August 2020 Edition News Juice MONTHLY 1St July to 31St July 2020

August 2020 Edition News Juice MONTHLY 1st July to 31st July 2020

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Summary of The Hindu, The Indian Express & PIB alongwith News Background

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Table of Contents

Polity & Governance ...... 1

1. Legitimate concern: on law and order in Nagaland ...... 1

2. PM extends free foodgrains scheme till November ...... 2 3. Who is Vikas Dubey? ...... 2 4. Why it is difficult to prosecute someone accused of match-fixing ...... 3 5. Rajasthan Political Crisis ...... 5 6. The curious case of Abdul Momin, convicted in Kandahar hijacking, acquitted in related trial ...... 9 7. Pragyata guidelines for digital education ...... 11 8. What next in the Rajasthan government crisis? ...... 12 9. Supreme Court did well to extend to the disabled the relaxations given to SC/ST...... 15 10. Who draws up the Central Board of Secondary Education syllabus? ...... 16 11. What is plea bargaining and how does it work? ...... 18 12. Why questions have been raised about the move for delimitation in the Northeast ...... 20 13. New consumer law tightens screws on E-commerce platforms over misleading ads ...... 22 14. Why a separate anti-torture law? ...... 23 15. Why are re-purposed medicines expensive? ...... 24 16. Rajasthan ex- Singh murder, 11 policemen including DSP sentenced to life

imprisonmentroyal ...... ‘Raja’ Man 26 17. Women officers can now get permanent commission in Indian Army ...... 27 18. Governors should not act at the behest of the party ruling at the Centre...... 27 19. Rajasthan crisis: Why Ashok Gehlot or Sachin Pilot or BJP is not asking for a floor test

...... — — 28 20. When can a Governor use his discretion, how has Supreme Court ruled? ...... 30

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21. All you need to know about new National Education Policy ...... 32

International Organizations and Relations ...... 34

1. How will the ban of TikTok and other Chinese apps be enforced; what will be the impact? ...... 34

2. India, Bhutan sign pact for first joint venture hydropower project ...... 36 3. Chinese apps banned: A look at the most popular ones, their business and reach in India ..37 4. Why Nepal PM Oli blames India in tussle with old rival Prachanda ...... 39 5. China passes security law for Hong Kong giving Beijing sweeping powers, report says ...... 41 6. Chinese firms barred from road projects, investing in MSMEs ...... 43 7. Italian marines case ...... 44 8...... 45

9. Why isChina Tesla’s factor stock has zooming led to an – increaseand can Musk’sin price vision of Heparin; sustain will his other business? drugs follow? ...... 47 10. Vladimir Putin, the eternal President? ...... 50 11. What will be the impact of Chinese apps ban? ...... 51 12. China doubles down on claims on eastern Bhutan boundary ...... 55 13. How Pakistan offers professional courses to Kashmiri students ...... 56 14. Chinese troops shift 2 km from Galwan Valley clash site ...... 58 15. Eight lakh Indians may be forced to leave as Kuwait approves expat quota bill ...... 58 16. Patrolling Points: What do these markers on LAC signify? ...... 59 17. How the US immigration move affects Indian students ...... 62 18. U.S. withdrawal from WHO ...... 64 19...... 65

20. ShouldWhat China Kuwait’s security draft law expat means bill worryfor Hong India? Kong and the global Internet ...... 68 21. Supreme Court gives green light to summons via WhatsApp and email ...... 70 22. Defying U.S., China and Iran near trade and military partnership ...... 70 23. Iran drops India from Chabahar rail project ...... 72

24. China vows retaliation after Trump ends preferential status for Hong Kong ...... 73 25. Why is India out of the Chabahar rail project? ...... 74 26. China has crossed its 1960 claims along the LAC ...... 76 27. U.K. to suspend extradition treaty with Hong Kong ...... 78 28. U.S. closing Chinese consulate in Houston ...... 79 29. Deepening India-South Korea ties ...... 80 30. 200 investment proposals from China wait for security clearance by Home Ministry ...... 81 31. Sikhs and Hindus of Afghanistan how many remain, why they want to leave ...... 83

32. China seizes U.S. consulate in Chengdu— ...... 86 33. Malaysian ex-PM Najib Razak conviction ...... 86

Geography ...... 87

1. Heatwaves, floods, droughts: projections for India in coming decades ...... 87

Economics ...... 90

1. Why has Indian Railways opened doors for private players? ...... 90 2. - ...... 92

3. ‘CentreMGNREGS won’t is important extend deadline in the rescuefor levy of on the foreign poor during e com afirms’ time of distress ...... 94 4. Rising prices during pandemic ...... 95 5. Google to invest Rs 33,737 cr in Jio, to develop entry-level smartphone ...... 96 6...... 97

7. China’sHow the unexpected new public GDP procurement rebound andrestrictions signals for target India China ...... 98 8. In stock market high, some fears ...... 100 9. Govt. notifies 100% FDI in Air India for NRIs ...... 103 10. With GST collections set to shrink, the Centre must find new ways to compensate States ...... 103

11...... 104

GST proceeds: what’s due to states, and what Centre proposes Environment ...... 107

1. Reading the draft Environment Impact Assessment norms ...... 107 2. Why annual floods are essential for the survival of Kaziranga National Park ...... 109 3...... 113

At 2,967 tigers, India’s capacity at peak Science & Technology ...... 113

1. -19 vaccine candidate; how long before approval?...... 113

2. WhatMoD approves is Covaxin, 33 India’s new fighter Covid jets for IAF in deals worth ₹38,900 crores ...... 116 3. What are containment zones, how are they demarcated? ...... 117 4. What are scientists saying about a new virus strain in China? ...... 120 5. ICMR claims it wants to launch ...... 121

6...... Covaxin by August 15, here’s what you need to know 123 7. Covid’sCould Covid-19 Kawasaki virus symptoms be airborne? ...... 125 8. Why stars produce Lithium? ...... 126 9. Doubts over herd immunity ...... 127 10. Test cricket returns today: Sanitisation breaks, empty stadium ...... 129 11...... 131

12. PMHow Modi is India launches building Asia’s up thelargest squadron solar plant strength in MP of its air force? ...... 131 13. Coronavirus can be airborne indoors, the WHO confirms. Now what? ...... 133 14. New insights on Covid-19, key learnings from managing it ...... 136 15. Why Russian Covid-19 vaccine still has miles to go ...... 139 16. How the body develops immunity against an infection ...... 141 17. Reliance enters wearables market, launches Jio Glass ...... 142 18. Coronavirus vaccine: The progress made so far by Moderna, Oxford University ...... 143

19. Jio 5G: What does the solution mean to Reliance and its users ...... 146 20. Why is a psoriasis drug being used to treat COVID-19 patients? ...... 147 21. What is Itolizumab, newly cleared for Covid-19? ...... 149 22. Oxford-AstraZeneca shot shows progress: What this means in fight to find Covid-19 vaccine ...... 151 23. Series of missions to Mars why, when ...... 155

24. New material called 'Proteus'– is reportedly the world's first uncuttable material ...... 156 25. COVID-19: DGHS cautions against use of N-95 valved respirator masks ...... 157 26. KAPP- irst 700 MWe unit,

and the3, biggestwhich attainedindigenously criticality developed on Wednesday variant of morning, the Pressurised is India’s Heavy f Water Reactor...... 159 27. The new technology cold war ...... 162 28. new Covid model ...... 165

29. CoughChina launches droplets firsttravel Mars longer mission when ...... it’s cold & humid– 167 30. and why ...... 169

31. HowIs SARS-CoV-2 ‘corona’ of a thelatent virus virus changes which into can arecur? hairpin ...... shape — 172 32. Are we approaching the stage of herd immunity? ...... 174 33. Rafale jets reach Ambala today: What next after 7,000-km journey from France? ...... 177 34...... 179

Perseverance launch today: A look at NASA’s mission to Mars Social Issues ...... 181

SCPadmanabhaswamy upholds right of Temple erstwhile ...... Travancore royal family in administration of Kerala’s 182 2. Understanding the language of railway station signboards ...... 183 3. What forecast of shrinking populations means for India and world ...... 185 4. India registers a steep decline in maternal mortality ratio ...... 188 5...... 189

Here are the key takeaways from Delhi’s serological survey Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Internal Security ...... 192

1. Neyveli and Visakhapatnam industrial disasters ...... 192 2. How will this impact India? ...... 193

3. USWhy says the Huawei, new crop ZTE of appsare ‘national should worrysecurity Indian threats’: users ...... 195 Miscellaneous ...... 197

1. MHA unveils rules for Unlock 2 ...... 197 2. Tesla now firmly in the driving seat, becomes world's most valuable carmaker even without making any profit ...... 198 3. Mukesh Ambani- now richer than Warren Buffett ...... 199 4. Google bets big on India, to invest $10 billion in its digital transformation ...... 200 5. C.S. Seshadri, a leader of Indian mathematics, passes away in Chennai ...... 201 6. The legacy of C S Seshadri, mathematician, researcher and educator ...... 201

Polity and Governance

1. Legitimate concern: on law and order in Nagaland Page | 1

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

Letter to CM by Governor o By writing a strong letter to Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, alleging that “law and siphoningrder has collapsed”off funds meant in the for State development and that armed work, gangs Governor “who R.N. question Ravi has the thrown sovereignty down and the gauntletintegrity toof the nation”ruling Nationalist had challenged Democratic its authority Progressive by engaging Party-led in blatant government, “extortion” in which and the BJP is a coalition partner. The Governor went on to write that functions such as above the district level will be done with his approval, as proposed under Article 371A(1)(b) of the Constitution.“transfer and posting of officials” who are in charge of law and order

Response of insurgents In a way, he was only voicing the concerns of sections of civil society over the slide in law and order; illegal collections by armed groups have been an issue for several years. In its response to the letter, the insurgent National Socialist Council of Nagalim-Isak Muivah (NSCN-IM), which has been observing a ceasefire with the government for the last 23 years, has sa not inaccurate in his description. But his letter has put the State government in a difficult situation.id the group was only engaged in collecting “taxes”, suggesting that the Governor was

Peace accord The much touted peace accord with the insurgent groups involved in the long-standing becomingNaga conflict the is State yet to Governor be achieved, in August despite 2019 the Centre’s push to conclude it last year. Mr. heraldingRavi has remained a Naga peace the Centre’s accord since interlocutor, 2015, it a is position nowhere he close took to up finalising in 2015, it even with after the groups. In some ways, this is due to the NSCN- . Despite the Centre’s heady statements retaining a separate flag and a Constitution forIM’s the obstinacy State of Nagaland such as its and insistence its unwillingness on to dismantle its parallel administrative and paramilitary structure. The distrust it invokes among other Naga organisations besides other north-eastern governments because of its actors on board have made this a conflict that persists despite the ceasefire and a problem thatcore doesideology not of lend a “greater itself to Nagalim”, a quick solution. and the inherentYet, without difficulties an agreement in getting to other rein insurgent in all the insurgent groups, the State government will have little leeway in imposing its will and

prevent the blatant extortion that is hampering development and law and order. The ball is way to address this knotty issue. This the Governor must do, not by usurping the authority oftherefore the State in government the Centre’s in court, governance and by extensionmatters, but its by interlocutor, patiently refocusing Mr. Ravi’s, on in the finding peace a process. Page | 2

Source: The Hindu

2. PM extends free foodgrains scheme till November

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

Extension of the scheme Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the free grain distribution scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) will be extended by five months till the end of November, with an additional estimated outlay of ₹90,000 crore.

Under this scheme, for the next five months, five kilograms of free rice or wheat, and one kilogram of chana will be provided free to 80 crore Indians.

Benefits claimed PM made the announcement during an address to the nation via television, stating that the had ensured that the poorest of the poor were not left hungry, with 80 crore people having benefitedIndian government’s from the free decision distribution to start of the grains. PMGKAY within days of the nationwide lockdown

Source: The Hindu

3. Who is Vikas Dubey?

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

The gangster from Uttar Pradesh is a history-sheeter who is facing up to 60 criminal cases. Dubey resides in Dikru village and according to media reports also has a private army. He is also the prime accused of the murder of the BJP leader Santosh Shukla in 2001. The leader was shot inside Shivli police station and his family had accused the police of being mute spectators. Dubey was later acquitted by a session court due to a lack of evidence. After this incident, he became renowned in the criminal world for his power.

His business included extortion and even a hotel business in major cities in Uttar Pradesh such as Lucknow, Gorakhpur, and Kanpur. He is especially known in Kanpur both urban and rural areas for extortion of industrialists.

He is also a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader and was also a party of the zila panchayat.

UP Encounter On Thursday night, the police were ambushed when a team had gone to raid an area in search of Dubey. The raid was carried out at around 1 am on the intervening night of July 2- Page | 3 3 in Bithoor area in Chaubepur in Kanpur.

As the police party reached the Bikru village under Kanpur Dehat's Shivli Police Station area to make the arrest, at least eight to ten criminals opened indiscriminate fire from the rooftops. Shivrajpur Station Officer Mahesh Yadav, a sub-inspector and five constables were the others killed in the attack. UP ADG, Law & Order Reached the spot to investigate the situation and said that strict action will be taken against the aides of Vikas Dubey and they will not let the sacrifice of 8 policemen go in vain. In the latest development, the husband of Vikas Dubey's house-help has also been arrested for interrogation.

Source: abplive.com

4. Why it is difficult to prosecute someone accused of match-fixing

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

On Sunday, the Mohali police arrested alleged match-fixer Ravinder Dandiwal, who has been linked to two betting scandals exposed over the last fortnight.

The first one was uncovered by police in Australia, following which the Sydney Morning -fixing racket in tennis and cricket. The same person was on the radar of Mohali police for organising a fake Sri Lankan T20Herald league, described whose Dandiwal matches were as the purportedly ‘kingpin’ of held a global in the match island nation but actually played in Sawara, a village near Chandigarh.

Dandiwal has been charged with cheating under Section 420 of the IPC.

Why is he arrested for cheating rather than match-fixing? Match-fixing is not an independent offence in India and there are no laws covering it. After every match-fixing scandal, investigators, legislators and lawyers have called for reforms, arguing that the absence of laws makes it difficult for them to incriminate someone for match-fixing. Additionally, there is little scope for them to go after those who orchestrate match-fixing, other than the players.

A study by the International Olympic Committee, Interpol and United Nations Office on -fixing would anDrugs offence and against Crime the noted: public “Ain a criminalbr justice response against match demonstrate that sporting manipulation is not a ‘simple’ breach of sporting rules, but also oader sense.” Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

How, then, have alleged match-fixers been punished in the past? Those punishments were handed out by the cricket board under its anti-corruption rules and not by law enforcement (these punishments, too, were later reduced or overturned by courts). In fact, lawyers use these cases to illustrate the need to have separate, foolproof laws for match-fixing. Page | 4

There have been two high-profile match-fixing scandals involving Indian cricketers in the last two decades: the 2000 scam involving former captain Mohammad Azharuddin and the 2013 Indian Premier League spot-fixing controversy, with S Sreesanth at its centre. In both cases, investigators had to fall back on other sections of the law to hold them guilty. In both cases, they were unsuccessful.

Last month, Vidhi Legal and the Sport Law and Policy Centre jointly published a paper, -fixing scandal, the CBI was unable to register a case against the accused, including Azharuddin, ‘Fixing It: Tackling Match Manipulation’. The paper observed that in the 2000 match - “as it was unable to establish that these cricketers had clearly violated any existing penal legislation in India” even though “their behaviour fell squarely under the ambit of match Whatfixing asis thedefined CBI’s by definition the CBI”. of match-fixing? In its report on the 2000 scandal, the CBI defined match fixing as:

* Instances where an individual player or group of players received money individually/collectively to underperform;

* Instances where a player placed bets in matches in which he played that would naturally undermine his performance;

* Instances where players passed on information to a betting syndicate about team composition, probable result, pitch conditions, weather, etc.;

* Instances where groundsmen were given money to prepare a pitch in a way that suited the betting syndicates; and

* Instances of current and ex-players being used by bookies to gain access to Indian and foreign players to influence their performances for a monetary consideration.

So, under what existing provisions are they charged? According to senior advocate Vikas Pahwa, who is representing alleged bookie Sanjeev Chawla in the 2000 scandal, investigating authorities mostly try to book the accused for cheating under IPC Section 420.

Last week, Punjab police used this provision to book the organisers of the fake Sri Lankan T20 match. Before that, the Bengaluru Crime Branch chargesheeted players and bookmakers under this section for alleged spot-fixing in the Karnataka Premier League.

Other laws, too, have been used. In 2000, the CBI tried to book Azharuddin under the Page | 5 Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 as he was a public servant, employed by the State Bank of India (the Act is not applicable to those in the private sector). But it was pointed out that the alleged act of corruption was not committed while he was on duty.

In the IPL spot-fixing scandal, the Mumbai Police charged Sreesanth under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), 1999. Here, too, a Delhi court let Sreesanth off for lack of evidence.

What powers do the investigators have? collectAccording evidence to Pahwa, provided “they it have is available. enough powerBut there to call has anyone, to be an to offence interrogate to investigate. anyone, to Since call match-fixingfor bank statements is not definedor call records as an offence,from service it is providers… difficult to bringso they it have under all the the domainpowers to of

DoesSection the 420 BCCI’s of the Anti IPC.”-Corruption Unit have similar powers?

- comes,In an interview fine, but toif heThe does Indian not, Express there is recently, little we the can head do. Also of BCCI’s (without ACU, a Ajit law), Singh, police sai willd they be ableare ato “non only enforcementquestion him agency”.if he has committed “We can request a crime. him That (to is why come we for say questioning). we need a match- If he

Havefixing therelaw,” Singh been hadattempts said. to make laws against match-fixing? Yes. In 2013, the Sports Ministry drafted the Prevention of Sporting Fraud Bill, which suggested a jail term for offenders. That Bill has died a slow death.

(National Sports Ethics Commission Bill) in 2016 and the other by Shashi Tharoor The TwoSports Private (Online Member’s Gaming Billsand Preventiontoo were introduced of Fraud) Billin the inLok 2018. Sabha, Neither one byhas Anurag been debated Thakur yet. — – Source: The Indian Express

5. Rajasthan Political Crisis

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

A tussle between Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Deputy CM Sachin Pilot has pushed the government to the brink. A look at the similarities and differences with the Madhya Pradesh situation where the resignation of Congress MLAs loyal to Jyotiraditya Scindia had toppled the government four months ago, and the reasons why the Congress struggles to resolve such flare-ups: Page | 6

If Pilot were to leave the Congress, how would the numbers stack up? The difference between the combined strength of the Congress and that of the BJP-led opposition is not razor-thin in Rajasthan, unlike in Madhya Pradesh where the Congress government fell when 22 MLAs pulled out. In a House of 230, the Congress strength fell from 114 to 92 (now down to 91 after one more resignation) which is below the BJP strength of 107.

The numbers in Rajasthan, on the other hand, were tested just a month ago in the Rajya Sabha elections. The two Congress candidates polled 123 of the 200 votes its own 107, all 13 independent MLAs, 2 two from Bharatiya Tribal Party and one from RLD. It also banks on the support of the two CPM MLAs in a crunch, which takes the tally— to 125. It got 123 votes because a minister and a CPM MLA could not vote on account of their health.

The BJP got 74 votes its own 72 and 3 from the Hanuman Beniwal-led Rashtriya Loktantrik Party, less one vote disqualified. And unlike in MP, most of the independents in Rajasthan are close to Chief— Minister Gehlot. Despite Pilot being the PCC president since 2014, Gehlot had the upper hand in ticket distribution for the Assembly elections in 2018 and about 75% Congress MLAs are claimed to be loyal to him. The Pilot camp claims the support of at least half the MLAs.

Page | 7

And the BJP is a divided house in Rajasthan, is it not?

Yes it is, and that is perhaps the key difference with MP. Also, the post of Chief Minister is at the heart of the tussle between Pilot and Gehlot, while Scindia was not asking for chief ministership, which made things easy for the BJP. If Pilot were to join the BJP, the question would be whether he would settle for anything less than chief ministership, given that he is already Deputy CM. Former BJP Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and a large section of the BJP leadership will not accept Pilot as Chief Minister.

Can Pilot not break the Congress and walk out along with MLAs loyal to him? To escape the anti-defection law, two-thirds of Congress MLAs will have to leave the party. That is a very big number

Website: www.prepmate.in — 72 out of the Congress’s 107 MLAs. Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

which means MLAs loyal to Pilot resign so that the strength of the House comes down. They would then have to join the BJP, and contestThe other by-elections option is the to fill‘Madhya the vacancies. Pradesh model’ —

But since the difference in the combined strength is as large as 50, that many MLAs will Page | 8 have to resign to bring the halfway mark down to a level where each side has 75. This is assuming that the independents and smaller parties will align as before. If there is a switch of sides by some of those who supported the Congress in the Rajya Sabha polls, the breakaway camp will need fewer than 50.

What are the roots of the power tussle? Pilot was given charge of the Rajasthan Congress in January 2014 after it suffered one of its worst defeats under Gehlot. Pilot, those close to him say, believed his appointment marked a generational shift in the party, and that he would be CM if the party won again.

Gehlot has been around for a long time. He became Chief Minister for the first time in 1998, when he was 47. He had been the PCC president, and had spearheaded the Congress hascampaign since alternated that defeated as Chief Bhairon Minister Singh with Shekhawat’s Vasundhara BJP Raje (which of the had BJP. been in power since 1990, barring a year’s President’s Rule), and brought the Congress back to power. Gehlot The feud between Gehlot and Pilot escalated after the Congress high command gave Gehlot a third shot at chief ministership, with an eye on the Lok Sabha elections that were then round the corner. The two leaders have been at loggerheads since, and each has made comments against the other without taking his name on several occasions.

But why hasn’t it been sorted out?

Regional leaders wield considerable influence. The AICC in-charge of Rajasthan, Avinash Pande,Many leaders is seen argueas a lightweight, that the party’s who doescentral not leadership have the staturehas weakened to make in Gehlot the last and six Pilot years. sit across the table and sort out their differences.

It is also difficult for the Congress to ignore caste equations. Pilot comes from the Gujjar community, and one of the factors that went against his elevation was that it may not have gone down well with the Meena community. Gehlot, on the other hand, belongs to the backward Mali caste, and is not seen as a threat to any caste group the dominant Jats, Gujjars, Meenas, or Rajputs. — Even if the government does not fall, what will be the impact of this crisis? e can

Thesays crisisthat he will will certainly be the CM. undermine The mutual Pilot’s distrust position. between Sources Gehlot close and to Pilot him willask deepen.how h It is terribleremain inoptics the government,for the party, that too. too as number two, when an FIR says that the “Deputy CM

Can any other state too see such a crisis? All is not well in Punjab and Chhattisgarh. Although Punjab CM Amarinder Singh does not face any challenge to his leadership, there is rumbling and the likes of former PCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa and former Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu keep stirring the pot. — Page | 9 In Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Health Minister T S Singh Deo, who was a contender for the post, are said to be no longer on talking terms.

Source: The Indian Express

6. The curious case of Abdul Momin, convicted in Kandahar hijacking, acquitted in related trial

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

Last week, a sessions court last upheld the acquittal of Abdul Latif Adam Momin and 18 others including passport office clerks, motor training school employees and a passport agent in a case linked with the 1999 Kandahar hijacking. The court dismissed a plea by the

Explained:Mumbai police The against 1999 Kandaharthe acquittal hijacking of these 19 by a magistrate’s court in 2012. On December 24, 1999, Indian Airlines flight IC-814 from Kathmandu to Delhi with 179 passengers and 11 crew members took off at 4.10 pm. Forty-five minutes later, it was hijacked by five men who made it land at various places including Amritsar, Lahore and the UAE for refuelling, before finally landing at Kandahar in Afghanistan at 4 am.

The hijackers demanded the release of Maulana Masood Azhar, a designated global terrorist, who was lodged in a Jammu jail, the release of 35 other militants, and a ransom of $2 million. After negotiations, the Indian government agreed to release Azhar, Umar Sheikh and Mohammed Zargar in exchange for all the passengers. The exchange took place on December 31, 1999. One of the passengers, a 25-year old, was killed and another injured during the negotiations.

Who is Abdul Momin? Momin, a Mumbai resident, was arrested on December 30, 1999, in connection with a bank robbery that October. The Mumbai police claimed that among the recoveries made from Momin were Indian passports, driving licences and documents pertaining to hotel reservations which led them towards his involvement in the hijacking. The passports were in the name of the hijackers though they were not used in the hijacking, police told the court.

Momin was then named as one of the 10 accused in the main hijacking case along with another Indian national, Dilip Bhujel, and a Nepali national Bhupal Damai. In 2008, a

special court in Patiala found them guilty of murder, criminal conspiracy and relevant sections of the Arms Act and Anti-Hijacking Act, 1982, and sentenced them to life imprisonment.

The CBI filed an appeal in the High Court of Punjab and Haryana seeking death penalty for Page | 10 Momin. In 2014, the court set aside the punishment awarded to Bhujel and Damai under all sections exce consideration that Momin had been behind bars since 1999 and stated that he should not be given the pt death the Armspenalty, Act but while upheld Momin’s his life conviction term which was he upheld. is currently The court serving took ininto a Punjab prison.

The Mumbai case In the Mumbai case, Momin was booked for obtaining forged documents to procure passports for the five Pakistani hijackers. He was booked along with 22 others in a separate case filed in Mumbai on charges including forgery, forgery of a passport, cheating and relevant sections of the Indian Passport Act. It was claimed that Momin had paid between Rs 300 and Rs 2500 to a passport agent, his employees, passport office clerks, employees of motor driving schools from where false documents were given to procure driving licences in names of the hijackers.

discharged earlier or had died) said the Mumbai police had failed to prove that there was a nexusIn 2012, between the magistrate’s the accused court to assist while the acquitting hijackers. the The 19 sessions who stood court trial upheld (four this others view were last week.

The main case In the main hijacking case, the CBI had alleged that Momin had made multiple trips to Nepal and Bangladesh to meet the conspirators and provided assistance to them. The CBI claimed that Momin had helped give accommodation to the hijackers in Mumbai, and arranged their passports and driving licences.

- accused, including the owner of a travel company and a driving school employee, were witnessesDuring the in trial the intrial Mumbai, court in Momin’s Patiala, andlawyer that had their said statements that two therefore men named should as his not co be an accused cannot be punished for the same offence twice. The common charge in the two casesadmitted. against One Momin of Momin’s was forgery lines of under defence IPC wasSection also 467. of double jeopardy, which means that

In 2014, the Punjab and Haryana High Court said the Mumbai case had nothing to do with the criminal conspiracy of hijacking. It also said the evidence or the findings of the Mumbai case which led to acquittal of Momin cannot be relied upon while considering the main hijacking case.

Momin has appealed against the High Court order which is pending before the Supreme Court.

Source: The Indian Express Page | 11 7. Pragyata guidelines for digital education

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

Limit screen time According to the Pragyata guidelines for digital education, released by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Schools can hold live online classes for a maximum of 1.5 hours per day for Classes 1-8, and three hours per day for Classes 9-12, according on Tuesday. For kindergarten, nursery and pre-school, only 30 minutes of screen time per day is recommended. Moreover, there should be 10-15 minutes break between two sessions.

Children exposed to digital technologies or gadgets for a longer time are prone to severe health issues.

Implementation of these guidelines These guidelines are prepared by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). The guidelines are only advisory in nature, and State governments have been asked to formulate their own rules, based on local needs.

Different categories of students There are over 25 crore students across the country who have been out of school since mid-March. These students live in households which fall into different categories: those who have computers or smartphones with 4G internet access, those with smartphone but limited or no internet access, those with television with cable or DTH, those with a radio set or a basic mobile phone with FM radio, and those with no communication devices at all. The guidelines advise schools to first survey their own students before making decisions about the mode of teaching, whether to adopt synchronous or asynchronous means of communication.

What are Synchronous and Asynchronous means of communication? Synchronous or real-time communication could be the ubiquitous Zoom classes that many private schools have already begun, or other video or audio conferencing, allowing instant feedback.

Asynchronous learning refers to tools to allow students to download lessons or listen to radio and TV programmes, communicate through Whatsapp and SMS, study on their own and undertake creative projects.

Whether to go for Synchronous or Asynchronous? While selecting the mode of learning, the schools must keep in mind that multiple children in one family may need to access the same devices. They should survey the digital infrastructure available with teachers as well as students. They should also assess the levels of possible parental involvement, and remember that teachers may also be parents Page | 12 .

Schoolsneeding shouldto supervise also make their ownarrangements children’s tolearning reach studentsas well who do not have access to any digital infrastructure at home, or who have special needs, to ensure that no child is left behind.

Source: The Hindu

8. What next in the Rajasthan government crisis?

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

Rajasthan Speaker CP Joshi has served notices to 19 Congress MLAs including Sachin Pilot asking them why they cannot be disqualified. The MLAs have time until July 17 to reply. The political manoeuvres around defection and disqualification are likely to follow, in certain aspects, the events of 2019 in Karnataka, and in April 2020 in Madhya Pradesh.

Why has the Speaker served notice to the 19 Congress MLAs? The notice has been served under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, popularly known as the anti-defection law. The Congress in its complaint to the Speaker has accused the rebel MLAs of attempting to jump parties.

after Pilot and the lawmakers supporting him skipped the Congress Legislature Party meetingsThe Congress on July complaint, 13 and and 14. The the Speaker’s meetings concludednotice late with on Tuesday Chief Minister (July 14) Ashok night Gehlot came establishing his majority, and with a recommendation to take action against the 19 MLAs.

Are the rebel MLAs bound to reply to the Speaker’s notice? respond to the notice, the Speaker can proceed ex parte and disqualify the MLAs from the Assembly.Yes, the MLAs are bound to reply within the two days’ time given to them. If they fail to

Can the MLAs go to court at any time before the July 17 deadline to reply? Courts have been extremely reluctant to interfere with the powers of the Speaker under the Tenth Schedule.

While deciding on the disqualification, the Speaker exercises powers that have been conferred to him under the Constitution. The Constitution gives exclusive jurisdiction to

the Speaker to rule on disqualifications for defection. Even when challenged, as it was in the case of Karnataka in 2019, the court gave time to the Speaker to decide on the pleas.

Among the arguments presented in the Supreme Court in the Karnataka case last year, was Page | 13 upheld the sweeping discretion available to the Speaker in deciding cases of disqualificationthe landmark ruling of MLAs. in ‘Kihoto Hollohan vs Zachillhu And Others’ (1992), in which the court

prevent the process. This line drawn by the Tenth Schedule to keep the courts away has beenWhile misused the Speaker’s in many decisions cases. can Most be recently, challenged in Manipur, subsequently, the Supreme the court Court cannot censured stay or pending since 2017. Speaker Y Khemchand’s action keeping the disqualification proceedings of seven legislators But can the Governor of Rajasthan intervene in the meantime? If the rebel MLAs choose to tender their resignations to the Governor (even though resignations should under normal course be submitted to the Speaker in a certain format), it would warrant the intervention of the Governor. The Governor can then call for a trust vote if he deems that the Chief Minister has lost the confidence of the House.

vote in Madhya Pradesh, which led to the fall of the Kamal Nath-led Congress government. In April, the Supreme Court clarified that position, upholding the Governor’s call for a trust A two-judge Bench comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud and Hemant Gupta said that the Governor, in extraordinary circumstances, can call for a floor test, even when the disqualification proceedings of the MLAs are pending before the Speaker, if the Governor

In“objectively both Karnataka considers” and thatMadhya the governmentPradesh, rebel is on MLAs shaky went ground. to the Governor to tender their resignations first, in order to not attract disqualification.

In the case of Karnataka, the rebel MLAs also moved the Supreme Court, arguing that they had an unqualified right to resign, and had tendered their resignations to the Speaker. This led to a tussle over whether the Speaker can disqualify members after they have already resigned.

In Madhya Pradesh, after the 22 rebel MLAs sent their resignations to the Governor, the Governor asked then Chief Minister Kamal Nath to prove his majority.

What happens if the Rajasthan Governor directs the Speaker to hold a session of the Assembly for a trial of strength? Even when the disqualification process is pending, the rebel Congress legislators would still have to abide by the party whip in case of a trust vote. If they vote against the party or

abstain, they could subsequently be disqualified. However, their vote, even when they disobey the whip, will be counted as it is cast, and not on party lines.

But if they resign as legislators and then jump parties, then the strength of the House and that of the ruling party will be reduced. What happens in the trust vote in a House with Page | 14 reduced strength remains to be seen, even though it appears that Gehlot would have the upper hand.

The MLAs who resign and join the BJP if they do, that is will then have to contest Assembly byelections (on BJP tickets) to re-enter the House. This is what happened in Karnataka, and this is what will happen in— Madhya Pradesh. —

Resigning as an MLA and subsequently joining another party does not attract disqualification. In both cases, resignation and disqualification, the member can contest the byeelection.

However, the key difference is that when a legislator resigns, she can be immediately appointed a minister in the next government and will get six months to get re-elected, but when a member is disqualified, she cannot be a part of the government till she wins the polls. The difference then, is going to polls as a Minister as opposed to a former MLA, a route that is less preferred. (In Madhya Pradesh, the loyalists of Jyotiraditya Scindia will likely contest byeelections as Ministers.)

In case the disqualification process continues, under what circumstances can the MLAs be disqualified? There are two conditions on which a Speaker can serve an anti-defection notice to a legislator. The first is when the legislator has voluntarily given up the membership of the party, and the second condition is when a legislator has disobeyed the whip of the party during a vote.

Since the state legislature is not in session and no question has been put to vote on the floor of the House, the second condition does not apply as of now in the case of Rajasthan even though Pilot defied his party and did not turn up at the legislature party meeting. Defying a whip and attracting disqualification under the Tenth Schedule takes place only on— the floor of the House.

Although Pilot and the other 18 dissident MLAs have not resigned from the Congress party officially, the Speaker can under the law gauge their activities. Any activity that is inimical, prejudicial to the interests of the party would be deemed to be giving up membership of the party.

What happens after that, and do the MLAs have any legal recourse afterwards?

Kihoto Hollohan case, the court said only infirmities based on violation of constitutional The Speaker’s decision can be challenged in court only to a limited extent. In the 1992 Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

mandate, mala fides, non-compliance with rules of natural justice, and perversity can be reviewed.

Source: The Indian Express Page | 15 9. Supreme Court did well to extend to the disabled the relaxations given to SC/ST

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

What did the Supreme Court say? In holding that people suffering from disability are entitled to the same benefits and relaxations as candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Supreme Court has recognised the travails of the disabled in accessing education or employment, regardless of their social status.

Even though drawn from all sections of society, those suffering from the several categories of disability recognised by law have always been an under-privileged and under- represented section, a fact noticed in official studies in the past.

What did Delhi Court say? Recently, the top court ruled that the Delhi High Court had correctly decided in 2012 that ocially backward, and are therefore, at the very least, entitled to the same benefits as given to the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes “people suffering from disabilities are also s candidates”.Therefore, it took the view that when SC/ST candidates get a relaxation of a certain percentage of marks to qualify for admission, the same relaxation shall apply to disabled candidates too.

What was the case before High Court? In the 2012 case before the High Court, a university had allowed a 10% concession in the minimum eligibility requirement for SC/ST candidates, and 5% concession for disabled applicants. The High Court ruled against this differential treatment, terming it discriminatory. The larger principle behind this was that without imparting proper there cannot be any meaningful legislationeducation on to providing those suffering equal opportunities from disabilities, to the disabled “ and protecting their rights. It canenforcement only be more of their applicable, rights” now both that under a fresh the Constitutionlaw that aims and for the a greater then prevailing transformative 1995 effect, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, is in place.

Can physical disability be equated with social equality?

A counterpoint to the idea of eliminating the distinction between the disabled and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes may arise from those questioning the attempt to equate physical or mental disability with the social disability and experience of untouchability suffered by marginalised sections for centuries. For instance, the social background of disabled persons from a traditionally privileged community may gave them Page | 16 an advantage over those suffering from historical social disability. However, this may not always be the case.

The Delhi High Court had cited the abysmally low literacy and employment rates among persons with disabilities. Educational indicators captured in the 2001 Census showed that illiteracy among the disabled was much higher than the general population figure. The share of disabled children out of school was quite higher than other major social categories. The 2001 Census put the illiteracy rate among the disabled at 51%. There was similar evidence of their inadequate representation in employment too. The 2016 law sought to address this by raising the quota for the disabled from 3% to 5% and envisaging incentives for the private sector to hire them too. It is vital that this is fully given effect to so that this significant segment of the population is not left out of social and economic advancement.

Source: The Hindu

10. Who draws up the Central Board of Secondary Education syllabus?

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

With the COVID-19 pandemic keeping students out of classrooms, forcing schools into various modes of distance education and reducing teaching time, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to cut down its 2020-21 syllabus by 30%, for students from Classes 9-12.

Why does it matter? Although the CBSE said core concepts will be retained, there has been concern regarding the kinds of topics that were removed from the syllabus. For the sciences and mathematics, some teachers are worried that topics removed from the syllabus are foundational in order to understand concepts that will be covered in the following academic year. The wider public concern has revolved around social sciences, history, political science and other humanities subjects. Opposition politicians and academicians alike are upset that topics like federalism, citizenship, nationalism, secularism, democracy, and diversity, as well as analysis of recent economic policies such as demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax have been dropped.

What was the rationale for the exercise? a demand that with this

“When we interacted with our schools and principals, there was much content in the provided time they can’t complete the syllabus,” said Joseph Website:Emmanuel, www.prepmate.in Director of Academics at CBSE. “This year, no classes Telegram are Channel: happening @upscprepmate in a regular Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

manner. [The] CBSE has schools of all kinds private schools for the affluent, as well as those for lower economic classes with minimum fees and facilities, and also the entire government school system in Delhi, Chandigarh,— Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. Even if online classes are happening in some of the elite private schools, what about government schools and children from less privileged backgrounds? They have a very big problem with Page | 17 connectivity, and their learning has been totally affected by the COVID pandemic. This is

theHow reality.” is it done and who heads it? The NCERT is responsible for developing the National Curriculum Framework that all school systems across the country follow. It also prints textbooks based on its syllabus each year, which are used in all CBSE schools. The CBSE course committees, each with about six to seven members, comprises school teachers as well university professors. They meet every year to deliberate on changes and updates, and recommend a revised syllabus by February, before the new academic session begins. This year, they were asked to meet and syllabus, but there is about 10- again in June to select topics for the 30% reduction. “Mainly weroup. use theThere NCERT was curriculumno outside input for the rationalisation process.20% Beingvariation an done autonomous by every body,examination there isboard,” complete said Dr. Emmanuel. “The course committees are an independent g Curriculum Committee and then its Governing Body, which includes representatives from theindependence Union Ministry on academics.” of Human The Development course committee and the suggestions Delhi State were government, approved apart by CBSE’s from school principals and university vice-chancellors.

such as democracy or federalism have been interwoven from middle level onwards. The children“Topics suggestedare already for familiar rationalisation with these have concepts already and been they covered. can be taught For example, through concepts various writing an exam. It can be discussed, there can be a classroom activity, these are topics whichalternative are partways,” of added daily life.Dr. Emmanuel. So the idea “For is to teaching teach thesedemocracy, topics there through is no alternative need for follow maystrategies, have beenrather left than out focussing of Business solely Studies on exams.” because He theysuggested were thatcovered teachers in the would Economics syllabusNCERT’s instead,alternative he added. academic calendar as well. Subjects such as GST and demonetisation

How does this inform the teaching process? Teachers say that given the time crunch exacerbated by COVID-19, it is highly unlikely that a regular year, many political science teachers omit subjects like federalism, democracy andtopics citizenship which will from not thebe testedpolitical in theorythe examination chapters in will Class be taught11, in order in the to classroom. begin the “EvenClass 12 in rationalisation only validates that kind of thinking. Anyway, each school has complete syllabus instead. They don’t see the point in teaching such ‘vague’ subjects and the COVID teacher from a reputed Delhi school, who did not wish to be named. She is part of a discretion for Class 11 since there is only an internal examination,” said a political science Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

WhatsApp group of about 150 political science teachers across the city, and says most

members of the group dismissed the controversy over the cuts. “Despite the ideological Source:debates, Thethis isHindu the mainstream teaching reality,” she said. Page | 18

11. What is plea bargaining and how does it work?

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

Many members of the Tablighi Jamaat belonging to different countries have obtained release from court cases in recent days by means of plea bargaining. Accused of violating visa conditions by attending a religious congregation in Delhi, these foreign nationals have walked free after pleading guilty to minor offences and paying the fines imposed by the court. These cases have brought the focus on plea bargaining as a practice by which time consuming trials can be avoided. Even though plea bargaining is available to those accused of criminal offences in India for over a decade, it is not yet common.

When was it introduced in India? Plea bargaining refers to a person charged with a criminal offence negotiating with the prosecution for a lesser punishment than what is provided in law by pleading guilty to a less serious offence. It is common in the United States, and has been a successful method of avoiding protracted and complicated trials. As a result, conviction rates are significantly high there. It primarily involves pre-trial negotiations between the accused and the prosecutor. It may involve bargaining on the charge or in the quantum of sentence.

In India, the concept was not part of law until 2006. There has always been a provision in to a full trial, but it is not the same as plea bargaining. the Code of Criminal Procedure for an accused to plead ‘guilty’ instead of claiming the right The Law Commission of India, in its 142nd Report, mo

oted the idea of “concessional treatment” of those who plead guilty on their own volition, but was careful to underscore Pleathat it bargaining would not wasinvolve introduced any plea inbargaining 2006 as or part “haggling” of a set with of amendments the prosecution. to the CrPC as Chapter XXI-A, containing Sections 265A to 265L.

In what circumstances is it allowed? How does it work? Unlike in the U.S. and other countries, where the prosecutor plays a key role in bargaining with the suspected offender, the Indian code makes plea bargaining a process that can be initiated only by the accused; further, the accused will have to apply to the court for invoking the benefit of bargaining.

Cases for which the practice is allowed are limited. Only someone who has been charge sheeted for an offence that does not attract the death sentence, life sentence or a prison term above seven years can make use of the scheme under Chapter XXI-A. It is also applicable to private complaints of which a criminal court has taken cognisance. Other categories of cases that cannot be disposed of through plea bargaining are those that Page | 19 - against a woman or a child below the age of 14. involve offences affecting the “socio economic conditions” of the country, or committed The applicant should approach the court with a petition and affidavit stating that it is a voluntary preference and that he has understood the nature and extent of punishment provided in law for the offence. The court would then issue notice to the prosecutor and the complainant or victim, if any, for a hearing. The voluntary nature of the application must be ascertained by the judge in an in-camera hearing at which the other side should not be present. Thereafter, the court may permit the prosecutor, the investigating officer and the involve payment of compensation and other expenses to the victim by the accused. victim to hold a meeting for a “satisfactory disposition of the case”. The outcome may Once mutual satisfaction is reached, the court shall formalise the arrangement by way of a report signed by all the parties and the presiding officer. The accused may be sentenced to a prison term that is half the minimum period fixed for the offence. If there is no minimum term prescribed, the sentence should run up to one-fourth of the maximum sentence stipulated in law.

What is the rationale for the scheme? What are its benefits? The Justice Malimath Committee on reforms of the criminal justice system endorsed the various recommendations of the Law Commission with regard to plea bargaining. Some of the advantages it culled out from earlier reports are that the practice would ensure speedy trial, end uncertainty over the outcome of criminal cases, save litigation costs and relieve the parties of anxiety. It would also have a dramatic impact on conviction rates. Prolonged incarceration of undertrials without any progress in the case for years and overcrowding of prisons were also other factors that may be cited in support of reducing pendency of cases and decongesting prisons through plea bargaining. Moreover, it may help offenders make a fresh start in life.

Do courts have reservations? Case law after the introduction of plea bargaining has not developed much as the provision is possibly not used adequately. However, earlier judgments of various courts in cases in the judiciary may have reservations. Some verdicts disapprove of bargaining with offenders,which the accused and point enter out a ‘guilty’ that lenient plea with sentences a view to could getting be lesser considered sentences as indicate part of that the circumstances of the case after a regular trial. Courts are also very particular about the voluntary nature of the exercise, as poverty, ignorance and prosecution pressure should not lead to someone pleading guilty of offences that may not have been committed.

Source: The Hindu

12. Why questions have been raised about the move for delimitation in the Northeast Page | 20

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

r legal eagle, SK Mendiratta, has red-flagged the

The Election Commission’s (EC) forme Union government’s order setting up a Delimitation Commission for Arunachal Pradesh, WhenManipur, delimitation Assam and last Nagaland, took place calling in theit “unconstitutional” rest of the country and in “illegal”. 2002-08, these states had been left out.

What is delimitation and why is it needed? Delimitation is the act of redrawing boundaries of Lok Sabha and Assembly seats to represent changes in population. In this process, the number of seats allocated to a state may also change. The objective is to provide equal representation for equal population segments, and a fair division of geographical areas, so that no political party has an stioned before any court.

Northeast’sadvantage. The concerns Delimitation Commission’s orders cannot be que In the last delimitation exercise, completed in 2008, Arunachal, Manipur, Assam, Nagaland club the four with J&K comes in the backdrop of unrest in the region over CAA. were kept out due to apprehensions over use of the 2001 Census. The Centre’s move to How often has delimitation been done? Delimitation is done on the basis of the preceding Census. The first such exercise in 1950- 51 was carried out by the President, with the help of the Election Commission. Following the Delimitation Commission Act in 1952, all such exercises have been conducted by Delimitation Commissions set up in 1952, 1963, 1973 and 2002.

There was no delimitation— after the 1981 and 1991 Censuses. This was a fallout of the provision that the ratio between the number of Lok Sabha seats in a state and the population of the state is, as far as practicable, the same for all states. Although unintended, this meant that states that took little interest in population control could end up with more seats in Parliament, while the southern states that promoted family planning could end up with fewer seats. Amid these concerns, the Constitution was amended in 1976 to suspend delimitation until 2001.

Another amendment extended the freeze on the number of seats until 2026, by when the country was projected to achieve a uniform population growth rate. So, the last delimitation exercise between July 2002 and March 31, 2008, based on the 2001 Census,

only readjusted boundaries of existing Lok Sabha and Assembly seats and reworked the number of reserved seats.

Why were these four states left out in 2002-08? In Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, various organisations had moved the Page | 21 Gauhati High Court against the 2002-08 exercise, challenging the use of the 2001 Census for reference. From Assam, an all-party delegation met then Home Minister Shivraj Patil pleading that delimitation be called off because the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was yet to be updated. The Delimitation Act was amended in 2008, and on February 8, 2008, Presidential orders were issued to defer delimitation in these four states.

So, when and why did the government decide to resume delimitation for Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and Nagaland? On February 28 this year, President Ram Nath Kovind cleared the decks for the resumption of the delimitation exercise in the four states by cancelling the order of February 8, 2008.

that t The fresh order issued by the Legislative Department of the Law Ministry said “it appears of thehe constituencies circumstances as thatenvisaged led to under the deferring the Delimitation of the delimitation Act, 2002 could exercise” be carried in Assam, out Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland “have ceased to exist and that the delimitation conducive for carrying out delimitation. now”. It noted that there had been a reduction in insurgency incidents, making the situation Subsequently, on March 6, the Law Ministry notified the Delimitation Commission for the four northeast states and Jammu and Kashmir, which was also left out in 2002-08. Former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai is its chairperson, and Election

WillCommissioner delimitation Sushil change Chandra the isnumber the EC’s of representative seats in these on states? the panel. Not in the four Northeast states. There is a freeze until 2026 on the number of Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in any state. Delimitation will only redraw the boundaries of seats in each state, and can rework the number of reserved seats for SCs and STs. However, because

of exceptional past circumstances, Jammu & Kashmir’s Assembly seats will now increase Whyfrom 107has toEC’s 114, former which legalis expected advisor to calledincrease the Jammu new region’sDelimitation representation. Commission “illegal” and “unconstitutional”?

