has worsened, with leading car Consumption Spending — slumped to manufacturers posting up to a 50 per an 18-quarter low, with the expansion cent drop in sales for August 2019 as decelerating sharply to 3.1%, from 7.2% against the corresponding month last in the preceding quarter and 7.3% a year. Sales are down across segments year earlier. — passenger vehicles, commercial Ø Gross fixed capital formation (GFCF), vehicles, and two-wheelers. a proxy for investment activity, grew Ø The slowdown in the auto industry is a meagre 4%, less than a third of the due to a number of factors, such as the 13.3% growth it posted 12 months liquidity crunch due to continued stress earlier. on NBFCs (Non-Banking Financial Ø With demand for Manufactured Products Companies), the wait for the festive ranging from cars and consumer season, the change in axle load norms durables to even biscuits having sharply for trucks, and hopes of a GST cut. diminished, manufacturing GVA growth Ø inability of the Insolvency and plunged to an eight-quarter low of 0.6%. Bankruptcy Code (IBC) to resolve cases in a time-bound manner, and Steps introduced by Govt Ø rising global trade tension and its Ø The government is cognizant of the adverse impact on exports are some of gravity of the situation has initiated the factors affecting India’s growth policy pronouncements including Ø The health of real estate is a massive Ø tweaks to investment norms to draw indicator of the state of Indian economy. more Foreign Direct Investment, It has links with about 250 ancillary Ø moves to relieve the debilitating sales industries — bricks, cement, steel, slump in the auto sector and furniture, electrical, paints etc — and Ø A sweeping consolidation of public affects them all if there is a boom or banks. gloom in the sector. Ø As part of its measures to boost economic Ø Reports are that the volume of unsold growth, the government has lifted the houses over the past one year has ban on its departments buying new increased in the top cities of the vehicles, announced a tax benefit for countries. automakers, deferred the application Ø It is also attributed to two mega of the one-time registration fee till June policy decisions — demonetisation in 2020, and assured that the government November 2016 and the rollout of the would consider a scrappage policy for Goods and Services Tax (GST) in July old vehicles 2017 — disrupted the Indian economy. Ø Any beneficial impact from these Ø Aimed at greater formalisation of the measures will, however, take time to Indian economy, the twin disruptions feed into the economy struck a big blow to the informal sectors that employ the maximum number of Explained:Economics behind e-vehicle the workforce. batteries Ø The policy disruption hangover still Ø Shifting gears in the transition to continues and is accentuated by the electric vehicles (EVs), the NITI Aayog, crisis in banking and non-banking in May this year, proposed to ban the financial sectors. sale of all internal combustion engine Ø This hit the small and medium scale (ICE) powered three-wheelers post businesses more adversely than March 2023. expected in the wake of the collapse of Ø It also suggested that all new two- Infrastructure Leasing and Financial wheelers below 150cc sold after March Services (ILFS). 2025 should be electric. Ø Money just stopped flowing into the Ø In consonance with these proposals, the market. The net result was a huge job Union Budget announced tax incentives loss. for early adopters.

50 Ø The automobile industry had objected Ø Given that raw materials account for to the proposal and called for a practical 60% of the cost of the battery pack, the approach in framing EV-related policies. room for further cost reduction is rather Ø There has been the worry that EVs limited. are still not financially viable because of various costs associated with their Where does India stand on EV adoption? manufacture and use. Ø In India, EV adoption will be driven by How are cost structures of conventional two-wheelers rather than cars in high vehicles and electric vehicles different? numbers on because India’s mobility Ø The portion of the costs of the drive train market is driven more by two wheelers. of EVs the system in a motor vehicle Ø According to the NITI Aayog, 79% which connects the transmission to the of vehicles on Indian roads are two- drive axles in comparison to the cost of wheelers. the entire vehicle is 4% lower compared Ø Three-wheelers and cars that cost less to ICE vehicles. Ø This is primarily due to less part in the than Rs.10 lakh account for 4% and 12% electric drive train. of the vehicle population, respectively. Ø However, the battery pack takes up Ø Two-wheelers will also need smaller nearly half the cost of an electric vehicle. batteries when compared to cars and Ø For any meaningful reduction in the hence the overall affordable cost. physical value of EVs, the cost of battery Ø India needs to manufacture Li-ion cells packs needs to reduce significantly. in-house. Now, cells are imported and Components of a battery pack and their “assembled” into batteries. cost Ø Setting up a Li-ion manufacturing Ø The predominant battery chemistry unit requires high capital expenditure. used in EVs is lithium-ion batteries (Li- But battery manufacturing in India is ion). expected to grow as electric vehicles Ø No new technologies are on the horizon grow. for immediate commercial usage. Ø The cost of the materials or key- Are EV vehicles completely environment components of the battery, namely the friendly? cathode, anode, electrolyte, separator, Ø In conventional ICEs, petrol or diesel among others, contribute the most fuels the engine. (60%) to the total cost. Ø Ø Any reduction in the cost of the battery However, in EVs, batteries are not the pack will have to come from a reduction fuel; electrons supplied by the battery in materials cost or the manufacturing fuel the vehicle. overhead. Ø Presently, most of India’s electricity is generated using conventional sources. How has the cost of the Li-ion battery Ø In 2018-19, over 90% of India’s pack cost evolved in the last decade? Ø The price of these battery packs has electricity was generated from consistently fallen over the past few conventional sources, including coal, years. and around 10% was produced from Ø This decrease is in part due to renewable sources such as solar, wind technological improvements, economies and biomass. of scale and increased demand for Ø While the rate of electricity generated lithium-ion batteries. from renewable sources has increased Ø Fierce competition between major over the years, more needs to be done manufacturers has also been for their adoption. instrumental in bringing down prices. Ø The chart shows the change in the price Ø This is because the EV-charging of Li-ion batteries from 2010 to 2016. infrastructure needs to be powered It is not clear if the battery cost can be through renewable sources to make it reduced even further. truly sustainable.

51 RBI Circular on Lending Rate Ø This is however subject to the condition that changes to the credit risk premium Context can only be made when the borrower’s Ø In a recent circular to banks, the RBI credit assessment undergoes a has directed lenders to link lending rate substantial change. to external benchmark. Ø Lenders will have to link all new floating What lies ahead? rate loans given in the personal, retail Ø While the real economy needs some and MSME categories to external support, there has to be more benchmarks, including the repo rate, transmission of rates happening at the with effect from October 1 2019. first place. Ø The latest move will surely lower the Rationality interest cost on new floating rate loans Ø The benefits of changes made by the availed by borrowers to buy cars or RBI to the policy repo rate (rate at which homes. RBI lends to commercial banks) is often Ø However, it may force banks to start not transmitted to the borrowers by the cutting the interest rate they pay to banks. deposit holders or risk seeing their Ø In 2015, then RBI Governor margins shrink. RaghuramRajan decided that the Ø The RBI’s aim is to boost credit for system used by banks to price their the dull personal consumption and loans needed to be changed. encourage borrowing by stressed Ø So, he introduced the Marginal Cost MSMEs. of Funds based Lending Rate (MCLR) Ø But the real success of the measure will regime. ultimately be determined by a regaining Ø In October 2017, an internal study of confidence by consumers to spend group of the RBI recommended the and a conviction by industry to invest. adoption of external benchmarks to ensure effective policy transmission. Interest rate spread Ø Spread refers to the difference in Ø This came after observing that the borrowing rates and lending rates of MCLR too had failed to deliver. financial institutions. Ø Notably, RBI made a total of 75 basis Ø In other words, it is the interest yield points (bps) reduction in the repo rate on earning assets such as a loan minus between February and June 2019. interest rates paid on borrowed funds. Ø Against this, the weighted average lending rate on fresh rupee loans at T-Bill Rate banks eased only by 29 bps. Ø Treasury Bills are government bonds Ø The current RBI move comes as an effort or debt securities with maturity of less to address this problem of inadequate than a year. interest rate transmission. Ø T-Bill Rates are determined by the central bank and used as a primary The banks are free to choose one of the instrument for regulating money supply several benchmarks: and raising funds. • RBI repo rate • the 91-day T-bill yield Automobile Slowdown • the 182-day T-bill yield The automobile industry in India is apparently • any other benchmark market interest witnessing a slowdown. rate produced by the Financial Benchmarks India Pvt. Ltd Why is it worrying? Ø However, the RBI has made it clear that Ø The current downturn is like nothing lenders would need to adopt a uniform that the automobile industry has seen benchmark within a particular loan in a long, long time in terms of depth, category. scale and character. Ø Banks have also been given the leeway Ø Every segment of the auto industry has to determine their spread over the been hit as the slowdown this time is benchmark rate. all-encompassing.

52 Ø These range from two-wheelers to Ø With the recent change, vehicle passenger cars, light commercial manufacturers (CVs and cars) over- vehicles and heavy commercial vehicles, produced vehicles without a care for and even tractors. demand. Ø Secondly, the natural, cyclical Ø With their past experience, they dumped downturn has been amplified by them on dealers to sell. extraordinary circumstances unleashed Ø But, this became problematic because by government’s reform measures. of the approaching deadline for the Ø Lastly, the approach to a critical transition to BS-VI norms from April 1, policymaking area such as electric 2020. Ø vehicles has only intensified and Dealers are now burdened with stocks of BS-IV vehicles that they need to clear prolonged the slowdown. out before the deadline. Ø Notably, government is now starting to Ø For the manufacturers, the problem reassure the industry that the electric is that they are unable to plan their motor will not be privileged over the production schedules for BS-VI vehicles. internal combustion engine. Ø The buyers - freight operators - are Ø However, this is too late to make a big waiting for the steep discounts that change. would come as the deadline nears. Ø Moreover, the slump in production in Ø Also, they are not in a hurry anyway to market leaders such as Maruti and add new trucks given the slowdown in Hyundai further weakens the sentiment goods movement. among other players. What should be done? Recent measure on commercial vehicles Ø The onset of festival season sales and (CV) industry the impact of recent measures by the Ø Axle-load norms - In July 2018, the government may help the cycle revive government revised axle-load norms on its own. for the first time since 1983 for cargo Ø However, the government can quicken carriers. this process probably by reducing GST Ø It increased the official maximum load on automobiles from 28% to 18% as per carrying capacity of heavy vehicles, the demand of the industry. including trucks, by 20-25%. Ø It could consider dropping GST only Ø The idea was to legalise over-loading for BS-IV vehicles (CVs, cars and two- which is a common practice. wheelers) that are now idle in stockyards Ø In effect, the government, in one stroke, of vehicle manufacturers and dealers. raised the existing carrying capacity Ø It should consider a scheme where by up to a quarter, forcing per-tonne all BS-IV vehicles sold until March 31 freight rates down. 2020 will attract only an 18% GST. Ø Operators were able to keep the trucks Ø For the industry, this will help clear the gainfully deployed for 25% more days in stocks, and for the government, it will a month than before. help contain the fallout on its revenue. Ø The point is that the higher cargo rules Ø As, the lower rate will apply only on a were applied to all trucks on the roads, limited stock and until a specified time. instead of only trucks to be produced Travel & Tourism Competitiveness after a given date. Report Ø A report released by the World Implication Economic Forum (WEF) ranking the Ø The reform measures only served to travel & tourism competitiveness of 140 advance the cyclical slowdown which economies was recently released. was on its way. Ø Published biennially by WEF, Travel Ø The CV industry is known for & Tourism Competitiveness Report sharp practices such as steep-price and Index benchmarks the Travel & discounting and dealer dumping by Tourism (T&T) competitiveness of 140 vehicle manufacturers. economies.

53 Ø The study scored countries on four Ø To achieve the target of scaling India’s indicators — enabling environment; GDP to $5 trillion by 2024-25, the travel and tourism policy and enabling country needs to spend about $1.4 conditions; infrastructure; natural and trillion (Rs.100 lakh crore) from the fiscal cultural rankings. 2019-20 to 2024-25 on infrastructure. Ø The four broad indicators looked Ø The challenge is to step up annual at 14 variables, which were further infrastructure investment so that lack subdivided into 90 indicators such as of infrastructure does not become a property rights, efficiency of the legal binding constraint on the growth of the framework, quality of electricity supply, Indian economy. female labour force participation, visa Ø India invested about $1.1 trillion in requirements and the number of World infrastructure in the past decade. Heritage cultural sites. Ø The biennial report shows that India List of Projects: has made the greatest improvement Ø The task force will draw up a ‘National since 2017 among the top 25 per cent Infrastructure Pipeline’ of Rs.100 lakh- of the countries that were previously crore. ranked. Ø This would include both ‘Greenfield’ Ø Overall, India is ranked 34, up six and ‘Brownfield’ projects with a cost of places from 2017. above Rs.100 crore. Ø India’s highest improvement was in Ø These will include social and economic enabling environment, by 10 places to infrastructure projects. 98. Ø The task force will identify technically Ø The least improvement is in feasible and financially viable infrastructure as well as in natural and infrastructure projects that can be cultural rankings, by just three places initiated in 2019-20. each, but India’s rank was already high Ø in the latter. It will also identify a list of projects that Ø Spain, France, Germany, Japan and can be included in the pipeline for each the United States are the world’s most of the remaining five years between travel-ready nations. 2020-21 and 2024-25. Ø Japan remains Asia’s most competitive Ø The task force will submit its report on travel and tourism economy, ranking the pipeline for 2019-20 by October 31, 4th globally. 2019 and on the indicative pipeline for Ø China is the largest travel and tourism 2021-25 by December 2019. economy in Asia-Pacific and 13th most competitive globally. Composition Ø The task force will be headed by Panel set up to Identify Infra Projects the Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs. Context: Ø It will be comprised of the Secretaries Ø The Ministry of Finance has constituted from different Ministries, senior officials a high-level task force to identify and the CEO of NITI Aayog. infrastructure projects for 100 lakh crore worth investment to be made by Authorities to file special appeal even 2024-25. for small cases Ø The Income Tax Department has issued Objectives: a circular saying it would file special Ø In his Independence Day speech of appeals in cases falling below the 2019, Prime Minister had said that threshold, if it feels there is evidence of Rs100 lakh crore would be invested in deliberate tax avoidance. infrastructure over the next five years. Ø The Income Tax Department periodically Ø The purpose of the task force is to reviews the monetary limits for the identify infrastructure projects that will filing of its appeals before the Income go hand in hand with India’s aims to Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), the High become a $5-trillion economy. Courts, and the Supreme Court.

