(PRELIMS + MAINS FOCUS)

SCO ONLINE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India & Chair of the SCO Council of Heads of Government in 2020, launched the first ever SCO Online Exhibition on Shared Buddhist Heritage, during the 19th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government (SCO CHG), held in New Delhi, in video-conference format. About:  This SCO online International exhibition, first ever of its kind, is developed and curated by National Museum, New Delhi, in active collaboration with Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries.  The exhibition deploys state of the art technologies like 3D scanning, webGL platform, virtual space utilization, innovative curation and narration methodology etc.  Buddhist philosophy and art of Central Asia connects Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries to each other.  The visitors can explore the Indian Buddhist treasures from the Gandhara and Mathura Schools, Nalanda, Amaravati, Sarnath etc. in a 3D virtual format.

PEACOCK SOFT-SHELLED TURTLE Recently, Peacock soft-shelled turtle (a turtle of a vulnerable species) has been rescued from a fish market in Assam’s Silchar. Key Points Scientific Name: Nilssonia hurum. Features:  They have a large head, downturned snout with low and oval carapace of dark olive green to nearly black, sometimes with a yellow rim.  The head and limbs are olive green; the forehead has dark reticulations and large yellow or orange patches or spots, especially behind the eyes and across the snout.  Males possess relatively longer and thicker tails than females. Habitat:  This species is confined to India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.  In india, it is widespread in the northern and central parts of the Indian subcontinent.  These are found in rivers, streams, lakes and ponds with mud or sand bottoms. Major Threats:  The species is heavily exploited for its meat and calipee (the outer cartilaginous rim of the shell).  Threats in the River Ganga to the species are those generics for all large river turtles, including reduction of fish stock, as a result of overfishing, pollution, increase in river traffic, and sand-mining, among others. Conservation Status:  Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I  IUCN Red List: Vulnerable  CITES: Appendix I

ORGANISATION OF ISLAMIC COOPERATION (OIC) India hit out at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for making factually incorrect and unwarranted references to Jammu and Kashmir. About:  The 47th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on November 27-29 at Niamey, Niger, had made a reference to India over its policies on J&K.  The OIC — formerly Organisation of the Islamic Conference — is the world’s second largest inter-governmental organisation after the UN, with a membership of 57 states.  The OIC’s stated objective is “to safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world”.  OIC has reserved membership for Muslim-majority countries. Russia, Thailand, and a couple of other small countries have Observer status.

RISE IN NREGS DEMAND Recently in News A recent analysis of data available up to November on the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) portal shows that demand for work has been at all-time high. Key Points The NREGS is a demand-based scheme and has emerged as a safety net during the pandemic for jobless migrant workers returning to their villages Despite a progressive relaxation in Covid-19 curbs to revive the economy, 96% gram panchayats have logged work under the scheme in the financial year (2020-21) as compared to previous seven years. The number of gram panchayats generating nil person days of work (panchayats with zero person days work) during the current financial year are at an eight-year low of only 3.42% of the 2.68 lakh gram panchayats across the country. www.ambitionias.in 1

Over 96% of gram panchayats across the country have registered demand for work under NREGS from April till November-end. Over 6.5 crore households, covering 9.42 crore individuals, have availed NREGS till November 2020, which is an all- time high.  Over 265.81 crore person days have been generated, which is higher than 265.44 crore generated in 2019.  1.98 crore households availed the scheme in October 2020, which is 82% higher than 2019.  Highest number of demands for work came from Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The wage expenditure has also reached an all-time high of Rs. 53,522 crore during this period. Tamil Nadu has reported the highest figure of households that availed the NREGS across the country, since July and has been followed by West Bengal.  These two states were not covered under the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan.

ANNAPURNA IDOL In the November 29 episode of Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that an ancient idol of the goddess Annapurna, stolen from India about a century ago, is being brought back from Canada. About:  This idol was stolen from a temple of Varanasi and smuggled out of the country around 100 years ago somewhere around 1913.  Annapurna, also spelt Annapoorna, is the goddess of food. The 18th-century idol, carved in the Benares style, is part of the University of Regina, Canada’s collection at the MacKenzie Art Gallery. Important Info: Other objects returned:  A few weeks ago, Union Culture Minister Prahlad Patel handed over 13th-century bronze idols of Lord Rama, Lakshmana and goddess Sita, which were repatriated from the UK recently, to the Tamil Nadu government.  Between 2014 and 2020, the government has been able to retrieve 40 antiquities from various countries; between 1976 and 2014, as per ASI records, 13 antique pieces had been repatriated to India.

RAMAYAN CRUISE TOUR Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways announced that ‘Ramayan Cruise Tour’ on the Saryu river in Ayodhya will be launched soon. About:  It will be the first-ever luxury Cruise service on the Saryu river (Ghagra/National Waterways-40) in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh.  It aims to give mesmerizing experience to devotees with one-of-its-kind spiritual journeys while cruising through the famous ghats of the holy river Saryu.  Tourists will be taken on the ‘Ramcharitmanas Tour’, of 1-1.5 hour duration, featuring an exclusively made video film of 45-60 minutes duration, based on Ramcharitmanas by Goswami Tulsidas, covering the period from the birth of Lord Ram to his Rajyabhishek. Important Info: Ayodhya is the birthplace of Lord Ram, as mentioned in in the great Indian epic Ramayan. It is also the first of the seven most important pilgrimage sites (Mokshdayini Sapt Puris) for the Hindus.

VIRTUAL AADI MAHOTSAV Recently in News The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched the virtual edition of Aadi Mahotsav - Madhya Pradesh.  The next focus state would be Gujarat, followed by West Bengal. Key Points Aadi Mahotsav:  It is a national tribal festival and a joint initiative of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED). It commenced in 2017 and is held annually.  It is an attempt to familiarise the people with the rich and diverse craft, culture of the tribal communities across the country, in one place.  In 2019, the festival was held in New Delhi and featured an exhibition-cum-sale of tribal handicrafts, art, paintings, fabric, jewellery, etc. Virtual Edition of Aadi Mahotsav:  This year, TRIFED has moved the event online and will be hosted on the Tribes India E-Marketplace.  It will bring the spotlight on all the major tribes one-by one.

‘CHILD-FRIENDLY’ POLICE STATION LAUNCHED IN PUNE A "child-friendly" police station set up in accordance with the guidelines laid down by the National Commissioner for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was launched in Pune. About:  Pune police have worked with Hope for Children Foundation to set up this.  Child-friendly police station is an innovative concept in the direction of preventing juvenile crimes and children reforms. www.ambitionias.in 2

 This police station will work towards character building among children and will also work in changing the notion that police are not enemies but friends of people.  The child friendly police station houses books and toys and will also work towards character building among children.

CRITICISM OF POLICIES ON KASHMIR: OIC Recently in News India has ‘strongly’ rejected the criticism of its Kashmir policy by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).  The 47th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, held at Niamey (Niger), had made a reference to India over its policies on Jammu and Kashmir. Key Points 47th Session of OIC: A report submitted at the 47th session referred to the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.  It said that the decision of the Indian government to repeal special status (in 2019) was aimed towards changing the demographic and geographic composition of the territory.  The continuous blockade and restrictions together have led to human rights abuses.  The statement acknowledged the support that Pakistan has been providing to keep the Kashmir issue on the agenda of the organisation. India’s Stand:  India strongly hit out at the OIC, accusing it of making "factually incorrect and unwarranted" references to Jammu and Kashmir in resolutions adopted by the grouping at the session.  India asserted that the union territory is an integral and inalienable part of the country.  India advised the OIC to refrain from making such references in future and said it is regrettable that the grouping continues to allow itself to be used by a certain country "which has an abominable record on religious tolerance, radicalism and persecution of minorities" in a clear reference to Pakistan. Significance of India’s latest statement:  India believes to bust the double standard of OIC, where it supports the agenda of Pakistan in the name of human rights.  India now sees the duality of the OIC unjustifiable, since many of the member countries of the OIC have good bilateral ties and convey to India to ignore OIC statements but sign off on the joint statements which are largely drafted by Pakistan.  India also wants to challenge this issue because of the possibility of the Joe Biden administration in the US which may have a strong view on human rights in Kashmir and may issue statements that may complicate India’s image at the global stage. India and OIC India’s relationship with OIC as an organisation:  At the 45th session of the Foreign Ministers’ Summit in 2018, Bangladesh, the host, suggested that India, where more than 10% of the world’s Muslims live, should be given Observer status, but Pakistan opposed the proposal.  In 2019, India made its maiden appearance at the OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting, as a “guest of honour”. Criticism of India's Policies by OIC:  It has been generally supportive of Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir, and has issued statements criticising the alleged Indian “atrocities” in the state/Union Territory.  OIC has criticised the Government of India over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, and the Babri Masjid verdict of the Supreme Court.  OIC has also criticised the Indian government for what it called “growing Islamophobia” in India. India’s Response:  India has always maintained that OIC has no locus standi in matters strictly internal to India including that of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir which is an integral and inalienable part of India. India’s relationship with OIC member countries:  Individually, India has good relations with almost all member nations.  Ties with the UAE and Saudi Arabia, especially, have improved significantly in recent years. o The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi (UAE) was a special chief guest at the 68th Republic Day celebrations in 2017.  The OIC includes two of India’s close neighbours, Bangladesh and Maldives. o Indian diplomats say both countries privately admit that they do not want to complicate their bilateral ties with India on Kashmir.

ROSHNI ACT The Jammu & Kashmir administration has recently released a series of lists of alleged beneficiaries of the Roshni Act of 2001, now scrapped, which gave ownership rights to the unauthorised occupants of state land against payment of a premium. About:  Following a recent order by the Jammu & Kashmir High Court, the administration has annulled the Act (it was earlier repealed prospectively) and decided to retrieve land transferred under the Roshni scheme.  Formally the Jammu and Kashmir State Land (Vesting of Ownership to the Occupants) Act, 2001, Roshni Act was passed by the then National Conference government to give ownership to people in possession of state land, with a cut-off of 1990, and against a payment as determined by the government. www.ambitionias.in 3

 Since the aim was to generate resources for hydroelectric power projects, it was called Roshni (Light) Act.  In its 2014 report, the CAG termed the scheme a ` 25,000-crore scam. In October 2018, then Governor Satya Pal Malik repealed the Roshni Act prospectively.

THEREMIN Theremin instrument turned 100 years old this year. About:  What is it? The theremin is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the thereminist (performer).  History: The instrument was invented in 1920. It is named after its inventor, Leon Theremin, who patented the device in 1928.  Functioning: The instrument's controlling section usually consists of two metal antennas that sense the relative position of the thereminist's hands and control oscillators for frequency with one hand, and amplitude (volume) with the other. The electric signals from the theremin are amplified and sent to a loudspeaker.

TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN MOTHER TONGUE Recently, the Union Education Minister has set up a task force for preparing a roadmap on imparting technical education in the mother tongue of students. Key Points The Task force:  Chairmanship: It will be set-up under the chairmanship of the secretary, higher education, Amit Khare.  Objective: To achieve the Prime Minister’s vision that students may pursue the professional courses such as medicine, engineering, law, etc in their mother tongue.  Function: It will take into consideration the suggestions made by various stakeholders and will submit a report in a month. Reasons for imparting technical education in regional languages:  Enhances formative learning: It has been observed that the human mind is more receptive to communication in the language in which it is accustomed to thinking from childhood. o When explained in regional languages, especially mother tongue, grabbing the concepts or expression of the ideas by the students becomes fairly easy.  Practiced by Many Countries: Across the globe, classroom teaching is pursued in a variety of regional languages, be it France or Germany or Russia or a country like China, which has over 300 languages and dialects with 8 of them being the major ones.  Creates Inclusion: It will help in social inclusiveness, improving literacy rates, reduction in poverty and international cooperation. Language can become a catalyst for inclusive development. Removal of the existing linguistic barriers will help in realizing the goal of inclusive governance. Challenges: Providing technical education in regional languages requires teachers proficient in undertaking classes in the vernacular medium along with English, textbooks and reference materials in regional languages, besides technological assistance such as audio translation aids. Government Initiatives to Promote Regional Languages:  The recently announced National Education Policy 2020 promotes education in regional languages.  The Commission for Scientific and Technical Terminology (CSTT) is providing publication grants towards the publications of University Level Books in regional languages.  The National Translation Mission (NTM) is being implemented through the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore under which the text books of various subjects prescribed in Universities and Colleges are being translated in all languages of the Eighth Schedule.  The Government of India is running a scheme known as “Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages” for conservation of threatened languages.  The University Grants Commission (UGC) also promotes regional languages in higher education courses in the country and supports nine Central Universities under the scheme “Establishment of Centre for Endangered Languages in Central Universities”.  Recently, an initiative Namath Basai by Kerala State Government has proved to be very beneficial in educating children from tribal areas by adopting vernacular languages as medium of instruction. Global Efforts:  The Yuelu Proclamation made by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at Changsha, China, in 2018 plays a central role in guiding the efforts of countries and regions around the world to protect linguistic resources and diversity.  The United Nations General Assembly had proclaimed 2019 as the International Year of Indigenous Languages (IYIL). o The IYIL 2019 aimed to preserve, support and promote indigenous languages at the national, regional and international levels. Outcome  Countries around the world have successfully substituted english with their mother tongues and have been able to produce world-class scientists, researchers, technicians and thinkers. The barrier of language is only as long as there is lack of proper encouragement to the generation of knowledge in the respective language. The government should encourage original scientific writing, publication of books in regional languages to help this transition. www.ambitionias.in 4

 Also, studies around the world have shown that children are able to learn multiple languages if they are taught from an early age. One can actively promote regional languages without compromising knowledge of English language which can be taught as an extra subject. It is important to remember that English is one of many skills which one can equip the children with in order for them to fully participate in and experience the world.

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INSURANCE SUPERVISORS The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) obtained membership of International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS). About:  Established in 1994, the IAIS headquartered in Switzerland.  It is a voluntary membership organization of insurance supervisors and regulators from more than 200 jurisdictions, constituting 97% of the world's insurance premiums. Some of the leading members of IAIS are:  United Kingdom- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA),  USA- National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NIAC),  India- Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) etc.  It is the international standard-setting body responsible for developing and assisting in the implementation of principles, standards and other supporting material for the supervision of the insurance sector. Important Info:  With this membership IFSCA would have access to IAIS’s global network and would be able to exchange ideas and information with other global regulators. This would help in developing a vibrant global Insurance hub in IFSC at GIFT City.

BNT162b2 Britain became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for use and said that it will be rolled out from early next week. About:  The British regulator Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) declared that the vaccine offers protection of up to 95 per cent and is safe to be used for immunisation against Covid-19.  The American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech last month concluded phase 3 study of their mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccine candidate BNT162b2, meeting all primary efficacy endpoints. Important Info:  BNT162b2 is a COVID-19 vaccine candidate developed by BioNTech and Pfizer and given by intramuscular injection.  It is an RNA vaccine composed of nucleoside-modified mRNA encoding a mutated form of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, and is encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles.

GLOBAL TEACHER PRIZE 2020 Recently in News Ranjitsinh Disale, a primary teacher from Maharashtra's Solapur, has won the Global Teacher Prize 2020. Key Points Global Teacher Prize:  It is a 1-million-dollar award presented annually to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to their profession.  Founder: Varkey Foundation, which is a global charitable foundation focused on improving the standards of education. The award is organised in partnership with UNESCO. Objective:  It serves to underline the importance of educators and the fact that, throughout the world, their efforts deserve to be recognised and celebrated.  It seeks to acknowledge the impacts of the very best teachers not only on their students but on the communities around them. o An inadequate education is a major factor behind the social, political, economic and health issues faced by the world today. Education has the power to reduce poverty, prejudice and conflict. Ranjitsinh Disale’s Contribution:  He changed a dilapidated school to a school which went on to become the first in Maharashtra to introduce Quick Response (QR) Codes. o A QR code is a type of barcode that contains a matrix of dots. It can be scanned using a QR scanner or a smartphone with a built-in camera.  He not only translated the class textbooks into his pupils' mother tongue, but also embedded them with unique QR codes to give students access to audio poems, video lectures, stories and assignments.  He is also passionate about building peace between young people across conflict zones. His ‘Let’s Cross the Borders’ project connects young people from India and Pakistan, Palestine and Israel, Iraq and Iran and the USA and North Korea. Impact of Disale’s Efforts:  There are now no reported teenage marriages in the village and 100% attendance of girls at the school.  The state government announced in 2017 that they would introduce QR coded textbooks across the state for all grades. o In 2018, it was announced that all NCERT textbooks would have embedded QR Codes. www.ambitionias.in 5

AUSTRALIAN SQUARE KILOMETRE ARRAY PATHFINDER (ASKAP) The Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP), a powerful telescope developed and operated by the country’s science agency CSIRO, has mapped over three million galaxies in a record 300 hours during its first all-sky survey. About:  ASKAP is a telescope designed over a decade ago and located about 800 km north of Perth. It became fully operational in February 2019 and is currently conducting pilot surveys of the sky before it can begin large- scale projects from 2021 onward.  ASKAP surveys are designed to map the structure and evolution of the Universe, which it does by observing galaxies and the hydrogen gas that they contain.  One of its most important features is its wide field of view, because of which it has been able to take panoramic pictures of the sky in great detail.  The telescope uses novel technology developed by CSIRO, which is a kind of a “radio camera” to achieve high survey speeds and consists of 36 dish antennas, which are each 12m in diameter.  The present Rapid ASKAP Continuum Survey (RACS) taken by the ASKAP telescope is like a “Google map” of the Universe where most of the millions of star-like points are distant galaxies, about a million of which have not been seen before.