Representation of the People Act 1950. According to SK Mendiratta, the Law Ministry’s notification of March 6 violates the In 2008, after the President deferred delimitation in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, the Parliament decided that instead of creating another Delimitation Commission in future for the limited purpose of redrawing seat boundaries in the four

northeastern states, the exercise there would be carried out by the EC. The Representation of the People Act 1950 was amended, and Section 8A was introduced for this purpose.

The Parliament was guided by the fact that there is precedence of the EC being vested with the authority to redraw boundaries of constituencies including when Delhi was delimited Page | 22 into 70 seats in 1991-92, and Uttarakhand into 70 seats in 2000. – Mendiratta wrote a letter to the three election commissioners on June 4 pointing out the of the RP Act 1950. Since the RP Act 1950 clearly states that delimitation in the four northeastern contradiction between the Law Ministry’s notification of March 6 and Section 8A separate Delimitation Commission for this purpose, Mendiratta wrote in his letter. Hence, anystates, delimitation when held, exercisewould fall in within Arunachal, the EC’s Manipur, remit, the Assam Centre and should Nagaland not have by notified the new a

lection commissioners. Delimitation Commission would be “declared void by the courts” and, subsequently, result Whoin “wastage is SK Mendiratta of huge precious and why public does funds”, his opinion he told the matter three in e this case? considered an expert on delimitation and had been an adviser with the 2002 Delimitation Commission,Mendiratta was set EC’s up underlegal advisor Justice for Kuldip over Singh.50 years. Mendiratta He left the had poll also panel assisted in 2018. the ECHe inis delimiting Uttarakhand into 70 constituencies under the UP Reorganisation Act, 2000. His voice is important, and carries a lot of weight.

Source: The Indian Express

13. New consumer law tightens screws on E-commerce platforms over misleading ads

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

In a highly significant move, the govt. has come up with a new consumer law to monitor online advertising in the country. This law which has come into force from today itself is a part of Consumer Protection Act 2019, and has been updated from a 1986 legislation.

What’s the purpose of it? This new legislation aims to protect consumers from misleading online ads. It will make manufacturers, service providers and celebrity endorsers, accountable for advertisements. In case of misleading claims, they will be slapped with heavy fines and could even attract jail terms.

Change of Guard From now on, a Central Consumer Protection Authority, headed by a govt. appointed chief commissioner, will be set-up to regulate consumer rights violations, unfair trading

practices and false advertisements. So far this task was under the purview of the self-regulatory body, The Advertising Standards Council of India.

Noadvertising more free industry’s run for E-commerce platforms The new law brings the digital platforms under its domain, apart from the traditional Page | 23 mediums such as TV, radio, print and outdoor advertising. Significantly, in case of consumer complaints over substandard products, the e-commerce platforms would now no longer be able to get away with the argument that their responsibility ends ♂️ with the delivery of products. They now also face an increased liability along with the manufacturers. ฀

More power to the Consumers The new law will add to the consumer comfort - and a video conferencing option to participate in the necessary proceedings, required to address the complaints. ฀ as it provides for ‘e filing’ of complaints

14. Why a separate anti-torture law?

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

The alleged torture of a father-son duo in Sattankulam town in Tamil Nadu has once again given rise to the demand for a separate law against torture. It is therefore essential to examine whether the existing law is inadequate to deter incidents of custodial torture.

What does torture include?

IndianTorture courts is not havedefined included in the psychicIndian Penal torture, Code, environmental but the definitions coercion, of ‘hurt’tiring andinterrogative ‘grievous prolixity,hurt’ are clearlyand overbearing laid down. and Though intimidatory the definition methods, of ‘hurt’ among does others, not includein the ambit mental of torture,torture. Voluntarily causing hurt and grievous hurt to extort confession are also provided in the Code with enhanced punishment. Under the Code of Criminal Procedure, a judicial magistrate inquires into every custodial death.

The National Human Rights Commission has laid down specific guidelines for conducting autopsy under the eyes of the camera. The Supreme Court judgment in DK Basu v. State of West Bengal was a turning point in the evolving jurisprudence on custodial torture. The Nilabati Behera v. State of Orissa made sure that the state could no longer escape liability in public law and had to be compelled to pay compensation. Similarly,Court’s decision the Court in has held in many cases that policemen found guilty of custodial death should be given the death penalty. Therefore, there is neither a dearth of precedents nor any deficiency in the existing law.

Prevention of Torture Bill However, a fresh draft of the Prevention of Torture Bill was released in 2017 for seeking suggestions from various stakeholders. The Bill was not only vague but also very harsh for the police to discharge its responsibilities without fear of prosecution and persecution. It Page | 24 or was inconsistent with the existing provisions of law. It included ‘severe or prolonged pain Thesuffering’ proposed as quantum a form of of torture punishment but that was was too left harsh. undefined. Though the 262nd Law Commission - l provided for the death penalty for custodial deaths. While most Reportcountries recommended have deleted thator are the deleting death penaltythe death be penalty abolished from except their statute in cases books, of ‘terrorism for India torelated enact offences’, fresh legislation the Bil with the death penalty as the ultimate form of punishment shows its continuing passive mindset towards human life.

In the Bill, the proposed registration of every complaint of torture as an FIR and blanket denial of anticipatory bail to an accused public servant was not reasonable. The bail can be refused in appropriate cases, but excluding an investigating officer, struggling every day to meet the challenges of emerging crime, from availing such an opportunity shall be no less than putting him on the highest pedestal of mistrust. Overall, the proposed Bill was not a reformative one. It was vague, harsh and retributive in nature.

In 2017, the Central government admitted in the Supreme Court that it was seriously considering the 273rd Report of the Law Commission that recommended ratification of the U.N. Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment (CAT). CAT was signed by India, but is yet to be ratified. However, except for minor discrepancies, the prevalent law in India is adequate and well in tune with the provisions of CAT.

Root cause of the problem Retired Supreme Court Justice Deepak Gupta said that we first need to implement the law

er. The temptation to use third-degreeas we have it. methods “The investigations, must be replaced the prosecutionswith scientific are skills. not Thus, fair; thesethe need must of bethe rectified hour is tofirst,”he strike said. at the He rootexhorted cause that of the police problem need and to implementbe trained bett recommendations of various commissions to bring in necessary reforms.

Source: The Hindu

15. Why are re-purposed medicines expensive?

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

The quest for developing a vaccine and finding a definitive treatment for COVID-19 treatment is reportedly making good progress. However, with the number of infections around the globe having crossed 14.7 million, there is no easy containment of this

pandemic. Clinical trials with re-purposed antivirals and biologicals have been approved in different geographical settings. These medicines are believed to have some potential in shortening the recovery time in COVID-19 patients. Recently, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) issued approval to Glenmark Pharma to manufacture and market . It also issued approvals to Hetero and Page | 25 Cipla to manufacture and market injectable formulations of Remdesivir, and to Biocon LimitedFavipiravir to market tablets injectable for ‘restricted formulations emergency of Itolizumab. use’

What are these medicines? Remdesivir is an antiviral originally developed by Gilead to treat the Ebola virus infection. Favipiravir is a generic version of an anti-influenza medicine developed by Toyama Chemical in Japan. Gilead has entered into royalty-free voluntary licensing agreement with companies including Hetero and Cipla to provide technology transfer to manufacture Remdesivir for distribution in 127 countries. The free royalty period is valid until the World Health Organization (WHO) declares the end of the pandemic or until another medicine or vaccine is approved to treat or prevent COVID-19.

Heavy prices Hetero has priced Remdesivir at ₹5,400 for a 100 mg injection vial, and Cipla at ₹4,000 per vial. A five-day treatment course with Remdesivir would work out to ₹24,000-32,000 per patient. Glenmark claims to have developed the active pharmaceutical ingredient and formulation of Favipiravir through its in-house research team and has priced Favipiravir 200 mg tablet at ₹103, with a course of treatment costing ₹12,566 per patient. Both these medicines inhibit viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, thereby retarding viral replication in host cells.

Itolizumab, incidentally used in the treatment of psoriasis, reportedly shows therapeutic effects in severe COVID-19 infections progressing to acute respiratory distress syndrome. Treatment with Itolizumab is also not inexpensive by any means with the medical costs amounting to ₹32,000 per patient. The critical question is whether the above pricing would exclude a majority of the patients from the benefits of these re-purposed medicines.

Official stand The updated clinical management protocol of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MHFW) lists Remdesivir as a potential medicine for investigational therapy in moderate COVID-19 infections without underlying contra-indications. The protocol does not mention

Favipiravir, which nevertheless finds a place in the WHO Clinical Management Protocol. Itolizumab figures neither in the MHFW nor in the WHO protocol.

Reason for high prices Affordability of medicines is a matter of particular concern. When companies attempt to recover the fixed costs or sunk costs that went into the investment and development of the

medicine, the final price becomes unreasonable. This is distressing for the patient, especially when the therapeutic results or clinical benefits have not been fully established.

Source: The Hindu Page | 26 16. Rajasthan ex-royal ‘Raja’ Man Singh murder, 11 policemen including DSP sentenced to life imprisonment

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

Life imprisonment to 11 policemen A Mathura court on Wednesday sentenced 11 policemen including a then Deputy SP to life erstwhile princely state in Rajasthan, in 1985. imprisonment for the murder of ‘Raja’ Man Singh, then titular head of the Bharatpur Three policemen, who were accused of forging the general diary entries and facing charges under Section 218 of the IPC, however, had been acquitted.

Of the 18 persons initially accused, three died during trial, while one had been discharged.

What happened? The case had led to a political storm in the State leading to the resignation of the then Rajasthan Chief Minister.

The incident took place on February 21, 1985 when Man Singh, then 64, and his two associates were shot dead by police a day after he had allegedly battered his military jeep into the stage set up for an election rally of Chief Minister Shiv Charan Mathur. The jeep had also damaged a chopper kept at the site for the CM.

wasDushyant undefeated Singh, till the his deceased’sdeath. grandson, says Man Singh, who was the third son of ‘Maharaja’ Krishn of Bharatpur, was first elected as an MLA from Rajasthan in 1952 and Man Singh even resisted the waves of 1977 (Indira Gandhi) and 1980 (Janata Party) to win as an independent. In the 1985 Assembly elections, the Congress fielded Brijendra Singh, a retired IAS officer, against Man Singh from Deeg seat.

During the campaign, an irate Man Singh damaged the stage and the chopper in reaction to some Congress workers insulting the Bharatpur flag, said Mr. Dushyant.

and others was going to the Deeg police station to surrender when the then deputy SP Kan “On February 21, 1985 Raja Man Singh along with Thakur Hari Singh, Thakur Sumer Singh

Singh Bhati and other policemen fired indiscriminately at him near the Anaj Mandi as part of a well-

Man Singhplanned and his conspiracy,” two associates said died Mr. onDushyant the spot in and a statement. two days later Mathur had resigned. Page | 27 Source: The Hindu

17. Women officers can now get permanent commission in Indian Army

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

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has issued the formal Government Sanction Letter for grant of Permanent Commission (PC) to women officers in the Army.

The order specifies the grant of PC to Short Service Commissioned (SSC) women officers in all the 10 streams of the Army in which they presently serve the Army Air Defence (AAD), Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), Army Service Corps (ASC), Army Ordnance Corps (AOC), and Intelligence— Corps in addition to the existing streams of Judge and Advocate General (JAG) and the Army Educational Corps (AEC), the Army said.

Following SC order The order follows a Supreme Court verdict in February that directed the government that women Army officers be granted PC and command postings in all services other than combat. Following this, Army Chief Gen. Manoj Naravane had said it was an enabling one and gives a lot of clarity on how to move forward. He had stated that the same procedure for male SSC officers will be followed for women to give PC.

About 322 women officers had approached the apex court on the issue of PC and the issue of command postings came up in the discussion on subsequent avenues after the grant of command positions to women offers, to which the Supreme Court said there was need for PC. In its appeal, the government cited “physical” and “physiological limitations” in granting

Source:administrative The Hindu will and “change of mindset.”

18. Governors should not act at the behest of the party ruling at the Centre

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

Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra could have sought a floor test in the State Assembly to ensure that the government of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has a majority, as soon as a

rebellion in the ruling Congress cast a shadow on it. Far from that, Mr. Mishra now appears to be bending over backwards to delay a trust vote.

The Governor has cited six reasons for his procrastination in calling an Assembly session. But the Supreme Court has settled that the Governor has no discretionary powers in Page | 28 summoning a session of the Assembly, and he or she is bound to act according to the aid and advice of the CM and the Council of Ministers. The Governor can require the CM and the Council of Ministers to seek a trust vote if he or she has reasons to believe that they have lost the confidence of the Assembly. Either way, the only appropriate way forward for Mr. Mishra is to convene the session and allow the democratic process to take its course. Now that the State cabinet has reiterated its demand for a session, specifying a date and an agenda as demanded by the Governor, he should not look for more excuses and bring embarrassment to the high office he holds.

The CM has said the Governor is acting under pressure from the Centre, as he took the residence, and a public protest is to be held on Monday. It is instructive to compare Mr. battle to the streets. Congress MLAs supporting the CM held a dharna at theadesh, Governor’s when similar sabotage brought down the Congress government led by Kamal Nath in March. Mr. NathMishra’s had conduct said Congress with that MLAs of Lalji were Tandon, held captive, the former and theGovernor voting ofcould Madhya be vitiated, Pr but the Governor declared that the failure to take an immediate floor test would be presumed as a lack of majority. Mr. Mishra wants to ensure that all MLAs are free to move around before a session could take place, though there is no public knowledge of anyone complaining to him being restrained. He requires the government to take into consideration the spread of the novel coronavirus, but in Madhya Pradesh, the reasoning was the opposite the Governor did not want any delay on account of the pandemic. These arguments of two Governors four months apart in two States certainly appear contradictory, but— also crisis in Rajasthan, its denial apart. The Raj Bhavan should not be a tool of the BJP to dislodgepartisan andin favour install of governments the Bharatiya as Janataand when Party. it wants. The BJP’s Mr. Mishraimprint too is unmistakablehas a test to pass, in the of constitutional morality.

19. Rajasthan crisis: Why Ashok Gehlot — or Sachin Pilot or BJP — is not asking for a floor test

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

On Tuesday, the Ashok Gehlot Cabinet sent yet another recommendation the third such communication in a week to Governor Kalraj Mishra asking for a session of the Rajasthan Assembly on July 31. None of the three proposals, however, mentions— whether the government wants to hold— a vote of confidence in the Assembly, although that is being seen as the unstated reason behind convening a session amid a political crisis.

Ever since the crisis began in the second week of July, Gehlot had been claiming that his government has the majority in the 200-member House. What then is stopping the government from mentioning a confidence vote or a floor test as the agenda for the -plan? Over a fortnight into the crisis, what is the state of play in Rajasthan? Page | 29 Assembly session? What is the Congress’s game Ashok Gehlot and Congress The Congress and its Gehlot camp argue that the government and the Assembly will decide the agenda for the session, and the Governor cannot raise queries or interfere on such matters as it is not in his jurisdiction. In other words, he has no discretionary powers convening of a session. If the Governor turns down the recommendation once again, the regarding summoning of the session.be They to seek say his the removal. Governor’s queries are a tactic to delay

Congress’s political response would lead to the Governor raising more queries or laying down conditions that the party and the Unofficially, the Congress’s position is that statinghe the reason, reason the for Governor convening could a session say move could a government would rather avoid. “If we state t motion for a floor test, give 10 days or 15 days’ notice and all. Why should we give it? There Congressis no obligation leaders to say give the it,” Chief a senior Minister leader need said. not show his majority in the conventional way leaderof moving said. a motion for expressing confidence in the Council of Ministers. “He can do it in any manner for a show of support to the government. A whip can also be issued,” a senior The Congress cites the 2016 Supreme Court judgment in Nabam Rebia and Bamang Felix vs Deputy Speaker (Arunachal Pradesh Assembly case) to argue that when the Chief Minister and his Council of Ministers enjoy the confidence of the majority of the House, the power vested with the Governor under Article 174 to summon, prorogue and dissolve the House must be exercised in consonance with the aid and advice of the Cabinet.

Sachin Pilot camp Sachin Pilot and the 18 rebel Congress MLAs, who are fighting a disqualification battle in the Rajasthan High Court, have been silent on the question of convening a session. Since they have not been expelled by the Congress, abstaining from the session or voting against

theBut Gehlotthe Pilot government camp claims would Ashok violate Gehlot the does party’s not whiphave aand majority attract and disqualification. describes the demand for a session as political posturing, saying that is why the government has not mentioned a vote of confidence as the agenda. The Sachin camp claims the government has not given the Governor the list of MLAs supporting it. While the Congress has claimed that it had given the list when Gehlot met the Governor last week, the Pilot camp asks why the list has not been made public.

The Pilot camp believes that the two CPM MLAs have not committed their support to the government and there is uncertainty over which way the three BTP MLAs will move. This camp is also banking on a disqualification petition it has filed in the High Court against 6 BSP MLAs who had joined the Congress, arguing that a national party cannot be merged with another national party. Page | 30

The BJP Interestingly, the Opposition BJP is not demanding a floor test. Normally, such a demand would have come from the Opposition. A BJP delegation met Governor Mishra earlier this week but did not demand a floor test. In fact, its leaders have argued that while it is within the right of the Cabinet to send a proposal to the Governor for calling an Assembly session, it cannot pressure him into getting it done immediately.

The BJP seems in the mood to prolong the impasse, hoping that some MLAs in the Gehlot camp could switch sides. It is not jumping into the game openly and is waiting for the right time to make a move. For the time being, all indications are that it is acting from behind the like Harish Salve and Mukul Rohatgi for the Pilot camp and the stay of rebel MLAs in a BJP- ruledscenes. state The all Congress leave fingerprints alleges that of thea BJP Governor’s role. recalcitrance, the appearance of lawyers

Source: The Indian Express

20. When can a Governor use his discretion, how has Supreme Court ruled?

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

Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra returning the fresh proposal by the state Cabinet seeking to convene a session of the Assembly on 31 July has raised fresh legal questions on the powers of the Governor. This is the second time that the Governor has put off the– request, which would allow Congress Chief Minister Ashok– Gehlot to prove his strength on the floor of the House. In 2016, in a different case, the Supreme Court dealt with the issue of powers of the Governor to summon, dissolve the House.

Who has the powers to summon the House? It is the Governor acting on the aid and advice of the cabinet.

Article 174 of the Constitution gives the Governor the power to summon from time to time

“the House or each House of the Legislature of the State to meet at such time and place as he thinks fit…” the Constitution which says that the Governor acts on the aid and advice of the cabinet. Article 163(1) essentially However, the phrase “as he thinks fit” is read as per Article 163 of Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

limits any discretionary power of the Governor only to cases where the Constitution expressly specifies that the Governor must act on his own and apply an independent mind.

What has the Supreme Court said in the past about the Governor’s power to summon the House? Page | 31 It is settled law that the Governor cannot refuse the request of the Cabinet to call for a sitting of the House for legislative purposes or for the chief minister to prove his majority. In fact, on numerous occasions, including in the 2016 Uttarakhand case, the court has clarified that when the majority of the ruling party is in question, a floor test must be conducted at the earliest available opportunity.

In 2016, a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court in Nabam Rebia and Bamang Felix vs Deputy Speaker, the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly case, expressly said that the power to summon the House is not solely vested in the Governor.

What did the SC say in the Arunachal case? Referring to discussions in the Constituent Assembly, the court noted that the framers of the Constitution expressly and consciously left out vesting powers to summon or dissolve the House solely with the Governor.

In paragraph 162 of the judgment, the court discussed that draft Article 153 (which later became Article 174), that dealt with the powers of the Governor, was substantially altered to indicate that the framers did not want to give Governors the discretion.

-article (3) thereof, wherein it was provided, that the functions of the Governor with reference to sub-clauses (a)“The and most (c), significant namely, the feature power of to draft summon Article and 153 dissolve was expressed the House in subor Houses of the State

Legislature “… shall be exercised by him in his discretion,” the court noted. for any doubt, that the Governor would definitely have had the discretion to summon or dissolve“The manner the House in which or Housesdraft Article of the 153(3) State Legislature, was originally without drawn, any would aid or have advice. left Afterno room the debate, draft Article 153 came to be renumbered as Article 174. Article 174 reveals, that sub-article (3) contained in draft Article 153 was omitted. The omission of sub-article (3) of draft Article 153, is a matter of extreme significance, for a purposeful confirmation of the

Aftercorrect debating intent underlying the intention the ofdrafting the framers, of Article the 174,” court it coadded. and rightful inference, that can be drawn in the final analysis is, that the framers of the Constitution altered their original contemplation, and ncluded consciously that decided“the only not legitimate to vest discretion with the Governor, in the matter of summoning and dissolving the House, or Houses of the State Legislature, by omitting sub-article (3), which authorized the Governor to summon or dissolve, the House or Houses of Legislature at his own, by engaging the

Website:words “… www.prepmate.in shall be exercised by him in his discretion…”. In such Telegram view Channel:of the matter, @upscprepmate we are Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

satisfied in concluding, that the Governor can summon, prorogue and dissolve the House, only on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister as the head. And not at his own

When can a Governor.” use his discretion? Page | 32

Chief Minister at the head to aid and advise the Governor in the exercise of his functions, exceptArticle in163(1) so far of as the he Constitutionis by or under says this that constitution “there shall required be a council to exercise of Ministers his functions with the or

anyWhen of themthe chief in his minister discretion.” has lost the support of the House and his strength is debatable, then the Governor need not wait for the advice of the council of ministers to hold a floor test. Generally, when doubts are cast on the chief minister that he has lost the majority, the opposition and the Governor would rally for a floor test and the ruling party would attempt to stall the process to buy time and keep its flock together. In a puzzling situation, in requests to call for a session. Rajasthan’s case, despite requests from chief minister Gehlot, the Governor has returned However, in the current case, the 19 rebel MLAs have not defected from the Congress Party and have repeatedly stated before the Rajasthan HC that they are merely expressing their dissent within the party and have not shifted to the BJP.

The court in Paragraph 153 the 2016 Arunachal Pradesh ruling, clarifies this question as circumstances during the period when the CM and his council of ministers enjoy the confidence of the majority of the House, the power vested with the Governorwell. “In ordinary under Article 174 to summon, prorogue and dissolve the house(s) must be exercised in consonance with the aid and advice of the chief minister and his council of ministers. In the above situation, he is precluded [from taking] an individual call on the issue at his own will, or in his own discretion. Only in a situation where the government in power on holding of such floor test is seen to have lost the confidence of the majority, would it be open to the Governor to exercise the powers vested with him under Article 174 – –

Source:at his own, The and Indian without Express any aid and advice,” the court said.

21. All you need to know about new National Education Policy

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

The new National Education Policy (NEP) approved by the Union Cabinet is set to usher in a slew of changes, ranging from reduction in school curriculum to discontinuation of MPhil.

The NEP aims create an education system that contributes directly to transforming the country, providing high-quality education to all, and making India a global knowledge superpower.

The draft of the NEP by a panel headed by former Indian Space Research Organisation Page | 33 (ISRO) chief Kasturirangan and submitted to the Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal when he took charge last year.

The new NEP replaces the one formulated in 1986.

Here are the ten things to know about the new NEP.

1) Board exams can be in modular form. Board examinations will be based on knowledge and application to discourage rote learning.

2) MPhil courses to be discontinued.

3) All higher education institutions, except legal and medical colleges, to be governed by single regulator.

4) Common norms to be in place for private and public higher education institutions under Central government's new Education Policy. "As on date, we have different norms for deemed universities, central universities, for different individual standalone institutions. New Education Policy says that for reasons of quality, norms will be same for all and not as per ownership.

5) Common entrance exams to be held for admission to universities and higher education institutions.

6) School curriculum to be reduced to core concepts and there will integration of vocational education from class 6 under new National Education Policy.

7) The new policy seeks to expand access to higher education for 50% of high school students by 2035, and achieve universal adult literacy before that date.

8) Cabinet approved a plan to increase public spending on education to nearly 6% of gross domestic product from around 4% now, a top government official said, while also capping fees charged by educational institutions.

9) Govt is targetting 100% gross enrollment ratio from pre-school to secondary level by 2030.

10) Mother tongue to be a medium of instruction till 5th grade a report cards will be a comprehensive report on skills and capabilities instead of just marks and statements.

Source: Livemint.com

International Organizations & Relations Page | 34 1. How will the ban of TikTok and other Chinese apps be enforced; what will be the impact?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

India on Monday banned 59 apps originating from China, including very popular ones like the short video platform TikTok, UC Browser, file sharing app ShareIt, and CamScanner, which allows iOS and Android devices to be used as image and document scanners.

What is the legal basis for India’s action? The ban has been enforced under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 comp (“Power to issue directions for blocking for public access of any information through any sovereigntyuter resource”): and integrity “Where of India, the defence Central of Government India, security or of any the ofState, its friendly officers relations specially withauthorised foreign by States it… is or satisfied public order that itor is for necessary preventing or expedientincitement so to to the do, commission in the interest of any of

Government or intermediary to block for access by the public or cause to be blocked for accesscognizable by the offence public relatingany information to above, generated, it may… transmitted, by order, received, direct anystored agency or hosted of the in

any computer resource.” from various sources including se The Ministry of Information and Technology has said that it “has received many complaints veral reports about misuse of some mobile apps… for andstealing integrity and surreptitiously of India, is a transmitting matter of very users’ deep data and in immediatean unauthorised concern manner which to requires servers which have locations outside India”. Since this “ultimately impinges upon the sovereignty

Howemergency will the measures”, ban be enforced? it has said. The notification is expected to be followed by instructions to Internet service providers to block these apps. Users are likely to soon see a message saying access to the apps has been restricted on the request of the government.

However, while this will impact apps like TikTok and UC News that need a live feed to serve any purpose, users might still be able to continue using apps Internet connection to be used. But further downloads of these apps, like CamScanner, are that don’t need an active likely to be blocked on Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store. Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Page | 35

The full list of 59 Chinese apps banned by the government.

What will be the impact of the ban? Some apps on the banned list are very popular in India, especially TikTok, which has over 100 million active users in the country, mainly in the heartland. New social media platforms like Helo and Likee, as well as video chat app Bigo Live are immensely popular among Indians who are not comfortable in English. These users will have to look for substitutes.

Also, most of these platforms have Indian creators, for many of whom this is the only source of income. Many of these apps have offices and employees in India, and a few thousand jobs could be at stake.

Will the ban be permanent? Page | 36 TikTok was banned in India on the order of the Madras High Court for a few days last year, but it came back soon after the court vacated the ban. This action, however, is more sweeping, impacts more apps, and has been taken in a specific strategic and national security context. It could be a warning to bigger Chinese businesses in India, and to China itself.

Source: The Indian Express

2. India, Bhutan sign pact for first joint venture hydropower project

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

India and Bhutan took a major step forward for the construction of the 600 MW Kholongchhu project, their first hydropower joint venture project in Bhut developed eastern region of Trashiyangtse. The project marks a shift as it is the first time an India-Bhutan hydropower project will be constructed as a 50:50 joint venture,an’s not as less a government-to-government agreement.

Speaking at the ceremony, India-Bhutan partnership, under which four hydropower projects have been built in the last 30 years totalling a capacityboth Foreignof 2,100 Ministers MW, and calledanother the two agreement are under a “milestone”construction. in the

About the project The Kholongchhu project is one of four additional projects agreed to in 2008, as a part of

The inter-governmental agreement for the Kholongchhu project was signed after prolongedIndia’s commitment negotiations to help on Bhutan the structure create a oftotal the 10,000 joint MW venture, of installed in April capacity 2014, by and 2020. the foundation stone was laid when Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Thimphu a few months later. However, progress on preparing the site ground to a halt in December 2016 - CBTE), until the government amended its guidelines after negotiations with the Bhutan government. over India’s new power tariff guidelines (on Cross Border Trade of Electricity Some may feel that years of delay in the implementation of the project has led to cost escalation and missed opportunities in terms of immediate benefits to the community.

GoI grant to start project

According to the agreement finalised, the construction for the Kholongchhu Hydro Electric Power (HEP) project will begin soon, and be completed in the second half of 2025. The Government of India will provide, as a grant, the equity share of the Bhutanese DGPC in the JV Company. Once the project is commissioned, the JV partners will run it for 30 years, called the concession period, after which the full ownership will transfer to the Bhutan Page | 37 tariffs, a sticky issue, will be negotiated closer to the completion of the project. government, which will receive power from the project as a “royalty” in the interim. Power Source: The Hindu

3. Chinese apps banned: A look at the most popular ones, their business and reach in India

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

On Monday, the Centre announced an interim ban on 59 apps with Chinese links, citing popular mobile apps such as TikTok, CamScanner and UCBrowser, which together command“emergent several threats” hundredto the country’s million users sovereignty in the country. and national Some security. of the larger These ones included like TikTok, UCBrowser and ShareIt also have a significant presence in the country in terms of revenue and number of employees on their payrolls.

A look at some of the more widely used apps among the 59 banned:

TikTok & Helo The two social media apps, which are operated by an entity called Bytedance (India) Technology Pvt Ltd, together command more than 170 million active users across the country. Notably, India is the largest market for TikTok with more than 611 million downloads, representing nearly a third of the video- , followed by China (where it operates under a different brand) and the US. platform’s base However, India is not among the top revenue-generating geographies for the app. In 2018- revenues of Rs 43.6 crore, and the company targeted revenues of Rs 100 crore for the following19, the first year. full In year the US,of the the company’s app has been operations downloaded in the 165 country, million Bytedance times, with India revenues posted of $86.5 million (over Rs 650 crore) in 2019. China, with nearly 197 million users, contributed $331 million (around Rs 2,500 crore) during the year, according to Sensor Tower.

The company also has administrative presence across eight cities in the country and employs over 1,000 people. Bytedance India, however, is not owned by a Chinese entity.

Bytedance Ltd is registered in the Cayman Islands. This parent company has five Accordingsubsidiaries, to one corporate of which structure is TikTok available Ltd also on registered Bytedance’s in Cayman website, Islands. the parent Under entity TikTok — — — Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Ltd, a Singapore-based entity TikTok Pte Ltd is registered, under which entities operating from India and Southeast Asia are registered.

The IT Ministry is specifically expected to seek details from the companies running these apps on data sharing by these companies under a Chinese law, which requires companies Page | 38 wherever in the world they are operating. Last year, Bytedance had announced an investmentof Chinese originof $1 billion to share in the data Indian with market that country’s over a period intelligence of three agencies, years. irrespective of

UC Browser and UCNews The Alibaba Group platforms are run by an entity called UCWeb Mobile Pvt Ltd, which has more than 130 million active users. UC Browser, in fact, is the second most used mobile Internet browser in the country only behind Google Chrome, with a market share of around the country, recorded revenues of Rs 226.68 crore from the country in 2018-19, primarily 22%,from advertisingcompared with income, Chrome’s according 70%. to UCWeb filings withMobile, the which Registrar has ofless Companies than 100 (RoC).employees This inis consolidated revenues of $3.59 billion for the year ended March 31, 2019. part of Alibaba Group’s digital media and entertainment segment, which clocked According to filings with the Registrar of Companies, the India entity UCWeb Mobile Pvt Ltd is held 99% by UC Mobile New World, based in British Virgin Islands. However, government data has recorded investment by this entity under FDI inflow from China. The remaining 1% stake in UCWeb Mobile Pvt Ltd is held by an entity UC Mobile International Ltd, registered in the Cayman Islands.

ShareIt ShareIt is one of the most popular file-sharing tools, with more than 400 million active users in India. The app, which was almost entirely marketed on the basis of word of mouth, has more than 1.8 billion users worldwide. However, the company has not been able to monetise its platform beyond a point, making only Rs 14.73 crore during 2018-19 from its India entity ShareIt Technology India Pvt Ltd. In terms of revenue, the Indian segment contributes 15- entertainment platform Fastfilmz in 2018, and appointed its CEO Karam Malhotra as the CEO of ShareIt India.20% The to Indian the company’sentity ShareIt global Technology revenues. India Pvt The Ltd company is held 99.99% acquired by Hong Kong-based ShareIt HK Technology Ltd.

Club Factory -largest e-commerce company, has managed to onboard 30,000 sellers on its pl TheCommerce online marketplace,India Pvt Ltd, whichis 99.99% claims owned to be by India’s a Hong third Kong-based company Unbeaten Price Ltd. During 2018-19, the GlobeMax Commerceatform. clocked The revenuescompany’s of Indian Rs 172.14 entity crore. GlobeMax Club Factory has around 90 employees on its rolls.

Shein

Shein is another e-commerce platform focused on fashion and lifestyle products. In India, its operations were being run by XIYIN India Pvt Ltd, based in Gurgaon. The company, which targeted smaller tier-II and tier-III towns in India, has around 50 employees in the country. The company had crossed more than 1 million active users in India but last year partially shut down its operations after the Customs department cracked down on the Page | 39 company over alleged import duty evasion.

CamScanner CamScanner, which is the most widely used mobile scanning app in the world, has more than 100 million users in India. The app, which is run by INTSIG Information Co Ltd registered in Shanghai, China, does not have an entity registered in India.

Source: The Indian Express

4. Why Nepal PM Oli blames India in tussle with old rival Prachanda

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

Party, laying a basis for power-sharing, a rift between Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and formerTwo years PM afterPushpa Nepal’s Kamal two Dahal, major better left parties known joined as Prachanda, hands to hasform raised the Nepal questions Communist about the future of their unity.

new map that includes territories with India, has been projecting Prachanda as conspiring toOli, dislodge who steered him. When a recently New Delhi passed mediated Constitution a peace Amendment process in Bill2006 endorsing bringing insurgency the country’s to an end, Prachanda was the key figure. Now, Oli accuses India of instigating the effort to topple him.

to dislodge me for my stance on the border dispute. Nobody should think they will succeed “The activity in Delhi, a certain section of politics in Nepal. and their collaboration is meant in dislodging me,” Oli said at a programme on Sunday mistake on my part to have given up on the turn-by- And Prachanda said at a meeting of the party’s standing committee last week: “It was a Six months ago, Prachanda made a statement that heturn has Prime agreed Minister to let Oli agreement.” continue for the five-year term, apparently after Oli assured him that he would function as party chief with all executive authority. However, Oli takes all major decisions and exercises the party

Unchief’stil a duties, general reportedly convention without takes informing place, both Prachanda are chairpersons at times. of the NCP. At the time of unification, Oli headed the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (UML) and Prachanda the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoists.

Rivals-turned-allies Oli, at 69, is three years older than Prachanda. A school dropout, Oli was imprisoned at age 22 for the murder of Dharma Prasad Dhakal, a farmer in eastern Nepal, during the Naxalite movement. He spent 14 years in prison from the early 1970s before getting a royal pardon in the mid-1980s. His election to Parliament in 1991 launched his rise in politics. Page | 40

Prachanda, like Oli, entered underground politics during his student days in the mid-1970s. When a multi-party democratic system began in 1990, Prachanda chose not to join and instead launched armed insurgency, adopting Maoism in 1996 with an avowed objective to finish the monarchy and multi- among the strongest critics of Maoists all through the insurgency, which left 17,000 people dead. party democracy including ‘revisionist’ Communists. Oli was

When the conflict ended in a peace process in 2006 Prachanda emerged as the hero. Oli was sceptical about the transition from a Hindu — withou will New not Delhi’s get to mediationthe US riding — kingdom to a secular, federal republic, and famously said: “Y onBut a the bullock transition cart.” to coalition rule also brought the two leaders together. They decided to contest the 2017 elections together and merge after the results, with Oli projected as PM. They won 174 seats in a house of 275. Since then, it is Oli who has emerged a hero, especially after he stood up to India against the blockade, and signed a trade understanding with China.

Why they fell out Differences between the two leaders were visible right from the beginning. Oli needed a President who could protect him in a crisis, and chose Bidhya Devi Bhandari, his long-time his group from disqualification as House members if the unity broke, and got Agni Sapkota electedally in UML’s as the factionalnew Speaker feud. after Prachanda, K B Mahara for hisquit part, following needed a sex a Speaker scandal. who could protect

Last month, Oli brought an ordinance that said 40% support in the party working committee or in the parliamentary party would qualify as a split (rather than both) and not ordinanceattract disqualification was however, of House withdrawn membership. following “Many allegations in the party that misunderstood Oli was out it, to but split it oppositionwas actually parties to give to an secure easy exit a two-thirds to the Prachanda majority; group,” his government an adviser is to short Oli said. by nine The members.

Factionalism within the party has not been based entirely on previous associations. The nine-member central secretariat, which has the seniormost party leaders, is seen as heavily weighted against Oli. Besides three former PMs Madhav Nepal, Jhalnath Khanal and Prachanda three more leaders have opposed parliamentary endorsement of a $500- million grant from Millennium Challenge Corporation,— which they say is part of US security — Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

interests. Oli commands enough support in Parliament as the opposition Nepali Congress has pledged its support.

The two camps, today to resign Page | 41 immediately, but there will be a clear message given to him that he has only few months, “Although Oli is in a minority in the standing committee, he will not have he goes now, he will blame us that we removed him with Indian support as he was perhaps not more than three or four months left,” an influential leader of the party said. “If — taking up the border issue with New Delhi.” beenAccording hearing to Prachanda, Oli has hinted at times that “we should part ways if working together is notwhich possible”. is being At widely the inaugural interpreted session as implying of the standing that Oli committee, may use the he Nepal said he Army had to take total control.about the likelihood of coups of the “Afghanistan, Pakistan or Bangladesh models” — many felt it that Prachanda may be investigated for a corruption case as he is Fromaccused Oli’s of camp,appropriating former Communicationmoney meant for Minister Maoist Gokulmembers Baskota during has the said peace— process of 2008-was at Oli’s behest — and his followers be tried for human rights violation during the conflict. 2013. Besides, many in Oli’s camp have demanded that Prachanda consolidated party, and dignified power- Thapa,“Well therea member are of these the party issues, central ultimately committee. what both sides are demanding today is a sharing and that will be achieved,” said Manoj Jung clear if it is Prachanda who will succeed him, though. But with daggers drawn, Prachanda’s camp expects that Oli ultimately has to go. It is not Source: The Indian Express

5. China passes security law for Hong Kong giving Beijing sweeping powers, report says

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

way of life since it returnedChina’s parliament to Chinese passed rule almost national exactly security 23 years legislation ago. for Hong Kong on Tuesday, setting the stage for the most radical changes to the former British colony’s What is the aim of legislation?

The legislation pushes Beijing further along a collision course with the United States, Britain and other Western governments, which have said it erodes the high degree of autonomy the global financial hub was granted at its July 1, 1997 handover.

What is the response of US? Page | 42 status under U.S. law on Monday, ha Inaccess response to high to technology the legislation, products. the United States began eliminating Hong Kong’s special lting defence exports and restricting the territory’s Why China has passed the legislation? A draft of the law has yet to be published. Beijing says the law, which comes in response to -violent pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, aims to tackle subversion, terrorism, separatism and collusion with foreign forces. last year’s often What are the provisions? that it would supersede existing Hong Kong legislation and that the power of interpretation This month, China’s official state agency Xinhua unveiled- some of its provisions, including Congress Standing Committee. belongs to the Chinese parliament’s top decision making body, the National People’s upervise, guide and

Beijing is expected to set up a national security office in Hong Kong to “s support” the city government. Beijing could also exercise jurisdiction on certain cases. dependent judicial system. Judges for security cases are expected to be appointed by the city’s chief executive. Senior Itjudges is still now unclear allocate which rosters specific up through activities Hong are Kong’s to be in made illegal, how precisely they are defined or what punishment they carry.

Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong have repeatedly said the legislation is aimed at a few

The“troublemakers” law comes into and force will asnot soon affect as rights it is gazetted and freedoms, in Hong nor Kong, investor which interests. is seen as imminent.

International condemnation Hong Kong is one of many developing conflicts between Beijing and Washington, on top of trade issues, the South China Sea and the coronavirus pandemic.

But the United States has been joined by others in condemning the new security legislation. ts handover agreement, which promised Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy for 50 years under what is known Britain has said it violated China’s international obligations and i

as the “one country, two systems” formula of governance.

The European Parliament earlier in June passed a resolution saying the European Union should take China to the International Court of Justice in The Hague if Beijing imposed the law, also calling on the bloc to use economic leverage to dissuade China.

Foreign ministers of the Group of Seven countries have called on China not to follow Page | 43 through with the legislation.

China has hit back at the outcry from the West, denouncing what it called interference in its internal affairs.

Source: The Indian Express

6. Chinese firms barred from road projects, investing in MSMEs

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

In a move that targets Chinese trade and investments in India, the government Wednesday said it would not allow Chinese companies to participate in highway projects including those through joint ventures and also not allow Chinese investors in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Ban on Joint Venture with Chinese partners construction. We have taken a firm stand that if they (Chinese companies) come via joint “We will not give permission to joint ventures that have Chinese partners for road and MSME Nitin Gadkari said. venture in our country, we will not allow it,” Union Minister for Road Transport, Highways Ban on Chinese investment in MSMEs On MSMEs, he said while the effort was to enhance local production capacity, foreign investment was also being promoted. But here too, Chinese investors would not be allowed.

Already, the Central government seems to be moving in the direction. Sources in the Bihar government said a tender for construction of a mega bridge over Ganga at Patna was cancelled. Though technical reasons have been cited for the cancelation, state government fresh tender for the Rs 2,900-crore project, would now open on July 30. sources said “chances of Chinese companies getting the bid” could be the main reason. A When contacted, Bihar Road Construction Minister Nand Kishore Yadav told The Indian companies had been collaborating to get the project. There had been incomplete pExpress, “It is true that five of seven bidders were Chinese companies and five of these

aperwork and hence the tender was cancelled,” he said.

59 chinese apps banned These decisions come within two days of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) banning 59 apps of Chinese origin including TikTok, UC Browser and ShareI send a strong signal and message to Beijing that it cannot be business as usual. Page | 44 t on national security concerns. It is part of the government’s coercive diplomacy to Changes in FDI Policy from neighbouring countries Two months ago, in April, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, had made it mandatory for foreign direct investment from neighbouring countries to take prior government approval. The DPIIT move, also targeted at Chinese investments into India, was taken to curb opportunistic takeovers/ acquisitions of Indian companies during times of Covid-19 pandemic, when valuations were at new lows.

According to Gadkari, a policy will be out soon banning Chinese firms and relaxing norms for Indian companies to expand their eligibility criteria for participation in highway projects. There were a few projects undertaken earlier which involved Chinese partners. When asked about this, he said the new decision would be implemented in current and future tenders.

According to him, qualification norms for projects are being rationalised to ensure Indian we have to go for foreign joint venture in the areas of technology, consultancy or design, we willcompanies do not require to enter into pacts with foreign partners to grab projects. “Even if

In thenot telecomallow Chinese,” sector, Gadkari the DoT said. decision to bar use of equipment provided by Chinese telecom vendors could lead to higher costs as well as a delay in the roll out of 4G services by the state-run telcos, which are already behind private operators in implementing the technology. Both BSNL and MTNL do not have a 4G network.

- 30 per cent higher now if new tender bars them (Chinese vendors). We are also anticipating delay of 2-3 years from normal s said.“The costs for us could be 25 chedule,” an official According to industry estimates, Chinese telecom gear vendors have a 25 per cent share in the total Rs 12,000 crore domestic market. For both BSNL and MTNL, whose 3G networks mainly comprise equipment from Shenzhen-based ZTE, a shift to European vendors is likely to put further stress on its limited resources.

Source: The Indian Express

7. Italian marines case

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

India loses jurisdiction The Government of India said it was stud Italian marines accused of killing two fishermen in the waters off Kerala on February 15, ying an international tribunal’s ruling that the Page | 45 Compensation2012, held “immunity” will be and paid would by Italian face a marines trial in Italy, not India. While - of navigationthe tribunal rights held under in Italy’sthe United favour Nations the main Convention submission, on theof jurisdiction, Law of the Seait found (UNCLOS) merit in India’s counter claim that the marines on board “Enrica Lexie” had violated the freedom families, the boat owner and crew members. by shooting at fishing boat “St. Antony” and should pay compensation to the victims’ the shooting occurred in international waters. In their defence, the marines had claimed they mistook the fishermen for “pirates” and that Stand of Italian government After several years, during which the case became a political controversy in India, Italy decided to invoke the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) court in August 2015. The court dire Permanent Court of Arbitrage at The Hague in Netherland. The Supreme Court, which had been hearing the matter,cted suspended a stay on its the proceedings proceedings shortly in India after. pending Italy’s case at the

In its case, Italy had criticised the Indian government for detaining the marines without charging them, and of causing their health to deteriorate during the period of delay. The matter led to a long freeze in diplomatic relations between India and Italy, which were reset only in 2016, when then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Rome for the canonisation ceremony of Mother Teresa and met with her Italian counterpart.

Source: The Hindu

8. Why is Tesla’s stock zooming – and can Musk’s vision sustain his business?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

-based company edged out zoomedAs Tesla’s 90% stock in lesshit athan record six months.high on Wednesday, the Palo Alto Japan’s Toyota to become the world’s most valuable carmaker. Tesla’s stock has now Not that Tesla has been untouched by the coronavirus pandemic its main factory in California was shut for over a month. But investors seem to have brushed this, and several red flags overhang of the epidemic, sluggish growth projections for almost– all countries,

–

and the fact that Toyota sold 30 times more cars and had over 10 times the revenue last year aside.

How –much has its valuation increased? Page | 46 values of General Motors and Ford Motor Company. The surge has continued since, albeit withOn January a small 9, dip for when the firstthe marketstime, Tesla’s tanked stock in March-April. market value Tesla eclipsed sold aboutthe combined 3,70,000 marketcars in 2019 an insignificant number in the global vehicle market, where more than 90 million cars are sold annually, with Toyota, GM, Ford, Honda and Volkswagen each selling around 10 million— vehicles.

So what explains the stock surge?

Musk, his eccentricities notwithstanding, has been able to hardsell his vision for the company,One explanation pointing is tothat beyond Tesla’s 2025 investors and 2030, are looking and investors beyond seem just theto have next bought couple hisof years.story.

So it does not matter to them if Tesla’s sales are just a fraction of Toyota’s or of the Detroit majors’ — it’s Musk’s larger vision of an electric future that does. Investors are looking at Tesla’s potential, and believe it can dominate the electric car market in the future. y

Analysts at the stockbroker Jefferies said in a note in May that Tesla remained “significantl Thereahead areof peers specific, in product on-the-ground range, capacity factors too,and thattechnology”. buttress this long-term story.

After years of losses, Tesla has managed to deliver three profitable quarters in a row, and has maintained that momentum in the first six months of 2020, despite the coronavirus outbreak and the shutting of its US plant. Within six months of going past GM and Ford, Tesla is now worth around three times the combined value of these carmakers. Plus, Musk has said Tesla will deliver at least 500,000 vehicles in 2020, a forecast that the company has not revised despite the pandemic. And Tesla is seeing a sharp revival in its China numbers.