54 Ø The Central Board of Direct Taxes Ø Existing rules do not allow payments (CBDT) had sharply raised the threshold banks to lend and deposits are capped for filing appeals in tax disputes to at Rs. 1 lakh per customer. A small reduce tax litigation and to give relief to finance bank licence will give such tax payers. entities access to more deposits and Ø In August 2019, the tax department boost their profitability. had announced that it will not appeal Ø According to the new draft guidelines for to the tax tribunal (ITAT) unless the ‘tax on-tap licencing of private sector SFBs, effect’ or the disputed tax claim is over the promoter of a payments bank is Rs. 50 lakh in a case. eligible to set up an SFB, provided both Ø It had also doubled the monetary limit banks come under the non-operating for appealing against the decisions of financial holding company (NOFHC) the High Courts in the Supreme Court structure. to 2 crores Ø The RBI has proposed a minimum equity Ø The move was expected to improve capital of 200 crore (earlier Rs.100 ease of doing business for companies crore) to set up a SFB under the ‘on tap’ struggling to cope with a cooling down licence regime to expand the banking economy. services through high technology, low Ø The Income Tax Department’s decision cost operations. to increase the monetary limit for the Ø It said the promoter should hold a cases below which it could not appeal minimum of 40% of the paid-up voting the court’s decision has somewhat equity capital for five years. If the initial backfired. promoter shareholding is above 40%, it Ø It is now detecting a lot of organised tax should be brought down to 40% within evasions, specifically designed to fall a period of five years, 30% within 10 below that threshold. years, and 15% in 15 years. Ø Taking cognisance of the fact that there Ø The central bank maintained that SFBs have been a lot of organised tax evasions should be listed within three years of ever since the announcement was made, reaching a net worth of 500 crore. the Department has issued a circular Ø The RBI also allowed primary urban saying it would file special appeals in cooperative banks to convert into SFBs, cases falling below the threshold, if it provided they comply with the on-tap feels there is evidence of deliberate tax licencing guidelines. The minimum net avoidance. worth of such SFBs will be 100 crore Ø The Income Tax Department has issued and has to be increased to Rs.200 crore that circular and has sent it to all tax within five years from commencement officials. of business. RBI: minimum capital for SFB is Rs.200 crore Package to Boost Exports and Revive Ø The Reserve Bank of India has allowed Housing Sector payments banks to apply for small finance bank (SFB) licences, provided Context: they meet certain criteria. Ø Union Finance Minister has announced Ø SFBs offer basic banking services, a third set of government decisions to accepting deposits and lending to revive the economy. unserved and underserved sections, including small businesses, small and Special Fund for Housing Projects: Ø marginal farmers, micro and small A special fund will be set up for providing industries, and the unorganized sector. last-mile funding for housing projects. Ø The RBI said existing non-banking It will focus on the construction of financial companies (NBFCs), micro unfinished housing projects. Ø The fund will be available for affordable finance institutions and local area and middle-income projects except: banks in the private sector, which are I. Those belonging to NPA category (Non- controlled by residents, can opt for Performing Assets), or conversion into small finance banks.

55 II. Those undergoing National Company Digital certificate of origin system Law Tribunal proceedings unveiled Ø The fund will be created on the lines of the National Investment and Context: Ø Commerce Minister launched the Infrastructure Fund. common digital platform for the Ø The fund will be operated professionally issuance of certificates of origin and a by experts from the housing and steel import monitoring system (SIMS). banking sectors. The Minister also provided more details Ø The fund will source contributions about the enhanced export credit from the government, LIC and other insurance scheme for banks that lend institutions, private capital from banks, working capital to exporters. sovereign funds, etc. Steel import monitoring system (SIMS): Ø The government’s contribution to the Ø SIMS will provide advance information fund would be Rs.10,000 crore and about steel import to government and the other investors would contribute other stakeholders, including producers “roughly the same amount”. and consumers, to have effective policy Ø External commercial borrowing interventions. guidelines will be relaxed to facilitate Ø In this system, the importers of specified financing for home buyers eligible steel products will register in advance on the web portal of SIMS, providing under the PradhanMantriAwasYojana. necessary information. Ø Interest on house building advances Ø The information about the steel imports will be lowered and linked with the 10 provided by the importers on SIMS will Year Government Security yields. be monitored by the Steel Ministry. Ø The mechanism, through which Reforms in the Exports Sector: importers of steel will have to register Ø The new scheme for the Remission of their import between 60 days and 15 Duties or Taxes on Export Product days before it arrives in the country, is (RoDTEP) will offset the amount paid by only meant to collect information about exporters as duties on exports. the steel imports in the country. Ø The revenue forgone by the government Common digital platform for the for the scheme will be Rs. 50000 Cr. per issuance of certificates of origin: year. Ø Digital platform for the issuance of Ø RoDTEP will replace the Merchandise certificates of origin will be a single Exports from India Scheme (MEIS). access point for all exporters, for all Free The rate of reward under MEIS varies Trade Agreements (FTAs)/ Preferential between 2% and 7% of the free-on-board Trade Agreements (PTAs) and for all (FOB) value, depending on the item and agencies concerned. Ø the country it is being exported to. At present preferential Certificate of Origin is issued from the various Ø The existing dispensation in textiles of notified agencies around the country MEIS and the old ROSL [Rebate of State through manual processes. Levies] will continue up to December Ø A new common digital platform for 31, 2019. issuance of electronic preferential CoOs Ø An electronic refund module will be set has been conceptualized to address up for the quick and automated refund various challenges in the current of input tax credits to the exporters. process. Ø Banks will be required to provide higher Ø Certificate of Origin will be issued electronically which can be in paperless insurance cover for working capital format if agreed to by the partner loans to exporters. countries. Ø RBI will modify the priority sector Ø Authorities of partner countries will lending norms to increase credit to be able to verify the authenticity of exporters by Rs. 36000- 68000 Cr. certificates from the website.

56 Ø Further, it provides administrative Ø New domestic manufacturing access to Department of Commerce for companies, incorporated after October reporting and monitoring purposes. 1, will have to pay only 15% provided Ø These certificates are issued by they start manufacturing by 2023. designated agencies in India after Ø The stock exchanges zoomed within vetting of the rules of origin criteria as minutes after the announcement, per the respective FTA/PTA. Ø because for most established companies Ø Some designated agencies for CoO the tax cut would immediately lead to a issuance are EIC, Directorate General of pro-rata increase in profits. Ø Foreign Trade (DGFT), Marine Products Essentially, a lower corporate tax is Export Development Authority (MPEDM, aimed at boosting investment by the private sector. Textile Committee and Tobacco Board. Ø The two other factors contributing to Nirvik: growth, Ø The new export credit insurance scheme Ø Government expenditure (where the (ECIS) called ‘Nirvik’ was introduced fiscal deficit is under pressure) and Ø through the through Export Credit Exports (which have been stagnant), both have little space to boost growth. Guarantee Corporation (ECGC). Ø The cut in corporate tax chooses to Ø It is aimed at enhancing loan availability single out private investment. and easing the lending process. Ø This is a long-term measure that would Ø At the moment, the Export Credit make it more attractive for businesses Guarantee Corporation (ECGC) gives a to invest, which in turn will create cover of 60% of the loss to banks. employment. Ø The new scheme will give 90% coverage Ø According to the government’s of the principal and interest of the loan calculations, the latest corporate tax for pre- and post-shipment credit, and cut would cost it Rs 1.5 lakh crore. half of this will be provided in 30 days. Ø The cuts either in personal Income tax Ø He said claim inspection would be or the GST would have yielded a higher waived for up to 10 crore. For claims immediate boost to economic activity. higher than this amount, inspection of Ø They would have reduced prices and bank documents and records by ECGC immediately left consumers with more officials will be mandatory. The previous disposable income to spend more. limit for document inspection was Rs.1 Ø But a cut in income tax only affects crore. those who pay the income tax, which is Ø It was said that the existing premium a very small number of the economy. rate would be lowered, and loans Ø So an income tax cut’s impact is limited categorised into two broad categories by that. of those below Rs.80 crore and those Ø On GST, a cut may have been more above that amount. difficult to achieve because the decision Ø Loans above 80 crore will be further is not contingent just on what the divided into those that are not for gold, Centre wants, states too have to play jewellery or diamonds, and those that ball. Ø Immediate impact of a cut in corporate are. tax is lower than the immediate impact Ø The benefit to banks from this increased of either an income tax cut or a GST cover is that this is in effect a credit cut, yet the long-term effect is decidedly enhancement scheme. more. Ø The rating for the bank loans to exporters becomes AA due to this Insurers can tweak health products enhanced insurance cover. Context: Corporate tax rate cut and its impact Ø IRDAI has notified a set of guidelines Ø The government has cut the corporate likely to make it easier for health tax rate for domestic companies to 22% insurers to tweak certain features of the from the existing 30%. cover provided to individuals.

57 Details: Ø Provides registration certification to life Ø It has allowed insurance companies insurance companies. to do minor modifications such as Ø Renews, modifies, cancels or suspends changes in frequency of premium the registration certificate as and when payments, change in policy wordings appropriate. on certification basis without waiting Ø Promotes efficiency in the conduct of for its approval. insurance business. Ø The guidelines include the one Ø Regulates professional organisations permitting collection of premium in connected with insurance and installments and another increasing reinsurance business. the maximum entry age. Ø Regulates investment of funds by Ø However, Insurers will have to ensure insurance companies. that the proposed modifications will Ø Adjudicates disputes between insurers not impact the benefit structure of and intermediaries or insurance the product, including the manner of intermediaries. settlement of the underlying benefits. Ø The minor modifications proposed Liquidity Panel are to be placed before the Product Management Committee (PMC) of the Context: respective insurance company and the Ø An internal working group, formed by PMC will have to approve the proposed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to review minor modifications before they are the current liquidity management implemented. framework has sought more flexibility Ø IRDAI will issue a new Unique Identity on liquidity. Number (UIN) for the modified product. Details: Significance Ø The panel has recommended that RBI’s Ø General and standalone health insurers liquidity framework be made flexible can now make changes in the sum enough to adapt to conditions when insured options, decrease the minimum the system requires liquidity to be in or increase the maximum premiums, surplus mode. lower the minimum entry age or Ø It has suggested that the framework increase the maximum entry age. should be guided by the objective of Ø At present, the maximum entry age for maintaining the target rate — that is, a health insurance policy is 65 years. the rate in the inter-bank market for Ø It is believed that this move would help reserves — close to the policy rate. in making the distribution of insurance Ø The report said that the target rate is products better and also help increasing usually the rate at which reserves are transparency in the product offering. borrowed or lent among banks, that is, Ø These guideline frameworks have also the call money market rate in India. made the implementing process faster Ø The framework should enable RBI to for the insurer compared to the earlier be equipped with the required tools longer filing process. to inject and absorb liquidity at either fixed or variable rates, on an overnight Insurance Regulatory and Development basis as well as for longer tenors. Authority (IRDAI) Ø Under the current setup, system Ø The IRDAI is an autonomous, statutory liquidity is required to be in a small body tasked with regulating and deficit, which could be an impediment promoting the insurance and re- when surplus liquidity is essential. insurance industries in India. Ø Ø It was established by an act of Parliament The report has recommended that known as the Insurance Regulatory and the current liquidity management Development Authority Act, 1999. framework must largely continue in its Ø It is headquartered at Hyderabad. present form with a corridor system, Ø Protects the rights of insurance with the overnight call money rate as policyholders. the target rate.

58 Ø Suggesting that the liquidity framework Ø In addition to Open Market Operations should be flexible, the report said while and forex swaps, the group recommended the corridor system would normally longer term repo operations at market require the system liquidity to be in related rates. a small deficit, if financial conditions warrant a situation of liquidity surplus, The insurance Regulatory and Development the framework should be adaptable. Authority of India (IRDAI) Ø It said the design of the corridor system, Ø It is a statutory body formed under with the repo rate as the policy rate, an Act of Parliament, i.e., Insurance would generally require system liquidity to be in a small deficit of about 0.25- Regulatory and Development Authority 0.5% of net demand and time liabilities Act, 1999 (IRDAI Act 1999) for overall (NDTL) or total deposits. supervision and development of the Ø Owing to this flexibility, RBI’s current Insurance sector in India. provision of assured liquidity of up to Ø The key objectives of the IRDAI include 1% of NDTL is no longer necessary. promotion of competition so as to Ø The group has suggested minimizing enhance customer satisfaction through RBI’s role in daily liquidity management while the new liquidity framework increased consumer choice and fair would incentivise banks to trade among premiums while ensuring the financial themselves rather than with the central security of the Insurance market. bank to make monetary transmission of policy rates more effective. Entities regulated by IRDAI: Ø It has also suggested standalone primary Ø Life Insurance Companies (Both public dealers be allowed to participate directly and private sector Companies) in all overnight liquidity management Ø General Insurance Companies (Both operations. public and private sector Companies). Ø The group has suggested retaining the present minimum requirement of Among them, there are some standalone maintaining 90% of the Cash Reserve Health Insurance Companies which Ratio (CRR) on a daily basis as it has offer health Insurance policies. helped avoid bunching of reserve Ø Re-Insurance Companies requirements of individual banks. Ø Agency Channel Ø The panel has also asked RBI to Ø Intermediaries which include the institutionalize some of the ad hoc following: Corporate Agents, Brokers, liquidity infusion measures the central bank has adopted over the past few Third Party Administrators, Surveyors months. and Loss Assessors.

