UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY No.5/45 NVN Layout, New Siddhapudur, Gandhipuram, Coimbatore - 44
UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS JUNE- 2020
S.NO INDEX PAGE NO
GS PAPER – I
1 CENTRALLY PROTECTED MONUMENTS 1 2 ASHADHI BIJI 1 3 PURI YATRA 1 4 KAMAKHYA FESTIVAL 2 5 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA 2 6 KEELADI EXCAVATION SITE 2
GS PAPER – II
1 AAROGYAPATH 3 2 NATION‟S NAME 3 3 HOME MINISTRY GAVE 94 ORDERS IN 68 DAYS 4 4 PM CARES FUND 4 5 NDMA TEAM 5 6 FOR BETTER CONDITIONS OF WORK 6 7 MISSING: NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY 7 8 NATIONAL DISASTER RELIEF FUND 7 9 “ASPIRATIONAL” DISTRICTS 7 10 FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION 8 11 GETTING OUT OF THE „GUNS, GERMS AND STEEL‟ CRISIS 9 12 ANTI DEFECTION LAW 9 13 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 10 14 THE PARLIAMENT 11 15 SAFE ONLINE LEARNING IN THE TIMES OF COVID-19 12 16 THE ACADEMY WE NEED 12 17 DILUTED EDUCATION 13 18 EQUAL AND EXCELLENT 13 19 RURAL INDIA, THE NEW VIRAL FLASH POINT 14 20 I-LAB 15 21 ANNUAL TB REPORT 16 22 DIABETES 16 23 NINTH SCHEDULE 17 24 ANTI DEFECTION 17 25 TRIBAL WELFARE 18 26 THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN THE COVID FIGHT 18 27 DOMAIN OF HEALTHCARE 19 28 PUBLIC HEALTH CARE 20 29 INDIA RANKINGS 2020 21 30 NATURE INDEX 2020 21 31 WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOUR 2020 21 32 J&K INTERNET CURBS 22 33 BONDED LABOUR 22 34 FAST-TRACK COURTS 23 35 SC NOTICE ON INSURANCE COVER FOR MENTAL ILLNESS 23 36 BLACK LISTED CITIZENS 24 37 HEALTH IMPACT FUND 24 38 LABOUR LAW CHANGES 25 39 AAROGYA SETU 26 40 E-PHARMACIES 26 41 PROTECTION OF CHILDREN 27 42 PREVENTIVE DETENTION 27 43 DISASTER RELIEF FUND 28 44 DELIMITATION 29 45 DECENTRALISED RESPONSE 30 46 NO CONFIDENCE MOTION 31 47 POSTAL BALLOTS 31 48 „EBLOODSERVICES‟ MOBILE APP 32 49 PANCHAYAT RAJ 32 50 KALAPANI 33 51 DRAWING THE LINE 34 52 G7 SUMMIT 35 53 INDIAAND BHUTAN 35 54 INDIA, CHINA AND PAKISTAN 36 55 NO LONGER SPECIAL 37 56 RESOLVE AND PRUDENCE 37 57 GALWAN VALLEY 39
58 THE GHOST OF AUGUST 5 40 59 KARTARPUR CORRIDOR 41 60 LINE ON ACTUAL CONTROL 42 61 SECURING THE SEA LANES 43 62 CHINA PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR 44 63 MULTILATERALISM 45 64 INDIA-AUSTRALIA VIRTUAL SUMMIT 46 65 AN UNRAVELLING OF THE GROUP OF SEVEN 47 66 INDIAN OCEAN COMMISSION 48 67 WEST ASIA 49 68 NORTH KOREA 49 69 RIC GROUPING 50 70 RUSSIA AMID INDIA, CHINA TENSIONS 51 71 CHINA AND U.S. 52 72 U.S. NUCLEAR DEAL WITH RUSSIA 52 73 SOUTH CHINA SEA 53 74 WHO 54 75 REMAINING NON-ALIGNED 55 76 UIGHURS 56 77 SENKAKU ISLAND 56 78 H-1B VISAS 57 79 INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT 58 80 SIPRI 59 81 ASIAN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT BANK 59 82 UNSC 60 83 FATF GROUP 61 84 FATF „GREYLIST‟ 61 85 MONEY LAUNDERING AND THE ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE 62 86 UN ARMS TRADE TREATY 63 87 GLOBAL EDUCATION MONITORING REPORT: UNESCO 63
GS PAPER – III
1 MGNREGS 64 2 UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME 65 3 UNPACKING THE REFORM 65 4 PM SVANIDHI 66 5 GARIB KALYAN ROJGAR ABHIYAAN 67 6 PRADHAN MANTRI MUDRA YOJANA 67 7 CHAMPIONS 67 8 TULIP 68 9 DRAFT RULES ON INVESTMENT IN PENSION FUNDS 68 10 EMERGENCY CREDIT LINE GUARANTEE SCHEME 69 11 GREEN CERTIFICATES 69 12 GLOBAL MONETISATION SCHEME 70 13 GOVERNMENT E-MARKETPLACE (GEM) 70 14 MONEY SUPPLY SURGE 71 15 RBI SUPERVISE COOP. BANKS 71 16 BANKING REGULATION (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE, 2020 72 17 MINIMUM SUPPORT PRICES (MSP) 72 18 KISAN CREDIT CARDS (KCC) 73 19 MOODY‟S RATING 73 20 SMALL DROP IN JOBLESSNESS IN 2018-19: PLFS 74 21 FOREIGN FLOWS INTO MARKET 75 22 NATIONAL INCOME 75 23 GLOBAL ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE REPORT: WB 77 24 WHOLESALE PRICE INDEX 77 25 BHIM APP 78 26 INFRASTRUCTURE IN AREAS ALONG CHINA BORDER 78 27 THE INDIAN GAS EXCHANGE 79 28 ANIMAL HUSBANDRY INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT FUND 80 29 PROPOSED ELECTRICITY(AMENDMENT BILL) 2020 80 30 WORLD INVESTMENT REPORT - UNCTAD 81 31 GOOGLE TO PAY FOR NEWS CONTENT 82 32 TRADE DEFICIT 82 33 GST COMPENSATION 83 34 FISCAL STRESS 83 35 ENFORCEMENT DIRECTORATE 84 36 SCORPIONFISH 84 37 INDIA‟S FIRST DOLPHIN OBSERVATORY 85 38 WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2020 85 39 NAGAR VAN 86 40 SUNDERBANS IN CYCLONE AMPHAN 86 41 TIGER DEATHS 87 42 PANGOLINS 87 43 POACHING DOUBLED DURING LOCKDOWN 88 44 BIODIVERSITY PARK IN HALDWANI 88 45 ANNUAL REPORT ON FOREST 89 46 FLATTENING THE CLIMATE CURVE 89 47 674 GIR LIONS 90 48 IMPORT OF EXOTIC SPECIES 90 49 INDIAN GAUR IN NILGIRIS 91 50 FOREST FIRE PREVENTION STEPS 91 51 BIO MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT 92 52 EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTERS 93 53 LONAR LAKE 93 54 A STRUGGLE TO CO-EXIST WITH HUMANS 94 55 BS-6 FOUR-WHEEL VEHICLES 95 56 GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (GPAI) 95 57 3D PRINTING. 96 58 DRUG FOR COVID-19 CASES 97 59 DEXAMETHASONE 97 60 SPACEX 97 61 SECOND MOST COMMON CORONAVIRUS TYPE IN INDIA 98 62 THE ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE AND SUMMER SOLSTICE 98 63 ADVANCED TORPEDO DEFENCE SYSTEM (ATDS): „MAAREECH‟ 99 64 JAL JEEVAN MISSION 99 65 LIDAR 100 66 PRIVATE SECTOR IN SPACE ACTIVITY 101
UNIQUE IAS ACADEMY UPSC Current Affairs June – 2020 LOGOHERE
GS PAPER- I
GS PAPER - 01 ART AND CULTURE - Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times
CENTRALLY PROTECTED MONUMENTS Context: Union Minister for Culture & Tourism has approved opening of 820 centrally protected monuments under the Archeological Survey of India. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI):
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organization for the archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation. Maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance is the
prime concern of the ASI. Besides, it regulates all archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.
It also regulates the Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972. For the maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance, the entire country is divided into 24 Circles.
Source:- PIB
ASHADHI BIJI Context: PM greets people on Ashadhi Bij, the Kutchi New Year. Ashadhi Bij: Ashadhi Bij/Beej is the 2nd day of Shukla paksha of Ashadha month of the Hindu calendar (June – July). The Kutchi people of Gujarat celebrate their Kutchi New Year on this day. This day is associated with the beginning of rains in Kutch, Gujarat. On this festival, the people check the moisture in the atmosphere to help predict which crop would do best in the coming monsoon. Moisture in the air makes the seed and soil gain weight. If the pre-monsoon air has a lot of moisture in it, that is a fairly good indication that the season will be well. Kutch is largely a desert area, therefore people living there value rain very much. Ashadhi Beej is celebrated mainly at two places in India – Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, UP and Mulesh Mahadev in Umreth, Gujarat. Source:- PIB PURI YATRA
Context: The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday the pleas seeking recall of its order staying this year's historic Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra, attended by lakhs of people from across the world, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. More in the news: The apex court had on June 18 said that in the interest of public health and safety of citizens, this year's
Rath Yatra, which was scheduled for June 23, at Puri in Odisha cannot be allowed and "Lord Jagannath won't forgive us if we allow" it. A day after the order was passed, some applications were filed in the top court seeking recall and modification of its order. Puri Temple: The Jagannath Temple in Puri was called the “White Pagoda”. The temple is believed to be constructed in the 12th century by King Anatavarman Chodaganga Deva of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. 1
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The temple is famous for its annual Ratha Yatra or Chariot festival, in which the three principal deities (Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra) are pulled on huge and elaborately decorated temple cars Jagannath Puri temple is called „Yamanika Tirtha‟ where, according to the Hindu beliefs, the power of ‗Yama‘, the god of death has been nullified in Puri due to the presence of Lord Jagannath. Source:- The Hindu
KAMAKHYA FESTIVAL
Context: The Ambubachi Mela began at the Kamakhya temple without mendicants, hermits and devotees for the first time in almost 500 years.
Ambubachi Mela: Ambubachi Mela is an annual Hindu mela held at Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Assam. The annual festival marks the menstruation of the goddess.
The Ambubachi Mela symbolises the fertility cult of goddess Kamakhya. The festival is also known as ‗Mahakumbh of the East‘ as it draws lakhs of devotees from all over the world.
Kamakhya Temple: Legends say the temple atop the Nilachal Hills, whose northern face slopes down to the Brahmaputra river, was built by the demon king Narakasura.
Records are available from 1565 when Koch King Naranarayana had the temple rebuilt. Kamakhya is one of the 51 shaktipeeths, or holy sites, for the followers of the Shakti cult, each representing a body part of Sati, Lord Shiva‘s companion.
There is no idol of the presiding deity but she is worshipped in the form of a yoni-like (female genitals) stone instead, over which a natural spring flows. Source:- The Hindu INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA Context:
The sixth International Day of Yoga was celebrated with great enthusiasm across the country through electronic and digital media. International Yoga Day:
Coinciding with the summer solstice, June 21 is observed as International Yoga Day, recognising the many benefits of the ancient Indian practice of yoga. The year 2020 marks the 6th International Yoga Day.
The United Nations theme for this year is ―Yoga for Health – Yoga at Home‖, which takes into account the social distancing measures announced by most countries. The UN proclaimed June 21 as International Day of Yoga by passing a resolution on December 11,
2014, during the 69th session of the General Assembly. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 01 HISTORY - Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.
KEELADI EXCAVATION SITE Context: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times. Key Highlights: The skeleton was found buried between two terracotta urns that were also found on the same day. It was 75 cm in height and was found 0.5 m below surface level. Two other skeletal remains of adults were found at Konthagai during this phase. A total of 15 urns have been found till date.
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A gold coin that is said to have been used extensively in the 17th century AD, some shells and pots, have also been found during the excavation, in all four sites.
Keezhadi excavation site: Keezhadi excavation site is a Sangam period settlement that is being excavated by the
Archaeological Survey of India and the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department. This site is located 12 km southeast of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, near the town of Keezhadi in Sivagangai district. This is a large-scale excavation carried out in Tamil Nadu after the Adichanallur archaeological site. The settlement lies on the bank of the Vaigai River and it reflects the ancient culture of Tamil people. Many antiquities have been unearthed that provide crucial evidence to understanding the
missing links of the Iron Age [12th century BCE to 6th century BCE] to the Early Historic Period [6th century BCE to 4th century BCE] and subsequent cultural developments. Tamil Brahmi letters found were inscribed when the pot was wet or after the pot became dry.
This clearly suggests literacy levels in the 6th century BC.
Source:- The Hindu ------
GS PAPER - II
GS PAPER - 02 POLITY - Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.
AAROGYAPATH
Context: Arogyapath - A CSIR National Healthcare Supply Chain Portal that aims to provide real-time availability of critical healthcare supplies has been launched. Arogyapath: vision of “providing a path which leads one on a journey towards Aarogya (healthy life)” was developed to address these challenges. This integrated public platform that provides single-point availability of key healthcare goods can be helpful to customers in tackling a number of routinely experienced issues. Source:- PIB
NATION‟S NAME Context: The Supreme Court will hear on June 2, 2020, a plea which has sought a direction to the Centre to amend the Constitution and replace the word India with ‗Bharat‘ or ‗Hindustan‘, claiming it will instil a sense of pride in our own nationality. Petitioner contention: The plea has sought a direction to the government to take appropriate steps to bring amendment in Article 1 of the Constitution, which deals with name and territory of the Union, to the effect that the same refers to the country as Bharat/Hindustan, to the exclusion of India. The plea, filed by a Delhi-based man, has claimed that such an amendment will ensure the citizens of this country to get over the colonial past. The removal of the English name though appears symbolic, will instil a sense of pride in our own nationality, especially for the future generations to come. In fact, the word India being replaced with Bharat would justify the hard fought freedom by our ancestors, the plea claimed.
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Referring to the 1948 Constituent Assembly debate on Article 1 of the then draft constitution, the plea said even at that time, there was a strong wave in favour of naming the country as ‗Bharat‘ or ‗Hindustan‘. The plea says that the time is ripe to recognize the country by its original and authentic name i.e., Bharat especially when our cities have been renamed to identify with the Indian ethos. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e- governance - applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential; citizens charters, transparency & accountability and institutional and other measures.
HOME MINISTRY GAVE 94 ORDERS IN 68 DAYS
Context: The Home Ministry‘s orders during the lockdown have been issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. The Disaster Management Act, 2005 has been invoked for the first time in the country since the legislation was drafted after the tsunami in 2004.
Disaster management act: The Disaster Management Act, 2005 provides for ―the effective management of disasters and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.‖ It allows certain financial freedom to tackle the growing epidemic.
By invoking the Disaster Management Act, 2005, government - access to the National Disaster Response Fund to deal with the current crisis. The act gives the central, state, and district authorities sweeping powers to deal with a crisis.
The Act calls for the establishment of: National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA)
National Disaster Response Force National Institute of Disaster Management. The Act further contains the provisions for financial mechanisms such as the creation of funds for the
response, National Disaster Mitigation Fund and similar funds at the state and district levels Source:- The Hindu
PM CARES FUND Context:
A public interest litigation petition has been filed in the Delhi high court seeking direction to the PM CARES Fund to release details of the money received and utilised under the Right to Information Act, 2005.
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Background: The fund refused to divulge information sought by one Harsha Kundakarni under the Right to Information Act, 2005, saying it is not a "public authority" within the ambit of the Act. Petitioner contention: The fund was created to help the country fight covid-19 and after two months of its creation the corpus stands at about ₹10,000 crore - the amount so collected on the strength of the prestige lent by the office of the prime minister. The reluctance of the trustees of the fund in divulging information as to the management of the fund
raises a profoundly serious apprehension since the fund has been set up to fight Covid-19 which is a public cause. It is further unfathomable as to why such secrecy is desired when the website of the fund clearly
states that all persons engaged in the management of the fund are working on a pro bono capacity and shall have no personal interest in the fund, Every victim of Covid-19 is interested in and has a right to know as to how much fund has been
collected and how the same is being expended or is planned to be expended.
PM CARES fund: The government has set up the Prime Minister‘s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) to deal with any kind of emergency or distress situation like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Objective: To undertake and support relief or assistance of any kind relating to a public health emergency or any other kind of emergency, calamity or distress, either man-made or natural, including the creation or upgradation of healthcare or pharmaceutical facilities, other necessary infrastructure, funding relevant research or any other type of support. To render financial assistance, provide grants of payments of money or take such other steps as may be deemed necessary by the Board of Trustees to the affected population.
To undertake any other activity, which is not inconsistent with the above Objects The Fund is a public charitable trust with the Prime Minister as its Chairman.
Minister of Defence, Minister of Home Affairs and Minister of Finance, Government of India are ex-officio Trustees of the Fund. The Fund enables micro-donations as a result of which a large number of people will be able to contribute with the smallest of denominations.
The Fund will strengthen disaster management capacities and encourage research on protecting citizens. The fund consists entirely of voluntary contributions from individuals/organizations and does not get
any budgetary support. PM CARES Fund has also got exemption under the FCRA and a separate account for receiving foreign donations has been opened. PM CARES fund not audited by CAG.
Source:- The Hindu
NDMA TEAM Context:
A six-member team from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) visited Raigad district to assess the damage caused by Cyclone Nisarga. National disaster Management Authority:
The NDMA is apex statutory body for disaster management in India It is under control of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Its provisions are envisaged in Disaster Management Act, 2005
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Headed by Prime Minister of India. Mandate: Its primary purpose is to coordinate response to natural or man-made disasters and for capacity-building in disaster resiliency and crisis response. It is also apex body to lay down policies, plans and guidelines for Disaster Management to ensure timely and effective response to disasters.. Functions: Lay down policies on disaster management. Lay down guidelines to be followed by State Authorities in drawing up State Plan. Coordinate enforcement and implementation of disaster management policy and plan. Recommend provision of funds for the purpose of mitigation. Lay down broad policies and guidelines for the functioning of National Institute of Disaster Management. Source:- The Hindu
FOR BETTER CONDITIONS OF WORK
Context: After a stressful lockdown period, thousands of migrant workers have returned to their villages. Because of terrible living conditions in the cities and the shocking treatment meted out to them during
the lockdown period, Many have said they wish to stay there. Forming cooperative societies This is an opportunity for those working to provide workers security, those involved in the cooperative movement, those trying to improve the living conditions in rural India, and those working in the area of skill development to reach out to, and enable, the migrant workers to fulfill their desire of staying at home. Purpose: These cooperative societies, if they expand and form hubs, could start developing their services or products that can be sold with better terms and conditions. whose skills or products do not have enough marketing in a local area is to re-enter the city as labour cooperatives, or even unions, with demands that they get housing and other support systems that help them have a decent living, not only a wage. There are many government agencies that have been mandated to help build cooperative societies. There are also cooperative banks to help such societies. With large national institutions enabling such
cooperative societies, groups of migrant workers can find institutional strength. MGNREGA has been offered as a way of alleviating migrant workers‘ distress but this is not only a short term but also vulnerable wage-earning occupation. Sites cannot be opened during the monsoon
season. Also, at any given area, there may not be enough sites to engage many people. So another possibility is to give MGNREGA better shape so that MGNREGA funds can be used to enable women or artisans to market their products.
A pyramid of group economic activity This is a valuable opportunity for the state to build new kinds of economic structures in India, a pyramid of group economic activity going from the rural areas through collective marketing to fill the demand from the cities. Successful unionisation of workers can protect them from exploitation. It is possible to have dispersed production, home-based or small-unit based, to start a supply chain to markets, whether local markets or capital city markets or export markets. Conclusion: This is an opportunity to rebuild economic production through different institutional arrangements. Arrangements that can provide an optimal solution to the workers as well as contribute to the GDP must
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be made. It will also rebuild an India where cities are not congested and where the standard of living in rural areas will improve. Source:- The Hindu
MISSING: NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY Context: Since, it has been nearly seven weeks since the latest national security crisis began with multiple Chinese intrusions across the LAC at Galwan River, Hot Springs, Pangong Tso in Eastern Ladakh and Nathu La in North Sikkim. No formal statement has been made on the military situation at the sites of the
intrusions or along the rest of the LAC. Over the last seven years — Depsang 2013, Chumar 2014, Doklam 2017 and now Eastern Ladakh 2020- we have followed a familiar pattern to resolve national security crises due to the undemarcated LAC and
the ever-shifting Chinese claim lines. The primary concern of the government in such a crisis that portends possible loss of territory is its fallout on domestic politics.
Comprehensive national security strategy The national security strategy is the starting point for all security planning because it formally spells out the vision to tackle the threats faced.
The Defence Planning Committee has had the mandate to formalise a national security strategy since 2018, but little seems to have been done Conclusion:
The violence on the LAC is an ominous warning for the government to review its approach towards handling the current crisis. This crisis has to be managed without losing any territory, and more importantly, without losing our prestige. As a first step, we must delink national security from domestic politics. Source:- Indian Express
NATIONAL DISASTER RELIEF FUND
Context: The Finance Ministry has given approval to a proposal to allow individuals and institutions to contribute directly to the National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF).
Background: In the light of concerns about donations sent to the PM CARES Fund or the Prime Minister‟s National Relief Fund (PMNRF), as both claim they are not public authorities subject to questions
under the Right to Information Act a plea was made in the SC asking it to order the transfer of contributions made to the PM CARES Fund to the NDRF. The Supreme Court has sought a response from the Centre to the plea.
National Disaster Relief Fund (NDRF): The National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) was set up in accordance with Section 46 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005. It is meant to ―meet the expenses for emergency response, relief and rehabilitation‖ for any
disaster situation. Although Section 46 includes a clause for grants made by any person or institution, provisions for such donations had not been made.
Source: The Hindu
“ASPIRATIONAL” DISTRICTS Context: Union Minister of State Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), reviewed the COVID status
and healthcare facility in "Aspirational" districts with special focus on the North East.
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Aspirational Districts: Launched in January 2018, the ‗Transformation of Aspirational Districts‘ programme aims to quickly and effectively transform some of the most underdeveloped districts of the country. Aspirational Districts are those districts in India that are affected by poor socio-economic indicators. The broad contours of the programme are: Convergence (of Central & State Schemes) which brings together the horizontal and vertical tiers of the government. Collaboration (of Central, State level ‗Prabhari‘ Officers & District Collectors) which enables
impactful partnerships between government, market and civil society. Competition among districts driven by a spirit of the mass movement, it fosters accountability on district governments.
Focus: To enable optimum utilization of their potential, this program focuses closely on improving people‘s ability to participate fully in the burgeoning economy. Health & Nutrition, Education,
Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion & Skill Development, and Basic Infrastructure are this programme‘s core areas of focus. Source:- PIB
FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION Context: The Supreme Court stayed the investigation into multiple FIRs registered in several States against TV
news anchor Amish Devgan for his remarks against Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti. The offences mentioned in the FIRs include promoting enmity among religions, communities, etc. Freedom of Speech and Expression:
Article 19(1)(a) guarantees freedom of speech and expression to all citizens. The Supreme Court held that the freedom of speech and expression includes the following: Right to propagate one‘s views as well as views of others. Freedom of the press. Freedom of commercial advertisements. Right against tapping of telephonic conversation. Right to telecast, that is, government has no monopoly on electronic media. Right against bundh called by a political party or organisation. Right to know about government activities. Freedom of silence. Right against imposition of pre-censorship on a newspaper.
Right to demonstration or picketing but not right to strike The freedom of speech is not absolute. The State can impose reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the freedom of speech and expression on
the grounds of: sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the state,
friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality, contempt of court, defamation, and incitement to an offence. Hate speech Source:- The Hindu
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GETTING OUT OF THE „GUNS, GERMS AND STEEL‟ CRISIS Context: India faces a ―guns, germs and steel‖ crisis, this is the gravest confluence of military, health and economic crises threatening our nation in more than a generation. Each of these would qualify as an independent, large crisis by itself, warranting a specific resolution. Stand-off and Kargil parallel Standing up to a military threat by a superpower neighbour will pose an inevitable drain on the finances of the government. India‘s war against Pakistan in Kargil in May 1999 provides hints of the financial burden of a military threat. India‘s defence expenditure in the war year shot up by nearly 20% from the previous year. A portion of India‘s land in Ladakh has been grabbed by China. Surely, India is bound to assert its
rights, which will necessitate higher expenditure. India‘s defence budget has been whittled down to just 2% of GDP for the financial year 2021. Health care
The pandemic has exposed India‘s woefully inadequate health infrastructure. The combined public health expenditure of States and the central government in India is a mere 1.5% of GDP
Measures: Many public health experts are of the opinion that the central government will need additional funds of the equivalent of at least one percentage point of GDP to continue the fight against
COVID-19. Economy India‘s economy has four major drivers — people‘s spending on consumption, government spending,
investment and external trade. Even prior to COVID-19 when the global economy was robust, India‘s trade levels had fallen from 55% of nominal GDP in 2014 to 40% in 2020. The lockdown shut off people from spending for two full months, which will contract India‘s economy for the first time in nearly five decades, regardless of a strong agriculture performance. Way Forward: Government will need to inject incremental funds of five percentage points of GDP to absorb the economic shock and kick start the spending cycle again. The central government will need additional funds of the equivalent of at least one percentage point of GDP to continue the fight against COVID-19. The government will need to inject incremental funds of five percentage points of GDP to absorb the economic shock and kick start the spending cycle again.
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Parliament and State Legislatures - structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these.
ANTI DEFECTION LAW Context: The Manipur High Court directed the Speaker to restrain seven Congress MLAs, who had defected to the
BJP, from entering the Manipur Legislative Assembly in Imphal. More in the news: The MLAs had raised the strength of the BJP-led coalition government to 40 in the 60-member
Assembly. After hearing disqualification petitions against them, the court also directed the Speaker to ensure compliance of the order by all concerned.
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Anti Defection law:
The 10th schedule of the Indian Constitution is popularly known as Anti defection Law
‗Anti-Defection Law‘ was inserted by the 52nd Amendment (1985) to the Constitution.
The anti-defection law was enacted to ensure that a party member does not violate the mandate of the party and in case he does so, he will lose his membership of the House. The law applies to both Parliament and state assemblies.
The aim of the Anti-Defection Law is to prevent MPs from switching political parties for any personal motive. The Tenth Schedule includes the following provisions with regard to the disqualification of MPs and MLAs on the grounds of defection: Grounds for disqualification: If an elected member gives up his membership of a political party voluntarily. If he votes or abstains from voting in the House, contrary to any direction issued by his political party.
If any member who is independently elected joins any party. If any nominated member joins any political party after the end of 6 months. The decision on disqualification questions on the ground of defection is referred to the Speaker or
the Chairman of the House, and his/her decision is final. All proceedings in relation to disqualification under this Schedule are considered to be proceedings in Parliament or the Legislature of a state as is the case. Exemptions: In the situation where two-thirds of the legislators of a political party decide to merge into another party, neither the members who decide to merge, nor the ones who stay with the original party will face disqualification. Any person elected as chairman or speaker can resign from his party, and rejoin the party if he demits that post. Earlier, the law allowed parties to be split, but at present, this has been outlawed.
Source:- The Hindu
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Context:
The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for elections to seven Karnataka Legislative Council seats. The ECI said in a statement that the seven seats would be vacant after the members retire on June 30. Legislative Council: Under Article 169 of the constitution, Parliament may by law create or abolish the second chamber in a state if the Legislative Assembly of that state passes a resolution to that effect by a special majority. As per article 171 clause (1) of the Indian Constitution, the total number of members in the legislative council of a state shall not exceed one third of the total number of the members in the legislative Assembly of that state and the total number of members in the legislative council of a state shall in no case be less than 40. How are member of Council elected? 1/3rd of members are elected by members of the Assembly.