LOTTERY, GAMBLING, BETTING TAXABLE UNDER GST ACT: SC Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) has held that lottery, gambling and betting are taxable under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act, 2017. Background:  The SC passed the order in a batch of pleas filed by various lottery dealers who argued that the Central government had wrongfully classified lottery as goods.  Challenging Section 2 (52) of the 2017 Act and notifications levying tax on lottery, petitioners contended that the law was violative of the fundamental rights and contrary to the SC judgment (Sunrise Associates Vs. Government of NCT of Delhi 2006) that held that lotteries were merely actionable claims and cannot be defined as ‘goods’. Judgement:  Lottery, betting and gambling are actionable claims and come within the definition of goods under Section 2 (52) of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017.  The levy of GST on lotteries does not amount to hostile discrimination. o As per Schedule III of CGST Act 2017, actionable claims other than lottery, betting and gambling are neither treated as supply of goods nor a supply of services.  The Parliament has an absolute power to go for an inclusive definition of the term ‘goods’ to include actionable claims like lottery, gambling and betting. o Article 246A of the Constitution fully empowers the Parliament to make laws with respect to goods and services tax and expansive definition of goods given in Section 2 (52) cannot be said to be not in accord with the constitutional provisions. Central Laws Related to Lottery, Gambling and Betting The Lotteries Regulation Act, 1998:  Lottery is considered as legal in India. Lottery should be organized by the state government and the place of Draw should be in that particular state. Indian Penal Code, 1860:  The code has provisions for punishing anyone who to the annoyance of others does any obscene act in a public place or sings, recites or utters any obscene song, ballad or words, in or near any public place.  These provisions of the IPC may be attracted if any obscene matter is used for the purpose of advertising betting and gambling activities. Prize Competitions Act, 1955:  It defines Prize in Competitions. Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999:  Remittance of the income generated from lottery winning, racing/riding is prohibited under this Act. Information Technology Rules, 2011:  Under these rules, any internet service provider, network service provider or any search engine will not host any such content which directly or indirectly support Gambling. Income Tax Act, 1961:  Under this Act, current taxation policy in India covers all types of Gambling industry directly and indirectly. Thus, it can be said that all regulated and legalized Gambling is supported in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of India.

PEN HESSELL-TILTMAN PRIZE FOR HISTORY 2020 British Indian journalist and author Anita Anand's book that tells the story of a young man caught up in the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar has won a prestigious history-literary prize in the UK. About:  'The Patient Assassin: A True Tale of Massacre, Revenge and the Raj' beat six other titles for the PEN Hessell- Tiltman Prize for History 2020, awarded annually for a non-fiction book of specifically historical content. www.ambitionias.in 6

 English PEN, which stands for Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists, Novelists, is one of the world's oldest human rights organisations championing the freedom to write and read.  It is the founding centre of PEN International, a worldwide writers' association with 145 centres in more than 100 countries.  Marjorie Hessell-Tiltman was a member of PEN during the 1960s and 1970s and on her death in 1999, she bequeathed 100,000 pounds to the PEN Literary Foundation to found a prize in her name.  Entries are required to be works of high literary merit - that is, not primarily written for the academic market - and can cover all historical periods.

DHARAMPAL GULATI The founder of MDH Spices, Mahashay Dharampal Gulati — the grand old man of spices — suffered a cardiac arrest and died at a Delhi hospital at the age of 98. About:  Dharampal Gulati (1923 – 2020), also known as Mahashay Dharampal Gulati, was an Indian businessman, and founder and CEO of MDH (Mahashian Di Hatti), an Indian spice company.  He was referred to as 'spice-king' in reference to his pioneering of ready-to-use ground spices.  He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, in 2019.  MDH is the second largest leader in the Indian market with 12% market share, following Everest Spices.

MONETARY POLICY: RBI Recently, the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has left the repo rate unchanged and maintained an accommodative policy stance as it prioritised support for the economy's recovery over inflation amid the Covid-19 pandemic.  It has also announced various other liquidity management measures and steps to improve regulatory oversight of the financial system.  The MPC is a statutory and institutionalized framework under the RBI Act 1934, for maintaining price stability, while keeping in mind the objective of growth. It determines the policy interest rate (repo rate) required to achieve the inflation target (4%). Repo Rate:  The MPC has kept the RBI’s key lending rate, the repo rate, steady at 4% and reverse repo rate at 3.35%.  It has left key policy rates unchanged for the third time in a row in the wake of persistently high retail inflation, even as it pointed to the economy, which contracted in the last two quarters, showing signs of early recovery.  The central bank has slashed the repo rate by 115 basis points (bps) since late March to cushion the economy from the fallout of the Covid-19 and the resultant lockdowns. GDP Projections:  The real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for FY 2020-21 has been projected at -7.5%.  However, with the country gradually opening up after the lockdown and the improvement in activity in the second quarter, GDP is expected to expand by 0.1% in the December quarter and 0.7% in the March quarter. Inflation:  Inflation still remains a concern for policymakers as the supply-side bottlenecks had fuelled inflation and large margins were being charged to the consumer.  Cost push pressure or cost push inflation continue to impinge on core inflation, which has not changed much and could firm up as economic activity normalises and demand picks up.  Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) at a six-year high of 7.6% in October, which is well above its medium target level of 4% within a band of plus/minus 2%. Risk-based Internal Audit Norms:  RBI has announced the introduction of risk-based internal audit norms for large Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) and Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), as part of measures aimed at improving governance and assurance functions at supervised entities.  The RBI also moved to harmonise the guidelines on the appointment of statutory auditors for commercial banks, UCBs and NBFCs in order to improve the quality of financial reporting.  It had been decided to put in place transparent criteria for the declaration of dividends by different categories of NBFCs.

JUPITER SATURN GREAT CONJUNCTION In a rare celestial event, Jupiter and Saturn will be seen very close to each other (conjunction) on 21st December 2020, appearing like one bright star. Key Points  Conjunction: If two celestial bodies visually appear close to each other from Earth, it is called a conjunction.  Great Conjunction: Astronomers use the term great conjunction to describe meetings of the two biggest worlds in the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn. o It happens about every 20 years. o The conjunction is the result of the orbital paths of Jupiter and Saturn coming into line, as viewed from Earth. . Jupiter orbits the sun about every 12 years, and Saturn about every 29 years. www.ambitionias.in 7

o The conjunction will be on 21st December, 2020, also the date of the December solstice. o It will be the closest alignment of Saturn and Jupiter since 1623, in terms of distance. The next time the planets will be this close is 2080. o They will appear to be close together, however, they will be more than 400 million miles apart. Jupiter:  Fifth in line from the Sun, Jupiter is, by far, the largest planet in the solar system – more than twice as massive as all the other planets combined.  Jupiter’s iconic Great Red Spot is a giant storm bigger than Earth that has raged for hundreds of years.  Jupiter rotates once about every 10 hours (a Jovian day), but takes about 12 Earth years to complete one orbit of the Sun (a Jovian year).  Jupiter has more than 75 moons.  The planet Jupiter's four largest moons are called the Galilean satellites after Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei, who first observed them in 1610.  These large moons, named Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto, are each distinctive worlds.  In 1979, the Voyager mission discovered Jupiter’s faint ring system.  Nine spacecraft have visited Jupiter. Seven flew by and two have orbited the gas giant. Juno, the most recent, arrived at Jupiter in 2016. Saturn:  Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the solar system.  Saturn takes about 10.7 hours to rotate on its axis once - a Saturn “day” - and 29 Earth years to orbit the sun.  Saturn has 53 known moons with an additional 29 moons awaiting confirmation of their discovery - that is a total of 82 moons. It has the giant moon ‘Titan’.  Saturn has the most spectacular ring system, with seven rings and several gaps and divisions between them.  Few missions have visited Saturn: Pioneer 11 and Voyagers 1 and 2 flew by; But Cassini orbited Saturn 294 times from 2004 to 2017.

CHINA’S ARTIFICIAL SUN China successfully powered up its “artificial sun” nuclear fusion reactor for the first time recently, marking a great advance in the country’s nuclear power research capabilities. The nuclear reactor is expected to provide clean energy. Key Points The HL-2M Tokamak reactor is China’s largest and most advanced nuclear fusion experimental research device, and scientists hope that the device can potentially unlock a powerful clean energy source.  HL-2M Tokamak device is used in it to replicate the nuclear fusion process that occurs naturally in the sun. It uses a powerful magnetic field to fuse hot plasma and can reach temperatures of over 150 million degrees Celsius, approximately ten times hotter than the core of the sun. Located in Sichuan province, the reactor is often called an “artificial sun” on account of the enormous heat and power it produces. Other Similar Experiment:  International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor  International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is a collaboration of 35 nations launched in 1985.  It is located in France.  Aim: o It aims to build the world's largest tokamak to prove the feasibility of fusion as a large-scale and carbon- free source of energy. o The tokamak is an experimental machine designed to harness the energy of fusion. Inside a tokamak, the energy produced through the fusion of atoms is absorbed as heat in the walls of the vessel. Like a conventional power plant, a fusion power plant uses this heat to produce steam and then electricity by way of turbines and generators.

HAMPI STONE CHARIOT The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has taken steps to protect the stone chariot inside Vittala Temple complex at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hampi.  ASI, under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organization for the archaeological research and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation. Hampi Chariot:  It is among three famous stone chariots in India, the other two being in Konark (Odisha) and Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu).  It was built in the 16th century by the orders of King Krishnadevaraya, a Vijayanagara ruler.  It is a shrine dedicated to Garuda, the official vehicle of Lord Vishnu. Vittala Temple:  It was built in the 15th century during the rule of Devaraya II, one of the rulers of the Vijayanagara Empire.  It is dedicated to Vittala and is also called Vijaya Vittala Temple.  Dravidian style adorns the built of the complex, which is further enhanced with elaborate carvings. Hampi:  It comprises mainly the remnants of the Capital City of Vijayanagara Empire. It is located in the Tungabhadra basin in central Karnataka. www.ambitionias.in 8

 It was founded by Harihara and Bukka in 1336.  Classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO (1986), it is also the “World’s Largest Open-air Museum”.  Famous places include Krishna temple complex, Narasimha, Ganesa, Hemakuta group of temples, Achyutaraya temple complex, Vitthala temple complex, Pattabhirama temple complex, Lotus Mahal complex, etc.  The Battle of Talikota (1565 CE) led to a massive destruction of its physical fabric. Vijayanagara Empire  Vijayanagara or “city of victory” was the name of both a city and an empire.  The empire was founded in the fourteenth century (1336 AD) by Harihara and Bukka of the Sangama dynasty.  It stretched from the river Krishna in the north to the extreme south of the peninsula.  Vijayanagar Empire was ruled by four important dynasties and they are: o Sangama o Saluva o Tuluva o Aravidu  Krishnadevaraya (ruled 1509-29) of the Tuluva dynasty was the most famous ruler of Vijayanagar. His rule was characterised by expansion and consolidation.  Dravidian architecture survives in the rest of Southern India spread through the patronage of the Vijayanagara rulers.  Vijayanagara architecture is also known for its adoption of elements of Indo Islamic Architecture in secular buildings like the Queen’s Bath and the Elephant Stables, representing a highly evolved multi-religious and multi-ethnic society.

RIGHT TO VOTE FOR NRIS Recently, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has informed the Ministry of Law and Justice that it is “technically and administratively ready” to extend the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) to Non-Resident Indian (NRI) voters for elections next year in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Background:  The ECI started to look for possible options after receiving several requests from MPs, industrialists, ministers and also writ petitions by NRIs in the Supreme Court (SC) in 2013 and 2014.  After the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, a 12-member committee was set up to study mainly three options of: o Voting by post. o Voting at an Indian mission abroad. o Online voting.  The committee ruled out online polling as it felt this could compromise “secrecy of voting” and also shot down the proposal to vote at Indian missions abroad as they do not have adequate resources.  In 2015, the panel finally recommended that NRIs should be given the “additional alternative options of e- postal ballot and proxy voting”, apart from voting in person. o Under proxy voting, a registered elector can delegate his voting power to a representative. o In 2017, the Union Cabinet passed the proposal on proxy voting rights for NRIs and brought a Bill amending the Representation of the People Act 1950. o However, the bill lapsed in Rajya Sabha due to dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha and the proposal has not been revived yet. Current Voting Process for NRIs:  Voting rights for NRIs were introduced only in 2011, through an amendment to the Representation of the People Act 1950.  An NRI can vote in the constituency in his/her place of residence, as mentioned in the passport, is located.  He/She can only vote in person and will have to produce her passport in original at the polling station for establishing identity. Current Strength of NRI Voters:  According to a United Nations report of 2015, India’s diaspora population is the largest in the world at 16 million people.  However, registration of NRI voters has been very low with a little over one lakh overseas Indians registered as voters in India.  In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, roughly 25,000 of them flew to India to vote. Process of Voting by Postal Ballots:  Any NRI interested in voting through the postal ballot will have to inform the Returning Officer (RO) not later than five days after the notification of the election.  On receiving such information, the RO will dispatch the ballot paper electronically.  The NRI voters will download the ballot paper, mark their preference on the printout and send it back along with a declaration attested by an officer appointed by the diplomatic or consular representative of India in the country where the NRI is resident.  However, it is not clear right now, if the voter will return the ballot paper herself through ordinary post or drop it off at the Indian Embassy, which may then segregate the envelopes constituency-wise and send them to the Chief Electoral Officer of the state concerned for forwarding to the RO. Political Stand:  The committee had consulted national political parties and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on the options being considered for NRIs to cast their vote abroad. www.ambitionias.in 9

 Among parties, only the NCP has expressed complete support and according to the BSP, BJP and CPI, postal ballots were not a viable option due to time constraint. The Congress was not in favour of sending the postal ballot paper electronically.  The MEA expressed strong reservations over attesting the declaration as the process might be difficult in non- democratic countries.

COVID-19 AND EXTREME POVERTY: UNDP A new study from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has found that an additional 207 million people could be pushed into extreme poverty by 2030 due to the severe long-term impact of the coronavirus pandemic, bringing the total number of the world’s extremely poor to more than a billion.  The study is part of a long-standing partnership between the UNDP and the Pardee Center for International Futures at the University of Denver (USA).  The study assesses the impact of different Covid19 recovery scenarios on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), evaluating the multidimensional effects of the pandemic over the next decade. Findings:  Under a ‘Covid Baseline’ scenario (based on current mortality rates and the most recent growth projections by the International Monetary Fund - IMF), 44 million people could be pushed into extreme poverty by 2030 as a result of the pandemic.  Under a ‘High Damage’ scenario, where the recovery is protracted, Covid 19 is likely to push an additional 207 million people into extreme poverty by 2030. o It could increase the female poverty headcount by an additional 102 million. o The ‘High Damage’ scenario anticipates that 80% of the Covid-19 induced economic crisis would persist in 10 years’ time due to loss in productivity, preventing a full recovery to the growth trajectory seen before the pandemic. Suggestions:  A focused set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) investments over the next decade in social protection/ welfare programmes, governance, digitalisation, and a green economy could not only prevent the rise of extreme poverty but actually exceed the development trajectory the world was on before the pandemic. o This ambitious, SDGs Push scenario would lift an additional 146 million people out of extreme poverty, narrow the gender poverty gap, and reduce the female poverty headcount by 74 million.  The concerted SDG interventions combine behavioural changes through both governments and citizens, which are as follows: o Improvement in effectiveness and efficiency in governance. o Changes in consumption patterns of food, energy and water. o Global collaboration for climate action. o Additional investments in Covid-19 recovery. o Need for improved broadband access and technology innovation.

DAHANU Villagers in Vadhavan in Maharashtra’s Dahanu taluka, about 131 km from Mumbai, protested against a biodiversity survey commissioned by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) for the construction of the Vadhavan Port that received in-principle approval from the Union Cabinet in February.  Dahanu is one of the eight talukas in Maharashtra’s newest district of Palghar, which was created in 2014.  But over two decades prior to that, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) had, under the provisions of The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, declared Dahanu an “ecologically fragile area” and imposed restrictions on setting up of industries that have a detrimental effect on the environment.  The locals have said that the construction of the port will not only hurt the flora and fauna of Dahanu, but will also disrupt allied activities like fishing and farming.  Dahanu was only one of three places in India where live conches can be found, and which gives the seafront of Vadhavan the name of “Shankhodar”. The rocks, moss, and corals in the sea are favourable not just for fishing but also for fish seeding.

GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION (GIs) The Himachal Pradesh government is trying to obtain GIs (Geographical Indication) for five products from the state – Karsog Kulth, Thangi of Pangi, Chamba Metal Crafts, Chamba Chukh, and Rajmah of Bharmour. What is special about these five products from Himachal?  Karsog Kulth: Kulthi or Kulth (horse gram) is a legume grown as a kharif crop in Himachal Pradesh. Kulth grown in the Karsog area of Mandi district is believed to be particularly rich in amino acids.  Pangi ki Thangi: It is a type of hazelnut which grows in Pangi valley located in the north-western edge of Himachal. It is known for its unique flavour and sweetness.  Chamba metal crafts: These include items such as metal idols and brass utensils which, historically, were made by skilled artisans in the courts of kings of Chamba. There are efforts to revive the trade, and a plate made from a brass-like alloy and having carvings of gods and goddesses is still popular.  Chamba Chukh: It’s a chutney made from green and red chillies grown in Chamba, and prepared in traditional and unique ways. The practice has largely declined in rural households of Chamba, but survives to some extent at the small-scale industrial level.  Bharmouri Rajmah: It’s more specifically called the Kugtalu Rajmah, since it grows in the area around Kugti Pass in the Bharmour region of Chamba district. It is rich in proteins and has a unique flavour. www.ambitionias.in 10

MIXOPATHY The Government of India has notified compulsory surgical procedures for PG students of Ayurveda. About:  On November 19, a government notification listed out specific surgical procedures that a postgraduate medical student of Ayurveda must be “practically trained to acquaint with, as well as to independently perform”.  The notification has invited sharp criticism from the Indian Medical Association, which questioned the competence of Ayurveda practitioners to carry out these procedures, and called the notification an attempt at “mixopathy”.  The IMA has planned nationwide protests on December 8 against this notification, and has threatened to withdraw all non-essential and non-Covid services on December 11. How far is surgery part of Ayurveda?  Ayurveda practitioners take pride in the fact that their methods trace their origins to Sushruta, an ancient Indian sage and physician, whose comprehensive medical treatise Sushruta Samhita has also detailed accounts of surgical procedures and instruments.  There are two branches of surgery in Ayurveda — Shalya Tantra, which refers to general surgery, and Shalakya Tantra which pertains to surgeries related to the eyes, ears, nose, throat and teeth.