Y Y Y Y Y

59 B. AGRICULTURE

National Animal Disease Control Ø According to the World Organisation for Programme (NACDP) Animal Health, the intergovernmental organisation responsible for improving Context: animal health worldwide, FMD is Ø Prime Minister launched the National endemic in several parts of Asia, most of Animal Disease Control Programme Africa, and the Middle East. Australia, (NADCP). New Zealand, Indonesia, Central and North America, continental Western Details: Europe, and most Latin American Ø India has the world’s largest livestock countries are FMD-free. population of 125-crore plus heads, but Ø Measures to stop outbreaks and check cattle productivity is low, and animal FMD transmission include controlled diseases are a major concern. introduction of new animals into existing Ø The diseases have resulted in some herds, regular cleaning and disinfection overseas markets being shut to Indian of livestock areas, monitoring and dairy and meat products, and prevented reporting of illness, and use of effective the industry from realising its income vaccination strategies. potential. Brucellosis: National Animal Disease Control Ø Brucellosis is a zoonotic disease. Programme: Ø According to the Department of Animal Ø The program is aimed at eradicating Husbandry and Dairying, is endemic in foot and mouth disease (FMD) and most parts of the country. brucellosis in livestock. Ø Brucellosis causes early abortions in Ø The NADCP aims to control these two animals, and prevents the addition of diseases by 2025, and to eradicate them new calves to the animal population. by 2030. Ø The control the disease, the World Ø According to a government release, Health Organisation recommends the the programme aims to vaccinate over vaccination of cattle and, in some cases, 500 million livestock heads, including testing and culling. cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats and pigs, Ø The Brucellosis Control Programme against FMD, and some 36 million component of the NADCP envisages female bovine calves annually against 100% vaccination coverage of female brucellosis. cattle and buffalo calves (4-8 months of Ø The programme has received 100% age) once in their lifetimes. funding from the Centre National Conference on Agriculture - Foot and Mouth Disease FMD: Rabi Campaign 2019 Ø It is a highly infectious viral disease of Ø The Campaign was inaugurated by cattle, swine, sheep, goats, and other the ‘Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers cloven-hooved ruminants. Welfare’. Ø FMD is generally not fatal in adult Ø Highlights of the Campaign, animals but leaves them severely Ø Record production achieved for food weakened, and results in a drastically grains (285 million tonnes) reduced production of milk and can, Ø All time high production of rice (116 therefore, be financially ruinous for million tonnes), wheat (102.5 million dairy farmers. tonnes), pulses and oilseeds. Ø Infected animals get a fever, sores in Ø The department has decided to distribute their mouth, on their teats, and between ‘Seed mini-kits’ for Rabi crops, pulses their hooves. and oilseed with active involvement of Ø FMD spreads through excretions and State Agriculture Departments. secretions; infected animals also exhale Ø As far as Kisan Credit Card is concerned, the virus. major changes in,

60 Ø Waiver of registration fee, minimum Ø It is for in-situ management of paddy time for issuance of KCC, stubble (straw). Ø Widening the range of loans etc. have Ø It costs around Rs 1.50 to 1.60 lakh been made for covering large number of and is manufactured by different farmers. companies. Ø 45 biofortified varieties have been Ø The agriculture department gives 80% released with enhanced percentage of subsidy to farmer groups and 50% nutrients, protein. subsidy to individual farmers. Ø The average wheat yield a farmer gets Happy Seeder (HS) and it affects using traditional sowing method (after Contxt: burning stubble) is 19-22 quintal/acre. Ø Recently, Punjab C.M faced opposition Ø By using Happy Seeder, in the first from farmers, when he said that,Using year, the yield was 17 q/acre but after ‘Happy Seeders’ (HS) for direct that it’s increased to 19-22 q/acre. wheat sowing leads to increased Ø Initially, farmers faces problems productivity,hence farmers must ‘stop because after sowing with HS, fields burning paddy stubble’ to clear the require proper management. fields. Ø According to farmers, Happy Seeder Ø ‘Happy Seeder’ (HS) or ‘Turbo Happy doesn’t work on thick bunches of straw Seeder’ (THS) is a tractor-operated left behind, so it made them to burn machine. stubble. Ø It is developed by the Punjab Agricultural Ø According to experts, wheat yield will University (PAU) in collaboration with start increasing after 2-3 years, as the Australian Centre for International stubble will add to the organic quality of Agricultural Research (ACIAR). the soil.

Y Y Y Y Y

61 Y Y Y Y Y C. ENVIRONMENT, BIO-DIVERSITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE Uranium Contamination Ø Earlier, scientists have found widespread uranium contamination in Context: groundwater from aquifers across 16 Ø The Andhra Pradesh government states in India, much above the WHO has ordered a full-fledged inquiry standard. into a number of complaints about Ø The UCIL was not complying with the groundwater pollution caused by the norms for protecting the tailings pond uranium mining and processing. from seepage. Ø The APPCB had asked the UCIL to line Details: the pond with a polyethylene layer. Ø The inquiry is issued against a project Ø However, the UCIL lined the pond with of the Uranium Corporation of India clay material with desired thickness Limited (UCIL) at Tummalapalle in as per the Atomic Energy Regulatory Kadapa district. Board guidelines. Ø The state government asked the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Effects of Uranium: Board (APPCB) to set up a committee Ø Uptake of large amounts of uranium, a of experts which would visit the tailings radioactive substance, can cause health pond where the wastage from the UCIL effects such as kidney disease or may facility is stored. develop cancer. Ø The committee would comprise scientists Ø Uranium also impacts ground water and senior officials of the National quality. Geophysical Research Institute, the Oil Spillage Fears in Chilika Lake Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, the Mines and Geology, Groundwater and Context: Agriculture Departments of the State Ø With the pumping out of oil from the government and the IIT-Tirupati as Malaysian tug, fears of oil spillage in the members. Chilikalake appears to have diminished. Ø Earlier, the Malaysian tug Jin Hwa 32 Uranium Contamination: was grounded in the vicinity of the lake Ø There were apprehensions among the after drifting away in a storm. people living in the vicinity of the project Ø It was on its way from Mongla Port in site over the release of slurry into the Bangladesh to Visakhapatnam. tailings pond. Ø The uranium concentration in the Fears of Oil Spillage: groundwater was 4,000 ppb (parts Ø Fearing oil spillage, Odisha government, per billion) against the Atomic Energy the Chilika Development Authority, the Regulatory Board (AERB) permissible Department of Forest and Environment limit of 60 ppb. and the Odisha Pollution Control Ø There is a steep rise in the levels of Board had directed the vessel owners sodium and other heavy metals in the to immediately remove 30,000 litres of groundwater at Tummalapalle and its diesel, 2,000 litres of hydraulic oil and surrounding areas. 1,000 litres of lube oil. Ø Residents of six to seven villages Ø Oil spillage can lead to the deterioration around the site have been complaining of the lake ecosystem. of contamination of groundwater since the mining of ore and processing began. Chilika Lake: Ø Chilika Lake is the largest brackish Ø There were reports of people falling ill water lagoon in India. and damage to crops.

62 Ø In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated Ø In spite of the notification of the Plastic the first Indian wetland of international Waste Management (PWM) Rules, 2016, importance under the Ramsar and amendments made two years later, Convention. most cities and towns are not prepared Ø In 1993, the lake was put under the to implement its provisions. ‘Montreux Record’, a register of wetland Ø Even the biggest Municipal Corporations sites on the List of Ramsar wetlands of shouldering a staggering waste burden international importance where changes have failed to implement segregation in ecological character have occurred, of waste: collecting recyclable plastic, are occurring, or are likely to occur as non-recyclable plastic etc. a result of technological developments, Ø This is a growing crisis amid criticism pollution or other human interference. of under-reporting of the true extent of Ø In 2002, Chilika was taken out of plastic waste. the Montreux Record because of the improved conditions of the lake. Plastic waste management Ø The lake has also been listed in UNESCO Ø The Plastic Waste Management Rules, World Heritage tentative list. 2016 notified by the Centre called for a ban on “non-recyclable and multi- Explained : Plastic Pollution layered” packaging by March 2018, and Ø On this Independence Day address, a ban on carry bags of thickness less PM called for a movement to eliminate than 50 microns. single-use plastic in India, beginning on Ø The Rules were amended in 2018, with Gandhi Jayanti (October 2). changes that activists say favoured Ø The move is part of an ambitious drive the plastic industry and allowed against Single-Use Plastic (SUP), under manufacturers an escape route. The the theme “Shramdaan”, for which a 2016 Rules did not mention SUPs. detailed plan has been worked out for Ø On World Environment Day in 2018, ministries and departments. India pledged to phase out SUPs by Ø The government is reported to be 2022. working on a ban on certain plastic Ø The PM has called for “a new revolution items of common use such as carry against plastic”, and some government- bags, cutlery and plates under the controlled bodies such as Air India and Environment (Protection) Act, and this the Indian Railways have announced may be announced on October 2, well they would stop SUPs. ahead of the earlier deadline of 2022. A failed attempt earlier Single-use plastic Ø Recycling reduces the volume of non- Ø As the name suggests, single-use recyclables that must be disposed of plastics (SUPs) are those that are using methods such as co-processing discarded after one-time use. in cement kilns, plasma pyrolysis or Ø Besides the ubiquitous plastic bags, land-filling. SUPs include water and flavoured/ Ø Neither is plastic marked with aerated drinks bottles, takeaway food numerical symbols (such as 1 for PET, containers, disposable cutlery, straws, 4 for Low Density Polyethylene, 5 for and stirrers, processed food packets Polypropylene and so on) to facilitate and wrappers, cotton bud sticks, etc. recycling using the correct industrial Ø Of these, foamed products such as process. cutlery, plates, and cups are considered the most lethal to the environment. Alternatives to Plastic Ø Although compostable, biodegradable Plastic waste in India or even edible plastics made from Ø Per capita consumption of plastic is various materials such as sugarcane projected to go up from 11 kg in 2014- bagasse, corn starch, and grain flour 15 to 20 kg by 2022 (FICCI data); about are promoted as alternatives, these 43% is single-use packaging with poor currently have limitations of scale and rates of recovery. cost.

63 Ø Some biodegradable packaging materials Mukurthi National Park: require specific microorganisms to be Ø Mukurthi National Park (MNP) is a broken down, while compostable cups protected area located in the western and plates made of polylactic acid, a corner of the Nilgiris Plateau west popular resource derived from biomass of Ootacamund hill station in the such as corn starch, require industrial northwest corner of Tamil Nadu state in composters. the Western Ghats mountain range of Ø On the other hand, articles made South India. through a different process involving Ø The park was created to protect its potato and corn starch have done better keystone species, the Nilgiritahr. in normal conditions, going by the Ø It is home to an array of endangered experience in Britain. wildlife, including royal Bengal tiger Ø Seaweed is also emerging as a choice to and Asian elephant. make edible containers. Ø The park was previously known as Ø In India, though, in the absence of NilgiriTahr National Park. robust testing and certification to verify Ø The park is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere claims made by producers, spurious Reserve, India’s first International biodegradable and compostable plastics Biosphere Reserve. are entering the marketplace. Ø As part of the Western Ghats, it is a Ø In January this year, the CPCB said UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1 that 12 companies were marketing July 2012. carry bags and products marked ‘compostable’ without any certification, NilgiriTahr: and asked the respective SPCB to take Ø NilgiriTahr is also known as the Nilgiri action on these units. ibex. Ø It is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and the A Janandolan ahead southern portion of the Western Ghats Ø A ban on single-use plastic items in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. would have to therefore lay down a Ø It is the State animal of Tamil Nadu. comprehensive mechanism to certify Ø It is classified as “Endangered” as per the materials marketed as alternatives, the IUCN Red List. and the specific process required to biodegrade or compost them. India to raise target for restoring Ø A movement against plastic waste degraded land would have to prioritise the reduction of single-use plastic such as multi-layer Context: packaging, bread bags, food wrap, and Ø Prime Minister has raised the amount protective packaging. of degraded land India has agreed to rehabilitate by 2030 by 10%. Impact on packaging industry Ø Packaging is projected to grow into a Details: $72.6 billion industry in India by 2020 Ø India has now raised its ambition of the from about $31 billion in 2015, with a total area that would be restored from proportionate rise in waste volumes. its land degradation status, from 21 Ø The pressure on producers to streamline million hectares to 26 million hectares the collection, recycling and processing between now and 2030. of all forms of plastic is bound to grow. Ø The announcement was made during the high-level ministerial segment at Nilgiritahr’s population up by 27% in the ongoing United Nation Conference three years of Parties summit on land degradation. Context: Ø This target would be achieved with an Ø Nilgiritahr’s sightings in the Mukurthi emphasis on “degraded agricultural, National Park have risen from 568 in forest and other wastelands by adopting 2018 to 612 this year(2019). a landscape restoration approach.”

64 Ø This would also address water scarcity, UNCCD: enhance water recharge in forests, Ø The UNCCD is the only legally binding slow down water run-off and retain soil international agreement on land issues. moisture. Ø Its 196 parties aim, through Ø This January, India became part of partnerships, to implement the the “Bonn Challenge”, a global effort to Convention and achieve the Sustainable bring 150 million hectares of the world’s Development Goals. deforested and degraded land into Ø The UNCCD is one of three Conventions restoration by 2020, and 350 million that have come out of the historic 1992 hectares by 2030. Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. It is, Ø At the United Nations Conference of the however, possibly the least known of Parties (COP) 2015 in Paris, India also the three. joined the voluntary Bonn Challenge Ø The Rio summit gave rise to the UN and pledged to bring into restoration Framework Convention on Climate 13 million hectares of degraded and Change (UNFCCC) under which deforested land by 2020, and an additional 8 million hectares by 2030. countries have agreed to restrict the Ø India’s pledge was one of the largest in emissions of greenhouse gases, first Asia. through the Kyoto Protocol of 1997 and now through the Paris Agreement UNCCD that was finalised in 2015 and becomes operational in 2020. Context: Ø It also gave rise to the Convention on Ø A two-week-long United Nations-led Conference to Combat Desertification Biological Diversity (CBD) which too has (UNCCD) ended with a commitment to delivered an international arrangement achieve land degradation neutrality by to protect and use biodiversity. 2030. Ø The UNCCD has not yet resulted in any international treaty or protocol to fight Details: desertification. Ø The Delhi Declaration, a consensus Ø The UNFCCC holds its general meetings document, agreed upon by more than every year, while CBD and CCD meet 100 countries welcomed the proposed every two years. adoption of a voluntary land degradation Ø At the time the UNCCD was born in Rio, neutrality target by India. degradation of land was mostly viewed Ø It has committed to restoring at least as a localised problem, one that was 26 million hectares of degraded land by mainly affecting countries in Africa. In 2030. fact, it was on the demand of the African Ø Countries will address insecurity of countries that CCD came into being. land tenure, promote land restoration Ø The Convention repeatedly makes a to reduce land-related carbon emissions mention of the special needs of Africa in and mobilise innovative sources of fighting desertification. finance from public and private sources. Ø Over the years, it has become Ø The Declaration doesn’t detail increasingly clear that land degradation commitments by other countries. Ø Almost 122 nations, including India, was impacting the global network of have made voluntary commitments in food and commodity supply chains and previous years to ensure that a certain was getting impacted in return. percentage of their degraded land was Ø The crops being grown and the restored. quantities in which they were being Ø India had agreed, again on a voluntary grown were dictated not by local needs basis, to restore 20 million hectares by but by global demands. Changes in 2020. food habits and international trade Ø Nearly 96 million hectares of land is have altered cropping patterns in many deemed ‘degraded’ in India. areas.