1/3rd by electorates consisting of members of municipalities, district boards and other local authorities in the state. 1/12th by an electorate consisting of teachers.
1/12th by registered graduates.
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The remaining members are nominated by the Governor from among those who have distinguished themselves in literature, science, art, the cooperative movement, and social service. Legislative councils in Indian States: Six States having a Legislative Council: Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education.
THE PARLIAMENT
Context: Parliaments in democracies around the world are meeting and questioning their governments on their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Several other countries have held sessions either with physical distancing (fewer MPs attend with agreement across parties) or video conferencing or a combination of the two. India‘s Parliament, which prides itself as the apex representative body of the world‘s largest democracy,
is a notable absentee from this list. Issues/ Concern: The current steps by the central government are being taken under the Disaster Management Act, 2005,
which was not designed to handle epidemics. The reasoning is that the central government had no choice as there was no other law that provide it with powers to impose a lockdown across the country, which was needed to arrest the spread of the disease. Parliament, which was meeting till a day before the national lockdown was announced, could have passed an appropriate Act. This is what many other countries have done — an Act with suitable checks and an expiry date, which could be renewed by Parliament, if required. The pressing issues: MPs have a duty to shape policy and guide the government in national interest. They represent the concerns of people by raising issues in Parliament. The country is facing serious challenges on many fronts as a consequence of the pandemic. There is also the question of how the economy is impacted, both from the supply side due to the
lockdown, and from the demand side as incomes and spending contract. Then there is the large humanitarian question of mitigating the impact on the most vulnerable sections of the population, both the urban poor and in rural areas.
There needs to be concerted action to alleviate the distress. Parliament is the forum where such issues should be discussed and a plan of action agreed upon. Constitutional Provisions:
Our Constitution does not prohibit meetings that may require maintenance of physical distancing or remote meetings. It states that the President may summon Parliament ―to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit‖.
The Rules of Procedure of both Houses require the Secretary-General to issue summons to each member specifying the ―date and place for a session‖ of the House. These enabling clauses can be used to hold hybrid meetings or remote meetings.
Thus, there is no prior parliamentary action required to permit meetings through video-conferencing. Secure connectivity The meetings of the Houses are usually telecast live, and there is no issue of confidentiality.
Committee meetings, on the other hand, may require secure remote working tools. All district headquarters are linked with fibre optic lines, so even if there is a problem of connecting the constituency office of MPs, they could use such government facilities.
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Conclusion Over the last three months, central and State governments have issued over 5,000 notifications to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. The appropriateness of these circulars need to be examined by Parliament and its committees. In ordinary times, Parliament would have its next session in the second half of July. In today‘s extraordinary circumstances, Parliament should meet sooner, perhaps within a couple of
weeks. India prides itself on being the world‘s largest democracy as well as the information technology provider to the world. It is imperative that Parliament harnesses the country‘s IT strengths to buttress our credentials as a performing democracy.
Source:- The Hindu
SAFE ONLINE LEARNING IN THE TIMES OF COVID-19 Context:
Union Minister for Human Resource Development Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishankdigitaly launched the information booklet titled ―Safe online learning in the times of COVID-19‖ to raise awareness of students and teachers on staying safe online.
Safe online learning in the times of COVID-19: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and UNESCO New Delhi Office developed this booklet
The booklet will be instrumental in keeping children, young people safe online through basic do‘s, and don‘ts that will help parents and educators teach their children how to use the internet safely. It also shares counter cyberbullying practices along with helpline numbers to contact in case of an incident. Source:- PIB
THE ACADEMY WE NEED
Context: COVID-19 has shaken the landscapes of higher education institutes (HEIs) in tectonic ways. Distance learning in its tech avatar:
As they strive to reposition themselves in the context of social distancing for the unpredictable interregnum to a ―new normal‖, established modes of functioning have come asunder. It is not just the shape, size and form of the classroom that will change, but also what will be taught and how it will be taught. ―Distance education‖, traditionally the less preferred sibling of the ―regular‖ system, has moved mainstream in its tech avatar. The ―new normal‖ will see several more unanticipated inversions. Issue: Where education shifts from class to online, students with uneven access to technology, learning resources, internet connectivity and lacking in suitable physical space, will be disproportionately affected. Women and students with special needs, in particular, those from homes that are financially stressed, or where higher education is not a valued priority will be doubly disadvantaged. Way forward: If crises offer opportunities, this is the time especially for the public university, to wrest the initiative,
break free of familiar drills and re-imagine the academy. Policymakers may welcome out-of-box initiatives at a time when they too grapple with uncertainties. Admission processes, methods of evaluation, the nature of governance, determination of ―merit‖ —
all need to be put to scrutiny. crisis offers the rare opportunity to re-envision and expand academic autonomy in the public university space, to wrest it out of the moribund and over-centralised structures, to push the envelope on spaces for
creative enquiry and engagement. Source:- Indian Express
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DILUTED EDUCATION Context: Recently, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the University Grants Commission had issued a circular to universities encouraging them to adopt massive open online courses (MOOCs) offered on its SWAYAM platform for credit transfers in the coming semesters. Issue: It poses great danger since it is also being seen as an instrument to achieve the country‘s target Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education (envisioned to be 30% by 2021; it was 25.8% in 2017–18).
conspicuous dilution of meaning and subsequent flattening of the learning curve. Instead of expanding the network of higher educational institutions across the country and increasing seats, the government plans to make online degree programmes available for students to enrol and
graduate from and add to GER. ‗Education‘ is now being peddled as a combination of content and consumption, and this diluted meaning is being put to the service of achieving increased GER.
MOOC-based e-learning platforms tend to reinforce a top-down teacher-to-student directionality of learning whereby the teacher ‗creates‘ and the student ‗consumes‘. This misses the point that teaching and learning are skills that are always in the making.
Sacred spaces Taking higher education online is much like taking up a sport such as cricket, football or boxing online. One has not actually learnt the sport unless one has engaged with it in one‘s gully, stadium, field, or ring.
In education, the classroom acts as a space where skills such as dialogue, debate, disagreement, and friendship are learnt and practised. A diverse and inclusive classroom is the best litmus test for any theory or insight. Multidisciplinarity happens more through serendipity — when learners across disciplines bump into each other and engage in conversations. Classroom and campus spaces offer the potential for solidarity in the face of discrimination, social anxiety, and stage fear, paving the way for a proliferation of voluntary associations that lie outside the realm of family, economy, and state. In the absence of this physical space, teaching and learning would give way to mere content and its consumption. Conclusion: Without a shared space to discuss and contest ideas, learning dilutes to just gathering more information. classroom engagement and make it accessible for students of various disabilities and challenges, thereby adding more value to the existing meaning of education. But public education modelled on social distancing is a functional reduction and dilution of the meaning of education. It could add value only as
an addendum to the classroom. Source:- The Hindu
EQUAL AND EXCELLENT Context: The differential lockdown outcomes for skilled and unskilled workers highlight our university system‘s pre-existing conditions — broken employability promises, poor employer connectivity, and poor return
on private investment that frustrate parents and students. The virus lockdown has exposed the urgency of more inclusive employment, employability, and education.
Broken Universities: Globally, universities are broken in many ways. First is broken promises- graduates now include 60 per cent of Korea‘s taxi drivers, 31 per cent of US retail check-out clerks, and 15 per cent of India‘s high-
end security guards. Second is broken financing - Indian bank education loans have high NPAs. The third is broken inclusiveness.-
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Fourth is broken flexibility. broken openness Skill universities are a scalable, sustainable, and affordable vehicle to massify higher education by innovations in finance. But they need regulatory change.The UGC Act of 1956 needs rewriting: Clause 8.2.6 needs to be rewritten to equalise four classrooms (online, on-site, on-campus, and on-job) and
section 22 (3) to recognise apprenticeship linked degree programmes. There is a need to redefine the qualifications, roles and numbers of teachers required, and clause 4 to recognise industry experience as a teaching qualification.
To allow innovation, flexibility, credit frameworks, and relevance in online curriculums and clause 7(2)(2) to allow universities to work with any technology platforms. Similarly, NAAC IQAC Regulations need rewriting - to include work-based learning and work
integrated learning life skills and proctored/evaluated internships to integrate online learning with university programmes to recognise teachers with industry experience, and include industry-based research to include industry workplaces and online classrooms as campus extensions
The Apprenticeship Act of 1961 also needs to be modified to allow and lift the licence raj for degree-
linked apprentices and recognise skills universities. Conclusion: Education reforms are an endeavour of profound optimism but have been stifled by purists, vested interests, and regulators. Poorna swaraj for Indian universities is a decade overdue. Source:- Indian Express
RURAL INDIA, THE NEW VIRAL FLASH POINT Context The initial misplaced optimism that India is somehow protected from the COVID-19 pandemic has
proved to be illusory, with rapidly escalating numbers of cases and deaths in urban India. The lockdown of the entire country led to a paralysis of urban and rural life synchronously while the urban and rural waves of this epidemic are clearly asynchronous. The rural wave is just beginning while
the urban wave is about to peak. Clearly unprepared: We are now facing only the fury of the urban wave of this epidemic in India. Remember, 65% of the
country‘s population is rural. They have been relatively underexposed, with very few cases and deaths. Thus, the large, vulnerable majority in rural India is yet to feel the heat of this epidemic. There is a pervasive and false confidence among the general public that, somehow, rural India will
escape with minimal casualty. The recent (limited) restoration of public transport and a relaxation of restrictions on the movement of people are developments that have set the stage for the inevitable and even more dangerous wave of this epidemic. Just as importations from other countries through air traffic set the stage for the urban blight, importations from urban to rural India will set the stage for the rural wave. We need to remind ourselves that rural India is clearly unprepared to face this epidemic. Contrasts in health care If the first urban wave of the COVID-19 tsunami is overwhelming our relatively better urban health-care resources, one can imagine the predicament of rural India with its already deficient health-care resources when it faces the rural epidemic tidal wave.
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Administer the social vaccine Now is the right time to implement the social vaccine, a prophylaxis before the rural spread of the epidemic. A decentralised approach with participation of all stakeholders in each village, taluk and district is the need and potential of the day. educate rural people with all the tools at our disposal — print, radio, the electronic media, and messages through mobile phones. We need to give them accurate information in simple language to make them clearly understand that their self-protection and the protection of their families are entirely in their hands.
Two behavioural changes are critical — every man, woman and child must wear a cotton cloth mask when out of the home, and observe strict hand hygiene. All elders and any person with a comorbidity should be cocooned (by reverse quarantine) — all wearing masks when interacting with others even
inside homes. It is mortality that we must prevent in this unfair disease for the vulnerable. Proceeding step by step Need to protect and sustain existing hospitals and primary health centres not to be frequented by
COVID-19 patients, but for providing care for all other medical, surgical and obstetric emergencies. Mildly and moderately symptomatic COVID-19 patients should be managed by home isolation, delivering essential and medical supplies at home, and home monitoring of oxygen saturation by readily
available portable finger pulse oximeters. Each such patient should be followed up daily by a designated medical professional, who should call over the phone and identify those who need hospitalisation for life-threatening pneumonia. Conclusion: If we are caught napping at this crucial hour, it will be a monumental error for which we can never forgive ourselves. State health administrators and the medical fraternity have the knowledge and skills to tackle the rural wave with courage and wisdom. Source:- The Hindu
I-LAB
Context: The Union Health Minister launched I-Lab, the DBT – AMTZ Mobile Diagnostic Unit for COVID Testing.
I-Lab: This is India‘s first I-Lab (infectious disease diagnostic laboratory) for COVID testing in rural and inaccessible areas of India.
This mobile testing facility will be deployed through the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) testing hubs to remote regions of the country for COVID testing. The I-Lab has been created in a record time of 8 days by the Andhra Pradesh Med-tech Zone (AMTZ) team with the support of DBT under the National Biopharma Mission being implemented by the Public Sector BIRAC. Key Features: The I-Lab is a BSL-2 facility with on-site ELISA, RT-PCR, Bio chemistry analysers. It can run 50 RT- PCR reactions and about 200 ELISA in a day. Double set of machines can help increase the capacity to about 500 per day in 8 hours shifts. It can be deployed in remote areas and can be lifted from Automotive Chassis, and can be put on goods train for sending to any location in the country. The BSL-2 Lab is as per NABL specifications and is being attached to DBT‘s certified testing centres. Source:-PIB
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ANNUAL TB REPORT Context: Union Health Minister releases the Annual TB Report 2020. The Annual TB Report is prepared and published by the Central TB Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GOI. Key Highlights: There were 20.04 lakh notified TB patients in 2019 in India, which is a 14% increase from 2018.
The country is achieving near-complete on-line notification of TB patients through the NIKSHAY system. There has been a reduction in the number of missing cases to 2.9 lakh cases as against more than 10 lakhs in 2017.
Private sector notifications increased by 35% with 6.78 lakh TB patients notified. Due to easy availability of molecular diagnostics, the proportion of children diagnosed with TB increased to 8% in 2019 compared to 6% in 2018.
Provision of HIV testing for all notified TB patients increased from 67% in 2018 to 81% in 2019. Expansion of treatment services has resulted in a 12% improvement in the treatment success rate of notified patients. For 2019, it is 81% compared to 69% in 2018.
More than 4.5 lakh DOT Centres provide treatment covering almost every village across the country. NIKSHAY also expanded the provision of four Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) schemes of the programme:
Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) to TB patients The incentive to Treatment Supporters Incentive to Private Providers and
Transport incentive to TB patients in the notified tribal areas The GOI is committed to achieving the SDG goal of eliminating TB in the country by 2025, five years ahead of the global target. To align with the ambitious goal, the programme has been renamed from Revised National Tuberculosis Control Program (RNTCP) to National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP).
National Tuberculosis Elimination Program (NTEP): It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme being implemented under the aegis of the National Health Mission with resource sharing between the State Governments and the Central Government. The goal of the program is to achieve a TB-free India with zero deaths, disease and poverty due to tuberculosis. Source:- PIB
DIABETES Context: Researchers have identified a bunch of districts in India that have the maximum prevalence for diabetes
among women. Key Findings: The number of people with diabetes in India increased from 26·0 million in 1990 to 65 million in 2016.
The prevalence of diabetes in adults aged 20 years or older in India increased from 5·5% in 1990 to 7·7% in 2016. The prevalence in 2016 was highest in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, according to the Global Burden of
Disease Study, 2018. Higher levels of diabetes in the southern and eastern parts of India could be linked to diets of ―rice- meat-and-fish‖ and a higher intake of ―sweets and snacks‖ that were rich in trans-fats. Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha have districts with the highest prevalence. The burden is higher in the southern and eastern parts of the country and lowest in central India. 16
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Factors at play: The data was analysed for understanding disease spread and analysing relationship among disease and socio-economic category, location, number of children, obesity and hypertension among other factors Changed lifestyle: The prevalence of diabetes among women in their late reproductive ages is highest among those with
two or fewer children ever born, who are educated, belonging to economically prosperous households, living in urban areas and hence enjoying changing lifestyle with increased access to high energy (refined and processed) food and development.
Biological factors: The study focused on women who were approaching menopause, which was also a period when the risk of obesity, hypertension rose as well as complications from late pregnancy.
This helped provide a greater perspective on why mortality from diabetes is higher among women. Significance: A greater understanding of the prevalence and causative factors would help design programmes and interventions to lower community-based prevalence of diabetes, especially among women in their late reproductive ages. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Indian Constitution- historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure. NINTH SCHEDULE
Context: Recently, a Union Minister emphasised the need to include all reservation-related laws in the Ninth Schedule of Constitution so that they are shielded from judicial review.
Background: This demand comes after the Supreme Court‘s recent observation that the Right to Reservation is not a Fundamental Right. Earlier, SC ruled that reservation in the matter of promotions in public posts was not a fundamental right and that a state cannot be compelled to offer quota if it chooses not to. Apart from that, there have been repeated challenges to the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and its amendments. 9th schedule: The first amendment to the Indian Constitution added the Ninth Schedule along with Articles
31A and 31B o 31 A: state the right to make laws to acquire private property 31B : The Ninth Schedule contains a list of central and state laws which cannot be challenged in
courts. Currently, 284 such laws are shielded from judicial review. Most of the laws protected under the Schedule concern agriculture/land issues, the list includes other subjects, such as reservation. A Tamil Nadu law that provides 69 per cent reservation in the state is part of the Schedule. Source:- The Hindu
ANTI DEFECTION
Context: The Manipur High Court reserved the order on the plea for disqualification of seven Congress MLAs who had ―defected‖ to the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2017 to strengthen the coalition government headed
by Nongthombam Biren Singh. Anti Defection: The Tenth Schedule, of the Indian constitution was commonly known as the Anti Defection Law.
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It was inserted in the Constitution in 1985 by the 52nd Amendment Act. It lays down the process by which legislators may be disqualified on grounds of defection by the Presiding Officer of a legislature based on a petition by any other member of the House. The decision on question as to disqualification on ground of defection is referred to the Chairman or the Speaker of such House, and his decision is final. The law applies to both Parliament and state assemblies. Disqualification: Voluntarily gives up the membership of his political party, orVotes, or does not vote in the legislature, contrary to the directions of his political party. However, if the member has taken prior permission, or is condoned by the party within 15 days from such voting or abstention, the member shall not be disqualified.
If an independent candidate joins a political party after the election. If a nominated member joins a party six months after he becomes a member of the legislature. Exemptions:
The law allows a party to merge with or into another party provided that at least two-thirds of its legislators are in favour of the merger. In such a scenario, neither the members who decide to merge, nor the ones who stay with the original
party will face disqualification. Source:- The Hindu
TRIBAL WELFARE Context: The Odisha Government is coming up with three mega educational complexes exclusively for tribal students, where both academic and sporting skills will be harnessed. More in the news: The proposed educational complexes will be established in tribal dominated districts such as Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Mayurbhanj. Santal and Bhuyan are two dominant tribal groups living in Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh districts. The campuses will have state-of-the-art facilities to improve educational and sporting skills of tribal
students from Standard I to XII. Skill development centres will be an integral part of the projects. Funds required for the project will be sourced from Odisha Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation (OMBADC), which was formed for focused development of mineral rich districts.
Incidentally, most mineral rich districts are tribal-dominated. Keonjhar, where other tribes such as Sounti, Ho, Juang, Kharwar, Mahali, Oraon Kolha and Kora reside, is the most mined district of the State. Keonjhar district itself contains more than 70% of the iron ore reserves of Odisha. Source:- The Hindu
THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN THE COVID FIGHT Context: India‘s public health sector has already spread itself thin in tackling the pandemic. This unprecedented crisis has highlighted the critical need to mobilise available resources in public sector, and the private
sector in particular. However, the current strategies to involve the private sector in combating the infectious disease are shrouded in ambiguity. There are no clear policy guidelines to use private sector resources that could
complement public sector efforts Countries that have had a policy-based strategic relationship with the private sector seem to have performed well in controlling this pandemic. Instead of ‗arm twisting‘ the private sector, there is a need
to formulate a stable policy-based strategy to get the private sector on board.
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Laboratory services Despite governments trying to scale-up testing capacity in the country, there is still a long way to go for mass scale testing. We propose the following options to scale up testing capacity: tates that already have private laboratories under a public–private partnership (PPP) contract can be asked to add COVID-19 tests. The government may procure test kits and the private sector could
charge a service fee from the government. Suspect cases can be issued vouchers for testing at any empanelled private laboratories. A mobile sample collection and testing facility can be operated by a private entity in high density
clusters; it can also be used as a fever clinic. Hospital infrastructure Hospitalisation of COVID-19 cases cannot be restricted to hospitals in major cities alone. Improving the
infrastructure and capacity in tier II and tier III cities in collaboration with the private sector is critical. A private contractor could be hired to refurbish an existing ward in a public hospital into an intensive care unit (ICU) ward with additional beds and equipment and handover the refurbished ward to the public authority. In a scenario where the district hospital does not have staff to operate an ICU ward (option 1), a private hospital partner could be contracted to provide staff and operate the ICU ward. The government can refer patients to empanelled private COVID-19 hospitals, at a fixed package rate.
Supply chain: A plethora of innovations and prototypes need government laboratories to test in quick time, approve and grant a licence for production which includes patenting. Besides facilitating quick credit access for
manufacturing, the government may also give buy back guarantees and facilitate the supply chain channels. Conclusion:
The resources dedicated to fighting the COVID-19 pandemic have the potential to create a good health infrastructure and strengthen health systems eventually. However, these initiatives require quick policy formulation followed by guidelines for contracting/purchasing, payments, defining standards, supply chain, strengthening procurement, etc. A group of inter-disciplinary experts to guide in institutionalising the private partnership arrangements would go a long way. Source:- The Hindu
DOMAIN OF HEALTHCARE Context: The general perception behind the inadequate provision and availability of healthcare services is
attributed to the country‘s developing nation status. Issue: India lags behind its BRICS peers on the health and quality index (HAQ index).
As per the National Health Profile 2018, India‘s public health spending is less than 1 per cent of the country‘s GDP, which is lower than some of its neighbours, countries such as Bhutan (2.5 per cent), Sri Lanka (1.6 per cent) and Nepal (1.1 per cent).
According to the World Health Organisation, India is positioned at second from the bottom amongst the 10 countries of its region for its percentage spending of GDP on public health. As per the OECD data available for 2017, India reportedly has only 0.53 beds available per 1,000 people
as against 0.87 in Bangladesh, 2.11 in Chile, 1.38 in Mexico, 4.34 in China and 8.05 in Russia. The numbers have not changed in the last four years of available data, showing India‘s stagnant allocation to the public health care budget.
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Difference between states: The subnational HAQ differences in India are of critical importance. While the best performing states, Kerala and Goa, scored more than 60 points, the worst performing states of Uttar Pradesh and Assam scored less than 40 points. Further, the gap between these highest and lowest scores increased from a 23.4 point difference in
1990 to a 30.8 point difference in 2016. Conclusion: Currently in India, most of the COVID-19 treatment is being done in public facilities but as the epidemic
progresses, it will be critical to expand the outreach of healthcare services by involving the private sector as an equal partner and stakeholder. As the Modi government has invoked the National Disaster Management Act of 2005, authorities are
empowered to take over the management of private institutions. Source:- The Indian Express
PUBLIC HEALTH CARE Context: A news channel in India alleged recently that several private hospitals in the country were ―exposed‖ by a ―sting operation‖ to be levying fees in excess when COVID-19 patients went to them for care.
A mirror to public care: The reason for this abundance of private health care is obviously the lack of adequate public health care. This situation has developed due to two main reasons. Since Independence, India has, quite rightly,
focused attention on the larger picture. However, not enough hospital beds and specialised facilities were provided by the public sector during this time. At the same time, the burgeoning middle class and increasing wealth produced an explosion in
the demand for good quality health care. Private medicine was quick to capitalise on this demand. Lack of Funding: The second reason for the dominance of private medicine in India is the lack of adequate investment
in public health. The Indian government spends an abysmally low 1.3% of GDP on public health care, which is woefully inadequate. Issues in Healthcare:
Private medicine in India is by no means uniform. It is estimated that there are more than one million unqualified medical practitioners, mostly in the rural areas. Most of them provide basic health care, charging a modest fee. Some may have claims of expertise (often unproven) in alternative systems of medicine such as ayurveda and homoeopathy. At the other end of the spectrum are state-of-the-art corporate hospitals, that are well equipped and well- staffed and which provide excellent service at high cost. These are often set up in metro cities at huge cost and have successfully engineered a reverse brain drain of many specialists from pursuing lucrative jobs abroad and staying back in or returning to India. Between the two extremes are a large number of private practitioners and institutions providing a wide range of services of varying quality. Some are run by trusts, charitable organisations and religious missions, often providing excellent quality at modest costs. Reforms needed: Allocation has to be at least double this to address some of our pressing needs.
Greater transparency and tighter administration are necessary to ensure that our resources are utilised appropriately. Specialists should be adequately compensated to obviate their need for private practice.
The public health-care system desperately needs higher government spending.
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Health-care spending by the government must be appropriate, based on evidence, and transparent and accountable. Training of doctors and health-care workers also need to be the responsibility of the government mainly. Private hospitals and institutions will need to be regulated. Costing and auditing of care and procedures need to be done by independent bodies. This will not only ensure appropriate care at the right cost but also prevent unreasonable demands of suspicious patients and family. Source:- The Hindu
INDIA RANKINGS 2020 Context: Union Minister of Human Resource Development, released ―India Rankings 2020‖ of Institutions of Higher Education. India Ranking 2020: The ranking framework evaluates institutions on five broad generic groups of parameters: Teaching, Learning and Resources (TLR), Research and Professional Practice (RP), Graduation Outcomes (GO), Outreach and Inclusivity (OI) and
Perception (PR). Ranks are assigned based on total sum of marks assigned for each of these five broad groups of parameters
This is the fifth consecutive edition of India Rankings of the institutions of higher education in India. In 2020, an addition to nine rankings ie one domain ―Dental‖ has been introduced for the first time bringing the total tally to 10 categories / subject domains.
Significance: These rankings acts as a guide to students for selection of universities based on a set of criteria and helps universities to improve their performance on various ranking parameters and identify gaps in research
and areas of improvement. The Ranking of Institutions at national level instill a competitive spirit amongst institutions to perform better and secure higher rank in international ranking. Source:- PIB
NATURE INDEX 2020 Context:
As per Nature Index 2020, Government of India have found their place among top 30 Indian Institutions including universities, IITs, IISERs, and Research Institutions and Labs. Nature Index:
The Nature Index 2020 Annual Tables highlight the institutions and countries that dominated high quality research in the natural sciences in 2019 This supplement features not only the Nature Index Global Top 50 institutions across all sectors, but also the Top 25 Rising Stars – the institutions that had the strongest growth in output since 2015. The rankings are based on an institution‘s or country‘s share of articles published in the 82 prestigious scientific journals selected by an independent panel of experts and tracked by the Nature Index database. Source:- PIB
WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOUR 2020 Context:
World Day Against Child Labour — observed on June 12. It focuses on the impact of crisis on child labour. Almost one in ten of all children worldwide are in child labour. While the number of children in child
labour has declined by 94 million since 2000, the rate of reduction slowed by two-thirds in recent years.
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Target 8.7 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals calls for an end to child labour in all its forms by 2025. Source:- PIB
J&K INTERNET CURBS Context: Govt. ignoring SC order on J&K Internet curbs: plea
Background: On May 11, the Supreme Court,had directed the Centre and J&K to constitute a Special Committee with the Secretary, Union Ministry of Home Affairs as Chairperson, followed by the Secretary, Department of
Communications, Union Ministry of Communications, and the Chief Secretary, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, as members. More in the news:
A contempt of Supreme Court petition has been filed, making Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla and Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory B.V.R. Subrahmanyam parties, for their ―willful disobedience‖ of a May 11 apex court direction to ―immediately‖ establish a Special Committee to determine the necessity of continuing ―blanket restrictions‖ on 4G Internet access in Jammu & Kashmir, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, the Foundation said, J&K authorities had issued a new order on the very evening of the May 11 judgment, directing Internet service providers to continue a blanket restriction on mobile internet speed to 2G for the whole of J&K. The petition said the authorities had extended the blanket restrictions on mobile Internet speeds on May 27. Right to internet: Earlier, this year The Supreme Court has declared access to internet a fundamental right. A government cannot deprive the citizens of fundamental rights except under certain conditions explicitly mentioned in the Constitution.
access to the internet is protected under Article 19 of the Constitution. The Court affirmed that the right to freedom of speech and expression, as guaranteed to all citizens under the first section of that article, covers the right to go online.
