June 2021 2019

Home , Shenzhou 13, Vaccine storage, Yashpal Kapur

CURRENT AFFAIRS ORGANIC AND ORGANISED DECEMBERJUNE 2021 2019

A LETTER FROM MY HEART

Dear IAS Aspirant Friends, It gives me immense pleasure to present to you the 360º Current Affairs Magazine for the month of June 2021. The dedicated team that compiles and edits Current Affairs at IAS WINNISHERS has made sincere efforts to provide to you the most relevant and important news from the point of view of Interview, Mains and especially the soon approaching Prelims.

Our mission is to build IAS aspirants into human beings who can become IAS officers. In that direction, we strive to facilitate the current affairs knowledge that is ORGANIC and ORGANISED.

Due to the ongoing unfortunate situation, we fully empathize with your anxiety related to the exam. This compilation aids you in your preparation, especially the soon approaching Prelims exam. This issue also carries information on INTERVIEW GUIDANCE PROGRAM conducted by IAS WINNISHERS, which has produced amazing results in the past. Get more information on our website and benefit immensely from it.

Wishing You Success Vinay Kumar R Founder & CEO, IAS WINNISHERS

Vinay Kumar R International NLP & IAS Coach 9036113902 | 9886273325 www.iaswinnishers.com © Winnishers Educational Services Pvt Ltd

Contents

1. POLITY & CONSTITUTION ...... 8 1.1.LAST ‘D-VOTER’ WALKS OUT OF ASSAM DETENTION CENTRE ...... 8 1.2.ANTICIPATORY BAIL ...... 8 1.3.IMPLEMENTATION OF FIRST STEP TOWARDS ‘ONE NATION ONE STANDARD’ ...... 10 1.4.MODEL TENANCY ACT ...... 10 1.5.CENTRAL VIGILANCE COMMISSION LAYS DOWN RULES FOR POST-RETIREMENT HIRING OF OFFICIALS BY GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS ...... 11 1.6.SERUM INSTITUTE SEEKS INDEMNITY FROM LIABILITY: SOURCES ...... 12 1.7.SC PANEL RELEASES DRAFT RULES FOR LIVESTREAMING COURT PROCEEDINGS ...... 13 1.8.WHY SIMULTANEOUS POLLS IS AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME? ...... 14 1.9.CENTRAL DEPUTATION OF OFFICERS VERY LOW: DOPT ...... 15 1.10.SHOULD RETIRED OFFICIALS BE BARRED FROM DISCLOSING INFORMATION? ...... 16 1.11.ON REFORMS AND PUBLIC EXPENDITURES, LET’S NOT FORGET TO SCRUTINISE STATES ...... 17 1.12.RENGMA NAGAS DEMAND AUTONOMOUS DISTRICT COUNCIL ...... 18 1.13.VEHICLE SCRAPPAGE POLICY 2021: EXPECTATIONS AND CHALLENGES ...... 18 1.14.UN BODY LAUDS SUCCESS OF CENTRE’S ASPIRATIONAL DISTRICTS PROGRAMME ...... 20 1.15.INDIA’S INVESTMENT IN RESEARCH UNSATISFACTORY: UNESCO REPORT ...... 21 1.16.DELHI HC CALLS OUT MISUSE OF UAPA, RAISES BAR FOR STATE TO SLAP TERROR TAG ...... 22 1.17.ACQUITTED BUT NOT FORGOTTEN ...... 23 1.18.HOW POLL RESULTS ARE CHALLENGED, AND WHEN COURTS HAVE SET THEM ASIDE? ...... 24 1.19.SC JUDGE RECUSES HERSELF FROM BENGAL BJP ACTIVISTS’ KILLING CASE ...... 26 1.20.ECI RELEASES AN ATLAS ON GENERAL ELECTIONS 2019 ...... 26 1.21.AMENDMENTS IN CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT ...... 27 1.22.CINEMATOGRAPH AMENDMENT BILL ...... 29 1.23.DELIMITATION IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR: HOW, WHY? ...... 30 1.24.HURDLES IN CLASS ACTION ...... 31 1.25.CABINET NOD FOR INLAND VESSELS BILL ...... 33 1.26.EX-INFOSYS CEO TO HEAD TASK FORCE TO HELP GOVT IN BRINGING MAJOR REFORMS ...... 33 1.27.WHAT IS RANKED CHOICE VOTING, WHICH MADE ITS DEBUT IN NEW YORK MAYORAL POLLS? ...... 34 1.28.WHAT ARE DMCA NOTICES FOR PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ONLINE? ...... 35 1.29.RATION CARD REFORM, SO FAR...... 37 2. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS ...... 39 2.1.74TH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY OF WHO ...... 40 2.2.CABINET APPROVES MOC BETWEEN INDIA & JAPAN ON SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT ...... 41

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2.3.EQUAL ACCESS TO GREEN CARDS FOR LEGAL EMPLOYMENT (EAGLE) ACT ...... 42 2.4.WORLD EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL OUTLOOK: TRENDS 2021 ...... 43 2.5.SWITZERLAND REJECTS EU TREATY ...... 43 2.6.12TH CHIEF ENERGY MINISTERIAL 2021 & 6TH MISSION INNOVATION MINISTERIAL HOSTED BY CHILE 44 2.7.INDIA ELECTED TO UN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL FOR THE 2022-24 TERM ...... 46 2.8.GLOBAL WIND WORKFORCE OUTLOOK 2021-2025 ...... 47 2.9.ARAB-INDIA ENERGY FORUM ...... 47 2.10.INDIA, KUWAIT SIGN MOU FOR COOPERATION ON RECRUITMENT OF INDIAN WORKERS ...... 48 2.11.SMALL ISLAND STATES EXPERIENCED AN ESTIMATED 9% FALL IN GDP IN 2020: UNCTAD REPORT ...... 49 2.12.NEW ATLANTIC CHARTER ...... 49 2.13.47TH G7 LEADERS SUMMIT 2021 ...... 51 2.14.UN ‘HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE ON DESERTIFICATION, LAND DEGRADATION AND DROUGHT’ ...... 54 2.15.INDIA, PAKISTAN, CHINA APPEAR TO BE EXPANDING NUCLEAR ARSENALS: SWEDISH THINK TANK ..... 55 2.16.BIDEN-PUTIN SUMMIT...... 56 2.17.NATO LEADERS DECLARE CHINA A CONSTANT GLOBAL SECURITY CHALLENGE ...... 58 2.18.GLOBAL PEACE INDEX 2021 ...... 60 2.19.GLOBAL TRENDS IN FORCED DISPLACEMENT – 2020 REPORT UNHCR ...... 61 2.20.PM MODI VIRTUALLY ADDRESSES 5TH EDITION OF VIVATECH IN PARIS ...... 63 2.21.42ND SESSION OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION’S (FAO) CONFERENCE ...... 64 2.22.INDIA, FIJI SIGN MOU ON COOPERATION IN AGRICULTURE AND ALLIED SECTORS ...... 65 2.23.MINISTERIAL-LEVEL THEMATIC FORUM FOR UN HIGH LEVEL DIALOGUE ON ENERGY 2021 ...... 65 2.24.G20 LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT MINISTERS’ MEETING 2021 ...... 67 2.25.JAPAN TO PROVIDE INDIA $ 9.3 MILLION AID TO BUILD COLD CHAIN SYSTEM TO FIGHT COVID ...... 68

3. ECONOMY ...... 70 AGRICULTURE AND RELATED ISSUES ...... 71 3.1.INDEGENISATION OF UREA PRODUCTION ...... 71 ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT...... 72 3.2.SDG INDIA INDEX 2020-21 ...... 72 3.3.BOND WITH THE BEST TO STAY AHEAD OF INFLATION ...... 74 3.4.WORLD COMPETITIVENESS INDEX ...... 75 FISCAL POLICY& TAXATION ...... 76 3.5.GLOBAL MINIMUM TAX ...... 76 3.6.TAX ON ONLINE GAMING AND E-SPORTS...... 77 3.7.FUTURE OF JOBS ...... 79 3.8.RECONSIDER PRIVATIZATION ...... 80 MONETARY POLICY, BANKING AND FINANCIAL SECTOR ...... 82 3.9.RBI CIRCULAR ON CRYPTOCURRENCY ...... 82 3.10.2020 AMENDMENT TO BANKING REGULATION ACT ...... 82 3.11.RBI CONSUMER CONFIDENCE SURVEY ...... 83 3.12.COOPERATIVE BANKS NEED A SINGLE REGULATOR ...... 85 3.13.VARIABLE CAPITAL COMPANY ...... 86

3.14.EMBRACING CRYPTOCURRENCIES ...... 87 INDUSTRY AND INFRASTRUCTURE ...... 88 3.15.RAISING AND ACCELERATING MICRO SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISE PERFORMANCE PROGRAM (RAMP) ...... 88 3.16.PPP IN INDIAN RAILWAYS - KEY TO INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT ...... 89 3.17.INDIA'S FIRST MARITIME ARBITRATION CENTRE ...... 91 3.18.INDIAN MSME SECTOR: STATE OF AFFAIRS ...... 92 EXTERNAL SECTOR ...... 93 3.19.SURGE IN FDI INFLOWS ...... 93 3.20.CHINA IS NOW THE SECOND LARGEST EXPORT DESTINATION ...... 95 3.21.INDIA - EU FTA: RESUMPTION OF NEGOTIATIONS ...... 96 3.22.FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS INCREASE FDI INFLOWS ...... 97

4. ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY ...... 98 4.1.A NEW FROG SPECIES DISCOVERED FROM NEW GUINEA ...... 99 4.2.LAST RESORT: SEEDS KEPT SAFE IN SOUTH KOREAN MOUNTAINS ...... 99 4.3.GECKO NAMED AFTER MIZO CHIEFTAIN ...... 100 4.4.BLUE – FINNED MAHSEER ...... 101 4.5.WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2021 ...... 102 4.6.ANTI-HAIL GUNS TO PREVENT CROP DAMAGE DUE TO HAILSTORMS ...... 103 4.7.ODISHA TO CREATE NATURAL BARRIERS ALONG ITS COAST ...... 104 4.8.‘SEA SNOT ‘OUTBREAK IN TURKEY ...... 105 4.9.WORLD OCEAN DAY 2021 ...... 106 4.10.PLASTIC HACKATHON 2021 CAMPAIGN ...... 107 4.11.WOOLLY FLYING SQUIRREL ...... 108 4.12.HERITAGE TREES ...... 109 4.13.OPERATION OLIVIA ...... 110 4.14.A CARNIVOROUS REPTILE THAT LIVED 240 MILLION YEARS AGO ...... 111 4.15.A NEW TREE SPECIES DISCOVERED IN ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS...... 111 4.16.DEEP OCEAN MISSION ...... 112 4.17.MASSIVE SPIDER WEBS IN AUSTRALIA ...... 113 4.18.AUSTRALIA MAY LIST EAST COAST KOALAS AS ENDANGERED...... 114 4.19.FOSSILS SHOW NEW SPECIES OF EXTINCT GIANT RHINO THAT ROAMED ASIA ...... 115 4.20.BLACK SOFTSHELL TURTLE ...... 116 4.21.GREAT BARRIER REEF...... 117 4.22.WORLD’S FIRST GENETICALLY MODIFIED RUBBER ...... 118 4.23.TASMANIAN DEVIL ...... 119 4.24.LIGHTNING DEATHS DOUBLE SINCE 2004 ...... 120 4.25.BANNI GRASSLANDS ...... 121

5. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ...... 123 SPACE RELATED ...... 124

5.1.NASA’S CURIOSITY PHOTOGRAPHS CLOUDS ON MARS ...... 124 5.2.RAINBOW-COLOURED SUN HALO ...... 124 5.3.NASA’s ARTEMIS ACCORD ...... 126 5.4.CHINA’S ‘ARTIFICIAL SUN’ EXPERIMENTAL FUSION REACTOR ...... 127 5.5.EXPLORATION OF VENUS ...... 128 5.6.COUNTING THE STARS IN THE UNIVERSE ...... 130 5.7.ENVISION MISSION TO VENUS ...... 130 5.8.PASIPHAE ...... 131 5.9.NEW SHEPHARD ROCKET SYSTEM ...... 133 5.10.WORLD'S FIRST WOODEN SATELLITE ...... 134 5.11.SHENZHOU-12 MISSION ...... 135 5.12.NASA'S IBEX SATELLITE ...... 136 5.13.NEAR EARTH ASTEROID RENDEZVOUS (NEAR) SHOEMAKER...... 137 OTHER NEWS ...... 139 5.14.NANOROD BASED OXYGEN SENSOR...... 139 5.15.AI-DRIVEN PLATFORM WILL FACILITATE EARLY-COVID ...... 139 5.16.SWASTIIK (SAFE WATER AND SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE FROM INDIAN KNOWLEDGE BASE) ...... 140 5.17.SUPERSONIC AIRCRAFTS ...... 141 5.18.FIRST CAR-T CELL THERAPY ...... 143 5.19.HIGH PURITY OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR...... 143 5.20.NEW WASTE WATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY ...... 144 5.21.CHIME TELESCOPE PROJECT ...... 145 5.22.JIVAN VAYU ...... 146 5.23.BIOFACTURING ...... 147 5.24.NON-FUNGIBLE TOKEN (NFT)...... 148 5.25.SENSIT RAPID COVID-19 AG KIT ...... 149 5.26.SEA WATER DESALINATION THROUGH SOLAR THERMAL FORWARD OSMOSIS...... 150 5.27.COATING CARBON ON LITHIUM METAL OXIDE ELECTRODE CAN DOUBLE BATTERY LIFE ...... 151 5.28.HYBRID CLOUD LAB ...... 151 5.29.NANOGENERATORS ...... 152 5.30.RAPID ANTIGEN TEST KIT FOR COVID-19 ...... 152 5.31.COWIN OPEN-SOURCE VERSION ...... 153

6. SECURITY ...... 155 6.1.POSITIVE INDIGENISATION LIST ...... 156 6.2.INS SANDHAYAK ...... 156 6.3.HYDROGRAPHY ...... 156 6.4.CORPAT EXERCISE...... 157

7. SOCIAL ISSUES ...... 158

SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT, WOMEN EMPOWERMENT, SOCIETY, POVERTY AND DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES ...... 158 7.1.KERALA’S ‘BELL OF FAITH’ FOR RURAL ELDERS ...... 158 7.2.NORMS FOR CONTENT FOR DISABLED CHILDREN ...... 158 7.3.ANAEMIA ...... 160 7.4.DEMAND FOR OFFICIAL LANGUAGE STATUS FOR TULU ...... 162 7.5.LAKSHADWEEP ADMINISTRATION’S PROPOSED TWO-CHILD NORM ...... 163 7.6.THE GENDER TECHNOLOGY GAP ...... 165 7.7.CHINA'S RELAXATION OF ITS TWO-CHILD POLICY ...... 166 ISSUES RELATED TO HEALTH ...... 167 7.8.SPUTNIK V IN INDIA ...... 167 7.9.CORBEVAX...... 168 7.10.INDIA’S FIRST INDIGENOUS TUMOUR ANTIGEN SPAG9 ...... 169 7.11.H10N3 BIRD FLU ...... 170 7.12.DELTA VARIANT OF COVID-19 ...... 171 7.13.RESOLUTION 75/260 OF UNGA ON HIV/AIDS ...... 171 7.14.THE ROLE OF ANIMAL SERUM IN MAKING OF VACCINES:...... 172 7.15.DELTA PLUS VARIANT ...... 173 7.16.ABYSMALLY LOW NUMBER OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS (HCW) ...... 174 7.17.SUICIDES WORLDWIDE ...... 175 7.18.WHY ONLY SOME BACTERIA DEVELOP MULTI-DRUG RESISTANCE? ...... 176 7.19.KEEPING ALIVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT AIDS ...... 177 ISSUES RELATED TO EDUCATION ...... 178 7.20.PERFORMANCE GRADING INDEX (PGI) ...... 178 7.21.THE AISHE REPORT 2019-20...... 179

8. SCHEMES...... 182 8.1.HORTICULTURE CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME ...... 182 8.2.SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE TOWARDS AFFORDABLE TRANSPORTATION (SATAT) ...... 2 8.3.PM-CARES FOR CHILDREN SCHEME ...... 2 8.4.PRADHAN MANTRI GARIB KALYAN PACKAGE (PMGKP): INSURANCE SCHEME FOR HEALTH WORKERS FIGHTING COVID-19 ...... 4 8.5.HEALTH SCHEMES ...... 5 8.6.PRAN VAYU DEVTA PENSION SCHEME AND OXY VAN (OXYGEN FORESTS) ...... 5 8.7.NATIONAL INITIATIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND HARNESSING INNOVATIONS (NIDHI) PROGRAMME ...... 6 8.8.SEED MINIKITS PROGRAMME ...... 7 8.9.YOUNTAB SCHEME ...... 8 8.10.NATIONAL MISSION ON INTERDISCIPLINARY CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEMS (NM-ICPS) ...... 8 8.11.TRANSFORMATION OF ASPIRATIONAL DISTRICTS PROGRAMME ...... 10 8.12.IDEX - DIO ...... 11 8.13.MODIFIED ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING CLUSTERS (EMC 2.0) SCHEME ...... 12 8.14.INDIAN CERTIFICATION OF MEDICAL DEVICES (ICMED) PLUS SCHEME ...... 13

8.15.BIOTECH-KRISHI INNOVATION SCIENCE APPLICATION NETWORK (BIOTECH-KISAN)SCHEME ...... 14 8.16.INTEGRATED POWER DEVELOPMENT SCHEME ...... 2 8.17.CATTLE GENOMICS SCHEMES ...... 3 8.18.SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF YOGA AND MEDITATION(SATYAM) PROGRAMME ...... 3 8.19.NISHTHA SCHEME...... 4 8.20.PM FORMALISATION OF MICRO FOOD PROCESSING ENTERPRISES (PMFME) ...... 6

9. MISCELLANEOUS & FACTS ...... 8 9.1.AmbiTAG ...... 9 9.2.WORLD MILK DAY...... 9 9.3.‘INDIA CYCLES4CHANGE’ CHALLENGE ...... 10 9.4.GEOGLYPHS ...... 10 9.5.GUSSADI TRADITION ...... 10 9.6.SAGE INITIATIVE ...... 11 9.7.INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE...... 11 9.8.KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY MISSION ...... 12 9.9.RATLE HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT ...... 12 9.10.QS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS 2022 ...... 14 9.11.NAGORNO-KARABAKH REGION ...... 14 9.12.GLOBAL LIVEABILITY INDEX 2021 ...... 15 9.13.RAM PRASAD BISMIL ...... 16 9.14.PULITZER PRIZE 2021 ...... 16 9.15.FORTIFIED RICE BRAN OIL ...... 17 9.16.INDO-ISRAEL AGRICULTURAL PROJECT (IIAP) ...... 18 9.17.JALGAON BANANA ...... 18 9.18.JUNETEENTH ...... 19 9.19.'WHO M-YOGA' MOBILE APP ...... 19 9.20.DRAGON MAN ...... 20 9.21.'ITAT E-DWAR' ...... 21 9.22.AMBERGRIS ...... 21 9.23.BANKIM CHANDRA CHATTOPADHYAY ...... 22 9.24.HERERO AND NAMA GENOCIDE...... 23 9.25.NATRAX ...... 23 9.26.PC MAHALANOBIS ...... 24

1. POLITY & CONSTITUTION

1.1.LAST ‘D-VOTER’ WALKS OUT OF ASSAM DETENTION CENTRE

Why in news? The last ‘D-voter’ or doubtful voter has walked out of one of six detention centres in Assam, leaving about 170 more similarly marked people to be released from the other five. Manindra Das was marked a ‘D-voter’ in 2015 and later declared a “foreigner” in a one-sided decision by a Foreigners’ Tribunal.

D-voter  A D-voter is a category of voters in Assam disenfranchised by the government allegedly for lacking proper citizenship credentials.  Those persons whose citizenship was doubtful or was under dispute were categorized as ‘D- Voters’ during the preparation of National Register of Citizens in Assam.  They have not been defined in the Citizenship Act, 1955 or the Citizenship Rules of 2003.

Declared foreigner:  A declared foreigner, or DF, is a person marked by Foreigners’ Tribunal (FT) for allegedly failing to prove their citizenship after the State police’s Border wing marks him or her as an illegal immigrant.

About The Foreigner tribunals  They are set up under the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964.  The tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies, to determine if a person staying illegally is a “foreigner” or not.  Composition: Advocates not below the age of 35 years of age with at least 7 years of practice (or) Retired Judicial Officers from the Assam Judicial Service (or) Retired IAS of ACS Officers (not below the rank of Secretary/Addl. Secretary) having experience in quasi-judicial works.  The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order, 1964, and has empowered district magistrates in all States and Union Territories to set up tribunals (quasi-judicial bodies) to decide whether a person staying illegally in India is a foreigner or not.

1.2.ANTICIPATORY BAIL

Why in news? A Supreme Court judgment said an accused denied anticipatory bail can, in exceptional circumstances, still be given protection from immediate arrest if his sudden incarceration by the State will plunge his personal affairs and family into crisis.

• An accused, besides being an accused, may also be the primary caregiver or sole breadwinner of the family. His arrest may leave his loved ones in a state of starvation and neglect. • In such “exceptional” cases, Chief Justice Ramana observed that courts had the power to allow an accused, while dismissing his anticipatory bail plea, to retain his personal liberty for “some time” — the shortest duration reasonably required — in order to make arrangements for his family before surrendering in the trial court • Chief Justice Ramana urged judges to pay equal attention to the humane side of criminal law while hearing pleas for anticipatory bail. The grant or rejection of bail in such cases had a direct bearing on the fundamental right to life and liberty of an individual. • The concept of anticipatory bail germinated from Article 21 of the Constitution. At times, courts may need to look beyond the strict confines of the written text to secure complete justice. The High Courts and the Supreme Court had the powers to do so. • “Therefore, such an order [to grant protection from arrest despite denying anticipatory bail] must necessarily be narrowly tailored to protect the interests of the applicant [accused] while taking into consideration the concerns of the investigating authority. Such an order must be a reasoned one,” the judgment said.

Need for such a order: • In the 1980 Gurbaksh Singh Sibbia vs State of Punjab case, a five-judge Supreme Court bench led by then Chief Justice Y V Chandrachud ruled that 438 (1) is to be interpreted in the light of Article 21 of the Constitution (protection of life and personal liberty).

About Anticipatory bail: • The provision of anticipatory bail under Section 438 was introduced when CrPC was amended in 1973. • The reason for enactment of Section 438 in the Code was parliamentary acceptance of the crucial underpinning of personal liberty in a free and democratic country. • Parliament wished to foster respect for personal liberty and accord primacy to a fundamental tenet of criminal jurisprudence, that everyone is presumed to be innocent till he or she is found guilty. • As opposed to ordinary bail, which is granted to a person who is under arrest, in anticipatory bail, a person is directed to be released on bail even before arrest is made. • The Supreme Court (SC) in Sushila Aggarwal v. State of NCT of Delhi (2020) case delivered a significant verdict, ruling that no time limit can be set while granting anticipatory Bail and it can continue even until the end of the trial. • It is issued only by the Sessions Court and High Court

1.3.IMPLEMENTATION OF FIRST STEP TOWARDS ‘ONE NATION ONE STANDARD’

Why in news? In a first step towards implementing “One Nation One Standard”, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs announced integrating the biggest body of the Railways that sets standards — Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) with the Bureau of Indian Standards.

Objective:  The idea is to develop one template of standard for one given product instead of having multiple agencies set it.  Convergence and integration of all standards will result in national standard for one subject and will help in establishing in the long run Brand India. This will also ensure market relevance for the Indian standards.  The partnership will help RDSO realign its standard formulation procedures as per the code of good practices mentioned under the WTO-Technical Barriers to Trade.

About RDSO  Research Designs & Standards Organization (RDSO), Lucknow, is the sole R&D Wing of the Ministry of Railways.  It is one of India’s leading Standard formulating Body undertaking standardization work for the railway sector.

1.4.MODEL TENANCY ACT

Why in news? The Union Cabinet has approved the Model Tenancy Act for circulation to all States / Union Territories for adaptation by way of enacting fresh legislation or amending existing rental laws suitably.

Objective:  It will help overhaul the legal framework with respect to rental housing across the country, which would help spur its overall growth.  The Model Tenancy Act aims at creating a vibrant, sustainable and inclusive rental housing market in the country.  It will enable creation of adequate rental housing stock for all the income groups thereby addressing the issue of homelessness.  Model Tenancy Act will enable institutionalisation of rental housing by gradually shifting it towards the formal market.  The Model Tenancy Act will facilitate unlocking of vacant houses for rental housing purposes.  It is expected to give a fillip to private participation in rental housing as a business model for addressing the huge housing shortage.  As per Census 2011, more than 1 crore houses were lying vacant in urban areas.  States can adopt the Act as it is with fresh legislation, since it is a state subject, or they can amend their existing rent acts to factor in the new MTA.

 The government says the Act aims to formalise the shadow market of rental housing, unlock vacant properties, increase rental yields, ease/remove exploitative practices, reduce procedural barriers in registration, and increase transparency and discipline.

What’s new?  States will set up a grievance redressal mechanism comprising of Rent Authority, Rent Court and Rent Tribunal to provide fast-track resolution of disputes. Disposal of a complaint/appeal by the Rent Court and the Rent Tribunal will be mandatory within 60 days.  There is no monetary ceiling. At present, in many old properties let out under archaic rent-control Acts, such ceilings have left landlords stuck with outdated rent amounts.  A digital platform will be set up in the local vernacular language or the language of the State/Union Territory for submitting tenancy agreement and other documents. Rent Authority will keep a tab on these agreements.  Verbal agreements will be out of the picture, as the MTA mandates written agreement for all new tenancies which is to be submitted to Rent Authority.  Tenant will continue to pay the rent even during the pendency of a dispute with a landlord.  Subletting of premises can only be done with the prior consent of the landlord, and no structural change can be done by the tenant without the written consent of the landlord.  It is an important piece of legislation that promises to ease the burden on civil courts, unlock rental properties stuck in legal disputes, and prevent future tangles by balancing the interests of tenants and landlords.

1.5.CENTRAL VIGILANCE COMMISSION LAYS DOWN RULES FOR POST- RETIREMENT HIRING OF OFFICIALS BY GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS

Why in news? The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has laid down a defined procedure to be followed by government organisations for getting vigilance clearance before employing a retired official on contractual or consultancy basis.

Need of rules:  The absence of a uniform procedure sometimes led to a situation where officials with tainted past or cases pending against them were engaged.Such a situation not only leads to unnecessary complaints/allegations of favouritism, but is also against the tenets of fairness and probity which is the basic principle governing the functioning of government organisations.

According to the procedure:  Before offering employment to the retired officers of the All India Services, Group A officers of the Central government or their equivalent in other organisations owned or controlled by the Centre, vigilance clearance from

the employer organisation, from which the officer has retired, should be necessarily obtained.  In case a retired officer had served in more than one organisation, clearance has to be obtained from all of them where the person was posted during the 10 years prior to retirement. Simultaneously, a communication seeking clearance should also be sent to the Central Vigilance Commission.  If no reply is received from the erstwhile employer (s) within 15 days of sending the communication by speed post, a reminder can be sent for expediting the process.  In case there is no response within 21 days of the initial communication, vigilance clearance should be deemed to have been given.  Later, if the former employee is found involved in any vigilance related matter or not cleared from the vigilance point of view, the erstwhile employer organisation would be responsible for all consequential actions.  The CVC said the posts to be filled up on contractual/consultancy basis should be advertised properly at least on the organisations’ website and made available in the public domain for all the interested persons.

1.6.SERUM INSTITUTE SEEKS INDEMNITY FROM LIABILITY: SOURCES

Why in news? With the Centre favourably considering granting indemnity against legal proceedings to foreign vaccine makers Pfizer and Moderna prior to their rollout in India, the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) has also sought indemnity from liability, expressing the hope that rules would be the same for everyone.

What Is Indemnity? • Indemnity is a comprehensive form of insurance compensation for damages or loss. When the term indemnity is used in the legal sense, it may also refer to an exemption from liability for damages. • Indemnity is a contractual agreement between two parties. In this arrangement, one party agrees to pay for potential losses or damages caused by another party. • A typical example is an insurance contract, in which the insurer or the indemnitor agrees to compensate the other (the insured or the indemnitee) for any damages or losses in return for premiums paid by the insured to the insurer. • In this context indemnity here means, if the government gives an indemnity to foreign vaccine makers to roll out their vaccine in the country, the government, and not the vaccine maker, would be liable to compensate any citizen who claims to have side effects after taking the vaccine job.

What are the benefits of indemnity?  Once the government of India grants such indemnity to the vaccine manufacturer or importer, it would mean that if a particular vaccine is perceived to have caused death or any lasting damage to a recipient, any claim of compensation arising from it will have to be met by the government, and not by the company.  In the event of a court ordering payment, the company will be in a position to recover the amount from the government.

What does India gain by giving indemnity?  In the absence of indemnity, overseas manufacturers may load the risk onto the price of the vaccines, making each dose more expensive.  By indemnifying the companies in respect of these vaccines, the government of India may be able to negotiate lower prices and higher volumes. It may help accelerate India’s national vaccination drive.  On the flip side, the government may be forced to make it a level playing field for local manufacturers, too, by extending indemnity to them, and thereby inviting upon itself the entire risk associated with more than a billion vaccine shots.

1.7.SC PANEL RELEASES DRAFT RULES FOR LIVESTREAMING COURT PROCEEDINGS

Why in news? Taking a step closer to live-telecasting of court proceedings, the e-committee of the Supreme Court headed by Justice DY Chandrachud released draft model rules and invited suggestions from stakeholders.

The e-Committee of Supreme Court of India along with the Department of Justice, Government of India is working under the National Policy and Action Plan for implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian Judiciary.

What does draft says? • According to the draft rules, all proceedings in high courts can be telecast except for cases relating to matrimonial disputes, gender-based violence, those involving minors and “cases, which in the opinion of the Bench, may provoke enmity amongst communities likely to result in a breach of law and order”. • The final decision as to whether or not to allow the Live-streaming of the Proceedings or any portion thereof will be of the Bench, however, the decision of the Bench will be guided by the principle of an open and transparent judicial process. The decision of the Bench shall not be justiciable • The rules also allow for objections to be filed against livestreaming in specific cases at the stage of filing of the case or at a later stage. • With at least five cameras in courts that will be positioned at different angles, a dedicated control room and a viewing area to avoid overcrowding of courts, the draft rules allow for archiving of court proceedings for six months. • Discussion amongst judges, notes made by judges during hearings or communication between the advocate and her client will neither be telecast live nor archived, the rules said. • The rules also prohibit recording or sharing the telecast on media platforms, including social media and messaging platforms, unless authorised by the court. • The use of authorised recordings in their original form may be permitted by the court, inter-alia to disseminate news and for training, academic and educational purposes. Authorised recordings handed over for the aforesaid purposes shall not be further edited or processed. Such Recordings will not be used for commercial, promotional purposes or advertising in any form.

• Karnataka High Court became the second high court in the country after the Gujarat HC to livestream its proceedings on YouTube.

1.8.WHY SIMULTANEOUS POLLS IS AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME?

Why in news? As the elections in four states and one Union territory in March-April are suspected to have contributed to the second wave of Covid infections, a well-reasoned debate on a concept as important as “one nation, one election” is called for.

Background: The idea has been around since at least 1983, when the Election Commission first mooted it.

Financial costs of conducting elections • The costs of conducting each assembly or parliamentary election are huge and, in some senses, incalculable. • Directly budgeted costs are around Rs 300 crore for a state the size of Bihar. • But there are other financial costs, and incalculable economic costs. • Before each election, a “revision” of electoral rolls is mandatory. • The costs of the millions of man-hours used are not charged to the election budget. • The economic costs of lost teaching weeks, delayed public works, badly delivered or undelivered welfare schemes to the poor have never been calculated.

Cost of repeated administrative freezes • The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has economic costs too. Works may have been announced long before an election is announced, but tenders cannot be finalised, nor work awarded, once the MCC comes into effect. Time overruns translate into cost overruns. But the huge costs of salaries and other administrative expenditures continue to be incurred. • Ministers are politicians, and politicians need to campaign, to select candidates, and to devise strategy for their party. The time for their ministerial duties reduces sharply, in spite of most of them putting in 16-18 hours of work each day. Important meetings and decisions get postponed, with costs and consequences that are difficult to calculate.

Visible and invisible costs of repeatedly deploying security forces • There are also huge and visible costs of deploying security forces and transporting them, repeatedly. A bigger invisible cost is paid by the nation in terms of diverting these forces from sensitive areas and in terms of the fatigue and illnesses that repeated cross-country deployments bring about.

There are question of regional/smaller parties having a level playing field. • There are fears about the Centre somehow gaining greater power, or regional parties being at a disadvantage during simultaneously held elections.

• However, fixed five-year terms for state legislatures in fact take away the central government’s power to dissolve state assemblies. Until 1967 when simultaneous elections were the norm. • The Constitution and other laws would need to be amended is obvious, but that is hardly an argument against the proposal.

1.9.CENTRAL DEPUTATION OF OFFICERS VERY LOW: DOPT

Why in news? With the States not nominating enough officers for Central deputation, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has shot off a letter to the State governments, cautioning them that not sending enough officers may affect future cadre review proposals.

For instance, Uttar Pradesh has over 500 Indian Administrative Service officers but data show that only 32 IAS officers are presently on Central deputation.

What are the issues?  An official of Uttar Pradesh cadre, however, said it was not that officers were not willing to go on Central deputation but the no-objection clearance was hard to come by. The final clearance is given by the Chief Minister.  The DoPT had sent a similar communication in December 2020 but in the past two years it has not been able to fill vacancies at the director and joint secretary level in various Central ministries.  Every cadre is allowed a deputation reserve to ensure that officers have the opportunity to work on deputation including that under the Central Staffing Scheme [CSS], which adds to their experience. The utilisation of this reserve is low and this underutilisation, particularly at the deputy secretary/director level, causes serious gaps in cadre management.

What can be the consequences?  The cadres that have not been forwarding adequate nominations for the CSS at various levels may have to settle for less number of additional senior duty posts in future by way of corresponding reduction

What is the norm?  As per norms, States have to depute All India Services (AIS)officers, including Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, to Central government offices and at any point it cannot be more than 40% of the total cadre strength.

Other procedures  In ,2017 the DoPT changed norms and made it mandatory for IAS officers from 2007 batch onward to mandatorily serve for two years in Central deputation within first 16 years of their service if they wanted to be empanelled for a joint secretary rank in the future.  Before any officer of the AIS is called for deputation to the Centre, his or her concurrence is required.

 The Establishment Officer in the DoPT invites nominations from the State governments. Once the nomination is received, their eligibility is scrutinised by a panel and then an offer list is prepared, traditionally done with the State government on board.

What DoPT has stated?  The DoPT has stated that officers nominated for Central government posts should not be more than 54 years.  It is also requested to ensure that the officers who are on the verge of promotion, as may be relevant, during the year are not nominated, often necessitating their early repatriation to avail of promotion in the cadre. It may be ensured that the names of only those officers are forwarded who are likely to remain available under the Central Staffing Scheme for full tenure.

1.10.SHOULD RETIRED OFFICIALS BE BARRED FROM DISCLOSING INFORMATION?

The Government of India prohibited retired officials of security and intelligence organisations from publishing anything about their work or organisation without prior clearance from the head of the organisation. Serving civil servants are barred from expressing their personal opinion on policy matters and criticising the government. But once they retire, many of them take part in public debates and enrich our conversations.

Should there be any restrictions on the freedom of expression of a specific category of retired government officials? • We have the Official Secrets Act [of 1923]. Officers of intelligence and security organisations and other departments are privy to a lot of sensitive information. So, servants in the service should take into account the fact that the government needs some control over that information leaking into the public.

What can be better way to give information to public? • The tradition of understanding history through eyewitness accounts is not new. That tradition, unfortunately, in the past, as far as India is concerned, has been weakened. We gain and the public is better informed of activities, including those taken for the benefit of our own country’s interests, when information is shared from different perspectives. And that should be the broad theme. • Some measure of secrecy is necessary to protect authorised national security activities such as intelligence gathering, military operations, sometimes confidentiality of deliberations and sometimes personal privacy. • One way in which information is actually given to the public is through the declassification of files. • It would be better to put a time limit — say, five years from the time officer retire. It is the operational information which is actually more sensitive. In five years, it won’t be of concern in most cases.

1.11.ON REFORMS AND PUBLIC EXPENDITURES, LET’S NOT FORGET TO SCRUTINISE STATES

Why it is needed to keep states accountable? What are the challenges?  The Constitution has a Seventh Schedule, with separate lists for the Union and state governments, and a concurrent list. Compared to the public attention devoted to the executive arm, relatively limited attention is paid to the legislature and judiciary. As citizens, we should be concerned with the productivity of legislatures too.  In discussions on reforms or debates about public expenditure, there is an excessive focus on the Union government.  This focus reflects our mindset that there is a “Centre”, though constitutionally, there is no “Centre”. There is the Union government.  There is not as much interest in State Finance Commissions and their recommendations as it is in the Union Finance Commission’s recommendations.  Alternatively, there is limited scrutiny of state-level expenditure, or fiscal devolution and decentralisation of decision-making within states, or tracking functioning of state legislatures.  Most factor markets we seek to reform are on the concurrent list or the state list.  Information and data on state legislatures is not easily available. While some state legislatures publish data on a regular basis, many do not have a systematic way of reporting legislative proceedings and business.

The Annual Review of State Laws 2020  PRS Legislative Research published this report and it focuses on the legislative work performed by states in the calendar year 2020.  The annual review has been done in the pandemic year as 2020 saw the first wave of the pandemic.  It covers 19 state legislatures, including the Union territory of Delhi, which together accounts for 90 per cent of the population of the country.

Findings:  After all, 2020 saw the first wave of the pandemic, though, in principle, meetings can also be virtual. As a benchmark, the Parliament met for 33 days in 2020. Pre-2020, 19 states met for an average of 29 days a year. In 2020, they met for an average of 18 days.  States passed an average of 22 Bills (excluding Appropriation Bills). Karnataka passed 61 Bills, the highest in the country. The lowest was Delhi which passed one Bill, followed by West Bengal and Kerala, which passed two and three Bills respectively.  State legislatures pass most Bills without detailed scrutiny. In 2020, 59 per cent of the Bills were passed on the same day that they were introduced in the legislature. A further 14 per cent were passed within a day of being introduced  In Parliament, Bills are often referred to Parliamentary Standing Committees for detailed examination.In most states, such committees are non-existent. In the absence of a robust committee system and fewer working days, state

legislatures barely spend any time scrutinising legislative proposals brought before them.

1.12.RENGMA NAGAS DEMAND AUTONOMOUS DISTRICT COUNCIL

Why in news? The Rengma Nagas in Assam have written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding an autonomous district council amid a decision by the Central and the State governments to upgrade the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) into a territorial council.

About Rengma Nagas: • The Rengma Naga Peoples’ Council (RNPC), a registered body, said in the memorandum that the Rengmas were the first tribal people in Assam to have encountered the British in 1839, but the existing Rengma Hills was eliminated from the political map of the State and replaced with that of Mikir Hills (now Karbi Anglong) in 1951. • Narrating its history, the council said that during the Burmese invasions of Assam in 1816 and 1819, it was the Rengmas who gave shelter to the Ahom refugees. • The Rengma Hills was partitioned in 1963 between Assam and Nagaland at the time of creation of Nagaland State and the Karbis, who were known as Mikirs till 1976, were the indigeneous tribal people of Mikir Hills. • The Rengma Hills and Mikir Hills were two separate entities till 1951. Karbis have no history in the Rengma Hills. • People who are presently living in Rengma Hills are from Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. They speak different dialects and do not know Karbi language of Karbi Anglong

1.13.VEHICLE SCRAPPAGE POLICY 2021: EXPECTATIONS AND CHALLENGES

What is vehicle scrappage policy? • The vehicle scrappage policy is a government-funded programme to replace old vehicles from Indian roads. • The policy is expected to reduce pollution, create job opportunities and boost demand for new vehicles. • Several countries including the US, Germany, Canada and China have introduced vehicle scrappage policies to boost their respective automotive industries and check vehicular pollution. • For instance, the US has implemented the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), also called Cash for Clunkers programme, which offers credit incentives on scrapping older vehicles and replacing them with new and more fuel-efficient vehicles.

According to the new policy: • Commercial vehicles of >15 years and passenger vehicles of >20 years will have to be mandatorily scrapped if they do not pass the fitness and emission tests.

• The idea is to phase out cars and CVs older than 15-20 years to slash urban pollution levels and stimulate automotive sales, which continue to suffer during India’s post-COVID recovery phase. • Additionally, the vehicle scrappage policy is also said to be a part of a stimulus package majorly requested by the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to infuse their demand.

Incentives for scrapping old vehicles and buying new ones: • Vehicle manufacturers can give up to 5% discount for buying new vehicles • Zero new registration fee • Scrap value equivalent of 4-6% of ex-showroom price of new vehicles • States can give up to 25% and 15% rebate on road tax for personal and commercial vehicles, respectively • Reduced maintenance cost and increased savings from fuel

Disincentives for keeping old vehicles: • States can levy an additional ‘Green Tax’ • Hike in renewal of registration fee for private vehicles • Increase in renewal of fitness certification for commercial vehicles • Automatic deregistration of unfit vehicles

Vehicles to be exempted: • Strong hybrids and electric vehicles • Vehicles using alternative fuels such as CNG, ethanol and LPG • Farm and agricultural equipment such as tractors, tillers and harvesters

According to MORTH, the policy will likely result in the following projected gains: • 30% boost for the Indian automobile industry from the current Rs. 4.5 lakh crore turnover to Rs. 10 lakh crore over the coming years • The export component of Rs. 1.45 lakh crore of the present turnover is likely to go up to Rs. 3 lakh crore. • Availability of scrapped materials such as steel, plastic, rubber and aluminium will increase. This will be used in manufacturing automobile parts, which will reduce cost by 30-40% • Promote new technologies with better mileage of vehicles besides promoting green fuel and electricity • Decrease India’s huge Rs. 10 lakh crore crude import bill. • Attract new investments of ~Rs. 10,000 crore and create as many as 35,000 jobs

Challenges • For the proposed policy to succeed, the most important step is to build an infrastructure of testing and scrapping centres quickly across the country. Due to the lack of a supporting infrastructure, implementation of the scrappage policy will be challenging. • Currently, India has just seven automated fitness test centres and two authorised scrappage centres, which is inadequate to cater to the market. • Further, the process to deregister vehicles also needs to be simplified. At present, deregistering vehicles is a dreadful experience for most owners who want to sell or

scrap their old vehicles, thereby discouraging many interested in discarding old vehicles. • However, to overcome this challenge, the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), stated that it will work with the government to create an infrastructure for vehicle testing and scrappage centres across the country.

1.14.UN BODY LAUDS SUCCESS OF CENTRE’S ASPIRATIONAL DISTRICTS PROGRAMME

Why in news? The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has lauded the Centre’s Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP), saying that it should serve as a “best practice” for other countries where regional disparities in development status persist for many reasons.

In a report, the UNDP said, “Overall, ADP is a very successful model of local area development. It is aligned to the principle of “leave no one behind” – the vital core of the SDGs.”

About Aspirational Districts Programme: • Launched in January 2018, the ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ initiative aims to remove this heterogeneity through a mass movement to quickly and effectively transform these districts. • The broad contours of the programme are Convergence (of Central & State Schemes), Collaboration (of Central, State level ‘Prabhari’ Officers & District Collectors), and Competition among districts driven by a spirit of mass Movement. • With States as the main drivers, this program will focus on the strength of each district, identify low-hanging fruits for immediate improvement, measure progress, and rank districts.

Institutional framework: • This programme is a policy priority of Government of India. NITI Aayog anchors the programme with support from Central Ministries and the State Governments. • While NITI Aayog is steering the initiative in 30 districts, various central ministries oversee 50 districts besides the Ministry of Home Affairs, which focuses on 35 Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected districts. • Officers at the level of Joint Secretary / Additional Secretary have been nominated to become the ‘Central Prabhari Officers’ of each district. • States have appointed state-nodal and Prabhari officers. • An Empowered Committee under the Convenorship of the CEO, NITI Aayog will help in the convergence of various government schemes and streamlining of efforts.

Selection of districts • A total of 117 Aspirational districts have been identified by NITI Aayog based upon composite indicators.

• These include Health & Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion and Skill Development and Basic Infrastructure which have an impact on Human Development Index. • The Government is committed to raising the living standards of its citizens and ensuring inclusive growth for all – “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas”.

Weightage has been accorded to these districts as below: • Health & Nutrition (30%) • Education (30%) • Agriculture & Water Resources (20%) • Financial Inclusion & Skill Development (10%) • Basic Infrastructure (10%)

1.15.INDIA’S INVESTMENT IN RESEARCH UNSATISFACTORY: UNESCO REPORT

Why in news?  While India has made ‘solid progress’ towards the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets concerning industry, infrastructure and innovation, the country’s investment in research remains unsatisfactory, the UNESCO Science Report has observed.  The gross domestic expenditure on research (GERD) has been stagnant at 0.7% of the GDP for years, although, in absolute terms, research expenditure has increased.  India has one of the lowest GERD/GDP ratios among the BRICS nations, according to the report which is published every five years.  India’s research intensity has been declining since 2014. The Science and Technology Policy of 2003 fixed the threshold of devoting 2% of GDP to research and development (R&D) by 2007. This target date was set back to 2018 in the new Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (2013) then again to 2022 by the Economic Advisory Council of the Prime Minister.  R&D in the government sector has been in steady decline since 2015, whereas the share of private business enterprises in it has shot up to 42%.  It noted that investment in R&D by foreign multinationals is on the rise, accounting for as much as 16% of private-sector investment in R&D in 2019.

Way forward:  The UNESCO Science Report underscores the need for ‘policy bridges’ for fostering a more effective interaction between foreign and local research firms.  Given the large number of multinational corporations now engaged in R&D, it is imperative that the host economy benefits from this activity the report said  It also called for improved linkages between the start-up ecosystem and manufacturers to push technological development in sectors where India enjoys a global presence.

About UNESCO Science Report  The UNESCO Science Report is a global monitoring report published regularly by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

 The report is published every five years, on 10 November, to mark World Science Day for Peace and Development.  This report maps the latest trends and developments in national and regional policy landscapes, against the backdrop of shifting socio-economic, geopolitical and environmental realities.

1.16.DELHI HC CALLS OUT MISUSE OF UAPA, RAISES BAR FOR STATE TO SLAP TERROR TAG

Why in news By ruling that “terrorist activity” cannot be broadly defined to include ordinary penal offences, the three Delhi High Court orders granting bail to three student-activists.

The three orders by Justices Siddharth Mridul and Anup Jairam Bhambhani are perhaps the first instance of a court calling out alleged misuse of the UAPA against individuals in cases that do not necessarily fall in the category of “terrorism” cases.

Facts showing increasing number of Cases: According to data provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs in Parliament in March, a total of 1126 cases were registered under UAPA in 2019, a sharp rise from 897 in 2015.

Observation of Court:  UAPA, in relaxing timelines for the state to file chargesheets and its stringent conditions for bail, gives the state more powers compared to the Indian Penal Code.  The phrase ‘terrorist act’ has been defined in a very wide and detailed manner within Section 15 itself, in our opinion, the court must be careful in employing the definitional words and phrases used in Section 15 in their absolute literal sense or use them lightly in a manner that would trivialise the extremely heinous offence of ‘terrorist act’, without understanding how terrorism is different even from conventional, heinous crime  The extent and reach of terrorist activity must travel beyond the effect of an ordinary crime and must not arise merely by causing disturbance of law and order or even public order; and must be such that it travels beyond the capacity of the ordinary law enforcement agencies to deal with it under the ordinary penal law,” the court said, citing a 1992 SC ruling in the case of Hitendra Vishnu Thakur v State of Maharashtra

When Bail can be granted under UAPA?  Bail under UAPA can be granted only when the court is of the opinion that there are reasonable grounds for believing that the accusation against such person is prima facie true.

Argument of Delhi Police: The Delhi Police argued that the terror clause in UAPA can be invoked, not just for the “intent to threaten the unity and integrity but the likelihood to threaten the unity and integrity”, or “the intent to strike terror but the likelihood to strike terror, not just the

use of firearms” but also for “causing or likely to cause not just death but injuries to any person or persons or loss or damage or destruction of property.”

