O F F I C E R S ' P U L S E Issue no. 1 | 31st May to 6th June, 2020

C O V E R A G E . The Hindu The Indian Express PIB Rajya Sabha TV All India Radio

A T A G L A N C E & I N D E P T H .

Polity and Social Issues Economy International Relations Environment Science and Tech Culture

CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEKLY THE PULSE OF UPSC AT YOUR FINGER TIPS News @ a glance POLITY ...... 3 2) Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT- 1) PM CARES Fund...... 3 PCR) ...... 33 2) One Nation One Ration Card ...... 4 3) Chitra Gene LAMP-N: new Covid-19 3) Essential Commodities Act 1955 ...... 5 diagnostic test kit ...... 33 4) Ayushman Bharat Scheme ...... 6 4) BHIM app and NPCI ...... 34 ENVIRONMENT ...... 8 4) Darknet / Darkweb ...... 35 1) Cyclones ...... 8 5) LiDAR ...... 36 2) Locust attack ...... 8 HEALTH ...... 37 3) IMD ...... 10 1) Superspreaders ...... 37 4) Pashmina Goats ...... 10 2) Coronavirus ...... 37 5) National Disaster Management Act ...... 11 3) Hydroxychloroquine ...... 39 6) #SaalBhar60 ...... 11 4) Remdesivir ...... 40 7) State of India's Environment 2020 in Figures 13 5) Clade A3i ...... 41 8) World Environment day 2020 ...... 17 6) World Health organisation ...... 41 9) Sunderbans ...... 18 ART & CULTURE ...... 42 ECONOMY ...... 18 1) Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural 1) Hike in MSP ...... 18 Heritage (INTACH) ...... 42 2) Rating agencies ...... 19 2) Battle of Bhima Koregaon ...... 42 3) MSMEs definition ...... 20 3) Archaeological sites/monuments of Pakistan 4) Electronics manufacturing schemes ...... 21 Occupied Kashmir (PoK) ...... 43 5) Periodic Labour Force Survey ...... 21 4) Saindhava empire ...... 45 6) Foreign Portfolio Investment ...... 22 PIB ANAYSIS ...... 46 7) Payment Infrastructure Development Fund . 23 1) Jal Jeevan Mission ...... 46 8) Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code ...... 23 2) Kisan Credit Card ...... 47 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ...... 25 3) Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi 1) G7 Summit ...... 25 Pariyojana ...... 47 2) U.S. exit from WHO ...... 25 4) TRIFED ...... 48 3) Hong Kong security law ...... 26 5) Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port ...... 48 4) Tiananmen Square Massacre ...... 27 6) Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian 5) GAVI Alliance ...... 27 Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) ...... 49 6) India-Australia virtual bilateral summit ...... 28 7) The Urban Learning Internship Program 7) United Nations Security Council ...... 28 (TULIP) ...... 50 8) China-Pakistan Economic Corridor ...... 29 8) Atal Innovation Mission ...... 51 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ...... 31 9) Institute of Eminence ...... 52 1) International Space Station (ISS) ...... 31

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News in Depth AIR NEWS ...... 53 3) World Health Organisation and India’s Policy 1) Vande Bharat Mission ...... 53 approach ...... 57 2) PM SVANIDHI ...... 53 4) Free electricity to farm ...... 57 3) SWADES initiative ...... 53 5) Alternative Protein ...... 58 4) Mahatma Gandhi National Rural INDIAN EXPRESS EXPLAINED ...... 60 Employment Guarantee Program ...... 54 1) India-China Border issues ...... 60 THE HINDU EDITORIALS ...... 55 2) Inner Line Permit and its CAA context ...... 61 1) Universal Basic Income and the need for it 3) Essential Commodities Act and need for its now ...... 55 amendment: ...... 62 2) Fortifying the Africa Outreach ...... 55

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News @ a glance POLITY

1) PM CARES Fund ▪ The term "Corporate Social GS-Paper 2: Transparency and Responsibility" in general can be Accountability, Right To referred to as a corporate initiative to Information assess and take responsibility for the What is PM CARES Fund? company's effects on the environment ▪ ‘Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and and impact on social welfare. Few Relief in Emergency Situations Fund’ (PM activities, which can be undertaken by a CARES Fund)’ is a dedicated national company under CSR include, fund with the primary objective of ▪ Eradicating hunger, poverty & dealing with any kind of emergency or malnutrition, promoting preventive distress situation, like posed by the health care & sanitation & making COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief available safe drinking water; to the affected. ▪ Promoting education, including special ▪ Prime Minister is the ex-officio education & employment enhancing Chairman of the PM CARES Fund and vocational skills especially among Minister of Defence, Minister of Home children, women, elderly & the differently Affairs and Minister of Finance, unable & livelihood enhancement Government of India are ex-officio projects; Trustees of the Fund. ▪ Employment enhancing vocational skills Key objectives : ▪ Protection of national heritage, art & ▪ To undertake and support relief or culture including restoration of buildings assistance of any kind relating to a public & sites of historical importance & works health emergency or any other kind of of art; setting up public libraries; emergency, calamity or distress, either ▪ promotion & development of traditional man-made or natural, including the arts & handicrafts; etc.. creation or upgradation of healthcare or

pharmaceutical facilities, other necessary ▪ PM CARES Fund has also got exemption infrastructure, funding relevant research under the FCRA and a separate account or any other type of support. for receiving foreign donations has been ▪ To render financial assistance, provide opened. This enables PM CARES Fund to grants of payments of money or take such accept donations and contributions from other steps as may be deemed necessary individuals and organizations based in by the Board of Trustees to the affected foreign countries. population.

Tax and other Exemptions: ▪ Donations to PM CARES Fund would ▪ Foreign Contribution Regulation Act qualify for 100% exemption under the (FCRA), 2010 Income Tax Act, 1961. ▪ Foreign funding of voluntary organizations ▪ Donations to the Fund will also qualify to in India is regulated under FCRA act and is be counted as Corporate Social implemented by the Ministry of Home Responsibility (CSR) expenditure under Affairs. the Companies Act, 2013 ▪ It regulates the acceptance and utilization of foreign contribution or foreign hospitality by certain individuals or associations or

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companies. ▪ If information sought concerns the life or ▪ The Acts ensures that the recipients of liberty of a person, it shall be supplied foreign contributions adhere to the stated within 48 hours. purpose for which such contribution has Section- 7 (8): Reason to rejection: been obtained. ▪ Where a request has been rejected ,the Central Public Information Officer or State Public Information Officer, as the case Why in News? may be, shall communicate to the person ▪ The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has making the request, refused to disclose details on the creation ▪ The reasons for such rejection; and operation of the PM CARES Fund, ▪ The period within which an appeal against telling an RTI applicant that the fund is such rejection may be preferred; and “not a public authority” within the ambit ▪ The particulars of the Appellate of the RTI Act, 2005. Authority. Section 8 (1) :Exemptions against About RTI Act 2005 ▪ The basic objective of the Right to furnishing information under RTI Information Act is to empower the Act. citizens, promote transparency and ▪ Section 8 (2) provides for disclosure of accountability in the working of the Public information exempted under Official Authorities, contain corruption, and make Secrets Act, 1923 if larger public interest our democracy work for the people in real is served. sense. ▪ Section- 24 (1): Non applicable to Key Sections of the Act: Intelligence and Security agencies: ▪ Section- 2 (h): "Public Authority" means ▪ Nothing contained in this Act shall apply any authority or body or institution of self to the intelligence and security government established or constituted: organisations specified in the Second ▪ By or under the Constitution, Schedule, being organisations established ▪ By any other law made by Parliament; by the Central Government or any ▪ By any other law made by the State information furnished by such Legislature; organisations to that Government. ▪ By notification issued or order made by the appropriate Government ▪ It also includes any: 2) One Nation One Ration Card ▪ Body owned, controlled or substantially ▪ Gs Paper 2- Government policies and financed; interventions for development, Welfare ▪ Non-Government Organisation schemes for vulnerable sections substantially financed directly or What is a ration card? indirectly by funds provided by the ▪ A ration card is issued to the head of the appropriate Government. family, depending on the number of ▪ Section 4(2) of the RTI Act mandates members in a family and the financial every public authority to provide as much status of the applicant. information suo- motu to the public at ▪ It is used by households to get essential regular intervals through various means food grains at subsidised prices from of communications, including the Internet, designated ration shops (also called fair so that the public need not resort to the price shops) under the Targeted Public use of RTI Act. Distribution System (TPDS). Section- 7 (1): Time limit for the supply ▪ The responsibility of identifying eligible of information families and issuing ration cards to them ▪ In normal course, information to an rests with the state/UT government. applicant is to be supplied within 30 days Background: from the receipt of application by the ▪ PDS was started in India in 1947 to public authority. distribute food items to the poor at

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subsidised rates. Later in 2013, it was subsequently get denied their right to revamped and strengthened with the food. enactment of the National Food Security ▪ To address the state of food security in Act, (NFSA) 2013. the country and combat the problem of hunger, the government has started the ▪ The National Food Security Act, 2013 ‘One Nation, One Ration Card’ facility. was launched with the objective to Benefits of One Nation, One Ration Card provide for food and nutritional security ▪ The ONORC scheme attempts to address in human life cycle approach, by ensuring this gap in TPDS delivery. access to adequate quantity of quality ▪ The scheme has been launched keeping in food at affordable prices to people to live mind the internal migration of our a life with dignity. country, since people keep moving to ▪ The Act provides for coverage of upto different states in search of better job 75% of the rural population and upto opportunities and higher standards of 50% of the urban population for living. receiving subsidized foodgrains under ▪ As per Census 2011, 4.1 crore people Targeted Public Distribution System were inter-state migrants and 1.4 crore (TPDS), thus covering about two-thirds of people migrated (inter and intra-state) for the population. The eligible persons will employment. be entitled to receive 5 Kgs of foodgrains ▪ The new system, based on a technological per person per month at subsidised prices solution, will identify a beneficiary of Rs. 3/2/1 per Kg for rice/wheat/coarse through biometric authentication on grains. electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices ▪ The Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) installed at the FPSs, and enable that households, which constitute the poorest person to purchase the quantity of food of the poor, will receive 35 Kgs of grains to which she is entitled under the foodgrains per household per month. NFSA. ▪ Under NFSA, the government is obliged to Why in News? give subsidised food grains every month ▪ Three more states — Odisha, Sikkim and to the beneficiaries identified by each Mizoram — have joined the ‘One Nation- state government on the basis of the One Ration Card’ scheme, taking the economic status of households. number of states and union territories ▪ Implemented in all states and Union which have joined the scheme to 20. Territories, PDS is currently covering 3) Essential Commodities Act about 81.35 crore persons identified by each state government via more than 5 1955 Lakh ration shops across the country, as Gs Paper 2- Government policies and per the estimates of the Department of interventions for development Food and Public Distribution. About Commodities Act 1955: What is the one ‘One Nation, One Ration ▪ The Essential Commodities Act, 1955 was Card’ system? enacted by Parliament to ensure the ▪ In the present system, a ration cardholder delivery of certain commodities or can buy food grains only from an FPS that products, the supply of which may be has been assigned to her in the locality in obstructed due to hoarding or black which she lives. marketing. ▪ If a beneficiary were to shift to another ▪ The measures that can be taken under the state, he/she would need to apply for a provisions of the Act include licensing, new ration card in the second state. distribution and imposing stock limits. ▪ However, the migration of the poor from ▪ The list of items under the Act includes rural areas to urban locations is more drugs, fertilisers, pulses and edible oils, commonplace. and petroleum and its products. ▪ Thus, geographical location being one of ▪ The Centre can include new commodities the hindrances that migrant workers face as and when the need arises, and takes in order to claim their quota of grains and

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them off the list once the situation their area, expanding access, universality improves. and equity close to the community. How does it work? ▪ The emphasis of health promotion and ▪ If the Centre finds that a certain prevention is designed to bring focus on commodity is in short supply and its price keeping people healthy by engaging and is spiking, it can notify stock-holding empowering individuals and communities limits on it for a specified period. to choose healthy behaviours and make ▪ The States act on this notification to changes that reduce the risk of developing specify limits and take steps to ensure chronic diseases and morbidities. that these are adhered to. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM- ▪ Anybody trading or dealing in a JAY) commodity, be it wholesalers, retailers or ▪ Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY is the largest even importers are prevented from health assurance scheme in the world stockpiling it beyond a certain quantity. which aims at providing a health cover of ▪ Also, the traders have to immediately sell Rs. 5 lakhs per family per year for into the market any stocks held beyond secondary and tertiary care the mandated quantity. hospitalization to over 10 crores poor ▪ Thus, the Government has invoked the Act and vulnerable families that form the indefinite times to ensure adequate bottom 40% of the Indian population. supplies and cracked down on hoarders ▪ The households included are based on the and black-marketeers of such deprivation and occupational criteria of commodities. Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011 (SECC Why in News? 2011) for rural and urban areas ▪ The Union Cabinet recently approved an respectively. amendment to the Essential ▪ PM-JAY was earlier known as the Commodities Act of 1955 to National Health Protection Scheme “deregulate” agricultural commodities (NHPS) .It subsumed the then existing like cereals, pulses, oilseeds, onions and Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana potatoes besides promulgating an (RSBY) and the Senior Citizen Health ordinance to allow farmers to engage with Insurance Scheme (SCHIS). processors, aggregators, large retailers, Key Features : exporters. ▪ PM-JAY is the world’s largest health 4) Ayushman Bharat Scheme insurance/ assurance scheme fully financed by the government. ▪ Gs Paper 2- Government policies and ▪ It provides a cover of Rs. 5 lakhs per interventions for development of health, family per year for secondary and Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections tertiary care hospitalization across About Ayushman Bharat public and private empanelled ▪ Ayushman Bharat is an attempt to move hospitals in India. from sectoral and segmented approach of ▪ Over 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable health service delivery to a entitled families (approximately 50 crore comprehensive need-based health care beneficiaries) are eligible for these service. Ayushman Bharat adopts a benefits. continuum of care approach, comprising ▪ PM-JAY provides cashless access to of two interrelated components, which health care services for the beneficiary are - at the point of service, that is, the hospital. ▪ Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) ▪ There is no restriction on the family ▪ Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM- size, age or gender. JAY) ▪ All pre–existing conditions are covered Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) from day one. ▪ Health and Wellness Centers are ▪ Benefits of the scheme are portable across envisaged to deliver an expanded range of the country i.e. a beneficiary can visit any services to address the primary health empanelled public or private hospital in care needs of the entire population in India to avail cashless treatment.

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▪ Public hospitals are reimbursed for the ▪ Inter-alia, its functions include healthcare services at par with the private formulation of PM JAY policies, hospitals. development of operational guidelines, About National Health Authority (NHA): implementation mechanisms, and ▪ The National Health Authority (NHA) is coordination with state governments, the apex agency of the Government of monitoring and oversight, among others. India responsible for the design, roll-out, Why in News? implementation and management of ▪ The Supreme Court asked the government Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan to respond to whether COVID-19 patients, Arogya Yojana (AB-PM JAY) across the who are not beneficiaries under the country. Ayushman Bharat scheme, can be treated ▪ NHA functions as an attached office of the in private hospitals at the same Ministry of Health and Family Welfare subsidised rates offered under the and is governed by a Governing board scheme. chaired by the Union Minister of Health & Family welfare and has 11 members.

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ENVIRONMENT

1) Cyclones troposphere. They occur majorly in the About: mid-latitudes of the earth. ▪ Cyclones are any large system of winds Conditions to form a tropical cyclone that circulates about a centre of low ▪ The conditions favourable for the atmospheric pressure in a counter formation and intensification of tropical clockwise direction north of the Equator storms are: and in a clockwise direction to the south. ▪ Large sea surface with temperature ▪ Cyclonic winds move across nearly all higher than 27° C; regions of the Earth except the ▪ Presence of the Coriolis force; equatorial belt and are generally ▪ Small variations in the vertical wind associated with rain or snow. speed; ▪ It has a low pressure centre and clouds ▪ A pre-existing weak low-pressure area or spiralling towards the eye wall low-level-cyclonic circulation; surrounding the "eye", the central part of ▪ Upper divergence above the sea level the system where the weather is normally system calm and free of clouds. Its diameter is Why in the news? typically around 200 to 500 km, but can ▪ The cyclone Nisarga made landfall near reach 1000 km. Mumbai. ▪ There are two types of cyclones, tropical Facts about Arabian Sea Cyclones: cyclones and extratropical cyclones. ▪ The frequency of the tropical cyclones in Tropical cyclones are explained below. the Arabian sea has been comparatively ▪ Tropical cyclone brings very violent less when compared to that of Bay of winds, torrential rain, high waves and, in Bengal. As per the scientists, this trend some cases, very destructive storm surges has been gradually changing. and coastal flooding. ▪ Also, the cyclones which are formed in the ▪ This weather phenomenon is named with Arabian Sea side are far more weaker that different terms depending on the location. those formed in the Bay of Bengal. The ▪ In the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, relatively cold waters of the Arabian Sea the North Atlantic Ocean and the eastern discourage the kind of very strong and central North Pacific Ocean, such a cyclones that are formed on the Bay of weather phenomenon is called Bengal side. "hurricane" ▪ However, 2019 was slightly unusual as ▪ In the western North Pacific, it is called the Arabian Sea saw the most frequent "typhoon" and intense cyclonic activity in more than ▪ In the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, it is 100 years. called "cyclone" 2) Locust attack ▪ In western South Pacific and southeast About: Indian Ocean, it is called “severe tropical ▪ Locusts are insects related to cyclone” grasshoppers, these insects form ▪ In the southwest Indian Ocean, it is called enormous swarms (dense group of flying “tropical cyclone” insects) that spread across regions, ▪ Extratropical cyclones have their devouring crops and leaving serious strongest winds near the tropopause, agricultural damage in their wake. which is about 8 miles above the surface. ▪ They have big hind legs than These differences are due to the tropical grasshoppers which gives them greater cyclone being "warm-core" in the thrust to hop and fly. troposphere, whereas extra-tropical ▪ They have two phases in life: solitary cyclones are "warm-core" in the phase and gregarious phase. stratosphere and "cold-core" in the ▪ During dry spells, solitary locusts are forced together in the patchy areas of land

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with remaining vegetation, but when ▪ In these circumstances, they shift rains return—producing moist soil and completely from their solitary lifestyle to abundant green plants—those a group lifestyle in what’s called the environmental conditions create a perfect gregarious phase. Locusts can even storm: Locusts begin to produce rapidly change color and body shape when they and become even more crowded move into this phase. Their endurance together. increases and even their brains get larger.

