News Juice Monthly – January 2021 Edition

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Table of Contents

Polity & Governance ...... 1

1. And What The Government Could Negotiate ...... 1

2. Farmers’ Big Concern — ...... 3 3. What exactly is the ‘land scam’...... in which Kashmiri parties are implicated? 6 4. AG’sWhy Consentis a headcount for Contempt on caste lines considered necessary, and what will be the outcome? ...... 7 5. Surgery as part of Ayurveda? ...... 9 6. What is Central Vista project that Supreme Court has halted? ...... 11 7. Why does the J&K government want the High Court to reconsider its ruling on Roshni Act? ...... 13 8. In farm laws, the dispute settlement provision govt has offered to roll back ...... 15 9. PM-WANI project ...... 17 10. Who are Shetkari Sanghatana, the group backing govt on the farm laws? ...... 19 11. Winter session cancelled, a look at how Parliament is convened ...... 21 12. Amendment to Karnataka Land Reforms Act: what govt, opposition say ...... 23 13. Survey reveals more Indians going for smaller families, population growth rate set to hit a plateau ...... 25 14. West Bengal-Home Ministry tussle ...... 26 15. Rapid expansion, random wage cuts: behind the Wistron violence ...... 27 16. Madhya Pradesh Cabinet approves anti-conversion bill ...... 29 17...... 30

18. Governor’sCIC order Electoral role in calling Bond Schemean Assembly of 2018 session: ...... what the law, courts say 32 International Organizations and Relations ...... 34

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1. China hydropower company plans first downstream dam on Brahmaputra ...... 34 2.

TheWest fallout Asia ...... of Fakhrizadeh’s killing, while benefiting Israel, will add to the instability 35in 3. Recalibrating India-Nepal ties ...... 36 4...... 38

5. ‘OICIndia resolution’ hosted 2020 on ShanghaiKashmir Cooperation Organisation Summit: All you need to know ...... 39 6. Giving the Nobel Peace Prize to sitting prime ministers or presidents is inherently risky ...... 40 7. This is where Rohingya are being sent: a newly surfaced island in Bay of Bengal ...... 42 8. Iran is enhancing its nuclear programme, which can be reversed if talks with the U.S. are revived ...... 44 9...... 45

10. WhatWhy are is in the France’s the recent draft accusations law against against‘Islamism’? the social media giant significant and what do they entail? ...... 47 11. Why are human rights agencies concerned about Bangladesh relocating Rohingya refugees? ...... 49 12.

Whatregime? is...... the San Isidro Movement, posing a stiff challenge to Cuba’s authoritarian50 13. India drops two ranks in Human Development Index ...... 52 14. U.S.'s decision to impose sanctions on Turkey ...... 54 15. What is currency manipulation, and why has US put India on its currency watchlist? ...55 16. Are NRIs likely to get postal voting rights soon? ...... 57 17. Teacher vacancies at IITs and reservation ...... 59 18...... 61

19. What is behind PM Oli’s move to call for snap ...... polls? 64 20. What’sReading at the stake new in US Nepal’s policy political on Tibet: crisis? snubs to China on Dalai Lama, rivers ...... 67 21. Cairn wins arbitration ruling against India in tax dispute: What is the case? ...... 69 22...... 70

What were the major challenges to India’s Neighbourhood First Policy this year? Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

23...... 72

24. WhoU.K.-EU is Gen post-Brexit Zhang, China’s deal ...... new PLA commander on LAC? 74 25. list delisting ...... 75

Sudan’s recognition of Israel for terror Geogpraphy ...... 76

1. How Mount Everest got 3 feet higher, endorsed by both Nepal and China ...... 76

Economics ...... 78

1. even as others ring

Whyalarm India’s bells ...... GDP contracting by 7.5% is earning some cheers – 78 2. prices, these are the key challenges faced by Indian

Farmers’agriculture protests: ...... Beyond support 80 3...... 83

4. WhatDespite is inflation, being self- and what is the RBI’s role in tackling it? alarming ...... sufficient in agricultural production, India’s hunger levels are85 5. Wistron plant issue ...... 86 6. From January 1, the new safety features in cheques above Rs 50,000 ...... 87 7.

‘Tightenpower cuts your and belts‘, defective Govt. meters frames ...... new rules for discoms to compensate consumers for88 8. How frauds make use of fake GST invoices ...... 89 9. Cabinet approves 100% FDI in DTH services ...... 91 10. Standardisation of health insurance products ...... 92 11. Why Dedicated Freight Corridor matters for Railways, the country ...... 93

— Environment ...... 96

1. Building bridges in the forest, to help wildlife ...... 96

2. Emissions hit new record, put world on track for 3C warming - U.N...... 97 3. Declare exotic pets, avoid prosecution: how one-time scheme works ...... 99 4...... 100

5. VirtualA Himalayan Climate serow Summit: has India’s been sightedPerformance for the first time in the Himalayan cold desert region. Why is the sighting significant? ...... 101 6. Converting waste to energy ...... 103 7. International Blue Flag hoisted at 8 beaches across the Country ...... 104

Science & Technology ...... 105

1. Bacterial infection following Influenza (Flu) ...... 105 2. Slow progress: On WHO's assurance to uncover origin of COVID-19 ...... 107 3.

Serumvaccine? Institute’s ...... trial has run into a controversy. Will this erode public trust in 108 a 4...... 109

5. UNInvestigation body reclassifies Finds Most cannabis Honey from Brands list of Fail ‘deadly, Advanced addictive’ Quality opioids Control Test ...... 110 6...... 111

7. IsWhat there is postanything quantum called cryptography? ‘pure honey’, and...... how is honey tested? 113 8. Lab-grown meat: cleared in Singapore, an emerging alternative worldwide ...... 115 9. In criticism & lawsuit, debate over coding for kids ...... 117 10. Three Covid-19 vaccine developers seek emergency use approval in India: what are the rules?...... 119 11. The rise of the AI economy ...... 122 12. How the Maharashtra Police will use software to crack down on child porn ...... 123 13...... 125

14. WhatPlasmodium is special ovale about and Mallana other types Cream, of malariaHimachal’s ...... unique cannabis product? 126 15. A platform developed for diagnosing tuberculosis from urine samples ...... 128 16. What is emergency use authorisation for drugs and vaccines? ...... 130

17. In a new measurement, China and Nepal have announced Mount Everest is 86 cm taller than the 8,848 m accepted globally so far. How was the original height calculated by Survey of India? What does the revision mean? ...... 132 18. ISRO launches country's 42nd communications satellite ...... 134 19. A mutated coronavirus has been found in the UK ...... 135

20. Is the pink ball different from red and white? ...... – it’s implications 137 21. A massive hack in the US, using a novel set of tools ...... 139 22. Seasonal UV radiation and global Covid-19 trends ...... 142 23. New coronavirus strain in the UK: How rapidly has it spread? Will it impact vaccination? ...... 144 24. Jupiter and Saturn will meet again but the Great Conjunction is still on ...... 146

25. Why coronavirus in — ...... 148 26. An anti-science lawsuitAntarctica ...... isn’t an Indian worry yet 150 27. Are viruses expected to change form, and will vaccines protect against a mutating SARS- CoV-2? ...... 152 28. Nanomicelles: using nanoparticles for cancer treatment ...... 154 29. Mutated coronavirus vs tests and vaccines ...... 156 30. The mutation of viruses, and the coronavirus mutant in the UK ...... 158 31.

Whatdisease? is ...... Pneumosil, India’s first indigenously created vaccine against pneumococcal 162 Social Issues ...... 163

1...... 163

2. DravidianIndia to get politicsback ‘smuggled’ might soon Annapurna face one idol of from its Canada: greatest How modern-day it was tracked challenges Hindutva ...... 166— 3. Reading NFHS data: why findings of the latest round are of concern ...... 167

Internal Security ...... 170

1. Advantages of deploying additional security forces in Chhattisgarh to tackle the Maoists ...... 170 2. The Khalistan movement is non-existent, but security agencies must watch fringe sections ...... 171

Miscellaneous ...... 172

1. China buys rice from India for first time in decades amid cross-border tensions: Report ...... 173 2. Indian- -e ...... 173

3. PhonePeAmerican spins-out teen from named Flipkart ‘Time’ to magazine’stake on an firstindependentver ‘Kid avatar,of the Year’ gets pegged at Rs. 40K crores ...... 174 4. - ...... 175

5. CabinetAirbnb joins approves the $100 setting billion up of club, public stock WiFi market networks debut under turns ‘PM out WANI’to be the biggest US IPO this year ...... 176 6. Stealth frigate Himgiri for Navy launched into water ...... 177 7. John Le Car

...... ré, whose George Smiley made James Bond look like an ‘international 177 8. gangster’Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan nominated to the Board of GAVI, The Vaccine Alliance...... 179 9...... 180

INCOIS launches ‘Digital Ocean’

Polity and Governance

Page | 1 1. Farmers’ Big Concern — And What The Government Could Negotiate

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance

Even as the farmer protests against the three new agriculture-related laws have gathered momentum, one thing seems obvious: Much of the opposition really is just to one of the three laws. Even in that one Facilitation) Act there are only some contentious provisions, which, although key, can still leave doors open for negotiation.— the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and — The other two laws Consider first the two laws that ought not to be serious cause for farmer angst. powers to impose stockholding limits on fo The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act is about doing away with the Centre’s annual retail price rise exceeding 100% in horticulturalodstuffs, produce except under (basically “extraordinary onions and potato)conditions”. and 50% These for could non-perishables be war, famine, (cereals, other pulses natural and edible calamities oils). of grave nature and

Given that stock limits apply only to traders the amendment exempts processors, their installed capacity/demand requirements — it shoul Farmers,exporters if and anything, other “value would chain gain participants”from removal as of long stocking as they restrictions don’t keep onquantities the trade, beyond as it potentially translates into unlimited buying and demand— for theirdn’t produce. concern farmers at all.

The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act has to do with providing a regulatory framework for contract cultivation. This specifically concerns agreements entered into by farmers with agri-business firms (processors, large retailers or exporters) ahead of any planting/rearing season for supplying produce of predetermined quality at minimum guaranteed prices.

Again, there is little rationale for objecting to an Act that merely enables contract farming. Such exclusive agreements between companies and farmers are already operational in crops of particular processing grades (the potatoes used by beverages and snacks giant processors/exporters in these cases typically not only undertake assured buyback at pre- agreedPepsiCo prices, for its but Lay’s also and provide Uncle farmers Chipps seeds/planting wafers) or dedicated material for and exports extension (gherkins). support The to ensure that only produce of desired standard is grown.

The point to note is that contract cultivation is voluntary in nature and largely for crops not amenable to trading in regular APMC (agricultural produce market committee) mandis. There is hardly any domestic market for gherkins, just as the high dry matter and low sugar content potato that PepsiCo needs for its chips is different from the table aloo used in Page | 2 and dairy plants source from them is practically contract farming. An Act that formalises kitchens. Farmers don’t sell sugarcane and milk in mandisexplicitly either. The prohibits produce any sugar sponsor mills firm from acquiring the land of farmers whether through purchase, lease or mortgage shouldcontract actually cultivation be welcomed. through a “national framework” and – – The contentious one That leaves the only law the FPTC Act, for short which is a bone of contention. It permits sale and purchase of farm produce outside the premises of APMC mandis. Such trades – –

(including on electronic platforms) shall attract no market fee, cess or levy “under any State AtAPMC issue Act here or any is the other very State right law”. of the Centre to enact legislation on agricultural marketing. entry 28 of the State List. But entry 42 of the Union List empowers the Centre to regulate Article-State 246 of the Constitution places “agriculture” in entry 14 and “markets and fairs” in entry 26 of the State List, it is subject to the provisions of entry 33 of the Concurrent List “interunder whichtrade the Centre and commerce”. can make laws While that trade would and prevail commerce over those “within enacted the State” by the is states. under – lawEntry that 33 of removes the Concurrent all impediments List covers to trade both inter-and commerce and intra-state in “foodstuffs, trade in including farm produce, edible whileoilseeds also and overriding oils”, fodder, the existing cotton stateand jute.APMC The Acts. Centre, The FPTC in other Act doeswords, precisely can very that. pass any

Agriculture per se would deal with everything that a farmer does right from field However,preparation some and expertscultivation make to alsoa distinction sale of his/her between own agricultural produce. The “marketing” act of primary and sale“trade”. at a — mer. mandi by the farmer is as much “agriculture” as production in the field. “Trade” begins only Goingafter the by produce this interpretation, has been “marketed” the Centre by the is within far its rights to frame laws that promote barrier-free trade of farm produce (inter- as well as intra-state) and do not allow stockholding or export restrictions. But these can be only after the farmer has sold. not the Centre. Regulation of first sale of agricultural produce is a “marketing” responsibility of the states, Farmers, for their part, would want no restrictions on the movement, stocking and export resort to ban on exports and imposition of stock limits whenever retail prices have tended of their produce. Maharashtra’s onion growers have vehemently opposed the especially Centre’s to go up. But these restrictions relate to “trade”. When it comes to “marketing” — Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

dismantling of the monopoly of APMCs

— farmers, especially in Punjab and Haryana, aren’t veryThe reasonconvinced for about this isthe simple: “freedom Much of choice of government to sell to anyone procurement and anywhere” at minimum argument. support prices (MSP) of paddy, wheat and increasingly pulses, cotton, groundnut and mustard Page | 3 happens in APMC mandis. In a scenario where more and more trading moves out of the — — it would become like BSNL versus Jio. And if the government stops buying, we will be left APMCs, these regulated market yards will lose revenues. “They -basedmay not farmer. formally shut, but

Whatwith only could the be big negotiated corporates to sell to,” said a Panipat (Haryana) If the protesting farmer union leaders were to sit down at the negotiating table, the government can possibly get them to agree to drop the demand on repealing all the three laws. Their problem is essentially about the FPTC Act and its provisions that they see as weakening the APMC mandis. There is also disquiet on the dispute resolution mechanism for transactions outside the mandis. The Act proposes these to be referred to offices of the sub- alleged the same farmer. divisional magistrate and district collector. “They aren’t independent courts and cannot deliver us justice, leave alone guarantee timely payment,” elephant in the room would be if the farmers insist on an additional demand: Making MSP a legalThese right. may That be justwould fears, be impossible but they aren’t to meet, small. even From if the thethree government’s farm laws were standpoint, to be put the on hold.

Source: The Indian Express

2. What exactly is the ‘land scam’ in which Kashmiri parties are implicated?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance

From November 23, the Jammu and Kashmir government started publishing the names of beneficiaries under the now scrapped Jammu and Kashmir State Land (Vesting Ownership to the Occupants) Act, popularly known as the Roshni Act.

It created a political storm in Kashmir. The first list named four National Conference leaders, a former Peoples Democratic Party leader, two Congress leaders and a battery of Kashmiri Muslim ex-bureaucrats and businessmen. More lists would follow, naming ally those from the

Kashmir’s most prominent political families and senior leaders, especi ThePeople’s Union Alliance Territory for Gupkaradministration Declaration, started a collective pushing of out mostly beneficiary Kashmiri lists parties. just days before Jammu and Kashmir went into elections to set up new district development councils, the

third tier of local government. It is a triangular contest between the Gupkar Alliance, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the newly formed Apni Party. While the Apni Party spokesman found himself in one of the lists, no BJP leader has been named so far.

A ‘land scam’ Page | 4 Enacted in 2001, the Roshni Act had proposed to transfer ownership of state land to its occupants for a fee determined by the government. Money from these transfers was to fund power projects in Jammu and Kashmir hen

For years, transactions under the law have– cebeen the plagued moniker, by “Roshni allegations Act”. of corruption and challenged in court. According to popular opinion, land allocations under the act favoured political elites and powerful officials. However, several allocations were also made to poor families who had occupied state land for years.

the law wereIn October, held suspect. the Jammu The court and ordered Kashmir a Central High Bureau Court declaredof Investigation the Roshni probe “completelyinto what it unconstitutional, contrary to law and unsustainable”. the totalAll transactions amount of enabled money madeby from transactions under the act. The court did not stop at state land transferred under the Roshnitermed aAct. “land It instructed scam” worth the Rs government 25,000 crore to – reclaim all state land that was under unauthorised occupation.

Weeks after the judgment, the Jammu and Kashmir government declared the law null and void and announced it would start retrieving state land transferred to Roshni beneficiaries the public domain, out of which 2,157 are from the Jammu region. The government also issuedin a “time notices bound to manner.”alleged encroachers So far, the ofnames state of land, 3,131 the beneficiaries details of which have arebeen published released onin

the divisional commissioners’ websites.

ButThe how Abdullahs exactly faceare Kashmir’s charges most prominent politicians and parties implicated? Among those named as encroachers on state land on the div are Farooq and Omar Abdullah, both National Conference leaders and former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir. Farooq Abdullah is presidentisional of the commissioner’s Gupkar Alliance. website According to official data, father and son are in illegal occupation of 7 kanals and 7 marlas, or 0.91 acre, in Jammu’s Sunjwan area. Farooq Abdullah’s home in Jammu is built here. The government claims this is state land which is “physically encroached but not shown in Therevenue National records.” Conference wa allegations are laid bare by the fact that even though Mr. Omar Abdullah does not own the s quick to deny the allegations. “The malicious nature of the land but actually lives with his father in Jammu as he does in Srinagar,” the party said in a Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

statemen

t on November 25. “Yet in order to hype up a frenzy, his name has been added to the list & released by the government.” to the land in question would be fittingly Page | 5 The party suggested the “timing and motive” of the charges were driven by the ongoing elections. But it added “all questions pertaining Meanwhile,answered as the and two when major they partyare called offices upon the to do Sher-e-Kashmir so by the concerned Bhawan authorities.” in Jammu and the Nawa-i-Subah Complex in Srinagar allegedly occupy state land allocated under the Roshni Act. Each office is spread across 3 kanals– and 16 marlas or 0.475 acre. This is not a new revelation. As far back as 2014, a report– by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India had noted that 0.475 acre of state land in Srinagar was allocated to the Nawa-i-Subah Trust under the Roshni scheme. The National Conference claimed both offices had been leased by the party before it decided to apply for ownership under the Roshni scheme.

The party also attacked the J

ammu and Kashmir government’s decision not to challenge the arehigh nowcourt virtually judgment deprived on the Roshni of their Act, home which and had hearth been introduced for no fault by ofFarooq theirs Abdullah’s and the administrationgovernment. “Thousands instead of ofchallenging our citizens, the whodecision had bonafidelyof the High soughtCourt, abdicatedbenefit of itsthe duty scheme, and party statement issued on November 25. in a manner of unusual promptitude sought the implementation of the Judgment,” said the freeholdIt also questioned property on why similar similar conversion laws were charges not being is in declared vogue in “unconstitutional”other parts of the incountry other includingstates. “It Delhi, is surprising Gujarat that and while Maharashtra, similar acts yet the of conversion same legislative of leasehold exercise property in J&K intowas statement said. declared unconstitutional and the administration chose to do nothing about it,” the The PDP’s party office The P -India party in Kashmir, also found itself on the list of encroachers. eople’s Democratic Party, the other major pro office in Sunjwan area encroaches on 3 kanal, or 0.375 acre, of state land. The list also namedAccording Talib to Choudhary,a list published a Peoples on the Democratic Jammu Divisional Party leader, Commissioner’s for allegedly website, encroaching the party on 2 kanals (0.25 acres) of state land in the Channi Rama area of Jammu district. Choudhary, according to official details, is using this land for his residence.

People’s Democratic Party leader and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti hotly refuted governmentthe allegations building about that the PDPparty pays office. monthly “[H]ere rent is for. some Dare fact you checking to do a primetimesince you’ll show continue on peddling lies,” she tweeted. “Attached are photos of PDP’s office in Jammu. It’s a Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

up receipts of rent paid by the party to the government for offices in Jammu and Srinagar. how BJP built its lavish Delhi party headquarters.” In another tweet two days later, she put Source: Scroll.in Page | 6 3. AG’s Consent for Contempt

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance

What is the law on contempt of courts? The Contempt of Courts Act 1971 defines civil and criminal contempt, and lays down the powers and procedures by which courts can penalise contempt, as well as the penalties that can be given for the offence of contempt.

Contempt of court is the offense of being disobedient to or disrespectful toward a court of law and its officers in the form of behavior that opposes or defies the authority, justice and dignity of the court.

Why is the consent of the Attorney General required to initiate contempt proceedings? The objective behind requiring the consent of the Attorney General before taking cognizance of a complaint is to save the time of the court.

1. This is necessary because judicial time is squandered if frivolous petitions are made and the court is the first forum for bringing them in.

2. nsent is meant to be a safeguard against frivolous petitions, as it is deemed that the AG, as an officer of the court, will independently ascertain whether the complaintThe is AG’s indeed co valid.

Under what circumstances is the AG’s consent not needed? nsent is mandatory when a private citizen wants to initiate a case of contempt of court against a person. The AG’s co required. However, when the court itself initiates a contempt of court case the AG’s consent is not This is because the court is exercising its inherent powers under the Constitution to punish for contempt and such Constitutional powers cannot be restricted because the AG declined to grant consent.

What happens if the AG denies consent? If the AG denies consent, the matter all but ends.

The complainant can, however, separately bring the issue to the notice of the court and urge the court to take suo motu cognizance.

Article 129 of the Constitution gives the Supreme Court the power to initiate contempt cases on its own, independent of the motion brought before it by the AG or with the Page | 7 consent of the AG.

4. Why is a headcount on caste lines considered necessary, and what will be the outcome?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance

The Tamil Nadu government has decided to appoint a commission to formulate a methodology to collect caste-wise particulars of its population and use that to come up with a report. It is not clear if this will involve a full headcount of all members of every caste, or whether it is better described as - public the caste component of the findings.a ‘survey’In Karnataka, than a the ‘census’. outcome The of Centre a similar conducted exercise a has‘Socio notEconomic been disclosed Caste toCensus’ the public. (SECC) in 2011 throughout the country, but it did not make

Is collection of caste details part of the census? Caste was among the details collected by enumerators during the decennial Census of India until 1931. It was given up in 1941, a year in which the census operation was partially affected by World War II. In his report on the 1941 exercise, then Census Commissioner of India, M.W.M. Yeatts, indicated that tabulation of caste details separately involved had the full course been taken, there would have been no all-India caste table. Even in additional1931, it was costs. severely “The sanctionedlimited due tabulation to financial for reasons; British India the time does is not past cover for caste,this enormous but even some provinces or States that wanted a caste record for administrative reasons were given some data on payment.and costly table...,” he wrote. However, at the time of sorting the details,

Has there been criticism of including caste in the census? The principal argument against taking caste particulars of individuals is that it tends to perpetuate the caste system. J.H. Hutton, the Census Commissioner in 1931, notes that on the occasion of each successive census since 1901, some criticism had been raised about e act of labelling rejectstaking anythe criticism, note of the arguing fact ofthat caste. there “It is hasnothing been wrong alleged in thatrecording the mer a fact, and ignoring itspersons existence as belonging would be toostrich-like. a caste tends to perpetuate the system,” he writes. However, he

What was the view after Independence?

R.A. Gopalaswami, the first Indian Registrar-General of independent India, said in the 1951 questions regarding castes, races and tribes, except insofar as the necessary statistical report: “The 1951 census was not [emphasis in the original] to concern itself with Page | 8 explainedmaterial related as referring to ‘special to Scheduled groups’ and Castes, certain Scheduled other material Tribes, relating Anglo-Indians to backward and certainclasses collected and made over to the Backward Classes Commission.” ‘Special Groups’ has been BC data were collected, but not compiled or published. castes treated provisionally as ‘backward’ for the purposes of the census. This implies that How have caste details been collected so far? While SC/ST details are collected as part of the census, details of other castes are not collected by the enumerators. The main method is by self-declaration to the enumerator. So far, backward classes commissions in various States have been conducting their own counts to ascertain the population of backward castes. The methodology may vary from State to State. Details available about some commissions in the public domain suggest that these panels use methods like distribution of questionnaires, meeting with representatives of stakeholders, touring relevant areas and localities, and in some cases, such as the J.A. Ambasankar Commission in Tamil Nadu and the Venkataswamy Commission in Karnataka, door-to-door enumeration.

What about SECC 2011? The Socio-Economic Caste Census of 2011 was a major exercise to obtain data about the socio-economic status of various communities. Even though there could be an overlap in the dataset of SECC 2011 with that of the census taken that year, the findings could be markedly different. The general census is conducted in a small window of a month, while the caste census is conducted over a longer period of time, and there is a good deal of revision and correction. The SECC 2011 had two components: a survey of the rural and urban households and ranking of these households based on pre-set parameters, and a caste census. However, only the details of the economic conditions of the people in rural and urban households were released. The caste data have not been released till now. While a precise reason is yet to be disclosed, it is surmised that the data were considered too politically sensitive. Fear of antagonising dominant and powerful castes that may find that their projected strength in the population is not as high as claimed may be an important reason.

What is the legal imperative for a caste count? Over the last two decades, the Supreme Court has been raising questions about the basis for reservation levels being high in various States. In particular, it has laid down that there should be quantifiable data to justify the presence of a caste in the backward class list, as well as evidence of its under-representation in services. It has also called for periodical review of community-wise lists so that the benefits do not perpetually go in favour of a few castes.

Many community leaders argue that knowing the precise number of the population of each caste would help tailor the reservation policy to ensure equitable representation of all of them. In the case of Tamil Nadu, the State government has said obtaining quantifiable data is necessary for the protection of its 69% reservation policy. While obtaining relevant and accurate data may be the major gain from a caste census, the possibility that it will lead to Page | 9 heartburn among some sections and spawn demands for larger or separate quotas from groups found to be significant in number is a possible pitfall. Tabulating and categorising similar-sounding caste names and deciding on whether to treat some sections as separate castes or sub-castes of a community will also be a challenging task.

Source: The Hindu

5. Surgery as part of Ayurveda?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance

On November 19, a government notification listed out specific surgical procedures that a postgraduate

Indian Medicalmedical Association, student which of Ayurveda questioned must the be competence “practically of trained Ayurveda to acquaint practitioners with, asto well as to independently perform”. The notification has invited sharp criticism from the

Thecarry IMA out hasthese planned procedures, nationwide and called protests the notificationon December an 8 attempt against at this “mixopathy”. notification, and has threatened to withdraw all non-essential and non-Covid services on December 11.

How far is surgery part of Ayurveda? It is not that Ayurveda practitioners are not trained in surgeries, or do not perform them. In fact, they take pride in the fact that their methods and practices trace their origins to Sushruta, an ancient Indian sage and physician, whose comprehensive medical treatise Sushruta Samhita has, apart from descriptions of illnesses and cures, also detailed accounts of surgical procedures and instruments.

P Hemantha Kumar, professor and head of the department of general surgery at the government-run National Institute of Ayurveda in Jaipur, claims that at least 1,000 major

surgeries are performed every year at his hospital. “There would be many more minor Theresurgeries are being two branches done,” he of said. surgery in Ayurveda Shalya Tantra, which refers to general surgery, and Shalakya Tantra which pertains to surgeries related to the eyes, ears, nose, throat and teeth. All postgraduate students of Ayurveda— have to study these courses, and some go on to specialise in these, and become Ayurveda surgeons.

Nandkishore Borse, head of the department of surgery at Tilak Ayurveda College and Tarachand Hospital, a semi-government facility in Pune, said for several surgeries

Ayurvedic procedures almost exactly match those of modern medicine about how or where to make a cut or incision, and how to perform the operation. There are significant divergences in post-operative care, however.

-speciality surgeries, like neurosurgey. For most Page | 10 other needs, there are surgical procedures in Ayurveda. It is not very different from “The only thing that we do not do is super

Beforeallopathic the medicine,” notification, Hemantha what were Kumar the said. regulations for postgraduate students? Postgraduate education in Ayurveda is guided by the Indian Medical Central Council (Post Graduate Education) Regulations framed from time to time. Currently, the regulations formulated in 2016 are in force. The latest notification of November 19 is an amendment to the 2016 regulations.

The 2016 regulations allow postgraduate students to specialise in Shalya Tantra, Shalakya Tantra, and Prasuti evam Stree Roga (Obstetrics and Gynecology), the three disciplines involving major surgical interventions. Students of these three disciplines are granted MS (Master in Surgery in Ayurveda) degrees.

Ayurveda practitioners point out that students enrolling in Ayurveda courses have to pass the same NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test). Their course runs for four-and-a- half years, followed by one year of internship, six months of which are spent at an Ayurveda hospital, and the remaining six months at a civil or general hospital, or a primary health care centre.

Postgraduate courses require another three years of study. They also have to undergo clinical postings in the outpatient and In-patient departments at hospitals apart from getting hands-on training in Ayurvedic treatment procedures. Medico-legal issues, surgical surgical principles and practices, said Dr Vinayak Temburnekar, National President of Nationalethics and Integrated informed Medical consent Association is also part (NIMA). of the course apart from teaching Sushruta’s

So, what is new? Ayurveda practitioners say the latest notification just brings clarity to the skills that an Ayurveda practitioner possesses.

the Ayurveda course. But there is little awareness about these. A patient is usually not clear whether“The surgeries an Ayurvedic that have practitionerbeen mentioned has in the the necessary notification skill are toall that perform are already one of part these of operations. Now, they know exactly what an Ayurveda doctor is capable of. The skill sets have been defined. This will remove question marks on the ability of an Ayurveda -based National Institute of Ayurveda said.

practitioner,” Hemantha Kumar of the Jaipur

The notification mentions 58 surgical procedures that postgraduate students must train themselves in, and acquire skills to perform independently. These include procedures in general surgery, urology, surgical gastroenterology, and ophthalmology.

What are the IMA’s objections? Page | 11 IMA doctors insist that they are not opposed to the practitioners of the ancient system of medicine. But they say the new notification somehow gives the impression that the skills or training of the Ayurveda doctor in performing modern surgeries are the same as those

practising modern medicine. This, they say, is misleading, and an “encroachment into the Thejurisdiction fact that and Ayurveda competencies institutions of modern prescribe medicine”. textbooks from modern medicine, or that they carry out surgeries with the help of practitioners of modern medicine, is not reason enough

Network. to allow this encroachment, said K M Abul Hasan, chairman of the IMA Junior Doctors’ A statement from the

IMA said it condemned the “predatory poaching on modern medicine and its surgical disciplines” by CCIM (Central Council of Indian Medicine, which functions Avinashunder the Bhondwe, Ministry presidentof Ayush). of“This the isMaharashtra another step chapter to legitimise of IMA, mixopathy,” said the CCIM it said. had claimed that all these modern surgeries are actually Ayurvedic procedures, and have Sanskrit notification. They have notified these as Ayurveda procedures. They should also explain, withnames. proof, “All howthe common each of these procedures procedures in all mentionedthe surgical in specialities Ayurveda haveliterature been isincluded equivalent in the to

Thethe modern IMA is also surgical upset procedures,” with the recent Bhondwe decision said. of NITI Aayog to set up four committees for integrating the various systems of medicine in medical education, practice, public health, and administration, as well as research. It says such an integration would lead to the death of the modern system of medicine.

The IMA has demanded that the notification as well as the, Secretary-General NITI Aayog move of towards IMA. ‘One Nation One System’ be withdrawn. “If the government does not accept our demands, IMA Source:will file a The petition Hindu, in theThe Supreme Indian Express Court,” said and R Others V Asokan

6. What is Central Vista project that Supreme Court has halted?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance

The Central Vista is a grand redevelopment project for building what will be the power corridor of India, having a new Parliament building, a common central secretariat and

revamped three-km-long Rajpath, from the Rashtrapati Bhavan to the India Gate. The Supreme Court has ordered the government to halt all construction activities on the Central Vista project.

The Supreme Court warned the government not to carry out any work on the Central Vista Page | 12 project until it decides on a bunch of 10 petitions challenging the mega redevelopment plan. The Supreme Court was particularly unhappy over a press release by the government that said the construction was to begin, and that translocation of trees was underway despite the court having reserved order on November 5 on the matter.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to perform the groundbreaking ceremony for provided, the three- government]the Central Vista do paperwork, project on Decemberor lay foundation- 10. The Supreme Court has allowed “bhoomi pujan” judge bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar said, “if you [the So, what is the Centra Vista project? stone but no construction should be done”.

e existing buildingsThe Central for Vista Parliament, redevelopment various offices project of is the a centralconstruction government, plan to the give residence India’s power of the primecorridor minister a new andspatial also identity the vice- in what is usually called the Lutyen’s Delhi. Th been found to be inadequate. New buildings will be constructed along the Rashtrapati Bhavan-India Gate stretch of the Rajpathpresident’s in New house, Delhi. in the view of the government, have

Under the Central Vista project, the residence of the prime minister is likely to be shifted -president's fornear their the locationSouth Block north that and houses south of the the Prime Rashtrapati Minister’s Bhavan. Office (PMO). The vice new house will be closer to the North Block. The “North” and “South” Blocks are named so According to the Central Vista redevelopment plan, North and South Blocks will be converted into museums. However, the current residence of the vice president is among the buildings identified for demolition.

Highlights of the Central Vista project The new Parliament Building Complex, triangular in shape spread over 64,500 square metre, is described as the pivot of the Central Vista project design. It is to be much bigger• than the existing Parliament building and will be able to house 1,224 Members of Parliament.

The Lok Sabha chamber will have a seating capacity of 888 MPs while the Rajya Sabha chamber will accommodate 384 MPs. The increased capacity of the chambers has been• provisioned for keeping in mind future increase in the number of MPs. Currently, the

Lok Sabha has 545 MPs and the Rajya Sabha 245. All MPs will have separate offices in the new building.

The new Parliament building will have a grand Constitution Hall showcasing India's democratic heritage. The Constitution Hall will showcase the original copy of the Page | 13 • eritage.

Constitution The existing and a visitors’ Parliament gallery House digitally building displaying will continue India's democraticto be in use h by retro-fitting it to provide more functional spaces for parliamentary events. • The new Parliament building will be equipped with the latest digital interfaces as a step towards creating 'paperless offices'. • A monitoring committee drawing members from the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the CPWD, the NDMC and architect/designer of the project• will monitor the construction work.

The new Parliament building complex is expected to be complete by 2022. The Central Vista project has a work completion deadline of 2024, when the next Lok Sabha election• will take place.

When was the existing Parliament building constructed? The existing Parliament building was constructed by the British colonial rulers. It was designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker. They had, in fact, designed the entire planned construction area of New Delhi. This is why the New Delhi area is often called the

TheLutyens’ existing zone. Parliament building complex took six years in construction - from foundation stone laying on February 12 in 1921 to the inauguration by then Viceroy Lord Irwin on January 18 in 1927. The construction cost back then was Rs 83 lakh - a princely sum in those days. The current Central Vista project is estimated to cost Rs 971 crore.

Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/

7. Why does the J&K government want the High Court to reconsider its ruling on Roshni Act?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance

On December 4, the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) government filed a petition in the High Court, asking it to reconsider its October ruling on the Roshni Act. The court had declared it originally called the J&K State Land (Vesting of Ownership Rights to the Occupants) Act, “unconstitutional” and the State government deemed all actions taken under the Act,

lease, farm or non-lease land could apply for regularisation if it was with the occupant up to 1990. After the HC 2001,order, “nullthe government and void”. Under said it thewould Act, retrieve all occupants land from of State occupants land — within six months. — Why is a two decades-old law under the scanner? Page | 14 Enacted in 2001 during Farooq then a State chronic power crisis and raise funds to set up hydroelectricity projects to generateAbdullah’s extra regime,power. theThere Roshni was Acta notional was an calculationambitious projecton the topart meet of the J&K’s government — that regularising— 20 lakh kanals (equivalent of 2.5 lakh acres) of State land under occupation of locals would help it raise ₹25,000 crore, to provide a stimulus to the ailing and debt-ridden power sector. The condition for regularisation made by the government was that the property owner had to pay according to market prices.

What were the subsequent amendments made to the Roshni Act? Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was Chief Minister of J&K in 2005, effected a number of amendments to the Act. It extended the cut-off date from 1990 to 2004, which was later extended till 2007. According to the fresh amendments, further relaxation was granted to occupants on the market prices fixed earlier in 2001.

Why was the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) unhappy with the Act? The CAG tabled a report before the J&K assembly in 2014 and pointed out irregularities. It said that land transfers under the Act between 2007 and 2013 were able to raise only ₹76 crore against the value of the land pegged at ₹317 crore. The period saw ownership rights granted for 33,000 kanals in the Kashmir valley and 3,14,000 kanals in Jammu. The CAG reported that the beneficiaries in Kashmir paid ₹54 crore against the targeted ₹123 crore, and in Jammu, they paid ₹22 crore against the targeted ₹194 crore. The CAG described the ₹25,000 crore fraud .

ActWho as approached a “ the court ”against the Act and what did it observe? A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed by a Jammu-based activist S.K. Bhalla in 2011, alleging that politicians, bureaucrats and revenue officers were hand in glove in committing fraud under the Act. In 2014, after the CAG report, Jammu-based advocate Ankur Sharma then governor Satya Pal Malik, as head of the State Administrative Council without any legislature,filed another repealed petition the and Act, demanded saying it failedthat the to meetAct be its declared objectives. “unconstitutional”. In 2018,

A Division Bench of J&K High Court, comprising Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Rajesh the J&K government on October 31 declared all Bindal, declared the Act “unconstitutional” in October 2020. Acting on the HC observations, the actions taken under the Act “null and Whyvoid”. has the J&K government filed a review petition? The J&K government, which had initially decided against filing any review in the case before the court, finally filed a review petition on December 4, say

Website: www.prepmate.in Telegraming Channel: “a large @upscprepmate number of Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

along with rich and wealthy land grabbers, who have obtained a title over State land throughcommon the people provisions would of suffer”. the Act, Landless it said. cultivators and individuals have been clubbed

Many politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen were named prior to the District Page | 15 Development Council polls in the Union Territory. However, it turned out that most of the beneficiaries were farmers and small landholders.

Source: The Hindu

8. In farm laws, the dispute settlement provision govt has offered to roll back

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance

In its bid to placate famers protesting on the borders of the national capital for over three weeks against the new farm laws, the Centre offered to significantly water down key provisions of these laws. Among the changes proposed is the rollback of a unique dispute resolution mechanism for issues between farmers and buyers, and instead bringing such disputes under the jurisdiction of a civil court.

What is the dispute settlement mechanism? country.The Farmers’ This means Produce a farmer Trade has and freedom Commerce to engage (Promotion in intra-state and Facilitation) and inter-state Act, 2020, trade withprovides buyers, a buyer expanding a right her to engagechoices in beyond trade anda traditional commerce market. of a farmer’s produce across the

The law also provides for a dispute resolution mechanism in Chapter 3 of the Act. Section 8

Conciliationof the Act, which Board lays appointed down the by “dispute the Sub- resolution Divisional mechanism Magistrate for will farmers” settle thestates dispute. that “in It sayscase the of anysettlement dispute by arising the Conciliation out of a Board transaction will be betweenbinding on the the farmer parties. and a trader”, a

How will the Board decide the dispute? The law provides that the Board will consist of a chairperson and two to four such members as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate may deem fit. Parties will first have to make an applica

Then thetion Board to the will SDM take seeking up the a “mutually dispute. Theacceptable parties solution themselves through can conciliation”.recommend one or two members each as members to the Board along with the Chairperson, who will be a government employee appointed by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate.

What if the parties cannot reach a settlement?

If the dispute is not settled within 30 days of being brought to the Board, the SDM will hear - settlement of such dispute. The Sub-Divisional Authority is empowered to pass three kinds of orders under the law: (a) thepass dispute an order acting for the as the recovery “Sub Divisional of the amount Authority” payable for to the farmers and traders; (b) impose a penalty as stipulated in sub-section (2) of section 11; or (c) suspend for such Page | 16 period as he deems fit or cancel the right to operate as an electronic trading and transaction platform.

The law also provides for an appeal against the orders of the Sub-Divisional Authority, which is within 60 days from the date of the order to an officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary to the Government of India, to be nominated by the Central Government for this purpose.

Why are farmers upset with this dispute resolution framework? As the new law provides for a special dispute resolution mechanism, it bars the jurisdiction of the civil court from entertaining any suit or proceedings in respect of any matter that could be dealt through the special mechanism provided in the law.

ivil court shall have jurisdiction to entertain any suit or proceedings in respect of any matter, the cognisance of which can be taken and disposed of Section 15 of the Act says “no c

Itby is any essentially authority the empowered replacing byof orthe under jurisdiction this Act of or civil the rulescourts made with thereunder.” a heavily bureaucratic procedure under the authority of the SDM, a government employee, that has raised fears among the farmers.

Can a statute bar courts from having jurisdiction? Jurisdiction of civil courts is governed by Section 9 of the Civil Procedure Code. The provision says that civil courts have the jurisdiction to try all suits of a civil nature, except suits of which cognisance is either expressly or impliedly barred.

So statutes routinely bar the jurisdiction of civil courts to set up alternative dispute mechanisms. Many statutes, including the Income Tax Act, rent Control Laws, Companies Act, bar jurisdiction of civil courts giving preference to alternate dispute mechanisms.

However, statutes cannot take away the jurisdiction of the High Courts and the Supreme Court. Any action by the state can be challenged before such courts on various grounds including arbitrariness. Judicial review is part of the basic structure of the Constitution and the right to approach courts for violation of fundamental rights is itself a fundamental right under Article 32 of the Constitution. In the context of the farm laws, decisions of the Sub- Divisional Authority can always be challenged before the relevant High Court on grounds of arbitrariness etc, if either party is aggrieved.

Source: The Indian Express

9. PM-WANI project

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance ̥ ations Page | 17 related to policy, especially when it comes to government policy initiatives. It is not always true,The termand can ‘game come changer’ across as is hyperbole, sometimes and used a marketing too freely term in the to make context the ofpotential convers impact of certain initiatives seem larger than they actually are.

However, there are times when the term is appropriate, and can be seen as an accurate

Wi- reflection of the capability of an initiative -Fito changeNetworks the by status Public quo. Data The Office Prime Aggregators Minister’s (PDOAs)Fi Access to provide Network public Interface, Wi-Fi service or PM through WANI announced Public Data on Offices December (PDOs) 9 fitsspread the across ‘game [the]changer’ length tag. and This breadth provides of forthe “Publiccountry Wi to accelerate proliferation of Broadband Internet services through Public Wi-

What the data shows Fi network in the country”. Essentially, this would mean the ability to connect to a Wi-Fi broadband connection almost anywhere. This can help to bridge the increasing digital divide in India. Recently, the NITI Aayog chief executive officer had said that India can create $1 trillion of economic value using digital technology by 2025. However, as per the latest Telecom Regulatory Authority access to the Internet. The 75th round of the National Statistical Organisation survey shows that only 20% of the populationof India (TRAI) has thedata, ability about to 54% use ofthe India’s Internet. population The India has Internet 2019 report shows that rural India has half the Internet penetration as urban, and twice as many users who access the Internet less than once a week.

To illustrate this point, let us look at the Umang App (Unified Mobile Application for New- age Governance), which allows access to 2,084 services, across 194 government departments, across themes such as education, health, finance, social security, etc. The services that they are entitled to. With each move towards digitisation, we are threatening toability leave to behind access a andlarge utilise part of the our app population enhances to an suffer individual’s in digital capabilitiespoverty. to benefit from

It is clear that the focus is on last mile delivery, especially when you see how the Telecom Minister has compared it to the public call office model of past decades. This is what the government is trying to achieve with PM-WANI, where anyone living in their house, a paan shop owner or a tea seller can all provide public Wi-Fi hot posts, and where anyone within range can access it. This will also help to reduce the pressure on mobile Internet in India. Going back to the India Internet report, it shows that 99% of all users in India access the Internet on mobile, and about 88% are connected on the 4G network. This leads to a

situation where everyone is connected to a limited network, which is getting overloaded and resulting in bad speed and quality of Internet access.

Key links There are three important actors here. First is the Public Data Office (PDO). The PDO can be Page | 18 anyone, and it is clear that along with Internet infrastructure, the government also sees this as a way to generate revenue for individuals and small shopkeepers. It is important to note that PDOs will not require registration of any kind, thus easing the regulatory burden on them. Next, is the PDOA, who is basically the aggregator who will buy bandwidth from Internet service provider (ISPs) and telecom companies and sell it to PDOs, while also accounting for data used by all PDOs. Finally, you have the app provider, who will create an app through which users can access and discover the Wi-Fi access points.

Further details can be found in the report by TRAI on a public open Wi-Fi. Two pillars have been given as a baseline for public Wi-Fi.

The first is interoperability, where the user will be required to login only once and stay connected across access points. The second is multiple payment options, allowing the user to pay both online and offline. The report also talks about how products should start from low denominations, starting with ₹2. It is suggested in the report that the requirement of authentication through a one-time password for each instance of access may be cumbersome and automatic authentication through stored e-know your customer (KYC) is encouraged, which inevitably means a linking with Aadhaar.

Aiding rural connectivity The PM-WANI has the potential to change the fortunes of Bharat Net as well. Bharat Net envisions broadband connectivity in all villages in India. The project has missed multiple deadlines, and even where the infrastructure has been created, usage data is not enough to incentivise ISPs to use Bharat Net infra to provide services. One of the reasons for the lack of demand is the deficit in digital literacy in India.