UNITED NATIONS INVESTMENT PROMOTION AWARD 2020 The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has declared ‘Invest India’ as winner of the United Nations Investment Promotion Award 2020. United Nations Investment Promotion Award:  It recognises and celebrates the outstanding achievements of the world’s Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs). Since 2002, UNCTAD has organised these awards annually.  The Awards also highlight the contributions of these organizations in raising private sector investment in sustainable development and in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  The response of IPAs to the Covid-19 pandemic became the basis for the evaluation of the 2020 Award.  Germany, South Korea and Singapore have been some of the past winners of the award. Invest India:  It is the National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of India and acts as the first point of reference for investors in India.  It is a non-profit venture set up in 2009 under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.  UNCTAD highlighted good practices followed by Invest India, such as the Business Immunity Platform, Exclusive Investment Forum webinar series, its social media engagement and focus Covid response teams (such as business reconstruction, stakeholder outreach and supplier outreach) created as a response to the pandemic, in its publications. Government Measures Related to Investment Promotion:  India’s attractiveness as an FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) destination has surged in recent times. In 2019, it was among the top 10 countries attracting foreign funds, receiving billions of dollars in a variety of sectors, including services, technology, IT and telecom, and construction.  In 2020, factors such as a swift response in combating the Covid crisis, favourable demographics, impressive mobile and internet penetration, massive consumption and technology uptake, played an important role in attracting the investments.  Launch of Schemes attracting investments, such as, National technical Textile Mission, Production Linked Incentive Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana, etc.  The Government of India continues to improve Ease of Doing Business in the country by releasing notifications highlighting measures to improve the business environment in India. rd o India ranked 63 out of 190 countries (moved up by 14 spots) in Doing Business 2020: World Bank Report.

VANCHIT IKAI SAMOOH AUR VARGON KI AARTHIK SAHAYTA (VISVAS) YOJANA  Implementation of Interest subvention Scheme of Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India –Vanchit Ikai Samooh aur Vargon ki Aarthik Sahayta (VISVAS) Yojana for financial empowerment of economically marginalized OBC/SC SHGs & Individuals got a major boost with signing of Memorandum of Agreements (MoAs) by National Backward Classes Finance & Development Corporation (NBCFDC) and National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC) with Central Bank of India a premier and leading Public Sector Bank.  The scheme will benefit OBC/SC SHGs with loans/borrowings up to Rs.4.00 Lakh and OBC/SC individuals with loan/borrowing up to Rs.2.00 Lakh with a quick interest subvention benefit of 5% directly into the standard accounts of borrowing SHGs/beneficiaries.  MOA was signed by Shri V K Mahendru, Field General Manager, on behalf of Central Bank of India & Smt Anupama Sood, General Manager (Projects) on behalf of NBCFDC & Shri Devanand, Chief General Manager on behalf of NSFDC in the presence of Shri. K. Narayan, Managing Director NBCFDC /Chairman cum Managing Director NSFDC. The scheme is expected to benefit many entrepreneurs on a pan India basis. www.ambitionias.in 11

HAVANA SYNDROME Recently, a report by the National Academies of Sciences (NAS), USA has found directed microwave radiation to be the plausible cause of the Havana syndrome. Havana Syndrome:  In late 2016, USA diplomats and other employees stationed in Havana (capital of Cuba) reported feeling ill after hearing strange sounds and experiencing odd physical sensations.  The symptoms included nausea, severe headaches, fatigue, dizziness, sleep problems, and hearing loss, which have since come to be known as the Havana Syndrome.  The more chronic problems suffered by Havana personnel included mainly vestibular processing and cognitive problems as well as insomnia and headache.  While the symptoms have resolved for some of the affected employees, for others, the effects have lingered and posed a significant obstacle to their work and affected the normal functioning of lives. About the Report:  The NAS report examined four possibilities to explain the symptoms viz. infection, chemicals, psychological factors and microwave energy.  So far, only this report provides the clearest and detailed estimation of what may have transpired. o In earlier attempts by various other government agencies, scientists talked about psychological illness due to the stressful environment of foreign missions or brain abnormalities in the diplomats who had fallen ill. Findings of the Report:  Directed pulsed microwave radiation energy appears to be the most plausible mechanism in explaining the cases of Havana syndrome among those that the committee considered.  The immediate symptoms that patients reported, including sensations of pain and buzzing sound, apparently emanated from a particular direction, or occurred in a specific spot in a room.  It warns about the possibility of future episodes and recommends establishing a response mechanism for similar incidents, adding that future incidents might be more dispersed in time and place, and even more difficult to recognise quickly.  However, the committee cannot rule out other possible mechanisms and considers it likely that a multiplicity of factors explains some cases and the differences between others.  It also does not mention the source and if the energy was delivered intentionally, even though it conducted significant research on microwave weapons. USA’s Reaction:  The USA has praised the NAS for undertaking the effort but also highlighted that each possible cause remains speculative. It also flagged the committee’s lack of access to some information because of potential security concerns that limit the scope of the report.

SMUGGLING IN INDIA REPORT 2019-20 Union Finance Minister released the Smuggling in India Report 2019-20 which analyses organised smuggling trends on Gold and Foreign Currency, Narcotic Drugs, Security, Environment and Commercial Frauds. About: The report has been compiled by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI). The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence detected 412 cases of smuggling resulting in the seizure of contraband worth 1,949 crore in 2019-20. It arrested 837 economic offenders and also unearthed 761 complex cases of Customs duty evasion amounting to 2,183 crore. ₹On the occasion, the DRI Utkrisht Seva Samman, 2020 was awarded to Sankaran, an officer of the 1961 batch of the Indian Revenue Service.₹

TRUTHS AND HATE SPEECH: SC  In the context of discussing the limits of free speech and what may tantamount to hate speech, the Supreme Court (SC) has recently held that “Historical truths must be depicted without in any way disclosing or encouraging hatred or enmity between different classes or communities.”  The FIRs were filed against a TV anchor for alleged remarks on the sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in a news show. Key Points On ‘True Facts’:  Elaborating on the point about truth or true facts being a defence in cases of free speech, the SC cited its ruling in K A Abbas versus Union of India case 1970, which was about censorship.  The likelihood must be judged from a healthy and reasonable standard, thereby accepting the position that historical truth may be a relevant and important factor.  The court also referred to the ruling in Ebrahim Suleiman Sait versus M C Mohammed and Another case 1980. o The order held that speaking truth was not an answer to the charge of corrupt practice under Section 123 (3A) of the Representation of the People Act 1950. o What was relevant was whether the speech had promoted or had sought to promote feelings of enmity or hatred. Free Speech and the Marginalised:  There may be a possibility of divergence between truth and popular belief, and the bench held that in many ways, free speech has empowered those who were marginalised and discriminated, and thus it would be wholly incorrect and a mistake to assume that free speech is an elite concept and indulgence. www.ambitionias.in 12

Hate Speech:  The hate speech should have no redeeming purpose, which means that ‘the speech primarily carries no meaning other than hatred towards a particular group’.  Speaking on dignity in the context of hate speech, the court held that one must condemn and check any attempt at dissemination of discrimination on the basis of race, religion, caste, creed or regional basis.  The court pointed out that the object of criminalising hate speech is to protect the dignity and to ensure political and social equality between different identities and groups regardless of caste, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, linguistic preference, etc. Self-Regulation:  Everyone must act with the objective for promoting social harmony and tolerance by proscribing hateful and inappropriate behaviour, which can be achieved by self-restraint, institutional check and correction, as well as self-regulation or through the mechanism of statutory regulations, if applicable. Political Speech: The political speech relating to government policies requires greater protection for preservation and promotion of democracy.

LAKSHADWEEP DECLARED AN ORGANIC UNION TERRITORY Entire Lakshadweep group of islands has been declared as an organic agricultural area under the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) of India. About:  Lakshadweep is the first Union Territory to become 100% organic as all farming is carried out without the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, providing access to safer food choices and making agriculture a more environmentally-friendly activity.  The entire 32 square kilometre geographical land area of the UT was declared as organic after receiving required certifications and declarations under Centre’s Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (organic farming improvement programme). Background:  Earlier, the UT administration had imposed a formal uniform ban on sale, use and entry of synthetic chemicals for agriculture purposes from October 2017 onwards to make the islands a chemical-free zone. Benefits:  Better marketing of organic products such as desiccated coconut and coconut milk.  The organic tag will allow farmers to realize a premium for the farm produce.  The island’s coconut farmers are also expected to benefit from the Union government’s ‘One District One Product’ programme of food processing. Cropping Pattern:  Coconut is the only major crop on the islands and remains idle for six months. o The coconut processing industry works only for about six months. The period between May and December sees the industry come to a standstill. Organic Farming According to FSSAI, ’organic farming’ is a system of farm design and management to create an ecosystem of agriculture production without the use of synthetic external inputs such as chemical fertilisers, pesticides and synthetic hormones or genetically modified organisms. Various Government Initiatives to promote Organic Farming:  Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY): o The scheme promotes cluster based organic farming with certification. Cluster formation, training, certification and marketing are supported under the scheme.  Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER): o The scheme promotes 3rd party certified organic farming of niche crops of the north east region through Farmers Producer organizations (FPOs) with focus on exports.  Capital investment Subsidy Scheme (CISS) under Soil Health Management Scheme: o 100% assistance is provided to State Government/Government agencies for setting up of mechanized fruit/vegetable market waste/agro waste compost production unit.  National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP): o Financial assistance@ 50% subsidy to the tune of Rs. 300/ha is being provided for different components including bio-fertilizers.  National Food Security Mission (NFSM): o Financial assistance is provided for promotion of Bio-Fertilizer. Lakshadweep  India’s smallest Union Territory, Lakshadweep is an archipelago consisting of 36 islands with an area of 32 sq km.  There are three main group of islands: o Amindivi Islands o Laccadive Islands o Minicoy Island. o Amindivi Islands are the northernmost while the Minicoy island is the southernmost.  All are tiny islands of coral origin (Atoll) and are surrounded by fringing reefs. o The Capital is Kavaratti and it is also the principal town of the UT. www.ambitionias.in 13

SAARC CHARTER DAY In a message to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) on its 36th Charter Day anniversary, the Prime Minister said that SAARC can only be fully effective in the absence of “terror and violence”.  SAARC Charter Day is observed annually on 8th December. This day marks the signing of the SAARC Charter in 1985 by the leaders of SAARC Countries at the First SAARC Summit held in Dhaka (Bangladesh). India’s Stand:  The full potential of SAARC can only be realised in an atmosphere free of terror and violence. o This indicates that India’s concerns over cross-border terrorism from Pakistan remain a primary obstacle in India’s participation in the summit. o In their messages, both Pakistan and Nepal called for the SAARC summit to be held soon.  India also called for SAARC countries to “recommit to defeating the forces that support and nurture terrorism.”  India is also committed to an “integrated, connected, secure and prosperous South Asia”, and will support the economic, technological, cultural and social development of the region.  Highlighting the importance of greater collaboration, India referred to the example of the early coordination between SAARC countries for dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. Stalled SAARC Process:  SAARC’s functioning and activities have virtually stalled because of the strained relations between India and Pakistan.  Besides a virtual meeting in March on the Covid-19 situation, SAARC hasn’t had any significant engagements since India pulled out of the summit that was to be held in Pakistan in 2016 in the aftermath of the Uri terror attack. Outcome  SAARC Charter reflects the region’s “shared vision, collective resolve and mutual pursuit to promote peace, stability and prosperity in South Asia through eradication of poverty, accelerated economic growth and advancement in socio-cultural development”.  There is a need for greater regional cooperation today than ever before. To collectively emerge from the pandemic, the situation underlines the importance of more concerted efforts, collaboration and cooperation among the member states of SAARC.

ECO-DUCTS Ramnagar Forest Division in Nainital district, Uttarakhand, recently built its first eco-bridge for reptiles and smaller mammals. About:  Eco-ducts or eco-bridges aim to enhance wildlife connectivity that can be disrupted because of highways or logging.  These include  canopy bridges (usually for monkeys, squirrels and other arboreal species);  concrete underpasses or overpass tunnels or viaducts (usually for larger animals); and  amphibian tunnels or culverts.  Usually, these bridges are overlaid with planting from the area to give it a contiguous look with the landscape.

CHILD PORN  The cyber wing of the Maharashtra Police recently acquired a software from Interpol that would help them track down child pornography uploaded online.  TRACE team set up by Maharashtra Cyber to counter child pornography:  Earlier this year, 12 officers of Maharashtra cyber were trained by the Interpol officers in the use of this software after which they were provided access to it.  These 12 officers form the core of Tactical Response Against Cyber Child Exploitation (TRACE) Unit.  The TRACE unit was primarily set up to act against child pornography in Maharashtra that is part of a larger campaign against Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) across the country since 2019. Important Info: ‘Operation Blackface’ carried out in Maharashtra:  ‘Operation Blackface’ is part of the larger action taken against CSAM across the country.  Acting on the tip off provided by NCRB, Maharashtra Cyber cops started forwarding complaints to the districts where FIR’s were registered against accused persons.

PUBLIC WIFI NETWORKS  The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal for setting up public WiFi hotspots across the country via public data offices or PDOs, which could even be a kirana shop or a paan shop.  The move, aimed at helping accelerate the uptake of broadband Internet services, will not require the PDOs to get a license or pay a fee.  The public WiFi Access Network Interface, which will be called ‘PM-WANI’, was first recommended by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) in 2017. This will involve multiple players, including PDOs, Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOA), app providers, and acentral registry.  PDOs — comparable to a PCO or a cybercafe — will establish, maintain, and operate WiFi access points and deliver broadband services to subscribers, while the PDOAs will be aggregators of PDOs and perform functions such as authorisation and accounting.  According to TRAI, in most major economies, for 50%-70% of their total usage time, mobile users use WiFi technology to communicate. However, in India, this figure is less than 10%. www.ambitionias.in 14

‘PM WANI’  The project, named Prime Minister Wi-Fi Access Network Interface (PM Wani), was originally recommended by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).  The public Wi-Fi networks will not attract any licence or registration fee for providing broadband services, Union communications, electronics and information technology minister.  Wireless data use has ballooned since March as millions logged on to work from their homes following the covid outbreak, exposing gaps and issues in connectivity.  “Covid pandemic has necessitated delivery of stable and high-speed broadband data services to an increasingly large number of subscribers, including in areas which do not have 4G mobile coverage. This can be achieved by deployment of public Wi-Fi," according to a government release.  PM Wani will be set up by public data office aggregators (PDOAs) through public data offices (PDOs), said the release. A government official said a restaurant, for example, can take bandwidth from service providers, establish and operate Wi-Fi access points, and provide broadband services. PDOs will be “facilitators" between service providers and users.  The PM Wani project will also have an app developer who will build a platform to register users and discover Wani-compliant Wi-Fi hotspots in an area and display them on the app, according to the release.  A central registry, which will be maintained by the Centre for Development of Telematics, will record the details of app providers, PDOAs and PDOs.  Separately, the cabinet approved an undersea optical fibre cable link between 11 islands of Lakshadweep and Kochi in mainland India at an estimated cost of 1,072 crore, including operational expenses, for five years.  The Lakshadweep-Kochi project was announced by PM Narendra Modi on Independence Day with a target of completing it in 1,000 days or by May 2023.  The project will provide mobile coverage to 2,374 villages—1,683 in Arunachal Pradesh and 691 in Assam—at an estimated 2,029 crore, including operational expenses, for five years. The target to complete this project is December 2022.

POLICY ON SCHOOL BAG 2020 School bags should not be more than 10% of the body weight of students across classes I to X and there should be no homework till class II. About:  The new 'Policy on School Bag 2020' of the Union ministry of education also recommends that the weight of the bag needs to be monitored on a regular basis in schools.  They should be light-weight with two padded and adjustable straps that can squarely fit on both shoulders and no wheeled carriers should be allowed.  The policy even recommends that the weight of each textbook may come printed on them by the publishers.  The recommendations have been arrived based on various surveys and studies conducted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).  The 'Policy on School Bag 2020' made 11 recommendations on the weight of the bags, including adequate good quality mid-day meal and potable water to all the students so that they need not carry lunch boxes or water bottles.  The policy said there should be no bags in pre-primary. For classes I and II the bag weight range should be between 1.6 kg to 2.2 kg. Like-wise it should be 1.7 kg to 2.5 kg, 2 kg to 3 kg, 2.5 to 4 kg, 2.5 kg to 4.5 kg and 3.5 kg to 5 kg for classes III to V, classes VI and VII, class VIII, classes IX and X and classes XI and XII respectively.

THOUSAND DAYS OF NUTRITION, AND A BILLION DREAMS  Children who survive malnutrition do not do as well as they could. Without necessary nutrients, their brains do not develop to the fullest. No wonder then, they end up performing poorly at school than they otherwise would. Malnutrition places a burden heavy enough for India, to make it a top national priority. About half of all children under five years in the country were found to be stunted (too short) or wasted (too thin) for their height, estimated the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey, carried out by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with support of UNICEF three years ago.  As the flagship programme (POSHAN Abhiyaan) completes 1,000 days this week, it is time to renew our commitment to nutrition for two reasons. Because it conveys the deeply symbolic value of the first 1,000 days from conception of a child till the child turns two years old, marking the most crucial period for nutrition interventions in a lifecycle, which once missed could result in irreversible damage to the child’s physical and mental well-being.  For one, COVID-19 is pushing millions into poverty, reducing incomes of many more and disproportionately affecting the economically disadvantaged, who are also most vulnerable to malnutrition and food insecurities. Second, pandemic-prompted lockdowns disrupted essential services — such as supplementary feeding under anganwadi centres, mid-day meals, immunisation, and micro-nutrient supplementation which can exacerbate malnutrition.  It is in this challenging backdrop, leaders from academia, civil society, development partners, community advocates and the private sector have come together as part of ‘commitment to action’ to seek and support the government in a six-pronged action that can save and build on the advances India has made in nutrition. These clear action points include commitments around sustained leadership, dedicated finances, multi- sectoral approach and increased uninterrupted coverage of a vulnerable population under programmes enhancing nutrition. www.ambitionias.in 15

 One reason POSHAN Abhiyaan succeeded in galvanising action so fast was because it was led by the Prime Minister himself. That example must be sustained so that leadership of food and nutrition security rests with the Prime Minister at the national level, a Chief Minister at the State level, a district magistrate at the district and panchayat at the village level. This was already imperative for POSHAN Abhiyaan to succeed, but it has now become critical as COVID-19 compounds an already complex challenge.  In terms of policies, vision, strategies, India already has some of the world’s biggest early childhood public intervention schemes such as the Integrated Child Development Scheme, the mid-day meal programme, and Public Distribution System. India needs to ensure coverage of every single child and mother, along with 12 months of Poshan Maah (Nutrition Month), 52 weeks of breastfeeding weeks and 365 days of take-home ration.  However, to truly grasp the depth and breadth of the COVID-19-caused nutrition crisis, the country must track nutrition indices through data systems. Evidence generated through data will also serve well to track the positive impact of POSHAN Abhiyaan, and course correct on the long journey to a well-nourished India. It takes time for nutrition interventions to yield dividends, but once those accrue, they can bring transformative generational shifts. Filling in the nutrition gaps will guarantee a level-playing field for all children and strengthen the foundations for the making of a future super-power.