▪ Locust swarms are typically in motion ▪ They can be controlled to certain extent and can cover vast distances—some by spraying pesticides. species may travel 130 km or more a day. ▪ They can be threatened away by making ▪ There can be about 180 million locusts in loud sounds. a swarm. ▪ They can be collected and can be used in ▪ They travel during the day and rest in the the poultry industry as they are a good night. But wherever they settle, they source of protein. destroy every crop. Why in the news? ▪ Each locust can eat its weight in plants ▪ The states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, each day, so a swarm of such size would Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are eat 423 million pounds of plants every experiencing locust attack. day. ▪ These locust swarms have been travelling Prevention from African region, and entered Indian

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subcontinent because of favourable snow, cold and heat waves, etc., which winds. cause destruction of life and property. ▪ Proper control of these swarms is ▪ To provide meteorological statistics necessary to avoid plagues caused by required for agriculture, water resource their destruction. management, industries, oil exploration 3) IMD and other nation-building activities. About ▪ To conduct and promote research in meteorology and allied disciplines. ▪ To detect and locate earthquakes and to evaluate seismicity in different parts of the country for development projects Why in the news? ▪ The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has scaled up its weather warning, issuing a red alert for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad in the wake of cyclone Nisarga. 4) Pashmina Goats About:

▪ In the year 1875, the Government of India established the India Meteorological Department, bringing all meteorological work in the country under a central authority. ▪ IMD is headquartered in New Delhi. At present IMD is under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). ▪ The Changthangi goat,also known as ▪ IMD has continuously ventured into new Pashmina goat or Changra goat, is an areas of application and service, and animal found in the cold, arid region steadily built upon its infra-structure in surrounding Ladakh in Kashmir, India. its history of 140 years. It has The breed is raised mainly for it’s ultra- simultaneously nurtured the growth of fine cashmere wool production. meteorology and atmospheric science in ▪ This cashmere wool is known as India. Pashmina once woven. The breed was Functions: also reared for meat production in the ▪ To take meteorological observations and past. Changthangi goat is a cashmere goat, to provide current and forecast and this type of goat grows a thick, warm meteorological information for optimum undercoat which is the source of Kashmir operation of weather-sensitive activities Pashmina wool. And the Kashmir like agriculture, irrigation, shipping, Pashmina wool is considered as the aviation, offshore oil explorations, etc. world’s finest cashmere, measuring ▪ To warn against severe weather between 12-15 microns in fiber phenomena like tropical cyclones, thickness. norwesters, dust storms, heavy rains and ▪ This wool is used for Kashmir's famous Pashmina Shawls. Shawls made from

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Pashmina wool are exported worldwide ▪ lay down guidelines to be followed by the at a very high price and considered as the State Authorities in drawing up the State finest of its kind. Plan; ▪ The Changthangi goat is usually ▪ Lay down guidelines to be followed by the domesticated and raised by nomadic different Ministries or Departments of the communities called the Changpa in the Government of India for the purpose of Changthang region of Greater Ladakh, integrating the measures for prevention Kashmir. of disaster or the mitigation of its effects Why in the news? in their development plans and projects; ▪ Due to the tussle between India- China in ▪ Coordinate the enforcement and ladakh, the nomadic changpa community implementation of the policy and plan for is not able to move for grazing. disaster management; ▪ This has affected the pashmina goats. ▪ Recommend provision of funds for the Timely survival is necessary for their purpose of mitigation; survival. ▪ Provide such support to other countries ▪ Lack of grazing has increased the affected by major disasters as may be mortality of newborn pashmina kids. determined by the Central Government; 5) National Disaster Management ▪ Take such other measures for the Act prevention of disaster, or the mitigation, or preparedness and capacity building for About: dealing with the threatening disaster ▪ This Act was enacted in 2005 to provide situation or disaster as it may consider for the effective management of disasters necessary; and for matters connected with it. ▪ Lay down broad policies and guidelines ▪ To deal with the purposes of this Act, an for the functioning of the National authority to be known as the National Institute of Disaster Management. Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) ▪ The Chairperson of the National Authority was established. shall, in the case of emergency, have ▪ The following are members of NDMA power to exercise all or any of the powers • the Prime Minister of India, who shall of the National Authority but exercise of be the Chairperson of the National such powers shall be subject to ex post Authority, facto ratification by the National ▪ ex officio; Authority. • other members, not exceeding nine, to ▪ A National Executive committee will be nominated by the Chairperson of the assist the National Authority in the National performance of its functions. It includes ▪ Authority. Secretaries of concerned departments. ▪ (3) The Chairperson of the National They look after the formulation of the Authority may designate one of the national plan and its execution and members nominated to be the Vice- coordination from the concerned Chairperson of the National Authority. departments. Power and functions of National Authority Why in the news? ▪ The National Authority shall have the ▪ Opposition parties are demanding proper responsibility for laying down the use of national disaster management act policies, plans and guidelines for disaster to solve the migrant issues occurred due management for ensuring timely and to COVID 19. effective response to disaster. It may: ▪ lay down policies on disaster 6) #SaalBhar60 management; About ▪ approve the National Plan; ▪ A new video by Jhatkaa.org, titled ▪ approve plans prepared by the Ministries #SaalBhar60, calls on citizens to or Departments of the Government of participate in a nationwide digital India in accordance with the National movement on June 5, World Environment Plan;

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Day, by sharing photos from their city ▪ The following are the objectives of the demanding “Clean Air for All.” A NCAP corresponding petition on the platform Tenure asks for the initiation of an autonomous ▪ In its first mid-term five year action plan “Clean Air Authority” who will solely be with 2019 as base year it will be reviewed in-charge of reducing air pollution levels. in 2024. It can be extended to 20-25 years ▪ The campaign demands that the in long term after mid-term outcomes. Government put in place measures to Objectives: ensure that the PM 2.5 levels in cities is ▪ Stringent implementation of mitigation 60 micrograms per cubic metre measures for prevention, control (μg/m3), which is the safe limit (for 24 management of air pollution. hours) as prescribed by the Central ▪ Augment and strengthen air quality Pollution Control Board (CPCB). monitoring networks across the country. ▪ This will ensure a safe and healthy ▪ Augment public awareness and capacity environment as well as boost the fight building measures. against COVID-19 post lockdown. Target ▪ This campaign will help in better ▪ National level target of 20-30% implementation of the National clean Air reduction of PM 2.5 and PM 10 Programme undertaken by CPCB. concentration in at least 102 cities by Jhatkaa.org 2024 (from 2017 level). ▪ Jhatkaa.org is a digital campaigning ▪ Approach: organisation committed to building ▪ Multi-sectoral and collaborative. grassroots citizen power across India in ▪ Mainstreaming and integration into the effective and innovative ways. existing policies and programmes of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Government of India including NAPCC. About ▪ Use of Smart Cities framework to launch ▪ The Central Pollution Control Board NCAP in the 43 smart cities falling in the (CPCB), statutory organisation, was list of 102 non-attainment cities. constituted in September, 1974 under the IMPLEMENTATION OF NCAP Water (Prevention and Control of ▪ The CPCB shall execute the nation-wide Pollution) Act, 1974. programme for the prevention, control, ▪ Further, CPCB was entrusted with the and abatement of air pollution within the powers and functions under the Air framework of the NCAP. (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, ▪ The NCAP will be institutionalized by 1981. respective ministries and will be ▪ Principal functions of the CPCB, as spelt out organized through inter-sectoral in the Water (Prevention and Control of groups, which include, in addition to the Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention related ministries, the Ministry of and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 are Finance, Ministry of Health, NITI Aayog, ▪ To promote cleanliness of streams and CPCB, experts from the industry, wells in different areas of the States by academia, and civil society. prevention, control and abatement of water ▪ The Ministry of Road Transport and pollution, and Highways (MoRTH) acts as a nodal ▪ To improve the quality of air and to prevent, agency for the implementation of various control or abate air pollution in the country provisions on control of air pollution from National Clean Air Programme vehicles through Motor Vehicle Act, 1988, About and Central Motor Vehicle Rules 1989 ▪ It is a national-level strategy for reducing ▪ The Apex Committee in the Ministry will the levels of air pollution at both the periodically review the progress of these regional and urban scales. Components.

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7) State of India's Environment ▪ This report was released by the Centre 2020 in Figures for Science and Environment (CSE) on World Environment day, 2020. About:

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▪ It discusses data on India’s environment ▪ CSE researches into, lobbies for and and development. It displays subjects communicates the urgency of ranging from COVID-19 and pandemics, development that is both sustainable and Development in the states, Migration and equitable. Climate Change. To Air Pollution, Forests Why in the news? and Wildlife, Employment, Waste and ▪ This report has given out comprehensive Housing. analysis of the ongoing problems faced by Center for Science and Environment India and gives statistical e-compendium ▪ Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) of India's stand. is a public interest research and advocacy ▪ The following are mentioned statistics: organisation based in New Delhi.

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8) World Environment day 2020 ▪ The theme of World Environment 2020 is About: 'celebrating biodiversity' — a concern ▪ World Environment Day has been that is both urgent and existential. The celebrated since 1974 on June5, to mark fact is that the current environmental the Conference on the Human crisis is a warning that we must heed Environment, or the Stockholm collectively. We must now fundamentally Conference, held from June 5-16. rethink our relationship with the living ▪ World Environment Day has helped UNEP world, with natural ecosystems and their to raise awareness and generate political biodiversity. momentum around growing concerns, ▪ The day was hosted in Colombia in such as the depletion of the ozone layer, partnership with Germany. toxic chemicals, desertification and global Stockholm Conference warming. ▪ United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, by name Stockholm Conference, the first United Nations (UN)

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conference that focused on international ▪ The Sundarbans are a part of the world’s environmental issues. largest delta formed by the rivers Ganges, ▪ The conference, held in Stockholm, Brahmaputra and Meghna. Sweden, from June 5 to 16, 1972, reflected ▪ Sunderban is a vast area covering 4262 a growing interest in conservation issues square kms in India alone, with a larger worldwide and laid the foundation for portion in Bangladesh. 2585 sq. kms of global environmental governance. the Indian Sundarban forms the largest ▪ The Stockholm Conference also led to the Tiger Reserve and National Park in India. creation of the United Nations The total area of the Indian part of the Environment Programme (UNEP) in Sundarban forest is about 4,262 sq km, of December 1972 to coordinate global which 2,125 sq km is occupied by efforts to promote sustainability and mangrove forest across 56 islands and the safeguard the natural environment. balance is under water. 9) Sunderbans ▪ It got its name from one of the mangrove About: plants known as Sundari (Heritiera Minor).

▪ Four protected areas in the Sundarbans ▪ It is the only mangrove habitat in the are enlisted as UNESCO World Heritage world for Royal Bengal Tiger. Sites, viz Sundarbans National Park, Cyclone Amphan Sundarbans West, Sundarbans South and ▪ It is a super tropical cyclone which hit Sundarbans East Wildlife Sanctuaries. eastern India and Bangladesh in May ▪ It is also a Ramsar site on the Indian side. 2020. It was the most devastating cyclone ▪ The Sundarbans is of universal since Cyclone Sidr, which hit in 2007 importance for globally endangered Why in the news? species including the Royal Bengal Tiger, ▪ 10% of the Sundarban Area in the Indian Ganges and Irawadi dolphins, estuarine side has been destroyed by Cyclone crocodiles and the critically endangered Amphan, which hit the delta in May 2020. endemic river terrapin (Batagur baska). ECONOMY 1) Hike in MSP About MSP

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▪ Minimum Support Price (MSP) is a form MSPs for all mandated kharif crops, of market intervention by the including paddy, pulses and cotton, for Government to insure agricultural the 2020-21 marketing season. producers against any sharp fall in farm ▪ The increase in MSP for kharif crops is in prices. line with the Union Budget 2018-19 ▪ The minimum support prices are announcement of fixing the MSPs at a announced by the Government at the level of at least 1.5 times of the all- beginning of the sowing season for India weighted average cost of certain crops on the basis of the production, aiming at reasonably fair recommendations of the Commission for remuneration for the farmers. Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). How is the production cost arrived at? Significance ▪ As per CACP, there are three definitions of ▪ MSPs are a guaranteed price for their production cost which includes A2, produce from the Government. The A2+FL and C2. major objectives are to support the 1. A2 covers all paid-out expenses, farmers from distress sales and to including cash and in kind. It includes procure food grains for public costs on seeds, chemicals, hired labour, distribution. irrigation, fertilisers and fuel. ▪ In case the market price for the 2. A2+FL covers actual paid cost and also commodity falls below the announced unpaid family labour. minimum price due to bumper 3. C2 cost method is more comprehensive production and glut in the market, and makes the calculation by including a government agencies purchase the wider range of inputs. It includes actual entire quantity offered by the farmers at paid out costs, imputed value of family the announced minimum price. labour, interest on the value of owned About CACP capital assets, rent paid for leased-in ▪ The Commission for Agricultural Costs & land and the rental value of owned Prices is an attached office of the land. Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers ▪ Farmers have been demanding that MSP Welfare. It came into existence in 1965. should be 1.5 times of C2. The National ▪ It is mandated to recommend MSPs to Commission on Farmers (NCF) headed by incentivize the cultivators to adopt MS Swaminathan also recommended the modern technology, and raise C2 method to calculate MSP. However, at productivity and overall grain production present, MSP is calculated based on the in line with the emerging demand A2+FL method. patterns in the country. 2) Rating agencies ▪ As of now, CACP recommends MSPs of 23 What is a Rating Agency? commodities, which comprise 7 cereals ▪ A rating agency is a company that (paddy, wheat, maize, sorghum, pearl assesses the financial strength of millet, barley and ragi), 5 pulses (gram, companies and government entities, tur, moong, urad, lentil), 7 oilseeds especially their ability to meet principal (groundnut, rapeseed-mustard, soyabean, and interest payments on their debts. seasmum, sunflower, safflower, niger ▪ The rating shows an agency’s level of seed), and 4 commercial crops (copra, confidence that the borrower will honor sugarcane, cotton and raw jute). its debt obligations as agreed. Each ▪ The CACP submits its recommendations agency uses unique letter-based scores to to the government. The Cabinet indicate if a debt has a low or high default Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) risk and the financial stability of its makes a final decision on the level of issuer. MSPs and other recommendations made ▪ The debt issuers may be sovereign by the CACP. nations, local and state governments, Why in News? special purpose institutions, companies, ▪ The Cabinet Committee on Economic or non-profit organizations. Affairs has approved an increase in the

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How ratings affect the market? ▪ The negative outlook reflects dominant, ▪ At the corporate level, companies mutually-reinforcing, downside risks planning to issue a security must find a from deeper stresses in the economy and rating agency to rate their debt. Rating financial system that could lead to a more agencies such as Moody’s, Standards and severe and prolonged erosion in fiscal Poor’s, and Fitch perform the rating strength than Moody’s current projects. service for a fee. Investors rely on the ▪ In other words, a “negative” implies India ratings to decide on whether to buy or could be rated down further. not to buy a company’s securities. 3) MSMEs definition ▪ At the country level, investors rely on the Background ratings given by the credit rating agencies ▪ Recently, the government decided to to make investment decisions. Many change the basic definition of MSME and countries sell their securities in the also end the difference between the international market, and a good credit manufacturing and services sector. rating can help them access high-value ▪ Till now, MSMEs are categorised based investors. A favorable rating may also only on the investment in machinery or attract other forms of investments like equipment. The new classification has foreign direct investments to a country. raised the investment limit and ▪ A rating downgrade means that bonds included annual turnover as an issued by the governments are now additional criteria. “riskier” than before. Lower risk is better 1. Accordingly, units having investment less because it allows governments and than Rs 1 crore and turnover less than Rs companies of that country to raise debts 5 crore will be called Micro units. at a lower rate of interest. 2. Investment between Rs 1 and Rs 10 crore Why in News? and turnover of Rs 5 crore to Rs 50 crore ▪ Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”), a will be categorised as Small Enterprises. leading rating agency, has downgraded 3. Units having investment between Rs 10 the Government of India’s foreign- crore but up to Rs 50 crore and turnover currency and local-currency long-term between Rs 50 crore and Rs 250 crore issuer ratings to “Baa3” from “Baa2”. It will now be known as Medium stated that the outlook remained Enterprises. “negative”. Rationale for the move What is the reason for this downgrade? ▪ It has been a long-standing demand from ▪ There are four main reasons why Moody’s industry to hike the investment limits, as has taken the decision. with inflation, units often cross the 1. Weak implementation of economic threshold that will bring them benefits. To reforms since 2017 prevent this, they either run their 2. Relatively low economic growth over a operations at a reduced level or sustained period incorporate multiple units so that 3. A significant deterioration in the fiscal turnover is distributed in a way that they position of governments (central and remain within the threshold that will give state) them the benefits. 4. And the rising stress in India’s financial ▪ With the revised definitions of MSMEs, sector they will not have to worry about growing ▪ In November last year, Moody’s changed their size and can still avail benefits. the outlook on India’s Baa2 rating to Why in News? “negative” from “stable” precisely because ▪ The Cabinet Committee on Economic these risks were increasing. Affairs has approved the expanded ▪ Since many of the apprehensions that it definition of micro, small and medium had in November 2019 have come enterprises (MSMEs) that will include a through, Moody’s has downgraded the higher investment limit and an additional rating to “Baa3” from “Baa2”, while norm based on turnover. maintaining the negative outlook. What does “negative” outlook mean?

