News Juice Monthly – April 2020 Edition

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Table of Contents

Polity & Governance ...... 1

1. Why has the Bihar government said it will stick to the 2010 manual for updating the population register? ...... 1 2. Centre working on exclusive body for river-linking projects: National Interlinking of Rivers Authority ...... 3 3...... 4

4. PetitionsCentre bans and two safeguards: Malayalam Understanding TV channels forthe Delhi delay riots in Delhi gangrape convicts’ hanging ...... coverage: ‘Critical of RSS, siding 7

5. with one community’ ...... 7 6. WhatJyotiraditya is Haryana’s Scindia ‘quota meets within Modi; SCquits quota’ Congress for college ...... admissions? 9 7. Major Port Authorities Bill 2020 Introduced in The Lok sabha ...... 10 8. UP Government strategy to ...... 11

9. Dominion over territory: On‘name UTs and and Lieutenant shame’ through Governors posters ...... 12 10. Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi defends Rajya Sabha nomination ...... 13 11. Madhya Pradesh political crisis ...... 14 12. Retired judges should not accept a Parliament seat lest it be seen as a political reward ...... 15 13. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, sworn as MP CM for 4th time 16 14. Centre all set to put off Census, NPR exercise ...... 17

International Organizations and Relations . 17

1. -right problem? ...... 17

2. HowU.S., Talibanserious signis Germany’s peace deal; far American troops to leave Afghanistan in 14 months ...... 19

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3. What are the takeaways for the Afghan government and for India from US-Taliban peace deal, given its bitter equations with Taliban and closeness to Ghani regime?...... 21 4. U.N. rights body to move Supreme Court on Citizenship Amendment Act ...... 23 5. India joins Indian Ocean Commission as observer ...... 24 6. Haiti, a land crippled by chaos ...... 24 7. How a Saudi-Russia tussle tanked oil prices ...... 26 8. Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam- A dam of contention in Africa ...... 27 9. Back to SAARC: On Modi's video conference with leaders ...... 29 10...... 30

‘WHO’s underfunding hits global disease response’ Economics ...... 31

1. What next for virtual currency? ...... 31 2. Govt. puts Yes Bank on life support. caps withdrawal limit to 50k ...... 33 3. Why did Yes Bank have to be bailed out? ...... 34 4. What does the Supreme Court order reinstating virtual currency activities mean? ...... 37 5. How Yes Bank ran into crisis ...... 38 6. Corona spooks Markets as oil prices plunge to record low ...... 41 7.

Coronvirus ...... forces change of pecking order, Mukesh Ambani no more Asia’s richest person42 8. Why oil prices are crashing ...... 43 9. RBI opens dollar-swap window ...... 44 10. Yes Bank and bonds ...... 45 11. In U-turn, govt. moots 20-year window to clear telco dues ...... 47 12...... 48

13. CoronaEnd of free ‘infected’ digital Bitcoin lunch, banksnow trades to charge well UPIbelow transactions its production ...... cost 49 14. Rupee falls below 75 for 1st time ...... 50 15. Why has the rupee fallen against the dollar? ...... 50

16. Cabinet approves recapitalization of Regional Rural Banks to improve their Capital to Risk Weighted Assets Ratio ...... 51 17. Finance Minister announces Rs 1.70 Lakh Crore relief package under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana for the poor to help them fight the battle against Corona Virus ...... 52 18.

Fornationwide poor households lockdown has and cost small daily businesses, wage workers today’s and informal crisis is sector a crisis entrepreneurs of liquidity. their The

opportunity ...... to earn. To what extent can the government’s package alleviate their distress?55 19...... 58

20. RBI openscuts Repo window and Reverse to defer ratesEMIs: ...... here’s the deal 59 21. Why has the stock market been so volatile? ...... 60 22. Why has Kerala sought a relaxation of Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management rules? ...... 62 23. IMF confirms the worst, Corona has pushed the world into recession ...... 64

Environment ...... 65

1...... 65

Undisturbed mass nesting of Olive Ridleys at Odisha’s Rushikulya rookery Science & Technology ...... 66

1. Why is COVID-19 not a pandemic yet? ...... 66 2. How geologists detected gold in Sonbhadra, estimated its value ...... 68 3. Coronavirus outbreak: Why not everyone needs to wear a mask ...... 69 4. How will in-flight WiFi work? ...... 71 5. Fishy claims about cows ...... 73 6. How to handle the coronavirus (COVID-19) scare...... 74 7. Does heat kill the coronavirus? Too early to say ...... 77

8. How is India containing COVID-19? ...... 78 9. What treatment is given to the patients of COVID-19? ...... 82 10. What is a pandemic and does it change the approach to coronavirus? ...... 82 11. Here is how scientists are finding a cure for coronavirus ...... 83 12. India suspends all tourist visas till mid-April to stop the spread of coronavirus ...... 85 13. What is a pandemic? ...... 86 14...... 87

15. AmidOnce treatedthe coronavirus for coronavirus pandemic, infection, here’s canhow a homepatient quarantine relapse? ...... works 89 16. Coronavirus testing in India, elsewhere ...... 91 17. Why social distancing is important to tackle coronavirus ...... 94 18. Coronavirus | How does soap use help in tackling COVID-19? ...... 97 19. Why South Korea and Italy have produced vastly differing results ...... 100 20. How the coronavirus (COVID-19) test works ...... 101 21. A prediction model for COVID-19 ...... 103 22. What is herd immunity? ...... 105 23...... 107

24. HalfWhen the will world’s a COVID-19 students vaccine out of be class, ready? what ...... happens next? 110 25. Why are only a fraction of cases tested? ...... 112 26. On ...... 115

27. CanChina’s vitamin lead C prevent in containing or cure coronavirus novel coronavirus infection? ...... 116 28...... 117

29. HowCoronavirus: long can Stage coronavirus by stage ‘live’ in a inpandemic air, and on...... steel? 118 30. National Supercomputing Mission ...... 121 31. Hydroxychloroquine is recommended for very specific cases

bullet ...... — here’s why it’s no silver 122 32...... 124

33. AnPM ExpertModi announces Explains: ‘Coronavirus 21-day lockdown tests asneeded, COVID-19 but each toll touches country 12 has ...... priorities’ 127 34. 21-day lockdown: Is India prepared to meet the supply requirements of foodstuffs? ...... 128

35...... 131

36. ‘Physical distance, not social isolation’ ...... 132

37. Trump’sCan drugs inadequate for Ebola be response used to treat COVID-19? ...... 134 38. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week approved use of blood plasma from recovered patients to treat severely critical COVID-19 patients ...... 137 39. What can cause a COVID-19 patient to relapse after recovery? ...... 138

Social Issues ...... 139

1. Missing at birth: on sex selective abortion and infanticide ...... 139 2...... 139

Nirbhaya case convicts’ hanging Internal Security ...... 141

1. The Maoist trap: On killing of security personnel in Sukma ...... 141

Miscellaneous ...... 142

1. India is host to 457 migratory fauna, shows latest CMS list ...... 142 2. Ritesh Aggarwal sets a new benchmark, becomes 2nd youngest billionaire ...... 143 3. Why tax on disability pension upsets veterans ...... 144 4. EPF interest rate lowered to 8.5% ...... 145 5. Another Indian joins the elite club of 'Nadellas' and 'Pichais', Sonia Syngal becomes CEO of Gap ...... 146 6. Can pets or stray animals spread coronavirus infection? ...... 147 7. Australia wins ICC T20 World Cup defeating India ...... 147 8. The Gwalior dynasty: A short history of the Scindias in Indian politics ...... 147

9. Glass half-empty or half-full? Coronavirus causes a tremendous decrease in pollution levels ...... 150 10. Invest India Business Immunity Platform launched to helping businesses withstand COVID- 19 ...... 150 11. Corona takes its biggest sporting toll yet, Tokyo 2020 Olympics get postponed till next year ...... 151

Quiz Questions with answer key

Polity and Governance

1. Why has the Bihar government said it will stick to the 2010 manual for Page | 1 updating the population register?

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

On February 25, the Bihar Assembly passed a unanimous resolution stating that there is no need for a National Register of Citizens in the State and that the implementation of the National Population Register (NPR) would be done strictly according to the 2010 format. An ally of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar made it clear that the 2020 format of the NPR has several contentious clauses.

What is the National Population Register (NPR)? The NPR is a database of usual residents in the country who have stayed in a local area for the past six months or more and who intend to remain in the same place for the next six months or more. The NPR is individual and identity specific unlike the Census which only provides information on the status of the residents of India and population swings.

The NPR database was first created in 2010. The electronic database of more than 119 crore usual residents of the country has already been created under the NPR in English as well as the regional languages. The data collection is done under the aegis of the Office of the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India. The NPR is undertaken under the provisions of The Citizenship Act, 1955 and The Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003. The NPR was last updated, except in Assam and Meghalaya, in 2015-16.

How is the NPR linked to the National Register of Citizens?

Successive governments have said that the NPR is the mother database for “identity Thepurposes”. Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003 verification in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process. The Local Registrar is empowered,mandates that during particulars verification, of “every to family mark and out individual” the particulars in the NPR of individualswould be used whose for concerned has to then appear before the Sub-district or Taluk Registrar of Citizen Registrationcitizenship is to doubtful,prove he withor she “appropriate is a citizen before remarks” a formal for furtherdecision enquiry.is taken to The include individual or to exclude their particulars in the National Register of Indian Citizens.

The onus to prove he or she is a citizen is entirely on the individual concerned. Thus, the data collected through NPR becomes the crux for determining the citizenship of a person.

What is the NPR format of 2010? Fifteen identity particulars of the individual members of the household are sought in the Page | 2 2010 format. These include name, relationship to the head of the household, sex, date of birth, marital status, educational qualification, occupation/activity, names of parents, place of birth (of everybody staying in the household at the time), nationality, present address of usual residence, duration of stay at the present address and permanent residential address.

What does the updated manual of 2020 say? The NPR 2020 enumeration exercise will be undertaken during April September this year. Certain new information will be collected by enumerators in a house-to-house collection exercise such as Aadhaar, mobile, voter ID, passport and driving licence,– if available with the residents on a voluntarily basis. Unlike in the 2010 NPR, the new format for NPR 2020 requires residents to disclose their mother tongue and the places and dates of birth of their parents even if they are not living in the same household at the time or not alive.

WhatIndividuals is the have proble to disclosem? the districts and States of their parents’ birth. Besides Bihar, several State governments such as Kerala, West Bengal, Punjab have already objected to the implementation of NPR 2020, saying it is a harbinger for a nationwide National Register of Citizens (NRC) to identify illegal migrants. The NRC exercise in Assam alone has seen the exclusion Petitions have also been filed in the Supreme Court of India, describing the NPR as a facilitator for the NRC. State governmentsof over 19 lakhare nervous people that from the the NPR citizens’ data would list in be the used State. to target citizens on the basis of their identity and deprive them of their citizenship. Fears about the NPR-NRC have been compounded with the passage of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or the CAA of 2019, which fast-tracks citizenship-by- naturalisation process of persons from six religious communities, other than Muslims, who have fled persecution from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

tion being ountry where a large part of the population is underprivilegedThe NPR 2020 Manual and where says “datepeople of have birth not is one been of able the importantto formalise items their of birth informa due to lack of accesscollected to health in the care, NPR”. the Buttask inof disclosing a c the exact birth and place of birth, especially of their aged parents and orphans, would prove to be a daunting task, point out experts.

What lies ahead? The workforce for updation of NPR 2020 has to be provided by the State governments. With more States objecting to the new format and its contentious clauses, the exercise may reach an impasse. Widespread doubts about the intentions behind the NPR may also affect the smooth conduct of the Census.

Source: The Hindu

2. Centre working on exclusive body for river-linking projects: National Interlinking of Rivers Authority Page | 3

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

The Central government is working on the establishment of an exclusive body to implement projects for linking rivers.

What will the body do? To be called the National Interlinking of Rivers Authority (NIRA), the proposed body is expected to take up both inter-State and intra-State projects. It will also make arrangements for generating up funds, internally and externally.

What is the present position? An official of the National Water Development Agency (NWDA), which is responsible for the formulation of proposals of the linking of rivers, said an updated draft Cabinet note has been circulated to other Ministries in the Central government. On receipt of comments, the note will be finalised by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and sent to the Union Cabinet for approval.

The proposal for an apex body on river linking has been under discussion for the past 18 months. However, the official said that as of now, no specific timeline has been determined for the constitution of the Authority. Also, the earlier idea of framing a Bill, envisaging the creation of the NIRA, is not being pursued now.

Once set up, the projects will be pursued as national projects, wherein the Centre will absorb 90% of the cost and the States concerned the rest.

Need for such body In vie -so-happy experience with its neighbours in getting its due share of water, it has been particular that either the Centre or any of its agencies execute the Godavari-Cauveryw of Tamil Nadu’s link notproject and look after operation.

River linking projects in news As of now, six ILR projects the Ken-Betwa, Damanganga- Pinjal, Par-Tapi-Narmada, Manas-Sankosh-Teesta-Ganga, Mahanadi-Godavari and Godavari-Cauvery (Grand Anicut) have been under examination— of the authorities. With regard to the peninsular rivers, the Centre has chosen to focus on the Godavari-Cauvery link than the earlier proposal to link— the Mahanadi-Godavari-Krishna-Pennar-Cauvery rivers. The latter has eluded consensus given reservations from Odisha, officials said.

Source: The Hindu

3. Petitions and safeguards: Understanding the delay in Delhi gangrape convicts’ hanging Page | 4

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

The four convicts in the 2012 Delhi bus gangrape case Mukesh Kumar Singh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Sharma, and Akshay Kumar Singh will be hanged at 5.30 am on March 20, a Delhi court said on Thursday. The mercy plea filed by Pawan— was rejected by the President on Wednesday. —

The fresh date is in line with the requirement of a gap of 14 days between the date of rejection of the mercy petition and the date of hanging.

2012 Delhi gangrape case: Fourth date in 2 months This is the fourth time since January that a date has been set for the executions. Multiple petitions have been filed and rejected during this period, and multiple death warrants have been issued and postponed. This is because the regular legal procedure in death penalty cases has multiple checks, and because the realisation of past failures has resulted in the addition of an extra layer of protections for death row convicts.

The process of the law It is a principle of criminal law that it is preferable to exonerate 10 criminals to condemning even a single innocent. The legal procedure by which a convict is sent to his death is complex, and packed with safeguards.

and such a sentence is automatically referred to the High Court for confirmation. A warrantThus, a trial of execution court may may pronounce only be issued the death once sentence the sentence only hasin the been “rarest confirmed of the byrare” the cases High Court.—

The convict then has the option of approaching the Supreme Court against t petition, and a separate curative petition before the Supreme Court. Both are standard legalhe High processes, Court’s meantdecision. to rectifyAfter the egregious Supreme errors Court’s in judgments. decision, the convict may file a review

Page | 5

Thereafter, a mercy petition before the President may be filed. Such a petition is disposed of after a process involving a recommendation from the relevant state government, and sanction from the Home Ministry.

The convict may then approach the Supreme Court again by filing a petition questioning petition. The disposal of this petition ends the process, and the death sentence may be executed thereafter. the legitimacy of the President’s decision in the mercy This adds up to four separate petitions available to a convict even after the Supreme Court has confirmed the conviction. Thus, while a death warrant may be issued once the High

Court has confirmed the sentence, it may not be executed until all these remedies have been exhausted.

Additional complications In 1975, three persons sentenced to death for the same crime ended up suffering different Page | 6 punishments because separate legal processes had been followed for each convict. Shocked by the inconsistency that resulted in one convict being hanged while another had his sentence commuted, and in order to ensure that this does not happen again, the Supreme Court directed that convicts in the same crime must be executed together.

Reliefs available and pending after SC’s decision on 5.5.2017

This meant that as lo - convicts were protected by default. This safeguard has been invoked by the convicts in the Delhi bus gangrape caseng as to a secure convict’s extensions petition remained and the pending four petitions before anyavailable forum, to all them co after confirmation of the conviction by the Supreme Court have in effect, become 16 four for each convict, one followed by the other. — — Current status of the case The first death warrant was issued on January 7, two years and eight months after the Supreme Court confirmed the sentences. Thereafter, each convict filed separate petitions, typically moving just before the scheduled date of execution, and thereafter approaching the court to secure a postponement on grounds of pendency of the petition. Thus, mercy petition was filed on Monday, with the hanging scheduled for Tuesday. Pawan’s

As of now, all remedies up to the mercy petition stage have been filed and rejected for all convicts. Petitions in the Supreme Court by Mukesh and Vinay challenging the rejection of their mercy petitions have been rejected. However, similar petitions have not yet been filed for Pawan and Akshay. Page | 7 Counsel for the convicts, A P Singh, has indicated that he intends to file a curative petition challenge the rejection of the mercy petitions of Pawan and Akshay before the Supreme Court.against the Supreme Court’s rejection of Pawan’s plea of juvenility. He is also likely to to

Given the record in this case, however, these two remaining remedies could be exhausted quickly. Mukesh had preferred a petition against the rejection of his mercy petition on January 28, three days before the hanging scheduled for February 1 by the second death warrant however, the Supreme Court had dismissed it the very next day. The date of execution was postponed only after Vinay preferred a mercy petition on January 29. — Source: The Indian Express

4. Centre bans two Malayalam TV channels for Delhi riots coverage: ‘Critical of RSS, siding with one community’

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

Reason given for ban these are the reasons cited in two unprecedented orders by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting“Siding” with onebanning community two Malayalam and being news “critical channels, towards Asianet Delhi NewsPolice andand MediaRSS” — One News, for 48 hours starting 7.30 pm Friday for their coverage of the Delhi riots.

Both the orders accuse the channel

s of having “highlighted the attack on places of worship Historyand siding of towardsorder a particular community” during their reporting on the riots. Incidentally, the I&B Ministry had banned NDTV India in 2016 for a day for its reporting of the terror attack on the Pathankot air base while accusing it of sharing sensitive details. NDTV moved the Supreme Court against the order, and was granted a stay.

Source: The Indian Express

5. What is Haryana’s ‘quota within SC quota’ for college admissions?

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

The Haryana Assembly last week passed a Bill to split the 20% quota for Scheduled Castes tutions into two, creating a quota within the Castes category(SCs) in thehas 36 state’s communities higher educational including Valmiki, insti Bazigar, Sansi, Deha, Dhanak, and Sapera. quota for a new group of “Deprived Scheduled Castes”. The Deprived Scheduled Page | 8 What does the new law say? Section 3(1) of The Haryana Scheduled Castes (Reservation in Admission in Government Educational Institutions) Act, 2020 lays down

that “twenty per cent seats shall be reserved Thereafter,for the members Section of the 3( Scheduled Castes while making admission…” Scheduled Castes for admission in any Government educational institution shall be set aside for candidates belonging2) says: “Fifty to deprived per cent Scheduled of the 20 Castes per cent as enumerated seats reserved in the for

n-availability of candidate ofAnnexure”. deprived Section Scheduled 4 says Castes that possessing “Where a the seat requisite set aside qualifications, for candidate the from same deprived shall be madeScheduled available Castes… to is not filled up in any academic year due to no

Is this subquota acandidate new idea? of Scheduled Castes.” No. The Manohar Lal Khattar government has replicated the in government bifurcated the Scheduled Caste quota into two categories:itiative Block A of and the Block state’s B. InCongress 2006, the government Punjab and in Haryana 1994, when High Court Bhajan quashed Lal was the Chief 1994 Minister. notification, Bhajan citing Lal’s the decision of a five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court in E V Chinnaiah vs State Of Andhra Pradesh And Ors (November 5, 2004). Haryana filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court against the order. The SLP remains pending with the court, which did not grant a stay in the matter.

What is the government’s argument? The Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Act says that the representation of the and 6.27% in Group A, Group B and Group C services respectively, even though their populationScheduled Castes is about now 11% categorised of the total as “Deprived State populatio Scheduled Castes” is “only 4.7%, 4.14% population of other Scheduled Castes in Haryana is also about 11% of the total State population but in respect of representation in Governmentn”. Also, Services the Statement their share says, is 11%, “the 11.31% and 11.8% in Group A, B and C, respectivel

The reason for the poor representation of the Deprivedy.” Scheduled Castes in government jobs can be found in their educational qualifications, the Statement says. Thus, even though sts of Group A, B & -Economic Caste Census) data reveals that in termsthe “minimum of education, prescribed only 3.53% educational population qualification of the Deprivedfor majority Scheduled of the po Castes is Graduate, 3.75%C services… of them is Graduation, are Senior Secondarythe SECC (Socio level and 6.63% are Matric/Secondary level. Also

Website:46.75% ofwww.prepmate.in them are illiterate”. 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

What was the opposition to the move? Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal, h t and non-Jat, Dalits erself a Dalit, attacked the Khattar government’s “divisive ispolitics”. mean “This government believes in dividing society in the name of Ja Page | 9 in name of Block A and Block B. Dalits don’t want been to fight covered with byeach the other. Supreme Such Court bifurcation in the t to divide our strength,” she said. According to Bhukkal, only Parliament can take a decision in such a case. “The matter has already EThe V Chinnaiah Chief Minister case. said The inHaryana the Assembly government’s that Article move 15(5) is unconstitutional.” of the Constitution authorises the State to make special provisions for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for SCs/STs for admission to educational institutions. Bhukkal, however, argued that Article 15(5) did not mention powers to bifurcate the quota. ecial package or scholarship to Block A to upgrade

“The government should have offered sp Whattheir educational happens now? status,” she said. However, the legal battle in the Supreme Court will continue. The opponents of the move say it is unlikely to survive legal scrutiny, especially in the light of the E V Chinnaiah decision.

Source: The Indian Express

6. Jyotiraditya Scindia meets Modi; quits Congress

Relevant for GS Paper II; Polity & Governance

The political crisis in Madhya Pradesh came to a head with former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia quitting the Congress and all set to join the BJP.

Setting off a chain of events, the former MP from Guna drove to Gujarat Bhawan in the morning to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The two later left for the Prime dence, 7 Lok announced his decision to quit the Congress party right after his meeting with Mr. Modi. Minister’s official resi Kalyan Marg, in Mr. Shah’s vehicle. Mr. Scindia, 49, Congress MLAs resign he Madhya Pradesh Congress (around 19 MLAs, including a Minister) had landed in Bengaluru, promptingThe Congress an lateremergency said it meeting had sacked of the Mr. State Scindia. Cabinet. Mr. Scindia’s Sixteen Ministers loyalists inhad t submitted their resignation to Chief Minister Kamal Nath allowing a Cabinet revamp.

Importance for BJP For the BJP, the defection of Mr Scindia and his supporters is a major shot in the arm in a State they lost after 15 years, which was considered one of the birth places of the Jan Sangh, , the late Vijayaraje Scindia was one

Website:the earlier www.prepmate.in avatar of the BJP. Mr Scindia’s grandmother Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

of the stalwarts of the Jan Sangh and a founder member of the BJP, a point continually emphasised by BJP leaders through the day.

Source: The Hindu Page | 10 7. Major Port Authorities Bill 2020 Introduced in The Lok sabha

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

Major Port Authorities Bill 2020 was introduced in the Loksabha by the minister of state for shipping (I/C) Shri Mansukh MANDAVIYA. The Billseeks to provide for regulation, operation and planning of Major Ports in India and to vest the administration, control and management of such ports upon the Boards of Major Port Authorities and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi had approved the proposal of Ministry of Shipping to replace the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 by the Major Port Authorities Bill, 2020. This will empower the Major Ports to perform with greater efficiency on account of full autonomy in decision making and by modernizing the institutional framework of Major Ports.

Earlier, the Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in 2016 and thereafter referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC). The PSC, after taking evidence and wide spread consultations, submitted its report in July 2017. Based on this, the Ministry of Shipping introduced the official amendment to the Bill in the Lok Sabha in 2018. However, the Bill got lapsed after the dissolution of previous Lok Sabha.

With a view to promote the expansion of port infrastructure and facilitate trade and commerce, the Major Port Authorities Bill 2020 bill aims at decentralizing decision making and to infuse professionalism in governance of major ports. It would help to impart faster and transparent decision making benefiting the stakeholders and better project execution capability. The Bill is aimed at reorienting the governance model in central ports to landlord port model in line with the successful global practice. This will also help in bringing transparency in operations of Major Ports.

The Bill has been prepared after extensive consultation with all the stakeholders and Ministries/ Departments and taking into account the recommendations of PSC. The salient features of the Major Port Authorities Bill 2020 are as under:- a. The Bill is more compact in comparison to the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963 as the number of sections has been reduced to 76 from 134 by eliminating overlapping and obsolete Sections.

b. The new Bill has proposed a simplified composition of the Board of Port Authority which will comprise of 11 to 13 Members from the present 17 to 19 Members representing various interests. A compact Board with professional independent Members will strengthen decision making and strategic planning. Provision has been made for inclusion of representative of State Government in which the Major Port is situated, Ministry of Page | 11 Railways, Ministry of Defence and Customs, Department of Revenue as Members in the Board apart from a Government Nominee Member and a Member representing the employees of the Major Port Authority. c. The role of Tariff Authority for Major Ports (TAMP) has been redefined. Port Authority has now been given powers to fix tariff which will act as a reference tariff for purposes of bidding for PPP projects. PPP operators will be free to fix tariff based on market conditions. The Board of Port Authority has been delegated the power to fix the scale of rates for other port services and assets including land. d. An Adjudicatory Board has been proposed to be created to carry out the residual function of the erstwhile TAMP for Major Ports, to look into disputes between ports and PPP concessionaires, to review stressed PPP projects and suggest measures to review stressed PPP projects and suggest measures to revive such projects and to look into complaints regarding services rendered by the ports/ private operators operating within the ports would be constituted. e. The Boards of Port Authority have been delegated full powers to enter into contracts, planning and development, fixing of tariff except in national interest, security and emergency arising out of inaction and default. In the present MPT Act, 1963 prior approval of the Central Government was required in 22 instances. f. The Board of each Major Port shall be entitled to create specific master plan in respect of any development or infrastructure established or proposed to be established within the port limits and the land appurtenant thereto and such master plan shall be independent of any local or State Government regulations of any authority whatsoever. g. Provisions of CSR & development of infrastructure by Port Authority have been introduced. h. Provision has been made for safeguarding the pay & allowances and service conditions including pensionary benefits of the employees of major ports and Tariff of Major Ports.

Source: PIB

8. UP Government strategy to ‘name and shame’ through posters

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

It is regrettable that the Uttar Pradesh government has appealed against the Allahabad High Court order directing the removal of hoardings in Lucknow that displayed details of those who participated in the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Further, it has approved an ordinance that provides for recovery of compensation from Page | 12 those suspected of involvement in rioting for any damage to property. In a quick and well- reasoned response, the Allahabad power. High court curbed the administration’s gross misuse of

The High Court’s order was on the grounds that the erection of the hoardings lacked Whatstatutory was backing done by and UP that Government? it was a gross violation of citizens’ privacy. The Lucknow administration had displayed the photographs, names and addresses of those who, it claimed, owed compensation for the alleged destruction of public property during the protests. There has been no judicial finding that those named were involved in such violence; and there is no law that authorises such pu quite apparent that the government was humiliating the protesters and exposing them to blic “naming and shaming”. It was

Source:danger from The theHindu CAA’s supporters and the government.

9. Dominion over territory: On UTs and Lieutenant Governors

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

The verdict by a Division Bench of the Madras High Court on the respective roles of the elected regime in Puducherry and the Administrator appointed by the President underscores both the inherent potential for conflict in the governance scheme for Union Territories and the manner in which it can be resolved.

The Bench has done well to say that its role is not to lay down who has residual control whether it is the Council of Ministers or the Administrator but to stress the existing legal framework under which their powers are defined. The Bench has set asid — 2019 order that the Lieutenant-Governor should not— interfere in the day-to-day administration of Puducherry. To this extent, it is a shot in the arm for L-G eKiran a single Bedi, judge’s but it also contains a note of caution against the Centre going beyond its constitutional

Mahadevan, and the one overruling it by a Bench comprising Chief Justice A.P. Sahi and Justicelimitations. Subramonium An interesting Prasad, facet rely of onthe thecase exposition is that both of thelast lawyear’s by judgment the Supreme by Justice Court R. in relation to the National Capital Territory of Delhi. The apex court had emphasised on the need for constitutional morality and constitutional trust among high dignitaries, implying that Lt. Governors and Chief Ministers must work in unison as far as possible. In the event

of an unresolved difference of opinion, the L-G should refer it to the President for a decision.

on an inappro Page | 13 theThe mattermain ground goes on on appeal which tothe the single Supreme judge’s Court, verdict it mayhas beenbe worth set aside examining is that itwhether was based the single judge reliedpriate solely parallel on sought this parallel. to be drawn Much betweenof his verdict a ‘Union drew Territory’ upon the and spirit a ‘State’. of the If -G of Delhi. Whether the precedent on the limits of the Delhi L- SupremePuducherry Court’s Administrator views on was the aconflict question between that was the raisedChief Minister even then. and After L all, it is acknowledged that the status of NCT is sui generis. G’s powers would apply to the

However, the elements of conflict and discord are common to Union Territories with elected legislatures. Hence, the principle that constitutional functionaries should avoid daily clashes, with the Centre using its primacy to resolve disputes, does commend itself. In that sense, the single judge was not wrong in holding that the Administrator is bound by not m governmentthe “aid and advice”should getclause, greater and credencethat the power even in to a refer territory any matterdesignated to the as President belonging should to the Union.ean “every matter”. The main issue remains whether the notion of representative

Source: The Hindu

10. Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi defends Rajya Sabha nomination

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

Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi justified his nomination to the Rajya Sabha but declined to elaborate the reasons that made him weigh and accept the offer.

President Ram Nath Kovind had named Mr. Gogoi for one of the 12 Rajya Sabha seats to which members are nominated.

Other members from Rajya Sabha Mr. Gogoi is the second person from Assam after educationist Mrinal Miri to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha. Two others from the northeast academician B.B. Dutta from Meghalaya and boxer M.C. Mary Kom from Manipur have also been nominated. — CJI delivered government favouring judgements — The former CJI, who supervised the exercise to update the National Register of Citizens in Assam and delivered the judgment in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute, had earlier in the day told a local media group that the need for the legislature and judiciary to

“meet at one point of time” made him accept the RS nomination. Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Source: The Hindu

11. Madhya Pradesh political crisis

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; Polity & Governance Page | 14

Propriety and law require the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh to prove its majority on the floor of the legislature at the earliest. Delaying tactics by Mr. Nath with more than a little help from the Speaker, who has adjourned the Assembly until March 26, go against democratic principles.

lost the majority unless it takes a floor test immediately is untenable. Equally, Governor Lalji Tandon’s position that the government will be presumed to have The situation in the State raises other questions of morality and legality also, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) innovates questionable routes to power that it did not win in the election.

What has happened in MP? The Congress had won a narrow victory in the State in 2018, after a 15-year gap. The resignation of 22 party MLAs has pushed its government into a crisis. These MLAs had won against BJP candidates. Their resignations, and the defection of Jyotiraditya Scindia from the Congress to the BJP, can be explained only as a high form of perfidy and shameless personal greed.

That said, it is curious that the Speaker accepted the resignations of six MLAs while keeping the other 16 pending. The Speaker is expected to be non partisan. That he has found a rather ingenious excuse, the pandemic, makes the scene a bit complicated, but not defensible.

Supreme Court judgement in similar cases The BJP, the Congress and the rebel MLAs have all approached the Supreme Court which has taken up the matter with urgency. The BJP is replaying the script that it has perfected in other States, most notably in Karnataka last year to unseat the Congress-JD(S) government. The Court ruling during the Karnataka crisis was that a time-frame for deciding on resignations by MLAs could not be forced on the Speaker. The Court also ruled that MLAs could not be forced to attend the Assembly session by being issued a whip by the party they belonged to, weakening the lynchpin of the Anti-Defection law.

The Congress has alleged that the 16 MLAs are under duress and in detention by the BJP. While the judiciary will force some solution to end the current impasse, the larger question facing democracy is that of trust and transparency. Assemblies are elected for a five-year term, and the Anti-Defection law was brought to raise the threshold and stop the dismantling of a popular mandate through opportunistic manoeuvres, as it is unfolding in

Madhya Pradesh. Engineered resignations of lawmakers have become a new tool for sabotaging mandates and camouflaging defections. When the top court adjudicates on the Madhya Pradesh petitions, this larger point must be taken into consideration. The situation demands new guidelines by the Court to deal with the now-familiar malaise, beyond setting a reasonably quick deadline for a floor test. Page | 15

Source: The Hindu

12. Retired judges should not accept a Parliament seat lest it be seen as a political reward

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

member so soon after his retirement will be seen as a crass example of a regime rewarding aThe member President’s of the nomination judiciary for of meeting former itsChief expectations Justice of India,during Ranjan his tenure. Gogoi, as a Rajya Sabha

What are the arguments? The gap of four months between his retirement and nomination, and the fact that a series of decisions i expectations militate against such a justification. n his court were in seeming conformity with the present government’s The second argument, that there have been instances of retired Chief Justices being nominated to the Upper House or appointed Governors, does not cut ice either, as it is nothing more than a dubious claim to the same level of impropriety.

Similar incidents of past In fact, references to the late CJI Ranganath Mishra and Justice Baharul Islam as valid precedents reflect quite poorly on the executive, and amount to competitive impropriety. commission of inquiry absolved the Congress from any organisational responsibility for the 1984There anti- continuesSikh riots. to beJustice a perception Islam exonerated that these a Congress were lapses Chief in Minister propriety. of wrong-doing Justice Mishra’s in a financial scandal in Bihar. The party had helped Justice Islam move both ways between Parliament and the judiciary. He quit the Upper House in 1972 to take office as a High Court judge. In 1983, he quit as a Supreme Court judge to contest an election.

Criticism of appointment cohesion between the judiciary and the legislature. He no longer represents the judiciary, andMr. Gogoi’shis contribution appointment will becannot limited be toseen, the asexpertise he has soughtand knowledge to project, he ascan a bringway of to ensuring debates encroac g force on the executive and legislature. in Parliament. Any attempt to create ‘cohesion’ between the two wings would necessarily h on the judiciary’s role as a restrainin

Source: The Hindu

13. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, sworn as MP CM for 4th time Page | 16

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

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, proved his majority in the Assembly on Tuesday. This is his fourth term as Chief Minister. After three consecutive terms, he had lost the election in 2018.

MLAs support He mustered the support of 112 MLAs for the trust vote which was hurriedly organised overnight and was missed by 92 Congress MLAs and two independents. Two BSP MLAs, one of the SP, and two independents who were earlier supporting the Congress government that collapsed last week, voted in favour of the trust vote.

How could fall of Congress government took place? The downfall of the Congress government was engineered by the resignation of 22 of its MLAs led by Jyotiraditya Scindia. These and two more seats in the 230-strong State Assembly remain vacant. The actual strength of the government will be tested in and after the by-elections to these seats. It is a different question whether the Congress can regroup itself and challenge the government.

Source: The Hindu

14. Centre all set to put off Census, NPR exercise

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

The Centre looks all set to postpone the house-listing Census and updating of the National Population Register (NPR), which was scheduled to kick off in certain States on April 1, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two government sources confirmed that the Census and NPR exercises will not go ahead, given the Union Health coronavirus. A formal announcement from the Centre is, however, awaited. Ministry’s own guidelines limiting mass contact on account of the Requests by States In line with Odisha, the Delhi Government has also written to the Centre asking that the Census-N cheduling of

PR operations may be deferred by “at least one month” and the res this exercise may be “reviewed in the last week of the deferment”. 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

President – first Indian to be enumerated President Ram Nath Kovind was supposed to be the first Indian to be enumerated in the hedule has been cleared and he is not meeting members of the public due to the growing threat of coronavirus. census and NPR exercise, but the President’s sc Page | 17 In a letter to Vivek Joshi, Census Commissioner of India, the Delhi Government on March 18 ared in the capital territory and the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897, invoked. pointed out that a “high state” of alert had been decl History In December 2019, the Union Cabinet chaired by Mr. Modi, had approved over 3,941.35 crore for updating the NPR across the country, barring Assam, and 8,754.23 crore for conducting the Census of India, 2021. ฀ ฀ Lakhs of people had taken to the streets acros to update the NPR, which is considered the basis for preparation of a national register of citizens that could potentially exclude millionss ofthe people country born protesting in India. the These Centre’s protests decision have happened across India and continue in many cities despite the threat of the Coronavirus. As The Hindu reported recently, at least 13 States, and Delhi, covering nearly 60 percent of the total population of India, are opposed to the updating of the NPR in the format being prepared by the Centre. Many State Assemblies have passed resolutions against the NPR and the NRC.