About: Section 15 in The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967  Terrorist act. Whoever does any act with intent to threaten or likely to threaten the unity, integrity, security or sovereignty of India or with intent to strike terror or likely to strike terror in the people or any section of the people in India or in any foreign country,  By using bombs, dynamite or other explosive substances or inflammable substances or firearms or other lethal weapons or poisonous or noxious gases or other chemicals or by any other substances (whether biological radioactive, nuclear or otherwise) of a hazardous nature or by any other means of whatever nature to cause or likely to cause—  Death of, or injuries to, any person or persons; or  Loss of, or damage to, or destruction of, property; or  Disruption of any supplies or services essential to the life of the community in India or in any foreign country; or  Damage or destruction of any property in India or in a foreign country used or intended to be used for the defence of India or in connection with any other purposes of the Government of India, any State Government or any of their agencies; or  Overawes by means of criminal force or the show of criminal force or attempts to do so or causes death of any public functionary or attempts to cause death of any public functionary; or  Detains, kidnaps or abducts any person and threatens to kill or injure such person or does any other act in order to compel the Government of India, any State Government or the Government of a foreign country or any other person to do or abstain from doing any act.

1.17.ACQUITTED BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Why in news? In an important development for the ‘right to be forgotten’, the Delhi High Court recently ordered the removal of one of its own judgments from easy access. The petitioner was acquitted of certain crimes by the court and the judgment was freely accessible on the Internet. Unhappy with this, the petitioner sought removal of the judgment from a leading database platform and search engines. The court, as a temporary relief, asked search engines to remove this order from search results, and ordered the database platform to block the judgment from being accessed by search engines. The High Court recognised that the petitioner may have a right to be forgotten, which must be balanced with the right of the public to access courts of record.

About right to be forgotten: • In 2017, the Supreme Court recognised the right to be forgotten as being under the ambit of the right to privacy (specifically, informational privacy) under the Constitution. • It observed that if someone desired to remove personal data from the virtual space, it ought to be respected.

• It allows for the lawful removal of personal information of an individual if such request is made. • The top court observed that a lot of personal information may serve no “legitimate interest”, was “incorrect”, or was not “necessary” or “relevant”. • However, the right to be forgotten was subject to reasonable restrictions based on countervailing rights such as free speech. But despite the Supreme Court’s judgment, the right remains underdeveloped in India. • For now, individuals may request data hosts to take down some content, and it may be taken down based on the policies of the respective hosts. • The right to be forgotten is distinct from the right to privacy because the right to privacy comprises of the information that is not publicly known, whereas the right to be forgotten involves removing information that was publicly known at a certain time and not allowing third parties to access the information.

Legislative Stand in India, there are no legal provisions related to it. • Neither the Information Technology (IT) Act 2000 (amended in 2008) nor the IT Rules, 2011 deals with the right to be forgotten. • Only Section 27 of the draft Data Protection bill has listed out three scenarios in which an individual will have the right to restrict or prevent continuing disclosure of personal data, also known as the right to be forgotten. • This will be applicable if data disclosure is no longer necessary, or the consent to use data has been withdrawn, or if data is being used contrary to the provisions of the law.

Conclusion: • There must be a balance between the right to privacy and protection of personal data as covered under Article 21 of the Indian constitution, on the one hand, and the freedom of information of internet users under Article 19, on the other. • A comprehensive data protection law must address these issues and minimize the conflict between the two fundamental rights that form the crucial part Article 14,19 and 15 of the Indian constitution

1.18.HOW POLL RESULTS ARE CHALLENGED, AND WHEN COURTS HAVE SET THEM ASIDE?

Why in news? West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has filed an election petition in the Calcutta High Court challenging the Assembly election result of Nandigram constituency, where she had contested and lost. She has sought that Suvendhu Adhikari’s election be declared void on grounds of corrupt practice and discrepancies in the counting procedure conducted by the Returning Officer.

What is an election petition?  The Election Commission’s role ends with the declaration of results, that is once the Returning Officer has signed the final result sheet (Form 20). After

that, an election petition is the only legal remedy available to a voter or a candidate who believes there has been malpractice in an election.  Such a person can challenge the result through an election petition submitted to the High Court of the state in which the constituency is located.  Such a petition has to be filed within 45 days from the date of the poll results; nothing is entertained by courts after that.  Although the Representative of the People Act of 1951 suggests that the High Court should try to conclude the trial within six months, it usually drags on for much longer, even years

On what grounds can an election petition be filed? Under Section 100 of the RP Act, an election petition can be filed on the grounds that:  On the day of the election, the winning candidate was not qualified to contest.  The winning candidate, his poll agent or any other person with the consent of the winning candidate has indulged in a corrupt practice.  Section 123 of the RP Act has a detailed list of what amounts to corrupt practice, including bribery, use of force or coercion, appeal to vote or refrain from voting on grounds of religion, race, community, and language.  Improper acceptance of the nomination of the winning candidate or improper rejection of a nomination.  Malpractice in the counting process, which includes improper reception, refusal or rejection of any vote, or the reception of any vote which is void.  Non-compliance with the provisions of the Constitution or the RP Act or any rules or orders made under the RP Act.

What happens if the court finds that a contention of malpractice is correct?  This depends on relief that is claimed by the petitioner in her election petition.  Under Section 84 of the RP Act, the petitioner may ask that the results of all or the winning candidates may be declared void.  In addition to that, the petitioner may also ask the court to declare her (in case the petition is filed by a candidate) or any other candidate as the winner or duly elected.  So the verdict on an election petition, if found in favour of the petitioner, may result in a fresh election or the court announcing a new winner.

Example of Election that was declared void: There are many examples, the most famous being the Allahabad High Court verdict of 1975 which set aside Indira Gandhi’s election from Rae Bareli constituency, four years earlier, on grounds of corrupt practice.

The High Court found that Indira Gandhi’s election agent Yashpal Kapur, the District Magistrate of Rae Bareli, the Superintendent of Police of Rae Bareli and the Home Secretary of Uttar Pradesh government helped in the arrangements for her election tour on February 1 and February 25, 1971. This amounted to a corrupt practice under Section 123 (7) of the RP Act.

1.19.SC JUDGE RECUSES HERSELF FROM BENGAL BJP ACTIVISTS’ KILLING CASE

Why in news? Justice Indira Banerjee withdrew from hearing a petition filed by the families of two BJP activists killed allegedly in the post poll violence in West Bengal.

The case was heard by another Vacation Bench of Justices Vineet Saran and B.R. Gavai in May,in the first half of the summer holidays. It had then come up routinely before Justice Banerjee’s Bench.

Recusal of Judges • It is a basic precept that no one should be a Judge in his or her own case. Courts must keep the promise of dispensing fair and impartial justice, and must decide controversies without bias. • Recusal is “removal of oneself as a Judge or policymaker in a particular matter, especially because of a conflict of interest” • The doctrine of judicial recusal enables, and may require, a Judge who has been, appointed to hear and determine a case to stand down from that case and leave the disposition of it to another colleague or colleagues.

The reason for recusal • It is simple, a Judge has a duty of fairness when imparting justice and making judgments as they preside over a case. Thus, at the time a Judge learns of their assignment to a case, the Judge should review the facts of the case and decide whether there are any conflicts of interest regarding the case that would prevent them from being able to be impartial, ethical, and fair. • Some examples of conflicts of interest where a Judge should likely recuse themselves from the case include: personal connection to one of the parties to the case, personal knowledge of the facts of the case, familial relationship to one of the attorneys and financial interest in the result of the case and other.

Are there any laws in this regard? There are no definite rules on recusals by Judges. • However, in taking oath of office, judges, both of the Supreme Court and of the high courts, promise to perform their duties, to deliver justice, “without fear or favour, affection or ill-will”.

1.20.ECI RELEASES AN ATLAS ON GENERAL ELECTIONS 2019

Why in news? Chief Election Commissioner, Shri Sushil Chandra along with Election Commissioner Shri Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Shri Anup Chandra Pandey released ‘General Elections 2019 – An Atlas’ on June 15, 2021.

Shri Sushil Chandra commended the officers of the Commission for compiling this innovative document and hoped that this would inspire academicians and researchers to further explore the vast landscape of the Indian elections.

What Atlas constitutes? • It has 42 thematic maps and 90 tables depicting various facets of the elections. The Atlas also shares interesting facts, anecdotes and legal provisions related to the Indian elections. • It brings out salient features such as data of the 23 States and UTs where women voting percentage was more than the male voting percentage. • It has information about the largest & smallest parliamentary constituency in terms of electors, candidates and performance of political parties amongst other parameters. • The Atlas depicts the elector’s data in different categories and through various comparison charts like Elector Gender Ratio and electors in different age categories. • This Atlas serves as an informative and illustrative document that brings to light the nuances of the Indian electoral process and empowers readers to analyze trends and changes. • The maps and tables as placed in this Atlas depict that information and provide for better understanding and appreciation of electoral diversity of the country. • In addition to contextualizing the data, these detailed maps reveal electoral patterns at various levels as well as indicate its spatial and temporal settings.

Some facts about Elections: • 17th General Elections conducted in 2019 were the largest democratic exercise in human history which witnessed the participation of 61.468 crore voters at 10.378 lakh polling stations spread over 32 lakh square kilometer territory of India. • The Atlas also compares the average number of electors per polling station in different states during 2014 & 2019 General Elections.The Election Commission of India set up over 10 lakh polling stations in General Elections 2019 with the lowest number of electors per polling station (365) in Arunachal Pradesh. • The 2019 General Elections witnessed the lowest gender gap in the history of Indian elections. The Elector Gender Ratio which has shown a positive trend since 1971 was 926 in 2019 General Elections

1.21.AMENDMENTS IN CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT

Why in news? New business processes like E-commerce and other market developments have transformed the way Consumers make transactions these days. GOI has been holding series of discussions with all the stake holders to strengthen the existing CPA in the light of these changes. These include trade and industry Associations, Consumer rights groups, various Government of India Ministries and other agencies etc. Various new ideas and suggestions came up and many of those have incorporated in the new Draft Consumer Protection Act. The same has now been circulated for public

Some of these new points include • Appointment of a Chief Compliance Officer, • Appointment of a “Resident Grievance Officer”, • Added “Cross-selling”

• “Fall back liability”, • “Flash sale”, • Registration of e-commerce entities, • No e-commerce entity shall allow any display or promotion of misleading advertisement whether in the course of business on its platform or otherwise.

For e- commerce: For the purposes of preventing unfair trade practices in e-commerce, the Central Government had notified the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 with effect from 23 July 2020. However, since the notification of these rules, the Government has received several representations from aggrieved consumers, traders and associations complaining against widespread cheating and unfair trade practices being observed in the e-commerce ecosystem.

Need and advantages of Amendment: • It was observed that there was an evident lack of regulatory oversight in e- commerce which required some urgent action. • Moreover, the rapid growth of e-commerce platforms has also brought into the purview the unfair trade practices of the marketplace e-commerce entities engaging in manipulating search result to promote certain sellers, preferential treatment to some sellers, indirectly operating the sellers on their platform, impinging the free choice of consumers, selling goods close to expiration etc. • Additionally, conventional flash sales by third party sellers are not banned on e-commerce platform. But, certain e-commerce entities are engaging in limiting consumer choice by indulging in “back to back” or “flash” sales wherein one seller selling on platform does not carry any inventory or order fulfilment capability but merely places a “flash or back to back” order with another seller controlled by platform. This prevents a level playing field and ultimately limits customer choice and increases prices. • To protect the interests of consumers, prevent their exploitation and encourage free and fair competition in the market • The proposed amendments aim to bring transparency in the e-commerce platforms and further strengthen the regulatory regime to curb the prevalent unfair trade practices • Registration of e-commerce entities would help create a database of genuine e- commerce entities and ensure that the consumers are able to verify the genuineness of an e-commerce entity before transacting through their platform. • To protect the interests of consumers, mis-selling has been prohibited i.e selling goods and services entities selling goods or services by deliberate misrepresentation of information by such entities about such goods or services. • To ensure that the domestic manufacturers and suppliers get a fair and equal treatment on the e-commerce platform it has been provided that where an e- commerce entity offers imported goods or services, it shall incorporate a filter mechanism to identify goods based on country of origin and suggest alternatives to ensure fair opportunity to domestic goods

1.22.CINEMATOGRAPH AMENDMENT BILL

Why in news? The Centre released the draft Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill 2021 to the general public for comments until July 2. The new draft proposes to amend the Cinematograph Act of 1952 with provisions that will give the Centre “revisionary powers” and enable it to “re-examine” films already cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Important provisions of the Bill: Revision of certification  The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting proposes to add a provision to the Act that will equipped the Centre with revisionary powers on account of violation of Section 5B (1) (principles for guidance in certifying films). The current Act, in Section 6, already equips the Centre to call for records of proceedings in relation of a film’s certification. The Ministry explained that the proposed revision “means that the Central Government, if the situation so warranted, has the power to reverse the decision of the Board”.

Age-based certification  The draft proposes to introduce age-based categorisation and classification. Currently, films are certified into three categories — ‘U’ for unrestricted public exhibition; ‘U/A’ that requires parental guidance for children under 12; and ‘A’ for adult films. The new draft proposes to divide the categories into further age-based groups: U/A 7+, U/A 13+ and U/A 16+. This proposed age classification for films echoes the new IT rules for streaming platforms.  Provision against piracy

The Ministry noted that that at present, there are no enabling provisions to check film piracy in the Cinematograph Act, 1952. The draft proposes to add Section 6AA that will prohibit unauthorised recording

 Eternal certificate The draft proposes to certify films for perpetuity. Currently a certificate issued by the CBFC is valid only for 10 years.

Concerns:  The new provision is now being seen as the coming into force of a ‘super censor’, adding one more layer of censorship to the already existing process.  This provision also goes against the Supreme Court’s view that the government has no right to demand censorship once the Board has certified a film has left the Centre powerless.  Coming two months after the Government decided to dissolve the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT), a body which used to hear appeals of filmmakers aggrieved by CBFC orders, the move could be a further curb on freedom of expression  Various groups or individuals often object to a film just before the release, but after the certification process. With the implementation of the proposed new

rules, films could be held up longer for re-certification based on random objections, even if it is already certified by the CBFC.  Latest moves point towards an attempt to ensure that no films which criticise the reigning ideology should be made or released. Now, any individual or organisation can come up with an objection to a film, and the Government can order for re-censoring, creating further trouble for filmmakers and producers is the major concern of Filmmakers.

1.23.DELIMITATION IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR: HOW, WHY?

What is delimitation and why is it needed?  Delimitation is the act of redrawing boundaries of an Assembly or Lok Sabha seat to represent changes in population over time.  This exercise is carried out by a Delimitation Commission, whose orders have the force of law and cannot be questioned before any court.  The objective is to redraw boundaries (based on the data of the last Census) in a way so that the population of all seats, as far as practicable, be the same throughout the State.  Aside from changing the limits of a constituency, the process may result in change in the number of seats in a state.

How often has delimitation been carried out in J&K?  Delimitation exercises in J&K in the past have been slightly different from those in the rest of the country because of the region’s special status — which was scrapped by the Centre in August 2019. Until then, delimitation of Lok Sabha seats in J&K was governed by the Constitution of India, but the delimitation of the state’s Assembly seats was governed by the Jammu and Kashmir Constitution and Jammu and Kashmir Representation of the People Act, 1957.

Delimitation in J&K:  Assembly seats in J&K were delimited in 1963, 1973 and 1995.  The last exercise was conducted by the Justice (retired) K K Gupta Commission when the state was under President’s Rule and was based on the 1981 census, which formed the basis of the state elections in 1996.  There was no census in the state in 1991 and no Delimitation Commission was set up by the state government after the 2001 census as the J&K Assembly passed a law putting a freeze on the fresh delimitation of seats until 2026.  This freeze was upheld by the Supreme Court. The J&K Assembly, at that time, had 87 seats — 46 in Kashmir, 37 in Jammu and 4 in Ladakh. Twenty-four more seats are reserved for Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The freeze, some political parties argue, has created inequity for Jammu region.

Why is it in the news again?  After the abrogation of J&K’s special status in 2019, delimitation of Lok Sabha and Assembly seats in the newly-created Union Territory would be as per the provisions of the Indian Constitution.

 On March 6, 2020, the government set up the Delimitation Commission, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, which was tasked with winding up delimitation in J&K in a year.  As per the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill, the number of Assembly seats in J&K would increase from 107 to 114, which is expected to benefit the Jammu region.

1.24.HURDLES IN CLASS ACTION

Why in news? Incidents such as the recent ONGC barge disaster underline the absence of effective class action suits in India. Tougher action on negligence and liability is vital if India is to improve its ease-of-doing-business rankings

If India has to improve its ease of doing business rankings, it is necessary to focus on areas like disaster prevention and risk of life.

How it can be addressed? How can India move in the direction of such accountability, which is taken seriously in developed economies, and which makes them better abodes for employment and business?  Looking at example of Class action suits, a tool extensively used in the US where individuals or small communities, aggrieved by the actions of a large entity, come together to exercise legal options collectively.

What are class action suits?  A class action suit is a legal action or claim that allows one or many plaintiffs to file and appear for a group of people with similar interests. Such a group forms a “class”.  A class action suit derives from representative litigation, to ensure justice to the ordinary individual against a powerful adversary  While class action suits have a history dating back to the 18th century, these were formally incorporated into law in the United States in 1938 under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Over the years, class action has become so successful at curbing negligence, that it is now a part of US corporate and consumer laws, environmental litigation, etc.  The ubiquity of representative litigation in the US has given rise to a class of lawyers called “ambulance chasers” — those who solicit for clients at an accident or disaster site, largely for personal injury cases. They get financial compensation for their clients from the perpetrator, a percentage of which they keep. While such soliciting violates professional legal conduct in the US, it has helped hold people and corporations accountable

Is there an Indian equivalent of US class action suits?  The most actionable suit was the Bhopal gas leak from the Union Carbide factory in 1984, where more than 3,700 people died. Three class action suits were filed in the US, which dismissed all claims for environmental clean-up, personal injuries, and medical compensation. In India, the central government

filed a case on behalf of the persons who had been injured as a result of the gas leak.  During the 2009 Satyam Computers scandal, there was fraud and misrepresentation to the stock exchanges, regulator, and investors. A class action suit was filed, but because India didn’t have an appropriate law, 300,000 Indian investors were deprived of damages while Satyam’s US investors were made whole. The amendment of Section 245 of the Companies Act, as mentioned below, was a consequence of this case.  In 2015, the Government of India filed a case on behalf of consumers in the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission against Nestle after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India found higher than permissible levels of lead in instant noodles. The case is still pending.

India now has legal provisions for filing class action suits, but under four laws:  Order 1 Rule 8 of the Civil Procedure Code refers to representative suits, which is the closest to a classic class action suit in a civil context in India. It does not cover criminal proceedings.  Section 245 of the Companies Act allows members or depositors of a company to initiate proceedings against the directors of the company in specific instances. There are threshold limits, requiring a minimum number of people or holders of issued share capital before such a suit can proceed. This type of suit is filed in the National Company Law Tribunal. Currently, no class action matters have been filed under this provision.  The Competition Act under Section 53(N) allows a group of aggrieved persons to appear at the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal in issues of anti- competitive practices.  The Supreme Court has held that in certain complaints under the Consumer Protection Act, they can be considered as class action suits. (Rameshwar Prasad Shrivastava and Ors v Dwarkadhis Project Pvt Ltd and Ors)

Is a class action suit comparable with public interest litigation?  For filing a public interest litigation (Article 32 or Article 226 of the Constitution), the plaintiff need not have a personal interest or claim in the matter. The PIL must serve a matter of public interest. A crucial difference is that unlike a class action suit, a PIL cannot be filed against a private party.

What has deterred the development of a mature body of class action suits in India?  Underdeveloped system of torts: Tort law has not developed sufficiently in India for a number of reasons, primarily due to the high cost and time-consuming nature of litigation, especially in cases concerning the law of torts  Lack of contingency fees: The rules of the Bar Council of India do not allow lawyers to charge contingency fees, i.e., a percentage of the damages claimants receive if they win a case.  Third-party financing mechanisms for litigants: Since litigation costs are high, class action suits can be made easier by allowing external parties to fund or sponsor the cost of litigation. Some states like Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Karnataka have made changes in the Civil Procedure Code to allow this.

1.25.CABINET NOD FOR INLAND VESSELS BILL

Why in news? The Union Cabinet gave the nod to the Inland Vessels Bill, 2021, which will replace the Inland Vessels Act, 1917.

Objective of Bill:  Total 4,000 km inland waterways have been operationalised. The Bill will regulate safety, security and registration of inland vessels  The Bill will make provisions for safe navigation, protection of cargo, and prevent pollution caused during the use of inland vessels,  A key feature of the Bill is a unified law for the entire country, instead of separate rules framed by the States.  The certificate of registration granted under the proposed law will be deemed to be valid in all States and Union Territories, and there will be no need to seek separate permissions from the States.  The Bill provides for a central data base for recording the details of vessel, vessel registration, crew on an electronic portal.  It requires all mechanically propelled vessels to be mandatorily registered.  All non-mechanically propelled vessels will also have to be enrolled at district, taluk or panchayat or village level.  The Bill expands the scope of ‘inland water’ by including national waterways and tidal water limit declared by the Central government.  The Bill will also create pollution control measures for Inland Vessels. The Bill will aid the Government in creating a list of pollutants detailing substances, chemicals, etc.

1.26.EX-INFOSYS CEO TO HEAD TASK FORCE TO HELP GOVT IN BRINGING MAJOR REFORMS

Former Infosys CEO S D Shibu Lal was appointed chairperson of a three-member task force formed to help the government in bringing major bureaucratic reforms through its ambitious “Mission Karmayogi”.

About Mission Karmayogi  The Centre has recently approved the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building – Mission Karmayogi’ to effect a transformational shift from rule based training to role-based capacity development of all civil services in the country so as to enhance citizen experience for government services and improve availability of competent work force.  To effectively roll out this competency driven mission, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), namely Karmayogi Bharat, would be set up as a not-for-profit company, it will be set up under section 8 of Companies Act, 2013 as a 100% government-owned entity.  The SPV will be responsible to deliver and manage design, implement, enhance and manage a digital platform and infrastructure, manage and deliver

competency assessment services, and manage governance of telemetry data and ensure provision of monitoring and evaluation.

The core guiding principles of the Programme will be:  To emphasize on ‘on-site learning’ to complement the ‘off-site’ learning,  To create an ecosystem of shared training infrastructure including that of learning materials, institutions and personnel,  To calibrate all Civil Service positions to a Framework of Roles, Activities and Competencies (FRACs) approach and to create and deliver learning content relevant to the identified FRACs in every Government entity.  To make available to all civil servants, an opportunity to continuously build and strengthen their Behavioral, Functional and Domain Competencies in their self- driven and mandated learning paths

About task force:  It has been decided to constitute a task force comprising leading experts to draw a clear road map for the guidance and operationalisation of the Karmayogi Bharat’, the SPV.  The task force will be free to constitute working groups, co-opt additional members/experts/special invitees, and consult national and international leaders in the field  The task force shall submit its recommendations on organisational structure for the SPV aligning its vision, mission and functions; policy frameworks for HR, compensation, IT, procurement and oversight functions, and staffing plans for top management including board members and key personnel with panels of potential candidates.  The task force is expected to complete its work within a period of six months from the date of its constitution and submit its recommendations in the form of periodic/interim reports in respect of various terms assigned to it.

1.27.WHAT IS RANKED CHOICE VOTING, WHICH MADE ITS DEBUT IN NEW YORK MAYORAL POLLS?

Why in news? Ranked choice voting made its debut in New York City’s mayoral primary in one of the most high-profile tests yet for a system gaining use in pockets across the US. The system is based on a simple premise: Democracy works better if people aren’t forced to make an all-or-nothing choice with their vote.

Rather than pick just one candidate, voters get to rank several in order of preference. Even if a voter’s top choice doesn’t have enough support to win, their rankings of other candidates still play a role in determining the victor.

How does ranked choice voting work?  In New York City’s version, voters get to rank up to five candidates, from first to last, on their ballot.

 If one candidate is the first choice of a majority of voters — more than 50% — that person wins the race outright, just like in a traditional election.  If nobody hits that threshold, ranked choice analysis kicks in.  Vote tabulation is done in rounds. In each round, the candidate in last place is eliminated. Votes cast ranking that candidate first are then redistributed to those voters’ second choices  That process repeats until there are only two candidates left. The one with the most votes wins.  All rounds of counting are done by computer in a process that takes very little time.

Benefits of the System:  One benefit of the system is that nobody “wastes” their vote by picking an unpopular candidate as their first choice.  One can follow their choice and rank someone they like No. 1, even if one suspect that candidate doesn’t stand a chance. If that person is eliminated, one can still get a say in who wins the race based on one's other rankings.  Another benefit is that it’s tough for someone to get elected without broad support. In a traditional election, it’s possible for someone with fringe political views to win in a crowded field of candidates, even if they are deeply disliked by a majority of voters

Demerits of the system  The system is tough to grasp. It requires voters to do a lot more research. It also makes races less predictable.  Transparency and trust are also potential problems. Ordinarily, candidates, the public and news organizations can see votes coming in, precinct by precinct, and know exactly who is leading and where their support is coming from.  Under the modern ranked choice system, the process of redistributing votes is done by computer. Outside groups will have a harder time evaluating whether the software sorted the ranked votes accurately.  And there may be instances where candidates who seem to have a comfortable lead in first-place votes on election might lose because relatively few voters rank them as their second or third choice. That could lead to people questioning the results.

1.28.WHAT ARE DMCA NOTICES FOR PROTECTION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ONLINE?

Why in news? Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology and for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad locked out of his Twitter account for an hour allegedly over a notice received for violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

What is the DMCA and how does it ensure implementation of the WIPO treaties?  The Digital Millennium Copyright Act, or DMCA, is a 1998 law passed in the US and is among the world’s first laws recognising intellectual property on the internet.  Signed into law by the then US President Bill Clinton, the law oversees the implementation of the two treaties signed and agreed upon by member nations of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in 1996.  WIPO members had in December 1996 agreed upon two treaties, namely the WIPO Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty.

Protections under treaty:  Both the treaties require member nations and signatories to provide in their respective jurisdictions, protection to intellectual property that may have been created by citizens of different nations who are also co-signatories to the treaty.  The said protection, accorded by each member state, must not be any less in any way than the one being given to a domestic copyright holder.  Further, it also obligates that signatories to the treaty ensure ways to prevent circumvention of the technical measures used to protect copyrighted work.  It also provides the necessary international legal protection to digital content.

What is WIPO and how does it ensure protection of content on the internet?  WIPO was established in 1967  With the rapid commercialisation of internet in late 1990s which started with static advertisement panels being displayed on the internet, it became important for website owners to get the user to spend more time on their webpage. For this, fresh content was generated by creators and shared over the Internet.  The problem started when the content would be copied by unscrupulous websites or users, who did not generate content on their own.  Further, as the Internet expanded worldwide, websites from countries other than the one where the content originated, also started to copy the unique content generated by the websites.  To avoid this and bring to task the unauthorised copiers, the members of , also agreed to extend the copyright and intellectual property protection to digital content WIPO was established .  As of date, 193 nations across the world, including India, are members of WIPO.

Who can generate a DMCA notice and how are they sent to companies or websites?  Any content creator of any form, who believes that their original content has been copied by user or a website without authorisation can file an application citing their intellectual property has been stolen or violated.

1.29.RATION CARD REFORM, SO FAR

The Supreme Court directed all states and Union Territories to implement the One Nation, One Ration Card (ONORC) system, which allows for inter- and intra-state portability, by July 31.

What is One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC)?  The ONORC scheme is aimed at enabling migrant workers and their family members to buy subsidised ration from any fair price shop anywhere in the country under the National Food Security Act, 2013.  The person can buy foodgrains as per his or her entitlement under the NFSA at the place where he or she is based, members of his or her family can still go to their ration dealer back home.

How does ONORC work?  ONORC is based on technology that involves details of beneficiaries’ ration card, Aadhaar number, and electronic Points of Sale (ePoS).  The system identifies a beneficiary through biometric authentication on ePoS devices at fair price shops.  The system runs with the support of two portals —Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS) (impds.nic.in) and Annavitran (annavitran.nic.in), which host all the relevant data.  When a ration card holder goes to a fair price shop, he or she identifies himself or herself through biometric authentication on ePoS, which is matched real time with details on the Annavitaran portal.  Once the ration card details are verified, the dealer hands out the beneficiary’s entitlements.  While the Annavitaran portal maintains a record of intra-state transactions — inter-district and intra-district — the IM-PDS portal records the inter-state transactions.

How many people will it benefit?  Under the National Food Security Act, 2013, about 81 crore people are entitled to buy subsidised foodgrains — rice at Rs 3/kg, wheat at Rs 2/kg, and coarse grains at Re 1/kg – from designated fair price shops.  As on 28 June 2021, there are about 5.46 lakh fair price shops and 23.63 crore ration card holders across the country.  Each NFSA ration card holder is assigned to a fair price shop near the place where his ration card is registered.

Factors for ONORC:  The government envisioned the ONORC to give people access to benefits from any fair price shop.  Full coverage will be possible after 100% Aadhaar seeding of ration cards has been achieved, and all fair price shops are covered by ePoS devices (there are currently 4.74 lakh devices installed across the country).  The idea was to reform the PDS, which has been historically marred by inefficiency and leakages.

 ONORC was initially launched as an inter-state pilot. However, when the Covid-19 pandemic forced thousands of migrant workers to return to their villages last year, a need was felt to expedite the rollout.  As part of its Covid economic relief package, the government announced the national rollout of ONORC in all states and Union Territories by March 2021.

Coverage so far:  Till date, 32 states and Union Territories have joined the ONORC, covering about 69 crore NFSA beneficiaries. Four states are yet to join the scheme — Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and West Bengal.

Why have these four states not implemented it yet? There are various reasons. For instance, Delhi is yet to start the use of ePoS in fair price shops, which is a prerequisite for the implementation of ONORC. In the case of West Bengal, the state government has demanded that the non-NFSA ration card holders — ration cards issued by the state government — should also be covered under the ONORC.

2. INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

2.1.74TH WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY OF WHO

Why in news? 74th session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) of World Health Organization (WHO) was held virtually from Geneva, Switzerland amid COVID-19, from 24th May to 31st May 2021.The theme of the 74th WHA is “Ending this pandemic, preventing the next: building together a healthier, safer and fairer world”.

Mrs.Dechen Wangmo, Health Minister of Bhutan has been elected as the President of the 74th WHA.

Target – To achieve vaccination of at least 10% of the population of all countries by September,2021 and at least 30% by the end of 2021.

January 30 Declared as World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day: During 74th WHA, January 30 was unanimously adopted as ‘World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day’. The proposal was submitted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). WHO has devised new road map for 2021–2030 to end NTDs.

Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD): NTDs are a group of infections that are most common among marginalised communities in the developing regions of Africa, Asia and the Americas. They are caused by a variety of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa and parasitic worms.

For Eg:NTDs include snakebite envenomation, scabies, yaws, trachoma, Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease.

74th WHA adopts new resolution on malaria:  74th WHA adopted a new resolution on Malaria that aims to revitalize and accelerate efforts to end malaria, a preventable and treatable disease that continues to claim more than 400 000 lives annually.  The resolution was led by the United States of America and Zambia – and co- sponsored by Botswana, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Eswatini, Guyana, Indonesia, Kenya, Monaco, Mozambique, Namibia, Philippines, Peru, Sudan, Switzerland, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Member States of the European Union.

Reason for Resolution:  WHO said an estimated 7.6 million deaths and 1.5 billion cases had been averted since 2000, but the global gains in combatting malaria have levelled off in recent years.  According to the latest World malaria report, there were approximately 229 million new cases of malaria in 2019, an annual estimate that has remained virtually unchanged since 2015.

WHA extended the GCM for Non Communicable Diseases until 2030:  WHA extended the Global Coordination Mechanism (GCM) for Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD) until 2030.  The plan will include a clear vision, a robust results framework, performance and outcome indicators and clarity on how the mechanism will carry out its functions in a way that is integrated with WHO’s ongoing work on NCDs.

WHA approves Implementation roadmap for achieving SDG target on NCD:  WHA to develop an implementation roadmap for 2023-2030 in support of the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).  The roadmap will provide a basis for countries to decide on priority activities and pathways to accelerate progress towards achievement of SDG target 3.4 in the next 10 years.  Target 3.4 of the Sustainable Development Goals is to reduce premature mortality from NCDs by one third by 2030 relative to 2015 levels.

2.2.CABINET APPROVES MOC BETWEEN INDIA & JAPAN ON SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Why in news? Union Cabinet approved Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on Sustainable Urban Development between India and Japan by suspending the existing MoU of 2007 on Urban Development.

Implementation of the MoC:  To implement and strategize programmes on cooperation under MoC, a Joint Working Group (JWG) will be constituted.  JWG will meet once in a year in Japan as well as in India, alternately. Cooperation under MoC will continue for a period of 5 years, which can be auto-renewed for 5 years at a time.

Significance of the MoC:  It will promote strong, deep and long-term bilateral cooperation with respect to Sustainable Urban Development between India and Japan.  It is expected to create employment opportunities in listed areas of sustainable urban development including Urban Planning, affordable housing, rental housing, Smart Cities Development, Urban Flood Management, water management, Sewerage & Waste Water Management etc.

Objective of MoC:  It seeks to facilitate and strengthen India-Japan technical cooperation in field of Sustainable urban development and other listed areas which will be mutually identified by both the countries.  It will also enable exchange of key learnings and best practices in listed areas.

2.3.EQUAL ACCESS TO GREEN CARDS FOR LEGAL EMPLOYMENT (EAGLE) ACT

Why in news? A legislation to remove the per-country cap on permanent residency visas, or green cards, for the US has been introduced in the House of Representatives.

• US House of Representatives has reintroduced bipartisan legislation to eliminate per country cap on employment-based green card. • This legislation is called as “EAGLE Act” and was introduced to benefit Indian IT professionals who are waiting over decades for green card. • The bill will be advantageous for Indian job-seekers who currently rely on temporary visas or await green cards to work in the US.

EAGLE Act : • The bipartisan act seeks to phase out the seven per cent per-country limit on employment-based immigrant visas and raises the per-country limit on family- sponsored visas from seven per cent to 15 per cent. • It provides for a nine-year period for the elimination of this limit. • The seven per cent limit was introduced in the mid-20th century, which has led countries with relatively small populations to be allocated the same number of visas as a relatively large-population country, states a press release by the Representatives. • “A person from a large-population country with extraordinary qualifications who could contribute greatly to our economy and create jobs waits behind a person with lesser qualifications from a smaller country,” the statement further reads, adding that the act seeks to ‘de-emphasize birthplace’.

How does it help Indians? • Think-tank Cato Institute had reported in March 2020 that 75 per cent of the backlog for employment‐based visas was made up of Indians. • “Backlogged Indian workers face an impossible wait of nine decades if they all could remain in the line,” the report states. “More than 200,000 petitions filed for Indians could expire as a result of the workers dying of old age before they receive green cards.” • With the EAGLE Act, the per-country cap would be removed, which may expedite the petitions for those applying for employment-based green cards. • However, since the highest number of applicants are from India and China, the EAGLE Act also seeks to reserve visas for ‘Lower Admission States’ for nine fiscal years (FY). • While 30 per cent of employment-based visas will be reserved in FY1, this would be reduced to five per cent in FY 7, 8 and 9. • The bill also ensures that “no country may receive more than 25 per cent of reserved visas and no country may receive more than 85 per cent of unreserved visas,” in the nine fiscal years.

Background: Indian Migrants to United States: • Immigration from India to US started in early 19th century when Indian immigrants started to settle in communities along the West Coast.

• They originally arrived in small numbers but as new opportunities opened up in middle of 20th century, population grew larger in following decades. • As of 2019, more than 2.7 million Indian immigrants reside in United States. Indian immigrants account for l6 percent of U.S. foreign-born population. Thus, they are second largest immigrant group in country after Mexicans.

2.4.WORLD EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL OUTLOOK: TRENDS 2021

Why in news? The International Labour Organisation(ILO) released a report titled “World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2021(WESO Trends 2021)” stating global unemployment rate will be 5.7% in 2022, 6.3% in 2021 & there will no recovery in global jobs until 2023.

Global Unemployment Rate was 5.4% in 2020 Highlights of the Report:  There will be 205 million unemployed people around the world in 2022, which is higher than the pre Covid numbers of 187 million in 2019.  Job Gaps will be 75 million in 2021 & will fell to 23 million in 2022.Similarly Job Gaps and Reduced working will amount to the equivalent of 100 million full-time jobs in 2021 and 26 million full-time jobs in 2022.  Gender Based Findings: In 2020 Men’s Employment rate declined by 3.9%, whereas women’s employment declined by 5%. Youth employment rate fell by 8.7% & Employment rate of Adults fell by 3.7%.  Sector Wise Report: Women, young people and the 2 billion people working in informal sectors have been hardest hit, with 108 million more workers worldwide now categorized as poor or extremely poor compared to 2019.  The worst affected regions in the first half of 2021 have been Latin America and the Caribbean, and Europe and Central Asia.

UN's Target: United Nation Sustainable Development Goal(UNSDG) has set a target of eradicating poverty by 2030. 5 years of progress towards the eradication of working poverty have been undone rendering the achievement of UN SDG.

But due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, additional 108 million workers worldwide are now categorized as poor or extremely poor.

2.5.SWITZERLAND REJECTS EU TREATY

Why in News? Switzerland has refused to agree to years of negotiation to implement an agreement to improve its relations with the European Union.

 The current relations between European Union and Switzerland are governed by a patchwork of more than 120 bilateral deals.

 The new deal would have provided overarching guidelines.  The main reason for the talks to fail was regarding the issues such as full access for EU citizens to the Swiss labour market, which could not be agreed upon.  Future ties between both the entities are expected to suffer due to lapsing or outdating of multiple existing agreements.

EU and Switzerland ties:  Switzerland is surrounded by European Union countries and is the fourth largest trading partner of the bloc.  The largest trading destination of EU is Switzerland. About 3.5 lakh people from EU travel daily to Switzerland for working in its industries.  Switzerland has maintained open borders with EU and has access to its single market. The relationship rests on about 120 separate deals.

Need for the framework agreement:  Cooperation in health sector, labour market, education and research will all be affected if overarching agreement cannot be reached.  There was also fear that UK will cite the example of Switzerland for having access to single market without being an active member.

Reasons for failure:  Switzerland was not in favour of giving EU citizens full access to its labour market as it would create shortage for its own citizens.  Political opponents of party in power have criticised the draft as a way of putting concerns on Switzerland’s sovereignty.  The government would also need a referendum if the new policy is to be implemented as well as agreement from its states.  The government has put in efforts to develop a migration policy acceptable to all sections and it did not want to upset the balance.

2.6.12TH CHIEF ENERGY MINISTERIAL 2021 & 6TH MISSION INNOVATION MINISTERIAL HOSTED BY CHILE

Why in news? Chile hosts the most important Clean Energy and Innovation Summit of the year: 12th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM 12) 2021 and 6th Mission Innovation Ministerial (MI-6) virtually.

Highlights of 12th Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM 12) 2021:  Theme – ‘Ambition into Action – Turning a Year of Ambition into a Decade of Delivery’.  CEM is a high-level global forum that helps in promoting policies and programs which advance clean energy technology. It provides a platform for all to demonstrate clean energy leadership to a global audience.  Global leaders from across the world participated in the online meeting.

India, UK launch new workstream at 12th CEM: During the 12th CEM, India & the United Kingdom (UK) jointly launched a new workstream for promoting industrial energy efficiency under CEM’s Industrial Deep Decarbonization Initiative (IDDI) coordinated by UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization).  The main objective of the workstream is to infuse green technologies and increase demand for low-carbon industrial materials.  The IDDI initiative has been supported by Germany and Canada, and more countries are expected to join the initiative soon.  Alok Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Power highlighted that India is committed to cut emissions intensity per unit of GDP by 33-35% by 2030.  The commitment depends on the effective deployment of low carbon technologies in Energy Intensive Sectors like Iron & Steel, Cement, and Petrochemicals.

India to host 13th CEM in 2023: India is set to host the 13th Clean Energy Ministerial in 2023.

Highlights of MI-6 and Innovating to Net Zero Summit on June 2, 2021 Mission Innovation 2.0 was launched at the Innovating to Net Zero Summit during the part of the 12th CEM 2021 hosted by Chile. The launch is a key milestone in the build- up to the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26). It is the second phase of the global Mission Innovation initiative.  The Mission Innovation 2.0 launch is a significant step towards achieving our collective climate goals. Clean energy technologies deployment is vital to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.  Mission Innovation initiative was launched during the signing of the Paris Agreement at the 2015 UN climate conference(COP21).

India launches Global Initiative for Clean Energy Innovation: During the Innovating to Net Zero Summit, India launched the Mission Innovation CleanTech Exchange 2.0, a global initiative that aims to create a network of incubators to accelerate clean energy innovation.  It will provide access to expertise and market insights needed to support new technologies to access new markets globally.  The main goal behind the initiative is to make clean energy affordable, attractive, and accessible for everyone in this decade and accelerate action towards the Paris Agreement and net-zero pathways.

Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM): The Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) is a high-level global forum to promote policies and programs that advance clean energy technology, to share lessons learned and best practices, and to encourage the transition to a global clean energy economy.  Initiatives are based on areas of common interest among participating governments and other stakeholders.  The Framework for the Clean Energy Ministerial, reaffirmed at the twelfth Clean Energy Ministerial in 2021, defines the CEM governance structure and outlines the mission statement, objectives, membership, and guiding principles.

 The First Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM1) was hosted by the United States in 2010.The previous 11th meeting of Clean Energy Ministerial scheduled to take place on 22 September 2020 hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Focus Areas: The CEM is focused on three global climate and energy policy goals:  Improve energy efficiency worldwide  Enhance clean energy supply  Expand clean energy access

Members – 29 (including India and European Commission) – they account for 81% of global clean energy investments and 83 % of global greenhouse gas emissions.

2.7.INDIA ELECTED TO UN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL FOR THE 2022-24 TERM

Why in News? India along with 17 other countries has been elected to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for the 2022-24 term beginning on January 1, 2022. India was elected in the Asia-Pacific States Category along with Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Oman.

Other countries elected to ECOSOC:  India was elected to UN ECOSOC in the Asia-Pacific States Category along with Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, and Oman in the elections which were held on June 7, 2021.  From the African States, Eswatini, Cote d’ Ivoire, Mauritius, the United Republic of Tanzania, and Tunisia were elected.  From Eastern European states, the Czech Republic and Croatia were elected to the UN body and from the Latin American and the Caribbean States, Chile, Belize, and Peru were elected.  In the by-election of the Economic and Social Council, New Zealand, Greece and Denmark were elected for a term of office from January to December 2022. Israel was elected for a term of office beginning from January 1, 2022, until December 31, 2023.

UN Economic and Social Council: The Economic and Social Council was established by UN Charter in 1945 as one of the six main organs of the United Nations.

 The 54 members of ECOSOC are elected for three-year terms by the General Assembly. The seats to the members of the council are allotted on the basis of geographical representation.  The 54 members seats are divided as such- 14 allocated to the African States, 6 to the Eastern European States, 11 to the Asian States, 13 to the Western European and other states, and 10 to the Latin American and the Caribbean States.

Objective of UN ECOSOC:  The UN Economic and Social Council is a platform for fostering innovative thinking and debate, coordinating efforts, and forging the consensus on ways forward to achieve the internationally agreed goals.  The council is also responsible for the follow-up to major conferences and summits of the United Nations.

2.8.GLOBAL WIND WORKFORCE OUTLOOK 2021-2025

Why in news? Global Wind Energy Council released the report “Global Wind Workforce Outlook 2021- 2025” with a focus on the job market and workforce needs in the wind energy sector.

The report highlights the increase of job opportunities across the supply chain with the increase in the global wind industry.  The report is the global forecast for the training needs which also examines the training needs of 10 countries: Brazil, India, Vietnam, Japan, USA, China, South Africa, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Morocco.  The Global Wind Organization (GWO) partnered with the GWEC to highlight the importance of safety, training, and job creation to power wind energy deployment and the global energy transition.  GWEC estimates that the sector would need 280,000 more trained workers in the next five years.

India’s wind market growth outlook:  India remains one of the top markets globally for onshore wind with 38.6 GW of capacity.  India is expected to install over 20GW of additional capacity in the next 5 years. This includes the first 100MW of offshore wind by the middle of the decade.  The government targets a to 40% renewable energy share in the power mix by 2030, including 140 GW of onshore and offshore wind capacity.  In 2020 India has installed around 1.2GW of wind energy due to challenges around grid availability, land allocation and power sale agreement signings.

2.9.ARAB-INDIA ENERGY FORUM

Why in news? During the first edition of the two-day Arab-India Energy Forum, a range of issues on boosting two-way energy cooperation and intra-regional power trading dominated the forum.  The Ministry of External Affairs informed that the event was held virtually under the co-chairship of the Kingdom of Morocco and India.  The inaugural session of the virtual forum was addressed by Aziz Rabbah, Minister of Energy and Mines of Morocco, RK Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power, and Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs of the League of Arab States, Kamal Hasan Ali.

 Participants from various public and private sector institutions from India & LAS members participated in the event  It was agreed to hold the 2nd edition of AIEF in India during 2023.

Background: Arab-India Energy Forum: The first edition of the Arab-India Energy Forum was the implementation of the executive programme of the Arab-India Cooperation Forum and the decision of the third meeting of the League of the Arab States and senior officials of India which was held virtually in January 2021. The panelists for the session during the energy cooperation forum were drawn from a wide range of private and public sector institutions from India and the LAS member states as also the key regional organisations such as the Arab Atomic Energy Agency (AAEA) and the Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC). As per the experts, even though India and several League of Arab States member states have been striving for the transition towards the clean and green energy economies, their reliance on hydrocarbons is most likely to continue in the near future.

2.10.INDIA, KUWAIT SIGN MOU FOR COOPERATION ON RECRUITMENT OF INDIAN WORKERS

Why in news? India and Kuwait, signed an MoU that brings Indian domestic workers in the Gulf nation within a legal framework that provides them with the protection of the law and streamlines their recruitment.

India-Kuwait MoU for Cooperation on Recruitment of Indian Workers:  The MoU signed between India and Kuwait, brings Indian domestic workers in the Gulf nation within a legal framework that provides them with the protection of the law and streamlines their recruitment.  The MoU will ensure the rights and obligations of both the domestic workers and the employer.  The MoU will establish a 24-hour assistance mechanism for domestic workers. It will also establish a joint committee for assessment and periodic review and follow-up on the implementation of the MoU.  Approximately ten lakh (one million) Indians live in Kuwait.  India is one of the largest trading partners of Kuwait while the Gulf nation is a key supplier of oil to India.

EAM S Jaishankar chaired the Gulf Cooperation Council conference: Later in the day during his vist, EAM Jaishankar also chaired a roundtable conference of Indian ambassadors in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

The Gulf Cooperation Council is an economic and political alliance of six countries: Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia.

2.11.SMALL ISLAND STATES EXPERIENCED AN ESTIMATED 9% FALL IN GDP IN 2020: UNCTAD REPORT

Why in news? According to the 2021 edition of UNCTAD’s (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) ‘Development and Globalization: Facts and Figures’ report. Due to pandemic, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) experienced an estimated fall in GDP of 9% in 2020, compared with a 3.3% decline in other developing countries.  The report has been published ahead of UNCTAD’s 15th Quadrennial ministerial conference to be held virtually from October 3-7, 2021.  It will be hosted by Barbados.  SIDS are already facing extreme risk from global warming.

Highlights of the Report: COVID-19 has affected all spheres of life in SIDS including health, the economy and trade.  One of the severely hit sectors is the services exports, which is heavily reliant on tourism. They contribute on average 25% to SIDS’ GDP.  Due to pandemic, SIDS sufferenced an estimated 70% drop in travel receipts in 2020.

SIDS were also 35% more vulnerable to external economic and financial shocks compared to other developing countries. SIDS countries hardly emit greenhouse emissions, but are the 1st to suffer the impacts of climate change.