Source:- The Hindu
BONDED LABOUR Context: The Supreme Court asked the Bihar state government not to turn a blind eye to the problem of bonded labour in the state merely because the administration was focussed on handling the migrant workers‘ influx amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
More in the news: A Bench, led by Justice L. Nageswara Rao, was dealing with the delay on the part of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in implementing an order of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to rescue and
repatriate 187 bonded labourers working in brick kilns under inhuman conditions. FIRs had been registered against the owners of the brick kilns and the workers had been repatriated to Bihar, their home State.
The court asked the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to consider drafting guidelines for repatriation and protection of bonded labourers keeping in mind the conditions arising out of the pandemic.
Right against exploitation:
The Right against Exploitation is enshrined in Articles 23 and 24 of the Indian Constitution. Article 23(1): Traffic in human beings and begar and other similar forms of forced labour are
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prohibited and any contravention of this provision shall be an offence punishable in accordance
with the law.
Article 23(2): Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from imposing compulsory
service for public purposes, and in imposing such service the State shall not make any discrimination on grounds only of religion, race, caste or class or any of them. Article 24 : forbids the employment of children
Source:- The Hindu
FAST-TRACK COURTS Context: Haryana Chief Minister said that the State government has decided to hold the trials against accused in cow slaughter cases in fast-track courts. More in the news: The Chief Minister said to curb the incidents of cow slaughter in the State and to take strict and prompt action against the accused, hearings of all such cases would be held in fast-track courts.
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Regulation of Livestock Markets) Rules:
It placed restrictions on the sale of cattle in a livestock market for purposes of slaughter and religious animal sacrifices. The rules permit the sale of cattle in markets only to verified ―agriculturists‖, who have to give
an undertaking to authorities that cattle will not be sold or slaughtered for meat. Nor shall the animal be used for sacrifices. The animal will be used only for farming. It bans setting of animal markets within 50 km of an international border and 25 km of a state
border. The Rules go on to prohibit several practices as ―cruel and harmful‖. These include 1. Animal identification methods such as hot branding and cold branding;
2. Shearing and painting of horns, bishoping in horses and ear cutting in buffaloes; 3. Casting animals on hard ground without adequate bedding; 4. Use of any chemicals or colors on body parts of animals.
Source:- The Hindu
SC NOTICE ON INSURANCE COVER FOR MENTAL ILLNESS Context: Recently, The Supreme Court issued notice on a petition seeking directions to insurance companies to
provide medical insurance coverage for treatment of mental illness. The bench sought a response from the central government and the Insurance Regulatory Development Authority of India (IRDA) on the plea.
Issue: Insurance companies have not been providing coverage for mental illnesses, despite a mandate under the Mental Healthcare Act 2017.
Section 21(4) of the Act specifically states, ―Every insurer shall make provision for medical insurance for treatment of mental illness on the same basis as is available for treatment of physical illness.‖ Section 21 of the 2017 Act also bars discrimination against people with mental illnesses and states that
they should be treated at par with people with physical illnesses. IRDA have been ―reluctant in taking immediate action‖ and that its ―biasness… is in itself discrimination against persons with mental illness‖. Background: IRDA had also issued a circular to all insurers in August 2018, asking them to comply with the provisions of the 2017 Act. Source:- The Hindu 23
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BLACK LISTED CITIZENS
Context:
The Supreme Court has decided to hear the petitions by foreign nationals challenging the government orders that blacklisted 2,500 citizens from 35 countries for their alleged involvement in Tablighi Jamaat activities. Petitioner Contention:
The petition argues that the government orders by its very unilateral nature, infringes the principle of natural justice, particularly ‗audi alteram partem‘ by blacklisting the said foreigners present in India without first granting an opportunity of being heard or notice of any form, and resultantly depriving the
aggrieved foreign nationals of their right of locomotion and travelling back to the country of their citizenship. The petitioners have argued that the en-masse blacklisting of foreigners without any opportunity to
defend themselves is a blatant violation of Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) of the Constitution.
Protection of life and personal Liberty: Article 21 declares that no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except
according to procedure established by law. This right is available to both citizens and non-citizens. Right to life and personal liberty of a person can be deprived by a law provided the procedure prescribed by that law is reasonable, fair and just. ‗Right to life‘ as embodied in Article 21 is not merely confined to animal existence or survival but it includes within its ambit the right to live with human dignity and all those aspects of life which go to make a man‘s life meaningful, complete and worth living. It is not an absolute right, State can impose reasonable restritiction Article 21 cannot be suspended during emergency. The 44 Amendment of Constitution, provided that this article could not be suspended even during an emergency
Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
HEALTH IMPACT FUND Context: Medicines are among humanity‘s greatest achievements. The global market for pharmaceuticals is currently worth ₹110 lakh crore annually, 1.7% of the gross world product. Roughly, 55% of this global pharmaceutical spending, ₹60 lakh crore, is for brand-name products, which are typically under patent. Commercial pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) efforts are encouraged and rewarded through the earnings that innovators derive from sales of their branded products. These earnings largely depend on the 20-year product patents they are entitled to obtain in World Trade Organization member states.
R&D and concerns Innovators motivated by the prospect of large markups tend to neglect diseases suffered mainly by poor people, who cannot afford expensive medicines.
The 20 World Health Organization-listed neglected tropical diseases together afflict over one billion people but attract only 0.35% of the pharmaceutical industry‘s R&D. Merely 0.12% of this R&D spending is devoted to tuberculosis and malaria, which kill 1.7 lakh people each year.
The profit-maximising price of a new medicine tends to be quite high. Consequently, most people cannot afford advanced medicines that are still under patent. 24
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developing and then providing pharmaceutical products are poorly correlated with therapeutic value. Way Forward: Health Impact Fund as an alternative track on which pharmaceutical innovators may choose to be rewarded. Any new medicine registered with the Fund would have to be sold at or below the cost of manufacture and distribution, but would earn ten annual reward payments based on the health gains achieved with it. Long-term funding for the Fund might come from willing governments — contributing in proportion to
their gross national incomes — or from an international tax, perhaps on greenhouse gas emissions or speculative financial transactions. Non-contributing affluent countries would forgo the benefits: the pricing constraint on registered
products would not apply to them. This gives innovators more reason to register (they can still sell their product at high prices in some affluent countries) and affluent countries reason to join.
The Fund would get pharmaceutical firms interested in certain R&D projects that are unprofitable under the current regime — especially ones expected to produce large health gains among mostly poor people. With the Fund in place, there would be much deeper and broader knowledge about such diseases, a richer arsenal of effective interventions and greater capacities for developing additional, more targeted responses quickly. The Fund would make an important difference also by rewarding for health outcomes rather than sales. A reward mechanism oriented towards health gains rather than high-markup sales would lead to a sustainable research-and-marketing system. Health Impact Fund would encourage in Collaborating with national health systems, international agencies and NGOs, such a firm would seek to build a strong public-health strategy around its product. Its highest goal would be complete eradication. If it succeeds in year seven, it can enjoy the world‘s gratitude and collect three additional handsome reward payments for investment in its other research projects. Source:- The Hindu
LABOUR LAW CHANGES Context: More than a month after the Parliamentary Committee on Labour wrote to eight State governments seeking explanation on the changes brought to the labour laws during the extended lockdown, three States — Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh — have not responded, despite two reminders from the Committee.
More in the news: A total of 13 State governments had diluted the labour laws in May, with eight of them raising the daily working hours from eight to 12 hours.
The Committee had sought details of the amendments made by them and also the instruments (executive order or ordinance) used to effect the change.
Parliamentary Committee on Labour: The Parliamentary committee on Labour is within the administrative jurisdiction of Lok Sabha. Constituted to examine matters pertaining to the Ministry of Labour & Employment and Ministry of Textiles and the institutions/organisations falling under its purview. Composition: 31 members, 21 elected by Lok Sabha, and not more than 10 members of Rajya Sabha. The members are elected every year from amongst its members of respective houses according to the principle of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote. The term of office - one year. A minister is not eligible to become a member of the committee.
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Function:
To consider the Demands for Grants of the concerned Ministries/Departments and make a
report on the same to the Houses.
To examine bills pertaining to the concerned Ministries/Departments To consider Annual Report of Ministries/ Departments and make report thereon; To consider national basic long term policy documents presented to the House, if referred to
the Committee, as the case may be, and make reports thereon
Source:- The Hindu
AAROGYA SETU Context: The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology has started working on the various questions on privacy and data security of the government-run Aarogya Setu, which was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. Arogya Setu App: Arogya Setu is Indian COVID-19 tracking mobile application.
It is developed by the National Informatics Centre which comes under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Purpose: To spread awareness of COVID-19
To connect essential COVID-19 – related health services to the people of India. It uses the smartphone‘s GPS and Bluetooth features to track the coronavirus infection. With Bluetooth, it determines the risk if one has been near (within six feet of) a COVID-19 – infected
person, by scanning through a database of known cases across India. Using location information, one can determine whether a particular location is one of the infected areas. It is an updated version of an earlier app called Corona Kavach (now discontinued).
Source:- The Hindu
E-PHARMACIES Context: The Centre has informed the Delhi High Court that a website, promoting sale of medicines through e-
pharmacies, which was linked to Aarogya Setu mobile app has been suspended. Petitioner Contention: A plea was filled in the Delhi court - website is linked to the official mobile app Aarogya Setu in a
highly illegal, arbitrary and discriminatory manner as the website promotes and acts as a marketing tool for e-pharmacies only. There is no mention that medicines can also be procured by the local pharmacy stores which operate
offline, the plea said. It said there is absolutely no basis for a government-owned platform be used to promote private commercial ventures. The plea said the criteria for getting listed as a vendor on the website is that the entity should be an e-
pharmacy, which is arbitrary, without any intelligible differentia, wholly illegal and discriminatory .
Right to Freedom of Profession: The Constitution of India guarantees the right to practice any profession or to carry on any occupation, trade or business.This is enshrined in Articles 19(l)(g)
Article 19(l)(g) is granted only to the citizen of India, and it cannot be claimed by non-citizen. This is not absolute right , State can impose reasonable restrictions on the exercise of this right in the interest of the general public
Further, the State is empowered to:
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prescribe professional or technical qualifications necessary for practising any profession or
carrying on any occupation, trade or business; and
carry on by itself any trade, business, industry or service whether to the exclusion (complete or
partial) of citizens or otherwise. This right does not include the right to carry on a profession or business or trade or occupation that is immoral (trafficking in women or children) or dangerous (harmful drugs or explosives, etc,). The
State can absolutely prohibit these or regulate them through licencing
Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.
PROTECTION OF CHILDREN Context: In SC, An NGO says, that The opening of the lockdown would see a massive spurt in the cases of child
trafficking... The pandemic, the lockdown and its aftermath would have a dauntingly adverse impact on children. More in the news:
The lockdown spelt catastrophe for the poor. The economic crisis, increased insecurity, poverty and marginalisation would see the poorest try to clutch on to the last straws for their survival. They may be forced to push their children into the hands of traffickers. The most affected would be
agricultural families considering the crisis seen in the sector Formation of Panel: The court suggested forming an expert committee to frame a policy to prevent and protect children from private contractors who are part of the mafia. It urged the NGO, represented by senior advocate H.S. Phoolka and advocate J.S. Chhabra, with its wide experience of with child issues, to also suggest a protective mechanism to the court.
Right against Exploitation: The Right against Exploitation is enshrined in Articles 23 and 24 of the Indian Constitution. Article 23(1): Traffic in human beings and begar and other similar forms of forced labour are
prohibited and any contravention of this provision shall be an offence punishable in accordance with the law. Article 23(2): Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from imposing compulsory
service for public purposes, and in imposing such service the State shall not make any discrimination on grounds only of religion, race, caste or class or any of them. Article 24 : forbids the employment of children below the age of 14 in any hazardous industry or factories or mines, without exception.
Source:- The Hindu
PREVENTIVE DETENTION Context:
The Supreme Court sought response from the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir administration on a plea of former Union minister and senior Congress leader Saifuddin Soz‘s wife challenging his house arrest since August 5 last year. Issue: the reasons for the detention have not been supplied to them and they are unable to challenge the arrest under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act, 1978. Soz was put under house arrest after the Centre had abrogated certain provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution granting special status Jammu and Kashmir.
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Preventive detention:
The Article 22 (3) of the Indian constitution provides that if a person is arrested or detained under a
law providing for preventive detention, then the protection against arrest and detention under
Article 22 (1) and 22 (2) shall not be available. Preventive Detention: The imprisonment of a person with the aim of preventing them from committing further offences or of maintaining public order.
The grounds for Preventive detention are: Security of state.
Maintenance of public order. Maintenance of supplies and essential services and defence.
Foreign affairs or security of India. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.
DISASTER RELIEF FUND Context: The Delhi government has demanded ₹5,000 crore assistance from the Centre to be able to pay salaries to its employees. More in the news: In the past two months, Delhi Government GST collection has been only ₹500 crore each month. But, Delhi govt. need at least ₹7,000 crore to be able to pay salaries to employees, many of whom are discharging frontline duties against the coronavirus epidemic,". The Deputy CM said that in a letter to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, he had demanded ₹5,000 crore from the Centre as Delhi did not get anything from the disaster relief fund that was given to other states.
State disaster Response Fund: The State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), constituted under Disaster Management Act, 2005.
SDRF is the primary fund available with State Governments for responses to notified disasters. The Central Government contributes 75% of SDRF allocation for general category States/UTs and 90% for special category States/UTs (NE States, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh,
Jammu and Kashmir). SDRF shall be used only for meeting the expenditure for providing immediate relief to the victims. Not compensation for loss/damage to properties /crops. Key Features: On the recommendations of Finance Commission, annual Central contribution is released in two equal installments. SDRF is located in the ‗Public Account‘ under ‗Reserve Fund‘. State Government has to pay interest on a half yearly basis to the funds in SDRF, at the rate applicable to overdrafts. Ministry of Home Affairs is the nodal ministry for overseeing the operation of the SDRF and
monitors compliance with prescribed processes. Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) audit the SDRF every year.
Source:- The Hindu
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DELIMITATION
Context: Political parties and prominent politicians in Manipur have reacted strongly to the Central government‘s plan to carry out delimitation in Manipur, Assam, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh based on the 2011 Census report. Why delimitation in Manipur Now?
There were abnormal increases in some tribal districts in Manipur There was a 200% increase in the population of Senapati district bordering Nagaland.
Delimitation: Delimitation literally means the act or process of fixing limits or boundaries of territorial constituencies in a country or a province having a legislative bod, to represent changes in
population. Under Article 82, the Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act after every Census. Under Article 170, States also get divided into territorial constituencies as per Delimitation Act after every Census. Once the Act is in force, the Union government sets up a Delimitation Commission. Need: To provide equal representation to equal segments of a population. Fair division of geographical areas so that one political party doesn‘t have an advantage over others
in an election. To follow the principle of ―One Vote One Value‖. Delimitation Commission:
The first delimitation exercise was carried out by the President (with the help of the Election
Commission) in 1950-51. The Delimitation Commission Act was enacted in 1952. Delimitation Commissions have been set up four times — 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002
under the Acts of 1952, 1962, 1972 and 2002.There was no delimitation after the 1981 and 1991 Censuses. The Delimitation Commission is appointed by the President of India and works in collaboration with the Election Commission of India. The present delimitation of parliamentary constituencies has been done on the basis of 2001 census figures under the provisions of Delimitation Act, 2002. Composition: Retired Supreme Court judge ; Chief Election Commissioner ; Respective State Election Commissioner Function: To determine the number and boundaries of constituencies to make population of all
constituencies nearly equal. To identify seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, wherever their population is relatively large.
In case of difference of opinion among members of the Commission, the opinion of the majority prevails. The Delimitation Commission in India is a high power body whose orders have the force of law and cannot be called in question before any court. The orders are laid before the Lok Sabha and the respective State Legislative Assemblies. However, modifications are not permitted.
Source:- The Hindu
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DECENTRALISED RESPONSE Context: COVID-19 has raised home four major challenges: economic, health, welfare/livelihood and resource mobilisation. These challenges have to be addressed by all tiers of government in the federal polity, jointly and severally. Core issues: the new normal demands a paradigm shift in the delivery of health care at the cutting edge level.
the parallel bodies that have come up after the 73rd/74th Constitutional Amendments have considerably distorted the functions-fund flow matrix at the lower level of governance. no clarity in the assignment of functions, functionaries and financial responsibilities to local governments. Functional mapping and responsibilities continue to be ambiguous in many States.
The local government grant of Rs. 90,000 crore for 2020-2021 by the 15th FC is only 3% higher than that recommended by the Fourteenth Finance Commission. For panchayats there is only an increase of Rs. 63 crore.
Few suggestions for resource mobilisation: Local Finance: Property tax forms the major source of local revenue throughout the world.
Indian States should take necessary steps to enhance and rationalise property tax regime. Property tax collection with appropriate exemptions should be a compulsory levy and preferably must cover land. If property tax covers land that will hugely enhance the yield from this source even without any increase in rates. There is a need to incentivize and also appeal to the patriotic sentiments of non-resident Indians and rich citizens to mobilize resources. The Resurgent India Bond of 1998 could mobilise over $4 billion in a few days from NRIs. Municipalities and even suburban panchayats can issue a corona containment bond for a period of say 10 years, on a coupon rate below market rate but significantly above the reverse repo rate to attract banks.
Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme(MPLANDS): MPLADs, which was avowedly earmarked for local area development, must be assigned to local governments, preferably to panchayats on the basis of well-defined criteria.
Fifteenth Finance Commission (FFC): A special COVID-19 containment grant to the local governments by the FFC to be distributed on the basis of FFC-laid criteria is the need of the hour.
Currently, the ratio of basic to tied grant is fixed at 50:50 by the commission. In the context of the crisis under way, all grants must be untied for freely evolving proper COVID-19 containment strategies locally. Further, the 13th Finance Commission‘s recommendation to tie local grants to the union divisible pool of taxes to ensure a buoyant and predictable source of revenue to LGs must be restored by the commission. Conclusion: The novel coronavirus pandemic has brought home the critical role of local governments and decentralised responses. In terms of information, monitoring and immediate action, local governments are at an advantage, and eminently, to meet any disaster such as COVID-19. The recognition that local governments should be fiscally empowered immediately is a valid signal for
the future of local governance. Source:- The Hindu
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GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Appointment to various Constitutional posts, powers, functions and responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.
NO CONFIDENCE MOTION
Context: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition government in Manipur received a setback with nine Ministers and MLAs withdrawing support on Wednesday night.
More in the news: Deputy Chief Minister, one of the four MLAs of the regional National People‘s Party (NPP), said all lawmakers of his party have withdrawn support.
Two independent MLAs have also withdrawn support
Non Confidence Motion:
A motion of no confidence, or vote of no confidence is floor test to prove majority According to rule 198 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of the Lok Sabha, a no-confidence motion (NCM) is ―a motion expressing want of confidence in the Council of Ministers.‖ No Confidence Motion can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha. There is no mention of a no-confidence motion in the constitution. It is usually moved by the Opposition when it feels that the ruling party or parties do not have a majority in the Assembly any longer. The Chief Minister has to resign if they fail to prove their majority in the house. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - Salient features of the Representation of People's Act.
POSTAL BALLOTS Context: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a petition seeking quashing of a notification issued by the ECI
which allows for the use of postal ballot in the upcoming biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha scheduled th to be held on 19 June. Petitioner Contention:
The 17th June notification allows the use of Postal Ballot for conducting the biennial Elections to the th Rajya Sabha 2020 which is scheduled on 19 June. It is contended that the Respondent has overlooked the prevalent rules, regulations and spirit of the Electoral Laws by issuing such a notification. ECI has not considered the fact that under Rule 18 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, the electors cannot be declared to be eligible for polling by postal ballot unless the same is notified by a gazette notification as prescribed in Rule 68(2) of the 1961 Rules. Therefore, by failing to do so, the ECI has completely overlooked the willingness or the consent of the Electors in polling by way of Postal Ballots. Further, the notification is illegal and in complete violation of Rule 39AA of the 1961 Rules whereby the Elector is required to present his/her ballot paper to the Agent of its political party before such ballot paper is inserted in the ballot box.
Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS): ETPBS is a flagship programme of Election Commission of India (ECI) developed with the help of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). one-way electronic transmission of the Postal ballots to the Service Voters. The Service Voter then cast their vote and send it to the respective returning officer via Post. Working: Under this system a blank postal ballot paper is transmitted to service voters electronically. Then they can download the postal ballot and print the blank postal ballot.
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After marking his vote in the blank postal ballot, the same would be returned to the concerned
Returning Officer by post as in the present system of postal ballot.
It is a fully secured system, having two security lay ers. Secrecy of voting is maintained through the use of OTP and PIN and no duplication of casted ETPB is possible due to the unique QR Code in the portal. It was first used in a by-election in the Nellithope Assembly constituency in Puducherry in 2016
and on pilot basis in the State during the Chengannur bypoll. The pilot and trials were carried out in U.P., Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur Assembly elections.
Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE - development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health,
Education, Human Resources.
„EBLOODSERVICES‟ MOBILE APP Context: Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare launched the ‗eBloodServices‘ mobile App developed by The Indian Red Cross Society (ICRS). eBloodServices: This application is developed by the E-Raktkosh team of Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC) under the Digital India scheme launched by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in 2015.
Through this App, four units of blood can be requisitioned at a time and the blood bank will wait for as long as 12 hours for the person to collect it. This app makes it easy for those in need to request for Blood units at IRCS NHQ.‖ At a time when the
country is facing such a pandemic, the Mobile App will provide succor to all those who direly require blood Once the request is placed through the app, the requisite units become visible to IRCS, NHQ blood bank
in its E-Raktkosh dashboard and this allows assured delivery within the specified time. This feature will make it easy for a blood seeker to obtain blood & shall bring the added advantage of complete transparency & single window access to the service.
Source:-PIB
GS PAPER - 02 GOVERNANCE- federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.
PANCHAYAT RAJ Context: For forming its recommendations for the years 2020-21 to 2025-26, the Finance Commission held a
meeting with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) headed by the Union Minister of Rural Development, Agriculture and Farmers‘ Welfare & Panchayati Raj. More in the news:
The Panchayati Raj Ministry has pitched for a fivefold increase in Finance Commission funding for rural local bodies. The Ministry asked for ₹10 lakh crore to be allocated for the 2020-21 to 2025-26 period, in comparison
to the ₹2 lakh crore allocated under the 14th Finance Commission. It noted that allocations had tripled between the 13th and 14th Commissions as well. An impact evaluation study showed a 78% utilisation rate for FC grants between 2015 and 2019.
Road construction and maintenance, as well as drinking water supply have been the major projects carried out by panchayats using FC grants.
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The 2.63 lakh panchayats across the country have 29 functions under their ambit, according to the 11th Schedule of the Constitution.
Panchayathi Raj: Panchayati Raj is a system of rural local self-government in India. It has been established in all the states of India by the acts of the state legislature to build democracy at the grass root level. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 added part IX to the constitution, ―The Panchayats‖ and also added the eleventh schedule which consists of the 29 functional items of the panchayats.
Part IX of the constitution contains article 243 to Article 243 O. Article 40 of the constitution, (DPSP), which directs the state to organise the village panchayats and provide them powers and authority so they can function as self-government.
The act provides for the establishment of the three-tier system of Panchayati Raj in the states (village, intermediate and district level). States with a population less than 20 lakhs may not constitute the intermediate level.
Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - India and its Neighbourhood Relations
KALAPANI Context: Nepal‘s decision to pass a constitutional amendment to change Nepal‟s official map to include parts of Indian Territory that have been in dispute. Background: The promulgation of the Nepali Constitution, one that India felt was unfair to Madhesis living in the
south and unrepresentative of India‘s interests in the country, seems to mark a drastic change in the relationship between India and Nepal. The blockade at the India-Nepal border resulted in supplies into landlocked Nepal being stopped for
months. This adversely affected the India-Nepal relations. The eight-point transit and transport facilitation from China seems to have tilted Nepal towards a stronger relationship with China.
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Kalapani:
The Kalapani territory is an area disputed between India and Nepal.
Kalapani is a trijunction meeting point of India, Tibet and Nepal borders.
Located at an altitude of 3600m on the Kailash Manasarovar route. It borders Uttarakhand in India and Sudurpashchim Pradesh in Nepal. The Kali River in the Kalapani region demarcates the border between India and Nepal.
Nepal claims Kalapani to be a part of its Darchula district, the region is administered in India as a part of Pithoragar h district in Uttarakhand The region has been manned by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police since 1962.
Source:- The Hindu
DRAWING THE LINE Context: On June 10, Nepal‘s House of Representatives unanimously approved the tabling of an amendment to the country‘s constitution which will now formally depict nearly 400 sq km of Indian territory extending west from the Lipulekh Pass, and including it, as part of Nepal‘s sovereign territory. Historical facts: Nepal bases its claim to the additional territory now included in its official map on the Anglo-Nepal Treaty of Sugauli of 1816, which determined the Kali river as the western boundary between British India and Nepal. An East India Company map has been produced from the archives to show that the British considered the tributary of the Kali River, the Limpiyadhura, as its main channel. A map drawn up in 1879 after surveys had been carried out shows the boundary along a ridge just west of the Tinker Pass. As per this and later official British maps and what India claims, Kali River
originates from a natural spring at Kalapani, where it is joined by a rivulet flowing down from Lipulekh Pass From 1950- 1969 India, with the consent of Nepal - set up military-cum-police posts along the Nepal-
China border after the Chinese occupied Tibet. In 1969, Then Nepal prime Minister, asked Indira Gandhi to withdraw all these posts from Nepali territory. This was done but the Indian post at Kalapani was not in the Nepali list.
China-Nepal border conforms to the alignment claimed by India: China and Nepal reached a border agreement in 1961. Article 1 in the agreement describes the western extremity of the China-Nepal border. The Chinese-Nepalese border starts from the point where the watershed between the Kali River and the Tinker River meets the watershed between the tributaries of the Mapchu(Karnali) River on the one hand and the Tinker River on the other, thence it runs south-eastward along the watershed.
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India and China concluded an agreement in 1954 for trade and transit between India and Tibet and among the six border passes listed for the purpose, Lipulekh was included. There was no protest from the Nepali side. The first time that Nepal protested formally was in 2015 when India and China signed an MoU for conducting border trade between the two countries through Lipulekh Pass. Source:- The Hindu
G7 SUMMIT Context: U.S. President Donald Trump said he would postpone the Group of Seven summit that he wanted to hold
in late June and expand the list of countries invited to include Australia, Russia, South Korea and India. Group of 7:
G7 is an intergovernmental organisation that was formed in 1975 by the top economies of the time as an informal forum to discuss pressing world issues. The G-7 or ‗Group of Seven‘ are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The G-7 was known as the ‗G-8‘ for several years after the original seven were joined by Russia in 1997. The Group returned to being called G-7 after Russia was expelled as a member in 2014 following the latter‘s annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine. The G-7 does not have a formal constitution or a fixed headquarters. The decisions taken by leaders during annual summits are non-binding. The G7 also accounts for 46% of the global Gross Domestic Product calculated at market exchange rates and also for 32% of the global PPP GDP. Source:- The Hindu
INDIAAND BHUTAN Context: The Union Cabinet has approved the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bhutan for cooperation in the field of environment protection and management of natural resources. More in the news: The MoU, signed at a meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, will enable establishment and promotion of closer and long-term cooperation in environment protection and management of natural resources on the basis of equity, reciprocity and mutual benefits, taking into account the applicable laws and legal provisions in each country.
It will cover air, waste, chemical management, climate change and other areas and will remain in force for 10 years from the date of signing.