However, the Centre has been unfazed by the views expressed by States. As late as March 17, the Ministry of Home Affairs filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying that the NRC

non- was a “necessary exercise for any sovereign country for mere identification of citizens from Source:citizens”. The Hindu

International Organizations & Relations

1. How serious is Germany’s far-right problem?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

Why is the growing popularity of the AfD’s political rise with its focus on refugees a cause for concern? The killing of nine people at two shisha lounges in Hanau, Germany, last week by a person suspected to have a far- right-wing extremism. The Hanau attacker had released a manifesto before the assault, targeting mainly those of Kurdishright background origin, which has called heightened for extermination concerns about of people the in country’s

several West Asian countries. In recent years, Germany, like several other European countries, has seen twin far-right problems growing street violence by extremists against minorities and immigrants and the rapid political rise of the far-right party Alternative for Germany (Alternative für Deutschland— or AfD), which has normalised to an extent anti- wing popularity Page | 18 of the AfD, which is already represented in all regional parliaments in the country, is what makes Germanyimmigrant more vulnerablerhetoric in tothe far-right country’s threats political than discourse. other countries The gro in the continent.

How many far-right groups are there? Post-war Germany has been wary of nationalist politics and has shown zero tolerance to anti-Semitism and race-related crimes. The Nazi-era crimes are remembered in Germany and taught in schools. The public are banned from using Nazi slogans or symbols and there are laws against Holocaust denial. But despite this culture of atonement and strong legislation to prevent racist crimes, Germany has seen the resurgence of xenophobic groups, especially after the German reunification in 1990. In November 2011, German officials uncovered the National Socialist Underground (NSU), a neo-Nazi terrorist group, which had carried out decade-long underground activities, including a series of murders of immigrants and people of foreign origin. In 2015, a group of people in Freital, a town in Saxony, launched attacks on refugee shelters and political opponents. Known as the Freital

crimes. TheGroup, prosecution they claimed argued that that their the actions were aimed at “protecting German people -right from refugees”. In 2018, eight members of the group were found guilty of terror related German police arrested members ofgroup’s another crimes neo-Nazi were cell basedcalled Revolution on “xenophobic, Chemnitz, far who wereextremist allegedly and Nazi planning ideology”. attacks They on were immigrants, sentenced journalists for up to and 10 political years in opponents, jail. In 2018, on October 3, German Unity Day. Many of these extremists use the Nazi salute, carry swastikas .

Ifand the even NSU sing had the worked Die Fahne underground hoch, the foranthem years, of far-right Hitler’s Naziextremists Party are no longer hiding in -war consensus on pluralism and multilateralism and took an overly German nationalist approach at all issues, fromGermany. internal The and rise external of the security AfD, which to economic broke withpolicy, Germany’s has shaken post up the political climate -right attacks in Germany. According to the BfV (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz), the domestic securityin the country. agency The of AfD’s the federalgrowth has government, coincided therewith a aresharp 24,100 jump in right-wing the number extremists of far in - nationwide committed by neo-Nazis and other groups in the first half of 2019, according to InteriorGermany, Ministry of which data. 12,700 A week are before“violence theoriented”. Hanau shooting, The country police has arrested also seen 12 members 8,605 crimes of a far-right terror cell, who were plotting to attack mosques in 10 States. The AfD does not have proven direct links with these groups. As a mainstream political party, it does not and German nationalism, both AfD leaders and the neo-Nazis often speak the same language.endorse violence either. But when it comes to immigrants, Muslims, Germany’s past crimes

What does the AfD want? The AfD was founded in 2013 by a group of conservative leaders, many of whom were part

Merof Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic focused Union (CDU). on its anti-euro Their plan agenda was to and occupy staunchly the Page | 19 political vacuum created by the CDU’s shift towards the centre -trappedfrom the countries right under in Ms. the eurokel’s zone, leadership. mainly Greece. Initially the AfD was opposed German taxpayer’s money being used to bail out debt But German politics would undergo a sea change after Ms. Merkel decided to welcome a million immigrants, mostly from the war-torn Arab world, to the country. The AfD quickly transformed itself into a nationalistic, populist, anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim party. In 2016, Frauke Petry, the then leader of the AfD, called on police to shoot illegal migrants on

Germany’s border. Bjoern Hoecke, another AfD leader, once termed Berlin’s memorialte, our to the victims of the Nazi rule a “monument of shame”. The party’s 2017 manifesto read fortunes.“Islam does If it not had belong won 4.7% to Germany” of the vote and in the called 2013 Muslims federal “a election, big danger the vote for ourshare sta jumped tosociety 12.6% and in 2017. our system With 89 of seats, values.” the These AfD is extremenow the viewsthird largest helped party the AfD in the turn 709-membe around itsr Bundestag, the federal Parliament.

What is next? If the AfD was seen as a political untouchable by the establishment parties till recently, that is also slowly changing. Earlier this month, in the eastern State of Thuringia, a liberal leader outrage and Ms. Merkel made a decisive intervention. Thuringia Premier Thomas was elected premier with help from Ms. Merkel’s CDU and the AfD. It created national successor, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, has also announced her resignation from the partyKemmerich leadership. quit But after despite the controversy. the uproar, the The Thuringia CDU’s leader episode and is Ms.an example Merkel’s that designated the AfD is fast becoming a mainstream political party d its open embrace of racist and anti-Muslim rhetoric, the many sleeper neo-Nazi cells which were till now resisted by the post-war consensusin Germany. feel emboldened. And with That the consensusAfD’s rise anis now under attack.

Source: The Hindu

2. U.S., Taliban sign peace deal; American troops to leave Afghanistan in 14 months

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

Historic deal

The United States signed a historic deal with Taliban insurgents that could pave the way toward a full withdrawal of foreign soldiers from Afghanistan over the next 14 months and represent a step toward ending the 18-year-war there.

While the agreement paves the way for the United States to gradually pull out of its longest Page | 20 war, many expect that talks to come between the multiple Afghan sides will be far more complicated.

Who are the signatories? The deal was signed in the Qatari capital Doha by U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban political chief Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was on hand to witness the ceremony.

Concerns Security experts have also called it a foreign policy gamble that would give the Taliban international legitimacy.

There are also questions about whether Taliban fighters loyal to hardline Islamist splinter groups will be willing to adhere to the reduction in violence agreement.

Some senior commanders of the Taliban in Doha for the signing said they will ensure that the U.S. and Afghan governments accept all the conditions laid down by the group, according to Afghan defence officials.

Sources in the Taliban earlier this month said they were prepared to launch a spring offensive and had recruited more than 6,000 fighters and suicide bombers if the agreement collapses.

About the war The war, which has killed tens of thousands of people, began when the United States launched attacks on Afghanistan just weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington by the Afghanistan-based al Qaeda militant group.

Washington accused the Taliban of harbouring al Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden, and with its allies ousted the group from power. But the Taliban has remained a potent force and currently controls about 40% of Afghan territory.

Troop withdrawal Trump said in a statement on Friday said the deal will pave way for U.S. troop numbers to drop to 8,600 from about 13,000 in the weeks following the deal.

e assessed by the United States. Further reductions of Western forces will hinge on the Taliban adhering to a “reduction in violence” pledge, a condition that will 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

Under the deal, the Taliban wants 5,000 fighters to be released from Afghan-run jails, but it is not clear whether the Afghan government will agree.

Source: The Hindu Page | 21 3. What are the takeaways for the Afghan government and for India from US-Taliban peace deal, given its bitter equations with Taliban and closeness to Ghani regime?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

which will enable the US and NATO to withdraw troops in the next 14 months. India attendedRecently, the the signing US and ceremony Taliban signed in Doha, an and agreement was represented for “Bringing by Ambassador Peace to Afghanistan”, to Qatar P Kumaran.

recognized by the United States as a state and is known as the -page jointThe pact declaration is between between the “Islamic the Afghan Emirate government of Afghanistan (Islamic which Republic is not of Afghanistan) and the US was issued in Kabul. Taliban” and the US. Separately, a three

The key elements TROOPS WITHDRAWAL: The US will draw down to 8,600 troops in 135 days and the NATO or coalition troop numbers will also be brought down, proportionately and simultaneously. And all troops will be out within 14 months - diplomatic civilian personne — “all” would include “non TALIBAN COMMITMENT: Thel” (could main becounter-terrorism interpreted to mean commitment “intelligence” by the personnel). Taliban is that -Qaeda, to use the soil of Afghanistan to threaten the security of the United States and its While“Taliban reference will not isallow made any to ofal-Qaeda, its members, the pact other is silent individuals on other or groups,terrorist including groups al such as anti-India groups Lashkar-e-Toiba or Jaish-e-Mohammed. Again, India, not being an USallies”. ally, is not covered under this pact. —

SANCTIONS REMOVAL: UN sanctions on Taliban leaders to be removed by three months (by May 29) and US sanctions by August 27. The sanctions will be out before much progress is expected in the intra-Afghan dialogue.

PRISONER RELEASE: -Taliban agreement and the joint declaration differ, and it is not clear whether the Ashraf Ghani-led This is a “possible trouble spot”- because the US declarati ntatives on governmentconfidence building is on board measures, with to this include “pretty determining big up front the concessionfeasibility of to releasing Taliban”. significant The joint on says the US will facilitate “discussion with Taliban represe 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

oint declaration, the US-Taliban pact says up to 5,000 imprisoned Taliban and up to 1,000 numbers of prisoners on both sides”. While there are no numbers or deadlines in thewhich j is when intra-Afghan negotiations are supposed to start, in Oslo. prisoners from “the other side” held by Taliban “will be released” by March 10 — Page | 22 CEASEFIRE: I ates ceasefire -Afghan talks start, and indicates actual dentified as another potential “trouble spot”. The agreement st will be simply “an item on the agenda” when intra Challengesceasefire will ahead come with the “completion” of an Afghan political agreement. The joint declaration is a symbolic commitment to the Afghanistan government that the US is not abandoning it. The Taliban have got what they wanted: troops withdrawal, removal of sanctions, release of prisoners. This has also strengthened Pakistan, uence appears to be on the rise. It has made it unambiguous that it wants an Islamic regime. Taliban’s benefactor, and the Pakistan Army and the ISI’s infl The Afghan government has been completely sidelined during the talks between the US and Taliban. The future for the people of Afghanistan is uncertain, and will depend on how Taliban honours its commitments and whether it goes back to the mediaeval practices of its 1996-2001 regime.

Much will depend on whether the US and the Taliban are able to keep their ends of the bargain, and every step forward will be negotiated, and how the Afghan government and the political spectrum are involved.

India and Taliban For New Delhi, too, it is a tough task ahead. India and the Taliban have had a bitter past. New Delhi nurses bitter memories from the IC-814 hijack in 1999, when it had to release terrorists including Maulana Masood Azhar who founded Jaish-e-Mohammed that went on to carry out terror attacks on Parliament (2001), in Pathankot (2016) and in Pulwama (2019). The— Taliban perceived India as a hostile country, as India had supported the anti- Taliban force Northern Alliance in the 1990s.

New Delhi and Kabul India has been backing the Ghani-led government and was among very few countries to r shared view of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. The government sent Foreign congratulateSecretary Harsh Ghani Vardhan on his Shringla victory. toIndia’s Kabul proximity on Friday to and Ghani Saturday also drewto meet from with thei Ghani and the senior political leadership, while its envoy in Doha went for the US-Taliban ceremony.

eign,

Shringla has reiterated India’s consistent support for an “independent, sover democratic, pluralistic and inclusive”-led, AfghanistanAfghan-owned in and which Afghan-contr interests of all sections of society are preserved. He also conveyed India’s support for “enduring and inclusive” peace Website:and reconciliation www.prepmate.in which is “Afghan Telegram Channel:olled”. @upscprepmate His 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

- state actors must keep Pakistan-sponsored terrorism at bay. reference to an “end to externally sponsored terrorism” is a signal that the state and non -e- Sharif provinces with Indian development assistance were signed during the visit. Page | 23 To convey India’s commitment, agreements for road projects in Bamyan and Mazar Many Indian diplomats say although there has not been formal contact with top Taliban leaders, the Indian mission has a fair amount of access to the Pashtun community throughout Afghanistan through community development projects of about $3 billion. Due to these high-impact projects, diplomats feel India has gained goodwill among ordinary Afghans, the majority of whom are Pashtuns and some may be aligned with the Taliban as well.

So, power circles, South Block insiders insist that it is not all that grim for New Delhi. although Pakistan military and its ally Taliban have become dominant players in Kabul’s Source: The Indian Express

4. U.N. rights body to move Supreme Court on Citizenship Amendment Act

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

In an unprecedented and rare move, the Geneva-based Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has announced that it plans to file an application in the Indian Supreme Court, asking to be impleaded in the petitions challenging the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the United Nations body had no right to file a petition that will ask the court to appoint the Commissioner for Human Rights as an

Reactionassistant or by ‘amicus Indian curiae’government in the case.

IndiaThe OHCHR and concerns plan has thebeen sovereign criticised right by diplomatic of the Indian and legal Parliament experts tohere make as an laws. “overreach” We are confidentby it. MEA that spokesperson our sound said, and “The legally Citizenship sustainable Amendment position would Act is bean internalvindicated matter by the of

WhatHonourable is the Supremeplan of OHCHR Court”. officials? ef shortly on the Citizenship [Amendment] Act [CAA] in the Indian Supreme Court, in “The High Commissioner [Michelle Bachelet] intends to submit an ‘amicus curiae’ bri

accordance Permanent Mission in Geneva of her intention. with the Court’s established procedures, and she has informed the Indian Background The citizenship bill enacted on December 12, 2019 after it was cleared by Parliament, Page | 24 promises to fast-track citizenship for undocumented migrants belonging to six faiths not including Islam and Judaism, who fled from religious persecution in Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan before December 21, 2014.

Source: The Hindu

5. India joins Indian Ocean Commission as observer

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

Observer status to India India has been approved as an observer state for a five-nation grouping in the Western Indian Ocean, which includes Madagascar, Comoros, Seychelles, Mauritius and French Reunion.

Other observer nations meeting last week, officials said. With the decision, India will join China, which was made The members of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) decided on India’s application at a 54-nation French-speaking collective, the European Union (EU) and Malta, which were all admittedan observer in 2017.in 2016, as well as the “International Organisation of the Francophonie” or the

Strategic importance for India e in the whole Indian Ocean Region (IOR), including what is called the Western or African IndianThe decision Ocean. to join the IOC marks a part of the government’s push for greater salienc

The IOC is also significant for its geographical location, as th choke- the Mozambique Channel. This channel is being watched more closely as the U.S.-Iran tensions threaten the Straite islandsof Hormuz. sit around a “key point” in the Indian Ocean — se its naval presence and gain support for its maritime projects across the Indo-Pacific, beginning at East African shores.Given China’s growing presence in the region, India hopes to increa

Source: The Hindu

6. Haiti, a land crippled by chaos

Relevant for GS Prelims & mains Paper II; IOBR

President Jovenel Moise appointed Joseph Jouthe as Prime Minister, the third in less than a year, disregarding opposition calls and popular protests Lastdemanding week, Haiti’s his own embattled resignation. A former agricultural entrepreneur, the President has Page | 25 refused to hold legislative elections, due last October. This sparked a violent unrest which has resulted in the deaths of at least 40 people. Mr. Moise is trying to alter the Constitution to enable any piece of legislation to become law if parliament does not approve or reject it within a stipulated time frame. This proposal has raised many eyebrows. His predecessor had delayed the 2015 parliamentary elections for some months. When the polls were finally conducted, they were riddled with serious irregularities.

A history of tragedies The current political paralysis in Port-au-Prince predates the devastating 2010 earthquake that left about 2,00,000 people dead and displaced millions. The period after the three- decade-long dictatorship of François Duvalier and his son Jean-Claude Duvalier, which ended in 1986, was marked by military coups and short-lived democratic rule. Jean- Bertrand Aristide, a Roman Catholic priest with left-wing leanings, was deposed first in 1991 and then in 2004.

The role of the UN Stabilisation Mission deployed in the following months, with heavy U.S. influence, has been derided by critics survey in a 2006 edition of The Lancet found that 8,000 people were murdered and 35,000 women victimised in the greater Port-asau championing-Prince area after “investor the exit rights, of Mr. not Aristide. human Crucially,rights.” A the perpetrators were political actors and UN soldiers.

The UN Mission, which was scaled down in 2017, continues to attract controversy. Another study in December 2019, by a w several peacekeepers sexually assaulting minor girls, leaving them destitute and with children. In the wake of the 2010ebsite earthquake, called ‘Conversation’,many UN bases disclosed were accused further of dischargingevidence of sewage into the tribut epidemic, which killed over 10,000 people. ary of Haiti’s main river, triggering the outbreak of a cholera The Mission was also criticised for standing by when a former president in 2011, Rene Preval, sought to impose a U.S.- own election in 2016 was mired in controversy, when the turnout was only 18%. Within months of taking office, Mr. Moise fired the head of the Centralbacked Financial successor. Intelligence Mr. Moise’s Unit. That decision is said to have influenced the move to clear his own name in a money laundering case.

Outrage and betrayal lions of dollars were misappropriated from the Petrocaribe oil programme, intended for education and infrastructure development.In October 2017, This Haiti’s was corroborated Senate report last found ye that bil implicated a firm managed by Mr. Moise. Part of a regional initiative by then Venezuelan ar by the country’s court of auditors, which also 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

President Hugo Chávez, Petrocaribe allowed Haiti to buy oil at 60% of the price and the remainder to be settled in deferred payments over 25 years. The slump in global oil prices brought to an end the Petrocaribe decision was eventually reversed, but only after the resignation of then Prime Minister Jean-Henry Ceant and violent protestsprogramme, across Haiti.as also The the embezzlement government’s fuelof large subsidies. sums Thehas Page | 26 deepened the sense of outrage and betrayal among ordinary Haitians and loss of credibility among international aid agencies.

independence in 1804. But millions of dollars paid in French reparations over the next 100 years, U.S. occupation early last century, the DuvalierHaiti is Latin dictatorship, America’s and first continuing country that misrule won have crippled the economy. More than half the population lives below the people have borne the brunt of some of the worst natural disasters in recent times. While poverty line. One of the world’s poorest nations, Haiti’s

Source:the country The needs Hindu a democratic renewal, others must respect Haiti’s sovereignty.

7. How a Saudi-Russia tussle tanked oil prices

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday announced they would raise crude oil output by the equivalent of 3.6% of global supplies, adding 3.6 million barrels per day (bpd) to a market that is already massively oversupplied.

nal petroleum and natural gas company, said on Tuesday that it would boost output to 12.3 million barrels per day (bpd) from the current 9.8Saudi million Aramco, bpd from Saudi April Arabia’s 1. On Wednesday, natio the company said it had been asked by the

Saudi Energy Ministry to raise

capacity further to 13 million bpd, and it was “exerting its maximum efforts to implement this directive as soon as possible”. 25% to 4 million bpd. Soon afterward, Abu Dhabi’s oil and gas company ADNOC said it was boosting output by Already falling demand and prices This extraordinary flooding of the market will take place at a time when the coronavirus outbreak has severely impacted businesses and travel, and global demand is predicted to shrink for the first time in nearly 10 years. Brent crude was trading at around $36 on beginning of 2020. Wednesday, up from the week’s low of about $31, but still some 45% lower since the Battles within OPEC +

Saudi Arabia and the UAE have taken a united stand in their ongoing battle with Moscow, which last week rejected a demand by Riyadh that the OPEC+, an informal alliance of OPEC and Russia, should cut production sharply to arrest crashing prices. In retaliation, the Gulf allies have decided to scrap all limits on production. Page | 27 At the meeting of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries a cartel of 14 oil producers led by Saudi Arabia in Vienna, Riyadh proposed that OPEC+ should pump about 1 million bpd less, with Russia cutting 500,000 bpd, so that revenue— streams do not narrow further for oil export-dependent— economies. The crippling of industrial production in China and other Asian countries such as South Korea has resulted in a sharp reduction in their import of crude oil.

But Moscow argued that production should not be cut until the full impact of the COVID-19 outbreak is assessed in greater detail, and that any attempt to shore up prices would only benefit the costlier US shale industry, which has raised production to levels higher than

Theboth Saudi-Russian Saudi Arabia’s fight and Russia’s.signals an end, at least temporarily, to the truce between these two large oil producers that had brought Moscow a seat at the OPEC high table, and held off a potential price war for more than three years now. Russia had benefitted from the deal not only in terms of oil revenues and expanding business networks, but also in foreign policy improving relations with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, has given President Vladimir Putin greater influence over developments in countries— like Syria, Iraq, and Libya.

However, the OPEC+ deal to control production also helped the American shale gas producers. To many Russian economic nationalists, the rise of shale at the cost of state- c iggest oil company Rosneft was difficult to accept. Analysts have said that in walking out of its marriage of convenience with OPEC and theontrolled Saudis energynow, Moscow giant Gazprom may be trying and Russia’s to drive b prices below the break-even point of shale oil production.

Source: The Indian Express

8. Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam- A dam of contention in Africa

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

As the July deadline draws closer for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the river Nile to become functional, the dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt, with Sudan caught in between, has escalated into a diplomatic stand-off. Differences were laid bare recently when Ethiopia skipped the latest round of tripartite negotiations with Egypt and Sudan in Washington, being mediated by the U.S. and the World Bank.

The Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, who won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize, even h he stressed that war was not a solution, echoing similar rhetoric from Cairo. The Arab League said last October that “no force could stop Ethiopia from building a dam,” thoug and opposed any unilateral action by Ethiopia. Page | 28 earlier this month underscored Egypt’s historical and civilisational links to the river region The contentious i oject, concerns

-mostssue populated around thecountry GERD, and Africa’s a manufacturing biggest hydropower hub, views the pr mega dam as a controlsymbol of theits sovereignty.flow of water It in began the world’s construction longest on river the amongBlue Nile the (a riparian tributary) states. in 2011 Ethiopia, at a Africa’scost of $4second billion. The government wants to extend power supply to some 60% of the t to fill the gigantic reservoir within six years, and generate 6,000 MW of electricity. country’s population and bridge the infrastructure gap. Addis Ababa is hence impatien Cairo’s reservations

Egypt. Cairo, which relies on the Nile for 90% of its freshwater supply, is apprehensive that aBut rapid the GERD’s filling of storage the reservoir capacity in of upstream 74 billion Ethiopia cubic meters would of cause water a has drastic raised reduction hackles in supplies. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has insisted on a staggered approach to fill the reservoir, say, between 10 and 21 years, and for the release of a minimum of 40 billion cubic metres annually. No less is the risk Egypt perceives from the diversion of waters to its own High Aswan Dam.

Conversely, Addis Ababa is concerned that a long delay in filling the reservoir would jeopardise returns on its investments and hamper the prospects for overall growth. The GERD is said to have been financed almost entirely from domestic resources, in part due to the resistance mounted by Egypt against global funding for the project. There is in addition the element of national pride in the time economic resurgence has revived the old vision of Great Ethiopia. There is also a lot at stake for the government of Mr. Ahmed, wholy completionfaces a difficult of thegeneral GERD, election as Ethiopia’s this year recent after the euphoria of the 2018 peace process with Eritrea has largely faded.

History and geopolitics the 1959 Nile Waters Agreement, the two downstream riparian states Egypt and Sudan, respectively,Cairo’s strong were reservations allocated over 55.5 the billion GERD cubic are alsometres rooted and in18.5 history billion and cubic geopolitics. metres ofUnder Nile virtual veto over utilisation it was granted under a 1929 treaty. water annually. That settlement reduced Cairo’s control of the waters, compared to the Ethiopia was outside the purview of the 1959 treaty, as also other upstream states equitable share of the Blue Nile flows from the Cooperative Framework Agreement (CFA) signedincluding by Uganda, some of Kenya the 10 and Nile Rwanda. Basin But Initiative Addis nations Ababa’s (under assertion the of initiative, its rights Eritrea for an participates as an observer).

The establishment of the Nile River Basin Commission mandated by the CFA has not materialised so far. Tthe challenges for the fair utilisation of waters among the riparian states have only been compounded by the pressures of population growth and the effects of global warming. While the parties have sought international mediation from the U.S. and South Africa, that is no substitute for regional cooperation among the parties. Page | 29

Source: The Hindu

9. Back to SAARC: On Modi's video conference with leaders

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

eight-member SAARC on Sunday represents a much- -of-the- thePrime world Minister faces theNarendra COVID-19 Modi’s coronavirus decision pandemic.to convene a video conference of leaders of the needed “out box” thinking as To that end, the hour-long discussion with the leaders of Afghanistan, the Maldives, Bangladesh, Bhutan Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the Special Assistant on Health to the Pakistan PM, came up with shared and unique perspectives in dealing with the virus.

COVID-19 emergency fund The meeting -19 emergency fund India will contribute $10-million as well as a decision on technical task forces. saw Mr. Modi’s proposal for a COVID — Threats to South Asian— Countries Afghanistan and Pakistan have specific challenges as they share long borders with Iran, which has emerged, after China and Italy, as a major hub of the virus. Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka worry about the impact on tourism, which is a mainstay of their the subcontinent.

Witheconomies. close toAnother 300 positive concern cases, is of Southan escalation Asia has in seen the virus’s a much spread lower in incidence globally, but given its much higher population density, it is clear that any outbreak will lead to far more casualties.

Other concerns are about under-reporting, as fewer people are being tested in much of South Asia, and whether public health services can cope. It remains to be seen how closely the SAARC countries will cooperate to deal with the virus.

Blessings for SAARC future as well In fact, the virtual summit is the first high-level SAARC meet since 2014, and comes after wing the Uri attack; it was to have been hosted in Islamabad. Pakistan too has made its concerns over Jammu and Kashmir a sticking point inIndia’s re- pulling out of the 2016 summit follo raise the issue of restrictions in Kashmir indicate that this attitude persists. Clearly, engagement, and PM Imran Khan’s absence on Sunday, and his nominee’s attempt to 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

reviving the SAARC initiative, which countries in the region including Nepal, Sri Lanka and members, India and Pakistan. But it is significant that New Delhi seems to be willing to try toBhutan put politics have aside advised, when will dealing not be with easy, the pandemic given poor that ties confronts between all. SAARC’s two largest Page | 30 Source: The Hindu

10. ‘WHO’s underfunding hits global disease response’

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper II; IOBR

Robert Yates is an internationally recognised expert on universal health coverage and progressive health financing, who has previously worked as a senior health economist with the World Health Organisation. He speaks to The Indian Express:

Do most big public health plans stem from large crises? It i coverage reforms have followed, and been a consequence of major crises. Good examples includes definitely the UK, true France that many and Japanof the afterworld’s World most Warsignificant II, Thailand and successful after the universal Asian financial health crisis, China after the 2002 SARS crisis, and even Rwanda after the 1994 genocide.

To what extent does the underfunding of bodies like the WHO impact global information-sharing on disease? This crisis has once again put the spotlight on the underfunding of global health bodies like WHO which is limiting their ability to coordinate the global response including the sharing of information across national boundaries. In September 2019 the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board Report recommended that Member states need to agree to an increase in WHO contributions for the financing of preparedness and response activities and must sustainably fund the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies, including the establishment of a replenishment scheme using funding from the revised World Bank Pandemic Emergency Financing Facility. Looking to the future, it is vital that governments heed this recommendation and the other ones outlined in the GPMB report.

Poor countries do not have the money to make public health a top priority, many governments say.

systems, and health in general is a political choice weighed up against other priorities. SomeI don’t countries agree with choose this. to The spend amount a higher that proportion governments of their spend GDP on through public health, public health financing than others, and in many instances have increased public spending quite dramatically. China did for example, after the SARS epidemic in 2002. There are though, a number of countries that demonstrably give a low priority to public health spending, and regrettably that includes India.

Could something good and useful emerge on the other side of this pandemic? Yes, I hope this terrible tragedy will be a wake-up call that the world collectively needs truly global universal health coverage whereby everyone on the planet receives the quality health services they need without suffering financial hardship. This clearly means access to and use of public and preventive health services to stop outbreaks becoming epidemics, Page | 31 and also curative, rehabilitative and palliative care services for those who become sick.

This can only be achieved through publicly financing the health system so that the healthy wealthy subsidise the sick and the poor. And there are already signs of some countries recognising that they do need to socialise their health financing systems more (e.g., Ireland, Spain, South Africa) to tackle this epidemic and this may also happen in countries like India and America as well, which have become dominated by inequitable private financing. So hopefully in the long run, responding to this epidemic will take the world closer to the SDG goal of universal health coverage.

Source: The Indian Express

Economics

1. What next for virtual currency?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

Supreme Court has set aside a ban by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on banks and financial institutions from dealing with virtual currency holders and exchanges.

The court held that the ban did not pa proportionality of any action by the government, the court held, must pass the test of Article 19(1)(g), which states that all citizens ssof the the country “proportionality” will have the test. right The to practise test of any profession, or carry on any occupation or trade and business.

In a circular in 2018, the RBI had banned banks from dealing with virtual currency exchanges and individual holders on the grounds that these currencies had no underlying fiat and that it was necessary in the larger public interest to stop banks from providing any services related to these.

What are virtual currencies? Are they different from cryptocurrencies? There is no globally accepted definition of what exactly is virtual currency. Some agencies have called it a method of exchange of value; others have labelled it a goods item, product which attempted to fix the identity of virtual currencies, merely acted as the 4 blind men in theor commodity. Anekantavada In itsphilosophy judgment of on Jainism, Wednesday, who attempt the Supreme to describe Court an observed, elephant, “Every but end court up

describingWebsite: www.prepmate.in only one physical feature of the elephant.” 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

Satoshi Nakamoto, widely regarded as the founder of the modern virtual currency bitcoin and the underlying technolog -to- would be no central regulatory forcalled virtual blockchain, currencies defined as they bitcoins would as be“a newplaced electronic in a globally cash systemvisible that’s ledger, fully accessible peer topeer, all with the no users trusted of the third technology. party”. This All essentially users of suchmeant virtual there Page | 32 currencies would be able to see and keep track of the transactions taking place.

Virtual currency is the larger umbrella term for all forms of non-fiat currency being traded online. Virtual currencies are mostly created, distributed and accepted in local virtual networks. Cryptocurrencies, on the other hand, have an extra layer of security, in the form of encryption algorithms. Cryptographic methods are used to make the currency as well as the network on which they are being traded, secure. Most cryptocurrencies now operate on the blockchain or distributed ledger technology, which allows everyone on the network to keep track of the transactions occurring globally.

Are cryptocurrencies dangerous? The jury is out on that. Organisations across the globe have called for caution while dealing with virtual currencies, while also warning that a blanket ban of any sort could push the entire system underground, which in turn would mean no regulation.

In June 2013, the RBI had for the first time warned users, holders and traders of virtual currencies about the potential financial, operational, legal and customer protection and security-related risks that they were exposing themselves to. The following year, the Financial Action Task Force came out with a report that highlighted both legitimate uses and potential risks associated with virtual currencies. In a different report, it again said use of such virtual currencies was growing among terror financing groups.

Why did the RBI ban virtual currencies? Owing to the lack of any underlying fiat, episodes of excessive volatility in their value, and their anonymous nature which goes against global money-laundering rules, the RBI initially flagged its concerns on trade and use of the currency. Risks and concerns about data security and consumer protection on the one hand, and far-reaching potential impact on the effectiveness of monetary policy itself on the other hand, also had the RBI worried about virtual currencies.

In its arguments in the Supreme Court, the RBI said it did not want these virtual currencies spreading like contagion, and had therefore, in the larger public interest, asked banks not to deal with people or exchanges dealing in these non-fiat currencies. The RBI argued that

owing to a “significant spurt in the valuation of many virtual currencies and rapid growth Whatin initial did coin the offerings”, petitioners virtual say? currencies were not safe for use. The petitioners, who included virtual currency exchanges operational in the country, told the Supreme Court that the RBI action was outside its purview as the non-fiat currency was

not a currency as such. They also argued that the action was too harsh and there had been no studies conducted either by the RBI or by the central government.

have adopted a wait-and-watch approach, as taken by other regulators such as the Page | 33 ArguingDirectorate that of the Enforcement ban was solely or the onSecurities “moral and grounds”, Exchange the Board petitioners of India. said the RBI should

What did the Supreme Court rule? In its 180-page judgment on Wednesday, the Supreme Court held that the RBI directive came up short on the five-prong test to check proportionality direct and immediate impact upon fundamental rights; the larger public interest sought to be ensured; necessity — or tendency to be harmful to the general public; the possibility of achieving the same object byto restrictimposing citizens’ a less drasticfreedom; restraint. inherent pernicious nature of the act prohibited or its capacity

The court did not agree, however, with any other submission made by the petitioners. The petitioners had submitted that the acceptance of Distributed Ledger Technology, or blockchain, and the rejection of virtual currencies by the RBI as well as the government, is a

“contradiction” in terms. - approach as adopted by other countries, the court said, adding that there could be no comparisonApart from domestic with other agencies, countries the such RBI couldas the not US, bethe faulted UK, Japan, for not or adoptingSingapore a as“light theytouch” were

RBI on the basis of the approach a developed economies. “Therefore, we will not test the correctness of the measure taken by What happens now? dopted by other countries,” the court said. virtual currencies. It is expected, said L Viswanathan, partner at Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas,The Supreme that Court’s the RBI judgment will reconsider could lead its approach to the RBI to cryptocurrency rethinking its policies and come surrounding up with a new, calibrated framework or regulation that deals with the reality of these technological advancements. Abhishek A Rastogi, Partner at Khaitan & Co, said that the decision will help those investors who had used legitimate money through banking channels.

was never going to be successful as operations had predictably gone underground. Salman Waris,Other experts founder said of that TechLegis, although said the theRBI’s verdict reasons removes for prohibition the arbitrariness could have ofbeen regulatory right, it regulator to regulate cannot be the reason enough to stifle or s actionssaid. without disregarding the power of RBI to regulate. “A reluctance on part of the kill a full industry,” Wari Source: The Indian Express

2. Govt. puts Yes Bank on life support. caps withdrawal limit to 50k

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

es, the RBI has placed the leading private sector bank, Yes Bank under a moratorium. In a move that has sent ripples across the country’s economic circl Page | 34 It has taken over the administration of Yes Bank from its board and handed it over to a former senior official of the SBI.

As per early indications, the govt. has directed SBI to bailout Yes Bank.

Calling for calm Although the RBI has given assurances to Yes Bank depositors, the panicked customers have been forming long queues outside the ATMs to withdraw money from their accounts.

Restrictions come into place As per RBI notification, Yes Bank depositors will not be able to withdraw more than Rs. 50,000 from their account in a month.

Making an exception, RBI will relax the withdrawal limit up to Rs. 5 lakhs in the cases of medical emergencies, higher education fees or marriage expenses.

Was on a downslide Yes Bank has been struggling for over past 18 months due to rising bad loans and management uncertainty.

In 2018, RBI had declined to extend the term of its founder Rana Kapoor as chief executive.

Although it has been in talks with equity investors for long, so far it has failed to come up with any concrete investment plan.

Its inability to raise fresh funds aggravated the crisis, thus leading to this development.