Vulnerability of SIDS:  SIDS are vulnerable to sea-level rise, storm surges and coastal destruction.  According to the 2020 Environmental Vulnerability Index, 4 out of the top 10 most environmentally vulnerable countries in the world are SIDS  A UN report on World Population Prospects 2019 warned that many SIDS may not achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 due to increasing populations and climate risks.

2.12.NEW ATLANTIC CHARTER

Why in news? President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson recently inspected documents related to the Atlantic Charter, a declaration signed by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in August 1941.

The two leaders plan to sign what they’re calling a new Atlantic Charter, pledging to “defend the principles, values, and institutions of democracy and open societies.”

New Atlantic Charter (2021): The new charter, a 604-word declaration, is an effort to stake out a grand vision for global relationships in the 21st century, just as the original was a declaration of a

Western commitment to democracy and territorial integrity just months before the US entered World War II.  It is a statement of principles, a promise that the UK and the US would meet the challenges of their age together. It calls for both countries to adhere to the rules- based international order.  The new charter focuses on climate change and the need to protect biodiversity. With references to emerging technologies, cyberspace and sustainable global development.  It calls on Western allies to oppose interference through disinformation or other malign influences, including in elections.  It ranks the threats to democratic nations in a technological era.  It vows that as long as there are nuclear weapons, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) will remain a nuclear alliance.

Objectives of the new Charter: The article issues eight aims:  To defend the principles and institutions of democracy and open societies  To strengthen and adapt the institutions, laws and norms that sustain international co-operation  To remain united behind principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and peaceful resolution of disputes  To harness and protect the countries' innovative edge in science and technology  To affirm the shared responsibility to maintain collective security and international stability, including against cyber threats; and to declare the countries' nuclear deterrents to the defence of NATO  To continue building an inclusive, fair, climate-friendly, sustainable, rules-based economy.  To prioritise climate change in all international action  To commit to continuing to collaborate to strengthen health systems and advance health protections

Opportunity for India: The old Atlantic Charter alienated Indian nationalism from the West but the new Charter and the rebooting of western institutions should facilitate a productive phase of India’s cooperation with the US and its allies.  In 1941, the UK insisted that the principle of self-determination highlighted in the charter did not apply to India.  However, the presence of India and South Africa along with Australia and South Korea (as guests) at the G-7 summit 2021 is a recognition of the urgent imperative to widen the basis of the West in dealing with global challenges. The current Anglo-American effort to institutionalise western consultations with India is a long overdue correction.  Indian Prime Minister, who is remotely joining the discussions at the G-7 summit (2021), has an opportunity to signal a commitment to both address perceptions about shrinking democratic freedoms within India and offer substantive collaboration with the western democracies on global issues.

Background: Atlantic Charter (1941): The Atlantic Charter was a joint declaration released by US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill on 14th August, 1941 (during World War II) following a meeting of the two heads of government in Newfoundland.  The Atlantic Charter was subsequently incorporated by reference in the Declaration of the United Nations in 1942.  World War II was a conflict that involved virtually every part of the world during the years 1939–45.  The principal belligerents were:

Axis powers: Germany, Italy, and Japan. Allies: France, Great Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and, to a lesser extent, China.

The Atlantic Charter provided a broad statement of US and British war aims such as:  They desired no territorial changes without the free assent of the peoples concerned.  They respected every people’s right to choose its own form of government and wanted sovereign rights and self-government restored to those forcibly deprived of them.  They would try to promote equal access for all states to trade and to raw materials.  They hoped to promote worldwide collaboration so as to improve labour standards, economic progress, and social security.  The destruction of “Nazi tyranny,” (Germany) they would look for a peace under which all nations could live safely within their boundaries, without fear or want.  Under such a peace the seas should be free.  Pending a general security through renunciation of force, potential aggressors must be disarmed.

2.13.47TH G7 LEADERS SUMMIT 2021

Why in news? The 47th G7 Leaders Summit 2021 (Outreach Session of the G7 meeting) took place in a Hybrid format from June 11-13, 2021 at Cornwall, United Kingdom (UK). It was hosted by the United Kingdom (UK) as it holds the Presidency of G7 for 2021.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually participated in the meeting and called G7 summit members for ‘One Earth One Health’.  The theme for the Summit – ‘Building Back Better’.  The UK invited Australia, India, South Korea, and South Africa (jointly called ‘Democracy 11’) as Guest Countries to the 2021 summit.  US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi attended the Summit in person.

 The 47th G7 Leaders Summit has been called the 1st ever net-zero G7 as all have committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 (or at the latest with ambitious reductions targets in the 2020 decade).  PM Narendra Modi participated in the 1st Outreach Session of the G7 Summit, he was the lead speaker for the session titled ‘Building Back Stronger – Health’, which focused on global recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and on strengthening resilience against future pandemics. India signs Joint Statement on Open Societies Statement: India, South Korea, Australia, South Africa, and the G7 countries signed the ‘Open Societies Statement’, it supports ‘Human rights for all, both online and offline (as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights) and Freedom of Expression.

 The Open Societies statement commits to protecting civic space and media freedom, promoting freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association, and freedom of religion or belief, by tackling all forms of discrimination, including racism.  The declaration states that ‘Politically motivated internet shutdown’ is a great threat to freedom and democracy.  According to a report by Access Now, digital rights and privacy organisation, India recorded the highest number of internet shutdowns in 2020. Out of 155 internet shutdowns, India alone accounted for 109.

G7 nations pledge 1 Billion Vaccine doses for Poorer nations: During the summit, G7 countries pledged over 1 billion coronavirus vaccine doses for poorer nations.  The doses will be made available directly and through the international COVAX programme.  It falls short of the 11 billion doses the World Health Organization (WHO) said is needed to vaccinate at least 70% of the world’s population and end the pandemic.

Carbis Bay Declaration: The G7 leaders also issued the Carbis Bay Declaration to prevent any repeat of the human and economic devastation wreaked by COVID-19. The declaration declares a series of step to  Reduce time taken to develop and licence vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics for any future disease to under 100 days.  Reinforce global surveillance networks and genomic sequencing capacity.  Support for reforming and strengthening the WHO.  The UK will set up an Animal Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre at Pirbright Institute in Surrey, England. It is aimed at stopping viruses from jumping into the human population.

G7 leaders launch B3W Project to counter China: During the summit, the G7 leaders launched the ‘Build Back Better World (B3W)’ Project to counter China’s Belt and Road Infrastructure (BRI) initiative.

 B3W will provide infrastructure partnership and will mobilise capital in the areas such as climate, health and health security, digital technology, and gender equity and equality.  It will help in achieving the USD 40 Trillion fund needed by developing nations by 2035 to boost their infrastructure.

Nature Compact: The G7 leaders agreed to set tough climate action targets and reduce coal and fossil fuel usage by ending direct government support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas and by phasing out petrol and diesel cars.

 They agreed to increase their contributions to international climate finance to meet the target of mobilising USD 100 billion a year, which will help developing countries deal with the impacts of climate change and support sustainable growth.  The G7 countries committed to halving their emissions by 2030 compared to 2010.  They also endorsed a ‘Nature Compact’ to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, which includes supporting the global target to conserve or protect at least 30% of land and 30% of ocean globally by the end of the decade.

Blue Planet Fund: UK’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched the 500 million pound Blue Planet Fund.  It will support countries such as Ghana, Indonesia, and Pacific Islands to tackle unsustainable fishing, protect and restore coastal ecosystems like mangroves and coral reefs, and reduce marine pollution.

Indian Prime Minister highlighted India’s commitment to climate action: He stated that Indian Railways will achieve Net Zero Emissions by 2030 & India is the only G-20 country on track to meet its Paris commitments.  Modi highlighted the effectiveness of the 2 major global initiatives of India – the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

Background: Group of Seven: The Group of Seven, also known as G7 is an inter-governmental forum where the world’s advanced economies and open societies come together to deliberate on global pressing issues.

 The seven-member countries are the UK, the US, Canada, Japan, Germany, France, and Italy. The member countries are joined by the EU and other guest countries every year.  The member countries of G7 represent 10 per cent of the world’s population and 40 per cent of global GDP (gross domestic product).

History of G7: The inception of the G7 dates back to a meeting between current G7 member countries, excluding Canada, that happened in 1975. The meetings started as the ‘Library Group’ founded by then-US Treasury Secretary George Shultz.

 The heads of state and government of six leading countries the US, Germany, France, Japan, and the UK gathered at the meetings to deliberate on stabilizing the global economy that had gone into recession due to the 1973 OPEC oil ban.  Canada and Russia joined the group in 1976 and 1998 respectively, and the group was renamed as the G8 until 2014. Following the Russian annexation of Crimea, the group of seven (G7) held its meetings annually without Russia.

Presidency of G7: Each year, the presidency of G7 meetings comes upon each of the seven-member countries in rotation. The country holding the presidency of the G7 meetings hosts the G7 summit that year. In 2021, the G7 leaders were hosted by the UK in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, UK from June 11 to 13, 2021.

Agenda of G7:  In the past, the G7 leaders have worked on action plans to combat tax evasion, strengthen the global economy, save 27 million people from AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis, and funded the education of millions of children living in the poorest countries. In 2015, the leaders worked on securing the Paris Climate Agreement to limit global emissions.  The theme of the G7 summit in 2021 is ‘Build Back Better’. The G7 leaders signed the Carbis Bay Declaration on health and vow to reverse the global devastation caused by a coronavirus. The leaders also agreed to kick off a new infrastructure investment partnership to increase international climate finance and address the climate crisis.

2.14.UN ‘HIGH-LEVEL DIALOGUE ON DESERTIFICATION, LAND DEGRADATION AND DROUGHT’

Why in news? Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually delivered his keynote and highlighted India’s commitment to restore the Degraded land at the UN ‘High-Level Dialogue on Desertification, Land degradation and Drought (DDLD)’. He is the president of the 14th Session of the Conference of Parties of United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).  The meeting aims to maintain momentum on addressing DLDD-related challenges and accelerate Sustainable Development Goals implementation, ecosystem restoration, climate change adaptation and others.  The meeting was attended by Executive Secretary of UNCCD Ibrahim Thiaw and leaders of various global organizations.

Highlights of the Address:  In the last decade alone around 3 million hectares of forest cover were added in India. This has increased the combined forest cover to almost one-fourth of India’s total area.  India is on track to achieve its national commitment of Land Degradation neutrality.  Restoration of 26 million hectares of degraded land aimed by 2030 to achieve an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.  Centre of Excellence to be set up in India to promote a scientific approach towards land degradation issues.  PM highlighted the initiatives taken by India to deal with the land degradation issue.  Delhi Declaration of 2019 which called for better access & stewardship over land, and emphasised gender- sensitive transformative projects in India.  He highlighted the example of the Banni region in Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, where land was restored. This resulted in good soil health, increased land productivity, food security and improved livelihoods.  In the spirit of South-South cooperation, India is assisting fellow developing countries to develop land restoration strategies.

Global Scenario: Globally, one fifth of Earth’s land area – more than 2 billion hectares is degraded, including more than half of all agricultural land. Land degradation affects 3.2 billion people across the world.  Each year, more than 12 million hectares of land are lost to Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought (DDLD).  The world loses 24 billion tons of fertile soil annually due to dryland degradation.

2.15.INDIA, PAKISTAN, CHINA APPEAR TO BE EXPANDING NUCLEAR ARSENALS: SWEDISH THINK TANK

Why in news? The ‘SIPRI Yearbook 2021 (52nd Edition)’ released by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) states that India, Pakistan & China are expanding their Nuclear arsenals.  At the start of 2021, India with 156 Nuclear warheads (at the start of 2021) is behind Pakistan (165 Nuclear warheads) & China (350 warheads).  The 9 nuclear armed states in the world (US, Russia, UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea) possessed an estimated 13,080 Nuclear warheads at the start of 2021, and decreased compared to 2020 stockpile – 13400.  Russia & US together possess around 90% of the global nuclear weapons, they have extensive and expensive modernisation programmes.  China, France, Russia, the UK and the US have produced both HEU and plutonium for use in their nuclear weapons, the study mentioned.

Highlights of the report:  The report states that globally the number of nuclear warheads in military stockpiles has increased.  At the start of 2020, India had possessed 150 warheads, while Pakistan & China had 160 & 320 warheads respectively.  Saudi Arabia, India, Egypt, Australia and China were the five largest importers of major arms in the world between 2016 and 2020.  Approximately 2,000 of the total 13,080 global nuclear warheads in the world are “kept in a state of high operational alert”, said the study mentioned in the SIPRI Yearbook 2021.  Saudi Arabia had 11 percent share and India 9.5 percent in the global imports of the major arms in this time period, it added.  The SIPRI’s study also talked about the fissile raw material stocks that the countries have for their nuclear weapons.

Background: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute:

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) is an international institute based in Stockholm. It was founded in 1966 and provides data, analysis and recommendations for armed conflict, military expenditure and arms trade as well as disarmament and arms control. The research is based on open sources and is directed to decision-makers, researchers, media and the interested public. SIPRI’s organizational purpose is to conduct scientific research in issues on conflict and cooperation of importance for international peace and security, with the goal of contributing to an understanding for the conditions for a peaceful solution of international conflicts and sustainable peace.

2.16.BIDEN-PUTIN SUMMIT

Why in news? US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a high- stakes summit at an 18th-century Swiss villa, Villa La Grange in Geneva. This is Biden's first meeting with Putin after he took oath as President of the United States. He has become the fifth US President to meet the Russian President. The meeting comes at a time when the US-Russia relationship is at one of its lowest points. Tight smiles and a firm handshake preceded the chaotic photo op of both world leaders, in which Russian security pushed American reporters. This was followed by three-and-a-half hours of tense talks. Biden had earlier spoken and met with Putin in 2016.

Biden-Putin Summit: Key Highlights: US President Joe Biden gifted the Russian President a pair of Aviator sunglasses and an American Bison crystal sculpture, keeping up with the traditional custom of American Presidents when they meet a foreign leader for a major summit meeting.

 The Russian President was the first to deliver a solo press conference following their talks and said there was "no hostility" on either side. Putin called Biden a "very balanced, professional man."  He said that their meeting took place in a constructive spirit and they were able to arrive at assessments on a number of issues, but both sides expressed their intention to understand each other and to seek common ground. "Talks were quite constructive," Putin concluded.  He continued by saying that they should be able to cooperate where it's in their mutual interest. Biden said that he told Putin that his agenda isn't "against Russia or anyone else" but "for the American people."  President Joe Biden said that he had raised a range of issues with Putin, including Ukraine, human rights, press freedoms and election interference.  He said that he told President Putin that they need to have some basic rules of the road that they can all abide by.  The Russian President dismissed the topic of the ongoing Russian military aggression toward Ukraine, saying it's not the business of the US. He said that just like the United States carries out exercises on their territory, we are carrying out exercises.  He also strongly opposed the idea of Ukraine joining NATO, saying it was "nothing to discuss here."  The discussions also included tense talks over the imprisoned Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny. Putin said that the man knew he was breaking the law of Russia.

 Neither leader reportedly invited the other to either Washington or Moscow. Putin saidthat the conditions need to be right for that to happen.  The leaders, however, agreed to send their ambassadors back to Washington and Moscow, respectively, to deescalate tension between the two nations.  Biden also reiterated that there were no direct threats in his meeting with Putin.  Cybersecurity was one of the top priority on the US government's agenda. Both leaders agreed to "consultations" on the subject. The leaders agreed to task experts on cyber attacks in both countries "to work on specific understandings about what's off-limits and to follow-up on specific cases that originate in other countries."  The Russian leader accepted no responsibility for cyberattacks on the US or for anything else, despite US intelligence indicating otherwise.  The leaders also discussed regarding two US Marine veterans jailed in Russia, Trevor Reed and Paul Whelan. The Russian President informed that the countries might be able to find a compromise on the same.  Biden said Putin raised the issue of withdrawal of US troops in Afghanistan. In the middle east, Biden said that they both agreed it is in the interests of both nations not to let Iran acquire nuclear weapons.

Was the meeting a success?  While both leaders called the meeting positive, Biden did not claim that he got Putin to commit to changing his behavior. Biden stressed that he raised serious concerns during the summit and warned of consequences.  Biden did signal that he thought the face-to-face meeting in itself a success. He had earlier said that it would take "six months to a year" to see if the US and Russia "have a strategic dialogue that matters."  Putin said that their talks were pragmatic. He said that it seemed to him that they did speak the same language.  Overall, while there were no definitive conclusions to the much-awaited summit between the two world leaders, Putin did gain a fresh presence on the world stage and Biden did succeed in bringing out the main message that, 'America is back' and at least attempt to restore stability in the relationship between the two superpowers post-Trump era, when it had reached a low point.

2.17.NATO LEADERS DECLARE CHINA A CONSTANT GLOBAL SECURITY CHALLENGE

Why in news? The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 European and North American Countries, has branded China as a constant global security challenge and has vowed to counter Beijing’s rise.

 China was central to the discussion at the first meeting of NATO since 2019. The NATO leaders pointed to China’s assertive behavior and also expressed concerns over Beijing’s coercive policies which stand in contrast with fundamental values enshrined in Washington Treaty.

 According to a statement, China’s policies presents systematic challenges to the rules-based international order and to the areas that are relevant to the alliance security.  The NATO leaders have also called on China to uphold its international commitments as well as to act responsibly in the international system, including in cyber, space, and maritime domains, in keeping its role as a major power.

Why China has become a matter of concern for global security? Expansion of warheads: The Secretary-General of NATO, Jen Stoltenberg explained that the international body has shown concern as China has been rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, with more warheads and a large number of sophisticated delivery systems.  The concern is also over its military cooperation with Russia and its use of misinformation.  As the country is soon going to be the biggest economy in the world, China will also have the second biggest defence budget and the biggest navy.

Increasingly running up against NATO: While speaking to the reporters ahead of the summit, the global leaders emphasized that China is among NATO’s greatest foreign and defence policy challenges.  According to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, China has been increasingly running up against NATO, whether be in Africa, in the Mediterranean, or in the Arctic, as they are trying to engage more.

Role of US in the global push against China: Pushing the agenda of G-7 Communique at NATO: The US President Joe Biden, who arrived at the NATO summit after three days of consulting with the Group of Seven allies (G7) in the United Kingdom, pushed for the G-7 communique there and called out what it said were forced labour practices as well as other human rights violations impacting Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic communities in Western Xinjiang Province.  The US President expressed satisfaction with the Communique, although, he added, the difference remains among the allies about how forcefully to criticize Beijing.

NATO against China: Implications Even though there are no direct announcements made by the countries taking a stand against China, the global push, particularly supported by the US, can impact China in some of the possible ways.  With the US bringing the issue of forced labour practices, human rights violations, detention camps by the Chinese Government at the G7 summit, there is no doubt that the allies' focus has already shifted to China. However, this shift cannot be seen as taking place in a single day.  The continuous sanctions against China by the US, QUAD dialogue between Japan, Australia, India, and the US to counter the increasing presence of China in the Indo-Pacific, ban on the Chinese apps by India and earlier by the US, can be seen as an ongoing global effort against China’s increasingly coercive policies that can impact the international order.

Is NATO as against China as said to be? The new Brussels Communique, issued by NATO’s leaders, stated plainly that the NATO nations ‘will engage China with a view to defending the security interests of the alliance’. However, it must be noted that as Biden faced with the G-7 Communique, some allies stood up at the NATO efforts to speak out on China.

Germany on NATO’s stand against China: Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, said that NATO’s decision of naming China as a threat ‘must not be overstated’ because Beijing, like Russia, is also a partner in some areas.  She further noted that when you look at the cyber threats, hybrid threats, and when you look at the cooperation between China and Russia, you can’t ignore China. However, she added that it is important to find the right balance as China is also a partner on many issues.  Markel’s view can be seen in the light of China being the top trading partner of Germany and is also heavily dependent on Russia for fulfilling the country’s energy needs.

France urges not to be distracted by China: The President of France Emmanuel Macron urged the NATO alliance to not let China distract it from what he saw as more pressing issues facing NATO, including the fight against security issues, terrorism-related to Russia. He added that it is very significant not to scatter the efforts of the alliance and not to have biases in our relation to China.

2.18.GLOBAL PEACE INDEX 2021

Why in news? According to the 15th Edition of Global Peace Index 2021 (GPI 2021) released by Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP), India with a score of 2.553 has been ranked 135 out of 163 countries, which specifies ‘Low State of Peace’. Iceland topped the GPI 2021 Index followed by New Zealand & Denmark.

• The average level of global peacefulness decreased by 0.07 per cent in the 2021 Global Peace Index. It has deteriorated for the 9th time in the last 13 years. • The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remained the world’s least peaceful region, while Europe remained the most peaceful region in the world. 8 of the 10 most peaceful countries are from Europe. • In the 2020 GPI, India was ranked 139th.

Global Peace Index: • GPI measures the relative position of ‘nations and regions’ peacefulness. It is an annual report and was first released in 2009. • It ranks countries based on 23 indicators across 3 domains: societal safety and security, ongoing domestic and international conflict and the degree of militarisation. It covers 99.7 percent of the world’s population.

Rank Country Index Score

135 India 2.553

1 Iceland 1.1

2 New Zealand 1.253

3 Denmark 1.256

Highlights: • In total, peacefulness improved in 87 countries and deteriorated in 73. • Only 3 out of 9 regions in the world improved in the peace index. • The economic impact of violence to the global economy in 2020 was USD 14.96 trillion in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) terms which is equal to 11.6% of the world’s economic activity. • At the Global level – Syria (161), Yemen (162) & Afghanistan (163) were ranked as the least peaceful countries.

In South Asian Region • Bhutan took the top spot as the most peaceful country in the region (global rank 22), while Afghanistan was the least peaceful country. • India was ranked 5th peaceful region out of 7 countries. • Bangladesh’s ranking improved to 91 compared to 98 in 2020.

2.19.GLOBAL TRENDS IN FORCED DISPLACEMENT – 2020 REPORT UNHCR

Why in news? According to the ‘Global Trends: Forced Displacement in 2020 Report’ released by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – The number of people fleeing wars, violence, persecution, and human rights violations increased to nearly 82.4 million people in 2020, an increase of 3 million people compared to 79.5 million recorded at the end of 2019.

 Number of people facing Forced Displacement has increased despite COVID-19 related movement restrictions.  The report states that more than 1% of the world’s population or 1 in 95 people are now forcibly displaced. This compares with 1 in 159 in 2010.  This is the 9th straight annual increase in the number of people forcibly displaced.

Regions with Maximum Displacement:  Conflict and impact of Climate Change in places like Mozambique, Ethiopia’s Tigray region and Africa’s broad Sahel area were among the leading sources of new movements of refugees and internally displaced people in 2020.  Around 48 million people were internally displaced in their own countries & 4.1 million people have sought asylum.  Turkey has taken in the most refugees, followed by Colombia & Pakistan.  The 5 countries which hold more than two thirds of people who fled abroad are: Syria (6.7 million), Venezuela (4.0 million), Afghanistan (2.6 million), South Sudan (2.2 million) and Myanmar (1.1 million).

Low Rate of Return: The report states that in 2020, some 3.2 million internally displaced and just 251, 000 refugees returned to their homes, a drop of 40% & 21% compared to 2019.

2.20.PM MODI VIRTUALLY ADDRESSES 5TH EDITION OF VIVATECH IN PARIS

Why in news? Prime Minister, Narendra Modi virtually addressed the 5th edition of VivaTech.PM Modi was invited as a Guest of Honour to deliver the keynote address at VivaTech 2021, which has been organised in Paris.

During his address, PM Modi invited the world to invest in India based on the five pillars:

 Talent,  Market,  Capital,  Eco-system and,  Culture of openness.

Other prominent speakers in the event were Emmanuel Macron, President of France; Pedro Sanchez, Prime Minister of Spain; Tim Cook, CEO of Apple; Mark Zuckerberg, Chairman & CEO of Facebook and many others.

Highlights of PM’s Address:

 PM Modi highlighted the emerging cooperation between India & France in areas like technology & digital.  He highlighted the role of Infosys in providing technical support for the 2021 French Open Tennis Tournament.  India’s biometric digital identity system ‘Aadhaar’ has helped in providing financial support to the poor during pandemic.  Two Public Digital Education programmes – ‘SWAYAM’ (Study Webs of Active- Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) & ‘DIKSHA’ (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing)’ were operationalized to help students.  He Highlighted the role of technology in managing COVID-19 in India such asArogya-Setu, an indigenous IT platform which enabled contact tracking of COVID-19 patients.  CoWIN (Covid Vaccine Intelligence Work) platform ensured vaccines to millions in India.  He listed the initiatives taken by India to improve digital reach  Modern public digital infrastructure, Fibre optic network of length 5,23,000 kms which will link 1,56, 000 village councils, and installation of public wi-fi networks across India.  In order to develop a culture of innovation, innovation labs have been set up in 7500 schools across India under the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM).  He invited the world to invest in India based on 5 pillars of Talen, Market, Capital, Eco-system and, Culture of openness. India is home to one of the world’s largest start-up ecosystems. India has 775 million internet users, highest and cheapest data consumption in the world, and the highest use of social media.

Background: Viva Technology: VivaTech is one of the largest digital and startup events of Europe, held in Paris every year since 2016.

 The first two days of VivaTech are for startups, investors, executives, students and academics, and it is open to the general public on the third day.  It is jointly organized by Publicis Groupe – a advertising and marketing company & Les Echos, a leading French media group.  The event brings together stakeholders in technology innovation and the startup ecosystem.

2.21.42ND SESSION OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION’S (FAO) CONFERENCE

Why in news? Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar addressed the 42nd session of Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Conference which took place virtually.

 All the 193 members of the FAO plus the European Union endorsed the new Strategic Framework 2022-2031 which will support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  The conference elected Ambassador Hans Hoogeveen, the Permanent Representative of the Netherlands to UN Organizations in Rome, as the new Independent Chairperson of the Council (ICC) for the next two years (2021-23). He succeeds Khalid Mehboob of Pakistan.

FAO Conference:  The conference is the supreme governing body of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and meets once in 2 years.  The 42nd session of the Conference was the first one held virtually in history.  The conference determines the strategies and policies of the Organization, approves the budget, and makes recommendations to Members on food and agriculture issues.

Highlights of India’s address:  India congratulated FAO for completing 75 years of service on 16th October 2020 and Indian Prime Minister had released a special seventy five rupees commemorative coin to observe the long standing relationship between India & FAO.  It also thanked the FAO for endorsing its proposal to declare 2023 as the International Year of Millets.  Also highlighted was the FAO's endorsement of India’s proposal for an International Year of Pulses which was celebrated in 2016.

2.22.INDIA, FIJI SIGN MOU ON COOPERATION IN AGRICULTURE AND ALLIED SECTORS

Why in news? India and Fiji, signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the field of agriculture and the allied sectors.

Cooperation between India and Fiji in Agriculture and allied sectors: The Memorandum of Understanding will provide cooperation in the fields of Dairy Industry Development, Root Crop Diversification, Rice Industry Development, Water Resources Management, Food Processing Industry, Coconut Industry Development, Agriculture Mechanization, Agricultural Research, Food Processing Industry Development, Horticulture Industry Development, Cultivation, Animal Husbandry, Pest and Diseases, Post-harvest and milling, value addition and marketing, Breeding and Agronomy.

Highlights of the Agreement between India and Fiji:  Under the Agreement, a Joint Working Group will be established to set down the procedures and plans. The group will also recommend the programs of cooperation for achieving its aim.  The meetings of the Joint Working Group will be held alternatively in India and Fiji once every two years.  The Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries will remain valid for a period of 5 years from the date of its signing and any form of variation to its duration will be approved in writing by both parties.

Relations between India and Fiji:  The cordial and friendly relations between both countries are based on cooperation, mutual respect, and strong cultural and people-to-people ties.  PM Modi’s visit to Fiji and the first forum for the India Pacific Islands Cooperation have also given a new impetus to India’s engagement with Fiji and the Pacific region.  As food and agriculture are closely related to climate change, both nations have been cooperating in dealing with global challenges in this regard.  Even amid the pandemic, India, as a grant, was able to distribute about 7 tonnes of seeds of 14 varieties of fruits and vegetables as requested by Fiji for the livelihood restoration of communities affected by Cyclone Yasa.

2.23.MINISTERIAL-LEVEL THEMATIC FORUM FOR UN HIGH LEVEL DIALOGUE ON ENERGY 2021

Why in news? The Ministerial-level Thematic Forum for UN High Level Dialogue on Energy 2021 (HLDE 2021) was held virtually. It is an initiative of United Nations-Energy (UN Energy).  The main aim of HLDE 2021 is to promote the implementation of the energy- related goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

 The Forums in HLDE 2021 held discussions around 5 themes – Energy access; Energy transition; Enabling Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through inclusive, just energy transitions; Innovation, technology and data; Finance and investment.  The Ministerial Thematic Forums are being held in preparation for the High-level Dialogue on Energy during the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in September 2021 in New York, USA.

India co-hosts Ministerial Thematic Forum for Energy Transition: India co-hosted the Ministerial Thematic Forum for Energy Transition along with 9 other countries – Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Germany, Nigeria, Poland, Spain, UK. These 10 countries were designated as Global Champions for the theme ‘Energy Transition’.  India previewed an ‘Energy Compact’ involving the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to promote transition to solar power in developing countries. ‘Energy Compacts’ are voluntary targets and initiatives set by governments, business and others at the end of each discussion on a particular theme to support implementation of SDG7.  The participants launched the Theme Report on Energy Transition, which puts forth several recommendations for speeding up Energy Transition across the world.  India is set to organize a webinar on “Women in Renewable Energy and Sustainability” in collaboration with the International Solar Alliance on July 7, 2021.

R K Singh releases ‘The India Story’ booklet on Energy Transition: India hosted the event ‘Accelerating Citizen Centric Energy Transition’ on the sidelines of the Ministerial-level Thematic Forum for HLDE 2021.  The event was organized by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of India (PMI) to the United Nations and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).  Minister of State (I/C) for Power, New and Renewable Energy, R K Singh addressed the event and launched a booklet called ‘The India Story’, it is a compilation of Indian initiatives which are shaping India’s energy transition.  He also launched a website (www.energytransition.in), which will act as a repository of energy transition related knowledge resources from across the globe.

Highlights of his speech: R K Singh stated that India’s renewable energy capacity is the 4th largest in the world. Since 2017, the annual renewable energy addition of India has been exceeding that of coal based thermal power.  During the last 6 years (2016-21), India’s installed renewable energy capacity has increased by over two and a half times and stands at 141 GigaWatts (including large Hydro). This is about 37% of India’s total capacity (as on 16th June 2021).  During the same period, the installed solar energy capacity has increased by over 15 times, and stands at 41.09 GW.

He highlighted the investment opportunities in India’s RE sector  Over the last 7 years, more than USD 70 billion has been invested in India’s renewable energy sector.  India allows 100% FDI through the automatic route in the renewable energy sector.  The Government has developed the Renewable Energy Investment Promotion and Facilitation Board (REIPFB) Portal with an aim of ‘Ease of Doing Business’ in the Renewables Energy sector of India.

The Union Minister also highlighted recent initiatives in the renewable energy sector such as Viability Gap Funding options for Offshore Wind Energy, launching of Green Term Ahead Market and Green Day Ahead Market.

2.24.G20 LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT MINISTERS’ MEETING 2021

Why in news? Minister of State (I/C) for Labour and Employment, Santosh Gangwar delivered the Ministerial Address on ‘Declaration and Employment Working Group Priorities’ at G20 Labour and Employment Ministers’ Meeting 2021, which was held in Hybrid mode from Catania, Italy. The meeting was hosted by Italy (2021 G20 Presidency).

Highlights of the Minister’s Address: Santosh Gangwar highlighted initiatives taken by India to address the issues of women, self-employed & people working in the unorganised sector.

For Women: The new Code on Wages, 2019 will reduce gender gaps in labour force participation. It will reduce gender-based discrimination in wages, recruitment and conditions of employment.  The duration of the paid maternity leave has been increased from 12 weeks to 26 weeks.  Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) provides financial support to women entrepreneurs to start small enterprises.  Collateral free loans worth INR 9,000 billion have been disbursed under this scheme. 70% of the accounts are held by women under this scheme.

For Self-employed: The new Code on Social Security 2020 brings self-employed and all other classes of workforce under social security coverage.

For Unorganised Sector: The Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM), a voluntary and contributory pension scheme introduced in 2019 for the unorganised sector workers provides a minimum assured pension after the age of 60 years.

Efforts taken by G20 to reduce Gender Gap: In 2014, G20 Leaders took a pledge in Brisbane, Australia to reduce the gap in labour force participation rates between men and women by 25% by 2025, with an aim of bringing 100 million women into the labour market.

The process of reducing gender inequalities has slowed down due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy. The measures implemented by G20 countries helped to mitigate the employment and social impact of the COVID-19 crisis. Yet, evidence from many countries shows a disproportionate impact on women. Acknowledging the risk of increasing gender inequalities in labour markets and societies.

Against this background, the G20 Roadmap Towards and Beyond the Brisbane Target has been set as: Increasing the quantity and quality of women’s employment; Ensuring equal opportunities and achieving better outcomes in the labour market; Promoting a more even distribution of women and men across sectors and occupations; Tackling the gender pay gap; Promoting a more balanced distribution of paid and unpaid work between women and men; and Addressing discrimination and gender stereotypes in the labour market.

2.25.JAPAN TO PROVIDE INDIA $ 9.3 MILLION AID TO BUILD COLD CHAIN SYSTEM TO FIGHT COVID

Why in news? The Government of Japan announced that it will provide USD 9.3 million worth of cold chain equipment and related assistance to India to help the country fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.  According to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the assistance, under Japan’s Emergency Grant Aid Scheme, will provide India with cold chain equipment including medical equipment such as cold storage facilities.  It will be Japan’s ‘Last One Mile Support’ to ensure vaccination in each country, through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

Objective of Japan’s Emergency Grant Aid Scheme: Japan’s Emergency Grant aid aims at delivering the vaccines to each and every person in all the corners of the developing countries, which will complement the efforts of the COVAX facility.  According to the Foreign Ministry of Japan, to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccines including in the developing countries, and accelerating the vaccination will be the common challenge for the international community.

Significance of cold chain facility for vaccine storage: Delivering vaccines to the corners of the world is a complex undertaking that takes a chain of precisely coordinated events in temperature-controlled environments to manage, store and transport these life-saving products. This is called Cold Chain.  Cold chains are significant as vaccines must be stored in a limited temperature range- from the time they are manufactured until the moment of vaccination. It is because the temperatures that are too high or too low can cause the vaccine to

lose its potency (ability to protect against disease). Once it loses its potency, it cannot be restored or regained.  The same consistency of temperature is also required for all the available COVID- 19 vaccines including Pfizer, COVAXIN, Moderna. Japan’s contribution to COVAX: Japan has led the operationalization of the COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access) facility as an international mechanism for the procurement of vaccines.  The country also recently announced USD 800 million of financial contribution in addition to the existing USD 200 million.  On the basis of its experience in helping to build medical supply networks that will reach every corner of the developing countries, the country will continue to extend the support to deploy vaccines to every person in the world with a view to containing a pandemic as quickly as possible.

3. ECONOMY

AGRICULTURE AND RELATED ISSUES

3.1.INDEGENISATION OF UREA PRODUCTION

Why in news? Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has given its approval for the proposal of the Department of Fertilizers for extension of applicability of New Investment Policy (NIP)- 2012 incentives for the upcoming Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL).  Ramagundam unit of FCIL (Fertilizers Corporation of India Limited) is a new gas- based green field neem-coated urea plant.  Gas to RFCL plant is supplied by GAIL through the MBBVPL (Mallavaram-Bhopal- Bhilwara-Vijaipur Gas Pipeline) of GSPL India Transco Limited (GITL).

In line with government policy to achieve selfsufficiency in Urea production.  It will add 12.7 LMTPA indigenous urea production in the country and will be one of the largest fertilizer manufacturing units of South India. The facility integrates the world’s best technologies.  A total, five closed units of FCIL/HFCL are being revived with other plants coming up at Talcher (Odisha), Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), Sindri (Jharkhand) and Barauni (Bihar) through formation of JVs of leading PSUs with an investment of about Rs 40,000 crore. Once operational, urea production will be increased by 63.5 LMTPA which will reduce the import of urea to that extent and will save huge amount of foreign exchange.

The Mallavaram-Bhopal-Bhilwara Gas Pipeline Opened in 2020, the pipeline will transport 27.8 billion cubic meters of gas per year from the D6 gas fields in Krishna Godavari basin on the east coast of Andhra Pradesh to Bhilwara, Rajasthan, crossing 27 districts in four states: Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

Benefits of Neem coated urea  Neem coating leads to more gradual release of urea, helping plants gain more nutrient and resulting in higher yields.  In conventional urea fertilizers, process of nitrification - conversion of urea in nitrates is too rapid leading to escape of nitrogen into the atmosphere and plants will not be able to recover it from Urea efficiently. Neem is a natural inhibitor of this process.  Lower underground water contamination due to leaching of urea.  Neem is also a natural insecticide.  Helps reduce the cost of cultivation.

ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

3.2.SDG INDIA INDEX 2020-21

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

 The Index for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) evaluates progress of states and union territories on social, economic and environmental parameters.  First launched in December 2018, the index has become the primary tool for monitoring progress on the SDGs in the country and has simultaneously fostered competition among the states and union territories by ranking them on the global goals.  The SDG India Index scores range between 0–100, higher the score of a State/UT, the greater the distance to target achieved. States and UTs are classified in four categories based on their SDG India Index score — aspirant: 0–49; performer: 50–64; front-runner: 65–99, achiever: 100.  Currently, there are no states in the aspirant and achiever category. 15 states/UTs are in the performer category and 22 states/UTs in the front runner category.  The index is developed in collaboration with the United Nations in India. It tracks the progress of all states and UTs on 115 indicators aligned with the National Indicator Framework (NIF) of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.  The index is a key tool for focused policy dialogue, formulation and implementation through development actions, in line with the global SDG framework. It helps in identifying crucial gaps related to tracking the SDGs and the need for India to develop its statistical systems.  It measures the progress at the national and sub-national level in the country’s journey towards meeting the global goals and targets and has been successful as an advocacy tool to propagate the messages of sustainability, resilience, and partnerships, as well.  From covering 13 goals, 39 targets, and 62 indicators in the first edition in 2018- 19 to 17 goals, 54 targets and 100 indicators in the second, the third edition of the index covers 17 goals, 70 targets, and 115 indicators.  The SDGs, constituted through an unprecedented consultative process, have 17 goals and 169 related targets to be achieved by 2030.  The goals are an ambitious commitment by world leaders which set out a universal and an unprecedented agenda which embraces economic, environmental and social aspects of the wellbeing of societies.

SDG INDIA INDEX 2020-21  Kerala retained its rank as the top state with a score of 75. Both Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu took the second spot with a score of 74. Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam were the worst performing states in this year’s India index.

 Further, Chandigarh maintained its top spot among the UTs with a score of 79, followed by Delhi (68).

 Mizoram, Haryana and Uttarakhand are the top gainers in 2020-21 in terms of improvement in score from 2019, with an increase of 12, 10 and 8 points, respectively. While in 2019, 10 states/UTs belonged to the category of front-runners (score in the range 65-99, including both), 12 more states/UTs find themselves in this category in 2020-21.  Uttarakhand, Gujarat,

Maharashtra, Mizoram, Punjab, Haryana, Tripura, Delhi, Lakshadweep, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh graduated to the category of front-runners (scores between 65 and 99, including both).  The country’s overall SDG score improved by 6 points – from 60 in 2019 to 66 in 2020-21. This positive stride towards achieving the targets is largely driven by exemplary country-wide performance in goal 6 (clean water and sanitation) and goal 7 (affordable and clean energy), where the composite goal scores are 83 and 92, respectively.

History SDGs build on decades of work by countries and the UN, including the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs

 In June 1992, at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, more than 178 countries adopted Agenda 21, a comprehensive plan of action to build a global partnership for sustainable development to improve human lives and protect the environment.  Member States unanimously adopted the Millennium Declaration at the Millennium Summit in September 2000 at UN Headquarters in New York. The Summit led to the elaboration of eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reduce extreme poverty by 2015.  The Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development and the Plan of Implementation, adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa in 2002, reaffirmed the global community's commitments to poverty eradication and the environment, and built on Agenda 21 and the Millennium Declaration by including more emphasis on multilateral partnerships.  At the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 2012, Member States adopted the outcome document "The Future We Want" in which they decided, inter alia, to launch a process to develop a set of SDGs to build upon the MDGs and to establish the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. The Rio +20 outcome also contained other measures for implementing sustainable development, including mandates for future programmes of work in development financing, small island developing states and more.

 In 2013, the General Assembly set up a 30-member Open Working Group to develop a proposal on the SDGs.  In January 2015, the General Assembly began the negotiation process on the post-2015 development agenda. The process culminated in the subsequent adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with 17 SDGs at its core, at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in September 2015.  2015 was a landmark year for multilateralism and international policy shaping, with the adoption of several major agreements: o Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (March 2015) o Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development (July 2015) o Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development with its 17 SDGs was adopted at the UN Sustainable Development Summit in New York in September 2015. o Paris Agreement on Climate Change (December 2015)  Now,the annual High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development serves as the central UN platform for the follow-up and review of the SDGs.

3.3.BOND WITH THE BEST TO STAY AHEAD OF INFLATION

These are difficult days for the Indian middle and lower middle class, especially senior citizens who do not have a regular pension. Most who have not worked for either the Central or State governments or public sector units are unlikely to be receiving pension benefits indexed to their last-drawn salaries and inflation. Instead, these senior citizens depend on income derived as interest from fixed deposits in scheduled banks.

Ravages of inflation  Over the years, the ravages of inflation have meant that these citizens, who held senior positions in the corporate world, face genteel poverty or often have to be dependent on their children.  In recent times, the efforts of the Reserve Bank of India to fight the economic slowdown has meant a further fall in interest rates. But, after a brief period in the middle of the last decade, deposits have ended up delivering negative real returns.  Wholesale price inflation is raging at 10.5% and consumer price inflation has averaged above 5% for a year and is inching up.  The inflation in consumer prices is unlikely to slow any time soon, as the demand for commodities is bound to go up. The producers will pass on the commodity price inflation to the consumer in the prices of goods sold to them.  Rising consumer prices will lead to a rise in wages demanded, leading to greater input costs, which will once again push up prices. This is an inflationary cycle that decimates growth leading to stagflation.  To tackle stagflation, the RBI would have to implement a contractionary monetary policy, which means interest rates would have to rise, and would harm an already fragile economy.  Another factor to consider is the ratchet effect popularised as an economics concept by John Maynard Keynes.  The ratchet effect states that after a period of consumer price or wage inflation, the producers and labour markets fail to correct their prices to the equilibrium

level. Instead, they are willing to be out of business than to lower prices. The ratchet effect means that fighting inflation becomes an even bigger problem.

Shrinking options  Returning to the predicament of the common citizens, the real value of both their capital and interest earned on savings is declining rapidly in recent times. The lower-income and middle classes need a way to guard their wealth and income against inflation.  The stock market is usually seen as the saviour of wealth against inflation. But with excess liquidity washing up on our shores from foreign central banks adopting easy money policies and given the market euphoria, equities are highly overvalued. Real estate is not particularly viable either due to high prices and low rental income yields.  Gold is a possible way to guard against inflation, but gold does not provide regular income as it is an unproductive asset. Additionally, it is not feasible to park large amounts in an asset such as gold due to the costs involved (storage and safety costs).  Therefore, senior citizens and the general investor are left with one asset class: bonds.  Senior citizens should shift to high-quality corporate bonds issued by reputed companies and banks to protect themselves from a further loss of principal and interest. These bonds are traded daily and can be liquidated at short notice in an emergency.  Since these instruments are tradeable, there is no deduction of tax. This leads to superior tax planning in the hands of the investor.  The yields for highly-rated companies are in the region of 8.5-9%. These are attractive returns for high-quality bonds.  Senior citizens and regular investors could buy these instruments to mitigate the risk of negative real returns due to rampant inflation.

3.4.WORLD COMPETITIVENESS INDEX

Why in news? India maintained 43rd rank on an annual World Competitiveness Index compiled by the Institute for Management Development (IMD) that examined the impact of COVID-19 on economies around the world this year.

 The IMD World Competitiveness Ranking ranks 64 economies and assesses the extent to which a country promotes the prosperity of its people by examining four factors — economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure. This year, the rankings expose the economic impact of the pandemic across the globe.  The 64-nation list was led by Switzerland, followed by Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands and Singapore.  The top-performing Asian economies are, in order, Singapore (fifth), Hong Kong (seventh), Taiwan (eighth) and China (16th).

 Among the BRICS nations, India is ranked second after China (16), followed by Russia (45th), Brazil (57th) and South Africa (62th).  India has maintained its position for the past three years but this year, it had significant improvements in government efficiency.  India’s improvements in the government efficiency factor are mostly due to relatively stable public finances (despite difficulties brought by the pandemic, in 2020 the government deficit stayed at 7 per cent) and to the positive feedbacks we registered among Indian business executives with respect to the support and subsidies provided by the government to the private companies.  The report finds that qualities such as investment in innovation, digitalisation, welfare benefits and leadership, resulting in social cohesion have helped countries better weather the crisis the best and thus ranked higher in competitiveness.  The top-performing economies are characterised by varying degrees of investment in innovation, diversified economic activities, and supportive public policy.  Competitive economies succeeded in transitioning to a remote work routine while also allowing remote learning. Addressing unemployment has been fundamental.  Countries that ensured the effectiveness of key public spending, such as public finance, tax policy and business legislation, are seen as essential policies to relieve the pressure on the economies hit by COVID-19.

FISCAL POLICY& TAXATION

3.5.GLOBAL MINIMUM TAX

Why in news? Advanced economies making up the G7 grouping have reached a “historic” deal on taxing multinational companies. Finance ministers of the US, the UK, Germany, France, Canada, Italy and Japan agreed in principle to counter tax avoidance through the following measures  The first decision that has been ratified is to force multinationals to pay taxes where they operate.  2nd - They agreed to ratify a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15%

Who are the targets?  Tax havens or low tax jurisdictions which have resorted to slashing corporate tax rates to attract multinational corporations.  Companies that rely on complex webs of subsidiaries to hoover profits out of major markets into low-tax countries such as Ireland or Caribbean nations such as the British Virgin Islands or the Bahamas, or to central American nations such as Panama. Example - Apple, Alphabet and Facebook, as well as major corporations such as Nike and Starbucks

Concerns regarding a global minimum tax.  A global minimum tax rate will do little to tackle tax evasion.  Impinges on the right of the sovereign to decide a nation’s tax policy.

 A global minimum rate would essentially take away a tool that countries use to push policies that suit them.  For instance, a lower tax rate is a tool developing economies can use to alternatively push economic activity as they have less ability to offer mega stimulus packages like developed economies.

Where does India stand?  In a bid to revive investment activity, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on September 21, 2019 announced a sharp cut in corporate taxes for domestic companies to 22% and for new domestic manufacturing companies to 15%.  India’s headline corporate tax rate is broadly at par with the average 23% rate in Asian countries.  India’s annual tax loss due to corporate tax abuse is estimated at over $10 billion, according to the Tax Justice Network report.  US Treasury loses nearly $50 billion a year to tax cheats, according to the Tax Justice Network report, with Germany and France also among the top losers.

3.6.TAX ON ONLINE GAMING AND E-SPORTS

About: The GST council set up a panel of members, which included ministers of different state governments, to examine GST payable in the online gaming industry. The discussion was directed in two broad areas: Whether such taxes are applicable on the entire quantum of platform fee and prize money contribution paid by the player, and the tax rate applicable thereon based on the nature of the game.

Online gaming and tax laws  In India, gaming platforms are required to pay GST as they qualify as suppliers. The registration fee is typically deposited in an escrow account.  When the player plays a game, a portion of the fee (let's say 10%) is transferred as ‘platform fee’ to the online host and is the revenue for the online operator.  The remaining 90% of the fee paid (actionable claim) is the prize pool and is transferred to a winner’s dashboard on winning a game.  Currently, such actionable claim excludes gambling, betting, or horse racing, for a game of skill (like fantasy football or rummy, etc.) unlike games of chance, such monies are not covered by specific valuation rules (Rule 31A) specified under the GST Rules, 2017. Thereby falling under the exceptions under the GST Act, 2017, for GST valuation.