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4) Electronics manufacturing employment and unemployment but from schemes 2017 onwards, the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) was launched by the Background NSSO. ▪ In March 2020, to boost large-scale ▪ It aimed to provide quarterly electronics manufacturing in India, the employment and unemployment data Union Cabinet approved three schemes ▪ Under the PLFS, households are selected with a total outlay of almost Rs 48,000 in both rural and urban areas by crore. providing 75 per cent weightage to ▪ The three schemes together will enable households where at least one member large-scale electronics manufacturing, a has secondary education (Class 10) or domestic supply chain ecosystem of above. components and a state-of-the-art ▪ PLFS is India’s first computer-based infrastructure and common facilities for survey which gives estimates of Key large anchor units and their supply chain employment and unemployment partners. Indicators like the Labour Force ▪ The schemes are expected to attract new Participation Rates (LFPR), Worker investments worth at least Rs 50,000 Population Ratio (WPR), Unemployment crore in the sector, while generating more Rate (UR), etc. These indicators are than five lakh direct and 15 lakh indirect defined as follows: jobs. 1. Labour Force Participation Rate News in Detail (LFPR): LFPR is defined as the percentage ▪ The production-linked incentive of persons in the labour force (i.e. scheme aims to attract large investments working or seeking or available for work) in mobile phone manufacturing and in the population. specified electronic components. The 2. Worker Population Ratio (WPR): WPR scheme will offer an incentive of 4-6% on is defined as the percentage of employed incremental sales of goods manufactured persons in the population. in India and is expected to create a total of 3. Unemployment Rate (UR): UR is defined 8 lakh jobs. as the percentage of persons unemployed ▪ The ‘Scheme for Promotion of among the persons in the labour force. Manufacturing of Electronics 4. Activity Status- Usual Status: The Components and Semiconductors’ will activity status of a person is determined give a financial incentive of 25% on on the basis of the activities pursued by capital expenditure for the identified list the person during the specified reference of electronic goods. period. When the activity status is ▪ The third scheme, Electronics determined on the basis of the reference Manufacturing Clusters (EMC) 2.0, aims period of the last 365 days preceding at creating quality infrastructure with a the date of survey, it is known as the minimum area of 200 acres along with usual activity status of the person. industry-specific facilities such as 5. Activity Status- Current Weekly Status common facility centres, ready-built (CWS): The activity status determined on factory sheds/ plug-and-play facilities. the basis of a reference period of last 7 The scheme is expected to create about 10 days preceding the date of survey is lakh jobs. known as the current weekly status Why in News? (CWS) of the person. ▪ The government has unveiled the ▪ The PLFS also gives the distribution of guidelines for electronics manufacturing educated and unemployed people, which schemes. in turn can be used as a basis for skilling 5) Periodic Labour Force Survey of youth to make them more employable About PLFS by industry. ▪ In India, the National Sample Survey Objective of PLFS Organisation (NSSO) has been ▪ The objective of PLFS is primarily quinquennially collecting data on twofold:

21 o to estimate the key employment and What is Foreign What is Foreign unemployment indicators (viz. Worker Direct Portfolio Population Ratio, Labour Force Investment Investment Participation Rate, Unemployment Rate) (FDI)? (FPI)? in the short time interval of three ▪ It is the ▪ It is similar to months for the urban areas only in the investment made FDI but here, the Current Weekly Status (CWS) by a person or a investor holds o to estimate employment and company in one only passive unemployment indicators in both Usual country into financial assets status and CWS in both rural and urban businesses located of a foreign areas annually. in another company. Why in News? country. ▪ The investor may ▪ National Sample Survey Organisation has ▪ Generally, FDI simply hold released the latest Periodic Labour Force takes place when equities or Survey. an investor securities of Highlights of the report establishes foreign foreign-based ▪ India’s unemployment rate improved business companies. from the 45-year high of 6.1% in 2017-18 operations or to 5.8% in 2018-19. The report shows the acquires foreign dip came across all categories, though business assets. women and rural workers showed the most improvement. Key differences ▪ Women’s unemployment fell from 5.7% ▪ FDI involves establishing a direct to 5.2%, while male unemployment only business interest in a foreign country, fell from 6.2% to 6%. Urban while FPI refers to investing in financial unemployment was still at a high of assets such as stocks or bonds in a foreign 7.7% in 2018-19, a marginal drop from country. 7.8% in 2017-18, while rural ▪ FDI usually aims to take control of the unemployment fell from 5.3% to 5%. company in which investment is made ▪ The labour force participation rate also whereas FPI aims to reap profits by improved marginally, from 36.9% in investing in shares and bonds of the 2017-18 to 37.5% in 2018-19. invested entity without taking part in ▪ The female participation rate improved management of the company. in both urban and rural India during the ▪ FPI can enter the stock market easily and period under review, going up to 18.6% in also withdraw from it easily. For this 2018-19 from 17.5% the year before. reason FPI is also known as hot money, ▪ The worker population ratio also as the investors have the liberty to sell it increased to 35.3 per cent from 36.9 per and take it back. But FDI cannot enter and cent during 2017-18. exit that easily. This difference is what ▪ Experts feel it would be a challenge to makes nations prefer FDIs more than FPIs retain the falling trend in unemployment as FDIs are more stable. rate in 2019-20, which has witnessed a ▪ In India, according to the SEBI (FPI) long nationwide lockdown between Regulations, 2014, a particular foreign March and June to prevent the spread of institutional investor is allowed to invest Covid-19, resulting in job losses across upto 10% of the paid up capital of a sectors. company, which implies that any investment above 10% will be 6) Foreign Portfolio Investment construed as FDI. Why in News? ▪ In just under a week in June, foreign portfolio investors have bought shares worth nearly Rs 21,000 crore in the Indian capital markets.

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▪ This is the highest in any month of 2020, ▪ The report had also made the case for an with the previous high registered in May Acceptance development fund which at Rs 14,569 crore. will be used to develop card acceptance 7) Payment Infrastructure infrastructure across small towns and Development Fund cities. What’s in the news? 8) Insolvency and Bankruptcy ▪ The RBI has created a Payment Code Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) with a corpus of Rs 500 crore, with an aim ▪ The Code creates time-bound processes to give a push to digital payments. for insolvency resolution of companies ▪ The RBI has made an initial contribution and individuals. These processes will be of Rs 250 crore covering half the fund. completed within 180 days (unless The remaining will come from the card- extended by a onetime extendable period issuing banks and card networks of 90 days). If insolvency cannot be operating in the country. resolved, the assets of the borrower may Need for the fund be sold to repay creditors (known as ▪ This fund has been created to encourage liquidation). acquirers to deploy Point of Sale (PoS) ▪ The resolution processes are conducted infrastructure, both physical and digital, by licensed insolvency professionals in tier-3 to tier-6 centres and north (IPs). These IPs are members of eastern states. insolvency professional agencies (IPAs). ▪ A POS terminal is an electronic device used ▪ Information utilities (IUs) are to process card payments at retail established to collect, collate and locations. disseminate financial information to ▪ Given the high cost of merchant facilitate insolvency resolution. acquisition, most of the POS terminals in ▪ The National Company Law Tribunal the country are concentrated in tier 1 and (NCLT) adjudicates insolvency resolution 2 cities and towns and other regions have for companies and Limited Liability been left out. Partnerships. The Debt Recovery ▪ This move will make the economics more Tribunal (DRT) adjudicates insolvency favourable and will significantly increase resolution for individuals and partnership the merchant base accepting digital firms. payments. ▪ The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board News in detail of India (IBBI) regulates the functioning ▪ The dedicated fund for deepening digital of IPs, IPAs and IUs. payments infrastructure will receive ▪ IBC was later amended with the provision recurring contributions to cover to bar promoters from bidding for operational expenses from card issuing their own companies. It prevented banks and card networks and the central defaulters from regaining control of their bank will also contribute to yearly companies at a cheaper value. shortfalls, if necessary. ▪ The code was again amended in 2019 ▪ The fund will be governed through an which mandates a deadline for the advisory council but it will be managed completion of the resolution process and administered by the RBI. within 330 days, including all litigation ▪ The enhanced ability of PoS infrastructure and judicial processes. is supposed to reduce demand for cash Why in News? over time. ▪ The government has promulgated an Committee on deepening digital payments ordinance to amend the Insolvency and ▪ The setting up of PIDF is in line with the Bankruptcy Code whereby fresh recommendations of the report of the insolvency proceedings will not be committee on deepening digital initiated for at least six months starting payments, chaired by Nandan Nilekani. from March 25 (the day when the

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nationwide lockdown) amid the COVID- subsequent lockdown had significantly 19 pandemic. impacted economic activities. ▪ The move is expected to provide relief for corporates as the pandemic and

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INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1) G7 Summit include Australia, Russia, South Korea About G7 and India. ▪ The Group of Seven (G7) is a collective of ▪ He said the G7 in its current format is a seven of the world's most industrialized very outdated group of countries which and developed economies. Their political does not properly represent what's going leaders come together annually to discuss on in the world. important global economic, political, 2) U.S. exit from WHO social and security issues. About WHO ▪ The G7 member countries are the United ▪ The World Health Organization is a States, Britain, France, Japan, Germany, specialized agency of the United Nations Italy, and Canada. (UN) established in 1948 to further ▪ Russia belonged to the forum from 1998 international cooperation for improved through 2014, when the bloc was known public health conditions. as the G8, but was suspended following its ▪ It is headquartered in Geneva, annexation of Crimea. Switzerland. ▪ India is not a member of the G-7 ▪ Working with 194 Member States grouping. (including India), its stated goal is to ensure "the highest attainable level of health for all people". WHO funding ▪ It is funded by a large number of countries, philanthropic organisations, United Nations organisations etc. ▪ Voluntary donations from member states contribute 35.41%, assessed contributions (dues countries pay in order to be a member of WHO) are 15.66%, philanthropic organisations account for 9.33%, UN organisations contribute about 8.1%; the rest comes from myriad sources. ▪ Countries decide how much they pay and may also choose not to. ▪ The US contributes almost 15% of the WHO’s total funding and almost 31% of the member states’ donations. India contributes 1% of member states’ donations. Why in News? ▪ United States President Donald Trump announced that his country would terminate its relationship with the World Why in News? Health Organization, after weeks of ▪ U.S. President Donald Trump announced accusing the agency of helping the that he would postpone the G7 summit Chinese government cover up the early that he wanted to hold in late June and days of the coronavirus pandemic. expand the list of countries invited to

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▪ He accused the WHO of refusing to act on country, two systems,” which promised the reforms requested by the United the territory a high degree of autonomy. States. ▪ As a Special Administrative Region ▪ The US is the largest source of financial (SAR), Hong Kong allows freedoms not support for the WHO, and its exit is enjoyed in mainland China, including expected to significantly weaken the freedom to protest and an independent organisation. judiciary. 3) Hong Kong security law ▪ But that autonomy, guaranteed under a Hong Kong and China relationship mini-constitution known as the Basic ▪ Hong Kong, a former British colony, was Law, expires in 2047. The joint signed returned to the People's Republic of China declaration does not state what will in 1997 under a policy known as “one happen in 2047 after that agreement officially ends. Location

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the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen ▪ Located on the southeast coast of China, Square massacre. Hong Kong's strategic location on the ▪ Commemorating this massacre is Pearl River Delta and South China Sea forbidden in mainland China. has made it one of the world's most thriving and cosmopolitan cities. Controversial law ▪ Recently, China’s Parliament passed a new legislation for Hong Kong that will for the first time empower China to draft national security laws for the Special Administrative Region. ▪ Many sections in Hong Kong are protesting against the law who fear that it could be the biggest blow to the territory’s autonomy and personal freedoms since 1997 when it came under 5) GAVI Alliance Chinese rule. About GAVI Alliance ▪ However, China has sought the support ▪ The GAVI Alliance (formerly the Global and understanding of India and other Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) countries for its new legislation, saying is a global health partnership of public the new legislation is aimed at containing and private sector organizations the secessionist forces in Hong Kong. dedicated to “immunisation for all”. ▪ India has not made a statement on the ▪ GAVI’s strategy supports its mission to matter. save children’s lives and protect people’s Why in News? health by increasing access to ▪ Nepal has endorsed China's new immunisation in poor countries. controversial law on Hong Kong saying ▪ Its partners provide funding for vaccines that Hong Kong is an internal matter of and intellectual resources for care China. advancement. They contribute, also, to 4) Tiananmen Square Massacre strengthening the capacity of the health What is it? system to deliver immunisation and other ▪ The Tiananmen Square protests were health services in a sustainable manner. student-led demonstrations calling for Why in News? democracy, free speech and a free press in ▪ Prime Minister Narendra Modi China. participated in the virtual Global ▪ They were halted in a bloody crackdown, Vaccine Summit hosted by UK Prime known as the Tiananmen Square Minister Boris Johnson and pledged $15 Massacre, by the Chinese government on million to the Gavi alliance. June 4 and 5, 1989. Significance ▪ At the end of June 1989, the Chinese ▪ The conference was organised to urge government said 200 civilians and several nations around the world to pledge dozen security personnel had died. Other funding for vaccinations to save millions estimates have ranged from hundreds to of lives and protect the world from future many thousands. outbreaks of infectious diseases. ▪ The image of an unidentified man ▪ As the world focuses on tackling standing alone in defiance and blocking a coronavirus, the World Health column of Chinese tanks on June 5 Organisation (WHO), UNICEF and Gavi became the defining image of the protests. have warned that the pandemic is Why in News? disrupting routine immunisation, ▪ Thousands of Hong Kongers defied a affecting approximately 80 million police ban to gather in the city and mark children under the age of one across 68 countries.