TheThen, succ there are factors extrinsic to the company’s carmaking- business.

esses in Musk’s space venture have had a rub off effect on Tesla’s car business.st, especiallyDays after within SpaceX’s the launchinvesting that community. sent two astronauts on board the Falcon 9 rocket into space, Tesla’s stock surged sharply. SpaceX’s success gave Musk a massive credibility boo But is the company overvalued? one were to value the carmaker in the same way that investors value other listed coGoingmpanies. by Tesla’s Musk, revenue on the andother earnings hand, has for got2020, investors the short to answer buy into is theyes. larger But then, picture that ofis ifa

Website:clear, electric www.prepmate.in future for mobility and Tesla’s pivotal role in thisTelegram vision. Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

But there are positives even now. According to a Reuters report that quoted Wedbush Securi

ties analyst Dan Ives, Tesla’s stock surge still has “room to run further”.the There massive are predictions that Tesla’s Shanghai Gigafactory will reach 100,000 deliveries in its first year Page | 47 of operation. The fundamental catalyst, according to Ives, continues to be “ AreChina there market any which red flags? is showing clear signs of a spike in demand for Musk & Co…”. profit and cash flow, at least in the short term. The company has missed targets in recent Many analysts and investors remain unsure of the company’s ability to consistently deliver years. Musk’s erratic behaviour has come in for scrutiny from financial regulators and shareholders. In May, he wiped $14 billion off Tesla’s valuation after tweeting that its share priceAlso, wasmost “too mainstream high”. automakers are unveiling new electric vehicles that can compete have lined up launches of fully- withMustang Tesla’s Mach- USP of style, technology, and performance. Volkswagen, Daimler and BMW Model Y utility vehicle when it hitselectric the market, premium according models to that a Reuters compete report. with GMTesla. and Ford’s Ford E electric SUV could compete with Tesla’s Model X or the proposed new

Doeshave electric Tesla have pickups an India lined upplan? to take on Tesla’s futuristic Cybertruck. After reports last year that Tesla may enter the Indian market in 2020, Musk said in August been vacillating a few months before this statement on Twitter, Musk, in an interaction withthat “extremely the students high” of IIT import Madras, duties had in said India the would car may make run the on Indiancars “unaffordable”. roads soon. But he has – A bigger problem in India, though, is the lack of charging infrastructure, which is a must for an all- ing range notwithstanding.

Source:electric The Indian vehicle, Express Tesla’s famed driv

9. Why China factor has led to an increase in price of Heparin; will other drugs follow?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

anies to increase the ceiling price of essential medicine heparin by 50 percent until December 31. This may only beIndia’s the first drug of pricingseveral regulatordrugs to get has a allowedprice hike pharmaceutical as the country comptries to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak here as the nationwide lockdown and the pharmaceutical industry. ‘China’ factor takes its toll on India’s What is heparin and why is it essential here?

Heparin is a blood thinner that has long been used in patients vulnerable to blood clots in their legs, lungs, heart or other body parts. It is used to reduce their risk of heart attacks, strokes and pulmonary embolism. Several patients with critical illnesses, including those requiring kidney dialysis, are given the drug. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare included the drug in its clinical management guidelines for the Page | 48 treatment of Covid-19 patients in the ICU.

Why did companies seek a hike on its ceiling price? Because it is so essential to high-risk patients, the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority ( have been instances of shortage of this drug during the pandemic, according to the drug pricing regulator.NPPA) had capped heparin’s ceiling price sometime in 2018. However, there

This is because the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), which forms a considerable amount of the cost of making the drug in India, has increased drastically, according to pharma companies. APIs are crucial elements in drug production as they give medicines their therapeutic effect.

Since September 2018, the price of this API has shot up 211 per cent, according to an expert committee that looked into this matter. With the maximum price that companies can charge for the drug fixed, but the API costs rising, they claimed it had become unviable to continue manufacturing and selling the drug in India. Companies like Gland Pharma, Biological E, Samarth Lifesciences, Abbott Healthcare, Troikaa Pharmaceuticals and Celon Labs market heparin products in India, according to pharmaceutical market research firm AIOCD Awacs PharmaTrac.

What powers did India’s pricing regulator use to increase the price of heparin by 50 per cent? NPPA used extraordinary emergency powers provided to it under paragraph 19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013. This provision allows for the regulator to, in extraordinary circumstances, fix the ceiling or retail prices of any drug regardless of whether they were under or eligible for price control under normal circumstances. It also allows NPPA to increase or decrease their prices irrespective of the annual wholesale price index of that year.

Has this been done before? The first time NPPA increased the prices of medicines under price control was in December 2019, where it hiked, by 50 per cent, prices of 21 drugs integral to public health programmes and often used as the first line of treatment. This included the BCG vaccine for tuberculosis, vitamin C, antibiotics like metronidazole and benzylpenicillin, anti-malarial drug chloroquine and leprosy medication dapsone.

What role does China have to play in the availability of heparin? What other drugs is India dependent on China for?

The heparin sodium API for the injections made in India majorly comes from China, according to pharma companies. Some industry bodies say there are not many alternative manufacturers for the API, especially in India.

Page | 49 relies on China for various APIs used to make crucial antibiotics and vitamins. According to industryThis is the bodies, case even with the several API and APIs other used key in India’singredients pharma for popular industry. painkiller The country paracetamol heavily are imported from China.

In the last three-six months, prices of APIs from China have gone up 20-35 per cent, according to pharma industry associations.

Of the over $3.5 billion worth of ingredients that Indian drug-makers imported to manufacture several essential medicines in 2018-19, China catered to around 68 per cent. This means that a snag in the supply chain from China could disrupt the availability of medicines made in India. It could also hit the availability of medicines in other countries that import from India as well.

This was seen in March, when the government restricted exports of 13 APIs and the various ugs like paracetamol, erythromycin salts, Vitamins B1, B6 and B12, acyclovir and progesterone formulationswere only allowed made outfrom of themthe country in order with to safeguard a no-objection India’s certificate own stock. (NOC) Shipments that companies of dr claimed were difficult to procure. This was around the time that Wuhan in China, from where these APIs were mostly imported, was under a Covid-19 lockdown.

Is this because of India’s tensions with China? While the development also comes at a time when tensions between India and China have been on the rise, it is separate from happened over the course of the last two years. Even the costs of APIs for other drugs from China have been on the rise since beforethis the issue. clash Theat Galwan increase Valley. in heparin’s API costs have

According to one industry association, the spike in API costs during the pandemic are also in part the aftermath of the lockdown in Wuhan. Chinese firms took a hit when they had to shut their factories temporarily or were facing difficulties in exporting their APIs during their lockdown. Some of the hikes in API costs are because of such firms trying to recover the costs they endured from this impact, said the association.

While there had been issues with delayed clearances of API consignments from China at Indian ports over the last fortnight, shipments of pharmaceutical products have been released this week, as per an export promotion body.

Will more drugs see a hike in prices? It is too soon to say which and how many drugs may see a hike in prices, but NPPA has received representations from different firms over the last two months at least for similar

hikes in prices of other crucial medicines. Some of the representations have been for antibiotics and vitamins made from APIs majorly coming from China.

Source: The Indian Express Page | 50 10. Vladimir Putin, the eternal President?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

With Russians overwhelmingly backing a set of constitutional amendments in a referendum, Vladimir Putin can potentially stay in power for two more six-year terms after his term expires in 2024. After a week-long vote came to an end on Wednesday, preliminary results released by the Election Commission showed that almost 78% of voters endorsed the amendments, while 21% voted against them. Some 65% voters had turned up to cast their ballots.

In the vote, Russians were asked if they agreed or disagreed with the changes to the Constitution. The changes included a reorganisation of the government, introducing a higher minimum pension and wages, a ban on gay marriage, restricting top officials from primacy of the Constitution over international treaties and rulings. The most controversial change,holding dual however, citizenship, was underplayed enshrining “faith by the in Kremlin God” as during a core valuethe campaign and emphasising resetting the

— ThePresident centre Putin’s of power term limits. The Russian Constitution bars more than two consecutive presidential terms. Mr. Putin, who became President for the first time in 2000, swapped the presidency with his confident Dmitry Medvedv after his first two terms. He remained the centre of power during this time as Prime Minister. Mr. Medvedv served one term and stepped aside for Mr. Putin to assume the presidency again. He is now into his second term of his second stint as Preside -term electionnt, under which the will new expire Constitution, in 2024. to The be held new in Constitution 2024, Mr. Putin doesn’t can startchange afresh. the two limit in theory, but in practice, it resets the clock on Mr. Putin’s terms so that in the first moreMr. Putin terms has until said 2036 he when hasn’t he decided will be on83 runningyears old. again. The amendments But if he chooses have also so, enhanced given the thehegemony powers of of histhe reignState overCouncil, Russia’s an advisory political body landscape, until now, he whichcould Mr.remain Putin in heads. office Overall,for two the changes allows him tighten his grip over Russia.

In pursuit of legitimacy The proposed changes had already been approved by Parliament and the Supreme Court. But the Kremlin chose to put it on vote for legitimacy and popular approval. Mr. Putin sold

the amendments as necessary reforms for a stable and stronger Russia. The vote was originally planned for April but was delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak. Since April, the virus has spread fast in Russia. The country has recorded 6,60,230 COVID-19 infections so far, the third worst hit after the U.S. and Brazil. It has also seen over 9,600 virus-related deaths. But despite the outbreak, the Kremlin decided to go ahead with the vote this month Page | 51 may be because Mr. Putin wanted to get it done before the economic situation turns worse.

in power for two more terms, he will be the longest serving Russian leader since Peter the Great.Now that The the Tsar, amendments who built the got Russian popular Empire, mandate, was the in ball power is in for Mr. 43 Putin’s years untilcourt. his If deathhe stays in removed, the road ahead for him may not be smooth. It has never been smooth for Mr. Putin.1725. He While inherited the constitutional a Russia that was impediments in an economic for Mr. free Putin’s fall and continued strategic retreat rule are in 2000 now after the troublesome Boris Yeltsin years. Much of the support Mr. Putin enjoys now derives from his efforts to rebuild the state and economy and restore some of its global clout. After 20 years in power, Mr. Putin again faces daunting foreign policy and economic challenges.

Challenges ahead ar terms for a decade. The Fund estimates the GDP to shrink by 6.6% this year. With the pandemic affecting local businesses andAccording the oil to price the IMF, fall eatingthe economy into exports hasn’t expanded revenue, the in doll Kremlin finds it difficult to fix the economy in the near term. In foreign p troublesome. The sanctions imposed on Russia after the annexation of Crimea in 2014 are still in place. While Russia managed toolicy, prevent Russia’s the relationship collapse of with the the Syrian West regime remains of President Bashar al-Assad after its intervention in the civil war, the Syrian crisis is far from resolved. Worse, Russia faces allegations of interference in the elections of other countries. Domestically, Opposition politician Alexei Navalny and his supporters continue to protest against the Kremlin despite state crackdowns. Mr. Navalny, who was barred from contesting the last presidential election, has already rejected the referendum results,

calling it “a huge lie”. faced in 2000 and now. Back then, he inherited a weak state and his job was to fix it. Now, he is the state that is Forfacing Mr. a Putin,fresh setthere’s of challenges. a crucial difference between the challenges he

Source: The Hindu

11. What will be the impact of Chinese apps ban?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

In the wake of the face-off with Chinese forces on the India-China border in Ladakh, and a violent clash on June 15 that left 20 Indian soldiers dead, the Indian government on June 29

banned 59 apps of Chinese origin, citing data security and national sovereignty concerns. These include popular ones such as TikTok, SHAREIt, UC Browser, CamScanner, Helo, Weibo, WeChat and Club Factory.

Why were the Chinese apps banned? Page | 52 The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in a press release asserted that it misuse of some mobile apps available on Android and iOS platforms for stealing and had received “many complaints from various sources, including severalrvers reports which about have

surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorised manner to se locations outside India”.

ActThe readMinistry with said the it relevanthad decided provisions to block of the the 59 Information apps to safeguard Technology the “sovereignty (Procedure and Safeguardsintegrity of forIndia”, Blocking invoking of Access powers of Informationunder Section by 69A Public) of the Rules Information 2009. Technology (IT)

The government also said that several citizens had reportedly raised concerns in representations to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) regarding security of data and loss of privacy in using these apps. In addition, the Ministry said it had

Coordination Centre. also received “exhaustive recommendations” from the Home Ministry’s Indian Cyber Crime And while the government did not name China openly in its action against the apps, public comments by officials including Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology and Law and Justice he

signalled that it— was aimedasserted at Chinese that the economic ‘digital strike’ interests. was done “for safety, security, defence, sovereignty & integrity of India and to protect data & privacy of people of India” — How large is the user base in India for these banned apps? Estimates by Sensor Tower show the video-sharing social networking app, TikTok, for estimates of active users vary with the highest pegged at 200 million. According to media reinstance,ports, file-sharing has seen about tool 611SHAREIt million has downloads about 400 in million India over users. the Statcounter app’s lifetime, places while the Alibaba-owned UC Browser second in India market share at 10.19%, after Google Chrome (78.2%). Other reports estimate its user base at 130 million.

How will users be affected? Installed apps may continue to exist on mobile devices. But now that the latest versions of be able to access updated versions in future. If a notice goes out to internet service providersthe apps have asking been that removed data from flow Google’s from these Play Store apps and be Apple’s halted, App that Store, could users impact will not the functioning of existing, installed apps.

What are the alternatives and are they easy to find? Users of banned browsers or video apps may find it easier to shift to similar offerings from elsewhere. Chingari, a competitor from India to TikTok, saw it s downloads soar from 1 lakh to 1 crore-plus on Google Play Store soon after the ban on Chinese apps was announced. ’ Page | 53

Users of some apps such as CamScanner may not be able to shift so easily. For example, it is not clear yet how say a pdf, or portable document format, created by a user via CamScanner a couple of years ago and backed up in Google Drive, could be transferred to another app such as the Adobe Scan or Microsoft Office Lens, unless individually downloaded and re- uploaded.

There are some alternative products such as the India-made Zoho Doc Scanner, which does offer users the option to import all files en masse from CamScanner.

How does the ban affect Chinese app providers? The potential loss of advertising revenue impacts app- Ltd. recorded a doubling of global revenue to $17 billion in 2019, over the previous year, with $3 billion in profit. makers. Tik Tok’s parent ByteDance

Its India business may have yielded only $5.8 million in revenue for the year ended March 2019, but with quicker user adoption more recently, the stakes seem to be getting higher. When TikTok was banned briefly in India last year on the grounds that it reportedly promoted pornography, the company had told a local court that it was losing roughly $15 million a month due to the ban, according to a Reuters report. The app had subsequently been permitted to operate.

What has China’s response been to the ban? China has said that it suspec measure selectively and discriminatorilyts India’s actions aims at could certain be Chinese in violation apps of on the ambiguous World Trade and far-fetchedOrganization grounds, (WTO) rules. runs In against a statement, fair and the transparent Chinese Embassy procedure in New requirements, Delhi said, “India’s abuses national security exceptions, and [is suspected] of violating the WTO rules. It also goes against the general trend of international trade and e-commerce, and is not conducive to consumer i

nterests and the market competition in India.” WTO. The Chinese government’s comments indicate that it could file a formal complaint at the Will the move hurt India? It could, in terms of investments and employment. ByteDance Ltd. had talked of upcoming investments worth $1 billion in India. That will probably remain suspended till further clarity emerges, potentially impacting job creation.

What legal options does the Indian government have? In terms of process, there are two options available to the government under Section 69A of the IT Act to issue ban orders normal and emergency. In the case of the ban on the 59 appears that the government may— have adopted the emergency route. The emergency Page | 54 routeapps, based allows on content the use to of be the blocked phrase on “interim the directions order” in of the the statement Secretary, issued Department by TikTok, of IT, it who must consider the impugned content and record his reasons for doing so. In the normal course, an order to block content requires: (a) a decision to be made by a government committee (b) relevant intermediaries to be given an opportunity to be heard by this committee.

These processes are not required when emergency provisions are used. However, in the case of emergencies, the order of the Secretary, Department of IT, must be placed before the government committee within 48 hours. Based on the recommendations of this committee, the order can then be finalised or vacated.

Does the government necessarily have to publish the order? The legal order that empowers the designated authority to implement the ban is yet to be made public.

Rule 16 of the Blocking rules requires strict confidentiality to be maintained regarding blocking requests, complaints received, and actions taken. However, policy experts such as Rishab Bailey, a technology researcher with the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy, believe that this provision primarily applies to intermediaries (through whom blocking is implemented). He points out that the government ought to disclose the orders passed (subject to relevant redactions that may be required) in the interests of transparency and accountability.

Also, and as recognised by the Supreme Court recently in the Anuradha Bhasin case (in the context of Internet suspensions ordered under Section 144 of the The Code Of Criminal Procedure), publishing such orders is the only way in which the reasons and rationale for the decision can be judged. Challenging the decision-making process requires the reasoning to be made public, Mr. Bailey said.

Can the order be challenged in an Indian court? Though it is unlikely that the companies concerned may take such a step immediately, either they or any affected individual in India could challenge the blocking orders in court. The courts will then decide whether the government has provided sufficient explanation as to the nexus between what these apps are alleged to be doing and the reasons adduced by the government such as protection of national security and strategic interests. Courts will also consider if the ban is a proportionate and necessary step to be taken, given the facts at hand.

According to Mr. Bailey, another factor to be considered is whether the process for blocking under Section 69A of the IT Act contemplates blocking of content (or apps) on grounds of privacy violations.

Source: The Hindu Page | 55

12. China doubles down on claims on eastern Bhutan boundary

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

Days after Bhutan sent China a demarche protesting Chinese claims to the Sakteng wildlife

sanctuary in Eastern Bhutan, Beijing has doubled down, including Bhutan’s “Eastern Whatsectors” does to the China boundary say? dispute between the two countries for the first time. never been delimited. There have been

Ministry“The boundary of Foreign between Affairs China (MFA) and in Bhutan a statement has to the media in Beijing. The MFA was disputes over the eastern, central and westernmpt lastsectors month for to a stop long fundingtime,” said for the Sakteng Chinese responding to questions about China’s atte sanctuary from the U.N. Development Programme’s Global Environment Facility (GEF), on Accordingthe grounds to that written it was records, “disputed” there territory. has been no mention of Eastern Bhutan, or Trashigang Dzongkhag (district), where Sakteng is based, that borders Arunachal Pradesh, in 24 previous rounds of boundary negotiations held between the two countries between 1984 and 2016. The negotiations have not been held since the Doklam standoff between Indian Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

and Chinese troops in 2017. In July 2018, Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou visited Bhutan, and met with the Bhutanese King, Prime Minister and other officials, but the 25th round of talks has not yet taken place. Sources said that the talks could not be held in 2019 due to scheduling difficulties, and the Coronavirus pandemic has delayed them further this year. Page | 56

Response of Bhutan The Bhutanese government and its Embassy in Delhi declined to comment on the issue. Bhutan has always maintained a discreet silence on its boundary negotiations with China, and it does not have any formal diplomatic relations with Beijing. The Ministry of External Affairs too declined to comment.

Source: The Hindu

13. How Pakistan offers professional courses to Kashmiri students

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

The resignation of Syed Ali Shah Geelani from the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) as its life-time chairman has brought the spotlight on the alleged sale of medical seats in Pakistan. In his letter dissociating himself from the Hurriyat Conference, Geelani accused some time, and specifically for the last two years, many complaints were received about thisits Muzaffarabad AJK chapter of chapter APHC. Recently, of “open after rebellion” an investigation, and “financial some irregularities”. [members] were “For dismissed, the past accountability, your representatives started non-cooperation with t saidand somein his moreresignation are under letter. investigation… The investigation, To circumvent Hurriyat sourcesthe process say, ofwas transparency over an alleged and sale of medical seats in Pakistan. he Convenor,” Geelani

What does Pakistan offer to Kashmiri students? For over two decades, the Pakistan government has been reserving a special quota for the students of Jammu and Kashmir in all its professional courses, especially medical and engineering. The students also could take admission for higher education. Students from Jammu and Kashmir are broadly classified in two categories: a) those applying for admission under foreign student seats through the ministry of education, Pakistan, and b) the students applying for admission under the scholarship programme.

The students applying through foreign student seats have to pay the normal fee that any foreign student pays. But under the scholarship programme, the students are provided 100 per cent scholarship, free accommodation and per diem. The students, whose parents or close relatives have been killed by the security forces in

Kashmir or have suffered “at the hands of Indian forces”, are given preference for seats under the scholarship programme.

Every year, around 50 students go to Pakistan under the scholarship programme for MBBS alone while a similar number of students get admission in other courses. The students are distributed in different colleges of Pakistan.

This year, the Pakistan government had announced 1,600 scholarships for Kashmiri Page | 57 ng Committee for Federal Education and Professional Training. However, due to the pandemic andstudents. ban on This international was disclosed travel no in student a meeting has been of Pakistan able to go National to Pakistan Assembly’s this year Standiso far.

Who determines the eligibility of the students? While there is a cut-off percentage for admission to various courses, the recommendation for the students under the scholarship programme is given by the separatist leaders. Over the years both factions of the separatist conglomerate Hurriyat Conference have been issuing recommendation letters to the students for admission in professional courses in Pakistan. However, the Hurriyat led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani stopped issuing the recommendation letters two years ago after allegations of corruption surfaced.

What is the controversy? Over the years, there have been allegations that some separatist leaders, especially in Pakistan, are demanding monetary benefits from the students before issuing them a recommendation letter and the basic criteria set by the Pakistan government is being flouted. There were allegations that even wards of some police officers have managed recommendation letters from the separatist leaders.

In 2019, another controversy surfaced when the National Board of Examination refused to allow a student to take foreign medical graduate examination/screening test, mandatory for any Indian who obtains a medical degree from a foreign country. The students had studied medicine in Mirpur in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, a part of undivided Kashmir claimed by India. The student approached the Jammu and Kashmir High Court that asked the Ministry of External Affairs to consider recognising the medical degree of the student. situated is part of India though it is on the other side of LoC and is under the occupation “There should be no dispute that the area known as PoK, where the medical college is y and administrative control of Islamic republic of Pakistan,” ruled the court. “If that be the admitted position, a medical institution operating in the area can’t be expected to seek an Whyrecognition do Kashmiri from the Medical students Council prefer of India to go (MCI)”. to Pakistan for studying professional courses? The parents of Kashmiri students prefer medicine as a career for their wards, especially girls. As Kashmir has very few professional colleges, the students would move to foreign countries for studying medicine first to Russia and now Bangladesh and Pakistan. While the courses in Pakistan are relatively cheap and better, the number of students going to Pakistan increased after Kashmiri– students faced attacks in different parts of the country.

Source: The Indian Express

14. Chinese troops shift 2 km from Galwan Valley clash site

Page | 58 Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

Three weeks after the worst military clashes in decades, India and China have begun the process of disengagement at contentious locations along the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC), a government source said on Monday.

The disengagement process, a work in progress, commenced after Special Representatives (SRs) Ajit Doval and Wang Yi, tasked to hammer out a solution to the boundary dispute, spoke by telephone on Sunday evening.

In the first signs of de-escalation, Chinese troops moved back some distance and dismantled tents at some locations along the LAC.

In the Galwan Valley, Chinese troops have shifted two kilometres from the site of the June 15 violent clashes while some tents had been removed by the PLA at Finger 4 area of Pangong Tso, government officials said on Monday.

Pangong Tso issue Pangong Tso is one of the most contentious areas of the current stand-offs, with the PLA of the LAC. moving about 8 km inside up to Finger 4. India’s claim is till Finger 8 as per the alignment Source: The Hindu

15. Eight lakh Indians may be forced to leave as Kuwait approves expat quota bill

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

A total of eight lakh Indians could be forced to leave Kuwait as its National Assembly committee has approved a draft expat quota bill seeking to reduce the number of foreign workers in the Gulf country.

quota bill is constitutional. The National Assembly’s legal and legislative committee has determined that the expat What are the provisions of the bill? According to the bill, Indians should not exceed 15% of the population. This could result in 8,00,000 Indians leaving Kuwait, as the Indian community constitutes the largest expat

community in the country, totalling 1.45 million, the Gulf News reported, citing a Kuwaiti newspaper.

The current population of Kuwait is 4.3 million, with Kuwaitis making up 1.3 million of the population, and expats accounting for 3 million. Page | 59

Why the bill is sought to be passed? Amid a slump in oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic, there has been a spike in anti- expat rhetoric as lawmakers and government officials call for reducing the number of foreigners in Kuwait.

the number of expats from 70% to 30% of the population, the report said. Last month, Kuwait’s Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah proposed reducing Kuwait has a real problem in its population structure, in which 70% are expats, the Speaker

ally need, the Kuwaitsaid, adding Times that reported. what is more serious is that 1.3 million of the 3.35 million expats “are either illiterate or can merely read and write”, the people Kuwait does not re Indian population in Kuwait According to the Indian embassy in Kuwait, there are about 28,000 Indians working for the Kuwaiti Government in various jobs like nurses, engineers in national oil companies and a few as scientists.

The majority of Indians (5.23 lakh) are employed in private sectors. In addition, there are about 1.16 lakh dependents. Out of these, there are about 60,000 Indian students studying in 23 Indian schools in the country.

The bill will now be transferred to the respective committee so that a comprehensive plan is created. It proposes similar quotas for other nationalities. Kuwait is a top source of remittances for India. In 2018, India received nearly $4.8 billion from Kuwait as remittances.

Forei -19 cases as the disease spread among migrant workers living in overcrowded housing. gners have accounted for the majority of Kuwait’s COVID Source: The Hindu

16. Patrolling Points: What do these markers on LAC signify?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

The standoffs between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), where initial steps towards disengagement have taken place, are around a number of patrolling points or PPs in Galwan, Hot Springs and Gogra areas.

What exactly are Patrolling Points? Page | 60 PPs are patrolling points identified and marked on the LAC, which are patrolled with a stipulated frequency by the security forces. They serve as a guide to the location of the LAC for the soldiers, acting as indica territory by India. tors of the extent of ‘actual control’ exercised on the By regularly patrolling up to these PPs, the Indian side is able to establish and assert its physical claim about the LAC.

Are all the Patrolling Points numbered? No. Some of the PPs are prominent and identifiable geographical features, such as a pass, or a nala junction where no numerals are given. Only those PPs, where there are no prominent features, are numbered as in the case of PP14 in Galwan Valley.

Are all on the Patrolling Points bang on the LAC? Mostly, yes. Except for the Depsang plains in northern Ladakh, where PP10, PP11, PP11A, PP12 and PP13 from Raki Nala to Jivan Nala do not fall on the LAC. These are short of the LAC, on the Indian side. – –

Page | 61

A map of Ladakh

Are these Patrolling Points not manned? The PPs are not posts and thus not manned. Unlike on the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan, the border with China is not physically held by the Army all along. They are just physical markers on the ground, chosen for their location and have no defensive potential or tactical importance for the Army.

If the Patrolling Points are not manned, how is the claim actually asserted? The claim is asserted by the Army or joint Army-ITBP patrols as they show more visible presence in these areas. This is done by physically visiting PPs with a higher frequency, as the deployment has moved closer to the LAC and due to improved infrastructure. As the Chinese may not see when the Indian patrols visit these PPs, they will leave come cigarette packets or food tins with Indian markings behind. That lets the Chinese know that Indian soldiers had visited the place, which indicates that India was in control of these areas.

Who has given these Patrolling Points? These PPs have been identified by the high-powered China Study Group, starting from 1975 when patrolling limits for Indian forces were specified. It is based on the LAC, after the government accepted the concept in 1993, which is also marked on the maps with the Army in the border areas. But the frequency of patrolling to PPs is not specified by the CSG Page | 62 it is finalised by the Army Headquarters in New Delhi, based on the recommendations made by the Army and ITBP. – What is this frequency? The frequency of reaching various PPs are given in the annual patrolling programme. Based on the terrain, the ground situation and the location of the LAC, the duration for visiting each PP is specified it can vary from once a month to twice a year.

Which Patrolling Points– are currently under dispute? PPs 10 to 13 in Depsang sector, PP14 in Galwan, PP15 in Hot Spring, and PP17 and PP17A in Gogra are currently being disputed by both sides, where the standoffs have taken place in the past nine weeks.

Source: The Indian Express

17. How the US immigration move affects Indian students

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

The United States on Monday announced that international students might have to leave the country or risk deportation if their universities moved classes entirely online in the -

upcoming fall semester. Students attending schools offering “normal in person classes” can Whatstay, but do they the newcannot regulations take more bythan the “one US classImmigration or three creditand Customs hours online”. Enforcement mean for Indian students? This, in effect, means Indians currently enrolled in schools or programmes that are entirely online for the fall semester will have to come back home. They can stay back only if they take alternative steps such as -

a move to a school that offers “in person instruction” (read Students,contact classes) who had or choose come back“appropriate to India medical after the leave”. pandemic forced American campuses to shut down, will not be permitted to enter the US if their classes are entirely online. The same applies to prospective (or new) students who were going to join in the fall semester. visa till they are actually goin -founder of Yocket, told The Indian“One thing Express. is very Yocket clear, is students an online who platform are going for studentsto start an planning online courseto study will abroad. not get a (US) g on campus,” Sumeet Jain, co

What about Indian students enrolled in universities that have announced a hybrid blend of in-person and online classes for the fall semester? Such students remain in the US, and those who returned to India will be allowed to re-enter the US. They will even be allowed to take more than one class or three credit hours online. However, the university or college will h Page | 63 student is not taking an entirely online course load for the fall 2020 semester, and that the student is taking the minimum number of onlineave to classes “certify” required to the USto make government normal thatprogress “the .

Thisin their exemption degree programme” does not apply to F-1 visa students in English language training programmes or M-1 visa students, who are not permitted to enroll in any online courses. International students with F-1 visas pursue academic coursework and students with M-1 visa pursue vocational coursework while studying in the US.

Why has the US government announced these changes after giving international students the flexibility to take more online classes during campus shutdown? International students in the US are required to do most of their learning through contact classes. The pandemic and the subsequent campus shutdowns forced the government to provide temporary exemptions for international students to take more online classes. However, these exemptions were made only for the spring and summer semesters.

The Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP), under the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), did not say much on the reasons behind revisiting the above exemptions. Its press statement only said there and colleges are planning to reopen for the fall semester.is “a concordant need to resume the carefully balanced protections implemented by federal regulations” as many universities Some are seeing this as a pressure tactic to get universities to reopen for the fall semester. The Trump administration has insisted that schools and colleges return to in-person

Twitter post on Monday shortly after SEVP released its new guidelines. classes as soon as possible. “SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL!!!” Trump wrote in a How will this affect international enrollment across US universities? US universities have already made admission offers to international students. The SEVP announcement could encourage prospective students to defer their joining to the next semester. As for the active or enrolled students, they may even consider dropping a semester. Indians are the second-largest group of international students in the US, after the Chinese.

fall semester) online. Anyway, most of the students were planning to defer their admission to the next “It’s not going to be easy for universities to now convince students to join ( term,” Jain said.

A QS survey of international students in June showed that over half the respondents intended to defer or delay their entry into foreign universities until next year due to the Covid-related uncertainties. The revised US guidelines are only going to cement such intent further, which means revenues of US universities, especially those which have announced an online fall semester, are bound to get hit. Page | 64

How have the US universities reacted to the new guidelines? Some universities have been quick on the uptake and changed their fall semester plans in less than a day of the government announcement. According to news website Poets and Quants, the Harvard Business School has decided against a fully online MBA programme this fall. It will bring all of its students back for classes offered in the hybrid format (in- person and online instruction).

Columbia University reached out to all its international students via email within hours of the SEVP announcement saying its International Students and Scholars Office or ISSO is

What“parsing options the advance do Indian notice students and is working enrolled closely in US withschools the schoolshave before on its them? implications”. international student offices housed in those universities for them to do two things: either create“The thing a structure we must that docomplied now is with put the pressure three different on our requirements individual universities that ICE has and given, the or ask the universities to lobby extensively for this measure to be rescinded and take this to students and alumni can Northcourt, Americanwhere there’s Association a big chance of Indian it will Students be contested. (NAAIS), These told /The are theIndian things Express/. that parents, NAAIS is the largest and the oldestdo associationsitting at home,” of Indian Sudhanshu students Kaushik, in the US. Executive Director of the

Source: The Indian Express

18. U.S. withdrawal from WHO

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

On July 6, when the number of novel coronavirus cases and deaths in the U.S. reached over 2.8 million and nearly 0.13 million, respectively, the U.S. officially notified the United Nations of its intention to withdraw membership from the World Health Organization.

This comes after President Donald Trump announced on May 29 his decision to halt -cent on multiple occasions, this unfortunate development is one more attempt by Mr. Trump to deflectfunding blame and pull for outgross of mismanagementthe global health ofbody. the crisis.After accusing WHO of being “China ric”

What are the allegations by Trump?

tantive

In a May 18 letter, he officially demanded that the WHO make “major subs improvements” in 30 days while charging that the global body lacked “independence” from China, was slow to respond to the threat, and had “repeatedly made inaccurate or Page | 65 Chancesmisleading that claims” US might about not the withdraw virus. Since the decision has apparently been taken without the approval of Congress, and as the withdrawal will become effective only on July 6 next year, there is a possibility that Congress or courts might reverse the withdrawal. Already, Democratic challenger Joe Biden has promised to revoke it if elected President.

Implications if US withdraws The capricious decision to withdraw from WHO will have dire consequences for global public health. The departure of the U.S. will be a significant blow to the WHO in terms of loss of technical expertise and, according to Mr. Trump, an annual funding of about $450 million.

The pandemic has clearly brought to the fore several shortcomings and weaknesses in the global health body. For instance, the 2005 revision of the International Health Regulations made it mandatory for countries to notify the WHO of all events that may constitute an

ted power to ensure compliance international public health emergency and to “respond to requests for verification of reports.information regarding such events”. Yet, the WHO has limi by member States, including limitations in independently verifying member states’ official If the U.S. was majorly involved in the 2005 IHR revision, it will now have no role to play in strengthening the WHO. It will lose a seat at the table to determine the virus strain to be used for developing influenza vaccines (flu killed over 34,000 people in the U.S. in 2018- 19), and have no access to new influenza virus samples for research. With no more U.S. scientists embedded in the WHO in key roles, including outbreak response teams like the one that visited Wuhan, it will lose out on health intelligence that will compromise the weakened WHO. country’s response to international disease outbreaks. In the end, none gains from a further Source: The Hindu

19. Should Kuwait’s draft expat bill worry India?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

The Kuwait National Assembly (NA) is discussing several proposals to reduce the share of ion, which is now pegged at 70%. There are many proposals under consideration, and one is to put caps on the number of emigrants in the foreigners in the country’s populat

country. In this, the plan is that Indians should not exceed 15% of Kuwaiti citizens, while Egyptians, Bangladeshis and Filipinos among others must not each exceed 10% of Kuwaitis.

The head of the Parliamentary Human Resources Development Committee, MP Khalil Al- Saleh, is pushing for a drastic reduction in the number of expatriates. Assembly Speaker Page | 66 Marzouq Al-Ghanim and the government believe that such drastic measures are impossible, though everyone appears to agree in principle that the proportion of foreigners in the population must be reduced. The Speaker has said this week that he and other MPs would submit a new draft law aimed at binding the government to gradually reduce the of Interior and State for Cabinet Affairs Anas Al-Saleh had also promised last week to send anumber draft law of expats,to the NA according within two to Kuwait weeks. Times. Kuwait’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister

Where is the proposal headed? -Khaled Al-Hamad Al- population structure is to have 70 per cent Kuwaitis and 30 per cent non- Currently,Kuwait’s Prime it is Minister the other Sheikh way around.Sabah Al Such a turnaround willSabah require had said, a drastic “the ideal and Kuwaitis”. foreseeimpossible any reduction law on this in thebeing country’s made duringtotal population the current and term the concernsof the NA. about If and the when proposal it is made,are overhyped, there could said beReaven measures D’Souza, to Managing gradually Editor, reduce The the Times proportion Kuwait. of “It foreigners. is difficult The to has not been published. concern that there could be mass deportation has no basis.” The full draft of the proposal Why has this proposal come up in the middle of a pandemic? Kuwaitis are a minority in Kuwait. Of the total population of 4.3 million, Kuwaitis are 1.3 million, which is less than one third. There are more Indians than Kuwaitis in Kuwait 1.45 million, according to one account. However, statistics available on the website of the Indian Embassy in Kuwait puts the number at above a million. If Indians cannot exceed— 15% of Kuwaitis, the cap would be around two lakh. Migration studies experts warn that calculations regarding the potential numbers that could be affected by the law are based on

ration Council governmentestimates which said. This are various.has been “Gulf a lingering countries concern are in not all very GCC countries open about Bahrain, population Kuwait, data becauseOman, Qatar, citizens Saudi are Arabia a minority,” and the an United Indian Arab working Emirates with a but Gulf the Coope ongoing COVID-19 pandemic renewed the debate. Said Ginu Zacharia Oommen, who — conducted a post- — natives, economic crisis and demographic imbalance had triggered movement for nationalisationdoctoral field study of the among workforce. Indians Arab in Kuwait, Spring “In added the past, a new high concern unemployment of political among stability the among the regimes. COVID-19 exposed the huge concentration of certain populations

among the expatriates, and the resulting imbalances.”

-19 must be distinguished from the nationalisation debate. This o official“The current cited above debate said. in the context of COVID ne is about diversification of the expatriate community,” the What is the profile of the Indian community in Kuwait? Page | 67 According to the Indian Embassy in Kuwait, besides the million-plus who are in the country as legal workforce, there are about 10,000 Indian nationals who have overstayed their visas. The Indian community in Kuwait has been growing at 5-6% per annum until the economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic put an abrupt stop to immigration to the country. Indians are the largest expatriate community and Egyptians are the second largest. Three fourths, or about 7.5 lakh Indians are males as against only 2.5 lakh females. It is estimated that 5.23 lakh Indians are deployed in the private sector, as construction workers, technicians, engineers, doctors, chartered accountants, IT experts, etc. About 1.16 lakh are dependents and there are about 60,000 Indian students studying in 23 Indian schools in the country; about 3.27 lakh are domestic workers (i.e. drivers, gardeners, cleaners, nannies, cooks and housemaids) who are not allowed to bring their spouses/children into the country. About 28,000 Indians work for the Kuwaiti government in various jobs such as nurses, engineers in national oil companies, and a few as scientists. In 2018, India received nearly $4.8 billion from Kuwait as remittances.

What has India’s response been? of External Affairs spokesman Anurag Srivastava said the Foreign Ministers of India and Kuwait discussed the issue over the ph bilateralIndia’s Ministry ties which are deeply rooted in people-to-people linkages. The Indian community in Kuwait is well-regarded in Kuwait and elsewhere in theone. Gulf “We region share and excellent their contributions are well recognised. We have shared our expecta

tions that Kuwait’s decision Whatwill take happens into account,” now? Mr. Srivastava said. Around eight million Indians work in the GCC countries. Around 2.1 million of them are from one State Kerala. Other major contributors to the Indian expatriate communities in GCC countries are Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, West Bengal, Punjab and Rajasthan. A renewed push — for nationalisation of jobs and diversification of expatriates is possible. However, the structure of the GCC economies makes any dramatic change unlikely. Nationalisation of government jobs can be achieved to a significant extent, but the private sector will continue to draw the majority of its workforce from abroad.

ivate sector, which

“TheGCC countries costs associated that has with natives hiring at thea citizen top, followed are too prohibitiveby white professionals for the pr from the U.S. and Europe,will leave immigrants the country from if it is other forced Arab to,” an countries official admitted. and then There others is including a social stratification workers from in hurry. Replacement of Indian or Asian workers on a large scale is not possible, and native ArabsIndia. will“There not is do a certaindivision catego of labour among these classes and that cannot be changed in a

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

Source: The Hindu

20. What China security law means for Hong Kong and the global Internet Page | 68

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

Days after China passed a national security law giving it wide-ranging powers over Hong Kong, major technology companies have suspended their responses to Hong Kong

nies decidegovernment to do nextrequests, in the saying region. they will first reassess the law’s new controls. Much of Hong Kong’s future identity and the global Internet hinges on what the technology compa What’s the context? Hong Kong was under British rule until 1997, when the territory was given to China under the condition that it retains some autonomy, including its economic system, for 50 years. As the Chinese firewall took hold, several technology companies were shut out, including Google and Facebook.

But with the quasi- integrated into the global Internet. Global technology companies were able to operate close independence afforded by “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong was

Hongto China Kong without has been being embroiled subject to in the protests country’s after laws. its legislature tried to pass an extradition bill that would allow the Chinese government to detain Hong Kong residents. Although the bill was eventually withdrawn, the demonstrations had already developed into a larger fight for democratic institutions.

What is the new national security law? Announced by China In May, it was put into effect on July 1, without the involvement of local institutions. On the technology front, the new surveillance and censorship rules could

subsume the territory into China’s Great Firewall. Indeed, experts have found the new law Thereminiscent law criminalises of the mainland’s four acti own cybersecurity laws. of terrorist activities, and collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to vities: “secession, subversion, organization and perpetration buildings and lobbying against the Chinese government. The law also allows for a National Securityendanger Committee national to security”. investigate Some and prosecute specific offencesviolators. include damaging government

The Hong Kong Police are given extensive new controls to censor Internet content, track people online, and seize electronic records. They can investigate Internet platforms and

their data as well as order its deletion, and penalties for the companies include fines up to nearly $13,000 and six months jail time.

How have technology companies reacted? The shift puts tech companies in a bind as to whether to accept the new data-sharing and Page | 69 censorship requirements of the Communist Party or leave the territory altogether. Their hub, and on digital free speech as a whole. decisions will have significant weight on Hong Kong’s future as an international business Facebook, Twitter, Google, Telegram, Zoom, and Microsoft have suspended all requests for data from Hong Kong, pending their own review of the new legislation. Apple is still

“assessing”Telegram was the thelaw. first to make the move, saying it never had shared data with the Hong

Kong authorities and will waitok, forwhich an “internationalowns WhatsApp consensus”. and Instagram, Twitter’s said statement it will conduct said the company- has “grave concerns regarding both the developing process and the full policeintention and of that this it law”. has no Facebo data to hand over anyway. a “human rights” assessment. Signal said that it never had turned over user data to the HK TikTok is pulling out of the territory completely, but it is in a different situation. Owned by China- application called Douyin in mainland China, and now onlookers have speculated whether Douyinbased would ByteDance, make inroads Tik Tok into doesn’t Hong Kong operate (ByteDance in China. told ByteDance Reuters operates there are a no similar such plans). Others have contextualised the move as self-protective, considering the fact that non-compliance with the law would irk Beijing. TikTok has only 150,000 users and little revenue in Hong Kong. ByteDance has repeatedly distanced itself from the Chinese government and positions itself as a global company. Its leadership has said its data is not stored in China and it would not censor for or provide data to the Chinese government.

Experts say tech companies could move operations to Taiwan to stay close to mainland China, or consider other Asian locations, or decide to forgo their espoused values and stay in the territory.

How have technology companies responded to China’s moves in the past? Apple has consiste and manufacturingntly operations. received the Apple most has flak also for not complied resisting with China most enough. of the It’s Hong one of Kong the governmenfew Silicon Valley giants that isn’t blocked in mainland China with a large customer base Hong Kong protestors to coordinate movements as well as hid its Taiwan flag emoji in the territory lastt’s year. requests before the law came into force. It had also removed an app used by

Microsoft does significant business in the country and has complied with requests before. Facebook and Twitter stay out of the country. Google pulled its operations in 2010, but

beginning 2018, conversation arose about a potential re-entry. CEO Sundar Pichai later put those rumours to rest.

What is the key takeaway? This marks yet another step of national border disputes erecting new virtual walls between Page | 70

territories. The Internet’s pioneers, who had envisioned a global community online, say Source:these government The Indian decisions Express lead to the creation of a “splinternet”.

21. Supreme Court gives green light to summons via WhatsApp and email

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

The Supreme Court has taken a major decision which is bound to revolutionise the legal system in the country. It has allowed serving of summons and legal notices through WhatsApp, Telegram and Email.

The top court has decided that two blue ticks on a legal notice or summon sent via WhatsApp would amount to legal evidence that the intended recipient has indeed seen the document.

This order marks as a huge step towards digitisation of Indian legal proceedings, where notices and summons used to be sent either by postal mail or delivered in person.

What brought this shift? As per the Supreme Court, this innovation was necessary because of the challenges posed by the ongoing covid-19 pandemic. Physical delivery of notices and summons has become quite difficult because of the several localized lockdowns in various parts of the country.

Notably, just a few months ago, the top court had also allowed court hearings via video conferencing across the country in view of the pandemic.

22. Defying U.S., China and Iran near trade and military partnership

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

Aim of participation The partnership would vastly expand Chinese presence in banking, telecommunications, ports, railways and dozens of other projects. In exchange, China would receive a regular supply of Iranian oil over the next 25 years.

The document also describes deepening military cooperation, potentially giving China a foothold in a region that has been a strategic preoccupation of the United States for decades. It calls for joint training and exercises, joint research and weapons development and intelligence sharing trafficking and cross- Page | 71 — all to fight “the lopsided battle with terrorism, drug and human The partnership firstborder proposed crimes.” by Chin 2016 Minister, Mohammad— Javad Zarif, said last week.a’s leader, Xi Jinping, during a visit to Iran in — was approved by President Hassan Rouhani’s cabinet in June, Iran’s Foreign Iranian officials have publicly stated that there is a pending agreement with China, and one Iranian official, as well as several people who have discussed it with the Iranian government, confirmed that it is the document obtained by The Times, which is labeled

“finalIn Beijing, version” officials and dated have June, not 2020. disclosed the terms of the agreement, and it is not clear

whetherImpact on Mr. China-US Xi’s government relations has signed off or, if it has, when it might announce it. If put into effect as detailed, the partnership would create new and potentially dangerous flash points in the deteriorating relationship between China and the United States.

since abandoning the nuclear deal reached in 2015 by President Obama and the leaders of sixIt represents other nations a major after two blow years to the of grueling Trump administration’snegotiations. aggressive policy toward Iran

Renewed American sanctions, including the threat to cut off access to the international banking system for any company that does business in Iran, have succeeded in suffocating the Iranian economy by scaring away badly needed foreign trade and investment.

source of revenue, have plunged since the Trump administration began imposing sanctions inIran has been one of the world’s largest oil producers, but its exports, Tehran’s largest importer, at more than 10 million barrels a day last year. 2018; China gets about 75 percent of its oil from abroad and is the world’s largest At a time when the United States is reeling from recession and the coronavirus, and increasingly isolated internationally, Beijing senses American weakness. The draft agreement with Iran shows that unlike most countries, China feels it is in a position to defy the United States, powerful enough to withstand American penalties, as it has in the trade war waged by President Trump.

and security with a similar outlook and many mutual bilateral and multilateral interests “Two ancient Asian cultures, two partners in the sectors of ttrade, says in economy, its opening politics, sentence. culture

Website:will consider www.prepmate.in one another strategic partners,” the documen Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Source: https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/449938/Defying-U-S-China-and-Iran- near-trade-and-military-partnership

23. Iran drops India from Chabahar rail project Page | 72

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

Four years after India and Iran signed an agreement to construct a rail line from Chabahar port to Zahedan, along the border with Afghanistan, the Iranian government has decided to proceed with the construction on its own, citing delays from the Indian side in funding and starting the project.