The other reason is simply the lack of last mile availability of the Internet. In terms of digital literacy, it is not enough to look at digital literacy as a set of specific skills, because the skills required to navigate technology keep changing. A more appropriate framework is to see it as an evolving decentralised concept, which depends on how people interact with technology in other aspects of their life, and is influenced by local social and cultural factors. The PM-WANI seems to fit within this framework, simply because it seeks to make accessing the Internet as easy as having tea at a chai shop. This is not a substitute for the abysmal digital literacy efforts of the government, but will definitely help.

Security, privacy issues There are some concerns, mainly with respect to security and privacy. A large-scale study conducted at public Wi-Fi spots in 15 airports across the United States, Germany, Australia, and India discovered that two thirds of users leak private information whilst accessing the

Internet. Further, the TRAI report recomm locally, raising questions about data protection in a scenario where the country currently does not have a data protection law in place.ends These that are ‘community however, interest’problems data of regulation, be stored state capacity and awareness and do not directly affect the framework for this scheme. Page | 19 With the PM-WANI, the state is expanding the reach of digital transformation to those who have been excluded till now. It is a game-changer because it has the potential to move Digital India to Digital Bharat.

Source: The Hindu

10. Who are Shetkari Sanghatana, the group backing govt on the farm laws?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance

express support for the three farm laws against which thousands of farmers are protesting atOn the Monday, borders some of Delhi. farmers’ Among unions those met who Agriculture met Tomar Minister was Narendra Shetkari Sanghatana,Singh Tomar the to Maharashtra-based union that was founded by the legendary farm leader Sharad Joshi.

Joshi and his vision

Nations in Switzerland. After returning to the country, he purchased land near the now- industrialBefore he belttook of up Chakan farmers’ in issues,Khed taluka Joshi, ofan Pune economist district by and training, became worked a full-time for thefarmer. United In 1979, he led a group of farmers to block the Pune-Nashik highway to press for higher prices for onion. The genesis of the Shetkari Sanghatana lies in this movement, which saw onion growers dumping their produce on the highway to underline their demand.

Joshi believed that unless the problems of Bharat (meaning rural India) were raised forcefully in India (a reference to cities and urban areas), farmers would never receive justice. His agitations were, therefore, invariably staged in the urban areas, and were calculated to impact urban life. Protesters often gathered on highways or railway tracks to press for better prices of sugarcane, or the removal of state monopoly in the procurement of cotton.

Faith in the open market Since its inception, the Shetkari Sanghatana has been vocal about getting access to the access to the market. Markets, Joshi would say, should be open and competitive to allow pricemarket. realisation Joshi was for convinced farm produce. that the He root accused cause governments of farmers’ problemsof intentionally lay in deflatingtheir limited the prices of farm produce to ensure that consumers get them cheap.

Joshi and his hugely popular Sanghatana hit the street to demand removal of zone limits on sugarcane farmers, or the ban on inter-state movement of cotton. Back in 1984, Joshi had monopoly on the procurement of cotton. The federation was then the only buyer of cotton, andeclaredd farmers war had on to theline Maharashtraup for days together State Cooperative to sell their Cottoncrop. There Marketing were allegations Federation’s of Page | 20 nepotism and corruption. Joshi and his supporters went to the borders of Maharashtra with their cotton in open violation of government rules. The agitation was successful, and the government was forced to retract the law against the inter-state movement of cotton.

the other two were Mahendra Singh Tikait of the Bharatiya Kisan Union and M D Nanjundaswamy of the KarnatakaJoshi was theRajya only Raitha one amongSangha India’s who three supported big farm globalisation leaders at theand time the entry— of MNCs in agriculture. When the followers of Tikait and Nanjundaswamy were torching outlets of American fast food giants, Joshi— and his supporters took out marches in support of the

Trade Organisation (WTO) in 1995. General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Joshi welcomed India’s joining the World It was his conviction about open markets that led Joshi to oppose the chain of Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs). He felt these cooperative markets were an impediment towards honest price realisation for farmers. While other farm leaders demanded government subsidies, Joshi talked about open markets.

Sanghatana and current crisis Support for the open market being part of its DNA, the Sanghatana was one of the first bodies to come out in support of the farm reforms announced by the central government. Of the three new laws, The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 received the most support from the union. According to Sangthana president Anil Ghanwat, the law restricts the power of the APMCs to regulate agricultural trade within its four walls, and allows for actual free markets to operate for the farmers.

The present sys handful of traders control the auctions. Now with the markets opening up, we hope newer tem prevents farmers from getting better prices, Ghanwat said. “Just a

Astraders a result will of enter the thechanges, trade. investments This will help will fair be competition.” made in cold stores and warehouses in the rural areas, Ghanwat said.

en market. Asked about their meeting with the Agriculture Minister, Ghanwat said this was the “first time in the last 40 years” that farmers have a chance at benefitting from the op No“If popular under pressure government from would farmers ever intry just again two to provide states the a free central market government to farmers, takeshe said. the decision to repeal the Act, it would mean the end of the road for this (initiative),” he said. Sanghatana’s politics

The group claims to stand politically to the left of centre. In its heyday, many senior leaders of the Sanghatana were elected to the Maharashtra Assembly. Joshi himself entered Rajya Sabha on a Shiv Sena tick reservation Bill. At present, the Sanghatana has zilla parishad members in various districts of Maharashtra. et, but was remembered the most for his vote against the women’s Page | 21

While the Sanghatana has supported the farm laws, it has also demanded that the ban on the export of onions be removed forthwith and has threatened to pelt BJP MPs with onion bulbs if the central government did not accede to the demand. — Source: The Indian Express

11. Winter session cancelled, a look at how Parliament is convened

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance

In response to a letter from the Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury seeking a short session of Parliament to discuss the new farm laws, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Jo

shi has said that some opposition parties “have expressed concerns Sessionsabout the ofongoing Parliament pandemic and opined of doing away with winter session”. The power to convene a session of Parliament rests with the government. The decision is taken by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs, which currently comprises nine ministers, including those for Defence, Home, Finance, and Law. The decision of the Committee is formalised by the President, in whose name MPs are summoned to meet for a session.

India does not have a fixed parliamentary calendar. By convention, Parliament meets for three sessions in a year. The longest, the Budget Session, starts towards the end of January, and concludes by the end of April or first week of May. The session has a recess so that Parliamentary Committees can discuss the budgetary proposals.

The second session is the three-week Monsoon Session, which usually begins in July and finishes in August. The parliamentary year ends with a three week-long Winter Session, which is held from November to December.

A general scheme of sittings was recommended in 1955 by the General Purpose Committee of Lok Sabha. It was accepted by the government of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, but was not implemented.

What the Constitution says

The summoning of Parliament is specified in Article 85 of the Constitution. Like many other articles, it is based on a provision of The Government of India Act, 1935. This provision specified that the central legislature had to be summoned to meet at least once a year, and that not more than 12 months could elapse between two sessions. Page | 22 Dr B R Ambedkar stated that the purpose of this provision was to summon the legislature only to collect revenue, and that the once-a-year meeting was designed to avoid scrutiny of thought and personally I also think that the atmosphere has completely changed and I do notthe thinkgovernment any executive by the legislature.would hereafter On the be floor capable of the of showingConstituent this Assembly,kind of callous he said: conduct “We

towardsHis drafting the oflegislature.” the provision reduced the gap between sessions to six months, and specified does not prevent the legislature from being summoned more often than what has been providedthat Parliament for in should the clause meet itself. at least In fact,twice my a year. fear is,He ifargued I may that say “The so, that clause the as sessions it stands of Parliament would be so frequent and so lengthy that the members of the legislature would

Duringprobably the themselves debate, members get tired ofof thethe Constituentsessions.” Assembly highlighted three issues: (i) the number of sessions in a year, (ii) the number of days of sitting and, (iii) who should have the power to convene Parliament.

Prof K T Shah from Bihar was of the opinion that Parliament should sit throughout the year, with breaks in between. Others wanted Parliament to sit for longer durations, and gave examples of the British and American legislatures which during that time were meeting for more than a hundred days in a year. Prof Shah also wanted the presiding officers of the two Houses to be empowered to convene Parliament in certain circumstances. These suggestions were not accepted by Dr Ambedkar.

Moved, delayed, stretched Over the years, governments have shuffled around the dates of sessions to accommodate political and legislative exigencies. In 2017, the Winter Session was delayed on account of the Gujarat Assembly elections. In 2011, political parties agreed to cut short the Budget Session so they could campaign for Vidhan Sabha elections in five states.

Sessions have also been cut short or delayed to allow the government to issue Ordinances. For example, in 2016, the Budget Session was broken up into two separate sessions to enable the issuance of an Ordinance.

Sessions have been stretched in 2008, the two-day Monsoon Session (in which a no- confidence motion was moved against the UPA-I government over the India-US nuclear deal) was extended until December.— The ostensible reason was to prevent the moving of another no-confidence motion. It meant that there were only two sessions that year.

Fewer House sittings Over the years, there has been a decline in the sittings days of Parliament. During the first two decades of Parliament, Lok Sabha met for an average of a little more than 120 days a year. This has come down to approximately 70 days in the last decade. Page | 23 One institutional reason given for this is the reduction in the workload of Parliament by its Standing Committees, which, since the 1990s, have anchored debates outside the House. However, several Committees have recommended that Parliament should meet for at least 120 days in a year. Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal, during his tenure as member of Rajya Sabha, made this proposal in his private member Bills. Sitting Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Gujral, in his 2017 private member Bill, suggested that Parliament should meet for four sessions in a year, including a special session of 15 days for debating matters of urgent public importance.

This year, Parliament has met for 33 days. The last time it met for fewer than 50 days was in 2008, when it met for 46 days.

Source: The Indian Express

12. Amendment to Karnataka Land Reforms Act: what govt, opposition say

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance

The opposition Congress has called amendments to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act 1961 which were passed in the state legislature last week by the BJP government with the support of the opposition Janata Dal (Secular) — The amendments allow non-agriculturists to buy— a agricultural“death warrant” land forin thefarmers. state. Successive governments have in recent years gradually diluted land ownership norms under the Land Reforms Act to facilitate industrial growth and agricultural land ownership by non-farmers.

What are the latest amendments? The Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Bill, 2020 has repealed three key sections of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act of 1961 which imposed certain restrictions on ownership of farmland.

The amendments have done away with Section 79A of the Act that allowed only those earning less than Rs 25 lakh per annum to buy agricultural land, and Section 79B that said only people earning a living through agriculture could buy agricultural land. The amendment has also removed Section 79C of the Act, which allowed revenue departments to investigate alleged violations of Sections 79A and 79B during land purchases.

What rationale has the state government cited? Revenue Minister R Ashok, who piloted the Bill, said during discussions that the sections proposed to be repealed from the Act were only facilitating corruption in the offices of land registrars and tahsildars, rather than benefiting farmers who wanted to sell their land. He said over 13,814 cases of violation of Sections 79 A and B were pending without any action Page | 24 a report was given to carry out changes in urban areas during the tenure of the Congress being taken. “The sections of the law are losing their relevance in the present situation and

Chiefitself,” Minister he said. B S Yediyurappa has said irrigated agricultural land, and land owned by SC/ST communities, will remain protected as farmland despite the amendments. Only 2% of the agricultural land in the state has been used for industrial purposes, he has said.

What is the Congress’s objection? Leader of the Opposition Siddaramaiah has said the amendment will result in the loss of agricultural land that could have been cultivated to meet food requirements. He has alleged that the amendment is intended to benefit the real estate mafia in Bengaluru.

60,000 acres in and around Bengaluru. Assuming a rate of around Rs 2 crore for each acre, “Under Sections 79 A and B, there are 13,814 cases pending in the courts involving around retrospective nature of the Bill shows the government is hand in glove with corporate bodiesproperty and worth housing Rs 1.2 societies,. lakh crore The will law be will freed be upa death by this warrant Act,” Siddaramaiah for farmers, hasfarm said. workers “The and Dalits. Farmer groups like the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha too have opposed the amendments.

In August 2015, the Congress government headed by Siddaramiah, too, had eased rules for land acquisition by people not engaged in agriculture. The Karnataka Land Reforms (Amendment) Bill, 2015 amended Section 79A and enhanced the annual income ceiling for acquisition of land by persons not engaged in agriculture from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 25 lakh. At that time, it was the then opposition BJP and JDS that had argued that the amendment would only help real estate businesses acquire more land around cities.

And what is the JD(S)’s stand? The JD(S) initially opposed the amendments proposed by the BJP on the ground that they were not in the interest of farmers. It specifically opposed an amendment proposed to Section 63A to increase the ceiling for land holdings from 54 acres to 108 acres for a family of five, and from 108 acres to 216 acres for a family of 10. After the government dropped the move to amend Section 63A, the JD(S) supported— the Bill. JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy said last week that he himself had to face allegations of violation of Sections s.

Under79 A and what B over circumstances ownership of has nearly the 50move acres been of agricultural taken? land on Bengaluru’s outskirt

There has been growing pressure from industry to amend land ownership laws to bring them in line with those in the neighbouring states in order to facilitate growth away from the stagnant agriculture sector. Yediyurappa had promised such changes during his visit to the World Economic Forum at Davos early this year as an incentive to attract investors. Page | 25 In March this year, the government passed a Bill to amend Section 109 of the 1961 Act to allow industries to sell agricultural land they had bought for industrial purposes (rather than return it to the government at no cost) if they failed to carry on with the planned industry. The amendment allowed such sale after seven years of running the industry.

The ruling BJP has argued that curbs on sale and purchase of agricultural land in Karnataka crore an acre while in neighbouring Ananthapur (Andhra) the land costs only Rs 10 lakh. do not exist in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh or Tamil Nadu. “In Ballari, land is Rs 1.10 landInvestors reforms were will going change to Andhra this. There Pradesh is an and opportunity Tamil Nadu to employ as a consequence,” one crore people said with C R Janardhana, president, Federation of Karnataka Chambers of Commerce and Industry. “The

Source:acquisition The of Indian another Express 2% of land.”

13. Survey reveals more Indians going for smaller families, population growth rate set to hit a plateau

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance

There has of the 1st phase of the 5th National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) acrossbeen most an encouraging of the states news has regarding decreased. India’s The result population clearly growth. indicates As per that findings India's population growth rate may stabilize in the coming years.

The Details According to the NFHS-5 data, which is in regard to 17 states, all of them except Bihar, Manipur and Meghalaya, now have a TFR of 2.1 or less. TFR is the total number of children who would be born to each woman if she were to live to the end of her child-bearing years and give birth to children in alignment with the prevailing age-specific fertility rates.

Family Planning gains ground As per survey findings, all 17 states have witnessed an increase in the use of modern in 2018 to substantially increase access to contraceptives and family planning services in 146contraceptives districts which of family had planning.a TFR of 3 Notably, and above. the govt. These had districts launched are ‘Mission in states Parivar such as Vikas’ U.P,

Bihar, M.P, Rajasthan etc. which make up for 44% of the country’s population. Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Getting their due’ The NFHS-5 data shows that there have been noticeable improvements in indicators ‘ empowerment across the country. While more women are now participating in making household decisions in 9 states, 30% more women now have bank accountsrelated to in women’sAssam, Bihar, Gujarat and West Bengal. Page | 26

The present NFHS is being conducted on 6.1 lakh sample households, by collecting information on population, health, family planning and nutrition-related indicators.

14. West Bengal-Home Ministry tussle

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance

What is the issue in confrontation? The appointment of three IPS officers of the West Bengal cadre to various posts by the Union Home Ministry on Thursday has escalated the confrontation between the State and the Centre. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has termed the deputation order despite the

State’s objection “a colourable exercise of power and blatant misuse of emergency Theprovision tug of of war IPS began Cadre after Rule a 1954”. convoy of BJP President J.P. Nadda came under stone pelting in the State on December 10. The BJP apparently holds the IPS officers accountable for the incident. After an initial move to recall these officials was resisted by the State, the Centre of any disagreement, the matte has invoked Section 6(1) of the Indian Police Service (Cadre) Rules, which says that “in case Political interests r shall be decided by the Central Government....” The constant hostility between the State and Central governments is now taking a turn for the worse ahead of the 2021 Assembly election. The tussle mirrors the high stakes political c the police force has gained attention for the wrong reasons in the past. Senior officials are ontest between the BJP and the ruling Trinamool Congress. The CM’s style nof the managing State is multi-pronged. seen as allied with the TMC and the BJP’s determined drive to capture power i What is BJP doing? against several BJP leaders in criminal cases registered against them by the State Police. TheOn Friday,BJP will the continue Supreme to Courtknock restrainedon the doors West of the Bengal Court from and taking the Election any “coercive Commission action” of India to bring pressure on the State government. By enforcing its writ on IPS officers, the Centre is sending a signal to all officers that their conduct will now be under scrutiny. The script is familiar.

Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the CBI issued notice to Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar and wanted to take him in custody, provoking Ms. Banerjee to

sit on a dharna. During the polls, the ECI transferred senior police officers including Mr. Kumar. After the elections, the CM restored all officials to their previous posts. The central schemes, Ayushman Bharat and PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, are also a bone of contention. The TMC government has refused to implement them, demanding that the funds be routed through the State. The CM has also complained of insufficient central assistance to manage Page | 27 the COVID- Secretary and DGP attend a meeting in New Delhi on the Stat -and-order situation increased tensions.19 pandemic All told, and the cyclone partisan Amphan. use of Thethe personnelCentre’s earlier and instruments demand that of thethe Chiefstate by parties in power as is happening in this tussle is a disturbinge’s signal law for democracy and federalism.

Source: The Hindu

15. Rapid expansion, random wage cuts: behind the Wistron violence

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance

Worker unrest following the non-redressal of payment and overtime issues at a new factory of Wistron Infocomm Manufacturing India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Wistron Corporation, the Taiwan-headquartered computers and computer peripherals firm that manufactures iPhones for Apple and other products, resulted in a riot at the plant on December 12.

Production at the plant at Narasapura in Kolar district around 60 km from Bengaluru, employing 1,343 regular workers and 8,490 contract workers, was suspended following the violence.

Wistron’s investment Wistron, which makes devices and peripheral systems for major global tech companies, has manufacturing facilities and R&D centres at two dozen locations around the world. The company started a small pilot plant in Bengaluru in 2017 to make the iPhone and, in 2018, decided to make a large investment in Karnataka for a full-fledged plant.

Wistron Infocomm Manufacturing India Pvt Ltd was incorporated on February 18, 2018 with the pilot plant at the Peenya Industrial Estate in Bengaluru as its official address. Initially the company supplied the iPhone SE and 6s from the Peenya facility. In January 2019, Wistron announced that it was looking to invest as much as Rs 3,000 crore in its Indian subsidiary.

-term development of Wistron Group in India, the subsidiary of the company Wistron InfoComm Manufacturing (India) Private Limited has “Given the consideration of long Taiwan stock exchange in January 2019. raised its authorised capital to INR 30 billion at once,” the firm said in a statement to the

The Karnataka government allocated 43 acres in Narasapura for Wistron to build a larger plant. The company got environmental clearance in mid-2019 and, in 2020, announced investments to the tune of Rs 1,220 crore in equipment and machinery for the Kolar plant, which is designated as a service and manufacturing centre. In August 2020, the plant became fully operational, with around 5,000 employees to manufacture the iPhone SE Page | 28 (2020) and iPhone 7 models.

crore including a civil construction contract of Rs 250 crore in an expansion of its NarasapuraThat same month, facility. Wistron According said to it Karnataka “intends to government build a factory officials, building” the company at a cost has of Rssought 550 revised plans [after the December 12 incident]. Earlier we had identified another 65 acres more land near its current plant. “They wanted to expand but we have to now see their

‘Runningbecause they a sweatshop’ wanted to increase the built up area,” a senior government official said. According to investigations by police, trade unions, and the state government, a pressure- cooker situation had built up in the factory due to anomalies in the wage payment system after Wistron rapidly scaled up its contractual employee strength from around 3,000 to nearly 8,500 between September 2020 and December 2020.

al only in August. Before August, the plant was not in existence. All the recruitment has happened in the last three or four months.“They scaled They up sought very initialfast. This permission facility became for 5,000 operation people, and then went to 9,000 at their level. Maybe there was more demand. This was when they moved from eight-hour to 12- department in Karnataka. hour shifts,” said Gaurav Gupta, principal secretary of the commerce and industries The contract employees were hired and paid through six manpower supply contractors, but their work was su

A N Srinivas, a recruiter pervisedfor Creative and Engineers, managed a by local Wistron labour officials.contractor. “In two months, we provided 2,300 workers to the firm; nearly 1,600 were young people from Kolar itself,” said Initial police investigations have revealed that the contractors were not paying the workers totheir Rs 8,000 full wages in some as cases, per their wages contracts, for November or for were overtime not paid work. until “The December factory 12, was contract being employeesoperated like have a sweatshop,” said. Workers police were sources working said. in While two compulsorywages were 12-hourslashed fromshifts. Rs With 22,000 no employee grievance redressal system in place at the firm or a union, workers were constantly asking company officials for their dues, the All India Central Council of Trade Unions has said in a report.

An official of the labour department said the trigger for the violence during a 6 am shift change on December 12 was an argument over the attendance system not capturing the exact work hours logged by the workers. Wistron officials initially estimated the damage at

not cause any material damage to major manufact Rs 437 crore, but later revised it downward to about Rs 43 crore saying the “violence did Wistron, Apple reaction uring equipment and warehouses”. Wistron has sent audit teams to estimate the damage, see how fast the factory can be Page | 29 internal audit and I think they Guptarestored, said. and understand the lacunae in the payment system. “They have done their will be taking remedial measures,” Industries Secretary found that some workers were not paid correctly, or on time. We deeply regret this and apologizeWistron has to alacknowledged there were problems: “…We have been investigating and have

l of our workers,” it has said. labour agencies and payments need to be strengthened and upgraded. We are taking immediate“…We recognize action that to correct we made this, mistakes including as disciplinarywe expanded. Some of the processes…to manage

Apple has put Wistron on probation, and said the companyaction.” will get no more orders until it new business from Apple before they complete corrective actions. Apple employees, along fixes the problems. “…We have placed Wistron on probation and they will not receive any

Source:with independent The Indian auditors, Express will monitor their progress,” Apple has said.

16. Madhya Pradesh Cabinet approves anti-conversion bill

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance

Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2020 Provisions: 1. The Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2020, which provides for a prison term of up to 10 years and a fine of ₹1 lakh for conversion through marriage or by any other fraudulent means got the State Cabinet s approval. “ 2. The Bill, in some” ways, is similar to’ the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020, notified by the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh last month,

which too provides for a maximum punishment of 10 years’ imprisonment for “fraudulent 3.conversions”, Offences even under for the the sake proposed of marriage. law would be cognisable and non-bailable. The Bill, which seeks to replace the Religious Freedom Act of 1968, would be tabled in the Assembly, he said.

4. Any marriage solemnised in violation of the proposed law would be considered null and void.

5. Those willing to convert would need to apply to the district administration 60 days in advance. The religious leaders facilitating the conversion would also have to inform Page | 30 about it 60 days in advance. Violation of these provisions would attract a jail term of three to five years and a fine of ₹50,000.

6. In cases of religious conversion of members of the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and minors, a provision has been made for imprisonment of two to 10 years and ₹50,000 fine.

7. There is provision of three to 10 years of imprisonment and fine of ₹50,000 in cases of marriage carried out by hiding religion, misrepresentation or impersonation.

8. In case of mass conversions (of two or more persons), a provision of five to 10 years of imprisonment and a minimum fine of ₹1 lakh has been made.

9. Repeat offenders would face five to 10 years of imprisonment, he said, adding that the registration of any organisation involved in such violation would be cancelled.

10. Religious conversion in violation of this law would be considered null and void.

11. Parents, legal guardian or custodian and brothers and sisters of the converted person can lodge a complaint.

12. Offences would be investigated by an officer not lower than sub- and it would be the responsibility of the accused to prove his innocence, the Minister said. inspector’s rank, 13. A child born to the victim women will be entitled to get maintenance under the

Source:proposed The law. Hindu Such children would be entitled to inherit the father’s properties too.

17. Governor’s role in calling an Assembly session: what the law, courts say

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance

In yet another tug-of-war between Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Governor has turned down a request to summon a special

Cabinet had written to the Governor last week and, after the denial, is mulling approaching sitting of the Assembly to debate the new three central farm laws. The state government’s Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

him again with the same request. The episode raises questions on the role of a Governor and the contours of the powers he or she has under the Constitution.

Who can summon a session of the Assembly? Page | 31 of the State t Constitution.“The Governor The shall provision from time also to putstime onsummon the Governor the House the or responsibility each House of of the ensuring Legislature that the House is summonedo meet at at such least time once and every place six months. as he thinks fit…” says Article 174 of the

ive to summon the House, according to Article 163,

GovernorAlthough itsummons is the Governor’s the House prerogat under Article 174, this is not of his or her own will but on the aid Governor and advice is required of the Cabinet. to act on the “aid and advice” of the Cabinet. So when the

Can the Governor refuse the aid and advice of the Cabinet? There are a few instances where the Governor can summon the House despite the refusal of the Chief Minister who heads the Cabinet. When the Chief Minister appears to have lost the majority and the legislative members of the House propose a no-confidence motion against the Chief Minister, then the Governor can decide on his or her own on summoning the House.

But the actions of the Governor, when using his discretionary powers can be challenged in court.

How have the courts ruled? A number of rulings by the Supreme Court has settled the position that the Governor cannot refuse the request of a Cabinet that enjoys majority in the House unless it is patently unconstitutional. The latest in the line of rulings is the landmark 2016 Constitution Bench ruling in which the Supreme Court looked into the constitutional crisis in Arunachal

Pradesh after the Governor had imposed President’s Rule the in Chief the Ministerstate. and his council of ministers enjoy the confidence of the majority of the House, the power vested with the Governor“In ordinary under circumstances Article 174 during to summon, the period prorogue when and dissolve the house(s) must be exercised in consonance with the aid and advice of the chief minister and his council of ministers. In the above situation, he is precluded [from taking] an individual call on the

issue at his own will, or in his own discretion,” the verdict said.

The court read the power to summon the House as a “function” of the Governor and not a “power” he enjoys. that (in view of Article 163 of the Constitution, as contended), then the Governor has the power“If the functionsto literally of summ the Governor were to be read as his power, and an untrammelled one at

Website: www.prepmate.inon the Assembly to meet ‘at such time Telegram and place Channel: as he @upscprepmate thinks fit’ Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

that is in any city and at any place other than the Legislative Assembly building and at any odd time. This is nothing but arbitrary and surely, an arbitrary exercise of power is not what our Constitution makers either contemplated in the hands of the Governor or

Page | 32 Evenimagined the its Sarkaria wielding Commission by any constitutional of 1983, which authority,” reviewed the court the arrangements said. between the Centre and the states, ha confidence of the Assembly, its advice in these matters, unless patently unconstitutional must be deemed as bindingd on said the that Governor. “so long It is as only the where Council such of advice, Ministers if acted enjoys upon, the would lead to an infringement of a constitutional provision, or where the Council of Ministers has ceased to enjoy the confidence of the Assembly, that the question arises

Whatwhether happens the Governor if the Kerala may act government in the exercise insists of his on discretion”. holding the special session? no legal ground to deny a request for summoning the session. Governor Arif Mohammad hasSince in the the Governor’s past criticised powers the areKerala limited Ass with regard to summoning the House, there can be challenged in court. embly’s resolution against the Centre’s Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019. In the political slugfest, the Governor’s refusal can also be The political nature of the office of the Governor, especially in Opposition-ruled states, has been underlined in several instances by courts. The constitutional checks and balances and landmark court rulings account for this and limit the discretionary powers of the Governor.

Source: The Indian Express

18. CIC order Electoral Bond Scheme of 2018

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance

A recent order by the Central Information Commission (CIC) has again revealed the inherent problems surrounding the Electoral Bond Scheme of 2018. This order passed in an appeal against the State Bank of India (SBI) has effectively shut the door to seek any details about donors and donees relating to electoral bonds under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. With no other recourse available, the Supreme Court is the only surviving arbiter on adjudicating the vires of electoral bonds.

An illegal scheme The scheme creates banking instruments for donation of funds to political parties facilitated by the SBI. It conceals the identity of the donors and donees as well as the amount of donation. In effect, the scheme is not transparent, promotes arbitrariness and is therefore illegal.

The scheme facilitates undisclosed quid pro quo arrangements between donors, who are likely to be corporates, and political parties. Such an arrangement goes against best practices of electoral democracy and is repugnant to the freedom of speech and expression. the freedom of speech and expression also contained the fundamental right of a voter to Page | 33 secureIn People’s information Union for about Civil the Liberties candidates v. Union who ofare India contesting (2003), the the election. Supreme When Court the held voter that is permitted to know if an electoral candidate is facing any cases, should she not be equally entitled to know who is financing the expenses of the party and its candidate?

The CIC order has upheld the contention of the SBI that it is not required to furnish the details of donors, donees and donations, under the RTI Act. In doing so, SBI has relied on two grounds provided under Section 8 of the RTI Act, which exempts disclosure of information: that the information sought has been held in fiduciary capacity and that there was no public interest involved in the application. Both grounds do not stand a bare scrutiny of law. It is also trite that any exemption provided under Section 8 should be read only in a very narrow sense. Section 8(2) directs that when public interest outweighs any harm to protected interests, the information sought for may be accessed. This Section begins with a non obstante clause. Therefore, it overrides the grounds erroneously relied upon by the CIC.

The public interest in the present matter is undisputable. The CIC, in an earlier order, deemed political parties to be public authorities under the RTI Act. The funds received by parties from donors would naturally be of interest to voters in order to understand their financing and functioning. Donations by corporate entities would also be of interest to their shareholders and potential shareholders. Therefore, the failure of the CIC in appreciating the present issue as one of high public importance and resorting to technical objections defeats the objects of the RTI Act itself.

The final arbiter The CIC order effectively shuts the door on any RTI requests with regard to electoral bonds and any concomitant information. There is no other recourse but for the Supreme Court to determine the law with regard to the scheme and the interpretation of the CIC. A batch of petitions filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms and the Communist Party of India appeal, may also be tagged and heard altogether. (Marxist) are sub judice. Therefore, the CIC’s decision, if carried to the Supreme Court on It is worth remembering that the writ petitions pending adjudication were filed over three years ago and that the respondents have also filed their pleadings. In its counter affidavit filed before the Supreme Court in 2017, the Election Commission argued the case for h those funds are expended by them, for better transparency and accountability in the “declaration of donation received by political parties and also about the manner in whic election process”.

The public scrutiny of parties and political candidates is an essential and inalienable part of a free and fair democratic process. By suppressing knowledge of political financing, we are breaking the basic bonds of democracy holding the country together. An unsettled law is as dangerous as bad law. The Court must conclusively settle the questions around the constitutionality of electoral bonds. Page | 34

Source: The Hindu

International Organizations & Relations

1. China hydropower company plans first downstream dam on Brahmaputra

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

-ahead for a Chinese hydropower company to construct the first downstream dam on the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra China’s media reported that authorities have given the go hydropower exploitation of the river with potential ramifications for India. river, or Yarlung Zangbo as it is known in Tibet, marking a new phase in China’s A report in the Chinese media said the State-owned hydropower company POWERCHINA thehad Yarlun last month signed “a strategic cooperation -Year agreement” Plan (2021-2025). with the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) government to “implement hydropower exploitation in the downstream of Previous damsg Zangbo River” as part of the new Five China in 2015 operationalised its first hydropower project at Zangmu in Tibet, while three other dams at Dagu, Jiexu and Jiacha are being developed, all on the upper and middle reaches of the river. The report said this will be the first time the downstream sections of the river will be tapped.

Possible location but offcials talked about the parti BrahmaputraThe report did and not at mention the Yarlung the location Zangbo ofGrand POWERCHINA’s Canyon in Medog planned County, downstream where the project, river falls spectacularly over a 2,000 metre-dropcular potentialand turns sharply offered to at flow the across “Great the Bend” border of into the Arunachal Pradesh.

Chinese officials said this 50-km section alone offered the potential of developing 70

-million kWh hydropower exploitation at the downstream of the Yarlung millionZangbo kWhRiver “which could provide equals more300 billion than threekWh ofThree clean, Gorges renewable power and stations”. zero-carbon They also said said “the 60 Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

electricity annually” and the project “will play a significant role in realising China’s goal of Concernsreaching a ofcarbon India emissions peak before 2030 and carbon neutrality in 2060”. India has expressed concerns to China over the four dams on the upper and middle Page | 35 reaches, though Indian officials have said the dams are not likely to impact the quantity of ater for power generation and the Brahmaputra is not entirely dependent on upstream flows with an estimatedthe Brahmaputra’s 35% of its flows basin in is Indiain India. greatly because they are only storing w

A dam at the Great Bend, if approved, would raise fresh concerns considering its location downstream and just across the border from Arunachal Pradesh.

Source: The Hindu

2. The fallout of Fakhrizadeh’s killing, while benefiting Israel, will add to the instability in West Asia

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the Iranian scientist who until it was disbanded, was assassinated last week. Suspicion immediately fell on Israel, which has been widely held responsible for assassinatingled Iran’s several nuclear Iranian weapons nuclear programme scientists early last decade. Three U.S. intelligence officials have said that Mossad assassinated Fakhrizadeh. Assassinations in which Israeli hands were suspected had stopped after the programme. After Iran, in r - impositionJoint Comprehensive of stringent Plan sanctions, of Action began(JCPOA) enriching imposed uranium strict restrictions and stockpiling on Iran’s it nuclear beyond JCPOA limits, the strategy ofetaliation targeted assassinationsfor the U.S.’s withdrawal seems to be from back. the agreement and re

A red flag in Israel This strategy has assumed urgency with the election of Joe Biden in the U.S., who has expressed his desire to return to the JCPOA if Iran agrees to conform to its parameters. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif declared that Iran is willing to comply with the agreement if Mr. Biden lifts sanctions. This has raised a red flag in Israeli government qucircles.est for Israel nuclear has enrichment, been the most freeze enthusiastic its ballistic cheerleader missile programme, for President and end Donald its support Trump’s to regionalpolicy of allies putting perceived “maximum as threatening pressure” American on Tehran and to Israeli force interests. it to give up permanently its

nuclear monopoly in West Asia. It is, therefore, working towards engineering a major confrontationThe Benjamin betweenNetanyahu the government U.S. and Iran, is while apprehensive Mr. Trump that is stillMr. inBiden office. will Mr. imperil Trump, Israel’s

because of his dislike for former President Barack Obama, may be willing to order air strikes on Iranian nuclear installations in order to pre- presumption is strengthened by reports that he was contemplatingempt the U.S.’s an returnattack toon thethe nuclearNatanz nuclearagreement facility that in wasearly theNovember foremost but achievementwas dissuaded of by Mr. his senior Obama’s advisers foreign from policy. doing Thisso. Page | 36

The assassination of Fakhrizadeh appears to be part of a larger Israeli plan in conjunction with Saudi Arabia to force the U.S. into taking military action recent semi-clandestine trip to Saudi Arabia to meet with the Crown Prince along with the U.S. Secretary of State was aimed at cementing the anti-Iran frontagainst and Iran. putting Mr. Netanyahu’spressure on uclear installations. Riyadh considers Tehran to be its principal adversary and the primary threat to its leadership aspirations in West Asia.the Trump According administration to leaked to U.S. destroy diplomatic Iran’s cables,n the late Saudi King Abdullah exhorted

-Saudi nexus Washington in 2008 to “cut off the head of the snake”, a clear reference to Iran, by irresponsible,launching military actions strikes could to culminatedestroy Tehran’s in a major nuclear military installations. strike on An Iran Israeli before he leaves office.on this issue when combined with President Trump’s predilection for dramatic, even if

A win-win situation -win situation for Israel. If the Iranian Arab allies, Fakhrizadeh’s assassination creates a win showsgovernment restraint, launches Israel revengewould have attacks shown on upIsraeli the Iraniantargets regimeor those as of weak America’s while augmenting antiMr. -AmericanNetanyahu would feelings be inable the to persuade country thatthe U.S. would to attack make Iran’s it difficultnuclear facilities. for the If Biden Iran administration to resume negotiations with Tehran on reviving JCPOA. Either way, the fallout of the assassination, while benefiting Israel, will add to the instability in the region. Mr. Biden will have to decide if Israel has become a forcing it to adopt policies and undertake actions that run counter to its larger interests in West Asia. n albatross around the U.S.’s neck

Source: The Hindu

3. Recalibrating India-Nepal ties

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

When Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla arrived in Kathmandu on November 26 and spoke in fluent Nepali to the media, there was some hope that the visit would go beyond the traditional exchange of pleasantries. When he departed, the hope was that his visit would be the beginning of a continued dialogue between the two countries that have had a strained relationship since the imposition of a five-month-long blockade in 2015 in Nepal just as the country was recovering from a devastating earthquake.

Eminent Persons Group In the past five years, the only glimmer of hope to work on the relationship was the constitution of an Eminent Persons Group. The Group was disbanded after submitting its report, the outcome of which is still not known. Nepal thought that the Eminent Persons Group would be the foundation for reworking the relationship between the two countries, Page | 37 but for India, as a former diplomat put it, it was just one of the hundreds of initiatives or administrative mechanisms. The Foreign Secretary did not touch upon the issue of the Eminent Persons Group in his latest address. His speech was not different from speeches made in the past, and the joint statement from both the governments was a usual nicety.

Anti-India rhetoric in Nepal The Nepal-India relationship has never been free of controversy as the perspectives of both sides are yet to change. Many in Nepal continue to equate being anti-India with being nationalistic. Politicians and political parties whip up such sentiment and compete with each other on who can be more extreme, especially before an election. Prime Minister K.P. Oli won the 2017 election partly because he projected himself as someone who stood up to India during the blockade. He again whipped up nationalistic sentiments when he got the Nepal map amended to add new territory. This was a good way to deflect attention from the poor management of the COVID- excuse was that after India released its new map in November 2019, Nepal wanted to discuss the map with India but the latter19 did pandemic not provide by his any government. time for a discussion. His government’s

India’s strategy for Nepal India continues to think that by providing largesse to Nepal in the form of aid and development projects, it can win Nepali hearts. But despite pouring billions of rupees into Nepal over decades, it has still not been able to do so. Therefore, it needs to reflect on what it is not doing right. Two issues are important to understand here. First, all aid to Nepal from countries other than India and China go through the Plans of the Government of Nepal. Indian aid is seen in Nepal as a favour bestowed on a constituency it wants to garner competes with China in providing aid outside government budgets. And China picks up projectssupport from of visibility rather and than strategic a contribution location. to Chinese Nepal’s plannedinvolvement development. in Nepal has Second, increased India

Belt and Road Initiative. since the April 2015 earthquake and Nepal is surely an area of strategic influence in China’s People-to-people ties The Foreign Secretary raised the issue of people-to-people exchanges between the countries, a welcome development. In the past two decades, two significant changes have happened in this area. First, Indian workers in Nepal constitute a big part of the workforce and send about $3 billion to India every year. In terms of remittances to India, Nepal ranks eighth. So, the Government of India needs to keep in mind that many households in India are being run with remittances from Nepal. Second, Nepalis have migrated in the past 20 years to more than a hundred countries; India is not the only country that Nepalis rely on for jobs or education. This is a new Nepal comprising young people with global aspirations.

Nearly three-fourths of the population of Nepal is under 35 years of age. India needs to engage beyond its current constituency, the minuscule proportion of the population who are above 65. Meanwhile, Nepal needs to plan how it engages with the youth in mainland India for whom Nepal is just like Bangladesh or Myanmar, areas they study about in geography in school but know little about. Page | 38

There are some fundamentals that we simply cannot forget: geography will not change, the border will remain open as millions of livelihoods on both sides depend on it, and China is going to be a big global player with varied interests in the neighbourhood. Therefore, the India-Nepal relationship has to be recalibrated. The hope is that the Nepali-speaking Foreign Secretary who has Sikkimese ancestry will be able to rethink the dynamics of the relationship as he reflects on his visit to Nepal.

Sujeev Shakya is the author of ‘Unleashing the Vajra: Nepal’s Journey Between India and Source:China’ and The ‘Unleashing Hindu Nepal’

4. ‘OIC resolution’ on Kashmir

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

The OIC resolution rejected India’s Kashmir decision and demanded that “India rescind its OICillegal Countries step”. claim that India has deployed more than half a million forces in Kashmir home to 12 million people making it one of the most militarised zones in the world. New Delhi says its troops are stationed to quell the armed rebellion, which erupted in 1989. – – Response of India India on Sunday rejected the resolution by the 57-member grouping of Muslim nations,

Aboutsaying “theOIC OIC has no locus standi (rights) in matters strictly internal to India”. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, formerly the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, is an international organization founded in 1969, consisting of 57 member states, with a collective population of over 1.8 billion as of 2015 with 49 countries being Muslim-majority countries.[1] The organisation states that it is "the collective voice of the Muslim world" and works to "safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony".

The OIC has permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European Union. The official languages of the OIC are Arabic, English, and French.

Source: Aljazeera

5. India hosted 2020 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit: All you need to know Page | 39

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; IOBR

Amidst a fierce stand-off between India and China, New Delhi hosted a summit of the council of heads of government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on November 30 with a focus on contributing to the trade and economic agenda of the influential grouping. Here is all you need to know about the SCO and relevance of India hosting its annual summit.

What is Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) * The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation is a Eurasian permanent intergovernmental international organisation created in June 2001, in Shanghai, China by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and China. The SCO was preceded by the Shanghai Five mechanism.

* The SCO aims to strengthen mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states by promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, the economy, research, technology and culture, as well as in education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, and regional stability and security.

* Known as the "alliance of the East", the SCO is the largest regional organisation in the world in terms of geographical coverage and population, covering three-fifths of the Eurasian continent and nearly half of the human population. SCO represents around 42 per cent of the world's population and 20 per cent of the global GDP. The SCO is seen as a counter-balance to Nato, limiting the influence of United States of America (USA) in Central Asia.

* Other than the member states, SCO has four observer states (Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia) and six dialogue partners (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey, and Sri Lanka).

* SCO has two permanent bodies the SCO Secretariat based in Beijing and the Executive Committee of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) based in Tashkent. — * The Heads of State Council (HSC) is the supreme decision-making body in the SCO. It meets once a year and adopts decisions and guidelines on all important matters of the organisation. The SCO Heads of Government Council (HGC) meets once a year to discuss the organisation's multilateral cooperation strategy and priority areas.

Relevance of India hosting SCO HGC meeting India is hosted the SCO council of heads of government meet on November 30 in the midst of the stand-off at Ladakh border with China.

India was an observer state at the SCO since 2005 and was admitted as a full member of the Page | 40 SCO in 2017. India's membership was pushed by Russia which was aiming to counter China's growing influence in the region. However, with changes in the geopolitical realities since 2014, India aims to stay involved in the SCO to balance the growing closeness between Russia and China even as India has got closer to the US.

The SCO membership allows India to expand its footprint in Central Asian region and hosting the Summit brings an opportunity for India to strengthen trade relations with Central Asian countries which are energy-rich nations.

Given India's commitment to countering terrorism, the SCO also provides India a platform to raise cross-border terrorism sourced in Pakistan.

Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

6. Giving the Nobel Peace Prize to sitting prime ministers or presidents is inherently risky

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

-scale military offensive against separatists in the restive Tigray province, which led to the deaths of possibly thousandsWhen Ethiopia’s and forced Prime tens Minister of thousands Abiy Ahmedto flee as launched refugees, a a largefamiliar disquiet arose across the world. Had the Nobel Committee made a mistake in awarding the 2019 Peace Prize to Mr. Abiy, who until last year was hailed as a beacon for democratising Ethiopia and befriending Eritrea? With ethnic tensions spiralling and Mr. Abiy resorting to violent means to manage the nationwide turbulence, was the Nobel Committee naïve in having so much hope in him?

Failing to live up to ideals There was similar heartburn over President Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia failing to live up to ideals. Mr. Santos won the Peace Prize in 2016 for ending the decades-long civil war with FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) guerrillas. Despite his image as a human rights violations by agents of the state. peacemaker, Mr. Santos’s presidency saw continuing paramilitary excesses and rampant Likewise, when the Nobel Committee gave the 2009 Peace Prize to U.S. President Barack Obama, it proved a controversial choice. Shortly after receiving the Prize, Mr. Obama ordered an American troop surge in Afghanistan, deepening a bloody war. In 2011, he also

backed a disastrous military intervention in Libya and subsequently abandoned it when there was chaos.