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▪ The Prime Minister said India stands in “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” solidarity with the world in these (CSP). challenging times and India’s civilisation ▪ The relationship between the two nations teaches to see the world as one family. was upgraded to a ‘Strategic Partnership’ ▪ He further said that India is also the level in 2009. Since then, both countries World’s foremost producer of vaccines have expanded their cooperation in a and that it is fortunate to contribute to the range of key areas. immunization of about 60 percent of the ▪ India has signed CSPs with the United World’s children. Kingdom, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the 6) India-Australia virtual bilateral United Arab Emirates thus far. summit ▪ The CSP would raise the level of trust required to improve the trade and What’s in the news? investment flows between India and ▪ Prime Minister Modi and his Australian Australia. counterpart PM Scott Morrison took part in the first-ever virtual bilateral summit 7) United Nations Security between the leaders of the two countries. Council ▪ During the summit India and Australia About UNSC concluded several key agreements ▪ The United Nations Security Council including a Mutual Logistics Support (UNSC) was established in 1946 as one of Agreement (MLSA). the six principal organs of the UN. It is MLSA generally viewed as the apex of the UN ▪ Under MLSA, the two countries’ militaries system. can use each other's bases to carry out ▪ It is responsible for the maintenance of repair and replenishment of supplies international peace and security. besides allowing for scaling up of overall ▪ Its powers include the establishment of defence ties. peacekeeping operations, the ▪ India already has similar agreements with establishment of international the US, France and Singapore. sanctions, and the authorization of Other important agreements military action through Security Council ▪ The two countries also agreed to increase resolutions. the frequency of meetings between the ▪ It is the only UN body with the authority two Prime Ministers, and took the “2+2” to issue binding resolutions to member format of bilateral meetings to the level states. of Foreign and Defence Ministers, who Membership will meet to discuss strategic issues at ▪ UNSC consists of 15 Members and each least every two years. member has one vote. ▪ Other agreements announced included a ▪ The council has five permanent framework arrangement on cyber members (P-5) United States, Russia, technology, an MoU on cooperation in China, United Kingdom and France. the field of mining and processing of ▪ These permanent members can veto any critical and strategic minerals. India substantive Security Council resolutions, plans to import strategic minerals from including those on the admission of new Australia while diversifying supplies member states. beyond China. ▪ The Security Council also has 10 non- ▪ The two sides also decided to permanent members, elected on a recommence suspended talks over the regional basis. Each year the 193-member India-Australia Comprehensive UN General Assembly (UNGA) elects five Economic Cooperation Agreement non-permanent members for a two-year (CECA), suspended since 2015 after nine term. inconclusive rounds of negotiations. ▪ The body's presidency rotates monthly Comprehensive Strategic Partnership among its members. ▪ During the summit, the two countries India’s non-permanent member seat raised their relationship to a

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▪ Last year, India's candidature for a non- permanent seat at the UNSC for a two- year term (starting from 2021) was unanimously endorsed by the 55-member Asia-Pacific grouping at the United Nations. ▪ Thus, India is guaranteed a place in the UNSC as it is the sole candidate for Asia- Pacific, but needs two-thirds of the 193- member General Assembly to vote in its favour in a secret ballot scheduled for June 17 in New York. ▪ India has already held a non-permanent seat on the UNSC for seven terms. Why in News? ▪ External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar recently said that India will highlight international terrorism, United Nations reforms and Security Council expansion, streamlining the world body’s peacekeeping operations and technology initiatives during its upcoming tenure as a non-permanent member of the UNSC in 2021-22. ▪ He added that India’s overall objective during this tenure in the UN Security Council will be the achievement of N.O.R.M.S: a New Orientation for a Reformed Multilateral System. ▪ The government launched its plan for the UNSC seat as far back as 2013 with a keen eye on 2021, the year that will mark its 75th year of Independence. 8) China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Significance ▪ The goal of CPEC is both to transform What is the CPEC project? Pakistan’s economy—by modernizing its ▪ China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) road, rail, air, and energy transportation refers to a clutch of major infrastructure systems—and to connect the deep-sea works currently under way in Pakistan, Pakistani ports of Gwadar and Karachi to intended to link Kashgar in China’s China’s Xinjiang province and beyond by Xinjiang province to Gwadar deep sea overland routes. port close to Pakistan’s border with Iran. ▪ This would reduce the time and cost of ▪ Several other road, rail and power transporting goods and energy such as projects are associated with the corridor, natural gas to China by circumventing the and the project seeks to expand and Straits of Malacca and the South China upgrade infrastructure across the length Sea. and breadth of Pakistan, and to widen and ▪ The CPEC project is also strategically deepen economic ties with China. important for China. Currently, eighty ▪ The CPEC was launched in 2015 when percent of China’s oil has to pass through Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the Strait of Malacca, a narrow stretch of Pakistan and it now envisages investment water between the Indonesian island of of over USD 60 billion in different projects Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. In the of development in Pakistan. event of a conflict, the Malacca Strait

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could easily be blocked by a rival nation, ▪ India claims that the CPEC project cutting off China from crucial energy encroaches on sovereignty and territorial resources. CPEC allows China to integrity of the country. circumvent the Strait of Malacca and Why in News? reduce its dependency on the strait. ▪ China has announced that under the ▪ CPEC is part of the larger Belt and Road multi-billion-dollar CPEC it will set up a Initiative—to improve connectivity, 1,124-megawatt power project- Kohala trade, communication, and cooperation hydropower project- in Pakistan- between the countries of Eurasia— occupied Kashmir despite India's announced by China in 2013. objection to it. India’s position on CPEC ▪ The project will be built on the Jhelum ▪ India has been opposing the project as it River and aims at annually providing passes through Gilgit-Baltistan in more than five billion units of clean and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), low-cost electricity for consumers in which New Delhi considers its own Pakistan. territory.

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

1) International Space Station ▪ It has been continuously occupied since (ISS) Nov. 2, 2000. ▪ The space station is parked at Low Earth GS 3: Science and Technology Orbit (LEO) at approximately 350 km GS 3: Awareness in the fields of Science above the Earth. and Technology ▪ The ISS makes multiple orbits around About the International Space Station (ISS) the Earth every day. ▪ The International Space Station (ISS) is ▪ The ISS includes contributions from 15 the largest single structure humans nations. NASA (United States), ever put into space. Roscosmos (Russia) and the European ▪ Its main construction was completed Space Agency are the major partners of between 1998 and 2011, although the the space station who contribute most of station continually evolves to include new the funding; the other partners are the missions and experiments. Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

▪ The ISS serves as a microgravity and ▪ The station is divided into two sections, space environment research the Russian Orbital Segment (ROS), laboratory in which crew members which is operated by Russia, and the conduct experiments in biology, human United States Orbital Segment (USOS), biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology, which is shared by many nations. and other fields. Types of Orbits around the earth ▪ Astronauts spend most of their time on Geostationary Orbit (GEO) the ISS performing experiments and ▪ The circular orbit at an altitude of maintenance. Sometimes, this requires 35768 Kms above the equator of the that they venture on spacewalks to Earth which follows the direction of perform repairs. rotation of the Earth is known as geostationary orbit.

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▪ A satellite in a geostationary orbit Low Earth Orbit (LEO) appears to be in a fixed position to an ▪ LEO is typically a circular orbit about 400 earth-based observer. to 900 kilometres above the earth’s ▪ A geostationary satellite revolves around surface and, correspondingly, has a much the earth at a constant speed once per day shorter period (time to revolve around over the equator 1.e., zero inclination the earth) of about 90 minutes. with respect to the equator. ▪ Low earth orbiting satellites are less ▪ The geostationary orbit is useful for expensive to launch into orbit than communications applications because geostationary satellites and, due to ground based antennas, which must be proximity to the ground, do not require as directed toward the satellite, can operate high a signal strength. effectively without the need for expensive Polar Orbits equipment to track the satellite’s motion. ▪ Polar orbits are useful for spacecraft that Geosynchronous Orbit carry out mapping or surveillance ▪ The orbit around the Earth with an orbit operations. period equal to one sidereal day (i.e. 23 ▪ A satellite in polar orbit goes around the Hrs, 56 minutes, 4 seconds) is known as Earth from pole to pole. geosynchronous orbit. ▪ The planet spins underneath it as the ▪ The word "synchronous" means an object satellite goes from north to south. in this orbit returns to the same position ▪ This gives the spacecraft access to after a period of 1 sidereal day to the virtually every point on the surface. observer on the Earth's surface. Why in News? ▪ Geosynchronous satellites have an ▪ SpaceX in association with NASA launched inclination with respect to the equator. its Crew Dragon capsule on top of its Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station (ISS).

More in News ▪ The mission is ‘historic’ because this is the first-ever time that a private spacecraft company — Space X — used its own rocket to put humans into space. Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) ▪ The mission is expected to last 30-90 ▪ MEO is the region of space around the days, following which the two astronauts Earth above low Earth orbit and below will depart from the International Space geostationary orbit. Station by boarding the Crew Dragon. ▪ The most common use for satellites in this ▪ This is the first time that astronauts have region is for navigation, such as the GPS been launched from US soil since the STS- (with an altitude of 20,200·kilometres), 135 mission on July 8, 2011, following Glonass and Galileo constellations. which all astronauts were flown to the ▪ Communications satellites that cover the International Space Station in Russia’s North and South Pole are also put in Soyuz Capsule. MEO. What is Falcon 9? ▪ The orbital·periods of MEO satellites ▪ Falcon 9 is a reusable, two-stage rocket range from about 2 to 24 hours. designed and manufactured by SpaceX for

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the reliable and safe transport of people ▪ It is commonly used for both diagnostic and payloads into Earth orbit and and basic research. beyond. ▪ Uses of the technique in industry include the quantification of microbial load in foods or on vegetable matter, the detection of GMOs (Genetically modified organisms) and the quantification and genotyping of human viral pathogens. ▪ Diagnostic qualitative PCR is applied to rapidly detect nucleic acids that are diagnostic of, for example, infectious diseases, cancer and genetic abnormalities. Why in News? ▪ It is the most reliable diagnostic test available for Covid-19. 3) Chitra Gene LAMP-N: new Covid-19 diagnostic test kit GS 3: Science and Technology GS 3: Indigenization of technology and developing new technology Why in News? ▪ The Tata Sons has entered into an agreement with the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), Thiruvananthapuram, for commercial production of COVID-19 testing kits. More in News ▪ The SCTIMST is an Institute of National ▪ Falcon 9 is the world’s first orbital class Importance under the Department of reusable rocket. Orbital class rockets are Sciences and Technology (DST), those that put a spacecraft/satellite in an Government of India. orbit around the Earth. ▪ Reusability allows SpaceX to re-fly the ▪ Institute of National Importance (INI) is a most expensive parts of the rocket, which status that may be conferred on a premier in turn drives down the cost of space public higher education institution in India access. by an act of Parliament of India, an 2) Real-time polymerase chain institution which "serves as a pivotal reaction (RT- PCR) player in developing highly skilled personnel within the specified region of GS 3: Science and Technology the country/state". About real-time PCR ▪ Institutes of National Importance receive ▪ A real-time polymerase chain reaction special recognition and funding from (real-time PCR), also known as the Government of India. quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), is a laboratory ▪ The kits will be based on RT-LAMP technique of molecular biology based on (Reverse Transcriptase Loop-Mediated the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Amplification) technology named as ▪ It monitors the amplification of a ‘Chitra Gene LAMP-N’ test. targeted DNA molecule during the PCR More about Chitra GeneLAMP-N (i.e., in real time), not at its end, as in ▪ The Chitra technology uses a method conventional PCR. called Loop mediated isothermal Applications amplification (LAMP).

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▪ The objective, like that of the gold- ▪ Smartphone and the internet are not standard RT-PCR tests, is the same: to necessary for using BHIM UPI services detect the presence of viral RNA. (not the app). ▪ The LAMP method is said to be faster but ▪ There are no transaction charges for is a relatively newer technology, more using BHIM UPI. complicated in its design and has not been About NPCI tested extensively for COVID-19 ▪ National Payments Corporation of India detection. (NPCI) is an umbrella organisation for ▪ The Chitra test could potentially speed operating retail payments and up the testing of a batch of suspected settlement systems in India. COVID-19 samples by 15 times and cut ▪ It is an initiative of Reserve Bank of costs by two-thirds. India (RBI) and Indian Banks’ 4) BHIM app and NPCI Association (IBA) under the provisions GS 3: Science and Technology, of the Payment and Settlement Systems Indigenization of technology and Act, 2007, for creating a robust Payment & Settlement Infrastructure in India. developing new technology ▪ It has been incorporated as a “Not for What is BHIM UPI? Profit” Company under the provisions of ▪ Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) is an the Companies Act 1956. initiative to enable fast, secure, reliable ▪ The Company is focused on bringing cashless payments through mobile innovations in the retail payment systems phones. through the use of technology for ▪ It enables to bring in Financial Inclusion achieving greater efficiency in operations to the nation and a digitally empowered and widening the reach of payment society. systems. ▪ BHIM is based on Unified Payment Important products/services of NPCI Interface (UPI) to facilitate e-payments RuPay directly through banks without the need ▪ RuPay is an Indigenously developed of any e-wallets. Payment System – designed to meet the ▪ It is interoperable with other Unified expectation and needs of the Indian Payment Interface (UPI) applications, and consumer, banks and merchant bank accounts. ecosystem. ▪ Unified Payment Interface(UPI) is an ▪ RuPay supports the issuance of debit, instant payment system built over the credit and prepaid cards by banks in India Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) and thereby supporting the growth of infrastructure and allows users to retail electronic payments in India. instantly transfer money between any IMPS two bank accounts. ▪ Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) ▪ BHIM is developed by the National provides robust & real time fund Payment Corporation of India (NPCI). transfer which offers an instant, 24X7, Features of BHIM interbank electronic fund transfer service ▪ Money can be sent using a Virtual that could be accessed on multiple Payment Address (VPA), Mobile number, channels like Mobile, Internet, ATM, SMS, Account Number & IFSC, Aadhaar Number Branch and USSD(*99#). or QR code. ▪ IMPS is an emphatic service which allows ▪ The users can link multiple bank transferring of funds instantly within accounts; they can check balances, make banks across India which is not only safe utility payments (like electricity, water, but also economical. etc.,) and make commercial transactions. NFS ▪ Currently BHIM is available in 13 ▪ National Financial Switch (NFS) is the languages, i.e., Hindi, English, Tamil, largest network of shared Automated Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, Odia, Teller Machines (ATMs) in India Kannada, Gujarati, Marathi, Assamese and facilitating interoperable cash Bengali. withdrawal, card to card funds transfer

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and interoperable cash deposit of millions of users of the BHIM payment transactions among other value added application due to a website breach, the services in the country. NPCI has denied the claim. NETC 4) Darknet / Darkweb ▪ National Electronic Toll Collection GS 3: Awareness in the fields of Science (NETC) program to meet the electronic and Technology, Cybersecurity tolling requirements of the Indian market. What Is the DarkNet? ▪ It provides an electronic payment facility ▪ The "dark net," also known as the "dark to customers to make the payments at web," is a network of secret websites national, state and city toll plazas by built over the internet which is identifying the vehicle uniquely through a encrypted. FASTag. ▪ These are networks that are only FASTag available to a select group of people ▪ FASTag are Radio-Frequency and not to the general internet public, and Identification (RFID) stickers which are only accessible via authorization, specific affixed on the vehicle windshield and software and configurations. enable the driver to make toll payments ▪ They are not searchable by traditional electronically while the vehicle is in means, such as a search engine, and it's motion without stopping at the Toll not visible through traditional web plazas by saving Fuel and Time. browsers. NACH ▪ It needs special browsers like TOR (The ▪ National Automated Clearing House Onion Router), Freenet or I2P. (NACH) is an offline web based system ▪ Darknet provides anonymity to the users. for bulk push and pull transactions. Concerns about DarkNet ▪ NACH provides an electronic mandate ▪ The dark net is most often used for platform to register mandates facilitating illegal activities such as black markets, paper less collection processes for the illegal file sharing, and the exchanging of corporates and banks. illegal goods or services (including stolen ▪ It provides for both account based and financial and private data). Aadhaar based transactions. ▪ The anonymity of DarkNet attracted the AePS criminal element to it such as drug- ▪ Aadhaar enabled Payment dealers, hackers, arms dealers and child System(AePS) is a bank led model which pornography peddlers. allows online interoperable financial ▪ Here they are free to conduct their inclusion transactions at ‘Point of Sale’- business and express themselves without PoS (MicroATM) through the Business fear of repercussion. Correspondent of any bank using the ▪ It is becoming a huge cyber security Aadhaar authentication. nightmare to governments and ▪ The only inputs required for a customer businesses all over the world. to do a transaction under this scenario DarkNet vs. Deep Web are: Aadhaar Number and Fingerprint. ▪ The terms "darknet" and "deep web" are ▪ Banking Correspondents (BCs) are occasionally used interchangeably. individuals/entities engaged by a bank in However, this is not correct. India (commercial banks, Regional Rural ▪ The dark net is part of the greater deep Banks (RRBs) and Local Area Banks (LABs)) web which are purposefully hidden for providing banking services in unbanked / from the surface net by additional means. under-banked geographical territories. ▪ The deep web encompasses all ▪ A banking correspondent works as an agent unindexed sites, which are of the bank and substitutes for the brick and unsearchable that don't pop up when mortar branch of the bank. you do an Internet search. ▪ Not all activities associated with the deep Why in News? web are nefarious. ▪ Following a report by security researchers alleging leak of personal data

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▪ In most cases, these pages are not ▪ These light pulses—combined with other searchable through traditional channels data recorded by the airborne system— because they are password-protected generate precise, three-dimensional and require specific tools or authorization information about the shape of the (like a log-in) in order to access them. Earth and its surface characteristics. ▪ Personal email, online banking, and other ▪ A lidar instrument principally consists of similar sites are included under the a laser, a scanner, and a specialized GPS umbrella of the "deep web." receiver. Why in News? ▪ Airplanes and helicopters are the most ▪ A fresh instance of Indians’ data being commonly used platforms for acquiring leaked on the dark net has come to light, lidar data over broad areas. with a massive data packet — nearly 100 ▪ Two types of lidar are topographic and gigabytes in size — being put up for sale bathymetric. in the dark web market. ▪ Topographic lidar typically uses a near- More in the News infrared laser to map the land, while ▪ The data comprises scanned identity bathymetric lidar uses water- documents of over 1 lakh Indians, penetrating green light to also including passports, PAN cards, Aadhar measure seafloor and riverbed cards, voter IDs and driver’s licenses. elevations. ▪ The data was found by Cyble, a global Applications cyber intelligence agency which has also ▪ Lidar systems allow scientists and found several other such instances in the mapping professionals to examine both recent past, including a massive packet of natural and manmade environments with data of Indian job seekers from across the accuracy, precision, and flexibility. country. ▪ It is commonly used by geologists and 5) LiDAR surveyors to make high-resolution GS 3: Science and Technology maps. What is LiDAR? ▪ Besides, it is used in a wide range of land ▪ Lidar, which stands for Light Detection management and planning efforts, and Ranging, is a remote sensing including hazard assessment (including method. lava flows, landslides, tsunamis, and floods), forestry, agriculture, geologic ▪ Remote sensing is the process of mapping, etc. detecting and monitoring the physical Why in News? characteristics of an area by measuring ▪ A U.K. based team of archaeologists its reflected and emitted radiation at a carried on their research on ancient distance (typically from satellite or Roman sites from being at home due to aircraft). the Covid-19 pandemic by using data ▪ It uses light in the form of a pulsed collected through LiDAR. laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth.