Last week, Iran inaugurated the track-laying process for the 628 km Chabahar-Zahedan line, which will be extended to Zaranj across the border in Afghanistan. The entire track laying project is expected to be completed by March 2022, and that Iranian Railways will

National Development Fund. proceed without India’s assistance, using approximately $400 million from the Iranian Influence of China The development comes as China finalises a massive 25-year, $400 billion strategic

Railpartnership project deal was with part Iran, of Tri-lateral which could agreement cloud India’s plans. The railway project, which was being discussed between the Iranian Railways and the state- commitment to the trilateral agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan to build an alternateowned trade Indian route Railwaysto Afghanistan Construction and Central Ltd Asia, (IRCON), reducing was dependency meant to be on part Pakistan. of India’s

agreement with Iranian President Rouhani and Afghanistan President Ghani, IRCON had signedIn May an2016, MoU during with the Prime Iranian Minister Rail Ministry. Narendra Modi’s visit to Tehran to sign the Chabahar

The MoU was to construct the Chabahar-

IRCON had promised to provide all services, Zahedan superstructure railway work as “partand financing of transit for and the projecttransportation (around corridor$1.6 billion). in trilateral agreement between India, Iran and Afghanistan”.

Pressure from US However, despite several site visits by IRCON engineers, and preparations by Iranian railways, India never began the work, ostensibly due to worries that these could attract U.S. sanctions. The U.S. had provided a sanctions waiver for the Chabahar port and the rail line to Zahedan, but it has been difficult to find equipment suppliers and partners due to

oil imports from Iran due to U.S. sanctions. worries they could be targeted by the U.S., said officials. India has already “zeroed out” its 25-year Strategic Partnership between Iran and China Meanwhile, complicating matters further, Iran and China are close to finalising a 25-year Page | 73 Strategic Partnership which will include Chinese involvement an oil refinery nearby, and possibly a larger role in Chabahar port as well. in Chabahar’s duty free zone, According to leaked versions of the 18- Beijing, the cooperation will extend from investments in infrastructure,page “Comprehensive manufacturing Plan and for upgrading Cooperation energy between and transportIran and China”,facilities, being to refurbishing finalised by ports, officials refineries in Tehran and other and installations, and will commit Iranian oil and gas supplies to China during that period.

Iranian officials denied a report that also suggested Chabahar port, where India took, will be leased to China. However, Iran proposed a tie-up between the Chinese-run Pakistani port at Gwadar and Chabahar last year, and has offered interests to China in the Bandar-e- Jask port 350km away from Chabahar, as well as in the Chabahar duty free zone.

Source: The Hindu

24. China vows retaliation after Trump ends preferential status for Hong Kong

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

President Donald Trump on Tuesday ordered an end to Hong Kong's special status under colony, prompting Beijing to warn of retaliatory sanctions. U.S. law to punish China for what he called “oppressive actions” against the former British Reason for withdrawing preferential status Citing China's decision to enact a new national security law for Hong Kong, Trump signed an executive order that he said would end the preferential economic treatment for the city.

China- US relations in recent times U.S. relations with China have already been strained over the global coronavirus pandemic, China's military buildup in the South China Sea, its treatment of Uighur Muslims and massive trade surpluses.

Double-edged sword? Analysts say that completely ending Hong Kong's special treatment could prove self- defeating for the United States. Hong Kong was the source of the largest bilateral U.S. goods trade surplus last year, at $26.1 billion, U.S. Census Bureau data shows.

According to the State Department, 85,000 U.S. citizens lived in Hong Kong in 2018 and more than 1,300 U.S. companies operate there, including nearly every major U.S. financial firm. The territory is a major destination for U.S. legal and accounting services. Eliminating preferential status Page | 74 The United States began eliminating Hong Kong's special status under U.S. law in late June, halting defense exports and restricting the territory's access to high-technology products as China prepared to enact the security legislation.

In May, Trump responded to China's plans for the security law by saying he was initiating a process to eliminate the special economic treatment that has allowed Hong Kong to remain a global financial center.

He stopped short then of calling for an immediate end to privileges, but said the moves would affect the full range of U.S. agreements with Hong Kong, from an extradition treaty to export controls on dual-use technologies.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the administration was also preparing sanctions against Chinese officials and entities involved in the Hong Kong crackdown, including further U.S. travel bans and possible Treasury sanctions.

The timing remained unclear. The White House has previously threatened such sanctions but so far has only imposed restrictions on visas for an unspecified number of unnamed Chinese officials.

Source: The Hindu

25. Why is India out of the Chabahar rail project?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

The inauguration of a track- rt to Zahedan on the border with Afghanistan on July 7, has ensured that Chabahar which literally means laying project from Iran’s is once Chabahar again in po the middle of a storm — Sistan-Baluchistan“four seasons”, named province for its has salubrious been a part weather of discussions — between New Delhi and Tehran sinceover the their fate first of India’sagreement investment to develop there. it, Thein 2003. port projectState-owned along IrconIran’s Internationalsouthern coast Limited in the (IRCON) was associated with the rail project even as India acted quickly to develop Chabahar port facilities. Over the years, the Chabahar project has grown, and now envisages a port, a free trade zone, the 628-km railway line to Zahedan, and then the little over 1,000-km track to Sarakhs on the border with Turkmenistan.

What ties India to Chabahar?

The Chabahar project is ambitious and will require deep pockets, but New Delhi has always weighed its strategic benefits above the costs. India-Iran relations are historic and New Delhi has sought t namely the United States, Saudi Arabia and Israel. The Chabahar project ties India and Iran together as New Delhio maintain deals with these its difficultties in the neighbour face of oppositionto the west, from Pakistan. Iran’s A adversaries,major trade Page | 75

Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan, but also has the potential to provide an Indian strategic and connectivity hub on Iran’s coast not only gives India an alternative routeabahar. to counterand food to and Pakistan’s material Gwadar exports port coming being from developed Kandla andby ChinaMundra right ports. next And door the to rail Ch project willThe Chabahar allow India trade an zone independent could be corridor an important not only weigh to station Afghanistan, for India’s which energy Pakistan imports has denied it, but also to Central Asia and Russia someday.

What happened to the rail project? While the Chabahar port development has moved forward in the last five years, the railway line languished. After several threats and appeals to India, Iran said it was moving ahead to build the Chabahar-Zahedan line on its own this month, with approximately $400 million from the National Development Fund of Islamic Republic of Iran.

What was the hitch? har has always been held hostage to international policy shifts on Iran. U.S. policy in particular has swung wildly in the last two decades.Despite theIt placed attractions, heavy India’ssanctions investment on Iran until in Chaba nuclear talks between the P-5+1 (the U.S., the U.K., France, China, Russia and Germany) that began in 2006, ended successfully with the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015. As a result, while India continued to negotiate for Chabahar, it was not until after the sanctions were lifted that talks could make headway. In 2016, the Chabahar agreement, which included the Trilateral Agreement on Establishment of International Transport and Transit Corridor between Afghanistan, Iran and India was signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. It also included the port project and the railway line to be built and funded by IRCON for $1.6 billion. In 2018, however, U.S. President Donald Trump overturned the JCPOA, and re-imposed stringent sanctions on I supplier, had to be dropped to zero. Bilateral trade, which depended on a rupee-rial exchange mechanismran. This alsomeant stopped. India’s Theenergy U.S. imports gave Chabahar from Iran, port which and was rail its line third a speciallargest waiver o - the U.S. to participate in the project. r “carve out”, but the sanctions made it very difficult for companies dealing with Are other projects hit too? has been cut out of the development of an Iranian gas field project, Farzad B; both sides had beenThe Ministry in talks sinceof External 2009. AffairsThe project, (MEA) which has disclosed will now thatgo to India’s an Iranian ONGC company, Videsh Ltd had (OVL) also fluctua -Zahedan rail floundered due to a combination of U.S. sanctions, Iran’s changing conditions and Website:ting www.prepmate.in prices, as well as India’s delayed responses. On the Telegram Chabahar Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

project, the MEA said IRCON had completed its feasibility studies by December 2019, three years after the memorandum of understanding was signed, but that it had not heard back from Iran. In the meanwhile, Iranian Railway authorities have begun laying tracks. An partnership, it is currently under construction by Iranian funding and engineering Page | 76 Iranian official told The Hindu, “In the absence of an active Indian engagement and project at a later date, but for the moment, India is not a part of the railway construction. capacities.” Both New Delhi and Tehran have left the door open for IRCON to return to the What is the China angle? The announcements on the two projects come even as news filters in of a China-Iran 25- year partnership for $400 billion to build infrastructure and energy resources in Iran, giving the impression that Iran may be relying more and more on Beijing.

Has India lost an opportunity? har remain strong, and no matter who builds the railway line, Indian minimal,India’s stakes as it hadin Chaba not invested money or material on the rail line yet. However, there is the worrytrade could of reputational still find its damage way to from Afghanistan the idea that and IndiaCentral gave Asia. in to India’s U.S. sanctions, monetary a departurelosses are unviable. The largest worry is that Chabahar, the enduring symbol of India-Iran friendship, couldfrom thebecome past. collateral China’s growingdamage in inroads a larger in proxy Iran war could between make Indianthe U.S. projectsand China. there more

Source: The Hindu

26. China has crossed its 1960 claims along the LAC

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

Present position of Chinese troops Chinese troops are currently present on the north bank of Pangong Lake in Ladakh in an area that is beyond what even China described as its official boundary during talks with India in 1960, official records show.

Galwan river, which sparked the violent face- off culminating in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese China’s tent that it set up on the bend of the records. personnel on June 15, was also beyond China’s territorial claims, according to the 1960 s current claims of where the Line of Actual Control (LAC) runs. They also raise questions on recent statements from top Indian officials that China is notThe present records anywhere contradict on China’ Indian territory.

China upto Finger 4

At the north bank of Pangong Tso, the PLA moved up to Finger 4 and prevented India from crossing Finger 4. The Fingers refer to mountain spurs on the bank, and run from 1 to 8, west to east.

China now claims up to Finger 4, while India says the LAC is at Finger 8. China previously Page | 77 built a road to Finger 4 in 1999 and has dominated up to Finger 4, but since May has, for line 8 km west. the first time, completely cut off India’s access to its LAC at Finger 8, effectively shifting the Following the four rounds of Corps Commander-level talks, the PLA has moved back from Finger 4 to 5, while Indian troops also moved back further west to Finger 2, the base post in the area where the troops initiated their patrols, The Hindu reported earlier.

China’s Shifting Lines Line of Actual Control (LAC) claims, which sparked the recent border incidents, mark a shift from what Beijing told India in 1960 about where its boundariesChina’s current were, moves both toin enforcethe Galwan its Valley and Pangong Lake.

Page | 78

Source: The Hindu

27. U.K. to suspend extradition treaty with Hong Kong

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

Suspend extradition treaty Britain announced that it would suspend on immediate basis its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in an escalation of a dispute with China over its introduction of a national security law for the former British colony.

The ban is another nail in the coffin of what then Prime Minister David Cameron in 2015 -largest economy.

Londoncast as a has“golden been era” dismayed of ties withby a crackdownChina, the world’s in Hong second Kong, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997, and the perception that China did not tell the whole truth over the COVID-19 outbreak.

Australia and Canada suspended extradition treaties with Hong Kong earlier this month.

Action against Huawei hasLast accused week Britain Prime of Minister pandering Boris to the Johnson United orderedStates. equipment from China’s Huawei Technologies to be purged completely from Britain’s 5G network by the end of 2027. China View on security law

Britain says the new security law breaches the guarantees of freedoms, including an trade and financial centres since 1997. independent judiciary,that have helped keep Hong Kong one of the world’s most important Officials in Hong Kong and Beijing have said the law is vital to plug gaps in national security Page | 79 exposed by recent pro-democracy and anti-China protests. China has repeatedly told

Source:Western Thepowers Hindu to stop meddling in Hong Kong’s affairs.

28. U.S. closing Chinese consulate in Houston

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

The U.S.’s decision to close China’s consulate in Houston is an unprecedented escalation in Whythe steadily has US deteriorating closed the consulate? ties between the world’s two largest economies. The Trump administration has accused the consulate and other Chinese diplomatic missions in the country of economic espionage, visa fraud and attempted theft of scientific research allegations that China has denied.

Other decisions— taken by US against China It has announced visa restrictions on students, imposed sanctions on Chinese officials over a Hong Kong security law and is reportedly considering a sweeping travel ban on the

Themillions consulate of members decision of China’sis by far ruling the most Communist drastic Party.measure. This is the first time a Chinese mission is being closed in the U.S. since both countries normalised diplomatic relations in 1979.

Reaction by China Since the tariff war that President Trump launched in 2018, China has retaliated against every hostile move by the U.S. China made matters worse by providing refuge in its San Francisco consulate to one of the Chinese researchers against whom the U.S. has issued an arrest warrant because she allegedly lied to the authorities about her ties to the Army.

Nature of US-China tensions The U.S.-China tensions are no longer about trade and technology. What started as a trade war has snowballed into a larger geopolitical contest between the two superpowers, something Soviet Union during the Cold War. the world hasn’t seen since the hostile competition between the U.S. and the

President Trump, who is under attack at home for his handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic, may be finding comfort in ramping up tensions with China in an election year. But what makes the crisis dangerous in the long term is that there is a growing consensus in Washington that a hostile China, resorting to large-scale espionage, poses a serious threat to the U.S.-dominated international order. Page | 80

several other policy measures, is in line with the President in his confrontational policy towardsThe Washington China, which establishment, has already which done hadserious fought damage Trump’s to bilateral overtures relations towards that Russia cannot and be reversed easily. Incidentally, the U.S.-China crisis is unfolding at a time when Beijing is also acting more assertively in Asia, picking fights with countries in its neighbourhood, from India to Vietnam and Malaysia.

The message from China is that it is ready for a long game of escalation, as long as the U.S. keeps playing it. This is a cyclical trap measures and countermeasures keep taking ties to new lows with no possibility of an exit. If this deterioration is not arrested immediately, the U.S. and China risk a total breakdown— in diplomatic relations. That is bad news for the whole world.

Source: The Hindu

29. Deepening India-South Korea ties

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

India and South Korea have signed numerous bilateral agreements with the aim of taking their ties to the next level. However, the economic partnership is struck at $22 billion annually, and their defence partnership appears to have receded from great all-round promise to the mere sale and purchase of weapon systems.

At the heart of this bilateral stasis is the fact that, despite the best efforts of many well- intended leaders, Indians and South Koreans are failing to touch a mutually meaningful chord of empathy and move closer to each other as people. This is at least in part due to cultural prejudices on both sides, which stands in the way of a relationship based on openness, curiosity and warmth.

It is not that efforts to correct distortions in such perception have been wanting. Yet, clearly, whatever bilateral progress has been made, say in the realm of trade and investment, has not lent sufficient momentum that people start building bridges in other areas. So, for example, there may be a widespread perception among South Koreans of India as a third world country, rife with poverty and hunger. While it is true that India is far from eradicating these deprivations, their extent may be exaggerated in the minds of some. On the flip side, it is often the case that Indians are unable to distinguish between the cultural and social characteristics of South Koreans and people of other East Asian nations.

Indians in South Korea Within South Korea, the integration of Indians in the local population is far from complete. There have been some instances of what appears to be racial prejudice or discrimination, including toward Indians in work settings in South Korea. Page | 81 As in any relationship, mutual respect regarding cultural values is the key to building a robust partnership between two countries. The means to achieving that respect is often filling the information gap that creates a chasm between two strong cultures. How much do Indians based in South Korea know about how Korean culture contributed to the growth of a broader Asian view of the world? It is more likely that to the average Indian mind, the culture. All this is to say nothing of the hostility that some visiting South Koreans have faceddefining in India. traits of Japan’s and China’s cultures are better identified than those of Korean

Indian Culture Centre in Seoul that an urgent course correction is required. The establishment of the Indian Culture CentreThis trajectory (ICC) in of Seoul India’s 10 engagement years ago was with a a step strategically in the right important direction. Asian Its nation mission suggests was to promote people-to-people contacts. Yet, given the current focus on diplomatic initiatives an important but not the only component of a potentially rich bilateral space it can sometimes be complicated for the average South Korean to access to its offices and— -base an appreciation of Indian culture— by, for example, teaching south Indian dances to elementary school students in South Korea, or organisingservices. The experiential ICC’s attempts sessions to centred broad on Indian cuisine, are commendable. Yet, it may reach an exponentially wider audience if the focus of such efforts was the common man of South Korea, beyond the urban, English-speaking elite of Seoul. The same may be applicable to South Korean culture centres in India.

As the balance of power in the region continues to shift fast, India and South Korea may need each like never before, to protect their ways of life. However, both countries will be able to help each other only if they can fill the cultural gaps. A regional hegemon is already pushing hard into the ambit of the Indian Ocean. The sooner these bonds are renewed the better it would be for all Asian democracies.

Source: The Hindu

30. 200 investment proposals from China wait for security clearance by Home Ministry

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

New rules demand prior approval

About 200 investment proposals from China are awaiting security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) after new rules were notified in April, making prior government approval mandatory for foreign direct investments (FDI) from countries which share a land border with India. Page | 82 What was the position earlier? As FDI is allowed in non-critical sectors through the automatic route, earlier these proposals woul security clearance from MHA was required for investments in critical sectors such as defence, media,d telecommunication, have been cleared withoutsatellites, the private MHA’s security nod. Prior agencies, government civil aviation approval and or mining and any investments from Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Revised FDI Policy The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) notified the new FDI

India or where the beneficial owner of an investment into India is situated in or is a citizen policy on April 18, which said, “…an entity of a country, which shares land border with of any such country, can invest only under the Government route.” opportunistic takeovers/acquisitions of Indian companies due to the current COVID-19 The revised FDI policy, a press statement from DPIIT said, is aimed at “curbing

Implicationpandemic.” of new FDI Policy A senior government official told The Hindu that since April, after the new rules were notified, the Ministry has received around 200 applications for vetting.

been in the pipeline for months and it is possible that many might withdraw due to the “However, none of the proposals have been cleared so far. These agreements would have delay or stringent conditions put in place now,” said the official.

Page | 83

Source: The Hindu

31. Sikhs and Hindus of Afghanistan — how many remain, why they want to leave

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

Since a terror attack by an IS gunman killed 25 Sikhs at Gurdwara Har Rai Sahib in Kabul on March 25, the small Sikh and Hindu communities in Afghanistan have made multiple history in Afghanistan: appeals to the Indian government for “immediate evacuation”. A look at these communities’ When did Hinduism reach Afghanistan? According to historian Inderjeet Singh, a

uthor of ‘Afghan Hindus and Sikhs: A History of A Thousand Years’, Hindu rulers once reigned over Eastern Afghanistan, including Kabul. earliest Hindus who ruled over Kandahar to Ghazni regions of Afghanistan, from 600 to 780“Islam AD. entered Later the Afghanistan Hindu Shahi in thedynasty 7th century.ruled. They The were Zunbil replaced dynasty only is believed by the end to beof the

1504 that Mughal Emperor Bab 10th century by Ghaznavids, who maintained Hindu forces,” Singh said. “It was only in ur captured Kabul… Babur used to refer to Kabul as ‘Hindustan’sWhen did Sikhism own market’ reach andAfghanistan? the province of Kabul remained with Hindustan until 1738.”

Sikhism founder Guru Nanak visited Afghanistan in the early 16th century and laid the foundation of Sikhism there. As per the history of his travels recorded in the earliest janamsakhis, it was during his fourth udaasi (travels) during 1519-21 , with his companion Bhai Mardana, that Guru Nanak reached Afghanistan and visited present-day Kabul, Kandahar, Jalalabad, Sultanpur. All these places now have gurdwaras. Kabul was then Page | 84 -day Punjab region. The seventh Sikh Guru, Har Rai, too played a pivotal role in sending Sikh missionariesunder Babur’s to rule.Kabul Guru and a Nanak’s dharamsaal followers (earlier from name Kabul for gurdwara) also started was visiting established present there. today, 99 per cent of them have left the country. Afghanistan now refuses to acknowledge them“Several as documents their natives record but they the thriving have made trade contribution of Hindus and to theirSikhs motherland in Afghan society despite but a his book. turbulent journey. Can an Afghan be a Hindu or a Sikh? History says, YES,” Singh writes in When did their exodus from the country start? According to Singh, there were at least 2 lakh Sikhs and Hindus (in a 60:40 ratio) in Afghanistan until the 1970s.

In 1988, on the first day of Baisakhi festivities, a man with an AK-47 stormed a gurdwara in Jalalabad and gunned down 13 Sikhs and four Afghan soldiers. In 1989, Gurdwara Guru Teg Bahadur Singh in Jalalabad was hit by rockets fired by the Mujahideen and 17 Sikhs were killed.

which started in 1979, lasted for a decade and Afghanistan became a battleground for the ColdThe exodusWar. The started US and in its 1992 allies when started the providing Mujahideen weapons took over.to Mujahideen “The Soviet to fight intervention, a proxy captured Kabul in 1992 and de war against the Soviet occupation. The Soviets withdrew in 1989… The Mujahideen posed President Najibullah… A large number of Afghan UnderSikhs and the Hindus Mujahideen, started there the exodus were widespread and left the kidnappings,country,” Inderjeet extortion, Singh property writes. grabbing incidents, religious persecution, targeting Sikhs and Hindus which became the trigger point for exodus. After the Taliban took over Afghanistan, those who remained continued to face persecution.

Where did those who moved out settle? ne in Afghanistan to get a passport. But still the Afghan government (in the months before the Mujahideen took over entire Kabul)“During issued those speedydays, it passportswas extremely under difficult a scheme for called anyo Aab Gang pilgrimage passport (Aab meaning water, Gang meaning river Ganga). The Indian Embassy set up an on-the-go visa department at Gurdwara Har Rai Sahib in Shor Bazar of Kabul to rapidly issue visas to Hindus and Sikhs. Some 50,000 people left Afghanistan under this scheme and came to

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

After arriving in India, many Sikhs and Hindus moved to other countries and are currently

Germany and Sikhs in the UK. Others live in Austria, Belgium, Holland, France, Canada and thspread across the UK, Europe, US etc. “The majority of Afghan Hindus are now settled in documentary Mission Afghanistan. Page | 85 e US,” said Pritpal Singh, an Afghan Sikh settled in London and director of the Currently, how many Afghan Sikhs are settled in India? ly, there are 18,000 Afghan Sikhs living in India, of whom 50-60% have citizenship and the restKhajinder are living Singh, as refugeeshead of Afghan or on long-term Hindu Sikh visas. Welfare Most Society are living in Delhi,in Delhi said, followed “Approximate by Punjab

Howand Haryana.” many Sikhs and Hindus are left in Afghanistan? Not more than 700. Chhabol Singh, member, managing committee, Gurdwara Dashmesh

Sikhs (90- Pitaaft Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji Singh Sabha Karte Parwan, Kabul, said, “There are around 650 100 families) and nearly 50 Hindus left here… No one wants to live here now Oner July the 1, Kabul 2018, gurdwara a suicide attack.”bomb attack in Jalalabad killed at least 19 Sikhs and Hindus. But the tipping point was the attack at Gurdwara Guru Har Rai Sahib on March 25 this year when an IS gunman killed at least 25 persons.

2020 attack was the final nail in the coffin because an attacker stormed inside a gurdwara and“Even killed after them. the 2018 Gurdwaras attack, arethey also did homesnot want for to Sikhs leave in their Afghanistan businesses as mand shops. But the have their own houses. Also, Sikhs in Afghanistan took heart from the Citizenship Amendment Act in India, knowing that getting Indian citizenship wouldost be of easierthem don’t than

Willbefore,” the said CAA Khajinder help them? Singh. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, which reduces the period of mandatory stay in India from 11 years to five years for minorities from three countries including Afghanistan, will help those Afghan Sikhs and Hindus in getting the Indian citizenship, who moved to India before the cut-off date of December 31, 2014. The Home Ministry, however, is yet to frame the rules for CAA.

How many gurdwaras and temples are left in Afghanistan? Till the beginning of the 1990s, there used to be at least 63 functional gurdwaras in Afghanistan. Now barely ten of them are functioning, with hardly anyone left to do sewa. The main ones are: Gurdwara Har Rai Sahib (now closed after March 2020 attack), Gurdwara Dashmesh Pita Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji Singh Sabha Karte Parwan (central gurdwara), Gurdwara Baba Sri Chand, Gurdwara Khalsa ji, Gurdwara Baba Almast, Gurdwara Baba Mansa Singh Ji all in Kabul.

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

Asamai Mandir and Dargah Peer Rattan Nath Mandir in Kabul, Dargah Mathura Dass in Jalalabad, Dargah Peer Rattan in Ghazni and some in Kandahar are among a few temples functional in Afghanistan.

Source: The Indian Express Page | 86

32. China seizes U.S. consulate in Chengdu

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

China took over the premises of the U.S. consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu on from its consulate in Houston, Texas. Monday, after ordering the facility to be vacated in retaliation for China’s ouster last week economies that began when em Thedocuments seizure in capped a courtyard a dramatic last Tuesday, escalation hours in tensionsbefore Beijing between announced the world’s that twoit had biggest been ordered to leave the facility. The ployeesU.S. consulate at China’s in Chengdu, Houston in consulateSichuan province, were seen was burning closed as of 10 a.m. on Monday, and Chinese authorities had entered the building from the front

door,On Friday, China’s Beijing Ministry announced of Foreign that Affairs it had said asked in athe statement. U.S. to close its Chengdu post, and gave the Americans 72 hours to vacate, the same amount of time China was given to leave its Houston mission, which was shut on Friday.

Source: The Hindu

33. Malaysian ex-PM Najib Razak conviction

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

For over four decades, Najib Razak was one of the most powerful voices of Malaysian politics. The son of a former Prime Minister, a legislator for decades and an all-powerful Prime Minister for nine years, he suffered the biggest setback in his eventful career on Tuesday when a trial court found him guilty on seven corruption charges in connection with the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) financial fraud.

Extent of corruption He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined $50 million. Billions of dollars were allegedly stolen from the 1MDB an investment fund he launched in 2009 when Prime Minister by employees of the fund or of the government. The money was traced by prosecutors to a mega- — — ut $1 billion. The allegations cost him dearly, leading yacht, a Picasso painting and the Hollywood film, ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’. His bank accounts received abo Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

(UMNO), in 2018. to the first election defeat of Mr. Najib’s party, the United Malays National Organisation But infighting within the ruling coalition led by nonagenarian Mahathir Mohamad led to the Page | 87 governmentfall of the new and government, held one of the returning most powerful Mr. Najib’s men party accountable to power for earlier his actions. this year. The trial The courtcountry’s has prosecutionstayed the sentences and judiciary until awent higher ahead court with gives the a finaltrial verdict despite on the his change planned in appeal.

The verdict comes at a time when the Southeast Asian country continues to grapple with political instability. The new government of Muhyiddin Yassin has a razor-thin majority in Parliament. The Opposition, led by the charismatic Anwar Ibrahim, accused the stepson Riza Aziz and dropped 1MDB-related charges against him, which triggered a politicalgovernment backlash. of trying to help Mr. Najib. In May, prosecutors had cut a deal with Mr. Najib’s

confidence, which Prime Minister Muhyiddin has resisted so far. He would also face pressureWith Mr. from Najib’s the conviction, UMNO, whose the 39 Opposition MPs are supportingis likely to his revive government. its calls UMNO for a vote leaders of have already come out in support for Mr. Najib, calling the case politically motivated. If Mr. Muhyiddin disowns Mr. Najib, who, besides the appeals, also faces a host of other corruption charges, the Prime Minister could face a revolt from the UMNO, leading to his strengthen the Opposition narrative and prove risky for him, especially when Malaysia is goinggovernment’s through collapse.a volatile Ifphase. he interferes Ideally, Mr. in theMuhyiddin investigation should and uphold trial, the it couldlaw, respect politically the independence of the prosecution and distance his government from Mr. Najib. But that would also mean putting his government at risk.

Source: The Hindu

Geography

1. Heatwaves, floods, droughts: projections for India in coming decades

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper I; Geography

Earth Sciences recently, warns of tropical cyclones, thunderstorms, heat waves, floods and droughtsThe first ‘Assessmentin India unless of mitigationClimate Change measures over are Indian adopted Region’, soon. released The projections by the Ministryare for the of decades leading to the end of the 21st century.

Temperature * Surface air temperature over India has risen by 0.6°C per year during 1901-2018.

* Regions of North India have undergone warming more than the South, where warming has been mainly during winters. Page | 88

* Every decade between 1951-2015 had 7.4 warmer days and 3.1 warmer nights than the annual averages for daily maximum and nightly minimum respectively.

* The frequency of warm days is projected to increase by 55% and that of warm nights by 70%, both relative to 1976- 2005.

* In coming decades, the average duration of heatwaves during April-June is projected to double, and their frequency to rise by 3 to 4 times compared to 1976-2005.

* By the end of the 21st century, average temperature over India is projected to rise by 4.4°C, relative to the average temperature during 1976-2005.

* Sea surface temperatures on the tropical Indian Ocean have been rising by an average 1°C annually over 1951-2015.

Monsoon * During 1951-2015, annual rainfall over India showed a declining trend. The reduction ranged between 1-5 mm over central India, Kerala and the far Northeast regions.

* Contrarily, precipitation increased over J&K and Northwest India.

* The coming decades are projected to witness a considerable rise in the mean, extreme and inter-annual variability of rainfall associated with monsoon.

Droughts and floods * Since the 1950s, the frequency and intensity of both heavy rainfall events and dry days have gone up. These trends are prominent over Central India and South Peninsular regions during the southwest monsoon (June-September) and northeast monsoon (October- December) respectively.

* Since 1901, India has experienced 22 droughts during monsoon. In addition to an increase in the area under drought, frequency and severity too have increased during 1951-2016.

* Flood risks are higher over the east coast, West Bengal, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Konkan and cities like Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata.

* The Himalayan flood basins are projected to greater floods, due to the faster glacial and snow melting. Major flooding events are projected over the Brahmaputra, Ganga and Indus.

* Central India, Kerala, and some areas in South Peninsular and Eastern India experienced at least two droughts during 1901-2016. Page | 89

* Projections suggest an increase by one or two events per decade over Central and Northern India. Eastern India could face two more droughts per decade compared to what was experienced during 1976-2005, while the Southern Peninsula is projected to experience one or two droughts fewer.

Sea level * During 1993-2015, the sea level over the North Indian Ocean (Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal) rose by 3.3 mm per year, which is in tune with the Global Mean Sea Level (GMSL) rise.

* In an extreme climate scenario projected by the report, a risk of inundation looms over Andhra Pradesh and Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta basins. By 2030, some 340 million coastal residents of the North Indian Ocean and its islands would be exposed to coastal hazards.

Tropical cyclones * Before the 1950s, 94 severe cyclonic storms formed in the Bay of Bengal, a number that jumped to 140 post the 1950s. For those formed in the Arabian Sea, the number has risen from 29 to 44 in the same period.

* Storms in the Arabian Sea are gaining more strength and the trend is projected to continue. The number of extremely severe cyclonic storms formed in the Arabian Sea has increased in the last 20 years.

Himalaya snow cover * During the last seven decades, the Hindukush Himalayas have warmed at an average 0.2°C per decade, leading to a decline in snow cover and glaciers in the last four to five decades. The Karakoram Himalayas have reported an increase in snowfall during winter.

* By the end of the century, the Hindukush Himalayas are projected to be warmer by 2.6- 4.6°C.

Cause & effect * The main contributor to climate change is anthropogenic activities pushing up concentrations of greenhouse gases. This has led to rise in temperature and atmospheric moisture content.

* A higher concentration of water vapour, in turn, leads to intense rainfall during monsoon.

* Heating leads to vaporisation, which is directly linked to decreasing soil moisture, resulting in droughts. This can lead to reduction in food production and in availability of potable water, the report says.

Page | 90 coastal projects, the report says. * Rising sea levels would make India’s big cities vulnerable to erosion and damage to Source: The Indian Express

Economics

1. Why has Indian Railways opened doors for private players?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

Indian Railways has launched the process of opening up train operations to private entities on 109 origin destination(OD) pairs of routes using 151 modern trains. It has invited Request for Qualifications proposals, for scrutiny of vendor capabilities, from those who can bring modern trains for operations on existing rail infrastructure. At present, scheduled passenger train services remain paralysed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and various railways have been running only specials such as those for workers. Yet, the Railway Board has moved ahead with a long-pending plan, setting a tentative schedule for private train operations, expected to begin in 2023 and in 12 clusters. In December 2019, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal had said that a Group of Secretaries had gone into the question of allowing private train services. There was no proposal to allow more Tejas trains from Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC), the Minister said. The IRCTC, in which the government is the majority shareholder, was given pilot Tejas operations in the New Delhi-Lucknow, and Mumbai-Ahmedabad sectors. These - another step towards competing passenger train operations, bringing new-generation trainswere the and first attracting trains allowedinvestments to be of run an by estimated a ‘non Railway’ ₹30,000 operator. crore. The present move takes

What is the background to the decision? Several committees have gone into the expansion and the modernisation of Indian Railways. In 2015, the expert panel chaired by Bibek Debroy constituted by the Ministry of Railways a year earlier, recommended that the way forward for the railways was was“liberalisation a prerequisite and not to promote privatisation” healthy in competition order to allow and entry protect of the new interests operators of “to all stakeholders.encourage growth and improve services.” It also made it clear that a regulatory mechanism

The present invitation for private operators to submit qualification bids for 151 trains would be, in the assessment of the Railway Board, only for a fraction of the total train operations 5% of the 2,800 Mail and Express services operated by Indian Railways. The overall objective, however, is to introduce a new train travel experience for passengers who are used— to travelling by aircraft and air-conditioned buses. Page | 91

From a passenger perspective, there is a need for more train services, particularly between big cities. The Railway Board says five crore intending passengers could not be accommodated during 2019-20 for want of capacity, and there was 13.3% travel demand in excess of supply during summer and festival seasons. Without an expansion, and with growth of road travel, the share of the Railways would steadily decline in coming years.

Why is the move significant for Indian Railways? For the Railways, one of the largest organisations in the country operating not just trains for passengers and freight, but also social institutions such as hospitals and schools, it represents a radical change. According to data maintained by the World Bank, in 2018 India had 68,443 route kilometres of railways. It is among the four largest rail networks in the world, along with the United States, China, and Russia, although every kilometre of track in India covers geographical area much less than Germany, Russia, China or Canada, indicating scope for expansion.

An analysis of passenger and freight operations in the Railways, taken note of by the Economic Survey and the erstwhile Planning Commission, showed that a steady shift to other modes of travel for both categories was affecting economic growth: by as much as 4.5% of GDP-equivalent. It was estimated that a one rupee push in the railway sector would have a forward linkage effect of increasing output in other sectors by ₹2.50. The Debroy committee found this significant to take the Make in India objective forward. The panel also noted that passengers were willing to pay more, if they had guaranteed and better quality of travel and ease of access. The move‘ to augment’ capacity virtually overnight through private capital in train operations pursues this line of reasoning.

Are private train operations sustainable? Train services operated by Indian Railways cover several classes of passengers, meeting the social service obligation to connect remote locations, and adopting the philosophy of cross-subsidy for passengers in low-cost trains through higher freight tariffs. In more recent years, it has focused on revenue generation through dynamic demand-based pricing. Private operators are not expected to shoulder the burden of universal service norms, and will focus on revenue. Even the first IRCTC-run trains have a higher cost of travel between Lucknow and Delhi than a Shatabdi train on the same route that almost matches it for speed. So private operators would have to raise the level of their offering even higher, to justify higher fares, and attract a segment of the population that is ready to pay for this difference. The government would have to explain that it has monetised its expensive fixed assets such as track, signalling and stations adequately for the taxpayer, who has paid for them.

The key piece in the scheme is the independent regulator, recommended by expert committees. Before the pandemic struck, the Government of India said in the Lok Sabha in March that it had notified the resolution to set up a Rail Development Authority as a promoting competition, efficiency and economy, and protecting consumer interests. Private Page | 92 rail“recommendatory/advisory” operations can thus be seen body, as a government-led advising government pilot plan, on, not among a full programme other things, for unbundling of the monolithic Indian Railways, although the more attractive parts are being opened for private exploitation.

Source: The Hindu

2. ‘Centre won’t extend deadline for levy on foreign e-com firms’

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

The government is not considering extending the deadline for payment of Equalisation Levy by non-resident e-commerce players, even though a majority of them are yet to deposit the first installment of the tax, an official said.

The 2% equalisation levy was introduced in the 2020-21 Budget and came into effect from April 1. The deadline for payment of the first installment for April-June is July 7. The tax would be levied on consideration received by e-commerce operators from online supply of goods or services.

Equalisation Levy Equalisation Levy was introduced in India in 2016, with the intention of taxing the digital transactions i.e. the income accruing to foreign e-commerce companies from India. It is aimed at taxing business to business transactions. In this article, we cover the following:

1. Background and Relevance of Equalisation Levy Over the last decade, Information Technology has gone through an exponential expansion phase in India and globally. This has led to an increase in the supply and procurement of digital services. Consequently, this has given rise to various new business models, where there is a heavy reliance on digital and telecommunication networks.

As a result, the new business models have come with a set of new tax challenges in terms of nexus, characterization and valuation of data and user contribution. The combination of inadequacy of physical presence based nexus rules in the existing tax treaties and the possibility of taxing such payments as royalty or fee for technical services creates a fertile ground for tax disputes.

To bring in clarity in this regard, the government introduced vide Budget 2016, the equalisation levy to give effect to one of the recommendations of the BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) Action Plan.

2. Applicability of Equalisation Levy Equalisation Levy is a direct tax, which is withheld at the time of payment by the service recipient. The two conditions to be met to be liable to equalisation levy:

The payment should be made to a non-resident service provider; Page | 93 The annual payment made to one service provider exceeds Rs. 1,00,000 in one financial year.• • 3. Services Covered Under Equalisation Levy Currently, not all services are covered under the ambit of equalisation Levy. The following services covered: Online advertisement; Any provision for digital advertising space or facilities/ service for the purpose of online advertisement;• • As and when any other services are notified will be included with the aforesaid services.

4. Rate of Tax under Equalisation Levy Currently the applicable rate of tax is 6% of the gross consideration to be paid.

Example: Rohan has advertised on Facebook to expand his business. He has to pay Rs. 2,00,000 in FY 2017-18 to Facebook for the advertising services availed. Solution: Facebook will bill Rohan for an amount of Rs. 2,12,765.9

Rohan will deduct TDS at the rate of 6% of Rs. 2,12,765.9 = Rs. 12,765.9 and pay the balance of Rs. 2,00,000 ( Rs. 2,12,765.9 Rs. 12,765.9) to Facebook.

5. Due Dates for Compliance – Due date of furnishing Equalisation Levy Statement (Form-1) is on or before 30th June of Financial Year ended. This is the annual statement.

From the above example, let us assume Rohan made the payment on 15th February.

He will have to deposit the tax with the authorities by 7th March, 2019 and file the statement (i.e. Form -1) on or before 30th June, 2019.

6. Consequences of Delayed Payments In case there is a delay in payment: Interest is charged at 1% of the outstanding levy for every month or part thereof is delayed. • In case there is non-compliance on behalf of the service recipient:

•

The compliance procedure for the Equalisation Levy is the responsibility of the service recipient.

1. Penalty for failure of payment Equalisation Levy not deducted: Penalty equal to the amount of levy failed to be deducted Page | 94 (along with interest and depositing of the principal levy outstanding). • Equalisation Levy deducted but not deposited: Penalty equal to INR 1,000/day subject to the maximum of the levy failed to be deducted (along with interest and depositing of the •principal levy outstanding).

Disallowance of such expenditure in the hands of the payer (unless the defect is rectified).

2.• Penalty for failure of filing statement of compliance INR 100/day for each day the non-compliance continues.

3.• Prosecution If a false statement has been filed then the person may be subjected to imprisonment of a term up to 3 years and a fine • Source: The Hindu and Clear Tax

3. MGNREGS is important in the rescue of the poor during a time of distress

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

Poor households dependent on MNREGS The finding that 8.4 lakh poor households have completed at least 80 days of the 100-day limit for work under the MGNREGS and 1.4 lakh among those have completed the full quota, should come as no surprise. While these numbers are a fraction of the 4.6 crore households which have benefited from MGNREGS this year, the fact that many poor households have nearly completed their full quota of employment under the scheme in just the last two months (May-June 2020) is a reflection of the distress that has driven them to take recourse to it.

Relevance of MNREGS With the economy reeling after extended lockdowns following the COVID-19 pandemic and migrant labourers losing jobs in urban areas and returning to their rural homes to avoid destitution, the scheme has come as a huge relief to poor families.

season has also benefited households. The government’s decision to extend it into the monsoon

Data from this year show that in nearly two-thirds of the States, demand for MGNREGS work has doubled or even tripled in a number of districts compared to the previous year.

Only in States where kharif crop was sown, the demand was relatively lower. The fairly good monsoon this season should help with providing for more agricultural jobs beyond Page | 95 the MNREGS works as well.

Need to extend MNREGS The surging rate of demand for work under the scheme suggests that it is time the government thought about extending the limit, at least on a State-by-State basis.

The swell in agrarian employment in the monsoon season notwithstanding, the excess supply of labour owing to reverse migration from the cities could depress wages. This makes an extension of the limit of work days under the MGNREGS even more imperative.

Since its implementation over a decade ago, the scheme has acted as insurance for rural dwellers during crop failures and agrarian crises. Even before the COVID-19-induced crisis, a lack of demand and falling consumption among the poor were constraining the economy.

Suggestion for future The MGNREGS, if utilised as more than just an insurance scheme and as a vehicle for rural development, could potentially address that problem. The lessons from its successes and failures could be used for a more comprehensive job guarantee plan that covers urban India too. Besides alleviating distress, this could also boost consumption and aid economic recovery. An extension of the 100-day limit and comprehensive implementation of the scheme in rural areas can be the first step.

Source: The Hindu

4. Rising prices during pandemic

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

ing, particularly since it was the first month when the economy reopened from the crippling lockdowns of the preceding two months. June’s retail inflation reading of 6.1% is worry What is the cause of this inflation? While the disruptions caused to the supply of goods and services as a result of the nationwide shutdown can to an extent explain the acceleration in price gains, that this happened despite depressed demand is cause for disquiet.

Where is inflation witnessed?

1. A closer look at the Consumer Price Index reveals that prices in the food and beverages group rose an average 7.3% year-on-year, with the key protein sources of pulses and products surging 16.7%, meat and fish climbing 16.2%, and milk and its derivatives rising 8.4%. Page | 96 Inflation in the food category would have been much faster but for vegetables and fruits moderating the gains as anxious growers likely sold the perishables at distress rates resulting in fruits showing a 0.7% deflation and vegetables posting a marginal 1.9% gain.

2. Transport and communication, which includes petrol and diesel, also posted a 7.1% jump. The recent sustained increase in fuel prices is expected to feed through into higher costs for transporting farm produce and it is therefore hard to envisage food prices softening, at least in the near term.

3. For now, vegetable prices are reported to be surging and providers of goods and services are exploring ways to insulate their businesses financially from the weak demand.

4. Steel companies recently announced they were raising prices in response to rising costs related to iron ore and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: The Hindu

5. Google to invest Rs 33,737 cr in Jio, to develop entry-level smartphone

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

Google to invest in Jio After investments by a clutch of global tech giants including Facebook, Google has signed up with Jio Platforms, the digital subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), to invest Rs 33,737 crore (or approximately $4.5 billion) for a 7.7 per cent stake. The strategic deal would likely lead to unveiling of new technology products and solutions in India. Recently, Google said it has committed $10 billion investment in India in the next 5-7 years for

Jioempowering and Google small have businesses also entered and into building a commercial products agreement suited to the to country’sjointly develop needs. an entry- level affordable smartphone.

5G ready virtual annual general meeting (AGM), RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani said Jio has designed Making a string of announcements in the digital and telecom market at the company’s available next year. and developed a complete 5G solution that’s ready for launch as soon as spectrum is made Valuation of Jio

The investment by Google values Jio Platforms at Rs 4.36 lakh crore. With this, the total investment from financial and strategic investors into Jio Platforms stands at Rs 1,52,056 the benefits of digitisation across the length and breadth of India, beyond the current 500 pluscrore. million The investment, Internet users. RIL said, will build on Jio’s and Google’s existing efforts to expand Page | 97

Source: The Indian Express

6. China’s unexpected GDP rebound and signals for India

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

il-June quarter, driven by a bounceback in manufacturing output and a public spending boost. This signals a major China’s GDP growth has swung back sharply into the black in the Apr are reeling under the impact of the Covid-19 spread. turnaround in the world’s second largest economy, even as much of the economies globally The numbers are being closely watched as China, the first country to brace the Covid-19 storm, progressively restarts its economy. The figures from Beijing for the second quarter clearly point towards a V-shaped recovery a sharp fall followed by an equally sharp recovery. China also effectively sidesteps a technical recession, which is signified by two consecutive quarters of negative growth. –

The two significant takeaways for countries such as India are these: the recovery in economic activity, if Chi controlling the coronavirus spread, alongside the quality of policy support, even if the scale of spending is modest. na is an indication, is directly linked to a country’s success in

The significance of China’s GDP numbers A 3.2% year-on-year GDP growth Thursday overshadowed the 6.8% contraction recorded in the first quarter of calendar year 2020. While the year-on-year GDPannounced growth is by still China’s far below National the 6% Bureau growth of recorded Statistics for the four quarters of 2019, the sharp recovery is being seen as a big positive. Nomura - in controlling the coronavirus and policy support, according to a Nikkei report. China’s chief economist, Lu Ting, attributed the second quarter growth to China’s success Why are these numbers important for countries still grappling with the pandemic? The sharp recovery in growth offers some pointers to other countries, imparting weight to the argument that the size of the fiscal package is not such a big determinant, but instead the quality of spending could hold the key. Alongside this, the swiftness with which a country manages to bring the epidemic under control is crucial.

-19 related support policies, including spending, loans and guarantees, amounted to just 2.5% of GDP, as compared to 11% for the US, over 20% Accordingfor Japan, and to the 34% IMF, for China’s Germany. COVID

So, while the size of the package was relatively small, what mattered is that in China Page | 98 where one-half of GDP is driven by consumption Beijing seems to have rightly focussed on maintaining consumption by attempting to put money in the hands of consumers. China— did this through pre-paid vouchers for specific products— and other related measures.

What are the signals for India? lief of under two per cent of GDP has faced criticism for being too small to mitigate the adverse impact of the economic crisis triggered byIn India,the Covid-19 the Central pandemic government’s and subsequent fiscal re lockdown one of the harshest in the world. But unlike in China where the efforts to put money directly into the hands of the people is in —India, much of the Rs 20 lakh crore Covid-19 economic –package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 12 has clearlybeen liquidity in sharp driven, contrast with to littleNew Delhi’s burden strategy on the Central– exchequer. It has been primarily focused on pushing banks to extend credit on the back of government guarantees to sectors that include small businesses, non-banking financial companies, microfinance institutions and housing finance companies.