65 Ø Large-scale migration to urban centres Details: and industrial hubs has seen a heavy Ø The major reason behind the vulture concentration of populations in small population getting nearly wiped out was areas, putting unsustainable pressure the drug Diclofenac. on land and water resources. Ø Diclofenac was found in the carcass of Ø As an issue, therefore, land degradation cattle the vultures fed on. of land is, therefore, much more complex Ø The drug, whose veterinary use was than it appears. banned in 2008, was commonly Vulture culture: How the bird was saved administered to cattle to treat Ø In the late 1990s, the population of the inflammation. vultures in the country had begun to Ø Apart from the establishment of VCBCs decline sharply. and getting Diclofenac banned, the Ø The number declined from 40 million in scientists’ imperative was to manage the 80s to a few thousand by 2009. the carcass dumps and make sure that poisoned carcasses were not dumped Background: for the vultures to feed on. Ø To study the cause of deaths of vultures, Ø a Vulture Care Centre (VCC) was set up There was also an emphasis on creating at Pinjore, Haryana. awareness and on creating safe zones Ø It was here that the rescued vulture from for vultures in places where there is an Keoladeo National Park in Rajasthan, existing vulture population. Haryana, Maharashtra and Madhya Ø So far nine states have been undertaken Pradesh were brought in. programmes to create safe habitats for Ø By the time vulture conservation vultures. breeding centers were started in 2004, Ø Estimation of the vulture population in the vulture population had already the wild is said to have stabilised. crashed significantly, almost by 99 %. Ø Surveys in 2015 revealed that there are Ø As vultures are slow-breeding birds, about 6,000 White-backed vultures, intervention was of immediate 12,000 Long-billed vultures and 1,000 requirement otherwise the vultures Slender-billed vultures in the wild. would have become extinct. Ø With a decline in the vulture population, Vultures: a rise in the plague causing rodents and Ø Vultures are scavenging raptors. feral dogs was also seen. Ø Vultures are rightfully called the sanitizers of the ecosystem as they Vulture Care Centre (VCC): Ø Starting with just a few vultures, the feed on the flesh of dead animals and VCC, until then the sole facility for the prevent the bacteria and diseases in conservation of vultures in the country, animals by clearing the carcass to the has come a long way in the past two bones that helps to decompose the dead decades. three times faster than otherwise. Ø At present, there are nine Vulture Ø In India, upon death, cows are dumped Conservation and Breeding Centres in a common place which is inhabited (VCBC) in India, of which three are by the vultures. directly administered by Bombay Ø Vultures are long-lived and slow Natural History Society (BNHS). breeding birds that attain sexual Ø The total number of vultures in these maturity by five years of age. VCBCs is more than 700. Ø The slow breeding process makes it even Ø The objective of the VCBCs was not only more difficult to conserve or reintroduce to look after the vultures and breed them. them in captivity, but also to release Ø Killing them is strictly prohibited, even them into the wild. for research purposes. Ø The first objective of the VCBC was to Ø A particular characteristic of many produce a few hundred pairs of each vultures is a bald head, devoid of normal of the three species of the endangered vultures. feathers.

66 Ø Although it has been historically Pyrolysis believed to help keep the head clean when feeding, the bare skin may play Context an important role in thermoregulation. Ø The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has Ø Vultures have been observed to hunch directed the Central Pollution Control their bodies and tuck in their heads Board (CPCB) to regulate import of in the cold, and open their wings and waste tyres for use in pyrolysis industry stretch their necks in the heat. so that India does not become a dump Ø Vultures also use urine as a way to yard for highly polluting hazardous keep themselves cool by urinating on waste material from other countries. Ø themselves. Pyrolysis is the thermal decomposition of tyres in the absence of oxygen. It Bio-fencing is a process where the material is put Ø To prevent wild animals from entering through a thermochemical treatment residential areas and to protect under high temperature to produce agricultural crops and livestock in areas industrial oil and other matters. adjoining to forests, the Uttarakhand government has decided to opt for bio- Impact fencing. Ø The National Green Tribunal banned Ø Bio-fencings are lines of trees or shrubs the burning of used tyres in the open planted on farm or field boundaries that or using them as fuel in brick kilns, provide protection against cattle and because they produce toxic smoke wildlife, act as windbreaks, enrich the known to be hazardous to health. soil, provide bee forage, provide shade, Ø The toxic pollutants emitted affect and control dust. public health adversely. Ø They are less expensive and more useful Ø The workers employed in such than fences made of wood, barbed wire, unscientific practices suffer from or stone masonry. neurological disorders, skin diseases, Ø Various species have been tested to cancer etc. discover their suitability for use as Ø The activity emits highly carcinogenic/ biofencing plants ex. thorny species cancer-causing pollutants such as have been widely used. polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Ø According to Uttarakhand officials, (PAH), dioxin, furans and oxides of lemongrass, agave, rambans, and nitrogen which are extremely harmful certain species of chilly and some other to the respiratory system. plant species have been identified to be Environmental flows grown for fencing. Ø It refers to minimum water levels that Ø Leopards and bears, along with must be maintained in the river at all elephants and wild boars are a major times of the year for its health and threat to human life, livestock and sustainability crops. Ø It is defined in terms of the quantity, Ø Traditional methods like solar-powered quality and timing of water running wire fencings, walls and pits in the through rivers and wetlands. woods prevents the entry of elephants, Ø They sustain aquatic ecosystems and wild boars, tigers, leopards and others human livelihoods. in residential areas. Ø Flows are needed for maintaining the Ø Bio-fencing with lemongrass will be river regime, making it possible for done to prevent entry of elephants the river to purify itself, sustaining because elephants do not like the smell aquatic life and vegetation, recharging of lemongrass. groundwater, supporting livelihoods, Ø Likewise, agave will be grown to deter facilitating navigation, preserving elephant and wild boars. estuarine conditions, preventing the Ø This biotic method is environment- incursion of salinity, and enabling the friendly and harvesting of such plants river to play its role in the cultural and can also be economical for farmers. spiritual lives of the people.

67 Ø River flows are threatened by a Ø A study determines the presence of proliferation of dams and over- dangerous levels of toxicity in the abstraction of water for agriculture, leachate (dark-coloured liquid produced industry and urban use. when water seeps through garbage) Ø The Centre has cut down by two produced from such excavated and years the grace period accorded to processed landfill material. hydropower projects on the upper Ø The leachate has high soluble salts and stretches of the Ganga, for complying elevated heavy metals in comparison to with environmental-flow requirements. the local soil. Ø The base of deep pits, created by mining Biomining in the past, is close to the groundwater Context: table. The fractures and fissures in Ø The infamous garbage hills of Delhi the base rock act like small conduits at Okhla, Bhalswa and Ghazipur will interconnected to the groundwater. Ø be “biomined” in order to have them Placing excavated and segregated soil- cleared. like material from landfills on the base of these pits, in close proximity of the What is biomining? water table, without polluting it, is a Ø Biomining is the process of using daunting task. microorganisms (microbes) to extract Ø Biomining is a slow process involving metals of economic interest from rock the use of rotating screens (trommels) ores or mine waste and other solid to segregate the material. materials. Ø A critical step relates to drying of the Ø Biomining techniques may also be used wet excavated waste by spreading and to clean up sites that have been polluted aeration (sun-drying) prior to screening, with metals. which is a natural process that takes Ø It is typically done using fungi or time. prokaryotes. Ø Trommel screening of dry waste is Ø Biomining is an appealing solution desirable for good quality of segregation, as it offers the option of progressive but it produces dust. reduction in height of waste dumps and Ø If the waste is not dried adequately, it their eventual disappearance. forms lumps and clods which clog the Ø A small part of the recovered material screens of trommels. can be used for recycling or generating Ø A fine balance is needed to prevent dust energy. emissions or the entire operation has to Ø It is presently used to yield about 5% of be performed under a gigantic cover. Ø the world’s gold and 20% of the world’s Operations would be interrupted during copper. the monsoon season. Ø It is also used to a smaller extent to Survey of dragonflies abstract nickel, zinc, cobalt and rare Ø A survey of dragonflies and damselflies earth elements. population in Kerala has raised concerns over the ecological impact of Challenges in carrying out the the successive floods in the State. biomining exercise: Ø A survey of dragonflies and damselflies Ø The bulk of the segregated material held in the Silent Valley National produced by biomining that looks Park (SVNP) has reported an alarming like soil and gravel, contain several decrease in the odonate population. contaminants which were present in Ø The showed that several dragonfly the original waste. species, including the Global Wanderer Ø Even though the waste has undergone (Pantalaflavescens), were missing from biodegradation as well as washing, over the national park. the years, contaminants are present. Ø The abnormal rain pattern and the Ø Reuse or disposal of the contaminated successive floods in the State could have soil-like material is the biggest decimated the population of dragonflies challenge. and damselflies in the SVNP.

68 Ø Odonates spend much of their lifetime Ø Odonates are great biological indicators as eggs and larvae underwater. There and studies on them would provide are concerns that the floods could have crucial information on the health washed them off. of aquatic habitats and variations Ø Many Indianodonates are endemic occurring in the climate. and most of them are restricted to the Ø Regular monitoring of odonates over a riverine ecosystem. long period will help assess the changes Ø Large scale habitat alterations such in the natural landscape. as damming, channel diversion, sand Ø Odonates are good pest controllers, too. mining and pollution is seriously Ø Among the 488 species of odonates threatening the habitat of survival of these species. found in India, the Western Ghats is home to 193. Dragonflies: Giant earthworm found at the foot of • The Hemicorduliaasiatica (Asian Western Ghats Emerald): Ø Giant earthworm has been spotted in • This was reported from the Periyar Tiger Reserve in 2017. Kollamogaru village, in the Western • This rare dragonfly had gone unreported Ghats. for over 80 years. Ø The earthworm measures over three • This was its second sighting from any feet in length i.e, 950 mm. protected forest in the State. Ø It is the first time that such a large • Macrogomphuswynadiccus earthworm has been sighted in the (WayanadBowtail ) Western Ghats and the coastal belt. • Onychogomphusnilgiriensis Ø Morphological study of the newly (NilgiriClawtail) discovered earthworm has tentatively • Epithemismariae (RubytailedHawklet) indicated that it belongs to the genus of • Palpopleurasexmaculata (Blue-Tailed Moniligaster. Yellow Skimmer) Ø Drawidanilamburensis, belonging to • Neurothemisintermedia (Paddy Field the Moniligastridae family, reported Parasol) in the year 2008, is by far the largest Damselflies: earthworm spotted in India. This • Agrocnemissplendidissima (Splendid specimen, from the Nilgiris, measured Dartlet) up to 1,000 mm in length. • Lestesdorothea (Scalloped Spreadwing) • Onychargiaatrocyana (Black Marsh waste mounds on Siachen glacier Dart) Ø The Indian Army has removed 130 • Phylloneurawestermani tonnes of garbage from the Siachen (MyristicaBambootail) Glacier and is cutting potential trash in • Eupheadisper (Nilgiri Torrent Dart) rations. • Protostica gravely (Pied Reedtail) Ø On average, 236 tonnes of waste is generated every year on Siachen glacier. Odonates: Ø The biggest challenge is the high altitude Ø Odonata is an order of carnivorous as most posts are located between insects encompassing the dragonflies 18,000 and 21,000 feet. and the damselflies. Ø Bana post is the highest on the glacier Ø Odonates are amphibiotic (having aquatic larval form and terrestrial adult close to 22,000 feet. Ø form) insects. At 18,000-19,000 feet, Indian and Ø Dragonflies are generally larger, and Pakistani posts face each other. perch with their wings held out to the Ø Beyond 20,000 feet, it is only India. sides. Ø Nothing degrades at sub-zero Ø Damselflies have slender bodies, and temperatures, so everything had to be hold their wings over the body at rest. brought down.

69 What is done Ø He also said India’s renewable energy Ø The army is looking to cut waste in the target will be increased to 450 GW rations and utilities delivered on the Ø India would spend approximately $50 glacier and make Siachen garbage-free billion “in the next few years” on the in 12-15 years. JalJeevan Mission to conserve water, Ø Earlier, waste disposal work was harvest rainwater and develop water fragmented and intermittent. resources Ø Based on a 2018 concept note on waste Ø He said India had plans to make the management on the glacier, the Army transport sector green through the use has made bringing down waste a part of electrical vehicles. of the Standard Operating Procedure Ø He also spoke of the need for behavioural (SOP) for troops. change. “Need, not greed, is our guiding Ø The capacity of each person to carry is principle,” 10-15 kg due to the extreme weather. Ø Prime Minister announced two Ø Since then, nearly 130 tonnes of waste international initiatives. has been brought down from the Ø First, a platform with Sweden and Siachen Glacier and disposed of. other countries, for governments and the private sector to work together The three types of wastes are disposed to develop low carbon pathways for of differently. industry. 1. Biodegradable waste is rolled using Ø Second, a Coalition for Disaster baling machines. Resilient Infrastructure. This initiative 2. Non-biodegradable, non-metallic waste: was approved by the Union Cabinet three incinerators have been set up. The and Rs.480 crore has been allocated for waste is burnt in the incinerators but technical assistance and projects. they do not produce Carbon Monoxide. Ø The U.K., Australia and island nations The ash is used as manure. such as Fiji and the Maldives will be 3. Metallic waste: there are three part of this coalition. extrication centres. Industrial crushers will be procured to crush it and send it Issue Area Ø To meet its Paris Pact target, India will down. need to add more than 20 GW of RE Ø The Army has collaborated with the civil installation a year, more than double administration there and barrels have the rate achieved in the past four years. been painted and set up in villages Ø According to the clean energy research around to segregate waste. outfit, Mercom, the country added 8.3 United Nations Climate Action Summit GW of solar capacity last year. This is a 13 per cent dip from 2017. The fall Context in pace of adding solar installations has Ø United Nations Climate Action Summit continued this year. was held in New York. It was convened Ø Land acquisitions are a major worry for to identify urgent and concrete solutions large-scale solar projects, the Mercom to climate change. report noted. Ø But policymakers should ill-afford to India’s stands ignore it given that solar installations Ø It covered four important aspects of constitute nearly 60 per cent of the India’s climate action — the push for country’s RE energy mix under its Paris renewable energy, electric mobility, commitments. mixing of biofuel to reduce consumption of fossil fuels, and the JalJeevan Way ahead Mission. Ø While India is shouldering its share of Ø PM reiterated India’s commitment the climate burden, despite problems to the creation of 175 GW renewable in climate finance flow, the government energy capacity by 2022 under the Paris also needs to strengthen its climate Climate Agreement. adaptation plans.