3. Why did Yes Bank have to be bailed out?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

How will the Reserve Bank of India plan impact depositors? What are the implications for the banking sector? On the advice of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the government imposed a moratorium on Yes Bank with effect from 6 p.m. on March 5 up to April 3. Subsequently, the RBI nt Kumar, who was serving as chief financial officer and deputy managing director at State supersededBank of India the private (SBI). sector Mr. Kumar lender’s resigned board and from appointed the SBI as toan assumeadministrator, charge Prasha as the administrator of Yes Bank. Under the moratorium, deposit withdrawals have been capped

at 50,000. Within 24 hours, the RBI proposed a reconstruction scheme under which SBI could take a maximum 49% stake in the restructured capital of the bank. ฀ Why was the moratorium imposed? The banking regulator, while recommending the moratorium, cited a steady decline in Yes Page | 35

make provisions for potential non-performing assets. This failing resulted in downgrades byBank’s credit financial rating agencies, position which mainly in due turn to made the lender’scapital raising inability even to more raise difficult adequate capital a vicious to cycle that further worsened its financials. This apart there were serious lapses in corporate governance. —

the recent years which The RBI said, “The bank has also experienced serious governance issues and practices in sheet and liquidity. have led to steady decline of the bank,” adding that it had been in constant engagement with the bank’s management to find ways to strengthen its balance restructuring, the Reserve Bank made all efforts to facilitate such a process and gave adequate “Since a bank and market led revival is a preferred option over a regulatory materialise. In the meantime, the bank was facing regular outflow of liquid explainedopportunity on toMarch the bank’s 5, laying management out the rationale to draw for upthe amoratorium. credible revival plan, which did not ity,” the RBI When did it all start? 55,633 crore and deposits were 74,192 crore. Since then, over the next five-and-a-half years, the loan book expanded fourfold to As2,24,505 on March crore 31, 2014,as on Septemberthe bank’s loan30, 2019, book wasat the ฀ end of the second quarter of the฀ current financial year, while deposit growth failed to keep pace and increased less than three times to฀ 2,09,497 crore. The bank is yet to announce results for the third quarter.

Asset฀ quality also worsened during the period with gross non-performing assets sharply rising from 0.31% as on March 31, 2014, to 7.39% at the end of September 2019.

The exponential growth at Yes Bank during that period a scanner. The lender has substantial exposure to several troubled borrowers including the Anil Ambani-led Reliance group, Dewan Housing Financelso Corporation came under Ltd the (DHFL) regulator’s and IL&FS. This resulted in the RBI refusing to grant its then Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Rana Kapoor -founder another three-year term after his tenure ended in August 2018. The RBI did not make public the reason for its — also the bank’she co was given an— extension till end-January 2019. decision to not extend Mr. Kapoor’s term. Finally

The tipping point probably came earlier this year when one of the bank’s independent directors and chairman of the board’s audit committee, Uttam Prakash Agarwal, resigned 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

from the board in January citing governance issues. The RBI, meanwhile, had been taking stock of the developments at the bank on a regular basis for the last few months.

What will be the likely impact on depositors? While deposit withdrawals have been capped at 50,000, there are exceptions under which Page | 36 a higher amount can be withdrawn, with the permission of the RBI. ฀ The RBI can allow a customer to withdraw more than Rs. 50,000 under the following conditions: (i) in connection with the medical treatment of the depositor or any person actually dependent on the depositor; (ii) towards the cost of higher education of the depositor or any person actually dependent on him for education in India or outside India; (iii) to pay obligatory expenses in connection with marriage or other ceremonies of the depositor or his/her children or of any other person actually dependent upon depositor; (iv) or any other unavoidable emergency.

The total withdrawal should, however, not exceed Rs. 5 lakh or the actual balance in the account, whichever is lower.

What about deposit insurance? In case Yes Bank goes belly up for any reason, depositors will not lose all their money since deposits up to Rs. 5 lakhs are covered under deposit insurance.

While the deposit insurance cover was Rs. 1 lakh till recently, this was increased to Rs. 5 lakha in the aftermath of the crisis at the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank Limited where caps too were set on deposit withdrawals. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the increase in deposit insurance in the Budget.

Will the developments at Yes Bank pose a systemic risk? While the government and the regulator have asserted that the problem is solely related to this particular bank, ratings agency Fitch Ratings said the latest developments spotlight the govern g sector.

ance risks in India’s bankin

failIt said, to provide“There is reassurance a risk that the to dealready poor operating environmentle also for assigning the banking a negative sector could suffer further impairment if the government’s efforts to tackle problems in the bank positors and investors,” whi Whatoutlook is tothe India’s way forward?banking sector. The RBI has come up with a draft reconstruction plan for Yes Bank which proposes that would also have the same service conditions, including remuneration, at least for one year. However, in the case of key managerialdepositors’ personnel, funds would the be new protected. board would The be employees empowered to take a call.

The SBI, which has received board approval to invest in Yes Bank, will have to pick up to 49% stake, according to the scheme, at a price that is not less than Rs. 10 for each share having a face value of Rs. 2.

The investor bank (SBI) also cannot reduce its holding below 26% before the completion of Page | 37 three years from the date of infusion of the capital.

Source: The Hindu

4. What does the Supreme Court order reinstating virtual currency activities mean?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

Why does the RBI find virtual currencies problematic?

On Wednesday, March 4, a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court of India struck down a 2018 circular of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which sought to prevent banks and also referred to as cryptocurrencies, an example being Bitcoin and providing services to those engaged in trading in such currencies.institutions Thefrom Courtdealing order in “virtual comes currencies” seven months — after an inter-ministerial committee recommended that cryptocurrencies— be banned, proposing instead that an official digital currency be launched in the country.

Why did the case land in court? It has its origins in the writ petitions filed by the industry body, the Internet and Mobile Association of India, and several crypto exchanges, their shareholders, and traders. They challenged the RBI circular on many counts. Through that circular, the RBI had forbidden banks from extending a range of services to facilitate individuals and entities in dealing ts, registering, trading, settling, clearing, giving loans against virtual tokens, accepting them as collateral, openingwith cryptocurrencies. accounts of exchangesThe list of such dealing services with included them and “maintaining transfer/receipt accoun of money in accounts relating to purchase/sale of VCs [or virtual currenci

The petitioners gave instances of virtual currency exchangeses].” shutting down as a result of this circular. There was also a mention of how money lying in the account of one of the hibiting trading in virtual currencies; they wondered how the RBI could propose an outright ban when all otherexchanges stakeholders got frozen. such The petitioners as the Department questioned of the Economic RBI’s power Affairs, in pro the Securities and Exchange Board of India, Central Board of Direct Taxes, among others, had batted for a regulatory regime; they also challenged the circular on the grounds of lack of such action seeks to achieve). proportionality (the idea that regulatory action shouldn’t be disproportionate to the goals

Why does the central banker find virtual currencies problematic? This can be understood by how the RBI defined virtual currencies in 2013, which the Court

as a type of unregulatedsaid was perhaps digital themoney, first issued time itand took controlled note of by “technology its developers risks and in changingused and accepted business Page | 38 environment”. The RBI defined such currency, the Court order notes, “ running it, seen as a plus by those who back cryptocurrencies, is viewed as a drawback by officialby the members monetary of systems. a specific There virtual are community”. other factors The too. absence The value of a of centralised such currencies authority has been driven purely by speculative impulses, and they have had a volatile journey all along. The anonymity that the system ensures has also been misused in the past, with cryptocurrencies said to enable funding of terrorist operations. There is also fear that it could undermine the monetary system and render policies ineffective. And all these fears are shared by the global financial system.

Why did the Court rule in favour of the petitioners? Justices Rohinton Nariman, Aniruddha Bose and V. Ramasubramanian set aside the RBI proportionate. s based on the fact that the RBI had not found that the circularactivities of of 2018, virtual saying, currency “It is exchanges not possible had for adversely us to hold affected that the the impugned entities it measure regulated. is ” Their reasoning wa VCs and the functioning of VC exchanges are sent to comatose by the impugned circular by This, even as virtual currencies have not been banned in the country. “But the trading in order said. disconnecting their lifeline namely, the interface with the regular banking sector,” the But while doing so, they have indicated quite strongly that the central bank has the that may pose a threat to or have an impact on the financial system of the country, can be regulatedrequisite power or prohibited to regulate by or RBI, prohibit despite virtual the saidcurrencies. activity They not forminghave noted part that: of “Anything the credit

Willsystem relief or payment for the cryptocurrency system.” ecosystem be shortlived? Quite likely. The inter-Ministerial committee had recommended an outright ban on crypto currencies. A draft law was also put in place. This verdict may not have changed the direction in which our policymakers want to go with respect to cryptocurrencies. The Economic Times has reported that the RBI is planning to file a review petition in the Supreme Court.

Source: The Hindu

5. How Yes Bank ran into crisis

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

On March 5, the Reserve Bank of India announced that it was superseding the Yes Bank l position of the Board of Directors for a period of 30 days “owing to serious deterioration in the financia Bank”. But what created panic among the general public, and in particular Page | 39 absencethe deposit o holders in Yes Bank, was the RBI’s decision to cap withdrawals at Rs 50,000. The RBI said it had “no alternative but to” place the Bank under moratorium “in the f a credible revival plan, and in public interest and the interest of the bank’s depositors…”Between 2004, when it was launched, and 2015, Yes Bank was one of the buzziest banks. In 2015, UBS, a global financial services company, raised the first red flag about its asset quality. The UBS report stated that Yes Bank had loaned more than its net worth to companies that were unlikely to pay back. However, Yes Bank continued to extend loans to several big firms and became the fifth-largest private sector lender (see Chart 1).

Yes Bank was overexposed to these toxic assets. It was only a matter of time that non-performing assets (NPAs) started rising in Yes Bank.

But, the type of firms and sectors to which Yes Bank was lending resulted in the start of the crisis. According to one estimate, as much as 25% of all Yes Bank loans were extended to Page | 40 Non-Banking Financial Companies, real estate firms, and the construction sector. These were the three sectors of the Indian economy that have struggled the most over the past few years. As Charts 2 and 3 show, Yes Bank was overexposed to these toxic assets. It was only a matter of time that non-performing assets (NPAs) started rising in Yes Bank.

alarmingly high as some of the other banks in the country. But what made it more susceptible to bankruptcy was its inability to honestlyStill, as Chart recognise 4 shows, its NPAsYes Bank’s on NPAs three were different not as occasions, the last being in November 2019, the RBI pulled it up for under-reporting NPAs and adequately provide for such bad loans. Chart 5 shows how— Yes Bank fared poorly on provision coverage ratio, which essentially maps the ability of a bank to deal with NPAs.—

While debtors failing to pay back was the central problem, what further compounded Yes its share price went down and public confidence in it fell. This reflected not only in depositorsBank’s financial shying problems away from was openingthe reaction fresh of accounts its depositors. but also As inYes massive Bank faltered withdrawals on NPAs, by existing depositors, who pulled out over Rs 18,000 crore between April and September last year. It is estimated that up to 20% more withdrawals could have happened between October and February.

So essentially, Yes Bank lost out on capital (money) from both depositors and debtors.

Will Yes Bank’s fall affect other private sector banks? The banking system runs on trust. The Yes Bank episode could likely push depositors away from private sector banks. An analysis by AnandRathi Equities tries to evaluate the contagion impact on other private banks.

-based scoresIt states: of 11“With private these banks. developments, we expect deposit growth for select private banks to slow, leading to lower credit growth”. The table above shows the calculated risk What is RBI’s solution to Yes Bank’s revival; why has it triggered a controversy? of India could pick up 49% stake, and hold on to at least 26% for the next three years. WhileOn March this 6, issue the RBI is still released to be its settled, “draft” another revival decisionplan for byYes theBank. RBI Accordingly, created consternation State Bank among investors of Yes Bank.

The RBI stated that the so-called Additional Tier 1 (or AT1) capital that was raised by Yes Bank would be completely written off. In other words, those who lent money to Yes Bank under the AT1 category of bonds would lose all their money.

As much as Rs 10,800 crore fall under this category, and many popular mutual funds like Page | 41 Franklin Templeton, UTI Mutual Fund, SBI Pension Fund Trust, etc. stand to lose out. Indirectly, a lot of common investors too will lose out on their investments.

Yes Bank crisis: What is AT1 capital?

In a bank, there are different tiers (hierarchies) of capital (money). The top tier or T1 has that is, money put in by the owners and shareholders. It is the riskiest category of capital. Then there are different types of bonds (such as AT1 and AT2), thewhich “equity” a bank capital floats to — raise money from the market. Last is the depositor the one who

— parks her money in the bank’s savings account. depositor is paid back first and the equity owner the last. When the going is good, the depositorThe depositor’s earns the money lowest is reward the safest (rate type of return) of capital. while When the equity something owners goes earn wrong, the most the profits.

What has created a problem is that RBI has said that capital raised via AT1 bonds, which is in the same tier of capital as equity (i.e., Tier 1), will be written off even though equity will not be.

Bond owners, that is the mutual funds who loaned the money to Yes Bank, argue that they are being unfairly written off. They argue that equity capital should be written off before AT1. But the RBI has thrown the rule book at them. In all likelihood, this matter will be only be decided in court.

Source: The Indian Express

6. Corona spooks Markets as oil prices plunge to record low

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

The global financial markets have been thrown into turmoil following a massive fall in the price of crude oil.

Global stocks and bonds have been tumbling after oil prices dropped over 30%, from $45 to $31 a barrel in a single day.

It is the biggest one-day drop in oil prices since the 1991 Gulf war.

What brought it? unprecedented discount of nearly 20% to some of the key oil-consuming markets. This dramatic situation has arisen following Saudi Arabia’s announcement to give an Saudi (the de facto leader of OPEC) is also planning to boost its production to over 10 Page | 42 million barrels a day from next month.

Why has it done so? The Saudi move which has come after the collapse of the OPEC talks, is apparently targeted at Russia.

Russia refused to make any major production cuts to its output despite the sharp fall in

crude’sRepeating demand its act due to coronavirus outbreak. Saudi Arabia employed a similar tactic as this one back in 2014 that led to a full-fledged price war in international crude prices.

It lasted till 2016 and the oil market had managed to recover from that price crash only recently.

What lies ahead? The lower crude prices will clearly provide a mild economic boost for the major oil- importing nations.

However, this benefit may be negated by the loss in economic activities due to the impact of coronavirus.

On the other hand, countries who are primarily dependent on oil exports are likely to face major budget cuts in the near future.

7. Coronvirus forces change of pecking order, Mukesh Ambani no more Asia’s richest person

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

With Coronavirus now spreading across the borders and severely disrupting the world

Aseconomy, per Bloomberg the worlds’ Billionaires billionaires Index, have the been world's left to 500 ‘lick richest their wounds’.people lost nearly $240 billion of their personal fortunes in the massive stock markets crash, last Monday.

It was the biggest daily plunge since Oct. 2016.

ani, the head of Reliance Industries

Like his many global counterparts, India’s Mukesh Amb Who(RIL) hasalso replaced suffered heavily him? and more significantly, no longer remains, Asia’s richest person. Page | 43 about $42 billion (Rs. 2.95 lakh crores). Mukesh Ambani’s net worth has fallen by nearly $6 billion (over Rs. 42,000 crores) to This has resulted in Jack Ma, the Chinese tycoon and founder of e-commerce giant, Ali Baba overtaking him.

Ma who has himself lost about $1.1 billion in this global rout, is now worth $44.5 billion.

Interestingly, Ma lost the same position to Ambani back in 2018.

RIL's stock takes a beating

On Monday, Reliance Industries’ shares plunged by about 12%, the most since 2009. nearly 30 years. This comes on the back of crude oil’s international prices, falling to their lowest levels in Market Cap sinks too Following the huge fall in its share price, RIL also lost the crown of the company with the highest market capitalisation in India to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

s 7.05 lakh crore, while that of TCS was Rs 7.40 lakh crore. At the end of Monday's trading, RIL’s market cap stood at R 8. Why oil prices are crashing

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

Oil prices saw their biggest single-day crash in almost 30 years on March 9, throwing global equity markets into turmoil. The price of a barrel of Brent crude closed down 24% at largest oil producers. It recovered slightly on March 10, but crashed again. On Thursday, Brent$34.36 crude after a price price was war hovering was initiated around between $33 a Saudibarrel. Arabia Prices and crashed Russia, by two almost of the 50% world’s this year, from $66 a barrel on December 31, 2019 to the current levels, primarily driven by lack of demand.

What happened to the OPEC-Plus alliance? lomacy which brought down prices below $30 a barrel, Saudi Arabia arrangementAfter 2014 “glut” (Russia dip is not a member of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries,and Russia or came OPEC), together this alliance to cut kept output production and steady lower prices. and pumped Known up as the the prices. “OPEC The Plus”

OPEC-Plus cooperation collapsed last week after Russia rejected a Saudi request to effect more cuts in output given the fall in demand owing to the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The exiting output reduction deal is set to expire later this month. The Russian and Saudi sides have said they are no longer constrained by the deal and are Page | 44 increase output from 9.7 million barrels a day now to 12.3 million barrels a day in April. Aramcofree to rampalso offered up production. a discount Saudi to its Arabia’s variety oilof crude, giant Aramcotargeting announced Russian markets that it in would Asia and Europe. The fear of glut at a time of slowing demand (supply and demand shock) rattled the markets, crashing prices.

What does Saudi Arabia want? As it was clear that Russia was not ready to cut its output further, the Saudis moved to the attack mode. The plan is to flood the markets with Saudi oil and depress the prices, which would hurt all oil exporters. Riyadh may have multiple targets. One is to exert pressure on

Russia and make it come back to the negotiation table. And if both sides agree to a new deal, they can reverse the decision to ramp up production and collectively take steps to pump up prices. Second, if the Russians do not blink, the plan is to capture market share from Russia with discounts. Third, bleed the U.S. shale oil producers who could not sustain production at depressed prices. In a way, Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of the kingdom, is trying to take on both Russia and U.S. shale oil companies with a single move. But the question is whether Saudi Arabia could sustain the price war for a longer term. Roughly 90% of Saudi budget revenues are coming from the petroleum sector. The Kingdom wants prices to be over $60 a barrel to balance its budget. Prolonged depressed prices will leave a bigger hole in the Saudi budget, complicating further the

What’sCrown Price’s Putin’s economic plan? reform and diversification agenda. Though Russia had b in Moscow that the output cut was hurting Russian energy companies. Russian companies also want to open een the cooperating taps and gainwith OPEC more for market three years, share. there’s Furth a growing opinion convergence of interests between Saudi Arabia and Russia in hurting the U.S. shale oil companies, which are flooding markets with shale oil and challengingermore, the supremacy there’s of a traditional oil producers in determining the prices (U.S. output was more than 12 million barrels a day in February). Russia is in a relatively stronger economic position than Saudi Arabia. Oil now accounts for less than a third of its budget revenue. The country has also built a war chest of $435 billion in foreign exchange reserves. Russian President Vladimir Putin may be in for a long game clout in the market. — to weaken both U.S. shale oil industry and the OPEC’s Source: The Hindu

9. RBI opens dollar-swap window

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has opened a six-month dollar sell-buy swap window to pump liquidity in the foreign exchange market the first move following financial markets in India and across the globe experiencing turbulence over the spread of COVID-19, which Page | 45 could lead to a slowdown in growth. —

Need for swap scheme requirement of U.S. dollars in the market, it has been decided to undertake a six-month U.S. dollar“On a sell/buy review ofswaps current to provide financial liquidity market to conditions and taking into consideration the Thursday. the foreign exchange market,” the RBI said on The central bank will conduct U.S. dollar-rupee sell-buy swaps worth $2 billion on March 16, to begin with, in its effort to fight market volatility.

How the swap can be conducted? The swaps would be conducted through the auction route in multiple tranches and the auctions would be multiple price-based, that is, successful bids will be accepted at their respective quoted premiums.

Source: The Hindu

10. Yes Bank and bonds

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

Why are investors stuck with Additional Tier 1 bonds? What is the Reserve Bank of India policy on this? Depositors and investors in Yes Bank received a rude jolt on March 5 when the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced its decision to impose short-term curbs on their made to quickly stitch together a bailout package for depositors before the event took a systemicwithdrawals, toll. citingWith the the State bank’s Bank declining of India financial (SBI) agreeing position. to Since acquire then, a 49% efforts equity have stake, been other investors joining in and the Cabinet clearing a reconstruction proposal, the fog has cleared a bit for depositors, as the withdrawal limits may soon be lifted. But one set of Yes Bank stakeholders who were expected by the RBI to take immediate and complete write-

Apart from mutual funds, pension funds and other institutions who usually invest in such bonds,offs at thequite first a few sign retail of the investors bank’s troubles,are also stuck were withthe holders them. of its Additional Tier 1 bonds.

What are AT1 bonds? AT1 bonds, also known as Additional Tier 1 bonds, are unsecured perpetual bonds issued by banks to shore up their capital base to meet Basel III requirements. Basel III norms were

a set of rules that banking regulators around the world came up with after the global financial crisis in 2008, to strengthen bank balance sheets. Requiring banks to have their own skin in the game in the form of permanent capital, before taking on deposits or loans, requires Indian banks to hold a minimum capital amounting to 11.5% of their risk- Page | 46 is one of the underlying principles of Basel III norms. The RBI’score version capital of Basel(called III Tier norms 1), with 5.5% in equity. AT1 bonds are issued by banks to supplement their permanent or Tier 1weighted capital which loans. is Of mainly this, about made 9% up ofis equitysupposed shares. to be the bank’s

Don’t bonds have a fixed maturity? Why are AT1 bonds ‘perpetual’? Will investors never get back their principal? Yes, as per their contract terms, AT1 bonds are supposed to remain permanently with the bank and pay investors interest for perpetuity. In practise though, th retire one set of AT1 bonds and issue another. Indian banks have so far never failed to call back their AT1 bonds afterese 5bonds or 10 have years, a ‘calland option’ after 5 or 10 years that banks use to

Inthis the has Yes led Bankto people case, forgetting why did their the ‘perpetual’RBI propose nature. that AT1 holders alone must take a write-off? The contract terms for AT1 bonds mention clearly that the value of these bonds can be

Thecompletely write-off written also kicksoff if the in ifbank’s the RBI capital decides ratios that fall thebelow bank certain is beyond regulatory the thresholds. seems to have originally invoked in the Yes Bank case. So, even though “Point bond-holders of Non generallyViability” or come needs higher a public in the sector pecking capital order infusion of stakeholders to survive. This than is equitythe clause shareholders that the RBI in most situations, AT1 bonds incorporate special situations where their contract terms allow for their holders to suffer write-offs before equity shareholders.

Are there other such clauses lurking in the fine print for AT1 bonds? Yes, several. One, these bonds can partly or fully skip their interest payments for any year if payouts a miss if the bank makes losses and has insufficient reserves. Two, the bank can alsothe bank’s reduce Tier the 1principal capital ratiosvalue fallof these below bonds the RBI’s temporarily thresholds. or for They good, can if also its equitygive interest Tier 1 ratio falls below specified limits. Finally, there is the bombshell clause that the RBI used in Yes Bank. When a bank is teetering, the RBI can decide on a complete write-down of its AT1 bonds or convert them into equity if it feels that it has reached the point of non-viability.

How did these bonds get into the hands of retail investors? Reports suggest that retail investors were sold these high-value bonds (the face value is Rs. 10 lakh each) as high-return alternatives to fixed deposits, given that they were offering 2- 3% higher interest than FDs. Some investors also bought them through their brokers based on their high yields in the secondary market.

So, who should invest in AT1 bonds? Only affluent investors who are willing to take on higher risk of a capital loss for higher yields.

So, what happens to Yes Bank AT1 bond holders? Page | 47 Bondholders need to wait for clarity from the Cent scheme had proposed a complete write-off of these bonds, this was protested by institutions who were exploring legal options. There reconstruction or Courts. While scheme the RBI’s notified original this week does not mention the way ahead for AT1 bonds.

Source: The Hindu

11. In U-turn, govt. moots 20-year window to clear telco dues

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

Nearly five months after winning its legal battle in the Supreme Court against telecom majors including Vodafone and Bharti Airtel for payment of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues worth several lakhs of crores of rupees, the Centre did a virtual U-turn by urging the court to give the companies a 20-year window to pay the money back.

In an application mentioned for urgent hearing in the apex court, the government said it - of the October 24, 2019 judgment directing the companies to cough up the AGR in three months.has, after “detailed and long drawn deliberations”, devised a “formula” to soften the blow

Details of proposed instalments amount of past DoT assessed/calculated dues in annual instalments over 20 years (or less if“All they the so licensees opt), duly impacted protecting by the the net judgment present bevalue allowed of the to said pay dues the unpaidusing a ordiscount remaining rate the application said. of 8% (based on one year marginal cost of lending rate of SBI which is currently 7.75%),” A document annexed to the application shows that the total demand of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) as in October 2019 was Rs. 1,69,048.65 crore from 16 major telecom service providers (TSPs). The payment received till March 6, 2020, from these companies was Rs. 25,901.56 crore. Dues to the tune of Rs. 1,43,271.74 crore remain outstanding.

economic consequences on the nation and with a view to ensure that the Supreme Court The application said the formula was crafted taking into considerations were held the at“larger various interest, levels of the government in the administrative hierarchy, including the Cabinet. order is complied with in letter and spirit.” It said deliberation

The application said vital issues related to the financial health and viability of the telecom sector and need for maintaining competition and level playing field in the interest of consumers were considered.

It said the closure of one or more TSPs would adversely impact the digital connectivity of Page | 48 the country driving e-governance projects in commerce, banking and health. It would also dent the spread of digitisation in rural India.

Source: The Hindu

12. Corona ‘infected’ Bitcoin now trades well below its production cost

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

beating. This comes in the wake of the ongoing economic meltdown caused by the coronavirus. Bitcoin, the world’s most famous cryptocurrency is currently taking a severe With stock market falling to record levels with every passing day, Bitcoin recently saw its value drop from $7,500 to under $4,000 in less than 48 hours. Last month, it was being traded at around $10,500 a unit.

Becoming unviable Bitcoin which was also the 1st-ever global cryptocurrency is now trading well below the cost required by miners (cryptocurrency makers) to produce it.

As per the current production cost, producing one bitcoin costs nearly $8,000 on the highest end. On the lower end, this figure is about $4,800.

This means that currently, most miners are currently working at a loss. This is so, considering the massive amount of processing energy consumed in producing a bitcoin.

It is done by using blockchain technology and each unit of the bitcoin takes months to make.

Keeping their fingers crossed! Those risen to new all-time highs after going through similar depressing cycles. who deal in Bitcoin can take heart from the fact that in the past, Bitcoin’s value has 13. End of free digital lunch, banks to charge UPI transactions

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

mode) for making transactions. From 1st April, 2020, the banks such as Kotak Mahindra Bank and Axis Bank willThere’s start bad charging news fora fee all to those facilitate who such use Unifiedtransactions. Payment Interface (UPI

A monumental shift Page | 49 While NEFT and RTGS have traditionally been paid services, UPI has been so far facilitating Person-to-Person (P2P) and Person-to-Merchant (P2M) transactions free of cost.

How much will be charged? The charges that will be imposed on customers will vary as per the value of the transaction. While the initial 20 transactions will be free of cost, users will have to pay Rs. 2.5 for transactions upto Rs. 1,000. For transactions above that amount, Rs. 5 will be charged. These charges are exclusive of GST.

What will be the impact? With the imposition of these charges, UPI transactions will now generate additional apps such as Paytm, PhonePe, Google Pay, Amazon Pay etc. However, on the other hand, theserevenue charges for the will banks. come This as awill blow happen to the through rapidly eithergrowing, the fin-techbanks’ own segment apps ofor the3rd Indian party economy.

The Current Scenario industry. It recorded over 1 billion monthly transactions in Sep. 2019 while the total transactionsLaunched in reached 2016, the10.7 UPI billion. has become the backbone of the country’s digital payment

14. Rupee falls below 75 for 1st time

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

Hit by capital outflows, sustained stock market fall and worries over a deepening slowdown, the rupee hit a fresh record intra-day low of 75.30 per dollar and closed at an all-time low of 75.12, a fall of 86 paise during the day.

Analysts said the rupee, which fell below the 75 level for the first time, is likely to remain under pressure and fall further to the 77 level in the coming days in the wake of capital outflows. Foreign investors have pulled out over Rs 45,000 crore from equity markets in March so far, putting severe pressure on the rupee.

Source: The Indian Express

15. Why has the rupee fallen against the dollar?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

The rupee slumped on Friday to a record closing low of 75.20 against the U.S. dollar as deepening concerns about the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic sent global investors scurrying to dump most assets, especially emerging market holdings, and opt for Page | 50 cash and the relative safety of the greenback.

Why is the Indian currency weakening? Since the start of the month, overseas investors have dumped Indian equities and debt on a scale not seen since 2013. As on March 20, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) had sold a net 95,485 crore, or more than $12 billion, of shares and bonds. This outflow has coincided with the sharp fall in the equity market s key gauge, the 30-stock S&P BSE Sensex,฀ which has slumped 22% so far in March. ’ What else is contributing to the fall? The r globe have weakened against their U.S. counterpart. The dollar index, which gauges the upee’s decline in March has been part of a broad trend gained as most almost currencies 4% so far across this the month.greenback’s The riskstrength aversion against as aa basketresult of sixthe currencies, pandemic hastriggered by the global outbreak of COVID-19 has been so intense that it has not spared most perceived safe havens including U.S. Treasuries (government bonds) and significantly even gold. The yellow metal too has been sold by investors looking to hold the most liquid and most fungible of all assets the U.S. dollar. — What is there for the future? Given that the increasing possibility of the global economy heading into a recession has been a key domestic economydriver of hasthe dollar’s been struggling appreciation to reverse against another extended currencies, slowdown including the with rupee, both thereprivate is consumptionclearly more andpain investment ahead for the by businessesIndian currency. substantially Add to itbecalmed the fact that and India’s it is hardown to see sentiment on the rupee improving appreciably in the short-term. — — Point in favour However, a few offsetting factors offer just a little comfort. For one, India exchange reserves are still at a fairly robust level and as on March 13 amounted to a total of almost $482 billion. Armed with this war chest, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s foreign has stepped in every now and then, both to smooth volatility in the foreign exchange market and to ensure that a sudden shortage of dollar supply does not exacerbate the weakening trend in the rupee. The central bank, in fact, last week provided $2-billion of dollar liquidity through a forex swap on Monday, and is set to provide a similar line on March 23 as well.

dramatically declined this month with Brent crude oil futures having slumped more than Also, the price of oil, which is one the largest contributors to India’s import bill, has 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

46% to $26.98 as on March 20. With neither Saudi Arabia nor Russia appearing to be in any hurry to de-escalate their price war, and energy demand likely to remain depressed in the foreseeable future on account of the global economic downturn, oil may remain one source of respite for the rupee. Page | 51 And were the U.S. economy itself to go beyond a recession and possibly head for a massive unemployment featuring depression if more States join California in enforcing severe -in- order to contain the spread of the viral pandemic the— dollar too could become a risky holding. movement curbs such as the large coastal State’s statewide “stay place” Still, to complicate matters on the— outlook, the RBI is most likely to cut interest rates in the very near future to support the sagging economy at this juncture, a move that could potentially again add to the downward pressure on the rupee.

Source: The Hindu

16. Cabinet approves recapitalization of Regional Rural Banks to improve their Capital to Risk Weighted Assets Ratio

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for continuation of the process of recapitalization of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) by providing minimum regulatory capital to RRBs for another year beyond 2019-20, that is, up to 2020-21 for those RRBs which are unable to maintain minimum Capital to Risk weighted Assets Ratio (CRAR) of 9%, as per the regulatory norms prescribed by the Reserve Bank of India.

The CCEA also approved utilization of Rs.670 crore as central government share for the scheme of Recapitalization of RRBs (i.e. 50% of the total recapitalization support of be contingent upon the release of the proportionate share by the sponsor banks. Rs.1340 crore), subject to the condition that the release of Central Government’s share will Benefits A financially stronger and robust Regional Rural Banks with improved CRAR will enable them to meet the credit requirement in the rural areas.

As per RBI guidelines, the RRBs have to provide 75% of their total credit under PSL (Priority Sector Lending). RRBs are primarily catering to the credit and banking requirements of agriculture sector and rural areas with focus on small and marginal farmers, micro & small enterprises, rural artisans and weaker sections of the society. In addition, RRBs also provide lending to micro/small enterprises and small entrepreneurs in rural areas. With the recapitalization support to augment CRAR, RRBs would be able to

continue their lending to these categories of borrowers under their PSL target, and thus, continue to support rural livelihoods.

Background Page | 52 Assets Ratio (CRAR) of RRBs with effect from March 2008, a committee was set up under theConsequent Chairmanship upon RBI’sof Dr. decision K.C. Chakrabarty. to introduce disclosure norms for Capital to Risk Weighted

approved by the Cabinet in its meeting held on 10th February, 2011 to provide recapitalizationBased on the Committee’s support of recommendations,Rs. 2,200 crores to a40 Scheme RRBs with for Recapitalization an additional amount of RRBs of was Rs. 700 crores as contingency fund to meet the requirement of the weak RRBs, particularly in the North Eastern and Eastern Region. Therefore, based on the CRAR position of RRBs, as on 31st March of every year, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) identifies those RRBs, which require recapitalisation assistance to maintain the mandatory CRAR of 9%.

Post 2011, the scheme for recapitalization of RRBs was extended upto 2019-20 in a phased manner with a financial support of Rs. 2,900 crores of Rs. 1,450 crores. Out of Rs. 1,450 crores amount of Rs. 1,395.64 crore has been released to RRBs,with upto 50% 2019-20 Government so fa r.of India’s share approved as GoI’s share for recapitalization, an During this period, Government has also taken various initiatives for making the RRBs economically viable and sustainable institutions. With a view to enable RRBs to minimize their overhead expenses, optimize the use of technology, enhance the capital base and area of operation and increase their exposure, the Government has initiated structural consolidation of RRBs in three phase, thereby reducing the number of RRBs from 196 in 2005 to the present 45.

Source: PIB

17. Finance Minister announces Rs 1.70 Lakh Crore relief package under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana for the poor to help them fight the battle against Corona Virus

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

The Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Smt. Niramla Sitharaman today announced Rs 1.70 Lakh Crore relief package under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana for the poor to help them fight the battle against Corona Virus.

Following are the components of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package:

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PRADHAN MANTRI GARIB KALYAN PACKAGE

I. Insurance scheme for health workers fighting COVID-19 in Government Hospitals and Health Care Centres Page | 53 Safai karamcharis, ward-boys, nurses, ASHA workers, paramedics, technicians, doctors and specialists and other health workers would be covered by a Special insurance Scheme. • Any health professional, who while treating Covid-19 patients, meet with some accident, then he/she would be compensated with an amount of Rs 50 lakh under the scheme. • All government health centres, wellness centres and hospitals of Centre as well as States would be covered under this scheme approximately 22 lakh health workers would be provided• insurance cover to fight this pandemic.

II. PM Garib Kalyan Ann (अꅍन) Yojana Government of India would not allow anybody, especially any poor family, to suffer on account of non-availability of foodgrains due to disruption in the next three months. •

80 crore individuals, i.e, roughly two- on would be covered under this scheme. • thirds of India’s populati Each one of them would be provided double of their current entitlement over next three months. • This additionality would be free of cost.

Pulses:• To ensure adequate availability of protein to all the above mentioned individuals, 1 kg per family, would be provided pulses according to regional preferences for next three months. •

These pulses would be provided free of cost by the Government of India.