With most economic activities losing two months of output and subsequent localised lockdowns being announced by states in the wake of the surge in case load, the recovery process looks like it would be an extended one. The research division of global investment

Citigroup Inc has sharply revised its forecast for the Indian economy, with India expected tobanking contract firm by Goldman6% in the Sachs financial has year projected 2020-21 a 5%as contraction in India’s GDP estimates. its previous estimate for a 3.5% decline. per Citi’s latest estimates, steeper than Source: The Indian Express

7. How the new public procurement restrictions target China

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

After a series of measures to prevent the influx of Chinese products and investments into India, the government has now amended the General Financial Rules, 2017 to impose curbs on public procurement from bidders of countries that share a land border with India.

This latest move by the government, on grounds of defence and national security, is expected to affect mainly Chinese entities as countries to which lines of credit or development assistance have been extended are exempted from the fresh restrictions.

The new order

Any bidder from countries which share land borders with India will be eligible only if it is registered with the Registration Committee constituted by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and will be required to take mandatory political and security clearance from the Ministries of External and Home Affairs, respectively. The central government has also directed state governments to implement this order for all Page | 99 public procurement.

Apart from attached ministries and departments and subordinate bodies, this new order will be applicable to all autonomous bodies, public sector banks and financial institutions, central public sector enterprises, public-private partnerships receiving financial support from the government or public sector undertakings, union territories and National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi and the linked agencies.

Exceptions to the order Relaxation will be provided for the procurement of medical supplies for containment of COVID-19 global pandemic till December 31. Also, the order for prior registration will not apply for countries to which the Government of India extends lines of credit or provides development assistance, even if it shares a land border with India.

India shares its border with China, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. As per official data, out of these land-border sharing countries, the government has extended lines of credit to Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar, exempting them from this new order. India has extended lines of credit totalling $30.59 billion with 64 countries including 41 from Africa. — This order will also not apply to cases where orders have been placed or a contract has been concluded or letter of acceptance has been issued, but new tenders will be covered under this order. Also, if the first stage of evaluation of qualifications has not been completed in the already invited tenders, bidders not registered under the new order will be treated as not qualified.

Previous anti-China measures The government has been taking a series of measures in recent months to restrict the inflow of Chinese investments and products into the country.

On June 23, the government made it mandatory for sellers on the Government e- Marketplace (GeM) portal to clarify the country of origin of their goods when registering new products. The GeM portal now allows buyers to reserve a bid for Class I local suppliers, or suppliers of those goods with more than 50 per cent local content. For bids below Rs 200 crore, only Class I and Class II (those with more than 20 per cent local content) are eligible.

The government had also announced an interim ban on 59 apps with Chinese links

security. including TikTok, ShareIt, UC Browser, CamScanner and WeChat citing “emergent threats” Website:to the country’s www.prepmate.in sovereignty and national Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Following the clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley on June 15, the government departments to launch an offensive against imports from China. At $ 70.32 billiongovernment in 2018-19 had also and $pushed 62.38 billion for “Atmanirbhar between April Bharat”, 2019 and which February prompted 2020, several China accounts for the highest proportion of goods imported into India (around 14 per cent in Page | 100 2019-2020 so far).

Earlier in April, the government had amended the FDI rules mandating prior approval for investment by entities in countries that share land borders with India. The move came days

Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) to over one per cent. after China’s central bank, the People’s Bank of China (PBoC), raised its shareholding in The government stated that prior approval was compulsory for foreign investments from domestic firms following the Covid-19 pandemic. all the countries sharing borders with India to prevent “opportunistic takeovers” of Source: The Indian Express

8. In stock market high, some fears

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

Markets around the world have surged since end-March, seemingly oblivious to the pandemic. The NASDAQ Composite has hit new lifetime highs, Dow and DAX have - month high this month. The Sensex has gained over 40% since hitting a low of 25,981 on Marchregistered 23 over and continues50% gains to since rise evenMarch, as anddaily Brazil’s case numbers Bovespa have Index gone hit froma more around than 9,000four in the first week of June to 40,000-45,000 now. – Signs of a bubble? Financial asset bubbles typically build up when the surge in financial market indices fail to reflect the underlying valuations of the asset class for an extended period. The primary reason why markets are rallying is the mega stimulus packages announced by global central banks. The US rally started at the same time when the decks were cleared for the most expensive bailout in US history. Three weeks later, the Federal Reserve announced it would inject another $2.3 trillion through unprecedented emergency initiatives targeted at small and midsize businesses, and state and municipal governments.

With the Fed starting to buy up government debt and undertaking to purchase private assets including the corporate debt of companies such as AT&T, Tesla, Apple and Coca- Cola while also lending directly to a range of market participants, share and bond prices have soared.– Most companies tried to get over the slide in revenues by attempting to raise fresh– capital, both by selling shares and issuing new bonds. Globally, nearly $5.5 trillion is

estimated to have been raised so far this year. This has triggered a windfall on Wall Street, and a cascading rally across other bourses.

What’s the problem? The stimulus may have juiced the market recovery since April, but analysts say the S&P 500 Page | 101 an index that measures the stock performance of 500 large companies, and is one of the best representations of US stock markets has underlying weaknesses: unrealistic valuation— multiples and overleveraged corporate balance sheets. — now moving in tandem, which does not typically happen. The Fed will deliver an update on interestAnother ratemajor policy distortion and the triggered economy by on the Wednesday. Fed’s intervention is that stocks and bonds are

There is a growing view that the rally could crash once it runs out of the fuel of fiscal and monetary policy support. There are signs of distress already: trading volumes in American bourses have dipped, and there are indications that big businesses, already saturated, will not need so much new money. Another significant signal is coming up the boosted employment provision under the CARES Act will expire on July 31. While Congress is discussing —

the second stimulus, reports suggest it’s unlikely to come through by July 31. business debt during this period, but all this could change once the government stimulus tapersThe US off.Fed The and largest Treasury American have together banks havebackstopped stashed overaway 10% over of $50 America’s billion entireto prepare stock for of

Citigroupthe fallout. CEO “We Michael are in aCorbat completely said earlier unpredictable this month. environment… The pandemic has a grip on the economy, and it doesn’t seem likely to loosen until vaccines are widely available,” Kevin Smith, founder of the hedge fund Crescat Capital, has predicted that the Dow and S&P 500 are on the verge of a Great Depression-level crash. Smith has repeatedly said that the stock -1929 but a near 50% rally followedmarket from trendlate 1929 now until is similar March to1930. the After 1930 that, “relief stocks rally” fell in more the wakethan 80%, of the and ‘Black the unprecedentedMonday’ crash. bear During market that ultimately crash, stocks wiped fell nearly 45% in90% mid off the Dow.—

Situation in Indian markets A US crash could have a cascading impact, and India could be caught in the maelstrom on account of both the slide in the US and intrinsic issues relating to the fundamentals of Indian markets. Both BSE and NSE have rebounded about 43% since crashing to a four- year low in March as huge flows of cheap capital provided by central banks have turned heavily-discounted stocks attractive. At present, though, the Sensex earnings multiplier of over 24, and Price/Book multiple of nearly 3 are uncomfortably high and a widespread sell-off is a distinct possibility, analysts say. —

share, a market(Earnings capitalisation multiplier pegsto its atangible company’s asset current value; ratios stock priceof under in terms1 are typically of the earnings considered per to be solidnd investments.)provides an idea of whether it is overly expensive. P/B is the ratio of a firm’s Page | 102 their earnings, the vulnerabilities in the Sensex valuations appear all too obvious. Early bird results for the June 2020 quarter point toGiven a slightly that companies better-than-expected won’t see a sharpshowing increase by India in Inc, helped largely by a good showing by IT companies, financial services, and PSUs. The combined gross profit of the 90-odd companies that have declared results was down nearly 10% year on year, while net profit and toplines were down about 3.5% in the April-June quarter. However, these numbers are likely to worsen as more companies announce results.

on pushing banks to extend credit on the back of government guarantees to small businesses,Also, in India, non-banking much of the financialgovernment’s companies, relief package microfinance has been institutions, liquidity driven, and housingfocused finance companies. Over the last three months, RBI has cut its key policy rate by 115 basis points, and announced a liquidity injection of around Rs 8 lakh crore in the financial markets since its first announcement on March 27. Market analysts say that with so much liquidity worldwide and very few places for it to go, much of the money is finding its way into stock markets.

Another concern is non-performing assets for banks, which may begin to show up after the moratorium period ends on August 31. An MSME distress funding scheme is open until October 31. Once end-by dates are reached, a shock could follow.

Foreign portfolio investment (FPI) inflows have jumped after the record net outflows of nearly Rs 62,000 crore in March 2020. In May and June, FPIs have invested a net Rs 36,400 crore in Indian equities. There has also been a sharp jump in the market share of non- institutional (retail) investors in the cash segment the highest since August 2009.

In the medium term, the fundamental risks to the global— economy look like increasing, with the pandemic nowhere near ending. FY21 is a washout in terms of earnings, and this distress will start getting reflected in market valuations soon. There are also red flags in fresh NPAs for banks, which will begin to show up after the moratorium period ends on August 31. In its July Financial Stability Report, the RBI noted that the gross NPA ratio of all scheduled commercial banks may increase from 8.5% in March 2020 to 12.5% by March 2021 under the baseline scenario. If the macroeconomic environment worsens, the ratio may increase to 14.7% in the very severely stressed scenario, it added.

Experts feel that a lag in economic revival, demand in the economy, and reinstatement of income levels may lead to stress in all segments corporates, MSME and retail in the December 2020 quarter. If a sell-off were to start in the US, many stock markets, including in India, could be pushed into the doldrums. — –

Source: The Indian Express

9. Govt. notifies 100% FDI in Air India for NRIs

Page | 103 Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

In a move that is likely to have an impact on the sale of the national carrier, the government has notified amendments to Foreign Exchange Management rules and allowed NRIs 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in Air India.

The gazette notification follows a Cabinet nod for the same in March this year. The amendment removes the exception which permitted Overseas Citizens of India 100% FDI in air transport, but not Air India. This category of citizens has been replaced with NRIs, now allowed to commit 100% FDI in air transport, including Air India, through automatic route.

exceed 49% either directly or indirectly except in case of those NRIs, who are Indian “Foreign investments in m/s Air India Limited, including that of foreign airlines shall not according to the notification on the third amendment to FEMA (non-debt instruments) Rules,nationals, 2020. where foreign investments is permitted up to 100% under automatic route,”

Source: The Hindu

10. With GST collections set to shrink, the Centre must find new ways to compensate States

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

Four months into FY2020-21, the Centre has finally managed to pay States the compensation due to them for the previous year under the GST regime. This may come as a breather for States seeking to finance efforts to ramp up public health-care capacity and contain COVID- ₹13,806 crore for March 2020 was paid out recently, taking the total payments for the year to ₹1,65,302 crore.19’s detrimental effects on vulnerable sections. The last instalment of

To refresh, States were guaranteed compensation from the Centre for the first five years of the new indirect tax regime introduced in July 2017, for the revenues they lost after the shift from the earlier system where States had the power to levy some indirect taxes on revenue, with 2015-16 as the base year, and was to be paid out from a compensation cess leviedeconomic on top activity. of the Thisspecified compensation GST rate on assumed luxury and a 14%sin goods. annual With growth growth rate down in aover State’s the previous fiscal year even before the pandemic waylaid the economy, the assumptions of the

not-too-distant past are beginning to hurt. Compensation cess under GST last year was almost ₹70,000 crore less than the payments due to States.

This gap is likely to enlarge further this year with expected economic contraction denting GST collections as well. Compensation cess inflows could shrink even more with people Page | 104 curbing discretionary spending on luxury goods in order to conserve capital or stay afloat in the pandemic- been plugged by tapping cess balances from the first two years of GST implementation. The rest has been conjuredhit economy. up from A the little Consolidated over half of Fund the shortfall of India inby lastdebiting year’s Integrated cess kitty GSThas (IGST) funds that were lying with the Centre. IGST is levied on inter-State supply of goods and services and some of this levy collected in 2017-18 the first year of GST when systems were still a tad ad-hoc had not yet been allocated to States. Having thus drawn on these unintended contingent reserves, paying compensation— to States this year is going to be even more daunting for the— Centre. At the last GST Council meeting in June, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said the Council would convene again in July just to discuss the possible alternatives to deal with this particular conundrum. The chief solution officials have been fleshing out is for the Centre to raise special loans against future GST cess accruals in order to help meet its compensation promise to States. There is no sign of s thrown up multiple challenges for North Block mandarins is understandable. But with a third of the fiscalthat meeting year almost being over, scheduled it would yet. help That the the Centre pandemic’s and the economic States to havoc battle hathe virus more effectively if they had more certainty and clarity on the cash at their disposal.

Source: The Hindu

11. GST proceeds: what’s due to states, and what Centre proposes

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

The distribution of GST proceeds has triggered a new flashpoint in Centre-state relations amid fresh indications of delayed compensation payments and dues to the states.

While the Centre on Monday released Rs 13,806 crore to the states for March 2020, wrapping up the full payout for FY20 at Rs 1.65 lakh crore, compensation payments for this financial year since April remain pending. Key Finance Ministry officials are reported to pay states in the near future. have briefed the Standing Committee on Finance Tuesday about the Centre’s inability to months of pending dues are equivalent to two months of salaries bills of the state. Kerala Punjab has responded by flagging the need for “timely GST payments”, stating that four anerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra has described the reported statement by Ministry officials as a “brazen betrayal of federal trust”. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata B Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Modi earlier this week, urging the Centre to release GST compensation worth Rs 4,135 crore for April and May.

Why has GST compensation been an issue? The concerns started surfacing in October last year, when the payments to states got Page | 105 delayed as GST revenues came in lower than expected. The Covid-19 pandemic has deepened the economic slowdown and impacted revenues, with GST collections recording a 41% decline in the April-June quarter.

As the amount to be paid to states started rising with a compounded 14% rate even as compensation collections remained around the same level for two consecutive years, the high 14% rate has been viewed as delinked from economic realities. For instance, in the ongoing financial year, the SGST (state GST) revenue for June has been Rs 23,970 crore, while monthly protected revenue is Rs 63,706 crore, leaving a gap of Rs 39,736 crore (not taking into account settlement of IGST, the tax levied on all inter-state supplies of goods and services). Only Rs 14,675 crore has been collected as compensation cess in April-June, including Rs 7,665 crore in June.

The Centre has cleared compensation dues for FY20 of Rs 1.65 lakh crore, while the collection under the compensation cess fund was only Rs 95,444 crore, implying the payments were over 70% higher than the collection.

The gap was partly bridged by money from the compensation fund that had remained unutilised in the first two years of GST, along with Rs 33,412 crore that was ploughed back from Consolidated Fund of India to the compensation fund. (This was after the settlement of IGST dues had showed an excess apportionment by the Centre in FY18, due to the ad-hoc method of IGST settlement being followed in the first few months after the GST rollout in July 2017.)

Now, compensation payments to states are pending since April.

How much is transferred to the compensation fund? In the Budget for 2020-21, while announcing the transfer of balances due from the collections for 2016-17 and 2017-18 in two instalments to the GST Compensation Fund, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that henceforth, transfers to the fund would

Vijaybe “limited Kelkar, only former to collection Finance bySecretary way of GSTand compensation13th Finance Commissioncess”. Chairman, and Pune -authored a recent paper that questioned

International Centre’s Senior Fellow V Bhaskart transfer co to the Fund only to compensation cess thiscollections proposition. seems “Whilemore a thefiscal Centre’s aspiration position than appearsa legal compulsion. legally tenable, Section it does10(1) not of the appear Act ethically defensible… its decision to restric y wrote. allows for ‘other amounts’ also to be credited to the Compensation fund with the approval Website:of the GST www.prepmate.in Council,” the Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

At present, the cess levied on sin and luxury goods such as tobacco and automobiles flows into the compensation fund. In the GST Council meetings in early 2017, states had suggested alternative sources of revenue for the compensation fund in case of a shortfall,

Page | 106 bewith paid borrowing for 5 years among in full the within options. the stipulated Minutes ofperiod the 8th of 5 GST years Council and, in meeting case the state: amount “The in Hon’blethe GST Chairperson Compensation (then Fund Finance fell shortMinister of Arun the compensation Jaitley) that compensation payable in any to States bimonthly shall period, the GST Council shall decide the mode of raising additional resources including borrowing from the market which could be repaid by collection of cess in the sixth year or

Whatfurther are subsequent the options years.” for meeting the compensation gap? Market borrowing has been discussed in the GST Council as one of the possible solutions, although the legality of the Council in borrowing will need to be explored. There is also an emerging view among states in favour of hiking the GST rates or restructuring the GST slabs. The states, however, agree that tinkering with the rate structure needs to be done only after the effects of the pandemic-induced slowdown wear off.

There are differing views among states on the Council itself resorting to market borrowing. While Kerala backs such a move and Bihar opposes it, all states are unanimous on sticking to the 14% assured rate for compensation. Some states are also of the view that the compensation period should be extended beyond the stated period of five years.

Hiking the cess rate or lowering of the guaranteed compensation rate have featured in the discussions of GST Council meetings, but states are not in favour of either option. As per estimates shared by Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, even if revenue collections in 2020-21 are projected at 65% of the revenues collected in 2019-20, there would be a revenue gap of Rs 2,67,000 crore for states. Even if a 5% cess is levied on high- end luxury goods, which form about 10% of the overall GST base, it would only yield about Rs 22,000-25,000 crore per annum, he had earlier said.

In their paper, Kelkar and Rao have said the Centre should promptly respond to the demand from states to pay them overdue compensation cess by borrowing from the even if the guaranteed rate of revenue of 14% is inordinately high in the present COVID led market. “Though it does not appear to be legally liable, it has a moral imperative to do so, be considered if the losses for states continue. economic downturn,” the paper said, adding that a restructuring of the GST model should When are these issues being taken up next? In the previous GST Council meeting in June, it was decided that the next meeting would be convened in July and will be a one-agenda meeting, focusing only on compensation. The meeting is yet to be convened.

Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac on Wednesday called for an immediate Council meeting.

Source: The Indian Express Page | 107 Environment

1. Reading the draft Environment Impact Assessment norms

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Environment

On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court extended till August 11 the deadline for public feedback on the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification 2020. This was after the government had changed the deadline from August 10 to June 30.

The Covid-19 emergency had delayed the publication of the draft in the Gazette by 19 days. So, when thousands emailed to seek an extension to the mandatory 60-day window for public feedback, the Environment Ministry top brass thought it fit to allow another 60 days until August 10.

But Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar set the new deadline on June 30, limiting the extension to only 20 days. This did not go down well with activists who have been pushing

Tuesday. for the draft’s withdrawal altogether. Activists moved court, leading to the extension on Activists claim that far from an improvement, the 2020 draft is a regressive departure from the 2006 version it seeks to replace.

Background A signatory to the Stockholm Declaration (1972) on Environment, India enacted laws to control water (1974) and air (1981) pollution soon after. But it was only after the Bhopal gas leak disaster in 1984 that the country legislated an umbrella Act for environmental protection in 1986.

Under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, India notified its first EIA norms in 1994, setting in place a legal framework for regulating activities that access, utilise, and affect (pollute) natural resources. Every development project has been required to go through the EIA process for obtaining prior environmental clearance ever since.

The 1994 EIA notification was replaced with a modified draft in 2006. Earlier this year, the government redrafted it again to incorporate the amendments and relevant court orders

issued since 2006, and to make the EIA “process more transparent and expedient.” Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

The contention Though established to safeguard the environment, the EIA process, argue activists, often achieved the opposite by offering a façade of legal paperwork for a range of de facto concessions enjoyed by industries. Page | 108 t the bedrock of the EIA process are frequently shoddy and consultant agencies that prepare thoseFor example, reports reports for a feeon projects’ are rarely potential held accountable. (damaging) Lack impact of on administrative the environmen capacity— to ensure compliance often renders— long lists of clearance conditions meaningless. Then there are periodic amendments exempting one category of industries or the other from scrutiny. On the other hand, developers complain that the EIA regime dampened the spirit of liberalisation, leading to red tape and rent-seeking. Delay in project clearance during the UPA-II rule became an election issue in 2014 when then prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi hit out at the Congress by claiming that files did not move in the

EnvironmentRed flags Ministry till “Jayanthi tax” was paid. The 2020 draft offers no remedy for the political and bureaucratic stronghold on the EIA discretionary power while limiting public engagement in safeguarding the environment. process, and thereby on industries. Instead, it proposes to bolster the government’s While projects concerning national defence and security are naturally considered strategic,

. This opens a thewindow government for summary gets to clearance decide on for the any “strategic” project deemed tag for otherstrategic projects. without The having 2020 todraft explain says nowhy. information on “such projects shall be placed in the public domain”

Additionally, the new draft exempts a long list of projects from public consultation. For example, linear projects such as roads and pipelines in border areas will not require any coverpublic much hearing. of the The Northeast, ‘border area’the repository is defined as “area falling within 100 kilometres aerial distance from the Line of Actual Control with bordering countries of India.” That would What’s exempt of the country’s richest biodiversity. All inland waterways projects and expansion/widening of national highways two focus areas of the government and championed by Nitin Gadkari, the minister in charge of the sectors concerned will be exempt from prior clearance. These include roads— that cut through forests and dredging of major rivers. — The 2020 draft also exempts most building construction projects of built-up area up to s December 2016 notification that was set aside by the National Green Tribunal in December 2017. The government1,50,000 sq subsequently m. This is amoved reiteration the Supreme of the Court Environment but did not Ministry’ get any relief.

The big shift The two most significant changes in the new draft are the provisions for post-facto project clearance and abandoning the public trust doctrine. Projects operating in violation of the Environment Act will now be able to apply for clearance. It is a reiteration of a March 2017 notification for projects operating without clearance. Page | 109

All a violator will need are two plans for remediation and resource augmentation corresponding to 1.5- cough up Rs 2,000-10,000 per day for2 the times period “the of ecological delay. Consider damage the assessedimpact of andthis penalty economic on, benefitsay, an illegalderived sand due miner to violation”. who takes For out such several late applications,truckloads every a developer day. will have to

Infacto an clearance.order on AprilThis would1, the Supremebe contrary Court to both held the“ex precautionarypost facto environmental principle as clearanceswell as the” contrary to law. It said: “Environment law cannot countenance the notion of an ex post

Theneed 2020 for sustainable draft also spellsdevelopment.” out how the government will take cognisance of such violations. It has to be reported either by a government authority or the developers themselves. There is no scope for any public complaint about violations. Instead, the reliance is on the violators to disclose, suo motu, that they broke the law.

Legal question An EIA notification is issued under Section 3 of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, to impose restrictions on setting up new projects or expansion or modernisation of existing projects. The section stipulates that such measures must benefit the environment.

to be treated as a measure referable to Section 3, it must satisfy the statutory requirement ofIn beingthe April necessary 1 order, or the expedient Supreme for Court the purposealso said: of “For protecting an action and of improvingthe Central the government quality of

Asthe the environment window for and public preventing, feedback controlling to the 2020 and draft abating was environment extended on pollution”.Tuesday, its various provisions ai open the question if the notification is aligned to the purpose of the Environment Act. med at facilitating the government’s doctrine of “ease of doing business” keep Source: The Indian Express

2. Why annual floods are essential for the survival of Kaziranga National Park

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Environment

As a fresh wave of floods ravages Assam, killing 73 and affecting nearly 40 lakh people across the state, 85 per cent of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) remains submerged. On Thursday, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal visited the park to take stock of the situation. So far, 125 animals have been rescued and 86 have died, including rhinos, deer and wild boar, in the sixth worst flood since 1988. Page | 110

Yet, the annual deluge is considered essential for the survival of the UNESCO World floods can become a problem, and what can be done to keep it in check. Heritage Site. We explain the role of floods in Kaziranga’s ecosystem, how increasing high What is the role of floods in Kaziranga’s ecosystem? Assam is traditionally flood prone, and the 1,055 sq km KNPTR sandwiched between the Brahmaputra river and the Karbi Anglong Hills is no exception. Among experts there is a consensus that floods are necessary for Kaz — riverine ecosystem, not a solid landmass- — iranga by virtue of its ecosystem. “Itformed is a by alluvial deposits from the Brahmaputrabased and ecosystem,”its tributaries said P is Sivakumar, centred around Director, the KNPTR,river. “The system won’t survive without water.” The entire area of Kaziranga — —

According to Uttam Saikia, Honorary Wildlife Warden of Kaziranga, this “floodplain eco Thesystem” regenerative has not only nature been of created floods byhelps floods reple but also feeds off it. its landscape, a mix of wetlands, grasslands and semi-evergreen deciduous forests. Saikia nish Kaziranga’s water bodies and maintain away by the receding waters into the Brahmaputra in a way, the park replenishes the said the floodwaters also function as a breeding ground for fish. “The same fish are carried — Theriver’s waters stock alsoof fish help too,” get he rid said. of unwanted plants such as water hyacinth which collect in -dominated area like Kaziranga, it is important we maintain its grassland status. If it were not for the annual floods, the area huge masses in the landscape. “In a herbivore would become a woodland,” said Sivakumar. especially the old, weak cannot survive the floods. Only the ones with superior genes Many also believe that floods are a way of natural selection. “A number of animals — — Cansurvive,” the floods said Rabindra become Sarma, problematic Wildlife for Research Kaziranga? Officer at KNPTR since 1998. man, who heads the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), which takes in injured and “Earlier, a big flood would come once in ten years,” said Rathin Bar that massive deforestation in catchment areas or release of waters by dams upstream may orphaned wild animals of the park. “Now, they happen every other year,” he said, adding

be contributory factors. Climate change models, too, predict that floods will become increasingly devastating with each year.

Barring 2018, the years between 2016 and 2020 have all featured high floods (or floods which submerge more than 60 per cent of the park) killing and injuring hundreds of Page | 111 animals.

Animals adapt naturally to floods but when the waters hit a certain level, they gravitate towards safer, higher ground in the Karbi Anglong hills.

While in the past, Kaziranga and Karbi Anglong were part of the same landscape, the animals now have to cross the bustling National Highway 37 which cuts across the park. wildlife corridors on the highway Panbari, Haldibari, Bagori, Harmati, Kanchanjuri, Hatidandi,“Over the years,Deosur, the Chirang highway and isAmguri getting increasingly tough to cross. A few of the nine Deputy Director and Veterinary— Advisor, The Corbett Foundation, Kaziranga. , shops,— are and choked ancillary by structures traffic,” said of theDr teaNaveen industry Pandey, has

“Mushrooming of hotels, restaurants notAs a helped result, either.” animals that venture out of the park, die either under the wheels of speeding vehicles on the highway, or are killed by poachers who take advantage of their vulnerability. In recent years, due to vigilant patrolling, these numbers have decreased. Those that remain in the park often young or the very old die by drowning, entangled in the debris under water as they try to swim. — — According to Dr Varun Goswami, Senior Scientist at Conservation Initiatives, an Assam- based organisation that works in the Kaziranga landscape, wildlife in KNPTR have adapted to the natural flood regime by finding refuge on higher ground south of the park. If their safe passage is not ensured, major floods can cause serious losses.

This year four rhinos as well as a number of boar and deer have drowned, and 14 hog deer have died in road accidents so far. The authorities will be able to ascertain the actual number of deaths only once the waters recede.

How does it affect the fringe villages? As per Sarma, at least 25 out of 75 fringe villages on the southern periphery of the park are affected by the floods. Fleeing floodwaters, animals stray from the boundary of the park, and there is an increased interaction between humans and wildlife, at times leading to frontlineconflict. “Rhino staff of calves the forest get separated department from and their other mothers, organisations tigers swim such and as take Wildlife refuge Trust inside of homes, deer amble into villages,” said Sarma. Even so, most villagers, guiding along with strayed the animals to safer ground, treating those injured and generally keeping a strict vigil round theIndia’s clock. CWRC, are part of the tough rescue operations during the floods —

What measures are taken to prepare for the flood? Preparedness begins a month before floods hit. The authorities keep a track of updates from the Central Water Commission, and monitor water levels of the Brahmaputra tributaries upstream in Arunachal Pradesh. Page | 112 According to Dr Pandey, the civil administration, park authority, NGOs, and local -to- door vaccination is organised every year pre- hereafter, camps are organisedcommunities to work create together awareness to tackle against the poaching floods. “To and avoid harming disease wild outbreaks, animals a that door are floods,” he said, “T

Moreover,rendered vulnerable when the during floods the hit, floods.” Section 144 is imposed along NH-37, speed limits are enforced and fines levied. Barricades are also placed to help animals cross over to Karbi season. Anglong. The efforts of the forest department’s frontline staff become crucial during the How helpful are Kaziranga’s artificial highlands? Over the years, another mitigation measure has been artificial highlands (111 in the Nineties, 33 in 2016-17) built inside the park for wild animals to take refuge in during the flood.

While these highlands have helped a fair bit in reducing the number of animal casualties during floods, some feel th

at it is not especially a ‘permanent rhino andsolution’. swamp deer but it is not viable to

“Animals do take refuge there — — build more highlands since such constructions will ruin the natural ecosystem,” said Sarma, terming the highlands a “temporary refuge.” “These 33 highlands cannot accommodate all Accordinganimals of toKaziranga, Honorary and Wildlife the older Warden ones areSaikia, more some or less animals dilapidated,” do not take he said. to the highlands g to natural highlands of Karbi Anglong for centuries; henaturally. said. “They have been migratin suddenly these artificial constructions do not inspire confidence, they do not find it secure,” So, what is the solution? Experts believe that emphasis needs to be put on securing animal corridors and ensuring a safe passage to the Karbi hills.

To that end, a 35-km-long flyover constructed over NH-37 was proposed by the Centre in September 2019.

Siv “While this flyover will help, 35 km is a lengthy stretch and might take time to build,” said akumar, “So the focus should be on doing it quickly, using modern technology that will Website:cause minimal www.prepmate.in disturbance to the animals during construction.” Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

In April 2019, the Supreme Court banned all types of mining and related activities along the ern boundary and in the entire catchment area of the rivers that originate in the Karbi Anglong hill ranges and flow into Kaziranga, as well as new construction activitiespark’s south in private lands on nine animal corridors. Page | 113 Apart from facilitating safe and unhindered wildlife movement, Dr. Goswami of Conservation Initiatives recommends the need for a landscape-scale conservation its rich grassland habitats has a primary role to play in supporting these wildlife populations,approach that but recognises the highlands the value of Karbi of the Anglong, Karbi Anglong where hillsthese to animals the south. take “Kaziranga, refuge, are with the

Source:lifeline of The the Indianpark during Express the floods,” he said.

3. At 2,967 tigers, India’s capacity at peak

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Environment

working on a programme to provide water and fodder to animals at the forest itself to deal withIndia the has challenge 70% of theof human-animal world’s tigers. conflict Mr. Javadekar that was also causing announced the death that of animals.his Ministry For this,was Lidar-based survey technology will be used for the first time. Lidar is a method of measuring distance by illuminating the target with laser light and measuring the reflection with a sensor.

Number of tigers in India India has 2,967 tigers, a third more than in 2014, according to results of a census made public on July 29 last year. The present survey is a more granular estimate of these numbers.

Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of tigers at 526, closely followed by Karnataka (524) and Uttarakhand (442). Chhattisgarh and Mizoram saw a decline in tiger population

Source:and all other The StatesHindu saw a “positive” increase, according to a press statement.

Science and Technology

1. What is Covaxin, India’s Covid-19 vaccine candidate; how long before approval?

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

Bharat Biotech In firstIndia’s indigenous top drug Covid-19regulator, vaccine the Central candidate Drugs to Standard receive thisControl approval, Organisation, the firm has said. allowed These trials are scheduleddia to (BBIL)start across to conduct India in human July. clinical trials for ‘Covaxin’, making it the Page | 114 What is ‘Covaxin’ and how was it developed? Covaxin is a vaccine candidate to developed by BBIL against the novel coronavirus (Covid-

Virology (NIV). 19) in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Institute of As part of this collaboration, NIV isolated a strain of the virus from an asymptomatic Covid- 19 patient and transferred it to BBIL early in May. The firm then used it to work on a vaccine that uses a dead virus at its high containment facility in Hyderabad. developing an “inactivated” vaccine– – ine is injected into a human, it has no potential to infect or replicate, since it is a killed virus. It just serves to the immune system as a dead virus and mounts an “Once the vacc usually have a better safety record. antibody response towards the virus,” said the company, adding that inactivated vaccines -clinical testing, which is when the vaccine is tested on animals like guinea pigs and mice to see if it is safe, before the firm approached CDSCO for approvalsBBIL’s Covaxin to move then on underwent to the next pre stage of testing human trials.

What does the approval mean for India? — The Drug Controller General of India, who heads CDSCO, has given Bharat Biotech approvals to begin testing its vaccines on humans through phase I and II clinical trials. This brings India a step closer to finalising a domestically developed Covid-19 vaccine for its population in the national capital. –a positive sign at a time when the country’s cases continue to surge, especially The first phase, usually conducted on a small group of individuals, tries to find what dosage of the vaccine is safe for use, whether it is effective in building their immunity to the virus and whether there are any side effects. The second phase is conducted on a larger group comprising hundreds of persons fitting the description of those for whom the vaccine is intended using characteristics like age and sex. This phase tests how effective the vaccine is on the population group being studied.

How many more stages of testing would the vaccine have to go through before approval? Vaccines, like most new drugs, are meant to follow a clinical testing process spanning four stages, starting with pre-clinical tests and ending with phase III studies conducted on thousands of patients. After approval from the regulator, the firm has to continue

monitoring the use of its vaccine on patients and submit post-marketing surveillance details, which checks for any long-term unintended adverse effects of the product.

Bharat Biotech plans to begin its phase I and II trials in July, but is unsure of the overall timeline for testing and approving its vaccine. Page | 115

clinical trials are about to commence. Based on the success results of phase I and phase II, we“At will the momentprogress weto the are larger not sure clinical how trials. the vaccine Thereafter, is going the licensure to perform timelines in the humans, will be set as

Whatout upon other receiving Indian regulatory companies approvals,” are working said BBIL. on a Covid-19 vaccine candidate? What stage are they at? Other Indian firms engaged in the development of Covid-19 vaccines include Zydus Cadila, Serum Institute of India and, since earlier this month, Panacea Biotec.

While Panacea is still in the pre-clinical stage, it is not clear whether Zydus and Serum have completed their preclinical studies and have also applied to CDSCO for approval to conduct human trials yet.

How does Covaxin compare to other vaccine candidates around the world? Where does it figure in the global race for a Covid-19 vaccine? Covaxin has reached a more advanced stage of testing than two other vaccine candidates that Bharat Biotech is developing through global collaborations the first is in collaboration with Thomas Jefferson University, while the second is with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and vaccine maker FluGen. Both these candidates are— currently in the pre- -19 candidate vaccines. clinical stage, according to the World Health Organisation’s draft landscape of Covid However, it is still far behind in the global race for a Covid-19 vaccine. AstraZeneca, whose - the frontrunner. Serum Institute has an agreement to manufacture this vaccine. vaccine candidate “ChAdOx1 S” with the University of Oxford is already at phase III trials, is Moderna, which is also close to beginning phase III trials for its LNP-encapsulated mRNA vaccine candidate with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, is close behind.

Apart from Covaxin, which is not listed among the vaccines being tried globally, at least six other candidates are in Phase I/II trials and another five are in Phase I trials globally.

deoptimised live attenuated vaccine, which it is developing with Codagenix, are still in the pre-clinicalGlobally, Zydus stage, Cadila’s according DNA to plasmid WHO. and measles vector vaccines as well as Serum’s codon

Source: The Indian Express

2. MoD approves 33 new fighter jets for IAF in deals worth ₹38,900 crores Page | 116

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

Amid the ongoing tensions on the border with China, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved deals worth ₹38,900 crore. This includes procurement of 21 MiG-29 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF), upgrade of 59 of them and acquirement of 12 Su-30 MKI aircraft.

While both deals have been in the pipeline for sometime, the approvals come a week after scow for the Victory Day Parade, where he also held discussions on defence cooperation. Mr. Singh’s visit to Mo

Other deals include Pinaka ammunition, armoured vehicle BMP armament upgrades and Software Defined Radio (SDR) for the Army, long range land attack missile (LRLAM) systems of over 1000 km range and Astra Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air to air missiles for the Navy and Air Force, all of which will be procured domestically and worth an estimated ₹31,130 crore.

Addition of aircrafts The 21 MiG-29s had been partially manufactured by Russia for an unfulfilled order and would now be upgraded and delivered to India. These would add to the three of their squadrons in service that were undergoing an upgrade. The 12 Su-30MKIs are meant to replace the aircraft that had crashed over the years. Page | 117

The IAF currently has 30 fighter squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 42. It will start adding the first batch of Rafale multi-role jets this month-end. Another deal for 83 Light Combat Aircraft Mk-1A, estimated to cost ₹38,000 crore, is expected to be signed in the next two months.

Source: The Hindu

3. What are containment zones, how are they demarcated?

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

In the current pandemic, all interventions are primarily geared towards reducing people- to-people contact, and thus breaking the chain of transmission to the extent possible.

That is the objective with which the lockdown was imposed, red, orange and green districts were classified, and containment zones were demarcated. The first two measures, which are operational at the macro level, have all but gone, due to various compulsions. The demarcation of containment zones, which works at a more micro level, is likely to remain as long as the disease is spreading. In fact, experts say this is the only practical isolation strategy available to authorities, and local administrations both in urban and rural areas need to be empowered and equipped to manage this effectively.

What are containment zones? The lockdown, implemented in five phases, worked at the national level, while the classification of red, orange and green districts operated at the state and inter-district levels. Demarcation of containment zones is done within a town, village, or municipal or panchayat area.

Neighbourhoods, colonies, or housing societies where infected people live are sealed, and access is restricted. Containment zones are where the restrictions on movement and interaction are the most severe. In many cities, the entire demarcated area is barricaded and the entry and exit points closed. Only the very basic supplies and services are allowed inside.

Who defines the containment zones? It is the district, town or panchayat authorities that decide which areas have to be marked as containment zones, how large they would be, and what kind of restrictions would apply.

The rules for the national lockdown, for example, were set by the central government, while the state governments decided what restrictions to impose on districts.

The district administration, municipal corporation or panchayat bodies exercise a great deal of discretion in demarcation of containment zones. The definition and time period Page | 118 vary, and are continuously reviewed and updated.

How are they demarcated? The parameters used are similar, but the exact criteria applied varies, and usually depends on local conditions. These have also evolved with time, and are under constant review. In general, containment zones are getting smaller with time as the number of cases are increasing from entire localities, to colonies or neighbourhood, to streets and lanes, to particular buildings, and now just particular floors. — As of now, in Delhi, a containment zone is declared if three or more infections are detected. In Gurgaon, if five positive cases emerge within a 1-km radius, that area is desginated a containment zone. In Noida, an area within a radius of 250 m, or one floor of a building, is declared a containment zone, even if one person is found positive.

While some cities denotify areas after 28 days if no fresh case emerges from the containment zone, this period is seven or 14 days in some other cities. The perimeter of the containment zone is also different in different cities.

So, what is the criteria being followed by various states and cities? Mumbai: One of the first areas designated was entire Worli Koliwada. But as cases rose, the size of containment zones had to be reduced. Now, either buildings or floors are declared containment zones. Mumbai now has two categories, containment zones and sealed buildings. As of now, there are 755 containment zones and 6,174 sealed buildings.

Ahmedabad: Initially entire wards were declared containment zones, if 100 or more cases were detected there. The city has 48 wards. Now, either one building or five houses in a row are declared containment areas. An official said the authorities usually go by the -to-case basis. The radius usually used is 50 to 100 m. The status is reviewed after two weeks. “concentration of cases” and decide on a case Lucknow: In a multi-storey building, if one case is found, then the floor is sealed. If there are more cases, the entire building or tower is sealed. In row houses, an area within a radius of 25 m is declared containment zone. The status is reviewed after two weeks.

Kerala: If people in home quarantine test positive, or if someone without a known source of infection tests positive, their residential locality and place of work are declared containment zones. In a town, this area could extend to a street or a colony. In a village, this generally extends up to a ward that usually has a few hundred houses. The status of the containment zone is reviewed after a week.

Karnataka: In apartment complexes, the floor where a positive case lives, and the floors directly above and directly below are declared a containment area. Outside the complex, usually the street is designated a containment area, but often the district administration uses its discretion to define the perimeter. The status is reviewed after two weeks. Page | 119 Chhattisgarh: One positive case is enough to get an area declared as containment zone, but how big the area would be is left for the local authorities to decide.

West Bengal: In Kolkata, now only the building or apartment complex in which a positive case is detected is designated as containment zone. Depending on the concentration of cases, sometimes adjoining lanes and neighbouring buildings are also included. As of now there are 1,451 containment zones in the city.

Assam: The district administrations usually go by three main criteria more than 200 cases in any area; the original source of transmission not being traceable; or a doubling rate of cases being less than four days. –

Madhya Pradesh: Initially a 1 km radius was declared as containment zone, and another 2 km as buffer zone. The containment used to remain for 21 days. Now, only adjacent houses or buildings are included. Neighbours are tested after six days, and if no one is found infected, the area is denotified.

Punjab: An area with 15 or more positive cases is declared containment zone. Currently, there are only four containment zones in the state two in Ludhiana and one each in

But there are 40 micro-containment zones that have –between five and 15 positive cases. AnotherJalandhar 104 and clusters Sangrur, have according been defined, to Punjab’s with nodal two toofficer four forcases Covid19, each. The Dr Rajeshboundaries Bhaskar. are decided by a local committee constituted by the district administration.

Rajasthan: Additional Chief Secretary Rohit Kumar said the containment zones were initially meant to be areas within 1 km radius of a building or locality with a positive case, with a 3-km radius buffer zone. Now, there is no strict definition, and the guidelines say it should be

Haryana: a If“small one identifiable person is geographical infected, only area houses where in perimeter close proximity, control is possible”. depending on population density, are included in a containment zone. If there are more cases, then the containment area increases. The area in a radius of 3 km is declared a buffer zone. The area is denotified if no fresh case is reported in 28 days.

Goa: Only when a cluster of cases is reported that a locality is it declared a containment zone. Currently, there are 12 containment and micro-containment zones.

Source: The Indian Express

4. What are scientists saying about a new virus strain in China?

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Page | 120 Reports of an emergent viral infection transmitted from pigs in China dominated the news earlier this week. Newspapers and television channels reported that a new strain of H1N1 (also known as swine flu) had started infecting workers and the recommendations of scientists were that it must be controlled with a great deal of urgency as it had the potential of becoming yet another pandemic.

What are the risks from emerging pathogens? At this stage, potential harm from G4 EA H1N1, the new strain, has just been flagged by scientists who predict risk from emerging pathogens. Knowledge of the existence of the

Eurasian avian-like H1N1 swine influenza virus with 2009 pandemic viral genes facilitating virus in pig farms in China hasin the been Proceedings present since of the 2016. National But Academy a new study of Sciences, (“Prevalent U.S. said it replicates efficiently in human airway paths and so far, has infected a few people humanwithout infection”) actually making published them ill. They found antibodies for the virus in the blood of pig farm workers, none of whom was sick.

G4 viruses have all the essential hallmarks of a candidate pandemic virus.

The researchers collected 338 blood samples from workers on 15 farms and 230 from people in nearby households. The results, as published, found that 10.4 % of the workers and 4.4 % of the others tested positive for antibodies to G4 EA H1N1. Over all, 20.5 % of the workers between the ages of 18 and 35 tested positive.

Is G4 a current pandemic? No. The paper has merely forewarned of the possibility that the G4 virus might emerge into a pandemic in the future, and the authors have called for greater vigilance in monitoring people. It has not become potent in humans even though their blood contains antibodies for the virus.

What is disease/pandemic risk surveillance? Most countries have their own disease surveillance mechanisms in place to monitor and track emerging diseases. Public health teams evaluate the risk of a particular pathogen on the community, based on the cases occurring, and warn of potential risks from that pathogen. Early warning systems have been successful in predicting dengue and Ebola outbreaks, among other diseases, in the past, enabling health systems to be pre-warned and, thus, prepared to tackle the challenge. Local outbreaks of cholera or diarrhoeal disease have also been identified in cities, and have helped limit the damage in the community.

What is the future? Borrowing the urgency of a now famous phrase that WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus used for the coronavirus on active mode, besides forming a network globally(‘Test, to Test, share Test’), information the world on must emerging seek Page | 121 ‘Vigilance, Vigilance, Vigilance’. All riskbal assessmentOutbreak Alert systems and acrossResponse the Networkworld will (GOARN) have to be is at the front of such initiatives to make scientific predictions based on certain models. While therediseases is no and doubt pathogens. that disease WHO’s and Glo pathogen surveillance have a place in the modern world, it is also important to remember that scientists themselves regard it as an imprecise form, ergo, any undue alarm as a consequence of such studies would quite frustrate the target of preparedness.

Source: The Hindu

5. ICMR claims it wants to launch Covaxin by August 15, here’s what you need to know

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

On Thursday, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) head Dr Balram Bhargava on July 2 wrote to all 12 trial sites for the Covid-19 vaccine candidate, Covaxin, that all clinical trials had to be completed by August 15, in time for a public launch. Bioethics experts, however, have questioned how all three phases of testing for a vaccine candidate yet to even begin human trials can be crunched into a timeframe of a month.

What is Covaxin? It has been developed by the company Bharat Biotech India (BBIL) in collaboration with one made by using particles of the Covid-19 virus that were killed, making them unable to infect or replicate.ICMR’s National Injecting Institute particular of Virology doses of (NIV). these Itparticles is an “inactivated” serves to build vaccine immunity — by helping the body create antibodies against the dead virus, according to BBIL.

When does ICMR aim to launch it? Aiming to make it available for public use by August 15, Bhargava wrote to the 12 trial sites

Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI) shows it plans to complete enrolment of trial participantsto ensure “all” by July clinical 13, Bhargava trials were has conducted directed the by sites then. to While complete BBIL’s enrolment application by July with 7. the

Is this achievable? A vaccine usually goes through three phases of human trials. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation has given approvals for phase I and II trials so far. According to details from CTRI, BBIL in its application estimated phase I and II trials to take a year and three months, including at least a month for phase I alone.

Experts have questioned how all three phases can be concluded within a month and a half. Even the most ambitious companies in the world that are in more advanced stages of development for their Covid-19 vaccines have a longer time-frame. Even having all the trial results, with safety and efficacy data, by August 15 is difficult. This raises several questions. While vaccine trials can be fast-tracked, it still takes over a year to launch the product, Page | 122 experts said. In a pandemic, emergency-use approval can be given if data from the first two trial phases is compelling enough, said an expert on condition of anonymity. This would allow the launch without the third phase being conducted, but this approval would likely be given with riders to submit additional data and adverse event reports.

What other types of vaccine candidates are being studied? Over 100 vaccines are being tested globally, including inactivated and various other types. Some of the frontrunners include:

Non-replicating viral vector The SARS-CoV- cells and multiply. A non-replicating viral vector vaccine uses a weakened version of a different virus to2 viruscarry uses this theCovid-19 spike onspike its proteinsurface, intothe ‘spikethe body, protein’, but it to is entermodified and notinfect to replicate. This allows the body to recognise the spike protein as a threat and build immunity so that it can attack the real virus if it tries to infect the body.