70 Ø The existing internal framework, the Elephant endotheliotropicherpesviruses National Action Plan on Climate Change Ø Nandankanan Zoological Park (NAPCC) is more than a decade old. It authorities are set to follow a strict lacks the legal foundation to incorporate sanitation and disinfection protocol the key national commitment under after losing four elephants to prevent the Paris Agreement: to reduce the further deaths. Ø The zoo has lost four elephants to the fatal emissions intensity of economic growth elephant endotheliotropicherpesvirus by a third, by 2030. (EEHV) in a month. Ø Without an update to the NAPCC and Ø Elephant end other liotropic her its mission-mode programmes, and pesviruses (EEHV) is a type of legislation approved by States for new herpesvirus, which can cause a highly green norms governing buildings, fatal hemorrhagic disease when transport, agriculture, water use and transmitted to young Asian elephants. so on, it will be impossible to make a Ø The NZP case is the first instance of the case for major climate finance under infection being noticed in the country the UNFCCC. among elephants in captivity. Ø It is equally urgent to arrive at a funding Ø Although the U.S. has made significant plan for all States to help communities progress in tackling EEHV, no adapt to more frequent climate-linked therapeutic course is available for this. Ø disasters such as cyclones, floods and Strict measures assume significance as no drug has been developed to deal with droughts. EEHV. Ø In this 2019’s Union Budget, Rs 100 crore was allocated to the National Nandankanan Zoological Park: Adaptation Fund for Climate Change Ø Nandankanan, is located near (NAFCC), only a fraction of the total Bhubaneswar, Odisha. budget of over Rs 2,900 crore allotted to Ø It is the first zoo in the World to breed the Union environment ministry. This is White tiger and Melanistic tiger. 16% lower than the budget allocated to Ø Nandankanan is the only conservation the NAFCC in 2017-18. breeding centre of Indian Pangolins in Ø India is correct in arguing that the world. Ø developed countries must do more, It is the only zoological park in India to become an institutional member of but a combination of policy, budgetary World Association of Zoos and Aquarium support, and a people’s movement is (WAZA). needed to battle the globe’s greatest Ø It is the first zoo in India where challenge. endangered Ratel was born in captivity. Boigathackerayi Ø It is the second largest heronry for Open Ø It is a new species of snake that has Billed Storks in Odisha. been discovered in the Western Ghats Sanitation plan on waste management in Maharashtra. Ø The species falls in the category Context: commonly called cat snakes. Ø The Department of Drinking Water Ø It belongs to the genus Boiga and has and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Tiger like stripes on its body. Jal Shakti, have launched the 10 Year Rural Sanitation Strategy (2019-2029). Ø This is the second species of Boiga after B. dightoni that is endemic to the Details: Western Ghats and the first new species Ø Since the launch of the SBM-G in 2014, of Boiga described after 125 years from Ø Over 10 crore toilets have been built in the Western Ghats. rural areas Ø This is apparently the first known Ø Over 5.9 lakh villages, 699 districts, species of Boiga which feeds on frog and 35 States/UTs have declared eggs. themselves Open Defecation Free (ODF).

71 Ø India has seen a sanitation revolution, Ø It has been developed through and the SBM-G transformed itself into a consultations with more than 35 Jan Andolan (a people’s movement). countries. Ø The Rural Sanitation Strategy will focus Ø CDRI plans to focus on developing on sustaining the sanitation behavior resilience in ecological infrastructure, change that has been achieved under social infrastructure with a concerted the Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen emphasis on health and education, (SBM-G), ensuring that no one is left and economic infrastructure with behind. special attention to transportation, Ø It aims at increasing access to solid and telecommunications, energy and water. liquid waste management. Ø The lean secretariat of the coalition Ø The 10-year strategy focuses on the would operate from NDMA headquarters need for States/UTs to continue in Delhi, using funds set aside for CDRI their efforts to sustain the gains by the Indian government. of the mission through capacity Ø It is believed that CDRI can emerge as a strengthening, IEC (Information, platform for generating and exchanging education and communication), organic knowledge and providing member waste management, plastic waste countries technical support, training management, grey water management and advocacy in building resilient and black water management. infrastructure systems. Ø This strategy has been prepared by Ø The idea is to : DDWS, in consultation with State I. Look at how the present infrastructure Governments and other stakeholders. in countries where natural or man-made Ø It lays down a framework to guide disasters have an impact, is equipped local governments, policymakers, to face current as well as future risks. implementers and other relevant II. Develop standards that can meet these stakeholders in their planning for ODF challenges and train people to design and build infrastructure such as rail, Plus, where everyone uses a toilet, and roads, airports or bridges that would every village has access to solid and have a reduced impact in the wake of a liquid waste management. calamity. Ø The strategy also speaks about Ø Established as a platform for generating potential collaborations with and exchanging knowledge, the CDRI development partners, civil society will conduct country-specific and global and inter-government partnerships. It activities. also highlights innovative models for Ø CDRI aims to enable the achievement sanitation financing. of objectives of expanding universal Coalition for Disaster Resilient access to basic services and enabling Infrastructure prosperity as enshrined in the Ø India has declared its intention to sustainable development goals, while spearhead a grouping – Coalition for also working at the intersection of Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) the Sendai Framework for Disaster that would help countries to design Risk Reduction and the Paris Climate and build infrastructure projects that Agreement. can withstand the impact of natural Forest-PLUS 2.0 disasters and climate change. Ø Union Environment Ministry and US Ø The initiative has been launched by Agency for International Development India with countries such as the U.K., (USAID) has launched Forest-PLUS 2.0. Australia, Fiji and the Maldives to build Ø It is a 5-year programme that focuses on infrastructure resistant to natural developing tools & techniques to bolster disasters. ecosystem management and harness Ø CDRI as an idea was first mooted by ecosystem services in forest landscape the Prime Minister of India in November management. 2016, while inaugurating an Asian Ø It is a set of pilot projects meant to ministerial conference on disaster risk enhance sustainable forest landscape reduction. management.

72 Ø Previously, Forest-PLUS was completed Ø These sites were chosen for the contrast in 2017. Forest-PLUS 2.0 was initiated in their landscapes – Bihar (Forest in December 2018. deficit area), Telangana (Relatively drier area) and Kerala (Rich in Biodiversity). Achievements of Forest-PLUS – 3 Focal points of action under the 1. Promotion of bio-briquettes in Sikkim, programme are, 2. Introduction of solar heating systems in Ø Developing tools for multiple services in Rampur and forests management 3. Development of an agro-forestry model Ø Instruments for leveraging finance in Hoshangabad &mobilising investment from the private Ø Forest-PLUS 2.0 - It comprises pilot sector project in 3 landscapes - Gaya in Bihar, Ø Economic opportunities for forest- Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala and dependent people. Medak in Telangana.

Y Y Y Y Y

73 D. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Filter-Based Kits For TB Cholera Bacteria Become Drug-Resistant

Context: Context: Ø A multi-institutional team has Ø A study of diarrhoea patients from two developed three cost-effective kits that sites, Kolkata and Delhi reveals how improve the diagnosis of drug-resistant extensively the Cholera bacteria have TB. developed resistance against most routinely used antibiotics. Details: Ø The three kits are TB Detect, TB Details: Concentration & Transport, and TB Ø The highest resistance (99.8%) was seen DNA Extraction. against the antibiotic sulfamethaxozole, Ø The TB Detect kit is for diagnosis using whereas resistance to neomycin was the LED fluorescence microscopy. least, with only 4% showing resistance. Ø The TB Concentration &Transport, and Ø Isolates collected from Kolkata showed the TB DNA Extraction kits together are relatively less resistance than isolates for detection of drug-resistance. collected from Delhi. Ø Ø The team includes researchers from the This might probably because the Department of Biotechnology at AIIMS Kolkata isolates were collected between and the Advanced MicrodevicesPvt Ltd, 2008 and 2013, while the Delhi samples were collected during 2014-2015. Ambala. Ø The team sequenced the whole genome Benefits: of the bacteria isolated during 1980, Ø The TB Detect kit helps increase 2000s, 2014 and 2015. the positivity of LED fluorescence Ø In 1980, fewer antibiotics were used microscopy by about 5%. and resistance was minimal. Ø The TB DNA Extraction kit allows the Ø With increasing usage of different detection of drug-resistant TB bacteria antibiotics, the resistance against them with a high level of sensitivity. has also increased. Ø Ø The kits are not expensive. The TB By 2014-2015 the bacteria have become Detect kit currently costs Rs.100 per extensively drug resistant (XDR) to all sample, Rs.100 for the TB transport kit commonly used antibiotics. and Rs.85 for the DNA extraction kit. Cholera: Ø Diagnosis of drug-resistant TB is carried Ø Cholera is an infectious disease that out only at central laboratories, and so causes severe watery diarrhoea, which samples have to be transported. can lead to dehydration and even death Ø The TB concentration & transport if untreated. kit now makes it easy and simple to Ø It is caused by eating food or drinking transport samples, transport it in water contaminated with a bacterium sealed covers at ambient temperature called Vibrio cholerae. making containment at low temperature Ø The occurrence of this disease in India redundant. This is because the bacteria is very rare (less than 100 thousand are killed using a disinfectant. cases per year). Ø The developed kits are to be evaluated for Ø However, the World Health Organization operational feasibility and performance (WHO) has in the past warned that in field settings under Revised National cholera can rear its head in India like it Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP). used to do in the past.

74 Safir Satellite Rocket Role of Southern Ocean in CO2 Ø Iran’s Safir satellite rocket is suspected absorption to have exploded on the launch pad at Ø Carbon dioxide is absorbed in the the Semnan Space Center in northern surface oceans and stored in the deep Iran. seas, gradually, over a timescale of 100s Ø Iran was believed to have been planning to 1,000s years. a third attempt to loft a satellite into Ø The Southern Ocean plays a critical role space, after two launches in January in how the carbon dioxide is taken out and February failed to place satellites of the atmosphere. Ø in orbit. It helps scientists understand its role Ø U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday during dramatic climate transitions in the past, such as the ice ages, and released a photograph of an apparently better predict the current and future failed Iranian rocket launch and said climate change. that the U.S. had nothing to do with it. Ø Whether carbon is released into the Ø Iran has made no official comment on atmosphere or trapped in the deep the indications from aerial photos of a ocean, is crucially determined by the rocket explosion. transformation of the water from light ANDREX Project to dense which is in turn caused by Ø Scientists have made a new discovery cooling at the ocean’s surface. challenging the previous understanding Deflecting an Asteroid of the link between the Southern Ø NASA’s DART mission, aims to deflect Ocean — next to Antarctica — and the ‘Didymos B’, the “moonlet” of the atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Didymos asteroid system. Ø The study published in a journal Ø It is an ambitious double-spacecraft shows that biological processes far out mission to deflect an asteroid in space. at sea are the most important factors Ø It is to prove the technique as a viable determining how the ocean absorbs method of planetary defence. carbon dioxide. Ø Among all the causes that may cause Ø Researchers studied the ocean extinction of life on Earth, an asteroid circulation and carbon concentration of hit is widely acknowledged as one of the the Weddell Gyre — a region lying east likeliest. of the Antarctic Peninsula. Ø The mission, includes NASA and the Ø The team studied data collected as part European Space Agency, is known of the ANDREX project (Antarctic Deep as the ‘Asteroid Impact Deflection water Rates of Export) which measured Assessment’ (AIDA). Ø The target is the smaller of two bodies the physical, biological, and chemical in the “Double Didymos asteroids” that properties of the waters in the gyre are in orbit between Earth and Mars. between 2008 and 2010. Ø Didymos is a near-Earth asteroid Ø The data considered in this study system. showed unambiguously that, in the Ø Its main body measures about 780 m Weddell Gyre, the dominant process across, the smaller body is a “moonlet” enabling the uptake of carbon dioxide about 160 m in diameter. from the atmosphere and its removal Ø The project aims to deflect the orbit of to the deep ocean included the role of the smaller body through an impact by phytoplanktons. one spacecraft. Ø The researchers reasoned that as Ø Then a second spacecraft will survey phytoplankton in the centre of the gyre the crash site and gather the maximum grow and sink, they remove carbon possible data on the effect of this from the surface of the ocean, causing collision. an uptake of carbon dioxide from the Ø NASA is building the Double Asteroid atmosphere – a process known as the Impact Test (DART) spacecraft for ‘biological carbon pump’. launch in summer 2021.

75 Ø It is planned to collide with the target at MRO has also has, 6.6 km/s in September 2022. • A spectrometer called ‘Compact Ø Flying along with DART will be an Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer Italian-made miniature CubeSat, called for Mars’ (CRISM), LICIACube, to record the moment of • A radiometer called the ‘Mars Climate impact. Sounder’ (MCS), and Ø ESA’s contribution is a mission called • A radar instrument called ‘Shallow ‘Hera’, which will perform a close-up Radar’ (SHARAD). survey of the post-impact asteroid. Hepatitis B Control Avalanche on Mars Ø NASA’s ‘Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’ Context : Ø Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and (MRO) captured dust cloud from an Thailand became the first four countries avalanche of ice blocks on North Pole of in the WHO’s South-east Asia region to Mars. have successfully controlled hepatitis Ø The photo of the avalanche was captured B. by onboard ‘High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment’ (HiRISE) camera. Hepatitis B Ø According to NASA, every spring the Ø Hepatitis B is a viral infection that sun shines on the side of North Pole of attacks the liver and can cause both Mars known as the north polar layered acute and chronic disease. deposits. Ø The virus is most commonly transmitted Ø This warmth destabilises the ice blocks, from mother to child during birth and break loose which causes Avalanche. delivery, as well as through contact Ø Avalanches can also be caused by a with blood or other body fluids. number of things on Mars surface. Ø WHO estimates that in 2015, 257 Ø In June 2018, NASA’s orbiter was able million people were living with chronic to spot an avalanche, caused by a hepatitis B infection (defined as meteoroid impact on Mars. hepatitis B surface antigen positive). Ø The meteoroid crashed on a slope, it Ø Hepatitis B can be prevented by vaccines destabilized it and caused an avalanche that are safe, available and effective. of dirt and dust. Ø The virus is said to be controlled when the disease prevalence is reduced to Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) less than 1% among children less than Ø MRO is a multipurpose spacecraft 5 years of age. of NASA designed to conduct reconnaissance and exploration of Mars Indian case from orbit. Ø India introduced hepatitis B vaccine in Ø Launched in 2005, it carried instruments the Universal ImmunisationProgramme for studying the atmosphere of Mars and in 2002 and scaled-up nationwide in to search for signs of water on planet. 2011. Ø The scientific goals of MRO, according Ø Vaccination coverage - A study to NASA, are published in 2013 found lower coverage • Search for evidence of past or present of hepatitis B vaccine in 8 of the 10 life in Mars. districts surveyed. Ø • Understand the climate and volatile But, the coverage has increased with the introduction of a pentavalent vaccine on history of Mars. a pilot basis in Kerala and TN in 2011 • To Characterize the geology of Mars. and national roll-out in 2014-2015. Ø To accomplish these goals, MRO carries Ø According to the WHO, the coverage of multiple instruments and it has 3 hepatitis B third dose had reached 86% cameras, in 2015. • High Resolution Imaging Science Ø Prevalence - Despite the above, about Experiment (HiRISE) 1 million people in India become • Context Camera (CTX) chronically infected with the virus every • Mars Color Imager (MARCI) year.