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HEALTH 1) Superspreaders ▪ For MERS, superspreading events have What are superspreaders? reportedly involved up to 82 secondary ▪ The term "super-spreader" implies that a cases. particular person may be inherently 2) Coronavirus more able than others to pass on About the virus disease. ▪ Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of Factors responsible for the spread: viruses that cause illness ranging from the ▪ The spread of a virus like the new common cold to more severe diseases coronavirus depends on a range of such as Middle East Respiratory environmental and epidemiological Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute factors that ultimately lead to Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). transmission in individual cases or ▪ The virus is named after its shape which clusters. takes the form of a crown with ▪ These include the patient and what stage protrusions around it and hence is known of disease they are in, their behaviour, as coronavirus. their environment, and the amount of About SARS time spent in that environment. ▪ SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Why in the news? Syndrome) coronavirus (SARS-CoV) – ▪ Studies have found that novel coronavirus virus identified in 2003. is associated with super spreading events. ▪ SARS-CoV is thought to be an animal virus News in detail: from an as-yet-uncertain animal ▪ Three separate studies using very reservoir, perhaps bats, that spread to different methods and patient cohorts other animals (civet cats) and first have found that a small percentage of infected humans in the Guangdong people who have been infected with province of southern China in 2002. novel coronavirus account for a large ▪ Transmission of SARS-CoV is primarily proportion of novel coronavirus from person to person. spread, much above the expected ▪ Symptoms are influenza-like and include average. fever, malaise, myalgia, headache, ▪ These are called “superspreading events” diarrhoea, and shivering (rigors). (SSEs). ▪ No vaccines or Prophylaxis (prevention Reproduction number and dispersion of disease) treatment available. factor: ▪ WHO estimates that the case fatality ▪ The number of people an infected ratio of SARS ranges from 0% to 50% person can spread the virus to, is called depending on the age group affected, with the reproduction number or R0. an overall estimate of case fatality of ▪ In real life, some people infect many 14% to 15%. others and others don’t spread the About MERS disease at all and hence the dispersion ▪ Middle East respiratory syndrome factor plays a role here. (MERS) is a viral respiratory disease ▪ The lower the dispersion factor is, the caused by a novel coronavirus (Middle more transmission comes from a small East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, number of people. or MERS‐CoV) that was first identified in SARS-CoV -2 and MERS superspreaders: Saudi Arabia in 2012. ▪ SARS-CoV-2, with a basic reproductive ▪ Typical MERS symptoms include fever, number (the number of people an cough and shortness of breath. infected person can infect) of around Pneumonia is common, but not always three, more than eight or 10 secondary present. cases have been suggested to constitute a ▪ Approximately 35% of reported patients superspreading event. with MERS-CoV infection have died.

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▪ MERS-CoV is a zoonotic virus, which ▪ Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning means it is a virus that is transmitted they are transmitted between animals between animals and people. and people. ▪ Studies have shown that humans are ▪ Detailed investigations found that SARS- infected through direct or indirect contact CoV was transmitted from civet cats to with infected dromedary camels. humans and MERS-CoV from ▪ No vaccine or specific treatment is dromedary camels to humans. currently available, however several ▪ The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily MERS-CoV specific vaccines and through droplets of saliva or discharge treatments are in development. from the nose when an infected person About novel coronavirus: coughs or sneezes ▪ A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new Symptoms of infection strain that has not been previously ▪ Common signs of infection include identified in humans. respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, ▪ COVID-19 is a term coined by the World shortness of breath and breathing Health Organization (WHO) to denote the difficulties. disease that has led to a pandemic. ▪ In more severe cases, infection can cause o Coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated as pneumonia, severe acute respiratory COVID-19, where CO stands for corona, VI syndrome, kidney failure and even death. for virus, and D for disease, while the Necessary Precautions numerals – 19 refer to the year in which ▪ Standard recommendations to prevent the first case was detected. infection spread include regular hand ▪ The International Committee on washing, covering mouth and nose when Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) announced coughing and sneezing, thoroughly “severe acute respiratory syndrome cooking meat and eggs. coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)” as the name ▪ Avoid close contact with anyone showing of the new virus symptoms of respiratory illness such as o This name was chosen because the virus coughing and sneezing. is genetically related to the coronavirus COVID related terminologies: responsible for the Severe Acute Epidemic Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak of ▪ When the incidence of a disease rises 2003. above the expected level in a particular community or geographic area, it is Structure of SARS COV-2: called an epidemic. ▪ Like other coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 virus particles are spherical and have Pandemic mushroom-shaped proteins called spikes ▪ A pandemic is defined as an epidemic protruding from their surface, giving the occurring worldwide, or over a very particles a crown-like appearance. wide area, crossing international ▪ The spike binds and fuses to human cells, boundaries and usually affecting a large allowing the virus to gain entry. number of people. ▪ Like SARS coronavirus, the spike protein of ▪ On January 30, WHO announced that the SARS-CoV-2 that causes Coronavirus COVID-19 was a Public Health Disease 19 (COVID-19) binds to the cellular Emergency of International Concern. receptor called angiotensin-converting ▪ On March 11, WHO decided to announce enzyme 2 (ACE2), which serves as the COVID-19 as a pandemic. entry point into human cells. ▪ COVID-19 is the first pandemic caused by ▪ But unlike in the case of SARS, the spike a coronavirus. protein of the novel coronavirus binds to R0 the cell receptor with much higher affinity ▪ R-Naught (R0) is the basic reproduction — 10- to 20-fold higher. number. ▪ This is the number of new infections caused by one infected individual in an How does it spread? entirely susceptible population.

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▪ It helps determine whether an epidemic immune system's response to a viral can occur, the rate of growth of the infection. epidemic, the size of the epidemic and the ▪ This property of HCQ makes it useful in level of effort needed to control the autoimmune disorders such as lupus and infection. rheumatoid arthritis. ▪ If R0 is 2, then one individual will infect What are interferons? two others. ▪ As of end May, India’s R0 value was in the ▪ Interferons (IFNs) are a group of soluble range of 1.22. glycoproteins that are produced and Community transmission released from cells in response to virus ▪ When you can no longer tell how infection someone contracted the disease, or who Hydroxychloroquine and COVID-19: the source of infection was. ▪ A hyperactive response by the immune Cytokine storm system is said to be primarily responsible ▪ An immune reaction triggered by the for pneumonia, also a fallout of a severe body to fight an infection is known as a SARS-CoV-2 infection. cytokine storm when it turns severe. ▪ Since it has the ability to diminish the ▪ The body releases too many cytokines, immune system’s response to a viral proteins that are involved in infection it seems to be effective incase of immunomodulation, into the blood too COVID-19 patients. quickly. ▪ The drug has shown to have shortened ▪ While normally they regulate immune the time to clinical recovery of COVID-19 responses, in this case they cause harm patients. and can even cause death. ▪ A study in France enrolling 80 patients ▪ These cytokines dilate blood vessels, and a study in Wuhan,the epicentre of increase the temperature and heartbeat, outbreak, showed that besides throwing blood clots in the Hydroxychloroquine alone or in system, and suppressing oxygen combination with azithromycin appeared utilisation. to reduce virus levels quicker. ▪ If the cytokine flow is high and continues ▪ It's primarily these results that have without cessation, the body’s own prompted drug regulators in several immune response will lead to hypoxia, countries including India to approve the insufficient oxygen to the body, multi- drug in restricted settings. organ failure and death. Adverse effects of HCQ: Herd immunity 1) cardiac arrhythmia ▪ Herd immunity is the indirect protection 2) liver damage from a contagious infectious disease that 3) its ability to tune down the body's happens when a population is immune immune response. either through vaccination or immunity Hydroxychloroquine and India: developed through previous infection. ▪ The Indian Council for Medical Why in the news? Research (ICMR) has cleared HCQ to be ▪ The number of people infected with SARS used as a prophylaxis, or preventive COV-2 pandemic is increasing day by day medication, by doctors, nurses and other all over the world. health staff. 3) Hydroxychloroquine ▪ The Union Health Ministry moved it to About Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) Schedule H1 list of Central Drugs ▪ Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is an Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) antimalarial drug similar to chloroquine, recently, which can be sold on one of the oldest and best-known anti- prescription only. malarial drugs. ▪ According to Indian Pharmaceutical Mechanism of action: Alliance (IPA) secretary-general India ▪ Hydroxychloroquine is an interferon produces 70 per cent of the world’s blocker, and works by diminishing the supply of Hydroxychloroquine, making it the biggest manufacturer.

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▪ The country has a production capacity (including traditional remedies). of 40 tonnes of HCQ every month,

implying 20 crore tablets of 200 mg each. ▪ § All these efforts are undertaken with a ▪ India gets the active pharmaceutical view to reduce the total burden of ingredient (API) that is used to disease and to promote health and well- manufacture HCQ from China and being of the population. supplies so far have been steady. Why in the news? ▪ § In addition to research activities, the ICMR encourages human resource ▪ ICMR researchers say that development in biomedical research Hydroxychloroquine with Personal through various fellowship programmes. Protective Equipment reduces the odds of COVID-19 in health workers. About ICMR: ▪ The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in New Delhi is the apex body for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, in India 4) Remdesivir ▪ It is one of the oldest medical research ▪ Remdesivir is an investigational broad- bodies in the world. spectrum antiviral drug that has Background: demonstrated activity against RNA ▪ In 1911, the Government of India set up the viruses in several families, including Indian Research Fund Association (IRFA) o Coronaviridae(such as SARS-CoV, MERS- with the specific objective of sponsoring CoV, and strains of bat coronaviruses and coordinating medical research in the capable of infecting human respiratory country. It was redesignated in 1949 as epithelial cells) the ICMR with a considerably expanded o Paramyxoviridae (such as Nipah virus, scope of functions. respiratory syncytial virus, and Hendra Funded by: virus) ▪ The ICMR is funded by the Government of o Filoviridae (such as Ebola virus). India through the Ministry of Health & Mechanism of action: Family Welfare. ▪ Remdesivir is a nucleoside analog that is Research priorities: expected to inhibit the action of RNA ▪ The Council's research priorities coincide polymerase. with the National health priorities, such ▪ By incorporating into RNA, additional as: nucleotides cannot be added, terminating ▪ control and management of communicable RNA transcription. diseases, About RNA Polymerase: ▪ fertility control, ▪ RNA polymerase synthesizes RNA by ▪ maternal and child health, following a strand of DNA. ▪ control of nutritional disorders, ▪ RNA polymerase is an enzyme that is ▪ developing alternative strategies for health responsible for copying a DNA sequence care delivery, into an RNA sequence, during the process ▪ containment within safety limits of of transcription. environmental and occupational health RNA transcription: problems; ▪ Transcription is the process in which a ▪ research on major non-communicable gene's DNA sequence is copied diseases like cancer, cardiovascular (transcribed) to make an RNA diseases, blindness, diabetes and other molecule. metabolic and haematological disorders; ▪ RNA polymerase is the main transcription and enzyme. ▪ mental health research and drug research Why in the news?

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▪ Union Health Ministry has cleared Council of Scientific and Industrial Research: Remdesivir for treatment of COVID-19 ▪ Council of Scientific & Industrial patients under emergency use. Research (CSIR), India was constituted in 5) Clade A3i 1942 as an autonomous body under the About clad A3i: provision of the Registration of Societies ▪ Scientists have identified a distinct trait in Act XXI of 1860. the coronavirus found in the people ▪ CSIR is the largest research and infected in the country, mostly in the development organisation in India. southern states of Tamil Nadu and ▪ It is known for its cutting edge research and Telangana. development knowledge base in diverse ▪ They have named this unique cluster of science and technology areas. virus population as ‘Clade A3i’ . Why in the news? 6) World Health organisation ▪ Scientists at multiple Council of Scientific About: and Industrial Research (CSIR) ▪ WHO the United Nations’ specialized laboratories have identified a agency for Health came into force on 7 coronavirus type that may be the second April 1948 , a date we now celebrate most prevalent in India and may every year as World Health Day. comprise 3.5% of the genomes globally. ▪ There are 194 Member States, 150 News in detail: country offices, six regional offices. ▪ Of 361 genomes analysed, 45% of them ▪ It has its headquarters in Geneva, were A2a making it the most dominant Switzerland. coronavirus clade in India. ▪ The primary role of WHO is to direct and ▪ The newly identified clade A3i, coordinate international health within comprising 41% of those analysed, is the the United Nations system second most dominant clade. ▪ The objective of WHO is the attainment by ▪ With the new clade, there are 11 SARS- all peoples of the highest possible level CoV-2 types identified globally with at of health. least six of them identified in India. Main functions ▪ According to scientific analysis, the A3i ▪ To act as a directing and coordinating clade mutates slowly compared to the authority on international health work A2a which is often disadvantageous for ▪ To ensure valid and productive technical the virus. cooperation, and ▪ So far, there is no evidence of whether ▪ To promote research. A3i is more virulent that it’s linked to ▪ To provide assistance to the more deaths. Governments, upon request, in strengthening health services. Coronavirus clade: ▪ To promote cooperation among scientific ▪ The coronavirus type, or clade, is a cluster and professional groups which contribute of SARS-CoV-2 viruses that share to the advancement of health. evolutionary similarities and are ▪ WHO also proposes conventions, grouped together based on characteristic agreements, and regulations and makes mutations or similarities in parts of their recommendations about international genomes. nomenclature of diseases, causes of death, Significance of such classification: and public health practices. ▪ Classifications are useful in establishing ▪ It develops, establishes, and promotes whether international standards concerning o certain strains are particularly virulent foods and biological, pharmaceutical, and o spread more easily similar substances. o how they are likely to evolve over time Why in the news? and ▪ The World Health Organisation said that o whether some could be less vulnerable clinical trials of the drug to certain kinds of vaccines. hydroxychloroquine will resume.

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ART & CULTURE 1) Indian National Trust for Art ▪ It is at this pillar that thousands of Dalits and Cultural Heritage come to pay respect every year on January 1. (INTACH) ▪ Babasaheb Ambedkar’s visit to the site on GS 1: Art Forms, Indian culture January 1, 1927, revitalised the memory About INTACH of the battle for the Dalit community, ▪ The Indian National Trust for Art and making it a rallying point and an assertion Cultural Heritage (INTACH) was founded of pride. in 1984 in New Delhi with the vision to ▪ The Marathas advocate a nationalism spearhead heritage awareness and point of view for the battle in which a conservation in India. native kingdom stood against the British ▪ It is a non-profit charitable organisation colonialism. registered under the Societies ▪ Thus the two communities are at the Registration Act, 1860. opposite sides of the divide even after 200 ▪ INTACH’s mission to conserve heritage is years in commemorating the battle. based on the belief that living in harmony Why in News? with heritage enhances the quality of life, ▪ The incident has been in news repeatedly and it is the duty of every citizen of India for more than two years due to ongoing as laid down in the Constitution of India. judicial cases regarding a violence that ▪ Among the tasks undertaken by INTACH broke out during the commemoration of are restoration of monuments and their the battle in 2018. management; advocacy for heritage Bhima Koregaon violence property conservation; public awareness. ▪ 2018 marked the 200th year of battle and 2) Battle of Bhima Koregaon hence there was a larger gathering at GS 1: Modern Indian history: significant Bhima Koregaon as compared to previous events years. What happened at the Battle of Bhima ▪ During the celebrations there were Koregaon? violent clashes between Dalit and ▪ A small village in Pune district of Maratha groups. Maharashtra, Bhima-Koregaon, named ▪ Tensions had started simmering on after river Bhima, is associated with an December 29, 2017, the day Govind important phase of Maratha history. Gopal Mahar's memorial, in nearby ▪ In the battle of Bhima Koregaon on village Vadhu Budruk, was found January 1, 1818, the British, with just 834 desecrated. The incident found mention infantrymen — about 500 of them from in the Elgar Parishad, a big public the Mahar community (dalit) — and 12 conference organised by Dalit and officers defeated the 28,000-strong army Bahujan groups on December 31, 2017. of Peshwa Bajirao II. ▪ Police have alleged that inflammatory ▪ It was one of the last battles of the Third speeches were made in the event and that Anglo-Maratha War (1817-18), which led to the violence next day (January 1, ended the Peshwa domination. 2018). Symbol of dalit emancipation ▪ Govind Gopal Mahar is believed to have ▪ The battle attained a legendary stature for performed the last rites of Sambhaji, the Dalits, who consider the win as a victory eldest son of the Maratha ruler Shivaji in of the Mahars against the injustices 1689 against the orders of Mughal perpetrated by the Peshwas. emperor Aurangazeb. ▪ A pillar, known as Vijay Sthamb (victory ▪ However, the Marathas refuse to pillar), was installed by the East India acknowledge the role played by Govind Company (EIC) in memory of those who Mahar. fought for them in the battle.