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The Memorandum of Understanding shall facilitate the exchange of experiences, best practices and technical know-how through both public and private sectors and shall contribute to sustainable development. The development followed an earlier MoU between the two countries. An MoU was signed between the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the National Environment Commission (NEC), Bhutan in 2013, but it expired in 2016. Source:- The Hindu
INDIA, CHINA AND PAKISTAN Context: Chinese and Indian forces have begun to disengage in select areas, this does not detract from the reality that in the past few weeks Beijing and Islamabad are making coordinated efforts to challenge India‘s presence in the Kashmir-Ladakh region. There is stepped-up activity on Pakistan‘s part to infiltrate terrorists into the Valley. China has undertaken provocative measures on the Ladakh front to assert control over disputed areas around the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Overlapping interests: In Pakistan‘s case the intensification in its terrorist activities is related in part to the dilution of Article
370 that it perceives as undercutting its claims on Kashmir with finality. China seems to have calculated that the division of Ladakh from Jammu and Kashmir, that delinks Ladakh from the Kashmir problem, allows India a freer hand in contesting China‘s claims in the region.
Increasing road-building activity on India‘s part close to the LAC augments this perception. In addition, Ladakh is contiguous to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Gilgit and Baltistan, where the Chinese have invested hugely under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
However, there are major differences in Pakistani and Chinese objectives regarding India that are related to their divergent perceptions of their disputes and their different force equations with India. Conclusion:
It is true that China is agitated about the recent vociferous revival of India‘s claims on PoK but its primary concern with regard to Kashmir is to prevent any Indian move from threatening the CPEC project. It does not challenge the status quo in Kashmir. Pakistan, on the other hand, is committed to changing the status quo in Kashmir at all cost. India should, therefore, distinguish the different objectives on the part of Beijing and Islamabad and tailor its responses accordingly without conflating the two threats to its security. Lumping the two threats together because of a tactical overlap between them makes it difficult to choose policy options rationally.
Line of Control:
Originally known as the Cease-fire Line, it was redesignated as the ―Line of Control‖ following the Simla Agreement, which was signed on 3 July 1972. The part of Jammu that is under Indian control is known as the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The Pakistani-controlled part is divided into Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit–Baltistan. The northernmost point of the Line of Control is known as NJ9842. Another ceasefire line separates the Indian-controlled state of Jammu and Kashmir from the Chinese-controlled area known as Aksai Chin.
The Line of Control divided Kashmir into two parts and closed the Jehlum valley route.
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Source:- The Hindu
NO LONGER SPECIAL Context: After months of brinkmanship, India and Nepal have brought their relations to the edge of a precipice. The Oli government‘s decision to pass the constitutional amendment ratifying a change in its maps that include Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura, territories that India controls, marks a decidedly new phase in ties.
Background: While the issue is an old one, it resurfaced in 2019 when New Delhi published new political maps to reflect the changes following the decision on August 5 to reorganise the State of Jammu and Kashmir,
and Nepal objected to the depiction of disputed territory. Lack of diplomatic manoeuvring: A major factor causing the rift in relationship seems to be the lack of diplomatic manoeuvring between
the countries. While New Delhi contends that it was willing to discuss matters ―at a mutually convenient date‖, Kathmandu says the MEA has rejected two dates suggested by the Nepal MoFA, and has routinely dismissed requests from the Nepal Ambassador for a meet with the Foreign Secretary. The speed with which the constitutional amendment was passed has left little space for diplomacy now. China‟s angle: Meanwhile, Mr. Oli‘s purposeful manner in pursuing the amendment at exactly the same time as the India-China border stand-off bolsters the belief among some in New Delhi that he is speaking with confidence borne from Beijing‘s backing. Conclusion: Regardless of the truth of those accusations, or who is more responsible for the downslide in ties, the speed with which the constitutional amendment was passed has left little space for diplomacy now. It is necessary the two nations resolve their issues through dialogue lest they face more serious consequences. Source:- The Hindu
RESOLVE AND PRUDENCE
Context: Since 1988, a robust diplomatic offensive has been underway to normalise the India-China border situation and yet it has been long festering.
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The tragic deaths of 20 soldiers of the Indian Army on Monday in the Galwan Valley, the first casualties of conflict along the India-China border in 45 years, underline the scale of the problem and the challenge ahead. Taking advantage of Geo-Political Distraction: As scientists and governments worldwide burn the midnight oil to fight the coronavirus, China has clearly twisted the crisis into a strategic opportunity by taking advantage of the geo-political distraction. Sun Tzu‘s dictum, that the supreme act of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting, is being tested by Beijing everywhere.
Near the Paracel archipelago, China intercepted and detained Vietnamese fishing boats; declared two new municipal districts to control the disputed islands; published Chinese names of 80 geographic and underwater features in South China Sea;
imposed a fishing moratorium on other countries; intruded into Malaysia‘s exclusive economic zone; crossed the median line in the Taiwan Strait; and harassed commercial vessels from the
Philippines. Chinese Strategy of extending land toward India: During the Kargil war when the Indian Army was busy driving out Pakistani intruders, China exploited the situation to extend a 5-km road into Indian territory along the banks of Pangong Lake. Pakistan has been pursuing the policy of ―bleeding India by a thousand cuts‖, while China is playing the tactic of nibbling away land, by taking recourse to the deceptive rubric of ―perception of claim lines‖. There seem to be no limits to the Chinese strategy of extending land towards India till they are pushed back. The professed aim of the Chinese establishment is to reclaim the ―Middle Kingdom‖, which it asserts was lost to foreign powers when China was weak. In the 1950s, Mao Zedong had said that Tibet (Xizang) is China‘s right hand palm which is detached from its five fingers — Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and NEFA (Arunachal). Way forward: China wants to settle the boundary dispute on its own terms. It has settled boundary disputes with all its
neighbouring countries except with India. We cannot afford to be complacent by holding two informal summits, or more. In the context of Nepal‘s belligerent reaction on the Lipulekh Pass for Kailash Mansarovar. The strained
ties with Nepal are a diplomatic setback for us much to the advantage of China. India should deploy all necessary diplomatic resources to restore the ―roti-beti‖ (intimate) relations with Nepal. In addition to the China-Pakistan economic-corridor, the other threat is the BRI (Belt and Road
Initiative) and predatory debt diplomacy. As India emerges as a force to be reckoned with globally, it has become an eyesore for China. Under these circumstances, India should continue its endeavours to consolidate its solidarity and amity
among neighbours and all democratic powers of the world. China is the only non-democratic major power in the world. Defence preparedness should be vigorously pursued to insulate us from unpleasant surprises.
This is a time for firm resolve and prudence, to stay united and determined in the commitment to protect the integrity of the nation and its people.
India - China Border dispute: India and China share a 3,488 km long boundary. Indian states, namely Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh and UT
Jammu and Kashmir shares border with China. The Sino-Indian border is generally divided into three sectors namely : (i) the Western sector, (ii) the Middle sector, and (iii) the Eastern sector.
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The border between India and China is not fully demarcated and the Line of Actual Control
(LAC) is neither clarified nor confirmed by the two countries.
Source:- The Hindu
GALWAN VALLEY Context: On June 19, the Chinese Foreign Ministry in a statement claimed that the entire GAlwan valley is located ―on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC)‖, which followed a statement from the People‘s Liberation Army stating that ―China always owns sovereignty over the Galwan Valley region‖. Since early May, China has been objecting to India‘s road construction activities at the western end of the valley, in the area between the Galwan-Shyok confluence and the LAC. Beijing is now saying the entire valley is on its side of the LAC, which pegs the line further west near the Shyok river. India has rejected the claim as ―exaggerated and untenable‖. Galwan Valley:
The valley refers to the land that sits between steep mountains that buffet the Galwan River.
The river has its source in Aksai Chin, on China‘s side of the LAC, and it flows east to Ladakh, where it meets the Shyok river on India‘s side of the LAC. The valley is strategically located between Ladakh in the west and Aksai Chin in the east, which is
currently controlled by China as part of its Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. At its western end are the Shyok river and the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulet Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road. Its eastern mouth lies not far from China‘s vital Xinjiang Tibet road, now called the G219 highway.
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Line of Actual Control(LAC): The LAC lies east of the confluence of the Galwan and Shyok rivers in the valley, up to which both India and China have been patrolling in recent years. Are China‟s claims new? Most Chinese maps show most of Galwan river on China‘s side of the line, but short of the confluence. This broadly corresponds with the LAC as India sees it – and in India‘s view, as China saw it, until recently. 1956 map portrayed the entire Galwan Valley as a part of India. However, in June 1960 China put out a
map claiming sovereignty over the valley. A Chinese map from November 1962 also claims the entire valley, but subsequent maps have not shown the western tip of the river as a part of China.
Concern: Though the LAC has never been demarcated but there have not been previous incidents in the valley. By now staking a claim to the entire Galwan Valley and up to the confluence of the rivers, China is, in
India‘s view, unilaterally altering the LAC. This goes against the 1993 Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement (BPTA), under which India and China agreed to strictly respect and observe the LAC between the two sides. Source:- The Hindu
THE GHOST OF AUGUST 5 Context:
Sometimes, a seemingly rhetorical statement or a symbolic political decision has the undesirable ability to fundamentally alter the material reality around a particular issue, especially when it comes to sensitive international disputes and conflicts. The impact of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government‘s decision on Kashmir in 2019 on the current China-India military stand-off on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is one such phenomenon. India‘s infrastructure-building activities on its side of the LAC and the China‘s China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) connectivity to Pakistan were already on a collision course, and it seems the reorganisation of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) on August 5 last year, and the rhetoric surrounding it, may have finally triggered a conflict that was building up for a long time. The ground reality: The impact of August 5 has been felt on two fronts — China and Pakistan. There is also some similarity between the Pakistani and Chinese positions on India‘s August decision: both sides argue that India changed the status of a territory (J&K) whose borders were still being negotiated.
Pakistan Contest: Pakistani officials argued that in the wake of India‘s Kashmir decision, the Simla Agreement of 1972 — which forms a key basis of bilateral relations, including the management of the Line of Control (LoC) in
Kashmir — is not valid anymore. Indian decision vis-à-vis Kashmir goes against the spirit of the Simla Agreement since the agreement states that ―pending the final settlement of any of the problems between the two countries, neither side
shall unilaterally alter the situation....‖. Implications: The agreement governing the India-Pakistan border in J&K will no longer be the Simla Agreement
Since the Simla Agreement formalised several territorial changes which took place after 1949 and until December 1971, such territorial adjustments could become null and void. since the current ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan (declared in 2003) is essentially a
reiteration of the ceasefire agreement declared at the end of the 1971 war, this could mean an end to the existing ceasefire agreement between them.
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The entire basis of India-Pakistan negotiations on J&K since 1972 may cease to exist if Pakistan decides to undermine the Simla Agreement, or accuse India of having done so by the August decision and then decide not to abide by it. The China Challenge: soon after the August decision that Beijing was deeply uneasy about India‘s decision for at least two reasons. One, India‘s strong official claim about a territory, Aksai Chin, that has been under the Chinese control;
bringing Ladakh under India‘s central rule annoyed Beijing since it considers Ladakh‘s borders to be disputed between them. From Beijing‘s perspective, the August decision also complicated the ongoing boundary talks between
the two sides. India ―continued to damage China‘s territorial sovereignty by unilaterally modifying the form of domestic law‖ and that it was ―unacceptable‖.
For India, Chinese aggression close to Eastern Ladakh could frustrate its hold over Siachen glacier and compromise its security in the western frontier given the close partnership between Islamabad and Beijing. For China, the region is important for the CPEC and its access to Central Asia, both of which are part of its ―Belt and Road‖ grand strategy. Conclusion: we have always known that China and Pakistan shared a formidable strategic alliance and yet, by wisely deemphasising that and dealing with them separately — not as a strategic alliance, Our strategy should have been to continue to weaken the China-Pakistan alliance by engaging China economically, multilaterally and regionally. Instead we may have brought them closer than ever on the Kashmir question. From being somewhat neutral on the Kashmir question in the 1990s and 2000s, China today is an aggrieved party, or so it claims, in the Kashmir conflict. A country the size of India can ill-afford to be narrowly tactical in its foreign and security policy decision making. Geopolitics in Southern Asia is changing way faster than we previously imagined and,
therefore, our decisions should not be made based on tactical and political considerations, but on cold, clear-headed strategic assessment Source:- The Hindu
KARTARPUR CORRIDOR Context: Four days after Delhi informed Islamabad it was downsizing its mission staff strength by half and asked it to do the same, Pakistan Saturday made a sudden offer to reopen the Kartarpur Sahib pilgrim corridor on June 29. Kartarpur Corridor: The Kartarpur corridor connects the Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Narowal district of Pakistan with the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district in India‟s Punjab province. The gurdwara in Kartarpur stands on the bank of the Ravi, about 120 km northeast of Lahore.
The length of the corridor is about 4 km (2 km on either side of the international border). The gurdwara in Kartarpur stands on the bank of the Ravi, about 120 km northeast of Lahore. The Kartarpur Corridor, which will provide visa-free access to the shrine
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Source:- Indian Express
LINE ON ACTUAL CONTROL Context: The ongoing tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) pose the biggest national security
challenge to New Delhi in at least 20 years. The clashes in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh have claimed 20 Indian lives, the first incident of fatalities on the India-China border in 45 years.
China has revived its claim on the entire Galwan Valley and has asked India to pull back from the areas. Despite multiple rounds of military-level talks, tensions are unlikely to ease given the complexity of the ground situation.
India‟s Position before Stand-off: In 2017, India and China agreed to amicably resolve the Doklam stand-off, The present government has been very careful not to upset China‘s domestic and geopolitical sensitivities.
Barring occasional joint statements issued with leaders from the U.S. and Asia-Pacific countries, reasserting India‘s commitment to ―freedom of navigation‖ (China‘s claims over the South China Sea). India has stayed away from criticising China on controversial topics, whether its ―de-radicalisation‖
camps in Xinjiang, crackdown on protests in Hong Kong, or disputes with Taiwan. Salami slice strategy: The local, regional and global — that influenced China‘s moves.
Shift in Chinese foreign policy post the COVID-19 outbreak China‘s rising tensions with the U.S., its threats against Taiwan, repeated naval incidents in the South China Sea, and a new security law for Hong Kong The tensions along the LAC are part of this shift. India‘s infrastructure upgrade and its decision to change the status of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh China‟s Conduct: Today‘s China is an ambitious rising power which wants to reorient the global order. China had adopted different tactical positions — ―hide your capacity and bide your time‖, ―peaceful rise‖ or ―peaceful development‖. That era is over. Under President Xi Jinping, the Chinese think they have arrived. With the global economy in the doldrums, globalisation in an irrecoverable crisis accentuated by the COVID-19 outbreak, and the U.S. under an isolationist President taking the most aggressive position towards China since Richard Nixon, Beijing believes the global order is at a breaking point.
It is fighting back through what game theorists call ―salami tactics‖ — where a dominant power attempts to establish its hegemony piece by piece. India is one slice in this salami slice strategy. Perception of decline China doesn‘t see India as a ‗swing state‘ any more. It sees India as an ally-in-progress of the U.S.
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Conclusion: There is a need for a national security strategy that‘s decoupled from the compulsions of domestic politics and anchored in neighbourhood realism. It should stand up to China‘s bullying on the border now, with a long-term focus on enhancing capacities and winning back its friendly neighbours. Source:- The Hindu
SECURING THE SEA LANES Context: At a time when China‘s pre-meditated military moves along our northern boundary are drawing the nation‘s attention, it is important that we don‘t lose sight of our surrounding seas. Chinese Survey in Indo- pacific: Chinese maritime research and survey vessels that entered our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and
Continental Shelf (CS) without our prior consent in 2018 and 2019. The Chinese claim that they are serving the interests of global scientific research. That may well be one purpose; but it is well-known that China uses civilian research vessels to gather crucial
oceanographic data, such as sub-sea and sea-bed conditions, for military purposes. It has done so in the South China Sea without heed to protests by claimant states or international law.
Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (CSIS) survey: Between April 2019 and March 2020, China deployed 25 maritime survey missions in the Indo- Pacific. This figure is only marginally less than the 27 missions mounted by the next six countries taken cumulatively — US (10), Japan (6), India (4), Australia (3), France (3) and the Philippines (1). Earlier this year, the Australians voiced concern over the activities of the Chinese vessel Xiang Yang Hong No. 1 in international waters between the Australian mainland and Christmas Island. They suspected that aside from marine science research, the ship was also studying submarine routes from Australia into the South China Sea. This, incidentally, is the same vessel that operated in international waters just south of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands from April 15 to May 21, 2019, presumably with similar objectives.
China has mounted at least six survey missions covering the waters between Indonesia and Sri Lanka, in the Bay of Bengal and the Northern Arabian Sea, in 2019-2020. Concern:
Chinese military base in the Horn of Africa, though China claims Djibouti base is simply a logistics facility, eventually they serve a military purpose. The Cambodian opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, expressed concern over a secret deal that gives China
exclusive access to Cambodia‘s Ream Naval Base. If this report is accurate, it will bring China one step closer to our shores. It is also believed that PLA Navy (PLAN) intelligence-gathering ships have sailed our coast-line to
gather information on naval facilities and ships. It will, almost certainly, do so again. completion of Gwadar and the use of Ream (Cambodia) if such a report is confirmed, will make it easier for China to sustain naval deployments — including submarines — in the Indian Ocean. The collection of vital hydrographical data is critical to their understanding of the sub-surface environment, particularly around the Andaman Islands, which is a choke-point from the Chinese perspective, as well as to monitor our own submarine movements. International law: The Law of the Sea Convention says that military vessels have ―right to innocent passage‖ to traverse the territorial sea of a coastal state without entering internal waters so long as they are not prejudicial to peace, good order and security of the coastal state.
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Future Chinese Action: presumed that in the coming 12-24 months, the Chinese could step up their efforts to secure significantly improved data in the seas between the Malacca Straits and Djibouti, especially in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, through any one, or all, of the following. First, Chinese might try to send another survey vessel without our permission into our EEZ, even possibly under naval escort. They might deploy unmanned underwater drones in our EEZ, while the mother vessel remains just outside.
A recent Forbes report claims that Sea-Wing underwater, unmanned drones were launched from the Xiang Yang Hong No. 6 in mid-December 2019 and successfully retrieved in February 2020. China might sail PLAN intelligence-gathering ships along our coasts or in the waters off our island
territories, just outside the 12 nautical mile limit, on grounds that this is ―innocent passage‖ by naval vessels permissible under relevant provisions of the Convention; in other words the Chinese version of Freedom of Navigation operations.
Need for a comprehensive Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) strategy: This will need coordination between our national security agencies, the navy, and the government departments responsible for the marine environment and disaster management, but also collaboration with like-minded countries who share our concerns. Such cooperation includes, inter alia, deepening of real-time information exchange, co-development and deployment of UDA monitoring devices and joint processing of acoustic signatures, and closer coordination in the patrolling of sea lanes to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. Way Forward: fishing communities that can be provided with the capacity and training for such purposes. Building Maritime Domain Awareness, and especially Underwater Domain Awareness (UDA) capabilities and technology, both domestically and with like-minded partners, should be given the highest priority. Source:- Indian Express
GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests
CHINA PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR Context:
China, under the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, will set up a power project in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir despite India‘s objection to it. More in the news: An agreement has been finalised to implement the Kohala hydroelectric power project under the China- Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). It is a 1,124-megawatt power project. The project will be built on the Jhelum River and aims at annually providing more than five billion units of clean and low-cost electricity for consumers in Pakistan. It is reported that this marks one of the largest investments of USD 2.4 billion in an independent power producer (IPP) in the region.
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China - Pakistan Economic Corridor:
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a part of China‘s ambitious Belt and Road
Initiative (BRI) initiative.
will connect Kashgar in Xinjiang province of China, with Gwadar port in Baluchistan It is connected through a vast and complex network of roads as well as other infrastructure projects such as dams, hydropower projects, railways, and pipelines.
The corridor runs through the region of Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) - a disputed territory between India and Pakistan.
Source:- The Hindu
MULTILATERALISM Context: In the new cold war, defined by technology and trade not territory, non-alignment is an uncertain option; India should craft a global triumvirate. As chair of the Executive Board of the World Health Assembly (it is the decision-making body of the World Health Organization), India can set the global response in terms of multilateralism, not just medical issues. In September, the United Nations General Assembly will discuss the theme, ―The Future We Want‖; in 2021, India joins the UN Security Council (non-permanent seat) and chairs the BRICS Summit, and in 2022, hosts the G-20, a rare alignment of stars for agenda-setting. Clash of values:
The clash between China and the U.S. at the just concluded World Health Assembly in May marks the end of the multilateralism of the past 70 years. The donor-recipient relationship between developed and developing countries has ended with China‘s
pledge of $2-billion. The agenda-setting role of the G7 over UN institutions and global rules has also been effectively challenged by WHO ignoring the reform diktat of the U.S. leading to its withdrawal, and characterisation
of the G7 as ―outdated‖. The U.S. has also implicitly rejected the G20 and UN Security Council, for an expanded G7 ―to discuss the future of China‖.
Non-coercive form: For India, the strategic issue is neither adjustment to China‘s power nor deference to U.S. leadership.
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China has come out with alternative governance mechanisms to the U.S.-dominated International Monetary Fund, World Bank and World Trade Organization with its all-encompassing Belt and Road Initiative. The U.S., European Union and Japan are re-evaluating globalisation as it pertains to China and the U.S. is unabashedly ―America First‖. The world is questioning both U.S. and China‘s exceptionalism. NAM-Plus: The global vacuum, shift in relative power and its own potential, provides India the capacity to articulate a benign multilateralism as a NAM-Plus that resonates with large parts of the world and brings both
BRICS and the G7 into the tent. This new multilateralism should rely on outcomes, not rules, ‗security‘ downplayed for ‗comparable levels of wellbeing‘ and a new P-5 that is not based on the G7.
Opportunities for India: In the light of the upcoming events, there is an impending opportunity for agenda-setting. As chair of the Executive Board of the World Health Assembly, India can set the global response in
terms of multilateralism. India can set the world response to COVID-19, also using the opportunity to recover its global thought leadership. In September 2020, the United Nations General Assembly will discuss the theme, ―The Future We Want‖. In 2021, India joins the UN Security Council (non-permanent seat) and chairs the BRICS Summit, and in 2022, India would be hosting the G-20. India should look upon the changed circumstances as an opportunity for its own re-emergence. India should use this opportunity to recover its global thought leadership, like the days of Nalanda, astronomical computation, the zero, Ayurveda, Buddhism, Yoga and Ahimsa. Way Forward:
The Asian Century should be defined in terms of peaceful co-existence. Non-interference in the internal affairs of countries should be ensured. The global community requires new principles for trade. This could involve rejecting the 25-year-old
trade rule creating intellectual property monopolies. Global public goods should include public health, crop research, renewable energy and batteries and even AI as its value comes from shared data. There is a need for restructuring both the economic order and societal behaviour for equitable sustainable
development, which a climate change-impacted world is seeking. Source:- The Hindu
INDIA-AUSTRALIA VIRTUAL SUMMIT
Context: Recently, Prime Ministers of India and Australia held their first virtual bilateral summit and both concluded nine agreements including the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) and the Mutual
Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA). Key Highlights: Elevating the 2009 bilateral Strategic Partnership to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), India and Australia decided to upgrade the existing 2+2 dialogue between their Foreign and Defence Secretaries to the Ministerial level. two sides announced a roadmap ―for maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region to harness opportunities and meet challenges together as comprehensive strategic partners Mutual Logistics Support agreement, which will allow use of each other‘s bases, and increase ―military inter-operability through defence exercises.‖ India has such agreements with US, France, Singapore and South Korea. They also agreed to continue to ―deepen and broaden defence cooperation‖ by enhancing the scope and complexity of their military exercises to address shared security challenges.
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Australia-India Strategic Research Fund: to promote innovative solutions for responding to and treating Covid as well as other jointly determined priorities Decided to work together in digital economy, cyber security and critical and emerging technologies as identified by the framework arrangement on Cyber and Cyber-enabled critical technology cooperation. Source:- The Hindu; PIB
AN UNRAVELLING OF THE GROUP OF SEVEN Context: The next G7 summit, tentatively scheduled in Washington DC in mid-June, has been postponed by the host, U.S. President Donald Trump. Logic of Expansion: While postponing the summit ―to at least September‖, Mr. Trump declared that in any case, the G7 ―is a very outdated group of countries‖ and no longer properly represented ―what‘s going on in the world‖. He asked, rhetorically, why not a G10 or G11 instead, with the inclusion of India, South Korea, Australia and possibly Russia? On the initiative of U.S. President Bill Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the G7 became the G8, with the Russian Federation joining the club in1998. This ended with Russia‟s expulsion following the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Econ omic Circumstance: According to the 2017report of the accountancy firm, PwC, ―The World in 2050‖, they now account for
less than a third of global GDP on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis, and less than half on market exchange rates (MER) basis. The seven largest emerging economies (E7, or ―Emerging 7‖), comprising Brazil, China, India,
Indonesia, Mexico, Russia and Turkey, account for over a third of global GDP on purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, and over a quarter on MER basis. India‘s economy is already the third largest in the world in PPP terms, even if way behind that of the U.S. and China.
The limitations of G7: The G7 failed to head off the economic downturn of 2007-08, which led to the rise of the G20. In the short span of its existence, the G20 has provided a degree of confidence, by promoting open markets, and stimulus, preventing a collapse of the global financial system. The G7 has not covered itself with glory with respect to contemporary issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, the challenge of the Daesh, and the crisis of state collapse in West Asia. Need for a new institution: The world is in a state of disorder. The global economy has stalled and COVID-19 will inevitably create widespread distress. Nations need dexterity and resilience to cope with the current flux, as also a revival of multilateralism, for they have been seeking national solutions for problems that are unresolvable internally.
Existing international institutions have proven themselves unequal to these tasks. A new mechanism might help in attenuating them. Group of 7:
G7 is an intergovernmental organisation that was formed in 1975 by the top economies of the time as an
informal forum to discuss pressing world issues. The G-7 or ‗Group of Seven‘ are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The G-7 was known as the ‗G-8‘ for several years after the original seven were joined by Russia in 1997. The Group returned to being called G-7 after Russia was expelled as a member in 2014 following the latter‘s annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine.
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The G-7 does not have a formal constitution or a fixed headquarters. The decisions taken by leaders during annual summits are non-binding. The G7 also accounts for 46% of the global Gross Domestic Product calculated at market exchange rates and also for 32% of the global PPP GDP. Source:- The Hindu
INDIAN OCEAN COMMISSION Context: After joining Indian Ocean Commission(IOC) as Observer, India is looking to post Navy Liaison Officers at Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre(RMIFC) in Madagascar and also at the European maritime surveillance initiative in the Strait of Hormuz(EMASOH) for improved Maritime Domain Awareness.
Indian Ocean Commission: It is an intergovernmental organization created in 1982. Members: Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion Islands (an overseas region of France) and
Seychelles.Its secretariat is located in Port Louis, Mauritius. IOC had Five observers – China, Malta, European Union and International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF)
Recently, IOC granted observer status to India. Objective: The IOC works on four pillars which have been adopted in 2005 by the Summit of Heads of States:
Political and diplomatic cooperation, Economic and commercial cooperation Sustainable development in a globalisation context, cooperation in the field of agriculture, maritime fishing, and the conservation of resources and ecosystems Strengthening of the regional cultural identity, cooperation in cultural, scientific, technical, educational and judicial fields. The original ideas were to encourage trade and Tourism. Recently, cooperation has focused on marine conservation and fisheries management.
RMIFC: Itfunctions under the aegis of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) and is based in Madagascar.
It aims to monitor the maritime activities and promotes information sharing. EMASOH: It was started by France in February 2020.It is composed of Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands and French officers and based at the French naval base in Abu Dhabi.