What is online gaming according to regulators and courts in India?  The Supreme Court of India in 1996 through the K.R. Lakshmanan judgment has devised a guiding concept to govern the practice of online gaming/gambling.  Games, where chance predominates over skill, are forbidden, while games, where skill prevails over chance, are permitted.  In fact, in comparison to other online games, courts have been rather demonstrative in establishing a space for fantasy sports.  Both the Punjab & Haryana and the Bombay High Courts have concluded that the games offered by Dream 11 (Fantasy Cricket, Kabaddi, and Football, among

others) demand skill, knowledge, judgment, and attention and are thus not considered to be coming under the scope of online gambling.  NITI Aayog’s 2020 consultation paper on gaming also conveyed the same sentiments as that of the Supreme Court because of the public interest factor and the differential treatment faced by fantasy sports games across the Indian states.  Despite this, in the absence of a regulatory mechanism authorities seem to have given E-sports a separate identity and have taxed gambling/horses betting in the same way as they tax E-sports.

Does the registration fee amount to betting?  Wagering or betting involves the transaction of money or any type of property to guess the outcome of a race, game, or any other unpredictable event. Section 30 of the Indian Contract Act makes agreements by way of wager, void, and unenforceable.  The essentials to wager constitute the performance of the bargain depending upon the determination of an uncertain event where both the parties have mutual chances of gain and loss and where neither party has control over the happening of the event one way or the other.  However, paying registration fees for entering into E-sports tournaments is not the same as placing a wager on online games.  Unlike games of chance, in E-sports the amount of skill and talent involved in mastering the game has led to its professionalization.  Also, in E-sports games, the prize money on winning is pre-declared and does not depend on the number of people joining the contest as in the case of other online games.

E-sports  Electronic Sports are organized competitions, for video game genres of traditional sports (archery, chess, football, cricket, etc.), multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), real-time strategy (RTS), fighting & first-person-shooter (FPS).  E-sports athletes compete purely on their talent & skill to determine the performance/outcome.  Thus, in the gaming universe, skill vs. chance is now a passé issue. What needs to be closely examined is the difference between E-sports and other forms of online gaming.  For online gaming to exist just as an exception to the definition of gambling under the law and yet being taxed in the same manner, seems unfair.  Moreover, a tax increase would only pass the burden of this payment on the E- sports players.

Way forward  Taxing two services/goods in the same way just because they fall under the same sector implies that a cosmetic product or a tampon should be taxed the same way. These are differencesthe tax authorities have previously identified and one can hope it continues to do the same, even for E-sports.  It indeed is an opportune moment for the GST Council and other regulatory authorities to recognize E-sports as a category of online gaming and differentiate it from gambling and betting by defining it.

3.7.FUTURE OF JOBS

Opportunities  There will likely be an increasing premium for jobs within occupational groups that require social intelligence, creativity and complex problem solving as opposed to repetitive, low dexterity skills. For instance, an event planner requires more social intelligence than a dishwasher in hospitality, fashion designers require more creativity than a seamstress in apparel.  A recent study by McKinsey flags that ultimately it is activities rather than jobs that are being automated where $2tn in wages or 45% of work activities in the US could already be automated with existing technologies.  Nearly all the 10 million jobs created between 2005 and 2015 were outside traditional 9-to-5 employment. For instance 5 million new gig jobs were created in 2020 alone.  Automation offers a boon for IT services companies that successfully implement RPA—likely a >$10bn opportunity, as well as a vibrant new software niche.  Given that robots can function for 24 hours per day, this represents a significant saving of up to 10:1 vs. human labour.

Challenges Covid has hastened the adoption of technologies such as AI, chatbots, robot process automation (RPA) in white collar roles and industrial robots in blue collar jobs—all of which could displace 2 billion jobs by 2030.  A recent survey of AI researchers places a 50% probability on all human tasks being automated in 45 years where there is a 50:50 likelihood of full AI (humanlevel AI, full breadth of human capabilities) by 2040-50E.  India-based IT outsourcers appear to be planning for a 3 million/30% reduction in ‘low-skilled’ roles globally by 2022 because of Robot Process Automation (RPA) upskilling.  Gig economy has also muddied the legal definitions of employer/employee status. Regulatory disputes around sick/overtime pay, insurance, worker’s rights, etc are rising. Hence, it is unlikely to be a longterm viable solution for a robust future of work where ESG/UN SDGs stress ‘decent and fair work’.

Way forward The crux of the global disconnect between labour and technology boils down to the skills gap between what is taught in schools and what is necessary at work. New skills are required to transition to new jobs.  Future skills will clearly be somewhat tech-focused but soft skills will be needed too. For example, Google is currently looking for employees whose top skills are “learning ability” and “leadership”, with “technology content” expertise actually at the bottom of its criteria.  Lifelong learning, retraining unemployed workers , corporate training and development, vocational education, and massive open online courses (MOOCs) will also be critical tools to future-proofing employment prospects.

3.8.RECONSIDER PRIVATIZATION

About: India is right now going through its worst economic crisis. The highest-ever contraction in the economy took place last year, unemployment has risen, incomes for growing numbers are falling, bank non-performing assets (NPAs) may be ballooning, and the fiscal deficit is rising. In these circumstances, it would be prudent to think through the pros and cons of the aggressive privatization of public enterprises that is on the anvil.

There are three categories of public sector enterprises, with each needing its own analysis. They are -

1. There is the category of enterprises which have been sick for a long time. Their technology, plants and machinery are obsolete. Their managerial and human resources have atrophied. Reviews have come to the same conclusion: these are beyond redemption.  They should be closed, and assets sold. But this has been difficult with successive governments as the labour in these enterprises have had a political constituency which has prevented closure. With its political strength, the Government should be able to close these in a time-bound manner with a generous handshake for labour.  After selling machinery as scrap, there would be valuable land left. These land values have become high. Prudent disposal of these plots of lands in small amounts would yield large incomes in the coming years.  All this would need the creation of dedicated efficient capacity as the task is huge and challenging. These enterprises may be taken away from their parent line Ministries and brought under one holding company which should have the sole mandate of speedy liquidation and asset sale.

2. There are enterprises which have been financially sick but can be turned around. Their difficulties can be traced to ministerial micromanagement especially in enterprises with a direct consumer interface.  Where private management through privatization or induction of a strategic partner is the best way to restore value of these enterprises, this should be pursued on priority.  Air India and the India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) hotels are good examples. But these need bold decisions. Air India should ideally be made debt free and a new management should have freedom permitted under the law in personnel management to get investor interest.  Once debt free, management control with a 26% stake may be given. As valuation rises, the Government could reduce its stake further and get more money. If well handled, significant revenues would flow to the Government.

3. Then there are many profitable enterprises. Pragmatism instead of ideology should guide thinking about them.  The Chinese chose to nurture their good state-owned enterprises as well as their private ones to succeed in the domestic and global markets by increasing their competitiveness in cost, quality, and technology.

 In the Fortune 500 list, the number of Chinese enterprises is 124, and of these, 91 are state-owned enterprises. The Chinese chose to promote both their public as well as their private sector enterprises to rise. Both have made China the economic superpower that it is today.  With profitable public enterprises, the Government can continue to reduce its shareholding by offloading shares and even reducing its stake to less than 51% while remaining the promoter and being in control.  Calibrated divestment to get maximum value over the medium term after considering market conditions should be the goal instead of being target driven to get a lower fiscal deficit number to please rating agencies. In correct accounting practice, asset sales should not be classified as revenue income for computing the fiscal deficit.  In parallel, managements may be given longer and stabler tenures, greater flexibility to achieve outcomes, and more confidence to take well-considered commercial risks.  It was done in the past when, say, Maruti was set up. It can be done again. Many have the potential of becoming global champions. They can also be asked to invest patient capital in strategic areas where risk is high and where risk averse private investment may not be easily forthcoming. The Chinese have done this well.

Redirect the private sector  Outright privatization has other implications.First, the number of Indian private firms which can buy out public sector firms are very few. Their limited financial and managerial resources would be better utilised in taking over the large number of private firms up for sale through the bankruptcy process and where a paucity of buyers is slowing down the much-needed rapid turnaround of these firms to give a higher growth momentum to the economy.  Then, these successful large corporates need to be encouraged to invest and grow both in brownfield and greenfield modes in the domestic as well as international markets. This would be better for India entering a higher growth trajectory with an increase in investment rates which have been falling, than in using their scarce resources for taking over government enterprises with no real value addition to the economy in the near term.  Sale at fair or lower than fair valuations to foreign entities, firms as well as funds, has adverse implications from the perspective of being ‘Atma Nirbhar’. Again, greenfield foreign investment is what India needs and not takeovers.  Then, there are broader considerations. These enterprises provide for reservations in recruitment. With privatization, this would end and unnecessarily generate social unrest.  In dealing with the novel coronavirus pandemic crisis, the Government has been able to use its ownership to get banks and public enterprises to do so many things on an immediate basis. A similar option does not exist with private enterprises.  Would it be in India’s interest to lose the strategic capacity that its ownership of public enterprises including financial ones provide it? It would be better to think carefully now. These are one-way streets where one cannot retrace one’s steps easily.

MONETARY POLICY, BANKING AND FINANCIAL SECTOR

3.9.RBI CIRCULAR ON CRYPTOCURRENCY

While uncertainty around crypto regulations persists, the RBI clarified that banks and other entities cannot use its 2018 directive on cryptocurrencies to curtail services to customers and exchanges as it was struck down by the Supreme Court.  However, the central bank has not made its position clear on the matter and its clarification does not imply that it has given banks permission to deal in cryptocurrencies.  Banks, as well as other entities have to carry out customer due diligence processes in line with regulations governing standards (KYC), Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Combating of Financing of Terrorism (CFT) and obligations of regulated entities under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, (PMLA), 2002 in addition to ensuring compliance with relevant provisions under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) for overseas remittances.

Implications  Respite for Indians who have invested in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum – estimated to be around Rs 10,000 crore — won’t be blocked.  Deposits and withdrawals on crypto platforms may resume.  RBI is planning to come up with an official digital currency that will be appropriately regulated as an alternative to unregulated cryptocurrencies.

RBI's 2018 directive  The directive barred all entities regulated by the Reserve Bank from dealing in VCs or providing services or settling VCs including maintaining accounts, registering, trading, settling, clearing, giving loans against virtual tokens, accepting them as collateral, opening accounts of exchanges dealing with them and transfer / receipt of money in accounts relating to purchase or sale of VCs.

3.10.2020 AMENDMENT TO BANKING REGULATION ACT

News Amendments to Banking Regulation Act, approved by Parliament in September 2020, brought cooperative banks under the direct supervision of the RBI. This amendment is being opposed by Nationalist Congress Party on the grounds that the centre is weakening the cooperative sector.  A large number of these banks are controlled by NCP leaders. The new law brings them under the direct regulation of the RBI, which will increase their accountability and put them under scrutiny that they have so far escaped.

Reason for the Amendment  Cooperative banks in India are registered under the Co-operative Societies Act of the State concerned or under the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002.

 Cooperative banks have long been under dual regulation by the state Registrar of Societies and the RBI. As a result, these banks have escaped scrutiny due to regulatory lapses despite failures and frauds. This issue was highlighted when the Punjab and Maharashtra bank scam came to light in 2019.  The financial status of at least 277 urban cooperative banks was weak, and around 105 cooperative banks were unable to meet the minimum regulatory capital requirement.  As many as 328 urban cooperative banks had gross non-performing assets of more than 15 per cent.  Along with having high levels of bad loans, they also have a small capital base. The Amendment tries to address this issue.  Political interference in staff appointments is also a problem with Co-operative banks.

Amendments  The amended law has given RBI the power to supersede the board of directors of cooperative banks after consultations with the concerned state government.  Earlier, it could issue such directions only to multi-state cooperative banks.  Previously, the RBI had only regulatory control over these banks.  However, this Amendment doesn't apply for co- operatives involved only in long term finance for agricultural development.  Non-members can become shareholders of the bank, and this will allow the RBI to merge failing banks quickly.  This has been facilitated by allowing co-operatives with prior approval of the RBI, to issue equity shares, preference shares, or special shares to its members or to any other person residing within its area of operation, by way of public issue or private placements.  It can also issue unsecured debentures or bonds with maturity of not less than 10 years.

3.11.RBI CONSUMER CONFIDENCE SURVEY

Why in news? RBI’s latest Consumer Confidence Survey shows public assessment of the current situation at its lowest, and expectations low.

About the survey  RBI conducts this survey every couple of months by asking households in 13 major cities about their current perceptions and future expectations on a variety of economic variables.  These variables include the general economic situation, employment scenario, overall price situation, own income and spending levels.  Based on these specific responses, the RBI constructs two indices: ○ Current Situation Index (CSI) - how people view their current situation (on income, employment etc.) vis a vis a year ago.

○ Future Expectations Index (FEI) - how people expect the situation to be (on the same variables) a year from now.

Findings  CSI (Chart 1) has fallen to an all-time low of 48.5 in May. An index value of 100 distinguishes between positive and negative sentiment. At 48.5, the current consumer sentiment is more than 50 points adrift from being neutral — the farthest it has ever been.  General economic situation (Chart 2) - RBI asks how people currently perceive that general economic situation. The difference between those who say it has improved and those who say it has worsened is the “net response”. A negative net response implies more people expect things to get worse in a year. RBI finds that there has been a largely secular decline in both current consumer sentiment and future expectations since 2019.  Employment (Chart 3) -the current sentiment has been worsening ever since 2014. There were only two spikes, which again coincide with demonetisation and PM Modi’s re-election in 2019. o The difference between the percentage of respondents who think the employment situation has improved (7.2%) and those who think it has worsened (82. 1%) from a year ago is a whopping 75%. o More people expect the employment situation to worsen a year from now .  Outlook on Incomes (Chart 4) Much like employment, the prospects on incomes have registered a secular decline since 2014.  Spending on non-essential items (leisure travel, eating out, luxury items etc.) - The net responses on this variable suggest that while Indian had started curtailing spending on non-essential items quite sharply since the middle of 2018, the pandemic simply pulled the metrics into the negative territory.

Factors that led to decline in consumer confidence  According to RBI CSI is being pulled down because of falling consumer sentiments on the “general economic situation” and “employment” scenario.  Another factor is the present outlook on Incomes.

Challenge faced by the Indian economy  The government’s strategy for fast economic growth is to create conducive atmosphere for private investment and expects the private sector to lead India out of this trough by investing in new capacities.  For this to succeed, then consumer spending (especially on non-essentials) has to go up sharply. But for that to happen, household incomes have to go up; and for that to happen, the employment prospects have to brighten; and for that to happen, again, companies have to invest in new capacities.  Some big firms have been suggesting the government to print money and spend it on the people.  During recent times GDP growth rate of Indian economy has faltered while inflation has spiked. Central Bank is stuck between decreasing interest rates to spur growth and increasing it to tackle inflation at the same time.

3.12.COOPERATIVE BANKS NEED A SINGLE REGULATOR

Why in news? The scam-ridden Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank is soon about to find itself a couple of new owners. It has taken RBI a little under two years to sort out the mess at the multi-state cooperative lender, primarily because the dual regulation left it somewhat hamstrung.

Need for a single regulator  Although there have been several casualties in the financial sector, with banks and NBFCs going belly up or teetering on the brink of a collapse before being bailed out—GTB, Centurion Bank of Punjab, IL&FS, DHFL, Yes Bank and Lakshmi Vilas Bank—the regulations for cooperative banks haven’t been tightened nor the oversight stepped up.  Amendment to Banking Regulation Act (BRA) in September 2020. allowed the central bank to initiate a scheme for reconstruction or amalgamation of a bank without placing it under a moratorium. Moreover, RBI was allowed to supersede the board post consultation with the concerned state government.  However, the changes, while important, are not sufficient. Cooperative banks come in all hues and there is a need for a single regulator.

Vishwanathan committee The committee was set up earlier this year to regulate primary urban cooperative banks (UCBs) and is soon expected to come up with its report.

Terms of reference -  Taking stock of the regulatory measures taken by the RBI and other authorities in respect of UCBs and assessing their impact over the last five years to identify key constraints and enablers, if any, in fulfilment of their socio-economic objective.  It will also review the current regulatory/supervisory approach and recommend suitable measures to strengthen the sector, taking into account recent amendments to the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

For more information on regulation of co-operative banks and Banking Regulation act please refer: https://iaswinnishers.com/2021/06/05/current-affairs-june-5/

3.13.VARIABLE CAPITAL COMPANY

Why in news? Dr. K.P. Krishnan headed expert committee on Variable Capital Company has submitted its report on the feasibility of Variable Capital Companies in the International Financial Services Centres to the Chairperson of the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA).

 IFSCA constituted a Committee of Experts (‘the Committee’) to examine the feasibility of the Variable Capital Company (‘VCC’) in India to examine the suitability of the Variable Capital Company as a vehicle for fund management in the International Financial Services Centre in India.  The IFSCA set up this Committee to explore the potential for allowing another legal structure – popularly known as a variable capital company (VCC) – as an additional option through which asset managers could pool the investors’ funds.  The VCC structure dispenses with some of the key limitations of companies and Limited liability partnership (LLPs) and provides for higher regulatory standards than those applicable to trusts.  Fund management activities are an important pillar of the overall financial services ecosystem.  Conventionally, pooling of funds in India is undertaken through three types of entities, namely - 1. Limited liability companies governed under the Companies Act, 2013 2. Limited liability partnerships under the Limited Liability Partnership Act 3. Trusts governed under the Indian Trusts Act, 1882.

Committee recommendations  The Committee recommended the adoption of a VCC-like legal structure for the purpose of conducting fund management activity in IFSCs.  The Committee recognized that the legal framework governing entities that undertake fund management should provide for certainty and clarity to investors, effective segregation and ring fencing of different pools of asset, the ability to issue different classes of shares, alterations to the funds’ capital structure without regulatory approvals and the freedom to choose the appropriate accounting

standards applicable to funds with different characteristics, the ability to wind up quickly.

What is an IFSC?  IFSC is a type of financial centre that caters to customers outside the jurisdiction of domestic economy. It is considered to be a jurisdiction which provides world- class financial services to non-resident Indians and Indian residents in a foreign currency.  It is also known as Offshore Financial Centres as such centres deal with flow of finance, financial products and services across borders.  GIFT City is the sole IFSC established in India till date. It will not only regulate the nature of business which will be transacted in IFSC but will also be regulating the functioning of the entities involved with transacting business in IFSC.  IFSC be set up in a special economic zone (SEZ) through the SEZ Act 2005 which allows setting up an IFSC in an SEZ or as an SEZ after approval from the central government.  As the dynamic nature of business in the IFSCs requires a high degree of inter- regulatory coordination within the financial sector, IFSCA has left no stone unturned in providing a robust yet light touch business and regulatory environment.  Therefore, it comes as no surprise that there is a record surge in the companies which are willing to set up offices in IFSC GIFT City.

Variable Capital Company (VCC)  The Variable Capital Company (VCC) is a new corporate entity structure under which several collective investment schemes (whether open-end or closed-end) may be gathered under the umbrella of a single corporate entity and yet remain ring-fenced from each other.  The new corporate entity structure gives funds an alternative to unit trusts, limited partnerships, limited liability partnerships and companies.  A key characteristic of the VCC is its umbrella structure is that it allows the sub- funds to share a board of directors and have common service providers, such as the same fund manager, custodian, auditor and administrative agent.  Certain administrative functions, for instance, the holding of general meetings and preparation of prospectuses, can also be consolidated.  Where a VCC is set up as an umbrella fund with several sub-funds, members may hold shares that are referenced to a particular sub-fund held by the VCC.

3.14.EMBRACING CRYPTOCURRENCIES

Why in news? El Salvador became the first country in the world to adopt bitcoin as legal tender.

Cryptocurrency in India  Cryptocurrency has no legal classification in India. Hence, regulatory bodies do not have a legal framework to directly regulate private cryptocurrencies.

 The draft Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Currency Bill, 2020 proposes to criminalise all private cryptocurrencies while also laying down the regulatory framework for an RBI-backed digital currency.  Instead of developing a regulatory framework to address these issues, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in April 2018, effectively imposed a ban on cryptocurrency trading. This ban was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2020. The court reasoned that there were alternative regulatory measures short of an outright ban through which the RBI could have achieved its objective of curbing the risks associated with cryptocurrency trading.

Cryptocurrency in other countries  U.K. - has classified cryptocurrency as property and this has paved the way for cryptocurrencies to be encompassed within a regulated legal framework in the country’s economy.  Singapore - There is no exact legal classification of cryptocurrency in Singapore, the amenability of cryptocurrency transactions to the contract law framework of the country has been firmly established and there is now a legal framework for cryptocurrency trading.  U.S.A - the open approach taken by the authorities has resulted in the trade in cryptocurrency being both taxed and appropriately regulated.

Way forward Fears regarding cryptocurrencies stem from their volatility, their susceptibility to hacking, and the fact that they could potentially facilitate criminal activities such as money laundering, terrorist financing and tax evasion. In India, the absence of an existing legal classification of cryptocurrency should not be the impetus to prohibit its use. The government should use this as an opportunity to allow private individuals the freedom to harness a powerful new technology with appropriate regulatory standards. Global regulatory attitude towards cryptocurrencies offers valuable insights into the alternative ways to achieve balanced regulation. Such approaches can be implemented in India taking into consideration economic realities of our country.

INDUSTRY AND INFRASTRUCTURE

3.15.RAISING AND ACCELERATING MICRO SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISE PERFORMANCE PROGRAM (RAMP)

Why in news? The World Bank has approved a USD 500 million program to support India's nationwide initiative to revitalise the MSME sector, support firms to return to pre-crisis production and employment levels.

India's MSME sector  MSME sector contributes 30 percent of India's GDP and 40 percent of exports.

 Out of some 58 million MSMEs in India, more than 40 percent lack access to formal sources of finance.  The MSME sector in India faces several challenges. There is need to strengthen access to formal sources of financial and non-financial services, including of women headed MSMEs, and strengthen coordination in the national and state MSME support programs.  According to the World Bank, over 90 per cent MSMEs in India have less than five workers. It is important to scale up to stay relevant.

Raising and Accelerating Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Performance (RAMP) Program  The $500-million loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a maturity of 18.5 years including a 5.5-year grace period.

Aims  Support the government’s efforts to enhance the productivity of MSMEs and financing in the economic recovery phase.  Crowd in private sector financing in the medium term, and tackle long-standing financial sector issues in the long term.  Improving the productivity and financial viability of MSMEs longer-term productivity-driven growth and generation of much-needed jobs in the MSME.  The programme will provide access to finance and working capital for MSMEs by strengthening the receivable financing markets.  Scale-up online dispute resolution mechanisms to address the problem of delayed payments.

Other initiatives by the World Bank  The Private sector arm of the World Bank Group, International Finance Corporation (IFC) will back MSMEs by setting up an MSME Council for better coordination between national and state-level programmes.  State level Strategic Investment Plans (SIPs) will provide a roadmap and measurable metrics.  It will enhance the capacity of the MSME ministry to design, implement and assess policies and programs through innovative digital platforms data systems.

3.16.PPP IN INDIAN RAILWAYS - KEY TO INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

 Infrastructure Development forms the bedrock of the economic growth of a nation.  The exponential increase in population puts pressure on the existing provision for civic amenities necessitating scaling up of infrastructural investment to the tune of INR 50 trillion to achieve sustainable development by 2022.  The government has laid an ambitious target to allocate USD 1.4 trillion between 2019 and 2023, including investment to the tune of USD 750 billion on the railway infrastructure by 2030.

 Other initiatives to incentivize infrastructure development include the INR 102 trillion- worth National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) encompassing sectors such as roads, railways, ports, airports, urban, power, telecom, etc.

Public-Private Partnership (PPP)  PPP refers to a cooperative agreement between the government organization and a private firm to execute a project or provide services to the local population for the long-term.  The fulfilling of the public interest objective by the public sector and the rendering of technical expertise and professionalism by the corporate sector are the hallmarks of this model.  Such a partnership is based on the premise of a mutually beneficial relationship between the two entities and is in line with Goal 17 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs).  It encompasses several delivery models such as Operation & Maintenance (O&M), Built-Operate Transfer (BOT), Build–Own–Operate–Transfer (BOOT), Design- Finance-Build-Operate-Transfer etc. The suitability of these models depends upon the objective and the type of project to be undertaken.  Over the years, PPP has emerged as a resilient model to undertake infrastructural development.

Challenges in PPP model  The unviable tendering of PPP projects owing to lack of proper planning and unrealistic cost estimates is a major challenge.  The contracts in use are many a time found to be inappropriate as they often miss out on stating the lumpsum/ unforeseen costs, escalating the risk of friction between both the parties.  The mechanism of seeking multiple clearances and approvals from various regulatory bodies makes it a protracted and slow process.  Ineffective dispute resolution further exacerbates the viability of the PPP model.  As a developing country, India is yet to adopt standard PPP practices in line with global standards.  The World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) ranks India at 40th position out of 137 economies. Countries such as Australia, France and Japan have set a benchmark in instituting best practices in PPP setting an example for the rest of the world.

Indian Railways as a component of infrastructural development  India Railways is among the largest rail systems under single management in the world. Taking cognizance of its significance in overall infrastructural development, the NIP envisages the investment in Indian Railways worth Rs 11.43 lakh crore till 2024-25.  RLDA is spearheading the redevelopment of 60 railway stations across India on a PPP Model.  The station redevelopment comprises two components- i) Mandatory station redevelopment. ii) Station Estate (Commercial) development.

 The mandatory station redevelopment will make travel smooth and hassle-free without diluting the historical significance of these stations whereas commercial development will enable developers to tap several revenue streams to ensure the viability of the entire project.  These redeveloped stations will be endowed with state-of-the-art amenities such as segregation of arrival and departure, excellent road connectivity with multi-modal transport integration, security and surveillance systems to enhance the travel experience.  It will augment the tourism potential, boost real estate, encourage employment generation and lead to a cascading effect on the local economy.

Way forward  The clear-cut delegation of roles and responsibilities between entities, the allocation of deliverables within a predefined timeline considering the contingency factors and ensuring transparency and accountability in the tender monitoring process is way forward to hedge against uncertainties and reap the umpteen benefits of the PPP model.  The Indian Railways is just an example of realizing the benefits of PPP to accelerate infrastructural development. Fostering innovation and incorporating learning from across the world will be the key to unlocking its plethora of benefits and realizing the dream of the 5 trillion dollar economy by 2024.

3.17.INDIA'S FIRST MARITIME ARBITRATION CENTRE

Why in news? The Gujarat Maritime University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Financial Services Centres Authority in GIFT City to promote the Gujarat International Maritime Arbitration Centre (GIMAC).  This will be the first centre of its kind in the country that will manage arbitration and mediation proceedings with disputes related to the maritime and shipping sector.  The GIMAC will be part of a maritime cluster that the Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) is setting up in GIFT City at Gandhinagar. The Maritime Board has rented about 10,000 square feet at GIFT House which is part of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) area with the clearance from the development commissioner.

Need of such a centre  There are over 35 arbitration centres in India. However, none of them exclusively deals with the maritime sector. The arbitration involving Indian players is now heard at the Singapore Arbitration Centre.  The idea is to create a world-class arbitration centre focused on maritime and shipping disputes that can help resolve commercial and financial conflicts between entities having operations in India.  Globally, London is the preferred centre for arbitration for the maritime and shipping sector.

 The maritime cluster consisting of ship leasing and brokering services is being set up with the intention of drawing back all the maritime and shipping business which is located offshore like Dubai and Singapore.

Current status of the project  The centre is expected to be ready by the end of August.  A 10-member advisory board for GIMAC, consisting of international experts and professionals, has been created, which will help in the framing of rules for the arbitration centre and in empanelling arbitrators.  Prof S Shanthakumar, who is the director of Gujarat Maritime University, has been appointed director of GIMAC.  GMB has written to various global alternate dispute resolution centres, including the Hong Kong Maritime Arbitration Group, seeking foreign collaboration for setting up the GIMAC. No formal tie-up has happened so far.

3.18.INDIAN MSME SECTOR: STATE OF AFFAIRS

Why in news? Annual Report of MSME ministry 2021 shows the importance of MSME's in the Indian economy.

Issues:  Lack of acess to formal sources of finance - 80 per cent of these companies under-financed or financed through informal sources. Informal credit ends up being much more expensive than formal debt making it difficult for MSMEs to address accumulated debt burden.  Technology adoption has been among the key concerns for MSMEs in order to streamline their operations and processes to prepare for business uncertainties.  The majority of small enterprises in the country for a long time couldn't technologically progress amid issues such as poor understanding and awareness, lack of capital to invest, lack of skilled manpower to operate it, and so on until demonetisation and recent Covid related challenges occurred. Demand for digitisation has increased now among small businesses to introduce new products and differentiate from competition.

Leveraging technology as a solution.  Digitisation has the potential to improve credit availability - With the increasing digital footprint and online transactions even in remote locations, fintech companies have a wider market to access. It also helps in building credit models.  Efforts to digitise MSMEs – through skill development, GST rollout, and a wider availability of Aadhaar based KYC to catalyse growth on all fronts. It has provided opportunities to fintech companies to provide data and technology-based services to MSMEs.  Digitisation has the potential to add around $200 Billion to India's GDP by 2024.

EXTERNAL SECTOR

3.19.SURGE IN FDI INFLOWS

Why in news? Total foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow in 2020-21 is $81.7 billion, up 10% over the previous year.

What accounts for gross inflow?  "Gross inflows/gross investment" in the RBI report is the same as “total FDI inflow” in the press release, identical to the Commerce Ministry’s estimate.  The gross inflow consists of (i) Direct investment to India. (ii) Repatriation/disinvestment.  The disaggregation shows that “direct investment to India” has declined by 2.4%. Hence, an increase of 47% in “repatriation/disinvestment” entirely accounts for the rise in the gross inflows. In other words, there is a wide gap between gross FDI inflow and direct investment to India.

Repatriation and significance  FDI inflow increasingly consists of private equity funds, which are usually disinvested after 3-5 years to book profits (per its business model). In principle, private equity funds do not make long-term greenfield investment.  Similarly, measured on a net basis (that is, “direct investment to India” net of “FDI by India” or, outward FDI from India), direct investment to India has barely risen (0.8%) in 2020-21 over the last year.  The 10% rise in gross inflow is almost entirely on account of “Net Portfolio Investment”, shooting up from $1.4 billion in 2019-20 to $36.8 billion in the next year. That is a whopping 2,526% rise.  Further, within the net portfolio investment, foreign institutional investment (FIIs) has boomed by an astounding 6,800% to $38 billion in 2020-21, from a mere half a billion dollars in the previous year.  Hence the surge in gross FDI inflows is entirely on account of net foreign portfolio investment.

What is portfolio investment, and how is it included in FDI inflow?  FDI inflow, in theory, is supposed to bring in additional capital to augment potential output (taking managerial control/stake).  In contrast, foreign portfolio investment, as the name suggests, is short-term investment in domestic capital (equity and debt) markets to realise better financial returns (that is, higher dividend/interest rate plus capital gains).  The FII inflows added a lot of froth to the stock prices. When GDP has contracted by 7.3% (as per the official estimates released last Monday) in 2020-21 on account of the pandemic and the economic lockdown, the BSE Sensex nearly doubled from about 26,000 points on March 23, 2020 to over 50,000 on March 31, 2021.  BSE’s price-earnings (P-E) multiple — defined as share price relative to earnings per share — is among the world’s highest, close behind S&P 500 in the U.S.

Modest contribution  Thus the surge in total FDI inflow during the pandemic year is entirely explained by booming short-term FIIs in the capital market – and not adding to fixed investment and employment creation.  As Figure 1 shows, between 2013-14 and 2019-20, the ratio of net FDI to GDP has remained just over 1% (left-hand scale), with no discernible rising trend in it.  Likewise, the proportion of net FDI to gross fixed capital formation (fixed investment) is range-bound between 4% and 6% (left-hand scale).  These stagnant trends are evident when the economy’s fixed investment rate — gross fixed capital formation to GDP ratio — has plummeted from 31.3% in 2013-14 to 26.9% in 2019-20 (right-hand scale).  Thus, FDI inflow’s contribution to domestic output and investment remains modest and also has boosted stock prices and financial returns. These inflows did little to augment fixed investment and output growth.

3.20.CHINA IS NOW THE SECOND LARGEST EXPORT DESTINATION

Why in news? China overtook the UAE to emerge as India’s second-largest export destination in FY21, behind only the US.

 Exports to China jumped an impressive 28% in FY21 from a year before to over $21 billion, while those to the UAE plunged by 42% to nearly $17 billion.  While China’s massive infrastructure push prompted it to import iron ore and steel in large volumes from India, the UAE, hurt by a plunge in oil prices, cut back purchases in a pandemic year. India’s total merchandise exports shrank by just over 7% last fiscal to $291 billion.  Nevertheless, the exports to China were still less than a half of those to the US ($21 billion vs $52 billion in FY21) even though the outbound shipment to the world’s largest economy faltered by almost 3%.  Including Hong Kong, considered a close proxy for Beijing, India’s effective trade deficit with China dropped to $49 billion in FY21 from almost $55 billion in the previous year. With China alone, the trade deficit declined to $44 billion last fiscal from nearly $49 billion in FY20.  Despite the drop, China’s share in India’s total goods trade deficit still zoomed to 43% in FY21 from 30% a year before. This is because the country’s imports from China were in excess of $65 billion last fiscal, almost the same as in FY20, even though its total inbound shipments faltered by 17% from a year earlier.  It’s difficult to gauge the exact quantum of trade deficit with China, as Beijing can divert supplies through other nations in the region, especially the Asean members.  India’s exports to its biggest market — the US, grew by 20% between January and March limiting the annual contraction to just about 3%.

Way forward  For the latest acceleration to sustain, Beijing has to buy a wider portfolio of products from New Delhi, and not just raw materials (iron ore and cotton) and low value-added goods (certain steel products and other base metals). China’s extremely self-centred trade policies and denial of key market access by stealth (by erecting non-tariff barriers) have been the biggest hindrances to India’s interest, they reckon.  While exports have remained somewhat unscathed from the havoc wrought by the second pandemic wave, only a sustained, rapid expansion will help the country meet its ambitious target of $400 billion for FY22.

3.21.INDIA - EU FTA: RESUMPTION OF NEGOTIATIONS

Why in news? India and the European Union (EU) prepare to resume formal negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) after a gap of eight years.

Contentious issues that has stalled previous negotiations  EU insisted that India scrap or slash hefty import duties on sensitive products such as automobiles, alcoholic beverages and cheese, among others.  If New Delhi extends greater market access to the EU. India’s existing FTA partners, such as Japan and South Korea, are already large producers, and they may seek a level-playing field.  India has demanded greater access to the EU market for its skilled professionals, which the bloc was reluctant to accede to.  Geographical indication - EU was seeking automatic recognition for a wide range of products, including wines, spirits, dairy and farm commodities. But any automatic recognition for its goods under the Indian GI Act will require a legislative amendment by New Delhi.  Problem for India is that in the EU, GI protection is linked to farm products, food stuffs and wine. However, out of 330-odd GIs in India, more than 210 are handicrafts (non-agricultural products).

Significance of the FTA  The EU is India's third largest trading partner, accounting for €62.8 billion worth of trade in goods in 2020 or 11.1% of total Indian trade, after China (12%) and the US (11.7%).  The EU is the second-largest destination for Indian exports (14% of the total) after the USA.  India is the EU’s 10th largest trading partner, accounting for 1.8% of EU total trade in goods.  Since its pull-out of the Beijing-dominated RCEP trade negotiations in November 2019, India has been seeking to expedite talks with key economies to come up with " fair " and " balanced " agreements.

Way forward Both the sides can work on less controversial issues first; the more difficult ones can be taken up later, as any deal there will take time to materialise. For instance,  India’s demand for freer movement of skilled professionals (under Mode 4 of services) may face stiff resistance during negotiations; instead, Mode 3 is easier to access. This can ultimately simplify India’s goal of getting access to other modes of services.  In case of alcohol, a threshold price can be proposed for tariff liberalisation, as was done by Japan for Australian wines under the RCEP.  According to the WTO, Mode 3 occurs when a service provider of one of its members offers a service through some form of commercial presence in the territory of another member.

3.22.FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS INCREASE FDI INFLOWS

Why in news? The thrust on FTAs with large developed markets like the US, Canada and the European Union has been gaining momentum for some time in India. Along with trade, preferential access to these large markets bring an inducement for FDI in manufacturing. Finding FTA partners in large Western markets would indisputably be a boost in the arm for the manufacturing industry in the country.

How does a FTA induce greater FDI inflows? While an MNC’s decision to undertake foreign investment is guided by many factors such as infrastructure, human capital, tax policy consistency and such endowments in the recipient country, the size of the market is a significantly decisive factor in the choice of the FDI recipient country.  Most studies find a highly-pronounced positive effect of the size of the host market on FDI inflows.  Therefore, to the extent that an FTA creates an extended market by including access to the FTA partner countries’ market, a positive relationship between FTAs and FDI would emerge.  Due to tariff eliminations, the markets of the FTA partner countries can be served from a single unified location. This effect allows some firms to grow beyond what they would have been able to achieve in the national market of a single country.

Relevance in the present times  The pandemic has shown the importance of reliable and resilient supply chains over lowest cost supply chains.  There is a diversification move by MNCs seeking plurality of production and to secure uninterrupted supply chains in order to avoid disruptions; a move which has prompted investments to move horizontally rather than vertically.  A country with a modest market size but FTA access to large markets is likely to score over a large country with a big standalone market, especially if it can offer other incentives and create a more conducive environment.

Examples Vietnam, which in itself is not a very large market, has successfully leveraged its preferential tariff access to many large Western and Asian markets through its trade agreements. This (making Vietnam a preferred destination for FDI in manufacturing) has been one of the major determining factors for MNCs diversifying under a China-plus-one strategy. Bangladesh, which has duty-free access to the EU, UK and Canada in textiles under their GSP (General System of Preferences) for LDC countries, thereby making Bangladesh a preferred destination for FDI in textiles and a competitor for Indian textiles that do not have similar duty-free access to these large markets.

4. ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

4.1.A NEW FROG SPECIES DISCOVERED FROM NEW GUINEA

Why in news? A team of Australian scientists have discovered a unique species of frog in the rainforests of New Guinea, Australia.This species has been termed as ‘chocolate frog’ because of its colour and texture.  An Australian scientist, Steve Richards, first spotted the creature in 2016. He also took a few specimens for genetic tests and research.  During his findings, Richards got to know that the cocoa-coloured frogs were a new species and an addition to our animal kingdom.

About Litoria mira:  This ‘chocolate frog’ is called Litoria mira which is inspired by the Latin adjective mirum. The word mirum means surprised or strange, which rightly states that the scientist was surprised after discovering a predominately Australian Litoria genus of tree frogs.  Litoria mira can be distinguished from all other Litoria by its unique combination of moderately large size, webbing on hand, relatively short and robust limbs, and small violet patch of skin on the edge of its eyes.  Litoria is a large genus of tree frogs native to Australia, the Bismarck Archipelago, the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, the Lesser Sunda Islands, and the Moluccan Islands.  The closest known relative of Litoria mira is the Australian green tree frog. The two species look similar except one is usually green, while the new species usually has a chocolate colouring and also the discovered species is also a little smaller than the Australian green tree frog.  The reason that the chocolate frog from New Guinea and the Australian green tree frog are similar is that Australia and New Guinea used to be linked by land for much of the late Tertiary period (2.6 million years ago), and share many biotic elements.  Today, the island of New Guinea is separated from the ‘horn’ of Queensland by the Torres Strait. New Guinea is dominated by rainforest, and northern  Australia by the savannah.

4.2.LAST RESORT: SEEDS KEPT SAFE IN SOUTH KOREAN MOUNTAINS

Why in news? The Baekdudaegan National Arboretum Seed Vault Centre, hidden in a South Korean mountain tunnel designed to withstand a nuclear blast, preserves nearly 100,000 seeds from 4,751 different wild plant species to ensure they are not lost to “apocalyptic events”.

 The vault is designated as a security installation by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, surrounded by wire fences and dozens of cameras, with restrictions on filming in place and police patrolling on a regular basis.  Unlike more commonplace seed banks, where samples are stored and regularly withdrawn for various purposes, deposits in seed vaults are meant to be permanent, with use intended only as a last resort to prevent extinction.  The vault’s samples are largely of flora from the Korean peninsula, but with a capacity of two million seeds, the South makes its space available to other countries, with Kazakhstan and Tajikistan among those to have taken up the offer.

About Svalbard Global Seed Vault:  The Svalbard Global Seed Vault (Seed Vault) is a secure backup facility for the world’s crop diversity on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen in the remote Arctic Svalbard archipelago.  It is world's biggest seed vault and also referred to as the doomsday vault.  The Seed Vault provides long-term storage of duplicates of seeds conserved in genebanks around the world. This provides security of the world’s food supply against the loss of seeds in genebanks due to mismanagement, accident, equipment failures, funding cuts, and natural disasters.

Indian seed vault:  India’s Seed Vault is located at Chang La (Ladakh) in the Himalayas, at a height of 17,300 feet.  It was built in 2010 jointly by the Defence Institute of High Altitude Research and the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources.  It stores over 10,000 seeds accessions and 200 plant species.These seeds include apricots, barley, cabbage, carrots, radish, potatoes, tomatoes, rice, wheat, etc., based on qualities such yield or resistance to temperature, pests and humidity.

4.3.GECKO NAMED AFTER MIZO CHIEFTAIN

Why in news? A new species of pest-controlling lizard has been named after a Mizo chieftain who fought the British forces 150 years ago.  Cyrtodactylus bengkhuaiai,named in honour of chieftain Bengkhuaia, is one of four new species of bent-toed geckos recorded by two groups of scientists in October-November 2020. Two geckos each were found in Mizoram and Meghalaya.  The Bengkhuaia bent-toed gecko was recorded from the outskirts of Sailam village in Mizoram’s Aizawl district. Sailam was

where Bengkhuaia, the legendary chieftain lived.

 The second new lizard in Mizoram, Cyrtodactylus aaronbaueri was recorded in and around Aizawl town. It was named after Aaron Bauer, the world’s leading expert on taxonomy of geckos.  The two new species recorded in Meghalaya are the karst-dwelling bent-toed gecko (Cyrtodactylus karsticola) and Agarwal’s bent-toed gecko (Cyrtodactylus agarwali). The second one is named after Ishan Agarwal, one of India’s leading herpetologists.  All four new species are a part of the Cyrtodactylus khasiensis group and crucial to natural pest control in the region.

4.4.BLUE – FINNED MAHSEER

Why in news? The blue-finned Mahseer, which was on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list of endangered species, has now moved to the ‘least concern’ status.  The Tata power group is involved in conservation of the blue-finned and golden mahseer for 50 years in Lonavala. However, the golden mahseer is still in danger of going extinct.  Around five lakh mahseer are bred at the Walvan Hatchery in Lonavala, where an artificial lake has been created.  It is here that the Blue-Finned and Golden species of Mahseer congregate. Once the eggs hatch, they remain in the lake for 4-6 months. They are then handed over to various fisheries departments across the country, who in turn introduce them into lakes and rivers in their states.

About Mahseer:  The Mahseer is a freshwater fish and a type of carp that was once available in great numbers in the Himalayan Rivers and other rivers that originate from the Sahyadri Mountains.  The hardy Mahseers inhabit both rivers and lakes.  It is one of the 20 mega fishes of the world and can grow to about nine feet and weigh up to 35-40 kgs. The Mahseer is commercially an important game fish, as well as highly valued food fish.  The following sub species of Mahseer are generally recognized by scientists in India: 1) “Golden Mahseer” or Tor Putitora found in the Himalayan streams and rivers. 2) “Blue Fin / Deccan Mahseer” or Tor Khudree first described by Sykes from the Mota Mola river east of Pune. This species is also found in other rivers of the Deccan Plateau. 3) “Red Finned Mahseer” or Tor Tor found in the rivers of central India.

4) “Chocolate Mahseer” or Neolissochilus hexagonolepis found in the Indian Himalayan region. 5) “Humpback Mahseer” or Tor remadevii found in the Cauvery River and its tributaries. This species was earlier referred to as Tor Mussalah, a name not accepted any more.  The Humpback Mahseer in particular, is a charismatic fish species that is endemic to the Cauvery river, and is assessed as Critically endangered by IUCN. It is recognised as one of the world’s top 20 freshwater megafauna and is popularly known as the "Tiger of the Cauvery river’.

4.5.WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY 2021

 World Environment Day is observed on June 5 every year to remind people about the importance of nature.  It is that time of the year when civil societies, environmentalists, school students and global leaders take a moment to reflect upon the impact of human activity on Mother Earth.  Theme of World Environment Day 2021 - Reimagine. Recreate. Restore and Pakistan will be the global host for the day.  This World Environment Day will kick off the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), a global mission to revive billions of hectares, from forests to farmlands, from the top of mountains to the depth of the sea.  According to the United Nations, this World Environment Day, the human population must resolve to bring about little changes in its lifestyle that can help restore the natural order of things. Be it ban on single-use plastic or infusing more green in our concrete jungles across the cities, we must recreate and reimagine ways to help Mother Earth heal.

What is ecosystem restoration?  Ecosystem restoration means preventing, halting, and reversing the damage to go from exploiting nature to healing it.  It means assisting in the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed, as well as conserving the ecosystems that are still intact.  Restoration can happen in many ways – for example through actively planting or by removing pressures so that nature can recover on its own.

About world environment day:  It was established in 1972 by the United Nations at the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment, that had resulted from discussions on the integration of human interactions and the environment.  Two years later, in 1974 the first WED was held with the theme “Only One Earth”.  Even though WED celebration have been held annually since 1974, in 1987 the idea for rotating the center of these activities through selecting different host countries began.

4.6.ANTI-HAIL GUNS TO PREVENT CROP DAMAGE DUE TO HAILSTORMS

Why in news? To help out horticulturists who face crop damage due to hailstorms, the Himachal Pradesh government will be testing the use of indigenously developed ‘anti-hail guns’. The indigenous guns have been developed by IIT Bombay along with Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry at Nauni (Solan)

What are anti-hail guns and how do they ‘prevent’ a hailstorm?  An anti-hail gun is a machine which generates shock waves to disrupt the growth of hailstones in clouds.  It comprises a tall, fixed structure somewhat resembling an inverted tower, several metres high, with a long and narrow cone opening towards the sky.  The gun is “fired” by feeding an explosive mixture of acetylene gas and air into its lower chamber, which releases a shock wave (waves which travel faster than the speed of sound, such as those produced by supersonic aircraft).  These shock waves supposedly stop water droplets in clouds from turning into hailstones, so that they fall simply as raindrops.  The machine is repeatedly fired every few seconds during an approaching thunderstorm.  However, the effectiveness of anti-hail guns has remained a contentious issue.  In 2010 the state government had imported three anti-hail guns from the United States and installed them in three separate villages in the apple-growing belt of Shimla. The present one is indigeously built and cheaper than the imported ones.

How hailstones are formed?  Hail is produced by cumulonimbus clouds, which are generally large and dark and may cause thunder and lightning.  In such clouds, winds can blow up the water droplets to heights where they freeze into ice. The frozen droplets begin to fall but are soon pushed back up by the winds and more droplets freeze onto them, resulting in multiple layers of ice on the hailstones. This fall and rise is repeated several times, till the hailstones become too heavy and fall down.

Why is hail a big issue in HP?  Every summer from March to May, frequent hailstorms in the fruit-growing areas of Himachal destroy apples, pears and other crops, causing massive losses to farmers. In some hail-prone areas such as Narkanda and Theog, the entire apple crop in an orchard may sometimes get destroyed during such storms.  The state government has subsidised anti-hail nets but even these can fail in the face of storms. This April, hail and snow accumulated over the nets in many parts of Shimla after days of extreme weather, causing the nets to break down and damage the apple trees, fruits and branches underneath.

4.7.ODISHA TO CREATE NATURAL BARRIERS ALONG ITS COAST .

Why in news? Forest and Environment Department of Odisha has identified 3500 hectares for coastal shelter belt plantation and 400 hectares for mangrove forests to mitigate the impact of cyclones.  Since the 1999 super cyclone that battered Odisha’s coast, six major cyclones have made landfall in the State, and mangrove forests have lived up to their reputation of being a bio-shield against strong winds each time, with little impact of cyclones in mangrove-forested regions.  According to the State Forest and Environment Department, only a 100-odd trees were uprooted and six small houses in the Habalikhati eco-tourism area suffered partial damage under Cyclone Yaas's impact.  Unlike inundation of 150 villages in the Bhadrak and Balasore districts in the storm surge, Kendrapara district, protected by a mangrove forest, was left largely unscathed.