Yet another much- was chosen in 1991 while in house arrest for her courageous activism against military Page | 41 dictatorship and hermaligned campaign Nobel for Peace democracy. Prize winner But once is Myanmar’s she assumed Aung theSan titleSuu ofKyi. Stat Shee Counsellor in 2016 under a power-sharing arrangement with the military in Myanmar, calls for revoking her Prize echoed in international public discourse.

government at the International Court of Justice against charges of genocide of the RohingyaMs. Suu Kyi’striggered decision a global to teamuproar. up Several with the other repressive awards heaped armed on forces her have and defendlately been her she once stoo rescinded, with Amnesty International slamming her for “shameful betrayal of the values While there isd for”. no question that Mr. Abiy, Mr. Santos, Mr. Obama and Ms. Suu Kyi have disappointed legions of admirers, what is common to them is that they have been holders sonalities to work under compulsions and make compromises. of executive state power. The very logic of raison d’etat pushes these per thereMr. Abiy could hasbe anarchy justified or hisa return war to in the Tigray authoritarian as part ancien of the régime. Ethiopian Ms. Suu government’s Kyi feels she “responsibility to enforce rule of law” and the writ of the state. Should his regime collapse, has to eventually succeed. If she openly challenges the military in the transitional period or stepshas no down option on but conscientious to cooperate grounds, with the the military dream if ofMyanmar’s full transfer democratisation of authority totransition civilian

metimes leadership could be lost. Mr. Obama too rationalised his actions. He said that as “a head of state sworn to protect and defend my nation”, he believed that “force is so Unrealisticnecessary”. expectations It is unrealistic to expect Nobel Laureates running government machineries to behave like saints. Giving the Nobel Prize to sitting prime ministers or presidents is inherently risky and these recipients should not be held to the gold standard of a Mother Teresa or Malala Yousafzai. If one adopts a less perfectionist lens, all the problematic Nobel Laureates have done some good and some harm.

Unless the Nobel Committee consciously avoids picking incumbent politicians altogether in hindsight. Understanding them in their political contexts and in particular moments may helpthe future,us reach there a balanced will always final judgment. be reasons to be dejected by such Laureates’ records in

Source: The Hindu

7. This is where Rohingya are being sent: a newly surfaced island in Bay of Bengal

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR Page | 42

Bhasan Char, the site where Bangladesh has begun sending Rohingya refugees from the island formed by sedimentation (char is Bengali for sediment) close to the coast. overcrowded camps at Cox’s Bazar, is an It is estimated that more than 8 lakh Rohingya, who fled an army crackdown in Mya Rakhine Province in 2016 nmar’s the mainland. , live in the camps at Cox’s Bazar in unhygienic conditions. Bangladesh’s plan is to move some 1 lakh refugees to Bhasan Char, 39 km from Naokhali on The plan has been in the making since 2017. In 2018, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said it would be a temporary measure. One of her ministers said those relocated to the island would not be allowed to leave from there unless they are going back to Myanmar. The decision has evoked international concern.

What’s on Bhasan Char Bhasan Char is less an island and more mud flat, and is vulnerable to going under water from tides and flooding. Much of it is submerged during the monsoon. Located near the mouth of the river Meghna where it flows into the Bay of Bengal, Bhasan Char surfaced only in 2006 from the sediment deposited by the river. A Google Earth view shows part of its sedimentation under water.

Located close to the much larger Sandwip, Bhasan Char spans 40 sq km. The government has built shelters, hospitals and masjids. According to media reports, construction of the concrete accommodation began in November 2017 at an estimated cost of 23.12 billion taka ($272 million). A Reuters report in 2018 said Chinese and British companies carried out the construction, which includes flood embankments and cyclone shelters.

According to a report in the Bangladesh newspaper Daily Sun, 1,440 houses have been constructed at 4 m height from the land, and can accommodate around 100,000 people. Officials told the newspaper that people relocated to the island can engage in farming and livestock breeding, but will not be ab

20 are allocated for civil administration,le to learning “transact centres, money” mosques, as Bangladesh community is yet clinics, to officially day- carerecognise centres, them orphanage as refugees etc. and refers to them only as “stateless” people. Of 120 shelters,

Google Earth images show rows of red-roofed barrack-like structures on the island. It also has a helipad. Some fishing boats are visible, but the island is otherwise uninhabited.

Habitable or not Yanghee Lee, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights Situation, told the Human Rights Council in 2019 that it was unclear to her even after she visited the island if -planned relocation, and relocations without the consent of the refugees concerned, have the Page | 43 it was “truly habitable”. “Ill According to the Associated Press,potential the first to create group a ofnew 1,642 crisis,” Rohingya she said. arrived at Bhasan Char on December 4, transported by naval vessels from Chittagong. Some reports in western media quoted some of the relocated people as saying they were not asked for their consent.

Other reports quoted some Rohingya saying they are “excited” at being relocated to a new, Myanmar“peaceful and & Rohingya nice” place. Myanmar, which does not recognise Rohingya as an indigenous group and refers to them only as Bengalis, has not reacted to the relocation to Bhasan Char. Two years ago, Myanmar had reluctantly agreed to take back some Rohingya, but hardly any went back.

The army crackdown four years ago was against a group called the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which Myanmar said was a Islamist terrorist group. The UN-appointed

Rohingya men, women and children during the August 2017 operations, including their “independent international fact finding committee” said “[t]he horrors inflicted on

indiscriminate killing, rise to the level of both war crimes and crimes against humanity”. It Lastsaid theNovember, Army targeted Gambia, civilians with backing for killings, from rape the andOrganisation sexual violence of Islamic on “a Cooperation, shocking scale”. took Myanmar to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for violating the 1948 Genocide Convention. State counsellor Aug San Suu Kyi represented Mynanmar at the hearings.

In January, the ICJ passed a provisional order direct community, in accordance with its obligations under theing Convention Myanmar on to the take Prevention “all measures and Punishmentwithin its power” of the toCrime prevent of Genocide. atrocities The against orders members are not bindingof the minority on Myanmar. Rohingya Muslim

Rohingya in Myanmar today Discrimination against the Rohingya continues in Myanmar. In the recent elections in no Rohingya voters, this right having been stripped by the military junta before the last election.which Suu With Kyi’s up party to a millionemerged Rohingya with a bigger outside majority Myanmar, than and in 2015, voting there called were off inpractically Rakhine state, where a lakh Rohingya still live, even those eligible could not vote. Nominations of Rohingya candidates were rejected for not being able to prove citizenship.

ASEAN, of which Myanmar is a member, has been unable to address the crisis. The grouping operates on the basis of non- defence of the ar interference. The international horror at Suu Kyi’s Website: www.prepmate.inmy’s policies at the ICJ has led Myanmar to Telegramfind solace Channel: in China’s @upscprepmate arms. Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Amid all this, Bangladesh, which has done more than any other country for the Rohingya, believes it is within its rights to bypass UN concerns at the relocation to Bhasan Char.

Source: The Hindu, The Indian Express and Others Page | 44 8. Iran is enhancing its nuclear programme, which can be reversed if talks with the U.S. are revived

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

When the P5+1 nations (China, France, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S., plus Germany) reached expected that the agreement would lead to a new beginning in West Asia. However, this did notan agreementhappen. with Iran in 2015 to scuttle the country’s nuclear programme, it was

The Iran problem The Barack Obama admini

stration’s calculation was that denying Iran a path to the bomb problemwas in the and best tackled interest it via of diplomacy. everyone, including Iran’s rivals in the region. Washington saw Iran’s nuclear programme, which was at an advanced stage in 2015, as a national security wasBut Iran’s part ofregional the larger rivals, geopolitical mainly Israel challenges and Saudi Iran Arabia, posed. who The are also problem America’s was Iranallies, itself: saw the Iran problem differently. For them, Iran’s nuclear programme-state militias, was not and the its problem ambition but to emerge as a dominant pillar in the region based on the political heft of the Shia community. Tehran’s influence across Westut off Asia, the pathits backing to the bomb,for non but by lifting sanctions, he allowed Iran to move towards claiming its natural economic and political might. This upset the IsraelisMr. Obama’s and the nuclear Saudis. deal c

The Donald Trump administration took an entirely different line towards Iran. It pulled the U.S. out of the nuclear deal, despite United Nations certification that Iran was compliant approach towards Iran had aligned with that of Israel and Saudi Arabia. The Trump years gavewith Israel its terms, a window and reimposedof opportunity sanctions to step on up Tehran. its covert In and practical overt operations. terms, Mr. In Trump’s 2018, Israeli spies carried out a daring mission at a warehouse inside Iran and stole thousands of n nuclear scientists came under attacks. In Syria, where Iran has deployed militias backing the government of Bashar al- Assad,documents Israel related continued to Iran’sto bomb nuclear Iranian programme. targets. Irania

But now, in the twilight months of the Trump administration, President-elect Joe Biden has promised to take the U.S. back to the nuclear deal with more riders. There is a possibility that Mr. Biden, who was the Vice President of the administration that originally signed the — Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

deal, could zero in on the nuclear programme, like Mr. Obama did, and leave the regional issues to the regional players to settle.

Israel’s motives It was against this background Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a top Iranian nuclear physicist, was Page | 45 assassinated on November 27 on the outskirts of Tehran. Israel has been blamed for the theattack, possible an allegation revival that of the Tel nuclear Aviv has deal. not Thedenied. attack It is hasnot putdifficult Iran to in see a spot. Israel’s If itmotives. does not It wants to set back Iran’s nuclear programme by taking out a prominent scientist and scuttle attacks from its rivals. If it retaliates, it could escalate the conflict, giving the outgoing Trumpretaliate, administration it shows that andIran’s a crisis-hitdeterrence Benjamin is getting Netanyahu weaker, whichgovernment could triggerreasons more to launch such

Iranheavier seems strikes to on have Iran’s opted nuclear for the facilities, less risky closing option. off the Instead diplomatic of walking path. into the trap of provocation, its Parliament passed a Bill that obliges the government to enrich uranium to a higher level, from less than 5% now to 20%, which is a technical step away from the weapons-grade level of 90% nuclear facilities in two months if sanctions relief is not given. Within two months, Mr. Biden will be in the White House.— and So, stop Iran access is taking for UN a calculated inspectors risk to the by enhancing country’s top its nuclear programme, which can be reversed if talks are revived. But it is leaving the Israel problem unaddressed, programme. This leaves the region vulnerable to a prolonged crisis. for now. Israel wants Iran to be contained, not just Iran’s nuclear Source: The Hindu

9. What is in France’s draft law against ‘Islamism’?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

On Wednesday, the French cabinet presented a draft law that targets “radicalr of Parliament, Islamism” —in January.although the word “Islamist” is not part of the text. Called a law “to reinforce Republican principles”, the Bill will go to the National Assembly, the lower chambe

Prime Minister Jean Castex has said it is “not a text against religion, nor against the Muslim religion”, but against radical Islamism, whose objective, he said, is “to divide French people fromThe Bill one comes another.” in the wake of a series of terror attacks in recent years. Although in the pipeline for some time, it is being seen as a response to the October beheading of community, the largest in Europe. schoolteacher Samuel Paty. It has raised concerns that it could stigmatise France’s Muslim

What does the proposed law aim to do? It envisages a range of measures, including school education reforms to ensure Muslim children do not drop out, stricter controls on mosques and preachers, and rules against hate campaigns online. Page | 46 Once the law comes into force, French mosques could see increased surveillance of their activities, such as financing. The government would be able to exercise supervision over the training of imams, and have greater powers to shut down places of worship receiving

public subsidies if they go against “republican principles” such as gender equality. UnderModerate French community secularism leaders laws, targeted or laïcité, by an extremist there is already“putsch” acould ban receive on state protection. employees would now be extended beyond government bodies to any sub-contracted public service, asdisplaying per The Economist.religious symbols that are “conspicuous”, such as the crucifix or hijab. This ban

There would also be a clampdown on home-schooling for children over age three, with parents from to be dissuaded from enrolling them in underground Islamic structures, according to France 24.

banned from granting residency permits to polygamous applicants. Couples would be interviewedDoctors who separately issue “virginity by city certificates”hall officials prior would to be their fined wedding or jailed. to find Officials out if they would have be been forced into marriage.

Stricter punishments would be introduced for online hate speech. This is seen as a direct response to the killing of Paty, who was targeted in an online campaign before he was killed.

What has been the reaction? The sharpest criticism of the Bill has come from abroad. Turkish President Recep Erdogan, who has been strongly criticising French President Emmanuel Macron in recent months,

Thehas calledGrand the Imam proposed of Al- law an “open provocation”. w anybody to claim that France, or its Azhar, Egypt’s top cleric, has called Macron’s views “racist”. For his part, Macron said recently, “I will not allo Atgovernment, home, experts is fostering say that racism Macron against largely Muslims.” enjoys the support of a French electorate that has hardened its position on terrorism, which has claimed more than 200 lives in the past eight

years. In a recent nationwide survey, 79% of respondents agreed that “Islamism is at war with France”.

Critics have expressed alarm that the Bill could lead to the conflation of the Islamic religion with Islamism, a political movement, and lead to the alienation of French Muslims. Nevertheless, there have been members of the community who have come out in support of the law, such as the leader of the French Council of the Muslim Faith. Page | 47 Why is it significant politically? Macron faces re- -wing voters after facing a series of electoral losses this year. The President has also been facing election in 2022, and experts say he is appealing to France’s right

Inprotests May this over year, a proposed a group of“global left-wing security” MPs fromlegislation. his La République En Marche! (LREM) party defected, costing the party its absolute majority in the National Assembly. Then in June, the LREM performed poorly in local elections.

he was with the Socialist Party until 2009 faces a challenge from right-wing politician Marine Le Pen, whom he Macron,defeated who in the describes 2017 election, his politics and as who “neither has led right the nor charge left” against— him for not cracking down hard enough— against Islamism.

Source: The Indian Express

10. Why are the the recent accusations against the social media giant significant and what do they entail?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

On Wednesday, social networking giant Facebook was sued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the U.S. agency which seeks to protect consumers and promote competition, as well as by the attorneys general of 46 States, the territory of Guam and the district of Columbia. Their complaint against the Mark Zuckerberg-run company is that over the years, it has unlawfully maintained its monopoly in the social networking space. Among other things, they have called for a break-up of Facebook. This comes in the wake of ti-trust charges. In October, for instance, the U.S. Justice Department sued Google for alleged abuse ofseveral its dominance recent moves in the across search the services world market. targeting what’s called the ‘Big Tech’ on an

What are the core arguments made against Facebook in the lawsuits? The plaintiffs the FTC and attorneys general of all U.S. States except Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and South Dakota essentially say that Facebook has engaged in anti- competitive conduct— over the years in order to maintain its monopoly in the market for — social networking services, and that this has been driven by a fear of falling behind emerging competitors. Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

acquisition strategy is one of the areas. The FTC lawsuit says the acquisition of photo- sThe lawsuits highlight two broad areas where such conduct has been evident. Facebook’s

Facebookharing network paid a Instagram whopping and $19 messaging billion to buy platform WhatsApp, WhatsApp which reflects in six Mr. years Zuckerberg’s it has not Page | 48 monetised,view that “it was is better that by to doingbuy than so, itcompete”. was eliminating The plaintiffs a serious reckon challenger that the to only its topreason position why in the social networking space.

- rchase a firm presenting a competitive threat, or was The second area relates to “anti competitive platform conduct”. The lawsuit by the States says, “When Facebook opted not to pu lawsuit.rebuffed, TheFacebook complaint cut off is access that Facebookto key components closed access of its immensely to its platform valuable by network.” potential competitorsThis is what after happened having to opened Twitter’s it up Vine, to enlarge Path, Circle, its base and and other increase apps, engagement according to with the users.

Take the example of Vine, which allows users to create and share short videos that go in a loop. Its use made sure this feature was no longer available. By cutting off Vine, says the FTC lawsuit, Facebook preventedrs could find it from friends accessing via Facebook. APIs (application But on the day programming of Vine’s launch, interfaces) Facebook that could have helped it grow.

In essence, the complaint is that Facebook either gobbled up potential competition or used

itsWhat platform’s remedies power do the to prevent lawsuits them seek? from scaling up. The lawsuits invoke the Sherman Act, 1890, and the Clayton Act, 1914. Section 2 of the Sherman Act makes it unlawful for a company to achieve monopoly power or keep such power via means that are anti-competition. Section 7 of the Clayton Act seeks to prevent mergers of companies that will lessen competition or lead to a monopoly.

In effect, the lawsuits seek a court order that would force Facebook to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp and prevent it from imposing anti-competitive platform conditions. There is also a reference to the Hart-ScottRodino Act, wh notifications with the Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the Justice ich “requires companies to file premerger Facebook seek prior approval for its acquisitions in future. Department for certain acquisitions”. The lawsuit invokes this to ask for an order to make How has Facebook reacted to this? intended to provide better products for the people who use them, and they unquestionably In its blog, Facebook has said that the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp “were relevant anti-trust regulators then. did”. Also, it has said that these acquisitions were reviewed, and “correctly allowed”, by the Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

It also points to one of the big remedies sought the break-up of Facebook to say that review process and whether acquiring businesses— can actually rely on the outcomes— of the “this lawsuit risks sowing doubt and uncertainty about the U.S. government’s own merger Page | 49 legalResponding process”. to the other big complaint that it unfairly shut off promising services from accessing its platform, standard in the industry.it Where has said, platforms “Facebook give access told these to other apps developers that they could and many not use do notFacebook’s provide platform access at to all essentially replicate Facebook.” According to it, “This restriction is said that LinkedIn, The New York Times, Pinterest, and Uber, among others,— have similar policies. — they usually prohibit duplication of core functions.” It further

Source: The Hindu

11. Why are human rights agencies concerned about Bangladesh relocating Rohingya refugees?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

On December 10, agencies reported that a United Nations (UN) human rights investigator had requested Bangladesh to allow a safety assessment of the remote islet of Bhashan Char, where the government had shipped 1,600-odd Rohingya refugees. Reuters reported that the UN said it was not involved in the transfer of the refugees there. Thomas Andrews, the UN human rights investigator for Myanmar, told the news agency that the assessment and

verification process to ensure that the refugees were not forced to go were in the “best interestIs the islet of all”. safe? Other human rights agencies have also criticised the move. Bhashan Char is a char-land of around 13,000 acres, formed by the accumulation of silt where the river Meghna meets the Bay of Bengal carrying rich alluvial deposits. Char-lands

As the name reveals, the char was not part of the permanent land feature of Bangladesh, butare aappeared common recently. feature inBhashan Meghna Char and isPadma surrounded rivers andby a literally mangrove mean forest “shifting that has landmass”. given it geographical stability. Sensing a tourism opportunity, the Bangladesh government had declared Bhashan Char as a protected forest land in 2013. It is a two-and-a-half-hours boat -land being unsafe is that these lands are known to be unstable and flood-prone. The other fear factor includesride away the from tropical Cox’s cyclones Bazar that in Chittagong. visit the area The every main year. argument for the char

What is the arrangement for the Rohingya?

Over the past few years, Bangladesh has constructed roads and brought modern telecommunication networks to Bhashan Char. The Bangladesh government has earmarked around 1,350 acres for the Rohingya refugees, of which 432 acres is dedicated to their rehabilitation and the rest remains for future projects. The government has constructed a large number of housing units in the section designated for the Rohingya. The country sent Page | 50 1,642 R Bazar, on December 4. They are being housed in red-roofed residential units and most houses areohingya built refugees four feet to above the islet the fromground their to temporaryhelp them withstandcamps in Kutupalong, unexpected near high Cox’s tidal waves.

Why is Bangladesh moving the refugees? Rohingya refugees of Kutupalong have been living in a large refugee camp near the forested borders with Myanmar since 2017, when they were forced to traverse the forest and the rivers that constitute the bord Ever since their arrival, the refugees, numbering 1.1 million, have been living in Kutupalong under bamboo and tarpaulin structures.er between The Bangladesh camp is locatedand Myanmar’s on a hillock, Rakhine which province. was a sanctuary for elephants and other wild animals. Kutupalong has also been in the news for its rising crime rate. Bangladesh argues that the islet will provide a safer place.

Why are human rights agencies upset? Rohingya refugees to Bhashan Char as the char-land had not yet been declared safe for habitation by the United Nations.Amnesty International said Bangladesh must “drop” its plans to shift

Omar Waraich of Amnesty International claimed that many Rohingya who were asked to ating to the relocation of refugees must be transparent and involve the full participation of the Rohingya people. In the meantime, relocate said they were coerced. “Any decisions rel

Whatplans forhappens any further next? relocation must be abandoned,” Mr. Waraich said. Diplomatic sources have confirmed that Dhaka does not plan to relocate the entire refugee - term plan for Rohingya refugees is to seek their repatriation to the Rakhine province of Myanmar.settlement and only aims at reducing the congestion in Kutupalong. The country’s long

Source: The Hindu

4. What is the San Isidro Movement, posing a stiff challenge to Cuba’s authoritarian regime?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

In Cuba, a country under an authoritarian communist regime for more than six decades, a campaign by artists and activists demanding greater freedom of expression is fast grabbing the limelight.

The Movimiento San Isidro, or the San Isidro Movement (MSI), started two years ago to Page | 51 protest state censorship of artistic works, and has now become a platform for Cuban dissidents both within and outside the Caribbean nation.

The country’s president, Miguel Díaz Canel, has called MSI “an imperialist reality show to Whatdestroy is ourCuba’s identity San &Isidro subjugate Movement us again”, (MSI)? calling for it to be “crushed.” The movement started in September 2018, when the Cuban government sought to enforce cultural activity it did not approve of. To protest against the decree, artists, poets, journalistsDecree 349, and a law activists that would gathered have given in San powers Isidro, to a the Black-majority nation’s Culture locality Ministry that to is restrict among

Havana UNESCO World Heritage Site. Havana’s poorest yet most culturally active wards, and which also forms part of the Old What gave crucial firepower to the movement was a landmark 2015 deal between Cuba and the US, one of whose provisions stipulated that the Cuban regime should allow its people greater internet freedoms in exchange for opening bilateral relations with Washington. Thus, the protesters managed to connect and amplify their message over the internet with relative ease, in a country where the government controls all modes of communication, and where no political opposition has been permitted.

So, when the MSI demonstrated outside Cu censorship measure, the government which is usually known to swiftly crush any form of dissent ba’s parliament against the controversial enforcement. – – was forced to heed to public sentiment, and agreed to suspend the decree’s The arrest of Denis Solís and subsequent hunger strike On November 9 this year, a member of the MSI, Afro-Cuban rapper Denis Solís, was arrested by the police. This caused a furore as Solís livestreamed the arrest on Facebook from his mobile phone, recording a police officer entering his house without permission. a maximum-security facility outside Havana, where he remains incarcerated. Two days later, he was sentenced to eight months in prison for “contempt”, and was sent to MSI members then began a hunger-and-thirst strike, locking themselves inside their San Isidro headquarters. The strike continued until November 26, when government agents dressed in medical gowns, and gave the pretext that one of the protesting MSI members, a journalist,broke down had the broken apartment’s Covid-19 door protocols. and arrested These arrests the 14 too people were inside.recorded The on officers cell phones were

and posted on social media networks. For an hour after the raid, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram went down all over the country, as per The Economist.

A day later, in a rare show of defiance, around 300 protesters, both supporters of MSI and those from other movements, demonstrated outside the Culture Ministry, demanding Page | 52 dialogue with its vice-minister, who ended up holding a meeting with them for five hours. Security forces, both in plainclothes and in uniform, surrounded the protesters. Some of the officers shouted communist propaganda slogans at them, while others clicked pictures and recorded videos of the protesters.

What happened after the incidents Days after Solís was arrested, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed support for the protestors and to release musician Denis Solís, who was unjustly sentenced to eight months MSI, saying, “We urge the Cuban regime to cease harassment of San Isidro Movement

in prison. Freedom of expression is a human right. The United States stands with Cuba’s Afterpeople.” the November 26 crackdown, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic voiced concern for human rights in Cuba, as did various human rights groups, such as Amnesty International.

governmentThe Cuban leadership did, however, has continued release a to political criticise dissident, the MSI, calling Silverio it Portal an agent Contreras, of “Yankee on Decemberimperialism,” 1 to allay unwittingly public anger. increasing its popularity around the world. The Cuban

In many countries, members of the Cuban diaspora continue to hold rallies in support of the movement.

Source: The Indian Express

13. India drops two ranks in Human Development Index

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

standing at 131 out of 189 countries. However, if the Index were adjusted to assess the planetaryIndia dropped pressures two ranks cau in the United Nations’ Human Development Index this year, places in the ranking, according to the report. sed by each nation’s development, India would move up eight New parameter included For the first time, the United Nations Development Programme introduced a new metric to reflect the impact caused by each co -capita carbon emissions and its material

untry’s per Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

footprint, which measures the amount of fossil fuels, metals and other resources used to of human progress, sa make the goods and services it consumes. This paints a “less rosy, but clearer assessment” Impact on ranking ofid including UNDP India’s new representativeindicator Shoko Nada. Page | 53 Norway, which tops the HDI, falls 15 places if this metric is used, leaving Ireland at the top high human - ofadjusted the table. HDI, or In PHDI. fact, 50Australia countries falls would72 places drop in the entirely ranking, out while of the the “very United States and developmentCanada would group”fall 45 and category, 40 places using respectively, this new metric,reflecting called their the disproportionate Planetary Pressures impact on natural resources. The oil and gas-rich Gulf States also fell steeply. China would drop 16 places from its current ranking of 85.

gigatonnes) compared with 19% in India and 15% in Sub-Saharan Africa. China’s net emissions (8 gigatonnes) are 34% below its territorial emissions (12.5 What does HDI measure?

, itThe projected HDI itself that is in an 2020, assessment global HDI of would a nation’s fall below health, for education the first time and in standards the three of decades living. sinceAlthough the Indexthis year’s was introduced.report covers 2019 only, and does not account for the impact of COVID

India’s performance According to the report published by the United Nations Development Programme on gross national income per capita fell to $6,681 in 2019 from $6,829 in 2018 on purchasing power parity (PPP) basis. December 15, India’s Page | 54 Purchasing power parity or PPP is a measurement of prices in different countries that uses the prices of specific goods to compare the abso currencies. lute purchasing power of the countries’ The report said evidence from Colombia to India indicates that financial security and -based violence, clearly indicating that owning land can empower women. ownership of land improve women’s security and reduce the risk of gender Source: The Hindu

14. U.S.'s decision to impose sanctions on Turkey

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

Sanctions on Turkey -400 missile defence system from Russia further complicates the already troubled relationship between The U.S.’s decision to impose sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of the S Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, passed in 2017. The act is aimed at discouraging third countriesthe two NATO from buying members. weapons The sanctions from Russia. have been imposed under Countering America’s

Earlier, the U.S. had suspended Turkey from its F-35 fighter jet programme which Washington feared would be undermined by the Russian system. President Recep Tayyip

PossibleErdoğan has impact called on the India sanctions “an attack on Turkey’s sovereignty”. The U.S. decision will have implications for India as well, which has also ordered the S-400. The Trump administration has been non-committal on giving India a sanctions waiver. Condition of activating the system.

In the case of Turkey, Washington had said it would not invoke sanctions if Ankara did not activate the system. But why would Turkey have purchased this anti-missile system for billions of dollars if it did not want to activate it?

In October, Turkey test-fired the system and in two months, sanctions are in place.

Analysis of situation

-35 programme was well within its rights. It is up to Washington who it should sell the weapons to. But punishing other countries withThe U.S.’s sanctions decision for theirto suspend decision Turkey to buy from weapons the F from a third party is transborder bullying, if not meddling with their sovereignty. Each country takes decisions on defence buys based on its requirements and security challenges. Page | 55

The S-400, which has been deployed by Russia in Syria, along its borders with Eastern Europe and in the Arctic Circle, is seen as a highly advanced aerial shield. It is hardly surprising that Turkey, China and India, which are rising, ambitious powers with daunting security challenges, opted for the S-400. Punishing them is coercion sans strategic thinking. hands of Russia, despite their serious disagreements over crises such as Syria, Libya, and nowFrom Nagorno-Karabakh. a geopolitical point of view, the U.S.’s actions could drive Turkey further into the

-Turkey tensions, coupled with the war of words That Mr. Erdoğan still chose to buy Russian weapons shows that there is a paradigm-Turkey shift spat in overAnkara’s the Eastern strategic Mediterranean thinking. The region, U.S. point to cracks in NATO. The U.S. should ask itself betweenwhether French it wants President to widen Emmanuel these further Macron or takeand Mr. a broader Erdoğan view and ofthe the Greece changes that are under way in the global order. The 1990s unilateralism has already paved the way for a new multilateralism. There are many rising powers and their demands may no longer be dictated by the wishes of Washington.

Source: The Hindu

15. What is currency manipulation, and why has US put India on its currency watchlist?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

The United States has once again included India in its monitoring list of countries with comes a year after India was removed from t potentiallysemi-annual “questionable foreign-exchange foreign report exchange to the US policies” Congress. and “currency manipulation”. This he watchlist in the US Treasury Department’s What does the term ‘currency manipulator’ mean? currency practice wouldThis is mean a label that given the country by the USin question government is artificially to countries lowering it feels the arevalue engaging of its currency in “unfair to gain an unfair advantages” by deliberately over others. devaluing This is because their currency the devaluation against the would dollar. reduce The practicethe cost of exports from that country and artificially show a reduction in trade deficits as a result.

What are the parameters used?

An economy meeting two of the three criteria in the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 is placed on the Monitoring List. This includes:

one that is at least $20 billion over a 12-month period. Page | 56 1. A “significant” bilateral trade surplus with the US — 2. A material current account surplus equivalent to at least 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) over a 12-month period.

-sided intervention when net purchases of foreign currency totalling

3.at “Persistent”,least six out ofone 12 months. — at least 2 percent of the country’s GDP over a 12 month period are conducted repeatedly, in Once on the Monitoring List, an economy will remain there for at least two consecutive

reports “to help ensure that any improvement in performance versus the criteria is durable Theand isadministration not due to temporary will also factors,” add and according retain on to the the Monitoring US treasury List department. any major US trading

partner that accounts for a “large and disproportionate” share of the overall US trade Whichdeficit, “evenare the if thatother economy countries has in not the met latest two monitoringof the three criterialist? from the 2015 Act”. The US Department of the Treasury Office of International Affairs, in its latest report to the US Congress, has included India, Taiwan and Thailand to its Monitoring List of major macroeconomic policies. trading partners that “merit close attention” to their currency practices and Other countries in the latest list comprise China, Japan, Korea, Germany, Italy, Singapore, Malaysia, India was last included in the currency watchlist in October 2018, but removed from the list that came out in May 2019.

The designation of a country as a currency manipulator does not immediately attract any penalties, but tends to dent the confidence about a country in the global financial markets.

Why is India back in the Monitoring List again? with the US, crossed the $20 billion mark, according to the latest report. Bilateral goods tradeIndia, surpluswhich has totalled for several $22 billion years in maintained the first four a quarters“significant” through bilateral June goods2020. trade surplus

accelerated notably in the second half of 2019. Following sales during the initial onset of theBased pandemic, on the central India sustained bank’s intervention net purchases data, for India’s much net of purchases the first halfof foreign of 2020, exchange which pushed net purchases of foreign exchange to $64 billion or 2.4% of GDP over the four quarters through June 2020. – – Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Source: The Indian Express

16. Are NRIs likely to get postal voting rights soon?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR Page | 57

On November 27, the Election Commission of India (ECI) wrote to the Law Ministry, proposing to extend the facility of postal ballots to (eligible) overseas, non-resident Indians (NRIs) for the Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal in 2021. The ECI proposed amending the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, in order to allow this facility. The postal ballots will be sent to NRIs electronically and they will send these ballots after choosing their candidate via post. This partially electronic facility is now available for service voters (being a member of the armed Forces of the Union; or a member of a force to which provisions of the Army Act, 1950 (46 of 1950), have been made applicable whether with or without modification; a member of an Armed Police Force of a State, and serving outside that State; or a person who is employed under the Government of India, in a post outside India).and is being sought to be extended to overseas NRI voters. The Law Ministry is yet to respond to the proposal.

How can overseas voters currently vote in Indian elections? Prior to 2010, an Indian citizen who is an eligible voter and was residing abroad for more than six months owing to employment, education or otherwise, would not have been able or she stayed outside the country for more than six months at a stretch. to vote in elections. This was because the NRI’s name was deleted from electoral rolls if he After the passing of the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 2010, eligible NRIs who had stayed abroad beyond six months have been enabled to vote, but only in person at the polling station where they have been enrolled as an overseas elector.

Just as any resident Indian citizen above the age of 18 years (having attained it on the first day of January of the year of revision of electoral rolls for the State) is eligible to vote in the constituency where she/he is a resident, overseas Indian citizens are also eligible to do so. In the case of overseas voters, their address mentioned in the passport is taken as the place of ordinary residence and chosen as the constituency for the overseas voter to enrol in.

How has the existing facility worked so far? From merely 11,846 overseas voters who registered in 2014, the number went up to close to a lakh in 2019. But the bulk of these voters (nearly 90%) belonged to just one State Kerala. Of the 25,606 such voters who actually turned up, 25,534 were from Kerala (mostly from Kozhikode and Malappuram districts). —

Clearly, a very low proportion of eligible overseas residents actually registered or turned

Website:up to vote. www.prepmate.in The Representation of the People Act, envisaged Telegramvoters as Channel: only the @upscprepmate “ordinary Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

sentatives to represent their local interests while mediating on larger issues in the legislature. residents” in a constituency (https://bit.ly/3p7gIgL) who will choose repre Some democracies that already allow absentee voting stipulate that overseas electors are eligible to vote provided they are not abroad for a specified period of time and/or if they Page | 58

Sectionmention 20-1A,an “intent Part to IIIreturn”. of the Representation of the People Act addresses this to some residence shall not by r essenceextent by provides qualifying for NRIs “a person who are absenting temporarily himself staying temporarily abroad to from be eligible his place to vote of ordinary in their local constituencies. eason thereof cease to be ordinarily resident therein” and in

Yet, the proviso of having to visit the polling booth in person has discouraged eligible voters from exercising their mandate. In the winter session of Parliament in 2017, the government proposed to remove the restriction imposed by Section 20A of the Representation of the People Act, which required them to be physically present to vote in their constituencies. The Bill provided for overseas voters to be able to appoint a proxy to cast their votes on their behalf, subject to conditions laid down in the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961. The Bill was later passed in 2018, but lapsed with the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha.

Now the ECI has approached the government to permit NRIs to vote via postal ballots similar to a system that is already used by service voters (the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System, or ETPBS).

What is ETPBS and how does it function? The Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 was amended in 2016 to allow service voters to use the ETPBS. Under this system, postal ballots are sent electronically to registered service voters. The service voter can then download the ETPB (along with a declaration form and covers), register their mandate on the ballot and send it to the returning officer of the constituency via ordinary mail. The post will include an attested declaration form (after being signed by the voter in the presence of an appointed senior officer who will attest it). The postal ballot must reach the returning officer by 8 a.m. on the day of the counting of results.

The ECI now proposes to extend this facility to overseas voters as well. For this to commence, the Law Ministry has to amend the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 (just as it was done for service voters). In the case of NRI voters, those seeking to vote through ETPBS will have to inform the returning officer at least five days after notification of the election. The returning officer will then send the ballot electronically via the ETPBS. The NRI voter can then register her/his mandate on the ballot printout and send it back with an attested declaration in a process similar to the service voter. Except in this case, the senior officer would be appointed by the Indian diplomatic or consular representative in the

resident country of the NRI. The ECI has not specified whether the voter should send in the ballot through ordinary post to the returning officer or drop it off at the Indian consular office/embassy, which will then send the consolidated envelopes constituency-wise to the returning officers. Page | 59 Will this facility be available to all overseas voters across countries? There were news reports that the ECI had indicated to the Ministry of External Affairs that it would want postal voting introduced on a pilot basis in non-Gulf countries. But ECI officials told The Hindu that the ECI had asked the Law Ministry to explore the possibility of extending postal ballots to overseas electors and not restrict it to any particular country.

Are postal ballots a viable means of voting? The ETPBS method allowed for greater turnout among service voters in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. With increasing mobility of citizens across countries for reasons related to work, the postal ballot method has been recognised by the International Institute for

Democracy and Electoral Assistance (an intergovernmental organisation that works to support democratic processes and institutions) as a means to allow overseas voters to exercise their right, subject to certain conditions normally related to the time spent abroad or the work carried out abroad.

Postal ballots were proven to be a secure and easy ways of registering the mandate in the presidential elections in the United States recently with many voters preferring to use this method due to the COVID-19 social distancing norms. A postal ballot mechanism that allows for proper authentication of the ballot at designated consular/embassy offices and an effective postal system should ease this process for NRIs, but the rules must be clearly framed for eligibility on the basis of time spent away from the country.

Source: The Hindu

17. Teacher vacancies at IITs and reservation

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have a large number of faculty vacancies, as the student intake capacity was raised by over 50% during 2008-10 after reservation for Other Backward Classes students was introduced, and more IITs were opened during 2008-17. Currently, there are 23 IITs, and reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) has been added. Since the ratio of students to teachers has come under strain, and the high bar for entry of teachers, starting with a doctoral degree, has shrunk the pool of eligible aspirants from reserved categories, the Education Ministry formed a committee to look at implementing the reservation system effectively.

Who is responsible for recruitment? Student admi

Cadre) Act, 2019.ssions Beneficiaries and teachers’ belong appointments to the Scheduled are covered Castes, Scheduled by the Central Tribes, Educational OBCs and EWS.Institutions The Ministry (Reservation Committee in Admission) headed by Act, the 2006, Director and of the IIT CEI Delhi, (Reservation V. Ramgopal in Teachers’Rao, met Page | 60 twice in the current year, and came up with two options.

According to the first, the government could in effect sidestep the faculty reservation question by including IITs in the schedule to the 2019 law, providing them exemption as in the case of some national institutions of importance. The second option provides for de- reservation of positions if no suitable candidates are found in the year of recruitment. The recommendations have evoked a strong reaction, as they are seen as negating the objective of affirmative action through reservation.

Why is it difficult to find candidates in reserved categories? The Committee said in its report that the IITs, set up as institutions of national importance under a special law to contribute to national and even global development, had to pursue high quality teaching and research. Aspirants must therefore possess a PhD degree, as well

asThe a superior IITs also academic come within record the and ambit “high ofresearch a special accomplishments” dispensation backed for teaching. by the Human Resource Development Ministry (now the Education Ministry) in 2009, which enables a flexible cadre structure. This allows the institutes to maintain an overall faculty strength, but makes it possible to upgrade those with high credentials to higher tier positions without constraints of post limits. Yet, with more students enrolling, the opening of new IITs, and introduction of the EWS quota, the selection committees have been unable to find enough candidates to fill teaching positions.

About a decade ago, the student to faculty ratio was estimated at about 6:1, which facilitated closer monitoring and pursuit of projects that make IIT courses unique. This faculty ratio later fell to 12:1, and appears to be under further strain. The Education which faculty numbers have been set. Ministry’s Committee has pointed out that the optimal is a ratio of 10:1, on the basis of The reality is that not enough candidates belonging to the reserved categories are going into research in engineering and technology. Even among those who do, only a small group opt for a teaching career. This has sharply reduced the available pool from which the IITs can recruit teachers while adhering to reservation norms.

What remedy is the Committee offering? The Committee was concerned that the absence of enough qualified faculty was coming in the way of the IITs improving their global ranking, although the academic system was capable of breaking into the top 50.

Towards speedy resolution of the faculty issue, it came up with two options: to include the institutes from reservation, just as it does other institutions of excellence such as the Homi BhabhaIITs in the National schedule Institute, to the TIFR, 2019 Space law on Physics teachers’ Laboratory recruitment, and others. which would exempt these Page | 61 As a second option, the panel suggested that faculty at the level of Assistant Professor Grade I and II be given reservation, including for EWS, and the vacancies considered for the institution as a whole, and not for each department. Where suitable candidates from the reserved category are unavailable, the posts should be de-reserved in the next year, with approval from the Board of Governors. Also, Associate Professor and Professor posts should be exempted from reservation.

To provide for a talent pool from among the reserved sections, the Ramgopal Rao panel has suggested the launch of two-year research assistantships fully funded by the Centre, with an option for the candidates to take up PhD studies and acquire qualifications that meet the rigorous standards of the IITs.

What is the government’s position? The report of the Committee, which was obtained under the Right to Information Act by an

Education. Although it aims at addressing a critical gap, the recommendation to do away withinterested reservation citizen, is is at “under odds with examination” the stated positionby the government, of the Central according government. to the Ministry of

In November last year, the Education Ministry put out a notification pointing out that central educational institutions (CEIs), which would include IITs and IIMs, should ensure that faculty positions, including senior posts, fully met the norms of reservation.

The Ministry now has a recommendation favouring no reservation, and a reiteration of the idea of treating an IIT as a single unit for the purpose of drawing up a roster of reserved posts, rather than go by individual departments. The single unit idea is also the intent of the 2019 law, which was first issued as an ordinance, to remove legal difficulties arising from court judgments that did not accept the logic. An analysis by PRS Legislative Research estimates that the composite method of calculation typically leads to a small rise in reserved posts, over the individual departments method. On the other hand, it also means that the reserved posts could be heavily represented in one department but there may be none in another.

Source: The Hindu

18. What is behind PM Oli’s move to call for snap polls?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

Supported by a good flow of remittances and robust forex reserves, Nepal was looking forwardThe year to 2020 make was the planned most out as of the the ‘Visit year. Nepal It expected Year’ byto Primecapitalise Minister on the K.P. tourism Sharma sector Oli. and planned to declare itself as a Himalayan power with a brand new global think tank meeting called however, COVID-19 and a political crisis Page | 62 within the ruling Nepal Communist Party prompted Mr. Oli to take an unscripted path. ‘Sagarmatha Samvaad’. At the end, Why did Prime Minister Oli dissolve Parliament when the House had two more years to serve? One of the main issues was the growi COVID-19 pandemic, which drew relentless criticism from his party colleagues, especially from stalwart leaders in the central committeeng dissatisfaction and the standingover Mr. committee. Oli’s handling Together, of the these committees work like the polit bureau of a typical communist party.

The COVID-19 factor -19 was Pushpa

Onementioned of the the first need to criticiseto investigate the Nepal reported government’s irregularities handling in his of Parliament COVID speeches. He keptKamal reminding Dahal ‘Prachanda’. the country Mr. of Prachanda the need to raised have strong a wider criticism discussion of the on government COVID-19 even and during the vote and discussion on the Kalapani dispute in Parliament.

PM Oli hit back at his critics on the COVID- a synonym for India as the reason for the increasing COVID-19 count. His critics pointed at a hint of 19 scandal issue in in his the own health style sectorand cited because the “southern of the border” of Nepal — -transparent — purchases to deal with the pandemic requirements. Nepal is yet to zero in on a viable vaccine as a result of the disorder in this crucialgovernment’s matter. allegedly non

As COVID-19 infections increased in Nepal, Mr. Prachanda kept up his attack on the Prime Minister. Mr. Oli responded by resorting to diversionary tactics. He repeatedly raked up the

Ayodhya is inside Nepalese territory. ‘Indian hand’ issue, and even went to the extent of claiming that the existence of the “real” Sensing an opportunity, the critics in the standing committee of the party, led by Mr. Prachanda and former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, urged Mr. Oli to agree to the -chair of the party and give organisational control to the other co-chair, Mr. Prachanda. Both the leaders“one man, held one around post” formula.a dozen Undermeetings this, on Prime this Minister issue, which, Oli would however, cease failed to be toa coreach any consensus. In the face of a continued deadlock, the standing committee, with its block of pro-Prachanda members, functioning, but Mr. Oli, on more than one occasion, skipped such consultations. repeatedly summoned the PM to explain the government’s Hunger for power

because of Mr. - “The breakdown in the political dialogue within the Nepal Communist Party is largely for election as thereOli’s hungeris no scope for power,”for such saida move Swarnim under Wagle,the Constitution. who chairs At the least Kathmandu eight writ petitionsbased Institute have been for Integrated filed in the Development Supreme Court Studies. already “It’s and a suicidalthere is moveno way for that PM he Oli can to wincall Page | 63

Ata case the inend, the Mr. court.” Oli failed the test set up by powerful members within the party, such as Mr. Prachanda, which led to his lack of majority in the parliamentary party of the NCP. He has, therefore, acted to avert a no-confidence motion that was being mooted by some of his colleagues. Mr. Oli made the first move and has succeeded with help from the President. also requires support from the judiciary and parts of the NCP. The coming days will determine if Mr. Oli will pass the biggest test of his career. But for the success of his “coup”, he Source: The Hindu

19. Mayhem in Nigeria

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

The recent release of scores of abducted school boys is doubtless a huge relief for Nigeria, where families often have to contend with bandits holding innocent civilians hostage for a of President Muhammadu Buhari, whose response to the decade-old Boko Haram jihadist insurgencyransom. The has childrens’ come under return increasing to freedom scrutiny. is but a temporary reprieve for the government

Failure to combat insurgency A former army general and military ruler in the 1980s, Mr. Buhari, now in his second term, has repeatedly insisted that Boko Haram has been defeated. But the many splinter groups that have emerged, the deaths of about 36,000 people, and the displacement of nearly two million tell a different story. Casualties from landmine explosions, banned by the United Nations in 1997, in Nigeria are the fifth highest in the world, according to the Mines Advisory Group.