The aim is to monitor maritime activity and guarantee freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Source:- The Hindu 48
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WEST ASIA
Context:
As the world continues to collaborate in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic which has shattered lives,
economies and, arguably, even political and global institutions, the post-pandemic architecture may look drastically different from what we have been used to. For India and its foreign policy, the West Asia/Gulf region holds a significant court for strategic,
economic and even domestic political agendas, ranging from migration to energy security. The pandemic has initiated a reverse migration of Indian blue-collar workers as projects in oil-rich States stall, and infrastructure development halts amidst a contracting global economy that some say may be worse than the Great Depression of the 1930s. The stakes in Numbers: nine million Indians work in West Asia, responsible for sending back more than 56% of India‘s annual infusion of $80 billion in remittances. The UAE alone is responsible for $19 billion in remittances, being the third largest trade partner of India after the United States and China. According to a Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry survey, more than 70% of businesses classified as small and medium-sized enterprises in Dubai, many owned by Indian nationals, may not survive over the months to come as labour critical industries such as tourism, conventions, hospitality and airlines bear the immediate brunt. Wa y Forward: If the economic prophecies come true till a certain degree, India will also share the brunt with West Asia,
and both are well placed to help each other in this regard. Arguably, more than the loss of trade revenue and remittances, the return of semi-skilled and skilled workers alike into an economy already struggling with jobs may become a point of worry.
To mitigate the same, the government has tried to soften the blow by launching the Skilled Workers Arrival Database for Employment Support (SWADES) which attempts to capture the skills profile of returning workers and house them in a central portal that can be accessed by Indian and foreign
companies. However, much more needs to be done with regard to reverse-migration and the economics attached to it, as globally, bilateral and multilateral trade-diplomacy is set to witness a tectonic shift towards the unknown. Source:- The Hindu
NORTH KOREA Context:
North Korea threatened to re-enter border areas that had been demilitarized under a recent agreement with the South, raising tensions amid anger over the distribution of propaganda leaflets by anti-regime activists. More in the news: The two Koreas also vacated several guard posts in the Demilitarized Zone that divides the peninsula as part of a military agreement reached in 2018 during a bout of diplomatic efforts to improve relations that have since fizzled. North Korea has made several threats in recent months in an apparent bid to increase pressure on the South to move forward with stalled bilateral economic projects and to take its side in demands for the United States to ease sanctions in nuclear talks.
Experts also have said the North may be trying to project strength on the domestic front to shore up support amid the coronavirus crisis.
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Demilitarised Zone:
The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is a region 4 km wide and 240 km long, dividing the Korean Peninsula into the North Korea and South Korea. A DMZ may sometimes form a de facto international border, such as the 38th parallel between North and South Korea. The DMZ was created after the 1953 Korean War Armistice Agreement, which ended the Korean War.
Vast stretches of the DMZ have been no man‘s land for more than 60 years, where wildlife has flourished undisturbed.
Source:- The Hindu
RIC GROUPING Context:
The Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed that India will participate in the virtual meeting of the Russia-India-China (RIC) grouping. More in the news:
The Russian reiteration of support for dialogue between China and India came even though Moscow‘s Foreign Minister had said bilateral issues were usually not taken up at RIC. The situation in Afghanistan and regional connectivity projects such as the International North South
Transport Corridor involving India, Russia and Iran are expected to figure in the agenda. Significance: The Indian decision to go ahead with the ministerial level exchange has created an opening for de- escalation of tension along the Line of Actual Control with the Russian diplomatic sources indicating that they support constructive dialogue over the tension in eastern Ladakh. Russia can act as a bridge in the strained relations between India and China. It can act as a platform to discuss and address the areas of cooperation and understand mutual differences.
Russia-India-China trilateral grouping: RIC as a strategic grouping first took shape in the late 1990s under the leadership of Yevgeny
Primakov as a counterbalance to the Western alliance. Primakov, a Russian politician and diplomat who was also the Prime Minister of Russia from 1998 to 1999, is credited with the idea for RIC.
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The group was founded on the basis of ―end[ing] its subservient foreign policy guided by the
U.S.,‖ and ―renewing old ties with India and fostering the newly discovered friendship with
China.‖
But the idea of meeting at the leader‘s level on a more sustained basis has only surfaced over the past couple of years. Significance of RIC:
RIC brings together three largest Eurasian countries. It is a significant trilateral grouping as all three countries are nuclear powers. Russia and China are permanent members of the UN Security Council, India aspires to be one. In the period of geopolitical transition, it is an effort to renew and rebuild some of these old initiatives as a way to counter the U.S.-led world order. Here, Russia becomes the bridge between India and China, since it enjoys strong relations with both. RIC can complement India‘s continental ambitions and bring about more balance in its strategic
autonomy.
Source:- The Hindu
RUSSIA AMID INDIA, CHINA TENSIONS Context: Recently, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hosts the Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral foreign ministers‘ meeting. Russia has emerged, all of a sudden, as a key diplomatic player amid the tension between India and China. Russia as key Diplomatic player: While India and China have been talking at each other — and not to each other — the outreach to Moscow is noteworthy. It is widely known that Russia and China have grown their relationship in the past few years.
The Moscow-Beijing axis is crucial, especially since Washington has been at loggerheads with China in recent months and Russia much more calibrated, even in its response on the Covid-19 outbreak. Sino -Russian relations: The West‘s approach towards Russia after the annexation of Crimea through harsh sanctions in 2014
brought Moscow much closer to China. And India, for its part, has always felt that it was the West which has pushed Russia towards a tighter embrace of Beijing. A Sino-Russian quasi-alliance has formed in recent years, and this has been possible due to the anti-
Chinese rhetoric from Washington, collapse of oil prices and growing dependence of Russia on Chinese consumption. China is Russia‘s biggest trading partner and the largest Asian investor in Russia.
China sees Russia as a powerhouse of raw material and a growing market for its consumer goods. India and Russia: India has a historical relationship with Russia, spanning over seven decades.
While the relationship has grown in some areas and atrophied in some others, the strongest pillar of the strategic partnership is of the defence basket. Although New Delhi has consciously diversified its new purchases from other countries, the bulk of its
defence equipment is from Russia. Estimates say 60 to 70 per cent of India‘s supplies are from Russia, and New Delhi needs a regular and reliable supply of spare parts from the Russian defence industry.
In fact, Prime Minister Modi has held informal summits with only two leaders — Xi and Putin.
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Russia‟s Position: Then and Now: During the Doklam crisis in 2017, Russian diplomats in Beijing were among the few briefed by the Chinese government. While Russia‘s position during the 1962 war was not particularly supportive of India, New Delhi takes comfort in Moscow‘s support during the 1971 war. On the events in Galwan, Moscow responded in a much-calibrated manner. Kremlin has expressed its concerns over a clash between the military on the border between China and India but believes that the two countries could resolve this conflict themselves. Source:- The Indian Express
CHINA AND U.S. Context: The U.S. military is deploying unprecedented numbers to the Asia-Pacific region, raising the risk of an incident with China‘s Navy, a senior Chinese official has said. More in the news: Tensions between the two have soared on multiple fronts since President Donald Trump took office. According to a report, U.S. has deployed 3,75,000 soldiers and 60% of its warships in the Indo-Pacific region. Three US aircraft carriers have been sent to the region. The United States‘ regular ―freedom of navigation‖ operations in the South China Sea — where China and neighbouring countries have competing claims — angers Beijing, and China‘s Navy usually warns off the U.S. ships.
During former President Barack Obama‘s eight years in office, the U.S. Navy conducted four freedom of navigation operations while there have been 22 of them under President Trump. Also, Beijing has infuriated other nations by building artificial islands with military installations in parts
of the sea. Way Forward: If a crisis were to erupt, the repercussions on bilateral relations would be catastrophic.
The document warns that deteriorating military relations would substantially increase the possibility of a dangerous incident, a conflict or even a crisis. As per the report, the two militaries should step up communication in order to prevent strategic
misunderstanding and miscalculation. The report says China does not regard the United States as a potential rival or envisage a new cold or hot war with the U.S.
Source:- The Hindu
U.S. NUCLEAR DEAL WITH RUSSIA Context:
According to a U.S. envoy in talks with Russia on a new accord, the U.S. wants to broaden its nuclear arms control pact with Russia to include all their atomic weapons. More in the news:
U.S. special presidential envoy has urged China to join the talks on replacing the 2010 New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which expires in February 2021. According to a senior U.S. official, the concerns about China‘s testing activities supported President
Donald Trump‘s case for getting China to join the United States and Russia in talks on an arms control accord to replace the 2010 New START treaty.
New START: New START is a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation with the formal name of Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. It was signed on 8 April 2010 in Prague, and, after ratification entered into force on 5 February
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2011.
New START replaced the Treaty of Moscow (SORT), which was due to expire in December
2012. Its name is a follow-up to the START I treaty, which expired in December 2009, the
proposed START II treaty, which never entered into force, and the START III treaty, for which negotiations were never concluded.
Source:- The Hindu
SOUTH CHINA SEA
Context: Vietnam and the Philippines warned of growing insecurity in Southeast Asia at a regional summit amid concerns that China was stepping up its activity in the disputed South China Sea during the coronavirus pandemic. Background: China has been pushing its presence in the Exclusive Economic Zones of other countries while claimant countries have been preoccupied in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. China has been stepping up its activity in the disputed South China Sea during the coronavirus pandemic. Vietnam and the Philippines had raised protests with China in April 2020 after China unilaterally declared the creation of new administrative districts on islands in the South China Sea to which Vietnam and the Philippines also have competing claims. In early April 2020, Vietnam claimed that one of its fishing boats was sunk by a Chinese maritime surveillance vessel.
More in the news: Leaders of Vietnam and the Philippines argued that international institutions and international law had been seriously challenged during the global crisis.
Vietnam and the Philippines have warned of growing insecurity and instability in Southeast Asia and have called upon countries to refrain from escalating tensions and abide by responsibilities under international law.
South China Sea:
The South China Sea is an arm of western Pacific Ocean in Southeast Asia. Location: south of China, east & south of Vietnam, west of the Philippines and north of the island of Borneo Bordering states & territories : the People‘s Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam. Encompassing an area from the Karimata and Malacca straits to the Strait of Taiwan The Paracel Islands, the Spratly Islands and the Scarborough Shoal are the most important
islands. The sea carries tremendous strategic importance; one-third of the world's shipping passes through it, carrying over $3 trillion in trade each year,
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It contains lucrative fisheries, which are crucial for the food security of millions in Southeast
Asia.
Huge oil and gas reserves are believed to lie beneath its seabed.
ASEAN:
ASEAN was established in 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a regional intergovernmental organization Established to promote political and social stability amid rising tensions among the Asia- Pacific‘s post-colonial states. Members - Ten countries in Southeast Asia, Founding Members: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Headquarter: Jakarta, Indonesia.
Objective: To promote intergovernmental cooperation and facilitate economic, political, security, military, educational, and socio-cultural integration.
To promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law in the relationship among countries in the region and adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter
Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS- Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests, Indian diaspora.
WHO Context:
Recently, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, was elected the Chair of the World Health Organization‘s (WHO) executive board. The elevation affords India an important platform to steer the global public health response to COVID- 19. It also comes at a time when the WHO is being rocked politically as never before. U.S. President Donald Trump wrote a letter to the WHO Director-General, threatening to make permanent his temporary funding freeze as well as reconsider the U.S‘s membership in the organisation if the latter did not commit to major substantive reforms within 30 days. Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged $2 billion to fight the virus,and also ensure that vaccine development in China, when available, would be made a global public good.
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India‟s policy approach: Epidemic prevention and control remain the international community‘s foremost priority. As the virus‘ chain of transmission is broken, the focus should shift to identifying the animal-to- human transmission origins of SARS-CoV-2. India should lean on the WHO secretariat to fast-track the ―impartial, independent, and comprehensive review‖ of the WHO‘s – and China‘s – early response to the outbreak. The review‘s findings should illuminate best practice and highlight areas for improvement, both in the WHO‘s leadership and capacity as well as member states‘ implementation of the
International Health Regulations. India must promote the establishment of an appropriate multilateral governance mechanism for ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccines for all countries.
The envisaged voluntary pooling mechanism to collect patent rights and regulatory test data should be suitably tailored to the needs of crisis, and the World Trade Organization‘s intellectual property rights provisions overridden (as is allowed during a public health emergency) to assure affordable vaccine availability. India must stay aloof from the West‘s campaign to re-seat Taiwan as an observer at the WHA. India must lead the call for a permanent global ban on the consumption and trade of wild animals, with limited exceptions built-in for scientific research, species protection and traditional livelihood interests. With two-thirds of emerging infections and diseases now arising from wildlife, the destruction of natural habitats and biodiversity loss must be taken much more seriously Source:- The Hindu
REMAINING NON-ALIGNED Context: Both India and China have been strengthening their border infrastructure in recent years, and while the strengthening of the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldi road may have angered the Chinese, to ascribe China‘s recent show of strength to this would be misplaced. Behind the statements: With both India and China agreeing to step back marginally from positions adopted at the beginning of May, and ―reaching an agreement‖,the newspapers and most other believe that tensions have abated. The reality is, however, very different. Talks at the level of military commanders, from lieutenant generals to brigadiers and lower formations, have produced, to repeat the official jargon, a ―partial disengagement‖. The blandness of the statements conceals many a truth. This time, it would appear, the Chinese are here to stay in places such as the Galwan Valley. It is also unclear, as of now, whether the Chinese would
withdraw from Pangong Tso, any time soon. Restoration of the status quo ante which existed in mid- April is thus nowhere on the horizon. Another bone of contention also seems unlikely to be resolved for quite some time, viz., China‘s
insistence that India stop road construction in the border area on the ground that it is taking place in Chinese territory, which India contests, insisting that it is taking place within Indian territory. Deteriorating relations:
India professes to be non-aligned, it is increasingly perceived as having shifted towards the American orbit of influence. India‘s United States tilt is perhaps most pronounced in the domain of U.S.-China relations.\
China views India‘s assertions regarding Gilgit-Baltistan, as an implicit attack on the CPEC, China‘s flagship programme. More recently, India was one of the earliest countries to put curbs and restrictions on Chinese foreign direct investment. The rising crescendo of anti-China propaganda within India.
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Conclusion: These are dangerous times, more so for countries in China‘s vicinity, and specially India. India is being increasingly projected as an alternative model to China, and being co-opted into a wider anti-China alliance which China clearly perceives as provocation. We cannot ignore or forget the circumstances that led to the unfortunate India-China war of 1962. This is not the time for India to be seen as the front end of a belligerent coalition of forces seeking to put China in its place — even the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, now seems to be joining the anti-China bandwagon under prodding from the U.S.
India has consistently followed a different policy in the past, and it is advisable that it remains truly non- aligned and not become part of any coalition that would not be in India‘s long-term interest. Source:- The Hindu
UIGHURS Context: U.S. President Donald Trump has signed legislation calling for sanctions over the repression of China‘s
Uighurs. More in the mews: The Bill was intended to send China a strong message on human rights by mandating sanctions against
those responsible for oppression of the Muslim minority. The UN estimates that more than a million Muslims have been detained in camps in the Xinjiang region. The Uighur men are placed in concentration camps while the women are being used by the Han
community. The Han community reasons these actions as the basis of providing better integration among the community. China and the United States are already at loggerheads over a large number of issues from China‘s handling of the coronavirus pandemic to U.S. support for Chinese-claimed Taiwan. China‟s Reaction to the bill: China denies mistreatment and says the camps provide vocational training and are needed to fight extremism. China responded to the Bill with anger, saying it ―vilified‖ the human rights situation in Xinjiang and was a malicious attack against China. It urged the US to stop its interfere in China‘s internal affairs.
Uighurs: The Uighurs are a minority Turkic ethnic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the general region of Central and East Asia. The Uighurs are recognized as native to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People‘s Republic of China. They are considered to be one of China‘s 55 officially recognized ethnic minorities. The Uighurs have traditionally inhabited a series of oases scattered across the Taklamakan Desert comprising the Tarim Basin, a territory which has historically been controlled by many
civilizations including China, the Mongols, the Tibetans and the Turkic world. An estimated 80% of Xinjiang‘s Uyghurs still live in the Tarim Basin. The rest of Xinjiang‘s Uyghurs mostly live in Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (UAR),
which is located in the historical region of Dzungaria.
Source:- The Hindu
SENKAKU ISLAND Context: Japan‘s Ishigaki city assembly has passed a bill to change the name of the Senkaku Islands from Tonoshiro to Tonoshiro Senkaku.
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Senkaku Islands:
Senkaku Islands are known as the Diaoyus by China and Tiaoyutai by Taiwan. The islands are disputed with China and Taiwan. Eight uninhabited islands lie in the East China Sea. They have a total area of about 7 sq km and lie northeast of Taiwan. Islands are close to strategically important shipping lanes, offer rich fishing grounds and are thought to contain oil deposits. The Senkakus island chain has been administered by Japan since 1972, but its legal status has remained disputed until now. Both Japan and China claim ownership of these islands. Japan‟s Claim: After World War II, Japan renounced claims to a number of territories and islands including Taiwan in the 1951 Treaty of San Francisco. But under the treaty the Nansei Shoto islands came under US trusteeship and were then returned to Japan in 1971. Japan says that Senkaku islands are part of the Nansei Shoto islands and hence they also belong
to Japan. Besides, China raised no objections to the San Francisco deal. Only since the 1970s, when the issue of oil resources in the area emerged, that Chinese and Taiwanese authorities began
pressing their claims. China‟s Claim: These Islands have been part of its territory since ancient times, serving as important fishing
grounds administered by the province of Taiwan. When Taiwan was returned in the Treaty of San Francisco, China said the islands – as part of it – should also have been returned. Source:- The Hindu
H-1B VISAS Context:
The U.S. President has signed an executive order (EO) pausing new H-1B visas effective June 24, 2020 through the end of the year. More in the news: H-1B visa is required to work in a specialty occupation. Requires a higher education degree or its equivalent. Includes fashion models of distinguished merit and ability and government-to-government research and development, or co-production projects administered by the Department of Defence.
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H-2B visas allow food and agricultural workers to seek employment in the US. H-1B, H-2B, J and L visa holders, and their spouses or children already present in the US shall not be impacted by the new worker visa ban. The order was issued ostensibly to protect American jobs during the ongoing pandemic. It has been criticised by the tech industry as well as politicians on both sides of the aisle as damaging to the U.S. economy. Why did the US suspend non-immigrant worker visas? Since it was started in 1952, the H-1 visa scheme has undergone many changes and revisions to allow or disallow certain categories of skilled workers in the US, depending on the economic situation of the country.
The technology boom coupled with the arrival of the internet and low-cost computers in developing nations such as India and China saw a large number of graduates willing to work at relatively low costs in the US, a win-win situation for both the employer and the employee. However, it has since often been criticised for sending low cost workers to the US at the expense of
domestic workers. In his executive order extending the ban, Trump said that while under normal circumstances, ―properly administered temporary worker programs can provide benefits to the economy,‖, the extraordinary
economic contraction created due to COVID-19 posed a threat to the US workers. Impact: Indian IT companies are amongst the biggest beneficiaries of the US H-1B visa regime, and have since
the 1990s cornered a lion‘s share of the total number of visas issued each year. Indian IT companies also offer subcontracts to Indian nationals already present in the US with valid H- 1B visas.
As of April 1, 2020, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) had received about 2.5 lakh H-1B work visa applications, according to official data. Indians had applied for as many as 1.84 lakh or 67 per cent of the total H-1B work visas for the current financial year ending March 2021. Apart from the suspension of these work visas, the executive order signed by Trump has also made sweeping changes to the H-1B work visa norms, which will no longer be decided by the currently prevalent lottery system. The new norms will now favour highly-skilled workers who are paid the highest wages by their respective companies. This could result in a significant impact on margins and worker wages of Indian IT companies which send thousands of low-cost employees to work on client sites in the US. However, as per research agency ICRA, the move will be mildly negative for the Indian IT services sector considering their high dependence on such visas. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 02 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT Context: U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday issued an executive order authorising sanctions against individuals involved in an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into whether U.S. forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan. More in the news:
The ICC decided to investigate after prosecutors‘ preliminary examination in 2017 found reasonable grounds to believe war crimes were committed in Afghanistan and that the ICC has jurisdiction.
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Afghanistan is a member of the ICC, though Kabul has argued that any war crimes should be prosecuted locally. The U.S. government has never been a member of the court, established in 2002. The government imposed travel restrictions and other sanctions against ICC employees a year ago.
International criminal court: The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organisation and international tribunal headquartered in The Hague.
It investigates and tries people charged with serious and grave crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. It is the first permanent international criminal court in the world. It is governed by an international statute known as the Rome Statute. The Statute entered into force in July 2002. India is not a party to Rome Statute along with US and China
Source:- The Hindu
SIPRI Context: The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has published its Yearbook 2020.
Key Highlights: India and China increased their nuclear warheads in the last one year, Both China and Pakistan continue to have larger nuclear arsenals than India.
Together the nine nuclear-armed states — the U.S., Russia, the United Kingdom, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea — possessed an estimated 13,400 nuclear weapons at the start of 2020, which marked a decrease from an estimated 13,865 nuclear weapons at the beginning of 2019.
The decrease in the overall numbers was largely due to the dismantlement of old nuclear weapons by Russia and the U.S., which together possess over 90% of the global nuclear weapons.
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI): This think tank is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict,
armaments, arms control and disarmament. It was established in 1966 at Stockholm (Sweden). It provides data, analysis and recommendations, based on open sources, to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public.
Source:- The Hindu
ASIAN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT BANK Context:
China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) said it will extend a $750-million loan to India. More in the news:
AIIB‘s sovereign loans to India amount to $3.06 billion, including a recent $500 million Covid-19 emergency response. This will be the second loan for India under AIIB‘s Covid-19 Crisis Recovery Facility (CRF), which was created as part of the coordinated international response to counter the pandemic The Beijing-based multilateral funding agency is co-financing the project with the Asian Development Bank.
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Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB):
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank
Mission: To improve social and economic outcomes in Asia.
Headquartered in Beijing. AIIB finances infrastructure projects in the Asia-Pacific region. India is founding member of AIIB.
Voting: The voting shares are based on the size of each member country‘s economy (GDP in PPP terms). Not on the basis of contribution to the bank‘s authorized capital. China, India and Russia are the three largest shareholders.
Source:- The Hindu
UNSC Context:
India scored a major diplomatic victory to enter the non-permanent category of the UN Security Council when elections were held for the five non-permanent members. More in the news: India won 184 votes out of 192 valid votes cast. India‘s term on the 15-member Council will be it‘s eighth. Previously, India has been elected as a non-permanent member of the Council 7 times, for the years 1950—1951, 1967—1968, 1972—1973, 1977—1978, 1984—1985, 1991—1992 and 2011—2012. Ireland, Mexico and Norway were also elected as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council. India‘s approach will be guided by ―Five S‘s‖, as set out by the Prime Minister: Samman (Respect), Samvad (Dialogue), Sahyog (Cooperation), and Shanti (Peace), and Samriddhi (Prosperity). India‘s overall objective during this tenure in the UN Security Council will be the achievement of N.O.R.M.S: a New Orientation for a Reformed Multilateral System.
UNSC Non permanent members:
United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations, charged with the maintenance of international peace and security as well as accepting new members to the United Nations and approving any changes to its United Nations Charter.
There are permanent and non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. A total of 15 members are there in the council, out of which 5 are permanent and 10 are not permanent. Each year, the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members (out of ten in total) for a two-year term. The ten non-permanent seats are distributed on a regional basis: Five for African and Asian countries. One for Eastern European countries. Two for Latin American and Caribbean countries.
Two for Western European and other countries.
Recently, India, Mexico, Norway and Ireland elected to the UNSC as non-permanent members. India‘s election to the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member is a significant diplomatic victory for the country, which has long been pushing for reforms at global institutions. India‟s campaign brochure: India‘s campaign brochure which highlighted its demand for transparency in mandates for UN peacekeeping missions and push for the India-led Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, and called for joint efforts for UN reform and expansion of the Security Council. A ―new orientation for a reformed multilateral system‖ (NORMS)
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Way forward: India has long been of the view that the structure of the UN Security Council doesn‘t reflect the realities of the 21st century. It has also got increasing support from member countries for its push for reforms. But the five permanent members of the Security Council have resisted these attempts. The COVID-19 pandemic has already shaken up the global order and sharpened the rivalry between the U.S. and China. It has also opened up fresh debates on strengthening multilateralism and multilateral institutions. The Security Council is one of the most important multilateral decision-making bodies where the
contours of global geopolitics are often drawn. India should avoid the temptation of taking sides at a time when the Security Council is getting more and more polarised. To serve its interests and push for its agenda of multilateralism and reforms, India should adopt value-based positions that are not
transactional, aspire for the leadership of the non-permanent members of the Council and be the voice of the weaker nations. Source:- The Hindu
FATF GROUP Context: Indian officials, including representatives from enforcement agencies, recently attended a meeting, under
the aegis of the Financial Action Task Force. More in the news: It was a ‗32nd special Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism
(EAG) plenary meeting‘. The EAG is a regional body comprising nine countries: India, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus. It is an associate member of the FATF. The FATF‘s virtual plenary meet will be held on June 24.
Financial Action Task Force: It is the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog.
The inter-governmental body sets international standards that aim to prevent these illegal activities and the harm they cause to society. As a policy-making body, the FATF works to generate the necessary political will to bring
about national legislative and regulatory reforms in these areas. The FATF has developed the FATF Recommendations, or FATF Standards, which ensure a co-ordinated global response to prevent organized crime, corruption and terrorism. They help authorities go after the money of criminals dealing in illegal drugs, human trafficking and other crimes. The FATF also works to stop funding for weapons of mass destruction. The FATF reviews money laundering and terrorist financing techniques and continuously strengthens its standards to address new risks, such as the regulation of virtual assets, which
have spread as cryptocurrencies gain popularity. The FATF monitors countries to ensure they implement the FATF Standards fully and effectively and holds countries to account that do not comply.
Source:- The Hindu
FATF „GREYLIST‟ Context: The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) plenary session decided to continue to keep all countries that
were on the list under scrutiny for Terror Financing and Money Laundering until October 2020.
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More in the news: At the FATF plenary, Pakistan was due for a decision on whether it would be kept on the ―greylist‖ or downgraded to the ―blacklist‖ for failing to meet the 27-point action plan on countering terror financing and anti-money laundering (CFT/AML) measures. FATF, had given Pakistan two extensions to comply with its action plan since October 2019.
It has received another extension on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) ―greylist‖. Islamabad faced setbacks on other fronts, with the United States slamming its record on terrorism, including its failure to act against groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and received a U.S. veto
against its joint effort with China to list an Indian engineer on the UN Security Council (UNSC)‘s 1267 list. Source:- The Hindu
MONEY LAUNDERING AND THE ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE Context: Recently, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has released the first global report on the Illegal
Wildlife Trade (IWT) namely, ―Money Laundering and the Illegal Wildlife Trade‖. The report comes amid increasing international concern that the crime could lead to more zoonotic diseases in the future.
The report has also described IWT as a ―global threat‖, which also has links with other organised crimes like modern slavery, drug trafficking and arms trade. Key Highlights:
The parties involved in the IWT are usually engaged in other major transnational organised crime that fuels corruption, threatens biodiversity, and can have significant public health impacts. The illegal trade is estimated to generate revenues of up to $23 billion a year.
According to the 2016 UN World Wildlife Crime report, criminals are illegally trading products derived from over 7,000 species of wild animals and plants across the world. Usually, the countries that are rich in biodiversity and/or where there may be weaker law enforcement oversight and criminal justice are treated as source countries for IWT. Similarly, most parties involved in such crime transit the wildlife through other countries to blur the exact end destination. Transit countries typically include trade and transport hubs or countries with higher levels of corruption. The laundering of the proceeds occurs across source, transit and destination countries. Methods used for IWT: It has been observed that the criminals are relying on ―established‖ methods to launder proceeds from IWT, including mobile or social media-based payments, third party payments and the placement and layering of funds through the formal financial sector. The accounts of innocent victims are also used for high-value payments to avoid and evade detection. IWT also uses shell and front companies to conceal payments and launder their money.