ATMANIRBHAR BHARAT ROJGAR YOJANA (ABRY) Recently, the Union Cabinet has given its approval for Atmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY). Salient Features of Atmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY)  The cabinet has approved an expenditure of Rs. 1,584 crore for the current financial year and Rs.22810 crore for the entire Scheme period i.e. 2020-2023.  The government of India will provide subsidy for two years in respect of new employees engaged on or after 1st October, 2020 and upto 30th June, 2021.  The government of India will pay both 12% employees' contribution and 12% employers' contribution i.e. 24% of wages towards EPF in respect of new employees in establishments employing upto 1000 employees for two years.  The government of India will pay only employees' share of EPF contribution i.e., 12% of wages in respect of new employees in establishments employing more than 1000 employee for two years. Eligibility under Atmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY)  An employee drawing monthly wage of less than Rs. 15000 and who was not working in any establishment registered with the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) before 1st October, 2020;  An employee who did not have a Universal Account Number or EPF Member account number prior to 1st October 2020.  Any EPF member possessing Universal Account Number (UAN) drawing monthly wage of less than Rs. 15000/- who made exit from employment during Covid pandemic; and  An employee who did not join employment in any EPF covered establishment up to 30 September 2020 will also be eligible to avail benefit. Significance of Atmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY)  It aims to boost employment in formal sector and incentivize creation of new employment opportunities during the Covid recovery phase under Atmanirbhar Bharat Package 3.0.  EPFO shall work out modality to ensure that there is no overlapping of benefits provided under ABRY with any other scheme implemented by EPFO.

SUBMARINE OPTICAL FIBRE CABLE CONNECTIVITY Recently, the Union Cabinet has given its approval for provision of Submarine Optical Fibre Cable Connectivity between Mainland (Kochi) and Lakshadweep Islands (KLI Project).  The Project envisages provision of a direct communication link through a dedicated submarine Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) between Kochi and Islands of Lakshadweep. o The 11 islands of Lakshadweep are Kavaratti, Kalpeni, Agati, Amini, Androth, Minicoy, Bangaram, Bitra, Chetlat, Kiltan and Kadmat.  The estimated cost of implementation is about Rs. 1072 crore including operational expenses for 5 years.  The Project would be funded by Universal Service Obligation Fund. Impact of KLI Project  It is evident that the growth of telecom infrastructure is closely linked with the economic and social development.  The telecommunication connectivity plays vital role in employment generation.  The present approval for Provision of Submarine Optical Fibre Cable Connectivity will vastly improve telecommunication facility in the Lakshadweep Islands by providing large bandwidth.  The submarine connectivity project will have vital role for delivery of e-Governance services at the doorstep of citizens, potential development of fisheries, coconut-based industries and high-value tourism.  It will help in establishment of numerous businesses, augment e-commerce activities and provide adequate support to educational institutes for knowledge sharing. Implementation Strategy and Targets of KLI Project  The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL) has been nominated as Project Execution Agency and Telecommunications Consultant India Ltd. (TCIL) as the Technical Consultant of the Project.  The ownership of the asset under the project will rest with USOF, the funding agency, under DoT.  The project is targeted to be completed by May 2023. www.ambitionias.in 16

About Submarine Optical Fibre Cable Connectivity  A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the seabed between land-based stations to transmit telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean and sea.  In August 2020, the government of India has inaugurated the submarine optical fibre cable (OFC) connecting Andaman and Nicobar to the rest of the country.  The inauguration of the submarine Optical Fibre Cable in Andaman and Nicobar Islands ensures: o High-speed broadband connectivity, o Fast and reliable mobile and landline telecom services, o Big boost to the local economy, o Delivery of e-governance, and o Telemedicine and tele-education

SHAKTI ACT In a bid to curb crimes against women and children in Maharashtra, the state cabinet approved two draft bills that propose death penalty for heinous cases of rape, acid attack and child abuse. About:  The two interconnected bills, which will be tabled in the winter session of the state legislature as part of the Shakti Act, are the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law (Maharashtra Amendment) Act 2020 and the Special Court and Machinery for Implementation of Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law 2020.  Drafted on the lines of the Disha Act framed by Andhra Pradesh, they seek to amend relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Criminal Procedural Code (CrPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.  The bills also have provisions to increase the quantum of punishment, including life term, cover new categories of crimes, and propose a mechanism for speedy trials.  The media is not allowed to report the name of a rape victim. The proposed Acts will provide similar protection to victims of molestation and even acid attack.  The draft bills propose to amend IPC Section 376 (rape) to increase the quantum of punishment to life term or death penalty in heinous cases where there’s adequate conclusive evidence or exemplary punishment is warranted.

HUMAN RIGHTS DAY Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10th December - the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).  The UDHR established a set of common basic values both with regard to the view of human beings and to the relationship between the state and the individual.  2020 Theme: Recover Better - Stand Up for Human Rights. Human Rights:  These are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status.  These include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more.  Nelson Mandela had stated ‘To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity’. International Human Rights Conventions and Bodies:  Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR): o The 30 rights and freedoms include civil and political rights, like the right to life, liberty, free speech and privacy and economic, social and cultural rights, like the right to social security, health and education, etc. o The UDHR is not a treaty, so it does not directly create legal obligations for countries. Human Rights Council:  The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights. It is made up of 47 United Nations Member States which are elected by the UN General Assembly.  The most innovative feature of the Human Rights Council is the Universal Periodic Review. This unique mechanism involves a review of the human rights records of all 192 UN member states once every four years.  The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) serves as the secretariat for the Human Rights Council. Human Rights in India Enunciated in the Constitution:  Since inception, the Indian Constitution incorporated most of the rights enumerated in the Universal Declaration in two parts, the Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles of State Policy. o Fundamental Rights: Articles 12 to 35 of the Constitution. These include the Right to Equality, Right to Freedom, Right Against Exploitation, Right to Freedom of Religion, Cultural & Educational Rights, Saving of Certain Laws and Right to Constitutional Remedies. o Directive Principles of State Policy: Article 36 to 51 of the Constitution. These include 'right to social security, right to work, to free choice of employment, and protection against unemployment, right to equal pay for equal work, right to existence worthy of human dignity, right to free & compulsory education, equal justice & free legal aid and the principles of policy to be followed by the State.'

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Recent Events:  The human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) following the dilution of Article 370 and the passage of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) have brought renewed international focus on India’s human rights practice.  Since 2014, the government has cancelled the registration of more than 14,000 NGOs under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA). It has also mainly targeted its own critics.  Scores of hate crimes against Muslims and other religious groups, ethnic groups, including Dalits and Adivasi (an indigenous tribal people), as well as caste and gender-based crimes, took place across the country in 2019. Outcome  Human rights are at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as in the absence of human dignity one cannot hope to drive sustainable development.  The Covid-19 crisis has been fuelled by deepening poverty, rising inequalities, structural and entrenched discrimination and other gaps in human rights protection. Only measures to close these gaps and advance human rights can ensure that people fully recover and build back a world that is better, more resilient, just, and sustainable.

GLOBAL HEALTH ESTIMATES 2019: WHO Recently, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) released the 2019 Global Health Estimates.  The WHO Global Health Estimates provide a comprehensive and comparable assessment of mortality and loss of health due to diseases and injuries for all regions of the world.  The new data of Global Health Estimates cover the period from 2000 to 2019.  The Estimates are in consonance with the report Ten Threats to Global Health in 2019 by WHO. Key Findings of the Global Health Estimates 2019:  Top Ten Causes of Death: Ischaemic heart disease, Stroke, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Lower respiratory infections, Neonatal conditions, Trachea, bronchus and lung cancers, Alzheimer disease and other dementias, Diarrhoeal diseases, Diabetes mellitus, Kidney diseases.  Non-communicable diseases: Make up 7 of the world’s top 10 causes of death, an increase from 4 of the 10 leading causes in 2000. o Heart disease: It now represents 16% of total deaths from all causes and the number of deaths from heart disease increased by more than two million since 2000 to nearly 9 million in 2019. o Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia: Ranked 3rd in both the Americas and Europe in 2019. o Diabetes: Deaths from diabetes increased by 70% globally between 2000 and 2019, with an 80% rise in deaths among males.  Communicable diseases: They still take in low-income countries: 6 of the top 10 causes of death in low- income countries are still communicable diseases, including malaria (6th), tuberculosis (8th) and Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) (9th). o Pneumonia and other lower respiratory infections: These were the deadliest group of communicable diseases and together ranked as the fourth leading cause of death. o AIDS: It dropped from the 8th leading cause of death in 2000 to the 19th in 2019, reflecting the success of efforts to prevent infection, test for the virus and treat the disease over the last two decades. o Tuberculosis: It is no longer in the global top 10, falling from 7th place in 2000 to 13th in 2019, with a 30% reduction in global deaths.  More non-communicable diseases are now causing deaths worldwide, there has been a global decline in deaths from communicable diseases, which however still remain a major challenge in low- and middle-income countries.  Longevity: The estimates confirm the growing trend for longevity as in 2019, people were living more than 6 years longer than in 2000. Suggestions:  There is a need for an intensified global focus on preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, as well as tackling injuries, in all regions of the world, as set out in the agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals.  The world needs to rapidly step-up prevention, diagnosis and treatment of non-communicable diseases.  There is an urgency to improve primary health care equitably and holistically. Indian Initiatives to Improve Health sector:  Ayushman Bharat: It is a flagship initiative that attempts to move away from the sectoral and segmented approach of service delivery to a comprehensive need-based health care service.  POSHAN Abhiyaan: It aims to ensure service delivery and interventions by use of technology, behavioural change through convergence and lays-down specific targets to be achieved across different monitoring parameters.  National Digital Health Mission: It is a complete digital health ecosystem. The digital platform will be launched with four key features — health ID, personal health records, Digi Doctor and health facility registry.

ADMM-PLUS Raksha mantri Rajnath Singh, attended the 14th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus organized online at Hanoi, Vietnam on 10 December 2020 that marked the 10th anniversary of ADMM Plus. About:  Full name: ASEAN Defense Minister’s Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus).  ADMM-Plus is the only official framework of Defense Minister's meetings in the Asia-Pacific Region. It is a platform for ASEAN and its eight Dialogue Partners to strengthen security and defence cooperation for peace, stability, and development in the region. www.ambitionias.in 18

 Members: The ADMM-Plus comprises the ten ASEAN countries as well as Australia, China, Japan, India, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Russia and the United States.  Established in: 2010.

SAN ISIDRO MOVEMENT In Cuba, a country under an authoritarian communist regime for more than six decades, a campaign by artists and activists demanding greater freedom of expression is fast grabbing the limelight. About:  The Movimiento San Isidro, or the San Isidro Movement (MSI), started two years ago to protest state censorship of artistic works, and has now become a platform for Cuban dissidents both within and outside the Caribbean nation.  The movement started in September 2018, when the Cuban government sought to enforce Decree 349, a law that would have given powers to the nation’s Culture Ministry to restrict cultural activity it did not approve of.  To protest against the decree, artists, poets, journalists and activists gathered in San Isidro, a Black-majority locality that is among Havana’s poorest yet most culturally active wards, and which also forms part of the Old Havana UNESCO World Heritage Site.  What gave crucial firepower to the movement was a landmark 2015 deal between Cuba and the US, one of whose provisions stipulated that the Cuban regime should allow its people greater internet freedoms in exchange for opening bilateral relations with Washington.  Thus, the protesters managed to connect and amplify their message over the internet with relative ease, in a country where the government controls all modes of communication, and where no political opposition has been permitted.

WESTERN SAHARA DISPUTE Morocco agreed to become the fourth Arab nation to normalise relations with Israel in as many months, as part of a deal in which the US agreed to recognise its claim over the disputed Western Sahara region. About:  A former Spanish colony, Western Sahara is a vast, arid region in northwest Africa.  It is mineral rich: home to abundant reserves of phosphate, a key ingredient in the manufacturing of synthetic fertilisers. It has also lucrative fish resources and is believed to have off-shore oil.  The region first came under Spanish control in 1884, and was made a province called ‘Spanish Sahara’ by the European country in 1934. Then in 1957, its northern neighbour Morocco, which had become independent from French rule just a year before, staked its claim over the entire territory, reasserting a centuries-old position.  Then in 1975, ten years after the UN called for its decolonisation, Spain withdrew from Western Sahara, partitioning the region between Morocco, which received the region’s northern two-thirds, and Mauritania the remaining third in the south.  Since then, Morocco has controlled around 80 per cent of Western Sahara, including its phosphate reserves.

VISION 2035 It’s vision is:  To make India’s public health surveillance system more responsive and predictive to enhance preparedness for action at all levels.  Citizen-friendly public health surveillance system will ensure individual privacy and confidentiality, enabled with a client feedback mechanism.  Improved data-sharing mechanism between Centre and states for better disease detection, prevention, and control.  India aims to provide regional and global leadership in managing events that constitute a public health emergency of international concern. Important Info: Features:  The white paper lays out India’s vision 2035 for public health surveillance through the integration of the three-tiered public health system into Ayushman Bharat.  The building blocks for this vision are an interdependent governance between the Centre and states, a new data-sharing mechanism that involves the use of new analytics, health informatics, and data science including innovative ways of disseminating ‘information for action’. Outcome  Despite all of the challenges, India has made good progress in improving the surveillance system and implementation of this vision can thrust India to be a global/regional leader in PHS.  The building blocks for this vision are an interdependent federated system of governance between the Centre and states, a new data-sharing mechanism that involves the use of new analytics, health informatics, and data science including innovative ways of disseminating ‘information for action’.

ISRAEL-BHUTAN TIES Recently, Israel has established diplomatic ties with Bhutan.  The development comes two days after Israel and Morocco agreed to normalize ties in a deal brokered with assistance from the USA. o Morocco became the fourth Arab country, after the UAE, Bahrain (Abraham Accords) and Sudan, to set aside hostilities with Israel in the past four months. www.ambitionias.in 19

Historical Background:  Israel has supported Bhutanese human resource development since 1982, especially in the area of agriculture development that has benefited hundreds of Bhutanese youths.  Both the countries maintained a cordial relation despite a lack of formal ties.  Israel briefly had a non-resident ambassador to Bhutan in 2010.  Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation MASHAV has trained hundreds of Bhutanese youth since 2013. Recent Development:  The two nations established a formal diplomatic relation and agreed to work closely together in various sectors.  The two sides will not be setting up embassies in Thimphu and Tel Aviv however, and will coordinate through their missions in Delhi. Significance:  The establishment of diplomatic relations would create new avenues for cooperation between the two countries in water management, technology, human resource development, agricultural sciences and other areas of mutual benefit.  As for tourism, Bhutan that limits the number of outsiders who can enter will now likely be more open to Israelis.  The ties between the peoples through cultural exchanges and tourism would also be further enhanced. Bhutan's Foreign Relations:  India's Role: Bhutan's foreign relations till date are mostly under the guidance of India, with which Bhutan had official diplomatic relations from 1949.  It became a member of the United Nations (UN) in 1971.  Until 2007 it had formal relations with just 22 countries in the world but after their 2008 elections, the Bhutanese government rapidly increased its diplomatic relations, signing agreements with 31 countries in five years.  Bhutan has diplomatic relations with some 53 countries and the European Union. o Recently, Bhutan established diplomatic relations with Germany.

HIMALAYAN SEROW A Himalayan serow has been sighted for the first time in the Himalayan cold desert region. The animal was spotted near Hurling village in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. About:  Scientific name: The Himalayan serow, or Capricornis sumatraensis thar, is a subspecies of the mainland serow (Capricornis sumatraensis).  Appearance: Himalayan serow resembles a cross between a goat, a donkey, a cow, and a pig. It’s a medium- sized mammal with a large head, thick neck, short limbs, long, mule-like ears, and a coat of dark hair.  Distribution: There are several species of serows, and all of them are found in Asia. Himalayan serows are typically found at altitudes between 2,000 metres and 4,000 metres (6,500 to 13,000 feet). They are known to be found in eastern, central, and western Himalayas, but not in the Trans Himalayan region.  Diet: Himalayan serows are herbivores. Conservation status:  Previously assessed as ‘near threatened’, the Himalayan serow is now been categorised as ‘vulnerable’ in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.  It is listed under Schedule I of The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which provides absolute protection.

NEGOTIATIONS ON UK’S BREXIT DEADLINE Recently, the UK and the European Union (EU) have agreed to continue Brexit trade deal talks and abandon the 31st December deadline, end of the transition period for a post-Brexit trade agreement.  Under the Withdrawal agreement between the UK and the EU, a transition period of 11 months was finalised until 31st December 2020. o During this period, the UK continues to participate in the EU’s Customs Union and in the Single Market. o The transition period makes sure that there is not a sudden shock but a degree of continuity that allows both parties to secure an orderly Brexit, minimising disruption for the citizens, businesses, public administrations, as well as for the international partners. Key Points  In the negotiations on the post-Brexit trade agreement, significant differences remain on three critical issues: level playing field, governance and fisheries.  Level Playing Field: o What measures there should be to ensure a “level playing field” for businesses between the UK and the EU and the role of the European Court of Justice. o Deadlock over the EU’s demands for a mechanism that would make tariff-free trade with the both sides maintaining fair competition for business through a regulatory “level playing field”. o The UK rejected “evolution mechanism” or “equivalence mechanism”. This mechanism intends to deter the UK from undercutting the EU if the bloc decides to raise its standards in areas such as environmental rules or workers’ rights. o The UK could not accept a deal that left it bound to EU rules in the future. www.ambitionias.in 20

Governance:  The UK wants to strike out a deal through bilateral talks with EU leaders.  However, the EU had already proposed that the mechanism should be administered by a joint committee of EU-UK officials, with the arbitration in case of disputes and the negotiations must be conducted on behalf of all of the bloc’s 27 member states by the committee. Possibilities After Failed Negotiations:  If a deal is not reached before the December-end deadline, the “most likely” outcome remains a no-deal Brexit on World Trade Organization (WTO) terms on 1st January.  Without a trade deal, cross-Channel trade will revert to WTO rules, with tariffs driving up prices and generating paperwork for importers and border checks and taxes will be introduced for goods travelling between the UK and the EU.  It would have a far-reaching impact on the way business and trade is conducted in Europe and could spoil the relations between the UK and the EU.