FRONTRUNNERS: The University of Oxford, in collaboration with AstraZeneca, is testing one such vaccine using the ChAdOx1 virus, a weakened version of a common cold virus that causes infections in chimpanzees. This vaccine has already progressed to phase- III trials stage and will, at the earliest, only be available towards the end of the year.

CanSino Biological, in collaboration with the Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, is testing another using the adenovirus type 5 vector. This vaccine was given special permission for use in its military personnel in June.

RNA vaccine These use messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules that tell cells what protein to build. In this case, the mRNA is coded to tell cells to build the molecular structure on the surface of SARS-Cov-2 which the immune system will recognise and build antibodies against.

FRONTRUNNERS:— Moderna, in collaboration with the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has worked on an mRNA vaccine that is expected to start phase III trials this month.

experimental RNA vaccine at low- and mid-level doses. Mikael Dolsten, Pf Pfizerworld-wide (in research collaboration and development, with Germany’s said recently BioNTech) that a hasPhase been IIb/II giving study the patients company its expects to begin this month could finish recruiting patients by Augustizer’s or September. president of A launch is expected by the end of the year.

DNA vaccine These vaccines use genetically engineered DNA molecules that, again, are coded with the antigen against which the immune response is to be built.

FRONTRUNNER: Inovio Pharmaceuticals, in collaboration with the International Vaccine Page | 123 Institute, has a DNA vaccine INO-4800 already in phase I trials. On June 30, it announced positive interim results from the first six weeks of this trial. It plans to initiate a phase 2/3

Inefficacy India, trial Zydus this Cadila summer on “uponThursday regulatory received concurrence”. approval to initiate human trials for its DNA vaccine. Zydus expects to complete phase I and II trials for in three months.

Source: The Indian Express

6. Covid’s Kawasaki symptoms

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

Around the world, including in India since recently, children with Covid-19 infection have often shown some symptoms similar to those associated with a rare illness called Kawasaki disease such as rashes and inflammation while other symptoms of Kawasaki disease have been absent. In fact, such symptoms have also shown in children who tested negative for Covid-19.— —

The first such cases started getting reported since April, from the US and Europe. Doctors in India have started seeing such cases over the last few weeks. Last month, the World

WhatHealth is Organization Kawasaki disease? (WHO) termed this new illness “multisystem inflammatory disorder”. It affects children. Its symptoms include red eyes, rashes, and a swollen tongue with reddened lips often termed strawberry tongue and an inflamed blood vessel system all over the body. There is constant high fever for at least five days. The disease also affects coronary functions— in the heart. —

The disease derives its name from a Japanese paediatrician, Tomisaku Kawasaki, who reported the first case in 1961 a four-year-old boy and later found similar cases in other children. The doctor, 95, died on June 5 this year in Tokyo. — — an particularWhat causes infection Kawasaki and develops disease these is not symptoms. yet known. “What we do know is that it is immunological reaction to an infection or a virus. A child’s immunity system responds to a What is the link with Covid-19?

Children with Covid-19 are mostly asymptomatic or develop mild symptoms. It has been in rare cases that children with Covid-19 have shown symptoms similar to those of Kawasaki disease, 2-3 weeks after getting infected with coronavirus.

In India, too, the cases (including some children who tested negative for Covid-19) that Page | 124 have been coming up have shown some of the symptoms associated with Kawasaki disease, but with some differences.

What have these symptoms been? A 14-year-old girl, admitted to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in June, came with high fever and rashes. She tested Covid-19 positive. One June 26, she was admitted to the ICU and was critical, but has since recovered and was discharged on Saturday.

Kawasaki typically affects children aged under five. In Covid-19 cases, even adolescents are presenting these symptoms. While Kawasaki involves coronary changes, this has not been the case with all Covid-19-positive children with Kawasaki-like symptoms. The strawberry tongue may or may not be present in those with Covid-19.

So,is it not exactly Kawasaki? The Royal College of Paediatricians and Child Health (RCPCH) has observed that this syndrome shares symptoms with other inflammatory syndromes in children like sepsis and macrophage activat “Kawasaki disease, staphylococcal and streptococcal toxic shock syndromes, bacterial ion syndromes”. “It can also present with unusual abdominal Thesymptoms,” RCPCH saysit says. that in multisystem inflammatory syndrome, children may or may not test positive for Covid-19 and show inflammation, persistent fever, single or multi-organ dysfunction.

(CDC)“It is in currently the US. The unknown CDC has if taken multisystem note of cases inflammatory in the UK syndrome and New York, (MIS) where is specific children to withchildren recent or if it or also current occurs Covid- in adults,” states the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention information currently available about risk factors, pathogenesis, clinical course, and treatment for MIS- 19 infection developed inflammation. “There is limited

A few things are clearC,” CDC it says. is seen in patients aged less than 19; inflammation, abdominal pain, diarrhoea are common; heart attack and septic shock may happen. The WHO says there also will be a history— of contact with a positive case of Covid-19.

What is the treatment? At Kokilaben Hospital, Dr Singhal put the 14-year-old on steroids to reduce inflammation, at a dosage 10 times higher than usual. She also treated the teen with the drug Tocilizumab for Covid-

Website: www.prepmate.in19 management. “Antivirals may not work in such Telegram cases,” sheChannel: said. @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Dr Panda, of Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital, said two of the four children he saw were kept on ventilator support for 10 days. The two were in septic shock, unable to breathe, their heart syndromes where very little is known, we can only provide symptomatic therapy. We gave functions were poor, and they could not pass urine due to kidney problems. “In such Page | 125 supportive therapy for each organ. If lungs can’t work, we put them on ventilator, if kidney doesn’tSteroids work remain we agive key medication,” treatment to he reduce said. inflammation. India is not het maintaining any registry on Kawasaki-like disease or multisystem inflammatory syndrome to know how many children have it along with Covid-19.

Source: The Indian Express

7. Could Covid-19 virus be airborne?

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

The New York Times reported recently that 239 scientists from 32 countries have written an open letter to the World Health Organization (WHO) that the virus causing Covid-19 can remain airborne fo the evidence showing that smaller particles can infect people, and are calling for the agency r a period of time and thus transmit itself. The scientists have “outlined Transmission of Covid- to revise its recommendation”. The paper titled ‘It is Time to Address Airborne What does this mean?19’ is likely to be published in a scientific journal next week. A respiratory infection such as Covid-19 is transmitted through droplets of different sizes. If the droplets particles are larger than 5-10 microns in diameter, they are referred to as respiratory droplets; if they are smaller than 5 microns in diameter, they are referred to as -19 virus is primarily transmitted between people through respiratory droplets droplet nuclei. “According to current evidence, Covid However, the letter written by the scientists suggestsand contact aerosol routes,” transmission the WHO too states. can happen. speech, coughing, sneezing etc, are larger than 5-10 microns in diameter and eventually succumbIn other words, to gravity the WHO’s and fall viewpoint to the groundis that droplets after travelling containing less the than virus, 1 produced metre. The during 239 scientists, on the other hand, are citing evidence that the virus can be present in droplet nuclei (less than 5 microns in diameter) that do travel distances longer than 1 metre, and can remain in the air for a longer time.

If this can be established, it will mean that the risk of transmission is higher than previously thought.

Is this a new revelation?

As per the WHO, airborne transmission may be possible in specific circumstances and

settings.at the specific Referring settings to the in NYTwhich report, the virus the WHOwas found has stated airborne, that the“initial duration findings for needwhich to the be interpretedvirus was found carefully.” staying If inthe the evidence air, and, being most citedimportantly, has to be whether examined, the researchersvirus continues will to look be Page | 126 infectious throughout this duration.

What if the claim is established? It means that wearing a mask becomes more important than ever. It might be possible that N-95 masks, which are used by clinicians in hospital settings, could now be recommended to prevent aerosol transmission, subject to availability, and depending on the health condition of a person.

Source: The Indian Express

8. Why stars produce Lithium?

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A forty-year-old puzzle regarding the production of lithium in stars has been solved by Indian researchers. Stars, as per known mechanisms of evolution, actually destroy lithium as they evolve into red giants. The new work by Bharat Kumar, currently a post doctoral fellow at the National Astronomical Observatories of China, Beijing, and an international team of co-workers shows that, in fact, when stars grow beyond their Red Giant stage into what is known as the Red Clump stage, they produce lithium in what is known as a Helium Flash and this is what enriches them with lithium. The study has been published in the journal Nature Astronomy on July 7.

Lithium’s interesting story Lithium, a light element commonly used today in communication device technology, has an interesting story. It was first produced in the Big Bang, around 13.7 billion years ago when the universe came into being, along with other elements. While the abundance of other elements grew millions of times, the present abundance of lithium in the universe is only four times the original [Big Bang] value. It is actually destroyed in the stars. The Sun, for instance, has about a factor of 100 lower amount of lithium than the Earth. About 40 years ago, a few large stars were spotted that were lithium-rich. This was followed by further discoveries of lithium-rich stars, and that posed a puzzle if stars do not produce lithium, how do some stars develop to become lithium rich? — Over 200,000 stars For the present study, the group studied over 200,000 stars. This is the first study to demonstrate that lithium abundance enhancement among low mass giant stars is common. Until now, it was believed that only about 1% of giants are lithium rich. Secondly, the team has shown that as the star evolves beyond the Red Giant stage, and before it reaches the

Red Clump stage, there is a helium flash which produces an abundance of lithium. Lastly, - This value is about 250 times lower than the previous limit. they set a lower limit for helium abundance which will classify the star as “lithium rich”. Source: The Hindu Page | 127

9. Doubts over herd immunity

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A new study published in The Lancet has concluded that herd immunity against Covid-19 is difficult to achieve at this stage, while a separate commentary describes it as unachievable. The conclusion is based on estimates of seroprevalence for the entire Spanish population.

What is herd immunity? Herd immunity refers to a situation when a certain percentage of the population have become immune to a certain disease-causing pathogen, thus preventing the infection from spreading to the rest of the population. While the concept is most commonly used in the context of vaccination, herd community can also be reached when enough people have become immune after being infected.

The premise is that if a certain percentage is immune, members of that group can no longer and prevents it from reaching those who are the most vulnerable. infect another person. This breaks the chain of infection through the community (“herd”) What is the new study? It is a large-scale seroepidemiological study, and concluded that just five per cent of the Spanish population has developed antibodies in response to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. This implies that an estimated 95 per cent continues to be susceptible to the virus.

The study, which included 66,805 participants, was conducted between April 27 and May 11. It found that seroprevalence for the entire country was 5% by the point-of-care test and 4.6% by immunoassay. In seven provinces in the central part of Spain, including Madrid, seroprevalence was greater than 5% only in Barcelona. seroprevalence was “greater than 10 percent”; and in provinces along the coast, In age- -of-care test, seroprevalence was 1.1 percent in infants younger than 1 year and 3.1 percent in children aged 5-9 years, specific findings, “according to the point

Howincreasing significant with age is theuntil study? plateauing around 6 percent in people aged 45 years or older”. It is the largest serological study conducted so far in Europe and captures the true number of Covid-

Website: www.prepmate.in19 infections, which isn’t captured by laboratory tests. Telegram It provides Channel: an @upscprepmate estimate for Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

the population of the entire country. Based on an overall seroprevalence range of 3.7% to 6.2% and accounting for the proportions of seropositive individuals who were individuals went undetected in the non- asymptomatic, the study estimated that “between 3,76,000 and 10,42,000 asymptomatic Page | 128 What are the implications of the study?institutionalised Spanish population”.

While a seroprevalence study largely provides information only about previous exposure to the virus, this study strengthens the line of argument that in the absence of treatment or a vaccine against Covid-19, achieving herd immunity at this stage is not possible.

t to achieve without accepting the collateral damage of many

“… Herd immunity is difficul Indeaths a separate in the susceptiblecommentary population on the study, and overburdeningGerman virologists of health Isabella systems,” Eckerle it andstates. Benjamin Meyr wrote in The La herd immunity through natural infection is not only highly unethical but also unachievable. With a large majority ofncet: the “Inpopulation light of thesebeing findings,infection anynaive, proposed virus circulation approach can to achievequickly ret

Beyondurn to Spain, early thepandemic study sendsdimensions signals in to a secondother countries: wave once that measures even in are countries lifted.” that have reported high prevalence of Covid-19, the pandemic is far from coming to an end; therefore, these countries have to be cautious about easing of restrictions.

Why does the study suggest that herd immunity is difficult? At the beginning of the pandemic, the United Kingdom had hinted at a strategy that would allow the novel coronavirus to infe degree of herd immunity could be achieved. ct 60 per cent of the country’s population so that a Now, the data from Spain shows that in a country that has reported community transmission, only an estimated 5% have developed antibodies in response to the virus. Hence the conclusion.

In their commentary, the German virologists have raised two important issues: At present, immunity after SARS-CoV-2 infection is thought to be incomplete and temporary, lasting only several months to a few years; second, it is unknown whether these patients are protected by other immune functions, such as cellular immunity.

What have previous seroprevalence studies revealed? On June 11, The Lancet published a paper by researchers who had studied seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in 2,766 participants in Geneva. They estimated seroprevalence of 4.8% in the first week, 8.5% in the second week, 10.9% in the third

week, 6.6% in the fourth week and 10.8% in the fifth week. “After accounting for the time Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

to seroconversion, we estimated that for every reported confirmed case, there were 11.6

Oninfections June 5, in Nature the community,” published the a study researchers conducted wrote. by researchers from China, who studied seroprevalence of specific antibodies immunoglobulin M and G against SARS-CoV-2 in Page | 129 17,368 individuals from Wuhan, the epicentre of the pandemic in the country. The study found that seropositivity varied between— 3.2% and 3.8% in different— sub-cohorts. It also found that patients who visited hospitals for dialysis, and healthcare workers had a higher seroprevalence 3.3%

— — and that seropositivity “progressively decreased in other cities asOn the May distance 18, a research of the epicenter letter published increased”. in the Journal of the Medical Association said that the prevalence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 was found to be 4.65% in a community seroprevalence study conducted in Los Angeles County. The study tested 865 participants on April 10. The researchers estimated that approximately 3.67 lakh adults had SARS-CoV- 2 antibodies confirmed cases— maywhich be is higher “substantially than rates greater based on than the the number 8,430 of cumulative in number of said.confirmed infections in the county on April 10”. “Therefore, fatality rates based on fections,” the study Source: The Indian Express

10. Test cricket returns today: Sanitisation breaks, empty stadium

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

Reserve players doing the job of ball boys, cleaning breaks to sanitise stumps and bails, reporters and photographers covering matches in personal protective equipment (PPE) an unusual Test series between England and the West Indies starts on Wednesday. — In the middle of the novel coronavirus pandemic, international cricket will resume at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton. The Test and the two that will follow in Manchester later this month will be played without spectators in a bio-secure environment. The England — -page booklet that it has sent to— Southampton. and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has issued a list of do’s and don’ts in a 74 Only the two captains, Ben Stokes and Jason Holder, and match referee Chris Broad will go out for the toss, says the booklet. There will be no cameras at the toss, and no handshakes after.

Umpires Richard Illingworth and Richard Kettleborough will carry their own bails, and will stop play for cleaning breaks and to sanitise the stumps.

boys, and groun distancingPlayers can’t rule share of two gloves, square shirts, metres water will have bottles, to be bags, adhered or sweaters. to. There will be no ball d staff won’t go within 20 metres of the players on the field. Off it, the social Team sheets will be digital. Scorers will not share pens and pencils. Accredited personnel Page | 130 will be tracked through a chip-enabled Covid tracker card.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has already banned use of saliva on the ball after two warnings, a five-run penalty will be imposed. — gloves will throw it back.

“If the ball goes into the stands for six then squad players wearing Nobody else is allowed to touch it,” The Daily Telegraph quoted ECB events director Steve Elworthy as saying. “The Test match is going to feel very different for them, but they have been living this for a while already,” he said. -19, but the countries that are worse off are all much bigger. As of Tuesday evening, the UK had reportedThe United 2.87 Kingdom lakh confirmed has the infections world’s seventh and over highest 44,300 caseload deaths, according of Covid to the Johns Hopkins University global coronavirus dashboard. The ECB has still decided to host the West Indies and Pakistan because without any cricket, it was reportedly staring at a £380 million black hole.

reams for our game from delighted“Staging thesethat we matches have found will helpa way to of protect doing this vital in revenuean environment st that will be safe and broadcast deals and will also give a morale boost to cricketd Mann fansis quoted everywhere, as saying and on the I’m

secure for all involved,” Ageas Bowl chief executive Davi Theground’s Daily website. Telegraph reported, quoting Elworthy, that the venue will have an inner and an substitute, should a player show symptoms. The game will, however, go on. outer zone, and “special isolation units in the ground”. The ICC has approved a Covid The players are staying at the Hilton at the Ageas Bowl where, Elworthy has said, room doors can be opened using an app, with no need to touch the handle. There is no room service and no lifts. The teams have been preparing for the series in a bio-secure environment, with regular health checks.

canner and For journalists covering the match, the ECB has said in an advisory: “On arrival follow the signsaccreditation for medical will screening be scanned. and once PPE isthrough provided you’ll in walk both through spaces a (respective thermal s areas for collect accreditation. Please enter via west gate where you’ll be thermal screened again and

reporters and photographers).”

At 3.30 pm IST on Wednesday, the world will see what could well be the beginning of

Source:cricket’s Thenew Indiannormal. Express Page | 131 11. PM Modi launches Asia’s largest solar plant in MP

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

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Rewa with a capacity of 750 MW through video-conferencing and said the state will emerge as a major hub for clean and cheap power inAsia’s the country. largest solar plant in Madhya Pradesh’s

Apart from Rewa, work is underway on solar power plants in Shajapur, Neemuch and Chhatarpur.

Details about Rewa Project The Rewa project comprises three solar generating units of 250 MW each located on a 500 hectare plot of land situated inside a Solar Park (total area 1500 hectare). The Solar Park was developed by the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited (RUMSL), a joint venture company of Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (MPUVN), and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), a Central Public Sector Undertaking.

Source: The Indian Express

12. How is India building up the squadron strength of its air force?

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

On July 2, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved defence deals worth ₹38,900 crore which includes procurement of 21 MiG-29 fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF) along with upgradation of 59 existing MiG-29 jets in the IAF inventory and procurement of 12 Su-30MKI aircraft from Russia.

What are the major deals approved? The Defence Ministry said the MiG-29 procurements and upgradation from Russia are estimated to cost ₹7,418 crore while the 12 Su-30 MKIs, which will be licence-produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), are estimated to cost ₹10,730 crore. Other deals approved by the DAC include Pinaka rocket ammunition, long-range land attack missile system of over 1,000 km range and close to 250 Astra Beyond Visual Range (BVR) air-to-air missiles for the IAF. The Astra Mk-1 has been integrated on the Su-30MKI jets and is being inducted into the force. An ungraded variant, the Astra Mk-II is under development by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

What are the new fighter jets for? The Defence Ministry said in a release after the DAC meeting that these decisions will address the long-felt need of the IAF to increase its fighter squadrons. The IAF currently has 30 fighter squadrons against a sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons and is set to phase out its MiG-21 fighters in the next few years further reducing the strength. As seen during Page | 132 the Balakot air strikes (Pakistan) in February 2019, air power will be key to swiftly respond to any short escalations and especially relevant amid the ongoing stand-off with China on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The 21 MiG-29s to be procured from Russia have already been manufactured for an unfulfilled order and will now be upgraded and delivered to India. These will add to the three MiG-29 squadrons in service with the IAF which are already undergoing an upgrade. The 12 Su-30 MKIs are meant to make up for the gaps in the Su-30MKI squadrons caused due to crashes over the years. India has contracted 272 Su-30 jets from Russia in different batches, a majority of which are being licence-manufactured by HAL.

What other steps is the Indian Air Force taking to address the shortage? In July-end, the IAF will start adding the first batch of the 36 Rafale multi-role jets contracted from France. Another deal for 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk-1A estimated to cost ₹38,000 crore is expected to be signed in the next two months which the IAF Chief Air Chief, Marshal R. greater importance with the emphasis on indigenisation in defence advocated by the Finance Minister recently.K.S. Bhadauria, termed as “top priority”. The deal has assumed even

The IAF currently has one squadron of LCA in initial operational configuration (IOC) and in May, it constituted the second LCA squadron with one aircraft in the final operational clearance (FOC) configuration. It is scheduled to get 20 IOC aircraft and 20 FOC aircraft in all and will eventually operate 123 LCA including the 83 Mk-1A aircraft.

The more capable and larger LCA Mk-2 is under development which the IAF is keen to add in large numbers. An indigenous fifth generation advanced medium combat aircraft (AMCA) is also under development and is expected to make first flight by 2032. There is also a tender for 114 fighter jets that has been floated to global aircraft manufacturers to be manufactured in India under technology transfer.

The IAF is also upgrading all aircraft in its current inventory to make up for the shortfall. The Jaguar, Mirage-2000, MiG-29 fighters are all being upgraded and negotiations are on with Russia for a major upgrade of the Su-30MKI fleet.

What about budgetary allocations? The defence budget has been going down as a percentage of the GDP, and the novel coronavirus pandemic has put further budgetary constraints on military modernisation. For instance, the defence allocation for 2020-21 is pegged at ₹3.37-lakh crore excluding defence pensions which accounts for 1.5% of the GDP. There is a steep rise in defence

pensions, 13.5%, from ₹1.18-lakh crore in revised estimates of last year to ₹1.34-lakh crore this year. The ₹3.37-lakh crore allocated is 5.67% higher compared to the budget estimate of last year and just 1.8% higher compared to the revised estimates of 2019-20 which stood at ₹3.31 lakh crore. Page | 133 Of the total capital allocation of ₹1.13-lakh crore, the IAF got 38% which comes to ₹43,281 crore, but in real terms the capital allocation for IAF has gone down from the revised estimates of 2019-20 which was ₹44,869 crore. In comparison, last year, the IAF had committed liabilities, payments for deals already signed for, of over ₹47,000 crore which was more than its entire capital allocation. The IAF has signed several major deals which include 36 Rafale jets from France, S-400 air defence systems from Russia, Apache attack helicopters and Chinook heavy lift helicopters from the U.S. among others.

Source: The Hindu

13. Coronavirus can be airborne indoors, the WHO confirms. Now what?

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

The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Thursday (July 9) published an updated version of its March 29 scienti -19:

fic brief, ‘Modes of transmission of virus causing COVID-CoV-2, theimplications virus that forcauses infection Covid- prevention and control (IPC) precaution recommendations’, which it said included “new scientific evidence available on transmission of SARS In the brief, the WHO has formally19”. acknowledged the possibility that the novel coronavirus -

can remain in the air in crowded indoor spaces, where “short range aerosol transmission… cannotThe updated be ruled brief out”. has come three days after a group of 239 scientists from 32 countries - internationalpublished a commentary bodies to recognize titled ‘It the is Time potential to Address for airborne Airborne spread Transmission of COVID- of COVID 19’, in which they issued an “appeal to the medical community and to the relevant national and 19”. -19 news Earlier, on Tuesday (Julyave been 7), a day talking after about the scientists’ the possibility open letter of airborne was published, transmission Maria andvan Kerkhove, the WHO’s technical lead on the pandemic, had said at the daily Covid briefing that “we h So,aerosol what transmission has the WHO as saidone ofin the its modesupdated of brief?transmission” of the virus. Referring to several recent studies, the WHO has said that some outbreaks that have

occurred in crowded indoor spaces suggest “the possibility of aerosol transmission”, Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

although “combined with droplet transmission”. Such situations have arisen “during choir practice,According in to restaurants th or in fitness classes”. -range aerosol transmission, particularly in specific indoor locations, such as crowded and inadequately ventilated spaces over a Page | 134 e WHO, “in these events, short

Thereprolonged is, however, period of a time cavea witht infected the WHO persons does notcannot think be thatruled even out”. in these situations, the virus was transmitted exclusively by the aerial route. — droplet and fomite transmission could also explain human-to-human transmission within The WHO brief still says that “the detailed investigations of these clusters suggest that theseTransmission clusters”. through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, talks, or sings is still understood to be the primary mode of transmission of the virus. — Fomite transmission— on the other hand, refers to transmission through infected surfaces such as doorknobs, elevator buttons, handrails, phones, switches, pens, keyboards and, if —

Butnot disinfected, what is important even a doctor’s is that stethoscope. the WHO has previously maintained that airborne transmission of the virus is not a concern outside of situations in which healthcare workers are engaged in certain medical procedures that generate aerosols.

ts that transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurs primarily between people through direct, indirect, or close contact with infectedAnd while people it still through continues infected to stress secretions that “current such asevidence saliva andsugges respiratory secretions, or acknowledges that aerosol transmission

through their respiratory droplets”, the new brief Thecan occur new brief“outside does of medical not, however, facilities” address as well. the question of the relative contributions of transmission by droplets, fomites, and aerosols to the spread of Covid-19. The enough evidence yet, it suggests. re isn’t -quality research is needed to elucidate the relative importance of different transmission routes; the role of airborne transmission in the absence of aerosol Itgenerating says: “Urgent procedures; high the dose of virus required for transmission to occur; the settings and risk factors for superspreading events; and the extent of asymptomatic and pre-

Butsymptomatic is the fact transmission.” that aerosol transmission can actually happen as was underlined by the 239 scientists who wrote the open letter, and what the WHO has now acknowledged a new revelation? — — Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

There has been some evidence for aerosol transmission in research already.

* One of the first studies, published in Nature, was conducted in Renmin Hospital and Wuchang Fangcang Field Hospital in Wuhan. It investigated the aerodynamic nature of the virus SARS-CoV-2 by measuring its viral RNA in aerosols. Page | 135

This study found that the concentration of the virus in aerosols detected in isolation wards and vent

ilated patient rooms was “very low”, but it was “higher in the toilet areas used by the patients”. -CoV-2 RNA in the most public areas was undetectable, except in we have not established“Levels of airborne the infectivity SARS of the virus detected in these hospital areas, we propose that SARS-CoV-two areas that were prone to crowding,” the study stated. “Although

* In April, 2 a may correspondence have the potential published to be transmitted on NEJM by through researchers aerosols.” from the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the United States evaluated the stability of SARS-CoV-2 (and SARS-CoV-1, which causes SARS) in aerosols and on various surfaces.

It found that SARS-CoV- on of the transmission of SARS-CoV-22 “remained is plausible viable since in the aerosols” virus can throughout remain viable the and durati infectious in experiment that lasted for three hours. “Our results indicate that aerosol and fomite

WHOaerosols had for then hours,” disagreed the study with said. th -19 virus in aerosol particles up to 3 hours does not reflect a clinical setting in which aerosol-generating procedures are performed that is,ese this findings. was an “…The experimentally finding of induced COVID aerosol-generating . — *procedure,” In May, the it US had Centers said for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published a study titled -CoV- -hour choir practice “Highattended SARS by 61 2 persons, Attack Rateincluding Following a symptomatic Exposure at index a Choir patient, Practice”. 32 confirmed The researchers, and 20 probablewho studied secondary “superspreading Covid-19 cases events”, occurred; found three that patients following were 2.5 hospitalised, and two died.

might have contribute

The study noted that “the act of singing” itself — d to “transmission speechthrough than the do emission their peers, of aerosols, might have which contributed is affected to this by and the previously loudness reported of vocalization”. COVID- “Certain persons, known as superemitters, who release more aerosol particles during

19 superspreading events,” it said. certain persons, who release an order of magnitude more particles than their peers, have “… Aerosol emission during speech has been correlated with loudness of vocalization, and Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

been referred to as superemitters and have been hypothesized to contribute to superspeading events. Members had an intense and prolonged exposure, singing while sitting 6

How does–10 inches life change from one for another, you and possibly me now? emitting What aerosols,” does it the said. fact that airborne Page | 136 transmission is possible, mean? It basically means that wearing a mask becomes even more important than earlier.

It might be possible that N-95 masks, which are used by clinicians in hospital settings, could now be recommended to prevent aerosol transmission, subject to availability, and depending on the health condition of a person.

avoid crowded places, close-contact settings In its section on ‘How to prevent transmission’, the WHO brief said that apart from hand washingclosed, overcrowded and physical spaces distancing, to protect one should others; “ and ensure good environmental ventilation inand all confined closed settings and enclosed and appropri spaces with poor ventilation”, and “wear fabric masks when in

Source: The Indian Express ate environmental cleaning and disinfection”.

14. New insights on Covid-19, key learnings from managing it

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

As the Covid-19 pandemic enters its sixth month in India, Dr Randeep Guleria, Director of AIIMS, tells about key learnings from managing it, and new aspects that have emerged.

Edited excerpts: In the beginning, we thought the virus was only causing respiratory infection, pneumonia. Now there are patients with blood clots; the virus is targeting the transport of oxygen, choking off its supply to other organs. Does this mean Covid-19 is now more a vascular disease?

You are right. When it started, it was felt it was like any other viral pneumonia: as we see with influenza, it causes predominantly upper respiratory problems and in some people it goes to the lower respiratory tract and leads to fall in oxygen saturation. But we are learning more and more about how this coronavirus behaves. We realised it causes a lot of systemic effects. It causes inflammation of the inner lining of blood vessels and this leads to narrowing of their area. Also, we see a lot of inflammatory markers enter the blood.

It caused a hypercoagulable state, which promotes clotting; and people were suddenly dying because of clots blocking their blood vessels in the lung and heart. We have started to

see that happening in the brain, people with stroke and other neurological problems. In the e but as we see more cases, it has become an issue. So the treatment has to be holistic. beginning, we thought all this wasn’t a major issu The infection starts off with the lungs. So it is still a pulmonary disease. But it has Page | 137 significant vascular problems. It can be termed as a vascular disease, to some extent. It can also be termed as a systemic disease because it involves the entire body.

Some autopsies of Covid patients reveal people are dying from blood clots in the brain which is causing the stroke. Is the virus travelling to the brain? There is not much data on this. Doctors have tried to culture the virus from the brain itself. Whether it causes encephalitis, where does the virus enter the brain and does it cause inflammation in the brain or whether it causes inflammation of vessels supplying blood to the brain all these are being looked at. Probably, it is a little bit of both.

There could– be viremia, the virus traveling from the blood to the brain, and causing some changes; but a large amount of effect that happens is because of vessel involvement. You can see that in our patients, they are not only presenting stroke even while in the ICU and being treated for Covid-19; but it happens even later on, over the course of the disease when the viral load may have come down but the inflammation persists.

A decrease in kidney function has been reported in some patients. Is the kidney also a direct target? The kidney can fail under multiple ways; one, when we have vessel involvement, and often in advance-stage patients, (there is) septic shock which leads to a decrease in blood supply to kidney causing kidney failure. Also, what we found, in around one-third of patients who are critically ill they do have acute kidney injury and require dialysis. We had anticipated this to some extent. — At hospital level, does this mean we need more CT scans and dialysis machines? From a diagnosis point of view, yes, you need to have a CT scan if you are looking at a stroke. Dialysis is another important aspect; all Covid-19 critical hospitals have dialysis machines in their ICUs. AIIMS has four in the hospital and one is in the Covid suspect area.

What do follow-ups show in recovered patients whose lungs, kidney, brain were infected? There are people who have residual damage. People who have had a stroke have neuro- deficit in terms of paralysis or some part of the body not functioning. We have also seen a number of patients who have severe pneumonia, were lungs get totally scarred. Although they come out, some of them require oxygen at home after recovery. Three months down, CT scans have shown lungs are in bad shape. There is a debate about whether we have to give them steroids or other drugs to be able to decrease the fibrosis or put them under a rehabilitation program so that their lung capacity can improve. Some patients keep complaining of dry cough, which is due to scars in the lung. Some patients, over weeks,

have complained of weakness and of not having the energy to go back to work. In some case, there are serious neurological problems.

Is it time to expand the symptoms? With time, the symptoms have really expanded. When we started off, it was just cold, fever, Page | 138 and cough. Now we have body ache, loss of sense of smell and taste and it will gradually expand. It will become more challenging for the physician to suspect and diagnose Covid19. I think we will have to be more liberal in our testing, especially in a hospital setting. We had ward, and underwent CT, MRI. And later, when the X-ray looked abnormal, they were testedthis problem and came two positivemonths ago… for Covid. patients This with created stroke panic. didn’t We get are tested, learning went thatinto wethe needgeneral to have a low threshold for diagnosing and we should test all patients with an atypical presentation.

There is recent evidence that there could be a post-Covid syndrome in children. How serious is this? That is still being evaluated. It has been reported from multiple places in the US and is seen in individuals, who sort of recovered and then they have a fever, hyperinflammatory syndrome which affects the skin, intestine, and has cardiac dysfunction. Many of these patients require ICU care to support blood pressure. This is a syndrome that is still evolving and mimics another similar disease, Kawasaki disease.

What is the preliminary evidence emerging in Indian patients with respect to remdesivir, convalescent plasma therapy, and tocilizumab? Both remdesivir and tocilizumab have only emergency-use authorisation. If you look at data for remdesivir, initial studies did not show much benefit. Subsequent studies said it showed some benefits in decreasing hospital stay by four days. There were suggestions that in more severe patients it may have a mild benefit but it was significant to say that ink we have strong evidence one way or the other. Currently, it is only a promising repurposing drug rather than a really effective drug therefor Covid-19. was mortality benefit. But I don’t th

There are two or three things we need to keep in mind about plasma therapy. Everyone does not have a good amount of antibodies as shown by various studies from New York and Europe. These studies have shown that in a community only 10-15 percent have antibodies that everybody is not fit for plasma donation and you have to check the blood to see whetherand even itpeople has sufficient who recover antibodies don’t show so that that it robust can be antibody given. Second production. is that What the datait means is not is strong. There is a large study of 100 patients (with) randomised control trials, which looked at plasma therapy and did not show any strong mortality benefit. It was also used for Ebola and the evidence is not that strong.

In patients who are recovering, are we seeing people developing immunity for the virus? Are we seeing patients being re-infected?

We are not seeing patients, which we can classically (categorise) under re-infection as of now. However, there is a whole debate on immunity and how long does it last.

Classically, we relied on antibody formation of immunoglobulin E in the blood to say that we have protection. What we really need to look at is, and which is difficult to do in a large Page | 139 population, is neutralising antibodies.

It is possible that there might be neutralising antibodies in sufficient amount but are not being picked. realised that cell-mediated immunity is also activated and giving protection through T-cells in the blood. WeSecond, may be we protected are also learningto some aboutextent, the more body’s than immunewhat we response; are thinking we right have now. The big question is how long does this protection last. That is difficult to predict.

What is the biggest Covid mystery today? First, when we look at transmission, the challenge is how much of it is airborne compared to droplet infection and so what measure do we need to take.

The second issue is what we should do with regard to the inflammation and systemic effect on organs. We know that steroids make a big difference. Are there any other drugs, immunomodulators, or anti-inflammatory drugs, which along with steroids, may actually help decrease the systemic effects of virus? Not only save lives but reduce the multi-organ effect? Finally, we need to really see how fast we can get an effective and safe vaccine.

Source: The Indian Express

15. Why Russian Covid-19 vaccine still has miles to go

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

Like all the other potential candidates, one being developed in Russia is also far from being ready at this point. Numerous reports on Sunday had claimed that clinical trials for a specifically mention is that only phase-I of the clinical trials had been completed. Phase-II Russiantrials are vaccine supposed had to beenstart Monday, “successfully” while completed.there is no clarity What mostover phase-III of these trials. reports did not

What is the candidate vaccine being developed in Russia? There is only one candidate vaccine being developed in Russia which has reached the human clinical trial stage. That candidate, being developed by the Gamalei National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology, in partnership with the Russian Defence Ministry, had begun phase-I human trials on June 18, with 18 volunteers from the armed forces having been chosen for administering the vaccine.

What is phase-I in vaccine trials?

Phase- volunteers. The news report said the ministry had claimed that none of the volunteers had reportedI isany where complaints, ‘safety experienced and tolerability’ no side-effects, of a vaccine and is would tested, be on discharged a small groupfrom the of hospital soon. Page | 140 What is the purpose of Phase-II? It is the phase- triggering the desiredII, in immune which response ‘efficiency in and humans, immunogenicity and what could (generation be the suitable of immune doses toresponse)’ generate isthis tested. response. It is in this state that researchers try to see whether the vaccine is

And there is a third phase as well? Usually, yes; vaccine development involves a third phase. In fact, no vaccine for large-scale use has been approved without the third phase of trials till now. A large number of volunteers, usually numbering several thousands, are enrolled for the third phase in which researchers try to ascertain whether the immune response triggered by the vaccine is able to fight the virus in real life situations. This process could take several months.

In the case of Russian candidate vaccine, as with any other candidate, the success of phase- II trials, which could take at least couple of months, is not guaranteed. The success can only be ascertained after the completion of the trials.

So, will there be phase-III if phase-II trials do succeed? It is not clear as of now whether the Russian candidate vaccine would go through phase-III trials. Usually, that is the case, but recently, considering the current emergency situation, a candidate vaccine developed in China has been approved for use after phase-II trials itself, but it is supposed to be administered only on army personnel as of now. It will depend on the Russian regulatory authorities to decide whether the Russian vaccine would need phase III trials as well.

There are over 150 candidate vaccines for coronavirus being developed all over the world. Nearly half of these are still in pre-clinical stages, meaning they are being tried on animals or are still in early stages of development. About 15 vaccines are in phase-I trials and about ten in phase-II trials. Three vaccines are in phase-III trials.

What happens after phase-III? Even after the successful completion of phase-III, it usually takes several months before a vaccine is accessible to a general public. Several rounds of regulatory and administrative approvals are required. That is why several scientists, and even WHO officials, have been maintaining that it would be take at least 12-18 months before any Coronavirus vaccine is able to hit the market.

Even then, the vaccine is unlikely to be available for all at one go. Initially, it is expected to be made available only to people who are at higher risk of getting the infection, like

healthcare workers. A universal immunisation against Coronavirus can take several years, just like it has been the case with other vaccines.

Source: The Indian Express Page | 141 16. How the body develops immunity against an infection

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

first reported by The Guardian on Sunday has suggested that immunity to Covid-19 might be lost in months.A longitudinal The suggestion study by is the based researchers from King’s College London — after the infection. A look at— the findings, implications and limitations of the new study, and the broader question of how the bodyon a developssteep drop immunity in patients’ against antibody an infection: levels three months

What are the findings of the study? The researchers analysed the immune response of 90 recovered Covid-19 patients and healthcare workers. In their study, which is not yet peer-reviewed, they found that antibodies that specifically help in neutralising the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 decreased 2- 23-fold during an 18-65 day follow-up period. This is similar to the decrease in antibodies seen in seasonal coronaviruses associated with the common cold.

They suggested that immunity developed by the formation of antibodies against SARS-CoV- 2 lasts only a few months, and recovered Covid-19 patients are likely to remain susceptible and could get re-infected.

Does a drop in antibodies result in losing immunity against the virus? Not necessarily. Antibodies are like fingerprints that give us evidence that a pathogen (the coronavirus in this case) has caused an infection and that the immune system has responded. The antibodies usually remain in the blood for a period of time and quickly activate the immune system when the body is exposed to the pathogen again. Some antibodies not only recognise when the pathogen returns, but also protect the body for a lifetime from re-infection, as in the case of measles. However, in the case of seasonal flu, the antibodies give protection for a very small period.

In the case of the novel coronavirus, it is not yet clear how long the antibodies provide a antibody response and what level of antibodies is required to protect against re- recoveredthe researchers person said protection. in a statement. “Further Until studies then, are the needed presence to ofdetermine antibodies the only longevity gives usof the evidence that a person was exposed to the virus. infection,”

The researchers flagged the fact that antibodies are just one of the ways in which the body can fight a virus such as SARS-CoV-2.

So, what is the other way? -cell responses generated through either infection or vaccination play in controlling disease cannot be discounted in these The researchers make an observation: “… the role T Page | 142 Tstudies”. cells are a key component of the immune response against a virus. A human body has two mechanisms of immunity response within the adaptive immune system. First is the humeral immune, which is also called antibody-mediated immunity and has been discussed above. However, when a virus enters a cell and can no longer be detected by antibody- mediated immunity, a cell-mediated immune response can take over to kill the virus.

Cellular immunity occurs inside the infected cell, and are mediated by cells called T lymphocytes. These are the T cells, which recognise the infected cell. Before that, these cells have to be activated by interacting with an antigen (virus)-presenting cell. Once the T cells are activated, they clone themselves generating numerous T cells, and destroy the infected cells.

During the process of activation, some of the T cells remain inactive as memory cells. These produce more T cells if the infection returns. Therefore, memory plays a crucial role in providing cell-mediated immunity. There are also helper T cells, which function indirectly by communicating to other immune cells about potential pathogens.

Source: The Indian Express

17. Reliance enters wearables market, launches Jio Glass

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

Reliance Jio is undoubtedly on a roll. Lately this digital platform has been one of the hottest properties for the global investors who have been lining up to buy stakes in it.

Now, getting down to the business, Reliance has come up with a potentially revolutionary tech offering. At its annual general meeting, which was hosted virtually for the first time this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the company unveiled a smart wearable device called Jio Glas .

Its Details s Jio Glass weighs 75 grams. It connects to the internet through a simple cable that in turn turn minimises the need for buttons. connects to users’ smartphones. It supports voice commands for most functions, which in Jio Glass uses mixed reality technology which lets users share files and make presentations in both 2D and 3D formats over a conference call. These images will appear right in front of

the user's eyes in a virtually created environment, such as that of an office or a conference room. Presently, Jio Glass supports 25 apps.

What are its success prospects? As video conferencing has become a major communication mode in the ongoing pandemic, Page | 143 Jio Glass certainly can cash in on this trend.

Moreover, it will also be beneficial to students, as it can offer virtual demonstrations, such price and availability, it is expected that Reliance will offer it at an affordable price in line withas a virtual its earlier tour offerings. of geographical locations. Though there are no details regarding Jio Glass’s

Notably, high price was a major factor behind the failure of Google Glass, a similar product launched by Google in 2013.

18. Coronavirus vaccine: The progress made so far by Moderna, Oxford University

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In the hunt for a vaccine against Covid-19, encouraging news emerged about two candidates on Wednesday. The New England Journal of Medicine published an interim analysis describing an immune response generated in participants of phase I clinical trials for a candidate vaccine, developed by US-based biotech company Moderna. Meanwhile, ITV reported that there could be positive news, possibly by Thursday, on initial trials of another candidate vaccine, from the University of Oxford.

What are these two candidates? Moderna was the first company to begin a human trial for a candidate vaccine against Covid-19. Called mRNA-1273, the vaccine went into phase I trials on March 16. The vaccine uses mRNA technology, which involves injecting genetic instructions to human cells for creating proteins to fight the virus. The details of the phase I trial come two weeks before Moderna begins phase III on July 27.

Oxford University has developed its candidate vaccine, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, in partnership with global biopharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca. It delivers a SARS-CoV-2 protein to induce an immune response. The vaccine has already gone into phase III trials, but the results of phase I are yet to be announced.

During human clinical trials, three aspects are assessed: reactogenicity (ability to produce common, adverse reactions), immunogenicity (ability to provoke an immune response), and safety.

What are the results of the phase I trials on Moderna’s candidate vaccine? The interim analysis found there was a vaccine-induced immune response in all the participants. During phase I, 15 participants received a low dose of 25 micrograms, 15 received a medium dose of 100 micrograms, and 15 received a high dose of 250 micrograms. Two shots were given, one month apart. Page | 144

The study found that greater reactogenicity followed the second vaccination, particularly in the 250-microgram group. Also, of the three doses evaluated, the 100-microgram dose elicited high neutralisation respons will be administered the 100-microgrames and dose. T cell responses, “coupled with a reactogenicity profile that is more favorable than that of the higher dose”. In phase III, the participants Were there side effects? The study reported fatigue, chills, headache, myalgia, and pain at the injection site, reported in more than half the participants. It said the two-

dose vaccine series “was generally without serious toxicity”. Systemic adverse events after the first vaccination, when reported, were “all graded mild or moderate”. participants (33%) in the 25-microgram group, 10 (67%) in the 100- microgram group, and“After 8 (53%) the first in the vaccination, 250- microgram solicited group; systemic all were adverse mild eventsor moderate were reported by 5 in 7 of 13 participants (54%) in the 25-microgram group, all 15 in the in 100-microgram severity,” the group,study said. and allAdverse 14 in theevents 250-microgram were more common group, with after 3 theof those second participants vaccination, (21%) “and repoccurredorting

Whatone or is more the newssevere about events.” the University of Oxford’s vaccine candidate?

Oxford Covid-19 vaccine that is backed by AstraZeneca and supported by tens of millions of “I am hearing there will be positive news soon (perhaps tomorrow) on initial trials of the

pounds of government money,” ITV’s political editor Robert Peston wrote. “The first data is Fordue phasebe published I in April, in the1,102 Lancet.” participants were recruited in multiple study sites in the UK. On -up

May 22, Oxford announced that 1,000 immunisations “have been completedwe are nowand follow initiating studiesis currently to evaluate ongoing”. how Professor well the Andrew vaccine Pollard,induces headimmune of the responses Oxford Vaccinein older Group,adults, saidand toin a statement: “The clinical studies are progressing very well and

Ontest Junewhether 27, it Brazil can provide began aprotection phase III in trial the wider of the population.” Oxford candidate, with 5,000 healthy volunteers targeted for enrolment. Trials will be conducted in South Africa too.

Page | 145

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How significant are the findings of phase I of a trial? generate an immune response. As such, it gives an indication of what is the ideal dose requiredPhase I ofto aadminister clinical trial in the only next provides stage. evidence of a vaccine’s safety and its ability to Page | 146 The critical question that remains unanswered in this phase is: how long do the antibodies last to provide immunity against the virus?. Also, phase I involves a small number of participants. In phase II, the age range of participants is expanded to see if there is variation in the immune response between older people and children. Phase III, which involves a very large group, investigates how well the vaccine works to prevent a larger community from being infected.

Source: The Indian Express

19. Jio 5G: What does the solution mean to Reliance and its users

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

Reliance Industries C Jio has designed and developed from scratch, a complete indigenous 5G solution ready for MD Mukesh Ambani announced that the company’s telecom venture enable Jio to export 5G solutions to other telecom players globally, Ambani said. deployment. The announcement, made at the company’s Annual General Meeting, will Where does India stand on the deployment of 5G? Companies, both telecom service providers and their equipment vendors, have completed lab trials of 5G network components but are yet to commence field trials, which were initially scheduled to happen last year. For the same, telecom companies are awaiting allocation of test spectrum from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The service providers have already tied up with equipment makers like Nokia, Ericsson, etc for deploying their 5G networks.

What does Jio’s 5G solution comprise? Jio is said to have a complete end-to-end 5G solution prepared by the company itself that is ready for deployment once the networks are in place. This solution can also be deployed by other telecom operators as a complete managed service. When Reliance announced investment by American chipmaker Qualcomm into Jio, it had said that the investment will Platforms on its deepen the ties between Qualcomm and Jio Platforms, “to support Jio anjourney optimised to rollout Android-based advanced operating 5G infrastructure system. Experts and peg services that developing for Indian an customers”.Android 5G appAdditionally, ecosystem with focused Google’s on partnership, emerging markets Jio plans would to develop also be affordable an area ofsmartphones focus for Google using from a medium-term perspective.

What is 5G?