III.• Under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana,

Benefit to farmers: The first instalment of Rs 2,000 due in 2020-21 will be front-loaded and paid in April 2020 itself under the PM KISAN Yojana. • It would cover 8.7 crore farmers

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IV. Cash transfers Under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana:

Help to Poor: A total of 20.40 crores PMJDY women account-holders would be given an ex-gratia of Rs Page | 54 500 per month for next three months. • Gas cylinders: Under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, gas cylinders, free of cost, would be provided to 8 crore poor families for the next three months. • Help to low wage earners in 54rganized sectors: Wage-earners below Rs 15,000 per month in businesses having less than 100 workers are at risk of losing their employment. • Under this package, government proposes to pay 24 percent of their monthly wages into their PF accounts for next three months .• This would prevent disruption in their employment.

Support• for senior citizens (above 60 years), widows and Divyang:

There are around 3 crore aged widows and people in Divyang category who are vulnerable due to economic disruption caused by COVID-19. • Government will give them Rs 1,000 to tide over difficulties during next three months.

MNREGA• Under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, MNREGA wages would be increased by Rs 20 with effect from 1 April, 2020. Wage increase under MNREGA will provide an additional Rs 2,000 benefit• annually to a worker.

This will benefit approximately 13.62 crore families.

V.• Self-Help groups:

Women organised through 63 lakhs Self Help Groups (SHGs) support 6.85 crore households. a.• Limit of collateral free lending would be increased from Rs 10 to Rs 20 lakhs.

VI. Other components of PM Garib Kalyan package

Organised sector:

reason to allow non-refundable advance of 75 percent of the amount or three months of the wages,• Employees’ whichever Provident is lower, Fund from Regulations their accounts. will be amended to include Pandemic as the Families of four crore workers registered under EPF can take benefit of this window. Page | 55 Building• and Other Construction Workers Welfare Fund: Welfare Fund for Building and Other Constructions Workers has been created under a Central Government Act. • There are around 3.5 Crore registered workers in the Fund.

• State Governments will be given directions to utilise this fund to provide assistance and support to these workers to protect them against economic disruptions. • District Mineral Fund The State Government will be asked to utilise the funds available under District Mineral Fund (DMF) for supplementing and augmenting facilities of medical testing, screening and other• requirements in connection with preventing the spread of CVID-19 pandemic as well as treating the patients affected with this pandemic.

Source: PIB

18. For poor households and small businesses, today’s crisis is a crisis of liquidity. The nationwide lockdown has cost daily wage workers and informal sector entrepreneurs their opportunity to earn. To what extent can the government’s package alleviate their distress?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

For economic agents particularly poor households and small businesses the crisis today is a crisis of liquidity. The nationwide lockdown, imposed to stop the novel coronovirus in its tracks, has led to scores– of daily wage workers and informal sector entrepreneurs– losing earning opportunities from their existing activities.

On Thursday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a Rs 1.70 lakh crore equipped to bear the cost of staying at home for the larger public interest of battling the COVID-19‘Pradhan Mantri pandemic. Garib Kalyan Yojana’ relief package to alleviate the distress of those least

The Indian Express examines the effectiveness of the package in meeting its stated goal.

In the current situation, which is the most significant component of the Rs 1.70 lakh crore Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana relief package announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday? The increased entitlement of foodgrains supplied through the public distribution system (PDS) is a major intervention. A typical poor household having five adult members Page | 56 consumes 50-55 kg of cereals and 4-5 kg of pulses every month. Currently, the PDS provides 5 kg of cereals per person per month at Rs 2/kg and Rs 3/kg for wheat and rice, respectively. That is 25 kg for a family of five.

Under the package, an additional 5 kg of wheat or rice would be given per person per month, free of cost. The doubling of entitlement, effective for the next three months with the extra grain coming free, will practically m Roughly 80 crore persons or two- al Food Security Act will benefit. These poor or lowereet middle-class the family’s sections, entire cereal impacted requirement. most by the lockdown, will no longer need thirdsto buy ofany India’s wheat population or rice from covered the market. under Further,the Nation they will receive 1 kg of pulses per family per month, again free of cost for the next three months. That would meet 20-25% of their total requirement.

How much will all this cost? And how effective will it be on the ground? The effectiveness will be more in states with well-functioning PDS. That is, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and Odisha but not Uttar Pradesh or Bihar. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) in 2019-20 has incurred an expenditure of Rs 26.80 for procuring and distributing every kg of wheat, and— Rs 37.48 per kg of rice. At an average economic cost of Rs 30/kg, 80 crore persons being provided 15 kg each of free grain (over three months) would translate into an additional outgo of Rs 36,000 crore.

holding and maintaining exces basically interestBut there and are storage savings charges as well. The is estimated economic at cost Rs does5.61 notper includekg in 2019-20. the FCI’s On expenses 12 million in tonnes (mt) of grain which iss what stocks 15 inkg itsfor godowns.80 crore people This “carrying would be cost” that — works out to over Rs 6,700 crore. The net— outgo for the exchequer will then be well under Rs 30,000 crore. Even after adding— Rs 4,000 crore towards giving 3 kg of pulses — free to 20 crore families the estimated economic and carrying cost here is Rs 60-70 per kg the total outgo will not exceed Rs 35,000 crore. And given that FCI and the National Agricultural Cooperative— Marketing Federation of India are now holding some 77.6 mt of cereals— (3.5 times more than required) and 2.2 mt of pulses respectively, this is also an effective way to dispose of excess stocks.

What is the other substantial relief measure announced? Sitharaman has said that LPG gas cylinders would be distributed free to 8 crore poor families for the next three months. Taking an average non-subsidised cylinder price of Rs 800 and three cylinders each over three months for these families, the financial cost will be Rs 19,200 crore. But it is also worth bearing. The least that the government can do for those worst hit by the lockdown is to secure their basic dal, roti and cooking fuel requirement.

Will enhancing daily wages under MNREGA by Rs 20, from an average of Rs 182 to Rs 202, help? Not rea a total of 13.65 crore job cards have been issued, lly, of which in a lockdown, 8.22 crore where are active there’s little should scope ideally to undertake be given MNREGA an unemployment works. In Page | 57 allowance.today’s context, The Finance all MNREGA Minister households has claimed — that the Rs 20 wage rate hike will result in an additional income of Rs 2,000 per household.— This is a theoretical calculation, assuming all job card holders are provided 100 days of guaranteed wage employment under the scheme. When daily wage earners are supposed to remain at their homes, the only way to compensate them under MNREGA is through unemployment allowance. The onus for paying that under the Act is, however, on the state governments. It is unlikely they would make the necessary budgetary provision.

The relief package also seems to have cash transfer components. Yes, but not very substantial. A total of 20.4 crore of bank accounts belonging to women under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana are to be credited Rs 500 each per month for the next three months through direct benefit transfer (DBT). That is hardly any recompense for those forced out of work. Nor is payment of Rs 2,000 to 8.7 crore farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi anything to write home about. Farmers are already receiving an annual income support of Rs 6,000 under this scheme, with the first installment payment of Rs 2,000 for 2020- financial implication here at a time when21 farmersanyway aredue facingin April. both There’s lower no crop additional prices due to a coronavirus-induced market collapse, and higher harvesting costs on account of labour shortages from the lockdown.—

What does the package really amount to? The main problem for poor and vulnerable households today is liquidity stress. Unlike big businessmen or the salaried middle class, these are people with no balance sheets, reserves, or bank balan basic consumption and going deeper into debt. Free grain can help, but does not address the real crisis, which is ofces. liquidity. Every day’s They lossneed of cash work to forbuy them essential means things cutting other down than even just food and most of them had it till the other day.

Source:— The Indian Express

19. RBI opens window to defer EMIs: here’s the deal

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

Amid the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, the Reserve Bank of India has permitted banks to allow a moratorium of three months on the payment of instalments for all term loans outstanding as on March 1, 2020. Accordingly, the repayment schedule and

all subsequent due dates, as also the tenure for such loans, may be moved forward across the board by three months.

However, the decision on the rescheduling of home, auto, and other loans will finally be taken and conveyed to customers by individual banks. Banks will continue to charge Page | 58 interest on the outstanding portion of the term loans during the moratorium period. The RBI has left it to the boards of banks to put in place an objective criteria to offer moratorium to its customers.

A moratorium is not a loan waiver and does not offer any discount on interest payout. But it provides stressed customers extra time to repay without their accounts being labelled non-performing assets (NPA) or their credit score being affected.

Who can avail of these benefits? Individuals and companies who have availed term loans such as home loans, car loans, corporate loans can benefit from this move. Therefore, any temporary disruption in their income or cash flows caused by the lockdown will not— affect their repayment schedule for the next three— months, at least.

Moratorium facility is now available on terms loans extended by all commercial banks including regional rural banks, small finance banks and local area banks, co-operative banks, all-India Financial Institutions. —

Even term loans extended by Non-Banking Finance Companies, including housing finance companies and micro finance institutions, will benefit from the move.

What does moratorium cover? The moratorium will be applicable on both principal and interest. The proportion of say, 100th EMI. During the life of a loan, the amount of interest decreases while the principal componentwill depend increases upon the asage the of loanthe loan,amortisation whether progresses.it’s the first EMI for a customer or,

What are benefits for the customer? This basically means that non payment during the next three months will not affect the credit history of the customers and their accounts will not be tagged as Non-Performing Assets (NPAs).

This is a major relief to borrowers as loan accounts turning into NPAs can subject them to recovery actions by the banks and lending institutions.

How do companies benefit? For corporate India too, this is a big relief, especially for those companies that have low reserves. As cash flows get impacted across the board for companies, many of them may not have the ability to repay, as the businesses have shut down completely.

This will provide them with some breathing space.

What about banks? For banks and lending institutions, this will affect their cash flows as they may not be getting repayments for three months. But the RBI has reduced their cash reserve ratio Page | 59 (CRR) requirements, providing them additional liquidity.

Are the measures expected to lift the economy? While the decisions by RBI have been taken to protect individuals and businesses from the negative impact of the virus and the lockdown on the economy, experts feel that if these measures are complemented by further fiscal stimulus measures by the central and state governments to support demand in the economy, then it will help credit off-take.

Source: The Indian Express

20. RBI cuts Repo and Reverse rates

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

The repo rate was reduced to by 75 bps to 4.4% while the reverse repo rate was cut by 90 bps point to 4%. The higher reduction in the reverse repo rate was aimed at prompting banks to lend more rather than keeping their excess liquidity with the RBI.

Apart from cutting the repo rate, RBI has also reduced the cash reserve ratio of banks which released Rs. 1.37 lakh crore liquidity. This, along with other measures, will see an infusion of Rs. 3.74 lakh crore into the banking system.

RBI has also allowed banks to defer payment of EMIs on home, car, personal loans as well as credit card dues for three months till May 31. Since non-payment will not lead to non- performing asset classification by banks, there will be no impact on credit score of the borrowers.

Repo rate: Under repo or repurchase agreement, the RBI lends money to commercial banks and commercial banks give government bonds to the RBI with an agreement to purchase them back. In other words, repo rate or repurchase rate is the rate at which the RBI lends money to banks for a short time period. Objective of repo: Commercial banks borrow from the RBI by means of repo. Thus, repo is used to inject liquidity (money supply) in the system. If the RBI wants to reduce money supply, it increases the repo rate. Similarly, if it wants to increase money supply, it reduces the repo rate.

Reverse repo rate: Under the reserve repo or reverse repurchase agreement, commercial banks park their excess funds at fixed rate with the RBI and the RBI gives government bonds to commercial banks with an agreement to purchase them back. The reverse repo

rate, or reverse repurchase rate, is the rate at which commercial banks lend money to the RBI for a short time period.

Cash reserve ratio (CRR): It is the percentage of total deposits a commercial bank is required to maintain with the RBI. According to the Banking Regulation Act, CRR cannot Page | 60 exceed 15% and cannot be less than 3%. The present rate of CRR (1 September 2018) as prescribed by the RBI is 4%. CRR serves two purposes. The amount deposited with the RBI as CRR acts as an assurance to the depositors that their money will be returned. Moreover, CRR can be used to manage money supply in the economy and thus inflation. In case the RBI increases CRR, the funds available with commercial banks reduce. The commercial banks further reduce the credit in the economy, thereby reducing the money supply. Reduction in money supply further leads to fall in prices. In case the RBI decreases CRR, the money supply in the economy increases leading to rise in prices. CRR is used to adjust money supply over a long time period (more than a year). The RBI makes changes in CRR when it expects inflation levels to persist over a longer time period.

Source: The Hindu

21. Why has the stock market been so volatile?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

On Friday, even after the Reserve Bank of India announced a slew of measures to boost the economy in the time of a pandemic, shares fell 1% to close at 29,416 points. The stock market has seen a lot of volatility with the benchmark Sensex having fallen as much as almost 40% from the highs it touched in January.

Where was the Sensex in January? On January 20, the Sensex touched an all-time intra-day record high of 42,274 from where it fell a massive 16,635 points to touch a 52-week intra-day low of 25,639 points on March 24. This assumes significance as a fall of over 20% is typically looked upon as a bear phase in the markets. While the 30-share barometer has recovered 4,177 points or 16% from the lows, it is still experiencing a lot of volatility with underlying weakness. Incidentally, the India VIX index, which is considered a measure of near-term volatility in the market, has surged more than six times this year, rising from 11.7 in December to the current levels of 70.4. The intensity of the fall can be further gauged from the fact that the current month has seen the indices hitting their lower circuit breaker of 10% on two occasions while registering some of the biggest single-day falls as well.

What is the reason for the huge plunge? The single biggest reason of the ongoing volatility and fall is the global coronavirus pandemic. In India, the number of coronavirus cases stand at a shade below 1,000 (as on March 28) even as the country is in the midst of a 21-day lockdown as part of the

economic growth will get deeply affected. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has alreadygovernment’s said that attempts the world to curb has theentered spread. a recession The pandemic that is hasas bad led orto worseconcerns as 2008that globalwhen the global financial crisis happened. In India, investor concerns have led to foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) selling equities worth nearly 60,000 crore in the current month, the Page | 61 highest ever single month sales by overseas investors. ฀ Is selling happening across all sectors? An across-the-board selling frenzy has gripped the markets with no sector insulated from the sell-off. Banking and financials, however, have borne the brunt as investors believe that the economic impact of the pandemic will lead to a rise in bad debts of such entities. Sector heavyweights such as HDFC, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, State Bank of India, IndusInd Bank and Bajaj Finance, all part of the Sensex, have fallen significantly with some currently trading near multi-year lows. Automobile stocks have also been among the worst hit as most plants are shut on account of the lockdown. Some of the pharmaceutical and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) stocks have been able to stem the fall to a limited extent though they are currently significantly lower compared to their highs.

Is anything being done to address investor concerns? Globally, governments and regulators are taking initiatives in the form of stimulus measures to support the economy. For instance, the U.S. Senate and House have approved a $2-trillion coronavirus relief package. Earlier, the U.S. Federal Reserve announced a $700- billion stimulus package. In India, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reduced the key interest rate sharply by 75 basis points and allowed equated monthly instalments (EMIs) to be deferred by three months. The repo rate has been reduced by 75 bps while the reverse repo rate has been cut by 90 bps. Further, the cash reserve ratio has also been reduced that will release 1.37-lakh crore liquidity. Cumulatively, the RBI measures will lead to an infusion of 3.74-lakh crore into the banking system. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), ฀on its part, has relaxed many compliance requirements while tightening the norms for ฀ short selling and margins to ensure the smooth functioning of the equity markets.

What is the outlook? The consensus estimate is pessimistic due to the lack of any positive triggers. While policy makers worldwide are trying to provide stimulus, the uncertainty around the pandemic has made investors risk averse. They feel that since the current crisis is not due to a liquidity crunch, as was the case during the Lehman crisis, it is difficult to counter it with mere

liquidity infusion. Most analysts expect the pandemic to affect corporate earnings over the next few quarters. Global financial major Morgan Stanley has lowered its year-end Sensex target by a little over 11% to 32,000, from the earlier 36,000, even as it believes that the current bear phase in the stock market is close to its bottom. Analysts are unanimous in

are seeing a sell-off from investors across categories. their view that the pandemic will hit India’s growth rate and hence risky assets like equities Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Source: The Hindu

22. Why has Kerala sought a relaxation of Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management rules? Page | 62

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

Kerala was one of the earliest States to announce an economic package of 20,000 crore to mitigate the impact on livelihoods and overall economic activity from the sweeping steps taken to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, including the latest 21-day nationwide฀ lockdown. Explaining the rationale for the package, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote in the The Hindu (March 27 not lose sight of the other major challenge in front of us. India has a high share of poor in its population, most, of2020): whom “While suffer we from enforce multiple the lockdown economic in and all its social seriousness, deprivations. we should They earn their livelihoods from the informal and unorganised sectors, where there is neither job security nor continuity of income flows. Their livelihoods have to be protected through proposes to borrow as much as 12,500 crore from the market in April itself and the Chief Minister has urgedthe lockdown the Centre period.” to provide To help Kerala fund the with emergency flexibility relief under package, the Fiscal the Responsibility State and ฀ impacted in the rest of the financial year starting on April 1. Budget Management (FRBM) Act so as to ensure that the State’s finances are not adversely What is the FRBM Act? Enacted in August 2003, the legislation is aimed at making the Central government -generational equity in fiscal management and long-term macro- administratorsresponsible for must ensuring ensure “inter that of expenditureeconomic and stability”. revenue, Indoes other not leave words, future the generations current generation saddled with of the burden country’s of having to service unsustainably hightheir levels management of inherited of the debt country’s that would finances, in turn both affect in terms their ability to provide a stable economic environment for contemporary society. To achieve this, bt and deficits as well as mandating greater transparency in fiscal operations of the Central government and the theconduct Act envisages of fiscal policy the setting in a medium-term of limits on the framework. Central government’s The rules for de implementing the Act were notified in July 2004 and since then every Budget of the Union government has included a Medium-Term Fiscal Policy Statement that specifies the annual revenue and fiscal deficit goals over a three-year horizon. The government also uses the Budget to spell out the longer-term glide path to achieve the key objective of reducing the fiscal deficit to 3% of GDP within a specified time frame one that has shifted from the initial goal of March 31, 2009, to March 31, 2021, when the rules were amended in 2018, and most recently to the setting of a target of 3.1% for— March 2023.

recommendations in 2004 linked debt relief to States with their enactment of similar laws. To ensure that the States too are financially prudent, the 12th Finance Commission’s

The States have since enacted their own respective Financial Responsibility Legislation, which sets the same 3% of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) cap on their annual budget deficits.

Why is Kerala seeking flexibility under the FRBM? Page | 63 25,000 crore during the financial year 2020-21. Now, given that it proposes to raise half that amount of debt in the veryKerala’s first current month fiscal of theposition new means financial that year, it can the borrow State about government ฀ is understandably concerned that the stringent borrowing cap under the fiscal responsibility laws should not constrain its borrowing and spending ability over the remaining 11 months a period when it would not only need to continue with its COVID-19 mitigation measures but would also have to meet other expenditure for routine — socio-economic programmes as well as the post pandemic recovery. affairs related to the running of the State’s How does a relaxation of the FRBM work?

4(2) of the Act, the Centre can exceed the annual fiscal deficit target citing grounds that includeThe law national does contain security, what war, is national commonly calamity, referred collapse to as anof agriculture,‘escape clause’. structural Under reformsSection and decline in real output growth of a quarter by at least three percentage points below the average of the previous four quarters.

Given that the ongoing pandemic could be considered as a national calamity which in conjunction with the ongoing lockdown to combat it is in all likelihood going to cause a severe contraction in economic output as well the current circumstances would— be apt . This would allow both the Union government and States including Kerala to— undertake the much-needed increases in expenditurefor suspending to meetboth the Centre’sextraordinary and States’ circumstances. fiscal deficit targets

When have the FRBM norms been relaxed in the past? There have been several instances of the FRBM goals being reset. Most recently, presenting the Budget for 2020-21 in February, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had cited the recent reductions in corporate tax as structural reforms that would trigger the escape clause enabling the government to recalibrate the fiscal deficit target for 2019-20 to 3.8%, from the budgeted 3.3%. The spillover impact of the reforms would also necessitate a reset for 2020-21: from the earlier deficit target of 3% to 3.5%.

But the most significant FRBM deviation happened in 2008-09, in the wake of the global financial crisis, when the Centre resorted to a focused fiscal stimulus: tax relief to boost demand and increased expenditure on public projects to create employment and public assets, to counter the fallout of the global slowdown. This led to the fiscal deficit climbing to 6.2%, from a budgeted goal of 2.7%.

Simultaneously, the deficit goals for the States too were relaxed to 3.5% of GSDP for 2008- 09 and 4% of GSDP for fiscal 2009-10.

The precedents are there and given the unprecedented nature of the pandemic and its devastating impact on the global economy, another significant deviation from the FRBM norms is very likely in the current and next fiscal years.

Source: The Hindu Page | 64

23. IMF confirms the worst, Corona has pushed the world into recession

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Economics

The world economy is about to face a devastating impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, in the coming months. This grim warning has come from the International

AsMonetary per it, theFund world (IMF), has the clearly world’s entered leading a lending recession body which to the is nations.either as bad or even worse than the one, that occurred in 2009.

Has done its calculations IMF has come to this conclusion after reassessing the growth prospects for the years, 2020 and 2021. It shows that both the advanced as well as the developing economies have already started facing economic downturns.

‘A light at the end of this tunnel’ As per IMF, there is a projection for an economic recovery in 2021. But it is possible only, if the international community succeeds in containing the virus and limits its subsequent economic damage.

Being flooded with calls The IMF, which lends funds to 189 nations across the world, has already received 81 emergency financing requests so far. Out of these, 50 are from lower-income countries.

The IMF estimates the overall financial needs of such nations to be, a mammoth $2.5 trillion.

Opening its coffers The IMF has assured that it is ready to make all $1 trillion of its lending resources, available to the affected countries.

Kyrgyzstan would be the 1st country to receive the IMF support package of $120 million in this regard.

IMF is now aiming to double its emergency financing program and simplify its lending procedures to the poorest countries.

Environment

Page | 65 1. Undisturbed mass nesting of Olive Ridleys at Odisha’s Rushikulya rookery

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Environment

Restrictions in place for the COVID-19 threat is saving lakhs of Olive Ridley turtles from possible intrusion by humans, especially tourists, while they are continuing mass nesting at

Odisha’s Rushikulya rookery. ration, over 2,78,502 mother turtles have nested at this coast till Wednesday morning. Since Tuesday evening, over 72,142 Olive RidleysAccording have to arrived the Forest at the Department’s beach to dig nests enume and lay eggs.

Absence of tourists This event normally attracts hundreds of people to the spot, with Forest Department personnel spending considerable time and effort in controlling the crowds of tourists as well as locals. But this year, the COVID-19 lockdown has ensured no such disturbance occurs for the turtles.

No trawlers Two trawlers, two speed boats and a country boat are being used by Forest Department to patrol the sea, in order to prevent fishing trawlers from plying along the coast. Trawlers did not cause any deaths of turtles as a result.

In 2019, mass nesting of Olive Ridleys did not occur in Rushikulya, in contrast to 2018, above 4,73,000. when “double mass nesting” occurred in February and April, with nesting figures rising Cyclone’s aftermath , and the floods that followed, left huge piles of waste over about 8 km of the Rushikulya coast, which had to be cleaned with excavators. It has been estimatedOctober 2018’s that minute Cyclone particles Titli of the waste had remained, keeping the nesting Olive Ridleys away in 2019.

This year, the beach has received thorough cleaning at regular intervals long before mass nesting commenced. The Forest Department also set up 11 off-shore camps early this year to monitor the beach.

Source: The Hindu

Science and Technology Page | 66 1. Why is COVID-19 not a pandemic yet?

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

What is the World Health Organisation’s stand on the outbreak? Have most countries been able to check the spread of the coronavirus? On February 26, for the first time since the COVID-19 outbreak began in China on December 8, the number of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) cases reported in a single day was more outside mainland China than within the country. According to the World Health Organisation, there were 412 newly confirmed cases reported from mainland China while there were 459 cases reported from elsewhere. For the last few days, the number of confirmed cases reported from mainland China has come down even as the spread of the virus has seen a sudden increase outside China. For instance, the total number of confirmed cases in China increased from 74,576 (deaths at 2,118) on February 20 to 78,497 (deaths 2,744) on February 27.

Globally, there are 82,549 cases and 2,810 deaths as on February 27.

Besides mainland China, how many countries have reported at least one confirmed case? As on February 27, 3,346 confirmed cases have been reported from 49 countries. On February 27, Brazil in South America and Algeria in Africa reported their first infections. Except Antarctica, novel coronavirus cases have been reported from all continents. In the past week, 20 countries have confirmed their first coronavirus cases.

At 16, Europe has the most number of countries that have reported at least one case. In just one day, seven European countries Estonia, Greece, Denmark, Norway, Georgia, N Macedonia, and Romania reported their first cases on February 27. As on Thursday, 621 cases and 16 deaths were reported from— Europe. While there was a gradual increase in the number of cases in Europe— between January 24 (three cases) and February 22 (63 cases), the cases spiked since then from 63 on February 22 to 621 on Thursday. The numbers nearly doubled from 270 on February 24 to 509 the next day. — Twelve countries/regions mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Philippines belonging to the WHO West Pacific region— have reported at least one case. —

There are nine countries Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman and UAE in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region that have reported novel coronavirus infections. Only— five countries Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal Taiwan in the WHO South-East— Asia region have reported SARS-CoV-2 infections. In the Americas, cases have been reported from only Canada,— the U.S. and Brazil. — Page | 67

Which countries outside mainland China have large number of cases? South Korea has the most number of confirmed novel coronavirus infections 1,766 (and 13 deaths) outside mainland China. Italy (528), Iran (245) and Japan (189) are the other countries with most number of cases. —

About a week ago Hong Kong and Singapore had the most number of cases but that has since changed. But these two countries appear to have largely contained the spread, with Singapore reporting 93 and Hong Kong with 92 cases as on February 27.

Since the virus has spread globally, will WHO declare COVID-19 as pandemic? In a press briefing on February 26, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus made it abundantly clear that WHO will not declare COVID-19 a pandemic at this moment. be too eager to declare a pandemic without a careful and clear- minded analysis of the facts. Using the word pandemic carelessly has no tangible benefit, butHe said:it does “We have should significant not risk in terms of amplifying unnecessary and unjustified fear and stigma,

and paralyzing systems.” virus, which is not true. We are in a fight that can be won if we do the right things. Of course, we will not hesitateHe then toadded: use the “It word may pandemicalso signal if thatit is anwe accur can no longer contain the

By not calling it a pandemic right away, he didate description clarify that of it the does situation.” not mean WHO the situation, or the potential for this to become a pandemic, because it has that potential. Everyconsidering scenario the spread is still to on be the less table. serious. On He the said: contrary, “I am not we downplaying are saying that the thisseriousness virus has of pandemic potential and WHO is providing the tools for every country to prepare

Whenaccordingly.” was the last time a pandemic was declared? A pandemic is defined as the worldwide spread of a new disease. The last pandemic reported was the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic, which killed hundreds of thousands globally. Unless it is influenza, WHO generally avoids declaring diseases as pandemics. This change came about after the lessons learned from the 2009 H1N1 experience.

According to 2017 pandemic influenza risk management guidelines, the WHO uses pandemic influenza phases interpandemic, alert, pandemic and transition lect its risk assessment of the global situation regarding each influenza virus with pandemic p — — to “ref

Website:otential www.prepmate.in infecting humans”. 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

Have some countries contained the spread? All countries that have reported even one case should primarily focus on containing the spread of the virus, the WHO chief said. Fourteen countries have managed to contain the spread of the virus and no new case has been reported for more than a week. And nine countries, including India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, have not reported any additional cases in Page | 68 the last two weeks, he said. This highlights that the virus can be stopped in its track if countries take appropriate and timely actions.

What steps should countries take to stop the virus from spreading? The priority should be to detect cases early and isolate people who test positive for the virus. Once a case is detected, the focus should be to trace the contacts and treat them if already infected. Since the molecular test is not highly sensitive and can return false negatives, people who have returned to India or have come in contact with people who have tested positive should be made aware to seek immediate medical care once symptoms show up. Though the average incubation period is five-seven days, a few have shown up symptoms at the end of 24 days. Efforts should also be focussed on preventing outbreaks in hospitals and spread in the community. One way to stop the spread in the community is to avoid mass gathering in enclosed spaces.

The Ministry of Health has advised people to avoid all non-essential travel to countries where community spread of the virus is reported, particularly Singapore, South Korea, Iran and Italy. According to February 13 release, the Health Ministry has been following up passengers travelling from China, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea and Japan for a period of 28 days.

Source: The Hindu

2. How geologists detected gold in Sonbhadra, estimated its value

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

In a recent statement, the Geographical Survey of India (GSI) provided estimates for the amount of gold that can be extracted from a site in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh. The probable resource is 52,806.25 tonnes of ore, with an average grade of 3.03 grams per tonne, which means the total gold that can be extracted is 160 kg, it said. The statement came after news reports stated that the gold available is 3,350 tonnes; the GSI clarified that its estimates are 160 kg.

What is this site with ore? It i Roberstganj, and just 10 km from Jharkhand. The land is mainly forest area and inhabited mostlys near by a village tribals called and Mahuli, members around of backward70 km from classes. Sonbhadra Locals district’s said storiesheadquarters of gold of underground have been passed down generations, giving rise to the name Sonpahari, the hill where the reserves have been estimated.

The site is part of the Mahakoshal region that includes parts of UP, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. It is known to be potentially mineral-rich.

How does the GSI arrive at such estimates? Page | 69 Two basic processes are involved a study of rocks, and drilling of the ground. Laboratory analysis of the rocks indicates the possibility of these containing a particular mineral, in this case gold. —

Another indicator is the age of the rocks, which is determined by radiometric dating processes. For high possibility of containing such metals and minerals, the rocks need to be at least 700 million years old, Tiwari said, while also citing exceptions. The rocks in Sonbhadra are in the Mahakoshal region and from the Proterozoic era, which started 2,500 million years ago.

The GSI drilled the ground at some 30 places between 1998 and 2000, before compiling the report. This eventually provides a three-dimensional image of the area, which is necessary for determining the quality of the resource and the amount available.

Will it be worthwhile to extract the gold from the ore? The GSI classifies ore into categories based on the viability of extraction, which is category, which means that extraction will cost less than the cost of the gold that is extracted.determined The from cost density. of extraction Tiwari said also the depends gold ore on found the grade in Sonbhadra of gold; is the in higherthe “economic” the gold concentration, the easier its extraction.

At the same time, GSI officials pointed out that the findings are two decades old and the possible gold present is just 160 kg.

So, what happens to the ore now? Once the GSI gives an estimate, the state government conducts an auction and the winner undertakes the extraction. UP government officials said that before e-auctioning, a team of officials from the state mining department and the district administration have been asked geological maps on khasra maps from revenue records. to conduct a survey of the area and identify the land containing ore, by superimposing GSI’s Source: The Indian Express

3. Coronavirus outbreak: Why not everyone needs to wear a mask

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

At his special briefing on coronavirus on Monday (March 2), Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that as a doctor, he did not think there was any need to wear masks in order to ward off infection; observing basic cough etiquette and basic hygiene was sufficient.

Dr Harsh Vardhan echoed the advice of the United States Surgeon General Jerome M Page | 70 Adams, the top federal spokesperson on matters of public health, who expressed his frustration on Twi STOP BUYING MASKS! They are

NOT effective in preventingtter on Saturday: general “Seriously public from people catching — #Coronavirus, but if healthcare to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at

providers can’t get them Masksrisk!” and coronavirus: not necessarily effective, not meant for everyone The World Health Organisation recommends that health workers wear surgical masks over their mouths and noses. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) too, says that masks that are technically known as N95s which are thicker, fit more tightly around the mouth and nose, are able to block out smaller particles much more effectively than ordinary surgical masks should be worn. —

This advice, however, is for— health workers, and for those who have a cough and/or cold medical specialists have said that for healthy members of the public, they are generally not effective. —

Why masks are not effective? It is important to recognise that the coronavirus is transmitted through droplets (like when you sneeze or cough), and not through the air, so that you can just breathe it in.

And since surgical masks are designed to keep droplets in (rather than keep them out), they work when used by a wearer who is likely to spray around droplets while sneezing or coughing.

In fact, you are probably more likely to get infected by touching a contaminated surface than from a droplet travelling through the air.

More sensible and effective: washing hands, basic hygiene The CDC advises that everyone should wash their hands often with soap and (preferably warm) water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

If soap and water are not readily available, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol should be used, the CDC advisory says.

the spread of all respiratory diseases, not just the novel coronavirus: The CDC (as well as the WHO) recommends “everyday preventive actions” to help prevent 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

* Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

* Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

* Stay home when you are sick. Page | 71

* Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

* Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.

Source: The Indian Express

4. How will in-flight WiFi work?

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

The government has permitted airlines operating in India to provide in-flight WiFi services board an aircraft in flight, through Wi-Fi on board, when laptop, smartphone, tablet, smartwatch,to passengers. e- The pilot “may permit the access of Internet services by passengers on official notification said. The Telecom Commission had given its green signal to in-flight connectivity of readerInternet or and a point mobile of salecommunications device is used on in aircraft flight mode in Indian or airplane airspace mode”, in 2018. an

THE TECHNOLOGY: Broadly, in-flight connectivity systems use two kinds of technologies. One, an onboard antenna picks up signals from the nearest tower on the ground, and unless the aircraft flying over a large space with no towers (such as a water body), the connection will remain seamless up to a certain altitude.

Otherwise, satellites can be used to connect to ground stations in the same way that satellite TV signals are transmitted. Data is transmitted to a personal electronic device through an onboard router, which c the signals, through satellites, to a ground station, which redirects the traffic to a billing server that calculates the data consumption.onnects to It theis then plane’s relayed antenna. to the The intercepting antenna transmits servers, and to the World Wide Web.

Page | 72

provided by telecom service providers; when the aircraft has climbed to 3,000 m (normally 4-5Once minutes flight mode after is take-off), activated, the the antenna plane’s willantenna switch will to link satellite-based to terrestrial services. Internet This services way, there will be no break in Internet services to passengers, and cross-interference between terrestrial and satellite networks will be avoided.

THE COST: Airlines will have to bear the initial cost of installing antennae on aircraft. Some airlines have said it would be easier to have the equipment installed on their new aircraft rather than taking planes out of service for retrofitting. The additional cost could find a way into ticket prices. Apart from the equipment, airlines will have to bear additional fuel costs, given the extra weight and drag aircraft will face due to the antenna.

Globally, some airlines offering onboard WiFi offer a small volume of free Internet before asking the customer to buy a pack. Some others provide limited or unlimited Internet in Business and First class. Price plans may be volume-based or volume- and time-based. In any case, Internet in the sky is not likely to be cheap.

THE USES: In general, WiFi on a plane is slower than on the ground even though this is changing with newer technologies. Technology and laws allow calls to be made from —

aircraft, but many airlines do not want noisy cabins. A TRAI paper from a couple of years ago said over 30 airlines offer onboard connectivity.

Source: The Indian Express Page | 73 5. Fishy claims about cows

Relevant for GS Mains Paper III; Science & Technology

Recently, the Science and Technology Ministry called for R&D proposals under the inter- ministerial programme SUTRA-PIC India (Scientific Utilization through Research Augmentation-Prime Products from Indigenous Cows). The programme calls for research process unique qualities ystematic scientific proposals under five themes. Opening with the statement, “Indian cows are believed to and characteristics,” the document invites “s Areinvestigation indigenous of uniqueness cows unique? of pure indigenous Indian cows”. Evolutionary biology tells us that multiple species can co-evolve and become highly suitable for each other. For instance, some humans are lactose intolerant. Lactose intolerance is a digestive disorder caused by the inability to digest lactose, a primary component of milk and dairy products. Studies have shown that people living in northern and western India are more tolerant to lactose compared to south Indians. As northern and western Indians have lived with cows for hundreds of years, breeding them and feeding on their products, they are able to digest milk better. This reasoning would hold for other domesticated animals too. The co-evolution argument holds good for all breeds of cow and their local human populations across the world.