76 Ø According to the Health Ministry, as on Way Forward February 2019, an estimated 40 million Ø Controlling the hepatitis B virus calls people in India were infected. for universal vaccination of newborns. Ø Hepatitis B infection at a young age Ø There is also a need to increase public turns chronic, causing over 1,00,000 awareness about the merits of the birth premature deaths annually from liver dose. cirrhosis or liver cancer. Ø Despite the high vaccination coverage, India free of H5N1 Ø disease prevalence in children aged less India has been declared free of Avian than 5 years has not dropped below 1%. Influenza (H5N1). Ø Ø One of the reasons for this is the sub- The status will last only till another optimal coverage of birth dose in all outbreak is reported. India was last infants within 24 hours of birth. declared free of the disease in 2017. Ø How significant is the birth dose? Ø Avian Influenza was first reported from Ø Hepatitis B birth dose, given in the Hongkong in 1997. Since then, there first 24 hours, helps prevent vertical have been many outbreaks across transmission from the mother to child. the world. India too has had multiple Ø The compulsion to increase birth dose outbreaks since 2005. to cut vertical transmission arises from Ø The symptoms of an H5N1 infection in two important reasons: humans include mild upper respiratory Ø about 70-90% newborns infected this tract infection (fever and cough), way become chronic carriers of hepatitis early sputum production and rapid B progression to severe pneumonia. Ø about 20-30% carriers in India are due Ø It can lead to sepsis with shock, acute to vertical transmission respiratory distress syndrome and even Ø But even 7 years after the Health death. Ministry approved the birth dose in Ø This declaration is important not just 2008, its coverage remained low - 45% from the poultry industry standpoint, in 2015 and 60% in 2016. but also because humans can contact Ø More worryingly, even in the case of the disease from animals though the institutional delivery, the birth dose pathogen is not capable of sustained vaccine coverage is low - 76.36% in human-to-human transmission. 2017. Ø Humans can be infected with avian, Ø Incidentally, institutional delivery swine and other zoonotic influenza accounts for about 80% of all deliveries viruses, such as avian influenza in the country. virus subtypes A(H5N1), A(H7N9), Ø The birth dose coverage when delivery and A(H9N2) and swine influenza takes place outside health-care virus subtypes A(H1N1), A(H1N2) and institutions is not known. A(H3N2),” says WHO. What is the reason for low coverage? Genomic Grid for India-Specific Cancer Ø One of the reasons for the low coverage Research is the fear of wastage of vaccine when a Ø The central government plans to set 10-dose vial is used. up a National Genomic Grid to study Ø [Vial - a small container, mostly genomic data of cancer patients from cylindrical and made of glass, used India. especially for holding liquid medicines] Ø The National Genomic Grid will be Ø Unfortunately, health-care workers formed in line with the National Cancer are very often unaware of the WHO Tissue Biobank (NCTB). recommendation that allows hepatitis Ø The grid will have four parts B open-vial policy. corresponding to eastern, western, Ø Opened vials of hepatitis B vaccine can northern and southern parts of India. be kept for a maximum duration of 28 Ø The grid will collect samples from cancer days for use in other children if the patients to study genomic factors vaccine meets certain conditions. influencing cancer.

77 Ø The genomic samples will help Ø Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems researchers on India-specific cancer (ENDS) solutions and emissions studies. contain other chemicals, some of them Ø It will help identify the right cancer considered to be toxicants. treatment modalities for the Indian Ø ENDS contain nicotine solution which population. is highly addictive. Ø It also aims to make cancer treatment Ø The flavouring agents and vaporizers viable for people of different economic used in e-cigarettes are also harmful for classes. health. Ø Use of e-cigarettes has documented National Cancer Tissue Biobank (NCTB): adverse effects on humans like DNA Ø The NCTB was set up at the Indian damage, carcinogenesis, cellular, Institute of Technology, Madras, in molecular and immunological toxicity. collaboration with the Indian Council Ø It can cause respiratory, cardiovascular for Medical Research (ICMR). and neurological disorders. Ø It has the capacity to stock 50,000 Ø They are also known to have adverse genomic samples from cancer patients. It has already collected samples from effects on pregnancy and foetal 3,000 patients. development. Ø Ø The first set of 350 genomic data of Lack of knowledge about negative stomach and breast cancer patients effects of nicotine and easy accessibility developed from the 3,000 samples at of these products make the youth prone NCTB will be released by the end of to addiction. October 2019. Russian-built Floating Nuclear Plant e-cigarettes Ø “AkademikLomonosov”, the first floating nuclear plant to be built in the world Context: completed its 5000-km journey. Ø The Union Cabinet is likely to approve an Ø It cause an excitement in the energy ordinance prohibiting the manufacture sector, but sparking fears among and sale of e-cigarettes in the country. environmentalists over the safety of the Arctic region. What are e-cigarettes? Ø The floating plant contains two nuclear Ø An electronic cigarette (or e-cig) is a reactors of 35 MW each. battery-powered vaporizer that mimics Ø It is a small plant compared to tobacco smoking. conventional land-based nuclear Ø It works by heating up a nicotine liquid. projects. Ø Nicotine juice comes in various flavors Ø The plant will supply electricity to the and nicotine levels. Chukotka region, where important Ø e-liquid is composed of five ingredients: Russian national assets such as oil, vegetable glycerin (a material used gold, and coal reserves are located. in all types of food and personal care Ø Environmental groups such as products, like toothpaste) and propylene Greenpeace Russia have criticised the glycol (a solvent most commonly used in fog machines.) propylene glycol is the project as a “Chernobyl on Ice” and a ingredient that produces thicker clouds “Nuclear Titanic”. Ø of vapor. Activists fear that any accident aboard Ø Electronic cigarettes, do not burn or the plant could cause great damage to use tobacco leaves but instead vaporise the fragile Arctic region. a solution the user then inhales. Ø A recent nuclear accident in Russia after which there was a brief spike in Concerns: radiation levels has added to the fears. Ø India has the second largest number of Ø The radiation fallout from the tobacco users (268 million) in the world Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan – of these at least 12 lakh die every year is also cited as a reason to not rush into from tobacco-related diseases. such projects.

78 Hydrogen-powered vehicles over e-Cigarate ban Electric vehicles Ø It makes production, manufacture, Ø China, Japan and South Korea have import, export, transport, sale, set ambitious targets to put millions distribution, storage and advertisement of hydrogen-powered vehicles on their of e-cigarettes and other Electronic roads. Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) a Ø But, Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) punishable offence. have been upstaged by electric vehicles Ø ENDS includesvapes, e-hookahs and (EVs). e-cigars. Ø It becomes a mainstream option due to Ø First-time offenders - Imprisonment the success of Tesla Inc’s luxury cars as up to 1 year or fine up to Rs 1 lakh, or well as sales and production quotas set both. by China. Ø Subsequent offences - Imprisonment Ø Critics argue FCVs may never amount up to 3 years and Rs 5 lakh in fine. to more than a niche technology. Ø Those who are found storing e-cigarettes Ø But proponents counter hydrogen is and other such ENDS products will face the cleanest energy source for autos up to 6 months in prison and up to Rs available and with time, it will gain 55,000 in fines, or both. acceptance. What are e-cigarettes? Ø China, far and away the world’s biggest Ø E-cigarettes are battery-powered auto market is aiming for more than 1 devices that heat a solution of nicotine million FCVs in service by 2030. and different flavours to create aerosol, Ø Japan, a market of more than 5 million which is then inhaled. vehicles annually, wants to have Ø These devices belong to a category of 800,000 FCVs sold by that time. vapour-based nicotine products called Ø Resource-poor Japan sees hydrogen as ENDS. a way to greater energy security. Ø E-cigarettes and other ENDS products Ø Driving ranges and refuelling times for may look like their traditional FCVs are comparable to gasoline cars, counterparts, but they also come whereas EVs require hours to recharge in other shapes and sizes and can and provide only a few hundred resemble daily use products (like pens kilometres of range. and USB drives). Ø In general, hydrogen is seen as the more Ø Several companies selling ENDS in efficient choice for heavier vehicles that India have positioned these products drive longer distances. as a safer, less harmful alternative to Ø However, lack of refuelling stations traditional cigarettes or as devices that which are costly to build, is usually cited could help users quit smoking. as the biggest obstacle to widespread Ø The Health Ministry and Central Drugs adoption of FCVs. Standards Control Organisation, Ø Consumer worries about the risk of India’s drug regulatory authority, had explosions are also a big hurdle. attempted in the past to ban the import Ø Residents in Japan and South Korea and sale of these products citing public have protested against the construction health concerns. of hydrogen stations. Ø Before the ordinance was announced, Ø This year, a hydrogen tank explosion in the government had been facing hurdles South Korea killed 2 people, followed by in the form of court cases against the a blast at a Norway hydrogen station. move, as ENDS were not declared as Ø Heavy subsidies are needed to bring drugs in the country’s drug regulations. prices down to levels of gasoline- Ø These products have neither been powered cars. assessed for safety in the national Ø Automakers contend that once sales population nor been approved. Yet, volumes increase, economies of scale they have been widely available to will make subsidies unnecessary. consumers.

79 Ø According to the Indian Council of Dark Web and Deep Web Medical Research’s (ICMR) 2019 white Ø Deep Web is the area of the Internet paper, the use of ENDS or e-cigarettes which is not accessible through search has engines. What can be accessed through Ø Adverse effects like DNA damage, search engines is called Surface Web. carcinogenesis, toxicity (cellular, Ø To get into the Deep Web one should molecular and immunological) and know the right address. disorders (respiratory, cardiovascular, Ø Dark Web is part of the Deep Web. and neurological). Ø While the Deep Web is accessible, the Ø Impacts foetal development and Dark Web is deliberately hidden. pregnancy which had recommended a Ø While incognito mode disables browsing complete prohibition of these products. history and web cache, the Dark Web is shielded by specialised software. Leukemia Ø Since the real word money trail carries Ø White Blood Cells (WBC), also called the danger of exposure, Dark Web leukocytes, are an important part of the operators transact in virtual currencies, immune system. the most popular being Bitcoins. Ø These cells help fight infections by attacking bacteria, viruses, and germs Silicosis that invade the body. Ø It is a form of occupational lung disease Ø White blood cells originate in the bone caused by inhalation of crystalline silica marrow but circulate throughout the dust, and is marked by inflammation bloodstream and scarring in the form of nodular Ø Leukemia is a type of cancer found lesions in the upper lobes of the lungs. in your blood and bone marrow and Ø It is a type of pneumoconiosis. is caused by the rapid production of Ø It is also known as miner’s phthisis, abnormal white blood cells. grinder’s asthma, potter’s rot, etc. Ø These abnormal white blood cells are Ø Over time, it could build up in not able to fight infection and impair the lungs, cause bloody coughing and ability of the bone marrow to produce breathlessness. red blood cells and platelets. Ø Silicosis is characterized by shortness of breath, cough, fever, and cyanosis Darknet (bluish skin). Ø Expert from Israel is training Kerala Ø Silicosis is a permanent disease with no Cyberdome analysts to monitor the cure. Darknet. Ø The best way to prevent silicosis is Ø Dark Net (or Darknet) is an umbrella to identify work-place activities that term describing the portions of the produce respirable crystalline silica Internet not open to public view or dust and then to eliminate or control hidden networks whose architecture is the dust superimposed on that of the Internet. Ø Water spray is often used where dust Ø Darknet provides anonymity to the emanates. Dust can also be controlled users. through dry air filtering. Ø Darknet is often associated with the Ø Jaggery (a traditional sugar) has a encrypted part of the Internet called preventive action against silicosis. Tor network where illicit trading takes place such as the infamous online drug Quantum Supremacy bazaar. Context Ø A variety of darknet markets (black Ø Tech websites and theoretical markets) allow for the anonymous, computer-science outlets were aflame illegal buying and selling of drugs and earlier this week after a story in the other illegal or controlled substances, U.K.-based Financial Times said Google such as pharmaceuticals, and weapons. had claimed to have achieved ‘quantum Ø The services and websites running on supremacy’. the darknet is the dark web.

80 What are quantum computers? LRRK2 Ø Quantum computers work differently Ø Leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) is from the classical computers. They a kinase enzyme that protects the body exploit the principles of quantum against viral and bacterial infections by mechanics which allows them to tackle triggering inflammation like swelling, computational problems that may be redness, heat and pain. tough for the classical computer as Ø the size of the numbers and number of According to a recent study, this inputs involved grows bigger. enhanced inflammation can lead to collateral damage to the body. How quantum computers work? Ø Inflammation caused by mutation in a Ø Conventional computers process gene can raise the risk of Parkinson’s information in ‘bits’ or 1s and 0s, and Crohn’s diseases as well as leprosy. following classical physics under which Ø our computers can process a ‘1’ or a ‘0’ Leprosy caused by infections at a time whereas Quantum computers characterised by lesions in the nerve compute in ‘qubits’ (or quantum bits). endings of the skin. They exploit the properties of quantum Ø LRRK2, which causes excessive mechanics, the science that governs inflammation to defend body against a how matter behaves on the atomic type of mycobacterium infects peripheral scale. nerves, is thought to be behind leprosy. Ø In this scheme of things, processors Ø The findings are also important for can be a 1 and a 0 simultaneously, a ongoing clinical trials of Parkinson’s state called quantum superposition. While this accelerates the speed of drugs that can reduce excessive LRRK2 computation, a machine with less than activity. a 100 qubits can solve problems with Ø However, total absence of LRRK2 a lot of data that are even theoretically function can make people more prone beyond the capabilities of the most to infections. powerful supercomputers. Ø Because of quantum superposition, a Naming of an Asteroid quantum computer, if it works to plan Ø IAU has recently named an asteroid after can mimic several classical computers Indian classical singer PanditJasraj. working in parallel. Ø International Astronomical Union (IAU) serves as the internationally recognized Benefits authority for assigning designations to Ø They can process huge amounts of celestial bodies and surface features on data quickly. For example, to scan a database of a million social media them. profiles and had to look for a particular Ø According to IAU’s guidelines, the individual, a classical computer would privilege of naming a planet is first perform million steps.while a quantum given to discoverers, who have 10 years computer would only perform one to propose a name. thousand steps instead of a million. Ø The discoverer or team is expected to That translates into reduced processors write a short citation, explaining the and reduced energy. reasons for assigning the name. Ø Several encryption systems used in Ø All names proposed are judged by the banking and security applications are premised on computers being unable 15-member Working Group for Small to handle mathematical problems that Body Nomenclature (CSBN) of the IAU. are computationally demanding beyond Ø It is located between Mars and Jupiter, a limit. Quantum computers, in theory, and was discovered on November 11, can surpass those limits. 2006 by the Arizona based telescope. Y Y Y Y Y

81 E. DEFENCE AND INTERNAL SECURITY Kamov Ka-226T Ø The helicopter is capable of delivering a Ø The Kamov Ka-226 (Hoodlum) is a small, variety of weapons which include air-to- twin-engined Russian utility helicopter. ground Hellfire missiles, 70 mm Hydra Ø It features an interchangeable mission rockets and air-to-air Stinger missiles. pod, rather than a conventional Ø Apache also carries one 30 mm chain cabin, allowing the use of various gun with 1,200 rounds as part of area accommodation or equipment weapon sub-system and it carries fire configurations. control radar, which has a 360 degree Ø Russia will showcase two of its Kamov coverage and nose mounted sensor Ka-226T helicopters to Prime Minister suite for target acquisition and night NarendraModi at the Eastern Economic vision systems. Forum (EEF) at Vladivostok in Russia. Ø These helicopters are day/night, all- Ø Russia had started setting up a weather capable and have high agility manufacturing line in anticipation of and survivability against battle damage. the final contract with India. This procurement will enhance the Ø A special alloy of aluminium with capability of IAF in providing integrated special additives would be used for the combat aviation cover to the army strike manufacture. corps. IAF inducts Apache attack helicopters Indo-Thai CORPAT Ø 28th edition of India-Thailand Context: Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) Ø The Indian Air Force (IAF) has formally between the Indian Navy (IN) and inducted eight AH-64E Apache attack the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) is being helicopters into service at the Pathankot conducted from 05 – 15 September Air Force Station. 2019. Ø Indian Navy has been participating Details: in the biannual Coordinated Patrol Ø Apache attack helicopters are being (CORPAT) with the Royal Thai Navy purchased to replace the Mi-35 fleet. (RTN) since 2003. Ø India is 16th nation to select the Apache Ø The Objectives of the Indo-Thai CORPAT and the AH-64E is the most advanced are to ensure effective implementation variant. of United Nations Conventions on Laws Ø India contracted 22 Apache helicopters of the Sea (UNCLOS). from the U.S. government and Boeing Ø UNCLOS specify regulations regarding in September 2015 and the entire fleet protection and conservation of will be in service with the IAF by 2020. natural resources, conservation of Ø The government has also cleared the marine environment, prevention and acquisition of six additional Apaches suppression of illegal, unregulated for the Indian Army which has been fishing activity/ drug trafficking/ formally approved by the U.S. piracy, exchange of information in prevention of smuggling, illegal AH-64E Apache attack helicopters: immigration and conduct of Search and Ø Apache is the most advanced multi-role Rescue operations at sea. heavy attack helicopter in the world. DRDO test fires Anti-Tank Guided Ø Alongside the capability to shoot fire Missile system and forget anti-tank guided missiles, Ø The Defence Research and Development air-to-air missiles, rockets and other Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight ammunitions, it also has modern tested the indigenously developed Man Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities to Portable Anti-tank Guided Missile provide versatility to helicopters in a (MPATGM) in Kurnool in Andhra network-centric aerial warfare. Pradesh.