The gruesome abduction of over 600 boys on December 11 night, reportedly carried out by -western region shows how the organisation has expanded into new territory. The ghastly incident was a chilling reminder ofproxies the 2014of Boko kidnapping Haram, in of Katsina 276 girls in the in the country’s town north of Chibok in the north-eastern Ekiti province. Many of them are still missing. The massacre of at least 110 rice farmers and fishermen in November, coinciding with local elections in the north-eastern State of Borno,

is the most brutal incident this year, according to Nigeria’s UN humanitarian coordinator.

Abuja has sought to deflect responsibility for the sectarian campaign that has exploited religious divisions between the Muslims in the north and Christians in the south. Comparing the decade-long challenge to the 1967 Biafran civil war, former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2012 admitted executive and the security services. He initially played down the 2014 Chibok abductions, Page | 64 to Boko Haram’s infiltration into Nigeria’s legislative, discrediting her husb -election prospects. The national security adviser in 2015 whereas the country’s First Lady at the time dismissed the outcry against the horror as had not been procuredand’s for several re years. blamed cowardice by soldiers for the army’s failures, while admitting that new equipment Contrast this with the assessment of the regional leaders. In 2014, the Borno State Governor was quite candid in saying that Boko Haram was better equipped than the Nigerian army. Last August, the current Governor of Borno pointed to sabotage within the military as the reason for the failure to combat the insurgency.

By November 2018, the situation had worsened for the government, with the killing of called the Islamic State in West Africa Province claimed that it had carried out the attacks, some 100 Nigerian soldiers on the country’s border with Niger. A Boko Haram faction Representatives and the Senate have called for the heads of the armed forces, appointees of Mr.which Buhari, put the to step government down, the under latter increased has maintained spotlight. that But the even decision as Nigeria’s was a presidential House of prerogative.

Crackdown on protests The official stance of denial stretches beyond tackling insurgency. This was evident in the crackdown on countrywide protests in October demanding the disbanding of the infamous federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). The unrest, which was triggered by visuals going viral of one of the SARS officers shooting down a man in Lagos city, left at least 15 people dead, according to Amnesty International. The Special Weapons and Tactics Team that has replaced SARS is seen as a cure worse than the ailment. Regulators slapped a fine on media houses that covered the indiscriminate shootings by security forces and blocked the accounts of financiers of the protests. Last year, prominent global charities engaged in humanitarian relief were accused of collusion with the insurgents and expelled.

Two decades since the return to democracy, Nigeria must do more to uphold the rule of law.

Source: The Hindu

19. What’s at stake in Nepal’s political crisis?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

On Sunday, Nepal Prime Minister K P Oli recommended dissolution of the House of Representatives, the lower of Parliament, a move promptly approved by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari.

This effectively ended the unity forced among the left forces that had led to the creation of Page | 65 the single, grand Nepal Communist Party three years ago. It plunged national politics into turmoil and the five-year-old Constitution into uncertainty, and raised questions about the haste with wh

Oli took the stepich thewhen President he realised approved that a Oli’s factional recommendation. feud within the party had reached the point of no return and he faced possible expulsion both as party chief and as Prime Minister. Since then, a dozen petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the approached the Election Commission claiming it is the real party. dissolution with two years left of the present House’s tenure. Each faction has also Oli’s battles Oli is fighting a losing battle in the party. He has declared that the next election will be held on April 30 and May 10 next year with him leading a caretaker government, but his fate will restoration of Nepal as a Hindu kingdom. be decided by agitating crowds and the Supreme Court. There’s also a movement for His move has created bitterness between the breakaway communist group he leads and other parties. On Monday evening, Oli got his followers to padlock the party office, effectively bringing it under his control, but going by the numbers in the dissolved Parliament, the Central Secretariat, the Standing Committee and the Central Committee, Oli is in a minority. But with Parliament dissolved and with a President seen as favourable to him, Oli will have the power to rule without being accountable to none.

The dissolution came hours before a Standing Committee meeting that was expected to order a probe into corruption charges levelled against him by party co-chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda. The unification & its end Prachanda led the Maoist insurgency for a decade (1996-2006) before joining mainstream politics. Oli was a fierce critic of the politics of violence that caused more than 17,000 deaths. But Oli approached the Maoists in 2017 for a merger between their parties, pre-empting the possibility of an alliance between ministerial ambitions. the Maoists and the Nepali Congress that may have come in the way of Oli’s prime Oli was leading the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist, and Prachanda represented the Nepal Communist Party (Maoist). Following the merger, the two leaders agreed that they would lead the government by turn, a promise that Oli did not honour at the end of his two-and-a-half years, thus sowing the seeds of separation. Now, as a split appears inevitable, Oli is hoping to continue in power with those following him.

Questions over Constitution

What has happened has left a question mark over the Constitution of 2015, and its key features like federalism, secularism and republic. There are already popular protests on the streets.

The split in a party with a two-thirds majority has raised concerns that it may lead to a Page | 66 movement.systemic collapse. “We will go for a decisive nationwide movement to have this Constitution dumped,” said Balakrishna Neupane, convener of an ongoing citizens’ Constitution & dissolution Dissolution of the House is not new in Nepal, but this is the first such instance after the new not DrConstitution Bhimarjun of Acharya, 2015 that a leading places safeguardsconstitutional against lawyer. dissolution. “The new constitution does envisage such a step without exploring formation of an alternative government,” said The 1991 Constitution, scrapped in 2006, had provisions for dissolution of Parliament at gative. During the time it was in force, Parliament was dissolved thrice. The first Parliament elected in 1991 was dissolved on the recommendation of Prime theMinister Prime G Minister’s P Koirala preroafter he failed to have a vote on thanks motion by the King passed in the House. The Supreme Court upheld that dissolution.

But in 1995, the Supreme Court rejected the dissolution by Prime Minister Manmohan Adhikary after a no-trust motion had been tabled but before the loss of majority was proved. The court held that the executive did not have the right to snatch an issue under consideration of the legislature.

The third time, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba dissolved Parliament in 2002 and the Supreme Court upheld it. King Gyanendra revived Parliament in April 2006.

Opposition stakes The opposition Nepali Congress and the Madhes-based Janata Samajbadi Party have reasons to hope than an early poll will earn them a bigger space in Parliament. But it fears that the likely street protest and violence, besides the onset of rain in late April and early May, could be used as an excuse to further defer the election.

the Nepali Congress central committee. The Nepali Congress or the Janata Samajbadi Party have,“I doubt however, elections not will been be very held proactive on the prescribed in Parliament dates,” in countering said Shekhar the government.Koirala, member of

The Army The Nepal Army has made it clear that it will remain neutral in the ongoing political developments. This implies that if Oli tries to rule with the help of security forces to maintain law and order and contain protests, it is uncertain how far the Army will play along.

The China factor lobbied, visible or secret, to prevent the split. China has also invested in crucial sectors like tradeChina and has Investment, been a big factorenergy, in tourism Nepal’s and internal post- politics since 2006. It is seen as having biggest FDI contributor. It has increased its presence in Nepal because of a perception that Page | 67 India played a crucial role in the 2006 political change.earthquake reconstruction, and is Nepal’s

Source: The Indian Express

20. Reading the new US policy on Tibet: snubs to China on Dalai Lama, rivers

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

The Tibet Policy and Support Act, passed by the US Senate earlier this week, bookends a turbulent year in US-China relations. The House of Representatives had passed the legislation in January. It will become law after the US President signs off on it.

The earlier version The TSPA is an amended version of the Tibet Policy Act of 2002, which came into existence during the Bush Administration. But in an indication of just how important he considered relations with China, President George W Bush distanced himself from this Congressional action, and wrote strong words against it in his signing statement, in which asserted the

[H.R. 1646] contains a number of provisions that impermissibly interfere with the constitutionaladministration’s functions right not of to the implement presidency parts in of foreign the act. affairs, He wrote: including “Regrettably, provisions the that Act

Hepurport also to said establish his approval foreign policy to the that Act are did of significant not constitute concern.” his adoption of the various statements of policy in the Act as US foreign policy, and said these would be taken as legislative and executive branches should require, to the extent consistent with US foreign “advisory” statements only, “giving them the due weight that comity between the

USpolicy”. and China, today US-China relations have become much more difficult over the last two decades, particularly worsening in the Trump Administration, and more so in 2020 over matters ranging from the pandemic to trade tariffs, and its cross-world coalition-building against Chinese superpower ambitions. Earlier this month, the Holding Foreign Companies Accounting Act, targeting Chinese investments in the US, was signed into law. Earlier in the year, President Donald Trump signed into law the Hong Kong Autonomy Act. President Trump is not expected to take a Bush-like view on the TSPA, which introduces stronger provisions on Tibet, plus teeth in the form of a threat of sanctions, including travel bans on Chinese

officials. How the Biden Administration, expected to frame its own China policy, views TPSA remains to be seen.

Still, most US administrations, the Trump Administration included, have broadly maintained a diplomatic balance between relations with China, and support for Tibet and Page | 68 the Dalai Lama. The State Department has a separate section on Tibet in its annual reports on human rights and religious freedom. But there has been no real push for talks with the Dalai Lama or on the release of political prisoners.

The Dalai Lama Among the most significant amendments is that the TSPA makes it US policy to oppose

Buddhism in which the succession or identification of Tibetan Buddhist lamas, including theattempts Dalai Lama,by Beijing should to occurinstall without its own inte Dalai Lama “in a manner inconsistent with Tibetan

rference…”

The legislation makes reference to the Chinese government’s ‘Measures onuddhas the includingManagement the of Dalai the Reincarnation Lama must complyof Living with Buddhas’ Chinese in 2007, laws and and a regulations March 2019 and statement follow by the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson that the “reincarnation of living B -year- old boy in 1995 as the 11th Panchen Lama, and to statements by the present Dalai Lama explainingreligious rituals the traditionsand historical to be conventions”. followed in It the also selection refers to ofChina’s a Dalai installation Lama, and of a that 6 the authority to recognise the reincarnation of a Dalai Lama lies with him and his officials.

The Act also makes it US policy to hold senior Chinese offic in, or have directly or indirectly engaged in the identification or installation of a candidate ials “responsible for, complicit gross violation of internationally reco Globalchosen Magnitskyby China as Human the future Rights 15th Accountability Dalai Lama of Act.Tibetan The Buddhism” Act, named to after have acommitted Russian tax “a laywer who died after being imprisonedgnized while human investigating rights”, attractingRussian tax sanctions officials underfor fraud, the authorises US officials to impose travel bans globally.

Other provisions The TPSA has introduced provisions aimed at protecting the environment of the Tibetan plateau, calling for greater international cooperation and greater involvement by Tibetans. Alleging that China is diverti

ng water resources from Tibet, the TPSA also calls for “a impoundingregional framework and diversion on waterof wate security, or use existing frameworks… to facilitate cooperative agreements among all riparian nations that would promote… arrangements on rs that originate on the Tibetan Plateau”. While the 2002 PrimeAct said Minister the US Lobsang should establish Sangay takes a “branch credit office” for ensuring in Lhasa, that the the TSPA Senate ups took the ante up the by legislationchanging that for vote. to a “consulate”. It recognises the Central Tibetan Administration, whose

clear that Tibet remains a priority for the United States and that it will continue its steadfastIn a statement, support Sangay for His said, Holiness “By passing the Dalai the Lama TPSA, and Congress the CTA. has It issent a momentous its message landmark loud and

Page | 69 Whatfor the China Tibetan says people.” governing international relations, China had earlier said the TPSA “severely breached international law and basic norms interfered in China’s internal affairs, and sent a wrong China.message Issues to ‘Tibet rel independence’ forces”. After the passage of the Bill through the Senate, China said it “resolutely opposes” the “adoption of Bills containing such ill contents on meddling in our ated domestic to Tibet, affairs Taiwan under and those Hong pretexts, Kong… refrain are China’s from internal signing the affairs bills that or implementingallow no foreign the interference”. negative contents A Foreign and items Ministry in them spokesman that target urged China the and US undercut “to stop

IfChina’s India interests”.is pleased at this latest US barb to China, it has not said so openly. India has mostly refrained from playing the Tibet card against China, and like the US, has a one China policy. It was only this year, in the ongoing Ladakh standoff, that it used special forces made up

almostSource: entirely The Indian of Tibetan Express exiles to occupy strategic heights in Pangong Tso’s south bank.

21. Cairn wins arbitration ruling against India in tax dispute: What is the case?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

The Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague has ruled that the Indian government was wrong in applying retrospective tax on Cairn. In its ruling, the international arbitration court said that Indian government must pay roughly Rs 8,000 crore in damages to Cairn.

What is the dispute all about? Like Vodafone, this dispute between the Indian government and Cairn also relates to retrospective taxation. In 2006-07, as a part of internal rearrangement, Cairn UK transferred shares of Cairn India Holdings to Cairn India. The Income Tax authorities then contented that Cairn UK had made capital gains and slapped it with a tax demand of Rs 24,500 crore. Owing to different interpretations of capital gains, the company refused to pay the tax, which prompted cases being filed at the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) and the High Court. While Cairn had lost the case at ITAT, a case on the valuation of capital gains is still pending before the Delhi High court.

In 2011, Cairn Energy sold majority of its India business, Cairn India, to mining conglomerate Vedanta. Cairn UK was however not allowed to sell a minor stake of about 10 per cent by the income tax authorities. Authorities had also siezed Cairn India shares as well as dividends that the company paid to its parent UK firm. Page | 70 What has the arbitration court said? In its judgment, the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague said Cairn Tax Issue was not just a tax related issue but an investment related dispute, and therefore under the jurisdiction of the international arbitration court.

Akin to the ruling in the Vodafone arbitration case, the PCA at The Hague has once again ruled that the Indian gov them was made after theernment’s Vodafone retrospective retrospective demand tax demand, was “in which breach has of sincethe guarantee been set asideof fair by and Indian equitable courts. treatment”. It has noted that Cairn UK’s argument that the demand on

Source: The Indian Express

22. What were the major challenges to India’s Neighbourhood First Policy this year?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

This year, India faced a trifecta of challenges in its neighbourhood from China: the COVID- 19 pandemic, the growing competition for influence in South Asia, and aggressive actions at

Howthe Line has of India Actual helped Control tackle (LAC) the by regionalChina’s People's COVID-19 Liberation challenge? Army (PLA). The COVID-19 pandemic that originated in China has led to one of the biggest health challenges, causing heavy economic damage in South Asia. India ranks second after the United States in terms of number of cases, and the worst-hit economy among G20 nations. But India is also one of the best poised nations to aid recovery efforts in the region, given

March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a special virtual summit of eight SAARC nations anits dstatus proposed as one a COVID-19of the world’s package, leading for producerswhich India of providedpharmaceutical about halfdrugs of andthe vaccines.$20 million In

missionfunding flew for relief.home India’snationals military from neighbouring ran a series countries, of missions along to SAARCwith lakhs countries of Indians and who the hadIndian been Ocean stranded Region during (IOR) the with lockdown. supplies of food and medicines, and India’s ‘Vande Bharat’

India was not the only country in the region providing help. China, too, stepped up efforts to extend its influence in the South Asian region through COVID-19 relief. Chinese Vice- Minister in-charge of the region, Luo Zhaohui, held meetings with different groups of

SAARC countries, including one with Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal, and another with Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to coordinate relief efforts, and promised to provide the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine to them when it is available. China also shipped relief to South Asia, sending out PPE suits and other medical equipment. Given that all SAARC countries except India and Bhutan are part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and Page | 71 owe different amounts of debts to Chinese banks, Beijing stepped in to provide partial debt waivers to the Maldives and Sri Lanka. It also extended a massive $1.4-billion Line of Credit to Pakistan.

Did the military standoff impact regional ties? China doubled down on territorial claims and its transgressions along its borders with South Asia: from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh, PLA soldiers amassed along various sectors of the LAC, leading to violent clashes. The deaths of 20 Indian soldiers at the Galwan valley reserves and pushed along the boundary lines with Nepal, all of which changed strategicwas the firstcalculations such casualty along inits 45Himalayan years. China frontiers. also laidThat claim India to and Bhutan’s Nepal sawSakteng their natural worst tensions in decades over the construction of a road to Lipulekh, leading to Nepal amendingIndia’s its constitution and map to claim Indian territory, added to the already fraught situation. Meanwhile, a new defence pact this year between China and Pakistan vis-à-vis a sharp rise in ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan to the highest levels since 2003, has made it clear that India must factor in among its military challenges at the LAC the possibility of a two-front war.

How has India dealt with a three-pronged challenge? and SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) strategies as foreign policy priorities.The government’s Apart from response the COVID-19 to the challengesrelief and neighbourhood has been to assert visits, its Mr. Neighbourhood Modi and External First Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar have been in frequent touch with their counterparts in the region. Mr. Modi and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina held a virtual summit on December 17. India has also upped its game on infrastructure delivery, particularly for regional connectivity in the past year, including completing railway lines to Bangladesh and Nepal, riverine projects, ferry service to the Maldives, identifying other services to Sri Lanka and IOR islands, while also considering debt waiver requests from its neighbours.

Unlike in the past, India has also become more flexible about the entry of other powers to

helpin Afghanistan, counter China’s Bhutan, influence Sri Lanka, in the Nepal region and —Bangladeshit recently are welcomed also finding the moreU.S.’s space.new military dialogue with the Maldives. America’s Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) projects Furthermore, as part of its Indo-Pacific policy, New Delhi is also encouraging its Quad partners the U.S., Japan and Australia to collaborate on security and infrastructure initiatives in the neighbourhood, along with promoting forays by other partners like the U.K., France— and Germany in the region. — It is also significant that despite considerable security challenges from China, India has not sought to elicit support from its neighbours,

which might have put them in a difficult position. Thus, the Modi government has made it clear that despite the provocations, it intends to resolve the nearly ten-month-long military standoff diplomatically and bilaterally.

Source: The Hindu Page | 72

23. Who is Gen Zhang, China’s new PLA commander on LAC?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

Commission (CMC) promoted four officers to the rank of General, including General Zhang Xudong,On December the new 18, Commander, 2020, President Western Xi Jinping Theatre as Command the Chairman (WTC). of China’sGen Zhang Central has replaced Military Gen Zhao Zongqi who superannuated on attaining the retiring age of 65.

The WTC is a very important Theatre strategically, being the largest of the five Theatre Commands. Its area of responsibility includes China and Xinjiang, besides the complete border with India. The WTC was created by amalgamating the erstwhile Chengdu and Lanzhou ’s Military two sensitive Regions states, as a sequel namely to Tibet the tary reforms initiated by President Xi since 2013. process of ‘theaterization’, part of the pathbreaking mili Given the ongoing standoff and tense situation on the LAC in the Ladakh Sector for the last seven months, there has been speculation on the significance of the change of guard, particularly with respect to the profile of the new incumbent, the timing of the turnover, impact on the operational situation, and prospects of breakthrough in the deadlocked negotiations.

The new incumbent While General Zhao, a 1979 Vietnam War veteran served mostly in Tibet (including command of Tibet Military District and Group Army), General Zhang apparently has no previous experience in the Western Theatre. He commanded 79 Corps in the Northern Theatre opposite the Russian border in 2017-18, and is believed to be a mechanised warfare expert.

General Zhang also served as Deputy Commander of the Central Theatre Command, which is responsible for the security of the Chinese capital Beijing. He was also the Deputy Commander of the mega ceremonial Parade held in 2019 to commemorate the 70th

Givenanniversary the fast-track of the founding promotions of the during People’s the Republiclast few years, of China and (PRC). the fact that he has assumed command of the strategically important WTC at a comparatively young age of 58, Gen

Zhang must be seen as a rising star, and well up with the CMC. Whereas Gen Zhao is a member of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the apex body that elects members to the all-powerful Politburo and CMC, Gen Zhang is not. However, it is customary for all senior military officers to be members of the CPC, as the Page | 73

ThePeople’s timing Liberation of change Army is the army of the Chinese Communist Party. Gen Zhao had taken over the WTC in 2016, and is believed to have been the brain behind the Doklam standoff in 2017. Although due to retire towards the middle of this year, he was given an extension in view of the situation on the LAC. The timing of the turnover has been planned with due deliberation, as no major operations are expected during winter. Gen Zhang will, therefore, get adequate time to settle down in his new job.

Impact on LAC situation change is likely on the prevailing situation on the ground. Also, all the other commanders in theAs theWTC, PLA’s including operations the Political in Ladakh Commissar are being Gen overseen Wu, Commander directly Ground by the CMC,Forces no Lt tangible Gen Xu Qiling, Commander PLA Air Force Lt Gen Wang Qiang, and Commander South Xinjiang Military Region (SXMR) Maj Gen Liu Lin, whose troops are involved in the current incursions, remain the same.

Even with regard to the talks on the disengagement and de-escalation process, no breakthrough is expected in the near future, as the PLA continues to insist on the Indian Army pulling back from the Kailash Range first, even while the Chinese remain unwilling to discuss the Depsang Sub Sector where they have gained significant advantage.

Maj Gen Liu Lin, who represents the WTC at the Corps Commander-level talks, had taken over the SXMR in 2019 after serving as its Chief of Staff. He is well versed with both the operational dimensions and the complexities of the disengagement process. Therefore, the current state of impasse is expected to continue.

The big picture The command tenures in the PLA generally vary from three to four years and even beyond, which enables the commanders to make effective contributions in enhancing the combat readiness of their units and formations. As Theatre commanders in the PLA report directly to the CMC, Gen Zhang would have been assigned a very clear mission and tasks to be achieved over the next couple of years.

President Xi as the Commander-in-Chief has given a clarion call to the PLA to be on a par with the US Army by 2027. In the coming year, the CPC will be celebrating its centenary, which will be followed by the crucial 20th Party Congress in 2022. As the General Secretary of the CPC, Xi will be required to showcase his achievements.

As the Commander of WTC, Gen Zhang will therefore have his task cut out, and he can be expected to spare no effort to prove himself. The Indian Armed Forces will have to continuously enhance their operational preparedness, besides working towards remaining fully geared to effectively respond to any future challenge and eventuality. Page | 74 Source: The Indian Express

24. U.K.-EU post-Brexit deal

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

Britain averted a ‘no deal’ Brexit The tariff-free trade accord in goods that the U.K. and the EU signed on Thursday, days before the post-Brexit transition expires, should mitigate somewhat the consequences of

WhyBritain’s trade move deal to was leave important? EU. 1. This is borne out by the findings from the U.K. Office for Budget Responsibility. The country now faces a potential 4% loss of GDP over 15 years, compared to remaining in the EU. Leaving without any agreement would have led to a potential loss of 6% of GDP, estimates the fiscal watchdog.

2. imports, the significance of zero duty trade for consumers and the retail economy cannot be exaggerated.Moreover, given the U.K.’s reliance on the EU for about 75% of food product

3. -off for the ordinary citizen is perhaps the restrictions on the right to free movement and work. The tariff- ngle market has been realisedBrexit’s in exchange biggest for trade guarantees that Britain would not undercut EU competition rules and environmental regulations. free access to Europe’s si Concerns Among the more contentious issues in the talks, the arrangement allays apprehensions about the potential -on- U.K. might pursue outside the EU. economic threat from the “Singapore Thames” growth model the The biggest stumbling block was the access for EU fisheries to British seas, which London was keen to reclaim as demonstration of wresting sovereignty after Brexit. There is now a five-and-a-half-year transition period that guarantees continued access for the affected EU states. The reduced terms for the latter are expected to help British fisheries.

A major challenge now would be to keep border checks and red tape to the minimum, besides ensuring that supply chains are not unduly disrupted. U.K. businesses have given a

cautious welcome to the agreement, which has left the EU market in services out of its -eminent financial services sector to negotiate ad hoc measures with European counterparts. purview, requiring Britain’s pre Politically, the post-Brexit partnership could end the rancour that has polarised British Page | 75 society. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has predictably claimed victory for restoring the nati -year EU membership. His earlyon’s next sovereignty week. The that Opposition had supposedly Labour eroded party under has announced its 47 its backing for the agreemenConservative party’s massive parliamentary majority would enable its automatic approval European Parliament is expected to give its nod in a few weeks. Conservative hardliners surely havet. Thursday’s their moment terms of will triumph. provisionally But they enter can intohardly force escape on January the reality 1, while of their the country juxtaposed to the EU 27 in areas of mutual cooperation. That will set the limits of national sovereignty.

Source: The Hindu

25. Sudan’s recognition of Israel for terror list delisting

(Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR)

The recent U.S as a state that sponsors terrorism could potentially come at a huge price that no sovereign . move to remove Sudan’s designation, which had been in place since 1993, the state of Israel -off for the terror delisting should nationbe the should sole prerogative demand, or ofanother the people acquiesce of thatto. The country, Sudanese not government’s of a superpower recognition such asof Washington or any— otherwhich to loomsarbitrarily as Khartoum’s impose its tradewill. —

Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok had himself articulated the dilemma that his unelected government should take upon itself the responsibility for such a pivotal decision to accord formal recognition to Israel, given the sensitive historical background. That goes back to the time when Khartoum played host to the Arab League gathering, which adopted the so-

Israel, in the wake of the 1967 Six-Day war. It would seem a stretch to assume that bilateral called “three nos” resolution to deny recognition, initiate negotiations and seek peace with the international stage. relations between the two countries were germane to a determination of Sudan’s status on What factors influenced Sudan? On the other hand, the factors that influenced the designation of Sudan as a sponsor of terrorism are relat Palestine Liberation Organization, Hamas and Hezbollah, besides the harbouring of Osama bin Laden until 1996.ively Sudan clear. is They a rather relate different to the formercountry military now since regime’s the overthrow backing for of the 30-year-long dictatorship of Omar Hassan al-Bashir in the popular uprising in 2019. The democratic transition that has been underway in the North African country since August

2019 is expected to lead to general elections in 2022. The ultimate objective of the mass uprising was, after all, to ensure that the military, which still shares power in the transitional government, returned to the barracks.

The reintegration of Sudan into the global community via a renegotiation of its national Page | 76 debt and reopening of investment opportunities would be crucial ingredients for this overall endeavour. The country has suffered a crippling impact from the loss of vast oil reserves to South Sudan, which seceded in 2011. The COVID-19 pandemic and the worst floods in a century have compounded the problems of food shortages, skyrocketing inflation, and severe unemployment.

The deal struck with the United States will provide Sudan crucial access to global financial institutions, resume dollar-denominated transactions, and revive foreign investment after nearly three decades.

Since long Sudan has been considered terror sponsoring state. In fact, the stage had been set for the removal from the terrorism bracket with the easing of U.S. economic sanctions in 2017, which was followed by the exchange of ambassadors between the two countries after highly23 years controversial in 2019. Unfortunately, interventions what in the has West proved Asian decisive peace in process. an appraisal The transactional of Sudan’s approachemerging statustowards is Presidenta matter that Donald has Trump’s implications own electoralfor global calculations security was and perhaps his several too awkward for Washington. As such, for the record at least, the terror delisting has been treated as an outcome in exchange for a compensation payment of $335 million for the victims of the 1998 Al Qaeda attacks on U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Sudan has, for its part, stopped short of a commitment to re-establish normal diplomatic relations with Israel, and opening of embassies is not part of the agreement.

There is concern that the recent turn of events could ease the pressure on the military to hand over the former dictator, Mr. Bashir, to the International Criminal Court for investigations of genocide and war crimes. Apprehension on that score is only legitimate, given that the U.S., which is not a signatory to the Rome Statute that underpins the Hague Court, has sought to block its operations. The assertion of national sovereignty is integral to democracy.

Source:Sudan’s The Hindu

Geography

1. How Mount Everest got 3 feet higher, endorsed by both Nepal and China

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper I; Geography

On Tuesday, the Foreign Ministers of Nepal and China jointly certified the elevation of Mount Everest at 8,848.86 metres above sea level 86 cm higher than what was recognised since 1954. The common declaration meant that the two countries have shed Page | 77 their long- — 29,017 feet (8,844 m) claimed by China and 29,028 ft (8,848 m) by Nepal. In feet, the new elevation is about standing difference in opinion about the mountain’s height —

No29,031 other ft, mountainor about 3 has ft higher perhaps than been Nepal’s the subjectprevious of claim. as much debate. Over the years, there have been debates cladding it, too, should be accounted for. on issues like whether it should be “rock height”, or whether the snow How and when was the earlier measurement of 8,848 m done? This was determined by the Survey of India in 1954, using instruments like theodolites and chains, with GPS still decades away. The elevation of 8,848 m came to be accepted in all references worldwide except by China. Mount Everest rises from the border between Nepal and China. — There was also a third estimate, even higher. In 1999, a US team put the elevation at 29,035 feet (nearly 8,850 m). This survey was sponsored by the National Geographic Society, US. The Society uses this measurement, while the rest of the world, except China, had accepted 8,848 m so far.

When was the new measurement done? never considered the idea of measuring Mt Everest. But the earthquake triggered a debate amongUntil the scientists devastating on whether earthquake it had of affected April 2015, the Nepal’sheight of Survey the mountain. Department The hadgovernment perhaps subsequently declared that it would measure the mountain on its own, instead of continuing to follow the Survey of India findings of 1954.

New Zealand, which shares a bond with Nepal over the mountain, provided technical assistance. Si

r Edmund Hillary, the first climber on the peak along with Nepal’s Tenzing Bibhag)Norgay in with May a 1953,Global worked Navigation as the Satellite, mountain’s and undeclaredtrained technicians. brand ambassador Christopher to Pearson,the world. a scientistIn May 2019,from University the New Zealandof Otago, government travelled to providedNepal on a Nepal’s special Surveyassignment. Department (Napi

How did China come to be part of it? had completed its mission early last year. The team of 120 (field workers and data analysts) was processing the data and computingChina’s measurements results, which were took done four separately. months, when Nepal, the in pandemic fact, disrupted its work.

The two sides subsequently signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly make public their results. The Chinese side conducted its measurements early this year.

What was the methodology used? Page | 78 Gyawali and Yang Yi, respectively from Kathmandu and Beijing, simply announced the new height,In Tuesday’s and appreciated webinar, which the mutual lasted cooperation. nearly half an They hour, did Foreign not go into Ministers technical Pradeep details. Kumar

e previous methods applied in ascertaining the height as well as the latest dataDamodar as well Dhakal, Global Joint Navigational Secretary and Satellite spokesperson System (GNSS). for Nepal’s The Department fact that both of Survey, Chinese said: and “We have used th

CouldNepali theredata tallied be any shows disagreement the accuracy.” on the process or the outcome? finding the same result, the accuracy of the methods appear all the more credible. “There should not be any,” Dhakal said. The Department of Survey said that with both sides There is an important takeaway for Nepal. It was a moment of national pride in achieving ascertaining the height of the mountain that is linked to our identity. Second, the world communitythis technological and those feat. in As adventure a senior tourismbureaucrat will said: be able “We to got gain involved a higher for record the firstby climbing time in

MtSource: Everest The that Indian is taller Express than it was assumed yesterday.”

Economics

1. Why India’s GDP contracting by 7.5% is earning some cheers – even as others ring alarm bells

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

Indian economy in recession estimates for the Gross Domestic Product growth between July and September 2020 came inIndia at -7.5%,officially meaning entered growth a technical has been recession negative last for week. two The successive National quarters, Statistical after Office’s the economy contracted a whopping 23.9% in the April-June quarter. That means India is officially in a recession.

Yet, despite this development and the massive contraction in economic output, the response to the numbers was surprisingly positive. That is because observers were expecting worse.

The Reserve Bank of India had predicted a contraction of 8.6%. A poll of analysts by Reuters turned up a -8.8% figure. And some had pegged the number as high as -10%. Compared to that, a figure of -7.5% indicated that the the economy was actually doing better than most expected it to do. Page | 79 Better than expected The numbers also put India in a better position relative to many other countries, a turnaround fro -23.9% figure placed it at the bottom of just about any list of major economies. Policymakers are already taking this figure as an indication that thingsm the quartercan only before get better when from India’s here.

Where is all this positivity coming from, even as the pandemic continues to rage and Indian states begin discussing returning to lockdowns?

Agriculture remains strong, as it was in the previous quarter. Construction bounced back majorly relative to the previous three months, though its contribution to the GDP figure still in the red. Most surprising of all is manufacturing, which registered a 0.6% growth after contracting by nearly 40% in the quarter before.

Some of that may be explained by a low base, since the numbers from the year prior were hardly anything to write home about. Yet the fact that the number indicated some growth at all was significant after the huge hit manufacturing took in the April-June quarter, when India was under a harsh national lockdown.

Alarm bells Not everyone thinks this is good news, however. The manufacturing GDP figure usually moves in tandem with the Index of Industrial Production, which is another measure of industrial output. Yet, between July and September, the IIP figure stood at -6.7% compared to the 0.6% growth that the Gross Value Added number shows.

What could this mean? second quarter on the back of a massive purge in costs (a recent RBI study also confirms that)“We believe one possible explanation could be the stellar corporate GVA numbers in the -cutting could be significant labour, particularly market disruptions, on employees,” increasing wrote inequality Soumya Kanti and Ghosh, thus a group material chief impact economic on consumptadvisor to the State Bank of India. “The downside to such cost

In other words,ion.” the positive numbers are the result of companies cutting costs, rather than earning more money from their products. If that is, indeed, the reason for the growth in manufacturing, it is a deeply troubling sign for an economy that is already struggling to for future consumption and inequality. There have been more aggressive cuts in employee generate demand. As Ghosh wrote, “The disruptions in the labour market... could be a risk

costs in the case of small companies with a turnover of up to Rs 500 crore... This raises

clearThe other concerns side regardingof the positive inequality.” manufacturing figure is the expectation that the quarter saw a big build-up of inventory, which normally happens earlier in the year ahead of the festive Page | 80 season, but may have been concentrated in the July-September period because of the lockdown. Again, if this is the reason for the growth in manufacturing, it is a problem since it will not be sustained.

Source: Scroll.in

2. Farmers’ protests: Beyond support prices, these are the key challenges faced by Indian agriculture

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

On Friday morning, farmers groups from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh continued ree new agricultural laws, contending that they will usher in changes that leave farmers at the mercy of large corporations. But even if the their protests on Delhi’s borders against th are unlikely to be solved. government were to cancel these new laws, the many problems faced by India’s farmers The standoff between the farmers and the government reflects deeper structural problems market forces are not operating in sync with rural infrastructure development, ecological reformsin a key sectoror political that contributeswill. about 15% of India’s Gross Domestic Product. It shows that At the heart of the protests is the fear that the new laws will result in the dismantling of the system under the government procures key crops from farmers at a minimum support price. The government, for its part, says that these laws will allow any buyer to purchase crops directly from the farmer, thereby eliminating the middleman. Creating a pan-India open market, the authorities contend, will encourage competition and actually ensure higher prices for the farmers.

But so far, the government has done nothing to guarantee a fixed minimum support price, which is why the protests have continued.

Key challenges To those who observe Indian agriculture, some key challenges are evident.

First, yield per hectare must urge According to the statistics from the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, the total food grain yield perntly hectare be increased in India grew to support at less than India’s 1% in growing the five needs. years

from 2012, from 2,129 kg per to 2,233 kg/hectare in 2017- aim of doubling farm income in five years, net yield must improve substantially. ’18. To realise the government’s Second, there is a huge disconnect between farm and market. On one hand, there are excess buffer stocks of food grain in the warehouses, while on the other, consumers often face a Page | 81 scarcity of staple vegetables like onions.

Third, there is barely any political will to address the enormous ecological challenges being experienced on the ground. No parties have framed policies to address problems like the falling water table, pesticide overdoses and increasing soil erosion.

Fourth, the farming sector is under deep financial stress because the price at which requirements for investment. The falling per-capital land holding with each successive generation is exacerbating the situation.produce is sold does not match the sector’s growing

Fifth, rural infrastructure such as warehouses, cold storage facilities and processing units are insufficient or simply do not exist. This widens the distance between rural farm and urban table, resulting in wastage.

None of these problems are addressed by the new farm laws not would they be resolved by the laws being rolled back. In fact, these challenges have built up over the past decades when the minimum support price system has been functional.

According to the Food Corporation of India website, the foodgrain stock in the central pool has surged from 514.42 lakh metric tonnes in December 2016 to 811.11 lakh metric tonnes in September 2020. A significant quantity of this stock is rotting in the warehouses. This

Onlimits the the other government’s hand, the anxiety capacity among to purchase the farmers more thatgrain the from government farmers. will stop procuring grain at the minimum support price without having put an alternative system into operation has given an already distressed farming community a rude shock.

To some, it seems like the government has tried to diagnose a disease through a postmortem. It is like sayi

ng, “Let us dismantle the existing system first and look at what Ancan alternative be done with its components later.” At present, Agricultural Produce Market Committees marketing boards established by state governments are charged with ensuring that farmers are paid the minimum support price on key crops that they bring to mandis. The government– buys this food grain at the minimum support price– with the help of middle men known as arthiyas.

To provide an alternative, the government aims to set up 10,000 new Farmer Producer Organisations by 2023- increase production and to market their crops more effectively. The finance ministry has set aside Rs 1 lakh crore ’24to disburse to encourage easy loans farmers to these to comeFarmer together Producer as Organisations. shareholders to Page | 82 minimum support price initiativeIt’s clear that weakensthe government the idea wants of a welfare to to draw state. back from food grain procurement at the – a vital part of India’s food security system. This is yet another So how should the states like Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh proceed if they want to nurture the agricultural economy?

are excessively wide in their vision. They fail to establish stepping stones to reach a desired destinationThe supplementary if they are guidelines to be implemented, in the government’s it is essential farmer to have producer precision, organisation concreteness scheme and phased roadmap.

Besides, farmer producer organisations can only work when there is a strong infrastructure to hold, store, and process food based on market conditions. This is perhaps a reason that has not had much success in Bihar, where these were tested.

States should swiftly realign their strategies with creative, productive structural changes that can fit within the wider scope of these guidelines and at the same time strengthen the dwindling agricultural sector.

Improving the connection between rural and urban India could help create a market-driven agricultural system.

Small steps could help achieve this. For instance, the midday meals at schools around the country could add extra dal or a vegetable to feed undernourished children. This would encourage farmers to diversify and start growing more pulses and vegetables.

In addition, governments should take steps to invest in food processing and cold storage units closer to villages. They should also consider subsidising machinery and equipment to establishing a strong infrastructural base where farmer producer organisations are located that could be phased out after five years.

Lessons from overseas Countries such as Cuba ofer important lessons for handling similar situations. After the collapse of Soviet Union, in 1991, the sudden interruption of fertiliser supplies from Russia forced Cuban farmers to discontinue sugarcane farming.

The Cuban government took measures to provide a support mechanism to its farmers to take to organic farming. This eventually became a boon for its largely agricultural economy.

Similarly, Mexico is making heavy investments in cultivating cactus both as a food and a substitute of fuel from its bye-products. This has been instrumental in helping large-scale conditions with intensive agricultural practices. water conservation and avoiding a food crisis that could emerge from Mexico’s eroding soil Page | 83 The Mexican government has worked with the farmers to encourage them to adopt new crops, while making sure that the farmers are not taking a hit on their basic income. Such examples of farmer-government partnership provide a reasonable lens to refresh our outlook and to identify practical possibilities for urgently required agricultural reforms in India.

Source: Scroll.in

3. What is inflation, and what is the RBI’s role in tackling it?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday announced its decision to hold the benchmark repo rate unchanged at 4%. Vowing to stick economic recovery amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the MPC opined that inflation was likely to remain with its ‘accommodative’ policy stance in the next fiscal year to help support stressed, om using the space elevated, “barring transient relief in the winter months from prices of perishables”. This, it “constrains monetary policy at the current juncture fr availableWhat is the to act projection in support on of CPI growth”. inflation? The rate- - and was dependent on sustained policy support, which the central bank offered through a raft of measuressetting panelto ensure noted that that credit the recovery availability appeared remains to adequate.be “far from Consumer being broad Pricebased” Index (CPI) inflation, the RBI said, would average 6.8% for Q3 and 5.8% in Q4 both levels above or close to the 6% upper bound of the target range for ensuring price stability before easing to a 5.2% to 4.6% range in the first half of the next financial— year, starting April 2021. —

How does India measure retail inflation? Inflation is the rate of change in the prices of a given set of items. India bases its retail inflation metrics on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The index records changes in prices for a sample of family budget items that are representative of what consumers typically spend their household income on food, fuel, housing, clothing, health, education, amusement and even paan, tobacco and intoxicants. The measure is based on a weighted average. That is, some items in the index— may get greater weightage depending on their -based retail inflation is measured monthly and is published as a percentage value of change in the index from the corresponding year- priority in a typical family’s budget. The CPI

earlier period. Data for a certain month are released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation generally on the twelfth day of the subsequent month.

Why is faster inflation a concern for policymakers? Faster retail inflation is indicative of prices of household items rising quickly. While Page | 84 low-income stratum of society bears the brunt. Persistent high inflation pushes several items out of inflationreach for affectsthis category everyone, of consumers. it is often Forreferred example, to as onions a ‘tax andon the potatoes poor’ areas the generally a key potatoes starts rising rapidly, a poor household is often forced to sharply reduce or forgo its consumption of this key sourcestaple in of an essential average nutrients, Indian family’s including diet. carbohydrates. But, if the price Over of time, if unchecked, persistent high inflation erodes the value of money and hurts several other segments of the population, including the elderly living off a fixed pension. It hence ends up undermining a

Whatsociety’s is theconsumptive RBI’s role capacity, in tackling and inflation? thereby, economic growth itself. monetary policy is to maintain price stability while keeping in mind the objective of The RBI’s explicit mandate is to conduct monetary policy. “The primary objective of its website. growth. Price stability is a necessary precondition to sustainable growth,” the RBI states on In 2016, the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, was amended to provide a statutory basis for the implementation of a flexible inflation-targeting framework, where the Centre and the RBI would review and agree upon a specific inflation target every five years. Under this, 4% was set as the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation target for the period from August 5, 2016, to March 31, 2021, with the upper tolerance limit of 6% and the lower tolerance limit of 2%. To the extent that ensuring price stability is its primary goal, the RBI through its MPC must constantly assess not just current levels of inflation and prices of various goods and services in the economy, but also take into consideration inflation expectations both of consumers and financial markets so as to use an array of monetary tools, including interest rates, to contain inflation within its target range.

What is core inflation and why is it important? Core inflation helps measure inflation after excluding the effects of temporary volatility, especially from prices of items such as fuel and food. For example, seasonal spikes in food rates, however, affects the economy with a lag, by which time the spikes in the price of thoseprices food may items skew maythe inflation have reversed. rate, but Viewing the effect inflation is only after transitory. stripping The out RBI’s such action volatility on

-push pressures continue to impinge on core inflation, which has helps give it a better picture of the underlying trend in prices. In Friday’s statement, the MPC noted: “Cost remainedSource: The sticky Hindu and could firm up as economic activity normalises and demand picks up.”

4. Despite being self-sufficient in agricultural production, India’s hunger levels are alarming

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics Page | 85

Hunger Index 2020 report has given India the 94th rank among 107 countries, much behindIndia’s malnutrition Bangladesh, levels Pakistan, are andalmost Nepal. twice As the per level a UN of-FAO many report, African 194 countries. million The people Global go population. This flies in the face of the landmark Right to Food case, in which the Supreme Courthungry declared every Right day into India,Food as comprising part of Article about 21 of 23% the ofConstitution, the world’s that undernourished is, the Right to Life.

It is a grim failure that 73 years after Independence, India continues to be gripped by a paradox of plenty in the realm of food security. The country reached self-sufficiency in agricultural production some time ago, and yet, mass hunger is rampant across States. India produces more than the estimated amount required to feed the entire population (in 2018-19, India produced 283.37 million tons of food grains). The country ranks first in millets and second such as fruits and vegetables, are also in surplus (over 313 million tons in 2018-19). in rice and wheat production in the world. India’s horticultural crops, Struggling ecosystem However, according to data released by the Department of Consumer Affairs, almost 62,000 tons of food grains were damaged in Food Corporation of India warehouses between 2011 and 2017. In 2016-17 alone, over 8,600 tons of food grains were lost. A study conducted by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations found that while there is a proliferation of millions of ineligible and bogus ration cards, there are also, simultaneously, a multitude of genuinely poor families that do not even possess ration cards. These data expose the poor management of the food ecosystem in India.

-pronged policy is needed. Firstly, the government must ensure remunerative prices for farm produce. For this, the Minimum Support Price (MSP)To ensure should India’s be made food available security, to a the two maximum range of farm products. This will enhance the purchasing power of farmers so that they can purchase essential food items. Secondly, it is crucial that India improves the Public Distribution System and Public Procurement.

The Annapurna scheme The situation could be further improved by revamping the Annapurna Yojana. Under this scheme, ten kilograms of food grains are distributed per month free of cost to destitute persons above 65 years of age, with no or meagre subsistence. The Centre has fixed the target of 20% of the number of persons who are eligible for National Old Age Pension, but who are not receiving such pension. It may be noted that as far as Kerala is concerned, social security pension covers almost all the sections of people in the community. Thus,

almost all eligible people are excluded from the Annapurna Yojana. This problem demands immediate attention and resolution.