Can cow urine and panchgavya (cow dung, urine, milk, curd, ghee) help treat cancer and other diseases? The call invites applications for research on cowpathy treatment based on products obtained from indigenous cow as used in ayurveda. It lists many illnesses for which it claims that ancient ayurvedic texts suggested pharmacological— applications of products from indigenous cows. The listed diseases are those associated with exclusive symptoms such as psoriasis, eczema and diarrhoea as well as those without particular symptoms such as blood pressure (primary hypertension) and asymptomatic diabetes mellitus.

This at the outset strikes a jarring note. For one, many symptoms of high blood pressure such as giddiness may be attributed to other diseases. Hypertension cannot really be measured without a BP apparatus which came into being later. Experts in ayurveda acknowledge this.

proach for the management of diseases that do not manifest symptoms. While it does deal with eczema or psoriasis, which have symptoms, it “Ayurvedadoes not have does a clear not haveprotocol a clear for the ap management of primary hypertension and diabetes

s G.L. Krishna, a practising ayurvedic doctor from Bengaluru, whendescribe it is aasymptomatic,” spectrum of say diseases that result from abnormal cells that are rapidly proliferating.who is interested It is innot Vedanta a single and disease. Vedic Theliterature. concept “Further, of cell in cancer Vedic is times a generic was termstill nascent. used to Therefore, it would be wrong to presume that ancient ayurvedic texts could have discussed Page | 74 a generic disease entity that results from abnorm

Why is cow urine not exclusive? al cell proliferation,” he says. Cow urine was used in ayurveda, but so was goat, camel and elephant urine. Ayurveda practioners use beers, wines and meat, even that of cows, for different medical preparations and conditions. (The Legacy of Vagbhata, M.S. Valiathan). While cow milk was

Rathergenerally than preferred glorify cow over excreta goat’s milk,and urine, the latter a more was scientifically used to treat valid tuberculosis. enterprise would be to have the Ministry of Ayush undertake a serious review of ayurvedic texts and subject them to a scientific scrutiny. Many concepts may get falsified, but a true science should not be pathy with traditional systems are both required in approaching our ancient medical classics. An approachafraid of falsification. bereft of the And, former as Dr.leads Krishna to pseudoscience says, “A strict masquerading scientific attitude as traditional and a sym wisdom while that bereft of the latter leads to a hasty undermining of valuabl

Source: The Hindu e medical experience.”

6. How to handle the coronavirus (COVID-19) scare

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

Since Monday, new cases of confirmed coronavirus infection in Delhi, Hyderabad and Jaipur have led to a series of precautionary measures by government and school authorities, and panic particularly among residents of the National Capital Region. Much of the panic has been spread by alarmist messages via WhatsApp.

What actions are safe or unsafe, and what measures are necessary or unnecessary? Here is all you need to know:

What test is done for coronavirus? Are private laboratories equipped? The first test that samples of all suspected patients are sent for is the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. If that is positive, the sample is sent to the National Institute of Virology in Pune, which is the only government laboratory currently doing genome sequencing, for final confirmation. This final confirmatory test specific for the novel coronavirus was developed virtually overnight after the emergence of the disease.

are many viral research and diagnostic laboratories such as the ones in AIIMS, Delhi, King

Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases in Kolkata, and Indira Gandhi Government MedicalGeorge’s College Medical in UniversityNagpur, where in Lucknow, the PCR test Sawai can Man be done. Singh Many Hospital private in laboratories Jaipur, National are equipped to do the tests but, because of the risk of spreading the infection and the Page | 75 possibility of treatment/isolation delays, it is considered better to go to designated government centres.

Can masks contain the coronavirus infection? Masks are effective in containing the spread of infection. Any person with a history of travel to affected areas or of contact with infected persons, and showing symptoms of the disease, should use a mask. It is also important for medical staff to use masks.

For the general population, it is not essential to use masks at the current moment. In fact, masks come with their own hazards. For a person with an existing medical condition, wearing a mask may inadvertently complicate the situation. Many experts have noted that people may wear a mask incorrectly, and they can increase the risk of infection by touching their face more often.

Is it all right to send children for birthday parties and other such gatherings? Is it okay to use public transport? person, or a history of travel to a country where cases have been reported, is it advisable to avoidOnly if throwing someone or among attending the party’s a party. guests The same or hosts holds has for a historypassengers of exposure on public to transport. an infected If there is no such history, there is no bar on gatherings or public transport at the current moment. At the same time, it is of paramount importance to maintain basic coughing and sneezing etiquette, and to repeatedly wash or sanitise hands.

Coronavirus in India: Are hand sanitisers effective? They are, provided they are alcohol-based and the alcohol content is more than 60%. The shing hands with soap and water whenever possible because handwashing reduces the amounts of all types of germs and chemicalsUS Centers on forhands. Disease But if soap Control and “recommendswater are not available, wa using a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol can help you avoid getting s - washing, though, remains the first and best step, preferably with warm water. ick and spreading germs to others.” Hand

Page | 76

Coronavirus outbreak: Is it safe to shake hands? The virus can transmit itself via hand contact, especially if the infected person has coughed or sneezed into his own hands. As the number of people exposed to the virus goes up, and given the 14-day incubation period during which a person can stay asymptomatic but spread the disease, it may be better to use a hands-off greeting, such as a namaskar.

Is sexual contact safe? It is, but again, it may be better not to kiss. Also, whatever the act, hand-washing remains the cardinal safety measure at all times.

How prepared is the government to tackle coronavirus? So far, the government has not been challenged by the detection of any case of local transmission. However, if and when that happens, and the contact tracing process gets more and more complicated as the net widens, the health systems will be tested hugely. The government has already introduced travel restrictions and suspended visas from Page | 77 affected countries. A detailed containment plan has been shared with states.

States have been asked to identify possible isolation areas in hospitals that can accommodate larger numbers. They have been asked to augment existing isolation wards and include facilities of the Labour Department, armed forces, paramilitary forces, medical colleges and PSUs within their jurisdiction.

How did the Delhi cases slip airport screening? Screening of passengers from Italy started from February 26. The cases now detected had entered the day before. With large numbers coming in from across the world, airports are always a hotspot, given the fact th d from 66 to 75 countries. at in the last 24 hours the virus’s footprint has expande Coronavirus outbreak: Should you stop eating out? Not yet. If you had to start avoiding public places, then it would have extended to schools and workplaces too. That situation has not arisen yet. Also, avoiding public places, or advising others to do so, may create unnecessary panic. In fact, even for the Noida school where the children of the Delhi patient study, officials of the National Centre for Disease Control say it is all right for children to return to school once fumigation is done and the school reopens next week.

There is a need to keep privacy concerns of patients in mind, without compromising on necessary, verified information for example, the Noida schools have not given out the identity of the students but they have shared the fact that one parent has tested positive. It is important to refrain from spreading— random social media messages, especially from perpetuating doomsday messaging.

Source: The Indian Express

7. Does heat kill the coronavirus? Too early to say

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

typically that will go away in April. The he fact,Last how month, the USvirus President will behave Donald as temperature Trump said rises about thein Wuhan novel the coronavirus: outbreak happened “The virus… in peak winter is not really known. Only timeat, will generally tell. speaking, kills this kind of virus.” In – –

e do not know (if heat will kill

WHO chief scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan has said: “W Rationalethe virus)”. in Trump’s statement Page | 78 Temperature did affect the spread of the SARS-CoV infection, which also spreads by dropletsTrump’s like statement COVID-19 about (the “thisdisease kind caused of virus” by the is novel not coronavirus). totally off the In mark,a 2011 however.paper in on smooth surfaces retained its viability for over 5 days at temperatures of 22 25°C and relativeAdvances humidity in Virology, of 40 researchers50%, that fromis, typical the University air-conditioned of Hongkong environments. wrote: “The However, dried virus – and relative humidity– of >95%). The better stability of SARS coronavirus at low viabilitytemperature was andrapidly low lost… humidity at higher environment temperatures may facilitateand higher its relativetransmission humidity in community (e.g., 38°C, in subtropical area (such as Hong Kong) during the spring and in air-conditioned

Onenvironments.” the other hand, the MERS coronavirus spread in Saudi Arabia in the month of August. New Scientist quoted David Heymann at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical he says. Medicine as saying: “These viruses can certainly spread during high temperature seasons,” Scientists are now watching whether or not the novel coronavirus will be affected by temperature. National Geographic quoted Stuart Weston of the University of Maryland

School of Medicine, where the virus is being actively studied, as saying: “I hope it will show Source:seasonality, The but Indian it’s hard Express to know.”

8. How is India containing COVID-19?

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

Are there enough testing facilities in the country? What happens when a person tests positive? id the total number of the highly contagious coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country had risen to 34. In December 2019, theOn World March Health 8, India’s Organisation Health Ministry (WHO) had sa declared an outbreak of the febrile respiratory illness of unknown etiology from Wuhan, Hubei Province of China. The outbreak was epidemiologically linked to the Wuhan Seafood Wholesale Market involving the sale of seafood and live animals. Later named COVID-19, it has now spread to more than 90 countries apart from China, there are 101,923 confirmed cases and 3,486 deaths from

—

94 countries, areas and territories (as on March 7, 10:00 CET). WHO has declared the

Whoutbreakat do weas a know “Public about Health the Emergency virus? of International Concern.” Little is known about the novel coronavirus (SARS-Cov-2), which currently has no vaccine Page | 79 and has the potential to cause severe illnesses and pneumonia, according to senior health officials in the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). It primarily spreads through the respiratory droplets of infected people. If a person touches a surface or object that has been infected by the virus and then touches his own mouth, nose, or eyes, he may get infected. Symptoms of COVID-19 appear within two to 14 days after exposure and include fever, cough, a runny nose and difficulty in breathing.

Where is screening being done? As preventive measures, the Health Ministry has recommended universal screening of all international flights, cancellation of biometric attendance for all ministries till March 31, advised against mass gatherings. The Indian Army is now establishing additional quarantine facilities for 1,500 personnel (total) which will be activated at locations as part of the overall effort. The tentative locations identified are at Jaisalmer (Rajasthan), Suratgarh (Rajasthan), Secunderabad (Telangana), Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and Kolkata (West Bengal).

The Ministry has also suggested augmenting isolation facilities in hospitals across India besides ensuring adequate supply of protective gear, medicines and other essential services.

What is the process? Universal screening for coronavirus is being done at 30 airports having international operations. A total of 7,26,122 passengers have been screened so far from 7,108 flights (as on March 7).

Airlines have been instructed to make in-flight announcements about COVID-19 and all

Those picked out through thermal screening are sent for further tests and isolation and treatmentinternational if passengers necessary to are designated being asked hospitals to fill the including ‘Self Reporting Ram Manohar Form’ in Lohia duplicate. and Safdarjung Hospital (both in Delhi). The government has adopted these measures such as universal screening of passengers, filling up self-declaration forms, surveillance of those who have come in contact with infected persons to contain the spread.

What happens if a person tested has fever? Points of entry such as airports, sea ports, borders have set up a protocol of thermal screening, which means anyone with fever will be picked out. All passengers coming into India are being screened. In case a passenger has a temperature, he is referred for further

tests at designated hospitals where COVID-19 symptoms are matched, the country he comes from is looked into, exposure is checked and samples are collected for testing.

Isolation (home/hospital) is advised for a period of 14 to 21 days when the case samples of the suspected person are sent for testing. If he tests positive, he is sent for treatment and all Page | 80 his contacts are then traced. The test results for COVID-19 are obtained in four to five hours. The virus has an incubation period of about 14 days. According to health officials, India is following WHO-prescribed guidelines to detect, treat and contain the virus.

How is the infection being treated? clinicians caring for patients with COVID-19, across the globe and international experts on infectiousA WHO release disease says: to “We better are understand, dealing with in a realnew time,virus and the clinicalWHO is presentation,working closely natural with history and treatment interventions for COVID- ients with COVID-19 are adults and most patients (80%) experienced mild illness. Approximately 14% experienced severe disease and 5% were critically19.” It adds ill worldwide. that a majority of pat

In India, a senior health official said WHO-prescribed patient management guidance was being followed, which included interim clinical care guidance for hospitalised patients and home care guidance for those with a milder infection which may be treated at home in isolation when the health system is strained.

What are the challenges? Health Mini to local transmission. We have provided the Containment Action Plan to all the States. A national levelster training Harsh Vardhan workshop said, has “India’s been conductedadditional forchallenge all the is States to contain and hospitalsclusters due on COVID-19 management which will then be taken up at the district level. Senior officers of the Ministry have been deputed to States and UTs [Union Territories] to review their

Hepreparedness added that and the provide Ministry required has designated guidance thein the District containment Collector efforts.” as the nodal officer for containment operations. States have been guided in terms of identifying the containment zone, buffer zone and preparation of a micro plan to ensure effective active and passive surveillance and contact tracing through inter-disciplinary teams in the areas where cases are located. A 24-hour seven day control room is operational with call centre number 011- 23978046. So far, more than 9,200 calls have been attended to including 667 international calls, as per information released by the Health Ministry (March 5).

Are testing labs being strengthened? senior ICMR official. As many as 52 laboratories are now operational across the country to test“Early for diagnosis COVID-19. helps An additional in early identification57 laboratories and have containment been provided of the with disease,” viral transport notes a media and swabs for sample collection.

-19 exposure to India by suspending regular visas/e-visa granted to nationals of Italy, Iran, South Korea, Japan issued on or beforeDr. Harsh March Vardhan 3, 2020. said, Also “We Indian have citizenstried to arelimit advised COVID to refrain from travel to China, Iran,

re now strengthening our testing Page | 81

South Korea, Italy and Japan. But that isn’t enough. We a Aslabs on too.”. March 6, 2020, a total of 4,058 samples from 3,404 individuals have been tested by evacuated from Wuhan, China and quarantined at the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and Manesarthe labs. CampsThe Minister and tested said, twice “This on includes days 0 testingand 14. of Subsequently, 1,308 samples another from 654236 individuals evacuated from Wuhan and Diamond Princess Ship, Japan on February 27, 2020 was tested on day 0. Repeat testing will be

When should a person get tested?done on day 14.” Giving details of who should be considered for COVID-19 testing, the Minister said this would include people who are symptomatic (that is if they have fever, sore throat, running nose, dyspnea, etc), especially individuals who have returned from affected countries (China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Iran, Italy etc.), or have had close contact with confirmed positive cases of COVID-19. The types of samples being taken include throat and nasal swabs.

Is India ready with lab requirements, medicines? An ICMR release said testing laboratories have been supplied with the primers, probes, PCR reagents, positive and negative controls, and standard operating procedure (SOP) by the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. Further, NIV is also undertaking quality control activities. It maintains an inventory of reagents for itself and testing labs. Currently, NIV has sufficient reagents for facilitating testing in the entire network, the release pointed out. Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda said India has sufficient stocks of active pharmaceutical ingredients the raw materials needed to make medicines to last the next three months. The statement comes amid reports of disrupted supply chains for active pharmaceutical ingredien— — export ban on 26 APIs for common medicines was imposed to ensure that there is no ts (APIs) from China due to the outbreak. He said, “The

Whatdomestic are shortage health officials due to the advising? coronavirus outbreak.” Health officials said hands must be regularly and thoroughly cleaned with an alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. A distance of at least 1 metre (3 feet) must be maintained from a person coughing or sneezing. If a person has fever, cough and experiences difficulty breathing, medical attention must be sought. The officials said there is no need to panic and start buying masks.

Source: The Hindu

9. What treatment is given to the patients of COVID-19?

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

Page | 82 There is no specific treatment. Patients are mostly given medicines for symptomatic relief for example, paracetamol to bring down fever, sometimes medicines for relief from pain. Care is also taken to ensure they stay hydrated. — The mortality of the virus is a littl system succeeds in fighting the virus. This is what happened with the first three cases in India students from Kerala, whoe over had 3%, come and for back most from patients Wuhan. the They body’s showed own immune steady improvement with symptomatic treatment, and eventually recovered and went home. — Source: The Indian Express

10. What is a pandemic and does it change the approach to coronavirus?

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

What is a pandemic? Declaring a pandemic has nothing to do with changes to the characteristics of a disease, but is instead associated with concerns over its geographic spread. According to the World Health Organization, a pandemic is declared when a new disease for which people do not have immunity spreads around the world beyond expectations.

How does the WHO decide whether to call it a pandemic? Cases that involve travellers who have been infected in a foreign country and have then returned to their home country, or who have been infected by that traveller, known as the c. There needs to be a second wave of infection from person to person throughout the community. “index case”, do not count towards declaring a pandemi Once a pandemic is declared, it becomes more likely that community spread will eventually happen, and governments and health systems need to ensure they are prepared for that.

An epidemic, on the other hand, is a sudden increase in cases of an illness or disease that can be unique to one country or community.

When is a pandemic declared? Ultimately, the WHO gets the final say. There is no threshold, such as a certain number of deaths or infections, or number of countries affected, that needs to be met. For example, the Sars coronavirus, identified in 2003, was not declared a pandemic by the WHO despite affecting 26 countries. However, its spread was contained quickly, and only a handful of

nations were significantly affected, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Canada.

If declaring a pandemic triggers global panic, this can defeat the purpose of trying to raise awareness. Much has been written about whether the declaration of H1N1, colloquially Page | 83 panic, overwhelming emergency departments and causing governments to overspend on antiviral medications. Coronavirusknown as “swine symptoms flu”, asare a generally pandemic mild in 2009,and most caused people unnecessary recover within six days.

Now the WHO has declared Covid-19 a pandemic, what will it mean for the way the outbreak is treated and prepared for? advice. The WHO has stressed that using the word “pandemic” does not signal a change in its It is still urging countries to “detect, test, treat, isolate, trace and mobilise their Drpeople”. Nathalie MacDermott, National Institute for Health Research academic clinical lecturer thing practically as the world has been advised for the last few weeks to prepare for a potential pandemic, which haKing’ss hopefully College been London, taken says: seriously “The change by all countries. of term does not alter any

d working cooperatively and openly with one another and coming together as a united front in“The our use efforts of this to termbring howeverth highlights the importance of countries throughout the worl

Source: The Guardian is situation under control.”

11. Here is how scientists are finding a cure for coronavirus

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

Scientists across the world are trying to develop a line of treatment and a possible vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, which has infected over 100,000 people and claimed over 4,000 lives. Even the most optimistic timelines, however, is on to collect and analyse the genetic composition of the new virus, which would be key to developingdon’t see a linea cure of treatmentand a vaccine. or vaccine arriving before next year. Meanwhile, a global effort

Coronavirus outbreak: What kind of genetic information is being studied? Laboratories in various countries have been isolating and sharing the genome sequences of the virus on an international platform. Whole genome sequencing is the process of determining the complete DNA sequen sequence is the unique code of genetic material of any organism, and determines the ce of an organism’s genome at a single time. Genome

characteristic of any organism. The gene composition of novel coronavirus, for instance, is different from that of the influenza virus. Every organism has a unique genome sequence.

So far, 326 sets of data have been shared. India has so far reported two sets of genome sequences, both of which are very similar to the original sequences collected from patients Page | 84 in Wuhan. Scientists say this is expected since the sequences were extracted from the first positive cases in Kerala, who had returned from Wuhan. China has contributed 120 sequences.

So, why are so many genome sequences being isolated? When viruses multiply, or reproduce, there is a copying mechanism that transfers the gene information to the next generation. However, no copying mechanism is perfect. When the virus multiplies, there will be small changes, which are called mutations. These mutations accumulate over time, and after prolonged periods, are responsible for evolution into new organisms. Within a single reproduction, the changes are extremely minor. More than 95 per cent of the gene structure remains the same.

However, the small changes that occur are crucial to understanding the nature and behaviour of the organism. In this case, for example, the small changes could provide scientists with information about the origin, transmission, and impact of the virus on the patient. It could also hold clues to the differing effects the virus could have on patients with different health parameters.

What explains the huge difference between the number of genome sequences contributed by China (120) and India (2)? India has far fewer positive cases compared to China, South Korea, Iran, Italy, or even the United States. Every day, about 20-30 genome sequences are being shared from different laboratories across the world. Patients who have been infected with the virus in similar conditions are unlikely to show any significant changes in the genome sequences. For example, the positive cases in a group of 40 from Maharashtra, who visited Dubai last month, are likely to have similar genome sequences, and therefore, one or two representative sequencing could be adequate from the group. Patients with existing medical conditions could be other candidates from where genome sequences of this virus could be isolated. This could help scientists to look for clues to possible impact of virus amidst those existing medical conditions.

Some countries have been reporting genome sequences much faster than others. China has contributed 120 sequences so far, but has not been sharing any more for the last few days. The US has shared 43 genome sequences, while the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have contributed 25 each.

Scientists say new technological tools have made it easier to isolate full genome sequences. Traditional techniques used to take weeks for the extraction, but new machines are able to do it within two to three days.

The two Indian sequences have both come from patients who had returned from Wuhan where the outbreak began in December last year.

Currently, what is the most effective medication? As of now, scientists do not know. The ideal way of testing a drug to show that it is effective Page | 85 is to compare no-treatment to new-treatment in a clinical trial. Using a drug or drugs in one or two persons provides anecdotal evidence.

In trials, data is accumulated from many people. Although several efforts to develop drugs are going on, scientists say success is unlikely to come immediately.

Right now, drugs are being repurposed, meaning old drugs for similar diseases are being checked for their efficacy against COVID-19. These drugs, if they work, will require clinical trials, and then can be made widely available for people. In most cases, symptomatic treatment for fever, body ache, and cough will be sufficient. More severe cases will require oxygen and respiratory support.

ful particularly for severe cases, but we will have to wait to see how

“NewExecutive drugs Director will be ofuse the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute. long it will take to get repurposed drugs and new drugs,” said Dr Gagandeep Kang, Source: The Indian Express

12. India suspends all tourist visas till mid-April to stop the spread of coronavirus

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

With the number of Coronavirus cases now rising rapidly across the world, many countries have been enforcing travel restrictions on foreign visitors in to their countries.

India too has joined this list by announcing such restrictions of its own.

What are they? The Union health ministry has ordered the suspension of all existing visas from the morning of March 13 till April 15th.

Only official, diplomatic, employment and project visas will be exempted from this restriction.

Taking no chances will be screened for the virus. The govt. is setting up check posts at the country’s land borders where the foreign visitors฀

All incoming travellers, including Indian nationals who have arrived after Feb. 15 from coronavirus hotspots: China Italy, Iran, South Korea etc. will be quarantined for at least 14 days.

In addition to these measures, the govt. has also strongly advised Indians to avoid all non- Page | 86 essential travel to other countries.

Current Scenario Till date, there are around 75 confirmed coronavirus cases in India.

A significant number of them are Italian tourists who arrived in India in the last few days.

The coronavirus scare has already forced closure of schools and colleges in some parts of the country.

Now, a Pandemic The World Health Organisation (WHO) has now declared Coronavirus a pandemic.

It is used to describe a disease that spreads from one person to another in multiple countries around the world at the same time.

13. What is a pandemic?

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

There is no fixed number of cases or deaths that determine when an outbreak becomes a pandemic.

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.

What is a pandemic? Simply put, a pandemic is a measure of the spread of a disease. When a new disease spreads over a vast geographical area covering several countries and continents, and most people do not have immunity against it, the outbreak is termed a pandemic. It implies a higher level of concern than an epidemic, which the US Centers of Disease and Control Prevention (CDC) defines as the spread of a disease in a localised area or country.

There is no fixed number of cases or deaths that determine when an outbreak becomes a pandemic. The Ebola virus, which killed thousands in West Africa, is an epidemic as it is yet to mark its presence on other continents. Other outbreaks caused by coronaviruses such as MERS (2012) and SARS (2002), which spread to 27 and 26 countries respectively, were not labelled pandemics because they were eventually contained.

Which outbreaks have been declared pandemics in the past? A major example is the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918, which killed between 20-50 million. Cholera pandemics have been declared multiple times between 1817 and 1975. In 1968, an pandemic was declared for H3N2 that caused about a million deaths. The last pandemic declared by the WHO was in 2009, for H1N1. Page | 87

Why has WHO declared a pandemic for COVID-19? China announced the outbreak on December 31 and declared a public health emergency on January 30. The WHO waited for 72 days before declaring it a pandemic. The outbreak was so far mostly limited to China, which has taken stringent countermeasures.

In the last two weeks, cases outside China increased thirteen-fold and countries infected have tripled. Italy, for instance, had 888 cases on February 29 which rose to 4,636 in a

week. “We expect to see number of affected countries, number of cases and number of Doesdeaths the go declarationhigher in coming change days,” the WHO approach director to thegeneral disease? Tedros Adhanom said.

“Describing the situation as pandemic does not change WHO’s assessment of the death risk posed by the virus, it does not change what WHO is doing, and it doesn’t change what countriesThere is a do,” view WHO among said. many experts, however, that the categorisation as a pandemic can disease for countries to take preventive measures. It will help improve funding by internationallead to more organisations government to attention. combat coronavirus. “The categorisation In India, we by are WHO already indicates doing the all that risk is of

Bhargava, director of Indian Council of Medical Research. possible and more government funding is not needed at this point.” said Dr Balram Source: The Indian Express

14. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, here’s how home quarantine works

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

Coronavirus outbreak: What is home quarantine? Quarantine, like isolation, separates some people from others during the outbreak of a contagious disease. While isolation separates sick people from people who are not sick, quarantine separates those who were exposed to a contagious disease, and who are then observed to see if they too become sick. Home quarantine means being quarantined at home.

How is home quarantine to be done?

Home quarantine means that a person is confined to a well-ventilated single-room, preferably with an attached/separate toilet, in his or her own home. If another family member needs to stay in the same room, the two need to maintain a distance of at least 1 metre between each other. Page | 88 Given the enhanced risks for some people, the person needs to stay away from elderly people, pregnant women, children and persons with co-morbidities within the household. In the coronavirus outbreak, children have so far been less affected than others in China only 2% of the patients have been below age 20. However, given the fact that this virus is — the need for a contact to stay away from children as well. essentially an unknown organism, the government’s home quarantine guidelines highlight All social or religious gatherings have to be avoided during the 14-day period. The person should not share any items such as dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, bedding, etc with other people at home and should wear a ma by patients / care givers/ close contacts during home care should be disinfected using ordinary bleach solution (5%) or sodium hypochlorite solutionsk (1%) at all and times. then “Masks disposed used of ead the guidelines prepared by the directorate general of health services. either by burning or deep burial,” r Is home quarantine known to control spread of a disease? Officials associated with the detection and surveillance of COVID-19 say that home quarantine has so far turned out to be a very effective means of infection control.

Who needs to be in home quarantine? Every person who has come in contact with a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-2019 needs to be in home quarantine. This is not only because the disease is highly contagious but also because the virus has an incubation period of 14 days during which a person may stay asymptomatic and yet be capable of spreading the virus.

A contact of a COVID-2019 patient is defined as: • A person living in the same household as a COVID-19 case; • A person having had direct physical contact with a COVID-19 case or his/her infectious secretions without recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) or with a possible breach of PPE • A person who was in a closed environment or had face to face contact with a COVID-19 case at a distance of within 1 metre including air travel.

What precautions are necessary for family members of a person in home quarantine? To minimise the number of people in a family who come in contact with a person with possible-COVID 2019 exposure, only one designated family member, who needs to wear a mask and gloves at all times, should be the caregiver. All physical contact should be

he person being quarantined becomes symptomatic, all his/her close contacts will be home quarantinedscrupulously (foravoided, 14 days) including and followedsharing of up linen. for anVisitors additional are not 14 to days be allowed. or till the “In report case t of

Page | 89 Asuch very case important turns out aspect negative of the on labprocess testing,” of home say the quarantine guidelines. is disinfection and cleaning of all surfaces possibly contacted by the person with 1% sodium hypochlorite solution. Toilet surfaces have to be cleaned with phenolic disinfectants or other household bleaching solutions. Clothes have to be washed separately.

How is all this less restrictive than being put in quarantine in an Army facility?

Army or paramilitary facility. Besides the daily medical examinations, there are also other restrictions.Being quarantined Apart fromin one’s playing own games,home is watching always better TV and than having staying meals with together strangers within at an a barrack, no one is allowed to interact with the members of another barrack and definitely not another sector for fear of infection. As one person who had come out of one of the facilities had said, it is like being in the Big Boss House.

Source: The Indian Express

15. Once treated for coronavirus infection, can a patient relapse?

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

Out of 110 individuals who have tested positive for novel coronavirus infection in India, 13 out of over 1.56 lakh positive cases, over a third 54,000 have recovered. have been discharged, according to the Health Ministry’s update on Sunday. Worldwide, Yet there have been cases in China, South Korea— and most— recently Japan, where treated patients were rediagnosed with COVID-19 after discharge. On February 14, a septuagenarian in Japan was diagnosed in a cruise ship; on March 2, he tested negative and was discharged; on March 14, he tested positive again.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said immunity against COVID-19 is not fully understood. Signals from the previous coronavirus outbreaks have been mixed: studies on the virus that caused MERS showed people are unlikely to get reinfected within a short time of the original infection, while there were records of relapse during the SARS outbreak.

Page | 90

(Source: Johns Hopkins University; map updated at 10 pm, March 15)

There are at least two possible scenarios leading to a second positive test. The virus could have lain dormant in the body, so that the test before discharge would have failed to pick the low virus threshold. Eventually, the viral load would have increased so that it would be detected during re-testing. The second possibility is that the patient reacquired the infection, perhaps a mutated strain, from the community.

Page | 91

There could also be laboratory-related factors responsible for a second positive test a human error in testing, contaminated swab samples, an oversensitive nucleic acid test during re-testing, or discharge given to a person still infected, without following proper— protocol.

While discharging 13 patients, Indian authorities have been following a guideline that a patient must be tested twice within a gap of 24 hours. Only if both tests come negative is the patient discharged. China has a similar protocol in place but some experts have raised concerns whether each patient discharged did u resources were under strain with over 80,000 cases. ndergo two tests. The country’s diagnostic In many cases, a coronavirus infection causes lifelong immunity. In several other cases, however, the antibodies produced against the virus may not prove effective if there is a mutation in the virus. In such cases, there will be reinfection.

Source: The Indian Express

16. Coronavirus testing in India, elsewhere

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

On Friday, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) announced that it would start testing influenza patients without any travel history or contact with novel coronavirus disease (COVID- itself, the Health Ministry had announced that India had recorded its first cases of 19) for signs of community transmission, terming it “inevitable”. Last week Page | 92

community transmission, though officials later clarified it had meant “local transmission in Variousthe community”. countries have adopted various models for addressing community transmission, or open up testing at private facilities? for preventing it. India’s decision also raises the question: will the larger number of tests What is community transmission? It is one of the levels of transmission defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). Simply put, community transmission means that a virus is circulating in the community and can affect people with no history of travel to affected areas or of contact with an infected person. That is what ICMR is trying to find out by testing over 1,000 samples from people suffering from influenza-like symptoms but with no history of such travel or gatherings, too, is aimed at checking community transmission. contact. India’s current emphasis on social distancing and discouragement of public Once community transmission begins, it is more difficult to trace contacts. One unknown source of infection can wreak havoc one woman in South Korea, who refused to take the test, has been found to have ended up infecting over 160 people. — What is known about the level of transmission in India? So far, most of the cases in India have had a history of travel abroad for example, the Kerala and Delhi patients or have contracted the disease from somebody around them for example, the Italian tourist in Jaipur who ended up infecting— 17 in the group including their Indian driver.— On the other hand, some of the cases in Agra had neither any history— of foreign travel nor had they come directly in contact with an infected person.

Here’s where you can get tested for coronavirus in India related to travel, some cases of community transmission have also been observed, it has beenIn a statement decided last to involve week, the district Health collectors Ministry had and said: States “Since, have in beenaddition asked to COVID to form 19 cases rapid clarified that this means local transmission at community level. response teams as the district, block and village levels.” Later, joint secretary Lav Agarwal Local transmission, another level defined by WHO, happens through direct contact with an infected person within the country. In Agra, after two people with travel history to Italy infected their families, door-to-door searches were undertaken within a 3-km radius.

Another level is imported transmission, for which the protocol is vigilance at the borders and airports, such as thermal screening and quarantine if required, like India began early

on. India has also suspended visas to foreign nationals and the facility of visa-free travel to OCI card-holders.

So, does India’s latest move mean opening up testing to the private sector? While the government is working with private hospitals to develop standard operating Page | 93 procedures for treatment and isolation of patients, there is no move yet for the testing process to be opened up for the private sector.

The possibility of profiteering is one concern. The primary reason for the government not a question of technology; allowing the private sector would mean possible patients will beseeking going to to retain such its a largecontrol number on the testing of places regime, where however, adherence is fear to infectionof wider exposure. control norms “It is would be crucial to prevent spread of infections. Designated laboratories mean that we streamline everything, including the exposure of the medical staff and laboratory

Fortechnicians,” now, the saidtests a ICMR senior is official doing areof the free National for patients. Centre Were for Disease they to Control.pay, the two tests have would cost them about Rs 5.000. So, even if the government did open it up to private laboratories, it would mean not everyone would be able to afford the test. Rather than open up testing to the private sector and risk exposing more people, India has chosen to wait a bit longer for test reports while the patient is in isolation.

How does India’s model for testing for the virus — and combating it — compare with those of other countries? Among the countries where community transmission seems to have begun are China (over 80,000 cases), Italy (over 21,000) and South Korea (8,000). For the time being, India has chosen to follow the Italian model of lockdown, rather than the South Korean model of free testing.

Italy, the epicentre of the outbreak in Europe, has imposed a nationwide lockdown, especially given its ageing population. Stores and restaurants have been closed and restrictions put on individual movement. Spain too has announced plans to lock down its citizens, while France has shut down several places. Cases are still climbing in these countries.

South Korea, meanwhile, has been testing lakhs of people and tracking potential carriers like detectives, according to a Reuters report by using cell phone and satellite technology. Mass free testing and treatment, and identification of transmission sources,— have brought down daily new cases, from 909 on February— 29 to less than 100 on March 15.

For India, massive free testing in a country of 135 crore would need humongous resources. India currently has reagents for about 1 lakh tests, has done a little over 6,000 tests so far,

and is in the process of procuring 2 lakh more test kits. But if mass testing were to be done, all this would be a drop in the ocean.

Coronavirus testing: What are countries besides these doing? China adopted a graded approach, and the number of new cases are gradually declining. It Page | 94 has locked down Hubei, the epicentre, for 50 days now. Elsewhere, it enforced social distancing measures during the crucial phase of the Chinese New Year.

As part of these social distancing policies, the Chinese Government encouraged people to stay at home; discouraged mass gatherings; cancelled or postponed large public events; and“ closed schools, universities, government offices, libraries, museums, and factories. Only limited segments of urban public transport systems remained operational and all cross-

Theprovince US hasbus partneredroutes were with taken a out Google of service,” subsidiary The toLancet develop wrote a earlier website this which month. will help determine whether a test is warranted.

What else is in India’s strategy to tackle COVID-19? India is relying on social distancing and cluster containment. According to the containment containment strategy would be to contain the disease within a defined geographic area by early detection, breaking the chain ofplan transmission developed by and the thus Health preventing Minister: its “The spread cluster to new areas. This would include geographic quarantine, social distancing measures, enhanced active surveillance, testing all suspected cases, isolation of cases, home quarantine of contacts, social mobilization to

Quarantinefollow preventive and isolation public health help measures.” by breaking the chain of transmission. More than 43,000 persons are now under community surveillance by the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, and contact tracing is still on.

Source: The Indian Express

17. Why social distancing is important to tackle coronavirus

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

OVER THE last two days, a number of states in India have enforced measures aimed at of COVID-19 in 100 countries, starting with the outbreak in Wuhan in China 10 weeks ago, researchersreducing public have gatherings. analysed trends This is in called the spread “social have distancing”. made a caseWith for 100,000 social distancingreported cases as a mitigation and containment strategy.

How does social distancing work?