Mangrove cover in Odisha:  Odisha currently has 220 sq. km. (22,000 hectares) of mangrove forests. Most of it (192 sq. km.) is found in Kendrapara, around the Bhitarakanika National Park.  Kalibhanjdia island, spread over 8.5 sq. km. in Bhitarkanika, attracts the attention of scientists world over. It is a great assemblage of genetic diversity in mangrove forests, with 70% of all mangrove species found within the small area.

What is a mangrove? A mangrove is a small tree or shrub that grows along coastlines, taking root in salty sediments, often underwater. The word ‘mangrove’ may refer to the habitat as a whole or to the trees and shrubs in the mangrove swamp.  They are flowering trees, belonging to the families Rhizophoraceae, Acanthaceae, Lythraceae, Combretaceae, and Arecaceae.  The upper trunk, including the branches and leaves, of a mangrove tree lives completely above the waterline, while the lower trunk and the large root system are partly covered by seawater.  Many species have roots diverging from stems and branches and penetrating the soil some distance away from the main stem (like banyan trees).

Mangroves in India:  The deltas of the Ganges, Mahanadi, Krishna, Godavari, and the Cauvery rivers contain mangrove forests.  The backwaters in Kerala have a high density of mangrove forest.  The Sundarbans in West Bengal is the largest mangrove region in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It spans from the Hooghly River in West Bengal to the Baleswar River in Bangladesh.  The Bhitarkanika mangrove system in Odisha is India’s second largest mangrove forest.  Pichavaram in Tamil Nadu has a vast expanse of water covered with mangrove forests.

How do mangrove forests help protect against strong cyclones?  Mangrove forests act as natural barriers against storm surge, coastal flooding and sea level rise. Their intricate root system stabilises the coastline, reducing erosion from storm surges. Together with the tree trunks, they work like speed- breakers to slow down the tides.  They protect shorelines from damaging winds and waves. A series of studies in the early 2000s discovered that mangroves with an average height of 6-10 metres could shorten a cyclone’s waves by 60%.  Mangroves also help prevent erosion by stabilising sediments with their tangled root systems.  A 2013 study of mangroves in Florida estimated that a mangrove forest could reduce the effects of a Category 5 storm to the intensity and effects of a Category 3 storm.

What are the threats to mangroves?  Scientists estimate that at least one third of all mangrove forests has been lost during the last few decades. Coastal development, including construction of shrimp farms, hotels, and other structures, is the primary threat to mangroves.  Mangrove forests are cleared to make room for agricultural land and human settlements.  Mangrove trees are used for firewood, construction wood, charcoal production, and animal fodder. In some parts of the world, there has been overharvesting which is no longer sustainable.  Overfishing, pollution, and rising sea levels are the other threats to mangrove forests and their ecosystem.

4.8.‘SEA SNOT ‘OUTBREAK IN TURKEY

Why in news? There has been growing environmental concern in Turkey over the accumulation of ‘sea snot’, a slimy layer of grey or green sludge in the country’s seas, which can cause considerable damage to the marine ecosystem.  Turkey’s Sea of Marmara, that connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, has witnessed the largest outbreak of ‘sea snot’. The sludge has also been spotted in the adjoining Black and Aegean seas.  Environmental experts have said that overproduction of phytoplankton caused by climate change and the uncontrolled dumping of household and industrial waste into the seas has led to the present crisis.

What is causing ‘sea snot’ in the seas of Turkey?  Sea snot’ is marine mucilage that is formed when algae are overloaded with nutrients as a result of water pollution combined with the effects of climate change.  The nutrient overload occurs when algae feast on warm weather caused by global warming. Even water pollution adds to the problem.  A ‘sea snot’ outbreak was first recorded in the country in 2007. Back then, it was also spotted in the Aegean Sea near Greece. But the current outbreak in the Sea of Marmara is by far the biggest in the country’s history.

How badly can the crisis affect the marine ecosystem?  The mucilage is now covering the surface of the sea and has also spread to 80-100 feet below the surface. If unchecked, this can collapse to the bottom and cover the sea floor, causing major damage to the marine ecosystem.  Over a period of time, it could end up poisoning all aquatic life, including fishes, crabs, oysters, mussels and sea stars.  Besides aquatic life, the ‘sea snot’ outbreak has also affected the livelihoods of fishermen. The sludge is getting collected in their nets, making them so heavy that they break or get lost. Moreover, the mucilage coating the strings make the nets visible to fish and keep them away.  Some experts have also warned that the ‘sea snot’ can cause an outbreak of water- borne diseases such as cholera in cities like Istanbul.

What steps are being taken by Turkey to solve the crisis?  Environment Minister Murat Kurum has said that Turkey plans to designate the entire Sea of Marmara a protected area, reduce pollution and improve treatment of waste water from coastal cities and ships which has helped the sea snot to spread.  He also called on local residents, artists and NGOs to join what he said would be Turkey’s biggest maritime clean-up operation.  He further said that Turkey has planned to reduce nitrogen levels in the sea by 40%, which would help tackle the crisis.

4.9.WORLD OCEAN DAY 2021

 Every year June 8th is observed as world Ocean Day by United Nations to inform people of the “impact of human actions on the ocean”, “develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean”, and “mobilise and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world’s oceans”.  This year’s theme is ‘The Ocean: Life and Livelihoods. The theme is “especially relevant in the lead-up to the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, which will run from 2021 to 2030. The Decade will strengthen

international cooperation to develop the scientific research and innovative technologies that can connect ocean science with the needs of society”.  According to the UN, the ocean produces 50 percent of the plant’s oxygen, absorbs 30 percent of the carbon dioxide, and is key to the world economy as it economically sustains 40-million people who are employed in several ocean-based sectors like fishing, marine tourism, etc.

Background  It was on June 8, 1992 at the Earth Summit of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) that Oceans Institute of Canada proposed the idea for an international day for oceans.  In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly passed the resolution which declared June 8 to be observed every year as World Oceans Day.

4.10.PLASTIC HACKATHON 2021 CAMPAIGN

Why in news? India is taking all steps to ensure that the country becomes free of single-use plastic by 2022 as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said recently while launching 'Plastic Hackathon 2021' campaign.  GIZ, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) along with Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, are organizing the two- month long awareness campaign which will comprise of four on-line regional events and a social media campaign to spread the message of mitigation plastic pollution to wider audience.  UNEP and GIZ India are the knowledge partners and FICCI is the industry partner for the campaign.  The campaign will involve behavioural change, policy and regulatory regime for phase out of single use plastics, strengthening waste management infrastructure by engaging other ministries, and partnership with industry associations and with producer, importer and brand owners.  To spur innovation and entrepreneurship in area of tackling plastic waste pollution and elimination of single use plastic, Shri Javadekar announced the “India Plastic Challenge – Hackathon 2021”. It is a unique competition calling upon start-ups /entrepreneurs and students of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to develop innovative solutions to mitigate plastic pollution and develop alternatives to single use plastics.  In order to engage with and reach out to school students across the country and spread awareness about plastic pollution caused by littered single use plastic items, a Pan- India Essay Writing competition for school students was also announce

Initiatives by the Government to phase out single use plastics:  Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016, for handling plastic waste in an environmentally sound manner. “Under the rules plastic carry bags below 50 microns have been banned.  The ministry issued a draft notification in March 2021 to phase out single use plastic products in phases by 2022 by amending the plastic waste management rules. The manufacture, import, stocking, distribution, sale and use of ear buds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, plastic flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene [thermocol] for decoration will be prohibited from January 1, 2022.

4.11.WOOLLY FLYING SQUIRREL

Why in news? Scientists have discovered two new species of flying squirrels, both as big as cats, in the Himalayas.  The flying squirrel is considered to be among the rarest and least studied mammals in the world.  For much of the 20th century, it was thought to be extinct, until it was rediscovered in 1994 in northern Pakistan.  But after a careful review of museum specimens and published records of Eupetaurus, scientists found that the genus occurs in three distinct regions in the Himalayas—northern Pakistan and north-western India particularly Uttarakhand; south-central Tibet, northern Sikkim and western Bhutan; and north-western Yunnan, China.  Genetic and morphological comparisons of these specimens also revealed that they are two distinct species - the Tibetan woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus tibetensis), and the Yunnan woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus nivamons)

About woolly flying squirrel:  Although called “flying squirrels,” the animals don’t actually fly they glide, instead, between rocks and cliffs with the help of stretched skin between their front and hind legs.  Both of these species live in areas largely uninhabited by people, at altitudes higher than 15,500 feet.  They’re nocturnal, feed on pine needles, and rest in rocky crevices.  The discovery of the new species is of immense evolutionary significance, because the squirrels’ bodies have adapted to living in very high-altitude areas and their teeth can grind. They have evolved to sustain themselves in grasslands.  Threats: Eupetaurus cinereus is threatened by habitat loss, owing to large-scale clear cutting of forests, particularly the destruction of high-elevation pine woodlands.It is also threatened to a lesser extent by the expansion of agriculture, small-scale logging, infrastructure development and human settlements.  IUCN status – Endangered

4.12.HERITAGE TREES

Why in news?  The Maharashtra government will make amendments to the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act of 1975, to introduce provisions for the protection of ‘heritage trees’  The amendments also make room for the formation of the Maharashtra State Tree Authority and also tree authority in local civic bodies and councils. The Tree Authority is tasked with “increasing the tree cover in urban areas and protecting the existing ones.”

What are heritage trees?  Under the proposed amendment, a tree with an estimated age of 50 years or more shall be defined as a heritage tree. It may belong to specific species, which will be notified from time to time.  The local Tree Authority will have to ensure tree census to be carried out every five years along with counting of heritage trees.  However, experts believe that in addition to the age, the state climate change department (which will be implementing the Tree Act), should also consider a tree’s rarity, its botanical, historical, religious, mythological and cultural importance in defining a heritage tree.

Why was the concept of heritage tree introduced?  Crucially, the tree’s age will determine the number of trees to be planted as part of the compensatory plantation – that is anyone cutting a heritage tree will need to plant trees in the same numbers as the cut tree’s age.  According to the current Compensatory Plantation in the state, one sapling has to be planted for each tree that is cut.  As per the amendment, the number of trees planted will be equal to the age of the heritage tree that is cut. For instance, if a 52-year-old tree is to be felled, then the party felling the tree will have to plant 52 trees in compensation, with each compensatory tree at least 6-8 ft in height at the time of planting.  The organization planting the compensation trees will also have to ensure the survival of the plantation for seven years and geo-tag the trees. Such plantations can be carried out either in the same plot or a common amenity plot.  The amendment also has the fine for illegal felling of trees from a maximum of Rs 5,000 to Rs 1 lakh per tree.  Through the introduction of a heritage tree, the state environment wants to discourage the cutting of heritage trees.  In case compensatory plantation is not possible, the tree feller has to pay compensation for the economic valuation of the trees being felled. While the state government has not defined the economic value of the tree, experts say that the amount of oxygen that a tree releases into the environment should determine its economic value.  In a matter about the felling of trees of ages up to 150 years for Road Over Bridges and road-widening projects in West Bengal, the SC ordered recently setting up a seven-member expert committee to “prescribe a mechanism for assessment of both intrinsic and instrumental value of the trees”.

 It is imperative to make a realistic assessment of the economic value of a tree, which may be permitted to fell, concerning its value to the environment and its longevity, about factors such as the production of oxygen and carbon sequestration, soil conservation, protection of flora/fauna, its role in habitat and ecosystem integrity and any other ecologically relevant factor, distinct from timber/wood,” the court said.

4.13.OPERATION OLIVIA

Why in news? Every year, the Indian Coast Guard’s “Operation Olivia”, initiated in the early 1980s, helps protect Olive Ridley turtles as they congregate along the Odisha coast for breeding and nesting from November to December.  Odisha has also formulated laws for protecting Olive Ridley turtles, and the Orissa Marine Fisheries Act empowers the Coast Guard as one of its enforcement agencies.  For optimal results, round-the-clock surveillance is conducted from November till May utilising Coast Guard assets such as fast patrol vessels, air cushion vessels, interceptor craft and Dornier aircraft to enforce laws near the rookeries. From November 2020 to May 2021, the Coast Guard devoted 225 ship days and 388 aircraft hours to protect 3.49 lakh turtles that laid eggs along the Odisha coast.  Various studies have found three main factors that damage Olive Ridley turtles and their eggs - heavy predation of eggs by dogs and wild animals, indiscriminate fishing with trawlers and gill nets, and beach soil erosion.

Olive Ridley Turtles  It is one of the five species of sea turtles found in India.  Habitat - found in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, but also in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean.  This turtle and the related Kemp’s ridley turtle are best known for their unique mass nesting sites called arribadas, where thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs.  The Gahirmatha Beach which is now a part of the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, is the largest breeding ground for these turtles. Apart from Gahirmatha rookery, two other mass nesting beaches have been located, which are on the mouth of Rushikulya and Devi rivers.  More recently, a new mass nesting site has been discovered in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, with more than 5,000 nests reported in a season, according to the U.S.’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries.  Conservation: It is protected under Schedule – I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, listed as vulnerable under IUCN and are also protected under the 'Migratory Species Convention' and Convention of International Trade on Wildlife Flora and Fauna (CITES).

4.14.A CARNIVOROUS REPTILE THAT LIVED 240 MILLION YEARS AGO

Why in news?  In the mid 20th century, researchers from the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, carried out extensive studies on rocks of the Yerrapalli Formation in what is now Telangana, uncovering several fossils.  By studying some of these specimens stored at the Institute, an international team has now thrown light on a carnivorous reptile that lived 240 million years ago.  This reptile belongs to a genus and species previously unknown to science.  They have named it as Bharitalasuchus tapani. In the Telugu language, Bhari means huge, Tala means head, and Suchus is the name of the Egyptian crocodile- headed deity.  The species is named after paleontologist Tapan Roy Chowdhury in honour of his contribution to Indian vertebrate paleontology and especially his extensive work on the Yerrapalli Formation tetrapod fauna.

About Bharitalasuchus tapani:  The team notes that Bharitalasuchus tapani were robust animals with big heads and large teeth, and these probably predated other smaller reptiles. They were approximately the size of an adult male lion and might have been the largest predators in their ecosystems.  The reptile belonged to a family of extinct reptiles named Erythrosuchidae.  The first Erythrosuchidae remains were discovered in South Africa in 1905 and more were found in China and Russia. The South African one is about 245 million years old, while the ones from China and Russia are around 240 million years old. So the Indian one is one of the youngest fossil records of an erythrosuchid.

4.15.A NEW TREE SPECIES DISCOVERED IN ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS.

A 15-meter-tall tree that belongs to the genus of the coffee family has recently been discovered from the Andaman Islands by a team of researchers from India and the Philippines.  The new species, Pyrostria laljii, is also the first record of the genus Pyrostria in India, the researchers said. Plants belonging to genus Pyrostria are usually found in Madagascar but the recently discovered species is new to science.  The species has been named Pyrostria laljii after Lal Ji Singh, Joint Director and Head of Office, Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre, Botanical Survey of India.

 The tree is distinguished by a long stem with a whitish coating on the trunk, and oblong-obovate leaves with a cuneate base, and was first reported from South Andaman’s Wandoor forest.  The other places in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands where the tree could be located are the Tirur forest near the Jarawa Rerserve Forest and the Chidia Tapu (Munda Pahar) forest.  It has been assessed as ‘Critically Endangered’ based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List criteria.  They have also discovered a new species of pokeweed named Rivina andamanensis. This discovery of new species, representing the first record of the pokeweed family Petiveriaceae in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, adds one more family to the islands’ flora

4.16.DEEP OCEAN MISSION

Why in news?  The estimated cost of the Mission will be Rs. 4077 crore for a period of 5 years (2021-2026) to be implemented in a phase-wise manner. The estimated cost for the first phase for the 3 years (2021-2024) would be Rs.2823.4 crore.  Deep Ocean Mission will be a mission mode project to support the Blue Economy Initiatives of the Government of India.  It is a Inter-ministerial and inter-departmental mission that will bring together researchers and experts from the ISRO, DRDO, Department of Atomic Energy, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Department of Biotechnology and the Indian Navy.  Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) will be the nodal Ministry implementing this multi-institutional ambitious mission.

It consists of the following six major components: 1) Development of Technologies for Deep Sea Mining, and Manned Submersible: A manned submersible will be developed to carry three people to a depth of 6000 metres in the ocean with suite of scientific sensors and tools. An Integrated Mining System will be also developed for mining Polymetallic Nodules from 6000 m depth in the central Indian Ocean.This component will help the Blue Economy priority area of exploring and harnessing of deep sea minerals and energy. 2) Development of Ocean Climate Change Advisory Services: A suite of observations and models will be developed to understand and provide future projections of important climate variables on seasonal to decadal time scales under this proof of concept component. This component will support the Blue Economy priority area of coastal tourism. 3) Technological innovations for exploration and conservation of deep-sea biodiversity: Bio-prospecting of deep sea flora and fauna including microbes and studies on sustainable utilization of deep sea bio-resources will be the main focus. This component will support the Blue Economy priority area of Marine Fisheries and allied services. 4)Deep Ocean Survey and Exploration: The primary objective of this component is to explore and identify potential sites of multi-metal Hydrothermal Sulphides

mineralization along the Indian Ocean mid-oceanic ridges. This component will additionally support the Blue Economy priority area of deep sea exploration of ocean resources. 5)Energy and freshwater from the Ocean: Studies and detailed engineering design for offshore Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) powered desalination plant are envisaged in this proof of concept proposal. This component will support the Blue Economy priority area of off-shore energy development. 6)Advanced Marine Station for Ocean Biology. It is aimed at development of human capacity and enterprise in ocean biology and engineering. This component will translate research into industrial application and product development through on-site business incubator facilities. This component will support the Blue Economy priority area of Marine Biology, Blue trade and Blue manufacturing.

Significance of the mission:  Oceans, which cover 70 per cent of the globe, remain a key part of our life. About 95 percent of Deep Ocean remains unexplored.  India, with 7517 km long coastline and around 30 per cent of the country’s population living in coastal areas, ocean is a major economic factor supporting fisheries and aquaculture, tourism, livelihoods and blue trade. Oceans are also storehouse of food, energy, minerals, medicines, modulator of weather and climate and underpin life on Earth.  This mission will make India one among the handful of powerful nations that already have dedicated ocean studies and missions, including the US, Japan, France, Russia and China.  Considering importance of the oceans on sustainability, the United Nations (UN) has declared the decade, 2021-2030 as the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.  The Government of India’s Vision of New India by 2030 enunciated in February 2019 highlighted the Blue Economy as one of the ten core dimensions of growth.

4.17.MASSIVE SPIDER WEBS IN AUSTRALIA

Why in news? After heavy rains and floods struck Australia’s southeastern state of Victoria, lakhs of spiders have spun webs stretching across trees, road signs and paddocks, creating huge “gossamer” sheets.  In the state’s Gippsland region, days of intense rainfall have caused spiders to climb to higher ground using a survival tactic called “ballooning”, in which the insects throw out silk that latches on to vegetation, allowing them to escape.

What explains the massive spider web in Australia?  Recently, Victoria received heavy rains along with strong winds, leading to flash flooding and major damage to property.  This led to ground-dwelling spiders throwing strands to nearby trees in an attempt to get off the ground fast. Lakhs of spiders did this at the same time, creating

“gossamer” sheets covering the wetlands between the towns of Sale and Langford, which are around 8 km apart.  In one area in Gippsland, a spider web covered more than a kilometre along a road, as per the BBC. The webs are expected to fade away towards the end of the week.  Victoria state generally sees this natural phenomenon during the winter, when it receives most of its rain. When this happens, spiders, which can produce a wide variety of silks, produce this kind of web which is very thin and delicate, and allows them to fly away with the breeze, sometimes as far as 100 km.  Because this ballooning silk is lighter than air, it latches on to objects such as tree tops, tall grass and road signs, allowing the spiders to climb up.

What kind of spiders these are?  As per a report in the Guardian, the spiders which lay such webs are called “vagrant hunters”, which typically live on the ground and do not build a web. Even while ballooning after a flood, each spider throws up only one thread – meaning every line in the massive web blanket seen this week is made by a different insect.  While the ballooning spiders are not dangerous to humans, but some species are.Between 2000 and 2013, nearly 12,600 people were admitted to hospital because of spider bites in Australia.

4.18.AUSTRALIA MAY LIST EAST COAST KOALAS AS ENDANGERED.

Why in news? Australia is considering listing koalas on the country's east coast as endangered, Minister for the Environment Sussan Ley said recently.  They are already classified as vulnerable, because their numbers are under pressure from logging, urban encroachment and a pervasive infection. As well, bushfires across New South Wales and Queensland states in 2019 and 2020 are estimated to have killed as many as 30% of the population.  Scientists and academics have warned that the iconic Australian mammal could become extinct by 2050 in New South Wales.

Koalas:  The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia.  It is found in coastal areas of the mainland's eastern and southern regions, inhabiting Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.

 It is easily recognisable by its stout, tailless body and large head with round, fluffy ears and large, spoon-shaped nose.  Koalas typically inhabit open eucalypt woodlands, and the leaves of these trees make up most of their diet.  Koalas are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which has named the species one of 10 animals most vulnerable to climate change.

4.19.FOSSILS SHOW NEW SPECIES OF EXTINCT GIANT RHINO THAT ROAMED ASIA

Why in news? Fossils found in northwest China’s Gansu province indicate a new species of giant rhino that lived more than 26 million years ago, according to a paper published in the journal Communications Biology recently.  The fossils including a skull and two vertebrae found in the reddish-brown sandstone of the Linxia basin shed light on how the ancient rhinos, some of the largest land mammals ever, evolved and moved across what is now Asia.  Giant rhinos like the newly discovered species, named Paraceratherium linxiaense, were hornless, long-necked herbivores, perhaps weighing 20 tonnes equal to several elephants and likely living in open woodland.  It’s the latest known species in a group of giant, hornless rhinos that lived across Central Asia from roughly 50 million years ago until 23 million years ago.

A prehistoric giant:  Paraceratherium fossils are rare and often fragmentary, making it hard to chart the genus’s evolution and spread.  The group’s longtime home appears to have been Central Asia, but the first species of Paraceratherium ever found, P. bugtiense, lived in what is now western Pakistan.  Researchers have now found that the new species P. linxiaense was closely related to the Pakistani P. bugtiense, and that hints at the Pakistani rhino’s origins.  Based on its similarities to the giant rhino from Pakistan, the new findings suggest that giant rhinos moved freely across thousands of miles between Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent between 30 and 35 million years ago.  Tropical conditions at the time allowed the giant rhino to return northward to Central Asia, implying that the Tibetan region was still not uplifted as a high- elevation plateau.

4.20.BLACK SOFTSHELL TURTLE

Why in news?  A major temple in Assam has signed a memorandum of understanding with two green NGOs, the Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden and the Kamrup district administration for long-term conservation of the rare freshwater black softshell turtle (Nilssonia nigricans).  A vision document 2030 was also launched after Turtle Survival Alliance India and Help Earth signed the pact involving the Hayagriva Madhava Temple Committee by setting in motion a plan to have a ecologically viable population of 1000 adults of black softshell turtle in Assam by 2030.  The temple, revered by both Hindus and Buddhists, is at Hajo, about 30 km northwest of Guwahati.  It was also proposed that hatchlings from eastern Assam can be retained at Nature Discovery Centre, Biswanath Ghat under aegis of Turtle Survival Alliance India for proper upkeep and monitoring before release to the wild.

Need for Conservation:  Various temple ponds in Assam such as that of the Hayagriva Madhava Temple harbour various threatened species of turtles. Since the turtles are conserved in these ponds only based on religious grounds, many biological requirements for building a sustainable wild population have since long been overlooked.  This multi-stakeholder association (conservation pact) aims to restock the wild with viable, self-sufficient and genetically pure threatened turtle populations in the region.

About Black softshell turtle:  The black softshell turtle or Bostami turtle (named after the shrine of Bayazid Bostami in Chittagong, Bangladesh), is a species of freshwater turtle.  Habitat: It is found in India (Assam) and Bangladesh (Chittagong and Sylhet).  The black softshell species looks almost the same as the Indian peacock softshell turtle (Nilssonia hurum), which is classified as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List.  Threats: Consumption of turtle meat and eggs, silt mining, encroachment of wetlands and change in flooding pattern.  Until sightings along the Brahmaputra River’s drainage in Assam, the black softshell turtle was thought to be ‘extinct in the wild’ and confined only to ponds of temples in northeastern India and Bangladesh.  The IUCN had in 2021 listed the turtle as ‘critically endangered’.But it does not enjoy legal protection under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 although it has traditionally been hunted for its meat and cartilage, traded in regional and international markets.

4.21.GREAT BARRIER REEF

Why in news? The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation committee, which sits under UNESCO, has said that the world’s biggest coral reef system should be added to a list of “in danger” World Heritage Sites due to the impact of climate change.  It has prompted an angry response from Australia which said it had been blindsided by the move and blamed political interference.  Australia has for years been battling to keep the Great Barrier Reef, a major tourist attraction that supports thousands of jobs, off the “in danger” list.  In 2015, UNESCO noted the outlook for the reef was poor but kept the site’s status unchanged. Since then, scientists say it has suffered three major coral bleaching events due to severe marine heatwaves.  Various environmental groups, however, have rejected Australia’s assertion that the recommendation was political.

How are sites added to the list? The World Heritage Committee gets information about the state of conservation of sites from countries and from advisory bodies such as the IUCN (natural heritage) and ICOMOS (cultural heritage). Where threats have been identified or changes proposed that may adversely effect a World Heritage property, the committee may seek a detailed site examination.  Two of the criteria used for placing a property on the list are ascertained and potential danger. Ascertained danger measures imminent threats, such as industrial development, to the site. Potential danger applies to development proposals that could undermine the essential character of the site.

Why list a site as ‘in danger’? There are some advantages to a country of having a site listed as “in danger”.The World Heritage Committee can allocate funds to respond to the threats, typically under a plan drawn up with the country concerned. And it highlights to the world the threats that exist and encourages donor agencies to help.

Great Barrier Reef:  The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands.  The reef is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia.  It can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms.  This reef structure is composed of and built by billions of tiny organisms, known as coral polyps. It supports a wide diversity of life and was selected as a World Heritage Site in 1981.  A large part of the reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, which helps to limit the impact of human use, such as fishing and tourism.  Threats: Environmental pressures on the reef and its ecosystem include runoff, climate change accompanied by mass coral bleaching, dumping of dredging sludge and cyclic population outbreaks of the crown-of-thorns starfish.

 The Great Barrier Reef has experienced five mass bleaching events – 1998, 2002, 2016, 2017 and 2020 – all caused by rising ocean temperatures driven by global heating.  In 2016, bleaching killed more than half of the shallow-water corals on the northern region of the Great Barrier Reef.  The Great Barrier Reef has long been known to and used by the Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

4.22.WORLD’S FIRST GENETICALLY MODIFIED RUBBER

Why in news? In a major experiment in rubber farming, Rubber Board has started field trial of world’s first genetically modified (GM) rubber in Assam.  Developed in the biotechnology laboratory at Rubber Research Institute of India (RRII) in Puthuppally, Kottayam, the new variety was planted at board’s Sarutari research farm in Guwahati recently.  The GM rubber plant is expected to tide over the severe cold conditions during winter which is a major factor affecting the growth of young rubber plants with additional copies of the gene MnSOD (manganese-containing superoxide dismutase) inserted in it.  MnSOD gene used in the GM rubber was taken from the rubber plant itself. Its copies were multiplied in the laboratory and reinserted into a cell of the rubber plant which was then regenerated into a full plant that is now panted in the field.  There are no plant species in India that can breed with natural rubber. Therefore, there is no risk of genes flowing from GM rubber into any native species, a concern often raised by environmental groups.  The board authorities also dismissed concerns of antibiotic resistance genes from a plant citing that such genes would never come into contact with microbes or disease causing bacteria.

Background:  The Rubber Board launched the field trial of the GM Rubber in Assam a decade after Kerala Government denied permission for the same citing its possible adverse impact on environment and apprehension on GM crops.  Though different from Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT), GM Rubber is the second genetically modified crop to start field trial in India after Bt. Cotton.  In 2010, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) had given permission to open field trials of GM rubber at Chetchackal, Thombikandom, in Kottayam. However, the then LDF government denied approval and Minister for Agriculture Mullakkara Ratnakaran had requested the Union Government to revoke the approval stating that Kerala wanted to remain a state free of GM crops.

About Rubber  Hevea brasiliensis, the Pará rubber tree, most commonly, as rubber tree is a flowering plant belonging to the spurge family Euphorbiaceae.  It is the most economically important member of the genus Hevea because the milky latex extracted from the tree is the primary source of natural rubber.

 Natural rubber is a native of warm humid Amazon forests and is not naturally suited for the colder conditions in the Northeast, which is one of the largest producers of rubber in India.  Natural rubber is cultivated in 16 states in India. With over 600,000 hectares, Kerala tops rubber cultivation, followed by Tripura with over 85,038 hectares under plantation. Other major natural rubber producers are Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Assam and other northeastern states.  Thailand is the largest producer of natural rubber in the world. And India is the fourth largest producer after Indonesia and Vietnam.

4.23.TASMANIAN DEVIL

Why in news? For the first time in 3,000 years, at least seven Tasmanian devils have been born in the wild in mainland Australia.  Early human settlers in Australia introduced dingoes (a canine) at least 3,500 years ago. Gradually, the canines outcompeted the marsupials, and about 3,000 years ago, the latter were wiped off the mainland.  Since then Tasmania has been the only place where the Tasmanian devils have lived in the wild.  Further, the devil facial tumour disease, a contagious cancer found only in these animals, has been killing the adults in recent years. The disease has been so severe that the creatures are facing extinction – prompting action to bring back a population to mainland Australia.

Background:  A few conservation organizations came together in 2011 to bring back Tasmanian devils to mainland Australia. They brought more than 40 of the animals to a captive breeding site in Australia.  After close to a decade of monitoring, in 2020, as many as 26 of these captive animals were released into a 1,000-acre sanctuary in Australia. This included “seven reproductive-age females” too, and they all became the first wild Tasmanian devils in mainland Australia since they were wiped out all those years ago. Last month, at least seven joeys were born for the first time.  Now a whole generation of Tasmanian devils has the potential to grow in the wild in a region where devil facial tumour disease does not exist.

Tasmanian devil:  The Tasmanian devil is the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial, reaching 30 inches in length and weighing up to 26 pounds.  Habitat: Onceabundant throughout Australia, Tasmanian devils are now found only on the island state of Tasmania. Their Tasmanian range encompasses the entire island, although they are partial to coastal scrublands and forests.  The Tasmanian devil became extinct on the Australian mainland thousands of years ago, possibly following the introduction of the dingo.  Early European settlers dubbed them “devils” after witnessing displays such as teeth-baring, lunging, and an array of spine-chilling guttural growls. Though

the Tasmanian devil may seem aggressive, many of these behaviors are merely feeding rituals or fear- induced.  Devils are solitary and nocturnal, spending their days alone in hollow logs, caves, or burrows, and emerging at night to feed.  Tasmanian devils are predatory animals but feast on carrion left behind by other animals and roadkill. As scavengers “they help keep ecosystems clean and free of diseases that sprout up in decaying corpses”. Also, they may be able to keep pests such as mice and feral cats under control.  Tasmania’s devil population has plummeted from 140,000 to as few as 20,000, and the species is now classified as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

4.24.LIGHTNING DEATHS DOUBLE SINCE 2004

Why in news? Lightning strikes killed nearly 2,000 people every year in India since 2004, which is nearly twice the number of deaths recorded since the late 1960s, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) that pointed to a trend of increasing danger from the weather phenomenon.  Between 1995 and 2014, there has been a jump of nearly 30% to 40% in lightning incidents in India. The number of deaths has also increased significantly between the 1990s and now.  The reason behind the increase in lightning incidents may be directly related to the climate crisis, and the availability of more moisture over land due to warming.  Scientists said tropical cyclones have, in recent years, left fewer than people 50 dead, but deaths due to lightning strikes have been 50 times more.  Research indicated that lightning deaths were higher in areas where forest cover and tree cover had reduced, and that changes in the rural lifestyle over the past 30 years may have also increased the exposure of people to lightning strikes.  Several research studies have pointed to the relationship between increase in lightning activity and the climate crisis. Lightning strikes have been more in the Arctic region in the past decade. The number of summertime bolts detected above Alaska has increased more than six times, from about 35,000 in 2010 to about 240,000 in 2020.

What is lightning, and how does it strike?  Lightning is a very rapid and massive discharge of electricity in the atmosphere, some of which is directed towards the Earth’s surface.These discharges are generated in giant moisture-bearing clouds that are 10-12 km tall. The base of these clouds typically lies within 1-2 km of the Earth’s surface, while their top is 12-13 km away.

 As water vapour moves upward in the cloud, the falling temperature causes it to condense. Heat is generated in the process, which pushes the molecules of water further up.  As they move to temperatures below zero degrees celsius, the water droplets change into small ice crystals. They continue to move up, gathering mass until they are so heavy that they start to fall to Earth.  This leads to a system in which, simultaneously, smaller ice crystals are moving up and bigger crystals are coming down. Collisions follow, and trigger the release of electrons, a process that is very similar to the generation of sparks of electricity. As the moving free electrons cause more collisions and more electrons, a chain reaction ensues.  This process results in a situation in which the top layer of the cloud gets positively charged, while the middle layer is negatively charged. In very little time, a massive current, of the order of 100,000 to a million amperes, starts to flow between the layers.  While the Earth is a good conductor of electricity, it is electrically neutral. However, in comparison to the middle layer of the cloud, it becomes positively charged. As a result, about 15%-20% of the current gets directed towards the Earth as well.It is this flow of current that results in damage to life and property on Earth.

What precautions should be taken against lightning?  Lightning rarely hits people directly but such strikes are almost always fatal.  People are most commonly struck by what are called “ground currents”. The electrical energy, after hitting a large object (such as a tree) on Earth, spreads laterally on the ground for some distance, and people in this area receive electrical shocks.  Predicting a thunderstorm over a pinpointed location is not possible. Nor is it possible to predict the exact time of a likely lightning strike.  For reasons given above, taking shelter under a tree is dangerous. Lying flat on the ground too, can increase risks. People should move indoors in a storm; however, even indoors, they should avoid touching electrical fittings, wires, metal, and water.

4.25.BANNI GRASSLANDS

Why in news? On June 14, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the UN High-Level Dialogue on Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought. He reiterated that India was on track to achieve land degradation neutrality by 2030, citing the example of the Banni grassland in Gujarat where the region’s highly degraded lands were being restored and the livelihoods of pastoralists supported using what he termed a “novel approach.”  One of Asia’s largest tropical grasslands, Banni is home to great biological diversity and is the lifeline of its pastoralist communities. However, climate change and the invasion by Prosopis juliflora a species that covers nearly 54 per cent of the grassland have severely impacted its unique ecology.

 A study conducted earlier this year recognises that unless action is taken, Banni grassland is headed for severe fodder scarcity.  This is precisely what the Banni’s pastoralist communities (Maldharis) have been doing for the past few years. They uproot Prosopis in the pre-monsoon period and when it rains, the native grass species’ regenerate from their rootstock.

Significance:  Local communities applying their deep knowledge of the local ecology to become “decision-makers” in restoring their commons is indeed novel in India.  Through the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006, adivasis and other traditional forest- dwelling communities, including pastoralists, are legally empowered to decide on the management and restoration of their community forest resources (CFR) and stop any activity that adversely impacts biodiversity or the local ecology.

Forest restoration: Climate change mitigation strategy  More than 40 per cent of the forest cover is open, often degraded in India today.  India has committed to restore 26 million hectares of degraded forests and lands by 2030 under the Bonn pledge. As part of its Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement, it has also targeted creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes by 2030 through additional forest and tree cover.  India’s potential to remove carbon through forest restoration is among the highest in the Global South as per a 2020 study published in Nature, Ecology and Evolution. At 123.3 million, India also has the greatest number of people living near areas with forest restoration opportunities.  There are several cases of CFR rights enabling successful ecological restoration of forests, biodiversity conservation and food and livelihood security. The recognition of these rights, however, has happened at an extremely slow pace. Less than 5 per cent of the total potential area has been brought under CFR. In Banni too, title deeds formally recognising the CFR rights of the pastoralists are yet to be issued. Institutional support for CFR remains minimal.

Way forward:  There are compelling reasons for India to recognise and support CFR rights. In its 2019 Special Report on Climate Change and Land, the IPCC also noted that “land titling and recognition programmes, particularly those that authorise and respect indigenous and communal tenure, can lead to improved management of forests, including for carbon storage.”  India’s restoration commitments are amongst the most ambitious in the world. Its potential to benefit from forest restoration is also among the highest. It also has a legal framework the Forest Rights Act that facilitates an approach internationally acknowledged as essential for combating climate change. All that is needed now is to recognise and support community forest rights.

5. SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

SPACE RELATED

5.1.NASA’S CURIOSITY PHOTOGRAPHS CLOUDS ON MARS

 A picture of Mont Mercou, a cliff on Mars, with a contrast of grey clouds over it was shot by NASA’s Curiosity rover on March 19, 2021, the day it completed 3,063 Martian days, (one day in Mars is called sol).  The picture is a collection of 21 separate images stitched together and colour corrected so that the location appears as how it would to a human eye. The rover has been studying this cliff to better understand the Red planet.  While spotting clouds on Mars is rare, this capture by the rover is an even rarer phenomenon. That’s because, to the extent we know about the fourth planet, clouds typically appear during the coldest time of the year near Mars’ equator when planet is farthest from the Sun.  Most clouds on the Red planet hover at about 37 miles (60 kilometres) or lower in the sky, and are composed of water ice. The latest capture by Curiosity shows the clouds at a higher altitude, where it is very cold. This translates to a higher likelihood of clouds formed by frozen carbon dioxide or dry ice.  The findings are not final yet as scientists will need to do more analysis to know for sure which of the recent images photographed by Curiosity has water-ice clouds and which one has dry-ice ones.  One of the clues scientists use to determine the altitude of the clouds is by looking at twilight clouds, also known as “noctilucent”. During sunset, the ice crystals in the cloud catches the fading light, which makes them glow against the darkening sky. They gradually darken as the Sun’s position in the sky drops below their altitude. This will help scientists calculate the position of the clouds in the sky.  Discoveries like this by the Curiosity rover helps scientists to better understand Earth’s neighbour, its topography and climactic conditions.

5.2.RAINBOW-COLOURED SUN HALO

 An iridescent halo was spotted around the sun in the skies over Bengaluru, mid- morning of 24th May 2021. Known as a sun halo, it appears like a circular rainbow around the sun, visible bright during the day.

 Halos around the sun are caused by the refraction or the splitting of sunlight by hexagonal ice crystals in the atmosphere.  Circular halos specifically are produced by cirrus clouds, which are thin, detached, hair like clouds. These clouds are formed very high up in the atmosphere, at a height of over 20,000 feet.  These halos are also called 22-degree halos, as the halo or ring has an apparent radius of 22 degrees around the sun. This phenomenon of halos formation is also called the Kaleidoscopic Effect.  Just like a rainbow, a halo is visible when viewed from the right angle, sometimes appearing just white but often with colours of the spectrum also clearly present.  Likewise much larger halo with an apparent radius of 46 degrees is also produced, called the 46-degree halo. This is much rarer than the 22-degree halo, which, in turn, is actually more frequent than rainbows in a year.  The exact orientation required for hexagonal ice crystals to cause a 22-degree halo is not fully understood and is the subject of ongoing research.  The halo is the brightest at the inner edge of the circular disk, with no light inside the disk as no light is refracted at smaller angles. Red light is refracted less than other colours of light, so the halo’s inner edge is reddish. Other shades typically tend to overlap and wash out.  Other types of halos: 1. A sun dogis a bright spot that appears on a halo on one or both sides of the sun. Typically, two sun dogs are spotted on opposite sides of the sun over a 22-degree halo when this phenomenon occurs. 2. There are also sun pillars where vertical beams of light appear to extend above and below a light source. 3. There are also other phenomenon like a 9-degree smaller halo, multiple concentric circular halos, a tangent arc which appears tangential to a halo, a parhelia circle which is a horizontal line that appears at the same height as the sun, a circumzenithal arc that looks like an upside down rainbow, or a circumhorizontal arc that looks like a horizontal straight rainbow. 4. Similarly, lunar halos are seen around the Moon, and are mostly colorless as moonlight is not very bright.

5.3.NASA’s ARTEMIS ACCORD

 New Zealand on 1st June 2021, became latest country to sign a space agreement with NASA. It became the eleventh signatory to the Artemis Accords, a blueprint for space cooperation and supporting the U.S. space agency's plans to return humans to the moon by 2024 and to launch a historic human mission to Mars.  New Zealand's Space Initiatives 1. California-based company Rocket Lab, which specializes in putting small satellites into orbit, made history in New Zealand four years ago when it launched a test rocket into space from the remote Mahia Peninsula. It began commercial launches in 2018. 2. There could also soon be a second New Zealand launch site. The government announced that it was partnering with Indigenous Maori to buy land in the Canterbury region to develop a space launch site. 3. New Zealand was one of seven nations that helped craft the principles in the accords and was delighted they had signed up.

About Artemis Accords  This accord ensures that space exploration is conducted in a safe, sustainable and transparent manner and in full compliance with international law.

 As more countries establish a presence in outer space, via research stations, satellites, or even rocket launches, these accords provide a set of principles to create a safe and transparent environment that inspires exploration, science, and commercial activities.  The other signatories to the accords are the U.S., Australia, Britain, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and Ukraine. Brazil also said it plans to sign.  According to the NASA website, the major principles of the Artemis Accords are: 1. Peaceful Exploration: All activities conducted under the Artemis program must be for peaceful purposes. 2. Transparency: Artemis Accords signatories will transparently conduct their activities to avoid confusion and conflicts. 3. Interoperability: Nations participating in the Artemis program will strive to support interoperable systems to enhance safety and sustainability. 4. Emergency Assistance: Artemis Accords signatories commit to rendering assistance to personnel in distress. 5. Registration of Space Objects: Any nation participating in Artemis must be a signatory to the Registration Convention or become a signatory at the earliest. 6. Release of Scientific Data: Artemis Accords signatories commit to the public release of scientific information, allowing the whole world to join on the Artemis journey. 7. Preserving Heritage: Artemis Accords signatories commit to preserving outer space heritage. 8. Space Resources: Extracting and utilizing space resources is key to safe and sustainable exploration and the Artemis Accords signatories affirm that such activities should be conducted in compliance with the Outer Space Treaty. 9. Deconfliction of Activities: The Artemis Accords nations commit to preventing harmful interference and supporting the principle of due regard, as required by the Outer Space Treaty. 10. Orbital Debris: Artemis Accords countries commit to planning for the safe disposal of debris.

5.4.CHINA’S ‘ARTIFICIAL SUN’ EXPERIMENTAL FUSION REACTOR

 China’s Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST), which mimics the energy generation process of the sun, dubbed as “artificial sun” set a new record after it ran at 216 million degrees Fahrenheit (120 million degrees Celsius) for 101 seconds.  For another 20 seconds, it further achieved a peak temperature of 288 million degrees Fahrenheit (160 million degrees Celsius), which is over ten times hotter than the sun.  The latest feat by Chinese scientists is a significant step in the country’s quest to unlock clean and limitless energy, with minimal waste products.  But experts say there is still a long way to go for China’s experimental ‘artificial sun’ and it will take decades for a working reactor to emerge from its experimental stages.  The next goal for the scientists behind the experimental reactor is to maintain the high temperature for a long period of time. Previously, the EAST had reached a record temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius in 2018.

 But China is not the only country that has achieved high plasma temperatures. In 2020, South Korea’s KSTAR reactor set a new record by maintaining a plasma temperature of over 100 million degrees Celsius for 20 seconds.

About the EAST Reactor  The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) reactor is an advanced nuclear fusion experimental research device located at the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP) in Hefei, China. It has been in operation since 2006.  The purpose of the artificial sun is to replicate the process of nuclear fusion, which is the same reaction that powers the sun.  Apart from the EAST, China is currently operating the HL-2A reactor as well as J- TEXT.  The EAST project is part of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) facility, which will become the world’s largest nuclear fusion reactor when it becomes operational in 2035.  The project includes the contributions of several countries, including India, South Korea, Japan, Russia and the United States.

Working of the ‘artificial sun’ EAST work  The EAST Tokamak device is designed to replicate the nuclear fusion process carried out by the sun and stars.  Nuclear fusion is a process through which high levels of energy are produced without generating large quantities of waste. Previously, energy was produced through nuclear fission, a process in which the nucleus of a heavy atom was split into two or more nuclei of lighter atoms.  While nuclear fission is an easier process to carry out, it generates far more nuclear waste. However Nuclear fusion is considered a safer process with lower risk of accidents, with zero emission of greenhouse gases. Once mastered, nuclear fusion could potentially provide unlimited clean energy and very low costs.  For nuclear fusion to occur, tremendous heat and pressure are applied on hydrogen atoms so that they fuse together. The nuclei of deuterium and tritium both found in hydrogen are made to fuse together to create a helium nucleus, a neutron along with a whole lot of energy.

5.5.EXPLORATION OF VENUS

 NASA has selected two missions to the planet Venus, Earth’s nearest neighbour.  The missions called DAVINCI+ and VERITAS will be launched between 2028-2030, to study the atmosphere and geologic features of Earth’s so-called sister planet and better understand why the two emerged so differently. About Planet Venus

 Venus is the second-brightest object in the sky after the moon.  It appears bright because of its thick cloud cover that reflects and scatters light.  Venus, which is the second closest planet to the Sun, is called the Earth’s twin because of their similar sizes.  The planet’s thick atmosphere traps heat and is the reason for being the hottest planet in the solar system, despite coming after Mercury.  It moves forward on its orbit around the Sun but spins backwards around its axis slowly. This means on Venus the Sun rises in the west and sets in the East.  One day on Venus is equivalent to 243 Earth days. It does not have a moon and no rings.

Planetary Expeditions to the Venus in the past  Because of the planet’s harsh environment, no humans have visited it and even the spacecraft that have been sent to the planet have not survived for a very long time becauseVenus’ high surface temperatures overheat electronics in spacecraft in a short time.  The first spacecraft to the planet was the Soviet Union’s Venera series (the spacecraft, however, could not survive for long because of the planet’s harsh conditions), followed by NASA’s Magellan Mission that studied Venus from 1990- 1994. As of now, Japan’s Akatsuki mission is studying the planet from Orbit.

About DAVINCI+ and VERITAS missions  Both missions are part of the NASA’s Discovery Program, which began in 1992 to give scientists the chance to launch some missions that use fewer resources and have shorter developmental times.  DAVINCI+ is short for ‘Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging’ and is the first US-led mission to the planet’s atmosphere since 1978. This mission will have a fly-by spacecraft and an atmospheric descent probe.  It will try to understand Venus’ composition to see how the planet formed and evolved. The descent probe will pass through the planet’s thick atmosphere and make observations and take measurements of noble gases and other elements. Significantly, this mission will also try to return the first high resolution photographs of a geological feature that is unique to Venus, which is called “tesserae” may be comparable to Earth’s continents. The presence of tesseraes may suggest that Venus has tectonic plates like Earth.  The second mission called VERITAS is short for ‘Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy’ will map the planet’s surface to determine its geologic history and understand the reasons why it developed so differently from Earth.

 VERITAS will orbit Venus with a radar that will help to create a three dimensional reconstruction of its topography which might be able to tell scientists if processes such as plate tectonics and volcanism are still active there.  It will also map the emissions from Venus’s surface that may help in determining the type of rocks that exist on Venus.  It will also determine if active volcanoes are releasing water vapour into the atmosphere.

5.6.COUNTING THE STARS IN THE UNIVERSE

 On June 6, a NASA-funded rocket’s launch will aim to count the number of stars that exist in the Universe. While this is not the first time that such a mission has been undertaken, the CIBER-2 instrument, has been improved upon to see if any stars had been undercounted in the previous counting attempts.