82 Ø It was the third series of successful Ø DRDO carried out mission analysis, testing of MPATGM. system design, simulation and post- Ø The missile is derived from India’s Nag flight analysis of the weapon system. ATGM. Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) Ø The MPATGM will be used by the Army. Ø The Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) Ø The fire and forget missile was launched comprises chiefs of the Army, the Navy from a man portable. and the Air Force and the senior-most Ø The missile was launched with state-of- member is appointed its chairperson. the-art infrared imaging seeker along Ø The Chairman of COSC is tasked with with advanced avionics. ensuring synergy among the three Ø It has a range of about 2.5 km. services and evolve a common strategy Astra Missile to deal with external security challenges Ø Air-to-Air missile, ASTRA, has been facing the country. successfully flight tested from Su-30 Ø It is an additional role and the tenures MKI as a part of User trials. have been very short. Ø It was indigenously designed and Ø The government has, however, developed by the DRDO. announced that it will appoint a Chief Ø It is capable of engaging targets of of Defence Staff (CDS), who will replace different ranges and altitudes. the present tri-service committee. Ø It is beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Astra missile with a range of over 70 Ø The CDS is a high military office that kms. oversees and coordinates the working of Ø Modifications of the Sukhoi-30 MKI jets the three Services, and offers seamless to accommodate Astra missiles has been tri-service views and single-point carried out by Hindustan Aeronautics advice to the Executive (Prime Minister) Limited. on long-term defence planning and Ø The main purpose of astra is to replace management, including manpower, the R77 from IAF. equipment and strategy, and above all, Ø Being a 5th Generation missile, it “jointsmanship” in operations. would provide true beyond visual range Ø The CDS, being above the three Service capability with greater strategic depth. Chiefs, is expected to play this role Ø It is smoke free, having two way data by optimizing procurement, avoiding link, it provides very less chances to duplication among the services and enemy to be alert about it. streamlining the process. Ø The Astra missile is developed as Ø It would streamline long-term defence part of the Integrated Guided Missile planning & procurement process. Development Programme (IGMDP). Ø The CDS is expected to reduce response time.

Y Y Y Y Y

83 84 G.S MISCELLANEOUS

85 86 MISCELLANEOUS Global Liveability Ranking Zingiberdimapurense: Ø New Delhi has dropped by six places to Ø The lip of the flower (modified corolla) rank 118th on a list of the world’s most is white in colour, with dense dark- liveable cities due to increase in cases purplish red blotches. of petty crimes and poor air quality. Ø Its pollen is a creamy-white and ovato- Ø While New Delhi registered the biggest ellipsoidal decline in Asia, Mumbai also fell two Ø The fruit is an oblong 4.5 cm-5.5 cm places since last year to rank 119th on long capsule. the list topped by Vienna (Austria) for the second consecutive year. Zingiberperenense: Ø The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Ø The lip of the flower is white with publishes an annual Global Liveability purplish-red streaks throughout Ranking. Ø The pollen is ellipsoidal. Ø The EIU ranking of 140 cities is based Ø The genus Zingiber has 141 species on their scores in five broad categories distributed throughout Asia, Australia — stability, healthcare, culture and the South Pacific, with its centre of and environment, education, and infrastructure. diversity in Southeast Asia. Ø Each factor in a city is rated as Ø More than 20 species have been found acceptable, tolerable, uncomfortable, in northeastern India. The high diversity undesirable or intolerable. of ginger species in northeast India Ø Among the BRIC countries, Rio de reveals that the climate is conducive for Janeiro (Brazil) was positioned at the the growth and diversity of the genus. 89th place, Moscow (Russia) at 68th, St Petersburg (Russia) 71st. Previous discoveries of Zingiber include: Ø The Chinese cities in the list include Ø Hedychiumchingmeianum from the Suzhou at 75th rank, Beijing 76th, Tuensang district of Nagaland Tianjin 79th, Shanghai 80th, Shenzhen Ø Caulokaempferiadinabandhuensis from 84th, Dalian 90th, Guangzhou 96th the Ukhrul district in Manipur, and Qingdao 97th. Ø Zingiberbipinianum from Meghalaya. Ø Several major global cities received Ø The rhizome of Zingiberofficinale mixed scores. London and New York (common ginger) is used as a spice in ranked 48th and 58th out of the 140 kitchens across Asia, and also for its cities in the survey. medicinal value. Some wild species of Two new species of ginger discovered Zingiber have immense horticultural from Nagaland importance. Ø Scientists from the Botanical Survey Largest flying animal of all time of India (BSI) have discovered two new Ø Scientists have unveiled a new species species of Zingiber, commonly referred of pterosaur – Cryodrakonboreas. It is to as ginger, from Ø While Zingiberperenense has been the first pterosaur to be discovered in discovered from the Peren district of Canada Nagaland. Ø Cryodrakonboreas roughly translates Ø Zingiberdimapurense was found in the to ‘frozen dragon of the north wind’ in Dimapur district of the State. tribute to the landscape of the Albertan Ø Zingiberdimapurense is taller in size, winter. with leafy shoots measuring 90-120 Ø Cryodrakonboreas are from the cm high, whereas the leafy shoots of Azhdarchid group of pterosaurs. Zingiberperenense reach up to 70 cm in Ø There are more than 100 known species height. of pterosaurs.

87 Ø Cryodrakonboreas are plane-sized Ø Gradually, students and adults from reptiles that lorded over primeval skies across the world started mobilising and above T-rex, Triceratops and other demonstrating in front of parliaments dinosaurs of the late Cretaceous. and local city halls in their respective Ø Cryodrakonboreas rivals another countries. pterosaur – Quetzalcoatlus as the Ø Thousands of events are planed from largest flying animal of all time. September 20th to 27th, Ø Its remains were first discovered more Ø Millions of students to walk out of than 30 years ago in Alberta, Canada, classrooms, workplaces and homes, yet elicited scant excitement because of Ø to join together in the streets and its misclassification as Quetzalcoatlus. demand climate action and climate Ø It had a wingspan of 10 m and weighed justice. 250 kg. Ø The strikes are registered to take place Ø Like other winged reptiles living at the in over 2,350 cities. same time, about 77 million years ago, Ø In India, strikes have been scheduled C. boreas was carnivorous and probably fed on lizards, small mammals and even in New Delhi, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai, baby dinosaurs. Phagwara (Punjab), Nagercoil (Tamil Ø Despite a likely capacity to cross large Nadu), Kishangarh (Rajasthan) and bodies of water, the location of fossil several other places. remains and the animal’s features point Ø Students are demanding ‘urgent’, to an inland habitat. ‘decisive’ action to keep global average temperatures from rising above 1.5 Azhdarchids: degree Celsius. Ø Unlike most pterosaur groups, Ø The global strikes will commence just azhdarchids are known primarily from as the “UN Climate Action Summit terrestrial settings and, despite their 2019” set to take place in New York on likely capacity to cross oceanic distances September 23, where Thunberg has in flight, they are broadly considered to been invited. be animals that were adapted for, and Ø These global school movements have lived in, inland environments. been supported by scientists as well. Ø Despite their large size and distribution Ø The sentiments behind these school across North and South America, Asia, student movements are Africa and Europe, few azhdarchids are Ø The “broken promises” of older known from more than fragmentary generations, remains. Ø Members of which continue to extract Ø This makes Cryodrakon an important animal since it has very well preserved and use fossil fuels, Ø bones and includes multiple individuals leading to increased CO2 emissions and of different sizes. Ø subsequently, increasing average global temperatures. Global Climate Strike Movement Ø Thunberg sailed through transatlantic, Ø Students in more than 2,000 cities across from Britain to the United States to the world are holding demonstrations take part in a United Nations climate under the #FridaysforFuture movement. summit. Ø The #FridaysforFuture movement, also known as the ‘Youth Strike for Climate International Sign Language Day Movement’, started in August 2018. Ø International Day of Sign Languages Ø It was started by Swedish student (IDSL) is celebrated annually across the ‘Greta Thunberg’, who skipped school world on 23 September every year along to protest outside parliament for more with International Week of the Deaf. action against climate change. Ø It the same date that the World Ø ‘Thunberg’ called for a strike every Federation of the Deaf was established Friday until the Swedish parliament in 1951. revised its policies towards climate Ø 2019 Theme: Sign Language Rights for change. All!

88 Ø The day is celebrated in order to raise Details: awareness of the importance of sign Ø Both U.S. and Indian officials assert language in the full realization of the that the Petronet-Tellurian deal is now a human rights of people who are deaf. prestige project for India-U.S. relations Ø The first International Day of Sign that are otherwise facing headwinds languages was celebrated in 2018 over trade issues. under the theme “With Sign Language, Ø Both Prime Minister Modi and President Everyone is Included!” Donald Trump have hailed the deal Ø India’s first-of-its-kind dictionary, publicly. which aims to bring uniformity in sign Ø India has been sourcing LNG and crude languages used by hearing and speech oil from the US, with Indian companies impaired people across the nation, was investing $4 billion in US shale gas released in 2018. assets. Ø Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ø The deal underscores a record year for Ministry’s Indian Sign Language the LNG industry, with tens of billions Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) of dollars worth of export projects given carried out the project. the green light. Ø The surge of new supply from the US’ Kashmir’s famed saffron gets GI tag trove of shale gas has rendered the once- Ø Kashmir’s famed saffron has been premium fuel, accessible for emerging granted the Geographic Indication (GI) markets such as India. tag. Ø India is currently the sixth-largest Ø Saffron has several names-Zafran, buyer of US LNG. Kesar, Kang, Kang Posh etc. Ø At present, state-owned GAIL India Ltd Ø Historically, the cultivation of saffron has 20-year LNG contracts to buy 5.8 started around three or four centuries million tonnes per year of US LNG, split back in Arabia and Spain. Thereafter, between Dominion Energy Inc’s Cove its cultivation spread as far as Iran, Point plant and Cheniere Energy Inc’s Sweden and India. Sabine Pass facility in Louisiana. Ø Now, saffron growing is a great commercial activity. In Indian Significance: Ø agriculture, this activity is also known India, the biggest emitter of greenhouse as “Golden Zest”. gases after the US and China, has been pushing for a gas-based economy and Ø India is a leading producer of premium plans to connect 10 million households and finest quality saffron in the world to piped natural gas by 2020. and Kashmiri saffron has been a Ø It plans to reduce its carbon emissions recipient of the Great Taste Award, the by 33-35% from its 2005 levels by world’s most coveted award for artisan 2030, as part of its commitments to the and specialty food producers. United Nations Framework Convention Petronet-Tellurian deal on Climate Change adopted by 195 countries in Paris in 2015. Context: Ø Gas comprises about 6.2% of India’s Ø Petronet LNG Ltd, India’s biggest primary energy mix, far behind the liquefied natural gas importer, has global average of 24%. The government signed a preliminary deal to buy a stake plans to increase this share to 15% by in Tellurian Inc’s proposed Driftwood 2030. project in Louisiana and import 5 million Ø Increasing natural gas use will enable tonnes a year of Liquefied natural gas India to fuel its impressive economic (LNG). growth to achieve the government’s Ø It is believed that this could potentially goal of a $5 trillion economy while be one of the largest foreign investments contributing to a cleaner environment. in the US for shipping shale gas abroad. Ø India’s gas demand is expected to be Ø Petronet and Tellurian had first signed driven by the fertilizer, power, city gas a broader agreement in February 2019. distribution, and steel sectors.

89 Ø The MoU signed in Houston is a part and will further deepen the energy trade of wider energy cooperation under the and investment relationship between India-US Strategic Energy Partnership the two countries.