CHILD MARRIAGE AND PANDEMIC According to a report published by ChildLine India the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown have proved to be new drivers of child marriages in rural Madhya Pradesh. Important Findings by ChildLine India:  Madhya Pradesh recorded 46 child marriages between November 2019 and March 2020, a figure that jumped to 117 in just three months of the lockdown from April to June 2020.  Across India 5,214 child marriages were reported in the first four months of lockdown between March to June. Causes:  Age Factor: o Some parents consider the age period of 15-18 as unproductive, especially for girls, so they start finding a match for their child during this age period. o Underaged girls are more prone to child marriage than boys.  Insecurity: o Law and Order are still not able to provide a secure environment for the girls in adolescent age, so some parents get their girl child married at a young age.  Lack of Education: o Girls are often seen with limited economic roles. Women’s work is confined to the household and is not valued. o In addition, there is the problem of dowry. Despite the fact that dowry has been prohibited for five decades (Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961), it is still common for parents of girls in India to give gifts to the groom and /or his family either in cash or kind.  Causes for Increase during Pandemic: o Economic pressures due to the pandemic have pushed poor parents to marry off girls early. o With no schools, safety of children, particularly girls, was a major reason for increase in violence against children and child marriages. Impact:  Child Marriage is associated with higher rates of Sexually Transmitted Infections including HIV.  Delays Demographic Dividend: o Child Marriage contributes to larger families and in turn, population growth. This delays demographic dividend that would have come from reduced fertility and investment in education.  Children married at a young age do not understand the responsibilities of marriage. This results in a lack of understanding among family members. Hence, disturbs the institution of the family. Impact on Child Bride:  Violation of rights: o Married at a young age, girls get deprived of their basic rights. Some of the basic rights as mentioned in the Convention on the Rights of Child include Right to Education, Right to Rest and Leisure, Right to Protection from Mental or Physical Abuse including Rape and Sexual Exploitation.  Poor Socialization: o Child Brides often have to give up their education due to household responsibilities. It is said that if the women of a house are educated, she, in turn, educates her family. But if she is uneducated, she loses on to the opportunity to educate her own children.  Disempowerment: o Since child brides are not able to complete their education, they remain dependent and underpowered which acts as a big hurdle towards achieving gender equality.  Health Issues: o Devastating repercussions on the health of Child Brides, who are neither physically nor emotionally ready to become wives and mothers. o According to research, the risk of maternal mortality is highest for adolescent girls in the 15 years of age. o Also, they have 23% greater risk of disease onset including heart attack, diabetes, cancer, and stroke. They also face a high risk of psychiatric disorders. Government Initiatives to Prevent Child Marriages:  The Child Marriage Restraint Act of 1929 restricts the practice of child marriage.  The Special Marriage Act, 1954 and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 prescribe 18 and 21 years as the minimum age of consent for marriage for women and men respectively. www.ambitionias.in 21

 The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 was enacted to address and fix the shortcomings of the Child Marriage Restraint Act.  Union Ministry for Women and Child Development set up a committee to examine matters pertaining to age of motherhood, imperatives of lowering Maternal Mortality Ratio and the improvement of nutritional levels among women. The Committee is headed by Jaya Jaitely.  Prevention of Child Marriage is a part of SDG 5 which deals with gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls.

KAMDHENU CHAIR Ten universities from across the country have announced that they will set up Kamdhenu Chairs in their respective institutions of higher learning. About:  Over 500 vice-chancellors and officials of universities from across the country took part in an open house organized by Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog (RKA) on Monday to promote the idea of setting up ‘Kamdhenu Chairs’ in universities.  Now the Government has started to explore the Potentials of Cows and Panchgavya.  There is need to bring forth the Science related to Indigenous Cows and our Education system should provide platform as well as push in Research on benefits mentioned about Cows with modern scientific and process- oriented approach.  Among other objectives of setting up the chairs, RKA has proposed setting up of certificate and diploma courses on cow-based entrepreneurship and sensitizing students about the scientific, economic, environmental and spiritual importance and impact of cow.

ANTITRUST SUIT AGAINST FACEBOOK Recently, two lawsuits filed by the United States federal government and governments of 48 US states and territories have put under the scanner the acquisition by Facebook of Instagram and WhatsApp. Background  The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC)’s lawsuit accused Facebook of eliminating competition with the acquisitions, even though the FTC itself had approved the deals.  The Facebook’s actions to entrench and maintain its monopoly deny consumers the benefits of competition.  The aim of the suit is to roll back Facebook’s anti-competitive conduct and restore competition so that innovation and free competition can thrive. Viewpoint of US Federal Trade Commission  The FTC has alleged that Facebook is illegally maintaining its personal social networking monopoly through a years-long course of anticompetitive conduct.  The case has been filed under Section 2 of the Sherman Act, which the FTC enforces through Section 5 of the FTC Act.  The FTC has also accused Facebook of imposing anti-competitive conditions on software developers.  It says Facebook’s practices have harmed competition and left consumers with few choices for personal social networking, and deprives advertisers of the benefits of competition.  The lawsuit cites how Facebook restricted its third-party software developers access to valuable inter- connections to its platform” by exercising strict control over its application programming interfaces or APIs. Demand of US Federal Trade Commission  The lawsuit seeks divestitures of assets, including Instagram and WhatsApp. o If the FTC wins, Facebook might be forced to sell Instagram and WhatsApp, two products that are more appealing to younger users and in new geographies, and are therefore crucial to driving the company’s growth.  The FTC also wants to prohibit Facebook from imposing anti-competitive conditions on software developers. o It implies that Facebook will have to seek prior notice and approval for future mergers and acquisitions. Response of Facebook on US Federal Trade Commission  The Facebook has called the lawsuits revisionist history because it is not true that it has no competition, and named Apple, Google, Twitter, Snap, Amazon, TikTok and Microsoft.  The lawsuits ignore the fact that users can and do move often to competing apps.  Facebook has also questioned the “attack” on its acquisitions, and recalled that the FTC had cleared the Instagram deal after an in-depth review.  The two FTC commissioners had voted against bringing the lawsuit, which signals that no sale will ever be final, no matter the resulting harm to consumers or the chilling effect on innovation.

PROBLEMS OF PUNJAB’S MONOCULTURE Amidst the ongoing farmer’s protests, questions are being raised on the sustainability of paddy-wheat cultivation, especially in Punjab. Monoculture in Punjab:  Monoculture is the agricultural practice of growing a single crop, plant, or livestock species, variety, or breed in a field or farming system at a time.  Wheat and paddy constitute about 84.6% of the total area planted to all crops compromising on pulses, maize, bajra and oilseeds cotton.

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Problem of Monoculture:  Growing the same crops year after year on the same land increases vulnerability to pest and disease attacks. The more the crop and genetic diversity, the more difficult it is for insects and pathogens to devise a way to pierce through plant resistance.  Wheat and paddy cannot also, unlike pulses and legumes, fix nitrogen from the atmosphere. Their continuous cultivation without any crop rotation, then, leads to depletion of soil nutrients and growing dependence on chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Wheat vs Paddy:  Wheat: o It is naturally adapted to Punjab’s soil and agro climatic conditions. o Its cultivation is desirable for national food security.  Paddy: o It requires a huge amount of water. . Farmers usually irrigate wheat five times. In paddy, 30 irrigations or more are given. . Punjab’s groundwater table has been declining by 0.5 meters per annum on an average due to paddy and the state’s policy of supplying free power for irrigation. It has encouraged farmers to grow long- duration water-guzzling varieties like Pusa-44. o Pusa-44 has high yield but a long duration growth period. . Long duration means transplanting by mid-May (Peak Summer), to enable harvesting from October and timely planting of the next wheat crop. But being peak summer time, it also translated into very high-water requirements. o Paddy, being a warm season crop is not very sensitive to high temperature stress thus can be grown in much of eastern, central and southern India, where water is sufficiently available. Government Initiatives:  Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act, 2009 barred any nursery-sowing and transplanting of paddy before May 15 and June 15, respectively. o The Act was passed for the conservation of the groundwater. o Problem with the Act: . If transplanting of paddy was permitted only after the monsoon rains arrived in mid-June, it also pushed harvesting to October-end, leaving a narrow time window for sowing wheat before the November 15 deadline. . Farmers, then, had no option other than burning the paddy stubble left behind. Simply put, groundwater conservation in Punjab ended up causing air pollution in Delhi. Outcome  Reducing acreage area for wheat and promoting cultivation of alternate crops like coarse grains in Punjab will lead to crop diversification in the region bringing in better soil resilience and added nutritional benefits to the locals.  Shifting Paddy cultivation to eastern and southern states, planting of only shorter-duration varieties of paddy crop which mature early without any effect on production, metering of electricity and direct seeding of paddy further address the issue of monoculture and depleting groundwater.

NATIONAL HYDROLOGY PROJECT Review of the National Hydrology Project (World Bank supported initiative of Ministry of Jal Shakti) was carried out by Minister of Jal Shakti. About:  National Hydrology Project (NHP) was started in the year 2016 as a Central Sector Scheme with 100% grant to Implementing agencies on pan India basis with a budget outlay of Rs 3680 Crore to be spent over a period of 8 years.  The project aims at improving the extent, reliability and accessibility of water resources information and to strengthen the capacity of targeted water resource management institutions in India.  Under the NHP, a nationwide repository of water resources data - NWIC has been established. LOAN PACT WITH NDB Government has recently announced a 1 billion USD loan pact with New Development Bank (NDB) to boost rural employment and infrastructure. Key Points The government and the New Development Bank (NDB) signed a loan agreement worth 1 billion USD to help India’s economic recovery from Covid-19 by supporting:  Spending on rural infrastructure related to natural resource management (NRM) and  Rural employment generation under MGNREGS (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme). The loan has a tenor of 30 years, including a 5-year grace period. The funding comes under NDB’s Policy on fast-track emergency response to Covid-19. The loan would specially help migrant workers who have returned from urban areas and have lost their livelihoods due to the pandemic. Economic activity slowed down post lockdowns to contain the spread of virus, resulting in loss of employment and income of workers especially those employed in the informal sector, including rural areas. The World Bank has also approved four projects worth over 800 million USD for strengthening India’s social protection architecture, promoting nutrition-supportive agriculture for tribal households in Chhattisgarh, enhancing quality education in Nagaland and improving safety and performance of existing dams across states.

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YOGASANA The Ministry of AYUSH and Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports announced the formal recognition of Yogasana as a competitive sport at a joint press conference.  The origins of Yogasana competitions can be traced to the Indian Yoga tradition, where such competitions have been held for centuries.  Yogasana is an integral and important component of Yoga, which is psycho-physical in nature and popular across the globe for its efficacy in fitness and general wellness.  Competitions that will arise out of the recognition of Yogasana as a sport will enhance interest in Yoga among people around the globe.  Government of India is planning to include Yogasana as a Sport discipline in National Games, Khelo India and international sports events.

YOUNG CHAMPIONS OF THE EARTH: UN A 29-year-old Indian entrepreneur is among the seven winners of the prestigious “Young Champions of the Earth” 2020 prize given by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to global change-makers using innovative ideas and ambitious action to help solve some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. About:  Introduced in 2017, Young Champions of the Earth aims to celebrate and support individuals aged between 18 and 30 who have outstanding potential to create a positive environmental impact.  In 2020, seven Young Champions of the Earth will be selected from each global region: Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, West Asia and two from Asia and the Pacific.  Each winner will receive: o USD 10,000 in seed funding, o Attendance at a high-level UN meeting, o An introduction to dignitaries at the Champions of the Earth award ceremony, o Publicity and recognition through interviews and online and global media. 7 Winners of 2020:  Fatemah Alzelzela, Kuwait: (Eco Star - Trees for waste). A non-profit recycling initiative that exchanges trees and plants for waste from homes, schools and businesses.  Lefteris Arapakis, Greece: (Mediterranean CleanUp). Trains, empowers and incentivises the local fishing community to collect plastic from the sea, allowing both fish stocks and the ecosystem to recover.  Max Hidalgo Quinto, Peru: (YAWA). Sustainable technology for access to water building portable wind turbines that harvest up to 300 litres of water per day from atmospheric humidity and mist.  Niria Alicia Garcia, United States of America: (Run4Salmon). An indigenous-lead conservation uses virtual reality to bring to life the historical journey of the Sacramento chinook salmon along California’s largest watershed, raising awareness of this invaluable ecosystem, the species and people it supports.  Nzambi Matee, Kenya: (Building a Greener Kenya). Produces sustainable low-cost construction materials made of recycled plastic waste and sand.  Xiaoyuan Ren, China: (MyH2O). A data platform for clean water that tests and records the quality of groundwater across a thousand villages in rural China into an app so residents know where to find clean water.  Vidyut Mohan, India: (Takachar). Harvesting value from agricultural waste. Takachar: Harvesting Value from Agricultural Waste About:  Takachar is a social enterprise founded by Vidyut Mohan in 2018.  It enables farmers to prevent open burning of their waste farm residues and earn extra income by converting them into value-added chemicals.  It is a meaningful and immediate solution to the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Procedure:  Takachar buys rice husks, straw and coconut shells from farmers and turns them into charcoal, saving the debris from the fires, which are also a driver of climate change. Benefits:  Open burning of agricultural residues is a big source of air pollution in many parts of the world and this innovative technology can help farmers turn what is currently thought of as waste into a valuable resource while helping clean up our environment.  Enables rural farmers to earn 40% more by converting their crop residues into fuels, fertilisers and value- added chemicals like activated carbon (AC) on-site. Potential:  By 2030, Takachar will impact 300 million farmers affected by this problem, create USD 4 billion/year equivalent in additional rural income and jobs, and mitigate one gigaton/year of CO2 equivalent.

USTAD IQBAL AHMED KHAN Music maestro Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan passed away at the age of 66.  Born in 1954, Iqbal Ahmed Khan was raised in the Dilli Gharana of music.  He began his stage career under the guidance of his teacher and grandfather Ustad Chand Khan. www.ambitionias.in 24

 Keeping up with the family traditions, Khan had actively promoted Amir Khusro’s musical works.  He also founded Dilli Durbar, “aimed solely towards the renaissance of Indian Classical Music”, which held its first classical event in 2019.

ISRO’S SATELLITE LAUNCH: CMS-01 Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched a communications satellite, CMS-01, on board its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV - C50) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Andhra Pradesh.  Previously in November 2020, ISRO launched India’s Earth Observation Satellite, EOS-01, and nine other customer satellites. Key Points  CMS-01 is a communications satellite envisaged for providing services in extended C Band frequency spectrum.  Its coverage will include the Indian mainland, and the Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands.  The satellite is expected to have a life of more than seven years.  The satellite was injected precisely into its predefined sub- Geo-synchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). Eventually, it will be placed into its specified slot in the Geo-Synchronous Orbit after a series of manoeuvres.  CMS-01 will replace and enhance the services of GSAT-12. o GSAT-12, a communication satellite built by ISRO, provides facilities for various communication services like Tele-education, Tele-medicine and for Village Resource Centres (VRC). . To provide the space-based services directly to the rural areas, ISRO has launched the Village Resource Centres (VRCs) programme in association with NGOs/Trusts and state/central agencies. Next Launch of ISRO (PSLV-C51):  PSLV-C51, will be the next special mission for ISRO, as it will be carrying the country’s first satellite under the space reforms programme announced by the Indian government.  The government had announced the opening up of the space sector to private players with the inception of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe).  The IN-SPACe is expected to hand-hold, promote and guide the private industries in space activities through encouraging policies and a friendly regulatory environment.  Satellites to be on board PSLV-C51:  Pixxel India named ‘Anand’, ‘Satish Sat’ from Space Kidz India, ‘Unity Sat’ from a consortium of universities.

NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF TUBERCULOSIS AND CHEST DISEASES (NATCON) Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare addressed the Platinum Jubilee of the National Conference of Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases (NATCON). About:  The Tuberculosis Association of India (TAI) is one of the oldest and largest voluntary organizations having its affiliates all over the country.  It was set up in February, 1939 as a registered society by incorporating the King Emperor's Anti-Tuberculosis Fund and King George Thanks-giving (Anti-Tuberculosis) Fund.  Since the year 1939 the Association is organizing National Conference on Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases (NATCON), an annual conference wherein around 500 delegates from all over India assemble and exchange views on tuberculosis.

E20 FUEL Recently, the Indian government has invited public comments for introducing adoption of E20 fuel to promote green fuel like ethanol. Composition: E20 fuel is a blend of 20% of ethanol with gasoline.  The current permissible level of blending is 10% of ethanol, though India reached only 5.6% of blending in 2019. Significance:  It will help in reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, etc.  It will help reduce the oil import bill, thereby saving foreign exchange and boosting energy security. Compatibility of Vehicles: As per the government, the compatibility of the vehicle to the percentage of ethanol in the blend of ethanol and gasoline shall be defined by the vehicle manufacturer and the same shall be displayed on the vehicle by putting a clearly visible sticker. Green Fuel Green fuel, also known as biofuel, is a type of fuel distilled from plants and animal materials, believed by some to be more environmentally friendly than the widely-used fossil fuels that power most of the world. Types:  Bioethanol o It is derived from corn and sugarcane using the fermentation process. o A litre of ethanol contains approximately two thirds of the energy provided by a litre of petrol. o When mixed with petrol, it improves the combustion performance and lowers the emissions of carbon monoxide and sulphur oxide.