About CIBER-2 (Cosmic Infrared Background Experiment)  Scientists have estimated that on an average each galaxy consists of about 100 million stars, but this figure is not exact, probably by a factor of 10 or more.  CIBER-2 instrument to be launched aboard a sounding rocket (a small suborbital rocket that will carry scientific instruments on brief trips into space before it falls back to Earth for recovery) will find this out.  Once the instrument is above Earth’s atmosphere, it will survey a patch of sky that will include dozens of clusters of galaxies. NASA notes that the instrument will not actually count individual stars but it will instead detect the extragalactic background light, which is all of the light that has been emitted throughout the history of the Universe.  From this extragalactic background light, the CIBER-2 will focus on a portion called cosmic infrared background, which is emitted by some of the most common stars.  Essentially, this approach is aiming to look at how bright this light is to give scientists an estimate of how many of these stars are out there.

Other Missions working on the same principle  The ESA infrared space observatory Herschel also counted the number of galaxies in infrared and measured their luminosity previously.

5.7.ENVISION MISSION TO VENUS

 The European Space Agency (ESA) on 10th June 2021, announced that it has selected EnVision as its next orbiter that will visit Venus sometime in the 2030s.  The week before, NASA selected two missions to the planet Venus, called DAVINCI+ and VERITAS to be launched between 2028-2030.

About EnVision  EnVision is an ESA led mission with contributions from NASA. It is likely to be launched sometime in the 2030s. The earliest launch opportunity for EnVision is 2031, followed by 2032 and 2033.  Once launched on an Ariane 6 rocket, the spacecraft will take about 15 months to reach Venus and will take 16 more months to achieve orbit circularisation.  The spacecraft will carry a range of instruments to study the planet’s atmosphere and surface, monitor trace gases in the atmosphere and analyse its surface composition.  A radar provided by NASA will help to image and map the surface.  EnVision will follow another ESA-led mission to Venus called ‘Venus Express’ (2005-2014) that focused on atmospheric research and pointed to volcanic hotspots on the planet’s surface.  Other than this, Japan’s Akatsuki spacecraft has also been studying the planet’s atmosphere since 2015.  Last year, a team of scientists reported that they had found phosphine gas (a chemical produced only through biological processes) in the atmosphere of Venus that triggered excitement in the scientific community that some life forms might be supported by the planet.  But the existence of life on the planet is nearly impossible given the high temperatures of Venus and its acidic atmosphere.  Even so, this discovery could mean that life forms could have existed on Venus before when it was habitable. As per this theory, the discovery of phosphine could simply be remnants from the past.

5.8.PASIPHAE

 The mysteries surrounding the origin of the universe continue to draw human curiosity. The development of a vital instrument, which will be used in upcoming sky surveys to study stars, is being led by an Indian astronomer.  The project has been funded by the world’s leading institutions, signalling India’s growing expertise in building complex astronomical instruments.  Scientists from the University of Crete, Greece; Caltech, USA; Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), India; the South African Astronomical Observatory and the University of Oslo, Norway, are involved in this project, steered by the Institute of Astrophysics, Greece.  The Infosys Foundation, India; Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Greece and USA’s National Science Foundation have each provided a grant of $1 million, combined with contributions from the European Research Council and the National Research Foundation in South Africa.

About PASIPHAE

 Polar-Areas Stellar-Imaging in Polarisation High-Accuracy Experiment (PASIPHAE) is an international collaborative sky surveying project.  Scientists aim to study the polarisation in the light coming from millions of stars.  The name is inspired from Pasiphae, the daughter of Greek Sun God Helios, who was married to King Minos.  The survey will use two high-tech optical polarimeters to observe the northern and southern skies, simultaneously.  It will focus on capturing starlight polarisation of very faint stars that are so far away that polarisation signals from there have not been systematically studied. The distances to these stars will be obtained from measurements of the GAIA satellite.

About WALOP  The data from GAIA Satellite and the two high-tech Optical Polarimeters will be combined by the astronomers to perform a maiden magnetic field tomography mapping of the interstellar medium of very large areas of the sky using a novel polarimeter instrument known as WALOP (Wide Area Linear Optical Polarimeter).  Wide Area Linear Optical Polarimeter (WALOP) is an instrument, when mounted on two small optical telescopes, that will be used to detect polarised light signals emerging from the stars along high galactic latitudes.  A WALOP each will be mounted on the 1.3-metre Skinakas Observatory, Crete, and on the 1-metre telescope of the South African Astronomical Observatory located in Sutherland.

PASIPHAE importance  Immediately after its birth, the universe went through a short inflationary phase during which it expanded at a very high rate, before it slowed down and reached the current rate.  However, so far, there have only been theories and indirect evidence of inflation associated with the early universe.  A definitive consequence of the inflationary phase is that a tiny fraction of the CMB (Cosmic Microwave Background) radiation should have its imprints in the form of a specific kind of polarisation (known scientifically as B-mode signal).  All previous attempts to detect this signal met with failure mainly due to the difficulty posed by our galaxy, the Milky Way, which emits copious amounts of polarised radiation.  Besides, it contains a lot of dust clouds that are present in the form of clusters. When starlight passes through these dust clouds, they get scattered and polarised.

 The PASIPHAE survey will measure starlight polarisation over large areas of the sky. This data along with GAIA distances to the stars will help create a 3- Dimensional model of the distribution of the dust and magnetic field structure of the galaxy. Such data can help remove the galactic polarised foreground light and enable astronomers to look for the elusive B-mode signal.

5.9.NEW SHEPHARD ROCKET SYSTEM

 Amazon founder and billionaire Jeff Bezos’s space company called Blue Origin concluded the online auction for the first seat on New Shephard, a rocket system meant to take tourists to space.  Over 7,600 people registered from 159 countries to bid for this seat, which ultimately went for a winning bid of $28 million.  The winning bidder will get to fly aboard New Shephard along with Bezos and his brother, when it takes its first human flight on July 20, which marks the 52nd anniversary of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s moon landing.  In 2018, Blue Origin was one of the ten companies selected by NASA to conduct studies and advance technologies to collect, process and use space-based resources for missions to the Moon and Mars.

About New Shephard  New Shephard has been named after astronaut Alan Shephard, the first American to go to space.  Essentially, it is a rocket system that has been designed to take astronauts and research payloads past the Karman line, the internationally recognized boundary of space.  The idea is to provide easier and more cost-effective access to space meant for purposes such as academic research, corporate technology development and entrepreneurial ventures among others.  New Shephard will also allow space tourists to experience microgravity by taking them 100 km above the Earth.

About Space tourism  Space tourism seeks to give laypeople the ability to go to space for recreational, leisure or business purposes.  The idea is to make space more accessible to those individuals who are not astronauts and want to go to space for non-scientific purposes.  Space Adventures Company: 1. In 1997, the private company Space Adventures was founded to offer “bookable space-related adventures”. In fact, Space Adventures is the only private company to send paying customers to orbital space so far. 2. Space Adventures’ customer Dennis Tito became the first space tourist in 2001. 3. In 2004, test pilot Mike Melville became the first private astronaut to fly beyond the Karman Line. which is recognised as the edge of space. 4. The company has sent seven paying customers to space between 2001 and 2009 and tourist visits to space came to halt in 2011, when NASA suspended its

shuttle program, after which American astronauts were given seats on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to get to the ISS.  In 2008, the billionaire video game developer, Richard Garriott became the sixth private citizen to fly to space. As per media reports, Garriott paid over $30 million to spend about 12 days at the ISS, which he traveled aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.  Apart from Blue Origin, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic is also expected to begin space flights meant for space tourists this year. Elon Musk’s SpaceX is also working on sending tourists to space.

Working of the Rocket System  The rocket system consists of two parts, the cabin or capsule and the rocket or the booster.  The cabin can accommodate experiments from small Mini Payloads up to 100kg. Further, the cabin is designed for six people and sits atop a 60 feet tall rocket. All the six seats in the capsule are meant for passengers, each of whom get their own window seat. The capsule is fully autonomous and does not require a pilot.  The cabin separates from the rocket before crossing the Karman line, after which both vehicles fall back to the Earth.  The system is a fully reusable, vertical takeoff and vertical landing space vehicle.  After separating from the rocket, the capsule free falls in space, while the rocket performs an autonomously controlled vertical landing back to Earth. The capsule, on the other hand, lands back with the help of parachutes.

5.10.WORLD'S FIRST WOODEN SATELLITE

 The European Space Agency (ESA) and a Finnish company called Arctic Astronautics has planned to put the world’s first wooden satellite, WISA Woodsat, on Earth’s orbit by the end of this year.

About the Woodsat  The mission of the satellite is to test the applicability of wooden materials like plywood in spacecraft structures and expose it to extreme space conditions, such as heat, cold, vacuum and radiation, for an extended period of time.  It will be launched to space by the end of 2021 with a Rocket Lab Electron rocket from the Mahia Peninsula launch complex in New Zealand.  The satellite, designed and built in Finland will orbit at around 500-600 km altitude in a roughly polar Sun-synchronous orbit.

 Designers have placed the wood in a thermal vacuum chamber to keep it dry and have also added a very thin aluminium oxide layer to minimise vapour coming from the wood and to protectit from erosive effects of atomic oxygen.  Woodsat’s only non-wooden external parts are corner aluminium rails used for its deployment into space and a metal selfie stick. The selfie stick with its camera can take pictures of the satellite and look how the plywood is behaving. It can show if there is any cracking on the plywood or any colour changing as the wood is expected to be darkened by the ultraviolet radiation of unfiltered sunlight.

5.11.SHENZHOU-12 MISSION

 China launched a spacecraft on June 17, 2021, carrying three astronauts to part of a space station still under construction called Tianhe for the longest stay in low Earth orbit by any Chinese national.  A Long March 2F rocket transporting the Shenzhou-12, or Divine Vessel, bound for the space station module Tianhe blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu province.  The mission is for a three-month stay in the main living compartment called Tianhe to carry out experiments, test equipment, test technologies related to long-term astronaut-stays and health care, the recycling and life support system, the supply of space materials, extravehicular activities, operations, and in-orbit maintenance and prepare the station for receiving two additional modules next year.  This is the first of two manned space missions planned for this year, part of an intense schedule of launches aimed at completing the space station in 2022.  At least five more missions are planned for the year, with the Shenzhou-13 manned mission, also carrying three astronauts, set for later this year.  The Tianhe module was launched in April, while the second and third modules to complete the space station will also be launched in coming months.

5.12.NASA'S IBEX SATELLITE

 In a monumental example of NASA's ongoing solar cartography efforts, the boundary of the sun's mysterious heliosphere has finally been mapped in 3D for the first time ever, providing a wealth of new insights as to how solar and interstellar winds intersect and interact.  Astronomers accomplished this breakthrough feat by employing data derived from NASA’s Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) spacecraft to determine the boundaries of our home star's heliosphere, that bubble of charged particles encircling the sun.  Earlier, this boundary was mentioned in theories of Physics models. This is the first-time scientists were able to measure it and make its three- dimensional map.

About Heliosphere  The term was coined by Alexander J. Dessler, in his scientific literature, called heliophysics, in 1967. Heliophysics includes study of space weather and space climate.  It is a vast bubble-like region of space surrounding the sun. It is a cavity formed by Sun in surrounding interstellar medium.  The Bubble of heliosphere is continuously inflated by solar winds.  Radiation levels inside and outside the heliosphere differs. Galactic cosmic rays are less abundant in the heliosphere. Thus, planets inside are partly shielded from their impact.  Heliosphere is the area under influence of Sun. Its edge is decided by heliospheric magnetic field and solar wind from Sun.

5.13.NEAR EARTH ASTEROID RENDEZVOUS (NEAR) SHOEMAKER

 Asteroids, also known as minor planets, are small, rocky bodies that have been left over from the formation of planets about 4.5 billion years ago.  Billions of such rocks exist in the solar system, with the majority of them concentrated in a doughnut-shaped main belt of asteroids between the planets Mars and Jupiter.

About Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) Shoemaker  It was a low-cost mission and the first to be flown under NASA’s Discovery programme.  Its target was the minor planet 433 Eros, which is approximately 355 million km from Earth, and it intended to gather information about its physical properties and composition, among others.  Eros was discovered by German astronomer Carl Gustav Witt on August 13, 1898, and by French astronomer Auguste Charlois independently on the same day.  Breaking with the tradition of the time, it was given a male name Eros, the son of Mercury and Venus.  It was the first near-Earth asteroid to be discovered.  The mission was Launched on February 17, 1996, NEAR was the first spacecraft to rely on solar cells for power for its operations beyond Mars orbit.  Even though its primary objective was studying Eros, NEAR performed a 25- minute flyby of the asteroid 253 Mathilde on June 27, 1997. It was able to

photograph 60% of the asteroid and gather data that indicated that the asteroid is covered with craters and less dense than previously believed.  On February 14, 2000 NEAR finally entered into orbit around Eros.  NEAR became the first human- made object to orbit any minor planet.  On March 14, 2000, NEAR was renamed NEAR Shoemaker by NASA in honour of planetary scientist and geologist Eugene Shoemaker.Shoemaker, was a pioneer in studying asteroid impacts.  Even though it was built as an orbiter, it went on to survive a landing on February 12, 2001, making it the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid.  NEAR kept sending invaluable data until its last contact on February 28, 2001, when it succumbed to the extreme cold conditions on the surface of Eros.  The photographs and information returned by NEAR Shoemaker helped map more than 70% of the minor planet’s surface and provide data about its interior, also showed that Eros had no magnetic field.

Study on meteorite provides clues to Earth's mantle  On November 13, 2015, a meteorite fell near the town of Kamargaon in Assam, India.  The meteorite originated from the asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter, and was somehow sucked by Earth’s gravity.  It weighed a little over 12 kg and scientists decoded its mineral composition and classified it as a chondrite, a variety of stony meteorite.  A new study has now shown that by studying this meteorite and its minerals we may find new clues about the Earth’s lower mantle.  The Earth has different layers - the upper, very thin crust, followed by the intermediate silicate mantle which starts from 30 km to 2,900 km depth, and then the centre iron-nickel alloy core. The mantle faces high temperature and pressure. So by studying these meteorites which may have experienced similar high pressure and temperature conditions, we can understand the inaccessible mantle layer in detail.  Previous studies had noted that the Kamargaon meteorite contains minerals such as olivine, pyroxene, plagioclase and chromite.  Olivine is also found in Earth's upper mantle. It is known to break down into bridgmanite and magnesiowustite in Earth’s lower mantle conditions. This breaking down is an important reaction that controls the physical and chemical properties of the Earth's interior.

OTHER NEWS

5.14.NANOROD BASED OXYGEN SENSOR

 Indian Scientists from Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS),an autonomous research institute under the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India have developed a metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) nanorods array-based oxygen sensor.  Uniqueness of the Sensor 1. The Sensor works at room temperature with assistance of UV irradiation and can detect oxygen gas concentrations in places such as underground mines, at higher altitudes, inside aeroplanes and research labs. 2. The sensor gives the best sensitivity with low power consumption and works at room temperature. 3. The fabricated sensors exhibited response and recovery times of around 3 sec and 10 sec, respectively, at 1000 ppm. 4. The superior sensing property is attributed to the enhanced electrical conductivity, excitons (combination of an electron and a positive hole) created, and desorption of water molecules (released through surface) from the sensor surface by UV irradiation, facilitating increased interaction of oxygen molecules with chromium incorporated in titanium dioxide slanted nanorods array present in the sensor.

5.15.AI-DRIVEN PLATFORM WILL FACILITATE EARLY-COVID

 As COVID 19 continues to wreak havoc across the rural heartlands of India, it has become critical to drive rapid testing, contact tracing, and create dedicated containment zones. At a time when such tests are taking more than a week across some cities, the challenge is even more for rural areas.  Easy alternative tests are necessary as RT-PCR tests also give a ‘false negative’ for some variants.  A newAI-driven platform, XraySetu will now help early intervention through rapid screening of COVID 19 with the help of Chest X-ray interpretation over WhatsApp for doctors who have access to X-ray machines.  The platform can work with low-resolution images sent via mobiles, is quick and easy to use, and can facilitate detection in rural areas.  XraySetu, has shown excellent performance with Sensitivity: 98.86%, and Specificity: 74.74%  Besides COVID-19, the platform can also detect 14 additional lung-related ailments, including tuberculosis and pneumonia, alongside others.  Technologies like XraySetu can enable cutting-edge AI-driven systems powering mobile PHCs, which can make healthcare more accessible even across rural India at a fraction of the cost.

About ARTPARK  ARTPARK (AI & Robotics Technology Park), a not-for-profit foundation established by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, with support from the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Govt. of India, in collaboration with Bangalore based HealthTech startup Niramai has developed XraySetu.  ARTPARK, initiated under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber- Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), is further collaborating with infrastructure partners like C-DAC (for leveraging AI supercomputer ParamSiddi), Nvidia and AWS to scale this free service to all the doctors in rural India.

5.16.SWASTIIK (SAFE WATER AND SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE FROM INDIAN KNOWLEDGE BASE)

 Modern technology and Indian traditional knowledge of Ayurveda have been combined for a solution to disinfect water completely and also offer possible health benefits of natural oils.  The common drawbacks of disinfecting water via chemical methods such as chlorination include formation of harmful/carcinogenic disinfection by-products.  Scientists at CSIR-NCL Pune, with support from the Water Technology Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, have developed the novel hybrid technology called ‘SWASTIIK’.  It involves boiling of a liquid as a result of pressure reduction (cavitation) and also uses natural oils having antimicrobial properties.  This technology can eliminate harmful bacteria, including antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, economically.  The process, which draws inspiration from Indian traditional knowledge, has resulted in increased efficiency and reduced cost of water treatment. It has achieved complete

elimination for gram-negative E. coli and gram-positive S. aureus bacteria and even AMR bacteria/difficult opportunistic pathogenic bacteria typically in 5-10 minutes.

5.17.SUPERSONIC AIRCRAFTS

 Nearly two decades since the last supersonic passenger flight, of the British-French airliner Concorde, took off, the planes are set to return to the runways by 2029.  United Airlines on 3rd June 2021 announced it was ordering 15 planes with the ability to travel at Mach 1.7, faster than the speed of sound (343.3 m/s), from the Denver-based startup Boom, only if they meet certain requirements of safety and sustainability.  The new supersonic “Overture” aircraft will become the world’s fastest commercial airliner, reducing travel time by about half of today’s planes.  Supersonic vehicles in the past have been flagged for their high use of jet fuels, causing extensive environmental damage. But Boom claims to produce an eco- friendly aircraft with “net-zero carbon emissions”, set to fly with 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

About Supersonic aircrafts  Supersonic aircraft are planes that can fly faster than the speed of sound.  Before 1976, when the first commercial supersonic flight took off, the planes were used entirely for military purposes.  Concorde, the British-French turbojet-powered commercial airliner, was the first aircraft to carry passengers at supersonic speed, but eventually had to discontinue, due to cost and other concerns.

About Boom's Overture Aircraft  The Boom's Overture aircraft would travel at the speed of Mach 1.7 or 1,805 kmph with a range of 4,250 nautical miles.  The company has expressed confidence in getting an “experimental” jet ready by 2022, start rolling out aircraft by 2025 and eventually open them for passengers by 2029. It claims to build on Concorde’s legacy through faster, more efficient and sustainable technology.  The Overture will also not be noisy as supersonic planes in the past were, aiming for “zero overland noise.” This essentially means that it will cruise at supersonic speeds only over water, ensuring that no sonic boom or excessive noise reaches the surfaces where people live.  In sync with the global movement against climate change, Overture planes would rely completely on sustainable aviation fuel, made from biodegradable material, thus aims for maximum fuel efficiency.  The company also promises to equip the airliner with advanced aerodynamics and carbon composite materials,thus will be able to cut significant development and maintenance costs.

Challenges with Supersonic planes  The costs of making “sustainable” supersonic planes are extremely high. The very nature of its flying uses excessive amounts of fuel and energy. (For example, the Concorde used eight times the amount of oil per passenger mile used in a modernday Boeing).  It is likely to have high environmental costs. Despite the use of sustainable fuels, the greenhouse gas emissions are not nullified. This has been seen in Concorde’s flights, which were terrible in terms of emissions.  The very speed of the planes resultin producing excessive amounts of noise pollution in the environment. The “Sonic Boom” created by these planes feels like an explosion to the human ear. Thus, limits where and when the supersonic planes can fly.  Getting clearance from regulators around the world would be a challenging task, since the supersonic planes in the past have already been flagged for these hurdles.  It would not be economically feasible for everyone, as a ticket is likely to be way more costlier than a first class ticket of a regular plane. This is due to high maintenance costs involved.  Safety concerns of supersonic planes are also raised after an accident in July 2000, when an Air France Concorde crashed right after takeoff, killing all 109 people on board and four on ground.

5.18.FIRST CAR-T CELL THERAPY

 The Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy has emerged as a breakthrough in cancer treatment.  Clinical trials conducted globally have shown promising results in end stage patients, especially in patients suffering from Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia.  Though this technology has a remarkable therapeutic potential for cancer patients, till recently this technology was not available in India. Each patient's CAR-T cell therapy costs 3-4 crore (INR). The manufacturing complexity is a major reason for the therapy cost.  The challenge therefore is to develop this technology in cost-effective manner and make it available for the patients. In order to promote and support development of CAR-T cell technology against cancer and other diseases, BIRAC and DBT have taken initiatives and launched specialized calls to invite proposals in the last 2 years.  The 4th June, 2021 was a historic day for TMH, IIT Bombay team and cancer care in India as the first CAR-T cell therapy (a type of gene therapy) was done at the Bone Marrow Transplant unit at ACTREC, Tata Memorial Center in Mumbai.  The CAR-T cells were designed and manufactured at Bioscience and Bioengineering (BSBE) department of IIT Bombay. This work is partly supported by BIRAC-PACE scheme.  The development of CAR-T cell technology for diseases including acute lymphocytic leukemia, multiple myeloma, glioblastoma, hepatocellular carcinoma and type-2 diabetes is supported through DBT.

About DBT  The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), under the Ministry of Science & Technology, promotes and accelerates the development of biotechnology in India, including growth and application of biotechnology in the areas of agriculture, healthcare, animal sciences, environment and industry.

About BIRAC  Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is a not-for-profit Section 8, Schedule B, Public Sector Enterprise, set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India as an Interface Agency to strengthen and empower the emerging Biotech enterprise to undertake strategic research and innovation, addressing nationally relevant product development needs.

5.19.HIGH PURITY OXYGEN CONCENTRATOR

 An indigenous oxygen concentrator, which ensures high-purity oxygen supply, has been designed by an Indian startup.  Oxygen saturation levels of patients have been a major challenge in the treatment of COVID 19, especially in the second wave.  Mohali-based Walnut Medical has developed a 5L and 10L portable medical grade oxygen concentrators based on Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) technology in India with an oxygen purity of above 96% at a pressure of 55-75 kpa.

 The complete mould design, development of all electronics, moulding, control system, sieve tower, and all related parts and accessories has been done in India.  It is currently being supplied to various government, defense, military hospitals in India and is also making them available for the general public through its distribution network across India.  The company was supported by CAWACH 2020 grant of the National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB) under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), and they developed the world-class Oxygen Concentrator within a short time to reduce dependence on imports.

About Pressure Swing Adsorption Technology  Pressure swing adsorption technology separates single gases from a gas mixture. PSA is a non-cryogenic air separation (near ambient temperature separation processes) process that is commonly used in commercial practice.  Specific adsorbent materials (Ex: zeolites, activated carbon, molecular sieves, etc.) are used as a trap, preferentially adsorbing the target gas species at high pressure. The process then swings to low pressure to desorb the adsorbed material.  Primary applications of PSA: 1. The removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) as the final step in the large-scale commercial synthesis of hydrogen (H2) for use in oil refineries and in the production of ammonia (NH3). 2. Refineries often use PSA technology in the removal of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from hydrogen feed. 3. Another application of PSA is the separation of carbon dioxide from biogas to increase the methane (CH4) ratio. 4. Through PSA the biogas can be upgraded to a quality similar to natural gas. This includes a process in landfill gas utilization to upgrade landfill gas to utility-grade high purity methane gas to be sold as natural gas.

5.20.NEW WASTE WATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY

 A smart, affordable electric field-assisted membrane separation device for oily waste water treatment will soon be available for automobile servicing industry, food industry, and other low and medium scale enterprises.  Presently a large amount of untreated oily wastewater is discharged into the aquatic bodies without following the guidelines of the Pollution Control Board, reason being the high cost of available technologies.

About the new Technology  The novel technology, created recently, uses a combination of Electrocoagulation and Electroflotation Enhanced Membrane Module (ECEFMM) techniques for waste water treatment.  Electrocoagulation is a waste water treatment technique that uses electrical charge for changing the particle surface charge, allowing suspended matter to form aggregates.  Electroflotation is the separation of suspended particles from water using hydrogen and oxygen bubbles generated by passing electricity through water.  Working: 1. In the developed module, electrocoagulation and electrofloatation are adjoined with membrane in a single indigenous setup. 2. The synergistic effect of hydrogen bubbling and rotation of the membrane module creates substantial turbulence within the solution and on membrane surface. 3. On application of electric field during membrane separation, the oil can be separated from the oil-water emulsion. 4. It requires less frequent membrane replacement, thereby reducing the maintenance costs to a great extent.  It requires minimal manpower and does not need high-end technical adequacy for its operation, thus reducing the operational expense.  The recovered spent oil after oily wastewater treatment can be further used as an industrial burner oil, furnace oil, mould oil, hydraulic oil and so on. Thus, it creates a huge revenue generation scope for low-income groups by selling this collected spent oil. It is aligned with the ‘Make in India’ initiative.  The technology was developed with support from the Advanced Manufacturing Technologies programme of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India.

5.21.CHIME TELESCOPE PROJECT

 Scientists with the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) Collaboration, who include researchers at the Pune-based Tata Institute for Fundamental Research (TIFR) and the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), have assembled the largest collection of fast radio bursts (FRBs) in the telescope’s first FRB catalogue.  While catching sight of an FRB is considered a rare thing in the field of radio astronomy, prior to the CHIME project, radio astronomers had only caught sight of around 140 bursts in their scopes since the first FRB was spotted in 2007.  The first FRB catalogueis planned to be presented in the 2nd week of June at the American Astronomical Society Meeting.

About Fast Radio Bursts  FRBs are oddly bright flashes of light, registering in the radio band of the electromagnetic spectrum, which blaze for a few milliseconds before vanishing without a trace.  These brief and mysterious beacons have been spotted in various and distant parts of the universe, as well as in our own galaxy.

 Their origins are unknown and their appearance is highly unpredictable.

About CHIME Project  CHIME project, is a large stationary radio telescope in British Columbia, Canada.  It has been a game-changer in discovering a number of fast radio bursts.  The telescope has detected a whopping 535 new fast radio bursts in its first year of operation itself, between 2018 and 2019.  The telescope receives radio signals each day from half of the sky as the Earth rotates. The telescope has no moving parts and observes half of the sky each day.  CHIME is a partnership between the University of British Columbia, McGill University, the University of Toronto and the Canadian National Research Council’s Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory.

5.22.JIVAN VAYU

 Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar has developed a device ‘Jivan Vayu’ which can be used as a substitute of CPAP machine.

About Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP)  It is a treatment method for patients having breathing problems during sleep called sleep apnea.  The CPAP machine uses mild air pressure to keep the airwaysopen for easy breathing.  It is also used to treat infants whose lungs have not fully developed. The machine blows air into the baby's nose to help inflate his or her lungs.  The treatment is all the more necessary during early stages of the Covid-19 infection. It reduces lung damage and allow patients to recover from the inflammatory effects.

About Jivan Vayu  This is Nation’s first such device which functions even without electricity and is adapted to both kinds of oxygen generation units like O2 cylinders and oxygen pipelines in hospitals, which isn’t available in normal CPAP machines.  Fulfilling all the medically required parameters,

leak-proof, low-cost CPAP delivery system, ‘Jivan Vayu’ is

designed for a 22mm CPAP closed circuit tube.  It has an inbuilt viral filter at the air entrainment end which has a viral efficacy of 99.99%, which ensures that the air does not bring in any pathogens from the environment.  The device has been manufactured using 3D printing and has also been tested mechanically.

5.23.BIOFACTURING

Making things from biology is nothing new. Fermentation has been using microbes to make things like beer and wine for 10,000 years.  Over the past several decades, industry has taken further steps to make medicines, agricultural products, and more. But these early biomanufacturing efforts have been severely limited by an inability to first find useful products in nature, and then make them at commercial scale.  Biofacturing stands apart from biomanufacturing by overcoming the twin hurdles of discovery and delivery at scale.

About Biofacturing  Biofacturing is the application of synthetic biology to make both traditional materials as well as novel materials.  There are three big steps of Biofacturing: design, create, and scale. Accelerated by automation and machine learning, Biofacturing carries out these steps at a scale and speed that enables never-before-seen products at timescales that traditional manufacturing rarely achieved. 1. Design product: Beginning with a problem or unmet market need, the search in nature’s catalog of molecules to find building blocks for breakthrough products that are bioreachable (i.e. can be made with biology). 2. Create microbe: To design, build, and test microbes to make the desired molecules using the same natural process used for making bread and beer. This is where the tools of synthetic biology, gene editing, and vast metagenomic libraries come into play. 3. Scale production: To optimize the microbes and scale the fermentation processes, while formulating the molecule into a product that meets the commercial need.

Biofacturing v/s Biomanufacturing  Biofacturing is biomanufacturing at the speed of the digital age.  The “manu-” in manufacturing means “made by hand”, and biomanufacturing means “making biological products by hand”.  The biofacturing paradigm is characterized by massive-scale automation that is impossible to do by conventional hand pipetting in the R&D lab.

Four potential breakthrough products from biofacturing 1. Phone screens that bend, not break. 2. Microbes that transform waste plastic into high-performance materials.

3. Insecticides and bug repellents that are safer for people. 4. Adhesives that debond on demand to enable electronics recycling.

5.24.NON-FUNGIBLE TOKEN (NFT)

 The World Wide Web’s source codeis set to be auctioned as a non-fungible token (NFT) at Sotheby, USA.  Sir Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web in 1989 and wrote the first web browser in 1990, giving rise to a powerful tool billions of people today use to interact on the Internet.  The token will comprise of four elements – 1. The original time-stamped files containing the source code written by Berners-Lee. 2. An animated visualisation of the code. 3. A letter written by the inventor reflecting on the code and the process of creating it. 4. A digital poster of the full code created from the original files using Python including a graphic of his physical signature.  The code contains nearly 9,555 lines whose content includes implementations of three language protocols - HTTP, URI, and HTML, that remain fundamental to the World Wide Web today.

About Non-Fungible Token:  An NFT is a digital asset that exists on a blockchain, serves as a public ledger, allowing anyone to verify the asset’s authenticity and ownership.  So unlike most digital items which can be endlessly reproduced, each NFT has a unique digital signature, meaning it is one of a kind.  Each NFT can represent a unique digital item, and thus they are not interchangeable, i.e. the NFT is not replaceable by another ‘identical’ item.  It exploded in popularity this year with artwork and music albums selling for millions of dollars.  NFTs are usually bought with the cryptocurrency Ethereum or in dollars and the blockchain keeps a record of transactions. While anyone can view the NFTs, the buyer has the status of being the official owner, a kind of digital bragging rights.  For example, if two individuals hold a bitcoin each, they can exchange their bitcoins, which are a replica of each other and have the same value. However, NFTs are not interchangeable, as they are more like pieces of art where each and every token is unique in itself.

Kind of NFTs that Exist: 1. All kinds of digital objects - images, videos, music, text, audio, items in video games and even tweets - can be turned into an NFT. 2. Digital art has seen some high-profile sales.

3. In sports, fans can collect and trade NFTs relating to a particular player or team. For instance, the enthusiasts can buy collectible NFTs in the form of video highlights of moments from games. 4. NFTs can also be patches of land in virtual world environments, or exclusive use of a cryptocurrency wallet name.

Growth of NFTs: 1. Traded since around 2017, NFTs have surged in 2021. Monthly sales on NFT marketplace OpenSea hit $95.2 million in February, up from $8 million in January. 2. Total NFT trading volumes on the Ethereum blockchain amount to over $400 million, nearly half of which were in the last 30 days, according to NonFungible.com, which aggregates data from NFT marketplaces. 3. Some attribute the growth to lockdowns forcing people to spend more time at home on the internet. But NFTs are also a way to have possessions that can be viewed by owners' online friends. 4. For others, it lies in rapidly rising prices and the prospect of big returns. Recent years have also created a lot of crypto millionaires with Ethereum to spend. 5. Indian cryptocurrency exchange, WazirX has launched a non-fungible tokens (NFT) marketplace for Indian artists and creators.

Importance of NFTs: 1. Enthusiasts see NFTs as the future of ownership. 2. All kinds of property - from event tickets to houses - will eventually have their ownership status tokenised in this way, is the belief. 3. For artists, NFTs could solve the problem of how they can monetise digital artworks. They can receive more income from NFTs, as they can get a royalty each time the NFT changes hands after the initial sale. 4. NFTs can be used to commodify digital creations, such as digital art, video game items, and music files.

Risks associated with NFTs: 1. Given that anybody can create NFTs, the scarcity of each piece does not guarantee value. Losses can stack up if the hype dies down. 2. In a market where many participants use pseudonyms, fraud is also a risk.

5.25.SENSIT RAPID COVID-19 AG KIT

 Several innovators and entrepreneurs have been working tirelessly for developing accurate, affordable and accessible testing kits.  Under the aegis of COVID-19 Research Consortium, DBT-BIRAC, a ‘SENSIT Rapid COVID-19 Ag kit’ has been developed for qualitative detection of SARS CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein with an assay time of 15 minutes.  The samples are collected using nasopharyngeal swabs from the suspected individual. This ICMR approved kit is a chromatographic immunoassay, which allows the healthcare personnel to visually read the test result.

 The test works on the principle of sandwich immunoassay and utilizes a pair of monoclonal antibodies which when bound to COVID-19specific antigen,result in the appearance of a coloured line.  The kit exhibits sensitivity and specificity of 86% and 100%, respectively and has a shelf life of 24 months.  Such quick tests allow healthcare professionals to detect infected individuals quickly, saving their time and allowing them to provide better advice and treatment to the infected individual.

Covid Severity Score (CSS) Software  Sudden ICU and other emergency requirements during the pandemic have been a challenge for hospitals to manage. Timely information about such situations would help manage the health crisis better.  A software called Covid Severity Score (CSS) Software can now identify patients likely to require ventilator support in an ICU and referral in time and make necessary arrangements before emergency sets in.  The Foundation ForInnovations In Health, Kolkata with support from the Science for Equity, Empowerment and Development (SEED) division of the Department of Science & Technology, GoI in collaboration with IIT Guwahati, have developed an algorithm that measures symptoms, signs, vital parameters, test reports and comorbidities of the COVID positive patient and scores each against a pre-set dynamic algorithm thus allocating a Covid Severity Score (CSS).  The ‘CSS’ is regularly monitored multiple times by ‘remote’ specialist doctors thus reducing the doctor’s consultation time per patient and reducing the doctors travel requirement.  It will also help in providing monitored medical support to those patients who cannot afford treatment or cannot isolate at home due to poor housing conditions.

5.26.SEA WATER DESALINATION THROUGH SOLAR THERMAL FORWARD OSMOSIS

 Narippaiyur, a village in Ramanathapuram District, a drought prone area situated in the South-East corner of Tamil Nadu will benefit from 20,000 litres per day of fresh water produced from sea water.  It uses solar thermal Forward Osmosis (FO) sea water desalination system for the purpose.  The Water Technology Initiative, Department of Science & Technology (DST) has supported this fieldbased effort in the district through the consortium members led by Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), KGiSL Institute of Technology (KITE), Empereal– KGDS Renewable Energy (P) and ICT Mumbai.  The sea water FO technology operates at near 2 bar pressure unlike sea water RO that operates at 50 bar pressure. It is versatile, has high energy efficiency, high recovery, longer membrane life and its effective cleaning, low operation and maintenance costs compared to other technologies.

5.27.COATING CARBON ON LITHIUM METAL OXIDE ELECTRODE CAN DOUBLE BATTERY LIFE

 Researchers have developed a non-expensive way to coat carbon on lithium metal oxide electrodes for lithium-ion batteries.  The life of the lithium-ion cells prepared using these electrode materials is expected to be doubled due to protective carbon coating.  Carbon being inert to most chemicals and stable under the operating window is the best choice of coating material to improve the cyclic stability of the active materials.  However, coating carbon on lithium metal oxide is very challenging.  To address this issue, researchers at the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India, have developed a technique to coat carbon in situ on lithium transition metal oxides in single step while synthesizing the oxide itself.

About Li-ion Batteries  Lithium-ion batteries are the most commonly used power source for electric vehicles.  However, its penetration to the daily usage against gasoline-based vehicles require drastic improvement in the lifetime and cost as well as mileage per charge.  The active components of lithium-ion batteries are cathode, anode, and electrolyte. While commercial graphite is used as anode, lithium metal oxides or lithium metal phosphates are used as a cathode in Li ion battery. The electrolyte is a lithium salt dissolved in organic solvents.

5.28.HYBRID CLOUD LAB

 IBM and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc.) on 23rd June 2021, launched the IBM-IISc Hybrid Cloud Lab to advance research in hybrid cloud technologies and drive breakthrough innovations.  Located at the IISc. campus in Bengaluru, students and faculty across departments of the institute would work alongside IBM Research scientists on cutting-edge technologies that can help organisations leverage the power of hybrid cloud by enabling faster, seamless, and more secure adoption of hybrid cloud and Artificial Intelligence (AI).  The lab would focus on building autonomous, self-healing computing systems that use AI to predict emerging issues, diagnose and heal faults while maximising availability and minimising the cost of operations.  The focus would also be on creating AI-based Information Management that enables enterprises to govern, consume, draw insights and create value from data across a hybrid footprint of edge, cloud, and diverse data sources.

5.29.NANOGENERATORS

Searching for renewable energy resources with reduced carbon emissions is one of the most urgent challenges due to the increasing threat of global warming and energy crisis.  Some of the unconventional methods to generate electricity include piezoelectric, thermoelectric, and electrostatic techniques used in devices like touch screens, electronic displays, etc.  Scientists from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences, Bengaluru, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India have fabricated a simple, cost-effective, bio-compatible, transparent nanogenerator that can generate electricity from vibrations all around.  The triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) make use of mechanical energy in the form of vibrations present everywhere in different forms to generate electricity.  The energy harvesting TENG works on the principle of creation of electrostatic charges via instantaneous physical contact of two dissimilar materials followed by generation of potential difference when a mismatch is introduced between the two contacted surfaces through a mechanical force. This mechanism drives the electrons to move back and forth between the conducting films coated on the back of the tribo layers.  The method employed till date to design TENG use expensive fabrication methods like photolithography or reactive ion etching, and additional process like electrode preparation and so on.

About the New Technology  The scientists have designed a transparent TENG, using thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) along with Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as tribo layers.  The easy availability of the active material and the simplicity of the fabrication process make it cost-effective over currently available fabrication techniques.  The resulting device is also highly efficient, robust, and gives reproducible output over long hours of operation.  The fabricated device could light up eleven LEDs by gentle hand tapping and could be a potential candidate for use in optoelectronics, self-powered devices, and other biomedical applications.

5.30.RAPID ANTIGEN TEST KIT FOR COVID-19

 Minister of State for Education Shri Sanjay Dhotre launched a Rapid Antigen Test kit for COVID-19 on 24th June 2021.  The Rapid Antigen Test kit has been developed by the IIT Delhi researchers led by Dr. Harpal Singh, professor at the Institute’s Centre for Biomedical Engineering.  It has been named as SENSIT Rapid COVID-19 Ag Testing Kit.

The Salient features of the technology, as certified by the ICMR: 1. The kit is used for in vitro qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigen.

2. It is a colloidal gold enhanced double antibody sandwich immunoassay for the qualitative determination of SARS-CoV-2 antigen in human nasal swabs, throat swabs and deep sputum samples. 3. It is suitable for general population screening and diagnosis of COVID-19. 4. It uses the rapid immune chromatographic method. 5. The identification is based on the monoclonal antibodies specific for the Coronavirus antigen. 6. The results obtained are qualitative based and can be inferred visually with naked eye. 7. A SARS-CoV-2 positive specimen produces a distinct color band in the test region. Absence of this colored band in the test region suggests a negative result. 8. Test is found to have a Sensitivity- 90%, Specificity- 100% and Accuracy- 98.99%, and certified by the ICMR. The technology and its manufacturing are 100% indigenous.

5.31.COWIN OPEN-SOURCE VERSION

 India would soon provide an open-source version of its CoWIN application to nearly 50 countries from Central Asia, Africa and Latin America that have indicated an interest in the technology.  India on July 5 would participate in an international conclave where the technology would be presented to the interested countries.

About CoWIN  CoWIN application is the digital back bone for the vaccination drive in India.  The CoWIN application will facilitate the citizen with an option to register and schedule the vaccination session online in Centers of their choice.  CoWIN is an extension of electronic vaccine intelligence networkeVIN which is used to collect real-time feedback of the vaccination programmes.  CoWIN is a cloud-based IT solution for planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating COVID-19 vaccination in the country.  According to the operational guidelines for COVID-19 vaccination prepared by the Union Health Ministry, the CoWIN system, on a real-time basis, tracks not only the beneficiaries but also the vaccines at the national, State and district levels.  It monitors the utilisation, wastage and coverage of vaccination. Also every detail, from the sites where vaccinations are carried out to the number of beneficiaries and even the batch number, live monitoring of vials in cold storage, doses per vial and schedule of the vaccine, are uploaded on it.  The CoWIN platform is owned by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and was earlier the platform used for conducting Pulse Polio and other crucial immunisation programmes across the country.The same platform has been expanded for doling out COVID-19 vaccines and the Ministry of Electronics and IT along with the National Informatics Centre are handling the backend and the tech infrastructure for it.  The app enables monitoring the inoculation drive and tracking the listed beneficiaries for vaccination on a real-time basis. Thus, it also helps to counter proxy vaccinations.

 The app would enable beneficiaries to be identified efficiently through use of Aadhaar platform.

6. SECURITY

6.1.POSITIVE INDIGENISATION LIST

 The Defence Ministry notified the second negative import list — now renamed as the ‘positive indigenisation list’ — of 108 items that can now be only purchased from indigenous sources.  As part of efforts to boost the domestic defence industry and promote defence exports, last August, the government notified first ‘positive indigenisation’ list comprising 101 items. Thereby facilitating an environment for Indian defence manufacturers to create world class infrastructure, assist in the government’s ‘Make in India’ vision to make India self-reliant in defence and develop the capabilities for defence export in the near future  The ‘second positive indigenisation list’ which was released in the May, 2021 comprises complex systems, sensors, simulator, weapons and ammunitions like helicopters, next generation corvettes, Air Borne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) systems, tank engines, medium power radar for mountains, Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) weapon systems and many more such items to fulfil the requirements of Indian armed forces.  The Ministry is also soon expected to put out the final version of the ‘Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy (DPEPP) 2020’, the draft of which was released last August for public feedback.

6.2.INS SANDHAYAK

 INS Sandhayak, the Indian Navy's oldest Hydrographic Survey Vessel was decommissioned at Naval Dockyard after serving the nation for 40 glorious years.  During her 40 years of illustrious service in the Indian Navy, INS Sandhayak undertook over 200 major hydrographic surveys in Western and Eastern coasts of the Indian peninsula, the Andaman Sea, and surveys in neighbouring countries including Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Bangladesh. The ship also took part in important operations like Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka, 1987, Operation Rainbow for Humanitarian Assistance in the aftermath of the Tsunami in 2004 and the maiden Indo-US HADR Exercise Tiger-Triumph in 2019.

6.3.HYDROGRAPHY

 Concept: Hydrography means water mapping, Oceanographers use the term to describe and map the physical characteristics of water such as temperature, salinity, and chemical content.Hydrography, as used in nautical charting, is focused on identifying hazards to safe navigation which includes shallow depths, shipwrecks, rocks, or other dangerous objects.

Benefits:  Accurate hydrographic surveys and nautical charts yield many societal benefits.  Safety of navigation is the single most important result of hydrography. This allows ships to safely travel in and out of ports, saving lives and property and protecting the environment.  National Security requires that navies successfully navigate coastal waterways.  Maritime commerce drives the global economy and depends on safety of navigation.  Humanitarian relief in the aftermath of a natural disaster frequently arrives on a ship. Until a clear and safe route to shore is established by hydrographers, supplies cannot reach those in need.  Environmental management in coastal areas depends on knowledge of changes in the marine environment. Hydrographic surveys determine changes to bathymetry and seafloor characteristics.  Commercial fishing uses nautical charts and other hydrographic products to locate fishing grounds and navigate safely.  Lower insurance costs. Updated nautical charting information can lead to a potential reduction in insurance cost for commercial and private shipping companies, marinas, and port and harbor authorities.

6.4.CORPAT EXERCISE

 The Indian and Thailand navies kicked off a three-day coordinated patrol in the Andaman Sea in the backdrop of growing concern over China's increasing maritime presence in the Indian Ocean region.  The two navies have been bi-annually undertaking CORPAT along their international maritime boundary line (IMBL) since 2005 with an aim to o To keep the vital part of the Indian Ocean safe and secure for global trade. o The CORPAT builds up understanding and interoperability between navies and facilitates institution of measures to prevent and suppress unlawful activities like illegal unreported unregulated (IUU) fishing, drug trafficking, maritime terrorism, armed robbery and piracy. o It further helps enhance the operational synergy by exchange of information for prevention of smuggling, illegal immigration and for conduct of search and rescue operations at sea.

7. SOCIAL ISSUES

SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT, WOMEN EMPOWERMENT, SOCIETY, POVERTY AND DEVELOPMENTAL ISSUES

7.1.KERALA’S ‘BELL OF FAITH’ FOR RURAL ELDERS

News: After its successful implementation in a number of urban households in Kerala, the ‘Bell of Faith’ scheme is finally to reach senior citizens staying alone in villages.

Details:  The safety project conceived under Kerala’s Community Policing Scheme will help elderly citizens attract the attention of their neighbours using a loud, remote-controlled alarm in emergencies.  The project, which has been under implementation in Kerala since 2018, sets an example for community participation to ensure the well-being and safety of the elderly.  It is believed that it can be of great support for the aged during the COVID-19 pandemic as many live in fear for their health.  The alarms make a high-decibel sound to capture local attention. With minimal service requirements and function keys, the wireless electronic bells can be managed even by very old people.  In the first phase of its roll-out in rural areas, preference will be given to senior citizens above 70 years of age.

7.2.NORMS FOR CONTENT FOR DISABLED CHILDREN

Why in news? The Education Ministry has laid down new guidelines for producing digital education resources for children with disabilities, after a year in which the COVID-driven shift to online education has spotlighted the lacunae in such resources.

Details:  The guidelines released are based on four guiding principles, stipulating that all resources must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust for disabled students.  They recommend that all textbooks be made digitally accessible in a phased manner, so that they are available in multiple formats such as text, audio, video and sign language with turn-on and turn-off features. Detailed technical standards have been provided.  The guidelines provide strategies to produce supplementary content for varying disabilities, including students who face visual and hearing challenges, those on the autism spectrum, those with intellectual or special learning disabilities, and those with multiple disabilities.

 The guidelines note that learning activities must include audio, visual and tactile experiences, while evaluation must be multimodal.  E-Content including text, tables, diagrams, visuals, audios, videos etc. should comply with accessibility standards: national standards (GIGW 2.0) and international standards (WCAG 2.1, E-Pub, DAISY etc).  Distribution platforms on which content are uploaded (e.g.DIKSHA) and Reading platforms/devices on which content is accessed and interacted (e.g. e-pathshala) must comply with technical standards.

7.3.ANAEMIA

Plight of Indian women:  In the last two decades, the prevalence of anaemia among Indian women of reproductive age, on average, has been 20 % more than the world average.  While one in three women in the world is anaemic, one in two women is anaemic in India.  Although there are several causes of anaemia, the foremost is iron deficiency, followed by deficiencies in folate, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin A.  The disease can have serious physical, social and economic consequences as it leads to fatigue, stress and diminished productivity and chronic anaemia can lead to cardiac failure and death.  While half of all global maternal deaths due to anaemia occur in Southeast Asia, 80 % of them happen in India.  The recently released partial National Family Health Survey or NFHS-5 (2018- 19) data showed that more than half of women in 13 out of 22 states are anaemic and anaemia among pregnant women has increased in half of the states / Union territories compared to NFHS-4.