To stem the speed of the coronavirus spread so that healthcare systems can handle the influx, experts are advising people to avoid mass gatherings. Offices, schools, concerts, conferences, sports events, weddings, and the like have been shut or cancelled around the world, including in a number of Indian states. An advisory by the US Centers for Disease Control recommends social distancing measures such as: reducing the frequency of large Page | 95 gatherings and limiting the number of attendees; limiting inter-school interactions; and considering distance or e-learning in some settings (which could be interpreted as serving the same purpose as working from home).

What is the objective of such restrictions? Compared to deadlier diseases such as bird flu, or H5N1, coronavirus is not as fatal which ironically also makes it more difficult to contain. With milder symptoms, the infected are more likely to be active and still spreading the virus. For example, more than half the— cases aboard a cruise ship that has docked in California did not exhibit any symptoms.

In a briefing on March 11, World Healt taken to prevent transmission at the community level to reduce the epidemic to h Organization (WHO) officials said, “Action must be of the virus by flattening the trajectory of cases from a sharp bell curve to an elongated speed-bump-manageable clusters.” The main question for governments is how do you reduce the impact

like curve. This is being called “flattening the curve”. How does ‘flattening the curve’A slow help? growth in patients can be handled by healthcare systems much more than a sharp rise. In effect, the goal is to postpone the spread over time.

-motion hurricane that will hit the entire world. If the same amount of rain and wind is to hit us in any scenario, better to haveAs a report it come in The over Atlantic the course stated: of “A a day pandemic than an is hour.like a slow People will suffer either way, but

Limitingspreading community the damage transmission out will allow is theas many best waypeople to flattenas possible the curve. to care for one another.”

Page | 96

What was the curve like in China? The numbers show that the virus spread within Hubei exponentially but plateaued in other provinces. Just as Chinese provinces outside of Hubei effectively stemmed the spread in February, three other countries South Korea, Italy, and Iran were not able to flatten the curve. — — On December 30, active case finding began in Wuhan. Around January 21, the number of lockdown was two days later. The next day, another 15 Chinese cities were shut down, eventuallycases started cordoning to jump off intensely 100 million to people. roughly In 550 Chinese infections regions and outside 17 deaths. Hubei, Wuhannew cases city’s

plateaued from February 9 onwards. All of these regions could have exploded exponentially, but tapered off.

Where else did the curve grow and eventually flatten? As reported in the March 11 WHO briefing, 93% of cases are from four countries, making it Page | 97 nd diagnostic systems, making comparisons tentative. “an uneven epidemic at the global level.” Countries are using varying testing a It is clear, however, that new cases began to grow in South Korea, Italy, Iran by the end of February, surpassing all Chinese regions other than Hubei.

On the other hand, countries close to China Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand as well as Hong these countries learnt from the 2003 SARS epidemic.— The WHO singled out Singapore— as a Kong saw-of growth- in case numbers plateau. Some say it’s because many of

“goodSouth exampleKorea is ofan an outlier. all governmentExperts say approach.”the country contained the virus within the first 30 patients, but on February 17 the 31st one spread it to thousands of people and symptoms showed themselves too late for authorities to check the outbreak. By now, S case growth has shown decline, while Italy and Iran have quickly surpassed it. outh Korea’s Why are Europe and the United States now concerned? The growth in European countries and the United States since the beginning of March resembles the initial curves of Italy and Hubei during their respective growth phases, leaving officials wondering if they will follow the same trajectory. Experts say that if countries take measures similar to Singapore and Taiwan, they may be able to avoid that fate.

New cases have shot up in France, Germany, Spain, US, Switzerland, and the UK. Between March 5 and 6, there were a number of countries that doubled their case numbers. In order of highest daily growth rate, they were Belgium, Switzerland, the UAE, Netherlands, France, Austria, Malaysia, Sweden, Greece, USA, Spain, UK and Norway.

Source: The Indian Express

18. Coronavirus | How does soap use help in tackling COVID-19?

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

Ever since the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak began in China in end-December 2019, various measures have been mentioned to reduce the risk of infection. Guidelines by the World Health Organization specify that one of the ways to reduce the risk of infection is -based hand rub or washing them with soap and water. Regular washing becomes important as the virus tends by regularly and thoroughly cleaning one’s hands with an alcohol 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 be viable from hours to more than a day on different surfaces that are regularly touched with hands.

How does washing with soap help get rid of the coronavirus? The grime on our hands contains innumerable viruses and bacteria. Washing with water Page | 98 without using soap helps reduce the amount of microbes but does not remove most of the virus and bacteria completely. Using soap, therefore, becomes far more effective in removing microbes.

Viruses such as coronavirus, influenza-causing viruses, Ebola, Zika have their genetic material encased in a layer of fat called the lipid envelop. Soap molecules are pin-shaped with a head that is water-loving (hydrophilic) and a tail that is oil-loving (oleophilic). Being the lipids in the virus envelope. Since the chemical bonds holding the virus together are not veryoleophilic, strong, the the tail long portion oleophilic of the molecule tail gets insertedtends to have into thean affinity envelope for andand tends‘competes’ to have with a bond that binds the RNA and the lipid envelop thus dissolving the virus into its components which‘crowbar’ are effectthen removed that breaks by water.the lipid envelope of the virus. The tail also competes with the

Do all viruses have the lipid layer? No, certain viruses do not have the lipid envelop and are called the non-enveloped viruses. Rotavirus which causes severe diarrhoea, poliovirus, adenovirus that cause pneumonia and even human papillomavirus (HPV) do not contain the lipid envelop.

The oil-loving tail of the soap molecule also disrupts the bond that binds dirt and non- enveloped viruses to the hand. The dirt and viruses are surrounded by several tails making them remain as suspended particles. Rinsing with water washes away the suspended particles leading to clean hands.

How do alcohol-based hand sanitisers help get rid of coronavirus? Like soap, the alcohol present in hand sanitisers dissolve the lipid envelop, thus inactivating the virus. In addition, the alcohol also tends to change the shape or denature the mushroom-shaped protein structures that stick out of the lipid envelop. The mushroom-shaped protein structures help the virus to bind to special structures found on human cells and enter the cells. To be effective, the sanitisers should contain at least 60% alcohol.

Unlike soap lather, the alcohol does not come in contact with all parts of the hand. So care needs to be taken to use sufficient amount of sanitiser to increase the coverage. Unlike water, alcohol run does not remove the dead viruses from the hand. While a sanitiser can quickly reduce the number of microbes, it does not as effective when hands are visibly dirty get rid of all types of germs, and is “not Should healthy people who are not takingor greasy”. care of COVID-19 patients use a mask?

Medical masks help prevent the spread of coronavirus infection. If worn properly, masks may be effective in preventing transmission of coronavirus. An article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) says there is no evidence to suggest that masks worn by healthy individuals can help prevent infection. Page | 99 Bu transmissio t a 2010 study says: “Mask wearing was associated with reduced secondary n and should be encouraged during outbreak situations.”

prevention measures to limit spread of certain respiratory diseases, including novel coronavirusEven the World (SARS-CoV-2), Health Organization (WHO) says wearing a medical mask is “one of the

Transmission through dropletsin affected from coughingareas”. and sneezing is one of the major routes of virus spread. When worn correctly, a mask can reduce the risk of inhaling droplets containing the virus.

With many studies showing that people infected with novel coronavirus transmit the virus even before symptoms show up, it may be prudent to wear a mask especially when the virus is spreading in the community.

In a country like India, maintaining at least one metre distance can be a challenge, especially when there is no way of knowing who is infected till such time the person starts showing visible symptoms.

What other precautions should be taken when a mask is used? e level of -to-human WHO cautions that using a mask alone will be insufficient to provide an “adequaturity that can protection”. It should be combined with hand hygiene to prevent human Website:transmission. www.prepmate.in Wearing medical masks can give a person a “false Telegram sense Channel: of sec @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

lead to neglecting other essential measures such as hand hygiene practices individual decides to wear a mask, care must be taken to regularly wash hands with soap or alcohol rub, and avoid touching the face with hands. ”. So if an

Incorrect mask wearing might otherwise reduce the effectiveness in cutting the risk of Page | 100 transmission. It should be discarded once it gets wet or dirty, and care should be taken to safely dispose of used masks. The same mask should not used for more than a couple of hours.

Source: The Hindu

19. Why South Korea and Italy have produced vastly differing results

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

A month ago, on February 15, Italy had three cases of coronavirus infection; South Korea -hit after China, with nearly 28,000 infections, over 2,150 deaths, and millions under a countrywide lockdown. On Monday, South Korea had 8,200had 28. infections, Today, Italy some is the29,000 world’s quarantined, worst and no lockdowns. Only 75 have died so far.

point in this country. We are where Italy was two weeks ago in terms of our numbers and we haveUS Surgeon a choice General to make Dr as Jerome a nation: Adams Do we said want on Monday: to go the “We direction are at of a criticalSouth Korea inflection and really be aggressive and lower our mortality rates, or do we want to go the dire

Case of South Korea… ction of Italy?” South Korea had started to prepare even before January 12, when China shared the genetic code of the novel coronavirus with the World Health Organisation (WHO). At the time, China had reported only 41 cases. But South Korea knew it was vulnerable and it was clear on the path ahead. — By the end of January, even though there were only seven confirmed cases in the country of 52 million, testing kits had been distributed across government laboratories, based on nformation on the virus. Testing was not to be restricted to those with a travel history everyone with a cold, cough, and pneumonia was tested. Over 2.2 lakh have been screenedChina’s i so far. — The Ministry of the Interior and Safety developed a mobile phone app

GPS coordinates of those under home quarantine, and alerts the government, “Self if quarantine they step out.safety Once precaution”, a hospital to bed keep becomes tabs on available,“super spreaders” an ambulance of the infection. The app monitors the The government is also scanning credit card transactions, immigration entry forms, phone and car GPS, and CCTV footage to track suspected cases. is sent to the patient’s location.

ional responses such as locking down affected areas and isolating patients can be only modestly effective, Deputy Health Minister Kim Kang Lip has been quoted The government as saying that has “tradit in some cases made details of infected people public, so that every close contact of the patient can come forwardand may for cause testing. problems in open societies”. Page | 101

…Compared with Italy nly 73,000 samples about a third the numbers tested by South Korea. On March 1, Italy had 1,701Italy’s cases60 million l population is about 15% more than South Korea’s, but it has tested o numbers, and almost— 29 times the number of deaths. — ess than half South Korea’s 3,736. It now has three times South Korea’s Italy delayed large-scale screening, which allowed the virus to circulate unnoticed within northern Italy and beyond. The first lockdowns came on February 23, by which time it was too late.

The situation in India Given the powerful concerns over privacy, measures such as GPS tracking and making the names of infected persons public would appear very difficult, if not impossible, in India. As of now, India is largely following the protocol of screening symptomatic cases with a history of travel abroad. There is no lockdown, but several states have shut schools, malls, theatres, and gyms, and prohibited public gatherings and advised companies to encourage employees to work from home.

464 per sq km on average and over 32,000 in a city like Mumbai, compared with just 206 in Italy and the vulnerabilities of its healthcareThe concern infrastructure. is India’s density India of population — and its weather is overall very different. — ’s median age though, is 28.4 years compared to Italy’s 47.3, India has started testing pneumonia cases randomly, with no travel history, for coronavirus. The number of testing laboratories was on Monday increased to 63, with another nine set to become functional shortly. An expansion of testing capacity is important because many of the samples that have tested positive where the tested individuals either had travel history or were close contacts were asymptomatic. — Epidemiologist Dr Pradeep Awate said India was basing— its screening policy on the nghal, an infectious disease g for severe pneumoniacountry’s “population” cases with no and history “available to ensure resources”. diagnosis Dr of Tanu possible Si cases, but we also need to expert, said: “We have to try a cocktail of methods. We need to widen screenin

Source:prioritise The based Indian on our Express diagnostic capacity.”

20. How the coronavirus (COVID-19) test works

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

How does the PCR test look for the virus in swab samples? How long does it take? How many samples is India testing daily, and can it test more? If it can, why has it not scaled up yet? Page | 102

What is the diagnostic test for the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19? The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said designated labs will use the conventional real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, which is conducted on swab collected from the back of the throat, a liquid sample from the lower respiratory tract, or a simple saliva sample. Such tests are commonly used in Influenza A, Influenza B and H1N1 virus detection.

What is the PCR test? ers to the copied,It uses aexponentially technique that one creates is copied copies into of atwo, segment the two of DNA.are copied ‘Polymerase’ into four, ref and so on. enzymesKary Mullis, that the make American the copies biochemist of DNA. who The invented‘chain reaction’ the PCR is technique,how the DNA was fragments awarded arethe Nobel Prize for Chemistry— in 1993.

However, SARS-COV-2 is a virus made of RNA, which needs to be converted into DNA. For this enzyme converts the RNA into DNA. Copies of the DNA are then made and amplified. A , the technique includes a process called reverse transcription. A ‘reverse transcriptase’e test also distinguishes SARS-COV-2 from other viruses. fluorescent DNA binding dye called the “probe” shows the presence of the virus. Th How long does the PCR process take? Real-time PCRs have brought down the time taken to test samples to 4.5 hours from around 6 hours earlier. However, the overall turnaround time from the time the samples are collected to when the report is delivered is around 24 hours. — How is the test being done in India? — India currently conducts a two-stage real-time PCR to test for SARS-COV-2. The first stage is designed to detect genetic elements common to human coronaviruses that may exist in the sample. The second stage is designed to test for specific genes present only in the SARS- COV-2 virus.

Until the beginning of March, the initial screening test to check for any type of coronavirus was done by all labs, but the confirmatory PCR was only done by the National Institute of Virology in Pune. Then, NIV Pune transferred the technology (reagents required for the confirmation) to all labs so that there would be no need for a sample to go all the way to Pune. This has cut down on the time taken to test the samples.

Is India testing enough numbers?

India has the capacity to test 10,000 samples daily, and is currently testing around 600- 700. By comparison, South Korea, which has a similar turnaround time, is reportedly testing up to 20,000 samples a day, especially using models like its drive-through testing facilities. Page | 103 What will be the strategy if community transmission happens? ICMR is conducting a surveillance for any evidence of community transmission, with each

Respiratory Infection (SAR Wednesday.of India’s 52 ICMR testing has labs said testing that, in 20 the random event that samples a case of of patients community with transmission Severe Acute is I). The ‘first cut’ of these tests are expected to be out on

unearthed from these surveillance tests, the government’s strategies will be “completely Aredifferent”. there barriers to scaling up testing? Cost is a potential barrier, feel some experts. ICMR officials had said in a conference that the cost of a primary test for COVID-19 is Rs 1,500. If a second test is to be done to confirm the results of the first test, the total cost is around Rs 5,000. One of the officials had also ctor. While the number of testing centres has been increased, the imports of probes have also shotsaid thatup. the probes used, which are imported from Germany, are a “limiting” fa

Source: The Indian Express

21. A prediction model for COVID-19

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While it is impossible to estimate the eventual number of cases for the novel coronavirus, there was an exercise carried out earlier this year, aimed at projecting the numbers for Wuhan in China. In a recent article on Cell Discovery in Nature, a group of Chinese scientists attempted to estimate the eventual number of infections and deaths due to the disease (COVID-19) in Wuhan. An infectious disease dynamics model called SEIR (Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Resistant) was used to model and predict the number of COVID-19 cases. The SEIR model proved to be predictive for a variety of acute infectious diseases like Ebola and SARS.

What is SEIR model? The model classifies the population into four mutually exclusive groups: susceptible (at risk of contracting the disease), exposed (infected but not yet infectious), infectious (capable of transmitting the disease), and removed (those who recover or die from the disease). A susceptible individual can become exposed only through contact with some infectious person. Susceptible individuals first enter the exposed stage, during which they may have a low level of infectivity; they become infectious thereafter.

The infection rate represents the probability of transmission from an infectious person to a susceptible one. The incubation rate (the reciprocal of the average duration of incubation) is the rate at which latent individuals become infectious; and the removal rate is the reciprocal of the average duration of infection. The basic reproduction number (BRN) is the expected number of cases directly generated by one case. A BRN greater than one indicates Page | 104 that the outbreak is self-sustaining, while a BRN less than one indicates that the number of new cases decreases over time and eventually the outbreak will stop. Ideally, the BRN should be reduced in order to slow down an epidemic.

The numbers for Wuhan d studies provide the estimates of parameters. The mean incubation period is around 5.2 days in most of the studies. Also, the Using Wuhan’s data, more than a dozen publishe

Theaverage prediction hospitalisation for Wuhan period was is done calculated in four to phases: be 12.39 ± 4.77 a) December days. 1-January 23; b) January 24-February 2; c) February 3-15; d) thereafter. On January 23, airplanes, trains, and other public transportation within the city were restricted and other prevention and control measures such as quarantine and isolation were gradually established in Wuhan. Phase II continued up to the extended spring festival holiday. More medical resources were provided from February 3. It is assumed that the prevention and control measures were sufficient and effective from February 16.

The decreasing BRN rates In Wuhan, home to 11 million people, the initial number of cases was 40, estimated by a group of researchers led by Natsuko Imai of Imperial College. The number of exposed was assumed to be 20 times this number. The BRN in the first three phases was estimated to be 3.1, 2.6, and 1.9, respectively. In the Cell Discovery article, the BRN is assumed to have decreased to 0.9 or 0.5 in phase IV, based on previous experience in SARS. According to an article in Science in 2003, the BRN of SARS decreased from 2.7 to 0.25 after the patients were isolated and the infection started being controlled.

Following the model, the number of cases in Wuhan reached 17,656-25,875 in phase I, to 32,061-46,905 in phase II, and to 53,070-77,390 in phase III. The epidemic peaked on February 23rd or February 19th with 58,077-84,520 or 55,869-81,393 infections, according to the BRN value of 0.9 and 0.5, respectively. In reality, the number of daily cases in Wuhan has been reducing remarkably since February 16.

The BRN value for India is unknown due to inadequate data so far. However, it can be kept small by isolating patients and controlling infection by extensive checking at airports and

other important places. With 110 ‘active’ cases as on March 16, a BRN value of 0.5 might Source:not be alarming. The Hindu Let’s hope that it will remain so.

22. What is herd immunity?

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Page | 105 soLast that week, a de the UK’s Government Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance hinted at a strategy that would allow the novel coronavirus to infect 60% of the country’s population Following widespreadgree of “herd criticism,immunity” and could with be achieved. Imperial College London projecting a dire scenario if the pandemic remains uncontrolled, the UK has now retracted and is looking at self-isolation for the elderly. — What does herd immunity mean? Herd immunity refers to preventing an infectious disease from spreading by immunising a certain percentage of the population. While the concept is most commonly used in the context of vaccination, herd community can also be achieved after enough people have become immune after being infected.

The premise is that if a certain percentage of the population is immune, members of that group can no longer infect another person. This breaks the chain of infection through the revents it from reaching those who are the most vulnerable.

However,community the (“herd”), discussion and onp herd immunity to fight COVID-19 in the UK has not been based on this conventional definition. The UK government had wanted the entire population to be exposed to the novel coronavirus infection, so that the majority could develop immunity to COVID-19.

How does herd immunity work? The scientific principle is that the presence of a large number of immune persons in the community, who will interrupt the transmission, provides indirect protection to those who are not immune.

To estimate the extent of spread and immunity, epidemiologists use a measure called the exposed to a single case; an R0 of more than 1 indicates one person can spread the infection‘basic reproductive to multiple number’ persons. (R0). This indicates how many persons will be infected when

Scientific evidence shows that a person with measles can infect around 12-18 persons; and a person with influenza can infect around 1.2-4.5 persons, depending on the season. On the basis of the available evidence from China, and according to various experts, R0 COVID-19 ranges between 2 and 3.

There are three ways in which an infection can spread in a community. The first scenario looks at a community that is not immunised. When two infectious cases, both with an R0 value of 1, are introduced, there is a possibility of the entire community being infected, with a few exceptions. Page | 106 In the second scenario, there may be some persons who have been immunised; and only these immunised persons will not be infected when at least two infectious cases are introduced in the community.

The third scenario is when the majority of the community is immunised. So, when two infectious cases are introduced, the spread can take place only in exceptional cases, like in the elderly or other vulnerable persons. Even in such a situation, the immunised persons protect the non-immunised by acting as a barrier which is herd immunity.

When do we know that a population has achieved— herd immunity? It depends on multiple factors: how effective the vaccine for a given disease is, how long- lasting immunity is from both vaccination and infection, and which populations form critical links in transmission of the disease. Mathematically, it is defined on the basis of a above which a disease may no longer circulate. The higher the R0, the higher the percentagenumber called of the “herd population immunity that threshold”, has to be immunised which is theto achieve number herd of immunit immune y. individuals

Polio has a threshold of 80% to 85%, while measles has 95%. With the current data for COVID-19, experts have estimated a threshold of over 60%. That means more than 60% of the population needs to develop immunity to reach the stage of herd immunity.

Why is herd immunity as a strategy against COVID-19 questionable? It is very risky to seek herd immunity by allowing a large proportion of the population to get infected. Such a strategy at this stage, experts have underlined, would be based on many unknowns and variables.

statistically significant data to estimate conclusively how many persons can get the virus fromTo begin a single with, infected much about person. the behaviour of the pathogen is still unclear. There isn’t enough

Second, it can take months, or even longer, to build group immunity to COVID-19. During that time, the need is to protect people who are at greater risk; the numbers so far indicate that people above 55, especially those with co-morbidities like cardiovascular disease and hypertension, are the most vulnerable.

Third, while herd immunity may come about from a pandemic because the people who survive may develop immunity they also may not it is important to note that for COVID- une to the virus. Nor is it clear whether a person who develops immunity— will remain permanently— immune. 19, we still don’t know whether one can become imm 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

y to achieve herd immunity would put a huge burden on the healthcare system. Allowing the virus to pass through the population means a surge of patients,The UK’s putting original pressure strateg on existing ICU and emergency beds. The UK was looking at 60% of the population getting infected, which could have happened rapidly. Epidemiologists slowing the spread of an infection over a large population Page | 107 and this cannot be achieved by allowing the virus to pass through the entire population. stress “flattening the curve” — Source:— The Indian Express

23. Half the world’s students out of class, what happens next?

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A number of countries around the world have shut down schools, colleges and universities because of the novel coronavirus outbreak. Why did some countries feel it necessary to do so while others did not? What is the impact on learning and other areas?

How many students has the outbreak affected? udent population out of schools and universities. According to UNESCO, until late on Tuesday, 107 countries had announcedThe outbreak a complete has pulled shutdown almost of half classrooms, (49.22%) impacting of the world’s 86.17 st crore children and youth. Although the temporary closure of educational institutions on account of a crisis is not new, the scale of the present education disruption is unprecedented.

Has India implemented nationwide closure of schools and universities? The Centre announced the closure of all universities and schools on March 16. However, many educational institutions continue to remain open for heads, teachers and non- teaching staff. Also, in many states including Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal, Board examinations are being held as per schedule, forcing Class 10 and 12 students to step out regularly. On Wednesday, the Union government ordered the CBSE, NIOS and all universities and colleges to suspend ongoing examinations. Following this, the Delhi government announced a complete closure of all schools, even for teachers and non- teaching staff. Other state governments are expected to follow suit.

Page | 108

Are school and university shutdowns helpful in mitigating an outbreak? The World Health Organisation recommends school closure (including preschool and highe - pandemics. The rationale is that children and young people can be vectors of transmission, and highr education) contact as rates one inof the schools “non couldpharmaceutical abet the spreadinterventions” of the for virus. mitigating With COV influenzaID-19, children and the young have been observed to suffer less than the elderly when infected, but they can still transmit the virus to the elderly at home. With school closures during a pandemic, governments hope to break the chains of transmission. This will help reduce the number of confirmed cases, avoid stressing healthcare systems, and allow more time to develop a vaccine.

Why then are some countries not proactively closing schools? The cost of keeping schools closed is a reason why governments resist the idea. Closure not only disrupts learning but also has a direct economic cost. Because when schools close, families would have to find childcare. While some may manage to look after children without missing work, many parents will end up skipping work. Those lost work hours are a cost to the economy.

A study published in the BMC Public Health journal in April 2008 suggested that a 12-week closure of schools in the UK during an influenza pandemic could cost about £0.2 billion to £1.2 billion per week around 0.2- Brookings Institution estimated the cost of a four-week closure of schools in the US to be $47 billion. The UK resisted— the idea of1% school of theclosures country’s for a GDP. long time A 2016 for studyprecisely by this the Page | 109 reason. Their government finally gave in on Thursday, and announced a nationwide shutdown of schools from Friday.

The disadvantages of classroom shutdowns are far greater for students from underprivileged backgrounds. When schools close, their nutrition is compromised. This is already evident in India, where the closure of schools has disrupted the supply of midday meals. Taking suo motu cognisance of this problem, the Supreme Court this week issued notices to all state governments to explain how they would ensure the midday meals reach the vulnerable while schools stay shut.

As schools and universities move towards learning online to make up for lost time, students from low- technology or stable Internet connections. That apart, parents of first-generation learners in schools are often unpreparedincome families for distance risk falling learning behind and home-schooling. as they don’t have access to

How are governments trying to minimise learning disruptions after closure? Countries are adopting distance learning solutions to ensure continuity of education. A COVID-19 task force set up by UNESCO is advising countries in regular virtual meetings with Education Ministers.

China, the first country to impose a lockdown on citizens, was also the first to launch a simultaneous online learning exercise. The Ministry of Education, according to China Daily, launched a national cloud learning platform to cater to students in middle school and high school. Simultaneously, a television channel, China Education Television Channel 4, was dedicated to broadcasting classes for primary school students. The learning platforms, China Daily said, were separate for different groups to prevent network congestion from too many students going online at the same time. The country also mobilised its three biggest telecoms operators China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom to boost Internet connectivity. — — In India, the closure of schools happened towards the end of the academic year. Hence, as earning loss. However, if schools and universities were to remain shut beyond March 31, Union and state governments will have to implementof now, it hasn’t distance caused learning any solutions.significant l

The Human Resource Development Ministry has decided to encourage schools and universiti -learning portals such as the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) platform Swayam, and the free DTH channel Swayam Prabha, which telecastses to educational “make full use”videos of prepared existing eby the NCERT.

Source: The Indian Express

24. When will a COVID-19 vaccine be ready?

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Science & Technology Page | 110

What are vaccines? How are these made? Vaccines are one of the most effective tools to prevent diseases. A vaccine is a substance that resembles the disease-causing agent (also called pathogen) but does not cause the ogen, and creates a memory for the future. Vaccines are available to protect us against many life-threatening diseasesdisease. Itsuch trains as polio,the body’s influenza, immune meningitis, system totyphoid, recognise tetanus, and kill diphtheria, the path and certain types of cancers. Vaccines have also been responsible for eradication (or near eradication) of deadly diseases such as smallpox and polio.

There are multiple ways to make vaccines. For a killed vaccine, the pathogen can be grown outside the body, purified and inactivated with chemicals. An example of this is the injectable polio vaccine. Alternatively, the pathogen can be weakened by repeated culture or by genetic means. An example of this would be the oral polio vaccine the kind used in rface can also be Page | 111 produced artificially and used to raise immunity. An example of this would— be the Hepatitis Bthe vacc ‘Pulseine. Polio Programme’. One of the proteins on the pathogen su

What vaccines are being developed against COVID-19? According to the World Health Organization, over 40 different candidate vaccines for COVID-19 are in development. These include an inactivated vaccine being developed in China (Sinovac) using purified COVID-19 virus killed with formaldehyde (a chemical). A live attenuated vaccine being developed by Codagenix, a U.S.-based company in partnership with the Serum Institute of India (Pune), uses a genetically engineered COVID-19 virus that replicates very poorly. There are multiple other vaccine candidates under development that use DNA, RNA, viral vector and subunit protein platforms.

One vaccine against COVID-19 is already in trials. What is it about? An experimental COVID-19 vaccine called mRNA-1273 was developed by Moderna, a biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the U.S. in partnership with the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), U.S. A Phase 1 study to evaluate its safety and immunogenicity (i.e. ability to raise immune responses) in humans is being conducted by the NIH.

What is the mRNA vaccine? The genetic blueprint (or code) in living organisms is stored in a double-stranded molecule called DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), which makes proteins that are responsible for nearly every function in the human body. The conversion of DNA code into proteins requires a single-stranded molecule called the mRNA (messenger ribonucleic acid). In an analogy with computers, one may think of the DNA as the hardware, the mRNA as the software and proteins as the applications.

The mRNA-1273 is a piece of RNA that carries the code to make the COVID-19 virus Spike protein when introduced into cells. This protein present on the virus surface is critical for its entry into cells. Immunity (antibodies) to the Spike protein can block virus entry and its multiplication, and thus ameliorate the disease.

While simple to engineer, mRNA can degrade easily. Therefore, it has to be protected with a coating that can also target it to the cells of choice when injected into the body.

How long does it take to develop a vaccine? It can take years to develop vaccines first in laboratories to show proof-of-concept, then developing a manufacturing process to make stable and a highly pure product to be tested in animals and humans, and finally for— the market.

The COVID-19 vaccine has been fast-tracked into humans without prior testing in animals. Still, it may take one to two years for the clinical trials to be over. Since there is no guarantee that the mRNA-1273 (or another) vaccine would work, a rich pipeline of over 40 candidates is important. Page | 112 How much does it cost to develop it? Who funds it? It takes millions of dollars to develop and test a vaccine. Either for-profit companies or philanthropic foundations and countries cover the costs.

The mRNA-1273 vaccine is supported by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a not-for-profit grouping of foundations and countries. India is a member of CEPI. Besides mRNA-1273, CEPI has funded the development of at least five other COVID-19 vaccines, with an overall commitment of $23.7 million.

Is a virus needed to develop a vaccine against it? With modern molecular tools and technologies, isolating a virus is not required to make a vaccine against it. The genetic sequence can be obtained directly from infected patients and this can be converted into proteins using various platform technologies.

This makes it possible to have vaccines ready for hundreds of pathogens that have not yet infected humans, but have the potential to do so in future.

Source: The Hindu

25. Why are only a fraction of cases tested?

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

With the number of COVID-19 cases accelerating in India, health authorities are now broadening the pool for testing. On Friday night, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) issued guidelines for a new testing strategy to effectively track COVID-19 cases. The focus remains on finding imported infections and testing their contacts who show symptoms, the new guidelines say all hospitalised patients with severe acute respiratory illness, shortness of breath and having fever and cough will be tested for COVID-19. And asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts of an infected person should be tested between the fifth day and 14th day of coming into contact with the patient.

How is testing for COVID-19 done? To rapidly determine whether someone with symptoms of cough, fever and breathlessness is infected, hospital authorities are doing an RT-PCR (real time reverse transcriptase- polymerase chain reaction) test. This process involves collecting a nasal or throat swab from a patient suspected of having the disease. These are two sites (the nose and back of the throat) where the virus can be collected, and the swab picks up the cells where the

virus might be. Replication happens in the upper respiratory tract. These are frozen and sent to one of the designated government centres for a result.

A sample is also sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) to recheck the diagnosis. Page | 113 To check for the SARS CoV-2 virus, the sample is passed through a machine, which is part of the diagnostic kit. The RNA, or ribonucleic acid, which is the genetic material of a virus, is isolated from the sample and it is on this that further tests are done.

Based on what is known about the structure of coronaviruses in general and what emerging research about SARS CoV-2 suggests, research organisations around the world have marked out locations on the SARS COV-2 genome that differentiate it from other coronaviruses, particularly SARS-CoV that was identified in China in 2003. On the basis of this, protocols or steps are prescribed for testing agencies to follow to determine the presence of SARS CoV-2. Enter primers and probes. Primers are small pieces of DNA and research laboratories, both private and public, have designed customised primers that bind only to a specific combination of DNA bases. It is the uniqueness of a sequence of DNA bases that differentiates species as well as strains within it.

like a key that can only open the right lock zooms With an enzyme, the virus’s RNA is converted into DNA and the appropriate primer — — into the virus’s genome and amplifies it.

Page | 114

This amplification is necessary as there is an extremely limited amount of the viral genome and detecting it requires that a sufficient amount of the material is synthesised. A fluorescent dye, or the probe, is added during the testing process. The probe only lights up when DNA is detected. When many samples are tested simultaneously, only those with the SARS CoV-2 in them will light up, thus confirming its presence. These tests can yield results within hours and are extremely accurate provided they are appropriately conducted.

What is the Indian Council of Medical Research’s approach to testing? Currently, testing for SARS-CoV-2 can only be done by 79 lab approach so far was to focus on those who showed symptoms of the disease and had a travel history from countries with SARS CoV-2 cases; their contactsoratories. who show The symptoms ICMR’s and symptomatic health- e acute respiratory

care workers managing patients with ‘sever Thisdistress’. excluded, as several doctors and critics pointed out, those who may show symptoms but do not have a travel history. On Friday, a committee of experts, mostly from government institutions that advises on testing strategy, led the ICMR to expand these

criteria to include all symptomatic health workers, hospitalised patients with severe respiratory illness and a five and 14-day follow-up with close contacts of confirmed cases, even if they do not show symptoms.

What is the cost of the test? Page | 115 Testing is free but it costs the government 4,500 per test. The probes are imported and the ICMR has ordered a million of them. Spending money optimally, is important in the ICMR s scheme of things. Testing anyone and฀ everybody with symptoms, ICMR officials reckon, would lead to reagents (chemicals as according’ to them, large numbers could test negative. This would, going ahead, make resources scarce if instances of communityused transmission in the process) (when and it is probes no longer being possible ‘wasted’, to trace the contact history of someone who tests positive) are confirmed and infections are sampling (that is testing 20 samples of severe respiratory illness) at 60-odd locations has yieldedwidespread. no positive So far, cases.only 10% of the ICMR’s available capacity has been utilised and random

Therefore, they surmise, there has been no instance of community transmission as yet. With the blanket ban on international commercial flights from March 22 to March 29, screening of borders and quarantine measures imposed by States and commercial establishments and screening, and then following up with the contacts of positive cases, ICMR officials feel the spread of the infection can be controlled. Testing high-risk groups and broadening the criteria gradually also allow the government to track better, isolate and care for individuals who test positive.

Are there enough supplies of kits? The ICMR has opened a window for private sector health-care laboratories which have a supply chain of primers, probes and reagents to apply for permission to conduct tests. There are 16 Indian companies which have made their own diagnostic kits but await validation by the NIV, the only designated authority. Most of the kits will be imported and involve licensing deals with multinational companies.

Coronavirus | Two indigenous tests for detection being tested The ICMR has requested the private laboratories, if and when they are allowed, to offer tested and 271 have been confirmed positive. Nearly 850 samples that were randomly tested for community“tests for free”. transmission As of March have 21, tested 15,701 negative. samples from 14,811 individuals have been

Source: The Hindu

26. On China’s lead in containing coronavirus

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In a remarkable turnaround, China had zero cases of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) on March 18-20, including in Wuhan, the epicentre of the epidemic. This comes three months after the first case emerged in Wuhan. But on March 21, Guangdong province had one instance of local transmission from an imported case. As on March 22, China reported 314 imported cases. Page | 116

Signing of epidemic under control The initial signs of the epidemic beginning to wane were visible when the first makeshift hospital in Wuhan was closed in early March after all patients had recovered and there were no new admissions. Shutting down Wuhan and a few other cities on January 23 and many more in the following days placed nearly 60 million in China in lockdown. In retrospect, the drastic measure sharply reduced the chances of a rapid spread of the virus within China and onward to the rest of the world. It gave Europe and the U.S. the much needed time to take measures in preventing the virus from gaining a foothold.