5G or fifth generation is the latest upgrade in the long term evolution (LTE) mobile broadband networks. The first generation of networks allowed only mobile voice calls to be made, while the second generation allowed mobile voice calls as well as sending of short text messages. It was the third generation or 3G network which allowed web browsing on mobile devices, the speed and latency of which improved with fourth generation or 4G Page | 147 networks. The 5G networks will have even faster speeds with latency down to between 1- 10 milliseconds. Latency is the time a device takes to communicate with the network, which stands at an average of up to 50 milliseconds for 4G networks across the world.

How does 5G work? All 5G networks chiefly operate on three spectrum bands. The low-band spectrum has been proven to have great coverage and works fast even in underground conditions. However, the maximum speed limit on this band is 100 Mbps (Megabits per second). In the mid-band spectrum, though the speeds are higher, telcos across the world have registered limitations when it comes to coverage area and penetration of telephone signals into buildings. The high-band spectrum offers the highest speed but has extremely limited network coverage area and penetration capabilities. The telcos using this band rely on the existing LTE networks and will need to install a number of smaller towers to ensure adequate coverage and high-speed performance.

What does it mean to be 5G ready? Globally, companies like AT&T, T-mobile, and Verizon have been deploying 5G networks across their service areas. While AT&T had started rolling out the service as early as 2018, other providers in the US have caught up and are starting to provide limited services on a test case basis to customers. Not only the network, the devices will also have to be 5G ready for customers to be able to enjoy maximum benefits of the latest upgrade in mobile broadband. One of the major improvements in 5G is the use of beam tracking to follow all devices on the network to ensure consistent connection in real-time for the device. 5G networks are also designed to multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) efficient which improves signal throughput for all devices on the network.

Source: The Indian Express

20. Why is a psoriasis drug being used to treat COVID-19 patients?

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

On July 11, pharma major Biocon announced that it had received the approval of the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to market Itolizumab for treatment of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) in moderate to severe acute respiratory distress syndrome patients due to COVID-19. Itolizumab is a monoclonal antibody which is used to treat acute psoriasis.

What are monoclonal antibodies?

Monoclonal antibodies are proteins cloned in the lab to mimic antibodies produced by the immune system to counter an infection. They have their genesis in serum, the colourless constituent of blood that contains antibodies. These proteins bind to an antigen, the fragment of an infectious virus in the case of SARS-CoV-2, and either destroy it or block its action. In the case of COVID-19, there are yet no proven drugs to treat moderate or severe Page | 148 manifestations of the disease. Among the therapies being tested is convalescent plasma, which is a constituent of blood and recovered from those who have successfully fought the disease. This blood contains antibodies produced within a week or two of being infected. While plasma therapy involves injecting this entire antibody-soup into another sick patient, a monoclonal antibody can be made by isolating specific antibodies and multiplying them via various techniques. Isolating plasma and serum is laborious and time-consuming when it must be administered to every patient. However, since 1975, several techniques have been perfected that allow antibodies once isolated to be easily replicated. These are stored in vials and can be injected into patients.

How useful are they in treating COVID-19 patients? While eight in 10 of those infected by the disease recover with little more than a few days of cough and fever, about one in 10 can manifest severe systems of the disease irrespective of their age and medical history. Experts are not sure why, but have observed that many who died were victims of a cytokine storm when the immune system goes into overdrive to flush out the virus. Pro-inflammatory cytokines recruit a host of specialised immune system cells to neutralise antigens. However,— these cytokines can aggravate inflammation and injury in lung cells as well as in several other organs. A challenge in treatment is how to prevent this over-reaction. One method is to use antibodies that can block a particular protein, called CD6. They are found on the surface of T-cells, a class of cells that are a

Expertscentral prong say if inthis the CD-6 body’s is suppressed,defence system. it will prevent the T-cells from releasing a cytokine cascade and thus better regulate the immune system. There is also a lot of research going on in using such antibodies to prevent the replication of the virus. Since last month there have been reports from laboratories from nearly everywhere, reporting the presence of coronavirus uses to infiltrate lung cells and proliferate. Before monoclonal antibodies were ropedone or into more discussions antibodies surrounding that could COVID-19, be used toresearch block has the focused ‘spike’ protein,on deriving the the key right the kind of antibodies that specifically bind onto regions of interest. These underpin the design of cancer therapies or fixes for autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis or acute psoriasis.

Is there a downside? Sometimes antibodies are known to help viral entry and replication in target cells which can worsen the disease. This is why they need careful evaluation.

Does Itolizumab hold promise in the fight against COVID-19?

Itolizumab is an approved drug for acute psoriasis since 2013 and has passed safety and efficacy trials for that disease in over 500 patients. However, independent experts have pointed out that the efficacy of the drug in treating COVID-caused Acute Respiratory Disease Syndrome has not been conclusively demonstrated because it has, as part of a clinical trial, only been tested on 30 patients. However, the drug has been approved by the Page | 149 DCGI for emergency use in the treatment of moderate to severely-ill patients as per the discretion of physicians. The DCGI also directed Biocon to conduct a phase-4 study it must monitor it for adverse reactions or side-effects after it has been administered in large groups of patients and report back to the authorities. Experts pointed out that the normal— process for approving a drug includes a phase- are first evaluated in the wider population. Officials at Biocon claim they plan to test the drug in the United States, Canada, Australia and3 trial,New whereZealand. the Several drug’s doctors,safety and at efficacya press conference organised by Biocon, said their patients had benefitted from the drug but mostly when they were yet to reach a stage before requiring ventilators or external oxygen support. The drug cost a little under ₹8,000 for every vial. Generally, four vials are necessary for treatment, company officials said.

Source: The Hindu

21. What is Itolizumab, newly cleared for Covid-19?

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

A repurposed drug, Itolizumab, is one of the newest treatments for Covid-19 approved in India. The Drug Controller General of India recently approved it as a novel biologic therapy for restricted emergency use. The decision has also sparked controversy because of the small size of the clinical trials, and because exemption has been granted from phase-III trials.

What is Itolizumab? Itolizumab is an existing drug used for psoriasis, a chronic skin disease involving unregulated growth of some skin cells that develop into red patches mostly on knees and elbows, but also on some other parts of the body. The drug, developed by Bengaluru-based Biocon, was approved in 2013. It is considered safe and effective for the treatment of psoriasis.

Why was it approved for emergency use in Covid treatment? The SARS-CoV-2 virus has been observed to induce an overreaction of the immune system, generating a large number of cytokines that can cause severe damage to the lungs and other organs, and, in the worst scenario, multi-organ failure and even death.

The approval from the DCGI is based on the results from the conclusion of a randomised, controlled clinical trial at hospitals in Mumbai and New Delhi. The study focused on the safety and efficacy of Itolizumab in preventing cardio-renal complications in Covid-19

patients who also have acute respiratory distress. The drug has been found to reduce these complications in such patients.

Basically, the drug controls the hyper-activation of the immune system in response to SARS-CoV-2 virus and prevents morbidity and mortality related to the cytokine storm. The Page | 150 clinical trial showed that the drug is best administered in the pulmonary phase of the Covid-19 infection when the cytokine build up is starting and the patient is experiencing shortness of breath and exhibiting abnormal chest images. It prevents progression to the hyperinflammation phase (cytokine storm) and other complications like coagulation and organ failure, according to Dr Sandeep Athalye, Chief Medical Officer, Biocon Biologics.

The drug has been used over 80 patients in Cuba and off-label in over 150 cases. According to Dr Shashank Joshi, Dean, Indian College of Physicians, the most critical part is to know when to use the drug and it must be reserved for moderate to severe Covid cases with cytokine storm where oxygen requirements are rapidly going up. usually between the 8th day onwards of Covid infection.

What were the results of the trial? The trial results showed a statistically significant advantage over the control group of patients, in one-month mortality rate. All the patients who were administered Itolizumab were weaned off oxygen by Day 30, and none needed ventilator support unlike the control group that did not get the drug. Some other inflammations commonly found in such patients were also suppressed, and these correlated well with clinical improvement in symptoms. Overall, the drug was found well-tolerated.

How large was the trial? The trial had 20 participants given the drug along with supportive care and 10 others given only supportive care. All 20 patients on Itolizumab recovered while three of the other 10 patients died.

Public health experts and some doctors have used social media to question the sample size of the trial. When journalists raised this question at a virtual press conference, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson, Biocon, said Itolizumab has been approved in India and since the country is in a medical emergency, it was decided to go ahead with a clinical trial involving a cohort of 30 patients. She said the regulatory process was extremely robust and the scientific discussions on the trial was of a very high order.

The DCGI has also exempted the drug from phase III clinical trials and allowed phase IV trials (post- and was approved in India since 2013. We had done phase II and III trials, and got the approval. In the past seven years, it marketing surveillance). “Itolizumab is not a new drug CMO Dr Athalye said. Company officials said they plan phase IV trials soon. ’s been used in psoriasis and we know how the mechanism works” Biocon Biologics How much does it cost?

Each injection is presented as a 25mg/5ml solution, which costs Rs 7,950 per vial. Based on an average body weight of 60 kg, the therapy cost of a single dose comprising four vials is estimated at Rs 32,000 (MRP).

Source: The Indian Express Page | 151

22. Oxford-AstraZeneca shot shows progress: What this means in fight to find Covid-19 vaccine

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

Results published on Monday of early human trials of a Covid-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and drugmaker AstraZeneca have shown promise. The results come around a week after US biotech firm Moderna had released its own early trial data and at a time when several firms are racing to find an effective vaccine against the coronavirus that has killed over 600,000 globally.

How does the Oxford-AstroZeneca vaccine candidate work? When someone is infected with the Covid-19 virus (SARS-CoV-2), the reason it spreads in the body easily is because of the

spikes on its surface. These spikes, known as the ‘spike Theprotein’, vaccine allow developed the virus by to Oxfordpenetrate and cells AstraZeneca, and, thereafter, which multiply.belongs to a category called non- replicating viral vector vaccines, tri protein. The idea is to create antibodies to fight this spiked surface so that the virus does not even have the chance to penetratees the to cells. build the body’s immunity against this spike

The vaccine uses a different virus in this case, a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) that infects chimpanzees to carry just the code to make the spike protein, like a Trojan horse. The adenovirus,— genetically modified so that it cannot replicate in humans, will enter the cell and release the— code to make only the spike protein. The foreign substance, and starts building antibodies against it. body’s immune system is expected to recognise the spike protein as a potentially harmful Once immunity is built, the antibodies will attack the real virus if it tries to infect the body.

What do the latest results mean? The preliminary results from phase I/II trials of the vaccine, published in The Lancet, offered some promise by showing the vaccine was not only safe, but also seemed to build an immune response in the participants. For one, it was found that being injected with the vaccine led to participants building neutralising antibodies. Another potential positive was that it increased the number of T cells a type of white blood cell that protects the body from pathogens and cancer cells and works to actively destroy infected cells. — Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

A single dose of the vaccine elicited an increase in antibodies specifically against the spike protein by the first 28 days. Neutralising antibody responses were detected in 32 of 35 participants studied after a single dose, and in all nine participants assessed after they were administered a second, booster dose. Page | 152 The vaccine showed mild to moderate adverse reactions, including pain, feverish feelings, chills, muscle aches, headaches and malaise. The effects were reduced using prophylactic paracetamol, according to the study.

How significant is this? While the results seem promising, it is important to remember this data is from early-stage clinical trials. This data cannot give clarity on questions like how long the antibodies will last in the body, an important factor in determining how effective the vaccine will be. This will require data from larger, phase III trials, which are currently underway.

What happens next? Globally, Oxford and AstraZeneca have already begun phase III trials in Brazil, targeting 5,000 volunteers. A similar trial in South Africa is also expected to be underway.

Meanwhile, Serum Institute of India, which has tied up with Oxford and AstraZeneca, plans manufacturing licence. The firm is expected to manufacture the vaccine for low- and middle-incometo make “millions countries. of doses” of the vaccine over the next three months, after it receives a

However, Serum will have to conduct phase III trials in India before the vaccine can be launched. So far, the firm has received permission to manufacture certain doses for testing the Indian regulator in a wee purposes, said a senior government official. “We will be applying for the licensure trials to k’s time. As soon as they grant us permission, we will begin Howwith thedoes trials this for compare the vaccine with in Moderna’s India,” said vaccine Adar Poonawalla, results? CEO of Serum Institute. Moderna, the first firm to begin human trials for a Covid-19 vaccine candidate in collaboration with the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), published early stage results last week for its vaccine, which uses a different technology (mRNA). The data it released in the New England Journal of Medicine on July 14 showed similar abilities to induce antibody and neutralising antibodies, as well as some T-cell response. Moderna is expected to begin its phase III trials on July 27.

Given the differences in the way the data has been presented by Moderna and the University of Oxford/AstraZeneca, some experts say it is difficult to provide a proper comparison of the two at this stage.

Page | 153

Source: World Health Organisation, company press releases

Which are the other top contenders? Over 160 potential vaccines are being studied globally, with 23 of them recognised by the World Health Organization as candidates in human trials. The frontrunners include:

Inactivated Page | 154 These are vaccines made by using particles of the Covid-19 virus that were killed, making them unable to infect or replicate. Injecting particular doses of these particles serves to build immunity by helping the body create antibodies against the dead virus.

Frontrunners: Sinovac, Wuhan Institute of Biological Products-Sinopharm, Beijing Institute of Biological Products-Sinopharm, Bharat Biotech, Institute of Medical Biology (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences)

Non-replicating viral vector This is the category the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine belongs to. It uses a weakened, genetically modified version of a different virus to carry the Covid-19 spike protein.

Frontrunners: Oxford-AstroZeneca, CanSino Biological Inc-Beijing Institute of Biotechnology, Gamaleya Research Institute

Protein subunit This vaccine uses a part of the virus to build an immune response in a targeted fashion. In this case, the part of the virus being targeted would be the spike protein.

Frontrunners: Anhui Zhifei Longcom Biopharmaceutical-Institute of Microbiology (Chinese Academy of Sciences), Novavax, Clover Biopharmaceuticals Inc-GSK-Dynavax, Vaccine Pty Ltd-Medytox, University of Queensland-CSL-Seqirus

RNA Such vaccines use the messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules that tell cells what proteins to build. The mRNA, in this case, is coded to tell the cells to recreate the spike protein. Once it which in turn is expected to prompt the immune cells to create antibodies to fight it. is injected, the cells will use the mRNA’s instructions, creating copies of the spike protein, Frontrunners: Moderna-NIAID, BioNTech-Fosun Pharma-Pfizer, Imperial College London, Curevac, PLA Academy of Military Sciences-Walvax Biotech

DNA These vaccines use genetically engineered DNA molecules that, again, are coded with the antigen against which the immune response is to be built.

Frontrunners: Inovio Pharmaceuticals-International Vaccine Institute, Osaka University- AnGeS-Takara Bio, Zydus Cadila, Genexine Consortium.

Source: The Indian Express

23. Series of missions to Mars – why, when

Page | 155 Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

spacecraft Amal (Hope) took place from the Tanegashima Space Center, Japan, aboard a On Sunday, the UAE launched-II the A rocket. Arab world’s first mission to Mars. The launch of the

TheMitsubishi UAE launch Heavy marks Industries’ the first H of three missions being planned to Mars in the end of July. China plans its first Mars probe, Tianwen-1 (formerly Huoxing 1), in the coming few days. The US, the only country that has sent previous missions to Mars, plans its Perseverance mission on July 30.

The end of July 2020 offers a launch window during which Earth and Mars will be aligned at their closest points in two years, which means using less fuel to reach the planet. If a spacecraft is launched too early or too late, planet is not there. it will arrive in the planet’s orbit when the Perseverance: hunt or life microbial life in its ancient past. Over its mission duration of one Martian year (687 Earth days),NASA’s it will rover collect Perseverance Martian rock will and look sediment for signs samples of habitable for analysis conditions on Earth. on Mars and

The rover is equipped with specialised equipment to collect data, analyse weather conditions that can help plan for future human missions, and produce oxygen from the carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere.

rover has been exploring Mars since 2012. It remains active although its targeted mission lifePerseverance is over. is expected to touch down on Mars on February 18, 2021. NASA’s Curiosity

Hope: atmospheric data Hope was developed by UAE scientists in the US, and its launch is the 45th for H-II A. Carrying three instruments including a high-resolution camera and a spectrometer, the spacecraft is on an orbital mission to collect data on Martian climate dynamics and help

scientists understand why Mars’s atmosphere is decaying into space. were all Earth-observation satellites. Hope is the UAE’s fourth space mission and first interplanetary one. The previous three

ary 2021 and then start orbiting the planet. Its overall mission life is one Martian year. Hope is scheduled to reach Mars’s orbit Mars in Febru Tianwen-1: Soil study -4 booster from Xichang, China. It Page | 156 consists of an orbiter, a lander and a rover and aims to study Martian topography and geologyChina’s firstand determineMars probe the will composition launch on aof Long the surface March 5material, Y climate and environment.

The orbiter is expected to reach the planet by early 2021 and will use high-resolution cameras to search for a suitable landing site somewhere in the Utopia Planitia region. It weighs around 240 kg and will carry cameras, a subsurface radar, a spectrometer, a magnetometer, and atmospheric sensors.

Source: The Indian Express

24. New material called 'Proteus' is reportedly the world's first uncuttable material

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

Every substance we know of is cuttable, even the diamonds until now. Engineers have developed a material they call "Proteus" that they claim is the first manufactured uncuttable material. —

The compound is made of porous aluminum and ceramic, so it is lighter than steel and yet will withstand any grinder.

Researchers at Durham University in England and Germany's Fraunhofer Institute claim that Proteus resists cutting by turning the cutting tools against themselves and dulling them. The material is made up of an aluminum matrix (aluminum foam) embedded with

ceramic spheres. It is 15-percent less dense than steel making it ideal for applications like lightweight armor.

As the cutting tool bites into the aluminum, it suffers extreme vibrations when it hits the ceramic spheres. This resonance causes the tool to start bouncing, thus "dulling" its cutting Page | 157 edge. Furthermore, as the ceramic is hit, fine dust particles fill in the matrix. The interatomic forces between the grains increase proportionately to the amount of energy applied, making the material even harder the faster the tool spins.

Potential Applications Proteus is effective against angle grinders, drills, and other conventional cutting tools. It is even effective against high-pressure water jet cutters. In this instance, the material works differently in that the spheres' rounded surfaces disperse the water weakening the jet.

The researchers see possible applications in the safety and security sectors. Armored vehicles could be stronger and lighter, or locks could prove invulnerable to cutting tools. Ironically, it could also be used to make protective equipment for those who use cutting tools.

Proteus is currently patent-pending, and the team is seeking manufacturing partners to commercialize the material. If you are interested in the technical details, they have published their research in Scientific Reports.

25. COVID-19: DGHS cautions against use of N-95 valved respirator masks

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

The Union Health Ministry cautioned against the use of N-95 valved respirator/ masks, -19. stating that it doesn’t offer the desired protection against the spread of COVID

Page | 158

The warning comes after the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) sounded an alarm against the use of these masks.

It containment of the Coronavirus. noted that these don’t prevent the virus from escaping out and thus may not aid in ‘Prevent use’ use of valved respirator N-95 masks is detrimental to the measures adopted for preventing theIn a spread communication of coronavirus to the as States, they dothe not DGHS prevent said, the“It hasvirus come from to escaping our knowledge out of the that mask. the In view of the above, I request you to instruct all concerned to follow the use of face/mouth cover and prevent inappropriate use of N-

Source: The Hindu 95 masks.”

26. KAPP-3, which attained criticality on Wednesday morning, is India’s first 700 MWe unit, and the biggest indigenously developed variant of the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor. Page | 159 Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

The third unit of the Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP- a term that signifies the initiation of a controlled but sustained nuclear fission reaction at 9.36 am on Wednesday. 3) in Gujarat achieved its ‘first criticality’ — Why is this— achievement significant? -3 developedThis is a landmark variant ofevent the Pressurisedin India’s domestic Heavy Water civilian Reactor nuclear (PHWR). programme given that KAPP is the country’s first 700 MWe (megawatt electric) unit, and the biggest indigenously The PHWRs, which use natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as moderator, are the design was the 540 MWe PHWR, two of which have been deployed in Tarapur, Maharashtra.mainstay of India’s nuclear reactor fleet. Until now, the biggest reactor size of indigenous

-up in technology, both in terms of optimisation of its PHWR design the new 700MWe unit addressesThe operationalisation the issue of excess of India’s thermal first margins 700MWe and reactor an improvement marks a significant in the economies scale of — refers to the extent to which the operating— temperature of the reactor is below its maximumscale, without operating significant temperature.) changes to the design of the 540 MWe reactor. (‘Thermal margin’

Four units of the 700MWe reactor are currently being built at Kakrapar (KAPP-3 and 4) and Rawatbhata (RAPS-7 and 8). The 700MWe reactors will be the backbone of a new fleet of 12 reactors to which the government accorded administrative approval and financial sanction in 2017, and which are to be set up in fleet mode.

Page | 160

Source: NPCIL

As India works to ramp up its existing nuclear power capacity of 6,780 MWe to 22,480 MWe by 2031, the 700MWe capacity would constitute the biggest component of the expansion plan. Currently, nuclear power capacity constitutes less than 2% of the total installed capacity of 3,68,690 MW (end-January 2020).

As the civilian nuclear sector gears up for the next frontier building a 900 MWe Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) of indigenous design the experience of executing the larger 700MWe reactor design will come in handy, especially with— regard to the improved capability of making large pressure vessels. This is alongside— isotope enrichment plants being developed to supply part of the required enriched uranium fuel to power these new generation reactors over the next decade or so, Department of Atomic Energy officials have said.

When did work start on this 700 MWe project? this unit was originally expected to be commissioned in 2015. The first “pour of concrete” happened in November 2010, and State-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) had awarded the reactor- building contract for both KAPP-3 and 4 to Larsen & Toubro at an original contract value of

Rs 844 crore. The original cost of two 700 MWe units was pegged at Rs 11,500 crore, and the tariff per unit was originally calculated to be Rs 2.80 per unit (kWh) at 2010 prices (a cost of roughly Rs 8 crore per MWe). This costing is expected to have seen some escalation.

The capital investment for these projects is being funded with a debt-to-equity ratio of Page | 161 70:30, with the equity part being funded from internal resources and through budgetary support.

What does achieving criticality mean? Reactors are the heart of an atomic power plant, where a controlled nuclear fission reaction takes place that produces heat, which is used to generate steam that then spins a turbine to create electricity. Fission is a process in which the nucleus of an atom splits into two or more smaller nuclei, and usually some byproduct particles. When the nucleus splits, the kinetic energy of the fission fragments is transferred to other atoms in the fuel as heat energy, which is eventually used to produce steam to drive the turbines. For every fission event, if at least one of the emitted neutrons on average causes another fission, a self- sustaining chain reaction will take place. A nuclear reactor achieves criticality when each fission event releases a sufficient number of neutrons to sustain an ongoing series of reactions.

What are the milestones in the evolution of India’s PHWR technology? PHWR technology started in India in the late 1960s with the construction of the first 220 MWe reactor, Rajasthan Atomic Power Station, RAPS-1 with a design similar to that of the Douglas Point reactor in Canada, under the joint Indo-Canadian nuclear co-operation. Canada supplied all the main equipment for this first unit, while India retained responsibility for construction, installation, and commissioning.

For the second unit (RAPS-2), import content was reduced considerably, and indigenisation was undertaken for major equipment. Following the withdrawal of Canadian support in 1974 after Pokhran-1, Indian nuclear engineers completed the construction, and the plant was made operational with a majority of components being made in India.

From the third PHWR unit (Madras Atomic Power Station, MAPS-1) onward, the evolution and indigenisation of the design began. The first two units of PHWR using indigenously developed standardised 220 MWe design were set up at the Narora Atomic Power Station.

This standardised and optimised design had several new safety systems that had been incorporated in five more twin-unit atomic power stations with a capacity of twin 220 MWe units located at Kakrapar, Kaiga, and Rawatbhata.

To realise economies of scale, the design of 540 MWe PHWR was subsequently developed, and two such units were built at Tarapur. Further optimisations were carried out when the upgrade to 700 MWe capacity was undertaken, with KAPP-3 the first unit of this kind.

Does the 700MWe unit mark an upgrade in terms of safety features? PHWR technology has several inherent safety features. The biggest advantage of the PHWR design is the use of thin walled pressure tubes instead of the large pressure vessels that are used in pressure vessel type reactors. This results in the distribution of pressure boundaries to a large number of small-diameter pressure tubes, thus lowering the severity Page | 162 of the consequence of an accidental rupture of the pressure boundary.

radioactiveAdditionally, decay) the 700 from MWe the PHWR reactor design core withouthas enhanced requiring safety any through operator a dedicatedactions. This ‘Passive is on theDecay lines Heat of similar Removal technology System’, adopted which can for removingGeneration decay III+ plants heat (releasedto negate the as apossibility result of of a Fukushima-type accident that happened in Japan in 2011.

The 700 MWe PHWR unit, like the one deployed in KAPP, is equipped with a steel-lined containment to reduce any leakages, and a containment spray system to reduce the containment pressure in case of a loss of coolant accident.

Source: The Indian Express

27. The new technology cold war

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

What began as a report by the US House Intelligence Committee flagging issues posed by Chinese telecom companies Huawei Technologies and ZTE nearly a decade ago, has evolved into a full-scale duel between the two global technology powerhouses, which now threatens to draw in the entire world.

While China has traditionally resisted allowing American big-data companies such as Facebook and Google to operate within its jurisdiction, there have still been significant dealings between the two countries on the technology side until now. Last year, Apple recorded $100 million of daily sales in China, while Huawei Technologies reported record revenues primarily from its exposure in western markets, including the US.

The latest US steps against Huawei mark the first real prohibitory action by a western government in the nearly two decades after the Shenzhen-based equipment major branched out to set up shop in Europe, and went on to become the mascot of Chinese technology prowess. A subsequent move by the UK to reverse an earlier decision and block Huawei from its 5G networks aligns with the US view and marks an escalation of the Sino-American tech slugfest to beyond just these two countries. — A new set of US restrictions imposed on the use of chipmaking tools in May means Huawei could face shortages in its supply of specialist chips, an area where the Chinese are trying to build expertise through their homegrown contender SMIC (Semiconductor

Manufacturing International Corporation, a publicly held semiconductor foundry company).

Globally, the concern is that the fresh wrangling could end up in cascading actions by other western countries some of whom perceive the same threat as the US, and others who are Page | 163 wary of trade sanctions. This could have a bearing on the growing competition to dominate next-generation technologies— such as 5G networks and artificial intelligence, and impact the plans of most countries preparing to transition to a 5G regime, including India.

How did the Chinese come to dominate the high-end hardware market?

Army, Huawei has come a long way from being a reseller of PBX switches imported from HongStarted Kong. in the Living late up1980s to its by name a former Deputy Regimental Chief in the People’s Liberation the company went on to sell its products— ‘Huawei’and services comes in morefrom ‘zhonghuathan 170 countries, youwei’, ablitzing slogan pastthat itsEricsson founder as the claims largest he sawtelecoms on a equipment wall, roughly manufacturer translating in into the ‘China world hasin 2012. promise’ It overtook — -largest manufacturer of smartphones in 2018, and had an annual revenue of $122 billion and some 194,000 employees last year. Apple as the world’s second

Where Huawei is allowed in 5G, where it is not

How could action against hardware makers develop into a tech cold war? In February 2011, Huawei published an open letter to the US government denying the security concerns raised about the company or its equipment, and requesting a full investigation into its corporate operations. In response, the House Permanent Select

counterintelligence and security threat posed by Chinese telecommunications companies doingCommittee on Intelligence began an investigation in November 2011 into “the

business in the US”. Page | 164 trusted to be free of foreign state influence and thus pose a security threat to the United In its report submitted in 2012, the House panel noted that “Huaweiission designatedand ZTE cannot the two be companies as national security threats. States”. Last month, the US Federal Communications Comm and China, and compel other countries, including India, to effectively choose between one campMost observers and the other. see this It isas being a ‘technological described ascold a geopoliticalwar’ that could struggle extend over beyond technology just the that US threatens to divide the world into two distinct technological blocs, with both countries -how.

Whilestriving the to USlimit has the blockaded other’s access Huawei to its on advanced the ground know that its equipment is designed to aid snooping and would make American telecoms players dependent on subsidised Chinese technology, the question is whether other countries think the risks are high enough to dump a cheaper, viable option.

The former US Secretary of State Henry Paulson alluded to this nearly two years ago, at the

The Huawei action couldend of indeed 2018: signal“I now the see rising the prospect of a formidable of an economic new wall. Iron Curtain, one that throws up new walls on each side and unmakes the global economy as we know it.” For China, the action has come at a time when 5G is set to be rolled out globally, with Huawei generally ahead in the race. For a lot of countries, a viable 5G rollout will need Chinese firms. But the 5G network in China relies on key components from the US and the new American restrictions on the use of chipmaking tools mean Huawei could face shortages in the supply of specialist chips. —

Where does India stand in this battle? Back in December 2009, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had asked Indian mobile companies to suspend deals with Chinese equipment makers after fears that Chinese equipment were being used for hacking and spying. But India has been a fence- sitter since then and has never fully banned Chinese companies from its telecom

Chinese companies— in both hardware and software. equipment industry. Indeed, much of India’s telecom growth story has been supported by After the standoff in Ladakh, however, India has asked state-owned telecom service providers to exclude Chinese companies from the scope of their network upgrade contracts; this was part of the wider decision to signal curbs on Chinese investments and tech companies in the country. In official statements, India justified the ban on 59 mobile

Website:apps with www.prepmate.in Chinese links on grounds of a threat to national security. Telegram India’s Channel: hesitation @upscprepmate in Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

acting against Chinese equipment makers in the telecom industry has derived from the view that the Chinese have brought in a semblance of competitiveness to a market earlier dominated by pricier European firms such as Nokia and Ericsson however, the border clashes and the US action could now force New Delhi into the anti-China camp. — Page | 165 What are the implications for other stakeholders in the telecom industry? Apart from the Chinese, the leaders in the telecoms network equipment market are the computer and mobile chipmaking segment has players from across the world, including AmericanEuropean companiesplayers such like as Intel, Ericsson Qualcomm, and Nokia, and and GlobalFoundries, South Korea’s and Samsung. the British While chip the design company ARM, the US has tried to retain its control on this key aspect of communication technology that is otherwise dominated by just one major non-Western company Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.

In February— 2018, President Donald Trump blocked a $117-billion attempt by Singapore- based Broadcom Ltd to acquire Qualcomm, citing national security concerns, leading to the company withdrawing its bid. GlobalFoundries, though based in California, is owned by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

With the Chinese being increasingly blocked by governments in 5G networks, other global players could be at a competitive advantage. Even in the US, small operators in rural parts of the country will no longer be able to access federal subsidies to buy or maintain Chinese equipment, and will be forced to deploy components by other manufacturers. This could have a bearing on how the global 5G rollout takes place, especially in the countries outside of North America and Europe, India included.

Source: The Indian Express

28. Cough droplets travel longer when it’s cold & humid–new Covid model

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

A new study has found that respiratory droplets from a cough or sneeze travel farther and last longer in humid, cold climates than in hot, dry ones.

Conducted by researchers from University of California San Diego (UCSD) Indian Institute of Science (Bengaluru) and University of Toronto, the study is published in the journal Physics of Fluids.

How does it arrive at these findings? The researchers describe a new mathematical model that they say can be used to predict the early spread of respiratory viruses including Covid-19, and the role of respiratory

droplets in that spread. The model combines the physics of droplets with the spread of a pandemic based on population-scale interaction. It examines how far and fast droplets spread, and how long they last.

Page | 166

“We have included detailed kinetics model regarding infection as the droplet Key oftravels/evaporates,” this work was to link Professor the droplet Saptarshi physics Basu with of the IISc, kinetic one oftheory the study of infection authors, to toldarrive The at Indian Express. “This is based on molecular collision theory adapted from combustion. reaction or infection rate and subsequent growth.”

Adapted from Saha et al/Physics of Fluids

Collision theory predicts the rate of a chemical reaction based on the frequency of collisions

Sahabetween of UCSD, molecules. one of “How the study frequently authors, healthy said in people a statement. are coming in contact with an infected droplet cloud can be a measure of how fast the disease can spread,” Professor Abhishek Using droplets of a salt water solution (saliva is high in sodium chloride) in a levitator, the team applied models for chemical reactions and physics principles to to determine the size, spread, and lifespan of these particles in various environmental conditions.

So, how far do droplets travel?

Depending on weather conditions, it was found that some respiratory droplets travel between 8 feet and 13 feet away from their source before evaporating. At 35°C and 40% relative humidity, a droplet can travel about 8 feet. However, at 5°C and 80% humidity, a droplet can travel up to 12 feet. All this is without even accounting for wind. Page | 167 This means that without masks, six feet of social distancing may not be enough to prevent infection, the researchers said.

Should we worry about the winter? in high humidity (relative humidity) it survives longer and hence travels longer distance beforeBasu said evaporating the life of ora droplet settling. depends Cold temperature more on humidity will also than prolong on temperature. lifetime but “Thisnot as means much

Areas humidity,” there other he said. significant findings? The study provides a size range for droplets that carry greater risk. It found that droplets in the range of 14-48 microns take longer to evaporate and travel greater distances. Smaller droplets evaporate within a fraction of a second, while droplets larger than 100 microns quickly settle to the ground.

Wearing masks would trap particles within this critical range.

What are the limitations of the model? In a statement, Professor Swetaprovo Chaudhuri of University of Toronto referred to to relax a few simplifications and to include different modes of transmission. “idealized assumptions” and “variabilities in some parameters”. Basu said the next step is Source: The Indian Express

29. China launches first Mars mission

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

China successfully launched its first Mars probe on Thursday, aiming to complete orbiting, landing and roving in a single mission, taking an ambitious step towards planetary exploration of the solar system.

A Long March- spacecraft with a mass of about five tonnes, soared into the sky from the Wenchang 5 rocket, China’s largest and most powerful launch vehicle, carrying the official Xinhua news agency reported. Spacecraft Launch Site on the coast of southern China’s island province of Hainan, the

About 36 minutes after the launch, the spacecraft, including an orbiter and a rover, was sent into the Earth-Mars transfer orbit, embarking on an almost seven-month journey to the red planet, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

The Chinese Mars probe named Tianwen 1 or Quest for Heavenly Truth 1, will fulfil three Page | 168 scientific objectives: orbiting the red planet for comprehensive observation, landing on Martian soil and sending a rover to roam the landing site.

environment, atmosphere and water, media reports said. It will conduct scientific investigations into the planet’s soil, geological structure, It should arrive in orbit around the red planet in February.

The Long March 5 rocket will transport the robotic probe to the Earth-Mars transfer trajectory before the spacecraft begins its self- vity field.

According to China Aerospace Science andpropelled Technology flight Corp,toward a Mars’ State-owned gra space conglomerate, the probe will travel for about seven months before it reaches Mars, which at the farthest point of its orbit is about 400 million kilometres from Earth and 55 million kilometres at the nearest point.

It said the probe consists of three parts the orbiter, the lander and the rover and they will separate in Mars orbit. The orbiter will remain in the orbit for scientific operations and to relay signals while the lander-rover— combination makes an autonomous descent— and landing.

The rover has six wheels and four solar panels and carries six scientific instruments. It weighs over 200 kilogrammes and will work for about three months on the planet, the designers said.

China aims to catch up with India, the US, Russia and the European Union to reach the red planet.

-task expedition of Tianwen- science and technology development, as well as a fresh “Thelong march triple of outer space exploration following1 marks its another lunar milestoneprogram and in China’sthe endeavour aerospace to -run media commented. daring adventure in the country’s

Inbuild a paper a space last station,” week, the the scientific state team behind Tianwen- oing to orbit, land and release a rover all on the very first try, and coordinate observations with an 1 said the probe is “g

Byorbiter. contrast, No planetary NASA sent missions multiple have orbiters ever beento Mars implemented before ever in attempting this way.” a landing. Pulling off the landing is a far more difficult task, CNN reported.

the journal Nature. “If successful, it would signify a major technical breakthrough,” the Chinese team wrote in China in recent years has emerged as a major space power with manned space missions and landing a rover in the dark side of the moon. It is currently building a space station of Page | 169 its own.

-1, in a Russian spacecraft in 2011 failed as shortly after the launch it was declared lost and later burntChina’s during previous re-entry. attempt to send an exploratory probe to Mars called Yinghuo

The US, Russia, India and the EU have succeeded in sending missions to Mars regarded as the most complex space mission. India became the first Asian country to have successfully launched its Mars orbiter mission Mangalyaan which entered the orbit of the red planet in 2014.

India also became the first country to have entered the Martian orbit in its first attempt.

AChina’s United Mars Arab probe Emirates is the spacecraft second such to missiongo to Mars launched was launched this month. from Japan on July 20, in

what is the Arab world’s first interplanetary mission. - month journey to the red planet. The US space agency (NASA) aims to despatch its next- generationThe launch rover,of the spacecraftPerseverance, named on July Amal, 30. or the ‘Hope Probe’, marks the start of the seven

On April 24, China named its first Mars exploration mission as Tianwen-1 as it celebrated s first satellite Dong Fang Hong-1 in 1970. ‘Space Day’ to mark the 50th anniversary of the launch of the country’ andThe exploringCNSA said nature all of China’s and the planetary universe, explorationthe state-run missions Xinhua newsin the agency future hadwill reported.be named on Tianwen series, signifying the Chinese nation’s perseverance in pursuing truth and science Source: The Hindu

30. How ‘corona’ of the virus changes into a hairpin shape — and why

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

Page | 170

The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 -19 disease has just revealed new secrets. Researchers have found that the spike protein changes its form after it attaches itself— the to ‘corona’a human in cell, the folding coronavirus in on itselfthat causesand assuming Covid a rigid hairpin— shape. The researchers have published their findings in the journal Science, and believe the knowledge can help in vaccine development.

What is the spike protein? It is a protein that protrudes from the surface of a coronavirus, like the spikes of a crown or corona -CoV-2 coronavirus, it is the spike protein that initiates the process of infection in a human cell. It attaches itself to a human enzyme,— calledhence the the ACE2 name receptor, ‘coronavirus’. before In going the SARSon to enter the cell and make multiple copies of itself.

What has the new research found? Using the technique of cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM), Dr Bing Chen and -framed the spike protein in both its shapes before and after fusion with the cell. colleagues at Boston Children’s Hospital have freeze —

Page | 171

Cryo-EM images of SARS-CoV-2 before and after fusion with the human cell. Postfusion

Hospital) shape is like a rigid hairpin. (Source: Provided by Dr Bing, Chen, Boston Children’s The images show a dramatic change to the hairpin shape after the spike protein binds with before fusion without the virus binding to a cell at all. The spike can go into its alternativethe ACE2 receptor. form prematurely. In fact, the researchers found that the “after” shape can also show itself — What does that signify? Dr Chen suggests that assuming the alternative shape may help keep SARS-CoV-2 from breaking down. Studies have shown that the virus remains viable on various surfaces for various periods of time. Chen suggests that the rigid shape may explain this.

More significantly, the researchers speculate that the postfusion form may also protect SARS-CoV-2 from our immune system.

In what way can it protect the virus from the immune system? The postfusion shape could induce antibodies that do not neutralise the virus. In effect, the spikes in this form may act as decoys that distract the immune system.

Page | 172 membrane fusion (viral entry) since it would be too late in the process. This is well “Antibodies specifically targeting the postfusion state would not be able to block email. established in the field of other viruses, such as HIV,” Chen told The Indian Express, by In principle, if both conformations shared neutralising epitopes (the part of the virus targeted by antibodies), then the postfusion form too could induce neutralising antibodies,

SARS-CoV-2 and HIV, I think it is not very likely that the postfusion form would be useful as Chen said. “But because theed. two structures are often very different, in particular, in case of

Doan immunogen,”the two forms he share explain any similarities? spaced locations on their surface. Glycans are another feature that helps the virus avoid immuneYes, both detection. the “before” and “after” forms have sugar molecules, called glycans, at evenly

How is the knowledge about the alternative shape useful? The researchers believe the findings have implications for vaccine development. Many vaccines that are currently in development use the spike protein to stimulate the immune system. But these may have varying mixes of the prefusion and postfusion forms, Chen said. And that may limit their protective efficacy.

Chen stressed the need for stabilising the spike protein in its prefusion structure in order to block the conformational changes that lead to the postfusion state. If the protein is not stable, antibodies may be induced but they will be less effective in terms of blocking the virus, he said.

stabilizing mutations) to mimic the prefusion state, which could be more effective in “Using our prefusion structure as a guide, we should be able to do better (introducing eliciting neutralizing antibody responses,” Chen told The Indian Express. “We are in the processSource: ofThe doing Indian this Expressin case the first round of vaccines are not as effective as we all hope.”

31. Is SARS-CoV-2 a latent virus which can recur?

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

A latent infection is when the virus in the body is dormant and does not replicate within the host. It however possesses the capacity to be reactivated at some point, causing a flare-up of the disease much later.

people who had tested negative for COVID-19 testing Page | 173 positive again after a while emerged in early January, the question of latency of the SARS-CoV-2Ever since cases virus of is ‘reinfection’being hotly debated. — — What is a latent viral infection? A latent viral infection is an infection that is inactive or dormant. As opposed to active infections, where a virus is actively replicating and potentially causing symptoms, latent (or persistent; but not chronic) infections are essentially static which last the life of the host and occur when the primary infection is not cleared by the adaptive immune response.

reactivated into a lytic form (the replication of a viral genome). The ability to move back and forth from latent to lytic They go on to explain that “latent viral infections can be

Ryaninfections McNamara, helps the a research virus spread associate from infectedat the Department individuals of to Microbiology uninfected individuals”. and Immunology, University of North Carolina, explains the difference between the types of viral infections. Viruses fall into two broad categories: chronic and acute; while a chronic virus will infect its host for extended periods of time, often through the lifetime of the host. An acute infecting virus, such as influenza and rotavirus, is cleared from the body after a few days or weeks.

actively producing more infectious virus particles. For example, when a herpes virus infects “A chronic virus can go into latency. This is when a virus is present within a cell, but not

Thea cell, reactivation its genome tocan the remain lytic instate, that when cell as the long production as that cell of is newalive,” virus Dr. McNamaraparticles occurs, says. he would be chickenpox, caused by the human herpesvirus 3 respondscalls an ‘intentional and the virus strategy goes by into the virus latency. to promote Decades its later, survival’. it can A re-activate, perfect example resulting of this in — after infection, “the body also go into latency after infection. It integrates itself into the host chromatin (a substance withinshingles”. the What chromosome), causes reactivation and can is reactivatenot very clear upon in this stimulation case. According such as to inflammationhim, HIV can induced by co-infecting pathogens. This can lead to uncontrolled HIV replication and clinical AIDS.

Does SARS-CoV-2 go into latency? What causes second infections? Sheleg and Vasilevsky have recorded South Korean officials reporting that nearly 100 people thought to be cured of the novel coronavirus have tested positive for COVID-19 again. According to Jeong Eun-Kyeong, director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention, the COVID-19 virus them becoming re-infected. may have “reactivated” in the patients rather than In Chennai too, last week, the civic body recorded a couple of cases of patients who had recovered from COVID-19 testing positive again after a span of time. Page | 174

Dr. McNamara expla threshold where a virus can be detected. A negative SARS-CoV-2 test does not mean zero ins the concept of “limit of detection” of a virus, here. This is the

Prof.infection; John itclarifies means nothat detectable another issue infection.” is that many viruses can survive at the mucosal level -CoV-2, is also a positive sense, single strand RNA (ribonucleic acid). While immunity kicks in two weeks afterin spite infection, of immunity. viral “A shedding classical can example continue is the for polio up virus, to 10 which, weeks, like in SARS spite of very high antibody levels. Why this happens has not been explained by anybody, so far. And, in polio, second infec if a stool test came back-bound negative virus in that between is non- and then tested positive, we don’t take it as a tion, it is a continuous infection.” He further found with lab tests that the host harbours an “antibody infective”. up by now. But it is possible that some people have specific problems with immunity He goes on to add: “If second infections were sufficiently common we would have picked it against this virus. In that case, it must be investigated further.” -detectable, and then detectable SARS-CoV-2 virus because of the limit of detection of our current testing. Also,Dr. McNamara a SARS-CoV- explains: “It’s entirely possible to have detectable, then non - CoV-2 RNA on surfaces can yield a positive result, but that simply means that there is some SARS-CoV-2 RNA 2 test doesn’t necessarily mean there is infectious virus. Testing for SARS

present, it doesn’t necessarily mean the RNA is intact, or that the RNA is inside an infectious particle. So, fragmented RNA can actually yield a positive result.” Clinical Committee for Emerging Disease Control had said the reason 263 Koreans tested positiveKorea Biomedical after recovery Review from (koreabiomed.com) the new coronavirus reported seemed in Aprilto have that been the country’snot because Central they contracted the virus again; rather, remaining virus fragments were detected in them.

Source: The Hindu

32. Are we approaching the stage of herd immunity?

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

A recent serological survey in Delhi found the presence of coronavirus-specific antibodies in about 23% of the samples tested. The results of that survey are being interpreted to

suggest that about 46 lakh people in Delhi could so far have been infected with the novel

Kejriwal made the suggestion on Friday. coronavirus, and that “herd immunity” could be approaching. Even Chief Minister Arvind Scientists, however, caution against drawing such broad conclusions. The serological Page | 175 this stage is not only premature but also misplaced. surveys were carried out to answer a very specific question. Any talk of “herd immunity” at What was the serological survey about? The serological survey was meant to detect whether the person being tested had developed antibodies against the coronavirus. The antibodies are proteins produced by the immune system to fight external organisms like viruses that try to enter the body. These are produced only after the infection has happened, and are specific to the attacking virus or bacterium. The presence of antibodies, therefore, is an indication that an infection by that particular virus or bacterium has already occurred. Subsequent attempts to infect the body can be thwarted by these antibodies.

Vaccines work in a similar manner. They inject harmless doses of a virus or a bacterium inside the human body to trigger the production of antibodies by the immune system. These antibodies can then fight off an actual attack by those viruses or bacteria.

In the context of current pandemic, the serological survey was carried out to assess how widespread Covid-19 could have become. Since it is not possible to test everyone, it is not clear how many people in the population are infected, especially since most of the patients do not show any symptoms of the disease. Detecting antibodies in random sets of people is an indirect way of estimating the extent of disease spread in a community.

What were the results? The survey found coronavirus-specific antibodies in about 23% of the roughly 21,000 people who were tested. This means that these many people had, at some point or the other, had been infected. Since random people were tested, it indicated that the spread of the disease was much wider than what diagnostic tests suggest. In Delhi, about 14% of those who have been tested for the virus have turned out positive.

Information about the extent of spread is very important for authorities to make decisions and plan containment measures.

Scientists say this serological survey, and similar ones in other parts of the country, are quite useful for this limited purpose. But they warn against any interpretation further than this. Suggestions that all those with antibodies are now protected against the disease, and

Dothat antibodies “herd immunity” ensure stage Immunity? was nearby, are particularly problematic, they insist.