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 Biodiesel o It is derived from vegetable oils like soybean oil or palm oil, vegetable waste oils, and animal fats by a biochemical process called “Transesterification.” o It produces very less or no amount of harmful gases as compared to diesel.  Biogas o It is produced by anaerobic decomposition of organic matter like sewage from animals and humans. o Major proportion of biogas is methane and carbon dioxide, though it also has small proportions of hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen, carbon monoxide and siloxanes. o It is commonly used for heating, electricity and for automobiles.  Biobutanol o It is produced in the same way as bioethanol i.e., through the fermentation of starch. o The energy content in butanol is the highest among the other gasoline alternatives. It can be added to diesel to reduce emissions. o It serves as a solvent in the textile industry and is also used as a base in perfumes.  Biohydrogen o Biohydrogen, like biogas, can be produced using a number of processes such as pyrolysis, gasification or biological fermentation. o It can be the perfect alternative for fossil fuel. Outcome  India being a large agricultural economy, there is a large amount of agricultural residues available, therefore the scope of producing biofuels is immense in the country. Biofuels can help in rural and agricultural development in the form of new cash crops.  Efforts for producing sustainable biofuels should be made by ensuring use of wastelands and municipal wastes that get generated in cities. A properly designed and implemented biofuel solution can provide both food and energy.  A community-based biodiesel distribution programme that benefits local economies, from the farmers growing the feedstock to local businesses producing and distributing the fuel to the end consumer, will be a welcome step.

SOLARWINDS HACK The ‘SolarWinds hack’, a cyberattack recently discovered in the United States, has emerged as one of the biggest ever targeted against the US government, its agencies and several other private companies. In fact, it is likely a global cyberattack. How did so many US government agencies and companies get attacked?  This is being called a ‘Supply Chain’ attack: Instead of directly attacking the federal government or a private organisation’s network, the hackers target a third-party vendor, which supplies software to them.  In this case, the target was an IT management software called Orion, supplied by the Texas-based company SolarWinds.  Orion has been a dominant software from SolarWinds with clients, which include over 33,000 companies. SolarWinds says 18,000 of its clients have been impacted.  The hackers gained “access to victims via trojanized updates to SolarWinds’ Orion IT monitoring and management software. Once installed, the malware gave a backdoor entry to the hackers to the systems and networks of SolarWinds’ customers.

SC STAYS ANDHRA HC ORDER TO EXAMINE CONSTITUTIONAL BREAKDOWN Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) has stayed an Andhra Pradesh High Court (HC) order intending to embark on a judicial enquiry into whether there is a constitutional breakdown in the State machinery, requiring a declaration of President’s rule (Article 356).  A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of India S A Bobde found the order disturbing and will take up the matter later on after vacations. Andhra Pradesh High Court’s Move: While hearing a clutch of habeas corpus petitions in October 2020, it suo motu summoned the State counsel to assist it in deciding “whether in circumstances prevailing in the State, the court can record a finding that there is constitutional breakdown or not”. State Government’s Appeal:  The HC framed the question in an unprecedented manner and without any basis or pleadings by any of the parties to that effect.  It highlighted that Article 356, which deals with failure of Constitutional machinery in a State, is a power exclusively vested in the executive and not the judiciary.  Under the Constitutional framework, it is not for the Courts to decide as to whether there is a Constitutional breakdown in a State as they do not have any judicially discoverable and manageable standards to determine so.  The said fact is essentially an executive function and is necessarily required to be based on a detailed factual analysis.  The HC order is a serious encroachment on the powers of the executive as enumerated under the Constitution and is violative of the doctrine of separation of powers and thus, violative of the basic structure of the Constitution.

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MYSTERY ILLNESS OF ELURU Recently, the Andhra Pradesh government has requested the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-New Delhi and the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) in Hyderabad to conduct a long-term study to determine the causes of the mystery illness in Eluru in West Godavari district. Key Points Over 70% of Eluru town, in Andhra Pradesh's West Godavari district, has been affected by a mysterious illness.  One person died due to the illness while 550 people were hospitalised. About Mystery Illness of Eluru:  Symptoms: o Convulsions, seizures, dizziness and nausea. . Convulsion is a medical condition where body muscles contract and relax rapidly and repeatedly, resulting in uncontrolled actions of the body. . Seizure is a sudden, uncontrolled electrical disturbance in the brain. It can cause changes in behavior, movements or feelings, and in levels of consciousness. . Dizziness is a term used to describe a range of sensations, such as feeling faint, weak or unsteady. . Nausea is stomach discomfort and the sensation of wanting to vomit. o The seizures last for 3 to 5 minutes followed usually by vomiting or loss of consciousness.  Recovery: o Most victims being treated are getting fine within one or two hours and are discharged.  Victims: o People of all age groups, men, women and even small children are among the victims.  Possible Causes: o The primary suspicion is on water contamination by heavy metals. . Excessive use of bleaching powder and chlorine in sanitation programmes as part of Covid-19 prevention measures might have caused water contamination. . AIIMS-New Delhi found traces of lead and nickel in blood samples of 25 victims out of the 45 samples sent by the state government. o Scientists suspect that pesticide or insecticide has seeped into drinking water sources. . Eluru receives water through canals from both Godavari and Krishna rivers. The canals pass through agricultural fields where runoff laced with pesticides mixes with water in the canals.

CHANG’E 5 China’s Chang’e 5 lunar mission returned to Earth carrying around 2 kilograms of the first fresh rock samples from the moon in 44 years. The spacecraft landed in Siziwang Banner, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. About:  The probe, named after the ancient Chinese goddess of the moon, first took off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan on November 24th.  Two of the Chang’e 5’s four modules landed on the moon on 1st December and collected about 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of samples by scooping them from the surface and drilling 2 meters into the moon’s crust.  The samples were deposited in a sealed container that was carried back to the return module by an ascent vehicle.  The retrieved re-entry capsule of Chang'e-5 will be airlifted to Beijing, where the capsule will be opened and the samples will be ready for analysis. Oceanus Procellarum:  The samples were retrieved from a previously unvisited area of the moon.  The latest samples come from a part of the moon known as the Oceanus Procellarum, or Ocean of Storms, near a site called the Mons Rumker that was believed to have been volcanic in ancient times.  Mons Rumker, never sampled before, is geologically younger than the sampling areas of the U.S. and the Soviet missions.

INDEGENOUS GAMES & KHELO INDIA The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has recently included Gatka, Kalaripayattu, Thang-Ta and Mallakhamba in Khelo India Youth Games 2021. Key Points Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) 2021, are scheduled to take place in Haryana.  The 2020 edition of KIYG was held in Guwahati (Assam). KIYG is a part of the revamped national programme for development of sports ‘Khelo India’ which was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2017.  The Khelo India Scheme aims to encourage sports all over the country, thus allowing the population to harness the power of sports through its cross-cutting influence, namely holistic development of children & youth, community development, social integration, gender equality, healthy lifestyle, national pride and economic opportunities related to sports development.  Under the Scheme, talented players identified in priority sports disciplines at various levels are provided annual financial assistance of Rs. 5 lakh per annum for 8 years. Gatka:  Gatka originates from the State of Punjab and this traditional fighting style of the Nihang Sikh Warriors is used both as self-defense as well as a sport. www.ambitionias.in 27

 Gatka is believed to have originated when the 6th Sikh Guru Hargobind adopted ‘Kirpan’ for self-defence during the Mughal era.  It was earlier confined to gurudwaras, nagar kirtans and akharas, but now it finds presence in the sports category after the formation of the Gatka Federation of India (GFI) in 2008. Kalaripayattu:  Kalaripayattu, also known simply as Kalari, is an Indian martial art that originated in modern-day Kerala.  Kalaripayattu is held in high regard by martial artists due to its long-standing history within Indian martial arts. It is believed to be the oldest surviving martial art in India. It is also considered to be among the oldest martial arts still in existence, with its origin in the martial arts timeline dating back to at least the 3rd century BCE.  The place where this martial art is practised is called a 'Kalari'. It is a Malayalam word that signifies a kind of gymnasium. Mallakhamb:  Mallakhamb is a traditional sport, originating from the Indian subcontinent, in which a gymnast performs aerial yoga or gymnastic postures and wrestling grips with a vertical stationary or hanging wooden pole, cane, or rope  The name Mallakhamb derives from the terms malla, meaning wrestler, and khamb, which means a pole. Literally meaning "wrestling pole", the term refers to a traditional training implement used by wrestlers.  Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra have been the hotspots of this sport. Thang Ta:  Huyen langlon is an Indian martial art from Manipur.  In the Meitei language, huyen means war while langlon or langlong can mean net, knowledge or art.  Huyen langlon consists of two main components: o Thang-ta (armed combat) o sarit sarak (unarmed fighting).  The primary weapons of huyen langlon are the thang (sword) and ta (spear). Other weapons include the shield and the axe.

'LEGION OF MERIT' AWARD US President Donald Trump presented the prestigious Legion of Merit award to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. About:  Mr Modi was presented with the highest degree Chief Commander of the Legion of Merit which is given only to the Head of State or Government.  Mr Modi was given the award in recognition of his steadfast leadership and vision that has accelerated India’s emergence as a global power and elevated the strategic partnership between the United States and India to address global challenges.  The US President also presented the Legion of Merit to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The awards were received by their respective ambassadors in Washington DC.

CHILLAI KALAN The 40-day intense winter period “chillai kalan” started in Kashmir valley on 21st December with sub-zero night temperatures across the region.  It will continue till January 31. Key Points  Chillai Kalan is followed by Chillai-Khurd and Chillai-Bachha. o Chillai Khurd (small cold) is a 20-day long period which starts from January 31 to February 19. o Chillai-Bachha (baby cold), a 10-day long period which occurs between February 20 and March 2.  Considered to be the core of winter, Chillai Kalan usually brings snowfall, sub-zero temperatures causing freezing of water bodies including the Dal lake, closure of highways, etc.

INDIA-VIETNAM LEADERS’ VIRTUAL SUMMIT Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a Virtual Summit with H.E. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of Vietnam. About:  A ‘Joint Vision for Peace, Prosperity and People’ document was adopted during the Summit, to guide the future development of the India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.  Both leaders also welcomed the signing of a Plan of Action for period 2021-2023 for further implementation of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to implement the Joint Vision.  Announcements made:  Implementation of the High-Speed Guard Boat (HSGB) Manufacturing Project for Vietnam Border Guard Command under the US$ 100 million Defence Line of Credit extended by Government of India to Vietnam;  Completion and handing over of seven Development Projects with Indian ‘Grant-in-Aid’ Assistance of US$ 1.5 million for the benefit of local community in Vietnam’s Ninh Thuan province.  Enhancing the number of annual Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) from currently five to ten commencing FY 2021-2022.

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 Three new Development Partnership projects in heritage conservation in Vietnam (F-block of Temple at My Son; Dong Duong Buddhist Monastery in Quang Nam province; and Nhan Cham Tower in Phu Yen province).  Launch of bilateral project for preparing an Encyclopaedia on India - Vietnam Civilizational and Cultural Relations.

STRENGTHEN SAFEGUARDS FOR WHISTLEBLOWERS Recently, experts have highlighted the need to strengthen safeguards for corporate whistleblowers and extend the requirement of a vigil mechanism to large private companies in India. Background:  The Delhi High Court (HC) is currently hearing a writ petition, which has challenged the constitutional validity of the existing provisions of the Companies Act 2013.  Current provisions only require listed companies to have a vigil mechanism to address whistleblower complaints. o These companies are those which accept public deposits and companies that have loans from banks or public financial institutions of over Rs. 50 crore. Concerns Highlighted:  Absence of any specific guidelines on the functioning of a vigil mechanism has led to companies not ensuring that whistleblower complaints are addressed in a timely manner.  Current provisions do not provide any guidelines on the functioning of the vigil mechanism for companies.  Companies were able to retaliate against employees raising whistleblower complaints and even terminated their employment as any civil suit for such actions could be too expensive and time-consuming. o Parties filing civil suits are required to first pay court fees, typically amounting to around 1% of damages claimed. Suggestions:  Private sector companies above a certain threshold of turnover or employees should set up a vigil mechanism.  Large private sector companies, including subsidiaries of large multinational corporations, should be regulated differently from small private sector companies and should be required to have vigil mechanisms.  The law should require a permanent internal committee and specify directions on the functioning of the committee. o For that, the government should consider issuing guiding principles on such as internal reporting to and review by the audit committee, timelines for addressing grievances and consideration by the board on nature and number of open matters and outcomes of resolved matters, etc. o However, regulating the functioning of vigil mechanisms pose a risk of over-regulation and micro- management.  The mechanism should provide for “adequate safeguards against victimisation of persons who use such mechanisms and make provision for direct access to the chairperson of the audit committee in appropriate or exceptional cases.  There was a need for a deterrent against frivolous complaints.

MOCK EGG Recently, a team of scientists from IIT Delhi won an innovation contest (Innovate 4 SDG) organised by the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) Accelerator Lab India for their innovation of a “plant based mock egg”.  UNDP Accelerator Lab India seeks to address some of the most pressing issues facing India, such as air pollution, sustainable water management and client-resilient livelihoods through innovation.  The team secured the first prize and won 5,000 USD for their innovation. Mock Egg:  It has been developed from very simple farm-based crop proteins, which not only looks and tastes like an egg but is also very close in nutritional profile to poultry eggs.  The development of the mock egg meets the protein needs of the diet-specific, health conscious, vegan and vegetarian people. The team has also developed meat analogues for chicken and fish from plant sources using fruits and vegetables. The plant based textured foods which resemble egg, fish and chicken have been developed with an aim to address the longstanding battle for malnutrition and clean protein food for people.

EXTREME WEATHER EVENT HOTSPOTS Over 75 per cent districts in India, home to more than 63.8 crore people, are hotspots of extreme climate events such as cyclones, floods, droughts, heat and cold waves, according to a study released by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW). About:  This is the first time that extreme weather event hotspots in the country have been mapped.  The frequency, intensity, and unpredictability of these extreme events have risen in recent decades. While India witnessed 250 extreme climate events in 35 years between 1970 and 2005, it recorded 310 such weather events in only 15 years since then, the study has pointed out.  In the last 50 years, the frequency of flood events increased almost eight times. Events associated with floods such as landslides, heavy rainfall, hailstorms, thunderstorms, and cloudbursts increased by over 20 times.

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 Six of India’s eight most flood-prone districts in the last decade—Barpeta, Darrang, Dhemaji, Goalpara, Golaghat, Sivasagar—are in Assam.  The yearly average of drought-affected districts increased 13 times after 2005. Nearly 68 per cent of the districts have faced droughts and drought-like situations.  Drought-affected district hotspots of India in the last decade were Ahmednagar, Aurangabad (both Maharashtra), Anantapur, Chittoor (both Andhra Pradesh), Bagalkot, Bijapur, Chikkaballapur, Gulbarga, and Hassan (all Karnataka).  The study also found a shift in the pattern of extreme climate events, such as flood-prone areas becoming drought-prone and vice-versa, in over 40 per cent of Indian districts.

BREAKDANCING Breakdancing became an official Olympic sport.  The International Olympic Committee’s pursuit of urban events to lure a younger audience saw street dance battles officially added to the medal events program at the 2024 Paris Games.  Also confirmed for Paris by the IOC executive board were skateboarding, sport climbing, and surfing.  Breakdancing was proposed by Paris organizers almost two years ago after positive trials at the 2018 Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires.

ABDUL RAHIM KHAN-I-KHANA Rahim Khan’s tomb was opened to the public after six years of restoration work — perhaps the largest conservation project ever undertaken for any monument of national importance in India.  Abdul Rahim Khan-i-Khanan (1556 – 1627), popularly known as simply Rahim, was a poet who lived in India during the rule of Mughal emperor Akbar.  Abdul Rahim was the son of Bairam Khan, Akbar's trusted guardian and mentor.  He was one of the nine important ministers (dewan) in his court, also known as the Navaratnas.  Rahim is known for his Hindi dohe (couplets) and his books on astrology.  Apart from writing various dohas, Rahim translated Babar's memoirs, Baburnama from Chagatai language to Persian language.  He had an excellent command over the Sanskrit language. In Sanskrit, he wrote two books on astrology, Khetakautukam and Dwatrimshadyogavali.  The village of Khan Khana, which is named after him, is located in the Nawanshahr district of Punjab.

FRAUD CASES IN PUBLIC SECTOR BANKS Public Sector Banks (PSBs) have been reviewing loan accounts and are expected to report more fraud cases in accounts which have earlier been put under their Early Warning Signals (EWS) system.  The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) developed the EWS framework as it noticed a delay in the detection and reporting of banking frauds.  The objective of the EWS framework is to prevent and detect these offences, to provide timely reporting to regulators and to initiate staff accountability proceedings thereby ensuring that the operations and risk-taking ability of the banks is not impacted. Data Analysis:  The total cases of frauds (involving Rs. 1 lakh and above) reported by banks and financial institutions shot up by 28% by volume and 159% by value during 2019-20 despite the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) tightening the supervision and vigilance.  While there were 6,799 frauds involving Rs. 71,543 crore as of March 2019, the number of frauds jumped to 8,707 involving Rs.1,85,644 crore, says the RBI’s Annual Report 2020.  PSBs topped the fraud table with 4,413 cases involving Rs. 1,48,400 crore.  Private banks reported 3,066 frauds involving Rs. 34,211 crore. Current Scenario:  Banks are going through their accounts which were put on alert earlier. They will report fraud wherever such instances are found in case of large accounts, and make 100% provision against them.  The RBI also indicated that the frauds registered during 2019-20 actually occurred in the loans sanctioned during 2010-2014.  After forensic audit and investigation into these accounts, diversions and other issues were found. Reasons:  Weak implementation of EWS by banks.  Non-detection of EWS during internal audits. o Internal audits evaluate a company's internal controls, including its corporate governance and accounting processes. o They ensure compliance with laws and regulations, help maintain accurate and timely financial reporting and data collection.  Non-cooperation of borrowers during forensic audits. o Forensic audit is an examination and evaluation of a firm's or individual's financial records to derive evidence that can be used in a court of law or legal proceeding.  Inconclusive audit reports.  Lack of decision making in Joint Lenders’ meetings account. www.ambitionias.in 30

WHO’S 2019 GLOBAL HEALTH ESTIMATES The WHO’s 2019 Global Health Estimates, released recently, said non-communicable diseases now make up 7 of the world’s top 10 causes of death, an increase from 4 of the 10 leading causes in 2000. The new data cover the period from 2000 to 2019. About:  Heart disease has remained the leading cause of death at the global level for the last 20 years.  Heart disease now represents 16 per cent of total deaths from all causes and the number of deaths from heart disease increased by more than two million since 2000 to nearly 9 million in 2019.  Diabetes and dementia are also among the world’s top 10 causes of death.  While more non-communicable diseases are now causing deaths worldwide, there has been a global decline in deaths from communicable diseases, which however still remain a major challenge in low- and middle-income countries.  In 2019, pneumonia and other lower respiratory infections were the deadliest group of communicable diseases and together ranked as the fourth leading cause of death.  HIV/AIDS dropped from the 8th leading cause of death in 2000 to the 19th in 2019.  Tuberculosis is also no longer in the global top 10, falling from 7th place in 2000 to 13th in 2019, with a 30% reduction in global deaths.  The estimates further confirm the growing trend for longevity: in 2019, people were living more than 6 years longer than in 2000, with a global average of more than 73 years in 2019 compared to nearly 67 in 2000.