Unfortunately, both Europe and the U.S. seem to have squandered that opportunity. What was once considered undoable outside China is now being played out in Italy the entire country is locked down. Putting the rights of the community ahead of the individual, many countries have been adopting restricting travel,— banning mass gatherings, cancelling important events and shutting down educational institutions and entertainment in a bid to cuttough the measurestransmission akin chain. to China’s —

Even as ic is in the spotlight, its cover-up of the outbreak until mid-January, nearly a month after the first few cases showed up, will remain a stain hardChina’s to erase. success in containing the epidem

Source: The Hindu

27. Can vitamin C prevent or cure novel coronavirus infection?

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Can vitamin C help you ward off the novel coronavirus infection? This has been one of many theories on social media since the outbreak spread globally, but the answer is no.

There is no evidence that vitamin C can prevent an infection.

Benefits of Vitamin C virus if it does infect someone. But again, there is no evidence that it can cure a patient either.Vitamin C is, however, still good for you, and can help the body’s immune system fight the

When t eventually leads to inflammation in cell tissue. Vitamin C not only helps cells fight oxidative he body is fighting an infection, it experiences “oxidative stress”, a process that 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

stress but also helps clean up this cellular mess by producing specialised cells to mount an immune response.

Evidence against use of Vitamin C Given that vitamin C has never been conclusively established as a cure against the common Page | 117 cold, which is also caused by a coronavirus, experts believe it is unlikely that vitamin C can cure or prevent a novel coronavirus infection.

Excessive vitamin C can be damaging to the stomach and kidneys. Again, while vitamin C is good for the body’s immune system, too much of it can be harmful. Source: The Indian Express

28. How long can coronavirus ‘live’ in air, and on steel?

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Scientists across the world are still learning about the novel coronavirus, and among the questions they are looking to answer is how long it can survive in different environments. A paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Tuesday has come out with new information on the longevity of the virus in the air and on different surfaces. An understanding of how long the virus survives is crucial to understanding how contagious it could be. —

Coronavirus pandemic: 3 hours in the air, but weaker The scientists, affiliated to different laboratories in universities in the United States, found in their experiments that the SARS-CoV-2 virus could survive in air for about three hours, although its ability to infect was severely weakened during this time. Until now, the virus was believed not to be able to survive in the air. As such, there was little risk of people getting infected through the air. The fact that it does survive in the air, even for a short time, could force scientists and health officials to reassess the risk to people, especially to health workers who spend a lot of time near an infected person.

Strongest on plastic and steel The new study also finds that plastic and stainless steel surfaces are the most conducive for surfaces. On cardboard surfaces, the virus could survive for up to 24 hours, while on copper,the virus it tocould survive. barely The last virus for four was hours. found to be “viable” for as long as three days on these

The longevity on each of these surfaces has implications for the kinds of things that people can be advised to come in contact with, or avoid. For example, during times of extended isolation, or forced homestays, people are likely to interact more with cardboard boxes while getting food and other products shipped to their residence. The fact that the virus does not survive beyond 24 hours on these surfaces might reduce worries on this front.

Page | 118

But there is a lot more to learn The scientists said the survivability of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on these surfaces was not drastically different from that of the SARS-CoV-1 virus, which had a similar but less deadly outbreak in mainly Asian countries in 2003. Therefore, they conclude that the reason for the much greater spread of SARS-CoV- other factors (not any difference in their life spans), including high viral loads in the upper respiratory tract and the potential for2, persons as compared infected to withthe 2003 the SARS-CoV2virus, “could to arise shed from and transmit the virus while (remaining) asymptomatic (without showing any symptoms of the

Source:disease)”. The Indian Express

29. Coronavirus: Stage by stage in a pandemic

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Over the past few weeks, the country has been dreading the possibility that the novel coronavirus outbreak will move to the stage of community transmission. What is community transmission, and how does a pandemic progress to this stage?

Coronavirus: What are the stages of a pandemic? In the first stage of a disease epidemic that eventually takes the form of a pandemic sweeping the globe, cases are imported into a country in which the infection did not originate. An infection whose spread is contained within the boundaries of one or a few countries is obviously not a pandemic. The first case of COVID-19 outside China was Page | 119 reported in Thailand.

The second stage is when the virus starts being transmitted locally. Local transmission means that the source of the infection is from within a particular area and the trajectory the virus has taken from one person to the next is clearly established.

The third stage is that of community transmission. According to the World Health confirmed cases through chains of transmission for a large number of cases, or by increasingOrganisation positive (WHO), tests community through transmission sentinel samples “is evidenced (routine by systematicthe inability testing to relate of respirat virus is now circulating in the community, and can infect people with no history either of travel toory affected samples areas from or established of contact laboratories)”. with an infected In person.layman terms,If and whenit means community that the transmission happens, there might arise the need for a full lockdown because in that situation it is theoretically possible for every person, regardless of where they are from and who they have been in contact with, to spread the disease.

Community transmission is usually localised; one state can record it. For example, the UK reported community transmission in Northern Ireland.

There is also a fourth stage in every pandemic. It is when the disease, COVID-19 in this case, becomes endemic in some countrie possibility into account. Among diseases that are currently endemic in India meaning they occur round the year across thes. country The Indian are government’s malaria and containment dengue. plan takes this — How does categorising an outbreak in this —manner help? interconnected world, it is important to have a standardised phraseology that conveys the sameThe stages thing to of every a pandemic person around are uniform the world, the and world helps over. countries This isprepare so because better. in today’s

The categorisation helps countries take specific actions that are necessary to target just that particular scenario.

For example, India imposed travel restrictions to China from very early on as the cases then were all imported from China. Later, as cases started being imported from other European countries, flight and visa restrictions were put in place for those countries. India has now shut itself to individuals coming from all countries this is because the virus is now confirmed as circulating in at least 177 countries and territories. —

However, there are also cases of local transmission that is why large numbers of people are in government quarantine facilities, in home quarantine, or under community surveillance. The official position in India is that — no community transmission has been detected, inferred from the testing of over 1,000 random samples taken since February from people who had symptoms like COVID-19, but no travel or contact history. None of Page | 120 them, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has tested positive for novel coronavirus.

Are these stage categories watertight? Scientific definitions are usually very precise, but classifications can also draw on informed judgment. For example, the transition from one pandemic stage to the next is something that can happen in a day, but a lone case would probably not be the basis of such a declaration.

That is also why, even though the Health Ministry had released a statement some days ago community transmission, but local transmission at the community level. There have to be moreon the of evidencethese cases of of “community infection from transmission” untraced sources in Agra, for scientists the outbreak say itto wasmove not on classicto the next stage.

However, as the number of cases increases, so also do the chances of transition to the community transmission stage. States would have different approaches to fighting the disease, and that would impact neighbouring states as well.

Worldwide, in which stage is the COVID-19 pandemic now? The pandemic has spread to nearly every country on the planet. In most, though, it is in the stage of either imported cases or local transmission. Among the countries where community transmission seems to be operating are China, Italy, Iran, South Korea and Japan. China adopted a graded approach in dealing with the infection but the epicentre, Hubei, was in a state of complete lockdown at the peak of the infection something that Italy has now effected in a bid to stop the virus from wreaking more havoc, given the — testing and treatment. For imported cases, vigilance at the borders and airports suffices. country’s ageing population. South Korea has brought down infections with mass free The escalation pattern in countries has differed as much as their response. Assuming that reports of the first case having occurred in November are true, China took almost a month to escalate to a stage where the outbreak became a global concern. Community transmission would like have started already.

Italy, on the other hand, took just a few days to reach that stage. The European Centre for -19 can cause nationally incapacitating epidemics once transmission within the community is established,Disease Prevention indicates andthat in Control a few weeks says: “Theor even speed days, withit is likely which that COVID similar situations to

Website:those seen www.prepmate.in in China and Italy may be seen in other EU/EEA countriesTelegram Channel: or the UK.” @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 long before India enters community transmission? Nobody knows. Dr Balram Bhargava, secretary, Department of Health Research and D-G, ICMR, has said that community transmission is inevitable; other experts feel it may have already happened. Page | 121 a so far, we have found an explanation for every case, so there is no background community transmissionDr Anurag Agarwal, yet. But Director, we do not Institute really knowof Genomics how this and will Integrative pan out. There Biology, are said: some “In reports Indi of one strain having less mortality. If indeed a milder strain has come to India, it could change the course of the epidemic. There is another theory that all the various viruses circulating in South Asia and the generally lower levels of hygiene may give us some immunity. This is an evolving phase; we have not done badly so far. But there is more to

Source:come.” The Indian Express

30. National Supercomputing Mission

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

The 2020- mission was set up to provide the country with supercomputing infrastructure to meet the increasing21 computational is an important demands year for ofIndia’s academia, National researchers, Supercomputing MSMEs, Mission and startups(NSM). The by creating the capability design, manufacturing, of supercomputers indigenously in India.

Who are nodal agencies for the mission?

Computing Mission is steered jointly by the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) and DepartmentA first of its of kind Science attempt and to boostTechnology the country’s (DST) and computing implemented power, bythe the National Centre Super for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.

What are the targets of the mission? The target of the mission was set to establish a network of supercomputers ranging from a few Tera Flops (TF) to Hundreds of Tera Flops (TF) and three systems with greater than or equal to 3 Peta Flops (PF) in academic and research institutions of National importance across the country by 2022. This network of Supercomputers envisaging a total of 15-20 PF was approved in 2015 and was later revised to a total of 45 PF (45000 TFs), a jump of 6 times more compute power within the same cost and capable of solving large and complex computational problems.

Implementation of Supercomputers With the revised plan in place, the first supercomputer assembled indigenously, called Param Shivay, was installed in IIT (BHU) and was inaugurated by the Prime Minister.

Similar systems Param Shakti and Param Brahma were installed at IIT-Kharagpur and IISER, Pune. They are equipped with applications from domains like Weather and Climate, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Bioinformatics, and Material science.

Plans are afoot to install three more supercomputers by April 2020, one each at IIT- Page | 122 Kanpur, JN Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru, and IIT-Hyderabad. This will ramp up the supercomputing facility to 6 PF.

11 new systems are likely to be set up in different IITs, NITs, National Labs, and IISERs across India by December this year, which will have many sub-systems manufactured and microprocessors designed in India which will bring in a cumulative capacity of 10.4 petaflops.

Spreading out the reach to the North-East region of the country, 8 systems with a total Compute Power of 16 PF are being commissioned. 5 indigenously designed systems with three 3 PF computing power will be installed at IIT-Mumbai, IIT-Chennai and Inter-

University Accelerator Centre (IUAC) at Delhi with NKN as its backbone. It also includes an indigenously build 20 PF system at C-DAC, Pune, and a 100 PF Artificial Intelligence supercomputing system. One midlevel 650 TFs system is also to be installed at C-DAC Bengaluru to provide consultancy to Start-ups, SSIs & MSMEs.

Geared to provide Supercomputing facility to about 60-70 institutions Nation-wide and more than thousands of active Researchers, Academicians, and so on, NSM has gathered momentum and is moving fast not only towards creating a computer infrastructure for the country but also to build capacity of the country to develop the next generation of supercomputer experts.

Source: PIB

31. Hydroxychloroquine is recommended for very specific cases — here’s why it’s no silver bullet

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

Hydroxychloroquine, a drug that has existed for several decades, could see a resurgence of demand, after the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Monday recommended its use as a post-exposure prophylactic (preventive medicine) against the novel coronavirus disease.

Last week, US President Donald Trump had said a hydroxychloroquine-azithromycin -19. combination could be a “game changer” in the fight against COVID

What is known about hydroxychloroquine’s efficacy in COVID-19 patients? Hydroxychloroquine (not to be confused with anti-malaria drug chloroquine) is an oral drug used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. On March 19, an article in The Lancet Global Health explored its therapeutic and prophylactic properties. shows antiviral activity in vitro against coronaviruses, and Page | 123 specifically, SARS-CoV-2 [the virus that causes COVID-2]. Pharmacological modelling based on observed“Notably, drug concentrations the drug and in vitro drug testing suggest that prophylaxis with hydroxychloroquine at approved doses could prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and ameliorate the drug can be used for treatment. viral shedding.” It also mentioned clinical trials currently under way in China on whether In a note for physicians on the therapeutic options for COVID-19, the US Centers for Disease in clinical trials for pre-exposure or post-exposure prophylaxis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, andControl treatment and Prevention of patients (CDC) with says:mild, “Hydroxychloroquinemoderate, and severe is COVID-19. currently Inunder the United investigation States, several clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine for prophylaxis or treatment of SARS-CoV-2

infectionThe CDC are says planned both hydroxychloroquineor will be enrolling soon.” and chloroquine have in vitro activity against SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and other coronaviruses, with hydroxychloroquine having higher potency against SARS-CoV- COVID-19 patients had clinical and virologic benefit versus a comparison group, and chloroquine was added as a 2.recommended “A study in antiviral China reported for treatment that chloroquine of COVID- treatment of

What has India recommended? 19 in China…” The National Taskforce for COVID-19 has recommended hydroxychloroquine for prophylaxis in case of asymptomatic healthcare workers involved in the care of suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 and asymptomatic household contacts of laboratory -chloroquine is found to be effective against coronavirus in laboratory studies and in-vivo studies. Its use in prophylaxis is derivedconfirmed from cases. available The new evidence guidelines of benefit say: “Hydroxy as treatment and supported by pre-clinical isk- benefit consideration, under exceptional circumstances that call for the protection of high- data… The following recommendation… is based on these considerations, as well as r risk individuals.” specific people. We have to limit it to them. It cannot become something that everybody Doctors ind Drthe S private Chatterjee, sector consultant are, however, at Indraprastha cautious. “ICMR Apollo guidelines Hospitals. are very specific for

uses,” sai months. You cannot give chloroquine and hydroxychloroquin “As infection spreads theret is wouldeffective, be we many are moreonly extrapolating cases maybe available for the nextdata. couple Also if ofit e to anybody and everybody… We don’t know whether i Chatterjee said. becomes something everybody takes, there would be stock issues too… Let more evidence Website:emerge onwww.prepmate.in its efficacy before we take a call,” Dr 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

So, should you stock the drug? The short answer is, no. If you suspect you have contracted the infection, you should visit a doctor. You must not attempt to self- hydroxychloroquine say the drug has to be given only on the prescription of a registered medical practitioner. medicate. Even the government’s guidelines on Page | 124

What combination did Trump speak of? The combination is hydroxychloroquine with azithromycin, a commonly used antibiotic. On Saturday, following a press conference in which he endorsed the combination, Trump CHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN, taken together, have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine. The FDA has moved mountainstweeted: “HYDROXY

While the roles– Thank of chloroquineYou!…” and hydroxychloroquine in management of COVID-19 are still open questions for the scientific community, the azithromycin-hydroxychloroquine combination is part of an upcoming multicountry trial anchored by the WHO in the fight against COVID-19.

The azithromycin-hydroxychloroquine combination has sometimes been administered to COVID-19 patients in the US, the CDC says. In a small study in the International Journal of

Antimicrobial Agents published on March 17, French scientis were treated in this study and showed a significant reduction of the viral carriage at D6- post inclusion compared to controls, and much lower averagets reported: carrying “Twenty duration cases than reported of untreated patients in the literature. Azithromycin added to hydroxychloroquine was significantly more efficient for virus eli

Simply put, the combination did reduce the viral load but the sizemination.” of the study is too small to draw a definitive conclusion.

Source: The Indian Express

32. An Expert Explains: ‘Coronavirus tests needed, but each country has priorities’

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

As India begins to discover its first cases of community transmission of the novel coronavirus, the number of infections is expected to shoot up very rapidly. Two days ago, the government decided to test all patients with severe respiratory disease in hospitals across the country, expanding the net beyond only those with recent overseas travel and contact histories.

he virus may be spreading widely outside the selected group. Several experts have argued that India’s testing has been inadequate, and that t What would be an adequate number of tests for any country? COVID-19 is a barely three-month-old disease, and there is not enough data to recommend Page | 125 an adequate number for testing. What we need to understand is that testing is not a treatment, nor is it sustainable to test every suspected case, let alone every individual. In most cases, we test in order to decide on clinical management of the case. We also test because we need to identify if the infections are occurring through travellers and migrants or whether community transmissions have started. Tests are also used to ascertain levels and transmission trends of the infections within a population in order to decide intervention strategies like self-isolation, social distancing and quarantine procedures. governance policies. Collectively, they help to break the chain of transmission. Outcomes of testing also directly feed into a nation’s response, health strategy, and We have to realise that in an epidemic-like situation for a highly infectious disease, when transmission happens rapidly, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get ahead of the curve simply by testing more and more people. However, we do need to test as many people as we can. This was stressed by the WHO Director-General, who said his key

However,message was all to countries “test, test, have test limits or we towill their be fighting capacity a fire to test.blindfolded”. Diagnostic prowess, trained manpower, lab infrastructure, all are limited. Countries, therefore, have to define their priorities based on their local risk assessments. And that is what they seem to be doing. We should remember that what holds true for Singapore or South Korea might not hold true for India.

In the current situation, I find the advice from Professor Graham Medley (professor of infectious disease modelling at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) the le should act like they have already tested positive for COVID-19, and then follow all the instructions that anmost infected pertinent: person “Act is like being you askedare infected, to follow, not tojust the avoiding maximum infections.” extent possible:Peop isolation, social distancing, minimal contact with other people.

What exactly is a ‘testing kit’ for COVID-19? What is in it? chemicals and biochemicals that are required at different stages of testing, which include nucleicThere is acid no extraction composite and ‘kit’ amplification. as of now. What These we chemicals refer to asand a biochemicals “kit” is actually usually a bunch do not of come together, and have to be procured separately.

The presence of a virus is detected by looking for unique identifiers in a given sample. In the present case, we look for genetic material that we know are unique to this virus. The tests vary according to the particular genetic material that we are looking for. The WHO has published a list of several such tests in use in various countries. No one test is technically

superior to another. Each of them is equally reliable. Countries are free to adopt any of these tests. The choice usually depends on factors like what works in the hands of a specific lab in terms of specificity, sensitivity, and logistics, including ease of availability of the chemicals required. The current molecular assays usually take between four and six hours to give the final result. Page | 126

India has placed an import order for 1 million testing kits. What can be a realistic timeline for delivery? There is no dearth of manufacturers who produce and supply the high-quality chemicals required in these tests, but they may not have the capacity to cater to the unprecedented and unexpected global demand volumes. I guess there would be a backlog of orders in most countries. For - within 48 to 72 hours. Currently, however, it might take longer. example, orders for these chemicals during ‘peace time’ would materialise Can’t these chemicals be produced by Indian companies? Indian companies already manufacture these chemicals. In fact, most research labs that perform molecular assays in India would have these chemicals; they are not uncommon at all. But the labs may not have them in the amounts they are currently required. Similarly, Indian companies that make these chemicals may be facing production issues. In my opinion, the bottleneck right now is of scale. Small manufacturers may not be in a position to supply such huge amounts.

The second issue is that of quality. With large and established players, quality is usually assured, but such quality assurances may not be readily available with suppliers that start production to address this new situation. Regulatory processes should be introduced to tackle this.

The third issue is that of cost. The bigger and established players can probably provide the chemicals for cheaper than small manufacturers can.

How much do these tests cost? The overall cost of the test would include the cost of materials that are required for the testing, as well as the cost incurred on lab infrastructure, technical expertise, and logistics. It would vary from country to country.

Many new tests are entering the market on a daily basis. These include molecular and serological assays; even artificial intelligence. These new tests will definitely drive down costs. However, the tests will need to be fit-for-purpose. Such analyses are already under way on a global level for all relevant new kits and assays.

Has India delayed roping in private hospitals and labs for testing? This is a novel disease, and we are all learning more and more with each passing day. Most countries began their COVID-19 incidence handling through their public health systems, and later drew in the private sector. In India, the initial testings were done by ICMR and

their approved labs. ICMR also provided reagents, primers and probes, controls, testing protocol and guidance to its approved labs, possibly also testing material for the time being, training and software.

I should point out a very important factor regarding handling and processing of this virus Page | 127 in the laboratory. Sars-CoV-2 is currently categorised as a hazard group 3 (HG-3) organism that poses severe disease risk. As a result, certain stages of sample handling need to occur within appropriate containment facilities, which might not readily be available at all diagnostics labs. Also, while many private hospitals and laboratories in India may be able to meet the generic quality standards, their competency to perform COVID-19 specific assays would need to be approved and monitored on an ongoing basis.

Source: The Indian Express

33. PM Modi announces 21-day lockdown as COVID-19 toll touches 12

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

1. As the death toll from COVID-19 rose to 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a 21-day lockdown for the entire country, stating that it was the only way to break the chain of infection. The lockdown will be in effect till April 14.

2. In a nationwide television broadcast, Mr. Modi said the pandemic was a huge challenge to every country and even countries like the U.S. and Italy, considered to have good health infrastructure, were struggling to control the situation.

managed to get some control over the surge in cases, and these show that a lockdown for a sustained3. “In such period a situation of time weis the have only learnt way to from break the the experience chain of infection, of the countries that have

4. Stating that it was the priority of both the Centre and the State governments” he said. to set up health infrastructure as fast as possible to deal with the pandemic, Mr. Modi said the government had allotted 15,000 crore for the purchase of personal protection equipment for healthcare workers, setting up testing laboratories and quarantine centres. ฀

Page | 128

you are. This wil . 5. “Draw a Laxman Rekha outside your house door and do not step outside of it. Stay where Source: The Hindul be the decisive battle against coronavirus,” he said

34. 21-day lockdown: Is India prepared to meet the supply requirements of foodstuffs?

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

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated that the Centre and state gove lockdown to combat the novel coronavirus, which has now been made nationwide and extendedrnments for a willfurther take 21-day all steps period. to ensure the supply of “essential items” during the

What is the domestic availability situation in foodstuffs? To what extent would the restrictions on account of COVID-19 impact it? -commodities, starting with foodgrains. As on March 1, stocks of wheat and rice with the Food CorporationThere’s no realof India issue (FCI) as farstood as at production around 77.6 or million supply tonnes goes for (mt). most This agri was over three- Page | 129 and-a-half times the minimum operational buffer-cum-strategic stock of 21.04 mt required to be maintained for April 1. Moreover, the new wheat crop, which is a bumper one, will arrive in the mandis from the coming month.

The same applies to pulses, where the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India or Nafed was holding 2.25 mt of stocks as on March 19. This, even as fresh market arrivals of rabi (winter-spring) pulses such as chana (chickpea), masur (red lentils) and matar (field pea) have started.

COVID- ripening, if not already harvested. The impact will be only on marketing the produce at the 19’s impact will not be on production, given that most rabi crops are close to lockdown.mandis and But reaching for the it rice, to the wheat final and consumer. pulses withSimply FCI put, o it isn’t a “supply”, but a “supply problem,chain” problem as the arisinggrain has from to themerely various be moved movement from restrictionsgodowns and imposed supplied under to ration the ongoing shops. This can, in fact, be an opportunity for the Centre tor significantlyNafed, even that offload shouldn’t its surplus be a foodgrain stocks including to regular grocery shops at open market rates.

What about stuff– like milk, sugar and edible oils? These, again, are produce not brought to be sold in mandis. Dairies procure milk directly from farmers or through bulk vendors. The sugar that mills produce similarly comes from cane sourced straight from growers. Two-thirds of the edible oil consumed by India is imported. There, too, the problem of the crop having to first come to an APMC (agricultural produce market committee) mandi does not arise.

In the current lockdown situation, there are actually mitigating factors on the supply requirement front, particularly for the three food items. The most important of them is the demand destruction due to shutting down of HORECA (hotels, restaurants and catering) businesses. With hardly any business-to-business (B2B) sales happening, the demand for milk products, sugar and edible oil is now only in the business-to-consumer segment.

This has had two effects. On the one hand, direct consumer sales of milk, curd, sugar and branded oils have gone up in the past few days, with households buying more in anticipation of shortages. R.S. Sodhi, managing director of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, claims that the daily sales lakh litres in Delhi-NCR and 22 lakh litres in Maharashtra, as against their normal respective levels of 31-32 lakh litres and 18-19 lakh litres. of ‘Amul’ milk are currently about 37

But on the other hand, sales of skimmed milk power (SMP) to ice-cream companies and cheese to pizza makers h foods. This has led to SMP prices crashing to Rs 250 per kg, from Rs 320-330 per kg till roughly 15 days ago, withave some crashed, Maharashtra-based as consumers aren’tdairies eating mainly out into and B2B focusing sales onslashing basic their procurement price for cow milk from Rs 32-plus to Rs 20 per litre. In sugar also, mills Page | 130 are seeing less buying from the sweetmeat, soft drinks and HORECA segments. Nor are oil marketing companies lifting ethanol, a by-product of sugar manufacture used for 10% blending with petrol. The reason: People sitting at home and not taking out their vehicles.

The above demand destruction on account of B2B is, nevertheless, ensuring that existing supplies are enough to meet the requirements of household consumers or B2C.

So, which are the food products whose supplies are being affected? Basically, fruits and vegetables (F&V), which are produce sold through APMC mandis. Fruit traders and commission agents at the Vashi market of Navi Mumbai have announced suspension of their operations from Wednesday, fearing the spread of coronavirus. Such closures are, however, more likely in terminal markets close to cities than the primary APMCs, where the bulk of farmers bring their produce. Right now, the fear of the pandemic is less in rural areas, though Jitender Singh Hooda, a sugarcane farmer from Kheri Bairagi -30% harvesting labour shortage in the coming days. According to him, many migrant labourers have fled to their villages in Bihar,village which of Uttar will Pradesh’s hit cane harvestingShamli district, when anticipates crushing operations a 25 in UP are at a peak.

What are the steps the government must take in the coming days? In his first address to the nation on dealing with COVID-19, the Prime Minister mentioned that al That specific reference has, perhaps, helped in the largely unhindered supplies of milk from the rurall necessary hinterland steps to wouldurban centresbe taken across to ensure India. “no Unfortunately, shortage of essential the same items approach like milk”. has not been visible in other food items. Indiscriminately imposed inter-state movement restrictions have resulted in tomato-laden trucks from Madanapalle in Andhra Pradesh not crossing over to Bengaluru or brinjal and beans from Chikkaballapur in Karnataka not move freely will hurt growers in Ratnagiri and Sangli just when their crop is being harvesting.reaching Hyderabad’s consumers. Alphonso mangoes and grapes not being allowed to

There are similar reports about F&V collection and distribution centres of online grocers being forcibly shut down; sugar mills in UP running out of lime, sulphur and HDPE bags procured from Rajasthan and Gujarat; and labourers engaged in grading and packing of produce not being permitted to go their workplaces. All these impediments need to go at the earliest like in milk from day one of the lockdown.

Source: The– Indian Express

35. ‘Physical distance, not social isolation’

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

Page | 131 Around a fifth of humanity is confined indoors in what is possibly the widest lockdown in history, including an estimated 1.3 billion Indians who have just entered three weeks of isolation. The enormous stress and uncertainty could take an unprecedented toll on mental health around the world, and experts expect a spike in cases of anxiety and depression, as a consequence.

Why is it important to talk about mental health at this time? Hundreds of thousands of people have tested positive for COVID-19, and thousands have died. People in India are under lockdown, constrained and restricted in their movements, and in their capacity to go to work. Many are stranded hundreds of kilometres away from home without transport, food, or money. We are experiencing a threat that can harm or kill us, and while all of us are concerned and anxious, some people will obviously feel it more than others. Mental health is a dimension. We are all somewhere on that dimension from very good mental health to very bad mental health. Imagine a spectrum with the left side being very good mental health and the right side being very bad mental health.

You have written that “the mental and emotional toll of the virus is as much a threat to Inpublic a cumulative health as the way, virus the itself”. threat which means anxiety and depression plus the practical difficulties financial and employment as well as the effects of segregation from your loved ones, is going to take a toll on people in terms of their mental and emotional wellbeing. — And cumulatively, for a very— large number of people, that is going to be a problem.

Does social distancing impact mental health? We are all talking about social distancing. Actually, what we need is physical distancing, not social distancing because that conveys the wrong message. In fact, in this time of stress, we need more social togetherness; we need more social support than social isolation. And if that is possible without— compromising on the steps we are taking (to fight the virus), it should be encouraged. We should always be giving the message of physical distancing, which is a safety measure, but social togetherness, which can still be maintained from a physical distance. You talk to people on the phone, on any other media, you support people in each othe

What can ber’s the difficulties effects of and prolonged that is what isolation? the community needs to fight it together. Any change in our lives can cause anxiety. This is a massive, negative change. Instead of taking transport every morning to go to work, we are sitting at home. We are disconnected

from our colleagues, friends, and even family in some cases. That can be very anxiety- provoking.

Will isolation impact the elderly, children, and the disabled more? Absolutely. We already know that the elderly have been feeling more and more isolated. Page | 132 spans. The elderly may also not be able to use modern means of communication. They have noLoneliness physical has proximity been seen to people. as a major This determinantcan mean added of people’s anxiety health,or stress mental for them. health, and life

Similarly, children are accustomed to playing with friends and being surrounded by a number of adults, especially in joint families. Schools are closed. It is a massive change but young children may not understand why this is happening. That increases their anxiety.

People who are disabled physically and mentally may have more problems in communicating with others to get the right news, to be in touch with people, to get the social support they need. — People who are mentally disabled— in some way will feel a heightened sense of anxiety and abandonment. That will definitely increase their symptoms. Also, people who are living with a physical or a mental disorder will have great difficulty accessing the healthcare that they are used to.

What kind of mental disorders are we likely to see on the other side of this pandemic? The typical three disorders we will see are anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders like sleeplessness. Studies have already proven that quarantine has increased anxiety and depression among people. We might also see more instances of smoking, alcohol, and drug use. When people do not have access to their usual entertainment, they might take solace in using substances.

Source: The Indian Express

36. Trump’s inadequate response

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

On January 20, both South Korea and the U.S. reported their first case of the novel coronavirus. Two months later, while South Korea has largely contained the spread, the U.S. is grappling with an exponential increase in the number of cases. On March 26, with 69,197 cases, U.S surpassed Spain (49,515) to have the second highest case load outside mainland China. Now it is inching c South Korea has reported 9,241 cases, six times fewer than the U.S. loser to Italy’s case load of 74,386. On the other hand, A tale of two countries The difference in availability of reliable testing kits in large numbers is mainly why there is such a striking difference in case load in these two countries. While South Korea approved

the first coronavirus test on February 7, when there were just a few cases, the U.S. floundered. In early February, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) distributed about 1,60,000 testing kits to labs across the country. However, only about 200 of them were used. In February, testing was stalled due to various problems. The narrow criteria for testing suspect cases also made it extremely difficult to identify the silent Page | 133 spread of the virus in the community. It was only on February 27 that CDC expanded the criteria allowing doctors to test hospitalised patients with symptoms compatible with COVID-19 as well as other vulnerable populations.

Wh ailable and the testing criteria remained narrow, U.S. President Donald Trump did nothing to get the tests from the World Health Organization or allow companiesen tests to weren’t produce av them. Instead, he lulled people into believing that the virus spread was under check. Unfortunately, the top priority for Mr. Trump does not seem to be public health but the stock market and his re-election prospects.

On January 22, when the WHO was meeting to decide if the SARS-CoV-19 outbreak was a rgency of internati

‘publicnumber health of cases eme in the U.S. crossed 500onal and concern’, the number Mr. Trump of deaths said rose in anto interview,22, Mr. Trump “We tweetedhave it totally that under the SARS- control”.CoV- He reiterated this on several occasions. On March 9, when the worse, he appointed Vice President Mike Pence to lead the U.S. response to the pandemic. This was despite Mr. Pence being2 “risk responsible, is low to theas the average Governor American”. of Indiana, To for make the matterslargest HIV outbreak in th

e state’s history. Worse, government health officials and scientists are Warrequired on science to seek Mr. Pence’s approval before speaking about the virus. Mr. Trump has often waged a war on science. In the past, he has made false claims on evolution, vaccines cause autism. However, he seems to have taken a U-turn now, urging pharma called global warming a “total, and very expensive, hoax”, and stated that said. companies to come up with a vaccine quickly. “Do me a favour, speed it up, speed it up,” he In response, a strongly worded editorial in Science said: “Do us a favour, Mr. AsPresident. the number If you of want cases something, started climbing, start treating Mr. Trump science changed and its the principles narrative. with First, respect.” he lashed referred to SARS-CoV- out at the Democrats, calling the virus their “new comes hoax”. from Then China, he blamed t China and 2 as a “Chinese virus”. When the term angered Chinese officials and Post,others, U.S. he intelligencedefended it agenciessaying, “It’s had not raised racist concerns at all. It about the virus in January-February,hat’s why.” Later buthe saidthe President he wished continued China “would to downplay have told the usrisk earlier”. and failed But to according act. to The Washington

Mr. Trump is known for undermining scientists, institutions and the media. He shut down

the White House National Security Council’s entire global health security unit in 2018, an 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

error that is perhaps going to cost him dearly now. He can only sin

cerely hope that “one Source:day, it’s likeThe a Hindu miracle, it will disappear”. Page | 134 37. Can drugs for Ebola be used to treat COVID-19?

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

Globally unknown till under 200-days ago, the virus SARS-CoV-2, has today, according to -a- million people are under lockdown, over six lakhs are infected and nearly 29,000 dead globally.the World In Health India, Organizationthe numbers (WHO),stand at caused a shade the below world’s 1,000 largest cases pandemic. and 24 deaths Over half(as on March 28, 9 p.m.). The number of cases is growing despite the unprecedented measures put in place by the Central and State governments. With the rise in cases, India has now joined the world in the search for drugs to treat COVID-19. Earlier this week, India approved the use of the anti-malarial drug, hydroxychloroquine, as a preventive medication for people at high risk, such as health workers and immediate contacts of a person who has tested positive for COVID-19.

What is causing death in COVID-19 patients? In India, COVID-19 deaths have been seen in mostly the elderly population with other health issues including diabetes. Emerging data from China and Italy show that COVID-19 patients have severe blood-clotting disorders that lead to respiratory failure and death. Vaccination has been ruled out as an immediate solution, with WHO noting that even if the process is fast-tracked, a vaccine would take over 18 months to be ready for use. The discovery and licensed use of a drug comes with a long-gestation period.

Hence, WHO and other health agencies are re-looking the efficacy of known therapies and drugs this time to treat COVID-19.

Dr. Raman R. Gangakhedkar, Head of Epidemiology and Communicable diseases at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said India, like the rest of the world, does not vaccines have gone into animal toxicity tests. Our best bet right now is looking at re- have the luxury of time to look for new treatment or vaccines right now, “though five

Withpurposed this drugs”. in mind, WHO Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, recently researchers have suggested may be effective against COVID-19. announced the launch of ‘Solidarity’, a giant multinational trial for testing therapies that on Friday, aligned with the study after having so far stayed away due to its small sample He said, “It is launched to generate robust, high quality evidence as fast as possible.” India,

is now is an all-out, coordinated push to

size, according to the ICMR. WHO said, “This Whatcollect are robust the scientificdrugs being data considered? from across the world.” WHO is looking at some of what doctors and researchers believe are the most promising Page | 135 therapies including a combination of two HIV drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir (used in India also for an Italian patient in Rajasthan), anti-malaria medications, chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine, and an experimental antiviral compound called remdesivir.

As for hydroxychloroquine, a senior Health Minist drug has been brought in at an experimental level and the general public has been ry official clarified this by saying: “This the drug supplies we have banned the export of the finished drug and its component cautioned that it is not for use without a doctor’s prescription. To counter any shortage of

Aingredients.” small study conducted in France found it led to a significant reduction in viral load in COVID-19 patients.