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3) Archaeological Pakistani archaeologists during a 2014 sites/monuments of Pakistan study. Fountains and Gardens of Khuiratta Occupied Kashmir (PoK) ▪ Khuiratta and its surrounding areas are GS 1: Art Forms, Architecture very popular among local tourists, with Kargah Buddha the shrine of Mai Totti Sahiba a venue for an annual three-day fair. ▪ People from Kotli and other adjoining districts attend the festival in spring to watch sports, animal parades and horticultural displays. ▪ The area has a number of natural springs and waterfalls. ▪ It is believed to have been an important place of worship for Hindus during ancient times. Red Fort, Muzaffarabad

▪ Located off Gilgit, this seventh-century archaeological site comprises a carved image of a large standing Buddha on the cliff in Karghah Nala. ▪ From the 3rd century to the 11th century, Gilgit was a Buddhist centre. ▪ A few metres away, a Buddhist monastery and three stupas containing Sanskrit manuscripts were also found during an excavation in 1931. Ali Baig gurdwara

▪ Known among the locals as Rutta Qila or just qila, this site in Muzaffarabad was built by the Chak rulers, who anticipated threat to the city from the Mughals. ▪ The construction began in 1559. However, the Mughals annexed Kashmir in 1587, and the fort lost its importance. ▪ Later, its construction was completed in 1646 by Muzaffar Khan of the Bomba Dynasty, the founder of Muzaffarabad. ▪ Its architecture shows great craftsmanship, but most of the fort’s relics were stolen and a large portion was destroyed during the 2005 earthquake. Ramkot Fort ▪ It is located on a hilltop on the banks of ▪ A popular place of worship for Sikhs in Ali the Mangla Dam lake. Baig village, the gurdwara was turned ▪ The three sides of the hilltop are into the Muhammad Yaqoob Shaheed surrounded by the Jhelum River, which High School for Girls, as per a report by

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falls into the huge reservoir of Mangla sometimes called Sharada Desh Dam. because of its influence as a centre of ▪ It was built in the 16-17th century by a learning. Gakhar named Toglu as recorded by ▪ Its origins are uncertain — while some traveller and geologist Frederick Drew historians believe it was built under the in his book. Kushan Empire in the first century, others say it was built by Lalitaditya of the Karkota dynasty. Sharada script ▪ It is a writing system used for the Kashmiri language by the educated Hindu minority in Kashmir and the surrounding valleys. ▪ It is taught in the Hindu schools there but is not used in printing books. ▪ Originating in the 8th century AD, Sarada descended from the Gupta script of North India, from which Devanāgarī also developed. ▪ The earliest inscriptions in Sarada script, found in Kashmir and northeastern Punjab, are dated AD 804. ▪ Gakhars were a clan from the region renowned for their skill in building forts Why in News? and fortified cities. ▪ India has reacted strongly to reports of Sharada Peeth vandalism and defacement of ancient Buddhist rock carvings in Gilgit-Baltistan under Pakistan’s control.

More in the News ▪ The incident has brought focus on the ▪ The much-revered Hindu temple, located priceless Buddhist heritage of Gilgit- in the Neelum Valley, is an ancient Baltistan found in the rock carvings and centre of learning dedicated to the engravings especially in areas like Hunza Hindu goddess Sharada. which were part of the Buddhist circle ▪ There used to be an annual pilgrimage covering Ladakh and Tibet. by Kashmiri Pandits to Sharada Peeth, ▪ The engravings have been in the news but it was stopped after Independence. recently also because of the Diamar- ▪ The temple-university played a key role in Bhasha hydro power project that the the popularisation of the Sharada script Chinese and the Pakistani companies will in North India, and Kashmir was construct nearby.

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4) Saindhava empire ▪ Their notable constructions are Hindu GS 1: Architecture monastery (mathika) at Ghumli and About temples dedicated to Surya, Shiva and ▪ The Saindhavas, also known as Shakti (Goddess) at Suvarnamanjari. Jayadrathas, ruled western Saurashtra Why in News? (now in Gujarat) from around 735 CE to ▪ There was a proposal by an archaeologist 920 CE. to use LiDAR technology to explore the ▪ Their capital was at Bhutamabilika (now Saurashtra temple city named Ghumli, the Ghumli). capital of the Saindhava empire. ▪ The known historical events during their rule are the attacks of Arabs repulsed by Agguka I.

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PIB ANAYSIS

▪ District ▪ District Water and 1) Jal Jeevan Mission level Sanitation Mission Gs Paper 2- Government policies and (DWSM) interventions for development,Welfare schemes for ▪ Gram ▪ Paani Samiti/ Village vulnerable sections Panchayat Water & Sanitation About Jal Jeevan Mission level Committee (VWSC)/ ▪ Jal Jeevan Mission is envisioned to User group provide safe and adequate drinking Funding Pattern under JJM: water through individual household tap ▪ The fund sharing pattern between Centre connections by 2024 to all households and State is 90:10 for Himalayan and in rural India. North-Eastern States, 100 percent for ▪ The programme will also implement UTs and 50:50 for rest of the States. source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through grey water management, water conservation, rain water harvesting. The Jal Jeevan Mission will be based on a community approach to water . ▪ This Mission is under the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti. Key Objectives of the Mission are: ▪ To provide Functional Tap Connection (FHTC) to every rural household. ▪ To prioritize provision of FHTCs in quality affected areas, villages in drought prone and desert areas, Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) villages, etc. ▪ To provide functional tap connection to Schools, Anganwadi centres, GP buildings, Health centres, wellness centres and community buildings. Positive Outcomes of JJM: ▪ To monitor functionality of tap ▪ JJM would ensure functional household connections. tap connection to every rural household ▪ To promote and ensure voluntary where there is a demand and people ownership among the local community by aspire for household piped water supply. way of contribution in cash, kind and/ or ▪ It will significantly improve quality of labour and voluntary labour (shramdaan). life, particularly of women and children. ▪ To bring awareness on various aspects ▪ It will assist in ODF-sustainability as and significance of safe drinking water . water is important to sustain Swachh The institutional mechanism under JJM: Bharat Mission’s gains. ▪ In the rural areas, for developing in- ▪ National ▪ National Jal Jeevan village water supply infrastructure, water level Mission resource management, source strengthening/ augmentation, ▪ State level ▪ State Water and distribution network, treatment plants, Sanitation Mission etc., unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled (SWSM) human resources will be required.

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▪ Further there will be procurement of belonging to Milk Unions and Milk various materials for water supply producing Companies under a special systems. This will generate employment drive. and boost the economy. Note: Why in News? ▪ In 2019, KCC was extended to farmers who ▪ Assam plans to provide functional tap are involved in activities related to animal connections to 13 lakh rural households husbandry and fisheries. in 2020-21 under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). 2) Kisan Credit Card 3) Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana Gs Paper 3 - Agriculture ,Farm Gs Paper 2- Government policies and Subsidies interventions for development of About the Scheme health ▪ The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme was About PMBJP launched in 1998 with the aim of ▪ Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi providing short-term formal credit to Pariyojana (PMBJP) is a campaign farmers. launched by the Department of ▪ The beneficiaries under the scheme will Pharmaceuticals to provide quality be issued with a Smart card/ Debit medicines at affordable prices to the card. masses. ▪ Under the KCC Scheme, a flexible limit of ▪ PMBJP stores have been set up to provide Rs.10,000 to Rs.50,000 has been provided generic drugs, which are available at to marginal farmers (as Flexi KCC) based lesser prices but are equivalent in quality on the land holding and crops grown. and efficacy as expensive branded drugs. Objective / Purpose Implementing Agency: ▪ The scheme aims at providing adequate ▪ Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India (BPPI) and timely credit support from the is the implementing agency for PMBJP. banking system under a single window with flexible and simplified procedure to ▪ BPPI has been established under the the farmers for their cultivation and other Department of Pharmaceuticals, needs as indicated below: Government of India, with the support of all ▪ To meet the short term credit the Pharma CPSUs. requirements for cultivation of crops; ▪ It seeks to coordinate procurement, supply ▪ Post-harvest expenses; and marketing of generic drugs through the ▪ Produce marketing loan; Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi ▪ Consumption requirements of farmer Kendras. household; ▪ In April 2010, BPPI got registered as an ▪ Working capital for maintenance of farm independent society under the Societies assets and activities allied to agriculture; Registration Act, 1860 as a separate legal ▪ Investment credit requirement for entity. agriculture and allied activities. Objective: Eligibility: ▪ Making quality medicines available at ▪ Farmers - individual/joint borrowers who affordable prices for all, particularly the are owner cultivators; poor and disadvantaged, through ▪ Tenant farmers, oral lessees & exclusive outlets "Jan Aushadhi sharecroppers; Kendras", so as to reduce out of pocket ▪ Self Help Groups (SHGs) or Joint Liability expenses in healthcare. Groups (JLGs) of farmers including tenant Who can open a Jan Aushadhi Kendras ? farmers, sharecroppers etc. ▪ State Governments or any organization / Why in News? reputed NGOs / Trusts / Private hospitals ▪ The Government will provide Kisan Credit / Charitable institutions / Doctors / Card (KCC) to 1.5 crore dairy farmers Unemployed pharmacists/ individual

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entrepreneurs are eligible to apply for ▪ Retail Marketing Development new Jan Aushadhi stores. ▪ Minor Forest Produce Marketing ▪ The applicants shall have to employ one B Development Pharma / D Pharma degree holder as ▪ Skill up-gradation & Capacity Building of Pharmacist in their proposed store. ST Artisans and MFP Gatherers ▪ They can be set up at any suitable place ▪ R&D Development/Intellectual within Government hospital or Private Proprietary Rights (IPR) Activity hospital premises or anywhere outside Why in News? the premises. ▪ TRIFED has launched all out efforts to Why in News? support the tribal artisans in distress due ▪ Affordable Medicines worth about Rs 144 to circumstances arising out of Covid-19. crore sold in March-May 2020 through ▪ It has announced an aggressive plan Janaushadhi Kendras. through its TRIBES India retail and e- 4) TRIFED Com platforms (www.tribesindia.com) to Gs Paper 3 - Agriculture ; Gs Paper 2- help artisans kickstart their production Government policies and and sales operations. Accordingly, TRIFED has re-opened all its outlets and e- interventions for Commerce portals to support tribal development,Welfare schemes for commerce. vulnerable sections 5) Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port About : ▪ The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Gs-Paper 3 Growth and Development, Development Federation of India Infrastructure (TRIFED) came into existence in 1987. It Why in News? is a national-level apex organization ▪ The Union Cabinet has given its approval functioning under the administrative to rename Kolkata Port as Syama Prasad control of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Mookerjee Port. ▪ TRIFED has its Head Office located in New Background : Delhi and has a network of 13 Regional ▪ The Kolkata Port is the first Major Port Offices located at various places in the as well as the only riverine port of the country. country. Objectives ▪ It came to be governed by a Trust on ▪ The ultimate objective of TRIFED is socio- 17th October, 1870 on appointment of the economic development of tribal people in Commissioners for Improvement of the the country by way of marketing Port of Calcutta as per Act V of 1870. development of the tribal products such ▪ It features at Serial Number 1 in The First as metal craft, tribal textiles, pottery, Schedule, Part I—Major Ports of the tribal paintings and pottery on which the Indian Ports Act, 1908 and is governed by tribals depend heavily for a major portion the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963. of their income. ▪ Kolkata Port has traversed 150 years and ▪ TRIFED acts as a facilitator and service in this journey it has been India's provider for tribes to sell their gateway to trade, commerce and product. economic development. ▪ The approach by TRIFED aims to ▪ It has also been a witness to India's empower tribal people with knowledge, struggle for independence, World tools and pool of information so that they Wars l & II and socio-cultural changes can undertake their operations in a more taking place in the country, especially in systematic and scientific manner. Eastern India. ▪ It also involves capacity building of the ▪ India has 13 major ports viz. Kolkata tribal people through sensitization, Port, Paradip Port, New Mangalore Port, formation of Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Cochin Port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port, imparting training to them for Mumbai Port, Kandla Port, undertaking a particular activity. Visakhapatnam Port, Chennai Port, Main activities to TRIFED include:

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Tuticorin port, Ennore Port, Mormugao ▪ Syama Prasad Mukherjee (1901 – 1953) Port and Port Blair Port. was an Indian politician, barrister and academician, who served as the Minister Regulation of ports in India for Industry and Supply in Prime Minister ▪ All Indian ports are regulated under the Jawaharlal Nehru’s cabinet. Indian Ports Act, 1908. This Act defines ▪ He quit the Union Government because of the jurisdiction of central and state differences of opinion with the Nehru-led governments over ports, and lays down government and founded the Bharatiya general rules for safety of shipping and Jana Sangh, the predecessor to the conservation of port facilities. Bharatiya Janata Party, in 1951. ▪ Major Ports ▪ Minor Ports ▪ He was against the concept of J&K being a state within the state with its separate constitution, flag and prime minister. Mukherjee raised the slogan “Ek desh ▪ A major port is ▪ The intermediate mein do Vidhan, do Pradhan aur Do one which is and minor ports fall Nishan nahi chalenge” (A single country administered, under the can’t have two constitutions, two prime maintained and Concurrent List, i.e., ministers and separate flag). developed by the list III in the 7th ▪ Mukherjee strongly opposed Article 370, Central Schedule of the seeing it as a threat to national unity. Government Indian Constitution through the and are 6) Pharmacopoeia Commission Major Port administratively for Indian Medicine & Trusts Act, 1963, under the control of Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) except Ennore the respective State Gs Paper 2- Government policies and port, which is Governments, the administered Centre providing interventions for development of under the technical assistance. health Companies Act About: 1956. ▪ Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H) is an How are the Ports named? autonomous organization under the ▪ Generally, the Major Ports in India are Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India since named after the city or the town in which 2010. they are situated. Some ports, however, in ▪ The PCIM&H has a primary mandate of special cases or in due consideration of publishing Pharmacopoeias and contributions made by eminent leaders Formularies for drugs/formulations used have been re-named after great national in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani (ASU) and leaders in the past. Homoeopathy (ASU&H) systems of ▪ Nhava Sheva Port Trust was renamed as Medicine. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust by the ▪ The Commission serves as an umbrella Government in 1989. organization for Ayurvedic ▪ The Tuticorin Port Trust was renamed Pharmacopoeia Committee (APC), Siddha as V.O. Chidambaranar Port Trust in the Pharmacopoeia Committee (SPC), Unani year 2011 Pharmacopoeia Committee (UPC) and ▪ The Ennore Port Limited has been re- Homoeopathic Pharmacopeia Committee named as Kamarajar Port Limited in the (HPC). honour of Shri K Kamarajar, eminent Why in News? freedom fighter and former Chief Minister ▪ Union Cabinet has given its approval to of Tamil Nadu. re-establish Pharmacopoeia Commission ▪ Recently, in 2017 Kandla Port was re- for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy named as Deendayal Port. (PCIM&H) as Subordinate Office under About Syama Prasad Mookerjee : Ministry of AYUSH. News in Detail:

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▪ This is being done by merging into the Pharmacopoeia Laboratory for Indian Medicine (PLIM) and Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia Laboratory (HPL) – the two central laboratories established at Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh since 1975. ▪ The merger is aimed at optimising the use of resources of the three organizations for enhancing the standardisation outcomes of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs towards their effective regulation and quality control. ▪ It is also intended to accord legal status to the merged structure of PCIM&H and its laboratory by virtue of making amendments in the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945. 7) The Urban Learning Internship Program (TULIP) Gs Paper 2- Government policies and interventions for development ,Education,Skill Development . About TULIP ▪ TULIP is a programme for providing internship opportunities to fresh graduates in all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Smart Cities across the Outcomes : country .The Ministry of Human Resource ▪ TULIP would help enhance the value-to- Development, MoS (I/C) Housing & Urban market of India’s graduates and help Affairs, and All India Council for Technical create a potential talent pool in diverse Education (AICTE) have jointly launched fields like urban planning, transport the online portal for TULIP. engineering, environment, municipal News in Detail: finance etc. not only catalyzing creation of ▪ TULIP has been conceived pursuant to the prospective city managers but also Budget 2020-21 announcement by the talented private/ non-government sector Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala professionals. Sitharaman under the theme ‘Aspirational ▪ TULIP would benefit Urban local bodies India’. (ULBs) and smart cities immensely. It will ▪ It is expected that under the programme lead to infusion of fresh ideas and energy 25000 fresh graduates will receive the with engagement of youth in co-creation opportunity of internship in the first year of solutions for solving India’s urban itself. challenges. ▪ It will further Government’s endeavors to boost community partnership and government- academia-industry-civil society linkages. ▪ Thus TULIP would help fulfill twin goals of providing interns with hands-on learning experience as well as infusing fresh energy and ideas in the functioning of India’s ULBs and Smart Cities. What is a Smart City?