Shell company is an inactive company used as a vehicle for various financial manoeuvres or kept dormant for future use in some other capacity.
A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as, organized crime groups, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy groups, or corporations.
Also, legitimate pet stores and private zoos, farms or parks are often used to facilitate the illicit pet trade in many countries (such as Asia and the Americas) and are used to justify trading, breeding, or otherwise exploit protected wildlife.
Additionally, the role of online marketplaces and mobile, social media-based payments and darknets have facilitated the fast and movement of illegally traded animals.
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Zoonotic Diseases: The spread of zoonotic diseases underlines the importance of ensuring that wildlife is traded in a legal, safe and sustainable manner and that countries remove the profitability of illegal markets. The exact connection between the trading of pangolins and its scales to the Covid-19 outbreak is yet to be established but it has been noted that the price of pangolins has
increased between 100% to 600% mark-up. Further, India has also been a source country for illegal pangolin trading. Challenges:
The lack of the required knowledge, legislative basis and resources to assess and combat the threat posed by the funds generated through the illegal trade is one of the major issues with IWT. This limited focus on the financial side of IWT has largely prevented jurisdictions from being able to identify and
sanction IWT networks. IWT makes other industries more vulnerable to misuse which includes traditional medicine, décor and jewellery and fashion. Recommendation: The countries should consider implementing the good practices which include providing all relevant agencies with the necessary mandate and tools; and cooperating with other countries, international bodies and the private sector. The legislative changes are necessary to increase the applicability of anti-money laundering laws to the illegal wildlife trade-linked offences. India amended the Prevention of Money Laundering Act in 2012 removing a value threshold — of ₹30 lakh and above — that was earlier applicable to the wildlife trade predicates. It has suggested treating IWT as money laundering offences since the proceeds enter the global market through money laundering and also money laundering offences carry more severe penalties in many countries.
Way Forward: The illegal wildlife trade is devastating our wildlife and putting the global ecosystem at risk. The world needs to ensure the survival of endangered species and also needs to build strong public-
private partnerships to prevent, detect and disrupt IWT, following the money that fuels it and the organised crime gangs, poachers and traffickers behind it. Source:- The Hindu; Down To Earth
UN ARMS TRADE TREATY Context: China has decided to join the United Nations(UN) Arms Trade Treaty that has been rejected by the United States. UN Arms Trade Treaty : The UN Arms Trade Treaty entered into force in 2014.
Objective: To regulate the international trade in conventional arms (from small arms to battle tanks, combat aircraft and warships). It requires member countries to keep records of international transfers of weapons and to prohibit cross-
border shipments that can be used in human rights violations or attacks on civilians. It establishes common standards for the international trade of conventional weapons and seeks to reduce the illicit arms trade.
However, The treaty does not regulate the domestic sale or use of weapons in any country.It also recognizes the legitimacy of the arms trade to enable states to provide for their own security. While 130 countries originally signed the treaty, only 101 have ratified and joined it.
India has not signed the treaty as it has said that it has strong and effective national export controls on military hardware to ensure they don‘t fall into the wrong hands. Source:- The Hindu
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GLOBAL EDUCATION MONITORING REPORT: UNESCO Context: According to a UNESCO‘s 2020 Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report, COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in education systems across the world. Key Findings: About 40% of low- and lower-middle-income countries have not supported learners at risk of exclusion during this crisis, such as the poor, linguistic minorities and learners with disabilities.
The report noted that efforts to maintain learning continuity during the pandemic may have actually worsened exclusion trends. During the height of school closures in April 2020, almost 91% of students around the world were out of school.
While India has also used distance learning solutions for educational continuity, the digital divide lays bare the limitations of this approach. School closures have also interrupted support mechanisms from which many disadvantaged learners
benefit. For poor students who depend on school for free meals or even free sanitary napkins, closures have been a major blow.
The report highlighted that, cancellation of examinations in many countries, including India, may result in scoring dependent on teachers‘ judgement of students instead, which could be affected by stereotypes of certain types of students.
Higher drop-out rates are also a concern. During an earlier Ebola epidemic in Africa, many older girls never returned to school once the crisis was over. Conclusion: In order to combat the situation, 17% of low and middle-income countries are planning to recruit more teachers, 22% to increase class time and 68% to introduce remedial classes when schools reopen. However, how such classes are planned and targeted will be critical to whether disadvantaged students can catch up. Source:- The Hindu
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GS PAPER III
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and
States and the performance of these schemes; Issues relating to poverty and hunger
MGNREGS Context: The COVID-19 pandemic has induced reverse migration which has brought many families to their native places. There is a need for extensive preparations to gainfully employ labourers, who have returned from big cities, through the MGNREGS. Concern: Not all interested people have been able to find jobs under the scheme. The sheer magnitude of reverse migration makes it impossible for the administration to create jobs for all under a single scheme. Representatives of farmers‘ organisations have complained of corruption and non-cooperation at village level. Activists complain that village-level officials are not enthusiastic about the scheme.
MGNREGA: The scheme was introduced as a social measure that guarantees ―the right to work‖. The key tenet
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of this social measure and labour law is that the local government will have to legally provide at
least 100 days of wage employment in rural India to enhance their quality of life.
Objective:
Generation of paid rural employment of not less than 100 days for each worker who volunteers for unskilled labour. Proactively ensuring social inclusion by strengthening livelihood base of rural poor.
Creation of durable assets in rural areas such as wells, ponds, roads and canals. Reduce urban migration from rural areas. Create rural infrastructure by using untapped rural labour. Features: Ministry of Rural Development (MRD), Govt of India is monitoring the entire implementation of this scheme in association with state governments. Within 15 days of submitting the application or from the day work is demanded, wage employment will be provided to the applicant.
Right to get unemployment allowance in case employment is not provided within fifteen days of submitting the application or from the date when work is sought.
Source:- The Hindu
UN IVERSAL BASIC INCOME Context: The ongoing crisis is creating changes that could end up dividing society into pre- and post-COVID-19 days. These changes are also likely to exacerbate the novel challenges accompanying the fourth industrial revolution. Tool to eradicate poverty: Universal basic income(UBI) - provision of an unconditional fixed amount to every citizen in a country. Nevertheless, countries across the world, including Kenya, Brazil, Finland, and Switzerland, have bought into this concept and have begun controlled UBI pilots to supplement their population. The 2016-17 Economic Survey and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had once proposed quasi- basic income schemes that leave out the well-off top quartile of the population as an effective means of
alleviating poverty and hunger. The fiscal cost of a UBI pegged at ₹7,620, at 75% universality, was 4.9% of the GDP. Conclusion:
IMF has projected global growth in 2020 to be -3.0%, the worst since the Great Depression. India is projected to grow at 1.9%. With almost 90% of India‘s workforce in the informal sector without minimum wages or social security,
micro-level circumstances will be worse in India than anywhere else. The frequent sight of several thousands of migrant labourers undertaking perilous journeys on foot in inhumane conditions is a disgraceful blight on India. One way to ensure their sustenance throughout these trying times is the
introduction of unconditional regular pay checks at maximum universality, at least till the economy normalises. If universal basic income ever had a time, it is now. Source:- The Hindu
UNPACKING THE REFORM Context: The ordinances announced recently to facilitate trade in agricultural produce were historically resisted by
the bureaucracy and the states. Farming Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Ordinance 2020: exploitative and don‘t allow farmers to receive a fair price.
the amendment limited the powers and revenues of the state
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Advantage: The largest informal sector in the country will begin to get formalised and new business models will develop. A different breed of aggregators will create competition to the existing monopoly of local traders Reforms Needed:
APMCs across the nation will have to radically standardise and rationalise their mandi fee structure and limit the commission charged by traders on sale of farmers‘ produce. The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services
Ordinance 2020 It tries to placate the fears of both the farmer and the contractor when they sign an agreement. For the farmer, the legal recourse is never a practical choice as the persuasive powers of the
aggregators‘ deep pockets cast a dark shadow over the redressal process. Likewise, the tediously stretched legal proceedings are dissuasion enough to either not seek redressal or settle for unfavourable terms.
Farmer-producer organisations and new aggregators will get a boost with these laws, and become harbingers of prosperity in some small corners of the countryside Conclusion: These ordinances appears to be a precursor to implementing the Shanta Kumar Committee recommendations to dilute and dismantle FCI, MSP & PDS which will push farmers from the frying into the fire Source:- Indian Express
PM SVANIDHI Context: The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has launched Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor's Atma Nirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi), for providing affordable loans to street vendors. PM SVANidhi: The scheme would benefit vendors, hawkers, thelewale and people involved in goods and services related to textiles, apparel, artisan products, barbers shops, laundry services etc. in different areas. providing affordable Working Capital loan to street vendors to resume their livelihoods that have been adversely affected due to Covid-19 lockdown.
This scheme targets to benefit over 50 lakh Street Vendors. Under the Scheme, the vendors can avail a working capital loan of up to Rs. 10,000, which is repayable in monthly instalments in the tenure of one year. On timely/ early repayment of the loan, an interest subsidy @ 7% per annum will be credited to the bank
accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer on quarterly basis. There will be no penalty on early repayment of loan. The scheme promotes digital transactions through cash back incentives up to an amount of Rs. 100 per
month. Moreover, the vendors can achieve their ambition of going up on the economic ladder by availing the facility of escalation of the credit limit on timely/ early repayment of loan.
SIDBI as the Implementation Agency for PM Street Vendor‘s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) will develop and maintain a customized and integrated IT Platform providing end-to-end solutions, including documentation of all the processes and workflows for an end-to-end solution, through a Portal and a Mobile App, to ensure engagement and information flow between Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), Lending Institutions, Digital Payment Aggregators and other stakeholders. Source:- PIB
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GARIB KALYAN ROJGAR ABHIYAAN Context: PM India launched Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan. Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan: The scheme will empower and provide livelihood opportunities to the returnee migrant workers and rural citizens who have returned to their home states due to the Covid-19 induced lockdown. This campaign will work in mission mode for 125 days with an outlay of Rs. 50,000 crore.
Focus: Campaign will create durable infrastructure along with boosting employment opportunities to the returnee migrant workers and rural citizens. Ministries coordination:
The Abhiyaan will be a coordinated effort between 12 different Ministries/Departments, namely, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Road Transport & Highways, Mines, Drinking Water & Sanitation, Environment, Railways, Petroleum & Natural Gas, New & Renewable Energy, Border
Roads, Telecom and Agriculture. Coverage: A total of 116 districts across six states, namely Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha have been chosen for the campaign which includes 27 Aspirational Districts. Source:- Indian Express
PRADHAN MANTRI MUDRA YOJANA Context: Union cabinet approved a scheme for interest subvention of 2% for a period of 12 months, to all Shishu
loan accounts under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) to eligible borrowers. Implementation strategy The Scheme will be implemented through the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and
will be in operation for 12 months. Major Impact: The Scheme has been formulated as a specific response to an unprecedented situation and aims to alleviate financial stress for borrowers at the ‗bottom of the pyramid‘ by reducing their cost of credit. The Scheme is expected to provide much needed relief to the sector, thereby enabling small businesses to continue functioning without laying off employees due to lack of funds. By supporting small businesses to continue functioning during these times of crisis, the Scheme is also expected to have a positive impact on the economy and support its revival, which is necessary for employment generation in future. Source:- PIB
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
CHAMPIONS Context: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched the technology platform CHAMPIONS. CHAMPIONS: CHAMPIONS means Creation and Harmonious Application of Modern Processes for Increasing the Output and National Strength. It is a real one-stop-shop solution of MSME Ministry. The portal is basically for making the smaller units big by solving their grievances, encouraging, supporting, helping and handholding.
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objectives of CHAMPIONS: Grievance Redressal: To resolve the problems of MSMEs including those of finance, raw materials, labor, regulatory permissions etc particularly in the Covid created difficult situation; To help them capture new opportunities: including manufacturing of medical equipments and accessories like PPEs, masks, etc and supply them in National and International markets;
To identify and encourage the sparks: i.e. the potential MSMEs who are able to withstand the current situation and can become national and international champions. It is also fully integrated on real time basis with GOI‘s main grievances portal CPGRAMS and MSME
Ministry‘s own other web based mechanisms. Source:- PIB
TULIP
Context: Union Human Resource Development MinisterShri Ramesh Pokhriyal `Nishank‘ and MoS (I/C), Housing & Urban Affairs Shri Hardeep. S. Puri jointly launched a first of its kind initiative `The Urban
Learning Internship Program (TULIP)‘ TULIP: A program for providing internship opportunities to fresh graduates in all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Smart Cities across the country This initiative is aligned with the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to harness the potential of the youth in nation-building. TULIP program will be instrumental in laying the foundation of New India as it will provide practical experience to our students and will help infuse fresh ideas and innovative thinking into the working of Urban Local Bodies and smart cities. TULIP platforms will give an opportunity to youth to generate news ideas to reform Urban local bodies by modern techniques and innovative methods. TULIP would help enhance the value-to-market of India‘s graduates and help create a potential talent pool in diverse fields like urban planning, transport engineering, environment, municipal finance etc. thus not only catalyzing creation of prospective city managers but also talented private/ non-government sector professionals. TULIP- ―The Urban Learning Internship Program‖ would help fulfill twin goals of providing interns with hands-on learning experience as well as infusing fresh energy and ideas in the functioning of
India‘s ULBs and Smart Cities. Source:- PIB
DRAFT RULES ON INVESTMENT IN PENSION FUNDS
Context: The Department of Financial Services (DFS) has come out with a draft rules for foreign investments in Indian pension funds
Pension Fund (Foreign Investment) Rules 2020: The proposed rules puts restrictions on foreign investment in pension funds from any of India's bordering countries.
A government approval would be required for the investing entity or individual from any of the bordering countries including China. Foreign investment in pension funds regulated by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development
Authority (PFRDA) is capped at 49 per cent with automatic route. Source:- The Hindu
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EMERGENCY CREDIT LINE GUARANTEE SCHEME Context: Gujarat and Tamil Nadu received the highest sanctions under Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme
Emergency Credit Guarantee Scheme: Under the Scheme, 100% guarantee coverage to be provided by National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC) for additional funding of up to Rs. 3 lakh crore to eligible MSMEs and interested MUDRA borrowers.
The credit will be provided in the form of a Guaranteed Emergency Credit Line (GECL) facility. The Scheme would be applicable to all loans sanctioned under GECL Facility during the period from the date of announcement of the Scheme to 31.10.2020.
Objective and Aim: The Scheme aims at mitigating the economic distress faced by MSMEs by providing them additional funding in the form of a fully guaranteed emergency credit line.
The main objective is to provide an incentive to Member Lending Institutions (MLIs), i.e., Banks, Financial Institutions (FIs) and NBFCs to increase access to, and enable the availability of additional funding facility to MSME borrowers.
It aims to provide a 100 per cent guarantee for any losses suffered by them due to non-repayment of the GECL funding by borrowers. Silent Features:
The entire funding provided under GECL shall be provided with a 100% credit guarantee by NCGTC to MLIs under ECLGS. Tenor of the loan under Scheme shall be four years with a moratorium period of one year on the principal amount. No Guarantee Fee shall be charged by NCGTC from the Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) under the Scheme. Interest rates under the Scheme shall be capped at 9.25% for banks and FIs, and at 14% for NBFCs. Source:- The Indian Express
GREEN CERTIFICATES
Context: Sales of renewable energy certificates dropped over 55 per cent to 3.33 lakh units in May compared to 7.5 lakh in the same month a year ago, according to official data.
Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs): Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) is a market-based instrument to promote renewable sources of energy and development of the market in electricity.
One REC is created when one megawatt hour of electricity is generated from an eligible renewable energy source. REC acts as a tracking mechanism for solar, wind, and other green energies as they flow into the
power grid. RECs go by many names, including Green tag, Tradable Renewable Certificates (TRCs), Renewable Electricity Certificates, or Renewable Energy Credits.
Under Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) bulk purchasers like discoms, open access consumers and capacitive users are required to buy a certain proportion of RECs. They can buy RECs from renewable energy producers. RPO was instituted in 2011, it is a mandate that requires large power procurers to buy a predetermined fraction of their electricity from renewable sources. The proportion of renewable energy for utilities is fixed by the central and state electricity regulatory commissions.
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In India, RECs are traded on two power exchanges — Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) and Power Exchange of India (PXIL). The price of RECs is determined by market demand, and contained between the „floor price‟ (minimum price) and „forbearance price‟ (maximum price) specified by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC). Source:- The Indian Express
GLOBAL MONETISATION SCHEME Context: State Bank of India has mobilised 13,212 kg gold through the Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS). SBI collected 3,973 kg of gold in the last financial year under the GMS programme, launched by the Narendra Modi-government. Gold Monetisation Scheme (GMS): The scheme was launched in November 2015 along with sovereign gold bonds and India gold coins. It replaced replace the Gold Deposit Scheme The scheme facilitates the gold depositors to earn interest of 2.25% annually for a short-term deposit of one year to three years. Objective: Mobilization of the gold that is possessed by the various households in the country. To reduce the import of gold to meet domestic demand. To support and improve the gold and jewellery sectors by providing gold loans from banks. To provide certificates to the depositors mentioning the amount and purity of the gold deposited. Key Features: The scheme provides short term bank deposits (1-3 yrs), medium deposits (5-7 yrs) and long term
government deposit (12-15 yrs) with no maximum limit of investment. A minimum deposit of 30gm raw gold can be made under this scheme in the form of gold bar, coin or jewellery.
The scheme allows premature withdrawal after a minimum lock-in period. However, it charges a penalty for such withdrawals. An interest rate of 2.50% per year is provided by the Gold Monetisation Scheme which is higher than the
rates offered by previous gold investments. The scheme also offers redemption of the short term deposits in the form of either gold or rupees at current rates applicable. Source:- The Hindu
GOVERNMENT E-MARKETPLACE (GEM)
Context: Information about Country of Origin by the sellers made mandatory on GeM to promote ‗Make in India‘ and ‗Atmanirbhar Bharat‘. More in the news:
Government e-Marketplace (GeM), a Special Purpose Vehicle under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has made it mandatory for sellers to enter the Country of Origin while registering all new products on GeM.
Further, sellers, who had already uploaded their products before the introduction of this new feature on GeM, are being reminded regularly to update the Country of Origin, with a warning that their products shall be removed from GeM if they fail to update the same.
GeM has taken this significant step to promote ‗Make in India‘ and ‗Atmanirbhar Bharat‘. GeM has also enabled a provision for indication of the percentage of local content in products. More importantly, the ‗Make in India‘ filter has now been enabled on the portal. Buyers can choose to
buy only those products that meet the minimum 50% local content criteria.
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In case of bids, buyers can now reserve any bid for Class I Local suppliers (Local Content > 50%). For those bids below INR 200 crore, only Class I and Class II Local Suppliers (Local content > 50% and > 20% respectively) are eligible to bid, with Class I suppliers getting purchase preference.
Government e-Market Place:
The Government e-Marketplace is a dedicated online platform where goods and services can be procured by various organizations and departments under the Government of India, and by the PSUs also. GeM is aimed at enhancing the efficiency, speed and transparency in public procurement of goods and services. It also serves the objective of eliminating corruption. It is administered by the Ministry of Commerce and Industries under the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D) It functions under the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D), Ministry of
Commerce and Industries. It is a completely paperless, cashless and system-driven e-marketplace that enables procurement of common use goods and services with a minimal human interface.
It is an online marketplace for government officers and others for procurement.
Source:- PIB
MONEY SUPPLY SURGE Context:
According to RBI data, M3 money supply rose 6.7% in the first five months compared with the same period last year, the highest growth in seven years. More in the news:
Heightened uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in currency in circulation as people hoard cash or park money in accessible deposits to safeguard themselves against salary cuts or job losses. Currency in circulation, which measures money with the public and in banks, has also surged. However, according to analysts, a rise in money supply usually is seen as a leading indicator of growth in consumption and business investments, but the rise this time is unlikely to bolster either. Issue: With heightened uncertainty about the duration of pandemic, people have curtailed their discretionary spending as they‘re not sure of their permanent income. Gross capital formation, or total investments toward fixed capital, fell 7% in the March quarter, a seven- year low, and analysts expect a further deterioration. Savings and current account deposits have fallen by 8% due to higher withdrawals. Source:- The Hindu
RBI SUPERVISE COOP. BANKS Context: An ordinance bringing all urban and multi-State cooperative banks under the supervision of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been approved by the Union Cabinet. More in the news: Urban cooperatives and multi-State cooperative banks, which are 1,540 in number and have a depositor base of 8.6 crore have been brought under RBI supervision process, which is applicable to scheduled banks. Currently, these banks come under dual regulation of the RBI and the Registrar of Co-operative Societies.
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Significance: The move to bring these urban and multi-State coop. banks under the supervision of the RBI comes after several instances of fraud and serious financial irregularities, including the major scam at the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank. The RBI was forced to supercede the PMC Bank‘s board and impose strict restrictions.
The ordinance has been passed with a view to protect the depositors. With this, depositors will get more security. Source:- The Hindu
BANKING REGULATION (AMENDMENT) ORDINANCE, 2020
Context: The President has promulgated the Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020. Banking regulation (Amendment) ordinance 2020:
The Ordinance amends the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 as applicable to Cooperative Banks. It seeks to protect the interests of depositors and strengthen cooperative banks by improving governance and oversight by extending powers already available with RBI
The Ordinance also amends Section 45 of the Banking Regulation Act, to enable making of a scheme of reconstruction or amalgamation of a banking company for protecting the interest of the public, depositors and the banking system Exemption: The amendments do not apply to : Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) co-operative societies whose primary object and principal business is long-term finance for agricultural development Any society do not use the word ―bank‖ or ―banker‖ or ―banking‖ and do not act as drawees of cheques. Source:-PIB
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies and minimum support prices
MINIMUM SUPPORT PRICES (MSP) Context: The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for all mandated Kharif crops for marketing season 2020-21. More in the news: The increase in MSP for Kharif Crops for marketing season 2020-21 is in line with the Union Budget 2018-19 announcement of fixing the MSPs at a level of at least 1.5 times of the All-India weighted average Cost of Production (CoP), aiming at reasonably fair remuneration for the fanners.
Minimum Support Price (MSP): Minimum Support Price (MSP) is a form of market intervention by the Government of India to insure agricultural producers against any sharp fall in farm prices. The minimum support prices are announced by the Government of India at the beginning of the sowing season for certain crops on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). MSP is price fixed by Government of India to protect the producer - farmers - against excessive fall in price during bumper production years. The major objectives are
Support farmers from distress sales
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To procure food grains for public distribution
Government announces minimum support prices (MSPs) for 22 mandated crops and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane. The mandated crops are 14 crops of the kharif season, 6 rabi crops and two other commercial crops. The list of crops are as follows: Cereals (7) - paddy, wheat, barley, jowar, bajra, maize and ragi Pulses (5) - gram, arhar/tur, moong, urad and lentil Oilseeds (8) - groundnut, rapeseed/mustard, toria, soyabean, sunflower seed, sesamum, safflower seed and nigerseed Raw cotton
Raw jute Copra De-husked coconut
Sugarcane (Fair and remunerative price) Virginia flu cured (VFC) tobacco Source:- The Hindu
KISAN CREDIT CARDS (KCC)
Context: The Government will provide Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to 1.5 crore dairy farmers belonging to Milk Unions and Milk producing Companies within the next two months (1st June-31st July 2020) under a special drive. Kisan credit Card: The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme was introduced in 1998 for providing adequate and timely credit support from the banking system under a single window with flexible and simplified procedure to the farmers for their cultivation and other needs like purchase of agriculture inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides etc. and draw cash for their production needs. The scheme was further extended for the investment credit requirement of farmers viz. allied and non- farm activities in the year 2004. The Kisan Credit Card Scheme is implemented by Commercial Banks, RRBs, Small Finance Banks and Cooperatives. Objective:
To provide adequate and timely credit support from the banking system to the farmers at the cheap rate of interest. To provide credit at the time of requirement.
To support post-harvest expenses. To provide Working capital for maintenance of farm assets and activities allied to agriculture. Investment credit requirement for agriculture and allied activities (land development, pump sets,
plantation, drip irrigation etc.) Consumption requirements of farmers. Source:- PIB
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - growth, development and employment. Inclusive growth and issues arising
from it. MOODY‟S RATING Context:
Rating agency Moody‘s downgraded India‘s foreign currency and local currency long term issuer ratings to Baa3 from Baa2, while maintaining a negative outlook, citing prolonged period of low growth and further deterioration in the government‘s fiscal position.
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More in the news: Moody‘s said the negative outlook reflects dominant, mutually-reinforcing, downside risks from deeper stresses in the economy and financial system that could lead to a more severe and prolonged erosion in fiscal strength. Baa3 is the lowest in investment grade in Moody‘s rating ladder. This means, India is just one notch above the non-investment grade or junk grade. The rating agency expects the country‘s GDP to contract by 4% in the current financial year due to the shock from the pandemic and related lockdown measures.
The GDP growth, however, is expected to pick up in the next fiscal to 8.7% and closer to 6% in the year after. Source:- The Hindu
SMALL DROP IN JOBLESSNESS IN 2018-19: PLFS Context: The latest Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) has been released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Key Findings of the Survey: India‘s unemployment rate improved from the 45-year high of 6.1% in 2017-18 to 5.8% in 2018-19. The labour force participation rate also improved marginally, from 36.9% in 2017-18 to 37.5% in 2018- 19. Women‘s unemployment fell from 5.7% to 5.2%, while male unemployment only fell from 6.2% to 6%. Rural unemployment fell from 5.3% to 5%. Urban unemployment was still at a high of 7.7% in 2018-19, a marginal drop from 7.8% in 2017-18.
Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) National Statistical Office (NSO) released Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) - annual report - July 2018- June 2019
Periodic Labour force Survey: National Statistical Office (NSO) launched Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) on April 2017. Objective:
to estimate the key employment and unemployment indicators (viz. Worker Population Ratio, Labour Force Participation Rate, Unemployment Rate) in the short time interval of three months for the urban areas only in the Current Weekly Status (CWS)
to estimate employment and unemployment indicators in both usual status (ps+ss) and CWS in both rural and urban areas annually. Conceptual Framework of Key Employment and Unemployment Indicators: Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR): LFPR is defined as the percentage of personsin labour force (i.e. working or seeking or available for work) in the population. Worker Population Ratio (WPR): WPR is defined as the percentage of employed persons in the population. Unemployment Rate (UR): UR is defined as the percentage of persons unemployed among the persons in the labour force. Activity Status- Usual Status: The activity status of a person is determined on thebasis of the activities pursued by the person during the specified reference period. When the
activity status is determined on the basis of the reference period of last 365 days preceding the date of survey, it is known as the usual activity status of the person. Activity Status- Current Weekly Status (CWS): The activity status determined on
thebasis of a reference period of last 7 days preceding the date of survey is known as the current weekly status (CWS) of the person. Source:- The Hindu; PIB
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FOREIGN FLOWS INTO MARKET Context: In just under a week in June, the quantum of foreign flows in the equity market has surpassed that of any other month in the current calendar year. Massive Spike in Foreign flow: Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have bought shares worth nearly ₹21,000 crore — ₹20,814 crore to be precise — in just five trading sessions in the current month.