Further, according to the Global Pulse Confederation, pulses are part of a healthy, balanced diet and have been shown to have an important role in preventing illnesses such as cancer, Page | 86 diabetes, and heart disease. The World Food Programme (WFP) includes 60 grams of pulses in its typical food basket, alongside cereals, oils and sugar and salt. The Background Note for the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution titled Price Rise of Essential Commodities - Causes and Effects (2020), says, consumption of pulses is growing b “Withproduction dietary of pulses shift has in increased favour of during proteins, the last in two an years otherwise which vegetarianhas resulted society, partly from the ut the production has not kept pace … However, Hence, this is an ideal time to include pulses too in our Public Distribution System. continuous increase in MSP, increased procurement, and creation of buffer stock of pulses.” Source: The Hindu

5. Wistron plant issue

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

On Saturday, global personal technology major Apple placed all fresh production orders on hold for its Taiwanese supplier Wistron. This embargo may affect all Wistron units, but the trigger was one of the biggest expressions of industrial unrest in India in recent years at a new facility set up by the firm in Kolar, Karnataka, to manufacture iPhones, among other things. —

What happened? Violence broke out at the unit on December 12 after several workers raised slogans protesting against non-payment of their dues, a protest that escalated. In Kolar, Wistron claimed ₹437 crore of damages from the incident even as the Centre and the State government reacted with alacrity, given the importance of the project for India to establish its credentials as an alternative manufacturing base to China.

Reaction of governments The State said it was disturbed and around 160 people were arrested. The Centre asked the B.S. Yediyurappa administration for an expeditious inquiry to identify the culprits and -

Theensure Prime that Minister investor hassentiment been reported is not affected due to the ‘one off incident’. necessary support has been promised so that the firm may restart operations. to be ‘very worried’ about the development, and all Labour mishandling

of its staffers. From playing victim initially, Wistron has been compelledThat may taketo change a while tack now it given now claims that Apple’s the damages own probe from the has violence found glaring were about lapses ₹ 50 in croreWistron’s and treatment has fired a top official handling its India operations for failing to ensure employees got their entire— dues in a timely manner. Perhaps, if designated officials for Page | 87 -odd regular staffers or its 8,000 odd contract workers at Kolar raised a red flag about wages, this may nothearing have labourcome to grievances pass. had reacted adequately when Wistron’s 1,300

more attractive and contrasting alternative to China where labour exploitation is rife. With globalIf anything, firms enforcement under pressure of labour to exhibit laws forhigher employees’ standards benefit in environmental, will make India social an even and corporate governance, India also needs to up its game on enforcing compliance with the laws of the land and treating labour-employer disputes in an even-handed manner. When a showcase project becomes an exemplary basket case within months, for whatever reasons, the repercussions are deeper and wider. With the country on the cusp of a new labour law regime being marketed as a business-friendly regimen, misgivings about their provisions may be a good time for the government to rekindle a tripartite dialogue mechanism with tradeor unresponsive unions and systems employers for employees’ like the erstwhile grievances Indian can Labour only foment Conference, more such not held unrest. since It 2015.

Source: The Hindu

6. From January 1, the new safety features in cheques above Rs 50,000

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

On January 1, 2021, the Reserve Bank of I for cheque transactions above Rs 50,000 in a bid to enhance safety and eliminate frauds. ndia (RBI) will introduce the ‘Positive Pay System’ What is the Positive Pay System for cheque transactions? The concept of Positive Pay involves a process of reconfirming key details of large-value cheques. Under this process, the issuer of the cheque submits electronically, through channels like SMS, mobile app, Internet banking and ATM, certain minimum details of that cheque (like date, name of the beneficiary, or payee and amount) to the drawee bank, details of which are cross-checked with the presented cheque by Cheque Truncation System (CTS).

Any discrepancy is flagged by CTS to the drawee bank and presenting bank, who then take redressal measures.

What type of cheques will come under Positive Pay?

Banks will enable the new system for all account holders issuing cheques for amounts of Rs 50,000 and above. While availing of this facility is at the discretion of the account holder, banks may consider making it mandatory in case of cheques for amounts of Rs 5,00,000 and above. The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) will develop the facility of Positive Pay in CTS, and make it available to participant banks. Page | 88

What will be the new dispute redressal mechanism? Only those cheques that are compliant with the new system will be accepted under the dispute resolution mechanism at the CTS grids. Member banks may implement similar arrangements for cheques cleared or collected outside CTS as well.

The RBI has already told banks to create adequate awareness among their customers on features of the Positive Pay System through SMS alerts, displays in branches, ATMs, as well as through their websites and Internet banking. The Positive Pay System will be implemented from January 1, 2021.

What will be the share of Positive Pay in overall cheque transactions? The new measure will cover approximately 20 per cent and 80 per cent of total cheques issued in the country by volume and value, respectively. The Cheque Truncation System (CTS) for clearing cheques is operational pan-India, and presently covers 2 per cent and 15 per cent of total retail payments in terms of volume and value respectively.

The average value of a cheque cleared in CTS presently is Rs 82,000. The CTS-2010 standard specifying minimum security features on cheque leaves acts as a deterrent against cheque frauds, while standardisation of field placements on cheque forms enables straight- through-processing by use of optical or image character recognition technology.

Why is the new system being implemented? The RBI says the Positive Pay system is to augment customer safety in cheque payments and reduce instances of fraud occurring on account of tampering of cheque leaves. Banks had recently witnessed a rise in frauds involving high-value cheques. The RBI announced the introduction of Positive Pay System for CTS on August 6.

Source: The Indian Express

7. ‘Tighten your belts‘, Govt. frames new rules for discoms to compensate consumers for power cuts and defective meters

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

consumer rights. As per them, State electricity regulatory commissions (SERCs) will have to notifyIn a significant updated development,performance standards India’s power for distribution ministry has companies laid down (discoms) new rules within regarding 60 days. Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

They would also need to specify compensation amounts - if they fail to provide adequate upply has been recognised as a service industry. services to consumers. Notably, this is the first time in India’s history that the power s The Details Page | 89 The new rules make it mandatory for discoms to provide new connectionsand modify existing ones in metro cities within seven days of receiving such requests. This time limit would be 15 days in other municipal areas and 30 days for rural areas.

All new connections will have to be given smart or regular pre-paid meters. If the consumers receive their electric bills after a delay of over 60-days, they will be eligible for a rebate of up to 5%.

‘Taking their word’ State electricity regulators will now have to allow self-meter reading by post-paid consumers. Images of such readings sent through mobile or email will be considered valid.

‘Power Uninterrupted’ As per the new rules, if the discom fails to provide 24x7 power to consumers then they'll be liable to pay compensation - ranging from Rs. 6000 per day to Rs. 1 lakh to the latter.

They will also need to send the details of scheduled power cuts to their consumers in advance. In case of unplanned cuts or faults, they will have to send the estimated restoration time via an SMS.

Gone too far! As per experts, since several state power regulators (SERCs) have already framed their respective supply codes and performance standards, these new rules would clearly amount to an intrusion into their exclusive territory.

8. How frauds make use of fake GST invoices

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

In the last one month, the Directorate General of Goods and Services Tax Intelligence (DGGSTI) across the country has arrested over 100 people and booked 3,479 entities in 1,161 cases for illegally availing or passing on input tax credit (ITC) by using fake GST invoices, and causing loss to the exchequer. Tax officials said the use of fake invoices to wrongfully avail ITC credit has been gradually increasing and has become a concern for the government, especially at a time when revenue collection is depressed.

How did fraudsters cheat the government? In a number of cases booked by the tax authority, fraudsters have been found to have floated multiple dummy firms, obtained GST registrations, issued fake GST invoices of

goods and services without actual supply of services, and passed on ineligible ITC accrued from the bogus invoices to clients for a commission, who subsequently used it to make GST payments, causing losses to the government. For instance, on December 9, the Vadodara tax unit arrested an individual for operating 206 dummy companies in 10 states that illegally passed on ITC of Rs 154 crore to clients by issuing fake invoices of Rs 1,101 crore. Page | 90

In some other cases, the tax department has found that promoters of certain companies have routed fake invoices through a series of shell companies and transferred input tax credit from one company to another in circular transactions to increase the turnover of the company. This helped them not only evade GST but also avail higher bank loans and credit facilities due to increased turnover. A case in point is a trading company in Mumbai that has been booked for an ITC fraud of Rs 220 crore. The probe agency has found that the firm did circular transactions with 22 related companies to inflate its turnover.

What motivates fraudsters to use fake invoices? Fake invoices are used because it not only helps evade GST on taxable output supplies by availing undue ITC and converting excess ITC into cash but also helps in inflating turnover using these invoices, booking fake purchases to evade income tax, diversion of funds and money laundering. According to official data, in 2018-19, the central GST authorities registered 1,602 cases of fake ITC involving an amount of Rs 11,251 crore and arrested 154 people. Between April and November 2019, the authorities booked over 6,000 such cases.

What is the reason for a surge in such cases? According to tax officials one of the primary reasons for an increase in companies availing ITC fraudulently is the lack of due diligence during the GST registration. The process of registration was made easy and hassle free by the government so that businesses could be easily on-boarded to the system. However, this meant that a number of dummy companies too obtained the GST registration in the absence of scrutiny or physical verification of the registered address of the companies. Apart from this, officials said, lack of data exchange

among the enforcement agencies and banks have also led to increase in fraud cases. “The Willexisting the GST tax departmentsystem needs be to ablebe more to recover robust to the detect money such from frauds,” the fraudsters?said an officer. Tax officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity said in these cases recovery of money is unlikely as the money has already been siphoned and the companies involved in the fraud are only on paper with very little or no assets.

How is the government planning to curb such cases? The government is planning to tighten the GST registration process and legal measures to deal with the rising cases of fake invoicing. Last month the legal committee of the GST Council met to discuss the tightening of the GST registration process and work out other legal measures including necessary law amendments required in the GST Act. Apart from this, the Directorate General of Analytics and Risk Management, the data wing of GST, has

identified and issued a list of 9,757 companies that have either issued or availed fake ITC across the country between July 2017 and March 2020.

Source: The Indian Express Page | 91 9. Cabinet approves 100% FDI in DTH services

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

Liberal FDI Policy for DTH services The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved revised guidelines for Direct-to-Home (DTH) broadcasting services, allowing 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) as well as increasing the licence period to 20 years.

What are the revised guidelines? 1. Under the revised guidelines the licenses will be issued for a period of 20 years, compared to 10 years at the moment, and will be renewed for a 10-year period.

2. The license fee has been revised from 10 per cent of gross revenue (GR) to 8 per cent of adjusted gross revenue (AGR), which will be calculated by deduction of GST from GR.

3. Further, broadcasting firms will have to pay the license fee on quarterly basis, rather than the annual basis as of now.

coverage leading to increased operations and higher growth and thereby enhanced and 4. The revised guidelines “may also enable DTH service providers to invest for more

5.regular The payment”, government the hasgovernment said in a statement. operators, willing to share DTH platform and transport stream of TV channels, on also allowed DTH operators to share infrastructure. “DTH permitted to share the common hardware for their Subscriber Management System (SMS) voluntary basis, will be allowed,” the statement said. “Distributors of TV channels will be and Conditional Access System (CAS) applications.” more efficient use of scarce satellite resources and reduce the costs borne by the 6. Sharing of infrastructure by the DTH operators, the government noted, “may bring in

Inconsumers”. another decision, the Cabinet also approved the merger of four of its film media units

Film Society, India with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) Ltd. — Films Division, Directorate of Film Festivals, National Film Archives of India, and Children’s — Javadekar said that there was “duplication” between some of these organisations. He said, “After coming together, the governance will become better”. Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Source: The Indian Express

10. Standardisation of health insurance products

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics Page | 92

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has been coming out with standardised covers in health and life insurance, thus creating a basic definition of what should be in such a policy. Using these as reference points, we can understand other policies and identify the benefits and terms we want.

Along with a standard individual health insurance product, the regulator has also published guidelines on standardisation of health insurance and of exclusions that big bugbear of insurance. — It has long been said that the gap between expectation and reality is the reason why we are so disenchanted with insurance, especially health insurance. One way to ensure expectations themselves are based on reality is to establish a common definition of the technical terms used in policies.

This is an important part of the guidelines on standardisation of policies.

Standards for hospitals Insurance terms, be they copayment, deductible or network provider; and medical terms and standard nomenclature from blindness to endstage liver failure; to activities of daily living, are detailed under these guidelines.

So are standards and benchmarks for hospitals in the provider network beginning with certification from the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers.

On the same page While we may not be looking at these while buying policies, it helps to know that they are being codified and defined so that all of us customers, insurance companies and medical service providers have a common understanding of the terms used. — The standardisation— of exclusions presents an especially interesting picture. Take artificial life maintenance, including by use of a life-support machine where it will not lead to patient recovery.

These expenses cannot be excluded up to the point when a treating doctor confirms that the patient is in a vegetative state and they will be payable under the framework of the policy.

Treatment of mental illness, stress or psychological disorders and neurodegenerative disorders cannot be excluded and neither can puberty and menopause-related disorders, age-related macular degeneration, disorders of speech and language, including stammering, dyslexia, expenses related to any admission primarily for enteral feeding and failure to seek or follow medical advice or failure to follow treatment. Page | 93

Permanent exclusions Some existing diseases are allowed to be permanently excluded, including with due consent of the proposer or person to be insured, only if coverage may be denied as per the underwriting policy of the insurer.

However, after completion of eight continuous years of coverage, called the moratorium period, no health insurance policy shall be contestable except for proven fraud and permanent exclusions specified in the policy contract.

The guidelines also say that all policies shall cover modern treatment methods and advancement in technologies, listing several such procedures such as oral chemotherapy, immunotherapy, robotic surgeries, vaporisation of the prostate and stem cell therapy and that insurers may endeavour to cover any other modern treatment methods as well.

Another sign of thinking along with the times is that the guidelines mention that rest cure, rehabilitation and respite care, including custodial care for help with bathing, dressing and moving around, which is an exclusion now, is something that insurers should try to cover with add-on riders especially the coverage that kicks in at age 65 onwards.

Source: The Hindu—

11. Why Dedicated Freight Corridor matters — for Railways, the country

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a 351-km section between Khurja and Bhaupur in Uttar Pradesh for commercial operations of the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) on Tuesday. He also dedicated to the nation a state-of-the-art Operation Control Centre in Prayagraj.

The total 2,843-km project billed as the largest rail infrastructure being built in independent India has been in the making since 2006 with little movement on the ground. It is finally ready to take— off, albeit in phases. — What is the DFC? The DFC consists of two arms. The section launched on Tuesday is part of the 1,839-km Eastern DFC that starts at Sohnewal (Ludhiana) in Punjab and ends at Dankuni in West

Bengal. The other arm is the around 1,500-km Western DFC from Dadri in Uttar Pradesh to JNPT in Mumbai, touching all major ports along the way.

The 351-km section stretches between Khurja, the 12th stop after Sohnewal in the North, to New Bhaupur, near Kanpur. Other stretches are Sohnewal to Khurja (365 km), Bhaupur Page | 94 to Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay (Mughalsarai) (400 km), then to Sonnagar in West Bengal (137 km), then to Dankuni via Gomoh in Jharkhand (538 km).

There is also a section under construction between Dadri and Khurja to connect the Eastern and Western arms.

The section opened by PM Modi

Why is it important? Around 70% of the freight trains currently running on the Indian Railway network are slated to shift to the freight corridors, leaving the paths open for more passenger trains. Built at a cost of Rs 5,750 crore through a loan from World Bank (which is funding a majority of the EDFC; the WDFC is being funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency), the new stations in this section are Bhaupur, Kanchausi, Achalda, Ekdil, Bhadan, Makhanpur, Tundla, Hathras, Daudkan and Khurja. This section passes through Kanpur Dehat, Auraiya, Etawah, Firozabad, Hathras, Aligarh and Bulandshahr districts in Uttar Pradesh.

This is like building an entire railway network from scratch, independent of Indian majority of i Railways. All the installations are new. Including the stations, and that’s why the names of a Tracks on DFCts stations are designed are prefixed to carry with heavier ‘New’, loads such thanas New most Bhaupur, of Indian New Railways. Khurja etc.DFC will get track access charge from the parent Indian Railways, and also generate its own freight business.

What trains will use the new section? Freight trains plying on this section from now on will help decongest the existing Kanpur- Delhi main line of Indian Railways, which currently handles trains at 150% of its line capacity. This section currently has over 50 passenger trains and around 60 goods trains jostling for paths daily. The new section means on the Indian Railway main line, more Page | 95 passenger trains can be pumped in and those trains can, in turn, achieve better punctuality. Foodgrain and fertilisers from the northern region are transported to the eastern and Northeast regions. From East and Northeast, coal, iron ore, jute and petroleum products are transported North and West.

What else will change? There are certain firsts for this section. For instance, 68 existing level crossings have been eliminated to augment speed, the only major section on Indian Railways that is free from any permanent or temporary speed restrictions. This in a way sets the bar for rest of the DFC to also make stretches Railways. free from speed restrictions, or “cautions” as they are termed in Freight trains usually suffer from unpredictable running times and low speeds of around 25 km per hour. But on this new section they can run at 50-60 kph.

This section will also catch the freight traffic originating from key centres such as Kanpur Dehat, Aurayia, Etawah, Firozabad, Hathras, Aligarh and Bulandshahr. The existing industrial areas of Aligarh, Khuja, Firozabad, Agra and Bhaupur will become major growth centres of the area, the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation projects in its business development plan.

produce will get a pan-India market because of cheaper and faster DFC connect spokespersonThese areas are for agriculturethe DFCCIL told hubs The producing Indian Express. potato, paddy and maize. “The agricultural ivity,” a New Makhanpur (Firozabad) and New Daudkhan (Aligarh) will be opened as common user terminals aimed at local farmers in sending their produce to the larger markets.

What about the rest of the DFC? More sections will keep getting commissioned in the coming months.

There is 61% progress in the Bhaupur to Deen Dayal Upadhyay section, and 180 km of the 402 km will be complete by December 21, year while 22 km will be done by June 2022. Thereafter the stretch to Sonnagar will see 100 km completed by March next year.

The 401-km Khurja to Sanhewal section has had only 39% progress. It will be done by June 2022.

A 46-km link between Khurja (Eastern) and Dadri (Western) will be ready by March 2021. By December 2021, Kanpur-Khurja area will get connected to the western ports of Kandla, Mundra, and Pipava, via the 127-km Dadri-Rewari section in the Western arm, its target advanced by several months. Page | 96 In the Western DFC, the section between Rewari (Haryana) and Madar (Rajasthan) has been completed. The subsequent sections are up to Palanpur in Gujarat (to be done in the next three months), then to Makarpura (by March 2022) and finally to JNPT (June 2022).

Source: The Indian Express

Environment

1. Building bridges in the forest, to help wildlife

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Environment

Ramnagar Forest Division in Nainital district, Uttarakhand, recently built its first eco- bridge for reptiles and smaller mammals. What are these, and why are they important?

Why eco-bridges matter Eco-ducts or eco-bridges aim to enhance wildlife connectivity that can be disrupted because of highways or logging. These include canopy bridges (usually for monkeys, squirrels and other arboreal species); concrete underpasses or overpass tunnels or viaducts (usually for larger animals); and amphibian tunnels or culverts. Usually these bridges are overlaid with planting from the area to give it a contiguous look with the landscape.

A 2020 study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) noted that nearly 50,000 km of road projects have been identified for construction in India over the next five to six years, while many highways are being upgraded to four lanes. The National Tiger Conservation Authority, New Delhi, had identified three major sites that were cutting across animal corridors, including National Highway 37 through the Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong landscape in Assam, and State Highway 33 through the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. On the Kaladhungi-Nainital Highway, Chandra Sekhar Joshi, Ramnagar Divisional Forest Officer, supervised the building of the new 90-foot eco- route, especially of reptiles such as the monitor lizard. The bridge is an awareness-building mech bridge. “We found many roadkills on this how we can preserve the ecosystem necessary for reptiles that feed on insects, for snakes anism for this very congested tourist route,” he said. “… The bridge was a way to see thatWhat feed builders on reptiles, look andat for eagles that feed on snakes.”

Bilal Habib, Head, Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, WII, said there are two important aspects of building eco-bridges imagine that the animal has died there and so you place a bridge there. How – size and location. “When you see a roadkill, you become a wall for animals in that area. For instance, when highways are upgradedever… this from may Page | 97 not be the only indicator. Often you don’t see collisions because theit roadbecomes has a already green two lanes to four lanes, you stop seeing roadkills. It doesn’t mean highway… It’s important therefore to understand what the animal habitats are in the area, Thetopography, span and disturbance distribution types, of eco-bridges road length shouldand its curvature,” depend on he animal said. movement patterns. like“The the bigger barking bridges deer, willwhich see prefer sambar, closed spotted habitats, deer, need nilgai, smaller wild pig using them, while for tigers or leopards, if the bridge is 5m or 500 m, it doesn’t bother them. But some animals The challenges bridges,” Habib said. Senior scientist Divya Mudappa of Nature Conservation Foundation, working in Tamil - 2008, we built six bridges across a 3-km stretch where these arboreal animals could move freelyNadu’s withoutAnamalai being Hills, run built over. canopy Our bridges smallest for bridge lion tailed was macaques about 10m and and Nilgiri the longest langurs. was “In she said. about 25m. These have been very successful with the monkeys taking to them pretty fast,” Habib recounted his t -Pench and Pench-Navegaon-Nagzira corridors in various sections. With five animal underpasses and four minor bridges on theeam’s 6.6- observations on NH 44, which intersects Kanha They captured nearly 18 species that used these underpasses, including tiger, leopard, and golden jackal. km road within the forests, it’s one of India’s success stories.

use this. However, we found that on our 50m bridge, sloth bears and female “We have a 750m long bridge here, possibly the world’s largest underpass. Most species nilgais don’t hetravel… said. In this 750m bridge, the sloth bear took two years to cross, the wolf and the pangolin took less than a year, while the spotted deer and jungle cat barely took a month,” One of the largest underpasses 1.4km for animal conservation is India is being built along the Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra border, he said. Other proposals include the Chennai-Bangalore National Highway,– in– the Hosur-Krishnagiri segment, near reserve forests for elephant crossings, and in the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur, Maharashtra.

Source: The Indian Express, The Hindu and Others

2. Emissions hit new record, put world on track for 3C warming - U.N.

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Environment

Greenhouse gas emissions reached a new high last year, putting the world on track for an average temperature rise of 3 degrees Celsius, a U.N. report showed on Wednesday. Page | 98 Report by United Nations Environment Programme The report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) - the latest to suggest the world is hurtling toward extreme climate change - follows a year of sobering weather extremes, including rapid ice loss in the Arctic as well as record heat waves and wildfires in Siberia and the U.S. West.

report measures the gap between anticipated emissions and those consistent with limiting the global temperature rise this century as agreed in the 2015The annual Paris Agreement. “emissions gap”

Paris agreement target Under the global climate pact, nations have committed to a long-term goal of limiting the average temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit it even further to 1.5 C.

Growth rate in emissions Emissions have, however, grown by an average 1.4 percent per year since 2010, with a steeper increase of 2.6 percent last year due, partly due to a large increase in forest fires. Total 2019 emissions of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) hit a new record of 59.1 gigatonnes.

This year, there has been a temporary emissions dip as economies slowed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The resulting drop in travel, industrial activity and electricity generation are likely to work out at a 7% reduction in emissions, the report said. That translates to only a 0.01C reduction in global warming by 2050.

Green investment under government stimulus packages to pull economies out of the pandemic-induced slump could cut up to 25% off emissions predicted in 2030.

Such packages could put emissions in 2030 at 44 GtCO2e - within the range that gives a 66% chance of holding temperature rises to below 2C, but still insufficient to achieve the 1.5C goal.

The United Nations and Britain are holding an online event on Saturday to mark the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, and governments are under pressure to come forward with tougher climate targets before the end of the year.

A growing number of countries have committed to net zero emissions by mid-century but these need to be translated into strong near-term policies and action, the UNEP report said.

“The levels of ambition in the Paris Agreement still must be roughly tripled for the 2C Page | 99 Source:pathway Reuters and increased at least fivefold for the 1.5C pathway,” it added.

3. Declare exotic pets, avoid prosecution: how one-time scheme works

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Environment & Biodiversity

On November 22, the Supreme Court upheld an Allahabad High Court order granting immunity from investigation and prosecution if one declared illegal acquisition or possession of exotic wildlife species between June and December. This was under a new amnesty scheme announced by the Centre. The High Court had said that whoever declares have immunity from any inquiry into the source of licit acquisition or possession of the the stock of exotic species and submits to registration under the amnesty scheme, “shall

Whatvoluntarily is the declared government’s stock of voluntary exotic species”. disclosure scheme? The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has come out with an advisory on a one-time voluntary disclosure scheme that allows owners of exotic live species that have been acquired illegally, or without documents, to declare their stock to the government between June and December 2020. With this scheme, the government aims to address the challenge of zoonotic diseases, develop an inventory of exotic live species for better compliance under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and regulate their import. In its current form, however, the amnesty scheme is just an advisory, not a law.

What kind of exotic wildlife are covered? The advisory has defined exotic live species as animals named under the Appendices I, II and III of the CITES. It does not include species from the Schedules of the Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972. So, a plain reading of the advisory excludes exotic birds from the amnesty scheme.

CITES is an international agreement between governments to ensure that international trade in wild animals, birds and plants does not endanger them. India is a member. Appendices I, II and III of CITES list 5,950 species as protected against over-exploitation through international trade. Many of these animals, such as iguanas, lemurs, civets, albino monkeys, coral snakes, tortoises, are popular as exotic pets in India.

What is the process for disclosure under the scheme? animal(s) will have to declare the stock as on January 1, 2020 to the Chief Wildlife Warden The disclosure has to be done online through MoEFCC’s Parivesh portal. The owner of the Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

(CWLW) of the concerned state or Union Territory. This will be followed by a physical verification of the animals. The CWLW will have to issue an online certificate of possession of exotic live species within six months of the date of the voluntary disclosure. After the registration, it is mandatory for the owner to allow the CWLW with free access to the exotic species declared on any day for verification. Page | 100

Apart from this, the CWLW has to be informed about any new acquisition, death or change in possession of the animals within 30 days. The scheme has also specified guidelines for surrender of such animals to a recognised zoo. The owner will also have to provide the details of the species acquired, their numbers, and the address of the facility where they are housed.

How big a problem is illegal trade of exotic animals in India? The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which enforces anti-smuggling laws, says India has emerged as a big demand centre for exotic birds and animals with an increase in smuggling of endangered species from different parts of the world. Most of this exotic wildlife is imported through Illegal channels and then sold in the domestic market as pets.

air routes are used to source consignments from Bangkok, Malaysia and other top tourist destinations in South East Asia, as well as from Europe“The long from international where they border are sent and to Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Bangalore, 2019-2020 annual report. In the last one year, the DRI has seized black-and-white ruffed lemur endemic to Madagascar, the endangered hoolock Mumbai,gibbon and Cochin,” palm said civet, the albino DRI in monkeys, its crocodiles, pygmy falcons, kookaburras, scarlet macaws, aracaris among several others, the annual report said.

Source: The Indian Express

4. Virtual Climate Summit: India’s Performance

India on verge of meeting Paris Agreement targets India asserted at the virtual Climate Ambition Summit, co-convened by the UN to mark five years of the Paris Agreement, that it is well on its way to not just fulfilling its national pledge on emissions reduction, but exceeding the commitment. The performance, outlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, rests primarily on the estimated present reduction of emissions intensity by 21% over 2005 levels (the goal is between 33% and 35% of GDP by 2030), and the twin pillars of renewable energy and higher forest cover.

Indeed, the Emissions Gap Report 2020 of the UNEP includes India among nine G20 members who are on track to achieve their unconditional commitments under the Paris pact, based on pre-COVID-19 projections.

Overall performance of G-20 nations

Significantly, the G20 bloc as a whole, responsible for 78% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), was not expected to meet its pledges, but some countries and the EU as a group announced higher ambition at the summit. The brief reduction in global GHG emissions brought about by the pandemic has given all countries an opportunity to review their development trajectories. The unprecedented event has enabled them to deploy an Page | 101 extraordinary fiscal stimulus for rehabilitation of economies estimated at $12 trillion globally making green growth a possibility. India faces a particular challenge, in moving its pandemic rehabilitation spending away from traditional brown— sector policies aligned with fossil— fuel use to green territory.

Expansion of forest cover At the recent summit, Mr. Modi took credit for expansion of forests, which, according to the national pledge under the Paris Agreement, will serve as a carbon sink of 2.5 bn to 3 bn tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2030. This is a key goal, given that it has multiple benefits, protecting biodiversity, influencing the climate system and providing resources for communities. But it is fraught with uncertainty. The Centre has questioned the veracity of State afforestation data and said only a fourth of the claims they made were deemed credible. Clearly, without a cohesive policy on verifiable afforestation, the carbon sink approach may yield poor dividends, with questions hanging over the spending.

Expansion of renewable energy Achieving 100 gigawatts of solar power capacity within the overall renewables goal, from 36 GW now, needs a steep scale-up that must actively promote rooftop solar installations. There is little evidence that this is a high priority for most States. Transport-related emissions, which are a major component of the whole, have risen sharply in the unlock phase of the pandemic as people prefer personal vehicles, but the issue received little support from States which failed to reorder cities for cycling and pedestrianisation. Large- scale agriculture insurance against climate disasters also needs attention. In the year that remains before countries meet at the UN Climate Change conference in Glasgow in 2021, India needs to focus on future emissions and plan green investments that qualify for global climate funding.

Source: The Hindu

5. A Himalayan serow has been sighted for the first time in the Himalayan cold desert region. Why is the sighting significant?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Environment & Biodiversity

A Himalayan serow has been sighted for the first time in the Himalayan cold desert region. Why is the sighting significant?

First, what kind of an animal is the Himalayan serow? A biologist has decribed a Himalayan serow as resembling a cross between a goat, a -sized mammal with a large head, thick neck, short limbs, long, mule-like ears, and a coat of dark hair. donkey, a cow, and a pig. It’s a medium Page | 102 There are several species of serows, and all of them are found in Asia. The Himalayan serow, or Capricornis sumatraensis thar, is restricted to the Himalayan region. Taxonomically, it is a subspecies of the mainland serow (Capricornis sumatraensis).

Himalayan serows are herbivores, and are typically found at altitudes between 2,000 metres and 4,000 metres (6,500 to 13,000 feet). They are known to be found in eastern, central, and western Himalayas, but not in the Trans Himalayan region.

So where has this serow been sighted? The animal was spotted by locals and wildlife officials at a riverside rocky wall near Hurling village in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, on Friday (December 11). It was again sighted in the area on Sunday (December 13).

This is the first recorded human sighting of the serow in Himachal Pradesh. The animal has been spotted a few times earlier in the state, but that has always been through camera traps.

Why is the sighting of the serow unusual? Spiti lies in the cold mountain desert region of the western Himalaya, and its valley floor has an average elevation of 4,270 metres above sea level.

Serows are generally not found at this altitude, and never before has a serow been seen in the Himalayan cold desert. Wildlife officials believe this particular animal may have strayed into the Spiti valley from the Rupi Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary in adjoining Kinnaur.

Ajit Thakur, director of the Great Himalayan National Park in Kullu where serows have previously been spotted, said he was surprised that a serow had been photographed from close range.

glimpse of it. We have been frantically trying to spot serows in the national park for the last 10“It -12 is otherwise years, and a have very so elusive far managed animal, and only few two people sightings have through ever caught camera so traps much in as the a

TirthanThe animal valley,” has healso said. been spotted in the Rupi Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary, and in the higher reaches of Chamba.

Is the serow a threatened or endangered species?

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Himalayan serows have experienced significant declines in population size, range size and habitat in the last decade, and this is expected to continue due to intensive human impact.

Page | 103

Previously assessed as ‘near threatened’, the Himalayan serow is now been categorised as It‘vulnerable’ is listed under in the Schedule IUCN Red I Listof The of ThreatenedWildlife Protection Species. Act, 1972, which provides absolute protection.

So, what now for the serow in Spiti? Divisional forest officer Hardev Negi said that wildlife officials are trying to monitor the movement of the animal, and keep it safe from stray dogs.

Himalayan serows are solitary by nature, and even though it has been sighted twice, it is

Source:“too clever” The to Indian be caught Express for rescue purposes, he said.

6. Converting waste to energy

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Environment

On December 2, Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa laid the foundation stone for a 11.5 MW waste-to-energy plant near Bidadi. This plant is expected to process 600 tonnes per day of inorganic waste. Bengaluru generates close to 5,000 tonnes of waste daily, of which about 2,500 tonnes is organic, about 1,000 tonnes inert material (sweeping waste) and 1,500 tonnes inorganic. This inorganic material, which consists of bad quality plastics and used cloth pieces, can be processed as Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF). This material has a calorific value of more than 2,500 kJ/kg, and can be used to generate steam energy, which can be converted into electric energy instead of burning coal and other materials used in traditional waste-to-energy plants.

A well-planned plant The waste-to-energy plants usually accept the RDF material generated in organic composting plants. They also segregate the wet and inorganic material near the plant, convert organic waste to compost, and inorganic waste to energy. Typically, about 50 tonnes of RDF generate 1 MW of power, which indicates that the plant at Bidadi has been appropriately designed. Eight organic waste processing plants are operational within the city in Kannahalli, Seegehalli, Chikka Nagamangala, Doddabidarakallu, KCDC, MSGP, Lingadeeranahalli and Subbarayanapalya, and they receive more than 2,000 tonnes of waste collected by households, commercial establishments and markets. Although about 30%-40% of the material received is segregated organic waste and the remainder is mixed waste, the latter consists of about 40% inorganic waste which can be converted into RDF.

Handling inorganic waste that is not fit for recycling has always been a challenge. At present, these high-calorific materials are landfilled or left unhandled in waste plants and cause fire accidents. Attempts to send this material to cement kilns have not fructified. The proposed plant can source 600 tonnes per day of this RDF and generate 11.5 MW of power Page | 104 unscientific landfills, reduce fire accidents, and provide a permanent solution to recover valueequivalent from inorganicto 2.4 lakh waste. units However, of power there per day. are someThis willchallenges. reduce the city’s dependency on

Challenges Over the last decade, several Indian cities have been trying to set up such plants but a good demonstration model is yet to be established. Technology suppliers are international organisations who struggle with the change in quality and nature of waste generated in Indian cities. A few plants in India have stopped operations for this reason. The quality of waste generated in Bengaluru itself could be a hurdle. The plants require fine inorganic material with less than 5% moisture and less than 5% silt and soil contents, whereas the moisture and inert content in the mixed waste generated in the city is more than 15%-20%. to be sieved using 80mm-100 mm sieving machines, which lets through organic material withSince moresegregation than 80mm-100 at source doesn’t mm particle happen sizes in the into city, the the inorganic collected waste. waste In material addition, needs the sticky silt and soil particles can also reduce the calorific value. The other big challenge for this plant is the power tariff. Generally, the tariff at which the power is purchased by such plants across the country is around ₹7-8 KwH which is higher than the ₹3-4 per KwH generated through coal and other means. This could be a serious challenge to KPTCL as the selling price of power cannot be increased corresponding to the purchasing price.

If the plant eases the challenge of handling inorganic waste, the efficiency of organic waste processing/ composting plants would become better. If it is successful, the city would require three more waste-to-energy plants of similar size or six plants of smaller size considering the potential to recover 2,500-3,000 tonnes per day RDF in the coming years.

Source: The Hindu

7. International Blue Flag hoisted at 8 beaches across the Country

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Environment

Blue Flag Certification Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Prakash Javadekar today virtually hoisted the international blue flags in 8 beaches across the country.India secured the International Blue Flag Certification for these beaches on 6th October 2020, when an International Jury comprising of member organizations UNEP, UNWTO, UNESCO, IUCN, ILS, FEE etc. announced the award at Copenhagen, Denmark. Blue Flag certification is a globally recognised eco-label accorded by "Foundation for Environment Education in Denmark"

based on 33 stringent criteria. While congratulating and lauding the efforts of the State and central government as well as the people, ShriJavadekar said that neat and clean beaches are an indicator that the coastal environment is in good health and the Blue Flagcertification is a global recognition of India's conservation and sustainable development efforts. Page | 105

The Environment Minister further informed that hundred more such beaches will be made Blue Flag in coming 3-4 years and highlighted that cleaning beaches needs to be a made a towards reducing the menace of marine litter and making coastal environment sustainable. “Jan Andolan”not only for its aesthetic value and tourism prospects, but more importantly 8 Beaches The beaches where the International Blue Flags were hoisted are: Kappad (Kerala), Shivrajpur (Gujarat), Ghoghla (Diu), Kasarkod and Padubidri (Karnataka), Rushikonda (Andhra Pradesh), Golden (Odisha) and Radhanagar (Andaman & Nicobar Islands).The Flags were also simultaneously hoisted on these beaches physically by state ministers and senior officials of the respective state and Union territories.

India started its journey of sustainable development of coastal regions on World I-AM- SAVING- MY- covetedEnvironment program Day BEAMS(Beach in June’ 2018 byEnvironment launching its& Aesthetics beach cleaning Management campaign Services). – BEACH simultaneously at 13 coastal states and thereafter implementing ministry’s Today, the introduction of BEAMSprogram in 10 coastal states have resulted into international level of cleanliness at beaches with over 500 tonnes of solid waste collected, recycled and scientifically disposed at these beaches reducing the menace of marine litter by over 78% and marine plastic by over 83%. Approximately 11000 KL of water was saved by recycling & reuse with BEAMS program, which has resulted into an increase in footfall at these beaches by over 85% cumulative.

Source: PIB

Science and Technology

1. Bacterial infection following Influenza (Flu)

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

Flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year.

Flu Symptoms Influenza (flu) can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. Flu is different from a cold. Flu usually comes on suddenly. People who have flu often feel some or all of these symptoms: fever* or feeling feverish/chills Page | 106 cough • sore throat • runny or stuffy nose • muscle or body aches • headaches • fatigue (tiredness) • some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children• than adults. • * e that not everyone with flu will have a fever.

HowIt’s important Flu Spreads to not Most experts believe that flu viruses spread mainly by tiny droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. Less often, a person might get flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly their eyes.

Bacterial infections following influenza Bacterial infections following influenza are an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Based on the historical importance of pneumonia as a cause of death during pandemic influenza, the increasingly likely possibility that highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses will trigger the next worldwide pandemic underscores the need to understand the multiple mechanisms underlying the interaction between influenza virus and bacterial pathogens such as Streptococcus pneumoniae. There is ample evidence to support the historical view that influenza virus alters the lungs in a way that predisposes to adherence, invasion, and induction of disease by pneumococcus. Access to receptors is a key factor and may be facilitated by the virus through epithelial damage, by exposure or up-regulation of receptors, or by provoking the epithelial regeneration response to cytotoxic damage. More recent data indicate that alteration of the immune response by

diminishing the ability of the host to clear pneumococcus or by amplification of the inflammatory cascade is another key factor. Identification and exploration of the underlying mechanisms responsible for this synergism will provide targets for prevention and treatment using drugs and vaccines.

Source: Sciencedaily

2. Slow progress: On WHO's assurance to uncover origin of COVID-19

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology Page | 107 In 2003, a WHO team was able to identify the animal source of SARS coronavirus within weeks despite its arrival in China nearly three months after the initial outbreak. In the case of MERS coronavirus, the intermediate host was identified more than a year after the first human case was reported. However, in the case of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), its source is still unknown even 11 months after WHO reported the first case.

Why source identification is important? Knowing the natural reservoirs and intermediate hosts and the events that allowed the virus to jump across the species barrier are important in prevention. Soon after the virus spread around the world, there was he Wuhan where the first case cluster was reported. ightened demand to identify its origin in China’s Even as the global focus shifted to therapeutics and vaccine trials, it is reassuring that the rigin. But the pace of investigation leaves much to be desired. global health body is still determined to find the virus’s o Efforts so far Efforts began in February but it was only in early August that WHO completed the mission to lay the groundwork for joint efforts to identify the origin; its two-member team did not visit Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak. It was only in late October that China began early studies for the two-phase investigation. In the first phase, short-term studies will be undertaken to better understand how the virus might have begun circulating in Wuhan. Longer-term studies will follow based on these results. It is only then that a WHO-led team can operate in China to collaborate with Chinese scientists.

If China failed to alert WHO immediately after a Wuhan cluster was reported, its reluctance to quickly and earnestly investigate the source can partly be explained by U.S. President mounting international ire over its reporting the outbreak and the huge economic cost of theDonald pandemic Trump’s globally. attempt There to politicise is strong the evidence issue. The that reluctance the virus has originated only increased in bats after and probably spread to humans through an intermediate species. One way to find this out is to know the susceptibility of different animal species. Already, many animals including cats have been found susceptible to the virus in the lab and outside. With the virus spread so wide, zeroing in on the intermediate host becomes more difficult as the possibility of humans having spread the virus to animals cannot be ruled out. Hence, a multi-pronged

approach with an emphasis on investigating China’s wildlife farms becomes crucial. This Source:highlights The the Hindu importance of working alongside China to uncover the virus’s origin.

3. Serum Institute’s trial has run into a controversy. Will this erode public trust in a vaccine?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology Page | 108

If the news was all Covid-19-related doom and gloom for the better part of 2020, the last couple of weeks have been awash with optimistic headlines. Several vaccine candidates have been reported to show potential that exceeds expectations.

India has not been immune to this excitement. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine that the country is betting on for the early rounds of immunisation has shown fairly promising results too.

The Pune- manufacturer,has tied up with the University of Oxford and the British-Swedish company AstraZenecabased to commercially Serum Institute produce of and India, market which this vaccine is the in world’s India if largest and when vaccine it is approved.

But allegations that surfaced late last week concerning possible side-effects of this vaccine may have punctured some of the initial euphoria. Public health activists say that the seeming lack of transparency that they believe the episode reflects could result in public

Andistrust explosive and hurt allegation India’s efforts to inoculate people. The controversy began when a volunteer from Chennai who had participated in the blic with a threat to sue Serum India Institute, the Pune-based company that is conducting trials on the vaccine in India. vaccine’s trial went pu after the under-trial coronavirus vaccine was administered to him. In a legal notice sent to SerumThe person’s Institute, lawyer the personand family reportedly alleged warned he had ofsuffered legal action serious if theneurological company did impairment not halt

the vaccine’s trial immediately and suspended all plans for its “manufacture and Serumdistribution”. Institute was q

uick to defend the trial. It described the allegations as “malicious and words,misconceived” the person and did threatened not fall sick to becausesue the volunteer.of the vaccine, “The according complications to the hecompany. suffered were independent of the vaccine trial he underwent,” the company said in a statement. In other ‘Blatant attempt at intimidation’ -sue the volunteer caused outrage among aid that an allegation like that called Despitefor transparency, this, the not company’s high- threat to counter India’s public health and scientific communities. They s Website: www.prepmate.in handedness. The “blatant attempt Telegram at intimidation Channel: @upscprepmateof a clinical Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

said the AlI India Drug Action Network, a watchdog organisation, in a statement. trial participant” was an attempt by Serum Institute to “divert public scrutiny of its trial”, Equally alarming, critics said, was the way the episode came to light: only after a volunteer threatened to go to court. This was in stark contrast to how adverse events in the same Page | 109 handled in other parts of the world.

Apartvaccine’s from trials the wereChennai case, there have been two other instances of volunteers reporting severe adverse events (requiring hospitalisation) during trials of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Both times, the trials were globally paused and a public announcement made to that effect until it was concluded that the illnesses had not been caused by the vaccine. – Sources: The– Hindu, The Indian Express, Scroll, The Wire and others

4. UN body reclassifies cannabis from list of ‘deadly, addictive’ opioids

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

Reclassification of Cannabis A United Nations commission has voted in favour of removing cannabis for medicinal gerous drugs, where it was listed alongside

purposes from the list of the world’s most dan The“deadly, vote addictive” by the Commission opioids like for heroin. Narcotic Drugs, which is based in Vienna and includes 53 member states, took place on Wednesday. It considered a series of recommendations from the World Health Organization on reclassifying cannabis and its derivatives.

Although the voting record has not been officially revealed so far, reports said that India is among the 27 countries who voted in favour of removing Cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.

Benefit of reclassification where it had been placed for 59 years from the strictest control schedules, that even “Thedisco Commission for Narcotic Drugs’s 53 Member States voted to removed cannabis – in favour, 25 against, and one abstention,– the CND has opened the door to recognising the medicinaluraged and its use therapeutic for medical potential purposes,” of a thepress commonly-used release said. “With but an still historic largely vote illegal of 27

recreationalExperts told drug.” that the vote will have no immediate impact on loosening international controls because governments will still have jurisdiction over how to classify cannabis. policy change, they said. Nonetheless, the United Nations recognition is “a symbolic win” for advocates of drug

Indian laws of Cannabis manufacture, possession, sale, purchase, transport, and use of cannabis is a punishable ofUnderfence. India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, the production, Page | 110 The Narcotics Control Bureau has recently made several high profile arrests over cannabis possession, claiming to have uncovered a nexus between drug consumption and the film industry. It started with the arrest of actor Rhea Chakraborty and her brother Showik had also questioned Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan in the case. Chakraborty in the case related to actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death in June. The agency Sources: The Hindu, The Indian Express, Scroll, The Wire and others

5. Investigation Finds Most Honey Brands Fail Advanced Quality Control Test

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

An investigation by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has found that a majority of samples collected quality control test. from both big and small brands that sell honey don’t pass an advanced These findings were revealed after the CSE tested 22 samples from 13 manufacturers to determine the level of adulteration in honey that is commercially available.