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▪ Smart Cities focus on their most pressing ▪ The Atal Innovation Mission has following needs and on the greatest opportunities two core functions: to improve lives. ▪ Entrepreneurship promotion through ▪ They tap a range of approaches - digital Self-Employment and Talent Utilization, and information technologies, urban wherein innovators would be supported planning best practices, public-private and mentored to become successful partnerships, and policy change - to make entrepreneurs. a difference. They always put people first. ▪ Innovation promotion: to provide a ▪ In the approach to the Smart Cities platform where innovative ideas are Mission, the objective is to promote generated. cities that provide core infrastructure The major initiatives of AIM are: and give a decent quality of life to its ▪ Atal Tinkering Labs-Creating problem citizens, a clean and sustainable solving mindset across schools in India. environment and application of 'Smart' ▪ Atal Incubation Centers-Fostering world Solutions. class startups and adding a new dimension ▪ The focus is on sustainable and inclusive to the incubator model. development and the idea is to look at ▪ Atal New India Challenges-Fostering compact areas, create a replicable model product innovations and aligning them to which will act like a lighthouse to other the needs of various sectors/ministries. aspiring cities. ▪ Mentor India Campaign- A national ▪ The Smart Cities Mission is meant to set Mentor network in collaboration with the examples that can be replicated both public sector, corporates and institutions, within and outside the Smart City, to support all the initiatives of the mission. catalysing the creation of similar Smart ▪ Atal Community Innovation Center- To Cities in various regions and parts of the stimulate community centric innovation country. and ideas in the unserved /underserved Core Elements of Smart City: regions of the country including Tier 2 and ▪ Adequate water supply, Tier 3 cities. ▪ Assured electricity supply, ▪ ARISE-To stimulates innovation and ▪ Sanitation, including solid waste research in the MSME industry. management, ▪ Efficient urban mobility and public Why in News? transport, ▪ CSIR and Atal Innovation Mission sign a ▪ Affordable housing, especially for the Letter of Intent to Foster Innovation in poor, the Country. ▪ Robust IT connectivity and digitalization, ▪ About CSIR ▪ Good governance, especially e- ▪ The Council of Scientific & Industrial Governance and citizen participation, Research (CSIR), known for its cutting edge ▪ Sustainable environment, R&D knowledge base in diverse S&T areas, ▪ Safety and security of citizens, is a contemporary R&D organization. CSIR particularly women, children and the has a dynamic network of 38 national elderly, and laboratories, 39 outreach centres, 3 ▪ Health and education. Innovation Complexes and 5 units. 8) Atal Innovation Mission ▪ CSIR covers a wide spectrum of streams – Gs Paper 2- Government policies and from radio and space physics, interventions for development,GS oceanography, geophysics, chemicals, paper 3- Achievements of Indians in drugs, genomics, biotechnology and Science & Technology nanotechnology to mining, aeronautics, About Atal Innovation Mission instrumentation, environmental ▪ Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is engineering and information technology. Government of India’s flagship initiative ▪ It provides significant technological to promote a culture of innovation and intervention in many areas with regard to entrepreneurship in the country. societal efforts which include environment,

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Features of IOE status: health, drinking water, food, housing, ▪ The 10 public institutions which will be energy, farm and non-farm sectors. selected will get Rs 1,000 crore each from ▪ CSIR is funded by the Ministry of Science the HRD Ministry to achieve world-class and Technology and it operates as an status. autonomous body through the Societies ▪ The government will offer no financial Registration Act, 1860. assistance to the private institutions. For both private and public institutions, administrative autonomy will be given. 9) Institute of Eminence Curriculum, course structure, fee ▪ GS paper 3- Achievements of Indians in structure, salary structure can be Science & Technology designed by themselves. About the scheme: ▪ Up to 25% of faculties can be hired from ▪ The Institute of Eminence Scheme (IOE abroad, about 30% of students from Scheme) was announced in 2016 to abroad can be given admissions, almost improve the ranking of Indian higher 20% of the courses can be given online. educational institutions at the global ▪ There will be no restrictions from UGC in level. terms and services conditions as the ▪ Under this scheme, the Ministry of Human scheme aims to promote administrative Resource Development (HRD) will select autonomy for the better innovation 20 IoEs — 10 public and 10 private and ecosystem. establish them as world class institutes in ▪ Apart from public and private, IOE status the country. can be also given to greenfield ▪ These twenty institutions will be institutions (Institution which is yet to provided with greater autonomy, grants start) for encouraging new players. and special preferences. Why in News? Criteria For Selection Of Institutions: ▪ The Union HRD Minister chaired a ▪ Institutions which are under the top fifty meeting to review the progress of works in the National Institutional Ranking sanctioned under the Institute of Framework are eligible for applying for Eminence Scheme. IOE status, Or ▪ Top 500 in internationally recognised rankings like the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

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News in Depth AIR NEWS 1) Vande Bharat Mission annum will be credited to the bank About Vande Bharat Mission accounts of beneficiaries through Direct ▪ It is India's major mission to evacuate Benefit Transfer on six monthly basis. stranded Indians from other countries ▪ If the vendor repay the instalments in due to the coronavirus pandemic and time or earlier, they will develop his subsequent lockdown. credible credit score that makes him ▪ The Mission, which is focused on the Gulf eligible for a higher amount of term loan and the South Asian regions, is expected to 20 thousand rupees and so on. to involve 64 flights, bringing back 15,000 ▪ Urban Local Bodies will play a pivotal nationals from different parts of the role in the implementation of the scheme. world through 14 Indian airports. ▪ The lending institutions under the Why in News? Scheme include Scheduled Commercial ▪ The Ministry of External Affairs furnished Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Small the latest details of the Vande Bharat Finance Banks, Cooperative Banks, mission recently. NBFCs, Microfinance institutions and Self 2) PM SVANIDHI Help Group banks. What’s in the news? About the scheme ▪ The Ministry of Housing and Urban ▪ It is a special micro-credit facility scheme Affairs has launched PM SVANIDHI - for providing affordable loans to street Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s vendors. Atmanirbhar Nidhi. ▪ The scheme is aimed at enabling the street vendors to resume their livelihoods 3) SWADES initiative that have been adversely affected due to About the initiative COVID-19 lockdown. Street vendors play ▪ The SWADES- Skilled Workers Arrival a significant role in ensuring availability Database for Employment Support- of the goods and services at affordable initiative aims to conduct a skill mapping rates at the door-step of the city dwellers. exercise of the returning citizens under ▪ The scheme targets to benefit over 50 the Vande Bharat Mission. lakh street vendors, who had been ▪ This is a joint initiative of the Ministry of vending on or before 24th March this Skill Development and year, in urban areas. The duration of the Entrepreneurship, Civil Aviation scheme is till March 2022. Ministry and External Affairs Ministry. ▪ The street vendors belonging to the ▪ The objective is to create a database of surrounding peri-urban or rural areas are qualified citizens based on their skill sets being included as beneficiaries under the and experience to tap into and fulfil urban livelihoods programme for the first demand of Indian and foreign companies. time. ▪ The collected information will be shared News in detail with the companies for suitable ▪ The vendors can avail a working capital placement opportunities in the country. loan of upto ten thousand rupees, which The returning citizens are required to fill is repayable in monthly instalments in the up an online SWADES Skills Card. The tenure of one year. On timely and early data collected through SWADES Skill Card repayment of the loan, an interest will help the citizens with job prospects subsidy at the rate of seven per cent per and bridge the demand-supply gap.

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What’s in the news? applicant becomes eligible for an ▪ The Central Government has launched a unemployment allowance. new initiative SWADES- Skilled Workers ▪ The Ministry of Rural Development Arrival Database for Employment (MRD), is monitoring the entire Support. implementation of this scheme in 4) Mahatma Gandhi National association with state governments. Rural Employment Guarantee ▪ One-third of the stipulated workforce must be women. Program ▪ The employment will be provided within About the scheme a radius of 5 km: if it is above 5 km extra ▪ The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural wage will be paid. Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) ▪ The wages are revised according to the scheme is the largest social security Consumer Price Index-Agricultural scheme in the world — guaranteeing 100 Labourers (CPI-AL). days of work to any rural household ▪ Work site facilities such as crèche, willing to do public work-related drinking water, shade have to be unskilled manual work at the statutory provided. minimum wage. ▪ Social Audit has to be done by the ▪ The act makes it obligatory for the State Gram Sabha to give rural households work on demand. Why in News? In case such employment is not provided ▪ Recently, the Assam government issued within 15 days of registration, the 19,000 new job cards under MGNREGA.

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THE HINDU EDITORIALS 1) Universal Basic Income and the cumulative market cap of over $4 trillion, need for it now yet they together directly employ just 1.2 million people. What is universal basic income? ▪ Tool to eradicate poverty ▪ A basic income is a regular, periodic ▪ Economics Nobel Laureates Peter cash payment delivered Diamond and Christopher Pissarides, and unconditionally to all citizens on an tech leaders Mark Zuckerberg and Elon individual basis, without requirement Musk consider the universal basic income of work or willingness to work. (UBI) programme to be a solution that ▪ The five broad features of such schemes could mitigate the developing crisis are: caused by reducing job opportunities and o payments at periodic regular intervals as an effective tool to eradicate poverty. (not one-off grants), Why particularly now? o payments in cash (not food vouchers or ▪ The IMF has projected global growth in service coupons), 2020 to be -3.0%, the worst since the o payments to individuals, Great Depression. o universality, and ▪ India is projected to grow at 1.9% o unconditionality(no prior condition) while the U.S. economy is expected to fall How UBI works? by 5.9% because of the effects of ▪ UBI would require subsumption of other pandemic induced lockdown. subsidies and allowances in order to free ▪ With almost 90% of India’s workforce up resources so that a particular amount in the informal sector without minimum can be directed to people on a periodic wages or social security, micro-level basis. circumstances will be worse in India than Significance of Universal Basic Income: anywhere else. ▪ UBI envisages an uncompromised social Global precedents safety net that seeks to assure a ▪ Countries across the world, including dignified life for everyone, a concept Kenya, Brazil, Finland, and that is expected to gain traction in a global Switzerland, have bought into this economy afflicted by uncertainties on concept and have begun controlling UBI account of globalisation, technological pilots to supplement their population. change,automation and now the COVID- Conclusion: 19 pandemic. ▪ Thus it is high time for India to ▪ The 2017 Economic Survey had flagged introduce unconditional regular the UBI scheme as “a conceptually payouts at maximum universality, at least appealing idea” and a possible till the economy normalises. alternative to social welfare programmes targeted at bringing down poverty. 2) Fortifying the Africa Outreach ▪ Economist Milton Friedman has said UBI Context: as a way of restoring individual choice ▪ The COVID-19 pandemic effects stand to and freedom and reigning in the be devastating particularly in Africa, influence of the state. where economic and public health Need for UBI: conditions are extremely vulnerable. ▪ Challenges with fourth industrial Although African countries moved quickly revolution to curb the initial spread, they are still ill- ▪ Disruptive technologies like artificial equipped to cope with a public health intelligence ushers in productivity gains emergency of such magnitude due to but steadily reduce human capital shortages of masks, ventilators, and even requirements. basic necessities such as soap and water. ▪ For example, Silicon Valley region is home This implies the continuance of Africa’s to five of the world’s eight most valuable chronic external aid dependence. companies. These companies have a India and China come to play

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▪ As Asia’s two largest economies and occupying a central place in Indian long-standing partners of Africa, India government’s foreign and economic and China have increased their outreach policy in the last six years. to Africa through medical assistance India’s developmental efforts in Africa which are directed to fill a part of the ▪ Plans to open 18 new embassies growing African need. supplemented by an improved record of Beijing’s donation diplomacy Indian project implementation in Africa. ▪ China, being Africa’s largest trading ▪ Pharmaceutical products along with partner, signalled its intent to help Africa refined petroleum products account for cope with the pandemic. 40% of India’s total exports to African o It dispatched medical protective markets. equipment, testing kits, ventilators, and ▪ India is sending consignments of medical masks to several African essential medicines, including countries. hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) and o Chinese embassies across Africa have paracetamol, to 25 African countries in taken the lead by coordinating both addition to doctors and paramedics at a public and private donations to local total cost of around ₹600 million ($7.9 stakeholders. million) on a commercial and grant basis. o Consignments of anti corona supplies ▪ e-ITEC COVID-19 management donated by chinese tech founders were strategies training webinars exclusively mostly transported through ethiopian aimed at training health-care aircraft. professionals from Africa and the South Objectives: Asian Association for Regional o Beijing’s ‘donation diplomacy’ in Africa Cooperation (SAARC) nations and sharing aims to achieve three immediate of best practices by Indian health experts. objectives: ▪ A few African countries such as Mauritius ▪ shift the focus away from talking about are pushing for health-care the origins of the virus in Wuhan, partnerships in traditional medicines ▪ build goodwill overseas, and and Ayurveda for boosting immunity. ▪ to raise Beijing’s profile as a leading ▪ The Indian community, especially in East provider of humanitarian assistance and African countries, has also been playing a “public goods” in the global public health crucial role in helping spread sector. awareness. How did it manage to achieve the ▪ Prominent Indian businessmen and objectives? companies in Nigeria and Kenya have ▪ China’s donation diplomacy towards donated money to the respective Africa during COVID-19 has received national emergency response funds. mixed reactions, but Beijing’s advantage ▪ Country-specific chapters of gurdwaras lies in its economic heft and political and temples have fed thousands of influence in Africa. families by setting up community Importance of Africa to China kitchens, helplines for seniors and ▪ China relies heavily on diplomatic distributing disinfectants and sanitisers. support and cooperation from African India- reliable global stakeholder countries on key issues in multilateral ▪ Even with limited resources, India can fora. fight the virus at home while reaching out ▪ For example, Beijing used African to developing countries in need is support for securing a win for Chinese testament to India’s status as a candidates as the head of Food and responsible and reliable global Agriculture Organization (FAO) and in the stakeholder. World Health Organization (WHO). New Delhi’s focus The contrasts ▪ India’s developmental outreach has been ▪ Both India and China, through their more evident in Africa with the continent respective health and donation

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diplomacy, are trying to carve a space ▪ To identify the animal to human and position for themselves as reliable transmission origins of SARSCoV2. partners of Africa in its time of need. ▪ India should lean on the WHO secretariat However there are significant to fast track the “impartial, independent, differences in the approaches. and comprehensive review” of the WHO’s ▪ For China, three aspects are critical: – and China’s – early response to the o money, political influence and elite outbreak. level wealth creation; ▪ The review’s findings should illuminate o strong state-to-state relations as best practice and highlight areas for opposed to people-to-people ties; and improvement, both in theWHO’s o Hard-infrastructure projects and leadership and capacity as well as resource extraction. member states’ implementation of the ▪ India’s approach on the other hand is one International Health Regulations. that focuses on ▪ India must promote the establishment of o Building local capacities and an equal an appropriate multilateral governance partnership with Africans and not mechanism for ensuring equitable access merely with African elites concerned. to COVID19 therapeutics and vaccines for Conclusion: all countries. o As these two powers rise in Africa, their ▪ (World Trade Organization’s intellectual two distinct models will come to play and property rights provisions can be both New Delhi and Beijing might find overridden as is allowed during a public that they need to adapt to the rising health emergency to assure affordable aspirations of the African continent. vaccine availability). 3) World Health Organisation and ▪ India must lead the call for a permanent India’s Policy approach global ban on the consumption and trade Context: of wild animals, with limited exceptions ▪ India (Minister of health and family built in for scientific research, species welfare) will be the chair of the executive protection and traditional livelihood body of the World health organisation i.e., interests. With two thirds of emerging World health assembly. infections and diseases now arising from Recent controversy wildlife, the destruction of natural ▪ U.S. President Donald Trump wrote a habitats and biodiversity loss must be letter to the WHO Director General, taken much more seriously. threatening to make permanent his ▪ India must stay aloof from the West’s temporary funding freeze as well as campaign to reseat Taiwan as an observer reconsider the U.S’s membership in the at the WHA. organisation if the latter did not commit ▪ ( UN considers Taiwan as integral part of to major substantive reforms within 30 china) days. 4) Free electricity to farm ▪ By contrast, Chinese President Xi Jinping Why in the news? pledged $2 billion to fight the virus, pair ▪ Recently the union government gave a up 30 African hospitals with domestic conditionality to the state for extended counterparts, accelerate the building of borrowing in times of COVID 19. the AfricaCenters for Disease Control Condition headquarters, and ensure that vaccine ▪ The Centre has prescribed that the free development in China, when available, power supply scheme should be would be made a global public good. replaced with the direct benefits India’s needed policy approach transfer (DBT) as a condition to allow ▪ India must insist that epidemic States to increase their borrowing limit. prevention and control remain the Arguments against power subsidy international community's foremost Exploitation of resources priority. ▪ The scheme has led to widespread wastage of water and electricity.