The current rally has seen money flow into sectors like automobiles, private banks and pharmaceuticals as there was continued hope of the worst being behind
Foreign Portfolio Investment(FPI): Foreign portfolio investment (FPI) is a common way to invest in overseas economies. It includes
securities and financial assets held by investors in another country. Securities (in FPI) include stocks or American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) of companies in nations other than the investor's nation. It also includes bonds or other debt issued by these companies or foreign governments, mutual funds, or exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that invest in assets abroad or overseas. On a macro-level, foreign portfolio investment is part of a country‘s capital account and shown on its balance of payments (BOP). Individual investors interested in opportunities outside their own country invest via FPI. It does
not give investors direct ownership of a company's assets. Features: Portfolio Investment by any single investor or investor group cannot exceed 10% of the equity of
an Indian company, beyond which it will now be treated as FDI. Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Foreign Venture Capital Investors (FVCI) are excluded from the purview of this definition. FPIs are not allowed to invest in unlisted shares. FPIs are permitted to invest in Government Securities with a minimum residual maturity of one year. However, FPIs have been prohibited from investing in T-Bills. FPI can invest in privately placed bonds if it is listed within 15 days.
Source:- The Hindu
NATIONAL INCOME Context:
The National Statistical Office (NSO), on May 29, released its provisional estimates of national income for the financial year 2019-20. As per the NSO, real GDP (Gross Domestic Product) in the full fiscal year was estimated to have expanded by 4.2% from a year earlier, the slowest pace of growth in 11 years. And GDP growth for the January-March quarter was pegged at 3.1%.
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The release also detailed the estimates of the Gross Value Added, or GVA, at basic prices for the four quarters of 2019 as well as the comparable quarterly data for the two preceding years. The revisions has come into focus since they point to a sharper and more widespread slowdown in economic activity over the course of the last financial year than had been previously revealed. What is Gross Value Added (GVA)? As per the United Nations System of National Accounts (SNA) , gross value added, is defined as the value of output minus the value of intermediate consumption and is a measure of the contribution to GDP made by an individual producer, industry or sector.
it gives the rupee value of goods and services produced in the economy after deducting the cost of inputs and raw materials used. GVA can be described as the main entry on the income side of the nation‘s accounting balance sheet,
and from an economics perspective represents the supply side. GVA at basic prices became the primary measure of output across the economy‘s various sectors and when added to net taxes on products amounts to the GDP.
Base Year:- 2011-12 The sectoral classification provides data on eight broad categories of goods produced and services provided in the economy.
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Mining and Quarrying Manufacturing Electricity, Gas, Water Supply and other Utility Services Construction Trade, Hotels, Transport, Communication and Services related to Broadcasting Trade, Hotels, Transport, Communications and Services related to Broadcasting as a sector contributes almost 20% to GVA and is the largest GVA component after the other major services category, Financial, Real Estate and Professional Services. Financial, Real Estate and Professional Services Public Administration, Defence and other Services.
Why are the latest GVA numbers attracting attention? In February, NSO announced estimates of national income and expenditure for the fiscal third quarter along with its second advance estimates of GDP for 2019-20.
Those estimates had pegged year-on-year GVA growth rates in the first three quarters at 5.4%, 4.8% and 4.5%, respectively. The February estimates also suggested that manufacturing, construction, electricity and utility services and the trade, hotels and transport (another services category) sectors apart, the other four sectors were faring at about the same level or better than the comparable year earlier periods. However, last month‘s estimates saw significant downward revisions in the GVA data pertaining to the first three quarters for five of the eight sectors, dragging down the Q1, Q2 and Q3 GVA growth rates to 4.8%, 4.3% and 3.5%. SECTORAL revision Points: The growth estimates for the largest services sector, which contributes almost one-fourth of the overall GVA, too have been reduced sharply. Agriculture‘s growth for the first three quarters has been marginally increased Public Administration too as a category has had its numbers boosted for the second and third quarters.
Significance: The GVA data is crucial to understand how the various sectors of the real economy are performing. The output or domestic product is essentially a measure of GVA combined with net taxes.
From a policymaker‘s perspective it is therefore vital to have the GVA data to be able to make policy interventions, where needed. 76
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Also, from a global data standards and uniformity perspective, GVA is an integral and necessary parameter in measuring a nation‘s economic performance, and any country which seeks to attract capital and investment from overseas does need to conform to the global best practices in national income accounting. What are the drawbacks in using GVA to measure economic growth?
The accuracy of GVA as a measure of overall national output is heavily dependent on the sourcing of data and the fidelity of the various data sources in capturing the vast labyrinth of activities that constitute a nation‘s economic life.
To that extent, GVA is as susceptible to vulnerabilities from the use of inappropriate or flawed methodologies as any other measure. In a June 2019 research paper titled ‗India‘s GDP Mis-estimation: Likelihood, Magnitudes,
Mechanisms, and Implications,‘ former Chief Economic Adviser Arvind Subramanian of Harvard University and the Peterson Institute for International Economics posited that the change in methodology and data sources when India switched its base year to 2011-12 had led to a significant overestimation of
growth. Source:- The Hindu
GLOBAL ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE REPORT: WB Context: World Bank has released its Global Economic Prospects (GEP) June 2020 report. Key highlights : The world economy, as a whole, is set to witness its deepest recession since World War II, with a forecasted contraction of 5.2% this year.
About 70-100 million could be pushed into extreme poverty. Emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs) are expected to contract by 2.5% this year, and economic activity in advanced economies is forecast to shrink by 7%, as domestic supply and demand, finance and trade have been disrupted due to the pandemic.
Countries most reliant on global trade, tourism, external financing and commodity exports are likely to be hit the hardest. The downside scenario is more severe as the global economy could shrink in 2020-21 by as much as 8%
(5% for EMDEs), followed by weak recovery at just above 1% growth next year. India Specific Findings: India‘s growth is estimated to have slowed to 4.2% in FY 2019-20 (year ended March 31, 2020).
Output is expected to contract by 3.2% (so growth is -3.2%) in FY2020-21, as the impact of the pandemic (the restrictions on activity) will largely fall in this year, despite the fiscal and monetary stimulus.
India is forecast to see some recovery next year and grow at 3.1%.
Global economic Prospect: Global Economic Prospects is a World Bank Group flagship report that examines global economic developments and prospects, with a special focus on emerging market and developing economies.
It is issued twice a year, in January and June. The January edition includes in-depth analyses of topical policy challenges while the June edition contains shorter analytical pieces.
Source:- The Hindu
WHOLESALE PRICE INDEX Context: Prices in the wholesale market fell to a 4.5-year low level in May, recording a deflation of 3.21 per cent,
due to a sharp decline in fuel and power items even as food articles turned expensive.
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More in the news: The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) has hit its lowest level since November 2015, when deflation was 3.7 per cent The annual rate of inflation, based on monthly WPI, stood at (-3.21 per cent) (provisional) for the month of May, 2020 as compared to 2.79 per cent during the corresponding month of the previous year
Wholesale Price Index(WPI): Wholesale Price Index, or WPI, measures the changes in the prices of goods sold and traded in bulk by wholesale businesses to other businesses. WPI is unlike the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which tracks the prices of goods and services
purchased by consumers. The numbers are released by the Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Base year : 2011-12
Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - e-governance- applications, models, successes, limitations, and potential
BHIM APP Context: A recent report by security researchers alleged leak of personal data of millions of users of the BHIM payment application due to a website breach.
More in the news: As per the report, 409-gigabyte of data, comprising 7.26 million records, were leaked, and the trove included personal identifiable information such as Aadhaar details, residence proof, bank records and
complete profiles. However, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has denied the claim, asking ―everyone to not fall prey to such speculation‖.
BHIM App: BHIM (Bharat Interface for Money) is a Indian mobile payment App developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), based on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI). Key Features: The BHIM app is tied to the mobile number and device ID. So using the app on a different handset will require a separate authentication process. Three-point authentication via mobile number, device ID and UPI PIN.
Fingerprint-based biometric verification of transactions via Aadhaar will prevent fraudulent transactions. UPI PIN is needed for both opening the app as well as for transactions.
Resetting UPI pin requires debit card details and OTP SMS to authenticate.
Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - INFRASTRUCTURE - Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc..,
INFRASTRUCTURE IN AREAS ALONG CHINA BORDER Context: To ramp up infrastructure along the China border, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to
spend 10% funds of a Centrally sponsored scheme only on projects in Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim. Background:
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Stand-offs in at least four locations along the LAC remain unresolved, with reports of a build-up in Galwan valley, Pangong Tso and Hot Springs in Ladakh, and Naku La in Sikkim, with Chinese troops present on India‘s side of the LAC in some of these spots. Talks at the level of Lieutenant Generals are set for June 6, 2020. More in the news: The new BADP guidelines said, ―10% of the total allocated funds will be additionally allocated to the States/UTs abutting Indo-China border [Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Sikkim and Uttarakhand] for taking up works/projects in the districts abutting Indo-China border.‖
According to the new guidelines, approved by the Union Home Minister, the projects for developing strategically important villages and towns in border areas that have been identified by the border guarding forces will be given priority.
According to the MHA, creation of infrastructure would help integrate these areas with the hinterland, create a positive perception of care by the country and encourage people to stay on in the border areas leading to safe and secure borders.
Border Area Development Programme (BADP): BADP was started during the Seventh Five Year Plan period, for the western border. During the eighth Five Year Plan, the coverage was extended to include the Eastern States that shared a border with Bangladesh.
It has over the years expanded to cover 396 blocks of 111 border districts in 16 States and two UTs. Initially, the programme laid emphasis on the development of infrastructure to facilitate
deployment of the Border Security Force. Later, the ambit of the programme was widened to include other socio-economic aspects such as education, health, agriculture and other allied sectors. The programme aims to meet the special development needs of the people living in remote and inaccessible areas situated near the international border and to saturate the border areas with the essential infrastructure through convergence of Central/State/BADP/Local schemes and participatory approach. BADP is an important intervention of the Central Government to bring about development of
border areas by supplementing the State Plan Funds to bridge the gaps in socio-economic infrastructure on the one hand, and improving the security environment in border areas on the other.
Source:- The Hindu
THE INDIAN GAS EXCHANGE Context: India‘s first gas exchange —the Indian Gas Exchange (IGX) — was launched.
The exchange is expected to facilitate transparent price discovery in natural gas, and facilitate the growth of the share of natural gas in India‘s energy basket. Working:
The IGX is a digital trading platform that will allow buyers and sellers of natural gas to trade both in the spot market and in the forward market for imported natural gas across three hubs —Dahej and Hazira in Gujarat, and Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh.
Imported Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) will be regassified and sold to buyers through the exchange, removing the requirement for buyers and sellers to find each other. Greater flexibility. - The exchange also allows much shorter contracts – for delivery on the next day, and up to a month – while ordinarily contracts for natural gas supply are as long as six months to a year.
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Will domestically produced natural gas also be bought and sold on the exchange? The price of domestically produced natural gas is decided by the government. It will not be sold on the gas exchange. Will this make India more import dependent? Domestic production of gas has been falling over the past two fiscals as current sources of natural gas have become less productive. Domestically produced natural gas currently accounts for less than half the country‘s natural gas consumption; imported LNG accounts for the other half. LNG imports are set to become a larger proportion of domestic gas consumption as India moves to
increase the proportion of natural gas in the energy basket from 6.2% in 2018 to 15% by 2030. Source:- The Indian Express
ANIMAL HUSBANDRY INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT FUND Context: The Cabinet approved the setting up of the Rs. 15000 crore Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF). Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF): This Fund is expected to incentive infrastructure investments in dairy, meat processing and animal feed plants.
The eligible beneficiaries under the Scheme would be Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), MSMEs, Section 8 Companies, Private Companies and individual entrepreneur with only 10% margin money contribution by them.
The balance 90% would be the loan component to be made available to them by scheduled banks. GOI will provide 3% interest subvention to eligible beneficiaries. There will be 2 years moratorium period for repayment of the loan with 6 years repayment period
thereafter. GOI would also set up a Credit Guarantee Fund of Rs. 750 crore to be managed by NABARD which would provide credit guarantee to the projects which are covered under the MSME defined ceilings.
Guarantee Coverage would be up to 25% of the Credit facility of the borrower. Benefits: The AHIDF with the interest subvention scheme for private investors will ensure the availability of
capital to meet upfront investment required for these projects and also help enhance overall returns/pay back for investors. Such investments in processing and value addition infrastructure by eligible beneficiaries would also promote exports. This is also expected to add to farmers‘ incomes. Source:- PIB
PROPOSED ELECTRICITY(AMENDMENT BILL) 2020 Context: The Ministry of Power has prepared a draft proposal for Amendments in Electricity Act 2003 in the form of draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2020. Need of Amendment: To address critical issues weakening the commercial and investment activities in the electricity sector. The current challenges plaguing the Indian power sector is derived from negligence in addressing the structural issues. These include operational and financial inefficiencies of power generation, transmission and distribution utilities, access and quality of power supply, political interference, lack of private investments, inadequate public infrastructure and lack of consumer participation.
Bringing transparency and accountability to protect the interest of consumers and ensuring healthy growth of the power sector.
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Electricity Amendment bill 2020: Objective: Ensure consumer centricity, Promote Ease of Doing Business, Enhance sustainability of the power sector, Promote green power, Key Features: National Selection Committee: Instead of the separate Selection Committee (for appointment of Chairperson and members of State Electricity Regulatory Commissions-SERCs), there is a proposal to set up a National Selection Committee.
Direct Benefit Transfer will be beneficial for both the State Governments and as well as Distribution Companies. The draft bill proposed to have a separate policy for the development and promotion of generation of electricity from renewable sources of energy.
The policy prescribes a minimum percentage of purchase of electricity from renewable sources of production. It seeks to give special attention to hydro power. It is proposed to empower Load Dispatch Centres to oversee the establishment of adequate payment
security mechanisms before dispatch of electricity, as per contracts. Establishment of Electricity Contract Enforcement Authority (ECEA): It is an Authority headed by a retired Judge of the High Court with powers to execute their orders as decree of a civil court.
The Authority will enforce performance of contracts related to purchase or sale or transmission of power between a generating company, distribution licensee or transmission licensee. Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) and State Electricity Regulatory Commissions (SERCs) do not have powers to execute their orders as decree of a civil court. It is proposed to increase the strength of APTEL to at least seven to facilitate quick disposal of cases. In order to ensure compliance of the provisions of the Electricity Act and orders of the Commission, section 142 and section 146 of the Electricity Act are proposed to be amended to provide for higher penalties. Issues: Cost reflective tariff has been a concern for states like Telangana which provide free electricity to the farming sector. Formation of ECEA has also been criticized as a move towards centralization of power. Recognition of franchisees and sub- licensees might open the sector to private players. Source:-PIB
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - Effects of liberalization on the economy
WORLD INVESTMENT REPORT - UNCTAD Context: The World Investment Report 2020 by the UNCTAD,says that India received USD 51 billion in foreign investment in 2019 and was the world‘s 9th largest recipient of foreign direct investments (FDI) in 2019. Key Highlights: UNCTAD said, that a lower but positive economic growth in India in the post-COVID19 pandemic
period and India's large market will continue to attract market-seeking investments to the country. The report said that global FDI flows are forecast to decrease by up to 40 per cent in 2020, from their 2019 value of USD 1.54 trillion.
This would be for the first time since 2005 that global FDI falls below the USD 1 trillion mark. Foreign direct investment to developing economies in Asia, hit hard by the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic, are projected to decline by up to 45 per cent in 2020.
In South Asia, FDI is also expected to contract sharply in 2020.
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Foreign Direct Investment(FDI):
A foreign direct investment (FDI) is an investment in the form of a controlling ownership in a
business in one country by an entity based in another country.
In FDI, the foreign entity has a say in the day-to-day operations of the company. FDI is not just the inflow of money, but also the inflow of technology, knowledge, skills and expertise/know-how.
Source:- The Hindu
GOOGLE TO PAY FOR NEWS CONTENT Context: Google will pay partnered media publishers in three countries (Germany, Australia and Brazil) and offer some users free access to paywalled news sites. More in the news: The announcement comes after legal battles in France and Australia over Google‘s refusal to pay news
organizations for content. The program will help publishers monetize their content through an enhanced storytelling experience. Source:- The Hindu
TRADE DEFICIT Context: India imported about $70.3 billion of goods from China in the fiscal year to March 2019, and exported
just $16.7 billion — its widest trade deficit with any country. Government moves to cut imports from China. Self Reliance Campaign:
In the light of the increasing border tensions along the LAC, the Indian government has asked Indian firms to find ways to cut imports from China and lessen India‘s dependence on Chinese supplies. The government is consulting with companies on tightening curbs on 1,173 non-essential products.
They include toys, plastics, steel items, electronics and specific auto components used in vehicle manufacturing. There is also the plan to raise trade barriers and import duties on about 300 products from China, as part of a self-reliance campaign. In April 2020, India tightened rules for investments from neighbouring countries, including China, to prevent opportunistic takeovers after the pandemic. Concern: India relies on China for products such as electronic components and drug ingredients because currently it cannot make them or source them from elsewhere, as cheaply. Thus, any moves to curb imports or make them costlier without developing alternatives will hurt local businesses.
Auto mobile: Over a quarter of India‘s auto-part imports valued at around $4.2 billion came from China in 2019. This includes critical components like engine and transmission parts which are hard to source from
elsewhere immediately. Pharmaceuticals: Chinese supplies have also been a key factor in India‘s booming drug industry, which exports cheap
generic medicines. India gets about 70% of its supply of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from China. Conclusion:
Industry leaders have opined that since Indian industries depend heavily on Chinese supplies, India becoming more self-reliant will take time.
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To attract companies to produce locally, business opportunities need to be competitive and there is a need to lower production costs as compared to other countries. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.
GST COMPENSATION Context:
The center has released GST compensation worth Rs 36,400 crore to states for three months up to February 2020. GST compensation:
Act to provide for compensation to the States for the loss of revenue arising on account of implementation of the GST If revenue growth of States is lower than 14 per cent annually, then the compensation is to be provided
out of a fund. The compensation payable to a State shall be provisionally calculated and released at the end of every two months during transition period of 5 years.
GST Compensation Cess: GST Compensation Cess is imposed as a levy in addition to the regular GST taxes. It is levied on inter- and intra-State supply of notified goods such as aerated drinks, coal, tobacco, automobiles for 5 years. The proceeds will be distributed to loss-incurring States on the basis of a prescribed formula as compensation. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein.
FISCAL STRESS Context: The fiscal stress that has been building up at various levels of the government has been aggravated by
the COVID-19 pandemic. The collapse in general government revenues, and the consequent rise in the deficit levels has not only disrupted the glide path of fiscal consolidation, but has also deepened the faultlines in Centre-state fiscal relations. FC: The Commission‘s report will be critical on two counts: First, it will determine how India‘s fiscal architecture is reshaped, and second, how Centre-state relations are reset as the country attempts to recover from the COVID-19 shock. FRBM: FRBM review committee had envisaged bringing down general government debt to 60 per cent of GDP by 2022 — this is unlikely to materialise now. Factoring in the additional borrowings, the debt-to-GDP ratio may well be over 80 per cent this year. Thus the fiscal consolidation roadmap will have to be reworked, and as per its terms of reference, the Finance Commission will lay out the new path to be followed by both Centre and states.
issue of state borrowings: Recently, the Centre eased the states‘ budget constraint, allowing them to borrow more this year, conditional upon them implementing reforms in line with the Centre‘s priorities. Despite protests,
most states are likely to comply with the conditions, to varying degrees. But the issue is: As the hit from the ongoing crisis spreads over multiple years, state governments may want to maintain their expansionary fiscal stance next year as well. Then, will the Finance Commission, in line with its terms of reference, go along with the Centre‘s stance and recommend imposing conditions on
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additional borrowing and formalise this arrangement? It is difficult to see such an arrangement being rolled back once formalised. issue of the GST compensation cess: The GST council, in which the Centre effectively has a veto, is yet to clearly spell out its views on the extension of the compensation cess to offset states losses beyond the five-year period. The
Commission will have to weigh in on this too. At a time when the Centre is struggling to fulfil its promise of assuring states their GST revenues, will the Commission argue in favour of extending the compensation period, as states desire, but,
perhaps, lowering the assured 14 per cent growth in compensation and linking it to nominal GDP growth Over the past decades, there has been a substantial increase in the Centre‘s spending on items on the
state and concurrent list. While political considerations may well have forced central governments, irrespective of ideology, to greatly expand spending on these items, this shift has occurred even as grants by the Centre to states exceed the former‘s revenue deficit. Conclusion: The fiscal stress at various levels of the government necessitates a realistic assessment of the country‘s macro-economic situation, the preparation of a medium-term roadmap, as well as careful calibration of the framework that governs Centre-state relations. At this critical juncture, the Finance Commission should present the broad contours of the roadmap. Though it could request for another year‘s extension to present its full five-year report citing the prevailing uncertainty. Source:- The Indian Express
GS PAPER - 03 ECONOMY - money-laundering and its prevention. ENFORCEMENT DIRECTORATE
Context: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has brought back from Hong Kong 108 consignments of precious gems and jewellery, with a declared value of ₹1,350 crore, in connection with the Punjab National Bank
(PNB) fraud case. More in the news: The consignments belonged to various entities of Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, based in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong.
Fugitive Economic Offenders Act : It allows for declaring a person as an offender after an arrest warrant has been issued against the individual and the value of offences exceeds 100 crore. Another condition for declaring a person a fugitive economic offender (FEO) is when the individual refuses to return to the country to face prosecution in the specified cases. As per the law, a special FEOA court can order the confiscation of a FEO‟s properties,
including those which are benami, and the proceeds of crime in and outside India. Once properties are confiscated, the Union government has the right over them, and it can dispose them after 90 days.
Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 03 ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY - Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment SCORPIONFISH
Context: Researchers at the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) have found a rare fish from Sethukarai coast in the Gulf of Mannar‟s seagrass ecosystem.
Scorpion Fish: The band-tail scorpionfish (Scorpaenospsis neglecta) is well-known for its stinging venomous spines. 84
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The fish is called ‗scorpionfish‘ because its spines contain neurotoxic venom. The fish has the ability to change colour and blend with its surrounding environment to escape from predators and while preying. Source:- The Hindu
INDIA‟S FIRST DOLPHIN OBSERVATORY Context:
Bihar government is setting up India‘s first Dolphin observatory in the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary(VGDS). Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary(VGDS):
It is located in Bhagalpur District of Bihar. It was designated as a protected area for the Gangetic dolphins in 1991. The Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS), from Sultanganj to Kahalganj on the Ganga in
Bihar is the only dolphin sanctuary in the country. The other mitigation measures, according to the Ministry, include fitting vessels with propeller guards and dolphin deflectors to minimise dolphin accidents and using non-toxic paints for painting vessels.
Gangetic Dolphins:
It is India‘s national aquatic animal found in parts of the Ganges, Meghna and Brahmaputra river systems in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. They are locally known as Susu which refers to the noise the dolphin is said to make when it breathes. IUCN Red List: Endangered Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I CITES: Appendix I
Significance: They can be an indicator of the health of the freshwater ecosystem as they can only live in freshwater.
Source:- Down To Earth
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2020
Context: World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated on 5th June every year. Theme: Celebrate Biodiversity
World Environment Day: World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated on 5 June every year, and is the United Nations' principal vehicle for encouraging awareness and action for the protection of our environment.
First held in 1974, it has been a flagship campaign for raising awareness on emerging from environmental issues to marine pollution, human overpopulation, and global warming, to sustainable consumption and wildlife crime.
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More in the news India will be focusing on the Nagar Van (Urban Forests) in addition to the official theme of the World Environment Day. Further, the Indian Navy has also marked the day through various initiatives which are intended to reduce its environmental footprint. Source:- PIB
NAGAR VAN Context: On the occasion of World Environment Day, the government today announced implementation of the Nagar van scheme. Nagar VAn Scheme: Aims to develop 200 Urban Forests across the country in next five years with a renewed focus on people‘s participation and collaboration between Forest Department, Municipal bodies, NGOs, Corporates and local citizens. The finances for the scheme will be paid for by the CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act, 2016) funds. Source:- PIB
SUNDERBANS IN CYCLONE AMPHAN Context: Recently, the Chief Minister of West Bengal highlighted that about 28% of the Sunderbans has been damaged by Cyclone Amphan and launched a drive for planting mangroves and trees to mark the World Environment Day(5th June). More in the news:
The Indian Sunderbans, an area south of the Dampier Hodges line, is spread over 9,630 sq km, of which the mangrove forest accounts for 4,263 sq km. 1,200 sq km of that mangrove forest has been destroyed.
Mangroves not only reduce wind speed but break the waves during a storm surge caused by a cyclone. Trees turned yellow and red after the cyclone mostly due to salinity and trees can only survive if
the salinity of the soil comes down. Dampier Hodges line is an imaginary line, passing through 24 Parganas South and North districts (West Bengal) which indicates the northern-most limits of the estuarine zone affected by tidal fluctuations. The damage has been much on the Indian side of the Sundarbans and not on the Bangladesh side. The CM has directed the Forest Department to be prepared to plant 3.5 crore mangroves by 14th July which is celebrated as the World Forest Day. Sunderbans: It is a vast contiguous mangrove forest ecosystem in the coastal region of Bay of Bengal spread
over India and Bangladesh on the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers. The site is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests and presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological
processes. It constitutes over 60% of the country‘s total mangrove forest area. Indian Sundarbans was recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, ‗Wetland of International Importance‘ under the Ramsar Convention in January 2019 and also a Biosphere Reserve in 1989. The Sunderbans Delta is the only mangrove forest in the world inhabited by tigers.
Source:- The Hindu
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TIGER DEATHS
Context: It has come to light that some section of media has presented the figure of tiger deaths in the country, in a manner which is a lopsided view of tiger conservation in the country and has apparently attempted to malign efforts of the Government of India in this regard and sensationalize the issue. More in the news:
All India Tiger Estimation conducted in 2006,2010,2014 and 2018.These results have shown a healthy annual growth rate of tigers at 6%, which offsets natural losses and keeps tigers at the habitats carrying capacity level, in the Indian context.
For the period 2012 to 2019, one can observe that the average tiger deaths per year in the country hover around 94, which is balanced by the annual recruitment as highlighted by this robust growth rate. In addition, the National Tiger Conservation Authority has taken several steps under the ongoing
Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Project Tiger to address poaching, which too, is significantly controlled as seen in the confirmed poaching and seizure cases.
Project Tiger: Project Tiger was launched in 1973. The project aims at ensuring a viable population of Bengal tigers in their natural habitats, protecting them from extinction, and preserving areas of biological importance as a natural heritage forever represented as close as possible the diversity of ecosystems across the
distribution of tigers in the country. Project Tiger was administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
M-STrIPES (Monitoring System for Tigers - Intensive Protection and Ecological Status) M-STrIPES is an app based monitoring system, launched across Indian tiger reserves by the
NTCA in 2010. The system would enable field managers to assist intensity and spatial coverage of patrols in a geographic information system (GIS) domain.
Source:- The Hindu
PANGOLINS
Context: China accords highest level of protection to pangolins after COVID-19 Need of Highest Level of Protection: After initially suspecting the snake and the bat for the COVID-19, Chinese scientists believe that the pangolin may be an intermediate host of the novel coronavirus to humans. Pangolin: Out of the eight species of pangolin, the Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) and the Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) are found in India. Indian Pangolin is a large anteater covered by 11-13 rows of scales on the back. A terminal scale is also present on the lower side of the tail of the Indian Pangolin, which is absent in the Chinese Pangolin. Indian Pangolin is widely distributed in India, except the arid region, high Himalayas and the North- East. The species is also found in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Chinese Pangolin is found in the Himalayan foothills in Eastern Nepal, Bhutan, Northern India, North-East Bangladesh and through Southern China. Protection Status IUCN Red List Indian Pangolin: Endangered Chinese Pangolin: Critically Endangered
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Both these species are listed under Schedule I, Part I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Source:- Indian Express
POACHING DOUBLED DURING LOCKDOWN
Context: ―Indian wildlife amidst the COVID-19 crisis: An analysis of status of poaching and illegal wildlife trade‖ report by TRAFFIC, a leading wildlife trade monitoring network.
More in the news: There is a significant increase in poaching in India during the lockdown period. The report notes a rise in reported poaching incidents from 35 to 88.