What does the research say so far? The drug, remdesivir, developed to treat Ebola and related viruses, is being tested to find out whether it can be used on COVID-19 patients. Says WHO in research material it has - 19 patient diagnosed in the United States, when his condition started worsening, according toreleased: a case “It report works in by the shutting New England down the Journal viral replication. of Medicine. This The was condition first tested of in the a CO patientVID

Theimproved.” international health community has maintained that of the drugs in the Solidarity trial, remdesivir has the best potential the drug shows that it can be used in high doses without causing toxicities. — What about anti-malaria drugs? Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine are decades-old anti-malarial drugs. Hydroxychloroquine is being looked at in India and the ICMR has said that it is currently studying the drug action in the Indian population with respect to COVID-19. After being left consideration when some countries showed interest in its potential. out from the ‘Solidarity trial’ previously, the two drugs were brought back for A study on 20 COVID-19 patients in France who were given hydroxychloroquine showed a significant reduced viral load in nasal swabs. Hydroxychloroquine, in particular, is known to have a variety of side-effects, and can in conditions are at higher risk of severe COVID- who heads Medanta Hospital. some cases harm the heart. “People with heart 19,” warns cardiologist Dr. Naresh Trehan,

The combination drug, ritonavir/lopinavir, was introduced two decades ago to treat HIV infections. Doctors in Wuhan, China, gave 199 patients two pills of lopinavir/ritonavir twice a day plus standard care, or standard care alone.

There was no significant difference between the groups as per reports submitted on March Page | 136 15. Says Dr. K.K. Aggarw drug is generally safe it may interact with drugs usually given to severely ill patients, and al, former head of the Indian Medical Association, “Although the doctorsHe added have that warned another it could combination cause significant under testingliver damage.” is interferon-beta, which WHO has cautioned might be risky.

-19 needs hospitalised care and of these 5% need ICU care. Now with time running out rapidly for the entire world, re-purposed drugs are being aimedSays Dr. at Aggarwal,to contain “15%the problem, of COVID reducing hospital load, freeing critical hospital beds and allowing people to swiftly return to normal work. Agencies are also looking at unapproved drugs that have performed well in animal studies with the other two deadly coronaviruses, which cause Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory

IsSyndrome plasma therapy(MERS).” a possibility? The world health community is also looking at plasma or antibody therapy for COVID-19 with China using it recently on its patients. WHO had recommended its use against Ebola, and issued protocols for its use to treat MERS but its clear-cut benefit to treat COVID-19 cases is still under investigation.

The novel coronavirus hails from a family on which work has already been done worldwide after SARS and MERS. Says Dr. Gangakhedkar, “This really helps in research in the sense that we don’t have to start from scratch. This is vital in our hunt for drugs to contain this Whyvirus.” is the lockdown necessary? Lav Agarwal, delay, maybe push back any surge towards community transmission of COVID-19. It is also helping us to Jointre-draw Secretary, our strategy Union to Health cope withMinistry, this verysays, strong “The lockdown and infectious will give virus. us Indiatime has asked all State governments to be prepared in terms of manpower, hospital facilities

Indiaand care is now for patients.”readying its health infrastructure to cope with a virus that has tested the most resilient health-care systems in the world, bringing them to their knees. According to Prof Balram Bhargava, Director- work together as a nation and an international community. Globally, the problem is being tackled with great urgency General, ICMR, “This is a crisis like no other and we will have to

. The way out is to find a sustainable solution quickly.” Website: www.prepmate.in Telegram Channel: @upscprepmate Prepmate Cengage Books Preview:https://prepmate.in/books/ Youtube channel: PrepMateEdutech For updates on WhatsApp, share your Name, City & Email ID on WhatsApp No. 88986-30000

Source: The Hindu

38. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week approved use of blood plasma from recovered patients to treat severely critical COVID- Page | 137 19 patients

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

The Houston Methodist Hospital took blood from a patient who had recovered from COVID- 19 two weeks ago, and infused it into another critically ill patient. It was a first for the US; ank now plans to collect blood from at least 250 recovered COVID-19 patients. the hospital’s blood b With no specific treatment available for novel coronavirus disease and a vaccine at least a year away, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week approved use of blood plasma from recovered patients to treat severely critical COVID-19 patients.

How does this therapy work? It is called convalescent plasma therapy. It seeks to make use of the antibodies developed in the recovered patient against the coronavirus. The whole blood or plasma from such people is taken, and the plasma is then injected in critically ill patients so that the antibodies are transferred and boost their fight against the virus. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on March 24 that the state would begin clinical trials to use plasma therapy for COVID-19 patients. A study in The Lancet Infectious Diseases last month said a COVID-19 patient usually develops primary immunity against the virus in 10- 14 days. Therefore, if the plasma is injected at an early stage, it can possibly help fight the virus and prevent severe illness.

How often has it been used in the past? Several times. The United States used plasma of recovered patients to treat patients of Spanish flu (1918-1920). Hong Kong used it to treat SARS patients in 2005. In 2009, H1N1 patients were treated with plasma.

How is it done? The process to infuse plasma in a patient can be completed quickly. It only requires standard blood collection practices, and extraction of plasma.

If whole blood is donated (350-450 ml), a blood fractionation process is used to separate the plasma. Otherwise, a special machine called aphaeresis machine can be used to extract the plasma directly from the donor. While blood is indeed extracted from the donor, the aphaeresis machine separates and extracts the plasma using a plasma kit, and the

remaining blood components are returned into the donor’s body. 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 optimistic is the latest move? COVID-19 does not have a specific treatment, only supportive care including antiviral drugs, oxygen supply in mild cases and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Dr C E Eapen of the hepatology department of Christian Medical College, Mumbai,— who works on plasma exchange in critical patients, said plasma can be infused into two kinds of COVID-19 Page | 138 patients those with a severe illness, or individuals at a higher risk of getting the virus. Eapen added, however, that while plasma transfers immunity from one person to another, it is not known— if it can save lives in COVID-19 infection.

Can it be done in India? India has facilities for removing 500 ml of plasma from a donor using aphaeresis. For this experimental therapy to be tried out, the Drug Controller General of India will first have to grant blood banks approval for removal of plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients. Dr Manoj Chugh, chief scientist in Transasia Biomedicals, said the treatment could be effective for patients in the age group 40-60, but may be less effective for people aged beyond 60 years.

Chugh said the procedure is simple and can be done in India, but it is important to control vaccine. It will engulf the virus and kill it. But it is easier said than done. We may need a stheer risk of infection during transfusion, and the patient’s acceptance is required. “It’s like a

Source:ies of Theapprovals. Indian India Express has never done this before,” he said.

39. What can cause a COVID-19 patient to relapse after recovery?

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

In the last few days, there have been reports of recovered COVID-19 patients testing positive a second time. Since the exact behaviour of the novel coronavirus is still being studied, immunity against it is not fully understood.

Theoretically, various factors can cause relapse in patients recovered from COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is like viruses that cause any other flu.

1. There is always a probability of mutation as in the case of influenza viruses. The mutation, theoretically, can make an individual vulnerable to reacquire the COVID-19 infection.

2. Patients who test positive for COVID-19 develop protective antibodies. Theoretically, there can be a relapse even in patients who have antibodies. At this stage, it is not fully understood as to how the long the antibodies provide protection against the viral infection.

3. Also, in the absence of any vaccination, it is not known whether the immunity acquired by the persons is permanent.

4. Another scenario that can lead to relapse is when immunity is compromised, if the Page | 139 patients have underlying conditions and if they are dependent on immunosuppression drugs.

the RNA test being conducted to diagnose COVID-19 infection can lead to a patient testing positive a second time5. Experts after testingalso have negative pointed in between.out that a There “false have negative” reports RTPCR from Spaintest — about imported RNA test kits giving inaccurate results. —

Source: The Indian Express Social Issues

1. Missing at birth: on sex selective abortion and infanticide

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper I; Social Issues

, historically notorious for its crude methods of killing female babies, sent a chill down the spine of the country. A couple Lasthad reportedly week’s case used of the infanticide toxic milk in of Tamil a local Nadu’s herb Usilampattito kill their second girl child, just a month old. Chekkanoorani, a suburb near Usilampatti, in Madurai district, was the scene of the crime, where police arrested a young couple and the paternal grandfather of the child for having fed the 31-day-old with the toxic juice, killing her. This is no isolated case in a nation of missing girls.

What are the figures? Data on sex ratio at birth (SRB) culled from the Civil Registration System, show an alarming fall over the years. From 903 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2007, it dropped to 877 in 2016. Four States have an SRB equal to or below 840: Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan (806), Bihar (837), Uttarakhand (825) and Tamil Nadu (840).

Source: The Hindu

2. Nirbhaya case convicts’ hanging

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper I; Social Issues

The pre-dawn hangings of four men convicted of the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old woman may have brought a semblance of closure to her parents, prompting her mother, to

say, an empty moving bus in Delhi and she died after battling for her life later that month. “Women will now feel safe.” On December 16, 2012, the woman was brutally raped in A little over seven years later, the first date of execution was set for January 22, and the convicts tried all legal avenues possible to escape the punishment. Page | 140

Reforms in rape laws In 2012, the government of the day, reacting to the clamour on the streets for justice, set up the Justice J.S. Verma Committee to look into rape laws. The report, filed in a month, led to stringent changes through the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, but several recommendations were simply not considered, including those relating to marital rape and police reform.

On the imposition of the death penalty, the government went against what the Verma report had suggested step in the unlike the Nirbhaya case— that did seekingnot involve such murder, a punishment can be “wouldawarded be the a regressive death sentence. The Vermafield of Committeesentencing had and argued reformation”. instead Now,for rigorous repeat imprisonmentoffenders in rape of a cases, convict even for life.those that

Imposition of death penalty It is a fact that sexual crimes against women have not come down since the Delhi case. The death penalty could actually encourage the rapist to kill the victim. Going by data in the National Crime Records Bureau report, released in January 2020, a total of 3.78 lakh cases of crimes against women were recorded across India in 2018 compared to 3.59 lakh in 2017 and 3.38 lakh in 2016. The total number of rape cases in 2018 was pegged at 33,356, of which Madhya Pradesh registered 5,450 rapes, the maximum in 2018. The crime rate per one lakh women population was 58.8 in 2018 compared to 57.9 in 2017. At the end of 2018, 33.6% cases were pending police investigation.

Mindset of society This raises the key question what does India need to do to protect its girls and women? It is apparent that laws may have changed, but not mindsets. A society that endorses a preference for the male child —has already condemned the girl child to an unequal world.

Until Indian leaders, policy-makers and society shed the gender bias and the thinking that they need to protect women as a question of honour, there will be no stopping crimes such as rape, sexual assault and harassment.

Source: The Hindu

Internal Security

1. The Maoist trap: On killing of security personnel in Sukma

Relevant for GS Prelims & Mains Paper III; Internal Security

Page | 141 The attack by Maoist e district on Saturday, that killed 17 security personnel and injured 15, including two critically, presents a grim picture on how poorly India continuesxtremists to fare on in this Chhattisgarh’s front. Sukma

There was intelligence that Maoists were going to assemble at Elmagunda village, which is forces, comprising District Reserve Guards, Special Task Force, numbering 500, were dispatcheddominated into by thethe Peoples’forests to Liberation deal with the Guerrilla emergent Army situation. Battalion 1. Accordingly, security

Details of the attack In retrospect, despite the intelligence, they did not encounter even one Maoist and began their journey back, in two groups, to their camps at Chintagufa and Burkapal, not more than six kilometres apart as the crow flies. The smaller contingent, numbering 100, headed to Burkapal, encountered fire six kilometres from the base camp and they duly returned it.

The Maoists retreated and fired again and the security forces fired and followed till they had been lured into an open area in hilly terrain where the Maoists, some 350 of them, had the advantage of numbers, line of fire as well as height, a classic ambush. The Maoists then picked off their targets. The other much larger group, not more than three kilometres away, also came under diversionary fire that kept them pinned down.

Points to ponder 1. The real story is still to emerge, but it is odd that in the battle that began about noon and lasted five-and-a-half daylight hours, reinforcements could not be sent to hapless personnel.

2. It can be surmised that at the very least those who got ambushed did not know the terrain or the tactics enough.

3. It is yet to be convincingly explained how as many as 400 personnel so near did not rush to aid their uniformed brethren. Was it a leadership or assessment issue? Was there a communication breakdown? Was the initial intelligence properly vetted or was it bait? Was this entire operation properly supervised?

It is remarkable, too, that helicopters were able to evacuate the wounded afterwards. So complete was the rout that even though the security forces said they took down some Maoists, there is not much physical evidence to support this claim. It is also significant that as many as 13 of the dead security forces were locals from Sukma district, many of them surrendered Maoists. And unfortunate that many of them bled to death waiting for

assistance. There is a lot to answer for but it seems that despite dedicated training the security forces get for just these eventualities, the Maoists are able to improvise and come out on top, smarter, nimbler, and many steps ahead.

Source: The Hindu Page | 142

Miscellaneous

1. India is host to 457 migratory fauna, shows latest CMS list

Relevant for GS Prelims

With new additions to the wildlife list put out by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), scientists say that the total number of migratory fauna from India comes to 457 species. Birds comprise 83% (380 species) of this figure.

The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) had for the first time compiled the list of migratory species of India under the CMS before the Conference of Parties (COP 13) held in Gujarat recently. It had put the number at 451. Six species were added later. They are the Asian elephant, great Indian bustard, Bengal florican, oceanic white-tip shark, urial and smooth hammerhead shark.

Page | 143

India’s role Globally, more than 650 species are listed under the CMS appendices and India, with over 450 species, plays a very important role in their conservation.

Source: The Hindu

2. Ritesh Aggarwal sets a new benchmark, becomes 2nd youngest billionaire

Relevant for GS Prelims

Ritesh Agarwal, the founder of hotel chain, Oyo has added another feather (in fact, the biggest one yet) to his cap.

After just six years of setting up his hotel chain, he has become the world's 2nd-youngest self-made billionaire.

As per Hurun Global Rich List 2020, 26-year-old Ritesh is estimated to be worth around $1.1 billion (Rs 7,800 crore).

The list is topped by the 22-year-old U.S based cosmetics queen Kylie Jenner, who has personal assets worth $1.1 billion. Page | 144

Stats to boast of Oyo which is backed by investment major Soft Bank, is the largest hotel chain in India.

It is also the largest single hotel brand in China.

In 2019, it became the world's 3rd-largest hotel chain as per room count with 8.5 lakh rooms in its portfolio.

It is now present in more than 800 cities, with over 23,000 partner hotels.

It also runs over 46,000 vacation rooms.

What lies ahead? Oyo is now focussing on the U.S and European markets.

Till now, it has over 300 partner hotels in the US.

The company has set an ambitious plan for itself to become the world's largest hotel chain in 2023.

00 crores).

3.Oyo’s Why valuation tax on now disability stands at pensionover $10 billion upsets (Rs. veterans 70,0

Relevant for GS Prelims

The government has withdrawn a circular of February 20 that had directed banks to deduct income tax on pension and disability benefits provided to disabled retired military personnel. This was based on a letter dated June 24, 2019, through which the income tax was levied. Although the letter provided exemption to those invalidated from service due to bodily disabilities, the sudden deduction of tax liabilities by the banks led to a public outrage, forcing the government to keep the decision in abeyance. The defence accounts department has been directed by the government to withdraw the circular of February 20.

What are the categories of disabled veterans? They are classified under three categories: battle casualties (war wounded), battle casualties and disabilities due to service conditions. Those military personnel who have

been disabled due to wounds or injuries suffered by them in operations with the enemy or terrorists/ insurgents or suchlike operations are battle casualties (war wounded), while personnel who have been declared battle casualties but have not suffered injuries due to physical wounds are classified under battle casualties. The third category pertains to personnel who have been disabled due to conditions of service, wherein some of the Page | 145 disabilities akin to lifestyle diseases are also included.

How are benefits given to disabled personnel? Benefits are based on the percentage of disability: less than 20% disability is not entitled to any benefits while those with disability from 21% to 50% are categorised as 50% disabled, those with 51% to 75% disability are classified as 75% disabled, and those with 76% or more disability are classified as 100% disabled.

The amount of disability pension is based on two categories. The first rate is for battle casualties (war wounded) and battle casualties: For 21% to 50% disability, 30% of the last pay drawn is given as disability pension; for 51% to 75% disability, 45% of the last pay; and for 76% of more disability, 60% of last pay drawn on retirement is given as disability pension.

The second rate applies to personnel with disabilities due to service conditions: For 21% to 50% disability, 15% of the last pay drawn is the disability pension; for 51% to 75% disability, 22.5% of the last pay; and for 76% of more disability, 30% of the last pay drawn on retirement is given as disability pension.

Are these disability pensions tax-free? The entire pension and disability element of pension in all the categories is exempt from payment of income tax. But the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) notification of June 2019 had said that tax exemption on disability pension would be available only to personnel who had been invalidated from service and not to personnel who had retired otherwise. This has been challenged in the Supreme Court which, in an order dated August

What30, 2019, is the directed current all controversyparties to maintain about? ‘status quo’ on the matter. The Principal Controller of Defence Accounts, Allahabad issued a circular on February 20, pensions of disabled soldiers. The State Bank of India then started debiting tax at source for thefor entire “necessary financial action” year on 2019-20 the June from 2019 the CBDTFebruary notification pension of to retired deduct military income personnel tax from who were receiving disability pension. This led to several pensioners receiving as little as Rs 1000 in their accounts.

Source: The Indian Express

4. EPF interest rate lowered to 8.5%

Relevant for GS Prelims

Salaried employees are set to get 0.15% less in interest on provident fund deposits for 2019- Thursday reducing the interest rate from 8.65% to 8.5%. Page | 146 2020, with the Central Board of Trustees of the Employees’ Provident Fund on Source: The Hindu

5. Another Indian joins the elite club of 'Nadellas' and 'Pichais', Sonia Syngal becomes CEO of Gap

Relevant for GS Prelims

There has been one more addition to the illustrious list of global Indians heading a major world corporation. ฀ amed Indian-American Sonia Syngal as its new CEO. America’s largest apparel retailer, Gap has n She is the highest-ranked☝ Indian-American female CEO of a Fortune 500 company after Indra Nooyi stepped down as PepsiCo head in 2018.

About her The India-born Syngal who is now 49, moved to Canada and later to the US with her family in her childhood.

She has previously worked for 10 years at Sun Microsystems and then for six years at Ford before joining Gap in 2004.

She went o

n to become CEO of Old Navy, Gap’s value chain.

StillLater in she a minority headed Gap’s global supply chain and its product operations. Sonia Syngal joins a select group of female CEOs who run companies, belonging to the Fortune 500 list.

Although their number is now at a record high at 33, they still constitute around only 6% of all the CEOs.

At a critical time Sonia Sy

ngal’s elevation has come at a time when Gap is facing a major drop in profits. 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

Its share price has lost about a quarter of its value so far this year, continuing the broad slump that began in 2018.

About Gap Gap was founded in 1969. Page | 147

Apart from its own namesake brand and Old Navy, it also owns The Banana Republic and athleisure brand Athleta.

Its 2019 revenues were nearly $17 billon.

6. Can pets or stray animals spread coronavirus infection?

There is no evidence, either from the history of COVID-19 cases around the world or from the genetic evolution history of the virus itself, that there is any scope of pets (or even stray animals) contracting or transmitting the virus to humans.

There was a lone case in Hong Kong where a pet dog tested positive. Experts think the -to-animal transmission, and say dogs should be kept away from those suffering from COVID-19. dog’s “weak positive” was actually a case of human Source: The Indian Express

7. Australia wins ICC T20 World Cup defeating India

Relevant for GS Prelims

India saved its worst for the final match. A brutal Australia outclassed India by 85 runs to claim a fifth ICC T20 World Cup title on Sunday.

Source: The Hindu

8. The Gwalior dynasty: A short history of the Scindias in Indian politics

Read only for understanding

The entry of Jyotiraditya Scindia together for into the BJP after 18 years in the Congress is a “coming Madhya Pradesh.the whole Scindia family”, which has “the ideology of the BJP in its blood”, according to Yashodhara Raje, Jyotiraditya’s aunt and the BJP MLA from Shivpuri in

Members of the erstwhile royal family of Gwalior have been in politics for over six decades, and are among the most influential political dynasties of independent India. This is the first time in many years that all politically active Scindias are with the BJP.

The beginning: Vijaya Raje Page | 148 The Hindu Mahasabha has traditionally been popular in the Gwalior-Guna area. In the

and this annoyed Jawaharlal Nehru. In 1956, when the Maharaja was in Bombay, the royal1950s, consort, Jivajirao, Vijaya Jyotiraditya’s Raje Scindia, grandfather, travelled was to Delhibelieved to meet to have with a softthe cornerPrime Ministerfor the party and his— daughter Indira. She assured them that Jivajirao had no interest in politics, and did not support or finance the Hindu Mahasabha.

Nehru asked Vijaya Raje to meet Govind Ballabh Pant and Lal Bahadur Shastri, who asked her to contest the Lok Sabha election on a Congress ticket. Vijaya Raje thus became the Congress MP from Guna in 1957, and from Gwalior in 1962. Meanwhile, the Maharaja passed away in 1961.

The break with Congress On March 25, 1966, at a time when Madhya Pradesh was reeling under drought, Pravir Chandra Bhanj Dev, the popular maharaja of Bastar, was shot dead along with 11 of his associates at the palace in Jagdalpur. In her autobiography, Rajpath se Lokpath par (1997), Vijaya Raje wro it is true that he was killed by people who managed to force their way into the palace. The killer was someonete about from the theMaharaja’s police, killing: who had “Perhaps fired the to dispersetruth will thenever crowd be known. that hadBut assemb

That September,led outside.” police fired on and killed two protesting students in Gwalior. The Chief Minister at the time was Dwarka Prasad Mishra, a man with a reputation for arrogance and a dislike of royal families. As the increasingly upset Rajmata, who had by then come to be - h (RSS) saw its opportunity. called “Naraj mata”, decided to leave the Congress, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sang RSS pracharaks Kushabhau Thakre and Pyarelal Khandelwal, who were at the time deputed as sangathan mantris (Secretary, Organisation) of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS), persuaded Vijaya Raje to join the party. During the state and national elections of 1967, she contested the Karera Assembly segment of Gwalior on a BJS ticket, and the Guna Lok Sabha seat as a candidate of the Swatantra Party.

After she won both elections, Vijaya Raje resigned her seat in Parliament to become Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly. Soon afterward, Congress MLAs led by Govind Narayan Singh rebelled against D P Mishra, and the BJS propped up the new government with Singh as Chief Minister. The Congress managed to woo Singh back, but not Vijaya Raje. She won the 1971 Lok Sabha election from Bhind on a BJS ticket, leaving

Guna for her 26-year-old son, Madhavrao Scindia, who won as an Independent backed by the BJS. The Gwalior seat was won by another BJS stalwart, Atal Bihari Vajpayee. When the BJS was re-born as the BJP in 1980, Vijaya Raje was one of its founder members.

Mother, son go separate ways Page | 149 Vijaya Raje was put in jail during the Emergency. She was later released on parole, and Madhavrao Scindia returned to India from Nepal after the government assured him he

I would be put bac Emergencywould not be in arrested. 1977, Madhavrao “Bhaiya (Madhavrao) told her and told me that if he refused to join the Congress, k in jail,” Vijaya Raje wrote. When elections were announced after the her associate Bal Angre: “I will now take my Madhavraoown decisions. contested I don’t need as anyour Independent advice,” Vijaya candidate Raje recorded. from Gwalior, and was able to overcome the Janata wave sweeping the country after the Rajmata appealed to people to vote for him. In the years that followed, however, their relations worsened. Madhavrao had grown close to Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi, and was particularly upset after Vijaya Raje decided to take on Indira at the Rae Bareli seat in the 1980 elections. She lost, while Madhavrao was elected from Guna on a Congress ticket.

Madhavrao served as minister in the governments of Rajiv Gandhi and P V Narasimha Rao, but resigned ahead of the 1996 elections after his name surfaced in the Jain hawala diaries. He quit the Congress after being denied a ticket, and formed the Madhya Pradesh Vikas Congress. He backed the United Front governments led by H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujral, but returned to the Congress in 1998, where he stayed until his death in an air crash in 2001.

The other Scindias in politics Vijaya Raje, who passed away in 2001, also had four daughters, two of whom entered politics.

Vasundhara Raje, 67, was elected to the Rajasthan Assembly from Dholpur in 1985, and to Lok Sabha from Jhalawar in 1989. She remained an MP until 2003, when she returned to Rajasthan, and became Chief Minister. She has been an MLA ever since, and served another term as CM during 2013-18.

Yashodhara Raje, 65, returned from the United States in the early 1990, and started to look

Assembly in 1998, 2003, 2013, and 2018, and served as a Minister in Shivraj Singh after her mother’s Lok Sabha constituency, Guna. She was elected to the Madhya Pradesh

Chouhan’s government. k Sabha member from Jhalawar-Baran.

VasundharaSource: The Raje’s Indian son Express Dushyant Singh is Lo

9. Glass half-empty or half-full? Coronavirus causes a tremendous decrease in pollution levels

While Coronavirus is wreaking havoc across the world by taking a heavy human toll and Page | 150 bringing economies to a halt, there is at least something positive coming out of this catastrophe.

With travel bans and the closure of businesses and factories, pollution levels are dropping all over the world leading to a betterment in the environmental levels.

The ’World’s factory’ takes a break The Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the Coronavirus outbreak, normally witnesses smog across its skies due to high air pollution levels.

But since it has been effectively under a virtual shut down, it is experiencing a clear blue one for a pleasant change.

In fact, majority of China is experiencing the same. This has been confirmed by satellite images provided by NASA and the European Space Agency.

Italians can rejoice (maybe a bit) Italy, which is n territory. ow this virus’s epicentre in Europe, is also witnessingr duea change to reduction across its in water traffic of boats and cruise ships Incredibly,In Venice’s small canals, fishes, the usualswans murkyand even water dolphins has become are clearly crystal visible clea in these canals.

A lesson for the future As humanity is presently locked in an unprecedented battle for survival, it must lie low and get over this grave challenge. However, in the times ahead,* it must restrict its unnecessary commercial activities that increase global warming.

☝immediate priority for now, humans must give it a thought for a brighter future for both themselves and their planet. Although it certainly isn’t the most 10. Invest India Business Immunity Platform launched to helping businesses withstand COVID-19

Relevant for GS Prelims

Invest India, I Ministry of Commerce and Industry has launched The Invest India Business Immunity Platform. The platform,ndia’s national hosted on Investment the Invest PromotionIndia website, & is Facilitation designed as Agency, a comprehensiv under thee

resource to help businesses and investors get real- to COVID-19 (Coronavirus). time updates on India’s active response What will the Platform do? This dynamic and constantly updating platform keeps a regular track on developments Page | 151 with respect to the virus, provides latest information on various central and state government initiatives, gives access to special provisions, and answers and resolves queries through emails and on WhatsApp. The Business Immunity Platform (BIP) is the active platform for business issue redressal, operating 24/7, with a team of dedicated sector experts and responding to queries at the earliest. Invest India has also announced a partnership with SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) for responding and resolving queries for MSMEs.

The platform also includes frequently asked questions on important aspects like locations of COVID-19 testing, special permissions and other location-specific information. The portal also maps and highlights the response mechanism put in place by leading Indian companies such as sanitation of staff vehicles, placing orders in alternate markets, disabling biometric attendance systems, setting up of medical task force, requesting trainees to go home, business continuity plan, barring entry of visitors, suspension of air travel, usage of video-conferencing and tele-conferencing, developing online solutions and other unique initiatives.

What is the need of platform? While COVID-19 continues to disrupt normal life, the impact of this crisis on businesses across the country is being continuously assessed. The government, for its part, has issued timely guidelines for businesses. Business owners have been trying to grasp what these guidelines mean for their businesses. Realizing the uncertainty that the Corona crisis has caused among businesses, the platform was launched on 21st March,2020.

Source: PIB

11. Corona takes its biggest sporting toll yet, Tokyo 2020 Olympics get postponed till next year

Relevant for GS Prelims

The coronavirus pandemic, besides taking thousands of lives and crippling the global economy, has also affected the sporting world. The past few weeks have witnessed, either suspension or cancellation of many sporting events.

The latest in this series, is none other than the biggest sporting event, the Olympics. The Tokyo Olympic Games, which were scheduled to start on July 24 this year, have now been postponed till next year.

The Details This decision to delay the games has come after a discussion between Japan's Prime minister, Shinzo Abe and Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). As per IOC, the games will now be held, not later than summer of 2021. Significantly, they will still be called, the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. Page | 152

Doesn’t come as a surprise This decision was looking almost inevitable, keeping in mind the potential risk to tens of thousands of athletes, crew, staff and supporters from the Coronavirus outbreak. Just a couple of days ago, Australia and Canada had annou articipate in the Tokyo games, unless the event was postponed until 2021. nced that they won’t p Not for the first time The postponement of the Tokyo Olympics is only the 4th occasion in 124-year Olympics history that the games have been cancelled or postponed due to external factors.

The first time, the Olympics were cancelled was in 1916, when their Berlin edition were abandoned, due to World War. Later, the 1940 Tokyo Games and the 1944 London Games were cancelled due to World War II.

Quiz Questions with answer key:

Q1. Consider the following statements about Indo-Afghanistan relations: 1. India supports Ghani government in Afghanistan and opposes the Taliban regime. 2. India has undertaken infrastructure development in Afghanistan in recent years to bring peace in Afghanistan. Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?

(a) 1 only (b)2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Q2. Consider the following statements about Mahakoshal region: 1. The Mahakoshal region include parts of UP, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.

2. The newly discovered gold reserves site Sonabhadra is located in this region. 3. The rocks in this region are less than 500 million years old.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Page | 153

(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

Q3. Central government is working on the establishment of an exclusive body called National Interlinking of Rivers Authority (NIRA) to implement projects for linking rivers. Which of the following tasks are proposed to be done by this body? 1. NIRA is expected to undertake both inter-State and intra-State projects. 2. NIRA will also make arrangement for funds. 3. NIRA will be a final authority in case of inter-state water disputes between/ among States. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

Q4. Which of the following rivers which are part of ongoing river linking projects pass through Madhya Pradesh? (a) Ken-Betwa (b) Damanganga- Pinjal

Page | 154 Q5. Which of the following test is used to detect coronavirus? (a) Complete Blood Count (CBC) (b) Prothrombin Time (PT) (c) Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test (d) Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)

Q6. Recently, the global oil prices have fallen significantly. Which of the following is the primary cause behind fall in oil prices? (a) The demand for oil has reduced due to production halt in Chinese economy on account of fear of coronavirus spread. (b) The over production of crude oil in recent months has led to fall in global oil prices. (c) The new discoveries of oil reserves in Arctic region has led to sharp fall in oil prices. (d) The shale gas reserves are seen as alternate to crude oil, leading to reduction in its price.

Q7. Which of the following definition best describes the market capitalization of a company? (a) It is the total value of all the assets of a company. (b) It is the average of past three years turnover of a company. (c) It is total value of all the shares of a company. (d) It is the sum total of potential earnings of a company.

Q8. Which Indian company has the highest market capitalization? (a) Reliance Industries Limited (b) Infosys

Page | 155 Q9. OPEC Plus is the grouping of petroleum exporting nations. It consists of members of OPEC and one more nation. Which nation is this? (a) USA (b) Russia (c) China (d) Norway

Q10. What is the criteria adopted by WHO for declaring a disease as pandemic? (a) Spread of disease (b)Number of deaths (c) Availability of medical professionals to deal with disease (d)None of the above

Q11. COVID-2019 requires large number of people to be in home quarantine. These category of people include: 1. Members of same household as a COVID-19 case 2. A person having had direct physical contact with a COVID-19 case 3. A person having had direct physical contact with a COVID-19 case infectious secretions 4. A person who was in a closed environment with a COVID-19 case 5. Face to face contact with a COVID-19 case at a distance of within 1 metre Select the correct answer using code given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 5 only (b) 1, 2, 4 and 5 only

Page | 156 Q12. Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a large hydro-power project is disputed between which of the following countries? (a) Tanzania and Ethiopia (b) South Sudan and Ethiopia (c) Eretria and Ethiopia (d) Ethiopia and Egypt

Q13. Which of the following is possibly the least likely cause behind Coronavirus reinfection? (a) The virus could have been dormant in the body, so that the test before discharge would have failed to pick the low virus threshold. Eventually, the viral load increases so that it is detected during re-testing. (b) The patient reacquires the infection, perhaps a mutated strain, from the community. (c) The antibodies formed in the body during the coping up against the virus infection for the first time gradually loose their ability with time. (d) The antibodies formed against the virus during the first infection may fail to deal with the large doses of same variety of strain during the reinfection.

Q14. What are Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bonds? (a) These are secured bonds issued by banks to shore up their capital base to meet Basel III requirements. (b) These are unsecured bonds issued by banks to shore up their capital base to meet Basel III requirements. (c) These are secured bonds issued by private companies to shore up their capital base to meet SEBI requirements.

(d) These are unsecured bonds issued by private companies to shore up their capital base to meet SEBI requirements.

Page | 157 Q15. What does polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test include? (a) It is a technique that creates copies of a segment of DNA. (b) It is a technique that creates copies of a segment of RNA. (c) It is a technique prevents segments of DNA from copying. (d) It is a technique prevents segments of RNA from copying.

Q16. What is the common application of SEIR model? (a) It is used to predict the rise in population growth of country. (b) It is used to ascertain the adoption of technology by people. (c) It is used to ascertain the impact of sentiments on economy. (d) It is used to predict the prevalent of infectious diseases among population.

Q17. Which of the following post/posts can be accepted by CJI after his/her retirement? 1. Position of Governor 2. Member of Rajya Sabha 3. Member of Lok Sabha 4. Practice as Lawyer Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(a) 2 and 3 only (b) 1, 2 and 4 only (c) 1, 2 and 3 (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q18. Consider the following benefits of Vitamin C? 1. Page | 158 2. Vitamin C helpcan cure the body’sa patient immune from viral system infection. fight the virus. 3. Vitamin C can cure or prevent a novel coronavirus infection. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) 1 and 3 (d) 2 and 3

Q19. Arrange the following surfaces in terms of life of Coronavirus on these surfaces in ascending order? (a) Cardboard boxes, Air, Plastic, Steel (b) Air, Copper, Cardboard boxes, Plastic (c) Air, Cardboard boxes, Plastic, Copper (d) Cardboard boxes, Plastic, Copper, Steel

Q20. In which of the following Coronavirus transmission stage, the source of transmission cannot be identified? (a) 1st Stage (b) 2nd Stage (c) Both 1st and 2nd (d) 3rd Stage

Q21. On account of Corona spread, the 2020 Oylmpics have been postponed for the year 2021. Which city is going to host this Olympic event?

(a) Paris (b) Tokyo (c) London Page | 159 (d) Canberra

Q22. Consider the following statements regarding Madhya Pradesh politics: 1. The Congress government which was formed after 2018 assembly elections fell due to withdrawal of support by some of its MLAs. 2. These defected MLAs voted in favour of BJP candidate while proving the strength for majority. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only (a) 2 only (b) Both 1 and 2 (c) Neither 1 and 2

Q23. Consider the preparedness of India in terms of essential supplies to fight Coronavirus: 1. The Stocks of wheat and rice available with Food Corporation of India are above the minimum operational buffer-cum-strategic stock. 2. The stocks of Pulses with Nafed are also of decent quantity. 3. Covid- chain. 19’s impact is expected to be on production of wheat and pulses and not its supply Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only

Page | 160 Q24. When the Reserve Bank of India announces an increase in the cash reserve ratio, what does it mean? (a) The commercial banks will have less money to lend. (b) The union government will have less money to lend. (c) The union government will have more money to lend. (d) The commercial banks will have more money to lend.

Q26. Consider the following statements: 1. Repo rate is the rate at which the RBI lends money to commercial banks for a short period. 2. Reverse repo rate is the rate which the RBI pays to commercial banks on short-term deposits. 3. Repo is used to reduce liquidity in the economy, whereas reverse repo is used to increase liquidity in the economy. Which of the statements given above is/ are not correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only (c) 3 only

(d) 1, 2, and 3 Page | 161

Solution:

1- c 2- a 3- b 4- b 5- c 6- a 7- c 8- d 9- b 10- a

11- d 12- d 13- c 14- b 15- a 16- d 17- c 18- a 19- b 20- d

21- b 22- a 23- a 24- a 25- d 26- c

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