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▪ India is the largest user of groundwater at ▪ The emerging concept of planetary 251 billion cubic meters, exceeding the health characterises impacts of combined withdrawal by China and the human-caused disruptions of Earth’s U.S. ecological systems. In this context, COVID- Pumpsets in areas of depleted 19 seems to be a direct consequence of groundwater anthropogenic impacts on the planet ▪ In parts of the Cauvery delta in Tamil which can be better explained through the Nadu or Sangrur district of Punjab, the link in the food system, and particularly in rate of depletion of groundwater table is our reliance on animals for protein. worrisome. About factory farming ▪ To sustain their activity, farmers need to ▪ Factory farming is an unsustainable go for submersible or high capacity method of raising food animals that pumpsets. concentrates large numbers of animals Installation of more pumpsets into confined spaces. ▪ The extension of the scheme to different ▪ Hazards of factory farming States over the years has only encouraged ▪ Large-scale, industrial animal agriculture installation of more pumpsets. for meat, eggs, and dairy creates and ▪ Karnataka is a classic example where the exacerbates planetary health risks. number of irrigation pump sets, which ▪ Scientists at the United Nations’ Food was around 17lakh 12 years ago, is now and Agricultural Organization estimate around 30 lakh. that it is “one of the top two or three Misuse of the scheme most significant contributors to the ▪ There is misuse of the scheme for which most serious environmental not just a section of farmers but also field problems.” officials have to be blamed. ▪ Our need for animal protein uses vast Failure to measure consumption tracts of land and quantities of water to raise those animals, to graze them, and to accurately grow crops to feed them. It contributes ▪ In the absence of meters for these more to climate change than emissions connections or segregation of feeders or from the entire transportation sector. metering of distribution transformers, ▪ Wild and farmed seafood production also accurate measurement of consumption causes significant environmental becomes tricky. degradation, species loss, and habitat ▪ Those incharge of power distribution destruction. companies find it convenient to reduce Embracing the alternatives their aggregate technical and commercial ▪ Expert voices ranging from the Food and losses by clubbing a portion of the losses Land Use Coalition, to the World Health with energy consumption by the farm Organization, to the EAT-Lancet sector. Commission have all identified that Argument for free power diversifying protein sources away from ▪ Ensures food security animals is a hugely neglected ▪ Free power provides livelihood intervention for human and planetary opportunities to landless workers. health. ▪ When farmers dependent on supplies About alternative proteins through canals get water almost free of ▪ 'Alternative proteins' is a general term cost. that covers plant-based and food- technology alternatives to animal Way forward: protein. ▪ Those enjoying free power need to be told ▪ All over the world, companies in the about the need for judicious use of exciting ‘alternative protein’ sector are groundwater and how to conserve it. making upgraded versions of meat, eggs, 5) Alternative Protein and dairy from plant or crop ingredients, Context: or directly from animal cells.

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Advantages with an emphasis on research, ▪ These foods satisfy consumers and entrepreneurship, and self-sufficiency. producers without taking away their Way forward: choice ▪ We need to build upon our strengths in ▪ They taste the same and are used in agriculture and in manufacturing to exactly the same way create a new food system that works for ▪ Better for planetary health. farmers and is robust to systemic shocks. Global precedents ▪ Food security and agricultural income ▪ Countries like Singapore and Canada are being our nation’s major challenges in the already making alternative protein, the coming years, turning this crisis into an centre of their food security measures opportunity by stimulating research and entrepreneurship in alternative proteins is need of the hour.

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INDIAN EXPRESS EXPLAINED 1) India-China Border issues 3,488 km long while the Chinese believe it Background to be around 2,000 km long. ▪ The disputed boundary between India Johnson Line and China, also known as the Line of ▪ The boundary dispute in the Western Actual Control (LAC), is divided into Sector pertains to the Johnson Line three sectors: viz. Western (Ladakh, proposed by the British in the 1860s Kashmir), middle (Uttarakhand, which put Aksai Chin in the then princely Himachal) and eastern (Sikkim, state of Jammu and Kashmir. Arunachal). ▪ Independent India used the Johnson Line ▪ The countries disagree on the exact and claimed Aksai Chin as its own. location of the LAC in various areas, so However, China stated that it had never much so that India claims that the LAC is acceded to the Johnson Line and refused to cede Aksai Chin to India.

Middle Sector ▪ Representatives of China, India and Tibet ▪ In the Middle Sector, the dispute is a in 1913-14 met in Shimla, where an minor one. It is the only one where India agreement was proposed to settle the and China have exchanged maps on which boundary between Tibet and India, and they broadly agree. Tibet and China. McMahon Line ▪ Though the Chinese representatives at the ▪ The disputed boundary in the Eastern meeting initialled the agreement, they Sector of the India-China border is over subsequently refused to accept it claiming the McMahon Line. that Tibet is not a sovereign nation and thus the McMahon Line has no legal standing.

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▪ At the heart of boundary dispute is the ▪ Most of the clashes between the two issue of Arunachal Pradesh, which China armies occur in the disputed portion of describes as 'Southern Tibet'. the lake. Reasons for chinese move: ▪ Increasing infrastructure competition How is the LAC different from the Line of along LAC Control with Pakistan? o The spark for the current stand-off with ▪ The LoC emerged from the 1948 ceasefire China, with the ongoing face-off situations line negotiated by the UN after the in the Galwan River valley, Pangong Lake Kashmir War. and other areas, is the increasing ▪ It was designated as the LoC in 1972, infrastructure competition along the Line following the Shimla Agreement between of Actual Control (LAC) the two countries. ▪ Increasing chinese assertiveness ▪ It is delineated on a map signed by o China appears to be asserting itself along Director General of Military Operations the LAC in the Western sector which is (DGMOs) of both armies and has the more similar to the 2013 and 2014 border international sanctity of a legal stand-offs between China and India. agreement. ▪ Strategic considerations ▪ The LAC, in contrast, is only a concept – it o China could be responding to the is not agreed upon by the two countries, deterioration of China-India ties amid the neither delineated on a map nor coronavirus pandemic. demarcated on the ground. Way forward: Mechanism to prevent border flare-ups ▪ The lack of a formal agreement ▪ The two countries engaged in Confidence regarding the location of the LAC will Building Measures (CBMs) on the ensure that future incidents and crises border with bilateral agreements signed are bound to recur. Thus, reaching such in 1993, 1996, 2005, 2012 and 2013. a formal agreement even if the underlying ▪ During Prime Minister Atal Bihari territorial dispute cannot be resolved is Vajpayee’s visit to China in 2003, the two more necessary than ever before. sides agreed on the appointment of Pangong Tso special representatives for ▪ Pangong Tso is a long narrow, deep, consultations aimed at arriving at a endorheic (landlocked) lake situated at a framework for a boundary settlement that height of more than 14,000 ft in the would provide the basis for the Ladakh Himalayas. delineation and demarcation of the ▪ The brackish water lake freezes over in border. winter. ▪ In October 2013, the two sides signed the Boundary Defence Cooperation 2) Inner Line Permit and its CAA Agreement to prevent any flare up along context the un-demarcated border. This What is Inner Line? encompasses both military level and ▪ The Inner line is a concept drawn by diplomat level dialogue mechanism. colonial rulers, which separated the Why in News? tribal-populated hill areas in the ▪ Indian and Chinese armies rushed in Northeast from the plains. additional troops in areas around Inner Line Permit System: Pangong Tso lake in eastern Ladakh, after ▪ An Inner Line Permit is a document that recent clashes between the soldiers of allows an Indian citizen to visit or stay both sides. in a state that is protected under the ▪ The LAC mostly passes on the land, but ILP system. Pangong Tso is a unique case where it ▪ Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and passes through the water as well. The Mizoram are protected by the Inner Line, points in the water at which the Indian and lately Manipur was added. claim ends and Chinese claim begins are not agreed upon mutually.

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▪ No Indian citizen can visit any of these What does the Citizenship Amendment states unless he or she belongs to that Act,2019 say? state, nor can he or she overstay beyond ▪ The Act had mandated that those who cross the period specified in the ILP. the border to India from Afghanistan, Who issues ILP? Bangladesh and Pakistan and belong to ▪ An ILP is issued by the state “minority communities”, namely, Hindus, government concerned. Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians, ▪ It can be obtained after applying either would not be treated as illegal immigrants online or physically. despite having entered the country without ▪ It states the dates of travel and also valid documents or with travel papers that specifies the particular areas in the had expired. state which the ILP holder can travel to. ▪ The amendment shortened the period of Background: residency from 12 to seven years for ▪ The concept originates from the Bengal gaining citizenship by naturalisation. Eastern Frontier Regulation Act ▪ It had also empowered the government to (BEFR), 1873. cancel registration as Overseas Citizen of ▪ Under the Bengal Eastern Frontier India in case of any violation of the Regulation Act, 1873, the British framed Citizenship Act or any other laws. regulations restricting the entry and regulating the stay of outsiders in Why in the news? designated areas. ▪ Two Assam students' unions have ▪ This was to protect the Crown’s own approached the Supreme Court to include commercial interests by preventing the state in the inner-line system to “British subjects” (Indians) from trading protect them from the effect of within these regions. Citizenship (Amendment) Act. ▪ After Independence, the Indian 3) Essential Commodities Act and government replaced “British subjects” need for its amendment: with “Citizen of India”. Why in the news? ▪ This was to address concerns about ▪ The Union Cabinet has approved an protecting the interests of the ordinance to amend The Essential indigenous people from outsiders Commodities Act, 1955, to deregulate belonging to other Indian states. commodities such as cereals, pulses, How is it connected to the Citizenship oilseeds, edible oils, onion and potatoes Amendment Act? Essential Commodities Act: What is the ▪ The Citizenship (Amendment) Act aims to amendment make it easier for non-Muslim refugees ▪ The ordinance has introduced a new from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and subsection (1A) in Section 3 of The Afghanistan to obtain Indian citizenship. Essential Commodities Act, 1955. ▪ It has been implemented with provisions ▪ The amended law provides a mechanism for excluding from its ambit the states for the “regulation” of agricultural under the ILP regime, it means that foodstuffs, namely cereals, pulses, beneficiaries under CAB will become oilseeds, edible oils, potato, and supplies Indian citizens but will not be able to under extraordinary circumstances, settle in these states. which include extraordinary price rise, ▪ Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland are not war, famine, and natural calamity of a among those drastically affected by severe nature. migration from Bangladesh. What is the definition of an ‘essential ▪ The three states that have seen the commodity’ highest migration, however, are Assam, ▪ There is no specific definition of Tripura and Meghalaya, none of which essential commodities in The EC Act. has an ILP system. Section 2(A) of the act states that an “essential commodity” means a

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commodity specified in the “Schedule” lower, will be the trigger for invoking the of this Act. stock limit for such commodities. ▪ The Act gives powers to the central ▪ For non-perishable agricultural government to add or remove a foodstuffs, the price trigger will be a 50 commodity in the “Schedule.” per cent increase in the retail price of the ▪ The Centre, if it is satisfied that it is commodity over the immediately necessary to do so in public interest, can preceding 12 months or the average retail notify an item as essential, in consultation price of the last five years, whichever is with state governments. lower. ▪ At present, the “Schedule” contains 9 ▪ However, exemptions from stock-holding commodities limits will be provided to processors and o drugs; value chain participants of any o fertilisers, whether inorganic, organic or agricultural produce, and orders relating mixed; to the Public Distribution System. o foodstuffs, including edible oils; So, why was an amendment needed in The o hank yarn made wholly from cotton; EC Act? o petroleum and petroleum products; ▪ The EC Act was legislated at a time when o raw jute and jute textiles; the country was facing scarcity of o seeds of food-crops and seeds of fruits foodstuffs due to persistent low levels of and vegetables, foodgrain production. o seeds of cattle fodder, jute seed, cotton ▪ The country was dependent on imports seed; and assistance (such as wheat import o face masks; and hand sanitisers. form US under PL-480) to feed the ▪ The latest items added to this schedule population. are face masks and hand sanitisers, which ▪ Thus to stop the hoarding and black were declared essential commodities with marketing of foodstuffs, The Essential effect from March 13, 2020 in the wake of Commodities Act was enacted in 1955. Covid-19 outbreak. Changes overtime: ▪ By declaring a commodity as essential, the ▪ A note prepared by the Ministry of government can control the production, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public supply, and distribution of that Distribution shows that production of commodity, and impose a stock limit. wheat has increased by 10 times (from How and under what circumstances can the less than 10 million tonnes in 1955-56 to government impose stock limits? more than 100 million tonnes in 2018- ▪ Under the amended EC Act, agri-food 19); during the same period, the stuffs can only be regulated under production of rice has increased more extraordinary circumstances such as than four times from around 25 million war, famine, extraordinary price rise, and tonnes to 110 million tonnes. natural calamity. ▪ The production of pulses has increased by o However, any action on imposing stock 2.5 times, from 10 million tonnes to 25 limits will be based on the price trigger. million tonnes. ▪ In case of horticultural produce, a 100 per ▪ India has now become an exporter of cent increase in the retail price of the several agricultural products. commodity over the immediately ▪ With these developments, the EC Act has preceding 12 months or the average retail become anachronistic. price of the last five years, whichever is

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65 o https://www.npci.org.in/about-us- most-common-coronavirus-type-in- background india/article31734371.ece o https://vikaspedia.in/e- ▪ https://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/U governance/digital-payment/unified- nited-Nations-Related-Agencies/The- payment-interface/bharat-interface-for- World-Health-Organization-WHO- money-bhim PURPOSES.html#ixzz6OSz4jw33 o https://www.npci.org.in/product- ▪ https://www.who.int/about overview/bhim-product-overview ▪ https://www.thehindu.com/sci- o http://www.arthapedia.in/index.php?titl tech/health/coronavirus- e=Banking_Correspondent_(BC) hydroxychloroquine-clinical-trials- ▪ https://www.investopedia.com/insights/ will-resume-says- what-dark-net/ who/article31742357.ece. o https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/deep- web-dark-web-darknet/ Editorials o https://www.techopedia.com/definition/ ▪ https://indianexpress.com/article/explai 2395/darknet ned/simply-put-the-money-for-nothing- o https://www.thehindu.com/sci- idea-sikkim-universal-basic-income- tech/technology/internet/100-gb-of- scheme-what-is-5532728/ indians-data-up-for-sale-on-dark- ▪ https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op- web/article31742537.ece#:~:text=Data% ed/its-time-for-a-universal-basic-income- 20comprises%20scanned%20identity%2 programme-in-india/article31717471.ece 0documents,in%20the%20dark%20web ▪ 2.https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op %20market. -ed/india-china-and-fortifying-the-africa- ▪ https://www.thehindu.com/sci- outreach/article31725783.ece tech/science/how-archaeologists- ▪ 3.https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op continued-digging-from-home-during- -ed/seizing-the-moment-at-the- lockdown/article31760027.ece who/article31733278.ece o https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/lidar ▪ 5.https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op .html#:~:text=Lidar%2C%20which%20st -ed/time-to-discontinue-free-power-for- ands%20for%20Light,variable%20distan farmers/article31742808.ece ces)%20to%20the%20Earth. ▪ https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/pr o https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what- oblems/factory-farming-food-safety remote-sensing-and-what-it-used?qt- ▪ https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op- news_science_products=0#qt- ed/embracing-alternative- news_science_products. protein/article31750635.ece o PIB Health ▪ 1)https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetail.as ▪ https://www.thehindu.com/news/nation px?PRID=1628152 al/coronavirus-hydroxychloroquine-with- ▪ 2)https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.as ppe-reduces-odds-of-covid-19-in-health- px?PRID=1628393 workers-icmr- ▪ https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/Notificati researchers/article31724680.ece onUser.aspx?Id=11034&Mode=0 ▪ https://www.nature.com/scitable/definit ▪ 3)https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.as ion/rna-polymerase-106 px?PRID=1628291 ▪ https://www.thehindu.com/news/nation ▪ https://vikaspedia.in/health/health- al/coronavirus-remdesivir-cleared-for- campaigns/jan-aushadhi emergency-use/article31733334.ece ▪ http://janaushadhi.gov.in/FAQ.aspx ▪ https://www.csio.res.in/CommonNew.ph ▪ 4)https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframe p?ds=69&page=1 Page.aspx?PRID=1628707 ▪ https://www.thehindu.com/sci- ▪ https://vikaspedia.in/social- tech/science/scientists-find-second- welfare/disaster-management-1/natural- disasters/cyclones

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