SHAHEEN-IX China has recently asked India to “objectively” view the on-going month-long military exercises taking place between the Chinese and Pakistani air forces, amid increasing tensions with India.  “Shaheen-IX” or Eagle-IX exercise, is an exercise between the Pakistan Air Force and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.  Shaheen-IX is the ninth in the series which is conducted each year in both countries on alternate basis.  The first such drill was held in Pakistan in 2011.  Other exercises between Pakistan and china: o Sea Guardians: Bilateral Naval exercise  India China exercises: o Hand In Hand: Bilateral Army exercise

E-SEWA KENDRA Recently, an e-Sewa Kendra was inaugurated by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) at the High Court of Tripura. e-Seva Kendra:  e-Seva Kendras have been created in the High Courts and in one District Court in each State on a pilot basis.  They are dedicated to serve as a one-stop center for all legal aid and assistance for common litigants and advocates.  It enables litigants to obtain information with respect to case status and to obtain copies of judgments and orders.  These centres also extend assistance in e-filing of cases.  These Kendras represent a significant step for the common man and his right to access to justice. Other Technological Initiatives to Provide Legal Services:  Tele-Law: o About: Tele-Law programme was launched by the Ministry of Law and Justice in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in 2017 to address cases at pre–litigation stage. o Connect Lawyers to Litigants: It is a service that uses video conferencing facilities and telephone services to connect lawyers to litigants who need legal advice. This service aims to reach out to the needy especially the marginalized and disadvantaged. o Common Service Centres: Under this programme, smart technology of video conferencing, telephone/instant calling facilities available at the vast network of Common Service Centres at the Panchayat level are used to connect the indigent, down-trodden, vulnerable, unreached groups and communities with the Panel Lawyers for seeking timely and valuable legal advice.  e-Courts Project: o The e-Courts project was conceptualized on the basis of the National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Indian Judiciary – 2005. It is a pan-India Project, monitored and funded by the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice. o Objectives of the Project: . To provide efficient & time-bound citizen-centric services delivery as detailed in e-Court Project Litigant's Charter. . To develop, install & implement decision support systems in courts. . To automate the processes to provide transparency and accessibility of information to its stakeholders. . To enhance judicial productivity, both qualitatively & quantitatively, to make the justice delivery system affordable, accessible, cost-effective, predictable, reliable and transparent. www.ambitionias.in 31

GST REVENUE GAP: NIPFP According to the National Institute for Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP), the revenue shortfall for the Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation payable to States in 2020-21 could be about Rs. 1.95 lakh crore in the best-case scenario. GST Compensation:  According to the Goods and Services Tax (Compensation to States) Act 2017, states will receive GST compensation during the transition period of GST (first five years of GST introduction), if State GST (SGST collection including receipts of Integrated GST settlement on account of SGST) revenue falls short of the projected revenue collection.  GST compensation is paid using funds specifically collected as compensation cess. Findings of NIPFP:  The revenue gap in state GST collection is expected to vary between 2.85 lakh crore to Rs. 3.27 lakh crore. GST compensation cess collection in 2020-21 is expected to vary between Rs. 82,242 crore to Rs. 90,386 crore.  Maximum revenue gaps are expected for Goa, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Kerala and Chhattisgarh. Step Taken by the Government:  Recently, the Ministry of Finance has released the eighth weekly instalment of Rs. 6,000 crore to the states to meet the GST compensation shortfall, taking the total amount released so far under this window to Rs. 48,000 crore.  The Central government borrows the funds under a special window and passes it on to states in a back-to- back loan arrangement. o The interest rate for the latest loan instalment was 4.19%, while the average rate for the entire borrowing so far is at 4.7%. National Institute for Public Finance and Policy Formation: NIPFP is an autonomous body set up jointly by the Ministry of Finance, the erstwhile Planning Commission, and several state governments. It was founded in 1976. It is registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. Functions: o It undertakes research, policy advocacy and capacity building in areas related to public economics. o One of the major mandates of the institute is to assist the Central, State and Local governments in formulating and reforming public policies by providing an analytical base. Funding: It receives an annual grant from the Ministry of Finance and various State governments. However, it maintains an independent non-government character. Governing Body:  It includes the Revenue Secretary, Economic Affairs Secretary and the Chief Economic Advisor from the Ministry of Finance and representatives from NITI Aayog, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and three state governments.  It also includes three distinguished economists, members of sponsoring agencies and other invitees.  It is involved in appointing the Chairman and the Director. o The usual tenure of a chairman is four years, which can be extended. o At present, Dr. Urjit Patel, former Governor of the RBI, is the Chairman. Location: New Delhi.

SUGATHAKUMARI Eminent Malayalam poet, conservationist and women’s activist, Sugathakumari passed away at the age of 86. About:  Sugathakumari (1934 – 2020) was an Indian poet and activist, who was at the forefront of environmental and feminist movements in Kerala.  She began her literary life writing for a weekly in 1957 under the pen name Sreekumar. Fondly called ‘Sugatha teacher’, she was known for her poems filled with empathy, sensitivity and philosophical quest.  In the late 1970s she led a successful nationwide movement, known as Save Silent Valley, to save some of the oldest natural forests in the country, the Silent Valley in Kerala, from submersion as a result of a planned hydroelectric project.  Her poem “Marathinu Stuthi” (Ode to a Tree) became a symbol for the protest and reverberated in all the Save the Silent Valley campaigns.  She was the founder secretary of the Prakrithi Samrakshana Samithi, an organisation for the protection of nature.  She also founded Abhaya, a home for destitute women and a day-care centre for the mentally ill.  Sugathakumari was also the first chairperson of the Kerala State Women Commission. Her tenure was marked by the launch of Kudumbashree Missions, one the successful projects for women empowerment in Kerala. MUNICIPAL BOND The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) is expected to launch municipal bonds in January 2021.  With this, it will become the third Urban Local Body (ULB) in Gujarat to use this method to raise money to fund development work sanctioned under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). It has sought approval for the same from the state government.  Ahmedabad was the first city in south Asia to launch a municipal bond of Rs 100 crore in 1998. Surat Municipal Corporation was the second city in Gujarat to announce bonds in 2018. www.ambitionias.in 32

Important Info: What is a municipal bond?  A municipal bond is a kind of debt instrument where investors offer loans to local governments.  They are issued by civic bodies for specific projects and usually have a 10-year tenure.  The ULB pays the annual interest on the bonds to the investor at the decided rate. The difference between a bank loan and a municipal bond is that any institution can secure a bond only if it has favourable credit ratings.  Benefits: The bond helps raise funds from the stock market. The bond also increases the number of investors available to the civic body, as compared to a loan from a single bank.  Under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, urban local bodies (ULBs) are encouraged to tap the bond market. Bonds help ensure improved credit profiles, direct transfer of funds by the Centre, transparency and efficient revenue generation.

PERMANENT COURT OF ARBITRATION RULING AGAINST INDIA Recently, the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague has ruled that the Indian government was wrong in applying retrospective tax on Cairn. Dispute between Cairn and India The dispute between the Indian government and Cairn also relates to retrospective taxation.  The Cairn ruling is the second arbitral setback to India over its position on retrospective taxation. In 2006-07, as a part of internal rearrangement, Cairn UK transferred shares of Cairn India Holdings to Cairn India. The Income Tax authorities then contented that Cairn UK had made capital gains and slapped it with a tax demand of Rs 24,500 crore. The company refused to pay the tax, which prompted cases being filed at the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) and the High Court. Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling on Retrospective Taxation In its judgment, the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague said Cairn Tax Issue was not just a tax related issue but an investment related dispute. The PCA at The Hague has once again ruled that the Indian government’s retrospective demand was in breach of the guarantee of fair and equitable treatment. It has noted that Cairn UK’s argument that the demand on them was made after the Vodafone retrospective tax demand, which has since been set aside by Indian courts.

FASTag Union Minister for Road Transport, Highway announced that FASTag is being made mandatory for all vehicles in the country from new year. FASTag will be enforced from 1st of January, 2021.  The FASTags were launched in the year 2016.  Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had issued a notification in November this year making FASTag mandatory by 1st of January 2021 in old vehicles also sold before 1st December, 2017 through amendments in CMVR, 1989.  As per Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, since 1st December 2017, the FASTag had been made mandatory for all registration of new four wheeled Vehicles and is being supplied by the Vehicle Manufacturer or their dealers.  It had further been mandated that the renewal of fitness certificate will be done only after the fitment of FASTag for the Transport Vehicles.  For National Permit Vehicles, the fitment of FASTag was mandated since 1st October 2019.  It has also been mandated that a valid FASTag is mandatory while getting a new 3rd Party Insurance through an amendment in FORM 51 (certificate of Insurance), wherein the details of FASTag ID shall be captured. This shall be applicable w.e.f. 1 April 2021.  This would be a major step for ensuring that the payment of fees be 100% at Toll Plazas through the Electronic Means only and that the vehicles pass seamlessly through the Fee Plazas. There would be no waiting time at the Plazas and would save fuel.

DATA FROM CHANDRAYAAN-2 RELEASED: ISRO Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has released the first set of data from the country's second mission to the Moon, the Chandrayaan-2, for the general public.  India launched Chandrayaan-2, its second lunar exploration mission after Chandrayaan-1, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota on 22nd July 2019.  ISRO is planning mission Chandrayaan-3 in late 2021 or early 2022. Standard Requirement for Public Release of Data:  The Chandrayaan-2 data is required to be in the Planetary Data System-4 (PDS4) standard, and is required to be peer reviewed scientifically and technically before acceptance as PDS archives and declared ready for sharing with the global scientific community and the general public.  This activity has been completed and hence the first set of data from the Chandrayaan-2 mission is now being released for the wider public use through the PRADAN portal hosted by Indian Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC). Current Data:  The ISRO Science Data Archive (ISDA) currently holds data sets acquired by Chandrayaan-2 payloads from September-2019 to February-2020 from seven instruments. o ISDA is the long-term archive for ISRO planetary missions. www.ambitionias.in 33

Data Implies:  All experiments have been performing well and the data received suggests excellent capability to deliver on the pre-launch promises.

LOUIS KAHN The board of the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad has decided to demolish the dormitories built by legendary American architect Louis Kahn on its campus triggering a controversy. About:  Louis Isadore Kahn (1901 – 1974) was an American architect, based in Philadelphia.  While continuing his private practice, he served as a design critic and professor of architecture at Yale School of Architecture from 1947 to 1957. From 1957 until his death, he was a professor of architecture at the School of Design at the University of Pennsylvania.  Kahn created a style that was monumental and monolithic; his heavy buildings for the most part do not hide their weight, their materials, or the way they are assembled.  Famous for his meticulously built works, his provocative proposals that remained unbuilt, and his teaching, Kahn was one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century.

GOOD GOVERNANCE DAY Good governance day is celebrated annually on 25th December to mark the birth anniversary of the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.  The aim is to create awareness of accountability in government among the citizens of India. Governance:  It is the process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented).  Governance can be used in several contexts such as corporate governance, international governance, national governance and local governance. Eight Characteristics of Good Governance (as identified by the United Nations):  Participation: o People should have a voice in decision-making, either directly or through legitimate intermediate institutions that represent their interests.  Rule of law: o Legal frameworks should be fair and enforced impartially, particularly the laws on human rights.  Transparency: o Transparency is built on the free flow of information. Processes, institutions and information are directly accessible to those concerned with them, and enough information is provided to understand and monitor them.  Responsiveness: o Institutions and processes try to serve all stakeholders within a reasonable timeframe.  Consensus orientation: o Good governance requires mediation of the different interests in society to reach a broad consensus in society on what is in the best interest of the whole community and how this can be achieved.  Equity: o All groups, particularly the most vulnerable, have opportunities to improve or maintain their well being.  Effectiveness and efficiency: o Processes and institutions produce results that meet needs while making the best use of resources.  Accountability: o Decision-makers in government, the private sector and civil society organisations are accountable to the public, as well as to institutional stakeholders. Challenges to Good Governance in India:  Women Empowerment: o Women are not adequately represented in government institutions, and other allied sectors.  Corruption: o The high level of corruption in India has been widely perceived as a major obstacle in improving the quality of governance.  Delay in Justice: o A citizen has the right to avail timely justice, but there are several factors, because of which a common man doesn’t get timely justice. One such factor is lack of personnel and logistics under disposal of court.  Centralisation of Administrative System: o Governments at lower levels can only function efficiently if they are empowered to do so. This is particularly relevant for the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), which currently suffer from inadequate devolution of funds as well as functionaries to carry out the functions constitutionally assigned to them.  Criminalisation of Politics: o The criminalisation of the political process and the unholy nexus between politicians, civil servants, and business houses are having a baneful influence on public policy formulation and governance.  Environmental security, sustainable development.  Challenges of globalization, liberalisation and market economy.

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Initiatives Taken:  Good Governance Index: o GGI has been launched by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions to determine the status of governance in the country. o It assesses the impact of various interventions taken up by the State Government and UTs.  National e-Governance Plan: o It has the vision to “make all government services accessible to the common man in his locality, through common service delivery outlets and ensure efficiency, transparency & reliability of such services at affordable costs to realize the basic needs of the common man.”  Right to Information Act, 2005: o It plays an effective role in ensuring transparency in governance.  Other Initiatives: Setting up of NITI Aayog, Make in India programme, Lokpal, etc.

INDIA’S FIRST DRIVERLESS METRO India’s urban mass rapid transit will mark a milestone on December 28 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to flag off the country’s first ‘driverless’ metro in Delhi. About:  The first ‘driverless’ train will roll out on the 38-km Line 8 or Magenta Line of the Delhi Metro, which has a 390-km-long network spread across the national capital and adjoining cities such as Noida, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad and Bahadurgarh.  The Centre has also notified changes in the Metro Railways General Rules, 2020 as the previous norms did not allow driverless services.  The trials of DMRC's new 'driverless trains' were started in December 2017, along the 20-km stretch on Pink Line.  The trials were to test the automation of the new metro trains, that were equipped with Unattended Train Operations (UTO) and CBTC (Communication Based Train Control) signalling systems.

E-SAMPADA WEB PORTAL About E-Sampada web portal  The new Web Portal and Mobile App have been developed by National Informatics Centre (NIC).  The new application provides a single-window for all these services including an allotment for over one lakh government residential accommodations, office space allotment to government organisations in 45 office complexes in 28 cities etc.  E-Sampada equips users with much specialised features like the personalised dashboard, service usage archive and real-time status on licence fees/dues.  The portal provides online facility to users across India to lodge complaints, submit documents and appear for the virtual hearing.  It will reduce administrative cost and will save time and resources by reducing visits to Directorate of Estate. Significance of E-Sampada Portal  It is a significant step towards promotion of e-governance to boost transparency and accountability in providing various Estate Services like allotment, retention, regularisation, no dues certificate etc.  The E-Sampada is developed to simplify processes and bring uniformity in the system across India.  It will promote ease of living for Government of India officers / Departments as all services can be availed online on a single window with live tracking of applications.  The automated processes will minimize human intervention and will lead to greater transparency.

AYUSHMAN BHARAT PM-JAY SEHAT: J&K Recently the Prime Minister has launched the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) Social Endeavour for Health and Telemedicine (SEHAT) scheme via video-conferencing to extend health insurance coverage to all residents of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). AB-PMJAY SEHAT Scheme:  The Scheme provides free of cost insurance cover. It provides financial cover upto Rs. 5 lakh per family on a floater basis to all residents of the UT of J&K. o Floater basis, means that it can be used by one or all members of the family. The whole family is insured under one plan.  The scheme would work in convergence with Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). Benefits:  Full coverage to residents of J&K: o At present, about 6 lakh families of the UT are getting the benefit of the Ayushman Bharat Scheme. After the health plan, all 21 lakh families will get the same benefit.  Portability of treatment: o Treatment will not be limited to government and private hospitals in Jammu and Kashmir only. Rather, various hospitals are connected under this scheme in the country. o The hospitals empanelled under PM-AY scheme shall provide services under this scheme as well.  Universal Health Coverage: o The scheme will ensure Universal Health Coverage and focus on providing financial risk protection and ensuring quality and affordable essential health services to all individuals and communities. www.ambitionias.in 35

. Universal Health Coverage (UHC) includes the full spectrum of essential, quality health services, from health promotion to prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliative care. . UHC enables everyone to access the services, protecting people from the financial consequences of paying for health services out of their own pockets and reducing the risk that people will be pushed to poverty. Ayushman Bharat PMJAY Yojana:  The PMJAY, world’s largest health insurance/assurance scheme fully financed by the government, provides a cover of Rs. 5,00,000 per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation across public and private empanelled hospitals in India.  Pre-hospitalisation and Post-hospitalisation expenses such as diagnostics and medicines are also included in the scheme.