Y Y Y Y Y

90 YOJANA SEPTEMBER

91 92 YOJANA SEPTEMBER Achieving a $5 Trillion Economy Focus on Agriculture Sector Ø At the Governing Council Meeting of Ø Sixty per cent of India’s population lives the NITI Aayog recently, it will require in rural areas and is mostly engaged design, funding and governance. The in agriculture. the real issue is not the Economic Survey has pagged a GDP growth rate of 7 per cent for FY20, up level of productivity but how produce from 6.8 per cent in the previous fiscal. can be converted into value that will And to achieve the $5 trillion economy, decide farmers’ income. the Economic Survey has laid a road Ø There have been several measures map where it says India must grow at 8 in recent times towards upgrading per cent. Ø The Survey has the theme for enabling and harmonizing agrilogistics, agro- a “shifting of gears”, “to achieve the processing and agrimarketing. One of objective of becoming a $5 trillion the many steps towards selling farmers’ economy by 2024-25”, it makes the produce in better prices is creation of case for investment, especially private Gramin Agriculture Markets (GrAM) investment as key driver, that drives and linking them with the electronic demand, creates introduces new technology and generates jobs. It also farmer marketplace, eNAMs, to sell suggested that “expots must form their produce nationally. an integral part of the growth model because higher savings preclude Focus on Services Sector domestic consumption as the driver of Ø Services contribute to 56.5 per cent final demand”. of GDP but create only 30 per cent of Focus on MSME Sector Jobs. So far, IT sector has been the Ø The significance of 65 million MSMEs mainstay, exporting over 80 per cent who create about 120 million jobs and of its $150 billion turnover. But it is 30 per cent of the country’s economic also to be seen that more than 50 per output and around 30 per cent of total cent of IT revenues come from the US, employment generation this in mind the therefore the future looks challenging Government has undertaken several transformational reforms in MSME at the backdrop of currant US policies. sector recently. Ø Now the sector needs to develop Ø India has to focus on setting expertise in IOT, AI, VR and tourism, manufacturing ecosystem for product health and professional services can be groups and take steps like setting- the other key service sectors. up machimery that manufactury the Ø Another big opportunity comes in global products, specialty materials, biologics, nanotechnology, integrated circuits, healthcare and wellness which is a $8 embedded systems, medical imaging trillion industry and would require over devices etc. 100 million health workers in the next Ø These skill and labour intensive 15 years. There is an opportunity in products can absord part of surplus coverting India’s 600 district hospital people from the agriculture or informal sector. There is a need to emphasize as medical nursing and paramedical on flexible labourlaws as these are an schools to train 5 million doctors, essential precondition for large – scale nurses and paramedics to meet the manufactruring. global requirement.

93 Opportunity in Digital India c. Reducing water – related risks – Ø With a strong foundation of digital Considerable area of the country is infrastructure and expanded digital being annually impacted by droughts, access through Digital India Initiative, floods, long dry spells and different India is now poised for the next phase health harards. Adoption of integrated of growth creation of tremendous watershed management programme, economic value and empowerment of flood control mechanisms, climate resilient agriculture, promotion of citizens as new digital applications alternate income generation activities permeate sector after sector. India can and sustainable livelihoods can minimize create up to $1 trillion of economic risks and disaster management. value from the digital economy in 2025 Ø The Government of India has realized the up from the digital economy in 2025, ment merit of adopting a comprehensive up from around $200 billion currently approach towards water conservation. generated. The unified Central ‘Ministry of Jal Water Conservation Shakti’ has been made responsible Water conservation is complex and daunting, for laying down policy guidelines and coordination of programmers for particularly in a human dominated country the development and regulation of like India having several competing demands. country’s water resources including The result of excessive use, waste, pollution dealing with related disciplines, viz. and allied activities have resulted in the establishment of multipurpose projects, current situation with reduced e-flow of development of ground water resources, majority of the country’s dying rivers and river development and rejuvenation, other water bodies, deepening of water table irrigation, flood control, resolving inter- and sites of unmanageable crowds at water state river disputes and inter-linking of distribution points. Water bodies, deepening rivers. of water table and sites of unmanageable Ø Ministry Launched ‘JalShakti Abhiyan’, crowds at water distribution points. Water a campaign for water conservation and conservation primarily involves the following water security. The campaign will run three objectives: through citizen participation while focus of the campaign would be on a. Enhance water availability – This could water-stressed districts and blocks in be mainly achieved by adopting a mixed the country. strategy focusing on the protection Ø The example, In recent decades, India and restoration of natural ecosystems has made huge investments towards (forests, grasslands and wetlands implementation of ‘ integrated watershed including rivers), increasing green development programme’ and more or cover aiming at source sustainability, less it has taken a shape of a national managing riparian forest buffers, movement, particularly in rainfed adoption of water efficient diversified areas. Some of the other prominent agriculture, encouraging rainwater programmes/schemes launched by concerned ministries are: PMKSY- harvesting, undertaking massive soil ‘HarKhelKoPani’ and ‘More Crop Per and moisture conservation efforts, Drop’; Jal Shakti Abhiyan; River Basin storage in reservoirs, water budgeting, Management; National Water Mission; recycling and reuse. National Mission for Clean Ganga- b. Improve water quality – This Namami Ganga, National Mission means effective law enforcement for Sustainable Agriculture, National and stringent regulations, pollution Mission for Sustainable Himalayas; control, restrictions on pouring of Dam Improvement and Rehabilitation sewage, urban waste, industrial Programme; Interlinking of Rivers, effluents and even prohibition on use Ground Water Management, Flood of toxics (pesticides and weedicides) in Control and Forecast, Biodiversity, agriculture, establishment of STPs and Green India Mission CAMPA and water treatment plants and adoption of National and State Level Action Plans bioremediation techniques. on Climate Change.

94 In conclusion, following six priority actions e. Continuous Care – This aspect seeks are visualized for making water management concerted efforts towards conservation sustainable in the country as a reality through of existing water sources as well as an aggressive national movement. rejuvenation of rivers/restoration/ recharging of depleted water resources. a. Institution and Governance- Utmost care is required to be taken for Institutions working/contributing retaining the eater sources, making them sustainable and ensuring directly or indirectly towards water judicious use therof. management would need strengthening f. Capacity Development- The task of and augmentation of manpower and water management is tricky. Success financial resources and also a platform towards countering water wastage and to bring in their efforts together for degradation of natural ecosystems could synergistic outcome. Governance at be accomplished by creating awareness all levels would definitely matter to and appropriate capacity development of various stakeholders. Specilized establish judicious water use and agencies can be deployed for preparing prevention and resolution of conflicts. the blueprint for budgeting the water b. Participatory Approch – The resource within the framework of the National movement certainly requires legislation on the subject and then participatory approaches seeking formulate strategies for its successful involvement and empowerment of people implementation. so they can establish a mechanism to implement and enforce judicious use Key Central and State –Specific skill of water and efficient management of Development programmes precious water resources. Central: c. Knowledge management the complex • PradhanMantriKaushalVikasYojana subject of water resource management • Skills Acquisition and Knowledge calls for collaborations/ networking and Awareness for Livelihood Promotion institutionalizing synergies between (SANKALP) various entities for development and • UDAAN (special Industry initative for J exchange of evidence-based knowledge & K) on ecosystem functions and development • PradhanMantriKaushal Kendra • Recognition of Prior Learning of suitable technologies to improve • Apprenticeship training water resource management to ensure • National Apprenticeship Promotion source sustainability. Development of Scheme ‘Nature-Based Solutions’ for various • Craftsmen Training Scheme aspects of water management offer • Deen Dayal Upadhyaya better opportunities and would be of GrameenKaushalya Yojana immense help. • Samarth (Taxtile Sector) • Modular Employable skill under skill d. Ecosystem- Based Management development Initiative Approach-The move form isolationist • Green Skill Development Programme approaches to holistic approaches are • Skill Development for PwDs (SIPDA) desirable on a priority basis. Thereby, • Sub-Mission on polytechnics under great focus on river basins and the Coordinated ACTION FOR Skill riverscapes for planning, assessment Development and interventions are the need of the • Establishment of Centers for Training and Research in Frontier Areas of hour. The awareness and sensitization Science and Technology (Fast) campaign on massive scale need to • Scheme for Higher Education youth in be undertaken for educating masses Apprenticeship and skills on the significance of maintaining our • Skill Development for Minorities (Special ecosystem’s integrity. Programmes)

95 a. SeekhoaurKamao (Learn & Earn) in mission mode during 2016 in order to deal b. Upgrading the Skills and Training in with water conservation in the wake of severe Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development heat and poor rains in the last two years. (USTTAD) Under the scheme, the beneficiary applies for c. NaiManzil a dobha which has to be sanctioned by the d. Maulana Azad National Academy for State Government. There are four sizes – 15 x Skills 15 x 10, 20 x 20 x 10, 25 x 25 x 10 and 30 x Select State-Specific Programmes: 30 x 10 (all in feet) – that are to be constructed • Mukhya Mantri Kaushal Samvardhan over farmers’ land. Yojaan (MMKSY) Madhya Pradesh • KapilDhara Constructing of Dug Wells • KushalYuva Program – bihal Under Mgnrega, Madhya Pradesh • MukhyaMantriShram Shakti yojana – Construction of dug wells for irrigation Bihar purposes and various water conservation • Kaushalya. Com – Karnataka structures like check dams, stop dams, • KaushalyaVardhan Kendra (KVK) – contour Trenches etc. have enabled farmers to Gujarat irrigate their fields and they are able to sow • SURYA – Haryana wheat and rice in place of jowar and maize • SAKSHAM – Haryana which were grown earlier due to shortage of • Seekho – Sikhao (Training of Trainers) – irrigation facilities. In addition to this they Haryana have started growing vegetables also which • S-Mart (Skill Mart) – Haryana has resulted in growth of their income. • Farm Pond On Demand Scheme, Best Practices for Ground Water Vidarbha and Marathawada Region, Harvesting Maharashtra Jal Shakti Abhiyan – a campaing for water For construction of farm ponds, Government conservation and water security through of Maharashtra has set the target of 1, 11, 111 citizen participation is underway from 1st farm ponds have several benefits. It reduces July, 2019 to 15th September, 2019. Union dependence on ground water, reduces power Jal Shakti Minister, ShriGajendraSingh required to pump water as compared to ground Shekhawat, announced the commencement of water, cultivation on bunds generates extra the Jal Shakti Abhiyan-a campaign for water income and recharges ground water. As per conservation and water security. An additional liters information, total of 4, 08, 734 online Phase 2 will be run from 1st October, 2019 to application forms were received. The taluka 30th November, 2019 for States receiving the North East retreating monsoons. The focus level committee has given approvals of 2, 15, of the campaign will be on water stressed 786 applications and 1, 89, 253 work orders districts and blocks in different states. given to beneficiaries. 90, 180 farm ponds have been completed and and amount of Rs. 369.48 Some best practices for ground water crores has been released to beneficiaries. harvesting in different parts of the country, which are also supportive to achieve the goal • JalyuktaShivarAbhiyan, Maharashtra of water conservation may be seen as below: This includes arresting rain water within the village boundaries, increasing ground • Dobba Construction for Rain Water water level, creation of decentralized water Harvesting, Jharkhand bodies, rejuvenation of the old water storage Dobhas are indigenous structures for water structures, creation of new water bodies, conservation which were prevalent in the restoring the storage capacity, increasing region, regaining popularity during the area under protective irrigation by efficient ongoing water crisis. Dobhas store rainwater water use, implementation of Ground Water which can be used for irrigation purposes Acrt, de-silting of structures with people during non-rainy months. This reduces the participation, creation of water awareness, dependence of the farmers on monsoons and publicity and sensitization among the people, helps them diversify their cropping patterns. people’s participation in water budgeting. The construction of one lakh dobhas (farm JalyuktaShivarAbhiyan was launched in ponds) was taken up by the State Government 2015-16.

96 • SujalamSufalamJalsanchayAbhiyan a. Better availability of potable water 2018 Gujarat. duing summer The aim was to increase the storage capacity b. Improvement in ground water, of the existing reservoirs by de-silting of c. Revival of defunct handpumps, check dams and deepening the ponds, lakes tubewells and open wells, and riverbeds, besides cleaning the rivers to d. Enhanced water availability for lean accommodate more rain water. The campaign season irrigation resulted in increased was initiated on the 59th Foundation Day of area under lean season crop and Gujarat with 527 JCB machines and nearly orchard, 27,000 labourers. e. Developing and sustaining flora and Though the campaign 11,000 lakh cubic feet fauna of water storage capacity was enhanced in the f. Mitigating drought abuses and reducing State and 5,500 km canals cleaned by taking plight of masses. out silt and other garbage. The soil dug out • Artificial recharge for Spring from lakes and rivers were given to farmers rejuvenation, South Sikkim district, and they used fertile soil in their farms Sikkim Staggered trench for artificial which would further increase agriculture recharge in the spring shed. Enhancing productivity. yield of springs for spring rejuvenation. • Mission Kakatiya, Telangana • PaniPanchayat: Odisha Water Resource Mission Kakatiyaprogramme for restoring Consolidation Project all the minor irrigation tanks and lakes in The primary objective of Orissa Water Telangana State. The objective of Mission Resource Consolidation Project (OWRCP) was Kakatiya is to enhance the development to improve the planning and development of agriculture based income for small and process for the state’s water resource; thus marginal farmers, by accelerating the increasing the overall agricultural productivity development of minor irrigation infrastructure, through investment for improvement of the strengthening community based irrigation existing scheme. Participatory Irrigation management and adopting a comprehensive Management was introduced in Orissa in 1995 programme for restoration of tanks. on a pilot basis under Orissa Water Resources Consolidation project (OWRCP) under the banner of Farmers Organization and Turnover Steps to Improve Job Orientation of (FOT). Experienceing its success at large it Higher Education was extended to all the commands of Major, Medium, Minor and Lift Irrigation Projects. Higher education system has many The main objectives of the intervention were to educational streams which are directly job- promote and secure equitable distribution of oriented. In order to enhance job orientation water among its users, adequate maintenance and employability, the following steps have of irrigation system, efficient and economical been taken: utilization of water to optimize agricultural I. There are 1109 skill – oriented courses production and to protect the environment being run by University Grants and ensure ecological balance, inculcating a Commission (UGC) and All India sense of ownership of the irrigation system Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in accordance with the water budget and the THROUGH 556 INSTITUTIONAS (300 b. operation plan. VoC collages, 188 Community Colleges • Mukhya mantri Jal Swavlamban and 68 DDU Kaushal Kendra Collages) Abhiyan, Rajasthan in which 38414 students are receiving Rain water harvesting- construction of various skill training with education. water conservation structures, Participatory II. New and updated vocational curricule Approach, IEC activities. Creation of additional are being developed in line with industry storage capacities to harvest 128 Mcum demand in B.VoCprogrammes. (4516 Mcft) water coupled with extensive and III. AICTE has launched an Intership vigorous watershed development activities in portal to facilitate industry intership an exhaustive and scientific manner helped in to students. Internship has been made intercepting additional 11170 Mcft monsoon mandatory for students of engineering water that resulted in : colleges.

97 IV. Wheebox Employability Skill Test (WEST) like job seekers, employers, counselors, for all pre-final and final year graduates local service providers and trainer etc. of AICTE approved institutions to to facilitate convergence of information identify the core strengths of students and link job seekers with job providers. and certify the same VII. MHRD is working in co-operation with V. Technical Education Quality Ministry of Skill Development and Improvement programme (TEQIP) Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and sector Phase – III is under implementation Skill Councils (SSCs) which comprise to enhance quality, equity and representatives of Industry and service employability in selected engineering sectors to develop curricula that reflect education institutions. industry-demanded skills so that VI. National Career Service (NCS) portal higher education can be linked with has been launched as a common employment opportunities. platform to bring together stakeholders

Y Y Y Y Y

98