The mere presence of antibodies does not mean that the person is protected against the disease. These are two different things, scientists say. What is also important is the amount

ually fight the disease. Serological surveys are not ofdesigned antibodies to assess present, either and the whether quantity itof alsoantibodies includes or detect what arethe presence known as of “neutralisingneutralising Page | 176 antibodies”.antibodies. These are the ones that act

antibodies pr “Theinfected serological with the disease tests ask or anot. very The basic presence question of antibodies that has tells a Yes/No us that. answer.Protection Are against there the disease, however,esent? That’s is a very it. Now, different this isquestion. useful toThe know serological whether tests the do person not provide had been us associated with Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Pune. enough information on that,” said Satyajit Rath, a pathologist and immunologist now While there is no documented evidence of re-infection in the current pandemic, Shahid antibodiesJameel, a virologist, against Covid-19 said there disease were but studies no protection. that indicated These the two “neutralising are not the same antibodies” thing, could lose their effect after four months. “It is very well possible that a person has Jameel said. and therefore we need to be cautious when we interpret scientific findings in this manner,” L S Shashidhara, a biologist, also at IISER Pune, said the coronavirus was still evolving and could undergo several mutations, and therefore it was too early to talk about permanent protection, and certainly not from the results from an antibody test.

What, then is herd immunity? The suggestion that herd immunity could be achieved in the near future was even more problematic, the scientists said.

Herd immunity is a stage of an epidemic in which some members of a population group remain protected from infection because a majority of those around them have already developed immunity, either through vaccination or because they have been infected earlier. So, everyone in the population group does not need to get infected before the epidemic is over. Once a certain proportion of population gets infected, and thus builds immunity against the disease, the epidemic begins to slow down and eventually stop.

What should that proportion be? The problem is no one clearly knows what percentage of the population needs to be infected before herd immunity kicks in. It is different for different diseases, and different population groups. In general, herd immunity is unlikely to happen before at least half the population is infected.

In the case of measles, for example, herd immunity is reached only when 85% to 90% of the population attains immunity. In some other diseases, the threshold could be lower. For

Covid-19, different studies have suggested that between 55-70% of the population would need to be infected before herd immunity would develop.

Page | 177 For“Herd example, immunity herd isimmunity mentioned would in apply very only loose in terms closed these population days. groups, And it those is also that badly are cutmisunderstood,” off from neighbouring Jameel said. societies. “This concept Thus, talkcan be of applied herd immunity in very specific in Delhi situations is pointless only. if there is a free movement of people in and out of the city. Also, there is no uniform infection level in the population over which herd immunity would come in. Even in a city like Delhi, different localities and neighbourhoods would reach herd immunity at different levels of

Besides,infection, it if is they extremely isolate difficultthemselves to determine from others.” the level of disease spread necessary for herd and evolving right now. Only after the epidemic is over, can we reliably estimate at what immunity when the epidemic is still raging. “Every parameter in this calculation is dynamic

Source:point did The herd Indian immunity Express take over,” Jameel said.

33. Rafale jets reach Ambala today: What next after 7,000-km journey from France?

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

The first batch of the much-awaited Rafale fighter jets took off from France today (July 27) and are enroute to India. India had bought 36 twin-engine fighter planes from Dassault Rafale for an estimated Rs 58,000 crore, through an inter-governmental agreement signed in 2016.

How many jets are coming right now? The first batch includes five aircraft, being flown by Indian Air Force pilots. They took off from the Merignac airbase near Bordeaux in France.

The first fighter jet was handed over to the Indian Air Force in October 2019, in France, in a ceremony attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and French Minister for Armed Forces Florence Parly.

Ten aircraft have been delivered on schedule, as per a statement by the Indian Embassy in France on Monday. Of these ten, five have left for India, while the other five will remain in France for training missions.

When will they reach India? The first five Rafale fighter jets will reach Ambala Air Force Station on Wednesday.

The distance covered by them is close to 7,000 kms, and will require air-to-air refuelling. While the distance can be covered within a day as well, with the refuelling, it has been planned that the jets will make a stop in United Arab Emirates.

They will be taken to the Al Dhafra French air base near Abu Dabhi on Monday, and will Page | 178 take off from there for Ambala on Wednesday morning.

Are all the five jets the same? No, the jets India has bought are a mix of single-seater and two-seater planes. The jets on their way to India are also a mix of both.

Interestingly, the twin-seater air planes have the current Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal

TheRKS Bhadauria’s twin-seater initials, air planes “RB”, haveas he theplayed current a significant Air Force role in chief negotiating Air Chief the Marshaldeal. RKS

TheBhadauria’s single-seater initials, aircraft “RB”, as have he played the initials a significant of the lastrole chiefin negotiating of Air Force, the deal. retired Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa.

When will the other jets come? Of the ten delivered to the Air Force, five are in France for training. Pilots and support personnel of the Indian Air Force have been given complete training about the aircraft and the weapon systems by Dassault in France.

According to the Indian Embassy in France, IAF batches will continue to be trained in France for the next nine months.

The delivery of all the 36 jets is scheduled by the end of 2021.

What happens when they reach India? The aircraft will be inducted at Air Force Station Ambala on Wednesday, subject to weather, IAF had said on July 20. The final induction ceremony will take place in the second half of August.

The IAF aircrew and ground crew have undergone comprehensive training on the aircraft, including its highly advanced weapons systems, which are fully operational now. Post arrival, efforts will focus on operationalisation of the aircraft at the earliest, IAF had stated. The immediate focus when they reach will be to ensure that the pilots and ground crew put their heads down and become integrated with the overall IAF operations at the earliest. Further, it is important that the ferry-in of fighters as well as move of support crew is completed safely and swiftly.

Which squadron will they join?

Force, and will be stationed in Ambala. The Golden Arrows were raised in 1951 and have beenThe first involved jets will in a comprise number of the significant resurrected operations No 17 ‘Golden through Arrows’ their history, squadron including of the theAir Kargil War. But after the Air Force started to phase out the Mig-21, which were operated by Page | 179 the Golden Arrows, the squadron was disbanded in 2016.

It has been resurrected now for the multi-role, state-of-the-art Rafale.

Source: The Indian Express

34. Perseverance launch today: A look at NASA’s mission to Mars

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

Imagine driving on the loneliest road in the world. For the traveller, it is a cathartic experience. One can drive for hours on end without seeing another car or human being. There is the wilderness, the landscape of mountains and valleys, the open sky above and the spectacular night bejewelled by stars. Driving on Mars is a somewhat similar experience. Except there is no road. The rover can drive anywhere it chooses to, and is able to. Except no human or machine has driven on the road before. That is the rush of operating a rover on Mars.

What has NASA’s experience been with multiple generations of Mars rovers?

Mars Pathfinder Mission with the Sojourner rover egressed on the Martian soil. It was an unforgettableNASA’s incredible experience journey to of be driving part ofon the Mars Operations started about team 23 for years Mars ago, Pathfinder: in 1997: awhen mission the put together on a very tight budget that many thought would fail. However, Mars Pathfinder would succeed and in the process would change the subsequent history of Mars Exploration. Thus, NASA would go on to send the twin rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, to Mars in 2003, followed by Curiosity in 2012, followed by Perseverance that is scheduled to launch later today.

The Sojourner rover, a technology demonstration mission, lasted for 83 days. Spirit and Opportunity set a new paradigm of a long term robotic presence on Mars, lasting about 6 and 15 years, respectively. Curiosity landed in 2012: and continues to operate today. With each rover generation, the number and the complexity of scientific instruments increased. Sojourner was a small rover, almost like a toy, a couple of feet in length and width. Spirit and Opportunity were much larger: about the size of a golf cart. Curiosity and Perseverance are the size of a small car.

The science returns of exploring Mars with a rover have been very significant. Rovers provide a way to study the local area in much higher resolution than is possible from an orbiting spacecraft. In addition, rovers have a suite of instruments from drills to spectrometers to microscopic imagers: these instruments help understand the local geology much like a field geologist would study rocks on Earth. In addition, starting with Page | 180 Spirit and Opportunity, rovers have acted as mobile weather stations on Mars that monitor changes in the Martian atmosphere continuously over multiple years.

With each new generation of rovers, NASA has added new capabilities and a somewhat different instrument suite to answer important scientific questions. Examples would be the addition of a drill on Spirit and Opportunity, and a mass spectrometer, an instrument to measure isotopes of different elements, for Curiosity. With the launch of Mars Perseverance, the fourth generation of Mars rovers, NASA will take forward this tradition.

THE EXPERT Dr Amitabha Ghosh is a NASA Planetary Scientist based out of Washington DC. He has worked for multiple NASA Mars Missions starting with the Mars Pathfinder Mission in 1997. He served as Chair of the Science Operations Working Group for the Mars Exploration Rover Mission and was tasked with leading tactical Rover Operations on Mars for more than 10 years. He helped analyse the first rock on Mars, which incidentally happened to be the first rock analysed from another planet.

What is new with Perseverance? First, Perseverance will carry a unique instrument, MOXIE or Mars Oxygen ISRU Experiment: which for the first time will manufacture molecular oxygen on Mars using carbon dioxide from the carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere. There is the new push for ISRU at NASA: in NASA jargon, ISRU means In Situ Resource Utilization: or the use of local resources to meet human needs or requirements of the spacecraft. Without ISRU, exploration of Mars in the future decades will be incredibly expensive and thereby impossible. If astronauts have to carry oxygen or water or rocket fuel for their journey for a two-year journey to Mars and back, the cost will be understandably excessive. In a way, this is similar to a traveller from New Delhi having to carry their own oxygen, food supplies and aircraft fuel for a two-year stay in New York: the cost per passenger will be incredibly high. If oxygen can be successfully extracted on Mars in some significant scale, this can have two direct advantages: first, the oxygen can be used for human visitors to Mars, and second, the oxygen can be used to manufacture rocket fuel for the return journey. Thus, if the technology demonstration is successful, NASA can easily scale up the oxygen generation rate per day for MOXIE by a hundred times: this would be of great use for a future human mission to Mars.

Second, Perseverance will carry Ingenuity, the first ever helicopter to fly on Mars. This is the first time NASA will fly a helicopter on another planet or satellite. Ingenuity is a technology demonstration: the challenge, of course, is to fly the helicopter in the thin atmosphere of Mars. Like a drone on Earth, a Mars helicopter can help in rover drive

planning and in fetching samples from locations that the rover cannot safely drive to. If this technology demonstration is successful, we will see a greater role for such helicopters in future missions.

Third, Perseverance is the planned first step to bring back rock samples from Mars for Page | 181 analysis in sophisticated laboratories on Earth: with the goal of looking for biosignatures: or signatures of present or past life. Perseverance will collect samples and a second rover mission will fly within a decade to help transport the rock samples back to Earth.

The analysis of Martian rocks on Earth will likely provide a reliable indication of whether life on Mars is feasible in the past or at present.

What is the reason for the near-term interest in Mars? Mars is a fascinating planet for humankind. Located in the very near backyard (about 200 million km away), Mars is a planet that humans can aspire to visit or to stay for a longer duration. Mars had flowing water and an atmosphere in the distant past: and perhaps conditions to support life.

plans for commercial travel. A human mission to Mars has always been an aspiration for differentBut, in the space near agencies term, the including increase NASA. in interest Though related technologically to Mars is because possible, of the Elon cost Musk’s was

end astronauts to Mars have been, in large part, aspirational: in knownother words, to be withoutprohibitive: adequate perhaps funding. of the order of $500 billion or 20 times NASA’s budget. Hence, NASA’s plans to s of cost-saving measures, like reusable launch vehicles, in-orbit refueling and manufacturing rocketMusk has fuel unveiled on Mars, a tonew reduce architecture the cost to of get a journeyto Mars. to Musk’s Mars visiondown byis to1/1000th. use a combination Thus, the price per passenger for going to Mars on his Starship Spaceship would be on the order of $200,000 or Rs 1.5 crore. The launch vehicle Starship Spacecraft: the most powerful launch vehicle ever built, with the ability to transport 100 metric tonnes to Earth Orbit. SpaceXat the is centre scheduled of Elon to fly Musk’s around plans the isMoon the with its first private passenger in 2023: and has the goal for a crewed mission to Mars as early as 2024. As we speak, the Starship is being built and tested in a sleepy South Texas town called Boca Chica. In a decade, SpaceX with its Starship Spacecraft, might transform space travel and realise -planetary species.

Source: The Indian ExpressMusk’s dream of turning humankind into a multi

Social Issues

1. SC upholds right of erstwhile Travancore royal family in administration of Kerala’s Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper I; Social Issues Page | 182

What is the judgement of Supreme Court? deityThe Supremeof the famed Court and heldfabulously that therich erstwhileSri Padmanabhaswamy Travancore royaltemple family in Kerala. is the “human ministrant” or the shebait (manager) of the properties belonging to Sri Padmanabha, chief What was the dispute? A Bench of Justices U.U. Lalit and Indu Malhotra, in a 218-page judgment, brought quietus to a dispute of over a decade on whether the temple and its considerable assets should devolve to the Kerala government following the death of Travancore ruler Sree Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma in July 1991.

Basis of judgement Arguments were raised both to and fro senior advocate Krishnan Venugopal for the royals and some devotees represented by a team of advocates of P.B. Suresh, Vipin Nair and Karthik Jayashankar on whether the 26th– Constitutional Amendment, which banished rulers and privy purses, would nudge the temple and properties into the hands of the State. In fact, the Kerala High– Court, in 2011, directed the State to take over the temple and exhibit its treasures for public viewing in a museum.

Justice Lalit, who wrote the judgment, categorically held that the death of a ruler does not

Shebaitshipaffect the royal does family’s not lapse shebaitship in favour of of the the temple. State by “Shebaitship principle of was escheat always (reversion in the royal of propertyfamily and to the the State). Ruler represented the unbroken line of shebaits,” the judgment said.

Who is Shebait? authorised representative entitled to deal with all its temporal affairs and to manage its The court defined ‘shebait’ as the “custodian of the idol, its earthly spokesman,thanda Varma, its who rebuilt the temple and installed a new idol after a fire destroyed the temple in 1686. It referredproperty”. to Thehow court the King traced surrendered how the shebaitshiphis kingdom descended in January from1750 Kingand assumedMar the role of

Transparency‘Padmanabhadasa’ in administration after realising “the of temple futility of battles as a means to an end.” slew of directions for its transparent administration in the future. Accepting the royals’ submission that the temple is a “public temple”, the court issued a

It directed the setting up of an administrative committee with the Thiruvananthapuram District Judge as its chairperson. The other members would be a nominee of the trustee (royal family), the chief thanthri of the temple, a nominee of the State and a member nominated by the Union Ministry of Culture. This committee would take care of the daily administration of the temple. Page | 183

It also ordered a second committee to be constituted to advise the administrative committee on policy matters. This would be chaired by a retired High Court judge nominated by the Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court. Both committees should start functioning within the next two months and an executive officer should be appointed without delay.

The primary duties of the committees would be to preserve the treasures and properties. They would take a call on whether to open Kallara B, considered to be the richest among the temple vaults, for inventorisation.

The committees would ensure that rituals and religious practices are conducted as per custom and on the advice of the chief thantri.

The court said the committees would ensure that income to the temple would be used to augment the facilities. It ordered an audit to be conducted for the past 25 years. Audited accounts and the balance sheet should be annually filed with the office of the Accountant General for the State. The royal family would not take any remuneration for the services they render to the temple.

The idea of setting up these committees was initially suggested by the royal family itself and the court

The court orderedfound statusit “quite reports balanced” to be and filed not loaded by the in second favour week of them. of December 2020. A further report should be filed after audit on March 31, 2021.

Source: The Hindu

2. Understanding the language of railway station signboards

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper I; Social Issues

On Monday morning, BJP national vice president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe retweeted a handle called @SortedEagle that posted a picture purportedly of a new signboard showing the names of Dehradun railway station written in Hindi, English and Sanskrit, with the last new name read. having purportedly replaced the Urdu name on the original signboard. “Dehradunam”, the

Naming of railway stations is based on a set of codes and manuals that has evolved over a century. It even prescribes what colour, shape and size the names are to be written in.

How is the change of name formalised? While Indian Railways may own the station, it does not get involved in the business of Page | 184 naming it. This is left to the discretion of the state government concerned. When a state government wants to change the name of a city and wants that to reflect on signboards including in railway stations, it writes to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the nodal ministry for such matters.

When the Uttar Pradesh government wanted to change the name of Mughalsarai station, Railways waited for the Home Ministry and the state government to work out the formalities and notify the transporter. It was only after that the name was officially changed to Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction on station signboards and tickets. The same was the case with Allahabad to Prayagraj.

How are the languages to be displayed on the signboard decided? This aspect is governed by what is known as the Indian Railway Works Manual a 260- odd-page document that codifies everything related to civil engineering construction works. Traditionally, station names were written only in Hindi and English. Over— time, it was instructed that a third language, which is the local language, should be included.

Even then, the matter is not so simple. Paragraph 424 of the Manual says that Railways should obtain approval of the state government concerned on the spelling of the names (in all three languages) before putting them on its signboards.

English, except for Tamil Nadu where the use of Hindi will be restricted to important stations“The station and names pilgrim shall centres be exhibited as determined in the following by the Commercialorder: Regional Department. Language, Where Hindi and the the Manual says. Regional language is Hindi, the name boards will be in two languages, Hindi and English…,” Which signboards include Urdu? In Uttar Pradesh, Urdu is one of the official languages and inscribed on station signboards. Uttarakhand was once a part of UP, so the Dehradun station continues to have Urdu on the boards.

But that is not all. Urdu being a unique language that is not a regional language confined to a particular state, Indian Railways has separate rules for writing station names in this language on its signboards.

Paragraph 424 of the Works Manual has a separate section that lists districts across India where all stations are to have names in Urdu along with other languages. This list has been

updated over time. It has close to 100 districts from South Indian states to Maharashtra to Bihar.

Even after this, if there is a language that locals feel should be represented on station signboards, concerned Railway departments are mandated to include it after discussions Page | 185

Iswith the the Urdu Zonal name Railway being Users’ replaced Consultative with Sanskrit Committee in Dehradun? and the state government. A BJP MLA had written to the Railways Ministry to get the name written in Sanskrit, while a local group locally objected to the Urdu script being removed, sources said. Local railway offices wrote to the district authorities to obtain the official Sanskrit name last September and also in February this year. For now, Railways maintains that signboards in Uttarakhand would continue to display names in English, Hindi and Urdu.

Source: The Indian Express

3. What forecast of shrinking populations means for India and world

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper I; Social Issues

A new analysis published in The Lancet has projected that the world population will peak much earlier than previously estimated. It projects the peak at 9.73 billion in 2064, which is ld Population Prospects. For 2100, the new report projects a decline to 8.79 billion from the 362064 years peak. earlier than the 11 billion peak projected for 2100 by last year’s UN report Wor

For India, the report projects a peak population of 1.6 billion in 2048, up from 1.38 billion in 2017. By 2100, the population is projected to decline by 32% to 1.09 billion.

Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), analysed population trends in 195 countries. It used data fromThe study, the Global led by Burdena team of of researchers Disease Study at University 2017 to modelof Washington’s future population Institute infor variousHealth scenarios as a function of fertility, migration, and mortality rates.

The broad takeaways IHME director Dr Christopher Murray, who led the research, said the forecasts highlight huge challenges to the economic growth of a shrinking workforce, the high burden on health and social support systems of an ageing population.

The paper suggests that continued trends in female educational attainment and access to contraception will hasten declines in fertility and slow population growth.

For a generation to exactly replace itself, the replacement-level total fertility rate (TFR) is taken to be 2.1, representing the average number of children a woman would need to have.

In the study, the global TFR is predicted to steadily decline from 2.37 in 2017 to 1.66 in 2100. The TFR is projected to fall below 2.1 in 183 countries. In 23 countries including Page | 186 Japan, Thailand, Italy and Spain, it is projected to shrink by more than 50%.

Source: Vollset, Goren et al/The Lancet

Key numbers: India

“Trends in India’s total population and in the population of working -century,age adults followed will follow by significantsimilar trends,” declines. Stein Similarly, Emil Vollset, the working-age one of the population lead authors, will toldalso increase The Indian in the Express first half by ofemail. the century, “The total and population then decline will in increase the second and peakhalf. These just before declines mid are driven by fertility rates, which we forecast will continue declini

 ng over the next few projected decades,” to have Vollset a continuesaid. steep decline until about 2040, reaching 1.29 in 2100. India’s TFR was already below 2.1 in 2019. The TFR is Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

 The number of working-age adults (20 64 years) in India is projected to fall from around 748 million in 2017 to around 578 million in 2100. However, this will be the largest working-age population in the – world by 2100. In the mid-2020s, India is llion in 2100). Page | 187 expected to surpass China’s workforce population (950 million in 2017, and 357 mi  From 2017 to 2100, India is projected to rise up the list of countries with the largest GDP, from 7th to 3rd.

 India is projected to have the second largest net immigration in 2100, with an estimated half a million more people immigrating to India in 2100 than emigrating out.

 Among the 10 countries with the largest populations in 2017 or 2100, India is projected to have one of the lowest life expectancies (79.3 years in 2100, up from 69.1 in 2017).

The road ahead In a commentary on the re Institute for Global Health, stresses the need for countries to address the potential catastrophic impact of a shrinkingsearch, working-age Ibrahim Abubakarpopulation, of and University suggests Collegemeasures London’s such as incentives to increase TFR, and using artificial intelligence as a path towards self- sufficiency.

changes through net migration of working-age adults from the countries with growing populations.“Wealthy countries Unfortunately, such as the the UK election and the of USA nationalist could counteract rulers, associated the impact decline of these in multilateralism, and increasing hostility to migration makes this option unlikely in the

Professorshort term,” Usha Abubakar Ram from wrote. the Department of Public Health and Mortality Studies at the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, who was not involved in the study, too discussed the impact of migration when contacted.

However, what is more important is to look to invest in technological advancements that can“Migration, compensate rather for the liberal human migration shortages. policies… For example, could beJapan a solutionhas managed but notthe permanent.needs of its

greyingShe said population th with virtually no emphasis on migration,” she said.

e effect of fertility decline on women’s reproductive health rights has to be accompanied by greater economic independence. “This would allow women to negotiate Source:with the Thesystem Indian on their Express own terms and for better support services as well.”

4. India registers a steep decline in maternal mortality ratio

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper I; Social Issues

Page | 188 MMR in India has declined to 113 The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) in India has declined to 113 in 2016-18 from 122 in 2015-17 and 130 in 2014-2016, according to the special bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India 2016- (SRS). 18, released by the Office of the Registrar General’s Sample Registration System What is MMR? One of the key indicators of maternal mortality is the MMR, defined as the number of maternal deaths per 1,00,000 live births. The target 3.1 of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) set by the United Nations aims to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 1,00,000 live births.

State-wise trend The MMR of various States according to the bulletin includes Assam (215), Bihar (149), Madhya Pradesh (173), Chhattisgarh (159), Odisha (150), Rajasthan (164), Uttar Pradesh (197) and Uttarakhand (99). The southern States registered a lower MMR Andhra Pradesh (65), Telangana (63), Karnataka (92), Kerala (43) and Tamil Nadu (60). Page | 189 — What is Maternal Mortality? Maternal mortality in a region is a measure of reproductive health of women in the area. As per the World Health Organization, maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management.

Source: The Hindu

5. Here are the key takeaways from Delhi’s serological survey

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper I; Social Issues

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday declared the results of a serological survey carried out in Delhi between June 27 and July 10, which showed that 22.86% of the people surveyed had developed IgG antibodies, indicating they had been exposed to the novel coronavirus that causes Covid-19.

A total 21,387 samples were collected to look for the presence of antibodies. The study has found that a large number of infected persons remain asymptomatic.

What is a serological survey? A serological survey seeks to assess the prevalence of disease in a population by detecting the presence of specific antibodies against the virus. A serological test is performed to diagnose infections and autoimmune illnesses. It can also be conducted to check if a person has developed immunity to certain diseases.

The survey included the IgG Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) test which estimates the proportion of the population exposed to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The IgG test is not useful for detecting acute infections, but it indicates episodes of infections that may have occurred in the past. The test has been approved by ICMR for its high sensitivity and specificity.

A means to assess A serological survey is done to detect the presence of specific antibodies, and is used to assess the prevalence of a disease in the population. The test indicates past infections (and which triggered an immune response), and is not used to detect active infections.

What does the survey carried out in Delhi show?

The seroprevalence study found the presence of antibodies in 22.86 per cent of the people population as of Tuesday evening, the number of confirmed cases, including both active surveyed. This rate of seropositivity cannot, however, be extrapolated over Delhi’s entire website. Since– it is not possible to test everyone in the population, serological studies are Page | 190 usedand cured/discharged/migratedas a tool to make an estimate cases,of the stoodextent atof disease only 1,23,747 spread in on the the community. Health Ministry’s

At a press conference on Tuesday, the Health Ministry said that the fact that only 22.86% were found to be infected in a survey carried out in a city with several pockets of dense population, shows that the proactive efforts by the government to prevent the spread of Covid-19, including prompt lockdown, effective containment and surveillance measures,

Hascontact such tracing a survey and beentracking, carried as well out as in citizens’ other states compliance as well? had yielded benefits. In April, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had conducted a pilot serosurvey in 83 districts in 21 states. The initial results, which are being peer-reviewed, indicate that the percentage of the general population that could have been infected in the past was 0.73 per cent, with urban areas showing a higher prevalence of 1.09 per cent.

ICMR has said it would soon launch a follow-up serosurvey across the country.

Page | 191

Sample positivity rate %

How was the exercise in Delhi carried out? About 160 four-member teams each comprising an Anganwadi/ASHA worker, an auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM), a pharmacist, and a phlebotomist (someone who is trained to draw blood for testing) visited— homes that were randomly picked by district administrations.

The blood samples were collected from selected individuals after taking their written, informed consent, and their sera were then tested for IgG antibodies and infection using the ICMR-approved COVID KAVACH ELISA kit. The blood samples were tested for IgG antibodies.

So what happens now?

The government has said that results show that a significant proportion of the population is still vulnerable to contracting the novel coronavirus infectio need to continue with the same rigour. Non-pharmacological interventions such as physical distancing, use of face mask/cover, hand hygiene, cough etiquetten. “Containment and avoidance measures of d. Page | 192 crowdedSource: The places Indian etc. must Express be followed strictly,” it has sai

Internal Security

1. Neyveli and Visakhapatnam industrial disasters

Relevant for GS Mains Paper III; Internal Security

Two deadly industrial disasters, in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, leading to the loss of at least eight lives and causing serious injuries to many, once again underscore the value of safety protocols. In a boiler blast at the Neyveli thermal power station, six people were killed and a dozen workers suffered severe burns, while a toxic chemical leak at a pharmaceutical plant in Visakhapatnam led to two deaths immediately. These and two other recent disasters, also at a Neyveli power plant and the LG Polymers factory in the Visakhapatnam area, have come at a stressful time when India is trying to find its feet in the midst of the pandemic.

Reason for Neyveli disaster What happened in Neyveli on Wednesday is inexplicable, since the power producer had encountered a boiler furnace blowout only on May 7, and had ordered a review of its infrastructure and processes. Without meticulous care, boilers are dangerous pieces of equipment. High-pressure and superheated steam make for a lethal combination, if their release mechanism is not kept in good order, and there is an explosion. For this very reason, they are regulated strictly under the Indian Boilers Act, at least on paper. The terrible consequences of lax boiler safety were evident three years ago in Rae Bareli, when a blast at an NTPC power plant killed a few dozen people. But States have clearly not internalised a culture of zero tolerance to boiler accidents.

Reason for Visakhapatnam disaster The gas leak in Visakhapatnam apparently involving benzimidazole, a chemical used in pharmaceuticals, raises questions on maintenance and operational procedures. The probe into how vapours of a stable but acutely toxic chemical escaped should lead to an upgrade to safety protocols.

Underlying reason of diasters

In the Neyveli incident, there is a suggestion that the boiler was not in operation as it had tripped and was in the process of being revived. Since the major operations of this equipment involve a furnace and production of steam, what led to an unexpected blowout? NLC India, a key power producer, has an obligation to present a transparent report on why its facilities are beset by mishaps. Occupational safety demands that boilers are operated Page | 193 by trained personnel, but some of those on the ground have been described as contract employees. It will take an independent probe to determine whether cost calculations guided staffing decisions in such a hazardous sector. The response of the Centre and States to industrial accidents is usually to stem public outrage by announcing compensation for victims. A transparent inquiry that leads to a fixing of responsibility and reform is a low priority. This culture must change. Such accidents are mostly preventable, and occur rarely industrialise should be founded on safety. in the industrialised world, because of impeccable attention to safety. India’s aspirations to Source: The Hindu

2. US says Huawei, ZTE are ‘national security threats’: How will this impact India?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Internal Security

In a sudden move, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on June 30 formally designated Chinese telecom vendors Huawei Technologies Company and ZTE Corporation,

Theall their move parent is expected and subsidiaries, to put additional as well as pressure affiliate firms, on Huawei as “national and ZTE, security which threats”. have been accused of being close to the Chinese government and spying for them by sharing data of US citizens.

Why has the US banned Huawei and ZTE? The US-Huawei-ZTE tussle is nearly a decade old now. The first official action on the Chinese telecom equipment maker was taken as early as 2012, when the House Intelligence Committee released a report saying both the companies posed a risk to national security and that US businesses should avoid buying equipment from them.

In its report, the committee had then said that neither Huawei nor ZTE properly addressed

Inconcerns 2018, however, raised by US members President on Donaldthe companies’ Trump had ability said to that snoop of the on twoUS citizens vendors, or ZTE firms. would be able to remain in business in US after paying -

a fine of $1.3 billion, and providing “high level security guarantees.”

for violating economic sanction norms imposed on Iran. Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama’s administration had blacklisted ZTE for seven years -classify ZT reverses the decision by Trump which allowed the company to continue working in the US. Page | 194 OnThe all FCC’s the occasions, June 30 move the US to government re hadE alsoaccused as “national Huawei and security ZTE of threats” working effectively in ways

that were contrary to “national security or foreign policy interests.” apparatus, and both companies are broadly subject to Chinese law obligating them to “Both companies have close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and China’s military latest order. cooperate with the country’s intelligence services,” FCC Chairperson Ajit Pai said in the Why is the ban on Huawei and ZTE important? mobile phone parts. The company has been at the forefront of innovation that has allowed manyHuawei companies is the world’s in developing largest maker and asof welltelecom as developed equipment economies and the second to build largest large maker telecom of infrastructure at very low costs.

On the other hand, ZTE, another Chinese vendor, has tied up with several big corporations to manufacture their patented equipment in China at very low costs.

A ban on both Huawei and ZTE could mean an increase of up to 30 per cent in cost of telecom equipment across the board, especially when countries all over the world are gearing up to launch 5G services, according to experts.

Apart from hardware, Huawei has also been trying to make inroads into the software and operating systems (OS) industry. In May this year, the company launched a mobile OS

Doescalled the HarmonyOS, Huawei ban which impact it said India? could rival Google and Apple’s OS. pressure on friendly allies, such as India, to take similar, if not the same action. The US FCC’s decision to classify Huawei and ZTE as “national security threats” could put With the reserve price for 8,300 MHz spectrum, including the 5G band kept unchanged at Rs 5.22 lakh crore, low cost equipment from Huawei or ZTE could have provided some relief to domestic telcos. The Chinese vendor was a major equipment suppliers to companies like Vodafone Idea and Bharti Airtel during the initial roll-out of the 4G services in India.

Over the years, Huawei has made inroads into nearly 25 per cent of the total telecom equipment market in India. While Bharti Airtel uses up to 30 per cent Chinese telecom for its networks, Vodafone Idea uses as much as 40 per cent. In December last year, the company had some reprieve when telecom minister Ravi equipment, including Huawei’s Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Shankar Prasad said all players, including Huawei, were permitted to participate in 5G trials in the country.

To Page | 195 allay security fears, Huawei India’s Chief Executive Officer had in June 2019 said the equipmentcompany was under ready any to circumstance. sign a “no backdoor” agreement with the government. Under the agreement, Huawei would vouch that it did not gain access to any Indian customer’s A lot has, however, changed since then. Following a skirmish at Galwan Valley in Ladakh, during which 20 Indian soldiers were killed, sources from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had on June 17 said that 4G network expansion tenders floated by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) would be reworked to bar global vendors such as Huawei and ZTE from participating.

So far, private telecom operators have neither been officially told nor unofficially nudged to discontinue using Chinese telecom equipment. They have, however, warned of huge economic costs if such a ban is put in place.

One of the most important implications, they said, could be the loss of their cost arbitrage, as barring Huawei and ZTE from even bidding in the 5G auctions could mean equipment as much as 30 per cent costlier.

competition. That gives us buyers a point to negotiate. With them (Chinese companies) “Overall, the prices of Chinese gear are up to 30 per cent lower compared to their European vendors out of the equation would result in a duopoly of Ericsson and Nokia. gone, our power to negotiate also goes,” an executive said, adding that taking Chinese Reliance Jio, which uses equipment manufactured by Samsung, was recently praised by US towardsSecretary deployment of State Mike of 5G Pompeo technologies and FCCin their Chairperson respective Ajit countries, Pai as they a “clean must telco”.be wary The of company’s president Mathew Oommen said in a recent webinar that as companies move

Source:vendors Thewhich Indian can bring Express a “digital pandemic”.

3. Why the new crop of apps should worry Indian users

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Internal Security

Instagram on Wednesday launched its short video feature called Reels in India. But it is not the only app trying to slip into the space vacated by TikTok. In fact, less than a fortnight after the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY) banned 59 Chinese

apps, G platforms and software applications. oogle Play Store and Apple’s App Store are teeming with alternatives to these Not all of them are new. For instance, Roposo, which has an offering similar to TikTok, has been around for a few years. This app from the InMobi Group, however, has seen an Page | 196 exponential increase in user base recently and now claims over 100 million users. A lot of the new entrants are nowhere near these numbers, nor are they able to offer the privacy features of the established apps, making them prone to hacking or stealing of critical user information, experts said.

What are these new apps? According to experts, there are two kinds of apps which have rushed to fill the vacuum created by Chinese apps. There are established apps which have been around for a very long period of time and were already competing with the Chinese offerings. Others, -by- online market places such as Codecanyon and are trying to take advantage of the anti-China however,sentiment, are cyber-security like ‘fly nightexperts operators’, warned. which have downloaded entire app codes from

are easy to buy, and even the owner of the apps does not know how the app works. Now, if 10“These peop apps can be bought from online marketplaces for as little as Rs 3,000. These scripts researcher Indrajeet Bhuyan said. le buy the same script, all the apps will have the same flaw,” independent security This is exactly what happened with TikTok clone Mitron, which a Pakistani coding company claimed was brought from it for just $34. The app is back now after Google Play store removed it for a while because of privacy policy violations.

What are the issues with these apps? One of the major issues, cyber-security experts said, is the lack of data privacy norms and guidelines in these apps.

of course is the app on the phone, but also where is it centrally stored, and how it is kept “The nationality of an app isn’t enough to guarantee its safety. One sourceChima, of vulnerability Asia-Pacific policy director at AccessNow explained. also matters. The location of the data by itself does nothing,” Raman With the newer apps from small developers, there is also no clarity on why certain permissions are being sought on the device. For example, most of the alternatives launched over the past 10 days seek permissions to view contacts and gallery.

A Pune-based cyber-security researcher warned that with little knowledge about who user, no one is likely to be held ac theirowns reputationthese platforms is at stake and andwhether therefore the app’s will seek code only also enough scans anddata stores to run privatethe programme. data of a countable in case of a breach. “For well established apps, Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

These new apps, which have rushed to take benefit of the vacuum, have nothing to lose. Even if the app is reading and storing your private chat, there is no way to know because

Usuallynobody ahas new any app idea such of what as these their take codes months contain,” to get he asaid. decent number of users. However, in Page | 197 the present wave even such apps are getting tens of thousands of downloads. Even for some of the older apps, the sudden increase in their user base will create vulnerabilities because of a lack of data handling capacity or safety measures, the experts said.

Do such apps bode well for the Indian app ecosystem? -term phenomenon, or any of these availableDespite the alternatives. surge, experts In the don’t short see term, this being some a knockoffs long might appear but in the longer apps developing into world class products. “They (users) will quickly move on to easily research firm Counterpoint said in a note. run, it is a chance for the ecosystem to mature and take the place left vacant,” technology Other experts, however, highlighted that India cannot benefit from creating a walled garde which are international and perhaps for a good reason. That is always going to be the case. The systemn in which will only mature domestic only when apps youare allowed have domestic to function. apps “There which are are many globally other or evenapps

Source:regionally The competitive. Indian Express A lot of Indian apps are not aggressively marketed,” Chima said.

Miscellaneous

1. MHA unveils rules for Unlock 2

Read only for understanding

What are the new guidelines? The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) late on Monday announced fresh guidelines for Unlock 2. The restrictions will, however, be strictly enforced in containment zones till July 31.

Metro rail services, schools, colleges, gymnasiums, auditoriums, bars, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, assembly halls and similar places will continue to remain shut across the country. All large congregations, including religious, social, political, sports and academic, continue to remain prohibited.

What has been the trend?

The lockdown, first imposed in March, has been relaxed considerably over the past two months even though the total number of COVID-19 cases has surged past 5.6 lakh and more than 16,000 deaths have been reported.

Hours before the guidelines were issued by the MHA, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu Page | 198 extended the lockdown till July 31 without any more relaxations, joining West Bengal and Manipur.

Decision on relaxations 1. The dates for reopening prohibited activities will be decided separately, the guidelines issued by the MHA under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 said.

physical2. In a significant distance. relaxation, the MHA said: “Shops depending upon their area, can have more than five persons at a time.” However, the customers have to maintain adequate 3. Domestic flights and passenger trains are already allowed in a limited manner. Their operations will be further expanded in a calibrated manner.

4. Night curfew timings have been relaxed and now shall be in force from 10.00 p.m. to 5.00 a.m. Further, relaxations in night curfew have been given for seamless operation of industrial units in multiple shifts, movement of persons and goods on National and State Highways, loading and unloading of cargo and movement of persons to their destinations after disembarking from buses, trains and airplanes.

5. Training institutions of the Central and State Governments will be allowed to function from July 15 and the standard operating procedure (SOP) in this regard will be issued by the Department of Personnel and Training.

6. After extensive consultation with States and UTs, it has been decided that schools, colleges and coaching institutions will remain closed till July 31.

7. International air travel has been permitted in a limited manner under the Vande Bharat said. mission and “further opening up will take place in a calibrated manner,” the government Source: The Hindu

2. Tesla now firmly in the driving seat, becomes world's most valuable carmaker even without making any profit

Relevant for GS Prelims

Elon Musk has added another glorious chapter to his long impressive list of achievements. His electric vehicles (EVs) manufacturing company, Tesla has now overtaken its Japanese

rival Toyota to become the world’s tomost $1,100, valuable on Wednesday, auto company. giving the company valuation Page | 199 of $209bn, which is $4 billion more than that of its Japanese rival Toyota. Notably, Tesla is nowIt came worth as Tesla’s more than share triple price the rose combined value of fellow US automakers, Ford and General Motors.

A curious case! staggering fact that it has never made a profit till date. In 2019, it had a revenue of nearly $25Tesla billion becoming (Rs. 1.75 the lakh world’s crores) most with valued a loss automaker of over $860 is million. truly remarkable because of the

Then what makes it ‘‘the star’’? growing confidence among investors about the future of electric vehicles. Tesla’s share price has risen sharply since the start of 2020. It has come on the back of As per analysts, the coronavirus pandemic could even accelerate the speed at which the world makes a switch over to cleaner fuels and adopt EVs. This sentiment puts Tesla firmly in a very strong positio as it is significantly ahead of its rivals in product range, capacity and technology. n Hopes are also high on a so- - Chinese supplier, CATL. It is being said that it will last up to 16 years and will significantly lower the cost of electric vehicles.called “million mile” battery being worked on by Tesla’s

3. Mukesh Ambani- now richer than Warren Buffett

Relevant for Prelims

$67.9 billion as of Thursday, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Shares of The chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd. is now worth $68.3 billion, in surpassingMarch as its Buffett’s digital unit got more than $15 billion in investments from companies including Facebook Inc. and Ambani’s Indian conglomerate have more than doubled since a low -retail business.

Silver Lake. This week BP Plc paid $1 billion he became for a stake the in only Reliance’s Asian tycoonfuel in the exclusive

Whileafter he Ambani’s gave away wealth $2.9 billionhas jumped to charity. — club of the world’s top 10 richest people last month — Buffett’s fortune dropped this week The 89-year-old, known as the Oracle of Omaha, has slipped down the rankings after donating more than $37 billion of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. stock since 2006. Berkshire

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

Ambani, 63, is now the eighth richest person on the planet, and Buffett is ninth, according to the index, wh - spot for M&A this year, accounting for more than 12% of those announced in Asia Pacific the highest ratioich since started at least in 2012.1998. Thanks to Ambani’s deals, India has emerged as a hot — Page | 200 Source: Financial Express

4. Google bets big on India, to invest $10 billion in its digital transformation

Relevant for GS Prelims

-system, tech giant Google has announced plans to invest $10 billion (Rs.75,000 crore) in the country in the next 5-7 years. Sundar Pichai, who isIn a the major chief boost executive to India’s of both digital Google eco and its parent company, Alphabet made this

Thisannouncement investment at willthe ‘Google be made for through India’ virtual buying summit. of stakes in local companies and forging partnerships. Significantly, it will be the first time that Google will create a country-specific fund in its history.

The Details

As per its plans, Google will focus on following four key areas-

1. Catering to local content requirement

Google will work to provide affordable internet access to all Indians in their own language.

As nearly half of the internet users in India prefer to have digital content in their own language, there is a massive potential market for tailor-made products.

2. Offer products and services relevant to India

Since the Indian govt. is keenly stressing on the use of products and services that are locally made, Google is looking out for companies that work in this regard.

It is trying to develop apps in India as well as investing in firms which do the same.

3. To empower local businesses

Google is aiming to help small and medium-sized Indian businesses in adopting digital technologies.

More and more people using its platforms, will benefit Google as it makes most of its money through online advertising.

4. Leverage tech and AI for social good Page | 201 Google is also looking to use technology and artificial intelligence to promote social causes such as digital literacy and support for rural economies.

5. C.S. Seshadri, a leader of Indian mathematics, passes away in Chennai

Relevant for GS Prelims

C.S. Seshadri, one of the leaders of Indian mathematics in the post-Independence era, passed away late on July 17 in Chennai. He was 88.

Seshadri began his career at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research as one of the first batch of graduate students.

He moved to Chennai in 1984, to the Institute of Mathematical Sciences. In 1989, he got an opportunity to start the School of Mathematics as part of the SPIC Science Foundation, which has evolved into the Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI).

He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 1988 and a Foreign Associate of the National Academy of Sciences, USA in 2010. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2009.

Source: The Hindu

6. The legacy of C S Seshadri, mathematician, researcher and educator

Relevant for GS Prelims

In life, the mathematician C S Seshadri was recognised around the world with awards ranging from the Padma Bhushan and the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in India to fellowships with Royal Society fellowship and American Mathematical Society abroad. In death, he has received tributes from the Prime Minister, the President and leaders in science and mathematics.

From the huge body of his contributions to mathematical research and teaching, two stand out. He founded the Chennai Mathematical Institute, which attracts talent from around the world with its courses on mathematics, computer science and theoretical physics. The other standout is his breakthrough research in algebraic geometry; there is a theorem and a type of constant named after him.

Seshadri died on Friday, aged 88.

The Institute In Chennai in the mid-1980s, Seshadri got an offer from the newly formed SPIC Science Foundation to form a School of Mathematics. Seshadri was then at the Institute of Page | 202 Mathematical Sciences, where he had launched a doctoral programme but was keen on a programme that would combine high-level research with undergraduate teaching.

to offer a more realistic path towards launching an undergraduate his“Since long-time it seemed friend P S Thiagarajan told The Indian Express by email from California. Thiagarajanteaching programme, is a theoretical Seshadri computermade the scientistradical decision whom to Seshadri move to had this recruited private setting,” at the studentsInstitute ofVikraman Mathematical Balaji Sciences,(mathematics) and whom and Madhavan he took along Mukund to build (computer the new science),school. “I both was nowdelighted senior to faculty join him members on this at adventure,” the Chennai he Mathematical said. Others Institute.who joined them were then PhD

It began as a teaching programme with initial recognition from Bhoj Open University (Madhya Pradesh). The curriculum centred on mathematics but included core computer science courses. In 1998, the School of Mathematics was reorganised as the Chennai Mathematical Institute, which went on to be recognised as a deemed university by the UGC in 2006.

Today, CMI offers undergraduate education in mathematics and computer science, a research programme in these subjects as well as theoretical physics, and an MSc programme that includes data science. It plans to expand into quantum computing, cryptography, computational biology and mathematical economics, Thiagarajan said.

a“Without delightful a doubt,mix of CMIsimplicity, with its lack present of malice, stature love and of lifepotential and uncompromising would not exist standardswithout the of excellence,vision, leadership attracted and the monumental goodwill and efforts support of Seshadri,” of all those Thiagarajan who came intosaid. contact “His personality, with him.

HisThis research has contributed immeasurably to the founding and development of CMI.” Senior school students are familiar with graphs that plot straight lines from linear equations in two variables; science stream students go on to work with higher-order equations that describe two-dimensional shapes such as a circle or 3D shapes such as cube. that investigates the geometry of solution-sets of such equations. Seshadri’s field of study was algebraic geometry, a core discipline in modern mathematics Applications of algebraic geometry arise in statistics, control theory, robotics, coding theory, integer programming and theoretical physics. The Narasimhan-Seshadri theorem,

developed in 1965 with his friend M S Narasimhan, plays a central role in conformal field theory and string theory.

Born in 1932 in Kanchipuram and educated in Chengleput (Tamil Nadu), Chennai and Mumbai (he got his PhD from Bombay University), Seshadri made his major contributions Page | 203

fessor Balaji, one of the PhD studentsafter he went who tohad Paris joined in 1957.Seshadri “At inthe his time move that from he finishedthe Institute his doctoral of Mathematical work, the Sciences subject initself the was1980s. undergoing a unique revolution,” said CMI’s Pro

algebraic geometry. This provided a distinctively unifying perspective which connected it “Seshadri went to Paris in 1957 and very quickly entered the sanctum of this new temple of to all branches of mathematics at some level,” Balaji said. said. Its roots lay in the work of the French mathematician André Weil and were closely linkedIt was in to this the setting work that of one Henri should Poincaré. view Seshadri’s The Narasimhan-Seshadri collaboration with theoremNarasimhan, set Balaji up a correspondence between two basic classes of objects, Balaji said.

identifying a Rosetta stone for the deciphering of hieroglyphics. The two classes in the Narasimhan-Seshadri “Setting up such correspondences was somewhat like the process of came up much later from the work of Simon Donaldson during the mid-1980s. Once this wastheorem provided, were analogous many subtle to two and of the beautiful lines in aspects the Rosetta of differential stone,” Balaji geometry, said. “A third topology, line

mathematical physics and number theory got unravelled miraculously.”

It was from Seshadri’s work with Narasimhan that arose the concept of “Seshadri Afterconstants”. Paris Seshadri returned to India in 1960 and joined Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, where he helped establish a school of algebraic geometry. In 1984, he moved to the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, where he recruited Thiagarajan who was then abroad. From there would follow the Chennai Mathematical Institute.

Source: The Indian Express

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