What were the tests aimed at? Honey is among the most adulterated food products in the world. Adulteration typically takes the form of the addition of various sugary syrups. Tests are usually designed to determine the presence of C4, C3 sugars and foreign oligosaccharides. According to CSE, C4 sugars are derived from plants such as corn and sugarcane, while C3 sugars are derived from rice and beetroot. Foreign oligosaccharides are starch-based polysaccharide sugars, such as from rice and corn.

Tests on honey The investigation found that while most brands meet the standards set by the regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), only five samples from three brands met the advanced standard which requires testing with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), which CSE says is the global standard to check for modified sugar syrups in honey. –

These three brands are Saffola, Markfed Sohna and Nature’s Nectar. can

This,adulterated, according but to that CSE, this shows adulteration that the is “business difficult toof catch.adulteration” In fact, we has have evolved found so that that the it pass the tests stipulated in India. “Our concern is not just that the honey we eat is Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Khurana, programme

sugar syrups are designed so that they can go undetected,” said Amit Puredirector Honey of CSE’s vs Artificial food safety Honey and toxins team. Pure honey is packed with nutrients and does not have fats or cholesterol. It is rich in Page | 111 antioxidants, has antibacterial properties, provide relief to sore throats, cough and cold. that adverse effects include obesity, increased blood sugar, type II diabetes and high blood pressure.Adulterated honey, however, can adversely affect a person’s health. Studies have shown

While some brands that failed the test have refuted the findings, CSE has stood by its investigation.

Statement by FSSAI The FSSAI also issued a statement saying it has taken note of the investigation but added that no food regulator around the world requires NMR tests to check the quality of honey. – to verify the quality of honey because India lacks the skills, high operating costs and capital requiredPlus, its statement to operate continued, these machines. the body’s scientific panel believed that NMR isn’t necessary

Sources: The Hindu, The Indian Express, Scroll, The Wire and others

6. Is there anything called ‘pure honey’, and how is honey tested?

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The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) last week released results of an investigation it had conducted into the quality of honey being produced in India. It reported that products by many popular brands were not honey, and, in fact, had been spiked with added sugar. Therefore, they ought not to be branded and sold as honey. The CSE also showed that adulteration technology had become sophisticated and there were commercial products available which are designed to cheat the tests that Indian food testing laboratories conduct to ascertain the purity of honey.

Is there anything called ‘pure honey’? squeezed out the contents of honey combs, scrubbed it clean of bees, pollen and other visibleOver millennia, residues. This ‘honey’ is honey was that what is beeseither made sourced from from plant wild nectar bees or and domesticated people only bees just in

Foodapiaries. Safety However, and Standards none of this Authority constitutes of ‘pure India honey’, (FSSAI), because in July it publishedis a marketing a new term set and of regulationsa superficial phrase the third that in masks three yearsthe complexity that is ‘honey’. India’s food regulator, the with added sugar— is a global problem, the— regulationscalled the ‘Revised listed the Standards chemical of contents, Honey’. Nowherei.e., does one find the term ‘pure honey’ in it. However, given that the adulteration of honey Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

presented by a company for labelling to earn the right to market its product as honey. tolerable limits of ‘impurities’ that must be detected by specific tests for a batch of honey -sucking insects‘Honey’ (Hemiptera)is then classified on theas either living ‘Blossom’ parts of or plants. ‘Nectar The Honey’, honey which that is is what ultimately comes madefrom Page | 112 availablenectar of can plants, be or ‘Honeydew’, which comes mainly from excretions of plant at least 300 recognised types of honey. a combination of these and can differ widely in ‘honey profiles’. There are How is honey tested? Honey is primarily a complex of the fructose, glucose and sucrose sugars. It has a relatively high fructose content, which is why it is sweeter than commercial sugar, which is heavier on sucrose. The latter also breaks down less easily. Laboratory tests determine acceptable

HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural), which forms when honey is heated. HMF is actually toxic for bees.ratios of these sugars and tolerance limits. There is also a tolerance for ‘ash’ content and

The reason a wide range of chemical variety is allowed is because different flowers have varying characteristics of nectar and express different chemical compounds that are sensitive to light, temperature and geography. Therefore, it is possible to have raw honey that may be less sweet or high on sucrose, or is lighter or darker. Researchers in New Zealand have reported that raw honey from the manuka tree, which is believed to have medicinal qualities, is known to fail a standard test called the C4 test. Then, there are minimal levels of pollen count and foreign oligosaccharides that a quantity of honey must have. All of these have a broad tolerance range and are also influenced by the laboratory tests employed to detect them. Apiaries are known to feed beehives with sugar (sucrose) to stimulate production, and this, too, can influence the honey profile. But whether this makes , there are 18 parameters for a product to be certified as honey. The most common are the so-called C4 and C3 tests that determine if thesugar honey from ‘raw’corn, issugarcane an open or question. rice was Inused all to adulterate honey.

Why does spiked honey matter? nectar render it rich in antioxidants, amino acids and other products that give honey its medicinalHoney typifies properties. ‘natural Thissweetness’. is why The honey enzymes is part that of bees traditional use to make medicine honey and out has of plant been promoted as an immune system stimulant, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The addition of artificial sugar syrups reduces the concentration of these elements per gram of honey. As a sweetener, honey is digested more easily than sucrose-heavy sugars, but it spikes blood sugar levels the same way commercial sugar does. Therefore, responsibly sourced honey poses similar risks to diabetics as ordinary sugar.

What did the CSE probe find? The CSE investigation examined 13 popular brands of honey. Four of them failed the tests that are required by Indian law Apis Himalaya Honey, Dadev Honey, Hi Honey and

— Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Societe Naturelle Honey. The testing was done at the Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food, Gujarat.

However, the CSE sent the samples to a lab in Germany that specialises in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This technology has evolved from taking MRIs of the brain Page | 113 and is increasingly being applied in food chemistry to unravel the chemical structure of food and detect the presence of additives more efficiently than routine, lab-based chemical tests. The NMR test is not mandatory in India, but it is necessary for export purposes. By this metric, ten of the 13 brands failed, with only three brands Nectar Honey and Markfed Sohna Honey passing. The NMR method relies on establishing a reference database of honey profiles characteristics of sugar,— pollen,Saffola oligosaccharides, Honey, Nature’s pollen, etc. from different geographic profiles. Major deviations from this are labelled suspect. The NMR investigation did not— reveal what exactly was being used to spike the sugar syrup.— These details were not revealed by CSE as it chose to keep the name of the testing lab secret. The CSE established that sugar syrups from China were availabe that could cheat the C4, C3 and oligosaccharides tests, but it is not known why exactly the ten brands failed the NMR test. Dabur claims that its own NMR tests in July done by Bruker labs Germany showed no spectroscopy anomalies.

Source: The Hindu

7. What is post quantum cryptography?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

Every online transaction we make with another person is protected so that a third person cannot read it without the permission of the two people exchanging the information in the first place. This process is called encryption of the data. The first person, say Alice, sends an encrypted message to the second, say Bob. How can Alice ensure that only Bob has the key to the code she has set and a trespasser, say Kate, can see that there is a transaction but cannot intercept it? To use a simple and oft-used analogy let Alice send a trunk to Bob with a lock on it. Bob receives the trunk and locks it the second time with his own lock, sending it back to Alice. Alice now removes her lock and sends– the trunk back to Bob. Bob now can unlock the lock he had put and open the trunk to see the secret message.

Thus, while the transaction took place in full public view, only Alice and Bob were able to read the message inside the trunk.

In the time of the classical computer, the lock in question consists of a problem that is mathematically hard for the computer to solve. For example, Alice takes a two very large prime numbers, that is, numbers that are only divisible by themselves and by one. She multiplies the two and creates an even larger number. She uses this number to encrypt or lock her message to Bob. Kate, now is in trouble because, in order to break the lock, she has to factorise a very large number whose factors are large prime numbers.

This is difficult because if the prime factors are large enough, the problem becomes very difficult to crack for a classical computer. It would take the classical computer

“exponentiallyThis mathematical large” problem time to known guess the as integerfactors. factorisation is one of the methods presently Page | 114 used to encrypt our secret or private messages. There are other methods using the so- called discrete logarithm problem, which again would take a normal computer exponentially large time to crack.

Quantum computers This was all well, as long as we only had to deal with classical computers. Now, enters the quantum computer. One of the basic elements that make up this quantum computer is that where the classical one uses bits to compute thi Classical bits can take the value 0 or 1, allowing for a binary system to be set up and the lowest level of computer language is done manipulatings one uses “qubits”. these bits. What A qubit is the ondifference? the other hand can exist as a superposition of two states 0 and 1. So if you have an n-qubit number, it can exist as a superposition of 2n states. This also allows for immense amount of parallel processing.

become easier for a quantum one has the disturbing answer yes. So, a new cryptography Hence the question of whether these problems which are “hard” for the classical computer into play. She works not just with quantum cryptography– but with post quantum cryptographyhas to be devised, a and field that which is where deals IIT with Madras additional professor, possibilities Shweta offeredAgrawal’s by work a quantum comes system, which goes beyond being able to break the integer factor code. – Enter lattices One of the main contenders for a mathematical problem that is hard for the quantum computer to crack is the so-called shortest vector problem. This involves lattices. Lattices are regular arrangement of points in space; examples in nature include honeycombs and all crystalline solids, like common salt. A line of regularly spaced points is a lattice in one dimension, and a crystal of salt is a three-dimensional lattice. Mathematically, we can extend this construction to 5, 10 or even 500 dimensions.

calculate the shortest vector from one point to any other point. This problem can therefore At this magnitude, it becomes in theory a “hard” problem for a quantum computer to appeared at conferences Eurocrypt 2019 and 2020, Dr. Agrawal provides new methods to constructbe used to such construct encryption “locks” schemes that can which even are withstand secure against a quantum quantum attack. computers. In her work which

As an example of what one can achieve using such encryption schemes, take two companies which are considering a merger, and want to find out if it will be mutually profitable by encrypt the information about their individual assets, and provide a secret key which only engaging in some computation, but without revealing their assets to each other. “We can Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

reveals the output of the computation and does not reveal anything about t Dr. Agrawal. he inputs!” says information so that quantum computers cannot break them, we can even design the locks Page | 115 soThus, that it the follows information as she says: inside “In the modern locks cancryptography, be manipulated not only without can we even create opening locks the on

Source:locks!” The Hindu

8. Lab-grown meat: cleared in Singapore, an emerging alternative worldwide

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) approved this week the sale of a lab-grown meat product. This is the first time cultured meat has been cleared for sale anywhere in the world. The product approved by the SFA is cultured chicken, produced by US-based East Just. The company has announced the product will be manufactured with local partners under its new brand GOOD Meat.

Why is this a big deal? In its June 2020 Food Outlook Report, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) stated that world meat output was set to contract row to 333 million tonnes, 1.7% less than in 2019. The disruption has been caused mainly by Covid-19, but it has added to already widespread fears about zoonotic diseases, especially African swine fever and highly pathogenic avian influenza.

This provides an opportunity to the alternative meat industry. According to a Nielsen report from May this year, the sale of plant-based meats, which have been available in retail outlets and restaurants since 2018, grew by 264% in the US over a nine-week period that ended May 2. The market for alternative proteins was growing even before the pandemic: in a 2019 report, Barclays predicted that alternative meat could capture 10% of the $1.4- trillion global meat market over the next decade. But while plant-based meats were finding more and more favour, commercial availability of lab-grown meat (or cultured meat) was still many years in the future.

This is why the approval by Singapore to cultured chicken is seen as significant.

How is lab-grown or cultured meat different from plant-based meat? The latter is made from plant sources such as soy or pea protein, while cultured meat is grown directly from cells in a laboratory. Both have the same objective: to offer alternatives

to traditional meat products that could feed a lot more people, reduce the threat of zoonotic diseases, and mitigate the environmental impact of meat consumption.

In terms of cellular structure, cultured or cultivated meat is the same as conventional meat except that cultured meat does not come directly from animals. Page | 116

According— to t cultivated meats, compared to conventional beef, cultivated beef could reduce land use by more than 95%,he climate Good change Food emissions Institute (GFI)’sby 74-87% 2019 and State nutrient of the pollution Industry by 94%. Report on

The report adds that since cultivated meat is created in clean facilities, the risk of contamination by pathogens such as salmonella and E coli, which may be present in traditional slaughterhouses and meat-packing factories, is significantly reduced. It does not require antibiotics either, unlike animals raised for meat, thereby reducing the threat posed to public health by growing antibiotic resistance.

Who else is making cultured meat? According to the GFI report, by the end of 2019, 55 companies were focused on cultivated meat products, including Future Meat Technologies (chicken, lamb, beef) in Israel, Biftek (beef) in Turkey, Cubiq Foods (chicken fat) in Spain, Netherlands-based Meatable (pork, beef), French company Gourmet (foie gras) and US-based Memphis Meats (beef, chicken, duck). Also among these is Delhi-based Clear Meat, which is developing cultured chicken.

How soon will cultured meat be widely available to consumers? There are still significant hurdles to be overcome before cultured meat is widely available. Apart from ensuring that the products are affordable currently still a challenge and dealing with consumer mistrust, producers of alternative meats will face resistance from traditional meat producers. — —

é, Tyson Foods and Perdue Farms, have already jumped on the fast-moving plant-based meat bandwagon. But production of culturedThe world’s meat largest is difficult meat to companies, scale up at such present. as Nestl

Conventional meat still dominates the market, and industry lobbies have been fighting to hold on to their market, not least by challenging the very idea of alternative meats. The application of meat-related terms, such as burger and sausage, to plant-based products has been challenged in the EU (where the bid failed) and the US (where it has had some success) on the ground that these mislead consumers.

The charge against lab-grown meat, led by agriculture and husbandry bodies, is that it example, successfully lobbied Missouri to pass a Bill ruling that plant-based and lab-grown meatssimply cannot isn’t meat be called if it didn’t meats. come The from Cattle an Council animal. of The Australia US Cattlemen’s has been Association, putting similar for

Website:pressure www.prepmate.in on the country’s government since 2018. Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Source: The Hindu, The Indian Express and Others

9. In criticism & lawsuit, debate over coding for kids

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology Page | 117

Mumbai-based WhiteHat Jr has been in the news for the past several months over allegedly stifling free speech and misleading customers. In addition, the startup which was has found itself in the centre of a debate on the right age for children to start learning to— code. acquired by education tech company Byju’s earlier this year for $300 million — Why is learning to code a big deal? At the turn of this century, when extremely affordable computers made their way into technical and engineering colleges across the country, India was able to produce a huge army of coders and programmers essentially people who could create computer software. — As computing devices have taken over every aspect of life, the need for good programmers and coders has been increasing relentlessly and calls to teach coding and programming to young students have got louder. In recent years, platforms and companies have started to claim that kids as young as those in elementary— school must begin to learn coding.

And how did the call to start teaching code to children in elementary school come about? Since the advent of computers and the arrival of computer coding as the next big thing, leaders of technology companies around the world have pushed for coding to be included as a subject in middle or higher secondary school for students who may be interested to learn.

In 2018, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates wrote in a blog post that everyone could benefit from learning the basics of computer science. According to Gates, coding, which he taught himself and fell in love with at the age of 13, led him to ask questions about how to achieve tasks, and find answers to questions.

How do you accomplish a task? Can you find a pattern? What data do you need? Leaders“The questions of several it teachesother tech you companies to ask — agreed. The idea, most said, was to make coding as — are useful no matter where you go in life,” Gates wrote. named online classes such as Khan Academy and Code.org, which he said helped to break downsimple the and complexities accessible of as coding the “mother into simpler tongue” ideas. for young children. Gates subsequently

What do the critics of code-learning at an early age say?

The primary contention against learning to code at a very young age is that some age groups, which are being targeted by platforms, are being pushed into it even before they have mastered the mathematical and technological fundamentals.

A metaphor that is often used is that children are being made to ride a bicycle before they Page | 118 have even learnt to walk. Software engineer Pradeep Poonia, 30, a vocal critic who has become a prominent voice in the debate, says: addition is taught first, then subtraction, then multiplication, and then division. It is necessary to learn several elements of mathematics“There’s and logical a reason thinking why in before mathematics one can code. [What many of the online platforms are doing these days] is like someone teaching

Whoyou to teaches draw a carcode-learning under the pretext in India? of making you learn how to build a car.” Enthusiastic entrepreneurs introduced online education technology platforms along the lines of Khan Academy and Code.org in India. Though their introduction went relatively unnoticed initially, several questions have since been raised around the methods and marketing strategies adopted by many of these platforms.

One such platform, WhiteHat Jr especially, has been rocked by criticism allegations against the company have included aggressive marketing bordering on unethical practices, harassment of teachers and young children, as well as of parents of kids enrolled— in the online coding classes.

While WhiteHat Jr is the best known among platforms that teach coding to children, there are several others, including Coding Ninjas, Coding Blocks, Camp K12, Codementor, etc.

Why is WhiteHat Jr in the news? WhiteHat Jr says it provides coding tutorials to children between the ages of 6 and 18, through using what it says are innovative methods to keep them engaged and interested.

young adults to learn how to code at all ag The platform claims to have developed programming courses that allow “kids, teens, and Critics have, however, disputed the claimses made with in proper the advertisements coding classes”. run by WhiteHat Jr, and raised questions about claims that its students landed plush jobs at major software companies such as Google and Apple. The compa methodology, or its teachers, has also faced severeny’s criticism. social media policy, as part of which it allegedly took down any posts that were critical of WhiteHat Jr’s curriculum, teaching After critics such as Poonia and angel investor Aniruddha Malpani posted negative reviews of the programming courses and teachers, WhiteHat Jr first approached social media platforms claiming alleged copyrights violations, and subsequently filed a defamation suit in Delhi High Court.

Poonia has claimed that 17 videos posted by him on YouTube, two YouTube channels run by him, two Reddit accounts, one Twitter handle, one Quora account, three LinkedIn articles, and one LinkedIn account have been temporarily or permanently taken down as a laints to these platforms. Page | 119 result of WhiteHat Jr’s comp organised group, which included false allegations and unauthorised images and videos The company, for its part, has maintained that it is “under including a deep CEO targeted Karan attack Bajaj fromhimself, an

being posted”. However, some WhiteHat Jr executives, have conceded having made “mistakes”. which we changed. Legitimate, honest fact- “We’vein a post made on the mistakes jobs portal while LinkedIn. growing up. Our marketing campaigns were poorly designed, based criticism is truly welcome…,” Bajaj wrote So what has happened in the High Court? On November 24, the court directed Poonia to refrain from posting about WhiteHat Jr until the next date of hearing. The court also asked him not to download the instruction set or cu company. rriculum of WhiteHat Jr, and distribute it, as “the same causes financial loss” to the Poonia has also been directed not to hack into or access any internal chats of the company, or to post company conversations on his YouTube channel. He must not, until the next date of hearing, make any comments on the number of teachers or the quality of teachers at channel. WhiteHat Jr, or use the name WhiteHat Sr, a play on the company’s name, for his YouTube Following the Delhi High Court order, Poonia has taken down all the tweets and videos that were critical of WhiteHat Jr. As of date, his account on Twitter stands suspended, which has complaints by companies against individuals. once inflamed all over again the debate on the social media company’s handling of Source: The Indian Express, The Hindu and Others

10. Three Covid-19 vaccine developers seek emergency use approval in India: what are the rules?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains paper III; Science & Technology

Three vaccine developers have now made applications to the Central Drug Standard their candidate Covid-19 vaccines which are still under trials. None of these has yet generatedControl Organisation data about (CDSCO), the effectiveness India’s drug of their regulator, vaccine seeking from phase-IIIemergency trials use conductedapproval for in India, which is a mandatory requirement in the normal process of approval.

And each of the three presents a slightly different case, which the CDSCO will have to evaluate and decide on.

What are these vaccine candidates? COVISHIELD: Pune-based Serum Institute of India has sought approval for its version of the Page | 120 vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, which it has been testing in India for the last few months. The candidate is currently in phase-III trials in India. In its application, Serum has submitted the safety data from phase I and phase II trials, while the effectiveness data has been sourced from phase-III trials of the same vaccine in the UK and Brazil.

COVAXIN: Bharat Biotech, a Hyderabad-based company which is developing a vaccine, Covaxin, in collaboration with National Institute of Virology, an ICMR institute in Pune, has started phase-III trials only recently, and is yet to enrol all the participants as per its design. Its application is based mainly on the safety data from phase-I and phase-II trials.

vaccine, developed in collaboration with BioNTech, but has still sought an approval to use it hereBNT162b2: based onUS thepharmaceutical results of the major trials Pfizerconducted hasn’t in carriedthe US. outThe clinicalPfizer-BioNTech trials in India vaccine of its is granted emergency use authorisation in the UK last week. the first one to receive the regulator’s approval anywhere in the world, having been What are the regulatory provisions for approval of vaccines in India? Clinical trials of new drugs and vaccines, and their approvals, are governed by the New

rm is used mainly by the regulatory agencies in the US and some otherDrugs countries, and Clinical and Trials has become Rules, 2019.popular These in the Rules context do notof the use current the term epidemic. “emergency However, use authorisation”. This te like the current one. that does not mean that the Indian regulatory system does not have provisions for “special situations” include the one like the current pandemic. In such situations, there is a provision for grantingThe 2019 approval rules provide to a drug for “acceleratedthat is still in approval clinical process” in several situations that would

trials, “provided there is a prima facie case of the product being of meaningful therapeutic benefit”. of a serious, or life-threatening condition, or disease of special relevance to the country, “Accelerated approval may also be granted to a new drug if it is intended for the treatment definition of new drug in the 2019 Rules includes a vaccine. and addresses unmet medical needs,” one of the relevant provisions of the Rules says. The Further, it makes it clear that a new drug, or a vaccine, can be considered for approval if -II trials.

“remarkable” effectiveness is reported even from phase

-II clinical trials of the investigational new drug for the unmet medical needs of serious and life threatening disease“If the remarkable in the country, efficacy it may is observedbe considered with fora defined grant ofdose marketing in the phase approval by the central licensing authority based on phase-II clinical trial data. In such cases, additional post licensure studies may be required to be conducted after approval to generate the data on Page | 121

Accordingly,larger population…,” the approval the Rules granted say. to drugs or vaccines that are still in clinical trials is temporary, and valid only for one year. Such a provision, therefore, makes even Bharat Biotech eligible to apply for approval, although it is still in early stages of phase-III clinical trials.

How different are Indian regulations from those elsewhere? Some provisions in the 2019 Rules, like those mentioned above, are different compared to what has been prescribed by the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), which had issued very specific guidelines for approval of vaccines for Covid-19. The FDA has made it clear that an emergency use authorisation can be considered only after sufficient data from phase-3 trials are generated, and an application cannot be made on the basis of data only from phase-1 or phase-2 trials. It has also said that preliminary phase-3 data should show at least 50% effectiveness in preventing the disease, and that this data needed to be

Whatgenerated about from vaccines “well over” that 3,000have donetrial participants. well in trials outside the country? The 2019 Rules do not say anything specific about whether data from a trial conducted in another country can be considered while assessing an application for accelerated approval to a drug or vaccine to be used in India. But the Indian health authorities have said they were keeping an open mind, and it would all depend on what scientists and experts make of the data that are presented to them.

They stressed that in evaluating the vaccine applications, the subject expert committees will carefully weigh the risks with the potential benefits to assess whether the vaccine was likely to provide a significant breakthrough in containing the current epidemic. This is in line with the stated principle of the US FDA as well. The FDA has said that an emergency potential benefits outweigh the know use authorisation would be granted only after it has been determined that the “known and In making this assessment, the expertn committeeand potential in risksIndia ofwould the vaccine”. be willing to look at data generated during trials conducted in other countries as well, as is the case with the applications made by Serum Institute and Pfizer.

The Indian authorities also pointed out that an application need not always result in an approval, which will be granted only after a rigorous scientific analysis of the data presented. The subject expert committees can reject an application or ask for more data if it is not satisfied.

Source: The Indian Express

11. The rise of the AI economy Page | 122 Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

The pandemic has taught us many lessons and opened our minds to new ways of doing things, including understanding the potential of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). AI/ML models and algorithms have supplemented the work of healthcare professionals, medical researchers, public health authorities and local administrations in monitoring and predicting trends. Lockdowns have led to a boom in Internet consumption. According to the Department of Telecommunications, Internet consumption in India rose by 13% after the lockdown was announced. Higher consumption has generated goldmines of user data that online businesses can harness. COVID-19 has created an AI moment that India can ill afford to miss.

India’s rising eminence in AI We have made significant progress in AI capability-building in the past few years through education,government smart initiatives cities and infrastructure,private sector investments.and smart mobility NITI Aayog’s and transportation national strategy as focus for areasAI envisages for AI-led ‘AI solutions for all’ for social inclusive impact. growth, The Telangana, and identifies Karnataka, healthcare, Tamil agriculture, Nadu and Maharashtra governments, among others, have announced policies and strategies for AI adoption. Technology companies have established AI centres of excellence to create solutions for global clients. India has a thriving AI start-up ecosystem with cutting-edge solutions being developed in areas such as cancer screening, smart farming and conversational AI for the use of enterprises. Our talent pool in AI/ML is fast growing, with over 5,00,000 people working on these technologies at present. India is thus poised to become the AI powerhouse of the world. And with that, there is a potential of the rise of an AI economy in the country.

Data and AI services Nasscom believes that data and AI will contribute $450 billion- are expected to help boost India’s economic growth in a big way. thrust will come from three key segments: consumer goods and$500 retail, billion agriculture, to India’s GDP and bankingby 2025, and which insurance. is around 10% of the government’s aspiration of a $5 trillion economy. The

As more opportunities are created, we can expect a net positive effect on employment generation. The growing AI economy is estimated to create over 20 million technical roles alone. AI can create not just niche solutions to specific problems that banks and other service providers are deploying, such as speeding up loan application processing or improving customer service; it can also provide solutions for better governance and social impact. For example, during the lockdown, the Telangana police used AI-enabled

automated number plate recognition software to catch violations. The pandemic has thus provided technology companies in the country a great opportunity to test their own capabilities to create solutions for fast evolving, real-world situations. We are now better prepared for an AI-led future in which we not just solve business problems but also find answers to complex social issues. Page | 123

Top priorities for India The stakes are high for India. We need to speed up our readiness to seize the opportunities that the future presents. Three areas need our attention. The first is talent development. No meaningful conversation on AI preparedness can take place unless we are able to meet the rising demand with the right talent. In 2019, we nearly doubled our AI workforce to 72,000 from 40,000 the year before. However, the demand continues to outpace the supply. That means our efforts to develop talent must pick up speed. The second area is policies around data usage, governance and security. Without data, there cannot be AI. However, we need a balanced approach in the way we harness and utilise data. We need a robust legal framework that governs data and serves as the base for the ethical use of AI. Third, though the use of digital technologies has gone up, the level of digitisation continues to be low. This poses a big challenge for organisations in finding the right amount of training data to run AI/ML algorithms, which in turn affects the accuracy of the results. Then there is the problem of availability of clean datasets. Organisations need to invest in data management frameworks that will clean their data before they are analysed, thus vastly improving the outcomes of AI models.

The future for AI looks promising but to convert the potential into reality, India will need better strategies around talent development, stronger policies for data usage and governance, and more investments in creating a technology infrastructure that can truly leverage AI.

Source: The Hindu

12. How the Maharashtra Police will use software to crack down on child porn

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

The cyber wing of the Maharashtra Police recently acquired a software from Interpol that would help them track down child pornography uploaded online. How does the software work and how much of a boost will this be against child pornography?

What is the new software that is used by Interpol to act against child pornography online? The Interpol has a software that uses various mechanisms like detecting nudity in images, recognising age of the person through facial structures, among other filters. It also has in-

built algorithms to look for keywords around child pornography that would for example help law enforcement agencies track forums that indulge in these crimes. Based on these find any such media, it is added to the database after which officers identify cases that couldfilters, fall the under software child ‘crawler’ pornography. scans the net looking for such images, videos and text. If they Page | 124

Which states are being provided this software in India? While initially the database was with Interpol, they have now also provided the software to Maharashtra. Earlier this year, 12 officers of Maharashtra cyber were trained by the Interpol officers in the use of this software after which they were provided access to it. Kerala too was to undergo training by Interpol last year after several such media was found to be uploaded from there.

What is the TRACE team set up by Maharashtra Cyber to counter child pornography? The 12 officers who went for training to the South Asian wing of Interpol form the core of Tactical Response Against Cyber Child Exploitation (TRACE) Unit. Those 12 officers last week trained a batch of 270 policemen across the state in the use of the software to track cases of child pornography. The TRACE unit was primarily set up to act against child pornography in Maharashtra that is part of a larger compaign against Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) across the country since 2019.

Why has there been a boost in action against CSAM in India since 2019?

National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a US-based non profit that worksIndia’s to fight prevent against child Child exploitation, Sexual Abuse started Material sharing (CSAM) tip-offs received about a child boost pornography in 2019 when in India with Indian agencies.These tip offs were received by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) which then passed it on to the states where the child pornography related incident had taken place. A total of 25,000 cases of child pornography being uploaded were reported in the five months between September 2019 and January 2020 across the country. While Delhi topped the list when it comes to people suspected to be involved in uploading child-porn, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are the other top states as per the data

What is ‘Operation Blackface’ carried out in Maharashtra?

Acting on the tip off provided by NCRB, Maharashtra Cyber cops started forwarding ‘Operation Blackface’ is part of the larger action taken against CSAM across the country. the nearlycomplaints 50 persons to the placed districts under where arrest. FIR’s The were officer registered said that against with their accused team persons. being trained In bycurrent Interpol year italone, better there equips have them been to above deal 100 with FIR’s CSAM registered instances in andcases should linked overallto CSAM bring and down the number of such occurances that has Maharashtra as its source.

Source: The Indian Express

13. What is special about Mallana Cream, Himachal’s unique cannabis product?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology Page | 125

The Narcotics Control Bureau in Mumbai Wednesday claimed to have seized the

What is Malana Cream and why is it one of the most sought-after forms of hashish across thecontraband globe? We ‘Malana explain. Cream’ from a person linked to actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death.

What is Malana Cream? It is the charas or hash or hashish which comes from the Malana Valley in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. Charas, called bhang in Himachal, is the resin obtained from a species or strain of the cannabis plant (botanical classification of cannabis is disputed), which grows naturally in the valley and is also cultivated illegally. The valley has a single village, Malana, -like, as compared to that produced in other parts of the state. and the hash resin produced there is generally more ‘creamy’, or clay What makes it unique? The cannabis plant has a number of chemical compounds called cannabinoids, among which tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the primary psychoactive constituent which produces the high sensation.

Strains of the plant with low levels of THC are used for industrial and non-drug purposes such as making ropes, paper, textiles etc. Plants with a high level of another cannabinoid called CBD (cannabidiol) are used for medicinal purposes.

A high proportion of THC in the plant extract is required for recreational drug use and Malana Cream is believed to be particularly rich in THC, making it more potent. Resin extracted from the plant, generally by rubbing using hands, is also concentrated further to obtain the more potent hash oil.

In addition, charas from Malana has a distinct set of turpenes, aromatic compounds associated with flavour and other characteristics. These characteristics are the result of unique climatic conditions of the valley.

How much is it worth? According to the police, varieties of Malana Cream are generally sold anywhere between Rs 1,500 to Rs 8,000 per 10 grams in India depending upon the purity of the product and the place of sale. As the charas is smuggled to greater distances, the price rises. Once it is smuggled outside the country, the price skyrockets it is one of the costliest forms of hash sold in cafes of Amsterdam for instance. –

Peddlers smuggling charas out of the valley generally use trekking routes in the mountains, which makes it harder to catch them.

How is it produced so widely if it is illegal? Malana is a remote village which remained isolated from other habitations in the area for Page | 126 centuries and developed its own distinct culture. The nearest road is still four kilometres down the hill, and it was built in 2007 to facilitate a hydropower project. Before the road, residents had to trek a distance of 26 km over 12 to 15 hours to reach the market in the adjacent valley, according to village pradhan Bhagi Ram.

A few decades ago, however, Malana emerged on the global map with the emergence of the counterculture movement in western countries, and started attracting users of psychedelic drugs from all parts of the world.

Charas was banned in India in 1986 under the NDPS Act, but the plant was considered an important crop in Kullu, used for a variety of other purposes such as making footwear.

With greater road connectivity, Malana and its neighbouring Parvati Valley became ell as foreign tourists thronging to the area lured by the easy availability of drugs as well as picturesque treks. notorious for ‘drug tourism’, with domestic as w Security agencies sometimes have to trek for hours and even days to locate and burn the fields of cannabis or track down peddlers. Those involved in the lucrative trade move their fields further uphill or to remoter parts of the mountains when this happens. Also, the plant grows naturally in the area, so it cannot be eliminated altogether.

The illegality of cannabis has made it a contentious issue in Himachal, since it has a certain cultural acceptance in the state. A petition to allow non-narcotic use of the plant like in some other states is pending in the state high court, and several legislators are supportive of it. In the last Assembly session, MLA Ramesh Chand Dhawala spoke at length about the

medicinal and other benefits of hemp, and complained that the “police are bent on chasing Aboutand destroying Malana this plant”. Malana currently has a population of 2,350, and is located at an altitude of 2,650 metres - the Himachal government. Besides the Malana cream, it also attracts visitors due to its age- oldabove traditions, sea level. scenicIt has been beauty, “a self popularcontained treks, democratic a distinct society culture for and centuries”, myths andaccording legends to associated with the inhabitants.

Source: The Indian Express

14. Plasmodium ovale and other types of malaria

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

A not very common type of malaria, Plasmodium ovale, has been identified in a jawan in Kerala. The soldier is believed to have contracted it during his posting in Sudan, from where he returned nearly a year ago, and where Plasmodium ovale is endemic. Page | 127

Types of malaria Malaria is caused by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito, if the mosquito itself is infected with a malarial parasite. There are five kinds of malarial parasites Plasmodium falciparum, Plasmodium vivax (the commonest ones), Plasmodium malariae, Plasmodium ovale and Plasmodium knowlesi. Therefore, to say that someone has — contracted the Plasmodium ovale type of malaria means that the person has been infected by that particular parasite.

In India, out of 1.57 lakh malaria cases in the high-burden states of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya and Madhya Pradesh in 2019, 1.1 lakh cases (70%) were cases of falciparum malaria, according to a statement by the Health Ministry on December 2. In 2018, the National Vector-borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) estimated that approximately 5 lakh people suffered from malaria (63% were of Plasmodium falciparum); researchers writing in the Malaria Journal of BMC felt the numbers could be an underestimate. The recent World Malaria Report 2020 said cases in India dropped from about 20 million in 2000 to about 5.6 million in 2019.

Plasmodium ovale Scientists said P ovale rarely causes severe illness and there is no need for panic because of the case detected in Kerala. Dr V S Chauhan, emeritus professor at the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, said P ovale is very similar to P vivax, which is not a killer form. Symptoms include fever for 48 hours, headache and nausea, and the treatment modality is the same as it is for a person infected with P vivax. P ovale is no more dangerous than getting a viral infection, he said.

It is termed ovale as about 20% of the parasitised cells are oval in shape. Distinguishing between P vivax and P ovale may be tricky, Dr Chauhan said, but a good-quality lab should be able to differentiate between the two.

Cases in India According to scientists at the National Institute of Malaria Research (NIMR), the Kerala case could be an isolated one and there are no recorded cases of local transmission so far. Previously, too, isolated cases were reported in Gujarat, Kolkata, Odisha and Delhi. However, no local transmission has been recorded which means these cases have been acquired. —

The jawan had returned to India from Sudan in January this year and was in Delhi. A month ago, he went to Kerala and shortly after, he began experiencing fever and other symptoms. After Covid-19 tests returned negative, he was tested for malaria.

Page | 128 usually see malaria types like Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. So we did a rapid“And on antigen the slide, test we to detectcould see the the strain parasite and weinside found the thatred blood it was cell negative sample. for In bothKerala, types. we eevan, medical superintendent at the district hospital in Kannur where the jawan was treated. When we investigated further, we diagnosed it as Plasmodium ovale,” said Dr Raj Dr Rajeevan said it was possible for the parasite to remain in the spleen or liver of the body for a long time, even years, after the mosquito bite, and the person could become symptomatic later.

Africa and elsewhere P ovale malaria is endemic to tropical Western Africa. According to scientists at NIMR, P ovale is relatively unusual outside of Africa and, where found, comprises less than 1% of the isolates. It has also been detected in the Philippines, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, but is still relatively rate in these areas.

In a 2016 study on the China-Myanmar border, it was found that P ovale and P malariae occurred at very low prevalence, but were often misidentified. In another study, carried out -14, but imported cases of P ovale and P malariae had increased, and were often misdiagnosed. in China’s Jiangsu Province, indigenous malaria cases decreased significantly over 2011 Source: The Indian Express

15. A platform developed for diagnosing tuberculosis from urine samples

Relevant for GS Prelims; Science & Technology

Diagnosing TB usually involves using a sputum sample or a biopsy in the detection tests. This is not just time-consuming or expensive, there are also cases where getting a sputum sample is not easy or even possible, such as with small children or in the case of extrapulmonary TB.

Detecting TB through urine sample Now, IIT Madras researchers are developing a point-of-care platform for early-stage TB screening and detection using urine samples. The platform is yet to be tested in clinical trials. The research has been published in the journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics.

How will the test work?

The glycolipid lipoarabinomannan (LAM), an integral component of the cell wall and cell membrane of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the disease-causing bacterium, has been explored as a biomarker for TB diagnosis. Since it is known that LAM is released into the blood stream during active infection and passed out in urine, it can be viewed as a potential biomarker for even cases other than pulmonary TB. In the test conducted by the group, the Page | 129 sample containing Mtb-LAM is mixed with gold nanoparticles and incubated for five minutes. Then a U-shaped fibre-optic sensor device with an LED and a photodetector attached to its two ends is dipped into the mixture. The results are generated in the next ten minutes, and the amount of Mtb-LAM present in the mixture can be read out.

Details To describe the above process in detail, the sample for analysis is mixed with the reagent containing detector antibody (anti-MTB-LAM IgG) conjugated with plasmonic gold nanoparticles. The gold nanoparticle labels capture the analyte (LAM) molecules from the sample solution through the detector antibody. Then the pre-mixed solution is given to the sensor probes immobilized with capture antibody (anti-MTB-LAM IgM).

Thus on the sensor surface, a sandwich-like immunocomplex of the three is formed. This comprises capture antibody-analyte-detector antibody with a plasmonic label.

through“Likewise the a largefibre, numberleading toof immunocomplexesa drop in light intensity are formed at the detector.on the sensor The dropsurface in thethat light are proportional to the LAM concentration… Each of the plasmonic labels absorb light passing of Biotechnology, IIT Madras, in an email to The Hindu. Along with V. V. Raghavendra Sai of Departmentintensity is a ofmeasure Applied of Mechanics, LAM concentration,” she has formulated says Vani theJanakiraman, problem of from urinary the Department LAM based diagnosis of TB.

The pregnancy test kit, for example, simply works on a naked eye based detection of ion in this method can be done ten thousand times more efficiently with the– help of optical waveguidescoloured nanoparticles. such as an optical“On the fibre. other If hand, the plasmonic the colour labels detection are onand the quantificat fibre core surface, Sai in clarification. much lower concentrations of LAM can be detected,” says Dr. Raghavendra In the buffer solution, for every 10 femtogram/millilitre rise in LAM concentration the change in absorbance could be 0.078 absorbance units. Similarly, in synthetic urine, for every 10 femtogram/millilitre rise in concentration, the rise in absorbance would be 0.043 absorbance units.

The team is in the process of scaling up the sensor probe fabrication and functionalisation significantly influences the cost of the test. On the other side, we are also working on strategies. “We would also like to cut down the volume of the reagent being used, which

Website:developing www.prepmate.in a point of care device unit for preliminary validation,” Telegram he Channel: says. @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Source: The Hindu

16. What is emergency use authorisation for drugs and vaccines?

Page | 130 Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

The Pune-based Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech of Hyderabad, frontrunners the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to furnish more evidence that their vaccine candidatesamong Indian were vaccine safe and makers, capable have of been preventing advised COVID-19. by India’s Neither drugs regulator company —has finished — provisions. testing its vaccines, but they chose to approach the drug regulator seeking ‘emergency use’ What is emergency use authorisation (EUA) for drugs and vaccines? The conventional process to approve new drugs or vaccines is to subject them to a clinical trial process. This means that after a prospective drug has been determined safe in animals, it is progressively tested in larger groups of people healthy ones, if it is a vaccine or patients, in case of a new drug. — — promoters of the new drug or vaccine must furnish data from each phase drugsThe trials regulators in phase to 1,satisfy 2 and them 3 are that designed the results to establish are promising the drug’s enough safety to andmove efficacy, to the nextand stage. This process and the logistics of execution and evaluation are long, andto it aoften country’s takes years for a new entity to be commercially approved.

However, there may be several situations when the approval process must be hastened for instance, a potential drug may be available to treat an extremely debilitating and rare disease, but there are too few potential patients to devise appropriate clinical trials; — or there is an outbreak that is putting several lives at risk and no proven drugs or vaccines are at hand; or a drug or vaccine has been properly tested in one country and known to save lives and will evidently be useful in another country which has neither the resources nor expertise to subject it to a similar evaluation. It is under such circumstances that health regulators allow accelerated approvals under EUA. The latter is terminology specific to the United States Food and Drug Administration it has just given emergency approval to a vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, the first vaccine to prevent COVID-19 approved in the U.S. but several countries have similar— provisions under similar names.

What is the— process in India? India does not have an explicit EUA provision. However, a section in the rules governing the use and regulation of drugs that came into effect in 2019 called the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019 e severity of the disease, urgency, rarity or the lack of alternative— treatments, the regulator has the right to waive local— clinicalmentions trials an if ‘accelerateda drug has been approval approved process’. elsewhere. Depending Also, onin theth

case of a new drug, the medical benefits of the drug are evaluated based on the first two phases of the testing and the larger usually more time-consuming and expensive phase 3 trial can be deferred. It is under such provisions that first pharmaceutical companies, and then vaccine firms, were— able to offer drugs such as hydroxychloroquine,— Remdesivir and Favipiravir to COVID-19 patients, even though there was little evidence to Page | 131 show that they worked.

Vaccine makers such as Serum Institute of India (SII), Bharat Biotech (BB), and Zydus Cadila, too, have been allowed to rely on the efficacy of data from other countries, or limited human trials to accelerate their testing process.

Why did India’s drugs regulator seek more data? The DCGI has a Subject Expert Committee (SEC) which evaluates technical data from trials. At its meeting on December 9, the committee said that in the case of SII, it would need -2/3 trial on 1,600 ford- AstraZeneca“updated” safety ChAdOx1 data vaccinefrom the candidate, company’s whose ongoing early combined results from phase its phase 3 trials are volunteers in India. Because the SII’s vaccine, ‘Covishield’, is a version of the Ox e vaccine. In being scrutinised by the United Kingdom’s drugs regulators, the Indian committee also trialwanted on 28,500to evaluate volunteers this data across as well India. as wait for that country’s decision on th the case of Bharat Biotech, the regulator wanted to see data from the company’s ongoing The committee has not laid bare its reasoning, but the rules say it is free to ask for any data it terms necessary to evaluate the risk-benefit ratio of approving an untested vaccine candidate.

What lies ahead? Drugs regulators are not enjoined to approve a drug just because there is a pandemic. However, this is a rare historic moment when drugs and vaccines anywhere, even with the slightest promise, are being given unprecedented leeway and are nudged by the government to rapidly bring an effective vaccine to market. Companies are allowed to they do not have to wait for trials to end before approaching the regulator. In the case of SII, the approval of the ChAdOx1 vaccine in the United Kingdom furnishcould potentially ‘interim’ datamean — almost immediate approval in India.

Another factor would be the frequency of adverse events and reactions. While there have been reports of volunteers in global trials and in India too experiencing severe reactions, none has been definitely linked to the administration of the vaccine. Being convinced that Indians, if not significantly benefit,— would not come —to harm at least, will be

Source:a key factor The influencing Hindu the committee’s decision.