Behavioural factors entrenched into our societies that perpetuating these poor health outcomes:

1. Undernourishment since Birth:  Due to son-biased fertility preferences, girls are breastfed for less time than boys and receive lower food supplements. This makes them weaker as they grow up.  Women eat the last and the least at home, only after serving and catering to the other members of the family, which might not have enough iron and protein required for their body, especially when menstruation leads to regular blood loss.  Because of the lack of Vitamin B12 and hookworm infestations in the stomach, most of the little iron that they consume is also not absorbed in their body.

2. Perception of anaemia:  Since the lack of awareness about this is common, women and communities don't understand its severity. While women don’t know the clinical term “anaemia”, they do recognise it through its symptoms like weakness and paleness.  Most women have also normalised the occurrence of weakness as something common, especially during pregnancies.  They believed that weakness was a product of physiological changes in the body and did not think that was serious enough to demand proper medical attention.

3. Inadequate uptake and Misinformation of IFA tablets:  Despite health programmes like ICDS that have been providing Iron Folic Acid (IFA) tablets to pregnant women for decades, and the Anaemia Mukt Bharat Score Card (2019) revealing that 84.8% of pregnant women in India are within the IFA coverage in 2018-2019 Q4, the NFHS-5 (2018-19) shows a rise in anaemia among women. This indicates a problem with the uptake of IFA tablets.

 Apart from the lack of awareness of the severity of anaemia, there is also an information gap about IFA tablets as a remedy, forgetfulness of patients and hence, the inability to take medicines for a minimum of the prescribed 100 days.  Women’s experience of side effects of IFA tablets like nausea, heartburn and abdominal pain, or fear of possible effects can deter women from seeking or continuing their treatment.

4. Lack of agency: In some cases, mothers did not even receive antenatal care, which includes the provision of IFA tablets and awareness about the consumption of iron-rich foods, because their family members did not think it was necessary.

Way Forward:  While trying to address anaemia among women and adolescents, health programmes should also integrate solutions for less breastfeeding time and food supplements for girl infants.  Strong preferences for sons and biases against a girl-child are a behavioural problem deeply rooted in the patriarchal society. Hence, smart behaviour change communication is required to nudge parents towards gender equal mindset.  Interventions must recognise that women eating last and least in the household, husbands or families dictating the need for antenatal care, women’s need to take permission before visiting a healthcare facility, all constrict women’s agency and contribute to their malnourishment.  While behaviour change Figure 2: Among women with a live birth in the past five communication for years, the percentage who during the pregnancy of their drug adherence and last birth were given or purchased IFA tablets and took knowledge of it for 100 days or more anaemia as a serious disease is needed, challenging detrimental social norms must accompany such measures.

7.4.DEMAND FOR OFFICIAL LANGUAGE STATUS FOR TULU

Why in news? The Tulu speakers, mainly in Karnataka and Kerala, have been requesting the governments to give it official language status and include it in the eighth schedule to the Constitution.

About the language and its history:  Tulu is a Dravidian language spoken mainly in two coastal districts Dakshina Kannada and Udupi of Karnataka and Kasaragod district of Kerala.  As per the 2011 Census report, there are 18,46,427 Tulu-speaking people in India. Some scholars suggest Tulu is among the earliest Dravidian languages with a history of 2000 years.  The oldest available inscriptions in Tulu are from the period between 14th to 15th century AD. These inscriptions are in the Tulu script and are found in areas in and around Barkur which was the capital of Tulu Nadu during the Vijayanagar period.

Tulu in Education:  The Karnataka government introduced Tulu as a language in schools a few years ago.  According to the state education department, in the year 2020, a total of 956 children from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts wrote Tulu as the third optional language in SSLC (Class 10) examination.  In 2014-15, 18 students chose the language as the third optional when it was introduced.  Last year, ‘Jai Tulunad’ conducted an online campaign demanding to include Tulu in the new National Education Policy (NEP).

Tulu art, culture and cinema:  Tulu has a rich oral literature tradition with folk-song forms like Paddana, and traditional folk theatre Yakshagana.  Tulu also has an active tradition of cinema with around 5 to 7 Tulu language movies produced a year. Tulu films are being screened every day in Mangaluru and Udupi in at least one theatre.

Benefits of getting included under the eighth schedule:

 It will become mandatory for the government to spare the efforts to develop the scheduled language so that it grows and evolves into an effective means of communication.  A scheduled language will come to be considered as an official language of the nation.  When included in the eighth schedule, Sahitya Academy will start recognizing the language and the books of the language will be translated in other languages recognized in India.  MPs and MLAs can start converse in this language in state assemblies and parliament.

 Candidates will be able to write the competitive exams like Civil Services Exams conducted in the AllIndia level in a scheduled language.  Including a language under schedule eight will place it on equal footing with other official languages which will provide equal status and opportunity to the said language.

Some Facts:  The Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists 22 languages,which have been referred to as scheduled languages and given recognition, status and official encouragement.  The Government of India has awarded the distinction of classical language to Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Sanskrit, Tamil and Telugu, which is given to languages having a rich heritage and independent nature.

7.5.LAKSHADWEEP ADMINISTRATION’S PROPOSED TWO-CHILD NORM

Why in news? The Lakshadweep administration has proposed a new panchayat regulation that makes any person with more than two children ineligible to contest panchayat elections or continue as a member.

Why is it opposed?  Lakshadweep has a total fertility rate (TFR) of 1.4, which is far less than the national average of 2.2, according to the National Health and Family Survey 2019-20 (NFHS-5). This is a cause for concern.  The overall population growth rate for the Union territory (UT) has dropped to 6.3 % in 2001-2011 from 17.19 % in 1991-2001.  There is no evidence that a two-child policy is effective even for states which have high fertility rates. Similar policies in other states have failed to bring down the fertility rates to the desired level.  In the states that adopted a two-child policy, there was a rise in sex-selective and unsafe abortions; men divorced their wives to run for local body elections, and families gave up children for adoption to avoid disqualification.  Lakshadweep’s sex ratio of 1,187 females for 1,000 males (NFHS-5) is positive. A misplaced bid to enforce a two-child norm in Lakshadweep may also distort the UT’s healthy sex ratio.

 Lakshadweep will soon have an ageing population and experience labour shortage. This would increase the elderly dependency ratio and intensify the burden of noncommunicable diseases, requiring significant financial resources to support the elderly and address their healthcare needs.

Lessons and Looking Ahead:  There are strong linkages between social development, health status and population stabilisation.  The states and governments, in India and globally, that have ensured better access to quality health services and invested in education of girls have helped stabilise population and manage fertility issues.  Providing better access and quality of healthcare for young people will not only lead to improved health, but will also visibly improve educational outcomes and increase productivity and workforce participation.  Coercive two-child policies, unfortunately come bundled with other gender- unfriendly policies and mindsets that disproportionately impact women.  The focus of policymakers should rather be the high unmet need for family planning in the UT. Women do not want more than two children: Around 12.3 % of the currently married women in the age group of 15-49 years wish to delay or avoid pregnancy but do not have agency or access to contraceptives, according to NFHS. This places them at grave risk of death or disability during pregnancy and childbirth, especially where the quality of care is inadequate.

TFR:  The Total Fertility Rate(TFR) in a specific year is defined as the total number of children that would be born to each woman if she were to live to the end of her child-bearing years and give birth to children in alignment with the prevailing age- specific fertility rates.  It is calculated by totalling the age-specific fertility rates as defined over five-year interval.

Population pyramid:  Also known as "age-sex pyramid", is a graphical illustration of the distribution of a population (typically that of a country or region of the world) by age groups and sex.  It typically forms the shape of a pyramid when the population is growing.  There are generally three types of population pyramids created from age-sex distributions.They are:

1. EXPANSIVE population pyramids:  These show larger numbers or percentages of the population in the younger age groups, usually with each age group smaller in size or proportion than the one born before it.  This pyramid represents situation of high fertility, high mortality, low life expectancy, higher population growth rates and low share of old age persons.  These pyramids are common for developing countries mainly in Africa and Asia.

2. CONSTRICTIVE population pyramids:  These display lower numbers or percentages of younger people.  It represents low fertility,low mortality, high life expectancy and ageing of population. It is typically associated with very advanced countries which have a high level of literacy, least access to birth control measures and very good health and medical facilities.  The age-sex distributions of Italy, Germany and Japan will tend to fall into this category.

3. STATIONARY population pyramids:  These display somewhat equal numbers or percentages for almost all age groups.  It represents situation of low fertility, low mortality and high life expectancy. It indicates slow population growth or stable population and displayssomewhat equal share of juvenile and adult age groups.  The age-sex distributions of some European countries, especially Scandinavian ones, will tend to fall into this category.

7.6.THE GENDER TECHNOLOGY GAP

 According to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) estimates, over 390 million women in low- and middle-income countries do not have Internet access.  South Asia has more than half of these women with only 65% owning a mobile phone.  In India, only 14.9% of women were reported to be using the Internet. This divide is deepened by earlier mandates to register online to get a vaccination appointment.  According to GSMA, closing the gender gap in mobile Internet usage in low- and middle-income countries would increase GDP by U.S.$700 billion over the next five years. Women and girls are the largest consumer groups left out of technology and could be major profit drivers.

Reasons for this gap:  When families share a digital device, it is more likely that the father or sons will be allowed to use it exclusively. In part, this is due to deeply held cultural beliefs: it is often believed that women’s access to technology will motivate them to challenge patriarchal societies.

 There is also a belief that women need to be protected, and that online content can be dangerous for women/expose them to risks. As a consequence, girls and women who ask for phones face suspicion and opposition.

Steps to an equitable future:  As part of the Generation Equality Forum, the goal of UN Women is to double the number of women and girls working in technology and innovation. By 2026, the aim is to reduce the gender digital divide and ensure universal digital literacy, while investing in feminist technology and innovation to support women’s leadership as innovators.  Through digital empowerment programmes and partnerships such as EQUALS and International Girls in ICT Day celebration across the region led by UN Women and the International Telecommunication Union, it is hoped that more girls will choose STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) as their academic focus, enter digital technology careers, and aspire to be the next leaders in digital technology.

7.7.CHINA'S RELAXATION OF ITS TWO-CHILD POLICY

News: Days after China’s census data showed population growth slipping to its slowest rate since the 1950s, the country has announced it will now allow three children per married couple — five years after it first relaxed its controversial one-child policy to two.

Background:  China’s one-child policy, which had been enforced by then-leader Deng Xiaoping in 1980, had remained in place until 2016, when fears of a rapidly ageing population undermining economic growth forced the ruling Communist Party to allow two children per married couple.  The relaxation did result in some improvement in the proportion of young people in the country, the policy change was deemed insufficient in averting an impending demographic crisis.

China's one-child policy:  China embarked upon its one-child policy in 1980, when the Communist Party was concerned that the country’s growing population, which at the time was approaching one billion, would impede economic progress.  The policy, which was implemented more effectively in urban areas, was enforced through several means, including incentivising families financially to have one child, making contraceptives widely available, and imposing sanctions against those who violated the policy.  It is claimed that it helped the country avert severe food and water shortages by preventing up to 40 crore people from being born.  The one-child limit was also a source of discontent, as theState used brutal tactics such as forced abortions and sterilisations.  It also met criticism and remained controversial for violating human rights, and for being unfair to poorer Chinese since the richer ones could afford to pay economic sanctions if they violated the policy.

 The Uighur Muslim ethnic minority has been forced to have fewer children to restrict the growth of their population.  Due to the policy, while the birth rate fell, the sex ratio became skewed towards males because of a traditional preference for male children in the country.  Experts have also blamed the policy for making China’s population age faster than other countries, impacting the country’s growth potential and have suggested that China would be unable to reap the full benefits of its economic growth and will need other ways to support it — unlike India and other Asian economies.

Did relaxing the one-child policy help?  China’s 2020 census data shows the country’s rate of population growth falling rapidly despite the 2016 relaxation.  The country’s fertility rate has now dropped to 1.3, far below the replacement level of 2.1 necessary for each generation to be fully replenished.  By 2025, the country is set to lose its ‘most populous’ tag to India, which in 2020 had an estimated 138 crore people, 1.5 % behind China.

Why is there skepticism around the three-child policy?  It is said that relaxing limits on reproductive rights alone cannot go a long way in averting an unwanted demographic shift.  The main factors behind fewer children being born are suggested as : Rising costs of living, education and supporting ageing parents.  The problem is made worse by the country’s pervasive culture of long working hours. There has also been a cultural shift during the decades in which the one- child policy remained in force, with many couples believing that one child is enough, and some expressing no interest in having children.

ISSUES RELATED TO HEALTH

7.8.SPUTNIK V IN INDIA

News: The DCGI has granted permission to the Serum Institute of India (SII) to manufacture the Sputnik COVID-19 vaccine in India for examination, test and analysis with certain conditions.

About Sputnik V:  This vaccine was given the trade name "Sputnik V", after the world's first artificial satellite.  It is an adenovirus viral vector vaccine for COVID-19 developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology.  It was registered on 11 August 2020 by the Russian Ministry of Health as Gam- COVID-Vac.  Gam-COVID-Vac was initially approved for distribution in Russia and then in 59 other countries on the preliminary results of Phase I–II.

Adenovirus:  Adenoviruses are non-enveloped, double-stranded DNA viruses , first discovered in the human adenoid tissue.  In humans, adenoviruses generally cause mild respiratory and gastrointestinal tract infections; however, adenovirus-induced infections can be life-threatening in immunocompromised people, or people with pre-existing respiratory or cardiac disorders.  These viruses are isolated from a wide variety of mammalian species, ranging from simians to chimpanzees to human beings  Adenoviruses are considered excellent vectors for delivering target antigens to mammalian hosts because of their capability to induce both innate and adaptive immune responses.  Currently, adenovirus-based vaccines are used against a wide variety of pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and Plasmodium falciparum.

7.9.CORBEVAX

News: India has placed an advance order to block 300 million doses of a new Covid-19 vaccine, Corbevax, from Hyderabad-based company Biological E.

How Corbevax works?  Corbevax is a “recombinant protein sub-unit” vaccine, which means it is made up of a specific part of SARS-CoV-2 — the spike protein on the virus’s surface.  The spike protein allows the virus to enter the cells in the body so that it can replicate and cause disease. However, when this protein alone is given to the body, it is not expected to be harmful as the rest of the virus is absent. The body is expected to develop an immune response against the injected spike protein.  Therefore, when the real virus attempts to infect the body, it will already have an immune response ready that will make it unlikely for the person to fall severely ill.  Although this technology has been used for decades to make hepatitis B vaccines, Corbevax will be among the first Covid-19 vaccines to use this platform.

How Corbevax is different?  Other Covid-19 vaccines approved so far are either mRNA vaccines, viral vector vaccines or inactivated vaccines.  Inactivated vaccines, which include killed particles of the whole SARS-CoV-2 virus, attempt to target the entire structure of the virus.  On the other hand, Corbevax, like the mRNA and viral vector Covid-19 vaccines, targets only the spike protein, but in a different way.  Viral vector and mRNA vaccines use a code to induce our cells to make the spike proteins against which the body have to build immunity. In this case (Corbevax), the actual protein is given.

Why Corbevax matters?  This is the first time the Indian government has placed an order for a vaccine that has not received emergency use authorisation.

 The Centre has provided major pre-clinical and clinical trial support towards the vaccine’s development, including a grant-in-aid of Rs 100 crore from the Department of Biotechnology.  Even after the government eased regulatory requirements for foreign vaccines, it did not receive a speedy response from companies like Pfizer and Moderna, their supplies already blocked through orders from other countries.  India is currently in negotiations for a limited supply of Pfizer’s vaccine, and expecting to secure up to two billion doses of Covid vaccines by December this year.  Given the ease with which it can be mass produced, Corbevax could make up a sizeable portion of this expected supply.

7.10.INDIA’S FIRST INDIGENOUS TUMOUR ANTIGEN SPAG9

Why in news? The SPAG9 antigen developed by the National Institute of Immunology (NII) has received the ASPAGNIITM trademark, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).

About:  ASPAGNII is being used in dendritic cell (DC) based immunotherapy in cervical, ovarian cancer and will also be used in breast cancer.  The ASPAGNII is a true example of translational cancer research and the Atmanirbhar Bharat spirit.  It will eventually be helpful to patients in India and the world. This will be a real morale boost in affordable, personalised,and indigenous products for cancer treatment.  Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen-presenting cells of the mammalian immune system. Their main function is to process antigen material and present it on the cell surface to the T cells of the immune system.

How does this approach work?  Immunotherapy is a new approach that exploits the body’s inner capability to put up a fight against cancer.  With this approach, either the immune system is given a boost, or the T cells are “trained’’ to identify recalcitrant cancer cells and kill them.  Those patients expressing SPAG9 protein can be treated with DC-based vaccine approach in which cells called monocytes from their blood are collected and modified into what are called dendritic cells.  These dendritic cells are primed with ASPAGNII and are injected back to the patient to help the ‘fighter’ cells, or T-cells, in the body to kill the cancer cells.

It’s significance:  Cancer kills 8.51 lakh people in India every year.  As per World Health Organization (WHO), one in 10 Indians will develop cancer during their lifetime, and one in 15 will die of cancer.

 Therefore, it is all the more critical to make extraordinary breakthroughs and innovations for this deadly disease.

7.11.H10N3 BIRD FLU

Why in news? China has confirmed the first instance of human infection from H10N3, a rare strain of a virus that normally infects poultry. The National Health Commission of Beijing reported that a 41-year-old man in the eastern Jiangsu province had been infected with the rare strain.

About: The Beijing-based National Health Commission said the strain has low pathogenesis — the ability to cause disease — among birds, implying that the virus did not spread easily among poultry and was likely to be restricted to limited populations.

What is avian influenza?  H5N1 is the most common virus causing bird flu, or avian influenza.  Though largely restricted to birds, and often fatal to them, it can cross over to other animals, as well as humans.  According to the WHO, the H5N1 was first discovered in humans in 1997 and has killed almost 60% of those infected. Though it is not known to transmit easily among humans, the risk remains.

Subtypes of the avian influenza virus:  In 2013, human infections with the influenza A(H7N9) virus were reported in China.  All known subtypes of influenza A viruses can infect birds, except subtypes H17N10 and H18N11, which have only been found in bats.  Only two influenza A virus subtypes (i.e., H1N1, and H3N2) are currently in general circulation among people. Some subtypes are found in other infected animal species.  H7N7 and H3N8 virus infections can cause illness in horses.

Why are bird flu viruses a cause of concern?  Speculation about the origin of the SARS-CoV-2 has heightened worries about animal- and bird-borne viruses.  The emergence of new strains, particularly among domesticated animals and birds, is a story of evolution and inevitability, and sporadic reports of new viruses infecting humans abound.  An outbreak of the H5N8 virus in birds led to hundreds of thousands of poultry being culled in various European countries.  In February, Russia reported that seven poultry workers in a plant were infected by the H5N8 strain.  India, too, faced an outbreak of the virus in flocks of poultry in January and undertook culling.

7.12.DELTA VARIANT OF COVID-19

Why in news? In its latest risk assessment for SARS-C0V-2 variants, Public Health England (PHE) has said a staggering 61% of the samples sequenced are now of the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) which means the Delta variant, first detected in India, is more dominant in the UK than the Alpha variant that had last year triggered a surge in the UK.

What is the Delta variant of Covid-19?  Multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants are circulating globally. One of these is the B.1.617 lineage, detected in India earlier this year.  Early evidence suggests that its sub-lineage B.1.617.2, known as the Delta variant, is more transmissible than contemporary lineages.  The World Health Organizaton (WHO), which has given it the label Delta, has categorised it as a variant of concern (VOC).  WHO classifies a variant as a VOC when it is associated with an increase in transmissibility or detrimental change in Covid-19 epidemiology; increase in virulence; or decrease in the effectiveness of public health measures or available diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics..

7.13.RESOLUTION 75/260 OF UNGA ON HIV/AIDS

Why in news? Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare digitally addressed the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and spoke on Resolution 75/260 which concerns the Implementation of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the political declarations on HIV/AIDS.

India's initiatives:  HIV & AIDS Prevention and Control Act, 2017, provides a legal and enabling framework to safeguard the human rights of infected and affected populations.  India’s unique HIV prevention model is centered around the concept of ‘Social Contracting through which the ‘Targeted Interventions Program’ is implemented with support from civil society.  India is providing free anti-retro-viral treatment to close to 1.4 million people. Indian drugs are also reaching millions of People living with HIV in Africa.  India’s National AIDS Control Program has been Revised, Revived and Revamped to focus on hard-to-reach and at-risk populations.  Viral Load Testing facilities have been scaled up, and HIV counselling, testing and community-based screening for early diagnosis have been ramped up to achieve the target of Elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV.  The National AIDS Control Program has signed MoUs with public and private sector industries to mobilise their support for HIV prevention and treatment. India aspires to scale up HIV care to reach 100% of people living with this dreaded disease.

 Project Sunrise is an initiative launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in 2016, to tackle the rising HIV prevalence in north-eastern states in India, especially among people injecting drugs.

Key Points:  India has the third largest HIV epidemic in the world, with 2.1 million people living with HIV.  India’s epidemic is concentrated among key affected populations, including sex workers and men who have sex with men. The National AIDS Control Programme has made particular efforts to reach these two high-risk groups with HIV interventions.  Compared to neighbouring countries, India has made good progress in reducing new HIV infections by half since 2001.

7.14.THE ROLE OF ANIMAL SERUM IN MAKING OF VACCINES:

Why in news? The Government issued a clarification stating that Covaxin, the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, did not contain theserum of a newborn

calf in response to discussions on the social media about the presence of calf serum in Covaxin.

What is the clarification? The Government reiterated the well-known use of calf serum, as also serum extracted from other animals, in the development of vaccines. These are needed to grow the disease-causing virus, bacteria or other pathogens in the laboratory, but do not themselves become an ingredient of the vaccine.

How viruses are cultured?  Vaccines like the one made by Bharat Biotech uses the disease-causing virus itself to trigger an immune response in human beings.  The virus is killed, or inactivated, before being used in the vaccine, and injected into the human body, but it is still able to trigger an immune response.  To be used in the vaccine, the virus needs to be grown or cultured, in the laboratory and create conditions conducive for the growth of these viruses by recreating the kind of environment that exists in an infected person’s tissues.  Therefore, solutions containing ‘nutrients’ act as the growth medium for the virus. These nutrients, like specific sugar and salt molecules, are extracted from tissues of suitable animals like horses, cow, goat or sheep.  The virus grows in these nutrient-rich solutions. After that, it goes through several stages of purification that make it suitable to be used in a vaccine. There is no trace of the growth medium after the entire process is over.

Why calf serum?  Cow milk is a source of amino acids and sugars such as galactose.  Cow tallow (fat) derivatives used in vaccine manufacture include glycerol. Gelatin and some amino acids come from cow bones.  Cow skeletal muscle is used to prepare broths used in certain complex media.  Many difficult to grow micro-organisms and the cells that are used to propagate viruses require the addition of serum from blood to the growth media.  Serum from newborn calf, which has been used in vaccine production for over 50 years has proven itself as an extremely effective growth supplement.

Animal serum in vaccines:  The use of horse serum as an antibody supplement in diphtheria vaccine is more than 100 years old.  Horses used to be injected with small doses of bacteria that caused diphtheria so that they could develop antibodies. Later, the blood of the infected animal was used to extract the antibodies and used in the vaccine.

7.15.DELTA PLUS VARIANT

About:  Formally known as AY.1 or B.1.617.2.1, it is a variant of Delta (B.1.617.2), which was first identified in India.

 It has an additional mutation called K417N, which has previously been identified in the Beta variant (first found in South Africa) and the Gamma variant (first detected in Brazil). These variants are characterized as being highly infectious and may reduce the potency of vaccines.

Why is it an area of concern?  The Delta variant is now regarded as the most prevalent one in India, comprising nearly 31% of the 21,000 community samples processed until late May. This variant has significant differences compared to the strain that has been used by pharma companies to design vaccines, and tests are needed to check if the existing vaccines continue to be effective against the variants dominant now.  The concern is that because the Delta variant has a cavalcade of mutations that have allowed it to dominate in several countries, including India, another form may pose new challenges to the management of the pandemic in India.  There is little evidence so far specifically linking AY.1 to large outbreaks and significant disease transmission, which is why it has not yet appeared in the World Health Organization’s list of ‘Variants of Concern’, which includes Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Gamma variants.  Early reports say AY.1 is diverging into two sub-lineages — one cluster has been found in California, and a larger cluster comprises sequences from eight other countries including Nepal, India and the U.K.

7.16.ABYSMALLY LOW NUMBER OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS (HCW)

Why in news? As per recently released NITI Aayog’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index 2020-21 has shown many states fare way too poorly on the indicator suggesting inadequate healthcare personnel.

Details:  According to the index, Jharkhand has only a total of 4 physicians, nurses and midwives per 10,000 population, as against target of 45. Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar have 14, 15, 15 and 17, healthcare workers (HCWs) per 10,000 people.  Nagaland and Andaman and Nicobar have less than 10.  Kerala has 114 such HCWs and tops in this category.  Only six states have achieved the target. They are Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Mizoram, Punjab and Rajasthan.

Other Dimensions: Insurance Coverage:  According to the SDG Index, as many as 71.3 % households in India don’t have even a single member covered by health insurance or any health scheme. Asmany as 24 states and Union Territories (UT) fair worse than the national average of 28.7 %.

 The target is to cover all the households in India. No State or UT has achieved this target as yet. Andhra Pradesh, at 74.6 %, has the highest coverage in the country.

Out-of-Pocket Expenditure on Health:  According to the Index, Out-of-Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) on health is highest in Kerala, where 17 % of monthly per capita consumption expenditure is directed towards health.  People in Kerala are more health-conscious than most. They mostly spend on noncommunicable diseases, mostly lifestyle illnesses. High OOPE should not be construed as poor public health facilities in Kerala.

Malnutrition:  As many as 33.4 % children in India are underweight while the aim is to reduce this number to 1.9. The highest number of underweight children under five years are found in Jharkhand (42.9 %), followed by Chhattisgarh and Mizoram.  As far as stunting is concerned, 34.7 % children under five years fall under this category, while the target is to bring this number down to 6 %. The prevalence of stunting is the highest in Bihar, at 42%. Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Goa have the lowest stunting rates.

Institutional delivery:  It has seen a good jump in 2020. According to the SDG Index, 99 % deliveries took place in a healthcare facility in India in 2020 as against 66.9 % in 2019.

7.17.SUICIDES WORLDWIDE

Why in news? A new WHO report titled "Suicide worldwide in 2019" was published June 17, 2021.

As per the Report:  More than half of global suicides (58 %) occurred before the age of 50 years.  Suicide was the fourth-leading cause of death among young people aged 15-29 globally in 2019.  On an average, 9 out of every 1,00,000 people ended their lives in the world.  It shows that some 7,03,000 people or one in a 100, died by suicide in 2019.  This number was highest in the WHO Africa region (11.2) followed by Europe (10.5) and South-East Asia (10.2).  The decrease ranged from 17 % in the Eastern Mediterranean Region to 47 % in the European Region and 49 % in the Western Pacific Region in the period from 2000 to 2019 whereas the Region of the Americas recorded a substantial 17 % increase in the suicide rate during the same period.

Steps taken include:  The United Nations-mandated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to reduce the global suicide mortality rate by a third.

 The SDGs call on countries to reduce premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases by a third by 2030 through prevention and treatment and to promote mental health and well-being (target 3.4).  They ask countries to strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol (target 3.5).  They also call for universal health coverage (target 3.8), which mental health is part of.

The WHO had published new LIVE LIFE guidelines to help countries reduce the global suicide mortality rate by a third by 2030. These are:  Limiting access to the means of suicide, such as highly hazardous pesticides and firearms.  Educating the media on responsible reporting of suicide.  Fostering socio-emotional life skills in adolescents.  Early identification, assessment, management and follow-up of anyone affected by suicidal thoughts and behaviour.

Although some countries have placed suicide prevention high on their agendas, too many countries remain uncommitted. Currently, only 38 countries are known to have a national suicide prevention strategy.

7.18.WHY ONLY SOME BACTERIA DEVELOP MULTI-DRUG RESISTANCE?

Why in news? It is not clear why some bacteria evolve multi-drug resistance while others do not. New research from the Population Biology Lab at IISER Pune could hold a key to this and a similar class of puzzles.

About:  Multi-drug resistance is a menace in public health,however it is a fascinating problem to an evolutionary biologist who sees it from this angle: possessing multi- drug resistance implies that the bacteria is adept at handling multiple antibiotics simultaneously. This would increase its fitness appreciably.  Given that antibiotics exert a very strong selection pressure, it would appear that every bacteriain nature can become multi-drug resistant, which is not the case. One of thereason given for why that does not happen is fitness cost.

Fitness Cost: Antibiotic targets an important biological pathway. Mutations that confer antibiotic resistance often involve modification of the target enzyme to prevent antibiotic binding. These mutations often make enzyme suboptimal compared to evolutionary optimized "wild-type" version. This can reduce fitness, manifesting as decreased virulence, transmission, and growth rate. However, despite being less fit under normal growth conditions, this mutant can survive under conditions of antibiotic treatment. So this trade off is also known as fitness cost.

According to the study:  When bacteria become fit in one environment, they either lose fitness or fail to increase fitness in other environments. The study shows that when the environment is fluctuating, large populations can by-pass this effect.  It is found that small populations acquire a certain set of mutations which allow them to survive in one environment while paying a cost in others.  Large populations also develop these mutations but, in addition, have certain compensatory mutations that together give them fitness to survive in different environments. Thus, population size determines the kind of mutations available to the bacteria, which in turn, leads to the type of fitness costs they evolve.  The group studied approximately 480 generations of E. coli in four types of steady environments consisting of different carbon sources, namely, galactose, thymidine, maltose and sorbitol, and one fluctuating environment in which the carbon source changed unpredictably between these four. Bacteria cannot use all carbon sources similarly.  The study showed that whether the bacteria pay fitness costs or not will depend on the population size they evolve in.

7.19.KEEPING ALIVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT AIDS

Why in news? Four decades ago, on June 5, 1981, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported an unusual fungal infection of the lungs (pneumocystis carinii pneumonia) in five gay men in Los Angeles. That was the first time the world learnt about the devastating infection caused by the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) in people with a weak immune system. We are in June of another decade and another century, and another virus is haunting us. Clioepidemiology is the study of information from past epidemics for advice about the present. We have dealt with the HIV infection for 40 years.

Falling short of targets:  The aim of the World Health Organization, of which India is a member, was to ensure that 90% of the people living with HIV/AIDS are on anti-retroviral therapy by 2020. The target has been pushed by at least five years.  The 2017 National Health Policy and the UN Sustainable Development Goals aim to end AIDS by 2030. This goal too looks like it may take longer to achieve.  Former Union Health Secretary and National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) Director, J.V.R. Prasada Rao, who helmed India’s AIDS response programme till 2017 as Special Envoy to the Secretary General of the United Nations on HIV/AIDS for the Asia Pacific region, fears that the country is at risk of losing hard-won gains.

How India slipped?  The information and education campaigns of the 1990s helped to check the transmission of HIV infection through two routes: mother to child, and blood transfusions.

 Strict ante-natal protocols were established and blood banks were upgraded with superior testing facilities. The sale of blood was banned.  Excellent awareness programmes and intensive follow-up action plans led to significant decline in incidence, but the reduced visibility of the disease led to plateauing of efforts.  According to NACO’s annual HIV Estimates report of 2019, there were over 58,000 AIDS-related deaths and over 69,000 new HIV infections added to the pool of 2.3 million people living with HIV/AIDS, with 98% of new infections in the high-risk groups which happened because the campaign to educate and empower the vulnerable communities — MSM (men who have sex with men), IDUs (Injecting Drug Users), migrant and sex workers, and truck drivers — was losing steam.  An entire new generation had grown up on Internet knowledge. They were downloading dating apps and hooking up with no awareness of AIDS.

Way Forward:  India needs to keep the conversation going and focus on the broad coalition of economists, scientists, doctors, researchers, technicians, civil society representatives and policymakers.  There is a need for a multi-sectoral and multi-pronged strategy to contain AIDS.  The existing workforce in 21,000 Integrated Counselling and Testing Centres (ICTC) is well-equipped. They can help in early detection of infections, provide basic information on modes of transmission, promote behavioural change, reduce vulnerability and link people with care and treatment services.  Using the available tools in the healthcare system is the best way to mainstream health crises. By integrating education and awareness outreach programmes and re-allocating and releasing funds on time, any chronic (TB/HIV/malaria), acute (cholera/plague) or new outbreak becomes easier to deal with.

ISSUES RELATED TO EDUCATION

7.20.PERFORMANCE GRADING INDEX (PGI)

Why in news? The Education Ministry released the latest edition of the Performance Grading Index or PGI. This relatively new index measures the performance of states in school education.The Education Ministry released the first PGI in 2019 for the reference year 2017-18.

How is PGI worked out?  It assesses states’ performance in school education based on data drawn from several sources, including the Unified District Information System for Education Plus, National Achievement Survey, and Mid-Day Meal.  The states are scored on a total of 1,000 points across 70 parameters, which are grouped under five broad categories:

1. Access (eg. enrolment ratio, transition rate and retention rate).

2. Governance and management. 3. Infrastructure. 4. Equity (difference in performance between scheduled caste students and general category students). 5. Learning outcomes (average score in mathematics, science, languages and social science).

 The states are graded and not ranked to discourage the practice of one improving only at the cost of others.  According to the government, the objective is to help the states prioritise areas for intervention in school education.

How the states have fared?  In the latest set of scores and grades for the pre-COVID-19 year, 2019-20, the Andaman and Nicobar islands, Chandigarh, Kerala, Punjab and Tamil Nadu have performed the best, although they still fall short of the 951-1,000 points slab, the highest possible.  PGI scores have improved in 33 States and Union Territories over the previous year, and in the case of Andaman and Nicobar, Punjab and Arunachal Pradesh, by a noteworthy 20%.  Several middling States continue to make marginal progress, some have improved merely by tweaking their data, while Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh actually regressed.

Way forward:  India’s school system has to contend with not just patchy access and infrastructure, but major equity issues that have come to the fore during the pandemic.  Clearly, the shadow of COVID-19 will persist over the education system for the foreseeable future, and further progress on all parameters will depend on bridging the gaps, particularly on digital tools, infrastructure and subsidies for access.  The PGI scores show that the southern and western States are on firm ground to achieve this, while those in central India and parts of the east and Northeast are less resourced.  Governance processes are the weakest link in some States. A new deal for schools can transform them as the Right to Education law envisages.

7.21.THE AISHE REPORT 2019-20

Why in news? The Ministry of Education has released the AllIndianSurvey of Higher Education (AISHE) report 2019-20.

Key features of All India Survey on Higher Education Report 2019-20  Total Enrolment in Higher Education

stands at 3.85 crore in 2019-20 as compared to 3.74 crore in 2018- 19, registering a growth of 11.36 lakh (3.04 %). Total enrolment was 3.42 crore in 2014-15.  Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), the percentage of students belonging to the eligible age group enrolled in Higher Education, in 2019-20 is 27.1% against 26.3% in 2018-19 and 24.3% in 2014- 2015.  Gender Parity Index (GPI) in Higher Education in 2019-20 is 1.01 against 1.00 in 2018-19 indicating an improvement in the relative access to higher education for females of eligible age group compared to males.  Pupil Teacher Ratio in Higher Education in 2019-20 is 26.  The Total Number of Teachers stands at 15,03,156 comprising of 57.5% male and 42.5% female.  There has been significant shift in the choice of the discipline of study, as in the last five years engineering and technology registered a negative growth i.e. (-13.4%), while medical science enrolment has been up by 51.1% in the same period.

 The number of universities has increased by 30.5% during the period of 2016 and 2020 and the number of colleges has increased by about 8.4% in the same period.

8. SCHEMES

8.1.HORTICULTURE CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

Why in news? Union Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar launches Horticulture Cluster Development Programmeto promote the export of horticultural produce.

Ministry: Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfaree

Implemented by: National Horticulture Board (NHB)

About: Objectives:  To ensure holistic growth of horticulture.  CDP aims at growing and developing identified horticulture clusters to make them globally competitive  In a pilot phase, the programme will be implemented in 12 horticulture clusters out of the total 53 clusters selected for the programme.  It is a central sector programme.  CDP is expected to attract an estimated investment of INR 10,000 crore when implemented in all the 53 clusters.  The programme will benefit about 10 lakh farmers.

Benefits:  It will address all major issues related to the Indian horticulture sector including pre-production, production, post-harvest management, logistics, marketing and branding.  Improve exports of the targeted crops by approx. 20%  Create cluster-specific brands to enhance the competitiveness of cluster crops.  Doubling farmers' income  Plances and products . Apple- . Grapes  Kinnaur (H.P.)  Nasik (Maharashtra)  Shopian (J&K) . Pineapple . Mango  Siphahijala (Tripura)  Lucknow (U.P.) . Pomegranate  Kutch (Gujarat)  Solapur (Maharashtra)  Mahbubnagar  Chitradurga (Karnataka) (Telangana) . Turmeric. . Banana  West Jaintia Hills  Anantpur (A.P.) (Meghalaya)  Theni (T.N.)

8.2.SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE TOWARDS AFFORDABLE TRANSPORTATION (SATAT)

Why in news? Shri Dharmendra Pradhan presides over a slew of initiatives around Compressed Bio Gas to give fillip to SATAT scheme and help India leap ahead towards a greener tomorrow.

Ministry: Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas

About:  This included signing of a Cooperation Agreement by Oil and Gasmajors including IndianOil, HPCL, BPCL, GAIL and IGL, for the promotion and development of the SATAT scheme.  The SATAT scheme aims to set up Compressed Bio-Gas production plants and make CBG available in the market for use as a green fuel.  'SATAT’, launched on 1.10.2018, envisages to target production of 15 MMT of CBG from 5000 plants by 2023.  Benefits:  Boosts the availability of more affordable transport fuels  Better use of agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal solid waste,  The 5000 CBG plants will provide an investment of 1.75 lakh crore  An additional revenue source to farmers,  75,000direct job opportunities and lakhs of indirect jobs.

More details https://iaswinnishers.com/2021/03/09/daily-current-affairs-on-mar-9/

8.3.PM-CARES FOR CHILDREN SCHEME

Why in news?  The government has announced a special “PM-CARES for Children” scheme for all those orphaned due to Covid-19.  The Supreme Court has ordered the district authorities to upload the details of children in need of care and protection on NCPCR (National Commission for Protection of Child Rights) portal Bal Swaraj.

About:  All children who have lost both parents or surviving parent or legal guardian/adoptive parents due to Covid 19 will be supported under ‘PM-CARES for Children’ scheme  Implemented under the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)

Need of this scheme  As India battles a raging second wave, cases of children losing their parentsto Covid-19 are also mounting.  Also the apprehension of child trafficking in the garb of adoption has increased.  Child Marriages have also increased in the Covid-19 induced lockdown

Features:

1. Fixed Deposit of Rs 10 lakh in the name of the child:  This will create a corpus of Rs 10 lakh for each child when he or she reaches 18 years of age.  Usage of this corpus:  Upto age 18- a monthly financial support/ stipend  From 19 to 23 – cost to take care of his or her personal requirements during the period of higher education  On reaching the age of 23 years- he or she will get the corpus amount as one lump-sum for personal and professional use.

2. School Education: For children under 10 year

 Given admission in the nearest Kendriya Vidyalaya or in a private school as a day scholar.  If the child is admitted in a private school, the fees as per the RTE norms will be given from the PM CARES.  PM-CARES will also pay for expenditure on uniform, text books and notebooks

3. School Education: for children between 11-18 years:

 The child will be given admission inany Central Government residential school such as Sainik School, Navodaya Vidyalaya etc.  In case the child is to be continued under the care of Guardian/ grandparents/ extended family, then he or she will be given admission in the nearest Kendriya Vidyalaya or in a private school as a day scholar.  If the child is admitted in a private school, the fees as per the RTE norms will be given from the PM CARES.  PM CARES will also pay for expenditure on uniform, text books and notebooks.

4. Support for Higher Education:

 The child will be assisted in obtaining education loan for Professional courses / Higher Education in India as per the existing Education Loan norms.  The interest on this loan will be paid by the PM CARES.  As an alternative, scholarship equivalent to the tuition fees / course fees for undergraduate/ vocational courses as per Government norms will be provided to such children under Central or State Government Schemes.  For children who are not eligible under the existing scholarship schemes, PM CARES will provide an equivalent scholarship.

5. Health Insurance

 All children will be enrolled as a beneficiary under Ayushman Bharat Scheme (PM-JAY) with a health insurance cover of Rs. 5 lakhs.  The premium amount for these children till the age of 18 years will be paid by PM CARES.

Portal Bal Swaraj  Created with a purpose for online tracking and digital real time monitoring mechanism of children who are in need of care and protection.  It is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Women & Child Development.  National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)has extended the use of this portal for tracking children who have lost both its parents or either of the parent during COVID-19 and provided a link under the name of “COVID- Care” for uploading of data of such children by the concerned officer/department on the portal.

8.4.PRADHAN MANTRI GARIB KALYAN PACKAGE (PMGKP): INSURANCE SCHEME FOR HEALTH WORKERS FIGHTING COVID-19

Why in news? The Union Government has extended the ‘Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19’ for one year from 24.04.2021

Ministry:Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

About:  This will continue to provide the safety net to the dependents of health workers, who are deputed to take care of COVID-19 patients.  The scheme is being implemented through an Insurance policy from New India Assurance Company (NIACL).  Claims to be certified by the District Collector; Insurance Company to approve and settle the claims within a period of 48 hours  Initially launched on 30.03.2020 for a period of 90 days.  The insurance policy has been extended twice so far.  It aims to provide comprehensive personal accident cover of Rs. 50 lakh to all healthcare providers, including community health workers and private health workers drafted by the government for the care of Covid-19 patients and for those who may have come in direct contact of COVID-19 patients and were at risk of being impacted by it.

Features:  This accident insurance scheme covers only;  Loss of life due to COVID19,  Accidental death on account of COVID-19 related duty  INR 50 LAKHS will be paid to the claimant of the insured person.  Individual enrolment is not required.  There’s no age limit for this scheme

 Any type of expenses related to covid-19treatment or quarantine is not covered  The entire amount of premium for this scheme is being borne by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

8.5.HEALTH SCHEMES

Why in news? Union Minister of Health launched the revamped Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and the Umbrella schemes of Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) and Health Minister’s Discretionary Grant (HMDG) on National Health Authority (NHA)’s IT platform for providing cashless, paperless and citizen-centric services.

Ministry: Ministry of Health and family welfare

Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS):  Launched in 1954  The CGHS is a comprehensive Health Scheme for Serving Employees, Pensioners, Members of Parliament, ex-MPs, etc., and their dependent family members.  During last 7 years it has expanded to 72 Cities with more than 38 lakh beneficiaries are covered under the scheme. Although CGHS started in 1954 in New Delhi, wherein till 2014 only 25 cities were covered.  CGHS retired pensioners are provided Cashless treatment at empanelled centres which will now be made seamless in the new platform.  e-referral module developed by NIC has enabled CGHS dispensaries and wellness centres to issue online referral to empanelled hospitals

Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN)  Financial assistance up to Rs 15 lakhs is provided to poor patients suffering from major life-threatening diseases/cancer/rare diseases, for medical treatment at Government hospitals  The eligibility criteria is based on State/UT-wise BPL threshold.  AB PM-JAY beneficiaries would be able to avail the benefit under RANscheme for the treatment beyond five lakhs that are not covered under the scheme.

Health Minister’s Discretionary Grant (HMDG)  Amaximum amount of Rs.1,25,000/- is provided to patients whose annual income does not exceed Rs.1,25,000/-, to defray a part of the expenditure on hospitalization/treatment in Government Hospitals.  Beneficiaries can apply for financial assistance under both schemes by providing their Ration card number and undergoing beneficiary verification process at any of the empanelled Govt. hospital.

8.6.PRAN VAYU DEVTA PENSION SCHEME AND OXY VAN (OXYGEN FORESTS)

Why in news? The Haryana Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced “Pran Vayu Devta Pension Scheme”, and Oxy Van (Oxygen Forests) on the occasion of World Environment Day About  Pran Vayu Devta Pension Scheme  It is a “unique and first of its kind initiative”.  Trees which are of the age of 75 years and above will be identified throughout the state and these will be looked after by involving local people in this scheme  At least 2,500 such trees have been identified so far  Village panchayats will now be paid Rs 2,500 as‘pension’ per tree for their upkeep.  This ‘tree pension’ shall continue to increase every year, on lines similar to the Old Age Samman Pension Scheme in the state.  The pension shall be given by the Urban Local Bodies department for the upkeep of the trees, installing plates, grilles etc.

Oxy Van (Oxygen Forests)  Oxy Forests will be planted on land ranging from 5 acres to 100 acres in the cities of Haryana  An Oxy Van are identified pieces of land, on which as many as 3 crore trees would be planted.  The Oxy Vans will occupy 10 per cent of the 8 lakh hectares of land across Haryana.  Plants sre chosen from Ornamental and flowering plants, house plants, “luck- boosting” plants,medicinal plants, fragrant plants and plants having cultural, mythological, and environmental significance.  Examples: Oxy Van Panchkula; Oxy Van Karnal etc

8.7.NATIONAL INITIATIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT AND HARNESSING INNOVATIONS (NIDHI) PROGRAMME

Ministry: Ministry of Science & Technology

About:  It is an umbrella program is pioneered by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, for nurturing ideas and innovations (knowledge-based and technology-driven) into successful startups. Objectives  To take forward student innovations in IEDC / NewGen IEDC programme to commercialization stage.  To promote student startups.  To accelerate the journey of idea to prototype by providing initial funding assistance.

Components of NIDHI

 There are eight components of the National Initiative for Development and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI). These include: 1. NIDHI GCC – Grand Challenges and Competitions for scouting innovations 2. NIDHI – PRomoting and accelerating Young and Aspiring Innovators and Startups (NIDHI-PRAYAS) – Support from Idea to Prototype 3. NIDHI-Entrepreneur In Residence (NIDHI-EIR)-Support system to reduce risk 4. Startup-NIDHI 5. NIDHI-Technology Business Incubator(TBI)-Converting Innovations to startups 6. NIDHI-Accelerator-Fast tracking a start-up through focused intervention 7. NIDHI-Seed Support System (NIDHI-SSS)-Providing early-stage investment 8. NIDHI Centres of Excellence (NIDHI-CoE)-A World-class facility to help startups go global

NIDHI-EIR programme  EIR programme is one of the programs introduced under NIDHI to inspire the best talents to be entrepreneurs, to minimise the risk involved in pursuing start-ups, and to partially set off their opportunity costs of high paying jobs.  It provides tremendous opportunities for innovative entrepreneurs to expand their networks and get critical feedback on their ventures in order to promote their entrepreneurial career goals and aspirations.

The opportunities under NIDHI-EIR program include:  Guidance from experienced, innovative and highly successful entrepreneurs on the business concept, strategy or venture and insight into specific industries or markets.  Best practices for starting a business and broaden the professional network.  Co-working spaces for developing the idea into a marketable product.

Under NIDHI, PRAYAS (Promoting and Accelerating Young and Aspiring innovators & Startups) programme has been initiated in which established Technology Business Incubators (TBI) are supported with PRAYAS grant to support innovators and entrepreneurs with grants for ‘Proof of Concept’ and developing prototypes

Significance:  Provide guidance- To provide guidance to aspiring entrepreneurs from experienced, innovative and highly successful entrepreneurs on the business concept strategy and insight into specific industries or markets, inspire the best talents to be entrepreneurs.  Risk minimisation – To minimise the risk involved in pursuing start-ups, and to partially set off their opportunity costs of high paying jobs.  Broaden the professional network- Best practices for starting a business and broaden the professional network.  Encourages enterprising individuals- The Programme thus encourages enterprising individuals to venture out and pursue daring entrepreneurial ideas as well as enhances the quantity and quality of startups

8.8.SEED MINIKITS PROGRAMME

Ministry: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare

About:

 Launched on 2nd june 2021  Aim: Acts asamajor tool for introducing new varieties of seeds in the farmers’ fields and is instrumental for increasing the seed replacement rate.  Wholly funded by the Government of India through the National Food Security Mission.  The mini kits are being provided by the Central Agencies National Seeds Corporation (NCS), NAFED and Gujarat State Seeds Corporation  The distribution of seeds will continue till 15th June 2021 so that the seeds reach the farmers before the Kharif sowing commences.