The biggest increase in reported poaching was related to ungulates, where the percentage jumped from 22% of total reported cases during pre-lockdown to 44%, during the lockdown period. Since the ungulate species are targeted mainly for meat (for self-consumption or for local trade),
the increase is presumably due to those poaching for self-consumption or those who are trying to compensate their loss of income by making quick money through poaching. The second group of animals where there was a marked increase was „small mammals‟, including hares, porcupines, pangolins, giant squirrels, civets, monkeys and smaller wild cats. There was a slight decrease in the incidence of bird-related seizures. There was less reporting of poaching and illegal trade in tortoises and freshwater turtles, with almost no seizures of these species during the period. Concern: The study indicates that despite efforts by law enforcement agencies, wild animal populations in India are being subjected to additional threats during the lockdown period. Reports of poaching for consumption and local trade have more than doubled during the lockdown. The report points out that it remains unknown how reporting rates in the media have changed because of the lockdown. It is possible that the restrictions on movement could have led to gross under reporting of illegal wild life trade. Way Forward: It is imperative that wildlife law enforcement agencies are supported adequately and in a timely manner to help control the increasing threat to wildlife. Source:- The Hindu
BIODIVERSITY PARK IN HALDWANI Context: The Uttarakhand forest department opened a biodiversity park in Haldwani to encourage conservation of flora, especially medicinal plants. Need: The hill state has been rich in them, but is losing them due to climate change, degrading landscapes, fragmentation of habitat and increased development work.
Food products from India‘s hills and mountains are gaining popularity across the globe. Many of them are labelled as ‗super foods‘ and have an established market. But with little effort to conserve local wild food varieties, their existence is threatened.
Biodiversity park: The park in Haldwani, opened June 5, 2020 — World Environment Day The park includes wild edible plant species, fruits as well as plants of medicinal and commercial
importance with cultural, religious and historical significance. There are thematic gardens, a soil museum, species of plants, lichens, mosses and algae from the Jurassic era, a vermicompost unit, an interpretation centre, and a state-of-the-art weather station.
The park also has a weather station. Source:- Down To Earth 88
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ANNUAL REPORT ON FOREST Context:
Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change published Annual Report 2019-20.
Key Highlights: The diversion of forest land for other purposes continued throughout India. A total 11,467.83 hectares (114.68 square kilometre) forest lands were diverted in 22 states between January 1 and November 6, 2019 The largest area of forest land was diverted for irrigation and mining projects. There was no conversion of forest villages to revenue villages in 2019, as stipulated under the provisions of the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Source:- Down To Earth
FLATTENING THE CLIMATE CURVE Context: with the advent of the industrial age, Two interrelated curves began their upward trend.The first curve was the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (or, more generally, all greenhouse gases, GHGs) and the second was the average global temperature curve. An Upward Trend: The CO2 curve began its upward march about 18,000 years ago when it was a little under 200 parts per million (ppm) and earth was much colder.
In the beginning in the mid-19th century, they began to rise again as humans burnt coal and oil to fuel the industrial revolution, and burnt forests to expand agriculture and settlements. From a mere 0.2 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions in 1850, annual emissions increased to 36 billion tonnes by 2018. Global Average Temperature:
The second curve of direct consequence to us is the global average temperature curve. From 1850 onwards, for over a century, the global temperature showed a slight warming trend. But there was nothing suggestive of anything serious. From 1975 onwards, the temperature graph has shown a
distinct, upward trend. By 2015, the globe had heated by a full degree Celsius relative to a hundred years previously. Climate modellers unequivocally project that under the current trends of emissions the globe will heat up by 4˚C by the end of the century. The Climate Impact Lab at the University of Chicago put out a warning for India last year that if global CO2 emissions continue to gallop at the present rate, average summer temperatures would rise by 4˚C in most States. Extremely hot days (days above 35˚C), which were only five days in 2010, would increase to 15 days by 2050 and to 42 days by 2100 on average across all districts. Tackling the climate crisis The wealthy nations are spending over $500 billion each year internally on projects aimed at reducing emissions. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, however, estimates that a sustained annual investment of $2.4 trillion in more efficient energy systems is needed until 2035 in order to keep warming below the more ambitious 1.5˚C relative to pre-industrial levels. At the UN Climate Conference in 2009, the richest nations had pledged to provide $100 billion in aid
each year by 2020 to the poorer countries for climate change mitigation and adaptation. In 2017, for which data are available, only $71 billion had been provided, with most of the money going towards mitigation and less than 20% towards climate adaptation.
Conclusion: Nature‘s kindness is not expected to last beyond a 2˚C rise in temperature as the carbon sequestered into vegetation will be thrown back into the atmosphere. Also remember that earth has already warmed by
1˚C and we really have only another 1˚C (or 0.5˚C if we are concerned about island nations) as a safety margin.
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There seems to be wishful thinking that technology can be used to suck out billions of tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere and store this safely somewhere, but available ones are extremely slow and expensive. Harebrained schemes to regulate solar radiation by geo-engineering are bound to bring nasty surprises. There is no substitute to reducing GHG emissions. Technologists, economists and social scientists must plan for a sustainable planet based on the principles of equity and climate justice within and across nations. It is the responsibility of leaders to alter their mindset and act on the looming climate crisis with the
same alacrity they have shown on COVID-19. Source:- The Hindu
674 GIR LIONS Context: According to the Gujarat forest department, the Asiatic Lion population in Gir national park has increased. More in the news: India has recorded a 29% increase in population of Asiatic lions, living in Gujarat Gir forest, in the past five years — from 523 in 2015 to 674 in 2020.
The period also saw a 36% increase in the distribution area of the lions from 22000 sq. km in 2015 to 30000 sq. km in 2020.
Asiatic Lions: Asiatic lions are slightly smaller than African lions.The most striking morphological
character is a longitudinal fold of skin running along the belly of Asiatic Lions. Habitat: At present Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is the only abode of the Asiatic lion. IUCN Status: Endangered Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule-I Source:- The Hindu
IMPORT OF EXOTIC SPECIES
Context: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) has issued an advisory saying people importing ―exotic live species‖ will have to make a voluntary disclosure.
Exotic living species: It includes animal or plant species moved from their original range (location) to a new one. Several exotic species of birds, reptiles, small mammals, fishes and even some plants are imported.
The Ministry has said ―exotic live species‖ shall be construed to mean only ―the animals named under the Appendices I, II and III of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) of Wild Fauna and Flora‖.
CITES Appendix I, no trade happens Appendix II, trade can happen with prior permission Appendix III, there are a large number of animals and birds which can be traded
Guidelines:
The advisory highlights a period of six months (from the date of the official order) to be given for voluntary disclosure for persons in possession of exotic live species in India. The disclosure needs to be made before the Chief Wildlife Warden of each state.
For new “exotic live species”, the importer should obtain a no-objection certificate from the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) of the State. 90
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For existing species, stocks ―shall be declared by the owner/holder (stock, as on 1 January 2020) to the Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) of the concerned State or UT‖. The advisory also has provision of ―registration of progenies of imported animals‖ to the respective CWLW within 30 days after their birth. Forest officials will physically verify the submissions, check whether the facilities where the species are being housed are safe, and issue online certificates to owners within another six months from the date of disclosure. Source:- The Hindu
INDIAN GAUR IN NILGIRIS Context: The first population estimation exercise of the Indian gaur carried out in the Nilgiris Forest Division in recent years, which was conducted in February of this year, has revealed that more than an estimated 2,000 Indian gaurs inhabit the entire division. More in the news:
The decision to also estimate the population of Indian gaur, alongside other major fauna in the division, was necessitated by an increase in the number of problematic human-gaur interactions in the Nilgiris over the last few years.
In 2019, three people were killed and seven others injured by Indian gaur. Reason for Human and Gaur conflict: many of these ‗conflict-prone‘ regions are witnessing changing land-use patterns, with what
were tea estates being converted into resorts and buildings. This also translates to fences becoming more prominent around these properties and severely limiting traditional pathways used by the gaur to move between habitats
Indian Gaur: The Gaur also called Indian Bison, is the largest extant bovine, native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. It has been listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Gaur historically occurred throughout mainland South and Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China and Nepal.
Gaur are largely confined to evergreen forests or semi-evergreen and moist deciduous forests, but also occur in deciduous forest areas at the periphery of their range. Gaur is highly threatened by poaching for trade to supply international markets.
Source:- The Hindu
FOREST FIRE PREVENTION STEPS Context: The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal has given one month to the Kerala Forest Department for submitting its report on the steps taken to prevent forest fires and implement the National Action Plan on Forest Fire in the State.
More in the news: The government sought two months for filing the report The order said regarding implementation of the National Action Plan on Forest Fire, an action taken
report could have been prepared and submitted based on available records, for which two months was not required.
National Green Tribunal(NGT): National Green Tribunal (NGT) was established under the NGT Act of 2010 as a specialized body
for handling any environmental disputes that involve multi-disciplinary issues. It was formed by replacing the National Environment Appellate Authority. It also draws an inspiration from Article 21 of the India Constitution which assures to provide a
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healthy environment to the citizens of India.
Objective:
Effective and expeditious disposal of cases that are related to protection and conservation of the
environmental, forests and other natural resources. To give reliefs and compensations for any damages caused to persons and properties. To handle various environmental disputes that involve multi-disciplinary issues.
The National Green Tribunal resolves various civil cases under the following seven laws that are related to the environment: Water Act (Prevention and Control of Pollution), 1974 Water Cess Act (Prevention and Control of Pollution), 1977 Forest Act (Conservation), 1980 Air Act (Prevention and Control of Pollution), 1981 Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991
Biological Diversity Act, 2002
Source:- The Hindu
BIO MEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT Context:
Following a plea alleging unscientific disposal of bio-medical waste, the National Green Tribunal has directed the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board to take appropriate steps and furnish a compliance report by July 20
The directions came when the green panel was hearing a plea filed by petitioner Ravi Sharma alleging unscientific dumping of bio-medical waste in the open. Biomedical waste management act:
Biomedical waste comprises human & animal anatomical waste, treatment apparatus like needles, syringes and other materials used in health care facilities in the process of treatment and research. Central Pollution Control Board along with SPCBs/PCCs ensures effective management of biomedical waste in States/UTs. Categorisation: As informed by CPCB and as per Bio-medical Waste Management Rules, 2016, Bio-medical waste is required to be segregated in 4 color coded waste categories. Common methods of treatment and disposal of bio-medical waste are by incineration/plasma pyrolysis/deep-burial for Yellow Category waste;
Autoclaving/microwaving/chemical disinfection for Red Category waste; Sterilization and shredding, disinfection followed by burial in concrete pit/recycling through foundry/encapsulation for White Category sharps waste; and
Washing, disinfection followed by recycling for Blue Category glass waste.
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Source:- The Hindu
EMERGENCY RESPONSE CENTERS Context: Emergency Response Centres (ERCs) to handle major oil fires in the fastest way possible are yet to be set up in India, more than a decade after they were recommended by the MB Lal Committee. More in the news: According to the last report of the Parliamentary panel on Petroleum and Natural Gas that was tabled in
the Lok Sabha in January 2019, The ERCs were supposed to be completed in 2014. But six years later, even after approval of the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, the recommendation is still pending.
Who will handle: An ERC would take 3-4 years to be set up and any incident during the intervening period might cause huge losses, it had further noted.
Till ERCs are set up, oil marketing companies (OMCs) including Indian Oil Corp Ltd (IOCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) should appoint an experienced agency on a temporary basis. MB Lal committee: The committee was constituted following a fire incident in October 2009 at the IOCL terminal at Jaipur. It had nearly 118 recommendations with regard to safety guidelines to be followed by oil companies at their installations. Source:- Down to Earth
LONAR LAKE Context: The Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court has sought reports on the environmental impact assessment of Lonar lake from National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and the Geological Survey of India. More in the news: As per Dr. Wright‘s findings, there is a glass formation over the surface of the bed rock of the Lonar crater, which is a basalt rock. This is a new feature not found anywhere else on the Earth and only on the beds of craters existing on moon. 93
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The Bench directed NEERI and Agarkar Research Institute to submit their reports to the court within four weeks. It said, ―The expert team from NEERI and the Geological Survey of India shall examine the findings regarding glass formation on surface of the crater lake by collecting requisite samples and analysing them, and submit their reports within a period of four weeks.‖
Lonar lake: Lonar Lake, also known as Lonar crater, is a notified National Geo-heritage Monument, saline, soda lake, located at Lonar in Buldhana district, Maharashtra. It is situated inside the Deccan Plateau—a massive plain of volcanic basalt rock created by eruptions. It was created by an asteroid collision with earth impact during the Pleistocene Epoch.
It is one of the four known, hyper-velocity, impact craters in basaltic rock anywhere on Earth. Its location in this basalt field suggested to some geologists that it was a volcanic crater.
Source:- The Hindu
A STRUGGLE TO CO-EXIST WITH HUMANS Context: The article notes the changes observed in the Himalayan realm and the effect it has had on the ungulates
(large hoofed mammals). More in the news: There has been the increase in domesticated cashmere goats and stray dogs which have started hunting
ungulates including threatened, endangered, and rare ones such as kiang, chiru, saiga and takin. The research study also draws similarities between the Himalaya and the Andes, both homes to unique ungulate fauna. Both are currently experiencing increased deglaciation, human colonisation, climate
alteration and livestock & tourism-induced changes. Concern: A research study notes that the 400 million free-ranging dogs – through disease, predation, and displacement – have had a detrimental effect on the ungulate communities on every continent. Dogs prey on saiga, blue sheep, argali, chiru, kiang, goral, ibex, sambar, chital and blackbuck. The high elevation dogs of Bhutan also harbour tapeworms which when consumed via grasses by yaks can cause coenurosis, a neurological disease that may result in about 10% mortality of young yaks. Human activities such as the seasonal relocation of agro-pastoralists to collect the worm fungus Cordyceps can also have an impact on the ungulates. These high-elevation environments have experienced minimal direct human disturbance, and this movement can lead to the displacement of native species. Many apex predators of the region have also suffered due habitat conversion and loss of prey base. Overharvest, poaching, and wildlife slaughter constituting the major issues of the 19th and 20th century, will not be the most pressing in the 21st century instead, climate change and rapid destruction of habitat will constitute the key threat. High-elevation ungulates have been known to be affected through changes in ice and snow and the
availability of snow patches. Way Forward: There is the need for conservation efforts to protect the remaining fauna of the region.
The conservation efforts can simultaneously recognize that disturbed habitat and altered communities still offer important contributions to beta biodiversity. In ecology, beta diversity (β-diversity or true beta diversity) is the ratio between regional and local
species diversity.
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Beta diversity measures the change in diversity of species from one environment to another. In simpler terms, it calculates the number of species that are not the same in two different environments. Source:- The Hindu
BS-6 FOUR-WHEEL VEHICLES Context: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has mandated a strip of green colour of 1 cm width on top of the existing sticker carrying details of registration for BS-VI vehicles. Bharat Stage Emission Standards (BSES): Introduced in the year 2000. They are set by the Central Pollution Control Board under the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. Objective: To keep air pollutants emitted by the internal combustion engine of vehicles under control. They are based on European (EURO) emission standards. Bharat Stage (BS) emission norms were first brought into effect in 2000 under the head “India 2000”. This was followed by BS2 in 2001 and BS3 in 2005. However, the emission norms were made more stringent only with the enforcement of Bharat Stage IV (BS4). Thereafter, the Government of India skipped the implementation of BS5 in 2016 and decided to introduce Bharat Stage VI (BS6) in 2020 instead.
Source:- PIB
GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.
GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (GPAI) Context: India today joined the league of leading economies including USA, UK, EU, Australia, Canada, France,
Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore to launch the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI or Gee-Pay).
Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI or Gee-Pay): GPAI is an international and multi-stakeholder initiative to guide the responsible development and use of AI, grounded in human rights, inclusion, diversity, innovation, and economic growth.
This is also a first initiative of its type for evolving better understanding of the challenges and opportunities around AI using the experience and diversity of participating countries. In order to achieve this goal, the initiative will look to bridge the gap between theory and practice on AI by supporting cutting-edge research and applied activities on AI-related priorities.
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Significance: By joining GPAI as a founding member, India will actively participate in the global development of Artificial Intelligence, leveraging upon its experience around use of digital technologies for inclusive growth.
Artificial Intelligence(AI): Artificial intelligence (AI) is wide-ranging branch of computer science concerned with building smart machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. AI is an interdisciplinary science with multiple approaches, but advancements in machine learning and deep learning are creating a paradigm shift in virtually every sector of the tech
industry.
Source:- PIB
3D PRINTING. Context: Scientists at the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials
(ARCI), in their recent study utilized an environmentally benign thermal gelation property of methylcellulose (MC) for shaping of ceramics through 3D printing.
3D Printing: Three-dimensional printing (3-D printing), also known as Additive manufacturing (AM) is a process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer. It is basically a process of making three dimensional solid objects from a digital file.
Application: Defence and Aerospace: At present, AM technology in the aerospace and defence sector is broadly used for prototyping, repair of small parts and component manufacturing. Examples: The UK Royal Air Force and Navy use AM for repairing spare parts. Health: Hearing aids have been made using 3D printing technology. Bio printers: Organ printing or body part printing is being printed and some parts being used as
implants of actual body parts. Example: Titanium pelvic, plastic tracheal splint, titanium jaws Tissue engineering: Tissue engineering made remarkable progress with printing of 3D blood vessels. This was achieved 3D bio-printing technology and biomaterials through vascularisation
of hydrogel constructs. Dentistry: Dental Implants are being made on a commercial level using 3D printing technology Prosthetics: 3D printing is being used to make surrogate body parts Artificial organ: Additive manufacturing of stem cells has also led to various possibilities in printing artificial organs, although most of the work is still in the experimental stage Manufacturing: 3D printing can be used to manufacture varied forms of products- from car or plane parts to sport goods, toys etc. Customised products are able to be manufactured as customers can edit the digital design file and send to the manufacturer for productions. Domestic Usage: 3D printers can be used in the home to make small objects such as ornamental objects, small toys etc. Architecture, housing: The technology can be used for a variety of housing projects with application in custom luxury designer homes, large scale development projects, to temporary housing projects. It could also enable engineers to design and build stiffer and safer geometries for houses. Further, can also help engineers to rebuild and restore old heritage designs quickly yet accurately.
Food: 3D printing enables fast automated and repeatable processes, freedom in design, as well as allowing large and easy variability of the cooking process which can be customized.
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Education: Affordable 3D printers in schools may be used for a variety of applications which can aid students with learning better. Source:- PIB
DRUG FOR COVID-19 CASES Context: Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Limited has announced the introduction of Favipiravir under the brand name FabiFlu in tablet form for the treatment of mild & moderate coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in India. Favipiravir Favipiravir is an oral antiviral drug approved in Japan since 2014 for the treatment of novel or re- emerging influenza virus infections. It is being described as a unique mechanism of action by which it inhibits viral replication. It is being used for moderately symptomatic to severely ill Covid patients, but access is not easy. Source:- The Hindu
DEXAMETHASONE Context:
Union Health Ministry has revised clinical management protocol for treating Covid-19 patients. Moderate and severe coronavirus patients. in need of oxygen support who experience excessive inflammatory response, can now be given Dexamethasone steroid as an alternative to Methylprednisolone. DEXAMETHASONE: Dexamethasone is a generic steroid that has been used since the 1960s to reduce inflammation in a range of conditions, including inflammatory disorders and certain cancers. It has been listed on the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines It prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation. It has been used for years by sportspersons to hasten their rehabilitation from injuries and recover from infections. It is on the World Anti-Doping Agency‘s (WADA‘s) list of prohibited substances. Dexamethasone is used to treat conditions such as arthritis, blood/hormone/immune system disorders, allergic reactions, certain skin and eye conditions, breathing problems, certain bowel disorders, and certain cancers. Source:- The Hindu
GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Awareness in the field of Space
SPACEX
Context: SpaceX‟s Dragon spacecraft with two NASA astronauts has successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS).
More in the news: Elon Musk‘s SpaceX is a California-headquartered company. The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft lifted off atop the company‟s Falcon 9 rocket from NASA‘s Kennedy Space Center. With the liftoff, SpaceX became the firstprivate company to launch people into the orbit, a feat achieved previously by only three governments: the U.S., Russia and China. This marks the dawn of a new age in commercial space travel.
Demo-2 Mission: The Demo-2 mission is part of NASA‘s Commercial Crew Program, and will fly two astronauts on SpaceX‘s Crew Dragon spacecraft.
This mission is essentially a flight test to certify if SpaceX‘s crew transportation system can be
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used to ferry crew to and from the space station regularly.
This is the final flight test for the system and intends to validate its different components,
including the spacecraft (Crew Dragon), the launch vehicle (Falcon 9), the launch pad (LC-39A)
and the operations capabilities. Under the Mission, astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley will dock with ISS and then remain there for between one to four months, depending on the time of next mission.
Under the Mission, astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley will dock with ISS and then remain there for between one to four months, depending on the time of next mission. Source:- The Hindu
SECOND MOST COMMON CORONAVIRUS TYPE IN INDIA
Context: Scientists at multiple CSIR laboratories have identified a type of coronavirus that may be the second most prevalent in India, and may comprise 3.5% of the genomes globally.
Corona virus Types: There are 11 SARS-CoV-2 types identified globally, with at least six of them identified in India. The most dominant coronavirus clade in India is the A2a, and of 213 genomes analysed by the group,
62% of them were A2a. The newly identified type – A3i, comprised 41% of those analysed. Previous studies indicate that while type O was the first ancestral family of the virus identified from
China, it‘s the A2a type that has emerged dominant the world over because of a mutation in its genes that allows that coronavirus‘ spike to more efficiently infiltrate the lungs. Epidemiological assessments suggest that the common ancestor [of this subtype of viruses] emerged in the month of February 2020 and possibly resulted in an outbreak followed by countrywide spread. According to a paper that is yet to be peer-reviewed, so far, there is no evidence that A3i is more virulent — that is, it‘s linked to more deaths. Source:- The Hindu
THE ANNULAR SOLAR ECLIPSE AND SUMMER SOLSTICE Context:
On June 21, the summer solstice and the 'Ring of Fire' solar eclipse will occur on the same day. Solar Eclipse: A Solar Eclipse happens when the moon while orbiting the Earth comes in between the sun and the
Earth, due to which the moon blocks the sun‘s light from reaching the Earth, causing an eclipse of the sun or a solar eclipse. There are three types of eclipses: one is a total solar eclipse, which is visible only from a small area on
Earth. A total solar eclipse happens when the sun, moon and Earth are in a direct line. The second type of a solar eclipse is a partial solar, in which the shadow of the moon appears on a small part of the sun. The third kind is an annular solar eclipse, which happens when the moon is farthest from the Earth, which is why it seems smaller. In this type of an eclipse, the moon does not block the sun completely, but looks like a ―dark disk on top of a larger sun-coloured disk‖ forming a ―ring of fire‖. Furthermore, during a solar eclipse, the moon casts two shadows on the Earth; the first one is called the umbra, which gets smaller as it reaches the Earth. Summer Solstice:
The summer solstice occurs when one of the Earth‘s poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere (Northern and Southern).
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For that hemisphere, the summer solstice is when the Sun reaches its highest position in the sky and is the day with the longest period of daylight. Within the Arctic circle (for the northern hemisphere) or Antarctic circle (for the southern hemisphere), there is continuous daylight around the summer solstice. On the summer solstice, Earth‘s maximum axial tilt toward the Sun is 23.44°. Likewise, the Sun‘s declination from the celestial equator is 23.44°. Source:- The Indian Express
GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Achievement of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
ADVANCED TORPEDO DEFENCE SYSTEM (ATDS): „MAAREECH‟ Context: The Indian Navy has inducted an Advanced Torpedo Defence System (ATDS) called „Maareech‟ that is capable of being fired from all frontline ships. Maareech: ‗Maareech‘ has been designed and developed indigenously by the Defence Research and Development
Organization (DRDO) and it is capable of detecting, locating and neutralizing incoming torpedoes. Bharat Electronics Limited, a Defence PSU, would undertake the production of this decoy system. Working:
Maareech detects and locate the incoming torpedo and applies countermeasures to protect the naval platform against attack. It first detects and then confuses and divert the torpedo attacks on ships from under the water.
By diverting the torpedoes' original course, it forces it to lose its energy thus preventing it from being effective on target. Significance:
This induction not only stands testimony to the joint resolve of the Indian Navy and DRDO towards indigenous development of defence technology, but has also given a major fillip to the government‘s ‗Make in India‘ initiative and the country‘s resolve to become ‗Atmanirbhar‘ in niche technology. Source:- PIB
GS PAPER - 03 ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY - Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes
JAL JEEVAN MISSION Context: Karnataka plans to provide tap connections to all rural households under Jal Jeevan Mission by 2022-23 Jal Jeevan Mission:
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Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) envisages supply of 55 litres of water per person per day to every rural household through Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) by 2024. The Mission is based on a community approach to water and includes extensive Information, Education and Communication as a key component of the mission. JJM looks to create a jan andolan for water, thereby making it everyone‘s priority. The fund sharing pattern between the Centre and states is 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States, 50:50 for other states, and 100% for Union Territories. or the implementation of JJM, following institutional arrangement has been proposed: National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM) at the Central level State Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM) at the State level District Water and Sanitation Mission (DWSM) at the District level
Village Water Sanitation Committee (VWSC) at Village level Source:- PIB
GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - indigenization of technology and developing new technology.
LIDAR Context: A U.K.-based team of archeologists has continued its research over the Tamar Valley through LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) despite lockdown due to Covid-19 in the country. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR): LiDAR, or light detection and ranging, is a popular remote sensing method used for measuring the exact distance of an object on the earth‘s surface. first used on a spacecraft during the Apollo 15 mission in 1971, when astronauts mapped the surface of the moon. These light pulses – when combined with other data, generate accurate, high-resolution three- dimensional information of the object.
Working: A LiDAR sensor fires off beams of laser light and then measures how long it takes for the light to return to the sensor.
The basic mechanism is known as ―time of flight‖ measurement in which a laser beam is emitted towards an object, reflected off of the object and then collected in a sensor located within the LiDAR module.
Advantage: LiDAR is used to collect high-density data in order to produce high-resolution maps. Ground based surveys and aerial surveys: LiDAR sensors are being fitted under drones to create readings of the terrain, transmission lines, buildings, and trees. LiDAR is currently being used to provide 3D maps of the ground beneath. Disadvantage: LiDAR can measure the distance to surrounding objects up to 5 meters away, but won‘t fare well in identifying objects in the vicinity. Also, it can‘t perform well in fog, rain, snow and dusty weather. LiDAR also struggles to detect a glass wall or door, which is why smartphone manufacturers and self-driving cars makers use LiDAR along with secondary cameras and sensors.
Source:- The Hindu
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GS PAPER - 03 SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. PRIVATE SECTOR IN SPACE ACTIVITY Context: Private sector participation in Space activities approved Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today approved far reaching reforms in the Space sector aimed at boosting private sector participation in the entire range of space activities. More in the news:
The decision taken is in line with the long-term vision of the Prime Minister of transforming India and making the country self-reliant and technologically advanced. Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) will provide a level playing
field for private companies to use Indian space infrastructure. It will also hand-hold, promote and guide the private industries in space activities through encouraging policies and a friendly regulatory environment.
The Public Sector Enterprise ‗New Space India Limited (NSIL)‘ will endeavour to re-orient space activities from a ‗supply driven‘ model to a ‗demand driven‘ model, thereby ensuring optimum utilization of our space assets.
Significance: These reforms will allow ISRO to focus more on research and development activities, new technologies, exploration missions and human spaceflight programme. Some of the planetary exploration missions will also be opened up to private sector through an ‗announcement of opportunity‘ mechanism. Source:- PIB
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