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

First, how is the height of any mountain measured? The basic principle that was used earlier is very simple, and uses only trigonometry which most of us are familiar with, or at least can recall. There are three sides and three angles in any triangle. If we know any three of these quantities, provided one of them is a side, all the others can be calculated. In a right-angled triangle, one of the angles is already known, so if we know any other angle and one of the sides, the others can be found out. This principle can be applied for measuring the height of any object that does not offer the convenience of dropping a measuring tape from top to bottom sophisticated instruments. , or if you can’t climb to the top to use

Measurement with angles: When direct measurement of height is not possible, a surveyor resorts to trigonometry

n mark any arbitrary point on the ground some distance from the building. This can be our point of observation. WeLet’s now say, need we have two tothings measure the the distance height ofof athe pole, building or a building. from the We point ca of observation, and the angle of elevation that the top of the building makes with the point of observation on the ground. The distance —is not difficult to get. The angle of elevation is the angle that an imaginary line would make if it was joining the point of observation on the ground to the top of the building. There are simple instruments with the help of which this angle can be measured. So, if the distance from the point of observation to the building is d and the angle of elevation is E, then the height of the building would be d × tan(E).

Can it be that simple for measuring a mountain? The principle is the same, and ultimately, we use the same method, but there are a few complications. The main problem is that though you know the top, the base of the mountain is not known. The question is from which surface you are measuring the height.

Generally, for practical purposes the heights are measured above mean sea level (MSL). Moreover, we need to find the distance to the mountain. It seems easy today, but there were no GPS or satellite images in the 1950s. So, how to find the distance of a mountain where you cannot physically go? Till that time nobody had even climbed the Mount Everest. We can get around this problem by measuring the angles of elevation from two different Page | 133 points of observation in the same line of view. The distances between these different points of observations can be measured. We will now be dealing with two different triangles, but with a common arm, and two different angles of elevation. Again, by following simple rules of high-school trigonometry, the height of the mountain can be calculated, fairly precisely. In fact, this is how we used to do it before the advent of GPS, satellites and other modern techniques.

How accurate is this? For small hills and mountains, whose top can be observed from relatively close distances, this can give quite precise measurements. But for Mount Everest and other high mountains, there are some other complications.

These again arise from the fact that we do not know where the base of the mountain is. In other words, where exactly does the mountain meet flat ground surface. Or, whether the point of observation and the base of the mountain at the same horizontal level.

heights from mean sea level. This is done through a painstaking process called high- precisionThe Earth’s levelling. surface Starting is not uniformlyfrom the coastline, even at everywe calculate place. Becausestep by step of this, the difference we measure in height, using special instruments. This is how we know the height of any city from mean sea level.

But there is one additional problem to be contended with gravity. Gravity is different at different places. What that means that even sea level cannot be considered to be uniform at all places. In the case of Mount Everest, for example, the concentration— of such a huge mass would mean that the sea level would get pulled upwards due to gravity. So, the local gravity is also measured to calculate the local sea level. Nowadays sophisticated portable gravitometers are available that can be carried even to mountain peaks.

But the levelling cannot be extended to high peaks. So we have to fall back on the same triangulation technique to measure the heights. But there is another problem. The density of air reduces as we go higher. This variation in air density causes the bending of light rays, a phenomenon known as refraction. Due to the difference in heights of the observation point and the mountain peak, refraction results in an error in measuring the vertical angle. This needs to be corrected. Estimating the refraction correction is a challenge in itself.

Doesn’t technology offer easier solutions? These days GPS is widely used to determine coordinates and heights, even of mountains. But, GPS gives precise coordinates of the top of a mountain relative to an ellipsoid which is

an imaginary surface mathematically modelled to represent Earth. This surface differs from mean sea level. Similarly, overhead flying planes equipped with laser beams (LiDAR) can also be used to get the coordinates.

But these methods, including GPS, do not take gravity into consideration. So, the Page | 134 information obtained through GPS or laser beams is then fed into another model that account for gravity to make the calculation complete.

Considering that during 1952-1954, when neither GPS and satellite techniques were available nor the sophisticated gravimeters, the task of determining the height of Mount Everest was not easy.

Nepal and China have said they have measured Mount Everest to be 86 cm higher than the 8,848 m that it was known to be. What would that mean? The 8,848-metre (or 29,028-foot) measurement was done by the Survey of India in 1954 and it has been globally accepted since then. The measurement was carried out in the days when there was no GPS or other modern sophisticated instruments. This shows how accurate they were even during that time.

In recent years, several attempts have been made to re-measure Everest, and some of them have been produced results that vary from the accepted height by a few feet. But these have been explained in terms of geological processes that might be altering the height of Everest. The accuracy of the 1954 result has never been questioned.

Most scientists now believe that the height of Mount Everest is increasing at a very slow rate. This is because of the northward movement of the Indian tectonic plate that is pushing the surface up. It is this very movement that created the great Himalayan mountains in the first place. It is this same process that makes this region prone to earthquakes. A big earthquake, like the one that happened in Nepal in 2015, can alter the heights of mountains. Such events have happened in the past. In fact, it was this earthquake that had prompted the decision to re-measure Everest to see whether there had been any impact.

Source: The Indian Express

18. ISRO launches country's 42nd communications satellite

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully placed into a transfer orbit communications satellite, CMS-01, carried on board the PSLV-C50, from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, SHAR on Thursday. India’s 42nd

52nd mission of PSLV version with six strap-on-motors, rose into the skies at 3.41 p.m. The satellite was placed intoIndia’s a precise workhorse Geo-Synchronous launch vehicle, Transfer the PSLV, Orbit (GTO) in its roughly 52nd mission, 20 minutes configured after lift-off. in its ‘XL’ Page | 135 About CMS-01 CMS-01 is a communications satellite envisaged for providing services in extended C Band of the frequency spectrum and its coverage will include the Indian mainland, and the Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands, ISRO said. The satellite is expected to have a life of more than seven years.

recisely into its pre-defined sub-GTO orbit. The satellite is functioning very well and in another four days from now, it will be placed into its specified slot“The in satellite the Geo- was injected p said. He said the satellite will act as a continuation of the GSAT-12 launched 11 years ago. Synchronous Orbit after a series of manoeuvres,” ISRO Chairman K. Sivan First launch after space reforms Mr. Sivan said the next launch, the PSLV-C51, will be a special mission for ISRO and the entire country as the vehicle will be carrying the reforms programme announced by the Indian government. country’s first satellite under the space which the Government of India has initiated. Within eight months [of the announcement], “Recently, we have brought in space reforms to unlock India’s potential in the space sector,-C51. the first satellite, from Pixxel India named ‘Anand’, will be launched on board the PSLV This is the first among a series of satellites to be launched,” Mr. Sivan said. consortium of universities will also be launched. He said two more satellites, ‘Satish Sat’ from Space Kidz India and ‘Unity Sat’ from a The ISRO Chairman said the PSLV-C51 launch will mark a new era of space reforms in India and hoped that the private sector would make use of this programme and provide services to the entire country.

Source: The Hindu

19. A mutated coronavirus has been found in the UK – it’s implications

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

A mutated variant of the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV2 has been associated with recent infections in England. The question being raised is whether the mutation could affect and scientists say this is unlikely. The virus has undergone several mutations since it first infected humans, which scientists say is neither unexpected norpeople’s a cause response for panic. to vaccines —

What is a mutation? A mutation means a change in the genetic sequence of the virus. In the case of SARS-CoV-2, which is an RNA virus, a mutation means a change in the sequence in which its molecules are arranged. A mutation in an RNA virus often happens when the virus makes a mistake while it is making copies of itself. Page | 136

Only if the mutation results in a significant change in the protein structure can the course of a disease be altered, said Prof V Ravi, retired Head of the Department of Neurovirology at NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences), Bengaluru.

What is the new mutation? UK researchers have identified it as N501Y. The virus carrying this mutation has caused 1,100 new infections in 60 local authority areas, according to reports quoting UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock. The Consortium for Covid-19 genomics UK (COG-UK) has been tracking the mutation and is likely to provide a critique soon.

Prof Ravi said that it is likely to be a mutation in the spike protein. There has been a single nucleotide change in one portion of the spike protein, so there would be no bearing on the disease biology or even diagnostics, he said.

Is a mutation in the spike protein particularly significant? Dr Gagandeep Kang, Professor at Christian Medical College, Vellore, said that in general, there would be more concern about a mutation in the spike region than other regions of the coronavirus genome. It is the coronavirus spike protein that binds to a human protein to initiate the process of infection. So, changes here could possibly affect how the virus behaves in terms of its ability to infect, or cause severe disease, or escape the immune response made by vaccines but these are theoretical concerns at the moment, Dr Kang said. — Through the pandemic, over 4,000 mutations have been detected in the spike region. This one appeared initially in Brazil in April, in a small proportion of cases. Since numbers have gone up in the UK, Dr Gang stressed the need to understand why the increase and what it means. At the moment, however, there is no data to indicate severity or faster spread.

What can it mean for people’s response to coronavirus vaccines? Several coronavirus vaccines are designed to create antibodies targeting the spike protein. But the vaccines target multiple regions on the spike, while a mutation refers to a change in a single point. So, if there is one mutation, it does not mean vaccines would not work, Dr Kang said. But changes in the virus will be tracked around the world because there is now unprecedented sequencing capacity and data sharing.

Should we worry about these changes? Mutations will keep happening and the new virus variants will survive or disappear depending upon our immune response and their ability to multiply and transmit, said Prof

Arindam Maitra of the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics. But all SARS-CoV-2 strains are genetically similar to one another, and scientists do not expect these mutations to have a significant impact on their ability to cause more severe disease than what has been observed so far. Page | 137 know. For instance a different strain may be more transmissible, but cause less disease. Bottom“Many mutations line is that mean we neednothing to monitor,at all, or butat least at present, are more there successful is no evidence for reasons that wethe don’t new

Marc-Alain Widdowson, Director of Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, told The Indianstrain in Express. UK is more transmissible nor severe nor resistant to treatment or vaccination,” Dr

Is this mutated strain in India? -Centre for s as“We they have are not constantly seen this happening. variant in ForIndia,” the saidmoment, Dr Rakesh it is not Mishra, something Director, to be CISR worried about Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad. “But we are watching out for mutation

Scientistsand is restricted at CCMB to a few have countries.” analysed several thousand SARS-CoV-2 genomes from India available in the public domain. Dr Mishra said there are no indications so far that the UK mutation has more affinity to the ACE-2 receptor (the human protein with which the virus spike protein binds). Also, it is not proven that there are clinical and immunological consequences.

Source: The Indian Express

20. Is the pink ball different from red and white?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

The first Test between Australia and India, which ended much ahead of schedule at Adelaide on Saturday, has put into focus the pink cricket ball used in day/night matches once again. It is only the 15th Test to go pink; the other 2,381 have all been played with the more traditional red balls. Having made its pink ball debut last November against Bangladesh, this was the second Test for India, while it was the eighth for Australia.

Why are different shades of balls used for different formats of cricket? Long-format matches like Test and First Class are played with red balls; since the players are required to dress in white, a normal red ball is used. Till the advent of cricket at — — night in 1978, there was no need to look beyond red when it came to the ball’s colour. remained red till November 28, 1978. A different colour was needed when a rebel World The colour of the ball through cricket’s history, which dates back to the 16th century, Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Series one-day match between Australia and the West Indies was played under the brand new floodlights at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Thus a white ball was chosen, since it would be more visible at night. That required the players to don coloured clothing. Though the experiment proved a smashing success, with close to 50,000 fans turning up for the match and many more watching it live on Channel 9, it would take more than a decade for the Page | 138 coloured clothing and the white ball to gain wider acceptance the World Cup of 1992, to be precise. — How did the pink ball enter the Test arena? Though Test matches they best bring out the aesthetics, techniques and the theatre of cricket are still considered the purest forms of the game by most players and discerning fans, their popularity has— been on the wane, more so in these times of instant gratification provided— by the Twenty20 format in tournaments such as the Indian Premier League and the Big Bash League.

Test matches attract big crowds only in England and Australia these days. Besides, the subcontinent, where the day would not even have dawned when a Test match gets under Australia’sway at Melbourne time zoneor Sydney. is not So idealthe cricket for cricket’sadministrators largest in televisionAustralia and audience England — began to think seriously about day/night Tests. They were backed by the International Cricket Council, too. The first day/night Test was scheduled to have been played in 2010 between because two county teams, Durham and Worcestershire, felt their First Class fixture was tooEngland important and Bangladesh to be held as at a Lord’s, trial game cricket’s for pink-ball Mecca, but cricket. the planIt would had totake be another abandoned five years for the pink ball to land at the Test match wicket. That happened at Adelaide, in 2015, with the third and final Test of the series between Australia and New Zealand. But women had played an international game with a pink ball long before men, though the one-day international between England and Australia at Wormsley in 2009. — Do the conditions have an impact on pink, red and white balls? Unlike most sports, the conditions the ground or the weather play a crucial role in cricket. For instance, the ball tends to swing more in overcast conditions (though science has been able to explain the aerodynamic— mechanisms of swing— and reverse-swing, atmospheric conditions enabling swing have not been clearly explained). Even balls manufactured by different companies behave differently. White and pink balls are believed to swing more than the red one.

especially during twilight. Pace bowlers, however, relish the pink ball, especially when the lightsFrom are the switched batsman’s on point as the of shine view, lasts the longer pink ball because is probably of the lacquer. the most difficult to handle,

While only one pink or red ball is used to bowl from both ends in a match, two white balls have been used in one-dayers since 2012 (the white ball becomes difficult to see once it gets dirty).

Do the pink, white or red balls have other differences besides colour? According to the Marylebone Cricket Club, guardians of the laws of cricket, any international and First Class ball has to weigh between 156 grams and 162 grams. There is no difference in weight in either red, white or pink ball. But the colour of the seam varies: white seam for the red ball, dark green for white and black for pink. Page | 139

Is there a difference between the Kookaburra, SG and Dukes pink balls in the way they are stitched and behave? Dukes and SG are hand-stitched in all six rows of the seam. Only two rows of a Kookaburra ball are hand-stitched, while the four outer rows are machine-stitched. The Dukes and SG balls tend to swing more than Kookaburra.

Why is there a demand by some players to replace the red ball with the pink one in all Tests? Australian spin legend Shane Warne claims that the red ball does nothing for the bowler, and that the pink ball is more visible and looks better on television. It remains to be seen how much support he receives.

Source: The Hindu

21. A massive hack in the US, using a novel set of tools

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

tly discovered in the United States, has emerged as one of the biggest ever targeted against the US government, its agencies and several Theother ‘SolarWinds private companies. hack’, a cyberattackIn fact, it is likelyrecen a global cyberattack.

It was first discovered by US cybersecurity company FireEye, and since then more developments continue to come to light each day. The sheer scale of the cyber-attack remains unknown, although the US Treasury, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Commerce, parts of the Pentagon are all believed to have been impacted.

In an opinion piece written for The New York Times, Thomas P Bossert, who was Homeland Security Adviser for President Donald Trump, has named Russia for the attack. ntelligence agency

KremlinHe wrote has “evidence denied its in involvement. the SolarWinds attack points to the Russian i known as the SVR, whose tradecraft is among the most advanced in the world.” The So, what is this ‘SolarWinds hack’? News of the cyberattack technically first broke on December 8, when FireEye put out a blog detecting an attack on its systems. The firm helps with security management of several big private companies and federal government agencies.

highly sophistica -sponsored attack, although it did not FireEye CEO Kevin Mandia wrote in a blogpost saying that the company was -tier“attacked offensive by a ted threat actor”, calling it a state cusname Russia. It said the attack was carried out by a nation “with top Page | 140 capabilities”, and “the attacker primarily sought information related to certain government Thentomers.” on December It also said 13 FireEyethe methods said cyberattack,used by the attackers which it werenamed novel. Campaign UNC2452, was not lmited to the company but had targeted various “public and private organisations givenaround the the scale world”. of the The attack campaign is still likely being began discovered. in “March After 2020 systems and has were been compromised, ongoing for months”, the post said. Worse, the extent of data stolen or compromised is still unknown, and companies get attacked? “lateral movement and data theft” took place. How did so many US government agencies

t a third-party vendor, whichThis is supplies being calledsoftware a ‘Supplyto them. Chain’ In this attack: case, the Instead target ofwas directly an IT management attacking the software federal calledgovernment Orion, orsupplied a private by theorganisation’s Texas-based network, company the SolarWinds. hackers targe

Orion has been a dominant software from SolarWinds with clients, which include over 33,000 companies. SolarWinds says 18,000 of its clients have been impacted. Incidentally, the company has deleted the list of clients from its official websites.

includes 425 companies in Fortune 500, the top 10 telecom operators in the US. A New YorkAccording Times to report the page, said which parts ofhas the also Pentagon, been scrubbed Centers from for Disease Google’s Control Web Archives, and Prevention, the list the State Department, the Justice Department, and others, were all impacted.

Microsoft confirmed it has found evidence of the malware on their systems, although it

he added there was no evidence of “access to production services or customer data”, or that its “systems were used to attack others”. Microsoft president Brad Smith said that t company has begun to “notify more than 40 customers that the attackers targeted more Aprecisely Reuters and report compromised”. said that even emails sent by Department of Homeland Security officials

Howwere did“monitored they gain by access? the hackers”.

According to FireEye, the hackers gained “access to victims via trojanizedn updates installed to by moreSolarWinds’ than 17,000 Orion customers.IT monitoring and management software”. Basically, a software update was exploited to install the ‘Sunburst’ malware into Orion, which was the

FireEye says the attackers relied on “multiple techniques” to avoid being detected and “obscure their activity”. The malware was capable of accessing the system files. What worked in the malware’s favour was it was able to “blend in with legitimate SolarWinds Page | 141 Onceactivity”, installed, according the to malware FireEye. gave a backdoor entry to the hackers to the systems and thwart tools such as anti-virus that could detect it. networks of SolarWinds’ customers. More importantly, the malware was also able to Where does Russia come in? In his NYT opinion article, Bossert named Russia and its agency SVR, which has the capabilities to execute the attack of such ingenuity and scale.

Microsoft notes in its blog that vulnerability of nearly global importance, reaching many major national capitals outside “this aspect of the attack created a supply chain

Russia”.FireEye, Ithowever, goes on tohas add not that yet sophisticatednamed Russia attacks as being from responsible Russia have and become said it common.is an ongoing investigation with the FBI, Microsoft, and other key partners who are not named.

What has SolarWinds and the US government said about the hack? Right now, SolarWinds is recommending that all customers immediately update the discovered in an environment, we recommend conducting a comprehensive investigation andexisting designing Orion and platform, executing which a remediation has a patch strategy for this driven malware. by the “If investigative attacker activity findings is

and details of the impacted environment,” it has said. is the Those unable to update are told to isolate “SolarWinds servers” and it should “include blockingThe US Cybersecurity all Internet egress and Infrastructure from SolarWinds Security servers”. Agency The (CISA)bare minimum has issued suggestion an Emergency “changingDirective passwords 21- for accounts that have access to SolarWinds servers / infrastructure”.

01, asking all “federal civilian agencies to review their networks” for indicators of compromise. It has asked them to “disconnect or power down SolarWinds TheOrion FBI, products CISA and immediately”. office of the Director of National Intelligence issued a joint statement, and announced what is called the ‘Cyber Unified Coordination Group (UCG)” in order to coordinate government response to the crisis. The statement calls this a “significant and Theongoing White cybersecurity House and Presidentcampaign.” Donald Trump have been silent. Senator Mitt Romney has summed it best in his comments to journalist Olivier Knox of SiriusXM radio, where he compared this attack to the equivalent of Russian bombers flying undetected all over the

country exposing the cyber warfare weakness of the US. He said that the silence and inaction from White House was inexcusable.

-attack left me deeply Page | 142 Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, tweeted: “Russia’s cyber President-alarmed, in fact downright scared.” e need to disrupt and deter our adversaries from undertaking significant cyber attacks in the first elect Joe Biden said in a statement: “A good defense isn’t enough; W

Source:place.” The Indian Express

22. Seasonal UV radiation and global Covid-19 trends

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

The novel coronavirus has now seen all the seasons in both hemispheres, but the effect of seasonal factors such as temperature and humidity remains to be fully understood. New research has now looked at the influence of another seasonal variable ultraviolet radiation from the Sun and found evidence is that higher natural UV radiation reduces Covid-19 transmission. The study is published in the journal PNAS. — — The caveat

The researchers stress that seasonal changes in UV are just one of many causes of change in Covid-19 case rates. And the influence of UV is modest compared to policy measures such northern hemisphere, we find that prior estimates of the effect of these social distancing policiesas travel are restrictions, 3- school closures, or event cancellations. “On average across the Page | 143 economist Tamma Carleton of the University of California Santa Barbara said, by email. 6 times larger than our estimated effects of seasonal changes in UV,” Because other research has looked at how artificial UV light– can inactivate the coronavirus,

UV disinfectants currently in use today rely on wavelengths in a range called UV-C. Such wavelengthsit is also important do not to reach note usthat naturally this is not from the the same Sun, as as the these effect are of absorbedthe sun’s UVby theradiation. ozone layer. In sunlight that reaches the Earth, the wavelengths are in the range known as UV-A (and to an extent in the range UV-B).

The analysis model The study avoided comparing Covid-19 trends in different locations because this approach -19 cases in India to cases in Norway and attributing the difference to large differences in average UV exposure would introducebe erroneous confounding there arefactors. many “For differences example, betweencomparing India Covid and Norway, including population density, health services, testing rates, etc, and UV is just one of many factors — thatInstead, differs the across study these compared countries,” various Carleton populations said. to themselves over time, and tested whether daily variations in UV radiation lead to changes in Covid-19 cases up to three and harmonised them to create a global dataset. weeks in the future. They gathered disparate datasets from different countries’ agencies, The extent of variations A change in UV exposure by 1 standard deviation, the analysis found, reduced the growth rate of new cases by around 1 percentage point over the following two weeks. A change of 1 percentage point, for context, is approximately equivalent to the change in UV between April and May in Delhi.

Based on changes in UV, the model predicted Covid-19 growth rates for the temperate zones north and south of the tropics. Between January and June, Covid-19 growth rates would increase by 7.3 percentage points in southern temperate locations and decline by 7.4 percentage points in the northern temperate ones. And when the seasons flip, growth rates in December compared with July were predicted to decrease by 7.7 percentage points in southern temperate regions, and jump by 7.8 percentage points in northern areas.

Carleton noted, however, that UV seasonality looks different in India than in other parts of lowers summer UV, which can raise the Covid-19 transmission risk relative to other times the northern hemisphere due to the South Asian monsoon. “The onset of the monsoon Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

of the year and relative to other regions in the northern hemisphere, where summer tends

Causalto be the or highest correlational? UV season,” she said. Indeed, infection rates did appear to have decreased in much of the northern hemisphere Page | 144 during the summer, the researchers noted, but observed that many parts of the northern hemisphere also relaxed their pandemic restrictions during the same period. Asked whether the correlation with UV can in we use a statistical model that is designed precisely to isolate natural variation in UV - deed be called causal, Carleton said: “In the paper, effect of UV on COVID-19 exposure that is ‘quasi random’, so that we can feel confident causally interpreting the Source: The Indian Expressgrowth rates.”

23. New coronavirus strain in the UK: How rapidly has it spread? Will it impact vaccination?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

On Monday India suspended all flights from and to the UK until December 31, amid concerns about a new variant of SARS-CoV- Several other countries, too, have suspended UK flights and imposed travel restrictions. 2 that is “spreading & growing rapidly” there. What are these concerns leading to travel restrictions? Last week, the new SARS-CoV-2 variant was revealed to be the reason behind the rapid surge in Covid-19 cases in South and East England. It is being referred to as VUI (Variant Under Investigation) 202012/01, or the B.1.1.7 lineage.

w days, thanks to our world-class genomic capability, we have identified a new variant of the coronavirus, which may be associated with the faster spread in the “Over the last fe December 14. UK authorities have already notified the World Health Organization about theSouth variant. of England,” UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the House of commons on

Public Health England (PHE) announced that 1,108 cases with this variant have been

identifiedit said. as of December 13, “predominantly in the South and East of England”. “PHE is working with partners to investigate and plans to share its findings over the next 2 weeks,” What is the variant like?

The variant was identified in genomic surveillance by COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK), a consortium that analyses genome sequencing data from the UK. COG-UK is the largest contributor to the global Covid-19 database GISAID.

The variant is the result of multiple mutations in the spike protein of the novel coronavirus Page | 145 SARS-CoV-2, as well as mutations in other genomic regions of the RNA virus. Preliminary analysis suggests that it is more transmissible than previously circulating variants. COG-UK key protein in the human cell, the ACE2 receptor. This was an indication that the identified one of these mutations as “N501Y”, in an area of the spike protein that binds to a underway to confirm whether or not any of these mutations are contributing to increased alterations may, theoretically, result in the virus becoming more infectious. “Efforts are transmission,”What do we know the consortium so far about said. transmissibility, and severity of disease? On Sunday, PHE said data from whole-genome sequencing, epidemiology and modelling

suggestsHowever, that it also the emphasisednew variant “transmits more easily than other strains”.

that there is “no evidence” that the variant is more likely to thiscause severe disease or mortality. “… But we are continuing investigations to understand this better,” it said. It said mortality is a “lagging indicator” and it will “continually monitor over the coming weeks”. know that mutations in the spike protein, the part of the virus that makes it infectious, can PHE has said it does not know yet the mechanismit said.for this increase in transmission. “We

Itchange said the how evidence the virus shows interacts that with infection human rates cells,” in geographical areas where this particular strain has been circulating have increased faster than expected, and the modelling evidence has demonstrated that this variant has a higher transmission rate than other variants in current circulation.

How much of a concern is the higher transmissibility? On December 18, New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG), which advises the UK government on the threat posed by new and emerging respiratory viruses, said the new variant could potentially ramp up the reproduction

her number of the disease by up to 0.93. It said it has “moderate confidence” that the new variant “demonstrates a substantial increase in transmissibility compared to ot variants”. distributionThe expert body, of cases however, and disease concluded severity. that Itthere has issaid “currently 4 deaths insufficient in around data1,000 to cases draw have any conclusion” on the underlying mechanism of increased transmissibility”, the age been identified, but “further work is needed to compare this fatality rate with comparable Website:data sets”. www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

-binding domain of the spike glycoprotein raises the possibility that this variant is antigenically distinct from prior variants. Four “Theprobable location reinfections of the mutations have been in identified the receptor amongst 915 subjects with this variant but

Page | 146 Onfurther Sunday, work a isthreat needed assessment to compare brief this published reinfection by rateEuropean with comparable Centre for Disease data sets,” Prevention it said. fromand Control Australia, said from phylogenetic samples collected analysis reveals in November that the 2020, “cluster cluster differs with by the 29 UK nucleotide variant, mostsubstitutions likely indicating from the that original international Wuhan strain”.spread “Threehas occurred, sequences although from the Denmark extent andremains one

Wheneverunknown,” it a said. virus But replicates has the virus and not circulates mutated in before? a human population, mutations occur naturally, at a rate of around one to two mutations per month in the global phylogeny.

In fact, for SARS-CoV-2, COG-UK says that there are currently around 4,000 mutations in the spike protein. The variant D614G was earlier the dominant strain because it spread very easily. Another strain that originated in Spanish farmworkers, 20A. EU1, spread rapidly across Europe in summer.

rges, against a backdrop of the continuous emergence of new mutations. Understanding their “Itsignificance is difficult may to predictbe possible whether based any on givenexperimental mutation work is important that shows when a link it first between eme the mutation and a subtle change in virus biology. However, it would take considerable time -UK said.

Willand effort it impact to test vaccine the effect development of many thousands and response? of combinations of mutations,” COG On Sunday, UK authorities said further laboratory work is being undertaken as a priority to understand th

is. “There is currently no evidence to suggest that the Pfizer vaccine would Source:not protect The people Indian against Express the new strain,” PHE said.

24. Jupiter and Saturn will meet again — but the Great Conjunction is still on

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

For the last several days, sky watchers have been captivated by the Great Conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn. The closest pass took place on Monday, December 21, but the spectacle itself began days earlier and will last until at least Christmas Day.

What’s a great conjunction? —

A pairing between any pair of planets is a conjunction. Jupiter and Saturn are the two two align roughly every 20 years, which is relatively rare compared to the alignments of planetslargest planetscloser to visible the Sun to (and the which naked consequently eye, hence the have expression shorter orbits). ‘Great Conjunction’. These Page | 147 Jupiter orbits the Sun once in 12 years, and Saturn once in 30. High school arithmetic tells us that in 60 more years (the LCM of 12 and 30), i.e. in 2080, the two planets will align at roughly the same place where stargazers watched them on December 21, 2020. In these 60 years, Jupiter will have orbited the Sun five times, while Saturn will have done so twice.

But they will have met twice more during this period, though at different places in the sky. In 12 years more, Jupiter will return to its current place; in the next 8 years, it will complete 2/3rds of another 12-year cycle around the Sun. In the same 20 years, Saturn will have completed 2/3rds of its 30-year cycle. In other words, the two planets will meet again in 2040. And yet again in 2060.

So, why is this conjunction special? rms of the angle it makes on the alignedIt’s the alignment. in a conjunction, We measure it suggests the position they are of a casting planet in the te same angle with that reference direction.Earth’s orbital plane, with a given reference direction. When we say two planets have

In fact, this is almost never the case. Planets in a conjunction are typically above or below each other, because their orbits are slightly tilted with respect to each other.

This time, Jupiter and Saturn are a tenth of a degree apart viewed from Earth. From some views, that might give them the appearance of converging into one, but viewers around the world have found them distinct enough to tell them apart.

Also, the position of Earth matters. Not every alignment provides a clear viewing.

And how rare is this conjunction? The last Great Conjunction happened in 1623. For context, Galileo had discovered four of but scientists today believe Galileo would not have found it easy to see the conjunction, because the planets were alignedJupiter’s moons with his telescope a few years previously — ruling the Mughal empire at the time, and the Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji was yet to betoo born. close to the Sun from Earth’s perspective. From an Indian context, Jahangir was

The last time the two planets were close enough to be viewed in the night sky was in 1226. This was just a year before the death of the Mongol ruler Genghis Khan.

How long will the spectacle continue?

Jupiter has been catching up with Saturn since the beginning of December as the two planets move along their orbital paths around the Sun. The date the world celebrated, the even after December 21, the planets will still appear very close together for the next few days.night Betweenof December December 21, was 16 when and Jupiter25, the “overtook”distance between Saturn (fromthe two Earth’s planets perspective). in the sky willBut Page | 148 appear to a viewer from Earth to be less than the diameter of a full moon.

This does not mean, of course, they are really that close they are currently over 700 million kilometres apart. Yet their separation during the current conjunction is smaller than they usually ever get during most other conjunctions. —

What if some watchers miss it? For the very young, there is still an opportunity. The next two conjunctions are in 2040 and 2060 after that to look out for on March 15, 2080. That will have almost exactly the same separation, although as this they one will does, not beand as will easy be to much view oreasier as prominent to see, according as this one. to Rice It’s the University. big one —

That’sSource: 60 The years Indian from Expresstoday, something for younger sky watchers to be optimistic about.

25. Why coronavirus in Antarctica isn’t an Indian worry yet

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

At least 36 people at a Chilean research station in Antarctica have been found infected with the novel coronavirus. This is the first instance of the virus on the icy, southernmost m could have been infected earlier. continent. Chile’s armed forces revealed the cases on Monday, but some of the Antarctica is uninhabited except for those manning the nearly 60 permanent stations established by several countries, including India, for carrying out scientific research.

Where has the outbreak happened? The infected the northernmost tip of Antarctica, facing the southern Chilean coast. All have been evacuated, andpeople put in were isolation stationed in Chile. at the General Bernardo O’Higgins Riquelme, located on

The infections were possibly passed on by people on board a ship that recently delivered supplies to the research station. Three people were found infected on the ship after it returned to Chile earlier this month; on Tuesday, however, it was revealed there were 21 cases on board.

How far are the Indian stations?

As of now, the Indian contingent in Antarctica is not worried about the virus spreading. The two Indian permanent stations, Maitri and Bharati, are at least 5,000 km away from the Chilean base, according to M Ravichandran, director of the Goa-based National Centre for expeditions in Antarctica and the Arctic. Page | 149 Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) which is the nodal agency for India’s scientific

Indian stations, Maitri and Bharati, located on the map of Antarctica, 3,000 km apart. The one of the left (and north) is Maitri, set up in 1988, while the other one is Bharati, established in 2012.

The two Indian stations are themselves separated by almost 3,000 km, Ravichandran said. the Antarctica has been agreed upon. There is practically no interaction amongst scientists of different “Following the Covid epidemic, an international protocol for working in to us is that of Russians, which is about 10 km away. The Chilean station is so far away, countries. No one is going to any other country’s research station. The team that is nearest

Thethere Council is no chance of Managers of any interaction of National even Antarctic in normal Programs, times,” Ravichandran comprising 30 said. countries, had decided early in the pandemic to cut team sizes and limit the number of people at the stations. All major research projects were halted, tourism was cancelled, and several facilities were shut. The US sent only about a third of its usual staff strength this summer while the British Antarctic Survey said it was scaling back its research.

What precautions is India taking? The Indian team of about 50, which had arrived in Antarctica in December 2019, is supposed to return now. The new team is preparing to sail for Antarctica in January, and

Ravichandran said the big concern right now was to ensure these people remain safe from the virus.

ensure that none of them gets the disease. All of them are already in Goa now, and have Page | 150 been“About qu 50 people are supposed to leave next month. We are taking all precautions to

The teamarantined will travel in toa hotel. Antarctica They aredirectly being from tested Goa, every unlike five in days,” normal he times,said. when it travels to South Africa and then boards a ship from Cape Town for the remaining distance.

ling to South Africa would have been difficult. Flight services are disrupted. The team would have been quarantined in South Africa for two weeks. So we decided to travel “Travel directly from Goa,” Ravichandran said. o one gets infected during the journey, which will take about a month. The ship will have to refuel once, maybe in Mauritius. People would“Precautions continue are to being be tested taken on to board,ensure and that if n someone tests positive, there are contingency plans to isolate and, if possibl

Has Covid impacted India’s e,Antarctic deboard programme? them on the way.” Apart from personnel at the two permanent stations, several Indian researchers head to Antarctica every year for their own projects. Antarctica is extremely conducive to carrying out a variety of experiments, especially those related to weather and climate change, because of its unpolluted environment.

Indian scientists usually head to Antarctica in November or December, and remain there until April. This year no such group could go to Antarctica.

Source: The Indian Express

26. An anti-science lawsuit

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

Three scientific publishers Elsevier, Wiley, and the American Chemical Society (ACS) filed a suit against Alexandra Elbakyan of Kazakhstan and others in the Delhi High Court on December 21, 2020. The case— will reportedly be heard this week. Most major Indian— Internet service providers are named as parties in the case. The publishers want Indians blocked from accessing a site called Sci-Hub, started by Ms. Elbakyan in 2011. Who is Ms. Elbakyan, what is Sci-Hub, and why are publishers chasing her in an Indian court? To answer this, it is necessary to explain how scientific publishing works.

How scientific publishing works

Scientists are usually paid by their institutions. Their research grants come from various organisations, usually governmental ones. In India, public institutions come under various ministries and departments, and major funding agencies are the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Biotechnology, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Page | 151 Research, and the Department of Atomic Energy, among others. On completing any research paper, scientists seek to publish it in an academic journal, such as those run by other scientists, and take a decision on publishing. Authors are not paid. Reviewers are not paid.Elsevier, Journals Wiley, are and mostly ACS. Theaccessed journals online. seek ‘peer review’ of these papers, that is, reviews by

This sounds like a cost-efficient system. Yet, publishers charge libraries exorbitant amounts for journal subscriptions (up to lakhs of rupees annually per journal, often bundled forcibly). Indian institutions each spend crores on subscriptions. It is estimated that about ₹1,500 crore is paid for India as a whole annually. Without subscriptions, a single article typically costs $30-$50 (₹2,200-₹3,500) or more. Academic publishing is thus among the most profitable industries in the world: Elsevier s parent company RELX had profits of over 30% on revenue of nearly $10 billion in 2019. This overwhelmingly comes from taxpayers across the world who have already paid to fund’ the same research. Adding insult to injury, most journals require authors to transfer copyright to them.

Resentment about this situation has built over decades. Alternatives have been explored, including an (equally problematic) open access, author pays model. Many top universities, and entire countries, have cancelled subscriptions to Elsevier en masse.

In 2011, Ms. Elbakyan stepped into this mess with Sci-Hub, enabling scientists to search for academic papers from any publisher and freely download them. It is an efficient and easy- to-use site and extensively archives published scientific literature. Sci-Hub violates many copyrights owned by journals. But it is also a vast repository of open access, out-of- copyright, and public domain material, which a blanket injunction would disable. For scientists stuck at home in 2020, Sci-Hub has made literature accessible without navigating institutional VPNs. For journalists and the public, given the obscene per article charges levied by journals, Sci-Hub is the easiest and often only option.

A beneficial site Sci-Hub does not operate in India. Indian Internet service providers named as parties are providing a non-discriminatory common carrier service. The content on Sci-Hub does not

2020, leading publishers made COVID-19-related articles free to read. This has resulted in a harmboom India’sin research interests and development and is beneficial of dozens to the of scientific vaccine developmentcandidates in ofa very the country.short time In period: a testament to the value of open science. Sci- who create that content. This is the opposite of the situation in the creative arts where Hub’s “piracy” benefits the very people and they and their funders want their work to be shared freely. But the keys to this largely “pirating” music or films deprives creators of royalties; scientific authors get no royalties, Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

taxpayer-funded work are held by private corporations overseas which have chosen to pursue a defendant from Kazakhstan in an Indian court.

Is there an alternative to Sci-Hub? Yes. Publishers should voluntarily reform their policies to obviate the need for Sci-Hub Page | 152 by the government, scientific publishers. The Indian would government make their has entirebeen discussing content available a ‘one nation, to all readersone subscription’ in India. system Some publisherswhereby, in (not exchange the plaintiffs) for a fixed have and expressedreasonable interest.cost paid Elsevier, directly Wiley and ACS should drop this misguided case, and join the Indian government in working out an equitable system of access to scientific literature that serves both their commercial interests and the Indian public.

Source: The Hindu

27. Are viruses expected to change form, and will vaccines protect against a mutating SARS-CoV-2?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

A year after the novel coronavirus announced itself in China, there was yet another critical update in December this year the emergence of a new strain of the virus, caused by mutations, that seemed to be 70% more transmissible. Mutations were reported from different parts of the world, including— Denmark, Australia, England and South Africa, but the rapid domination of the new strain lineage B 1.1.7 in the south of England set off a chain of events, including curbs on travel and Christmas celebrations in the country, and several nations temporarily suspending— flights originating— from the United Kingdom.

What is the WHO saying? Speaking about the new English variant, World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cited a basic fact of virology, that viruses mutate over time and it is natural and is to be expected. Trying to counter many ill-informed discussions triggered by transmission was higher, but there was no evidence that it causes a more severe disease. Ongoingpanic from studies the will usage clear of the the air word on this ‘mutation’, angle. he said the U.K. had reported that the

Why do viruses mutate? Mutation is part of the life cycle of a virus. Once the virus latches on to a host, it begins to replicate and make copies of itself. During the process of virus replication, random errors arise, one or two protein molecules change, possibly induced by the immune response mounted within infected people, explains P.B. Rajesh, vice-president, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, U.K. These changes in the genomic structure of the virus can be ability to survive or replicate are important. considered mutations. Not all mutations are significant, but those that affect the virus’s

How was the new strain identified? The English variant was identified in genomic surveillance by COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK), a consortium that analyses genome sequencing data from the U.K. On its website, COG- -CoV-2 genome as the virus replicates and circulates in the human population ... As a result of this on-going process, Page | 153 many thousandsUK ofsays, mutations “Mutations have arise already naturally arisen in inthe the SARS SARS-CoV-2 genome since the -CoV-2 have no apparent effect on the virus and only a very small minority are likely to be important andvirus change emerged the in virus 2019 in … any The appreciable vast majority way of (for the example,mutations a observedchange in in the SARS ability to infect people; cause disease of different severity; or become insensitive to the effect of the human immune response including the

The variant is the result of multipleresponse mutations generated in the by spike a vaccine).” protein (the point of viral entry into the host) of SARS-CoV-2, as well as mutations in other genomic regions of the RNA virus. COG-UK reportedly identified on spike protein that binds to a key protein in the human cell, the ACE2 receptor. This was an indication that the alterations may, theoretically,e of these mutations result in as the ‘N501Y’, virus in becoming an area of more the infectious, it said.

As of December 13, according to Public Health England (PHE), there were 1,108 cases of vatheriant variant emerged identified in September “predominantly 2020 and in the then South circulated and East at very of England”. low levels The in U.K. the populationgovernment’s until website mid-November. explains that backwards tracing using genetic evidence suggests this

The increase in cases linked to the new variant first came to light in late November when PHE was investigating why infection rates in Kent were not falling despite national restrictions. They then discovered a cluster linked to this variant that was spreading rapidly into London and Essex.

Can it be detected through PCR tests? Does the PCR test done to detect the virus also pick up this variant, or is it harder to detect? Answering the oft-asked question, Dr. Rajesh says the PCR test is used to identify a number

Whitty, has said that current swab tests are able to identify the new variant. of gene targets and will pick up this variant too. The U.K.’s Chief Medical Officer, Chris Is it known how a vaccine will react? While studies are on to determine the impact of the vaccine on severity of disease or implication for the vaccine, but at this point of time, it is unknown. It is still early to be certain.mortality, Ongoing Dr. Rajesh work is explains, something “What we are we looking need to forward know to. about What the does new this variant variation is do its for a vaccine which will any way stimulate a broad antibody response? The hope is that it

won’t be significantly hampered by the mutation.” Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Vincent Rajkumar, haematologist and oncologist at Mayo Clinic, in Minnesota, United vaccine will have an impact on the new variant strain because the amino acid sequence in theStates, spike however, is altered. urges But nations my response to soldier to this on withis: vaccines, vaccination. vaccines, “The vaccines. worry is Vaccineswhether willthe reduce the number of people who get infected, reduce the number of people spreading the Page | 154 infections, lower the number of hosts, lower the chances of further mutations, and allow us

Vaccinesto get things will under offer control.” protection even from a mutant virus. By their very nature, they will make a variety of different antibodies and memory cells that will help fight off the infection, he adds.

How can you protect yourself? Simply by following the original advice on COVID-19 hygiene. Using a face mask, regularly washing hands, and maintaining distance with others when in a public setting will continue to be the best practical ways to prevent the infection, experts insist.

Source: The Hindu

28. Nanomicelles: using nanoparticles for cancer treatment

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

With the advance in nanotechnology, researchers across the globe have been exploring how to use nanoparticles for efficient drug delivery.

Similar to nanoshells and nanovesicles, nanomicelles are extremely small structures and have been noted as an emerging platform in targeted therapy. Nanomicelles are globe-like Page | 155 structures with a hydrophilic outer shell and a hydrophobic interior. This dual property makes them a perfect carrier for delivering drug molecules.

Drug delivery Now a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional team has created a nanomicelle that can be used to deliver a drug named docetaxel, which is commonly used to treat various cancers including breast, colon and lung cancer.

cells of the body, and chemotherapeutics approved for treatment of cancer are highly toxic. The“The currently ideal goal used for cancerdocetaxel therapy is a highly is destroying hydrophobic the cancer drug, cellsand iswithout dissolved harming in a chemical healthy mixture (polysorbate-80 and alcohol). This aggravates its toxic effects on liver, blood cells, and lungs. So, there was an urgent and unmet need to develop effective drug delivery

Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Chemical Biology at the Regional Centre for Biotechnology,vehicles for docetaxel Faridabad. without He is one these of sidethe corresponding effects,” explains authors Avinash of the Bajaj, paper from recently the published in Angewandte Chemie.

Small but active The nanomicelles are less than 100nm in size and are stable at room temperature. Once injected intravenously these nanomicelles can easily escape the circulation and enter the solid tumours where the blood vessels are found to be leaky. These leaky blood vessels are - docetaxel prodrug to be silent in the circulation and healthy organs. But once it enters the absent in the healthy organs. “Chemical conjugation would render the phospholipid adds Dr. Bajaj. cancer cells, the enzymes will cleave the bond to activate the drug, and kill the cancer cells,” The team tested the effectiveness of the nanomicelles in a mice breast tumour model and was found to help in tumour regression. Its toxicity was compared with the currently used FDA approved formulation and found to be less toxic. Similar promising results were seen when tested in higher model organisms including rats, rabbits and rhesus monkeys.

The team further studied the mode of action of the nanomicelles and found that they work by enhancing the expression of tumour suppressor genes.

increases the effectiveness of individual drugs. “We are currently working to develop a nanomicelle which can carry multiple drugs and

Previously we developed a hydrogel drug delivery system to carry a combination of three drugs. These nanomicelles are extremely cost-effective and can prove to be next-generation aini Dasgupta from the Amity Institute of Integrative Sciences and Health, Amity University, Gurgaon. chemotherapeutic,” adds Ujj Page | 156 Source: The Hindu

29. Mutated coronavirus vs tests and vaccines

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

In emerging information about the new variant of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 circulating in the UK, one mutation has been of particular concern. The variant, called VUI 202012/01 and reported as being capable of transmitting faster among people, is defined by as many as 14 mutations and three deletions in its genetic material. Of particular concern is one still being studied, health authorities are largely optimistic that most tests and vaccines will stillmutation, work. N501Y. While the variant’s potential to impact testing and vaccination results are

What is a mutation? A mutation means an alteration in genetic material. In an RNA virus such as SARS-CoV-2,

ed next to each other to form a structure. An alteration in thisproteins base arecan madebe a mutation, of a sequence effectively of amino changing acids. the Such shape a virus and behaviourcontains some of the 30,000 virus. ‘base pairs’, which are like bricks plac In the UK variant, one mutation has made the virus more likely to bind with human proteins called receptors. This is called N501Y.