8.9.YOUNTAB SCHEME

Why in news? Ladakh Lt Governor launches YounTab scheme for students to encourage digital learning

About:  YounTab scheme formulated to encourage digital learning, bridge the digital divide between connected and unconnected and mitigate the Covid pandemic disruptions  A total of 12,300 students of 6th to 12th class from government schools will benefit from the scheme.  Tablets have beendistributed to the students of 9 to 12 class as part of the first phase of the YounTab Scheme.

8.10.NATIONAL MISSION ON INTERDISCIPLINARY CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEMS (NM-ICPS)

Why in news?  Government Launches New AI-driven Platform 'XraySetu' on WhatsApp for Rapid Screening of COVID-19patients even from low-resolution Chest X-Ray images sent over Whatsapp.  'XraySetu' was Developed by ARTPARK (AI & Robotics Technology Park), a not- for-profit foundation established by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru  ARTPARK, initiated under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber- Physical Systems (NM-ICPS)

Ministry: Ministryof Science & Technology About:  Launched in 2018to harness the potential of this new wave of technology and make India a leading player in CPS.  Duration: a period of five years.

 The Mission aims at establishment of 15 Technology Innovation Hubs (TIH), six Application Innovation Hubs (AIH) and four Technology Translation Research Parks (TTRP).  These Hubs & TTRPs will connect to Academics, Industry, Central Ministries and State Government in developing solutions at reputed academic, R&D and other organizations across the country in a hub and spoke model.  The first Phase of NM-ICPS will focus on establishing six Technology Innovation Hubs (TIHs) in the following domain areas: The first Phaseof NM-ICPS will be implemented by Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB)

1. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning 2. Technologies for Internet of Things and Everything (IOT & IOE), Sensors, Activators and Control 3. Databanks & Data Services, Data Analytics 4. Advanced Communication Systems 5. Robotics & Autonomous Systems 6. Cyber Security and Cyber Security for Physical Infrastructure

Objectives  The NM-ICPS is a comprehensive Mission which would address technology development, application development, human resource development & skill enhancement, entrepreneurship and start-up development in Cyber Physical System (CPS) and associated technologies  Knowledge Generation  Technology/Product Development and Commercialisation  HRD and Skill Development  Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Start-up Ecosystem  International Collaboration

Cyber Physical Systems (CPS)  Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) arenew class of engineered systems that integrate computation and physical processes in a dynamic environment.  CPS encompasses technology areas of Cybernetics, Mechatronics, Design and Embedded systems, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and many more.  The CPS systems are intelligent, autonomous and efficient and are expected to drive innovation in sectors as diverse as agriculture, water, energy, transportation, infrastructure, security, health and manufacturing.  Thus, it is heralded as the next paradigm shift in technology that can exponentially spur growth and development. Impact  CPS technologies provide a cutting edge to a Nation's scientific, engineering, and technological innovative capabilities; support other missions of the government, provide industrial and economic competitiveness and have truly became a Strategic Resource.  The proposed Mission would act as an engine of growth that would benefit national initiatives in health, education, energy, environment, agriculture,

strategic cum security, and industrial sectors, Industry 4.0, SMART Cities, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) etc.  CPS is an integrated system of upcoming technology, which in turn is being taken up on priority basis by countries in the race for development. CPS will indeed bring a paradigm shift in entire skill sets requirement.  The job opportunities will be enhanced through the Mission by imparting advanced skills and generating skilled manpower as per the requirement of the industry/ society. Accordingly, it is estimated that, about 40,000 jobs will be created in the short term and about 2,00,000 in long term.

8.11.TRANSFORMATION OF ASPIRATIONAL DISTRICTS PROGRAMME

Why in news? UNDP Report Lauds Aspirational Districts Programme, Recommends Replication in Other Parts of the World

Ministry: Ministry of Home affairs

Monitored by: NITI Aayog

About:  The Aspirational Districts Programme was launched by the Prime Minister in January 2018 as a part of the government’s effort to raise the living standards of its citizens and ensure inclusive growth for all, ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’.  Launched in January, 2018 with a vision of a New India by 2022 where the focus is to improve India's ranking under Human Development Index, raising living standards of its citizens and ensuring inclusive growth of all.  The 117 districts were identified from 28 states, at least one from each state,  These are those districts in India, that are affected by poor socio-economic indicators.  TADP is for rapid transformation of district that are lagging on specific development parameter.  The program will focus on strength of a each district, identify low hanging fruits for immediate improvement, measure progress, and rank districts.  49 key performance indicators have been chosen to measure progress of the districts.  Weightage has been accorded to these districts as below: 1. Health & Nutrition (30%) 2. Education (30%) 3. Agriculture & Water Resources (20%) 4. Financial Inclusion & Skill Development (10%) 5. Basic Infrastructure (10%)  Core activities:  Convergence of scheme resource implemented with LWE funds

 Real time progress tracking of the district  Scaling up of the best practice from the tata trusts ecosystem  Coordination overlays of the CSO efforts, community actions and other development interventions  Integrated support from central ministry, state government and district administration.

8.12.IDEX - DIO

Why in news? Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the budgetary support of ₹498.8 crore to Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) - Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) for the next five years.

Ministry: Ministry of defence

About:  Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) was launched by the Government of India in 2018.  Time period: 2021-22 to2025-26  Aim: to provide financial support to nearly 300 startups/ MSMEs/ individual innovators and about 20 incubators through DIO  It will be funded and managed by a ‘Defence Innovation Organization (DIO)’  Formed as a ‘not for profit’ company under the Companies Act 2013 by the two founder members i.e. . Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) - HAL & BEL . The Department of Defence Production (DDP).  It will function as the executive arm of DIO, carrying out all the required activities while DIO will provide high level policy guidance to iDEX.  The iDEX framework and establishment of the DIO is aimed at promoting innovation and indigenisation in the aerospace and defence sector at the start-up level.

Objectives: 1. To frame 'corporate Venture Capital’ models for Indian Defence needs thereby identifying emerging technologies, connecting innovators with military units, facilitating co-creation of new and appropriate technologies and so forth into weapon systems used by Indian Armed Services. 2. To deliver military-grade products thereby solving the critical needs of the Indian defence set-up by developing or applying advanced technologies. 3. To devise a culture of innovation in the Indian Defence and Aerospace by engaging startups and innovators for co-creation and co-innovation

The following activities will be taken by iDEX 1. Setting up and managing the iDEX network in the form of Partner Incubators. 2. Communicating with innovators/start-ups/technology centres of MSMEs through the Partner Incubators (PIs). 3. Organizing various challenges/hackathons to shortlist potential technologies and entities for defence and aerospace use.

4. Interfacing with the Services about key innovative technologies and encouraging their adoption into the defence establishment with suitable assistance.

8.13.MODIFIED ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURING CLUSTERS (EMC 2.0) SCHEME

Ministry: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)

About: EMC 1.0  Notified in 2012  Aim: to provide support for creation of world classinfrastructure for attracting investments in the Electronics Systems Design andManufacturing (ESDM) sector  The scheme provided grant assistance for setting up of both Greenfield andBrownfield EMCs across the country.  For projects in Greenfield EMC, assistance isprovided to the extent of 50% of the project cost subject to a ceiling of Rs. 50crore for every 100 acres of land.  For Brownfield EMCs, 75% of the cost of infrastructure is provided, subject to aceiling of Rs. 50 crore.  Under the scheme, 20 Greenfield EMCs and 3 Common Facility Centres (CFCs) havebeen approved in 15 states across the country.

EMC 2.0  Notified in 2020  Scheme is in line withNational Policy for Electronics (NPE), 2019 to make India a global hub for mobile and component manufacturing.  This Scheme will fortify the linkage between domestic and international market by strengthening supply chain responsiveness, consolidation of suppliers, decreased time-to-market, lower logistics costs  Scheme will support setting up of both Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMCs) and Common Facility Centers (CFCs)

Where can these clusters be setup? An Electronics Manufacturing Cluster (EMC) would set up in geographical areas of certain minimum extent, preferably contiguous, where the focus is on development of basic infrastructure, amenities and other common facilities for the ESDM units. For Common Facility Centre (CFC), there should be a significant number of existing ESDM units located in the area and the focus is on upgrading common technical infrastructure and providing common facilities for the ESDM units in such EMCs, Industrial Areas/Parks/industrial corridors.

Benefits of the scheme: 1. Availability of ready infrastructure and Plug & Play facility for attracting investment in electronics sector. 2. New investment in electronics sector 3. Jobs created by the manufacturing units; 4. Revenue in the form of taxes paid by the manufacturing units 5. A robust infrastructure base for the electronic industry. 6. Help development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. 7. Drive innovation and catalyse the economic growth of the country.

8.14.INDIAN CERTIFICATION OF MEDICAL DEVICES (ICMED) PLUS SCHEME

Why in news? Quality Council of India (QCI) launches Indian Certification of Medical Devices (ICMED) Plus Scheme

Launched by: Quality Council of India (QCI)

About:  ICMED Scheme  Launched in 2016  launched for Certification of Medical Devices  To fill the regulatory vacuum in quality certification space for medical devices in the country, the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AIMED) in collaboration with the Quality Council of India (QCI) and the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) is rolling out a voluntary quality certification scheme for medical devices.

ICMED+ Scheme  Launched in 2021  It will undertake verification of the quality, safety and efficacy of medical devices.  This is the first scheme around the world in which quality management systems along withproduct certification standards are integrated with regulatory requirements.  This scheme will be an end to end quality assurance scheme for the medical devices sector in India.

Benefits  This scheme provides the much-needed institutional mechanism for assuring the product quality and safety.  It will go a long way in assisting the procurement agencies to tackle the challenges relating to the menace of counterfeit products and fake certification.  This will also help in eliminating the circulation and use of sub-standard medical products or devices of doubtful origin that could prove to be serious health hazard

8.15.BIOTECH-KRISHI INNOVATION SCIENCE APPLICATION NETWORK (BIOTECH- KISAN)SCHEME

Why in news? DBT Issues a Special Call under Biotech KISAN Programme for improving Agriculture Productivity in the North East Region

Ministry:Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology

About:  Launched in 2017.  It aims to understand the problems of water, soil, seed and market faced by the farmers and provide simple solutions to them.  The Scheme is for farmers, developed by and with farmers, it empowers women, impacts locally, connects globally, is Pan-India, has a hub-and spoke model and stimulates entrepreneurship and innovation in farmers  It is a scientist-farmer partnership scheme for agriculture innovation with an objective to connect science laboratories with the farmers to find out innovative solutions and technologies to be applied at farm level.

Objectives:  Linking available science and technology to the farm by first understanding the problem of the local farmer and provide solutions to those problems.  The working together, in close conjunction, of scientists and farmers is the only way to improve the working conditions of small and marginal farmers.  This programme aims to work with small and marginal farmers especially the woman farmer for better agriculture productivity through scientific intervention and evolving best farming practices in the Indian context  Establishment of Biotech - KISAN Hub in each of 15 agro-climatic zones of the country under the leadership of a champion, who will act as a Facilitator.

Each Hub will create a network by developing strong linkages with top quality scientific institutions

Status: 1. So far 146 Biotech-KISAN Hubs have been established covering all 15 agro- climatic zones and110 Aspirational Districts in the country. 2. It has benefitted over two lakhs farmers so far by increasing their agriculture output and income. 3. Over 200 entrepreneurships have also been developed in rural areas

8.16.INTEGRATED POWER DEVELOPMENT SCHEME

Why in news? A 50 kWp Solar rooftop in Solan, Himachal Pradesh was inaugurated under Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) of the Ministry of Power

Ministry:Ministry of Power

About:  Launched in the year 2014  Aim: for improving and augmenting the distribution and sub-transmission systems in urban areas with a view to improve reliability.  Components: 1. Strengthening of sub-transmission and distribution networks in the urban areas. 2. Metering of distribution transformers / feeders / consumers in the urban areas. 3. IT enablement of distribution sector andstrengthening of distribution network under R-APDRP for 12th and 13th Plans by carrying forward the approved outlay for R-APDRP to IPDS. 4. Schemes for Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and IT enablement of balance urban towns are also included under IPDS.  Scope of IT enablement has been extended to all 4041 towns as per Census 2011. 5. Underground cabling to include additional demand of States and smart metering solution for performing UDAY States and Solar panels on Govt. buildings with net-metering are also permissible under the scheme.

 Objectives:

1. 24×7 Power supplies for consumers. 2. Reduction of AT&C losses as per trajectory finalized by MoP in consultation with States. 3. Providing access to power to all households.

 Eligibility:  All Power Distribution Companies (Discoms) are eligible for financial assistance under the scheme.

 Funding Pattern:  GoI (Government of India) Grant: 60% (85% for special category States).  Additional Grant: 15% (5% for special category States) - linked to achievement of milestones

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 Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R- APDRP):  Launched in July 2008  To focus on . establishment of base line data, . fixation of accountability, . reduction of AT&C losses upto 15% level through strengthening & up-gradation of Sub Transmission and Distribution network . adoption of Information Technology during XI Plan.

8.17.CATTLE GENOMICS SCHEMES

Ministry: Ministry of Science and Technology

About:  Launched in 2016  The scheme aims at boosting selective breeding of the native livestock more accurately to ensure high-yielding, disease-resistant, resilient livestock.  Under it, government will undertake an ambitious project of genome sequencing of 40 registered indigenous cattle breeds of India.  Besides, a high-density DNA chips will be developed under this scheme to reduce the cost and time interval of breeding of the native livestock.  Genome selection will use information on variations in DNA sequences between animals to predict the breeding value more accurately. Thus, help to transform livestock breeding.

8.18.SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF YOGA AND MEDITATION(SATYAM) PROGRAMME

Why in news? Under SATYAM, DST has invited proposals to study appropriate intervention of yoga and meditation in fighting Covid-19 and similar kinds of viruses

Ministry: Ministry of Science and Technology

About:  Announced in 2015 by the DST under its Cognitive Science Research Initiative(CSRI).  Aim: To foster scientific research on the effects of yoga and meditation on physical & mental health and on cognitive functioning in healthy people as well as in patients with disorders.  Eligibility: 1. Scientists/academicians with research background in Yoga and Meditation 2. Practitioners involved in yoga and meditation can also apply in collaboration with research institutions.  Duration: The project is tenable for a maximum period of three years.  Themes: 1. Investigations on the effect of Yoga and Meditation on physical and mental health and well being.

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2. Investigations on the effect of Yoga and Meditation on the body, brain, and mind in terms of basic processes and mechanisms.

About the project:  Aim:  To provide assistance to society in today’s critical condition arising due to pandemic Covid-19.  This is a need-based call, therefore, proposed work should be completed within 6-12 months.  Dimensions of Covid: Covid-19 usually has three dimensions, related to: 1. Stress (worry, sitting at home). 2. Respiratory. 3. Immune system.  Scientific Investigation:  The effects of yoga and meditation on the life of a person during such stressful times have to be scientifically investigated.  Sometimes, there is an empirical correlation in the actions and the outcome, but it needs to be understood scientifically.  Modern Tools: All the participants are expected to work together using the modern tools of life science and bio-sciences to understand what works and what does not.  If something works then what is the efficacy and in what conditions does it work.  Holistic Target: The project may address improving immunity, improving respiratory systems and interventions to overcome respiratory disorders and other dimensions like stress, anxiety and depression-related issues due to isolation, uncertainty and disruption in normal life.

Cognitive Science Research Initiative(CSRI):  Launched in 2008 during the 11th Five year plan by the Department of Science and Technology.  Aim:To facilitate a platform to the scientific community to work for better solutions related with cognitive disorders and social issues through various psychological tools & batteries, early diagnosis & better therapies, intervention technologies and rehabilitation programmes.

8.19.NISHTHA SCHEME

Ministry: Ministry of Education

About:  Launched in 2019  NISHTHA – National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement  It is the world’s largest teachers’ training programme of its kind in the world.  Objective: To motivate and equip teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in students.

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 It is a National Mission to improve learning outcomes at the Elementarylevel through an Integrated Teacher Training Programme  It is implemented under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Samagra Shiksha

Coverage: It will cover around 42 lakh participants covering all teachers and Heads of Schools at the elementary level in all States and UTs which includes  All Government schools  Faculty members of State Councils of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs),  District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs)  Resource Persons from Block Resource Centres (BRCs)  Cluster Resource Centres (CRCs)

Function:  The aim of this training is to motivate and equip teachers to encourage and foster critical thinking in students,  Handle diverse situations and act as first level counsellors.  They will be oriented on and develop their skills on various aspects related to  Learning Outcomes,  Competency Based Learning and Testing,  Learner-centered Pedagogy,  School Safety and Security,  Personal-social qualities,  Inclusive Education,  ICT in teaching-learning including  Artificial Intelligence,  Health and well-being including yoga,  Initiatives in School Education including  library,  eco club,  youth club,  kitchen garden,  School Leadership qualities,  Environmental Concerns,  Pre-school, Pre-vocational Education and School Based Assessment in a joyful learning manner.

Training conducted directly by 33120 Key Resource Persons (KRPs) and State Resource Persons (SRP) identified by the State and UTs, who will in turn be trained by 120 National Resource Persons identified from NCERT, NIEPA, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), CBSE and NGO.

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 A Mobile App and Learning Management System (LMS) based on MOODLE (Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) have been developed by NCERT.  LMS will be used for registration of Resource Persons and Teachers, dissemination of resources, training gap and impact analysis, monitoring, mentoring and measuring the progress online.

8.20.PM FORMALISATION OF MICRO FOOD PROCESSING ENTERPRISES (PMFME)

Why in news? Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan Completes One Year.

Ministry: Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI)

About  Launched on 29th June 2020  It is a part of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’2020  having an outlay of Rs 10,000 crores.  Timeperiod: over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25

Milestones achieved:  More than 9000 individual beneficiaries have registered on the portal, out of which more than 3500 applications have been successfully submitted under the scheme.  Convergence:  MoFPI signed 3 joint letters with the Ministry of Rural Development, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.  MoFPI has signed 6 MoUs with ICAR, NCDC, TRIFED, NAFED, NSFDC, and Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETI).  One District One Product:137 unique products in 707 districts in 35 States/UTs has been approved by the Ministry.  Capacity Building and Incubation Centres: The National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) and the Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT) have been performing a key role in providing training and research support  Seed capital: seed capital to SHGs is being implemented with the support of the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM)  Marketing and Branding: MoUs have been signed with NAFED and TRIFED to take up the marketing and branding support for 10 products each.  Institutional Mechanism: All the 35 participating States and UTs have constituted/ identified their respective State Nodal Agencies, State Level Approval Committees, District Level Committees, and State Level Technical Institutions. And a call centre has been established at NIFTEM to address queries and guide the stakeholders of the Scheme.

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Aim:  To enhance the competitiveness of existing micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment of the food processing industry and promote formalization of the sector.  Envisages to reduce wastage, creation of off-farm job opportunities and aids in achieving the overarching objective of doubling the farmers’ income.  for providing financial, technical and business support for upgradation of two lakh micro food processing enterprises

Approach  The Scheme adopts One District One Product (ODOP) approach to reap benefits of scale in terms of procurement of inputs, availing common services and marketing of products.

Objectives: 1. building the capability of micro enterprises by enabling the increased access to credit by existing micro food processing entrepreneurs, FPOs, Self Help Groups and Co-operatives; 2. integration with organized supply chain by strengthening branding & marketing; 3. supporting the transition process of the existing two lakh micro food processing enterprises into formal framework; providing access to common services like common processing facility, laboratories, storage, packaging, marketing and incubation services; 4. Strengthening of institutions, research and training in the food processing sector, and enhancing the access to professional and technical support.

Challenges faced by the unorganized food processing industry in India 1. Capital deficiency and low bank credit; 2. Lack of productivity and innovation due to limited skills and access to modern technology and machinery for production and packaging; 3. Lack of branding & marketing skills and inability to integrate with the supply chains; 4. Deficient quality and food safety control systems, including lack of basic awareness on good hygienic and manufacturing practices.

One District One Product (ODOP)  The States would identify food products for districts keeping in view the existing clusters and availability of raw material.  The ODOP could be a perishable produce based or cereal based or a food item widely produced in an area. E.g. mango, potato, pickle, millet based products, fisheries, poultry, etc.

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9. MISCELLANEOUS & FACTS

9.1.AmbiTAG

 Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar (IIT Ropar) in Punjab has developed a first- of-its-kind IoT device – AmbiTag that records real-time ambient temperature during the transportation of perishable products, vaccines and even body organs and blood.  That recorded temperature further helps to know whether that particular item transported from anywhere in the world is still usable or perished because of temperature variation. This information is particularly critical for vaccines including Covid-19 vaccine, organs and blood transportation.  Shaped as USB device, AmbiTag continuously records the temperature of its immediate surroundings from -40 to +80 degrees in any time zone for a full 90 days on a single charge. Most of the similar devices available in the international market record data only for duration of 30- 60 days.  The device has been developed under Technology Innovation Hub – AWaDH (Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub) and its Startup ScratchNest. AWaDH is a Govt of India project.

About AWaDH  AWaDH is a research center at IIT Ropar established with support from the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) to carry out extensive research in the field of agriculture and water.

9.2.WORLD MILK DAY

 World Milk Day is celebrated every year on 1st June to educate people about the importance of milk in our diet.  The day was established by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations in 2001.  India is the world's largest milk producer, with 22 % of global production, followed by the United States of America, China, Pakistan and Brazil.  Uttar Pradesh is the highest milk producing state in India contributing around 18% to the total milk production, followed by Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Punjab contributing 11%, 10%, 8% and 7% respectively.  Haryana is called as Milk Pail of India because Murrah buffalo, which is known as the best breed of buffalo for producing finest quality milk originally belongs to Haryana....  Anand district in Gujarat is known as the Milk Capital of India. It became famous for Amul dairy and its milk revolution.

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9.3.‘INDIA CYCLES4CHANGE’ CHALLENGE

 The challenge was launched under the Smart Cities Mission by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs on 25th June, 2020, as a response to the COVID- 19 pandemic that was gaining ground in the country.  Over the last year, a cycling revolution has taken over India, with cycling being seen as an important mode of safe and healthy personal transport medium that ensures social distancing, while being environmentally sustainable.  The Smart Cities Mission, in association with Institute for Transport and Development Policy (ITDP) conducted training modules and other capacity building initiatives to guide 107 cities on various cycling initiatives.

9.4.GEOGLYPHS

News: Using Google Earth images, drone observations and field visits, two independent researchers from France have identified eight sites around Jaisalmer in the Thar Desert, that show linear features resembling geoglyphs. Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, has been studying the Thar Desert for nearly five decades.

About Geoglyphs :  A geoglyph is a large design or motifproduced on the ground and typically formed by clastic rocks or similarly durable elements of the landscape, such as stones, stone fragments, gravel, or earth.  Geoglyphs are large, un-explained geometrical patterns on land usually proposed to be man-made features.  A positive geoglyph is formed by the arrangement and alignment of materials on the ground in a manner akin to petroforms.  A negative geoglyph is formed by removing part of the natural ground surface to create differently coloured or textured ground in a manner akin to petroglyphs.  Geoglyphs are large, un-explained geometrical patterns on land usually proposed to be man-made features.  Geoglyphs are generally a type of land art, and sometimes rock art.  The largest concentration of geoglyphs is reported from southern Peru, covering an area of about 1,000 square km. These collection of geoglyphs in Peru called The Nazca Lines Created by the ancient Nazca culture in South America.

9.5.GUSSADI TRADITION

 Each year during Deepavali, the Raj Gond tribe of Adilabad ( Telangana ) observes the Dandari festival where those chosen by a village chieftain are part of the Gussadi rituals.  Their faces and bodies smeared with ash, armed with indigenous musical instruments and sporting specific headgears, the chosen Gussards perform the dance-like Gussadi tradition and visit people’s homes and temples.  A Gussadi entering a village home is considered to bring in prosperity. Their rhythmic movements and jumps are much more than dance.

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 Gonds dressed in colourful costumes and decorated with ornaments go to neighbouring villages in troupes, singing and dancing. Such troupes are called Dandari dance troupes.  Each member puts on a turban of peacock feathers and horns of the deer, artificial beard and moustaches and goatskin to cover the body.  This starts on the full moon day and goes on till the fourteenth day of the dark fortnight of Deepavali.

9.6.SAGE INITIATIVE

 The Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri ThaawarchandGehlot virtually launched the SAGE (Seniorcare Aging Growth Engine) initiative and SAGE portal for elderly persons.

What is SAGE project?  SAGE projectis to select, support and create “one-stop access” of elderly care products and services provided by credible start-ups.  The SAGE project is shaped on the recommendations of the empowered expert committee (EEC) report on start-ups for elderly.  The start-ups can apply to be a part of it through dedicated portal. The SAGE portal will be opened for applications from 5th June, 2021 onwards.

How start-ups will be selected?  Start-ups will be selected based on their innovative products and services, which they can provide across sectors like housing, health and care centres.  They will also be selected based on technological access linked to finances, food & wealth management besides legal guidance.

Who will facilitate the scheme?  Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment will be the facilitator to enable elderly to access products through these identified and verified start-ups.

9.7.INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE

 At Night All Blood is Black by French author David Diop, translated to English by Anna Moschovakis, has been announced as the winner of the 2021 International Booker Prize.  The novel tells the story of Senegalese men from the countryside who are enlisted to fight for France on the Western Front during World War I.

About Booker Prize  The Booker Prize is a literary prize awarded annually for the best novel. The prize is awarded to novels written in English and published in Ireland or UK.  It was formerly known as “Booker-McConnell Prize” (1969-2001) and Man Booker Prize (2002-2019).

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 In 1997, Arundati Roy of India won the Booker Prize for her Novel “The God of Small Things”.  The Booker Prize carries 50,000 pounds of cash money.  The 2020 winner was Shuggie Bain, a debut novel by Scottish-American writer Douglas Stuart.

International Booker Prize  It is awarded to books that are translated into English and published in United Kingdom.  The 2020 winner of International Booker Prize is Marieke Lucas Rjineveld for the book “The Discomfort of Evening”. It was translated by Michele Hutchison.

9.8.KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY MISSION

 The Kerala State government has launched the Knowledge Economy Mission.  The mission is to bring the ongoing efforts to provide employment to the educated and support ‘knowledge workers’ under a single programme.  A plan would be drawn up to provide basic facilities and a social security system for knowledge workers, working close to their homes and interacting with employers.  The project was being spearheaded by Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) that had been tasked with submitting a comprehensive project report before July 15.  For implementation and funding purposes, ‘knowledge economy fund’ will be created.  In order to promote skills & strengthen higher education system and for technological transformation, knowledge economy fund was hiked from ₹200 crore to ₹300 crore.

Kerala Digital Work Force Management System  Kerala Digital Workforce Management System was set up by APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University.  It has registered over 27,000 job aspirants so far. This system is a sub-mission of Kudumbasree Mission. It provides training to workers and executives of K-DISC and Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP).

9.9.RATLE HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT

Why in news? National Hydro Electric Power Corporation Pvt Ltd (NHPC), India’s premier hydropower company under Ministry of Power has formed a joint venture company, “Ratle Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited” for the implementation of 850 MW Ratle Hydroelectric Project.

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About the Ratle Hydroelectric Project:  It is a run-of-the-river hydroelectric power station on the Chenab River, Kishtwar district of the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.  It includes a 133 m tall gravity dam and two power stations adjacent to one another.  The installed capacity of both power stations will be 850 MW.

Other Projects on Chenab Basin:  NHPC plans to develop projects totaling 3,814 MW on its own and through joint ventures in the union territory.  Apart from Ratle, these projects include 800 MW Bursar project. Also, NHPC is implementing the Pakal Dul (1000 MW), Kiru (624 MW) and Kwar (540 MW) hydropower projects in the J&K in a joint venture.

Kiru Hydro Electric (HE) Project:  The Kiru HE Project of 624 MW installed capacity is proposed on river Chenab (Kishtwar district).

Pakal Dul (Drangdhuran) Hydroelectric Project:  It is a reservoirbased scheme proposed on river Marusudar, the main right bank tributary of river Chenab in Kishtwar Tehsil of Doda District in Jammu & Kashmir.

Dulhasti Power Station:  It is run-of-the-river with an installed capacity of 390 MW to harness the hydropower potential of river Chenab (Kishtwar district).

Salal Power Station:  It is a run-of-the-river scheme with an installed capacity of 690 MW to harness the Hydropower potential of river Chenab. It is located in Reasi district of Jammu & Kashmir.

Kwar Project  Kwar Hydro Electric Project (540 MW) is proposed on River Chenab, located in Kishtwar district of the Jammu & Kashmir. The project is envisaged as a Run of River Scheme

Chenab River  Source: It rises in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh state.  The river is formed by the confluence of two rivers, Chandra and Bhaga, at Tandi, 8 km southwest of Keylong, in the Lahaul and Spiti district.  The Bhaga river originates from Surya taal lake, which is situated a few kilometers west of the Bara-lacha la pass in Himachal Pradesh.  The Chandra river originates from glaciers east of the same pass (near Chandra Taal).  Flows Through: It flows through the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir into the plains of Punjab, Pakistan, before flowing into the Indus River.

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9.10.QS WORLD UNIVERSITY RANKINGS 2022

Why in news? QS Quacquarelli Symonds, global higher education analysts has released the 18th edition of the world’s International University rankings. India performance  Three Indian Universities have achieved top-200 positions in QS World University Rankings 2022.  IIT Bombay 177th position, IIT Delhi securing 185th rankand IISc Bengaluru securing 186th position.  The Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, is the world's top research university as per the citations per faculty indicator.  According to the Citations Per Faculty (CPF) indicator, when universities are adjusted for faculty size (the size of the institution is taken into account for calculating the CPF).

Global Performance  The top three institutions globally are — Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Oxford and Stanford University ranked at number one, two and three respectively.

About QS World University Rankings  It is an annual publication of university rankings which comprises the global overall and subject rankings.  For the QS World University Rankings, institutions and universities were judged on six indicators-- academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, faculty/student ratio, international faculty ratio and international student ratio.

9.11.NAGORNO-KARABAKH REGION

 This territory, located within Azerbaijan, is a small enclave of Armenian population that wants to become independent and part of the neighbouring country (Armenia). With 140,000 inhabitants, 90 % of whom speak Armenian, it proclaimed independence in 1991 by creating the Republic of Artsaj.  The region lies within the Azerbaijan and it does not border Armenia.  In 1918, Joseph Stalin, in creating the USSR, occupied the Caucasus region and divided the territory into three socialist republics: Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.As in many other cases in the history of colonisation, the ethnic groups and religions that lived together in the area were not taken into account. This is how Nagorno-Karabakh remained within Azerbaijan despite being more akin to Armenia.  When the Soviet empire began to weaken, the inhabitants of Nagorno-Karabakh began to demonstrate and Armenia, in an attempt to expand its territory, entered into a war with Azerbaijan that was to last eight years (1987-1994).  Since the end of the war in 1994, representatives of the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan have been holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group on the region's disputed status. Vinay Kumar R International NLP & IAS Coach 9036113902|9886273325 www.iaswinnishers.com © Winnishers Educational Services Pvt Ltd 14

 On 27 September 2020, a new war erupted in Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding territories, which saw both the armed forces of Azerbaijan and Armenia report military and civilian casualties.

The geostrategic value of the Caucasus and its inhabitants:  Armenia and Azerbaijan are located between Europe and Asia, in an area between the Black and Caspian Seas and bordered by the mountain ranges of the Caucasus. Their geostrategic value is of great interest to neighbouring countries, both Russia and Europe, particularly because of the gas and oil fields controlled by Azerbaijan which are located in the Caspian Sea.  The Armenian population is mainly Christian and identifies with the Armenian Apostolic Church, an eastern denomination sympathetic to the Eastern Orthodox Churches. On the other hand, Azerbaijan is home to an Azeri Muslim population, about 85% of whom are Shi’a.  Territorial stability has a major economic motive. The oil and gas coming from both Russia, Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea is of great interest to Turkey and Europe.

9.12.GLOBAL LIVEABILITY INDEX 2021

 Auckland has been ranked the best on Global Liveability Index 2021 due to the ability of New Zealand city to contain Covid-19 faster, leading to the early lifting of restrictions than other cities around the world.  According to the EIU survey, six of the top 10 cities are in New Zealand and Australia.  list of the 10 most liveable cities in the world: 1. Auckland (New Zealand) 2. Osaka (Japan) 3. Adelaide (Australia) 4. Wellington (New Zealand) 5. Tokyo (Japan) 6. Perth (Australia) 7. Zurich (Switzerland) 8. Geneva (Switzerland) 9. Melbourne (Australia) 10.Brisbane (Australia)

About the Index  Global Liveability Index is published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).  The index takes into account more than 30 qualitative and quantitative factors spanning five broad categories: stability (25%), healthcare (20%), culture and environment (25%), education (10%), and infrastructure (20%).

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9.13.RAM PRASAD BISMIL

Why in news? As part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Ministry of Culture organised a special ceremony at Shahjahanpur,Uttar Pradesh to mark the birth anniversary of renowned freedom fighter Shaheed Ram Prasad Bismil. About  Pt. Ram Prasad Bismil, born on 11th June, 1897 in Shahjahanpur was amongst the most notable Indian revolutionaries who fought against British colonialism.  He wrote powerful patriotic poems in Urdu and Hindi under the pen name of Bismil from age of 19.  He formed the Hindustan Republican Association with leaders like Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad.  He was participated in the Manipuri conspiracy of 1918, and the Kakori conspiracy of 1925 with Ashfaq Ullah Khan and Roshan Singh to protest against the British Rule.  He was martyred at Gorakhpur Jail on 19th December, 1927 just aged 30, for his role in Kakori conspiracy.  While in jail, he wrote ‘Mera Rang De BasantiChola’ and ‘Sarfaroshi Ki Tamanna’ which became the anthem for freedom fighters.

9.14.PULITZER PRIZE 2021

 Indian-origin journalist Megha Rajagopalan has won the US' top journalism award, the Pulitzer Prize for innovative investigative reports that exposed a vast infrastructure of prisons and mass internment camps secretly built by China for detaining hundreds of thousands of Muslims in its restive Xinjiang region.  Another journalist of Indian-origin, Neil Bedi, won a Pulitzer in the local reporting category for investigative stories he wrote with an editor at the Tampa Bay Times exposing the misuse of authority by a law enforcement official in Florida to track children.

About Pulitzer Prize  The Pulitzer Prize is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine and online journalism, literature, and musical composition in the United States.  It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of American (Hungarian-born) Joseph Pulitzer who had made his fortune as a newspaper publisher.  Administered by: Columbia University in New York City.  Categories: Prizes are awarded yearly in 21 categories.  In 20 of the categories, each winner receives a certificate and a U.S. $15,000 cash award.  The winner in the public service category of the journalism competition is awarded a gold medal.

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9.15.FORTIFIED RICE BRAN OIL

 The government-owned National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) launched fortified rice bran oil to boost healthy living.  This initiative by Nafed will significantly reduce the country's consumption dependence on imported edible oil in future.It will provide opportunities for Indian edible oil manufacturers further, and also will give an impetus to the Prime Minister's Aatmnirbhar Bharat initiative.  This Rice bran oil will be marketed by Nafed (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd).  This oil is recommended by The American Heart Association and the World Health Organization (WHO) as one of the best substitutes for other edible oils.  Rice Bran oil from Nafed will be fortified and it will be ensured that it will contain additional nutrients and vitamins.

Benefits of Rice Bran oil  Rice Bran oil has multiple health benefits, including lowering cholesterol level due to its low trans-fat content and high mono unsaturated and poly unsaturated fat contents.  It also acts as a booster and reduces the risk of cancer due to the high amount of Vitamin E it contains.  According to the FSSAI, fortified oil can help a person fulfil 25-30% of the recommended dietary intake for vitamins A and D.

What is Rice bran oil?  It is theoil extracted from the hard outer brown layer of rice called chaff (rice husk).  It is an edible oil which is used in various forms of food preparation.  It is known for its high smoke point of 232 °C (450 °F) and mild flavor, making it suitable for high-temperature cooking methods such as stir frying and deep frying.  It is popular as a cooking oil in the Indian subcontinent and East Asian countries, including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan, and Malaysia.

What is Fortified Rice?  Fortifying rice involves grinding broken rice into powder, mixing it with nutrients, and then shaping it into rice-like kernels using an extrusion process. These fortified kernels are then mixed with normal rice in a 1:100 ratio, and distributed for consumption.  Currently, there are only 15,000 tonnes of these kernels available per year in the country. To cover PDS, anganwadis and mid-day meals in the 112 aspirational districts, annual supply capacity would need to be increased to about 1.3 lakh tonnes.

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9.16.INDO-ISRAEL AGRICULTURAL PROJECT (IIAP)

 The Government of India and Karnataka jointly inaugurated three centres of excellence (CoE) in the southern state under the Indo-Israel Agricultural Project (IIAP).  The three COEs will include one for pomegranate in Bagalkote, mango in Kolar and vegetables in Dharwad district.

About  The Indo-Israeli Agriculture Project is based on the concept of establishing Centers of Excellence which provide a platform for a rapid transfer of technology to the farmers with the aim of increasing productivity and improving the quality of produce.  The first stage of the Indo-Israeli Agricultural Cooperation Project started in 2008.  Within this framework, the State of Israel was requested to share best-practices and knowhow, and provide capacity building through professional training programs to be conducted both in Israel and in India.  It was established that the implementing partners will be NHM–The National Horticulture Mission under the Ministry of Agriculture of India and MASHAV- Israel's Agency for International Development Cooperation under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  To achieve the stated goals of the cooperation agreement, it was decided to establish “Agricultural Centers of Excellence,” funded by both the Federal Government NHM and by individual State Governments, that are also responsible to allocate land and professional manpower.  There are 29 operational Centres of Excellence (COEs) across India in 12 States, implementing advanced Israeli Agro-Technology tailored to local conditions.

9.17.JALGAON BANANA

Why in news? In a major boost to exports of Geographical Indications (GI) certified agricultural produce, a consignment of fibre and mineral rich ‘Jalgaon banana’ has been exported to Dubai.

About  In 2016, Jalgaon Banana got GI certification which was registered with Nisargraja Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Jalgaon district of Maharashtra.  India is the world's leading producer of bananas with a share of around 25% in total output.  Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh contribute more than 70% of the country's banana production.

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9.18.JUNETEENTH

Why in news?  US President Joe Biden had signed a bill to make June 19 or “Juneteenth” a national holiday.  This holiday will be recognized by federal government to commemorating end of slavery after American Civil War.

About  Juneteenth, combination of June and nineteenth, is observed on June 19 every year. It is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of end of slavery in America.  Juneteenth(also Juneteenth National Independence Day, Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day and Emancipation Day) is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States.  On January 1, 1863, then-president Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that “all persons held as slaves” within the states in rebellion “are, and henceforward shall be free.”  Over 2.5 years after Lincoln’s proclamation, many slave owners continued to hold their slavescaptive by hiding this information from them and holding them slaves for one more harvest season.  On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and announced the end of both the Civil War and slavery. Since then, Juneteenth has become a largely symbolic date representing freedom for African Americans.

Abraham Lincoln:  He was an American lawyer and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.  He preserved the Union during the American Civil War and brought about the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.

9.19.'WHO M-YOGA' MOBILE APP

 The Prime Minister of India, launched 'WHO M-Yoga’ App on the occasion of 7thInternational Day of Yoga.  The “mYoga” application is developed by the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, Ministry of Ayush in partnership with the World Health Organisation.  The application will contain training and practice videos and audios based on Common Yoga Protocol which can be used by all—with the objective of promoting one world, one health.  Currently launched app is available in two of the six official languages of the UN i.e English and Hindi.

Benefits:  Terming this as a great example of fusion of modern technology and ancient science

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 M-Yoga app will help in spreading Yoga world over and will contribute to the efforts of One World,One Health.  This mobile app will be immensely helpful in the promotion of Yoga and wellness among people around the world, especially during the ongoing pandemic.  It will play an instrumental role in re-rehabilitation of the health of the Covid patients who have recovered from Covid-19.

Background:  The Ministry of AYUSH and the World Health Organization (WHO) had jointly undertaken a project in mid 2019, focusing on mobile-Yoga.  It envisaged the concept of the ‘Be Healthy, Be Mobile’ (BHBM) under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to achieve Universal Health Coverage by 2030.  Be Healthy, Be Mobile (BHBM) initiative is a global partnership led by WHO which supports the scale up of mobile health (m-Health) technology within the scope of the National Health system to combat non-communicable diseases (NCDs).  In order to achieve the above objectives, a memorandum of understanding was signed in July, 2019 between WHO and the Ministry of AYUSH.  The m-Yoga project focused on four areas: 1. Common Yoga Protocol for GeneralWellness; 2. Yoga for mental health and resilience; 3. Yoga for Adolescents; and 4. Yoga for pre - Diabetics

About Be Healthy, Be Mobile(BHBM)  7 billion mobile telephone subscriptions across the world hasthe potential to transform the face of health service delivery across the globe.  Increasing threat of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which kill 41 million people each year, around 71% of all deaths.  To address this challenge, the Be Healthy, Be Mobile (BHBM) initiative was set up by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Telecommunication union (ITU) in 2012.  BHBM works with governments to scale upmobile health (m-Health) services for NCDs and their risk factors.  Major objective 1. The major objective is to continue expanding the number of countries it works with and the variety of diseases it addresses. 2. To achieve Goal 3 of the Sustainable Development Goals for global community by 2030.

9.20.DRAGON MAN

 The discovery of a huge fossilised skull that was wrapped up and hidden in a Chinese well nearly 90 years ago has forced scientists to rewrite the story of human evolution.  The extraordinary fossil has been named a new human species, Homo longi or “Dragon man”, by Chinese researchers, although other experts are more cautious about the designation.

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 Analysis of the remains has revealed a new branch of the human family tree that points to a previously unknown sister group more closely related to modern humans than the Neanderthals.  The skull dates back at least 146,000 years, placing it in the Middle Pleistocene. It combines primitive features, such as a broad nose and low brow and braincase, with those that are more similar to Homo sapiens, including flat and delicate cheekbones.

9.21.'ITAT E-DWAR'

 Union Minister for Law & Justice, Communications and Electronics & IT, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, launched a e-filing portal of Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) called ‘itat e-dwar’.  e-Filing Portal would enable the parties to file their Appeals, Miscellaneous Applications, documents, paper books, etc., electronically.  The launch of e-Filing Portal ‘itat e-dwar’ will enhance the accessibility, accountability and transparency in the day to day working of the ITAT.  It would not only result in economization of the use of paper, savings in costs but also rationalization of the fixation of cases leading to quicker disposal of cases.

About Income Tax Appellate Tribunal:  Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) is a quasi-judicial institution set up in 1941under section 5A of the Income Tax Act, 1922.  Initially, it had three Benches at Delhi, Kolkata (Calcutta) and Mumbai (Bombay).  But presently ITAT has 63 Benches at 27 different stations covering almost all the cities having a seat of the High Court.  ITAT is referred to as 'Mother Tribunal' being the oldest Tribunal in the country.  ITAT draws inspiration from its motto ‘Nishpaksh Sulabh Satvar Nyay’, which means impartial, easy and speedy justice.  Functions: It deals with appeals under the Direct Taxes Acts namely, the Income-tax Act, 1961.  The orders passed by the ITAT are final, an appeal lies to the High Court only if a substantial question of law arises for determination.

9.22.AMBERGRIS

Why in news?  Recently Mumbai Police has arrested five persons trying to sell Ambergris or whale vomit. Nearly 9 kg of Ambergris was seized by the Mumbai Police.

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What is Ambergris?  Ambergris or grey amber, is a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull grey or blackish colour produced in the digestive system of sperm whales.  It is generally referred to as whale vomit.  Ambergris is formed from a secretion of the bile duct in the intestines of the sperm whale, and can be found floating on the sea or washed up on coastlines.  German physician Franz Schwediawer in 1783 called it “preternaturally hardened whale dung”.

Is it Ambergris valuable?  This excretion is so valuable it is referred to as floating gold.  The reason for its high cost is its use in the perfume market, especially to create fragrances like musk.

Why are the laws on Ambergris?

 Due to its high value, Ambergris has been a target for smugglers especially in coastal areas. There have been several cases where the coastline of Gujarat has been used for such smuggling.  Since the sperm whale is a protected species, hunting of the whale is not allowed. However, smugglers are known to have illegally targeted the fish in order to obtain the valuable Ambergris from its stomach.

9.23.BANKIM CHANDRA CHATTOPADHYAY

 Born on June 27, 1838, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay, was an Indian writer, poet, and journalist and is best known for composing India’s national song ‘Vande Mataram’ which was penned on November 7, 1875.  The verses of Vande Mataram can also be found in his political novel, Anandamath. The book was published in 1882. It was primarily about the Sanyasi army fighting the British soldiers. The tune of Vande Mataram was later given by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore.  He wrote 13 novels in Bengali and produced many critical, satirical, scientific, and seriocomic works. He was also addressed as Sahitya Samrat in Bengali.  His earliest publications were in Ishwar Chandra Gupta's weekly newspaper Sangbad Prabhakar.  Durgeshnandini, his first Bengali romance and the first ever novel in Bengali, was published in 1865.  One of his many novels are entitled to be termed as historical fiction is Rajsimha and his Anandamath is a political novel whose plot is loosely set on the Sanyasi Rebellion.

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9.24.HERERO AND NAMA GENOCIDE

Why in news?  In May, Germany officially apologised to Namibia for the massacre of the Herero and Nama people in 1904-1908 during its colonial occupation from 1884 to 1915 and announced financial aid worth more than$1.34bn. About  The Herero and Namagenocidewas the first genocide of the 20th century, waged by the German Empire against the Herero and the Nama in German South West Africa (now Namibia) which occurred between 1904 and 1908.  Under German colonial rule, natives were routinely used as slave labourers, and their lands were frequently confiscated and given to colonists, who were encouraged to settle on land taken from the natives; that land was stocked with cattle stolen from the Herero and Nama, causing a great deal of resentment.  Over the next decade, the land and the cattle that were essential to Herero and Nama lifestyles passed into the hands of German settlers arriving in South West Africa.  The genocide began in 1904 after a Herero and Nama rebellion over German seizures of their land and cattle. The head of the military administration there, Lothar von Trotha, called for the extermination of the population in response.  The UN defines genocide as a number of acts, including killing, committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.

Herero people  The Herero are a Bantu ethnic group inhabiting parts of Southern Africa.  Though the Herero primarily reside in Namibia, there are also significant populations in Botswana and Angola.  The Herero are traditionally cattle-herding pastoralists who rate status on the number of cattle owned.  The Herero language is the main unifying link among the Herero peoples.It is a Bantu language, part of the Niger–Congo family.

Nama people  Nama are an African ethnic group of South Africa, Namibia and Botswana.  They traditionally speak the Nama language of the Khoe-Kwadi language family.

9.25.NATRAX

 It is the Asia’s longest and world’s fifth longest High Speed Track for automobiles of length 11.3 km in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.  NATRAX, developed in an area of 1000 acres of land, is a one stop solution for all sorts of highspeed performance tests for widest categories of vehicles from 2 wheelers to heavy tractor trailers.  The NATRAX centre has multiple test capabilities like measurements of maximum speed, acceleration, constant speed fuel consumption, emission tests through real

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road driving simulation, high speed handling and stability evaluation during manoeuvred such as lane change, high speed durability testing, etc. and is a Centre of excellence for Vehicle Dynamics.

9.26.PC MAHALANOBIS

 Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis was an Indian scientist and statistician from erstwhile Bengal (now West Bengal).  He founded the Indian Statistical Institute, and contributed to the design of large-scale sample surveys.  He also established the National Sample Survey in 1950 and set up the Central Statistical Organisation to coordinate statistical activities. He became a member of the Planning Commission in 1955 and continued till 1967.  For his contributions, Mahalanobis has been considered the father of modern statistics in India.  Mahalanobis was instrumental in formulating India’s second five-year plan (1956- 1961), which laid the blueprint for industrialisation and development in India.  One of his most remarkable achievements was when Mahalanobis devised a measure of comparison between two data sets, now popularly called "Mahalanobis distance". The study is widely used in the field of cluster analysis and classification.  He also introduced innovative techniques to devise a statistical method called fractile graphical analysis used to compare socio-economic conditions of varied groups.  He analysed data regarding the floods in Odisha and published his findings in 1926. This analysis later formed the basis for the construction of the Hirakud dam on the Mahanadi River.  Former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, in 2006, named June 29 as National Statistics Day in honour of Professor PC Mahalanobis.

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