NANOTECHNOLOGY AND HEALTH A team of scientists has created a nanomicelle that can be used for effective drug delivery to treat various cancers including breast, colon and lung cancer.  Nanotechnology or nanotech is the technology that involves the manipulation of matter on atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scales. This includes particles of a scale of 1 to 100 nanometers. Nanomicelles:  Formation: o Nanomicelles are formed when amphiphilic molecules assemble themselves to create a globular structure that is only around 5 to 100nm in diameter. o Different agents are used to create nanomicelles, however, they are usually made through surfactant molecules that may be non-ionic, ionic, and cationic detergents. Some nanomicelles may also be developed from a mixture of lipids and detergents.  Use in Drug Delivery: o They are amphiphilic, i.e., have a hydrophilic outer shell and a hydrophobic interior. This dual property makes them a perfect carrier for delivering drug molecules. . The hydrophilic shell makes the micelle water soluble that allows for intravenous delivery while the hydrophobic core carries a payload of drug for therapy. o Once injected intravenously, these nanomicelles can easily escape the circulation and enter the tumours where the blood vessels are found to be leaky. These leaky blood vessels are absent in the healthy organs. Importance of Targeted Delivery:  The goal for cancer therapy is destroying the cancer cells without harming healthy cells of the body.  Chemotherapeutics approved for treatment of cancer are highly toxic with various side effects.  Thus, the need arises for effective targeted drug delivery. Recent Use of Nanotechnology:  Antiviral nano coating on face masks and Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits. Risks of Nanotechnology:  Since this field is still at its nascent stage, the likely risks are contentious.  The regulatory authorities like the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Health and Consumer Protection Directorate of the European Commission have started assessing the potential risks posed by the nanoparticles.  Nanotoxicology is the study of potential health risks of nanomaterials. o The human body can easily take up the nanomaterials as they are small in size. However, there is a need for detailed research on how it would behave inside an organism. The behaviour of nanoparticles based on their size, shape and surface reactivity must be thoroughly analysed before launching them into the market.  Nanopollution is the generic term that is used to describe the waste generated by the nanodevices or nanomaterials during the manufacturing process.

NUCLEAR REACTOR ON MOON USA’s plan to have the first nuclear reactor on the moon by the end of 2026 — for which the US Department of Energy in collaboration with Nasa intends to solicit industry design proposals in early 2021 — got an impetus with a recent White House directive. About:  On December 16, outgoing President Donald Trump, issued the “National Strategy for Space Nuclear Power and Propulsion”.  Under it, he asked Nasa to “initiate fission surface power project for lunar surface demonstration by 2027 with scalability to a power range of 40 kilowatt-electric and higher to support a sustained lunar presence and exploration of Mars”.  NASA aims to establish a flight hardware system that is ready for integrating with the lunar lander by 2026- end. The fission power system — as the nuclear reactor is called — will benefit future robotic and human exploration missions to the moon as well as Mars.  The availability of safe, efficient, and readily available power is critical to these missions and a fission surface power system meets those requirements.  The fission surface power system will be fully manufactured and assembled on earth and integrated on a lander as a payload. www.ambitionias.in 36

 The system — consisting of four major subsystems including a nuclear reactor, an electric power conversion unit, heat rejection array, and power management and distribution subsystem — will be designed to operate for up to 10 years.

ZERO COUPON BOND Recently, the government has used financial innovation to recapitalize Punjab & Sind Bank by issuing the lender Rs 5,500-crore worth of Zero-Coupon Bond valued at par. What is a Zero-Coupon Bond?  The zero-coupon bond is a bond that pays no interest and trades at a discount to its face value. o It implies that the investor purchasing a zero-coupon bond profits from the difference between the buying price and the face value, contrary to the usual interest income.  It is also called a pure discount bond or deep discount bond.  A Zero-Coupon Bond is a non-interest bearing, non-transferable special Government of India securities which has a maturity of 10-15 years.  The Zero-Coupon Bond is issued by the Central Government specifically to a particular institution. Significance of Zero-Coupon Bond  The market participants term it both a ‘financial illusion’ and ‘great innovation’ by the government where it is using Rs 100 to create an impact of Rs 200 in the economy.  The lender has kept the Zero-Coupon Bond in the Held-to-Maturity (HTM) bucket, not requiring it to book any mark-to-market gains or losses from these bonds because these bonds are not tradable.  The government has found an innovative way to capitalise banks, which does not affect the fiscal deficit while at the same time provides much needed equity capital to the banks.  The funds raised through issuance of Zero-Coupon Bond can deployed to capitalise the state-run bank. Concerns associated with Zero Coupon Bond  Zero coupon bonds are subject to interest rates risk if sold prior to the date of maturity.  The value of zero-coupon bonds is inversely related to the rise in the interest rates i.e., with rising in interest rates there is a decline in the value of these bonds in the secondary market.  The sensitivity of long-term zero-coupon bonds to interest rates exposes them to duration risk which implies that higher a bond’s duration, the greater will be its sensitivity to interest rate changes. Zero Coupon Bonds issued by Private Firms  The zero-coupon bonds issued by private companies are normally issued at discount, but the zero-coupon bonds of the government are special bonds which are not tradable as these can be issued at par.

KISAN FASAL RAHAT YOJANA The Jharkhand government is set to replace the Prime Minister’s insurance scheme for farmers with Kisan Fasal Rahat Yojana. About Kisan Fasal Rahat Yojana  It is a compensation scheme aimed at providing security cover to Jharkhand farmers in case of crop damage due to natural calamity.  It will cover both land owning and landless farmers.  The Department of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Co-operative will be the implementing agency of the scheme.  Food safety, crop diversification, rapid development in agriculture and paving the way for competition are among the aims of the scheme.  It is not an insurance scheme where premiums are paid.  The damage due to wild animal attack and preventable risks such as unscientific farming by farmers will not be considered under the scheme. Need for Kisan Fasal Rahat Yojana in Jharkhand  Jharkhand is home to around 38 lakh farmers cultivating 38 lakh hectares of land.  The state government says that among them around 25 lakh farmers are small or marginal landholders.  The irregular monsoon has affected the Kharif sowing season and as Jharkhand is mostly a single crop (paddy) state, the scheme will primarily target this group of farmers. Reasons to replace Prime Minister’s insurance scheme  Every year a large amount is paid as premium to the insurance companies.  Jharkhand paid a total of Rs 512.55 crore in the last three years while the compensation claim settlement was only Rs 82.86 crore, which was only 16 per cent of the total premium.  The number of farmers benefited as compared to the actual cover is also hugely disproportionate. Assessment of Crop Damage  The crop damage will be assessed through a ‘ground truthing’ process, which will be a combination of sample observations.  The role of the gram sabha is important in the initial reporting of crop damage received from the farmers.  Floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and other geological processes fall under the category of natural calamities which will be covered under the scheme.

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‘ADOPT A HERITAGE: APNI DHAROHAR, APNI PEHCHAAN’ PROJECT Recently, a review meeting of the “Adopt a Heritage: Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan” project was held. Launch: 27th September, 2017 (World Tourism Day). Ministries/Agencies Involved: It is a collaborative effort by the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), State/UTs Governments. Aim: To develop tourism amenities at heritage/ natural/ tourist sites spread across India for making them tourist friendly, in a planned and phased manner. Implementation:  The sites/monuments are selected on the basis of tourist footfall and visibility and can be adopted by private and public sector companies and individuals — known as Monument Mitras — for an initial period of five years.  The Monument Mitras are selected by the ‘oversight and vision committee,’ co-chaired by the Tourism Secretary and the Culture Secretary, on the basis of the bidder’s ‘vision’ for development of all amenities at the heritage site. o There is no financial bid involved.  The corporate sector is expected to use Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds for the upkeep of the site. Amenities:  Basic facilities such as clean drinking water facility; illumination; ease of access; aesthetics and cleanliness of site; installation of digi kiosk and ticketing kiosk; signage - descriptive and directional; Wi-Fi.  Advance amenities such as Visitor Facility Centre; Sound and Light Show; Snack Counter & Souvenir Shop; Augmented Reality Experience and Virtual Reality (360-degree experience). Benefits to Monument Mitras:  They will get limited visibility on the site premises and on the Incredible India website. Status:  Under the project, 27 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) have been awarded to 12 Monument Mitras for 25 sites and 2 technological interventions across India. Other Schemes for Promoting Tourism:  DekhoApnaDesh  Iconic Tourist Sites  Swadesh Darshan  Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD)

PORTULACA LALJII Botanists have discovered a new species of wild sun rose from the Eastern Ghats in India.  The new species, named Portulaca laljii, discovered from Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh has unique features such as a tuberous root, no hair in its leaf axils, a reddish pink flower, prolate-shaped fruits, and copper brown seeds without lustre.  The flowers are very attractive and bloom for months from June to February.  The plant bears beautiful, tiny pink flowers for eight months. It is because of the succulent nature of tuberous roots that the plant can survive on rocky crevices.

INDIA TO BECOME FIFTH LARGEST ECONOMY IN 2025 A recent report published by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CBER) has predicted that India will again overtake the UK to become the fifth largest economy in 2025 and race to the third spot by 2030.  CBER is a UK based company that gives independent economic forecasts for public and private firms. Findings:  The Indian economy will expand by 9% in 2021 and by 7% in 2022.  This growth trajectory will see India become the world’s third largest economy by 2030, overtaking the UK in 2025, Germany in 2027 and Japan in 2030.  China in 2028 will overtake the USA to become the world’s biggest economy, five years earlier than previously estimated due to the contrasting recoveries of the two countries from the Covid-19 pandemic.  Japan would remain the world’s third-biggest economy, until the early 2030s when it would be overtaken by India, pushing Germany down from fourth to fifth. Current Scenario:  Previously, India had overtaken the UK in 2019 to become the fifth largest economy in the world but has been relegated to 6th spot in 2020. o The five economies ahead are the United States, China, Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom respectively.  India’s economy had been losing momentum even ahead of the shock delivered by the Covid-19 crisis. o The rate of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth sank to a more than ten-year low of 4.2% in 2019.  Slowing growth has been a consequence of a confluence of factors including fragility in the banking system, adjustment to reforms (Demonetisation, GST) and a deceleration of global trade.  GDP in Q2 (April-June) 2020 was 23.9% below its 2019 level, indicating that nearly a quarter of the country’s economic activity was wiped out by the drying up of global demand and the collapse of domestic demand that accompanied the series of strict national lockdowns.

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Suggestions:  The pace of the economic recovery will be indistinguishably linked to the development of the Covid-19 pandemic, both domestically and internationally. o As the manufacturer of the majority of the world’s vaccines and with a 42-year-old vaccination programme (Universal Immunisation Programme) that targets 55 million people each year, India is better placed than many other developing countries to roll out the vaccines successfully and efficiently next year.  In the medium to long term, reforms such as the 2016 demonetisation and more recently the controversial efforts to liberalise the agricultural sector can deliver economic benefits. o However, with the majority of the Indian workforce employed in the agricultural sector, the reform process requires a delicate and gradual approach that balances the need for longer-term efficiency gains with the need to support incomes in the short-term.  The infrastructure bottlenecks that exist in India mean that investment in this area has the potential to unlock significant productivity gains. o Therefore, the outlook for the economy going forwards will be closely related to the government’s approach to infrastructure spending.

THERMOPOLIUM Researchers have unearthed a thermopolium, Latin for hot drinks counter, in the Roman empire town of Pompeii, today one of the world’s largest and most significant archaeological sites. About:  The snack food counter called the thermopolium at the Pompeii archaeological park’s Regio V was partially excavated in 2019.  It was found complete with an image of a Nereid riding a sea-horse, decorative still-life frescoes, food residues, animals bones and victims who died during the volcanic eruption of 79 CE. Significance:  The find is significant because it shows the variety of food consumed by the residents of the town — traces of pork, fish, snails and beef have been found in the containers of the stall.  It is also the first time an entire thermopolium has been excavated, complete with pateras, or bronze drinking bowls, ceramic jars used for cooking stews and soups, wine flasks etc.

100TH KISAN RAIL Recently, the Prime Minister has flagged off the 100th “Kisan Rail” service from Sangola in Solapur district of Maharashtra to Shalimar in West Bengal via video-conferencing. Key Points In August 2020, the first ‘Kisan Rail’ dedicated to agriculture and farmers was begun to connect farmers and markets across the country. The government has invested crores of rupees in modernising the country’s supply chain, of which the Kisan Rail service is a new experiment.  Announcements regarding modernising agriculture were made in the Budget 2020-21 which had envisaged the Kisan Rail service and the Krishi Udaan scheme. o Krishi Udaan was launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on international and national routes to assist farmers in transporting agricultural products so that it improves their value realisation. o Under the scheme, financial incentives in terms of concessions from the Centre, state governments and airport operators are extended to selected airlines to encourage operations from unserved and underserved airports, and keep airfares affordable. Despite the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the ‘Kisan Rail’ network has expanded in the past four months. Earlier, the Kisan Rail was being run only once a week but now, due to increased demand, it is being run thrice a week currently. Significance:  This experiment will prove especially beneficent for the country’s 80% small and marginal farmers.  The service would transform the economics of Indian agriculture while strengthening the country’s cold supply chain.  Indian farmers can now transport their produce to far-flung places within the country as well as gain access to international markets.  According to the government, the Kisan Rail service along with the amended farm laws would help protect farmers against the fluctuations in demand and supply.

INFLATION TARGET Maintaining the inflation target at 4% is appropriate for India, according to a working paper titled “Measuring Trend Inflation in India” released by RBI. About:  The paper seeks to estimate trend inflation in India to find the answer to a question that goes to the root of flexible inflation targeting (FIT) – is the choice of the target for inflation consistent with its trend?  The 4% target for inflation — with an upper tolerance limit of 6% and a lower limit of 2% — was set by the Centre in consultation with the RBI in 2016 and its validity expires on March 31, 2021.  The paper finds a steady decline in trend inflation to 4.1- 4.3% since 2014. www.ambitionias.in 39

 A target set too [significantly] below the trend imparts a deflationary bias to monetary policy because it will go into overkill relative to what the economy can intrinsically bear in order to achieve the target, the paper said.  Analogously, a target that is fixed above the trend renders monetary policy too expansionary and prone to inflationary shocks and unanchored expectations. Hence, maintaining the inflation target at 4% is appropriate for India. DIGITAL OCEAN Recently, the Ministry of Earth Sciences inaugurated the web-based application DigitalOcean developed by Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) in a Virtual Meeting held in New Delhi. About Digital Ocean:  Digital Ocean is a new state of the art data platform for Ocean Data Management.  It is the first such platform to provide ocean data related services at one place.  It includes a set of applications developed to organize and present heterogeneous oceanographic data by adopting rapid advancements in geospatial technology.  It facilitates an online interactive web-based environment for data integration, 3D and 4D (3D inspace with time animation) data visualization, data analysis to assess the evolution of oceanographic features, etc. Significance:  Digital Ocean is a big step towards Prime Minister’s vision of Digital India that is to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.  It will serve as a one stop-solution for all the data related needs of a wide range of users including research institutions, operational agencies, strategic users, academic community, maritime industry, policy makers and the public.  It will play a central role in sustainable management of the oceans and expanding the government’s Blue Economy initiatives.  It will be promoted as a platform for capacity building on Ocean Data Management for all Indian Ocean Rim countries. Other Related Initiative:  Deep Ocean Mission: o Launched in 2018. o The mission proposes to explore the deep ocean. o The focus of the mission is on deep-sea mining, ocean climate change advisory services, underwater vehicles and underwater robotics related technologies. o Two key projects planned in the Mission are: . A desalination plant powered by tidal energy. . A submersible vehicle that can explore depths of at least 6,000 metres. o Significance: It will enable India to develop capabilities to exploit resources in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB). ZARI, ZARDOZI Madhya Pradesh Government is organizing ‘Raag-Bhopali’ exhibition to promote Zari-Zardozi crafts of Bhopal. About:  Embroidery done with metallic threads is called kalabattu and forms the zari.  The main zari production centres are Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. Process:  Here the metal ingots are melted into metal bars called pasa from which lengths are got by beating it after treatment.  This is then pulled through perforated steel plates to make it into wires, followed by the tarkashi process to make it thin with rubber and diamond dies.  The last stage is called badla where the wire is flattened and twisted with silk or cotton thread to become kasab or kalabattu.

DEDICATED FREIGHT CORRIDOR Recently, the Prime Minister has inaugurated the section between Khurja and Bhaupur in Uttar Pradesh for commercial operations of the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC). What is Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC)?  The Ministry of Railways, under the direction of the Indian Government, had taken up the dedicated freight corridor (DFC) project.  The project involves the construction of six freight corridors traversing the entire country.  The purpose of the project is to provide a safe and efficient freight transportation system.  In 2006, the Government of India established a dedicated body to implement the project, called the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL). Why Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) is important?  Around 70% of the freight trains currently running on the Indian Railway network are slated to shift to the freight corridors, leaving the paths open for more passenger trains.  The tracks on DFC are designed to carry heavier loads than most of Indian Railways.  The DFC will get track access charge from the parent Indian Railways, and also generate its own freight business.  The objectives of DFC are: o To create world-class rail infrastructure with advanced technology and knowledge to carry higher throughput per train. www.ambitionias.in 40

o To improve overall transport efficiency. o To offer customer guaranteed, faster transit, energy efficient, environment-friendly transport. o To encourage total supply chain management. o Reduce the unit cost of transport logistics. o Increase Rail share in the freight market.

INDIA AND BHUTAN ON PEACEFUL USE OF OUTER SPACE Recently, Union Cabinet approved Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of the Republic of India and the Royal Government of Bhutan on Cooperation in the peaceful users of outer space. Background  India and Bhutan have been discussing on establishing formal space cooperation.  The template for Inter-Governmental MoU for Space cooperation was shared with Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in 2017 for further taking up with Bhutan.  In November 2020, the MoU was signed between the leaders of India and Bhutan. Key Highlights  The MoU shall enable India and Bhutan to pursue cooperation in potential interest areas such as: o Remote sensing of the earth; o Satellite communication and satellite-based navigation; o Space science and planetary exploration; o Use of spacecraft and space systems and ground system; and o Application of space technology  The MoU would lead to concluding specific Implementing Arrangement on specific areas of cooperation and setting up of Joint Working Group o The working group will aim to work out the plan of action including the time-frame and the means of implementing this MoU.  The MoU would lead to develop a joint activity in the field of application of space technologies for the benefit of humanity.

LIGHT HOUSE PROJECTS (LHPs) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of Light House Projects (LHPs) under Global Housing Technology Challenge-India (GHTC-India) at six sites across six States on 1st January 2021. About:  The Light House Projects (LHPs) showcase the best of new-age alternate global technologies, materials and processes in the construction sector for the first time in the country at such a large scale.  They are being constructed under GHTC-India which envisages to provide an ecosystem for adoption of innovative technologies in the housing construction sector in a holistic manner.  The LHPs are being constructed at Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Rajkot (Gujarat), Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Agartala (Tripura) and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh).  They comprise about 1000 houses at each location along with allied infrastructure facilities.  These projects will demonstrate and deliver ready to live houses at an expedited pace within twelve months, as compared to conventional brick and mortar construction, and will be more economical, sustainable, of high quality and durability.

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