What is N501Y? In simple words, the amino acid represented by the letter N, and present at position 501 in the coronavirus genetic structure, has been replaced in that position with another amino acid, represented by Y. The position where this alteration has taken place is in the spike -binding domain. (It is the spike protein of the virus that binds with the human receptor.) protein’s receptor Therefore, the mutation has increased the binding affinity of the coronavirus. The mutated virus reportedly accounts for 60% of recent infections in London.

According to the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID) database, the same mutation in the receptor binding domain has been independently reported in several countries including South Africa and Australia. Sequence analysis has shown that this mutation originated separately in the UK and South Africa.

What about the other coronavirus mutations? Mutations are common, but the majority of them cause no alteration in the structure of the proteins they encode - could result in an amino— acidthese change. are called ‘synonymous’ mutations, as they eventually Page | 157 translate to the same amino acids. Another type is ‘non synonymous’ mutation, which In the variant circulating in the UK, there are six synonymous alterations and fourteen non- amino acids removed from the sequence. synonymous mutations. In addition, there are three ‘deletions’ — influen According the World Health Organization (WHO), other than N501Y, mutations that “may And whatce the are transmissibility P681H and HV of 69/70? the virus in humans” are P681H and HV 69/70. P681H: This mutation has occurred in the amino acid present at 681 another position in the receptor-binding domain. Here the amino acid P has been replaced with H. The US —

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has said this is a site “with high variability in coronaviruses”, and this specific mutation has also emerged spontaneously multiple times. ResearchersThe WHO has have said this earlier mutation shown is thatof “biological this mutation significance”. can promote entry into respiratory epithelial cells and transmission in animal models.

Recent samples sequenced at the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious versity, Nigeria has shown the P681H sequence there. However,

Diseases, Redeemer’s Uni researchers say that at present, they “do not have evidence to indicate that the P681H HVvariant 69/70: is contributing This mutation to increased is the result transmission of a deletion of the of aminovirus in acids Nigeria”. at positions 69 and 70. These positions are again in the spike protein of the virus. This deletion has been observed spontaneously many times, and likely leads to a change in the shape of (i.e., a in France and South Africa as well. The CDC has said : “This double deletion has occurred

Researchersconformational on changebehalf of in) COVID-19 the spike Genomicsprotein”. Consortium UK (CoG-UK), which red-flagged the new variant in the UK, have said in their preliminary report that this deletion was also seen in a mink-associated outbreak in Denmark. In humans, this deletion has been associated with another mutation, N439K, which again occurred the receptor-binding domain.

The WHO has highlighted that this deletion can affect the performance of some RT-PCR tests that detect the novel coronavirus.

How can it affect RT-PCR tests?

The WHO has said that the deletion at positions 69/70 has been found to affect the targetsperformance and thereforeof some diagnostic the impact PCR of assays the variant that use on diagnosticsan ‘S gene target’ is not (in anticipated the ‘S’ or tospike be protein). However, the WHO has also said, “most PCR assays worldwide use multiple Page | 158

Thesignificant”. CDC, too, has said that most commercial PCR tests have multiple targets where they detect the virus, so that even if a mutation impacts one of the targets, the other PCR targets will still work.

In fact, infection triggered by the new strain in the UK, too, was detected by the conventional RT-PCR test.

-house PCR assays that target the S gene of the virus should also be aware of this potential issue. In order to limit the impact on the detection capacities in the countries,“Laboratories an approach using in using different assays in parallel or multiplex assays targeting different viral genes is also recommended to allow the detection of potential arising

variants,”Will it impact the WHO vaccine had development?recommended. The CDC has said vaccines approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are

“polyclonal”, producing antibodies that target several parts of the spike protein. s said. “The virus would likely need to accumulate multiple mutations in the spike protein to evade immunity induced by vaccines or by natural infection,” it ha variant viruses have different biological properties or alter vaccine efficacy. There is not enoughAnd the information WHO has at said: present “Laboratory to determine studies if this are variant ongoing is associated to determine with whether any change these in

Source:severity Theof clinical Indian disease, Express antibody response or vaccine efficacy.”

30. The mutation of viruses, and the coronavirus mutant in the UK

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

The year 2020 will be remembered for the emergence of a new virus the SARS coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and the Covid-19 pandemic it caused. With a few more days to go, 2020 is projected to close out with about 84 million confirmed Covid-19 cases— and over 1.8 million deaths.

Despite this gloom, this has also been a year of hope, with the development, testing and approval of vaccines at remarkable speed. For the first time ever, a pandemic of human disease would be controlled by vaccines in real time.

Nobel L Page | 159

Two recentaureate developments Joshua Lederberg, remind us one why of virusesmodern can biology’s be such most formidable influential adversaries. thinkers, once said, “The single biggest threat to man’s continued dominance on the planet is the virus.” With the discovery of 58 people testing positive for the new coronavirus in Antarctica, the pandemic has reached every continent. And a mutant virus has emerged in the United Kingdom, which threatens to shut down the world yet again a world just beginning to recover from lockdowns and movement restrictions. — The mutation of viruses The genetic material or genome of SARS-CoV-2 is a ribonucleic acid (RNA) made up of over 30,000 units (called nucleotides). Among the families of RNA viruses, the coronaviruses have the largest genome. Most other RNA viruses have on average about 10,000 nucleotides. When genomes replicate any genomes, whether DNA or RNA, from the smallest viruses to humans there are random errors (or mutations). While higher organisms have the machinery to correct— these errors, viruses and especially the RNA ones, —

Mostdon’t. mutations are deleterious, and those viruses are never seen. Only the mutations that offer some selective advantage result in the evolution of new viral variants.

Evolution also requires selection pressure. For a virus, this could be its ability to infect better and multiply to higher numbers or evade host immunity. The low probability of these events is compensated by the high rates of virus multiplication. For example, each coronavirus-infected cell produces about 1,000 new virus particles in under 12 hours.

The mutant in the UK A distinct phylogenetic cluster or lineage (named B.1.1.7) of SARS-CoV-2 was recently discovered in the UK. The two earliest viruses of this lineage were collected on September 20 and 21 from Kent and Greater London respectively. By December 15, this lineage contained 1,623 viruses 555 from Kent, 519 from Greater London, 545 in other regions of the UK including Scotland and Wales, and four from Australia, Denmark, Italy, and Netherlands. —

In another ten days on December 25 the numbers of these variant viruses has more than doubled to 3,575; mostly from the UK, but now also from France, Ireland, Israel, Hong Kong and Singapore. — —

What the mutation does

Compared to the original SARS-CoV-2 strains, viruses of this lineage have accumulated 23 mutations across 5 genes. Of these, there are 17 non-synonymous and six synonymous mutations; the former also change an amino acid at that site in the protein. Importantly, of the 17 non-synonymous mutations, eight are in the spike protein the protein that allows the virus to attach to and enter cells. Page | 160 — The N501Y mutation in one of the key contact residues in the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein increases its affinity for the ACE2 receptor. The P681H mutation in the cleavage site between the S1 and S2 domains of the spike protein promotes entry into susceptible cells, and increases transmission in animal models of infection.

The N501Y change is also associated with increased infectivity and virulence in animal models. Both these mutations were earlier observed independently, but have come together in the UK variant viruses. The result is a virus that spreads faster than before.

The cause for worry… There is widespread concern that these mutations may prevent currently used tests from detecting the virus, make it more lethal, or allow it to evade vaccines under development. There is no evidence so far for any of these. After all, these variants were found in people who were identified to be positive with currently available RT-PCR tests.

However, even though there is no evidence for more severe disease, there is clear evidence that this variant is more contagious. Those infected produce more virus in their nose and throat, and that leads to more virus shedding and more person-to-person transmission.

While these variants appear not to be more lethal, with more infected people there would be higher numbers (not percentages) of severe infections and deaths. This should be cause for worry.

…And reason not to Even though there are multiple mutations in the spike protein, most experts believe that vaccines currently in development would also work on the variant viruses. Vineet Menachery, an assistant professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, US, has provided the first evidence for this.

His laboratory compared the efficacy of serum samples from recovered Covid-19 patients to neutralise viruses with or without the N501Y mutation. They found no difference. Though only shared on Twitter on December 23 and still not part of a publication, these results are encouraging and reassuring.

Flights off, not mutation India has stopped all flights from the UK and increased surveillance at airports to stop the import of the highly transmissible variants. While seemingly a reasonable strategy, such

variants could easily develop within the country too. After all, India has over 10 million confirmed infections and it is estimated that 150 to 200 million people are already infected. A fast spreader variant called 501.V2 emerged independently in South Africa and shares the N501Y mutation with the UK variants. Though the spike N501Y variant has not yet been found in India, viruses with the P681H mutation started emerging in July and Page | 161 presently 14% of SARS-CoV-2 circulating in India carries this mutation.

These viruses are mainly from Maharashtra, with some from West Bengal as well. It would take just one more mutation for us to get where the UK is today. And that should also worry us in India.

Quick reaction is key To catch the emergence of new viral variants before they spread widely in the population, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends determining the virus genomic sequence from at least one out of every 300 confirmed cases (or 0.33%). The UK has sequenced 135,572 or 6.2% viral variants from its 2.19 million cases, while South Africa and the US have reported genome sequences from 0.3% of confirmed cases.

However, India has so far sequenced only 4,976 or 0.05% viruses from its over 10 million cases. At this rate, we will remain oblivious to the emergence of new variants till it is already too late. One basic element of disease surveillance is adequate coverage and density to catch events before they spread widely.

Conducive Indian conditions Another reason to worry is that the conditions hypothesised to give rise to the UK variant are present in India as well. Immunodeficient or immunosuppressed patients, who become chronically infected with SARS-CoV-2, remain positive for viral RNA for 2-4 months instead of the usual 2-3 weeks. These patients are often treated with convalescent plasma (sometimes more than once) and usually also with the drug remdesivir.

Virus genome sequencing from such patients has revealed unusually large numbers of nucleotide changes. Intra-patient virus genetic diversity is also known to increase following plasma therapy. Poor nutritional status is a known cause for weak immune systems and physicians in India have reported chronic infection in a subset of patients.

Several unknowns remain Plasma therapy and remdesivir have also been used widely to treat Covid-19 patients in India. Further, plasma has been administered in India without first testing for the levels of neutralising antibodies. All these create opportunities for UK-type variants to emerge in India as well. But we have not sequenced enough to know if that has happened.

Even at low coverage, the sequences from India are skewed for urban locations, especially the metros where sequencing laboratories are located. This needs broader coverage to include all parts of the country. The Indian Council of Medical Research can facilitate this

process by providing access to samples from Covid-19 patients to research laboratories that have the capacity for genomic sequencing and data analysis. Real-time surveillance will provide data that is both dense and granular for setting policy based on evidence.

Going forward with ‘SMS’ Page | 162 When vaccines are deployed more widely, there would be further selection pressures on the virus to change. Vaccine-escape mutants are well known for other viruses and will emerge for SARS-CoV2 as well. Only proper genetic surveillance will catch any vaccine failure well in time.

As we step into 2021, the message to policymakers and the public is clear. Those who oversee public health must continuously seek fresh evidence to make policies at the population level. At the individual level, each one of us must work towards reducing virus transmission less transmission means less opportunity for the virus to change. And SMS is the only tool available to us at this time social distancing, masks and sanitisation. — Source: The Indian Express —

31. What is Pneumosil, India’s first indigenously created vaccine against pneumococcal disease?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

India’s first indigenously developed pneumococcal vaccine Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) unveiled I is also the maker of Covishield, the Indian version of thendia’s AstraZeneca-Oxford first indigenously coronavirus developed vaccine.pneumococcal vaccine on Monday. The world’s largest vaccine manufacturer by doses, SII

Pneumosil ine, Pneumosil, was developed through a collaboration spanning over a decade with the health organisation PATH and the Bill and Melinda Gates SII’s pneumococcal vacc a significant milestone f Foundation. The vaccine was launched by Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan. “This is or the country’s public healthcare which will ensure that children inare 170 protected countries better and every against third pneumococcal child in the world disease is immunised with an effective with one vaccine,” of its vaccines. Dr Harsh Vardhan said at the virtual launch function. He said the Serum Institute’s vaccines are used Use of vaccine The vaccine targets the pneumococcal bacterium, which causes pneumonia and other serious life-threatening diseases such as meningitis and sepsis, and is estimated to cause nearly four lakh deaths in children under five years of age each year worldwide.

Pneumococcal disease is a significant contributor under-five mortality rate worldwide. In view of its widespread fatality, the World Health Organization in 2018 recommended the inclusion of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in routine childhood immunisation programmes in all countries. Page | 163 Market availability dose (vial and prefilled syringe) and multidose (vial) presentations. While PCVs have helpedSerum’s reducefirst indigenous pneumococcal PCV will deaths, be available they arein the difficult market for at an many affordable countries price to in afford.single Pneumosil addresses the need for a more affordable option, said Adar Poonawalla, CEO , SII. Dr Rajeev Dhere, executive director, said Pneumosil will be available at an affordable competitive price. The unique feature of the WHO pre-qualified PCV is its composition which is specially tailored to the serotype of the bacterium, S penumoniae, in India and other regions of the world, Dr Dhere said.

Trials Pneumosil has been extensively evaluated in five randomised controlled clinical trials and has demonstrated comparable safety and immunogenicity against licensed pneumococcal vaccines across diverse populations of India and Africa, where Pneumosil was administered to adults, toddlers and infants using different vaccination schedules, officials said. Based on the trials, Pneumosil was licensed by the Drugs Controller General (India) in July 2020.

The Advance Market Commitment, and the first developing country vaccine manufacturer to accessvaccine the global also PCV makes market. SII the world’s third supplier of PCVs under the pneumococcal

Source: The Indian Express

Social Issues

4. India to get back ‘smuggled’ Annapurna idol from Canada: How it was tracked

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper I; Social Issues

Page | 164

Statue of Annapurna

There are several remarkable national artefacts that have been returned or on its way to way back to its origin country from across the world. An addition to the list is the Annapurna idol that was mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the November 29 from Canada. It was smuggled out of India during the colonial era. episode of ‘Mann Ki Baat’. The ancient idol was stolen from India is being brought back Modi announced that it is returning to India 100 years since it was stolen from a temple in home.Varanasi He (PM’s also Lok recalled Sabha constituency), how like the sometime Annapurna in or idol,around many 1913. Indian Calling artefacts it a ‘priceless and legacy’ he said that is will be a matter of ‘great fortune’ that the idol will be returning to its

Howrepresentatives the stolen of‘Annapurna’ the country’s idol heritage was traced were victims in Canada of the ‘international gang’. is also known as the manifestation of the goddess Parvati, partner to Lord Shiva. Annapurna, also called ‘Annapoorna’ is known as the goddess of food and nourishment. She The 18-century idol built following the Benaras style of art had so long been an exhibit at the MacKenzie Art Gallery, an art museum in Canada that showcases the private collection of the Regina University. Last year when an Indian origin artist Divya Mehra was asked to stage an exhibition at the museum, she started digging deep into the history of the art forms showcased there. One sculpture that she initially thought to be Lord Vishnu in her

female avatar, holding a bowl of rice pudding had resemblance with a stolen sculpture from a temple in Varanasi in 1913. The art piece was acquired by lawyer Norman MacKenzie and the became an exhibit of the museum.

Siddhartha V Shah, Curator at Peabody Essex Museum for the Indian and South Asian Art Page | 165 section was invited, who identified the statue and confirmed it was indeed smuggled from strangerVaranasi overheardand is an idol his ofliking Lord for Annapurna, the art piece not he Shiva. stole Mehra’s it from aresearch temple byfurther the riverbank established of Varanasithat MacKenzie’s and sold it has to him. his eyes on this statue since he visited India in 1913. When. A

How the statue will be returned to India agreed to be being repatriated. After reading about the statue. The Indian High Commission inThe Ottawa, interim Canada CEO ofthen the stepped art gallery in and on offered knowing to assist about in the the statue’s process historyof sending from back Mehra the artefact with the help of the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Thomas Chase, VC of the University of Regina said that they have a responsibility of rectifying the wrongs done in history and help in repairing the damage colonialism has caused. He further pressed that repatriating is not equivalent to reversing the wrong done day. The virtual repatriation ceremony of the idol was held on November 19. a century ago, but is an ‘important’ and ‘appropriate’ act to When will the idol reach India? Sources from the Archeological Survey of India, who are the conservator of all repatriated artefacts informed that the idol will return by mid-December. The process will undergo thorough verification and documentation before deciding on its future home. According to the PM, the idol will go back to its original home in Kashi. And the ASI will take care of the security arrangements and finalizing on where it will be placed before handing it over to temple trustees.

Other repatriated objects from the West Union Culture Minister Prahlad Patel recently handed over the custody of a bronze idol of Lord Rama, Lakshman and Goddess Sita to the Tamil Nadu government after bringing it government to avoid any future situation of theft. back firm the UK. He has also put the onus of their safe custody to the respective state’s In the last six years, the government was able to trace back 40 antiquities from various countries that were stolen in between 1977 and 2014. According to ASI records, 13 of them were brought back to India. Patel assured another 75-80 antiques is set to return to India after the prolonged legal battle of repatriation.

Source: Financial Express

2. Dravidian politics might soon face one of its greatest modern-day challenges — Hindutva

Relevant for GS Mains Paper I; Social Issues Page | 166

With the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly election approaching from the horizon, Dravidian politics might soon come face to face with one of its greatest modern-day challenges Hindutva. With the recent visit of Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah to Chennai, it has become imperative to ask how the stalwarts of the Dravidian movement, the AIADMK— and DMK, will deal with the challenge of the saffron party.

Before delving into the present scenario, it is important to first grapple with the legacy of Dravidianism. When the DMK seized control of the political landscape in 1967, it may not have imagined that its ascendant philosophical chassis, which was premised on the assertion of a unique Tamil ethnic identity comprising linguistic, scriptural, and broader cultural nuance, would dominate the State for well over half a century.

Flexible and accommodative The reasons for the resilience of Dravidian ideology are manifold and include, importantly, its deeply flexible and accommodative impulse. This allowed numerous Backward Classes and Scheduled Castes, comprising largely of small-property owners, to be pulled into the tent of t pushed back on the erstwhile hegemony of Brahminism, Hindi, the political diktats of a farawayhe New DMK’s Delhi, ‘assertive and populism’, caste Hinduism. a demanding, Mass even welfare strident, policies political gained movement enormous that momentum in parallel, and became entrenched, institutionalised forms of mediating redistributive conflicts at the State level.

The innate flexible quality of Dravidian politics also allowed it to morph over time to tolerate, even encourage, political leadership of multiple vectors within its ambit. Thus, when M.G. Ramachandran broke off from the DMK and started the AIADMK, he was able to score remarkable victories at the hustings, premised upon a rainbow social coalition of Thevars, Dalits, and a smorgasbord of other middle castes.

This nimbleness and capability for political innovation played a crucial role in sustaining the relevance of Dravidian philosophy through the turbulent economic reform years of the 1990s and 2000s. During this period, rapid industrial growth in the State went together with a shadowy system of resource expropriation, and that required bringing in and paying movement. off a range of political players whose backgrounds varied from the ‘core’ leaders of the The second biggest challenge However, if economic reforms towards modernisation comprised the first wave of challenges to Dravidianism, Hindutva, as practised by the Sangh Parivar and the BJP,

comprises the second, and potentially greater gauntlet. This challenge comes at a time when, under the presidential-style politics practised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, there is a tendency in some pockets to label any ideology that does not defer to Hindutva as anti-national and a threat to majoritarian religious identity. Page | 167 Today, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami has risen from a relatively less- known status during the time of former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and proven his capability to govern and bring succour to the people of the State across a broad swathe of policy issues, from flood management to fighting for more Central government funds in the battle against COVID-19.

This puts the voters at a crossroads, and there is a choice that they must make between two options. The first is Dravidian politics, whose onus it will be to prove that it is attuned to socioeconomic modernity, yet preserves its commitment to mass welfare schemes and good governance and the idea of Tamil exceptionalism. The second is the idiom of national politics, and the greater space that it would afford to neoliberal market economics, Hindutva politics and a social policy essentially formulated in New Delhi.

Next year could be an inflection point that shifts the needle on State autonomy and regional power, or it could be a reaffirmation of faith in the power of Dravidian politics to transform itself and Tamil Nadu to rise to the challenges of the century.

Source: The Hindu

3. Reading NFHS data: why findings of the latest round are of concern

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper I; Social Issues

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) recently released the results from the first phase of the National Family Health Survey (NHFS). This is the fifth such survey and the first phase for which data was collected in the second half of 2019 covered 17 states and five Union Territories. — — The most important takeaway is that between 2015 and 2019, several Indian states have suffered a reversal on several child malnutrition parameters. In other words, instead of improving, several states have either seen child malnutrition increase or improve at a very slow rate.

The second phase of the survey was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic; its results are expected to come out in May 2021. The second phase will cover some of the biggest states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Jharkhand. Experts expect the second phase data on child malnutrition to be even worse, given the all-round adverse impact of Covid be it personal incomes, food availability, healthcare provisioning etc.

What is NFHS? NFHS is a large-scale nationwide survey of representative households. The data is collected over multiple rounds. The MoHFW has designated International Institute for Population Sciences in Mumbai as the nodal agency and the survey is a collaborative effort of IIPS; ORC Macro, Maryland (US); and the East-West Center, Hawaii (US). The survey is funded by the Page | 168 United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with supplementary support from UNICEF.

This is the fifth NFHS and refers to the 2019-20 period. The first four referred to 1992-93, 1998-99, 2005-06 and 2015-16, respectively.

What data does it collect? The initial factsheet for NFHS-5 provides state-wise data on 131 parameters. These parameters include questions such as how many households get drinking water, electricity and improved sanitation; what is sex ratio at birth, what are infant and child mortality metrics, what is the status of maternal and child health, how many have high blood sugar or high blood pressure etc.

Each round of NFHS has also expanded the scope of inquiry. In the fifth iteration, for instance, there are new questions on preschool education, disability, access to a toilet facility, death registration, bathing practices during menstruation, and methods and reasons for abortion.

Child nutrition parameters

Why are NFHS results important? The NFHS database is possibly the most important one because it not only feeds into the research needs and informs advocacy but also is central to both central and state-level policyma because the questions and the methodology is internationally valid. Thus, it places the Page | 169 results ofking. say child NFHS malnutrition survey results trends also in provide Bihar in internationally the global context. comparable results. That’s

What has NFHS-5 found? Researchers and experts on health and welfare metrics have described the latest results as

“shocking”,The graphs “alarming” alongside and show “very why. troublesome”. On several parameters, the number of states worsening over the last round NFHS-4 (2015-16) is not only high but often more than the number of states improving. — What is most— troubling is that on child malnutrition parameters such as infant and child ge), child wasting ( — several states (underhave either 5 years been of stagnant age) mortality, or worsened. child stunting (low height for one’s a low weight for one’s height) and proportion of underweight children — In other words, children born between 2014 and 2019 (that is, 0 to 5 years of age) are more malnourished than the previous generation. The reversal in the proportion of children who are stunted is the most worrisome because unlike wasting and being underweight (which can be due to short term reasons and represent acute malnutrition), stunting represents chronic malnutrition. Reversals in stunting are unheard of in growing economies with stable democracies.

Another cause of concern is the fact that the first phase data is pre-pandemic and it is quite likely that the second phase s impact may throw up ever poorer results. — which will also incorporate Covid’ — What is the significance of these results? Worsening child malnutrition, as well as rising levels of anaemia in women (especially pregnant ones), points to Indian children born in the past 5 years likely suffering from both cognitive and physical deficiencies.

In January 2012, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said that high child -3 (2005-

06)malnutrition and NFHS-4 level in (2015-16), India was “a India national registered shame”. its As mostit turns significant out, between reduction NFHS in child malnutrition, thanks to a flurry of interventions such nutrition missions, Integrated Child Development Services, the introduction of MGNREGA and expansion of Public Distribution System among others.

The latest results show that health-wise, India has taken a turn for the worse since 2015 despite improvements in water availability and sanitation methods.

Health outcomes such as child malnutrition data are the result of a complex set of reasons ranging from Page | 170 government interventions. — the state of a family’s income generation to environmental factors to Experts say that only when the full set of raw unit-level data is available can a proper analysis of why India suffered such reversals over the past five years be done.

Source: The Indian Express

Internal Security

1. Advantages of deploying additional security forces in Chhattisgarh to tackle the Maoists

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Internal Security

The Union government is in the process of deploying five more battalions of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to Chhattisgarh to scale up anti-Maoist operations, particularly in the south Bastar region.

More than 45 Central Armed Police Force battalions are already deployed in Chhattisgarh, where 14 districts are Maoist affected. Of them, eight are severely affected. Most of the 22

State armed battalions are also deployed in these districts. In addition, the CRPF’s specially trainedengaged ‘Cobra’ in operations units and inthe the State’s forward Special areas. Task Though Force theand proposedDistrict Reserve deployment Guards is are in also line

Extremism, its impact may have wider implications on the ground. with the ‘National Policy and Action Plan’ of the Central government on Left Wing Despite the present deployment, Bastar still has a security vacuum in many pockets, particularly in the south Bastar and Abujhmad areas. These pockets, called base areas by the Maoists, not only provide them

Army battalion, to move about freely. occasionThough their to wage movement ‘mobile is war’regularly against checked the security by the securityforces, but forces, also enablethe Maoists their still military enjoy formations, sufficient control including over the the People’s tribal populace. Liberation Guerrilla

Benefits of more forces The newly inducted battalions could have multiple advantages for the State. First, as more ll be area will now be dominated by the security forces, the Maoists’ movement wi Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

restricted to a comparatively smaller area. In case of any attack on the security forces, the Maoists will not be able to retreat unchallenged. Consequently, the intensity of war will be wouldreduced be and cut the back ‘mobile over war’ time will due come to continuous down to its pressure basics, i.e., from the the ‘guerrilla security war’. forces. Similarly, Also, Page | 171 additionalthe Maoists’ deployment battalion, being and frequentlarge in size, movement will become of the more security vulnerable forces andwould in all improve likelihood, the intelligence network.

Second, establishment of new security camps always brings immediate benefits for the nearby villages. New borewells are dug and health services are also extended by the medical staff of security camps. Once these services are initiated by the forces, the district administration scales them up by providing the required funds. The dislocated fair price shops (PDS) are restored to their original locations and villagers are not required to walk long distances to fetch their rations. All other schemes of the governments are also implemented better through these newly established security camps-cum-development centres.

Third, once the security environment improves, more roads can be laid and mobile towers and electricity poles installed for better transportation, communication and electricity supply. Financial inclusion can be improved and the MNREGA works started to give impetus to economic activities. More schools, primary health centres and anganwadis can be opened up to provide basic amenities to the villagers.

Fourth, democratic institutions like panchayats may get revived and political activities could increase with the improved security scenario. This may further lead to better grievance redressal in the existing inaccessible areas.

Being alert on tactics However, the security forces need to be more alert to thwart any untoward incident while moving in base areas. They need to be more watchful of their tactics knowing well that IEDs and iron spikes have been laid all over by the Maoists. The collateral damage must be reduced to its minimal. The Maoists usually oppose establishment of new security camps and use villagers as their cover. A lot of violence has been witnessed in the past at the behest of the Maoists. Therefore, the villagers must to be taken into confidence and told that the new security camps will act for their welfare as centres of development.

R.K. Vij is a senior IPS officer in Chhattisgarh. Views are personal

Source: The Hindu

2. The Khalistan movement is non-existent, but security agencies must watch fringe sections

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Internal Security

What has happended recently? The arrest of five terror suspects in Delhi two of whom were allegedly involved in the murder of Shaurya Chakra awardee Balwinder Singh in Punjab in October has turned the spotlight on the embers of the long dead— and buried Khalistan movement. The Delhi -Services Intelligence (ISI) is seeking— yet again to Page | 172 link up terror outfits in Kashmir with pro-Khalistan activists; three of the others arrested werepolice from have Kashmir. claimed thatWhile Pakistan’s these claims Inter need to be investigated before any conclusion can be made about the presence of a link, the central government should not take the threat lightly.

In the past The Khalistan movement has long become moribund with the neutralisation of the threat and the ending of the Punjab insurgency in the early 1990s. The movement has lost support from the Sikh community within India and the Sikh diaspora across the world. The killing of Balwinder Singh is one of a few isolated and sporadic incidents that have occurred in the last decade but attempts to revive the movement from fringe groups have failed.

There is also no truth in the allegation that there are pro-Khalistani sections as part of the large-scale protests led by farmers in Punjab. The irrelevance of the Khalistan movement notwithstanding, agencies such as the ISI have not stopped trying to foment such violence, either directly by funding fringe sections or by linking them with terror groups in Kashmir. Security agencies must therefore remain vigilant.

Even if the Khalistan movement has been interred, the threat of terror in Kashmir remains well and truly active. Terror incidents and fatalities since the revoking of special status and statehood for Jammu & Kashmir in the last year have remained high. Data from the terrorism monitoring portal, satp.org, show that there were 382 incidents related to terrorism and 302 fatalities in 2020 so far in J&K compared to 369 and 283 in 2019, respectively. While many of these incidents have occurred due to acts of terror emanating from within the Union Territory, infiltration of terrorists from Pakistan continues apace as well, which is also correlated with the increased ceasefire violations at both the Line of Control and the International Border. The lull in terror activities and the relative peace in the Valley from 2011 to 2015 are now a thing of the past and renewed violence besides disaffection have become a new normal, even if they have not reached the high levels of the 1990s and the early 2000s. The persisting disaffection in the Valley can only be addressed status and restores its full statehood. by a new political process that seeks to review the unilateral changes made to the region’s Source: The Hindu

Miscellaneous

1. China buys rice from India for first time in decades amid cross-border tensions: Report

Relevant for GS Prelims Page | 173

China has started importing rice from India for the first time in at least three decades due to tightening supplies and an offer of sharply discounted prices.

Indian traders have contracted to export 1 lakh tonnes of broken rice for December- February shipments at around $300 (Rs 22,800) per tonne, according to Reuters.

I imports around 4 million tonnes of rice annually but has avoided purchases from India, citingndia quality is the world’sconcerns. biggest exporter of rice and China is the biggest importer. Beijing

m, Myanmar and Pakistan, have limited surplus supplies for export and were quoting at least $30 (Rs 2,280) per tonne moreChina’s compared traditional to Indian suppliers, prices. such as Thailand, Vietna

The development comes amid ongoing tensions between the two countries in the eastern Ladakh region. The standoff along the Line of Actual Control between India and China has been in a stalemate since May. The initial scuffles led to a pitched battle without firearms in June that saw 20 Indian soldiers killed. Beijing, however, refused to release casualty numbers on its side. Both India and China have accused each other of –crossing into rival territory– and of firing shots for the first time in 45 years.

increasing by 43% in the January-October period, the Economic Times reported on Tuesday,India’s overall quoting rice government exports have data. witnessed a jump this year, as compared to last year,

Source: Scroll.in

2. Indian-American teen named ‘Time’ magazine’s first-ever ‘Kid of the Year’

Relevant for GS Prelims

A 15-year-old Indian-American girl was named the first- magazine for her work using technology to tackle matters such as contaminated drinking water, opioid addiction and cyberbullying. ever “Kid of the Year” by Time

Gitanjali Rao was selected from a field of over 5,000 Americans and was interviewed by

actor Angelina Jolie for the magazine. “Observe, brainstorm, research, build and Researchcommunicate,” on water Rao told quality Jolie about her working process during a virtual meeting. Page | 174 Rao said that she was in the second or third grade when she decided to use technology to bring social change. The 15-year-old scientist said she was 10 when she told her parents that she wanted to research on carbon nanotube sensor technology at the Denver Water Quality Research Lab.

App to detect cyberbullying extension. The app, Kindly, detects cyberbullying at an early stage using artificial Raointelligence said she technology, has developed she toldan app Jolie. to prevent cyberbullying for Google’s Chrome browser

She added that she was working on a way to help detect bio-contaminants such as parasites in water. Rao said that she wanted her innovation to be inexpensive and accurate to help those in third-world countries.

Sources: The Hindu, The Indian Express, Scroll, The Wire and others

3. PhonePe spins-out from Flipkart to take on an independent avatar, gets pegged at Rs. 40K crores

Relevant for GS Prelims

In a significant business development, digital payments app PhonePe is separating from its parent company, Flipkart. This new entity will have a market value of $5.5 billion (Rs. – with an 87% stake in it. The two businesses will also retain their close collaboration. 40,000 crores). Notably, Flipkart will continue Walmart to remain will PhonePe’sget to own majority10% of PhonePe. shareholder

Meanwhile,More Details Flipkart’s own parent company – Besides becoming a separate entity, PhonePe is also raising Rs. 5,000 crores from Walmart and other existing investors such as Tiger Global Management. The funding would help PhonePe in competing with its rivals such as Google Pay, Amazon Pay and Paytm. PhonePe -founders - Sameer -founder- Binny Bansal among others. is also appointing a fresh board of directors. It will include company’s co PhenomenalNigam and Rahul Success Chari, Flipkart’s co In just four years of operations, PhonePe has managed to gain a huge 25 crore user base. The company presently has over 10 crore active monthly users. PhonePe, which was the first payments app to get launched on UPI platform became the top UPI payments app this

October. It did so by processing 83 crore transactions compared to 82 crore by Google Pay. PhonePe has also expanded into new segments such as travel booking, bill payments, financial services etc.

Aiming big! Page | 175 e an independent company is in line with its plans of filing an IPO. The company is expected to do this in 2023 and is looking to achieve a Asvaluation per experts, of $7-10 PhonePe’s billion. move to becom

4. Cabinet approves setting up of public WiFi networks under ‘PM-WANI’

Relevant for GS Prelims

Public WiFi networks In a bid to improve wireless connectivity, the Union Cabinet approved setting up of public WiFi networks across the country. The WiFi will be provided through public data offices (PDOs) for which there will be no licence, registration or any other fees, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, adding that the public WiFi was being rolled out as part of the Prime Minister WiFi Access Network Interface (PM- WANI).

PDOs The PDO, to be set up along the lines of public calling office, can be a mom-and-pop store in the area or the common services centre present in various small towns, gram panchayats, and villages in the country. The PDOs can either provide the internet on other own or lease it from other telecom and internet service providers, he said.

PDO aggregators In addition to the PDOs, there will also be PDO aggregators, which will look after the authorisation and accounting of PDOs. A third layer will of app providers, available for download on the Play Store as well as the Apple Store, will enable users to register for using the public WiFi at a particular place. Users, however, will not be required to download different apps, as a single app will provide seamless connectivity to any PDO across the country, Prasad said.

Though there will be no licence for PDOs, a simple registration system will be put in place for PDO aggregators as well as app providers, which will be approved within seven days of the application being submitted. If the said application is not approved within seven days, it shall be deemed approved by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Prasad said. A central registry, which will contain all the details of all the PDO, the PDO aggregators, and app providers will be maintained by the Centre for Development of Telematic (C-DOT).

The idea of a PDO was first floated by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) in 2017. Six months later, it set up the initial pilot project for PDO, in which companies such as

-DOT had participated. Like a PCO, the PDO allows users to connect to a public WiFi system for a limited session depending on the internet pack Facebook,chosen by andthe user.government’s These internet C packages can either by charged on per minute or per hour basis by the PDOs. In 2018, when Trai had floated the test model, it mooted that the - Page | 176 20, and can be used anytime. users should be able to buy “sachet sized” internet plans that varied between Rs 2 and Rs In its report after conducting the tests, Trai had said that in order to plug the gap of high speed and reliable broadband connectivity in rural and remote areas, public WiFi was one of the best ways.

use WiFi technology to communicate. In India, this figure is less than 10 per cent. Therefore,“… In most theremajor is economies, a dire need for to 50 exploit to 70 WiFiper cent technology of their alsototal forusage delivering time, mobile broadband users connectivity, there should at least be a 100 million public WiFi hotspots in the country by 2023.services at affordable prices,” Trai had said, adding that to plug gaps of broadband

Source: The Indian Express

5. Airbnb joins the $100 billion club, stock market debut turns out to be the biggest US IPO this year

Relevant for GS Prelims

In a truly spectacular achievement, vacation rental online marketplace Airbnb has share price more than doubled on the opening day of its IPO. – achieved the market valuation of $100 billion dollars. This happened after the company’s As a result, Airbnb is now worth more than the combined net worth of the Marriott and Hilton hotel chains.

The Details

$144 at the end of the day. It thus turned out to be the biggest U.S IPO of 2020. It was also oneAirbnb’s of the share biggest price first-day zoomed ralliesfrom $68 on (the the price stock set market by it before ever. Notably, the start the of the company trading) was to valued at around $18 billion during a private fundraising round in April this year.

A stunning recovery Like several other businesses, Airbnb also took a serious hit at the onset of the Covid pandemic. As people around the world decided against travelling and stay at home, Airbnb saw a steep decline in the bookings on its platform. They fell by 72% in April compared to 2019.

However, the easing of the lockdowns, somewhat revived its business, with travellers choosing to book homes instead of hotels during their travels. This helped Airbnb in posting a surprise profit for the third quarter of the current fiscal. The company also benefitted from Page | 177 Come a long way!customers’ rising interest in renting homes away from major cities. Airbnb was founded in 2008 as a website for making bookings for rooms during conferences. The San Francisco-based firm now has a massive online presence and lists millions of homes for rent in nearly every country in the world. Over the past few years, it has expanded its business from just short-term home rentals to letting travellers book- day trips and restaurant reservations.

6. Stealth frigate Himgiri for Navy launched into water

Relevant for GS Prelims

The first of three stealth frigates, Himgiri, being built by the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) under Project 17A for the Navy was launched into water on Monday.

Project 17A Stealth Frigate P17A ships with a displacement of around 6,670 tonnes will be the most advanced state-of- the-art guided missile frigates once inducted. The contract for construction of three stealth frigates under Project 17A is valued at over ₹19,293 crore.

This project is unique that it is being built simultaneously at two locations, at GRSE in Kolkata and Mazgaon Docks Limited in Mumbai. Fincantieri of Italy is the knowhow provider for technology upgrade and capability enhancement in this project.

Offshore Patrol Vessels In Goa, the 5th and the last of the Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) in the series, Saksham, being built at Goa Shipyard Limited, was also launched into water and is expected to be delivered to the Coast Guard by October 2021.

The indigenous OPV project was launched on November 13, 2016. Since then two vessels have been commissioned and all five have been launched, the ICG said in a statement.

Source: The Hindu

7. John Le Carré, whose George Smiley made James Bond look like an ‘international gangster’

Relevant for GS Prelims

British writer John Le Carré, 89, whose Cold-War tales redefined spy novels, passed away

on Saturday in the UK’s Cornwall. gave him a unique understanding of human nature and its many failings. He wrote his first Page | 178 novelBorn on Call October for the 19, Dead 1931, in as 1961, David followed John Moore by A Cornwell, Murder ofthe Quality writer’s (1962). unstable In childhood them, he created George Smiley, a retired, unkempt and unhappy detective, a former spy, who investigates what appears to be a case of suicide and the murder of a schoolboy respectively.

Le Carré himself had served in the British foreign office, in the security service (MI5) and Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). In fact, it was his work as a spy that led him to adopt a pseudonym for his writing career. What began as a series of personal mysteries soon veered into a territory of familiarity for Le Carré with his third novel, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1963), his most well-known novel. In it, Le Carré first created a murky moral universe of British secret service operations that was far from the prevalent notion of spying as an act of glamorous daredevilry in the service of the nation an idea

— characterestablished fighting by Ian loneliness, Fleming’s bureaucratic James Bond red novels. tape and Le Carré,moral dilemmas who termed just Bondas any as other “an person,international but often gangster”, with deeper made personalhis plump and detective political quite fallout. the opposite. Smiley was a lonely

The Cold War and its cultural connotations Following the end of World War II, uneasy peace marked international relations between the United States and what was then the Soviet Union, and their allies. Nuclear armament meant further war was an unviable option. So, espionage and undercover propaganda campaigns came to play a big role in foreign affairs till the fall of the USSR in 1991. The individual and political impact of the Cold War would go on to inspire many films and spy novels in the years to come.

Le Carré’s books While a blurb from novelist Graham Greene termed The Spy Who Came in from the Cold as successes. In a career that spanned nearly 50 years, he followed up his 1963 novel with several“the best others, spy story often Iset have in troubled ever read”, conflict it was zones, only including the starting in Chechnya, point of LeRwanda Carré’s and many the Israel-Palestine conflict zone. While almost all his novels were bestsellers, the most well- known ones include Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1974), The Honourable Schoolboy (1977), A Perfect Spy (1986), The Tailor of Panama (1996) and The Constant Gardener (2001). He wrote 25 books, in which Le Carré created a universe focussed on the vagaries of human nature and the peaks and abysse increasingly became more political, offering veiled commentary on the detrimental fallouts of the use of force to combat acts ofs insurgency they could and lead terrorism. to. Over theHis years,novels Leexplored Carré’s the novels idea of patriotism and blind faith in governments and the rigid moral certainties they created

that often did not hold up to reason. His last novel was the spy thriller, Agent Running in the Field, published in October last year.

Legacy Throughout his long and distinguished career, Le Carré refused to allow his books to be Page | 179 sent for awards and prizes. He was equally resolute about not accepting state honours. But his contribution, especially his humanisation of the espionage system, did not go unrecognised by either his readers or his peers. American novelist Philip Roth declared his

autobiographical novel, A Perfect Spy, featuring a double agent, Magnus Pym, as the “best EnglishAlthough novel he wrotesince the several war”. semi-autobiographical accounts in his books, Le Carré was famouslydismissive at of an the interview. idea of memoirsIn 2015, however, and autobiographies. a biography, “I’m John horrified Le Carré: at The the Biography, notion of wasautobiography, published. Itbecause was written I’m already by Adam constructing Sisman, after the extensive lies I am goinginterviews to tell,” with he thecommented writer.

Source: The Indian Express

8. Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan nominated to the Board of GAVI, The Vaccine Alliance

Relevant for GS Prelims

Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare has been nominated by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) as a member on the GAVI Board. Dr. Harsh Vardhan will be representing the South East Area Regional Office(SEARO)/ Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) constituency on the GAVI Board. The seat is currently held by Mr. MyintHtwe of Myanmar. Dr. Harsh Vardhan will be representing India from 1st January 2021 until 31st December 2023.

The Board normally meets twice a year in June and November/ Decemberand holds an annual retreat, normally in March or April. All these meetings arenormally attended in person.

About GAVIBoard The GAVIBoard is responsible for strategic direction and policy-making, oversees the operations of the Vaccine Alliance and monitors programme implementation. With membership drawn from a range of partner organisations, as well as experts from the private sector, the Board provides a forum for balanced strategic decision making, innovation and partner collaboration.

GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance as part of its mission to save lives, reduce poverty and protect the world against the threat of epidemics, has helped vaccinate more than 822 million

Dr.NgoziOkonjo-lweala presently serves as Chair of the GAVIAlliance Board. children in the world’s poorest countries, preventing more than 14 million future deaths. Page | 180 Source: PIB

9. INCOIS launches ‘Digital Ocean’

Relevant for GS Prelims

What is Digital Ocean? asUnion a one Minister stop-solution for Science for all and data Technology related needs Harshvardhan of a wide range on Monday of users, launched including the research ‘Digital institutions,Ocean’ platform operational of Indian agencies, National strategic Centre forusers, Oceanic academic Information community, Services maritime (INCOIS) industry, here and the public.

What is objective behind Digital Ocean? sea-change in how the oceanographic data is served for a better understanding of oceans surrounding us. It will “Digital Ocean (www.do.incois.gov.in) is expected to bring a

play a central role in sustainable management of our oceans and expanding our ‘Blue ThisEconomy’ first ofinitiatives. its kind platform for ocean data management has a set of applications that present heterogeneous oceanographic data with geospatial technology.

-based environment for data integration, 3D and 4D data visualization, data analysis to assess the evolution of oceanographic features “Itobtained will facilitate from multiple an online sources interactive like on web site monitoring devices, remote sensing and model data.

About INCOIS INCOIS provides ocean information and advisory services to various stakeholders in the country, including Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories, Ocean State Forecast (OSF), high wave alerts, tsunami early warnings, storm surge and oil-spill advisories, among others., using state-of-the-art technologies and tools to get real time information on oceanographic and marine meteorological data. The institute has been serving as the National Argo Data Centre and Regional Argo Data Centre of the International Argo Programme, he added, in a press release.

Source: The Hindu

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